Never tend to be egoistic

Once a young boy found a job in a barn. Everyday he
had to remove all the cow dung, clean the whole place,
feed, milk and bathe the cows, let them graze for
sometime and tie them back in the shed. His employer
was a very strict person. He would not tolerate even a
minor slip-up and would punish anyone who failed at
his duty.

A new Ganesh temple was being built in the town. It
was decided that the Ganesh idol should be taken in
procession along the streets of the town before
consecration in the temple. This boy was chosen for
the job. He was bathed and clothed in new silk robes.
Fragrant sandal paste was applied all over his body
and he was adorned with garlands. The Ganesh idol was
then placed over his head and he was taken in
procession with the accompaniment of traditional
music, bursting of firecrackers and chanting of the
Vedas.

Everybody prostrated to him. They lighted camphor and
took ‘Arati’ reverently. They also offered him milk,
tender coconut water and the like to quench his
thirst. They held an umbrella over his head. They even
washed his feet and applied sandal paste and
vermilion. His joy knew no bounds! He thought that his
life had changed forever. After the procession, he
returned to the barn with a fattened ego and felt no
inclination to work. He went to his master’s room and
ate the food that was kept aside for his master. He
also lay down on his master’s cot and slept.

The master on his return saw the whole thing and was
infuriated. He shook the boy awake and gave him a
sound thrashing. The boy was shocked and could not
understand anything. He thought, “Every body treated
me with such reverence just a few moments back! Even
my master prostrated to me! Now why does he behave
indifferently? Why is he beating me so cruelly?”
Thinking thus, he cried inconsolably. His colleague
told him, “You are such a fool! The respect that was
shown right from the morning was not for you but for
the idol of Ganesh on your head. You nurtured a
misconception that it was for you and that is the
cause for your suffering.” Realizing the truth, the
boy came back to his senses and behaved normally as
before.

Moral: Children! People respect us only for our social
status, wealth, education or skills. If these are
taken away, they might not even look at us. If this
fact is understood properly, we will never tend to be
egoistic in our lives.