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 !