A fisherman named chandi lived near the sea – shore. Chandi had to work hard for a living. After a whole day’s fishing he would sell fish to the people around and earn a little money for his bread and butter. In spite of his poverty he was very helpful to people in need.
One day while he was fishing, the Sea – God appeared and told him that he was very happy with his helpful and selfless behaviour and rewarded him with some gifts. Chandi was very surprised but he sold the gifts and got good money for it. The Sea- god appeared regularly and bestowed chandi with expensive gifts. Chandi became very rich, but this did not change him. He remained as selfless as ever before. Then the Sea- God also stopped appearing.
After a long interval, the Sea- God appeared to him and said:
“Chandi, I am very happy with your behaviour. Today I am so happy that anything you ask for, I will not only give it to you, but to everybody in this world.”
Chandi at once gladdened, but then thought for a while. He was struck with an evil thought. The devil started working in his mind. Chandi thought that at the cost of his behaviour, it was not proper that other people should get the benefit of Sea- God’s. gifts. Moreover, if everybody benefited by the gifts that he asked for, he would not get richer than the people around him. Then what was the use of the gift to him?
Chandi turned to the Sea- god and told him that he would ask for the gift some other day. The Sea- god read Chandi’s jealous and selfish mind. So instead of granting him his wish, he cursed him.
Needless to say, chandi became poor again. His selfishness destroyed him.
It is rightly said, “Love they neighbour as theyself. Be selfless and care for the good of others also because when a man goes down in self,he goes up in God.”
So, when we think of owning something for the benefit of ourselves only. We are said to be selfish. Our actions aim at only helping ourselves. All of us are selfish to some degree. In our day to day life we show selfishness. We do not realise what selfishness can lead to.
It is perfectly in order to think of your progress, but that progress must not come at the cost of others. Your gain should not be someone’s loss. When you prosper by being unfair to others you deprive them of their share of fortune. This creates ill will amongst the deprived and creates unrest in society.
A factory owner builds great business with the co-operation and hard work of his workmen. If he does not care for their needs and becomes insensitive to their difficuties, he is sure to face some unrest. He may lose their loyalty and the production may suffer.
His selfish behaviour will encourage dishonesty.
Thus selfishness is the root of many evils. The offences like hoarding, black – marketing and cheating raise their ugly face. An unhappy community and society has grown around us. Selfishness has grown to an alarming extent among human beings. An unhealthy race has begun indeed for possessing more and more.
We must bear this fact in mind that we are all God’s creatures. So, it is our duty to care for everything created by God and we must share God’s gifts gladly with others as we share everything in the family. We should share with the larger family. We should share with the larger family of human beings. If all the people learn to care for and share things with others, most of the selfishness will vanish.
In your childhood, if you learn to share things with your classmates and friends, it will give you a sound training in the art of thinking for others and sharing with others.
If you do good to others or share something with others for some reward, you will still be selfish. You give aims to beggars and you expect them to be always grateful to you, praise you and honour you. These are acts of selfishness. God is selfless. He does not make any difference. He is all- just.
Like the fisherman of the story in this lesson, we want to be different and wish for better comforts than our friends and neighbours. This is clearly selfishness. We should wish them well too and never look down upon them.