More Important than Money

[Prior to Papaji’s story there had been a long discussion with two devotees about having trouble with sleep.]

PAPAJI: Yes, those [very rich people] are the ones who don’t sleep. Even a worker is able to sleep, how they snore! Even once Mr. Henry Ford, the owner of Ford cars, who was at the time the richest man in the world, some sixty years ago, he was the richest man in the world, and he said, “Whenever I see workers eating so much food I get jealous that they can eat that much food, but I can’t eat. Doctors have forbidden me, ‘Don’t take any solid food at all.’”

What’s the use of that, all that money when you cannot eat well, you cannot digest the food, you cannot sleep, you don’t have a happy peaceful life? What’s the use of all that money?

Money is there to keep you happy. Make use of the money. Why keep money in the bank? What for? Spend away for the sake of peace, whatever it is. Even kings have given up their kingdoms, you see. Kings have given up their kingdoms, treasures, queens, and elephants to have peace. Yes.

Once there was a king, Yagnawarka was his name. He had two queens, you see. One was the senior wife; the other was the junior queen whom he’d married a year before. The king was well over forty at the time and he loved the younger queen very much. So one day he called her and said, “I’m not getting peace here. So I’m dividing up my kingdom, property, treasures, ministers, diamonds between both of you and I’ll go away to get peace of mind.”

Then the queen said, “Didn’t you tell me I am the most beautiful woman in the world and that I am the only person you love in the world? Did you not say so? And now you leave me. Surely there must be somebody or something else more beautiful and lovelier and more peaceful than me that you reject me now. What is it?”

The king replied, “There’s something which I’m not getting while in the throne, in my government, in my kingdom. Nobody gives me peace and happiness, therefore, I will divide the property between both queens and you look after the affairs of the realm.”

Then she spoke to him: “I’ll also giveaway my half to my senior sister and I’ll come away with you. You are not so foolish as to leave your queen and kingdom. There must be something better that nobody knows. So I’ll follow you. Please accept me. I have been serving you and you’ve loved me most and I have loved you also. So please accept me. I will serve you wherever you are.”

So her share also went to the senior queen and she followed the king and both, husband and wife, went away. Her name was Maitri. They both worked together, sat together, spoke together, helped each other and both of them got enlightened together. Both husband and wife got enlightened and their story, their life appeared in the sutras of the Hindu Upanishads.

Thousands of years have passed since then but I’m telling you this story now. It’s very helpful to have a very wise partner, it can be most helpful, sitting together, discussing together, living together and you can get enlightenment without any disturbances. But this is wisdom that is not in everybody’s luck.

So for this thing, sleep, there may be some past thought lurking in your mind, you see. I will discuss everything with you. I’ll call you. There must be something which doesn’t allow you to sleep. The medication doses will not help you. They will spoil your health and the body.