Monday, December 31, 2012
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Resilence – Be Like a Bambo
A Zen Master was walking through the forest with one of his students down a narrow trail, along a steep incline. The student lost his footing and slipped, just as he began falling down the hill the student reached out and grabbed a small bamboo tree. The bamboo bent nearly all the way over as the student continued to hold on tightly. He pulled himself up and brushed himself off with the Zen Masters help.
“Did you notice that when you fell, you grabbed a hold of the bamboo and it bent nearly all the way over and still supported you?” The Zen Master asked.
“Yes,” the student replied. The Zen Master gripped the bamboo and pulled the bamboo over.
“Be like the bamboo,” The Zen Master said as he let go of the bamboo and it sprang back to its up-right position.
“It is pushed around by the wind and yet it always bounces back and grows upward, toward the sun, enlightenment. Have you ever felt as though you were going to snap. Have you ever felt as though you were at your breaking point, emotionally?”
“Yes,” the student replied.
“Then bend, do not break, such is the way with bamboo. It endures the stress and finds away to bounce back!” The Zen Master stated. “This is called resilience.”
Moral - When stress and burdens bring us to our breaking point, be like bamboo, resilient. Bend but do not snap
“Did you notice that when you fell, you grabbed a hold of the bamboo and it bent nearly all the way over and still supported you?” The Zen Master asked.
“Yes,” the student replied. The Zen Master gripped the bamboo and pulled the bamboo over.
“Be like the bamboo,” The Zen Master said as he let go of the bamboo and it sprang back to its up-right position.
“It is pushed around by the wind and yet it always bounces back and grows upward, toward the sun, enlightenment. Have you ever felt as though you were going to snap. Have you ever felt as though you were at your breaking point, emotionally?”
“Yes,” the student replied.
“Then bend, do not break, such is the way with bamboo. It endures the stress and finds away to bounce back!” The Zen Master stated. “This is called resilience.”
Moral - When stress and burdens bring us to our breaking point, be like bamboo, resilient. Bend but do not snap
The Mind is like Water
A Master and a student were in the kitchen preparing tea. The student was starting the fire in the wood burning stove. The master was laying out the cups, the mat and the tea. Waiting for the fire to heat up the stove, the student asked. “Master, I have a hard time controlling my thoughts.”
“How so?” Asked the master.
“I am unsure, sometimes I have control of my thoughts and sometimes I do not.” The student replied.
The master walked over to the stove as the student placed a pot of water over the fire. “Your mind is like this water,” the master stated. “When you are calm, at rest or asleep, the water is calm and still. When your active it will be as the flame is under the pot of water, causing your mind to churn like the water when it boils.” The water in the pot began to show signs of heating up as steam started to rise and small bubbles began to form.
“And how do I control it?” The student asked.
The master took the pot away from the flame. “Like this water, now that it is no longer over the flame, it will settle back down and be still.” The master said. “When you are angry or upset, the mind boils. Simply sit and allow the mind to calm back down, like this pot of water no longer over the flame.” The master took the pot and carried it to the table where he poured it into two cups that were ready with tea.
“And what if my thoughts are of a woman. I cannot control these feelings?” The student said shyly. The master looked at the student curiously.
“Would you like sugar in your tea?” The master asked.
“Yes, please,” the student replied. The master added sugar to the students cup of tea.
“Will you drink this tea immediately or will you allow it to cool before putting the cup to your lips?” The master asked.
“I will allow the tea to cool of course,” the student stated.
“Some things are too hot to handle and or sip, it is best if you allow them to cool off before engaging in them. This is called knowledge. It is the same with passion; you must have the patience and knowledge to allow such a passionate topic to cool off before engaging in such thoughts. Then as the water or thoughts have cooled off a bit, partake in it carefully.” The master smiled as he took a drink of his tea.
Moral: The mind is like water. When the mind is boiling, sit down and cool off before making any rash decisions. Allow the mind to calm down and emotions to cool off, then clarity and calmness will come with patience.
“How so?” Asked the master.
“I am unsure, sometimes I have control of my thoughts and sometimes I do not.” The student replied.
The master walked over to the stove as the student placed a pot of water over the fire. “Your mind is like this water,” the master stated. “When you are calm, at rest or asleep, the water is calm and still. When your active it will be as the flame is under the pot of water, causing your mind to churn like the water when it boils.” The water in the pot began to show signs of heating up as steam started to rise and small bubbles began to form.
“And how do I control it?” The student asked.
The master took the pot away from the flame. “Like this water, now that it is no longer over the flame, it will settle back down and be still.” The master said. “When you are angry or upset, the mind boils. Simply sit and allow the mind to calm back down, like this pot of water no longer over the flame.” The master took the pot and carried it to the table where he poured it into two cups that were ready with tea.
“And what if my thoughts are of a woman. I cannot control these feelings?” The student said shyly. The master looked at the student curiously.
“Would you like sugar in your tea?” The master asked.
“Yes, please,” the student replied. The master added sugar to the students cup of tea.
“Will you drink this tea immediately or will you allow it to cool before putting the cup to your lips?” The master asked.
“I will allow the tea to cool of course,” the student stated.
“Some things are too hot to handle and or sip, it is best if you allow them to cool off before engaging in them. This is called knowledge. It is the same with passion; you must have the patience and knowledge to allow such a passionate topic to cool off before engaging in such thoughts. Then as the water or thoughts have cooled off a bit, partake in it carefully.” The master smiled as he took a drink of his tea.
Moral: The mind is like water. When the mind is boiling, sit down and cool off before making any rash decisions. Allow the mind to calm down and emotions to cool off, then clarity and calmness will come with patience.
We salute you...
You gave us Meal at school.
You gave us IIT Madras.
...
You gave us 13 Dams for Agriculture.
You gave us NLC, BHEL, RCF and many more industries.
You developed us in all fronts.
You are a school dropout, but Harrow educated Nehru asked all state's CMs to learn state administration from you.
You defined the destiny of Congress.
You gave re-birth to Nehru's family in politics.
Above all you gave us an opportunity to proudly say, that we had a CM who died with 10 Rupees in his pocket and gave everything else to his people.
And his Name is K. Kamaraj.
We Salute You...!!
Don't judge people before you truly know them...
A 24 year old boy seeing out from the train's window shouted...
"Dad, look the trees are going behind!" dad smiled and a young couple sitting nearby, looked at the 24 year old's childish behavior with
pity, suddenly he again exclaimed ... "dad, look the clouds are running with us !" the couple couldn't resist and said to the old man... "why don't
you take your son to a good doctor?" the old man
smiled and said ... "i did and we are just coming from the hospital, my son was blind from birth, he
just got his eyes today..."
Every single person on the planet has story.
"don't judge people before you truly know them. the truth might surprise you...
"Dad, look the trees are going behind!" dad smiled and a young couple sitting nearby, looked at the 24 year old's childish behavior with
pity, suddenly he again exclaimed ... "dad, look the clouds are running with us !" the couple couldn't resist and said to the old man... "why don't
you take your son to a good doctor?" the old man
smiled and said ... "i did and we are just coming from the hospital, my son was blind from birth, he
just got his eyes today..."
Every single person on the planet has story.
"don't judge people before you truly know them. the truth might surprise you...
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
TOUCHING STORY:
A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sport car in a dealer showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.
As Graduation Day approaches, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car.. Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him.
He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed in gold.
As Graduation Day approaches, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car.. Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him.
He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed in gold.
Angrily, he raised his voice to his father and said, "With all your money you give me a Bible? "and stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible.
Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen Him since that graduation day.
But before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son.
He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.
When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago.
With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. His father had carefully underlined a verse, Matt 7:11 ,
"And if ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father which is in Heaven, give to those who ask Him?" As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealers name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had
desired.. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words...
PAID IN FULL.
MORAL LESSON:
How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected?
Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen Him since that graduation day.
But before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son.
He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.
When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago.
With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. His father had carefully underlined a verse, Matt 7:11 ,
"And if ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father which is in Heaven, give to those who ask Him?" As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealers name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had
desired.. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words...
PAID IN FULL.
MORAL LESSON:
How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected?
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
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