The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.
I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.
She said, 'Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?'
I laughed and enthusiastically responded, 'Of course you may!' and she gave me a giant squeeze.
'Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?' I asked.
She jokingly replied, 'I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids.'
'No seriously,' I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.
'I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!' she told me.
After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake.
We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk non-stop. I was always mesmerized listening to this 'time machine' as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.
Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she revelled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.
At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium.. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor...
Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, 'I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.'
As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, 'We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.’
There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success… You have to laugh and find humour every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die...We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!
There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up..
If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight. - Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets.
The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.'
She concluded her speech by courageously singing “The Rose”.
She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago.
One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.
Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.
REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.
We make a Living by what we get. We make a Life by what we give.
God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
Good friends are like stars.....You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.
Showing posts with label story. Show all posts
Showing posts with label story. Show all posts
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
STORY
வெல்லந் தின்ற பாவம் தேடு!
ஒரு முரடன் தேன் வாங்குவதற்காக கடைக்குப் போனான். அவன் வளர்த்து வந்த பூனையும் அவனைத் தொடர்ந்து சென்றது. கடையில் தேன் வாங்கும் போது ஒரு துளி தேன் கீழே சிந்திற்று.
அந்தத் தேன் துளியின் மீது ஒரு ஈ வந்து மொய்த்தது. அந்த சமயம் சுவரில் இருந்த பல்லி ஒன்று, ஈயைப் பிடித்தது. அருகிலிருந்த பூனையானது அந்தப் பல்லியைப் பிடித்துக் குதறியது.
வியாபாரத்திற்கு இடையூறாக நடுவில் விழுந்து கிடக்கும் பூனையின் மேல் அந்த கடைக்காரன் படிக்கல்லை வீசியெறிந்தான். அந்த இடத்திலேயே பூனை உயிரை விட்டது. பூனையின் எசமானனான அந்த முரடன் கோபங்கொண்டு கடைக்காரனை அதே இடத்தில் வெட்டிச் சாய்த்தான்.
கடைக்காரன் சாகவும், பக்கத்தில் இருந்த கடை வீதியில் இருந்த அனைவரும் கோபங்கொண்டு அந்த முரடனை அடித்துக் கொன்றனர். முரடன் இறந்த செய்தி கேட்ட அவனது நண்பர்கள் ஓடோடி வந்து, கடைத் தெருவையே சூறையாடினார்கள். அதுமட்டுமன்றி அந்தக் கடைக்காரர்கள் அனைவரையும் கொன்றார்கள்.
இந்தக் கைகலந்த சண்டையினால் அநேக உயிர்கள் பலி ஆயிற்று. இதைத்தான் கட்டு வாக்கியத்தில், மது சிந்து கலகம்என்று சொல்வது வாடிக்கை ஆயிற்று. இன்றும் உலகில் ஏதோ ஒரு மூலையில் இத்தகைய மது சிந்து கலகங்கள் நடந்த வண்ணமே உள்ளது என அமைதி விரும்பிகள் வருத்தப்படுகிறார்கள்.
மேலும் வெல்லம் தின்று பாவத்தைத் தேடுபவர்களைப் பற்றியும் நாட்டில் உள்ள கிராமத்துப் பெரியவர்கள் பெரிதும் கவலைப்படுகிறார்கள். அது என்ன வெல்லம் தின்று பாவம் தேடுவது?
ஒரு வியாபாரி தன்னிடம் இருந்த பூனையைக் கொன்று விட்டான். பின்னர், இந்தப் பாவத்தைப் போக்க ஏதாகிலும் பிராயச் சித்தம் உண்டா என சாத்திரங்களைப் புரட்டலானான். அப்போது, தங்கத்தில் பூனை செய்து தானம் தர வேண்டும்; குறைந்த பட்சம் வெள்ளியிலாவது தர வேண்டும் என இருக்கக் கண்டான்.
இவனுக்கு அந்த அளவு செய்ய மனம் இல்லை. சரி, வெல்லத்தில் பூனை செய்து யாராவது ஒருவருக்கு தானம் செய்வது என முடிவு செய்தான். அதன்படியே தனது வெல்ல மண்டியில் உள்ள வெல்லத்தை எடுத்து, முசித்து, அதில் ஒரு பூனையைச் செய்தான்.
பின்னர் அந்தப் பூனையை, வெற்றிலை பாக்கு தட்சிணையோடு ஒரு தட்டில் வைத்துத் தானம் அளிக்க விழைந்தான். தட்டு கை மாறும் சமயத்தில், வெல்லப் பூனையைக் கண்டதும் நாக்கில் எச்சில் ஊற ஆரம்பித்துவிட்டது. இவனும் ருசி தாளாது, அதை எடுத்து ‘லபக்’ என வாயில் போட்டுக் கொண்டான்.
தானம் வாங்க வந்தவனோ, “என்ன ஐயா இப்படிச் செய்கிறீர்களே?” என வினவவும் இவன் சொன்னான்,
“சரி போ, உனக்கும் வேண்டாம், எனக்கும் வேண்டாம்!! வெல்லந் தின்ற பாவம் எனக்கு, பூனையைக் கொன்ற பாவம் உனக்கு!!” என்று சொல்லிவிட்டு வேகமாகக் கடை வியாபாரத்தைப் பார்க்கச் சென்று விட்டான். சிவனே என்று வீதியில் சென்று கொண்டிருந்தவன், பூனையைக் கொன்ற பாவத்தைச் சுமக்கிறான் இன்னமும்.
இதைப் போலத்தான், நாட்டிலே பெருமளவு மோசடிகளைச் செய்துவிட்டு சின்னஞ்சிறு அளவிலான ஒன்றைத் தாமே காண்பித்துப் பொறுப்பேற்றுக் கொள்கிறார்கள் என்று கிராமத்தில் உள்ள பெரியவர்கள் கவலைப்படுகிறார்கள். கூடவே, வெல்லம் தின்ற பாவம் தேடுபவர்களை, திறமைசாலிகள், street smartness people என்று சொல்லி பெருமைப் படுத்துவது
அந்தத் தேன் துளியின் மீது ஒரு ஈ வந்து மொய்த்தது. அந்த சமயம் சுவரில் இருந்த பல்லி ஒன்று, ஈயைப் பிடித்தது. அருகிலிருந்த பூனையானது அந்தப் பல்லியைப் பிடித்துக் குதறியது.
வியாபாரத்திற்கு இடையூறாக நடுவில் விழுந்து கிடக்கும் பூனையின் மேல் அந்த கடைக்காரன் படிக்கல்லை வீசியெறிந்தான். அந்த இடத்திலேயே பூனை உயிரை விட்டது. பூனையின் எசமானனான அந்த முரடன் கோபங்கொண்டு கடைக்காரனை அதே இடத்தில் வெட்டிச் சாய்த்தான்.
கடைக்காரன் சாகவும், பக்கத்தில் இருந்த கடை வீதியில் இருந்த அனைவரும் கோபங்கொண்டு அந்த முரடனை அடித்துக் கொன்றனர். முரடன் இறந்த செய்தி கேட்ட அவனது நண்பர்கள் ஓடோடி வந்து, கடைத் தெருவையே சூறையாடினார்கள். அதுமட்டுமன்றி அந்தக் கடைக்காரர்கள் அனைவரையும் கொன்றார்கள்.
இந்தக் கைகலந்த சண்டையினால் அநேக உயிர்கள் பலி ஆயிற்று. இதைத்தான் கட்டு வாக்கியத்தில், மது சிந்து கலகம்என்று சொல்வது வாடிக்கை ஆயிற்று. இன்றும் உலகில் ஏதோ ஒரு மூலையில் இத்தகைய மது சிந்து கலகங்கள் நடந்த வண்ணமே உள்ளது என அமைதி விரும்பிகள் வருத்தப்படுகிறார்கள்.
மேலும் வெல்லம் தின்று பாவத்தைத் தேடுபவர்களைப் பற்றியும் நாட்டில் உள்ள கிராமத்துப் பெரியவர்கள் பெரிதும் கவலைப்படுகிறார்கள். அது என்ன வெல்லம் தின்று பாவம் தேடுவது?
ஒரு வியாபாரி தன்னிடம் இருந்த பூனையைக் கொன்று விட்டான். பின்னர், இந்தப் பாவத்தைப் போக்க ஏதாகிலும் பிராயச் சித்தம் உண்டா என சாத்திரங்களைப் புரட்டலானான். அப்போது, தங்கத்தில் பூனை செய்து தானம் தர வேண்டும்; குறைந்த பட்சம் வெள்ளியிலாவது தர வேண்டும் என இருக்கக் கண்டான்.
இவனுக்கு அந்த அளவு செய்ய மனம் இல்லை. சரி, வெல்லத்தில் பூனை செய்து யாராவது ஒருவருக்கு தானம் செய்வது என முடிவு செய்தான். அதன்படியே தனது வெல்ல மண்டியில் உள்ள வெல்லத்தை எடுத்து, முசித்து, அதில் ஒரு பூனையைச் செய்தான்.
பின்னர் அந்தப் பூனையை, வெற்றிலை பாக்கு தட்சிணையோடு ஒரு தட்டில் வைத்துத் தானம் அளிக்க விழைந்தான். தட்டு கை மாறும் சமயத்தில், வெல்லப் பூனையைக் கண்டதும் நாக்கில் எச்சில் ஊற ஆரம்பித்துவிட்டது. இவனும் ருசி தாளாது, அதை எடுத்து ‘லபக்’ என வாயில் போட்டுக் கொண்டான்.
தானம் வாங்க வந்தவனோ, “என்ன ஐயா இப்படிச் செய்கிறீர்களே?” என வினவவும் இவன் சொன்னான்,
“சரி போ, உனக்கும் வேண்டாம், எனக்கும் வேண்டாம்!! வெல்லந் தின்ற பாவம் எனக்கு, பூனையைக் கொன்ற பாவம் உனக்கு!!” என்று சொல்லிவிட்டு வேகமாகக் கடை வியாபாரத்தைப் பார்க்கச் சென்று விட்டான். சிவனே என்று வீதியில் சென்று கொண்டிருந்தவன், பூனையைக் கொன்ற பாவத்தைச் சுமக்கிறான் இன்னமும்.
இதைப் போலத்தான், நாட்டிலே பெருமளவு மோசடிகளைச் செய்துவிட்டு சின்னஞ்சிறு அளவிலான ஒன்றைத் தாமே காண்பித்துப் பொறுப்பேற்றுக் கொள்கிறார்கள் என்று கிராமத்தில் உள்ள பெரியவர்கள் கவலைப்படுகிறார்கள். கூடவே, வெல்லம் தின்ற பாவம் தேடுபவர்களை, திறமைசாலிகள், street smartness people என்று சொல்லி பெருமைப் படுத்துவது
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
STORY
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இந்தச் சுட்டியில் நல்லதொரு செய்தி அடங்கியிருக்கிறது. பாருங்களேன்!அன்புடன்
இந்தச் சுட்டியில் நல்லதொரு செய்தி அடங்கியிருக்கிறது. பாருங்களேன்!அன்புடன்
Thursday, January 7, 2010
STORY
Two men went fishing. One was an experienced fisherman, the other wasn't.
Every time the experienced fisherman caught a big fish, he put it in his ice chest to keep it fresh. Whenever the inexperienced fisherman caught a big fish, he threw it back.
The experienced fisherman watched this go on all day and finally got tired of seeing the man waste good fish. "Why do you keep throwing back all the big fish you catch?" he asked.
The inexperienced fisherman replied, "I only have a small frying pan."
Sometimes, like that fisherman, we throw back the big plans, big dreams, big jobs, big opportunities that God gives us. Our faith is too small.
We laugh at that fisherman who didn't figure out that all he needed was a bigger frying pan, yet how ready are we to increase the size of our faith?
Whether it's a problem or a possibility, God will never give you anything bigger than you can handle. That means we can confidently walk into anything God brings our way.
REMEMBER:
Stop telling God you've got big problems.
Tell your problems you've got a BIG GOD!
Every time the experienced fisherman caught a big fish, he put it in his ice chest to keep it fresh. Whenever the inexperienced fisherman caught a big fish, he threw it back.
The experienced fisherman watched this go on all day and finally got tired of seeing the man waste good fish. "Why do you keep throwing back all the big fish you catch?" he asked.
The inexperienced fisherman replied, "I only have a small frying pan."
Sometimes, like that fisherman, we throw back the big plans, big dreams, big jobs, big opportunities that God gives us. Our faith is too small.
We laugh at that fisherman who didn't figure out that all he needed was a bigger frying pan, yet how ready are we to increase the size of our faith?
Whether it's a problem or a possibility, God will never give you anything bigger than you can handle. That means we can confidently walk into anything God brings our way.
REMEMBER:
Stop telling God you've got big problems.
Tell your problems you've got a BIG GOD!
Monday, December 28, 2009
POSITIVE STORY
Sand & Stone
TWO FRIENDS WERE WALKING
THROUGH THE DESERT
DURING SOME POINT OF THE
JOURNEY, THEY HAD AN
ARGUMENT; AND ONE FRIEND
SLAPPED THE OTHER ONE
IN THE FACE
THE ONE WHO GOT SLAPPED
WAS HURT, BUT WITHOUT
SAYING ANYTHING,
WROTE IN THE SAND
TODAY MY BEST FRIEND
SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE
THEY KEPT ON WALKING,
UNTIL THEY FOUND AN OASIS,
WHERE THEY DECIDED
TO TAKE A BATH
THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN
SLAPPED GOT STUCK IN THE
MIRE! AND STARTED DROWNING,
BUT THE FRIEND SAVED HIM.
AFTER HE RECOVERED FROM
THE NEAR DROWNING,
HE WROTE ON A STONE:
'TODAY MY BEST FRIEND
SAVED MY LIFE'
THE FRIEND WHO HAD SLAPPED
AND SAVED HIS BEST FRIEND
ASKED HIM, 'AFTER I HURT YOU,
YOU WROTE IN THE SAND AND NOW,
YOU WRITE ON A STONE, WHY?'
THE FRIEND REPLIED
'WHEN SOMEONE HURTS US
WE SHOULD WRITE IT DOWN
IN SAND, WHERE WINDS OF
FORGIVENESS CAN ERASE IT AWAY.
BUT, WHEN SOMEONE DOES
SOMETHING GOOD FOR US,
WE MUST ENGRAVE IT IN STONE
WHERE NO WIND
CAN EVER ERASE IT'
LEARN TO WRITE
YOUR HURTS IN
THE SAND AND TO
CARVE YOUR
BENEFITS IN STONE.
THEY SAY IT TAKES A
MINUTE TO FIND A SPECIAL
PERSON, AN HOUR TO
APPRECIATE
THEM, A DAY
TO LOVE THEM, BUT THEN
AN ENTIRE LIFE
TO FORGET THEM.
MORAL STORY
All the rooms in the house were being decorated for Diwali. Everything had to be sparkling clean and bright.
The living room said: "Hey look at me, I'm so huge. I'm the one decorated with beautiful things. I'm the most sparkling room of the house. I'm the best."
The bedroom could not resist this challenge, he retorted and said: "OK! You may be the biggest but I am the most important room in the house because everybody longs to take rest here when they are tired. The energy of everybody gets revitalised when they come to me."
The kitchen scoffed and said: "Can you rest with an empty stomach! If it were not for me what could anybody eat? Where could the food be cooked? Where would the energy come from without food? So you see, I am the most important."
The little bathroom was feeling neglected. He dare not speak too loud among these luminous dignitaries. He said meekly: "What about me, everybody needs to use me too, even if I'm smelly sometimes."
Now who could decide which was most valuable room of the house? Could these rooms do without each other?
No, no... They could all be the best places in the room. But still there was something more in there which never spoke, nor could be seen, but was always there. In fact it was in & out of all the walls of the house, all the rooms were rooted in it!
It is the SPACE! The space was not confined to a single room but instead it was present everywhere.. .
It was because of the space that all the rooms were existing! Every room thought: "This is my space! The space was not in the rooms but the truth is that the rooms were in the space. The space existed silently, all pervasively, selflessly, and so could hold within itself all their vanities and yet it is not bound by them.
Similarly people belonging to different religions, like Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Jain or Buddhist etc., keep trying to prove their superiority. Each individual draws energy from the blissful roots of the soul. The soul which is omnipresent & is the basis of existence of all, never utters a single word. That which is the most supreme need not prove itself...
The living room said: "Hey look at me, I'm so huge. I'm the one decorated with beautiful things. I'm the most sparkling room of the house. I'm the best."
The bedroom could not resist this challenge, he retorted and said: "OK! You may be the biggest but I am the most important room in the house because everybody longs to take rest here when they are tired. The energy of everybody gets revitalised when they come to me."
The kitchen scoffed and said: "Can you rest with an empty stomach! If it were not for me what could anybody eat? Where could the food be cooked? Where would the energy come from without food? So you see, I am the most important."
The little bathroom was feeling neglected. He dare not speak too loud among these luminous dignitaries. He said meekly: "What about me, everybody needs to use me too, even if I'm smelly sometimes."
Now who could decide which was most valuable room of the house? Could these rooms do without each other?
No, no... They could all be the best places in the room. But still there was something more in there which never spoke, nor could be seen, but was always there. In fact it was in & out of all the walls of the house, all the rooms were rooted in it!
It is the SPACE! The space was not confined to a single room but instead it was present everywhere.. .
It was because of the space that all the rooms were existing! Every room thought: "This is my space! The space was not in the rooms but the truth is that the rooms were in the space. The space existed silently, all pervasively, selflessly, and so could hold within itself all their vanities and yet it is not bound by them.
Similarly people belonging to different religions, like Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Jain or Buddhist etc., keep trying to prove their superiority. Each individual draws energy from the blissful roots of the soul. The soul which is omnipresent & is the basis of existence of all, never utters a single word. That which is the most supreme need not prove itself...
STORY
Master of Games
An old man who lived in a small side street in the city of Mumbai had to put up with the nuisance of having boys play cricket outside his house, at night.
One evening when the boys were particularly noisy, he went out to talk to them.
He explained that he was a pensioner who was happiest when he could see or hear boys playing his favorite game, cricket. He said he would give them 25 rupees each week to play in the street at night.
The boys were thrilled.
They were being paid to do something they enjoyed.
At the end of the first week they knocked at the old man's house and asked to be paid.
He did so.
The second week when they asked for payment he said he had run out of money and sent them away with only 15 rupees.
The third week the man said he had not yet received his pension and gave them only 10 rupees.
The boys were very disappointed but there was not much they could do about it.
The fourth week the man said he could not afford to pay them 25 rupees as he had promised, but would give them 5 rupees each week without fail.
This was too much for the boys.
"You expect us to play seven days a week for a measly 5 rupees!" they yelled. "Go to blazes."
They stormed away and never played on the street again.
MORAL STORY
The Art of Giving
"Rivers do not drink their own water, nor do tree eat their own fruit, nor do rain clouds eat the grains reared by them. The wealth of the noble is used solely for the benefit of others?
Even after accepting that giving is good and that one must learn to give, several questions need to be answered.
The first question is when should one give?
We all know the famous incident from Mahabharat.
Yudhisthir, asks a beggar seeking alms to come the next day. On this, Bhim rejoices, that Yudhisthir his brother, has conquered death! For he is sure that he will be around tomorrow to give. Yudhisthir gets the message.
One does not know really whether one will be there tomorrow to give!
The time to give therefore is now.
The next question is 'how much to give?
One recalls the famous incident from history. Rana Pratap was reeling after defeat from the Moghals. He had lost his army, he had lost his wealth, and most important he had lost hope, his will to fight. At that time in his darkest hour, his erstwhile minister Bhamasha came seeking him and placed his entire fortune at the disposal of Rana Pratap. With this, Rana Pratap raised an army and lived to fight another day.
The answer to this question how much to give is
"Give as much as you can!
The next question is what to give?
It is not only money that can be given. It could be a flower or even a smile.
It is not how much one gives but how one gives that really matters. When you give a smile to a stranger that may be the only good thing received by him in days and weeks!
"You can give anything but you must give with your heart!
One also needs answer to this question whom to give?
Many times we avoid giving by finding fault with the person who is seeking. However, being judgmental and rejecting a person on the presumption that he may not be the most deserving is not justified.
“Give without being judgmental!
Next we have to answer 'How to give?
Coming to the manner of giving, one has to ensure that the receiver does not feel humiliated, nor the giver feels proud by giving.
In giving follow the advice, ’Let not your left hand know what your right hand gives? Charity without publicity and fanfare is the highest form of charity.
'Give quietly!
While giving let not the recipient feel small or humiliated. After all what we give never really belonged to us. We come to this world with nothing and will go with nothing. The thing gifted was only with us for a temporary period. Why then take pride in giving away something which really did not belong to us? Give with grace and with a feeling of gratitude.
What should one feel after giving?
We all know the story of Eklavya. When Dronacharya asked him for his right thumb as "Guru Dakshina?he unhesitatingly cut off the thumb and gave it to Dronacharya.
There is a little known sequel to this story. Eklavya was asked whether he ever regretted the act of giving away his thumb. He replied, and the reply has to be believed to be true, as it was asked to him when he was dying.
His reply was "Yes! I regretted this only once in my life. It was when Pandavas were coming in to kill Dronacharya who was broken hearted on the false news of death of his son Ashwathama and had stopped fighting. It was then that I regretted the loss of my thumb. If the thumb was there, no one could have dared hurt my Guru?
The message to us is clear.
Give and never regret giving!
And the last question is
‘How much should we provide for our heirs?
Ask yourself 'are we taking away from them the gift of work'? - A source of happiness! The answer is given by Warren Buffett:
"Leave your kids enough to do anything, but not enough to do nothing!
I would conclude by saying: let us learn the Art of Giving, and quoting Sant Kabir:
"When the wealth in the house increases, when water fills a boat, Throw them out with both hands!
"Rivers do not drink their own water, nor do tree eat their own fruit, nor do rain clouds eat the grains reared by them. The wealth of the noble is used solely for the benefit of others?
Even after accepting that giving is good and that one must learn to give, several questions need to be answered.
The first question is when should one give?
We all know the famous incident from Mahabharat.
Yudhisthir, asks a beggar seeking alms to come the next day. On this, Bhim rejoices, that Yudhisthir his brother, has conquered death! For he is sure that he will be around tomorrow to give. Yudhisthir gets the message.
One does not know really whether one will be there tomorrow to give!
The time to give therefore is now.
The next question is 'how much to give?
One recalls the famous incident from history. Rana Pratap was reeling after defeat from the Moghals. He had lost his army, he had lost his wealth, and most important he had lost hope, his will to fight. At that time in his darkest hour, his erstwhile minister Bhamasha came seeking him and placed his entire fortune at the disposal of Rana Pratap. With this, Rana Pratap raised an army and lived to fight another day.
The answer to this question how much to give is
"Give as much as you can!
The next question is what to give?
It is not only money that can be given. It could be a flower or even a smile.
It is not how much one gives but how one gives that really matters. When you give a smile to a stranger that may be the only good thing received by him in days and weeks!
"You can give anything but you must give with your heart!
One also needs answer to this question whom to give?
Many times we avoid giving by finding fault with the person who is seeking. However, being judgmental and rejecting a person on the presumption that he may not be the most deserving is not justified.
“Give without being judgmental!
Next we have to answer 'How to give?
Coming to the manner of giving, one has to ensure that the receiver does not feel humiliated, nor the giver feels proud by giving.
In giving follow the advice, ’Let not your left hand know what your right hand gives? Charity without publicity and fanfare is the highest form of charity.
'Give quietly!
While giving let not the recipient feel small or humiliated. After all what we give never really belonged to us. We come to this world with nothing and will go with nothing. The thing gifted was only with us for a temporary period. Why then take pride in giving away something which really did not belong to us? Give with grace and with a feeling of gratitude.
What should one feel after giving?
We all know the story of Eklavya. When Dronacharya asked him for his right thumb as "Guru Dakshina?he unhesitatingly cut off the thumb and gave it to Dronacharya.
There is a little known sequel to this story. Eklavya was asked whether he ever regretted the act of giving away his thumb. He replied, and the reply has to be believed to be true, as it was asked to him when he was dying.
His reply was "Yes! I regretted this only once in my life. It was when Pandavas were coming in to kill Dronacharya who was broken hearted on the false news of death of his son Ashwathama and had stopped fighting. It was then that I regretted the loss of my thumb. If the thumb was there, no one could have dared hurt my Guru?
The message to us is clear.
Give and never regret giving!
And the last question is
‘How much should we provide for our heirs?
Ask yourself 'are we taking away from them the gift of work'? - A source of happiness! The answer is given by Warren Buffett:
"Leave your kids enough to do anything, but not enough to do nothing!
I would conclude by saying: let us learn the Art of Giving, and quoting Sant Kabir:
"When the wealth in the house increases, when water fills a boat, Throw them out with both hands!
This is the wise thing to do.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
mother----story
Courtesy: www.keralites.net
This was Mother's First Lie.
As I grew, Mother gave up her spare time to fish in a river near our house; she hoped that from the fish she caught, she could give me a little bit more nutritious food for my growth. Once she had caught just two fish, she would make fish soup. While I was eating the soup, mother would sit beside me and eat what was still left on the bone of the fish I had eaten, My heart was touched when I saw it. Once I gave the other fish to her on my chopstick but she immediately refused it and said, "Eat this fish, son! I don't really like fish." This was Mother's Second Lie.
Then, in order to fund my education, Mother went to a Match Factory to bring home some used matchboxes, which she filled with fresh matchsticks. This helped her get some money to cover our needs. One wintry night I awoke to find Mother filling the matchboxes by candlelight. So I said, "Mother, go to sleep; it's late: you can continue working tomorrow morning." Mother smiled and said "Go to sleep, son! I'm not tired." This was Mother's Third Lie.
When I had to sit my Final Examination, Mother accompanied me. After dawn, Mother waited for me for hours in the heat of the sun. When the bell rang, I ran to meet her.. Mother embraced me and poured me a glass of tea that she had prepared in a thermos. The tea was not as strong as my Mother's love, Seeing Mother covered with perspiration, I at once gave her my glass and asked her to drink too. Mother said "Drink, son! I'm not thirsty!". This was Mother's Fourth Lie.
After Father's death, Mother had to play the role of a single parent. She held on to her former job; she had to fund our needs alone. Our family's life was more complicated. We suffered from starvation. Seeing our family's condition worsening, my kind Uncle who lived near my house came to help us solve our problems big and small. Our other neighbors saw that we were poverty stricken so they often advised my mother to marry again. But Mother refused to remarry saying "I don't need love." This was Mother's Fifth Lie.
After I had finished my studies and gotten a job, it was time for my old Mother to retire but she carried on going to the market every morning just to sell a few vegetables. I kept sending her money but she was steadfast and even sent the money back to me. She said, "I have enough money." That was Mother's Sixth Lie.
I continued my part-time studies for my Master's Degree. Funded by the American Corporation for which I worked, I succeeded in my studies. With a big jump in my salary, I decided to bring Mother to enjoy life in America but Mother didn't want to bother her son; she said to me "I'm not used to high living." That was Mother's Seventh Lie.
In her dotage, Mother was attacked by cancer and had to be hospitalized. Now living far across the ocean, I went home to visit Mother who was bedridden after an operation. Mother tried to smile but I was heartbroken because she was so thin and feeble but Mother said, "Don't cry, son! I'm not in pain." That was Mother's Eighth Lie.
Telling me this, her eighth lie, she died. YES, MOTHER WAS AN ANGEL! M - O - T - H - E - R "M" is for the Million things she gave me,
"O" means Only that she's growing old,
"T" is for the Tears she shed to save me,
"H" is for her Heart of gold,
"E" is for her Eyes with love-light shining in them,
"R" means Right, and right she'll always be,
Put them all together, they spell "MOTHER" a word that means the world to me.
For those of you who are lucky to be still blessed with your Mom's presence on Earth, this story is beautiful. For those who aren't so blessed, this is even more beautiful.
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