Beware - 'it' will remain

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Beware – ‘it’ will remain.

“Question whether the object is fit to be enjoyed or not will at once arise. Then the object that is not fit to be enjoyed will be shunned and in this way our vicious habits or vices will disappear and our character will improve.” – Sri Sai Satcharitra, Ch. XXIV.

An old man, sensing that his time was almost up, called his three sons to himself and took them to a nearby field. In the field were three types of plants: (a) a tiny sprout; (2)a bush, (3) a full fledged tree.

He asked the youngest boy to pull out the tiny sprout which he did without the least difficulty.

He asked his second son to pull out the bush. The boy pulled first with one hand, then with the other; but the bush would not come out. Then, using both hands together, he pulled as hard as he could and the bush yielded to his strength.

He asked his eldest and strongest to try his hands at pulling out the full-grown tree. The young man tried with all his might and mien, and said: “Father, it can’t be done!”

The old man asked all the three sons to do it together. They tried but failed.

Turing to them, he said: “My children, I may pass away any day. But may you never forget the lesson of the plants. Our old habits, when they are still in the formative stage, can easily be overcome. When they are full-grown, you can do nothing to uproot them. So be careful – especially in regard to drinking and gambling and idle gossip.”

It has been rightly said that if you cut the first letter of ‘habit’, ‘a bit’ will remain. If you cut off the second letter, ‘bit’ will still remain. If you cut off the third letter, ‘it’ will remain. So beware!

 

 

 

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