The Lost Necklace
Once, there was a king who had gifted his daughter, the princess, a beautiful diamond necklace. One day, the necklace went missing, and the entire kingdom was thrown into disarray as everyone searched high and low for it, but to no avail. Some speculated that a bird might have stolen it. In desperation, the king offered a reward of $50,000 to anyone who could find the necklace.
The Clerk’s Discovery
One day, a clerk was walking home along a polluted and filthy river near an industrial area. As he walked, he noticed something shimmering in the river. To his surprise, he saw the diamond necklace glinting beneath the water’s surface. Eager to claim the reward, the clerk reached into the dirty river to grab the necklace but somehow missed it.
Perplexed, he tried again, this time stepping into the river, dirtying his pants as he plunged his arm deeper into the filthy water. Yet, he still couldn’t catch the necklace. Frustrated and disheartened, the clerk walked away, but as he did, he spotted the necklace again. Determined to retrieve it, he decided to plunge his whole body into the polluted river. Despite his efforts, the necklace continued to elude him. Depressed and bewildered, the clerk emerged from the river, feeling utterly defeated.
The Saint’s Wisdom
At that moment, a saint happened to be walking by and noticed the clerk’s distress. Seeing the man’s troubled state, the saint asked him what was wrong. The clerk, reluctant to share the secret, feared the saint might take the necklace for himself. But the saint, full of compassion, reassured the clerk that he only wanted to help and would not tell anyone.
The clerk, mustering some courage, decided to confide in the saint. He explained how he had seen the necklace in the river and had tried multiple times to retrieve it but failed each time. The saint listened carefully and then offered a simple piece of advice: “Perhaps you should try looking upward, toward the branches of the tree, instead of in the filthy river.”
Following the saint’s suggestion, the clerk looked up, and to his astonishment, he saw the real diamond necklace hanging from a branch of the tree above. All along, he had been trying to capture a mere reflection of the real necklace in the dirty river.
Lesson to Be Learned
This story teaches us that material happiness is like the polluted river—a mere reflection of the true happiness that exists in the spiritual world. No matter how hard we strive to achieve material happiness, it will always be elusive and unsatisfying. Instead, we should look upward, toward Lord Krishna, who is the source of real and eternal happiness. Only through bhakti (devotion) can we find true satisfaction and fulfillment, transcending the illusory pleasures of the material world.
Prayer
“O Lord Krishna, guide us away from the illusions of material happiness that only lead to frustration and disappointment. Help us to look upward, toward You, the source of true joy and contentment. Grant us the wisdom and devotion to seek spiritual fulfillment, and may we always remember that the true happiness we seek can only be found in Your loving service. Hare Krishna.”
4o
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