The Fragrance!

It is not a right thing to categorise something as good and something as bad, as all are created by Eshwar. Tastes of individuals vary according to the atmosphere they grow in. A thing that is liked by some one may be disliked by another person.

One day Vivekananda was returning from a trip to a near by village. There was rain on the way. Looking at Vivekananda walking in the rain, a florist offered him shelter and arranged for him to spend the night in his house. Fragrance of the flowers in the house had a pleasing effect on him.

After a while, the florist noticed two fisher woman carrying empty baskets on their heads, and were walking in the rain. He offered them also the shelter, gave them food and bade them to take rest for the night in his house.

Unable to bear the bad odor coming from those fish baskets, both the florist and Vivekananda had come out of the house, and lay, on the porch. After a while, Vivekananda noticed the two women struggling to get some sleep amidst the fragrance of flowers. The women then used their fish baskets as pillows, whereupon they could drown themselves into deep sleep.

The fisher women will not relish fragrance of flowers. The florist will not like the smell of fish. It is because of the habit and the environment in which they are brought up. Swami Vivekananda had realised that it was futile to criticize the tastes and likings of people which depend on the environment in which they grow.