SECRET OF THE MARQUIS

SECRET OF THE MARQUIS

There was a French Marquis who was raised to his grand and exalted state from humble beginnings.


In his earlier days, he had been a shepherd boy. In the magnificent palace which was now his home, he had a special room, known simply as the “shepherd’s room”. In that room were reproductions of hills and valleys and running streams and rocks and sheepfolds. Here he kept the stuff he had carried and the clothes he had worn as a shepherd.


People expressed their surprise at this unseemly room, which was quite out of place amidst the grandeur of the palace.


“What is the point of having such room in this beautiful palace?” they wondered.


The Marquis replied, “I remind myself, that is what I am. It is only the grace of God that has brought me to this exalted position. If ever my heart is tempted to haughtiness and pride,” he continued, “I simply step into that room and remind myself of what I once was.”




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Maintaining age difference for a blissful marriage

Maintaining age difference for a blissful marriage

Chitranjan Sawant, Sat, Oct 31, 2009 12:59:58 IST



In ancient times, both the bride and the groom practiced Brahmacharya till marriage, which made all the difference. That provided clarity of thought and expression as well as virility. The aim of marriage was clear to both - procreation


MARRYING AFTER a hectic courtship? Well, both the husband and wife have a joint vision of what life in Grihasth Ashram is likely to be. Though they have many dream for a happy, settled life together, he fact remains that their age would likely be the same and their life experience till then would consist of school and college.


The government, after a discussion with the physicians and marriage counsellors arrived at the magic figure of 21 as the appropriate age to marry and five as the difference in age between the hubby-to-be and his sweetheart. She should be his junior to let him boss over her taking an advantage of his seniority.


In the Vedic vivah in India and elsewhere, it is recommended that a wife should be a junior. The bride may be 16 or what but, the groom should only get married after completing his education in a Gurukul; a process tha takes at least 25 years.


When I mentioned this in a circle of teenagers and elicited their opinion, one chirpy little thing twitted"if I am sixteen I am not going to marry an old fellow who is 25 and waste my life. If I talk of cheese, he will talk of chalk. The marriage will be on the rocks before you can say a word."

How did they manage in ancient times, I thought aloud. Well, both the bride and the groom practiced Brahmacharya then, which made all the difference. That provided clarity of thought and expression as well as virility in bed. The aim of marriage was clear to both - procreation. Arrival of a son or a daughter into this world within one year of marriage was a foregone conclusion.


Now the thought process has changed, said the bride-to-be. Marriage is fun. It is for enjoyment. If you procreate and have an issue within one year of the Saptpadi or tying the knot, then they would be changing the nappies of the baby all the time. The marital enjoyment will be gone for good.


The two schools of thought are diametrically opposite. We reverted to the main topic. What should be the age difference between the bride and her groom? The general consensus was: Back to the Vedas. Let us do what the Vedic injunction orders us to do. Maintain brahmacharya until graduation and marry thereafter, maintaining an age difference of seven or eight years, procreate well and lead a life of bliss.


The vedas say; blessed are they who go through the four ashrams and fulfil the obligations to self and society



http://www.merinews.com/article/maintaining-age-difference-for-a-blissful-marriage/15787251.shtml

"MOTHER" means the world to me

"MOTHER" means the world to me

This story begins when I was a child: I was born poor. Often we hadn't enough to eat. Whenever we had some food, Mother often gave me her portion of rice. While she was transferring her rice into my bowl, she would say "Eat this rice, son! I'm not hungry."
This was Mother's First Lie.

As I grew, Mother gave up her spare time to fish in a river near our house; she hoped that from the fish she caught, she could give me a little bit more nutritious food for my growth. Once she had caught just two fish, she would make fish soup. While I was eating the soup, mother would sit beside me and eat the what was still left on the bone of the fish I had eaten, My heart was touched when I saw it. Once I gave the other fish to her on my chopstick but she immediately refused it and said, "Eat this fish, son! I don't really like fish."

This was Mother's Second Lie.

Then, in order to fund my education, Mother went to a Match Factory to bring home some used matchboxes, which she filled with fresh matchsticks. This helped her get some money to cover our needs. One wintry night I awoke to find Mother filling the matchboxes by candlelight. So I said, "Mother, go to sleep; it's late: you can continue working tomorrow morning." Mother smiled and said "Go to sleep, son! I'm not tired."

This was Mother's Third Lie.

When I had to sit my Final Examination, Mother accompanied me. After dawn, Mother waited for me for hours in the heat of the sun. When the bell rang, I ran to meet her.. Mother embraced me and poured me a glass of tea that she had prepared in a thermos. The tea was not as strong as my Mother's love, Seeing Mother covered with perspiration, I at once gave her my glass and asked her to drink too. Mother said "Drink, son! I'm not thirsty!".

This was Mother's Fourth Lie.

After Father's death, Mother had to play the role of a single parent. She held on to her former job; she had to fund our needs alone. Our family's life was more complicated. We suffered from starvation. Seeing our family's condition worsening, my kind Uncle who lived near my house came to help us solve our problems big and small. Our other neighbors saw that we were poverty stricken so they often advised my mother to marry again. But Mother refused to remarry saying "I don't need love."

This was Mother's Fifth Lie.

After I had finished my studies and gotten a job, it was time for my old Mother to retire but she carried on going to the market every morning just to sell a few vegetables. I kept sending her money but she was steadfast and even sent the money back to me. She said, "I have enough money."

That was Mother's Sixth Lie.

I continued my part-time studies for my Master's Degree. Funded by the American Corporation for which I worked, I succeeded in my studies. With a big jump in my salary, I decided to bring Mother to enjoy life in America but Mother didn't want to bother her son; she said to me "I'm not used to high living."

That was Mother's Seventh Lie.

In her dotage, Mother was attacked by cancer and had to be hospitalized. Now living far across the ocean, I went home to visit Mother who was bedridden after an operation. Mother tried to smile but I was heartbroken because she was so thin and feeble but Mother said, "Don't cry, son! I'm not in pain."

That was Mother's Eighth Lie.

Telling me this, her eighth lie, she died. YES, MOTHER WAS AN ANGEL!



M - O - T - H - E – R

"M" is for the Million things she gave me,

"O" means Only that she's growing old,

"T" is for the Tears she shed to save me,

"H" is for her Heart of gold,

"E" is for her Eyes with love-light shining in them,

"R" means Right, and right she'll always be.


Put them all together, they spell "MOTHER" a word that means the world to me.

For those of you who are lucky to be still blessed with your Mom's presence on Earth, this story is beautiful. For those who aren't so blessed, this is even more beautiful.

Wedding the modern and traditional

Wedding the modern and traditional

October 30. 2009 9:50PM GMT


BANGALORE // Dressed in an exquisite salmon pink and gold sari, and wearing traditional gold jewellery and jasmine flowers in her hair, the bride entered the marriage hall holding betel leaves and a betel nut, which she would carry throughout the wedding.

Her entrance was heralded by more than two dozen traditional drummers and a procession of men playing trumpets, while a decorated elephant lingered outside. The bride’s girl friends were dressed in green and gold silk saris and holding kalashas (brass pots containing coconut and mango leaves, which are auspicious symbols of marriage). The men wore traditional dhoti and kurta with shawls on their shoulders and carried brightly coloured ceremonial umbrellas. The two groups escorted the bride down the red carpet and on to the stage. The groom, resplendent in a maroon dhoti, beige kurta and matching turban, joined her shortly after as thousands of guests looked on.


It was not only the celebration of a marriage, and one of the biggest social events of the year, it was also a union of the modern and traditional.

The bride was Seema Shetty, the youngest daughter of the renowned doctors Bavaguthu Raghuram and Chandrakumari Shetty, who founded the New Medical Centre group of hospitals and pharmacies scattered across the Emirates, as well as UAE Exchange, one of the largest money transfer and exchange companies in the GCC.


Miss Shetty, 27, however, is a successful businesswoman in her own right; the founder of BiteRite, the health-food chain, she is also the owner of Zari Zardozi, an Indian restaurant group in Abu Dhabi. She exemplifies the new generation of women in the Emirates who have embraced modern business and commerce practices and who are setting the agenda in their chosen fields.

By contrast, her wedding was in keeping with centuries-old traditions that are integral to the life of an Indian woman, modern or otherwise: she married the man chosen for her by her parents, in a ceremony that reflected her roots and respected her culture.


“It was always inculcated into us that I would have an arranged marriage to someone who hailed from our community and had similar values. It was rooted in us at an early age and that made it easy for us to respect our parents’ wishes when the time came,” she said.

However, Miss Shetty was the driving force behind the organisation of the huge celebration.

“This is all Seema’s doing,” said her father, proudly surveying the crowd and dressed in a stylish long kurta and a traditional dhoti. “It is that generation, with all their contacts and friends. All these people are here for her.”


Born in Abu Dhabi, Miss Shetty graduated from Boston University in 2003 with a degree in business administration.

“I think our generation is a global one,” said Yazan Alattia, a friend of the bride who had arrived from Canada for the festivities. “Born in one place, raised in another, studied somewhere, working somewhere else. Yet many of us, after leaving a place, tend to lose touch with those friends but Seema, with her charisma, is one of the distinct few who is able to balance her career and relationships.


“[The fact that] her friends here have made it from across the globe, from as far as North America and the Caribbean, to attend this wedding is an attestation to this.”

Marriage means Miss Shetty must leave her family and friends in the UAE to go to live with her new husband. Nirman Shetty, 29, is a property strategist for the Lodha group of developers based in Mumbai.

Their wedding last weekend saw thousands of guests travel to Bangalore, a south Indian city in the state of Karnataka, for the celebrations. They came from the UAE and all over the world.


Old friends and relatives mingled with multimillionaire businessmen, an adviser to a sheikh, and Indian politicians, among other high-profile guests. The main reception, in the grounds of Bangalore Palace, was attended by 12,000 well-wishers.

Eight months earlier, Miss Shetty’s father had met Nirman and, having approved of the young man, arranged for the two families to meet. They got together for the first time over brunch where the prospective spouse found the courage to ask to speak briefly to Miss Shetty in private. She suggested they go for a drive, which lasted four hours, and they spent the rest of the day together.


“We spoke about all sorts of things. laughed some, debated a little, and it felt like not more than 10 minutes had gone by,” said Nirman. “As you can imagine, this story does have a happy ending. A very, very happy ending. It is also a new beginning.”

An evening of entertainment, called Sangeeth, kicked off the wedding festivities, where Miss Shetty’s friends, having practised their dance routines in Abu Dhabi for more than two months, finally got to perform them. Then, through song and dance, Miss Shetty performed a sketch that showed her telling future grandchildren of how she met Nirman.


Omar and Avan al Mutwali, her high-school friends from Choueifat in Abu Dhabi, were involved in two other dances that evening.

“The atmosphere, the lights, music, stage, during the actual dance was indescribable. We enjoyed the dances so much that the time flew by,” said Avan. “We felt this was a really personal contribution from us to Seema and Nirman.”

A day before the wedding, Miss Shetty’s parents’ garden, decorated with garlands of marigolds and lanterns, had been taken over by the women who congregated for Mehndi. The traditional ceremony saw intricate, henna-paste designs applied to the palms of the bride and her entourage.


Later that evening, at sunset, one of the main south Indian marriage rituals took place to signify Miss Shetty’s move from her father’s home into her husband’s abode.

Dressed in a stunning blue and gold silk sari, with jasmine flowers in her hair, she was led to the Mantapam, the main stage, by her aunts for the Muhurtham, a ceremony where the bride is presented with rings for her toes, which in south India signifies that a woman is married, and wedding rings for her fingers.


The next day at dawn, guests rushed to the Bangalore Palace grounds for the main wedding ceremony. Driven by her brother, Binay, the bride arrived in a vintage Mercedes decorated with yellow lilies and red roses. That evening, the main reception brought everyone together, incorporating the city and all its well- wishers.

After five or six hours, the feasting and festivities came to an end, but the smile the exhausted bride still wore was one of pure happiness.


sbhattacharya@thenational.ae


http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091031/NATIONAL/710309765/1010

POWER OF LOVE

POWER OF LOVE


During the course of a lecture, a Bishop referred to a Sunday school teacher, who began his classes in a slum. With all good intentions, he brought together the poor children, spoke to them of the love of God and inspired them to live the life beautiful.

Finding that their clothes were dirty, tattered and torn, he said to them, “I shall get you new clothes. You must wear them every Sunday morning as you come to attend the class.”

Every boy received a beautiful dress.

On the following Sunday, he found that one of the boys was missing. He made inquiries and was told the boy was a gambler.

The Sunday school teacher went out in quest of the boy, found him, and got him another set of clothes. The boy attended the Sunday class for the next two or three weeks, but again disappeared.

The teacher found that the boy had once again bartered his clothes and gambled away money.

Yet again, he went up to the boy, met him in love, spoke to him with tenderness.

He said to him, “Forget what has happened. Take these new clothes, and be regular in your attendance at the Sunday classes.”

This was repeated as many as thirteen times. No less than twelve times, the boy sold the clothes, but the teacher’s patience was not exhausted. His love was boundless, unquestioning, unconditional, it demanded no explanation; it needed no apology. A transformation was wrought. The boy turned over a new leaf.

The love of the teacher transformed the boy and made him new.

The bishop concluded his lecture with the words; “I know this is true, because I was the boy!”

It is love which reclaims. It is love which transforms.

Sermons or lectures do not touch the hearts of the people, the power of love does.



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OLD STORY RETOLD

OLD STORY RETOLD

Once upon a time there was a young man called, Aurangzeb. He used to roam around from town to town selling hats for a living. One day he would be in Bangalore and the next day people would find him in Mysore.

One summer afternoon, Aurangzeb had just traveled across a vast plain, so he felt tired and wanted to take a nap in the jungle. He found a mango tree with lots of branches and cool shade. Placing his bag of hats beside him, he went to sleep.

Aurangzeb was fast asleep in no time. When he woke up after a refreshing nap, he found that there were no hats in his bag! "Oh, no!" he said to himself and shook his head sadly, "Of all the people, why did the thieves have to rob me?"

Suddenly, he looked up and noticed that the mango tree was full of cute monkeys wearing colorful hats. He yelled at the monkeys and they screamed back. He made faces at them and they returned the same funny faces. He threw a stone at them and they showered him with raw mangoes.

"Oh gosh, how do I get my hats back?" Aurangzeb pondered. Frustrated, he took off his own hat and threw it on the ground. To his surprise, the monkeys threw their hats also! Aurangzeb did not waste a second and hurriedly collected the hats and went on his way to the next town.

Fifty years later, young Habib, grandson of the famous Hat-Seller Aurangzeb, who worked hard to maintain the family business, was passing through the same jungle. After a long walk he was very tired and found a nice mango tree with lots of branches and cool shade. Habib decided to rest a while and very soon was fast asleep.

A few hours later, when Habib woke up, he realized that all the hats from his bag were gone! He started searching for them and to his surprise found some monkeys sitting on the mango tree wearing his hats. He was frustrated and did not know what to do, but then he remembered a story his grandfather used to tell him.

"Oh, I can fool these monkeys!" said Habib. "I will make them imitate me and very soon I will get all hats back!"

Habib waved at the monkeys and the monkeys waved back at him. He blew his nose and the monkeys blew their noses. He started dancing and the monkeys also danced. He pulled his ears and the monkeys pulled their ears. He raised his hands and the monkeys raised their hands.

Then, he threw his hat on the ground expecting all the monkeys to do so, but instead, one monkey jumped down from the mango tree, walked up to Habib, hit him on the shoulder and said, "Do you think only you had a grandfather?"

Wiser from the experience, wiser by the generation, right?

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An Unforgettable Flight

An Unforgettable Flight

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. 'I'm glad I have a good book to read and perhaps I will get a short nap,' I thought.

Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totallysurrounding me. I decided to start a conversation. 'Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seatednearest to me.

'Petawawa. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Afghanistan .

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars... It would be several hours before we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time....

As I reached for my wallet, I overheard soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. 'No, that seemslike a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to base '

His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers.. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. 'Take a lunch to all those soldiers.' She grabbed my arms andsqueezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. 'My son was a soldier in Iraq ; it's almost like you are doing it for him.'

Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, 'Which do you like best - beef or chicken?'

'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class. 'This is yours with thanks...'

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. 'I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.' He handed me twenty-five dollars.

Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Aircraft Pilot coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, an said, 'I want to shake your hand.'

Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, 'Iwas a soldier and I was a military pilot... Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.' I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.

When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!

Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to themand handed them seventy-five dollars. 'It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.'

Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers. As I walked briskly tomy car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals..

It seemed so little...

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to his country for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'

That is Honor, and there are way too many people who no longer understand it.

N.B:

Variously titled "Just Lunch," "Act of Kindness," "The Sack Lunches," the story quoted above began circulating in the online world in August 2008. It was copied from the magazine Renewed & Ready, Adventist Living for Today where it appeared in that publication' s July 2008 issue titled "An Unforgettable Flight" and presented as having been written "by Beverly Brass (as told by Denny Kukich)." Denny Kukich, the man who had supposedly paid for the soldiers' box lunches, was further identified as hailing from Wood Dale, Illinois.

ALL GLORY TO GOD

ALL GLORY TO GOD


A little incident, which occurred in Kerala, several years ago. At, a meeting, a man, apparently a communist, got up and said: “All this talk about God is nonsense. There is no God! God is only a superstition created by some interest people to dupe the masses.”


Then he added: “If God really exists, let Him strike me dead within three minutes!” So saying, he held out a watch and kept on looking at it. The people heard the challenge being thrown in the face of God. The atmosphere of the meeting changed: It was changed with suspense. One minute passed: nothing happened! Two minutes passed: nothing happened! Two minutes and thirty seconds…. The people were tense…. Two minutes, forty five seconds…. Two minutes fifty five seconds…. Two minutes, fifty-nine seconds, three minutes were over; the man continued to live! He triumphantly declared, "Did I not tell you, God is dead? A dead myth of a dead past! If as you say, an omnipotent God really existed, He would have struck me dead by now. He would have accepted my challenge. But God does not exist. All talk about God is mere humbug!”


At the meeting was present a simple man – a lover of God and a servant of suffering humanity, one who, for the love of God had become a homeless wanderer, moving from place to place, carrying to waiting multitudes, the saving gospel of the love of God. He saw the statement of the communist had profoundly affected the audience and thrown many people into confusion. He got up and said to them: “Do not for a moment believe that God does not exist. God exists! And God is Love! Even if you deny Him, His love continues to take care of you. He is our heavenly Father, more real and more loving than our earthly father. Which father amongst you would be prepared to strike his son dead, only to prove his existence? If your son throw a challenge at you saying: “Father, if you really exist, slay me within three minutes, you would merely laugh at his foolishness.”


Hearing this, a wave of joy spread over the meeting. The hearts of the listeners were filled with a new faith, and they declared with one voice: “God exists! All glory to Him!”


During the last century, a memorable dinner was held in London. A number of thinkers and scholars were present at the dinner. Dean Stanley was asked to preside and he proposed for a discussion on the topic: “Who will dominate the future?”


Prof. Huxley was the first to speak. In the course of his learned speech, he said: “The future will be dominated by the nation which sticks most closely to the facts.” His speech created a deep impression on the minds of his hearers, who felt the future would be dominated by physical science and the material data furnished by it.


After a moment of silence, the Dean called upon Edward Miall, member of Parliament and President of the Royal Commission on Education and this is what he said: “I have been listening to the last speaker with profound interest, and agree with him that the future will be dominated by the nation which sticks most closely to the facts. But I want to add one word. ‘All’ the facts! The greatest fact in history is God!’


Yes, the greatest fact in history is God. And true success belongs to those who work with God.


During the days of the civil war, Abraham Lincoln put a very pertinent question to his people. “It may be true,” he said to them, “that God is on our side; but the real question is: “Are we on the side of God?”


When the great English poet, Robert Louis Stevenson, sought spiritual illumination and found it, he wrote to his father: “No man can achieve success in life until he writes in the journal of his life the word ”Enter God!”


“What is God? Can God be seen and contacted and talked to?” Those very questions haunted the mind of young Narendra (Swami Vivekananda) and he asked Sri Ramakrishna: “Have you seen God?” Quick came the reply from the saint: “Yes, I have seen God. I see Him more certainly than I see you!”


Narendra was not yet convinced. He asked: “Can I see God?”


“Yes” replied the saint. “Everyone can see God!” then after a minute’s silence, the saint said: “But where are they who are eager to see God? Men weep for women and women weep for men. Boys shed jugful of tears for girls and girls shed tears for boys. Where are they who shed tears in love and longing for the Lord? Verily, this I say to you, if you will but weep for the Lord with deep yearning in your heart, God will surely reveal Himself to you!”


We shed tears for the things, which the world gives, and the world takes away. We weep for our dear and near ones who belong to a world of transience. In this world nothing abides! Everything, every form, is a bubble floating on the surface of water. One moment it is: another moment it has vanished! Alone God is! Blessed is the person whose heart is filled with pure love and longing for the Eternal Lord. A mark of this love is tears. When your eyes shed tears for the love of God, He is not from you afar. Just as the reddening of the skies at dawn is a sure sign that the sun is about to rise, even so the reddening of the eyes by the tears of pure love and longing for His vision is a sure sign that the Lord will soon appear to you. Tears cleanse the stained mirror of the heart and enable you to behold the Beauteous Face of the Beloved therein!


If God did exist, it would be necessary to invent Him,” said Voltaire. The question arises: What sort of God do we want? The vast majority of men and women want God who is a sort of a store keeper ready to supply them all those things for which they send in a requisition – the wealth of the world, its pleasures and power.


So long as God gives them what they want, God is good, kind and loving, God is wise and there is none like unto Him. But the moment He refuses to oblige, He becomes a cruel God, unjust and unkind. His very existence is denied.


The God of the majority of us is a “servant” God ready to do our bidding, eager to satisfy our cravings and caprices the moment they arise.


In plain words, we do not want to do God’s Will. We want God to do our will. The more we strive for our will to be done, the more restless do we become, and consequently, the more unhappy and miserable. It is only God’s Will that can restore harmony and order. Until we learn to submit to the Will of God, even if we reach out to the moon and conquer the stars, we shall but continue to wander from restlessness to restlessness.


What we need is not this, that or any other thing. What we require is a divine adjustment. At some time or the other this truth dimly dawns on our consciousness. Pressed hard by circumstances, surrounded on all sides by trials and temptations, we feel like turning to God as the only remedy. But we are afraid to leave things in His Hands for fear of what He may do.


The one essential mark of the one who loves God, is that he bears joyfully all suffering and pain that God sends him. He who has become a captive of love lives in a life of surrender to God; in this surrender is true freedom. Watch, therefore, for the ring of love and when it closes in on you, feel happy, for in your captivity you will have found the freedom of the truly free. Then in your heart you will hear songs of rejoicing. And each day will bring to you thrills of joy.


Love God with all your heart and soul. Talk to Him. Think of Him, Rest in Him. In the midst of your daily work, turn to Him, again and again. These glad turnings of a loving and grateful heart are your best prayers to 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 sweet buns and a six-pack of fruit juice, and he started his journey.


When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his fruit juice when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry so he offered her a sweet bun. She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so y so he offered her a sweet bun. She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a fruit juice pack. Once again was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word. As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave but before he had gone more than a few steps; he turned around, ran back to the old woman, and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever.


When the boy opened the door to his own house a sort time later his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him: “What did you do today that made you so happy?” He replied, “I had lunch with God,” But before his mother could respond, he added, “You know what? She’s got the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen!”


Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked, “Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?” She replied, “I ate sweet buns in the park with God.” But before her son responded, she added, “You know, he’s much younger than I expected.” Too often we under-estimate the power of a touch, 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 a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.


Embrace all equally.

HONOUR OF BEING THE FIRST ONE

HONOUR OF BEING THE FIRST ONE


A parish priest was being honored at a dinner on the twenty-fifth anniversary of his arrival in that parish. A leading local politician, who was a member of the congregation, was chosen to make the presentation and give a little speech at the dinner, but he was delayed in traffic, so the priest decided to say his own few words while they waited.


"You will understand," he said, "the seal of the confessional, can never be broken. However, I got my first impressions of the parish from the first confession I heard here. I can only hint vaguely about this, but when I came here twenty-five years ago I thought I had been assigned to a terrible place. The very first chap who entered my confessional told me how he had stolen a television set, and when stopped by the police, had almost murdered the officer. Further, he told me he had embezzled money from his place of business and had an affair with his boss's wife.


I was appalled. But as the days went on I knew that my people were not all like that, and I had, indeed come to, a fine parish full of understanding and loving people."


Just as the priest finished his talk, the politician arrived full of apologies at being late. He immediately began to make the presentation and give his talk.


"I'll never forget the first day our parish priest arrived in this parish," said the politician. "In fact, I had the honour of being the first one to go to him for confession."


NEVER EVER BE LATE

MANAGE CRISIS WITH PRESENCE OF MIND

MANAGE CRISIS WITH PRESENCE OF MIND


Once, a dog lost his way deep into the jungle.

He almost fainted to see a lion coming straight to him at a very near distant.

"I will be dead today”, thought he.

There were some bones lying over there.

He turned his back towards lion and started pretending as if he is eating those bones...

When lion was very close to him he cried out loudly "Wow, what a fun eating a lion, by chance if I can get another one, it will be a treat ".

Lion thought "What a dangerous dog!!!!! He kills lions and eats it. Let me run away from here and save my life ".

Now, there was a Monkey hiding on the tree there watching the entire show.

He thought "It's a good chance to tell the truth to the lion. Lion will become my friend and I will not have to run saving my life from him ".

He just ran away to inform the entire episode to Lion.

The dog had seen him going and quickly understood the ploy.

Both lion and monkey were coming back to the dog and the lion was furious.

When lion was very close to him he again cried out loudly " It has been half an hour and yet that stupid monkey can't fetch another lion??!!!!"

"It is by presence of mind in untried emergencies that the native metal of person is tested."

ARE YOU IN BUSY ?

ARE YOU IN BUSY ?

(Read even if you're busy)

Satan called a worldwide convention of demons. In his opening address he said, "We can't keep devotees from going to their Churches, Masjits and Mandirs."

"We can't keep them from reading their Holy Books and knowing the truth."

"We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their Saviour."

"Once they gain that connection with God, our power over them is broken."

"So let them go to their temples; let them have their covered dish dinners, BUT steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a relationship with God."

"This is what I want you to do," said the devil: "Distract them from gaining hold of their Saviour and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"

"How shall we do this?" his demons shouted. "Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered.

"Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow."

"Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles."

"Keep them from spending time with their children."

"As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!"

"Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice from Lord."

"Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive." To keep the TV, CDs, DVDs, mobile phones and their internet PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-devotional music constantly."

"This will jam their minds and break that union with God."

"Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers."

"Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day."

"Invade their driving moments with billboards."

"Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes.."

"Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that outward beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives."

"Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night."

"Give them headaches too!"

"If they don't give their husbands the love they need, they will begin to look elsewhere."

"That will fragment their families quickly!"

"Give them tear flooding mega serials in TV to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Divine message."

"Give them Maya in attractive label so they won't talk about his resurrection and power over sin and death."

"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive."

"Have them return from their recreation exhausted."

"Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God's creation. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead."

"Keep them busy, busy, busy!"

"And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences."

"Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from God."

"Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause."

"It will work!"

"It will work!"

It was quite a plan!

The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing God’s devotees everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there.

Having little time for their Master or their families.

Having no time to tell others about the power of Lord to change lives.

I guess the question is, has the devil been successful in his schemes?

You be the judge!!!!!

Does "BUSY" mean:

B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?

Please pass this on, if you aren't too BUSY!



http://vasukimahal.blogspot.com/

Couples ditch the church and opt for cheaper registry weddings

Couples ditch the church and opt for cheaper registry weddings


By Georgie Pilcher
Herald Sun
October 21, 2009 12:01am


HERE comes the no-fuss bride: more couples are ditching the church and opting for cheaper and easier registry weddings.

Civil ceremonies and town hall weddings have jumped in the past five years as couples marry without the fanfare or religious rituals.

Of Victorian weddings last year, 63 per cent were performed by civil celebrants. Just 36 per cent of couples preferred the church, the Herald Sun reports.

Figures from the Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages show more than 17,500 people married at a civil ceremony last year compared with 14,173 in 2004.

Just 9476 people married at a church last year down from 11,117 in 2004.

The number of people marrying at the Victorian Marriage Registry has also jumped to a record 3399 in 2008.


On Tuesday, 10 couples tied the knot at the Old Treasury Building with marriages scheduled in half-hour slots from 10am to 5.30pm.

Ceremonies range in price from $250 to $320 depending on the size of the room, and it usually takes at least six weeks from the booking to get hitched.

Janine Kupfer, 38, married her second husband Marcus at the Spring St landmark on Valentine's Day, with 29 other couples.

"I didn't want all the fuss, that's why I didn't want the church to do it," she said.

"I am not religious and it would be hypocritical to get married in a church when I have never been."

Ms Kupfer paid $330 and said her mother was concerned a registry wedding was cheap and nasty.

"It is different to how it was in the old days, there are a lot of misconceptions with the older generations. It is classy and ladies do get dressed up," she said.

Relationships Australia (Victoria) spokeswoman Ingrid Sturmey said the trend away from church weddings was in line with many young people ditching religion.

"The idea of a god blessing their relationship isn't relevant to them," she said.

"People are saying 'it is up to us, we are committing to each other and not to God'."

She said attitudes to marriage had become more relaxed with the commitment ceremonies becoming simpler, cheaper and often after a couple have had children.

The registry ceremony was no longer the poor man's wedding, but the merely the "formal stuff " followed by a huge party afterwards



http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,26239860-36398,00.html

Love and Marriage – Chronological Notes

Love and Marriage – Chronological Notes

By Tana L. Pedersen

22 October 2009


From the wooing to the wedding ceremony, every culture, country, and religion has its own strange and unique ways to celebrate the joining of two people in holy matrimony.


ca. 200 BC

Some of the best marriages don’t begin until one or more of the parties is dead. In China a family can have its deceased (and single) loved one married to a living partner in order to continue the family line. The wedding ceremony is traditional with the exception of the bride or bridegroom being represented by a wooden, paper, or fabric likeness.


ca. 100 BC

Auctioning off women to the highest bidder doesn’t sound very palatable to modern ears, but the Samnite tribes of ancient Italy find a way to turn it into a charity event. The town’s beauties — who will pull in a good price — are sold first. Then the proceeds from their sales are used to buy husbands for their less attractive counterparts.


ca. 100

A simple kiss at the altar. It’s a predictable scene at almost every wedding ceremony. Today it’s a sign of affection, but 2,000 years ago in Rome, a kiss is required to make any contract legally binding. Marriage is no exception.


860

If you’re a Christian man getting ready to take a bride, Pope Nicholas I makes it a little more costly by requiring a men to present his love with an engagement ring. And a circle made of woven reeds or an iron bauble won’t do. The band must be made from gold to show the man’s ability to take care of his future wife.

1000

If Freud had lived in medieval Scandinavia he surely would have had something to say about this courtship custom. When it’s time to find an eligible mate for a daughter, a father has her wear an empty sheath on her belt. If a man wants to make an offer for her, he places his knife in the sheath and negotiations begin.


1288

Leave it to the Scots to take Sadie Hawkins Day to the next level. A new law permits a woman to ask a reluctant bachelor for his hand in marriage — as long as it’s leap year. If he refuses, he may be fined up to one pound.


1733

According to preacher Jonathan Edwards, Satan is taking over colonial America. How did he get his foot in the door? Bundling. Because of the distance suitors must travel to visit their sweethearts (not to mention the cold New England temperatures), courting couples are allowed to spend the night together in bed, fully clothed with a bundling board placed in between them.


1800

Slaves living in the United States are considered property, and as such they have no legal right to marry. But that doesn’t stop couples from joining their lives together in unsanctioned ceremonies. In front of family and friends, the man and woman jump over a broom together to signify their commitment to each other.


1902

Cross-dressing may not be on everyone’s post-­nuptial to-do list. But for the men in the Maasai tribe in Africa it’s their way of walking a mile in their wives’ shoes, or rather dresses. Luckily the ritual lasts for only a month.


1918

If your first act after saying “I do” is a scenic tour through the city and a visit to war memorials, you must be living in post-revolutionary Russia. When the communist government issues new “family codes” that strip religion from matrimony, it changes the way their citizens marry — and celebrate — and gives rise to new customs, such as the tour of the city, the progulka.


2007

“Miss World Marries Tree.” It sounds like a headline ripped from the tabloids, but in this case it’s Hindu tradition. When astrology charts reveal that beauty contestant and Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai is a manglik, she does the only thing a girl can do: exchange vows with a peepal or a banana tree. According to custom, the first marriage of a manglik can end in disaster, including divorce or death. To combat the curse, Aishwarya must first marry an inanimate object such as a tree.



http://www.ancestrymagazine.com/2009/10/history/love-and-marriage/

Drinking water stored in brass vessels good for health

Drinking water stored in brass vessels good for health

Press Trust of India
New York, April 11, 200512:07 IST

Ancient Indian wisdom that drinking water should be stored in brass vessels for good health has now been proved scientifically by researchers.

Microbiologists say that water stored in brass containers could help combat many water-borne diseases and should be used in developing countries rather than their cheaper alternatives, plastic containers, researchers said.

Water-borne diseases remain a serious threat in many poor regions of the world, with around 2 million children dying each year from diarrhoea. Efforts to provide safe drinking water have had difficulty reaching remote areas.

Even in places with basic water-purification systems, people often opt for riskier wells under trees because the water is cooler, Rob Reed, who led the brass study, was quoted by Nature magazine as saying.

It said on a recent trip to India, Reed, a microbiologist at Northumbria University in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, witnessed villagers doing exactly this.

But he also heard an interesting piece of local wisdom: people believe that traditional brass water containers offer some protection against sickness. The idea, Nature added, intrigued Reed, who was in Asia investigating the anti-bacterial effects of sunlight on water.

He has now found that bacteria are indeed less likely to thrive in brass water pots than in earthenware or plastic ones. "It's one of the traditional ideas of water treatment and we were able to find a microbiological basis for it," he was quoted as saying.

Reed, with his colleagues Puja Tandon and Sanjay Chhibber, carried out two series of experiments, Nature reported.

In Britain, the researchers filled brass and earthenware vessels with a diluted culture of Escherichia coli bacteria, which can cause illnesses such as dysentery. They then counted the surviving bacteria after 6, 24 and 48 hours. A similar test was carried out in India using naturally contaminated water.

The amount of live E Coli in the brass vessels dropped dramatically over time, and after 48 hours they fell to undetectable levels, Reed told the Society for General Microbiology's meeting this week in Edinburgh, UK.

The key to the result is copper, which can disrupt biological systems, Reed explains. The element acts by interfering with the membranes and enzymes of cells; for bacteria, this can mean death.

Pots made of brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, shed copper particles into the water they contain. The amounts that circulate into the brass water vessels could not harm humans, Reed added.

Even a person drinking 10 litres of such water in a single day would take in less than the daily recommended dose of copper or zinc, Nature quoted researchers as saying.

Brass water pots also easily outperformed plastic ones, the researchers discovered. Plastic, Reed was quoted as saying, did not inactivate the bacteria. But many people in developing nations use plastic drinking vessels, because they view them as more modern


http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1315393,00040010.htm

For further reading:

http://www.copper.org/antimicrobial/homepage.html
http://coppertouchsurfaces.org/antimicrobial/index.html

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LET ME CARRY YOUR LOAD

LET ME CARRY YOUR LOAD

Vidyasagar was one of the great leaders of Bengal in the last century.

Although he was a man of affluence and influence, he dressed in the simplest of cloths, and often passed unrecognized.

One day, as he was going along the road, he saw a poor labourer, whose back was bent beneath a heavy load. The poor man trudged along with faltering steps.

Vidyasagar’s heart went out to him, and he said, “Brother, may I carry this burden for you?”

Not recognizing his benefactor, the labourer gratefully relinquished his load.

Vidyasagar lifted the load on to his own back and carried it right up to the destination.

Reaching into his pocket, he took out a silver coin and pressed it into the palm of the mystified labourer, saying, “Brother, bless me!”

Vidyasagar showed what it was to serve silently. Silent servers are the world’s great need.

Today, alas there is so much of show and ostentation in our service. There is so much of lovelessness in our public life. It is the sakthi of silent service that we need today.

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Look to the Horizon, Spread Your Wings, and Fly

Look to the Horizon, Spread Your Wings, and Fly



The nest of young eagles hung on every word as the Master Eagle described his exploits. This was an important day for the eaglets. They were preparing for their first solo flight from the nest. It was the confidence builder many of them needed to fulfill their destiny.


"How far can I travel?" asked one of the eaglets.

"How far can you see?" responded the Master Eagle.

"How high can I fly?" quizzed the young eaglet.

"How far can you stretch your wings?" asked the old eagle.

"How long can I fly?" the eaglet persisted.

"How far is the horizon?" the mentor rebounded.

"How much should I dream?" asked the eaglet.

"How much can you dream?" smiled the older, wiser eagle.

"How much can I achieve?" the young eagle continued.

"How much can you believe?" the old eagle challenged.


Frustrated by the banter, the young eagle demanded, "Why don't you answer my questions?"

"I did."

"Yes. But you answered them with questions."


"I answered them the best I could."

"But you're the Master Eagle. You're supposed to know everything. If you can't answer these questions, who can?"

"You." The old wise eagle reassured.

"Me? How?" the young eagle was confused.

"No one can tell you how high to fly or how much to dream. It's different for each eagle. Only God and you know how far you'll go. No one on this earth knows your potential or what's in your heart. You alone will answer that. The only thing that limits you is the edge of your imagination."

The young eagle puzzled by this asked, "What should I do?"


"Look to the horizon, spread your wings, and fly."

Copyright 2001, Tom Reilly


Tom Reilly wrote this beautiful short story which is an unforgettable way to communicate that our potential in life is only limited by our heart and our dreams.

DOOR WITHOUT A HANDLE

DOOR WITHOUT A HANDLE


There is a beautiful picture by the famous artist, Holman Hunt.

In the picture, Christ is seen standing in a garden holding a lantern in one hand and with the other, knocking on a door.

A friend of the artist said to him, “Holman, you have made a mistake. The door you have painted does not have a handle.”

“It is not a mistake,” answered the artist. “For that is the door of the human heart and it can only be opened from the inside!”

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ENGINEER AND WARRANTY

21 REASONS TO BECOME A VEGETARIAN

EXPLORING ADVANTAGES OF VEGETARIAN FOOD

Vegetarianism is the fastest growing trend in the developed world. Here are 21 reasons why you should think about turning green too.

* Avoiding meat is one of the best and simplest ways to cut down your fat consumption. Modern farm animals are deliberately fattened up to increase profits. Eating fatty meat increases your chances of having a heart attack or developing cancer.

* Every minute of every working day, thousands of animals are killed in slaughter-houses. Pain and misery are common. In the US alone, 500,000 animals are killed for meat every hour.

* There are millions of cases of food poisoning recorded every year. The vast majority are caused by eating meat.

* Meat contains absolutely nothing - no proteins, vitamins or minerals - that the human body cannot obtain perfectly happily from a vegetarian diet.

* African countries - where millions are starving to death - export grain to the developed world so that animals can be fattened for our dining tables.

* 'Meat' can include the tail, head, feet, rectum and spinal cord of an animal.

* A sausage can contain ground up intestines. How can anyone be sure that the intestines are empty when they are ground up? Do you really want to eat the content of a pig's intestines?

* If we eat the plants we grow instead of feeding them to animals, the world's food shortage will disappear virtually overnight. Remember that 100 acres of land will produce enough beef for 20 people but enough wheat to feed 240 people.

* Every day, tens of millions of one-day-old male chicks are killed because they will not be able to lay eggs. There are no rules about how this mass slaughter takes place. Some are crushed or suffocated to death. Many are used for fertiliser or fed to other animals.

* Animals who die for your dinner table die alone, in terror, in sadness and in pain. The killing is merciless and inhumane.

* It's must easier to become (and stay) slim if you are a vegetarian. (By 'slim', I do not mean 'abnormally slender' or 'underweight' but rather, an absense of excess weight!)

* Half the rainforests in the world have been destroyed to clear ground to graze cattle to make beefburgers. The burning of the forests contributes 20% of all green-house gases. Roughtly 1,000 species a year become extinct because of the destruction of the rainforests. Approximately 60 million people a year die of starvation. All those lives could be saved because those people could eat grain used to fatten cattle and other farm animals - if Americans ate 10% less meat.

* The world's fresh water shortage is being made worse by animal farming. And meat producers are the biggest polluters of water. It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of meat. If the US meat industry wasn't supported by the taxpayer paying a large proportion of its water costs, then hamburger meat would cost $35 a pound.

* If you eat meat, you are consuming hormones that were fed to the animals. No one knows what effect those hormones will have on your health. In some parts of the world, as many as one on four hamburgers contain growth hormones that were originally given to cattle.

* The following diseases are commoner among meat eaters: anaemia, appendicitis, arthritis, breast cancer, cancer of the colon, cancer of the prostrate, constipation, diabetes, gallstones, gout, high blood pressure, indigestion, obesity, piles, strokes and varicose veins. Lifelong vegetarians visit hospital 22% less often than meat eaters and for shorter stays. Vegetarians have a 20% lower blood cholestrol level than meat eaters and this reduces heart attack and cancer risks considerably.

* Some farmers use tranquillisers to keep animals calm. Other routinely use antibiotics to starve off infection. When you eat meat you are eating those drugs. In America, 55% of all antibiotics are fed to animals and the percentage of staphylococci infections resistant to penicillin went up from 14% in 1960 to 91% in 1988.

* In a lifetime, the average meat eater will consumer 36 pigs, 36 sheep and 750 chickens and turkeys. Do you want that much carnage on your conscience?

* Animals suffer from pain and fear just as much as you do. How would you like to spend your last hours locked in a truck, packed into a cage with hundreds of other terrified animal and then cruelly pushed into a blood soaked death chamber. Anyone who eats meat condones and supports the way animals are treated.

* Animals which are a year old are often far more rational - and capable of logical thought - than six week old babies. Pigs and sheep are far more intelligent than small children. Eating dead animals is barbaric.

* Vegetarians are fitter than meat eaters. many of the world's most successful athletes are vegetarian.

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IRREVERSIBLE - be cautious on your words

IRREVERSIBLE

There once was a little girl who had a bad temper. Her mother gave her a bag of nails and told her that every time she lost her temper, she must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.

The first day the girl had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as she learned to control her anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. She discovered it was easier to hold her temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally the day came when the girl didn’t lose her temper at all. She told her mother about it and the mother suggested that the girl now pull out one nail for each day that she was able to hold her temper. The passed and the young girl was finally able to tell her mother that all the nails were gone. The mother took her daughter by the hand and led her to the fence.

She said, “You have done well, my daughter, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one.” You put a knife in a person and draw it out. It won’t matter how many times you say sorry, the wound is still there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.



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SHUT THE GATE BEHIND YOU

SHUT THE GATE BEHIND YOU

Lloyd George was the Prime Minister of England during Great War.

One day, he was playing golf with a friend when they passed through a pasture gate. The friend, who followed him, did not shut the gate behind him.

Noticing this, the Premier turned round and closed the gate saying, “I have made a practice of shutting the gate after I have passed through it.”

If you want peace of mind, shut the gate behind you.

Shut the gate behind you, so that your worries are left behind! Forget them completely.

Do not touch the past – for, remember, the past is dead and gone.




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ONE AND ONLY - a success secret revealed

ONE AND ONLY

They asked a woman-saint, “How did you arrive at the lofty heights you have reached? What was the tapasya you performed to attain such a state? We always find you smiling and cheerful. Pray, tell us what is the secret of this happy state!”

The saint replied, “My secret is a very simple one. When I eat, I eat. When I work, I work. When I sleep, I sleep.”

The people were puzzled. They said to her, but that is what we do, too! We eat when we eat; we work when we work; and we sleep when we sleep.”

“No,” she said. “When you eat, your mind travels far. You think of so many things that you are not even aware of the food you are eating. You don’t enjoy the food. You should taste every morsel, chew it, swallow it. Alas, you don’t do this! And when you work, you are thinking of a thousand things. You must live in the present!”

Let us learn to do one thing at a time. Doing more than one thing divides your attention and multiples your stress. When you are talking to someone, give him or her, your full attention, it may be just a little matter but it saves you from considerable stress. Give your best to what you are doing at any given moment. Let all your energy and attention be focused on the task at hand. When the mind is one-pointed, it becomes capable of concentration and is free from tension.



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EYES TWO - VISION ONE

EYES TWO - VISION ONE

An eastern tradition tells us that one day a group of men asked Jesus, “How is it that you can walk on the waters but we cannot?”

Jesus held out his hands before them. In his right hand was gold, in his left hand, a little dust.

And Jesus asked, “Which of the two is dearer to you?”

Without a moment’s hesitation they cried out with one voice, “Gold!”

“Both are alike to me,” said Jesus.

This is the difference between Jesus and an average man. To the average man, gold was the most precious possession, to Jesus it was the same as ashes and dust. So to Jesus the “solid” earth and the “fluid” waters were the same and he could walk with equal ease over land and sea!

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A GREAT MESSAGE FOR ALL

A GREAT MESSAGE FOR ALL

She was a poor woman – a widow who had braved many a calamity in the course of her life. Misfortune and tragedy had dogged her footsteps. And yet, she always wore a lovely smile on her face. Serenity seemed to envelop her presence; and peace dwelt in her heart.

Everyone who met her marveled at her courage. How could she remain so calm and serene amidst the turbulences of life? What was the secret of her inner peace?

To those who asked her these questions, she replied, “All the water in the sea cannot make a ship sink. But if the water gets inside the ship, it soon sinks without a trace. So it is with sorrow. Sorrow cannot drown you unless your allow it to get inside you!”

How true it is that we can float safely on the sea of life as long as we don’t allow our sorrows and troubles to get inside us! For if we do, we will surely drown in the depths of depression.




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HANG YOUR ANGER

HANG YOUR ANGER

Anger is an extremely powerful emotion. It can energize in a way that most emotions do not. Think of all the energy you use when you are angry. Now think of what you could do with that energy if it where directed in a way that was beneficial to you. You can choose to handle your anger in a way that is helpful to you, or not, but first you must identify what anger means to you. For instance, ask yourself the following questions and, on a separate sheet of paper, write your answers:

How do I know I’m angry?

How do I react when I’m angry?

Can people tell when I am angry?

How do they know?

Do I think anger is a “Positive” emotion or a “Negative” emotion?

Why or why not? Is my behaviour different when I’m angry?

How so?

Answering these questions will assist you in identifying how you express anger. It is also helpful for you to become familiar with the types of situations and events that cause you to become angry. Do you think your anger is always justifiable? Or only in certain situations? When do you become angry? Has expressing anger been difficult for you? If so, how? By answering these questions, you will increase your awareness of what triggers your anger. Learning what about what makes you angry will help you to express your anger in more effective ways.

Sometimes people exercise to help manage their anger reactions. Physical activity might be working out in the gym, swimming, walking, jogging or whatever physical exercise brings you enjoyment. For some people, however, physical exercise is very difficult because they are simply too sick and / or too tired to engage in such activities. For these people, handling anger through physical activity become more difficult, but not impossible. Physical activity, for instance, might involve rearranging your closet, polishing your silverware, or waxing your car.

If even those kinds of physical activity are too difficult, try writing down your feelings in a journal. It may seem as if anger cannot be expressed adequately in this manner. However, when you’re really angry, there are a number of chemical and hormonal changes that take place due to the “fight – or – flight” physiological responses activated by anger. Many people find that writing journal entries about how they feel – while they are feeling, those adrenaline surges – actually helps them to express their anger more accurately and effectively. Effectively communicating feelings of anger may also help.

(Author : Amy B. Trachter in East and West July 2005)



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HAVE LIMITLESS AMBITIONS WITH PRIOR PLANNING

HAVE LIMITLESS AMBITIONS WITH PRIOR PLANNING


One day a merchant went to a market with the intention to buy something for trade. He saw many shops and much material to buy. He was at the point of deciding what to buy that he found a man sitting with a Genie. He got surprised to see that the man wanted to sell his Genie. He went to that man and asked him – “What are you selling?” The man replied – “I am selling this Genie.” “How much you are selling for?” “No special price, whatever you give to me.” The merchant got more surprised to hear this. He again asked – “What does it do?” “He can do anything and whatever you wish for. In fact he is a wish-fulfilling Genie.” “Then why are you selling him?” “Because I have no wish now, and he cannot stay idle. As soon as he has fulfilled one wish he wants another wish to fulfill. I have fulfilled my all wishes and now no more is left so he is idle. When he doesn’t get any job to do, he destroys what he has given to his master. Since I had no wish to fulfill, he has destroyed what he gave to me. Now I want to sell him.”


The merchant got very happy to hear this. He thought he had lots of jobs to do so he could make use of the Genie at his best. Rather he needed somebody to help him, so he said – “I want to buy him, now tell me how much do you want for him?” “I have already told you, whatever you like to give, just buy him.” So the merchant gave him some money and got ready to buy the Genie. At that time the Genie confirmed – “Have you heard what did he say about me? I cannot sit idle. As soon as I finish my one assignment I need another one. Do you think you have so much work for me?” The merchant had lots of things to do, so he was sure that he would be able to engage the Genie all the time. He replied to Genie – “Yes, I have heard it, I have lots of jobs for you.” He bought the Genie and set off to his home.


When he came home, the Genie asked him – “Now tell me, what can I do for you?” The merchant said – “I have about 25 land pieces in 25 different countries, but there is no safety device for them. You go there, fence them and label them.” “OK, I will do it quickly.” “But wait, how would you do it? You do not know where in which countries I have those lands, where are their locations, what are their sizes, etc- information about them. Let me give you the list so that you can start your work.” The Genie laughed – “We do not work like humans. I know all this information, I just want your orders, so you have given to me. I read your mind and have known everything.” He clapped three times and said – “Your work is done. Now tell me another work.”


The merchant had never thought that what could take years together to finish, the Genie would finish it within no time. He thought if he could finish this work so fast he could build my factories, or gardens or hotels also with the same speed, and my work will begin immediately. He said to the Genie – “Now you build the buildings, factories, hotels and gardens on those lands which they are meant for.” The Genie again clapped three times and said – “My Master, your work is done. All factories have been built, they are running efficiently. All hotels have also been erected and are running by efficient managers. I have planted gardens also and many kinds of flowers and trees are spreading their sweet smell around. Now what can I do for you?”


The merchant was about to faint hearing this, but somehow he gathered himself. He thought for a moment and spoke – “I want to become the richest man of the Earth and all people should regard me as their King.” The Genie again clapped three times and said – “O My Master, it is done. You are the richest person over this Earth and people have regarded you as their King. They are making preparations for your coronation. Now tell me, what can I do for you?”


Now the merchant could not think of anything else, so got worried that since he did not have any work for him, he would destroy him. He pondered for a moment then he remembered a man. Once he met this man somewhere while traveling and he assured him that whenever he needed any help, he should remember him, he would certainly try to help this guy. So in this time of great difficulty, the merchant remembered him. He asked Genie – “Before I become the King of the Earth, I would like to take the blessings of my teacher by whose grace I have found you and got all these things. Take me to my Guru’s place. It is …” The Genie interrupted him – “I know where he lives. Come.” And he immediately took him to the cave where his Guru lived. He said – “You can go to your Guru, talk to him and come back here. I am waiting for you. As soon as you finished your talking, I will take you back to your coronation ceremony. When you come out just clap three times and I will be here to take you back.”


The merchant said “OK.” and went inside the cave where his Guru was sitting half naked. He went near him, greeted and asked for his blessings. Guru recognized him and asked his welfare – “Tell me, why did you remembered me?” The merchant was very sad, he said – “Guru, Please save me from this awkward situation.” “What is it you are worrying for?” He told him everything, he said – “Once I was wandering in the market to buy some interesting thing, that I came upon a man who was selling his wish-fulfilling Genie. I had lots of work to do, so I bought that Genie from him. I did not know that this Genie have so much extraordinary power. He finished my all work within no time and made me the King of the whole Earth. Now he cannot sit idle, if I do not give him another work he will take all he has given to me, and I do not want to be poor. Please, Guru, save me from this awkward situation, I beg you.”


The Guru laughed – “Is this the only trouble making so much worried?” “Yes, Guru Jee, Do you think it is a small trouble? Please, save me.” Guru Jee said – “Be calm and relax. It is very easy to control him. I will surely tell you the way to control him, but take some rest first, you have come here from so far place.” “Guru Jee, I cannot be calm and I cannot take rest. That Genie is standing on my head. If I did not tell him another work, he will undo whatever he has done for me and ruin my family too, so you have to tell me now what should I do with him.” Guru Jee again laughed and said – “OK, OK, I tell you the way. Tell him to bring the longest bamboo pole from a forest. Then ask him to fix it in the ground very firmly. Then ask him to go up and down until you ask him to stop. You can always stop him and take another work whenever you have in mind, and then ask him to do the same till you have another work to do. This will keep him busy and you can enjoy your kingdom, wealth and family.”


The merchant jumped from the happiness at this simple technique. He cried – “Guru Jee, why couldn’t I think of such a simple way to control him?” Guru Jee said – “Because when one is obsessed with fear and anxiety, one cannot think straight. First you were blinded by your ambitions and you bought the Genie. When Genie finished your work so fast, you lost your mind and you got scared of the destruction he might bring to you and your family. At such times you should always remember your Helper, who helps us all, he is very near to us. You did not need to come here so far. I also have a Genie and here is the pole for my Genie.” and showed him his rosary.


Now the merchant was relaxed. He came out of the cave in a very peaceful mood and clapped three times. The Genie was waiting for him. He said to him – “Take me back.” Genie immediately brought him back where his coronation was going to take place. The Genie asked him – “Now tell me, what can I do for you?” The merchant said – “Bring me the longest bamboo pole for me.” He brought the bamboo pole immediately. “Fix it firmly in the ground.” “It is fixed, O Master.” “Now you go up and down this pole until I ask you to stop.”


Now Genie had no choice. He started going up and down the pole. It was never-ending job and he was bound to do it. The merchant was free, he went to his coronation ceremony and enjoyed.


Have limitless ambitions, but plan ahead to avoid tension and fear of failure.


(Source: The Arabian Nights)



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THE DAY THAT NEVER CAME

THE DAY THAT NEVER CAME


Ramesh was a hard working, intelligent schoolboy. His one great desire was to stand first in his class.

Every day, on his return from school, he would sit beside his mother who was chronically ill and bedridden. She would stroke his face and put her frail arms around him, as he narrated the events of his day at school. It was the best moment of her long, pain-filled day!

Ramesh’s dream came true – stood first in class, in one of the Unit Tests. He rushed home to share the good news with his mother.

“I’ve got the first rank, mama!” he told her excitedly.

The mother’s heart rose with joy and pride.

“You’re always first with me!” she smiled as she gave her son an extra hug.

Ramesh worked very hard to retain his first rank. But, as luck would have it, he stood fourth in one of the ensuing examinations. To say that he was disappointed would be to understate the case. He was devastated!

He arrived home in a listless mood. More out of habit than volition, he went to his mother’s room and stood by the door, making no effort to greet her or talk to her. His heart was not in it.

“How are you, my son?” the mother asked him, sensing that something was amiss. She received no reply.

“Could you get me a glass of water?” she asked, hoping that this would distract his attention and bring him close to her, so that she could reach out to him, touch him and comfort him.

All the pent-up frustration seemed to well up in his throat.

Ramesh turned up away and saying, “Why don’t you ask the nurse?”

He left the room, his mother making no attempt to stop him.

Ramesh had an early dinner and went to bed. Half way through the night, he awoke and began to repent his rudeness. If he had lost the first rank, he only had himself to blame! How could he have been so boorish and insensitive as to take it out on his mother!

It was well past midnight when he tip-toed into his mother’s room. He wanted to sit next to her and take her hand in his; he wanted to share with her, his bitter disappointment over losing his first rank; he wanted to apologize to her for his rude behaviour. Above all, he wanted his mother to put her loving arms around him and tell him, “You’re always first with me!”

He stood near her bed, wondering whether she was awake.

“Shh!” whispered the night nurse who was on duty. “Don’t disturb her now. She has been given a strong sedative. Come and see her tomorrow.”

That tomorrow never came. Ramesh’s mother passed away in her sleep. Ramesh did not get the chance to make up her for his appalling behaviour. He never had the chance to tell her, “Forgive me mama!”

“To this day, Ramesh has not been able to forgive himself.


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