1.The green eyed monster
Once the organs of the body - eyes, ears and other limbs - became jealous of the tongue. They said to themselves: "It is we who make all efforts to secure food and hand it over to the tongue and it is just the tongue that enjoys the food". They struck work and stopped supplying food. But jealousy made them forget the fact that they can function only when there is supply of energy from the food passed on into the stomach by the tongue. Thus they spelt their own ruin. In fact they also did not realise that the tongue just tastes the food and passes it onto itself. The food that is passed on into the stomach is converted into energy-giving blood. But for this vital part played by the tongue, all the other organs would stop functioning. What is it that has brought about the ruin of the organs that struck work? Jealousy - the green eyed monster!
2. Beaten by a brahmin
Once a dog came to Sri Rama bleeding from blows. Lakshmana was sent to inquire why it had to receive such blows. The dog said: "I was beaten by a brahmin with a stick." The brahmin was questioned. He said that the dog always was annoying him by coming across his path. Rama asked the dog: "Well, how do you want to punish the brahmin?" The dog said: "Make him a manager of a temple." Rama replied with wonder: "That would be a reward not a punishment." The dog said: "No, I was a manager of a temple in my previous birth. It was impossible not to mishandle or misuse or misappropriate some fraction of God's money. When he is that manager, he too will get like me this canine birth and perhaps get beaten too in his subsequent birth."
In fact not only the dog or the brahmin but every one of us are lining off the property of God, for does not all this belong to Him? What do we do in return for all benefits we derive from the property of the Lord? We should not simply eat and sit quiet. We have to render service to the poor and the helpless in a manner suitable to us.
3.This too is the Dharma
Once in Calcutta, in the Kali temple constructed by Rani Rasmani, a Gopala idol fell down and its foot was broken a little. Since many elders declared that according to the Sastras a broken image should not be worshipped, Rani Rasmani made arrangements to get a new one made by sculptors. Ramakrishna heard of this and he reproached the Rani, saying: "Maharani, if your son-in-law breaks his leg, what will you do? What is the correct thing to do? Bandaging the foot and setting it right, or discarding the son-in-law and getting another in his stead?" The Elders and Pundits were dumb-founded; the broken foot of Gopala was set right and the image was installed and worshipped as before. See, when Bhakthi is purified and is ascendant, the Lord will be patent even in a broken idol. This too is the Dharma declared in the Sastras.
4.The power of Naamasmarana
Two persons by name Jnaana Dev and Naama Dev were walking through a forest. They felt very thirsty. They could not catch sight of a well or a lake anywhere. They trudged along. At last they saw a well and ran towards it. They eagerly looked into it. There was water in the well. But how could they drink? There was neither a rope nor a vessel to draw water. There was no question of somehow going into the well as the well was in a dilapidated condition.
Jnaana Dev simply closed his eyes as if in prayer. Soon he was transformed into a bird. He flew into the well and drank water to his fill. Naama Dev began chanting the name of Lord Vittal with intense devotion. The water level began to rise slowly until at last the level of water was within the reach of Naama Dev. He just put his hands into the well and drank water to his fill. Such is the power of Naamasmarana.
5. A ray of hope and light
Once Wealth and Poverty approached a merchant and introduced themselves as Goddesses. The merchant offered his salutations to both of them and said: "May I know what brings you to my humble tenement?" The Goddess of Wealth said: "We want you to judge and tell us as to who is more beautiful between us two?"
The merchant was in a fix. He knew he was between the devil and the deep sea. If he were to declare wealth as more beautiful than poverty, poverty would curse him. If he were to declare poverty as more beautiful, than wealth, wealth would forsake him. However, he regained his composure and said: "I have great respect for you both. Would you please act according to my instructions? Then only I can judge properly." The Goddesses agreed. He said: "Mother wealth, would you please go to the entrance (gates) and walk into the house? Mother, poverty! Would you please walk from here towards the gates? I can have a good look at you both, from near and far." The two Goddesses did walk as the merchant wished them to. Then the merchant happily declared: "Mother wealth! You appear very beautiful when you enter the house. Mother poverty! You look very beautiful when you leave the house!" The Goddesses appreciated the wit and wisdom of the merchant. The Goddess of wealth happily stayed in his house while the Goddess of poverty cheerfully walked away.
When a serious problem confronts us, if we look within and think calmly, a ray of hope and light will beam forth and show us the way.
6.
Faith
During the second world war, a steamer carrying Indian Sepoys was bombed by the Japanese and was sunk. Many lost their lives. Five among them managed to row their lifeboat and hoped to have a chance of surviving in spite of the surging Ocean. They were tossed about for many hours.
One of them became desperate and cried: "The sea will swallow me. I will be a meal for the sharks". In that panic, he got drowned.
Another sepoy wept for his family: "Oh, I am dying without arranging for the future of my family." He too lost faith in his survival and breathed his last.
The third sepoy thought: "I have with me the Policy and documents of Insurance. What a pity!" I should have kept them at home. What will my wife do? I am sure to die." He also died.
The other two men reinforced each other's faith in God. They said: "We shall not yield to fear. We shall prove that however desperate the situation may be, God will certainly protect man if he has faith in Him." Even as they were talking like this, a helicopter sent from a coastal ship which had received signals for help, caught sight of these two men and hauled them up. When they were safe on land, they said, "It is only five minutes between victory and defeat. Faith earned the victory; lack of it brought about defeat and death."
7.
It shone like a mirror
Once a great painter was by a king to execute a huge fresco on the wall of his Durbar Hall, a scene from the Mahabharatha battle.
Another painter came and asked for permission to execute a fresco on the opposite wall. He said he would within the same period prepare on his wall an equally grand fresco, in fact an exact replica of the other, inspite of a curtain being hung in between the walls.
On the date fixed for the opening of the frescoes to be seen by the king the curtain was removed. The king was amazed to find an exact copy of the same scene from the Mahabharatha battle down to the minutest detail of lines and curves, tints and tilts, light and shade. The king questioned the painter as to how he could do it. The artist said that he had not used any brush or paint. What he did was thoroughly polish the wall assigned to him. He polished the wall in such a way that it shone like a mirror. So the duplicate fresco was only a reflection of the original.
Similarly we have to cleanse our mind and make it pure so that God's sublime grandeur and beauty may be reflected in our heart.
8. Who is carrying the bag ?
Once Iswarachandra Vidya Sagar was proceeding to a neighbouring village to deliver an address. People used to gather in large numbers to listen to his lectures. A young officer, who wanted to listen to Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar's lecture, got down from a train with a bag to go to the Lecture-hall.
Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar also got down from the same train. The young officer was calling for a porter to carry his bag. Iswar Chandra went to him and said: "Why do you need a coolly to carry this small bag? Can't you carry it yourself and save the money?" He replied: "It is not in keeping with my dignity to carry my bag. I am an educated person." Iswar Chandra told him: "The hallmark of education is humility, not pride. If you cannot carry your own bag, how are you carrying your body? If, however, you cannot carry your own bag, I shall do so." And Iswar Chandra carried the officer's bag. He acted on the motto: "Plain living and high thinking." The young man wanted to offer money to his 'porter'. Iswar Chandra told him: "To serve you is my reward".
The young officer left and was later proceeding to the venue of the meeting. There people were offering garlands to Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar to welcome him to the meeting. The young officer realised that the man who had offered to carry his bag at the station was none other than the respected speaker of the evening, Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar. He felt ashamed that he had made such a great man carry his bag. He reflected: "What is his education and what is mine? I am like a glow worm before the Sun."
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Topic: small moral stories (Read 8225 times)