Rocks and the temple

Long time ago, there was a beatiful city called Takshashila. Chanakya, one of the greatest thinker and king maker this world has seen, lived there.

This story is about a summer afternoon when Chanakya was on his way to the University. It was a very hot summer that year. He saw two people breaking rocks along the roadside. Obviously, this was a hardship rare by the standards of even that time. The men were drenched in sweat. Chiseling the rocks inch by inch. One man, as natural to expect, was looking exhausted. The other one, however, had a faint smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes. Chanakya, curious by the sight, asked the first man what he was doing. He got what he should have for messing up with an tired worker. The man abused him angrily.

'Can't you see what I am doing ? Breaking the rocks, what else ? Go away ! Just mind your own business !'

However, Chanakya, known for his perseverance, was not discouraged. He asked the same question to the other man.

'Oh! Don't you know ! Our king is building a Shiva temple here. This temple is going to be the largest that I have seen in my life. I am chiseling Rocks for the foundation of that temple'

The man, in his excitement, went on and on explaining Chanakya hundreds of things that he knew about the temple.

Two people, working on the exact same thing, in the exact same condition had so different views about their work ! Chanakya was amazed. He smiled with satisfaction, bowed politely, and left. The worker had just taught his an important lesson that he would not forget all his life.

Having a sense of mission and feeling proud about the work one is doing can give one a totally different perspective about things. This is what caused that small squirrel to brush sand between the stones of the bridge between Rameshwaram and Lanka. It was, after all, helping lord Ram for a holy cause.

Looking back at life, both in the early years and in my professional career, I consider myself fourtunate to be surrounded by people who showed me the temple that was being built. And I was more than happy to chisel the stones in the summer-afternoons :)

At a meta level, this is all I want. Mission of building a temple. Chisel, hammer and the strength to work in the summer afternoons. Amen !

Old clothes

Feels good to start a blog :).

Thanks to Vikas Gupta, whom I reported to once, who encouraged me for this. (The final straw was dropped today, but let's save that story for some other day)

Let me tell you a story that my father told me once.

The story is about the prime minister of a very rich and prosperous state. Quite simply put, this man was the one of the most eligible and most respected men the state had. He was what Hanumaan was to Ram. Ready for service any time, driven by a passion that is beyond the understanding of most mortals.

Very few people knew that he had a very small hut deep inside a jungle. He used to go there once in a week. Nobody knew what the hut contained.

Some people, who did not like him, tricked the king in believing that the hut contained jewels that he had been stealing from the palace.

The prime minister was arrested. King ordered his people to go the hut and bring the jewels back.

To everyone’s surprise, the hut was empty. Except for a small box that contained a very old pair of clothes.

Everyone was puzzled, and the king was embarrassed. He apologized to the prime minister and asked him what the secret was. This is what he had to say.

I have seen good and bad times. I began my journey as a construction worker. Today I have risen to a position that is supposed to be the top of the hill. The world had seen many people lose control at the top. It is very difficult to maintain control amidst power of the position and glitter of the gold.

The pair of clothes you found in the hut is the pair I used to wear when I was a construction worker. I go the hut every week. I wear those clothes for an hour and come back.

I remember that I was as happy as a construction worker as I am today. All this name, fame, money and power is good, but has not contributed to my happiness. I don’t need this to be happy. My old clothes help me in staying grounded. They remind me of the fact that all this power, name, fame and money is just a baggage that has come along with my position. They remind me that these things are like the shadow of a man. If a man runs to catch the shadow, he stays behind all the time. But, if he faces Sun and run towards it, shadow follows. I am running for the Sun, and not for the shadow.

I think that this story is as relevant today as it was in the days of Kings and Queens. I believe that this is at least one area where people who come from humble backgrounds have an edge over rich kids. They have a journey that they are proud of and a hut to go back to.