DOINGS MATTER

A King sitting with his adviser was listening to his teenager son’s day at the Gurukool.

Today Guruji spoke on ‘Doings’ which we often exercise casually or not so consciously. Guruji said our ‘doings’ from an infant stage until death is essentially the law of action and reaction, where every action thought and word has an impact. ‘Doings’ need to be done with caution because their consequences can manifest as rewards or punishments and they can be felt in the present life or in subsequent lives.

‘Doings’ was explained as an activity in which a particular person engages. Guruji emphasized if we did our doings cautiously and done well it would literally astound us. ‘Doing’ the best of this moment puts one in the best place for the next moment and Guruji warned don’t let what you can’t do, stop you from ‘doing’ what you can do.

He explained the importance of ‘doing’ the right things rather than doing the things right. We all laughed when Guruji explained ‘doing’ nothing is very hard to do as you never know when you have finished. But was stern in saying ‘doing’ nothing for others is undoing of our self. It should matter to you what you are doing, than what others are doing.  

Pitaji I heard you are selecting a candidate for prajas grievances post can I help you. King’s adviser immediately said Maharaji give him an opportunity.   

The son asked for empty sacks be kept at the garden gates and calling the 3 candidates asked them to go to the palace garden fill as many sacks with whatever they can to last a few days and bring them here in maximum one hour.  

On their return the son examined the collections and said you 3 will be put into solitary confinement. The king shocked and puzzled but his adviser gestured lets watch. The sacks you bring are all you get and nothing else will be provided. The last man to survive the confinement will be considered for the post.

The guards took the candidates away and the king asked the son who you think will pass your test. With my lessons on ‘doings’ today, past learning’s from Guruji and watching them from the balcony my understanding is: The first man came in 30 minutes with 5 bags. He chooses ease and convenience picking fallen twigs and flowers and the cut grass kept in bunches. In confinement he will have comfort to sleep with grass, good fragrance with flowers in the room. He would have been out within a day but for the third man who gave him some fruits to eat on my mentioning solitary confinement.   

The second copied others and picked 2 sacks of grass, some flowers and few fallen ripe fruits not to last him long. The third first surveyed the garden picked all best quality of fruits climbing up the trees. He wrapped some raw fruits in grass to ripen a little later. When I said confinement he was sharp and helpful to give some fruits to the first man and collected some twigs from him probably to draw on walls to keep him busy. He will stay the longest and is apt for the post.

Precisely that’s what happened. The first candidate left in 3 days, the second in 5 days. On the 7th day King, son and adviser go open the 3rd candidate’s door and see him sitting in a meditative mood, the walls had drawings and writings and there were still some fruits to last him a few more days.  

King patting son's back says I am proud of your Gurukool which knows, knowing facts is not good enough and hence also trains the mind how to think.