The two friends

There were once two friends who first became rivals and eventually became worst enemies. This is human life: first friendship, then rivalry, then enmity and finally the desire to kill one another. That is the revelation of human friendship.

These two friends were disciples of a spiritual Master. The spiritual Master felt miserable at the way they were always fighting. One day he asked them, “Why do you quarrel and fight? Don’t you remember that once upon a time you were good friends?”

The two friends answered, “Yes, but now we have become bitter enemies and we don’t think that we will ever be able to revive our friendship. What can we do?”

The spiritual Master soon appeared in a dream before both of his disciples. To the first one he said, “Tell me how you expect to be happy in this life. Are you not miserable now that you and your friend have become enemies?”

In the dream the disciple replied, “I am really miserable. I don’t want to hate him. At the same time, I can’t prevent myself from hating him.”

The Master said, “I have discovered a way for you to become happy. If you do what I ask, you will find happiness.”

The disciple said, “Master, I promise to do whatever you ask. Please tell me how I can be happy.”

The Master said, “You can be happy if you can make your friend happy. Then only will you be happy. Tomorrow, as soon as you see him, the first thing you will do is embrace him. The moment you embrace him, all the wealth of Heaven will descend on him and he will be happy. Then, you yourself will also become happy.”

The disciple said, “All right. I will do it since I want to keep my promise to you. After all, once upon a time he was my close friend. If he becomes rich, then I am sure he will give me some of his wealth and make me rich also.”

The same night, the Master also appeared before the other disciple in a dream and said, “Are you not unhappy now that you and your friend have become worst enemies?”

The disciple replied, “It is true that I am miserable, but I can’t help hating him. I will be happy only if I see him die.”

“So that is how you want to be happy?” the Master asked. “That is the only way?”

“Yes,” said the disciple. “There is only one way — if I can kill him.”

The Master said, “All right, I will make you happy. Tomorrow, as soon as you see him, you will embrace him. As soon as you touch him, he will immediately die.”

The second disciple was so excited that he would be able to kill the first one and couldn’t wait for morning to dawn.

These dreams all took place in the inner world, and both disciples kept them quite secret. The following day each of them ran towards the other’s house so that he could embrace the other one and make himself happy.

As soon as they saw each other, the one who was given the capacity to kill his friend all of a sudden thought, “Once upon a time he was my friend. How am I going to touch him and kill him? Am I doing the right thing?”

While he was hesitating, the other disciple came and embraced him. Immediately all the wealth of Heaven descended into him. He said, “What have you done? What have you done? Had I been able to embrace you first, I would have killed you. Now you have embraced me first. How am I going to become happy in my own way? You are trying to make me happy in your way, not my way.”

With his occult power the spiritual Master came and stood in front of them. The Master said, “You fool, you wanted to be happy by killing your friend. But look at his friendship! He was willing to make you happy and then become happy in your happiness. He is definitely superior. But I want both the superior and inferior to go together. Then only will I be happy.

“You have received all the wealth of Heaven. Now give him half of your wealth. Then both of you become friends once again. In this way you will become excellent disciples.”