Once upon a time, there lived a young disciple in a hermitage with his wise master. However, this disciple had a major flaw – he was incredibly lazy. He had a habit of postponing today’s work for tomorrow and even the work of tomorrow for the day after. This laziness caused all his tasks to pile up, and he often found himself regretting his procrastination.
This pattern of laziness extended to his studies as well, and he lagged behind the other students in the gurukul (school). His master was well aware of this problem and was concerned about it.
One day, the master decided to teach his disciple a valuable lesson. He approached the lazy disciple and handed him a black stone, saying, “My son, take this stone. It’s not an ordinary stone; it’s a philosopher’s stone. This stone has a unique power – if you rub it against any iron, that iron will magically turn into gold. I’m entrusting this black stone to you, and I’ll be away for a day. I’ll return tomorrow evening, and by then, you should have made a considerable amount of gold.”
With these words, the master turned to leave but paused for a moment and added, “Remember, you have until tomorrow evening.” Then he departed, leaving the disciple holding the mysterious stone.
The lazy disciple couldn’t believe his luck. He thought, “Now I possess a philosopher’s stone! I can turn iron into gold and become immensely rich. I have plenty of time to gather iron and transform it into gold.”
Excited by his newfound potential wealth, he began making plans. He decided to visit the market to buy scrap iron to work his magic with the stone. As it was evening, he decided to have a meal and get a good night’s rest, planning to start fresh in the morning.
As he lay down to sleep, he daydreamed about his future riches. Morning came, but he felt tired after his meal. He thought, “I have all day until evening to buy iron. What’s the rush?” He decided to rest for a little while longer.
Time slipped away as he dozed off, and when he finally woke up, he saw that evening was approaching. Panicked, he realized he had wasted the entire day sleeping.
He rushed to get up, determined to buy iron and make gold before his master returned. However, as he stepped outside, he was greeted by his master, who had returned earlier than expected. The master took the philosopher’s stone back and declared, “Your time is up.”
The disciple pleaded for more time, but the master remained firm. He said, “A lazy person like you cannot achieve anything in life. You had a full 24 hours to turn iron into gold, but your laziness got the better of you. I won’t give you the stone even for a moment. This is the consequence of your procrastination. Those who don’t value time can’t accomplish much in life.”
The disciple stood there, feeling ashamed and regretful. His laziness had cost him a golden opportunity, and he had learned a valuable lesson about the importance of time.
In life, we all encounter moments of laziness and procrastination. We delay tasks, thinking we can do them later, but time never stops. It keeps moving forward, and we can’t turn it back. We must remember that today is the best time to take action because tomorrow is uncertain. Putting things off only leads to missed opportunities.
So, let the story of the lazy disciple be a reminder – don’t delay what you can do today because time waits for no one.
FAQ
1. Why did the master give the disciple a black stone in the story?
- The master gave the disciple a black stone to teach him a valuable lesson about procrastination and the importance of time.
2. What was unique about the black stone in the story?
- The black stone in the story was said to be a philosopher’s stone with the power to turn iron into gold when rubbed against it.
3. Why did the lazy disciple postpone his work in the story?
- The lazy disciple in the story had a habit of postponing his work due to his laziness, thinking he could always do it later.
4. What did the disciple plan to do with the philosopher’s stone?
- The disciple planned to use the philosopher’s stone to turn iron into gold and become wealthy.
5. Why did the disciple decide to rest after eating his meal in the story?
- The disciple decided to rest after eating because he thought he had plenty of time until the evening to buy iron and make gold.
6. What happened when the disciple woke up from his nap?
- When the disciple woke up from his nap, he realized that the day had passed, and evening was approaching.
7. How did the master react when he returned and found the disciple had not made any gold?
- The master took back the philosopher’s stone and told the disciple that his time was up. He emphasized the consequences of the disciple’s laziness.
8. What lesson did the disciple learn from the story?
- The disciple learned the importance of not procrastinating and valuing time. He understood that delaying tasks can lead to missed opportunities.
9. Why did the master say that a lazy person couldn’t achieve much in life?
- The master stated this because laziness and procrastination can hinder personal growth and success. Those who don’t value time may not accomplish their goals.
10. What message does the story convey about time and procrastination? – The story emphasizes that time is precious, and procrastination can lead to missed opportunities. It encourages us to act promptly and not delay tasks that can be done today.
