There was a trader and his wife who lived in Chaurashi Town by the bank of river Tamli.
The trader and his wife had a daughter who was a toddler when a bhikshu visited him on a rainy evening.
Hungry he asked for food, the trader gave him a mango as offering. Bhikshu had mango with great relish, after satiating his hunger he advised the trader to plant the mango kernel in his garden.
Trader ignored his advise and threw the kernel aside , nevertheless kernel sprouted and soon a young sapling sprung out of the earth, right outside his courtyard.
The mango tree and little girl grew up together, the tree bore its first fruit when she turned into a beautiful young woman.
Shaivali looked at those mango fruits with amazement, they reflected extraordinary golden light when she touched them. When she ate those fruits she felt more aware of everything.
Every morning she woke up and rushed to the tree and asked for more, mango tree happily provided her with more fruits. She became more aware and wiser everyday, after-all, those mangoes were the fruits of wisdom.
The parents now started looking for a suitable match for their daughter, Shaivali would ask those young suitors questions that they failed to answer, she would tell her parents that these men are not wise enough to answer her questions, if she married them they would always feel lesser than her and would not love her.
When she turned 30 , parents gave up their search for a groom, Shaivali turned wiser, radiant and silent, she went into a deep state of meditation.
One Amavasya she sat under the mango tree in silence/Mauna, and radiated with celestial light.
Prince Dashmesh of the neighbouring kingdom had lost his way into the forest. He walked past the traders courtyard and he caught a vision of her sitting under the tree on a dark moonless night , radiant silvery blue light emanating from her body, he mistook her to be a stone idol of a goddess and that light is reflecting off her jewels. As he came closer he was mesmerized by her presence, he sat spellbound and watched her throughout the night. Morning, when she woke up, she found the prince admiring her.Conscious, she felt instant recognition and attraction. They have been lovers and mates in many lives before.Even though the prince was much younger than her, they decided to get married. He took her to her palace, soon they had two sons.
Shaivalika felt immense pain and separation being away from her wisdom giving tree. She yearned to eat one more fruit, radiate some more light, be more aware. Soon she lost her radiance and silence.
Prince felt her sadness but did not understand it, their sons were growing up, but because of their mother sadness, they were lacking the vigour and brilliance that their parents had.
Shaivalika's pain was causing immense sadness to the prince, he finally asked her what is making her so depressed. She told him the story of her mango tree and how those fruits had turned her into a wise human being.
He suggested bringing the seed into the palace, to which she said it was only that one seed of that mango which satiated the hunger of an enlightened bhikshu can bear fruits of wisdom.He asked if he can tell his guards to bring the fruits to her, she said its only the fruit that is willingly given by the tree to me and the one that is accepted by me with utmost gratitude would bring that wisdom to me.
Prince understood and next day he went to see the tree, he found that the tree has withered and its leaves were drying and falling off the branches, as if tree was feeling the pain of separation equally.
Prince kneeled before the tree and requested the tree to help his wife. Hearing the story, the tree shed all its leaves and went back into the earth. That very moment a tulsi plant emerged from the palace grounds, Shaivalika felt the same joy seeping into her being , she rushed out, crying happy tears, she radiated with same celestial light.
She got the essence of the wisdom tree back in her life, making her aware of all duality and the bliss hidden in everything.
The trader and his wife had a daughter who was a toddler when a bhikshu visited him on a rainy evening.
Hungry he asked for food, the trader gave him a mango as offering. Bhikshu had mango with great relish, after satiating his hunger he advised the trader to plant the mango kernel in his garden.
Trader ignored his advise and threw the kernel aside , nevertheless kernel sprouted and soon a young sapling sprung out of the earth, right outside his courtyard.
The mango tree and little girl grew up together, the tree bore its first fruit when she turned into a beautiful young woman.
Every morning she woke up and rushed to the tree and asked for more, mango tree happily provided her with more fruits. She became more aware and wiser everyday, after-all, those mangoes were the fruits of wisdom.
The parents now started looking for a suitable match for their daughter, Shaivali would ask those young suitors questions that they failed to answer, she would tell her parents that these men are not wise enough to answer her questions, if she married them they would always feel lesser than her and would not love her.
When she turned 30 , parents gave up their search for a groom, Shaivali turned wiser, radiant and silent, she went into a deep state of meditation.
One Amavasya she sat under the mango tree in silence/Mauna, and radiated with celestial light.
Prince Dashmesh of the neighbouring kingdom had lost his way into the forest. He walked past the traders courtyard and he caught a vision of her sitting under the tree on a dark moonless night , radiant silvery blue light emanating from her body, he mistook her to be a stone idol of a goddess and that light is reflecting off her jewels. As he came closer he was mesmerized by her presence, he sat spellbound and watched her throughout the night. Morning, when she woke up, she found the prince admiring her.Conscious, she felt instant recognition and attraction. They have been lovers and mates in many lives before.Even though the prince was much younger than her, they decided to get married. He took her to her palace, soon they had two sons.
Shaivalika felt immense pain and separation being away from her wisdom giving tree. She yearned to eat one more fruit, radiate some more light, be more aware. Soon she lost her radiance and silence.
Prince felt her sadness but did not understand it, their sons were growing up, but because of their mother sadness, they were lacking the vigour and brilliance that their parents had.
Shaivalika's pain was causing immense sadness to the prince, he finally asked her what is making her so depressed. She told him the story of her mango tree and how those fruits had turned her into a wise human being.
He suggested bringing the seed into the palace, to which she said it was only that one seed of that mango which satiated the hunger of an enlightened bhikshu can bear fruits of wisdom.He asked if he can tell his guards to bring the fruits to her, she said its only the fruit that is willingly given by the tree to me and the one that is accepted by me with utmost gratitude would bring that wisdom to me.
Prince understood and next day he went to see the tree, he found that the tree has withered and its leaves were drying and falling off the branches, as if tree was feeling the pain of separation equally.
She got the essence of the wisdom tree back in her life, making her aware of all duality and the bliss hidden in everything.
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