A student came to the teacher and said:
“O blessed one, you are pure and incarnated compassion. Help me to rid myself of worldly concerns and their goals and reasons – I am tired of it, and disappointed. I thirst for spiritual knowledge! I am eager to be free from all illusions and delusions that abound in this apparent, passing world.”
The teacher replied:
“Child, spiritual science is a mystery. It cannot be entrusted to someone who is not ready for it. Practice spiritual discipline under my guidance. When your heart is purified, liberation will happen naturally.”
But the student was persistent:
“I want liberation this instant. O teacher, grant it to me! You, who are full of compassion and mercy, how can you deny me the secret of spiritual knowledge that I crave so much?! How can you keep knowledge only to yourself?!”
The teacher told him:
“Tomorrow, I will visit you at your home to have a meal with you. Then I will explain to you why and how.”
The next day, the student prepared… Selecting a meal for the teacher. At the agreed time, the teacher knocked on the door. He brought his food container. He handed it to the student and asked him to fill it. The delighted student began to choose from all the dishes. However, when he tried to put them in the container, he noticed that it was dirty and smelled bad.
He paused and turned to the teacher:
“Oh respected one, first I must clean this container. Otherwise, all the good dishes I have prepared for you will be contaminated and take on an unpleasant smell.”
The teacher said:
“Do not worry about the dirt. I am so hungry that I cannot wait. You will clean it later.”
The student replied:
“It would not be right at all to spoil this good food that I have prepared for you with great effort and love, teacher. I must clean the container before serving you food in it. Because that is appropriate.”
The teacher smiled: