आप कौन सी मछली है?

एक महात्मा थे, उनके एक शिष्य ने सवाल किया कि संसार में किस तरह के इन्सान को मुक्ति मिलती है ?

महात्मा अपने शिष्य को तेज बहाव की नदी पर लेकर गये और जाल डालकर मछलियों को पकडने के लिए कहा।

शिष्य ने नदी में जाल फेंका और कुछ मछलियाँ जाल में फंस गई।फिर महात्मा ने शिष्य से सवाल किया कि जाल मे अटकने के बाद मछलियों का व्यवहार कैसा है?

शिष्य ने कहा कि कुछ मछलियाँ अपनी मस्ती में मस्त हैं , कुछ मछलियाँछटपटा रही है और कुछ मछलियाँ आजाद होने के लिए भरपूर प्रयास कर रही हैं , लेकिन आजाद नहीं हो पा रही है। सभी मछलियां एक जैसी ही दिखाई दे रही है लेकिन तीन प्रकार का मछलियां का रवैया देखा।

महात्मा ने मुस्कराते हुए कहा तुम्हें तीन प्रकार की मछलियां दिखाई दिया लेकिन चार प्रकार की मछलियां है।

शिष्य ने कहा वो चौथे प्रकार मछली किस तरह और उसका रवैया क्या है?

महात्मा ने कहा कि जो मछलियां अपनी मस्ती में मस्त हैं वो वह इन्सान जो इस संसार में खा-पीकर मस्त है।दुसरा वो मछलियां जो छटपटा रही यह वो लोग हैं जो कभी-कभी सतसंग जाते हैं और ज्ञान की बातें करते हैं लेकिन अमल नहीं करते।

तीसरे प्रकार की मछलियां उस प्रकार के लोग हैं जो नित नेम सतंसग जाते है और भजन सिमरन भी करते हैं लेकिन मन में बदले में कुछ सांसारिक कामना रखते हैं और जिसके अंदर सांसारिक कामना हो वो ना मुक्त हो सकते और ना ही ईश्वर के प्रति प्रेम।

शिष्य ने कहा चौथे प्रकार की मछलियां और लोग किस तरह है?

महात्मा ने कहा कुछ मछलियां इस जाल में फंसती नहीं है वो सच्चे भक्त हैं, संसार महासागर है उसके अंदर मायाजाल है जो निस्वार्थ परमात्मा का भजन सिमरन करते वो इस मायाजाल में नहीं फंसते है।

Sour Oranges

A man often bought oranges from an old lady.

After they were weighed, paid for and put in his bag, he would always pick one from his bag, peel it, put a segment in his mouth, complain it's sour and pass on the orange to the seller.

The old lady would put one segment in her mouth and retort, "why, it's sweet," but by then he was gone with his bag.

His wife, always with him, asked, "the oranges are always sweet, then why this drama every time?"

He smiled, "the old mother sells sweet oranges but never eats them herself. This way I get her to eat one, without losing her money. That's all."

The vegetable seller next to the old lady, saw this everyday.

She chided, "every time this man fusses over your oranges, and I see that you always weigh a few extra for him. Why?"

The old lady smiled, "I know he does this to feed me an orange, only, he thinks I don't understand. I never weigh extra. His love tilts the scale slightly every time."

Moral:

Life's joys are in these sweet little gestures of love and respect to our family members , friends and fellow beings.

O God, Grant us always the ability to show such amazing kindness and Gestures... 
It should become our DNA.

It Pays to Build a Name

At the point of death, a man, Tom Smith, called his children and after praying for them, he advised them to follow his footsteps so that they can have peace of mind in all that they do.

The youngest child, Sara, a female, looked at others and yelled, "Daddy, its unfortunate you are dying without a penny in your bank account, personally, I can't emulate you. Other fathers' that you tag as being corrupt, thieves of public funds left houses and properties for their children; even this house we live in is a rented apartment, sorry, I can't emulate you, just go, let's chart our own course, let's paddle our own canoe". Few moments later, their father gave up the spirit.

Three years later, Sara went for an interview in a multinational company. The interview panel had already penciled down a candidate for the highly coveted post but wanted to complete the formality of interviewing all applicants on the list. As soon as Immaculate sat before the interview panel, the Chairman of the committee asked, "Which Smith are you" and  Sara replied, "I am Sara Smith. My Dad Tom Smith is now late, he died a poor man..." But the Chairman cuts in, "O my God, you are Tom Smith's daughter? He turned to the  other members and said, "This Smith man was the one that signed my membership form into the Institute of Chartered Administrators and his recommendation earned me where I am today. He did all these free. I didn't even know his address, he never knew me from Adam. He just did it for me". He turned to Sara, "I have no questions for you, consider yourself as having gotten this job, resume tomorrow, your letter will be waiting for you".

Sara Smith became the Corporate Affairs Manager of the company with two cars, one official and one for her private use, attached to the office, with a duplex and two drivers and a salary of £100,000 per month excluding allowances and other costs when she traveled outside England.

After two years of working in the company, the Group Managing Director of the company came from America to announce his intention to resign and needed a replacement. A personality with high integrity was sought after, again the company's Consultant nominated Sara Smith.

In an interview, she was asked the secret of her success and the sudden sky rocketing profile and in tears, she replied, "My Daddy paved these ways for me. It was after he died that I knew that he was financially poor but strikingly rich in integrity, discipline and honesty". 

She was asked again, why she is weeping since she is no longer a kid as to miss her dad still after a long time. She replied, "At the point of death, I insulted my dad for being an honest man of integrity. I hope he will forgive me in his grave now. I didn't work for all these, he did it for me to just walk in".

So, finally she was asked, "Will you follow your father's foot steps as he requested?" And her simple answer was, "l now adore the man, I have a big picture of him in my living room and at the entrance of my house. He deserves whatever I have after God".

Are you like Tom Smith? It pays to build a name, the reward doesn't come quickly but it will come however long it may take and it lasts longer.

Integrity, discipline, self control and fear of God makes a man wealthy, not the fat bank account. 

Leave a good heritage for your children. Are you building a good name for your children and not a fat bank account?

A Cow and a Calf

Once upon a time, in a small village in Karnataka, a herd of cows were climbing up the hill to graze on the fresh green grass leaving their calves behind in the safety of the village. 

Beyond the meadows was a dense forest. A hungry tiger called Arbhuta saw them, was overjoyed and prepared to pounce. He jumped out with a loud roar and the cows ran helter-skelter in fright. 

One cow called Punyakoti, who was the gentlest and most beautiful of all the cows in the herd, was caught. He was about to bite her when Punyakoti said ‘O powerful one, do not kill me just now. I have a little calf in the village who is waiting for me. He must be hungry and needs his evening feed. Please let me go back to my calf tonight, and once I have fed him, I promise that I will return to you. Then you can eat me.’

The tiger sat back in surprise. He had killed many animals in his long life, and while many of them had pleaded with him for their lives, no one had ever promised to come back! ‘Do you take me for a fool?’ he roared. ‘If I let you go, you will never return!’

‘Dear tiger, I ask this of you only for my poor hungry calf. He must be wondering where his mother is. Let me feed him one last time and say goodbye. I promise that I will come back.'
Despite himself, Arbhuta was moved by the cow’s plea and decided to wait for her.

Punyakoti ran back to the village as fast as she could to her calf. The calf ran to his mother. Punyakoti played with him and licked him and fed him. When the little calf had drunk all the milk that he could, she told him of the incident in the forest and her promise to the tiger.

‘Don’t go back, mother, please stay with me,’ cried the little calf.

‘I must go back, my child,’ explained Punyakoti gently. ‘I have given my word, and you would not want your mother to break a promise, would you?’

The little calf was distraught, but didn’t know how to save his mother from the tiger. Punyakoti then requested all the other cows to look after her little calf and left. When the tiger saw Punyakoti walking up the hill towards him, he could not believe his eyes.

Arbhuta, moved and humbled by Punyakoti’s courage and honesty, shook his massive head. ‘I cannot eat you,’ he said. ‘It is better to die of hunger than eat someone so good and truthful like you.’ And he returned to the forest.

Punyakoti came home to her little calf, who was overjoyed to see her, and the two lived happily ever after. 

Become Each Other's Strength

A young boy and his father were walking along a forest path. At some point, they came across a large tree branch on the ground in front of them. 

The boy asked his father, “If I try, do you think I could move that branch?” 

His father replied, “I am sure you can, if you use all your strength.” 

The boy tried his best to lift or push the branch, but he was not strong enough and he couldn't move it. 

He said, with disappointment, “You were wrong, dad. I can't move it.” 

“Try again,” replied his father. 

Again, the boy tried hard to push the branch. He struggled but it did not move. 

“Dad, I cannot do it,” said the boy. 

Finally his father said, “Son, I advised you to use all your strength. You didn’t.
You didn't ask for my help.”

Some reflections on this story...

We haven't used all our strength until we have recognized, appreciated and galvanized the strength and support of those who love and surround us, and those who care about our purpose. 

Our real strength lies not in independence, but in interdependence.

No individual person has all the strengths, all the resources and all the stamina required for the complete blossoming of their vision.

That requires the inspired collaboration of many like-hearted beings. 

To ask for help and support when we need it is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of wisdom.

It is a call for the greater strength that lives in our togetherness. 

When we ask for help and we are refused, it just means we have to ask at another time, or ask in another way, or ask another person.

It helps to remember SWSWSWSW.

Some Will, Some Won't, So What, Someone's Waiting!

When by yourself you cannot manage to complete any task, use all your strength, turn around and ask!

समर्पण

एक बार किसी देश का राजा अपनी प्रजा का हाल-चाल पूछने के लिए गाँवों  में घूम रहा था।

घूमते-घूमते उसके कुर्ते का बटन टूट गया उसने अपने मंत्री को कहा कि पता करो की इस गांव में कौन सा दर्जी है जो मेरे बटन को सिल सके।

मंत्री ने पता किया उस गांव में सिर्फ एक ही दर्जी था जो कपडे सिलने का काम करता था।

उसको राजा के  सामने ले जाया गया राजा ने कहा कि तुम मेरे कुर्ते का बटन सी सकते हो?

दर्जी ने कहा यह कोई मुश्किल काम थोड़े ही है। उसने मन्त्री से बटन ले लिया ओर धागे से उसने राजा के कुर्ते का बटन फौरन सीं दिया।

क्योंकि बटन भी राजा के पास था सिर्फ उसको अपना धागा  प्रयोग करना था। राजा ने दर्जी से पूछा कि कितने पैसे दूं, उसने कहा महाराज रहने दो छोटा सा काम था।

उसने मन में सोचा कि बटन राजा के पास था उसने तो सिर्फ धागा ही लगाया है।

राजा ने फिर से दर्जी को कहा कि नहीं नहीं बोलो कितने दूं।

दर्जी ने सोचा की 2 रूपये मांग लेता हूँ....

फिर मन ने यही सोच आ गयी कि कही राजा यह न सोचे की बटन टांकने के मेरे से 2 रुपये ले रहा है तो गाँव बालों से कितना लेता होगा क्योंकि उस जमाने में 2 रुपये की कीमत बहुत होती थी।

दर्जी ने राजा से कहा कि महाराज जो भी आप का ध्यान हो, वह दे दो।

अब राजा तो राजा था उसको अपने हिसाब से देना था कहीं देने में उसकी पोजीशन ख़राब न हो जाये।

उसने अपने मंत्री को कहा कि  इस दर्जी को 2 गांव दे दो, यह हमारा हुकम है।

कहां पर तो दर्जी सिर्फ 2 रुपये की मांग कर रहा था और कहां पर राजा ने उसको 2 गांव दे दिए।

इसी तरह जब हम प्रभु पर सब कुछ छोड़ते हैं तो वह अपने हिसाब से देता है, सिर्फ हम मांगने में कमी कर जाते हैं।

देने वाला तो पता नही क्या देना चाहता है। और हम बड़ी तुच्छ वस्तु मांग लेते हैं।

इसलिए संत-महात्मा कहते है, प्रभु के चरणों पर अपना सर्मपण कर दो, उनसे कभी कुछ न मांगों, जो वो अपने आप दें बस उसी से संतुष्ट रहो, वारे के न्यारे न कर दे तो कहना।

Power of Silence

Once there was a farmer who discovered that he had lost his watch in the farm. It was not an ordinary watch because it had sentimental value for him.

After searching the hay for a long while, he gave up and call the help of a group of children playing outside the barn. He promised them that, the person who found it, would
be rewarded.

Hearing this, the children hurried inside the barn, went through and around the hay but still could not find the watch. Just when the farmer was about to give up looking for his watch, a little boy went up to him and asked to be given another chance.The farmer looked at him and thought, “Why not.? After all, this kid looks sincere enough.”

So the farmer sent the little boy back in the barn. After a while the little boy came out with the watch in his hand.

The farmer was happy and surprised and so he asked the boy how he succeeded where the rest had failed.

The boy replied, “I did nothing but sit on the ground and listen. In the silence, I heard the ticking of the watch and just looked for it in that direction”

Message:

A Peaceful mind can think better than a worked up mind. Allow a few minutes of Silence to your mind every day, and see, how sharply it helps you to set your life the way you expect it to be.

Moral: 

The soul always  knows what to do to heal itself... The challenge is to silence the Mind…