A Big Ego

A Big Ego

 Genre : Short Stories

By : Tariq Ahmad Malik

They were again walking through a narrow lane when they saw some people assembled and hurling abuses on a person who was seemingly drinking on the roadside. The disciples expected the saint to stop and advise the drunken person, or the people about the matter .He did not stop but passed by calmly .

One of the disciples could not keep his calm, and asked him why  he did not  tell anything to the sinner. He smiled and explained that while people were hurling curses on the drunken person, the devil was trying to enter his soul telling him he was far better than the drunk. The saint added that if, in the nick of the time, he had not suppressed his enemy he was sure to die a sinner.

The drunkard, the saint said ,would someday repent for his sin and become virtuous. Even if he did again stumble, people would again discover him sinning and would join hands to correct him. But in case the inner enemy which never comes in the public eye tried to corrupt the soul there would be none to fight and defeat him. This brutal enemy needed to be suppressed in the nick of time. This brutal enemy was none but ‘A Big Ego’.

The saint then narrated an episode of Junaid Bagdadi (R.A).He said that Junaid Bagdaadi was once travelling through a forest. He had some of his disciples with him. He found a lean wounded dog starving at the roadside. He took out some food from his bag and fed the dog .While he continued his journey, one of his disciples found him shedding tears bitterly. The disciple asked the reason for his weeping. Junaid Bagdadi replied that as he was comparing himself to the starving dog and imagining which one was better, he could realize that after both were dead ,the dog would not ,at least , be thrown to the hellfire .It was this conclusion that made him weep bitterly for being at disadvantage.

Thus the saint explained the mantara of saintly life ,and what made the pious people carve a special place in the hearts of common  masses ,and what has made them survive all  times.

It is thus the continual self-introspection that help saints stay humble and contended. Such people do always regard others better than themselves. They do never nurture ego. Let’s follow suit, and shun this bid ego forever. Let’s give currency to the self-introspection in order to make this world into a better place.