What Begins In Anger Ends In Regret (A Story For Children)

A long time ago during the reign of the Tokagawa Shogunate a samurai set out on an errand.

Precisely one year ago to the day he had lent 10 koku to a fisherman in a small coastal village nearby, and today was the day the fisherman had promised he would repay the debt.

The samurai arrived in the village at noon and upon inquiring at the fisherman’s home he was told by the fisherman’s wife that he would find the man down at his boat working on his nets.

Upon seeing the samurai coming up the beach the fisherman threw himself to the ground and bowed his head to the sand.

“Get up,” said the samurai, “As agreed it has been one year and I have come to collect the money you owe me.”

“I have not forgotten my debt to you,” said the fisherman, who now stood but with his head still bowed, “but it has been a very bad year for me and I regret that I do not have the money I owe you.”

Hearing this the samurai, who was not a man known for his patience, flushed with anger and quickly drew his sword, preparing to kill the fisherman then and there. “Why should I not simply slay you instead?” shouted the samurai as he raised the deadly blade above his head.

Fearing that his life was at and end and having nothing to lose the fisherman boldly spoke out. “For some time now I have been studying martial arts,” he replied, “and one of the lessons that my master teaches, is never to strike when you are angry.” “I beg you,” said the fisherman, “give me one more year to pay you what I owe.”

Thinking about what the fisherman had just said the samurai slowly lowered his sword. “Your master is wise,” said the samurai, “as a student of the art of the sword I too have heard that lesson many times, but sometimes I get so angry I act without thinking.”

Putting away his sword the samurai spoke in a voice that was use to being obeyed. “You shall have another year to repay your debt to me,” he said, “but when I return if you do not have all the money you owe me I shall not hesitate to take your life instead.” and without another word he turned and walked away.

Having left the village later than he intended to it was already dark by the time the samurai arrived home. Seeing no lights on in the house he crept in quietly not wishing to wake the servants or his wife. As he entered his bed chamber he noticed there were two persons lying on his futon, one he recognized as his wife and the other from their clothing was unmistakably another samurai.

Swiftly he drew his sword and as his anger quickly grew he moved in to slay them both. Just then, as he was about to strike, the fisherman’s words came back to him, “never strike when you are angry.” This time I shall follow the lesson he thought to himself, pausing he took a deep breath and tried to relax, then on purpose he made a loud noise.

Hearing the sound both his wife and the stranger immediately woke up and when his wife had lit a candle he found himself face to face with his wife and his mother who had dressed up in his clothes and another set of swords.

“What is the meaning of this,” he demanded, “I almost slew you both.”

His wife quickly explained that when he had not returned by night fall they decided to dress his mother up in his clothes so that in the event that an intruder entered the home they would be frightened off at the sight of a samurai in the house.

A that moment the samurai realized that his habit of “striking without thinking” had almost cost him the life of his wife and his mother.

One year later the samurai again walked down the same beach towards the fisherman. After exchanging the proper formal greetings the fisherman said, “It has been an excellent year my Lord, here is all the money I owe you as promised, and with interest.”

“Keep your money,” replied the samurai, “You do not know it, but your debt was paid to me long ago.”

End

 

Notes:

I looked hard for a quote on how anger impairs judgment to round up the story. This pithy one from Benjamin Franklin was the best I could find: “Whate’ers begun in anger ends in shame’.  Wasn’t too satisfied, so the search continued. Finally this beautiful and apt slokha from Bhagawad Gita (2.63) came up, capturing the inevitable progression resulting from anger:

Meaning: From anger incorrect knowledge (to justify one’s anger?) happens, instructions learnt over time to control senses and mind are forgotten, intellect is compromised resulting in one’s ultimate fall. This is based on the straight (not metaphorical) interpretations of various guru’s.

A preceding slokha is amazingly insightful on what anger is.

Story from: “‘DR. MAHESH’ drmaheswar_2013@yahoo.com [enjoythepics]” <enjoythepics@yahoogroups.com>

 

 

 

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What You Get Is What You Give (A Story For Children)

 

 

‘You’re very fortunate to have arrived here on an auspicious day for us,’ Chitragupta (the book-keeper in the Heavens) said to the man standing before him. ‘It’s entirely due to your karma in your previous births you are awarded this kind fate. Your good fortune doesn’t end with it. If you are able to tell us just one act of yours, while you were down there in this birth, of compassion or charity, you’ll have an easy passage,’ he assured.

‘Now jog your memories and get ready. Of course, we’ll check our ‘Book of Deeds’ too. If it’s in there too you’re through.’

Hearing this, he was quite relieved of the tension that had built up since arrival: ‘That’s a cinch,’ he thought.

So he went about rummaging his memories. He thought and thought. Quite surprisingly nothing readily came to his mind. He went far back in years. Still no luck.

Finally he sat down with the head in his hands. An utterly broken man.

Chitragupta took pity on him.

‘Don’t know why, but I’ll do this for you.’

He summoned Sathyavaak, his deputy: ‘Kindly go down and check out if this man had done in his life time at least one act of charity or compassion and quickly report back.’

Just as Chitragupta was done attending to some other chore, Sathyavaak was back.

‘Tell us, Sathyavaak. What have you found out?’

‘My Lord, this was the most difficult assignment I’ve ever done.’

‘Go ahead, let’s have it.’

‘I searched low and high, east and west, south and north. No luck. Not a living soul spoke of any good deed done by this man. Finally I sat down wearily on a boulder in the bed of Cauvery in his village lamenting about the matter to myself and ready to return. Just then a scorpion emerged before me from under the boulder .’

‘Interesting! What does a scorpion have to do with all this?’

‘The scorpion told me an incredible story: One evening, returning from a bath in the river, this man encountered this scorpion on a sandy stretch in his path. Without any hesitation or fear this man rested his foot with all his weight squarely on the scorpion. The scorpion would have arrived here much before this man had the wooden sandal crushed it as intended. Luckily the scorpion sank into the loose sand and escaped unhurt.’

‘I’m not clear how all this…’

‘It’ll be in a moment, my lord. The scorpion said it would be mighty ungrateful of him if he did not narrate this incident to me in this man’s defence.’

The man listening in could make no sense yet of the story neither could he recall such an incident quite common place in his life to deserve special mention.  .

Sathyavaak continued: ‘All this seems to have happened when the scorpion found itself highly vulnerable on the sand patch away from any kind of shelter, eyed by its predator – a vulture – already perched near by and set to make a meal of the defenceless scorpion. That’s when the man here caused its burial in the sand from where it emerged only after dark and scampered to safety. It owes its life to this man.’

The man almost swooned at the end of the story.

‘Yes, a truly incredible a story you’ve brought back, Sathyavaak!

Chitragupta turned to the man: ‘This one act of yours, completely unintended, saves you from the clutches of Yama. You’ll have a safe passage as I had promised. But it makes me sad you wasted a life-time of opportunities. Do you know the planet earth is the only place in the entire creation where you could cause happiness to others and feel it come back and bathe you in its warm glow?’ And it’s so easy! I hope your story reaches others to mend their ways while there’s still time.’

The man doubled in remorse walked away following his escort.

End

 

Source: Image from moviegalleri.net (cinemakeldam_randi_movie_rajendra_prasad_master_bharath_9918)

More about Chitrgupta (Wiki):  Chitragupta (Sanskrit: चित्रगुप्त, ‘rich in secrets’ or ‘hidden picture’) in the Hindu pantheon of gods is known to be incredibly meticulous, and with his pen and paper he tracks every action of every sentient life form, building up a record of them over the course of their life so that when they die the fate of their soul can be easily determined between Heaven or Hell. These perfect and complete documents are referred to in mystical traditions as the Akashic records, and as they contain the actions of each person from birth to death, they can be said to contain every action taken in the universe.