in search of such a subject. At last he found a shepherd whose eyes gleamed, whose face and features had an inkling of some celestial abode. A look at him was enough to convince that God was also in man. The artist made a portrait of his. Millions of copies of the portrait were sold far an wide. People felt grateful by hanging the picture on their walls.

But after a spell of twenty years, when the artist had grown old, he thought of making another masterpiece. He had experienced that life was not only goodness; there was also Satan in man. He had made a picture of Godliness, now he wanted to portray Evil incarnate.

He sought a man who should not be a man but a Satan. He went to gambling dens, bars and searched. The subject should be bad, ugly and sadistic. He should be a symbol of sin.. After a long search , the artist met a prisoner. The man had committed seven murders, and for that he was sentenced to be hanged in a few days. Hell was evident in his eyes: they sprouted hate. His face was the ugliest possible you could ever find.

The artist began to paint a picture of this ugly prisoner. After completion, he brought his earlier picture and put it by the side of the new picture for contrast. It was very difficult to assess which was better from the artistic viewpoint. Both painting were marvellous. He stood staring at both of them, the first one so angelic while the second one was so satanic.

Then he heard a sob. He turned and saw the prisoner, chained and crying. The artist was bewildered. He asked, "My friend, why are you crying? How do these pictures disturb you ?'' The prisoner said, "I tried to hide the fact all these days but I have lost today. You perhaps do not know that the first picture is also of me. Both are my portraits. I am the same shepherd you met me twenty years ago in the hills. I cry for my downfall in these twenty years--from heaven to hell, from God to Satan"

Everyone and everything in nature contains both the opposites. They are inseparable. In a child, in the absence of the outer world's corruption--the divinity, innocence is manifested. As one grows up, the mind playing its manipulative games brings out the satanic qualities. Our life, world everything becomes a misery . The experience of true innocence, Love, wonderment, however far it may appear is still not lost. Meditation is a way to get back to the divinity, liveliness, peace and joy of a child's world. Let us meditate and create this bliss; and experience this world as a play.