The
Meditating Watchman
(Fearlessness)
Once upon a time, the Bodhisattva was
born into a rich and powerful family. Dissatisfied with the chase for ordinary
worldly pleasures, he gave up his luxurious lifestyle, including his wealth and
position, and became a holyman who resided in the foothills of the Himalayas.
One day, he ran out of salt. So he
decided to leave the foothills to collect alms. He chanced upon a caravan and
decided to join them for part of the journey. As it was late, they stopped and
pitched a camp.
Thus, the holy man used the time to
do some walking meditation at the foot of a big tree nearby. He meditated
deeply until he was experiencing the bliss of a high mental state. He remained
in that state throughout the night, while continuing to walk.
Meanwhile, 500 bandits had surrounded
the campsite waiting stealthily. They intended to attack the caravan when the
band had taken their supper and settled down for the night. However before they
could attack, they noticed the holy man who was alone.
“That person must be a night
watchman. If he sees us, he will warn the rest. Let’s wait until he dozes off,
before we rob and loot!” they said to one another.
What the bandits didn’t realise was
that the holy man was so deep in meditation he didn’t notice them at all — or
anything else for that matter! They kept waiting for him to fall asleep, and he
just kept walking and walking and walking, until the first rays of dawn finally
began to appear. It was only then that he finished his meditation.
Having no chance to rob the caravan
now, the bandits threw down their weapons in frustration. “Hey you in the
caravan! If your watchman hadn’t stayed up all night, walking under that tree,
we would have robbed all of you! You should reward him well!” they shouted.
With that, they left in search for another victim to rob.
When dawn streamed through, the
people in the caravan saw the clubs and stones abandoned by the bandits.
Trembling with fear, they went over to the holy man. They greeted him
respectfully and asked if he had seen the bandits. “Yes, I saw them this morning,”
he said.
“Weren’t you scared?” they asked.
“No,” he replied, “the sight of
bandits is only frightening to the rich, but I’m not a rich man. I own nothing
valuable that the robbers might want, so why should I be afraid of them? I have
no anxiety in a village, and no fear in the forest. Possessing only
lovingkindness and compassion, I follow the straight path leading to Truth.” In
this manner, he preached the way of fearlessness to the people of the caravan.
His words made them feel peaceful, and they honoured him.
After a long life that the holy man
fruitfully used to develop the Four Heavenly States of Mind, he died and was
reborn in the heavens.
The moral is ✏ it is good to have
a holy man around.
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