The One-Straw Revolution - Multiworld India

the clever child was the most remarkable, but the other children saw himas being clever in the wrong way, someone who would oppress others.To think that the one who is smart and can look out for himself isexceptional, and that it is better to be exceptional, is to follow “adult”values. The one who goes about his own business, eats and sleeps well,the one with nothing to worry about, would seem to me to be living inthe most satisfactory manner. There is no one so great as the one whodoes not try to accomplish anything.In Aesop’s fable, when the frogs asked god for a king, he presentedthem with a log. The frogs made fun of the dumb log and when theyasked the god for a greater king, he sent down a crane. As the story goes,the crane pecked all the frogs to death.If the one who stands out in front is great, the ones who followbehind have to struggle and strain. If you set a regular fellow up in front,those who come after have an easy time. People think that someone whois strong and clever is outstanding, and so they select a prime ministerwho pulls the country like a diesel locomotive.“What kind of person should be chosen for prime minister?”“A dumb log,” I replied. “There’s nobody better than daruma-san,[‘Daruma-san is a popular Japanese children’s toy. It is a bi balloon, weighted atthe bottom, in the shape of a monk seated in meditation.]” I replied. “He issuch a relaxed fellow he can sit for years in meditation without saying aword. If you give him a shove he rolls over, but with the persistence ofnon-resistance he always sits back up. Daruma-san doesn’t just sit idlyby, keeping his hands and feet folded. Knowing that you should keepthem folded, he scowls silently at the people who want to stick theirsout.”157