Actor Ajith kumar known more for his acting , dare devil action sequences , racing , aero modelling , cooking , and photography has another un known passion...passion towards good books, he has set up a library of great collections ...and had just concluded reading a book named - The teaching of Buddha - BUKKYO DENDO KYOKAI , TOKYO and feels the extracts from this book like the following short story would teach man kind the art of living and letting others live .
Once there was a rich widow who had a reputation for kindness,modesty and courtesy. She had a housemaid who was wise and diligent. One day the maid thought : " My mistress has a very good reputation; I wonder whether she is good by nature, or is good because of her surroundings.
I will try her and find out." The following morning the maid did not appear before her mistress until nearly noon. The mistress was vexed and scolded her impatiently. The maid replied : "If I am lazy for only a day or two, you ought not to become impatient." This made the mistress angry.
The next day the maid got up late again. This made the mistress very angry and she struck the maid with a stick. This incident became widely known and the rich widow lost her good reputation.
Many people are like this woman. While their surroundings are satisfactory they are kind, modest and quiet, but it is questionable if they will behave likewise when the conditions change and become unsatisfactory.
It is only when a person maintains a pure and peaceful mind and continues to act with goodness when unpleasant words enter his ears, when others show ill-will toward him or when he lacks sufficient food, clothes and shelter, that we may call him good.
Therefore, those who do good deeds and maintain a peaceful mind only when their surroundings are satisfactory are not really good people. Only those who have received the buddha's teachings and are training their minds and bodies by those teachings can be called truely good, modest and peaceful people.