The Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship
Children's Stories
The Arrogance of the Puffed-Up Frogs
My love you, my grandchildren, my brothers and sisters, my sons and
daughters. It is twilight now, and the sun is low in the sky. Shall we go out
for some fresh air? Come with me. This park is a very nice place. Everybody
comes here to breathe in the fresh air and feel healthy. Do you see the well
over there? People can draw water from it when they are thirsty. Let's go closer
and look inside the well.
Oh, look at all the frogs down there! They eat
the germs and bacteria in the water, making it cleaner for drinking. Look at
them jumping up and down, leaping here and there, and pulling on each other.
They seem to be fighting. But why? Are they fighting over food? Are they
competing for insects? Let's watch some more and see if we can discover why they
are fighting.
Ah, there is the cause! It's not food they are fighting
over. The two biggest frogs are both claiming that they are the greatest. Each
one thinks he should be the leader. All the other frogs are frightened by their
size and are diving deeper into the well to escape. But the two big frogs are
challenging each other. They are full of pride and the qualities of the I. Look,
my grandchildren, they are trying to swallow each other! But both of them are
the same size. What do you think will happen? Let's watch and see. Don't chase
them away. If we break up the fight now, they will only start another fight
later. Let them finish their quarrel, or they will never have any
peace.
Look, the first one has a good hold on his opponent and has
swallowed his front legs. Do you see how his stomach is beginning to swell. But
the second one has also swallowed the hind legs of the first and he too is
puffing himself up. Now both of them have lost all the strength in their free
legs, which are tiny and useless in comparison to their inflated bodies. Neither
of them can jump any more. Each frog has swallowed half of the other, and they
can't breathe.
Oh, no! Both frogs have died! They tried to swallow each
other, and as a result both have suffocated and are floating belly up in the
water.
My grandchildren, sometimes men also try to swallow each other, like these
puffed-up frogs. And just like the little frogs who dove deeper into the well,
good people become afraid and try to escape when they meet a man who is puffed
up with pride and the arrogance of the I. It does not take long, however, until
another arrogant man comes along to challenge him. They each boast, "I am the
greatest!" Then, just like the big frogs, each man catches hold of the other and
swallows half of him. They torture each other, and in the end they both
die.
Frogs challenge each other out in the open, one on one. But men
torment each other in a devious, vengeful, and jealous way. One person kills
another, then a third person attacks the winner, and soon they all die, just
like frogs.
My grandchildren, a female frog lays so many millions of
eggs, and hundreds of thousands of them hatch. They all live together, but then,
because of their arrogance, they fight with each other and die. Like this,
animals and human beings have been slaughtering each other for two hundred
million years. And this destruction has been growing worse all the time. You
have seen this fighting, haven't you? You must be very careful not to catch this
disease. Each man causes his own death by letting them grow inside himself.
Eventually, someone else with the same disease will come looking for him, and
soon both will die from their arrogance.
When you see arrogance, do not
confront it. Why should you point out people's arrogance to them? Their time
will come, and they will destroy themselves.
Those with wisdom who are
devoted to God and trust Him must hide from the karma, arrogance, illusion, and
pride of the world. Like the little frogs who dove into the well to escape from
the big frogs, you have to hide. People with wisdom must dive in God, truth, and
wisdom. They must escape by disappearing into love, peace, and
tranquility.
This is what you must do in your lives, my grandchildren.
Become human beings and search for the qualities of peace. Arrogance will always
take on new forms, so you must be alert and do your best to escape. Hide in the
truth. Hide yourselves in the qualities of the One who is unfathomable grace.
Take on the natural and beautiful light form which is God's compassionate, just,
and loving form. Reflect wisely and try to fill yourselves with good thoughts.
You and I must try to live in God's protection.
My love you, my
grandchildren. God is sufficient for us. He will protect us Amin.
Amin.
- M. R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen
Come to the
Secret Garden: Sufi Tales of Wisdom