Worldly Desires

Some fishermen were catching fish. A kite swooped down and snatched a fish. At the sight of the fish, about a thousand crows chased the kite and made a great noise with their cawing. Whichever way the kite flew with the fish, the crows followed it.

The kite flew to the south and the crows followed it there. The kite flew to the north and still the crows followed after it. The kite went east and west, but with the same result. As the kite began to fly about in confusion, the fish dropped from its mouth.

The crows at once let the kite alone and flew after the fish. Thus relieved of its worries, the kite sat on the branch of a tree and thought: “The fish was the root cause of all my troubles. I have now got rid of it and therefore, I am at peace.”

In the same way, as long as we aspire for worldly desires, we must perform actions and consequently suffer from worry, anxiety and restlessness. No sooner do we renounce these desires, then our activities fall away and we enjoy supreme peace.

It is indeed foolish to ask the Lord for tinsel and trash when he has come to give us the treasure of liberation. Let us keep our hands free to clasp the feet of the Lord firmly in order to reach our ultimate goal.