Once a simple villager was living in a small one room cottage with his wife and four children. One day he heard that a great yogi, who performed miracles, was spending some time in a nearby village. So he decided to go and see the godman. 'Please sir', he requested, 'ask God to just stretch my house a little bit.' The saint - promptly passed into samadhi. After some time he opened his eyes and replied: 'Yes, God says it is possible, but the way is a bit difficult. You will have to take a cow into your cottage and keep it there with you and your family for a fortnight.'
So the villager went and brought a cow into his hut. After a fortnight had passed, he again went to visit the yogi who immediately passed into samadhi. Emerging from that state, the saint told him: 'Well, there is a little further bad news. God says, next week you will have to bring a goat in also. But after that your problem will be solved.' So the villager returned and purchased a goat and for the following week his tiny household consisted of his wife, four children, plus the cow and the goat, as well as himself. Needless to say there were many difficulties and no one got much sleep.
When the week had passed, the bleary eyed villager returned once again to the holy man who entered samadhi, then opened his eyes and said: 'God says that if you throw these two animals out, all your problems will be solved.'
All of us share the crowded cottages of our lives with unwanted problems. But relief only comes through the realization that all suffering is relative. By welcoming hardships and difficulties rather than avoiding them, all situations in life will become easy.