It so happened that a frog found a half-rupee coin at the bottom of his pond. He seized it and thought, “Is there anyone who is as rich as I am now? So now I shall claim what is rightfully mine. This pond belongs to me alone!” Clutching the half-rupee coin tightly, the frog sat in the middle of a landing which was used by the king’s elephant when he visited the pond to drink and bathe.

Soon the royal elephant-keeper lead the king’s own tusker to the landing. The frog puffed himself up and held up the half- rupee coin. He shouted, “Halt and turn back, you fat fool! I am the lord of this pond, and you are henceforward forbidden to set foot here–”

Without paying attention to him, the elephant set his foot upon that frog’s body, crushed him flat and entered the pond for his bath.

—–

And so the insignificant jiva declares himself lord and master of all he surveys on the strength of something that is really valueless. Wealth, power, fame, beauty, knowledge, artistic talent or any other gift of material nature is imper- manent–so what value will the attainment of these have for the eternal spirit soul?

How foolish we are to become puffed-up due to these “anarthas” (valueless acquisitions). And how foolish we are to declare the products of material nature (over which we have no control) to belong to us alone. His mind inflamed by the infections of “I” and “mine”, the ignorant living entity rushes headlong to his death, thinking that he is so great that even death must give way.