It is almost 250 years old story. There was a Saint Ramdev. During his life time he had traveled almost all the world. He had lot of pupil (disciple) also. When he was about to leave this world, all of his disciple came to near him. One of his disciple namely Hari Ram asked him – “Gurudev, we have learned a lot of things from you, but we are not aware who was your Guru.” Gurudev smiled and said – “I had lot of gurus. I have learned from almost every one to whom I met”. His all the pupils were stunned – ‘how it is possible’. They surprisingly asked to Gurudev – “But Gurudev tell us from whom you have learned most?”

Gurudev replied that he had learned most from a Dog and from a Thief. Again, pupils were surprised how one can learn from a Dog and from a Thief. But they didn’t said any thing except that “Gurudev, please tell us how you have learned from them”. 

The Guru told them – “Once, on a very hot day’s noon he was going through from a village namely Narsingh Pur. For rest, he sat down under a tree on the bank of a river. At about 2.30 pm, he has observed that a dog came to river to drink water. But what happened that dog seen his shadow in the water and barked on it and found that shadow has also barked on him. And the dog came back with out drinking water because of an unknown fear. The dog did this exercise at least for six times and every time he returned without drinking water. But 7th time, that dog gone there, again barked on his shadow and his shadow again barked on him but this time he drunken the water. In fact he was so thirsty that all the fears have gone away. So what I have learned from him that if your thirst is too much (unbearable) then no fear can stop you in achieving desired thing.

They were in agreement and said-“ OK Gurudev, you have learnt from Dog but tell us what you have learnt from a thief. Thief is anti social element and how one can learn any thing from him. The Gurudev said that – once he was going through from jungles of Ranikhet and found a good beautiful place. There was also hut where a Thief was residing. He thought & decided that he will be staying here for few days. So he stayed with thief. During the first night the thief went out for theft but came back without any success. The same story happened for six nights. Every night the thief went out and returned back with out success, then the saint asked him that you have been going every night but returning back without any success. Are you not losing your hope?. The Thief said that every time I am trying different method, no matter that I have not been successful but very soon I will be successful.

So I have learned from the thief the “PERSUATION”. You should never lose your hope, always try different methods and continue doing your job differently. Later or sooner, you will be successful.

(Source: Unknown author)