A priest and a servant worked in a temple. The priest performed puja to the deity while the servant washed and cleaned the temple. Once the servant thought-
‘This priest is an ordinary man like me. But he has the good fortune of touching the deity and offering puja. But my work is to wash the steps of the temple. Why is this discrimination?’
The stone step of the temple too thought on similar vein. The step asked God-
“I am a stone. The deity in the temple is also made of stone. People offer worship to that stone image while they step on me, Why?”
God answered-
“To become an idol worthy of worship, the stone has to receive several blows. If the stone is chiselled on one side it becomes the step, if it is chiselled on two sides , it becomes the door frame, if it is chiselled on three sides it becomes the seat of God. When the stone is chiselled on all the four sides, it becomes the idol to be worshipped.
The stone receives several painful blows before it reaches this final stage of divinity.
You who could not bear the pain of the blows remained a step.”
If we have to achieve something in life we have to suffer pain and loss.We should look at our difficulties from a positive point of view and gain happiness.
We are mere sculptures. Based on our efforts, God, the sculptor shapes our lives.
Translated by : Dr. Sharada Jayagovind