4 Company Stories That Tell Why Company Matters In Life

 

Top Stories About Company That’ll Tell You Why Company Matters In Life

 

Great Stories About Good And Bad Company: Company is of great importance in life because it can impact the quality of your life to a great extent. Good company can bring positive changes in your life. It can help you celebrate good times and provide support during bad times.

Good company prevents isolation and loneliness and gives you a chance to offer needed companionship. While bad company makes the life of a person toxic and stressful. A bad friend can be many things, but, typically, they lead to mental and emotional fatigue or a lack of general well-being.

So it is important to choose the people around you carefully. We hope these stories will surely help you to know why it is important to be in the right company of people.

1. Right And Wrong: An Inspiring Story About Company

When Bankei held his seclusion weeks of meditation, pupils from many parts of Japan came to attend. During one of the gatherings, a pupil was caught stealing. The matter was reported to Bankei with the request that the culprit be expelled. Bankei ignored the case. Later the pupil was caught in a similar act, and again Bankei disregarded the matter.

This angered the other pupils, who drew up a petition asking for the dismissal of the thief, stating that otherwise they would leave in a body. When Bankei had read the petition he called everyone before him. “You are wise brothers,” he told them.

“You know what is right and what is not right. You may go somewhere else to study if you wish, but this poor brother does not even know right from wrong. Who will teach him if I do not? I am going to keep him here even if all the rest of you leave.”

A torrent of tears cleansed the face of the brother who had stolen. All the desire to steal had vanished.

 

A Company Story That Shows How Life Can Change In A Moment

2. Finding A Diamond on A Muddy Road: A Story on Company

Gudo was the emperor’s teacher of his time. Nevertheless, he used to travel alone as a wandering mendicant. Once when he was on his way to Edo, the cultural and political center of the shogunate, he approached a little village named Takenaka. It was evening and heavy rain was falling.

Gudo was thoroughly wet. His straw sandals were in pieces. At a farmhouse near the village, he noticed four or five pairs of sandals in the window and decided to buy some dry ones. The woman who offered him the sandals, seeing how wet he was, invited him in to remain for the night at her home.

Gudo accepted, thanking her. He entered and recited a sutra before the family shrine. He was then introduced to the woman’s mother and to her children. Observing that the entire family was depressed, Gudo asked what was wrong.

“My husband is a gambler and a drunkard,” the housewife told him. “When he happens to win he drinks and becomes abusive. When he loses he borrows money from others. Sometimes when he becomes thoroughly drunk he does not come home at all. What can I do?”

I will help him,” said Gudo. “Here is some money. Get me a gallon of fine wine and something good to eat. Then you may retire. I will meditate before the shrine.”

When the man of the house returned about midnight, quite drunk, he bellowed: “Hey, wife, I am home. Have you something for me to eat?”

“I have something for you,” said Gudo. “I happened to get caught in the rain and your wife kindly asked me to remain here for the night. In return I have bought some wine and fish, so you might as well have them.”

The Impact of A Good or Bad Company Can Never Be Ignored

The man was delighted. He drank the wine at once and laid himself down on the floor. Gudo sat in meditation beside him. In the morning when the husband awoke, he had forgotten about the previous night. “Who are you? Where do you come from?” he asked Gudo, who still was meditating.

“I am Gudo of Kyoto and I am going on to Edo,” replied the Zen master. The man was utterly ashamed. He apologized profusely to the teacher of his emperor.

Gudo smiled. “Everything in this life is impermanent,” he explained. “Life is very brief. If you keep on gambling and drinking, you will have no time left to accomplish anything else, and you will cause your family to suffer too.”

The perception of the husband awoke as if from a dream. “You are right,” he declared. “How can I ever repay you for this wonderful teaching? Let me see you off and carry your things a little way.”

“If you wish,” assented Gudo. The two started out. After they had gone three miles Gudo told him to return. “Just another five miles,” he begged Gudo. They continued on. “You may return now,” suggested Gudo.

“After another ten miles,” the man replied. “Return now,” said Gudo, when ten miles had passed. “I am going to follow you all the rest of my life,” declared the man.

Modern Zen teachers in Japan spring from the lineage of a famous master who was the successor to Gudo. His name was Mu-nan, the man who never turned back.

 

Short Stories That Display The Influence of Company on Society

3. The Thief Who Became A Disciple: A Story About Company

One evening as Shichiri Kojun was reciting sutras a thief with a sharp sword entered, demanding either his money or his life, Shichiri told him: “Do not disturb me. You can find the money in that drawer.” Then he resumed his recitation.

A little while afterward he stopped and called, “Don’t take it all. I need some to pay taxes with tomorrow.” The intruder gathered most of the money and started to leave. “Thank a person when you receive a gift,” Shichiri added.

The man thanked him and made off. A few days afterwards the fellow was caught and confessed, among others, to the offense against Shichiri. When Shichiri was called as a witness he said:

“This man is no thief, at least as far as I am concerned. I gave him the money and he thanked me for it.” After he had finished his prison term, the man went to Shichiri and became his disciple.

4. Effect of Company: The Story of A King And Two Parrots

A king was going alone through a forest. On the way came a hamlet of intruders. While he was passing, a parrot in the village shouted, “Grab him, hit, run. He has ornaments with him.” Hearing the parrot’s voice, the robbers followed him but could not get hold of the king.

Next on the way was a hermitage of saints. As he stepped inside a gurukul, a parrot sitting on the tree started saying, “Come, King! A guest has arrived. Please bring a carpet.”

While talking to the saint, the king wondered about the difference in character between two birds of the same species. And the saint resolved the dilemma with a single word ‘companionship’.