Where Does Suffering Come From? Once, the disciples of a Master were all involved in a heated discussion on the cause of human suffering. Some said it came from selfishness, others said it arose from delusion and yet others, from the inability to distinguish the real from the unreal. The Master was at last consulted on this issue. QUESTIONS 1. What was the Master's reply? 2. What is the implication of this story? ANSWERS 1. The Master said, “All suffering comes from a person’s inability to sit still and be alone.” 2. Very few people develop the habit of sitting still and being alone. Sitting still and trying to be alone refers to the meditative process. If one were to develop the habit of meditating, all suffering would vanish. Lord Buddha prescribes the following five meditations to be free from all suffering. The first meditation is the meditation of LOVE, in which you must sit still and so adjust your heart that you long for the wellbeing and welfare of all beings, including the happiness of your enemies. The second meditation is of PITY, in which you sit still and think of all beings in distress, vividly representing in your imagination their sorrows and anxieties so as to arouse a deep compassion for them in your soul. The third meditation is the meditation of JOY in which you sit still And think of the prosperity of others and rejoice at their rejoicing. The fourth meditation is the meditation of IMPURITY, in which you sit still and consider the evil consequences of corruption, the effects of sin and diseases. How trivial often are the pleasures of the moment and how fatal their consequences! The fifth meditation is the meditation on SERENITY, in which you sit still and rise above love and hate, tyranny and oppression, wealth and want, and regard your own fate with impartial calmness and perfect tranquility.

1# Intelligent Way To Escape Wrath

War spreads like wildfire and so does hatred and bitterness. Those were the days when things were really sensitive between the French and the British, somewhere around the year 1727.

Feelings ran high among the British when Voltaire visited England. One day, a crowd of angry Englishmen surrounded him when he was walking down a street.

They caught hold of him and shouted, “Kill him. Hang the Frenchman!” When the mob seemed to get out of control, Voltaire said something to them which not only pacified them but led him safely back to his residence.

QUESTIONS

1. What did Voltaire say to the angry crowd ?

2. What is the implication of this story ? 

ANSWERS

1. Voltaire said, “Englishmen! You want to kill me because I am a Frenchman! Am I not punished enough in not being an Englishman?”

 2. Quick wit can lead you out of the most difficult and seemingly impossible  situations. Voltaire flattered the Englishmen with his implicit statement that being English was superior to being French.

 

 2# Bring The Kingdom Of God Into Your Heart 

During the war between Russia and Germany, the Russian Government ordered that all youth should join the army for compulsory conscription for the war effort. One youth refused to join the army. He informed the officers that he was totally against any war.

 The officers brought him before a judge. When questioned, the youth replied that he was a conscientious objector to the war and believed in the philosophy of Tolstoy and the preaching of the New Testament.

The judge explained to him about being realistic and that the kingdom of God had not yet come. To which the young man said…

QUESTIONS

1. What did the young man say to the judge ?

2. What is the implication of this story ?

ANSWERS 

1. The young man replied, These laws are of the kingdom of God. It hasn’t come as yet for you, but it has come to me.

2. The youth’s conviction should be appreciated. He strongly believed that God would never recommend war as the means to bring peace on earth. War only leads to destruction and God would never want that.

 

3# Set An Example

Once there was a missionary who wanted more and more people to become his followers. To accomplish this, he decided to impress the people of a village by taking them out for a plane ride. The plane glided over their villages, hills, forests and rivers.

Occasionally, they would look out of their windows, but on the whole, they were unimpressed. Back on the ground, his flock trooped out of the plane without a word of comment.  Anxious to get some response, the missionary exclaimed, “Wasn’t it wonderful? Think of what human beings have achieved!

There we were up in the sky, above all the worldly things, looking down at all of it.” The group listened impassively. Finally the leader spoke.

QUESTIONS

1. What did the leader say?

2. What is the implication of this story?

ANSWERS

1. The leader said, “The insects also do what we just did and are happier than us.”

2. Fake impressions fade out. To draw people to spiritual life, missionaries should lead an exemplary life that will open the eyes of others to follow them.

 

4# Avoid Carrying Tales

 A girl was known all over town for her much-detested habit of carrying tales. Thanks to her, there were constant misunderstandings and complications between people. Her mother tried hard to stop this habit but in vain.

After a lot of thinking, one day, she called her and gave her a pillow and asked her to remove all its feathers. A gust of wind then scattered and blew off the feathers. Now the mother asked her to put the feathers back in the pillow.

The girl was not able to do it. She then understood what her mother wanted to teach her.

 QUESTIONS

1. What was the lesson learnt by the girl?

2. What is the implication of this story? 

ANSWERS

1. The girl learnt that the tales that she spread were like the feathers. Once scattered, it was impossible to collect them back together.

2. The mother’s way of teaching a lesson to her daughter is appreciable. Most parents take recourse to scolding their children for whatever mischief they do in life.

If parents are a little more creative, the parent-child relationship can be built on a sound footing.

5# God Is Watching

A boy and a girl who were in deep love decided to commit a sin together before getting married. They found an empty hut which they thought would be an ideal place for their intended sin. They went into the hut and found an idol of God.

 Very conveniently, to escape the feeling of guilt, they placed the idol outside and went inside the hut again. But there was something stopping them and they finally decided not to commit the sin.

QUESTIONS 

1. What kept them from committing the sin ?

2. What is the implication of this story ?

ANSWERS

1. They realized that by just placing God’s idol outside, they could not remove God Himself.

2. God is present everywhere and watching our good as well as bad deeds.

6# Be Bold And Honest

 A newly-appointed policeman was on duty. Once, he stopped a speeding motorcyclist and inquired about his identity. This motorcyclist happened to be a Circle Inspector but the policeman continued to write a ticket for him.

The Inspector said, Look here young man, some day you may be transferred to my police station where you will have to work under me. The policeman replied...

QUESTIONS

1. What was the policeman’s reply?

2. What is the implication of this story?

ANSWERS

1. The policeman replied, “Well Sir, when I do get there, you will remember that you have a good and honest man working for you.”

 2. Honesty is the best policy for everyone to follow. This will pay rich dividends in the long run.

7# Where Does Suffering Come From?

 Once, the disciples of a Master were all involved in a heated discussion on the cause of human suffering. Some said it came from selfishness, others said it arose from delusion and yet others, from the inability to distinguish the real from the unreal. The Master was at last consulted on this issue.

QUESTIONS

1. What was the Master's reply?

2. What is the implication of this story?

ANSWERS

 1. The Master said, “All suffering comes from a person’s inability to sit still and be alone.”

 2. Very few people develop the habit of sitting still and being alone. Sitting still and trying to be alone refers to the meditative process. 

If one were to develop the habit of meditating, all suffering would vanish. Lord Buddha prescribes the following five meditations to be free from all suffering.

 The first meditation is the meditation of LOVE, in which you must sit still and so adjust your heart that you long for the wellbeing and welfare of all beings, including the happiness of your enemies.

 The second meditation is of PITY, in which you sit still and think of all beings in distress, vividly representing in your imagination their sorrows and anxieties so as to arouse a deep compassion for them in your soul.

 The third meditation is the meditation of JOY in which you sit still And think of the prosperity of others and rejoice at their rejoicing. The fourth meditation is the meditation of IMPURITY, in which you sit still and consider the evil consequences of corruption, the effects of sin and diseases.

 How trivial often are the pleasures of the moment and how fatal their consequences! The fifth meditation is the meditation on SERENITY, in which you sit still and rise above love and hate, tyranny and oppression, wealth and want, and regard your own fate with impartial calmness and perfect tranquility.