Prayer

There is a breakfast point near our factory.

We often go there for breakfast & there is a lot of rush.

Many times I have noticed that a person comes and takes advantage of the crowd & after eating, secretly leaves without paying.

One day while he was eating, I secretly informed the owner of the breakfast point that this brother would take advantage of the rush and leave without paying the bill.

Listening to me, the owner of the breakfast point started smiling and said to let him go without saying anything to him .. & that we will talk about it later.

As usual, the brother, after having breakfast, looked around and taking advantage of the crowd quietly slipped away.

After he left, I now asked the owner of the breakfast point to tell me why he had let the man go .. why did he ignore this man's action ???

The answer given by the owner of the breakfast point lit up all my fourteen layers.

He told me that you are not alone, many brothers have noted him and have told me about him.

He said that he sits in front of the shop and when he saw that it is crowded, he would sneak in and eat.

I always ignored it and never stopped him .. never caught him nor ever tried to disrespect him.

Because I think that the rush in my shop is due to the prayer of this brother ....

 He would be sitting in front of my shop and praying that if there is a rush in this shop then I could quickly go in, eat & leave......

And surely enough there is always a rush when he comes in.

I do not want to invite my misfortune by cutting my own leg in the matter of this prayer and acceptance of his prayer between him and the Divine .......

this will always be ignored by me and I will always let him eat food & will never disrespect him by catching him!!!

Prayer makes everything possible.

Promise

My wife called, 'How long will you be with that newspaper? Will you  come here and make your darling daughter eat her food?

I tossed the paper away and rushed to the scene. My only daughter, Sindu, looked frightened; tears were welling up in her eyes. 

In front of her was a bowl filled to its brim with curd rice. Sindu is a nice child, quiet and  intelligent for her age.

I picked up the bowl. 'Sindu, darling, why don't you take a few mouthful of this curd rice? Just for Dad's sake, dear'.

Sindu softened a bit and wiped her tears with the back of her hands. 'Ok, Dad. I will eat - not just a few mouthfuls, but the whole lot of this. But, you should...' Sindu hesitated...... 'Dad, if I eat this entire curd Rice, will you give me whatever I ask for?'

'Promise'. I covered the pink soft hand extended by my daughter with mine, and clinched the deal.

Now I became a bit anxious. 'Sindu, dear, you shouldn't insist on getting a computer or any such expensive items. Dad does not have that kind of money right now. Ok?'

'No, Dad. I do not want anything expensive.'

Slowly and painfully, she finished eating the whole quantity. I was silently angry with my wife and my mother for forcing my child to eat something that she detested.

After the ordeal was through, Sindu came to me with her eyes wide with expectation. All our attention was on her.

'Dad, I want to have my head shaved off, this Sunday!' was her demand.

'Atrocious!' shouted my wife, 'A girl child having her head shaved off? Impossible!'

'Never in our family!' My mother rasped. 'She has been watching too much of television. Our culture is getting totally spoiled with these TV programs!'

'Sindu, darling, why don't you ask for something else? We will be sad seeing you with a clean-shaven head.'

'Please, Sindu, why don't you try to understand our feelings?' I tried to plead with her.

'Dad, you saw how difficult it was for me to eat that Curd Rice'. Sindu was in tears. 'And you promised to grant me whatever I ask for. Now, you are going back on your words. 

"Was it not you who told me the story of King Harishchandra, and its moral that we should honor our promises no matter what?'

It was time for me to call the shots. 'Our promise must be kept.'

'Are you out of your mind?' chorused my mother and wife.

'No. If we go back on our promises, she will never learn to honour her own. Sindu, your wish will be fulfilled.'

With her head clean-shaven, Sindu had a round-face, and her eyes looked big and beautiful.

On Monday morning, I dropped her at her school. It was a sight to watch my hairless Sindu walking towards her classroom. She turned around and waved. I waved back with a smile. 

Just then, a boy alighted from a car, and shouted, 'Sinduja, please wait for me!' What struck me was the hairless head of that boy. 'May be, that is the in-stuff', I thought.

A lady got out of car and came to me. She said 'Sir, your daughter Sinduja is great indeed! That boy who is walking along with your daughter is my son, Harish. He is suffering from... leukemia'. She paused to muffle her sobs. 

'Harish could not attend the school for the whole of the last month. He lost all his hair due to the side effects of the chemotherapy. He refused to come back to school fearing the unintentional but cruel teasing of the schoolmates.

...... Sinduja visited him last week, and promised him that she will take care of the teasing issue.....

"But, I never imagined she would sacrifice her lovely hair for the sake of my son! Sir, you and your wife are blessed to have such a noble soul as your daughter.'

I stood transfixed with tears 'My little Angel, you are teaching me how selfless real love is!'

Reflection

The happiest people on this planet are not those who live on their own terms but are those who change their terms for others !!!

Diwali Lamps...

While we all light our houses , do spend some time today to light a few lamps inside you and sit in silence with your eyes closed... 

*Light the First Diya* inside you and let it burn your anger and / or jealousy that you may have for any one till date; see it melt away...

*Light the Second Diya* and let it burn away unwanted greed and desires... feel happy and contented with what you have been blessed with.

*Light the Third Diya* and let it fade away all insecurities that you may have in your mind related to anything or financials; just beleive that the Supreme Power has given u life and he will surely give you enough to survive.

*Light the Fourth Diya*  and carry that Diya to each part of your body; let it burn away all your diseased cells or any disease in making. Feel healthy as this Diya travels to each body part and rejuvanates, illuminates, cures each organ. 

*Light the Fifth Diya* which replicates a miniature Sun... nothing but the Divine Light... Light it in the centre of your body and let it fill the warmth and LOVE inside your whole body...feel one with the Divine... let the Love and warmth filled inside you ooze out of you through your Smile...Eyes..Speech.. and Body ....carry this Love with you through out the Life...you will find that everyone who meets you is Happy and Elated. This is the biggest blessing that whoever meets you becomes happier after meeting you... this will also make you happier in return.

Light these Five Lamps and carry the positivity wherever you go..

My time is coming...

An elephant and a dog became pregnant at same time. Three months down

An elephant and a dog became pregnant at same time. Three months down the line the dog gave birth to six puppies. Six months later the dog was pregnant again, and nine months on it gave birth to another dozen puppies. The pattern continued.

On the eighteenth month the dog approached the elephant questioning, _”Are you sure that you are pregnant? We became pregnant on the same date, I have given birth three times to a dozen puppies and they are now grown to become big dogs, yet you are still pregnant. What's going on?”

The elephant replied, _”There is something I want you to understand. What I am carrying is not a puppy but an elephant. I only give birth to one in two years. When my baby hits the ground, the earth feels it. When my baby crosses the road, human beings stop and watch in admiration, what I carry draws attention. So what I’m carrying is mighty and great.”

Don’t lose faith when you see others receive answers to their prayers.

Don’t be envious of others testimony. If you haven’t received your own blessings, don’t despair.

Say to yourself “My time is coming, and when it hits the surface of the earth, people shall yield in admiration.”

Cobbler...

The Cobbler who also mends souls

👨🏻‍🦱👞

There is a cobbler who sits across the street in front of my office building. 

Every day, I see that there is a stray dog who comes and sits with him as soon as he arrives at the place, and he feeds him biscuits and some times milk. 

The man goes about his work while the dog sits there and gives him company. 

One can feel that there is a connection between them and that unknown to everyone, they are having a conversation without a word being said. 

There is also food that he brings for birds, which he keeps at different places on the street pavement where he sits for his work. 

Many people stop by and ask him for directions, and he always guides them with a smile. Even if he doesn't get any business from them. 

If he sees a homeless person going by, he offers them water and food that he has brought for himself, and engages in conversations with them. One can see and feel the peace the conversations bring to them.

I felt called to go and meet him today. 

He smiled at me and said his name is Dayaram, and asked me if I would like to have tea?!

Pleasantly surprised, I say, "Sure, let's have some tea." 

Here is a man who would be struggling to make Rs. 100 a day, out of which he would be spending around Rs. 12 - Rs.15 on the food that he brings for the dog and the birds, and the two cups of tea would cost him another Rs. 14. 

His being is rich, he smiles radiantly, and his calm, effortless, abundant state of being is infectious. 

I tell him that I have been observing him and what he does, and that I am humbled and fascinated by it. 

We get talking, and I refer to the dog, and he says "Oh!  he's just one of us - God's Own Creation". 

Talk about non-duality! He goes on to say that "I am not serving...it is He who is making it happen via this person. It would be egoistic to say that 'I' am doing it!" 

I fold my hands and bow to him, and request him to accept some money, saying, "It is not I who is giving you this money, it is He who is sending it to you via myself."

We laugh and he graces me by accepting it.

As I am about to leave, he says: *"Maango Ussi se, Baanto khushi se, Kaho na kissi se"* (Ask from Him, but then don't just accumulate it - give it away to others with happiness and gratitude, and do it silently!)

The cobbler who apparently mends shoes, mended my soul today.

Begging Bowl

A beggar knocks on the door of an emperor; it is early morning. The emperor was coming out for a morning walk in his beautiful garden; otherwise it would have been difficult for the beggar to have an appointment with him. But there was no mediator to prevent him.

The emperor said, "What do you want?" The beggar said, "Before you ask that, think twice!" The emperor has never seen such a lion of a man; he has fought wars, has won victories, has made it clear that nobody is more powerful than him, but suddenly this beggar says to him, "Think twice of what you are saying, because you may not be able to fulfill it!"

The king said, "Don't be worried, that is my concern; you ask what you want, it will be done!"

The beggar said, *"You see my begging bowl? I want it to be filled! It does not matter with what, the only condition is that it should be filled, it should be full*. You can still say no, but if you say yes, then you are taking a risk."

The emperor laughed. Just a beggar's bowl... and he is being given a warning? He told his premier to fill the beggar's bowl with diamonds, so that this beggar would know who he was asking.

The beggar again said, "Think twice." And soon it became apparent that the beggar was right, because the moment the diamonds were poured into his begging bowl they simply disappeared!

The word began to spread like wildfire in the capital; thousands of people arrived to watch. When the precious stones were finished the king said, "Bring out all the gold and silver, everything! My whole kingdom, my whole integrity is being challenged." But by the evening everything had disappeared and there were only two beggars left--one used to be the emperor.

The emperor said, "Before I ask your forgiveness for not listening to your warning, please tell me the secret of this begging bowl."

The beggar said, "There is no secret. I have polished it, made it look like a bowl, but it is a human skull. You go on pouring anything into it and it disappears."

 

Reflection

When you desire something, your joy depends on that ‘something’. If it is taken away, you are miserable; if it is given to you, you are happy. But only for the moment! That too has to be understood. Whenever your desire is fulfilled it is only for the moment that you feel joy. It is fleeting, because once you have got it, again the mind starts desiring for more, for something else. Mind exists in desiring; hence mind can never leave you without desire. If you are without desire, mind dies immediately. 

One only needs to make sure that what r we putting in bowl and at what cost. Desires, Dreams, Aspirations are all always going to stay but don't let them burn and stress u out. Learn to enjoy ur achievement and continue to dream big.

Part of puzzle

Whatever pain you’ve been through. Whatever pain you’re going through… know that it wasn’t sent to make you weaker… know that it was sent to make you stronger. Trust that it wasn’t sent to beat you down… but to raise you up. Trust that it wasn’t sent to break you, but to make you.

Think of your life like a giant puzzle. In order to complete the puzzle. The masterpiece that is your life… every piece is just as important as the other. You have different shapes, different colours… on their own they seem random and incomplete… but together they make sense. Once all the pieces come together you can see the bigger picture… You have to be able to see the bigger picture in your life… or at least have faith your puzzle will come together in time.

But your puzzle won’t come together unless you have your eyes open… If you quit and walk away… your puzzle will never come together. If you give up at the first sign of struggle you might not get to see the bigger picture of your life. Your masterpiece will come together… piece by piece if you keep going. Your pain is a part of the puzzle that is your life. You might think you could do without those pieces… but without them you’re not whole… youre missing something…

Every single part of a puzzle is as important as the next piece… and likewise every single event of your life made you who you are today. Without pain and struggle you wouldn’t have strength and character. Without negative people you might not appreciate the positive people in your life. Without that rejection or break up you might not have been guided to something better. Without that person saying you couldn’t do it, you might not have had the motivation to do it. Without sadness and depression you might lack the compassion and caring you have today. Without experiencing what YOU DO NOT WANT… you may not be so clear as to what you do want. Without painful endings you may not have been led to that great new beginning.

There is a reason and a purpose in everything, and a true blessing in everything if you can open your eyes to see it and open your heart to know it. Don’t ask why me. Don’t say I didn’t deserve this… Ask How can I use this? How can this make me stronger, better, wiser. Use the pain in your life as fuel to take you wherever you need to go.

Use the mess in your life as a blessing to take you some place better. Have faith and trust that some endings are sent for new beginnings. It might not feel great at the time, but keep your head up and be open to the fact that you deserve better and if you keep believing you’ll get better. Be open to the fact that you can’t see the rest of the puzzle just yet… but just trust it will be a masterpiece… If you keep believing, have faith, keep growing and working on yourself… everything will come together perfectly… at the right time.

All of us experience pain and hard times… only some of us USE that pain to grow. Don’t just go through it. Grow through it. It will make you better if you can find the courage inside you to keep going. Come out the other side of your pain stronger, better and wiser. Your greatest life can not be lived without the strength that comes from your struggles.

Your best life cannot be lived without great challenges. Trust this is a part of life. Find the purpose in the pain. Be one of the few who see the message in the mess. Be one of the few who gain the strength through the struggle. Who see the blessing in the lessons.

The Rock once said: “I like to use the hard times in the past to motivate me today.” Use the hard times of your past to motivate you, not as an excuse, but as your purpose.

I see you....

The Zulu culture in Southern Africa, has a greeting similar to Namaste in Sanskrit (India).  Its meaning is as beautiful and broad as Namaste, with no equivalent in English.

A Zulu will greet you with "Sawubona" and it literally means "I see you, you are important to me, I value you."

SAWUBONA: All my attention is with you, I see you, I accept you for what you are. You are part of me.

Sawubona, symbolises the importance of directing our attention to another person. It exists to remind us to understand others without prejudice.

In western culture, we say a hurried "Hello," and straight away move on to the subject we want to discuss.  The Zulu people promote the need to see each other slowly. They maintain eye contact.  They know how to feel and listen to another - how to embrace their soul.  How to trust one another.  How to place our full attention on another.

These are more than greetings.  They're ways to enlighten the other person by communicating how important they are to us.

  

SAWBONA really means "We see you" and you will respond by saying, "Yebo, sawubona" (yes, we see you too).  Why say "we" when it is just a single person greeting another.  In Zulu tradition, the "I" is a connection to an ancient lineage of ancestors who, are always with you.  So the greeting really means, "me and my ancestors see you," and your response means, "me and my ancestors see you too."  It is an invitation to deep witnessing and presence.

Who wouldn't want to be greeted this way?  

The giving to someone else of our full attention, is not only respectful, but also deeply loving.

*posted as received.

Attraction

Once Krishna and Arjuna were walking towards a village. Arjuna was pestering Krishna, asking him why Karna should be considered an unparallelled Donor & not him ?

Krishna, turned two mountains into gold. 

Then said,  "Arjuna, distribute these two gold mountains among villagers, but you must donate every bit of it ". 

Arjuna went into the village, and proclaimed he was going to donate gold to every villager, and asked them to gather near the mountain. The villagers sang his praises and Arjuna walked towards the mountains with a huffed up chest. 

For two days and two nights Arjuna shovelled gold from the mountain and donated to each villager. The mountains did not diminish in the slightest.

Most villagers came back and stood in queue within minutes. Now Arjuna was exhausted, but not ready to let go of his  Ego, told Krishna he couldn't go on any longer without rest. 

Then Krishna called Karna and told him to donate every bit of the two gold mountains.

Karna called the  villagers,  and said "Those two Gold mountains are yours. " and walked away.

Arjuna sat dumbfounded. Why hadn't this thought occurred to him? 

Krishna smiled mischievously and told him "Arjuna, subconsciously, you were attracted to the gold, you regretfully gave it away to each villager, giving them what you thought was a generous amount. Thus the size of your donation to each villager depended only on your imagination. 

Karna holds no such reservations. Look at him walking away after giving away a fortune, he doesn't expect people to sing his praises, he doesn't even care if people talk good or bad about him behind his back. That is the sign of a man already on the path of enlightenment".

Giving with an Expectation of a Return in the form of a Compliment or Thanks is not a Gift, then it becomes a Trade. 

Generosity is doing something for someone …

without expecting anything in return.

Re Routing

Have you noticed how Google Maps never yells, condemns or castigates you if you take the wrong turn?

It never raises its voice and says, “You were supposed to go LEFT at the last crossing, you idiot! Now you’re going to have to go the LONG way around and it’s going to take you SO much more time, and you’re going to be late for your meeting! Learn to pay attention and listen to my instructions, OK???”

 

IF it did that, chances are, a lot of us might stop using it. But Google simply Re-Routes and shows you the next best way to get there. *Its primary interest is in getting you to reach your goal, not in making you feel bad for having made a mistake.

There’s a great lesson… It’s tempting to unload our frustration and anger on those who have made a mistake, especially those we are close to & familiar with. But the wisest choice is to help in fixing the problem, not to blame. 

 

Have you had Re-Routing moments recently? With others, and also with your own self ?

😊😊

Joy of giving

I got on the bus. I got upset seeing the crowd inside. There was no place to sit. Just then, a person vacated his seat. The man standing next to the vacant seat could have sat there, but instead he offered me a seat.

The same thing happened again at the next stop. He gave his seat to another. This happened 4 times during the whole journey. The man seemed like a normal worker, returning home after a long day's work… At the last stop when we all got off, I talked to him.

"Why were you giving your seat to someone else every time you got a vacant seat.

His answer surprised me :

"I haven't studied much in my life and I don't know many things. I don't have much money, So I don't have much to give to anyone. That's why I do this everyday. This is something that I can do. I can do it easily.

I can stand for a while even after working all day. I gave my seat to you and you said *thank you*. It gives me satisfaction that I have done something for someone."

I do this on a daily basis and feel that I am contributing in some way. I come home every day refreshed and happy that I gave something to someone."

 

I was speechless!!!

        

The desire to do something for someone is the ultimate gift.

This stranger taught me a lot - How easy it is to become rich from within!

Beautiful clothes, lots of money in a bank account, expensive gadgets, accessories and luxuries or an educational degree - can't make you rich and happy; But a small act of giving is enough to make you feel rich and happy everyday.

#babasgyan #joyofgiving

Jar of grains...

A mouse was placed at the top of a jar filled with grains. It was so happy to find so much food around him that no longer he felt the need to run around searching for food.  Now he could happily live his life. After a few days of enjoying the grains, he reached the bottom of the jar.

Suddenly, he realize that he was trapped and he couldn't get out. He now has to fully depend on someone to put grains in the jar for him to survive.

He now has no choice but to eat what he's given. A slave to his situation. 

 A few lessons to learn from this:

1) Short term pleasures can lead to long-term traps.

2) If things come easy and you get comfortable, you are getting TRAPPED into dependency.

3) When you are not using your skills, you will lose more than your skills. You lose your CHOICES and FREEDOM.

4) Freedom does not come easy but can be lost quickly.  NOTHING comes easily in life and if it comes easily, maybe it is not worth it..

Don't curse your struggles, embrace them.  They are your blessings in disguise.

Seeds to Sow

A merchant from Baghdad entered a Sufi's shop, which had essence jars on the shelves.

Marveling at the beauty of the place, he asked, "Sir, what is sold here?"

The Sufi replied, "The gifts of God".

The merchant was surprised with the answer, & asked, "And how much do they cost?"

"Nothing, here all is for free", said the Sufi, observing carefully, that the traveller could see the labels: "Jugs of Love"; "Jars of Faith"; "Packages of Hope".

The merchant said, "A big jug of love, all the packages of hope & three jars of faith for me, my friends & my family".

The Sufi carefully prepared the order & handed him a small box.  

Surprised, the merchant exclaimed, "But, but.... how can everything I have asked for, be in this tiny box?"

Smiling, the Sufi replied, “In God's store, we do not sell fruits, only seeds. 

You have to sow them.

Changing Gears....

"If you are feeling stuck or frustrated, if your life is not moving fast enough (as fast as you would like it to), know that you are coursing on a ‘neutral’ gear....and it is time to shift gears.

As humans, we wish to move forward as fast as we can; but know that the neutral gear is giving you the necessary pause to assess if you are on the right path.

If you keep complaining about not moving fast enough, (and being stuck or frustrated), you are not using the neutral gear effectively. Perhaps, you are trying to move faster even before you have shifted the gears.

In any case, every gear has its speed limit; so after moving at a happy speed for a while, we begin to feel stuck and need to shift gears again – after an adequate neutral pause.

A seasoned driver uses the ‘neutral’ gear or the pauses of life rather efficiently, shifting the gears with flowing ease – without making any noise.

If your life is making a lot of noise, know that it is time to shift the gears. For every time, our life or our body makes a noise (whines, clanks, coughs, splutters, gets stuck or breaks down), it warns us that we are doing something wrong. Our discomfort tells us that it is time to get into the neutral in order to shift gears."

Joy

Since I was not using it for a long time, my old Moped (Pleasure scooty) was becoming obsolete. 

I thought why not resell it online. So I put out an advertisement, quoting its price at Rs 30,000/- only. 

There were many offers ranging from Rs 15,000 to Rs 28,000. I thought if people are willing to pay Rs 28,000, someone might be ready to pay Rs 30,000 as well. 

One person offered Rs 29,000 but I did not confirm and kept him waiting too. 

One morning a person called and said, 

"Hello Sir, I saw the advertisement for your moped and liked it too. I tried a lot to earn Rs 30,000 but have only been able to collect Rs 24,000 until now.

My son is in his final year of engineering. He has worked very hard. Sometimes he walks to his college, or uses a bicycle, and sometimes travels by bus or takes a lift from someone. I thought at least in his final year he should have his own vehicle. I request you Sir, please reserve your scooty for me.

A new one will cost more than twice as much. I would not be able to afford it at any cost. Please give me some time, I will arrange for the money. Selling my mobile phone will also get me some money. But I pray to you, please do not sell it to anyone else."

I just said a formal "Okay" and hung up.

Then a few thoughts came to mind, and I called him back. 

I said, "Don’t sell your mobile phone; just bring the Rs 24,000 tomorrow morning, and take the vehicle. I will sell it to you in Rs 24,000 itself."

So I was going to sell my scooty to an unknown person for Rs 24,000, even though I had an offer for Rs 29,000.  

I thought of how much pleasure or joy this must have brought to that family.

Tomorrow, they would have a ‘Pleasure’ scooter at home, and it wasn’t really causing much loss to me.

God has been gracious and given me a lot; the biggest wealth probably is the ability to help someone in need. May God keep this family happy.

The next morning he called at least 6-7 times. 

Sir, what time should I come?

I hope it will not disturb your schedule

Are you sure I should come now?

Shall I bring my son along, or should I come alone?

But Sir, please don’t give the vehicle to anyone else

He brought with him a collection of Rupee notes in various denominations – 2000, 500, 200, 100, and 50.

His son had also joined him. It seemed he had collected the money from a lot of different sources – maybe withdrawn savings or borrowed from many.  

The son was looking at the moped with great eagerness and gratitude. I handed him both the keys, and the documents. The son was gently running his hand over the vehicle, and wiping it with his handkerchief. 

He asked me to count the money, and I said, "It's okay, you must have counted and brought it."

As they started to leave, I took out Rs 500 and returned it to him saying, "Do take some sweets for your family."

I was wondering whether they would have any money for fuel. 

And in any case, then they could get both fuel and sweets with this money. With tears of gratitude in his eyes, he bid farewell to us and took away his ‘Pleasure’ (moped). 

Bowing down politely, he kept thanking me again and again till he left.

*Reflection*

It was on that day, while selling my Pleasure that I really understood the meaning of pleasure or joy.

We simply say ‘it's my pleasure’

At some occasions in life, one should not see profit or loss.

We should also consider if we are bringing joy to someone through our actions and dealings.

Cat

I have heard about a great warrior in Japan, a samurai, a very famous swordsman: One night when he came tired after the whole day’s fight in the fields and he was just going to fall into bed, he saw a rat. And the rat was looking at him ferociously! The samurai tried to kill the rat with his sword. He was one of the best swordsmen known, but somehow he missed. He hit many times, he broke his sword, and he could not kill the rat. He became really afraid: ”The rat seems to be very mysterious. This is no ordinary rat!”

He started, perspiring – he had never perspired. He had been a fighter his whole life and now a rat had defeated him. He ran out, asked his wife what to do. The wife said, ”You are a fool! You need not kill a rat. Have you ever heard of anybody killing a rat by a sword? You just take our cat inside.” And the cat was brought inside. It was no ordinary cat, it was the great warrior’s cat. She was also trained in many things; she was one of the most famous rat-catchers.She came with all her art, with all her skill.

She tried, but the rat was really extraordinary. He jumped exactly into her eyes! And the cat escaped out. She had never seen such a rat – attacking the cat?! And she was also trembling like the warrior. The warrior said, ”This is too much!” Then the king’s cat was called. She was a master cat, very well-known all over the country; of course, she was the king’s cat. The king’s cat came and she was also defeated by the rat. She went in, tried hard, used all her skill, but the rat was just too much.

Then the king’s cat suggested a cat she knew who was not famous at all. ”You have tried with famous cats, now you try with an ordinary one… just ordinary, plain ordinary.”

The warrior said, ”But what can a plain, ordinary cat do?”

The king’s cat said, ”You just try. I know this cat. She is so ordinary, she does not know a thing. The whole day she sleeps. But there is one thing about her: cats know, the whole country’s cats know that she is very mysterious. The mysterious thing is that she knows nothing about rats, rat-catching, the art, the technique, the methodology, the philosophy – she knows nothing; she has never been to any school or college or university. She is a plain, ordinary cat, but rats are so afraid of her!

Wherever she sleeps, no rat ever enters that house! Just her presence is enough. And she goes on sleeping, and nobody knows when she kills and how she kills.

”Once I went to that cat and I asked, ’What is your art?’ She simply looked at me, and she had no words to say, and she closed her eyes and went to sleep. And I woke her again and asked, ’What is your art?’.

She said, “I don’t know. I am a cat, that’s enough. A cat is a cat and IS MEANT to catch a rat. What art? What nonsense are you talking about?”

The cat was brought, and the samurai was not very hopeful because she was really very ordinary, just like any vagabond cat.

She came in, and without any skill she simply went in, caught hold of the rat and brought it out. All the cats gathered together and asked her, ”What is your art?” And she said, ”I don’t know any art. I am a cat! Is not that enough?”

That’s what I mean by being natural. Meditation will happen if you are natural – even before enlightenment. Meditation is your natural blooming;

 meditation is not something like an art, skill, performance. No, not at all. You need not go to any school to learn it. But you have been spoiled. Rats have been around you too much, and you have become afraid of the rats – not only afraid, you have started learning how to catch these rats.

 You have become very skillful, artificial; you know the know-how and that is your trouble.

 Your knowledge is your trouble.

Hands....

“Grandma, how do you cope with pain?”

“With your hands, honey. If you do it with your mind instead of relieving the pain, it toughens even harder.”

“With your hands grandma?”

“Yes, our hands are the antennae of our soul. If you move them; knitting, cooking, painting, playing or sinking them into the ground, you send care signs to the deepest part of you and your soul lights up because you’re paying attention to it. Then signs of pain will no longer be necessary.”

“Hands are really that important?”

“Yes my daughter. Think of babies: they start to know the world through the touch of their hands. If you look at the hands of old people, they tell you more about their life then any body part. Everything that is done by hand is said to be done with the heart. Because it’s really like this: hands and heart are connected. Masseurs know well: when they touch someone with their hands, they create a deep connection. It is precisely from this connection that healing comes. Think of lovers: when they touch their hands, they make love in a more sublime way.”

“My hands grandma.... how long I haven’t used them like this!”

“Move them, my love. Begin to create with them and everything within you will begin to move. The pain will not pass away. And instead what you do with them will become the most beautiful masterpiece and it won’t hurt anymore. Because you have been able to transform its essence.”

Enjoy Life

An old man lived in the village. He was one of the most unfortunate people in the world. The whole village was tired of him; he was always gloomy, he constantly complained and was always in a bad mood.

The longer he lived, the more bile he was becoming and the more poisonous were his words. People avoided him, because his misfortune became contagious. It was even unnatural and insulting to be happy next to him.

He created the feeling of unhappiness in others.

But one day, when he turned eighty years old, an incredible thing happened. Instantly everyone started hearing the rumour: “An Old Man is happy today, he doesn’t complain about anything, smiles, and even his face is freshened up.”

The whole village gathered together. The old man was asked:

Villager: What happened to you?

“Nothing special. Eighty years I’ve been chasing happiness, and it was useless. And then I decided to live without happiness and just enjoy life. That’s why I’m happy now.” – An Old Man

Moral of the story: Don’t chase happiness. Enjoy your life.

Wolf Pack

The first 3 are the old & sick, they walk in front to set the pace of the entire pack. 

The next 5 are the strongest & best, they are tasked to protect the front side if there is an attack. 

In the center are the rest of the pack members, always protected from any attack. 

Then the 5 also among the strongest are following, protecting the back side. 

Last is alone, the alpha. The LEADER. 

He controls everything from the rear, ensures that no one is left behind. He is always ready to run in any direction to protect, and serves as the 'bodyguard' to the entire group. 

Just in case anyone wanted to know what it really means to be a leader. It is not about being out front. It means taking care of the team.

Focus...

Apollo 13 is a movie worth watching. Or, if you have already seen it, worth watching again. 

The movie, starring Tom Hanks and Ed Harris, tells the story of NASA’s aborted moon mission in 1970. An explosion in the spaceship's oxygen tanks put the astronauts' lives in danger, forcing the crew to try to make their way back to earth again without landing on the moon.

The tag line for the movie is, "Houston, we have a problem." It's a good line for a movie blurb and captures the danger and the drama in the situation well. 

But the line that truly turned the situation around was a question that NASA Mission Control Director, Gene Kraz, asked right after the explosion in the oxygen tanks:  

 

"What have we got in that ship that's still good?"

That is perhaps the best question to ask at a time when everything has gone overwhelmingly wrong!

Focusing only on the enormity and unexpectedness of disaster can paralyse us into despair and inaction. But identifying and focusing on what is still working and within our control empowers us to find solutions - sometimes in the most unexpected ways!

By asking, "What have we got in that ship that's good?" Mission Control and the Apollo 13 astronauts figured out a way to keep everyone on board alive by building makeshift CO2 filters using containers and duct tape aboard the ship that managed to expel carbon dioxide from the ship and get the astronauts back safely to earth.

Apollo 13’s astronauts survived because Mission Control asked the right question. Perhaps this is a good time to ask ourselves similar questions: 

• What do we have in our lives that is still good? 

• What is still working that we can build on, regardless of what has gone wrong? 

• What are our strengths? 

• What is the next thing we can do? 

Focusing on finding answers to those questions can help us find the strength and solutions we need in difficult and trying times.

* Posted as received...if any offence, will remove it.

Play the battle drums...

A king had many elephants, but one elephant was very powerful, very obedient, sensible and skillful in fighting skills. In many wars, he was sent on the battlefield and he used to return only after getting victory to the king. Therefore, he was the most loved elephant of the king. Time went by and there came a time when the elephant started getting old. Now he was not able to perform as before. Therefore, now the kings did not even send him to the battlefield but still remain a part of his team.

One day the elephant went to the lake to drink water, but his feet got stuck in the mud there and then went on sinking. He tried a lot, but he could not remove himself from the mud. People came to know from the sound of his screams that the elephant was in trouble. The news of the trapping of the elephant also reached the king. All the people, including the king, gathered around the elephant and made various efforts to get him out. But after trying for a long time, there was no way out. 

At that time, a old wise retired minister from the kings court was passing by seeing the king and the croud he thought of stopping and seeing what was tha matter. 

After a quick first inspection and speaking to the king he suggested to the king that the battle drums should be played around the lake. 

The listeners felt bizarre how the trapped elephant would come out by playing the drums. As soon as the drums of war started ringing, so did the change in the gesture of that troubled elephant.

At first, the elephant slowly stood up and then came out of the mud on his own, shocking everyone.

Reflection....

There was no lack of physical ability  in the elephant, only the need to infuse enthusiasm within  

To maintain enthusiasm in life, it is necessary that humans maintain purposeful thinking & mindset and do not let despair dominate

In today’s challenging times  we all need to infuse ourselves & people around us with Hope & enthusiasm by playing the battle drums that we will again Celebrate Abundance of good health, Joy & Happiness tomorrow

Stop asking people how is tough times treating them instead share the happy moments and what interesting things are happening around u

Make sure the battle drums are played to declare not that a war has started but the victory in the battle of difficult times with the support of awesome people like you around.

Hope

The “HOPE” Experiment :

During a brutal study at Harvard in the 1950s, Dr. Curt Richter placed rats in a pool of water to test how long they could tread water.

On average they'd give up and sink after 15 minutes.

But right before they gave up due to exhaustion, the researchers would pluck them out, dry them off, let them rest for a few minutes - and put them back in for a second round.

In this second try - how long do you think they lasted?

Remember - they had just swam until failure only a few short minutes ago...

How long do you think?

Another 15 minutes?

10 minutes?

5 minutes?

No!

60 hours!

That's not an error.

That's right! 60 hours of swimming.

The conclusion drawn was that since the rats BELIEVED that they would eventually be rescued, they could push their bodies way past what they previously thought impossible.

I will leave you with this thought:

If hope can cause exhausted rats to swim for that long, what could a belief in yourself and your abilities, do for you.

Everything will be fine. Keep hope and keep fighting

Stone in pulav

In a restaurant, one well-known chef cooked  very tasty pulav using high quality rice. As soon as the pulav was ready, its aroma spread all over. Everyone's mouth started watering.

Now they were all eager to taste the pulav. About a hundred people were served the pulav.

Just when every one was about to take the first bite & put it in their mouth, the  chef came and said that there is a small stone in the pulav. As it was of the same color and size of the rice grain, he couldn't find it. He said as it may come in anybody's plate he would want them to be carefull while eating & the stone might injure them if it comes in between the teeth.

The flavor of the pulav is  good.... the taste is also great but now the fun of eating has gone. Everyone was like forcefully swallowing one bite after other without paying attention to the taste while eating. The more they became aware, there was no talk, no gossip among them. All were quite & silent. Before the start of the meal it was fun to be together. Now even though they were together, one by one, they fell into a trance. Everyone ate until the end. Even the last bite was taken carefully.

After completing the meal everyone sighed relief for not getting the stone.  They washed their hands. Just then, someone noticed that no one got the stone.

Then they called the chef &  asked him 'you had said that one of us will get the stone while eating!

The chef said 'I had removed most of the stones, but if there was one left by mistake, I wanted to warn you.

They started looking at each other. There was no discussion about the very delicious pulav. Everyone was exhausted after the meal, because the ease of eating had gone.  They had found it was so hard to eat !!

Due to this pandemic at present, our condition has become like the stone in the pulav. It is not possible to say who will get this stone.

Ease of living is gone. Even  the helping hand which comes forward, we think will get Corona? Milkman, vegetable vendor, grocer,... while buying every necessities of life, we are worrying  what will come with it & this is how we are living our lives.

But it is a humble request not to let your happy life become useless like the delicious pulav.

Don't read negative news, posts. Read  motivating posts, information,  books. Cultivate hobbies and buy happiness in kilos & tonnes just from youself.

Time to return..

A man went to the king. Said he was poor,

he has nothing, he needs help. The king 

was kind. He asked: What help is needed?

The man said: a little plot. The king said:

Come here tomorrow morning at sunrise. Run as far as you can run, that whole plot is yours. But remember, from where you start running, you have to come back by sunset, otherwise you will get nothing!

The man was happy & excited. He started running at sunrise.. kept running & running; the sun had climbed overhead.. but the man did not stop running.. a little more 

hard work.. then rest for whole life!

Evening was about to come and the man remembered, he has to return, otherwise he will not get anything! He saw he had come far away.. now he had to return.. but how would he return..? The sun had turned towards the west.. the man had full breath.. he could have returned.. but time was passing fast.. a little more strength to be put.. he started running at full speed.. but now he felt tired.. and he dropped dead.!

The king was watching it all. He went with his colleagues where the man fell on the ground and looked at him carefully and said:

*He only needed few yards of land. He was running so much without any reason!*

The man wanted to return.. but could not return.. he returned there, from where 

no one comes back!

Now imagine by putting yourself in place of that man, if we are not making the same mistake that he did. We don't know the limit of our desires. Our needs are limited, but our desires are infinite! We do not prepare to return in the fascination of acquiring more. And when we do, it is too late! 

Then we have nothing left.

I was involved in the race of life, where did I reach till today? Where do I have to go & how long do I have to reach? If I keep running like this, where & how long will I reach? We are all running without realizing that the sun returns in time. Even Abhimanyu did not know about returning. We are all Abhimanyus. We also 

do not know how to return!

The truth is that.. 

*Those who know how to return*

*they know how to live, but..* 

*it is not that easy to return.*

I wish that character of Tolstoy's

story could have returned in time!

I pray to God that we all return! May we all get the conscience, strength and decision to return. 

May everyone be blessed.

Life is one time...

Most of the people are just breathing through their life because to live one’s life, one should live very moment with zeal, enthusiasm and anticipation that the next moment will be even better than before. What people do is, live in the regrets, and ignore the little joys of life, wait to celebrate big achievements. It is small everyday moments and little achievements that bring more happiness. Once you start seeing them, you will start loving and living your life. To live your life fully, you must make the most of every moment of your life because when you make the most, you will feel successful and celebrate it every day.

Train Train

Nearby, a building construction work was going on. Lots of poor  labourers were working there and their small  children used to hold onto one another's shirt and play "train-train". Someone would become the engine and others would become bogies. Every day these children used to take turns becoming the engine and bogies ... 

But there was  one small boy wearing only a half pant who used to hold one small green cloth in his hand and become the guard daily.  

Once I went to him and asked him .."beta, don't u also wish to become an engine or a bogie some time ? 

He softly replied .." Sir , I don't have a shirt to wear so how will the other children catch me to make the train? 

I could see 

the slight wetness in his eyes. 

It gave me a lesson

He could have cried and stayed at home and abused his parents for not affording to buy him a shirt. But instead he chose another way to play and enjoy. 

*Debrief*

In life, we don't get all things we desire and we keep complaining....I don't have a bike,  I don't have car, I don't have this or that etc. 

Life is like that....we need to make it beautiful and be satisfied with what we have.

Criticism

A Teacher was writing table of 5 on the board:

5X1=3

5X2=10

5X3=15

5X4=20

5X5=25

5X6=30

5X7=35

5X8=40

5X9=45

5X10=50

After writing she turned back towards students and found that everybody was laughing at her. On asking the reason for laugh, couple of students got up and told:

Ma’am- first line of the table is wrong…It should be 5

Hearing this Teacher (smiling) explained “I wrote the first line wrong on purpose, because I wanted you to learn something important. This was for you to learn how the real world will treat you. I wrote 9 correct lines but nobody congratulated me but one mistake and everybody pointed at it.

Moral: The world will never appreciate billion right things you do but will criticize for one wrong doing. Therefore, never ever get disheartened if somebody criticizes you. Take it positive and rise above all criticisms.

Crossing the river

A Baba was sitting on the bank of the river, Someone asked

what are you doing Baba ?

Baba said:

I am waiting for the whole river to flow, then I will cross it.

That person said,

Baba you will never be able to cross the river while waiting for the whole water to flow.That can't happen !

Baba  said, this is what I want to explain to you : 

people who always say that once the responsibilities of life are fulfilled that I will have fun.

Have fun, roam around, meet everyone, serve.

Just like the water of the river will never end, the responsibilities of life never end.

We have to find a way to cross the water,So start living life in fun.

Richness

When a billionaire in a telephone interview, was asked by the radio presenter, "Sir what can you remember made you a happiest man in life?"

Billionaire said:

"I have gone through four stages of happiness in life and finally I understood the meaning of true happiness."

The first stage was to accumulate wealth and means. But at this stage I did not get the happiness I wanted.

Then came the second stage of collecting valuables and items. But I realized that the effect of this thing is also temporary and the lustre of valuable things does not last long.

Then came the third stage of getting big projects. That  was when I was holding 95% of diesel supply in Nigeria and Africa. I was also the largest vessel owner in Africa and Asia. But even here I did not get the happiness I had imagined.

The fourth stage was the time a friend of mine asked me to buy wheelchair for some disabled children. Just about 200 kids.

At the friend's request, I immediately bought the wheelchairs.

But the friend insisted that I go with him and hand over the wheelchairs to the children. I got ready and went with him.

There I gave these wheel chairs to these children with my own hands. I saw the strange glow of happiness on the faces of these children. I saw them all sitting on the wheelchairs, moving around and having fun.

It was as if they had arrived at a picnic spot where they are sharing a jackpot wining.

I felt REAL joy inside me. When I decided to leave one of the kids grabbed my legs. I tried to free my legs gently but the child stared at my face and held my legs tightly.

I bent down and asked the child: Do you need something else?

The answer this child gave me not only made me happy but also changed my attitude to life completely. This child said:

"I want to remember your face so that when I meet you in heaven, I will be able to recognize you and thank you once again"

What would you be remembered for after you leave that office or place?

Will anyone desire to see your face again where it all matters?