Pride and the Monkey

All of us have been proud about ourselves at some time or the other. But bearing well in the mind  the dictum that pride goeth before a fall, have been able to emerge out of the bind chrysallis of pride with some success .We are proud of our parentage, our lineage, our possessions our children etc. . Even those who have nothing , are far from humble. Perhaps it comes to us with our birth.Pride is one of the seven deadly sins, and if not curbed early, may grow into arrogance, and arrogance is even more poisonous than pride. It really kills your spirit and takes you back a thousand steps back in the evolutinary process. Many kings have displayed great arrogance because they felt  they were so powerful that they could conquer the whole world. Arrogance caused the downfall of Duryodhan and his progeny. Once Shri Krishna wanted to teach Bhimsen a lesson for he had grown very arrogant. He thought of himself as the bravest and strongest of men on earth. No one was his equal.Shri Krishna had to work out a plan to remove his ignorance .
 Mythology has it that one day as Bhim was goig through a forest he happened to come bu a tail which obstructed his path. He was filled with anger that there was some one so audacious as to have created obstacles on his path. He search led him to a monkey who was sitting in the bushes nearby. He accosted the creature thus.
"O monkey.Don't you realise that I am the great warrior Bhim of the Pandavas. None there is to equal my prowess .Remove thou thy tail and let me pass."
The monkey was disturbed out of his slumber.He voiced his incapability to do so. " O mighty Bhim,I am old and weak. I do not have the strength to do so.Please help me to  remove my tail  and thereby do me a great service. I am sure by doing this you will also be helping othertravellers who might befacing the same difficulties that you are doing".
Bhim bowed down and tried his best to lift the monkey's tail but the task was too much for him. He tried again and again and failed.At last he gave in. He could not understand how a strong man like him could not meet the challenge of a monkey.
At realised that this was no ordinary monkey and that Lord Krishna might be playing some kind of Joke on him. There was no one to equal His wit and strength. His humility was aroused.He bowed before the monkey and said,"O mysterious being.I realise I was hasty and arrogant. Do please forgive me and reveal your true identity.
The monkey got up and stretched himself to the skies. Bhim saw Hanuman  the monkey God and Shri Raam's mighty servitor standing before him and heard his voice coming from the clouds.
"Bhim, this was only to remove your ignorance and pride.Go your way but remember that it is the humble who attain to Him.May Shri Raam guide yo always."