On a hot summer morning, Alisha, a famous cook in Tehran, went to the market. The bought the best quality of chickpeas with which she intended to make different kinds of Salads, soup and mouthwatering dishes. She reached her house and put the chickpeas in a large bucket filled with water. She rinsed them and left them to soak for several hours. Once the soaking was done, Alisha put the chickpeas in a giant cauldron to slowly boil them.
As soon as the water in the cauldron began to boil, the chickpeas started to bounce up and down. They felt the heat and began to scream loudly, " Alisha, we belong to you, why give us so much pain? Why set this cauldron on fire?"
Alisha replied, "Its time for you to boil. Don't create a ruckus. Just be silent and have some patience. I must boil you properly until you are ready to be added to my customer's favorite dishes. "
The chickpeas replied, " We belong to you. Why torture us at this high temperature?" Alisha replied, "When you were growing in the farm, you were amply nourished by the famer. You were given best manure, plenty of water and the sun blessed you with its rays. Now that you are ripe, its time for you to face some hardship. You must be ready to serve your ultimate purpose which is to become a nourishment not just for the human body, but also the soul. Fulfill your destiny, for that's your biggest reward!"
The chickpeas thought about what Alisha was saying. The chickpeas understood that if they were to be a part of the grand plan of GOD, they would have to face the hardships, loose their physical form and have trust in Alisha, their guide.
Slowly, the jumping and bouncing stopped.
The END
Learnings
1. This is a story of surrender. When faced with challenges in our lives, most of us react rather than accept. We shout, scream, abuse, blame our family/ friends/partner, get stressed out, run away amongst other things. It is difficult for most of us to accept difficulties/challenges because difficulties test us. Such challenges check if we are ready to walk the path which we were meant to tread.
2. There is a master at work who is guiding all of us and tries to keep nudging us on the right path. It is upto us to listen to that master's voice
3. Most challenges bring with them some new learnings. They can equip us with the new set of skills which we will need on our future journey. It is upto us to accept these challenges and be willing to learn. If we remain closed, too comfortable in our current set-up, we will not just miss opportunity for growth, but might get shaken when the problem becomes larger.
4. Our life is like a learning journey. We are nourished and taught so that when the hardship comes, we remain calm and apply our learnings to overcome these hardships.Similar to the chickpeas, we should look back and see what has been our training and where can we apply it to reach our goals.
STORY CREDIT: This story has its source in the six volumes of Masnavi by Jalalu'din Rumi, translated by Maryam Mafi
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