Namaste, Welcome to SAM-VAD (Together In Conversation), as we begin today ‘let us remember this about ‘Attention’.
Our life experience would ultimately amount to whatever we had paid attention to. Attention: is important and most of the times we are so indifferent to it. It is as fundamental as food; and we go blundering about, seeking ways to assuage the craving, instead of learning how to provide ourselves with what we need, sensibly and calmly. We feed the hunger blindly. Once the mechanism is brought to our attention and we begin to study it, it is as if a veil has been stripped off ordinary life, and we become freer in our action and choices.
We are all limited by our habits and if we are captive to our poor behaviour and make excuses, no amount of ambition, innovation or motivation will be of any use.
This week I bring to your attention a tale titled ‘After a Swim’ by Idries Shah. This tale draws our attention to such a situation.
After A Swim
Once upon a time there was a cat that lived in a field beside a wide, wide river. He often wished that he could swim because, that way, he might cross the river, reaching the large and well-stocked pigeon-house, which was on the other side.
The cat spoke to the horse, ‘If only I knew who could swim and who liked sweet juicy corn,’ as that delectable golden corn is really wasted on those fat foolish pigeons.
‘What a coincidence’, said the horse. ‘I’m thinking of swimming across the river, to graze on some of that lovely ripening corn on the other side.’
Picturing the feast he would have the cat made a proposition. ‘Perhaps you could take me along on your back?’ and in next to no time the horse and the cat were in the water.
On the opposite bank, the horse slowly started to graze. While the cat immediately leapt upon the pigeons.
In just a few a seconds, the cat had caught several birds. In a few seconds more, he had gorged himself. And in a matter of minutes he was fit to burst.
Unable to eat another mouthful, the cat started to yowl as loud as he could. ‘What delicious birds those were!’ he sobbed. ‘Shhh!’ cried the horse, still munching.
But the cat kept on making a terrible din. ‘Keep the noise down!’ hissed the horse, his mouth full of corn.
‘The villagers will come out, if they hear this awful racket. And they will do us all sorts of harm!’
But the cat kept on yowling on the top of his voice. ‘Please stop it!’ gasped the horse. ‘You don’t understand the damage you are doing…’
‘I simply cannot help it, my friend,’ screeched the cat, the tears still streaming from his eyes. ‘I always do this after I have eaten; It’s simply the way I am.’
The horse was extremely annoyed. It took him longer than the cat to eat his fill. And he was not yet ready to leave the delicious cornfield.
But the cat continued to caterwaul. And it wasn’t long before the villagers heard his cries.
They came charging into the cornfield, brandishing sticks and hurling stones, giving the horse no option but to stop eating. With the cat on his back, he fled across the river once more.
‘You’ve ruined everything!’ the horse complained to his companion. ‘Now we can’t go back, and I am still hungry.’ ‘I have told you,’ gasped the dripping feline, as they scrambled up the river bank. ‘It is simply the way I am. It’s a habit I have.’
Suddenly, the horse dropped to the ground. And started to roll on the grass…trapping the cat beneath him.
‘Stop it!’ gasped the cat. ‘You are squashing me!’ ‘I can feel my backbone crunching!’ ‘You don’t understand the damage you are doing…’
‘Oh well, my friend,’ whinnied the horse. ‘It is simply the way I am. It’s a habit I have.’
I am sure that you will enjoy reading this wonderfully illustrated book; you can buy your copy from the following link
https://idriesshahfoundation.org/books/after-a-swim/
Enjoy reading it with your family, friends and near and dear one’s.
Before concluding today’s episode please pay attention to these words of a Storyteller.
My stories require, at this stage, no extra commentary, imaginings, or guesswork by you, me, or anyone else. The very worst would be that of moralizing. To explain away is to forget. Thus, let the stories which you can remember do their own work by their very diversity. Familiarize yourself with them.
Concluding today’s post and podcast episode, I thank all who take time out and read (the blog post) and listen to the episodes each week. For those who listen and have not subscribed to the podcast I suggest you do and click on the bell icon so that you can be notified for all the new episodes that get uploaded every week.
Namaste.
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