Finding a Teacher

Sometimes in life we look for a teacher, someone to show us the way. We look for specific preconceived people. We don’t look at everyone. We can learn something from just about everyone in our lives, good lessons and bad ones. People come into our lives for reasons. It is up to us to open our eyes and learn.

Here is an old teaching story i recently read.

Every summer in India is a rainy season; some years there are huge monsoons that flood the Ganges. When that happens, whole towns go under water. Houses float dangerously down the street and there is a great loss of human and animal life.

One year, a devout Brahmin was in his house when the flood waters were approaching. The headman of the village came and said, “It’s time to leave.”

The Brahmin replied, “I trust in God alone. He will take care of me.” And he refused to leave.

The waters got higher and higher. Finally some people came by in boats and asked him to leave. The Brahmin replied, “I trust in God alone. I don’t need your boats.”

By now the Brahmin was sitting on the roof of his house. A log came bobbing along downstream with another Brahmin holding on for dear life. The second Brahmin said, “Jump, sir. Join me.”

The first Brahmin replied, “I trust in God alone. God will save me.”

Then a helicopter with some foreign aid workers came and hovered overhead, offering to drop a line. “Go away,” the Brahmin said. “I can’t touch your line because you are untouchables. Besides, I trust in God alone. He will save me.”

Finally the Brahmin drowned. Shortly thereafter he appeared at the gates of heaven where he met one of the Hindu gods. “I prayed to you,” he said. “Why didn’t you help me?”

“What do you mean?” the god replied. “I sent you the headman of the village, but you were too arrogant. I sent people in boats, but you were too stubborn. I sent your fellow Brahmin on a log, but you were too foolish. I sent foreign aid workers, but you were too proud. What else could I do?”

The story shows that help is there is we only choose to look and see it. To not allow pride to blind you. Teachers can be found around us all the time…and don’t forget nature. Nature teachers marvelous lessons if you only take the time to look.