2023TK-BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor

Tamil version: https://tamilkathaigal.com/ Be careful what you wish for. 1. In a village adjoining the forest, there lived a woodcutter who went into the forest every day to chop wood and made a living selling it to the villagers. 2. One day, he cut wood as usual, but that day he felt tired. He lay down on the forest floor in the shade of a tree. What was special about the tree was that it was a wish-fulfilling tree. 3. The woodcutter was oblivious of the tree’s magical properties. He felt a breeze graze his body providing comfort. In his mind, he pondered how comfortable it would be to sleep on a cotton mattress. 4. What a surprise! 5. The next moment, a cot and a cotton mattress appeared by his side. The woodcutter was ecstatic. He got on the mattress and stretched out on it. Since he worked all day long, he had aches and pains all over his body. A thought popped into his mind: "I only wish I had a young girl to massage my aching body and limbs." 6. What a surprise! 7. The next second, a young girl appeared and massaged his aching body and limbs. The woodcutter could not fathom the importance of all that was happening to him. He was floating in an inundation of bliss. He wondered about the instant satisfaction of all his needs. Hunger pangs were gnawing at him. He thought about how wonderful it would be to have and eat food in six savors. 8. Presto! Food in six savory tastes arrived. He ate to his heart’s content. As the proverb says, "Even a servitor does get postprandial somnolence," the woodcutter felt sleepy. 9. But before his siesta, a fear arose in his mind. “I am in the forest all alone. What will happen if a lion appears before me, attacks, and eats me?’’ 10. The next moment, a lion appeared before him and killed him. 11. Lesson: Our life unfolds according to our thoughts. Our life turns good if we think lofty and virtuous thoughts. If perverse thoughts come to mind, our life will be chock-full of miseries. Therefore, we should contemplate lofty ideas.