The Rajahamsa

In classical Sanskrit literature and folklore, there lives a legendary mythical creature known as the Rajahamsa, or the Royal Swan.

The Rajahamsa has an extraordinary power - when it is presented with a mixture of milk and water, the Royal Swan can separate the pure milk, leaving the water behind.

This power of the Rajahamsa, was revealed in a high ice-capped mountain.

There was a clear river near an ice capped mountain. Many birds lived there, and among them was the wise Rajahamsa.

One evening, a fierce storm swept down the mountain, kicking up dirt and mud, sending it all over the lake.

By the next morning, the crystal clear water of the lake had turned dark, thick and murky.

A young panicked swan rushed up to the Rajahamsa. “Look at what the storm has done! Everything is ruined! If the water is so muddy, we cannot see anything. How can we hunt if we cannot see anything? We will not be able to survive in such conditions!”

The older Rajahamsa remained completely unshaken. He glided over to the dark and muddy water and dipped his beak into the murky mixture. With steady focus, he separated pure nourishing liquid that had been mixed in the water.

The royal swan then turned to the little young bird and spoke softly. “The storm cannot choose what stays inside you. The lake will always have mud, but you get to decide what you focus on. Life will always bring noise and chaos. If you focus on the chaos, you will never know peace. But if you learn to look past the murkiness, you will find that the nourishment is still there.”

Watching the older Rajahamsa, the young swan realized the basic truth and stopped churning the waters in panic. Then, the young swan dipped its beak in the lake choosing to take only the clean water ignoring the debris around.

That was the day the swan understood that true strength was about cultivating the inner ability to extract good, no matter what the environment.

Adapted from Classical Sanskrit Folklore

The Great Race Across the Waters

Long ago near the bank of the lakes, lived two birds - a hummingbird that flew very fast and a crane, a tall quiet bird that moved with long legs with slow deliberate wings.

Hummingbird was very proud of its speed and watched the slow-walking Crane with contempt. “You are so slow, Crane!”

The Crane studied the little bird. “Speed is useful only for short distances, Hummingbird.” Crane said softly. “But life is a long journey. To travel far, one needs endurance.”

Hummingbird thought that Crane was making excuses for his slowness. “I will prove that I am right.” Hummingbird looked contemptuously at Crane. “Let us have a race!”

The Crane agreed. “Let us race from the bank of this river across the Great Water. The first one to touch the old oak tree on the other side will win.”

The race started.

In the beginning, Hummingbird shot forward, even before Crane had started from the shore.

For a few hours, Hummingbird was ahead in the race. He laughed at Crane who was far behind him.

But by afternoon, Hummingbird’s wings started aching. His heart thudded painfully against his chest and Hummingbird could not fly further.

Hummingbird landed on a floating log of wood to rest.

Within a few moments, Hummingbird was fast asleep.

Meanwhile, Crane flew on.

Crane did not rush nor did he try to speed up. He simply maintained a slow rhythmic beat with his wide steady wings. He did not stop to celebrate how far he had come, nor did he look back to measure how far he had come. He simply flew forward.

Night fell and Crane flew right past the sleeping Hummingbird.

When the morning sun broke over the horizon,  Hummingbird woke up with a start. Realizing that he had slept for a long time, he buzzed into overdrive and shot forward towards the northern shore.

The hummingbird reached the other side of the bank only to find Crane calmly resting at the base of the oak tree. Hummingbird  landed near Crane, exhausted and humbled.

Crane smiled at Hummingbird. “You have great speed, Hummingbird, but speed without pacing will burn out before you reach the finish line. Small consistent steps will always carry you further than sudden bursts of speed.”

Adapted from Native American Folklore

The Brave Little Parrot

Long ago, in an ancient bamboo forest, lived a tiny parrot. He spent his days alongside the other birds and animals of the forest.

One dry afternoon, a sharp bolt of lightning struck a dead tree trunk. The sparks caught fire, and soon it turned into a terrifying wildfire.

Seeing the danger, the little parrot escaped high into the clear sky, flying to the safety of the nearby river. But as he looked back from the river, he saw his home burning and heard the helpless cries of the animals trapped there.

Instead of escaping, the little parrot made a brave choice. The parrot plunged into the cool waters of the river and soaked his feathers until they were heavy with moisture. The parrot then flew back to the heavy smoke and fire and vigorously shook his wings, dropping tiny sprinkles of water into the flames.

High above, in the celestial realms, Sakka, the king of the Gods, looked down from his palace and saw the burning forest and the little parrot working tirelessly to put out the fire.

Wanting to test the bird's resolve, Sakka transformed himself into a majestic golden eagle and flew down towards the parrot. “What are you doing, you foolish little bird?” The Eagle told the parrot. “Your feathers are scorched and your eyes are burning. Your efforts are hopeless! A few drops of water cannot extinguish a raging forest fire. So save yourself before you burn.”

The parrot, however, did not stop. It turned to the eagle and replied. “Do not discourage me. I need help, not discouragement. The forest is burning and my friends are trapped. I am doing what I can to save them.”

Taken aback, Sakka was moved to tears. The divine tears of Sakka poured down from heaven as a torrential rain. The rain doused the flames and soon the forest fire was put out completely.

As the smoke cleared, the parrots' singed feathers transformed into a brilliant red, green, and blue, which was meant to be a permanent mark of honour for the little parrot’s extraordinary courage.

So do not measure your worth by your size or strength for even the smallest act of courage can ignite extraordinary change.

Adapted from the Jataka Tales