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.