Nothing Beats Pure Love – A man went to visit a friend at his house. The friend’s little granddaughter was sitting next to a fruit basket, holding an apple in each hand. The man looked at the little girl with a smile and said, “My dear doll, please give me an apple too.”
The little girl looked at the visitor and began to bite into one apple. Then, she quickly cut a piece from the other apple and began to chew on it as well. The visitor did not like this behaviour. He thought to himself, “How clever this girl is! She ate both apples at once so that she wouldn’t have to give them to anyone.”
He began to think about teaching the girl a lesson in manners. He was sitting on the sofa when the girl came up to him, offered him one of the apples, and said in a lisping tone, “Take this apple; it’s sweeter.”
The child’s unconditional love and affection made his own knowledge and experience seem insignificant. No matter how knowledgeable or experienced we are, we must give others a chance to complete a task or speak before jumping to conclusions. A hasty decision or conclusion can be misleading.
Often, we quickly form wrong opinions about others, which may not be in our best interest. Such conclusions also hinder the development of good relationships. In any case, not appreciating or giving importance to feelings is a sign of a lack of love within us. Only those who truly love themselves can understand someone’s love. If we try to find fault with someone’s affectionate behaviour, we are truly heartless.
We must cherish noble human values. While etiquette and discipline are no less important, all other values pale in comparison to intimacy and selfless behaviour. What greater moral value could there be than giving the best to others while remaining content with lesser things yourself? Consider a mother who will lie on a wet bed all night but keep her young child protected from cold and dampness, or who will struggle to feed her children under all circumstances, even if she herself has to go hungry.
There is no greater thing than caring for others, in any form. Some people might consider the apple girl’s action a flaw, but in the context of a child, is it really a flaw? Absolutely not. It is the feeling, not the method, that matters.
When Shabari, the Bhilni devotee, heard of Lord Rama’s arrival, she tasted and kept the sweetest berries for Him. Because of her devotion, Lord Rama gladly accepted them. Her devotion is still remembered as unmatched, and her character is considered legendary.
How good it would be if we too gave up petty feelings and lived with the innocence of the apple girl or the devotion of Shabari.
