Parables of Wisdom
The Fall of Pride
अभिमान का पतन · અભિમાનનું પતન
The best chess player in the building, and the little cousin she would not play
- 3 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
Riya is the chess champion of her housing society and very proud of it, until a younger cousin and an old story about an elephant change the way she sees herself.
What it teaches Humility Pride Learning
The opening of the children's telling
Riya was very good at chess. She had shiny trophies, and she felt very proud of them.
One summer her little cousin Kunal came to stay. Didi, will you play chess with me? he asked. But Riya said, no, you are too little. I only play with good players. Kunal felt sad, but he practised quietly by himself every day.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
Pride keeps us high up and alone; humility brings us down to where the learning is.
To talk about together
Have you ever refused to learn from someone younger or smaller? What did Riya gain by stepping down?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.