A Story of 7 Incarnations
[A Story often told by Paramahansa Yogananda]
There was a great Yogi, and he was a very wealthy Yogi, and he was always one with God, but he had a terrible indigestion. You think always a Yogi should be healthy, there are oxes who are wonderfully healthy, but they are not Yogis. And Saint Francis was suffering all the time and he was raising the dead at the same time. Because, the Yogis really when they are sick it is because of the Karma of the people they put on, but they never suffer themselves inside.
This rich man was suffering from indigestion, he never prayed for his indigestion, as he was dying the Lord comes and the dying man says "Lord I want something in the next incarnation."
"What do you want? Think carefully." says the God.
So he says, "I don't care anything for riches, I want wonderful health and communion with you."
God says "Have you covered everything?"
"Yes Lord." He says
So in the second incarnation, he was born very healthy and very devoted to God, but no money, No matter what he does, he couldn't get enough money to feed his hunger.
So when he was dying of hunger, he says "Lord"
The Lord Comes, he says "What now?"
he says "Lord I made another mistake, what is health without money? In the third incarnation I want to be as great as you have made me and your devoted disciple and I want to be healthy and I want to be wealthy."
"Have you covered everything," asks the Lord.
He says "Yes, Lord, this time I am wise."
So in the third incarnation, he was born healthy, wealthy and a great Yogi. But he was very lonely, all the time he was complaining of loneliness. Then why this loneliness, God has made companion, so I must have a companion in order to be fully happy.
And when he was dying of lneliness, he says "Lord."
Lord says "What now?"
He says "Lord I want to be very healthy, very wealthy and I want a companion."
the Lord says "Have you covered everything?"
He says, "Yes Lord, I make no mistake this time."
So in the fourth incarnation, he was healthy, he was welathy and had a wife that nagged the life out of him. He couldn't look at anybody, he couldn't walk out of home but accused of being with another woman.
So he was dying of super nagging and he didn't pray for his troubles, at last when he was dying and he worked out his Karma, he says "Lord, I made another mistake."
God says "what now?"
"In the fifth incarnation, I must be wealthy, and a great Yogi, your greatest servent, and I want to be very healthy and I want a wonderful wife"
The Lord says "Have you covered everything?"
He says "Positive Lord"
And it was so in the fifth incarnation. His wife was an angel following at his footstep, but she died after two years. He only wanted a good wife, but didn't specify the time you see, and he was going with the greatest cry and a martyr, he won't ask God.
As he was dying, he says "Lord."
"What now?"
"Lord, this incarnation, I'll make an airtight prayer."
"What?"
"I want health, wealth, I want to be a great Yogi, and I want to have a wonderful wife that lives long."
And the Lord says, "Are you sure?"
He says, "Positive."
Now wait till what happens to him.
In the sixth incarnation, he had money, he was a great Yogi, he had wonderful health and a wonderful wife that lived too long, and began to develop wrinkles. At that time a young girl secretary came to serve him.
So he says, 'How wonderful is my wife', but one eye sees the pretty face and says 'Oh but what a pretty face.'
He hadn't atained the last, the full realization, Otherwise he wouldn't have this temptation.
So he looks at this young girl, 19 years old girl, 'but my wife is so ugly, she is wonderful, I couldn't think of anything like that. But that face is so pretty, what a wonderful face.'
And she was very much interested in his money, she was in love with his money and he fell in love with her beauty. So at last his conscience swayed towards the girl and they eloped. And the girl was in love with somebody else, and when she got enough cash from the Yogi, she went away and divorced him and went to her lover; Now the Yogi was without his good wife and without the pretty wife.
He was crying when the Lord came.
Lord says, "What now?"
He says, "I know all your tricks, nothing doing, I don't ask from you anything, because always there is something, red tape in it, I don't want anything, I want you to be with me all the time, whether in hades, if you are there you are my heaven. And whether in heaven, if I'm with fools, they'll make it hades. If you command me to be there, you must be there. If you want me to do anything, be with me first"
And that's what Christ said "Seek ye the kingdom of God first", not only those that are monks, but all people because they must realize this world was not made for producing children and only selfish hunting for money, millions have thought that and millions have gone away.
Sources
- A story often told by Paramahansa Yogananda