1. Strength, Strength, it is that we want so much in this life, for what we call sin and sorrow have all one cause and that is our weakness.with weakness comes ignorance, and with ignorance comes misery.
2. Never be weak. You must be strong. you have infinite strength within you.
3. Never think there is anything impossible for the soul. It is the greatest heresy to think so. If there is a sin, this is the only sin - to say that you are weak.
4. The only saint is that soul that never weakens and faces everything.
5. All weakness, all bondage is imagination. .. do not weaken!...Stand up and be strong! that is all the religion I know.
6. Know that all sins and all evils can be summed up in that one word,weakness. It is weakness that is the motive power in all evil-doing; It is the weakness that is the source of all selfsishness; it is weakness that makes men injure others; it is weakness that makes them manifest what they are not in reality.
7. The weak have no place here, in this life or any other life.weakness leads to slavery. Weakness leads to all kinds of misery, physical and mental. weakness is death. There are hundreds and thousands of microbes surrounding us, but they cannot harm us unless we become weak, until the body is ready and predisposed to receive them. There may be a million microbes of misery floating about us. Never mind! they dare not approach us, they have no power to get a hold on us, until mind is weakened.
8. This is great fact; strength is life, weakness is death. strength is felicity, life eternal, immortal; weakness is constant strain and misery; weakness is death.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Heart of a Lion
1. Men should be taught to be practical, physically strong. A dozen such lions will conquer the world, not millions of sheep.
2. I want iron wills and hearts that do not know how to quake.
3. You may meditate on whatever you like, but i shall meditate on heart of a lion. That gives strength.
2. I want iron wills and hearts that do not know how to quake.
3. You may meditate on whatever you like, but i shall meditate on heart of a lion. That gives strength.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Two Sculptors
Once a king was looking for the best sculptor in his kingdom. Two excellent sculptors presented themselves to him and he needed to give them a test to decide who was best.
He asked them to carve an image on two opposite walls of his palace. A curtain was hung between the walls so that they could not see each other’s work. After many months, both sculptors reported that they had finished the work and the king could view it.
Both the works were covered with curtains. First, one curtain was raised that revealed a beautiful image and everyone clapped in appreciation.
Then the opposite curtain was raised, here there was no image on the wall - instead the wall had been polished so finely that it gave a perfect reflection of the opposite image. In fact, it looked sharper than the original, as so much effort had been made in polishing the wall.
The second sculptor won the contest.
The story illustrates an interesting Vedantic tenet:
Really, we do not have to conjure up an image of ‘God’ in our minds. All we have to do is polish the mind - just remove the blemishes. Purify it. That is our task. God already exists. It is just that he is reflected more clearly in a pure mind.
He asked them to carve an image on two opposite walls of his palace. A curtain was hung between the walls so that they could not see each other’s work. After many months, both sculptors reported that they had finished the work and the king could view it.
Both the works were covered with curtains. First, one curtain was raised that revealed a beautiful image and everyone clapped in appreciation.
Then the opposite curtain was raised, here there was no image on the wall - instead the wall had been polished so finely that it gave a perfect reflection of the opposite image. In fact, it looked sharper than the original, as so much effort had been made in polishing the wall.
The second sculptor won the contest.
The story illustrates an interesting Vedantic tenet:
Really, we do not have to conjure up an image of ‘God’ in our minds. All we have to do is polish the mind - just remove the blemishes. Purify it. That is our task. God already exists. It is just that he is reflected more clearly in a pure mind.
Truth, Purity & Unselfishness
Truth, purity, and unselfishness - whenever these are present, there is no power below or above the sun to crush the possessor thereof. Equipped with these, one individual is able to face the whole universe in opposition.
- Swami Vivekananda.
- Swami Vivekananda.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Love Abideth Forever
Say day and night," Thou art my father, my mother, my husband, my love, my lord, my God - I want nothing but Thee, nothing but Thee, nothing but Thee." Wealth goes, beauty vanishes, life flies, powers fly - but the Lord abideth forever, love abideth forever.
Stick to God! Who cares what comes to the body or to anything else! Through the terrors of evil, say - my God, my love! Through the pangs of death, say - my God, my love! Through all the evils under the sun, say! my God, my love.
This life is a great chance. What, seekest thou the pleasures of the world? He is the fountain of all bliss. Seek for the highest, aim at the highest, and you shall reach the highest (VI.262)
Stick to God! Who cares what comes to the body or to anything else! Through the terrors of evil, say - my God, my love! Through the pangs of death, say - my God, my love! Through all the evils under the sun, say! my God, my love.
This life is a great chance. What, seekest thou the pleasures of the world? He is the fountain of all bliss. Seek for the highest, aim at the highest, and you shall reach the highest (VI.262)
Where is Happiness?
Thinking about sense-objects will attach you to sense-object.
Grow attached and you become addicted.
Thwart your addiction, it turns to anger.
Be angry and you confuse your mind.
Confuse your mind, you forget the lesson of experience.
Forget experience, you lose discrimination.
Lose discrimination, and you miss life's only purpose.
The uncontrolled mind does not guess that the Atman is present: How can it meditate? Without meditation, where is peace? Without peace, where is happiness?
- Bhagavad Gita, II.62,63,65
Grow attached and you become addicted.
Thwart your addiction, it turns to anger.
Be angry and you confuse your mind.
Confuse your mind, you forget the lesson of experience.
Forget experience, you lose discrimination.
Lose discrimination, and you miss life's only purpose.
The uncontrolled mind does not guess that the Atman is present: How can it meditate? Without meditation, where is peace? Without peace, where is happiness?
- Bhagavad Gita, II.62,63,65
Nirvana, The Waterfall
Our life and death are the same thing. When we realize this fact, we have no fear of death anymore, nor difficulty in our life.
To Polish a Tile
When you become you, Zen becomes Zen. When you are you, you see things as they are, and you become one with your surrounding.
Mind Weeds
You should rather be grateful for the weeds you have in your mind, because eventually they will enrich your practice.
- Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind
- Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind
Look Within
Realize the Heaven within you and all at once all desires are fulfilled, all misery and suffering is put an end to. Feel yourselves above the body and its environment, above the mind and its motives, above the thoughts of success or fear. The great cause of suffering in the world is that people do not look within, they rely on outside forces.
- Sri Sathya Sai Baba
- Sri Sathya Sai Baba
Weakness is Death
That is the cause of misery: we are attached; we are being caught. Therefore say the Gita: Work constantly; work, but be not attached, be not caught. Reserve unto yourself the power of detaching yourself from everything, however beloved, however much the soul might yearn for it, however great the pangs of misery you feel if you were going to leave it whenever you want. The weak have no place here, in this life or in any other life. Weakness leads to slavery. Weakness leads to any kinds of misery, physical and mental. Weakness is death. This is the great fact: strength is life; weakness is death. Strength is felicity, life eternal, immortal; weakness is constant strain and misery: weakness is death.
Dynamo of Spirituality
Do not spend your energy on talking but meditate in silence; and do not let the rush of the outside world disturb you. When your mind is in the highest state, you are unconscious of it. Accumulate power in silence and become a dynamo of spirituality.
- Swami Vivekananda
- Swami Vivekananda
Offering to Humanity
It is only work that is done as freewill offering to humanity and to nature that does not bring with it any binding attachment.
- Swami Vivekananda, Complete Works, 5:239
- Swami Vivekananda, Complete Works, 5:239
The Right Way to Learn Something New
DEVELOP A POSITIVE ATTITUDE
The step for any student is to inculcate the right attitude. If you start with negative thoughts like, “It’s impossible”, or “I don’t have that much time”, then there’s no hope.
You would have lost the battle even before you go to war. So start with a positive mind set. Only then will the battlefield be set for your entry.
SEEK INFORMATION
The next step is to find people who know what you want to learn. For example, if you want to know about the Indian calendar, your own grandparents or teachers are probably the best bet.
Make a few calls. Search for more information on the Internet and get the basic knowledge in place. As I’ve already said, things are far easier now to fish out additional information. But even if you have to go and meet people to clear any doubts, please take that extra step.
PRACTICE MAKES ONE PERFECT!
This is very important – revise what you have learnt till you master it. In Sanskrit, this is dealt with in Abhayaas, meaning constant repetition and practice. Then you start enjoying the whole process.
As you repeat a chore, it goes into your subconscious mind and you can recollect the information whenever required.
This is the only way we can study or adopt any new lessons. Take continue to take inspiration from the past, work in the present and attain a glorious future.
Radhakrishnan Pillai
The step for any student is to inculcate the right attitude. If you start with negative thoughts like, “It’s impossible”, or “I don’t have that much time”, then there’s no hope.
You would have lost the battle even before you go to war. So start with a positive mind set. Only then will the battlefield be set for your entry.
SEEK INFORMATION
The next step is to find people who know what you want to learn. For example, if you want to know about the Indian calendar, your own grandparents or teachers are probably the best bet.
Make a few calls. Search for more information on the Internet and get the basic knowledge in place. As I’ve already said, things are far easier now to fish out additional information. But even if you have to go and meet people to clear any doubts, please take that extra step.
PRACTICE MAKES ONE PERFECT!
This is very important – revise what you have learnt till you master it. In Sanskrit, this is dealt with in Abhayaas, meaning constant repetition and practice. Then you start enjoying the whole process.
As you repeat a chore, it goes into your subconscious mind and you can recollect the information whenever required.
This is the only way we can study or adopt any new lessons. Take continue to take inspiration from the past, work in the present and attain a glorious future.
Radhakrishnan Pillai
Friday, February 8, 2008
Fiction or Reality?
"The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense."
--Tom Clancy
--Tom Clancy
Love
"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth."
Billy, age 4
Billy, age 4
Quote from Albert Einstein
"Two things are infinite: the universe, and human stupidity--but I'm not sure about the universe."
--Albert Einstein
--Albert Einstein
Quality makes the Different
"The best index to a person's character is how a person treats people who can't do them any good or can't fight back."
--Abigail Van Buren
--Abigail Van Buren
Gratitude
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."
--Melody Beattie
--Melody Beattie
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Customer comes First
Years ago, my friend, Harvey Mackay, told me a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point. He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey .He handed my friend a laminated card and said:
"I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement."
Taken aback, Harvey read the card. It said:
Wally's Mission Statement:
To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment.
This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean! As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, "Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf."
My friend said jokingly, "No, I'd prefer a soft drink." Wally smiled and said, "No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice." Almost stuttering, Harvey said, "I'll take a Diet Coke." Handing him his drink, Wally said, "If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today."
As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card. "These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio."
And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air-conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.
"Tell me, Wally," my amazed friend asked the driver, "have you always served customers like this?" Wally smiled into the rearview mirror. "No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day. He had just written a book called "You'll See It When You Believe It" Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, 'Stop complaining!
Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.'"
"That hit me right between the eyes," said Wally. "Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more."
"I take it that has paid off for you," Harvey said. "It sure has," Wally replied. "My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action."
Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting .
Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles.
How about you?
"I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement."
Taken aback, Harvey read the card. It said:
Wally's Mission Statement:
To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment.
This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean! As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, "Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf."
My friend said jokingly, "No, I'd prefer a soft drink." Wally smiled and said, "No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice." Almost stuttering, Harvey said, "I'll take a Diet Coke." Handing him his drink, Wally said, "If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today."
As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card. "These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio."
And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air-conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.
"Tell me, Wally," my amazed friend asked the driver, "have you always served customers like this?" Wally smiled into the rearview mirror. "No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day. He had just written a book called "You'll See It When You Believe It" Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, 'Stop complaining!
Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.'"
"That hit me right between the eyes," said Wally. "Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more."
"I take it that has paid off for you," Harvey said. "It sure has," Wally replied. "My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action."
Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting .
Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles.
How about you?
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Two Golden Birds
Like two golden birds perched on the selfsame tree, intimate friends, the ego and the Self dwell in the same body. The former eats the sweet and sour fruits of the tree of life while the latter looks on in detachment. As long as we think we are the ego, we feel attached and fall into sorrow. But realise that you are the Self, the Lord of life, and you will be freed from sorrow. When you realise that you are the Self, supreme source of light, suprese source of love, you transcend the duality of life and enter into the intuitive state.
The Truth of the Self cannot come through one who has not realised that he is the Self. The intelect cannot reveal the Self, beyond its duality of subject and object. They who see themselves in all and all in them, help others through spiritual osmosis to realise the Self themselves. This awakening you have known comes not through logic and scholarship, but from close association with a realised teacher.
The Upanishads
The Truth of the Self cannot come through one who has not realised that he is the Self. The intelect cannot reveal the Self, beyond its duality of subject and object. They who see themselves in all and all in them, help others through spiritual osmosis to realise the Self themselves. This awakening you have known comes not through logic and scholarship, but from close association with a realised teacher.
The Upanishads
Swami Vivekananda's Call to the Youth
"Hear, ye children of immortal bliss! Even ye that reside in higher spheres! I have found the Ancient One who is beyond all darkness, all delusion: knowing Him alone you shall be saved from death over again."
"Children of immortal bliss" -- what a sweet, what a hopeful name! Allow me to call you, brethren, by that sweet name -- heirs of immortal bliss -- yea, the Hindu refuses to call you sinners. Ye are the Children of God, the sharers of immortal bliss, holy and perfect beings. Ye divinities on earth -- sinners! It is a sin to call a man so; it is a standing libel on human nature. Come up, O lions, and shake off the delusion that you are sheep; you are souls immortal, spirits free, blest and eternal; ye are not matter, ye are not bodies; matter is your servant, not you the servant of matter.
Have Faith:
Throughout the history of mankind, if any motive power has been more potent than another in the lives of all great men and women, it is that of faith in themselves.
Have faith in yourselves, and stand up on that faith and be strong.
He is an atheist who does not believe in himself. The old religion said that he was an atheist who did not believe in God. The new religion says that he is the atheist who does not believe in himself.
Be Successful:
Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life -- think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone.
This is the way to success.
Fill the brain, therefore, with high thoughts, highest ideals, place them day and night before you, and out of that will come great work. To succeed, you must have tremendous perseverance, tremendous will.
Let us be brave. Know the Truth and practice the Truth. The goal may be distant, but awake, arise, and stop not till the goal is reached.
- Swami Vivekananda
"Children of immortal bliss" -- what a sweet, what a hopeful name! Allow me to call you, brethren, by that sweet name -- heirs of immortal bliss -- yea, the Hindu refuses to call you sinners. Ye are the Children of God, the sharers of immortal bliss, holy and perfect beings. Ye divinities on earth -- sinners! It is a sin to call a man so; it is a standing libel on human nature. Come up, O lions, and shake off the delusion that you are sheep; you are souls immortal, spirits free, blest and eternal; ye are not matter, ye are not bodies; matter is your servant, not you the servant of matter.
Have Faith:
Throughout the history of mankind, if any motive power has been more potent than another in the lives of all great men and women, it is that of faith in themselves.
Have faith in yourselves, and stand up on that faith and be strong.
He is an atheist who does not believe in himself. The old religion said that he was an atheist who did not believe in God. The new religion says that he is the atheist who does not believe in himself.
Be Successful:
Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life -- think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone.
This is the way to success.
Fill the brain, therefore, with high thoughts, highest ideals, place them day and night before you, and out of that will come great work. To succeed, you must have tremendous perseverance, tremendous will.
Let us be brave. Know the Truth and practice the Truth. The goal may be distant, but awake, arise, and stop not till the goal is reached.
- Swami Vivekananda
Sunday, February 3, 2008
On Reclaiming Indonesian Dignity
This county of mine shall not perish nor annihilated. My countrymen should wake up and take the responsibility on their shoulders. This things that we have created, only we can demolish. This embarrasment toward our dignity rooted on our foolishness, our ego, our greed. Shatter your ego, my dear countrymen. Educate yourself endlessly. What a shame on you to have that greediness. Thy should know that greed only brought you back to your animal instinct. Raise up you children of immortality. This world is yours. Help others, for those who have realized their lights. Be patient and pray, for those who live in no light. Our undecaying spirit, immortal thought, bright vision will encompass any obstacle that we'll shall find. Be brave, this world is only for those who have guts. Never surrender, never give up. Wipe your tears o holy mother nation, your childs is marching toward gloriness.
Life is too Short
Life is too short. Most of the time, we wonder on the future ahead of us or sometime regret the past. Well, the future is not yet existed while there's nothing we can do to change the past. All we have is NOW and this is something precious that we usually take for granted. Time really fly by. It's hard for me to believe that now I've lived for 28 years in this earth and still confuse with my purpose and goal of my life. 28 years fly so fast and without I realize it, probably another 28 years will pass meaningless. Death will come to us all, yet I'm still believe that I'll live forever. Our relatives past away, yet that's not my concern, still believe that I have my another 1000 years ahead me. Legacy. That is the word that silent me a few days ago. Death will come to us but our legacy will live forever. Our vision. Our thought that change the course of life of million people. Our life that touches others. Our physical appearance will dissapear but that Legacy will remain another thousand years. Now that is something. If life is too short and we're not going to live forever, why bother do anything worthless and corrupt toward others. Live meaningful to one dear to you, the more people dear to you, the more possible that your legacy will live enlightening million life after. Dedicate your life to the goodness of the world, don't build the wall, instead breakdown all the wall that separate us all.
Master and Disciple
When the great Sufi mystic, Hasan, was dying, somebody asked "Hasan, who was your master?"
He said, "I had thousands of masters. If I just relate their names it will take months, years and it is too late. But three masters I will certainly tell you about.
One was a thief. Once I got lost in the desert, and when I reached a village it was very late, everything was closed. But at last I found one man who was trying to make a hole in the wall of a house. I asked him where I could stay and he said 'At this time of night it will be difficult, but you can stay with me - if you can stay with a thief'
And the man was so beautiful. I stayed for one month! And each night he would say to me, 'Now I am going to my work. You rest, you pray.' When he came back I would ask 'Could you get anything?' He would say, 'Not tonight. But tomorrow I will try again, God willing.' He was never in a state of hopelessness, he was always happy.
When I was meditating and meditating for years on end and nothing was happening, many times the moment came when I was so desperate, so hopeless, that I thought to stop all this nonsense. And suddenly I would remember the thief who would say every night, 'God willing, tomorrow it is going to happen.'
And my second master was a dog. I was going to the river, thirsty and a dog came. He was also thirsty. He looked into the river, he saw another dog there -- his own image -- and became afraid. He would bard and run away, but his thirst was so much that he would come back. Finally, despite his fear, he just jumped into the water, and the image disappeared. And I knew that a message had come to me from God: one has to jump in spite of all fears.
And the third master was a small child. I entered a town and a child was carrying a lit candle. He was going to the mosque to put the candle there.
'Just joking,' I asked the boy, 'Have you lit the candle yourself?' He said, 'Yes sir.' And I asked, 'There was a moment when the candle was unlit, then there was a moment when the candle was lit. Can you show me the source from which the light came?'
And the boy laughed, blew out the candle, and said, 'Now you have seen the light going. Where has it gone? You will tell me!'
My ego was shattered, my whole knowledge was shattered. And that moment I felt my own stupidity. Since then I dropped all my knowledgeability.
It is true that I had no master. That does not mean that I was not a disciple -- I accepted the whole existence as my master. My Disciplehood was a greater involvement than yours is. I trusted the clouds, the trees. I trusted existence as such. I had no master because I had millions of masters I learned from every possible source. To be a disciple is a must on the path. What does it mean to be a disciple? It means to be able to learn. To be available to learn to be vulnerable to existence. With a master you start learning to learn.
The master is a swimming pool where you can learn how to swim. Once you have learned, all the oceans are yours."
He said, "I had thousands of masters. If I just relate their names it will take months, years and it is too late. But three masters I will certainly tell you about.
One was a thief. Once I got lost in the desert, and when I reached a village it was very late, everything was closed. But at last I found one man who was trying to make a hole in the wall of a house. I asked him where I could stay and he said 'At this time of night it will be difficult, but you can stay with me - if you can stay with a thief'
And the man was so beautiful. I stayed for one month! And each night he would say to me, 'Now I am going to my work. You rest, you pray.' When he came back I would ask 'Could you get anything?' He would say, 'Not tonight. But tomorrow I will try again, God willing.' He was never in a state of hopelessness, he was always happy.
When I was meditating and meditating for years on end and nothing was happening, many times the moment came when I was so desperate, so hopeless, that I thought to stop all this nonsense. And suddenly I would remember the thief who would say every night, 'God willing, tomorrow it is going to happen.'
And my second master was a dog. I was going to the river, thirsty and a dog came. He was also thirsty. He looked into the river, he saw another dog there -- his own image -- and became afraid. He would bard and run away, but his thirst was so much that he would come back. Finally, despite his fear, he just jumped into the water, and the image disappeared. And I knew that a message had come to me from God: one has to jump in spite of all fears.
And the third master was a small child. I entered a town and a child was carrying a lit candle. He was going to the mosque to put the candle there.
'Just joking,' I asked the boy, 'Have you lit the candle yourself?' He said, 'Yes sir.' And I asked, 'There was a moment when the candle was unlit, then there was a moment when the candle was lit. Can you show me the source from which the light came?'
And the boy laughed, blew out the candle, and said, 'Now you have seen the light going. Where has it gone? You will tell me!'
My ego was shattered, my whole knowledge was shattered. And that moment I felt my own stupidity. Since then I dropped all my knowledgeability.
It is true that I had no master. That does not mean that I was not a disciple -- I accepted the whole existence as my master. My Disciplehood was a greater involvement than yours is. I trusted the clouds, the trees. I trusted existence as such. I had no master because I had millions of masters I learned from every possible source. To be a disciple is a must on the path. What does it mean to be a disciple? It means to be able to learn. To be available to learn to be vulnerable to existence. With a master you start learning to learn.
The master is a swimming pool where you can learn how to swim. Once you have learned, all the oceans are yours."
Story of Two Frogs
There were two frogs.
One frog lived in the sea. He knew vastness, openness and fathomless-ness. He was so used to bigness that the sea is, that no smallness could trap his attention.
The other frog lived in a well, not far from the sea. But he knew not what sea was. He had never seen it—not even heard of it. In his most wildest of imaginations, if at all he ever imagined, sea was an extended well—or at the most, a `part' of his well, maybe from `this end to that.'
Both the frogs lived in different worlds, though they lived so close by.
One day, however, they both met. They tried to speak on common lines, but their conversation could not make much headway. They both talked different languages: the sea-frog spoke of vastness of sea, the well-frog insisted on the `vastness' of his well.
The sea-frog wondered and smiled, `How could the well-frog compare his little well to the vast expanse of ocean!' To him, even the very idea of it was ridiculous, or at the most, sheer amusement. `Sea and a well, where is even the possibility of a comparison?' he pondered.
The well-frog on the other hand, wondered: `How could there be anything larger, bigger, than my well? How could one trifle with the vastness of my well?' He surmised, after he heard the sea-frog describing the sea, that the sea-frog must be a little out of his mind, or else, how could he talk like that? Can a well have an equivalent, a match?
The sea-frog understood where the difficulty lay. But how could he convince his fellow frog of the existence of the sea? He pitied that his fellow frog never went out of his well, and had remained so small and narrow in his world-view.
The well-frog lived a cosy and protected life, but at times he felt something was missing in his life, though he could not figure out what it was. He had all that he needed, but there came to him, now and then, a desire to know if there was anything beyond his well. He often recalled the sea-frog's description of sea, something much bigger than his well. Many times he planned to undertake a journey, but rarely did his enthusiasm sustain. His desire to know what lay beyond lacked strength and steadiness.
Then, one day, he knew not how, he climbed out of his well, and began his journey towards the sea—the place of his dreams. What pushed him out of his well, and how he could manage to climb out, he could not understand, but he was happy he was out.
The journey to the sea, however, was far from being easy and smooth. He went along his path, but at times he slipped off the surface and at other times, his little feet got stuck in the sand. There were moments when he was not sure whether he was going in the right direction. It was a challenging experience—frightening and satisfying by turns. The journey was so long, arduous and tedious, that he wondered whether there was anything called sea—until he reached the sea.
Having reached the seashore, he had nothing more to ask. He had no doubts, no enquiries, no complaints, no regrets.
He stood speechless; he knew the sea-frog was right.
One frog lived in the sea. He knew vastness, openness and fathomless-ness. He was so used to bigness that the sea is, that no smallness could trap his attention.
The other frog lived in a well, not far from the sea. But he knew not what sea was. He had never seen it—not even heard of it. In his most wildest of imaginations, if at all he ever imagined, sea was an extended well—or at the most, a `part' of his well, maybe from `this end to that.'
Both the frogs lived in different worlds, though they lived so close by.
One day, however, they both met. They tried to speak on common lines, but their conversation could not make much headway. They both talked different languages: the sea-frog spoke of vastness of sea, the well-frog insisted on the `vastness' of his well.
The sea-frog wondered and smiled, `How could the well-frog compare his little well to the vast expanse of ocean!' To him, even the very idea of it was ridiculous, or at the most, sheer amusement. `Sea and a well, where is even the possibility of a comparison?' he pondered.
The well-frog on the other hand, wondered: `How could there be anything larger, bigger, than my well? How could one trifle with the vastness of my well?' He surmised, after he heard the sea-frog describing the sea, that the sea-frog must be a little out of his mind, or else, how could he talk like that? Can a well have an equivalent, a match?
The sea-frog understood where the difficulty lay. But how could he convince his fellow frog of the existence of the sea? He pitied that his fellow frog never went out of his well, and had remained so small and narrow in his world-view.
The well-frog lived a cosy and protected life, but at times he felt something was missing in his life, though he could not figure out what it was. He had all that he needed, but there came to him, now and then, a desire to know if there was anything beyond his well. He often recalled the sea-frog's description of sea, something much bigger than his well. Many times he planned to undertake a journey, but rarely did his enthusiasm sustain. His desire to know what lay beyond lacked strength and steadiness.
Then, one day, he knew not how, he climbed out of his well, and began his journey towards the sea—the place of his dreams. What pushed him out of his well, and how he could manage to climb out, he could not understand, but he was happy he was out.
The journey to the sea, however, was far from being easy and smooth. He went along his path, but at times he slipped off the surface and at other times, his little feet got stuck in the sand. There were moments when he was not sure whether he was going in the right direction. It was a challenging experience—frightening and satisfying by turns. The journey was so long, arduous and tedious, that he wondered whether there was anything called sea—until he reached the sea.
Having reached the seashore, he had nothing more to ask. He had no doubts, no enquiries, no complaints, no regrets.
He stood speechless; he knew the sea-frog was right.
Our Deepest Fear
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. Is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be. You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates other.
The Taj Mahal of Temples
The living God is within you, and yet you are building churches and temples and believing all sort of imaginary nonsense. The only God to worship is the human soul in the human body. Of course all animals are temples too, but man is the highest, the Taj Mahal of temples. If I cannot worship in that, no other temple will be of any advantage. The moment I have realized God sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment I stand in reference before every human being and see God in him - that moment I am free from bondage, everything that binds vanishes, and I am free.
No One to Blame
Blame none to your own faults, stand upon your own feet and take the whole responsibility upon yourselves. Say, " This misery that I am suffering is of my own doing, and that very thing proves that it will have to be undone by me alone." That which I created, I can demolish; that which is created by someone else I shall never be able to destroy. Therefore, stand up, be bold, be strong. Take the whole responsibilty on your own shoulders and know that you are the creator of your own destiny. All the strength and succour you want is within yourselves. Therefore, make your own future. " Let the dead past bury its dead." The infinite future is before you, and you must always remember that each word, thought, and deed, lays up a store for you and that as the bad thought and bad works are ready to spring upon you like tigers, so also there is the inspiring hope that the good thoughts and good deeds are ready with the power of a hundred thousand angels to defend you always and forever.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
