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A tiger, a hunter, a bear
and a fear Once
in a forest, a hunter, on being chased by a tiger, felt tired
and climbed up a tree. There was a bear sitting on the top of
the tree. The tiger was waiting under the tree as it could not
climb up. It was very hungry, so it wanted to gobble up the
hunter. It requested the bear to push the hunter down, so that
it could kill him and appease its hunger. The bear refused to do
so, saying that the hunter was its guest and it was its moral
duty to extend hospitality to guests. But, the tiger continued
to wait under the tree. After some time, the bear started to
doze. Noticing this, the tiger addressed the hunter, "O man, I
am very hungry. It does not matter whether I eat you or the
bear. I will go back once my hunger is satiated. The bear is
dozing. So, push it down without delay. I will eat it and spare
you." The man did not have the morality of even the bear. He
thought he could escape from the clutches of the tiger by
offering the bear as bait. So, he committed the ungrateful act
of pushing the bear down. As luck would have it, the bear, as it
was falling, caught hold of a branch, climbed up and saved
itself from the tiger. Then the tiger said, "O bear, you should
never believe the human beings. This hunter tried to harm you,
though you were kind enough to give him shelter and protect him.
So, without further delay, push the ungrateful wretch down, I
shall devour him". But the bear said, "I have done my duty. Each
one has to face the consequences of his own actions. I will not
harm him just because he tried to harm me."
Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Sathya Sai Baba. Divine
Discourse "Women Symbolize Sacrifice." 6 May 1999, Kodaikanal |
