The lesson given by bear

[Guest guest]

Light and Love

Once, in a forest, a hunter, on being chased by a tiger, felt tired and

climbed up a tree. There was a bear sitting on the top of the tree. The tiger

was waiting under the tree, since it could not climb up. It was very hungry, so

it wanted to gobble up the hunter. It asked the bear to push the hunter down.

The bear refused to do so, saying that the hunter was its guest and it was its

moral duty to extend hospitality to guests. But the tiger continued to wait

under the tree. After some time, the bear started to doze. Noticing this,

the tiger addressed the hunter, “O man, I am very hungry. It does not matter

whether I eat you or the bear. I will go back once my hunger is satiated. The

bear is dozing. So, push it down without delay. I will eat it and spare you.”

The man did not have the morality of even the bear. He thought he could

escape from the clutches of the tiger by offering the bear as bait. So, he

committed the ungrateful act of pushing the bear down. As luck would have it,

the bear, as it was falling, caught hold of a branch, climbed up, and saved

itself from the tiger. The tiger said, “O bear, you should never believe

human beings. This hunter tried to harm you, though you were kind enough to

give him shelter and protect him. So, without further delay, push the

ungrateful wretch down, I shall devour him.”

But the bear said, “I have done my duty. Each one has to face the

consequences of his own actions. I will not harm him just because he tried to

harm me.” (Excerpt from, Sathya Sai Speaks. Vol. 32, part 1. "Women Symbolize

Sacrifice," Chapter 14).

 

Namaste - Reet