Greatness of Duty

This is a story to highlight that performance of one's duty itself is worship and that the virtue of a man should not be assessed by the very nature of his work

Once there lived a man called Kanavan in Konkanam village. He was a pious man. He used to worship God day and night. One day he accepted sanyasam (to leave all worldly pleasures and live a life of meditation and pray) and left home abandoning his wife and kids and reached the mountain of Great Himalayas. In a dense forest he built a hut and started penance. He lived there years praying God for His blessings. One day when he was sitting under a tree suddenly bird droppings fell on his forehead. His face got completely covered in hot bird excrement. He became very angry and looked up to find the culprit. There was this bird, sitting high up in the tree oblivious of what it did to Kanavan. When Kanavan the sanyasi (one who accepted sanyasam) laid his angry eyes on the bird, the unfortunate creature got burnt down in ashes. When the sanyasi saw this, he thought that his penance succeeded and that he acquired mystical powers through Gods blessings. He stopped his penance and came back to a village and decided to spend his future life there, worshiping God. He used to go from house to house to collect alms. One day he visited a house and knocked its doors for alms. It took a long time for the lady of the house to open the door. The sanyasi has to stand outside quite a long time. By the time the lady came to open the door, he got very angry and decided to punish the lady for putting him to wait so long. When the poor lady opened the door she saw the sanyasi in a very angry mood. Seeing her the sanyasi shouted, "Do you know who I am? I will burn you alive." The lady replied politely "Aye, Konkanava I am not like that bird you once burned. I am a dutiful wife. I was nursing my ailing husband, which is my first and foremost duty. I will attend anything else only after attending to his needs. So no power in earth can touch me." The words of the lady surprised him. She knows everything about him. This opened his eyes. He thought about only his needs and forgot to think about others. He apologized to the lady and requested her to give him advice.

She said, "I am not capable of giving you any advice. But at the end of this street there is a man sitting. Some times he may be able to answer your questions. He appears to be a learned man." So saying the lady went inside to attend to her husband who was sick. The sanyasi walked towards the end of the street to find the learned man. But he could not see anybody other than a butcher who was very busy cutting meat and giving it to his customers. There was a long line of customers waiting for his service. The sanyasi looked here and there to find the learned man. At last though with hesitation and hatred he approached the butcher to ask about the learned. The butcher just looked at him and showed his hand to wait even without hearing him. On several occasions the sanyasi started to inquire about the learned man. But the butcher only thwarted the sanaysi's attempt by showing his hand to wait. The sanyasi has to wait there, hours. At last, after finishing his work, the butcher came to the sanyasi. By this time the sanyasi lost all his patience. Before he could open his mouth to inquire about the learned man, the butcher said, "I am sorry that it took sometime to finish my duties. Because of my failure my customers should not suffer. I hope you came here as advised by the lady residing on the other end of the street." These words astonished the sanyasi. He wondered how he came to know the conversation he made with that lady awhile ago He realized that the butcher is a learned man. "How sincere he is to his duties." The sanyasi exclaimed. They talked to each other for hours. At last the sanyasi realized that for worshiping God one need not run away from worldly duties. Performing ones duties with utmost good faith is itself a worship of God. Accepting sanyasam is running away from responsibilities and so cowardice. It is not necessary to go to Mount Himalayas for penance or to acquire knowledge. == = = = Brought to you by: Brooklyn Vijay Corporate trainer, Management guide. 32 years in various jobs upto Vice President level and then from last 12 years in this efficiency and productivity development training. Total 44 years experience. Same way dear, when you want to do good to others, want to help others, want to make changes in lives of others; don't think that you need to forget about your duties. When God has made you a male person, HIS intention is you to Earn and take care of your family i.e. the life partner and children, parents and needy ones. I have seen more the knowledge you gather, more people you are able to help. It is not

that everyone needs money. No. Many of them are in confused state of mind and desire to have way out i.e. some one to support what they are thinking, what they want to do and if one can tell him or her how to do, then such people become life long your well wishers. But I did find many people, who are Raichand [one who gives un-wanted, unasked, advise] Raibahadur [one who not only gives advise, but forces you to implement it! and all is un-wanted, un-requested, un-solicited, un-asked and undesired]. When we have some kind of body problem, I mean pain, we don't go to an accountant for remedy but we go to a doctor, as he has got that particular knowledge and is proven one as he has degrees. But to help or to advise when we do not have degrees we need to have abundant knowledge and it takes good time to gather the knowledge, and provide the knowledge to others in acceptable manner [not by pinching oh how you can not do it, I have done, you must have determination etc. is wrong way.... people do not like that way.]. Hence best way is to appreciate good things about the person and then understand their problem and without hurting them, offer knowledge not as an advise and do not try to take credit. i.e. do not go on telling 1000 people that you did this to so and so person. Again that's wrong .] Because there is saying: I tried to Change world but no one changed. I tried to change my country but could not do. I tried to change my State but no one felt to change. I tried to change my City but no one wanted to. I tried to change my village but no one agreed. I tried to change my home people but every one had his or her own way.. So I started changing myself and slowly home people changed, then village people and then City people and many helped others to do changes in themselves and my State changed. Then many top level highly experienced guys made many to realise how they are important for betterment of nation and my country changed.

Then I found World was changing for better and I was micro part of the movement. I felt very happy. - by Khaleel Gibran Some people think they are great and go on talking or writing only about themselves and in their writing two pages; 25 times you will find 'I'. Dear this 'I' puts brakes to our growth. About your achievements, your doing good to others . others should say so, and never yourself. I know some people go on talking or saying or writing I want to do this, or that or want to help others etc. But if they really want to do that, they first need abundant knowledge and if they do not ask it might take another 25 years to gather knowledge itself! So best is ask some one who has particular knowledge.. I did that and keep doing that. So only could gather 58,000 pages in my brain and may be 4 lakh pages in my laptop but still I feel its less than even two percent of knowledge. So dear, take action and do not just think. All the best. Brooklyn Vijay Students, shortly my book 'Ten Mantra for students to succeed in studies, in interviews for jobs and in life' shall be released. Many Principals, HoDs, faculty members have commented as 'very useful book for any level student'. For another free ebook send mail to brooklyn100@sify.com also see our web page at: www.brooklyn-hrd.com/Student.html Industry people, may have to look at our webpage:
www.brooklyn-hrd.com/CEO.html

Guys who are interested in career in Guidance and to do good to others need to see our Career page at www.brooklyn-hrd.com . All the best. We Care for Your Success