Faith: Are You a Monkey Or a Kitten? - about faith  

By K S Ram  

Faith: Are You a Monkey Or a Kitten? - about faith  

Our ancient rishis identified among men and women two contrasting attitudes towards life. While some of us worry, ever anxious about security in life, some others repose their faith in Providence, and so rest assured.

The rishis named these two attitudes as the markat-kishore-nyaya - law of the baby-monkey, and marjaala-kishore-nyaya - law of the kitten.

It is an observed fact that when a mother-monkey is sitting with her baby, and a danger suddenly presents itself, the mother-monkey takes flight with other monkeys.

It is for her baby to be alert enough to leap in time to cling to the bosom of its mother and so escape the impending danger. If it fails to do so, the fault lies with the baby; no blame shall attach to the mother. This imposes a heavy responsibility on the baby: It must be ever alert to be safe.

The case of a kitten is opposed to this. When the kitten is playing near about the mother-cat, and some danger suddenly presents itself, the kitten need not worry. It can be rest assured that the mother cat will pick it by the scruff of its neck and carry it to safety. Here the responsibility for the kitten's life rests with the mother. The kitten is free from worry. It just has to be.

Every one of us belong to one or the other kind: We are either monkeys or kittens. In the age of faith, the kitten-kind in the world outnumber the monkey-kind. In the age of conflict and strife, like the present times, it is the other way. People are tense, they feel insecure, they keep dreading the day when they may lose all that they possess - maybe homeless, penniless... Plagued by phantom-fears, their life is wasted away in the pursuit of an elusive 'security'. Such fear is an insult to God, the Provider, the Providence . All major religions of the world declare this.

Allah in Islam is Al-Muhayam, the protector; Al-Bari, the one who shapes things out of nothing; Al-Wahhab, the bestower; Ar-Razzaq, the provider. Allah is ever seeing us all: He is Al-Bashir, the all- seeing and Ar-Raqib, the watchful. He will protect us from danger, for he is Al-Karim, the generous one and Al-Hafiz, the preserver. True prayer can never be futile, for Allah is Al-Mujib, the responsive one.

The Holy Bible has a very reassuring passage (Matthew 6: 25 -27) in this regard: "Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not life more than meat and the body more than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?"

As Kabir says, the plain truth is that worry avails nothing. In a doha he introspects: "What cares can I have, Kabir? What ever can my cares avail? He, there, cares for me; I drop my cares at that." The Bible asks: "Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?"

In the age of corporations and fierce competition, is it possible for any person to rid himself of cares? It is challenging, but not impossible. The key to success here lies in the term corporate: Expand your concern by incorporating the interests of as many people as possible. Focus on inclusion rather than exclusion; subordinate self-interest to the common interest. And sanctify your action through surrender; let all your enterprise begin with: "In thy name, O lord!" This can become a habit, whether you are in the office-world, trade-world, or in the world of your residential colony.

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More from same author see: K S Ram  

See also: Faith, Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)