Love of labor brings happiness –dignity of labor
A king was very unhappy, even though he had all the riches and comforts, his courtiers tried to make him happy. Finally, he sent his messengers to get the shirt of the happiest man in his kingdom. His messengers metal the rich people, but they were not happy. At last, they found a man who did not even have a shirt. He sat on an old cot, singing away happily.
The messengers asked him if he was happy. He replied that he was happy. The messengers asked him, `You are a laborer. You do not even seem to have a shirt. How can you be so happy?’
The poor man told them, `I work hard. I love my work. I love people. I do well and help people, whenever I can,’ the messengers could not get a shirt from him, so they took him to the king. The king listened too him and then realized that hard work alone keeps a person happy. If a person has nothing to do, he worries, thinks much and becomes unhappy.
After that incident, the king engaged himself fully in the administration of his kingdom. He started visiting the people and taking more interest in their welfare. On one such visit he met the happy man. Once again he thanked him for the good he had done to him and invited him to his palace. When he came, the king rewarded him with a house and with better facilities for farming.
Cleanliness campaign
On October 2nd, `Gandhi Jayanti’ day, the school and organized a `Cleanliness campaign.’ Many children voluntarily participated in the campaign to clean the compound, clean classrooms and every nook and corner of the school especially, as prizes were to be announced for the best classroom and for the best group. Some did the sweeping, some cleaned the fans, and others wiped the windows. There was an excitement all round and the children were busy working in groups.
Some children of the higher classes stayed away from the leaning work. They told their teachers: `Our servants do this kind of work at home. When sweepers and pens are there, why we should do this work?’ some of the teachers got angry and complained to the school supervisor. The school supervisor was a mature and experienced teacher, who was kind but firm.
She explained to the children that Mahatma Gandhi himself took the broom and cleaned the villages, when he went there. He did not feel that he was too great to do any work. Baba Amte worked with the lepers. Mother Teresa personally fed the sick, cleaned their wounds and nursed them with love and compassion. Then she told children, `No work should be considered as low.’ The teachers again told them how some parents proudly say that they never allow their children to clean, sweep and mop the floor and that they do not even allow them to bring things from the market. The teacher pointed out that this approach was not correct and that there was nothing to be ashamed of, in doing such work.
The children, who were initially unwilling to work, now took active part as they understood the value of labor and the virtue of working together.
The cleanliness campaign was a success and all the teachers and pupils were happy and satisfied for participating in the cleaning operations. Thus they had reaffirmed their belief in the dignity of labor.
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