I did land on Ateesh's post on "Self Discipline vs Intelligence"Monoo’s recommendation, and that reminded me a story which my Mamu(uncle) use to tell me when I was a kid. I am sharing the same here and would want you guys to tell me what lesson you learn from this.
“Indra had a pet parrot. One day he got the thought, ‘Someday my beautiful little parrot is going to die.But when will that day be?’ This question started to prey on his mind so much that eventually Indra picked up his parrot and went to Brahma, the Creator. Indra asked Brahma,’Great lord, when will my beloved parrot die?’“ Brahma replied, ‘I am sorry, Indra, I am only the Creator. I don’t know about things like death. But now I am myself curious, so let us go and ask this of
Vishnu.’ Indra, his parrot and Brahma went to Vishnu and asked the Preserver of the Cosmos the same question.
But Vishnu responded, ‘I am only the Preserver; I know nothing of destroying. For that we must go to Lord Shiva.’
“All four of them trundled off to put the question to Lord Shiva. But Shiva answered, ‘Though it is true that I am the Destroyer I do nothing on my own initiative. I only act according to fate. When it is written in someone’s destiny that his time has come then I am there to take him. If we want to know when the parrot is going to pass on we must ask Vidhata.’ “Indra, the parrot, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva accordingly made their way to the residence of Vidhata- Fate personified. As soon as they entered his presence they asked their question, but Vidhata merely
said to them, ‘Look at the parrot.’ When they did They saw it lying dead on its back, its little legs sticking forlornly upward. Shocked, the four gods asked for an explanation.
“ Vidhata told them, ‘It was written that the bird would die only when it, Indra, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva all met with at the same time. This was the only way in which the prerequisites for its death could be
fulfilled. It was because the parrot’s time had come that you, Indra, got the idea to come and inquire. Had you ignored that, and cared for the parrot's need he would have never died.”
“And that was it? Indra and the Trinity learned a good lesson and had to go home parrotless?”