The Holy Man and the Prostitute
by Deana Tareshawty
Audio Version of This Blog Post
Sat Chit Ananda Guru Ki Jay
During a recent mini course, Kedarji shared a story that was often shared by Baba Muktananda.
This story helped me greatly in my Sadhana by revealing how the subtleties of thinking contracted thoughts about others and the inner company I keep creates contraction for me.
It was the story of the Holy Man and the Prostitute.
In a town in India lived a holy man, a sadhu. He was very well respected in his community and had among his disciples, many kings, artists, scientists and other important people. He maintained very strict rules for purity. He ate neither fish nor meat. He stayed away from garlic and onions. He neither drank nor smoked. He prayed three times a day. He always appeared to be repeating the mantra with his eyes closed, opening them only when he had to see someone.
The sadhu lived on the first floor of his building, and on the same floor of the building across the street, lived a prostitute.
Every day the prostitute practiced her profession, singing, dancing, and doing all the things that prostitutes do. Although the sadhu was celibate and physically pure, he was obsessed with her. He would watch her constantly, thinking, “Hey, that’s the second fellow who has gone to her today. Now there’s a third. There goes a fourth. Look, she’s hugging him!” All day long, he watched the prostitute thinking how wicked and sinful she was. “Why does a pure being like me have to live across the street from a wretched prostitute?” he would wonder.
But when the prostitute had some spare time, she would look toward the sadhu and be filled with remorse. She would think, “What a pure and holy being he is. And look at me, what a bad state I’m in. Alas, there is no hope for me.”
Many years went by like this, and one day both of them died. The sadhu died surrounded by his disciples, and his funeral rites were performed with great honor. Precious materials were put on his body: sandalwood and incense were burned. The prostitute, however, died alone, and nobody knew of her death until the body started to stink. Finally, the city officials came and sprinkled DDT in the house. They dragged the body out and buried it without any ceremony.
The souls of the sadhu and the prostitute went to the next world to be examined at the passport office of Dharma, righteousness. Their files were checked, and both of them were given slips of paper indicating where they were to go. The prostitute’s slip of paper said “heaven” and the sadhu’s paper said “hell”.
The sadhu was terribly upset. He cried, “Is this justice? You send a wrenched prostitute to heaven and a pure person like me to hell! How do you explain this?”
The passport official said, “Come this way.” He pulled out the files and showed them to the sadhu. “It is true that you kept your body very pure, you performed many religious rites and rituals, “he explained. “That is why, when you died, your body was treated with the highest respect and buried with the greatest of honors. Now, this is an account of what you thought about. Day after day, you kept thinking, “She is a wretched creature. Shis is so wicked. Look at all those men who are coming to her.”
The passport official pulled out the prostitute’s file. “This is what she thought about. Every day she said to herself, ‘O sadhu, you are so pure and sublime. O sadhu, you are a holy man, save me. Deliver me.’ Of course, her body performed impure actions, and as a result it was treated disrespectfully and given a pauper’s burial. But because her thoughts were high and pure, she has been sent to heaven, and because you thought about sin and wickedness, you must go to hell.”
Baba shares this commentary on the story. “Like the sadhu, we have become our own enemy; we are not willing to think good thoughts for even half an hour. We have not developed the knack of thinking well of others. We keep asking, “what defect does he have? What fault does she have? We have never learned to find out about people’s purity or about their good qualities. We forget that by thinking negatively of others we are creating an entire world of negativity for ourselves. All our thoughts leave traces in our psyche. Whatever thoughts we direct at others, whether negative or positive, actually have their strongest effect on us. Every thought is like a seed cast in the mind, the fruits of which we ourselves receive later on. They will cause him suffering, anxiety, and sorrow. Therefore, let only good thoughts move in your mind.”
I was so grateful for my Guru’s Grace and love that caused a kriya within me to reveal ways that I veil the Self from myself through contracted thought.
When I heard this story, it was a reminder to stop taking refuge in the restless mind and ruminating on thoughts of others and an outer world.
Although I am working in my sadhana to be pure, my effort in a daily spiritual practice is counterproductive by not reigning in my restless mind and keeping it pure. Allowing my mind to wander and indulge its habits of complaining, criticizing, judging, worrying, and fault finding is a cause of my suffering. Reaching for these habits is a way I conceal my true nature from myself by forgetting that God alone exists. This is how I stay attached to the idea of an outer world and the idea of others.
This all happens subtly. At times, these expressions I engage seem to occur innocently, so I don’t notice I am engaging a habit. I have observed that recent conversations I have with my husband, or any friend or family member, are not true conversations that share in Supreme Love. They are sessions for gossiping and airing my grievances about other friends, family members, work, and mundane life in general. It is subtle, and the comments are not always framed as a complaint or criticism, but more of a statement. Then, the content of the conversation consists of rehashing details of the injustice, instead of finding a solution to the issue. These types of encounters keep my mind focused on contracted thoughts.
For example, a common conversation I have with my husband is about our children. I don’t care for the company my younger son keeps. They are not the best influence on him. So often, I will start a conversation with “it would be nice if Gavin found a girl to date so he will settle down and stop hanging out with that group.” Now, there is no need to have such a conversation as Gavin is an adult and what he does is not my business. My complaining and worrying do nothing to change the situation. I am simply making these comments to complain about his life choices that I no longer have any control or influence over. The only solution to this issue must come from Gavin.
Since hearing this story, I have also observed that when I have started these types of conversations, I am engaging my restless mind to prevent myself from having any true level of relating with my husband that is based in Supreme Love and seeing him as God.
Since hearing this story, I have observed this tendency arise in the way of me asking a question that has its underlying motive as a complaint, judgment, or criticism. For example, I asked a friend how she would address a situation, yet the subtleties of me asking was to open a dialogue to complain about the behavior of another and the situation itself. I had the answer of how to handle it inside of me, if in that moment, I stopped and performed my 3-step dharna. The subtlety of the habit masked what the true intention had been behind my behavior. All along I thought I was engaging in this type of conversation for advice, but what I was really doing was strengthening my habit of complaining and fault finding.
I have become aware that when I think judgmental thoughts of others or I judge myself against others in thinking I am lacking something, I am refusing to take responsibility for my existence and sadhana by addressing what I feel I lack.
I use complaining as a means to avoid confronting the issue. For example, I needed a new shower head for my shower. I wanted one that was more of a of spa, rainfall type. What was installed was a basic model that is used in our rental properties. Also, it was installed while I was away so that I didn’t see the product as it was being installed to object. I was told that I should “like it just fine.” Well, I don’t because it was not what I wanted. Yet, to this day, I still complain about it to avoid confronting our maintenance man, who is in the habit of making choices for me and my house that are not what I want when he makes repairs. I want to avoid the pain I perceive I would experience in having to express myself. In complaining about it, I am not solving the issue, drawing boundaries, and respecting myself as the Self.
This story made me realize that instead of preforming my 3-step dharna to quiet my restless mind the moment I have such thoughts or make such statements, I go to my place of comfort in the ego expressions. Complaining and worrying are a way for me to deflect focus away from the Self so I don’t see something within me that needs to be addressed.
A point this story brought to my attention was that this is yet another way that I reach for pain over the experience of Joy. In engaging the restless mind by way of complaining, fault-finding, and worry, I go looking for my pain. This subtle mindset has been a source for keeping me stuck in this habit. I didn’t realize how subtle this is and how often I engage it until I heard this story.
Thoughts are so powerful in how they impact and direct the mind.
This story remined me that when I allow my mind to frequent restlessness, I become distracted and can’t see the blessings that surround me in seeing all the forms, situations, and circumstances reflected in my life as God, and for my benefit.
The holy man had been so blessed by God. Every day as he complained about the prostitute, he was shown an obstacle in his sadhana, and he chose to reach for the ego idea instead. He was being shown where he was really at versus where he thought he was at. He was being shown how complacent he had become in sadhana where the mind was concerned.
Since being reminded of this obstacle of the restless mind and my habit of complaining, I have been making more effort in keeping my mind quiet and redirecting it with Mantra. I have realized the importance of thinking and speaking less, especially when it is for the purpose of engaging my karmic habits. Taking the time to stop and perform the 3-step Dharana helps me reach for Viveka in what I am thinking to say. If it is not based in Love and not necessary, I make an effort to offer it to my Guru and keep quiet.
Sat Chit Ananda Guru Ki Jay
Deana Tareshawty performs her selfless service as Vice President of our public charity, The Bhakta School, in addition to serving as a program leader and harmonium player. She also serves on our Board of Directors. Additionally, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and a double minor in Biology and Chemistry. She is a certified Ecology of Well-Being practitioner and the owner of Inspired Wholeness. She is also a trained Reiki Master in Usui Reiki.
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