Stories

A LION IN THE FOLD OF GOATS

Once upon a time a shepherd came across a newly born cub of a lion.  He brought it home and fed it with goat’s milk.  Though it was a lion, it always moved, ate and drank with the goats and thus it always believed itself a goat, and it also acted as a goat.

One day it went out in the forest along with the goats.  There a lion appeared who roared as usual with its nature.  Thereupon all the goats began to elope and the cub also began to run away.  On seeing this the lion of the forest said:  “Hallow brother, goats would flee when I roar, but why are you running away ?  You are a lion as I am.”  Thereupon the cub-lion which was brought up along with the goats said: “You tell lies.  I am not a lion.  I am a goat.  I am afraid of you and therefore I run away”.

The lion living in the forest realized that the cub-lion had stayed along with the goats and therefore it had believed itself to be a goat.  “Let me clear his doubt,” he said: “Friend, am I wrong ?  If from my gigantic physique your conjecture is that I am a big goat, then you are mistaken.  Your face is also round as mine. It is not long like that of a goat.  Your waist is as slender as my waist, your feet have paws and not the hoofs like those of a goat.  Look at your charming tail !  The goat has on the contrary a very tiny and ugly tail.  You possess a mane on your neck.  The goat does not have such.  Thus the goat and the lion are entirely different, in their characteristics.  Every goat has two horns on the head and you don’t have any horns on your head.  Therefore, you cast aside your false apprehension and I assure you that you are a lion and not a goat.”

These words clarified the cub-lion’s misapprehension.  He began to look upon himself as a lion.  He accompanied that lion and started leading the life of a lion.

 

MORAL LESSON:  Thus we all have remained in the company of our physical self and other material entities and that is why we presume ourselves as the physical self, and we estimate our power as very much limited.  But remember, the material and the physical body don’t constitute our “Self”.  We are the soul with infinite powers and with this conviction in our mind let our faculties be developed.  To achieve such development we should remain far from passions and other attachments.

The End

 

 

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