Even though we have eyes, we are blind....

Do you know the story of the little boy who was playing on the beach, and he found a big antique jar? It was very beautiful and well corked. He became curious. "What could be inside the jar?" He really worked hard to open it. The moment he opened it--whoosh! Out came a cloud of black smoke. Then the smoke condensed into a wild genie who said, "Sir, thank you for releasing me. I was bottled up here. I can do many things. What can I do for you? I am your servant now because you released me. However, you must keep giving me work. If you don't give me work, I will have to devour you."

The boy said, "I have many wishes. I can give you lots of work."

"Come on, come on! I'm itching to work."

"Good! Build me a castle."

Whoosh! In an instant the castle was there.

"Bring me a car." Immediately the car was there.

"Bring me servants." And they were there. Before he even finished his commands, the thing happened. Whoosh! Finished!

The genie didn't give the boy time to think. "What next? Come on!

Hurry, hurry!"

Soon the boy got so tired that he said, "Sorry, I don't know what to tell you anymore."

"No? Then I must swallow you!" Fortunately, the boy ran to a wise teacher, who gave the genie a curly hair to straighten. The genie couldn't do it, but he kept trying. In that way, he stayed busy and didn't harm the boy.

Humanity is running today for having opened that jar. We are so proud. We think we know many things. We can split the atom. We can break down the neutron. We know the secrets of DNA. Yes, we can create everything. But now we are about to be swallowed. We have created so many Frankensteins.

We are really tampering too much with nature without knowing how to handle the energy. That's literally the situation today in the world. We have opened the jar, and the demon is running around. Now we don't know how to keep him occupied. It is all due to the lack of fundamental knowledge of the spirit and its unity. Even though we have eyes, we are blind. Even though we have intelligence, it is perverted. Certainly, now it is time to open our eyes and see what is to be seen and know what is to be known. Whatever it is, large or small, everything else can wait.

The fundamental knowledge is worth the seeking, because then you experience that peace and enjoy the whole world. Everything else can wait--and should wait, because without this you aren't going to be happy with other things.

Excerpt from: The Living Gita a commentary for modern readers

Chapter thirteen: Yoga of the Field and It's Knower

by Sri Swami Satchidananda