Fear of Unknown

There was a sage living in a small house near the river Ganga. Every morning, he would go to the river to take a bath. One day, he forgot to close the window while leaving his house. When he returned, he sensed the presence of someone inside. After a moment, he heard the sound of a bird, “Gootar goo, gootar goo”. It was a pigeon. 

The sage wanted to help the pigeon find its way out, but the bird became frightened and panicked, flying anxiously around the house instead of finding the open window or door.

Eventually, the bird hid on top of the water tank in the kitchen, a place the sage could’t reach. Concerned for the bird, the sage placed some food and water on the floor and waited quietly. The bird, however, thought, “This might be a trap to catch and kill me. It is safer here and do nothing.  God will surely save me”.

One day had passed, and the bird grew very hungry but still could not gather the courage to move out. The sage, understanding the bird’s fear, felt helpless. He kept the window open all night, hoping the bird would fly out. But the bird thought, “Why would anyone leave the window open at night? This must be a trap.”

After three days, the bird died. The saint felt very sad and prayed to God, “Please have pity on this little innocent creature and grant it another chance to live with some wisdom”.

God granted the sage’s wish and gave the bird another chance. This time, the bird thought differently, “If I take a risk, what’s worst that could happen – the man might kill me. Anyway, I am going to die here without food and water. I guess I have nothing to lose. With this thought, the bird flew down, ate a hearty meal, and then the sage gently shooed it out of the window.

The bird flew high in the sky, experiencing a newfound joy in flying. It thought, “My God, it was so easy. Why did I take such a long time?”

No-Action
In action, there is risk—
One might lose life.
But inaction a subtle force,
Like water quietly rising
Until it breaks free.
How long can one hold,
Eternity is the measure.