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Author Topic: Moral Stories  (Read 173017 times)

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Offline SS91

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Re: Moral Stories
« Reply #150 on: March 31, 2011, 08:03:43 AM »
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    Sveta-ketu goes to school


    Long ago in India, there was a boy named Sveta-ketu (shway-ta-kay-too). He was already twelve years old, but he had not yet gone to school. Probably he had no brothers or sisters and there was so much work for him to do at home, helping his parents, that there had been no way for him to go to the house of a learned teacher, which is where the pupils studied in those days. A boy had to live with the teacher and study with him the various branches of knowledge that were taught at that time.

    The father of this boy said to him one day, "Sveta-ketu, go to school. You are a brahmin, of a wellborn family, and no one in our family line has failed to live up to that. A brahmin must be educated and learn how to behave nobly in every respect."

    So Sveta-ketu went off to the local teacher's house and studied the great books, called The Vedas, and similar subjects, for twelve years. In that time, of course, he had been able to master many things, so he had quite a good opinion of himself. He walked proudly and smiled very little. When, at the age of twentyfour, he had come back to his parents, they were very happy to have him home again. But his father noticed the proud attitude in the boy and decided that there was only one word for Sveta-ketu: conceited!

    One day he said, "Well, my boy, since you consider yourself a very serious person and well educated indeed, let me now test your knowledge. Did you ever ask your teacher for that instruction by which one hears the unhearable, perceives the unperceivable, and knows the unknowable?"

    "How, sir," the young man answered, very much surprised, "can there be any such instruction?"

    "Why, in this way, my boy: by knowing the nature of one lump of clay, we can know the nature of everything made of clay, can we not? The shapes of other things, such as a pot, a toy elephant, etc., are just names, given to help us talk about them. The reality in them is just the clay, is it not?"

    "By knowing the nature of a nugget of gold, the nature of all gold things is known; likewise, by knowing the structure of a nailfile, we understand everything made of iron. The shapes and names we use for convenience. The reality is just the gold, or the iron."

    "Yes, Father," said Sveta-ketu. "Surely my revered teachers did not know this; why did they not tell me? So, you please tell me about that."

    His father agreed, and the instruction he gave his son, remembered by him and passed on to generations of students, takes up a large part of one of the Upanishads. Let's hear the beginning and a few other portions of that teaching.

     

    "In the beginning, my boy," said the father, "there was just Being and nothing else. Some people said there was Nonbeing and nothing else, and that Being came out of that. But they were foolish! How could Being be produced by NonBeing?"

    "It was just the opposite, son: in the beginning, there was just Being and nothing else. That Being felt lonely. It thought, 'Well, let me become many. Let me produce other things.' And so It produced the different elements of this universe, one after another." In this way, Sveta-ketu's father went on to explain to him the various stages of creation.

    "There is more to growing up than you may think. Facts, gathered from books and teachers are all very well, but wisdom is to know that they all come from one source."

    You are That!

    Sveta-ketu's father continued:

    "Every night, when they go into a state of dreamless sleep, all creatures enter again into that Being from which they have come. Then, why do they not know it?"

    "When the bees make honey by collecting the nectar of different trees and reduce them all to one juice, these nectars cannot say, 'I am the nectar of an orange blossom,' 'I am the nectar of a mango blossom,' etc. In the same way, my boy, all these creatures, though they have entered that Being, they cannot say what they are. When they return again to the waking state, whatever they are in this world -- a man, a tiger, a wolf, a boar, a worm, a fly, or a mosquito -- that is what they become again. They do not know that they have come back from that Being."

    "Suppose there is a hidden treasure of gold lying buried in a field. People who do not know about it will walk again and again over that treasure and will not find it. Just so, all of us go, day after day, into the embrace of that divine Being but do not realize it. The Self of this whole universe is the same as the Seed from which it came. And you, O Sveta-ketu, are That!"

    "But, sir," asked the son, "that Being has no name or form. So, how could this universe, with all its objects having all these names, come out of that?"

    "Bring me a fig from our figtree," his father suggested. Sveta-ketu went out and came back with a fig from the tree.

    "Now break it."

    "Yes, it is broken."

    "What do you see now?"

    "Seeds -- hundreds of them."

    "Now break one of the seeds, son."

    "That is difficult, sir. But here, it is done."

    "Do you see anything inside?"

    "No, sir, there is nothing inside."

    "Sveta-ketu, just because you cannot see it, that does not mean that there is not a fine principle at work in the seed, which is the cause of the whole fig tree. Believe me, my boy, the Self of this whole universe is the same as the tiny seed from which it came. And you are That!"

    Now Sveta-ketu was puzzled and had a doubt in his mind: if some principle, called Being is the cause of all this world, why do we not see that? So, he asked his father, who replied:

    "Here is a lump of salt. Put this lump in a vessel of water, and I will see you again in the morning." His son did so. Next morning, when he came, his father asked him to bring him that lump of salt. Sveta-ketu looked into the vessel, but of course the salt had dissolved.

    "Taste some water from the surface of the vessel," said his father, "and tell me how it is."

    "Salty," Sveta-ketu said.

    "Now taste a little from the other side and tell me how that is."

    "Salty, Sir."

    "Now carefully pour off most of the water and try a little from the bottom of the pot." This done, Sveta-ketu replied that it tasted salty too.

    "You could not perceive the salt with your eyes, you had to apply the sense of taste. So, also, in this body of ours -- that Being is not perceived by eyes or tongue or any of the senses, but it is here nevertheless. It has to be discovered by a different means."

    ( Later he will explain the means: meditation and discrimination.)

    "The Self of this whole universe is the same as the tiny seed it came from. And you, O Sveta-ketu, are That!"


    A Person, who has controlled his mind, can achieve any success in his life. How far you are trying to control your mind?
    The mind that judges not others ever remains tension-free.
    http://lh5.ggpht.com/_lOgd1uS-wX0/TCOlFNMxIBI/AAAAAAAAE88/GpxUgxnwioE/why_fear_when_i_am_here.jpg

    Offline SS91

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    Re: Moral Stories
    « Reply #151 on: April 03, 2011, 11:32:50 AM »
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  • Questions for Angiras


    In ancient India, a very wise man named Angiras (Ung-gee-ross) lived in a hut in the forest. He had inherited all his wisdom from his father, grandfather and great-grandfather. One day he was seated in front of the hut when a young man from the village came up to him. This was a man well-known as the owner of land, wise in the ways of the world. He said to the sage, "People speak of knowing this subject and that science, and they brag about it; I want to know from you if there is something I can learn which will explain everything to me."

    Angiras looked at him steadily. "There are really two kinds of knowledge," he replied, "and one of them is higher and the other is lower. The lower knowledge is of hymns and scriptures, rituals, grammar, poetry, astrology and other such sciences... but the higher knowledge leads a man to that which never dies. That is called the Indestructible."

    "Yes, sir," said the young man. "That is what I want to know about."

    "Then, listen well. The Indestructible cannot be picked up like this stick or that stone. It belongs to no family, nor to any caste. It neither sees nor hears, It has no hands or feet, It is forever. Wherever you go It is there; you cannot leave It; It is all around you.

    "But It is very fine, very subtle, and that is why you do not see It. Everything else has come out of this Indestructible, you see. You know how a spider spins out her thread from her own body, and draws it back with her arms, or how plants grow from the soil, or how hair grows on a person's body. In that same way, the whole universe emerges from that Indestructible Being.

    Thus did my ancestors see in their wisdom, and thus did they impart the knowledge to me, and, more than that, thus have I seen for myself."

    "Sir," the young man said, "I need you to teach me more. I have been thinking within myself, 'What am I working toward, after all, in this short life? Just to satisfy some little desires? But how can that lead me to something which is forever?' So I decided to gather some firewood and go in search of a teacher of holy wisdom. And people told me about you. 'Is he learned,' I asked, 'one whose mind is filled with Truth?' Now I come to you in all faith and reverence: please teach me further."

    In those days, the sages and saints, who made their homes in the fields or forests, lived a very simple life. They would build a small fire for performing the ceremonies prescribed in their scriptures, or for cooking their food and for warmth in the winter. So when a seeker of Truth wanted to become a pupil of such a sage, he would gather firewood in a bundle and go to him with this fuel as a gift and sign of respect.

    Now Angiras understood that here was one whose mind was not constantly restless with desires, one who was fit to receive the higher knowledge. And he began to tell him more of the indestructible being called Brahman.

     

    Fire
    "As from a blazing fire, thousands of sparks of fire fly out, so these various beings you see in the world all spring forth from Brahman and go back to Him again. Pure, higher than the highest, He has no body, no breath, no mind; He is inside and outside everything. Yet, from Brahman have come your life, your mind, eyes, ears, hands, feet, space and air, light and water, and the very earth itself. It is He who binds all these together.

    "About Him, my boy, they recite this poem:

    'Fire is His head, His eyes are the sun and moon;
    His ears, the directions -- north, south, east and west;
    His breath is the wind, the Vedas his voice;
    Under his feet the earth has sprung up,
    And all things know Him as their innermost Self.'

    "My boy, the man who knows this secret, hidden in the cave of the heart, breaks open, here and now, the knot of ignorance.

    "The instruction I give you, called Upanishad, "Angiras went on, "will be your bow. Your mind, sharpened by worship and meditation, will be the arrow. Fixing it on the bow, with full concentration, draw back and hit the target, the Indestructible Brahman. There is a sacred word -- OM -- which is the bow; your own self is the arrow and Brahman is the target. Without trembling, hit the mark, and like the arrow, lose yourself in It! Then all the knots of the heart are broken, all doubts disappear and all actions trail away when He is realized, who is the farthest away of the far away, the nearest of the near, the light of lights."

    "Sir," said the disciple, "you have called this Brahman my 'inner self'. Then tell me about how I can reach in to find this Self; how may I feel it is as my Self?"

    Angiras replied, "I will give you an illustration."

     

    Two birds in a tree
    "This body is like a tree in which two birds roost. They look alike, wearing beautiful feathers, and they are fast friends. The lower bird is tasting the fruits of the tree and some are sweet but others are sour. The higher bird sits in majesty, merely looking on. One day, the lower bird, getting tired of all this, weeps at his forlorn state. Then, looking up at his friend above, so silent and so calm, he hops up nearer to him. As he approaches the higher bird, the lower one is surprised to find that the upper bird is just himself -- his true Self -- sitting there all the while, unattached and at peace. Then his grief disappears. Then he knows that his ego never was real; the Self was the real, the observer of all.

    "This Self," Angiras continued, "cannot be reached by much talking or thinking, or even by great study of scriptures. If the Self itself chooses a man, that man may reach It. To him, this Self reveals Its true nature. But mark this well: That Self can never be won by one who is weak, or careless, or practices foolish bodily tortures. Only if a person tries by strength, by earnestness and right meditation, does he or she reach the home of Brahman."

    "And, sir, what happens to one who reaches that?"

    "Then, just as the many rivers flow into the one ocean, losing their names and forms, so the wise person, free from name and body, enters into that Divine Being, higher than the highest. My son, when you know that Brahman, you become that Brahman. You cross beyond all sorrow and evil. You become immortal."


    A Person, who has controlled his mind, can achieve any success in his life. How far you are trying to control your mind?
    The mind that judges not others ever remains tension-free.
    http://lh5.ggpht.com/_lOgd1uS-wX0/TCOlFNMxIBI/AAAAAAAAE88/GpxUgxnwioE/why_fear_when_i_am_here.jpg

    Offline SS91

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    Re: Moral Stories
    « Reply #152 on: April 08, 2011, 02:16:46 PM »
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  • One Mother, everywhere


    You've often heard of God, the Father, creator of the universe. Have you ever heard of God, the Mother? Mothers create too, don't they? -- even more than fathers, because we draw our very life and nourishment from them. So, do not be surprised that in some countries and among some people, God is also worshiped as "Mother". This is especially true in India. Over there, October is the time when the year's crops of vegetables, grains and fruits are harvested. In the festival to celebrate this many people gather around images of "the Mother" -- beautiful, painted and decorated forms depicting the Divine Mother, looking just as they have imagined (or perhaps seen) Her, for centuries. They praise Her and sing hymns and dance in honor of Her who has given them land and crop, cattle and goods. In short, everything has come from the hand of the Mother, who is Creator, Sustainer and Dissolver of it all.

     

    Here are two stories often told, about how one little boy, son of the Divine Mother Durga, discovered Her true nature. His name was Ganesha. He is considered to have been very wise, which is one reason he's shown in pictures with the head of an elephant!

     

    Ganesha went outdoors one day to play and found a stray cat. Too small to know better, he began to pull her ears and tail. He roughed up that poor cat and even began to beat her with a stick, making marks on her head till, yowling, she ran for her life. Some hours later Ganesha went into the house. His mother, to his astonishment and dismay, was looking terrible. Her hair was a mess, she had scratches on her face and she limped from the bruises on her body.

    "Mom!" cried Ganesha. "Who beat you up?"

    Sadly Sri Durga replied, "It was you, I'm afraid."

    "No way! What do you mean? I never did it!"

    "Do you remember, his mother asked, "a while ago, how you treated a certain cat?"

    Now Ganesha though that the cat's owner must have come and beat Mother Durga on account of him, and he burst into tears.

    "Where is that man?" he sobbed.

    "No, not that. You see, my boy, I am not just your physical mother. I have filled the whole universe with My Being. As a matter of fact, whatever you do to any least part of it, you do that to Me."

     

    Some years later the Mother was sitting in her dressing room in a very lofty mood. She had recently been meditating and in that mood had become quite conscious of her own divinity. Now she put around her neck a lovely necklace of gems, a gift from her husband, Shiva. But seeing Ganesha and her other son, Kartik (Karteek), playing nearby, she said to them "Look, I will give this precious necklace to whichever of you comes back first, after traveling all around the universe. So run this race, but cover every mile of the universe."

    Kartik immediately dropped what he was doing, went out, and finding the animal he most liked to ride upon (which was a magic steed), he set off on the long journey. He went as fast as he could, over the earth, out to the moon and planets, sailed through the galaxies and visited the asteroids, even peeping into a black hole or two. Almost exhausted, he recalled that he had to save energy enough to return. When Kartik finally reached home he saw his brother was already wearing the necklace of gems! Ganesha, you see, had become much wiser now: he had simply gone all the way around his Mother's body and then bowed down before Her. He knew full well that apart from Her there was no universe.

    A Person, who has controlled his mind, can achieve any success in his life. How far you are trying to control your mind?
    The mind that judges not others ever remains tension-free.
    http://lh5.ggpht.com/_lOgd1uS-wX0/TCOlFNMxIBI/AAAAAAAAE88/GpxUgxnwioE/why_fear_when_i_am_here.jpg

    Offline SS91

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    Re: Moral Stories
    « Reply #153 on: June 29, 2011, 07:03:51 AM »
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  • Learn  From  Failures

     

    There  Is  This  Story  About  A  Famous

    Research   Scientist  Who  Had  Made ,

    Several  Very  Important  Medical  Breakthroughs.

    He  Was  Being  Interviewed  By  A  Newspaper

    Reporter  Who Asked  Him  Why  He ,

    Thought  He  Was  Able  To Be  So  Much

    Creative  Than  The  Average Person.

     

    What  Set Him  So  Far Apart From Other?

    He  Responded  That , In  His  Opinion

    It  All  Came  From An  Experience  With His Mother  That  Occurred  When He  Was About

    4 Years  Old, He  Had  Been Trying To Remove

    A   Bottle  Of  Milk  From  The  Refrigerator ,

    When  He  Lost  His  Grip On The  Slippery Bottle  And  It  Fell  Spilling  Its  Contents All Over  The  Kitchen  Floor - A  Veritable Sea Of  Milk".

     

    When  His  Mother  Came  Into  The  Kitchen ,

    Instead  Of  Yelling  At  Him,

    Giving  Him  A  Lecture , Or  Punishing  Him ,

    She  Said  "Robert  What  A  Great  And  Wonderful  Mess  You  Have  Made',

    I  Rarely  Seen  Such  A Huge  Puddle  Of  Milk

    Well  The  Damage  Has  Already  Been Done.

    Would  You Like  To Get  Down And  Play  In

    The  Milk  For  A Few Minutes  Before We Clean,

    It  Up ?, Indeed  He  Did.

    After  A Few  Minutes  His  Mother  Said , You Know  Robert, Whenever  You Make  A Mess Like  This  , Eventually  You  Have  To Clean It Up  And  Restore  Everything  To Its  Proper Order.

    So  How  Would  Like To  Do That ?

    We  Could  Use  A Sponge , A  Towel  Or  A Mop

    Which  Do  You  Prefer ?

     

    He  Chose  The  Sponge  And  Together They Cleaned  Up  The  Spilled  Milk.

    His Mother Then Said, You Know  What We

    Have  Here  Is  A  Failed  Experiment In How

    Effectiely  Carry  A Big  Milk  Bottle  With Two Tiny  Hands , Let's  Go  Out In  The  Back Yard

    And  Fill The  Bottle  With  Water  And See If

    You  Can Discover  A  Way  To  Carry It  Without  Dropping  It".

    The  Little  Boy  Learned  That If  He  Grasped

    The  Bottle  At  The  Top  Near  The  Lip  With

    Both  Hands , He  Could  Carry  It  Without Dropping  It , This  Renowned  Scientist  Then Remarked  That  It  Was  At  That  Moment

    That  He  Knew  He  Didn't  Need  To Be Afraid

    To Make  Mistakes.

    Instead  He  Learned  That  Mistakes  Were Just

    Opportunites  For  Experiments  Are  All About.

    Even If  The  Experiment " Doesn't  Work" ,We Usually  Learn  Something  Valuable  From It.

     

     

    Wouldn't It  Be  Great  If  All  Parents  Would

    Respond  The  Way  Robert's  Mother Responed

    To  Him ?,  Wouldn't  It  Be  Wonderful  If  We  Could  All  Respond  To  People  Who Manage In A  Similar  Manner  Too ?

    Help  Someone  Learn  From His/ Her  Mistakes?.

     

     

    My  Friend  Know  Your Self"

    See  Your  Self"

    Accept Your Self"

    Be  Your Self"

    Love Your Self"

    Turst Your Self"

    Remember  We  Are  Kept By  The Power Of God If  We  Let  Him  Keep Us.

    A Person, who has controlled his mind, can achieve any success in his life. How far you are trying to control your mind?
    The mind that judges not others ever remains tension-free.
    http://lh5.ggpht.com/_lOgd1uS-wX0/TCOlFNMxIBI/AAAAAAAAE88/GpxUgxnwioE/why_fear_when_i_am_here.jpg

    Offline SS91

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    Re: Moral Stories
    « Reply #154 on: July 06, 2011, 04:02:30 PM »
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  • How true is this.


     Mouse Story..a message. A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer  and his wife open a package.

    "What food might this contain?" The mouse wondered - he was devastated to discover  it was a mousetrap.
     
    Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning.
     
    "There is a mousetrap in the house!  There is a mousetrap in the house!"
     
    The  chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I  can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to  me.   I cannot be bothered by it."
     
    The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house!  There is a mousetrap in the house!"
     
    The  pig sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr.  Mouse, but  there is nothing I can do about it but pray.  Be assured you are  in my prayers."
     
    The mouse turned to the cow and said "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"
     
    The cow said, "Wow, Mr.  Mouse.  I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."
     
    So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's  mousetrap alone.
     
    That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.
     
    The  farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught.  In the darkness, she  did not see it was  a venomous snake whose tail the trap had  caught.
     
    The  snake bit the farmer's wife.  The farmer rushed her to the  hospital, and she returned home with a fever.  Everyone knows you  treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet  to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient.
     
    But  his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbours came to sit  with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.
     
    The  farmer's wife did not get well; she died.  So many people came for  her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat  for all of them.
     
    The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.
     
    So,  the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't  concern you, remember -- when one of us is threatened, we are all at  risk.
     
    We  are all involved in this journey called life.  We must keep an eye  out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.
      :)
    A Person, who has controlled his mind, can achieve any success in his life. How far you are trying to control your mind?
    The mind that judges not others ever remains tension-free.
    http://lh5.ggpht.com/_lOgd1uS-wX0/TCOlFNMxIBI/AAAAAAAAE88/GpxUgxnwioE/why_fear_when_i_am_here.jpg

    Offline SS91

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    Re: Moral Stories
    « Reply #155 on: July 08, 2011, 04:09:42 PM »
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  • Swami Vivekananda's Story On Blind Worship

    Swami Vivekananda presented the traditional Vedic wisdom in a form that appeals to the new generation. He claimed that spirituality should be followed, with proper comprehension of the essence and not following blind worship, merely following rules without understanding them.

    Swami Vivekananda says “To worship is inherent in every man's nature; only the highest
    philosophy can rise to pure abstraction" He says that it is fine to worship God in any form, but with the understanding of the underlying divinity in the form and not just worshipping the form by itself. Swamiji narrates a short story that reveals the aforesaid truth.

    A stag once boasted to about his horns its young one. “Look how beautiful and powerful my horns are! I can kill can human with these horns"

    Just then they happened to hear the sound of hunters' bugle in a distance. They stag took to its heels with its young one following. When they reached a safer zone, he young one asked, “You said that you can kill any human with your powerful horns. But why did you run away at the sound of the bugle?"

    The stag replied, “I know I have powerful horns, however when I hear that sound, something within me causes me to flee, forgetting the fact of my powerful horns!"

    Swami Vivekananda points out in this short story, that when we hear the bugle sound of the rules laid down in the books, habits and old superstitions, before we realise, we are bound by them, forgetting our true essence, which is freedom.

    This yet another story of Swami Vivekananda that is inspiring.

    A Person, who has controlled his mind, can achieve any success in his life. How far you are trying to control your mind?
    The mind that judges not others ever remains tension-free.
    http://lh5.ggpht.com/_lOgd1uS-wX0/TCOlFNMxIBI/AAAAAAAAE88/GpxUgxnwioE/why_fear_when_i_am_here.jpg

    Offline SS91

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    Re: Moral Stories
    « Reply #156 on: July 14, 2011, 02:43:25 PM »
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  • Grandmother's Basket -- a Tale from Germany

    When Grandmother returns from Sunday service, her grand-daughter asks: "Grandma, what was the father preaching about in his sermon today?"
    Grandmother shakes her head, "I can't remember, dear..." The girl, annoyed, returns "But then, why do you go to church at all when you don't remember what's said there!"
    Grandmother smiles and empties her knitting basket. She hands it to the girl: "Please go and fetch me water!"
    "In this basket, Grandma? Impossible! With all the gaps and cracks, it won't even hold a thimble full!"
    Grandma, still smiling, says "Please!"
    And the girl, though angry about this stupid old woman, goes and does as bidded. She returns, triumphantly: "I knew it, there won't stay a drop in it!"
    Grandmother takes the basket and looks at it, scrutinizing: "But it is cleaner now, can't you see?"  ;D

    A Person, who has controlled his mind, can achieve any success in his life. How far you are trying to control your mind?
    The mind that judges not others ever remains tension-free.
    http://lh5.ggpht.com/_lOgd1uS-wX0/TCOlFNMxIBI/AAAAAAAAE88/GpxUgxnwioE/why_fear_when_i_am_here.jpg

    Offline sateesh

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    Power of Positive Talk
    « Reply #157 on: September 24, 2011, 09:10:56 AM »
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  • Power of Positive Talk


    A man was lost while driving through the countryside. As he tried to reach for the map, he accidentally drove off the road into a ditch. Though he wasn’t injured, his car was stuck deep in the mud. So the man walked to a nearby farm to ask for help.

    “Warwick can get you out of that ditch,” said the farmer, pointing to an old mule standing in a field. The man looked at the decrepit old mule and looked at the farmer who just stood there repeating, “Yep, old Warwick can do the job.” The man figured he had nothing to lose. The two men and the mule made their way back to the ditch. The farmer hitched the mule to the car. With a snap of the reins, he shouted, “Pull, Fred! Pull, Jack! Pull, Ted! Pull, Warwick!”

    And the mule pulled that car right out of the ditch.

    The man was amazed. He thanked the farmer, patted the mule, and asked, “Why did you call out all of those names before you called Warwick?”

    The farmer grinned and said, “Old Warwick is just about blind. As long as he believes he’s part of a team, he doesn’t mind pulling.”

     



    OMSAIRAM ..:)
    GURUBHIYO NAMAHA:

    Offline PiyaSoni

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    Somethings are good for the soul!
    « Reply #158 on: October 11, 2011, 05:42:01 AM »
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  • Somethings are good for the soul!

    Last week, I took my children to a restaurant.
    My  six-year-old son asked if he could say  grace.
    As  we bowed our heads he said, "God is good, God is great. Thank you  for
    the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice  cream for
    dessert. And Liberty and justice for all!  Amen!"
    Along with the laughter from  the other customers nearby, I heard a woman remark, "That's what's wrong  with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking  God for ice cream! Why, I  never!"

    Hearing this, my son burst into  tears and asked me, "Did I do it wrong? Is God  mad at me?"
    As I  held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job, and God  was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the  table.

    He  winked at my son and said, "I happen to know that God thought that  was a great  prayer."
    "Really?" my son  asked.
    "Cross my heart," the man  replied.

    Then, in a theatrical whisper,  he added (indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole  thing), "Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice  cream is good for the soul sometimes."

    Naturally, I bought my kids ice  cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment, and  then did something I will remember the rest of my life.

    He  picked up his sundae and, without a word, walked over and placed it  in front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, "Here, this is  for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes; and my soul  is good already ."

    The  End

    What a great story!

    Sometimes, we all need some ice  cream.
    "नानक नाम चढदी कला, तेरे पहाणे सर्वद दा भला "

    Offline SS91

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    Re: Moral Stories
    « Reply #159 on: October 28, 2011, 03:00:07 PM »
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  • The Stone Cutter
    Once upon a time there was a stone cutter. The stone cutter lived in a land where a life of privilege meant being powerful. Looking at his life he decided that he was unsatisfied with the way things were and so he set out to become the most powerful thing in the land.

    Looking around his land he wondered to himself what is it to be powerful. Looking up he saw the Sun shining down on all the land. ""The Sun must be the most powerful thing that there is, for it shines down on all things, and all things grow from it's touch."" So he became the Sun.

    Days later, as he shone his power down on the inhabitants of the land, there came a cloud which passed beneath him obstructing his brilliance. Frustrated he realized that the Sun was not the most powerful thing in the land, if a simple cloud could interrupt his greatness. So he became a cloud, in fact, he became the most powerful storm that the world had ever seen.

    And so he blew his rain and lightning, and resounded with thunder all over the land, demonstrating that he was the most powerful. Until one day he came across a boulder.

    Down and down he poured and his thunder roared, lightning flashed and filled the sky, striking the ground near the boulder. His winds blew and blew and blew, and yet, despite all his efforts, he could not budge the boulder. Frustrated again, he realized that the storm was not the most powerful thing in the land, rather it must be the boulder.
    So he became the boulder.

    For days he sat, unmovable, and impassive, demonstrating his power, until one day, a stone cutter came and chiseled him to bits.


    Moral: Sometimes the most important thing to remember is that you have everything you need already, right inside of you. Power is an illusion.
    A Person, who has controlled his mind, can achieve any success in his life. How far you are trying to control your mind?
    The mind that judges not others ever remains tension-free.
    http://lh5.ggpht.com/_lOgd1uS-wX0/TCOlFNMxIBI/AAAAAAAAE88/GpxUgxnwioE/why_fear_when_i_am_here.jpg

    Offline SS91

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    Re: Moral Stories
    « Reply #160 on: November 11, 2011, 11:05:41 AM »
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  • Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past…”

    This is a story of an elderly carpenter who had been working for a contractor for the past 53 years. He had built many beautiful houses but now as he was getting old, he wanted to retire and lead a leisurely life with his family. So, he goes to the contractor and tells him about his plan of retiring. The contractor feels sad at the prospect of losing a good worker but agrees to the plan because the carpenter had indeed become too fragile for the tough building work. But as a last request, he asks the old carpenter to construct just one last house.


    The old man agrees and starts working but his heart was not in his work anymore. He had lost the motivation towards work. So, he resorted to shoddy workmanship and constructed the house half-heartedly. After the house was built, the contractor came to visit his employee's last piece of work. After inspecting the house, he handed over the front door keys to the carpenter and said, "This is your new house. My gift to you." The carpenter was shocked and upset. Had he known that he was building his own house, he would have done a better job!”.


    Think of ourselves as the carpenter. Though we work hard every day, we put our least to some work, which we don't like and get shocked at a situation we have created for ourselves and try to figure out why we didn't do it differently.

     

    Learn to enjoy your responsibilities with pleasure and not with pain. "Life is a do-it-yourself project". Do your job enthusiastically and with devotion, a positive output and a pleasing life will certainly be on your way.
     ;D ;D ;D
    A Person, who has controlled his mind, can achieve any success in his life. How far you are trying to control your mind?
    The mind that judges not others ever remains tension-free.
    http://lh5.ggpht.com/_lOgd1uS-wX0/TCOlFNMxIBI/AAAAAAAAE88/GpxUgxnwioE/why_fear_when_i_am_here.jpg

    Offline SS91

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    Re: Moral Stories
    « Reply #161 on: December 07, 2011, 02:30:08 PM »
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  • PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH

    Once upon a time there was a famine in the lowlands of India. The King of birds took his flock to the Himalayas in search of food.

    The king said to his loyal subjects, "Now go and search for seeds and grain. Then report back to me so that we may all share the food."

    The king’s loyal subjects obediently flew off in all directions.

     
     The king’s nephew Jaquita found a road where oxen pulled wagons loaded with grain.

    "How lucky I am" Jaquita said. "Look at all the spilled grain!"

    He flew to the ground and feasted for the first time in three days.

    "I will keep this a secret and not tell the King" said Jaquita to himself.

    "But if someone else finds the grain too?" thought Jaquita in distress.

    Then he quickly consoled himself, "I know! I’ll tell everyone about it. But I’ll make up a story that will frighten them away."

    Jaquita flew back to the flock.

    "You’ve been away a long time," his friends said.

    "Did you find any food?" the King asked.

    "A little bit" Jaquita replied. "But I nearly lost my life. I happened to fly over a highway. There were elephants and horses, and wagons pulled by fierce bulls."

    "There must have been plenty of grain there" inquired the King.

    "There is, but it’s too dangerous!" answered Jaquita. "The elephants and carts will crush you as you feed."

     
    The birds thanked Jaquita and said they would search for food elsewhere. The selfish Jaquita hurried back to the road with the grain.

    "That was very clever of me" said Jaquita with satisfaction. "Now I have all this grain to myself."

    He picked at the grain as an oxen cart came down the road. The cart speeded up as it came down the hill. Jaquita looked up when he heard the noise and felt the ground shake.

     
    "Oh, no! It’s almost upon me," he cried.

    But it was too late and he could not fly away. The cart ran him over.

     

    Moral: "Selfishness often leads to trouble."
    A Person, who has controlled his mind, can achieve any success in his life. How far you are trying to control your mind?
    The mind that judges not others ever remains tension-free.
    http://lh5.ggpht.com/_lOgd1uS-wX0/TCOlFNMxIBI/AAAAAAAAE88/GpxUgxnwioE/why_fear_when_i_am_here.jpg

    Offline SS91

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    Re: Moral Stories
    « Reply #162 on: December 13, 2011, 08:10:22 AM »
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  • The evil you do remains with you: The good you do.....


    A woman baked bread for members of her family and an extra one for a hungry passerby.
    She kept the extra bread on the Window-sill, for whosoever would take it away.
    Every day, a hunch-back came and took away the bread. Instead of expressing gratitude,
    he muttered the following words as he went his way:
    "The evil you do remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!"
    This went on, day after day. Every day, the hunch-back came, picked up the bread and uttered the words: "The evil you do, remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!"
    The woman felt irritated. "Not a word of gratitude," she said to herself...
    "Everyday this hunch-back utters this jingle! What does he mean?
    "One day, out of despiration, she decided to do away with him. "I shall get rid of this hunch-back," she said. And what did she do? She added poison to the bread she prepared for him! As she was about to place it on the window sill, her hands trembled. "What is this I am doing?" she said.

    Immediately she threw the bread into the fire, prepared another one and kept it on the window-sill.
    As usual, the hunch-back came, picked up the bread and muttered the words:
    "The evil you do, remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!"
    The hunch-back proceeded on his way, blissfully unaware of the war raging in the mind of the woman. Everyday, as the woman placed the bread on the window-sill, she offered a prayer for her son who had gone to a distant place to seek his fortune. For many months, she had no news of him.. She prayed for his safe return.
    That evening, there was a knock on the door. As she opened it, she was surprised to find her son standing in the doorway.. He had grown thin and lean. His garments were tattered and torn. He was hungry, starved and weak. As he saw his mother, he said, "Mom, it's a miracle I'm here. While I was but a mile away, I was so hungry that I collapsed. I would have died, but just then an old hunch-back passed by. I begged of him for a small part of his food, and he was kind enough to give me a whole bread. "As he gave it to me, he said, "This is what I eat everyday: today, I shall give it to you, for your need is greater than mine!"
    As the mother heard those words, her face turned pale and red. She leaned against the door for support. She remembered the poisoned bread that she had made that morning. Had she not burnt it in the fire, it would have been eaten by her own son, and he would have lost his life!


    It was then that she realized the significance of the words: "The evil you do remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!"
    Do good and; Don't ever stop doing good, even if it's not appreciated at that time. ;D ;D


    Contributed by: HSGRAO @ GMAIL.COM
    A Person, who has controlled his mind, can achieve any success in his life. How far you are trying to control your mind?
    The mind that judges not others ever remains tension-free.
    http://lh5.ggpht.com/_lOgd1uS-wX0/TCOlFNMxIBI/AAAAAAAAE88/GpxUgxnwioE/why_fear_when_i_am_here.jpg

    Offline SS91

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    Re: Moral Stories
    « Reply #163 on: January 05, 2012, 12:56:53 PM »
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  • Add the God Principle in our daily lives.The source of this inspiring story from India is shrouded in antiquity.[/b]Origins unknown.

    (In the olden days when there were no motor cars, people used to travel on horseback.)

    One rich man owned 19 horses when he died. In his last will and teastament he had written that upon his death, half the horses he owned should go to his only son; one fourth to the village temple and one fifth to the faithful servant.

    The village elders could not stop scratching their heads. How can they give half of the 19 horses to the son? You cannot cut up a horse. They puzzled over this dilemma for more than two weeks and then decided to send for a wise man who was living in a neighbouring village.

    The wise man came riding on his horse and asked the villagers if he can be of any help to them. The village elders told him about the rich man's last will and testament which stated that half of the (19) horses must be given to his only son, one fourth must go to the temple and one fifth to the faithful servant.

    The wise man said he will immediately solve their problem without any delay whatsoever. He had the 19 horses placed in a row standing next to one another. Then he added his own horse as the 20th horse. Now he went about giving half of the 20 horses – that is ten horses to the son. One fourth of 20- that is 5 horses were given to the temple committee. One fifth of twenty- that is 4 horses were given to the faithful servant. Ten plus five plus four made 19 horses. The remaining 20th horse was his own which he promptly mounted, spoke a few inspiring words, and rode back home.

    The villagers were simply dumfounded, full of disbelief and filled with admiration. And the parting words of the wise man were inscribed in their hearts and minds which they greatly cherished and passed on to their succeeding generations till today.

    The wise man said: In our daily lives, in our daily affairs, simply add God’s name and then go about facing the day’s happenings. Ever come across problems in life that are seemingly insurmountable? (Like the villagers, do we feel that such problems cannot be solved?).

    The wise man continued: Add the God Principle in our daily lives and the problems will become lighter and eventually will disappear. In the manner of the ice which, with the addition of the heat principle will turn into water, and that will eventually evaporate as steam and disappear. And how do we add God’s name (God principle) in our daily lives? Through prayers, filled with true love and devotion with sincerity of purpose and dedication that only total faith can bring about. Meditation is a powerful means of directing the mind Godward.

    But without true love and devotion entering into it, it remains like a boat without water. It is not difficult to push a boat that is floating in water, but extremely hard to drag the same boat on dry land. In the same way, if our life’s boat floats on the waters of true love and devotion, we can sail easily in it. The principle of love of God and devotion with total faith, (like water) makes easy the voyage of our lives. When the mind is pure and the heart full of simplicity and holiness, such a devotee becomes an instrument in the service of the Lord.



    JaiSairam... Thanks Baba for everything.... ;D
    A Person, who has controlled his mind, can achieve any success in his life. How far you are trying to control your mind?
    The mind that judges not others ever remains tension-free.
    http://lh5.ggpht.com/_lOgd1uS-wX0/TCOlFNMxIBI/AAAAAAAAE88/GpxUgxnwioE/why_fear_when_i_am_here.jpg

    Offline SS91

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    Re: Moral Stories
    « Reply #164 on: February 28, 2012, 09:36:17 AM »
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  • Shine



    A small candle was being carried by a man who was climbing stairs. Along their way up to the top, the candle asked the man, “Where are we going?”
    “We’re going to the top and give signals to big ships on the ocean,” the man answered.

    “What? How could it be possible for me with my small light to give signals to those big ships? They will never be able to see my light”, replied the candle weakly.

    “All you have to do is keep burning and leave the rest to me”, said the man.

    When they arrived at the top of the lighthouse where there was a big lamp with a loop behind it. The man lit the lamp with the small candle and instantly, the place shone so brightly that the ships on the ocean could see its light.
    [/color]


    Moral: All you have to do is shine. Sometimes our little bit of brightness is all that is needed to spark a light bright enough to help others, so shine on.
    A Person, who has controlled his mind, can achieve any success in his life. How far you are trying to control your mind?
    The mind that judges not others ever remains tension-free.
    http://lh5.ggpht.com/_lOgd1uS-wX0/TCOlFNMxIBI/AAAAAAAAE88/GpxUgxnwioE/why_fear_when_i_am_here.jpg

     


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