Robber of the Inner

An enlightened man was passing. Valmiki a murderer, a man who lived upon theft, caught hold of this enlightened man. The enlightened man asked, “What are you going to do?” Valmiki answered, 

“I am going to rob you of all that you have.” The enlightened man replied, 

“If you can do that, I will be happy because I have something very inner; steal it, you are welcome.” 

Valmiki could not understand this, but said, 

“I am concerned only with outward things.”

The enlightened man said, 

“But they won’t help much. Why are you doing this?”

Valmiki said, 

“Because of my family, for my family – my mother, my wife, my children- they would starve, if I don’t do this, and I only know this art.”

So the enlightened man said, 

“ Bind me to a tree, so that I cannot escape, and go back and tell your mother, and your wife and your children that you are committing sin for them. Ask them if they are ready to share the punishment. When you are before God, when the last judgment comes, will they be ready to share the punishment?”

For the first time Valmiki started thinking. He said, 

“You may be right. I should go and ask.” 

He went back asked his wife, and she said, 

“Why should I share the punishment? I have not done anything. If you do anything, it is your responsibility.“

And his mother said, 

“Why should I share it?” I am your mother. It is your duty to feed me. I don’t know how you bring the bread. That is your responsibility. 

Nobody was ready to share the punishment and Valmiki became converted. He came back and fell at the feet of the enlightened man and said, “Now give me the Inner, I’m not interested in the outer.  Now let me be the robber of the inner……….”