A story that I heard from a Senior Acharya of  Pujya Gurudev Sri Sri Ravishankarji (Follow Him on @SriSri on Twitter)  – combination of imagination, compassion and morals. Enjoy!!!

There lived a businessman in the city. Everything was working for him. A great family – nice wife and three sons. Wife very loyal and caring to the core. Sons were dutiful, good at studies and very good assistants. Business was at its flourishing best. He was very active socially and was an acknowledged Philanthropist. No one went away from his doors without a dose of his hospitality and large-heartedness. There was nothing lacking in his life so to say.

But as the wise men asserted, nothing lasts forever good or bad times. He fell sick and his doctor told him that he was suffering from an incurable disease and the only way left for him was towards the Heaven (of course, that was the way the arrow pointed for his last journey – remember he always did a good turn to the society at large) . He accepted his fate and preapred for this journey. His only reason for worry was his business. He was pensive as to which of his sons could take best care of his business. He then thought of a nice little test

He called all his sons to his room, one day and gave them 100 rupees each. Asked them to go to the marketplace and buy something that could fill this room. The condition was that no money should be added to this and also that they had time only till sunset.

The first son returned by evening with a bundle of hay and spread it out. It covered two walls of the room and the old man was quite happy. Expectantly looked out for the next son to come in. 

The second son dragged in two huge sacks of Cotton, opened it and spread it out. Wow…it covered 3 walls of the room. Old man’s joy knew no bounds.

The last son came in almost empty handed and the old man totally taken aback asked him what he brought. The son replied, “Father, I fed a poor hungry child with a part of the money, a part of it I dropped it as offering in the temple that is being built and I was left with a rupee. I bought a tiny candle and saying so he lit it. 

All the four walls were now covered and the whole room was filled with the light from this tiny candle.

Let’s resolve to make service to the society and compassion a part of our nature and light up our inner walls. Whatever sense of despair we feel at happenings around us, We can be that Candle that can dispel darkness of the society. We can Light up and feel Light. Remember Angels can fly only because they live their lives light

Asatoma Satgamaya
Tamasoma Jyotirgamaya
Mrutyorma Amruthamgamaya
Om Shantih Shantih Shantih