A boy was having a conversation with a holy man one day and said, "I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like. "The holy man led the boy to two doors.
He opened one of the doors and the man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the boy's mouth water.
The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The boy shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The holy man said, "You have seen Hell."
They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the boy's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.
The boy said, "I don't understand." "It is simple" said the holy man, "it requires but one skill. You see, they have learned to feed each other. While the greedy think only of themselves."
Unknown author
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Honest
Once a general manager wanted to test his people who had come from all over India, about their values of life. He announced that in their seminar folder, there is PVC pouch and in it there is a seed. When they return, they must put it in a good soil in a pot and look after it very well. He would hold a competition in the next year’s seminar and that the best plants would be awarded suitably.
Everyone did what was told to him. A year passed quickly. And next year in a big hall, there were hundreds of pots and a great variety of plants-a great scene. Except one pot in which the soil was there and no plant! The owner was standing quietly and seemingly ashamed of himself!
The general manager called him on the stage. He asked him what happened and he told him the truth. He planted the seed which he was given – and did that was to be done- but nothing happened!
The general manager declared him the winner!
Everyone was shocked. It was announced, “Gentlemen! The seeds I gave you were boiled seeds. You planted them and nothing happened! You acted smartly and used some other seeds. This man was honest so that he didn't hesitate to proclaim what was really happened.
Everyone did what was told to him. A year passed quickly. And next year in a big hall, there were hundreds of pots and a great variety of plants-a great scene. Except one pot in which the soil was there and no plant! The owner was standing quietly and seemingly ashamed of himself!
The general manager called him on the stage. He asked him what happened and he told him the truth. He planted the seed which he was given – and did that was to be done- but nothing happened!
The general manager declared him the winner!
Everyone was shocked. It was announced, “Gentlemen! The seeds I gave you were boiled seeds. You planted them and nothing happened! You acted smartly and used some other seeds. This man was honest so that he didn't hesitate to proclaim what was really happened.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The power of Love
A mighty King was marching home after being victorious in a gruesome battle. He had captured the crown prince of the neighbouring kingdom and killed the King. The King was crossing through a jungle. He wanted to rest.
The army halted there for the evening. Nearby was a hermitage. The king decided to pay his respects to the sage there. He sent his Minister and some soldiers to seek an audience. They told the disciples there, "Maharaj wants to meet the sage." The disciples said, "Guruji has retired for the day, you can come tomorrow."
The next morning the King came to the hermitage dressed in his royal finery, accompanied by his ministers and attendants. The sage was sitting under a tree and scattering bajra seeds all around. Hundreds of birds of different kinds were eating and the sound of their twittering filled the air. The King walked up to the sage. The sage did not look up. The king said, "Pranam, Guruji!" No answer.
He spoke louder, "Pranam, Guruji!" Still, no answer.
"Guruji, I said Pranam!" he said in an angry voice.
The sage looked up and said, "Stop shouting, you are scaring the birds."
That made the king even more furious. "Do you know who I am?" he shouted. The sage said calmly, "Yes, I do. You are the one who kills for the love of power. You are the one who knows not that this power is temporary. One day another King shall kill you in the same way. The love of power shall bring about your downfall."
The king was beside himself with rage. He said, "Your impertinence is intolerable. I shall behead you just now!" He drew out his sword and raised it to strike the sage.
In an instant, hundreds of birds flew up and attacked the king. They poked their beaks into his face, his eyes and his arms and all over. The king moved his arms up and around to ward off the birds. But the birds wouldn't leave him. The sage said, "Leave him! Leave him! Come to me my dears!" All at once, the birds quietened down and sat meekly at the feet of the sage.
The sage said, "All I ever gave these birds is love. Oh King! Realize the power of love. The love of power has blinded you and brought you to the level of a killer. These birds would have killed you, but that's because they love me. I rule over them like a king too, but the only power I ever exercise over them is the power of love and it is greatest power on this Earth."
It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived
The army halted there for the evening. Nearby was a hermitage. The king decided to pay his respects to the sage there. He sent his Minister and some soldiers to seek an audience. They told the disciples there, "Maharaj wants to meet the sage." The disciples said, "Guruji has retired for the day, you can come tomorrow."
The next morning the King came to the hermitage dressed in his royal finery, accompanied by his ministers and attendants. The sage was sitting under a tree and scattering bajra seeds all around. Hundreds of birds of different kinds were eating and the sound of their twittering filled the air. The King walked up to the sage. The sage did not look up. The king said, "Pranam, Guruji!" No answer.
He spoke louder, "Pranam, Guruji!" Still, no answer.
"Guruji, I said Pranam!" he said in an angry voice.
The sage looked up and said, "Stop shouting, you are scaring the birds."
That made the king even more furious. "Do you know who I am?" he shouted. The sage said calmly, "Yes, I do. You are the one who kills for the love of power. You are the one who knows not that this power is temporary. One day another King shall kill you in the same way. The love of power shall bring about your downfall."
The king was beside himself with rage. He said, "Your impertinence is intolerable. I shall behead you just now!" He drew out his sword and raised it to strike the sage.
In an instant, hundreds of birds flew up and attacked the king. They poked their beaks into his face, his eyes and his arms and all over. The king moved his arms up and around to ward off the birds. But the birds wouldn't leave him. The sage said, "Leave him! Leave him! Come to me my dears!" All at once, the birds quietened down and sat meekly at the feet of the sage.
The sage said, "All I ever gave these birds is love. Oh King! Realize the power of love. The love of power has blinded you and brought you to the level of a killer. These birds would have killed you, but that's because they love me. I rule over them like a king too, but the only power I ever exercise over them is the power of love and it is greatest power on this Earth."
It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Feeding love
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.
Monday, March 1, 2010
How to criticise
A young couple moves into a new neighborhood. The next morning, while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hang the wash outside.
That laundry is not very clean, she said, she doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap.
Her husband looked on, but remained silent. Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.
About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband: "Look! She has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this."
The husband said: "I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows!"
And so it is with life: "What we see when watching others depends on the purity of the window through which we look. Before we give any criticism, it might be a good idea to check our state of mind and ask ourselves if we are ready to see the good rather than to be looking for something in the person we are about to judge. "
That laundry is not very clean, she said, she doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap.
Her husband looked on, but remained silent. Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.
About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband: "Look! She has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this."
The husband said: "I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows!"
And so it is with life: "What we see when watching others depends on the purity of the window through which we look. Before we give any criticism, it might be a good idea to check our state of mind and ask ourselves if we are ready to see the good rather than to be looking for something in the person we are about to judge. "
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 .
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.
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."
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.
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"
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.
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.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
What is freedom
Once there was a rebel sufi sage. He was known for his love for freedom. He used to go around the country singing songs of rebellion. So the Caliph arrested him and put him in the shackles, from his neck downward, but no one could prevent him from singing songs of freedom. After many days, the Caliph thought of meeting the sage in prison. So he visited him and asked whether he had any trouble.
The sage said, “What troubles? I am utterly happy as I am a royal guest, your guest; how can troubles even touch me? I used to live in a hut but now you have put me in a palace. Thank you!” The Caliph was amazed hearing such words. He said, “Are you joking?” The sage said, “I can say so as I have turned life itself into a joke.” The Caliph asked him a straight question, “Are the chains on your hands and feet heavy and painful?” The Sufi glanced at his chains and said, “These chains are far away from me; there is a greater distance between the chains and me. Don’t be under the illusion that you have imprisoned me, it is my body, which you have imprisoned, not my freedom. You cannot turn freedom into prison, because I know how to turn prison into freedom.”
The sage said, “What troubles? I am utterly happy as I am a royal guest, your guest; how can troubles even touch me? I used to live in a hut but now you have put me in a palace. Thank you!” The Caliph was amazed hearing such words. He said, “Are you joking?” The sage said, “I can say so as I have turned life itself into a joke.” The Caliph asked him a straight question, “Are the chains on your hands and feet heavy and painful?” The Sufi glanced at his chains and said, “These chains are far away from me; there is a greater distance between the chains and me. Don’t be under the illusion that you have imprisoned me, it is my body, which you have imprisoned, not my freedom. You cannot turn freedom into prison, because I know how to turn prison into freedom.”
What we should expect
There was a farmer who sold a pound of butter to the baker. One day the baker decided to weigh the butter to see if he was getting a pound and he found that he was not. This angered him and he took the farmer to court.
The judge asked the farmer if he was using any measure. The farmer replied, " ur Honor, I am poor. I don't have a proper measure, but I do have a scale."
The judge asked, "Then how do you weigh the butter?"
The farmer replied "Your Honor, long before the baker started buying butter from me, I have been buying a pound loaf of bread from him. Every day when the baker brings the bread, I put it on the scale and give him the same weight in butter. If anyone is to be blamed, it is the baker."
What is the moral of the story? We get back in life what we give to others.
Whenever you take an action, ask yourself this question - Am I giving fair value for the wages or money I hope to make ?
Honesty and dishonesty become a habit. Some people practice dishonesty and can lie with a straight face. Others lie so much that they don't even know what the truth is anymore. But who are they deceiving ? Themselves - more than anyone else.
The judge asked the farmer if he was using any measure. The farmer replied, " ur Honor, I am poor. I don't have a proper measure, but I do have a scale."
The judge asked, "Then how do you weigh the butter?"
The farmer replied "Your Honor, long before the baker started buying butter from me, I have been buying a pound loaf of bread from him. Every day when the baker brings the bread, I put it on the scale and give him the same weight in butter. If anyone is to be blamed, it is the baker."
What is the moral of the story? We get back in life what we give to others.
Whenever you take an action, ask yourself this question - Am I giving fair value for the wages or money I hope to make ?
Honesty and dishonesty become a habit. Some people practice dishonesty and can lie with a straight face. Others lie so much that they don't even know what the truth is anymore. But who are they deceiving ? Themselves - more than anyone else.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Unconditional love
A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco.
"Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, but I've a favor to ask. I have a friend I'd like to bring home with me."
"Sure," they replied, "we'd love to meet him."
"There's something you should know the son continued, "he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mind and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us."
"I'm sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live."
"No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us."
"Son," said the father, "you don't know what you're asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can't let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He'll find a way to live on his own."
At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn't know, their son had only one arm and one leg.
The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don't like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren't as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are. Thankfully, there's someone who won't treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are.
"Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, but I've a favor to ask. I have a friend I'd like to bring home with me."
"Sure," they replied, "we'd love to meet him."
"There's something you should know the son continued, "he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mind and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us."
"I'm sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live."
"No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us."
"Son," said the father, "you don't know what you're asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can't let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He'll find a way to live on his own."
At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn't know, their son had only one arm and one leg.
The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don't like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren't as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are. Thankfully, there's someone who won't treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Sharpening skills - Key to success
Once upon a time a very strong woodcutter asked for a job with a timber merchant, and he got it. His salary was really good and so were the working conditions. For that reason, the woodcutter was determined to do his best.
His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he was supposed to fell the trees. The first day, the woodcutter brought down 15 trees.
" Congratulations," the boss said. " Carry on with your work!"
Highly motivated by the words of his boss, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but he only could bring 10 trees down. The third day he tried even harder, but he was only able to bring down 7 trees.
Day after day he was bringing lesser number of trees down.
" I must be losing my strength", the woodcutter thought. He went to the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on.
" When was the last time you sharpened your axe?" the boss asked.
" Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy trying to cut trees..."
That's right. Most of us NEVER update our skills. We think that whatever we have learned is very much enough. But good is not good when better is expected. Sharpening our skills from time to time is the key to succes
His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he was supposed to fell the trees. The first day, the woodcutter brought down 15 trees.
" Congratulations," the boss said. " Carry on with your work!"
Highly motivated by the words of his boss, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but he only could bring 10 trees down. The third day he tried even harder, but he was only able to bring down 7 trees.
Day after day he was bringing lesser number of trees down.
" I must be losing my strength", the woodcutter thought. He went to the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on.
" When was the last time you sharpened your axe?" the boss asked.
" Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy trying to cut trees..."
That's right. Most of us NEVER update our skills. We think that whatever we have learned is very much enough. But good is not good when better is expected. Sharpening our skills from time to time is the key to succes
Whom to blame
Boy was born to a couple after eleven years of marriage. They were a Loving couple and the boy was the gem of their eyes. When the boy was Around two years old, one morning the husband saw a medicine bottle Open. He was late for office so he asked his wife to cap the bottle and keep It in the cupboard. His wife, preoccupied in the kitchen totally forgot The matter.
The boy saw the bottle and playfully went to the bottle fascinated by Its colour and drank it all. It happened to be a poisonous medicine Meant for adults in small dosages. When the child collapsed the mother Hurried him to the hospital, where he died. The mother was stunned. She Was terrified how to face her husband.
When the distraught father came to the hospital and saw the dead child , He looked at his wife and uttered just five words.
QUESTIONS:
1. What were the five words?
2. What is the implication of this story?
ANSWER :
The husband just said "I am with you Darling"
The husband's totally unexpected reaction is a proactive Behaviour.
The Child is dead. He can never be brought back to life.
There is no point In finding fault with the mother. Besides, if only he had taken time to Keep the bottle away, this would not have happened.
No one is to be blamed. She had also lost her only child. What she Needed at that moment was consolation and sympathy from the husband. That is what he gave her.
If everyone can look at life with this kind of perspective, there would Be much fewer problems in the world. "A journey of a thousand miles Begins with a single step." Take off all your envies, jealousies, Unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears. And you will find things are Actually not as difficult as you think.
MORAL OF THE STORY :Sometimes we spend time in asking who is responsible or whom to blame, Whether in a relationship, in a job or with the people we know. By this Way we miss out some warmth in human relationship.
The boy saw the bottle and playfully went to the bottle fascinated by Its colour and drank it all. It happened to be a poisonous medicine Meant for adults in small dosages. When the child collapsed the mother Hurried him to the hospital, where he died. The mother was stunned. She Was terrified how to face her husband.
When the distraught father came to the hospital and saw the dead child , He looked at his wife and uttered just five words.
QUESTIONS:
1. What were the five words?
2. What is the implication of this story?
ANSWER :
The husband just said "I am with you Darling"
The husband's totally unexpected reaction is a proactive Behaviour.
The Child is dead. He can never be brought back to life.
There is no point In finding fault with the mother. Besides, if only he had taken time to Keep the bottle away, this would not have happened.
No one is to be blamed. She had also lost her only child. What she Needed at that moment was consolation and sympathy from the husband. That is what he gave her.
If everyone can look at life with this kind of perspective, there would Be much fewer problems in the world. "A journey of a thousand miles Begins with a single step." Take off all your envies, jealousies, Unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears. And you will find things are Actually not as difficult as you think.
MORAL OF THE STORY :Sometimes we spend time in asking who is responsible or whom to blame, Whether in a relationship, in a job or with the people we know. By this Way we miss out some warmth in human relationship.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
How greedy a man!
Long ago there lived in Northern India a merchant whose wife had died and who went daily from his lonely house in the foothills to the town below, for buying and selling. "I must have a holiday," he said to himself one day, and he began to climb up into the hills to enjoy the view and the sounds of the forest. In the hot afternoon, feeling sleepy he looked for a quiet place for a nap. Soon he discovered a kind of hole in a cliff, actually a cave; so he lay down in the dark interior and slept. Waking up, he felt there was something with him, in the cave.
Crawling back inside he found a large earthen jar. Then another, and another and another -- there were seven jars there, altogether! Now the merchant wondered if he dared to open them. There was no sound of anyone about, still it seemed a bit risky. But curiosity, as you know, is powerful indeed. He found he could lift the lid of the first jar. What do you know! It seemed to be full of gold coins. So were the second, third, fourth and fifth. Under the lid of the sixth jar he found an aged piece of paper.
On it was written, "Finder, beware!! The seven jars of gold are yours, but there is a curse. No one who takes them with him can leave the curse behind." Now, next to curiosity, greed is the most powerful urge. Our merchant overjoyed with his luck, wasted no time in borrowing a two-wheeled cart to carry the jars of gold to his house. It was exhausting and next to impossible. Bulky and hard to lift, they had to be taken two by two; in the dark of night he lugged them to his house. On the last trip, with the seventh jar alone thankfully the load was lighter, and he noticed nothing.
"Let me count the coins," he thought, "and see how great my fortune is."
But when that seventh jar was opened he found it was only half-full. "What!" he cried, "I was promised seven jars!" He had thrown the note away and forgotten about the curse. The merchant was overcome and obsessed by a spirit of grasping and greed. Now, in the town, he went at his money-making hand and fist; it was all he lived for. "I must fill the seventh jar with gold,": this was his constant thought. Yet the more he put into the jar, strangely the more it remained half-full. He lived some years more, but never did he enjoy spending the gold he had found, because it was never enough.
Crawling back inside he found a large earthen jar. Then another, and another and another -- there were seven jars there, altogether! Now the merchant wondered if he dared to open them. There was no sound of anyone about, still it seemed a bit risky. But curiosity, as you know, is powerful indeed. He found he could lift the lid of the first jar. What do you know! It seemed to be full of gold coins. So were the second, third, fourth and fifth. Under the lid of the sixth jar he found an aged piece of paper.
On it was written, "Finder, beware!! The seven jars of gold are yours, but there is a curse. No one who takes them with him can leave the curse behind." Now, next to curiosity, greed is the most powerful urge. Our merchant overjoyed with his luck, wasted no time in borrowing a two-wheeled cart to carry the jars of gold to his house. It was exhausting and next to impossible. Bulky and hard to lift, they had to be taken two by two; in the dark of night he lugged them to his house. On the last trip, with the seventh jar alone thankfully the load was lighter, and he noticed nothing.
"Let me count the coins," he thought, "and see how great my fortune is."
But when that seventh jar was opened he found it was only half-full. "What!" he cried, "I was promised seven jars!" He had thrown the note away and forgotten about the curse. The merchant was overcome and obsessed by a spirit of grasping and greed. Now, in the town, he went at his money-making hand and fist; it was all he lived for. "I must fill the seventh jar with gold,": this was his constant thought. Yet the more he put into the jar, strangely the more it remained half-full. He lived some years more, but never did he enjoy spending the gold he had found, because it was never enough.
This is good
An African king had a friend who had the habit of uttering "This is Good" about anything and everything that occurred. One day the two friends went out for hunting where the friend loaded the gun for the king to shoot. But since he had loaded it wrong, the king's finger was blown off when the gun was fired. He immediately remarked as he normally did, "this is good" The king got furious as he writhed in pain. Consequently the friend was jailed.
A year later the king went on hunting all by himself unescorted. To his horror he was captured by some cannibals and was tied up to a tree. The king watched in dismay as the cannibals stacked some wood to set up a stake and tied him to it. Just as they were about to set fire, they noticed the missing thumb of the king in one hand. With superstition overriding them, as they would not feed on a man who is disabled, they set him free.
When the king reached the palace, he wasted no time to release his friend. He apologized whole heartedly for the wrong that he had committed against him. The friend as customary of himself remarked, "this is good!" When the stupified king asked why he said so, the friend replied that had he not been imprisoned he would have been killed by the cannibals as he would have escorted the king!
A year later the king went on hunting all by himself unescorted. To his horror he was captured by some cannibals and was tied up to a tree. The king watched in dismay as the cannibals stacked some wood to set up a stake and tied him to it. Just as they were about to set fire, they noticed the missing thumb of the king in one hand. With superstition overriding them, as they would not feed on a man who is disabled, they set him free.
When the king reached the palace, he wasted no time to release his friend. He apologized whole heartedly for the wrong that he had committed against him. The friend as customary of himself remarked, "this is good!" When the stupified king asked why he said so, the friend replied that had he not been imprisoned he would have been killed by the cannibals as he would have escorted the king!
Friday, January 22, 2010
Who is Liar
There once was a man with a water pump. To a friend he said, "This water pump will provide you with all the water you need. Here, it is yours." The friend was delighted to receive it, since he was thirsty as well as needing water for his dying garden.
The next day the man came by again. His friend accused him, "This pump does not supply any water. You lied to me."
The man asked, "Did you plug the pump into power?"
"No."
"Plug it into power and you shall have all the water you need."
The next day the man came by again to see how his friend was doing. "You lied," his friend said. "I plugged it into power and it gave no water."
"Did you let a pipe into the well so that the pump could draw water?"
"No."
"Let a pipe down into the well and it will give you all the water you need."
The next day the man visited once more and again his friend said, "You lied; I still have no water."
"Did you prime the pump with water?"
"No!"
"Prime the pump with water and you shall drink indeed."
The following day the man visited his friend and the friend rejoiced for all his water. The friend said, "Did I not tell you the truth?"
"Yes," said the man.
"Why then did you call me a liar?"
"That's how it seemed; I did not realize it was my own ignorance that made your word a lie to me."
The next day the man came by again. His friend accused him, "This pump does not supply any water. You lied to me."
The man asked, "Did you plug the pump into power?"
"No."
"Plug it into power and you shall have all the water you need."
The next day the man came by again to see how his friend was doing. "You lied," his friend said. "I plugged it into power and it gave no water."
"Did you let a pipe into the well so that the pump could draw water?"
"No."
"Let a pipe down into the well and it will give you all the water you need."
The next day the man visited once more and again his friend said, "You lied; I still have no water."
"Did you prime the pump with water?"
"No!"
"Prime the pump with water and you shall drink indeed."
The following day the man visited his friend and the friend rejoiced for all his water. The friend said, "Did I not tell you the truth?"
"Yes," said the man.
"Why then did you call me a liar?"
"That's how it seemed; I did not realize it was my own ignorance that made your word a lie to me."
We are judged by the company we keep
Once a farmer kept a trap for the birds who was eating his newly planted corns. When he came and looked he saw many cranes in it and one stork. When the stork saw the farmer the stork started begging to the farmer “ I am not like these greedy cranes I am a poor stork taking care of my aged parents. So please-". The farmer cut him short. "You must be saying the truth but you are captured with the same group that was destroying my crop. So you will have to suffer the same fate as those in whose company you were captured".
MORAL: We are judged by the company we keep.
MORAL: We are judged by the company we keep.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Pointing fingures
A man asked his father-in-law, "Many people praised you for a successful marriage. Could you please share with me your secret?
The Father-in-law answered in a smile, Never criticise your wife for her shortcomings or when she does something wrong. Always bear in mind that because of her shortcomings and weaknesses, she could not find a better husband than you.
We all look forward to being loved and respected, many people are afraid of losing face. Generally, when a person makes a mistake, he would look around to find a scapegoat to point the finger at. This is the start of a war. We should always remember that when we point one finger at a person, the other four fingers are poitnting at ourselves.
If we forgive the others, others will ignore our mistake too.
The Father-in-law answered in a smile, Never criticise your wife for her shortcomings or when she does something wrong. Always bear in mind that because of her shortcomings and weaknesses, she could not find a better husband than you.
We all look forward to being loved and respected, many people are afraid of losing face. Generally, when a person makes a mistake, he would look around to find a scapegoat to point the finger at. This is the start of a war. We should always remember that when we point one finger at a person, the other four fingers are poitnting at ourselves.
If we forgive the others, others will ignore our mistake too.
The Sun and Wind
Once upon a time, the Sun and the Wind got into an argument about who was the greater force of nature. The Wind was very proud of his unstoppable strength, so he challenged the Sun to a test.
Looking down at the world, they saw an old man walking down a village road wearing a coat. So, they decided that whoever can get the coat off the man would win, and be declared the strongest.
The wind tried first. He became a great storm, howling and pushing the man around. The sound was deafening, and the wind was freezing cold. But the old man had survived many storms in his years, so he just wrapped his coat around himself even tighter and continued walking against the force of the wind. Eventually, tired from all that effort, the wind gave up. He told the Sun it was impossible, for that man was surely a powerful wizard for having stood against his great powers.
The Sun listened patiently. It was now his turn to try, so he smiled his warm smile down on the old man. Feeling warm in the sunlight, the man took off his coat himself, without a struggle.
It’s usually easier to get someone to do somthing with kindness and warm smile than it is by force and shouting. And so the wind learnt his lesson.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Everyone has problems
A mother who had lost her only son went to the man of religion in her village and said: "Is there anything you can give me to reduce the pain that I feel?" "Yes," he said. "There is a wonderful thing you can do. I want you to go and get me a mustard seed from a home that has no problems. Such a mustard seed can ward off all problems. When you find it, bring it to me and I will use it to relieve your pain." So the mother started out and came to a big mansion. Nothing could possibly be wrong here! She knocked on the door, told what she was looking for, and they answered, "You've come to the wrong house." And then they told her all their problems. As she was listening to their problems, she thought, "I know something about problems... Maybe I can help these people with theirs." So she listened to them; and this helped people. She kept on searching for her magic mustard seed. But no matter where she went, she could not find that seed. Everyone everywhere had some kind of troubles.
But she really did find the magic mustard seed, because in trying to help others solve their problems, she forgot all about her own.
But she really did find the magic mustard seed, because in trying to help others solve their problems, she forgot all about her own.
Ant story
One morning I wasted nearly an hour watching a tiny ant carry a huge feather cross my back terrace. Several times it was confronted by obstacles in its path and after a momentary pause it would make the necessary detour.
At one point the ant had to negotiate a crack in the concrete about 10mm wide. After brief contemplation the ant laid the feather over the crack, walked across it and picked up the feather on the other side then continued on its way.
I was fascinated by the ingenuity of this ant, one of Allah's smallest creatures. It served to reinforce the miracle of creation. Here was a minute insect, lacking in size yet equipped with a brain to reason, explore, discover and overcome. But this ant, like the two-legged co-residents of this planet, also shares human failings.
After some time the ant finally reached its destination - a flower bed at the end of the terrace and a small hole that was the entrance to its underground home. And it was here that the ant finally met its match. How could that large feather possibly fit down small hole?
Of course it couldn't. So the ant, after all this trouble and exercising great ingenuity, overcoming problems all along the way, just abandoned the feather and went home.
The ant had not thought the problem through before it began its epic journey and in the end the feather was nothing more than a burden.
Isn't our life like that?
We worry about our family; we worry about money or the lack of it, we worry about work, about where we live, about all sorts of things. These are all burdens - the things we pick up along life's path and lug them around the obstacles and over the crevasses that life will bring, only to find that at the destination they are useless and we can't take them with US......
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At one point the ant had to negotiate a crack in the concrete about 10mm wide. After brief contemplation the ant laid the feather over the crack, walked across it and picked up the feather on the other side then continued on its way.
I was fascinated by the ingenuity of this ant, one of Allah's smallest creatures. It served to reinforce the miracle of creation. Here was a minute insect, lacking in size yet equipped with a brain to reason, explore, discover and overcome. But this ant, like the two-legged co-residents of this planet, also shares human failings.
After some time the ant finally reached its destination - a flower bed at the end of the terrace and a small hole that was the entrance to its underground home. And it was here that the ant finally met its match. How could that large feather possibly fit down small hole?
Of course it couldn't. So the ant, after all this trouble and exercising great ingenuity, overcoming problems all along the way, just abandoned the feather and went home.
The ant had not thought the problem through before it began its epic journey and in the end the feather was nothing more than a burden.
Isn't our life like that?
We worry about our family; we worry about money or the lack of it, we worry about work, about where we live, about all sorts of things. These are all burdens - the things we pick up along life's path and lug them around the obstacles and over the crevasses that life will bring, only to find that at the destination they are useless and we can't take them with US......
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Monday, January 18, 2010
Control on bad habbit
A wealthy man requested an old scholar to wean his son away from his bad habits. The scholar took the youth for a stroll through a garden. Stopping suddenly he asked the boy to pull out a tiny plant growing there.
The youth held the plant between his thumb and forefinger and pulled it out. The old man then asked him to pull out a slightly bigger plant. The youth pulled hard and the plant came out, roots and all. “Now pull out that one,” said the old man pointing to a bush. The boy had to use all his strength to pull it out.
“Now take this one out,” said the old man, indicating a guava tree. The youth grasped the trunk and tried to pull it out. But it would not budge. “It’s impossible,” said the boy, panting with the effort.
“So it is with bad habits,” said the sage. “When they are young it is easy to pull them out but when they take hold they cannot be uprooted.”
The session with the old man changed the boy’s life.
Moral: Don’t wait for Bad Habits to grow in us, drop them while we have control over it else they will get control us.
The youth held the plant between his thumb and forefinger and pulled it out. The old man then asked him to pull out a slightly bigger plant. The youth pulled hard and the plant came out, roots and all. “Now pull out that one,” said the old man pointing to a bush. The boy had to use all his strength to pull it out.
“Now take this one out,” said the old man, indicating a guava tree. The youth grasped the trunk and tried to pull it out. But it would not budge. “It’s impossible,” said the boy, panting with the effort.
“So it is with bad habits,” said the sage. “When they are young it is easy to pull them out but when they take hold they cannot be uprooted.”
The session with the old man changed the boy’s life.
Moral: Don’t wait for Bad Habits to grow in us, drop them while we have control over it else they will get control us.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
The great advice
A wise and saintly rich man, sensing his approaching death, called his son to his side and gave him these instructions:
'My son, I shall be leaving you very shortly. On the day when I die, and they have washed my body and come to wrap it in the shroud, I want you to put one of my socks on my foot.. This is my final request of you.'
Soon after this, the old man did indeed die, leaving behind his goods and property, his children and his dependents. Family, friends, acquaintances and neighbours attended his funeral. The body had been washed and was almost completely wrapped in the shroud, when the son remembered his father's wish. Finding one of his old socks, he handed it to the washer of the dead, saying, ''In accordance with my father's last request, please put this sock on his foot.''
' That is quite impossible:' Said the man. 'Such a thing is utterly impermissible in our religion. I cannot act against the Sacred Law..'
Despite this valid objection, the son insisted, 'That was my father's final request; it must certainly be carried out.'
The washer of the dead was unmoved. 'If you won't take my word for it,' he said, 'go and ask the Elderman.. He will confirm what I tell you, that it is not permissible. '
Holding up the funeral, they consulted the elderman, religeous head and scholars, all of whom declared that this was not permissible in our religion.
Just then, an aged friend of the deceased interrupted the debate with these words to the son: 'My boy, your late father entrusted me with a letter which I was to hand over to you after his departure. Here, this letter belongs to you.' So saying, he gave him an envelope.
Taken by surprise, the boy opened the envelope and read out the contents of his father's letter. 'My son, all this wealth and property I have left to you. Now you see: at the last moment, they won't even let you give me an old sock to wear. When you yourself come one day to be in my condition they will also refuse to let you keep anything . Naked body that all you will be able to carry over from this fleeting world into the Hereafter. So pull yourself together and be prepared. Spend the fortune I have left you, not for the satisfaction of vain desires, but in ways pleasing to Almighty, that you may achieve honor in both worlds.'
'My son, I shall be leaving you very shortly. On the day when I die, and they have washed my body and come to wrap it in the shroud, I want you to put one of my socks on my foot.. This is my final request of you.'
Soon after this, the old man did indeed die, leaving behind his goods and property, his children and his dependents. Family, friends, acquaintances and neighbours attended his funeral. The body had been washed and was almost completely wrapped in the shroud, when the son remembered his father's wish. Finding one of his old socks, he handed it to the washer of the dead, saying, ''In accordance with my father's last request, please put this sock on his foot.''
' That is quite impossible:' Said the man. 'Such a thing is utterly impermissible in our religion. I cannot act against the Sacred Law..'
Despite this valid objection, the son insisted, 'That was my father's final request; it must certainly be carried out.'
The washer of the dead was unmoved. 'If you won't take my word for it,' he said, 'go and ask the Elderman.. He will confirm what I tell you, that it is not permissible. '
Holding up the funeral, they consulted the elderman, religeous head and scholars, all of whom declared that this was not permissible in our religion.
Just then, an aged friend of the deceased interrupted the debate with these words to the son: 'My boy, your late father entrusted me with a letter which I was to hand over to you after his departure. Here, this letter belongs to you.' So saying, he gave him an envelope.
Taken by surprise, the boy opened the envelope and read out the contents of his father's letter. 'My son, all this wealth and property I have left to you. Now you see: at the last moment, they won't even let you give me an old sock to wear. When you yourself come one day to be in my condition they will also refuse to let you keep anything . Naked body that all you will be able to carry over from this fleeting world into the Hereafter. So pull yourself together and be prepared. Spend the fortune I have left you, not for the satisfaction of vain desires, but in ways pleasing to Almighty, that you may achieve honor in both worlds.'
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Self confidence
A businessman was deep in debt and could see no way out. Creditors were closing in on him. Suppliers were demanding payment. He sat on the park bench, head in hands, wondering if anything could save his company from bankruptcy.
Suddenly an old man appeared before him.
"I can see that something is troubling you," he said.
After listening to the executive's woes, the old man said, "I believe I can help you."
He asked the man his name, wrote out a cheque, and pushed it into his hand saying, "Take this money.
Meet me here exactly one year from today, and you can pay me back at that time."
Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he had come.
The business executive saw in his hand a cheque for $500,000 signed by John D. Rockefeller, then one of the richest men in the world!
"I can erase my money worries in an instant!" he realized. But instead, the executive decided to put the uncashed cheque in his safe.
Just knowing it was there might give him the strength to work out a way to save his business, he thought.
With renewed optimism, he negotiated better deals and extended terms of payment.
He closed several big sales. Within a few months, he was out of debt and making money once again.
Exactly one year later, he returned to the park with the uncashed cheque. At the agreed-upon time, the old man appeared. But just as the executive was about to hand back the cheque and share his success story, a nurse came running up and grabbed the old man.
"I'm so glad I caught him!" she cried. "I hope he hasn't been bothering you.
He's always escaping from the rest home and telling people he's John D. Rockefeller. "
And she led the old man away by the arm.
The astonished executive just stood there, stunned. All year long he'd been wheeling and dealing, buying and selling, convinced he had half a million dollars behind him.
Suddenly, he realized that it wasn't the money, real or imagined, that had turned his life around.
It was his newfound self-confidence that gave him the power to achieve anything he went after.
Suddenly an old man appeared before him.
"I can see that something is troubling you," he said.
After listening to the executive's woes, the old man said, "I believe I can help you."
He asked the man his name, wrote out a cheque, and pushed it into his hand saying, "Take this money.
Meet me here exactly one year from today, and you can pay me back at that time."
Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he had come.
The business executive saw in his hand a cheque for $500,000 signed by John D. Rockefeller, then one of the richest men in the world!
"I can erase my money worries in an instant!" he realized. But instead, the executive decided to put the uncashed cheque in his safe.
Just knowing it was there might give him the strength to work out a way to save his business, he thought.
With renewed optimism, he negotiated better deals and extended terms of payment.
He closed several big sales. Within a few months, he was out of debt and making money once again.
Exactly one year later, he returned to the park with the uncashed cheque. At the agreed-upon time, the old man appeared. But just as the executive was about to hand back the cheque and share his success story, a nurse came running up and grabbed the old man.
"I'm so glad I caught him!" she cried. "I hope he hasn't been bothering you.
He's always escaping from the rest home and telling people he's John D. Rockefeller. "
And she led the old man away by the arm.
The astonished executive just stood there, stunned. All year long he'd been wheeling and dealing, buying and selling, convinced he had half a million dollars behind him.
Suddenly, he realized that it wasn't the money, real or imagined, that had turned his life around.
It was his newfound self-confidence that gave him the power to achieve anything he went after.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Be satisfied what we have
A saint was praying silently. A wealthy merchant, observing the saint's devotion and sincerity, was deeply touched by him. The merchant offered the saint a bag of gold. "I know that you will use the money for Allah's sake. Please take it."
"Just a moment." The saint replied. "I'm not sure if it is lawful for me to take your money. Are you a wealthy man? Do you have more money at home?
"Oh yes. I have at least one thousand gold pieces at home," claimed the merchant proudly.
"Do you want a thousand gold pieces more? Asked the saint.
"Why not, of course yes. Every day I work hard to earn more money."
"And do you wish for yet a thousand gold pieces more beyond that?"
"Certainly. Every day I pray that I may earn more and more money."
The saint pushed the bag of gold back to the merchant. "I am sorry, but I cannot take your gold," he said. "A wealthy man cannot take money from a beggar."
"How can you call yourself a wealthy man and me a beggar?" the merchant spluttered.
The saint replied, "I am a wealthy man because I am content with what ever god sends me.You are a beggar, because no matter how much you possess, you are always dissatisfied, and always begging GOD for more."
"Just a moment." The saint replied. "I'm not sure if it is lawful for me to take your money. Are you a wealthy man? Do you have more money at home?
"Oh yes. I have at least one thousand gold pieces at home," claimed the merchant proudly.
"Do you want a thousand gold pieces more? Asked the saint.
"Why not, of course yes. Every day I work hard to earn more money."
"And do you wish for yet a thousand gold pieces more beyond that?"
"Certainly. Every day I pray that I may earn more and more money."
The saint pushed the bag of gold back to the merchant. "I am sorry, but I cannot take your gold," he said. "A wealthy man cannot take money from a beggar."
"How can you call yourself a wealthy man and me a beggar?" the merchant spluttered.
The saint replied, "I am a wealthy man because I am content with what ever god sends me.You are a beggar, because no matter how much you possess, you are always dissatisfied, and always begging GOD for more."
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
How parents to be treated
A farmer got so old that he couldn't work the fields anymore. So he would spend the day just sitting on the porch. His son, still working 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."
Interview with god
I dreamed I had an interview with God.
"Come in," God said. "So, you would like to interview Me?" "If you have the time," I said. God smiled and said: "My time is eternity. It is enough to do everything.
What questions do you have in mind to ask me?"
I asked, "What surprises you most about mankind?"
God thought for a few moments and then answered: "That they get bored of being children, are in a rush to grow up, and then long to be children again. That they lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore their health.
That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live neither for the present nor the future.
That they live as if they will never die, and they die as if they had never lived"
God placed my hands in His and we were silent for while. Then I asked, "As a parent, what are some of life's lessons you want your children to learn?"
God replied with a smile:
"To learn that they cannot make anyone love them. What they can do is to let themselves be loved.
To learn that what is most valuable is not what they have in their lives, but who they have in their lives.
To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others. All will be judged individually on their own merits, not as a group on a comparison basis.
To learn that a rich person is not the one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.
To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in persons we love, and that it takes many years to heal them.
To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness. To learn that there are persons that love them dearly, but simply do not know how to express or show their feelings.
To learn that money can buy everything but happiness.
To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see it totally different.
To learn that a true friend is someone who knows everything about them...and likes them anyway.
To learn that it is not always enough that they be forgiven by others, but that they have to forgive themselves."
I sat there for awhile enjoying my visit with God. I thanked Him for His time and for all that He has done for me and my family.
He replied, "Anytime. I'm here 24 hours a day. All you have to do is ask for me, and I'll answer"
People will forget what you said.
People will forget what you did...but people will never forget how they felt when they were with you.
"Come in," God said. "So, you would like to interview Me?" "If you have the time," I said. God smiled and said: "My time is eternity. It is enough to do everything.
What questions do you have in mind to ask me?"
I asked, "What surprises you most about mankind?"
God thought for a few moments and then answered: "That they get bored of being children, are in a rush to grow up, and then long to be children again. That they lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore their health.
That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live neither for the present nor the future.
That they live as if they will never die, and they die as if they had never lived"
God placed my hands in His and we were silent for while. Then I asked, "As a parent, what are some of life's lessons you want your children to learn?"
God replied with a smile:
"To learn that they cannot make anyone love them. What they can do is to let themselves be loved.
To learn that what is most valuable is not what they have in their lives, but who they have in their lives.
To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others. All will be judged individually on their own merits, not as a group on a comparison basis.
To learn that a rich person is not the one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.
To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in persons we love, and that it takes many years to heal them.
To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness. To learn that there are persons that love them dearly, but simply do not know how to express or show their feelings.
To learn that money can buy everything but happiness.
To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see it totally different.
To learn that a true friend is someone who knows everything about them...and likes them anyway.
To learn that it is not always enough that they be forgiven by others, but that they have to forgive themselves."
I sat there for awhile enjoying my visit with God. I thanked Him for His time and for all that He has done for me and my family.
He replied, "Anytime. I'm here 24 hours a day. All you have to do is ask for me, and I'll answer"
People will forget what you said.
People will forget what you did...but people will never forget how they felt when they were with you.
The secret of Life
One day, God and a sage are walking across a vast desert. The Sage turns to God and asks, "O Greatest Lord, what is the secret of this life and the appearances of this world?" God smiles and makes no reply. They continue on.
"Child," God finally says. "The sun is hot today, and I am thirsty. Ahead you will find a village. Go there and fetch me a cup of water."
Sage sets off. Arriving at the village, he approaches the first house he sees and knocks at the door. A beautiful young woman answers. The moment Sage looks into her eyes he forgets God's command, and the reason for his mission.
The woman ushers Sage into the house, where he is warmly welcomed by her family. It is as if everyone in this gentle household has been expecting him. Sage is asked to eat with the family, and then to stay the night. He gladly accepts, enjoying the family's warm hospitality, and secretly marveling at the young woman's loveliness.
A week goes by, then two. Sage decides to stay on, and he soon begins to share in the household chores. After the appropriate amount of time passes he asks for the woman's hand in marriage. The family has been expecting nothing less, it turns out. Everyone is overjoyed.
Sage and his young wife settle down in her family's house, where she soon bears him three children, two sons and a daughter.
Years pass. When his wife's mother and father pass away, Sage takes over as head of the household. He opens a small shop in the village and it prospers. Before long he is an honoured citizen of the community and a prominent member of the town council. Giving himself up to the age-old joys and sorrows of village life, Sage lives contentedly for many years.
Then one evening during the monsoon season a violent storm breaks over head, and the river rises so high from the sudden rains that the village begins to flood. Sage gathers his family and leads them through the dark night toward higher ground. But the winds blow so violently and the rain pelts down with such force that one of Sage's sons is washed away.
Sage reaches for the boy, and in so doing lets go of his second son. A moment later a gales wind tears his daughter from his arms. Then his beloved wife is washed away into the roaring darkness.
Sage wails helplessly and claws at the sky. But his cries are drowned by a towering wave that rises from the depths of the terrible night and washes him headlong into the river.
All goes black. Many hours pass; perhaps days. Slowly, painfully, Sage comes to his senses, only to discover that he has been washed onto a sandbank far down the river. It is daytime now, and the storm has passed. But there is no sign of his family anywhere, nor, for that matter, of any living creature.
For a long time Sage remains lying on the sand Almost mad with sorrow and abandonment. Bits of wreckage float past him in the river. The smell of death is on the wind. Everything has been taken from him now; All things life-giving and precious have disappeared into the swirling waters. There is little to do, it seems, but weep.
Then, suddenly, Sage hears a voice behind him that makes the blood stop in his veins. "Child," the voice asks, "where is my cup of water?" Sage turns and sees God standing at his side. The river vanishes, and once again he and God are alone in the empty desert. "Where is my water?" God asks again. "I have been waiting for you to bring it now for several minutes."
Sage throws himself at his Lord's feet and begs for forgiveness. "I forgot!" Sage cries again and again. "I forgot what you asked of me, Great Lord! Forgive me!"
God smiles and says, "Now do you understand the secret behind your life, and the appearances of this world?"
"Child," God finally says. "The sun is hot today, and I am thirsty. Ahead you will find a village. Go there and fetch me a cup of water."
Sage sets off. Arriving at the village, he approaches the first house he sees and knocks at the door. A beautiful young woman answers. The moment Sage looks into her eyes he forgets God's command, and the reason for his mission.
The woman ushers Sage into the house, where he is warmly welcomed by her family. It is as if everyone in this gentle household has been expecting him. Sage is asked to eat with the family, and then to stay the night. He gladly accepts, enjoying the family's warm hospitality, and secretly marveling at the young woman's loveliness.
A week goes by, then two. Sage decides to stay on, and he soon begins to share in the household chores. After the appropriate amount of time passes he asks for the woman's hand in marriage. The family has been expecting nothing less, it turns out. Everyone is overjoyed.
Sage and his young wife settle down in her family's house, where she soon bears him three children, two sons and a daughter.
Years pass. When his wife's mother and father pass away, Sage takes over as head of the household. He opens a small shop in the village and it prospers. Before long he is an honoured citizen of the community and a prominent member of the town council. Giving himself up to the age-old joys and sorrows of village life, Sage lives contentedly for many years.
Then one evening during the monsoon season a violent storm breaks over head, and the river rises so high from the sudden rains that the village begins to flood. Sage gathers his family and leads them through the dark night toward higher ground. But the winds blow so violently and the rain pelts down with such force that one of Sage's sons is washed away.
Sage reaches for the boy, and in so doing lets go of his second son. A moment later a gales wind tears his daughter from his arms. Then his beloved wife is washed away into the roaring darkness.
Sage wails helplessly and claws at the sky. But his cries are drowned by a towering wave that rises from the depths of the terrible night and washes him headlong into the river.
All goes black. Many hours pass; perhaps days. Slowly, painfully, Sage comes to his senses, only to discover that he has been washed onto a sandbank far down the river. It is daytime now, and the storm has passed. But there is no sign of his family anywhere, nor, for that matter, of any living creature.
For a long time Sage remains lying on the sand Almost mad with sorrow and abandonment. Bits of wreckage float past him in the river. The smell of death is on the wind. Everything has been taken from him now; All things life-giving and precious have disappeared into the swirling waters. There is little to do, it seems, but weep.
Then, suddenly, Sage hears a voice behind him that makes the blood stop in his veins. "Child," the voice asks, "where is my cup of water?" Sage turns and sees God standing at his side. The river vanishes, and once again he and God are alone in the empty desert. "Where is my water?" God asks again. "I have been waiting for you to bring it now for several minutes."
Sage throws himself at his Lord's feet and begs for forgiveness. "I forgot!" Sage cries again and again. "I forgot what you asked of me, Great Lord! Forgive me!"
God smiles and says, "Now do you understand the secret behind your life, and the appearances of this world?"
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Only place without challenges
Once a there lived a busy Doctor called Dr. Sam. He was busy not because of his skill as a Doctor but due to his talent in handling his patience. It was about 10:30 pm when Dr. Sam was about to leave his clinic. Suddenly a patient came running to the doctor’s room. Dr. Sam asked him what was his problem? The patient said - “Dr. Sam, I have a great regard for you. Now all I require is a straight forward answer for my question”. “What is your question?” asked Dr. Sam. He replied - “I wanted to know whether there is any place on earth where there are no challenges?” Dr. Sam asked him why he was asking it. The patient replied that he wanted to be in that place.
Dr. Sam said that it was too late and asked him to come to his house early in the morning by 7:00 am and he promised him that he would take him to the place. The patient went home and was wondering where the doctor would be taking him, the next day. He never slept for the night and was waiting for the sunrise. Then he visited the doctor’s residence by 7:00 am, where the doctor was waiting for him. Then both of them walked down to the nearest taxi stand and took a taxi.
It took about one hour of drive from the place and they reached the place. It was a big area with a high-raised walls and the entrance had a big gate. The patient was wondering and started thinking whether the Dr. Sam had gone mad or what? Yes, Dr. Sam had brought the patient to the cemetery. And Dr.Sam got down from the taxi and said - “from my experience, this is the only place without any challenges”.
Moral of the Story:
Overcoming Challenges are part of the life.
Challenges make us strong and stable.
It is only when we have Challenges, we are Alive.
Dr. Sam said that it was too late and asked him to come to his house early in the morning by 7:00 am and he promised him that he would take him to the place. The patient went home and was wondering where the doctor would be taking him, the next day. He never slept for the night and was waiting for the sunrise. Then he visited the doctor’s residence by 7:00 am, where the doctor was waiting for him. Then both of them walked down to the nearest taxi stand and took a taxi.
It took about one hour of drive from the place and they reached the place. It was a big area with a high-raised walls and the entrance had a big gate. The patient was wondering and started thinking whether the Dr. Sam had gone mad or what? Yes, Dr. Sam had brought the patient to the cemetery. And Dr.Sam got down from the taxi and said - “from my experience, this is the only place without any challenges”.
Moral of the Story:
Overcoming Challenges are part of the life.
Challenges make us strong and stable.
It is only when we have Challenges, we are Alive.
Different story
Dear readers,
You may have heared the popular story of a wood cutter who has lost his axe in the river. Here, the story is continued in a funny imagination.
One day, while a woodcutter was cutting a branch of a tree above a river, his axe fell into the river. When he cried out, the Lord appeared and asked, " Why are you crying?"
The woodcutter replied that his axe has fallen into water, and he needed the axe to make his living.
The Lord went down into the water and reappeared with a golden axe.
"Is this your axe?" the Lord asked.
The woodcutter replied, "No."
The Lord again went down and came up with a silver axe. "Is this your axe? " the Lord asked.
Again, the woodcutter replied, "No."
The Lord went down again and came up with an iron axe.
"Is this your axe?" the Lord asked.
The woodcutter replied, "Yes."
The Lord was pleased with the man's honesty and gave him all three axes to keep, and the woodcutter went home happy.
Some time later the woodcutter was walking with his wife along the riverbank, and his wife fell into the river.
When he cried out, the Lord again appeared and asked him, "Why are you crying?"
"Oh Lord, my wife has fallen into the water!"
The Lord went down into the water and came up with Jennifer Lopez.
" Is this your wife? " the Lord asked.
"Yes," cried the woodcutter.
The Lord was furious. "You lied! That is an untruth!"
The woodcutter replied, "Oh, forgive me, my Lord.. It is a misunderstanding.
You see, if I had said 'no' to Jennifer Lopez , You would have come up with Catherine Zeta-Jones. Then if I said 'no' to her, you would have come up with my wife. Had I then said 'yes,' you would have given me all the three.
Lord, I am a poor man, and am not able to take care of all three wives, so THAT'S why I said yes to Jennifer Lopez ."
You may have heared the popular story of a wood cutter who has lost his axe in the river. Here, the story is continued in a funny imagination.
One day, while a woodcutter was cutting a branch of a tree above a river, his axe fell into the river. When he cried out, the Lord appeared and asked, " Why are you crying?"
The woodcutter replied that his axe has fallen into water, and he needed the axe to make his living.
The Lord went down into the water and reappeared with a golden axe.
"Is this your axe?" the Lord asked.
The woodcutter replied, "No."
The Lord again went down and came up with a silver axe. "Is this your axe? " the Lord asked.
Again, the woodcutter replied, "No."
The Lord went down again and came up with an iron axe.
"Is this your axe?" the Lord asked.
The woodcutter replied, "Yes."
The Lord was pleased with the man's honesty and gave him all three axes to keep, and the woodcutter went home happy.
Some time later the woodcutter was walking with his wife along the riverbank, and his wife fell into the river.
When he cried out, the Lord again appeared and asked him, "Why are you crying?"
"Oh Lord, my wife has fallen into the water!"
The Lord went down into the water and came up with Jennifer Lopez.
" Is this your wife? " the Lord asked.
"Yes," cried the woodcutter.
The Lord was furious. "You lied! That is an untruth!"
The woodcutter replied, "Oh, forgive me, my Lord.. It is a misunderstanding.
You see, if I had said 'no' to Jennifer Lopez , You would have come up with Catherine Zeta-Jones. Then if I said 'no' to her, you would have come up with my wife. Had I then said 'yes,' you would have given me all the three.
Lord, I am a poor man, and am not able to take care of all three wives, so THAT'S why I said yes to Jennifer Lopez ."
Monday, January 11, 2010
Smart woman
There was a man who had worked all his life, had saved all of his money, and was a real 'miser' when it came to his money.
Just before he died, he said to his wife...
';When I die, I want you to take all my money and put it in the casket with me.
I want to take my money to the afterlife with me.'
And so he got his wife to promise him, with all of her heart, that when he died, she would put all of the money into the casket with him.
Well, he died. He was stretched out in the casket, his wife was sitting there - dressed in black, and her friend was sitting next to her.
When they finished the ceremony, and just before the undertakers got ready to close the casket, the wife said,
'Wait just a moment!'
She had a small metal box with her; she came over with the box and put it in the casket.
Then the undertakers locked the casket down and they rolled it away.
So her friend said,
'Girl, I know you were not fool enough to put all that money in there with your husband.'
The loyal wife replied,
'Listen, I'm a Christian; I cannot go back on my word.
I promised him that I was going to put that money into the casket with him.'
'You mean to tell me you put that money in the casket with him!?!?!?'
'I sure did,' said the wife.
'I got it all together, put it into my account, and wrote him a cheque....
If he can cash it, then he can spend it.'
Send this to every clever female you know, and to every man who thinks they are smarter than women!
Just before he died, he said to his wife...
';When I die, I want you to take all my money and put it in the casket with me.
I want to take my money to the afterlife with me.'
And so he got his wife to promise him, with all of her heart, that when he died, she would put all of the money into the casket with him.
Well, he died. He was stretched out in the casket, his wife was sitting there - dressed in black, and her friend was sitting next to her.
When they finished the ceremony, and just before the undertakers got ready to close the casket, the wife said,
'Wait just a moment!'
She had a small metal box with her; she came over with the box and put it in the casket.
Then the undertakers locked the casket down and they rolled it away.
So her friend said,
'Girl, I know you were not fool enough to put all that money in there with your husband.'
The loyal wife replied,
'Listen, I'm a Christian; I cannot go back on my word.
I promised him that I was going to put that money into the casket with him.'
'You mean to tell me you put that money in the casket with him!?!?!?'
'I sure did,' said the wife.
'I got it all together, put it into my account, and wrote him a cheque....
If he can cash it, then he can spend it.'
Send this to every clever female you know, and to every man who thinks they are smarter than women!
The great sacrifice
There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving cousine who was always there for her. She told her cousine, 'If I could only see the World, I will marry you.'
One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her cousine.
He asked her,'Now that you can see the world, will you marry Me?' The girl looked at her cousine and saw that he was blind.
The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that, and the thought of looking at them the rest of her life led Her to refuse to marry him.
Her cousine left in tears and days later wrote a note to her that said:
'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they Were yours, they were mine.'
One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her cousine.
He asked her,'Now that you can see the world, will you marry Me?' The girl looked at her cousine and saw that he was blind.
The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that, and the thought of looking at them the rest of her life led Her to refuse to marry him.
Her cousine left in tears and days later wrote a note to her that said:
'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they Were yours, they were mine.'
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Impact of beautiful writing
A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat.
A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.
Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?"
The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way."
What he had written was: "Today is a beautiful day and I cannot see it."
Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing?
Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?
Moral of the Story: Be thankful for what you have. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively.
Invite others towards good with wisdom. Live life with no excuse and love with no regrets. When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile. Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop the fear.
Great men say, "Life has to be an incessant process of repair and reconstruction, of discarding evil and developing goodness.... In the journey of life, if you want to travel without fear, you must have the ticket of a good conscience."
The most beautiful thing is to see a person smiling...
And even more beautiful is, knowing that you are the reason behind it!!!
Roses and thorns
A certain man planted a rose and watered it faithfully, and before it blossomed, he examined it.
He saw the bud that would soon blossom and also the thorns. And he thought,
How can any beautiful flower come from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns Saddened by this thought,
he neglected to water the rose, and before it was ready to bloom, it died.
So it is with many people. Within every soul there is a rose.
The God-like qualities planted in us at birth grow amid the thorns of our faults.
Many of us look at ourselves and see only the thorns, the defects. We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us.
We neglect to water the good within us, and eventually it dies. We never realize our potential.
Some people do not see the rose within themselves; someone else must show it to them.
One of the greatest gifts a person can possess is to be able to reach past the thorns and find the rose within others.
This is the characteristic of love, to look at a person, and knowing his faults, recognize the nobility in his soul, and help him realize that he can overcome his faults. If we show him the rose, he will conquer the thorns.
Lesson to learn From This Message :
Our duty in this world is to help others by showing them their roses and not their thorns. Only then can we achieve the love we should feel for each other; only then can we bloom in our own garden.
He saw the bud that would soon blossom and also the thorns. And he thought,
How can any beautiful flower come from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns Saddened by this thought,
he neglected to water the rose, and before it was ready to bloom, it died.
So it is with many people. Within every soul there is a rose.
The God-like qualities planted in us at birth grow amid the thorns of our faults.
Many of us look at ourselves and see only the thorns, the defects. We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us.
We neglect to water the good within us, and eventually it dies. We never realize our potential.
Some people do not see the rose within themselves; someone else must show it to them.
One of the greatest gifts a person can possess is to be able to reach past the thorns and find the rose within others.
This is the characteristic of love, to look at a person, and knowing his faults, recognize the nobility in his soul, and help him realize that he can overcome his faults. If we show him the rose, he will conquer the thorns.
Lesson to learn From This Message :
Our duty in this world is to help others by showing them their roses and not their thorns. Only then can we achieve the love we should feel for each other; only then can we bloom in our own garden.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Helping Hands - About a living man
Braving rain, people have queued up in front of a small hardware shop in Ponnani. The shop has no name board and no hardware is to be seen, but the customers get what they want.
The shop, owned by K.V. Aboo-backer, 64, distributes medicines free of cost to people who come with prescriptions. This one-man show, known as Aboobacker Self Service (ABSS), is a boon for many poor patients in Malappuram, Palakkad, Thrissur and Kozhikode districts of Kerala State.
Aboobacker started the service under the aegis of a Muslim social service organisation. Even as he opened a hardware shop in 1971, he began distributing free medicines. He quit the hardware business in 1993 to work full-time for ABSS. Soon, tablets, syrups, injection modules and capsules were piling up in the shop. ABSS now runs without support from any organisation.
Aboobacker has a wide network of contacts with doctors in five districts. Every week, he goes to hospitals to collect free medicine samples and excess medicines. He stores the medicines in his shop. Medicines that need to be stored at cold temperature are refrigerated at his house.
An unassuming man who has studied only up to class X, Aboobacker is knowledgeable about medicines. “Through frequent interaction with doctors and also by reading pharmacology journals, I keep myself informed of all the particulars of medicines including their dosage, side-effects and expiry dates,” he says. Doctors vouch for his reliability. Says Dr P.M. Viswanathan, a general practitioner near Ponnani, “Often Aboobacker surprises even medical professionals with his knowledge of medicines.”
At least 75 patients come here for medicines daily. Patients from distant places are served first, but emergency cases are attended immediately, even at midnight.
Aboobacker distributes even expensive medicines for heart disease, diabetes and blood pressure. P. Moidu of Cherpulasserry, who has been suffering from heart disease and diabetes for the past seven years, used to be a regular at ABSS. Now, his 14-year-old son Ashiq comes here every month. Says Ashiq, “The medicines needed for father each month could cost Rs 15,000. He has survived only with Aboobacker sahib’s help.”
Aboobacker says the smiles of the people he has served are his rewards. They consider him family and invite him home.
Sometimes, when the medicines prescribed are not in stock, he buys them. Each year he spends at least Rs 50,000 on buying medicines, he says. Philanthropists send donations. Aboobacker says his family—wife and three well-settled children—has no complaints about his spending for ABSS.
Aboobacker gives excess stock to government hospitals and has sent medicines to disaster zones after floods and earthquakes. Social organisations, conducting free medical camps for the poor, have often approached him for medicines.
He also helps patients meet specialist doctors by writing letters of introduction. Doctors respect him and the Indian Medical Association has given him a certificate of recognition and advised its members to give him assistance.
Rain or shine, Aboobacker’s shop remains open for the patients. He says with a smile, “God has given me this life to serve others in this humble manner.”
"Helping hands are holier than praying lips"
The shop, owned by K.V. Aboo-backer, 64, distributes medicines free of cost to people who come with prescriptions. This one-man show, known as Aboobacker Self Service (ABSS), is a boon for many poor patients in Malappuram, Palakkad, Thrissur and Kozhikode districts of Kerala State.
Aboobacker started the service under the aegis of a Muslim social service organisation. Even as he opened a hardware shop in 1971, he began distributing free medicines. He quit the hardware business in 1993 to work full-time for ABSS. Soon, tablets, syrups, injection modules and capsules were piling up in the shop. ABSS now runs without support from any organisation.
Aboobacker has a wide network of contacts with doctors in five districts. Every week, he goes to hospitals to collect free medicine samples and excess medicines. He stores the medicines in his shop. Medicines that need to be stored at cold temperature are refrigerated at his house.
An unassuming man who has studied only up to class X, Aboobacker is knowledgeable about medicines. “Through frequent interaction with doctors and also by reading pharmacology journals, I keep myself informed of all the particulars of medicines including their dosage, side-effects and expiry dates,” he says. Doctors vouch for his reliability. Says Dr P.M. Viswanathan, a general practitioner near Ponnani, “Often Aboobacker surprises even medical professionals with his knowledge of medicines.”
At least 75 patients come here for medicines daily. Patients from distant places are served first, but emergency cases are attended immediately, even at midnight.
Aboobacker distributes even expensive medicines for heart disease, diabetes and blood pressure. P. Moidu of Cherpulasserry, who has been suffering from heart disease and diabetes for the past seven years, used to be a regular at ABSS. Now, his 14-year-old son Ashiq comes here every month. Says Ashiq, “The medicines needed for father each month could cost Rs 15,000. He has survived only with Aboobacker sahib’s help.”
Aboobacker says the smiles of the people he has served are his rewards. They consider him family and invite him home.
Sometimes, when the medicines prescribed are not in stock, he buys them. Each year he spends at least Rs 50,000 on buying medicines, he says. Philanthropists send donations. Aboobacker says his family—wife and three well-settled children—has no complaints about his spending for ABSS.
Aboobacker gives excess stock to government hospitals and has sent medicines to disaster zones after floods and earthquakes. Social organisations, conducting free medical camps for the poor, have often approached him for medicines.
He also helps patients meet specialist doctors by writing letters of introduction. Doctors respect him and the Indian Medical Association has given him a certificate of recognition and advised its members to give him assistance.
Rain or shine, Aboobacker’s shop remains open for the patients. He says with a smile, “God has given me this life to serve others in this humble manner.”
"Helping hands are holier than praying lips"
Embrace all equally
A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with a bag of potato chips and a six-pack of root beer and started his journey.
When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park, just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her some chips. She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him.
Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer. Again, she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat
There all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.
As twilight approached, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave; but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old woman, and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever.
When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?" He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? She's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"
Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked, "Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?" She replied! "I ate potato chips in the park with God." However, before her son responded, she added, "You know, he's much younger than I expected."
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of
Which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime! Embrace all equally!
When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park, just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her some chips. She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him.
Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer. Again, she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat
There all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.
As twilight approached, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave; but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old woman, and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever.
When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?" He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? She's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"
Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked, "Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?" She replied! "I ate potato chips in the park with God." However, before her son responded, she added, "You know, he's much younger than I expected."
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of
Which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime! Embrace all equally!
Life time happiness
A young man, a student in one of the universities, was one day taking a walk with a professor, who was commonly called the students' friend for his kindness to those who waited on his instructions.
As they went along, they saw lying in the path a pair of old shoes, which were supposed to belong to a poor man who was working in a field close by, and who had nearly finished his day's work . . .
Student turned to the professor, saying: "Let us play the man a trick:
We will hide his shoes, and hide ourselves behind those bushes, and wait to see his perplexity when he cannot find them ..."
"My young friend," answered the professor, "We should never amuse ourselves at the expense of the poor ... . . But you are rich, and may give yourself a much greater pleasure by means of this poor man.
Put a coin in each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves and watch how this affects him.." Visit: The student did so and they both placed themselves behind the bushes close by. The poor man soon finished his work, and came across the field to the path where he had left his coat and shoes . . .
While putting on his coat he slipped his foot into one of his shoes, but feeling something hard, he stooped down to feel what it was, and found the coin. Astonishment and wonder were seen upon his countenance.
He gazed upon the coin, turned it around and looked at it again and again.
He then looked around him on all sides, but no person was to be seen. He now put the money into his pocket, and proceeded to put on the other shoe; but his surprise was doubled on finding the other coin . . .
His feelings overcame him . . . He fell upon his knees, looked up to heaven and uttered aloud a fervent thanksgiving in which he spoke of his wife, sick and helpless, and his children without bread, whom this timely bounty, from some unknown hand, would save from perishing . . .
The student stood there deeply affected, and his eyes filled with tears.
"Now," said the professor, are you not much better pleased than if you had played your intended trick?"
The youth replied, "You have taught me a lesson which I will never forget. .. I feel now the truth of these words, which I never understood before: "It's more blessed to give than to receive."
"If you want happiness... .For a lifetime - help someone."
As they went along, they saw lying in the path a pair of old shoes, which were supposed to belong to a poor man who was working in a field close by, and who had nearly finished his day's work . . .
Student turned to the professor, saying: "Let us play the man a trick:
We will hide his shoes, and hide ourselves behind those bushes, and wait to see his perplexity when he cannot find them ..."
"My young friend," answered the professor, "We should never amuse ourselves at the expense of the poor ... . . But you are rich, and may give yourself a much greater pleasure by means of this poor man.
Put a coin in each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves and watch how this affects him.." Visit: The student did so and they both placed themselves behind the bushes close by. The poor man soon finished his work, and came across the field to the path where he had left his coat and shoes . . .
While putting on his coat he slipped his foot into one of his shoes, but feeling something hard, he stooped down to feel what it was, and found the coin. Astonishment and wonder were seen upon his countenance.
He gazed upon the coin, turned it around and looked at it again and again.
He then looked around him on all sides, but no person was to be seen. He now put the money into his pocket, and proceeded to put on the other shoe; but his surprise was doubled on finding the other coin . . .
His feelings overcame him . . . He fell upon his knees, looked up to heaven and uttered aloud a fervent thanksgiving in which he spoke of his wife, sick and helpless, and his children without bread, whom this timely bounty, from some unknown hand, would save from perishing . . .
The student stood there deeply affected, and his eyes filled with tears.
"Now," said the professor, are you not much better pleased than if you had played your intended trick?"
The youth replied, "You have taught me a lesson which I will never forget. .. I feel now the truth of these words, which I never understood before: "It's more blessed to give than to receive."
"If you want happiness... .For a lifetime - help someone."
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Consideration - without discrimination
The days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. “How much is an ice cream sundae?” he asked. “50¢,” replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.
“Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?” he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. “35¢!” she brusquely replied.
The little boy again counted his coins. “I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left.
When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he couldn’t have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.
The young boy had consideration for the waitress before he ordered his ice-cream. He showed sensitivity and caring. He thought of others before himself.
If we all thought like the little boy, we would have a great place to live. Show consideration, courtesy and politeness. Thoughtfulness shows a caring attitude.
The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.
“Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?” he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. “35¢!” she brusquely replied.
The little boy again counted his coins. “I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left.
When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he couldn’t have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.
The young boy had consideration for the waitress before he ordered his ice-cream. He showed sensitivity and caring. He thought of others before himself.
If we all thought like the little boy, we would have a great place to live. Show consideration, courtesy and politeness. Thoughtfulness shows a caring attitude.
Knowledge v/s Racism
A stranger was seated next to a little black girl on the aircraft when the stranger turned to her and said, "Let's talk. I've heard that flights go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger."
The little girl, who had just opened her coloring book, closed it slowly and said to the stranger, "What would you like to talk about?"
"Oh, I don't know," said the stranger. "Since you are a Negro, do you think that President Barak Obama is qualified for the job?" and he smiles.
"OK", she said. 'That could be an interesting topic. But let me ask you a question first:
"A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff - grass - yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a flat patty, and a horse produces clumps of dried grass.. Why do you suppose that is?"
The stranger, visibly surprised by the little girl's intelligence, thinks about it and says, "Hmmm, I have no idea.."
To which the little girl replies, "Well then...what makes you qualified to discuss President Barak Obama... when you don't know shit?"
The little girl, who had just opened her coloring book, closed it slowly and said to the stranger, "What would you like to talk about?"
"Oh, I don't know," said the stranger. "Since you are a Negro, do you think that President Barak Obama is qualified for the job?" and he smiles.
"OK", she said. 'That could be an interesting topic. But let me ask you a question first:
"A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff - grass - yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a flat patty, and a horse produces clumps of dried grass.. Why do you suppose that is?"
The stranger, visibly surprised by the little girl's intelligence, thinks about it and says, "Hmmm, I have no idea.."
To which the little girl replies, "Well then...what makes you qualified to discuss President Barak Obama... when you don't know shit?"
The 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.Which picture do you think won the prize? The king chose the second picture. Do you know why? "Because," explained the king, "peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work.Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace."
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Dad's gift
A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.
As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautifully wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Holy book, with the young man's name embossed in gold. Angry, he raised his voice to his father and said "With all your money, you give me a Holy book?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the Holy book. Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had not seen his father since that graduation day. One day, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still new Holy book, just as he had left it years ago.
With tears, he opened the Holy book and began to turn the pages. And as he did, a car key dropped from the back of the Holy book. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words PAID IN FULL.
How many times do we miss Spirit's blessings and answers to our prayers because they do not arrive exactly as we have expected?
As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautifully wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Holy book, with the young man's name embossed in gold. Angry, he raised his voice to his father and said "With all your money, you give me a Holy book?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the Holy book. Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had not seen his father since that graduation day. One day, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still new Holy book, just as he had left it years ago.
With tears, he opened the Holy book and began to turn the pages. And as he did, a car key dropped from the back of the Holy book. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words PAID IN FULL.
How many times do we miss Spirit's blessings and answers to our prayers because they do not arrive exactly as we have expected?
Success is a journey; Not a destination
Once upon a time a Washerman was bringing up two donkeys. Let us say Donkey-A and Donkey-B.
Donkey-A felt it was very energetic and could do better than the other. It always tried to pull the washerman's attraction over it by taking more load and walking fast in front of him.
Innocent Donkey-B is normal, so it will walk normal, irrespective of the washerman's presence. After a period of time, Washerman started pressurising Donkey-B to be like Donkey-A. But Donkey-B unable to walk fast, got continuous punishment from washerman. It was crying and told personally to Donkey-A "Dear friend, only we two are here, why to compete with each other....we can carry equal load at normal speed ".
That made Donkey-A all the more energetic and next day it told to washerman that it can carry more load and even it can run fast also.
Obviously happier washerman looked at Donkey-B.., his BP raised and he started kicking Donkey-B. Next day with smile, Donkey-A carried more load and started running fast. But it was breathtaking for Donkey-B and it couldn't act that way....But the washerman was frustrated, so he harassed Donkey-B terribly, and finally it fell down hopelessly.
Then Donkey-A felt itself as a supremo and happily started carrying more load with great speed. But now the Load of the Donkey-B is also being carried by Donkey-A., and still it has to run fast. For some period it did, finally due to fatigue it got tired and started feeling the pain. But washerman expected more from Donkey-A. It also tried best, but couldn't cope up with his owners demand. The Washerman got angry with Donkey-A also and started harassing to take more load... Donkey-A was crying for long time and then tried its best... But it couldn't meet the owner's satisfaction. Finally the day came when due to frustration the washerman killed Donkey-A and went for searching some other Donkeys.
Its an endless story....... ...
But the moral of the Story in Corporate and social life is......,
"Think all colleagues are same and that everyone is capable.... Always Share the Load equally..... Don't ever act smart in front of your Boss and never try for getting over-credit. ..
Don't feel happy when ur colleague is under pressure.. "
It doesn't matter if u r A or B, for the Boss u shall be always DONKEY.
And most importantly, It is better to work Cleverly than work hard blindly.... .
"Success is a journey not a destination".
Donkey-A felt it was very energetic and could do better than the other. It always tried to pull the washerman's attraction over it by taking more load and walking fast in front of him.
Innocent Donkey-B is normal, so it will walk normal, irrespective of the washerman's presence. After a period of time, Washerman started pressurising Donkey-B to be like Donkey-A. But Donkey-B unable to walk fast, got continuous punishment from washerman. It was crying and told personally to Donkey-A "Dear friend, only we two are here, why to compete with each other....we can carry equal load at normal speed ".
That made Donkey-A all the more energetic and next day it told to washerman that it can carry more load and even it can run fast also.
Obviously happier washerman looked at Donkey-B.., his BP raised and he started kicking Donkey-B. Next day with smile, Donkey-A carried more load and started running fast. But it was breathtaking for Donkey-B and it couldn't act that way....But the washerman was frustrated, so he harassed Donkey-B terribly, and finally it fell down hopelessly.
Then Donkey-A felt itself as a supremo and happily started carrying more load with great speed. But now the Load of the Donkey-B is also being carried by Donkey-A., and still it has to run fast. For some period it did, finally due to fatigue it got tired and started feeling the pain. But washerman expected more from Donkey-A. It also tried best, but couldn't cope up with his owners demand. The Washerman got angry with Donkey-A also and started harassing to take more load... Donkey-A was crying for long time and then tried its best... But it couldn't meet the owner's satisfaction. Finally the day came when due to frustration the washerman killed Donkey-A and went for searching some other Donkeys.
Its an endless story....... ...
But the moral of the Story in Corporate and social life is......,
"Think all colleagues are same and that everyone is capable.... Always Share the Load equally..... Don't ever act smart in front of your Boss and never try for getting over-credit. ..
Don't feel happy when ur colleague is under pressure.. "
It doesn't matter if u r A or B, for the Boss u shall be always DONKEY.
And most importantly, It is better to work Cleverly than work hard blindly.... .
"Success is a journey not a destination".
Optimist or pessimist?!
I have been giving some thought lately to optimism and pessimism. Basically, these are attitudes — attitudes that shape and formulate our entire existence. I mean, have you ever met a happy pessimist? Of course not. In short, our optimism or pessimism is this: The way we interpret the pastThe way we experience and view the presentThe way we imagine the future Have you given much thought about how your attitude, whether you are an optimist or a pessimist, affects you business, organization or school? Have you thought about how it affects you personally? And what about the team you are a part of? What is optimism? It is the belief that things in our past were good for us, even if that means they were hard and taught us lessons. It is also the belief that things will be better in the future. Here are some contrasts between optimism and pessimism and how they affect us: Optimism breathes life into you each day.Pessimism drains you. Optimism helps you to take needed risks.Pessimism plays it safe and never accomplishes much. Optimism improves those around you.Pessimism drags them down. Optimism inspires people to great heights.Pessimism deflates people to new lows. There is only one way that optimism and pessimism are the same, and that is that they are both self-fulfilling. If you are an optimist, you will generally find that good things happen to you. And if you are a pessimist, you will find yourself in the not-so-good situations more often than not. So can a person just become an optimist? Yes! We can choose to look at the world any way we want to. We can choose to look at the world and think the worst, or we can tell ourselves the good things about each situation. As you find yourself looking at your enterprise, begin to view it through the eyes of an optimist, and you will reap the rewards listed above, and so will the people around you. There are tremendous benefits to being an optimist, as stated above. But there are some pessimists out there who will say, “But that isn’t realistic.” I say, “Who cares?” If things go awry, at least I have spent my time beforehand enjoying life and not worrying about it. And, being an optimist, I would view the “negative” situation as an opportunity to grow and learn. So I can even look forward to my failures because they will be steppingstones and learning tools to be applied to my future success. Have you ever met a successful pessimist? Become an optimist, and see your world change before your eyes!
Obstacle in our path
In ancient times, 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 big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On 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. As 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 others never understand.Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's condition.
Author Unknown.
Author Unknown.
We reap what we sow
An old grandpa was teaching his grandchildren about life.He said to them, "A battle is raging inside me, it is a terrible fight between two wolves.
One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.
The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."
The old man fixed the children with a firm stare. "This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too."
They thought about it for a minute and then one child asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?".
The old Cherokee replied: "The one you feed."
Moral: Think before feeding. Feed the good ones to achieve good purpose in life. Face is the reflection of mind. What we sow is what we reap. Ego of superiority is the destruction of individuality.
-Folk story
One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.
The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."
The old man fixed the children with a firm stare. "This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too."
They thought about it for a minute and then one child asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?".
The old Cherokee replied: "The one you feed."
Moral: Think before feeding. Feed the good ones to achieve good purpose in life. Face is the reflection of mind. What we sow is what we reap. Ego of superiority is the destruction of individuality.
-Folk story
Conquering challenges
The Japanese have always loved fresh fish. But the water close to Japan has not held many fish for decades. So to feed the Japanese population, fishing boats got bigger and went farther than ever. The farther the fisher men went, the longer it took to bring the fish. If the return trip took more time, the fish were not fresh.To solve this problem, fish companies installed freezers on their boats. They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed the boats to go farther and stay longer.However, the Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen fish. And they did not like the taste of frozen fish. The frozen fish brought a lower price. So, fishing companies installed fish tanks. They would catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin. After a little thrashing around, they were tired, dull, and lost their fresh-fish taste. The fishing industry faced an impending crisis! But today, they get fresh-tasting fish to Japan . How did they manage? To keep the fish tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies still put the fish in the tanks but with a small shark. The fish are challenged and hence are constantly on the move. The challenge they face keeps them alive and fresh!Have you realized that some of us are also living in a pond but most of the time tired and dull? Basically in our lives, sharks are new challenges to keep us active. If you are steadily conquering challenges, you are happy.
Unknown Author
Unknown Author
Friday, August 28, 2009
Introduction
This is a humble endeavour to share my thoughts with my dear friends. I anticipate sincere co-operation and creative interference from my dear readers. I suggest not to hesitate having severe criticism on the comments field as I consider it an excellent path to achieve my goal that I didn't confine to any limitation.
Best wishes
Best wishes
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