Once, a kingdom was attacked by the enemy’s army. On their way to the battlefield, the king and his army stopped at a monk’s hut. The king said, “O revered man! My army goes into the battlefield with fear and doubt (asankati). Please help us.” The monk took out a coin and said, “I shall now toss this coin. If it is heads, we shall win. If it is tails, we shall lose.” The monk threw the coin into the air. It was heads. The army was overjoyed. It went to the battle with a renewed sense of confidence and also won the battle. On their way back, the king stopped by to thank the monk. The monk said, “Don’t thank me. The battle was won because of your army’s valour. The coin was a fake one, with heads on both sides.”
Moral: External motivation helps overcome fear and doubt.
