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.