One day it happened: the prince angered his father with his bad behavior. And he behaved so indelicately, so unroyally, that his father had to expel him from the kingdom.
The king thought that his son would repent, ask for forgiveness and return back. And the prince simply disappeared. He did not try to seek a connection with his father. One might think that he was just waiting to escape from the kingdom, to escape from the palace and from his father. He wandered near the kingdom, became involved with a company of drunkards, gamblers and prostitutes - the worst rabble that you can find. He became one of them, but not only that, he gradually became their leader.
Many years have passed. The father grew older and older and was increasingly worried about the well-being of his only son. Seeing death approaching, he sent one of his smartest ministers to bring his son back.
The minister set off in a luxurious golden carriage, with many servants. At some distance from the ragged camp, a majestic golden tent was pitched. The minister sent a messenger to the prince, but did not bother himself. He remained outside the camp: entering there was beneath his dignity. The minister tried to find contact with the prince, but communication was impossible: the distance was too great. So nothing worked out for him, and he returned back.
Then they sent another, more courageous one. He was courageous, he understood the reason for the failure of the first envoy: the first minister could not communicate. And he acted differently: he went dressed like a commoner, and without any servants. He mixed with this company. He became one of their own; and gradually, little by little, he himself began to love their freedom. In the palace it was like in a prison: no freedom. But here everyone was absolutely free. No one bothered anyone, everyone was left to their own devices.
The second minister also did not fulfill the instructions: he himself never returned to the palace to report to the king. The king was very worried. It seemed like nothing could be done. He made a request to the third minister, who was not only courageous, but also wise. This was the last attempt.
The third minister asked for three months' leave to prepare. Only then, they say, not earlier, will he be able to hit the road. The king asked:
-What are you going to prepare for?
He replied:
- To remember yourself.
And he was given three months leave. He went to the Master to achieve greater fullness of consciousness. It was absolutely pointless to behave like the first minister: communication was impossible. The second did better, but also failed: he failed to remember himself. So he said to the Master: “Help me so that I can remember myself and remember that I came from the palace to carry out a very important assignment.”
Three months passed in training. Then he set off. He behaved the same way as the second one. He dressed as a commoner and went to them as a drunkard. But he only pretended. In fact, he was not a drunkard. And he lived with all this honest company, pretending that he was a drunkard, pretending that he was a gambler, and even pretending that he had fallen in love with a prostitute. But all this was an appearance - in fact, he acted. And constantly, like an undercurrent, he asked himself: “Who am I? Why did I come here? For what?" He observed himself. He was an observer. And he achieved what he wanted.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru