should be called just ‘human beings’ wherever we go..

Image result for pigeons on the temple roofIn an ancient temple, a number of pigeons lived happily on roof top.

When the renovation of the temple began for the annual temple feast the pigeons relocated themselves to a Church nearby.

The existing pigeons in the Church accommodated the new comers very well.

Christmas was nearing and the Church was given a facelift, all the pigeons had to move out and look for another place.

They were fortunate to find a place in a Mosque nearby, the pigeons in the Mosque welcomed them happily.

It was Ramadan time and the Mosque was repainted, all the pigeons now came to the same ancient temple.

One day the pigeons on top found some communal clashes below in a market square. Continue reading →

there is an “unbridgeable gap” between desire and satisfaction, a gap that is responsible for both our civilization and our discontent

Image result for platter of dry chilliesOne of my favorite stories comes from the Sufi tradition of mystical Islam. It is a tale that tells us exactly what we will have to face if we endeavor to walk the path of desire. A man sits in the center of a Middle Eastern marketplace crying his eyes out, a platter of peppers spilled out on the ground before him. Steadily and methodically, he reaches for pepper after pepper, popping them into his mouth and chewing deliberately, at the same time wailing uncontrollably. “What’s wrong, Nasruddin?” his friends wonder, gathering around the extraordinary sight. “What’s the matter with you?” Tears stream down Nasruddin’s face as he sputters an answer. “I’m looking for a sweet one,” he gasps. Continue reading →