The Story of the Three Non-Existent Princes: An Allegory of Illusion

Day 114

The Story of the Three Non-Existent Princes: An Allegory of Illusion

• Setting the Stage

Sage Vasishta narrates a tale, recounted by a nanny to a young boy, to illustrate the illusory nature of the world. It highlights how our perception of reality can be fundamentally flawed, much like the boy's unquestioning acceptance of this seemingly nonsensical story.

• The Parable

The story centers on three princes in a non-existent city. Two of the princes were never born, and the third was never conceived. Hardships they face (burning feet, empty rivers) and the resources they find (non-existent trees, unbuilt palaces) serve as metaphors for the fleeting, insubstantial nature of the material world. They partake in rituals of life (bathing, eating) with equally phantom-like figures.

• The Lesson

Vasishta equates the young boy's acceptance of the fantastical story with our own flawed belief in the permanence of the world around us. He emphasizes the illusory nature of existence, urging Rama to transcend limited perceptions.

The Nature of Ego and the Illusion of Bondage

• The Fallacy of Ego

Vasishta argues that our sense of a limited individual self, or ego, is itself an illusion, a false association with our physical bodies. Since the true nature of the Self is infinite consciousness, the concept of a separate, limited ego is a misconception.

• Bound Yet Free

The sage encourages Rama to reject limited visions and embrace the true, blissful nature of the Self. He points out the absurdity of feeling bound within a Self that is, in reality, limitless. Bondage and liberation are mere mental constructs within a boundless reality.

The Path to Self-Knowledge

• Death and the Self

The fear of death is rooted in a misconception about the impermanence of the Self. Even when the body perishes, the Self endures. This understanding renders concepts like death or relocation of limited relevance.

• Breaking Free

Vasishta likens shedding our limiting tendencies to a bird breaking out of its shell. This process is born of ignorance, and the pursuit of Self-knowledge is the fire that burns away these self-limiting tendencies. Importantly, he emphasizes that the very desire for self-enquiry initiates this transformative process.

• The Mind's Purpose

Ultimately, the mind's purification leads it to seek its dissolution back into the source of the Self. This, Vasishta teaches, is the mind's supreme goal and the pursuit to be prioritized above all else.