Foolishness: The desirable kind

 This post was written on April 1st, 2022( All Fool’s Day)

Foolishness: The Desirable Kind! 

Sarvepi sukhinah santu

Sarve santu niraamayaahaa 

Sarve bhadraani pashyantu

Maa kaschit dukkha bhaa bhavet 

This popular Sanskrit prayer is chanted during spiritual lectures or satsangs or even as part of personal daily prayers. I’ve been saying it for years. Today a thought crossed my mind connecting it to Steve Jobs words “ stay hungry, stay foolish”. And I smiled to myself.

This prayer says:

May all be happy

May all be healthy

May all attain to auspiciousness 

May all sorrows disappear 

If we look at it realistically is it possible that everyone will be happy forever? Or there will be no disease or sorrow? Will only auspicious things happen ? Yet we pray. We pray for the impossible.

Aren’t we foolish to dream of such utopia ? 

I remembered a story I had heard some time back. There was a village that was in a dire state due to prolonged famines. The farmers were penniless and their families were starving. They decided they would hold a community prayer at their local temple that was on the hill on the outskirts of the village. They would pray for rain. Everyone set out that day from their homes. There was a little girl, barely 5 years old, who was accompanied by her older siblings and parents. Just before they were to leave their yard she remembered something and ran inside to get it. She returned with an umbrella in her hand. Her elders asked what’s this for ? She looked at them in surprise. Aren’t we going to pray for rain ? I got an umbrella so I don’t get wet. Her thinking was simple. But the others laughed at her naïveté.

Wednesday this week was Doctor’s Day. On my desk were a few cards and candies. A tiny envelope had a cute little card with a story written inside. It was about a wise man who was strolling on the beach one morning when he saw someone dancing in the distance. When he got closer it was a young man who was bending to pick something from the sand and throwing it into the ocean. Then taking a step forward and repeating this. The wise man asked him what he was doing. He said I am throwing starfish into the ocean. Why so, asked the wise man. Well, the sun is up and the tide is going out.They will die if I don’t throw them in the ocean. To that the wise man said do you realize there are miles and miles of beach and several starfish scattered in every mile ? You can’t possibly make a difference! At that moment the young man bent and picked another starfish and threw it into the ocean. He looked at the wise man and said, it made a difference for that one!!

May we continue to be foolish to pray for the happiness and health of all !! May we be foolish to pray with faith and conviction like the little girl with the umbrella. May we remain foolish like the young man on the beach to take the time to make whatever little difference we can for whatever few people who come into our lives ! 🙏🏼🙏🏼💕💕

Saree is a tissue Maheshwari in a turmeric yellow with red borders( classic haldi kumkum combination).