The yogi's advice

There was once a king who was very unhappy because he was unable to conquer the neighbouring king. He and the other king were friends, but at the same time they were rivals. When meanness, jealousy and ego came forward, the first king wanted to conquer his so-called friend and make him his subordinate. In so many ways he tried to increase his army and military power. But even then he could not compete with his rival-friend. Finally he said, “Now that physical power, military power, is not succeeding, let me try spiritual power.”

So he went to a yogi and said, “Please, please help me out. I will give you everything that I have. All my money-power, everything, I will surrender to you. I will touch your feet; I will sit at your feet and wash your feet every day. Only please tell me how I can conquer the other king.”

The yogi said, “It is so easy. Just conquer your anger. If you conquer your anger, then you will be able to easily conquer the other king.”

So the king went home and followed the yogi’s advice. No matter what people said or did, he did not get angry. For some time he practised this, until there was no anger at all in his life. After six months he was so happy. He went back to the sage and said, “Now that I have conquered anger, will I not be able to conquer that king?”

The sage said, “Just wait for a few more months. For another three months try to keep your temper under control. Don’t get angry with anybody.”

The king said, “All right, all right. For three more months I will do that.”

After three months the king came back. The yogi said to him, “I am so sorry. It seems to me that you will need another two months.”

The king said, “All right. I have already conquered my anger for six months and for three months, so I can easily do it for two more months.”

After two months the king came back again. The yogi said, “Please wait one more month. This time it will be absolutely the last. If you can keep your temper under control for one more month, I tell you, you will be able to conquer the neighbouring king.”

After one month the king came back once again. He was so happy and delighted and said, “Now tell me how I can really conquer my enemy. Now I am calling him my enemy because I have conquered my anger and am about to fight him.”

The yogi said, “What do I know about fighting? What do I know about kings and armies and battles? What do I know about these things? I pray to God for peace, joy and love. How can I be of any help to those who want war and fighting? I try to save people and you try to kill people. In my case by giving new life to people I become happy. In your case you want to be happy by killing people. I am the last person to help you out, because you want violence and I want peace. You have come to the wrong person.”

The king got mad and wanted to kill the yogi. He said, “You told me to come back to you when I had conquered my anger.”

The yogi said, “Look, look! Who is angry now, who is angry now? Have you really conquered your anger? If you can’t conquer your own anger, then how are you going to conquer the other king? I told you that if you conquer your anger, then easily you will be able to conquer that king. But you have not even conquered your own anger. So how are you going to conquer him? I cannot help you at all.”