King Janeka
 

Once there was a yogi that loved his master. He was so attentive and devoted to his master that he learned all the master had to teach him, in a short period of time. He always demanded more knowledge to be given to him, and he learned them quickly and perfectly.

One day his master called him and told him that he has learned all he can teach him and that it is time for him to move on and go to a greater master than himself. The disciple was sad and very unhappy of such a suggestion. He thought that his master is indeed the greatest there can be and he has reached a point that he himself is a great yogi now.

He refused to accept his master's suggestion and insisted that he (his master) forget such a foolish suggestion and let him stay with him. He suggested that they now can be two great masters and can help many people together, etc.

His master did not agree with him and ordered him to obey his request and demanded him to follow his instructions. As a good disciple, as he was, he eventually relented and accepted his master's request with resentment and hesitation. He eventually asked his master, "Who is this great master that you want me to learn more from?" His master replied, "King Janeka!"

The disciple was furious, "What, a king? Me, an advanced yogi with complete renunciation of this external world, and you want me to go and learn from a KING? No way, absolutely not. I have not gone through all these to be humiliated by a king who sits on a throne and is worldly," etc.

His master said, "Well, either you listen to me or you are out of my grace (fallen)." That was too much of a threat to take lightly. He would have rather died than offend his teacher to that degree. Again he calmed down and said, "I surely cannot live without your grace and so what other choice do I have but to obey."

He, however, devised a plan. He thought, "I will go to king Janeka. I will stay for a while (a few days or a week). I will find his weakness, and I will find fault in him and then leave. I shall return and tell my teacher why this king could not teach me anything that I already did not know.

He took his belongings which was one underwear that he had on and the other one which he had as a spare, and he headed toward the king's palace. He eventually reached the door of the king's palace and told the guards, "Go to your king and tell him that this great yogi is here because his teacher has sent him to you."

The king told them to bring the yogi to his presence. The disciple came and very rudely and disrespectfully approached the king. He told the king that he is the best disciple of the great yogi (his master) and his master sent him to study with him, but he really does not want to be here, etc. The king told him, "Go and wait until I call you back to my presence." The guards guided the yogi to a nice place and told him to rest there until the king is ready to see him. The disciple was furious the way he was being treated by the king, "That selfish worldly king treats a great yogi like me and wants me to wait to see him." He was not in a good mood at all.

He, however, found a nice place to take a luxurious bath and a beautiful place to meditate. He really enjoyed the place and took a nice bath, washed his underwear and put the spare he had on and hung the other one to dry. He sat down on a nice soft cushion and started meditating.

As he was meditating he heard someone yelling, "Fire, fire!" The first thing that came to his mind was, "Oh no, my underwear is going to burn." He jumped and ran where his underwear was. While he tried to take his underwear off the hanging rope on the balcony, he saw that half the city was on fire. Then he saw the king in his robe and crown, ordering people how to put the fire out.

He was amazed at how calm and unattached the king was to all his wealth and kingdom. The yogi suddenly became aware that he was more attached to his spare underwear than the king was to his kingdom. He indeed realized that his teacher was right as he has much to learn from the king.

The fire was put out fast and later the king called the yogi to return to his presence. The disciple returned and humbly bowed down in front of his master and accepted him as a great teacher that can teach him much!