Thursday, February 25, 2010

The true value

A king once got separated from his kinsmen while chasing a deer. He wandered alone in the forest. As dusk fell, he knocked at the door of a tiny cottage in the jungle. It was opened by a poor woodcutter who gave the 'stranger' a warm welcome. He offered him his own bed to sleep along with some simple but tasty food.

In the morning, while taking leave of the wood cutter, the king disclosed his real identity and asked him, what he could give in return for his hospitality. The wood cutter being a simpleton asked, " Can you give me a place where I can cut trees and sell them?" The king took him far away to the edge of another jungle and said, "This is yours from today. Do what you like with it."

The wood cutter would cut trees and burn them to make coal, because they were too heavy for him to carry to the market place. Several months passed. The woodcutter was very happy. When the monsoon season started, there was heavy rainfall and the wood became wet. The ground was full of slush, so it was impossible to burn the wood to make coal. He had no choice but to carry the wet logs of wood to the market to sell it. When he showed the wood to the buyer, the buyer offered a sum that was a hundred times more than he was paying earlier.

The wood cutter was confused! Earlier he was supplying coal whereas now it was wood and that too, wet wood! Where was the catch? The buyer told him that the wood that he had brought was no ordinary wood, it was real Sandalwood! The wood cutter realized what a fool he had been. He had cut and burnt hundreds of Sandalwood trees to make coal, little realizing the value of this precious wood. Had he known, by now he could have been a very, very rich man.

We also need to understand the value of this precious human body awarded to us by the omnipotent. Without realizing its importance and proper utility we are burning it at both ends in the fire of our worldly desires. Most of our energies are burnt in doing futile things that eventually have neither value nor meaning. But, by the time we realize that we are wasting our lives, it is perhaps too late. The whole life burnt in hoarding wealth, making friends and getting material pleasures, brings us to a miserable state at the end of life. At that time when nobody cares.

The sooner we realize the better chance we shall have. Let's not waste our precious human birth like that foolish woodcutter. The one who attains a permanent place in spiritual world using this temporary and perishable body is really intelligent .

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Inheritance

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do something about Grandfather," said the son. "I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor". So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed their dinners together.

Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?" Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when you get old." The four year old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Keeping limits

There was once a man who was a champion wrestler. He had mastered 360 holds and tricks, and used a different one every day of the year. It so happened that he was fond of one of his students, and taught him all his tricks, except one. He kept on postponing the day when he would teach him the last trick.
The boy grew in strength and skill, and no one among his contemporaries was able to challenge him. One day, he boasted in front of the king: "My teacher is unchallenged only because he is older than me and because I respect him as my teacher. Otherwise my strength is not less than his and my skill is quite equal to his."
The King did not appreciate this boasting and ordered a match to take place. They cleared the broad wrestling ground and gathered ministers, courtiers and sportsmen to watch.
The boy charged out into the ring like a mad elephant. His master knew that his pupil was not stronger than him, so he used the 360th hold the he had never taught him. The boy did not know how to counter it. He was helpless. His master raised him with both hands above his head and smashed him to the ground. The crowd cheered wildly.
The King congratulated the champion and ordered a robe of honor to be given to him. He reproached the boy, saying: "You were ill-bred enough to dare to challenge your teacher and how you see how hollow your boast was!"
The boy answered: "O lord of the word! He did not overpower me with his strength but rather because of one trick which he never accepted to teach me. Today this one trick gave him the victory."
The King retorted: "It was just for such a day that he had kept his trick! Have you not heard what the wise say? "Never give a friend such power over you that if one day he tries to be your enemy, he can defeat you."
The teacher betrayed by his pupil said: "There is no such thing as loyalty in this world, or at least no one today knows the meaning of loyalty. Whoever learned a trick from me, finally tried to do me down."

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Freedom

An old man was on his death bed. His four sons who were very wealthy rushed to his side. Instead of attending to their dying father or thinking about how to work on the diminishing possibility of meeting each other after their father's death, they started discussing about how to transport the old man's body to the graveyard, once he was dead.

The youngest of the four suggested that the body of his father may be moved to the graveyard in an expensive caras his father always wanted to own one. Since he could not have one for himself during his lifetime, they could bring one for him at least to transport him to the graveyard when dead.

The second son claimed that the youngest son was still young and knew not how to deal with money. He said, the question is not about buying anexpensive carbut only about hiring one. It could better be a cheap truck! He pointed out that the dead father anyway would not be aware of whether he was moved in acar or a truck.

The third accused of the second son to be immature and said that since their father would not be aware of how he is transported when dead, pointed out how it would matter if he is moved in a municipal truck which carries dead bodies free of cost. You just have to put him out on the road and he would be given a free ride!

The father suddenly opened his eyes and asked the sons for his shoes. When the sons asked him why he needed his shoes when he was about to die any moment. The father replied, I am still breathing and can walk my way to the graveyard! He chided his sons for being spend thrifts and their irresponsibility in handling money!

Attachment in different forms is a chain that keeps freedom at bay.Freedom obviously does not go with fetters. It is an individual issue. Once when one stops dwelling in the past and future, desires are automatically curbed. This paves way for total freedom beyond all limitations.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

The way of living

The birthday of a gallant knight of Rome was being celebrated with great pomp and show. Different types of recipes were being prepared in the kitchen. Lots of friends and relatives had been invited. The atmosphere was full of happiness and zeal. Suddenly, a few soldiers of the king arrived with bare swords in their hands and said to the knight, "You will be hanged to death in the evening at 6:00 PM."

Immediately all the musicians stopped playing. The atmosphere became gloomy. The faces of all friends and dear ones became sad.

Seeing this change, the knight said:

"What is the matter? Why is everyone quiet? Let the music play and let us all dance. Fortunately, my death is happening on the same day as I was born. Till now only the dancers were performing, but now even I will dance. Till now only the singers were singing, but now even I'll sing. Where is the time left now to feel worried and to cry? There is not enough time. Smile and sing and dance. Who has seen the next minute... let us celebrate. I'll be hanged in the evening and not now so play the music and let the celebrations go on."

What could the poor musicians play? They had to obey the knight, therefore they started playing the instruments with sad mood. As soon as they started playing music, the knight started dancing merrily on the tune. The musicians were filled with enthusiasm seeing the knight dance so naturally. This scene made others worried. They lost the charm with which they had come for celebrations and their hearts were filled with tears.

Inspite of all this the knight kept dancing in happiness. The soldiers who had come with the message of death sentence were surprised at the knight's reaction to the news. It was strange that the knight was so merry even after hearing the news of his death... Bliss was getting reflected from each and every part of the knight's body! It appeared as if time for meeting a dear one and not death was approaching.

Those soldiers informed the king and said: "Out of enmity the message of death sentence was conveyed to the knight to make him frightened. That knight is overflowing with happiness instead of getting worried. He did not panic at all after hearing the news. Will you hang such a man to death? Oh king! Atleast go and see the man!"

Thereafter, the king himself went and was extremely surprised to see the knight dancing happily. He asked the knight:

Have you become mad?"

The knight: "Oh king! Why should I be mad? One day death had to come. These minutes are extremely valuable. The life which smiles even when death is knocking at the door is a true life.

"Those who have learnt to drink
the poison of sadness,
they have learnt the way of Living,
this is the truth."

The one who loves death experiences the real pleasure of life. The one who is not afraid of death is not afraid of any thing in this world."

The king felt ashamed and thought, "It is not right to be enemy with such a pious man." Therefore, the king asked for forgiveness from the knight.

Then the knight said:

"Oh king! What should I forgive you for? So many birthdays arrived and departed, but on this birthday you sent the special gift of life and death together. Oh king! my heartiest thanks to you."


"Those who walk to reach the goal,
they do not ever complain.
And those who complain,
they do not ever reach the goal"

Tuesday, February 2, 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 thin dime 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 so 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 Howard Kelly 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.

Many year's later that same 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 her 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 her 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.