Ashok Chhibbar I read this story on the net and was very touched at the simplicity with which a certain aspect of our lives has been explained. Thought it worthwhile to share with you! (its a bit long but worth reading) The Rabbi & the Soap Maker A Rabbi and a Soap maker went for a walk together. They were school friends who had grown up to take different professions. They caught up with old times, shared a few laughs, voiced opinions on various topics and then, with sarcasm in his voice, the soap maker said, “What good is religion? Look at all the trouble and misery in the world! The troubles and miseries are all still there, even after years—thousands of years—of teaching about goodness and truth and peace. Animosity and bitterness is still there, after all the scriptures and prayers and sermons and teachings. People fight and kill in the name of religion. If religion is good, necessary and true, why should this be?” The Rabbi said nothing. They continued walking until he noticed a child playing in the gutter. Then the Rabbi said, “Look at that child. You say that soap makes people clean, but see the dirt on that young one. Of what good is soap? With all the soap in the world, over all these years, the child is still filthy. I wonder how effective soap is, after all!” The Soap maker protested. “But, RABBI, soap cannot do any good unless it is used! And every time there is dirt, soap must be used. In fact, it is only soap that can clean.” “Exactly!” replied the Rabbi. “What the soap does to the human body; religion does to the thoughts, emotions and beliefs of a human being.” “As the soap cleans the body, religion cleans our thoughts, purifies our emotions and takes us closer to our maker.” “Every time the body is dirty and stinking, soap is required. Every time my thoughts are dirty, sinful temptations take me off track, greed ego lust anger make me stink, my religion helps me come back on track. It stops me from doing wrong. It strengthens me. It cleanses me. This is indeed the objective of every religion in this world.” “Then why people fight in the name of religion? Why is there so much hatred in the name of religion? Why are people so possessive of their religion?” asked the Soap maker. “Aren’t you possessive of your soap brand?” asked the Rabbi and laughed. The Soap maker stood puzzled. The Rabbi pulled his hand, encouraging him to continue walking. “It is the insecurity within people that makes them fight in the name of religion. When a person understands their religion, they CANNOT fight in the name of religion. It is ignorance that makes them fight. Look at the fingers of your right hand. They are all different. Yet they all belong to the same hand. Just imagine if one finger is insecure that the other finger will take over its place. Then, there will be fights. If the finger understands, it is there to serve a purpose; it will work together with the other fingers. No purpose is served when the fingers fight. If there is peace within, fights cannot happen outside. All the religions of the world are beautiful and needed. All of them serve a purpose. All of them clean.” They reached the Soap maker’s home. The Rabbi was invited inside. The Soap maker’s wife presented them with cut fruits on a platter. The Rabbi looked at the platter and said, “Some people like me, would like to eat these fruits using their fingers. Some adventurous ones would like to use chop sticks. Some with higher degree of etiquette might like to use forks and knives. Some would prefer using spoons. A child might want the mother to feed it. One alternative is NOT BETTER than the other. They all are just alternatives. They all can serve the purpose. They are all good. There is no point in fighting which is supreme. Depending on your likes, you can choose what you want to use, to eat. As long as the food properly goes inside you, nothing else should matter. When people understand this, there will be no fights in the name of religion. There will be harmony and celebrations.” The soap maker smiled. “If I do not fight over the brand of soap someone uses, why should I fight over the religion someone follows? The purpose of both is to clean, right?” The Rabbi laughed at the brilliant simplification by soap maker. The soap maker had indeed got the point right. “Thanks…” he said to the Rabbi. There was gratitude in his eyes. The Rabbi too smiled. There was peace in their hearts. The world is beautiful…and looked clean too. Like · · Follow Post · 3 hours ago
Posted on: Tue, 23 Jul 2013 10:17:23 +0000
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