16 - What Do We Want From Life?

Once there was a poor peasant in Russia. He was very contended whatever he had. He was managing his family whatever he was earning. But his elder brother was richer than him. One day, as his mind wandered, he thought that his brother was getting richer and richer day by day. He could also be richer and provide with more facilities to his family. So he started saving some money to buy more land and after a short time, as he had enough money to buy more land, he also thought about buying more land.

He noticed that on the adjacent land of his some nomads were living. He bought some gifts for them and went to their Chief. He presented the gifts to him and told the purpose of his coming. The Chief welcomed him, accepted the gift and his offer too. He told him that he could have the land without giving him anything. He can take as much land as he could cover by walking the land before sunset. He should start in the morning and whatever distance he could cover during the day, he could have that land.

The peasant got very happy to hear this offer. Now he could have lots of land without paying anything. He came in the morning and started running, not walking, so that he could cover the largest area. In the desire to cover the maximum area, he neither took his food, nor drank water, nor took any rest. He just continued running. Without eating, or drinking, or rest he just got damn tired when he came back in the evening, and as he came back to the Chief, he got exhausted and died.

Sadly people made the arrangements for his funeral and buried him in a 6'x4' land - that is what everybody needs.

[Based on a story written by Leo Tolstoy - Where are we running to? What do we want from our lives? These are some of the questions before running after it.]