Once a disciple went to his Guru and said, “Please tell me some solution to get rid of sorrow.”
The disciple had asked a big question in few words – Living in a world of sorrows but also finding a way to get rid of it!
Guru said, “I will answer you but before that you have to do one thing. Bring me the shoes worn by person who is happiest.”
Disciple went away to look for shoes.
He went to a by house and said, “Brother, I am looking for shoes worn by a happy man. You look very happy, can you give me your shoes just for today.”
Man replied, “My neighbor is such a scoundrel and because of that I am always having problems. How can I be happy in such situation. I am not happy.”
Disciple left.
He went to another house and said, “You look happy. I am looking for shoes worn by a happy person, can you give me yours?”
Man replied, “Brother, I am always worried because of my wife. Sometimes I feel it’s better to go away from home and live life of solitude. If you are looking for a happy man then you have to look for someone else.”
Then disciple went to another house, then another.
He kept on looking for a happy man but everywhere, he found that people were sad because of one or another problem. He visited hundreds of houses but far from finding a happy man, his own shoes were worn out by now.
At last, he came back to his Guru and said, “I went from place to place but neither I was able to find a happy man, nor did I got any shoes worn by a happy man.”
Then Guru asked, “When you talked to people, what did you find? Why are people not happy? What are they sad about?”
Disciple replied, “First person I asked was troubled because of his neighbor, then I met a man who was sad because of his wife. When I asked a woman, she said her husband was cruel. Father was facing problem because of his son, at one place son was troubled because of his father and many more.
Today, every person is suffering because of another person. ”
Guru said, “Right. Way to get rid of sorrow is to not look towards other but yourself. Look within yourself. Consider your own ability. If you want to compete, do it with yourself.
This is your life. Don’t change your ways because of other. Listen to yourself, look at yourself. Only then you will be able to get rid of sorrow and live a happy life.”
Listening to this, disciple said, “But, Guru ji you could have said same thing before asking me to look for shoes.”
Guru ji replied, “If I had told you before, then you would not have accepted it but when you went around and talked to people, you were able to understand it yourself.”