Once upon a time in India there was a man who worked from morning to night cutting grass from meadows, and selling it to people who kept animals. Every day he would carry great loads on his back to the market, and exchange them for a few coins. As he worked, he saw that there was a swami in the village who sat quietly under a tree, and people were always laying flowers and fruits at his feet, although he did not seem to exert himself in any way.

One night, as he sat with his wife, tired from his day of labour, he said, “I am going to change my ways. I will dress like a swami and sit under a tree, and let people bring me offerings.”

His wife was alarmed. “Change your ways? If you stop selling grass for the buffalos, how will I live?”

“Don’t worry,” the man said, “I will give you whatever I receive. We will be better off, I am certain.”

The next day, the man found the necessary garments to present himself as a swami, went to a convenient tree, sat down there and waited.

At the end of the day, no one had paid any attention to him, and he went home empty handed.

The same thing happened the next day, and the day after that. A whole week went by, and the man was steadily getting thinner. His wife was becoming very concerned, and the little store of grain she had put by was dwindling rapidly.

Finally, the man went to the swami and greeted him. “Hari Om, swamiji,” he said, and the swami replied, “Hari Om, swamiji.”

The man said, “I wish to ask you a question, swamiji. In private.”

The swami waved everyone away, and then said, “Ask.”

The man said, “What is your secret?”|

“My secret?”

“All day long people are bringing you offerings of flowers and fruit and good things to eat, but you do nothing. I sit and do nothing, and nobody brings me anything. What is your secret?”

The swami said, “The secret – although it is not a secret – is that I do not want any of what they bring. I give away all the fruits and sweets, so that what is given with love is given again with love to someone else. When I was young I wanted all these gifts and they never came. It was only when I left them behind that they began to pursue me.”