One day the businessman came to visit his friend and also to do some business. The first night, when the seeker went to church to pray, the businessman took a walk along the street. He was soon stopped by the police, who thought he was a spy.
One policeman demanded, "Where do you live? What are you doing here?"
The businessman replied, "Out of curiosity, I am looking here and there. I am a businessman, and I come from another country."
The police sent a message to the king about the businessman in order to check up on him. The king sent the message back that the man was a spy and ordered him to be hanged.
When the businessman heard the king's order, he said, "Please, please! Let me go home for a short time. I promise I will come back. I have to make provisions for my children. Please let me go. All my papers are at home. I will definitely come back. I am even telling you the time — in 15 days I will return."
The police replied, "The king does not trust you. You will go to some other country to hide."
The businessman said, "No, no! I will definitely come back." "Where is the proof?" demanded the policeman.
"I have a friend here and that friend will be responsible for my coming back."
Then the police brought the seeker friend. "Yes," said the seeker, "I will be fully responsible if my friend does not come back. We are childhood friends, and we are very close to each other. Because he has so many duties, he has to settle all his affairs before he is hanged."
Fifteen days passed, and the seeker's friend did not come back. All the people around the seeker were so miserable. They said, "Why do you believe a businessman?"
The God-lover answered, "Our friendship is so strong. I am sure he will come back."
On that day, the businessman was scheduled to be hanged at 3 in the afternoon. At 2:30 the seeker said, "I value our friendship so much. If my friend does not come, then I am ready to be hanged."
All of a sudden, the friend came back. He was feverishly rushing and running. The seeker said to his friend, "No, no, no! Let me be hanged. You have a big family. I have only God and God is my all."
The businessman exclaimed, "For me you will give your life? No, why should you give your life? You are such a kind man, and you are all the time praying to God. You will do so much good in the world in the future. My life is all business. Your life is only for God. I am the one who should be hanged."
"No," said the seeker. "You have a big family. In my case, I am unmarried. If you die at this moment, all of your family will miss you terribly. But in my case, if I die, nobody else will feel miserable. I can die peacefully."
Like this, both the friends were arguing and arguing about who should die. Each one wanted to die and to have his friend live.
The king could not believe his ears! "My God!" he declared. "I have never seen such friendship in my life! Usually it is all jealousy. Look at the seeker. He is only thinking of the businessman's family, and the businessman is only thinking of making the world better. Please, please, both of you, make me your friend."
The two friends said, "Fine, we will accept you as a friend. It is, indeed, an honour for us!"
The king added, "I want both of you to be ministers in my kingdom." To the seeker, he said, "I will take care of all your needs." And to the businessman, the king said, "You can bring your family here. I will take care of them."
The seeker replied, "I have to pray to God. That is my life's work."
The businessman said, "No, no! I love my country so much. My children are studying and are very happy where they are. This would be such a new place for them. If you would kindly allow me to return home, I promise you that I will not come back here."
To both the men, the king pleaded, "You are going to be my lifelong friends. Why will you not become my ministers?"
The seeker said, "I am a seeker. I am so happy with my life."
The businessman responded, "I am so happy with my family. If I become a minister, so many people will be jealous of me. Other ministers will make complaints against us and poison your ears. We must try very hard to keep our friendship. That is what is most important. You love us and we love you. But once we become ministers, there will be so many complaints against us from the other ministers. Then you will become angry. You will either think only of our incapacities or get disgusted with those who are jealous of us. You will suffer and we will suffer. The best thing is for us to keep our friendship."
Then the king said, "You two are not only my inseparable friends. You are my mentors. Here I rule the country. But today you have shown me the light. You have shown me how to rule my country. I am trying to give light to my country and both of you are illumining me. You two are not only my inseparable friends, you are my mentors."
The seeker said, "Let us all be happy. Let us do our respective jobs. I will pray; he will do business; and you will rule your kingdom."From:Sri Chinmoy,The mind-jungles and the heart-gardens of life, Agni Press, 2001
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