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The forest dweller did not reply directly or pay any attention to the questions of the two men. He only said that in the world of his people, no one asks questions that requires mental or rational answers anymore, They had long ago learned that if you want to do something, you practice what you desire to accomplish until the action becomes a habit and then a power in you mind and your body; then you whole being becomes a vehicle for change and self-realization.
But before the two men could say anything else to their forest guide, he was gone, taking the three women with him in his stride. The commissioner and the judge left the scene but they did not understand completely what they had seen nor how the women and the leopards had been changed into each other.
The meaning of this story is that the soul and the body are separate and by the right attitude, knowledge, and practice, you can change your body but you cannot change your soul since the soul is eternal and it controls the body. The moral lesson is do not be attached to your body, ego questions, or any aspect of your mind. They only lead to endless problems in your experiencing and circles in your reasoning. Do no violence to yourself or to others; learn to keep your body clean of wrong acts and intentions; and keep the precept of non-attachment in all situations. Then, no harm can come to you and you will achieve perfection in your intentions.
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