The Drowning Seeker

A Seeker wished to meet the wisest man in the world.

- Bhavesh Parekh

He traveled far and wide. He attended lectures by a thousand self-professed philosophers and was very impressed with them. But he could not decide who was the wisest. They all spoke wonderfully. They spoke on the meaning of life, on life after death, on how by donating to them, the Seeker would book a seat in Heaven.

There was one exception. The Seeker came across a Saint. When he asked the Saint, the Saint smiled enigmatically, and spoke, ‘Go spend time with children. They will reveal the highest wisdom.’

What a strange Saint! As though children could give him wisdom!

The Seeker was walking absentmindedly on the banks of a river, pondering on all the wisdom he had received. It’s perhaps not very wise to walk while looking at the sky, but none of these philosophers had told him to look at the ground while walking. He stumbled over a stone and fell into the river.