Hari
OM
Story-day is for cultural exploration, puraanas and
parables and finding out about leading lights in spiritual philosophy.
One
of things often heard is the "if only I could go to the mountains/forest;
there I would find peace" line of thinking about how to get life back
under control. What is often not understood is that discontentment with
circumstances is a state of mind. If we have a mental leaning that finds fault
or takes on victimisation or seeks to lay blame externally, upping stakes and
moving to a solitary place is likely to prove unsuccessful - for there we are
faced to deal with life and that dealing will always be based upon our mental
makeup. The discontentment will follow us because we have not done the work to
bring about the outlook of contentment. "Aesop" understood and
offered the following as a reminder...
The Ass and His Masters
AN ASS, belonging to an herb-seller who gave him too little food
and too much work made a petition to Jupiter to be released from his present service and provided with another master. Jupiter, after warning him that he would repent his request, caused him to be sold to a tile-maker.
Shortly afterwards, finding that he had
heavier loads to carry and harder work in the brick-field, he petitioned for another change of master. Jupiter, telling him that it would be the last time that he could grant his request, ordained that he be sold to a tanner. The Ass found that he had fallen into worse hands, and noting his master's occupation,
said, groaning: "It
would have been better for me to have been
either starved by the one, or to have been overworked by the
other of my former masters, than to have been bought by my
present owner, who will even after I am dead tan my hide, and
make me useful to him."
He that finds discontentment
in one place is not likely to find happiness in
another.
