Although a saintly person may not expose himself to the vision of human society, by his behavior his purpose is disclosed. To human society he should present himself like a restless child, and although he is the greatest thoughful orator, he should present himself like a dumb man. As a historical example of this, learned sages recite the story of an ancient discussion between the great saintly kin, rahlada Maharaja, and a great saintly person who was feeding himself like a python. Prahlada Maharaja, the most dear servitor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, once went out touring the universe with some of his confidential associates just to study the nature of saintly persons. Thus he arrived at the bank of the river Kaveri, where there was a mountain known as Sahya. There he found a great saintly person who was lying on the ground, covered with dirt and dust, but who was deeply spiritually advanced. Neither by that saintly person's activities, by his bodily features, by his words nor the symptoms of his status could people understand whether he was the same person they had known. The advanced devotee-king, Prahlada Maharaja, offered respect to the saintly person who had adopted a python's means of livelihood. Seeing the saintly person to be quite fat, Prahlada Maharaja said: "My dear sir, you undergo no endeavor tp earn your livelihood, but you have a stout body, exactly like that of a material enjoyer. I know that if one is very rich and has nothing to do, he becomes extremely fat by eating and performing no work. O brahmana, full in knowledge of transcendence, you have nothing to do, and therefore you are lying down. It is also understood that you have no money fro sense enjoyment. How then has your body become so fat? Under the circumstances, if you do not consider my question impudent, kindly explain how this has happened." When the saintly person was thus questioned by Prahlada Maharaja, he replied with a smiling face. "My dear king, although you know everything, you have posed some questions, which I shall try to answer according to what I have heard from authorities. Because of insatiable material desires, I was being carried away by the waves of material nature's laws, and thus I was engaging in different activities, struggling for existence in various forms of life. In the course of the evolutionary process, which is caused by fruitive activities due to undesirable material sense gratification, I have received this human form of life, which can lead to the heavenly planets, to liberation, to lower species, or to rebirth among human beings. In this human form of life, a man and a woman unite fro the sensual pleasure of sex, but by actual experience we have observed that none of them are happy. Therefore, seeing the contrary results, I have stopped taking part in the materialistic activities. The actual for of life for the living entities is one of spiritual happiness, which is real happiness. This happiness can be achieved only when one stops all materialistic activities. Material sense enjoyment is simply imagination. Therefore, considering this subject matter, I have ceased all material activities and am lying down here. The conditioned soul living within the body forgets his self-interest because he identifies himself with the body. Because the body is material, his natural tendency is to be attracted by the varieties of the material world. Thus the living entity suffers the material extence. Just as a deer, because of ignorance, cannot see water withing a well covered by grass, but runs after water elsewehre; the living entity covered by the material body does not see the happiness within himself, but runs after the happiness in the material world. The living entity tries to achieve happiness and rid himself of the distress, but because of the various bodies of the living entities are under the full control of material nature, all his plans in different bodies, one after another, are ultimately baffled. Materialistic activities are always mixed with three kinds of miserable conditions, manely: miseries that arise from one's own mind and body, miseries inflicted by other living beings, and miseries brought about by natural distubances. Therefore, even if one achieves some success by performing such activities, what is the benefit of this success? One is still subjected to birth, death, old age, disease, and the reactions of his own selfish actions. I am actually seeing how a rich man, who is a victim of his senses, is very greedy to accumulate weath, and therefore suffers from insomnia due to fear from all sides, despite his wealth and opulence. Those who are considered materially pwoerful and rich are always full of anxieties becasue of governmental laws, thieves and rogues, enemies, family members, animals, birds, persons seeking charity, the inevitable time facto, and even their own selves. Thus they are invariably afraid. Those in human society who are intelligent should give up the original cause of lamentations, illusion, fear, anger, attachment, povertym and unnecessary labor. The original cause of all these is the desire for unnecessary prestige and money. The bee and the python are two excellent spiritual masters who give us exemplary instructions refarding how to be satisfied bu only collecting a little and how to stay in on place and not move. From the bumblebee I have learned how to be unattached to accumulating money, for although money is as sweet as honey, anyone can kill its owner and take it away. I do not endeavor to get anything, but am satisfied with whatever is achieved in its own way. If I do not get anything, I am patient and unagitated like a python and lie down in this way for many days. Sometimes I eat very small quantities and sometimes great quantity. Sometimes the food is very palatable, sometimes it is stale. Sometimes prasadam is offered with great respect, and sometime food is given neglectfully. Sometimes I eat during the day and sometimes at night. Thus I eat waht is readily available. To cover my body I use whatever is available, whether it be linen, silk, cotten, or bark, according to my destiny, and I am fully satisfied and unagitated. Sometimes I lie on the surface of the earth, sometiems on leaves, grass or stone, sometimes on a pile of ashes, or sometimes, by the will of others. In a place on a first class bed with pillows. My dear saintly king, sometimes I bathe myself very nicely, smear fragrant sandalwood pulp all over my body, put on a flower garland, and dress in fine garments and ornaments. Then I travel like a king on the back of an elephant or on a chariot or horse. Sometimes, however, I travel naked, like a person haunted by a ghost. Different people have different mentalities. Therefore it is not my business either to praise them or to blaspheme them. I only desire their welfare, hoping that they will agree to become one in desire with the Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna." A learned, thoughful person must realize that material existence is illusion. This is possible only by self-realization. A self-realized person, who has actually seen the truth, should retire from all material activities, being situated in self-realization. After Prahlada Maharaja heard these instructions from the saint, he understood the occupational duties of a perfect person. Then he duly worhiped the saint, took his permission and then left for his own home.