ALITTLETALEOFKARMA I
HEWASthesonofasmallruler inRajpootana.Hisfather,ofthe warriorcaste,governedadistrict includingseveralvillages,aswell ashisownsmalltown,with justiceandwisdom,sothatall wereprosperousandhappy.The rulerwascalledaRajah;helived inabuildingmadeofstone,built onahillthatcommandedthe town.Theson,ofwhomthistaletells,wasbornaftertheRajahhadbeenchildless formanyyearsandwastheonlychildtowhomthefather’shonoursandpower coulddescend.HewasnamedRamaafterthegreatAvatar.Fromthetimehewas bornanduntilhecouldspeak,astrangelookwasalwaystobeseeninhisbabyeyes; alookthatgazedatyouwithoutflinching,bold,calculating,asifhehadsomedesign onyou;andyetattimesitseemedtoshowthathewaslaughingathimself,sorry, too,melancholyattimes.
Ramagrewupanddelightedhisfatherwith hisgoodnessandstrengthofmind.Thestrange glanceofhiseyeasababyremainedwithhim,so thatwhileeveryonelovedhim,theyallalsofelta singularrespectthatwassometimesawe.His studieswerecompleted,afirstshortpilgrimageto acelebratedshrinehadbeenmadeveryearlybyhis ownrequest,andhebegantotakepartinthe administrationoftheaffairsoftheoldandnow feeblerajah.Eachdayheretiredtohisroomalone; noonewaspermittedtocomewithinthreerooms ofhis;andonthefourteenthofthemonth,hespent theentiredayinretirement.Letusgowithhimin fancytooneofthesemonthlyretreatsandlisten withhisconsent.
TheroomisanordinaryHinduroom.Hard chunamfloor,thebedrolledupinthecorner,onthe wallsoneortwoflatmetalplaquesinlaidwithenamel andrepresentingdifferentgodsandheroes.Heenters andgoesuptothewallinfrontofoneofthese plaques Krishna.Thestrangelookinhiseyesgrows deeper,stronger,andastreamoflightseemstorush fromthemtotheobjectonthewall.Hislipsmove.
“Atmanam,atmana ”heseemstosay;therest ismurmuredsolowwecannothearit.Thewordsare inhisowndialect,butinthemindofthehearerthey translatethemselves.Hesays:
“Thisweightuponmyheartisnotfromthislife.I haveknownnosorrow,havelostnoobjectthatIloved. Myambitionsarefulfilled;thepresentisbright;thefutureshowsnoshadow.When, OKrishna,shallIknowthatwhichInowknownot,norwhatitisthatIlongto learn?Yetevennowarayofhopestealsintomysoul.”
Justasheutteredthelastwordsaringingsoundcamefromthemetalplaque andRamagazedsteadilyatit.Theplaquevibrated,andasubtlescentspreadfromit overthewholeroom.Theairseemedtovibrateslowly,undulatingly,andthena dazzlingshapeofayoungmanseemedtoformitselfuponthefloor,whilethe vibrationcenteredintheformandthescentturnedintolight.Ramalookedsteadily atthisbeingwhostoodthereerectandterrifying,yetcalmandstrongwithpeaceall aboutit.Itwasthecalmnessandpowerofitthatterrified.AsRamalooked,itspoke:
“DoyouforgettheUpanishad,‘Twobirdssitinonetree;theoneeatsthefruit andtheotherlookson’?”
“No,”saidRama,“Iforgetnot.Theyarethe personalanduniversal.Theonewholooksonismy higherself Atman.”
“Iamthyhigherself.Icometotelltheeof threewords.Forgetthemnot,forgetnotme.They areAction,Law,theFruitofAction.”
“These,”saidRama,“Ihaveheard.Actionand LawIknow,buttheFruitofAction,isitthatwhich eatswithin?”
Theformofbeautyreplied:“Itisthe ignoranceofitthathurtsthee.Thouartboundinthyfuture.Thispresentbirthof
thineistoallowtheetomaketheKarmafor thynextbirthbetterintheend,butwhich willbeeverdarkandpainfulifnotnow ameliorated.Inthispresentisthyfuture. Potentialnowliesintheeffectofwhatcause youmake.”Then,withonestraightarrowlikeglanceintothefaceofRama,theform faded,andtheplaqueranganoteoffarewell. Acrossthewallthereseemedtopassa pictureofpovertyandriches,ofhutsand buildingsofstone.Ramalefttheroomthe nextday,andneverafterseemedtosorrow ortobeannoyed.Hisoldfatherdied,andhe carriedonthegovernmentformanyyears, scatteringblessingsineverydirection,untila rivalrajahcameanddemandedallhispossessions,showingaclaimtothemthrough aforgottenbranchofthefamily.Insteadofrejectingtheclaim,whichwasjust, insteadofslayingtherivalashecouldhavedone,Ramaresignedall,retiredtothe forest,anddiedafterafewyearsofausterity.
III
ThewheeloftimerolledonandRamawasreborninatowngovernedbythe RajahwhohadonceinaformerlifedemandedRama’spossessions.ButnowRama waspoor,unknown,anoutcaste,achandalahwhosweptupgarbageandhoped thatKarmamighthelphim.He knewnotthathewasRama;he onlysweptthegarbagenear theRajah’spalace.
Asolemnaudiencewas heldbytheRajahwithallthe priestsandthesoothsayers present.Troubledbyadream ofthenightbefore,the superstitiousrulercalledthem intointerpret,tostatecauseslearnedly,toprescribescripturalpalliativemeasures. Hehaddreamedthatwhilewalkinginhisgarden,hearingfromhistreasureran accountofhisincreasingwealth,ahugestonebuildingseemedsuddenlytogrowup beforehim.Ashestoppedamazed,ittoppledoverandseemedtoburyhimandhis wealth.Threetimesrepeated,thisfilledhimwithfear.
Theastrologersretiredandconsultedtheirbooks.Theremedywasplain,one suggested.“LettheKinggiveavastsumofmoneytomorrowtothefirstpersonhe seesafterwakingup.”Thisdecisionwasaccepted,andtheproposerofitintendedto beonhandearlysoastoclaimthe money.TheRajahagreedtothe directionofthestars,andretiredfor thenight,fullofhisresolutiontogive immensegiftsnextday.Nohorrid dreamsdisturbedhissleep.The winkingstarsmovedoverthevault ofheaven,andofallthehoststhe moonseemedtosmileuponthecity asif,beingnear,sheheardandknew all.Thecoldearlymorning,dark withpromiseofthedawn,sawthechandalah onceRama sweepingupthe garbagenearthepalacewhereinsidetheRajabwasjustawaking.Thelaststarin heavenseemedtohaltasifanxiousthatRamashouldcomeinhissweepingtothe sideofthepalacefromwhichtheRajah’swindowopened.Slowlythechandalah creptaroundinhistask,slowly,surely.SlowlytheRajah’swakingsensesreturned, andastheycameahideousmemoryofhideousdreamflashedonhim.Startingup fromthematonwhichhelay,heroseandseemedtothink.
“WhatwasItodo?Yes,givegifts.Butitisnotyetday.Stilltheoraclesaid, ‘immediatelyonawakening’.”
Ashehesitatedthepoorgarbagesweeperoutsidecamemorenearlyinfront ofhiswindow.Thesettingstaralmostseemedtothrowabeamthroughthewall thatstruckandpushedhimtothewindow.Flingingopentheshuttertogetbreath, helookeddown,andtherebeforehimwasapoorchandalahwithwaistclothandno turban,sweatingwithexertion,hasteningonwiththetaskthatwhenfinishedwould leavethegreatRajah’sgroundscleanandreadyfortheirlord.
“Thankthegods,”saidthe Rajah,“itisfate;ajustdecision;to thepoorandthepiousshouldgifts begiven.”
Atanearlyhourhegathered hisministersandprieststogether andsaid “Igivegiftstothe devasthroughthepoor;Iredeem myvow.
Callthechandalahwhoearlythismornswepttheground.”
Ramawascalledandthoughtitwasforprisonordeath.ButtheRajahamazed himwithagiftofmanythousandsofrupees,andasthechandalah,nowrich,passed out,hethoughthesmeltastrangefamiliarodorandsawadazzlingformflashby. “This,”thoughthe,“isadeva.”
ThemoneymadeRamarich.Heestablishedhimselfandinvitedlearned Brahminstoteachothers;hedistributed alms,andonedayhecausedahuge buildingofstonetobebuiltwithbroken stonechainsonitssidestorepresenthow faterupturedhischains.Andlateron,a wiseseer,aBrahminofmanyausterities, lookingintohislife,toldhimbriefly.
“Nextlifethouartfree.ThynameisRama.”
byBryanKinnavanOctober1889
[pennameofWilliamQJudge]