Inspiring Short Stories
- Rich Or Poor
- The Old Carpenter
- The Water Bearer
- Build Like A Child
- Shake It Off!!
- One Good Deed
- A Hundred Faces
- Birds
- Boubakar And The King
- Ahling
- Gift From A Sparrow
- I Want Liberation
- The Little Boy And The Big Piano
- A Mexican Story
- The Sanyasin And The Boxer
- The Miserly Beggar
- The Three Brothers
- True Sacrifice
- Two Frogs
- The Wise Woman And The Traveller
- The Leadership of Small Things
- Good Ideas
Rich or Poor
One day a father and his rich family took his young son on a trip to
the country with the firm purpose to show him how poor people can be.
They spent a day and a night in the farm of a very poor family.
When they got back from their trip the father asked his son,
"How was the trip?"
Very good, Dad!"
"Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked.
"Yeah!"
"And what did you learn?"
The son answered, "I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden, they have a creek that has no end. We have importeed lamps in the garden, they have the stars. Our patio reaches the front yard, they have a whole horizon."
When the little boy was finishing, his father was speechless.
His son added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are!"
Isn't it true that it all depends on the way you look at things? If you have love, friends, family, health, good humor and a positive attitude toward life, you've got everything! You can't buy any of these things. You can have all the material possessions you can imagine, provisions for the future, etc., but if you are poor of spirit, you have nothing!
top
The son answered, "I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden, they have a creek that has no end. We have importeed lamps in the garden, they have the stars. Our patio reaches the front yard, they have a whole horizon."
When the little boy was finishing, his father was speechless.
His son added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are!"
Isn't it true that it all depends on the way you look at things? If you have love, friends, family, health, good humor and a positive attitude toward life, you've got everything! You can't buy any of these things. You can have all the material possessions you can imagine, provisions for the future, etc., but if you are poor of spirit, you have nothing!
top
The Old Carpenter
An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his
employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house building
business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his
extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire.
They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good
worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor.
The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart
was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used
inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.
When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house,
the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter.
"This is your house," he said, "my gift to you."
What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house,
he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had
built none too well. So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way,
reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best.
At important points we do not give the job our best effort.
Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created
and find that we are now living in the house we have built.
If we had realized that we would have done it differently.
Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house.
Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall.
Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build.
Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be
lived graciously and with dignity.
The plaque on the wall says, "Life is a do-it- yourself project."
Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes
and the choices you make today.
top
top
The Water Bearer
A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on the end of a pole
which he carried across his neck. One of the pots was perfectly made
and never leaked. The other pot had a crack in it and by the time
the water bearer reached his master's house it had leaked much of it's
water and was only half full. For a full two years this went on daily,
with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his
master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.
But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection,
and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had
been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure,
it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.
"I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."
"Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"
"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said.
The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again the pot apologized to the bearer for its failure.
The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."
Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, God will use our flaws to grace his table. In God's great economy, nothing goes to waste.
Don't be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them, and you too can be the cause of beauty. Know that in our weakness we find our strength.
top
"I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."
"Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"
"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said.
The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again the pot apologized to the bearer for its failure.
The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."
Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, God will use our flaws to grace his table. In God's great economy, nothing goes to waste.
Don't be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them, and you too can be the cause of beauty. Know that in our weakness we find our strength.
top
Build like a Child
Hot sun. Salty air. Rhythmic waves.
A little boy is on his knees scooping and packing
the sand with plastic shovels into a bright blue bucket.
Then he upends the bucket on the surface and lifts it.
And, to the delight of the little architect, a castle tower is created.
All afternoon he will work. Spooning out the moat. Packing the walls.
Bottle tops will be sentries. Popsicle sticks will be bridges.
A sandcastle will be built.
Big city. Busy streets. Rumbling traffic. A man is in his office. At his desk he shuffles papers into stacks and delegates assignments. He cradles the phone on his shoulder and punches the keyboard with his fingers. Numbers are juggled and contracts are signed and much to the delight of the man, a profit is made. All his life he will work. Formulating the plans. Forecasting the future. Annuities will be sentries. Capital gains will be bridges. An empire will be built.
Two builders of two castles. They have much in common. They shape granules into grandeurs. They see nothing and make something. They are diligent and determined. And for both the tide will rise and the end will come. Yet that is where the similarities cease.
For the boy sees the end while the man ignores it. Watch the boy as the dusk approaches. As the waves near, the wise child jumps to his feet and begins to clap. There is no sorrow. No fear. No regret. He knew this would happen. He is not surprised. And when the great breaker crashes into his castle and his masterpiece is sucked into the sea, he smiles. He smiles, picks up his tools, takes his father's hand, and goes home.
The grownup, however, is not so wise. As the wave of years collapses on his castle he is terrified. He hovers over the sandy monument to protect it. He blocks the waves from the walls he has made. Salt-water soaked and shivering he snarls at the incoming tide. "It's my castle," he defies. The ocean need not respond. Both know to whom the sand belongs...
I don't know much about sandcastles. But children do. Watch them and learn. Go ahead and build, but build with a child's heart. When the sun sets and the tides take - applaud. Salute the process of life and go home.
top
One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway it! just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and begin to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that fell on his back, the donkey was doing some thing amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and totted off! Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick is too not to get bogged down by it. We can get out of the deepest wells by not stopping. And by never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up!
top
This is a story of a poor Scottish farmer whose name was Fleming. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby dog. He dropped his tools and ran to the dog. There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the boy from what could have been a slow and terrifying death. The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.
"I want to repay you, "said the nobleman.
" Yes," the farmer replied proudly.
"I'll make you a deal. Let me take your son and give him a good education. If he's anything like his father, he'll grow to a man you can be proud of you." And that he did.
In time, Farmer Fleming's son graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin. Years afterward,the nobleman's son was stricken with pneumonia. What saved him? Penicillin. This is not the end. The nobleman's son also made a great contribution to society. For the nobleman was non other than Lord Randolph Churchill. and his son's name was Winston Churchill. Let us use all our talent, competence and energy for creating peace and happiness for the nation.One good deed of farmer Fleming lead to the making of Sir Alexander Fleming. So, why not do good and be good...
top
A king riding through the countryside, met a peasant and ever concerned about the welfare of his subjects asked him how much he earned.
"Four coins each day, your majesty," replied the man.
"And how do you spend the four coins?"
"One on myself, one I give in gratitude, one I give back and one I give on interest."
The king, puzzled, asked him to explain.
"A part of the money I spend on myself," said the man, "a part on my wife in gratitude for all she does for the house, a part on my aged parents to pay them back for all that they did for me and a part on my children who I expect will pay me back with interest by looking after me and my wife in our old age."
"You have provided me a fine riddle," said the king.
"Please keep the answer a secret for some time, at least till you've seen my face a hundred times."
"I will," said the peasant.
That very evening the king put the riddle to his courtiers. He told them what the peasant had said in reply to his question about how he spent his money and asked them to explain what the peasant had meant. The courtiers did not know but one of them said he would have the answer in twenty-four hours.
He searched out the peasant whom the king had spoken to and asked him the answer to the riddle. The man, at first, refused to tell but was eventually persuaded to do so with a gift of a bag of coins. When the courtier returned to the palace and told the king the answer to the riddle, the monarch guessed that the peasant had broken his promise of silence.
He sent for the man and asked him why he had betrayed his trust.
"Didn't I tell you not to reveal the answer till you had seen my face a hundred times?" demanded the king.
"And I did see your face a hundred times before I told him the answer, your majesty," replied the peasant. "He gave me a bag of hundred coins and each of them had your face on it."
The king was delighted with his wit and rewarded him handsomely.
top
If you put a buzzard in a pen six or eight feet square and entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of his ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of ten or twelve feet. Without space to run, as is his habit, he will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkably nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.
A bumblebee if dropped into an open tumbler will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.
In many ways, there are lots of people like the buzzard, the bat, and the bee. They are struggling with all their problems and frustrations, not realising that the answer is right there ABOVE them.
The solution to our problems lies in spirituality. But we are only accustomed to looking for answers in the worldly sphere!
top
The king of Kamera in Africa was a proud and stern man, feared by all his subjects. One day while sitting in his mud palace, surrounded by fawning courtiers and watched by a multitude of people who had come to see him, he was suddenly overcome by a sense of grandeur and loudly declared that he was master of the world and that all men were his servants.
"You are mistaken," said a frail voice. "All men are servants of one another."
A deathly silence followed the remark. The blood froze in the veins of the people assembled there. Then the king exploded in anger.
"Who said that!" he demanded, rising from the royal stool. "Who dares suggest that I am a servant!!"
"I do," said a voice in the crowd, and the people parted to reveal a white- haired old man, leaning heavily on a stout stick.
"Who are you?" asked the king.
"I am Boubakar," said the man. "We have no water in our village. I have come to ask for a well to be dug there."
"So you are a beggar!" roared the king, striding down to where the man stood. "Yet you have the temerity to call me a servant!"
"We all serve one another," said Boubakar, showing no fear, "and I will prove it to you before nightfall."
"Do that," said the monarch. "Force me to wait on you. If you can do that I will have not one but three wells dug in your village. But if you fail, you'll lose your head!"
"In our village," said the old man, "when we accept a challenge, we touch the person's feet. Let me touch your feet. Hold my stick."
The king took the stick and the old man bent down and touched the monarch's feet.
"Now you may give it back to me," he said, straightening up. The king gave him back his stick.
"Do you want any more proof?" asked Boubakar.
"Proof?" asked the king, bewildered.
"You held my stick when I asked you to and gave it back to me when I asked you for it," said the old man. "As I said, all good men are servants of one another."
The king was so pleased with Boubakar's wit and daring that he not only had wells dug in his village but also retained him as an adviser.
top
On her 75th birthday, Ah-ling distributed her wealth among her four sons and announced that she would spend three months of the year with each son, in turn.
The arrangement worked well for a while and then the old woman found that the welcome she received at each son's house was becoming less and less cordial. Finally she began to feel positively unwanted. Now she saw her sons in their true colours. Money meant everything to them; people came second.
One day, Ah-ling's friend, Jing-mei, came to see her. Jing-mei was distressed to find her friend in such an unhappy state and advised her on what she should do. Afterwards, Jing-mei tearfully embraced her friend, and left.
A few days later, towards sundown, Ah-ling went out without telling anyone where she was going and returned an hour later, her clothes covered in mud.
"Where did you go?" asked her son, and then seeing that she was holding a small ornamental chest, hurried to her, his gaze riveted on the casket.
"What is that?"
"Something that could change all our lives for the better, in different ways," said his mother.
"What does it contain?"
"You'll find out when I'm dead and gone."
The young man lost no time in informing his brothers about the casket.
"It is obvious she has not given us all her wealth," said the eldest. "She must have kept back some of her more valuable gems. God alone knows how many caskets the wily woman has buried."
They questioned their mother but she refused to tell what the casket contained, or even if there were more caskets hidden elsewhere. Many a time, the brothers tried to open the casket in her absence but it was securely locked and they could never find the key.
But now Ah-ling no longer felt unwanted. Her sons and daughters-in-law fussed over her and went out of their way to make her feel welcome. In fact, now each son tried to persuade her to stay longer than the three months, but she never extended her stay, not wishing to show a preference for any son.
She passed away in her sleep, a few days before her 84th birthday. Her friend, Jing-mei came for the funeral rites and before departing handed over a key to the dead woman's eldest son in the presence of his brothers.
"This is the key to the casket," she said and left.
The sons and their wives hurried to the old woman's chamber in great excitement. This was the day they had been waiting for, for weeks and months and years. They bolted the door from the inside and huddled around the casket. With trembling hands, the oldest brother fitted the key into the lock and turned it.
It opened with a click. The man flicked open the lid and then they all stared with disbelief at the contents: ordinary pebbles.
"The gems might be below," said the oldest brother and frantically overturned the contents. All they found was a note from their mother . It read:
"Great disappointment awaits all those whose lives centre around money. It is a sad thing when an old woman has to resort to trickery to get her sons to look after her. It shows lack of character not only in her sons but in the mother too. You at least have time to change yourselves and my last message to you is: try to do so".
top
An old man found a sparrow with a broken wing. He brought it home and nursed it back to health. Afterwards, though it could fly, the sparrow refused to leave the house, finding it to be a safe and comfortable place. Moreover, it was devoted to the old man. The old man's wife urged her husband to get rid of the bird as it was dirtying the house. But he wouldn't listen. He had become too fond of it.
One day while her husband was asleep, the woman caught the sparrow, took it far away from the house, and released it, warning it never to return. The old man missed his little friend and hoped it would come back, but it never did. Then one day, several weeks later, he was walking past an old ruined monastery when he heard a familiar sound. He looked up and there was the sparrow, sitting on the monastery's gate. It was a happy reunion. When they parted a long time later, the sparrow gave the old man a gold coin it had found in the monastery.
The old man did not much care for money, but his wife was thrilled when she saw the coin, and made up her mind to get more from the sparrow. So early the next morning she slipped out of the house and made her way to the monastery. When she saw the sparrow she addressed it in endearing terms and begged it to return.
"If you've found treasure, bring it along and I'll spend it all on you," she promised.
The sparrow brought her an old and battered basket with the help of its friends. The basket was closed but the woman did not wait to find out what was in it. She grabbed it and ran, afraid that the sparrow would follow and take up residence in her house again.
The moment she reached home, she opened the basket, expecting it to be filled to the brim with gold and silver. Instead, out flew a dozen sparrows. They flew to the rafters of the house and made themselves comfortable there.
The woman spent the rest of her life trying to drive the sparrows out.
top
Big city. Busy streets. Rumbling traffic. A man is in his office. At his desk he shuffles papers into stacks and delegates assignments. He cradles the phone on his shoulder and punches the keyboard with his fingers. Numbers are juggled and contracts are signed and much to the delight of the man, a profit is made. All his life he will work. Formulating the plans. Forecasting the future. Annuities will be sentries. Capital gains will be bridges. An empire will be built.
Two builders of two castles. They have much in common. They shape granules into grandeurs. They see nothing and make something. They are diligent and determined. And for both the tide will rise and the end will come. Yet that is where the similarities cease.
For the boy sees the end while the man ignores it. Watch the boy as the dusk approaches. As the waves near, the wise child jumps to his feet and begins to clap. There is no sorrow. No fear. No regret. He knew this would happen. He is not surprised. And when the great breaker crashes into his castle and his masterpiece is sucked into the sea, he smiles. He smiles, picks up his tools, takes his father's hand, and goes home.
The grownup, however, is not so wise. As the wave of years collapses on his castle he is terrified. He hovers over the sandy monument to protect it. He blocks the waves from the walls he has made. Salt-water soaked and shivering he snarls at the incoming tide. "It's my castle," he defies. The ocean need not respond. Both know to whom the sand belongs...
I don't know much about sandcastles. But children do. Watch them and learn. Go ahead and build, but build with a child's heart. When the sun sets and the tides take - applaud. Salute the process of life and go home.
top
Shake it Off!!
One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway it! just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and begin to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that fell on his back, the donkey was doing some thing amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and totted off! Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick is too not to get bogged down by it. We can get out of the deepest wells by not stopping. And by never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up!
top
One Good Deed
This is a story of a poor Scottish farmer whose name was Fleming. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby dog. He dropped his tools and ran to the dog. There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the boy from what could have been a slow and terrifying death. The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.
"I want to repay you, "said the nobleman.
" Yes," the farmer replied proudly.
"I'll make you a deal. Let me take your son and give him a good education. If he's anything like his father, he'll grow to a man you can be proud of you." And that he did.
In time, Farmer Fleming's son graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin. Years afterward,the nobleman's son was stricken with pneumonia. What saved him? Penicillin. This is not the end. The nobleman's son also made a great contribution to society. For the nobleman was non other than Lord Randolph Churchill. and his son's name was Winston Churchill. Let us use all our talent, competence and energy for creating peace and happiness for the nation.One good deed of farmer Fleming lead to the making of Sir Alexander Fleming. So, why not do good and be good...
top
A Hundred Faces
A king riding through the countryside, met a peasant and ever concerned about the welfare of his subjects asked him how much he earned.
"Four coins each day, your majesty," replied the man.
"And how do you spend the four coins?"
"One on myself, one I give in gratitude, one I give back and one I give on interest."
The king, puzzled, asked him to explain.
"A part of the money I spend on myself," said the man, "a part on my wife in gratitude for all she does for the house, a part on my aged parents to pay them back for all that they did for me and a part on my children who I expect will pay me back with interest by looking after me and my wife in our old age."
"You have provided me a fine riddle," said the king.
"Please keep the answer a secret for some time, at least till you've seen my face a hundred times."
"I will," said the peasant.
That very evening the king put the riddle to his courtiers. He told them what the peasant had said in reply to his question about how he spent his money and asked them to explain what the peasant had meant. The courtiers did not know but one of them said he would have the answer in twenty-four hours.
He searched out the peasant whom the king had spoken to and asked him the answer to the riddle. The man, at first, refused to tell but was eventually persuaded to do so with a gift of a bag of coins. When the courtier returned to the palace and told the king the answer to the riddle, the monarch guessed that the peasant had broken his promise of silence.
He sent for the man and asked him why he had betrayed his trust.
"Didn't I tell you not to reveal the answer till you had seen my face a hundred times?" demanded the king.
"And I did see your face a hundred times before I told him the answer, your majesty," replied the peasant. "He gave me a bag of hundred coins and each of them had your face on it."
The king was delighted with his wit and rewarded him handsomely.
top
Birds
If you put a buzzard in a pen six or eight feet square and entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of his ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of ten or twelve feet. Without space to run, as is his habit, he will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkably nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.
A bumblebee if dropped into an open tumbler will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.
In many ways, there are lots of people like the buzzard, the bat, and the bee. They are struggling with all their problems and frustrations, not realising that the answer is right there ABOVE them.
The solution to our problems lies in spirituality. But we are only accustomed to looking for answers in the worldly sphere!
top
Boubakar And The King
The king of Kamera in Africa was a proud and stern man, feared by all his subjects. One day while sitting in his mud palace, surrounded by fawning courtiers and watched by a multitude of people who had come to see him, he was suddenly overcome by a sense of grandeur and loudly declared that he was master of the world and that all men were his servants.
"You are mistaken," said a frail voice. "All men are servants of one another."
A deathly silence followed the remark. The blood froze in the veins of the people assembled there. Then the king exploded in anger.
"Who said that!" he demanded, rising from the royal stool. "Who dares suggest that I am a servant!!"
"I do," said a voice in the crowd, and the people parted to reveal a white- haired old man, leaning heavily on a stout stick.
"Who are you?" asked the king.
"I am Boubakar," said the man. "We have no water in our village. I have come to ask for a well to be dug there."
"So you are a beggar!" roared the king, striding down to where the man stood. "Yet you have the temerity to call me a servant!"
"We all serve one another," said Boubakar, showing no fear, "and I will prove it to you before nightfall."
"Do that," said the monarch. "Force me to wait on you. If you can do that I will have not one but three wells dug in your village. But if you fail, you'll lose your head!"
"In our village," said the old man, "when we accept a challenge, we touch the person's feet. Let me touch your feet. Hold my stick."
The king took the stick and the old man bent down and touched the monarch's feet.
"Now you may give it back to me," he said, straightening up. The king gave him back his stick.
"Do you want any more proof?" asked Boubakar.
"Proof?" asked the king, bewildered.
"You held my stick when I asked you to and gave it back to me when I asked you for it," said the old man. "As I said, all good men are servants of one another."
The king was so pleased with Boubakar's wit and daring that he not only had wells dug in his village but also retained him as an adviser.
top
Ah-ling
On her 75th birthday, Ah-ling distributed her wealth among her four sons and announced that she would spend three months of the year with each son, in turn.
The arrangement worked well for a while and then the old woman found that the welcome she received at each son's house was becoming less and less cordial. Finally she began to feel positively unwanted. Now she saw her sons in their true colours. Money meant everything to them; people came second.
One day, Ah-ling's friend, Jing-mei, came to see her. Jing-mei was distressed to find her friend in such an unhappy state and advised her on what she should do. Afterwards, Jing-mei tearfully embraced her friend, and left.
A few days later, towards sundown, Ah-ling went out without telling anyone where she was going and returned an hour later, her clothes covered in mud.
"Where did you go?" asked her son, and then seeing that she was holding a small ornamental chest, hurried to her, his gaze riveted on the casket.
"What is that?"
"Something that could change all our lives for the better, in different ways," said his mother.
"What does it contain?"
"You'll find out when I'm dead and gone."
The young man lost no time in informing his brothers about the casket.
"It is obvious she has not given us all her wealth," said the eldest. "She must have kept back some of her more valuable gems. God alone knows how many caskets the wily woman has buried."
They questioned their mother but she refused to tell what the casket contained, or even if there were more caskets hidden elsewhere. Many a time, the brothers tried to open the casket in her absence but it was securely locked and they could never find the key.
But now Ah-ling no longer felt unwanted. Her sons and daughters-in-law fussed over her and went out of their way to make her feel welcome. In fact, now each son tried to persuade her to stay longer than the three months, but she never extended her stay, not wishing to show a preference for any son.
She passed away in her sleep, a few days before her 84th birthday. Her friend, Jing-mei came for the funeral rites and before departing handed over a key to the dead woman's eldest son in the presence of his brothers.
"This is the key to the casket," she said and left.
The sons and their wives hurried to the old woman's chamber in great excitement. This was the day they had been waiting for, for weeks and months and years. They bolted the door from the inside and huddled around the casket. With trembling hands, the oldest brother fitted the key into the lock and turned it.
It opened with a click. The man flicked open the lid and then they all stared with disbelief at the contents: ordinary pebbles.
"The gems might be below," said the oldest brother and frantically overturned the contents. All they found was a note from their mother . It read:
"Great disappointment awaits all those whose lives centre around money. It is a sad thing when an old woman has to resort to trickery to get her sons to look after her. It shows lack of character not only in her sons but in the mother too. You at least have time to change yourselves and my last message to you is: try to do so".
top
Gift From A Sparrow
An old man found a sparrow with a broken wing. He brought it home and nursed it back to health. Afterwards, though it could fly, the sparrow refused to leave the house, finding it to be a safe and comfortable place. Moreover, it was devoted to the old man. The old man's wife urged her husband to get rid of the bird as it was dirtying the house. But he wouldn't listen. He had become too fond of it.
One day while her husband was asleep, the woman caught the sparrow, took it far away from the house, and released it, warning it never to return. The old man missed his little friend and hoped it would come back, but it never did. Then one day, several weeks later, he was walking past an old ruined monastery when he heard a familiar sound. He looked up and there was the sparrow, sitting on the monastery's gate. It was a happy reunion. When they parted a long time later, the sparrow gave the old man a gold coin it had found in the monastery.
The old man did not much care for money, but his wife was thrilled when she saw the coin, and made up her mind to get more from the sparrow. So early the next morning she slipped out of the house and made her way to the monastery. When she saw the sparrow she addressed it in endearing terms and begged it to return.
"If you've found treasure, bring it along and I'll spend it all on you," she promised.
The sparrow brought her an old and battered basket with the help of its friends. The basket was closed but the woman did not wait to find out what was in it. She grabbed it and ran, afraid that the sparrow would follow and take up residence in her house again.
The moment she reached home, she opened the basket, expecting it to be filled to the brim with gold and silver. Instead, out flew a dozen sparrows. They flew to the rafters of the house and made themselves comfortable there.
The woman spent the rest of her life trying to drive the sparrows out.
top
I Want Liberation
A teacher asked a seeker who came to him: "what do you want?"
"i want liberation" answered the man.
"*i* is ego; *want* is desire; do you deserve it?" the teacher asked.
top
top
Little Boy And The Big Piano
Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert.
After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her.
Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually explored his
way through a door marked "NO ADMITTANCE." When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin,
the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing.
Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."
At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing."
Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience was mesmerized.
That's the way it is in life. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren't exactly graceful flowing music. But when we trust in the hands of a Greater Power, our life's work truly can be beautiful.
Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You can hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing."
top
The American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked.;Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.;
The Mexican replied, "Only a little while.";
The American then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more fish?";
The Mexican said, "With this I have more than enough to support my family's needs.";
The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?";
The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life.";
The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat: With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the;processor; eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles and eventually New York where you will run your ever- expanding enterprise.";
The Mexican fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?";
To which the American replied, "15 to 20 years.";
"But what then?" asked the Mexican.;
The American laughed and said that's the best part. "When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions.";
"Millions?...Then what?";
The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."
top
A Boxing Champion was standing at the edge of a small pit with sewage water just peeping into it. A Sanyasin who was walking along the way all of a sudden just pushed this man forward. He fell into the pit. With rage he came out and thrashed the sanyasin. With all his body bleeding the Sanyasin just smiled and went away. The Boxer was confused. He followed the Sanyasin to his home. The deciples stood dumb found when they saw their master is this conditions and started treating him. They wanted to know what actually had happened. The Sanyasin narrated the episode and said " My dear boys, That poor man did not know that there was a poisonous snake just near his leg ready to spit venom. He did not know that I wanted to Save him and not to subject hime to any Suffering." The Sanyasin was still smiling.
But........The Boxer Wept.
top
The king was to pass by a beggar's hut and the man was beside himself with excitement, not because he was about to see the king but because the king was known to part with expensive jewels and huge sums of money when moved by compassion.
He saw the king's chariot just as a kindly man was filling his begging bowl with uncooked rice. Pushing the man aside, he ran into the street, shouting praises of the king and the royal family.
The chariot stopped and the king beckoned to the beggar.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"One of the most unfortunate of your subjects," said the beggar. "Poverty sits on my doorstep and follows me about like a dog. I haven't eaten since yesterday afternoon!"
"Have you nothing for your king except a tale of woe?" said the ruler, putting out his hand. "Give me something."
The beggar, astonished, carefully picked up 5 grains of rice from his bowl and laid them on the king's outstretched palm.
The king drove away. The beggar's disappointment was great. He raved and ranted and cursed the king again and again for his miserliness. Finally, his anger spent, he went on his rounds.
When he returned home in the evening he found a bag of rice on the floor.
"Some generous soul has been here," he thought and took out a handful of rice from the bag. To his astonishment there was a small piece of gold in it. He realised then that the bag had been sent by the king. He emptied the rice on the floor, feeling sure there would be more gold pieces in it, and he was right. He found 5, one for each grain of rice he had given the king.
"It is not the king who has been miserly," thought the man, sadly. "If I had been generous and given him the whole bowl of rice, I would have been a rich man today."
top
Three elderly brothers, all very short-sighted, lived in a large house on the outskirts of a city, in China. One day the youngest brother suggested that he should take charge of the finances.
"Elder brother's sight is so bad, he cannot see how much money he's receiving or giving," he said, "and people take advantage of his disability."
"As if you can see better," sneered the second-youngest brother. "If you're saying our finances should be handled by the one who has the best sight, then it is I who should be given charge. I can see better than either of you."
"I have my doubts about that," said the eldest brother. "Let's settle this once and for all. I've heard the monastery is putting up a tablet inscribed with a saying, above the main doorway, tonight. Let's go there tomorrow and test our vision. Whoever can read the inscription with the least strain will get charge of our money. Agreed?"
"Agreed," said his brothers in unison.
"Good! Now go away and let me get a few winks."
As soon as they had gone, the eldest brother sneaked out of the house and went to the monastery where he met a monk.
"I've heard you're putting up an inscription over the doorway," he said. "Can you tell me what the inscription reads?"
"Certainly. It's a quotation from Confucius. It reads: Be Honest At All Times."
The brother went away chuckling at his cleverness. A little later the second brother arrived there.
"Can you tell me what the inscription you are going to put up over the doorway reads?" he said to the monk.
"Everybody seems to want to know," said the man. "It reads: Be Honest At All Times."
"Is there any decoration around it?"
"The tablet has a flowery border."
The second brother went away very pleased with himself. Hardly had he gone when the third brother arrived there. He too enquired about the inscription and on being told what it was, asked if there was any other writing on it."
"Only the donor's name, Wang Lee, at the bottom," said the monk.
The next morning the three brothers made their way to the monastery.
"There's the inscription," said the oldest when they drew near the entrance. "I can clearly make out the writing. It reads: Be Honest At All Times."
"Your sight is better than I thought," said the second brother. "But definitely not better than mine. Can you see the decoration around the inscription?"
"Decoration? What decoration?"
"There's a floral decoration all around the tablet," said the brother, triumphantly.
"Very good, very good," applauded the youngest brother. "But can either of you see any other writing on the tablet besides the inscription?"
"Other writing?" intoned the second brother, his face falling. "What other writing is there?"
"The name of the donor, Wang Lee," said the youngest brother, pointing. "Can't you see it? It's at that corner."
The monk they had talked to the previous evening came out of the monastery just then.
"Oh, you've come to see the inscription," he said. "So sorry. We couldn't put it up yesterday evening. We are going to put it up today."
top
This idea of complete self-sacrifice is illustrated in the following story: After the battle of Kurukshetra the five Pândava brothers performed a great sacrifice and made very large gifts to the poor. All people expressed amazement at the greatness and richness of the sacrifice, and said that such a sacrifice the world had never seen before. But, after the ceremony, there came a little mongoose, half of whose body was golden, and the other half brown; and he began to roll on the floor of the sacrificial hall. He said to those around, "You are all liars; this is no sacrifice."
"What!" they exclaimed, "you say this is no sacrifice; do you not know how money and jewels were poured out to the poor and every one became rich and happy? This was the most wonderful sacrifice any man ever performed."
But the mongoose said, "There was once a little village, and in it there dwelt a poor Brahmin with his wife, his son, and his son's wife. They were very poor and lived on small gifts made to them for preaching and teaching. There came in that land a three years' famine, and the poor Brahmin suffered more than ever. At last when the family had starved for days, the father brought home one morning a little barley flour, which he had been fortunate enough to obtain, and he divided it into four parts, one for each member of the family. They prepared it for their meal, and just as they were about to eat, there was a knock at the door. The father opened it, and there stood a guest. Now in India a guest is a sacred person; he is as a god for the time being, and must be treated as such. So the poor Brahmin said, 'Come in, sir; you are welcome,' He set before the guest his own portion of the food, which the guest quickly ate and said, 'Oh, sir, you have killed me; I have been starving for ten days, and this little bit has but increased my hunger.' Then the wife said to her husband, 'Give him my share,' but the husband said, 'Not so.' The wife however insisted, saying, 'Here is a poor man, and it is our duty as householders to see that he is fed, and it is my duty as a wife to give him my portion, seeing that you have no more to offer him.' Then she gave her share to the guest, which he ate, and said he was still burning with hunger. So the son said, 'Take my portion also; it is the duty of a son to help his father to fulfil his obligations.' The guest ate that, but remained still unsatisfied; so the son's wife gave him her portion also. That was sufficient, and the guest departed, blessing them. That night those four people died of starvation. A few granules of that flour had fallen on the floor; and when I rolled my body on them, half of it became golden, as you see. Since then I have been travelling all over the world, hoping to find another sacrifice like that, but nowhere have I found one; nowhere else has the other half of my body been turned into gold. That is why I say this is no sacrifice."
top
Two frogs fell into a deep pit, and though they tried very hard they could not hop out. Their comrades peered down from the top and croaked in sympathy.
"We feel for you," they shouted, " but there's no way you can get out from there!"
On hearing this, one of the frogs lost heart, and died of fear. The other frog was deaf. He thought his comrades were shouting encouragement. Emboldened by their faith in him, he gathered up all his reserves of energy in one great jump that landed him out of the pit.
Moral: Sometimes it's wise to turn a deaf ear to those who would discourage you.
top
A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation.
The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the wise woman. "I've been thinking," he said, "I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious: Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone."
top
One stormy night many years ago, an elderly man and his wife entered the lobby of a small hotel in Philadelphia. Trying to get out of the rain, the couple approached the front desk hoping to get some shelter for the night."Could you possibly give us a room here?" the husband asked.
The clerk, a friendly man with a winning smile, looked at the couple and explained that there were three conventions in town."All of our rooms are taken," the clerk said. "But I can't send a nice couple like you out into the rain at one o'clock in the morning. Would you perhaps be willing to sleep in my room? It's not exactly a suite, but it will be good enough to make you folks comfortable for the night."
When the couple declined, the young man pressed on. "Don't worry about me; I'll make out just fine," the clerk told them. So the couple agreed. As he paid his bill the next morning, the elderly man said to the clerk, "You are the kind of manager who should be the boss of the best hotel in the United States. Maybe someday I'll build one for you."The clerk looked at them and smiled. The three of them had a good laugh.
As they drove away, the elderly couple agreed that the helpful clerk was indeed exceptional, as finding people who are both friendly and helpful isn't easy.
Two years passed. The clerk had almost forgotten the incident when he received a letter from the old man. It recalled that stormy night and enclosed a round-trip ticket to New York, asking the young man to pay them a visit.
The old man met him in New York, and led him to the corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th Street. He then pointed to a great new building there, a palace of reddish stone, with turrets and watchtowers thrusting up to the sky."That," said the older man, "is the hotel I have just built for you to manage."
"You must be joking," the young man said."I can assure you I am not," said the older man, a sly smile playing around his mouth. The older man's name was William Waldorf Astor, and the magnificent structure was the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.The young clerk who became its first manager was George C. Boldt. This young clerk never foresaw the turn of events that would lead him to become the manager of one of the world's most glamorous hotels.
Most succeed because they are determined to, but some succeed because they are destined to.
top
top
Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."
At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing."
Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience was mesmerized.
That's the way it is in life. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren't exactly graceful flowing music. But when we trust in the hands of a Greater Power, our life's work truly can be beautiful.
Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You can hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing."
top
A Mexican Story
The American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked.;Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.;
The Mexican replied, "Only a little while.";
The American then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more fish?";
The Mexican said, "With this I have more than enough to support my family's needs.";
The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?";
The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life.";
The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat: With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the;processor; eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles and eventually New York where you will run your ever- expanding enterprise.";
The Mexican fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?";
To which the American replied, "15 to 20 years.";
"But what then?" asked the Mexican.;
The American laughed and said that's the best part. "When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions.";
"Millions?...Then what?";
The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."
top
The Sanayasin And The Boxer
A Boxing Champion was standing at the edge of a small pit with sewage water just peeping into it. A Sanyasin who was walking along the way all of a sudden just pushed this man forward. He fell into the pit. With rage he came out and thrashed the sanyasin. With all his body bleeding the Sanyasin just smiled and went away. The Boxer was confused. He followed the Sanyasin to his home. The deciples stood dumb found when they saw their master is this conditions and started treating him. They wanted to know what actually had happened. The Sanyasin narrated the episode and said " My dear boys, That poor man did not know that there was a poisonous snake just near his leg ready to spit venom. He did not know that I wanted to Save him and not to subject hime to any Suffering." The Sanyasin was still smiling.
But........The Boxer Wept.
top
The Miserly Beggar
The king was to pass by a beggar's hut and the man was beside himself with excitement, not because he was about to see the king but because the king was known to part with expensive jewels and huge sums of money when moved by compassion.
He saw the king's chariot just as a kindly man was filling his begging bowl with uncooked rice. Pushing the man aside, he ran into the street, shouting praises of the king and the royal family.
The chariot stopped and the king beckoned to the beggar.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"One of the most unfortunate of your subjects," said the beggar. "Poverty sits on my doorstep and follows me about like a dog. I haven't eaten since yesterday afternoon!"
"Have you nothing for your king except a tale of woe?" said the ruler, putting out his hand. "Give me something."
The beggar, astonished, carefully picked up 5 grains of rice from his bowl and laid them on the king's outstretched palm.
The king drove away. The beggar's disappointment was great. He raved and ranted and cursed the king again and again for his miserliness. Finally, his anger spent, he went on his rounds.
When he returned home in the evening he found a bag of rice on the floor.
"Some generous soul has been here," he thought and took out a handful of rice from the bag. To his astonishment there was a small piece of gold in it. He realised then that the bag had been sent by the king. He emptied the rice on the floor, feeling sure there would be more gold pieces in it, and he was right. He found 5, one for each grain of rice he had given the king.
"It is not the king who has been miserly," thought the man, sadly. "If I had been generous and given him the whole bowl of rice, I would have been a rich man today."
top
The Three Brothers
Three elderly brothers, all very short-sighted, lived in a large house on the outskirts of a city, in China. One day the youngest brother suggested that he should take charge of the finances.
"Elder brother's sight is so bad, he cannot see how much money he's receiving or giving," he said, "and people take advantage of his disability."
"As if you can see better," sneered the second-youngest brother. "If you're saying our finances should be handled by the one who has the best sight, then it is I who should be given charge. I can see better than either of you."
"I have my doubts about that," said the eldest brother. "Let's settle this once and for all. I've heard the monastery is putting up a tablet inscribed with a saying, above the main doorway, tonight. Let's go there tomorrow and test our vision. Whoever can read the inscription with the least strain will get charge of our money. Agreed?"
"Agreed," said his brothers in unison.
"Good! Now go away and let me get a few winks."
As soon as they had gone, the eldest brother sneaked out of the house and went to the monastery where he met a monk.
"I've heard you're putting up an inscription over the doorway," he said. "Can you tell me what the inscription reads?"
"Certainly. It's a quotation from Confucius. It reads: Be Honest At All Times."
The brother went away chuckling at his cleverness. A little later the second brother arrived there.
"Can you tell me what the inscription you are going to put up over the doorway reads?" he said to the monk.
"Everybody seems to want to know," said the man. "It reads: Be Honest At All Times."
"Is there any decoration around it?"
"The tablet has a flowery border."
The second brother went away very pleased with himself. Hardly had he gone when the third brother arrived there. He too enquired about the inscription and on being told what it was, asked if there was any other writing on it."
"Only the donor's name, Wang Lee, at the bottom," said the monk.
The next morning the three brothers made their way to the monastery.
"There's the inscription," said the oldest when they drew near the entrance. "I can clearly make out the writing. It reads: Be Honest At All Times."
"Your sight is better than I thought," said the second brother. "But definitely not better than mine. Can you see the decoration around the inscription?"
"Decoration? What decoration?"
"There's a floral decoration all around the tablet," said the brother, triumphantly.
"Very good, very good," applauded the youngest brother. "But can either of you see any other writing on the tablet besides the inscription?"
"Other writing?" intoned the second brother, his face falling. "What other writing is there?"
"The name of the donor, Wang Lee," said the youngest brother, pointing. "Can't you see it? It's at that corner."
The monk they had talked to the previous evening came out of the monastery just then.
"Oh, you've come to see the inscription," he said. "So sorry. We couldn't put it up yesterday evening. We are going to put it up today."
top
True Sacrifice
This idea of complete self-sacrifice is illustrated in the following story: After the battle of Kurukshetra the five Pândava brothers performed a great sacrifice and made very large gifts to the poor. All people expressed amazement at the greatness and richness of the sacrifice, and said that such a sacrifice the world had never seen before. But, after the ceremony, there came a little mongoose, half of whose body was golden, and the other half brown; and he began to roll on the floor of the sacrificial hall. He said to those around, "You are all liars; this is no sacrifice."
"What!" they exclaimed, "you say this is no sacrifice; do you not know how money and jewels were poured out to the poor and every one became rich and happy? This was the most wonderful sacrifice any man ever performed."
But the mongoose said, "There was once a little village, and in it there dwelt a poor Brahmin with his wife, his son, and his son's wife. They were very poor and lived on small gifts made to them for preaching and teaching. There came in that land a three years' famine, and the poor Brahmin suffered more than ever. At last when the family had starved for days, the father brought home one morning a little barley flour, which he had been fortunate enough to obtain, and he divided it into four parts, one for each member of the family. They prepared it for their meal, and just as they were about to eat, there was a knock at the door. The father opened it, and there stood a guest. Now in India a guest is a sacred person; he is as a god for the time being, and must be treated as such. So the poor Brahmin said, 'Come in, sir; you are welcome,' He set before the guest his own portion of the food, which the guest quickly ate and said, 'Oh, sir, you have killed me; I have been starving for ten days, and this little bit has but increased my hunger.' Then the wife said to her husband, 'Give him my share,' but the husband said, 'Not so.' The wife however insisted, saying, 'Here is a poor man, and it is our duty as householders to see that he is fed, and it is my duty as a wife to give him my portion, seeing that you have no more to offer him.' Then she gave her share to the guest, which he ate, and said he was still burning with hunger. So the son said, 'Take my portion also; it is the duty of a son to help his father to fulfil his obligations.' The guest ate that, but remained still unsatisfied; so the son's wife gave him her portion also. That was sufficient, and the guest departed, blessing them. That night those four people died of starvation. A few granules of that flour had fallen on the floor; and when I rolled my body on them, half of it became golden, as you see. Since then I have been travelling all over the world, hoping to find another sacrifice like that, but nowhere have I found one; nowhere else has the other half of my body been turned into gold. That is why I say this is no sacrifice."
top
Two Frogs
Two frogs fell into a deep pit, and though they tried very hard they could not hop out. Their comrades peered down from the top and croaked in sympathy.
"We feel for you," they shouted, " but there's no way you can get out from there!"
On hearing this, one of the frogs lost heart, and died of fear. The other frog was deaf. He thought his comrades were shouting encouragement. Emboldened by their faith in him, he gathered up all his reserves of energy in one great jump that landed him out of the pit.
Moral: Sometimes it's wise to turn a deaf ear to those who would discourage you.
top
The Wise Woman And The Traveller
A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation.
The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the wise woman. "I've been thinking," he said, "I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious: Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone."
top
The Leadership of Small Things
One stormy night many years ago, an elderly man and his wife entered the lobby of a small hotel in Philadelphia. Trying to get out of the rain, the couple approached the front desk hoping to get some shelter for the night."Could you possibly give us a room here?" the husband asked.
The clerk, a friendly man with a winning smile, looked at the couple and explained that there were three conventions in town."All of our rooms are taken," the clerk said. "But I can't send a nice couple like you out into the rain at one o'clock in the morning. Would you perhaps be willing to sleep in my room? It's not exactly a suite, but it will be good enough to make you folks comfortable for the night."
When the couple declined, the young man pressed on. "Don't worry about me; I'll make out just fine," the clerk told them. So the couple agreed. As he paid his bill the next morning, the elderly man said to the clerk, "You are the kind of manager who should be the boss of the best hotel in the United States. Maybe someday I'll build one for you."The clerk looked at them and smiled. The three of them had a good laugh.
As they drove away, the elderly couple agreed that the helpful clerk was indeed exceptional, as finding people who are both friendly and helpful isn't easy.
Two years passed. The clerk had almost forgotten the incident when he received a letter from the old man. It recalled that stormy night and enclosed a round-trip ticket to New York, asking the young man to pay them a visit.
The old man met him in New York, and led him to the corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th Street. He then pointed to a great new building there, a palace of reddish stone, with turrets and watchtowers thrusting up to the sky."That," said the older man, "is the hotel I have just built for you to manage."
"You must be joking," the young man said."I can assure you I am not," said the older man, a sly smile playing around his mouth. The older man's name was William Waldorf Astor, and the magnificent structure was the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.The young clerk who became its first manager was George C. Boldt. This young clerk never foresaw the turn of events that would lead him to become the manager of one of the world's most glamorous hotels.
Most succeed because they are determined to, but some succeed because they are destined to.
top
Good Ideas
A lady bought some bathing soaps from a shop. When she opened one of the packets, she found that it was empty. There was no soap in there; it was just an empty wrapper! She lodged a complaint against the manufacturer and got her claim. That being settled, there was a task before the management of the soap factory. How had this happened? How could they ensure that the incident did not occur again? They had suffered enough bad publicity besides having to pay the compensation to the lady.
After a detailed investigation, it was discovered, that during the process of wrapping, it so happened that inevitably, one or two wrappers did get through, having no bar of soap in them! There was no way to make out the difference between a full wrapper and an empty one. The process of handling each one separately for this purpose seemed to be very cumbersome. So, the technical head was given the job of devising a method to overcome the problem. The man prepared a detailed report and proposed the setting up of a computer based system that would weigh and scan each bar, for the empty packs would not get detected by a normal x-ray machine. He proposed an expenditure of a large amount to put this system into place.
The management heard him out and passed the order to release the funds and to buy the machinery that he had proposed. An uneducated worker said, “Excuse me Sir, for my impertinence, but I have a solution that shall cost a fraction of what you are planning to go in for.”
The management hesitated initially. But eventually they heard him out and agreed to try out his proposal. The next day, the worker brought a strong industrial fan. He put it at an angle near the conveyor belt on which the packed soap bars were coming through and switched it on. The few empty wrappers that came through got blown off by the fan! The rest of them went past easily.
A simple solution, for a complex problem! This goes to prove that ideas are not the monopoly of the educated.
After a detailed investigation, it was discovered, that during the process of wrapping, it so happened that inevitably, one or two wrappers did get through, having no bar of soap in them! There was no way to make out the difference between a full wrapper and an empty one. The process of handling each one separately for this purpose seemed to be very cumbersome. So, the technical head was given the job of devising a method to overcome the problem. The man prepared a detailed report and proposed the setting up of a computer based system that would weigh and scan each bar, for the empty packs would not get detected by a normal x-ray machine. He proposed an expenditure of a large amount to put this system into place.
The management heard him out and passed the order to release the funds and to buy the machinery that he had proposed. An uneducated worker said, “Excuse me Sir, for my impertinence, but I have a solution that shall cost a fraction of what you are planning to go in for.”
The management hesitated initially. But eventually they heard him out and agreed to try out his proposal. The next day, the worker brought a strong industrial fan. He put it at an angle near the conveyor belt on which the packed soap bars were coming through and switched it on. The few empty wrappers that came through got blown off by the fan! The rest of them went past easily.
A simple solution, for a complex problem! This goes to prove that ideas are not the monopoly of the educated.
top
The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence.
---- Rabindranath Tagore