The Progressive Teacher Vol 06 Issue 01

From The School Leaders’ Blog
www.icsl.org.in/school-leaders-blog
LEADERS
TRANSFORM
G. Balasubramanian
Here is a story which I read
from one of the articles of
Prof. Debashish Chatterjee,
IIM, Lucknow. It is quite
interesting:
A poor farmer in China was in great
distress. He was a peace-loving person who
had to share a single room with four noisy
roommates. Besides, there were a couple
of stray dogs and a few noisy chickens and
ducks in the neighbourhood that made it
difficult for him to sit quietly or meditate.
Depressed, he travelled a long distance to
his Zen master to find a way out.
Listening to his tale of woe, the compassionate
Master said: “If you listen to me carefully, I
can try to see what we can do.” The farmer
was all ears.
The Master said: “Go back to your village
and invite inside your room the stray dogs,
the chickens as well as the ducks. Let them
all stay with you for a week besides your four
friends. Then come back to me.”
Although he was shocked and surprised by
his Master’s strange prescription, the farmer
reluctantly agreed to do as he was asked.
The farmer came back after a week. He was
in a pitiable state; his hair was dishevelled,
his clothes were torn to shreds, his eyes were
red from lack of sleep and his body smelt of
animal dung.
He looked tearfully at his Master and said:
“The experience was worse than hell. Those
animals and birds and their week-long
company. Let my fate not befall anyone!”
The Master said: “Everything will be all
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