Selfishness over Sacrifice!

Once upon a time a sage and a disciple were discussing the issue of altruism versus selfish interest. The guru said to his disciple: "Don't trust anyone, particularly he who swears by ethics and principles.

Ultimately, a person whose primary focus is on the world, acts entirely in a selfish way".

The disciple was astounded. He remarked: "Shouldn't a spiritual seeker always think well of every person? Should he not trust the Lord seated in each person's heart?"

The sage replied: "We must trust in the spiritual goodness of every living being, but we should never delude ourselves about his natural material responses and behaviour".

He continued: "Even as a person condemns the unethical and unprincipled behavior of another, he will find himself helplessly behaving identically, when in similar circumstances".

Ultimately, we come to trust in the will of God, and His perfection. By the law of karma, each person will get his due. The mills of God grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly fine.

"What about trusting one's friends?" the disciple protested. "How about trusting one's parents, bro-thers and sisters?"

The sage replied: "Your only friend is God and those who cease to be, having lost themselves in Him. Many lives have you had before this one, many parents and many siblings".

Connections of the flesh are often a great burden. They create expectations on both sides that are impossible to fulfil, and obligations that often make life difficult to bear.

Despite blood being 'thicker than water', none may be truly depended upon. "The sooner you are free of such illusions, the happier you will become".

With these words, the sage led his disciple through pouring rain to the nearby river which was in spate. In the swelling river was a tree that was rapidly being submerged.

A monkey was seated near the top of the tree and she held her baby close to her breast. As the water rose higher, the mother climbed higher and higher.

Finally, as the water rose to her chest, the monkey raised the baby in her arms above her head. At this point, the disciple looked triumphantly at the guru.

"Wait a bit", said the sage. "Let us stay here awhile".

Finally, the water rose above her head. The mother monkey now placed the baby below the water, and climbed on it to keep her head above the flood.

At the moment of crisis, she sacrificed her child for her own life.

Have you ever been disillusioned by someone you trusted or believed in?
Unselfishness, sacrifice, unconditional love and service are the raison d'etre of the spiritual person. One should not however, expect unselfishness as the behavioral norm for other people, regardless of their relationship with you.
As far as worldly affairs with ordinary persons are concerned, either create systems that make depending entirely upon trust irrelevant, or align your interests so closely with them, that your interests become their interests. 



Resource:http://www.speakingtree.in/shantanu.nagarkatti/blog/Selfishness-over-Sacrifice

That is a painful way to become enlightened. The painless way is to listen to the voices of wisdom that echo within.

Ancients have said that "One should never trust anyone in material consciousness". Every worldly person rides on what is termed manorath or chariot of the mind, and cannot be depended upon or trusted; especially where his selfish interest is concerned.

Trust in God and those who have truly lost themselves in Him.