The three questions

         Once upon a time, there lived a king called Kashi. He ruled a small kingdom in India. King Kashi was a noble king and had a sincere desire to know God and gain spiritual Knowledge. He was eagerly seeking answers to three questions, – ‘What is the best time?’, ‘Who is the best person?’, and ‘Which is the best action?’ So, he would ask these questions to everyone he met, but despite asking hundreds of people, he did not get an answer that satisfied him.

         One day, as the king was riding through a forest, he saw a small hut. Thinking it to be a Sage’s Āshram, he at once decided to visit it. As the king approached the Āshram, he saw a Sage doing His daily chores while chanting (repeating God’s Name). On seeing the king, the Sage stopped what He was doing and welcomed the king. He offered the king some fruit, water and a place to rest.

         After resting for some time, the king discussed spiritual topics with the Sage and learnt some valuable lessons in spirituality. The king expressed his gratitude to the Sage and as he was about to leave, he asked the Sage his three questions.

         The Sage replied, “The answers to your questions lie in the events that just took place. The question, ‘What is the best time’ was answered when you noticed me chanting while doing my daily chores. The best time is when one is chanting. The second question, ‘Who is the best person’ was answered when I welcomed you. It showed that whoever comes seeking for spiritual Knowledge is the best person. The third question, ‘Which is the best action’ was answered when I gave you spiritual guidance. Giving spiritual teachings or spreading spirituality is the best action that one can do.”

         The king was very happy with the answers and returned to his palace, satisfied.

Moral: This story teaches us that the best way to spend one’s time is by chanting, that the best person one can be with is one who seeks spirituality and that the best thing we can do is to educate others about spiritual practice (chanting, satsang, etc.)