Spiritual Quote Of The Day
Some believe in existence.
Others believe nothing exists.
Rare is the one who believes nothing
And is never confused.
Astavakra Gita.
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You
Showing posts with label Spirituality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spirituality. Show all posts
Saturday
There is a magnet in your heart
Paramahansa Yogananda
"There is a magnet in your heart that will attract true friends. That magnet is unselfishness, thinking of others first... when you learn to live for others, they will live for you.”
"Learn to be calm and you will always be happy."
“The happiness of one's own heart alone cannot satisfy the soul; one must try to include, as necessary to one's own happiness, the happiness of others.”
"From Joy we came; for Joy we live; and in the sacred divine joy we will one day melt again."
- Paramahansa Yogananda
Hazrat Inayat Khan
"Words that enlighten are more precious than jewels."
"Untill the heart is empty, it cannot receive the knowledge of God."
"Our success or failure depends upon the harmony or disharmony of our individual will with the Divine will."
"All the disharmony of the world caused by religious differences is the result of man's failure to understand that religion is "One", truth is "One", God is "One"; How "can" can there be two religions?"
- Hazrat Inayat Khan
Buddha
"Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense."
"Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others."
"There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting."
"Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without."
"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly."
"On life's journey faith is nourishment, virtuous deeds are a shelter, wisdom is the light by day and right mindfulness is the protection by night. If a man lives a pure life, nothing can destroy him."
"Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity."
"Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared."
"You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection."
"Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it."
- Buddha
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You Dont worry be happy
Dont Worry Quotes
Shree Maa
Guru/Disciple
"These are the qualities of a disciple: humility, modesty, causing harm to none, patience, the purification of knowledge, worship of the teacher, purity, consistency, self control, constant equanimity of consciousness, unswerving devotion, distaste for the society of gossip, always residing in spiritual wisdom. All that is opposed is ignorance."
Tukaram
"He who utters the Name of God while walking
gets the merit of a sacrifice at every step
His body becomes a place of pilgrimage.
He who repeats God's Name while working
always finds perfect peace."
- Tukaram Extract from "Name of God"
Sri Aurobindo
"The last stage of perfection occurs when you are completely identified with the Divine Mother and feel yourself to be no longer another and separate instrument, servant, or worker but truly a child and eternal portion of her consciousness; it will be your constant, simple, and natural experience that all your thought and seeing and action, your very breathing or moving come from her and are hers."
- Sri Aurobindo
Peter Deunov
"Nothing else is demanded of you but to be in harmony with the entire Universe."
"Peacemakers are living in the Divine Fire.
Peacemaking is the Divine beam,
which comes from the depth of the human soul.
The peacemakers are the Sons of God.
Peacemaking is a Divine Light and it comes from the flame that has created it."
"The greater the sacrifice one makes, the bigger one becomes.
The more sacrifices one makes, the wiser one becomes,
the stronger one becomes, and the better one becomes.
Good people have sacrificed themselves, that is why they are strong."
"Open your hearts to the Divine and do not think about what will happen to you.
Open your minds to the sublime and bright thoughts and do not worry about tomorrow."
"Joy should accompany you. Your mind cannot grow without joy.
Your mind cannot be strong if you have no peace."
"Love is the only force that acts without any bias.
It opens your eyes instead of clouding them.
When you love, you can see clearly.
Only through love can you know people."
"Love is the basis, the foundation of everything,
for it is a virtue that is blind to human mistakes, and is never offended.
Even in in the worst mistakes it only sees something positive."
"I teach a great love, an active love, a love of kisses but also meaningful,
a love of feelings but also intense and noble, a love of power but of a light-giving power,
so that there may be love wherever we go!"
"Until now, man was living for himself. But from now on Mother Love,
as an impulse within the consciousness of humanity,
is urging an improvement for everyone without exception.
Therefore, all people must act together for the well-being and happiness of the whole of humanity".
"Unconditional Mother Love is the door through which man can enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Christ also pointed out to us that Love is the only path for salvation of the human soul."
"Your Mother is coming."
- Peter Deunov
Ramprasad Sen (1718 - 1775),
the ecstatic poet-mystic of Bengal.
"O foolish mind, do not indulge in hatred for any sacred way if you wish to enter pure Reality. With desperate longing for truth alone, the singer of this song has plunged into the ocean of ancient Scriptures, discovering at last that my blissful Mother, her black hair falling free in ecstasy, is the living power within every religious symbol, the coherent core of every philosophy. She is the warrior spirit, Kali dancing, and she is Shiva, all-transcending. She is ineffable sweetness, Radha-Krishna, the love play that dissolves conventionality. She is Sita-Ram, compassionately wise, the complete evolution of humanity."
- Ramprasad
Teresa of Avila
"It is love alone that gives worth to all things."
"Accustom yourself continually to make many acts of love, for they enkindle and melt the soul."
"Do not dismayed, at the number of things which you have to consider
before setting out on this divine journey,
which is the royal road to heaven.
By taking this road we gain such precious treasures
that it is no wonder if the cost seems to us a high one.
The time will come when we shall realize that all we have paid
has been nothing at all by comparison with the greatness of our prizes."
"Each of us has a soul, but we forget to value it.
We don't remember that we are creatures made in the image of God.
We don't understand the great secrets hidden inside of us."
"Prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God."
- Teresa of Avila
Haidakhan Babaji
"Everything in this world is transient. It has no reality. True reality is to proceed on the path of truth, to keep the company of saintly people, and to render service to men."
"There is no saint without a past, and no sinner without a future."
"You all think devotion is fun. Some day you will have to jump without fear of life or death; then you will be able to make progress. When the time comes, you will have to walk through fire and water."
"You should become pioneers of this age and search for truth. You have to become adventurous and awaken truth within you. This is real yoga."
"Courage is the most important thing...Wake up yourselves and others. Control your mind and have firm determination... Be firm like a rock, deep and serious like the sea. Think of the earth as a mother. Have great courage and patience - and be not afraid of water, fire or great storms - face them bravely. Face the fire and it will turn to ice. This requires control of mind and a firm determination."
"Awake! Arise! And be exalted! Make your life a success!."
-Haidakhan Babaji
Meher Baba
"A mind that is fast is sick. A mind that is slow is sound. A mind that is still is divine."
"Love is essentially self-communicative: those who do not have it catch it from those who have it.... No amount of rites, rituals, ceremonies, worship, meditation, penance and remembrance can produce love in themselves. None of these is necessarily a sign of love. On the contrary, those who sigh loudly and weep and wail have yet to experience love. Love sets on fire the one who finds it. At the same time it seals his lips so that no smoke comes out.
"Love can attain what the intellect cannot fathom."
"Don't worry. Be happy."
-Meher Baba
Ramana Maharshi
"Happiness is your nature. It is not wrong to desire it. What is wrong is seeking it outside when it is inside."
"Nearly all mankind is more or less unhappy because nearly all do not know the true Self. Real happiness abides in Self-knowledge alone. All else is fleeting. To know one's Self is to be blissful always."
" Bliss is not something to be got. On the other hand you are always Bliss. This desire [for Bliss] is born of the sense of incompleteness. To whom is this sense of incompleteness? Enquire. In deep sleep you were blissful. Now you are not so. What has interposed between that Bliss and this non-bliss? It is the ego. Seek its source and find you are Bliss."
"Nobody doubts that he exists, though he may doubt the existence of God. If he finds out the truth about himself and discovers his own source, this is all that is required."
"That inner Self, as the primeval Spirit, Eternal, ever effulgent, full and infinite Bliss, Single, indivisible, whole and living, Shines in everyone as the witnessing awareness. That self in its splendour, shining in the cavity of the heart This self is neither born nor dies, Neither grows nor decays, Nor does it suffer any change. When a pot is broken, the space within it is not, And similarly, when the body dies the Self in it remains eternal."
"Reality is simply the loss of ego. Destroy the ego by seeking its identity. Because the ego is no entity it will automatically vanish and reality will shine forth by itself."
"God dwells in you, as you, and you don't have to 'do' anything to be God-realized or Self-realized, it is already your true and natural state." Just drop all seeking, turn your attention inward, and sacrifice your mind to the One Self radiating in the Heart of your very being. For this to be your own presently lived experience, Self-Inquiry is the one direct and immediate way."
"Heart" is merely another name for the Supreme Spirit, because He is in all hearts. The entire Universe is condensed in the body, and the entire body in the Heart. Thus the Heart is the nucleus of the whole Universe."
"Your own Self-Realization is the greatest service you can render the world. "
- Ramana Maharshi
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You Dont Worry Quotes
Debt to the Guru
Swami Muktananda
Debt to the Guru
Question: You once said that it is impossible to ever repay the debt to the Guru. Is there no way for the disciple to repay the Guru for his divine grace?
Baba Muktananda: If you could tell me how to get free from this debt I would welcome your suggestion. Then I too would be able to free myself from this debt to my Guru, along with you.
Being fully aware that I can never repay that debt, I am honoring him here so much: I am holding arati [sacred ceremony of waving of lights] to him three times a day. I am following his teaching. Whatever I am doing is exactly what he wanted me to do.
What could a disciple possibly give to repay the debt to the Guru? We had only one thing and that was bondage, and the Guru took that away.
The Guru has awakened our inner Shakti; he has transformed our inner being and has made us like himself. How can we ever repay the Guru for this?
What do we have which could clear the debt? Nobody should think that the Guru's debt can be repaid by offering so many acres of land, which belong to the Lord in any case, or by offering him a few bundles of cloth. The Guru has transmitted his own power into us and has brought about a radical change in us.
Jnaneshwar Maharaj writes eloquently on this theme in his poetry. He says, "I am trying to find out how I can repay the debt to You, O Lord, but I have not succeeded. I could not repay this debt with anything of this world, so finally I have decided to give myself to You—the whole of myself—and I will no longer remain me.
Take my sense of separateness away from me forever so that even the question of repaying your debt may vanish from my mind." A disciple should therefore give himself to the Guru. He has nothing else by which he can repay the Guru.
- Swami Muktananda
Swami Sivananda
The Guru Disciple Relationship
Swami Sivananda once wrote that no person should think he is so great that he does not need the help and guidance of a superior person. There are so many things that the aspirant cannot see at the outset, and as he continues along the path of spiritual practice he will encounter difficulties that might otherwise overwhelm him. For these reasons the instruction and support of a guru are essential.
At the same time, it is probably not the verbal instruction from the guru that is the most important gift from him - rather it is his own life and shining example. Swami Sivananda did not spend much time giving lectures to his disciples; they all learned from him by watching the example he set. "My life is my teaching," he once said. Merely being with him, in his presence and under his protection could transform a person. One need only look at the truly great ones who Gurudev brought forth into the spiritual world: Swami Chidanandaji, Swami Krishnanandaji, Swami Venkatesanandaji, and Swami Satchidandandaji among so many others.
However, in this modern world, one must be extremely careful when choosing a guru. There are many persons who have crowned themselves "gurus" who abuse the authority of that trusted position. Until an aspirant has been able to observe a teacher over time, form a clear opinion of him and his character and trustworthiness, only then should the seeker commit himself heart and soul to that guru.
This guru-disciple bond is the most important relationship in a human life. It is in actual fact not a relationship between two human beings, but is the divine reaching out to the divine. This association is therefore not limited by time and space, but is an expression of the infinite.
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like YouRules To Live BY
See it as your destiny to move in the direction of your soul.
See yourself in the light.
The ego keeps its grip by making us feel needy and powerless. From this sense of lack grows the hunger to acquire things.
See everyone else in the light.
The cheapest way to feel good about yourself is by feeling superior to others.
Surrender your ego to God on a daily basis.
This means, all negative painful thoughts and feelings.
Remind yourself daily of this.
See yourself in the light.
The ego keeps its grip by making us feel needy and powerless. From this sense of lack grows the hunger to acquire things.
See everyone else in the light.
The cheapest way to feel good about yourself is by feeling superior to others.
Surrender your ego to God on a daily basis.
This means, all negative painful thoughts and feelings.
Remind yourself daily of this.
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You
Thursday
The thread becomes the bridge
Becoming angry with his prime minister, a king had him confined in a very high tower with no way to escape; if he tried to jump he would surely be killed. The king did not know it, but on his way to the tower the prime minister had whispered something in his wife’s ear. On the very first night she came and left an ordinary insect on the tower wall. She applied a little honey to its antennae and the insect began to climb up the tower in search of the honey, but she had also tied a thin silk thread to its tail.
Slowly the insect climbed the three hundred feet of the tower where the minister was waiting for it. He grabbed at the silk thread to which the wife had tied a string, and to the string she had tied a cord, and attached to the cord was a strong rope. The minister pulled till he had the rope in hand, and with its help he climbed down from the tower. The story states that not only did the minister escape the prison, but he also discovered the means to escape from life’s ultimate prison.
If even the thinnest, weakest thread comes to hand, there is no difficulty in attaining liberation. The weakest thread can pave the way to beatitude, but the thread must come to hand. A slight ray, once recognized, can lead to the sun. All religions, all gurus, have reached God by catching hold of one thin thread or other. These threads are many, and can be tied to many kinds of insect. It isn’t necessary to smear the insect’s antennae with honey; you can apply anything that tempts the insect to climb to the prisoner. The thread becomes the bridge.
Slowly the insect climbed the three hundred feet of the tower where the minister was waiting for it. He grabbed at the silk thread to which the wife had tied a string, and to the string she had tied a cord, and attached to the cord was a strong rope. The minister pulled till he had the rope in hand, and with its help he climbed down from the tower. The story states that not only did the minister escape the prison, but he also discovered the means to escape from life’s ultimate prison.
If even the thinnest, weakest thread comes to hand, there is no difficulty in attaining liberation. The weakest thread can pave the way to beatitude, but the thread must come to hand. A slight ray, once recognized, can lead to the sun. All religions, all gurus, have reached God by catching hold of one thin thread or other. These threads are many, and can be tied to many kinds of insect. It isn’t necessary to smear the insect’s antennae with honey; you can apply anything that tempts the insect to climb to the prisoner. The thread becomes the bridge.
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You
Lao Tzu some more Famous quotes
Here are some of his famous quotes of :
Seek not happiness too greedily, and be not fearful of happiness.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
He who knows does not speak.
He who speaks does not know.
He who knows others is wise;
He who know himself is enlightened.
He who loves the world as his body may be entrusted with the empire.
I have three treasures. Guard and keep them:
The first is deep love,
The second is frugality,
And the third is not to dare to be ahead of the world.
Because of deep love, one is courageous.
Because of frugality, one is generous.
Because of not daring to be ahead of the world, one becomes the leader of the world.
Manifest plainness,
Embrace simplicity,
Reduce selfishness,
Have few desires.
People are difficult to govern because they have too much knowledge.
The best [man] is like water.
Water is good; it benefits all things and does not compete with them.
It dwells in [lowly] places that all disdain.
This is why it is so near to Tao.
The more laws and order are made prominent,
The more thieves and robbers there will be.
The softest things in the world overcome the hardest things in the world.
Through this I know the advantage of taking no action.
The Way of Heaven is to benefit others and not to injure.
The Way of the sage is to act but not to compete.
There is no calamity greater than lavish desires.
There is no greater guilt than discontentment.
And there is no greater disaster than greed.
To be worn out is to be renewed.
To have little is to possess.
To have plenty is to be perplexed.
To know that you do not know is the best.
To pretend to know when you do not know is a disease.
To produce things and to rear them,
To produce, but not to take possession of them,
To act, but not to rely on one’s own ability,
To lead them, but not to master them -
This is called profound and secret virtue.
lao-tzu-fieldWhen armies are mobilized and issues are joined,
The man who is sorry over the fact will win.
When the highest type of men hear Tao,
They diligently practice it.
When the average type of men hear Tao,
They half believe in it.
When the lowest type of men hear Tao,
They laugh heartily at it.
Without the laugh, there is no Tao.
When the people of the world all know beauty as beauty,
There arises the recognition of ugliness.
When they all know the good as good,
There arises the recognition of evil.
Seek not happiness too greedily, and be not fearful of happiness.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
He who knows does not speak.
He who speaks does not know.
He who knows others is wise;
He who know himself is enlightened.
He who loves the world as his body may be entrusted with the empire.
I have three treasures. Guard and keep them:
The first is deep love,
The second is frugality,
And the third is not to dare to be ahead of the world.
Because of deep love, one is courageous.
Because of frugality, one is generous.
Because of not daring to be ahead of the world, one becomes the leader of the world.
Manifest plainness,
Embrace simplicity,
Reduce selfishness,
Have few desires.
People are difficult to govern because they have too much knowledge.
The best [man] is like water.
Water is good; it benefits all things and does not compete with them.
It dwells in [lowly] places that all disdain.
This is why it is so near to Tao.
The more laws and order are made prominent,
The more thieves and robbers there will be.
The softest things in the world overcome the hardest things in the world.
Through this I know the advantage of taking no action.
The Way of Heaven is to benefit others and not to injure.
The Way of the sage is to act but not to compete.
There is no calamity greater than lavish desires.
There is no greater guilt than discontentment.
And there is no greater disaster than greed.
To be worn out is to be renewed.
To have little is to possess.
To have plenty is to be perplexed.
To know that you do not know is the best.
To pretend to know when you do not know is a disease.
To produce things and to rear them,
To produce, but not to take possession of them,
To act, but not to rely on one’s own ability,
To lead them, but not to master them -
This is called profound and secret virtue.
lao-tzu-fieldWhen armies are mobilized and issues are joined,
The man who is sorry over the fact will win.
When the highest type of men hear Tao,
They diligently practice it.
When the average type of men hear Tao,
They half believe in it.
When the lowest type of men hear Tao,
They laugh heartily at it.
Without the laugh, there is no Tao.
When the people of the world all know beauty as beauty,
There arises the recognition of ugliness.
When they all know the good as good,
There arises the recognition of evil.
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You
Wednesday
Gratitude can transform your life
Remember, if you are criticizing, you are not being grateful. If you are blaming, you are not being grateful. If you are complaining, you are not being grateful. If you are feeling tension, you are not being grateful. If you are rushing, you are not being grateful. If you are in a bad mood, you are not being grateful.
Gratitude can transform your life. Are you allowing minor things to get in the way of your transformation and the life you deserve?
May the joy be with you,
Gratitude can transform your life. Are you allowing minor things to get in the way of your transformation and the life you deserve?
May the joy be with you,
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You
Sunday
Mother The Reflection Of God
I can never refuse anyone who addresses me as Mother.
*
You see, my son, it is not a fact that you will never face danger. Difficulties always come, but they do not last forever. You will see that they pass away like water under a bridge.
*
I am the mother of the wicked, as I am the mother of the virtuous. Never fear. Whenever you are in distress, say to yourself, 'I have a mother'.
*
If you want peace, do not see the faults of others. Rather see your own faults. Learn to make the whole world your own. No one is a stranger, my child. The whole world is your own.
*
Many think of God only after receiving blows from the world. But blessed indeed is he who can offer his mind, like a fresh flower, at the feet of the Lord from his very childhood. One should practise renunciation in youth.
Sri Sarada Devi
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You
*
You see, my son, it is not a fact that you will never face danger. Difficulties always come, but they do not last forever. You will see that they pass away like water under a bridge.
*
I am the mother of the wicked, as I am the mother of the virtuous. Never fear. Whenever you are in distress, say to yourself, 'I have a mother'.
*
If you want peace, do not see the faults of others. Rather see your own faults. Learn to make the whole world your own. No one is a stranger, my child. The whole world is your own.
*
Many think of God only after receiving blows from the world. But blessed indeed is he who can offer his mind, like a fresh flower, at the feet of the Lord from his very childhood. One should practise renunciation in youth.
Sri Sarada Devi
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like YouThursday
The Real Truth ...
One's true home is obtained by serving the True One.
Real Truth comes by being truthful.
By falsehood and greed, no place of rest is found,
and no place in the world hereafter is obtained.
Guru Nanak
*
Truth is one; only it is called by different names.
All people are seeking the same Truth...
By falsehood and greed, no place of rest is found,
and no place in the world hereafter is obtained.
Guru Nanak
*
Truth is one; only it is called by different names.
All people are seeking the same Truth...
Everyone is going towards God.
They will all realise Him if they have sincerity and longing of heart.
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
*
To see the universal and all-pervading Spirit of Truth face to face,
one must be able to love the meanest of all Creation as oneself.
M K Gandhi
*
Truth is one; there cannot be two.
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
*
To see the universal and all-pervading Spirit of Truth face to face,
one must be able to love the meanest of all Creation as oneself.
M K Gandhi
*
Truth is one; there cannot be two.
For, two can only be One, occurring twice.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba
*
There is only one truth.
It is being where you are.
And where you are is where your body is.
Barry Long
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You
Sri Sathya Sai Baba
*
There is only one truth.
It is being where you are.
And where you are is where your body is.
Barry Long
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You
Friday
One Word of Knowledge
There once there was a thief whose job was to steal others' belongings and valuable properties from their home and houses. His faith was strong and he believed that, in his entire life, he would never hear words of wisdom from any religious or spiritual preacher. He believed that by hearing even one word of knowledge, his business of robbery would become very weak and damaged.
One day, while he was going through a temple area there was a Pandit (Religious preacher) giving a powerful speech on the lifestyle of deity and god, goddess in heaven. The thief completely blocked his ears with his fingers so that even a single word of knowledge would not enter him.
While walking, he stepped on a thorn and reached down to pick it out with his left hand. In that moment, he heard the Pandit say that "No living God or Goddess has a shadow." Upon hearing this word of knowledge, the thief felt very unlucky and said "Oh! What a wasteful moment this is!"
Anyway, after much time passed he was eventually arrested for being involved with a big robbery at the royal palace of the kingdom. Security personnel tried to get him to admit that he had stolen valuable things from the palace, but he denied everything. The security unit reported this to the King, so her majesty the Queen suggested that she would use her trick to make him surrender the truth.
The next night, at midnight, the Queen went alone to visit the thief privately where he was being held in the Royal Palace. The Queen disguised herself by dressing like the fearful and frightening Goddess Mahakali. With a roaring voice, she demanded "Oh Sinful thief - I am the Goddess Mahakali! Tell me the truth! Did you steal the property of the Royal Palace?"
The frightened thief shivered with fear and decided that he would confess the truth. As he was about to speak, he remembered that he had seen the shadow of the Goddess Mahakali in the moonlight when she came into the room. He remembered the words of knowledge, "No living God or Goddess has a shadow." Since he had seen the shadow of Mahakali in front of him on that night, he knew that she could not be the real goddess Mahakali.
In that moment, he felt tremendous inner support from the words of knowledge. He responded with full confidence and without hesitation, "I did not steal anything!"
Again, the Queen disguised as Mahakali tried to make him fearful but the thief felt no fear and replied the same again:
"I DID NOT STEAL ANYTHING!"
After some time, the Queen knew the thief would say nothing else so she left. The next day, with the permission of Her Majesty the Queen, the thief was freed from the royal custody.
Because of this incident, the thief realized the true power of knowledge to transform his very troublesome situation into a very favorable one for him. He wondered, "How useful would it be if I heard more words of wisdom?" The answer to this question was profound.
In that moment, his faith and belief were strengthened, and his heart and mind were transformed. He decided that to listen to more knowledge so that he could feel completely fearless in all situations. However, in becoming a devoted listener to more words of wisdom, he completely awakened and went on to live a very happy and fully satisfied life, free from thievery and full of truth.
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You
One day, while he was going through a temple area there was a Pandit (Religious preacher) giving a powerful speech on the lifestyle of deity and god, goddess in heaven. The thief completely blocked his ears with his fingers so that even a single word of knowledge would not enter him.
While walking, he stepped on a thorn and reached down to pick it out with his left hand. In that moment, he heard the Pandit say that "No living God or Goddess has a shadow." Upon hearing this word of knowledge, the thief felt very unlucky and said "Oh! What a wasteful moment this is!"
Anyway, after much time passed he was eventually arrested for being involved with a big robbery at the royal palace of the kingdom. Security personnel tried to get him to admit that he had stolen valuable things from the palace, but he denied everything. The security unit reported this to the King, so her majesty the Queen suggested that she would use her trick to make him surrender the truth.
The next night, at midnight, the Queen went alone to visit the thief privately where he was being held in the Royal Palace. The Queen disguised herself by dressing like the fearful and frightening Goddess Mahakali. With a roaring voice, she demanded "Oh Sinful thief - I am the Goddess Mahakali! Tell me the truth! Did you steal the property of the Royal Palace?"
The frightened thief shivered with fear and decided that he would confess the truth. As he was about to speak, he remembered that he had seen the shadow of the Goddess Mahakali in the moonlight when she came into the room. He remembered the words of knowledge, "No living God or Goddess has a shadow." Since he had seen the shadow of Mahakali in front of him on that night, he knew that she could not be the real goddess Mahakali.
In that moment, he felt tremendous inner support from the words of knowledge. He responded with full confidence and without hesitation, "I did not steal anything!"
Again, the Queen disguised as Mahakali tried to make him fearful but the thief felt no fear and replied the same again:
"I DID NOT STEAL ANYTHING!"
After some time, the Queen knew the thief would say nothing else so she left. The next day, with the permission of Her Majesty the Queen, the thief was freed from the royal custody.
Because of this incident, the thief realized the true power of knowledge to transform his very troublesome situation into a very favorable one for him. He wondered, "How useful would it be if I heard more words of wisdom?" The answer to this question was profound.
In that moment, his faith and belief were strengthened, and his heart and mind were transformed. He decided that to listen to more knowledge so that he could feel completely fearless in all situations. However, in becoming a devoted listener to more words of wisdom, he completely awakened and went on to live a very happy and fully satisfied life, free from thievery and full of truth.
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You
Forgotten Path to Abundance
For years I have practiced "Prosperity Through Generosity" sometimes known as tithing or sharing the wealth. Whenever I receive money, I share it with others even though I may not have a lot of cash at the time. I have learned that, by continuing to share, the energy keeps moving and more money comes in. I also tithe in time by doing my work for no charge when someone can truly not afford it. This has afforded me the opportunity to do many things that I might not have done because of lack of funds. One day, while musing on the subject, I got a little hungry, so off I went to one of my favorite restaurants, not knowing that Spirit had a special challenge and a lesson for me.
I headed over to the Enchanted Garden (nice name eh?), and they knew me because I ate there a lot. It was one of my regular hangouts. When I walked in, the regular waitress came over and introduced me to a new waitress. The new waitress, Mary, knowing that I was into spiritual studies had a story and a question for me. She told me how she had been out of work and down to her last $43. She was driving to a job interview and on the way saw a woman holding a baby and a sign that said, "Baby needs Dr. please help." Being soft-hearted, she pulled over to the woman and reached into her purse and handed her $3. As she drove away, in the rear view mirror, she could see the woman clasping her hands and shouting, "Thank you, thank you, thank the Lord."
She thought, "Wow, a lousy $3 makes her so happy," and she felt good about having given it to her even though her funds were low. When she arrived at her interview, she looked in her purse and found that she had given the woman two twenties and a one instead of three ones. She now had $2 to her name. She was kicking herself and couldn't believe she had given away her last money. The next day she got the job at Enchanted Garden. She asked what I thought about all that.
I told her not to be upset about the money, that perhaps that woman needed exactly that amount for the doctor and that she may have been praying for it. Mary may have been the instrument to answer her prayer and change her belief about prayers being answered and about life in general. She said that was a good way to look at it. That being said, I headed for the ladies room.
While in the ladies room, my guides said to me, "Give her back the money." I protested that I did not get paid for two more days and I wasn't even sure if I had that much in my bank account. They insisted, so I wrote a check for $50 and wrote prosperity through generosity at the bottom. I asked the other waitress to give it to her after I left so she wouldn't refuse it and wouldn't be embarrassed.
But that started me thinking about my checking account, so I went to balance it and see if all my checks were in and how much money I actually had left. I did not want my gesture to be negated by a bounced check. When I did that, I found that I had an extra $500 that could not be accounted for anywhere in my deposits, and all the checks had cleared the account. Suddenly I had 10 times what I had just given away. I felt it was a major sign for me. And that was a huge lesson, but the biggest lesson was yet to come.
A month later I received a letter from Mary. She said, "I don't know if you remember me, but I just wanted to tell you that I never cashed your check for $50. Money started to come to me from all directions. I framed the check and put it on my wall, and whenever anyone comes into my home, I tell them the story of your generosity."
I choked up and cried. I still can't tell that story without
getting misty. And I got the message to think about how many people were being affected by that simple gesture while following my guidance. I will never know exactly how many people were moved by that story, but it was a very powerful lesson for me, and a much better reward than the $500. The small random acts of kindness that we do ripple out into the world and create all kinds of abundance, and it comes back from all directions.
Ever since that day, when I give a tip, pay my bills or receive money of any sort, I hold the money in my hands (and the hands of the giver and receiver whenever possible) and say this... "Divine Love through me blesses and multiplies all the good I am and have, all the good I give and receive, Bless the gift, the giver and the receiver. Bless and multiply and multiply and multiply."
After telling that story at a class, one of my students tried it and was amazed at what happened. She stopped to buy a sandwich from a charity fund raiser. They were complaining that business was slow because of rain. When she paid them, she said the blessing out loud so they could hear her. They thanked her, and immediately three cars drove up and placed large orders for food. They looked at her and said, "You did that." She smiled and continued her day, knowing that however it happened, that something had happened. It became a mystical experience for all concerned. She felt great and continues to do this all the time now!
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You
I headed over to the Enchanted Garden (nice name eh?), and they knew me because I ate there a lot. It was one of my regular hangouts. When I walked in, the regular waitress came over and introduced me to a new waitress. The new waitress, Mary, knowing that I was into spiritual studies had a story and a question for me. She told me how she had been out of work and down to her last $43. She was driving to a job interview and on the way saw a woman holding a baby and a sign that said, "Baby needs Dr. please help." Being soft-hearted, she pulled over to the woman and reached into her purse and handed her $3. As she drove away, in the rear view mirror, she could see the woman clasping her hands and shouting, "Thank you, thank you, thank the Lord."
She thought, "Wow, a lousy $3 makes her so happy," and she felt good about having given it to her even though her funds were low. When she arrived at her interview, she looked in her purse and found that she had given the woman two twenties and a one instead of three ones. She now had $2 to her name. She was kicking herself and couldn't believe she had given away her last money. The next day she got the job at Enchanted Garden. She asked what I thought about all that.
I told her not to be upset about the money, that perhaps that woman needed exactly that amount for the doctor and that she may have been praying for it. Mary may have been the instrument to answer her prayer and change her belief about prayers being answered and about life in general. She said that was a good way to look at it. That being said, I headed for the ladies room.
While in the ladies room, my guides said to me, "Give her back the money." I protested that I did not get paid for two more days and I wasn't even sure if I had that much in my bank account. They insisted, so I wrote a check for $50 and wrote prosperity through generosity at the bottom. I asked the other waitress to give it to her after I left so she wouldn't refuse it and wouldn't be embarrassed.
But that started me thinking about my checking account, so I went to balance it and see if all my checks were in and how much money I actually had left. I did not want my gesture to be negated by a bounced check. When I did that, I found that I had an extra $500 that could not be accounted for anywhere in my deposits, and all the checks had cleared the account. Suddenly I had 10 times what I had just given away. I felt it was a major sign for me. And that was a huge lesson, but the biggest lesson was yet to come.
A month later I received a letter from Mary. She said, "I don't know if you remember me, but I just wanted to tell you that I never cashed your check for $50. Money started to come to me from all directions. I framed the check and put it on my wall, and whenever anyone comes into my home, I tell them the story of your generosity."
I choked up and cried. I still can't tell that story without
getting misty. And I got the message to think about how many people were being affected by that simple gesture while following my guidance. I will never know exactly how many people were moved by that story, but it was a very powerful lesson for me, and a much better reward than the $500. The small random acts of kindness that we do ripple out into the world and create all kinds of abundance, and it comes back from all directions.
Ever since that day, when I give a tip, pay my bills or receive money of any sort, I hold the money in my hands (and the hands of the giver and receiver whenever possible) and say this... "Divine Love through me blesses and multiplies all the good I am and have, all the good I give and receive, Bless the gift, the giver and the receiver. Bless and multiply and multiply and multiply."
After telling that story at a class, one of my students tried it and was amazed at what happened. She stopped to buy a sandwich from a charity fund raiser. They were complaining that business was slow because of rain. When she paid them, she said the blessing out loud so they could hear her. They thanked her, and immediately three cars drove up and placed large orders for food. They looked at her and said, "You did that." She smiled and continued her day, knowing that however it happened, that something had happened. It became a mystical experience for all concerned. She felt great and continues to do this all the time now!
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You
Be Conscious and Make it your guide..
There are infinite levels of consciousness; all is consciousness. This play is infinite; the Divine is infinite; the levels are infinite. God is infinite so everything is infinite. We cannot say that there are ten levels, twenty levels: it's infinite.
That's the idea. Life is a journey to the infinite. You can never say that you have already reached it, that this is the end. It is always a beginning.
Time means the distance between two things. Most of the time we are in the past and when we are in the past, we create a distance. So if we want to go out from the time, we must get free of the past. Or maybe we are in the future, and then again we create a distance between the future and ourselves. We wait for the future and we don't live now, in the present.
Time is now, but we create a distance: we are either in the past, or in the future. If we want to get free from time, we must get free from past and future. We have to be always in the present, with the present time in our hands.
If we become servile, we lose our freedom with our way of thinking. If we don't hold on to anything, we are free. If we learn to leave, we will be free.
We hold on and then we say we are not free. Learn to leave fast, never possess, get free from past and future: time will be with you and you will be fully free.
It would be easier to do so by realising the value of life, of existence. We don't know the importance of our lives, and that's why we waste the present moment.
We are always absent from life. We are in the past or future, with memories of the past and fears of the future. This is normal human life, the way of living: always absent from the present.
The power, the joy of the present is so strong, so beautiful and big, that you will not miss your memories. Why do you invoke memories? Because you miss something and when you miss something, you open the album. The power of now, of the present is so great and full that you won't miss anything.
When we live in the present our capacities grow more. Generally, we have memory of the past to enable us to remember the past. When we live in the present we do not need to rely on memory.
The ultimate aim of nature's process of making the human consciousness grow is to give us the realisation, to increase our consciousness. That's the only object of life. All the rest are processes or experiments with or without love, with or without suffering. All the tools of nature are working to make humanity more conscious.
Spirituality means to live with that consciousness. Everything is moving and changing but we are witnesses watching the play, not disturbing it, not interfering, just enjoying.
The Self is a big word. Bring your Self to the front seat so you can direct your own movements. That's why Sri Aurobindo said: “To grow your consciousness, grow your awareness, your understanding, your knowledge. If you exist with consciousness, with good understanding, with knowledge, you are able to give direction to your movements. Then, you can tell your mind where to go.
But now you have no control: if the mind wants this, you go there.”
Life is movement and the movement needs a guide. Consciousness is the guide
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You
Wednesday
Many paths One Destination........
God can be realised
through all paths.
All religions are
true. The important
thing is to reach the
roof. You can reach it by
stone stairs or by wooden
stairs or by bamboo steps or
by a rope. You can also
climb up by a bamboo pole.
Ramakrishna
*
Do not be misled by
what you see around you,
or be influenced by what
you see. You live in a
world which is a playground
of illusion, full of false
paths, false values and
false ideals. But you are
not part of that world.
Sai Baba
*
There are many paths
to the top of the
mountain, but the
view is always the same.
Chinese proverb
*
Parents can only give
good advice to children
or put them on the right
paths, but the final
forming of a person's
character lies in her
own hands.
Anne Frank
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You
An incredible journey
Soul is a dynamic system. We are all given a map at the time of birth that broadly determines the proportions of various elements in the soul but all this changes as soon as the experiences of our senses begin to leave their own imprint on the soul. The input from our senses can change this map at any time.
Sounds and smells can invoke any one of positive or negative feelings. As our experiences expand they are imbedded in our memories. A beautiful melody can touch our soul. There is a constant turmoil going in within our soul. It is the eternal fight between the Cosmic Intelligence and the negative forces that are nothing but emptiness on the soul map.
Those who live in reasonably happy surroundings, can sustain positive feelings most of the time and remain happy. The unhappy soul strays trapped inside an unhappy body. When the body dies the unhappy soul is released into the universe only to come back as another unhappy person. The cycle goes on. The grander purpose of life and the universe is unfulfilled. So staying happy by increasing the proportion of cosmic intelligence in our souls and getting rid of emptiness should be a common goal.
The key to finding that happiness is the so-called “sixth” sense or “sense of belief” as I would like to call it. This sense is the portal through which cosmic intelligence enters the mind. Even as a child this sixth sense. There is a sense of wonder, a quest to know more and to accept what we learn, in all of us. However, this sense of wonder is mediated by our upbringing, surroundings and education and that wonder starts getting clouded. But the good news is that it can be cleared of clouds by conscious effort.
Once the sixth sense is opened it allows direct communication between cosmic intelligence inside our souls and the all-prevailing cosmic intelligence in the universe. The more we “believe” the greater are the chances of our consciousness flowing freely and taking advantage of the vast ocean of positive energy flowing all around us. So the first and foremost step of achieving permanent happiness is to believe in something completely with your heart, mind or soul whatever you want to call it. This sense has also been described in mythology as the inner eye or third eye. ... Many people already have the sixth sense opened to a great extent. This manifest in them as the power of intuition.
... The Bhagavad Gita describes karma yoga, the practice that allows us to continue working and doing whatever we are doing as long as we do not work for ulterior motives, and follow the pure way of life with detachment from all results of our actions. We do not consider ourselves as the “doer” but believe that cosmic intelligence within us determines all actions or karma.
Be in the presence of people who know ‘the truth.’ Satsang simply works from the flow of cosmic intelligence between people. By sharing, it grows further. People who are in love with each other experience this feeling in the presence of the loved one. Your sorrow, pain and grief are diminished if someone else shares those with you. That is the key to compassion that flows from people who have high levels of cosmic intelligence.
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You
Sounds and smells can invoke any one of positive or negative feelings. As our experiences expand they are imbedded in our memories. A beautiful melody can touch our soul. There is a constant turmoil going in within our soul. It is the eternal fight between the Cosmic Intelligence and the negative forces that are nothing but emptiness on the soul map.
Those who live in reasonably happy surroundings, can sustain positive feelings most of the time and remain happy. The unhappy soul strays trapped inside an unhappy body. When the body dies the unhappy soul is released into the universe only to come back as another unhappy person. The cycle goes on. The grander purpose of life and the universe is unfulfilled. So staying happy by increasing the proportion of cosmic intelligence in our souls and getting rid of emptiness should be a common goal.
The key to finding that happiness is the so-called “sixth” sense or “sense of belief” as I would like to call it. This sense is the portal through which cosmic intelligence enters the mind. Even as a child this sixth sense. There is a sense of wonder, a quest to know more and to accept what we learn, in all of us. However, this sense of wonder is mediated by our upbringing, surroundings and education and that wonder starts getting clouded. But the good news is that it can be cleared of clouds by conscious effort.
Once the sixth sense is opened it allows direct communication between cosmic intelligence inside our souls and the all-prevailing cosmic intelligence in the universe. The more we “believe” the greater are the chances of our consciousness flowing freely and taking advantage of the vast ocean of positive energy flowing all around us. So the first and foremost step of achieving permanent happiness is to believe in something completely with your heart, mind or soul whatever you want to call it. This sense has also been described in mythology as the inner eye or third eye. ... Many people already have the sixth sense opened to a great extent. This manifest in them as the power of intuition.
... The Bhagavad Gita describes karma yoga, the practice that allows us to continue working and doing whatever we are doing as long as we do not work for ulterior motives, and follow the pure way of life with detachment from all results of our actions. We do not consider ourselves as the “doer” but believe that cosmic intelligence within us determines all actions or karma.
Be in the presence of people who know ‘the truth.’ Satsang simply works from the flow of cosmic intelligence between people. By sharing, it grows further. People who are in love with each other experience this feeling in the presence of the loved one. Your sorrow, pain and grief are diminished if someone else shares those with you. That is the key to compassion that flows from people who have high levels of cosmic intelligence.
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You
Saturday
God Won’t Ask
God won't ask what kind of fancy car you drove.
He will ask how many people you took to church/Temple/Masjid/Gurdwara/Hospital who didn't have transportation.
God won't ask the square footage of your house.
God won't ask the square footage of your house.
He will ask how many people you helped who didn't have a house.
God won't ask how many fancy clothes you had in your closet.
God won't ask how many fancy clothes you had in your closet.
He will ask how many of these clothes you gave to the needy without one.
God won't ask what social class you were in.
God won't ask what social class you were in.
He will ask what kind of "class" you displayed.
God won't ask how many material possessions you had.
God won't ask how many material possessions you had.
He will ask whether those material possessions dictated your life.
God won't ask what your highest salary was.
God won't ask what your highest salary was.
He will ask if you trampled over any people to obtain that salary.
God won't ask how much overtime you worked.
God won't ask how much overtime you worked.
He will ask if you worked overtime for your family.
God won't ask how many promotions you received.
God won't ask how many promotions you received.
He will ask what you did to promote others.
God won't ask what your job title was.
God won't ask what your job title was.
He will ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.
God won't ask how many promotions you took to chase a dollar bill.
God won't ask how many promotions you took to chase a dollar bill.
He will ask how many promotions you refused to advance your family's quality of life.
God won't ask how many degrees you had.
God won't ask how many degrees you had.
He will ask how many people you thanked for helping you get those degrees.
God won't ask what your parents did to help you.
God won't ask what your parents did to help you.
He will ask what you did to help your parents.
God won't ask what you did to help yourself.
God won't ask what you did to help yourself.
He will ask what you did to help others.
God won't ask how many friends you had.
God won't ask how many friends you had.
He will ask how many people you were a friend to.
God won't ask what you did to protect your rights.
God won't ask what you did to protect your rights.
He will ask what you did to protect the rights of others.
God won't ask what neighborhood you lived in.
God won't ask what neighborhood you lived in.
He will ask what other neighborhoods you visited.
God won't ask how many times you told the truth.
God won't ask how many times you told the truth.
He will ask how many times you told a lie.
God won't ask about the color of your skin.
God won't ask about the color of your skin.
He will ask about the color of your heart.
God won't ask how many times your deeds matched your words.
God won't ask how many times your deeds matched your words.
He will ask how many times they didn't.
Something to think about: All of us will stand before God someday. . . .and everything we did, said, thought, will all come to light. I don't know about you but I sure have some things to make right.
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You
Something to think about: All of us will stand before God someday. . . .and everything we did, said, thought, will all come to light. I don't know about you but I sure have some things to make right.
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You
Thursday
The 10 Very Best Zen Stories
Many teachings from Zen-Buddhism are told in short and delightful stories. They are usually designed to develop the mind and to free it from distortions and so to connect with our spirit.
Some of them are really inspiring and enlightening. It is helpful to the mind to think about them and feel the deeper meaning. Even if it is not possible to grasp them fully, the beauty and simplicity of the message usually gets through to us one way or the other.
The following 10 Zen stories are a selection of the ones which are very popular and people find them most inspiring and really worth to read and shared about. Some may be instantly understood, some others need to be thought through and recognized in oneself.
They are about the following topics: life in the present moment, different perspectives, attachment, resistance, judgment, delusion, beliefs and thought as mental concepts but not truth and unconditional love. Please feel free to post your interpretation or other stories into the comments.
1. A Cup of Tea
Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.
Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring.
The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. "It is overfull. No more will go in!"
"Like this cup," Nan-in said, "you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"
2. The Burden
Two monks were returning to the monastery in the evening. It had rained and there were puddles of water on the road sides. At one place a beautiful young woman was standing unable to walk accross because of a puddle of water. The elder of the two monks went up to a her lifted her and left her on the other side of the road, and continued his way to the monastery.
In the evening the younger monk came to the elder monk and said, "Sir, as monks, we cannot touch a woman ?"
The elder monk answered "yes, brother".
Then the younger monk asks again, "but then Sir, how is that you lifted that woman on the roadside ?"
The elder monk smiled at him and told him " I left her on the other side of the road, but you are still carrying her."
3. Finding a Piece of the Truth
One day Mara, the Evil One, was travelling through the villages of India with his attendants. he saw a man doing walking meditation whose face was lit up on wonder. The man had just discovered something on the ground in front of him. Mara’s attendant asked what that was and Mara replied, "A piece of truth."
"Doesn’t this bother you when someone finds a piece of truth, O Evil One?" his attendant asked. "No," Mara replied. "Right after this, they usually make a belief out of it."
4. The Other Side
One day a young Buddhist on his journey home came to the banks of a wide river. Staring hopelessly at the great obstacle in front of him, he pondered for hours on just how to cross such a wide barrier. Just as he was about to give up his pursuit to continue his journey he saw a great teacher on the other side of the river. The young Buddhist yells over to the teacher, "Oh wise one, can you tell me how to get to the other side of this river"?
The teacher ponders for a moment looks up and down the river and yells back, "My son, you are on the other side".
5. Is That So?
The Zen master Hakuin was praised by his neighbors as one living a pure life.
A beautiful Japanese girl whose parents owned a food store lived near him. Suddenly, without any warning, her parents discovered she was with child.
This made her parents very angry. She would not confess who the man was, but after much harassment at last named Hakuin.
In great anger the parents went to the master. "Is that so?" was all he would say.
When the child was born, the parents brought it to the Hakuin, who now was viewed as a pariah by the whole village. They demanded that he take care of the child since it was his responsibility. “Is that so?” Hakuin said calmly as he accepted the child.
A year later the girl-mother could stand it no longer. She told her parents the truth – that the real father of the child was a young man who worked in the fishmarket.
The mother and father of the girl at once went to Hakuin to ask his forgiveness, to apologize at length, and to get the child back again.
Hakuin was willing. In yielding the child, all he said was: "Is that so?"
6. Maybe
Once upon the time there was an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. “Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically.
“Maybe,” the farmer replied.
The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. “How wonderful,” the neighbors exclaimed.
“Maybe,” replied the old man.
The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.
“Maybe,” answered the farmer.
The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.
“Maybe,” said the farmer.
7. Cliffhanger
One day while walking through the wilderness a man stumbled upon a vicious tiger. He ran but soon came to the edge of a high cliff. Desperate to save himself, he climbed down a vine and dangled over the fatal precipice.
As he hung there, two mice appeared from a hole in the cliff and began gnawing on the vine.
Suddenly, he noticed on the vine a plump wild strawberry. He plucked it and popped it in his mouth. It was incredibly delicious!
8. The Blind Men and the Elephant
Several citizens ran into a hot argument about God and different religions, and each one could not agree to a common answer. So they came to the Lord Buddha to find out what exactly God looks like.
The Buddha asked his disciples to get a large magnificent elephant and four blind men. He then brought the four blind to the elephant and told them to find out what the elephant would "look" like.
The first blind men touched the elephant leg and reported that it "looked" like a pillar. The second blind man touched the elephant tummy and said that an elephant was a wall. The third blind man touched the elephant ear and said that it was a piece of cloth. The fourth blind man hold on to the tail and described the elephant as a piece of rope. And all of them ran into a hot argument about the "appearance" of an elephant.
The Buddha asked the citizens: "Each blind man had touched the elephant but each of them gives a different description of the animal. Which answer is right?"
9. Right and Wrong
When Bankei held his seclusion-weeks of meditation, pupils from many parts of Japan came to attend. During one of these gatherings a pupil was caught stealing. The matter was reported to Bankei with the request that the culprit be expelled. Bankei ignored the case.
Later the pupil was caught in a similar act, and again Bankei disregarded the matter. This angered the other pupils, who drew up a petition asking for the dismissal of the thief, stating that otherwise they would leave in a body.
When Bankei had read the petition he called everyone before him. "You are wise brothers," he told them. "You know what is right and what is not right. You may go somewhere else to study if you wish, but this poor brother does not even know right from wrong. Who will teach him if I do not? I am going to keep him here even if all the rest of you leave."
A torrent of tears cleansed the face of the brother who had stolen. All desire to steal had vanished.
10. Nothing Exists
Yamaoka Tesshu, as a young student of Zen, visited one master after another. He called upon Dokuon of Shokoku.
Desiring to show his attainment, he said: "The mind, Buddha, and sentient beings, after all, do not exist. The true nature of phenomena is emptiness. There is no realization, no delusion, no sage, no mediocrity. There is no giving and nothing to be received."
Dokuon, who was smoking quietly, said nothing. Suddenly he whacked Yamaoka with his bamboo pipe. This made the youth quite angry.
"If nothing exists," inquired Dokuon, "where did this anger come from?"
Bonus 11. Teaching the Ultimate
In early times in Japan, bamboo-and-paper lanterns were used with candles inside. A blind man, visiting a friend one night, was offered a lantern to carry home with him.
"I do not need a lantern," he said. "Darkness or light is all the same to me."
"I know you do not need a lantern to find your way," his friend replied, "but if you don’t have one, someone else may run into you. So you must take it."
The blind man started off with the lantern and before he had walked very far someone ran squarely into him. "Look out where you are going!" he exclaimed to the stranger. "Can’t you see this lantern?"
"Your candle has burned out, brother," replied the stranger.
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You
Some of them are really inspiring and enlightening. It is helpful to the mind to think about them and feel the deeper meaning. Even if it is not possible to grasp them fully, the beauty and simplicity of the message usually gets through to us one way or the other.
The following 10 Zen stories are a selection of the ones which are very popular and people find them most inspiring and really worth to read and shared about. Some may be instantly understood, some others need to be thought through and recognized in oneself.
They are about the following topics: life in the present moment, different perspectives, attachment, resistance, judgment, delusion, beliefs and thought as mental concepts but not truth and unconditional love. Please feel free to post your interpretation or other stories into the comments.
1. A Cup of Tea
Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.
Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring.
The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. "It is overfull. No more will go in!"
"Like this cup," Nan-in said, "you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"
2. The Burden
Two monks were returning to the monastery in the evening. It had rained and there were puddles of water on the road sides. At one place a beautiful young woman was standing unable to walk accross because of a puddle of water. The elder of the two monks went up to a her lifted her and left her on the other side of the road, and continued his way to the monastery.
In the evening the younger monk came to the elder monk and said, "Sir, as monks, we cannot touch a woman ?"
The elder monk answered "yes, brother".
Then the younger monk asks again, "but then Sir, how is that you lifted that woman on the roadside ?"
The elder monk smiled at him and told him " I left her on the other side of the road, but you are still carrying her."
3. Finding a Piece of the Truth
One day Mara, the Evil One, was travelling through the villages of India with his attendants. he saw a man doing walking meditation whose face was lit up on wonder. The man had just discovered something on the ground in front of him. Mara’s attendant asked what that was and Mara replied, "A piece of truth."
"Doesn’t this bother you when someone finds a piece of truth, O Evil One?" his attendant asked. "No," Mara replied. "Right after this, they usually make a belief out of it."
4. The Other Side
One day a young Buddhist on his journey home came to the banks of a wide river. Staring hopelessly at the great obstacle in front of him, he pondered for hours on just how to cross such a wide barrier. Just as he was about to give up his pursuit to continue his journey he saw a great teacher on the other side of the river. The young Buddhist yells over to the teacher, "Oh wise one, can you tell me how to get to the other side of this river"?
The teacher ponders for a moment looks up and down the river and yells back, "My son, you are on the other side".
5. Is That So?
The Zen master Hakuin was praised by his neighbors as one living a pure life.
A beautiful Japanese girl whose parents owned a food store lived near him. Suddenly, without any warning, her parents discovered she was with child.
This made her parents very angry. She would not confess who the man was, but after much harassment at last named Hakuin.
In great anger the parents went to the master. "Is that so?" was all he would say.
When the child was born, the parents brought it to the Hakuin, who now was viewed as a pariah by the whole village. They demanded that he take care of the child since it was his responsibility. “Is that so?” Hakuin said calmly as he accepted the child.
A year later the girl-mother could stand it no longer. She told her parents the truth – that the real father of the child was a young man who worked in the fishmarket.
The mother and father of the girl at once went to Hakuin to ask his forgiveness, to apologize at length, and to get the child back again.
Hakuin was willing. In yielding the child, all he said was: "Is that so?"
6. Maybe
Once upon the time there was an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. “Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically.
“Maybe,” the farmer replied.
The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. “How wonderful,” the neighbors exclaimed.
“Maybe,” replied the old man.
The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.
“Maybe,” answered the farmer.
The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.
“Maybe,” said the farmer.
7. Cliffhanger
One day while walking through the wilderness a man stumbled upon a vicious tiger. He ran but soon came to the edge of a high cliff. Desperate to save himself, he climbed down a vine and dangled over the fatal precipice.
As he hung there, two mice appeared from a hole in the cliff and began gnawing on the vine.
Suddenly, he noticed on the vine a plump wild strawberry. He plucked it and popped it in his mouth. It was incredibly delicious!
8. The Blind Men and the Elephant
Several citizens ran into a hot argument about God and different religions, and each one could not agree to a common answer. So they came to the Lord Buddha to find out what exactly God looks like.
The Buddha asked his disciples to get a large magnificent elephant and four blind men. He then brought the four blind to the elephant and told them to find out what the elephant would "look" like.
The first blind men touched the elephant leg and reported that it "looked" like a pillar. The second blind man touched the elephant tummy and said that an elephant was a wall. The third blind man touched the elephant ear and said that it was a piece of cloth. The fourth blind man hold on to the tail and described the elephant as a piece of rope. And all of them ran into a hot argument about the "appearance" of an elephant.
The Buddha asked the citizens: "Each blind man had touched the elephant but each of them gives a different description of the animal. Which answer is right?"
9. Right and Wrong
When Bankei held his seclusion-weeks of meditation, pupils from many parts of Japan came to attend. During one of these gatherings a pupil was caught stealing. The matter was reported to Bankei with the request that the culprit be expelled. Bankei ignored the case.
Later the pupil was caught in a similar act, and again Bankei disregarded the matter. This angered the other pupils, who drew up a petition asking for the dismissal of the thief, stating that otherwise they would leave in a body.
When Bankei had read the petition he called everyone before him. "You are wise brothers," he told them. "You know what is right and what is not right. You may go somewhere else to study if you wish, but this poor brother does not even know right from wrong. Who will teach him if I do not? I am going to keep him here even if all the rest of you leave."
A torrent of tears cleansed the face of the brother who had stolen. All desire to steal had vanished.
10. Nothing Exists
Yamaoka Tesshu, as a young student of Zen, visited one master after another. He called upon Dokuon of Shokoku.
Desiring to show his attainment, he said: "The mind, Buddha, and sentient beings, after all, do not exist. The true nature of phenomena is emptiness. There is no realization, no delusion, no sage, no mediocrity. There is no giving and nothing to be received."
Dokuon, who was smoking quietly, said nothing. Suddenly he whacked Yamaoka with his bamboo pipe. This made the youth quite angry.
"If nothing exists," inquired Dokuon, "where did this anger come from?"
Bonus 11. Teaching the Ultimate
In early times in Japan, bamboo-and-paper lanterns were used with candles inside. A blind man, visiting a friend one night, was offered a lantern to carry home with him.
"I do not need a lantern," he said. "Darkness or light is all the same to me."
"I know you do not need a lantern to find your way," his friend replied, "but if you don’t have one, someone else may run into you. So you must take it."
The blind man started off with the lantern and before he had walked very far someone ran squarely into him. "Look out where you are going!" he exclaimed to the stranger. "Can’t you see this lantern?"
"Your candle has burned out, brother," replied the stranger.
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You
Words of Wisdom Of the Day # 54
God can be realized through all paths. All religions are true. The important thing is to reach the roof. You can reach it by stone stairs or by wooden stairs or by bamboo steps or by a rope. You can also climb up by a bamboo pole.
~ Ramakrishna
Words of Wisdom Of the Day # 54
God can be realized through all paths. All religions are true. The important thing is to reach the roof. You can reach it by stone stairs or by wooden stairs or by bamboo steps or by a rope. You can also climb up by a bamboo pole.
~ Ramakrishna
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