{"id":4325,"date":"2013-07-13T01:55:13","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:55:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=4325"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:55:13","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:55:13","slug":"22-sincerity-vol-02-words-of-long-ago-volume-02","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/02-works-of-the-mother\/01-cwmce\/02-words-of-long-ago-volume-02\/22-sincerity-vol-02-words-of-long-ago-volume-02","title":{"rendered":"-22_Sincerity.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
<\/p>\n
\n

\n<\/span>
\n
\n
\nEight<\/span>
\n<\/i><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n


\nSincerity
\n<\/font> <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\n                     A<\/font><\/span> lion, a
\nwolf and a fox went out hunting together. They killed an ass, a gazelle and a
\nhare. <\/span><\/p>\n

Seeing this catch, the lion said to the
\nwolf: <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cKindly tell me, friend wolf, how we should
\ndivide this game.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cThere
\nis no need,\u201d replied the wolf, \u201cto cut up the three animals. You take the ass,
\nlet the fox take the hare, and for my part I shall be content with the
\ngazelle.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>The
\nlion’s only answer was a roar of fury, and with a single blow, as reward for
\nhis advice, he crushed the wolf’s head with his claw. Then the lion turned to
\nthe fox and said: <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cAnd, my dear friend, what do you suggest?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cOh, Sire,\u201d the fox replied with a deep bow,
\n\u201cit is a very simple matter. You should have the ass for your breakfast, the
\ngazelle for your evening meal, and eat the hare as a light snack in between.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cVery well,\u201d said the lion, pleased to have
\nall the game for himself. \u201cAnd who taught you to speak with such wisdom and
\njustice?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cThe wolf,\u201d the fox replied slyly. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Why
\ndid the fox speak in this way? Was it to say what he really thought? Oh,
\ncertainly not! Was it then a sincere wish to please the lion? Certainly not
\nthat either. He spoke like that because he was afraid, and we can surely make
\nallowances for him. But nevertheless we must admit that his words were not
\ntruthful \u2013 merely artful. And if the lion approved of them, it was because he
\nloved meat, not truth. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>A
\nMuslim writer, Abu Abbas<\/span>, tells us of the glory of <\/span>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 208<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

King Solomon, who reigned in Jerusalem, the holy city of the
\nHebrews. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>In
\nhis throne room there were six hundred seats, half of which were occupied by
\nsages, the other half by Jinns<\/span> or genies who assisted
\nSolomon by their magic power. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Throughout the sittings of the Council, a
\nmultitude of great birds would appear at a word from the king and spread their
\nwings to shade the people in the six hundred seats. And at his command, each
\nmorning and evening, a powerful wind would arise, lifting up the whole palace
\nand instantaneously transporting it a month’s journey away. In this way, the
\nking was at hand to govern the distant lands that belonged to him. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Besides, Solomon made the most marvellous
\nthrone one could ever dream of. And this throne was designed in such a way that
\nno one would dare to utter an untruth in the presence of the king. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>It
\nwas made of ivory, inlaid with pearls, emeralds and rubies, and around it stood
\nfour golden date-palms on which the dates were also emeralds and rubies. At the
\ntop of two of these palms were golden peacocks, and on the two others were
\ngolden vultures. On each side of the throne there were also two golden lions
\nbetween two pillars of emerald. And golden vines bearing ruby grapes twined
\naround the trunks of the trees. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>The
\nelders of Israel were seated at Solomon’s right hand and their seats were of
\ngold, the genies sat at his left hand and their seats were of silver. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>When the king held his court of justice the
\npeople were allowed into his presence. And each time that a man bore witness on
\nanother, if he deviated ever so little from the truth, an amazing thing would
\nhappen. At the sight of him, the throne bearing the king, the lions, the
\npalm-trees, the peacocks and the vultures, would instantly turn round on
\nitself. Then the lions would thrust forward their claws, lashing the ground
\nwith their tails; the vultures and the peacocks would flap their wings. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>And
\nso the witnesses would tremble with terror and would <\/span>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 209<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

not dare to tell a single lie. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>And
\nthis was no doubt very convenient, and must have considerably lightened the
\nking’s task. But fear is always a wretched thing, which consorts ill with
\ntruth. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Even when by chance, as in the story of Abu Abbas<\/span>, it forces a man to speak the truth, that does not
\nmake him truthful; for, at the very next moment, fear may drive him to speak
\nwithout frankness, as did the fox in our previous tale. And that is what most
\noften happens. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>An
\nhonest man does not need the marvels of Solomon’s throne to learn to speak the
\ntruth. The throne of truth dwells within his own heart; the rectitude of his
\nsoul cannot but inspire him with words of rectitude. He speaks the truth not
\nbecause he is afraid of a teacher, a master or a judge, but because truth is
\nthe characteristic of an upright man, the stamp of his nature. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Love of truth makes him face all fears. He
\nspeaks as he should, no matter what happens to him.  <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>A
\nrich and mighty king named Vishvamitra, who longed for greater esteem, resolved
\nto practise Tapasya (austerities) in order to rise from his own caste of
\nKshatriya to the highest of all, that of a Brahmin. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>He
\ndid all that he thought was needed and led a life of apparent austerity which
\nmade everyone say, \u201cThe king deserves to be a Brahmin.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>But
\nthe Brahmin Vasishtha did not think so, for he knew that Vishvamitra had acted
\nout of vanity; his renunciation was not sincere. And so he refused to address
\nhim as a Brahmin. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>In
\nhis fury the king had a hundred children of Vasishtha’s<\/span>
\nfamily put to death. But in spite of all his grief, Vasishtha persisted in his
\nrefusal to say what he did not think was true. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>So
\nthe king resolved to kill this truthful man as well. One <\/span>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 210<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

night he went to Vasishtha’s<\/span> hut to
\ncarry out the evil deed. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>When he came near to the door, he heard the Brahmin
\ntalking with his wife, and as his own name was mentioned, he stopped to listen.
\nSaintly and pure, full of forgiveness for him were the words he heard. This
\ntouched the king’s heart. Full of repentance he threw away his weapon, then
\nwent in and bowed at the hermit’s feet. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cBrahmarshi<\/span>,\u201d Vasishtha welcomed him affectionately, when
\nseeing the king’s present state of mind. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cWhy did you not acknowledge my Tapasya
\nbefore?\u201d Vishvamitra asked humbly. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cBecause,\u201d replied Vasishtha, \u201cyou claimed the
\ntitle of Brahmin in the name of an arrogant power, but now that you are
\nrepentant, you come in the true spirit of a Brahmin.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Vasishtha knew how to speak the truth without
\nfear. And he also spoke it without rancour<\/span>.  <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Is it not noble to speak the truth in this
\nway, even when there is some danger in doing it? <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Besides, very often, things turn out better
\nfor those who brave this danger than it might have seemed at first. The success
\nof falsehood is only short-lived, whereas in most cases, to be sincere is the
\ncleverest thing to do. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>One
\nmorning, the Emperor of Delhi sat on his throne to confer honours<\/span>
\non those he considered worthy. As the ceremony was drawing to a close, he
\nnoticed that one of the people he had summoned, a young man named Syed Ahmed,
\nhad not yet made his appearance. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>The
\nEmperor stepped down from his throne and got into a sedan chair which was used
\nto carry him through his vast palace. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Just at that moment the young man hurried in. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cYour son is late,\u201d said the Emperor to Syed’s<\/span> father, who was his friend. <\/span>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 211<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cWhy?\u201d asked the Emperor, looking sternly at
\nthe young man. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cSire,\u201d Syed replied frankly, \u201cit is because I
\noverslept.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>The
\ncourtiers looked at the young man in amazement. How dare he admit so
\nshamelessly to the Emperor that he had no better excuse? How tactless of him to
\nspeak like that! <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>But
\nthe Emperor, after pondering a moment, felt respect for the young man because
\nof his sincerity; and he gave him the necklace of pearls and the jewel of honour<\/span> to place on his brow. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Such was the reward of Syed Ahmed, who loved
\nthe truth and spoke it to all, prince or peasant.  <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

It is quite certain that to be able to
\ntell the truth without difficulty, it is best always to act in such a way that we
\nhave no need to conceal anything we do. And for that, in our actions of every
\nmoment, we should remember that we are in the presence of the Divine. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>For
\nstraightforwardness of speech also demands straightforwardness of actions; and
\na sincere man is one who shuns all falsehood in what he says and all hypocrisy
\nin what he does. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>At Amroha<\/span> a special kind of pottery is made, known as Kagazi
\npottery, decorated with silver designs. These pots are very pretty, but they
\nare so light and fragile that they break with the slightest use. Although they
\nlook just as serviceable as any other earthenware, they are only good to look
\nat. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Many people are like Kagazi pottery. They have
\na beautiful appearance; but if you try to put them to any kind of test, you
\nwill see that everything about them is ornament. Do not put the slightest trust
\nin them, for this would be too heavy a weight for their fragile nature to bear.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>A
\nBrahmin sent his son to Benares to study under the guidance of a Pundit. <\/span>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 212<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Twelve years later the young man returned to
\nhis home town, and many people hurried to see him, thinking that he had become
\na very profound scholar. They placed before him a book written in Sanskrit and
\nsaid: <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cExplain the doctrine to us, honourable<\/span> Pundit.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>The
\nyoung man stared at the book. In truth, he did not understand a single word of
\nit. In Benares he had learnt nothing but the alphabet. And even then the
\nletters had been written very large on the blackboard, so that by seeing them
\nevery day he might get them little by little into his head. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>So
\nhe remained silent in front of the book, his eyes brimming with tears. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cO
\nPundit,\u201d said the visitors, \u201csomething has touched your heart. Tell us what you
\nhave found in the book.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cThe letters,\u201d he said at last, \u201cwere big in
\nBenares, but here they are small!\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Was
\nnot this Pundit like the Kagazi pots?  <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>A
\nwolf had his den in the rocks on the bank of the river Ganges. When the snows
\nmelted, the water began to rise. It rose so high that it surrounded the wolf’s
\nrock on every side. So one day he was unable to go out in search of food. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cOh
\nwell!\u201d he said when he saw that he had nothing left to eat, \u201ctoday shall be a
\nholy day, in honour<\/span> of which I proclaim a fast.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>He
\nsat on the edge of the rock and put on a very solemn air to celebrate the holy
\nday and the fast. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>But
\nno sooner had he done this than a wild goat came bounding across the water,
\nfrom rock to rock, and reached the place where the wolf was sitting full of
\ndevotion. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cOho!\u201d
\nhe exclaimed when he saw it. \u201cHere is something to eat.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>He
\npounced on the goat and missed it, he pounced once <\/span>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 213<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

more and missed it again. Finally the goat escaped by leaping
\nacross the stream. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cOh
\nwell!\u201d said the wolf, resuming his saintly pose, \u201cI shall not be so impious as
\nto eat goat’s flesh on a holy day. No, no \u2013 no meat for me on a fast day!\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>What do you think of the wolf, his devotion
\nand his respect for the holy day? You laugh at his roguery. But how many people
\nthere are whose sincerity is like this, who adorn themselves with fine
\nsentiments because it suits their interests, and pose as little saints because
\nthey are unable to give free rein to their vices. But in spite of all their
\ncunning, do you think that these tricksters can prevail for very long against
\none who is right and just?  <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

The monkeys and bears of Hanuman’s army
\nfought for Lord Rama and his brother Lakshman against Ravana the ten-headed
\ndemon. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Weakening under the blows of the warriors who
\nwere attacking him from every side, Ravana made use of his magic power. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Suddenly, at his side, among the demons, many Ramas<\/span> and many Lakshmans<\/span>
\nmagically appeared. They were in truth nothing but false and deceptive
\nappearances, but the monkeys and the bears, taking them for real people, halted
\nin confusion: how could they continue the fight and go on throwing trees and
\nrocks against Rama and Lakshman, their beloved leaders? Seeing their dismay,
\nthe demon Ravana gave a smile of cruel delight. Rama smiled too: what pleasure
\nhe would take in destroying such a falsehood, in exposing the trickery, in
\ngaining victory for the truth! He fitted an arrow to his mighty bow and shot.
\nThe arrow whizzed through the misleading shadows, which immediately dissolved.
\nAt last Hanuman’s army could see clearly and their courage revived. <\/span>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 214<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Similarly, every straight word from a sincere
\nman is like an arrow that can destroy much falsehood and hypocrisy.  <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>There is a legend in South India which tells
\nof a prince, the Jasmine King, whose laugh alone would fill the land for
\nleagues around with the sweet fragrance of jasmine. But for that his laugh must
\ncome from the joyful and spontaneous gaiety of his heart. It would have been no
\nuse if he had tried to laugh without true merriment. When his spirit was full
\nof joy, his laughter would bubble up like a fragrant spring. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>The
\nquality of this laughter came wholly from its sincerity. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>The
\ntables in Duryodhana’s<\/span> palace were laid with an
\nextremely rich display of vessels of gold and silver, ornamented with rubies
\nand emeralds and diamonds sparkling with many colours<\/span>.
\nLord Krishna was invited to the feast but did not go. Instead he went that
\nnight to the house of a poor Sudra, who had also invited him. The meal was
\nsimple, the dishes were plain. And yet Krishna chose this one in preference to
\nthe other, for the feast which the Sudra offered him was full of sincere love,
\nwhereas the sumptuous banquet of King Duryodhana<\/span> had
\nbeen given only for show. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>It
\nis also said that the glorious Rama once sat at the table of a very humble
\nwoman, whose husband was a fowler. All she could put before the famous hero was
\na few fruits, for she had nothing else. But she gave the best she had with such
\na good heart that Rama was touched and wished that the memory of this gift from
\na sincere soul should not be forgotten, and that is why it is still spoken of
\nafter so many centuries. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Jalal<\/span> was a wise and famous teacher. One day two Turks who
\nwished to hear his teachings came to see him with an offering. As they were
\nvery poor, their gift was small \u2013 only a handful of lentils. Some of the sage’s
\ndisciples looked at this present with scorn. But Jalal<\/span>
\ntold them: <\/span>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 215<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cOnce the Prophet Mohammed needed riches to
\ncarry out one of his undertakings. So he asked his followers to give him what
\nthey could spare. Some brought half of their possessions, others a third. Abu Bakar<\/span> gave all his wealth. In this way Mohammed got a large
\nquantity of animals and weapons. Then came a poor woman who in her turn offered
\nthe Prophet three dates and a wheat-cake; and that was all she had. Many smiled
\nat this sight, but the Prophet told them that he had had a dream in which he
\nhad seen the angels take a pair of scales and put the gifts of all the people
\nin one of the pans and into the other only the dates and the bread of the poor
\nwoman. And the scale stood balanced, for this pan was as heavy as the other.\u201d
\nAnd Jalal<\/span> added: <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cA
\nsmall gift offered with a sincere heart has as much value as costly presents.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>On
\nhearing this the two Turks were full of joy and no one dared laugh any more
\nabout the handful of lentils.  <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A poor man of low caste hunted for a whole
\nday to feed his family, but could not catch anything. At nightfall he was still
\nin the forest, alone, hungry and worn out by his vain attempts. In the hope of
\nfinding a nest he climbed up a Bel<\/span> tree, whose
\nthree-lobed leaves are offered to the great Shiva by his devotees. But he found
\nno nest. He thought of his wife and his little children waiting at home for
\ntheir father and their food, and wept for them. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Tears of pity, the legend says, are very
\nheavy. They are far more precious than the tears shed by those who are sorry
\nfor their own pain. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>The
\nhunter’s tears fell upon the leaves of the Bel<\/span> tree
\nand bore them down towards the stone of offering standing at the foot of the
\ntree in honour<\/span> of Shiva. At that moment the man was
\nbitten by a snake and died. The spirits immediately carried <\/span>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 216<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

his soul to the house of the gods and brought it before the great
\nShiva.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cThere is no place here for this man’s soul,\u201d
\nthe dwellers in heaven cried out together. \u201cFor he was of low caste, he did not
\nknow the holy laws, he ate impure food and did not offer the customary gifts to
\nthe gods.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>But
\nShiva said to them: <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cHe
\ngave me Bel<\/span> leaves, and above all, he offered me
\nsincere tears. There is no low caste for hearts that are true.\u201d And he received
\nhim into his heaven.  <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>All
\nthese stories show us that in every age and in every land, both men and gods
\nhave given honour<\/span> to sincerity; they love honesty and
\ntruth in all things. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>One
\nwho lives in falsehood is an enemy of mankind. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>All
\nhuman sciences \u2013 philosophy, astronomy, mathematics, chemistry, physics \u2013 are seekings<\/span> for truth. But in the smallest things as in the
\ngreatest, truth is necessary. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Little children, do not wait to be grown up
\nbefore you learn to be truthful: that cannot be done too early; and to remain
\ntruthful, it is never too soon to acquire the habit. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Sometimes it is so difficult for men to speak
\nthe truth even if they want to, for to do so, it must first of all be known and
\nsought out, and that is not always so easy. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>There were four young princes of Benares who
\nwere brothers. Each one of them said to their father’s charioteer: <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cI
\nwant to see a Kimsuka<\/span> tree.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cI
\nwill show you,\u201d said the charioteer, and he invited the eldest to go for a
\nride. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>In
\nthe jungle he showed the prince a Kimsuka<\/span>. It was the
\ntime of year when there are neither buds, nor leaves, nor flowers. So the
\nprince saw only a trunk of dark wood. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>A
\nfew weeks later, the second prince was taken for a drive <\/span>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 217<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

in the chariot and he also saw the Kimsuka<\/span>
\ntree. He found it covered with leaves. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>A
\nlittle later in the season, the third brother saw it in his turn; it was all
\npink with flowers. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>At
\nlast the fourth saw it; its fruits were ripe. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>One
\nday when the four brothers were together, someone asked: <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cWhat does the Kimsuka<\/span>
\ntree look like?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>The
\neldest said: \u201cLike a bare trunk.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>The
\nsecond: \u201cLike a flourishing banana-tree.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>The
\nthird: \u201cLike a pink and red bouquet.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>And
\nthe fourth: \u201cLike an acacia laden with fruit.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Being unable to agree, they went together to
\ntheir father the king for him to decide between them. When he heard how one
\nafter the other the young princes had seen the Kimsuka<\/span>
\ntree, the king smiled and said: <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cAll four of you are right, but all four of
\nyou forget that the tree is not the same in all seasons.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Each one was describing what he had seen and
\neach one was ignorant of what the others knew. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>In
\nthis way, most often, men know only a fraction of the truth, and their error
\ncomes precisely from the fact that they think they know it all. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>How
\nmuch less this error would be if they had learnt at an early age to love truth
\nso much that they would always seek it more and more.  <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

The King of Kumaon<\/span>,
\nin the region of the Himalaya mountains, was hunting one day on the hill of Almora<\/span>, which at that time was covered by thick forest. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>A
\nhare ran out of the thickets and the king began to chase it. But this hare
\nsuddenly changed into a tiger and soon disappeared from his sight. <\/span>
\n
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 218<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Struck by this strange occurrence, the king
\nassembled the wise men in his palace and asked them what such a thing might
\nmean. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cIt
\nmeans,\u201d they replied, \u201cthat on the spot where you lost sight of the tiger, you
\nshould build a new city. For tigers only flee from places where men come to
\nlive in great numbers.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>So
\nworkmen were engaged to build the new town. A thick iron rod was driven into the
\nearth to test the firmness of the ground. By chance, at that very moment a
\nslight earth-tremor occurred. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cStop!\u201d cried the wise men. \u201cThe point has
\npierced the body of Seshanaga<\/span>, the world-serpent. The
\ntown must not be built here.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>And, indeed, the legend tells that when the
\niron rod was drawn out of the ground, it was found to be all red with the blood
\nof Seshanaga<\/span>. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cThis is most unfortunate,\u201d said the king,
\n\u201cbut since we have decided to build the city there, we shall build it all the
\nsame.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>The
\nwise men were furious and they predicted dire misfortunes for the city, and the
\nearly end of the king’s race. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>The
\nsoil was fertile and the water abundant. For six hundred years, the town of Almora<\/span> has stood on its rock, and the surrounding fields
\nproduce rich harvests. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Thus, in spite of their wisdom, the wise men
\nwere mistaken in their predictions. Doubtless they were sincere and thought
\nthey were speaking the truth, but men are very often mistaken in this way and
\ntake for realities what is nothing but superstition. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Little children, the world is full of
\nsuperstitions, and the best means given to man to discover more of the truth is
\nto remain always sincere and to become always more so in thought, deed and
\nword; for it is when we avoid deceiving others in all things that we also learn
\nto deceive ourselves less and less. <\/span>
\n <\/p>\n

\nPage – 219<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Eight   Sincerity                        A lion, a wolf and a fox went out hunting together. They killed an ass, a gazelle and a hare….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[123],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4325","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-02-words-of-long-ago-volume-02","wpcat-123-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4325","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4325"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4325\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4325"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4325"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4325"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}