The car suddenly stopped with a jerk. Liam got out of the car and opened the hood and started doing a meticulous inspection, it seemed that sun was getting hotter by the second. After few minutes being inside the car his grandfather, who was travelling with Liam, got out too. \u201cWhat seems to be the problem Liam\u201d, he inquired. \u201cLooking into it Grandpa\u201d, Liam replied with his head under the hood. Almost an hour passed and Liam tried everything to fix the car but it did not start.<\/p><\/h2>\n
\u201cI saw a garage about a half mile back near the gas station, let\u2019s get a mechanic here and get him to inspect the car\u201d, grandfather suggested. \u201cGrandpa, I am a qualified automobile engineer, what could the mechanic do that I can\u2019t\u201d, Liam retorted to the suggestion. After a while Liam gave up and got the mechanic to the car. After inspection, the mechanic asked Liam when they refueled the car and Liam told him that it was from the gas station near his garage on the highway. \u201cYou have misfuelled the car, this a petrol engine and you have put diesel in it\u201d. Both Liam and the grandfather looked at each other in silence. \u201cSorry Liam I thought your car had a diesel engine and put the same in it\u201d, the grandfather said apologetically. The diesel was pumped out and petrol was put into the tank. It was almost evening and both of them were driving on the highway again.<\/p>\n
Both sat in silence with their eyes on the highway as Liam drove.<\/p>\n
\u201cLiam have you heard of the story of Ravana and Prince Laxmana?\u201d Grandpa broke the silence with his question. But Liam kept driving without replying.<\/p>\n
\u201cRavana the mighty scholar King and a great yogi was lying on the battle ground injured by the arrows of prince Rama and the younger brother prince Laxmana, awaiting his death\u201d, grandfather continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cRama the elder brother asked Laxmana to go and pay his last respects to the dying defeated King of great wisdom, and seek true knowledge from him. Laxama resented the idea and said that he did not want to go near his enemy who they had defeated. Rama requested his younger brother again telling him that there was lot to learn from the Ravana and that he should go to him. Laxmana gave in to his elder brother\u2019s request but came back furious and told his brother that Ravana did say a word to him inspite of him asking. Rama asked Laxmana where he was standing when he went close to Ravana, and Laxmana told him that he went and stood next to Ravana\u2019s head while he lay on the ground.<\/p>\n
Hearing this Rama said \u201cdear Laxmana please go again and this time sit close to his feet and request for wisdom again\u201d. Laxmana was annoyed at his brother\u2019s suggestion and asked why should he sit at Ravana\u2019s feet? Prince Rama explained it to him that he had to approach Ravana as teacher to seek wisdom and since a person\u2019s feet represent mother earth which gives birth to everything and that all which is created goes back to earth eventually, thus it\u2019s a sign of humbleness and acknowledging mother nature, which is existence in its vastness, so when you bow down or sit close to a teacher\u2019s feet, you lighten yourself of your ego and become like an empty vessel to absorb, a teacher will realize it and help you in your quest, it\u2019s not respect the teacher is seeking but looking for sign if you are ready to learn, and you can learn something from everyone if you are willing to empty for vessel from all memories and impressions that fog your perspective.<\/p>\n
Both Prince Rama and Prince Laxmana approached the wise king Ravana again and sat by his feet.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh wise king please show us a path to righteousness\u201d Laxmana requested Ravana.<\/p>\n
Ravana looked at Laxmana and spoke \u201cYoung prince, with my last few remaining breaths I can only tell you that I lay here because of my pride, the pride I took in being the most learned and most powerful. And in those moments of self-obsession I lost my ability to distinguish between righteousness and irreverence.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLaxmana always remember any action that we do with a feeling of compassion, kindheartedness and thoughtfulness is a right act and such act demands our immediate attention and we should complete it without delay or procrastination.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLastly, always be aware of your enemy. This enemy resides within oneself; the one who makes us put ourselves over and above everyone else around us\u201d. Prince Laxmana stood in silence as Ravana the teacher spoke his last words.<\/p>\n
It was 7:30 p.m. when the car halted at the driveway. Liam and his grandfather got out of the car. Liam came around from the other side and gave his grandfather a hug and then led him to the house holding his hand.<\/p>\n
By Ankur Tunaak<\/a><\/p>\n Ankur Tunaak has b<\/a>een an Ashtanga yoga practitioner for over a decade, studied with Shree M. Vishwanath who was one of the first students and nephew of Shree Pathabhi Jois. Also, an alumnus of Bihar School Of Yoga, one of four premier Yogic Studies Institutions in India<\/a>. Ankur is a storyteller and photographer, currently teaching yoga in New Delhi, India.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Ankur-Tunaak-227x300.jpg\")
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