Dispel Desire
Desire leads to ultimate ruin. It can never be destroyed by fulfilment. It grows upon each satisfaction and becomes a monster that devours the victim himself. So, try to reduce desires; go on reducing them.
There was once a pilgrim, who accidentally sat under the Kalpataru, a wish-granting tree! He was terribly thirsty and said to himself, “How I wish someone would give me a Cup of sweet, cold water.” And immediately, there was placed before him a cup of deliciously cold water. He was surprised but drank it, nevertheless. Then, he wished for a meal of tasty dishes and he got it in a trice.
This led to a wish for a cot and a bed; and when he wished his wife was there to see all this wonder, she appeared in an instant. The poor pilgrim mistook her for an apparition and when he exclaimed, “Oh, she is an ogress!” she became one and the husband shook in terror, crying, “She will now eat me up,” which she promptly did!
The chain of desires binds one to the point of suffocation. Control, curb your tendency to wish for this and that. Tell the Lord, “You are enough for me. I do not wish for anything else.” Why pine after golden jewels? Pine for God. The Gita teaches the lesson of Saranagati; wish for His will to prevail, not your wish to succeed.
Questions
- Where did the pilgrim rest for a while?
- What are the things that he wished to have?
- What do you learn from this short story?
[Source – Stories for Children – II Published by – Sri Sathya Sai Books & Publications Trust, Prashanti Nilayam]