Every soul is independent. None depends on another.

- Bhagwan Mahavir

In our daily life, we have many incidents where our ego plays an important role. Ego is the cause of destruction. How many of us know that how true this statement is but we are unable to help it? Even if we know the harm that ego causes to us, we are unable to escape it. We are so obsessed with our own social prestige that we don’t see how badly our soul is affected and harmed in many ways.

There were two very good childhood friends. When they grew big, one friend became a Saint and stayed alone in mountain areas to conduct his prayers and tapasaya. The other friend became very rich like a King and would stay in his palatial house. The saint would wear only a small piece of cloth around and the rich friend was living a lavish life.

Once the rich friend desired to search for his friend who had opted to live a life of a Saint. He felt restless and searched for him in every nook and corner. Finally he located his friend, went to meet him and felt very proud that his friend has achieved so much knowledge in short period. He has become a tapasvi. He went to his ashram and requested him to have lunch in his house. The tapasvi friend agreed to visit his house and have lunch with him.

The rich friend was very happy and made beautiful arrangement and decorations to receive his dear friend. He spread costly carpets so that his friend is not hurt.

When the sanyasi friend reached his rich friend’s house, he was amused and surprised to see the beautiful arrangements made to greet him. When he reached the main door, a person at the gate told him “See, your friend has intentionally made this arrangement to make you feel low. He wants to prove to you that how much he has attained in life and you are nothing. Hearing that the Saint got very angry and his EGO reached the peak, he felt hurt. He thought that he was such a big Saint and my friend wants to compare his riches with the knowledge I have gained. He went to a nearby dirty drainage, dirtied his feet in it and then went to his friend’s house. He spoilt the beautiful carpet with his dirty feet.

The rich friend greeted his friend and was surprised to see dirty carpet. He shouted at his servants demanding to know who had spoilt his carpet. At this, the tapasvi friend said that “I have spoilt your carpet to show that I have gained more than you. You have achieved only money, but I have got spiritual knowledge, I am a Saint, a knowledgeable person, a tapasvi". His ego knew no bounds.

The rich friend was stunned and replied very politely and apologetically “ Oh, dear friend after sacrificing all worldly and materialistic things, being a Saint, a knowledgeable person, your EGO is still intact, it has not gone down. I used to respect you, honour you, used to feel jealous of your achievements, but now I feel very sad that there is no difference between you and me. I have an ego for money and you have an ego for sainthood, your knowledge and tapasya. You have lost all that you have achieved.

This short story teaches us how ego doesn’t leave anyone. Even a knowledgeable saint comes under the trap of ego and loses his gained respect. The same happens to us. Lesser the ego, greater the life and purity of our soul.