There was once a King who had a wise advisor. The advisor followed the King everywhere, and his favorite advice was, “Everything happens for the good”. One day the King went hunting and had a little accident. He shot an arrow at his own foot and was injured. He asked the advisor what he thought about the accident, to which the advisor replied, “Everything happens for the good”. This time the King was really upset and ordered for his advisor to be put in prison. The King asked his advisor, “Now, what do you think?” The advisor again replied, “Everything happens for the good”. So the advisor remained in prison.
The King later went on a hunting trip, this time without the advisor. The King was then captured by some cannibals. He was taken to the cannibals' camp where he was to be the evening meal for the cannibals. Before putting him into the cooking pot he was thoroughly inspected. The cannibals saw the wound on the King’s foot and decided to throw him back into the jungle. According to the cannibals' tradition, they would not eat anything that was imperfect. As a result the King was spared. The King suddenly realized what his advisor said was true. The advisor also escaped death because had he not been in prison, he would have followed the King on the hunting trip, and would have ended up in the cooking pot.
It is true that everything in life happens for a purpose, and always for our own good. If you think about it, all our past experiences actually happened to bring us to where we are today, and it is always for the good. All the past experiences makes us a better person. So, whatever challenges that we may face today, consider it happening to bring us to the next level.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
The Battle Within
An old man describes to his grandson an experience going on inside himself....
"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. This same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf will win?"
The old man simply replied, "The one you feed."
"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. This same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf will win?"
The old man simply replied, "The one you feed."
The Donkey In The Well
One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.
He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. they all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well, and was astonished at what he saw.
With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off!
He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. they all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well, and was astonished at what he saw.
With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off!
The Obstacles In Our Path
Once a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.
Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.
After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.
The peasant learned what many of us never understand - "Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition."
Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.
After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.
The peasant learned what many of us never understand - "Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition."
Wild Pigs
There was a Chemistry professor in a large college that had some exchange students in the class. One day while the class was in the lab the Professor noticed one young man (exchange student) who kept rubbing his back, and stretching as if his back hurt.
The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He had been shot while fighting communists in his native country who were trying to overthrow his country's government and install a new communist government.
In the midst of his story he looked at the professor and asked a strange question. He asked, "Do you know how to catch wild pigs?" The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line.
The young man said this was no joke. "You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come everyday to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again and you put up another side of the fence. They get used to that and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in the last side.
The pigs, which are used to the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat; you slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd. Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon they go back to eating the free corn. They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity.
The young man then told the professor that is exactly what he sees happening to America. The government keeps pushing it toward socialism and keeps spreading the free corn out in the form of programs such as supplemental income, tax credit for unearned income, tobacco subsidies, dairy subsidies, payments not to plant crops (CRP), welfare, medicine, drugs, etc. while the people continually lose their freedoms - just a little at a time.
"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have." - Thomas Jefferson
The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He had been shot while fighting communists in his native country who were trying to overthrow his country's government and install a new communist government.
In the midst of his story he looked at the professor and asked a strange question. He asked, "Do you know how to catch wild pigs?" The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line.
The young man said this was no joke. "You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come everyday to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again and you put up another side of the fence. They get used to that and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in the last side.
The pigs, which are used to the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat; you slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd. Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon they go back to eating the free corn. They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity.
The young man then told the professor that is exactly what he sees happening to America. The government keeps pushing it toward socialism and keeps spreading the free corn out in the form of programs such as supplemental income, tax credit for unearned income, tobacco subsidies, dairy subsidies, payments not to plant crops (CRP), welfare, medicine, drugs, etc. while the people continually lose their freedoms - just a little at a time.
"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have." - Thomas Jefferson
Sunday, October 3, 2010
What It Means To Be Adopted
Teacher Debbie Moon's first-graders were discussing a picture of a family. One little boy in the picture had different color hair than the other family members.
One child suggested that he was adopted, and a little girl named Jocelynn Jay said, "I know all about adoptions because I'm adopted."
"What does it mean to be adopted?" asked another child.
"It means," said Jocelynn, "that you grew in your mother's heart instead of her tummy."
One child suggested that he was adopted, and a little girl named Jocelynn Jay said, "I know all about adoptions because I'm adopted."
"What does it mean to be adopted?" asked another child.
"It means," said Jocelynn, "that you grew in your mother's heart instead of her tummy."
Struggle
A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through the little hole at the end.
Eventually, the butterfly stopped making progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. The man decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily, but it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.
Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.
What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were nature's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If nature allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. And we could never fly...
Eventually, the butterfly stopped making progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. The man decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily, but it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.
Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.
What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were nature's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If nature allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. And we could never fly...
Ten Million Dollars
A reporter was attempting to get a human interest story out of a very, very old man in a government-run home for the aged.
"Grandpa," said the young reporter, "how would you feel if you suddenly got a letter telling you that a distant relative had left you ten million dollars?"
"Son," said the old man slowly, "I would still be ninety-five years old, wouldn't I?"
"Grandpa," said the young reporter, "how would you feel if you suddenly got a letter telling you that a distant relative had left you ten million dollars?"
"Son," said the old man slowly, "I would still be ninety-five years old, wouldn't I?"
Real Meaning of Peace
There once was a king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The king looked at all the pictures.
But there were only two he really liked, and he had to choose between them. One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.
The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky, from which rain fell and in which lightning played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all.
But when the king looked closely, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest - in perfect peace.
The king chose the second picture.
But there were only two he really liked, and he had to choose between them. One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.
The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky, from which rain fell and in which lightning played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all.
But when the king looked closely, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest - in perfect peace.
The king chose the second picture.
Lizards Have Done It
In Japan, a man breaks open the wall to renovate his house. Japanese houses normally have a hollow space between the wooden walls, and when when tearing down the walls, he found that there was a lizard stuck there because a nail from outside had been hammered into one of its feet. The man sees this, feels pity, and at the same time is curious because upon checking the nail he realized it had been there since the house was built ten years ago.
What happened?
The lizard had survived in that position for ten years! In a dark wall partition for 10 years without moving, the man found this to be impossible and mind boggling. Then he wondered how this lizard survived for ten years without moving a single step--since its foot was nailed!
So the man stopped his work and observed the lizard, what it had been doing, and what and how it has been eating. Later, not knowing from where it came, appeared another lizard... with food in its mouth.
What happened?
The lizard had survived in that position for ten years! In a dark wall partition for 10 years without moving, the man found this to be impossible and mind boggling. Then he wondered how this lizard survived for ten years without moving a single step--since its foot was nailed!
So the man stopped his work and observed the lizard, what it had been doing, and what and how it has been eating. Later, not knowing from where it came, appeared another lizard... with food in its mouth.
His Good Will
Many years ago, a ten-year-old boy approached the soda counter and climbed onto a stool to ask the busy waitress, "What does an ice cream sundae cost?"
"Fifty cents," she answered.
The boy pulled out an assortment of change and counted it carefully as the busy waitress looked right and left at other customers she had to wait upon.
"Well how much would just plain ice cream be?" he asked.
"Thirty-five cents" she replied curtly.
Again the boy counted his money. "May I have a plain ice cream in a dish, please?" He gave the waitress the thirty-five cents and she brought him the ice cream.
Later, the waitress returned to clear the boy's dish and when she picked it up, she discovered two nickels and five pennies. The waitress smiled tenderly as she realized that the boy had enough money for the sundae, but settled for plain vanilla so he could leave her a gratuity for her service.
"Fifty cents," she answered.
The boy pulled out an assortment of change and counted it carefully as the busy waitress looked right and left at other customers she had to wait upon.
"Well how much would just plain ice cream be?" he asked.
"Thirty-five cents" she replied curtly.
Again the boy counted his money. "May I have a plain ice cream in a dish, please?" He gave the waitress the thirty-five cents and she brought him the ice cream.
Later, the waitress returned to clear the boy's dish and when she picked it up, she discovered two nickels and five pennies. The waitress smiled tenderly as she realized that the boy had enough money for the sundae, but settled for plain vanilla so he could leave her a gratuity for her service.
Dream
An old story tells of a woman who dreams every night that she is being chased, throughout a big haunted house, by a hulking monster. Night after night, the hideous thing runs after her, its breath like acid on the back of her neck...
It all seems so real...
Finally one night, the dream begins again, but this time the beast corners the poor terrified woman, and just as it's about to tear her apart, the woman finds her voice and shrieks:
"What are you! Why are you chasing me! What will you do to me!"
At that, the monster stops, straightens up, and with a puzzled expression, puts its hands on its hips and says, "How should I know? It's your dream."
It all seems so real...
Finally one night, the dream begins again, but this time the beast corners the poor terrified woman, and just as it's about to tear her apart, the woman finds her voice and shrieks:
"What are you! Why are you chasing me! What will you do to me!"
At that, the monster stops, straightens up, and with a puzzled expression, puts its hands on its hips and says, "How should I know? It's your dream."
Dragonfly
Once, in a little pond, in the muddy water under the lily pads, there lived a little water beetle in a community of water beetles. They lived a simple and comfortable life in the pond with few disturbances and interruptions.
Once in a while, sadness would come to the community when one of their fellow beetles would climb the stem of a lily pad and would never be seen again. They knew when this happened; their friend was dead, gone forever.
Then, one day, one little water beetle felt an irresistible urge to climb up that stem. However, he was determined that he would not leave forever. He would come back and tell his friends what he had found at the top.
When he reached the top and climbed out of the water onto the surface of the lily pad, he was so tired, and the sun felt so warm, that he decided he must take a nap. As he slept, his body changed and when he woke up, he had turned into a beautiful blue-tailed dragonfly with broad wings and a slender body designed for flying.
So, fly he did! And, as he soared he saw the beauty of a whole new world and a far superior way of life to what he had never known existed.
Then he remembered his beetle friends and how they were thinking by now he was dead. He wanted to go back to tell them, and explain to them that he was now more alive than he had ever been before. His life had been fulfilled rather than ended.
But, his new body would not go down into the water. He could not get back to tell his friends the good news. Then he understood that their time would come, when they, too, would know what he now knew.
So, he raised his wings and flew off into his joyous new life!
Once in a while, sadness would come to the community when one of their fellow beetles would climb the stem of a lily pad and would never be seen again. They knew when this happened; their friend was dead, gone forever.
Then, one day, one little water beetle felt an irresistible urge to climb up that stem. However, he was determined that he would not leave forever. He would come back and tell his friends what he had found at the top.
When he reached the top and climbed out of the water onto the surface of the lily pad, he was so tired, and the sun felt so warm, that he decided he must take a nap. As he slept, his body changed and when he woke up, he had turned into a beautiful blue-tailed dragonfly with broad wings and a slender body designed for flying.
So, fly he did! And, as he soared he saw the beauty of a whole new world and a far superior way of life to what he had never known existed.
Then he remembered his beetle friends and how they were thinking by now he was dead. He wanted to go back to tell them, and explain to them that he was now more alive than he had ever been before. His life had been fulfilled rather than ended.
But, his new body would not go down into the water. He could not get back to tell his friends the good news. Then he understood that their time would come, when they, too, would know what he now knew.
So, he raised his wings and flew off into his joyous new life!
Digging a Well
A man wanted to dig a well to water his farm. After digging for some time in a place recommended by water-diviners, he found no water and got disgusted. He had dug only about fifteen feet.
Along came another man who laughed at him for digging there, and pointed to another place. The farmer went over to that spot and dug and dug, for about twenty feet. Still no water, and very tired, he finally took the advice of an old neighbor who assured him there was water at yet another place.
After he had given up that one too, his wife came out and said, "Where are your brains? Does anyone sink a well that way? Stay in one place and go deeper and deeper there!" Next day, rested, the farmer spent all day on one hole and found abundant water.
Such is the faith we have on GOD, just because He does not answer our prayers, we chose other............
Along came another man who laughed at him for digging there, and pointed to another place. The farmer went over to that spot and dug and dug, for about twenty feet. Still no water, and very tired, he finally took the advice of an old neighbor who assured him there was water at yet another place.
After he had given up that one too, his wife came out and said, "Where are your brains? Does anyone sink a well that way? Stay in one place and go deeper and deeper there!" Next day, rested, the farmer spent all day on one hole and found abundant water.
Such is the faith we have on GOD, just because He does not answer our prayers, we chose other............
The Three Fish
This is a story of the lake and the three big fish that were in it, one of them intelligent, another half-intelligent, and the third, stupid.
Some fisherman came to the edge of the lake with their nets. The three fish saw them.
The intelligent fish decided at once to leave, to make the long, difficult trip to the ocean. He thought, "I won't consult with these two on this. They will only weaken my resolve, because they love this place so. They call it home. Their ignorance will keep them here."
The wise fish saw the men and their nets and said, "I"m leaving." The half-intelligent fish thought, "My guide has gone. I ought to have gone with him, but I didn't, and now I've lost my chance to escape. I wish I'd gone with him.
He mourns the absence of his guide for a while, and then thinks, "What can I do to save myself from these men and their nets? Perhaps if I pretend to be already dead! I'll belly up on the surface and float like weeds float, just giving myself totally to the water. To die before I die."
So he did that. He bobbed up and down, helpless, within arm's reach of the fishermen.
"Look at this! The best and biggest fish is dead." One of the men lifted him by the tail, spat on him, and threw him up on the ground. He rolled over and over and slid secretly near the water, and then, back in.
Meanwhile, the third fish, the dumb one, was agitatedly jumping about, trying to escape with his agility and cleverness.
The net, of course, finally closed around him, and as he lay in the terrible frying-pan bed, he thought, "If I get out of this, I'll never live again in the limits of the lake. Next time, the ocean! I'll make the infinite my home."
Some fisherman came to the edge of the lake with their nets. The three fish saw them.
The intelligent fish decided at once to leave, to make the long, difficult trip to the ocean. He thought, "I won't consult with these two on this. They will only weaken my resolve, because they love this place so. They call it home. Their ignorance will keep them here."
The wise fish saw the men and their nets and said, "I"m leaving." The half-intelligent fish thought, "My guide has gone. I ought to have gone with him, but I didn't, and now I've lost my chance to escape. I wish I'd gone with him.
He mourns the absence of his guide for a while, and then thinks, "What can I do to save myself from these men and their nets? Perhaps if I pretend to be already dead! I'll belly up on the surface and float like weeds float, just giving myself totally to the water. To die before I die."
So he did that. He bobbed up and down, helpless, within arm's reach of the fishermen.
"Look at this! The best and biggest fish is dead." One of the men lifted him by the tail, spat on him, and threw him up on the ground. He rolled over and over and slid secretly near the water, and then, back in.
Meanwhile, the third fish, the dumb one, was agitatedly jumping about, trying to escape with his agility and cleverness.
The net, of course, finally closed around him, and as he lay in the terrible frying-pan bed, he thought, "If I get out of this, I'll never live again in the limits of the lake. Next time, the ocean! I'll make the infinite my home."
A Fox and a Tiger
One day a tiger was hunting around in a forest. An unlucky fox was met and caught by the tiger. For the fox, the inescapable destination was very clear -- death. Despite the danger, the fox thought hard to find a way out.
Promptly, the fox declared to the tiger, "How dare you kill me!"
On hearing the words the tiger was surprised and asked for the reason" The fox raised his voice a bit higher and declared arrogantly: "To tell you the truth, it's I who was accredited by God to the forest as the king of all the animals! If you kill me, that will be against the God's will, you know?"
Seeing that the tiger became suspicions, the fox added: "Let's have a test. Let's go through the forest. Follow me and you will see HOW THE ANIMALS ARE FRIGHTENED OF ME." The tiger agreed.
So the fox walked ahead of the tiger proudly through the forest. As you can imagine, the animals, seeing the tiger behind, were all terribly frightened and ran away. Then the fox said proudly: "There is no doubt that what I said is true, isn't it?"
The tiger had nothing to say but to acknowledge the result. So the tiger nodded and said:
"You are right. You are the king."
Promptly, the fox declared to the tiger, "How dare you kill me!"
On hearing the words the tiger was surprised and asked for the reason" The fox raised his voice a bit higher and declared arrogantly: "To tell you the truth, it's I who was accredited by God to the forest as the king of all the animals! If you kill me, that will be against the God's will, you know?"
Seeing that the tiger became suspicions, the fox added: "Let's have a test. Let's go through the forest. Follow me and you will see HOW THE ANIMALS ARE FRIGHTENED OF ME." The tiger agreed.
So the fox walked ahead of the tiger proudly through the forest. As you can imagine, the animals, seeing the tiger behind, were all terribly frightened and ran away. Then the fox said proudly: "There is no doubt that what I said is true, isn't it?"
The tiger had nothing to say but to acknowledge the result. So the tiger nodded and said:
"You are right. You are the king."
The Painter and The Child
Centuries ago a great artist was engaged to paint a mural for the cathedral in a Sicilian town. The subject was the life of Christ. For many years the artist labored diligently, and finally the painting was finished except for the two most important figures: the Christ Child and Judas Iscariot. He searched far and wide for suitable models.
One day while walking in the city he came upon some children playing in the street. Among them was a 12-year-old boy whose face stirred the painter's heart. The artist took the child home with him, and day after day the boy sat patiently until the face of the Christ Child was finished. But the painter still had found no model for the portrait of Judas.
The story of the unfinished masterpiece spread afar, and many men, fancying themselves of wicked countenance, offered to pose for Judas. But in vain the old painter looked for Judas, as he envisioned him-a man warped by life, enfeebled by surrender to greed and lust.
Then one afternoon as he sat in a tavern, a gaunt and tattered figure staggered across the threshold. 'Wine, wine,' he begged. The startled painter looked into a face that seemed to bear the marks of every sin of mankind. "Greatly excited, the old painter said, 'Come with me, and I will give you wine.'
For many days the painter worked feverishly to complete his masterpiece. As the work went on, a change came over the model. A strange tension replaced the stupors languor, and his bloodshot eyes were fixed with horror on the painted likeness of himself.
One day, perceiving his subject's agitation, the painter paused in his work. "My son," he said, "what troubles you so?"
The man buried his face in his hands, sobbing. After a long moment he lifted pleading eyes to the old painter's face. "Do you not then remember me? Years ago I was your model for the Christ Child."
One day while walking in the city he came upon some children playing in the street. Among them was a 12-year-old boy whose face stirred the painter's heart. The artist took the child home with him, and day after day the boy sat patiently until the face of the Christ Child was finished. But the painter still had found no model for the portrait of Judas.
The story of the unfinished masterpiece spread afar, and many men, fancying themselves of wicked countenance, offered to pose for Judas. But in vain the old painter looked for Judas, as he envisioned him-a man warped by life, enfeebled by surrender to greed and lust.
Then one afternoon as he sat in a tavern, a gaunt and tattered figure staggered across the threshold. 'Wine, wine,' he begged. The startled painter looked into a face that seemed to bear the marks of every sin of mankind. "Greatly excited, the old painter said, 'Come with me, and I will give you wine.'
For many days the painter worked feverishly to complete his masterpiece. As the work went on, a change came over the model. A strange tension replaced the stupors languor, and his bloodshot eyes were fixed with horror on the painted likeness of himself.
One day, perceiving his subject's agitation, the painter paused in his work. "My son," he said, "what troubles you so?"
The man buried his face in his hands, sobbing. After a long moment he lifted pleading eyes to the old painter's face. "Do you not then remember me? Years ago I was your model for the Christ Child."
The Tiger
A teacher and his student were walking from one village to another, when they suddenly heard a roar behind them. Turning their gaze in the direction of the roar they saw a big tiger following them. The first thing the student wanted to do was to run away, but as he has been studying and practicing self-discipline, he was able to halt himself, waiting to see what his teacher was going to do.
"What shall we do Master?" Asked the student.
The teacher looked at the student and answered in a calm voice:
"There are several options. We can fill our minds with paralyzing fear so that we cannot move, and let the tiger do with us whatever pleases it. We can faint. We can run away, but then it will run after us. We can fight with it, but physically it is stronger than us."
"We can pray to god to save us. We can choose to influence the tiger with the power of our mind, if our concentration is strong enough. We can send it love. We can also concentrate and meditate on our inner power, and on the fact that we are one with the entire universe, including the tiger, and in this way influence its soul."
"Which option do you choose?"
"You are the Master. You tell me what to do. We haven't much time", responded the student.
The master turned his gaze fearlessly towards the tiger, emptied his mind from all thoughts, and entered samadhi (a kind of trance). In his consciousness he embraced everything in the universe including the tiger. In this deep meditation the consciousness of the teacher became one with consciousness of the tiger.
Meanwhile the student started to shiver with fear, as the tiger was already quite close, ready to make a leap at them. He was amazed at how his teacher could stay so calm and detached in the face of danger.
Meanwhile the teacher continued to meditate without fear. After a little while, the tiger gradually lowered its head and tail and went away.
The student asked his teacher in astonishment, "What did you do?"
"Nothing. I just cleared all thoughts from my mind and united myself in spirit with the tiger. We became united in peace on the spiritual level. The tiger sensed the inner calmness, peace, and unity and felt no threat or need to express violence, and so walked away."
"When the mind is silent and calm, its peace is automatically transmitted to everything and everyone around, influencing them deeply", concluded the teacher.
"What shall we do Master?" Asked the student.
The teacher looked at the student and answered in a calm voice:
"There are several options. We can fill our minds with paralyzing fear so that we cannot move, and let the tiger do with us whatever pleases it. We can faint. We can run away, but then it will run after us. We can fight with it, but physically it is stronger than us."
"We can pray to god to save us. We can choose to influence the tiger with the power of our mind, if our concentration is strong enough. We can send it love. We can also concentrate and meditate on our inner power, and on the fact that we are one with the entire universe, including the tiger, and in this way influence its soul."
"Which option do you choose?"
"You are the Master. You tell me what to do. We haven't much time", responded the student.
The master turned his gaze fearlessly towards the tiger, emptied his mind from all thoughts, and entered samadhi (a kind of trance). In his consciousness he embraced everything in the universe including the tiger. In this deep meditation the consciousness of the teacher became one with consciousness of the tiger.
Meanwhile the student started to shiver with fear, as the tiger was already quite close, ready to make a leap at them. He was amazed at how his teacher could stay so calm and detached in the face of danger.
Meanwhile the teacher continued to meditate without fear. After a little while, the tiger gradually lowered its head and tail and went away.
The student asked his teacher in astonishment, "What did you do?"
"Nothing. I just cleared all thoughts from my mind and united myself in spirit with the tiger. We became united in peace on the spiritual level. The tiger sensed the inner calmness, peace, and unity and felt no threat or need to express violence, and so walked away."
"When the mind is silent and calm, its peace is automatically transmitted to everything and everyone around, influencing them deeply", concluded the teacher.
C.E.O and the Seed
A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.
He said, 'It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you. 'The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. 'I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.'
One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.
Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.
By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure. Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot...
But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the boardroom. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!
When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.
Jim just tried to hide in the back. 'My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown,' said the CEO. 'Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!'
All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, 'The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!'
When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told him the story. The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, 'Behold your next Chief Executive Officer!
His name is Jim!'
Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed.
'How could he be the new CEO?' the others said.
Then the CEO said, 'One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow.
All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!'
He said, 'It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you. 'The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. 'I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.'
One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.
Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.
By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure. Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot...
But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the boardroom. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!
When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.
Jim just tried to hide in the back. 'My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown,' said the CEO. 'Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!'
All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, 'The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!'
When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told him the story. The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, 'Behold your next Chief Executive Officer!
His name is Jim!'
Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed.
'How could he be the new CEO?' the others said.
Then the CEO said, 'One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow.
All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!'
Spider and the Soldier
During World War II, a US marine soldier was separated from his unit on a Pacific island. The fighting had been intense, and in the smoke and the crossfire he had lost touch with his comrades.
Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction. Scrambling for cover, he found his way up a high ridge to several small caves in the rock. Quickly he crawled inside one of the caves. Although safe for the moment, he realized that once the enemy soldiers looking for him swept up the ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he would be killed.
As he waited, he prayed, "Lord, if it be your will, please protect me. Whatever your will though, I love you and trust you. Amen."
After praying, he lay quietly listening to the enemy begin to draw close. He thought, "Well, I guess the Lord isn't going to help me out of this one." Then he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of his cave.
As he watched, listening to the enemy searching for him all the while, the spider layered strand after strand of web across the opening of the cave.
"Hah," he thought. "What I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent me is a spider web. God does have a sense of humor."
As the enemy drew closer he watched from the darkness of his hideout and could see them searching one cave after another. As they came to his, he got ready to make his last stand. To his amazement, however, after glancing in the direction of his cave, they moved on. Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the entrance, his cave looked as if no one had entered for quite a while.
"Lord, forgive me," prayed the young man. "I had forgotten that in you a spider's web is stronger than a brick wall."
We never know how the Almighty help us!!!!!!
Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction. Scrambling for cover, he found his way up a high ridge to several small caves in the rock. Quickly he crawled inside one of the caves. Although safe for the moment, he realized that once the enemy soldiers looking for him swept up the ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he would be killed.
As he waited, he prayed, "Lord, if it be your will, please protect me. Whatever your will though, I love you and trust you. Amen."
After praying, he lay quietly listening to the enemy begin to draw close. He thought, "Well, I guess the Lord isn't going to help me out of this one." Then he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of his cave.
As he watched, listening to the enemy searching for him all the while, the spider layered strand after strand of web across the opening of the cave.
"Hah," he thought. "What I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent me is a spider web. God does have a sense of humor."
As the enemy drew closer he watched from the darkness of his hideout and could see them searching one cave after another. As they came to his, he got ready to make his last stand. To his amazement, however, after glancing in the direction of his cave, they moved on. Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the entrance, his cave looked as if no one had entered for quite a while.
"Lord, forgive me," prayed the young man. "I had forgotten that in you a spider's web is stronger than a brick wall."
We never know how the Almighty help us!!!!!!
Forgiveness of the King
Once upon a time there was a King in a country who was on a tour with his Ministers, including his royal security and others. He was taking rest, under the shade of the mongo tree at the mango garden with his team when suddenly a stone hit him directly on the forehead. Immediately he started bleeding.
The king had no idea who threw the stone at him, but he did know that he was experiencing an intolerable pain. The royal securities left right away to find the person who threw the stone at the king. After searching they found only one old lady there, and they asked if she had thrown any stones recently.
"Yes," she replied. "I threw a stone at the mango tree."
They asked her, "Did you throw any stone at the king?" The woman's face showed how terrified she was, so the guard forcefully told her that she would be punished. The woman was arrested and presented before the King.
She trembled with immense fear and prayed that they would not kill her. After seeing the blood flow down the King’s face, she became more upset and felt hopeless. "What will happen to me?" she thought.
The king, very calmly asked her, "Did you throw the stone at me?"
She replied, "Your majesty, I threw the stone at the mango tree."
"Why?" the king asked.
She replied weeping, "Your majesty, my child has been starving for two days. I was collecting food for him but could not find any. I hoped that when I threw the stone at the mango tree, a mango would fall so that I could feet my son. Your majesty, by mistake the stone hit your forehead and that is my unknowing mistake."
The woman bowed down before the king begging pardon for her mistake. The king was a kind hearted one and understood the situation very clearly. He forgave her mistake and ordered his security personnel not punish her in any way. Instead of punishment he said to give her money, food, and return her safely to her home.
The minister who was watching all this asked the king the reason for pardon. Then the king said “If the old women could get a mango for hurling a stone at the mango tree, was it not his generosity to provide her the richness considering his stature
The king had no idea who threw the stone at him, but he did know that he was experiencing an intolerable pain. The royal securities left right away to find the person who threw the stone at the king. After searching they found only one old lady there, and they asked if she had thrown any stones recently.
"Yes," she replied. "I threw a stone at the mango tree."
They asked her, "Did you throw any stone at the king?" The woman's face showed how terrified she was, so the guard forcefully told her that she would be punished. The woman was arrested and presented before the King.
She trembled with immense fear and prayed that they would not kill her. After seeing the blood flow down the King’s face, she became more upset and felt hopeless. "What will happen to me?" she thought.
The king, very calmly asked her, "Did you throw the stone at me?"
She replied, "Your majesty, I threw the stone at the mango tree."
"Why?" the king asked.
She replied weeping, "Your majesty, my child has been starving for two days. I was collecting food for him but could not find any. I hoped that when I threw the stone at the mango tree, a mango would fall so that I could feet my son. Your majesty, by mistake the stone hit your forehead and that is my unknowing mistake."
The woman bowed down before the king begging pardon for her mistake. The king was a kind hearted one and understood the situation very clearly. He forgave her mistake and ordered his security personnel not punish her in any way. Instead of punishment he said to give her money, food, and return her safely to her home.
The minister who was watching all this asked the king the reason for pardon. Then the king said “If the old women could get a mango for hurling a stone at the mango tree, was it not his generosity to provide her the richness considering his stature
“Walking on Water” by Sri Ramakrishna
The duty of a farmer’s daughter was to carry fresh milk to customers in various villages, one of whom was a priest. To reach his house, the milkmaid had to cross a good-sized stream. People crossed it by a sort of ferry raft, for a small fee.
One day the priest scolded the poor woman as she arrived late with the milk which the priest used it daily as “Offering” to God. ”What can I do?” she said, “I start out early from my house, but I have to wait a long time for the boatman to come.”
Then the priest said (pretending to be serious), “You know! People have even walked across the ocean by repeating the names of God, and you can’t cross this little river?” This milkmaid took him very seriously. From then on she brought the priest’s milk punctually every morning. He became curious about it and asked how she was never late anymore.
“I cross the river repeating the name of the Lord,” she replied, “just as you told me to do, without waiting for the ferry.” The priest didn’t believe her, and asked, “Can you show me, how you cross the river on foot once ?” So they went together to the water and the milkmaid began to walk over it. Looking back, the woman saw that the priest had started to follow her and was drowning in the water.
“Sir!” she cried, “Though you are uttering the name of God, yet all the while you are holding up your clothes from getting wet. That is not trusting in God completely!”
One day the priest scolded the poor woman as she arrived late with the milk which the priest used it daily as “Offering” to God. ”What can I do?” she said, “I start out early from my house, but I have to wait a long time for the boatman to come.”
Then the priest said (pretending to be serious), “You know! People have even walked across the ocean by repeating the names of God, and you can’t cross this little river?” This milkmaid took him very seriously. From then on she brought the priest’s milk punctually every morning. He became curious about it and asked how she was never late anymore.
“I cross the river repeating the name of the Lord,” she replied, “just as you told me to do, without waiting for the ferry.” The priest didn’t believe her, and asked, “Can you show me, how you cross the river on foot once ?” So they went together to the water and the milkmaid began to walk over it. Looking back, the woman saw that the priest had started to follow her and was drowning in the water.
“Sir!” she cried, “Though you are uttering the name of God, yet all the while you are holding up your clothes from getting wet. That is not trusting in God completely!”
A Useless Life
A farmer got so old that he couldn’t work in the fields anymore. So he would spend the day just sitting on the porch. His son, still working in the farm, would look up from time to time and see his father sitting there. “He’s of no use any more,” the son thought to himself, “he doesn’t do anything!”
One day the son got so frustrated by this, that he built a wood coffin, dragged it over to the porch, and told his father to get in. Without saying anything, the father climbed inside. After closing the lid, the son dragged the coffin to the edge of the farm where there was a high cliff. As he approached the drop, he heard a light tapping on the lid from inside the coffin.
He opened it up. Still lying there peacefully, the father looked up at his son. “I know you are going to throw me over the cliff, but before you do, may I suggest something?”
“What is it?” replied the son.
“Throw me over the cliff, if you like,” said the father, “but save this good wood coffin… Your children might need to use it.”
One day the son got so frustrated by this, that he built a wood coffin, dragged it over to the porch, and told his father to get in. Without saying anything, the father climbed inside. After closing the lid, the son dragged the coffin to the edge of the farm where there was a high cliff. As he approached the drop, he heard a light tapping on the lid from inside the coffin.
He opened it up. Still lying there peacefully, the father looked up at his son. “I know you are going to throw me over the cliff, but before you do, may I suggest something?”
“What is it?” replied the son.
“Throw me over the cliff, if you like,” said the father, “but save this good wood coffin… Your children might need to use it.”
Come- Sweet Death!
People who live in or near forests of India often make their living by gathering firewood. They tie it into bundles which are slung over their shoulders and carry on their backs to a market-place. One day an old man, out in the woods alone was picking up sticks. He greedily made a pile so large that, when it was tied, he found it too heavy to lift. Sweating and groaning he tried in vain to get it onto his back; the market was far, and the coming of dusk forbade a second trip.
Despair came over him. He thought of his pitiful in life — so full of labor and poverty and pain — and he began to long for death. Sitting on the ground he moaned and groaned and muttered to the god of Death to come and take him to the next world.
Yama, in his mercy, heard the cry, appeared, and approached him in the forest.
“You summoned me?” said Yama, “What may I do for you?”
Getting nervous, the old man answered, “I — I just wanted you to help me put this load of wood onto my back!”
- Srimad Bhagavatam
Despair came over him. He thought of his pitiful in life — so full of labor and poverty and pain — and he began to long for death. Sitting on the ground he moaned and groaned and muttered to the god of Death to come and take him to the next world.
Yama, in his mercy, heard the cry, appeared, and approached him in the forest.
“You summoned me?” said Yama, “What may I do for you?”
Getting nervous, the old man answered, “I — I just wanted you to help me put this load of wood onto my back!”
- Srimad Bhagavatam
Why we shout when in anger
A Saint who was on his way to river Ganges to take bath found a group of family members on the banks, shouting in anger at each other. He turned to his disciples smiled and asked.
‘Why do people in anger shout at each other?’
Disciples thought for a while, one of them said, ‘Because we lose our calm, we shout.’
‘But, why should you shout when the other person is just next to you? You can as well tell him what you have to say in a soft manner.’ asked the saint
Disciples gave some other answers but none of them were satisfactory.
Finally the saint explained.
‘When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot. To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other to cover that great distance.
What happens when two people fall in love? They don’t shout at each other but talk softly, Because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is either nonexistent or very small…’
The saint continued, ‘When they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak, only whisper and they get even closer to each other in their love. Finally they even need not whisper, they only look at each other and that’s all. That is how close two people are when they love each other.’
He looked at his disciples and said.
‘So when you argue do not let your hearts get distant, Do not say words that distance each other more, Or else there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not find the path to return. They may end up in divorce courts, for instance.’
‘Why do people in anger shout at each other?’
Disciples thought for a while, one of them said, ‘Because we lose our calm, we shout.’
‘But, why should you shout when the other person is just next to you? You can as well tell him what you have to say in a soft manner.’ asked the saint
Disciples gave some other answers but none of them were satisfactory.
Finally the saint explained.
‘When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot. To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other to cover that great distance.
What happens when two people fall in love? They don’t shout at each other but talk softly, Because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is either nonexistent or very small…’
The saint continued, ‘When they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak, only whisper and they get even closer to each other in their love. Finally they even need not whisper, they only look at each other and that’s all. That is how close two people are when they love each other.’
He looked at his disciples and said.
‘So when you argue do not let your hearts get distant, Do not say words that distance each other more, Or else there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not find the path to return. They may end up in divorce courts, for instance.’
A Millionaire and Three Beggars.
There was a good-natured millionaire in the town. Three beggars thought of approaching him for help. The first man went to the millionaire and said: “O Lord! I want five rupees. Please give me.” The millionaire was taken aback at this man’s impudence. “What! You demand five rupees from me as though I owe you the money! How dare you? How can I afford to give five rupees to a single beggar? Here, take these two rupees and get away,” he said. The man went away with the two rupees.
The next beggar went to the millionaire and said: “Oh Lord! I have not taken a square meal for the past ten days. Please help me.”
“How much do you want?” asked the millionaire.
“Whatever you give me, Maharaj,” replied the beggar.
“Here, take this ten rupee note. You can have nice food for at least three days.” The beggar walked away with the ten rupee note.
The third beggar came. “Oh Lord, I have heard about your noble qualities. Therefore, I have come to see you. Men of such charitable disposition are verily the manifestations of God on earth,” he said.
“Please sit down,” said the millionaire. “You appear to be tired. Please take this food,” he said, and offered food to the beggar.
“Now please tell me what I can do for you.”
“Oh Lord,” replied the beggar; “I merely came to meet such a noble personage that you are. You have given me this rich food already. What more need I get from you? You have already shown extraordinary kindness towards me. May God bless you!”
But the millionaire, struck by the beggar’s spirit, begged of the beggar to remain with him, built a decent house for him in his own compound, and looked after him for the rest of his life.
God is like this good millionaire. Three classes of people approach Him, with three different desires and prayers. There is the greedy man full of vanity, full of arrogance, full of desires. He demands the objects of worldly enjoyment from God. Since this man, whatever be his vile desires, has had the good sense to approach God, He grants him some part of the desired objects (even these very soon pass away, just as the two rupees the first beggar got are spent before nightfall).
The other type of devotee prays to the Lord for relief from the sufferings of the world, but is better than the first one, in as much as he is ready to abide by His Will. To him the Lord grants full relief from suffering, and bestows on him much wealth and property.
The third type he merely prays to the Lord: “O Lord, Thou art Existence-Absolute, Knowledge-Absolute, Bliss-Absolute, etc., etc.” What does he want? Nothing. But the Lord is highly pleased with his spirit of renunciation, of desirelessness and of self-surrender. Therefore, He makes him eat His own food, i.e., He grants this man Supreme Devotion to Himself. Over and above this, He makes the devotee to live in His own House For ever afterwards this devotee dwells in the Lord’s Abode as a Liberated Sage.
The next beggar went to the millionaire and said: “Oh Lord! I have not taken a square meal for the past ten days. Please help me.”
“How much do you want?” asked the millionaire.
“Whatever you give me, Maharaj,” replied the beggar.
“Here, take this ten rupee note. You can have nice food for at least three days.” The beggar walked away with the ten rupee note.
The third beggar came. “Oh Lord, I have heard about your noble qualities. Therefore, I have come to see you. Men of such charitable disposition are verily the manifestations of God on earth,” he said.
“Please sit down,” said the millionaire. “You appear to be tired. Please take this food,” he said, and offered food to the beggar.
“Now please tell me what I can do for you.”
“Oh Lord,” replied the beggar; “I merely came to meet such a noble personage that you are. You have given me this rich food already. What more need I get from you? You have already shown extraordinary kindness towards me. May God bless you!”
But the millionaire, struck by the beggar’s spirit, begged of the beggar to remain with him, built a decent house for him in his own compound, and looked after him for the rest of his life.
God is like this good millionaire. Three classes of people approach Him, with three different desires and prayers. There is the greedy man full of vanity, full of arrogance, full of desires. He demands the objects of worldly enjoyment from God. Since this man, whatever be his vile desires, has had the good sense to approach God, He grants him some part of the desired objects (even these very soon pass away, just as the two rupees the first beggar got are spent before nightfall).
The other type of devotee prays to the Lord for relief from the sufferings of the world, but is better than the first one, in as much as he is ready to abide by His Will. To him the Lord grants full relief from suffering, and bestows on him much wealth and property.
The third type he merely prays to the Lord: “O Lord, Thou art Existence-Absolute, Knowledge-Absolute, Bliss-Absolute, etc., etc.” What does he want? Nothing. But the Lord is highly pleased with his spirit of renunciation, of desirelessness and of self-surrender. Therefore, He makes him eat His own food, i.e., He grants this man Supreme Devotion to Himself. Over and above this, He makes the devotee to live in His own House For ever afterwards this devotee dwells in the Lord’s Abode as a Liberated Sage.
An answer different from what we expect
A Maths teacher asks a five-year-old student, “If I
give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples
will you have? “Within a few seconds the student replied
confidently, “Four!”
The dismayed teacher was expecting an effortless correct answer
(three). She was disappointed. “Maybe the child did not listen
properly,” she thought. She repeated, “My boy, listen carefully. If I
give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples
will you have?”
The student had seen the disappointment on his teacher’s face. He
calculated again on his fingers. But within him he was also
searching for the answer that will make the teacher happy. His
search for the answer was not for the correct one, but the one that
will make his teacher happy. This time hesitatingly he replied,
“Four…”
The disappointment stayed on the teacher’s face. She remembered
that this student liked strawberries. She thought maybe he doesn’t
like apples and that is making him loose focus. This time with an
exaggerated excitement and twinkling in her eyes she asked, “If I
give you one strawberry and one strawberry and one strawberry,
then how many you will have?”
Seeing the teacher happy, the boy calculated on his fingers again.
There was no pressure on him, but a little on the teacher. She
wanted her new approach to succeed. With a hesitating smile the
student enquired, “Three?”
The teacher now had a victorious smile. Her approach had
succeeded. She wanted to congratulate herself. But one last thing
remained. Once again she asked him, “Now if I give you one apple
and one apple and one more apple how many will you have?”
Promptly the student answered, “Four!”
The teacher was aghast. “How my boy, how?” she demanded in a
little stern and irritated voice. In a voice that was low and hesitating
young student replied, “Because I already have one apple in my
bag.”
Moral of the Story:
When someone gives you an answer that is different from what you
expect, don’t think they are wrong. There maybe an angle that you
have not understood at all. You will have to listen and understand,
but never listen with a predetermined notion.
give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples
will you have? “Within a few seconds the student replied
confidently, “Four!”
The dismayed teacher was expecting an effortless correct answer
(three). She was disappointed. “Maybe the child did not listen
properly,” she thought. She repeated, “My boy, listen carefully. If I
give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples
will you have?”
The student had seen the disappointment on his teacher’s face. He
calculated again on his fingers. But within him he was also
searching for the answer that will make the teacher happy. His
search for the answer was not for the correct one, but the one that
will make his teacher happy. This time hesitatingly he replied,
“Four…”
The disappointment stayed on the teacher’s face. She remembered
that this student liked strawberries. She thought maybe he doesn’t
like apples and that is making him loose focus. This time with an
exaggerated excitement and twinkling in her eyes she asked, “If I
give you one strawberry and one strawberry and one strawberry,
then how many you will have?”
Seeing the teacher happy, the boy calculated on his fingers again.
There was no pressure on him, but a little on the teacher. She
wanted her new approach to succeed. With a hesitating smile the
student enquired, “Three?”
The teacher now had a victorious smile. Her approach had
succeeded. She wanted to congratulate herself. But one last thing
remained. Once again she asked him, “Now if I give you one apple
and one apple and one more apple how many will you have?”
Promptly the student answered, “Four!”
The teacher was aghast. “How my boy, how?” she demanded in a
little stern and irritated voice. In a voice that was low and hesitating
young student replied, “Because I already have one apple in my
bag.”
Moral of the Story:
When someone gives you an answer that is different from what you
expect, don’t think they are wrong. There maybe an angle that you
have not understood at all. You will have to listen and understand,
but never listen with a predetermined notion.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
How Can God Be Realized?
You know that story of the man who asked his guru how God could be realized. The guru said to him: ‘Come with me. I shall show you how one can realize God.’ Saying this, he took the disciple to a lake and held his head under the water. After a short time he released the disciple and asked him, ‘How did you feel?’ ‘I was dying for a breath of air!’ said the disciple. When the soul longs and yearns for God like that, then you will know that you do not have long to wait for His vision. The rosy colour on the eastern horizon shows that the sun will soon rise."
The Watchman and the Lantern
“In olden days, the Indian village hired a night-watchman to keep down crime and accidents. He would go around the streets and lanes with a square metal lantern open only at the front. The watchman could see, wherever the lantern cast its light.
No rays of light fell on the who carried the lantern. If you wanted to see who the watchman was, you had to ask him to turn the lamp back on his own face.
We are like that!
Our eyes (ears, tongue, etc.) are all facing outward, looking at and feeling the things of the world.
God says, "If you want to see me, turn the lamp (consciousness) around; look within and find the Source of all the light.""
No rays of light fell on the who carried the lantern. If you wanted to see who the watchman was, you had to ask him to turn the lamp back on his own face.
We are like that!
Our eyes (ears, tongue, etc.) are all facing outward, looking at and feeling the things of the world.
God says, "If you want to see me, turn the lamp (consciousness) around; look within and find the Source of all the light.""
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
SANATHANA DHARMA
It was bright sunlight and man was enjoying it. After sometime he felt that he wanted to build four walls and a roof over him. In the four walls he experienced darkness and he yearned for light. So he lit a lamp, to his surprise he found that there was darkness under the lamp. So to get rid of it he lit another lamp. Well, he noticed that there was darkness under that lamp also. So he went on lighting lamps after lamps until he was vexed. Fed up he ran out of the four walls to get incomparable, unending sunlight.
In this anecdote it is the Sanathana Dharma which is the everlasting Sunlight, the Four walls and the Roof is our Ego which propels the “I” ness. Lamps are like the other religion. With due respect to other religion it is known that their philosophy is not complete as “it’s always dark under the lamp”.
If only the mankind understands this we all can live as Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam
In this anecdote it is the Sanathana Dharma which is the everlasting Sunlight, the Four walls and the Roof is our Ego which propels the “I” ness. Lamps are like the other religion. With due respect to other religion it is known that their philosophy is not complete as “it’s always dark under the lamp”.
If only the mankind understands this we all can live as Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam
HOPE
Once there was an old Donkey which lived with a great hope. The Washerman was getting old and he could not work, so he untied the donkey and let it go. But the donkey refused to go from there and stood outside the door of the washerman's house.As the donkey was not working, the washerman refused to feed it also. On the other hand , he would beat the donkey with a stick because it would keep on braying all the time.
The washerman's dog seeing all this, asked the donkey why he is taking all this beating and continuing to stay there. Instead why it did not run away from there. The donkey said," I have heard the washerman telling his daughter, that you continue to refuse every groom i show you, if you continue to do so, I will in the end get you married to this donkey only". So, the donkey says I am hoping for the day when the washerman will get his daughter married to me.
This is how we human beings wait for only good things to happen in the future, a life without sorrow, always young without disease or death for the body.
The washerman's dog seeing all this, asked the donkey why he is taking all this beating and continuing to stay there. Instead why it did not run away from there. The donkey said," I have heard the washerman telling his daughter, that you continue to refuse every groom i show you, if you continue to do so, I will in the end get you married to this donkey only". So, the donkey says I am hoping for the day when the washerman will get his daughter married to me.
This is how we human beings wait for only good things to happen in the future, a life without sorrow, always young without disease or death for the body.
THE HUMBLE HEALER
Bhagavan Das was a healing saint, who was always wandering in the forests in the Tehri Garhwal district of the Himalayas. People used to come to him from all parts of India and take some vibhuti (sacred ash) from his hands, which would cure all diseases (including cancer) by its mere application on the body of the patient for ten days.
There was an old lady at that time in Indore whose only son was suffering from an incurable eczema in his entire legs and hands. She went on searching by foot in the forests of Garhwal for more than a year as there was no fixed place for Bhagavan Das, the healer. One day she came across an old man with an unkempt beard and disheveled hair. When she enquired from him the whereabouts of Bhagavan Das, the old man enquired why she was searching for the latter. When the lady told him about her ailing son, the old man replied:- ‘‘Never again take the name of that bogus rogue Bhagavan Das who is a cheat and a scoundrel. I shall give you some sacred ash and you apply it on your son daily. I guarantee he will be cured within ten days.’’
After receiving the ash the lady asked the old man his name. The latter replied – ‘‘People call me Kallu Das’’.
The old man was none other than Bhagavan Das himself.
Real saints do not go after Name, Fame, Money and Building Ashrams & they do not like to have their names advertised.
There was an old lady at that time in Indore whose only son was suffering from an incurable eczema in his entire legs and hands. She went on searching by foot in the forests of Garhwal for more than a year as there was no fixed place for Bhagavan Das, the healer. One day she came across an old man with an unkempt beard and disheveled hair. When she enquired from him the whereabouts of Bhagavan Das, the old man enquired why she was searching for the latter. When the lady told him about her ailing son, the old man replied:- ‘‘Never again take the name of that bogus rogue Bhagavan Das who is a cheat and a scoundrel. I shall give you some sacred ash and you apply it on your son daily. I guarantee he will be cured within ten days.’’
After receiving the ash the lady asked the old man his name. The latter replied – ‘‘People call me Kallu Das’’.
The old man was none other than Bhagavan Das himself.
Real saints do not go after Name, Fame, Money and Building Ashrams & they do not like to have their names advertised.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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 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.
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
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.
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.
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
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?"
"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".
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....
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."
"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.
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.
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.
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
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’.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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