Episode 440 - The Orphan Boy and the Heedless King

Jun 18, 2025

A fascinating Indian myth unfolds as a powerful king meets a ragged orphan boy, challenging the nature of authority and wisdom. The disguised Vishnu reveals the fleeting nature of power, stressing the dignity of every individual. The orphan's perspective sheds light on the dangers of narcissistic leadership and societal division. This discussion emphasizes embracing vulnerability and recognizing our shared humanity, calling for inner exploration to heal personal and collective wounds.

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ANECDOTE

Indra and the Beggar Boy

Indra, the archetypal king, builds endlessly grand palaces after defeating death, but becomes dissatisfied and overpowers his people with demands.
A ragged beggar boy, who is Vishnu in disguise, reveals the fleeting nature of power through a procession of ants once noble rulers like Indra.

INSIGHT

Warning Against Concentrated Power

Concentrating power in a narcissistic ruler risks widespread societal harm and exhaustion.
Each of us embodies the 'beggar boy,' aware of misplaced power and its dangers.

INSIGHT

Narcissistic Leaders’ Fragility

Narcissistic leaders project grandiosity to hide deep insecurity and fragility.
They create chaos and crises to manipulate and dominate others.

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This episode begins with one of the great scenes in the mythologies of India. Indra had become King of the Earth by winning a great battle; he also became obsessed with power and increasingly demanding. Just when all the people were being reduced to dust and bones by the endless orders and sudden changes, the self-proclaimed lord of the earth has a surprising encounter with a ragged beggar boy. Although young and seemingly an outcast, the orphan boy knows more than the king about the use of power, the meaning of life and how the world can change in a moment.

We are each the beggar boy in the sense that we know what it means to be the orphan, the outcast, the immigrant or other who is being rejected, alienated or exiled. And in the end, the orphan boy, who breaks the spells of self-glorification and self-delusion that entraps the king and all the land, turns out to be Vishnu, the original creator who dreams up the world. Those who insist on claiming that they are superior and more righteous or entitled than others are not only psychologically rejecting their own inner orphan, they are also severing their connection to the underlying and essentially unifying dream of life.

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