100 Stories You Will Never Forget E-Book

J.P. Vaswani

• Herausgeber: Gita Publishing House
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 161

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Beschreibung

A good story can teach us more about life than an entire book of proverbs.

Revered Dada J.P.Vaswani is a raconteur 'par excellence' whose informal talks, discourses and books are liberally interspersed with thought provoking stories, captivating anecdotes and tales from myths and scriptures around the globe. A hundred of these memorable stories have been judiciously selected from Rev. Dada's endless repertoire, neatly packaged with a thought for your reflection and a practical exercise.

Happy reading and happy reflections!

Leseprobe

Published byGita Publishing HouseSadhu Vaswani Mission,10, Sadhu Vaswani Path, Pune – 411 001, (India)[email protected]

© J.P. VaswaniFirst Published - 3000 copies - June, 20122nd Reprint – 3000 copies - December, 20123rd Reprint – 8000 copies - December 20134th Reprint - 3000 copies - July, 2019eBook edition - February, 2020

100 STORIES YOU WILL NEVER FORGETE-ISBN: 978-93-86004-28-4

No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Author.

Printed byThomson Press (I) Limited

Contents

1. The Witness Of A Sufi Dervish

2. When The Prime Minister Had To Wait!

3. Generosity Is Rewarded

4. The Great Killer

5. Love Knows No Boundaries

6. Teacher Or President?

7. Suffering Purifies

8. Regenerating Rotten Apples

9. Oak Or Squash

10. Two Makes You Happy, Three Robs You Of It

11. If It Is To Be Done, Do It!

12. The Coconut That Could Not Be Broken

13. Boomerang

14. No More Than Five Minutes!

15. La Guardia’s Judgement

16. Find Your Freedom!

17. Which One Is A True Friend?

18. The Greatest Fortune

19. The True Art Of Living

20. The Simple Secret

21. The Inevitable Journey

22. Working For The Love Of God

23. Sacrifice For The Nation

24. I Need You, Mummy!

25. Impossible Becomes I Am Possible

26. Sensitive As An Opal

27. I Am Happy I Am Not Educated!

28. Tateh Kim

29. Bringing Out The Best

30. The King Begs Of A Servant

31. He Had Fixed His Goal

32. The Foundation Of Spiritual Life

33. Keep Moving

34. God Cares!

35. The Secret Of Success

36. Taken For Granted

37. God Never Sleeps

38. Boyfriends At Ninety-four

39. The Moonlight Sonata

40. Secret Of A Happy Marriage

41. The Caring Quotient

42. Safe In God’s Hand

43. Laugh It Off

44. Face To Face With Death

45. Over To God!

46. Live In The Present

47. Time Management

48. People Management

49. The Essence Of The Gita

50. The Wisest Man

51. The Battle Of Life

52. Success Has No Shortcuts

53. Happiness Moves In A Circle

54. God’s Footprints

55. The Transforming Power Of Love

56. Value Talent

57. To Be Truly Happy

58. True Possession

59. Never, Never, Never Give Up!

60. Never Take Offence

61. The Power That Is God

62. When Gandhi’s Heart Was Touched

63. For His Sake Alone

64. Blessed Are Those Who Forgive

65. The Will Of God Is Supreme

66. Miracle Of Love

67. How Far Does Your Kingdom Extend?

68. Enough Is Enough

69. How The Emperor Learnt His Lesson

70. Not By Face Value

71. God Loves The Benevolent

72. I Cobbled Well!

73. A Great Example

74. The Truly Great Are Simple

75. My Treasure Is In Heaven

76. Attention Parents!

77. Best Friend

78. She Used Her Brains

79. The Best Legacy

80. Supreme Happiness

81. Of Such Is The Kingdom

82. Beauty In The Eye Of The Beholder

83. Forgiven And Forgotten

84. Not A Laughing Matter

85. The Widow’s Mite

86. Honda Achieves His Goal

87. Safe Landing

88. Each Man Giveth What He Has

89. A Child’s Complaint

90. Two Of A Kind

91. The Joy Of Giving

92. The Purpose Of Life

93. Appreciate! Appreciate!

94. Courtesy Counts

95. Dethrone The Ego!

96. Tact Is Better Than Talent

97. We Are Always Late

98. Quench The Flames

99. Jesus Knew Better!

100. Bread Turns Into Stone

1

The Witness Of A Sufi Dervish

Malik Dinar was a Sufi saint. His neighbour was a Jew, who wished to annoy the saint constantly. He built his toilets just outside the entrance to Malik Dinar’s house- so that whenever the saint left his home or came back, he had to cross a row of stinking toilets that were deliberately left unclean for days together.

The saint did not feel irritated or upset. Whenever he left his house or came back, he held his handkerchief across his nose, and moved away quietly. He never ever forgot to greet the Jew and bless him whenever they met. In fact when the Jew fell sick and there was no one to look after him, Malik Dinar served him. The Jew was naturally surprised.

“Don’t you feel annoyed when you have to pass by my toilets everyday?” he asked Malik Dinar.

“Upset? What right have I to feel upset? I only have to cover my nose with a handkerchief- that doesn’t take much!” answered Malik Dinar.

That was one-way adjustment at its best. When we learn this art of adjustment, we can turn every tragedy into a triumph.

Life at any time can become difficult: life at any time can become easy. It all depends upon how one adjusts oneself to life.

– Anonymous

Practical Tip:

TO ADJUST TO DIFFICULT PEOPLE AND SITUATIONS, FIRST WE NEED TO MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT IN OUR MINDS.

TO GROW IN THIS SPIRIT OF ADJUSTMENT, EVERY TIME YOU ARE FACED WITH A NEGATIVE EMOTION, INSTANTLY REPLACE IT WITH A POSITIVE ONE.

WHEN YOU FEEL ANGER AND RESENTMENT INSTANTLY START THINKING THOUGHTS OF COMPASSION AND EMPATHY.

WHEN YOU FEEL JEALOUS QUICKLY REPLACE THOSE THOUGHTS BY BLESSING OTHERS WITH ABUNDANCE.

WHEN YOU FACE GREED, INFUSE THE MIND WITH THOUGHTS OF GRATITUDE.

WHEN YOU ARE JUDGING ANOTHER, CHANGE THOSE THOUGHTS TO THOUGHTS OF ACCEPTANCE AND UNDERSTANDING.

2

When The Prime Minister Had To Wait!

When Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was the Prime Minister of India, he was travelling by car to attend an urgent meeting. His car was made to stop at a railway crossing.

The driver, an officious individual, went to the gate-keeper at the railway crossing and said to him, “Do you know who is in that car which you have stopped at this gate? It is none other than the Prime Minister of the country. Now, get cracking and open the gates at once. You cannot keep the PM waiting!”

The gatekeeper said to him politely, “My duty is to close the gates when I receive a signal to that effect. I have no authority to open it until the train has passed through.”

The driver’s mood turned ugly. “I warn you,” he threatened, “I will have you dismissed from your post. You will lose your job if you do not open the gates right away.”

When Pandit Nehru heard of this incident, he was delighted with the gatekeeper’s strong sense of duty and responsibility. He saw to it that the man was recognised, appreciated and promoted for his devotion to duty.

The best way to test a man is in the discharge of his duties. There are a hundred ways of doing things. Some of the ways are right, some of the ways are wrong- but only one is the very best. Let us do our very best.

For this is your duty, to act well the part that is given to you; not to select the part that belongs to another.

- Epictetus

Practical Tip:

DECIDE IN THE MORNING THAT YOU WILL DO YOUR DUTY LOVINGLY, NO MATTER WHAT IS EXPECTED.

IF YOU DO SO, YOU WILL FIND THAT YOU WILL NOT BE TIRED AT THE END OF THE DAY AS YOU USUALLY ARE.

TRAIN YOURSELF TO LOVE YOUR DUTY. THEN IT BECOMES EASY. IF YOU DO NOT LOVE SOMETHING, AND YET YOU DO IT, IT CREATES A DIVISION IN YOUR MIND, AND THAT IN TURN REDUCES YOUR EFFICIENCY AND CAUSES TENSION.

3

Generosity Is Rewarded

A forlorn beggar was roaming the dusty lanes of a village, begging for alms, when he saw a glorious, golden chariot descending from the heavens above, right before his very eyes, on the narrow lane. A resplendent being stepped down from the golden chariot: he walked towards the beggar, smiling benevolently at him.

The beggar’s heart leapt with joy. His fortune was made, he thought to himself. This was undoubtedly a deva from Indraloka, the heaven world. He would just hold his hand out towards the begging bowl- and a shower of gold coins would pour into it. His eyes shining with hope and desire, the beggar held out his bowl in readiness.

Imagine his disappointment when the heavenly being approached near, and said to him in a sweet voice: “What hast thou got to give me?”

The beggar cursed his bad luck. Ungraciously, he took from his bowl the least, the smallest grain of corn he could find, and gave it grudgingly to the Divine visitor.

“Thank you!” said the deva. He returned to his chariot and flew away, as he had come.

The beggar was irritated and upset by the incident. “I met the most splendid being I have ever come across, and he begs alms of me!” he said to himself bitterly. “I wish him joy with that rotten little grain I gave him!”

That night, when he was about to retire to sleep, he emptied his begging bowl of the coins and the grains he had received that day. Imagine his surprise, when he found a single golden grain, shining at the bottom of the empty bowl! The Divine being had returned to him in gold, whatever he had received at his hands. If only he had been a little more generous… The beggar had rejected prosperity by refusing to give generously of what he had! He wept bitter tears: but it was to no avail.

The measure of your life will not be in what you accumulate, but in what you give away.

– Wayne Dyer

Practical Tip:

TO GIVE IS EASY, BUT THE PEACE THAT EMANATES WHEN WE GIVE WITHOUT EXPECTATION IS A REWARD IN ITSELF.

EVERY TIME YOU GIVE, BECOME CONSCIOUS OF HOW THE MIND SEEKS PRAISE AND POPULARITY FROM OTHERS.

CAN YOU GIVE WITHOUT ANYONE KNOWING AND TO SOMEONE WHO CANNOT RETURN YOUR KINDNESS.

4

The Great Killer

An Arabic folk tale tells us that a wise old man travelling on the desert road to Baghdad, met the figure of Pestilence hurrying ahead of him.

“Why are you in such a haste to reach Baghdad?” asked the old man.

“I am due to take five thousand lives in the city,” Pestilence replied, before it went away.

Later, on the return journey, they chanced to meet again. “You lied to me,” said the old man reproachfully. “You said you would take five thousand lives- but you took away ten thousand instead.”

“I did not do it!” Pestilence swore. “I took five thousand and not one more, it was ‘Fear’ who killed the rest!”

Truly, fear destroys the soul, sapping our will to live.

Fear kills more people than death.

– George Patton

Practical Tip:

WHEN YOU START FEELING FEARFUL TRY THE ‘7/11 BREATHING.’

• STOP

• FOCUS ON YOUR BREATH

• TAKE A BREATH IN (TO THE QUICK COUNT OF 7 IN YOUR MIND)

• THEN SLOWLY BREATHE OUT (TO THE QUICK COUNT OF 11 IN YOUR MIND)

IF YOU DO THIS FOR A MINUTE OR SO, YOU’LL BE AMAZED HOW QUICKLY YOU’VE CALMED DOWN. WE CALL THIS ‘ 7/11I BREATHING’ BUT THE NUMBERS ARE UP TO YOU, JUST AS LONG AS THE OUT-BREATH IS LONGER THAN THE IN-BREATH.

5

Love Knows No Boundaries

There is a romantic story told to us of the father and mother of Thomas Becket, martyr and saint of England, Gilbert Becket. Thomas’s father, had made a pilgrimage to the holy land in his youth. Here he was captured by a Saracen, who imprisoned him in his castle. The only daughter of the Saracen chief fell in love with Gilbert. She was young, fair and beautiful. Gilbert promised to marry her if she would come to England with him, for he too, loved her deeply.

However, he soon found the opportunity to escape from the Saracen’s clutches. When he returned to England, he forgot all about the young girl who had given her heart to him.

However, the girl did not forget him so easily. She was determined to leave her father’s house in disguise and find her way across to England. Her friends were taken aback by her decision; for in those days, i.e., eight hundred years ago, women did not set out alone in search of their lovers-especially those whose very language and address was unknown to them!

The girl was not afraid. She knew just two English words-London and Gilbert. She travelled to the coast and went among the ships in the wharf, saying, “London, London.” Sailors led her to a ship which was about to sail for London, and she paid for her passage with some of her jewels.

Having arrived in London (which was then only a small town), she walked across the streets, calling out, “Gilbert! Gilbert!” One of Becket’s servants, who had been imprisoned with his master, saw her and rushed to inform his master. “Master, master!” he said, “As I live, the Saracen girl is here in London! I saw her walking up and down, calling out your name!”

Gilbert hurried to find her. When she saw him, she wept tears of joy and fainted in his loving arms. It was her will and determination that had made her brave unknown dangers and seek her lover. They were married soon after.

Love unlocks doors and opens windows that weren’t even there before.

– Mignon McLaughlin

Practical Tip:

TODAY, THANK GOD FOR YOUR SPOUSE OR FRIEND OR PARENT. MAKE A LIST OF ALLTHE BLESSINGS, JOYS AND POSITIVE QUALITIES THAT HAVE COME INTO YOUR LIFE BECAUSE OF THEM.

REALISE THAT THEY HAVE COME INTO YOUR LIFE AS PART OF A DIVINE PLAN.

6

Teacher Or President?

I recall a moving incident in the life of the great American author, James Michener. He had the rare privilege to be invited to be a guest at a banquet hosted by President Dwight Eisenhower at the White House.

James Michener declined the invitation. In his letter to the President, he explained, “A wonderful teacher who taught me how to write is being honoured on the same day, at the same time. You will not miss me at your banquet, Mr. President, but she might, at hers.”

“Ike” (as Eisenhower was popularly known) was so moved, that he wrote back:

“Dear Mr. Michener, in his lifetime, a man lives under 15 or 16 Presidents, but a truly fine teacher comes in his lifetime far too rarely.”

We often take people close to us for granted. When was it last that we appreciated, recognised, rewarded, all the people who took care of us, taught us, guided us and helped us?

A teacher affects eternity; we can never tell where his influence stops.

– Henry Brooks Adams

Practical Tip:

TRY TO FIND THE CONTACT NUMBERS OR EMAIL ADDRESSES OF AT LEAST TWO OF YOUR TEACHERS WHO HAVE POSITIVELY INFLUENCED YOUR LIFE.

CALL THEM, TEXT THEM OR WRITE THEM A THANK YOU NOTE! YOU WILL FEEL GOOD WITHIN. YOU WILL ALSO BE MOVED BY THEIR RESPONSE.

7

Suffering Purifies

A holy woman tells us that the Lord appeared to her, one day, and said: “I bring to you three gifts; choose the one you like the most!”

The three gifts were- undeserved criticism, disease and persecution.

The saintly soul mentally weighed the three gifts and found that each was more difficult to accept than the remaining two. “To be criticised for no fault of mine. To be called a bad character, a thief, a liar, a hypocrite, when I am actually innocent? To become a victim to a disease, to lie in bed, unable to move, unable to get up, perhaps unable to speak, and be in this condition month after month, year after year.? To be treated as a criminal when my life is spotless, to be persecuted, flogged, terribly tortured?”

All the three seemed unbearable, and she trembled as she thought of what would happen if she chose any of the three gifts.

The Lord smiled and, in His extended hand, were the three gifts. As she looked up into His tender, smiling face, something happened to her and, unhesitatingly she said, “Lord, I take all the three!”

It is only through experiences of trials and suffering that the soul is strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved.

– Hellen Keller

Practical Tip:

TODAY IF SOMEONE SPEAKS HARSHLY TO YOU OR BLAMES YOU UNNECESSARILY OR YOU ARE UNABLE TO FACE TRYING SITUATIONS, CLOSE YOUR EYES AND SIMPLY SAY, “THANK YOU GOD!” SAY IT UNTIL THERE IS PEACE IN YOUR HEART AND CALM IN YOUR MIND.

8

Regenerating Rotten Apples

Solon was one of the great thinkers of ancient Greece. He is remembered, even today, as a great lawgiver.

One day, Solon went out among the citizens, holding a rotten apple in his hand. To the people who gathered around him, he raised the question, “Can anyone tell me what I can do to regenerate this apple- to make it new?”

The people shook their heads in negation. What could one do with a rotten apple? As for making it new-whoever had heard of such a thing? It had to be thrown away- and that was it.

Receiving no answers to his query, Solon cut the apple into four pieces.

Taking the seeds of the apple, he said to them, “The way to make this apple new, to create new apples out of this rotten apple, is to sow these seeds. Out of these seeds will bloom forth new apples.”

The people marvelled at the lawgiver s vision and wisdom. How could they have forgotten that even the rotten apple contained within itself the source of new life- its seeds?

Likewise, when humanity becomes rotten, remember that the seeds of humanity are its children. Invest in them. Take care of them. For they can regenerate humanity.

If you wish to build a new house, get the best quality cement and steel!

If you wish to build a new town, plant trees!

If you wish to build a new humanity, begin with the child!

– J. P. Vaswani

Practical Tip:

ENCOURAGE CHILDREN TO READ LIVES OF GREAT ONES AND KEEP GOOD COMPANY. THEY MUST BE ABLE TO DECIDE BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG, ETHICAL AND UNETHICAL.

9

Oak Or Squash

To meet James Garfield at Hiram College, came a rich and haughty gentleman, accompanied by his son who was an undergraduate.

“Look here, Mr. Garfield, my son is very happy to be here in your college. But does his degree programme really have to last three whole years? Can’t you shorten the courses so that he might pass out sooner? I can’t wait to get my dreams fulfilled through him.”