Become More Virtuous Than Your Enemies
Once there lived a man called Hari, who was very loving and helpful. He would go out of his way to help people and at times, he even placed his needs second, in order to make people happy. Everyone benefited from his kindness but most of the time, people took him for granted. With time, Hari became depressed about the consciousness that he was being used, but could not help being generous.
One day, he heard that the Buddha was passing through his village and decided to approach him with his feelings. He asked the Buddha, “What do you think I must do, to take revenge on people who took me for granted and used me?” To this, the Buddha gave a reply that Hari never forgot throughout his life and followed it well.
QUESTIONS
1. What
was the reply of the Buddha?
2. What is the implication of this story?
ANSWERS
1. The Buddha merely said, Become more virtuous than they are.
2. We have no control over the behaviour of others. They will continue to behave the way they feel is correct, but we must rise above the feelings of bitterness. Also, we can improve on our own virtuous nature. The more virtuous we become, the easier it is for us to control our negative emotions.
Check On Your Performance Periodically
A boy once walked into a grocery shop and telephoned to a certain company to ask about a job as an office boy. He was told, “The job has been filled a week ago.” “Is the boy you have satisfactory?” he asked. “Very satisfactory!” was the answer.
The boy hung up and wore a big smile. The druggist who heard the conversation was puzzled. “If the job is filled, how come you are so happy?” he inquired. The boy’s reply stunned the druggist.
QUESTIONS
1. What
did the boy reply?
2. What is the implication of this story?
ANSWERS
1. The boy said, Oh, I was just checking up. You see, I am the office boy they employed a week ago.
2. First, the boy’s ingenuity should be appreciated. Moreover, it is better to have a regular check on one’s performance for further improvement.
Get A Positive Response From The World
A little boy playing around on a hilltop, shouted, “Who are you?” and ditto came the reply. Then he said, “You are a mean boy.” Again, ditto was the reply. Bewildered, he went home and narrated the experience to his mother.
His mother advised him to speak kindly to the echo. She said, “Say ‘I love you’ to the echo and see the response you get.”
QUESTIONS
1. What
did the boy do?
2. What is the implication of this story?
ANSWERS
1. The next day, the boy went to the hilltop and shouted, “I love you.” The echo responded saying, “I love you.” The boy was happy to hear the echo.
2. The story of the echo is the story of our life. The world merely mirrors our reactions. If we are good, we expect the world to be good. If we are bad, we imagine that everything is bad in this world.
Life
is like a full circle. Whatever we give to the world comes right back to us. So
if we want good, we must do good and also be good.
Time Heals Everything
Dr.
Johnson was a world-famous writer. Boswell was his devoted biographer. Boswell was
once very badly insulted by one of his associates. He felt hurt and reported
the matter to Dr. Johnson.
Dr. Johnson advised him.
QUESTIONS
1. What
was the advice given by Johnson ?
2. What is the implication of this story ?
ANSWERS
1. Johnson advised, “Consider Sir, how insignificant this will appear twelve months from now.”
2.
With the passage of time everything is evened out. Time is the best
healer. What is considered as unbearable pain will vanish in course of time. Nothing is permanent on this planet.
How Do You Tolerate An Insult?
Once upon a time, there came a visitor to see Buddha in his monastery. He insulted him outrageously. But Buddha seemed quite unruffled by the insults hurled at him by the visitor. Buddha’s disciples who watched this happen, came forward to fix up the visitor, but remained quiet at Buddha’s signals to keep out of the matter.
Finally, when they couldn’t tolerate the
nonsense any further, they threw the visitor out. They asked Buddha why did he go
on tolerating all the insults, and not retaliate in any way.
Buddha was quiet for a moment and then said something that taught all his disciples a lesson for a lifetime.
QUESTIONS
1. What
did the Buddha tell his disciples?
2. What
is the implication of this story?
ANSWERS
1. Buddha said, Imagine what would happen if someone placed an offering before you and you did not pick it up. Or someone sent you a letter that you refused to open.
You would obviously be unaffected by its contents. Would you not? Do this each time you are abused and you will not lose your serenity.
2. No one can insult you without your permission. You don’t have control over others’ tongues but you can surely conquer your emotions by not being upset by the unwarranted statements made by others.
Lead A Life Of Awareness
A Moral Science teacher told her students, Man preaches peace, but he delights in war. See the automobile out there. Suppose you instructed it to never run wild and cause a wreck. Would it obey?
QUESTIONS
1. What
will the automobile do?
2. What is the implication of this story?
ANSWERS
1. The automobile will not obey because it is mechanical. It can only behave mechanically. Likewise, majority of the people behave mechanically, which is why many things happen in this world that are not conducive to for mankind to evolve. Only a conscious person can behave in a way that does not cause wrecks.”
2. Many lead a life of unawareness. Often, when a person displays negative emotions, he is not aware of his state of mind. The result is that the impact of such negative feelings wreaks havoc in society.
The best remedy for all the ills of society is to create awareness in the minds of people.
Never Pray For Selfish Ends
Sidney Walker, the world-famous lightweight champion, was an illiterate shoeshine boy before he rose to fame. He had seen both the worlds and so, was a very humble man.
Once, WC Heinz came to visit him in his dressing room after his big annual fight and said, “I understand you pray before every fight. Tell me, what do you pray about?”
QUESTIONS
1. What
did Sidney Walker answer him?
2. What is the implication of this story?
ANSWERS
1. That’s right, I pray that nobody gets hurt. Then I pray that it is a good fight and that the most deserving person wins the fight,” said Sidney Walker.
2. One should never pray for selfish needs. Only when you are free from tension and stress can you pray for others. This will also show your large-heartedness. When you are not selfish you will have perennial flow of energy in you.
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