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"Everybody speaks about it,” the man replied, “but they don't live it I don't speak, I live."
Our muni stood before this wisp of an old man in admiration. “May I stay with you for a few days?
“I would be honored. In the evening you will see this lion and I will introduce him to you."
Evening closed day casting its last rays of golden hue upon the forest scene, and true to the old man's word, the lion appeared. Gurudev watched the way the man caressed him and placed a bowlful of milk before him. Then he heard him say "Go, my son.”
"What is this?” he asked him. “You are treating him like a son?"
"He is my son,” was the man's simple reply. “Love neutralizes the destructive instinct. That is the power of love."
“How is it that this lion first came to you?”
"Once a hunter came in the forest and shot him. He was struck in one front paw, but though he was bleeding, he jumped up and escaped. Finally behind my hut, he fell down exhausted. A lot of blood had gone from his body, and he was very weak. I was just coming back from my walk when I saw this half dead lion, wounded and dying of thirst. I thought, 'What shall I do? Well, I know something about herbs, so I collected a few herbs, washed his wound, made a bandage with the herbs, and brought him some milk. I knew I had nothing to fear from him because my heart had gone out to him. I genuinely loved him, and love begets love. And so it happened, he opened the eyes and licked the milk. I caressed him and we built a friendship. He looked into my eyes and I looked into his. For two or three days I took care of him, then he was gone. But every evening he comes back to visit."
Gurudev felt the deep feeling in the man's words. It was a living example for him. For those who trust one another, living being to living being, there is nothing but flow, the beautiful flow of unconditional love.
Soon after, Gurudev had a chance to experience a comparable experience of his own. One evening he and a small group
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