Bhagvan Ramakrishna

I have all along been like a hero - I want my work to be quick like lightning, and firm as adamant. Likewise shall I die also. Therefore kindly do my work for me - no question of success or defeat enters here at all. I have never retreated in a fight - shall I now . . . ? There is success and failure in every work. But I am inclined to believe that one who is a coward will be born after death as an insect or a worm, that there is no salvation for a coward even after millions of years of penance. Well, shall I after all be born as a worm?

In my eyes this world is mere play - and it will always remain as such. Should one spend six long months brooding over the questions of honour and disgrace, gain and loss pertaining to this? . . . I am a man of action. Simply advice upon advice is being given - this one says this, that one says that; again that man threatens, and this one frightens! This life is not, in my view, such a sweet thing that I would long to live through so much care and caution and fear.

Money, life, friends, and relatives, and the love of men and myself - if one wants to enter into work fully assured beforehand of all these - if one has to be so much ridden with fear, then one will get just what Gurudeva used to say, "The crow thinks itself very clever but it cannot help eating filth - well, he will get that.

Swami Vivekananda

Today I want to tell you a very special story.

There was a very steep, high and rocky mountain in a village in southern India. No one had ever reached to the top of the mountain. One day 100 people mustered sufficient courage to climb this huge mountain. They had no clue of how much time it would take to get to the summit. However each of them was determined to succeed. In the beginning they helped each other but as days passed by a handful of them who were more talented at mountain climbing went quite a distance ahead while leaving the others behind.

The man who was ahead of everyone was very happy and pleased that he had beaten everyone. He was surging ahead with a rapid pace, determined to reach to the top of the mountain before anyone else. The other people in the group were also equally resolved to succeed. They looked upon this man, knowing his reputation, for inspiration and motivation. They talked at length about him his character, his confidence and personality, and admired him.

Their climb continued each person covering sufficient ground every day and making progress. Days turned to months and months to year but the journey went on. The man who led the race could see from a distance the top of the mountain but the more he advanced towards the summit he found more extra ground to cover. When he looked back at the height he had already covered it gave him tremendous satisfaction and the confidence to master the remaining distance. Meanwhile the distance between him and the others had also widened depending on the progress made by each of them.

There was a small child in the village who was watching all this. His dad was part of the group and ten years had passed by and his dad had not yet returned home. He was desperate to see him again. But no one could fulfill his wish. His mother had no clue of the whereabouts of his father. This child began to ask all the elderly people for advice but no one could really help him. Finally, the child met a wise old man who told him that a huge river flowed behind the vast mountain with a beautiful island at the other end of the river. "Your dad might be in that beautiful island," the old man said. "I can show you a way to reach that island in a week's time. But you have to cross a thick dense forest."

The little child was thrilled. . He was bold and determined to meet his father and readily agreed to cross the dense forest.

The wise old man then took a piece of paper and wrote two words on it. "On the third day of your travel in the forest you will meet a person. Hand this paper to him and he will take you to the beautiful island where you can meet your father."

The little child couldn't hide his excitement. Seeking the wise man's blessing he grabbed the note and headed in the direction of the forest.

On the third day of his journey he met a strange man in the forest. As advised by the wise man the little child handed the note to this person. No sooner had he handed over the note this man seized the child, slapped him hard, and tied him to a nearby tree with a strong rope. The little child was all in tears. He had eaten very little for the last two days and he had no clue of what was happening. He thought this person would help him meet his dad but instead this ugly man was beating him to death. He cried bitterly.

This strange man was the head of a tribal community and he told the child that tomorrow by 12 noon he would kill him and offer him as a sacrifice to the Forest God. The little child pleaded for mercy to be released. But the strange man refused to pay any heed to him.

"Why did the wise man lie to me?" How could he be so cruel? Why did he do this to me?" the little child wondered. Weeping bitterly he fell fast asleep. He had a beautiful dream that night. God appeared before him. The little child complained to God that the wise man had fooled him and the tribal head was going to kill him by 12 noon tomorrow. With tears rolling down his eyes he asked God whether He could him get out of the forest and meet his father.

God knelt down, took the tender child in his arms, and whispered two words in the child's ears. " Utter these two words tomorrow morning when the tribal head comes and he will free you and help you meet your dad." God kissed the little child and bid him goodbye.

Early next morning the tribal head arrived. The little child smiled. He uttered the two words and then ?? To read the full story you can visit our site at

http://www.vish-writer.com/Spirituality2009/ZeroEffort/ZeroEffortmainPage.html