Good Impression and Reputation
There was a very naughty boy named Himamsh, who lived in Manush village. If anywhere any mischief happens the only name which was to be blamed was Himamsh. He was such a mess that one day when his teacher asked him to do some assignment, he didn’t do it. The next day when the teacher entered the class he asked her permission to go to toilet and didn’t turn up for 10 minutes. Teacher feeling that something is wrong went inside the bathroom to look for him. This was the moment Himamsh was waiting for all the way long, he immediately ran into the classroom locking the teacher inside the toilet. He announced the whole class that today there are no classes as teacher is not coming!!!
He was the youngest in his family and his father pampered him a lot. His father always supported him no matter what, when the school principal complained about the prank he played on the teacher, his father coolly replied that kids if not now when will they play pranks??? With such a support from his father he slowly became a spoilt kid. He always used to do all the mischief wherever he goes. One night he had a quarrel with his sister. Because of which he got a sound thrashing from his mother.
He wanted to take revenge on his sister, so he devised a plan to take his revenge. His sister was preparing for a dance competition the next day. Himamsh thought that this is his chance and when everyone was asleep he slowly crept to his sister’s bed and applied glue to her hair! The next day when his sister woke up she was in complete horror!! Her hair was stuck to the bed and she could not get up at all! She cried when doctor said that to get her out, cutting her hair is the only way. He had his revenge and her sister a lesson, not to meddle with her brother!!!
His mother was fed up with his tantrums and his father’s support. His pranks increased day by day and it troubled his mother a lot. She was worried and afraid, how she will cope with him. She didn’t know how to put an end to his endless pranks.
Himamsh slowly began to grow into a fine young man. But his pranks have not stopped yet. Days passed and years too but nothing changed him. His mother prayed to God to put an end to his pranks and her prayers were soon answered by Him but not in a way she expected to.
After a few years, Himamsh’s father passed away unexpectedly. His father’s death took a toll on Himamsh the most because he lost the most precious gift of his life and his biggest support. He withdrew from all his mischievous activities as soon as his father died, because he was the world for him and he always had the last laugh with his father sharing his pranks for the day and now the same world is nothing but just an urn of ashes. He couldn’t digest the fact that his father was no more.
His mother was having a tough time to make both ends meet and he realized how hard his parents worked and especially his mother worked to bring him up to support his studies. He stopped being naughty and started being a good boy. He tried his best not to trouble his mother. He did his best to keep her happy but how much ever he tried, his mother never believed him. It took him years to gain her love and affection. She slowly started believing that he has changed. But the real test was yet to come.
One fine morning Himamsh left home to write his exam. He was on his way to the centre. He suddenly found a person lying on the road. He was bleeding and nobody was around to help him. Himamsh thought that he could not leave him. He took him to a hospital. He was there with the man till he regained consciousness.
It was late in the night by the time he reached home. His mother was waiting outside for him angrily. As soon as she saw him she came rushing to him asking him where he had been all day and why he didn’t write today’s exam. When he narrated the whole story she didn’t believe a word of his. She scolded and said that she made a mistake believing him and letting him have his way. She didn’t talk to him for many days. Himamsh thought that there is no use of him now to live anymore. His mother will never believe him.
So one morning, before she woke up he left home in search of a lonely place either to end his life or to start a new life alone. He was on his way to the hilly area at the end of his village. While he was going, he met a sage who asked him where he was going in such a hurry that too early in the morning. When he didn’t respond the sage asked what was troubling him. Himamsh then narrated the whole story to the sage who listened to him with great interest. He also told the sage that no matter how hard and nice he try, just with one deed his mother has now stopped believing him and he asked the sage as to why can’t she see all the good deeds he had done? Are they nothing? Or meaningless? Don’t they have any value?
After Himamsh narrated his tale the sage asked him to accompany him to his ashram. Himamsh accompanied him. As soon as they entered the ashram he took Himamsh to the backyard and asked him to do two things.
- To plant a seed of his choice.
- To make a small tank sort of thing near a tap where the water was leaking drop by drop, with mud which can store the water leaking from the tap in it.
He then asked him to come every day to the ashram for 2 weeks and pour water to the sapling he has just planted. At the end of two weeks he will tell him what to do next.
So Himamsh for the next 2 weeks went to the ashram every day, poured water to the seed.
At the end of 2 weeks he went to the sage. The sage on seeing him said that he was expecting him and asked him to come over to the backyard.
The sage asked Himamsh to observe the seed he planted and also the tank which he made 2 weeks ago and asked him to come back with his observations. When he came back the sage asked what he had observed.
Himamsh was annoyed by the sage because for the past 2 weeks this sage was making him do all his work and at the end, he asks him what he observed instead of giving a solution to his problem.
He, afraid of the sage, controlling his anger said that the seed grew into a fine sapling now and the container which he made was empty then, is almost full!
The sage asked him did he understand anything from this.
Himamsh replied, “What is there to understand from this? And what relation does it have with my problem?
The sage asked him to come over with him and said showing the sapling, “This sapling represents the efforts you have made to gain the love and affection from your mother. It has taken time to grow into such a fine sapling with your daily care and nurturing.
The leakage from the tap, drop by drop which got accumulated in the tank you made. It represents your small deeds you have done and the water stored in the tank represents the accumulation of all the good deeds you have done.
Now can you please make a small hole at the bottom of the tank?
Himamsh was puzzled. He thought that the sage was mad, because he has made huge efforts to build it and if he didn’t want to save the water from going waste then why did he ask him to build it in the first place.
When he was about to ask, the sage told him that he would get his answers but first he has to do what he was told.
When he made the hole, slowly the water started to leak and soon there was no water in the tank at all.
The sage said that,
“Each drop which was collected in the tank was your small good deed you have done. You have seen how each drop slowly became into a small pond in the storage. The small hole you created is the misdeed or mistake which people think that you have done and as a result all the good that you have done washes away. So just as you don’t see water anymore in the tank, people though know that you have done good deeds won’t be able to see them because of the hole which came into your life”
So see it takes a life time to get good impression and reputation but a second to lose it.”
Reputation and good impression are just like that plant and water. They take time to grow but won’t take time to wither away and dry away.
Your name is your good asset so guard it properly.
So my son, don’t worry that all is lost. All is not lost yet. You can still make efforts again but as this seed took some time to grow into a plant it will take time for you to gain back your mother’s love again. Try once more, no harm in it.
My Journey 