Guru10 13 15

GURU 10 - Honeybee & Honey ThiefGURU 10 - Honeybee & Honey Thief
107
THE LESSON LEARNT BY THE AVADHUTA BRAHMANA
The instruction received from the honeybee is that just like the honeybee, one
should not just think of saving things and keeping for one’s own enjoyment. Rather
he should cultivate the habit of giving and sharing with others. If one does not learn
this habit, nature will anyway force him to learn this by taking away our possessions
forcefully. In this example, the honeybees struggle and strive to collect a huge
amount of honey, tirelessly endeavoring day and night. They are so much focused
on accumulating honey for the future use that they do not even have the time to
enjoy the honey themselves. And one fine day the honey thief comes and cleverly
steals all the honey, which the bees have accumulated for such a long time.
A greedy person accumulates a large quantity of money with great struggle and
pain, but the person who has struggled so much to acquire this wealth is not always
allowed to enjoy it himself or give it in charity to others. The greedy man is like the
bee that struggles to produce a large quantity of honey, which is then stolen by a
man who will enjoy it personally or sell it to others. No matter how carefully one
hides is hard-earned wealth or tries to protect it, there are those who are expert in
detecting the whereabouts of valuable things, and they will steal it.
The Theme - Learn to share, otherwise you will
lose everything.
SLOKA RECITATION
Let us learn a sloka from the Neeti Sastras, which teaches us something about
the above theme.
Before teaching the present verse, the teacher should begin the class by
chanting all the verses of the 24 Gurus with the children all together.
Chant the tenth verse of the 24 Gurus again. Tell the children we will learn
the tenth verse and also understand it.
Learn the tenth verse. (The teacher recites the sloka line by line and makes
the children repeat and memorize the sloka)
Krpanena samo data
Na bhuto na bhavisyati
Asprsanneva vittani
Yah parebhyah prayachhati
1/1 60 mins 60 mins
Let us learn a sloka from the Neeti Sastras, which teaches us something about
Before teaching the present verse, the teacher should begin the class by
Chant the tenth verse of the 24 Gurus again. Tell the children we will learn
Learn the tenth verse. (The teacher recites the sloka line by line and makes
GURU 10 - Honeybee & Honey Thief

108
Never was there; nor will there be a donor like a miser. Because without touching
the money – he gives all of it to others (i.e. at death).
LESSONS FROM GURU – 5 SHARINGS
The teacher can explain to the children, the lessons which this Honey bee and
honey thief teach us. The abbreviation “ ” makes it convenient for us to
remember what the guru wants to teach us.
The teacher can write down on the board the below abbreviation and ask the children
to note it down and learn it.
In this session, after explaining the meaning of “5 sharing”, the teacher will be able
to narrate a maximum of four stories. The remaining stories can be continued in the
next class.
1. Sharing is caring - Sharing means giving someone a portion of your time,
knowledge, talents or possessions to help them.
2. Sharing makes you less selfish
3. Sharing is the love that you show to people - Sharing responsibilities at home,
school
4. Sharing is the quality of the divine - it gives you satisfaction
5. Sharing is not about sharing answers in exams, gossip about someone else.
1. Sharing is Caring
Sharing means giving someone a portion of your time,
knowledge, talents or possessions to help them.
STORY 1 - THE OLD WOMAN AND HER HALF POMEGRANATE
Once a sadhu allotted a day for
collections for charity. He sat
under a tree and began receiving
gifts. A King came and gave him
deeds of lands, houses, and valuable
properties. Then came a rich merchant
with rich and valuable gifts. Then came
wealthy landlords. The sadhu accepted
all their gifts by extending his
right hand in token thereof.
Then came an old, shriveled
woman and said to him, “Lord,
I heard about your appeal for
charity only this morning.
I am a poor old woman and
have nothing. I was eating
this pomegranate, and had eaten half
when I heard the news. I had nothing
else to give but this half pomegranate. So
I brought it along. Please, Lord, accept
this.”
She looked at him appealingly. The
sadhu at once came down himself and
accepted the gift with both hands, in
deep gratitude.
The king, the merchants, and all who
wealthy landlords. The sadhu accepted

109
I was parked
in front of the mall
wiping off my car. I
had just come from
the car wash and was
waiting for my wife to get out of work.
Coming my way from across the parking
lot was what society would consider a
bum. From the looks of him,
he had no car, no home, no
clean clothes, and no money.
There are times when you feel
generous but there are other
times that you just don’t want
to be bothered. This was one of
those ‘don’t want to be bothered times.’
“I hope he doesn’t ask me for any
money,” I thought. He didn’t. He came
and sat on the curb in front of the bus
stop but he didn’t look like he could
have enough money to even ride the bus.
After a few minutes he spoke. “That’s a
very pretty car,” he said. He was ragged
but he had an air of dignity around him.
His scraggly blond beard keeps more
than his face warm. I said, “Thanks,”
and continued wiping off my car. He sat
there quietly as I worked. The expected
plea for money never came.
As the silence between us widened
something inside said, “Ask him if he
needs any help.” I was sure that he
would say “yes” but I held true to the
inner voice. “Do you need any help?” I
asked. He answered in three simple but
profound words that I shall never forget.
We often look for wisdom in great men
and women. We expect it from those of
higher learning and accomplishments.
I expected nothing but an outstretched
grimy hand. He spoke the three words
that shook me. “Don’t we all?” he said. I
was feeling high and mighty,
successful and important,
above a bum in the street,
until those three words
hit me like a twelve gauge
shotgun. Don’t we all? I
needed help. Maybe not for
bus fare or a place to sleep, but I needed
help. I reached in my wallet and gave
him not only enough for bus fare, but
enough to get a warm meal and shelter
for the day. Those three little words still
ring true.
No matter how much you have, no
matterhowmuchyouhaveaccomplished,
you need help too. No matter how little
you have, no matter how loaded you are
with problems, even without money or
a place to sleep, you can give help. Even
if it’s just a compliment, you can give
that. You never know when you may see
someone that appears to have it all. They
are waiting on you to give them what
they don’t have.
A different perspective on life, a
glimpse at something beautiful, a respite
from daily chaos, that only you through
a torn world can see. Maybe the man
STORY 2 - DON’T WE ALL ... ?
times that you just don’t want
to be bothered. This was one of
were there were immensely
surprised. “O Blessed one,”
asked the king, “why did you
receive her gift with both hands,
coming down yourself from your
dais, when you took our gifts merely by
extending your right hand?”
“Because, King,” he replied, “she gave
her all. The rest of you merely gave a
fraction of what you have.”

110
Annadanam param danam
Vidya danam atah param
Annena ksanika trptir
Yavad jivam ca vidyaya
Charity of food is great. Greater is charity of knowledge. Food gives satisfaction for
a few moments. But knowledge gives satisfaction (contentment) for whole life.
was just a homeless stranger wandering
the streets. Maybe he was more than
that. Maybe he was sent by a power that
is great and wise, to messenger to a soul
too comfortable in themselves.
Maybe God looked down, called
an Angel, dressed him like a bum, and
then said, “Go messenger to that man
cleaning the car, that man needs help.”
Don’t we all?
MORAL - “Even a smile can be charity”
2. Sharing makes you less selfish
Once a king was very pleased with
one citizen of his and declared to him
that he can take how much ever land
he can cover till the end of the day. The
condition was that he has to come back
at sun set to the starting point to claim
the land. This man became
very jubilant and decided
that he was going to cover
as much as possible in one
day. He started running at
full speed. He ran and ran
and ran. He had managed
to cover a large amount
of land till noontime. He
had decided that he would
spend half the day running one side so
that by the end of the day, he can come
back to the start. But when it was noon
time, he thought that he will run a little
more distance and will make up for it
by running back faster. He was getting
more and more tired. But he still pushed
himself.
After some time he realized that
it was late in the afternoon and he was
too far away from the start. But still
he decided that little more would be
no harm. The factor that was pushing
him on was his dream of a
luxurious life ahead.
Finally he was too far
away to return to the start.
He ran back at full speed. He
managed to reach the starting
point, but finally collapsed
at the starting point. He was
now the owner of the entire
land but was no more alive.
So we have to learn from this incident
that one must be satisfied with whatever
one needs and not accumulate more than
necessary or else that leads to suffering
and in the bargain he may not be able
to enjoy the very thing for which he
struggled so hard.
STORY 1
day. He started running at
to cover a large amount
spend half the day running one side so So we have to learn from this incident

111
STORY 2 - A BAG OF GRAINS
According to nature’s arrangement,
living entities lower on the evolutionary
scale do not eat or collect more than
necessary. Consequently in the animal
kingdom there is generally no economic
problem or scarcity of
necessities. If a bag of rice is
placed in a public
place, birds will come to eat
a few grains and go away. A
human being, however, will
take away the whole bag. He will eat
all his stomach can hold and then try
to keep the rest in storage. According
to scriptures, this collecting of
more than necessary (atyähära)
is prohibited. Now the entire
world is suffering because of it.
Collecting and eating more
than necessary also causes prayäsa,
or unnecessary endeavor. By God’s
arrangement, anyone in any part of the
world can live very peacefully if he has
some land and a milk cow. There
is no need for man to move from
one place to another to
earn a livelihood, for
one can produce food
grains locally and
get milk from cows.
That can solve all economic problems.
Fortunately, man has been given higher
intelligence for the cultivation of Kåñëa
consciousness, or the understanding
of God, one’s relationship with Him,
and the ultimate goal of life, love of
God. Unfortunately, so-called civilized
man, not caring for God realization,
utilizes his intelligence to get more than
necessary and simply eat to satisfy the
tongue. By God’s arrangement there is
sufficient scope for the production of
milk and grains for human beings all
over the world, but instead of using
his higher intelligence to cultivate God
consciousness, so-called intelligent men
misuse their intelligence to produce
many unnecessary and unwanted
things. Thus factories,
slaughterhouses, brothels
and liquor shops are
opened. If people are advised not to
collect too many goods, eat too much or
work unnecessarily to possess artificial
amenities, they think they are being
advised to return to a primitive way
of life. Generally people do not like to
accept plain living and high thinking.
That is their unfortunate position.
Human life is meant for
God realization, and the
human being is given higher
intelligence for this purpose. Those who
believe that this higher intelligence is
meant to attain a higher state should
follow the instructions of the Vedic
literatures. By taking such instructions
from higher authorities, one can actually
become situated in perfect knowledge
and give real meaning to life.
place, birds will come to eatplace, birds will come to eat
is no need for man to move from
one place to another to
earn a livelihood, for
one can produce food
get milk from cows.

112
The wife of the headman of a village
died soon after giving birth to a baby
boy. The headman was inconsolable but
was persuaded by his family and friends
to marry again so that the child
would have someone to look after
him.
Fortunately, his second wife
turned out to be a large-hearted and
sensible woman who gave the child all
the love and care he would have received
from his own mother. In the course of
the years she presented the headman
with two more sons, but her affection
for the oldest never diminished. She
treated all three boys alike and the two
younger ones never realized they had a
stepbrother.
When the headman passed away,
the widow entrusted the responsibilities
of the household and the fields to
the eldest son and he managed them
so well that the family prospered.
This made the neighbours envious.
One day, one of them told the
widow’s sons the truth about
their eldest brother and advised
them to drive him away from the house
lest he should deprive them of their share
of their father’s property.
The boys were shocked at
the revelation, and, frightened by
the prospect of losing their share
of the property, decided to murder him.
When they told their mother about what
they planned to do, she said to them,
“Don’t bloody your hands, I will get rid
of him for you.”
That night when everybody was
asleep, she suddenly jumped out of bed
and started shouting: “Snake! Snake!”
“Where? Where did you see it,
mother?” asked the eldest son, getting
up from his mat.
“Alas!” said the widow. “I
saw it disappearing into
your stomach.”
The young man turned pale.
From that day on, he lost all appetite for
food and would lie on his mat the whole
day long. Soon he became so weak that
he could not even sit up on his mat.
The neighbours
rejoiced and took
advantage of the
situation. They built a
wall across the widow’s
courtyard and claimed
a part of the house as their own. In the
fields they shifted their boundaries to
enclose large portions of the widow’s
lands.
The younger sons could not
deal with the situation and
one day they said to their
mother: “If our elder brother was not
bed-ridden, such terrible things would
not have happened to us.”
The widow kept quiet, but in
the dead of the night she again started
shouting: “Snake! Snake!”
Everyone woke up.
This made the neighbours envious.
One day, one of them told the
widow’s sons the truth about
their eldest brother and advised
STORY 1 - THE THREE BROTHERS (GREED AND UNITY)
“Don’t bloody your hands, I will get rid
of him for you.”
up from his mat.
mother: “If our elder brother was not
3. Sharing is the love that you show to people
- Sharing responsibilities at home, school

113
STORY 1 - THE UNLUCKY WEAVER
Somilaka was a weaver living
on the edge of the city.
He was an expert at
making fine garments
worthy of kings and princes. He
enjoyed the patronage of the nobility.
Despite all this, he was poorer than those
weavers who were making coarse cloth
for the common people. Worried at his
condition, he told his wife, “Look dear,
how rich these weavers of coarse cloth
have become. There is something wrong
with this place. I am not a success here.
I will go elsewhere.”
“No dear. It is not true
that you can be successful
elsewhere. Our luck is linked
to what we have done in a previous
birth. If you have done a good deed in
your previous birth, you will reap the
harvest in this birth without your effort.
If you don’t have it in your destiny, you
will not get it even with effort. Just as
sun and shade are inseparable, cause
and effect are also linked to each other.”
Somilaka did not agree with her.
He said, “Without effort, you can achieve
nothing. Without cause there is no effect.
Even if you get a good meal as a result
of a good deed in the past, you have to
use your hand to eat it. Wealth comes to
a person who toils. There is no point in
chanting the name of God. You must do
your bit first. If you are not successful
despite your effort, you are not to blame.
Therefore, I have decided to go abroad.”
Ignoring his wife’s pleas, Somilaka left his
place and reached Vardhamanapuram.
Working day and night, he earned three
hundred gold sovereigns within three
years. He thought he should go home
now and started the homeward trek. At
dusk he found himself in the middle of a
forest. Wild animals began their hunt for
prey. The weaver climbed a tall tree and
went to sleep on a big branch. He saw a
dream:
The God of Action
and the God of Destiny
were talking to each
other. Destiny asked
Action, “The weaver is not
Somilaka was a weaver living
on the edge of the city.
Action, “The weaver is not
“Where...where did you see it
mother?” asked the eldest son, weakly.
“Son, I saw it coming out of
your stomach,” replied the
woman. “It disappeared into
the darkness.”
From that day on the condition of
the eldest son started improving. Soon
he was able to walk into the courtyard
where he saw the new wall. “Who has
built this!” he thundered.
The neighbours came running and
meekly pulled down the wall.
The following week he went to
the family fields and seeing the new
boundaries shouted, “Who has done
this!”
The neighbours trembled in fear
and quickly vacated the land they had
grabbed.The widow and her
three sons lived in peace and
harmony ever after.
mother?” asked the eldest son, weakly.
“Son, I saw it coming out of
4. Sharing is the quality of the divine

114
destined to live in luxury. Why did you
give him three hundred sovereigns?”
Action replied, “I have to
give to those who try and
toil. Whether the weaver
can keep it or not is in
your hands.”
The dream jolted the weaver.
He looked into his bag and
found the sovereigns missing.
Heart-broken, Somilaka
began crying, “Oh I have
lost what I have earned in three years
with great effort. I have become a poor
man again. I cannot go home in this
condition and show my face to my
wife.” He saw no point in brooding over
what has happened and decided to go to
Vardhamanapuram and try again.
This time, he could collect five
hundred sovereigns in one year. He
stored all this money in a small bag and
began his homeward journey. When it
was sundown, he had already entered
a forest. This time, he did not sleep,
afraid that he would lose his money. He
continued to walk through the forest.
This time also he saw those two persons
he saw earlier in his dream coming in
his direction.
They repeated the same
conversation about God rewarding
a hardworking person and destiny
denying it. He immediately
looked into his bag and found
there was no gold in it. This
time Somilaka lost his courage
and thought he should
commit suicide. He made a strong rope
with the fibres he found in the forest.
He tied one end of the rope to a high
branch of the tree and made a noose of
the other end. Everything was ready for
his suicide when he heard a voice in the
skies:
“O Somilaka, don’t be
rash. I am destiny who took
away your wealth. I cannot
give you more than what
is necessary for your bare needs. Not a
single cent more. But I am pleased with
your adventurous spirit. Ask for a boon.
I shall give it.”
“Please give me lots of
wealth,” said the weaver.
“What do you do with so
much money?” asked the voice.
The weaver replied, “People serve him
who is rich even if he is a miser.”
“In that case, go back to
Vardhamanapuram where two
wealthy merchants, Guptadhana and
Upabhuktadhana are doing business.
Afterstudyingthemwell,decidewhoyou
want to become, Guptadhana, the man
who earns a lot of money but does not
spend a cent of it or Upabhuktadhana,
the man who earns but also enjoys the
wealth he has amassed.”
Somilaka followed their advice
and went back to Vardhamanapuram
reaching the place in the evening after
a tiring journey. With great difficulty he
traced Guptadhana’s house and entered
it despite resistance from the merchant’s
family. When the time for dinner came,
the merchant grudgingly gave
food to Somilaka, suggesting that
The dream jolted the weaver.
lost what I have earned in three years
away your wealth. I cannot
give you more than what
food to Somilaka, suggesting that

115
he was an unwanted guest. The weaver
found a corner in the house where he
could sleep.
Somilaka again had the same
dream in which Action and Destiny
were debating Guptadhana giving food
to him.
Destiny told Action, “You
have made Guptadhana give food to
Somilaka.”
Action said, “You cannot blame
me. I had to ensure that Somalika was
fed. It is for you to decide who deserved
what.”
Next day, Destiny saw to it that
Guptadhana had an attack of cholera
and had to miss his meal. In this manner
what was given away was saved.
Later, Somilaka visited
Upabhuktadhana’s house where
the host welcomed him with
great love and respect. The weaver had a
good meal and slept. He had a dream as
usual, the same two figures appearing in
the dream.
Destiny told Action, “O Action,
the host has spent a lot of
money to entertain Somilaka.
He even borrowed to make
the guest happy. It is not in his destiny to
have surplus. How will he repay what he
has borrowed?”
Action replied, “My job is to
see Somilaka got what he deserved. If
Upabhuktadhana crossed the limits in
entertaining his guest, that is not my
fault. It is for you to decide what should
be done.”
Nextday,amessengerfromtheroyal
household came to Upabhuktadhana and
gave him a big sum of money on behalf of
the king.
Somilaka thought, “It is better to
be like Upabhuktadhana.
He enjoys life with
whatever he has. What’s
the use of being rich but
miserly? I will better
be Upabhuktadhana.”
Pleased, the Gods
showered on him the wealth that he
needed to enjoy life.
Somilaka again had the same
great love and respect. The weaver had a
Somilaka thought, “It is better to
the use of being rich but
STORY 2 - JAYANANDA PRABHU
Jayananda prabhu used to give his
entire salary to Srila Prabhupada.
Srila Prabhupada printed his books
andalsousedthemoneytopropagate
the Krishna Consciousness
movement.
STORY 3 - A BUSINESSMAN DISCIPLE OF BHAKTI SIDDHANTA
SARASWATI (SPIRITUAL MASTER IS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF LORD KRISHNA)
One disciple of Bhakti
Siddhanta Saraswati
Thakur would earn money
by doing his business.
Then at the end of the
month, whatever money
he would earn, he would come and keep
it at the lotus feet of his
guru maharaj. Then Bhakti
Siddhanta Saraswati would
give him back whatever he
requires to run his family
and the rest of the money he would
utilise in preaching.

STORY 4
Pilai Pillai Alvan, a disciple
of Kuresh had aggressive
nature as a result he would
criticize devotees. It was his
habittocriticizeatleastonedevoteeevery
day. He was very much depressed by
that. The news reached Kuresh. Kuresh
asked for charity to him; he said, “I want
your body, words and mind in charity”.
So he gave. From that time onwards
as soon as he would see a devotee. He
wanted to criticize him but he
would somehow stop himself.
One day he saw a devotee who
was limping while walking. He
couldn’t control himself and committed
offence in mind.
After that he felt very bad that he
gave his mind to His Spiritual Master but
he is committing vaishvnava aparadha
withthatpropertyoftheSpiritualMaster.
So he decided to fast till death. When
Kuresh heard he said, “Why are you
fasting till death? You have controlled
committing Vaishnav aparadha with
your body and word, mind is far greater.
Don’t fast. Go to Ramanuja and pay him
one obeisance. That
will relieve you from
this propensity.” He
went to Ramanuja and
paidoneobeisanceandthatdestroyedhis
entire propensity to commit Vaishnava
aparadha.
habittocriticizeatleastonedevoteeevery
wanted to criticize him but he
would somehow stop himself.
One day he saw a devotee who
was limping while walking. He
Don’t fast. Go to Ramanuja and pay him
116
5. Sharing is not about sharing answers in
exams, gossip about someone else
A businessman once came to see Srila
Prabhupada and Prabhupada asked him
whatdoeshedo.Hesaidthathedealsand
manufactures glass. Srila Prabhupada
asked him where does glass come from.
He replied that glass comes from silica, so
where does silica come from; He replied
that silica comes from sand. Prabhupada
asked where does sand come from, the
reply came as beach. Now Prabhupada
asked who made the beach. He finally
answered that God made the beach. Srila
Prabhupada said that he was a big thief.
He got bewildered, Srila Prabhupada
explained that if you take something
from someone and you don’t repay then
you are termed as a thief. The man said
that he gives donations,
so Prabhupada said he is a
small thief. The lesson we
have to learn is that one
should not accumulate and
another thing is that one should not
hold back and give back whatever he
has received to the person responsible
for providing him everything. So
Prabhupada whenever he was offered
any money or charity he would not think
twice to accept it as he always used it in
Krishna’s service thereby purifying the
money and also giving the person some
sukrti. So Sadhu can enjoy hard earned
money of others if he is utilizing it for
the Lord.
STORY 1 - STORY OF GLASSMAKER AND PRABHUPADA (RECIPROCATE
BACK FOR LORD’S LOVE & CARE)
that he gives donations,
so Prabhupada said he is a
small thief. The lesson we
have to learn is that one
should not accumulate and

117
Conclusion
HOW IS IT RELEVANT IN MY LIFE?
What is our reaction when we are passing a mall where there is a section of stationary?
You see some very good pens. What is the first thing that goes on in your mind?
Do you first think about all the pens that you already have at home? Do you think
about another friend of yours who has only one pen, because his father cannot
afford another one?
Will you still go for the nice looking pen? Or will you instead stop yourself by
reminding yourself that you are wasting money?
Also a quick recap of the guru and his teachings.
Video of nutty fox.
Video of Third part of “Ganges” – men stealing honey.

Guru10 13 15

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