THE POWER OF GOOD DEEDS
A poor wood-cutter was on his way home, after a long, hard day’s work in the forest. On his head he carried a big bundle of wood – the fruit of his toil.
On the lonely forest track that evening, he saw a tapasvi, a holy man, coming towards him. Courteously, he stepped aside to let the holy man pass.
“Drop the bundle down!” the holy man said to the wood cutter.
Astonished, as well as puzzled, the poor man did as he was told.
“Untie the knot!” came the next instruction.
Lo and behold! As the bundle was untied, a deadly, venomous snake came out of the logs. The wood-cutter shrieked with fear and horror at the sight of the snake but it crept away quietly into the undergrowth and disappeared.
Still shaking with fright, the wood-cutter fell at the feet of the holy man.
“Master!” he exclaimed, “You saved my life!”
“You are mistaken,” replied the holy man quietly. “Tell me, did you perform a good deed today?”
“Alas master! All day long I worked hard cutting wood! It is not for humble ones like me to perform good deeds,” replied the wood cutter.
“Think again,” urged the holy man. “You must have done something special today!”
The man’s eyes widened in remembrance. “O master! I grew hungry and I sat down to eat my meal. I had two rotis with me. As I began to eat, a poor man came by. He told me he had not eaten for the last two days – poor soul! I shared one of my rotis with him. Apart from this, I have performed no good deed at all!”
The holy man blessed the poor wood-cutter.
“Brother,” he said, ‘today, you were to die of this snake. But your good deed has saved you from death, and blessed you with a new lease of life!”
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