Once upon a time, in a village, there lived a saint who resided in a temple. His routine involved guiding people in the worship of God and imparting religious teachings to those who visited the temple. Villagers often donated something whenever they came to the temple, ensuring that the saint never faced any shortage of food or clothing. After having his meals, the saint used to place the leftover food in a container and hang it from the ceiling.
This routine continued smoothly until an unusual incident started occurring. The food that he kept in the container started disappearing mysteriously. Perplexed, the saint decided to investigate the matter. He hid behind the door one night to see what was taking the food away, and to his surprise, he saw a small mouse stealing the food. The next day, he raised the container higher, thinking the mouse wouldn’t be able to reach it, but this measure also failed. He observed that the mouse would skillfully jump and reach the container to take the food. Now, the saint was troubled by the mouse.
One day, a wandering monk visited the temple. Upon seeing the saint troubled, the monk inquired about the reason for his distress. The saint narrated the entire incident to the monk. The monk advised the saint to first find out from where the mouse was deriving such strength to jump so high.
That very night, the monk and the saint stealthily followed the mouse to understand where it took the food. They discovered that the mouse had made its burrow behind the temple. After the mouse left, they dug up the burrow and found a large hoard of food and provisions stored by the mouse. The monk explained that it was this abundance of resources that provided the mouse with the strength to jump so high. They distributed the provisions among the needy.
When the mouse returned and found everything missing, its confidence was shattered. It thought of gathering food again. Thinking so, it approached the container at night to jump but failed due to its diminished self-confidence. The saint then drove the mouse away.
Lesson from the Story:
Lack of resources can lead to a lack of self-confidence. Therefore, it’s essential to manage and utilize whatever resources one possesses.
