My Dear Son, book one

foot.

  They stopped by a river for bathing.

  As they were bathing one of them noticed a scorpion falling from the branch of a tree over-hanging the river. The scorpion was struggling hard to float and was drowning.

  Buddhist monks are known to be of two types. Monks of first type are stationary monks who remain in monasteries performing the religious duties. The second type of monks are known as the wandering monks.

  The monk immediately scooped it up with his hand and set it upon the bank.

  In the process he was stung. He had acute pain for some time. When he felt slightly better went back to the river and continued bathing and washing his bowl. The second monk was watching this.

  The first monk noticed that another scorpion fell in the river. The monk rushed-in to save the second scorpion and was again stung.

  The second monk , asked the first as why ventured save the second scorpion when he had a bad experience before?

  Because,” the monk replied, “saving is my nature and stinging is scorpion’s nature”

  There may be many among us who feel one should not get nearer to Scorpion at all as we all know it would sting.

  After the first bad experience a second attempt to save the scorpion may be decried as foolish.

  Some may suggest that the Monk could have used safer method – such as the bowl that was available with him, than get strung.

  The explanation could run like this:

  This action of the monk is not driven by conscious thinking. It is a sub-conscious act.

  Over a period of time some of our actions by- pass the analysis and action take place upon sensing an event.

  We call this “ it is his nature do so”.

  Any other person with compassion would do what the first monk did.

  Theme: Greed see no end.

  Know this:

  (1) Many believe, greed cannot be eliminated from human mind.

  (2) Greed is a prime force for the humanity to move. May be true. But, what is its impact in our lives, as individuals. Disaster.

  (3) Is there any evidence that greed brings good life to individuals?

  Theme: Greed see no end.

  Story 21

  Endless desires.

  A simple and good natured fisherman lived in a small hut on the sea shore. There were a few other families who lived by fishing.

  While the male members go out on high sea with their boats and fishing net, the women take the fishes to the rich and poor.

  While the fisherman was very hard working, content and happy, his wife was not. She always dreamt of living in a house built with brick and mortar.

  After a few years of routine life, one fine evening The fishing net was too heavy to pull.. Initially fisherman thought that he got a big catch – a large fish.

  When he drew the netnear he found that it wasn’t a fish. Instead, it was a large flounder.

  The flounder spoke. It told the fisherman that he was no fish. He was in fact a prince cursed by a holy man who was once his Spiritual Guru. Very soon the holy man would turn me back into a prince. It begged the fisherman to spare his life and for that act, the flounder promised that it would be grateful for ever.

  The fisherman took pity and allowed the fish to swim back into the sea.

  When the husband had finished with the story on flounder, his wife became too angry. He called him a stupid and that he had missed a golden opportunity.

  On a second thought, he was wondering if he had done something wrong. His conscience did not permit him to seek any favor for some good deed.

  His nagging wife convinced him stating seeking a small favor in return for as much as sparing ones life in no compensation at all. Unable to withstand his wife’s bickering and nagging.

  He promised his wife that he would seek the flounder’s favor and get her a house built of bricks.

  His wife was happy.

  The next day, the fisherman called out the flounder and it readily came to the shore. With great hesitation he expressed his wife desire and the flounder replied saying that the wish is granted.

  When he returned to his place he found no hut. Instead a big brick house was standing in its place. His wife was happily singing and enjoying her stay in her new house.

  Her happiness did not lost long.

  Soon, he started comparing houses and people where she sold the fish. Now she wanted a life better than a fisher woman. She started pestering her husband asking him to return to the flounder and ask for a life of a big merchant in the town. The husband initially refused to oblige his wife. After several arguments and fight finally yielded to his wife’s desire. This time too the flounder obliged.

  This way, the desire of the fisher woman did not stop anywhere.

  She became a minister, then a queen of the small province in which they were living. Then a queen ruling the entire country. She understood that she would never be content. Her desires grew faster.

  One day she asked her husband to talk to flounder and ask as to how the flounder got its magical powers. Her husband was annoyed as before.

  Suggesting his wife that it would be the last time that he would be seeking flounder’s favor and if she ever pester her, then he would abandon her and leave the place.

  The flounder told that it was god who gave the magical powers. It also told the fisherman that his wife is too greedy. Now she would ask you to ask me to make her a god herself. I warn you in advance that if she thought so, she would return to her small hut which she originally occupied. The flounder also told the fisherman that his punishment period is over and he will not be appearing before him from then on.

  The fisherman thanked the flounder and left.

  When he returned home, he started telling her whatever transpired between him and the flounder.

  But before he could complete his narration, she thought that she would start fighting with her husband to ask one last favor from the flounder, that is, to make her a god. No sooner she thought that, she found herself back into her shabby hut.

  The fisherman never returned to his old hut where his wife lived.

  Theme: Greed see no end.

  Short Story 22

  Greedy Sufi.

  Here we read, a Sufi story, on greed.

  Barring a few, most people in the spiritual path has a Guru or mentor. Also not all the people in spiritual path enter the forest and do meditation or any other spiritual sadhana.

  There were many householders among saints who performed their duty as a house holder and pursuing a spiritual path. None of them could be identified during their life time. There could be industrial workers, bus drivers, shop keepers and so on.

  In this story a fisherman set himself on his spiritual journey. He had his mentor in a far away place.

  This fisherman had a few disciples too who also lived by fishing. All these fishermen live in hamlet.

  Many fellow fishermen did not know that these small group of men are any different from them. But, all that they might think of them are these people are humane, helpful and charitable.

  The elderly fisherman one day turned to one of his disciples and asked him to visit his Guru in his abode in the far away town. He asked him to meet him and convey him his concern that he did not make any significant progress in the spiritual path for quite some time. He sought his advice.

  This man had unique characteristic. He goes into the deep sea along with fellow fishermen every day. He keeps one fish and distribute the remaining catches among fellow men who are poor among them. He does not sell them for money or any other material in exchange.

  His disciple set on a journey to meet the mentor.

  Finally located his abode. He had his first shock to find a great saint which his guru described lived in a palatial house. After verifying several times he entered the house and conveyed his desire to meet his Guru’s mentor. Before he arrived at the hall he was ushered in, he watched with dismay the opulence of the building. The pillars had expensive diamo
nds embedded in them. He though, even an emperor of that country would envy the mentor for his riches.

  While his thoughts were engaged in the assessment of the wealth of the Sufi saint, the mentor entered the hall. The visitor introduced himself and explained his mission.

  The saint, thought for a while. He replied in one line and walked away from him and vanished. His remark was small and crisp. He said that it was the greed of his student that impedes his growth. The disciple was unable to accept the observations of the saint and dumbfound.

  He returned to his land as fast as he could. When he met is mentor, he did not dare to tell what his mentor wanted him to convey.

  He then described his guru the opulence of the place where his mentor lived, the expensive attire he wore and the luxurious life he led. He concluded that he could not believe that he met Sufi saint in the first place.

  He replied that he knew all that. He was only keen to know what he said and not how he looked or how he lived.

  The disciple still hesitant to tell what he was asked to convey. The Guru grew impatient. He ordered his disciple to tell only what his mentor conveyed.

  The disciple began saying that there is no other soul who ate only one fish in the entire day and gave out the remaining in charity. But, his mentor was uncharitable in making a remark of him saying that you are greedy. He demanded to know from his guru how do one accept a remark by a person who lead a life of an emperor, about a simple person who worked hard all the day, kept only one fish for himself and distributed the rest in charity as greedy?

  The guru jumped in joy!

  He asserted that his mentor was right in his observation. He explained to his disciple that he was