Treasure beneath the Pillow

The stranger was happy that he had won the confidence of the wealthy pilgrim. The latter was traveling alone and had thousands of rupees with him. The stranger felt sure that one day or the other he would be able to steal the money.

Every morning, in the presence of the stranger, the pilgrim would count all the money he had. All day long it would be in his pocket. He had no box in which to lock it. Yet, when at night the stranger searched for it, he could not find it. He searched for the money in the pilgrim's belongings, underneath his pillow and bed, everywhere. He could not find the money. Yet sure enough the next morning it would be there in the hands of the pilgrim.

This mysterious game went on for over a week. The stranger was frightened. He thought that the pilgrim might be a magician or a yogi with powers. So he confessed his evil intentions and asked the pilgrim, "Where did you keep the money all the time during night? How did i miss it in my search?"
The pilgrim laughed heartily and said, "My friend, i knew your intentions. Therefore i used to keep the the money underneath your pillow at night. You never looked for it there!"

The stranger is the wayward mind full of desires. The pilgrim is god. The treasure is the Bliss of the Soul. The wicked mind wants to get happiness and seeks for it in sensual objects. It is not found there. Finally it abandons its evil intentions and approaches god in a spirit of surrender. God reveals that the happiness was within all the time, in the self, and not OUTSIDE.