The Buddha once narrated a short story from his previous birth.
There lived a rich businessman who loved his only son so much that he always stayed with him. Even on his business trips, he never stayed overnight. He longed to be with his child.
One day he happened to return a little late in the evening. To his shock he saw his house burnt and villagers had gathered around his home.
“What happened?” asked he.
“The bandits broke into many houses and after taking the valuables, they set fire to the village,” said an old lady.
Grieving and walking around the house, he found a corpse and mistaking it for his son wept till his shirt was wet. He organized a pyre and performed the last rites of his son.
A little after midnight, the son who was taken away by the bandits, escaped from their hideout and reached his home.
“Daddy, open the door,” he cried by the window, in the pale moonlight.
The businessman thinking that he was dreaming of his dead son said, “Go away.” And later went back to sleep, grieving.
The boy left after some time. And the two never met again.
“Sometimes we cling to something we think is the truth and when the real moment of truth arrives, we don’t believe it,” said the Buddha concluding the story.
Notes: We often live in our own world of make believe, refusing to see the reality. If only we could suspend our beliefs and see things as they are, we’d be a lot better. Many a time in life, we refuse to face the truth. We become blind. We must clean up our minds as we would clean a window. Only then can we see the truth clearly.
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