The devotee knelt to be initiated into discipleship. The Guru whispered the sacred mantra into his ear, warning him not to reveal it to anyone. “What will happen if I do?” asked…
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A man and his dog
A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead. He remembered dying, and that his…
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The way of the pencil
The pencil-maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box. “There are 5 things you need to know,” he told the pencil, “before I send you out into the…
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Androcles and the lion
This story takes place in Rome, where a Greek slave named Androcles escaped from his master and fled into the forest. There he wandered for a long time until he was weary…
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Burdens give us wings
An old legend relates that, long ago, God had a great many burdens which he wished to have carried from one place to another on Earth. So he asked the animals to…
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Empty your cup
Scholar Tokusan – who was full of knowledge and opinions about dharma — came to Master Ryutan and asked about Zen. At one point, Master Ryutan re-filled his guest’s tea cup but…
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True love never fades
It was a busy morning about 8:30 when an elderly gentleman in his ‘80s arrived at the clinic to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry…
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Does the Ganges wash away our sins?
…Jagadguru Shankaracharya Abhinava Vidyateertha Mahaswami of Sringeri Sarada Peetham has often spoken of the efficacy of bathing in the Gaṅgā as a means of purification (Source: Exalting Elucidations, page 52). He has…
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A true devotee’s faith
“Once, while going to Kamarpukur, I was overtaken by a storm. I was in the middle of a big meadow. The place was haunted by robbers. I began to repeat the names…
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The faith behind miracles
A milk-maid used to fetch milk daily for a brahmana priest living on the other side of a river. Owing to the irregularities of the boat service, she could not maintain punctuality…