Traveling extensively not only provides diverse experiences but also allows one to observe societies at various levels—culturally, socially, economically, and religiously. Through my travels, I have gained such rich experiences, which also offer practical insights into life. However, the knowledge I acquire naturally raises many questions about our worldview. I would like to explore some of them here.
A notable aspect of the Indian worldview is the tendency to constantly compare oneself with others in search of some kind of satisfaction. Although this is not unique to India and can be observed in many other cultures, I’d like to focus on the Indian perspective.
To illustrate this, le me share a fictional story from the Ramayana, which is not part of the traditional text: After Rama rescued Sita from Lanka, the female monkeys in Kishkinda requested Sugriva to bring her to their land on the way back to Ayodhya. To fulfill their desire, Rama and Sita visited Kishkinda. Upon seeing Sita, the female monkeys, who had never encountered a human before, were astonished by her beauty. They began to compare themselves with Sita and sighed deeply in envy.
Miss Kishkinda, who was always proud of her own beauty, couldn’t believe what she heard. When the other female monkeys teased her, saying that she didn’t even come close to Sita’s beauty, she became jealous and decided to see Sita for herself. However, upon seeing Sita, she too was struck by her beauty and returned with a sense of shame. Still unwilling to accept defeat, she thought of how to face the others. When the other female monkeys challenged her to admit that Sita was more beautiful, she replied, “Yes, Sita is very beautiful. But what is the use of her beauty? She doesn’t have a beautiful tail like we do! Can she jump like us branch to branch or hand upside down coiling our tail to the tree branch”? This story was actually shared during a Katha Kalachebam I attended in Trichy back in 1975. The original statement in Tamil is even more hilarious to hear: என்ன இருந்து என்ன பிரயோஜனம்; ஒரு வாலு இல்லையே.”
Upon hearing this, the other monkeys felt consoled, and they were happy to send Sita off with gifts, feeling pity for her “lack” of a beautiful tail.
This story to demonstrate the Indian tendency to find some small fault or “missing tail” in others to feel better about oneself. This behavior is common, and I have often observed and experienced it in my own life. We frequently hear people commenting about their neighbors, noting all the things they have but concluding with, “What’s the use of having all that if they don’t have…?” The “missing tail” could be anything—perhaps they don’t have a son, or their children aren’t studying well, or their husband drinks too much, or they have a quarrelsome daughter-in-law. We are often unwilling to accept ourselves as we are, and we hesitate to genuinely appreciate what others have in their lives.
[Mathigiri, December 12, 2005.] Revised on 24-9-2024 Gurukulam
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