“This is a priceless stone, and I am ready to give you a crore for it.”
If someone was ready to pay you 10 million Dollars for something that belonged to you, would you sell it?
I am going to tell you a story once narrated by a Hindu Mystic and Spiritual Leader, Ramakrishna Paramahansa.
There was a washerman who once found a stone and started to use it for washing the dirt off the clothes given to him. It was unlike any other stone and it did the job well too. All the clothes were thoroughly cleaned off and his customers were very happy with him. The washerman was amazed at the ability of the stone to clean off even the most stubborn of stains on the clothes.
One day he decided to find out about the stone to understand how it helped him wash clothes so efficiently. He approached a fellow washerman to ask him if he knew anything about such a stone and its kind.
Fellow washerman: “I have never seen such a unique stone before. Can I have it? I’ll pay you 100 bucks for it.
Washerman: “Oh no, I am just curious. I want to know more about this stone. It seems to be an amazing dirt scrubber for clothes.”
Fellow washerman: “Ok, then how about you meet a man in the village? He is wise and could probably tell you more about this stone.”
So, the washerman goes to meet this wise man.
Wise village man: “I have never seen such a stone before, and I am a collector of unique items. I can pay you 500 bucks to sell me this stone.”
“Oh no,” says the washerman, “I am just curious to know more about this stone. I do not intend to sell it.”
Wise village man: “Then I suggest you meet a person I know, who lives in the town, outside the village.”
The washerman then visits the man in the town who knows about stones.
The town man: “Oh this is indeed a unique stone. I will offer you 1000 bucks for it.”
“No, no,” says the washerman again, “I just want to know what type of stone this is, and no one yet can tell me.”
The town man: “Well, then you must meet the jeweler who deals with stones.
Again, the washerman is directed to another person. This time, a jeweler who knows about precious stones.
Jeweler: “Oh, what an amazing stone.”
Washerman: “Do you know what type of stone it is?”
Jeweler: “It is called a diamond and is a unique stone. Where did you find it? Never mind that! Tell me, are you willing to sell it? I can pay you a crore for it?”
Washerman: “No, I don’t want to sell it because it is a great tool to wash the clothes of my customers.”
Jeweler, raising his eyebrows: “You use this unique diamond stone that’s worth a crore for washing dirty clothes?”
“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.”
~Cynthia Ozick
The washerman was perplexed at the worthiness of the stone, which was in reality, a diamond that he was using to wash dirty linen. In American Dollars, the diamond was worth 10 million dollars, as per the jeweler.
If the thought of using a diamond stone to wash dirty linen seems incomprehensible, imagine the worthiness of meditation and what it is used for!
What I narrated was a story told by one of the greatest Hindu Mystics, Ramakrishna Paramahansa. Although this story was about bringing to light the value of human consciousness, I want to compare it to the way we practice meditation.
So, what is meditation? Is it a form of medication for the mind? In this day and age, it is commonly thought to be used for calming the mind.
The true purpose of meditation, one that it is seldom used for –
When meditation is practiced consistently in a certain way, it leads one to develop self-awareness. It is the realization of who and what one is, and most of all, it helps develop choiceless consciousness of the state of the mind. At Krescon Coaches, we’ve groomed our leaders through a variety of guidance techniques to first identify their true purpose and identity.
As a leader, the state of mind is very important, and the role it plays, which is why meditation is required. Meditation is a diamond that can be used for the purpose of realization. To become a true leader and understand the purpose of your leadership, developing a thorough understanding of the self is important. Not just who and what you do, but also what you are and understanding your true purpose that always existed. It was just a matter of time and meditation before you can internalize and find it.
Only in realizing who and what we are can we truly benefit from meditation, become a true leader with a purpose, and create a legacy. This is where meditation helps to act as sort of a mind sweeper. It sweeps the mind to the point where you can finally identify your true self, and in doing so, realize your true purpose as a leader.
Sadly, many people use meditation to simply cleanse the mind of negativity. They practice it as a dirt scrubber like the washerman did with the diamond stone. They think meditation is medication for the mind to rid away restlessness or depression. While meditation can indeed be used for these purposes as well, its true use is being neglected by the majority of meditation users. One needs to understand that the potential of meditation is far bigger.
“The thing about meditation is, you become more and more you.”
~David Lynch
As I had mentioned previously, meditation is the act of embalming choiceless consciousness onto oneself. It is as 8th-century Indian Vedic scholar and teacher, Adi Shankara once said:
“As gold purified in a furnace loses its impurities and achieves its own true nature, the mind gets rid of the impurities of the attributes of delusion, attachment, and purity through meditation and attains Reality.”
Do you want to know how meditation can help you as a leader and find the true you? Reach out to Krescon Coaches today to become a Savant Leader and create your destined legacy.
