THE QUEEN AND THE FISH

There is an old Indian folk tale about a queen of long ago who gave up everything to find God. She ran to the forest and lived like a sadhu. At first this was fine, praying and being close to nature. She did puja many hours a day, sitting by a rippling stream.

The years came and went, and the queen became impatient. She screamed out one day in frustration, “There is no God. I gave up everything for nothing at all.”

Just then a great big fish jumped out of the stream and was crying. “Why are you crying?” said the queen.

The fish said, “All my life I lived in this stream searching for water. I am so very thirsty. Now I am truly dying of thirst.”

The queen laughed and laughed. “There is water all around you, just open your mouth.”

The fish looked at the queen and said, “And you, my queen, are surrounded by God. Just open your heart and your eyes, and see divinity and God all around you!”

The queen learnt from the fish. The fish learnt from the queen. Once you can see God in everyone, so many can learn also. My prayer for all of you this day is that you look around you and see if there is perhaps something you missed. Maybe you were in the presence of God and just did not know it all this time.

Ma Jaya
Morning Pujas and Prayers, March 17, 1999

Ma Jaya's sacred art