Spirituality-Who is better off

Old time stories, which we in our childhood took for what they were, that is, just stories, were really remarkable. Their relevance never ends. Once some of us elderly persons, mostly retired, were sitting in our society compound when there was an argument between two members, elderly, but still in their jobs. One was a bank employee and another, a government servant. In the course of the friendly conversation, one said to another: “What you are talking yaar, you are lucky to have your government job. Little or no work and all pay.”

The government servant retorted: “What pay? You call it pay? You bank employees are well paid. Our salaries are a pittance compared to yours.”

The bank employee said: “Sure, but we have to work our arse off for that whereas you get whatever you get for nothing.” This argument continued to our amusement.

One senior most among us who usually remained silent, intervened and said: “Look, it is like this. The Bank employee thinks government job is better and our friend here thinks bank job is nice. Actually, both of you do not know about the other’s job well enough to qualify to make any comments. Both jobs must have their usual pros and cons. I know one thing, that both of you should be satisfied with what you are doing. I will tell you all an old tale.” The story went thus.

It is an old time and common custom was to remove your shoes and sandals or whatever footwear you were wearing before entering a temple or a place of worship. One day, all the footwear outside a big temple decided that enough was enough. They too wanted entry inside the temple. They felt that they were being insulted. They called the priest and said: “See, we take care of men’s feet, serve them wherever they go. They don’t move out of their houses without us. We protect their feet. But when they come to this temple to seek God’s blessings, we are left out. We can’t take this insult anymore. From now on, ask them not to remove us from their feet while in temple or we will take stern action.”

The priest was a wise old man. He answered: “No body says your job is not important. In fact, we can’t do without you. The reason men remove you is that the temple is a clean and hygienic place. You come from various places and if men take you inside, the place will become dirty. But yes, it is true that your work is thankless and we do appreciate it.”

Footwear would have none of it. They said: “No, it is not true. We have heard that because we are made of leather that we are not allowed inside. If it is so, your drums are also made of leather. Their tops are of leather. Still they remain inside. It is pleasant for them. They join in aartis (devotional songs), they get to smell sweet incense and all. While we wait outside they have good time inside. We want in.”

The priest, a wise man that he was, asked them to wait. He ordered his assistants to bring two drums and four thick sticks outside. Then he told the footwear: “You have all heard sounds of drums playing from here, have you not?” The footwear said they hear it daily and think how lucky the drums were to be part of the temple festivities, where upon the priest asked his two assistants to beat the drums. They did so with all their power. The footwear were taken by surprise. The priest said: “See, they are beaten like this daily, so much so that their original nice color is not visible any more. They are all black on the top because of the beating they take daily.” Saying this, he inverted the drums so that the footwear can see their tops, all beaten and blackened. The footwear had never thought of this. They were shocked and silent.

The priest finally said: “Remember, while you rest here and breathe fresh air, they take beating inside. Now you decide who is better off.”