This is a story.
It is about how a hermit shows a man how hard animals/people work in life and not to push them off the edge of their capibility. It is one of my favourites and has a very good moral. Enjoy, my friends:
It is a warm summer day. A man can be seen hitting his donkey with a stick, shouting: 'Stupid animal! Can't you move any faster?' THe donkey is trying to do its best, but the man pays no attention.
A holy hermit passes the two. He says quietly to the man, 'The donkey is moving as fast as it can. Why do you hit it so?' The man turns his head and shouts loudly to the hermit:'He is my donkey. I can do what I want with him.' The hermit, hearing this, raises his walking stick and hits the donkey's "owner" on the head. The man lunges for the hermit, who calmy steps to one side. 'My stick, my choice what I do with it,' he says casually. The other man collapses down in the shade of a tree to rest. He lets the donkey rest as well. The hermit continues on his way.
Now, my friends, I hope you see how I enjoy this story. It is very nice with a simple moral. Lovely. I wanted you to know this is Dhruv posting. Since I do not have my account yet, I am using Amma's. This story is posted especially for Vichu Chittapa, who has encouraged me to start posting.
Lots of love to all,
Dhruv
It is about how a hermit shows a man how hard animals/people work in life and not to push them off the edge of their capibility. It is one of my favourites and has a very good moral. Enjoy, my friends:
It is a warm summer day. A man can be seen hitting his donkey with a stick, shouting: 'Stupid animal! Can't you move any faster?' THe donkey is trying to do its best, but the man pays no attention.
A holy hermit passes the two. He says quietly to the man, 'The donkey is moving as fast as it can. Why do you hit it so?' The man turns his head and shouts loudly to the hermit:'He is my donkey. I can do what I want with him.' The hermit, hearing this, raises his walking stick and hits the donkey's "owner" on the head. The man lunges for the hermit, who calmy steps to one side. 'My stick, my choice what I do with it,' he says casually. The other man collapses down in the shade of a tree to rest. He lets the donkey rest as well. The hermit continues on his way.
Now, my friends, I hope you see how I enjoy this story. It is very nice with a simple moral. Lovely. I wanted you to know this is Dhruv posting. Since I do not have my account yet, I am using Amma's. This story is posted especially for Vichu Chittapa, who has encouraged me to start posting.
Lots of love to all,
Dhruv
Dear Dhruv(the batman),
ReplyDeleteI was reminded to visit the blog by your Uma Aunty.
It is a great story , and thanks for reminding me of it.
I am unable to practise the learning that i get from this story, so can you please write down the moral of the story for me.
And yes, keep writing as and when you find time, because it is joy to hear stories, isn't it?
Regards,
Naresh mama
I am delighted that Dhruv the writer has started on his artistic journey. I actually imagined Dhruv narrating it with his ( ever so faintly nasal & sweet ) voice . I recollect that Dhruv has a distinct dislike for any one causing any one/thing else harm or injury. I take it that he finds violence very very disturbing. He has an equal in the non-combative soft Rishabh . This story reflects that. They both identify closely with the hermit I reckon.
ReplyDeleteThe stroy is narrated in very simple yet beautiful way.
I recomend to all the children , the reading of " Mahabharata" by C. Rajagoplachari. Complex issues are dealt in simple naarative.
May the writers bloom among the kiddos. Congratulations Dhruv. Great.
Dhruv-a!
ReplyDeleteGood show, batman! Enjoyed. Am your Anand mama (like Naresh mama) and chacha! Mom will know. Am glad you put this down too!
Dhruv, this is a very good and much needed variation on a supposedly 'funny' commercial on TV for some mint-gum, which actually (in a typically capitalist fashion) subtly praises the beating of the donkey. Such stories also need to be spread just like the ad, and restore some balance in the world.
With love, and expecting more such from you,
Anand (mama-chacha)
Hello, Dhruv our always pleasant batman,
ReplyDeleteIt felt very nice to hear that your posting is specially for me. Thank you sweetheart.
Reading your piece, I am reminded of your namesake in mythology, the boy dhruv of just five odd years, who wants to sit in his fathers lap, only to be rebuked by his step mother, telling him (the boy), that this privilege is exclusively reserved for her own son.
The boy then goes off to meditate on the Lord,as guided by the seer Narada. The story ends with the Lord appearing in front of the boy, and giving him a permanent place in the galaxy, which today in our literature we refer to "dhruv star" and more famously known as "pole star", which guided millions of sailors in the past to locate their place in the seas, as this was always in the "north".
Our dhruv appears to me as a kind of a guide to not only his peers, but to all of us elders, in his ability to pick up and narrate stories which have a message.
Keep up the good work Beta. ( incidentally when you post next in the box named "labels" please indicate a topic which is most apt to the ones listed in our blog. For instance your piece has been listed by me as "children series". You can decide the label as you feel appropriate. I would like to respond to other comments separately.
Lots of love
Vichu Chittappa
Hi Dhruv and other folks
ReplyDeleteAnand has given a new angle to "mentos" dimaak ka batti jalade ad. I liked this ad very much when I first saw it. The thought that there is this undercurrent of a sense of comfort kinda message in the ad which shows in the final scene the donkey getting a stick, never occured to me.
The ad in a typically (to my mind, till today) Indian style conveys a message about using mentos to light up one's "dimag".
Anand's is a new angle worth pondering though. Having said that, I want to ask Dhruv as also others this, in current times of immense competition, with the media playing a overarching role of deciding for us, as to what is right and what is wrong etc, how does the hermit of the story,survive?
Dhruv's passionate sensitivity, has every chance of getting lost is my greatest regret. Worse, in today's world, such noble thoughts have very few takers, let alone empathisers. So what is it that we can do? Perhaps exchange such noble thoughts more often, and hope that the resulting positive energy permeates enough to bring about some change. Even if it is an infinitesimal, methinks it will be worth the effort.
Well, folks, it's time that noble thoughts are shared in these columns more and more frequently, from Apporvas, Dhruvs, shrutis, and the other elders......
Amen. Love
Vichu
Hey all, the comments by Anand and later the rejoinder by Vichu touch on a very crucial subject. I request all of the readers to ponder carefully on this. They have now raised an immensely important point " How do we retireve space for genuine , original thought with intrinsic value which is today choked out of circulation ? The air-waves, print-space, spectrum and all available space for that matter is being colonised systematically by commercial interests. We hardly realise the insidious power of "mass hypnotism " that is being practised on us 24*7. Doordarshan in its early days had special slots for episodic relay of the screen versions of great short stories, plays, novels etc apart from the slots for serious cinema.
ReplyDeleteIn fact Anand needs to be commended for showing how effortlessly the mind altering agenda of advertisers , marketers and other vested interests is slowly nibbling away at our fundamental tresure - an original mind , which can question , assess, understand , feel and experience. In this case, the advertiser has slipped in the morally questionable premise that it is "intelligent " and "smart" to exploit our way to a comfortable and (hence amoral) life. We hardly noticed this aspect since all of us perhaps have an innate desire to separate the "gadhaass" among us and whip them around to the extent that we can get away with it. The intended humour in it is a scary reminder of what we probably desire deep down.
The moral dimension of any form of persuasion practised by any one/group on any other individual or group is a matter of huge academic interest at least in the western world. It is my belief that the subject of (a) originaltiy of thought and expression (b)the freedom to practice it (c) the right to reject arbitrary mental impositions; are fundamental to society's sustenance and enrichment. Also we must all steadfastly resist the epidemic of "homogenisation" - a phenoemnon that all totalitarian dispensations - political religious, social or merchantile & fuedal - actively practice in order to retain control over us for whatever purpose.
Coming back to Dhruv, I suggest that while we may urgently create a kiddies corner in the blog (we should strcitly not intrude and influence) , we may take this story by Dhruv and Anand's observations and circulate to our known circles and get a feedback. I have certain ideas but let us first concentrate on getting everybody's responses to this epsiodic exchange and move forward.
Dear Dhruv,
ReplyDeleteYour story is remarkable. I have read it now twice. The comments of Vichu Chitappa (thatha for you) and Anand Mama (thatha, for you again) and Ambu Chitappa (thatha) must have been very pleasing.
Have you seen the “Mentos” ad? There is no hermit there!
It is a “take” on evolution.
By the way, the donkey in the ad is called, if I remember right, “daddu”, which means grand-father or “thatha” in Tamil. Quite coincidentally, all those who are commenting on your story,so far, are your “daddus” including myself.
Does this give you a lesson?
Let me tell you what it has taught me (the story by you and the comments by us –“Daddis”, grammar reference is- one “Daddu”, many “Daddis” – like one “radius”, many “radii”)
1. The way we humans, ordinarily, (I, personally, am in a phase where I am trying to refrain from the use of the word “normally”) look at evolution is from our (human) perspective. The hermit in the story seems to be saying that the “donkey” may have a perspective too! This is the substance of Ambu thatha’s comment.
2. Any hermit (let us say that all hermits are learned people just for the sake of this paragraph, and you have used the term “holy hermit” which is even more appropriate) knows that evolution is not a straight or linear path. But see what the hermit has done in your story – he has done the same thing to the man that the man had done to the donkey!! No, not because the hermit does not understand the situation, but because the hermit, probably, has no way to communicate his understanding of evolution to the man.
3. Ordinary men think (and I can’t understand why, possibly due to Darwin) that they are “more” evolved than the donkey so it gives them the right to “beat” it.
4. The donkey’s perspective could be this (especially with reference to the “mentos” ad) – I have seen you men “use” me for labor, time and again, so when you “evolve” to speak my language, I will talk. Till then, I will work when I want and stop when I want. You may beat me, you may slam me but you are making the mistake of not understanding me. I am not a horse, I exercise my “choice”!! If you want become a hermit, then try to “empathize” with me.
5. The last lesson is that all of us , hermits, donkeys and men, forget the following lessons –
a. That while action and reaction are equal and opposite, thought (of every entity, may it be a donkey, man or hermit or even the table in front of you) has no equal nor opposite. It is , was and always will be “original”.
b. So, while we do and must have “Freedom of Thought”(therfore "Freedom of Expression"), “Freedom of Action” must be agreed upon by all concerned, even if they are donkeys. (this is my understanding of "dharma")
c. Lastly, this agreement on “freedom of action” must be out of our own choice, irrespective of the time we take to arrive at this agreement.
I am confident now that you will understand the comments of the “daddies” (grammar reference – when “daddis”, evolve, then they truly become “daddies” or “Appas” or “Fathers”).Evolution is still a mystery to us all.
Your story is a story of evolution, no wonder it took me so much time to understand it.
It is in this context that we call Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi the “father of the nation” in India. Other explanations fall a tad short in my opinion. The Nobel Committee still has time to award him one “posthumously”.
You see, it is never a matter of “time”, when it is a matter of “choice”.
Thank you Dhruv,and others, for making me “think”.
I request Naresh to keep it as simple as possible. Every time that I write something I have the dreadful feeling that I am being difficult and tiring the reader, since this is an eclectic (though family blog) with varying levels of sensitivity & understanding. I do feel that all of us need to take note that we should be instantly comprehensible to the simplest of minds among the readers ( which includes Shruti , Dhruv, Rishabh ). I am not suggesting that we lower the depth of our communication but to enhance its reach to all by being simple and uncomplicated.
ReplyDelete" Naresh please take care . Some of your articles are too technical for my understanding. Please Say it all in the language of the common people.
You see, great teachers & saints , Anna once told me , are great losers. They take only a few seconds to judge the mental level of the persons they are addressing and "lose" themselves to that level very quickly. This is a matter of extreme dedication. If you want to be a great teacher , learn to question yourself all the time. Life's greatest truths are simple and prosaic .
Please practise this art sincerely. You are in a profession where your wards look upto you to deliver them across whatever waters.
You have to develpo the facility of the grandma with a "potli" of 1000 tales . If the wards do not understand any bit the fault would lie with you . Remember that.
All the best.