DHINAM ORU KATHAI - 18.

A disciple asked his teacher, Guruji , what is meant by fate?

Teacher replied, This is food time. Lets eat.
The disciple was not surprised because he knew his master that every word or act
of his had a sense always and hence did not elaborate his question about the fate.
Both finished eating. Lesson started.
Got the answer to your question?- Teacher.
Yes Swamiji ! Every work should be done according to the scheduled time. This
schedule or stipulation or discipline is what is defined as destiny or fate. Disciple.
Had I answered at once, when would have we eaten?- Teacher.
We would have eaten a bit late, Guruji !- Disciple.
What do you infer from this? Teacher.
If we act in a disciplined manner as per schedule the work goes smooth. Otherwise
the work gets delayed. Though delayed the work of course is done later on.
Disciple.
Well, When I ate, food particles did not spill but when you ate, some particles of
food spilt on the floor. Why? Teacher.
Swamiji, your focus was fully on eating. But in me, a question about fate was
wandering and as a result my concentration failed and some food particles
scattered. Please pardon me for wasting the food. Disciple.
Thats OK. You need not bother. Your food is not wasted. They will be consumed by
ants or worms or they may become manure for the soil. Teacher.
Oh ! Swamiji , I understand nothing is wasted in this world. Disciple.
Listen! There is a divinity in this fate or destiny. When the food was in the form of
paddy crop on the field or when it was harvested or when it was processed into rice
or when rice was washed before cooking or after cooking when it was kept in a dish
or when it was served on the plate the particular food particles did not spill. But it
did happen only when you were eating while slipped from your fingers and lips and
fell down. What you actually swallowed has become your food and what fell on the
floor has become food for worms and soil. Thus which should reach, to whom it
should reach, when and how it should reach are all a predetermined or a framed
rule which you can call fate or destiny.