When Others Neglect You, Put You Down Or Outcast You…

by Udaylal Pai · March 26, 2016

“Udayji, do you know exactly how it is to be bullied and alone…I am facing the toughest period in life….”

“I run a medium company. Lot of my employees has no ownership and accountability for what they do. How do I make them accountable?”

“Uday, I have been trying selflessly to help few people around me. But my neighbourhood and even my family had put me down…”

“Uday sir, I often feel frustrated because the community I involved in needs so much changing and my efforts seem puny and futile…”

“Nobody recognize my hard work. Not even my husband. I feel very depressed and frustrated…”

– These are gists of some letters from my readers of the website. We often get into troubles and wish if someone could help us. Sometimes we feel that nobody is there to lessen our pain.

There is a beautiful story of Rama and a little squirrel.

When Sita was captivated by Ravana, Sri Rama wanted to cross the mighty Indian Ocean by setting up a bridge. The monkey troops (Vanar Sena) led by great warriors started constructing the bridge. They smashed mountains and brought the rocks for the construction of the bridge (Rama Sethu or Adam’s bridge).

As they were constructing the bridge a little squirrel who is a great devotee of Rama, using all her strength tried to move small pebbles to the bridge. She greatly desired to be a part of the holy act.
The little squirrel could carry only little pebbles at a time in her small mouth. She carried the pebbles from the seashore and dropped them into the sea.

A great monkey was carrying a large heavy stone on his back and the squirrel came in his way.
The monkey jumped back. “Here, you little thing,” shouted the monkey in a voice like thunder, “you’re in my way, I stepped back and you’re alive now. But I nearly fell. And what are you doing here?”
The squirrel said: “I can’t carry big stones or rocks. God gave me only a little strength. I can only carry pebbles. My heart cries out for Rama and I’ll do all I can for him”

Another monkey said, “Don’t be foolish. Do you think you can help Rama? Do you think we can build a bridge with pebbles? He has a big army to help him. Go home and don’t get in our way.”

Monkeys mocked her and made fun of her.

Poor squirrel moved away from the place with a heavy heart. With a great difficulty she reached the shores.

Lord Rama was watching the whole scene. He was very much moved by the love the little squirrel showed to him. Picking it up on his palm he said: “Little one, your love touches my heart.” He warmly stroked the animal with his three fingers. Since then, squirrels have three lines on their body.

However small or trivial, every task is equally important. Any project can never be completed by the main people alone. They need the support of all. So, however small, an effort appears, it should always be appreciated.

Our ancestors taught us through Gita that every task, work or Karma should be done with dedication, determination and devotion. We have right to do that. But we don’t have the right over the result. In layman’s terms, every task should be looked upon as service to the Lord, and his blessings will always be with us.

This is what Krishna said: “Surrender to me and focus only on your karma”. Here surrendering is to the cosmic balance, that’s why our ancestors said, ‘Krishnarpanam astu’ (‘Let this be an offering to Krishna’) before doing anything.

No task and service to Rama or Krishna or the cosmos, however small, is unimportant! We should never forget that love and dedication is what matters and not big services and show we make for our prestige.
It has been said that something as small as the flutter of a butterfly’s wings can ultimately cause a typhoon halfway around the world. A butterfly flapping its wings in one part of the world might ultimately cause a hurricane in another part of the world. For e.g., a butterfly flapping its wings in Amazon jungle might create a Tsunami in Indonesia. (See A depressed girl and the butterfly effect: https://udaypai.in/?p=660 )

An adult man weighing 70 kilograms has 70 trillion cells. Just one cell multiplies more than required, it can cause tumor (malignant or not) or if cell start dying before time, it may end up in cancer.

The entire world is surviving because of small bees. The moment bee stops going to flowers to collect nectar, the plant kingdom will disappear. And that would be the end of life.

When you do a work, ask yourself if you are doing it for appreciation or doing it out of devotion. If you are doing Karma just for appreciation or acknowledgement from others that means you are not aware.

And a person with awareness of cosmic system will appreciate you and love you for what you do.

If somebody does not approve or acknowledge you or your work, it just means that person is ignorant. If somebody neglects or letting you down, that means he/she doesn’t know about the divinity of cosmos. There is NOTHING in this universe that can be neglected.

Each and everything has its own role to play. Even a small atom! If your boss, husband or people around you cannot understand this truth, just have pity on them.

We are doing our Karma for an inclusive universe. Just like a cell in human body, the human is a cell in the Earth. The cosmic intelligence will appreciate what we do even it seems unimportant to the ignorant lot around us.

Those who understand this truth will elevate to the level of Lord Rama. Those who do not understand this will perish. Be like Rama – be grateful for even minutest help you received in the life.

When the world tosses us out, the Lord’s ever-protecting hands are always ready to save us. Remember, the big works being performed by giant monkeys did not catch the Lord’s attention, but this little act of service that was being performed with sincere devotion ultimately won grace.

I also told the business owner to fill his company with such little dedicated squirrels and sky rocket his results.

There is a story in Mahabharata about the Sage Narada being born as a worm. On the approach of a chariot the worm moved quickly away from its route lest its wheel should crush it to death.

Seeing this, the King seated in the chariot burst out into laughter.

The worm told him: “Oh King, there is nothing to be laughed at in my action. In every birth the body is much dear to the atman. Just as you love your body I also love and protect my body.”

You have a responsibility to your body and the body of the universe. Don’t ever forget that. Let’s do our little bit irrespective of other’s attitude. Why should we deny our right to do righteous things just because ignorant people don’t appreciate it?

By
Udaylal Pai
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