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THE ART OF POSITIVE THINKING
too subjcct to such: decay? Shall I too become old and wcak?" The king was sorely disenchanted. He straight went to his palace, renounced his kingdom, and became a monk.
Old bulls are a common sight. But does everyone who sees them renounce the world? If the mere sight of an old bull awakened in men the desire for renunciation, all would become monks and there would not be left any householders. An old bull became the means for bringing about a change in the consciousness of King Karkandu; it cannot become a factor for change in everybody's consciousness. Some people are transformed by some happening which does not move others at all.
Thavachaputra was sitting beside his mother. A band was playing in the neighbourhood. He said, “Mother! Why are these bandmen playing? The mother said, "A son is born in the neighbour's house. They are celebrating the birth."
The next morning, a great hue and cry was on in the neighbour's house. Thavachaputra said, "Mother! yesterday they were singing songs which sounded pleasant. Today's songs are unpleasant. Why
SO?"
The mother said, "Son! This is no paean but an elegy Yesterday, a son was born in the house. All were jubilant and celebrating. Today that son is dead. They are now lamenting his passing away."
Thavachaputra said: “Mother! What's it you're saying? A son was born yesterday and today he is no more! Shall I too die?"
The mother said, "Son! That's the universal law. He who is born must someday die. Nobody lives for ever.,"
Thavachaputra said, "Is it so mother? Well, I don't want to live in a world haunted by death. I'd rather find immortality."
Thavachaputra renounced the world then and there and set forth in search of eternal life.
Not all people would be moved by songs of jubilation and mourning to set forth in search of immortality.
What is sought to be made clear here is that one man's inner state of mind may be different from another's and despite similarity in their outer circumstances. The inner climate is the chief differentiator among men and it is what makes them take to different paths. Some people turn towards violence, others take to nonviolence. Those brought up in an atmosphere of non-violence become violent, and those bred in an atmosphere of extreme violence sometimes move towards non-violence.
Similarity of outer circumstances and dissimilarity of inner response - it is possible on that basis to move towards a complete psychological change. In ayurved are found two kinds of medicine: purificatory and suppressive. A disorder appears. It is cleaned out
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