LOng long ago ...there lived a mathematician in a village outside Ujjain..He was often called by local king to advice on matters related to economy.His reputation had spread as far as Texila in the North and Kanchi in the south. So it hurt him very much when the village headman told him, "you may be a great mathematician who advices the king on economic matters but you son does not know the value of the Gold or Silver"
The mathematician called his son and asked, "What is more valuable-Gold or silver?" "Gold"..said the son,Thatz correct why is it then that the village headman makes fun of you,claims you donno the value of Gold or silver?He teases me everyday, he mocks me before other village elders as a father who neglects his son.This hurts me. I feel everyone in the village is laughing behind my back because you do not know what is more valuable...Gold or Silver..explain this to me son" he asked.
So the son of the mathematician told his father the reason why the village headman carried this impression."Everyday on my way to school,the village headman calls me to his house. There in front of other village elders, he holds out a silver coin in one hand and gold coin in the other. He asks me to pick up the more valuable coin. I pick the silver coin..he laughs, the elders jeer,every one makes fun of me And then I go to school. This happens everyday. That is why they tell you I do not know the value of Gold or Silver.."
The father was confused. His son know the value of gold and silver, and yet when asked to choose
between a gold coin and silver coin always picked the silver coin. "Why don't you pick the Gold coin?'
he asked in response the son took his father to his room and showed him a box.In the box were atleast
a hundred silver coins.Turning to his father ythe mathematician's son told.."The day I pick up the Gold coin the game will stop. They will stop having fun and I will stop making money"
The bottom line is...
Sometimes in life,we have to play the fool because our seniors and our peers,and sometimes our juniors like it. That does not mean we lose in the game of life. It juzz means allowing others to win in one arena of the game, while we win the other arena of the game. We have to choose which arena matters to us and which arenas do not.
