Story 50 - Want of Time, A groundless Complaint

Once a man came to Dr. Johnson, and said, "Doctor, I am undone, undone. I am unfit for any work; I cannot do anything. What can a man do in this world?" Dr. Johnson inquired what the matter with him was. He ought to lay down reasons for his complaint, and this man began to state his argument in this way. "Man lives in this world for a period of hundred years at the utmost, and what are a hundred years compared with infinity, eternity.. Half of this age is passed in sleep. You know we sleep every day, and our period of childhood is one long sleep, and our period of old age is also a time of debility and helplessness, when we can do nothing; again our period of youth is misspent in evil thoughts, in all sorts of temptations. Again what is left to us is spent in sporting about. We play a great deal, and what is left out of that is wasted away in attending to nature's calls, and in eating, drinking, etc.; and what is left out of that goes in anger, envy, anxiety, troubles, and worries. These are also natural for every man. What remains still, what little is left to us, is taken up by attending to our children, to our friends and relatives. What can a man do in this world? We must weep for those that die, and we must rejoice at the birth of new arrivals. All our time must be wasted in this way. How can a man do anything solid, anything real? How can a man spare time for realizing his God-head? We cannot. Away with these churches, away with these religious teachers and preachers, Tell them that people in this world cannot spare time for religion, they have no time for realizing their God-head. That is too much for us." Dr. Johnson did not smile at these words, he did not reproach this man, but only began to weep and to sympathise with him. He said, “Men ought to commit suicide, because they have no time for godly professions. Brother! To this complaint of yours, I have another complaint to add, I have a worse complaint to add”. This man then asked Dr. Johnson to state his complaint. Dr. Johnson began to cry a mock cry, and said, "Look here! There is left no soil or earth for me; there is left no soil or earth which will grow corn enough to feed me, I am undone, undone." "Well", he said, "Doctor, how could that be? I admit that you eat too much, you eat as much as ten men do, yet there is soil enough on the earth to produce food for your stomach; there is earth enough to produce corn or vegetable for your body. Why do you complain?" Dr. Johnson said. "Look here, what is this Earth of yours? This Earth is nothing, this Earth is looked upon as a mathematical point in astronomical calculations. When we are calculating the distance of stars and suns, we regard this Earth as nil, as a cipher, and three-fourths of this cipher or world is occupied by water, and what is occupied by water, and what is left out of that? Mark? A great deal is taken up by barren sands and a considerable part is taken up by barren hills and stones and a considerable part is taken up by lakes and rivers; again a considerable part of this Earth is occupied by sites of big cities like London; again roads, railroads, streets take up a great deal of this Earth. What is there in this Earth left for man? We will suppose that there is something left for man out of all that. But how many living beings are there, who want to take advantage of the insignificant part of the soil that is left? There are many birds, so many ants, so many horses, so many elephants, all of these want to keep themselves on the Earth that is left and is capable of producing anything; very little falls to the lot of man. How many men are there in this world? Look at

London, full of millions and millions of men. Look at this enormous population, all this wants to feed upon the insignificant part of this big cipher or this world. How can the Earth produce food enough for my satisfaction? My logic leads me to this desperation, to this sad conclusion that I should die, because I can find no Earth which can produce food to feed me." Now the man said, "Doctor, your argument is not right; your logic seems to be right but still despite this logic of yours, this Earth can keep you." And Dr. Johnson said, "Sir, if this complaint of mine is groundless, your complaint that you have got no time to supply yourself with spiritual food is also groundless. If the earth is sufficient to supply me with material food, time also is sufficient for your purpose; it can also supply you with spiritual food."

MORAL: Want of time for spirituality is a groundless complaint. There is enough time under any circumstances, if one makes a proper use of it and will to do a thing.

Vol. 1 (247—250)