Popcorn Bondage

 

Being extremely tiered of hunger, a pauper was learning against a wide pillar in a travellers’ rest house. At that time a wealthy merchant was passing by after taking his daily bath in the holy Ganges. Upon seeing the hungry person, he felt compassionate and purchased some popcorn from a nearby shop to give to him.

   The hungry person was naturally anxious to accept the food and so he promptly stretched out both his hand but without undoing his embrace around the pillar, either out of  utter fatigue or lack of intelligence.

   Realising that the hungry person wouldn’t be able to make use of the food while embracing the pillar the compassionate gentlemen advised him to remove his arms from the pillar before accepting the popcorns. Unfortunately, the foolish person insisted upon accepting the popcorn while still embracing the wide pillar.

   Most reluctantly the kind - hearted merchant poured the popcorn into the hands of the hungry person and went away. The wretched person then started making all sorts of attempts to eat the popcorn but his mouth could never reach his hands around the wide pillar. He remained as hungry and dejected as before.

 

PURPORT

All atheists suffer like this. Conditioned souls prefer to embrace the pillar of the material world and the foolish want to take rest, while refusing to accept anything worthwhile. They should rather accept and abide by the valued instructions of the pure devotees so that they can train themselves how to give up the allurement of taking useless rest upon the pillar of this mundane world.