AMMA SAYS - APHORISM

[Guest guest]

OM AMRITESWARYAI NAMAH

 

AMMA SAYS - STORY

 

Change is possible only through action

 

A government minister once visited a village, which happened to be

the dirtiest village in the whole country. He spent a night as the

guest of the mayor of the place. There were piles of garbage

everywhere along the roads, and the open drains overflowed with

filthy, stagnant waste water. The whole area was permeated with a

terrible stench.

 

The minister asked the mayor why the place was so dirty. The mayor

said, "The people here are ignorant. They don't know anything about

cleanliness. They simply don't care. I've tried to teach them, but

they won't listen. I've told them to clean the village, but they

won't do it. So, I've given up." The mayor went on and on, blaming

the villagers. The minister listened patiently without saying

anything. They had dinner and then the minister went to bed.

 

When the mayor got up the next morning, he couldn't find the

minister. He searched throughout the house, but there was no sign of

him. He asked the servants, but no one had seen the minster. The

mayor was alarmed. He left the house and went out looking for the

man. At last he found him. The minister was out on the road,

cleaning up the rubbish all by himself. He was heaping garbage into

a big pile and setting it on fire. When the mayor saw this, he felt

ashamed. He said to himself, "How can I stand here doing nothing,

when the minister himself is working like this?" So he joined him

and started cleaning up the village. When the villagers came out

into the streets, they were surprised to see the two men doing such

dirty work. They felt that they couldn't just stand there and watch

while the minister and the mayor cleaned the village. So they joined

in the work. In no time the whole village was spotlessly clean. All

the rubbish had been removed and the drains were clean. There was

not a speck of rubbish to be seen. The whole village looked

completely different.

 

"My Children, it usually takes less time to demonstrate something

through action than to really get it across with words. We should be

willing to take action, without waiting to see whether or not anyone

will be there to help us. Then, people are bound to join in and

help. If we just stand aside blaming and criticising others, we do

that from our own polluted minds, and their minds will then become

polluted like ours. So, my children, we need to take action, and not

just talk. Change is possible only through action.

 

We cannot spread this knowledge among the people through talk alone.

The time people waste through talking would be enough to put the

teachings into practice! Ordinary people like to emulate the deeds

of those who enjoy status and position in society. That is why it is

so important that those who enjoy a high position should try to be

positive role models for others to follow.

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AMMA SHARANAM