Short story: The greedy farmer

Copyright@shravancharitymission

By Kamlesh Tripathi

Long time ago there lived a lazy farmer in the countryside who wanted to become rich without making any effort. One day he learnt of a Mahatma (noble and learned person) who lived in the jungles and about whom it was famous that by visiting and praying to him one could fulfill his wishes.

    The Mahatma after peacefully listening to the farmer agreed to fulfill his wishes. He assured him, ‘I will give you a mantra which will make you rich.’ And soon he passed on a mantra to the farmer.

    The farmer was now exuberant about the comforting thought that without any effort he will become rich. But as he was about to leave, the Mahatma called him back and said, ‘Arrey, I forgot to tell you something important. The moment you start feeling weary of monkeys this mantra will become ineffective, and then you will not get the fruits of this mantra.’

    Upon hearing this, the farmer started laughing and said, ‘Mahatma ji, you don’t worry, monkeys have neither troubled me in the fields nor in thoughts. And, for a long time I have not even dreamt of monkey.’ And, after replying the Mahatma the farmer quickly rushed to his house and started preparing for a ritualistic recital of the sacred mantra.

    And the moment he uttered the mantra he got terrified, because he thought of ‘monkey.’ Thereon, whenever he uttered the mantra, he thought of monkey. And soon, every moment the thought of monkey started troubling him. So much so that monkey even started coming in his dreams. And, by now the thought of monkey had truly disturbed him, while he was awake and also while he was sleeping.

    After some days the farmer was quite terrified and saddened as the thought of monkey had almost plagued his mind. And, when he was unable to bear this he went running to the Mahatma and fell on his feet and started sobbing, ‘Mahatma ji, I am extremely distressed and I have lost my peace of mind. I have no desire of becoming rich and you please take your mantra back and save me from the thought of monkey.’

    This story is from Indian Upanishads and reveals our mindset which like a monkey is never in our control. This story also conveys goals are important but equally important is the means to get to your goal.