It was market day, and the doctor strode down the hot dusty road. To everyone in the city he was known as the angel of mercy. Five years before there was a war whose aftermath spread a plague that killed hundreds. Among those lost in the plague was the doctor’s wife. Ever since that tragic loss, he dedicated himself to healing and comforting the sick. The doctor’s perception of life had grown beyond that of the average man. He regarded all men as part of his family. Whenever he visited the ruler of the kingdom, he would talk about the futility of war. War was a disease of the nation’s consciousness whose deadly poison eventually manifested as an unknown plague killing more people than all the battles combined. But unfortunately the majority of the people were not receptive to the doctor’s ideas of universal brotherhood. Still the doctor was a dedicated crusader who would not stop in spreading his message of peace and hope to all those suffering people in need. His ideas of mental hygiene were well ahead of his time. But the people greeted the good doctor with respect everywhere he went since they were grateful for all the many loved ones that were restored to good health.
The doctor continued walking through the market place. Each road presented the different products offered by the merchants. Some sold food, others sold clothing, many games of chance took place, every form of entertainment was offered, and yet the variety of goods and services seemed endless on market day. The roads were full of continuously moving customers. Everyone looked, bargained, and then selected. The slow jingle of exchanged coins was continuous throughout that day. It seemed that everything had a price and that all one’s desires could be satisfied by money. This was the day that drew all the people together for a great interchange of mutual needs and services. Yes, everyone in the kingdom was bound together by the great wheel of commerce. They all were part of this living ocean. Everywhere the doctor went he saw that one sold and another bought. He too had basic needs to be supplied on market day. The sun began to set and at last the good doctor had made all his basic purchases and chatted with his many friends. Now it was time to return home. He thought that he had visited every shop in the market place until he discovered a little shop at the end of the road.
From behind a half opened door came a voice saying: "what do you want?" This was a most fascinating voice because the doctor felt like the question had come from within his own heart. "I do not know" replied the doctor. "Then open the door fully" came the voice from inside. So the doctor entered the strange shop not knowing what to expect. Inside the shop he saw beautiful carpets on the floor, smelled perfume pervading the air and felt vibrantly refreshed. In the corner sat a mysterious proprietor. "You are the first customer in a long time because most of the people do not have the time or patience to look for my shop" said the orange robed proprietor. "But what do you sell?" asked the puzzled doctor. "I do not sell anything. I can only give what you are willing to receive" replied the peacefully sitting merchant. "I wish I could find a way to end all suffering. Please show me some magic formula if you can" said the doctor. "I am not a miracle man my good doctor. All I can show you is that the lasting answer to all of life’s problems comes from within" replied the patient merchant. Then the merchant took the doctor by the hand, and they both left the shop.
"Look throughout this whole market place and tell me what you see" asked the mysterious merchant. The doctor carefully surveyed the entire market place and found it to be empty. All the shops had closed. All the customers had returned home. Only the mysterious merchant and his own self remained in the market place. "You know life is like this market place. It flows constantly with activity and rest, but behind all the transactions there is a higher reason of being. Today you opened the door to your soul. But beyond the house of the body there is an immortal king. If only people could rise above the daily routine of life’s market place and search for this eternal treasure, then there would be no more sickness of broken lives in this world." After hearing these teachings of the mysterious merchant, the doctor tried to penetrate beyond the twin diamond fires of the wise merchant’s eyes. Suddenly there was no merchant, no market place, and no doctor. All dissolved in one huge blazing light pervading the universe. Everything revealed itself as part of one gigantic heart of love. In the consciousness of the Divine Healer there was no sickness, no health, no patient, no doctor, because all flowed in harmony with God’s light.
The next day the doctor’s mind returned to the market place. But he felt like a new man. He glowed with inner light and wisdom. All the people knew that their beloved doctor had become a saint by tasting the nectar of divine love. The mysterious merchant had always existed, but until yesterday he was hidden deep in the heart of the doctor. Every man has this soul of divine nectar waiting for the first customer to taste the ecstasy of union with God.