King Yadu met an ascetic who lived in a forest. An ascetic is a person who has given up the desires of worldly material life, and lives with the bare minimum of material possessions and comforts. He found him to be very wise and learned. The king wondered how this man who lived alone had learnt so much. "Please tell me how you have become so wise and learned?" asked the king.
"I have had twenty four teachers who have taught me everything," replied the ascetic.
"Then who are these teachers, pray tell, for I would search them out myself?" asked the king. "Why, they are the very parts of Nature herself," replied the ascetic. Let me explain.

"The first is Air. It remains unaffected by good and bad odours. Thus should a wise man be unaffected by good and bad objects, good and bad events.

"Then there is Mountain. One should rise above all evils and stand straight and tall just like the mountain.

"Third there is Water. We should be pure, clean, sweet and soothing like water.

"Next is Tree. It teaches us to be always generous and to give without expecting anything in return.

"The Moon teaches us to keep watch over the needs of friends even in the darkest of times.

"Fire teaches us to be fearless and self-controlled and to burn away all evil.

"The Ocean teaches us that we should be calm and poised in knowledge and not overflow or dry up.

"Mud teaches us to absorb good things and to keep our mind open.

"A Star teaches us to be able to aspire for higher things and to shine even when it is dark.

" A Bee shows us that as it gathers honey from flowers, we should accept the essence from everyone.

"God also created Man who could use his intelligence to learn from Nature," finished the ascetic.

Reprinted with permission from the Shri Ram Chandra Mission, from the Teachers' Guide for Value-based Spiritual Education. Curriculum for Classes I to X, 2000, Sahaj Marg Research and Training Institute of the Shri Ram Chandra Mission, Chennai, India. For information contact Santosh Khanjee, Secretary of International Affairs at info@srcm.org.

Q: Do you understand the qualities of Nature mentioned by the ascetic?

Q: Can you add any more of your own examples about lessons to be learnt from Nature?

Q: Why is the earth called Mother Earth in most cultures? Do we take care of this mother?

Maxim Four: "Be plain and simple to be identical with Nature".

Q: What is it about these natural qualities that is plain and simple? What does simplicity really mean?

Q: Can you apply these principles from Nature to your own life? Which ones would you like to develop better, and what will you need to change in yourself to practise them?

O, Master!
Thou art the real goal of human life.
We are yet but slaves of wishes
Putting bar to our advancement,
Thou art the only God and power
To bring us up to that stage.