<><>SILENCE LIBERATES<><>

There lived a pious man in Bengal, India.

Every day a Sanskrit scholar would come

to his house and read aloud a few

soul-stirring spiritual teachings from the

Gita, the Upanishads and the Vedas.

The master of the house was an

aspirant. He would listen most

devotedly to these discourses.

The family had a bird called Krishna.

Krishna was kept in a cage in the room

where the discourses were given.

It also listened to these talks.

One day the bird spoke to its master,

"Could you please tell me what benefit

you actually derive from these spiritual talks?"

The master answered, "O Krishna,

you don't seem to understand that

these spiritual talks will liberate me,

free me from bondage!

The bird said: "You have been listening

to these discourses for the last few years,

but I don't see any change in you.

Would you kindly ask your teacher

what will actually happen to you?"

On the following day the master of

the house said to his teacher, "Guru,

I have been listening to your spiritual

talks for the last ten years. Is it not true

that I will get liberation and freedom?"

The teacher kept quiet. He scratched

his head, pondered over the question,

but found no reply. He just remained

unhappily silent for about an hour

and then left the house.

The master of the house was stunned.

His guru could not give an answer to

the bird's question, but the bird found

an answer. The Answer.

From that day on, the bird stopped eating.

It stopped even its usual chirping.

It became absolutely silent.

The master and his family placed food

inside the cage every day, but the bird

would not touch anything.

One day the master looked at the bird,

and seeing no sign of life in it, took it

gently out of the cage. With a tearful heart,

he placed his Krishna on the floor.

In a twinkling, the bird flew away into

the infinite freedom of the sky!

The bird taught........

Its master and his guru learned:

SILENCE LIBERATES.....