A country had a cruel
but compulsory custom. Every man who attains the age of seventy five years was
to be sent to the forest where he would spend the remaining years of his life
practicing renunciation of all pleasures and meditation to attain salvation. As
the custom prevailed for centuries, no one dared to question it or disobey it.
It was deemed to be a divine decision.
An old man celebrated
his 75th birthday and tearfully bid farewell to his family. His eldest son accompanied
him in the long and arduous journey through the thorny bushes. The old man
carried a knife with him and he was carefully cutting down the thorny plants on
either side of the narrow path. Finally they reached the dense forest and while
departing, the son asked him why he was cutting the thorny twigs on the way.
The loving father replied, “It was to make your return journey safe and
comfortable.”
The son was deeply moved by the tender care
his father was showing to him even when he was abandoning the old father in the
forest to lead a painful life in a dangerous jungle with uncertain future. The
incident opened his eyes. Returning home, he talked to his friends and
relatives about the desperate plight of the old people they abandoned for the
sake of complying with a cruel custom. Gradually, his mission found results.
The people began to think about the cruelty of their traditional ritual. The
matter was discussed in the king’s court and respecting the opinion of the
majority, the king proclaimed that the custom shall not continue. He sent his
troops to bring the abandoned old men back to their homes. The citizens gladly
followed the army and they could trace many old men from different parts of the
dense forest. But the loving old father could not be found anywhere. At last,
his son spotted parts of his clothes near a cave. He rushed to examine the
clothes but they were found to be stained with blood. It was obvious that the
old man had fallen prey to some wild carnivore. The sad citizens returned to
their country in silence, but enlightened in spirit.
One of the 'ten commandments'
obeyed by the Jews as the word of God was “Respect your father and your mother, so that
you may live a long time in the land that I am giving you."
We must honour our
parents with all our heart, and never forget how much they suffered to bring us
up. We owe our life to them. How can we ever repay them for all they have done
for us?
...............................................................................................................................................
© By Dr. Babu Philip,
Professor, Cochin University of Science & Technology, Fine Arts Avenue,
Kochi-682016, Kerala, India, Prof. Mrs. Rajamma Babu,
Former Professor, St. Dominic's College, Kanjirappally and Leo. S. John,
Maniparambil, Ooriyakunnath, Kunnumbhagom, Kanjirappally, Kottayam-686507, Kerala , India
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