THE TALE OF THE CRYSTAL GEM.
Argument:--The slipping of a precious stone in ignorance, and picking
of a glossy glass in view of it.
Chúdálá related:--There lived once a rich man, combined with opposite
qualities (of charity and penury) in his character; as the sea contains
the water and the submarine fire in its depth.
2. He was as skilled in arts, as he was practiced in arms; and was
trained up in all dealings, as he was expert in business. But his
great ambition in all his pursuits, kept him from the knowledge of the
most high. (His excess of worldliness, was a preventive to spiritual
knowledge).
3. He employed all his endeavours to obtain the imaginary gem of the
philosopher's stone _chintámani_ (by means of his pujas and prayers and
other sacred rites); as the submarine fire wants to devour the waters,
and dries up the bed of the sea.
4. His great avidity and persevering patience, succeeded after a lapse
of a long time to obtain the precious gem at last; because there is
nothing which may not be effected by the ardent zeal of man. (Omnia
vincit labor).
5. He succeeded in his attempts by his unwearied labour, joined with
his firm resolution and well directed plan; as the meanest man is
favoured with a fortune, by his employment of these means. (Fortune
crowns all strenuous efforts with success).
6. He saw the stone as lying before him, and ready to be grasped in his
hand; as a hermit sitting on the peak of a mountain, thinks the rising
moon as easy to be grasped by his hand. (Too ardent desire presents the
shadow of the object to one's view).
7. He saw the brilliant gem before him, but became mistrustful of his
sight and the reality of the object before it; as a poor man hearing
of his sudden elevation to royalty, mistrusts the report and doubts its
being meant for him.
8. He was then immerged in himself to think with amazement for a long
time, he overlooked and neglected to lay hold on his great gain, and
kept dubitating in his mind in the following manner.
9. Whether this stone is gem or not, and if so, whether it be the
philosopher's stone or any other; shall I touch it or not, for I fear
lest it fly away from my touch or be soiled by it.
10. No one hath until this time obtained the long sought philosopher's
stone, and if ever it was obtained by any one, it was, says the sastra,
in his next life.
11. It is no doubt that my miserliness only, that makes me view aslant
this brilliant gem before me with my eyes; as a purblind man sees a
flashing fire-brand and deep-laid moon in the sky.
12. How could the tide of my fortune run so high at once, that I should
succeed so soon to obtain the precious stone, that is the pink and acme
of perfection and productive of all treasure.
13. There must be few and very few indeed of those fortunate men, who
can expect their good fortune to court and wait on them; at a little
pains in a short time.
14. I am but a poor and honest man, and one possest of very little
qualification nor of any worth and account among mankind; and it is
impossible that so miserable a wretch, could ever be blessed with this
masterpiece of perfection.
15. The incredulous man hung for a long time in a state of suspense,
between his certainty and uncertainty; and was infatuated by his mental
blindness, that he did not even stretch out his hand to lay hold on the
jewel lying open before him.
16. Hence whatever is obtainable by anyone at any time, is often missed
and lost sight of by either his ignorance or negligence of it; as the
precious gem in the parable, which was proffered and lay palpable in
full view.
17. As the undetermined man hung in the balance of his suspicion, the
precious gem flew away and vanished from his sight; as the merited man
avoids his slighter, and as the shaft flies from its string or the
stone from its sling. (Fly from the fool as the arrow flies from the
bow-string).
18. When prosperity appears to one, she confers on him her blessings of
wisdom and prudence &c.; but as she forsakes her foolish votary, she
deprives him of all his discretion. (Such is the case with this once
wise and afterwards foolish devotee of prosperity).
19. The man tried again to invoke and recall the precious gem to his
presence, because the persevering spirit is never tired to try again
and again for his expected success.
20. He came to behold before him a brittle piece of glass, shining with
its false glare as the former gem; and this was placed in his presence
by the invisible hands of the _siddha_ that had come to tempt him and
deride his folly.
21. The fool thought this brittle thing to be the real gem now lying
before him, as the ignorant sot believes the sparkling sands to be the
dusts of the purest gold.
22. Such is the case with the deluded mind, that it mistakes the eight
for six and a foe for a friend; it sees the serpent in the rope and
views the desert land as the watery expanse, it drinks the poison for
the nectar and spies another moon in the sky in the reflexion of the
true one.
23. He took up that sham trumpery for a real gem, and thought it as the
philosopher's stone that would confer on him whatever he desired; with
this belief he gave up in charity all he had, as they were no more of
any use to him.
24. He thought his country to be devoid of all that was delightsome
to him and its people as debasing to his society; he thought his lost
house was of no use to him, and his relatives and friends to be averse
to his happiness.
25. Thus thinking in his mind, he determined to remove himself to a
distant country and enjoy his rest there; and then taking his false gem
with him, he went out and entered an uninhabited forest.
26. There his deceptive gem proving of no use to him loaded him all
imaginable calamities, likening to the gloomy shadow of the black
mountain and the horrid gloom of deep ignorance.
27. The affections which are brought to one by his own ignorance, are
by far greater than those which are caused by his old age and the
torments of death. The calamity of ignorance supercedes all other
earthly affections, as the black hairs rise on the top of the body and
cover the crown of the head.