One day he insulted an elderly man and the villagers wanted to thrash him. The mother came and pleaded with the villagers. She said, “True, my son is totally wrong, but please forgive him and forgive me as well. I am trying to help him.”
The village head was kind enough to release the son because of the mother’s pleas. The mother brought the boy home and said, “I will soon die because I am old. After my death, perhaps you will start listening to my advice and become a good boy. I will leave some money for you when I die. So use the money and think of me. Right now, because you are mischievous and naughty, I am miserable. So I am going to send you away to a boarding school.”
When the boy went to the boarding school, again he started arguing with the teachers and the students. Then one day he got a message that his mother had died. He returned to his village, shedding bitter tears, and said, “Mother, I could not please you when you were alive. But now I am taking an oath. I will become an excellent boy.” From then on he never quarrelled with anyone. He became simple, honest and kind-hearted.
Although his mother had left him some money, it was not enough for him to continue his studies for very long. Since he didn’t have any real interest in school, after studying for a year or two, he started looking for a job. Finally, the village zamindar gave him some work taking care of the zamindar’s garden and also looking after his children.
One day the boy was holding the garden hose in one arm and the zamindar’s youngest child in his other arm. The zamindar happened to pass by and said, “Look, if you want to water the garden, keep my child on the ground. For everything there is a time. Now you can water the garden and afterwards you can show your affection to the child. For everything there is a time.”
The boy very obediently put the child on the ground and continued watering the garden. In ten minutes’ time the zamindar’s wife came by and got furious. She said, “How dare you keep my child on the ground. Can’t you keep him in one arm? With one arm you can water the garden and with the other you can carry my child. Besides, who wants you to water the plants? Right now you should just take care of my youngest child and stop watering the garden.”
The boy kept silent and stopped watering the garden to take care of the child. In this way he pleased both his master and his master’s wife.
By this time everybody in the village appreciated the zamindar’s servant because he was always kind-hearted and such a good worker. Now, it happened that in the school where he used to study, a younger student had developed the same kind of mischievous nature that he used to have. This younger student always fought with his teachers and the other students and did all kinds of wrong things. His mother was in distress all the time because of her son’s bad behaviour.
This naughty student was very jealous of the zamindar’s servant. The mother of the naughty student said to her son, “I know you are jealous of the zamindar’s servant. But by being jealous you are not going to get his good qualities. Only by admiring him and doing what he does will you be able to get the same qualities one day.”
The son didn’t listen to his mother. He continued to do all kinds of undivine things, arguing with people and striking them. One day some stronger boys got angry with him and beat him up. The mischievous boy returned home crying. He was so miserable!
The naughty boy decided to go to the zamindar’s servant to see how he could change his nature. He said to the servant, “You are so kind, so good, so modest. You have no pride, anger or restlessness. How did you develop your good qualities?”
The servant told him, “My mother always begged me to be good, but I wouldn’t listen. When she died, I changed my nature. When my mother left the body, I took an oath that I would be good. Always one has to try to please people. Then they become grateful to you and proud of you.”
The servant continued: “This morning I was watering the plants, holding the hose in one arm and my master’s youngest child in the other arm. My master got mad and said I should not try to do two things at once. He said I should put the child on the ground while I watered the garden with both hands. So I put down the child with utmost humility and began watering the garden. The master was very pleased that I had listened to him.
“In a few minutes’ time my master’s wife saw me watering the garden. She insulted me brutally and said, ‘Why are you leaving the child on the ground? Is he inferior to the plants?’ She wanted me to lift up the child immediately. She said she would be happy if I stopped watering the plants and just took care of the child. So I stopped watering the garden.
“I didn’t lose anything by making both my master and his wife happy. Like this, in every way I try to please my master and his wife. Now they are so fond of me. In your case also, if you always try to keep everything peaceful and harmonious with your mother, your teachers and friends, then they will be happy. And only by giving happiness to others can you become happy yourself.
“I feel miserable that I waited until my mother died before I tried to please her. I advise you to change your nature now and please your mother while she is still alive. Then you will see how much joy you will get. The joy you are getting now by being mischievous is all false joy. It is all stupidity. If you give others joy, if you are divine, then only you will be really happy.”
The young boy went and told his mother what the servant had said. His mother went to the zamindar’s house and literally grabbed the servant. She told him, “I won’t allow you to be anybody’s servant. From now on I want you to be my oldest son. I will take care of you and you can continue your studies. Your mother is not on earth, so I want to be your mother and offer you the same kind of affection and love.”
The woman brought the boy home and sent both her sons to school to complete their higher studies.From:Sri Chinmoy,Is your mind ready to cry? Is your heart ready to smile? part 6, Agni Press, 1981
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