There is a story that throws some light upon the relation between destiny and free will. There was a seer working as a porter in a rich man's house. Now there is a belief in the East that no sooner is a child born than angels come and write on its forehead the whole plan of its destiny. This porter was a wonderful man. At the door, as soon as the angels came, he said, 'Stop, where are you going? I am master here, you cannot go in unless you promise to tell me about the plan.' So the angels told him. And again the next time that a child was born in that house, the porter took down notes of what was going to happen.

After some time the parents passed away. They had been rich, but they lost their money for some reason or other, and the children had to leave their home and were without a refuge. Then this old porter took upon his shoulders the burden of looking after them, but as soon as they were a few years older the children each went to different countries. One day the porter thought that it was his duty to go and see how they were getting on. Also for a seer it is most interesting to observe the material phenomena of something he has seen inwardly as a vision; it is a satisfaction to him, a delight, when all that he has felt inwardly becomes materialized and he sees it happening on the outer plane. It gives him the greatest pleasure.

So the porter went and saw one of the children working as a horse groom, and he was very sorry about this. He went to the young man and said, "It could not be avoided, it was meant that you should be what you are. But I want to give you some advice, because it makes me sad to think that you, at whose house there were so many horses, have to work as a horse groom. Here is a little money, take it and go to another city and try to work there as a horse trainer. The horses of the rich men will be given to you to train; and I am sure you will be successful." The young man asked, "Can I do anything else?" He said, "No, that is the only way. You would have been a groom all your life if I had not told you this. There is nothing else you can do; this is the only door open for you. Do it, and then you will have success." The young man did as he was told and was very successful.

The porter went to the other son and asked, "What are your circumstances?" He said, "My circumstances? I wander about in the forest and catch birds and sell them in the city; but I make hardly enough money to live." In those days there was a fashion among kings to keep a certain bird as a pet; that bird was called Shabaz, the king's bird. And the porter said, "You must not look for game birds, you must look only for this bird Shabaz." The boy said, "But if I cannot find it, then I shall starve and die!" The old man said, "Do you know what your father was, and what you are?" "Yes," he said, "I know, I have had bad luck." The man said, "You will have better luck if you will only listen to me. You need not change; your profession is still catching birds. But catch Shabaz. You can sell it for millions. That is the bird you ought to catch."