Reading Anne Frank’s diary for the first time can be a ground-breaking moment in any reader’s life. Since it was first published, the book has inspired generations of people around the world –…
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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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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…
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Where is the furniture?
An American tourist went to see a Sufi Master. For many years he had heard about him, had fallen in deep love with his words, his message. Finally he decided to go…
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How to find God
There is a very famous story about another mystic, a contemporary of Kabir, Sheikh Farid. Farid was going to the river to take his bath. A young man asked him, “Can you…