Act of Balance and Certainity

           There once lived a young man who felt he had been through a lot in life and yet couldn't find the path to eternal bliss. He decided to travel to get his answers. He came across many rich, old people who regretted not enjoying their younger days; he also came across several poor people of all ages, who could not wait to get rid of each other for the promise of money. Frustrated with the ways of the world, he decided to pursue spirituality and sought a mentor. A friend of his, who traded rare artifacts in unknown lands told him about the 'Sage on the hill-top', who has guided not only himself but many of his merchant friends too.

            So, the young man set out on another journey along with his merchant friend to meet the 'Sage on the hill-top'. After travelling for forty days and forty nights, surviving bandits on the way, who sadly, killed his merchant friend, the young man arrived at a place called the 'Hermit Hill'. Weak from the journey and exhausted from the trauma, he passed out at the foot of the hill.

            Morning rays of the bright sun stung his eyes when he woke up, only to see everything has changed around him. He was no longer surrounded by jagged mountain rocks or dry shrubs. What he saw around him made him spell-bound that he could do nothing but keep looking for his eyes couldn't feast enough.

            It was too big to be a mansion, it seemed endless and ivory pillars shot into the air so high that there were people on the floors above who looked like tiny minions from where the young man was standing. All around him, strands of gold glistened to shine light into every creak and corner, on all the dishes and plates which in return reflected back, giving the entire atmosphere an eerie glow. People, of all walks of life and all ages, stood in a long queue, waiting patiently. Some were roaming about chatting away gayly or feasting on the desserts. The entire building seemed never-ending with rooms merging into one another and it seemed people were everywhere.

            Our young man helped himself to some apples and sweets and was drowning a jug of water when two people approached him. The younger one seemed a little pumped with temerity and the older one looked tired. They both had similar features and apparently were father and son. The father said, "Hello, you're conscious! We found you at the foothills and brought you here for some medical care. Are you feeling alright? What's your name?"
The young man replied, "I'm grateful for your hospitality. My name's Krya. I was looking for the 'Sage on the hill-top' before being attacked by a band of bandits and was lost with exhaustion when I collapsed near the hill."
The son, who was looking at Krya a little judgingly relaxed, "It's a good thing we found you. 'Seems you weren't lost after all. This is the sanctuary of the 'Sage on the hill-top'; you might probably meet him if you follow this queue."

            Krya thanked the duo and started to walk towards the front. As he walked, he wondered, 'What kind of sage lives in a mansion and calls it a sanctuary? Could he really be a sage or is this all some hoax? Will I find the answer to my question here? Should I even ask the question?' Abruptly, he was stopped by a woman who hinted at him to follow her and when he did so, he understood he was being taken to the chambers of the Sage on the hill-top.

            The room itself seemed benign compared to the other areas he had glanced upon while walking and the sage himself was dressed in princely clothes and looked pretty confident with a wide smile on his face. The age disappeared from the face and it was hard to say whether he was middle-aged or really old. Krya hesitantly stepped forward assessing Sage's knowledge. "I see you hadn't had an opportunity to experience the bounties of life. What troubles you?" asked the Sage, encircling Krya in a warm embrace.

            Krya shrugged, a little uncomfortable and asked, "I want to enjoy the fruits of my labour without the wait-period. I'm sick of being told to extol in work without expecting rewards. How do I achieve all this?"
The Sage nodded wisely, "Before I answer your question, I'd like you to tour my Sanctuary For All and let go of yourselves. Indulge in all your fancies and don't worry about price or repair. Treat yourselves, I insist."
           Krya wanted to decline but at Sage's insistence, he left the place and toured around all the halls of plenty. There was a room for every fancy. People occupied all the rooms. Literature, Art, Astronomy, Prophecies, Geography, Science, Garden, etc.. were some of the rooms that Krya spent some time in. It took the whole day for him to finish the whole mansion and at night he picked one of the bedrooms and slept in it.

           Came the next morning, Krya was greeted by breakfast in bed and freshly pressed clothes and he was an energized new man on a quest and his treasure is close at last. He is sure to get his answer today. When he went to see the Sage, he was surprised to find that the Sage had a task for him. Krya was more than happy to oblige as Sage's mansion provided him with enough contentment for at least a little while. The task was to carry a tea-spoon of oil in his hand and do exactly what he did yesterday. To roam all the mansion but to not spill the oil.

           Krya was meticulous this time, he had already planned the route to take to avoid many crowds and hurried on his way with the spoonful of oil in his hand. This time, he didn't see much of what is going on around him and was unable to party or dance for the oil-spoon hindered him. Finally, when he made it back to Sage's chamber, he had but spilled just one or two drops of oil in the spoon and felt exhausted.

           The Sage on hill-top beckoned him closer and said in a deep voice, "What you want in life is balance. You must learn to enjoy the activities happening around in the sanctuary but also make sure to not spill the oil in your spoon. That's when you will have true contentment."

            Krya was amazed and reflected deeply on the sage's statement on his way home. After all, the sage was not a hoax, he smiled to himself satisfied with his quest.

Moral: Count your pennies for every pound spent.

Price of Independent Life

            In a metropolitan city, there lived a family of four children and their parents. All four of them were boys who were of independent age to make their own living. They were unmarried and hence lived with their mother and father. The first son became a reputed doctor who rarely stays at home because of always being on call at the hospital or attending retreats with his friends. The second son worked as a flight engineer in a space organization and visits during holidays. The third son just graduated from an esteemed law university and hence wanted to pursue a career abroad and he too shortly left. The last son was not employed or pursuing education in any sector and stayed at home all day dilly-dallying. 

           On a festival holiday, all three sons came to visit the parents and stayed at home for ten long days. During this time, each of the three sons took a separate room and was on phone or working with a smart gadget and peeked out only for meal breaks. The last son didn't venture out and helped the mother with the household chores. The father had been bed-ridden for about a year due to partial paralysis. The three elder brothers bullied the youngest one saying he's good for nothing! He couldn't even achieve a decent job in life whereas they themselves are well-equipped. The youngest brother didn't pay heed to the words of his elder brothers and minded about his own business. At other times, they also harassed him by kicking off his food plate or wantonly spilling liquids asking him to mop it up. He bore such treatment in silence. 

           One day, the mother saw the struggle her youngest son has been going through from her other children and she decided to take action. She called all her children and placed a razor blade and an ax side by side and asked them to pick one which they would think is the most worthy. Bewildered at their mother's strange request, all four of them examined the objects. The razor blade was new and shined with sharpness, it even cut the third brother's finger whilst he was examining it. The ax was worn with use and looked old. The handle was made of wood and there seems nothing special in it. After inspecting for some time, the three elder brothers came to a joint conclusion. We think the razorblade is more worthy because it is brand new and cuts deep whereas the ax is old and hardy. The youngest brother said I'm unable to choose one higher than the other. 

           Hearing all their answers, the mother replied, "My dear sons, You picked the razor blade that I bought from the shop today morning. That old ax has been in our family since your grandfather's time. To me, the ax holds more value than the razor blade. But, to give an impartial view, even though the razorblade is sharp, it cannot be used to cut the wood. And whilst the ax is strong and hardy it cannot be used to cut the hair. Each serves its own purpose. Truth is, you cannot judge anyone at mere face value." Understanding where his mother is going with this, the youngest brother beamed with tears in his eyes. "All three of you have succeeded in life and made me proud but I rarely get to see you whilst your brother is yet to discover his potential, he has been of great help to me in taking care of your ailing father. I hope all four of you appreciate each other and live life with love and affection for it's always passing." The elder brothers recognized how they have been wrong and apologized to their youngest brother for the ill-treatment he had faced and promised to never let each other down.

Moral: Everybody Has An Unique Value