461. Does Opportunity aid an individual to indulge in Corruption?

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/does-opportunity-aid-an-individual-to-indulge-in-corruption

We are having elections in our country and the electorates will decide the fate of many candidates in fray. Some might get elected as the peoples representative and get an opportunity to serve. Unfortunately those who are elected to represent would lobby to get a “Plum” ministerial berth. They go head over heels to see that they are given a key ministerial post, I wonder is it necessary for an elected representative to have a “Plum” posts to serve the electorate he represents? Could not a peoples representative work for the development of the constituency without the tag of a minister? What is the temptation which makes them go after the "Plum"post?    

“There is always temptation to cheat in all of us, but it is up to the will power” says tennis ace Boris Becker. Does that temptation discriminate among rich and poor, civilised and uncivilised, educated and uneducated? How is that temptation overpowered by the will power? Does the social panic and moral fear aid the willpower? Does the situation make a person corrupt? Or is it a mind set to be corrupt?       

It so happened that there was a complaint against one particular person for being corrupt in the court of Akbar, the great. But the King had no proof to nail the courtier so he discussed this with Birbal. Birbal asked the King to speak to the concerned person and warn him of dire consequences. Since there was no proof Akbar preferred to put that courtier on some job where he will have no chance to get indulged in corrupt practices. Birbal disagreed telling the King no matter where the courtier is posted unless he strong feels out of realization or moral and social fear not to indulge he will find ways to be corrupt in any post. Akbar was not convinced he wanted to prove Birbal wrong.

Akbar called the courtier and put him on the job to record the number of waves of river Yamuna that hit the shore from dawn to dusk. After about a week Akbar asked Birbal if the courtier counting the waves had found way to make money. Birbal said the courtier was indeed indulging in corrupt practice sitting on the shore of river Yamuna. Shocked Akbar did not believe the words of Birbal and wanted to know the truth about that courtier. Birbal said the courtier will not reveal the truth unless the King granted that man royal pardon.

When asked about the courtier denied initially but after a lot of enticing and promising grant of royal pardon the courtier confessed that he was indeed making money. He told that after a few days of counting the waves he found the job boring and he started telling boatmen who crossed the river that he was posted there to collect the toll fee from them and to check the number of passengers in the boat while crossing the river. The poor boatmen paid the courier every time their boat crossed the river.  

The idea to narrate this story was to say that corrupt practices does not need opportunities as it is a mind set. Temptation will pull everyone to cheat but it is either will power or the right education which induce moral awareness that is required in individual level. Social panic and moral fear may help an individual to keep his temptation under check if not we have harsh punishments to nail the guilty.