What is real beauty ?

   
                          What is real beauty ?

A student asked his teacher about the concept of beauty. The teacher explained to him that the beauty is not an external appearance or quality but an internal quality, usefulness of a thing or man.
" How"?
The teacher gave an illustration. There is a pot full of sweet custard. Nearby kept are a shining golden spoon with holes and cracks and a clean wooden spoon in a good condition. A hungry man comes there to eat that. Which spoon he would take?
The student said, " to a hungry person, a spoon with holes and cracks, however expensive and shining it may be, is not useful. He will pick up only the good wooden spoon. That alone will serve his purpose."
The teacher explained, " It is the usefulness of a thing that determines its real worth and that is its real beauty. Here the wood surpasses the shining gold  from the utility point of view. It is the usefulness of a thing that really attracts. Likewise a cultured man is more beautiful than the outwardly showy man. Beauty is an inherent quality."
The student understood the truth behind the beauty.

In search of God

 


                             In search of God

A student, not convinced by the teachings of his enlightened teacher visited different temples in different places in search of God.
He, being not satisfied in his mission returned to to the teacher. On one night , the teacher and the student were sitting outside. It was full-moon night. There was a bucket full of water near by. The student went on asking questions about God. But the teacher was looking into the water of the bucket only. He did not give any reply. The student was upset and at the same time curious at the strange behavior of his teacher. He could not control himself and asked the teacher what he was finding so absorbing and interesting in that bucket of water ?
The teacher replied, " I am trying to look at the moon reflected in the water and enjoy the moon there."
The student laughed and said, " Sir , if you raise your head a little above , you can find the real moon shining all over the sky and feel and enjoy its coolness also."
The teacher immediately retorted back, " If you can search for God in temple, can't I try to find the moon reflected in water ?"
The student understood the import and realized the ultimate truth that ' God is every where' including his own self' and to search Him in one place shows one's own ignorance and limitation.
The scriptures declare that the creation of universe by God is unique. It is different from that of an ordinary one. In normal life, the potter creates the pot, the painter paints the picture. The pot and the painting are objects and different from their subjects potter and the painter because external materials are used in making the objects. Whereas in the creation of the universe, the material is not from outside the creator. Like a spider spins a web from his own, God also creates this from his own. Not only that, after creating the worldly objects, He entered into them. So nothing in the universe is different from God. Every thing is permeated by Him. One who realizes this truth through the purity of his hear,will develop universal love. Where there is love, there is no fear, no hatred and no loneliness.
When the curtain of illusion falls, there is only one, no one but God.
It is beautifully said thus,
" Oh Dear Lord, how much longer must there be ' I' and a ' You ' between us ?
Take away the ego from me so that there remains nothing of me, but all of you.

Peace of mind

                         
                                  Peace of mind

A man went to a saint and asked him a way to get peace of mind.
The saint replied, " It is very simple. Eat when you are hungry and sleep when you are tired. Go natural.
" This is what all people do."
The saint explained, " No. While eating they are not calm but develop so many desires and while sleeping they keep thinking of all problems only. If they leave all these, the mind will become peaceful on its own."

Failure is also a form of success

                            Failure is also a form of success

If the fruit ripens immediately , it will not be that much delicious when compared to that one which ripens in due course. Everything should take its own time for fruition. This is what nature teaches. Likewise when a work becomes successful after many attempts its reward is durable and it has unique charm of its own. The only thing required on the part of the doer is that he should never get disappointed in the middle and give up the work. Failures should be treated as practice shots.
Someone once asked Edison if he was disappointed after trying 382 ways of making a lightbulb. He answered that he was n't. He was glad that he now knew 382 ways not to try. This is the attitude and spirit one should develop for successful achievement of any thing in life.

Cool yourself with these drops of nectar

 

                             Cool yourself with these drops of nectar




Think ever of rising higher in a noble manner. Let it be your only thought. Even if your object be not attained, the thought itself will have raised you.

Real wealth is one's will to action. Without it all possessions are worthless.

Even if well - versed in the accepted theories of action, one should also understand the current ways of the world and act suitably.

To those who cannot laugh , this big world is all darkness even during the day.

To be born in a good family is a useful qualification. Consistency in thought, word and deed and a quick reaction against anything mean or improper are natural to persons well-born.

Men should be appointed to duties and responsibilities, who have the ability needed for their performance and the resourcefulness to meet the situation arising there in. Everything will go wrong if you nominate one out of mere friendship or admiration.

There is no dish so sweet as that earned by one's own labour, be it but the thinnest gruel.

When there is land to cultivate which will yield in the measure of your labour, it is foolish to bewail your destiny and remain idle and poor.

When wealth is neither enjoyed by oneself nor given to deserving persons, the possessor becomes a disease to society( disesase beccause such men block circulation and wealth thrives only on circulation).

If we eat only after making sure that what has been already eaten has been digested, no medicine will be required to keep the body in good health.

What good did the creatures of the earthdo to the clouds that pour the rain? So indeed should you serve society, seeking no return.

Two kinds of audiences

 

                               Two kinds of audiences


         Any new development or breakthrough in research in any field is never appreciated in the beginning as it is beyond the comprehension of ordinary man and also out of jealousy it is criticized to suppress the credit and fame. It is a time tested fact.
Albert Einstein expresses this fact in a beautiful , in his own characteristic manner.
After the announcement was made that Einstein had finished the mathematical formulation of his Unified Field Theory, he was asked what reaction it had received  from the American Academy of Advanced science.
" I always have two kinds of audiences," he said, " the blind and the deaf.  The blind ones never see, and the deaf ones are my colleagues who don't want to hear."

Violence always leads to one's own destruction

                         Violence always leads to one's own destruction

Shambara, a king of nether regions in ancient India was a powerful demon. He possessed extraordinary magic powers. He won over all the gods and expanded his kingdom. The gods went to Brahma, the creator and asked for a solution for freedom from the tyranny of the demon king. Brahma consoled them saying, " Have patience and faith. The weapon of the demons is violence. They kill the beings to demonstrate their strength and also to increase their power. And this same violence will lead them to their own destruction."
The same thing happened. Shambara had three army-chiefs who were created by his powers of magic- Dama, Vyala and Kashta. They propagated non- vegetarianism in the whole kingdom. One day a butcher, being exasperated by their cruel attitude said to the chiefs, " When you eat only meat, why don't you kill the animals with your own hands? The meat will be fresh and delicious." They all agreed to this. During the process of killing, seeing the sufferings of animals, a fear of death engulfed them. When there arose fear in their mind, they started feeling weak. The gods waited for some time and attacked the demons. The army of demons out of fear of death did not fight bravely and died in the battle.
Violence is the cause for defeat and self-destruction, because the sight of other's suffering depletes the strength and weakens the mind and the body. As is the food, so are the thoughts. The nature of the food partaken shapes the thoughts and mind of the eater. That is why simple plain fresh natural food is recommended in the scriptures for cultivation of good thoughts. Good thoughts generate love which cements the people irrespective of age, gender, color, caste or religion which are only man-made divisions.
All religions teach the ethical rules such as: " Do not kill; do not injure others; Love your neighbour," etc.  The Hindu religion emphasizes- ' There is one All-pervading Atman. It is the inner soul of all beings. It is hidden in all creatures. It the common , pure consciousness. If you injure your neighbour you actually injure yourself.' This is the basic metaphysical truth that underlies all ethical codes.
If you follow these simple sayings when you do any action - ' Do as you be done by. Do unto others, as you wish others do unto you' , you will be saved from all troubles. If you follow these wise maxims, you can never give any pain unto others. It has positive effect also. By following these sayings of wisdom, you can find yourself always at peace and joy. This is the real goal of life. And this is the real achievement in and of life.