IF YOU LISTEN TO PEOPLE, YOU CAN'T RIDE THE DONKEY - Tales for Children, Mischievous and Otherwise as related by Bhau.

Stories for Children, Mischievous and Otherwise as related by Bhau

IF YOU LISTEN TO PEOPLE, YOU CAN'T RIDE THE DONKEY
Beloved Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai! One day, Baba told the following story: There was a man who lived in a village, who loved his wife very much. She died when their son was born, so the man brought up the child on his own. He loved his son very much, and the son also loved his father. Both lived together, and the son never left the father, even for a minute. The father had become very old, and the son had never married. The father was thinking, "What to do? My son has no recreation. He does not go sightseeing. He does not go out. He remains with me all the time. I must do something so that he can enjoy some change." The father tried and tried his best, but the son would not leave him. One day, the old man thought of a plan and said to his son, "Now I am old. I have not seen your maternal uncle for many years. My ambition is to see him before I die, so I think I must visit him. He lives some miles from here. It will be best to go there tomorrow. Will you come with me?" "Of course," the son very happily replied. "I will come with you! I will always be with you." But then the father pointed out, "There is a problem. We have only one donkey, and your maternal uncle's place is far away. How will we go there?" "I am quite young," said the son. "You ride the donkey, and I will walk." "My dear son, this is not good. Why should you walk?" "Don't worry about me, dear father, I am young. I can walk." "This is indeed a good way to take my son out," the father thought. Therefore, he agreed with his son's idea. Early in the morning, while it was still dark, they left the house. They went a little distance, the father riding the donkey and the son walking. Soon they met some people on the road, who looked at them and observed, "Just see this old man! How selfish he is! He is riding the donkey while his son is walking! Has he no shame?" When the old man heard this, he got down from the donkey and said to his son, "Look here, people are laughing at us. Therefore, it is better that you ride the donkey. I'll walk." Because people were laughing at them, the son agreed to switch places with his father. Then the son rode the donkey, while the father walked. They went a certain distance, and again, they came across people who looked at them and said, "Just see! The poor old father is walking while his son is riding the donkey. The boy has no shame!" When the old father heard this, he told his son, "Son, it is better that I also ride the donkey. If we both ride, people will feel happy." The father and son wanted to please all the people who made these different remarks. But when they tried to do so, they got in trouble. Both were riding the donkey. They went a certain distance, and again, people were staring at them. "Those two people, whether they have any shame? Both of them are riding the donkey. How cruel and senseless they are. How that poor animal is suffering! But since the animal is dumb, he cannot complain! Have they no mercy?" When the old man and his son heard this, the old man suggested, "It is better that we both walk." So they got down and they started walking. Because a donkey does not move unless there is weight on its back, he dug his hooves and would not go forward. The old man and his son were dragging and dragging the donkey. They managed to go a very short distance, when people said, "Just look at these fools. They aren't riding the donkey, they are dragging it! We have never seen such fools in the world!" Now, very confused, both the father and son sat under a tree, thinking, "What should we do now?"		Whether people's reaction to you is favorable or unfavorable, you should remain unaffected. It is not possible to please the world. You can please the One in the many, but you cannot please the many in the One, because each person has a different set of impressions and a different attitude. How can you expect correct behavior from them? When we remain unaffected by people's reactions, the One in the many feels pleased. Beloved Baba had said, "If you look towards the world and do everything to please others, you will not be able to ride the donkey. But if instead you please Me, you will win the victory of life." With all love and Jai Baba to you, In His love and service, Bhau

IF YOU LISTEN TO PEOPLE, YOU CAN'T RIDE THE DONKEY

Beloved Avatar Meher Baba Ki Jai!

One day, Baba told the following story:

There was a man who lived in a village, who loved his wife very much. She died when their son was born, so the man brought up the child on his own. He loved his son very much, and the son also loved his father.

Both lived together, and the son never left the father, even for a minute.

The father had become very old, and the son had never married. The father was thinking, "What to do? My son has no recreation. He does not go sightseeing. He does not go out. He remains with me all the time. I must do something so that he can enjoy some change."

The father tried and tried his best, but the son would not leave him. One day, the old man thought of a plan and said to his son, "Now I am old. I have not seen your maternal uncle for many years. My ambition is to see him before I die, so I think I must visit him. He lives some miles from here. It will be best to go there tomorrow. Will you come with me?"

"Of course," the son very happily replied. "I will come with you! I will always be with you."

But then the father pointed out, "There is a problem. We have only one donkey, and your maternal uncle's place is far away. How will we go there?"

"I am quite young," said the son. "You ride the donkey, and I will walk."

"My dear son, this is not good. Why should you walk?"

"Don't worry about me, dear father, I am young. I can walk."

"This is indeed a good way to take my son out," the father thought. Therefore, he agreed with his son's idea.

Early in the morning, while it was still dark, they left the house. They went a little distance, the father riding the donkey and the son walking.

Soon they met some people on the road, who looked at them and observed, "Just see this old man! How selfish he is! He is riding the donkey while his son is walking! Has he no shame?"

When the old man heard this, he got down from the donkey and said to his son, "Look here, people are laughing at us. Therefore, it is better that you ride the donkey. I'll walk."

Because people were laughing at them, the son agreed to switch places with his father.

Then the son rode the donkey, while the father walked. They went a certain distance, and again, they came across people who looked at them and said, "Just see! The poor old father is walking while his son is riding the donkey. The boy has no shame!"

When the old father heard this, he told his son, "Son, it is better that I also ride the donkey. If we both ride, people will feel happy."

The father and son wanted to please all the people who made these different remarks. But when they tried to do so, they got in trouble.

Both were riding the donkey. They went a certain distance, and again, people were staring at them. "Those two people, whether they have any shame? Both of them are riding the donkey. How cruel and senseless they are. How that poor animal is suffering! But since the animal is dumb, he cannot complain! Have they no mercy?"

When the old man and his son heard this, the old man suggested, "It is better that we both walk."

So they got down and they started walking. Because a donkey does not move unless there is weight on its back, he dug his hooves and would not go forward. The old man and his son were dragging and dragging the donkey.

They managed to go a very short distance, when people said, "Just look at these fools. They aren't riding the donkey, they are dragging it! We have never seen such fools in the world!"

Now, very confused, both the father and son sat under a tree, thinking, "What should we do now?"

Whether people's reaction to you is favorable or unfavorable, you should remain unaffected. It is not possible to please the world. You can please the One in the many, but you cannot please the many in the One, because each person has a different set of impressions and a different attitude. How can you expect correct behavior from them?

When we remain unaffected by people's reactions, the One in the many feels pleased.

Beloved Baba had said, "If you look towards the world and do everything to please others, you will not be able to ride the donkey. But if instead you please Me, you will win the victory of life."

With all love and Jai Baba to you,

In His love and service,

Bhau

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