Hear the Way and Follow It

The Sage Gautama once spoke a parable, in order to discourage questions about the origin of bondage; he said: “Here you are, bound hand and foot by desire and fear, and here is the straight path to Deliverance. You ask questions about how you came to be bound. They are irrelevant. You should be content to know how you can become free. Do not act like the man who died because he raised untimely questions, and insisted on getting answers. He was going through a forest. An enemy who was waiting for him in an ambush shot him with a poisoned arrow. Accidentally the wounded man was seen by a friend, who went and spread the news. Soon his kinsmen came to him with all necessary appliances. They wanted to pull out the arrow and apply antidotes, to save his life. But the wounded man prevented them, saying ‘You must first inquire and find out all possible details about the enemy — whether he is of high or low caste, tall or short, fair or dark and so on — and about the arrow and him that made it.’ The kinsmen tried their best to convince him that these questions could wait, and that it was urgently necessary to save his life first by applying the remedies. But the man was obstinate, and precious time was wasted. So he died. Be not like this man. Cease questioning; hear the Way to Deliverance, and follow it.” 

- from K. Lakshmana Sarma's "Maha Yoga" p. 141 (footnote)