Our fear of change, our fear of stepping into new realities, is so deep that we desperately cling to the world we know. We often mistake familiarity for safety. The perceived comfort we derive from what is familiar keeps us living in the illusion of our stories. But the question we should ponder is, Are we really safe inside our stories? Instead of risking change, we hold on for dear life and resist the uncertainty of the unknown.
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Stories
Parable of Change – The Road to Davy’s Bar
The Wicklow Mountains lie just outside Dublin, Ireland. It is an area of wild beauty, a place to which, as an Irishman born there, I return as often as I can. It is still a bare and lonely spot, with unmarked roads, and I still get lost. Once I stopped and asked the way. “Sure, it’s easy,” a local replied, “just keep going the way you are, straight ahead, and after a while you will cross a small bridge with Davy’s Bar on the far side. You can’t miss it!” “Yes, I’ve got that,” I said. “Straight on to Davy’s Bar.” “That’s right. Well, half a mile before you get there, turn to your right up the hill.” Continue reading
The Idiot
In a village there was a fool. He was very upset because no matter what he said people laughed at him. People had decided he was a blithering idiot. Even when he said something right people still laughed at him.
He lived cowering, not daring even to speak. If he didn’t speak people laughed, if he spoke people laughed. If he did something people laughed, if he didn’t do anything people laughed. A monk came to the village.
That night the fool fell at the monk’s feet and said, “Give me some blessing. is my whole life to be spent shrinking and cowering like this? Will I die a blithering idiot? Is there no way I can become a little intelligent?” Continue reading
should be called just ‘human beings’ wherever we go..
In 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
Second Opinion
Joe had suffered from really bad headaches for the last 20 years.
He eventually decides to go and see a Doctor.
The Doctor said, ‘Joe, the good news is I can cure your headaches. The bad news is that it will require castration. You have a very rare condition, which causes your testicles to press on your spine and the pressure creates one hell of a headache. Continue reading
How to Die ? – Kill your Ego
One man told Gorakh he was thinking of committing suicide. Gorakh said: ”Go and commit it, but I tell you, afterwards you will be very surprised.”
That man said: ”What do you mean? I came to you so that you would tell me ’Don’t do it!’ I went to other sadhus. They all cautioned me: ’Brother, don’t do it, suicide is a great sin.’”
Power of Practice
(contributed by Mr. Balasunder)
You may have repaired numerous ‘boat holes’ along the way…
A man was asked to paint a boat.
He brought with him paint and brushes and began to paint the boat a bright red, as the owner asked him.
While painting, he noticed that there was a small hole in the hull, and quietly repaired it.
When finished painting, he received his money and left. Continue reading
Krishna ‘s flute – Surrender
This is a beautiful story about Krishna ‘s flute..
Everyday Krishna would go in the garden and say to all the plants, “I love you”.
The plants were very happy and responded saying “Krishna, we love You too”.
One day Krishna rushed quickly into the garden very
alarmed. Continue reading
Changed my ‘Perception of Perception’
A teacher teaching Maths to a six-year-old asked him, “If I give you one apple and one apple & one apple, how many apples will you have?”
With a few seconds the boy replied confidently, “Four!”
The dismayed teacher was expecting an effortless correct answer (three).
She was disappointed. “May be the child did not listen properly,” she thought.
She repeated, “pls listen carefully.
It is very simple. You will be able to do it right if you listen carefully.
If I give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?”
The boy had seen the disappointment on his teacher’s face.
He calculated again on his fingers.
But within him he was also searching for the answer that will make his teacher happy.
This time hesitatingly he replied, “Four..”
The disappointment stayed on teacher’s face. Continue reading
