A samurai who was known for his nobility and honesty, went to visit a monk to ask him for his advice. When the monk had finished his prayers, the Samurai asked, “Why…
-
-
The falcon and the branch
Once, a king received two magnificent peregrine falcons as a gift from one of his vassal states. They were the most beautiful birds he had ever seen. Though the falcons were still…
-
The bamboo tree
A man got frustrated with life. Despite all his hard work and effort, failure was all that he learnt. Feeling defeated with life, he left everything and exiled himself in the woods.…
-
World’s ‘poorest’ ex-president Mujica turns down pension
Former Uruguayan leader José Mujica, who was dubbed “the world’s poorest president” for his modest lifestyle, says he does not want any pension from his time as a senator. Mr Mujica resigned…
-
The humming bird – Messenger of joy
Some time ago, one of my friends sent me a link for a video about the rescue of a baby hummingbird. In the Native American tradition, the hummingbird is a messenger of…
-
Attitude is everything
I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight. I have responsibilities to fulfill today. I am important. My job is to choose what…
-
Power of positive thinking
Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was…
-
Three-stringed violin
On November 18th, 1995, Itzhak Perlman, the violinist, came on stage to give a concert at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City. If you have ever been to…
-
Simplicity of Shastriji
Lalbahadur Shastri was the second Prime Minister of India. He was the personification of simplicity, honesty and nobility. Many incidents in his life inspire us. This is an incident which shows his…
-
The way out of fear
Once there was a young warrior. Her teacher told her that she had to do battle with fear. She didn’t want to do that. It seemed too aggressive; it was scary; it…
-
Contact vs. Connection
A monk of the Ramakrishna Mission was being interviewed by a journalist from New York. Journalist: “Sir, in your last lecture, you told usabout Jogajog (Contact) and Sanjog (Connection). It’s really confusing.…
-
The flea and the elephant
A flea decided to move with his family into the ear of an elephant. So he shouted, “Mr. Elephant, Sir, my family and I plan to move into your ear. I think…