A Hindu saint came to the Ganges river to take a bath and found family members on the banks shouting at each other. He turned to his disciples, smiled, and asked, “why do people shout in anger at each other?”
One disciple said, “When we lose our calm, we shout.”
“But, why should you shout when the other person is just next to you? You can as well tell him what you have to say in a soft manner” asked the saint.
The disciples gave more answers but none satisfied everyone. Finally the saint explained, “When two people are angry at each other, their hearts move away from one another. To cover that distance they must shout so they can hear each other.”
“What happens when two people fall in love? They talk softly because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is very small.”
The saint continued, “when they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak, only whisper, and get even closer in their love. Finally they need not even whisper, only look at each other. So when you argue do not let your hearts get distant, do not say words that distance you more, or else there will come a day when the distance is so great you will not find the path to return.”
