This pigeon
was perched on tree and as I waited patiently, it did land on the terrace ! –
and started asking me Qs – so here is me telling you all a kutti stori !!
A little Zen story about
freedom, comparison, and being oneself
One spring morning, a young Pigeon sat on a branch and watched an eagle soaring
high above the mountains.
“How fortunate the eagle is!” sighed
the Pigeon. “He can fly so high, see distant lands, and touch the sky. What am
I but a tiny bird, hopping from branch to branch?”
An old crane, standing quietly beside a
pond, heard the sparrow's words. “Why do you wish to be an eagle?” asked the
crane. “Because he can fly higher than anyone else.” The crane smiled. “Have
you ever seen an eagle complain that he cannot swim like a fish?”
“No,” replied the Pigeon. “Have you ever seen a fish complain that it
cannot sing like a nightingale?” “No.” “Then why,” asked the crane gently, “do
you spend your days wishing to be another bird?” The Pigeon fell silent.
Just then, a strong wind swept through
the trees. A little nest, hidden among the branches, began to shake. Two young chicks cried out in fear. Without
thinking, the Pigeon flew towards the nest. He darted between the branches,
found a sheltered place beside the chicks, and spread his tiny wings to protect
them from the wind. When the storm passed, the chicks were safe.
The eagle, circling high above, had not
even noticed the little nest. That evening, the Pigeon sat on his branch again.
The eagle was returning to his distant mountain home, his wings glowing in the
golden sunset. For the first time, the Pigeon watched him without envy. He looked down at
the little nest. The chicks were sleeping peacefully. And the Pigeon smiled.
He had not flown as high as
the eagle. He had not travelled across mountains. He had not touched the
clouds. Yet, that day, he had done something that only he could do.
The old crane, watching from the pond,
nodded quietly. “Now you understand,” he said. “Understand what?” asked the Pigeon
? The crane replied, “The sky is wide enough for every bird. You need not borrow another bird's wings to find your place
in it.” And with that, the old crane closed his eyes, while the evening
breeze carried the songs of a hundred different birds across the forest.
The lesson
: Do not
measure your life by another person's height, speed, or achievements. The eagle
has his sky. The Pigeon has his branch.
The crane has his stillness.
Wisdom begins when we stop
asking, “Why am I not like them?” and begin discovering, “What can I do with
the life and gifts that are mine?”
Like the birds, we need not
all fly at the same height to belong to the same sky.
16.10.2026
Excellent extract as a motivation to one's life. This statement = Excel in what you are and Do not Compare has been a Mantra from my B in Law for last 45 years. He excelled but he never measured himself against others. Thank you. Accolades for bringing this thru a small anecdote
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