Wednesday, April 29, 2009

How To Dance In The Rain

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his
80's,arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb.

He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.

I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be
Over an hour before someone would be able to see him.

I saw him looking at his watch, and decided, since I was not busy
With another patient, I would evaluate his wound.

On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got
The needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another
Doctor's' appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry.

The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home
To eat breakfast with his wife.

I inquired as to her health; he told me that she had been there for
A while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's Disease.

As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late.

He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not
Recognized him in five years now.

I was surprised, and asked him, 'And you still go every morning,
Even though she doesn't know who you are'?

He smiled as he patted my hand and said, 'She doesn't know me, but
I still know who she is'.

I had to hold back tears as he left; I had goose bumps on my arm,
And thought, 'That is the kind of love I want in my life'.

QUOTE

True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an
Acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.


The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
They just make the best of everything they have.

I hope you share this with someone you care about. I just did.

'Life isn't about how to survive the storm,
But how to dance in the rain'

RADHA

Radha was very special to Krishna... Here is one of the most beautiful stories about Radha that i know:

Much after Vrindavan, when Krishna was relaxing with his many wives, Rukmini his head wife threw a tantrum... All the time i hear Radhe Krishna, Radhe Govind... she is not even married to you... how come no one sings about Rukmini, or for that matter any of the other of your wives?! Whats wrong with us?... etc, etc smile.gif

Krishna listened patiently and then suddenly held his head and complained of a head ache. Now Rukmini felt sorry, and became all loving and docile again... but the head ache refused to go... Each wife had her own suggestion about what to do... some pressed feet, others did some aroma therapy, still others made pastes from herbs... 16000+ cures were presented, none worked, his head ache only grew worse...

Narada the travelling Muni then made an appearance (Besides being a Muni, he was also something of a doctor) and he examined Krishna, felt his pulse, etc and then proclaimed that Krishna was suffering from a very rare type of a headache... one that could only be cured by a Beloved of Krishna putting his or her foot on Krishna's head... Krishna was in bed moaning softly, and the wives and the courtiers of the palace had a conference... They were all beloved of Krishna, but none dared to put their foot on the Lord's head, doing so would mean an eternity in Hell! and they were pondering and wondering what to do...

... and the news reached Radha in Vrindavan about Krishna's ill health and she rushed to his palace and when appraised of everything, asked immidiately to be taken to Krishna, she would happily put her foot on His head... Rukmini, the other wives and the rest of the palace was aghast at her quick decision... Rukmini herself told her that if she Radha did that, she would burn in hell forever...


If my Lord gets even one second of relief from his pain, then i will willingly go to hell forever said Radha as she ran to her Krishna and put her foot on his head, curing Him completely...

An abashed Rukmini along with all the other wives touched Radha's feet and realised how deep her love for Krishna was... and why people for centuries to come will sing Radhe Krishna!!

May our love for Guruji be like Radha's love for Krishna!

Reference: Dinesh and Bawa's blog.

KRSNA

If we look at the form of Krishna, we are enthralled by His beauty and Grace, but there are many secrets here as well!


First off, He is always pictured blue... this doesn't mean that He was blue in colour smile.gif ... blue is the colour of the sky and signifies that like the the sky which has vastness and infinity, Krishna was also vastness and infinity personified.

Then He wears a peacock feather as his crown. Now a crown looks very beautiful, but with all that gold and diamonds and stuff can be very heavy, meaning that to anyone looking at a King or a Queen, they will look wonderful and everyone will want to be like them, but to the King wearing it, it is heavy with responsibility of managing the Kingdom. Though Krishna is the Master of the entire universe, He takes His immense responsibility with the lightness of a feather! And the beauty of the peacock feather can rival the beauty of any ruby and diamond studded crown smile.gif

He is usually depicted standing on one foot, the other a little lifted, as if dancing... One foot on the ground shows complete groundedness, firmly in the material world and you can see that from His life, from extreme mischief as a small child, to flirtatious romances as a youth, marriage to 16000 women smile.gif , helping with elopement, playing a major political role in one of the biggest wars, giving the ultimate Knowledge... the list goes on... He lived a very full life, yet the other foot off the ground showed His spiritual side, His mysticism, His depth... No one really knew Him or could even know Him...

You can go through life with both feet on the ground meaning you are only in the material world, and you go through life standing... and there are a few who lift both feet off and fall, try to be only "spiritual"... and a select few perfectly balance both the aspects, and they dance!

Looking at Him you realize you could stand, fall or dance! through life smile.gif ...



Radha is his most beloved among all the gopis, but even she is jealous of his flute, coz the flute always stays with him. The flute has seven holes. Enchanting, captivating, bliss inducing music can be played from a flute only if it is hollow and empty.

Our body also has seven chakras... When we become hollow and empty, then Krishna's breath flows through us, and we become an instrument of the Divine... Our words are His words, our actions are His actions. We become pockets of tranquility and bliss. And then we are always with Him. Just like His flute!

Keep the Spark Alive !

Today I am going to talk about a beautiful thought i came across while reading one artical " keeping the spark shining". Or to put it another way, how to be happy most, if not all the time.


Where do these sparks start? I think we are born with them. A 3-year old
boy have a million sparks. A little Spiderman toy can make them jump
on the bed. They get thrills from creaky swings in the park. A story from
daddy gets them excited. They do a daily countdown for birthday party –
several months in advance – just for the day they will cut their own
birthday cake.


I see students like you, and I still see some sparks. But when I see older
people, the spark is difficult to find. That means as we age, the spark
fades. People whose spark has faded too much are dull, dejected, aimless and
bitter. Remember Kareena in the first half of Jab We Met vs the second half?

That is what happens when the spark is lost. So how to save the spark?

Imagine the spark to be a lamp's flame. The first aspect is nurturing - to
give your spark the fuel, continuously. The second is to guard against
storms.


To nurture, always have goals. It is human nature to strive, improve and achieve full potential. In fact, that is success. It is what is possible foryou

*.* It isn't any external measure - a certain cost to company pay

package, a particular car or house.



Most of us are from middle class families. To us, having material landmarks
is success and rightly so. When you have grown up where money constraints force everyday choices, financial freedom is a big achievement.

But it isn't the purpose of life. If that was the case, Mr. Ambani would not show up for
work. Shah Rukh Khan would stay at home and not dance anymore. Steve Jobs
won't be working hard to make a better iPhone, as he sold Pixar for billions of dollars already. Why do they do it? What makes them come to workeveryday?

They do it because it makes them happy. They do it because it makes them feel alive.
Just getting better from current levels feels good.
If you study hard, you can improve your rank. If you make an effort to
interact with people, you will do better in interviews. If you practice,
your cricket will get better. You may also know that you cannot become
Tendulkar, yet. But you can get to the next level. Striving for that next
level is important.

Nature designed with a random set of genes and circumstances in which we
were born. To be happy, we have to accept it and make the most of nature's
design. Are you? Goals will help you do that.

I must add, don't just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you
a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful.
Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in
good order.

There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There
is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if
your mind is full of tensions. You must have read some quotes - Life is a tough race, it is a marathon or whatever. No, from what I have seen so far, life is one of those races in
nursery school, where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your
mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same with life,
where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth
it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but
this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.

One last thing about nurturing the spark - don't take life seriously. One of
my yoga teachers used to make students laugh during classes. One student
asked him if these jokes would take away something from the yoga practice.

The teacher said - *don't be serious, be sincere*. This quote has defined my
work ever since. Whether its my writing, my job, my relationships or any of
my goals. I get thousands of opinions on my writing everyday. There is heaps
of praise, there is intense criticism. If I take it all seriously, how will
I write? Or rather, how will I live? Life is not to be taken seriously, as
we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited

validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is
just 2,500 weekends.

Do we really need to get so worked up? It's ok, bunk a
few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not
programmed devices. I've told you three things - reasonable goals, balance and not taking it too
seriously that will nurture the spark. However, there are four storms in
life that will threaten to completely put out the flame. These must be
guarded against. These are disappointment, frustration, unfairness and
loneliness of purpose.

Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you the expected
return. If things don't go as planned or if you face failure. Failure is
extremely difficult to handle, but those that do come out stronger. What did
this failure teach me? is the question you will need to ask. You will feel
miserable. You will want to quit, like I wanted to when nine publishers
rejected my first book. Some IITians kill themselves over low grades – how
silly is that? But that is how much failure can hurt you. But it's life.

If challenges could always be overcome, they would cease to be a challenge. And
remember - if you are failing at something, that means you are at your limit
or potential. And that's where you want to be.

Disappointment's cousin is frustration, the second storm. Have you ever
been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck. This is especially
relevant in India. From traffic jams to getting that job you deserve,
sometimes things take so long that you don't know if you chose the right
goal. After books, I set the goal of writing for Bollywood, as I thought
they needed writers. I am called extremely lucky, but it took me five years
to get close to a release. Frustration saps excitement, and turns your
initial energy into something negative, making you a bitter person. How did
I deal with it? A realistic assessment of the time involved – movies take a
long time to make even though they are watched quickly, seeking a certain
enjoyment in the process rather than the end result – at least I was
learning how to write scripts, having a side plan – I had my third book to
write and even something as simple as pleasurable distractions in your life

- friends, food, travel can help you overcome it. Remember, nothing is to
be taken seriously. Frustration is a sign somewhere, you took it too
seriously.

Unfairness - this is hardest to deal with, but unfortunately that is how our
country works. People with connections, rich dads, beautiful faces, pedigree
find it easier to make it – not just in Bollywood, but everywhere.
And sometimes it is just plain luck. There are so few opportunities in India, so
many stars need to be aligned for you to make it happen. Merit and hard work
is not always linked to achievement in the short term, but the long term
correlation is high, and ultimately things do work out. But realize, there
will be some people luckier than you. In fact, to have an opportunity to go
to college and understand this speech in English means you are pretty damm
lucky by Indian standards.. Let's be grateful for what we have and get the
strength to accept what we don't. I have so much love from my readers that
other writers cannot even imagine it. However, I don't get literary praise.

It's ok. I don't look like Aishwarya Rai, but I have two boys who I think
are more beautiful than her.. It's ok. Don't let unfairness kill your spark.

Finally, the last point that can kill your spark is isolation. As you grow
older you will realize you are unique. When you are little, all kids want
Ice cream and Spiderman. As you grow older to college, you still are a lot
like your friends. But ten years later and you realize you are unique. What
you want, what you believe in, what makes you feel, may be different from
even the people closest to you. This can create conflict as your goals may
not match with others. . And you may drop some of them. Basketball captains
in college invariably stop playing basketball by the time they have their
second child. They give up something that meant so much to them. They do it
for their family. But in doing that, the spark dies. Never, ever make that
compromise. Love yourself first, and then others. There you go. I've told you the four thunderstorms - disappointment, frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot avoid them, as like the
monsoon they will come into your life at regular intervals. You just need to
keep the raincoat handy to not let the spark die.

I welcome you again to the most wonderful year of your life.

A Divine Romance

Krishna's love affair with Radha is perhaps the most controversial in the Epics... She had a steady job, a family, a husband... she left all that and went after Krishna! She was older than Krishna, that fact alone disqualifies her smile.gif In fact there are certain sects of Hindus who do not believe that she even existed, because the entire romance is a slap in the face of all traditions and systems

But there is a secret here: Radha means longing, Krishna fulfillment. So she has to be older than Him. First there has to be longing, only then can fulfillment dawn. She had all this family and job etc., which she left for Krishna... This means that all of us have the Longing for the Divine, but we try to fill that with material things, and it never gets filled... it only intensifies. When Krishna (the Divine) comes into our lives then we need to let go of all that, just as Radha did and soak in the Bliss of being with the Divine!


If we turn the word Radha around, it become Dhara, which means to flow away. Opposite of flowing away is flowing towards. Radha means flowing towards... and flowing towards whom? Govind!

Go in Sanskrit stands for Knowledge. Go-vind is the Giver of Knowledge. So instead of our mind flowing away into the maya of the world, flow towards Govind... the Giver of Knowledge! This is what Radhe Govind means!!

Gopal means the protector of Knowledge, the preserver of Knowledge. Go can also mean "way". and so Go-pal becomes the one who protects you on the "way", on the path... Radhe Gopal, is Go to the one who will protect you, take care of you on your journey through Life...

Radhe Govind, Radhe Gopal, Radhe Krishna!! How the epics have guarded these great secrets in simple beautiful stories! and How very fortunate we all are that we have Guruji to decode these secrets for us and make them applicable and relevant even in this age of the technology!

Too Many Days At A Time

There are two days in every week about which we should not worry. Two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.

One of these days is yesterday, with its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control. All the money in the world cannot bring back yesterday. We cannot undo a single act we performed. We cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone!!

The other day we should not worry about is tomorrow, with its possible adversities, its burdens, its large promise and poor performance. Tomorrow is beyond our immediate control. Tomorrow's sun will rise, whether in splendor or behind a mask of clouds. But it will rise. Until it does we have no stake in tomorrow, for it is yet unborn.

This leaves only one day: today.

Any man can fight the battles of just one day. It is when you and I add the burdens of two awful eternities - yesterday and tomorrow, that we break down.

It is not necessarily the experience of today that disturbs one's peace of mind. It is often time the bitterness for something which happened yesterday and the dread of what tomorrow may bring.

Let us therefore live one day at a time.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Story about Master !!


For the first time in his life he was sitting co close to the master. It has been hardly some months, after he came into the space surrounding the master. There was a big crowd surrounding the master. He was looking at the master, wondering at his wisdom. But he never called himself a disciple of the master. He was not even attached to him. It was the ability of the master as a powerful orator and his immense knowledge that attracted him. He did not even believe in God.

His life, the path traversed by him was not filled with flowers, but thorns. Even when he was listening to the master, he was in his own world. His mind was as usual traveling through the miseries that he underwent. His principles were based on his experienced. He had a strong point in not believing in the God. " If a woman has to sell her body for earning bread for her family, if a child has to become a thief just for quenching thirst and hunger, and if it is the decision of god, then that god is not mine."

He could find logics only communism and rationalism. He saw intelligent children suffering to earn higher education, for they were not having economical support. At the same time he saw his friends climbing up the ladders only because the pockets of their father was heavy. God acted funny in his life. So there was no other option for him to go away from the God, and all the so-called masters. He hated them. He was even rude to his loving parents, they were not having any answer to his questions, and his mother cried a lot for she was not able to bear his rude words.

The Earth has orbited the sun for many years; the wisdom of this master has pulled him near to the master. His mind was wandering. Suddenly he woke up, the master was standing right in front of him. He carried a microphone, a cordless one, in his hand. He looked at the master, and the master looked into his eyes. There was a naughty smile on the master's face.

What happened? Do you have any problem?" the master asked. He did not tell anything. No words came out of his vocal chords. He wanted to ask many questions, including the sufferings, and credibility of the so-called God. But he could not utter a word. He was astonished to see the master so close, and to hear him asking this question. At last he managed to tell the master "No, No Problem".

The master moved ahead. Three steps. The master stopped. Master looked at him. There was the same smile on the master's face. "Have you seen Diamonds?"

The crowd shouted… "Yes", but he kept quiet. He wondered, "Why the master is looking at my face and asking this? "

Master asked again "Why diamonds are so special, tell". So many answers came at a time from the disciple folk.

"They are very strong!"

"They shine even at night!"

"Beautiful females wear them on their ornaments, even Aishwarya Rai!!"

"They are rare"

"They are very costly"

There were so many answers…

Master asked… "Do you know that the diamond is carbon? The same carbon with which charcoal…koyla… is made of…"

"Yes… There is some difference in the chemical structure", some learned disciple made it clear.
"Yes, that charcoal, the carbon was hidden under the stones, under the earth for years before it became the diamond. The charcoal had undergone years of chemical changes, pressures, heat, cold, for years… a lot of sufferings… at last the diamond was evolved.", he was wondering at the master's words… "Where is he going? What is diamond and charcoal? …

Then one day the charcoal became a stone, paTHar. Many people saw it. But they did not understand that it was a special stone. They just overlooked it. One day one man who was a diamond merchant saw that stone. He just took it to his lab. He started cutting it into shape, filing it, polishing it and again suffering time for the stone… at last it started to shine. The diamond!! "

The master looked at his face, with the same smile. Were his eyes filled now??? He was intelligent; he smelled something in the master's words.

"Do you know how much suffering that charcoal, koyla, has undergone to evolve into the strong diamond?" still the masters' eyes were on him.

"When sufferings come to our path, we curse everybody, even the God, the master. But know that those sufferings are given to you to make him stronger and stronger… like a diamond. He want to make you strong, for he loves you so much…" The master again looked at him… This time his eyes were filled…

He had never seen that expression in his life before. The master's eyes talked to him everything. He saw the endless sky of love in the master's eyes. The master's hands waved in the air… "You are a diamond… You will be made stronger…stronger…"

The master continued… "Know that you all are special… I never collect ordinary stones; I collect diamonds and pearls…" master walked ahead taking his mind along with. He understood that it was the end… He told to his mind…" Here is your master…the God you were searching for… The source of the unconditional love… your own existence… your self."

He folded his hands, with tears in eyes. The garbage that he was carrying in his mind was carried away by his master, his own master. Without him telling anything, without uttering a word, his mind was cleansed. He walked out and immediately made a telephone call to his loving mother…"forgive me for all those disrespectful words that I uttered to you… I was ignorant… I was lost… but now I am found… by my master…" his words were trembling… his mother was silent..

My Friend, this is master, the guru. It is not you who are selecting the master. He is selecting you. You need not to tell anything to him. He knows everything. You need not to open your mind before him; your mind is an open book for him… Personalize him; he is your divine. Nobody else in this planet can give you what he gives. His love is endless, everlasting, in this life and next lives. Be in that love.
Hey… can you guess, who that master was????

Before you sit to meditate, remember these three things:

* Achaha: Meaning right now, i don't want anything... Right now, i want nothing...

* Akinchen: Meaning I am nobody, i am nothing... just ask yourself... who am i? who is ? You will see you are nothing and nobody... dont bother intellectualizing this one... just know and experience that you are indeed nothing and nobody and relax...

* Aprayatna:Effortlessness... To meditate there is nothing to do. Just be. Like when you go for a massage, you just lie there, do nothing and let the masseuse massage you... similarly, you just sit with your eyes closed and let the Guru Shakti meditate for you!



Before meditating, just relax and remember these 3 sutras (effortlessly)... they will allow you to sink blissfully into Samadhi!

Guruji had told this story...

"There were 2 mango trees.

The 1st tree was nice and green. It had plenty of Mangoes on it....

The 2nd tree was a dry one...... It was so dry that it did not carry any mangoes or leaves.......

Now I will ask you a question......... On which tree will people throw stones??????

.
.
.
.
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The 1st tree..... Right??? ........................

Similarly....... when you take up some responsibility to do something good........ and just when u are about to get your rewards (mangoes) for that........

People might throw stones at You......

This is Because Human nature is such that....... the nature and thinking of every individual is different......... there may arise a difference of opinion.......


So do your work sincerely but at the same time be prepared to handle whatever problems you come across........

LUNCH WITH GOD

A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with a bag of potato chips and a six-pack of orange juice and started his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park, just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a Sip of orange juice when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her some chips. She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him.

Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her the orange juice. Again, she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.

As twilight approached, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave; but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old woman, and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever.

When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?" He replied, " I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? She's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"

Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked, "Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?" She replied! "I ate potato chips in the park with God." However, before her son responded, she added, " You know, he's much younger than I expected."........


Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of Which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime! Embrace all equally!

Pain...

Once an unhappy young man came to an old master and told he was very sad and asked for a solution.

The old master instructed the unhappy young man to put a handful of salt in a glass of water and then to drink it. "How does it taste?" the master asked. "Awful," spat the apprentice. The master chuckled and then asked the young man to take another handful of salt and put it in the lake. The two walked in silence to the nearby lake and when the apprentice swirled his handful of salt into the lake, the old man said, "Now drink from the lake."

As the water dripped down the young man's chin, the master asked, "How does it taste?" "Good!" remarked the apprentice. "Do you taste the salt?" asked the master. "No," said the young man. The Master sat beside this troubled young man, took his hands, and said,

"The pain of life is pure salt; no more, no less. The amount of pain in life remains the same, exactly the same. But the amount we taste the 'pain' depends on the container we put it into. So when you are in pain, the only thing you can do is to enlarge your sense of things. Stop being a glass. Become a lake...

Please never abandon your loved ones

In order to renovate the house, someone in Japan Breaks open the wall.

Japanese houses normally have a hollow space between the wooden walls. When tearing down the walls, he found that there was a lizard stuck there because a nail from outside hammered into one of its feet. He sees this, feels pity, and at the same time curious, as when he checked the nail, it was nailed 10 years ago when the house was first built.

What happened?

The lizard has survived in such position for 10 years! In a dark wall partition for 10 years without moving, it is impossible and mind boggling.

Then he wondered how this lizard survived for 10 years! without moving a single step--since its foot was nailed!

So he stopped his work and observed the lizard, what it has been doing, and what and how it has been eating. Later, not knowing from where it came, appears another lizard, with food in its mouth. Ahh! He was stunned and touched deeply. For the lizard that was stuck by nail, another lizard has been feeding it for the past 10 years...


Such help! such a beautiful love! Such happened even with this tiny
creature ... What can help do? It can do wonders!

Help can do miracles!

Imagine? it has been doing that untiringly for 10 long years, without giving up hope on its partner.

Imagine what a small creature can do that a creature blessed with a
brilliant mind can't.

please never abandon your loved ones.

HELP is an act, do it, let it go.

LOVE is a gift, take it, let it grow.

PATIENCE is a sign, we should wear, let it show.

Surrender with Belief to divine.....,

A Wonderfull story Want to Share wid all

There was once a pandit who lived on the bank of a river. So learned was he that other pandits came from far and near to consult with him. They showered him with appreciation.

On the other side of the bank lived a milkmaid, called Lakshmi, who sold milk to the pandit. Hers was a busy day.She woke up early in the morning, bathed her cows, milked them, then cooked a meal for her old father and then set out to deliver the milk. She had to cross the river on a boat.

One day the pandit was waiting for her for a long time. When she finally arrived, the pandit said, Ah, Lakshmi you have come at last. I was waiting for you since early morning. From tomorrow I want the milk before sunrise.

The next morning Lakshmi rushed to the riverbank at the crack of dawn but the boatman did not show up until late morning. Hurry, hurry, Lakshmi urged the boatman, knowing that the pandit would be waiting for the milk.

The pandit complained, you are late again, what happened?

The pandit was in a bad mood that day. Don't give me excuses! He shouted.

How dare you disregard my wishes! Don't you know who I am?

Lakshmi began to cry.

But the pandit continued to boast, Do you know how learned I am? You are just a simple milkmaid. I know so many things. That river is like the river of life. People safely cross the river of life by invoking the Divine name of Hari.

Lakshmi took the pandit's words very seriously and happily departed, saying to her, I wish panditji had told me this earlier.

The next day Lakshmi arrived at the pandit's house before sunrise. The Pandit was surprised to see her as he could not see the boatman. How did you cross the river? He inquired.

Lakshmi smiled and said, "You taught me to cross the river by chanting the name of Hari and I did."

That is impossible! The pandit shouted and ordered her to cross the river again.

Lakshmi crossed the river again without any difficulty, chanting the name of Hari as she did so. She stayed completely dry.

The pandit tried to do the same, chanting the name of Hari. But as he tried to protect his clothes from getting wet, he fell into the river. Lakshmi was astonished. "Oh Panditji," she said, "You were not thinking of Hari at all.You were busy thinking about your dhoti. That is why it did not work."

Panditji marveled at Lakshmi's devotion and accepted that her faith was more powerful than his empty learning. He sincerely blessed Lakshmi.

Moral is ' Believe in God & surrender your mind, body & spirit to Him, He will take care of all your problems'.

Wrong Answer

A teacher teaching Math's to seven-year-old Pappu asked him, "If I give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?" Within a few seconds Pappu replied confidently, "Four!"

The dismayed teacher was expecting an effortless correct answer (three). She was disappointed. "Maybe the child did not listen properly," she thought. She repeated, "Pappu, listen carefully. If I give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?"

Pappu had seen the disappointment on his teacher's face. He calculated again on his fingers. But within him he was also searching for the answer that will make the teacher happy. His search for the answer was not for the correct one, but the one that will make his teacher happy. This time hesitatingly he replied, "Four..."

The disappointment stayed on the teacher's face. She remembered that Pappu liked strawberries. She thought maybe he doesn't like apples and that is making him loose focus. This time with an exaggerated excitement and twinkling in her eyes she asked, "If I give you one strawberry and one strawberry and one strawberry, then how many you will have?"

Seeing the teacher happy, young Pappu calculated on his fingers again. There was no pressure on him, but a little on the teacher. She wanted her new approach to succeed. With a hesitating smile young Pappu inquired, "Three?"

The teacher now had a victorious smile. Her approach had succeeded. She wanted to congratulate herself.

But one last thing remained. Once again she asked him, "Now if I give you one apple and one apple and one more apple how many will you have?"

Promptly Pappu answered, "Four!"

The teacher was aghast. "How Pappu, how?" she demanded in a little stern and irritated voice.

In a voice that was low and hesitating young Pappu replied, "Because I already have one apple in my bag."

Moral of the Story:

"When someone gives you an answer that is different from what you expect don't think they are wrong. There maybe an angle that you have not understood at all. You will have to listen and understand, but never listen with a predetermined notion."

WOW

Last spring I was walking in a park. A short distance ahead of me was a mom and her three-year-old daughter. The little girl was holding on to a string that was attached to a helium balloon.

All of a sudden, a sharp gust of wind took the balloon from the little girl. I braced myself for some screaming and crying.

But, no! As the little girl turned to watch her balloon go skyward, she gleefully shouted out, Wow!

I didn't realize it at that moment, but that little girl taught me something.

Later that day, I received a phone call from a person with news of an unexpected problem. I felt like responding with Oh no, what should we do But remembering that little girl, I found myself saying, Wow, that's interesting! How can I help you

One thing's for sure - life's always going to keep us off balance with its unexpected problems. That's a given. What's not preordained is our response. We can choose to be frustrated or fascinated.

No matter what the situation, a fascinated Wow! will always beat a frustrated Oh, no.

So the next time you experience one of life's unexpected gusts, remember that little girl and make it a Wow! experience. The Wow! response always works.

Trust

A little girl and her father were crossing a bridge. The father was kind of scared so he asked his little daughter, "Sweetheart, please hold my hand so that you don't fall into the river." The little girl said, "No, Dad. You hold my hand." "What's the difference?" Asked the puzzled father...

"There's a big difference," replied the little girl. "If I hold your hand and something happens to me, chances are that I may let your hand go. But if you hold my hand, I know for sure that no matter what happens, you will never let my hand go."

In any relationship, the essence of trust is not in its bind, but in its bond.

So hold the hand of the person whom you love rather than expecting them to hold yours.

POOR

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live.
They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, “How was the trip?”

“It was great, Dad.”

“Did you see how poor people live?” the father asked.

“Oh yeah,” said the son.

“So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father.

The son answered: “I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.

“We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.

“We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs.

“We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them.”

The boy’s father was speechless.

Then his son added, “Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are.”

Peace

There once was a King who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The King looked at all the pictures, but there were only two he really liked and he had to choose between them.

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror, for peaceful towering mountains were all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky from which rain fell and in which lightening played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all. But when the King looked, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest, perfect peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize?

The King chose the second picture. Do you know why?

Because, as explained by the King: "Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace."

Moral : Realize that true happiness lies within you. Waste no time and effort searching for peace, contentment and joy in the world outside.

Out of the Box

A 99.95% challenge that you will have a wrong answer to the question asked in the passage. tongue.gif

Once there was loving couple traveling in a bus in a mountainous area. They decided to get down at some place. After the couple got down at some place the bus moved on. As the bus moved on, a huge rock fell on the bus from the mountain and crushed the bus to crumbs. Everybody on board was killed.

The couple upon seeing that, said, 'We wish we were on that bus.' Why do you think they said that? ohmy.gif

If they had remained on the bus instead of deciding to get down, the resulting time delay could have been avoided and the rock could have fallen after the bus had passed...

Thinking out of the Box or Think positive in life always and look for opportunities when you can help others...

OBSTACLES PRESENT AN OPPORTUNITY

Quote: If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere


In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid
himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of
the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked
around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear,
but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way. Then a
peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the
boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to
the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally
succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a
purse lying in the road where the boulder had been.

The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating
that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.
The peasant learned what many others never understand.

Lesson : Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's
condition.

Buddha explaining existence of God

Once it happened:

Buddha entered a village. A man asked him as he was entering the village, "Does God exist?" He said, "No, absolutely no."

In the afternoon another man came and he asked, "Does God exist?" And he said, "Yes, absolutely yes."

In the evening a third man came and he asked, "Does God exist?" Buddha closed his eyes and remained utterly silent. The man also closed his eyes. Something transpired in that silence. After a few minutes the man touched Buddha's feet, bowed down, paid his respects and said, "You are the first man who has answered my question."

Now, Buddha's attendant, Ananda, was very much puzzled: "In the morning he said no, in the afternoon he said yes, in the evening he did not answer at all. What is the matter? What is really the truth?"

So when Buddha was going to sleep, Ananda said, "First you answer me; otherwise I will not be able to sleep. You have to be a little more compassionate towards me too. I have been with you the whole day. Those three people don't know about the other answers, but I have heard all the three answers. What about me? I am troubled."

Buddha said, "I was not talking to you at all! You had not asked, I had not answered YOU. The first man who came was a theist, the second man who came was an atheist, the third man who came was an agnostic. My answer had nothing to do with God, my answer had something to do with the questioner. I was answering the questioner; it was absolutely unconcerned with God.

"The person who believes in God, I will say no to him because I want him to drop his idea of God, I want him to be free of his idea of God -- which is borrowed. He has not experienced. If he had experienced he would not have asked me; there would have been no need. "The person who believed in God, he was trying to find confirmation for his belief from me. I was not going to say yes to him -- I am not going to confirm anybody's belief. I had to say no, I had to deny, just to destroy his belief, because all beliefs are barriers to knowing the truth. Theist or atheist, all beliefs, Hindu or Christian or Mohammedan, all beliefs are barriers.

"And the person with whom I remained silent was the right inquirer. He had no belief, hence there was no question of destroying anything. I kept silent. That was my message to him: Be silent and know. Don't ask, there is no need to ask. It is not a question which can be answered. It is not an inquiry but a quest, a thirst. Be silent and know.

I had answered him also; through my silence I gave him the message and he immediately followed it -- he also became silent. I closed my eyes, he closed his eyes; I looked in, he looked in, and then something transpired. That's why he was so much overwhelmed, he felt so much gratitude, for the simple reason that I did not give him any intellectual answer. He had not come for any intellectual answer; intellectual answers are available very cheap. He needed something existential -- he needed a taste. I gave him a taste."


Anybody who gives you a belief system is your enemy, because the belief system becomes the barrier for your eyes, you cannot see the truth. The very desire to find the truth disappears. But in the beginning it is bitter if all your belief systems are taken away from you. The fear and anxiety which you have been suppressing for millennia, which is there, very alive, will surface immediately. No God can destroy it, only the search for truth and the experience of truth – not a belief – is capable of healing all your wounds, of making you a whole being. And the whole person is the holy person !

Story about Master !!

For the first time in his life he was sitting co close to the master. It has been hardly some months, after he came into the space surrounding the master. There was a big crowd surrounding the master. He was looking at the master, wondering at his wisdom. But he never called himself a disciple of the master. He was not even attached to him. It was the ability of the master as a powerful orator and his immense knowledge that attracted him. He did not even believe in God.

His life, the path traversed by him was not filled with flowers, but thorns. Even when he was listening to the master, he was in his own world. His mind was as usual traveling through the miseries that he underwent. His principles were based on his experienced. He had a strong point in not believing in the God. " If a woman has to sell her body for earning bread for her family, if a child has to become a thief just for quenching thirst and hunger, and if it is the decision of god, then that god is not mine."

He could find logics only communism and rationalism. He saw intelligent children suffering to earn higher education, for they were not having economical support. At the same time he saw his friends climbing up the ladders only because the pockets of their father was heavy. God acted funny in his life. So there was no other option for him to go away from the God, and all the so-called masters. He hated them. He was even rude to his loving parents, they were not having any answer to his questions, and his mother cried a lot for she was not able to bear his rude words.

The Earth has orbited the sun for many years; the wisdom of this master has pulled him near to the master. His mind was wandering. Suddenly he woke up, the master was standing right in front of him. He carried a microphone, a cordless one, in his hand. He looked at the master, and the master looked into his eyes. There was a naughty smile on the master's face.

What happened? Do you have any problem?" the master asked. He did not tell anything. No words came out of his vocal chords. He wanted to ask many questions, including the sufferings, and credibility of the so-called God. But he could not utter a word. He was astonished to see the master so close, and to hear him asking this question. At last he managed to tell the master "No, No Problem".

The master moved ahead. Three steps. The master stopped. Master looked at him. There was the same smile on the master's face. "Have you seen Diamonds?"

The crowd shouted… "Yes", but he kept quiet. He wondered, "Why the master is looking at my face and asking this? "

Master asked again "Why diamonds are so special, tell". So many answers came at a time from the disciple folk.

"They are very strong!"

"They shine even at night!"

"Beautiful females wear them on their ornaments, even Aishwarya Rai!!"

"They are rare"

"They are very costly"

There were so many answers…

Master asked… "Do you know that the diamond is carbon? The same carbon with which charcoal…koyla… is made of…"

"Yes… There is some difference in the chemical structure", some learned disciple made it clear.
"Yes, that charcoal, the carbon was hidden under the stones, under the earth for years before it became the diamond. The charcoal had undergone years of chemical changes, pressures, heat, cold, for years… a lot of sufferings… at last the diamond was evolved.", he was wondering at the master's words… "Where is he going? What is diamond and charcoal? … bu** **** "

Then one day the charcoal became a stone, paTHar. Many people saw it. But they did not understand that it was a special stone. They just overlooked it. One day one man who was a diamond merchant saw that stone. He just took it to his lab. He started cutting it into shape, filing it, polishing it and again suffering time for the stone… at last it started to shine. The diamond!! "

The master looked at his face, with the same smile. Were his eyes filled now??? He was intelligent; he smelled something in the master's words.

"Do you know how much suffering that charcoal, koyla, has undergone to evolve into the strong diamond?" still the masters' eyes were on him.

"When sufferings come to our path, we curse everybody, even the God, the master. But know that those sufferings are given to you to make him stronger and stronger… like a diamond. He want to make you strong, for he loves you so much…" The master again looked at him… This time his eyes were filled…

He had never seen that expression in his life before. The master's eyes talked to him everything. He saw the endless sky of love in the master's eyes. The master's hands waved in the air… "You are a diamond… You will be made stronger…stronger…"

The master continued… "Know that you all are special… I never collect ordinary stones; I collect diamonds and pearls…" master walked ahead taking his mind along with. He understood that it was the end… He told to his mind…" Here is your master…the God you were searching for… The source of the unconditional love… your own existence… your self."

He folded his hands, with tears in eyes. The garbage that he was carrying in his mind was carried away by his master, his own master. Without him telling anything, without uttering a word, his mind was cleansed. He walked out and immediately made a telephone call to his loving mother…"forgive me for all those disrespectful words that I uttered to you… I was ignorant… I was lost… but now I am found… by my master…" his words were trembling… his mother was silent..

My Friend, this is master, the guru. It is not you who are selecting the master. He is selecting you. You need not to tell anything to him. He knows everything. You need not to open your mind before him; your mind is an open book for him… Personalize him; he is your divine. Nobody else in this planet can give you what he gives. His love is endless, everlasting, in this life and next lives. Be in that love.
Hey… can you guess, who that master was????