A story tells of two friends who were walking through the desert. At some point of the journey, they had an argument and one slapped the other in the face. The one…
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Chasing happiness
An old man lived in the village. He was one of the unhappiest people in the world. The whole village was tired of him; he was always gloomy, he constantly complained and…
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Egotism
The Prime Minister of the Tang Dynasty was a national hero for his success both as a statesman and a military leader. But, despite his fame, power and wealth, he considered himself…
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The black belt
A martial artist knelt before his master sensei in a ceremony to receive the hard-earned black belt. After years of relentless training, the student has finally reached a pinnacle of achievement in…
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The awake
It is said that soon after his enlightenment the Buddha passed a man on the road who was struck by his extraordinary radiance and peaceful presence. The man stopped and asked, “My…
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Heart of a mouse
According to an ancient Indian fable, a mouse was in constant distress because of its fear of the cat. A magician took pity on it and turned it into a cat. But…
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Frugal life
The great Greek philosopher Socrates believed that the wise person would instinctively lead a frugal life. He himself would not even wear shoes; yet he constantly fell under the spell of the…
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Finest things in life
There was a group of elderly gentlemen in Japan who would meet to exchange news and drink tea. One of their diversions was to search for costly varieties of tea and create…
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True satisfaction
A Quaker had this sign put up on a vacant piece of land next to his home: THIS LAND WILL BE GIVEN TO ANYONE WHO IS TRULY SATISFIED. A wealthy farmer who…
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Create and heal
Buddha was once threatened with death by a bandit called Angulimal. “Then be good enough to fulfill my dying wish,” said Buddha. “Cut off the branch of that tree.” One slash of…