The prodigal son; as we say the mantra we should be returning to our father, but there are barriers - first our greed and desire, our childlike wish to experience the whole world and what it contains (our 'inheritance') - in meditating, our fantasies, thoughts, daydreams, plans, worries. Then our pride - "I am doing this, I am meditating, I am repeating this mantra, I am concentrating" - and if I do all this, I will achieve enlightenment / nirvana / salvation by my own efforts. Then we admit we are helpless and only our father's unconditional love can save us from this pigsty our ego has created for us, so we give up, give in, and return to our father (each time we say the mantra or bring our attention back to it). And then there is the last barrier, after our father comes running to us - the older brother - "you do not deserve this, you are not worthy of this, you have done nothing, this is not fair" - like Mary and Martha - why is just sitting here deserving of anything?
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