Sunrays for Sunday - English by Sanjay Tandon

MAY GOD BLESS THE READERS OF THIS BOOK

Sunrays for Sunday A compendium of Inspirational Stories

Compiled by:

Priya & Sanjay Tandon

PUBLISHED BY: Competent Professionals Pvt. Ltd. SCO 201-203, III Floor, Sector 34-A Chandigarh 160 022 (India) Tel. No.: 2623888, 5088888 Fax No.: +91-172-2623881 Email: sanjay@tandonindia.com Visit at: www.tandonindia.com

Sketches, Art Work, and Painting on the Cover by Priya S. Tandon

First Edition Reprint Second Reprint

January 2004 April 2004 November 2004

Price: Rs. 150.00

DEDICATION This book is offered and dedicated with utmost reverence and love to the Lotus Feet of Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, who is actually the force behind this book. Priya & Sanjay Tandon

The proceeds from the sale of this book would be used for charity.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: The copyright and the rights of translation in any language are reserved by the publisher. No part, passage, text, photograph or artwork contained in this book may be reproduced in any form (except for brief quotations in book review), without prior permission of the Publisher.

PRINTED AT: M/S Chandika Press Pvt. Ltd., 126, Industrial Area, Phase-1, Chandigarh 160 002 (India) for Competent Professionals Pvt. Ltd.

This book was blessed by Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on the 19th of January, 2004 at Prashanti Nilayam, Puttaparthi, India

PRAYER Oh Lord! Take my love and let it flow in fullness of devotion to Thee. Oh Lord! Take my hands and let them work incessantly for Thee. Oh Lord! Take my soul and let it be merged in one with Thee. Oh Lord! Take my mind and thoughts and let them be in tune with Thee. Oh Lord! Take my everything and let me be an instrument of Thee.

Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

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M. M. Punchhi Former Chief Justice of India

House No. 160, Sector 8-A, Chandigarh - 160009 Phones : 2548386, 2779593

FOREWORD cyjketh nkl VaMu In the vast treasure of stories told all over the world, the compilers of this book have culled out only fifty two; the very best gems in their own right, sparkling with light, wisdom, love, compassion, warmth and divinity. These individually and collectively appear to have been tendered as an annual 'Prasad' for the sensitive individual, family or a group, as the case may be. The compilers have even taken care to demonstrate by sketches facing each page what pours out from the written text. This indeed is a unique venture for which the compilers deserve a special word of appreciation, as the reader would come to agree. Go through these 52 stories, one by one, every week covering the span of a year and spend the gap of the week inter-se cleansing the dusty mind by thought process and discussion amongst the listeners. There is no story, which would not leave an imprint on your mind, to stir in you the finer instincts lying dormant in your heart. Every thought emerging therefrom would divinise you and make you realize that all are the family of the Lord Vasudev Kutumbakam. Go ahead with the book with reverence for the message.

Chandigarh Dated: 30 December, 2003

Justice Madan Mohan Punchhi Former Chief Justice of India

THE JOURNEY Allow me to give you a gist of the sequence of events in my life that prompted the emergence of this book. Having been born as the son of Smt Brijpal Tandon, a devotee of Lord Krishna and Sh. Balramji Dass Tandon, a devout follower of Lord Rama and Lord Hanuman, I remember no time in my childhood when God and prayer were not an active part of my life. I have always found solace in worshipping Lord Hanuman, not that there is any difference in the various forms of God, but it is this form that has always been my soul mate and beacon light. God has always been my source of strength and I have felt His presence in me and around me at every moment that I thought of Him. I wish that in every venture of my life, I keep on getting the same motivation, which He gives me, whenever I relate myself to Him. My mother has always guided me on the true form of God and was instrumental in starting my actual journey of life as well as spiritual life. My father taught me my daily prayers as well as the moral values of leading an honest life full of devotion. I feel, I am so fortunate to start this journey with the grace of God & blessings of my parents. My Parents and grandparents have given me a strong foundation of humility and spirituality. I wish from my heart to pass on this legacy to my children, with a hope that they in turn shall make sure that their hearts are pure enough to retain the sanctity of our ideals, so much that, they can further pass to their children, what we yearn to give to them. When we want to give goodness to our own children, sometimes we look around and think, why not spread it to more and more people around? My wife, Priya being a Sai Devotee, brought the influence of Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, into my life. Besides bringing this influence, she also strengthened my belief in God and spirituality; morally and through values and has always helped me to become a better human being day after day. While narrating various stories to kids and holding Bal Vikas classes, she

taught them various Shalokas which I, in turn, learnt from my kids. I realized how true was the saying 'Child is the father of man'. In this journey of life, I feel if one wants to learn, you can from every human being irrespective of their age, status, relation or caste. Being a Chartered Accountant and a Cost and Works Accountant, I am involved in the business of auditing, share broking, management and financial consultancy, risk containment, collection, manpower outsourcing, call center, bulk courier etc, under the name of 'COMPETENT'. Due to the multifaceted business that I am involved in, I interact with people from various walks of life. I had bought a desk calendar of 'Thought For The Day' from Puttaparthi in the year 2000. With the thought of spreading goodness, I started sending a 'Good Thought' every day to a number of my friends through the e-mail. Sending jokes and cartoons is very acceptable to people today, but this came as a jolt out of the blue. Initially, the idea met with ridicule but it soon died down and appreciation started pouring in, so much so, that on a number of occasions I was referred to as 'Mr. Good Thought' rather than Sanjay Tandon. We had been receiving and sending inspirational stories from and to our e-mail friends once in a while. It was in September 2002 that my wife, Priya, voiced the idea of making it a Sunday story instead of the Sunday Good Thought. The letters of encouragement and appreciation that I received are enough to be compiled and made into a book by themselves! A friend of mine at Mumbai, gave the idea of compiling these stories to make a book. Since then my wife and I have worked together to put together the best we could. We hope that men and women from cross-sections of society will read these and get inspired to evolve themselves into better human beings. For the world to be a better place to live in, each one of us has to better himself and the effort has to be conscious and never ending. Sanjay Tandon

FROM MY HEART My parents Mrs Meera Punchhi and Mr Justice Madan Mohan Punchhi gave me a very fine upbringing ever rich in love and caring. All forms of God were given equal respect at our family shrine. We were taught to respect and bow, before each form of God with equal reverence. The emphasis placed on good values in our house is worth mentioning. I had my first Darshan of Bhagwan Baba in 1973 at Shimla when I was eight years old. It was then that I consider, I sold myself to Him for love. My soul, my self and my everything belongs only to Swami. My contact with Baba, over the years, is a very sweet memory. Now that I am in the process of compiling this book of inspirational stories, I see through this plan, of grooming me in His own way, to work in His master plan. I had always worked in the background, while my husband Sanjay, sent 'Good thoughts' and Good Stories as 'Story of the Week' to his friends over the Internet. I selected many stories from the 'Sri Sathya Sai Balvikas Magazine,' and other Sai Literature. I would select and edit each one to make it presentable from our viewpoint. It is now that Swami, has given me the opportunity to come into the forefront. I have tried my best to edit each story so as to make the message spring forth from it. Since childhood, I had a flair for drawing and painting. Now that I have done the sketches for this book, I feel indebted to Swami for entrusting me with this wonderful task. The painting on the cover page was done by me last year, little knowing that it would adorn the cover of our book! Swami plans for us mere mortals! Our children Saraansh, Shiven and Satyam, started attending Balvikas Classes, at my parents home, many years ago. Now, I am running a Balvikas Class at my home, where a few children of our friends and the daughters of my brother and sister also attend. These stories have been so helpful in these classes ; the children simply love to hear them. Perhaps more Balvikas Gurus could use them for the benefit of other children. Children who attend such classes are definitely more God loving than others who are not taught the awareness of God.

Our eldest son Saraansh, who is fifteen, once commented, “Mamma, I feel we are very different from our friends, in the sense that we talk and think about God, and being good, all the time, why can't we be 'normal'?” I said, “Do you have any regrets about that, don't you honestly feel that you are better children than many others?” After a minute of silence, he said, “I guess we are better mom, but we don't get to enjoy life.” I smiled and stroked his head saying, “Everyone has fun sonny, but its more fun to be good and loved by God. I love all three of my children as they are. It is not important to do what you love to do or want to do, but it is most important to love what you have to do. Not everyone has the strength to live a life full of ethics, but eventually if you can, the world is yours ” Our middle son, Shiven, who is thirteen, is an embodiment of sacrifice and love. He has taught us how to give happiness to others by showing that you care. He has a special way of touching a chord in your heart which makes you radiate with feeling. Our youngest born, Satyam, who is seven years old, started singing bhajans at the age of five. He sings a couple of bhajans that I had written for Swami. Last year when he was only six, he sang a Sai Bhajan, which was relayed from DD Jalandhar and DD Metro. It is from him that I have learnt how innocent and undemanding a child can be when he sings and learns music only for the love of Swami. Being a Graduate in Commerce as well as in Law, I had started working with my husband Sanjay, soon after we got married. I quit my work only to give our children a good upbringing. I always felt that Sanjay could surely hire somebody to execute my work at the office, but he definitely could not hire anybody to 'mother' our children, the way I want to. If I can groom my children to be not God-fearing but God-loving children who will grow up to be all that Swami wants the youth of this generation to be, I will feel that my duty as a mother has been more than discharged. In our home, we sit together on Sunday with the family in the prayer room and sing bhajans and read or discuss something inspirational or religious. On one such day, we were all asked to speak one line each to which I said, “If you

do or say everything with the feeling that God is watching you and listening to you, you can never go wrong.â&#x20AC;? This is definitely easier said than done, but if all of us try to work on it, we can collectively make a difference to the world. This is the kind of ideology forthcoming in this book. If it can help even one individual to become a better human being and teach him to live for the love of God, the very purpose for which this book has been brought about will be fulfilled. Bowing with Prayerful Salutations at the Lotus Feet of Swami. Priya S. Tandon

PREFACE It was definitely some divine motivation which inspired us to start sending a 'Thought For The Day' selected from the discourses of Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, to some of our e-mail friends, everyday through the Internet. In the year 2000, we started by sending it to a couple of people and now the list has extended to almost 500. Swami's Grace! Meanwhile, we were sending inspirational stories to our friends off and on, till about a year ago, when we decided to make it a Sunday affair. So much appreciation poured in! How can something inspired by God and Good, attract anything but applause! One of our friends suggested, 'Why don't you compile these stories to make a book?' That sparked off a series of thoughts, till we got a green signal from Swami. It was an inner intuition and there was no looking back. Whenever, we faltered, we felt Swami saying: 'He who has brought you here, will see you through.' Incidentally, for the last two generations it had been a tradition in our home that the whole family would congregate on Sunday, at the family shrine and would read from the Ramayana or any other religious book. Swami says, that there should be a weekly family bhajan, so putting the two together, we sit together, and sing bhajans, read a good book, or tell an inspirational story to our children on every Sunday. This book, comes with a feeling to share goodness with others. The stories are compiled from varied sources. Some are written from memory having been heard in our childhood or at religious gatherings. Difficulties and worries are not due to outside causes. They are due to a mind not surrendered unto God. Giving pain or pleasure is wholly and solely in the hands of God. But if pain is cushioned by God's touch it definitely becomes easier to bear. It is our inner feeling that if the reader has a problem on his mind, and he opens up the book at any page at random, he will find a comforting thought to cushion his hurt.

This compendium of short stories is such that although each story has a different thought that inspires, each one also makes one feel amply, the presence of the Supreme Being. It is aimed at inspiring all of us to build a better 'me'. We have been narrating these stories in our class of Education in Human Values, for many years. Hopefully, more Balvikas Gurus would find them useful and interesting to be told to Balvikas Children. Perhaps we realize the value of a 'value' when we are yearning to teach it to our children, and what better way of impressing upon tender minds, than story telling. May we humbly suggest that one story from this compendium of 52 stories be told or narrated (not read out) to the family, every Sunday of the year. If it is not possible to sit in the prayer room, even the dinning table would be the perfect place for it. Charity, they say begins at home and every time is the right time to share good thoughts with your family and friends. Attitude is the root on which the future grows. If our attitude is correct, everything appears and feels good.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost our humble thanks to Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, without whose divine inspiration and motivation, this book would never have come to be. It is He who has done all the work that went into the making of this book, but He bestows the credit on us all: WE OWE OUR HEART FELT THANKS TO: Mr V. K. Gandhi, Mumbai

For giving us the idea of compiling these stories to make a book.

MrAnchal Singh Jamwal PAto Sanjay Tandon

For the hours of labour he put into typing, and retyping everything, till it met with our satisfaction.

Mr Jasbir Singh Walia EDP Manager, COMPETENT

For scanning all the sketches to perfection.

Mrs Sarla Indulal Shah

For graciously giving us the permission to use some of the stories from the Sri Sathya Sai Balvikas Magazine.

Dr. Hiramalini Seshadri & Dr. Seshadri Harihar

For graciously allowing us to use some of the material from their book 'The Saience of Medicine.'

Mr Desh Deepak Khanna M/s Chandika Press Pvt. Ltd. Chandigarh

For guiding us on each little detail and for printing this book.

All our E-mail Friends

For sending in their appreciation to our 'Story of the Week' endeavour and also to

Swami has put it very beautifully: If there is righteousness in the heart, There will be beauty in character. If there is beauty in character, There will be harmony in the home. When there is harmony in the home, There will be order in the nation. When there is order in the nation, There will be peace in the world. Humbly we present this collection of short stories, each bejewelled with a 'Gem of Thought' from Baba's discourses adorning its soul to enhance its beauty. We hope and pray that each person who reads this book gets the warmth of peace and love through it. Priya and Sanjay Tandon.

those who very thoughtfully sent us inspirational stories, which we were able to put into this book. All Writers of these Stories

For taking care to write such inspiring stories and for sharing their experiences to the benefit of all the readers. We express our inability to acknowledge them all by name, due to non availability of the same.

Competent Professionals Pvt Ltd For sponsoring this book

OUR PARENTS: Mr B. D. Tandon & Mrs Brij Pal Tandon Mr Justice M. M. Punchhi & Mrs Meera Punchhi

OUR CHILDREN: Saraansh, Shiven & Satyam

For being a constant source of inspiration and support for both of us.

For giving us the enriching experience of parenthood and for helping us understand human relations better.

Last but not the least: Thank you Lord, for giving to us each other, to befriend and to pursue the journey of life together and to enjoy the bliss of jointly offering Pranams at Thy Lotus Feet, physically, mentally and emotionally.

HUMBLE INVITATION TO THE READERS We send a 'Thought for the Day' to a number of people all over the world through the Internet on their e-mail addresses. If you or any of your friends would like your e-mail ID to be included in our mailing list, please log on to www.tandonindia.com , click on 'Thought for the day', and enter your subscription request. This would also automatically entitle you to a 'Story of the Week' every Sunday. This subscription is free of cost. If Bhagwan Baba wills it, we hope to compile a set of 52 stories every year. Since these stories are all from various sources, if you, have a story which you would like to share, or an incident which occurred in your life, that you would like to narrate to others, do revert back to us, and we'll surely try to find a place for it in the next edition. Last but not the least, if you have any suggestions for the betterment of the compilation, please contact us and we'll try to imbibe them in the next edition.

SANJAYTANDON SCO 201-203, III Floor, Sector 34-A Chandigarh-160022 (India) Tele No.+91-172- 2623900, Fax: 2623881 PBX : 2623888 (7 Lines) 5088888 (7 lines) Email : sanjay@tandonindia.com Visit us at: www.tandonindia.com

CONTENTS PRAKATHAN FOREWORD THE JOURNEY FROM MY HEART PREFACE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS HUMBLE INVITATION TO THE READERS SUNDAY NO.

TITLE

PAGE

A BOX OF KISSES

YOU HAVE COME TO THE WRONG ADDRESS!

HAPPINESS IS MAKING OTHERS HAPPY

HAVING LUNCH WITH GOD

VERBAL WOUNDS

MY NAME IS ROSE

I LOVE YOU ANYWAY

THE CHOICE

THE STRUGGLES

CRACKED POTS

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

A WHISPER OR A BRICK?

FOOTSTEPS IN THE SAND

KEEPER OF THE SPRING

EFFICACY OF THE NAME OF SRI RAMA

AN UNUSUAL TRAINING

BEAUTIFUL PEARLS

IT WASN'T YOUR BABY

MUMMY, I LOVE YOU

NO PAIN NO GAIN

NOURISHMENT FOR THE SOUL

THINK BEFORE YOU ACT

WEAKNESS OR STRENGTH?

SAND AND STONE

HOW MUCH FOR AN HOUR?

THANKS FOR YOUR TIME

THE SATSANG EFFECT

105

OVERPOWER EVIL

109

TRIPLE FILTER

113

THE 7 WONDERS OF THE WORLD

117

THE APPLE TREE

121

WHY WAS RADHA DEAR TO THE LORD?

125

RIGHT DECISION-NO REGRETS

129

PRIORITISE YOUR TIME

133

I HAVE FAITH IN YOU

137

THANK YOU LORD

141

A TEACHER'S MAGIC

145

PUPPIES FOR SALE

149

REAL PEACE

153

ARE YOU ALONE?

157

JUST PHYSICAL LOVE

161

THE DOUBT BROUGHT THE END

165

LOSE YOUR FINGER OR YOUR LIFE

169

GOD EXISTS

173

WILL YOU ACCEPT?

177

A CHILD'S ANGEL

181

A SACK OF POTATOES

185

LORD YOU ARE MY ONLY HOPE

189

HOW MUCH LAND DO YOU NEED?

193

START EARLY, DRIVE SLOWLY, REACH SAFELY

197

THE WOODEN BOWL

201

CHRIST WAS LOVE

205

THANKSGIVING

209

CLARIFICATION

210

97 101

1 A BOX OF KISSES “Love is God , God is Love, so live in Love.”

Sunrays for Sunday

A Box of Kisses

The story goes that some time ago, a man punished his 3-yearold daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree. Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, "This is for you, Daddy." He was embarrassed by his earlier over reaction, but his anger flared again when he found the box was empty. He yelled at her, "Don't you know that when you give someone a present, there's supposed to be something inside it?" The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, "Oh, Daddy, it is not empty. I blew kisses into the box. All for you." The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he asked for her forgiveness. It is told that the man kept that gold box by his bed for years and whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there. In a very real sense, each of us as humans have been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses from God through our children, friends and family. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.

Sunrays for Sunday

2 YOU HAVE COME TO THE WRONG ADDRESS! “Desire is a storm, greed is a whirlpool, pride is a precipice, attachment is an avalanche, ego is a volcano. Discard desire and you are liberated.”

“When one lamp lights many other lamps, all shine with equal brilliance.”

Sunrays for Sunday

You have come to the Wrong Address

A Rabbi was delivering his lectures on the Torah, the sacred Hebrew scripture, to a few young Jewish students. One day in the course of their studies, they came across a line which said, "The truly evolved person is only he, who continues to smile in the midst of the greatest of difficulties." The young students had a problem in accepting this statement at its face value. "If we are truly in difficulty, how is it possible for us to smile under such conditions?" they asked the Rabbi. The Rabbi took off his spectacles and looked at his young pupils thoughtfully. "To be perfectly honest with you," he said, "I myself cannot answer that question. The truth is that I, too, cannot smile when I am in the midst of difficulties. At such moments, I seem to forget how to smile." Silence prevailed in the class as the teacher and the students pondered over the issue. The Rabbi continued after a pause, "However, I believe there is someone who can give you the answer." He proceeded to tell his students of an old man who lived in their city, not far from the synagogue. He had been an abandoned child an orphan. When he grew up, both his legs were paralyzed in an accident. His life had been a series of struggles, a saga of pain and suffering. "And yet," concluded the rabbi, "he always wears a lovely smile! He is a wonderful human being. You must go to him and ask him to answer our question." The students were amazed to hear of this brave man. In a group, they went and knocked at his door. The door was opened by the man himself moving briskly on a wheel-chair. He welcomed the young students cordially, and asked them 6

Sunrays for Sunday

the purpose of their visit. "Sir, It's this text we are discussing in the class," said one of them hesitantly. "It's all about how one must continue to smile amidst the greatest of difficulties in life. The Rabbi told us that you were the best person to talk to." "Tell us please, sir," added another. "How do you continue to smile amidst so much pain and suffering?"

3 HAPPINESS IS MAKING OTHERS HAPPY

"I'm afraid you've come to the wrong address!" replied the old man, with genuine surprise. "I am 73 years old, and in all these years I have never had to face any difficulty! The Lord has always been good to me, and protected me in His mercy. How can I teach you how to smile in the midst of difficulties?" This

â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is only one language, the language of the Heart.â&#x20AC;?

was indeed a man who lived in close proximity with God! In times of difficulties, don't ever say, "God, I have a big problem!" Instead say, "Hey problem, I have a big God!" and everything will be all right.

Sunrays for Sunday

Happiness is making Others Happy

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back except an occasional treat when he was allowed to sit for a few minutes. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and colour of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every colour of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days and weeks passed. 10

Sunrays for Sunday

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the

4 HAVING LUNCH WITH GOD

switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out of the window beside the bed. It faced……………a blank wall!

“See God in everyone you meet; see God in everything you handle. Live together, revere each other, let not seeds of envy and hate grow and choke the clear stream of Love.”

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate to have described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, “Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.” Epilogue. . . .There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can't buy.

Sunrays for Sunday

Having Lunch with God

There once was a little boy who wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with cupcakes, several cans of juice and started his journey. When he had gone about three blocks, he saw an elderly woman. She was sitting on a park bench watching the pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink when he noticed that the lady looked hungry, so he offered her a cupcake. She gratefully accepted and smiled at him. Her smile was so wonderful that he wanted to see it again, so he offered her a drink as well. Once again she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling without saying a word. As it began to grow dark, the boy realized how sleepy he was and wanted to go home. He got up to leave, but before he had gone no more than a few steps, he turned around and ran back to the old woman and gave her a big hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever. When the boy arrived home his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked, “What has made you so happy today?” He replied, “I had lunch with God.” Before his mother could respond he added, “You know what? She's got the most beautiful smile in the whole world!” Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face. He asked, “Mother, what has made you so happy today?” She replied, “I ate cupcake in the park with God.” And before her son could reply, she added, “You know, he is much younger than I expected.”

Sunrays for Sunday

Too often we under-estimate the power of a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring all of which have the potential to turn life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a life time ...... Take no one for granted and embrace all equally with joy and bliss! Smile, for smiling is contagious, a 'smile epidemic' is what

5 VERBAL WOUNDS

the world needs today.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Do not use poisonous words against anyone, for, words wound more fatally than even arrows.â&#x20AC;?

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Verbal Wounds

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails had been pulled out. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same again. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there.â&#x20AC;? A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.

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6 MY NAME IS ROSE “Real education consists in drawing the best out of yourself. What better book can there be than the book of humanity?” “There is only one religion, the religion of Love ; There is only one language, the language of the Heart ; There is only one caste, the caste of Humanity ; There is only one law, the law of Karma ; There is only one God, He is Omnipresent.”

Sunrays for Sunday

My Name is Rose

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being. She said, “Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eightyseven years old. Can I give you a hug?” I laughed and enthusiastically responded, “Of course you may!” and she gave me a giant squeeze. “Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?” I asked. She jokingly replied, “I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, have a couple of children, and then retire and travel.” “No seriously” I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age. “I always dreamed of having a college education and now I am!” she told me. After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk non-stop. I was always mesmerized listening to this “time machine” as she shared her wisdom and experience with me. Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up. At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet and I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, “I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my

Sunrays for Sunday

speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.” As we laughed she cleared her throat and began; “We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to being and staying happy and achieving success:

7 I LOVE YOU ANYWAY

“You have to laugh and find humour every day.” “You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!”

“Marriage is not a social security. It is for the spiritual union of two individuals.”

“There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eightyseven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything, I will turn eightyeight. Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding the opportunity in change.” “Have no regrets. The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.” She concluded her speech by courageously singing “The Rose”. She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.

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I Love You Anyway

The fear of rejection may be one of the most basic fears in human nature. Here is a heart-warming story of a man who finally decided to ask his boss for a raise in salary. It was Friday. He told his wife that morning what he was about to do, All day the man felt nervous and apprehensive. Late in the afternoon he summoned the courage to approach his employer. To his delight, the boss agreed to a raise. The man arrived home to a beautiful table set with their best china. Candles were lighted. His wife had prepared a festive meal. Immediately he figured that someone from the office had tipped her off! Finding his wife in the kitchen, he told her the good news. They embraced and kissed, then sat down to a wonderful meal. Next to his plate the man found a beautiful lettered note. It read “Congratulations, darling! I knew you'd get the raise! These things will tell you how much I love you.” While on his way to the kitchen, to get desert he noticed that a second card had fallen from her pocket. Picking it off the floor, he read: “Don't worry about not getting the raise! You deserve it anyway! These things will tell you how much I love you. Total acceptance! Total love. Her love for him was not contingent upon his success at work. In fact, just the opposite. If he were to fail at the office, if he were to be rejected by his boss he'd be all the more accepted at home. She stood behind him no matter what; softening the blows, healing the wounds, believing in him, loving him. We can be rejected by almost anyone if we're loved by one.

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It takes ... 3 seconds to say, “I love you”, 3 minutes to explain it,

8 THE CHOICE

3 hours to demonstrate it, 3 days to appreciate it, 3 trimester to produce it, But a LIFETIME to prove it! The human heart feels things the eyes cannot see, and knows what the mind cannot understand.

“Love is the light that guides the feet of man in the wilderness.”

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The Choice

A woman came out of her house and saw three old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said, “I don't think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat.” “Is the man of the house home?” they asked. “No,” she said, “he's out.” “Then we cannot come in,” they replied. In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened. “Go tell them I am home and invite them in!” The woman went out and invited the men in. “We do not go into a house together,” they replied. “Why is that?” she wanted to know. One of the old men explained, “His name is Wealth,” pointing to one of his friends, and then, pointing to the other one, “He is Success, and I am Love.” Then he added, “Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us, you want in your home.” The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. “How nice!” he said. “since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come in and fill our home with wealth!” His wife disagreed. “My dear, why don't we invite Success?” Their daughter-in-law was listening from another corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: “Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!” “Let us heed our daughter-in-law's advice,” said the husband to his wife.” Go out and invite Love to be our guest.” The woman went out and asked the three old men, “Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest.” Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other two also got up and followed him. Surprised, the woman asked Wealth and 30

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Success: “I only invited Love, why are you coming in?” The old men replied together: “ If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would have stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever he goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is Wealth and Success!!!”

9 THE STRUGGLES “Whatever is to our advantage will appear right to us; We do not usually look upon a matter from the other fellow's standpoint.”

Sunrays for Sunday

The Struggles

The struggles are just natural……….leave it to God. A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then, it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further. So, the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly. What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon. Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly!

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10 CRACKED POTS

“The three ‘H’ principle as told by Baba:

“Do not crave for recognition and respect from others, crave rather for winning grace from the Lord.”

Harmony in the Head; Harmony in the Heart; Harmony in the Hand.”

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Cracked Pots

A water bearer in India had two large pots, one each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishment, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream, “ I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.” “Why?” asked the waterbearer. “What are you ashamed of?” “I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts”, the Pot said, crying bitterly. The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, “As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.” Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it to some extent. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and 38

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so again it apologized to the bearer for his flaw. The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the

11 COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years, I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.” Each of us has flaws. We're all cracked pots, however in God's

“To ease the strains of carrying on one's duties, these should be done while repeating the name of God.”

great economy, nothing goes to waste. So as God calls you to do the tasks appointed for you, don't be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them. You are the cause of the Beauty on the Pathway.

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Count your Blessings

It was a bright sunny morning and Priya set out to do her numerous household chores dashing from one shop to the other, marking time and cross checking her 'to-do' list time and again. Time rushed by, her legs and feet ached with all the running around, but all the odd jobs were not yet done. She glanced impatiently at her wristwatch while waiting at the red light amongst tens of cars honking away, each one wanting to be the first one to move ahead. “Oh God! My feet are killing me, I am so tired!” She said to herself. Soon, she reached the tailor's corner shop, she honked and yelled, “Can you please handover to me the pants my son gave to you for alteration yesterday? I am in a hurry!” The tailor, gave the packet to a boy standing near him and said, “Just pass it to the lady in the car and get the payment”. She called out again, “Can you come here, please, I need to have a word with you.” “Ma’am, both my legs are cut, I cannot come to you!” Casting her eyes to the ground she stepped out of her car, and went up to talk to him. Having finished, she drove to her children's school to pick them up; but she could not get the tailor out of her mind. As she proceeded to the school parking lot and the school bell rang, she noticed a boy being carried by an autorickshaw driver in his arms. He had obviously carried him down from the class. He put him down in the autorickshaw seat. His legs were like sticks! A victim of polio! Minutes later, her children were in the car and as they sped away towards home, she noticed that her son looked upset over something. “What's wrong?” she asked. He said quietly, “Mama, do you remember, I told you that Arun's leg had 42

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developed gangrene after the injury, they finally had to amputate half of it this morning, the principal told all the boys to pray for his recovery.” With tears in her eyes, she thanked God that her legs ached. “If only I have legs, do they ache, I'll never complain about my

12 A WHISPER OR A BRICK?

aching legs again, so help me Lord.” Count your blessings, before you count your complaints. Look around and you will know, how blessed you are. You are God's special child, and He loves you.

“The right angle to approach a difficult problem, is the “try-angle”.”

Sunrays for Sunday

A whisper or a brick

A young and successful executive was driving down a residential area, he was going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought, he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the car's side. He slammed on the brakes and spun the car back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. He jumped out of the car, grabbed the kid standing on the side and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, “What was all that about and who are you? Why did you do it? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money.” “Please Mister, Please I'm sorry! I didn't know what else to do,” pleaded the youngster. “I threw the brick because no one else would stop...” Tears were dripping down the boy's chin as he pointed around the parked car. “It's my brother,” he said. “He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up”. Sobbing, the boy asked the executive, “Would you please help me get him back into his wheel chair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me.” Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump on his throat. He lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapes and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be okay. “Thank you and may God bless you,” the grateful child said to him.

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The man then watched the little boy push his brother down the sidewalk towards their home. It was a long walk back to his Jaguar. He never got the dent in the side repaired. He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life so fast, that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention.

13 FOOTSTEPS IN THE SAND

In the same way God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It's our choice: Listen to the whisper or wait

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wherever people cry for God, there God will be.â&#x20AC;?

for the brick!!!

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Footsteps in the Sand

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed that he was walking along the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand : one belonging to him, and the other to the LORD. When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life. This really bothered him and he questioned the LORD about it. “LORD, you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most, you would leave me.” The LORD replied, “My son, My precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.” Often we say that God does not listen to our cries. If only we are able to call out from within our hearts, can we make ourselves be heard by Him. Even the Lord yearns for His children to call out to Him, just as a mother always keeps an eye on her child but actually goes to him, only when he cries or needs her.

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14 KEEPER OF THE SPRING “The Lord will be watching with a thousand eyes, the least activity of man to discover any slight trace of selfless love, sweetening it.” “As close as you are to God,

So close is God to you.”

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Keeper of the Spring

This is the story of the “Keeper of the Spring,” a quiet forest dweller who lived high above an Austrian village along the eastern slope of the Alps. The old gentleman had been hired many years earlier by a young town councilman to clear away the debris from the pools of water up in the mountain crevices that fed the lovely spring flowing through their town. With faithful, silent regularity, he patrolled the hills, removed the leaves and branches, and wiped away the silt that would otherwise have choked and contaminated the fresh flow of water. The village soon became a popular attraction for vacationers. Graceful swans floated along the crystal clear spring, the mill wheels of various businesses located near the water turned day and night, farmlands were naturally irrigated, and the view from restaurants was picturesque beyond description. Years passed. One evening, the town council met for its semiannual meeting. As they reviewed the budget, one man's eye caught the salary figure being paid to the obscure keeper of the spring. Said the keeper of the purse, “Who is the old man? Why do we keep him year after year? No one ever sees him. For all we know, the strange ranger of the hills is doing us no good. He isn't necessary any longer.” By a unanimous vote, they dispensed with the old man's services. For several weeks, nothing changed. By early autumn, the trees began to shed their leaves. Small branches snapped of and fell into the pools, hindering the rushing flow of sparkling water. One afternoon someone noticed a slight yellowish-brown tint in the spring. A few days 54

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later, the water was much darker. Within another week, a slimy film covered sections of the water along the banks, and a foul odor was soon detected. The mill wheels moved more slowly, some finally ground to a halt. Swans left, as did the tourists. Clammy fingers of disease and sickness reached deeply into the village. Quickly, the embarrassed council called a special meeting.

15 EFFICACY OF THE NAME OF SRI RAMA

Realizing their gross error in judgement, they rehired the old keeper of the spring, and within a few weeks, the veritable river of life began to clear up. The wheels started to turn, and new life returned to the hamlet in the Alps. Never become discouraged with the seeming smallness of

“The name of the Lord is more powerful than the form of the Lord.”

your task, job, or life. Cling fast to the words of Edward Everett Hale: “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something I can do.” The key to accomplishment is believing that what you can do will make a difference.

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Efficacy of the name of Sri Rama

Once Narada approached Lord Narayana with a query, “Swami, I want to know the meaning of the word Rama”. Narayana said, “Do you not know the meaning of the word Rama? Go and ask the parrot on that tree to explain”. In obedience to God he went and asked the parrot, “Oh parrot!, what is the meaning of this word Rama” the parrot fell down dead! Narada thought Rama means ‘Death’ since the parrot had died instantly. He was determined to find out the significance of this event. He went back to Narayana. “Narayana, I asked the parrot as you had instructed, but the parrot died the moment I uttered the word Rama”. “What a sin!” Narayana replied “Narada, since you have made up your mind to know the meaning of Rama, you go and ask that newborn calf the meaning of Rama.” Narada went to the newborn calf pointed by Narayana. He looked all around to make sure the owner was not around just in case the calf also died. He asked the calf very softly, “Oh calf, what is the meaning of Rama?” The moment the calf heard the word Rama its tail trembled and the calf also fell down dead! What was to be done? Narada fled from there before the owner arrived. He went to Narayana, “Narayana, the same thing happened! Is death the only meaning of Rama?” Narayana replied, “No! No! There is a king on earth who has a newborn son. Ask the baby the meaning of Rama. He will tell you. This is God's command”. Narada went a small distance and returned, “Narayana, the bird had none to protect it, nor did the calf. I was not accountable to anyone. But if the prince dies, then I shall no longer be able to see you and sing your glory.” Narayana said, “Whatever happens is God's will.” Narada went to the king. The king received Narada, warmly

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praising him as the Brahma Putra. The servants brought the newly born child for blessings. Narada recited a number of mantras and gave him all sorts of blessings for a long life before putting the crucial question to the baby.. The king did not know any Sanskrit. Narada spoke as if he was still reciting a mantra and asked in a musical tone, “Oh Prince, what is the meaning of the word Rama.”

16 AN UNUSUAL TRAINING

The baby at once smiled, and Narada smiled back, now that he was assured of his own safety. The boy did not die and Narada felt this was his good luck. The baby then spoke, “Oh Brahmaputra, Narada, you have acquired all the 64 types of knowledge. But you do not know the meaning of the Lord's name! Listen to me. I shall

“Do good, See good, Be good, This is the way to God.”

tell you. I had taken the form of a parrot and when I heard the name of Rama from your lips I left my body; because of Rama's name my life was redeemed. Then I took a higher birth as a calf. You again wanted to know the meaning of Rama. Again I left that body too after hearing the name of the Lord from you. Now I am born a prince. By merely listening to God's name I have climbed these steps in the ladder of evolution,- a parrot, a calf and now a prince. I have attained this exalted position by merely listening to the word Rama. Imagine then how much power there is in chanting the name of Rama.” “Rama se bara Rama ka Naam”. It is said that in the Kaliyuga, chanting the name of the Lord is enough to redeem you from the cycle of birth and death. It is the easiest way to attain Moksha (salvation).

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An Unusual Trainning

At a self-service shop one of the salesmen keeps an eye on a six-year-old boy. He has been wandering round the aisles of the most attractive part of the shop several times, looking at the shelves packed with various items. But he neither touches nor buys anything except for a few things that already lie in his wire basket. Chocolate in shining paper and sweets in colourful wrappers are very alluring. But, when an accurately counted sum of money which mum gave for salt, pepper and matches tingles in his pocket, a lot of courage is needed to pass calmly by so many tempting things. Salesmen are well aware of these temptations that shoppers with lots of desires and little money have and they try to get rid of them as soon as possible. “Hey, kid, why are you hanging around not buying anything?” the salesman asks the boy. “This is your third time round, looking at the shelves. Make up your mind what to buy or go home.” “I'm not going to buy anything else,” the boy answers calmly. “Then, what are you looking for here?” “Nothing. I'm only training.” “Training? .... Is this a race-tracker?” “I'm training my honesty!” “What?” asks the salesman with eyes wide open. “You're training honesty?” He has never heard such an answer. Now the boy aroused his interest. He seems honest, he has a frank and trustworthy look. He didn't even blush or get confused when he spoke to him. But that training.... He still doesn't understand that stuff. Trying not to burst into laughter, he asks him seriously: “And how do you train your honesty?” “Here's how! When mum sends me to the shop first I buy the items she told me to. Later I pass several times by the shelf 62

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with chocolate and I look at them…. and they look at me .... And the more they look at me, the more I frown and think: 'go on, look at me! I don't care about you! ... Not a bit!...' At first it wasn't easy to think like that but now I have already managed. And I don't frown. Look at me passing by so easily.”

17 BEAUTIFUL PEARLS

The salesman laughed heartily. He was sure the little boy was telling the truth. Since then nobody has had any doubts as to the little shopper's honesty. Whenever he enters the shop everybody feel warmth in their hearts and all the salesmen say: “Here's our little boy who trains his honesty!” The formative years of the child are best time to inculcate good values and it is the duty of the parents to make sure that they build a strong foundation therein. These values would stay with the child even after the parents are gone and the fragrance of these values emanating from within the child would be an

“God is always ready to give you all that you need but you do not seem to know what is good for you and what you really want. So it is better and easier to surrender yourself completely to God and simply ask for His Grace.”

ample proof of his good upbringing.

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Beautiful Pearls

Jenny was a bright-eyed, pretty five-year-old girl. One day at the grocery store, Jenny saw a plastic pearl necklace priced at $2.50. How she wanted that necklace, and when she asked her mother if she would buy it for her, her mother said, “Well, it is a pretty necklace, but it costs an awful lot of money. I'll tell you what. I'll buy you the necklace, and we can make up a list of chores that you can do to pay for it.” Jenny worked on her chores very hard every day to pay off the pearls she loved so much. She wore them everywhere. Now Jenny had a very loving daddy, he would read her a bed time story every night. One night when he finished the story, he said, “Jenny, do you love me?” “Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you,” the little girl said. “Well, then, give me your pearls.” “Oh! Daddy, not my pearls!” Jenny said. “But you can have Rosy, my favourite doll. Remember her? You gave her to me last year for my birthday.” “Oh no, darling, that's okay.” Her father brushed her cheek with a kiss. “Good night, little one.” Every night Daddy would ask her the same question, and get an offer for everything else except the pearls. Several days later, when Jenny's father came in to read her a 66

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story, Jenny was sitting on her bed and her lip was trembling. “Here, Daddy,” she said, and slipped the pearls into her father's hand. With one hand her father held the plastic pearls and with the other he pulled out of his pocket a blue velvet box. Inside the

18 IT WASN ’T YOUR BABY

box were real, genuine, beautiful pearls. He had had them all along. He was waiting for Jenny to give up the cheap stuff so he could give her the real thing. So it is with GOD. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so he can give us beautiful treasure.

“You may be able to pay back any debt; but the debt you owe your mother, you can never repay.”

This makes me think about the things I hold on to and wonder what God wants to give me in their place.

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It wasn't your baby

There were two warring tribes in the Andes, one that lived in the lowlands and the other high in the mountains. The mountain people invaded the lowlanders one day, and as part of their plundering of the people, they kidnapped a baby of one of the lowlander families and took the infant with them back up into the mountains. The lowlanders didn't know how to climb the mountain. They didn't know any of the trails that the mountain people used, and they didn't know where to find the mountain people or how to track them in the steep terrain. Even so, they sent out their best party of fighting men to climb the mountain and bring the baby home. The men tried first one method of climbing and then another. They tried one trail and then another. After several days of efforts, however, they had climbed only several hundred feet. Feeling hopeless and helpless, the lowlander men decided that the cause was lost, and they prepared to return to their village below. As they were packing their gear for the descent, they saw the baby's mother walking towards them. They realized that she was coming down the mountain that they hadn't figured out how to climb. And then they saw that she had the baby strapped to her back. How could that be? One man greeted her and said, “We couldn't climb this mountain. How did you do this when we, the strongest and most able men in the village, couldn't do it?” She shrugged her shoulders and said, “It wasn't your baby.”

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Such is the power of love of the mother. Mother is indeed an embodiment of selfless love and sacrifice. The Hindus worship five mothers namely, the Mother who has given birth to us, the Mother Earth, the Mother Cow, our Motherland and the Divine Mother. When Baba says “Revere your Mother as God”, let us remember all our five Mothers.

19 MUMMY, I LOVE YOU “If you honour your mother, the Mother of the Universe will guard you against harm.”

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Mummy, I Love You

A man stopped at a flower shop to order some flowers to be wired to his mother who lived two hundred miles away. As he got out of his car he noticed a young girl sitting on the curb sobbing. He asked her what was wrong and she replied, “ I wanted to buy a red rose for my mother. But I only have seventy five cents and a rose costs two dollars.” The man smiled and said, “Come on in with me. I'll buy you a rose.” He bought the little girl her rose and ordered his mother's flowers. As they were leaving he offered the girl a ride home, She said, “Yes, please! You can take me to my mother.” She directed him to a cemetery, where she placed the rose on a freshly dug grave. The man returned to the flower shop, cancelled the wire order, picked up a bouquet and drove the two hundred miles to his mother's home. Treat your parents well while they are still healthy and alive, do not only show your respect to them when they are in the grave.

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20 NO PAIN NO GAIN

“Be an instrument in the hands of God. Let Him use you for any purpose He prefers. How can anyone question His will?”

“Humility and obedience are the qualities of a devotee. Be a servant of God. Feel that you are an Instrument in His Hand. Let Him shape you and use you as He knows best.”

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No Pain No Gain

There was this museum laden with beautiful marble tiles, with a huge marble statue displayed in the middle of the lobby. Many people came from all over the world just to admire this beautiful marble statue. One night, one of the marble tiles started talking to the marble statute. Marble tile

“Marble statute, it's just not fair! Why does everybody from all over the world come all the way here just to step on me while admiring you? Not fair!”

Marble statue

“My dear friend, marble tile. Do you still remember that we are actually from the same cave?”

Marble tile

“Yeah! That's why I feel it is even more unfair. We were born from the same cave and yet we receive different treatment now. Not fair!” He cried again.

Marble statue

Do you remember the sculptor?

Marble tile

“Yes, of course I remember. I hate that guy! How could he use those tools on me, they hurt so badly”.

Marble statue

“That's right! He couldn't work on you at all as you resisted being worked on”.

Marble tile

“So?”

Marble statue

“When he decided to give up on you and start 79

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working on me instead, I knew at once that I would be something different after his efforts. I did not resist his tools, instead I bore all the painful tools he used on me”. Marble tile

“Mmmmmmm..….....”

Marble statue

“My friend, there is a price you have to pay for

21 NOURISHMENT FOR THE SOUL

everything in life. Since you decided to give up half way, you can't blame anybody who steps on you now”. It simply means that the more hard knocks we go through in life, the more we'll learn and put them to use in the future! Let us never be discouraged by setbacks, hardships and failures.

“Prayer is the key of the morning and the bolt of the evening. Learn to be happy and be content where you are, do not run anywhere to secure happiness and contentment, have inner riches, not outer acquisitions.”

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Nourishment for the Soul

A Churchgoer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. “I've gone for 30 years now,” he wrote, “and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons to all.” This started a real controversy in the “Letters to the Editor” column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: “I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals for me. But for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu of a single one of those meals. But I do know this.- They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!” When you are DOWN to nothing ...... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical ……..AND .. our spiritual nourishment!.

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22 THINK BEFORE YOU ACT “Test all your actions, words and thoughts on this touchstone:—Will this be approved by God? Offer your entire self, your entire life to Him.”

“However much you try to fill water in a leaking bucket, it will never fill. Similarly, however much we are taught at places of worship or at school, if we do not put it into practice, we cannot improve.”

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Think before you act

This is a true story. A man came out of his home to admire his new truck. To his astonishment, his three-year-old son was happily hammering dents into the shiny paint. The man ran to his son and knocked him away. Blinded with rage, he hammered the little boy's hands into a pulp as punishment. When the child started howling in agony, he realized what he had done and rushed his son to the hospital. Although the doctor tried desperately to save the crushed bones, he finally had to amputate the fingers from both the boy's hands. When the boy woke up from the surgery & saw his bandaged stubs, he innocently said, “Daddy, I'm sorry about your truck.” Then he asked, “but when are my fingers going to grow back?” The father went home & committed suicide. Think about this the next time you see someone spill milk at a dinner table or hear a baby crying. Think first before you lose your patience with someone you love. Trucks can be repaired. Broken bones & hurt feelings often can't. Too often we fail to recognize the difference between the person and the performance. People make mistakes. We are allowed to make mistakes. But the actions we take while in a rage will haunt us forever. Think before you act.

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23 WEAKNESS OR STRENGTH? “Faith is like our life-breath. It is impossible to live even for a minute in this world without Faith.”

“Buddhist wheel: Remember the wheel of cause and consequence, of deed and destiny, and the wheel of dharma that rights them all.”

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Weakness or Strength ?

This is the story of a 10-year-old boy who decided to study Judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident. The boy began lessons with an old Japanese Judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn't understand why, after three months of training, the master had taught him only one move. “Sensei,” the boy finally said, “Shouldn't I be learning more moves?” “This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you'll ever need to know,” the sensei replied. Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training. Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals. This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened. “No,” the Sensei insisted, “Let him continue.” Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion! On the way home, the boy and sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind. “Sensei, how did I win the 90

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tournament with only one move?” “You won for two reasons,” the sensei answered. “First, you've almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of Judo. And second, the only known defence for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm.”

24 SAND AND STONE

The boy's biggest weakness had become his biggest strength! Faith in the Guru is essential if you want to excel and succeed. This holds true in sports, studies, spiritual advancement or any other walk of life.

“Forget the harm that anyone has done to you, and forget the good that you have done to others.”

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Sand and Stone

Two friends were walking on a beach by the sea. While discussing a point, they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped felt hurt, but without saying anything, he wrote in the sand: “Today my best friend slapped me in the face.” They kept on walking until it was low tide and they decided to take a dip on the sea. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the slush and started drowning, but his friend saved him. After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: “Today my best friend saved my life.” The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, “After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now you write on a stone. Why?” The other friend replied: “When someone hurts us, we should write it down in the sand where the waves of the sea and the winds of forgiveness can erase it away! But when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind or water can ever erase it!!!” Learn to write your hurts in the sand and to carve your blessings on a stone or in your heart.

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25 HOW MUCH FOR AN HOUR? “We make a living by what we get, We make a life by what we give.”

“Christian cross: Cut the "I" feeling clean across and let your ego die on the cross, to endow on you Eternity. ”

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How much for an Hour ?

A man came home from work late again, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door. “Daddy, may I ask you a question?” “Yeah, sure, what is it?” replied the man. “Daddy, how much money do you make in an hour?” “That's none of your business. What makes you ask such a thing?” the man said angrily. “I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?” pleaded the little boy. “If you must know, I make $20.00 an hour.” “Oh,” the little boy replied, head bowed. Looking up, he said, “Daddy, may I borrow $10.00 please?” The father was furious. “If the only reason you wanted to know how much money I make is just so that you can borrow some, to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you're being so selfish. I work long, hard hours everyday and don't have time for such childish games.” The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even madder about the little boy's questioning. “How dare he ask such questions only to get some money.” After a little while, the man had calmed down, and started to think that he may have been a little hard on his son. Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10.00 and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door. “Are you asleep, son?” he asked. “No daddy, I'm awake,” replied the boy. “I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier,” said the man. “It's been a long day and I took my aggravation out on you. Here's that $10.00 you asked for.” The 98

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little boy sat straight up, beaming. “Oh, thank you daddy” he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some more crumpled up bills and some coins. The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money and then looked up at his father.

26 THANKS FOR YOUR TIME

“Why did you want more money if you already had some?” the father growled. “Because I didn't have enough, but now I do,” the little boy replied. “Daddy, I have $20.00 now. Can I buy an hour of your time?”

“It is the power of love that is responsible for the earth to rotate without a pivot.”

Time is perhaps the most precious commodity we can give to our children, wonder why we are so stingy when it comes to giving it?

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Thanks for your time

Arun got a call from his mother one day, saying, “Mr Khanna died last night, and the funeral is on Wednesday.” Old childhood memories flashed by his mind as he heard her. All the boyish pranks, he had learnt from his old neighbour, Mr Khanna; all the time he had spent with him hearing stories and learning carpentry came back to him in a trice. He mumbled, “Oh! I'm sorry mom, I thought he must have died years ago.” “Arun, after your dad died, Mr Khanna, tried his best to fill the gap in your life.” “Yes mom, I'll be there for the funeral.” Arun took an early flight on Wednesday, and was in time for the funeral, which was a quiet affair. Later, he visited the old man's house with his mother. Everything was just the same, as he remembered it. Suddenly he stopped, and said, “Mom, the box is gone.” She asked with surprise, “What box?” “On the top of his desk, there was a little gold box, he never allowed me to open it, he said, it held something very precious.” Soon, Arun returned back home. He found a note in his mailbox saying. “A parcel, waiting for you, at the post office, need your signature, please contact within a week.” Arun claimed, from the postmaster, a shabby looking cardboard box, which looked like it had been mailed a 100 years ago. The letter attached, said, “Please mail to Arun Bhalla, on my death.” A small gold key was taped to the letter. With trembling hands he opened the packing, and sure enough the gold box was in there! He turned the key in the little lock, to find a shiny gold watch inside, along with a note, “Arun, thanks for your time! Sanjeev Khanna.” “The thing he valued most … was … my time.” Tears sprang to 102

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his eyes as he held the watch close to his heart. Then he called his office, and told his assistant, “Cancel all appointments for the next two days, I need to spend some time with my son, Oh! And by the way Anchal …. Thanks for your time!” Life is not measured by the breaths we take but by the

27 THE SATSANG EFFECT

moments that take our breath away.

“The easiest and most fruitful method of keeping yourself free from dust and rust is Satsang (Good Company).”

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The Satsang Effect

In my childhood I had learnt a song at school about raindrops which said,“… the Brook becomes a river and the river flows for ever till the rain drops come home again upon the salty seas ….” Man by nature is gregarious and in the game of life too, team effort leads to victory more often than individual effort. Team members are bonded together by Sankirtan, by singing the glory of the Supreme One. By joint efforts we can more easily cross the ocean than by wielding the oars alone. This is the Satsang Effect! Just as the raindrops came clattering down the rooftops, I heard them talking to one another. Lending a keen ear to the sound of pitter-patter. I heard, Pitter saying to Patter, “Onwards, we go, on our journey to the ocean. It's a long way and it's simply impossible for me to reach there alone! Why don't we join hands!” And Patter exclaimed, “Well, that should be perfect, let's call Putter and Potter too!” Lo and behold! They all gathered to form a trickle of water and many such trickles merged to make a stream! Many such streams converged in to form rivulets and then a mighty river! Finally all the raindrops managed to reach the ocean!! Team effort pays!! Only some raindrops are lucky enough to rain straight into the ocean. Most may fall on hills or plains and then the journey starts! Similarly, a single person may or may not be able to make it to the Lord, but when all of us get together, hauling each other along, we can surely make it. Just as all the rivers merge in the ocean, all the mantras lead to God. On merger, individual identity is lost. 106

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28 OVERPOWER EVIL “Duty without love is deplorable; Duty with love is desirable; Love without duty is divine.”

“Islamic crescent and star: Be like the star, which never wavers from the crescent but is fixed in steady faith.”

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Over Power Evil

A long time ago in China, a girl named Li-Li couldn't get along with her mother-in-law at all. Li-Li and her mother-in-law were always arguing and fighting. Li-Li had to bow to her mother-inlaw and obey her every wish. All the anger and unhappiness in the house was causing Li-Li's poor husband great distress. Finally, Li-Li could not stand her mother-in-law's bad temper and dictatorship any longer, and she decided to do something about it. Li-Li went to, Mr. Huang, who sold herbs. She asked if he would give her some poison so that she could solve the problem once and for all. After much contemplation, Mr. Huang gave her a package of herbs. He told Li-Li, â&#x20AC;&#x153;You can't use a quick-acting poison to get rid of your mother-in-law, because that would cause people to become suspicious. Therefore, I have given you a number of herbs that will slowly build up poison in her body. Every other day prepare some delicious meal and put a little of these herbs in her serving. Now, in order to make sure that nobody suspects you when she dies, you must be very careful to act very friendly towards her. Don't argue with her, obey her every wish, and treat her like a queen.â&#x20AC;? She thanked Mr. Huang and hurried home to start her plot of murdering her mother-in-law. Weeks went by, and months went by, and every other day, Li-Li served the specially treated food to her mother-in-law. Li-Li had practiced controlling her temper to avoid suspicion. She hadn't had an argument with her mother-in-law in six months because she now seemed much kinder and easier to get along with. The mother-in-law's attitude toward Li-Li changed, and she began to love Li-Li like her own daughter. One day, Li-Li came to see Mr. Huang and asked for his help 110

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again. She said, “Dear Mr. Huang, please help me to keep the poison from killing my mother-in-law! She's changed into such a nice woman. I do not want her to die.” Mr. Huang smiled. “Li-Li, I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were vitamins to improve her health. The only

29 TRIPLE FILTER

poison was in your mind and your attitude toward her, but that has been all washed away by the love which you gave to her.” MORAL: How you treat others is exactly how they will treat you. There is a wise Chinese saying: 'The person who loves others will also be loved in return.'

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“Youth must learn to hear with their own ears, see with their own eyes, and not be influenced, by other's eyes and ears.”

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Triple Filter

In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, “Do you know what I just heard about your friend?” “Hold on a minute,” Socrates replied. “Before telling me anything I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test.” “Triple Filter?” “That's right,” Socrates continued. “Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you're going to say. That's why I call it the triple filter test”. “The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?” “No.” the man said, “actually I just heard about it and ...” “All right,” said Socrates. “So you don't really know if it's true or not.” “Now let's try the second filter, the filter of goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend, something good?” “No, on the contrary...” “So,” Socrates continued, “you want to tell me something bad about him, but you're not certain it's true. You may still pass the test though, because there's one filter left; the filter of usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?” “No, not really.” “Well,” concluded Socrates, “if what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?” This is why Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem. Friends, let us use this triple filter each time we hear loose talk about anyone. Every time we hear evil, see evil, think evil, talk evil or indulge in evil actions, we are wasting a lot of our energy. 114

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Consequently, we are so much sapped of energy having indulged in useless talk or futile jobs, that we are unable to achieve the desired standard of excellence in whatever we actually need to do well. So let us channelize our energy in the right direction. Baba says, “See good, Be good and Do good. This is the way to God.”

30 THE 7 WONDERS OF THE WORLD “If you do not rise above the things of the world, they will rise above you.”

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The 7 Wonders of the World

A group of students was asked to list what they thought were the present 'Seven Wonders of the World'. Though there was some disagreement, the following got the most votes: 1.

Egypt's Great Pyramids

Taj Mahal

Grand Canyon

Panama Canal

Empire State Building

St. Peter's Basilica

China's Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one quiet student hadn't turned in her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The girl replied, “Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many.” The teacher said, “Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help.” The girl hesitated, then read, “I think the 'Seven Wonders of the World' are: 1. to touch 2. to taste 3. to see 4. to hear

She hesitated a little, and then added

5. to feel 6. to laugh 7. and to love ! The room was so full of silence you could have heard a pin drop. Those things we overlook as simple and “ordinary” are truly wondrous. A gentle reminder that the most precious 118

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things are before you: your family, your faith, your love, your good health and your friends.

31 THE APPLE TREE â&#x20AC;&#x153;One who has the true spirit of sacrifice gives to others without any hesitation or reservation, smilingly and gladly, even his dearest and highest possession.â&#x20AC;?

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The Apple Tree

A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play around it everyday. He climbed to the tree top, ate the apples, took a nap under the shadow... He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him. Time went by... the little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree everyday. One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad. “Come and play with me,” the tree said to the boy. “I am no longer a kid, I don't play around trees anymore.” The boy replied, “I want toys. I need money to buy them.” “Sorry, but I don't have money...but you can pick all my apples and sell them. Then you will have money.” The boy was very excited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy never came back after he picked the apples. The tree was sad. One day, the boy returned and the tree was so excited. “Come and play with me” the tree said. “I don't have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?” “Sorry, I don't have a house. But you can chop off my branches to build your house.” So the boy cut all the branches off the tree and left happily.The tree was glad to see him happy but the boy never came back. The tree was again lonely and sad. One hot summer day, the boy returned and the tree was delighted. “Come and play with me!” the tree said. “I am sad and getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat?” “Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy.” So the boy cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and never showed up for a long time.

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Finally, the boy returned after many years. “Sorry, my boy. But I don't have anything for you anymore. No more apples for you...” the tree said. “I don't have teeth to bite” the boy replied. “No more trunk for you to climb on” “I am too old for that now” the boy said. “I really can't give you anything, the only thing left is my dying roots” the tree said with tears. “I don't need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years.” The boy replied. Moved by the boy's plight the tree said,“Good! Old

32 WHY WAS RADHA DEAR TO THE LORD?

tree roots is the best place to lean on and rest. Come, Come sit down with me and rest.” The boy sat down and the tree was glad, it smiled with tears.......

“Love is selflessness; selfishness is lovelessness.” This is a story for everyone. The tree is our parents. When we were young, we loved to play with Mom and Dad. When we grew up, we left them..., only came to them when we needed something or when we were in trouble. No matter what, your parents will always be there to give everything they can to make you happy. You may think the boy is cruel to the tree but that is how all of us are treating our parents.

Love your parents, no matter where they are and what they are.

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Why was Radha dear to the Lord ?

Sri Krishna lay ill. His pure, tender body was inflamed with fever. No drugs or charms had any effect. The Mother, Yashoda, felt deeply worried. She asked Krishna, “Shyama, my darling, we have tried everything within our power but your fever keeps mounting. Won't you tell me what will make you well once again?” Sri Krishna smiled and said, “Ma, only one thing can cure me”. “What is it my child? Tell me that I may procure it without delay”. Krishna said, “Mother, apply the dust of the feet of someone who loves me dearly on my forehead and I shall get well”. “That is easily done!” said Yashoda, “The whole town is full of gopis and gopas who love you more than life itself. Soon I shall bring what you need”. Yashoda goes out. She enters the house of a gopi. “Welcome, Mother,” says the gopi. “What can I do for you?” Yashoda explains to her the situation and asks for the dust of the gopi's feet. As the gopi listens to this strange request, the colour of her countenance changes, “Mother!” she says, you know fully well that there is nothing in the world I would keep from Beloved Shyama. I would gladly lay down my life for his sake. But this I can never do. For it is laid down in the scriptures that a devotee goes to hell if the dust of her feet touches the forehead of the Lord”. Yashoda moves from house to house. All the gopis and gopas tell her that if Sri Krishna wants their heads, they will gladly sever them with their own hands and place them at His feet. But they will never commit a crime of which the penalty is hell. 126

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At last, Yashoda meets Radha. To her, she makes the same request. And Radha says to her, “Mother! All that I have belongs to Shyama. Take what you will the dust of my feet or the crown of my head! All, is consecrated to the Lord!” Surprised, Yashoda says, “Radha, do you know what it means? Whoever gives the dust of her feet to the Lord has to go to

33 RIGHT DECISION-NO REGRETS

hell!” Calmly answers Radha, “Blessed, indeed, would I be if for the sake of the Lord I go to hell! Take the dust of my feet, Mother, and do not delay. If only that the Lord gets well, I shall gladly endure the tortures of a hundred hells!” Yashoda is speechless.

“Give up; do not grasp in clenched fists. Release; do not bind and get bound.”

In silent wonder she gazes at Radha's face. Yashoda picks up a little of the dust of Radha's feet and returns home to find Krishna hale and hearty. Yashoda now realizes that Krishna's fever was his Leela to bring out the selfless devotion of Radha.

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Right Decision-No Regrets

At the 1924 Olympic games in Paris, the sport of canoe racing was added to the list of international competitions. The favourite team in the four-man canoe race was the United States Team. One member of that team was a young man by the name of Bill Havens. As the time for the Olympics neared, it became clear that Bill's wife would give birth to their first child about the time the US Team would be competing in the Paris games. In 1924 there were no jet airliners from Paris to the United States, only slow ocean-going ships. And so Bill found himself in a dilemma. Should he go to Paris and risk not being at his wife's side when their baby was born? Or should he withdraw from the team and remain with his family? Bill's wife insisted that he go to Paris. After all, competing in the Olympics was the culmination of a life-long dream. But Bill felt conflicted and, after much soul searching, decided to withdraw from the competition and remain home, where he could support his wife when the child arrived. He considered being at her side his highest priority even higher than going to Paris to fulfill his dream. As it turned out, the United States four-man canoe team won the gold medal in Paris. And Bill's wife was late in giving birth to their child. She was so late, in fact, that Bill could have competed in the event and returned home in time to be with her when she gave birth. People said, “What a shame” But Bill said he had “No regrets.” For the rest of his life he believed he had made the right decision .

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Bill Havens knew what was most important to him. Not everybody figures that out. And he acted on what he believed was best. Not everybody has the strength of character to say no to something he or she truly wants in order to say yes to something that truly matters. But for Bill, it was the only way to peace; the only way to no regrets.

34 PRIORITISE YOUR TIME

There is an interesting sequel to the story of Bill Havens. The Child eventually born to Bill and his wife was a boy, whom they named Frank. Twentyeight years later, in 1952, Bill received a cablegram from Frank. It was sent from Helsinki, Finland, where the 1952 Olympics were being held. The cablegram read: “DAD, I WON. I'M BRINGING HOME THE GOLD MEDAL YOU LOST WHILE WAITING FOR ME TO BE BORN.”

“Start now, with the first step, Namsmarana (remembrance of the name of the Lord); that will lead you on to the further steps, until the goal is reached.”

Frank Havens had just won the gold medal for the United States in the canoe-racing event, a medal his father had dreamed of winning but never did. Like I said, Right Decision No Regrets.

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Prioritise Your Time

One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and to drive home a point, he used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in front of the group of high-powered over-achievers, he said, “Okay, time for a quiz,” and he pulled out a one-gallon, widemouth Mason Jar and set it on the table in front of him. He also produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is this jar full? Everyone in the class yelled, “Yes”. The time management expert replied, “Really?” He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. He then asked the group once more, “Is the jar full?” By this time the class was on to him. “Probably not”, one of them answered. “Good!” he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, “Is this jar full?” “No!” the class shouted. He said, “Good”. Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?” One eager beaver raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!” “No,” the speaker replied, “that's not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is, if 134

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you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all. What are the 'big rocks' in your life, time with your loved ones, your faith, your education, your dreams, a worthy cause, teaching or mentoring others? Remember to put these big rocks in first or you'll never get them in at all.”

35 I HAVE FAITH IN YOU

So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question: What are the 'big rocks' in my life? Then, put those in your jar first.

“Kindness in words creates confidence, Kindness in thoughts creates profoundness, Kindness in giving creates love.”

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I have Faith in You

A teenager whose heart was in football, lived alone with his mother. Even though the son was always on the bench, his mother was always in the stands cheering. She never missed a game. All through high school he never missed a practice nor a game, but remained a bench warmer all four years. His faithful mother was always in the stands, always with words of encouragement for him. At college, he decided to try out for the football team as a “walk-on.” Everyone was sure he could never make the cut, but he did. The coach admitted that he kept him in because of his commitment to the game The news that he had survived the cut thrilled him so much that he rushed to the nearest phone and called up his mother. It was the end of his senior football season, and he had still never played during his four years at college, as he trotted onto the practice field shortly before the big playoff game, the coach met him with a telegram. Reading it, he became deathly silent. Swallowing hard, he mumbled to the coach, “My mother died this morning. Is it all right if I miss practice today?” The coach put his arm gently around his shoulder and said, “Take the rest of the week off, son. And don't even plan to come back to the game on Saturday.” Saturday arrived, and the game was not going well. In the third quarter, when the team was ten points behind, a silent young man quietly slipped into the empty locker room and put on his football gear. As he ran onto the sidelines, the coach and his players were astounded to see their faithful teammate back so soon. “Coach, please let me play. I've just got to play today,” said the young man. 138

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Much against his will, the coach gave in to his persistence. “All right,” he said. “You can go in.” Before long, the coach, the players and everyone in the stands could not believe their eyes. This little unknown, who had never played before, was doing everything right. The opposing team could not stop him.

36 THANK YOU LORD

He ran, blocked and tackled like a star. His team began to triumph. The score was soon tied. In the closing seconds of the game, this kid intercepted a pass and ran all the way for the winning touchdown. The fans broke loose. His teammates hoisted him onto their shoulders. Such cheering you've never heard!

“Come one, Come all. Let us not be ungrateful called. Let us faithfully serve him ….. And Love him …. Love him …. Love him ….”

After the game the coach came to him and said, “Kid, I can't believe it. You were fantastic! Tell me what got into you? How did you do it?” He looked at the coach, with tears in his eyes, and said, “Well, you knew my mom died, but did you know that my mom was blind?” The young man swallowed hard and forced a smile, “Mom came to all my games, but today was the first time she could see me play, and I wanted to show her I COULD DO IT!” Enthusiasm is more important than power and influence- it can be your greatest asset. If the flame of enthusiasm is fed by the oil of encouragement the lamp glows and its light spreads all around.

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Thank You Lord

A newly arrived soul in Heaven was met by St. Peter. The saint toured the soul around Heaven. Both of them walked side by side inside a large workroom filled with angels. St. Peter stopped in front of the first section and said, “This is the Receiving Section. Here, all the petitions to God said in prayer are received”. The soul looked at the section, and it was terribly busy with so many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets from all the people of the world. They walked again until they reached the 2nd section, and St. Peter told the soul, “This is the Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are packed and delivered to the persons who asked for them down on earth.” The soul saw how busy it was. There were so many angels working in that room since so many blessings were being packed and delivered to Earth. Finally at the farthest corner of the room, the soul stopped at the last section. To the surprise of the soul, only one angel stayed there idly, doing nothing. “This is the Acknowledging Section,” St. Peter told the soul. “How is it that, there is no work here?” “That's the sad thing,” St. Peter answered. “After the people receive the blessings they asked for, very few send their acknowledgments”. “How does one acknowledge God's blessing?” asked the soul in wonder. “Simple,” St. Peter answered, “Just say, “'Thank you, Lord'.”

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37 A TEACHER'S MAGIC “When heart speaks to heart, it is Love that is transmitted.”

A child's prayer: Thank you God for the food we eat; Thank you God for the world so sweet; Thank you God for the birds that sing; Thank you God for everything.

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A Teacher's Magic All 34 of my students in my first third grade class were dear to me, but Mark Eklund was one in a million. Very neat in appearance, but had that happy-to-be-alive attitude that made even his occasional mischievousness delightful. Mark talked incessantly. What impressed me so much, though, was his sincere response every time I had to correct him for misbehaving - “Thank you for correcting me, Sister!” I didn't know what to make of it at first, but before long I became accustomed to hearing it many times a day. One morning my patience was growing thin when Mark talked once too often, and then I made a novice-teacher's mistake. I looked at Mark and said, “If you say one more word, I am going to tape your mouth shut!” It wasn't ten seconds later when Chuck blurted out, “Mark is talking again.” Since I had stated the punishment in front of the class, I had to act on it. I remember the scene as if it had occurred this morning. I walked to my desk, very deliberately opened my drawer and took out a roll of masking tape. Without saying a word, I proceeded to Mark's desk, tore off two pieces of tape and made a big X with them over his mouth. I then returned to the front of the room. As I glanced at Mark to see how he was doing, he winked at me. That did it!! I started laughing. The class cheered as I walked back to Mark's desk, removed the tape, and shrugged my shoulders. His first words were, “Thank you for correcting me, Sister.” The years flew by, and before I knew it Mark was in my classroom again. He was more handsome than ever and just as polite. Since he had to listen carefully to my instructions in the “new math,” he did not talk as much in ninth grade as he had in third. One Friday, things just didn't feel right. So I asked all the students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then I told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down, and handover to me the papers. Charlie smiled. Mark said, “Thank you for teaching me, Sister. Have a good weekend.” That Saturday, I wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and I listed what everyone else had said about that individual. On Monday I gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. “Really?” I heard whispered. “I never knew that meant anything to anyone!” “I didn't know others liked me so much.” No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. I never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another again. That group of students moved on…

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Sunrays for Sunday Several years later, after I returned from vacation, my parents met me at the airport. As we were driving home, there was a lull in the conversation. Mother gave Dad a side-ways glance and simply said, “Dad?” My father cleared his throat as he usually did before something important. “The Eklunds called last night,” he began. “Really?” I said. “I haven't heard from them in years. I wonder how Mark is.” Dad responded quietly. “Mark was killed in Vietnam,” he said. “The funeral is tomorrow, and his parents would like it if you could attend.” I had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. Mark looked so handsome, so mature. All I could think at that moment was, Mark I would give all the masking tape in the world if only you would talk to me. The church was packed with Mark's friends. The pastor said the usual prayers. One by one those who loved Mark took a last walk by the coffin and sprinkled it with holy water. I was the last one to bless the coffin. As I stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to me. “Were you Mark's math teacher?” he asked. I nodded as I continued to stare at the coffin. “Mark talked about you a lot,” he said.

38 PUPPIES FOR SALE “Friendship is the expression of unshakeable love, love that is noble, pure, free from desire or egoism.”

After the funeral, Mark's parents were waiting for me. “We want to show you something,” his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. “They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it.” Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. I knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which I had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him. “Thank you so much for doing that,” Mark's mother said.” As you can see, Mark treasured it.” Mark's classmates started to gather around us. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, “I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home.” Chuck's wife said, “Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album.” “I have mine too,” Marilyn said.” It's in my diary.” Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. “I carry this with me at all times,” Vicki said without batting an Eyelid.” I think we all saved our lists.” That's when I finally sat down and cried. I cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again. The magic touch of his teacher remained with him always.

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Puppies for Sale

A Store owner was tacking a sign above his door that read “Puppies for Sale”. The signs have a way of attracting children. Soon a little boy appeared at the sign and asked, “How much are you going to sell those puppies for?” The store owner replied, “Anywhere from $30-$50” The little boy reached into his pocket and pulled out some change. “I have $2.37, can I look at them?” The store owner smiled and whistled. Out of the kennel came a lovely dog named Lady, running down the aisle of his store followed by five little puppies. One puppy was lagging considerably behind. Immediately the little boy singled out the lagging, limping puppy. He asked “What's wrong with that little dog?” The man explained that when the puppy was born, the vet said that this puppy had a bad hip socket and would limp for the rest of his life. The little boy got really excited and said, “That's the puppy I want to buy!” The man replied, “No, you don't want to buy that little dog. If you really want him, I'll just give him to you without any charges.” The little boy got upset. He looked straight into the man's eyes and said “I don't want you to give him to me. He is worth every bit as much as the other dogs and I'll pay the full price. In fact I will give you $ 2.37 now and 50 cents every month until I have paid for him.” The man countered, “You really don't want to buy this puppy son. He is never going to be able to run, jump and play like other puppies.” The little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted, crippled leg supported by a 150

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big metal brace. He looked up at the man and said, “Well, I don't run so well myself and the little puppy will need someone who understands.” The man was now biting his bottom lip. Tears welled up in his eyes. He smiled and said, “Son, I hope and pray that each and every one of these puppies will have an owner as good as you.”

39 REAL PEACE

IN LIFE, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO YOU ARE, BUT WHETHER SOME ONE APPRECIATES YOU FOR WHAT YOU ARE, ACCEPTS YOU AND LOVES YOU UNCONDITIONALLY. A REAL FRIEND IS ONE WHO WALKS IN WHEN THE REST OF THE WORLD WALKS AWAY.

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“Real happiness lies within you, real peace of mind has no ups and downs; it cannot be partial in adversity and whole in prosperity.”

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Real Peace

There once was a King who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The King looked at all the pictures, but there were only two he really liked and he had to choose between them. One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering mountains that were all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace. The other picture had mountains too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky from which rain fell, and in which lightning played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all. But when the King looked, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest... Perfect Peace. Which picture do you think won the prize? The King chose the second picture. Do you know why? “Because”, explained the King, “peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace.”

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40 ARE YOU ALONE ? â&#x20AC;&#x153;God alone is the giver of life, the guardian of life, and the goal of life.â&#x20AC;?

Hindu Om: Listen to the primeval Pranava (Om) resounding in your heart as well as in the heart of the Universe.

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Are you Alone ?

Guruji (term used for teacher in ancient India) had announced that the last exam was to be held today. Each boy was given a small pigeon, with instructions to kill the bird at a time and place where no one was watching. The students set off in different directions, some to the jungle, others to the stream...... Roopak killed the bird in a cave, Shant killed his pigeon behind a rock, making sure that none was watching. All of them returned back to Gurukul (term used for day boarding school in ancient India) at dusk. All had done their work. All, except Sanath, who still clung on to his beautiful white pigeon. Guruji asked, “Why, Sanath?” Sanath lowered his eyes and said, “Guruji, I hid behind the banyan tree, I hid under the cliff, I hid in the stream, but everywhere, three pairs of eyes were always watching. So I have not been able to do the work. I am very sorry.” Guruji asked, “You mean three people were watching everywhere?” Sanath replied, “Yes, every time I raised my hand to snap off its neck, the pigeon looked at me imploringly. I looked at the pigeon, thinking that I was executing my command. The third, Guruji, was the God Almighty, who is present everywhere. I could not find a place where God, the pigeon and I were not watching. God also whispered into my ear and said, 'Who are you to kill? I gave life to this bird, and I shall command the time of its death, this is not in your hands.'” Guruji embraced him tenderly and said, “You are the only one who has understood in entirety the crux of my teachings. I am very happy. I give you my blessings, my child, I am proud of you!” 158

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41 JUST PHYSICAL LOVE “No friendship in the world is permanent; it changes. That with God is permanent; it never changes. Have God as your real friend.”

“When you look at the watch remember that it reminds you to : Watch your Words Watch your Actions Watch your Thoughts Watch your Character Watch your Heart ”

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Just Physical Love

Once there was a young couple. They had just got married; in fact it was a love match too. As they were walking down a path one day very soon after the wedding, the husband noticed a thorny bush on the path. With chivalry and love he swung his bride over it so that she would not get hurt. A few years later they happened to again walk down the same path. This time he was thinking about his business and how to improve his profits; he wished his wife was more careful with money. This time when he saw the thorny bush, he didn't get alarmed; he only said, “Be careful, there is a thorny bush!” After some more years they walked the same path again. By this time his daughter's marriage was settled. He had to work out the financial details. He was too lost in thought to warn his wife about the thorny bush. She too didn't notice it and she cried with pain because she stepped on it. The husband shouted with irritation, “Don't you have eyes? Can't you look where you are walking?” Again after some more years they were walking down the same path. This time the wife was nagging him about something. He saw the thorny bush. She was busy chattering and he thought to himself, “I hope she steps on that thorn!” Such is human love! Thinking that 'love' will remain unchanged all through life between spouses is a myth and an illusion warns Bhagwan Baba. Relating this story restores a balance to one's perspective; one gets a glimpse of real human nature.

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42 THE DOUBT BROUGHT THE END

“Make the Home a seat of Harmony. It is not being beautiful that counts….. But , being a beautiful person.”

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“If you feel you are a hundred percent dependent on God, He will look after you and save you from harm and injury.”

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The doubt brought the end

There is a story of a cliffhanger, determined to reach the summit of a high mountain. After years of preparation, he began his adventure. Only he journeyed alone, because he wanted all the glory. He began his ascent, and as daylight faded he decided to continue climbing. The night fell and soon he was overcome by total darkness. The moon and the stars were hidden behind the clouds. There was zero visibility. He was only a few meters away from the summit when he slipped while trying to climb a ridge and fell off, falling at frightening speed. While falling he could only see shadow like figures in the darkness and felt the tug of gravity sucking him down. In those anguishing moments he saw his life pass before his eye. He thought death was near when suddenly he felt the tightening of the rope around his waist that tied him to a nail embedded in the rock wall of the mountain. In desperation, suspended in mid-air he screams. “God, please help me!” Then unexpectedly a deep voice from heaven responds: “What would you have me do?” - “Save me!” - “Do you really think I can save you?” - “Of course my Lord!” - “Well then, cut the rope.” There was a moment of silence! Then the man tightened the rope around his waist all the more tighter! The mountain rescue team tells a story of a man they found frozen to death, his body wrapped firmly around a rope tied to his waist. Hanging two feet from the ground! 166

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The story conveys two messages: Firstly, that our faith in God should be unshakeable and we should blindly follow the inner voice or the voice of God. Secondly, when God extends a hand to us, we should immediately clasp it. Instead we tie ourselves more tightly to

43 LOSE YOUR FINGER OR YOUR LIFE

our worldly connections. Unless we cut the rope to our worldly contacts, God can not and will not embrace us in his arms.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;A true devotee will be steadfast in faith whatever the ups and downs of worldly fortune.â&#x20AC;?

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Lose Your Finger or Your Life

Once upon a time there was a king who had a very great and wise minister. One day they were sitting and talking when the servants brought a bowl of fruits. The king took an apple and proceeded to cut it. As he was cutting it, the king inadvertently cut his finger. The minister immediately put a little bandage on it and while he was doing so, he reassured the anxious kin, “Worry not Sire! Everything happens for the best.” This angered the king; how dare the minister think that cutting a royal finger could be good! The king ordered that the minister be thrown into prison. As the guards came to take the minister away, he said, “Your Highness, I am not worried; for this too must be for my good”. This statement only made the king angrier. Next day, the king went hunting. He got lost; and separated from the rest of his courtiers , he was captured by some tribals. The tribals took him to their chieftain who ordered that he be taken to their priest who seemed to be getting ready to make a sacrificial offering. You see they were going to do a human sacrifice and propitiously, a suitable offering, - the king, had been found. And now the priest began to inspect him to see if he was worthy of being sacrificed. The priest declared that he was satisfied but just as the executioners began coming with the swords the priest noticed the bandage on the king's finger. “Stop!” shouted the priest,” the human offering has to be perfect and whole; this one is imperfect; he won't do.” So the tribal chieftain ordered that the king be released. The petrified king was relieved and then he remembered his wise minister. Indeed how true the minister's words had turned out to be! It was that cut finger that had saved his life! The king felt total remorse at having imprisoned his wise minister. He 170

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rushed back to the palace, ordered the minister's release and hugged him and apologized to him. A little later, the king asked the minister, “But I can't understand one thing. When I sent you to jail, why did you say-this-too-is-for-my-good?” The minister then replied, “Your Highness, if you had not sent me to jail, I would have come with you for the hunt. The tribals would have

44 GOD EXISTS

captured us both. They let you off because of your cut finger. But they would have found in me the perfect human sacrifice without physical blemishes or cuts and that would have been the end of me! So going to jail was really the best thing that happened to me.”

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“If you take one step towards God, He will take ten towards you.”

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God Exists

A man went to a barber shop to have his hair and his beard cut. He started to have a good conversation with the barber who was attending to him. They talked about many things on varied subjects. Suddenly, they touched the subject of God. The barber said: “Look man, I don't believe that God exists, although many people say He does” “Why do you say that?” asked the client. “Well, it's quite simple, you just have to go out in the street, to realize that God does not exist. Tell me, if God existed, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't think of a God who permits all these things.” The client stopped for a moment to think, but he didn't respond, just to avoid an argument. The barber finished his job and the client went out of the shop. Minutes after he left the barber shop, the client saw two men in the street with long hair and beards, it seemed that it had been a long time since they had cut their hair or had their beards shaved. The client returned to the barber shop and said to him. “You know what? Barbers do not exist.” “How come they don't exist?”- asked the barber. “Well here I am, and I am a barber.” “No!” - the client exclaimed. “They don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with long hair and beards like those men who are sitting on the bench outside.” “Ah, barbers do exist, what happens is that people do not come to them.” “Exactly!”- affirmed the client. “That's the point. God does exist, what happens is people don't go to Him and do not look for Him, that's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world.” 174

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45 WILL YOU ACCEPT? “God is to be recognized in all that exists, all that is charming, suffering, blooming or drooping.”

“When you take one step towards God, He will take ten towards you.”

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Will you accept ?

The story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco. “Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, but I've a favour to ask. I have a friend I'd like to bring home with me.” “Sure,” they replied, “we'd love to meet him.” “There's something you should know” the son continued, “he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mine and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us”. “I'm sorry to hear that, son. May be, we can help him find somewhere to live.” “No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us”. “Son,” said the father, “you don't know what you're asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can't let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He'll find a way to live on his own.” At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city Morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn't know, their son had only one arm and one leg. The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don't like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren't as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are. Thankfully, 178

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there's someone who won't treat us that way. That someone is the Lord who accepts us with unconditional love and welcomes us into His 'forever' family, regardless of how messed up we are. Tonight, before you tuck yourself in for the night, say a little

46 A CHILD'S ANGEL

prayer that God gives you the strength you need to accept people as they are, and to help us all to be more understanding of those who are different and less fortunate

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The mother is the pillar of the Home, of Society, of the Nation and so of Humanity itself.â&#x20AC;?

than us!!!

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Child's Angel

Once upon a time, there was a child ready to be born. He asked God “They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?” God

“Among the many angels, I chose one especially for you. She will be waiting for you and will take care of you.”

Child

“But tell me, here in Heaven, I don't do anything else but sing and smile, and that's enough for me to be happy. Will I be happy there?”

God

“Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you every day. You will feel your angel's love and be happy.”

Child

“How am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language that men talk?”

God

“Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear. With much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak.”

Child

“And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?”

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will teach you how to pray.” Child

“I've heard that on earth there are bad men. Who will protect me?”

God

“Your angel will defend you even if it means

47 A SACK OF POTATOES

risking her own life.” Child

“But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore.”

God

“Your angel will always talk to you about me and will teach you the way to come back to

“Do not seek to discover or discuss the evil in others, for the attempt will tarnish your own minds.”

me, even though I will always be next to you.” At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could already be heard. The child, in a hurry, asked softly: “Oh God, if I am about to leave now, please tell me my angel's name.” God

“Your angel's name is of no importance. You will call your angel……Mummy!''

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A Sack of Potatoes

A teacher once told each of her students to bring a clear plastic bag and a sack of potatoes to school. For every person they refused to forgive in their life's experience, they chose a potato, wrote on it the name and date, and put it in the plastic bag. Some of the bags were quite heavy. They were then told to carry this bag with them everywhere for one week, putting it beside their bed at night, on the car seat when driving, next to their desk at work. The hassle of lugging this sack around with them made it clear what a weight they were carrying spiritually, and how they had to pay attention to it all the time to not forget and keep leaving it in embarrassing places. Naturally, the condition of the potatoes deteriorated to a nasty smelly slime. This, in turn, made them unpleasant to be around. It didn't take long for each of the students to figure out that getting rid of the potatoes was much more important than carrying them around. This is a great metaphor for the price we pay for keeping our pain and heavy negativity! Too often we think that forgiveness is a gift to the other person! Forgiveness is for ourselves!

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48 LORD YOU ARE MY ONLY HOPE “Knock; the doors of Grace will open. Open the door; the sun's rays waiting outside will flow silently in and flood the room with light”

“Zoroastrian fire symbol: Offer all bitterness in the sacred fire and emerge grand, great, and godly.”

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Lord you are my only hope

The King of the land, was preparing for a 'Maha-Yajna' to appease the Goddess so as to bless the queen with a worthy son, for there was no 'heir to the throne'. A human sacrifice of a young boy was to be made in offering to the Goddess. Who would oblige the king? Jeevan, stared into the starved faces of his three sons and thought, 'If I sell one of them to the king, I can feed the other two with the money I earn in this bargain'. The eldest was the only one who could share his father's burden at work, so he should not be sold. His wife held the youngest, close to her breast and said, 'I shall die without him!' So, the middle one, Sagun, was sold to the king. As, Sagun, sat waiting for the day of sacrifice, he was lonely and dejected. The king noticed that Sagun had made three heaps of mud in his room. He had kicked away the first and second mounds of mud and just kept staring at the third as he waited. Curiosity got the better of the king, and he eventually asked Sagun to explain. Sagun said, 'Sir, the first heap represented my parents, who had the worldly responsibility of my wellbeing, but they sold me to you for a pittance. So, I have kicked away my attachment with them'. 'Sir, the second heap denoted you, the protector of all the subjects of your kingdom. You have purchased me to be sacrificed so that you can beget a son. You will sacrifice one son of the soil to gain another. You have lost your place in my heart, so I have kicked away the second heap too'. 'The third heap my Lord, is that of God, I am waiting; perhaps He will save me, He is my only hope now'. The king realized what a grave mistake he was going to make. 190

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Sagun was adopted as the king’s son, and needless to say, was coronated as the 'heir to the throne'. If only we call out to the Lord with an earnest heart, He does come to our aid.

49 HOW MUCH LAND DO YOU NEED? “The journey of every man is towards the cemetery, every day brings you nearer to the moment of death. So, do not delay the duty you must carry out for your own lasting good. Recognize that you are Shiva (God) before you become Shava (Corpse); that will save you from future deaths.”

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How much land do you need ?

There was once an Emperor who told his minister that the amount of Land he could cover while running from morning to night, would be his. The man started running early, he went on, ignoring hunger, thirst and fatigue. By afternoon, his body ached, his feet were swollen, sweat dripped down his forehead, all the muscles in his body screamed in protest. So many times, he fell, he stumbled, but he pushed himself further, he forced himself to go on, come what may. He wanted to cover a great distance that day. As dusk fell, he was so exhausted, that he collapsed, to the ground. At this point of time he asked himself, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why did I push myself so far? Why was I so greedy? Now, I am dying, I only need land enough to bury myself! All that I have laboured for, is not mine to enjoy.â&#x20AC;? Each day, we push ourselves harder and harder to become richer, wealthier and more powerful. So much so, that our health, family, hobbies, love and even God take a back seat. When we are nearing our end, and we look back, we realize what an exercise in futility it was. But by then it is too late!

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50 START EARLY, DRIVE SLOWLY, REACH SAFELY “Awake, Arise and Stop not till the goal is reached.” “Put a ceiling on desires. Travel lightly, reach quickly.”

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Start Early, Drive Slowly, Reach Safely

It was the month of March - the start of a new academic year in school. Two young boys, Vijay and Akshay studied in the same class and both wanted to become doctors! Vijay knew that a lot of hard work would be needed to make his dream a reality. So, from day one, he used to concentrate in class. When he would come home, he would rest a little, play a little and study what he had learnt in class that day, before going to bed. Akshay was an ambitious boy who wanted to become the World's Best Doctor. However, he was lazy and did not want to study hard to achieve his ambition. He hoped that if he prayed hard enough, God would fulfill his prayer. One night, God appeared in Akshay's dream. When Akshay told him what he desired, God replied, “Well, Akshay, that is easy. You are healthy and bright. If you study well, you shall surely succeed.” Akshay who was stubborn, was disappointed that God had not answered his prayer. The year flew past and it was time for the exams. Vijay performed extremely well in all his papers. Akshay, on the other hand, could not perform well enough. The next day, when Akshay was standing by the seaside, Akshay saw an old man throwing small pebbles in the Sea. On asking him about what he was doing, the old man replied, “I want to build a bridge.” On hearing this Akshay started to laugh and asked him, “how can you build a bridge here by merely throwing small pebbles in the sea?” The old man turned around and asked Akshay, “Why not? If you can become the World's Best Doctor, without working hard and studying long hours, why can't I make a bridge by throwing small pebbles in the Sea?” Study To Become Steady 198

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51 THE WOODEN BOWL “Education must ultimately mean: Enlightenment Duty and devotion Understanding Character Adherence Thanking Integrity Oneness Nobility ”

“If you honour your parents, your children will honour you.”

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The Wooden Bowl

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law and four-year old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled onto the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. “We must do something about Grandfather,” said the son. “I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating and food on the floor.” So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The four-year-old grandson watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, “What are you making?” Just as sweetly, the boy responded, “Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up.” The fouryear-old smiled and went back to work. The words so struck the parents, that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled or the tablecloth soiled.

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52 CHRIST WAS LOVE

“The Symbol of Sikhism: The two swords on the outside represent the qualities of Saint and Soldier. The circle stands for God, who is perfect and eternal, without beginning or end. In the middle is 'Khanda' which represents divine knowledge. The sharp edges separate truth from falsehood.”

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“Start the day with Love; Fill the day with Love; Spend the day with Love; End the day with Love; This is the way to God.”

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Christ was Love

Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience. I had cut back on non-essential obligations, extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating and even overspending. Yet still, I found myself exhausted; unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas. My son Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six year old. For weeks, he'd been memorizing songs for his school's “Winter Pageant”. I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd be working the night of the production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher. She assured me there'd be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then. Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise. So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats. As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then each group, one by one, rose to perform their song. Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as “Christmas', I didn't expect anything other than fun and commercial entertainment, songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer. So, when my son's class rose to sing, “Christmas Love”, I was slightly taken aback by its bold title. Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snowcaps upon their heads. Those in the front row, centerstage, held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the 206

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title of the song. As the class would sing, “C is for Christmas”, a child would hold up the letter 'C'. Then, “H is for Happy” and so on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message to make “Christmas Love”. The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we

THANKSGIVING

noticed her- a small, quiet girl in the front row holding the letter “M” upside down totally unaware that her letter “M” appeared as a “W”. The audience of first to sixth grades snickered at this little one's mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her 'W'. Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and then we all saw it together. A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen. In that instant, we understood the reason we were there; why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities. For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud

Thank you Lord, for letting me be your instrument, Of this venture, I have enjoyed every moment. Thank you Lord, for holding my hand every time, I picked up the pencil to write or illustrate. Thank you Lord, for being in me and around me, For while I was working, I always felt your presence. Thank you Lord, for giving me this opportunity divine, To present to you this bouquet of prose, it is not mine, I present at Your Lotus Feet, only what is Thine.

and clear; “Christ Was Love”. And I believe, He still is.

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CLARIFICATION Every care has been taken not to hurt the feelings of any person or any religious sect. If inadvertently, any such material has crept into this book and we have hurt any one, it is absolutely unintentional and we tender our unconditional apologies for the same. God bless us all and guide us always. Have a Good Day and a Better Tomorrow.

Priya & Sanjay Tandon

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