The Cup of Coffee

The topic sounds a bit weird i know, but then i think I'd like to explain further, the of Coffee. I got a beautiful forwarded article a couple of days ago in my mailbox, the Subject of which was, "The cup of Coffee". Being of the inquisitive lot, i decided to read it till the end though it was a bit lengthy.

The story goes like this... It seems for a college party, a Professor who was always surrounded by his students, asked them to choose a cup of Coffee. The coffee was served in different cups, some of them very attractive, of myriad shapes, brilliant colors, while some of them were very plain and unattractive. The students shoveled and pushed each other to get the best of the cups. The ones who got the plain unattractive cups resented them and jealously eyed the beautiful cups in their classmates' hands. The Professor who was looking at all this happened to ask the students what was most important to them, the Beautiful cup or the Coffee inside the Cup.

The students in their bewilderment told him that they wanted the Coffee. The Professor then explained to them that, in life we actually go for things which are of less importance, leaving out the more important things. Our basic aim of survival takes a backseat due to this. We tend to fight more for physical appearance and on what the others feel about things. Rarely do we go listening about our own soul and in the melee we become confused and irritated.

The Coffee symbolizes our need while the Cup symbolizes the medium through which we try to get the need satisfied. We try to concentrate so much on the medium that we forget what our basic need is. Does the Coffee change its taste if served in Beautiful cups or in Plain cups? The answer is simple.... "No". Why then we think of choosing the best cups any envy someone Else's cup if it's beautiful? Probably humans are meant to have their thoughts that way...

Take examples of our day to day things. Starting with our house. We try every possible means to make it as beautiful as possible. We forget that the basic need is just to have a roof over our head. Of course I am not talking about those, who can afford posh houses, I'm talking about those people who though staying in humble but decent dwellings which serve all our needs, resent the ones staying in posh houses and would love to do anything to have a house like theirs.

Our clothing supposedly symbolizes our upbringing and education. The basic aim is to cover our bodies. But we tend to think beyond the basic need and sometimes make fun of people who according to us are not dressed up to the mark or dressed for the occasion. Our clothing thus becomes a status symbol or style material. But then why do we mock at people who either can't afford to buy the costly dresses or are not dresses appropriately according to us? Also, why then we resent those who according to us are dressed better than us? I know people will have some objection here, but what i want to say is, Dressing is our own will. What clothes we wear and how we portray ourselves is solely dependent upon us. I have seen some people so plainly dressed, made me think twice about their status in society, but the moment they started interacting and talking, I could feel the intelligence and the upbringing. Why then sometimes classify people only depending on the clothes they wear?

Coming to Food. The basic aim of food is to fill our stomach. Why then do we make so much fuss about it? Food in any form is recommended for us to stay alive. but, we think so much of our taste buds that sometimes we even tend to insult the culinary art of the person cooking it. We forget that it takes lots of effort for a person to cook something. Be it your mom or the chef in the restaurant. Why cant we eat without complaining? Why can't we eat thanking God for providing us every morsel and thank the cook we gave it in our plate? Why do we forget that the basic purpose of food is to fill our stomach?

Life in its most primitive form is very simple. It is we who make it complex. In the name of technology, we hide our greed and jealousy and strive to make a better living. A better living in terms of good clothes, a beautiful house and tasty food. Why then we forget the basic need of life?

Why do we then become unhappy and covet the Beautiful Cup of Coffee when God has given us the same Coffee albeit in a plain simple looking cup?