Test of Character

An unusual an interesting case came to the court of Selvanayagam. Three brothers appeared before Selvanayagam with a plea seeking compensation from their fourth brother for the loss of cotton bales.

 "What happened?" enquired Selvanayagam.

 "Oh Sir, we four are brothers doing cotton trading business. We have been sharing the profits and losses arising out of the business equally. We have one cat. We all love it very much. Each one of us bought one silver anklet and decorated the cat's four legs with the anklets. One leg in the hind side got abrasions because of the silver anklet. Our youngest brother who tends to that leg applied medicines and folded the leg, bandaged it with gauze and tied it with cloth. After few days, when the cat was passing by a lamp the cloth bandage got fire and out of pain, the cat ran hither and thither jumping over the cotton bales, in the process igniting and spreading fire throughout the godown. Now we have lost our entire stock of cotton, because of the action of our youngest brother. Oh, Sir we want you to direct our youngest brother to make good the loss that had accrued to the three of us.

Selvanayagam heard them patiently and asked the three of them.

 "Are all of you are brothers?'

 "Yes," replied 

 "Were you not sharing the profits and losses equally?"

 "Yes sir"

 "Then why don't you share this loss also equally"

 "Sir the loss has happened entirely because of the action of our youngest brother. Why should we bear it? He only should be made accountable for the same".

 Selvanayagam turned to the youngest brother and asked, "Do you have anything to say"?

"Sir, when the hind leg of the cat was wounded I felt very sad for the cat. I wanted to help it. Therefore, I dressed the wound, folded and bandaged it, so that it will not use the leg and strain further. I had no malafide intention in doing that. While I feel sorry for the loss that has happened, the loss is equal for everybody and it may not be fair for me alone to do good the loss of my other three elder brothers."

 Selvanayagam smiled and noted the genuineness of the youngest brother and gave his verdict.

 "The three elder brothers will bear the respective losses themselves and in addition, compensate the loss of the youngest brother by sharing his burden equally."

Hearing the verdict, the three brothers were stunned.

"Oh sir you are punishing those who are not responsible for the loss."

 "No" replied Selvanayagam. "When the bandage got fire the cat ran amok with the help of three good legs, as the fourth leg had been bent and bandaged. The fourth leg was not at all responsible for the running of the cat and the fire spread only because it ran with the help of the other three legs. As you three were responsible for those three legs, it is proper that you bear the losses.  

The three brothers regretted their action and made up with the younger brother and lived happily ever after.  

 MORAL:  

Life brings us no short supply of adversity. Times of great trial can provide us with valuable information about the solidity of our character. It’s one thing to be generous, loving, compassionate, etc. when things are going well for us, but quite another to maintain noble attitudes when things are no longer going our way. Adversity, it seems, has the power to bring out the best or the worst in us.

The “right way of living” is called Dharma in Hinduism and is much broader construct than Character. Dharma signifies behaviours that are considered to be in accord with ?ta, (Sanskrit word) the order that makes life and universe possible, and includes duties, rights, laws, conduct, virtues and "right way of living". In Buddhism, dharma means "cosmic law and order". We should always uphold Dharma, at all cost and at all times, as we lead our lives in this world. 

Here are five insightful quotes :  

“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” ― Maya Angelou

“Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters” ― Albert Einstein

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” ― Helen Keller

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.” ― Abraham Lincoln

“It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare.” ― Mark Twain