Stories of “The Ant” and “the Churning of the Ocean” : The Hidden Science of Self-Realization

The Ant That Carried Salt

A monk had been meditating in a forest for twelve long years, yet peace and realization had not come. One day, a wandering sage visited his hut. The monk humbly asked:“I have practiced for twelve years. Why have I not succeeded, while you have?” The sage replied, “First listen to a story.” Two ants once met — one from a sugar mountain and the other from a salt mountain.

The sugar ant lived surrounded by sweetness. The salt ant lived surrounded by bitterness. When the salt ant decided to visit the sugar mountain, she secretly carried a lump of salt in her mouth. She feared that if she was not accepted, she would starve. When she finally reached the sugar mountain and began eating sweetness, the sugar ant asked: “Why are you still holding salt in your mouth?”

The salt ant replied: “I was afraid I might not survive here. So I kept a backup.” The sage then said to the monk: “You too are holding salt in your mouth.” The monk suddenly remembered something he had done twelve years earlier. When he left worldly life, he had secretly buried a precious diamond near his hut — a backup plan in case spiritual life failed. That hidden diamond was his “lump of salt.” He immediately gave it away, releasing his subconscious doubt. Only then did his spiritual journey truly begin.

The True Meaning of Success

The message is simple and profound: You cannot reach the sweetness of truth while secretly holding fear, doubt, or backup plans in your subconscious. Most people fail not because of effort — but because their subconscious mind whispers:

• “What if I fail?”

• “What will I do if this doesn’t work?”

• “What if I need to return to the world?”

Such hidden doubts poison even the strongest effort. True success requires total inner surrender — not cleverness, not half-commitment. This human life is not for comfort or entertainment. It exists for realization, liberation, and awakening.

The Ocean of the Mind

The ancient story of Samudra Manthan — the Churning of the Ocean of Milk — is not mythology. It is a precise map of inner consciousness.

Symbol Inner Meaning

Ocean of milk                        The human mind & consciousness

Mandara mountain                 Concentration & awareness

Vasuki (serpent)                      Desire & motivation

Gods & demons                        Positive and negative forces within us

Vishnu (tortoise)                        Stability of divine awareness

Poison (Halahal)                         karmic negativity

Amrit (nectar)                                  Self-realization

Why Poison Appears First

When the mind is churned through meditation, discipline, and self-control, the first thing that rises is not peace — it is poison. This poison is: suppressed anger, past trauma, jealousy, lust, fear, ego, guilt

It is the stored karmic garbage of many lifetimes. Just like Shiva held poison in his throat, the seeker must not allow negativity to descend into action or emotion. It must be held in awareness until it dissolves. Without facing this poison, no nectar can appear.

Desire Is Not the Enemy

The serpent used to churn the ocean was desire. Without desire, no transformation happens.Without motivation, no awakening occurs.

But desire has two forms:

• Lower desire – for pleasure, ego, domination

• Higher desire – for truth, purity, world welfare

When desire is purified, it becomes the rope that pulls out enlightenment.

Dhanvantari and Mohini

When the ocean was churned:

• Dhanvantari emerged — symbolizing health, because a weak body and mind cannot hold divine realization.

• Mohini appeared — symbolizing illusion and ego, which steals nectar just before awakening.

Even advanced seekers fall when pride appears:
“I am special.” “I am superior.” “I have attained.” This illusion must be discarded.

What Is Amrit?

Amrit is not a liquid. Amrit is Self-Realization.

It is the moment when:

• You experience your soul

• You recognize the Supreme Consciousness

• You break free from birth and death

It is the nectar of immortality of awareness.

And once attained, it must be used for world welfare, not personal glory.

The Final Teaching

You are that ant standing between salt and sugar. As long as you carry fear, attachment, pride, anger, or backup plans, you will never taste the sweetness of truth. Drop the salt. Churn the ocean of your mind. Face the poison. Hold divine awareness. Receive the nectar. And then, use that divine power not for yourself — but for the awakening of all souls.