On his way down to the river bank, Dr. Krishna chats with a young man from the village. They wind their way down the sandy embankment, as do many others this morning. The expanse of flowing water is grand. Countless diamonds of flashing light are reflected by the rising sun. They both stop. Silent, they behold what they see everyday anew. A donkey carrying a load of laundry down to the water nudges the doctor back to life. Both men laugh as they jump ahead and continue along the path.
"What is it to have a mind of a god?" the young man asks as they stand once again, though this time with feet in the cooling water.
"Why do you ask this?" puzzles Dr. Krishna.
"I heard it said that though we may be men, we are Truly gods. I heard it said that though we may think like a god, we remain mortal men. Which is it?"
"I cannot give you an answer," admits the lanky brown man, now up to his knees, now holding his clothes above the water with one hand and slapping the clear surface with the other, "I do know that a good man must have intelligence, compassion and perseverance. Perhaps a god has the perfect balance of these three ingredients of goodness?"
The younger man nods. "I have been told: by your wisdom and your intelligence you have made riches for yourself; You have put gold and silver into your treasuries. By your great wisdom applied to your trading you have heaped up your riches; your heart has grown haughty from your riches?"
"Yes, one has used intelligence with perseverance to build the ego, to create a majestic palace for it dressed in fine materials and a cellar full of gold, possibly at the expense of others. Noteworthy by all mortal standards, indeed. However, all of it acquired without compassion", says Dr. Krishna. Small fish dart about their bare legs. The sun light grows stronger. There are more people down by the river. Smiling, he continues, "With compassion one does not take, but gives freely, effortlessly and thankfully. A rich man's wisdom is always flawed. Perhaps that is the lesser god for whom you are warned? And it is this arrogant mind that will always suffer ruin, loss and death. Without compassion, without putting others before the needs of oneself, intellect is wasted and perseverance is for nought."
The other man reflects on his words. They stand unmoving in silence as the sun climbs higher.
"It's getting too hot, we should return," offers the good doctor, who leads the other man back to the shore. The youth merely follows in silence, wondering why he had set off on the path to riches, wondering if it wasn't too late to give up the pretences of this lesser god to know joy.
"What is it to have a mind of a god?" the young man asks as they stand once again, though this time with feet in the cooling water.
"Why do you ask this?" puzzles Dr. Krishna.
"I heard it said that though we may be men, we are Truly gods. I heard it said that though we may think like a god, we remain mortal men. Which is it?"
"I cannot give you an answer," admits the lanky brown man, now up to his knees, now holding his clothes above the water with one hand and slapping the clear surface with the other, "I do know that a good man must have intelligence, compassion and perseverance. Perhaps a god has the perfect balance of these three ingredients of goodness?"
The younger man nods. "I have been told: by your wisdom and your intelligence you have made riches for yourself; You have put gold and silver into your treasuries. By your great wisdom applied to your trading you have heaped up your riches; your heart has grown haughty from your riches?"
"Yes, one has used intelligence with perseverance to build the ego, to create a majestic palace for it dressed in fine materials and a cellar full of gold, possibly at the expense of others. Noteworthy by all mortal standards, indeed. However, all of it acquired without compassion", says Dr. Krishna. Small fish dart about their bare legs. The sun light grows stronger. There are more people down by the river. Smiling, he continues, "With compassion one does not take, but gives freely, effortlessly and thankfully. A rich man's wisdom is always flawed. Perhaps that is the lesser god for whom you are warned? And it is this arrogant mind that will always suffer ruin, loss and death. Without compassion, without putting others before the needs of oneself, intellect is wasted and perseverance is for nought."
The other man reflects on his words. They stand unmoving in silence as the sun climbs higher.
"It's getting too hot, we should return," offers the good doctor, who leads the other man back to the shore. The youth merely follows in silence, wondering why he had set off on the path to riches, wondering if it wasn't too late to give up the pretences of this lesser god to know joy.
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