Saturday, August 4, 2018

The Story of the Ant and the Grasshopper

In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.

     "Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in that way?"

     "I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same."

     "Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; "We have got plenty of food at present." But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil.

     When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food and found itself dying of hunger - while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew: It is best to prepare for days of need. (Aesop)

The Story of the Ant and the Grasshopper could have been written by a German, had it not been told in Ancient Greece first. Work, work, work, is its motto! Investment beats entertainment, in the short as well as the long run! Yet, if we don’t entertain from time to time, why exactly do we live? What if there was no paradise and no re-incarnation? What if our stay on the Blue Planet was an one-off gig to express and enjoy ourselves as Children of God? Would we still forgo entertainment and work and save for the Beyond?

Let’s find our inner child. Let’s let go just a bit. We can realize the maya we live in playfully as well. Lord Krishna was a lover, trickster, and friend, as much as a statesman, warrior and guru. As a young child he always went for the honey and cream; as an adolescent he fooled around with countless of gopis. In God’s Kingdom the grasshopper and the ant live happily side by side. Why did that inconsistency never occur to anyone?

No comments: