The One-hundredth Prince

The One-hundredth Prince [Obedience to a Wise Teacher]
Once upon a time, there was a king who had one hundred sons. The youngest, the onehundredth, was Prince Gamani. He was very energetic, patient and kind.

All the princes were sent to be taught by teachers. Prince Gamani, even though he was the one-hundredth in line to the throne, was lucky enough to have the best teacher. He had the most learning and was the wisest of them of all. He was like a father to Prince Gamani, who liked, respected and obeyed him.
In those days, it was the custom to send each educated prince to a different province.

There he was to develop the country and help the people. When Prince Gamani was old enough for this assignment, he went to his teacher and asked which province he should request. He said, “Do not select any province. Instead, tell your father the king that if he sends you, his one-hundredth son, out to a province, there will be no son remaining to serve him in his home city.” Prince Gamani obeyed his teacher, and pleased his father with his kindness and loyalty.

Then the prince went again to his teacher and asked, “How best can I serve my father and the people, here in the capital city?” The wise teacher replied, “Ask the king to let you be the one to collect fees and taxes, and distribute benefits to the people. If he agrees, then carry out your duties honestly and fairly, with energy and kindness.”

Again the prince followed his teacher’s advice. Trusting his one-hundredth son, the king was glad to assign these functions to him. When he went out to perform the difficult task of collecting fees and taxes, the young prince was always gentle,
fair and lawful. When he distributed food to the hungry, and other necessary things to the needy, he was always generous, kind and sympathetic.

Before long, the one-hundredth prince gained the respect and affection of all. Eventually, the king came to be on his deathbed. His ministers asked him who should be the next king. He said that all his one hundred sons had a right to succeed him. It should be left up to the citizens.

After he died, all the citizens agreed to make the one-hundredth prince their next ruler.

Because of his goodness, they crowned him King Gamani the Righteous. When the ninety-nine older brothers heard what had happened, they thought they had been insulted. Filled with envy and rage, they prepared for war. They sent a message to King Gamani, which said, “We are all your elders. Neighbour countries will laugh at us if we are ruled by the one-hundredth prince. Either you give up the kingdom or we will take it by war!”

After he received this message, King Gamani took it with him to his wise old teacher, and asked his advice.
It just so happened that this honourable gentle teacher was the reborn Enlightenment Being. He said, “Tell them you refuse to wage war against your brothers. Tell them you will not help them kill innocent people you have come to know and love. Tell them that, instead, you are dividing the king’s wealth among all one hundred princes.

Then send each one his portion.” Again the king obeyed his teacher. Meanwhile the ninety-nine older princes had brought their ninety-nine small armies to surround the royal capital. When they received the king’s message and their small portions of the royal treasure, they held a meeting. They decided that each portion was so small it was almost meaningless. Therefore, they would not accept them.
But then they realized that, in the same way, if they fought with King Gamani and then with each other, the kingdom itself would be divided into small worthless portions. Each small piece of the once-great kingdom would be weak in the face of any unfriendly country. So they sent back their portions of the royal treasure as offerings of peace, and accepted the rule of King Gamani.

The king was pleased, and invited his brothers to the palace to celebrate the peace and unity of the kingdom. He entertained them in the most perfect ways – with generosity, pleasant conversation, providing instruction for their benefit, and treating all with even-handed courtesy. In this way the king and the ninety-nine princes became closer as friends than they had been as brothers. They were strong in their support of each other. This was known in all the surrounding countries, so no one threatened the kingdom or its people. After a few months, the ninety-nine brothers returned to their provinces.

King Gamani the Righteous invited his wise old teacher to live in the palace. He honoured him with great wealth and many gifts. He held a celebration for his respected teacher, saying to the full court, “I, who was the one-hundredth prince, among one hundred worthy princes, owe all my success to the wise advice of my generous and understanding teacher. Likewise, all who follow their wise teachers’ advice will earn prosperity and happiness. Even the unity and strength of the kingdom, we owe to my beloved teacher.”

The kingdom prospered under the remainder of the generous and just rule of King Gamani the Righteous.

The moral is: One is rewarded a hundred-fold for following the advice of a wise teacher.

Lovely Messages For Lovely People Just Like You........

Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Say Yes To happiness...............

Your acceptance of what is takes you to a deeper level where your inner state as well as your sense of self no longer depend on the mind's judgments of "good" or "bad."

When you say "yes" to the "isness" of life, when you accept this moment as it is, you can feel a sense of spaciousness within you that is deeply peaceful.

On the surface, you may still be happy when it's sunny and not so happy when it's rainy; you may be happy at winning a million dollars and unhappy at losing all your possessions. Neither happiness nor unhappiness, however, go all that deep anymore. They are ripples on the surface of your Being. The background peace within you remains undisturbed regardless of the nature of the outside condition.

The "yes" to what is reveals a dimension of depth within you that is dependent neither on external conditions nor on the internal conditions of constantly fluctuating thoughts and emotions.
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Playfulness and Laughter

Suggestions for Playfulness and Laughter:

• Spend time with children


• Go to toy stores


• Play with your animals


• Go to an improvisational theater show


• Watch funny movies


• Go to a comedy store


• Rent old Candid Camera episodes


• Watch Marx Brothers movies


• Go to the beach


• Take a ski trip


• Watch I Love Lucy reruns


• Ride your bike


• Go bowling


• Rent Rollerblades


• Go to a baseball game


• Start a pillow fight


• Tell jokes


• Play board games


• Tickle someone


• Have a staring contest


• Throw a costume party


• Go to an animal-free circus


• Dance


• Have a tea party


• Go to an ice cream shop


• Bake cookies


• Blow bubbles


• Play miniature golf


• Go to the batting cages


• Watch people at shopping malls


• Go to an amusement park


• Paint with watercolors


• Rent a sailboat


• Go on a picnic


• Make up lists of fun and playful things to do


• Read My Blog : )

Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Enjoy and Learn To Forgive

Forgiveness is an essential ingredient of bodhichitta practice. It allows us to let go of the past and make a fresh start. Forgiveness cannot be forced. When we are brave enough to open our hearts to ourselves, however, forgiveness will emerge.

There is a simple practice we can do to cultivate forgiveness. First we acknowledge what we feel - shame, revenge, embarrassment, remorse. Then we forgive ourselves for being human. Then, in the spirit of not wallowing in the pain, we let go and make a fresh start. We don't have to carry the burden with us anymore.

We can acknowledge, forgive, and start anew. If we practice this way, little by little we'll learn to abide with the feeling of regret for having hurt ourselves and others. We will also learn self-forgiveness. Eventually, at our own speed, we'll even find our capacity to forgive those who have done us harm.

We will discover forgiveness as a natural expression of the open heart, and expression of our basic goodness. This potential is inherent in every moment. Each moment is an opportunity to make a fresh start.
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Poor parrot...if Only

Forgetting The Main Thing ... A Story With A Moral
A woman bought a parrot to keep her company but returned it the next day.
"This bird doesn't talk," she told the owner.
"Does he have a mirror in his cage?" he asked. "Parrots love mirrors. They see their reflection and start a conversation."
The woman bought a mirror and left.
The next day she returned; the bird still wasn't talking.
"How about a ladder? Parrots love ladders. A happy parrot is a talkative parrot."
The woman bought a ladder and left.
But the next day, she was back. "Does your parrot have a swing? No? Well, that's the problem. Once he starts swinging, he'll talk up a storm."
The woman reluctantly bought a swing and left.
When she walked into the store the next day, her countenance had changed.
"The parrot died," she said.
The pet store owner was shocked. "I'm so sorry. Tell me, did he ever say a word?" he asked.
"Yes, right before he died," the woman replied. "In a weak voice, he asked me, 'Don't they sell any food at that pet store?'"

Reflection
Sometimes people forget the main thing. Do you know what your real priorities in life are?


Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

A Wise Old Man

A wise old man
A wealthy man requested an old scholar to wean his son away from his bad habits.
The scholar took the youth for a stroll through a garden. Stopping suddenly, he asked the boy to pull out a tiny plant growing there. The youth held the plant between his thumb and forefinger and pulled it out. The old man then asked him to pull out a slightly bigger plant. The youth pulled hard and the plant came out, roots and all.
"Now pull out that one," said the old man pointing to a bush. The boy had to use all his strength to pull it out.
"Now take this one out," said the old man, indicating a guava tree. The youth grasped the trunk and tried to pull it out. But it would not budge.

"I – It's impossible," said the boy, panting with the effort.

"So it is with bad habits," said the sage. "When they are young it is easy to pull them out but when they take hold they cannot be uprooted."
The session with the old man changed the boy's life.

* Bad habits and conditioning in us are hard to alter… right mindfulness, great determination and effort are needed to remove these defilements.
* Unless and until we remove all our bad defilements of greed, hatred and delusion, we will continue to suffer in Samsara.

Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Reciepe for New year which will be definately Happy

Take twelve, fine, full-grown months,
see that these are thoroughly free from all old memories of bitterness, rancor, hate and jealousy;
cleanse them completely from every clinging spite.
Pick off all specks of pettiness and littleness;
in short , see that these months
are freed from all the past.
Have them as fresh and clean as when
they first came from the great storehouse of Time.
Cut these months into thirty or thirty-one equal parts.
This batch will keep for just one year.
Do not attempt to make up the whole batch at one time,
but prepare one day at a time, as follows:
Into each day put twelve parts of faith,
eleven of patience, ten of courage, nine of tolerance, eight of hope, seven of fidelity, six of kindness, five of work,
four of rest, three of generosity, two of meditation and prayer,
and one well-selected resolution.
Put in about a teaspoonful of good spirits, a dash of fun, a pinch of folly, a sprinkling of play and a heaping cupful of good humor. Pour in lots of love and mix with a vigor. Cook thoroughly in a fervent heat; garnish with a few smiles and a sprig of joy; then serve with quietness, unselfishness, and cheerfulness, and a Happy New Year is certain.

Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Little Prince No-father The Power of Truth

Little Prince No-father [The Power of Truth]
Once upon a time, the King of Benares went on a picnic in the forest. The beautiful flowers and trees and fruits made him very happy. As he was enjoying their beauty, he slowly went deeper and deeper into the forest. Before long, he became separated from his companions and realized
that he was all alone.

Then he heard the sweet voice of a young woman. She was singing as she collected firewood.
To keep from being afraid of being alone in the forest, the king followed the sound of the
lovely voice. When he finally came upon the singer of the songs, he saw that she was a beautiful
fair young woman, & immediately fell in love with her. They became very friendly, and the king
became the father of the firewood woman’s child.

Later, he explained how he had gotten lost in the forest, and convinced her that he was indeed
the King of Benares. She gave him directions for getting back to his palace. The king gave her his
valuable signet ring, and said, “If you give birth to a baby girl, sell this ring and use the money to bring her up well. If our child turns out to be a baby boy, bring him to me along with this ring for
recognition.” So saying, he departed for Benares.

In the fullness of time, the firewood woman gave birth to a cute little baby boy. Being a simple
shy woman, she was afraid to take him to the fancy court in Benares, but she saved the king’s
signet ring.

In a few years, the baby grew into a little boy. When he played with the other children in the
village, they teased him and mistreated him, and even started fights with him. It was because his mother was not married that the other children picked on him. They yelled at him, “No-father!
No-father! Your name should be No-father!”
Of course this made the little boy feel ashamed and hurt and sad. He often ran home crying
to his mother. One day, he told her how the other children called him, “No-father! No-father!
Your name should be No-father!” Then his mother said, “Don’t be ashamed, my son. You are not just an ordinary little boy. Your father is the King of Benares!”

The little boy was very surprised. He asked his mother, “Do you have any proof of this?” So she told him about his father giving her the signet ring, and that if the baby was a boy she should
bring him to Benares, along with the ring as proof.

The little boy said, “Let’s go then.” Because of what happened, she agreed, and the next day hey
set out for Benares. When they arrived at the king’s palace, the gate keeper told the king the firewood woman and her little son wanted to see him. They went into the royal assembly hall, which was filled with the king’s ministers and advisers. The woman reminded the king of their time together in the forest. Finally she said, “Your majesty, here is your son.”

The king was ashamed in front of all the ladies and gentlemen of his court. So, even though he knew the woman spoke the truth, he said, “He is not my son!” Then the lovely young mother showed the signet ring as proof. Again the king was ashamed and denied the truth, saying, “It is
not my ring!”

Then the poor woman thought to herself, “I have no witness and no evidence to prove what I say. I have only my faith in the power of truth.” So she said to the king, “If I throw this little boy up into the air, if he truly is your son, may he remain in the air without falling. If he is not your on, may he fall to the floor and die!”

Suddenly, she grabbed the boy by his foot and threw him up into the air. Lo and behold, the boy sat in the cross-legged position, suspended in mid-air, without falling. Everyone was astonished,
to say the least! Remaining in the air, the little boy spoke to the mighty king. “My lord, I am indeed a son born to you. You take care of many people who are not related to you. You even maintain countless elephants, horses and other animals. And yet, you do not think of looking after and raising me, your own son. Please do take care of me and my mother.”

Hearing this, the king’s pride was overcome. He was humbled by the truth of the little boy’s powerful words. He held out his arms and said, “Come to me my son, and I will take good care of you.”
Amazed by such a wonder, all the others in the court put out their arms. They too asked the floating little boy to come to them. But he went directly from mid-air into his father’s arms. With his son seated on his lap, the king announced that he would be the crown prince, and his mother
would be the number one queen.
In this way, the king and all his court learned the power of truth. Benares became known as a place of honest justice. In time the king died. The grown up crown prince wanted to show the people that all deserve respect, regard less of birth. So he had himself crowned under the official name, “King No-father!” He went on to rule the kingdom in a generous and righteous way.

The moral is: The truth is always stronger than a lie.

Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Beautiful Thoughts by Budha.......

Once Buddha was travelling with a few of his followers. While they were passing a lake, Buddha told one of his disciples, “I am thirsty. Do get me some water from the lake.”
The disciple walked up to the lake. At that moment, a bullock cart started crossing through the lake. As a result, the water became very muddy and turbid. The disciple thought, “How can I give this muddy water to Buddha to drink?”
So he came back and told Buddha, “The water in there is very muddy. I don’t think it is fit to drink.”
After about half an hour, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back to the lake.


The disciple went back, and found that the water was still muddy. He returned and informed Buddha about the same.


After sometime, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back.


This time, the disciple found the mud had settled down, and the water was clean and clear. So he collected some water in a pot and brought it to Buddha.


Buddha looked at the water, and then he looked up at the disciple and said,” See what you did to make the water clean. You let it be, and the mud settled down on its own and you have clear water.


Your mind is like that too ! When it is disturbed, just let it be. Give it a little time. It will settle down on its own. You don’t have to put in any effort to calm it down. It will happen. It is effortless.”

Having ‘Peace of Mind’ is not a strenuous job; it is an effortless process!

TREAT EVERYONE WITH POLITENESS
EVEN THOSE WHO ARE RUDE TO YOU
NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT NICE
BUT BECAUSE YOU ARE NICE.


Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

He who devotes sixteen hours a day to hard study may become at sixty as wise as he thought himself at twenty. -Mary Wilson Little

The Price Maker Story About Foolishness

The Price Maker [Foolishness]
Long ago and far away, their was a king who ruled in Benares, in northern India. One of his ministers was called the Royal Price Maker, and he was a very honest man. His job was to set
a fair price for anything the king wanted to buy or sell.

On some occasions, the king did not like his price making. He did not get as big a profit as he wanted. He did not want to pay so much when he bought, or sell for what he thought was not enough. So he decided to change the price maker.

One day he saw a nice looking young man and he thought, “This fellow will be good for my price making position.” So he dismissed his former honest price maker, and appointed this man to
be the new one. The man thought, “I must make the king happy by buying at very low prices and selling at very high prices.” So he made the prices ridiculous, without caring at all what anything was worth. This gained the greedy king a lot of money, and made him very happy. Meanwhile, all the others who dealt with the new price maker, including the king’s other ministers and ordinary people, became very unhappy.

Then one day a horse merchant arrived in Benares with 500 horses to sell. There were stallions,
mares and colts. The king invited the merchant to the palace, and called upon his Royal Price Maker to set a price for all 500 horses.
Thinking only of pleasing the king, he said, “The entire herd of horses is worth one cup of rice.” So the king ordered that one cup of rice be paid to the horse dealer, and all the horses were taken to the royal stables.

Of course the merchant was very upset, but he could do nothing at the moment. Later he heard
about the former price maker, who had a reputation for being very fair and honest. So he approached him and told him what had happened.

He wanted to hear his opinion, in order to get a proper price from the king. The former price maker said, “If you do as I say, the king will be convinced of the true value of the horses. Go back to the price maker and satisfy him with a valuable gift. Ask him to tell the value of one cup of rice, in the presence of the king. If he agrees, come and tell me. I will go with you to the king.”
Following this advice, the merchant went to the price maker and gave him a valuable gift. The
gift made him very happy, so that he saw the value of pleasing the horse dealer. Then the merchant said to him, “I was very happy with your previous evaluation. Can you please convince the king of the value of one cup of rice?” The foolish price maker said, ‘Why not? I will explain the worth of one cup of rice, even the presence of the king.”

So the price maker thought the horse dealer was satisfied with his cup of rice. He arranged for
another meeting with the king, as the merchant was departing for his own country. The merchant reported back to the old price maker, and they went together to see the king.
All the king’s ministers and his full court were in the royal meeting hall. The horse merchant
said to the king, “My lord, I understand that in this your country, my whole herd of 500 horses
is worth one cup of rice. Before I leave for home, I want to know the value of one cup of rice in
your country.” The king turned to his loyal price maker and said, “What is the value of one cup of rice?”
The foolish price maker, in order to please the king, had previously priced the herd of horses
at one cup of rice. Now, after receiving a bribe from the horse dealer, he wanted to please him
too. So he replied to the king, in his most dignified manner, “Your worship, one cup of rice is
worth the city of Benares, including even your own harem, as well as all the suburbs of the city.

In other words, it is worth the whole kingdom of Benares!”
On hearing this, the royal ministers and wise men in the assembly hall started to roar with
laughter, slapping their sides with their hands.
When they calmed down a little, they said, “Earlier we heard that the kingdom was priceless. Now we hear that all Benares, with its palaces and mansions, is worth only a cup of rice! The decision of the Royal Price Maker is so strange! Where did your highness find such a man? He is
good only for pleasing a king such as you, not for making fair prices for a merchant who sells his
horses from country to country.”
Hearing the laughter of his whole court, and the words of his ministers and advisers, the king was ashamed. So he brought back his former price maker to his official position. He agreed to a
new fair price for the herd of horses, as set by the honest price maker. Having learned a lesson, the king and his kingdom lived justly and prospered.

The moral is: A fool in high office can bring shame even to a king.

Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Pearls Of Wisdom

Pearls of Wisdom:

• Don't love the Heart that hurts you and don't hurt the Heart that loves you.


• Don't cry over anyone who won't cry over you.


• Good friends are hard to find, harder to leave, and impossible to forget.


• Most people walk in and out of your life, but only friend's leave footprints in your heart.


• True friendship "never" ends. Friends are forever.


• People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges.


• If we are incapable of finding peace in ourselves, it is pointless to search elsewhere.


• The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof.


• A change of heart changes everything.


• Our greatest glory is not in ever falling, but in rising every time we fall.


• You only live once - but if you work it right, once is enough.


• One generation plants trees, and the next enjoys the shade.


• It is difficult to live in the present, ridiculous to live in the future, and impossible to live in the past. Nothing is as far away as one minute ago.

Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Charity Begins At home

A woman lost her husband through death. She decided to give charity on his behalf. One Friday night she prepared some food and sent her son to give it to a poor man who lived near her house. While sending the food the dead man's son felt very hungry but he controlled himself and after having given the charity, he returned home hungry and went to bed.

The next Friday the same sequence of events took place. On the third Friday, the orphan while sending the food to the poor, could not control himself and ate the food on the way. That night the widow of the dead man dreamt her husband who told her that: "That night was the first night whence he received the reward of the charity she had given, while the charities she had given before had not reached him."

The widow got up and doubting that her son had committed a blunder went to investigate the matter. Her little orphan said that contrary to her suspicion he had sent the charity the two Friday's to the poor man, and it was on the third Friday that he had eaten the food.

It was then that the widow understood that her son deserved the food more than the poor neighbor. Thus we need to give charity to our near kith and kin before we look further.



Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt. -Abraham Lincoln

More Blessed To Give Than Receive

A young man, a student in one of the university, was one day taking a walk with a professor, who was commonly called the students' friend, for his kindness towards the students.

As they went along, they saw lying in the path a pair of old shoes, which they supposed to belong to a poor man who was employed in a field close by, and who had nearly finished his day's work.

The student turned to the professor, saying: "Let us play the man a trick: we will hide his shoes, and conceal ourselves behind those bushes, and wait to see his perplexity when he cannot find them."

"My young friend," answered the professor, "we should never amuse ourselves at the expense of the poor. But you are rich, and may give yourself a much greater pleasure by means of the poor man. Put a coin into each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves and watch how the discovery affects him."

The student did so, and they both placed themselves behind the bushes close by.

The poor man soon finished his work, and came across the field to the path where he had left his coat and shoes. While putting on his coat he slipped his foot into one of his shoes; but feeling something hard, he stooped down to feel what it was, and found the coin.

Astonishment and wonder were seen upon his countenance. He gazed upon the coin, turned it round, and looked at it again and again. He then looked around him on all sides, but no person was to be seen. He now put the money into his pocket, and proceeded to put on the other shoe; but his surprise was doubled on finding the other coin.

His feelings overcame him; he fell upon his knees, looked up to heaven and uttered aloud a fervent thanksgiving, in which he spoke of his wife, sick and helpless, and his children without bread, whom the timely bounty, from some unknown hand, would save from perishing.

The student stood there deeply affected, and his eyes filled with tears. "Now," said the professor, "are you not much better pleased than if you had played your intended trick?"

The young man replied, "You have taught me a lesson which I will never forget. I feel now the truth of those words, which I never understood before: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"


Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Find the light and fragrance within....

Everytime I look at myself, I find an individual being, cut off from the rest, trudging along on a journey called 'life'. I know I ought to tread the path of dharma or right living, but I also know it requires a great deal of effort and will power.

Unfocused, I continue to trudge aimlessly, and so I feel inadequate in terms of "achievement". I tell myself I should achieve something, but then, achieving more always seems to be in the "future". Without questioning, I keep going, on and on, trying desperately to achieve things in life in the hope of making myself more complete and secure.
Still, I find myself insecure and unhappy — at least, most of the time. In my endeavour to make myself happy in as easy a manner as possible, two things have become very important pursuits in my life, Artha and Kama.

Artha pursuits are those which bring me security economically, emotionally and socially which is why I enjoy my pursuit of wealth, stocks and shares, relationships with family and friends, and a name, title or designation in a job or society.

It makes me feel very secure when I am addressed as "Sir", "Mr..." etc., little realising that titles and honorifics add nothing of true value to one's spiritual evolution or understanding of the Ultimate Truth. I attach myself to my bank balance, investments and designation and take myself to be that alone. When my shares plummet or rise at the stock exchange, my heart beats wildly and I get excited and anxious.

I have all that I could wish for — yet, I feel unaccomplished and unhappy. And at such times I go for another pursuit, Kama, to feel happy and complete, but with no success. I am unable to sustain efforts to follow the path of dharma. I flit from one day to another, through what I call "living" and I try to "eke out" a few "thrilling moments" in my life just like the musk deer.

The musk deer, enchanted by the fragrance of musk, and not knowing its source, keeps running hither and thither, looking for it. It is only when the musk deer is dying that it realises for the first time that the beautiful fragrance was coming from its own body.

We human beings are more fortunate in that guidelines are available to us in the form of the Vedas and other teachings to tell us that the source of happiness lies within. Ancients declared: "Aham Brahma Asmi" — "I am the whole".

I am that very thing which I am trying to be. It is my very seeking that makes me separate from the whole that I already am. This doesn't mean that the Vedas ask us to stop our pursuits in life. They merely show us a way as to how to pursue knowing well that we are already "complete". This, naturally, wipes out the notion of inadequacy and incompleteness centred around the "I" and makes life truly worth living.

For this to happen, the student has to, however, live with a traditional teacher of the Vedas. A learned guru can teach us all about Vedanta, using the Vedas as an instrument with which to discover the Self just as you would use the pramana of a mirror to see your face. The guru only helps you unfold the message to help you grow in your understanding.

In fact, it is only when one understands the message of the Vedas that one can say "I live life". Until then we are only dragging ourselves from one life to another. And that too, only to keep coming back, again and again.


Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

The Ultimate Joy..How to Attract good and happy things in life

Why do sad people attract sad incidences in life? Why do happy people attract happy situations in life?
Depending on what state of being we are, we attract situations. We have to focus on heightening our state of being rather than changing situations in life. If our state of being is low, then the external situation, even though sacred, will be pulled down to our level of being. For example, a poor man in a palace will make the palace into a gutter.

Mullah Nazaruddin, while walking in the desert, saw a group of people riding horses. He thought they were robbers and started running. They turned out to be tra-vellers. Seeing the Mullah running, the travellers thought he was in trouble — so they started going towards him.

Now the Mullah was convinced they were after him and he ran into a graveyard — the travellers followed him there. The tired Mullah lay down on one of the coffins. Then he realised they were not robbers but travellers. They asked him: "Why are you here?'' ''I am here because of you and you are here because of me'' answered the Mullah. ''This is the law of karma''.
In other words, we attract situations in life.

We often find ourselves in such situations aligned to our state of being. If our consciousness is not committed to transformation, then we will not grow wiser from situations, but complain and grumble, expecting the situation to be different.

According to yogic shastras, there are different levels of being — seven chakras or centres. Some operate from the lowest centre and such people attract similar situations. Nature context is that humans evolve from lower to higher centres. This happens when you learn and grow.

If one does not do that then the situation goes on repeating itself until we learn and grow.
How can we change one state of being? There are two types of growth: horizontal and vertical growth. Horizontal growth means more money, name, fame.

People's yardstick of growth is more in the horizontal domain. People come and tell me, ''I have grown'' — which means five years back I earned one million dollars a year and now I earn 10 million dollars a year. This type of growth is not fulfilling.

The second type of growth is vertical growth. The yardstick for this is: Five years back how calm was I, and how calm am I now? The growth is measured in its depth and not in its width. The more one grows in love, kindness and compassion, the more one is truly growing. Such a growth is fulfilling. Growth happening in the vertical dimension changes one's state of being.

In ancient India a king sought to resolve a dispute between two of his ministers who wanted to marry the same woman. He told both of them to walk on a rope and whoever did so successfully, would win the hand of the woman. One minister spent a sleepless night worrying how he would be able to walk the tightrope. The other minister was very relaxed — he felt there was no point in getting agitated when death was imminent anyway.

The minister who kept his cool emerged the winner, walking effortlessly on the rope. Asked to share his secret, he only said, ''I do not know''. To walk on the rope without losing one's balance involves being relaxed, balanced and being in the present. The same qualities are vital for the success of a marriage, too.

In order to grow vertically, one has to cultivate the art of relaxation, be balanced, and stay aware in the present. Life is fulfilling only with such a type of growth. Happiness and joy flower forth in this state of consciousness.


Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Trust The Third Eye...............

Trust is an inner eye. Just as the two outer eyes are for seeing the universe, there is a third eye inside of you whose name is trust. With this eye of trust the divine is seen. The eye of trust means the eye of love. There are some things which only love can know. There is no other way to know them.

If you love someone you will see certain things in the person that no one else will see. You will see in that person a sweetness that no one else can see. That sweetness is delicate and the touch of love is needed for it, only then is it revealed. You will hear the echo of a song in that person that no one else will hear. To hear it one has to come closer than anyone else has come. Only you are that close.

This is why beauty begins to manifest in the person whom you love. People think that you fall in love with someone who seems beautiful to you. They are wrong. The one you fall in love with begins to be beautiful – all of life's grandeur, all of its dignity is revealed in the person. And it is not that you are imagining it. As soon as the eye of love opens the invisible begins to be visible to you, the unperceivable begins to be perceivable. The presence of what is hidden begins to be experienced. Without any door opening, someone enters into you.

"Finding upon waking the doors yet bolted,
Who knows by which door he enters and leaves."

This is a very lovely couplet from Bihari. The beloved is sleeping with all the doors and windows of the room bolted, yet in her dreams her lover visits her. Later she wakes up and sees that the doors are still closed with the bolts in place, just as they were. Who knows how he enters and by which route he leaves?

"Which way do you enter, which way do you depart? From which window do you peep?" This window is called trust.

Someone living in logic will never know anything deeper than the material; his life will be meaningless. He may well collect money, but all his wealth will be left lying there when he dies and he will have missed meditation. And it is only meditation that will accompany you in death. Such a person will not attain the ultimate wealth. Only the one who has the eye of trust within attains the ultimate wealth.

Trust is the culmination of love. Trust is the faith that what has not already happened so far will happen. Trust also arises from what has already happened: there is such beauty in this universe, there is such light, such music...the throat of each bird is filled with song.... There is beauty in each leaf, light in each star; this universe is so full of magnificence, there must be some energy or other behind it.

Trust means trusting that there must be some energy creating all this colour. Trust means trusting that where so much beauty is being showered, the source of such beauty must also exist.

Trust means accepting the existence of the source from which you receive these subtle, delicate indications.

From Osho

Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight. -Horace

Can you take away The Moon?

Ryokan, a Zen master, lived the simplest kind of life in a little hut at the foot of a mountain. One evening a thief visited the hut only to discover there was nothing in it to steal.

Ryokan returned and caught him. “You may have come a long way to visit me,” he told the prowler, “and you shoud not return emptyhanded. Please take my clothes as a gift.”

The thief was bewildered. He took the clothes and slunk away.

Ryokan sat naked, watching the moon. “Poor fellow, ” he mused, “I wish I could give him this beautiful moon.”

On the road, don’t be too paranoid about losing your stuff. Material possessions are useful, but pale in comparison to the true riches of a journey

Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

The Present Moment

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.

Gautama Buddha

*

Past and future are in the mind only I am now.

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

*

We are responsible for what we are, and whatever we wish ourselves to be,
we have the power to make ourselves. If what we are now has been the
result of our own past actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in future
can be produced by our present actions; so we have to know how to act.

Swami Vivekananda

*

We should not fret for what is past, nor should we be anxious about the future;

men of discern-ment deal only with the present moment.

Chanakya

*

You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave,

find your eternity in each moment.

Henry D Thoreau


Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Have Patience It Pays

Patience Pays

Be patient (in adversity);
for, verily, God will not let the reward of the
righteous be wasted.

Quran, 11.115

*

Have patience with all things, but chiefly have pa-tience with yourself.

Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections,
but instantly set about remedying them every
day begins the task anew.

Saint Francis De Sales

*

We cannot learn real pa-tience and tolerance from a guru or a friend.

They can be practised only when we come in contact
with someone who creates unpleasant experiences.

The Dalai Lama XIV

*

With time and patience the mulberry leaf becomes a silk gown.

Chinese Proverb

*

Learn the art of patience.

Apply discipline to your thoughts when they become anxious over the
outcome of a goal.

Impa- tience breeds anxiety, fear, discouragement and fail-ure.

Patience creates confi- dence, decisiveness and a rational outlook, which
eventually leads to success.

Brian Adams


Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Peace Is Within

Better indeed is knowledge than mechanical practice. Better than knowledge is meditation. But better still is surrender of attachment to results, because there follows immediate peace.
Bhagavad Gita 12:12

*
Blessed are the peacemakers for they will inherit the earth
New Testament

*
Peace be to earth and to airy spaces!
Peace be to heaven, peace be to the waters,
Peace to the plants and peace to the trees!
May all the Gods grant to me peace!
By this invocation of peace may be diffused!
Atharva Veda

*

Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.
Gautama Buddha

*

Peace is an attribute in you, you cannot find it outside.
A Course in Miracles

*

We shall go from love to love and peace to peace, until at last all corners of the world are covered with that peace and love for which consciously or unconsciously the whole world is hungering.
M K Gandhi


Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Speak With Care.......

He whose speech is unwholesome cuts himself with his axe. When a person praises someone who should be blamed, or attacks someone worthy of praise, then this man is accumulating evil with his mouth and this evil will not lead to happiness.

It is little harm if one loses money in gambling with dice, even losing everything, including oneself; but if one bears ill-will towards well-conducted ones it is greater harm indeed.

Insulting men of real worth, bearing ill-will in thought and speech, leads to aeons upon aeons in the states of misery.

Sutta Nipata

The Messenger of God... took hold of his tongue and said, "Restrain this". I said, "O Prophet of God, will what we say be held against us?" He said, "Is there anything that topples people on their faces into hell-fire other than the harvests of their tongues?"

Hadith of an-Nawawi

The tongue is an unrighteous world among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the cycle of nature, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by humankind, but no human being can tame the tongue — a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

James 3.6-8


Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

“The man who does more than he is paid for will soon be paid for more than he does.” -Napolean Hill

The Mouse Merchant

The Mouse Merchant [Diligence and Gratitude]

Once upon a time, an important adviser to a certain king was on his way to a meeting with the
king and other advisers. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a dead mouse by the roadside. He said to those who were with him. “Even from such small beginnings as this dead mouse, an energetic young fellow could build a fortune. If he worked hard and used his intelligence, he could start a business and support a wife and family.”
A passer-by heard the remark. He knew this was a famous adviser to the king, so he decided to
follow his words. He picked up the dead mouse by the tail and went off with it. As luck would have it, before he had gone even a block, a shopkeeper stopped him. He said, “My cat has been pestering me all morning. I’ll give you two copper coins for that mouse.” So it was done.
With the two copper coins, he bought sweet cakes, and waited by the side of the road with
them and some water. As he expected, some people who picked flowers for making garlands were returning from work. Since they were all hungry and thirsty, they agreed to buy sweet cakes and water for the price of a bunch of flowers from each of them. In the evening, the man sold the flowers in the city. With some of the money he bought more sweet cakes and returned the next day to sell to the flower pickers.
This went on for a while, until one day there was a terrible storm, with heavy rains and high winds. While walking by the king’s pleasure garden, he saw that many branches had been
blown off the trees and were lying all around. So he offered to the king’s gardener that he would
clear it all away for him, if he could keep the branches. The lazy gardener quickly agreed.
The man found some children playing in a park across the street. They were glad to collect
all the branches and brush at the entrance to the pleasure garden, for the price of just one sweet
cake for each child.
Along came the king’s potter, who was always on the lookout for firewood for his glazing oven. When he saw the piles of wood the children had just collected, he paid the man a handsome price for it. He even threw into the bargain some of his pots.
With his profits from selling the flowers and the firewood, the man opened up a refreshment
shop. One day all the local grass mowers, who were on their way into town, stopped in his shop. He gave them free sweet cakes and drinks. They were surprised at his generosity and asked, “What can we do for you?” He said there was nothing for them to do now, but he would let them
know in the future. A week later, he heard that a horse dealer was coming to the city with 500 horses to sell. So he got in touch with the grass mowers and told each of them to give him a bundle of grass. He told them not to sell any grass to the horse dealer until he had sold his. In this way he got a very good price.
Time passed until one day, in his refreshment shop, some customers told him that a new ship from a foreign country had just anchored in the port. He saw this to be the opportunity he had been waiting for. He thought and thought until he came up with a good business plan.
First, he went to a jeweler friend of his and paid a low price for a very valuable gold ring, with a beautiful red ruby in it. He knew that the foreign ship was from a country that had no rubies of its own, where gold too was expensive. So he gave the wonderful ring to the captain of the ship
as an advance on his commission. To earn this commission, the captain agreed to send all his passengers to him as a broker. He would then lead them to the best shops in the city. In turn, the man got the merchants to pay him a commission for sending customers to them.
Acting as a middle man in this way, after several ships came into port, the man became very
rich. Being pleased with his success, he also remembered that it had all started with the words of
the king’s wise adviser. So he decided to give him a gift of 100,000 gold coins. This was half his entire wealth. After making the proper arrangements, he met with the king’s adviser and gave
him the gift, along with his humble thanks.
The adviser was amazed, and he asked, “How did you earn so much wealth to afford such a generous gift?” The man told him it had all started with the adviser’s own words not so long
ago. They had led him to a dead mouse, a hungry cat, sweet cakes, bunches of flowers, storm damaged tree branches, children in the park, the king’s potter, a refreshment shop, grass for 500 horses, a golden ruby ring, good business contacts, and finally a large fortune.
Hearing all this, the royal adviser thought to himself, “It would not be good to lose the talents
of such an energetic man. I too have much wealth, as well as my beloved only daughter. As this man is single, he deserves to marry her. Then he can inherit my wealth in addition to his own,
and my daughter will be well cared for.”
This all came to pass, and after the wise adviser died, the one who had followed his advice became the richest man in the city. The king appointed him to the adviser’s position. Throughout his remaining life, he generously gave his money for the happiness and well being of many people.

The moral is: With energy and ability, great wealth comes even from small beginnings.

Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Guru Speaks.........

Awareness, though essentially one, is known as conditioned or unconditioned. That awareness, which is free of the ego-sense of "I am," is the unconditioned.
*
The basis of object-consciousness is four-fold, consisting of: The material, the non-material, the causal, and the fourth kind. These names are also applicable to the appropriate states of consciousness.
*
Love of others is my happiness, Love that is mine is happiness for others. And so, truly, deeds that benefit a man must be a cause for other's happiness too.
*
Acts that one performs for one's own sake should also aim for the good of other men.
*
Difference in men's creed, dress, language and other such distinctions don't matter as they all belong to the same kind of creation... there is no harm at all in their dining together or marrying.
*
Devoid of dividing walls of caste or race or hatred, we all live here in brotherhood.


Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Detachment Enjoy It Fully

The person whose mind
is always free from
attachment, who has
subdued the mind and
senses, and who is free
from desires, attains the
supreme perfection of
freedom from karma
through renunciation.

Bhagavad Gita 18.49

*

Break free from posses-
sions and from desires
from whatever may
darken the mind.
Attachment to things
and to places is spiritual
bondage, and leads
to darkness.

Dhammapada

*

Live in the world but
don't be of the world.
Live in the world but
don't let the world live
within you. Remember
that it is all a beautiful
dream, because every-
thing is changing and
disappearing...
If you become detached
you will be able to see
how people are attached
to trivia, and how much
they are suffering. And
you will laugh at yourself
because you were also in
the same boat before.

Osho







Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Chinese Proverbs....

• The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.

• Each generation will reap what the former generation has sown.

• Dig the well before you are thirsty.

• A child's life is like a piece of paper on which every person leaves a mark.

• A bit of fragrance clings to the hand that gives flowers.

• When you drink the water, remember the spring.

• There are two perfect men: one dead, and the other unborn.

• Life is really simple but we insist on making it complicated.

• Men trip not on mountains, they stumble on stones.

• Life is a dream... Death is going home.

• Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

• Do not use a hatchet to remove a fly from your friend's forehead.

• If you always give, you will always have.

• Patience is power. Govern by doing nothing that goes against nature.

• Jade stone is useless before it is processed; a man is good-for-nothing until he is educated.

• A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.

• Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Karmic Account....

Every one of us has a karmic account.
It is like a bank account where your good karma or deeds are your deposits and bad karma are liabilities.
Karma is what a person does in his day-to-day life.

If you help someone without a selfish motive,
your balance goes up with the good karma.
Bad karma reduces your bank balance because it is a liability.

Like your bank account, your karmic account earns
interest on deposits and incurs interest charges on liabilities.

------------------



There's a saying in some Buddhist circles that if you want to see a person's past actions,
you look at his present condition; if you want to see his future condition, you look at his present actions.

This principle, however, is based on a basic misperception: that we each have a single karmic account,
and what we see in the present is the current running balance in each person's account.

Actually, no one's karmic history is a single account.

It's composed of the many different seeds planted in many places through the many different actions we've done in the past, each seed maturing at its own rate.

Some of these seeds have already sprouted and disappeared;
some are sprouting now; some will sprout in the future.

This means that a person's present condition reflects only a
small portion of his past actions. As for the other seeds, you can't see them at all.

Thanissaro Bhikkhu

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Prayer

Every single evening

As I'm lying here in bed,

This tiny little prayer

Keeps running through my head:



God bless all my family

Wherever they may be,

Keep them warm

And safe from harm

For they're so close to me.



And God, there is one more thing

I wish that you could do;

Hope you don't mind me asking,

Please bless my computer too.



You see, that little metal box

Holds more than odds and ends;

Inside those small compartments

Rest so many of my friends.



I know so much about them

By the kindness that they give,

And this little scrap of metal

Takes me in to where they live...



Please take an extra minute

From your duties up above,

To bless those in my address book

That's filled with so much love.



Wherever else this prayer may reach

To each and every friend,

Bless each e-mail inbox

And each person who hits 'send'.



When you update your Heavenly list

On your own Great CD-ROM,

Bless everyone who says this prayer

Sent up to GOD.Com


Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Vital Ingredients

Each tree is recognised by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. "Why do you call me, `Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?"

Luke 6:43-46



Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?

James 3:11



You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:14-16



Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it he will be blessed in what he does.

James 1: 23-25

Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

You don't become enormously successful without encountering and overcoming a number of extremely challenging problems.
- Mark Victor Hansen

Success has a simple formula: do your best, and people may like it.
-Sam Ewing

Standing Still

He who is silent is forgotten; he who does not advance falls back; he who stops is overwhelmed; out distanced, crushed; he who ceases to grow becomes smaller; he who leaves off, gives up; the condition of standing still is the beginning of the end.
- Henri Fredric Amiel

Follow The Light..............

A good walker leaves no tracks;
A good speaker makes no slips;
A good reckoner needs no tally.
A good door needs no lock,
Yet no one can open it.
Good binding requires no knots,
Yet no one can loosen it.

Therefore the sage takes care of all men
And abandons no one.
He takes care of all things
And abandons nothing.

This is called "following the light."

What is a good man?
A teacher of a bad man.
What is a bad man?
A good man's charge.
If the teacher is not respected,
And the student not cared for,
Confusion will arise, however clever one is.
This is the crux of mystery

Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Cheer Up........

Every one of us has bad days. And every one of us has good days. Both states pass. And both come again, in different ways.

Life is a balance of light and dark. Happiness comes not from being attached to the good days and dreading the bad days, but by accepting that both are a part of life.

When we accept this, we are able to view life from a more balanced perspective, with equanimity, enjoying the good times, learning from the hard times, and appreciating that both have a role in our life.

There will never come a time when the learning stops. There is no point kidding your self by saying when this or that happens, everything will be perfect forever. It won't be, because more learning will always come your way. It is when you accept this, that life becomes easier, both on the good and bad days.

It doesn't mean that life will never get easier. It will, as you become more equipped to cope with it and to understand it. But there will always be learning.

Sometimes though, and certainly in these modern times of Western Society, the hard days linger longer for many. During these days, weeks, months and even years, finding the strength to trust that the hard times will pass can be overwhelming. Hope is all that draws us forward at times and if you have been in a place of darkness for a long time, then hope is not always possible to find.

So it is during such times that even the smallest steps are necessary to find hope again and some enjoyment in your day. Sometimes things that are disguised as small steps can be a huge catalyst in turning things around. When even finding a reason to get out of bed and get on with your day is a challenge, you need to be gentle and kind on yourself and accept that perhaps right now, you are only capable of small steps.


Here are some small things you can do to feel better.


1. Buy some colouring in pencils and draw. Or buy a colouring in book and colour in. It is very simple and childlike. But colour carries many healing properties and the distraction of drawing or colouring will bring you to a more present space, rather than dwelling on your situation. Anything creative with colour will be beneficial.


2. Make a list of your best qualities, yes you have some, everyone has goodness in them. Think of things you've done in the past, things that have left you feeling good. It may be things you've done, or it may be things you like about yourself. Maybe you once did a random act of kindness for someone, that no one else recognised needed doing. Or you like your smile, or that you used to be able to make people laugh (and you will again). Acknowledge these positive parts of yourself, without any reference to anything negative you see in yourself, no negativity allowed today.


3. Take yourself to somewhere with birds in their own environment. Birds in cages do not qualify. Simply watch the birds go about their day. Listen to their joy in being alive, how they sing for the pure love of it. Watch the freedom of their flight. They too have to survive and have their challenges. But they still remember to be joyous along the way.


4. Ban yourself from the computer for a whole day and night. Don't even turn it on. Have such days regularly. In the times we now live in, it is easy to forget about life going on outside. Computers are great in many ways. On the surface, they bring us more together, yet in other ways, they isolate us even more. Turn the computer off. Do something that you used to enjoy before the days of computers took over your life. Go for a walk. The exercise will be good for you too.


5. Call a friend who will make you laugh. Don't call a friend who will wallow in your sadness with you, despite their kind intentions. Today is not a day for that. Just call a friend who will joke about nothing with you. If you cannot think of anyone, go for a walk in your local neighbourhood. Think of someone who serves you in your day to day life who is always cheery. Have a brief chat and laugh with them. They will enjoy it too.


6. Dress in something that makes you look and feel nice, perhaps a brighter colour than what you have been wearing. Pay attention to your appearance and take pride in yourself, no matter how much effort it takes. It doesn't matter if you think you are kidding yourself into feeling better, it is a change and change is necessary to alter your current state. And it is an achievable goal when you are down.


7. Visit someone you know with children and hang out with the little ones for a while. Sing some songs, play make believe, hide and seek, anything. If there are no children you know nearby, just watch other children from a distance. Observe their simplicity and joy and remember that you too were once a child and these qualities are still a part of you too. Hop on a swing and lean back, get some wind beneath you and feel yourself glide through the air.


8. Look through old photo albums and remember the happy times. Even if they bring memories that also make you sad, remember the good times too. It is easy to focus on loss, loneliness or lack, rather than blessings that have once been there. If there are no photos, think back to some fun memories and relive them in your mind. Laughing out loud is definitely permitted.


9. Eat healthy food. If you don't have the strength or energy to prepare something for yourself, go out and buy a fresh juice, or a salad or soup. Chat with whoever serves you, smile at them. Healthy food heals both the body and the mind. So does smiling.


10. Have a beautiful bath. Use scents and candles. Make it a special thing, even if it is in the middle of the day. Nurture yourself. If you can, treat yourself to a massage, be pampered. Human touch is something we all need and it is easy when you are down to isolate yourself, hence becoming touch starved. Hugs are always recommended. Hug someone if there is someone to hug. If not, go out and get some human contact. Or pat an animal. We all need to be nurtured and we all need touch.


Every little thing that you can do to change your current disposition will be far more beneficial than it may appear. Any glimpse of happiness or hope, no matter how small, is better than none at all.

And if you manage to do just one of these things, then congratulate yourself for the effort. It doesn't matter if you are not strong enough to be the person you once were. Trust that healing is happening in your life now. You don't have to become who you were, rather you will become who you are meant to be when this healing time has passed. It will be someone new, someone amazing, someone accepting, someone happy.

You will smile again. It may not feel like it yet. But never lose hope. You will smile again, you will. You simply will.

And that in itself is worth smiling about, is it not?!

Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Stop Gossiping for a Better life

The Buddha specifically instructed his followers to avoid bearing tales and indulging in idle gossip. As an awareness exercise, the pioneering insight meditation teacher Joseph Goldstein sometimes asks his students to refrain from saying anything about anyone who isn't present. No talking about people who annoy you as well as not talking about people who annoy you as well as not talking about people who enthrall you.

That means no conversations devoted to analyzing or dissecting anyone else's problems or behavior - good or bad - unless the person you are talking about is there to hear what you say. This is not an endlessly ongoing behavioral restriction, but a temporary practice, an experiential experiment.

Try it, and watch your reactions. When we stop talking about others, we discover how much time and energy we waste daily with conversations that not only serve no constructive purpose but also seduce and carry us away from the present moment.

Gossiping about others is another obvious way of feeding junk food to the ego. When we gossip, it's easy to feel part of the "in crowd"; for a moment we might feel superior. But telling takes or making unkind jokes only serves to objectify and distance others. The people or group about whom we are talking lose their humanity - just as we lose ours.

Impeccable speech asks us to utilize awareness to start unraveling the cocoon of ego. Resist the urge to talk about others and begin to live in the present moment, with whoever is with you and no one else.

This very moment is sufficient, perfect, and complete. Enjoy and appreciate what is before your very eyes, and all will be revealed - fresh and radiant as any dawn, as at the very dawn of creation.
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Tame Your Anger for Blissful Life

When others are mean and nasty to you, it is difficult to stay compassionate. Anger needs to be controlled, but not hidden from yourself. Recognize your reactions; do not deny them. If you do, your compassion will be superficial.

There are two classes of emotions. One class needs to be expressed, talked about. Take depression, for example. Perhaps someone close to you has died, and you are grieving privately. If instead of hiding your feelings, you express them openly, the overwhelming power of that sadness will be weakened. The other class of emotions includes anger, strong attachment, and strong desire; there is no natural end to these.

For instance, if anger is expressed, tomorrow there may be more; whereas if you try to minimize your anger, it will weaken. We can see this in our own experience. Giving your anger the instrument of words and actions is like giving a child a pile of straw and a box of matches. Once lit, anger feeds off the air of exposure and can rage out of control. The only alternative is to control anger, and the way to do this is to think, What is the value of anger? What is the value of tolerance and compassion?

When those who do not consider afflictive emotions such as anger to be disadvantageous are distressed over an incident and get riled up, they feel they are perfectly right, even if they have a tiny bit of concern about how people might view them. Since they consider getting riled up to be normal, they make no effort to reduce anger. On the other hand, those who consider afflictive emotions to be negative and harmful do not voluntarily accept anger.

Sometimes anger might win out and control them, but deep inside they do not happily receive it - there is some reluctance. Even if they do not take sufficient countermeasures, their inner reluctance about getting angry makes a great difference in the long run. Thus, it is important to reflect on the drawbacks of anger.

Use your good common sense. Is anger useful? If you get angry at someone, the result is good neither for you nor for the other person. Nothing helpful comes of it. In the end, anger does not harm others; it hurts yourself. When you are angry, good food is not tasty.

When you are angry, even the faces of your spouse, children, or friends are irritating, not because their faces have changed but because something is wrong with your own attitude. When an unfortunate event happens, you can face and handle it more effectively without anger. Anger is almost useless. Perhaps a harsh word is needed sometimes to keep someone from a stupid deed, in the course of which anger may arise, but such anger should not be the primary motive; love and compassion should be. Actions stemming solely from anger are of no use at all; realizing this can serve to strengthen your determination to resist them.

It is not easy to have an intense bond of commiseration with each and every being, so do not be discouraged if a biased attitude interrupts your meditation. You will need the courage of unwavering effort throughout your life and for many lifetimes to come.

Such a profound transformation cannot take place overnight, or in a week, or a month, or even a year. However, you will gradually notice changes in your reactions to individuals and the world. When old reactions creep back in, do not think this indicates the failure of meditation; rather, take such incidents as prods to meditate more.



Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Improvement

Those who improve with age embrace the power of personal growth and personal achievement and begin to replace youth with wisdom, innocence with understanding, and lack of purpose with self-actualization.
-Bo Bennett

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
-Thomas Edison

Success After Repeated Efforts

Many a one has succeeded only because he has failed after repeated efforts. If he had never met defeat, he would never have known any great victory.
-Orison Sweet Marden

Two rules of success in life: 1. Don't tell people everything you know.
-Anonymous

Heaven and Hell You Choose

A BIG, BURLY SAMURAI comes to a Zen master and says, "Tell me the nature of heaven and hell."

The Zen master looks him in the face and says, "Why should I tell a scruffy, disgusting, miserable slob like you? A worm like you, do you think I should tell you anything?"

Consumed by rage, the samurai draws his sword and raises it to cut off the master's head.

The Zen master says, "That's hell."

Instantly, the samurai understands that he has just created his own hell - black and hot, filled with hatred, self-protection, anger, and resentment. He sees that he was so deep in hell that he was ready to kill someone. Tears fill his eyes as he puts his palms together to bow in gratitude for this insight.

The Zen master says, "That's heaven."

The view of the warrior-bodhisattva is not "Hell is bad and heaven is good" or "Get rid of hell and just seek heaven." Instead, we encourage ourselves to develop an open heart and an open mind to heaven, to hell, to everything.

Only with this kind of equanimity can we realize that no matter what comes along, we're always standing in the middle of a sacred space. Only with equanimity can we see that everything that comes into our circle has come to teach us what we need to know.

Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Grow Younger, Live Longer....Drink Water....

A very simple but powerful purification technique is to boost your intake of water. The human body is approximately three-fourths water and most biochemical reactions operate best within a narrow window of concentration. Several scientific studies have found that our sensitivity to thirst diminishes as we age, so we become at risk for developing subtle levels of dehydration of which we may not be consciously aware.

Most people do not drink enough water, which can lead to a host of symptoms. Headaches, constipation, dry skin, fatigue, and indigestion may actually reflect subtle dehydration. Some physicians have gone as far as to suggest that many common health concerns, including high blood pressure, asthma, and chronic pain have their origins in dehydration.

Assuming that you do not have kidney or liver problems, we recommend getting into the habit of drinking water throughout the day. You can calculate the recommended number of ounces of daily water intake by dividing your weight in pounds by two.

For example, if you weigh 160 pounds, your daily water intake should be 80 ounces or 10 cups per day. Most bottled water comes in half-liter containers, equivalent to just over two cups, so this would mean drinking five bottles per day. Soda beverages, tea, and coffee do not count, as their caffeine content has a diuretic effect. Similarly, alcohol also causes water loss and does not contribute to rehydration.

If you are active in sports, taking diuretics, or live in a hot, dry climate, increase your daily intake by another 10 to 15 percent. Favor water-rich fruits and vegetables including cantaloupe, grapefruit, peaches, watermelon, asparagus, peppers, carrots, and mushrooms. Minimize your intake of artificially sweetened beverages. When you are drinking enough water you will feel the need to empty your bladder about every two hours.

Many people who follow this water routine report that they more easily lose unwanted weight and have more energy and less chronic aches and pains. Drinking plenty of fresh, pure water is one of the simplest and least expensive ways to reverse the aging process.
Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

What Matters Most ?????

Fame or self: Which matters more?
Self or wealth: Which is more precious?
Gain or loss: Which is more painful?

He who is attached to things will suffer much.
He who saves will suffer heavy loss.
A contented man is never disappointed.
He who knows when to stop does not find himself in trouble.
He will stay forever safe.

- Tao Te Ching by Lao Tsu

Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Nurture Godly Friends........

Learn to love your neighbor as yourself. Remember, you are here on earth in this lifetime for just a little while. You have come here before in numerous incarnations, interacting with many different souls. Who are your real relatives?

To the wise man, everyone is his relative; everyone is his "neighbor." Of course, the wise man discriminates, knowing that though the sun shines equally on the diamond and the charcoal, it is the diamond that beautifully reflects the sunlight.

One should seek and associate with the highest diamondlike metalities. Take time to find true friends. Good souls attract good souls. Live like gods, and you will attract godly friends. Live like animals on the sensual plane, and you will attract animalistic companions.

Do not mix closely with those who lower your ideals and create materialistic nervousness in you; but at the same time do not exclude anyone from your love.

In addition, be not only a giver of love, but also a peacemaker, that wherever you go you bring harmony, calmness, and upliftment. No one wants to be around a skunk; everyone avoids it. The nervous man - he who is always restless, irritable, emotional - similarly repulses others.

We do not want to be human skunks. We want to be like the rose, which even if crushed exudes its sweet fragrance. Be a human rose, spreading the essence of peace wherever you go.

Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You