There was a Peepal tree on the bank of river Ganges. The Ganges coming down from the mountains was flowing with full speed that suddenly two leaves from the tree fell into the river.
One leaf fell horizontally and one upright.
The one who fell, got stuck, said, “Whatever happens today, I will stay by stopping this river… even if I lose my life, I will not allow it to move forward.”
He started shouting loudly – stop, Ganga….now you cannot move forward….I will stop you here!
But the river kept on rising…he didn’t even know that some leaf was trying to stop him.
But the leaf had come to life.. He was constantly fighting… did not know that even without fighting, he would reach the same place, where after fighting.. tired.. he would reach defeating!
But the time between now and then is the time of his suffering. It will be the time of his wrath.
On the other hand, the other leaf which had fallen straight, was going on flowing with great pleasure along with the flow of the river.
Saying that “Come on Ganga, today I will take your breath away only after reaching your destination…
No matter what happens, I will not let any obstacle come in your way….I will take you to the ocean.”
The river does not even know anything about this leaf… it was moving towards the ocean in its own tune. But the leaf is happy, it is understanding that it is carrying the river with it.
Like a cross leaf, even a straight leaf did not know that whether it would support the river or not, the river would reach where it had to reach!
But the time between now and then is the time of his happiness. It will be his time of joy.
The leaf that is fighting with the river is stopping it, there is no way to win it.
And there is no way to defeat the leaf that is being shed to the river.
Our life is also like a river in which the fast currents of happiness and sorrow keep on flowing.
And whoever tries to stop this stream of life like a cross leaf, he is a fool.
Because neither life has ever stopped for anyone nor can it stop.
He is in ignorance who tries foolishly like a leaf to hold the stream of happiness in this flowing river of life or to rush the stream of sorrow quickly.
Because the stream of happiness will flow for the number of days it has to flow. You can’t raise it
And if the flow of sorrow is to come in your life for as long as it will come, then why try to stop it like a leaf.
Rather, be happy in every good and bad situation that comes in life and go with the flowing stream of life like that straight leaf.
Like life is not you but you are running life.
Like a straight leaf, be equanimous in happiness and sorrow and rejoice and flow freely in the stream of life.
And when you have learned to walk in life with such ease, then what is happiness? And what is sorrow?
Don’t get carried away in the flow of life in such a way that you get tired and give up and till the end life becomes a puzzle for you..
Rather, laugh at the flow of life and flow in such a way that till the end you become a puzzle for life.*
Happiness is our own property… seek it within yourself, not outside..
*Be happy always.*
*What is received is sufficient.*