We are taught to respect all life. We learn polite and good manners from a young age. This is insufficient. We need to know and understand the intrinsic value of all life. Then honor for all life flows effortlessly. The first step in learning to honor others is in right speech and behavior. As we continue on our journey in life, we learn the value of all life. Then we honor Life. Honor is appreciation or knowing the worth of the other person or thing. It comes from within. It is a flow of respect from the heart and not just by words.
All creation, animate and inanimate respond to respect and honor. We know from our personal experience that when we respect and honor others, they too respond likewise. Animals and birds too respond to kindness and love. Even wild animals become gentle when exposed to love and peace as when they are in presence of saints, enlightened gurus and experienced trainers. Cows give more milk when touched lovingly on regular basis. Plants respond to loving talks, touch and music by growing faster and yielding more produce. Metals and instruments too respond to loving touch, talks and proper maintenance. They display sensitivity to treatment and usage. This is a story about a bull and his master which teaches us the lesson of honoring all life:
Once upon a time, in north India, a beautiful strong calf was born in a farm. Since he was pure bred, strong and beautiful, he was bought by a rich merchant. The calf was gentle and loving with all. He was named Ananda or Delightful by his owner due to his nature. The merchant was very fond of Ananda and took good care of him. Ananda grew up to be a big strong bull. He appreciated the love and care bestowed on him by his master. He wished to repay him for all goodness bestowed on him. One day he told his master: Kind Sir, please find a rich merchant who likes to own unique things. Tell him that you have a wonderful bullock with extraordinary strength. Challenge him to a bet of a thousand gold coins that your bullock can pull one hundred heavily loaded carts.
The Master followed the advice of his bull. He met a merchant who was a collector of unique things and struck up a conversation. Then he introduced the topic of strong bulls and the bet. The merchant did not believe him and accepted the bet. On the day of the contest, he attached together one hundred big bullock carts and filled them with sand and gravel to increase their weight. In the meantime, the owner of the bull fed him the finest rice and bathed him and decorated him. He garlanded him with a beautiful garland of roses. Then he harnessed Ananda to the carts. Suddenly he was overcome to show off to all. So he cracked a whip in the air and yelled at his faithful bull: Pull the carts, you dumb animal!
Ananda became thoughtful. The challenge was his idea to earn gold for his master. But for no reason whatsoever, his master was cracking a whip at him and insulting him with harsh words. So he remained in his place and refused to pull the carts. The master lost his bet and had to pay a thousand gold coins to the merchant. It was a great blow to his pride and he returned back home very dejected. Ananda was grazing peacefully when his master returned. He went to his master and asked him why he was so sad. His master replied that Ananda had let him down and he lost a huge amount of money. Ananda replied back: Sire, you called me a dumb animal and cracked a whip at me. What did I do to deserve such treatment? As you did not respect me, I did not honor my word to you.
His master was very sorry for the way he treated Ananda and he apologized to him for the lack of respect. So Ananda told him to go back to the same merchant and make the same bet for two thousand coins. So the bet was made and Ananda was tied to the carts. His master hugged him with love, garlanded him and touched his forehead with a lotus and said: My son, please pull the carts. Ananda did so effortlessly and won the bet.
We all need to learn the lessons of knowing the worth of others and respecting them. The highest form of respect is when we recognize that all creation is one Light and we respect the divinity in all. SitaRam mantra, meditation and following the teachings of the Guru help us to experience the divinity with ourselves and in all of creation and honor and respect all.
