“It is never the world which threatens us and the well-being of our people, it can only be our perspective that guides us into danger. Let me illustrate with a story,” she said.
“There once was a man who was gifted in the art of war, plundering the countryside and bringing back the spoils to his master. He conquered village after village, always justifying his conquests on the basis that one has to work with what one is given. One day, he entered a village, the next one marked for conquest, dressed as a wandering mendicant, begging for alms. This village was poor, but operated on the principle that their Goddess would always provide for them, as long as they recognized Her in everyone they chanced to meet. It was their only law: if you wish to receive something, if you wish to own something, you must be willing at all times to surrender it.
So the man who had come to covertly scout out his next conquest was wandering the streets of this holy village, the inhabitants of which lived on faith alone, the faith of this understanding. The man was dressed in rags and his beard was unshaven. He smelled as if he had not bathed in ten years. The sun was setting, and as he passed by a fruit merchant’s booth in the market, the purveyor of that booth upon seeing him and smelling him, recognized an opportunity when he saw it.
‘Sir, he said, I see that you are in an extremely dishevelled state, most likely bereft of the benefits that befit a child of the Goddess. If you will excuse my forwardness, it would be my and my families honor to host you for the night, seeing to it that you’re fed well, and perhaps replenished in spirits if it pleases you.’
The man was taken aback with the merchant’s offer, and filled with suspicion, began to decline.
‘I will hear none of it sir! Please, in this country there is no greater sin than refusing the kindness of another, other than refusing to see the Goddess in those you chance to meet. Please, don’t make me beg; the Goddess doles out opportunities, and it is ours to seize them when they are presented,’ he said.
Well, this man did not believe either in the Goddess or his fellow humans, but he felt as though he could not continue to refuse the merchant’s offer. So, he felt for his dagger at his side, and comforted by it’s presence, he agreed to go to the merchant’s house and sup with him and his family.
When he arrived at the merchant’s house, being a pious Muslim, he was disgusted at the large wooden idol of a naked Indian Goddess that was the centerpiece of their home. The merchant’s wife noticed how he was looking at the statue, and commented,
‘You must not be familiar with Kamakhya; she is the Goddess of all blessings. Ask her for anything you want, since you our guest here, and before the night is over, as our guest, it will be yours.’
Well, the man had heard of the magic of the Indians, though this was his first real encounter with it. He was dead-set on owning this village, it’s inhabitants, and all it’s secrets as well, and he wished for these three things only. He was pleased with the meal the merchant’s wife served, and interested in seeing his wishes granted, so he accepted the mat on the floor and bedded down for the night when the merchant and his wife did. His belly was full and he slept well. In the morning, the kindly merchant walked him back to his booth and bid him farewell.
On the way back to his master’s palace he was quite pleased with himself, considering the generosity of the merchant and his wife, not to mention the wishes he had made according to the woman’s suggestion.
When he arrived at his master’s palace, he was not able to find him, but was met by his servants who shackled him and threw him into the dungeon. He cursed the merchant, his wife, and the wooden idol of Kamakhya, blaming them for this injustice.
The first night there, he was visited by an apparition of Kamakhya. She spoke to him thusly:
‘Oh, you who desired the village, it’s inhabitants, and it’s secrets. Did you not listen to the secret of the Goddess? If you are to own anything, you must first give it away. Now look, your ownership is expressed, and you are displeased. Please remember this in your next incarnation: when the opportunity presents itself, you would do well to request knowledge and knowledge alone. It is the only possession in this universe that cannot be diminished and expands when given. Remember it well. There is much time for contemplation here. With that, the Goddess Kamakhya left his presence, and the man died in that dungeon years later, chained to the wall, never fully understanding his folly. He missed the point, Shaams; if you desire to won something, you must be willing to give it away, and what you give away you will surely earn.”
