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THE WAY OF LIFE
Then, she placed her plate before her husband and said, "My Lord ! I am so happy to-day that I do not feel hungry at all. My hunger seems to have been completely satisfied. I will be seated near you. Kindly eat this food”.
She was not angry with her husband; nor did she feel any dislike for him. There was no quarrel or irritation. The poet's wife had acquired the quality of magnanimity of which he was the very embodiment. That noble lady entertained lofty thoughts and feelings. If anyone is blessed with such a noble partner, he should feel that it is his good fortune and that it is the result of his punya or merit.
When the poet was about to eat his food, he again heard a cry at the door; "Kindly give me food.” That agonized cry moved him to pity. He himself took up the plate; went to the door; and gave it to the beggar who was dying of starvation. The beggar joyfully blessed him; and went away, having receive ed the food. The poet came back; and sat by his wife. Now, they had given away all the food; and nothing remained. Yet both were absolutely happy. Internal felicity springs from the quality of compassion.
COMPASSION SOMETIMES SUBJECTS PEOPLE TO SEVERE ORDEALS
Sometimes, compassion plunges people into a terrible agony. This happened when a third beggar came to their door. The beggar cried in agony, "Kindly give me food". On hearing this cry, the great poet's face became sad. He felt helpless. He thought, "I have nothing with me to give this beggar. He will have to go away from my door empty-handed.. The poet stood up; and went to the door. His eyes welled up with tears. He said to the beggar, “Brother I have nothing left to give you".
The poor beggar noticing tears in the eyes of the poet, went away. But there was no limit to the poet's anguish. "Oh! I have not been able to give anything to the hungry man". The poet was shocked so deeply by his inability that, for a while, the bird of his life flew away from his body; and he sank to the
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