The Fairy Tale King - Ludwig II

  Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai during a Sunday Group Meditation
in the Forest Meditation Hall, Hsihu Center, Formosa
Sept. 10, 1995 (Originally In Chinese)

The King In Seclusion

When Ludwig II, the King of Bavaria (Germany), was alive people said that he was insane. Therefore they locked him up somewhere, and a few days later he died. After taking a stroll by the seaside, he died! I feel that he was assassinated but history has recorded that he committed suicide, and even his doctor also committed suicide. It's strange! If he committed suicide, why were two gun shots heard?

If a king really was insane, how could he build such beautiful castles with the interiors decorated as beautiful as in heaven? Not only did he build castles, he also built theaters so that the musicians whom he highly respected could play there. All the buildings were very glorious and highly artistic.

He was a man of great wisdom, and his words and behavior had the air of a spiritual practitioner. He said that one day we would be able to fly in the sky, that swans would pull our carts, and that we would not have to drag along our heavy body and so would not get tired. He talked about what is in heaven. His castles depicted the heavenly realms. That is why people later called him the fairy tale king.

Due to the political situation at his time, Ludwig II did not like to cooperate with others in Germany. So people could only say that he was insane. When the doctor declared that he was insane, Ludwig II asked the doctor, "How do you know whether I am insane? You have never seen me and you have never had conducted medical cheek-up about me. Is it not strange?"

Because he desired neither fame nor fortune, it did not matter whether he was seated on the throne or not. He felt that he was in prison. Therefore, he often moved his abode. He did not stay in the splendid palace but went to places very, very remote.

Can you imagine in the nineteenth century, he going to a very remote place. One had to cross a lake so big that it was like an ocean to reach the place he lived. He went to a very remote mountain. In the nineteenth century it was not easy to travel by road. The boats were not very advanced either. It was really inconvenient to ship building materials there. But then he often looked for such remote places. It would still be very difficult to go to see him nowadays - could not wear high heels if one was going on foot. (Master and all laugh.) One would have to climb mountains and so forth.

Therefore at that time, some people said that he was a king who retreated to practice. I feel that he might not have been insane. Only the politicians had to say that he was like that in order to get rid of him. Then they could find another person to be the king who would listen and cooperate with them. It was all politics.

A Solitary Swan That Longed For Home

Ludwig II was a very good-looking person. He seemed intelligent and beautiful and never treated others badly. He was very good to his subordinates. According to the historic records passed down by his subordinates, he was a very nice person. Maybe Ludwig II fell in love with a princess, but the princess married the King of Austria; so Ludwig II could not bring himself to marry another person. He stayed in solitude and then built castles. He longed for 'home', and talked about the things in heaven everyday. People said that those things did not exist and that he must be insane to talk about things such as carts pulled by swans. He liked swans very much because he felt that swans represented purity and beauty.

We know that also. When someone has attained the fourth realm, people in the spiritual world call him a swan (hansa). When someone reaches the fifth (pronounced "Wu" in Chinese) realm, of course he is Wu Shang Shih ("the Supreme Master" in Chinese) the Fifth Realm! (Master and all laugh.) I am not talking about you, I am referring to that Ching Hai. (Audience laugh and applaud.) It's just a joke.

Ludwig II was very fond of swans. He practiced spiritually. While he was dying, he still told the people beside him that if they were to make requests to God, to find God, they must not indulge in materialism. He said that the majority of people lived like animals - without noble ideals and without noble wisdom. How could someone who said these words be insane?

Also, he was very fond of music. He liked many wonderful things. He had enough wisdom to build such beautiful castles with the interiors decorated like fairy palaces . However, I would not want to live inside them. Once inside, it is so bright and shiny. How could you close your eyes? If I lived inside, I would quickly cover everything with black cloths, then I could meditate better. (Master and all laugh.) When it is too bright it is not easy to find the light within us. (Master and all laugh.)

Perhaps it was because he was depressed - having lost his lover - that he kept building material things like houses and all that in hope that perhaps one day the princess might come back and stay with him. He felt that since she was a queen and very beautiful, he should build the kind of castle that would be worthy for her to live in. Ludwig II always told her that. But that queen was also a very responsible person. Being married and having her country somewhere else, she could not return.

Because they grew up together and perhaps treasuring such a deep love for her, Ludwig II was not able to have any kind of relationship or whatever with any other girls. Once he was engaged to be married to her sister, but he kept postponing the wedding to tomorrow, to the day after tomorrow, to next year. Eventually, being pressed by people, he said no (Master and all laugh) and canceled the engagement.

A Person Must Attain Enlightenment To Not Mislead Others

Therefore, records in history and the facts are not necessarily the same all the time. When we read history, some stories, or the scriptures, we should judge carefully for ourselves. Otherwise, we will mislead ourselves and then mislead others because we feel that our understanding is right. Then it becomes even worse. It is best that if we don't understand then we remain quiet. Wait until we are truly enlightened and have gained a complete understanding, then we can explain or teach others. Okay! (Applause)