A seeker wandered all over in search of God.

He thought to himself, “I am extremely restless and desperate. I know I will not know peace until I find Him.”

One day he met an ascetic. The seeker informed the ascetic about his desperation to meet God.

The ascetic pointed to a path and said, “Follow this path. You will come to the temple where you will meet God.”

The seeker was so delighted, that he started to run towards this temple. He did not know hunger or thirst. He kept following this path for 2/3 days. Now he began feeling tired, so he decided to rest under a tree. As he sat down, he started thinking, “The ascetic must have fooled me.”

He was very tired, that he started feeling faint. After a while, he came back to his senses and was completely taken aback by what he saw. He was right at the temple’s doorstep. All he had to do was climb a few steps, knock on the temple door and enter in. Feeling extremely rejuvenated, he climbed the steps and held the chain hanging outside the door. Pulling on the chain would ring the bell and the door would open.

As he held the chain in his hand, he began thinking, “If I do meet God, what next?”

Suddenly out of nowhere, he remembered his wife, children, his material possessions. The moment he thought of his earthly life and possessions, he let go of the chain.

“If the chain makes even the slightest sound, the door will open and then…!” he thought.

He crept back slowly, climbed down the stairs, turned around and ran away.

A seeker seeks God, he seeks liberation. But when the time comes, his materialistic attractions pull him back and he misses out on this rare opportunity.

The seeker in the story now goes looking for the ascetic he had met earlier. But instead of looking for him at the place he met earlier, the seeker started looking elsewhere. After a few days, he ran into the ascetic. Somehow, as fate would have it, the seeker’s prayers were going to be answered. He went and prostrated in front of the ascetic.

The ascetic said, “Ardent seekers also get entangled in the material world and unnecessarily bring misfortune onto themselves.”

The seeker asked, “Why does this happen?”

The ascetic said, “You will develop devotion through worship. But what about knowledge? This knowledge can only be acquired from a Sadguru. His blessings free us from the bondage of karma.”

Seeker asked, “What should I do? I want you to guide me.”

The ascetic said, “Approach an ardent devotee of God, a Sadguru, and surrender yourself to him.”

Seeker asked, “When will I meet such a Sadguru?”

The ascetic said, “This can only happen when you are ready. Your willingness and strong desire will guide you to him.”

Seeker asked, “What should I do?”

The ascetic said, “Sit comfortably and calm your mind. Close your eyes and relax your body as though it does not exist. Then slowly focus on your natural breath and observe it. Observe your inhalation and exhalation. This will prepare you and at the right time you will meet your Sadguru.”