The Hungry Dog

On a hot sunny day in an empty street of Baghdad lied a poor dying dog. Next to him was an Arab man named Shahid, weeping grievously. Another man walked by him and asked Shahid why he was weeping.

Shahid replied, "My dog is dying. He is famished. He was an excellent companion, very loyal to me. He hunted my food during the day and guarded the house during the night. He was a great hunter and made sure no thief ever entered my house."

'So what is the problem, Is he injured?" asked the man.

Shahid replied, " no, he is not injured. He is dying of hunger. He hasn't eaten for sometime. He is so hungry that he can't move."

"May Allah give you the strength to withstand the loss of your dog. May you find another worthy dog like him again", said the man.

Shahid and that man watched the dog as he lied there in pain and hunger. Suddenly, the man noticed that Shahid was carrying a bag over his shoulder. The man asked Shahid, " what's in that bag?"

" Oh that is the leftover food from my dinner last night. I am carrying it home so that I have something to eat tonight", said Shahid.

" Surely there is some portion of food that you can share with the dog. Why let him die of hunger?"

Shahid was surprised by that comment and replied, " I don't love him that much that i give away my own food. I find it hard to give away something before I get anything in return. But, tears are free so that is all that I can give to him!"

The man was shocked to hear this and shouted, " What kind of selfish soul are you? How could you even think that a roti is more valuable that a single teardrop? Don't you know that it is the sorrows of our heart which get manifested as tears? May you go to hell!"

Shahid stood still as that man walked away in disgust. He was shaken but still could not understand the wisdom imparted by the stranger.

The END

Learnings

1. Sometimes, we behave is very weird and irrational ways. We face situations that give immense pain to ourselves and maybe also to people around us. We may even know that we are not behaving rationally. Yet there is some selfishness, insecurity or EGO which stops us from doing the right thing. We keep suffering but refuse to change. This inability to let go of smaller things and focussing on the larger picture is at the root of most human suffering.

2. Our inability to focus on the larger picture results from some deep seated belief within us which makes us repeat a behavioral pattern repeatedly. If you remember the story of the cow, despite knowing that there will be abundant food for him the next morning, the cow used to loose all the nourishment due to excess worry in the night. Most of the times we "Know' the right thing to do yet cant bring ourselves to do it. In order to do the right thing, we have to give up this deep seated inner belief which is holding us back. Think about what is that inner belief which is holding you back? Most of the times, it is about deep seated fear, resentment or not trusting ourselves enough.

3. Several times, a detached stranger can look at our situation and give a brutally honest feedback. In this case, the passerby could see the stupidity of Shahid's actions and the futility of his suffering. Shahid's sufferig could end with just sharing a small portion of his food. But, his selfishness and insecurity is not allowing him to do the right thing. So both him and the dog suffer. Sometimes, we need that strangers perspective who can give us a view of our problems from a distance.

STORY CREDIT: This story has its source in the six volumes of Masnavi by Jalalu'din Rumi, translated by Maryam Mafi