Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Are we using our life as human beings rightly?

Recently I had to attend a condolence meeting. A speaker there narrated a story which I am reproducing below :

A Potter lived on income from earthen pots he made. He used to carry the pots so made to the market on a donkey he had. Once when he went to forest to collect firewood for baking raw pots he saw a small stone which was shining in parts while some parts were not so. He liked it and picked it up. He put it in a sling and put it around neck of his donkey. One day he was going to market with his wares and was accosted by a man who asked him if he would sell that stone to him. Potter agreed and on being asked price demanded Re 1 for it. The man offered half of that but Potter did not agree. So that man thinking that if he moves away Potter may agree to the offered price. But it was not so as another man who was witness to this offered Re 1 and got the stone. On seeing this first man came back and told Potter that keeping company with donkey he has also become as idiot because the stone was an uncut diamond worth Rs 1 lac and by selling it for Re 1 he has lost Rupees Ninety Nine Thousand. To this reply of Potter was “ No, I have not lost this sum. I did not know the value of the stone and thought Re 1 was alright but it is you who has lost this amount as knowing the value you did not do anything to make use of your knowledge.”

He linked it up with our day to day life saying that though we know that we have highly valued life as a human being but what use do we make of this knowledge? Do we do anything for betterment of society we live in or make better relations with others? Are we not wasting our highly valueable life as a human beings in petty squabbles due to our our egos?

I think he has a point here. What do you all say?

7 comments:

nups said...

hello sir
this is my first visit to ur blog..m quite a novice to the world of blog and jus created mine :)
hmmm... the thoughts r inspiring but haven we heard the same thing time n again and it doesn seem to wake any of us from the inertial slumber of ages or should i say of various incarnations..... wat do u think the youth needs today.. i belong to this cadre too and m still groping in the dark wondering where to begin.....
the woods r dark and deep and we do have promises to keep...

Jack said...

nups,

Thanks for your visit and comment. Presently I will only say that follow your conscience and do what it permits you to do. One needs to remember that we are but a tiny particle in this whole universe. We should try to what we feel others should do. Enough of sermon.

Do visit my other space if you have time at

o3.indiatimes.com/niceguy251

Take care

Preeti Shenoy said...

Very nice perspective!
I do agree with you about petty squabbles.
And I must tell you that in my latest post ONLY YOU really got what i was trying to say!
Felt happy that someone understood.
Warm regards
preeti

Pavi!!!! said...

Very nice story. Helps put things in perspective n forces one to think.
Yes man does waste time over SILLY squabbles.

Keshi said...

hey Jack! :) I could never go to the page u always left in my blog..it always crashed. so here I am. Nice to see u write here too.


I love this post. Its so true that we humans r egoistic n selfish creatures.


**Are we not wasting our highly valueable life as a human beings in petty squabbles due to our our egos?

true...and thats cos we forget to see the bigger picture...that the simple things in life r the best and that letting go of petty issues is the best way to live. we keep forgetting that. maybe cos we r ignorant creatures still?


HAPPY NEW YEAR to ya!

Keshi.

Sapna Anu B.George said...

dear grandfather......good to see life through you perspective and yes.....life can be a charade to many , good to read you here

Jack said...

PREETI : Thanks for your visit
and encourging comments.
Take care


PAVI : I am delighted to see
here. Please keep
visiting. Take care


KESHI : It is very nice of
you to be here. I
donot know why you
have not been able
to visit me at
indiatimes site.
Please do try to
do so again.
Take care

SAPNA : Thanks for your
visit and
encouragement.
Take care