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Parable Of The Door-Mat

A man was hurriedly entering the neighbour’s house. He found at the threshold a colourful door-mat with the word ‘Welcome’ written on it. With callous ease he stepped on it with a proud stride. The door-mat slipped from its place, and the man fell down on his back, at the same time kicking the door-mat up. It fell down on the reverse side. He cursed the door-mat and the ‘Welcome’ written on it, and got up. Instantly his eyes alighted upon the door-mat again; but now he found the words: “Danger: Beware” written on it, i.e., on the reverse side of the same door-mat. He understood that it was intended for those who stepped on it carelessly, tempted by the word ‘Welcome’.

A man of little intelligence reads in the scriptures ‘Maya Tatam Idam Sarvam’, ‘Isavsyam Idam Sarvam’, ‘Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma’, and thinks that there is no need for vigilance, for Vairagya and for Sadhana, as everything is pervaded by God! He slips down; he has a terrible downfall. Now, how could God thus let him down? Are the scriptures that said “Maya Tatam Idam Sarvam (All this is pervaded by Me)” false? No. He looks at them again. Now he discovers another utterance of the Lord: “Anityam Asukham Lokam Imam Prapya Bhajasva Mam” (Having come to this world of impermanence and misery, worship Me). Now he realises that if a man is careless  and has no Vairagya, he would find that he slips at every step; that though the world is pervaded  by the Lord, one should walk carefully and be equipped with vigilance and Vairagya.

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