Appropriateness is always the way of the world – nothing happens out of phase here. That’s how the universe is expanding. Each particle here has a unique role of its own. But many a time, man thinks that he is the most precious thing here and that everything is controlled by him or at least he knows the technique of organising things. We simply ignore those valuable messages which are shared through stories and parables. When Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem, were there only shepherds to visit him? It could be their torn jackets which would have been used to cover this little baby, in that heavy mist and freezing cold. Nobody has ever said that baby Jesus had fever or cold.
Lord Krishna says to Arjuna one thing. He said that though man thinks that he is the doer, he is not. At the same time, God who is always equanimous, actually controls everything. Even those Gods need supports which we consider silly. Sri Sri Ravishankar usually pins in stories from Indian epics, in his discourses. Sometimes they better help us to understand things. Stories and parables are bridges that easily convey leading messages into our mind.
Once, he said that if someone someday calls you a gaddha (donkey), rejoice! Because, if a donkey had so decided, the birth of Krishna would have been in great trouble. Donkeys have a speciality; if anybody is in labour pain, the donkey near brays aloud. It was how king Kamsa knew that Devaki was giving birth to a child. At last Vasudeva approached the donkey and with folded hands prayed it not to bray when Devaki gives birth to their next child. And the donkey kept silent, when Krishna was born. Also, the attendants were, well asleep. When Vasudeva escaped to Gokul with the child, nobody knew it. See that the first thing Vasudeva did when returned to the palace was bowing before the donkey. When king Kamsa knew what happened, Krishna was gone!
This story gives us three great messages. The first is that there is nothing in this world that does not deserve to be respected. And next, it is the Highest Consciousness that controls everything and humans do not virtually organise anything. What Kamsa thought was that everything moves under his direction only. The third lesson is that what we essentially need is wisdom and not just intelligence. Kamsa had arranged everything according to his intelligence. But Vasudeva had the wisdom to see everything in its order and do what he essentially needed.
In a world boiling in acute problems, know that solutions may come from donkeys too. We are after horses because they represent noble attributes like power, freedom, confidence, triumph and heroism. In between, we forget the essentials required for our survival.
