Back in 1906 there was an Italian economist named Vilfredo Pareto. One day Pareto noticed that every year 20% of the pea pods in his garden produced approximately 80% of the peas.…
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Si Malakas at Si Maganda (The strong and the beautiful)
Here is a beautiful folktale about creation from the Philippines islands: Before Time began, the dwelling of God was a vast empty universe. He became lonely for there was nothing to hear…
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The meditating mind
There is a story. A powerful asura (demon) was doing severe penances to please Lord Siva. The vibrations of his austerities reached Heaven and Lord Indra was disturbed. He feared that when…
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Devotion to duty is the true virtue
This story from the Mahabharata highlights that our spiritual achievements are useless if we neglect our duties, or dharma: Kaushika was his parents’ only son. “Mother,” he said one day, ”I want…
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Debating God
I was camping in a village where two old men came to visit me. One of them was a Jaina, the other a Hindu brahmin. They were old friends and neighbours, and…
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Living in the moment
Jesus is passing through a village and he comes across a field full of lilies. He stops near it and says to his disciples, “Do you see these lilies?” The disciples look…
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A contaminated act
You are passing down a street when you come across an umbrella dropped unaware by a person walking ahead of you. You pick up the umbrella and hand it to the owner…
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The idea of I
A disciple of a Zen Master was meditating for twenty years. Again and again he would bring his experiences, and the Master would throw him out saying, “This is all rubbish! Go…
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The creative process
Whenever Rabindranath (Tagore) would have the visitation, would have creativity arising in him he would not eat, he would not drink, he would not sleep for days together. He would lock himself…
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Seduction into sannyas
There is a story in Buddha’s life. One day one of Buddha’s sannyasins was passing through a street where he had gone to beg. The most beautiful woman of that town, the…