A Few Stories

 From

 Here And There

It was around this part of the year, last year, that I had been to a small place to attend a marriage. This was a Muslim marriage, and unusually it was taking place in a mosque. I have seen only Christian marriages taking places in churches, but not those of any other religion. Any thing unusual catches ones attention. So did this marriage catch my attention. Another thing unusual here was that there were two grooms sitting in the mosque. So I thought it might be a community marriage. No, it was not that. In this place, it seems all marriages of Muslims take place in a mosque only and that too in this Friday Congregational Mosque only. Generally all grooms to be married assemble at the same time in this very mosque, and a common sermon is given before the marriage, by one religious scholar, who was sitting on a chair adjacent to the grooms. And then, each marriage is performed separately by the Qazi, by filling up and getting signed the marriage contract forms from each groom and the respective bride separately. After, all the marriage contracts are signed, and acceptance of the grooms and respective brides obtained, a common supplication is made to God for all the grooms getting married that day in that mosque praying to God to confer the best of affection on these just-married couples and bless them with obedient, God-fearing and parent-serving children, and all the audience present in the assembly recite “ Ameen.’’ The religious scholar, who was sitting on the chair started his sermon. There was something unusual about his sermon too. Most sermons in a Muslim marriage are recited in Arabic, which no body follows. But this scholar was giving the sermon in Urdu, the local language, the language understood by all. I thought that this is a good tradition. In the language that everybody follows, including the brides and the grooms, the scholar would be informing the rights and duties of the bride and the groom ordained by God and His prophet, after their marriage, in their marital life, as man and wife. I had seen such a tradition in Marathwada, long ago when I was working in those parts. As against my expectations, it was something more than that. The scholar started narrating some story.

The First Story

          

Long long ago, there lived a king. He had a barber, who has been shaving him for a pretty long time. One day, while doing the shaving for the king, the barber said, “O king! Your daughter has grown and come of marriageable age. My son has also come of marriageable age. He is very handsome and smart. I want that you should give your daughter in marriage to my son. ”The king got wild on the audacity of the barber in proposing his son’s alliance for the king’s daughter. He told the barber that this is the last time I heard any such non-sense from the barber. If the barber dared speak once again about this proposal, he said that he would get the barber hanged. The barber realized his mistake, and requested the king to pardon him for his insolence. He promised that he would never again broach this topic.

Next month, the barber came again to perform hair-cutting for the king. While performing the hair-cut for the king, he once again proposed the alliance of his son for the king’s daughter. The king could not tolerate any longer. He ordered that the barber be hanged.

Like Akber’s Beerbal, this king too used to have a wise minister. The minister advised the king not to act in haste. He asked the king a few questions:

“This barber has been shaving you for the past 40 years. Did he any time act with such insolence, any time?” The king said, “ No. ”

“For the past two months was there any change from the routine?” The king replied, “All through I used to sit in the northern most corner of the mango-garden, and get the shaving done. But for the past two months I am sitting in the southern most corner of the mango-garden. “

The wise minister sent for labour and got that place dug up, where the king was sitting and getting his hair-cut done for the past two months. Surprisingly, they found a very big treasure in that place. The wise minister told the king. “ It is the treasure down under that place which was responsible for the changed cheeky and insolent behaviour of the barber for the past two months. Otherwise he is innocent.”  He begged the king to pardon the barber, and the king granted pardon to the barber.

Having finished this story, the religious scholar informed as to how a wealth which is not even owned or acquired by barber, had such a great impact on the nature of the barber, just by sitting on it. Imagine, if he were to have acquired all that treasure, what impact it would have had on the nature and thinking of the barber. So a person has to have control on his nature and behaviour when God blesses a person with wealth and riches. The scholar immediately started another story.       

 Second story

Once there lived a poor man. He was uneducated and so used to work as a labourer and earn his livelihood. He was blessed with a son. He decided that his son should not suffer like him because of lack of education. Come what may, he wanted his son to get the best education and come up in life. He worked day and night and put his son in the best of schools, and colleges. Even at the cost of starving himself, he provided the best food, the best clothing and the best education for his son. Finally he made his son, an engineer. The boy got a good job, and got a good position in the society. One day, some friends, of his son, came to see his son. The old man himself served good snacks and cool drinks for them. He was thinking that his son would be telling his friends very proudly that this old man is his father, and but for his father’s  hard work and commitment, he would not be in such a good position now. He worked day and night and gave him the best education. He sacrificed all comforts of his life and gave the son all comforts of life. What ever he is today is because of his father’s effort and sacrifice. But the fact was otherwise. When his friends asked him, in English, as to who this old man is, who is serving them all with so much of affection, the son told them that the old man is an old servant of their house. When the friends of his son were going away he took one of them aside and asked him as to what all his son was telling them  about him, the father. That boy was shocked at this revelation and said, “No, he never said that you are his father; he said that you are his servant.” The old man was thunderstruck. He could not understand where he went wrong in bringing up his son. He was thinking that he did his best by denying even the smallest comfort for himself, and provided every comfort for his son. He could not understand as to where he went wrong, and what mistake he had committed. He fell down catching hold of his head, cursing himself in remorse.

The learned scholar, after completing the story, told, “The big mistake the old man committed was giving his son all the best of worldly-education, but he gave him no religious education - the education which instills the fear of God in his heart, and teaches the respect and regard which a father has to be given, and also that which teaches him what is right and what is wrong in life. The mistake is that of the father, but not the son. He did not know that “ a man without religion is like a horse without bridle.”  Immediately thereafter, he jumped to another story. I liked his panchatantra - style of teaching morals to people. There was a very good applause from among the audience.

The Third Story

It was the marriage anniversary of a young couple. They sat for taking their dinner. The wife had cooked a special dish of their choice for their supper. Just then, there was a call on the door. A beggar was asking for food saying he is hungry for the past three days. The husband told the wife to give away the complete special dish which she had made on this occasion. The wife said that some of the food made for their lunch is available; and if he permits she would give that food to the beggar. The husband said, “ What we give in charity should be our best food not a stale one, because what we are giving in charity is what we are giving to God himself, and can we give stale food to God? We can as well eat the food, that is left over out of our lunch,” Having nothing else to do, she started with the complete special dish which she had prepared with all her heart on this happy and auspicious occasion and went to the door. She opened the door, saw the beggar, and with a loud shriek fell unconscious. The husband rushed to the door, gave the dish to the beggar, sent him away, and lifted his wife, brought her into the house, laid her on the bed. He sprinkled some water drops on her face and she regained her consciousness. Then she enquired from her as to what happened that she made such a loud scream and fell unconscious. She said that it would not be to his liking. Even so, the husband said that he is ready to hear the reason.

She started, “ The moment I went to give the food to the beggar, and saw him, I got a reeling sensation and I fell unconscious because the beggar was none other than my former husband. You know that before you, I was married to another person. He is that other person. Those days, he was the richest person in the town. He was having a flourishing business. My father tried for his alliance for me and gave me in marriage to him. Because of his wealth he had become too proud. One day, which, like today, had happened to be our marriage anniversary, I prepared a special dish of his choice. Just when we sat down to eat, there was a call of a beggar on the door, telling that he is hungry for the past three days, and he be given some food to eat. My husband grew furious on this untimely call. He got into a rage, went out, thrashed the beggar, tore off his already torn rags, bet him black and blue, and came back into the house. After that he fell into very bad times. He incurred losses in his business. He finally lost everything, and became penniless, and our marriage also broke off, and I got a divorce. After a few years, my father searched for your alliance and gave me in marriage to you. And by the Grace of God I am very happy.”

The husband said, “ Now let me tell you my story. I was a poor person. Whatever business I took up, I incurred losses. Finally I lost all my capital, and  became bankrupt. I became a beggar. One night, begging from house to house, I went to one house, and gave a call for food. One person came out of that house in a rage, and beat me black and  blue, and tore off my already torn clothes. That person was none other than your former husband; and the beggar whom your husband had beaten up was I, myself. That day, after he bet me and drove me away, I cried like anything and complained to God as to why He is heaping so much of insults and ignominy on me. I prayed to God to have Mercy on me, and give me good times. I stopped begging, and started working as a labourer. From those meager earning only, I made some savings, and mustered some capital. With that capital I started a small business. God showered His Blessings on me, and my business grew by leaps and bounds. In no time, I became a rich person; purchased a big bungalow and car. Your father gave you in marriage to me, and by the Grace of God, my life became the happiest. I am highly grateful to God for answering my prayers and showering His Blessings on me. But till date, I have not forgotten that day, on which your former husband bet me black and blue for no fault of mine and insulted me. And I made it my habit never to decline any beggar, who approaches me. I give him what I eat myself. And I feed him even at the cost of myself going hungry. I have never allowed pride and vanity to touch me, since God does not like those who are proud, insolent and headstrong.

The scholar closed the story and explained the moral of the story as to how God does not like insolence and egotism and punishes those who are proud and insolent; and rewards those who are kind and generous to the poor and the indigent, and showers His Blessings and Bounties on them.

The Fourth Story

There was a Laila and her Majnu. They loved each other beyond any measure. One day, Laila donned a beautiful white dress, and was sitting with her Majnu, both completely engrossed and lost in each other, on the edge of a road. There was some rain the day before, and there was lot of mud on the road. A poor and pious person was going on the road, deeply engrossed in himself. Inadvertently, his leg fell on the mud with a thud, and few small drops of mud got spilled on the silky white dress of Laila. Laila complained to her Majnu, and Majnu got furious, ran to the poor pious person, caught hold of him, and gave him a big slap. This pious person did not say a word, he just looked to the skies, and went away. Majnu returned to his Laila like a gallant conqueror, and fell to the ground with a thud, and with an agonizing shrill cry, got paralysed and lost his speech. Laila could not understand anything, and started crying. All the passersby gathered, and enquired as to what happened. Laila explained to them as to what happened. All the people went in the direction in which the pious person had gone. Soon they overcame him, and asked him to come and see the fate of the Majnu. He came, he saw Majnu, and said,  “Majnu got wild just because a few drops of mud got spilled on his Laila’s dress and slapped me. My beloved did not tolerate my being slapped and made this fate of Majnu for life. There is nothing that I can do.’’ He proceeded on his journey.

The scholar concluded the story driving home the moral that God does not like arrogance, pride, anger, and any harm inflicted on His devotees.     

Another Classic Case of

An

Antisocial Personality.

A

leading psychiatrist writes about another classic case of an Antisocial personality. He was a 20 year old person Mr. X, whom the Psychiatrist met in a prison. Mr. X had planned, conspired and helped commit a double murder with ruthless disregard for the consequences of his action. In a very businesslike way he had persuaded a companion, a schizophrenic, who happened to be the only son of two physicians, to poison them by having them drink champagne, which the instigator had filled with Arsenic, on the parents’ wedding day anniversary night at a celebration by these four people. The police listed their death as a double suicide for more than a year. Meanwhile, a life Insurance policy of US $ 1, 50,000.00 was shared by the two youth. The reason for their eventual arrest was the need of Mr. X to impress his girl friend, by constantly boasting of his role, in killing his friend’s parents. She eventually informed the police about the crime. As a result both young men were placed on the prison ward for examination and observation. The couple’s son was diagnosed as a schizophrenic and Mr. X as a Psychopathic Personality or Anti-social personality.

During his interviews with Mr. X, the psychiatrist observed that Mr. X neither showed conscious remorse, guilt, shame nor anxiety, nor did he admit the feeling of any of these emotions. He admitted his part in the murder which, he said, was to him, an experience similar to Oscar Wilde’s, “In search of a new experience.” He did not have any remorse about his actions, except the regret he felt about being apprehended and imprisoned. He admitted seeing no wrong with the murder, stealing, or any other immoral or amoral actions, provided he or anyone else could get away with it. He showed no psychotic illness or symptoms. Hereunder I submit certain statistics and characteristics of these Antisocial Personalities (ASPs).

   1.The most disruptive of all the personality disorders is    

      this Antisocial Personality Disorder. 

2.3% of the human population has this disorder.

3.Six times as many men as women are ASPs.

Their Characteristics:

1.  Lack of remorse, guilt, or a sense of shame pertaining   

   to antisocial acts.

2. Inability to see self as others do (lack of insight), failure    

    to learn from experience.

3. Irresponsible in marital or parental roles; repeated

    failures   to achieve lasting success in school, on the job,   

    or in personal relationships.

4. Intelligent, superficially charming and likable, but   

    underneath this façade, there is a profound poverty of   

     deep and lasting emotions, particularly those involving    

     tenderness and nurturance.

5.  Often combines intelligence and charm to con and  

     manipulate others for personal gain.

6.  Extremely egocentric and self-centered.

7.  Can pretend to love or care for others but appears to be  

     lacking in genuine capacity to love.

8.  Absence of any of the classic symptoms of psychological  

     disorders such as excessive anxiety, depression,   

     irrational thought process, or hallucinations.

9.  They seem to express the attitude, “You cannot hurt me

     because I have little fear of pain.”

10.They may have far less anxiety about the possible

     consequences of punishment than most people do.

11.They act impulsively and repeatedly manifest antisocial

     behavior.

12.They like to satisfy id (id is life instincts like hunger,

      thirst, sex) instincts without regard for social mores

      (customs) and unhindered by guilt or shame. In the   

      course of their early personality development, they fail

      to acquire a superego, which causes the growth of the  

      sense of right and wrong, and the moral arm of the   

      personality. ( Freud’s theory)   

A Classic Case of

An Antisocial personality

This is in continuation of my earlier article on psychology, where I had just described the personality. Hereunder is a classic case of the same.

A person aged 40 was arrested for forgery of Cheques, and embezzlement. He was arrested along with a young woman, aged 18 years. He had married her bigamously, and she was not aware of his previous marriage. The person was already convicted twice for two previous bigamous marriages, and 40 other cases of encashing fraudulent cheques. 

He had got a job to manage a small restaurant. The complete restaurant was kept at his disposal. The owner used to stay in a neighbouring place, and would visit the restaurant at the end of every week to check on the progress of business and collect the income. He was given a quarter right on top of the restaurant, and was fixed a small salary, and a share in the income. Every night he was to deposit all the day’s collection in the bank. He did not do that. At the end of the week, just before the owner arrived, he departed with all the money. He left a series of vulgar messages scribbled on the wall, saying he had taken the money because the salary was too low. He did not make any serious attempt to escape detection. He took a lodging hardly a few blocks away from the restaurant and moved in there with his so called wife. Just a few days later he was arrested. 

During the inquiry it came to light that he had spent past few months cashing cheques in departmental stores in various cities. He would write the cheques and send his wife for encashing. He said that she was very innocent, and was not aware that he does not have any bank account. So her conduct never aroused any suspicion. He never cared to use a false name in writing the cheques or for signing the bigamous marriage contract. But he looked surprised that the police could trace him so fast. 

  

On inquiry, it came to light that his parents were financially well-to-do. He had his school education in very good private schools. They wanted to send him to the college but his academic record was not good (although on examination he was proved to be having superior intelligence). He started working as an Insurance sales-man trainee and did very well. He was a smart young man and an exceptionally fluent speaker. 

Just as he was coming up in this line he ran into trouble because he failed to deposit the premiums collected from customers. He admitted to having used up that money and spent on clothes and liquor. It did not occur to him that, in no time, the embezzlement will be noticed by the company. He grew angry as to why the company did not realize that he was planning to pay back the same from his salary. No legal action was taken. The amount was imbursed by his parents. 

Then he joined the army and underwent training. He was allotted to the infantry unit, where he again ran into trouble, for minor misconducts like drunk on duty, smuggling women into his quarters. Then he committed major misconduct like cashing fraudulent cheques. He was court- martialed and discharged from the army. 

From then on, his routine was to find a woman to support him (with or without marriage) and then running off with money to the next woman when life became too tedious. 

When his case came up for hearing he gave a long and articulate speech, pleading clemency for the young woman, who was tried with him, expressing repentance for ruining her life and and stating that he was glad to repay the society for his crimes.

000000000000000000000000000000000

 

God

Rewards

Thankfulness

O

nce upon a time, there used to be three persons from amoung the Children of Israel. One of them was a leper, another was a bald person, and the third was a blind one. God wanted to test them, and sent one angel. The angel first went to the leper, and asked him, “What is the thing that you like the most?” He replied, “I should get back my complexion, and get a beautiful skin. And I want this curse of mine to be removed from me, because of which, people do not allow me to sit with them, and hate me. The angel rubbed his hand on his body. He recouped, and his skin became bright and beautiful, and he turned into a fair-complexioned person. Then the angel asked him, “What is the wealth that you like the most?” He replied, “I like a camel.”  The angel gave him a pregnant she-camel, and prayed to God to bless his camel with abundance.

Then the angel went to the bald person and asked, “What do you like the most?” He replied, “I should get very good hair on my head, and I should not remain bald. I should be relieved of this curse, because of which, people do not like me.” The angel moved his hand on his head. His baldness was gone and beautiful and profuse black hair appeared on his head. Then the angel asked him, “What wealth do you want?” He asked for a cow, and the angel gave him a pregnant cow, and prayed to God to bless his cow with abundance.

Then the angel went to the blind person and asked, “What do you like the most?” He replied, “I want that God should give me eyes and bless me with sight, such that I can see all people.” The angel moved his hand on his eyes. His blindness was gone and he was able to see with his eyes. Then the angel asked him, “What wealth do you want?” He asked for a goat, and the angel gave him a pregnant goat, and prayed to God to bless his goat with abundance.

God blessed the animals of all three people so much that their respective fields were full of their cattle,  in a very short span of time, and they all became highly affluent. Then, by order of God, the angel went to the leper with the same face, with which he had met him earlier, and said to the leper, “I am a poor person and I lost all my wealth and luggage in my journey. I have no means to reach my place other than God and you. I beg of you, in the name of the God, who blessed you with a bright and beautiful skin, to give me one camel such that I return to my place riding on it.” He said, “Get lost. I have so many obligations on me and have to take care of so many people, and there is no provision to give you anything from me.” The angel said, “I think that I know you. Were you not a leper once, because of which people used to hate you? And were you not a poor and indigent person, and then God blessed you with lot of wealth?” He replied, “What nonsense! My wealth has come to me from my rich and affluent ancestors. My father and forefathers used to be very rich people.” Then the angel said, “If you are lying, I pray to God to revert you to your old position.” Immediately God retuned him to his original position. Then the angel approached the bald person, and begged similarly, and he too gave the same answer. And the angel said, “If you are lying, may God, the Almighty, return you to your previous condition!” Instantly, he too lost his everything and was back to his original status.

The angel, then, approached the blind person, with the same face, with which he had met him first, and said, “I am a traveler and wayfarer. I lost everything of mine on the way. I have nobody to fall back upon, except God and you. I beg you in the name of the God, who restored your sight, to give me one goat, such that I can sell it and with that money commence my journey and reach my place and my people.” The blind person said, “Indeed I was a blind person. God has, out of His utmost kindness and Mercy, blessed me with sight again. You take as much as you want, and leave as much as you want. By God! I shall not deny you anything you want.” The angel said, “You keep all your wealth with you. I do not want anything from you. God only intended to test you. You came out successful and God is happy with you.”

God says,

 “For those who are thankful to Me, I give them far more.”

This story was narrated by Prophet (p).

MYSTERIOUS REWARD

A person was going in a forest. Suddenly he heard a voice in the cloud above, saying, “Give water to the garden of a Mr. X.” The cloud followed the voice; it rained very heavily in a land where there were only stones. All the water accumulated into a stream, and the stream moved ahead. This person followed that stream. At the end of it, he found that there was a person standing in his garden and collecting this water with a shovel and watering his garden. He met that person and asked him, his name. He told the same name as he had heard being told to that cloud. The person, in the Garden, asked as to why he inquired his name. He replied, “In the cloud, from which this water has come, I heard a voice which instructed the cloud to give water to your garden. Please tell me what do you do that you have become so dearer to God.” He replied, “Now that you have asked, I am compelled to tell. I take stock of the complete produce from this garden. I divide it into three parts. One third of it, I give away in charity to the needy. One-third of it, I keep for myself and my family. The remaining one-third, I use for sowing in the same garden.”

God is great! What a surprise that God, by his Kindness and Mercy, arranges for the needs and accomplishes the works, of the people, who are obedient and devoted to Him, mysteriously, without the knowledge of anybody, and even the devotee himself! 

This was a story narrated by Prophet(p).