Be humble.

7. Parable Of The Five Foolish Virgins

The virgins went to meet the bridegroom. They all had lamps in their hands. Five of them had taken extra oil with them. Five of them had not.

As they were waiting for the bridegroom, they slept. After a few hours, there was commotion; and the bridegroom was announced. The virgins woke up. The five that had extra oil were ready to go. The other five who had no extra oil said to the former five: "Please give us some of your oil; for our lamp is going out." But the five wise virgins refused, saying: "Then, we may not have enough for keeping even our lamps burning, till we reach him; you had better go to the bazaar and get some oil for yourselves." The five wise virgins went to meet the bridegroom. The five foolish ones, went to the bazaar to fetch oil. But before they could return, the door was closed and they could not enter and meet the bridegroom.

Similar is the case with the vigilant spiritual aspirant and the foolish man who indulges the senses. The former equips himself with the Four Means, acquires the wealth of God's Name and spiritual practices; and when the messengers of God come to take him away from this earth-plane, he is ready and fully equipped to meet the Lord. But the foolish sensuous man wastes his life here, does not care to acquire spiritual wealth; and the lamp of his life goes out before he could make any progress towards the Lord. He returns to the bazaar—to this world of birth and death.

O Man! Be ever prepared. Live this moment as though it is your last moment on this earth and acquire the maximum spiritual wealth here and now.

8. Parable Of The Two Sons

A man went to his first son and said: "son, go and work in the vineyard today." But the son answered, "I will not," but later on he repented and went to work.

Then he went to the second son and said the same thing. He readily said: "I will." But he did not go.

Which of the two did the father's will? Surely, the former. So, the Father was highly pleased with him.

It often happens like that in the world. God sends His Messengers to redeem mankind. They come and call out to the people to walk the path of righteousness and to return to God. The sinners at first refuse; but soon they realise their folly and quickly return to the God-path. But the hypocrite readily agrees and promises; but does nothing more than lip-service to righteousness and divine life.

God is more pleased with even the sinner who, in the words of the Gita, resolves to turn to the path of divine life: for, the Lord promises, quickly he becomes a pure soul (Kshipram Bhavati Dharmatma) and attains to peace. The hypocrite who pretends to be righteous but who does not do the will of God, remains behind.

Let your action speak.

9. Parable Of The Importunate Friend

A man was asleep with his children. A friend of his was in urgent need of three loaves of bread to feed his guests. It was past midnight. The friend knocked at the door of the sleeping man. There was no answer at first; but he knocked again. He said: "O friend, kindly give me three loaves of bread. I have nothing to feed my guests with." But the man within the house replied: "Do not bother me now. My children are sleeping with me; and it is past midnight." But the friend persisted and knocked again. And, the man had to get up and oblige the friend.

Even so one has to persevere in spiritual practices, in righteousness, in charity, in prayerfulness. There is an inexhaustible magazine of power within everyone; but this is asleep, as it were. The spiritual aspirant knocks at the door of this Power; he prays for three loaves of bread—Immortality, Eternal Bliss and Perennial Peace. At first it seems as though his prayer has fallen only on deaf ears. If he despairs then, and gives up his prayer, he will gain nothing. But the wise aspirant knocks again. There is a response from within as it were: but it is a negative one. His own evil tendencies, past evil deeds, and internal imperfections deny him the great gift of the Three Loaves. The man is not disheartened even then. He knocks again: he wins the prize. The Power is fully awakened and he gains what he sought after.

Ask. It will be given you.

Seek. You will find.

Knock. It will be opened to you.

10. The Parable Of The Sower

(In the words of the Holy Bible)

Again He began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. And He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said to them: "Listen! A sower went forth to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it had not much soil, and immediately it sprung up since it had no depth of soil; and when the sun rose it was scorched, and since it had no root it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold." And He said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word, and these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown; when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word which is sown in them. And these in like manner are the ones sown upon rocky ground, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; and they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones sown among thorns; they are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world, the delight in riches, and the desire for other things, enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. But those that were sown upon the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.