Theme: Taking credit for someone’s effort. Know this:
(1) Very often people claim credit for some good work done by others.
(2) Motive for such wrong doing is profit.
(3) This takes place systematically in work places and research establishments.
(4) Some times, circumstances might bring you the credit of some one else’s effort. You should resist the temptation to take the credit.
(5) Like the lies would, some time, this habit will bring upon a disaster.
Theme: Taking credit for someone’s effort.
Short Story 18
The saint
This story, like many others in this book is based on a real life incident.It was a small village in the southern part of Tamilnadu, in India. This part of the country had seen several saints. Some of them had powers called SIDHDHI. With these powers the saints, it is believed, can perform supernatural feats.
Majority of these saints hail from the common people. But yet, no one understands as to how these few get such powers.
Many believe that they have not only supernatural and super human powers but also the science of converting one object to another.
A simple peasant had a quarrel with his wife.He left his home and village. He drifted from one place to another.
One day, in a distant village, people found this man lying in a semiconscious state near a small temple. Some took pity and fed him. Some other person put him in a shelter near the temple.
Some one gave him a bath and covered him with a better cloth.People started enquiring who that person receiving a lot of public attention was. There was speculation about his origin, his nature and mission that sent him to their village.
Ultimately, the news which crossed the boundaries of the village described him as a saint who hardly spoke. He had spiritual powers. He cured any ill health.
The news reached his village. Some more villagers joined to take care of this saintly person and his name and fame spread all over the region.
One day suddenly, the saint was found dead in a pool of blood.The press people poured into that tiny village. Top cops visited the village. The police acted swiftly. Police dogs were pressed into service. After all, it involved the murder of a saint, in whom people had immense faith. Even in his murder, there was no dearth of speculation.
It took the cops hardly a day to capture the culprits.
The press briefing reads as follows:
Two men from a nearby village heard of this saint that he had supernatural and spiritual powers. Also that he knew alchemy by which iron can be turned into gold.
They brought some bananas, flowers and such objects used in worship. They kept a watch and identified the time when the saint was all alone.
The previous night they visited him with fruits & flowers and woke up the sleeping saint. They offered the fruits which he ate. Then they displayed the Crowbar they brought along and requested the saint to turn it into a Gold bar.
He looked at the crowbar for a long time and did nothing more. The twosome pleaded with the saint. They grew desperate with the passage of time. In another hour, the sun would rise.
One of the two became angry and knocked the saint with the crowbar. The saint collapsed on the floor in a pool of blood. Not knowing what to do, they left everything behind and ran away. The police dog located them in a nearby jungle.
Those arrested were taken into judicial custody.On the following day, the body of the slain old peasant sent for post-mortem was received and buried by the villagers.
The story ends here.The poor and mentally deranged peasant enjoyed his life for some time on the assumption that he was some saint but that was not true. The same wrong notion was responsible for his miserable end too.
The lesson is that, do not accept an honor or title that you do not deserve.