Once, in a jungle, a lion was sitting alone, contemplating. He thought, “I have sharp and powerful claws and teeth. I am a very strong and powerful animal, yet all the animals in the jungle always praise the peacock.”
In reality, the lion felt a lot of envy because all the animals in the jungle admired the peacock. All the animals would say that whenever the peacock spread its feathers and danced, it looked very beautiful. The lion, despite being so powerful and the king of the jungle, felt that no one appreciated him. He wondered what the meaning of his life was in such a situation.
Just then, an elephant was passing by, looking equally distressed. When the lion saw the sad elephant, he decided to ask, “Your body is so large, and you are strong. Why are you so sad? What is bothering you?”
Seeing the sad elephant, the lion thought about sharing his own sorrow with him. He asked the elephant, “Is there any animal in this jungle that makes you feel jealous, causing you harm?”
Upon hearing the lion’s question, the elephant replied, “Even the smallest animal in the jungle can trouble a big animal like me.”
The lion asked, “Which small animal is it?”
The elephant said, “Your Majesty, it’s the ant. It is the smallest in size, but whenever it enters my ear, I go mad with pain.”
Hearing this, the lion understood that even though the peacock doesn’t trouble him like the ant troubles the elephant, he still feels jealous. He realized that every creature has its unique strengths and weaknesses. That’s why all beings cannot be equally powerful or weak.
Understanding this, the lion comprehended that despite being powerful, every strong animal also has flaws. Thus, he stopped feeling envious of the peacock. He realized that God has given different qualities and defects to all living beings.
From this story, we learn that we should never be jealous of others based on their strengths or qualities. We all have different strengths and weaknesses.
