THREE SECRETS OF SUCCESS

THREE SECRETS OF SUCCESS

 

 

Baba said, "Where there is greed, there is no peace, no contentment, nor restfulness. All means (of achieving Brahman) turn to dust when avarice takes hold of the mind" in Shri Sai Samartha Satcharita, Ch. 17, Ove 70.

 

 

A hunter caught a beautiful rare bird in his net. Delighted with his catch, he locked it up in a cage, when suddenly, the bird spoke to him.

 

"O, hunter!" it said in its sweet, melodious voice, "I am such a tiny bird, that you will get nothing out of me. If you sell me, I shall fetch you but little. If you kill me and eat me, you will only get a tiny piece of flesh. But if you release me, set me free from this cage, I shall pass on to you three secrets of success. If you follow them, you are sure to be rich, prosperous and successful!"

 

Intrigued, the hunter let the bird out of the cage.

 

It flew up to the branch of a tree and promptly uttered its promised secrets, the first secret is this – never, never, never accept anything that goes against your common sense. The second – never, never cry over spilt milk. And the third – never ever attempt that which is impossible!"

 

The hunter was very annoyed.

 

"What a silly bird you are!" he cried. "I should never have released you. You are nothing but a worthless creature!"

 

"Worthless? Me?" cried the bird. "Why, if you cut my heart open, you will find a diamond larger than the famed Kohinoor!"

 

The hunter was beside himself with greed. He jumped up and scrambled all over the branches of the tree, as the little bird flew higher. There was no way he could get the bird, and eventually he fell down, bruised all over, with one leg broken!

 

"Let me repeat those three rules of success to you," said the bird from the top of the tree. "I told you never to believe anything that goes against your common sense. Whoever has heard of a bird with diamond in its heart? You did not follow the first rule!

 

"Never cry over spilt milk – was the second rule I gave to you. You let me out of the cage and you regretted it later. What a wasteful gesture!

 

"The third rule, O, hunter – never attempt the impossible. Look at you now! You tried to catch a bird on a tree – and ended up with broken leg!"

 

"My time is up, and I must fly away," concluded the bird. "But truly, you failed to benefit from the secrets of success that I taught you!"