“Have you gone to the garden?”
“Yes Guruji.”
“Have you watered the plants?”
“Yes, I did.”
“What you see there?”
“Flowers of many kinds, colors, shapes and scents.”
“Anything else?”
“Yes, unusual but none important.”
“Tell me.”
“I saw a spider and bee were both drinking nectar from a beautiful flower.”
“Bee or spider – which one do you want to be?”
“None, why would I? I am good as a human.”
“You didn’t get my point young man.”
“I hate both of them, at least you would have asked me to be a beautiful butterfly flying nearby, that was also drinking nectar, I would have said yes.”
The sage smiled.
“You added another angle to the learning.”
“What learning? Is it? I came to you to learn the intricacies of spirituality, and you are talking about the bee, spider and the butterfly!” the young man spoke hesitantly with a bit of anger and frustration.
The sage touched his beard white as silvery threads and laughed.
“You want me to teach you scriptures?”
“Maybe, I thought they contain the ultimate knowledge.”
“Knowledge is everywhere my son, you just need to be aware of everything and everyone, but before being aware of the world around, you need to become self-aware first.”
The disciple was frustrated. Thirty days, he is wasting his time doing menial works at the ashram of this old man. The sage needed a servant, not a disciple.
Somehow the sage was reading the thoughts of the young man and he was smiling.
“You know, you are a very inquisitive but equally impatient man. And learning requires patience and faith and trust.”
“Ok! Yes, I am impatient. And little bit of trust issues also.”
“So which one you want to be out of the three?”
Now the protege became serious. He tried to use his mind. He scratched his head, but unable to find answers.
“I surrender Guruji!”
“Surrendering to the person, who you accept as your master is important my son, it creates humbleness and it is very important to learning. You have talked about learning from scriptures, in the Srimad Bhagwat Geeta, Lord Krishna has said, ‘Surrender unto me, I am the supreme Godhead.'”
The disciple sat on the ground and folded his hand.
“Which one should I become.” he also smiled, embarrassed at his foolishness for doubting the sage.
“Depending upon what you want to give the world: ambrosia, poison, or nothing. Choose and be a bee, spider, or butterfly my son!”
The protege was speechless! And why shouldn’t he?