Rajeev Verma, Written & Published in 1998
I am a donkey. Donkey of this Kalyug. It is said that every living being takes birth in this world according to his deeds. I have been thinking for a long time that I should talk to humans, but only after finding a suitable medium, I will present my anguish in front of you today on which you can pay proper attention.
First of all, let me tell you, how did this world make me so famous by naming me a “donkey” because whenever someone does stupidity, he is called a “donkey”, someone works hard but gets zero results, so he too. It is called a “donkey”, if someone lifts a heavy load it is called a “donkey’s load”, etc. etc.
After all, what is the definition of “donkey”? According to me, this cannot be a noun. I was wandering in Haridwar with a very sad heart, thinking about myself.
Running away and getting hit with stones and sticks by many gentlemen/evildoers, I reached the area in front of ‘Hari Ki Pauri’. Looked there, there was a very crowded place. A Saint (Mahatma) was sitting on a stage wearing saffron clothes. In front of him, a large number of people were listening to Mahatma ji’s sermon with great interest. I also stood there under the cover of a tree near the stage.
During the sermon, Mahatma ji’s attention suddenly went towards me. He said, “Today in Kaliyuga, the person who is of simple nature is called ‘donkey’ by the clever people. As soon as he said the word donkey, my ears perked up.
Mahatma ji’s sermon continued ‘The person who is very humble, very hard-working. , very simple and straightforward nature, harsh speech the one who remains calm even after listening, who does not have any cleverness at all, who never refuses any work, who keeps working hard in the sun, rain, cold, etc., today in Kalyug, the cunning and clever evil people will call him a donkey. They say.
The sermon continued for a long time. The question came that how can the turmoil in my mind go away? It is a very simple thing that the pain of the mind, the turmoil in the mind, comes to our knowledge. This resolution of the mind that there should be no self-suffering is the cause of conflict because it is through this resolution that the relationship with conflict continues.
When everyone left, Mahatma ji also started packing his things to leave. I moved towards Mahatma ji out of curiosity. He got scared after seeing me moving towards him. I approached him, greeted him politely and remained standing. Seeing me standing peacefully, he got courage and then asked in a calm voice, “What’s the matter? Tell me the pain in your mind, I will try to calm your troubled mind.”
I, the donkey, said, “Maharaj, I am ignorant. Please guide me. Now I narrate to you the conversation between me and Mahatma ji, which is as follows:-
Mahatma, “Ignorance is not the name of complete ignorance and mere knowledge is also not knowledge. We know something and do not know much, the name of that is ignorance. That is, incomplete knowledge is called ignorance. Secondly, ignorant is the one who knows. , but doesn’t agree.”
Donkey: What does man know?
Mahatma: He knows that the body, the family, the world, all of them did not exist before and will not exist later also. But I (soul) existed before and will exist even after the body.
Donkey: But where does he believe this?
Mahatma: We want to keep the body and the world. We want that the body should remain healthy, wealth should come and we should be respected. But who doesn’t know that the body and name for which we want all this, that body and name existed earlier also, but today it is not remembered, similarly this body and name will also not be remembered for which we are working day and night. Yes, its name is ignorance.
Donkey: How to have love and happiness and peace in the family?
Mahatma: When man forgets his objectives, all obstacles arise. Love happens by renouncing one’s selfishness and pride. How to benefit others? How to benefit others? How to give respect to others? How can others get happiness and comfort? When all these are put into practice then all the family members remain happy.
Donkey: What is the reason for quarrels, discord, unrest, etc. in the family?
Mahatma: Every living being wants relationships as per his wish, wants his own favorability, wants his own happiness and comfort, wants his own glory, wants to fulfill his own selfishness – due to such personal selfishness, quarrels, discord, unrest, etc. in the family start happening.
Donkey: The conduct, feelings etc. of the parents are very good but their children do not turn out to be good. What is the reason for this ?
Mahatma: The main reason for this is company defect i.e. the child not getting good company. Such a child is also born to take revenge for the previous birth due to loan agreement. The son who gets spoiled by bad company gets improved by good company. But the one who comes to take revenge of his previous birth is bound to cause sorrow.
Donkey: The conduct of the parents is not good but their children turn out to be good, what is the reason for this?
Mahatma: Generally the nature of the parents comes to the children. But if there is some good sanskar at the time of loan agreement or conception or by getting company of a saint or saint during pregnancy, a better child is born.
Donkey: What is the benefit of serving parents?
Mahatma: By serving parents, both the world and the hereafter improve. God is pleased. The son who serves his parents with the hope of getting money, land, house etc., actually serves money etc. not the parents. In Ramcharitmanas it has been said for everyone: “Do good by doing whatever you do” (5/49/7)”
If parents respect their son, then the son’s service is spent in respect. But if they disrespect the son by not respecting him, then the son’s service remains incomplete. If they give trouble then the son gets purified, tolerance increases, penance increases, importance increases.
While serving my parents, I should bear the pain given by my parents with joy considering it as the ultimate penance and should understand that I have great blessings from my parents, due to which my service does not cost me the slightest but it becomes pure service, pure penance. Getting the benefit. Only a lucky person gets such an opportunity and it is my misfortune that my parents are accepting my service.
Donkey: How to educate children so that they become the best?
Mahatma: Children mostly learn by seeing. That is why parents should maintain good conduct in front of them, keep their life restrained and pure. By doing this children will learn good things and become great. Good education is such that the child learns the art of charity in practice.
Donkey: Mahatma ji, time has passed, please tell me in detail, what should I do so that my life becomes successful?
Mahatma: Man is his own friend and he is his own enemy and no one else is neither an enemy nor a friend. If we make good use of the situation, then the same situation becomes savior. There are four types of desires in humans – one for wealth, second for religion, third for enjoyment and fourth for liberation.
Donkey: In this world, one person is virtuous, virtuous and is suffering and on the other hand, there is another person who is sinful, wicked and is enjoying happiness. Regarding this matter, even good people have this doubt that where is God’s justice in this?
Mahatma: The solution to this is that the suffering that a virtuous soul is experiencing now is the result of the sins committed in a previous birth, and not of the virtues performed now. Similarly, the happiness that the sinful soul is enjoying is also the result of the good deeds done in some previous birth and not of the sins done now.
There is no single rule for suffering the consequences of virtue and sin. Virtue ends by selflessly offering it to God, but sin does not end by offering it to God.
Man has no connection with anything in the world. When we go, we will not take anything with us. Just like in an office, they have come into this world to serve. Bhajan is called only that in which God is consumed and that too is the best. Which is done with love from the heart. A householder should take more care of the character of his children rather than earning money, because only the children will use the money earned. If children are spoiled then money will spoil them even more.
One who is free from sorrow, worry, fear, attachment and anger is always free. Birth, neighbourhood, wind, water, light, light, purity and charity – these eight should be kept wherever they are available. If possible, do good to someone with food, clothes, money, words, thoughts and intellect, but never do bad.
Anyone’s harm comes only because of his own misdeeds. Being happy after seeing others happy, helping after seeing others sad. Whatever you do, the whole world will do the same towards you. If you want to make others happy as much as you can, the whole world will want to make you happy. Whenever there is unrest in the mind, then we should understand that we have forgotten God.
When you start seeing faults in your teachers, elders and respected people, your relatives seem unpleasant and strangers seem dear to you, you see other people’s virtues and you start noticing demerits in your relatives, then know that your direction has turned upside down and within a short time you will, you are going to be in sorrow.
Saying this Mahatma ji left from there. I, the donkey, remained standing there. Mahatma ji’s thoughts started being analyzed in my mind which became a pain in my mind.
I have seen the world and the world has seen me. I remained a donkey’s donkey and the world moved forward very fast. Many Mahatmas have come and many have gone. They all kept saying that one should wake up with a dark face. Mahatma said that a person should be hardworking, but my donkey mind asks when, where and how much hard work a person should do, no wise Mahatma has thrown light on this. ,
We just paid attention to one thing said by the Mahatmas that charity is the religion of man. So whenever someone does us a favor, our Ram thinks that this was his duty, no one is doing us a favor. The things that Mahatma ji told are already well known to me, you and the entire civilized society, but no donkey has time to remember them. This is the pain in my donkey mind.
Please share your views and suggestions in comments below.
RAJEEV VERMA 