A very rich man saw a beggar sitting at the corner of a road . The rich man walked towards him and asked him “ Why are you begging when you are fit and healthy ?”.  The beggar replied “ I have no job for many months now. If you can help me get a job, I will stop begging immediately”.

The rich man replied “I cannot give you a job but I have something better than a job to offer you- why don’t you become my business partner “

The beggar could not believe what he heard . The beggar asked “ what are you saying . is this really possible ?”

“Yes” said the rich man . “ I have a manufacturing unit where we make rice . You supply the produce of rice in the market and whatever profit is made , we will share at the end of each month “

The beggar was in tears of joy as he exclaimed “ you have come to me as an angel from heaven, i am lost for words to thank you’.

Then after a little pause the beggar asked the rich man “ how will we share the profits ? Will you give me 20% share and keep the 80% or you will give me 10% and keep the 90% share ? . Whatever is the case, I am ready and I am very happy” the beggar said,

The rich man put his hand on the beggar’s head and said “ you give me just 10% of the share in profits and you keep 90% so that you can be successful “.

The beggar came down on his knees and said to the rich man “ I shall do as you say , I am ever so thankful to you “

From the next day on wards , the beggar started work , selling very good quality rice – cheaper than market price and through his hard work he was able to sell large quantities of rice in the market and he started to get see success in the business.

The day came to share the profit.  The beggar started to feel that 10% share to the rich man is a bit too much as a devilish thought crossed his mind “ I am doing all the hard work day and night and the rich man did no work except that he gave me the opportunity . Why should I give him a 10% share in the profit. He does not deserve it .” the beggar thought to himself.

When the rich man came to the manufacturing plant to collect his 10% share from the beggar, the beggar said to him “ I have not got a clear account yet , there was a loss , i have taken business loans”  and the beggar  made all sorts of excuses to avoid paying the rich man his share of profit.

The rich man replied “ I know how much profit you have made then why are you avoiding to pay my share in the profit ? “

The beggar replied immediately “ You are not entitled to this share in the profit  because I have alone done all the hard work to derive the profit “

How would the rich man have felt after hearing such words from the beggar ?

In the same way , God gave us life, hands and legs , eyes, brains, sensibility , the senses to speak  , the emotions to feel.

We need to remember that in the 24 hours available in a day, 10% of that time  is God’s right and we must happily devote that time to God . We must remove 10% from our monthly earnings and give it away in charity and we must thank God for giving us life and every comfort and happiness.

 

Prof . Chandru Kanaya