OUR SANDALWOOD-LOADS



















In life, everything has two sides to it: a ‘weight’ and a ‘value’. Everything, including our problems in life!

I was reading an article this morning, where I came across this advice of Lord Krishna to Arjuna:



“A donkey knows the weight of the sandalwood-load on its back,


 but does not know its value!”



I just stopped reading… and smiled!


Something was pressing me so hard, right since I woke up this morning, that I was finding it difficult to concentrate… 


Life means problems… Problems means Life!


Both are inseparable… 


This means, when we wake up, we should not be surprised to see a new problem standing at our door…

Because, such is Life… 


A new surprise, for each new day!


But, it doesn’t happen that way… We not only get surprised, we also get angry and upset when the new problem is thrust on our back, each morning!


So, this morning, when I saw a new problem – a new load - waiting for me to carry her on my back… like the donkey, I immediately became aware of the ‘weight’ of my problem and began to groan: “No, not again!”… “Why me?”… “It is too much!”… “It is unfair!”… And, in the midst of my groaning, all that I was able to see and feel was the ‘heavy load’ on my back… My ‘burden’!


The article was, in deed, a Godsend!


“My child, I have placed this bundle of sandalwood on your back… You are my vehicle… You serve me!”… This was what I heard Lord Krishna telling me through the article, this morning. “See the value, feel it,” He was advising me, His Arjuna!


It took just a happy smile to do away the ‘weight’ of my sandalwood-load on my back… and, I stopped groaning, “Look Lord, don’t use me… Sandalwood maybe of value to You… not to me!”


I am a Christian. And, I have been raised to believe that my Lord, Jesus Christ, had carried His Cross -  His crushing burden – for me, His disciple! 


I am shocked to see the truth of this belief: “I have been ‘using’ my Master, my Lord, to carry my sandalwood-load on His back… all this while; yes, for my own salvation!”




Our problems are our sandalwood-loads… 


Yes, like everything else in life, 


they have two sides: a weight and a value!


  





We only need to be some smart donkeys in order to recognize the value of our loads … the sandalwood!


And yes, even if we think we are carrying it for ‘someone else’!




GERALD D’CUNHA


Pics.: Vivek D'Cunha


Comments

POOJA JOSHI said…
Gerry, it is a valuable post; you have said it so beautifully! Thank you.
- POOJA
December 8, 2012 at 5:23 PM
Kunal Mirani said…
Nice post sir. Inspiring. Kunal
December 8, 2012 at 5:43 PM
Hrishi Mehra said…
true, our problems contain a great value which we tend to ignore under their weight. good piece of writing. keep it up. Hrishi
December 8, 2012 at 6:06 PM
Sunil Gupta said…
A good perspective on problems in life. Thanks a ton sir. Sunil
December 9, 2012 at 5:09 PM
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