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very happy as he began to enjoy all the good things in life.
One day a priest who was passing through the town halted at this man's palace for a night's rest. He had heard about the magic shell and wanted to possess it. He too had a conch shell which he called Maha-shankha, great conch shell. He said to his host, "Your shell is nothing compared to mine. I too practiced many austerities and the gods favored me with this Maha-shankha. You ask one thing of it, it gives two."
Now as is human nature, the man's greed was awakened. He said, "Show me the magic of your conch shell."
The priest took out the Maha-shankha and placing it before him said, "Brother, make a palace."
The conch said, "Why one? Why not two?"
The host was impressed. He gave his conch to the priest and took his Maha-shankha in return. The priest then soon left. Almost immediately the man tried frantically to find him again, because the conch only spoke but did not perform. You say two and it will say,"Why not four?" You say four, it will say "Why not eight?" This was all it could do.
The mind is a Maha-shankha. Whatever God gives it says, "Why only this much, why not more?" The mind is only a babble of words. It is all lies. It can produce nothing. But we are such that we have let go of God and cling to the mind. For the mind talks in a duplicity that sets fire to our greed. Just think, has the mind ever given you anything? Have you ever attained anything through the mind?
HE ALONE CAN KNOW HIMSELF,
AND ONLY THE RAREST CAN DESCRIBE HIM;
HE BEQUEATHS THE QUALITY OF HIS STATE TO WHOMEVER HE CHOOSES.
NANAK SAYS, HE IS THE KING OF KINGS.
One last priceless thing in this sutra. Dhun-Nun was an Egyptian fakir. When he realized God he heard a voice in the skies which said, "Dhun Nun, before you set out in search of Me, I had already chosen you. Had I not, you would never have set out in search of Me."
Nanak says that He ordains the one He chooses with the quality to sing His praise. The fact is, you set out to seek Him only when He has knocked at your door. How can you set out on this tremendous quest all by yourself? How can
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