Garry was a young grasshopper who lived in a meadow with his mother and father. He was a playful and cheerful grasshopper, always ready to have fun and make friends. He loved his parents very much, and they loved him too.
One day, Garry’s father told him that he had to go to the nearby farm and help the other grasshoppers with their work. He said that it was their duty as grasshoppers to eat the crops and keep them from growing too much. He said that by doing so, they were performing yajña [sacrifice], and yajña was born of prescribed duties. He said that by doing so, they were producing rains, and rains were producing food grains, and food grains were sustaining all living bodies. He said that by doing so, they were following Dharma and karma, the laws of the universe that govern the actions and reactions of all living beings. He said that by doing so, they were pleasing the Supreme Lord, who is the source and the goal of all existence.
He told Garry to come with him and learn how to do his duty as a grasshopper. He said that it was time for him to grow up and take responsibility. He said that it was not good for him to spend all his time playing and having fun. He said that he had to work hard and contribute to the welfare of the whole creation. He said that he had to perform his work as a sacrifice for yajña. He said that he had to follow Dharma and karma.
Garry was not happy to hear that. He did not want to go to the farm and work. He did not want to eat the crops and destroy them. He did not want to perform yajña and produce rains. He did not want to follow Dharma and karma. He wanted to stay in the meadow and play. He wanted to enjoy the flowers and the fruits. He wanted to have fun and be free. He thought that his father was boring and strict. He thought that his duty was silly and pointless. He thought that yajña was unnecessary and wasteful. He thought that Dharma and karma were complicated and confusing. He thought that the Supreme Lord was distant and indifferent.
He decided to disobey his father and run away from the farm. He told his father that he was going to get some water and ran away from the meadow. He did not notice that his father opened his eyes and watched him go.
Garry ran through the forest, feeling free and happy. He saw many beautiful and colorful things. He smelled many sweet and fragrant things. He tasted many delicious and juicy things. He had a great time.
He soon came across a clearing where he saw a big bush full of bright and lovely flowers. He loved flowers. They were his favorite thing. He ran towards the bush, humming a tune. He did not see the sign that said “Beware of the bee”.
The bee was the owner of the bush. He had planted it and tended it for many years. He was very proud of his bush and very protective of his flowers. He did not like anyone to touch them or smell them or taste them. He considered them his property and his right.
He was hiding under the bush, waiting for the flowers to bloom. He had a sharp eye and a sharper sting. He saw Garry coming and smelled his curiosity. He was angry and annoyed. He thought to himself, “Who is this intruder? How dare he come to my bush and try to enjoy my flowers? I won’t let him. I’ll teach him a lesson he won’t forget.”
He waited until Garry was close enough and then flew out of the bush, showing his black and yellow stripes. He shouted, “Stop! These are my flowers. You can’t have them. Go away!”
Garry was startled and scared. He had never seen a bee before. He did not know what it was or what it could do. He thought it was a strange and scary creature. He said, “Who are you? What are you? Why are you so mean? These are not your flowers. They belong to everyone. They are a gift from nature. I’m curious and I want some. Please let me have some.”
The bee was offended and furious. He said, “I am a bee. I am the master of this bush. These are my flowers. I planted them and I watered them and I pollinated them. I worked hard for them. They are not a gift from nature. They are a reward for my labor. You are a thief and a liar. You want to take what is not yours. You are lazy and foolish. You don’t deserve any. You can’t have any. If you try to touch them, I’ll sting you with my sting. Now go away and leave me alone.”
Garry was hurt and angry. He said, “You are a bee. You are the meanest of all animals. You are rude and cruel. You don’t share what you have. You are stingy and greedy. You don’t care about anyone but yourself. You don’t know what is right and what is wrong. You don’t understand the meaning of Dharma and karma. You don’t know that all living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rain. Rains are produced by performance of yajña [sacrifice], and yajña is born of prescribed duties.”
The bee was confused and curious. He said, “What are you talking about? What is Dharma and karma? What is yajña and rain? What is sacrifice and duty? Explain yourself.”
Garry was surprised and pleased. He saw that the bee was not only mean, but also ignorant. He thought that he could teach him something and maybe change his mind. He said, “Dharma and karma are the laws of the universe. They govern the actions and reactions of all living beings. Dharma is the duty or the purpose of each being. Karma is the result or the consequence of each action. Yajña is the sacrifice or the service of each being to the Supreme Lord, who is the source and the goal of all existence. Rain is the blessing or the reward of the Supreme Lord, who gives it to those who perform yajña. Sacrifice is the act of giving up something for the sake of something higher. Duty is the act of doing what one is supposed to do according to one’s nature and position. By performing yajña, one fulfills one’s duty and creates good karma. By creating good karma, one produces rain and food grains. By producing rain and food grains, one sustains all living bodies. By sustaining all living bodies, one pleases the Supreme Lord and attains his grace.”
The bee was amazed and intrigued. He said, “That sounds very interesting and profound. But how does it apply to me and my bush and my flowers? What is my duty and what is my sacrifice? How can I please the Supreme Lord and attain his grace?”
Garry was glad and hopeful. He said, “Your duty is to be a good bee and a good neighbor. Your sacrifice is to share your bush and your flowers with others who need them. By doing so, you will please the Supreme Lord, who loves all his creatures and wants them to live in harmony. By doing so, you will attain his grace, which is the source of all happiness and liberation. You will also create good karma, which will bring you good fortune and blessings in this life and the next.”
The bee was doubtful and skeptical. He said, “That sounds very nice and noble. But how do I know that it is true and not just a trick to make me give up my bush and my flowers? How do I know that you are not lying to me and trying to cheat me? How do I know that the Supreme Lord exists and cares for me and my bush and my flowers? How do I know that there is a life after this one and that my karma will affect it?”
Garry was patient and confident. He said, “You can know it by your own experience and by the testimony of the scriptures and the sages. You can know it by your own heart and by the voice of your conscience. You can know it by the signs and the wonders that the Supreme Lord shows to those who trust him and follow him. You can know it by the peace and the joy that you will feel when you do what is right and what is good. You can know it by the love and the gratitude that you will receive from those who benefit from your generosity and kindness. You can know it by the grace and the mercy that you will obtain from the Supreme Lord, who is always ready to forgive and to help those who repent and who seek him.”
The bee was moved and touched. He said, “You speak with such conviction and sincerity. You seem to know what you are talking about. You seem to have a good heart and a good mind. You seem to be a good grasshopper and a good friend. Maybe you are right. Maybe I should listen to you and try to do what you say. Maybe I should share my bush and my flowers with you and with others.”
The bee said, “Maybe I should perform my duty as a bee and a neighbor. Maybe I should serve the Supreme Lord and his creation. Maybe I should perform yajña and produce rains. Maybe I should follow Dharma and karma. Maybe I should please the Supreme Lord and attain his grace. Maybe I should change my ways and be a better bee and a better neighbor.”
Garry smiled and said, “I’m glad to hear that. I’m glad that you are willing to learn and to change. I’m glad that you are ready to share your bush and your flowers with me and with others. I’m glad that you are going to perform your duty as a bee and a neighbor. I’m glad that you are going to serve the Supreme Lord and his creation. I’m glad that you are going to perform yajña and produce rains. I’m glad that you are going to follow Dharma and karma. I’m glad that you are going to please the Supreme Lord and attain his grace. I’m glad that you are going to change your ways and be a better bee and a better neighbor.”
The bee nodded and said, “All right, let’s go. But first, let me ask you something. How did you learn all these things about Dharma and karma, yajña and rain, sacrifice and duty? Who taught you and where did you read them?”
Garry said, “I learned them from my father. He is a very wise and good grasshopper. He taught me the stories and the teachings of the Vedas, the Upanishads, and other scriptures. He also taught me by his own example and behavior. He always does his duty as a grasshopper and as a father. He always serves the Supreme Lord and his creation. He always performs yajña and produces rains. He always follows Dharma and karma. He always pleases the Supreme Lord and attains his grace. He is very happy and peaceful grasshopper. He is my role model and my inspiration.”
The bee said, “That’s wonderful. You are very lucky to have such a father. He sounds like a great grasshopper and a great teacher. I wish I had a father like him. I never knew my father. He died when I was a baby. He was killed by a farmer who sprayed poison on his crops. He was trying to do his duty as a bee and a pollinator. He was trying to serve the Supreme Lord and his creation. He was trying to perform yajña and produce rains. He was trying to follow Dharma and karma. He was trying to please the Supreme Lord and attain his grace. He was a good bee and a good neighbor. He was a friend of the Supreme Lord and his creatures. He was a follower of Dharma and karma. He was a performer of yajña and a receiver of his grace. He was free from bondage and ready for liberation. He was my father and I loved him.”
Garry felt sorry for the bee. He said, “I’m so sorry to hear that. That’s very sad and unfortunate. You must have had a very hard and lonely life. You must have suffered a lot and missed a lot. You must have been very angry and bitter. I can understand why you became the way you did. But you don’t have to be that way anymore. You don’t have to be alone and ignorant. You don’t have to be unhappy and miserable. You don’t have to be mean and selfish. You can change your life and your destiny. You can learn and grow. You can be happy and peaceful. You can be kind and generous. You can be a good bee and a good neighbor. You can be a friend of the Supreme Lord and his creatures. You can be a follower of Dharma and karma. You can be a performer of yajña and a receiver of his grace. You can be free from bondage and attain liberation. You can do all these things, if you want to. You just have to make a choice and take a step. You just have to open your heart and your mind. You just have to listen and follow. You just have to try and trust. You just have to give and receive. You just have to love and be loved.”
The bee was touched and inspired. He said, “You are very kind and compassionate. You are very wise and good. You are very brave and honest. You are very noble and pure. You are a true friend and a true teacher. You are a blessing and a gift. You are a messenger and a servant of the Supreme Lord. You have shown me the light and the path. You have given me hope and courage. You have offered me love and friendship. You have taught me Dharma and karma. You have invited me to yajña and grace. You have helped me to change and to grow. You have freed me from bondage and misery. You have made me happy and peaceful. You have made me a better bee and a better neighbor. You have made me a friend of the Supreme Lord and his creatures. You have made me a follower of Dharma and karma. You have made me a performer of yajña and a receiver of his grace. You have made me free from bondage and ready for liberation. You have done all these things for me, without asking for anything in return. You have done all these things for me, out of your own sacrifice and satisfaction. You have done all these things for me, for the sake of yajña and the Supreme Lord. You have done all these things for me, and I don’t know how to thank you. You have done all these things for me, and I don’t know how to repay you. You have done all these things for me, and I don’t know how to honor you.”
Garry said, “You don’t have to thank me or repay me or honor me. You just have to be my friend and my brother. You just have to share your bush and your flowers with me and with others. You just have to do your duty as a bee and a neighbor. You just have to serve the Supreme Lord and his creation. You just have to perform yajña and produce rains. You just have to follow Dharma and karma. You just have to please the Supreme Lord and attain his grace. You just have to do all these things, and you will be happy and peaceful. You will be kind and generous. You will be a good bee and a good neighbor. You will be a friend of the Supreme Lord and his creatures. You will be a follower of Dharma and karma. You will be a performer of yajña and a receiver of his grace. You will be free from bondage and attain liberation. You will be my friend and my brother.”
The bee smiled and said, “I will do all these things, and I will be your friend and your brother. Come, let’s go to the bush and enjoy some flowers together. They look bright and lovely. They will make us beautiful and fragrant. They will also make us happy and peaceful. They will also make us kind and generous. They will also make us good bees and good neighbors. They will also make us friends of the Supreme Lord and his creatures. They will also make us followers of Dharma and karma. They will also make us performers of yajña and receivers of his grace. They will also make us free from bondage and ready for liberation. They will also make us friends and brothers.”
Garry and the bee went to the bush and enjoyed some flowers. They were bright and lovely. They made them beautiful and fragrant. They also made them happy and peaceful. They also made them kind and generous. They also made them good bees and good neighbors. They also made them friends of the Supreme Lord and his creatures. They also made them followers of Dharma and karma. They also made them performers of yajña and receivers of his grace. They also made them free from bondage and ready for liberation. They also made them friends and brothers.
They enjoyed and talked and laughed and played. They had a wonderful time. They became the best of friends. They decided to live together and share the bush and the flowers. They decided to help each other and learn from each other. They decided to serve the Supreme Lord and his creation. They decided to follow Dharma and karma. They decided to perform yajña and produce rains. They decided to please the Supreme Lord and attain his grace. They decided to be free from bondage and attain liberation. They decided to be happy and peaceful. They decided to be kind and generous. They decided to be good bees and good neighbors. They decided to be friends and brothers.
They lived happily ever after.
The end.
Bhagavad Gita 3.14
annād bhavanti bhūtāni
parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ
yajñād bhavati parjanyo
yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥannāt—from grains; bhavanti—grow; bhūtāni—the material bodies; parjanyāt—from rains; anna—food grains; sambhavaḥ—are made possible; yajñāt—from the performance of sacrifice; bhavati—becomes possible; parjanyaḥ—rains; yajñaḥ—performance of yajña; karma—prescribed duties; samudbhavaḥ—born of.
All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rain. Rains are produced by performance of yajña [sacrifice], and yajña is born of prescribed duties.
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