Dear God, I want to take a minute not to ask for anything from you, but simply to say thank you for all I have.

Dear God, I want to take a minute not to ask for anything from you, but simply to say thank you for all I have.

“Forgiveness is the true nature of the ascetic.” - Sri Ramakrishna

“Forgiveness is the true nature of the ascetic.”
     - Sri Ramakrishna

"As long as I live, so long do I learn." - Sri Ramakrishna

"As long as I live, so long 
do I learn."
     - Sri Ramakrishna

"My son, forbearance is a great virtue; there's no other like it." - Holy Mother Sharada Devi

"My son, forbearance is a great virtue; there's no other like it."
      - Holy Mother Sharada Devi

When I asked God for strength He gave me difficult situations to face

When I asked God for strength
He gave me difficult situations to face
When I asked God for brain & brawn
He gave me puzzles in life to solve
When I asked God for happiness
He showed me some unhappy people
When I asked God for wealth
He showed me how to work hard
When I asked God for favours
He showed me opportunities to work hard
When I asked God for peace
He showed me how to help others
God gave me nothing I wanted
He gave me everything I needed.

Do not figure out big plans at first, but, begin slowly, feel your ground and proceed up and up. ― Swami Vivekananda.

Do not figure out big plans at first, but, begin slowly, feel your ground and proceed up and up. ― Swami Vivekananda.

"That man has reached immortality who is disturbed by nothing material." - Swami Vivekananda

"That man has reached immortality who is disturbed by nothing material." - Swami Vivekananda

Human Excellence in Bhagavad Gita. Anahamkara (Absence of ego) (13.9) "The Extraordinary comes only through Egolessness."

Human Excellence in Bhagavad Gita. Anahamkara  (Absence of ego) (13.9)

"The Extraordinary comes only through Egolessness."

When we dig a well, we only dig the earth; water is already present in the earth, and we take credit for the drinking water that comes out of it! Likewise we sow a seed, it sprouts and becomes a tree and bears fruits; and we claim, ‘I have produced the fruits’. We do not create flowers or fruits; Nature does it. On a closer examination of the whole issue, we will find that our contribution is indeed very little. Neither water nor manure was created by us; we only brought it together. We are mere agents of action. When we thus analyze our claims, all our egoism begins to melt away.

We are mere instruments in the hands of a Higher Power—we are like a pen which has no right to say, ‘I wrote this letter’; whatever is written, is done by the writer and not the pen. Good or bad—it is all written by the writer. Similarly body, mind, and our senses are mere instruments. Minus them the person is nothing. And these instruments are in the hands of the Divine.

In absence of introspection, ego becomes even more crystallized. Egocentric people look upon everything as a prestige-issue. Whenever anything becomes an issue of prestige, it creates a situation of point-of-no-return. A prestige-conscious person thinks: ‘My way or no way’. He does not care whether it may cause inconvenience to others or whether it is necessary to do that work; he just wants to fulfil his sense of false honour and prestige. This creates discontentment and being discontent and unhappy, one then tries to control others to fulfil his selfish agenda.

A happy and contented person enjoys others’ happiness and does not try to control them. He enjoys giving freedom to others and does not try to possess them.

Success or failure in any context depends on so many factors. By  chance, we too participate in that process or happening. We can never be sure of the final result of our actions because the result is not in our control; we can only do our actions. We can only play our role and not appropriate all the results.

The remedy lies in seeing or recognising the Universal  Will,  the  Ishwareccha, behind all our actions. If we can recognize the Universal Will, our egoism will vanish.

We will have to be vigilant and detect its workings and slowly size it up.

When we begin to discover that we are mere instruments, we then see the hollowness of all egodriven actions and claims. This is the practice of anahamkara  or egolessness.

Benefits of egolessness:-
* Personal growth
“For me, life has been a continuous process of learning, changing, and growth.”
* Perspective taking
“Before criticizing somebody, I try to imagine how I would feel if I were in their place.”
* Inclusive identity
“I feel a connection to all living things.”“I feel a connection with strangers.”
* Detached awareness
“I find myself doing things without paying much attention to it's results.”

( Based on Vedanta Kesari and other sources
Edited and Condensed by Swami Adhishwarananda)

इन्द्रियार्थेषु वैराग्यमनहङ्कार एव च।
जन्ममृत्युजराव्याधिदुःखदोषानुदर्शनम्।।13.9।।

Human Excellence in Bhagavad Gita. Atmavinigraha (Control of oneself) (13.7) If you learn self-control, you can master anything.

Human Excellence in Bhagavad Gita. Atmavinigraha (Control of oneself)  (13.7)

If you learn self-control, you can master anything.

Benefits of Self-Control

* Increases chances of success
* Increases decision making capacity
* Improves FOCUS
* Healthier interpersonal relationships
* Greater popularity
* Better mental health
* More effective coping skills
* Reduced aggression
* Superior academic performance
* Less susceptibility to drug and alcohol abuse and eating disorders etc.
* Greater wealth

Self-control is a sacrifice, and avoiding distractions and temptations. It means staying focused. Steam does not move the engine unless it is confined. Niagara Falls would not generate power unless it  were harnessed. We all know the story of the tortoise and the hare. The hare used to brag about his speed and challenged the tortoise to a race. The tortoise accepted the challenge. They appointed the fox as the judge who gave them the starting and finishing points. The race started and the tortoise kept going steadily. The hare ran quickly, left the tortoise behind and decided to take a nap since he was so confident he would win the race. By the time he woke up, remembered the race and started running, he saw that the tortoise had already reached the finish line and won.

We should draw a boundary line around the mind. Then only it can follow  disciplines. The mind should not step out of this boundary line. Hence, we should introspect; we should check our mind’s movements; check its likes and dislikes, and hold it steady on one point and learn to meditate.

( Based on Vedanta Kesari and other sources
Edited and Condensed by Swami Adhishwarananda)

अमानित्वमदम्भित्वमहिंसा क्षान्तिरार्जवम् |
आचार्योपासनं शौचं स्थैर्यमात्मविनिग्रह: || (Gita 13.8)

Human Excellence in Bhagavad Gita. Sthairyam (Steadiness) (13.8) Sthairyam (Steadiness) Sthairyam means the sense of consistency and perseverance in whatever one does.

Human Excellence in Bhagavad Gita. Sthairyam  (Steadiness) (13.8)

Sthairyam  (Steadiness) Sthairyam  means the sense of consistency and perseverance in whatever one does.

Persistence is a decision. It is a commitment to finish what you start.

Fritz Kreisler, the great violinist, was once asked, "How do you play so well? Are you lucky?" He replied, "It is practice. If I don't practice for a month, the audience can tell the difference. If I don't practice for a week, my wife can tell the difference. If I don't practice for a day, I can tell the difference." Persistence means commitment and determination. There is pleasure in endurance. Commitment and persistence is a decision. Athletes put in years of practice for a few seconds or minutes of performance. Persistence is a decision. It is a commitment to finish what you start. When we are exhausted, quitting looks good. But winners endure. Ask a winning athlete. He endures pain and finishes what he started. Lots of failures have begun well but have not concluded anything. Persistence comes from purpose. Life without purpose is drifting. A person who has no purpose will never persevere and will never be fulfilled.

It is a well-known fact that no real work can be done by fits and starts. One should be consistent and steady. In order to do things consistently, a person should be convinced about its importance and the need to do it. And in order to be convinced, one should have the right company.

To be steady is a sign of a stable state of mind.  doing karma in the right way is the method.  Krishna tells him to fight the battle of life. In other words, Arjuna should do work; or be a Karma Yogi.

Karma, rightly done, leads to purity of mind which is the primary condition for gaining Self-Knowledge. The scheme is this: do your duty (svadharma), which will purify the mind (chitta shudhi) and  then finally giving up external action, one will deeply reflect and meditate over the Vedantic Truths. These are the well-known three steps about  sadhana: first listen to the truth (shravana), then deeply reflect over them (manana) and finally, having cleared the mind of all doubts and impurities meditate on the truth (nididhyasana). Through this process one gets established in the knowledge about the truth and finally becomes fit to attain  jnana  or SelfKnowledge.

In some cities or large campuses, they show the road map of entire place and then mark out ‘You are Here’. Having known where we stand, we then chalk out the path to our place of destination. Similarly we should know where do we stand in this the cycle of worldly existence (samsara chakra). This means evaluating ourselves, the state of our mind, the state of our maturity, our emotional strengths, our understanding of the ways of the world and our mind and so on. The scriptures tell that once we realize where we are, next we should take the path best suited to us at that stage of life. We must keep to this inner order of steps. For this we should know what we need  now  and be determined  about it.

As life is short and has many pitfalls and temptations, we have to quickly decide what we want. Do we want to spend our life only struggling with the ‘outside’? Correcting others or correcting ourselves? If we think that we need to change before changing others, then we should turn within. This approach is different from others who are busy correcting others. It is like becoming an athlete. If one wants to be an athlete, he should spend his time building up his stamina, do workouts, do exercises and jogging, toughen his body and be willing to face challenges in the race. He should not be blaming others and correcting the ground for his running. When the goal (lakshya) becomes clear then the way (marga) too becomes clear. One should thus be steady in one’s efforts.

To be steady or committed to one way of life, one needs clarity of understanding and clarity cannot come without deep thinking and analysis. Says a Sanskrit verse:  When two pieces of dry twigs are rubbed, fire is ignited  If earth is dug, it gives out water  If there is enthusiasm nothing is impossible  [Hence] If you start towards the right direction and keep working, you will reach the goal.

The point is that we should not waste our efforts in constantly changing our loyalties. Human life is so precious and the time allotted to us is so limited. We should not waste our efforts and time in trying our hands at different places and doing things sporadically and inconsistently.

Again, merely taking an initiative is not sufficient. We should have commitment to it and that comes when our emotional self is one with our intellectual self. The intellectual-self only makes an intellectual decision that it is good to do something but to put it into practice becomes possible only when our emotional-self comes into picture. Intellectual-self may be compared to a father and emotional-self to a mother. Hence we have both father and mother in us. Since our emotional-self implements the decisions made by the intellectual-self, it will be good if the emotional-self takes the decisions as well.
How to make the emotional-self take decision? To do this one should think deeply and analyze. This will lead to the conviction that ‘This alone I have to do, I cannot waste my time anymore’. This is how steadiness comes in life. And once one becomes steady then one does not need external support and motivation.

A clear mind is the source of steadiness. If I know very clearly what I want in my life, commitment is bound to come. How committed are people to money, power or popularity! They keep thinking about them and cannot even sleep. Being convinced that they need these things, they are forced by their own mind to work day and night. Only when we apply our mind consistently on our  goal can we really work to reach it. No matter in what condition we are placed, we should not give up our struggle. Says a verse: When the great ocean was churned (samudra manthanam) by gods, it gave rise to many things. Along with numerous attractive objects, dreadful poison also came out. Poison could not frighten gods nor could precious gems tempt them from their efforts. They continued to churn the ocean till the nectar (amrita) came out.

This is the ideal of steady effort. Once we are committed to our goal, we should go on working in spite of difficulties—until we reach our desired objective. If we stop before gaining that, we will have to start all over again. We should know that no great result can be achieved without persistence and consistency.

" We have  to  begin  from  the  beginning, to  take  up the  works  as  they  come  to  us  and  slowly  make  ourselves  more unselfish  every  day.  We  must  do the  work  and  find  out  the  motive  power  that prompts  us;  and,  almost  without exception,  in  the  first  years,  we  shall  find  that our  motives  are  always  selfish;  but  gradually  this  selfishness  will melt  by persistence,  till  at  last  will  come  the  time  when  we  shall  be  able  to  do really  unselfish  work.  We  may  all hope  that some  day  or  other,  as  we  struggle  through  the  paths  of  life,  there  will  come  a  time  when  we  shall  become perfectly  unselfish;  and  the  moment  we  attain  to  that, all our  powers  will  be  concentrated,  and  the  knowledge which  is  ours  will  be  manifest." (CW of Swami Vivekananda Vol.1 page 338)

( Based on Vedanta Kesari and other sources
Edited and Condensed by Swami Adhishwarananda)

अमानित्वमदम्भित्वमहिंसा क्षान्तिरार्जवम् |
आचार्योपासनं शौचं स्थैर्यमात्मविनिग्रह: || (Gita 13.8)

Kshanti or the capacity to forbear is one of the important value that we should cultivate.

Human Excellence in Bhagavad Gita. Kshanti  (Forbearance) (13.8)
Kshanti or the capacity to forbear is one of the important value that we should cultivate.

Forbearance makes the mind introspective and strong.

To be forbearing one should be a strong person. A man who is weak is devoid of forbearance and cannot attain anything higher.

We should always try to check this tendency to react or else any passing event will distract and disturb us. In absence of this inner poise, we will have a complaint against everything. ‘This is not okay, that is not okay, they have no sense of punctuality, no cleanliness, and so on’—if we go on complaining like this, there will be hundreds of things to complain about and our life will be in total disarray.

Why should one practice forbearance?

For our own good. If we keep retaliating for all the mistakes others commit, we might end up wiping out the whole world! We have to learn to forbear. If we think over all the mistakes that we have committed in life and if we had been punished for all our mistakes, we would not be living today! We have been forgiven so many times by so many people that matter to us: parents, teachers, neighbours, friends and so on. It is their forbearance that is keeping us alive. Reconciliation, and not revenge, makes us grow and healthy in every way.

We should teach our mind that nobody is perfect; it is okay if someone does a mistake. This means let us give him a chance to learn and improve. This giving a chance is very important. Only strong can forgive and have forbearance. We can lean on the shoulders of a strong man only. Only a strong person can bear the weight of a weak person. The purpose of practising forbearance is to help others to grow. It is like providing temporary support for walking to a man whose foot is injured. To allow others to lean on us means allowing them to take a little advantage of our goodness so that they can outgrow their weaknesses and stand on their feet.

A man of forbearance is aware that one commits mistakes in order to help oneself to learn from them. He knows that the person committing a mistake deserves to be punished but he gives him a chance to improve. For instance, if we do not give money to children, they will not know how to use it, but when we give it, they may misuse it. What to do then? We have to take the risk and give them some money but at the same time keep a watch over them. If we do not take the risk, we will not allow the child to grow. The child may not learn to understand the value of money and its right use and may become either a miser or a spendthrift. So, We have to keep a check on misuse but also give freedom to others. This is the core of the idea of exercising forbearance.

Forbearance is the  absence of desire to retaliate. A Sanskrit saying tells: ‘For a person who has the weapon of forbearance, what could evil people do to him?

This idea is to keep away from all unnecessary conflicts. If you do not take part in a conflict, the conflict simply gets discontinued. A quarrel grows when both the persons keep answering back. Forbearance, however, brings an end to it by breaking the cycle of accusations and retorts. As goes the saying: ‘A fire that falls on a place where there is no grass, gets extinguished of its own'

If we add to the fire of misunderstanding by repeating our mistakes, the fire only grows bigger. Hatred cannot be overcome by hatred. Only forbearance or forgiveness can overcome it. Somebody has to take the responsibility of putting an end to hatred. And this can be done by a strong person and not a weak person. Wherever there is a conflict, responsibility to end it lies with the strong.

Another dimension of forbearance lies in the fact that whenever we are disappointed in life, we feel hurt. A hurt person often behaves in irrational ways. We should understand it and learn to forgive the person who feels hurt and insecure emotionally. It is like a small child who comes home from school and starts kicking his mother. The mother wonders at his behaviour and wants to find out the reason. She thinks of all possible reasons—a quarrel with a friend or scolding by the teacher and so on. She shows all the patience and begins to cuddle the child and asks him the reason. And slowly, comforted and accepted, the child begins to sob and come out with the reason.

If we extend the same motherly approach and understanding towards people who misbehave with us, then we can handle them wisely. This requires much patience and sympathy. When others upset us, it is only mirroring our own personality. They are holding a mirror to us. If we can find out why we are upset or hurt, we will become more understanding and calm.

Forbearance is fundamentally an attitude of understanding towards others. When a child drops something, we do not get angry but if an adult does it, we get angry and react violently. If we can see the same mind of the child inside the adult, grown up body, then we can be quite accommodating and calm.

Again, not to get disturbed by others is rather easy but not to disturb others is quite difficult. We must have so much of control over us that others do not get disturbed by us under any situation. This selfcontrol is true forbearance.

(Based on Vedanta Kesari and other sources
Edited and Condensed by Swami Adhishwarananda)

Human Excellence in Bhagavad Gita. Ahimsa (Non-violence) (13.7) Ahimsa means ‘not giving pain to living beings’

Human Excellence in Bhagavad Gita. Ahimsa  (Non-violence) (13.7)

Ahimsa means ‘not giving pain to living beings’
One should value ahimsa and avoid hurting others. Hurting others or acting violently takes place in three ways: physical, verbal, and mental.
People are valuable. They make us smile. They help us succeed. Some will even become friends who share our joys, and support us through bad times. And, if they trust us, they will also open their hearts to us. That means we need to treat everyone with love and respect. We need to prevent hurting and causing injury to others. One should be sensitive towards other living beings.
To think ill of others is mental violence. Thus, hurting others through thinking, speaking and doing, are all part of violence. One should keep a check over all these three forms of violence.
We want others to respect our life; we do not want anyone to harm, hurt or harass us. In the same way, we should respect and treat others. 
In order to practice verbal non-violence, we should remember that it is not easy to heal others’ hurt feelings but to hurt others is easy. Hence one’s words should be carefully watched and chosen before uttering. Whatever we speak should be good  (hita),  brief  (mita), sweet  (madhura)  and true  (satya).

Speaking ill of others in their absence also amounts to verbal violence. This is so  because our criticism of others in their absence creates in the minds of listeners an image of the persons criticized and as they are not present, they cannot defend themselves. One may speak ill of others in a casual way but the listener will form an opinion about them based on one’s words and, if the listener is equally immature, he might further relate it to others. Thus, this will build up a negative atmosphere and make us distrustful of each other. One should avoid this at all cost.

Sarcasm is another very serious form of verbal violence that needs to be checked. To speak sarcastically means to have a hidden idea to hurt the other person through one’s seemingly simple words. To ridicule others or laugh at them when they are in trouble is also a verbal violence.
What is there to laugh about a person who slips and falls? He is already hurt, and instead of giving him a helping hand, if one laughs at him, one does violence to him. Laughing in itself is a good thing, but when one laughs at others’ misfortune it is indeed cruel. The entire Mahabharata war took place because Draupadi laughed at Duryodhana at the wrong time and that pierced his heart like a spear. Then he said, ‘I will take revenge for  it.’ What all she had to face as a consequence of her laughter! She was dragged to court by her hair by Dushasana. He tried to disrobe her and ultimately the war happened! The seeds of Mahabharata war lie embedded in Draupadi’s laughter.

Hurting others really begins at the mental level. If one thinks ill of others, one cannot hide it for long; sometime or other it will come out through one’s words or actions. Mental anguish is like a fire. First it is a mere spark, a mere idea in the mind. When this ‘fire’ grows in intensity, it comes out in words and when it assumes greater form and intensity, it gets expressed in physical form.

If a person is violent in this manner, it shows that there is a deeper problem in his mindset. Only a person who is hurt within in some way can think of hurting others. He or she cannot be nice towards others if he or she is mentally bleeding inside. Such people condemn others and want to see them as enemies. They think that the whole world has conspired to put them in bad situation and everybody else is responsible for their problems! When everybody else is held responsible for one’s suffering what comes out is only a feeling of retaliation and anger. They think that others as responsible for their misery and hence it is good to pay them back!

When one has pain in one’s mind, one spits poison. We cannot expect cool breeze from raging fire. The wind coming from fire would be hot only. So we have to first soothe the person within. Then only the mind becomes soothed and calm. We should ask ourselves: Why are we hurt? Why are we wanting to hit others or damage things? There may be some unfulfilled desires which may be causing it, and one should attend to it. It is like cleaning up a bad wound. The wound has to be surgically opened and the toxic matter, the pus, has to be drained out. Only when it is properly cleaned and dressed that it will heal. The mind too should be similarly healed. Then only one gets inner peace.

One way of doing this is to learn to accept what cannot be changed or altered. We often forget that it is our own Karma which comes back to us in many ways.
We can understand only when our mind is relatively quiet, secure and educated through right thinking. But in order to bring the mind to that point, we have to do some initial work. This means we should learn the art of self-examination.

Non-violence or  ahimsa  means, in  simple words, sensitivity to others. Do unto others what you want
others to do unto you. As you wish to be treated by others, do the same to others. If you become the cause for somebody’s tears, somebody will become a cause of your tears in future. What is sin and what is merit? Thus goes the famous adage: Paropakarah Punyaya, Papaya Parapidanam. To do good to others is merit or good and meritorious; to trouble others is sin. Says Maha bharath. One should wipe the tears of the troubled and the orphans. This compassion, or non-violence should come and then only we are truly spiritual. This means we should be watchful and vigilant at every step.

(Based on Vedanta Kesari and other sources Edited and Condensed by Swami Adhishwarananda)

"This is the gist of all worship: to be pure and to do good to others. He who sees Shiva in the poor, in the weak, and in the diseased, really worships Shiva. And if he sees Shiva only in the image, his worship is but preliminary. He who has served and helped one poor man seeing Shiva in him, without thinking of his caste or creed or race or anything, with him Shiva is more pleased than with the man who sees Him only in temples." - Swami Vivekananda

"This is the gist of all worship: to be pure and to do good to others. He who sees Shiva in the poor, in the weak, and in the diseased, really worships Shiva. And if he sees Shiva only in the image, his worship is but preliminary. He who has served and helped one poor man seeing Shiva in him, without thinking of his caste or creed or race or anything, with him Shiva is more pleased than with the man who sees Him only in temples."
             - Swami Vivekananda

"In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity." - Albert Einstein

"In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity."
     - Albert Einstein

"It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves." - Edmund Hillary

"It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves." - Edmund Hillary

Positive thinking is not about expecting the best to happen every time but, accepting that whatever happens is the best for this moment...

Positive thinking is not about expecting the best to happen every time but, accepting that whatever happens is the best for this moment...

Happy are those who take life day by day, complain very little, and are thankful for the little things in life.

Happy are those who take life day by day, complain very little, and are thankful for the little things in life.

*Similarly, the evil does not exist. Actually it is the absence of Love, Faith & True belief in God.*

*In 1881, a professor asked his student whether it was God who created everything that exists in the universe?*

_Student replied_: _Yes_
_He again asked:_
_What about evil?_
_Has God created evil also?_

*The student got silent...*
*Then the student requested that may he ask a question from him?*

_Professor allowed him to do so._

_Student asked: _

_Does cold exist?_

_Professor said: Yes! Don't you feel the cold dear?_

_Student said:  I'm sorry but you are wrong sir. _
_Cold is a complete absence of heat..._
_There is no cold, it is only an absence of heat._

*Student asked again:*
*Does darkness exist?*

*Professor Said:  Yes!*

*Student replied: you are again wrong* *sir. There is no such thing like darkness. It’s actually the absence of light.*

*Sir! We always study light & heat, but not cold & darkness.*

*Similarly, the evil does not exist. Actually it is the absence of Love, Faith & True belief in God.*

_The name of the student was..._
*Vivekananda...!!!

"Mother, you are said to be God; tell me the truth: are you solid like stone — this image? Or are you formless,

There are some temples where God is worshiped as Mother. In one of these, in the state of Bengal, She is represented by a large stone image. The sculptor has carved in stone his idea of the Mother of the Universe, and many pious people, finding it attractive and inspiring, go there to pay their respects or make offerings.
One day an old monk who used a cane came into the temple. Approaching the altar he said, speaking aloud to God, "Mother, you are said to be God; tell me the truth: are you solid like stone — this image? Or are you formless, indescribable and impossible to touch?"
"Take your cane," the monk heard a soft voice saying, "and strike my body on the left side." He did, and the cane hit the stone with a clack. "Now strike me from the other side," She said. When the cane reached the sculpture it passed right through it as if it were air.
                          - Sri Ramakrishna

God is everywhere. We just need to share our happiness and make others smile to feel him.

There once was a little boy who wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of root beer and started his journey.
When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park just staring at some pigeons.
The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her a Twinkie. She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer. Once again she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.
As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was, and he got up to leave but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old woman and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever. When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, “What did you do today that made you so happy?” He replied, “I had lunch with God.” But, before his mother could respond, he added, “You know what? She’s got the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen!”
Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked, “Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?” She replied, “I ate Twinkies in the park with God.” But, before her son responded, she added, “You know, he’s much younger than I expected.”

God is everywhere.  We just need to share our happiness and make others smile to feel him.

“Yes, you have! You left a lesson for every son and hope for every father”

A son took his old father to a restaurant for an evening dinner.  Father being very old and weak, while eating, dropped food on his shirt and trousers.  Other diners watched him in disgust while his son was calm.
After he finished eating, his son who was not at all embarrassed, quietly took him to the wash room, wiped the food particles, removed the stains, combed his hair and fitted his spectacles firmly.  When they came out, the entire restaurant was watching them in dead silence, not able to grasp how someone could embarrass themselves publicly like that.  The son settled the bill and started walking out with his father.
At that time, an old man amongst the diners called out to the son and asked him, “Don’t you think you have left something behind?”.
The son replied, “No sir, I haven’t”.
The old man retorted, “Yes, you have!  You left a lesson for every son and hope for every father”.
The restaurant went silent.

Faith is ultimate! ‘Faith can move mountains’

One journalist asked a warkari ( devotees who walk long distances from their place of residences to pilgrimage centres; may a times bare foot enduring all hardships on the way) devotee of Vittal who goes to Pandarpur , what’s your age?

Warkari: 80 years

Journalist: Since how long you are visiting this Pandarpur

Warkari: Since 70 years.

Journalist: Have you seen Vithoba once, At least once?.

Warkari: no beta, not yet.

Journalist: then why do you come every  year, do you believe He is there?

Warkari: Can I ask you a question, from where you have come

Journalist: from Pune.

Warkari: do people keep pet dogs in Pune, have you seen any?

Journalist: ya, each house has a dog

Warkari: in village also we keep dogs, that follows us to our farm to protect from thieves. At the dead of night one dog sees the thief it starts barking, by hearing this dog another starts barking, like ways all around surrounding 100s of dogs starts barking but among the hundred dogs 99 have not seen the thief but keeping the faith in this 1st dog they start barking.

Likewise Tukaram ji, Sant Jnaneshwar, Namdev,they have seen the vithoba so I have faith in them. one day I can also have darshan of vitthal. If animals can keep their faith in another animal, being a human  being why can’t we have faith in another human  being?

Faith is ultimate!  ‘Faith can move mountains’

“EACH GIVES WHAT HE HAS"

Back in the days when Germany was divided, a huge wall separated East and West Berlin.

One day, some people in East Berlin took a truck load of garbage and dumped it on the West Berlin side.

The people of West Berlin could have done the same thing, but they didn't. Instead they took a truck load of canned goods, bread, milk and other provisions, and neatly stacked it on the East Berlin side.

On top of this stack they placed the sign:
*“EACH GIVES WHAT HE HAS"*

Attitude to face the problem matters. You can either let the problem change you completely or you can change the problematic situation into a favorable opportunity.

Once a daughter complained to her father that her life was miserable and full of problems.. She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time.. It seemed just as one problem was solved, another one soon followed..

Her father, a Chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil, he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot and ground coffee beans in the third pot.

After twenty minutes he turned off the burners and put the potatoes and eggs in separate bowls and poured the coffee in a cup. Turning to her he asked “Daughter, what do you see?”

“Potatoes, eggs and coffee,” she hastily replied.

“Look closer,” he said, “and touch the potatoes.” She did and noticed that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Its rich aroma brought a smile to her face.

“Father, what does this mean?” she asked.

He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and coffee beans had each faced the same adversity – the boiling water. However, each one reacted differently to the situation.

The potato went in strong, hard but in boiling water, it became soft and weak.

The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid interior until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard.

However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water itself and created a new liquid.

“Which are you,” he asked his daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee bean? “

Attitude to face the problem matters. You can either let the problem change you completely or you can change the problematic situation into a favorable opportunity.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls . He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous “yes.”

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor as the
laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things–your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions–and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else–the small stuff. “If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

“Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner.

Take care of the golf balls first –the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand…”

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.

That's What Happens When You Read The Holy Book.You Might Not Understand Or Remember Everything, But When You Read it, You Will Be Changed, inside And out".

Each Morning Grandpa Was Up Early Sitting At The Kitchen Table Reading his religious Holy Book. His Grandson Wanted To Be Just Like Him And Tried To imitate Him in Every Way He Could.One Day The Grandson Asked, "Grandpa! I Try To Read The Holy Book Just Like You But I Don't Understand it, And What I Do Understand I Forget As Soon As I Close The Book.What Good Does Reading The Holy Book do?"The Grandfather Quietly Turned From Putting Coal in The Stove And Replied,"Take This Coal Basket Down To The River And Bring Me Back A Basket Of Water."The Boy Did As He Was Told, But All The Water Leaked Out Before He Got Back To The House.The Grandfather Laughed And Said, "You'll Have To Move A Little Faster Next Time," And Sent Him Back To The River With The Basket To Try Again.This Time The Boy Ran Faster, But Again The Basket Was Empty Before He Returned Home.Out Of Breath, He Told His Grandfather That it Was impossible To Carry Water in A Basket, And He Went To Get A Bucket instead.The Old Man Said, "I Don't Want A Bucket Of Water; I Want A Basket Of Water.You're just Not Trying Hard Enough," And He Went Out The Door To Watch The Boy Try Again.At This Point, The Boy Knew it Was impossible, But He Wanted To Show His Grandfather That Even if He Ran As Fast As He Could, The Water Would Leak Out Before He Got Back To The House.The Boy Again Dipped The Basket into River And Ran Hard,But When He Reached His Grandfather The Basket Was Again Empty.Out of Breath, He Said, " See Grandpa, it's Useless!""So you Think it is Useless?" The Old Man Said, "Look At The Basket." " The Boy Looked At The Basket And For The first Time Realized That The Basket Was Different.It Had Been Transformed From A Dirty Old Coal Basket And Was Now Clean, inside And Out."Son, That's What Happens When You Read The Holy Book.You Might Not Understand Or Remember Everything, But When You Read it, You Will Be Changed, inside And out".

So it is with our lives. Those who choose to live in peace must help their neighbors to live in peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.

There once was a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon.

One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors.

"How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked.

"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn."

He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbor's corn also improves.

So it is with our lives. Those who choose to live in peace must help their neighbors to live in peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.

We push very hard everyday. We neglect our health, time with our family and to appreciate the surrounding beauty and the hobbies we love.

A long time ago, there was an Emperor who told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse and cover as much land area as he likes, then the Emperor would give him the area of land he has covered.

Sure enough, the horseman quickly jumped onto his horse and rode as fast as possible to cover as much land area as he could. He kept on riding and riding, whipping the horse to go as fast as possible. When he was hungry or tired, he did not stop because he wanted to cover as much area as possible.

Came to a point when he had covered a substantial area and he was exhausted and was dying. Then he asked himself, "Why did I push myself so hard to cover so much land area? Now I am dying and I only
need a very small area to bury myself."

The above story is similar with the journey of our Life. We push very hard everyday. We neglect our health, time with our family and to appreciate the surrounding beauty and the hobbies we love.

The happiest people don’t have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.

A Group of friends, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and assortment of cups – porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite – telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: “If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups…..And then began envying each other’s cups.

Now consider this: “Life is the COFFEE; the jobs, money and position in the society are the CUPS. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us”.

The happiest people don’t have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything.

The desert hadn't changed, but her attitude had. Because she listened with her heart to the words her father sent, a whole New World opened up to her.

The story is told of a woman who during the war went to live with her husband in camp on the Mojave Desert. She simply hated the place; the heat was almost unbearable, 45 degrees in the shade, the wind blew incessantly, and there was sand - sand everywhere.

Finally, in desperation she wrote her parents in Ohio that she couldn't stand it another minute and was coming home.

Quickly came the reply by airmail from her father - just the two familiar lines:

"Two men looked out from prison bars... one saw the mud, the other saw stars."

The daughter did some real thinking, not only with the intellect but also with her heart. She decided to stick to her post.

She made friends with the natives, learned to love the country, and eventually wrote a book about it.

The desert hadn't changed, but her attitude had. Because she listened with her heart to the words her father sent, a whole New World opened up to her.

Every obstacle we come across in life gives us an opportunity to improve our circumstances.

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. He then hid himself and watched to see if anyone would move the boulder out of the way. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it.

Many people loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none of them did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

A peasant then came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to push the stone out of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.

After the peasant went back to pick up his vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King explaining that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.

Every obstacle we come across in life gives us an opportunity to improve our circumstances.

It is in sharing life becomes more joyful.

Once there lived two brothers who lost their parents at an early age. They worked together on their family farm. Some years later, the elder married and had a family with 2 children, while the other was still single. They worked hard together in the day and at the end of each day they shared their produce equally.

One day while the single brother was working in the fields, he thought to himself, "It's not right that we share equally everything. I'm alone and my needs are simple. My brother has a big family. He needs much more." With that in mind he took a sack full of grains and slowly went to his brothers barn and places the sack quietly. He did so every night.

Meanwhile, the married brother thought to himself, "It's not right that we share everything equally. After all, I'm married and I have my wife and children to look after me in years to come. My brother has no family and no one can take care of his future. He really should have a bigger share." So each night he took a bag of grain and put it into his brothers barn quietly.

This went on and both men were puzzled for years because their grain never dwindled.

Then one night, on the way to each others barn, the two brothers coincidentally met and they found out what was happening all these years! They dropped their bags, cried and embraced one another with tears of happiness.

It is in sharing life becomes more joyful.

"This is happening in our lives. Everyone is frantically looking for happiness all around, not knowing where it is. Our happiness lies in the happiness of other people. Give them their happiness; you will get your own happiness. And this is the purpose of human life..

Once a group of 500 people were attending a seminar. Suddenly the speaker stopped and decided to do a group activity. He started giving each person a balloon. Each person was then asked to write their name on it using a marker pen. Then all the balloons were collected and put in another room.

The people were then let into that room and asked to find the balloon which had their name written on it within 5 minutes. Everyone was frantically searching for their name, colliding with each other, pushing around others and there was utter chaos.

At the end of 5 minutes no one could find their own balloon.

Then, the speaker asked each person to randomly collect a balloon and give it to the person whose name was written on it. Within minutes everyone had their own balloon.

The speaker then began, "This is happening in our lives. Everyone is frantically looking for happiness all around, not knowing where it is.
Our happiness lies in the happiness of other people. Give them their happiness; you will get your own happiness. And this is the purpose of human life..

Remember to greet when you meet someone, of course, with a warm smile.

This story is about a person working with a freezer plant.

It was almost the day end. Everyone had packed up to check out.

A technical snag developed in the plant and he went to check.

By the time he finished it was late. The doors were sealed and the lights were off.
Trapped inside the ice plant for the night without air and light, an icy grave was almost sure for him.

Hours passed thus. Suddenly he found someone opening the door.

Was it a miracle?

The security guard entered there with a torch and helped him to come out.
On the way back the person asked the security guard, “How did you know that I was inside? Who informed you?” the guard said, “No one sir; this unit has about 50 people. But you are the only one who says Hello to me in the morning and Bye in the evening.

You had reported in morning. But did not go out. That made me suspicious.”

He never knew a small gesture of greeting someone would prove to be a lifesaver for him.

Remember to greet when you meet someone, of course, with a warm smile.

So, no matter who, when or how. Just continue to help, sustain, wipe tears, listen attentively and carefully repair all the *"leaks"* you find, because you never know when one is in need of us or when God holds a pleasant surprise for us to be helpful and important to someone.

*A man was asked to paint a boat.*
*He brought with him paint and brushes and began to paint the boat a bright red, as the owner asked him*.
While painting, he realized there was a hole in the hull and decided to repair it.
*When finished painting, he received his money and left.*
The next day, the owner of the boat came to the painter and presented him with a nice check, much higher than the payment for painting.
The painter was surprised:
- You've already paid me for painting the boat! he said.
- But this is not for the paint job.
_It's for having repaired the hole in the boat._
*Ah! But it was such a small service ... certainly it's not worth paying me such a high amount for something so insignificant!*
My dear friend, you do not understand. Let me tell you what happened.
*When I asked you to paint the boat, I forgot to mention about the hole.*
When the boat dried, my kids took the boat and went on a fishing trip.
*They did not know that there was a hole.*
I was not at home at that time. When I returned and noticed they had taken the boat, I was desperate because I remembered that the boat had a hole. Imagine my relief and joy when I saw them returning from fishing.
*Then, I examined the boat and found that you had repaired the hole! You see, now, what you did?* You saved the life of my children!

So, no matter who, when or how. Just continue to help, sustain, wipe tears, listen attentively and carefully repair all the *"leaks"* you find, because you never know when one is in need of us or when God holds a pleasant surprise for us to be helpful and important to someone.

No Matter where you are in the World, If you have decided to do something deep from your heart, you can do it.

An old man lived alone in Minnesota. He wanted to spade his potato garden, but it was very hard work. His only son, who would have helped him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and mentioned his situation:

Dear Son,
I am feeling pretty bad because it looks like I won’t be able to plant my potato garden this year. I hate to miss doing the garden because your mother always loved planting time. I’m just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. If you were here, all my troubles would be over. I know you would dig the plot for me, if you weren’t in prison.
Love,
Dad

Shortly, the old man received this telegram: ‘For Heaven’s sake, Dad, don’t dig up the garden!! That’s where I buried the GUNS!!’

At 4 a.m. the next morning, a dozen FBI agents and local police officers showed up and dug up the entire garden without finding any guns.

Confused, the old man wrote another note to his son telling him what had happened, and asked him what to do next.

His son’s reply was: ‘Go ahead and plant your potatoes, Dad. It’s the best I could do for you, from here.’

No Matter where you are in the World, If you have decided to do something deep from your heart, you can do it.

If you are steadily conquering challenges, you are happy. Your challenges keep you energized.

The Japanese have always loved fresh fish. But the water close to Japan has not held many fish for decades. So to feed the Japanese population, fishing boats got bigger and went farther than ever. The farther the fishermen went, the longer it took to bring the fish. If the return trip took more time, the fish were not fresh. To solve this problem, fish companies installed freezers on their boats. They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed the boats to go farther and stay longer.

However, the Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen fish. And they did not like the taste of frozen fish. The frozen fish brought a lower price. So, fishing companies installed fish tanks. They would catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin. After a little thrashing around, they were tired, dull, and lost their fresh-fish taste. The fishing industry faced an impending crisis! But today, they get fresh-tasting fish to Japan. How did they manage? To keep the fish tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies still put the fish in the tanks but with a small shark. The fish are challenged and hence are constantly on the move.

The challenge they face keeps them alive and fresh!

If you are steadily conquering challenges, you are happy. Your challenges keep you energized.

A small fish in hand is worth a big fish in the water.

There lived a bear by a riverside in a jungle. One day, he felt hungry. He came out of his den to look for food.

The bear went to the river to catch some fish. Standing by the side of the river, he stared into the water. Soon enough, he saw a fish. He pounced on the fish, and caught it. But then, the bear thought, “This is too small a fish to fill my stomach. I must catch a bigger fish.”

So, he let off the small fish. He waited for some time, till he caught another fish. This time too the fish was small. He thought that the small fish would not fill his belly. So he again let the fish go off.

This way he caught many small fish, but let all of them go off, still thinking that the small fish would not fill his belly. By sunset, the bear had not caught any big fish.

What was worse, having kept standing for very long, the bear now felt tired.

He slowly began to feel sorry for having let off so many fish. He realized that all those small fish, together would have filled up his belly, but now it was too late. He had to remain hungry that day.

A small fish in hand is worth a big fish in the water.

There is always the other side to whatever we experience in this world. Whenever we come across a challenge or a puzzling situation, look at the other side…. You will be surprised to see an easy way to tackle the problem.

A Father was reading a magazine and his little daughter every now and then distracted him. To keep her busy, he tore one page on which was printed the map of the world. He tore it into pieces and asked her to go to her room and put them together to make the map again.

He was sure she would take the whole day to get it done. But the little one came back within minutes with perfect map……When he asked how she could do it so quickly, she said, “Oh…. Dad, there is a man’s face on the other side of the paper….. I made the face perfect to get the map right." She ran outside to play leaving the father surprised.

There is always the other side to whatever we experience in this world. Whenever we come across a challenge or a puzzling situation, look at the other side…. You will be surprised to see an easy way to tackle the problem.

No pain, no gain!

In a nice museum, there is a beautiful marble statue that people from around the world come to see and praise. The statue is placed on a marble flooring.

One day the marble flooring asks the statue, “How come you came out to be so beautiful? We are both picked from the same location in the world. We came through the same process and yet look at me. People walk over me all day just to come see you and praise you. Even though I am marble too but I am of no value to anybody. Its just fate. I have some very bad luck while you have all the good luck.”

The statue replies, “My friend. Its more than just luck. Its a good lesson to remember. The time when the sculptor wanted to break you. Hurt you. At the time you said no. You didn’t allow him to touch you. You were reluctant and you had pride at the time and didn’t want to get broken.

I, on the other hand allowed him to work on me. Look what he has made me into. While you remain the marble floor that every other marble piece who did the same is as well. I got the opportunity to be different and more importantly, unique.”

No pain, no gain!

Pride has A Fall.

Gorelal was a famous sculptor. His sculptures looked like real ones. One day he saw a dream that after fifteen days, the demon of Death would come to take him. Gorelal prepared nine statues of himself and when on the 15th day he heard the Demon of Death coming, he took his place between the statues. The Demon could not recognise him and was astonished to see ten Gorelals instead of one. He rushed back to the God of death and told the matter. The God of death got annoyed and set out to take Gorelal himself. Gorelal was alert and stood motionless. The God of Death initially got perplexed. But he thought for a moment. He said, “Gorelal, these sculptures would have been perfect but for one mistake." Gorelal was unable to suffer the least blemish in his work. He came out and asked, "Where is the fault?" God of Death caught him and said, “HERE". The statues were faultless but Gorelal was caught because of his pride.

Pride has A Fall.

Next time you hear somebody criticizing or making fun of you, remember, it's probably just a couple of noisy frogs. Also remember that problems always seem bigger in the dark. when the morning comes, and you take a closer look, you'll wonder what all the fuss was about.

A farmer came into town and asked the owner of a restaurant if he could use a million frogs. The restaurant owner was shocked and asked the man where he could get so many frogs! The farmer replied, 'There is a pond near my house that is full of frogs - millions of them. They all croak all night long and they are about to make me crazy!' So the restaurant owner and the farmer made an agreement that the farmer would deliver frogs to the restaurant, five hundred at a time for the next several weeks.

The first week, the farmer returned to the restaurant looking rather sheepish, with two little frogs. The restaurant owner said, 'Well... where are all the frogs?' The farmer said, 'I was mistaken. There were only these two frogs in the pond. But they sure were making a lot of noise!'

Next time you hear somebody criticizing or making fun of you, remember, it's probably just a couple of noisy frogs. Also remember that problems always seem bigger in the dark. when the morning comes, and you take a closer look, you'll wonder what all the fuss was about.

“Don't you know that I am deaf?” he said to them. I couldn't actually hear you yelling at me, but I saw you all jumping up and down. I thought you were encouraging me and cheering me on, so I kept trying and trying until I made it out.”

A community of frogs was making its way through a deep forest, searching for a new locale to settle down. They had been forced to relocate because the trees that provided them shelter were disappearing after the huge, two-legged creatures arrived in the area. They had been exiled from their homeland and forced to explore new, unfamiliar territory. The frogs were tired and hungry after such a long journey, so they were less vigilant about the dangers that might befall them.

Two of the frogs, Nigel and Victor, were assigned as scouts, traveling ahead of the rest of the group in search of a place they might rest for the evening or perhaps even become a permanent settlement. Nigel and Victor were concentrating on their task, searching the woods carefully, when they found a huge log blocking their path. They looked at one another, shrugged as frogs are inclined to do, and then launched themselves over the obstacle to find themselves landing in a deep pit.

By the time the rest of the group caught up with them, they found Nigel and
Victor jumping frantically to extricate themselves from the cavern. It seemed
that no matter how hard the two scouts tried, they couldn’t make it more than halfway up the steep walls. Yet it was growing dark and the two frogs were depleted from the long journey. Nevertheless, they kept trying with increasingly futile efforts.

Their companions above found this a pitiful sight. They were gathered around the pit, watching helplessly as their friends tried unsuccessfully to hop out of their prison. They shook their heads in sorrow and called down to Nigel and Victor, “There’s no way you’ll ever get out of there. Its just too deep and you'll never jump high enough.”

Nevertheless, the two frogs at the bottom of the pit tried their best to jump
as high as they could, careening into the sides of the walls. They looked pitiful in their feeble efforts to escape. Their friends only shook their heads in sadness, calling down to them again.

Please. Please. Please stop torturing yourselves. You are only making it worse for all of us. You are just tiring yourselves and making us all feel terrible because we can do nothing to help you. You may as well just give up so the rest of us can be on our way.”

Eventually, at the urging of his companions, Victor did indeed give up and lay down to die. The poor fellow collapsed onto his back, kicked his legs a few times, and then expired with a deep sigh. The audience above started screaming down to their remaining scout, jumping up and down, begging him to give up as well. “Please Nigel, don't make it so hard on yourself—and the rest of us. Just give up so we can move on.”

Strangely, their discouraging words only seemed to make Nigel more resolved to try harder. In spite of the screams of the onlookers to surrender to this hopeless situation, Nigel kept trying to jump higher and higher, gaining ground until finally, remarkably, he gave it one last extraordinary effort. He took several huge gulps of air, croaked as loud as he could, launched a running start, flexed his legs, and leaped as high as he could right out of the pit! The spectators just shook their heads in exasperation—and awe. They couldn't believe that anyone could be so persistent, so stubborn, so courageous in the face of such insurmountable odds.

Once Nigel recovered from the Herculean effort, be brushed himself off and
staggered upright. Everyone gathered around him, cheering and patting him on the back. Once the celebration ended, one of the frogs asked Nigel, “Why did you keep trying to get out of the pit when we told you it was hopeless. Didn't you hear us telling you to give up?”

Nigel looked at him for several uncomfortable moments, then turned in a circle to stare at everyone else, making them feel very nervous by the silence. To some extent, they’d been used to this because Nigel was very quiet and rarely, if ever, said anything. He was well liked in the community because they found him such a good listener even if he didn't have much to say.

Finally, Nigel started to croak incoherently and make gestures, eventually
making himself understood. “Don't you know that I am deaf?” he said to them. I couldn't actually hear you yelling at me, but I saw you all jumping up and down. I thought you were encouraging me and cheering me on, so I kept trying and trying until I made it out.”

We should not say words that distance each other more.

A saint asked his disciples, 'Why do we shout in anger? Why do people shout at each other when they are upset?'

Disciples thought for a while, one of them said, 'Because we lose our calm, we shout for that.'

'But, why to shout when the other person is just next to you?' asked the saint. 'Isn't it possible to speak to him or her with a soft voice? Why do you shout at a person when you're angry?'

Disciples gave some other answers but none satisfied the saint.

Finally he explained, 'When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot. To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other through that great distance.'

Then the saint asked, 'What happens when two people fall in love? They don't shout at each other but talk softly, why? Because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is very small...'

The saint continued, 'When they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak, only whisper. Finally they even need not whisper, they only look at each other and that's all. That is how close two people are when they love each other.'

We should not say words that distance each other more.

More than love it is a matter of understanding and a healthy respect for the other person's lifestyle.

An old man, staying in a small south Indian town came to visit his son in Bombay recently.

The son in his early thirties is a successful businessman living with his wife and son.

The father, having spent most of his life at his birthplace, hardly understands a splatter of Hindi or English, forget Marathi.

But he doesn't care.
'I have come here to spend a few days with my son and his family.

I don't have to go out and socialize with the city people,' he said.

But the son is very excited about his father's rare visit to Bombay.

He wants to make the best of it. He and his wife want to show him around the city.

And yes, the son enjoys those evening hours too, when he and his father go out and sit in a good bar,
sipping their favorite drink.

Last week he was in a very good mood.

'Let's go to a five star hotel's bar tonight,' he told his father.

It was a beautiful evening.
Talking about everything under the sun they had a few drinks.  As usual they were offered some salad, peanuts, wafers etc as accompaniments with their drinks.

The old man being almost toothless was not much interested in eating.

But that day when they got up to leave, he simply took a handful of channa (roasted grams) and stuffed it in the fold of his dhoti.
He might have thought about munching on them,
sitting in the car or whatever.

Unfortunately while walking in the lobby, he missed a step and stumbled.

Down he went, scattering the channa on the plush carpet.

No problem .....

Now try to visualize that scenario.  Someone else in his son's place would have been mortified, embarrassed to death.
He might have cursed not his father but his own self for causing this awkward situation.

'Never again will I take my old man to such hotels',
he would have vowed.

No sir, not this son.

Gently, with a smile,
he helped his father get back on his feet. Instead of feeling irritated or angry,
he was amused.

He found the whole incident very funny.

Laughing, they both went home and  on the way they decided to return to the same place the following Sunday.

The old man liked the place and liked the channa too.

Few days back, at a friend's place they both described this event and
made everybody laugh.

Weren't you embarrassed? Somebody asked the son.
'Oh, come on now' replied the son.

'He is my father. He talks in his native language, prefers to wear a dhoti even to a posh city hotel, takes channa from the bar to eat later, does whatever he feels like.... So what?
Why should I feel embarrassed with his nature and habits?

Nobody has a right to stop him from doing whatever he feels comfortable with, as long as it is not harmful to others.'

The son doesn't care what the staff in the hotel thought about that incident.

He says 'they should be concerned only with their bills and tips.

I am concerned about my Father's Happiness.'

The wife too totally agrees with the husband on this issue.

She feels there are enough other qualities in her father- in- law to feel proud of.
Accept them the way they are. . .

More than love it is a matter of understanding and a healthy respect for the other person's lifestyle.

It is inside us. Both GOOD AND EVIL LIVE WITHIN. the battle is within us. Who will we give victory to ...our inner goodness or the evil within??

There are four yugas widely accepted in Hinduism. They are :
1.Satya yug
2.Treta yug (Ramayana)
3.Dwapara yug(Mahabharata)
4.Kali yug(Present)

In satya yug, the figtht was between two worlds.( Devalok and Asura lok) Asura lok being the evil, was a different WORLD.

In Treta yug, the fight was between Rama and Ravana. Both rulers from two different COUNTRIES.

In dwapara yug, the fight was between Pandavas and Kauravas. Both good and evil from the SAME FAMILY.

Kindly note how the evil is getting closer. For example,  from a DIFFERENT WORLD to a DIFFERENT COUNTRY to the SAME FAMILY.

Now, know where is the evil in Kaliyug???

It is inside us. Both GOOD AND EVIL LIVE WITHIN. the battle is within us. Who will we give victory to ...our inner goodness or the evil within??

What is on other side is immaterial, if my MASTER is there , why should I fear ? Will accept DEATH as a gift given by GOD

A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was preparing to leave after examining him and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side."

Very quietly, the doctor said, "I don't know."

"You don't know? You, a GOD FEARING RELIGIOUS PERSON , do not know what is on the other side?"

The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room with his tail wagging and an eager show of gladness.

Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside... He knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened, he sprang in without fear.
I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one thing. I know my Master is there and that is enough."
What is on other side is immaterial,  if my MASTER is there , why should I fear ? Will  accept DEATH as  a gift given by GOD

Maturity

1. Maturity is *when you stop trying to change others, ...instead focus on changing yourself.*

2. Maturity is when you
*accept people as they are.*

3. Maturity is when you
*understand everyone is right in their own perspective.*

4. Maturity is when you 
*learn to "let go".*

5. Maturity is when you are
able to *drop "expectations" from a relationship and give for the sake of giving.*

6. Maturity is when you
*understand whatever you do, you do for your own peace.*

7. Maturity is when you
*stop proving to the world, how intelligent you are.*

8. Maturity is when you
*don't seek approval from others.*

9. Maturity is when you
*stop comparing with others.*

10. Maturity is when you
*are at peace with yourself.*

11. Maturity is when you
*are able to differentiate between "need" and "want" and are able to let go of your wants.**

& last but most meaningful !*

12. You gain Maturity when you
*stop attaching "happiness" to material things !!*

It’s important to think of the challenges or problems in your life, But EVEN MORE IMPORTANT is to ‘PUT THEM DOWN’ at the end of every day before you go to sleep…

The Professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it. He held it up for all to see & asked the students “How much do you think this glass weighs?”

’50gms!’….. ’100gms!’ …..’125 gms’ …the students answered.

“I really don’t know unless I weigh it,” said the professor, “but, my question is:
What would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?”…. .
‘Nothing’ …..the students said.

‘Ok what would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?’ the professor asked.
‘Your arm would begin to ache’ said one of the student

“You’re right, now what would happen if I held it for a day?”
“Your arm could go numb; you might have severe muscle stress & paralysis & have to go to hospital for sure!”
….. Ventured another student & all the students laughed

“Very good.
But during all this, did the weight of the glass change?” Asked the professor.
‘No’…. Was the answer.
“Then what caused the arm ache & the muscle stress?”

The students were puzzled.
“What should I do now to come out of pain?” asked professor again.
“Put the glass down!” said one of the students

“Exactly!” said the professor.
Life’s problems are something like this.

Hold it for a few minutes in your head & they seem OK.
Think of them for a long time & they begin to ache.

Hold it even longer & they begin to paralyze you. You will not be able to do anything.

It’s important to think of the challenges or problems in your life, But EVEN MORE IMPORTANT is to ‘PUT THEM DOWN’ at the end of every day before you go to sleep…

That way, you are not stressed, you wake up every day fresh & strong & can handle any issue, any challenge that comes your way!

God may not always send us what we expect, but He will always send us what we need. It's up to us to have the wisdom to recognize the difference and be thankful.

A woman was at work when she received a phone call that her daughter was very sick with a fever. She left her work and stopped by the pharmacy to get some medication for her daughter.

Upon returning to her car she found that she had locked her keys in the car. She was in a hurry to get home to her sick daughter. She didn't know what to do, so she called her home and told the baby sitter what had happened and that she did not know what to do.

The baby sitter told her that her daughter was getting worse. She said, "You might find a coat hanger and use that to open the door." The woman looked around and found an old rusty coat hanger that had been thrown down on the ground, possibly by someone else who at some time or other had locked their keys in their car. Then she looked at the hanger and said, "I don't know how to use this." So she bowed her head and asked God to send her some help.

Within five minutes an old rusty car pulled up, with a dirty, greasy, bearded man who was wearing an old biker skull rag on his head. The woman thought, "This is what you sent to help me?" But, she was desperate, so she was also very thankful.

The man got out of his car and asked her if he could help. She said, "Yes, my daughter is very sick. I stopped to get her some medication and I locked my keys in my car. I must get home to her. Please, can you use this hanger to unlock my car?"

He said, "Sure". He walked over to the car, and in less than one minute the car was opened.

She hugged the man and through her tears she said, "Thank You So Much! You are a very nice man."

The man replied, "Lady, I am not a nice man. I just got out of prison yesterday. I was in prison for car theft and have only been out less than 24 hours."

The woman hugged the man again and with sobbing tears cried out loud, "Oh, Thank you God! You even sent me a Professional!"

God may not always send us what we expect, but He will always send us what we need. It's up to us to have the wisdom to recognize the difference and be thankful.

There's nothing wrong with activity and hard work. But God doesn't want us to get so busy that we neglect the truly important things in life, like taking time to pray, to read. We all need time to relax, to think and meditate, to learn and grow.

Once upon a time a very strong woodcutter asked for a job in a timber merchant, and he got it. The pay was really good and so were the work conditions. For that reason,the woodcutter was determined to do his best.

His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he was supposed to work. The first day, the woodcutter brought 18 trees.

"Congratulations," the boss said. "Go on that way!" Very motivated for the boss' words, the woodcutter try harder the next day,but he only could bring 15 trees. The third day he try even harder, but he only could bring 10 trees. Day after day he was bringing less and less trees.

"I must be losing my strength", the woodcutter thought. He went to the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on.

"When was the last time you sharpened your axe?" the boss asked. "Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy trying to cut trees."

There's nothing wrong with activity and hard work. But God doesn't want us to get so busy that we neglect the truly important things in life, like taking time to pray, to read. We all need time to relax, to think and meditate, to learn and grow.

"Your momma put in a long hard day at work today and she was really tired. And besides... A burnt roti never hurts anyone but HARSH WORDS DO!"

Ex Indian President Dr. Abdul Kalam Says:

"When I was a kid, my Mom cooked food for us.
One night in particular when she had made dinner after a long hard day's work, Mom placed a plate of 'subzi' and extremely burnt roti in front of my Dad.

I was waiting to see if anyone noticed the burnt roti. But Dad just ate his roti and asked me how was my day at school.

I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember I heard Mom apologizing to Dad for the burnt roti.

And I'll never forget what he said: "Honey, I love burnt roti."

Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy, good night & I asked him if he really liked his roti burnt. He wrapped me in his arms & said:
"Your momma put in a long hard day at work today and she was really tired. And besides... A burnt roti never hurts anyone but HARSH WORDS DO!"

Dream requires Soundless sleep to see Whereas Aim Requires Sleepless Efforts to Achieve...

A little boy went to a telephone booth which was at the cash counter of a store and dialed a number.
The store-owner observed and listened to the conversation:

Boy : "Lady, Can you give me the job of cutting your lawn?
Woman : (at the other end of the phone line) "I already have someone to cut my lawn."
Boy : "Lady, I will cut your lawn for half the price than the person who cuts your lawn now."
Woman : I'm very satisfied with the person who is presently cutting my lawn.
Boy : (with more perseverance) "Lady, I'll even sweep the floor and the stairs of your house for free.
Woman : No, thank you.

With a smile on his face, the little boy replaced the receiver. The store-owner, who was listening to all this, walked over to the boy.

Store Owner : "Son... I like your attitude; I like that positive spirit and would like to offer you a job."
Boy : "No thanks,
Store Owner : But you were really pleading for one.
Boy : No Sir, I was just checking my performance at the job I already have. I am the one who is working for that lady I was talking to!"

This is called  "Self Appraisal"

The difference between dream and aim,

Dream requires Soundless sleep to see Whereas Aim Requires Sleepless Efforts to Achieve...

Everything passes, but you remain. You are the reality; everything else is just a dream.

A king asked his wise men in the court, ”I am making a very beautiful ring for myself. I have got one of the best diamonds possible. I want to keep hidden inside the ring some message that may be helpful to me in a time of utter despair. It has to be very small so that it can be hidden underneath the diamond in the ring.”
They were all wise men, they all were great scholars; they could have written great treatises. But to give him a message of not more than two or three words which would help him in moments of utter despair... They thought, they looked into their books, but they could not find anything.
The king had an old servant who was almost like his father – he had been his father’s servant. The king’s mother had died early and this servant had taken care of him, so he was not treated like a servant. The king had immense respect for him.
The old man said, ”I am not a wise man, knowledgeable, scholarly; but I know the message – because there is only one message. And these people cannot give it to you; it can be given only by a mystic, by a man who has realized himself.
”In my long life in the palace I have come across all kinds of people, and once, a mystic. He had also been a guest of your father and I was put into his service. When he was departing, as a gesture of thankfulness for all my services he gave me this message” – and he wrote it on a small piece of paper, folded it and told the king, ”Don’t read it, just keep it hidden in the ring. Only open it when everything else has failed – when there is no way out.”
And the time came soon. The country was invaded and the king lost his kingdom. He was running away on his horse just to save his life and the enemy horses were following him. He was alone; they were many. And he came to a place where the path stopped, came to a dead end; there was a cliff and a deep valley. To fall into it was to be finished. He could not go back, the enemy was there and he could hear the sounds of the hooves of the horses. He could not go forward, and there was no other way....
Suddenly he remembered the ring. He opened it, took out the paper, and there was a small message of tremendous value: it simply said, ”This too will pass.” A great silence came over him as he read the sentence, ”This too will pass.” And it passed.
Everything passes away; nothing remains in this world. The enemies who were following him must have got lost in the forest, must have moved on a wrong way; the hooves slowly, slowly were not heard any more.
The king was immensely grateful to the servant and to the unknown mystic. Those words proved miraculous. He folded the paper, put it back into the ring, gathered his armies again and conquered his kingdom back. And the day he was entering his capital, victorious, there was great celebration all over the capital, music, dance – and he was feeling very proud of himself.
The old man was walking by the side of his chariot. He said, ”This time is also right: look again at the message.”
The king said, ”What do you mean? Now I am victorious, people are celebrating. I am not in despair, I am not in a situation where there is no way out.”
The old man said, ”Listen. This is what the saint has said to me: this message is not only for despair, it is also for pleasure. This is not only for when you are defeated; it is also for when you are victorious – not only when you are the last, but also when you are the first.”
And the king opened the ring, read the message, ”This too will pass,” and suddenly the same peace, the same silence, amidst the crowds, jubilating, celebrating, dancing... but the pride, the ego was gone.
Everything passes away.
He asked his old servant to come on the chariot and sit with him. He asked, ”Is there anything more? Everything passes away... Your message has been immensely helpful.”
The old man said, ”The third thing the saint said, ‘Remember, everything passes. Only you remain; you remain forever as a witness.’”

Everything passes, but you remain. You are the reality; everything else is just a dream.

""You see, my son, it is not a fact that you will never face dangers. Difficulties always come, but they do not last forever. You will see that they pass away like water under a bridge."

"One who makes a habit of prayer will easily overcome all difficulties and remain calm and unruffled in the midst of the trials of life.""
                    - Holy Mother Sharada Devi