It’s not Selfishness

It’s not Selfishness

Ponnan was a poor but generous man always ready to share whatever little he had with others. He often brought home people he barely knew for tea or lunch, thereby causing great hardship to his wife.

One morning when his wife looked out of the window, she saw three fat men coming towards her house and guessed at once they were coming to her house for lunch at her husband's invitation.

As she turned away from the window her gaze fell on the mortar and pestle that she used for pounding the rice and suddenly she got an idea....

When the men arrived at the front door sometime later they were pleased by the warm welcome given them by their host's wife. But when they entered the house they were puzzled by a strange sight - a mortar and pestle made ready for worship, stood in the hall.

"What is this?" asked one of the men. "Who worships this mortar and pestle?"

"Don't you know?" said the woman, pretending great surprise. "It is my husband's deity. A strange deity it is too. It demands human blood. When my husband comes home he'll pick up the pestle and hit you on your heads to draw blood. So many times I have told him: 'Don't do it, don't do it' because it is I who have to clean the floor afterwards..."

Ponnan returned just then and he was puzzled to see the men hurrying away from his house.

"They wanted the pestle," explained his wife, "and I refused to give it to them." Oh, you foolish woman!" said the husband. "If they wanted the pestle you should have given it," and he picked up the pestle and ran after them.

"Come back! Come back!" he shouted to the men. "You can take the pestle."

The men, already badly frightened, thought he was coming to hit them with the pestle and ran for their lives.

Ponnan sometimes wondered why people had stopped accepting his invitations and why his wife smiled every time she touched the pestle. But she never let out the secret.

POVERTY IS…..

POVERTY IS…..

One day a monk left his ashram and went out to the main street of the city, jiggling a few copper coins in the palm of his hand. As the beggars thronged around him, he announced that he would only give the coins to the poorest man in the city. As the demanding hands pressed him from all sides, he kept saying, “No, it is not you not you, not you,” and he continued walking.

Suddenly the fanfare of trumpets obscured the noise of the city. Guards hurried down the street to clear away the riff-raff, and proclaimed that the Maharaja was coming out of his palace on his royal elephant.

The people lined the street with eager anticipation to make their obeisance to their king, but the monk stepped in front of the elephant, and, addressing the king in a loud voice, said, “Great Maharaj! I have something for you.” And he tossed the copper coins to the king.

The king was astounded and demanded to know why the monk was being so impertinent.

“Your majesty, I made a vow that today I would give this copper coin to the poorest man in the city.”

“Me” screamed the king. “I own this city. I own this whole country. How can you say that I am the poorest man?”

“Because you have constant hunger for more possessions.”

This is the snare of maya, the cosmic delusion: the more we feel separated from God, the more we try to fill our life with possessions, which further deepens our spiritual emptiness. This constant rush to acquire more things, more sensations, more people, and more thoughts turns us from divine children to bestial paupers. “Poverty”, as Plato said, “consists, not in the decrease of one's possessions, but in the increase of one's greed.”

GOOD OR EVIL

GOOD OR EVIL

A robber devoted to a life of murdering and looting was tired of his vicious profession and decided to follow spiritual path. He approached a great saint and falling at his feet said, "O great saint, I have lived a life of sin, but now I am desirous of seeking the spiritual path. Will you please accept me as your disciple?" The saint thought for a while and said: "My son, take this stick with you and repeat the name of the Lord: Om Sri Ramaya Namah. Plant this stick in some secluded place and water it daily with devotion. When the stick sprouts, come to me to receive further instructions."

The robber did exactly as he was told. Months passed by. There was no sprout in the dry stick. He continued watering the stick and repeating the Divine Name.

One night as he was repeating Lord’s name he overheard a conversation between two men. One men said, "Let me go today and kill that enemy of ours." But the other replied, "You should not do this because the police will find out that we have killed him. There is better idea. Let us set fire the whole village. All will perish including our enemy." "Very well said," exclaimed the other.

The robber could not bear this. He uprooted the stick and crashed it on the heads of these two conspirators, killing them both instantly. To his astonishment he saw green shoots coming out of the dry stick from various parts. He brought the stick to his Guru and told him the whole story. The Guru said, "By killing those two vicious men you have saved the lives of the whole village. You have purified your heart by this act of virtue and you are fit to receive Divine Grace." He was initiated into further secrets of spiritual life and he became a great saint.

Moral: You have to study the intention of a person behind his action in order to determine whether his action is good or evil.




(East and West Series, May 2004)

I love you daddy!

"Dearly beloved……" The minister seemed to go on forever. The sermon seemed to be a backdrop for Jenna. Her eyes were fixed on the coffin and her mother in a state of shock. Even now 3 days after the automobile accident her mother was standing in the first row of the crowd still crying.

At 7 Jenna really didn't understand what was going on but it didn't matter to her. She just wanted her daddy back. The gathering went on and on and as it dispersed the people walked away one by one with most still in tears. "They loved daddy just like me." she said to herself.

Later that night as Jenna laid in bed she talked to her daddy. "Daddy, please come back. You said you'd never leave me. Please come back." This continued until she fell asleep.

"Wake up darling. Wake up." the voice said.

Stirring from her sleep Jenna wakes and rubs her eyes as she yawned. Looking up she smiles. "Daddy, daddy! You are here. I knew you'd come back! I knew it! I love you daddy!" Jenna cried out and hugged her father.

"How is my big girl doing. I missed you but I'm here now and everything is going to be alright." he says as he gives her his typical "bear hug". "You been okay? I hope you didn't worry about me. I told you I'd take care of you and never leave. I almost blew both of my promises little lady." he adds.

"Daddy, tell me a story. Lets go tell momma you came back. I want some milk and a cookie." Jenna goes on and on.

"Jenna I can't tell momma I came back but I can leave her a sign that I did and that everything is going to be okay. Will that do?" he asked Jenna.

"Sure daddy, but I bet she'd really like to see you." Jenna replies.

"I'm sure little lady but it's 12:29 AM, lets go for a walk." her father says.

"Sure daddy lets go. The garden is pretty and mom loves the flowers." Jenna replies.

"Lets go pick momma a Lily. She loves those more than any other flower, okay?" he asks.

"Lets go daddy." Jenna replies.

The garden is under a full moon and Jenna picks the prettiest Lilly in the garden. "Lets give this one to momma." she says.

"That's the one I'd pick sweetie. Lets do it." he replies.

They head back to Jenna's room.

"Lets put it on your pillow, okay?" he asks.

"Okay, but why not momma's pillow?" she replies.

"Momma will be coming in really soon Jenna. So lets surprise her. Okay?" he says.

In a few minutes the door opened and in walked her mother still in tears. She nears the bed and seeing the Lilly falls to her knees and cries out loud. "My baby. My baby. Why did you take my baby?"

In her had was a paper. She dropped it on the bed and held the Lilly to her face and cried.

Tears fell on to the paper, a death certificate for Jenna. She was injured in the accident with her father and just pronounced dead at 12:29 AM, minutes before.

Salted coffee that tastes ‘so sweet’

After finishing her day's chores, as usual, Mary sat with a letter and a cup of salted coffee. This letter was written to her by her beloved Bob, just before his death, which she discovered after he died. She reads it right from top to bottom as she sips the salted coffee; a routine that she follows every day since she has discovered this letter.

The letter says…

"My dearest,

I have always loved you more than anything else and feel so proud to have you in my life. I pray to God to bless me with you as my wife every time I take birth. But today, I feel sorry and guilty because of one lie that I told you on our very first date but never ever rectified it.

I still remember that evening, forty years back. You were looking so pretty dressed in red, as I waited for you in the coffee shop near your home. It feels like yesterday… you came in front of me and sat just opposite to the chair I was sitting on.

I was so overjoyed to see you and also so nervous! You preferred to have only a cup of coffee and I agreed to have the same. After the waiter left two cups of coffee along with a pot of milk and sugar cubes, you asked me whether I would like to have it with sugar. Nervous and shy, I instantly said that I would like to have the coffee with salt! But I was surprised to see how beautifully you made me a cup of coffee with salt; and trust me, it tasted so sweet!

Something that was a slip of tongue became a hard fact for you every time you made coffee for me henceforth. Your smile could always change everything in this world for me… even the salty taste of a cup of coffee, turning it sweet! I never told you even after we got married that it was a mere slip of tongue, a lie.

Today, when we have already come a long way in life, I feel guilty not to let you know the truth behind the one and only lie I have told you.

I would also like to admit that, no matter how many times I am born, I want you to be my wife, making me cups of salted coffee that taste 'so sweet'!"

Like every other day, tears fell on the letter as Mary finished reading it. Ever since she has read it, she has started taking salted coffee. Every time she makes it, she thinks Bob is around… and sips it with a smile on her lips.

Often people have asked her how this weird combination of coffee with salt tastes. Mary answers back, "Very Sweet!"


.

You Get What You Give

One day, little Prabhu was taking a walk with his father in the rugged roads of the mountain near their house. Suddenly, he slipped and hurt himself; Prabhu screamed, "AAAhhhh!" 

Immediately he heard a voice from the mountains saying "AAAhhhh!" Prabhu forgot his hurt and shouted, "Who are you?" Once gain he heard that voice saying "Who are you?" Prabhu was amused and he shouted, saying, "I like you!" The voice immediately answered back, saying "I like you!"

Finding the voice repeating everything that he said, Prabhu got annoyed and said, "You're a coward! Come in front!" Once again like every other time that voice from the mountains repeated exactly what Prabhu had shouted its way.

Prabhu got flabbergasted. He looked at his father and asked, "Father, what is going on? Who is this?"

His father smiled and said, "Son, this is called echo." And then he said, "Now listen to this." Prabhu's father then shouted towards the mountains saying, "Hey you are a champion!" The voice answered back, "Hey you are a champion!" Prabhu got puzzled.

Prabhu's father then looked at him and said, "Son, although people call it echo, it is, in reality, Life. It gives you back everything that you give to it. Our life reflects our actions. If you give out love, then life rewards you back with it. If you want happiness from the world, spread happiness first and then you get your return."

Prabhu kept listening to his father as he continued, "Life is not a coincidence, son. It is your reflection – the reflection of your deeds, acts and beliefs."

This Inspiring & Touching Story Dedicated to 'Happy Mother's Day'

It had been three months since Ms Priya had joined a primary school to teach Mathematics. She was gradually being able to understand all her students, excepting one, Kumaran. Kumaran was the only boy who came to school dressed untidily and sat in the class completely lost in his own world. His performance had been deteriorating steadily with every single day.

It was yet another day when all the students in the class laughed out at Kumaran when he was unable to answer even the simplest question Ms Priya had asked him. At the end of the lesson when all the students dispersed, Ms Priya searched through the progress reports of Kumaran in his previous standards. She was shocked to see that Kumaran used to be the topper in his class. She flipped through every page of the report and found out that Kumaran's performance began to slowly decline when his mother fell ill. Few months down the line, Kumaran was doing badly in each and every subject. It was the time when his mother had died leaving him alone with his father, who was a businessman and had to travel always.

Apart from his performance worsening steadily, Kumaran's nature too began to change. The reports clearly said he had forgotten to laugh and showed no interest in any activity. He had turned into a loner. All his friends had abandoned him. Tears filled the eyes of Ms Priya.

The next day, while all the students were dispersing, she asked Kumaran to stay back. Kumaran sat on his chair quietly. After the classroom became empty, Ms Priya went up to him. She began to ask him if he had any problem understanding his lessons. Gradually she began to give him a comfort zone so that he could talk and share. After three weeks, she found Kumaran gradually improving. He was being able to answer the questions he previously failed. Every day after all the students went away Ms Priya gave personal attention to Kumaran and began to spend time with him.

Kumaran had improved a lot over the next semester. He began to reach school on time, properly dressed and promptly responding in class. His classmates gradually became friendly to him once again and he showed definite signs of progress in his performance.

On a Friday, when all the students left after the class, Kumaran came up to Ms Priya and handed her a box. He requested her to unwrap the box on Sunday and left.

Sunday morning, curious, she opened it and saw a bottle of perfume, half filled. Kumaran had written a small letter to her, saying that this bottle of perfume used to be his mother's and he wished Ms Priya to wear it so that every time she was around, he could feel his Mom near him. He thanked her for everything.

She suddenly checked with the calendar; it was the second Sunday of the month of May.

After reading the letter, Ms Priya took the bottle of perfume in her hand and saw the tag attached to it; it said "Happy Mother's Day"!

Ms Priya realized that it was not she who had made a difference to Kumaran's life but it was Kumaran who made her realize the true essence of humanity!

The Success Story Of John Paul DeJoria

From Zero To $4 Billion, The Success Story Of John Paul DeJoria

Not every person in this earth is born with a silver spoon. So when the spoon is missing, you have to earn it with your hard work, dedication and willpower. By looking at the rich and famous people, we cannot make out the immense hard work behind their road to success.

The success story of John Paul DeJoria, a renowned American serial entrepreneur, billionaire and philanthropist, will surely take you aback. He is the owner and co-founder of John Paul Mitchell systems, the US company famous for its hair-care products.

At a very young age of two, John saw his parents separating. At the age of 9, he and his siblings began selling newspapers and Christmas greeting cards to earn a living. At this age, John used to dream of a small job which would fetch him around $150 a week and a second hand car to drive in. He graduated at the age of 17 and went into the Navy. He got out of service in 1964 and tried out 10 jobs for the next few years.

The turning point in John’s life came in the year 1971 when he bagged a job with Redken Laboratories. At that time, it was the leading company for manufacturing salon products in US. In the next few years, he was hired and fired by numerous organizations. In 1980, he saw himself joining hands with Paul Mitchell, a famous hair designer at that time, to launch their own company. They soon rolled out single-application shampoo and a leave-in conditioner to improve blow-dry results.

With just $700, the company began operating. Since fund was less, they could not help but use only black and white ink on the product packaging. With just one answering machine and a post office box, they managed to start off their business. They requested a female friend who had a British accent to record the voice message for their answering machine which helped them convince the users that it was some serious business.

Today this company is a huge hit in the US for its hair products. Every salon use their products for superior quality. John Paul Mitchell Systems logs nearly $1 billion in annual sales. Not just the US, but they have even managed to establish roots in the international market too. More than 80 countries buy products of John Paul Mitchell Systems. Besides dealing in hair products, John has also successfully launched 17 other types of businesses. From nightclubs to bikes, he has got them all under his belt.

John Paul DeJoria is a bright example of sincerity, dedication, will power and perseverance. Our world is blessed to have such humane human beings who have touched the pinnacle of success by their sheer will power. He is a great idol for every youngster and wannabe entrepreneur.

Always remember that success will only come, when you are ready to give in everything. Hence, dream big and have faith in your abilities!

More than what we can hold..!!

Once a boy went to a shop with his mother. The shopkeeper looked at the small cute child and showed him a bottle with sweets
 
And said 'Dear Child, you can take the sweets...

But the child didn't take. The shopkeeper was surprised.. Such a small child he is and why is he not taking the sweets from the bottle. Again he said take the sweets....

Now the mother also heard that and said.. Take the sweets dear. Yet he didn't take. The shopkeeper seeing the child not taking the sweets... He himself took the sweets and gave to the child. The child was happy to get two hands full of sweets.  

While returning home the Mother asked the child... Why didn't you take the sweets, when  the shopkeeper told you to take?..

Can you guess the response: Child replies... Mom! My hands are very small and if I take the sweets I can only take few.. But now you see when uncle gave with his big hands.... How many more sweets I got!  

Moral: When we take we may get little but when God gives... He gives us more beyond our expectations. .. More than what we can hold..!!

DO NOT TAKE ANYTHING AT ITS FACE VALUE

DO NOT TAKE IT AT ITS FACE VALUE

 

On a sunny day a man with his donkey carrying two sacks of wheat was on his way to the market. After traveling at a stretch, the man was tired and decided to rest under a tree. When he woke up from his nap he could not find the donkey and started searching for it everywhere.

While searching he met a boy. Out of sheer curiosity he asked the boy, "Have you seen my donkey?"

The boy in turn asked, "Is the donkey's left eye blind, his right foot lame and is he carrying a load of wheat?"

The man smiled since the boy's description exactly matched the description of his donkey. The man replied, "Yes, exactly! Where have you seen it?"

The boy answered, "I haven't seen it."

This made the man very angry because he quickly realized that the boy was lying. Hence he took the boy to the village chief for punishment.

After listening to the man, the village chief asked, "Dear boy, if you had not seen the donkey how you could describe it?"

The boy answered, "I saw the tracks of a donkey. Since the right and left tracks were different, I concluded that the donkey which has passed from there was limping. Also I noticed that the grass on the right side of the road was eaten but the grass on the left was not. Hence, I understood that its left eye was blind. There were wheat seeds scattered on the ground seeing which I understood that the donkey must have been carrying a load of wheat."

The chief, after listening to the clever boy's logic, was surprised! He decided to award him. He also ruled that the boy was innocent and that the man should be ashamed for bringing the boy to him for punishment without knowing the whole story.

 

We should not take someone or something at face value.

 

AVOID HARMING YOURSELVES

AVOID HARMING YOURSELVES

 

A woman suffered from severe rheumatic pains in the knee joints. No treatment was of any avail. The pain became unbearable. She sought the blessings of a holy man to help her out of her utter misery.

 

"Do you hold a grudge against anyone?" he asked her gently.

 

For a split second, she hesitated: then she answered, "My mind is seething with resentment against my own sister who did not behave properly towards me."

 

The holy man said to her, "Your pain will disappear only when you forgive her and make peace with her."

 

The woman found it very difficult to do so. However, with a tremendous effort of will, she went to meet her estranged sister; she hugged the astonished sister and said to her, "Let bygones be bygones. Let us begin anew!"

 

To her amazement, she found that soon thereafter, the pains disappeared completely!

 

We hold resentment against someone, we may not harm that person – but surely, we will harm ourselves!

THE WISE DO NOT QUESTION

THE WISE DO NOT QUESTION

When the Kurukshetra war was over, pride entered the heart of Arjuna. He even thought that he was so great that Krishna had become his charioteer.

Arjuna felt that as a master, he must get down from the chariot  only after the charioteer had done so. He insisted that Krishna must get down first. Krishna was adamant.

Finally, Arjuna had to yield. Swallowing his pride, he got out of the chariot with great reluctance.

Now it was Krishna’s turn. As soon as He stepped down, the chariot went up in flames.

Arjuna was humbled as he realized that the deadly arrows and missiles that had struck the chariot were powerless so long as Krishna was in it. As soon as He left it, they had their natural effect and the chariot was reduced to ashes.

In everything that the Lord permits to happen, is a meaning of His mercy. We must not question: we must not argue. We must only obey, accept and rejoice!

LEARN TO GIVE

LEARN TO GIVE

A wise man, on his deathbed, uttered the following statement,

"What I gave, I have.

What I spent, I had.

What I kept, I lost!"

Truer words were never spoken! Whatever wealth he had saved, hoarded, he could not carry with him after death – so, all that he had kept, was lost to him. Whatever he had spent, he had enjoyed the use of it on this earth – it was had, over and done with. But whatever he had given away in love, charity and service, out of the love of God, would be credited to his account in the Bank of Providence – so what he gave, he could have eternally!

The truly wealth man is not one who has – but one who gives away what he has!

__._,_.___

GOD LOVES THE UNLOVED ONES

GOD LOVES THE UNLOVED ONES

"I have a number of dolls," said the little girl to a guest. "Would you like to see them?"

"Sure, I would!"

The little girl ran and brought a number of dolls. Some of them were very cute. One was Barbie doll.

"Which one do you love the most?" asked the guest. He felt certain the girl would point the Barbie doll.

Imagine his surprise when the girl picked up a ragged doll which had scratches on its cheek, a broken nose and a missing arm.

"How so?" enquired the visitor. "I thought you would love the Barbie doll the most."

The little girl answered, "If I don't love this doll, no one else will!"

The little girl taught a great lesson. God loves the unloved ones – the poor, the broken, the miserable, the wretched, the forsaken, the forlorn, the lowly and the lost!

Let us learn to love likewise, and we too, shall grow Godlike.

Live One Day at a Time

Live One Day at a Time

There are two days in every week about which we should not worry, two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.

One of these days is yesterday with all its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control. All the money in the world cannot bring back yesterday.

We cannot undo a single act we performed; we cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone forever.

The other day we should not worry about is tomorrow with all its possible adversities, its burdens, its large promise and its poor performance; tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control.

Tomorrow's sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds, but it will rise. Until it does, we have no stake in tomorrow, for it is yet to be born.

This leaves only one day, today. Any person can fight the battle of just one day. It is when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternities, yesterday and tomorrow that we break down.

It is not the experience of today that drives a person mad, it is the remorse or bitterness of something which happened yesterday and the dread of what tomorrow may bring.

Let us, therefore, live but one day at a time.

Cost of a Miracle - (A TRUE STORY)

Cost of Miracle

 

A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet.

She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even the total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes.

Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.

She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention, but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!

'And what do you want?' the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages,' he said without waiting for a reply to his question.  'Well, I want to talk to you about my brother,' Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. 'He's really, really sick...and I want to buy a miracle.'

'I beg your pardon?' said the pharmacist.

'His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now, so how much does a miracle cost?'

'We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you,' the pharmacist said, softening a little.

'Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs.'

The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, 'What kind of a miracle does your brother need?'

' I don't know,' Tess replied with her eyes welling up. I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money.'

'How much do you have?' asked the man from Chicago

'One dollar and eleven cents,' Tess answered barely audibly.

'And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.'

'Well, what a coincidence,' smiled the man. 'A dollar and eleven cents---the exact price of a miracle for little brothers. '

He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said 'Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you need.'

That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place.


'That surgery,' her Mom whispered. 'was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?'

Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost. One dollar and eleven cents....plus the faith of a little child.

In our lives, we never know how many miracles we will need. A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law.

 

Indeed The Sign of Happiness is ....

There was a young couple who led a happy life together. The only thing that they were worried about was, whether their happiness would last forever or they too would have to face problems.

One day, they heard that a wise old man had come to town who could solve all kinds of problems and guide people. So the couple decided to visit the wise old man and tell him their source of worry.

Upon visiting, the wise man told them, "Travel around the world and seek a man and a woman who are perfectly happy as a couple. When you find such a couple, ask them for a piece of cloth from the man's shirt and then keep that piece of cloth with you, and you shall always remain happy."

The young couple began their journey to find the happiest couple in the world. In one place they heard that the governor and his wife were the happiest couple and so they went to their palace and asked them, "Are you the happiest couple?"

The governor and his wife replied, "Yes, we are happy in every way except for one thing – we do not have any children."

Well that didn't make the governor and his wife the happiest couple. So they continued their journey. They arrived in one city where they had heard that the happiest couple lived.

They went to their house and asked them, "Are you the happiest couple?"

The couple replied, "Yes, we are really happy in every way except that we have too many children which make our life a bit uncomfortable."

No, this couple did not sound to be the happiest. And, so they continued their journey. They visited many countries, cities, towns and villages asking the same question but they did not find what they were looking for.

One Day the young couple came across a shepherd in the desert. The shepherd was grazing his sheep when his wife and child came along. The shepherd greeted his wife and gently patted the child she was carrying. She laid the mat and started to eat contentedly. The young couple came to them and asked them, "Are you the happiest couple?"

The shepherd and his wife replied, "Nobody is unhappier than the king." The young couple immediately realized that they were the happiest couple and asked them for a piece of the shepherd's shirt, so that their happiness too would last throughout. The shepherd said, "If I give you a piece of cloth from my shirt then I will be left without any clothes since I own just one shirt."

The young couple at once understood that it is very difficult to find perfect happiness anywhere in the world. The couple decided to return to their own country.

They went to the wise old man and related all that had taken place. They also complained that his guidance was difficult to abide by. The wise old man laughed and said, "Was your journey useless or did you learn something from it?" The young man replied, "Yes, after this trip I have learnt that in this world, nobody is perfectly happy, only that person is happy who does everything to please God."

The wife said, "I have learnt that in order to be happy it is important to remember two things: Firstly, all human beings should be thankful and contented with whatever they have. And secondly, for ultimate happiness one must always practice patience."

After that, the young couple thanked the wise old man for his guidance and returned home. The wise man prayed for them and said, "Indeed the sign of happiness is in their heart and they have good manners and if the lifetime is spent in pleasure of God there would be no differences in the existence of mankind."

Success or Failure - Ultimately You are a Winner in a way or other

There once lived a great mathematician in a village outside Ujjain. He was often called by the local king to advice on matters related to the economy. His reputation had spread as far as Taxila in the North and Kanchi in the South. So it hurt him very much when the village headman told him, "You may be a great mathematician who advises the king on economic matters but your son does not know the value of gold or silver."

The mathematician called his son and asked, "What is more valuable – gold or silver?" "Gold," said the son. "That is correct. Why is it then that the village headman makes fun of you, claims you do not know the value of gold or silver? He teases me every day. He mocks me before other village elders as a father who neglects his son. This hurts me. I feel everyone in the village is laughing behind my back because you do not know what is more valuable, gold or silver. Explain this to me, son."

So the son of the mathematician told his father the reason why the village headman carried this impression. "Every day on my way to school, the village headman calls me to his house. There, in front of all village elders, he holds out a silver coin in one hand and a gold coin in other. He asks me to pick up the more valuable coin. I pick the silver coin. He laughs, the elders jeer, everyone makes fun of me. And then I go to school. This happens every day. That is why they tell you I do not know the value of gold or silver."

The father was confused. His son knew the value of gold and silver, and yet when asked to choose between a gold coin and silver coin always picked the silver coin. "Why don't you pick up the gold coin?" he asked. In response, the son took the father to his room and showed him a box. In the box were at least a hundred silver coins. Turning to his father, the mathematician' s son said, "The day I pick up the gold coin the game will stop. They will stop having fun and I will stop making money."

Sometimes in life, we have to play the fool because our seniors and our peers, and sometimes even our juniors like it. That does not mean we lose in the game of life. It just means allowing others to win in one arena of the game, while we win in the other arena of the game. We have to choose which arena matters to us and which arenas do not.