Krishna Katha - Story for meditation - 01/10/2010 - The Consequences of Desires

The Consequences of Desires - (The Man Who Invited Death)

There was a man carrying a heavy weight upon his shoulders; he was old, weak, and feverish, and lived
in a hot country. He sat down under the shade of a tree and threw off his burden from his
shoulders and rested a while, and cried, "Oh Death! Death!! Death!!! come, Oh Death! Relieve me, relive
me."

The story says that there appeared the God of Death unto him on the spot, when he looked at
Him, he was astonished, he was surprised. He trembled, what is that hideous figure, that
monstrous something? He asked the God of Death, "Who are you"? The God of Death said, "I am he
whom you called; you have called me just now and I have come to satisfy your wish." Then the old man
began to tremble and said, "I did not call you to put me to death, I called you simply to help, me to
lift this burden and put it on my shoulders." That is what the people do. All your, difficulties, all
your troubles and sorrows, what are called sorrows, are brought about by your own self; you are the
master of your own destiny, but when the thing comes, you begin to cry and weep; you invite Death,
and when Death comes, you begin to cry. But that cannot be. When once you bid the highest price in
an auction, you will have to take the thing. When you make the horse run, the carriage follows the
horse. So when once you desire, you will have to take the consequences.

MORAL: Troubles and sorrows are the inevitable consequences of your desires.

PS: I humbly request all the devotees to please forward moral / instructive stories they hear so that everyone can be benefited.