A scrolling story · for children aged 5 to 11 and their grown-ups
Contentment (Santosh)
A young deer smells a heavenly fragrance and runs through thorns, rocks and dark valleys looking for it, until it is exhausted. Resting by a stream, it discovers that the fragrance was coming from its own body, the kasturi, all along.
Scroll down, or use the arrow keys, to walk through the story. Nothing is narrated: it is made for reading aloud together.
Act 1 · The World & the Conflict
Act 1 · card 1 of 4
High in the Himalayas, where snowy peaks touch the clouds and the meadows burst with wildflowers, lived a young musk deer named Kesar. She loved to leap across the soft grass and drink from the icy streams. Life in the meadow was simple and happy, until one morning, when the wind brought a mystery.
Act 1 · card 2 of 4
A fragrance floated on the breeze: sweeter than roses, richer than sandalwood, more wonderful than anything Kesar had ever smelled. “Where is it coming from?” she wondered, sniffing the air. “Whoever owns that fragrance must be the happiest creature in the world. I must find it. Then I will be happy too!”
Act 1 · card 3 of 4
So Kesar began to search. She sniffed behind every flower and peered into every cave. She ran past her friends, the marmot and the mountain bird, without even stopping to greet them. Day after day she searched, and wherever she went, the sweet scent seemed to follow her, always just out of reach.
Act 1 · card 4 of 4
She ran across rocky slopes and through prickly thorn bushes. She leapt over icy streams and climbed into dark, windy valleys. Her legs were scratched, her hooves were sore, and her heart grew tired and sad. The meadow she once loved seemed grey. “If I just run a little faster,” she panted, “surely I will find it tomorrow.”
Act 2 · The Crossroads
Act 2 · card 1 of 1
One evening, worn out, Kesar stumbled to the edge of a clear mountain spring. The sun was setting, and her legs were trembling. Ahead lay one more steep, dark ravine, and beyond it, perhaps, the secret fragrance. Her heart pulled her forward. Her body begged her to stop. The breeze blew, and the scent was stronger than ever.
The crossroads · every path is a kind one
Tap a path to see where it leads. You can open all three: there is no wrong answer.
Kesar chose Satya (truth). Instead of guessing, she stopped and paid careful attention. She sniffed to the left: fainter. To the right: fainter. Towards the ravine: fainter still. Then she bent her head close to herself… and the fragrance was strongest of all. Could it be? Honest noticing was leading her to the truth.
Kesar chose Dharma (doing what is right). She realised she had been unkind to her own body. She drank cool water from the spring, rested her sore hooves and curled up gently in the grass. Caring for ourselves matters too. As she rested, warm and quiet at last, the sweet fragrance wrapped around her like a blanket.
Kesar chose Shanti (peace). She lay down in the soft grass beside the spring and let her breathing slow. For the first time in days, she was not running. The stars came out one by one. And as she grew still, she noticed something surprising: the fragrance had not gone away. It was strongest right here.
Act 3 · The Inner Awakening
Act 3 · card 1 of 2
Kesar’s heart leapt. The fragrance was coming from her own body! A musk deer carries kasturi, a precious perfume, inside itself. She had been carrying the treasure all along, everywhere she ran. She laughed and cried at the same time. All that searching, and the happiness she wanted had never been anywhere but with her.
Act 3 · card 2 of 2
Sant Kabir, a poet-saint of India, sang about this very deer, to remind us that we too search outside for a happiness that lives within. This is Santosh (contentment). The DJJS teachings say Brahm Gyan (divine knowledge) reveals the Divine Light in our own heart, and through Dhyan (meditation) we learn to rest there, happy and at peace.
Try it tonight
Tonight, before you sleep, instead of thinking about what you want to get tomorrow, place a hand on your heart. Breathe slowly and name three things you already have that make you happy, like a hug, a friend or a song. Feel the sweet, quiet joy inside. That is your kasturi.
The heart of the story
Lasting happiness is not out there to be chased. It is already within us.
Inspired by Sant Kabir’s doha “Kasturi kundal basai, mrig dhoondhe ban maahi”
