Lesson 2:
This, in fact is a very small story but with profound meaning that I read couple of days before.
Beggar: "Can you spare some old clothes, if you could!"
Me: "Certainly I could, but why don’t you come tomorrow?"
Beggar: Dejected and returns
My brother: "Wow! My brother has conquered death! He is certain that he is going to live tomorrow. He has asked the beggar tomorrow to collect the old clothes"
Bull’s eye!
what is it meant to you???
ReplyDeleteAs for me...tomorrow represent hope..and since i am not in favor on the art of begging unless one is a very uncapable handicap...i therefore have different thoughts than yours...i read it...felt the message but do think in a diff way...Since tomorrow represents hope to me, it could very much represents changes..perhaps the beggar will no longer has the need for the clothes on tomorrow if his luck turns..perhaps the one who is asked to give will not in the same position of able to give if his luck turns.....lot of narrow possibilities...still. If tomorrow comes and the beggar is showing up for the clothes..then there are other possibilities: one is the beggar is determined, and with the will (to be there), he is too capable of changing his position, capable of making a different on tomorrow than yesterday in his life (new day new leaf of life). Also, tomorrow is an another day for the beggar to reflect, re-evaluate his needs vesus his capability to fulfill it (today)..and what is it meant to him (to be at the receiver's end)..and for the giver to tell the beggar to come back tomorrow, he too is looking foward to tomorrow..will the beggar takes the challenge?? The giver's will of giving have not change, but not unconditional...with all givings, even the giving of life and love, there will always a price tag to it (do take time to think this through)....fortunately, it doesn't meant one can't have a bargain...but that again is another issue...
Also for his brother who is seeing thing as it is today and teased him, perhaps the brother was right, we can't predict what will happen the next day, next hour,next minute, but it doesn't meant that we will stop conptemplate and anticipate the potential of a hopeful tomorrow just because we can't see it coming....then what is the point of religion?? life after death, or the better of ourselves in the spirit, education, roles, etc,.. not to mention if the world is w/out tomorrow and we do know so.. or all choose to live just for today...will it worth to live right today? and... Will the beggar begs for the used clothes if he's too doesn't think about tomorrow???...please tell me where am i landed :)
too many good questions, let me answer it one by one...
ReplyDeletebefore that, its an interesting comment you have dropped. thanks for that...
What is it meant to you?
Let me explain my perception: There are few things for which we need to depend rather believe on tomorrow at the same time there are few things where you should not depend on tomorrow. There are few activities that need to be done right away.
When one realizes that there is no tomorrow, then he does thing that should be done right away. This helps to prioritize. Within 24 hrs of common time give, what are the best things that can be done.
Let me twist the story a bit. If I were to give some money right away to the beggar and ask him to do some small time business probably tomorrow he would never be a beggar at all. So instead of waiting until tomorrow, i can do it right away.
Again, picking words from your comment.."Since tomorrow represents hope to me, it could be very much represent changes" -> 100% agreed with you. Let me give an example of hope... Say, I would become prime minister of India some time in future, that's a hope or lets say a simple thing I will one day meet kim-> thats a hope.. but for these hopes, i need to something. I cant wait until tomorrow.. for becoming a prime minister, i need to develop qualities of prime minister for developing those qualities, start right away... for meeting kim sometime in future, i need to establish contact with kim, i need to communicate, need to agree a time and mode.. so these tasks need to be done right away.... similar to this there may be a thousand goals, each goals would have million tasks. these tasks need to be prioritized and those on priority need to be started right away... that is Power of Now.
I do not mean to stop anticipate but stop procrastinate
Disclaimer: By learning this lesson, I have not completely changed or follow this entirely. But consciously trying to follow.