VBT – Week’s Meditation 67
Beyond Death
Alexander was returning from India. Some friends had requested him to bring back a sannyasin from India. They said, “When you come with conquered possessions, don’t forget: bring a sannyasin also. We want to see what a sannyasin is – what type of a man renounces the world. We want to know what has happened to one who has renounced all desires, what type of bliss comes to one who leaves all hankering, thirst or hunger for the future, for possessions and things.”
Just at the last moment Alexander remembered. In the last town from where he was to leave India to go back to his country, he told his soldiers to go and find a sannyasin. They went to the town, and they asked an old man of the town. He said, “Yes there is a sannyasin, a great sannyasin, but it will be difficult. It will be very difficult to persuade him to go with Alexander to Athens.”
But the soldiers were soldiers, so they said, “Don’t you be worried about it. We can force anyone. Just tell us where he is. We know how to force him, so there is no need to persuade. If Alexander tells even the whole town to follow him, you will have to follow, so what of a single sannyasin?”
But the old man laughed, and the soldiers couldn’t understand because they had never encountered a sannyasin. They reached the sannyasin. He was standing naked on the bank of the river, and they told him, “Alexander orders that you have to come with us. Every care will be taken, there will be no inconvenience for you; you will be the royal guest. But you have to come with us to Athens.”
The sannyasin laughed and he said, “It will be very difficult for your Alexander to take me with him. No force in this world can force me to follow. You will not be able to understand, but it is better that you bring your Alexander.”
Alexander was disturbed. He felt insulted, but he wanted to see this man. He came with a naked sword and he said, “If you say no, then immediately you lose your life. I will cut your head.” The name of the sannyasin was – as it is reported in Alexander’s records – Dandami.
The sannyasin laughed and said, “You came a little late. You cannot kill me now because I have killed myself already. You are a little late. You can cut my head, but you cannot cut me because I have become a witness. So when this head will fall down on the earth, you will see it falling down and I will also see it falling down. But you cannot cut me; you cannot even touch me. So don’t waste time, you can cut! Raise your sword and cut my head.”
Alexander couldn’t kill that man. It was impossible because it was useless. The man was so beyond death, it was impossible to kill him. You can only be killed if you cling to life. That clinging to the changing pattern makes you a mortal. If you don’t cling, you are as you have always been – immortal. Immortality is your birthright; it has always been there. You become a mortal only if you cling. So there is no question, there is no need to force the changing periphery to be static. There is no need, and you CANNOT make it static. It will go on, the wheel will go on. All that you can do is to know that you are not the wheel. You are the axis, not the wheel.
Tags: Beyond Death Patanjali
