Monkey Business Formatted - Sahaj Seva Samsthan Business (Story by J.M.Eswari ... Arthur Ashe, the...

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Monkey Business (Story by J.M.Eswari)

Once a monkey climbed the roof of a house and entertained the people who had gathered below to watch it, with its gimmicks.

After it had gone, an ass who craved popularity climbed the roof and tried to perform the same tricks.

In the process, it dislodged and broke several tiles.

The owner of the house was furious. His servants went up, drove the ass down, and beat it black and blue.

Moral: Actions that suit others may not suit you. Be yourself.

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An Ancient Hindu Legend

There was a time when all men were gods. But they so abused their divinity that Brahma, the supreme creator, decided to deprive them of their divine power, and hide it in a place where it would be impossible to find. The problem was to find a suitable hiding place.

When the minor gods were called upon to a meeting to resolve the problem, they made the following proposition: Hide the power of divinity somewhere in the earth. But Brahma refused, saying, No it is too easy. Someone will dig into the earth and find it”.

So the gods replied, “In that case, hid it in the depts. of the ocean”.

But Brahma refused once again, saying, “No because sooner or later people will explore all the regions of the ocean. They will surely find it and bring it back to the surface”.

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So the gods concluded that they were not able to find a place on land or in the sea where the power of divinity would be safe from man.

Then Brahman said, “Here is what we will do with the power of divinity; we will hide it in the very depths of man himself, because that is the only place he will never think of looking”.

Since that time many have explored the surface of the earth and the oceans depths looking for something that can be found only in themselves.

Moral: Divinity resides in each one of us. The only thing necessary to reach it is a silent resolve to look within ourselves and seek it.



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Take Miseries as Divine Blessings Arthur Ashe, the legendary Wimbledon player was dying of Cancer; he received letters from his fans, one of which conveyed "Why does GOD have to select you for such a bad disease"? To this Arthur Ashe replied: The world over -- 5 crore children start playing tennis, 50 lakh learn to play tennis, 5 lakh learn professional tennis, 50,000 come to the circuit, 5000 reach the grand slam, 50 reach Wimbledon, 4 to semi final, 2 to the finals, When I was holding a cup I never asked GOD "Why me?" And today in pain I should not be asking GOD "Why me?" Happiness keeps you Sweet,


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Trials keep you Strong, Sorrow keeps you Human, Failure keeps you Humble, Success keeps you Glowing, But only God keeps you Going. When "Divinity knows what is best for us, and when this knowledge percolates through every pore of our being, it is possible to accept every misery as a divine gift" Moral: Take miseries as divine blessing for your own good and be thankful. Formatted: Justified


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Beauty of the sky The school premises of Ramu and Somu is quiet busy with so many kids around as competition going on for drawing. Both Ramu and Somu stay in same colony and they are also participating along with all other friends. The theme is “How beautiful is the sky!!” Ramu won the price for his beautiful painting. His painting was kept on notice board. His painting was really wonderful with amazing colours of Dawn. Somu is also a good painter but could not draw such a beautiful sky. While going back home, Somu asked Ramu “How could you draw such a wonderful painting”. Ramu said “I saw it in real and I remembered while painting.”




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Somu got surprised and said “Where did you see?” Ramu said “From my balcony!” Somu said “Are you joking. I always watch sky from balcony but never saw sky so beautiful.” Ramu got surprised and said “That means, you never saw sky in the early hours!!! How sad it is?” Somu felt sorry for not getting up early and able to see the “beautiful sky”. He was surprised to hear that in the early hours the sky looks so beautiful every day. He requested Ramu to wake him up next day early morning to see. Next day in the early hours both Ramu and Somu got up early and took bath. They went up to terrace and saw the beauty of early morning. Somu was happy to see and realized what he was missing. He heard


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the sounds of birds chirping and the whispering cool breeze passing on and touching him gently. The trees were waving their branches and finally he could see the colour of dawn and the rising Sun. Then he realized how Ramu could draw such a beautiful painting. He felt fresh and calm and while coming down he saw his parents praying and he also felt like praying and sat for sometime. As he got up early, he found lot of time for study and he could read more. He continued the same everyday and finally he got good marks in exams. Moral: Rise before Dawn. God is everywhere

Feeling exhausted with his disciples the Guru said “Oh! God! “



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Immediately a disciple known for his foolishness asked "Where is God?" The Guru replied "Everywhere, in everyone and everything."

Later, as the disciple was going home, he saw an elephant charging towards him. "Get out of the way, get out of the way," shouted the elephant-driver. "He has gone mad!"

But the disciple thought: "God is everywhere. He is in the elephant and he is in me. Would God attack God? No, therefore the elephant will not attack me."

He stood where he was. The elephant picked him up in his trunk and flung him aside. Fortunately, he landed in a haystack and was not too badly hurt. But he was terribly shaken and confused.

When the Guru and the other disciples came to help him and take him home, he said, "You said God is in everything, but see what the elephant did to me!"

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"It is true that God is in everything," said his Guru. "He is in the elephant, but he is also in the mahout who kept telling you to get out of the way. Why didn't you listen to him?" Moral : We should learn the lessons fully. (Story by J.M.Eswari) Formatted: Font: Comic Sans

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The Blue bird

One day Raju saw a beautiful blue bird in the veranda. The bird was hurt on its wing and unable to fly. Raju took her to doctor and got her treated. The bird started flying immediately. He liked her very much. Raju wanted to keep her with him and so He kept her in a cage.

His uncle Prabhu saw the bird in cage when he visited Raju house.

Prabhu asked Raju to leave the bird and give her freedom.

Raju said “I liked her very

much and I want to keep her with me.”


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Prabhu said “That is not right. You have done a good job by helping her. But now you should leave her and she will be happy”.

Raju said “I am giving her good fruits and looking after her needs. What more happiness will she get in

freedom?”

Prabhu said “True it may be! But who knows? You just allow her to go. If you want I will take you to nearby jungle every now and then. You can see so many birds and animals which you will really love it“

Raju was not in agreement with uncle Prabhu’s idea of leaving bird. But he got tempted of jungle trips and he left his favourite blue bird by marking a yellow colour on her wings.









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As promised, uncle Prabhu used to take him to jungle. Raju used to enjoy very much by seeing so many birds of yellow, red, black and white. He also saw

peacock!

One day suddenly he saw his blue bird with yellow colour on her wings carrying some thing in her beak.

He felt happy to see her. He ran along with her as she was flying very low. She reached a tree to a nest. Raju saw her keeping food in her baby bird’s mouth. They were very cute and opening their mouths for food. Raju was admiring the beauty of the baby birds and her duty towards her babies. Raju remembered the words of his uncle “allow her





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to be free”. Raju turned back whispering to himself “Ohh what mistake I was committing, the blue bird was mother bird and her babies were waiting for the food.” Raju felt sorry and thanked his uncle for right advice at right time. Next day, again uncle Prabhu saw many bird cages at Raju’s home. He felt sad. But he saw, Raju was feeding one by one. Prabhu got surprised as why again Raju bought so many birds. Prabhu asked Raju “Why did you bring so many birds in cages?” Raju told he bought all these birds from bird’s seller with his pocket money which he saved all these days. Prabhu asked “Why? What will you do now?”

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Raju opened one by one cage and said he will give freedom to all. Prabhu was too happy for the change in Raju. Moral : Do not be Possessive. Forget anger toward all who have offended you, For from anger springs a multitude of wrongs. The face's smile and the heart's joy are slain by anger. Does there exist a greater enemy than one's own anger? -Tirukkural 31: 303-304



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Costly Gifts

One day a king stepped out of the gates of his palace and found a man standing there. The man had a plump chicken in his hands. On seeing the king he bowed respectfully and said: 'Maharaj, I gambled in your name and won this chicken. It belongs to you. Please accept it."

"Give it to my poultry keeper," said the king.

A few days later the king saw the man standing outside the gates again. This time he had a goat with him. "I won this goat in your name, Maharaj," he said after saluting the ruler.

"It belongs to you."

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The king was pleased.

"Give it to my goat keeper," he said.

Some weeks later the man was at the palace gates once again.

This time he had two men with him.

"I lost 500 varahas to each of these men while playing in your name, Maharaj," said the man. "I have no money to pay them."

The king realized he had made a mistake in accepting the man's gifts on the previous occasions. Now he could not refuse to help him. He paid off the two men and warned the gambler never to play in his name again.

Moral: Fruits of labour are the sweetest. Do not expect anything for free for it usually will demand something in return.





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DHRUVA

The Vedic name of the Pole Star is Dhruva Nakshatra, named after Dhruva, the son of King Uttanapad. At a very young age, Dhruva demonstrated such steadfast commitment to Lord Vishnu that he was blessed by Vishnu to take the position of the steadfast Pole star.

Let us hear the story of Dhruva which is taken from the Bhagawat Purana. Dhruva's father, King Uttanapad, was a great ruler of ancient India. He had two queens. The elder one, Queen Suniti, was Dhruva's mother. Queen Suruchi, the younger one, did not like her stepson, Dhruva and wanted her own son, Uttam, to become king. Unfortunately, King Uttanapad liked Queen Suruchi better than Queen Suniti and did not want to disagree with her even though Dhruva was older and was the rightful heir to the throne.


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One day, little Dhruva went to sit on his father's lap along with his stepbrother, Uttam. But he was stopped by Queen Suruchi's cruel words. "You are not allowed in your father's lap," she scolded. "Only my son is allowed to sit on the King's lap. Pray to Lord Vishnu that you should die and be reborn as my son if you want to sit in your father's lap!" Deeply hurt, Dhruva went crying to his mother. But Queen Suniti was helpless. "Pray to Lord Vishnu," she said. "He will surely help you if you can pray long and hard enough."

Dhruva made up his mind that he would go deep into the jungle to pray Lord Vishnu and would not return to the kingdom until the Lord had answered his prayers. On his way to the jungle, he met the eternal sage, Narada. Narada was concerned that Dhruva was too young to be in the jungle alone. He tried to dissuade Dhruva, warning him that he would be eaten up by wild animals if he stayed. But Dhruva was steadfast in his resolve.

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Satisfied that Dhruva had the mental strength to remain in the jungle, Narada taught Dhruva the art of worshiping Lord Vishnu. Little Dhruva prayed for many months, giving up all worldly comforts. He even stopped eating. Lord Vishnu was amazed at the little boy's determination and finally appeared before him. He blessed the boy and told him to return to his kingdom.

In the meantime, King Uttanapad repented the injustice done to Dhruva. He was heartbroken at the thought of little Dhruva being devoured by wild beasts. Narada consoled him, telling him that Dhruva's resolve was firm and that he would receive Lord Vishnu's blessings. Narada was sure that Lord Vishnu would protect the boy from the wild animals.

When Dhruva finally returned safely home after receiving Lord Vishnu's blessings, King Uttanapad went personally to receive him. Queen Suniti was overjoyed at her son's safe return. In the

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course of time, when King Uttanapad became old, Dhruva was crowned king, and ruled wisely for many years.

The story of Dhruva is a lesson to us all. We do not have to wait until we are old to attain spirituality. Sincere, steadfast, praying on God helped such a young child overcome the obstacles thrown in his way.

Moral: Be steadfast and sincere in seeking God. He will give you the strength to overcome all the obstacles in life.

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“Everything is done by God” {Nature song} Nature, its a painting of God, Nature, its a colouring of God, Nature, its a drawing of God, Everything done by God, is a giving of God God , God , God its a giving of God God , God , Birds are flying in the sky, Trees are a treat for the eyes, Children playing in the street, Everything done by God , is a giving of God, God , God , God its a giving of God God , God. K.C.Neela,


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Foxy Rooster

A fox sneaked into a farm and grabbed a prize rooster.

The farmer saw him and raised the alarm and he and his dogs started chasing the thief. The fox, though he was holding the rooster in his mouth, was running very fast.

"Get him! Get him!" shouted the farmer to his dogs. "No!" suddenly screamed the rooster. "Don't come near me!"

"My master was very cruel to me," explained the rooster to the fox. "Tell him to stay away from me."

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The fox was delighted. "He wants you to stay away from him!" he shouted at the farmer, in the process releasing his hold on the rooster. The rooster flew up into a tree and stayed there till he was rescued by his master.

Moral: Think twice before you open your mouth to speak

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Hanging Together

Once some cranes were eating grain from a farmer’s field, so he set a trap and caught several cranes .

Among them was a stork.

“You can see I don’t belong here,” said the stork. “I’m a law- abiding bird. Please let me go.”

“You may well be what you claim to be,” said the farmer. “But I caught you along with these robbers, so you will have to hang with them.”

Moral: You are judged by the company you keep.






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Help Yourself

A traveling preacher finds himself in a tremendous rainstorm.

Within a few hours the hotel he is staying in becomes flooded. As the water rises, the preacher climbs to the roof and starts praying.

"Lord, save me so I can continue on my mission of preaching your gospel."

Just then, a coast guard rescue party floats by in a rowboat. "Let's go mister. Into the boat."

"I'll stay here," says the preacher, "The Lord will save me."

An hour later a second boat reaches the scene and the water is close to the roof of the hotel. "Sir, you better get in. the water is still rising." "No thanks. The Lord will be my salvation."


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Toward evening, the hotel is almost completely under water and the preacher is clinging to the satellite dish on the roof. A helicopter is spotted and on a loudspeaker is heard "Sir, grab on to the line and we will pull you up. This is your last chance.

"I'm all right," says the preacher, as he looks heavenward. "I know the Lord will provide sanctuary."

As the boat departs, the satellite dish is hit by lightning and the preacher is killed. When he arrived at the Pearly Gates he was furious. "What happened," he shouts. "I thought the Lord would provide!"

Moments later a thunderous voice is heard. "Gimme a break pal. I sent you 2 boats and a chopper"

Unknown Author

Moral: God helps those who help themselves.


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Lesson in stoic life by a dog

"Pain vs. Suffering"

Happiness lessons weren't restricted to the master's workshop. Once as we drove to a store, a three-legged dog limped by trying to keep up with two other dogs. As a six-year-old I became terribly sad for the poor dog. When the master asked what was wrong, I told him. He said, "Oh, don't worry about him, he's perfectly happy. Don't you see his wagging tail and happy smile?"

"Yes," I said, "but he's lost a leg. I feel so sorry for him."

"Julian, that dog was probably hit by a car and was in terrible pain. A vet amputated his leg to save his life," said the master. I got a lump in my throat and started tearing up.

"Julian, if that dog felt sorry for himself, he'd be hiding somewhere with


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his tail down. Look at him. He's playing with his friends, tail in the air, sniffing things, and exploring. He's too involved to care about his missing leg. People mope around for months if they lose a leg. They keep thinking about all the things they can't do. They 'suffer' more pain by keeping it going in their minds. So that dog is smarter than most people. He's doing what he's always done, and he probably doesn't even think about his leg. Pain can't be avoided sometimes, but suffering is a choice. We suffer when we dwell on past pain. So always try to be like that dog: Focus on what you want to do, and do it."

Moral: Brooding about what you don’t have or cannot do will always leave you suffering.

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Many years ago in Scotland, a new game was invented. It was ruled "Gentlemen Only...Ladies Forbidden"....and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language.

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Poem (Abraham Lincoln) The fundamental fact is, You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong, You cannot help small men by tearing down big men, You cannot help the wage-earner by pulling down the wage-payer, You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income, You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred, You cannot establish security on borrowed money, You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man's initiative and independence, You cannot help men permanently, by doing for them what they could and should


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Markandeya

Mrikandu was a great rishi. Marudvati was his wife. For a long time they had no children.

The rishi prayed to God Siva. God Siva appeared to him, and said, "I am pleased with you, Mrikandu. Tell me, do you want a hundred sons, who will live for a long time, but will all be foolish? Or, do you want one very intelligent son, who will live for only sixteen years?"

The rishi at once said, "God, give me that one intelligent son."

God Siva said, "Good! You shall have him."

Soon the rishi got a son. He named him Markandeya. The boy grew to be very intelligent and handsome. The rishi invested him with the sacred thread. Markandeya learnt the Vedas and Sastras, easily. Every one liked him.

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As the boy was getting on to be sixteen, Rishi Mrikandu became sadder and sadder. One day Markandeya asked his father: "Father, why do you look so sad?"

The rishi said, "Son! What shall I say? When God Siva gave you to me, he said you would live only sixteen years. You are now about to reach that age. How can I and your mother bear to lose you as we will at the end of this year?"

Markandeya said, "Father! Is that the reason? God Siva is very kind to His devotees. You yourself told me that. He has saved many from death before. I have read about it in the Puranas. I shall therefore worship God Siva day and night from today. I am sure, He will save -me too! "

Rishi Mrikandu was very happy to hear his son say this. He blessed his son.

Markandeya built a Siva-Linga at a spot on the sea-shore. He started worshipping God

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Siva morning, noon and night. He sang bhajans, and often danced in joy.

On the last day, Markandeya was about to sing bhajans, when Yama, the God of Death, came to him. Yama rode on a buffalo. He held a noose in his hand. He spoke to Markandeya, "Stop your bhajan! You boy! Your life in this world is over. Be ready to die."

Markandeya was not afraid. He clung to the Siva-Linga as one clings to one's mother.

Yama threw his noose round the boy's neck, and pulled him along with the Siva- Linga.

Then the Siva-Linga burst open and God Siva came out of it, God kicked Yama in the chest, and said, "Yama, begone! Don't touch this boy. He is my beloved devotee. He will live for ever!"

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Yama went away crest-fallen. Markandeya then prayed to God Siva more fervently than ever.

Markandeya came home, and fell at the feet of his parents. They embraced him, and wept with joy.

Markandeya became a great rishi, and lived very long.

Moral: Seeking God is the only way to go through life happily.


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Money Lender

Many years ago in a small Indian village, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer's beautiful daughter. So he proposed a bargain. He said he would forgo the farmer's debt if he could marry his daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the proposal. So the cunning money-lender suggested that they let providence decide the matter. He told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag. Then the girl would have to pick one pebble from the bag.

1) If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father's debt would be forgiven. 2) If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven.

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3) But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail.

They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the farmer's field. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag. Now, imagine that you were standing in the field. What would you have done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you have told her? Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:

1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble. 2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the money-lender as a cheat. 3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.

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Take a moment to ponder over the story. The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking. The girl's dilemma cannot be solved with traditional logical thinking. Think of the consequences if she chooses the above logical answers. What would you recommend to the Girl to do?

Well, here is what she did ……

The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles. "Oh, how clumsy of me," she said. "But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked." Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one. And since the money-lender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed

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what seemed an impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one.

MORAL OF THE STORY

Most complex problems do have a solution. It is only that we don't attempt to think them through to achieve an answer.

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Thoughts and Actions

A young farmer, Raju, worked hard on his land. One evening, as he rested under a banyan tree, the royal herald rode by announcing that the king had an unusual dream. Whoever could explain it to his satisfaction would receive 100 gold coins. In his dream, the king saw a sneering jackal trying to jump on to his lap. While trying to ward it off, he woke up with an uneasy feeling.

'If only I knew the answer', murmured Raju to himself. Then a sweet voice said to him, 'I'll give you the answer provided you promise to give me half of your award.' It was a beautiful little bird that had hopped down to a lower branch right above Raju's head. An enthusiastic Raju immediately accepted the offer. The answer was: 'The throne symbolizes the kingdom; the jackal symbolizes treachery and selfish cunning dominating the atmosphere. Ask the king to be cautious.'

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Raju met the king the next day and interpreted the dream. The king was satisfied and Raju received the 100 gold coins. Walking back, Raju thought, 'what a pity I have to part with half the amount of the reward.' He took a detour and avoided the bird. He invested the money prudently and grew rich. 5 years passed. One evening the king's general galloped down to his house and called out: 'Hurry up. His Majesty has had another intriguing dream. He saw a bloody dagger circling his head.' Raju promised to meet the king the next day.

It was a moonlit night, and as soon as Raju approached the banyan tree, the bird appeared again and said, 'I know about the dream.' Raju promised to give the bird half of the reward, and the bird explained that the dagger represented violence that the atmosphere was steeped in it and the king should be on his guard. In the morning, Raju explained the dream and got a reward of 1000 gold coins.

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Raju was afraid that the talking bird might report the matter to the king, and when he met the bird the next day he threw a stone at it, wanting to kill it. However, the bird escaped. Raju forgot all about it, until 5 years later, he was again brought before the king. This time the king had dreamt of a delicate dove resting on his lap. Once again he went to the bird, promised half the reward and was told that the dove symbolized peace and the king could now rest in peace. This time Raju received 10,000 gold coins.

This time Raju made a beeline for the banyan tree, and offered to the bird the entire amount in total surrender. The bird, however, had no use for it and advised Raju to spend it on the people's welfare. A tearful Raju pleaded to the bird to be pardoned for his conduct. 'Your conduct', said the bird, 'where was your conduct? On the first occasion, there was treachery in the atmosphere; the second time, there was violence in the atmosphere, and now there is peace and trust in the

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atmosphere. No one really acts according to his personal will.'

Moral: Our thoughts affect the atmosphere and the atmosphere affects us in many ways. We should try to become better human beings so that our environment will also become better.

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• In the 1400's a law was set forth that a man was not allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb. Hence we have "the rule of thumb"





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Narendranath Swami Vivekananda's earlier name was Narendranath and his nickname was Bile. During his childhood and even in his adolescent years, he was extremely mischievous. This did not diminish his divinity. But his parents, especially his mother, sometimes would get puzzled and worry about him.

She used to say, "O Lord Shiva, I prayed to you to grant me a son like you. But instead of coming into my life, you have sent me your ghost. He is nothing but a ghost, my Bile, always breaking things and creating problems for me. How long can I tolerate his endless mischief?"

But there were quite a few good qualities that his mother also saw in him, so inwardly she was satisfied. But outwardly she always told everyone, "My Bile is so notorious!"


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One day, when he was only five years old, Vivekananda saw in the living room a few Indian hookahs or smoking pipes. One was for the Brahmins, one for the Kshatriyas and one for the Muslims. He tasted each one, and to his surprise discovered that all the hookahs tasted the same.

Alas, he was caught by his own father. "What are you doing, Bile?" he asked.

Vivekananda replied, "Father, I was just examining the smoking pipes. I thought that the one for Brahmins would be better than the one for Kshatriyas, because Brahmins are so great. And the Muslims are so heroic and spirited, so I thought that the Muslim pipe would be special. But they are all the same. I wish to tell you, Father that they are all the same. No one pipe is superior to another."

Vivekananda's parents were simply shocked. "How is it that you have started smoking at such a tender age?" they


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asked. "And what kind of things is a small boy like you saying?"

Then his mother said, "My son, you are too spoiled. You have become too smart. Come here." The child came to the mother and she took him upstairs to his room and closed the door from outside.

In two hours' time the maid came running to the mother, screaming: "Bile is throwing away all his clothes. Everything he has in his room he is throwing out through the window! There are a few beggars below who are grabbing his garments as they fall. And he himself is so happy!

At this the mother ran upstairs and demanded, "What is the matter with you, Bile? Such expensive clothes you are throwing away!

Vivekananda replied, "Mother, we are so rich. We can have whatever we want, whenever we want. But these are poor people. They have nothing, nothing. If we do not give to them, then who will give to

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them? We have enough, more than enough; so my heart wants to give these things away. They need them more than I do." His mother's heart was full of joy and delight. She embraced her son and shed tears of delight that his heart was so sympathetic, so vast and so all-giving, and that he had so much oneness with the poor and with the Supreme Pilot in all.

Moral: Do not distinguish between people and share whatever you have with others.

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Three men went into the jungle on different occasions and saw a chameleon. "A chameleon is red," said the first man. "No a chameleon is green," said the second man. "Nonsense, a chameleon is brown," said the third man. Those who disagree about the nature of God are like these three men.

-Hindu Teaching Story




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Prahlad

The mythological story of Prahlad, is described in Vishnu Puran as the fourth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Nara-simhavatar.

Prahlad was the son of the Asura king Hiranyakashipu. The Asuras were unrighteous in act and were hostile to gods. Hiranyakashipu wanted to be the undisputed ruler of the three worlds - the heaven, the earth and the underworld (pathala). He performed severe penance to seek blessing of Brahma for immortality.

Brahma, however, declined, saying "All living beings must face death Hiranyakashipu. You can, however, choose your death wish." Hiranyakashipu then asked for three conditions, as his death wish, "Let me be killed by someone who is neither human nor a beast, in a time which is neither during the day nor during the night, and in a place which is neither inside



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nor outside." Brahma agreed and Hiranyakashipu got his death wishes granted. Thus, he became practically immortal.

Hiranyakashipu, with his new powers, attacked heaven and subdued all the gods. He then declared himself the king of all the three worlds. He soon ordered all people to worship him and no one else. His hostilities knew no bounds. The gods approached Lord Vishnu for His help. Vishnu assured that He will take rebirth when the time comes.

Soon Hiranyakashipu got a son. He was named Prahlad. Prahlad grew up to be a lovely boy. His father was unaware of the fact that Prahlad was an ardent devotee of Vishnu. Hiranyakashipu, however, wanted his son to be the king of the Asuras, strong and ruthless. One day Hiranyakashipu lovingly asked his son, "Dear Son, what do you think is the best thing in life?" Prahlad replied, "To seek refuge in Vishnu." Hiranyakashipu was

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shocked to hear this. He could not tolerate the idea that his son loves the sworn enemy of the Asuras, Lord Vishnu. He felt that someone deliberately trying to brainwash his son, undermining his future dreams. To find this out, Hiranyakashipu sent Prahlad to his teacher.

The teacher lovingly asked Prahlad, "Who has taught you about Vishnu?" Prahlad calmly replied, "Vishnu himself." The teacher was furious. He called for his cane and beat Prahlad mercilessly. Prahlad stayed quiet and completed his education. He quietly shared his feelings with his friends without the knowledge of his teacher. His serene behavior and thoughts of divine happiness appealed the young students. They believed that Vishnu is all prevailing, caring and the true preserver of the universe.

After his graduation, Prahlad returned to his father. Hiranyakashipu expected his son to behave like an Asura prince. So he

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loving asked, "What worthwhile occupation did you learn from the teacher?"

Prahlad unhesitatingly said, "Father, the only worthwhile occupation that I learnt is to dedicate my life in the work of Vishnu, the Lord of Preservation."

Hiranyakashipu shouted at the teacher saying, "You wicked teacher, you taught my son to worship my worst enemy, Vishnu!" The teacher repeatedly tried to assure

that he did not teach such a thing.

Prahlad tried to convince his father "Father,

my friends in the school believed me when I said Lord Vishnu reveals Himself to all


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who devoted to Him. You should also do the same and humbly accept Vishnu as the Lord of the Universe."

Hiranyakashipu raged in anger and ordered his subordinates to kill Prahlad. They tried different means but Prahlad stayed in deep meditation of Vishnu and nothing hurt him.

Hiranyakashipu became thoughtful. "This boy is immortal and fears nothing. Will he be the cause of my death?" He shouted in anger, "You wicked wretch! Are you trying to destroy me and my race! The rulers of the three worlds quake before me. What is the source of your power?"

"Oh father," replied Prahlad, "It is Vishnu. He is the source of our power. He is present everywhere and protects all who believed in Him."

Impatient Hiranyakashipu could not bear any longer. He pulled out his sword and challenged Prahlad, "I will see how Vishnu

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can protect you." Hiranyakashipu pointed towards the pillar outside the hall and shouted, "Is He present in this pillar?"

"Yes father" was the calm reply from little Prahlad. Hiranyakashipu outrageously ran towards the pillar shouting, "I will first kick the pillar to prove that you are wrong and then I will kill you."

When Hiranyakashipu kicked the pillar with great force, to his utter surprise, he saw the pillar burst open and Lord Vishnu emerged as Nara-simha, half human and half lion. Hiranyakashipu remembered his first death wish, "To be killed by some one who is neither human nor beast." It was also the twilight hour, neither day nor night, the second death wish. Nara-simha

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caught Hiranyakashipu and carried to the threshold of the courtroom. The place was neither inside nor outside. This was Hiranyakashipu’s third death wish. There Hiranyakashipu was killed by the fourth incarnation of Vishnu, Nara-simha. Other three were fish, turtle and wild boar. After killing Hiranyakashipu, Narasimha sat at his thrown and peace came back to the earth.

All the gods came to pay homage to the incarnation of Vishnu and asked Prahlad, who was not the least afraid of the horrible beast, to pacify him so that He comes back to his normal peaceful form. Narsimha was touched by Prahlad’s devotion. He came back to his normal form and asked Prahlad to ask for any boon. Prahlad humbly said, "Let my father be purified of all his sins." Vishnu blessed Prahlad and asked him to reign in his place and perform the duties of a just ruler. Prahlad ruled wisely and well ever after.

Moral: Always lead a life devoted to God.

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Prince Charming

There was a prince who was besotted with his own beauty. If any traveler came to the palace he would ask him: "Have you ever seen anyone as handsome

as me?" No one ever had.

One day an obsequious traveler said to him: "I don't think there could be anyone in the whole world as good-looking as you. I don't think even a god could be as handsome."

This made the prince very happy and he went around telling everyone that he was more handsome than any god.

One day he had two visitors who identified themselves as gods.


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"We have come to see if you are as handsome as you claim," they explained.

"Aren't I?" he asked.

"We visited you earlier in the day when you were asleep," said one of the gods. "You were more handsome then."

"How could my looks decline within a few hours?" said the prince. He turned to his servants. "Did I look better in the morning?" he enquired. "You looked the same," said his servants.

"We are gods," said one of the visitors. "We can see what your servants cannot. Their vision is imperfect and we'll prove it to you. Bring a bowl of water."

A bowl of water was brought. The god asked the servants to study it closely and then leave the room. When they were gone, he removed half a spoonful of water from the bowl. Then the servants were called back in.

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"Is there any change in the bowl of water?" asked the god.

"None," said the servants.

"They cannot see that the water has diminished," said the god, "just as they cannot see that your beauty has deteriorated."

The prince was shaken. He thought: "My beauty is diminishing by the day. It is short-lived. Why am I besotted by something so fleeting? I should concern myself with that which is eternal."

He never again looked into a mirror and in course of time renounced his throne and became a monk.

Moral: Everything in this world is short-lived. Fix your mind on Him (God) who is eternal.

— A medieval Jain tale


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Shibi Chakravarthy

The king Shibi Chakravarthy was famous for his truthfulness, justice, and keeping his word. The king of righteousness, Dharmaraj, himself decided to test the strength of character of Shibi Chakravarthy.

Once when the king was alone on the terrace of his palace, he saw one dove coming towards him with great speed. An eagle was after him, and to escape from the clutches of the chasing eagle the dove made frantic effort to hide some where. Seeing the king on the terrace, the frightened dove took shelter in his lap. The dove said, "O king, save my life, I have come under your shelter."

The king had vowed to protect anyone who took his shelter. Thus the weak and deprived could not be exploited by the rich and strong. However, this was a new experience for Shibi Chakravarthy. Was he in any way obliged to protect a bird who



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seeks his refuge? Contemplating for a while, the king decided that even tress, animals, and birds require protection and help as do human beings.

Therefore, the king said, "Have no fear my son. That eagle would not be able to touch even your feather. Relax in peace, have no worries." So saying the king readied himself to face the rapidly approaching eagle. The eagle landed in front of the king and said, "O king, you have hidden my prey. Please release him so that I can appease my hunger."

The righteous king saw the point in eagle's demand. He faced a peculiar dilemma of protecting the dove, and at the same time not to deprive the eagle of his rightful prey! He decided to resolve the issue by offering the eagle equal amount of meat from his kitchen. But the eagle insisted on having his prey -the dove - as his food. After some discussion the eagle agreed to set the dove free on two conditions.

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The eagle said, "O King, I shall let the dove go, if equal weight of flesh from your body is offered to me as food."

Shibi Chakravarthy was quite pleased with the adjustment. He thought that a pound (or two) of flesh from his body would not kill him and the life of the dove in his shelter would also be saved.

Thus he was happy that he was saved from a great sin of 'inability to protect the weak'.

The eagle then put his second condition, saying, "O king, if a single tear drops from your eye I shall be constrained to accept you flesh as my food." The king agreed and called for the knives and the balance. In one pan of the balance the dove was kept and on the other side a large chunk of flesh from the right thigh of Shibi Chakravarthy. But strange as it might seem, the pan with the dove always weighed more even as additional flesh was added! Thus almost whole of the right half

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of the king's body was cut. Still the weight could not be equaled.

At this juncture a drop of tear appeared in the left eye of the king. The eagle objected to this saying, "O king, I cannot accept the food given in distress. The tear in your eye shows that you are unhappy. So give me my prey back and you shall regain your normal health."

With a faint smile on his lips, Shibi Chakravarthy said, "Behold, O eagle, the left eye is not crying out of grief; this is a tear of joy. Now my left half of the body will also be used to honour the word I have given to you. Otherwise, if only right had satisfied you, the left half of the body would have been denied this great opportunity of sacrifice! Therefore, my dear friend, the left eye cries out of joy!"

This ultimate sacrifice of Shibi Chakravarthy was unparalleled in the history. The eagle and the dove disappeared and in their places stood the

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King of righteousness -Dharmaraj and the king of heavens --the Indra. Gods from the heavens showered flowers, perfumes, and praise on the king. They granted many boons to this noble king.

The king Shibi Chakravarthy had passed the ultimate test to uphold Dharma, a true duty of every king. It is said that this king ruled for many years and after his death went directly to heaven to enjoy the fruits of his righteous karma.

Moral: Be fair in your dealings with all.




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The Atheist and the bear An atheist was taking a walk through the woods, admiring all that the “accident of evolution” had created. “What majestic trees! What powerful rivers! What beautiful animals!” he said to himself.

As he was walking alongside the river he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned to look. He saw a seven foot grizzly bear charging towards him. He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his shoulder and saw the bear was closing in.

He ran even faster, so scared that tears were coming to his eyes. He looked over his shoulder again, and the bear was even closer. His heart was pumping frantically and he tried to run even faster. He tripped and fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up but saw the bear, right on top of him, reaching for him with his left paw and raising his right paw to strike him.



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At that instant the Atheist cried out, “O my God”… Time stopped….The bear froze….The forest was silent….Even the river stopped moving.

As a bright light shone upon the man, a Voice came out of the sky: “You deny my existence for all of these years, teach others I don’t exist, and even credit creation to a cosmic accident. Do you expect Me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer?”

The atheist looked directly into the light. “It would be hypocritical to ask to be a Christian after all these years, but perhaps could you make the bear a Christian?”

“Very well,” said the Voice.

The light went out….The river ran again….And the sounds of the forest resumed.

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And then the bear dropped his right paw…brought both paws together… bowed his head and spoke:

“Lord, for this food which I am about to receive, I am truly thankful.”

Moral:

1. Be happy to eat in constant divine thought with whatever you get with due regards to honest and pious earnings.

2. The aim of human life is to serve God and not demand that He (God) helps us when we need Him to.


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The three men who saw God

There were once three men who went to a sage and told him that they have seen God. The sage asked them “How did God look like?” The first man replied “God had hundred heads, feet and hands.” The sage asked the second man “How did God look like to you?” The second man replied “God was like a crystal, full of truth, light and purity. How should I describe his face? Aha! His face was full of love for all creatures”. The sage asked the third man “How did god look like to you?” The third man replied “I cannot describe God. I can only feel Him in the hearts of everyone.” The sage said, “He alone has seen God. God is formless. No one can describe Him. We can only feel the presence of God. Hence the third person has seen God.”

Moral: God is formless.


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THE BOLD BEGGAR

Once there were two sages who lived in a

hermitage located in a forest. They spent most of their time worshipping Vayu, the wind god.

One afternoon, as the sages were beginning their meal, a Brahmachari (an unmarried student seeking Truth) beggar arrived holding his begging bowl.

The Brahmachari pleaded to the sages, "Pardon me respectful sages, could I beg for a part of your excess meal?"

"Sorry young man, we cannot spare you any food," sourly replied one of the sages.





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The persistent young monk continued, "May I ask you most humbly, which Deva (God) do you worship?"

"We worship Vayu, the wind god" answered the sage with pride. "He is also known as Prana, the breath of life."

"Ah! Then you must know that Prana pervades the whole universe" said the young Brahmachari.

The sages were getting impatient, "Yes, yes, we know all that young man."

The beggar than asked firmly, "Oh honorable sages, could you tell me to whom did you make this food-offering?"

"Prana, the life, who else?" said the irritated sage.

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The young monk smiled and retorted, "If life pervades the universe, it pervades me too. Am I not a part of that universe?" "Yes, that's right" replied the sage, in a

puzzled state of mind.

"It is Prana, or life, that pulsates in me, as this hungry body of mine stands before you and speaks," appealed the beggar.

The sages were trapped in the argument and admitted, "You speak the truth."

The beggar then made his final appeal, "Then Oh revered rishis (sages), in denying me food you are denying Prana for whom you have prepared the food."

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The rishis had no answer. They realized that merely the reading of scriptures can not assure them of their assimilation and true understanding. Ashamed at their ignorance, the sages gladly shared their food with the young Brahmachari.

Moral: Mould your living so as to rouse a feeling of love and piety in others. Formatted: Font: Comic Sans

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The Emperor's Seed

Once there was an emperor in the Far East who was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or one of his own children, he decided to do something different.

He called all the young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, "It has come time for me to step down and to choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you." The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today. It is a very special seed. I want you to go home, plant the seed, water it and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring to me, and the one I choose will be the next emperor of the kingdom!"

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There was a boy named Ling who was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the whole story. She helped him get a pot and some planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown.

After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept going home and checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by. Still nothing.

By now others were talking about their plants but Ling didn't have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by, still nothing in Ling's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling didn't say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow.

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A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she encouraged him to go, and to take his pot, and to be honest about what happened. Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace.

When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by all the other youths. They were beautiful, in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kinds laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey nice try."

When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!"

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All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. "The emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!"

When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My name is Ling," he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!" Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor?

Then the emperor said, "One year ago, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you

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substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!"

Moral: Be Honest.


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100 ways to be Happy

1. Never put yourself last.

2. When you extend a helping hand to one person, be careful not to kick someone else in the teeth.

3. Always own a pair of old, faded jeans.

4. Count your blessings every day.

5. Acknowledge your successes along with your downfalls.

6. Burn the candle that has been in storage for the last two years.

7. Strive for progress, not perfection.

8. Remember, the voice telling you that you cannot do something is always lying.

9. At least once a day sit and do nothing.

10. Don't close your heart so tightly against life's pain that you shut out life's blessings.

11. Celebrate all your birthdays no matter how old you get.

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12. Examine your life for limitations and ask yourself why you put them there.

13. Plant a tree, pull weeds, or get your hands dirty.

14. Diminish your wants instead of increasing your needs.

15. Cry when you feel like it.

16. Rejoice in other people's triumphs.

17. Don't wait for someone else to laugh or express joy.

18. Forgive yourself for any mistake you make, no matter how big or small.

19. Keep good company.

20. Never take a pill for a pain you need to feel.

21. Use your enthusiasm to put yourself in forward gear and give yourself a spark to move ahead.

22. Look in the eyes of the ones you love when you are talking to them.

23. Remember that one is a whole number.

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24. Walk in a summer rain shower without an umbrella.

25. Do a kind deed for someone else.

26. Keep your eyes and ears open to get the messages you need from people and events in your daily life.

27. Be patient.

28. Eat something green.

29. Change what you can and leave the rest alone.

30. Walk hand and hand with truth.

31. Make laughter an d joy a greater part of your life than anger and grief.

32. Embrace solitude instead of running from it.

33. Be zealous, not jealous.

34. Forgive anyone you've been holding a grudge against.

35. Slow down and enjoy the present.

36. Walk in others' shoes before judging them.

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37. Send yourself a kind message.

38. Remind yourself that the company you keep is a reflection of what you think of yourself.

39. Go on a picnic.

40. Accept your fears, no matter how crazy they seem.

41. Don't let other people's opinions shape who you are.

42. Say a prayer.

43. Never attribute your accomplishments to luck or chance.

44. Know when to say no.

45. Look at the positive side of negative situation.

46. Remember that you are a spiritual being in a physical body.

47. Avoid seeking out other people for constant approval, because it make them the master and you the slave.

48. Go fly a kite.

49. Avoid fads and bandwagons.

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50. Accept the things you cannot change.

51. Look inside instead of outside yourself for answers to life's problems.

52. Remember that all feelings are okay.

53. Shield yourself from bad influences.

54. Stand up for what you believe in.

55. Respect the wishes of others when they say no.

56. Seize every moment and live it fully.

57. Give away or sell anything you haven't used in the past five years.

58. Never downgrade yourself.

59. Take responsibility for what you think, feel, and do.

60. Pamper yourself.

61. Never say or do anything abusive to a child.

62. Let yourself be God powered instead of flying solo.

63. Volunteer to help someone in need.

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64. Refrain from overindulging in food, drink, and work.

65. Finish unfinished business.

66. Be spontaneous.

67. Find a constructive outlet for your anger.

68. Think about abundance instead of lack, because whatever you think about expands.

69. Think of yourself as a survivor, not a victim.

70. Cuddle an animal.

71. Be open to life.

72. See success as something you already have, not something you must attain.

73. Experience the splendor and awe of a sunset.

74. When you score a base hit, don't wish it were a home run.

75. Learn to be in the present moment.

76. Instead of believing in miracles, depend on them.

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77. Take a child to the circus.

78. Change your attitude and your whole life will change.

79. Never turn your power over to another person.

80. When your heart is at odds with your head, follow your heart.

81. Always remember that the past is gone forever and the future never comes.

82. Live your life according to what is right for you.

83. Acknowledge your imperfections.

84. Plant a tree and watch it grow.

85. See "friend" instead of "enemy" on the face of strangers.

86. Watch an army of ants build their houses and cities and carry food ten times their weight.

87. Believe in something bigger than yourself.

88. Let the playful child within you come out.

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89. Make haste slowly.

90. Work through your problems step by step and one day at a time.

91. Accept compliments from others so you can see the truth about yourself.

92. Sit on the lawn without worrying about grass stains.

93. Don't condemn yourself for your imperfections.

94. Do a humility check periodically by loving the truth about yourself.

95. Tell someone you appreciate them.

96. Never live your life according to what is right for someone else.

97. Talk less and listen more.

98. Admit your wrongdoing and forgive yourself for it.

99. Thrive on inner peace instead of on crises.

100. Affirm all the good things about yourself. Unknown author



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