An Illusion

adaivadar mun kadugEy AnAlum malayAy kATTi

adainda pin malayEy AnAlum kadugAi kATTum mAya manam

- Ramana Maharishi

Translation: Mind is that illusion which perceives a tiny mustard seed to be a huge mountain until it is attained, and a mountain to be as insignificant as such a seed once it has been attained.

This quote came across my mind as I read the following story:

Once there lived a stone cutter. He was not satisfied with his position in life. One day he was passing through a wealthy merchant's house. Through the gate which was open, he noticed many possessions and important visitors in the merchants's house. He though that the merchant much be very powerful. He became jealous and wished that he could be like the merchant.

To his great surprise, the stone cutter suddenly became the merchant, enjoying more luxuries and power than he had ever imagined. One day, he was standing on the road when he saw a high official pass by. He was carried in a beautiful chair, accompanied by attendants and escorted by soldiers beating gongs. Everyone, no matter how wealthy, had to bow down before the procession. He thought, 'How powerful that official is! I wish I could be a high official!'

Then, he became the high official, and he was carried everywhere in his beautiful chair. One day it was extremely hot, and he felt very uncomfortable in the sticky chair. He looked up at the sun. It was so bright and beautiful in the sky. He thought, 'How powerful the sun is! I wish that I could be the sun!'

He became the sun! And he enjoyed his powerful position over everything. One day, a huge black cloud moved between him and the earth, so that his light could no longer shine of everything below. He was surprised. He thought, 'How powerful that hugh black storm cloud is! How I wish I could be a cloud!

He became the storm cloud, flooding the fields and villages. Soon he found that he was being pushed away by some great force, and realized that it was the wind. He thought, 'How powerful the wind is! I wish to become the wind!'

He became the wind and powerfully blew over the roofs of houses and through forests. Soon, he came across something that would not move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it. It was a huge and towering rock. He thought, 'How powerful that rock is! I wish to become the rock!'

Then he became the rock, more powerful than anything else on earth. But as he stood there, he heard the sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into the hard surface, and felt himself being changed. He thought, 'What could be more powerful than a rock?'

He looked down and saw a stone cutter far below him!