The kingdom of Ajita was at peace. The ruler, King Indrabhuti, was a gentle soul who allowed his citizens to go about their own business. There was prosperity in the land because the people were free to develop in their own ways. But one day Prime Minister Ratnakala asked for a private audience with the king. The prime minister, by skillful arguments, slowly convinced the king to change his simple ways. Ratnakala insisted that Ajita’s ruler should follow the custom of other kings and seek to gain additions to the kingdom by conquest. The deluded king agreed to follow his prime minister’s worldly advice. Soon after the rainy season was over, the army of Ajita advanced upon its innocent neighbor. After a week the fighting ended, and King Indrabhuti annexed his neighbor. But Prime Minister Ratnakala was not satisfied. He demanded that the king should become an emperor by conquering the world. So the kingdom of Ajita was engulfed in continuous warfare. Everywhere King Indrabhuti rode his army was victorious.

Now he was the emperor of several conquered neighboring kingdoms. While his prime minister kept urging him to annex more kingdoms, the conquered areas began to revolt. The pressure became too great on King Indrabhuti. He thought of the simple days in the past when he and everybody in Ajita lived at peace. One night, without telling anybody, King Indrabhuti rode out and left his kingdom behind. He no more wanted to be a world ruler with his subjects in constant revolt. The life of a detached ascetic appeared at that moment to be the only solution. He decided the next day to wander on foot and throw away his royal attire to be free. Soon he found a cave in the jungle over which he could become the ruler in a new life of solitude. That night he had a dream in the cave. He saw a little child who crawled out of a house and became lost. The child started crying. Suddenly the mother appeared and brought the child home. The dream slowly vanished and the former king awoke to see a thin beam of light shining down through an opening in the cave.

The sun shone brightly and a new life was about to start. Indrabhuti was amazed at how the sunlight could penetrate the cave. Then his attentive mind began to hear what appeared to be a voice communicating from the expanding light. "Who are you?" asked the voice from within the cave. Indrabhuti replied that he was a king who felt very unhappy because of attachments, responsibilities, and false glory. Again the mysterious voice asked, "Who are you?" Now Indrabhuti felt that he really did not know the answer. He waited for a reply in silence. "You are a divine soul sent down on this changing earth to gain knowledge of your spiritual identity", answered the voice from inside the beam of light. Suddenly the body of Indrabhuti vanished. He felt that he existed as an all pervading soul which knew no boundaries. He was aware of a Cosmic Mind willing infinite universes into existence. He felt his soul engulfed in the bliss of this Cosmic Mind. After a few hours of tasting a new spiritual realization, Indrabhuti returned to his waking consciousness. He wondered how he could apply this new knowledge to practical life.

After Indrabhuti left Ajita, Prime Minister Ratnakala assumed the position of ruler. But the revolts of conquered kingdoms spread and soon Ratnakala was killed on the battlefield. The people of Ajita now had to find a king or they too would be soon conquered. So they decided to turn loose the royal elephant and crown as king whomever the elephant would pick by his trumpet cry. As fate would have it, the elephant wandered deeper into the jungle with a few loyal Ajita citizens following close behind. It stopped near the cave of Indrabhuti. Suddenly an ear piercing trumpet cry awoke the meditating Indrabhuti deep in the cave. A group of men rushed into the cave with burning torches. "You are now our chosen ruler", they shouted again and again in unison. "I am just an ascetic", replied Indrabhuti. "No, destiny has picked you to be Ajita’s new ruler", the people insisted. The elephant slowly marched into the cave, picked up Indrabhuti, and put him on its back. So the former king found himself returning to start a new life in Ajita. But first the fighting would have to stop.

The citizens of Ajita rallied around the ascetic whom they had made their new king. Victory was on the side of Indrabhuti and within three months all the neighboring kingdoms had their soldiers expelled from the territory of Ajita. Some people asked Indrabhuti to continue the war and conquer his neighbors as before. But the new king called upon all his citizens to assemble in the market place where he would give them his decision. Indrabhuti addressed the hushed audience on the next day. "Ajita was at peace in the past because its rulers served the people by letting them enjoy individual freedom and avoided the desire to enslave other people. Only by living the simple life can we see ourselves as souls put on earth by a higher divine power. When we get too involved with interfering in other people’s affairs, we forget who we really are. I promise that Ajita will maintain its freedom for all the people by respecting the freedom of its neighbors." Indrabhuti stopped speaking and listened for what his people would say. Suddenly a loud burst of applause filled the market place. "The king has returned, the king has returned. We shall enjoy peace under his rule. We are truly free", shouted every person that glorious day.