FILL TO THE FULL

                          In ancient India, students had to stay with the teacher (Guru) for years for formal education. Periodically, there would be tests to evaluate the students and assess their progress and sometimes to teach them a new lesson of life. One morning, a Guru asked his three students to fill their rooms fully before the evening. He said he would inspect their rooms in the evening and announce the result of the test. The students thought seriously about the test and went in different directions in search of suitable materials to fill their rooms to the full.

                          One of them searched everywhere and finally reached the filthy dumping ground. He collected the waste materials from the pit and filled his room with the foul-smelling filth. The second student saw a  heap of hay stacked to feed the cows. He carried the hay in several lots and filled his room to the full. 

                          The third student was wiser and remained quite calm in his room. When the teacher was about to arrive, the third student lit a candle and ignited some incense-sticks and placed them at the centre of his room and awaited the arrival of the teacher.

                          The teacher could feel the foul smell from the room of the first student from afar. He closed his nose and asked him to clean his room thoroughly and immediately. He reached the second boy’s room and asked him to carry the hay back to its place to feed the cattle. He entered the third boy’s room and was filled with joy and enjoyed the bright and brilliant candlelight that filled the dark room and the fine fragrance from the incense that enriched the ambience of the room.

                          Later, the teacher summoned his students to communicate his comments about their actions. He congratulated the third boy for an intelligent interpretation of his order. He criticized the first boy for his foolish execution of his order and polluting the whole area with the stench of rotting dirt. The second boy, he said, had done a useless and selfish work which deprived the cattle of their essential fodder.

                          Our hearts may be filled with vices such as selfishness, hatred, pride, envy and enmity. We must fill our hearts with the fine fragrance and brilliant radiance of a clear conscience and genuine love towards everyone around us.

                          Jesus taught, “Your light must shine before people, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in Heaven” {Matthew 5: 16}.

Mother Teresa prayed, “Dear Jesus, help us to spread Your fragrance everywhere we go.”

                          St.Paul says, “ God uses us to make the knowledge about Christ spread everywhere like a sweet fragrance. For we are like a sweet-smelling incense offered by Christ to God, which spreads among those who are being saved and those who are being lost” {2 Corinthians 2: 14, 15}.

                          He advises, “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may be innocent and pure as God’s perfect children, who live in a world of corrupt and sinful people. You must shine among them like stars lighting up the sky, as you offer them the message of life” {Philippians 2: 14-16}.

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©By: Dr. Babu Philip, Professor, Cochin University of Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue, Kochi-682016, Kerala, India and Leo. S. John, Maniparambil, Ooriyakunnath, Kunnumbhagom, Kanjirappally, Kottayam-686507, Kerala, India.

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This is Story No. 195 in the second site. Please click ‘Older Posts’ at the bottom of a page to read previous stories and click 'Newer Posts' at the bottom of a page to read newer stories in this site. Please click on a word in the 'Story Themes' to read stories on that theme.