Moral

The voice that emanated from the being in white (or was it just bright light) was neither friendly nor hostile. It seemed neutral as it spoke out.

“Ah! Sorry for the slight inconvenience of the process called “death” but I hope the journey up till now wasn’t that bad?

The souls alive and alight waited for his next words.

” Well from here you have to enter the portal to the next void- the ultimate destination. But before that I have to ensure that you are free from the worries and attachment of the life that you have left behind… So come forward and speak up. If it can be dealt here, then you will be let through, if not then you will have to wait until you are ready for it. ”

One spoke from amongst the crowd. It was a mother.

“I…I am worried about my children. I can’t seem to forget them”

The voice sighed.”That is sad. With such a huge worry on yourself, you will never be able to enter the portal. I am afraid you have to wait”

A second soul came forward.

“I have no such issues my Lord.”It was a holy soul.

“But you do have a question, don’t you?”The LORD countered.

“Oh my Lord! My quest has always been about you, of seeking you, seeking knowledge- the divine truth, the secret of the universe.”

“Ah my friend. I am flattered that you seek me, that you seek knowledge, but that is a big quest to let go easily. Unfortunately, you have to wait for some more time for your quest to be fulfilled and the truth to dawn upon you”

And so it happened that the LORD patiently heard them all.

There was this avenging wife who in a fit of jealousy had ended her life after coming to know of his many affairs.

The lover who had sworn eternal love and one who would rather wait for his love than pass through.

The murder victim who wanted justice.

The self righteous assassinated political leader whose ego followed him to the doors of heaven

-All of them with ‘baggage’ of their previous life which prevented them from passing through.

And then the LORD saw the little one.

“Ah very sad! “He said.”Not a day older than six ”

“Yes my lad! Come forward. Do you also wish to ask me …something?”The LORD hesitated for the first time.

“Yes!” the boy whispered “Can I meet Tuffy my dog? He died last year”

The LORD smiled and relieved, he exclaimed.

“Of course my dear! …Let the boy through” he boomed at the portal.

Moral of the story- KISS- keep it simple and sweet. (IT being referred to life)

The train has started moving. It is packed with people of all ages, mostly working men and women and young college guys and gals. Near the window, sat an old man with his 30-year-old son.

As the train moves, the son is overwhelmed with joy because he is thrilled by the scenery outside.

"See dad, the scenery of green trees moving away is very beautiful."
This behavior from the thirty-year-old son made the other people on the train feel strange about him. Everyone started murmuring something or other about this son.

"This guy seems to be a crack," newly married Anup whispered to his wife.
Suddenly it started raining. Raindrops fell on the travelers through the opened window. The thirty-year-old, filled with joy said, “See dad, how beautiful the rain is…"

Anup’s wife became irritated with the raindrops, as they were dropping on her new suit and spoiling it.

"Anup, can’t you see it’s raining? You Old man! If your son is not feeling well, get him to a mental asylum soon and don’t disturb the public henceforth."

The old man hesitated first and then in a low tone replied, "We are on the way back from hospital. My son was discharged this morning. He was blind at birth. Only last week he regained his vision. Rain and nature are new to his eyes. Please forgive us for the inconvenience caused."

— Author Unknown —

The things we see may be right, from our perspective, until we know the truth. But, when we know the truth, our reaction to that will hurt even us. So try to understand the problem better before taking a harsh action.

Most problems in our life, our nation, our world arises from our refusal to see a situation in another’s perspective. We take a stock of the situation upon how we see it – in an unidirectional approach. The same situation could be different from another point of view so unless we open our mind, thought, approach to all the possibilities and accommodate various faces of a same problem/situation – we tend to have simmering tensions and unnecessary differences existing in this world.

The Beginning

Jyoti and Jeevan were ready to explore their new world. Jyoti the ever calm, ever obedient, unfazed. Jeevan full of life, curious, adventurous and volatile but well meaning. Prakriti’s offspring were well brought up and hardly went wrong.

The moment had come for their great journey – a learning experience as their mother had explained.

“Ok my dear children! Time for you to set off. Just remember the rules- No straying. Stay on course and observe. You are to return by Dusk. You will find many like yourself. Many temptations, many new experiences but ultimately you are to remain focused and observe as much as you can without causing harm to any being or yourself. You are to earn your bread by nurturing the plant that I will be giving you both , as soon as you reach midway after your orientation You are to help anyone in need but finally you are to return to me, here and nowhere else.”

“O mother why are you sending us away? Have I disappointed you in any way? Let me stay here with you. I have no fascination nor any urge for the outside world. You are my world. You are my every thing” Jyoti the obedient was desolate to leave her mother

“I know my dearest, but this journey is essential. Call it the law of nature! To be taken at least once”

“I am ready mother. What surprise do you have in store for us?” ever effervescent Jeevan asked eagerly.

“Your enthusiasm is good but you should practice some self restraint too, It will do you good” said his mother ruffling his hair lovingly.

Dawn

So Jeevan and Jyoti set off on their great journey -The journey that has to be taken at least once. They were amazed with the magnificent sights that they came across. Magical sights that seem to awe and fascinate them at once. Sights that beckoned them to get lost in their intensity. The sunrise, the vast ocean, the rain soaked woods, beautiful flowers, rustling brook, awe inspiring mountains, and colorful birds. Both of them were awed by what they saw, but Jyoti checked herself and tried to disinterest herself from them, remembering her mother. She missed her mother and remembering her loving face soothed her restlessness. She concentrated on the path ahead of her and tried to remind her brother about their mission. But Jeevan was completely immersed in the scenes around him. He sang with the birds, smelled the flowers, and gazed at the mountains and the sun. He had not forgotten his mother. He thanked his mother for sending him here to experience it. No matter how moved he was by everything, he did not stray away from the path and he carried on with a light heart and springy steps. Everything was smooth till now.

Morning

A little later, the sun had become hotter and the sights becoming stranger. They found themselves in one of many parallel courses. Some remained remain parallel throughout, some intersecting and merging and then again diverting after some distance. They found many children like them in these paths in various form of activities at stages. Some playing, some crying, some talking in a group, some totally running away from their path. For some, their paths took a sharp turn to enter homes. Children waving goodbyes to others. Both were totally confused at the chaotic activities going around them. By then they had started feeling hungry. So they took out their plants and started watering it, fertilizing it. At some distance they saw some other children doing the same too. After sometime their fruits of labor began to show and show it did… the amount of their labor. If they had worked hard the fruits were large, but if not, then it was obvious what they had. Wasn’t it? Some sighed, some cribbed about their mothers for handing out bad plants, and some tried to redo it again while the fortunate ones relished them. Both their plants had yielded good fruits and they were quite delighted, when, they chanced upon a crying child. Her fruits had accidentally fallen down in the river in a moment of negligence and she had none to have now. Jyoti calmly gave a portion of her share and advised the child to be careful in future but she did not stay back to converse with her. Jeevan was sorry for the child and immediately befriended her whose name was Maya and out they set together. They played together, laughed at silly games, cried when they fell, helped an injured bird and continued their journey behind Jyoti who was in a hurry to meet her mother.

Noon

At a point they came upon a diversion. Jyoti knew the road was straight ahead, but Maya set off the other way. Jeevan was tempted to go after her but he knew he couldn’t. He pleaded her to stay but to no avail. He wailed, wept and was utterly devastated, but after crying his heart out, he straightened up and continued with his journey, determined and wiser. They came upon many children whose path intersected for a while with theirs. Jyoti was polite but she befriended none. She helped when needed, advised when asked but she had only her mother foremost in her mind. Jeevan as animated as before, was friendlier of the two. He laughed with them, joined them in their grief, played with them, became angry when he saw someone behaving unfairly, helped the needy and was sorry when they had to part but it was not devastating for him anymore. He met Sangini who was very fond of him and promised to stay beside him till he reached home She was true to her word. She was beside him at every moment helping him… Lending him a shoulder to lean on when he was tired. Finally he felt calmness descended in his life along with the setting sun with the coming of Sangini.

Dusk

Jyoti fervently started remembering her mother with the approaching end of their journey. She was inwardly elated that ultimately she will be with her mother. She cared for nothing other than being with her mother. But Jeevan was in turmoil. Of course he was glad that he will finally see his mother but what about Sangini? He had so less time with her. Will he meet her ever again? Was this the end of their journey together? They wept at their impending separation and held each other’s hand willing it otherwise. Why did it have to end this way? He looked up at his sister Jyoti and thought how lucky she was not to be attached with anyone, but was she. ..Though momentarily, he had come across his soul mate Sangini, he was happy to have met her and would never let go of the experience if it could be repeated…If only she could be with him even after this…

The End

Finally they came to the end of their journey! They both reached the threshold of their home- their world. He watched Sangini walk by to her onward journey with a heavy heart and tearful eyes, never to know if they will ever meet again.

Their mother met them at the door. A strange peace pervaded them. Both hugged their mother and all their exhaustion and worries were swept away.

“Oh mother! How I have waited for this moment.” Jyoti exclaimed. “I want to never be away from you. Never let me go I beg of you. !”

“No my children! The ordeal is over and now we will be walking off together to the Great Door to be together forever!”

“Mother!” Jeevan held her back and softly said, “Mother I have a question for you” his eyes downcast.

Prakriti bent down and holding up his chin asked “Yes my son? Something seems to trouble you”

“Mother, don’t get me wrong! I love you and you are the essence of my being but I seem to be wanting to go back their again. With all the hardships and sorrows I faced I still miss them- the sights, the experiences, the exhilaration of being successful as a planter, my companions…and Sangini. I know I could not stay focused like Jyoti and I laughed with the brook, ran with the wind, sang with the birds and played with my friends. I harmed none. I helped when I could. I fell down a couple of times too. But I stayed in the path and never strayed. Now I remember everything and wish for them. You are the most important and I know that mother, but why cannot I curb these thoughts of longing ?I had indulged my senses there, I had attached myself, Now I long for them – them with all the good and bad, does that make me vile? Now that it is time to go through the great door, I am experiencing doubts, does that make me a failure? When that was supposed to be a learning experience, why do I feel that I learned nothing except to question you this- what ultimately was the purpose in sending us there-Does this make me a rebel? Jyoti is the enlightened one of the two of us. She can see happiness beyond even unseeingly. But I, O mother relate only with things I feel, I experience even if they are illusions… I feel moved by them, uplifted by an unknown feeling called love. attachment. Maybe you will say I have my eyes shut and shunned to The Light of Knowledge but this is the way I am. Does this make me fall from your grace, O mother”?

Author’s Note: Well I don’t know what Mother said and nor do I hope to know it in my lifetime (maybe because I doubt if anyone can know this for sure in one’s lifetime) but if anybody can complete this story then you are welcome because my imagination could not go beyond this. Otherwise it is entirely a work of my imagination and bears no semblance to sanity. I do not wish to contradict nor propagate any stream of thought by this nor does this article show any disrespect to anyone’s opinion. If unknowingly I have hurt anybody’s sentiments, then I apologize profusely for the same.

Managing Stress
Swami Sukhabodhananda

One youngster comes to me very depressed and asks this question "Why is God creating so many difficulties for us? How to handle stress?" I tell this youngster to reflect on this beautiful story:

A man goes to a shop, picks up a beautiful cup and says "my god this cup is so beautiful" and suddenly the cup starts talking to the man. The cup starts saying "O man, I am beautiful right now, but what was the state of my being before the pot-maker made me a beautiful pot?

Before I was sheer mud and the pot-maker pulled me out of the mud from the mother earth and I felt why that pot-maker is so cruel, he has separated me from mother earth. I felt a tremendous pain. And the pot-maker said, "Just wait." Then he put me and churned me, when I was churned I felt so giddy, so painful, so stressful, I asked the pot-maker "Why are you so cruel?" the pot-maker said, "Just wait." Then he put me into a oven and heated me up, I felt completely burnt. There was tremendous pain and I asked the pot-maker "Why are you so cruel?" and the pot-maker said, "Just wait."

Then he poured hot paint on me and I felt the fume and the pain, I again asked the pot-maker "Why are you so cruel?" and the pot-maker said, "Just wait." Then again he put me into an oven and heated it to make me more strong, I felt life is so painful hence pleaded the pot-maker and the pot-maker said, "Just wait." And after that the pot-maker took me to the mirror and said, "Now look at yourself". And surprisingly I found myself so beautiful.

When god gives us lot of trouble, it appears god is very cruel but we need patience and we have to wait. When bad things happen to good people, they become better and not bitter.

So, all difficulties are part of a cosmic design to make us really beautiful. We need patience, we need understanding, we need the commitment to go through in a very calm and wise way. So, all difficulties are not to tumble us but to humble us.
With this understanding, let us not be against difficulty. Understand difficulty is a part of a purifying process. A purifying process at present which we cannot understand and hence we need faith and we need trust.

Let us understand how to handle stress with this background. You can be affected by stress from two angles. There is an internal stress and there is an external stress. Nobody can avoid stress; one has to only manage stress. Managing stress can be internal and also external.

The internal stress is; your thoughts can create stress, your values can create stress, and your beliefs can create stress, meaning thereby your stress is coming from your mind more from the outer world. Many people suffer not from heart attack – they suffer from thought-attack.

For example, when somebody says you are an idiot, we get so hurt, we get so victimized. My boss has called me an idiot and I am feeling tremendous pain. Now where does this stress come from? If my boss has called me an idiot, I have to ask myself "am I an idiot"?

If I am an idiot nothing to be upset about; and if I am not an idiot, then also nothing to be upset about! It is the perception of the boss. But why do we suffer from that stress? I suffer not because my boss has called me an idiot but because of the thought-attack.

I may say the boss has called me an idiot; therefore I am suffering? It is true that the words are unpleasant. But what hurts is the interpretation of the unpleasant word. The thought in me interprets. That is pain and therefore it becomes pain. Much of our stress is our mind interpreting it as pain. So we suffer from thought-attack more than heart attack.

Long Long ago there lived a Saint  who lived in utter simplicity in his mountain monastery with a few disciples. One night, a young monk felt a new sensation in his meditation on his knee. Something warm, pulsating, loving… and… furry? He looked down and saw a cat scratching his knee. The tail flicked against his face again. The cat turned and rubbed his head on his knee, purring loudly. Gently pushing it away, the monk settled back into his meditation. Unruffled, the cat wound himself around the next disciple, to be again pushed away.

No matter how many doors and windows they closed, the cat always found its way into the meditation room. After a month of this torture by the cat, the disciples had enough. They put a nice embroidered collar on him and attached it with a long lead to a pillar in the temple. They gave him a silk pillow, and every day they would feed him, stroke him, and play with him. The cat was very content with his new arrangement.

A few years later, the Saint died. A young Saint from a different area was installed, and life resumed its peaceful rhythm. The new Saint did notice that a black cat was always tied to the northern pillar of the great monastery, surrounded by choice offerings and sitting on an ornate silk pillow. Not wanting to look ignorant, he did not ask anyone about its presence, and assumed that it was a tradition of the monastery.When the cat died, the abbot ordered another black cat to be found to take its place, and installed with full honor.

Over time, all the disciples who had known why the first cat was tied to the pillar died. The successive generations of monks gradually forgot the utilitarian purpose of tying the cat to the pillar. Yet the tradition lived on and flourished for centuries. The original collar was reverently worshipped as a relic. Books of theological commentaries were written on the spiritual significance of tying a black cat to the northern pillar.

Legends of miraculous healings due to the intercession of the holy cat were compiled and studied devotedly. Trinkets and memorabilia were being mass produced. Business had never been better.

Comment : This tale is not a sarcastic attack on religion, as some would think. Yet it does point out what inevitably has happened in all organized religions

So Pink is in air literally this Valentine ! Am not talking about any valentine fashion show. This valentine is war of under wears and 6 yard fabric both in pink shade though.

It all started few weeks back when some 40 odd self styled goondas stormed into a pub in mangalore and thrashed the girls enjoying their drinks inside , all in the name of safe guarding “Indian Culture” . Well , someone remind those guys that first of all beating women is not part of our Indian culture  but who will bell the cat ? Not atleast the ruling BJP government of the state. Yeddiyurappa is no Narendra Modi , lets face it , so we have a leadership who inspite of the majority position in assembly is rather timid and cautious in reacting towards this culture goondas.

So valentine spirit is politicized. The love day is turned into a bitter day. Reason ? Valentine culture is not our Indian culture. Damn it ! A culture that gave the world a complete treatise on sex in the form of Kamasutra and illustrated in the paintings of Ajanta , ellora and sculpted in various temples spread across India and notably Khajuraho is now been traumatised for valentine spirit of  love by some self styled moral brigade.

Ok , so how do some youth of India try to counter those ” self appointed guardians of Indian culture ” ? Some one came up with a whacky idea of presenting pink chaddis ( underwear) to those “Culture guardians” !!! The idea caught the fancy of the media ( can they afford to miss such a glamorous news !! ) and soon more people joined in , there are collection boxes for pink chaddis ! Inky pinky ponky !

Not to be outwitted , the opposition decided to send a return gift for all those lovely lasses giving them pink chaddi ! So we have pink saris being readied to be given as return gift ! Wow ! Quiet entertaining isn’t it ?!!

All is PINK  in love and war !!! Right ?!

Lessons on Life

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge
things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look
at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in
summer, and the youngest son in the fall.

When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe
what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son
said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise.

The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so
sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping
with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they
had each seen but only one season in the tree’s life.

He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season,
and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come
from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it’s winter, you will miss the promise of your spring,
the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall.

Moral:

Don’t let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.
Don’t judge life by one difficult season.
Persevere through the difficult patches
and better times are sure to come some time or later

Mountain Story

“A son and his father were walking on the mountains.
Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: “AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”
To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: “AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”
Curious, he yells: “Who are you?”
He receives the answer: “Who are you?”
And then he screams to the mountain: “I admire you!”
The voice answers: “I admire you!”
Angered at the response, he screams: “Coward!”
He receives the answer: “Coward!”
He looks to his father and asks: “What’s going on?”
The father smiles and says: “My son, pay attention.”
Again the man screams: “You are a champion!”
The voice answers: “You are a champion!”
The boy is surprised, but does not understand.
Then the father explains: “People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE.
It gives you back everything you say or do.
Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.

 
If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart.
If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence.
This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life;
Life will give you back everything you have given to it.”

YOUR LIFE IS NOT A COINCIDENCE. IT’S A REFLECTION OF YOU!”

Get Inspired

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by.

Although the other man could! n’t hear the band – he could see it. In his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside.

He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.

It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.

The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.

She said, “Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.”

Epilogue:

There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations.

Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled.

If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can’t buy.

“Today is a gift, that’s why it is called the present.”

Power of words

A group of Frogs were traveling through the woods,
and two of them fell into a deep pit.
All the other Frogs gathered around the pit.
When they saw how deep the pit was,
they told the two Frogs that they were as good as dead.

The two Frogs ignored the comments and tried
to jump up out of the pit with all of their might.
The other Frogs kept telling them to stop,
that they were as good as dead.

Finally, one of the Frogs took heed
to what the other Frogs were saying and gave up.
He fell down and died.

The other Frog continued to jump as hard as he could.
Once again, the crowd of Frogs yelled at him
to stop the pain and just die.
He jumped even harder and finally made it OUT.

You see this Frog was deaf, unable to hear the others plea.
He thought they were Encouraging him the entire time.

An Encouraging Word to someone who is down
can Lift Them Up
and help them make it through the day.

A Destructive Word to someone who is down
can be what it takes to kill them.

Be Careful of what you Say.
Speak Life to those who cross your path.

The Power of Words
It is sometimes hard to understand
that an Encouraging Word
can go such a long way

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P.S

Thanks to Sambitesh for sharing this story.