Birds for the Mind
THERE WAS ONCE an old swan who, it is said, was "ever speaking of morality, but otherwise in his conduct." He would instruct the birds and they would fish in the sea for food to repay his teaching. When they were gone, their eggs disappeared, first one and then another and so on. One bird who noticed that stayed behind, only to discover that the old swan was eating the eggs. "In great sorrow," our bird told his fellows, who, seeing the crime for themselves, "approached that wretch of false conduct and slew him."
That wicked old swan was once compared to an austere old man named Bhishma, who kept himself aloof from women and so became afraid of everything but death, from which he was immune. Like the swan, his own perpetuation relied on devouring those younger than himself, literally sacrificing the spiritual development of an entire generation. Like the swan, his closest kin engineered his downfall. Bhisma was not flattered by the comparison and shuffled off the stage a few decades thereafter.
my truth, your truth and the truth
II. OLD MAYA, supreme architect of the sidereal entities, he whose name means illusion, occasionally suffers a really bad day. Once, for example, he was aboard his people's great triplicate city of iron and silver and gold (he'd built it himself) when Siva shot it down with a single arrow. Crafty old Maya only survived that one because a little bird had told him to get out of dodge. Another time, he had set up shop in the forest of the king of the snakes when the five brothers of six fathers intervened on the side of fire against rain and burned the place down. That time, it was Krishna who got the drop on the illusion of the world, but Arjuna stopped him from ending it then and there.
As a reward for being saved from Krishna and the fire, old Maya offered Arjuna his service. The favor was passed to Krishna and then to Arjuna's older brother, who put Maya's talents to work building the greatest palace the world had ever known. Their previous house had been designed by the architect of the gods and everyone agreed it was nice, but boring. In the new palace, water was firm like glass and jewels flowed like water. Thoughts became real there. When it was done, most of the neighbors were so impressed they declared fealty on the spot.
One story goes that Maya went off to work on a long-term project after that, building a bridge across the "ocean." And if he hasn't finished, he's there still.
my truth, your truth and the truth
III. THE ONLY OTHER CREATURES to survive the burning of the forest were a clan of fledgling birds whose mother quite sensibly ran away (after an argument). The chicks survived by hiding in a hole and praying. Their father was a holy man who had become a bird in order to have children by one form or another, for it is written that there are no childless men in heaven. His name was not Bhisma. When he heard about the fire, he left his second wife (also a bird) and came running.
That wicked old swan was once compared to an austere old man named Bhishma, who kept himself aloof from women and so became afraid of everything but death, from which he was immune. Like the swan, his own perpetuation relied on devouring those younger than himself, literally sacrificing the spiritual development of an entire generation. Like the swan, his closest kin engineered his downfall. Bhisma was not flattered by the comparison and shuffled off the stage a few decades thereafter.
my truth, your truth and the truth
II. OLD MAYA, supreme architect of the sidereal entities, he whose name means illusion, occasionally suffers a really bad day. Once, for example, he was aboard his people's great triplicate city of iron and silver and gold (he'd built it himself) when Siva shot it down with a single arrow. Crafty old Maya only survived that one because a little bird had told him to get out of dodge. Another time, he had set up shop in the forest of the king of the snakes when the five brothers of six fathers intervened on the side of fire against rain and burned the place down. That time, it was Krishna who got the drop on the illusion of the world, but Arjuna stopped him from ending it then and there.
As a reward for being saved from Krishna and the fire, old Maya offered Arjuna his service. The favor was passed to Krishna and then to Arjuna's older brother, who put Maya's talents to work building the greatest palace the world had ever known. Their previous house had been designed by the architect of the gods and everyone agreed it was nice, but boring. In the new palace, water was firm like glass and jewels flowed like water. Thoughts became real there. When it was done, most of the neighbors were so impressed they declared fealty on the spot.
One story goes that Maya went off to work on a long-term project after that, building a bridge across the "ocean." And if he hasn't finished, he's there still.
my truth, your truth and the truth
III. THE ONLY OTHER CREATURES to survive the burning of the forest were a clan of fledgling birds whose mother quite sensibly ran away (after an argument). The chicks survived by hiding in a hole and praying. Their father was a holy man who had become a bird in order to have children by one form or another, for it is written that there are no childless men in heaven. His name was not Bhisma. When he heard about the fire, he left his second wife (also a bird) and came running.