About Company Policies (or Spiritual Rules in an Ashram)

[Guest guest]

Put eight monkeys in a room. In the middle of the room is a ladder, leading to a

bunch of bananas hanging from a hook on the ceiling. Each time a monkey tries to

climb the ladder, all the monkeys are sprayed with ice water, which makes them

miserable.

 

Soon enough, whenever a monkey attempts to climb the ladder, all of the other

monkeys, not wanting to be sprayed, set upon him and beat him up. Soon, none of

the eight monkeys ever attempts to climb the ladder.

 

One of the original monkeys is then removed, and a new monkey is put in the

room. Seeing the bananas and the ladder, he wonders why none of the other

monkeys are doing the obvious, but, undaunted, he immediately begins to climb

the ladder. All the other monkeys fall upon him and beat him silly. He has no

idea why. However, he no longer attempts to climb the ladder.

 

A second original monkey is removed and replaced. The newcomer again attempts to

climb the ladder, but all the other monkeys hammer the crap out of him. This

includes the previous new monkey. Who however, has no idea why he's attacking

the new monkey.

 

One by one, all the original monkeys are replaced. Eight new monkeys are now in

the room. None of them have ever been sprayed with ice water. None of them

attempt to climb the ladder. All of them will enthusiastically beat up any new

one who tries to climb, without having any idea why.

 

And that's how Company's Policies get established.

 

Or Sadhna rules in an Ashram.