Better be alone than in bad company
Hitopadesha narrates the following story. A donkey once roamed in the forest and was
content with the abundant food available in its surroundings. A wily fox
noticed this heavily built animal and desired to make the donkey a feast.
The fox befriended the donkey and gradually gained his confidence. One day, fox coaxed the donkey to move along with him to a different place to help his other friends. Little did the poor donkey know that the fox had hatched a plan to take him to the old lion.
Without hesitation, donkey agreed to accompany the fox and that was the end of it.
The fox befriended the donkey and gradually gained his confidence. One day, fox coaxed the donkey to move along with him to a different place to help his other friends. Little did the poor donkey know that the fox had hatched a plan to take him to the old lion.
Without hesitation, donkey agreed to accompany the fox and that was the end of it.
Well, it is next to impossible to
lose sight of the moral from the above story. The caution that we need to
exercise when mingling with others is not that easy to cultivate in our
behavior.
Man is a social being. We have to interact with other people for various reasons. Some occasions lead these interactions to turn into relationships. During our lifetime we will surely encounter a few who are cunning and deft in misusing the relationship. The unsuspecting poor donkeys will fall prey to their traps.
Man is a social being. We have to interact with other people for various reasons. Some occasions lead these interactions to turn into relationships. During our lifetime we will surely encounter a few who are cunning and deft in misusing the relationship. The unsuspecting poor donkeys will fall prey to their traps.
Thus it is said in an English
proverb, “Better to be alone than in bad company”. We need to constantly be
wary of our companions. They may put on a mask to appear pleasing, speak
mellifluous but at the same time conspiring to deceive the very person who is
having the utmost belief in them.
We will have to inculcate the habit of evaluating one’s motives before providing our consent on the proposal. It is better to distance ourselves from the devious ones rather than blindly following them and ending up in trouble.
We will have to inculcate the habit of evaluating one’s motives before providing our consent on the proposal. It is better to distance ourselves from the devious ones rather than blindly following them and ending up in trouble.
Laziness – the enemy within
Laziness is a state of mind which does not allow the person to
perform any action or spend energy towards anything at all. Generally one who
is affected by laziness is lethargic, inactive, and indolent.
This is different than subjecting the body and mind to rest. Laziness should not be confused with relaxation. The physical and mental activities consume energy and there has to be a means of replenishing the energy. Mind and body relaxation fulfills this need.
However laziness leads to deterioration of mental and physical health.
This is different than subjecting the body and mind to rest. Laziness should not be confused with relaxation. The physical and mental activities consume energy and there has to be a means of replenishing the energy. Mind and body relaxation fulfills this need.
However laziness leads to deterioration of mental and physical health.
One of the subhashitas states the following verse about laziness.
It goes on to
say that laziness is a great enemy that resides within human beings. The
message urges one to be always active and get involved in activities. It
mentions that hard work does not bring degradation to one’s life and that it
can be considered as one of our best friends.
The story of a lazy deer provides an apt food for thought. Once lived a deer that roamed the forest in search of food. The deer was known for his speed and thus nobody could catch & kill him. Once the deer discovered a region in the forest covered with fruit trees, lot of fresh plants & grass.
As food was abundantly available, the deer decided to stay there. Gradually he became lazy as there was no need for him to run in search of food. One day a hungry lion spotted the deer and easily preyed on him. The deer had to pay dearly because of his laziness.
The story of a lazy deer provides an apt food for thought. Once lived a deer that roamed the forest in search of food. The deer was known for his speed and thus nobody could catch & kill him. Once the deer discovered a region in the forest covered with fruit trees, lot of fresh plants & grass.
As food was abundantly available, the deer decided to stay there. Gradually he became lazy as there was no need for him to run in search of food. One day a hungry lion spotted the deer and easily preyed on him. The deer had to pay dearly because of his laziness.
Let us identify this foe
who feeds on our own actions. Once the enemy is known it is easy to fight
against and gain victory.
The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
We interact with many people daily. We might engage in casual
discussions with our colleagues, friends or relatives in the family. We might
deal with vendors, shopkeepers for business activities.
When we do so, subconsciously we tend to observe one’s behavior, the way in which one respond’s to our needs and then invariably conclude regarding the nature of the particular person.
When we do so, subconsciously we tend to observe one’s behavior, the way in which one respond’s to our needs and then invariably conclude regarding the nature of the particular person.
However we need to bear in mind that appearances can be deceptive.
Our instincts may get fooled, the conclusion that we have made may not be
right. We should constantly be wary of the trap that might be in front of us.
Aesop narrates the story of a wolf to drive home the point. A wolf prowling around in a forest nearby a village found it tough to beat the shepherd’s vigil. The sheep were well-fed and heavily built thus mouth-watering to the wolf.
But one day the wolf found the skin of a sheep that had been flayed and ignored. Thanking its fortunes, the wolf wasted no time in donning the sheep’s skin over his own body.
Aesop narrates the story of a wolf to drive home the point. A wolf prowling around in a forest nearby a village found it tough to beat the shepherd’s vigil. The sheep were well-fed and heavily built thus mouth-watering to the wolf.
But one day the wolf found the skin of a sheep that had been flayed and ignored. Thanking its fortunes, the wolf wasted no time in donning the sheep’s skin over his own body.
Armed with this weapon, wolf went on to deceive the unsuspecting sheep
and enjoyed hearty meals. The moral is verily apparent. Within our own life in
different circumstances we meet cunning people.
They may sound sweet, look very innocent, however have different intentions and would not even hesitate to push us down the gorge for their own benefit. It is better to realize the wolf in innocent clothing before it pounces on us.
They may sound sweet, look very innocent, however have different intentions and would not even hesitate to push us down the gorge for their own benefit. It is better to realize the wolf in innocent clothing before it pounces on us.
Self-help is the best help
It is all too well-known that one should not be dependent on others for everything. It is an attitude that one should inculcate in every aspect of life. It is said that even God would put us to test in order to find out if we can at least attempt to help ourselves before just asking for help from the almighty!
As an example, Aesop weaves one such story about a wagoner. When he was driving his heavily loaded wagon along a muddy path, at a stretch in the street, the wheels sank into the mire. He coaxed the horses but in vain.
More the animals struggled to pull out the carriage, deeper the wheels sank into the ground. He then knelt down and prayed to Hercules the strong for help. Hercules appeared in front of the distressed man and said - "Don't just sprawl there. Get up and put your shoulder to the wheel."
More the animals struggled to pull out the carriage, deeper the wheels sank into the ground. He then knelt down and prayed to Hercules the strong for help. Hercules appeared in front of the distressed man and said - "Don't just sprawl there. Get up and put your shoulder to the wheel."
It is easy to ask for help but we should cultivate the habit of exercising our own faculties and try to resolve the problem in front of us. It is not a simple task but not an impossible one too.
Let us have faith in our own abilities and keep in mind that the lord would certainly come to our rescue when he observes that we are independently putting our best efforts.
Let us have faith in our own abilities and keep in mind that the lord would certainly come to our rescue when he observes that we are independently putting our best efforts.
Most surprising thing on earth
One of the popular stories in the epic Mahabharatha is the part of
Yaksha prashna. When all
Pandavas except the elder one don’t heed to the Yaksha’s warning they are put
to death. Yudhishtira, the eldest Pandava is known for his righteousness. The yaksha
asks him a series of questions and the answers that Yudhishtira provides are really
thought provoking.
One of the questions posed to the exponent of dharma (Yudhishtira
was also known as Dharma raja in some contexts) goes as “What do you find as
the most surprising on earth?” to which Yudhishtira replied –
Numerous people are encountering death daily. Even though people
are aware that they will have to die one day, they crave for worldly desires as
if they are permanent on earth. There is nothing more surprising than this
fact.
We are so engrossed in the material world that we do not acknowledge
that our presence on this planet is uncertain. One might be hale and hearty,
muscular and strong and likely to live for many more years but when death
strikes, the once radiating figure just bites the dust.
The person doesn’t exist anymore. But the person had accumulated so much wealth, possessed tons of gold, and owned many buildings. Will the person be able to carry all these along in the subsequent journey?
The person doesn’t exist anymore. But the person had accumulated so much wealth, possessed tons of gold, and owned many buildings. Will the person be able to carry all these along in the subsequent journey?
Everyone knows that the answer is “NO”. But the maya that
surrounds us is so much powerful that we fail to notice the reality. We
struggle endlessly to gain more and more material stuff without caring if they
are actually required.
A deceptive thinking creeps into our minds that whatever happens we will be here permanently enjoying the luxuries of life that we have grabbed for ourselves.
A deceptive thinking creeps into our minds that whatever happens we will be here permanently enjoying the luxuries of life that we have grabbed for ourselves.
We have to agree with Yudhishtira that it is surprising indeed.
But after acknowledging this, the next obvious question would arise – is there
a way to get out of this trap?
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