Monday, August 30, 2010

A Glass of Milk

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one dollar left, and he was hungry.

He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?" "You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness." He said..... "Then I thank you from my heart."

As the poor boy left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

Year's later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly ! was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to room. Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case. After a long struggle, the battle was won.

Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words..... "Paid in full with one glass of milk"

Signed Dr. Howard Kelly. Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: "Thank You, God, that Your love has spread abroad through human hearts and hands."

Half Truth

A Sadhu was sitting in meditation in his hermitage situated at the junction of four roads. He happened to see a cow running away in fear by one of the forking roads. Within twenty minutes or so a butcher also came running and asked the Sadhu by which way the cow had gone away.

If the Sadhu were to tell the truth the butcher was sure to catch up with the cow and kill it in due course. Nor could he lie being a Sadhu who had vowed to tell only the truth at all times. He was in a dilemma. He told the butcher “The one who saw cannot speak. The one who speaks has never seen. The one who was controlling both of them was sitting at the feet of the Lord.”

What he meant was that the eyes which saw could not speak. The tongue which spoke was not capable of seeing and so there was no authenticity in it. The person who controlled the eyes and the speech was himself meditating on Lord. The butcher was perplexed and could not understand what the Sadhu said. He thought that the Sadhu was a mad man who was babbling meaningless words. He went away. Even if one apprehends that telling the truth will harm someone, one can always find a way of escape without telling a lie.

Stay steadfast on the path of 'Dharma'

Once there was a Dharmika Raja. He was a spiritual person. Whatever he said he did and whatever he did he said. One day the Raja declared that he would buy anything that remained unsold in the village market. People flocked to the market.

A sculptor brought an idol of the goddess Alaksmi, which negates wealth. Who would want to keep an idol Alaksmi in their house? Nobody bought it. In the evening the sculptor came to the Raja and said: “Please take this idol and be true to your words." The Raja bought it.

Alaksmi entered the palace. At midnight the Raja heard a woman weeping. He approached her and asked, "Mother, why are you weeping? What is the matter"?

"I am the goddess of wealth, Rajyalaksmi", she replied. "Now that Alaksmi has entered the palace, how can I live here?" The Raja said, "Very well, for the protection of Dharma I have to keep Alaksmi here. If you do not want to live here, you may go". So the goddess of wealth left.

After some time the Raja heard the sound of footsteps. He saw a man and asked, "Who are you?" The reply was: "I am Narayana." The Raja asked: "Where are you going?" Narayana replied: "Laksmi has left the palace, so I shall not live here." The Raja said, "To protect Dharma, I have to keep Alaksmi, and so if you want to leave the palace, you may go; what can I do?" Narayana left. After that all the gods and goddesses left the palace. The Raja said, "If you all so desire you may go". In the end a glorious personality appeared. "Who are you?" asked the Raja.

The reply was” "I am Dharmaraja, the Lord of Dharma. As all the other gods and goddesses have left the palace, I am also leaving." The Raja replied, "It cannot be. To protect Dharma I kept Alaksmi. Oh Dharmaraja, how can you leave me?" Dharmaraja said, "You are right. I will not leave."

Since Dharma remained there, Narayana slowly entered through the back door. The Raja said to him, "If you wish you may come." Laksmi followed him, covering her face, because she did not dare to show her face to the Raja. Then all the Gods and Goddesses started entering. They said "Where there is Dharma, where there is Narayana and Laksmi, we shall also go and remain."

Dharmabala is the biggest force. For those who have such a force, the worldly force is meaningless. You were with Dharma, you are with Dharma and you will be with Dharma. Don’t fear anybody. We should move on the path of Dharma even if Lakshmi leaves. Those who oppose Dharma will be destroyed.

There are three stages of people: Uttama or superior, Madhyama or middle standard, Adhama or inferior.

The Adhama people always think, “Can I do that great work, can I do? Shall I do? No, perhaps, I won’t be able to do great work.” They always avoid such work.

The Madhyama people come forward, associate them to do great work but when obstacles come, they dissociate themselves from the great work.

The Uttama people always participate in great work. Such people cannot come from the path of Dharma because there are impediments on that path. They will be victorious. So you must be adhering to Dharma.

Victory is in your pocket. You shouldn’t cry for victory. You shouldn’t run after victory; rather victory will seek you out.

God's Accuracy

How lovely to think about the way our Creator God planned everything so carefully and perfectly, everything with a plan. As His highest creation, we are fearfully and wonderfully made.'

God’s accuracy may be observed in the hatching of eggs.

For example,

The eggs of the potato bug hatch in 7 days;

Those of the canary in 14 days;

Those of the barnyard hen in 21 days.

The eggs of ducks and geese hatch in 28 days;

Those of the mallard in 35 days.

The eggs of the parrot and the ostrich hatch in 42 days.

(Notice: they are all divisible by seven).

God's wisdom is seen in the making of an elephant. The four legs of this great beast all bend forward in the same direction. No other quadruped is so made. God planned that this animal would have a huge body, too large to live on two legs. For this reason, He gave it four fulcrums so that it can rise from the ground easily.

The horse rises from the ground on its two front legs first. A cow rises from the ground with its two hind legs first.

How wise the Lord is in all His works of creation! God's wisdom is revealed in His arrangement of sections and segments, as well as in the number of grains.

Each watermelon has an even number of stripes on the rind.

Each orange has an even number of segments.

Each ear of corn has an even number of rows.

Each stalk of wheat has an even number of grains.

Every bunch of bananas has on its lowest row an even number of bananas, and each row decreases by one, so that one row has an even number and the next row an odd number.

The waves of the sea roll in on shore twenty-six to the minute in all kinds of weather.

All grains are found in even numbers on the stalks.

The Lord specified thirty fold, sixty fold, and a hundred fold - all even numbers.

God has caused the flowers to blossom at certain specified times during the day, so that Linnaeus, the great botanist, once said that if he had a conservatory containing the right kind of soil, moisture and temperature, he could tell the time of day or night by the flowers that were open and those that were closed!

Thus the Lord in His wonderful grace can arrange the life that is entrusted to His care in such a way that it will carry out His purposes and plans, and will be fragrant with His presence. Only the God-planned life is successful. Only the life given over to the care of the Lord is safe.

True friend Accompanies to You after Death

A person had three friends. But he felt more attracted towards the two and as to the third he did not bother much, was rather indifferent to him. Once he was in deep distress. He went to his first friend and told him, "I shall have to appear in a court in connection with a charge against me. I am in great difficulty. So you please help me and accompany me to the court?" The friend's reply was very curt and straight. He said, "what to speak of a court, I can't go with you a single step even."

Thus disappointed by the friend this person felt very sad and approached his second friend and explained to him his distress and difficulty and requested him to accompany him to the court. And the second friend said, "You are in distress. Well, I shall only go along with you some distance. But I can't help you going inside the court and assist you in the case."

The person grew sadder and when he felt absolutely helpless he went to his third friend of whom he did not so long care to take notice. He spoke out to him about the distress he was in and everything about his friends. The third friend listened to him and not only went to the court along with him but cited such irrefutable proofs of his innocence as a witness in the court that the person was released.

The person then felt that the friend whom he had so long neglected had really rendered him the most sincere service at the time of his danger and distress.

Who are these friends?

Wealth, Relations and Dharma (virtuous deeds) after death, his wealth (the first friend) will be of no use.

The second friend (Relations) will accompany the person only up to the burning Ghat or burial ground.

But the third friend is a real friend because he was a friend in need and was his savior.

Let the mind be led to the state of purity or righteousness through the study of scriptures and with association of virtuous people which walks with you not only in this birth but also in the future births.

Three Thieves

A villager wanted to meet the King. He started his journey. While crossing the forest it was dark. Three Thieves appeared before him. The first thief wanted to kill the villager after taking all his positions. The Second one was little kind he tied him to the tree. The third one said since they have already taken all his belongings to leave him without hurting / harming him. The villager had lost everything and was tied to a tree in the forest.

After some time the third thieve came back to villager untied him and took him to the main road which was leading to the King. Thief said I can’t come further. From now you have to go on your own.

These three thieves are none other than Three Gunas of a man.

First one is Tamo Guna who will kill you after taking all the positions.

Second one is Rajo Guna who will tie you with the world.

Third one is Satva Guna who will lead you to a path.

But none of them take you to the Ultimate. Satva can only lead upto a path from where you have to continue your Journey to meet the Ultimate.

Is god cruel when we are in difficulty?

Sri Krishna and Arjuna were guests of a widow. The widow had no children, nobody expect for a cow, which was only means of her support.

She was a great devotee of Sri Krishna. When Sri Krishna and Arjuna went to visit her in disguise, incognito, she was so happy to see these two divine guests. She fed them with whatever she had in her house. Sri Krishna was extremely pleased with her surrendering attitude and her devotion.

On their way back, Arjuna said to Krishna, “You were so pleased with her. Why didn’t
you grant her a boon?

Sri Krishna said - “I have already granted her the boon that her cow must die tomorrow

“What? Her only means of support? She has only the cow, and nothing else.asked Arjuna. "Without the cow how can she live on earth?”

Krishna answered, “You don’t understand me. She always thinks of the cow. The cow has to be fed, has to milked, has to be bathed and so forth. This has become an hinderance to her to worship me. She want only to think of me, but this cow is an obstruction and when the cow is gone, she will think of me all the time, twenty-four hours.

Then soon the time will be right for me to take her away from this world, and after a few years I will give her a better and more fulfilling incarnation. When she has nobody on earth, not even the cow, she will try and spend all her time, day and night, in devoting herself to me. Otherwise, this way she will linger on earth and constantly think of the cow and not of me.” So Sri Krishna’s ways are inscrutable

Sometimes when we are in difficulties we feel God is not favouring us, but the Grace of God acts in a very peculiar way which you are unaware of.

God is always helping you but you donot how He is helping you.

Assesement of Spiritual Progress

Madhu Sudana Saraswati was a great Sanskrit scholar of yore well versed in the Scriptures. He had written a famous commentary on Bhagavad Gita. In his youth he was leading a life of ease and comfort.

ne day, a Sannyasi initiated him in Krishna mantra and persuaded him that if he were to do continuous chanting (Japa) of the Mantra for 16 hours a day for three years he would have God-realisation and could see Lord Krishna face to face.

Madhu Sudana began going to a dilapidated Krishna’s temple nearby, where nobody used to come and was regularly doing his japa daily, returning home only at night. But even after four years there was no sign of any God-experience or vision of God. He got disgusted and felt that the sanyasi had duped him. He abandoned his quest and came back home disappointed.

That day evening he went for a walk upto the bazaar. On the way his slippers gave way. He took them to a cobbler who was sitting nearby under a tree and asked him to mend them. The cobbler, however, was taking his own time. He took out some tobacco from a pouch, cleaned them and crushed them. Madhu Sudana felt annoyed and rebuked him for not attending to the job entrusted to him.

The cobbler retorted – “Sir, you are always in a hurry and have no patience. That is why you fail in your attempts. See, you did Krishna japa for four years and have now abandoned it in haste.” Madhu Sudana was astonished as he had been doing Krishna japa secretly and even his own family members never knew about it. In reply to his enquiry, the cobbler said, “Sir, I have mastered an occult mantra of a ghost (Bhoota mantra) which comes to me invisibly and tells in my ear some juicy information or other details about the personal life of the customers who come to me. This makes me popular and draws more customers to me.”

Madhu Sudana requested the cobbler to initiate him in the Bhoota Mantra and asked him how much time it would take to get mastery (Siddhi) in it. The cobbler pleaded with him saying that having done japa of such great Mantras like Krishna’s he should not come down to practising mantras of such low beings as ghosts even though the latter would take only 5 to 6 months to master.

Madhu Sudana being adamant got his way and started doing the japa of the Bhoota Mantra. Nine months passed and no ghost came to him. He was enraged that even a cobbler had dared to dupe him. He went to the bazaar again with a stout stick in his hands. The cobbler gauged the situation and stood up with his hands folded over his head. He said, “Sir, please beat me as much as you like but not before you hear me. In three months’ time the ghost started to come to you but it could not approach
you anywhere within a mile as it found a sky-high fence of divine flame all around you as a result of the Krishna Mantra you had chanted for four years. I am an illiterate but kindly heed my advice. If only you are to continue your Krishna Japa for some more time you are sure to realise your goal.” Accordingly, Madhu Sudana continued his Japa for another two years or so and was rewarded with the vision of Lord Krishna.

SPIRITUAL PROGRESS WHICH IS SUBTLE CAN NEVER BE ASSESSED OR KNOWN. ONE HAS TO GO AHEAD ON THIS PATH WITH FULL FAITH THAT EVERY SECOND OF HIS SADHANA IS TAKING HIM NEARER TO THE GOAL.

Sense of ‘I’ and ‘Mine’

A miserly rich old lady and was living alone. Her main desire was to go to Heaven and enjoy, after death. She would never willingly part with even a rotten apple for a beggar.

One day a hungry old monk entered her house, sat down outside her kitchen and refused to leave unless some food article was given to appease his hunger at least partly. She was helpless and finally got rid of him by donating a carrot half of which had rotted which she was planning throw out.

A few years passed and suddenly one day she saw Yama, the God of death standing before her and ready to take away her soul. Yama told her, “I have come to take you to hell as you have never done a single good deed in your life.”

She remonstrated “You are wrong. I am entitled to go to heaven. Check up your ledger. Five years back, on a particular day I have done a selfless service by donating a carrot to a monk.” Yama was able to trace the entry in her ledger account.

With an apology he told her: “You wait outside your house for a few minutes. In half an hour a golden carrot will descend till it is within the reach of your hands. If you catch hold of it, it will take you to the Heaven.”

The old lady quickly dressed herself upin a new saree and was waiting in the street when a golden carrot descended towards her. She caught hold of it which began moving upwards like a balloon, while she was hanging from it. A vendor of vegetables who was standing by her side immediately caught hold of her feet and the carrot was carrying both of them. Another lady who was seeing this scene caught hold of the vendor’s feet. Thus a number of people hung on to each other’s feet one below the other and the carrot was taking them all upwards. Lady, unaware of people hanging one below the other went on enjoying the scenery.

When she was almost nearing the gates of the Heaven, she had a last look on the earth she had left behind and beheld to her horror a number of people hanging one below the other under her support. She shrieked at them – “You fellows there get down and leave my feet. This carrot is mine and I alone am entitled to go to heaven.” In order to emphasise the words “mine” with a suitable gesture, she touched her heart with both the hands. As she had unwarily left hold of the carrot, she fell down carrying all the people hanging in that line.


SENSE OF ‘I’ AND ‘MINE’ ARE THE GREATEST OBSTACLES IN PATH OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH.

Balance Sheet of life

Birth is our Opening Balance

Death is our Closing Balance

Prejudiced views are our liabilities

Creative ideas are our Assets

Heart is our Current Asset

Soul is our Fixed Asset

Brain is our Fixed Deposit

Thinking is our Current Account

Achievements are our Capital

Character and Morals, are our Stock in Trade

Friends are General Reserves

Values and Behaviours are our Goodwill

Patience is our Interest earned

Love is our Dividend

Marriage is a write-off

Children are our Bonus Issues

Education is Brands/'Patents

Knowledge is our Investment

Experience is our Premium Account

The aim is to tally the Balance Sheet accurately

Philosphy Of Pencil

In the beginning, a pencil maker spoke to the pencil saying there are five things you need to know before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and you will become the best pencil you can be.

1. You will be able to do many great things, but only if allow yourself only if you allow yourself to be held in someone’s hand.

2. You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but this is required if you are to become a better pencil.

3. You have the ability to correct any mistakes you might make.

4. The most important part of you will always be what's inside.

5. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write. You must always leave a clear, legible mark no matter how difficult the situation.

The pencil understood, promising to remember and went into the box fully understanding its Maker's purpose.

Now replacing the place of the pencil with you;

Everyone is like a pencil... created by the MAKER for a unique and special purpose. By understanding and remembering let us, proceed with our life on this earth having a meaningful purpose in our heart.

Ant & Grasshopper –Old and New Version

Old version

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter. The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away. Come winter, the Ant is warm and well fed. The Grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold.

Modern Version.............

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and laying up supplies for the winter. The Grasshopper thinks the Ant's a fool and laughs & dances & plays the summer away. Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the Ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving.

Star News, NDTV, Aaj Tak, show up to provide pictures of the shivering Grasshopper next to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food. The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor Grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the Ant's house.

Medha Patkar goes on a fast along with other Grasshoppers demanding that Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter.

Amnesty International and Koffi Annan criticizes the Indian Government for not upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper.

The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the Grasshopper (many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for prompt support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance).

Opposition MPs stage a walkout. Left parties call for 'Bharat Bandh' in West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry.

CPM in Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working hard in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among Ants and Grasshoppers.

Brinda Karat made controversial remarks accusing Ants of violating labour laws

Mamata Banerjee allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian Railway Trains, aptly named as the 'Grasshopper Rath'.

Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the 'Prevention of Terrorism Against Grasshoppers Act' [POTAGA], with effect from the beginning of the winter.

Arjun Singh makes ' Special Reservation 'for Grasshoppers in Educational Institutions & in Government Services.

The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, it's home is confiscated by the Government and handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered by NDTV.

Arundhati Roy calls it 'A Triumph of Justice'.

Lalu calls it 'Socialistic Justice '.

CPM calls it the ' Revolutionary Resurgence of the Downtrodden'

Koffi Annan invites the Grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly.

Many years later...

- The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi-billion dollar company in Silicon Valley.

- 100s of Grasshoppers still die of starvation despite reservation somewhere in India...

- As a result of loosing lot of hard working Ants and feeding the Grasshoppers,

India is still a developing country!!!

The power of words

A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died.

The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs said, “Did you not hear us?” The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.

This story teaches two lessons:

1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.

2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them.

Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path. The power of words… it is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way. Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times. Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.

A TRUE LEADER

Scientists at the Rocket launching station in Thumba were in the habit of working for nearly 12 to 18 hours a day. There were about seventy such scientists working on a project. All the scientists were really frustrated due to the pressure of work and the demands of their boss but everyone was loyal to him and did not think of quitting the job.

One day, one scientist came to his boss and told him – “Sir, I have promised to my children that I will take them to the exhibition going on in our township. So I want to leave the office at 5.30 p.m.”His boss replied – “OK. You are permitted to leave the office early today.”

The scientist started working. He continued his work after lunch. As usual he got involved to such an extent that he looked at his watch when he felt he was close to completion. The time was 8.30 p.m. suddenly he remembered of the promise he had given to his children. He looked for his boss. He was not there. Having told him in the morning itself, he closed everything and left for home.

Deep within himself, he was feeling guilty for having disappointed his children. He reached home. Children were not there. His wife alone was sitting in the hall and reading magazines. The situation was explosive any talk would boomerang on him. His wife asked him, “Would you like to have coffee or shall I straight away serve dinner if you are hungry.” The man replied, “If you would like to have coffee, I too will have; but what about children???” Wife replied, “Don’t you know? Your manager came at 5.15 p.m. and took the children to the exhibition.”

What had really happened was...The boss who granted him permission was observing him working seriously at 5.00 p.m. He thought to himself, this person will not leave the work, but if he has promised his children they should enjoy the visit to the exhibition. So he took the lead in taking them to exhibition.

The boss may not have to do it every time. But once it is done, loyalty is established.

That is why all the scientists at Thumba continued to work under their boss even though the stress was tremendous.

By the way, can you guess as to who the boss was???

It is none other than Dr. Shri A P J Abdul Kalam

Sunday, August 29, 2010

YOU ARE SPECIAL

A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill.

In the room of 2000, he asked. "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you - but first, let me do this."

He proceeded to crumple the 20 dollar note up. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air.

"Well," he replied, "what if I do this?" He dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now, who still wants it?"

Still the hands went into the air. "My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.

"Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt........... by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless; but no matter what happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value.

"Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who love you. The worth of our lives comes, not in what we do or who we know, but by... WHO WE ARE.

You are SPECIAL... don't ever forget it.

SAND AND STONE

A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey, they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, he wrote in the sand: Today my best friend slapped me in the face.

They kept on walking, until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but his friend saved him. After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: Today my best friend saved my life.

The friend, who had slapped and saved his best friend, asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand, and now, you write on a stone, why?"

The other friend replied: "When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand, where the winds of forgiveness can erase it away, but when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it. Learn to write your hurts in the sand and to carve your blessings in stone.

COMPUTER GUY

I was having trouble with my computer. So I called Harold the computer guy, to come over. Harold clicked a couple of buttons and solved the problem. He gave me a bill for a minimum service call. As he was walking away, I called after him, "So, what was wrong?"

He replied, "It was an ID ten T error."

I didn't want to appear stupid, but nonetheless inquired, "An, ID ten T error? What's that ... in case I need to fix it again?"

The computer guy grinned.... "Haven't you ever heard of an ID ten T error before?"
"
No," I replied.

"Write it down," he said, "and I think you'll figure it out."
So I wrote out ........ I D 1 0 T

THERE IS NO CHAIR

An Economics professor gave a one question final exam after a semester dealing with a broad array of topics. The class was already seated and ready to go when the professor picked up his chair, plopped it on top of his desk and wrote on the board:

"Using everything we have learned this semester, prove that this chair does not exist."

Fingers flew, erasers erased, notebooks were filled in furious fashion. Some students wrote over 30 pages in one hour attempting to refute the existence of the chair. One member of the class however, was up and finished in less than a minute.

A week later when the grades were posted, the rest of the group wondered how he could have gotten an "A" when he had barely written anything at all.

His answer consisted of two words: "What chair?"

THE SCIENTIST AND GOD

A scientist approaches God, and says to Him, "Look, God, we don't need you anymore. Nowadays, we can do all sorts of things that used to be considered miraculous. We can transplant organs, giving new life to a dying man, we can cure almost any disease, and we can even clone animals. It won't be long, and we'll be able to clone humans, too. So, I'm sorry, but you are just outdated".

God listens patiently to the scientist and says, "I can see that you believe you don't need me, and I understand. However, I love you, and I don't want to see you make a big mistake, so why don't we make sure? I say we should have a man-making contest, just to be sure.

The scientist replies, "I'll take that challenge". So, God says, "Ok, let's do it the way I did it in the old days, with Adam and Eve". The scientists says, "No problem", and reaches down to scoop up a handful of dirt.

"Hey, hold on there a minute", God says. "You get your OWN dirt".

Insight

There was a farmer who grew superior quality and award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won honour and prizes.

One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learnt something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbours.

"How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbours when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked. "Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbours grow inferior, sub-standard and poor quality corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbours grow good corn."

The farmer gave a superb insight into the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbour's corn also improves. So it is in other dimensions! Those who choose to be at harmony must help their neighbours and colleagues to be at peace, those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.

If we are to grow good quality corn, we must help our neighbours grow good quality corn too....

Wish

A man walks into a restaurant with a full-grown ostrich behind him. The waitress asks for their orders. The man says, "A hamburger, fries and a coke," and turns to the ostrich, "What's yours?"

"I'll have the same," says the ostrich.

A short time later the waitress returns with the order. "That will be $9.40 please," she says and the man reaches into his pocket and pulls out the exact change for payment.

The next day, the man and the ostrich come again and the man says, "A hamburger, fries, and a coke."

The ostrich says, "I'll have the same."

Again the man reaches into his pocket and pays with exact change. This becomes routine until the two enter again later in the week. "The usual?" asks the waitress.

"No, this is Friday night, so I will have a steak, baked potato, and salad," says the man.

"Same," says the ostrich.

Shortly the waitress brings the order and says, "That will be $32.62." Once again the man pulls the exact change out of his pocket and places it on the table.

The waitress can't hold back her curiosity any longer. "Excuse me, sir. How do you manage to always come up with the exact change out of your pocket every time?"

"Well," says the man, "several years ago I was cleaning the attic and found an old lamp. When I rubbed it a Genie appeared and offered me two wishes. My first wish was that if I ever had to pay for anything, I would just put my hand in my pocket and the right amount of money would always be there."

"That's brilliant!" says the waitress. "Most people would wish for a million dollars or something, but you'll always be as rich as you want for as long as you live!"

"That's right. Whether it's a gallon of milk or a Rolls Royce, the exact money is always there," says the man.

The waitress asks, "But, sir, what's with the ostrich?"

The man sighs, pauses, and answers, "My second wish was for a tall chick with long legs who agrees with everything I say."

Habits

Start with a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage, hang a banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it. Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of the other monkeys with cold water.

After a while, another monkey makes an attempt with the same result all the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon, when another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it.

Now, put away the cold water. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs. To his surprise and horror, all of the other monkeys attack him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.

Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm! Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, and then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs, he is attacked.

Most of the monkeys that are beating him have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.

After replacing all the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs to try for the banana. Why not? Because as far as they know that's the way it's always been done around here.

And that, my friends, is how a few habits and company policy begins.

The Mouse Trap

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.

What food might this contain?" The mouse wondered - he was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap. Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning. There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!" The pig sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers."

The mouse turned to the cow and said, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!" The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose." So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap alone.

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house - like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital, and she returned home with a fever.

Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient.

But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.

The farmer's wife did not get well; she died. So many people came for her funeral; the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.
The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.

The next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember - when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk. We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage and help one another.

King and Four Wives

Once upon a time, there lived a king who had four wives. He adored his fourth queen so much that he always used to gift her with loads of ornaments and other such adornments. She was inseparable from the king and a perpetual accompaniment wherever he went.

He also loved his third wife a lot - he guarded her richness and grandeur against the evil eyes of then neighboring kings and others.

He loved his second wife so much that he shared all his thoughts especially with her.

But unfortunately he never loved his first queen - he ignored her very presence and enjoyed with the other queens.

Days passed by and one day it so happened that the king fell terribly sick and the best of the physicians in the kingdom and the world could find a cure. It was certain that he was staring at his end and he was on his final days.

He calls his fourth queen over and sadly says "Look, I am on my deathbed and will leave this world anytime now. When I was hale and hearty, I used to take you everywhere that I went. Will you accompany me when I leave to the other world?"

To his utter shock, the Queen refused to do so and made it abundantly clear that it was unreasonable for the king to expect this and she would not like to give up her life for him.

Though shocked, he did not lose hope; he calls his third queen and poses the same question to her. The shock was greater, she refuses to accompany him and moreover she replied that she would remarry after his death and continue to lead a happy life.

The king was crestfallen at this outrageous reply from his dearest queens but again rests his hopes on the second queen. He looks at her and she pretends to be sympathetic to him and replies, "O dear, when you die, I cannot accompany you" and justifies this decision saying, "Your last rites will be performed as per the scriptures and I will take the responsibility to ensure this"

The king realized the reality at this fag end of his life. He realized the bitter truth that no one would accompany him nor would be available during his final days. While he was brooding over this fact, his first wife says, "O sweetheart, I am with you wherever you go. Don't you worry that you will have to make this last journey alone" The king was surprised and then realized that she was the true wife who loved him for what he was - not his riches not even his health. But his regret was that it was too late to make amends and shower her with his love.

Yes...like this king, we all have four wives.

The fourth wife is our body - a physical commodity that burns into ashes or disintegrates back to the earth at the end.

The third wife is the wealth that we earn which would be shared and become property of others after our death.

The Second wife is the relatives and friends who can only remain with us till the cemetery or crematorium.

The First wife is the one which remains in our heart, the Divine or God, which remains with us in all our births and rebirths. It saves us from grief at the later stages if we adopt our spiritual practices and be devoted to the divine during our younger years.

A Teacher and a Guru

A Teacher takes responsibility of your growth
A Guru makes you responsible for your growth

A Teacher gives you things you do not have and require
A Guru takes away things you have and do not require

A Teacher answers your questions
A Guru questions your answers

A Teacher helps you get out of the maze
A Guru destroys the maze

A Teacher requires obedience and discipline from the pupil
A Guru requires trust and humility from the pupil

A Teacher clothes you and prepares you for the outer journey
A Guru strips you naked and prepares you for the inner journey

A Teacher is a guide on the path
A Guru is a pointer to the way

A Teacher sends you on the road to success
A Guru sends you on the road to freedom

A Teacher explains the world and its nature to you
A Guru explains yourself and your nature to you

A Teacher makes you understand how to move about in the world
A Guru shows you where you stand in relation to the world

A Teacher gives you knowledge and boosts your ego
A Guru takes away your knowledge and punctures your ego

A Teacher instructs you
A Guru constructs you

A Teacher sharpens your mind
A Guru opens your mind

A Teacher shows you the way to prosperity
A Guru shows the way to serenity

A Teacher reaches your mind
A Guru touches your soul

A Teacher gives you knowledge
A Guru makes you wise

A Teacher gives you maturity
A Guru returns you to innocence

A Teacher instructs you on how to solve problems
A Guru shows you how to resolve issues

A Teacher is a systematic thinker
A Guru is a lateral thinker

A Teacher will punish you with a stick
A Guru will punish you with compassion

A Teacher is to pupil what a father is to son
A Guru is to pupil what mother is to her child

One can always find a Teacher
But a Guru has to find and accept you

A Teacher leads you by the hand
A Guru leads you by example

When a Teacher finishes with you, you graduate
When a Guru finishes with you, you celebrate

When the course is over you are thankful to the Teacher
When the discourse is over you are grateful to the Guru

Gratitude & Patience

Once there was a small kid on earth. One fine day she came to know that god is distributing apples to humans in his place at heaven. The kid was so happy to receive that news and she went with lot of enjoyment to heaven to get the apple from God. There was a big queue standing to get apple from God and this kid also joined in that queue. While she was standing, she was fully excited and thrilled for the fact that she is going to receive in person from God’s hands.

Her turn too came and the kid showed her both the hands to receive apple. God gave the apple but unfortunately the tiny hands couldn’t hold that big apple. Apple fell down and got wasted in mud. The kid got so disappointed. The ministers near the God informed that if the kid likes to have an apple from God again then she has to again follow the queue. Having waited for so long the kid didn’t want to return back to earth with empty hands so she decided to wait again in the queue.

This time the queue has become even longer than the previous one. While waiting in queue, the kid could see lot of people who returns back with apple in hands and utmost satisfaction on their faces. The kid was so much disappointed and thought why me alone didn’t get the apple in hand when all others were easily able to get it. What is the sin I did that I alone should suffer like this. Now the kid was so scared that she should not miss the apple again.
Again her turn came and God gave the apple to the kid’s hands and after giving the apple God spoke to the kid.

"My dear child, last time after giving you the apple only I noticed the apple I gave to you was a rotten apple and that’s why I made that to fell down from your hands. Having given you a rotten apple, I felt bad for you and I wanted to give you the best apple in the farm and that time the best apple in the farm was growing and that’s why I made you to wait such a long time in the queue. Here it is. Now the apple that you have in hand is ‘The Best’ apple in the farm till to date. Enjoy."

MORAL: Friends, sometimes it so happens, as even after we put our 100% dedication and commitment things may get delayed or things may go wrong. Believe that God has something great for us and that’s why this has happened. Always say, ‘Gratitude & patience is absolutely the best way to bring more in one’s life’.

Footprints

One night a man had a dream. He dreamt he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him, and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times of his life.

This really bothered him, and he questioned the Lord about it. “LORD, you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life,there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me."

The Lord replied, “My son, my precious child, I love you and would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”

Priorities

A time management guru was speaking to a group of type "A" personalities. He placed a wide-mouth gallon jar on the table in front of him. Next to the jar was a collection of fist-sized rocks. He carefully filled the jar with the big rocks, until he could fit no more.

He asked the group "Is the jar full?"

Everyone responded, "Yes."

He then pulled a large bowl of gravel from under the table and proceeded to pour the gravel into the jar. The gravel fit into the spaces between the rocks. He again queried, "Is the jar full?"

"Probably not," was the group's reply.

He reached for another bowl, this one filled with sand. He dumped the sand into the jar. The sand filled the spaces not taken by the rocks and the gravel. Once more, he asked, "Is the jar full?"

"No," everyone agreed.

Finally, he reached for a pitcher of water and poured water into the jar until it was filled to the top. The time management guru looked at the group and asked, "What is the point of my illustration?"

One man replied, "That no matter how full your schedule is, you can always fit one more thing into it."

"No!" the guru responded.

The point of this illustration is, "If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all!"

The moral of the story is: Get the important things figured out first, then fit everything else in around them. In other words, know what your priorities are.

Mystery in the Coffin

One day not too long ago the employees of a large company in St. Louis, Missouri returned from their lunch break and were greeted with a sign on the front door. The sign said: "Yesterday the person who has been hindering your growth in this company passed away. We invite you to join the funeral in the room that has been prepared in the gym."

At first everyone was sad to hear that one of their colleagues had died, but after a while they started getting curious about who this person might be. The excitement grew as the employees arrived at the gym to pay their last respects. Everyone wondered: "Who is this person who was hindering my progress? Well, at least he’s no longer here!"

One by one the employees got closer to the coffin and when they looked inside it they suddenly became speechless. They stood over the coffin, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched the deepest part of their soul.

“There was a mirror inside the coffin: everyone who looked inside it could see himself. There was also a sign next to the mirror that said: "There is only one person who is capable to set limits to your growth: it is YOU."
YOU are the only person who can revolutionize your life. You are the only person who can influence your happiness, your realization and your success. You are the only person who can help yourself.

Your life does not change when your boss changes, when your friends change, when your parents change, when your partner changes, when your company changes. Your life changes when YOU change, when you go beyond your limiting beliefs, when you realize that you are the only one responsible for your life.

The most important relationship you can have is the one you have with yourself.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

God, the barber

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation.

They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I don't believe that God exists."

"Why do you say that?" asked the customer.

"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things,” said the barber

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt.

The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist."

"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"

"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside."

"Ah, but barbers DO exist! What happens, is, people do not come to me.” Justifies the barber.

"Exactly!" - affirmed the customer. "That's the point!

God, too, DOES exist! What happens, is, people don't go to Him and do not look for Him. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world.

A very witty argument ...

An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God. He asks one of his new students to stand and.....

Prof: You are a believer of God, aren't you?
Student: Yes, sir.

Prof: Is God good?
Student: Sure.

Prof: Is God all-powerful?
Student: Yes.

Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm?

(The student is silent.)

Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fellow. Is God good?
Student: Yes.

Prof: That's right. Tell me, is there evil in this world?
Student: Yes.

Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything.
Student: Yes.

Prof: So he created evil?

(The student does not answer.)

Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?
Student: Yes, sir.

Prof: So, who created them?

(The student has no answer.)

Prof: Tell me, do you believe in God?
Student: Yes, professor, I do.

Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen God?
Student: No, sir.

Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?
Student: No, sir.

Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?
Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.

Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?
Student: Yes.

Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that?
Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.

Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Prof: Yes.

Student: And is there such a thing as cold?
Prof: Yes.

Student: No sir. There isn't.

Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.

Student: What about darkness, professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?
Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?

Student: You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light...But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?

Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?
Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.

Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.
Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)

Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?

Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's mind?

(The class breaks out into laughter)

Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's mind, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no mind, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable.)

Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, my boy.

The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee

When things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.
The sand is everything else---the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

IN THE LINE OF FIRE

Vivek Pradhan was not a happy man. Even the plush comfort of the air-conditioned compartment of the Shatabdi express could not cool his frayed nerves. He was the Project Manager and still not entitled to air travel. It was not the prestige he sought, he had tried to reason with the admin person, it was the savings in time. As PM, he had so many things to do. He opened his case and took out the laptop, determined to put the time to some good use.

"Are you from the software industry sir," the man beside him was staring appreciatively at the laptop.

Vivek glanced briefly and mumbled in affirmation, handling the laptop now with exaggerated care and importance as if it were an expensive car.

"You people have brought so much advancement to the country sir. Today everything is getting computerized."

"Thanks," smiled Vivek, turning around to give the man a look.

He always found it difficult to resist appreciation. The man was young and stocky like a sportsman. He looked simple and strangely out of place in that little lap of luxury like a small town boy in a prep school. He probably was a railway sportsman making the most of his free traveling pass.

"You people always amaze me," the man continued, "You sit in an office and write something on a computer and it does so many big things outside."

Vivek smiled deprecatingly. Naivety demanded reasoning not anger. "It is not as simple as that my friend. It is not just a question of writing a few lines. There is a lot of process that goes behind it." For a moment, he was tempted to explain the entire Software Development Lifecycle but restrained himself to a single statement. "It is complex, very complex."

"It has to be. No wonder you people are so highly paid," came the reply.

This was not turning out as Vivek had thought. A hint of belligerence came into his so far affable, persuasive tone.

"Everyone just sees the money. No one sees the amount of hard work we have to put in.Indians have such a narrow concept of hard work. Just because we sit in an air-conditioned office does not mean our brows do not sweat. You exercise the muscle; we exercise the mind and believe me that is no less taxing."

He had the man where he wanted him and it was time to drive home the point.

"Let me give you an example. Take this train. The entire railway reservation system is computerized. You can book a train ticket between any two stations from any of the hundreds of computerized booking centres across the country. Thousands of transactions accessing a single database, at a time concurrency; data integrity, locking, data security. Do you understand
the complexity in designing and coding such a system?"

The man was stuck with amazement, like a child at a planetarium. This was something big and beyond his imagination. "You design and code such things."

"I used to," Vivek paused for effect, "But now I am the Project Manager,"

"Oh!" sighed the man, as if the storm had passed over, "so your life is easy now."

It was like being told the fire was better than the frying pan. The man had to be given a feel of the heat.

"Oh come on, does life ever get easy as you go up the ladder. Responsibility only brings more work. Design and coding! That is the easier part. Now I do not do it, but I am responsible for it and believe me, that is far more stressful. My job is to get the work done in time and with the highest quality. To tell you about the pressures, there is the customer
at one end always changing his requirements, the user wanting something else and your boss always expecting you to have finished it yesterday."

Vivek paused in his diatribe, his belligerence fading with self-realisation. What he had said, was not merely the outburst of a wronged man, it was the truth. And one need not get angry while defending the truth. "My friend," he concluded triumphantly, "you don't know what it is to be in the line of fire."

The man sat back in his chair, his eyes closed as if in realization. When he spoke after sometime, it was with a calm certainty that surprised Vivek.

"I know sir, I know what it is to be in the line of fire," He was staring blankly as if no passenger, no train existed, just a vast expanse of time.

"There were 30 of us when we were ordered to capture Point 4875 in the cover of the night. The enemy was firing from the top. There was no knowing where the next bullet was going to come from and for whom. In the morning when we finally hoisted the tricolour at the top only 4 of us were alive."

"You are a..."

"I am Subedar Sushant from the 13 J&K Rifles on duty at Peak 4875 in Kargil. They tell me I have completed my term and can opt for a land assignment. But tell me sir, can one give up duty just because it makes life easier. On the dawn of that capture, one of my colleagues lay injured in the snow, open to enemy fire while we were hiding behind a bunker. It was my job to go and fetch that soldier to safety."

"But my captain refused me permission and went ahead himself. He said that the first pledge he had taken as a Gentleman Cadet was to put the safety and welfare of the nation foremost followed by the safety and welfare of the men he commanded."

"His own personal safety came last, always and every time. He was killed as he shielded that soldier into the bunker. Every morning now, as I stand guard I can see him taking all those bullets, which were actually meant for me. I know sir, I know what it is to be in the line of fire."

Vivek looked at him in disbelief not sure of his reply. Abruptly he switched off the laptop. It seemed trivial, even insulting to edit a word document in the presence of a man for whom valour and duty was a daily part of life; a valour and sense of duty which he had so far attributed only to epical heroes.

The train slowed down as it pulled into the station and Subedar Sushant picked up his bags to alight.

"It was nice meeting you sir."

Vivek fumbled with the handshake. This hand had climbed mountains, pressed the trigger, and hoisted the tricolour. Suddenly as if by impulse,he stood at attention and his right hand went up in an impromptu salute. It was the least he felt he could do for the country.

PS: The incident he narrates during the capture of Peak 4875 is a true-life incident during the Kargil war. Capt. Batra sacrificed his life while trying to save one of the men he commanded, as victory was within sight. For this and his various other acts of bravery he was awarded the Param Vir Chakra the nation's highest military award.

Live humbly, there are great people around us, let us learn!

Every Problem has a Solution

Many years ago in a small Indian village, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender. The Moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer's beautiful Daughter. So he proposed a bargain.

He said he would forgo the farmer's debt if he could marry his Daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the Proposal. So the cunning moneylender suggested that they let Providence decide the matter. He told them that he would put a black Pebble and a white pebble into an empty money-bag. Then the girl would have to pick one pebble from the bag.

1) If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her
father's debt would be forgiven.

2) If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her
father's debt would still be forgiven.

3) But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into
Jail.

They were standing on a pebble-strewn path in the farmer's field.
As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles.
As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up
two Black pebbles and put them into the bag.

He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag.

Now, imagine that you were standing in the field. What would you have
done if you were the girl?
If you had to advise her, what would you have told her?

Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:

1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.
2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and
expose the money-lender as a cheat.
3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order To
save her father from his debt and imprisonment.

Take a moment to ponder over the story. The above story is used with the
hope that it will make us appreciate
the difference between lateral and logical thinking.

The girl's dilemma cannot be solved with Traditional logical thinking.

Think of the consequences if she chooses the above logical answers.

What would you recommend to the Girl to do?


Well, here is what she did....

The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without
Looking at it, she fumbled and
let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost
among all the other pebbles.

"Oh, how clumsy of me," she said. "But never mind, if you look into the
Bag for the one that is left,
you will be able to tell which pebble I Picked."

Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had
picked the white one.
And since the money-lender dared not admit his Dishonesty, the girl
changed what seemed an
impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one.

MORAL OF THE STORY:
Most complex problems do have a solution. It is only that we don't
Attempt to think.

Don't Change the World

Once upon a time, there was a king who ruled a prosperous country. One day, he went for a trip to some distant areas of his country. When he was back to his palace, he complained that his feet were very painful, because it was the first time that he went for such a long trip, and the road that he went through was very rough and stony. He then ordered his people to cover every road of the entire country with leather. Definitely, this would need thousands of cows' skin, and would cost a huge amount of money.

Then one of his wise servants dared himself to tell the king, "Why do you have to spend that unnecessary amount of money? Why don't you just cut a little piece of leather to cover your feet?"

The king was surprised, but he later agreed to his suggestion, to make a "shoe" for himself.

There is a valuable lesson of life in this story: To make this world a happy place to live, It is better to change our self - our heart; and not the world....... ..

Proof of Vedanta

Proof of Vedanta

One swami told an interesting story: a man suddenly became blind due to some strange disease. He went to one doctor after another and tried all sorts of medicines. He was even operated upon yet he remained as blind as before. Every means he tried became invalid failed. He was getting frustrated and became vexed with all the promises of the doctors. At last he was taken to one famous surgeon, who said that he could cure the disease. After much coaxing he agreed to the operation. After the operation, the doctor came to the patient saying: ‘Congratulations - the operation went successful and now I will open your bandage’. The surgeon removed all the coverings and asked the patient to open his eyes.

The patient said he would not open his eyes unless the doctor promised that the operation had really been successful and would guarantee that his eyesight has been restored, since in the past he had been so disappointed by the promises of so many doctors. The surgeon said that all indications were that the operation had been successful but that he could not know for certain until the patient opened his eyes and discovered that he could see.

Still, the patient refused to open his eyes unless the doctor assured him that this particular operation had also been fully successful. Now the doctor could not provide any further proof other than telling the stories of how successful other similar patients had been and assuring the patient that there was no reason to doubt that this operation had also been successful. But the real success of the operation could only be established by the patient opening the eyes and testing whether he can see or not.