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Just Keep Swimming

Swami Satyananda Saraswati

It was the rainy season and two frogs were jumping along the green valleys, enjoying a long bath. After playing in the rain, the frogs were feeling very hungry and went jumping into a kitchen hole nearby. Finding an abundance of tasty food, they ate and ate until they could hardly move, let alone jump and croak.

Hoping for a nice rest, both frogs tumbled into the nearest pot, but to their complete dismay they found it half full of cold boiled milk. The poor frogs had to swim and swim and swim in their full condition, when all they wanted to do was have a good sleep. Our two friends were really in trouble. They tried with all their resources and strength to somehow jump out of the pot, but due to its contents and slippery sides, they could not. They were so exhausted, but the only thing they could do was keep swimming.

Finally one frog said, “What is the use? I would rather die and be done.” So saying, he rolled over and let himself drown. The other frog was also dreadfully tired, but he refused to succumb. Although he also could not imagine ever getting out of the pot, he kept swimming all the same. At last he was feeling so heavy that, without knowing it, he fell sound asleep.

Next day, when the frog awoke, to his utter astonishment he found himself on a hard surface which enabled him to jump out of the pot. As soon as he got home he told everyone about the great miracle.

The truth was, however, that by so much swimming the milk had turned into butter. And so the saints say that struggle is an essential part of sadhana. The aspirant who struggles until completely exhausted and then lies still in surrender, finds himself saved.

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