The Lion and the herd of goats

Once upon a time, a shepherd found the newly born lion’s cub. He took it home, fed it with goat’s milk, and bred it with his herd of goats. Consequently, though it was a lion, it always moved, ate, and drank like a goat. The cub thought he was a goat.

One day, the cub went to the forest with the goats. At the forest, a new lion appeared who roared as usual. All the goats got scared and

began to run away. The cub also began to run. The lion of the forest saw the cub and said, “Hello brother, goats flee when I roar, but why do you run away? You are like me, a lion.” The cub who was brought up with the goats said, “You are lying. I am not a lion. I am a goat. I am afraid of you and I want to run away.”

The lion realized that the cub had stayed with the goats and thought he was a goat. The lion said, “Friend, am I wrong ? If my gigantic body makes you think that way, then you are mistaken. Your face is also round like mine. It is not long like a goat’s. Your waist is as slender as my waist, and your feet have paws not hoofs like those

of a goat. Look at your beautiful tail! The goat has a very tiny, ugly tail. You possess a mane on your neck. The goat does not. The goat and the lion are two entirely different animals.  Cast aside your false impression and roar like me. Then you will be sure that you are a lion and not a goat.”

These words clarified the cub’s doubt. He roared and began to think of himself as a lion. He started living the life of a lion.

Like the cub we have been wrongly staying in tune with our physical self. We should remember that the physical body does not constitute our true “Self.” We are the soul with infinite capacity. We should develop and manifest our capabilities with this idea in mind. To achieve such developments, we should try to stay away from the worldly attachments. 

Question:

1) Why was the cub raised by the shepherd?

2) What happened to the cub when the lion roared?

3) What did the lion tell, the cub?

4) How does this story affect our lives?