The story of the cow, when routine limits us

Routine traps us and even limits us. But it is so comfortable, so safe and we get used to it so quickly that we ignore it. However, the story of the vaquita is one of those stories that function as a wake-up call. An awakening towards that which we do not see in our daily lives, but that affects us more than we think.

Thanks to this story we will discover what meaning that little cow really has, what we get from it and how dependent we can become on all that it gives us. But, above all, it will help us discover which cow of our life is.

The tale of the cow

The tale of the cow tells the story of a Master of wisdom who was walking through the countryside with his disciple. One day they came across a humble wooden house, inhabited by a couple and their three children. They were all poorly dressed, with dirty and torn clothes. Their feet were bare and the surroundings denoted extreme poverty.

The Master asked the father of the family how they managed to survive, since in that place there were no industries or commerce, nor was there any wealth to be seen anywhere. Calmly, the father of the family answered: “Look, We have a little cow that provides us with several liters of milk every day. We sell part of it and with the money we buy other things and the other part we use for our own consumption. “This is how we survive.”

The teacher thanked him for the information, said goodbye and left. As he walked away he said to his disciple: “Look for the little cow, take it to the precipice and push it into the ravine.”

The young man was shocked, since the cow was the only means of subsistence for that humble family. But He thought that his Master would have his reasons and, with great regret, he took the little cow to the precipice and pushed it. That scene remained etched in his mind for many years.

After time, the disciple, feeling guilty for what he had done, decided to leave the Master, return to that place and apologize to that family. to whom he had done so much damage. As she approached, she noticed that everything had changed. A beautiful house was surrounded by trees where many children were playing and a car was parked.

The young man felt sad and desperate because he thought that that humble family sold everything to survive. When he asked about them, they told him that they were still there, that they had not left. He ran into the house and realized that it was inhabited by the same family as him before. Then, he asked the father of the family what had happened and he, with a broad smile, answered:

The comfort of doing “business as usual”

Maybe, like the disciple, we have been horrified by the Master’s decision to throw the little cow off the cliff. However, this story It is a metaphor about what we have to do with what we feel very comfortable with in our lives and that at the same time limits us.

When that poor family was left without the livelihood they clung to to survive, they had no choice but to look for alternatives. But instead of discovering more poverty, they found a way to prosper, something they had never imagined. If the cow had never disappeared from their lives, they would continue living in their poverty, without leaving there, without believing that they could go further..

Many people are grateful that there are moments in their lives that, although painful and difficult, force them to leave that comfort zone in which they had settled and remained stuck. Human beings look for security, comfort, that which does not make us feel uncertain. But, when all this falls apart, we discover abilities and qualities that we had never imagined. They were asleep.

The story of the vaquita is an excellent story that allows us to reflect on the way we live. Especially if we complain about what our existence is like. It is not necessary to wait for a Master to arrive to throw that little cow that limits us so much off a cliff. We can, starting today, look beyond our comforts to be aware of the potential we have.. Because we are not limited. It is we who put up obstacles.

Each one of us has a little cow in our life. Which is yours?

You might be interested…