The Story
A rich man had three sons. As he grew older, he decided to give his property to the son who would value the wealth he had earned. He called his three sons and gave each of them five grains of rice. He told them that he would ask for these grains at the end of five years and would give his property to the son who valued these grains the most.
- The First Son: He threw away the grains, deciding to show his father other grains after five years, assuming his father would not notice the difference.
- The Second Son: He preserved the grains in a silver box and kept it in the puja room at home, offering prayers to the box alongside his prayers to God for five years.
- The Third Son: He sowed the grains and cultivated them in the backyard of his house. They grew into crops, and he kept re-sowing the grains from these crops. In due course, he had a vast plot of land cultivated with rice.
The Father’s Decision
At the end of five years, the father gave his property to the third son, as he had shown the most appreciation and proper utilization of the grains by fulfilling his father’s desires.
Moral of the Story
From this story, we can draw an understanding about the proper and correct utilization of the senses, which have been mercifully awarded to us by the Supreme Lord.
- The First Son: His action of discarding the grains symbolizes people who waste the gifts given by the Lord, not recognizing their value and potential. They do not engage their senses in any productive or spiritual activity.
- The Second Son: His action of preserving and worshipping the grains represents those who idolize the material aspects of life, getting caught up in the externals and worshipping the senses themselves, instead of using them for a higher purpose.
- The Third Son: His action of cultivating the grains demonstrates the ideal way of utilizing the gifts given by the Lord. By engaging the senses in productive and spiritual activities, he created abundance and fulfilled his father’s expectations.
Proper Utilization of Senses
The senses are meant to be engaged in the service of the Lord. The material universe is created to give the conditioned soul a chance to rectify the misuse of the senses and to re-engage them in the direct service of the Lord.
Reflection on the Use of Senses
- Misuse of Senses: Like the first son, some people discard the potential of their senses, failing to recognize the opportunity to use them for higher purposes.
- Worship of Senses: Like the second son, others get captivated by the material energy, worshipping their senses instead of engaging them properly in the service of the Supreme.
- Engagement in Service: The third son illustrates the proper engagement of senses, using them to serve and fulfill the desires of the Supreme, which leads to true abundance and satisfaction.
Engagement of Senses in Devotional Service
In the Hari Bhakti Sudhodaya (13.2), a beautiful verse describes the proper engagement of the senses:
akshnoh phalam tvaadrsha-darshanam hi tanoh phalam tvaadrsha-gaatra-sangah jihvaa-phalam tvaadrsa-kirtanam hi sudurabhaa bhaagavataa hi loke
“O devotee of the Lord, the purpose of the visual sense is fulfilled simply by seeing you, and to touch your body is the fulfillment of bodily touch. The tongue is meant for glorifying your qualities because in this world a pure devotee of the Lord is very difficult to find.”
Conclusion
The challenging proposition of controlling the senses and stopping material desires becomes quite easy if we become intelligent devotees, planning and engaging in the service of the Lord and His pure devotees. This way, stagnant material desires are overpowered by the desire to serve the Lord and His devotees, leading to spiritual fulfillment and liberation.
Prayer for Wisdom
Let us pray for the wisdom to utilize the gifts given to us by the Supreme Lord in a way that fulfills His desires and brings us closer to spiritual enlightenment:
“O Supreme Lord, guide us in using the senses and gifts you have bestowed upon us for Your service. Help us to recognize their true value and to engage them in a way that brings glory to You and fulfillment to our souls.”
