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5 Lessons to prompt you to reflect on how you treat people
2008-05-16 01:16:00 Ask yourself how you react to the following ideas. They are five lessons to prompt you to reflect on how you treat people. Imagine yourself in the shoes of different people in each story. Would it make sense to change any of your ways? Its never too late...1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady. During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and breezed through questions until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. "Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significan...
Whimsical Valley by Patrick Drysdale
2008-05-08 11:00:00 Once upon a time... there was a town called Whimsical Valley. It was a theatrical place. Everyone pretended to be different characters. They enjoyed playing roles for fun.A man on one side of town imagined himself as knight in shining armor. A woman from across town idealized herself as a damsel in distress. Their roles drew them together. Others fancied themselves as heavenly messengers on a mission to save the world.In the beginning, everyone relished playing a certain personality one day and something else the next. But, after a while, their amusement turned into monotonous drudgery. They would repeat the same roles. By and by, the people of Whimsical Valley had performed their parts for so long that they started believing their starry-eyed roles. They found it harder to remove their disguises. Eventually, their masks started sticking. One day, a wise magician was passing through town. He saw people had trouble remo...
True wisom comes from the mind
2008-04-08 04:08:00 A man stood on the edge of a river. Although it was narrow, the current was strong. The angry water seemed an image of his mind, throbbing and tossing with the eight material activities. He decided to let them flow out of his mind into the water. His mind became calm and his heart content.Suddenly, he heard a shout for help and in the white foam of the waves he saw a man from the village. He hated this man because he had sex with his wife, stolen his livestock, and then beaten him at wrestling. Then another cry for help came to his ears. In the water, he saw a very holy saint whom he respected greatly. He had helped him in times of trouble and eased his mind.Both men were being dragged to the edge of a dangerous waterfall. He knew they would be drowned. With great effort, he hurled his hunting rope to the other side. The noose tightened fast around a rock and he tied the other end to a tree.Both men caught on to the r...
The people who attain
2008-04-03 06:24:00 Imam el-Ghazali relates a tradition from the life of Isa, ibn Maryam.Isa one day saw some people sitting miserably on a wall, by the roadside.He asked, "What is your affliction?"They said, "We have become like this through our fear of hell."He went on his way, and saw a number of people grouped disconsolately in various postures by the wayside. He said, "What is your affliction?"They said, "Desire for Paradise has made us like this."He went on his way until he came to a third group of people. They looked like people who had endured much, but their faces shone with joy.Isa asked them, "What made you like this?"They answered, "The Spirit of Truth. We have seen Reality, and this has made us oblivious to lesser goals.Isa said, "These are the people who attain. On the Day of Accounting, these are they who will be in the Presence of God." ~Taken from Idries Shah, Tales of Dervishes, p. 181
What's in the Drum?
2008-03-26 08:55:00 It is told a fox plunges into the forest. The creature sees a drum hanging from a tree branch, leaning against the trunk. As the wind blows and the branches move, the fox can hear the noise of the drum. The fox sees the size of the drum and hears noises it makes. Thinking that its flesh and leather are equal to its size, the fox starts to covet the drum. The creature struggles day and night; ignoring all else. Around the drum, there are many thorns and other enemies; and the fox plots many ways to get it for himself. Finally, he reaches it, tears it open, to finds nothing inside except for the wind. This is like the ones who love the world; they start to cry when darkness falls and death approaches.However, those whose eyes are wide-open by means of knowledge do not pay any attention to the sound of drum in the forest where the fox plunges; they just hunt the eternal game, and look for that. ~Mawlana Rumi
Confucius & the power of morality
2008-02-18 01:05:00 Once when Confucius and his students were in the State of Chen, they ran out of food and the students fell ill. One of the students, Zi-lu, also a famous scholar, complained, "So, it is possible for a righteous person to become destitute!" Confucius replied, "A righteous person can guard his morality and virtue even when he is destitute; whereas a wicked person will resort to all sorts of vices when he is destitute." What kinds of rationalisations do you make based on changing conditions? How does your view of right and wrong change, based on your health, financial situation, relationships and self-view? According to Confucious, our moral standard shouldn't change just because our life situation changes. He believes we are regularly tested to see whether we retain our principles in tough situations. Many people will compromise their core selves based on their changing situation. - Ask yourself whether...
Find a Holy man where you least expect
2008-02-17 07:12:00 Word spread across the countryside about the wise Holy Man who lived in a small house atop the mountain. A man from the village decided to make the long and difficult journey to visit him. He had questions and sought the teachings of a greeat scholar.When he arrived at the house, he saw an old servant inside who greeting him at the door."I would like to see the wise Holy Man," he said to the servant.The servant smiled and led him in. As they walked through the house, the man from the village looked eagerly around the house, anticipating his encounter with the Holy Man. Before he knew it, he had been led to the back door and escorted outside. He stopped and turned to the servant,"But I want to see the Holy Man!""You already have," said the old man. "Everyone you may meet in life, even if they appear plain and insignificant... see each of them as a wise Holy Man. If you do this, then whatever problem you brought here today will be solved....
Hitting the target
2008-02-14 02:13:00 Lieh Tzu was studying archery and he hit the target. He sought advice from Kuan-Yin who asked him, "Do you know why you hit the target?""No."&qu-ot;It won't do yet."Lieh Tzu went away to practice and after three years, he reported to Kuan-Yin."Do you know why you hit the target?" [asked Kuan-Yin]."I know.""It will do. Hold onto this awareness and do not lose it."This applies not only to archery, but also to ruling oneself. Therefore, the sage scrutinizes not the fact of survival or ruin, but its [underlying] reasons.The above value tale is taken from Tao: its history & teachings by Osho
Strategy of the Rainmaker
2008-02-12 01:16:00 A village had been experiencing drought for five consecutive years. Many famous rainmakers had been called, but they all failed to generate rain. In the villagers' last attempt, they called upon the renowned Rainmaker from afar. When he arrived at the village, all he did was set up his tent and disappear inside it for four days. On the fifth day, the rain started to fall and quenched the thirst of the parched earth. The people of the village asked the Rainmaker how he had accomplished such a miracle. The Rainmaker replied, "I have done nothing."Astounded at his explanation, the villagers said, "How can that be? After you came, we had rain for four continuous days."The Rainmaker explained, "When I arrived, the first thing I noticed was that everything in your village was out-of-harmony with heaven. So, I spent four days putting myself into harmony with the Divine. Then, the rains came."
A tale of three trees & then some
2007-06-28 15:06:00 The Tale of Three Trees has been retold and highlights familiar human traits. This ficticious moral tale for children describes the ambitions of an olive tree, an oak tree and a pine tree. Each of these trees had individual dreams, like a life plan people so often formulate and hope to realize. The olive tree imagined itself being carved into a magnificent treasure chest which would hold gold, silver and very precious jewels. When a woodcutter distinguished this particular tree among all the tress around, the tree obviously felt extra sprecial. It was sold to a craftsman who began to shape it into something the tree soon understood wasn't to be a treasure chest. Instead, the olive tree was carved into a trough for stinky animal food. You can surmise this tree was devastated at its apparent fate. It believed it would never realize its dream to be appreciated at a higher level. This tree felt degraded, almost compared with the ... |
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