Life is transient. Many times we give value to things that are not really worth. Read this story and think about it…
A famous spiritual teacher came to the front door of the King’s palace. None of the guards tried to stop him as he entered and made his way to where the King himself was sitting on his throne.
“What do you want?” asked the King, immediately recognizing the visitor.
“I would like a place to sleep in this inn,” replied the teacher.
“But this is not an inn,” said the King, “It is my palace.”
“May I ask who owned this palace before you?”
“My father. He is dead.”
“And who owned it before him?”
“My grandfather. He too is dead.”
“And this place where people live for a short time and then move on - did I hear you say that it is NOT an inn?”
Enjoy life, but do not strive too much for possessions . Live in a palace, your eternal soul. Everything else is a one star motel…
Elio, in our system, the body itself is to be treated as an inn. One strives to detach oneself from the body/mind/intellect complex by real..izing the true nature of the Self. When that happens, one is enlightened.
Excellent point Elio. The things that people tend to strive hardest for are most often the things that cannot last. We occupy this space for only a short time so it would be wise to spend that time enjoying the journey rather than waiting to reach the destination.
The body is to be treated as a TEMPLE, not an Inn! People tend to trash their motel rooms, but if they are staying at the most expensive 5 star suite, they tend to be careful lest they incur more charges in damages. So it needs to be with our bodies. The expensive charges for damages end up being coronary artery disease, parkinsons (heredetary, yes, but influenced by a lack of antioxidants in the diet…), type 2 diabetes (now renamed to remove stigma, can you believe it?)…and so on.
A temple, an inn? In the time that Jesus taught us our bodies should be a temple, it was also a place of learning, a place of healing, and a place of spiritual enjoyment. The mind and soul are as real as the cells of the body. The extent to which one contributes to the existence of the other is still controversial, but they do. We received a promise that once pass this staying in the inns of the world, we are going back to the Temple. That is exactly what I believe Jesus achieved for us by dying the way he did. Life is not that transient, only what some believe is the only reality.
Long before I became someone living with a chronic illness, I treated my body as a temple. I exercised everyday and traveled miles out of my way to buy organic foods-years before the term became so trendy.
The problem was not in what I ate or the amount of money I spent at one of the finest fitness centers in the city. Nor was it the things that I worked so hard to purchase. It was what I thought. I only began to heal my spirit after I learned the importance of true forgiveness.
Now I strive to live in my soul. It is a palace. It never leads me astray. I just have to listen and follow its guidance.
This is true…in the Biblical scriptures it is said, “Do not store up riches here on earth, but store riches up in heaven”—which means enrich your lives by loving and caring for others even to those who are unloved and unpleasant. Walk in faith and trust in God and be concerned with living a life that pleases Him.
Nice post for my musing. I think that all available in this world was temporary, except our spirit who was belonging to the God.
@All,
We must detach from the body to achieve enlightment, but at the same time we have to take a good care of it. I think that, since we are in the physical plane, and there is a reason for this, we have to praise our body as the keeper of our soul whilst we are in this plane. We become the “Inn” when we are too attached to material things…