Following instructions blindly!

[Guest guest]

There was a Guru who had a number of disciples. They were very

faithful to him and would obey him implicitly. Once they were all

traveling together in a bullock cart. The aged guru felt like resting

for a while. He instructed them: "Look my dear ones! I feel tired, I

may go to sleep. Be careful about our luggage. Be alert and keep a

watch of things that may slip out of the cart. The disciples nodded

their heads.

 

After a few minutes, the guru's kamandalam fell down from the cart

All the disciples kept on watching the article as it was falling

down. The guru woke up after his nap and enquired: I suppose

everything is safe and secure. Yes master! Replied the disciples .

Only your kamandalam slipped down. What! shouted the guru, if my

kamandalam fell down, why did you not stop the cart and pick it up?

What shall I do now to carry water! I don't have any other vessel"

The disciples replied. "Master, You asked us only to watch the

falling vessels and so all of us watched when the kamandalam slipped

downOh what fools! That was not at all my idea. Well, past is

past. At least hereafter when anything falls down, you have to pick

it up and throw it back into the cart. Do you understand'" The

disciples nodded their heads.

 

The guru went to sleep. The disciples also were dozing off. All of a

sudden, the cart stopped. The bullocks dropped dung on the ground.

One of the disciples immediately got down. He took the dung in his

hand and threw it into the cart. Unfortunately a lump of dung fell on

the face of the guru. The guru woke up to find dung in the

cart . "What is this!" asked the guru loudly the disciples

replied. "Master, did you not tell us that whatever falls on the

ground, we are to throw it into the cart!'

 

The guru thought for a while and hit upon a plan. He listed out all

the articles in the cart He gave the list to them and said: Look, if

any one of these articles slips down. you have to pick it up and put

it back into the cart.

 

The guru once again fell asleep The bullock cart had to go up a

hillock. On one side there was a stream. During the ascent, the

disciples were dozing away while the guru slid down from the cart and

fell into the stream. The disciples woke up because they heard a big

splash and the guru shouting for help. They saw their guru had fallen

into the stream. Immediately they took up the list and checked up. It

was fairly a long list but nowhere could they find, the name of the

guru. They thought it war their duty to go ahead in accordance with

the guru's instructions.

 

The guru shouted and asked them to stop the cart and come to his

rescue. The disciples were a good lot: they believed in obedience and

guruseva. They stopped the cart and went to him They stood before the

guru with folded hands. The guru started shouting again. "What has

happened to you today! Do you want to see to my end? When I slid

down, is it not your duty to come to my rescue! One of the disciples

said calmly. "Master! you have not included your name in the check-

list of articles in the cart to be restored. So we kept quiet. We

only obeyed you to the letter The guru got exasperated and said: "Yes

I know you obeyed to the letter. and would not bother to catch the

meaning and spirit underlying what I have written.

 

so, folks, what do you think? should we follow instructions blindly

or use our 'viveka' or discrimination?

 

enjoy and have a great wednesday!

[Guest guest]

this was a great story adi shakthi you are a gem of this group.

Please keep us enlightened by your pearls

 

chamunda

[Guest guest]

thank you chamunda devi! in this divine mother's garland there are

many gems , of rare quality and more precious and much more

enlightened ! i am just a very tiny tiny 'pearl' trying to find my

place !

 

the day i am really 'enlightened' i will take a 'bow' and merge with

the dvine!

 

but i appreciate your kind words, though i do not deserve it at

all !..

 

love