Overflowing Grace !

Once a very rich man needed some labourers in his garden to work. So he sent a man to the marketplace. All the labourers who were available were called and they started working in the garden. Some others also heard and they joined in the afternoon. Then a few others heard and joined the garden work just when the sun was setting. However, the rich man employed all of them.

Finally it was a sunset so he called all of them and paid them equally. Obviously those who had come in the morning were disappointed and said, "What an injustice! We came in the morning and we worked the whole day. But these fellows came in the afternoon and worked hardly for two hours. And a few have just come in, they have almost not worked. So, this is injustice!"

The rich man smiled and said, "Don't think about the others. Have I not given you enough for your day’s work?"

All of them agreed and said, "Yes, it is more than enough, but even then it is injustice. Why are these people getting equal, when they have just come in?"

The rich man replied, "I gave them equal because I have got enough and out of my abundance I have given to them. Why are you worried about it? You have already got more than you expected, so why compare? I didn’t give them for their work, but I gave them because I have got more than enough. I gave out of my abundance....!"

Moral of the Story ....

Jesus Christ has said, “Some work very hard to achieve the divine, some come just in the afternoon and some when the sun is setting, and they all get the same divine!”

Friends, the ultimate bliss is always a gift. Hence, we call it Grace, ‘Prasad’ .... the Lord Almighty always gives us out of his overflowing energy, so let us not compare!

Have a Great Day Friends !

The Second Chance

It was 25th January,Nisha was waiting for her husband Akshaye. It was their wedding anniversary.  Things have changed since their marriage. From the cute couple they turned into a fighting one. They quarrel everyday on every small thing.  Nisha gave up waiting, thinking that Akshaye would have forgotten their anniversary and surely won't be back home on time.  Akshaye too didn't like how the things were going. She was so loving, so caring before marriage, how everything had changed so radically.

Yet they still loved each other.

It was 4:00 p.m . The bell rang. Nisha was surprisingly happy.. Akshaye had remembered.  She ran to open the door. Indeed Akshaye was standing outside. He was smiling and had a bunch of flowers in his hand.  The two then started reliving their beautiful days,making up for their quarrels.There was Champagne,light music and it was raining a little ..Overall the weather too seemed to get romantic. But the moment came to a slight pause.. The phone in the bedroom was ringing.. Quite agitated Nisha went to pick up the phone. It was a man on the other side.."Hello Madam I am calling from the Police station.Is this Mr Akshaye Malhotra's number???"  "Yeah, it is"  There was an accident and a man died. We got your number from the man's wallet.We need you to come here and identify the body.."  Nisha's heart sank. "Whhhhaaat?? B-but my husband is here with me?" "Sorry madam the accident took place at 3:00 p.m when the man was trying to board a bus".  Nisha was about to lose her senses. How could this happen? She had heard of such happenings. The soul of the person comes to meet you before it departs..She ran to the drawing room... Akshaye was not there.

Oh God !! Had she been given another chance .she would have mended all her faults. She rolled down on the floor awe struck. 

Is it true? Has something that bad really happened ?? Has he left her forever?? Suddenly there was noise from the bathroom.. Akshaye came out." I forgot to tell you dear, my wallet was stolen while I was returning home." Life might not give you a second chance...So never waste a moment fighting Live, Laugh, Love  Forget, Forgive :)

 From an email 

 

Why do we shout?

A saint asked his disciples, 'Why do we shout in anger? Why do people shout at each other when they are upset?' 

Disciples thought for a while, one of them said, 'Because we lose our calm, we shout for that.' 

'But, why to shout when the other person is just next to you?' asked the saint. 'Isn't it possible to speak to him or her with a soft voice? Why do you shout at a person when you're angry?' 

Disciples gave some other answers but none satisfied the saint. 

Finally he 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 through that great distance.' 

Then the saint asked, 'What happens when two people fall in love? They don't shout at each other but talk softly, why? Because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is 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.' 


MORAL
When you argue do not let your hearts get distant, do not say words that distance each other more, else there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not find the path to return.  

 
--From an email 

The Idiot!!

In a village, a young man used to be very much disturbed because the whole village thought that he was an idiot.

Once a wise old man was passing through the village and the young man approached him and pleaded, “Please help me! Villagers always keep criticizing me for anything I do. I really can’t understand what to do. Please show me a way out.”

The wise old man said, “Don’t be worried…!” And he whispered some secret in the young man’s ear. The wise old man also told him, “After one month I will come back. Meet me then and tell me how things are going.”

Accordingly, the young man went to the marketplace and started working on the formula given by the wise old man. When someone said, “What a beautiful sunset!”, the young idiot questioned him, “What is so beautiful in it? Come on, prove what is so beautiful in it!”

The man who had said that the sunset was beautiful was shocked. What can be the proof? Everybody knows the beauty of sunset, but nobody can prove it. So, the man remained silent, and everybody around started laughing.

Then people started thinking, “This is strange! We used to think, this man was an idiot. He is a great intellectual!”

The formula given to the young man by the wise old man was, “Criticize anything and everything. Just roam about the village watching and when anybody says anything or does anything, just criticize it.” The young idiot continued criticizing as was advised by the wise man.

After a month the wise old man returned to the village, but by that time the idiot had become a ‘wise man’. He touched the old man’s feet and said, “You are great! Your trick really worked and now the whole village thinks I am a wise man.”

The wise old man smiled and said, “Just remember one thing, don’t assert anything from your side, so that nobody can criticize you. Let them assert things and you criticize and complain. Don’t be defensive, attack, be aggressive, criticize everybody and slowly people will worship you…..!”

Moral of the Story ….

Friends, to be intellectual is to be phony, it is only a pretending intelligence. It is not real, because it is borrowed. Intelligence is the growth of inner consciousness but intellectuality is a camouflaged stupidity, it is a pseudo-intelligence. It pretends to be intelligence, but it is not.

If one doesn’t start growing in awareness, one is bound to become cunning. There are only two alternatives. Either, one becomes wise or one becomes cunning and cunningness is a substitute for wisdom.

Friends, very few people become Buddhas, others are out of necessity cunning. Life teaches us to be more cunning than others because it is a struggle for survival and only the cunning ones survive…!!

Have a Great Day Friends!

Awakening from Sleep!

The ‘Sisters of Mercy’ were about to be sent as missionaries out into the world of sin. So, Mother Superior had one last question to ask each nun before deciding which of them were best fitted for the hazardous tasks ahead.

"Sister Agatha," she asked the first, "What would you do if you were walking along a deserted street at night and a stranger approaches you and makes indecent advances?"

"Oh, Holy Mother of God!" gasped the nun, "May all the saints forbid! Why, I would get down on my knees and pray to the Holy Virgin that my soul might be saved."

Mother Superior noted that Sister Agatha might be better suited to more domestic work. Then the same question was asked of Sister Agnes, who replied, "Why, I would punch him in the nose...and then start running down the street as fast as I could, shouting 'Help, help!'"

Mother Superior noted Sister Agnes as one of the possible candidates for the missionary work. Next she asked Sister Theresa, who began, "Well, first I would pull his trousers down...."

Mother Superior choked a little, but Sister Theresa continued. "...And then I would pull my dress up, and then...."

"Sister Theresa," interrupted the senior nun, "Now what kind of an answer is that ...?"

"Well," said Sister Theresa, "I just figure that I can run faster with my dress up than the stranger can, with his trousers down ...!"

Moral of the Story ....

Friends, one who is in sleep can understand a language which appeals to one’s sleep. One understands only that which triggers some process in one’s being. The sleeping humanity can only understand & hear certain things. The other things are not heard or even if heard they are misunderstood. Anything that helps one to go on sleeping, postponing, appeals.

Although there is no path to wake one up, spiritual processes do invoke certain discipline. It has something to do with one’s consciousness. It simply means a certain space, a certain context has to be created around, in which awakening is easier than falling asleep.

Spiritual processes are like sprinkling cold water on the face of a sleeping person, so that, he wakes up from his slumber. Friends, it may not give us a certain character, it certainly gives us a context.

Have a Great Day Friends!!

The Door is Open!

Once a king wanted to pick the wisest man among his subjects to be his prime minister. When the search finally narrowed down to three men, he decided to put them to the supreme test. Accordingly, he placed them in a room in his palace, and installed a lock which was the last word in mechanical ingenuity. The candidates were informed that whoever was able to open the lock and come out of the room first would be appointed to the post of honour.

The three men were allowed inside the room and were locked. They immediately set themselves to the task. While two of them at once began to work out the complicated mathematical formulae to discover the proper lock-combination, the third man, however, just sat in his chair doing nothing. Finally, without even bothering to put pen to paper, he got up, walked to the door, turned the knob, and the door opened. The door had been unlocked all the time!

Thus, the third man won and became the Prime Minister!

Moral of the Story ….

Friends, this is exactly our situation today. Nothing is locked, the door is open. But most of us are pondering upon ways and means to unlock the lock. We are trying different methodologies, practising a thousand and one things, to get out of the ‘door’, not knowing that, we are already out. Unless we stop our non-essential thinking process, we will not be able to know the truth of life.

We are not in a bondage, but only think so, hence keep experiencing it. Thus, we create our own prisons, our complicated locks and then keep trying to find out the ways to get out of them.

Friends, how can there be a lock on the door of existence? We all are a part of it, so who is going to lock it and for what? If we can see and understand this, we can be relaxed. In this relaxation, the true vision can arise….!

Friends, let us all live each moment of our lives wisely!!

Communicating with a Buddha!

One evening three partially deaf women met on the road. The day was very windy, so one woman said, "Windy today, isn't it?"

The second woman said, "Wednesday? No, it's Thursday today."

Immediately the third one said, "Thirsty? I am also, so let's go to the restaurant and have a cup of tea."

Moral of the Story ....

Friends, this is what happens to most of us, when a Buddha talks to us. Even if the physical ear is present, spiritual ear is missing in us. Therefore, a Buddha can talk only to another Buddha. But with another Buddha, there is no need to talk. Buddha needs to talk only with those who are still not reached the buddhahood. Friends, only with unenlightened, there exists the need to communicate, however, communication becomes impossible there....!

Most of us are unconscious, so we understand only the language of unconsciousness. Whenever somebody talks from the peak of consciousness, it becomes utterly un-understandable, unintelligible and such a person seems to be so far away! By the time Buddha’s words reach the dark valleys of our unconscious, we have already distorted them to such an extent that they have no reference at all to the origin any more.

Friends, we hear the words of a Buddha but we miss the meaning. We hear the song but we miss the music. We hear the argument but we miss the conclusion. Many a times we may know what a Buddha is saying but we are unable to see where he is indicating...!

Knowing the Whole!!

It was an international conference in the USA and the delegates were eating the farewell dinner of the conference. 

A Japanese gentleman was sitting next to a delegate from Portland, Oregon. After the Japanese had finished his soup, the American asked him, "Likee thee soupee?" The Japanese gentleman nodded.

Then throughout the meal, the American kept asking the Japanese such questions as, "Likee thee fishee?", "Likee thee drinkee?" , and so on....

When the meal was finished, the chairman of the conference rose to his feet and introduced the Japanese gentleman as the guest speaker of the meeting. The Oriental gentleman gave a witty, excellent speech, in fluent English, much better than anything, any American has ever uttered, with a perfect accent.

After the speech, the Japanese gentleman returned to his seat and asked his American table companion, “Likee thee speechee ....?"

Moral of the Story ....

Friends, most of the times we know only a part of the other, not the whole. And how can we 

judge the whole person, when we know only a small fragment of the person. That small fragment will never be absolutely right in the whole context.

It is easy to criticize, it does not even need much intelligence to criticize and it gives a good feeling as well. By criticizing others, one feels one is higher, one is better than the other person. It is quite ego fulfilling. Friends, almost all of us do that, either openly or just within ourselves, but the enjoyment is the same.

Only rarely a few who don’t criticize, who don’t complain and those are the people who have dropped their egos. With the dropping of the ego, almost the whole world disappears. The whole world that was knit around the ego falls away completely, and one starts looking at the others in a new light. One’s outlook becomes more human, more friendly and only then there can be a deep acceptance of others, as they are.

Comparing

Once a disciple came to a Zen master and asked, "Why are a few people so intelligent and a few so stupid? Why are a few people so beautiful and a few so ugly? If God is everywhere, if he is the creator, then why this discrepancy and inconsistency? If this is due to the past karmas, then in the very beginning everyone must have been created equal, equally beautiful and intelligent, then how can they act differently, how can they have different karmas?"

The master said, "Wait! This is such a secret thing that, I will have to tell you when everybody has left." So, the disciple waited, eager, but people kept coming and going and there was no chance. 

But by the late evening everybody had left so the disciple asked, "Now?"

The master looked at him and said, "Come out with me!"

The moon was just coming up in the sky. The master took the disciple in the garden and said, "Look, that tree there is small, this tree here is so tall. I have been living with these trees for past many years and they have never raised the question of why that tree is small and this tree is big.” The master further said, "When there was mind in me, even I used to ask the same question sitting under these trees. Then my mind dropped and the question also dropped. Now I know that, this tree is small and that tree is big, but the trees don’t have any problem. So you can also see that, there is really no problem....!"

Moral of the Story.....

Friends, it is only our mind that keeps comparing. How can one compare when there is no mind? How can one say that, this tree is small and that tree big?

So, when the mind drops, comparisons drop, and when there is no comparison the beauty of existence can be experienced in true sense. Then all the contradictions are lost and the inner consistency can be seen. One needs to drop the mind and only then look at the existence. Then there will not be any question. Then there will be no yesterday and no today, only the here and now.

Friends, when the mind is absent communication transforms in to Communion....!

Enjoy every moment of Life Friends !!

Just Throw It!!

One day a rich man came to Sri Ramakrishna Parama Hamsa, with ten thousand gold coins to offer him. Sri Ramakrishna accepted his offering and then said, "Now these coins are all mine. Please do me a favour. Please go to the Ganges and throw them all into the river."

The man was quite shocked, so he hesitated. Sri Ramakrishna told him, "When you have offered them to me, they no longer belong to you. Why are you hesitating? If you don’t want to go and throw them in the river, I shall send somebody else to throw them away. So, you may leave now."

Finally, the man reluctantly agreed to go and throw away all the gold coins in the river Ganges. He left with the gold coins to throw them in Ganges which was quite nearby. However, more than an hour passed and the man didn't return. So, Sri Ramakrishna enquired, "What happened to that man? Has he escaped with the coins? Please go and check."

Someone went to check the man near the river banks and saw that the man had collected a big crowd around him. That rich man was taking out one coin at a time from the bag and was throwing it in the river, and at the same time he was also counting the coins loudly! The person returned and informed Sri Ramakrishna what he saw on the river banks and also told him that, the man may take several more hours to complete the process as he was throwing only one coin at a time.

Then Ramakrishna himself walked up to the river banks and asked him, "Are you crazy? I can understand that, when you collect the coins, you count them, it is a gradual process. But when I asked you to throw them away, why are you counting them?” Sri Ramakrishna further said, “...How does it matter to you, whether the coins are ten thousand or more or less? Anyway those coins no more belong to you and the Ganges is certainly not interested in them...!"

Moral of the Story....

Friends, the mind clings to everything and does not want to renounce anything, thus it goes on postponing. Mind also finds beautiful rationalization for its action.

This story indicates that, when one is dropping one’s ego, conditioning, mental concepts and beliefs, one should not drop them one by one. They are all interconnected, so one has to drop them all. If one can not drop them all in a single moment, one will never be able to drop them at all. Either now, or never.

Surrendering is throwing away one’s ego. There is no counting and there are no methods, just throw it. Surrender itself is the path, surrender itself is the technique.

Friends, the moment one throws one’s ego, suddenly one becomes aware of the inner center and one can reach the same point, but through a very diverse path.

Have a Nice Day Friends !

Dropping the Non-Essential!

A nervous and trembling passenger was standing near the driver of the river steamboat as the driver twisted and turned the boat wheel.

“Don’t you worry man,” said the driver, “I have been running these boats on this river since long and I know where every snag and sandbar is!”

Just then the boat struck a submerged snag with such a force that the whole boat shivered from stem to stern.

“There,” said the pilot triumphantly, “that is one of them now….!”

Moral of the Story ….

Friends, what type of knowledge is this and how is it going to help us?

Whole of our so-called knowledge is like this. It does not help us in any way. This kind of knowledge simply gives us a certain egoistic idea that ‘we know’, but it doesn’t help us on the path of life. Neither it helps us to avoid ditches and pitfalls in life nor does it help us to move towards the right direction and nor does it help us in any way to avoid calamities of life.

Friends, in spite of this we go on thinking that ‘we know’. This type of useless knowledge is a burden which should not be carried along in our head anymore. Once we are ready to drop it we will feel weightless, clean, fresh.

Have a Great Day Friends!

Only Belief, No Action??

There lived a hard-headed farmer in a village. Once a flood hit the village and the farmer had to climb onto the roof of his house.

A rescue boat came along but The farmer told them, "No, thanks. I believe in the Lord. He will save me.”

After some time the waves got even higher and the farmer had to go to the very top of the roof. Another boat came by to save him, but he still insisted that the Lord would save him. Slowly the water began to rise further and touched his feet. A rescue helicopter swooped down to take him away. But the farmer was firm on his belief and depended on the Lord to save him.

....At last....the farmer was drowned in the flood waters....

So, when he stood before the God in the next world, he complained, "Oh Lord, I used to worship you every day without fail. I had a strong belief that you would come to my rescue and would save me. Why didn't you help me?"

The Lord replied, "What more do you want me to do? I sent you two boats and a helicopter to save your life...!"

Moral of the Story ....

Friends, all our beliefs are out of ignorance. One’s belief is only an intellectual conviction. The belief comes only from two sources - either fear or greed. Therefore, one’s belief in God simply indicates the pathology of one’s mind. Only when one is free of belief, one is ready to experience the truth.

It is by one’s actions that one is put right with God, and not by one’s belief alone. Friends, a person who lives in only beliefs is a dead person.

Have a Wonderful Day!!

Unconscious Living!

Once a drunkard was hauled in off the street and taken before the magistrate, who asked him to explain his drunken behavior.

“Well,” said the drunkard, 

“I had ten bottles of whisky in my cellar and was told by my wife to empty the contents of each and every bottle down the sink, or else.... 

So I said, I would and proceeded with the unpleasant task.... I withdrew the cork from the first bottle and poured the contents down the sink with the exception of one glass which I drank. I extracted the cork from the second bottle and I did likewise with it with the exception of one glass, which I drank.... I then withdrew the cork from the third bottle and ....poured the whisky down the sink.... which I drank. I pulled the cork from the fourth bottle down the sink ...and poured the bottle ....from the cork of the next ....and drank one sink out of it... and threw the rest down the glass.... I pulled the sink... out of the next glass and ...poured the cork down the bottle... Then I corked the sink with the glass... bottled the drink and ...drank..... the pour........

When I had everything emptied,.... I steadied the house... with my hand, ...counted the glasses, ...corks, ....bottles and ...sinks with the other, which were 29,... and as the house came by, I ....counted them again and .....finally had all ..the houses in one bottle,... which I drank. I'm not ...under the affluence of oncohol, ....as some tinkle peep ...I am, I'm not half as thunk ...as you might drink.... I fool so feelish I don't know .....who is me, and the drunker ...I ....I stand here the longer ....I get...... Ah me......!"

Moral Of The Story ...

Friends, this is precisely the situation most of us are in. One is not aware of who one is, from where one is, or where one is going. One is not aware of why one is at all or why this whole existence is. One simply goes on like a robot, doing things, managing somehow. Most of us are so unconscious that, we are not even conscious of our unconsciousness.

From birth to death most of us are in a long sleep, sometimes dreaming with eyes closed, sometimes dreaming with eyes open, but dreaming all the same, all the time. In this situation one cannot know what God is, because God is nothing but the name of the totality. When we don’t even know ourselves, how can we know the total? We are just a tiny being compared to this great, vast existence. We are just a dewdrop compared to the ocean of existence. We don’t know even the dewdrop, and we start enquiring about the ocean.   

Friends, philosophy is foolish because it enquires about the ocean without knowing the dewdrop. The first and the most fundamental question is not God but ‘Who am I?’ One who starts with this question, ‘Who am I?’, is moving in the right direction. But, this question should not be just an intellectual enquiry. This question is unanswerable and it has to become an inner quest. One should not look out for the answer, one should look in for the answer.

The answer is hidden in the question itself ...if one goes deep down into the question one will find the answer and this answer becomes one’s own realization....!

Have a Nice Day Friends!!

Is Your Wheat Good?

Down at the local coffee shop, two farmers were arguing about the validity of their respective religions.

A third farmer was listening for a while. He observed them for some more time and then said out a loud, "I've been bringing my wheat here to this same mill for over forty years. Now, there are two roads that lead up to the mill. However, never even once the miller has asked me which road I take. He just asks me 'Is your wheat good?'"

Food For The Thoughts ....

Friends, religion is not knowledge, religion is love. The word 'religion' comes from a root which means binding together....falling in love ...becoming one.

Religion is not what most of us understand it to be. In fact, the so called religion is a dead rock. True religion is always like a flowing river, continuously changing its course, but ultimately reaching the ocean. A rock may be ancient, far more experienced, far older, but rock is a rock, and it is dead. It does not move with the seasons, it does not move with the existence, the rock is simply lying there. Have you seen any rock singing or dancing?

Friends, religion is a quality, not an organisation. Today, almost all the 300 religions existing in this world are simply dead rocks. They don't flow, they don't change, they don't move with the times. And anything that is dead is not going to help anybody in anyway....!

Have a Great Day Friends !

Are We Worthy Enough?

A king was getting old, so he felt that it was time to name one of his sons his successor. He had three sons, who were born as triplets. He loved them all equally and did not know which of them to choose as a successor. So he sent them off to a distant land and promised that, the one who would come back with the most useful learning would be his successor. The three went off to distant lands; attended universities and visited exotic places.

The first brother invented magic glasses with which he could see any distant place he wished to see on earth.

The second one perfected a magic carpet on which one sat and zoomed to any part of the earth in just five minutes.

The third brother invented a medicine that could cure any illness and save a person’s life.

After a few years all three of them came together for their birthday party. Each one explained about his achievement. The first brother looked through his magic glasses and saw that their father was quite ill and was dying. The second brother immediately invited the other two to hop onto his magic carpet and within five minutes they were at their father's side. And the third one with his magic medicine cured his father at once and saved his life.

....Now the king was more confused than ever, since it took the great work of all three of them to save his life....!!

Moral of the Story ....

Friends, if you look carefully, you will see that this story can be very much related to our lives. To become a worthy individual, one needs to be thoroughly taken care of at three different stages.... first at home : one needs to be trained to see the basics of life, then at the educational institutes : one is trained to explore & reach out towards the life & finally in the world outside : one keeps learning through various experiences & keeps exploring the methods to survive, succeed & excel.

If one of these systems fails, the other two may not be able to make us a worthy human being ....!

Live a Meaningful Life, Friends !

Charity is Sharing !

A rich man complained to his friend, "People don't like me. They say I'm selfish and stingy. And yet in my last will and testament I have donated all that I own to charitable cause."

His friend said, "Well, maybe the story of the cow and the pig has a lesson for you.” The friend continued with the story, “The pig came to the cow and complained, 'People always talk about you, they respect you. I know you are quite friendly, you give them milk. But they get much, much more from me. They get ham and bacon and lard and they even cook my feet. And yet, no one likes me. To all of them I am just a pig, a hog. Why is that?'

The cow thought it over a bit, smiled and then said, 'Perhaps it's because I give them while I am still alive!'"

Moral of the Story ...

Friends, there is only one charity and that is to give yourself without any regret, with great joy and rejoicing, to the existence and thus become a part of the whole.

It is beautiful to share whatever we have. Charity simply means an unconditional sharing. One should not hold on to it, because finally this life is going to end one day and we will not be able to take anything with us. So while we are alive, why not share as much as we can?

The things which can be taken away any moment …it is better that we share them with others.

Enjoy the Day Friends !!

The circle of desire

There was once a stone cutter who was dissatisfied with himself and with his position in life.

One day he passed a wealthy merchant's house. Through the open gateway, he saw many fine possessions and important visitors. "How powerful that merchant must be!" thought the stone cutter. He became very envious and wished that he could be like the merchant.

To his great surprise, he suddenly became the merchant, enjoying more luxuries and power than he had ever imagined, but envied and detested by those less wealthy than himself. Soon a high official passed by, carried in a sedan chair, accompanied by attendants and escorted by soldiers beating gongs. Everyone, no matter how wealthy, had to bow low before the procession. "How powerful that official is!" he thought, “I wish that I could be a high official!"

Then he became the high official, carried everywhere in his embroidered sedan chair, feared and hated by the people all around. It was a hot summer day, so the official felt very uncomfortable in the sticky sedan chair. He looked up at the sun. It shone proudly in the sky, unaffected by his presence. "How powerful the sun is!" he thought, "I wish that I could be the sun!"

Suddenly he became the sun, shining fiercely down on everyone, scorching the fields, cursed by the farmers and labourers. But a huge black cloud moved between him and the earth, so that his light could no longer shine on everything below. "How powerful that storm cloud is!" he thought, "I wish that I could be the cloud!"

...And he became the cloud, flooding the fields and villages, shouted at by everyone. But soon he found that he was being pushed away by some great force, and realized that it was the wind. "How powerful it is!" he thought, "I wish that I could be the wind!"

He became the wind, blowing tiles off the roofs of houses, uprooting trees, feared and hated by all below him. But after a while, he ran up against something that would not move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it ....it was a huge, towering rock. "How powerful that rock is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be that rock!"

He became the rock, more powerful than anything else on earth. But as he stood there, he heard the sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into the hard surface, and felt himself being changed. "What could be more powerful than I, the rock?" he thought.....And when he looked down, he saw the figure of a stone cutter hammering on the rock...!

Moral of the Story ....

Friends, this is what goes on happening in the minds of most of us. We long for something, but when it happens we still find that we are discontent. Now something else is creating the misery ….this goes on and on, like waves in the ocean… never ending ….unless we develop the understanding and simply jump out of this vicious circle. 

When the happiness has a condition to it, one will always remain unhappy. Bliss is our natural state; it is not an achievement. If we simply get out of the mechanism of the mind, we start feeling blissful.

Friends, one should learn to remain more and more in contact with the present. When present arises with its grandeur and its beauty, everything pales down and Renunciation starts following the Awareness like a shadow….!

Let us all Live each Moment with Awareness!

Wisdom in Patience !

There once lived a great warrior. Though quite old, he still was able to defeat any challenger. His reputation extended far and wide throughout the land and many students gathered to study under him.

One day an infamous young warrior arrived at the village. He was determined to be the first man to defeat the great master. Along with his strength, he had an uncanny ability to spot and exploit any weakness in his opponent. He would wait for his opponent to make the first move, thus revealing a weakness, and then would strike with merciless force and lightning speed. No one had ever lasted with him in a match beyond the first move.

Much against the advice of his concerned students, the old master gladly accepted the young warrior's challenge. As the two squared off for battle, the young warrior began to hurl insults at the old master. He also threw dirt and spit on his face. For hours he verbally assaulted him with every curse and insult known to mankind. But the old warrior merely stood there motionless and calm. Finally, the young warrior exhausted himself. Knowing he was defeated, he left feeling shamed.

Somewhat disappointed that he did not fight the insolent youth, the students gathered around the old master and questioned him, “How could you endure such an indignity? How did you drive him away?"

The old master smiled and replied, "If someone comes to give you a gift and you do not receive it, to whom does the gift belong?"

Moral of the Story ….

Friends, although patience has been used as part of exploiting others in every field, patience itself is a beautiful quality.  To be patient is to have trust in nature, trust in existence, trust in oneself.  Patience is a great alchemy and it has a tremendous potential to change suffering into blessing. Patience is a great instrument in one’s hands and one has to only understand that this instrument has to be used by oneself & not by others on you. 

There are people who keep thinking about everything with negative intentions and such people may become good critics, but will remain utter failures in their lives.

Friends, it is a change of perspective that brings patience in us. One should trust that, everything comes to us in its own time, when we are ripe and when we deserve it.

Have a Great Day Friends !