CHOICE OF CHOICES
A Mulla Nasrudin Story
By
VIKRAM KARVE
During a spiritual congregation, a famous spiritual preacher decided to preach by making people experience, in their own being, the meaning of salvation and damnation.
“Let’s see,” he said, “those of you who want to go to Hell, please stand up….!”
Nobody stood up.
“Now, those who want to go to Heaven please stand up,” continued the preacher with intent.
Everybody stood up except Mulla Nasrudin.
The spiritual preacher looked at Mulla Nasrudin angrily and said: “Don’t you think, brother, that it is high time for you to decide whether you want to go to heaven or you want to go to hell…?"
“Oh yes, I have decided where I want to go,” replied Mulla Nasrudin with a deep honest gaze, “I want to stay here on earth.”
Sometimes we think that there are only the specified numbers of choices, or limited options, and that we have to choose one option from the given choices.
Like in the Mulla Nasrudin story above, the persons were given two choices, heaven or hell, and asked to choose between the two, which everyone did, except Mulla Nasrudin. With a bit of creative thinking Mulla Nasrudin generated a third choice.
The second, more important, moral is that you must make your own choices in life - don't let choices choose for you.
Sometimes we think that there are only the specified numbers of choices, or limited options, and that we have to choose one option from the given choices.
Like in the story above, the persons were given two choices, heaven or hell, and asked to choose between the two, which everyone did, except Mulla Nasrudin. With a bit of creative thinking Mulla Nasrudin generated a third choice.
Most of the time we think that choices are binary in nature - that there are only two options - yes or no - because the situation is presented to us that way, like in the story above - HEAVEN or HELL, and we tend to restrict our choice between the two options we see, when actually there may be many other options also to choose from.
So the next time you have to make a choice (especially when someone presents with you with only two options) remember this story, and think creatively like Mulla Nasrudin did, generate your own choices, and you will visualize may other attractive options, in addition to the two obvious ones, from which you can make your best choice.
VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 2010
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
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