An aging lion handed his young successor ten unruly hyenas to command. The hyenas quickly rebelled. The young lion tried fairness, splitting the food equally: one share for himself, one for each hyena. But greed won out – the hyenas united against him. Fairness failed.
Desperate, the young lion begged the old lion for help. “Watch and learn” the elder replied.
The next day, the old lion delivered just two shares: one for himself, one for all the hyenas. The strongest hyena seized control, bullying the others into submission. The old lion claimed the lion’s share, while the hyenas scrapped over scraps – getting less than before. From then on, the old lion ruled by taming only the alpha hyena, who kept the pack in check.
In society, true leaders grasp the raw essence of human nature. They wield unyielding power not through brute force, but by stepping back when direct control falters – allowing the mob to devour itself in chaos, frenzy and self-destruction.
The above story explains the reality of power truthfully and beautifully. It is important to internalise and remember this always.
The nature of power is such. You cannot change the nature of power but you can adapt and use it to your advantage. Remember, power is essential to living a fruitful and blissful life. Failure to realise this truth leads to all sorts of problems at the individual level and to anarchy at the societal level.
Many people are under the wrong impression that meditation is withdrawal from society and life. It is not. A meditative person is one who balances the inner world with the outer. A tree grows tall and broad, when it’s roots go deep and wide. Similarly, a meditative person is able to live and enjoy a varied and beautiful life due to their regular meditation practice.
If you are practicing meditation, carry on with your practice. When life gives you an opportunity to wield power or do something meaningful in the material world, do it. You will be surprised to find how easily you are able to do it. Further down the track, you will find that you are able to make many more significant and meaningful contributions to both – your immediate circles in particular and to life in general. This happens as you have been able to integrate the inner spiritual world with the outer material world.
Live your life fully. The temporal and the spiritual are inter-connected. You are the living example!