Saint or a Mule ?

Life Lessons - Beast of Burden

“Before you think a thought, you should think if it is worth thinking that thought. This is called conscious thinking. If you practice conscious thinking, you will realize that most of your thoughts are just junky thoughts.” – Baskaran Pillai

There’s a folktale about a young man who aspired to great holiness. After working some time to achieve it, he went to see the village priest.

“Father,” he announced, “I think I’ve achieved sanctity.”

“What makes you think so?” asked the priest. “Well,” answered the young man, “I’ve been practicing virtue and discipline for some time now, and I’ve become quite proficient at them. From the time the sun rises until it sets, I take no food or water. All day, I do hard work and sacrifices for others.

“If I have temptations of the flesh, I roll in thorn bushes or in sorrow. And at night, before bed, I practice the ancient monastic discipline and administer lashes to my bare back.”

The priest kept silent for a while gazing out of the window. Slowly he turned toward the young man and pointed out of the window to a mule hauling a tinker’s wagon.

“I’ve been watching that mule pull that wagon,” said the priest.

“It doesn’t get food or water from morning to night. All day long, it works hard for the people. Sometimes I’ve noticed it brushing against bushes or rolling in the snow when unharnessed, and I’ve frequently seen lashes of the whip strike its back. But I ask you, “Is that a saint or a mule?”

To end in lighter note,

“A man asked God, “What is the difference between your love and mine?”. 

The Supreme One smiled and replied, “A bird in the sky is my love. A bird in the cage is your love.” – Pushpendra Pundhir