The Maxim of the Crow and the Coconut

This story has been well-known in India for thousands of years. It is the story of a crow landing on a branch of a palm-fruit (coconut) tree. At just the instant the crow lands, in a very unexpected and accidental occurrence, a ripe fruit falls from above the branch and lands upon the head of the crow, killing it.

In India, the mention of the crow and the coconut denotes any very unexpected, coincidental occurrence, whether it be positive or negative; welcome or unwelcome.

I know this is a very short story - but it has a much profound meaning. Most of us tend to see events with a cause and effect angle. This thing happened in our lives because this thing preceded it or maybe this thing is going to happen because so or so event happened. We attach the event with a cause and its mostly unintentional.

Like for example, I meet Guruji on the day before my CAT exam. Feeling high and blessed I take the exam and score exceptionally high - my mind starts the journey. Because I met Guruji, I did well in CAT and if I hadn't I wouldn't have fared well. The mind just wants to find a cause and attach the event to it. It just does not want to see the two events independently. Now this is ironical?! On one hand people say that its all Guru's grace, and on the other hand the Scripture says that God helps only those who help themselves.

So is it you helping yourself or the God helping you? Are events independent of each other or are they influenced by the circumstances around?

As Guruji says, "See the past as your destiny and future as your free-will." Now just because Paul the Octopus predicted that so and so team would win the match during the FIFA World Cup, it was not necessary at all that it would be true. Much depended on the team's hard-work and dedication and a little on the fate? Or maybe vice-versa. Who knows?

I think, no... I believe that life can be enjoyed the most when we just flow with the flow! We keep doing our best, and leave the results at rest.

love,

Siddharth