An old sage was passing through a jungle with one of his young monks. The night descended and it started becoming dark. The old sage asked the young monk, ”Son, do you think there is any danger along this path? This is a path through a dense forest and it is becoming dark. Is there anything to be afraid of?”
The young monk was very surprised because the question of being afraid should not arise in a sannyasin. Whether the night is dark or bright, whether it is a forest or a market, for a sannyasin to feel fear is very surprising. And this old man had never been afraid. What had happened today? Why was he afraid? Something or other was wrong!
Then they went a little further and the night became darker. The old man asked again, ”Is there anything to worry about? Will we reach the other town soon? How far is it?” Then they stopped near a well to wash their hands and faces. The old man gave the bag on his shoulder to the young monk and said, ”Take care of it.”
The young man thought, ”Certainly there must be something in the bag, otherwise there would be no question of fear nor of taking care of it.”
If a sannyasin even takes care of something it is strange. Then there is no meaning in becoming a sannyasin because one who takes care of things is a family man. What does a sannyasin need to take care of?
The old man started washing his face. The young man put his hand inside the bag and saw a golden brick in the bag. Then he understood the cause of the fear. He threw the brick away in the forest and placed a stone of the same weight inside the bag. The old man came quickly after washing his face, quickly took the bag, touched it, felt the weight, placed his bag on his shoulder and started walking again.
Then after walking for a little while, he said, ”It is becoming very dark, have we forgotten the way? Is there any danger?”
The young man said, ”Don’t be afraid! I have thrown away the fear.”
The old sage was shocked. He immediately looked into the bag and saw that, instead of the gold, there was a stone inside. For a moment he stood there stunned, then he started laughing and said, ”I was an idiot. I have been carrying a stone yet I was afraid because I thought it was a golden brick.”
When he realized that he had been carrying a stone, he threw it away and said to the young monk, ”Tonight we will sleep here, because it is difficult to find the way in the dark.” That night they slept in the forest peacefully.
