Secret of success

I found the secret of success in my own room….

"Take pains," said the window.
“Push,” said the door
"Keep cool," said the ice.
"Drive hard," said the hammer.
“Learn to unwind,” said the screw driver
"Be up to date," said the calender.
"Never be led," said the pencil.
"Be sharp," said the knife.
"Make light around you," said the fire.
"Stick to your goals," said the glue.
"Be bright," said the lamp.
“Aim high,” said the roof.
“Reflect before you act,” said the shiny floor.
“Value the time,” said the clock.
“Be breezy,” said the fan
“Be open to ideas,” said the key.
“Keep looking for opportunities,” said the calling bell
“Keep your worries out,” said the shoes
“Be positive,” said the ringing phone

And finally…….
“The biggest secret to success,” said the mirror,
“Be as ‘YOU’ as possible”

Look for your own path

Sufi Story

When Saadi of Shiraz was a child, he used to pray with his father, his uncles and his cousins. Every night they would gather together to listen to a passage from the Koran.

On one such night, while his uncle was reading a passage out loud, he noticed that most of the people were asleep.

He said to his father: "Not one of these dozy people is listening to the words of the Prophet. They'll never reach God."

And his father replied: "My dear son, look for your own path with faith and let others take care of themselves. Who knows, perhaps they are talking to God in their dreams. Believe me, I would much prefer you to be sleeping alongside them than to hear your harsh words of judgement and condemnation."'

The future lies before you

A man had invited his friends to supper and the lady of the house was cooking for them. Suddenly, she realised that she had run out of salt.

So she called to her son and said, 'Go to the village and buy some salt, but pay a fair price for it: neither too much nor too little.'

The son was surprised.

'I can understand why I shouldn’t pay too much for it mother, but if I can bargain them down, why not save a bit of money?'

The lady said, ‘The only reason a man would sell salt more cheaply than usual would be because he was desperate for money. And anyone who took advantage of that situation would be showing a lack of respect for the sweat and struggle of the man who labored to produce it. And it could destroy a small village like ours.'

'But such a small thing couldn't possibly destroy a village?' The son looked at her for more explanation.

The mother explained, 'In the beginning, there was only a small amount of injustice in the world, but everyone who came afterwards added their portion, always thinking that it was only very small and unimportant, and look where we have ended up today.'

Little drops of water, little grains of sand
Make the mighty ocean and the pleasant land
Little injustices, small though they be,
Make the mighty world dark and gloomy

Power of Prayer

Divine Discourse by Sathya Sai Baba, May 16, 1964.

"A man who had four wives happened to go to Mumbai on some work. From there, he wrote to all of them that he was prepared to bring home whatever each of them wanted. 

The first wife asked for some nice tonics for her health, as well as rugs and woolen clothing to be of service whenever she fell ill.

The second wife wanted some saris of the latest style, jewelry of the Mumbai type and such other sundry decorative stuff.

The third asked him to select for her some religious books like the Jnaneshwari, abhangs, etc. available in Mumbai book-shops, as well as pictures of Pandharinath, Bhavani and Sai Baba.

The fourth wife had no list at all; she simply wrote, "If you return soon and safe, that is enough for me."

The others got big packets containing whatever they had asked for, but the last one got his love.

God gives you whatever you pray for; so think well and discriminate clearly before you pray and ask."

Concentrate on your goals

The yogi Raman was a true master of the art of archery. One morning, he invited his favorite disciple to watch a display of his skill. The disciple had seen this more than a hundred times before, but he nevertheless obeyed his teacher.

They went into the wood beside the ashram and when they reached a magnificent oak tree, Raman took a flower which he had tucked in his collar and placed it on one of the branches.

He then opened his bag and took out three objects: his splendid bow made of precious wood, an arrow and a white handkerchief embroidered with lilacs.

The yogi positioned himself one hundred paces from the spot where he had placed the flower. Facing his target, he asked his disciple to blindfold him with the embroidered handkerchief.

The disciple did as his teacher requested.

'How often have you seen me practice the noble and ancient sport of archery?' Raman asked him.

'Every day,' replied his disciple. 'And you have always managed to hit the rose from three hundred paces away.'

‘But without blindfolding,’ the disciple said to himself. He did not dare to say that to his Master.

With his eyes covered by the handkerchief, the yogi Raman placed his feet firmly on the ground, drew back the bowstring with all his might - aiming at the rose placed on one of the branches of the oak tree - and then released the arrow.

The arrow whistled through the air, but it did not even hit the tree, missing the target by an embarrassingly wide margin.

'Did I hit it?' said Raman, removing the handkerchief from his eyes.

'No, you missed completely,' replied the disciple. 'I thought you were going to demonstrate to me the power of thought and your ability to perform magic.'

'I have just taught you the most important lesson about the power of thought,' replied Raman. 'When you want something, concentrate only on that. No one will ever hit a target they cannot see.'

When one has clear and specific goals in front of one’s eyes, its easier to get motivated. When a goal is vague, the motivational value is limited. Commitment plays an important role in achieving goals. Setting and meeting goals leads to feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment. It also allows us to choose how we want to move through life.

   

Purifying hearts and minds

Divine Discourse by Sathya Sai Baba, Apr 2, 1984

"Once a friend asked the famous sculptor from Italy, Michelangelo, "Why are you working so hard, chiselling this large piece of rock? Why don't you go home and take some rest?"

Michelangelo replied: "I am trying to release the Divine that is in the rock. I wish to bring out of this lifeless stone the living Divinity that is embedded in it."

If a sculptor could create from an inanimate stone a living Image of God, cannot human beings vibrant with life manifest the living Divinity that resides within them?

What is the reason for this incapacity to realise the Divinity within?

It is because we do not realise the soiled cover in which it is wrapped up.

If our clothes get dirty, we change them because we are ashamed to appear in unclean garments.
If our house is shabby, we try to clean it.
But when our minds and hearts are polluted, we do not feel a shamed!

To purify our hearts and minds, the first thing we have to do is to lead a righteous life.

Our actions must be based on morality."

Farmer, the Caretaker

A boy crossed the desert and finally arrived at an ashram in a village. He was told that the guru was delivering a discourse in the evening and the boy was given permission to attend it.

That evening, the Guru spoke of the importance of farming and their work in the fields.

At the end of the talk, the boy said to one of the other inmates: 'I was really shocked. I expected to hear an enlightened speech on sin and virtue, but the Guru talked only about tomatoes and irrigation and things like that. Where I come from we all believe that God is mercy and that all we have to do is pray.'

The inmate smiled and said: ‘Here we believe that God has done His part and now it is up to us to continue the process.'

To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget our Source. Once in our life, we need a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman…….but everyday, three times a day, we need a farmer. It isn’t the Farm that makes the farmer. Its Love, Hard work and Character, which in the end contribute to real wealth, good morals and above all, Happiness.

The power of Hands

Unknown Author

Grandma, some ninety plus years, sat feebly on the patio bench. She didn't move, just sat with her head down staring at her hands.

When her grandson sat down beside her she didn't acknowledge his presence and the longer he sat he wondered if she was OK

Finally, not really wanting to disturb her but wanting to check on her at the same time, he asked her if she was OK. She raised her head and looked at him and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking," she said in a clear voice strong.

"I didn't mean to disturb you, grandma, but you were just sitting here staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were OK," the grandson explained to her.

"Have you ever looked at your hands," she asked.. "I mean really looked at your hands?"

He slowly opened his hands and stared down at them. He turned them over, palms up and then palms down. “No, I guess I had never really looked at my hands," said he as he tried to figure out the point she was making.

Grandma smiled and related this story:

"Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have served you well throughout your years. These hands, though wrinkled shriveled and weak have been the tools I have used all my life to reach out and grab and embrace life.

"They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler I crashed upon the floor.

They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. As a child, my mother taught me to fold them in prayer. They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots.

They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son. Decorated with my wedding band they showed the world that I was married and loved someone special. They held my husband and wiped my tears when he went off to war.

They wrote my letters to him and trembled and shook when I buried my parents and spouse.

They have held my children and grandchildren, consoled neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I didn't understand.

They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed the rest of my body. They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw. They have been dirty, scraped and raw, swollen and bent. And to this day when not much of anything else of me works real well these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to fold in prayer.

"These hands are the mark of where I've been and the ruggedness of life.

But more importantly it will be these hands that God will reach out and take when he leads me home. And with my hands He will lift me to His side and there I will use these hands to touch the face of God."

The grandson never looked at his hands the same again. But he remembers God reached out and took his grandma's hands and led her home. He too wanted to touch the face of God and feel His hands upon his face.

Grandmas hold our hearts forever. A grandmother is like an angel. She takes you under her wings, prays and watches over you and would give you anything..

Mountain moving Faith

Unknown Author

A small congregation built a new church on a piece of land willed to them by a church member.

Ten days before the new church was to open, the local building inspector informed the pastor that the parking lot was inadequate for the size of the building. Until the church doubled the size of the parking lot, they would not be able to use the new church.

Unfortunately, the church had used every inch of their land except for the mountain against which it had been built. In order to build more parking spaces, they would have to move the mountain out of the back yard.

Undaunted, the pastor announced the next Sunday morning that he would meet that evening with all members who had "mountain moving faith." They would hold a prayer session asking God to remove the mountain from the back yard and to somehow provide enough money to have it paved and painted before the scheduled opening dedication service the following week.

At the appointed time, 24 of the congregation's 300 members assembled for prayer. They prayed for nearly three hours. At ten o'clock the pastor said the final "Amen."

"We'll open next Sunday as scheduled," he assured everyone. "God has never let us down before, and I believe He will be faithful this time too."

The next morning as he was working in his study there came a loud knock at his door. When he called "come in," a rough looking construction foreman appeared, removing his hard hat as he entered.

"Excuse me, Reverend. I'm from a Construction Company in the next county. We're building a huge new shopping mall over there and we need some fill dirt. Would you be willing to sell us a chunk of that mountain behind the church? We'll pay you for the dirt we remove and pave all the exposed area free of charge, if we can have it right away. We can't do anything else until we get the dirt in and allow it to settle properly."

The little church was dedicated the next Sunday as originally planned and there were far more members with "mountain moving faith" on opening Sunday than there had been the previous week!

Faith is not believing that God can, its believing that He WILL.
Does ‘Faith comes from miracles’ or ‘Miracles come from faith’?

Love of a family

That night, Sue quarreled with her mother, then stormed out of the house. While en route, she remembered that she did not have any money in her pocket, not even enough coins to make a phone call home.

At the same time, she went through a noodle shop, picking up sweet fragrance, she suddenly felt very hungry. She wished for a bowl of noodles, but she had no money!

The seller saw her standing wheat faltered before the counter and asked:

“Hey little girl, you want to eat a bowl?”

“But … but I do not carry money,” she shyly replied.

“Okay, I’ll treat you,” the seller said, “come in, I will cook you a bowl.”

A few minutes later the owner brought her a steaming bowl of noodles. Sue ate some pieces and cried.

“What is it?,” he asked.

“Nothing. I am just touched by your kindness.” Sue said as she wiped her tears. “Even a stranger on the street gives me a bowl of noodles, and my mother, after a quarrel, chased me out of the house. She is cruel!!”

The man sighed. “Girl, why did you think so? Think again. I only gave you a bowl of noodles and you felt that way. Your mother had raised you since you were little, why were you not grateful and disobeyed your mom?”

Sue was really surprised after hearing that.

“Why did I not think of that? A bowl of noodles from a stranger made me feel indebted, and my mother has raised me since I was little and I have never felt so, even a little.”

On the way home, Sue thought in her head what she would say to her mother when she arrives home: “Mom, I’m sorry. I know it is my fault, please forgive me … ”

Once up the steps, Sue saw her mother worried and tired of looking for her everywhere. Upon seeing Sue, her mother gently said: “Sue, come inside honey. You are probably very hungry? I cooked rice and prepared the meal already, come eat while it is still hot …”

Couldn't control any longer, Sue cried in her mom’s hands.

Rules for children:
In life, we sometimes easily appreciate the small actions of some people around us, but when it comes to parents, we take their sacrifices for granted. Parents do not expect us to pay back for nurturing us …… but have we ever appreciated or treasured the unconditional sacrifice of our parents?

Rules for Parents:
A child must learn to think on his/her own so do not expect him/her to immediately and blindly be obedient. Try not to be reactive and pile on punishment, or your child may never have the chance to make responsible decisions because they are too busy 'being grounded'. Do not keep your child on a short leash, let them grow up naturally with some amount of space and freedom. The rules for parents are but three......Love, Limit and Let them be.

Frustrations lead to anger and aggression

A master and his student were walking along the street.

At one point, they saw a shoemaker being insulted by a customer who claimed that there was something wrong with his shoes. The shoemaker calmly listened to his complaints, apologised and promised to make good the mistake.

On the way they stopped to have a coffee at a coffee shop. At the next table, the waiter asked a man if he would mind moving his chair slightly so that he could get by. The man at once erupted in a torrent of abuse and refused to move.

"Never forget what you have seen," said the master to his student. "The shoemaker accepted the customer's complaint, while this man next to us flared up just for a silly reason. People who perform some productive tasks are not bothered if they are treated as if they were useless, but those who do no useful work always think themselves to be very important and hide their incompetence behind their authority."

There is a saying "Frustration begets anger and anger begets aggression." People who are non productive develop an inferiority complex and are, in general, a frustrated lot. Frustration is the spur that provokes an emotional response which is anger. Anger, in turn, serves as the motivational stimulus for additional response which in many cases may take the form of aggression. Thus, the cliché says, “Frustration leads to anger, which in turn leads to aggression.”

Discovering a new way of life

In the mid 1970s, when he was about to complete his doctorate in physics, the scientist Stephen Hawking - who was already carrying the disease that would gradually paralyse all his movements - heard a doctor say of him that he had only two more years to live.

‘Right then,' he thought to himself. 'now that I don't need to worry about things like pensions or paying the bills, I can concentrate on trying to understand the Universe.'

Since the disease was progressing rapidly, he was forced to come up with ways of explaining his ideas as simply and as briefly as possible.

Two and a half years went by, twenty years went by, and Hawking is still alive.
He can communicate his highly abstract ideas through a tiny computer hooked up to his wheelchair and which has a vocabulary of only 500 words. He wrote his classic "A Brief History of Time" and was responsible for creating an entirely new vision of modern physics.

Rather than leading him into a life of complete disability, the illness forced him to discover a new way of thinking.

Hawking has achieved success with works of popular science in which he discusses his own theories and cosmology in general; his "A Brief History of Time" stayed on the British Sunday Times best-sellers list for a record-breaking 237 weeks. Hawking has a motor neuron disease related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a condition that has progressed over the years. He is almost entirely paralysed and communicates through a speech generating device.

Achieving a dream

By unknown

Two grains were lying side by side on the fertile soil. The first grain said: “I want to grow up ! I want to put down roots deep into the ground and sprout from the ground. I dream to blossom in delicate buds and proclaim the coming of spring. I want to feel the warm rays of sun and the dew drops on my petals!”.

This grain grew up and became a beautiful flower.

The second grain said: “I’m afraid. If I will put down my roots into the ground, I don’t know what they will face there. If I will grow tender stems, they can be damaged by wind. And if there will be flowers , they may be disrupted . So I’d rather wait for the safer time.

The second grain was waiting, while the chicken that passed by pecked it.

Taking the first step is perhaps the most difficult thing to do in achieving a dream. But that first small step makes a huge difference. Sure enough no dream is easy to achieve, but not impossible. Having firm belief in one’s own self melts the obstacles away.

Self Love

Adapted from http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/10-things-stop-doing-yourself-today.html

It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and to make your happiness a priority. It’s necessary.

Rather than continue making the wrong choices and focusing on the wrong things, you can give yourself a fresh start by avoiding those things that bring hurt and pain.

Here are 10 things you should stop doing to yourself from today.

1. Stop criticizing yourself
Give yourself a break already! Everyone makes mistakes. There is nobody in this world who is perfect. Tell yourself you will do better next time.

2. Stop believing the negative opinions of others
Take negative opinions with a grain of salt. You are stronger and more capable than people think and you prove this when you rise up and keep going. Correct what needs correcting and ignore what needs ignoring.

3. Stop focusing on what you don’t have
You can never have everything you want in life and focusing too much on what you don’t have can be a terrible waste of time, energy and resources. So, wake up each day thankful for your life and draw strength from a deep reservoir of gratitude for the things you do have that mean something in your life.

4. Stop putting yourself last
Continue putting yourself last and you will be drained, overwhelmed and susceptible to stress, depression and other health problems. Take care of yourself first. This is not selfishness; it is wisdom for living.

5. Stop spending time with the wrong people
Surround yourself with people who will uplift you—not those who undermine your worth. Mark Twain notes: “Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.”

6. Stop worrying too much
Don’t let worry paralyze you. If you made it this far, there is no reason why you will not make it in the future. Life always has a way of working things out for the better in the end.

7. Stop trying to be someone you’re not
You may emulate some good qualities of people you admire, but only to complement (not replace) who you are as a person. Just enjoy being yourself and you will ultimately draw the right people who will love and appreciate you genuinely.

8. Stop having unrealistic expectations
Consider your talents, skills, qualifications and experiences and weigh these against your aspirations and vision for the future. Align everything with the circumstances of your life and set realistic goals and expectations.

9. Stop trying to buy happiness
Nathaniel Hawthorne says: “Happiness is as a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but which if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”

10. Stop giving up too soon
Life will throw many trials and challenges you way. That is what makes living so exciting. Good things come to those who persevere. Besides, as Jane Addams rightly observes, nothing could be worse than given up too soon and leaving one unexpended effort that might have saved the world.

Attack a problem head on

A Grand Master and the Guardian shared the administration of a Zen monastery.

One day, the Guardian died and a replacement had to be found. The Grand Master gathered together all the disciples in order to decide who would have the honour of working at his side.

'I am going to set you a problem,' said the Grand Master.

'And the first one to solve that problem will be the new Guardian of the temple.'

Once this briefest of speeches was over, he placed a small stool in the middle of the room. On it stood a priceless porcelain vase containing a red rose.

'There is the problem,' said the Grand Master.

The disciples looked in some perplexity at what was there before them: the rare, sophisticated designs on the porcelain vase and the elegance of the flower. What did it represent? What should they do? What did this enigma mean?

After a few moments, one of the disciples got to his feet and looked at the master and at his fellow students. Then he walked resolutely over to the vase and threw it to the ground, shattering it.

'You are the new Guardian,' the Grand Master said to the student.

And as soon as the student had returned to his place, he explained.

'I made myself perfectly clear. I said that there was a problem to be solved. Now it does not matter how beautiful or fascinating a problem might be, it has to be eliminated. And so I shattered the vase.’

A problem is a problem. It could be a very rare porcelain vase, a delightful love affair that no longer makes any sense, or a course of action that we should abandon……

There is only one way to deal with a problem: attack it head on. Running away from a problem only increases its distance from the solution. The easiest way to escape from a problem is to attack it.

Have the courage to be different

A carpenter and his apprentices were travelling through the forest in search of building materials. They saw a giant tree; five men all holding hands could not encompass its girth, and its crown reached almost to the clouds.

'Let's not waste our time with this tree,' said the master carpenter. 'It would take us for ever to cut it down. If we wanted to make a ship out of that heavy trunk, the ship would sink. If we tried to use it to build a roof, the walls would have to be specially reinforced.'

The group continued on its way. One of the apprentices remarked: 'Such a big tree and no use to anyone!'

'That's where you're wrong,' said the master carpenter. ‘If it had been like all the others, we would have cut it down. But because it had the courage to be different, it will remain alive and strong for a long time yet.'

People may hate you for being different, and not living by society's standards, but deep down they wish they had the courage to do the same.

Words of wisdom

How one of the most important books in the world came to be written

In the twenty-third year of the reign of Zhao, Lao Tzu realised that the war would ultimately destroy the place where he lived. Since he had spent years meditating on the essence of life, he knew that there are times when one has to be practical.

He made the simplest possible decision: to move.

He took his few belongings and set off for Han Keou. As he was leaving the city, he met a gatekeeper.

'Where is an eminent sage like you going?' asked the gatekeeper.

'Somewhere far from the war.'

'You can't just leave like that. I would like to know what you have
learned after all these years of meditation. I will only let you leave, if you share what you know with me.'

Simply in order to get rid of the man, Lao Tzu wrote a slender volume right there and then, and gave that one copy to the gatekeeper.

Then he went on his way, and was never heard of again.

Further copies of Lao Tzu's book were made, it crossed centuries, it crossed millennia, and reached our time. It is called Tao te ching and is, quite simply, essential reading.

Here are a few examples from its pages:

He who knows others is wise.
He who knows himself is enlightened.
He who conquers others is strong.
He who conquers himself is powerful.
He who knows joy is rich.
He who keeps to his path has will.
Be humble and you will remain whole.
Bow down and you will remain erect.
Empty yourself and you will remain full.
Wear yourself out and you will remain new.
The wise man does not show himself, and that is why he shines.
He does not attract attention to himself, and that is why he is noticed.
He does not praise himself, and that is why he has merit.
And because he is not competing, no one in the world can compete with him.

The Real Meaning Of Peace

There once was a king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The king looked at all the pictures. But there were only two he really liked, and he had to choose between them.

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect 

picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky, from which rain fell and in which lightning played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all.

But when the king looked closely, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest - in perfect peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize?

The king chose the second picture. Do you know why?

"Because," explained the king, "peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace." 

Anger management

A Zen student said to his teacher, "Master, I have an ungovernable temper. Help me get rid of it."

"You have something very strange," said the teacher.

"Show it to me."

"Right now I cannot show it to you."

"Why not?"

"It arises suddenly."

"Then it cannot be your own true nature," said the teacher, "if it were, you would be able to show it to me at any time. Why are you allowing something that is not yours to trouble your life?"

Thereafter whenever the student felt his temper rising he remembered his teacher's words and checked his anger.

In time, he developed a calm and placid temperament.

Believe in yourself

Once, a person decided to realize his dream. Only he didn’t have enough strength to do it.

Then he turned to his mother: “Mother, help me!”

“Darling, I would be glad to help you, only I don’t have it. And everything I have, I’ve already given you…”

He asked a wise man: “Master, tell me, where I can get strength?”

“It is said that, it is on the Everest. Only I couldn’t find anything there, except the snowy winds. And when I came back, the time was irretrievably lost…”

He asked the hermit: “Holy Father, where to find strength for realizing my dream?”

“In your prayers, my son. And if your dream is false, you will understand it and find peace in your prayers…”

The more people he asked, the results of his search were only more confusion.

Looking at the confused man, an old man passing by asked, “Why are you so confused?”

“Yes, I have a dream, good man. But I don’t know where to find strength for realizing it. I asked everyone already- from Everest to hell. But there was no one who could help me.”

“Not everyone,” a light flashed in an old man’s eyes, “did you ask yourself that?”

Do you trust your dream? Trusting it means 100% trusting in yourself. No doubting because of what others may say or think. No second-guessing yourself. You know more than you think you do. If you don't fully trust yourself, who else will?

There is no end, only the beginning

Found at http://inspirationalstories.eu/

The creator created people, gave them words for communication and thinking, settled them in the fertile valley at the foot of the mountains, gave them longevity and started to observe, how they will aspire to develop. 

Time passed, but people did not develop.

Their feet did not go beyond their village and did not climb up the mountains. Their eyes did not look at the sky and did not look in the Heart.

And they became old.

The Creator decided to find out, what was the matter.

He became a man and came to them as a traveler. Before sunset people gathered at the square to talk with the traveler.

He described them a life beyond the horizon and suggested:

“Do you want me to lead you there, and you will see how people live in these places?”

“Oh,” they answered sadly, “it is late, we became old.”

“Then come with me to the mountains to look at the world from the top!” said the creator

“Oh,” they said, “it is too late, we have no energy.”

“Look at the sky,” the creator told them, “and I will tell you about the life in the Kingdom of Heaven!”

They answered again, “It is late; our mind will not understand your story.”

The creator became sad. He decided to cheer people.

“Let‘s sing a song!” he said and was going to sing first, but people noticed that the san went down.

“It is late,” they said, “it is time to sleep…” and so they went to their huts.

The creator shouted to them, “People, when life is continuous and infinite, it is not late for any achievements!”

But they did not turn back.

Then the Creator told himself, “I will take away all words of limitation from people—‘late, not, impossible, far, high, hard, will not understand,’ and will place in their hearts the joy of infinity. Maybe they will perceive my Law: ‘nothing is late, because there is no end, there is only the beginning!’”

He did so and waited for the morning. 

Will people change and will they go with him to the mountains?

“Stop waiting for what you want and start working with what you’ve got. Your greatest limitation is God’s greatest opportunity.”

Earn God's Grace

Sathya Sai Baba 'My Dear Students', Vol 3, Ch 3, June 30, 1996.

In this world, to receive one thing, you need to give up another. When you want a simple handkerchief, you need to pay rupees ten, only then will the shopkeeper sell it to you.

God is a very kind merchant. If you offer even a small amount of devotion, the Merciful Lord will, in return, shower infinite amount of Grace on you.

The poor devotee, Kuchela offered a handful of beaten rice to Lord Krishna and received His blessings in abundance.

Queen Draupadi, during a distressful moment, prayed with a pure heart. Because of the little sacrifice she made earlier, Lord Krishna rushed to respond to her call and showered His infinite Grace to protect her.

The fruits of action are inevitable and no one can escape them.

However you can nullify or modify the consequences to a certain extent, if you become worthy and deserve His Grace.

God is in everyone

Once a church had fallen upon hard times. Only five members were left: the pastor and four others, all over 60 years old.

In the mountains near the church there lived a retired Bishop. It occurred to the pastor to ask the Bishop if he could offer any advice that might save the church. The pastor and the Bishop spoke at length, but when asked for advice, the Bishop simply responded by saying, "I have no advice to give. The only thing I can tell you is that the Messiah is one of you."

The pastor, returning to the church, told the church members what the Bishop had said. In the months that followed, the old church members pondered the words of the Bishop.

"The Messiah is one of us?" they each asked themselves.

As they thought about this possibility, they all began to treat each other with extraordinary respect on the off chance that that one among them might be the Messiah.

And on the off, off chance that each member himself might be the Messiah, they also began to treat themselves with extraordinary care.

As time went by, people visiting the church noticed the aura of respect and gentle kindness that surrounded the five old members of the small church. Hardly knowing why, more people began to come back to the church. They began to bring their friends, and their friends brought more friends.

Within a few years, the small church had once again become a thriving church, thanks to the Bishop's gift.

God is in everyone and so treat all with the same level of honor and respect.

The experience of becoming God is the discovery of our true Godly nature. When we see beyond the appearances of 'normal' physical reality then we are no longer trapped in the delusion that we are our physical bodies. So instead of seeing ourselves as a person trapped in a physical body, we come to understand that we are God living through a human body. So it is always the oneness and totality of God that is to found within each and every one of us.