Once upon a time, Pappu met with an accident and was admitted to the hospital. He had friends, of course! One of his friends came to him and asked, ‘Pappu, how are you?’ The friend was obviously even more intelligent than Pappu! He could see Pappu lying completely bandaged from head to toe and yet was asking him, ‘Pappu, how are you!’ And, Pappu too replied, ‘Oh fine! I am fine!’
Both were uttering untruths! One could see the other lying on a hospital bed all bandaged up and still asked him, ‘How are you?’
Even so, Pappu sometimes does utter something intelligent once in several years! He said, ‘Only when I laugh, it hurts more.’ Hearing this, his friend asked, ‘Gosh! You can laugh in spite of this condition?’ Pappu replied, ‘If I don’t laugh now, then my laughter is not true laughter! So, when will I laugh? Whatever is happening to the body is happening. At least let us keep the mind joyful and keep smiling!’
That’s why we say - Pain is inevitable, which means the body is bound to experience pain, but by thinking about it and replaying it over and over again in the mind, you become miserable. That is your choice, your free will - whether to be miserable or not.
