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Once, a wealthy man lived in Delhi. He had a huge mansion there. Once he came to Tamil Nadu and visited a mango yard where parrots would speak. He tried and somehow caught a parrot. "You are wandering in the mango yard. My house is more luxurious than the mango yard in many ways. It looks like a fort, like a palace. I shall make a golden cage for you and place you in that. Would you ask for fruits? Or would you need milk? You can eat anything that you want. I shall play melodious music for you. If you ask for dance, you can enjoy the dance program as well. You will get whatever you ask for", he told the parrot.

The parrot said, "What better wealth and comfort can one possess than freedom? I cherish that freedom!" The parrot further spoke about freedom thus, "Who cares if you have a great palatial bungalow and all amenities? Who cares if there is dance? Would there be greater happiness than freely flying in this mango yard? Please let me free. If you really intend to help me, please leave me. Let me fly freely. "

The man was persistent. He took the parrot and said, "I like you very much. You speak very sweet. You should definitely decorate my house." So saying he took the parrot to his bungalow in Delhi, made a golden cage and placed it in that cage.

The parrot lived in the golden cage. He gave it milk and fruits, but the parrot wasn't interested in all this. Its thoughts were all about other parrots. While in the mango yard, the parrot had wife, children and friends. This parrot worried, "How are the other parrots now? While they are freely flying in the sky, only I have got caught in this cage. Alas! I'm doomed!" The parrot regretted his fate.

One day the wealthy man to travel to Tamil Nadu on some business. He looked at the parrot and said. "I'm going to Tamil Nadu. I'm going back to the place wherefrom I caught you. I might happen to see your wife, children and neighbors. Would you like me to carry any message for them all? If you tell me, I shall convey it to them."

The parrot said, "Are you going to see them? When I think of that I feel very happy. Please take me too. I shall come with you. Please let me fly. Let me join them." Thus implored the parrot. If you are in this bungalow, it adds beauty to it. You should be here only." The parrot at once said, "Do enquire about their wellness. At the same time, kindly bring back any message they might have for me. "

Arriving in Tamil Nadu, he completed his work and then went to the same mango yard. He saw the parrot's friends, relatives and neighbors. On seeing him, the parrots were afraid that he would entrap them too. Looking at them, he said "I have not come here to catch any of you. Earlier I had taken a parrot from amongst you. It wanted me to meet you all and get any message that you have. That is why I came here."

Immediately on hearing this, a couple of parrots fell down from the tree and lay unconscious. On seeing that he thought, "Because of the love for the parrot, these parrots have given off their lives on merely hearing about him. What an affection!" He thought, "That parrot asked me to bring message. But these have not given any message. How will I take this sad news? But I should not lie. Let me tell the truth." So thinking he left to his place. He told the parrot in the golden cage, "I went to the mango yard and met your neighbors. I conveyed your message to them. I think two amongst them are very dear to you. Just on hearing about you, they fell down and collapsed."

No sooner did the parrot hear the news than it fell on the ground and collapsed.. On seeing this, he thought, "Alas! Even the parrot that I nurtured with so much of adoration has died." He took it out from the cage and left it on the terrace. At once, the 'dead' parrot flew away.

Those parrots had indeed conveyed a message albeit not verbal. What was the message? "If you want freedom, act like a dead. If you act so, he will let you free and you can fly back to join us." The message was conveyed in silence isn't it? Doesn't this prove that silent teachings are superior to verbal teachings?

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