(E) The Herons and the Swan (the cause of suffering)
Relevant to how different people have different values, and to the cause(s) of suffering
Some herons were sitting by the side of a boggy pond. A swan happened to pass by, then a heron asked the swan, “Why are your face, eyes and toes red? Who are you?”
The swan replied, “I am a swan.”
The heron asked, “Where do you come from?”
The swan replied, “From the lake ‘Manas Sarovara’.”
The heron then asked, “What is it like there?”
The swan looked and said, “It is a garden of golden lotuses, the water of the lake is nectar, and all around it, there are various types of trees and plants, fruits and flowers, beautifully arranged on jewel-bedecked platforms.”
The heron stared wide-eyed and asked, “Are there any big-sized snails?”
The swan was confused and replied “No.”
At this the herons laughed loudly and ridiculed the swan, “Oh damn! When there are no snails there, how can you even consider it a lake? No one should go there.”
Note; many different types of meaning could be found in here, but the following as one example by a teacher supporting the notion of bhakti (loving service to God)
Commentary by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati
A Vaishnava Sannyasi and Guru (1874 – 1936)
This commentary is quite confrontational and questions the benefits of any charity that does not provide spirituals benefit, but simply some temporary relief. One guru has mentioned the story of the boy with a boil going to the doctor. When the doctor prescribed lancing, the boy said, “Can’t you just blow on it?”. Material relief without spiritual welfare may be compared to blowing on a boil. One may consider similar stories from other traditions, but also the problems that may accrue if this perspective is misunderstood or applied in a fanatical manner. To show how the tensions between helping materially and helping spiritually are not necessarily easy to resolve, we have included after this commentary another one; it may appear to take another stance, but both passage are taken from gurus from within the same sampradaya.
Often people in this material world with ulterior motives are inclined to inquire in to the objectives of pure devotion and the purpose of institutions engaged in pure devotional practices. Whenever they come to know about any performance or any institution which makes arrangement for chanting and listening to the glorification of Lord Krishna or the eternal welfare of all living entities through the preaching of the holy names of the Lord, they ask, “Is there any practice of religion relating to service to mankind?”
To such people, the religion of service means material assistance to sick persons inflicted with plague, smallpox or cholera and to victims of floods, earthquakes, famines, and similar other natural calamities, through free distribution of food, clothing, shelter and the like.
Whenever these people hear from the devotees that the institutions thus practising pure devotional services do not undertake any such activities relating to so-called philanthropic services, then they laugh loudly or ridicule, saying that any such institution which does not concern itself with philanthropic services such as medical assistance to patients suffering from plague, cholera, smallpox etc., distributing of food to the hungry people, water to the thirsty people, clothing to the poor, education to the illiterate masses and the like, is simply an institution for practising idleness meant for lazy, worthless folk. No discreet person should approach it
Such persons never accept the clarification that no temporary material assistance can be of permanent relief to those suffering folk unless and until an attempt is made to eradicate the root cause of eternal suffering of all the living entities.
The living entity is the eternal servitor of Lord Shri Krishna. It is only due to its forgetting Lord Shri Krishna that the living entity is subjected to various types of material distress. It is only upon listening to the glorification of the Lord Sri Krishna, when the living entity is awakened to his original consciousness, may the root cause of all sufferings be eradicated. No other separate temporary endeavour for relieving physical and mental distress need be practised.
The best award to common people is to awaken in them self-realization by the holy names of the Lord. Under the transcendental influence of such a practice, the root cause of all material distress is eradicated with the least effort.
This process is applicable to the rich and the poor irrespective of the cause of their eternal welfare. Through this process, an unprecedented harmony between universal and no-communal altruism, service mentality and selfish attitude may very well be fostered among the people. In fact there is no dearth of universal love and brotherhood in the matter of love Lord Shri Krishna, in as much as a single fraction of a coin is truly in existence within the huge amount of money adding to billions of pounds. Universal brotherhood, patriotism etc. are all present in full existence within love for Shri Krishna.
As such, anyone who offers his love and devotion to the Lord, is truly offering his love to the entire mass of living entities. True devotees are not lazy nor are they selfish-minded. They are actually devoted day and night in the service of Krishna conscious people through preaching the glorification of the Lord.
Devotional service to the Lord is aimed at pleasing the Lord and this service does not permit any kind of personal enjoyment. Anyone devoted to Lord Sri Krishna is fully imbued with all good qualities that we look for.
Quotes by Bhaktivinoda Thakur
A Vaishnava Guru (1838 -1914)
Those who think that devotion to God and kindness to the Jivas* are mutually different from each other, and perform accordingly in their life, such persons will not be able to follow the devotional culture. Their performance is only a semblance of devotion. Therefore all the types of beneficence to others, like kindness, friendliness, forgiveness, charity, respect, etc. are included in Bhakti.. Charity of medicines, clothes, food, water, shelter during adversities, teaching of academic and spiritual education, etc. ere the activities included in the devotional culture.
* Jiva means atman, and here refers to ‘all living beings.