Body-Reality and Soul-Reality

Once Troilanga Swami was walking along the street near an Indian King’s palace. This King was a great admirer of his. When the King heard that Troilanga Swami was nearby, he himself ran out and brought him into the palace. The Master was naked, so the King’s attendants put very nice, expensive clothes on him and he looked extremely beautiful. Then they fed him most delicious food. The King and his party were blessed by the Master and they had a long conversation with him, although ordinarily he was a man of few words. Sometimes he would not talk at all for months.

When Troilanga Swami left the palace to go back to his cottage, some of the palace guards watched him from a distance. When he was practically out of sight, three hooligans attacked him and took away all the expensive robes that had been given to him by the King. The guards came running and arrested the hooligans. Then they begged Troilanga Swami to come to the King’s palace once again, and he agreed.

When the King heard what had happened, he was about to punish the hooligans and put them in jail. But Troilanga Swami said, “No, don’t do that. To me there is no difference whether I have the clothes or not. My soul is not affected at all when I don’t have any clothes. Long before you gave me the clothes, I had my soul inside my body, and this is the only real thing. What shall I do with the things that do not fulfil any need of my soul?” So the hooligans were allowed to go free and the Master peacefully went on his way.

Commentary:

The body-reality needs decoration, ornamentation and embellishment for its satisfaction. The soul-reality needs only its oneness with Infinity’s Immortality for its eternal satisfaction.