A woman who had worked all her life to bring about good was granted one wish: “Before I die let me visit both hell and heaven.” Her wish was granted.

She was whisked off to a great marriage hall. The tables were piled high with delicious food and drink. Around the tables sat miserable, starving people as wretched as could be. “Why are they like this?” she
asked the angel who accompanied her. “Look at their arms,” the angel replied. She looked and saw that attached to the people’s arms were long chopsticks secured above the elbow. Unable to bend their elbows, the people aimed the chopsticks at the food, missed every time and sat hungry, frustrated and miserable. “Indeed this is hell! Take me away from here!”

She was then whisked off to heaven. Again she found herself in a great banqueting hall with tables piled high. Around the tables sat people laughing, contented, and joyful. “No chopsticks I suppose,” she said. “Oh yes there are. Look – just as in hell they are long and attached above the elbow but look… here people have learnt to feed one another

A teacher teaching math in a class of 6-year-olds.
Asked a boy named Adi.

” Adi, if I give you two mangos and another two mangos. How many mangoes will you have?
He answered “5 mangoes”.

She was surprised by his reply but she tried again. Now this time she uses her fingers to make him count with her.
“Ok Adi, look if I give you One, Two. Two mangoes and another one-two. Two mangoes. How many mangoes will you have?”
He again answered” five mangoes”

This time she gets really annoyed by his answer but she controlled her anger and remembered that his mother once told her that he likes the strawberries. So, she tried this.
“Ok Adi, if I give you two strawberries and another two strawberries. Now, how many strawberries do you have?”
“Teacher, 4 strawberries”

She felt relieved that he is back on track. So, again she asked him.
“Now tell me, Adi, if I give you two mangoes and another two mangoes. How many mangoes do you have?”
He answered” teacher, five mangoes”
The teacher outburst in anger” how can you have five mangoes if I give you four mangoes?”
“Teacher, because One mango I have in my bag”
Complete silence. The teacher calms down and regrets at her anger.

Moral of the Story:

Two sides to every story. Never judge others. We should not make a decision for others without knowing their point of view. We make the decision on the basis of what is logic rightness i.e. what is the obvious answer and didn’t try to know the practical rightness i.e. what is the actual truth.

 

One day, the wise King Solomon was approached by two women arguing over a baby. Each claimed the child was hers. Unable to judge, King Solomon thought up a plan – he offered to cut the baby in half, giving half to the one and half to the other.

The first women agreed with the King: “Let the baby be neither mine nor hers,
but divide it. If I can’t have the child”, she cried, “she can’t have it either”. The second women pleaded with Solomon not to hurt the child. “Give her the baby. I’d rather lose the child that see it slain”.

Solomon knew immediately that this was the rightful mother. He returned the baby to her.

A LONG TIME AGO, THERE WAS A HUGE APPLE TREE. A LITTLE BOY LOVED TO COME AND PLAY AROUND IT EVERYDAY. HE CLIMBED TO THE TREETOP, ATE THE APPLES, AND TOOK A NAP UNDER THE SHADOW.

HE LOVED THE TREE AND THE TREE LOVED TO PLAY WITH HIM. TIME WENT BY, THE LITTLE BOY HAD GROWN UP AND HE NO LONGER PLAYED AROUND THE TREE EVERY DAY.

ONE DAY, THE BOY CAME BACK TO THE TREE AND HE LOOKED SAD.

“COME AND PLAY WITH ME”, THE TREE ASKED THE BOY.

“I AM NO LONGER A KID, I DO NOT PLAY AROUND TREES ANY MORE” THE BOY REPLIED.

“I WANT TOYS. I NEED MONEY TO BUY THEM.”

“SORRY, BUT I DO NOT HAVE MONEY, BUT YOU CAN PICK ALL MY APPLES AND SELL THEM. SO, YOU WILL HAVE MONEY.”

 

THE BOY WAS SO EXCITED. HE GRABBED ALL THE APPLES ON THE TREE AND LEFT HAPPILY. THE BOY NEVER CAME BACK AFTER HE PICKED THE APPLES. THE TREE WAS SAD.

ONE DAY, THE BOY WHO NOW TURNED INTO A MAN RETURNED AND THE TREE Was EXCITED.

“COME AND PLAY WITH ME” THE TREE SAID.

“I DO NOT HAVE TIME TO PLAY. I HAVE TO WORK FOR MY FAMILY. WE NEED A HOUSE FOR SHELTER. CAN YOU HELP ME?”

“SORRY, BUT I DO NOT HAVE ANY HOUSE. BUT YOU CAN CHOP OFF MY BRANCHES TO BUILD YOUR HOUSE.” SO THE MAN CUT ALL THE BRANCHES OF THE TREE AND LEFT HAPPILY. THE TREE WAS GLAD TO SEE HIM HAPPY BUT THE MAN NEVER CAME BACK SINCE THEN. THE TREE WAS AGAIN LONELY AND SAD.

ONE HOT SUMMER DAY, THE MAN RETURNED AND THE TREE WAS DELIGHTED.

“COME AND PLAY WITH ME!” THE TREE SAID.

“I AM GETTING OLD. I WANT TO GO SAILING TO RELAX MYSELF. CAN YOU GIVE ME A BOAT?” SAID THE MAN.

“USE MY TRUNK TO BUILD YOUR BOAT. YOU CAN SAIL FAR AWAY AND BE HAPPY.”

SO THE MAN CUT THE TREE TRUNK TO MAKE A BOAT. HE WENT SAILING AND NEVER SHOWED UP FOR A LONG TIME.

FINALLY, THE MAN RETURNED AFTER MANY YEARS. “SORRY, MY BOY. BUT I DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING FOR YOU ANYMORE. NO MORE APPLES FOR YOU”, THE TREE SAID. “NO PROBLEM, I DO NOT HAVE ANY TEETH TO BITE” THE
MAN REPLIED.

“NO MORE TRUNK FOR YOU TO CLIMB ON.” “I AM TOO OLD FOR THAT NOW” THE MAN SAID. “I REALLY CANNOT GIVE YOU ANYTHING, THE ONLY THING LEFT IS MY DYING ROOTS,” THE TREE SAID WITH TEARS.

“I DO NOT NEED MUCH NOW, JUST A PLACE TO REST. I AM TIRED AFTER ALL THESE YEARS,” THE MAN REPLIED.

“GOOD! OLD TREE ROOTS ARE THE BEST PLACE TO LEAN ON AND REST, COME SIT DOWN WITH ME AND REST.” THE MAN SAT DOWN AND THE TREE WAS GLAD AND SMILED WITH TEARS.

THIS IS A STORY OF EVERYONE. THE TREE IS LIKE OUR PARENTS. WHEN WE WERE YOUNG, WE LOVED TO PLAY WITH OUR MUM AND DAD. WHEN WE GROW UP, WE LEAVE THEM; ONLY COME TO THEM WHEN WE NEED SOMETHING OR WHEN WE ARE IN TROUBLE. NO MATTER WHAT, PARENTS WILL ALWAYS BE THERE AND GIVE EVERYTHING THEY COULD JUST TO MAKE YOU HAPPY.

YOU MAY THINK THE BOY IS CRUEL TO THE TREE, BUT THAT IS HOW ALL OF US TREAT OUR PARENTS. WE TAKE THEM FOR GRANTED; WE DON’T APPRECIATE ALL THEY DO FOR US, UNTIL IT’S TOO LATE.

Moral ~ Treat your parents with loving care…. For you will know their value, when you see their empty chair…We never know the love of our parents for us; till we have become parents .

 

An ancient Indian sage was teaching his disciples the art of archery. He put a wooden bird as the target and asked them to aim at the eye of the bird. The first disciple was asked to describe what he saw. He said, “I see the trees, the branches, the leaves, the sky, the bird and its eye..” The sage asked this disciple to wait. Then he asked the second disciple the same question and he replied, “I only see the eye of the bird.” The sage said, “Very good, then shoot.” The arrow went straight and hit the eye of the bird.

What is the moral of the story?

Unless we focus, we cannot achieve our goal. It is hard to focus and concentrate, but it is a skill that can be learned.

Once a highly successful businessman, running a health insurance company was getting ready to go to his office. When he reached into his car and opened a door, a stray dog sleeping under his car suddenly came out and bit on his leg! The businessman got very angry and quickly picked up a few rocks and threw at the dog but none hit the dog. The dog ran away.

Upon reaching his office, the businessman calls a meeting of his managers and during the meeting he puts the anger of dog on them. The managers also get upset by the anger of their boss and they put their anger to the employees working under them. The chain of this reaction keeps going till the lower level of employees and finally, the anger reaches to the office peon.

Now, there was no one working under the peon! So, after the office time is over, he reaches his home, and wife opens the door. She asked him, “Why are you so late today?” The peon upset due to anger threw at him by the staff, gives one slap to his wife! And says, “I didn’t go to the office to play football, I went to work so don’t irritate me with your stupid questions!”

So, now the wife got upset that she got a scolding plus a slap for no reason. She puts her anger on his son who was watching TV and gives him a slap, “This is all you do, and you have no interest in studying! Turn off the TV now!”

The son gets upset now! He walks out of his house and sees a dog passing by looking at him. He picks up a rock and hits the dog in his anger and frustration. The dog, getting hit by a rock, runs away barking in pain.

This was the same dog that bit the businessman early morning.

Moral: This was bound to happen. Reap as one has sown. This is how the life works. While we all worry about hell and heaven based on our deeds, we should concentrate more on how we are living and behaving. Do good, Good will come, Do Wrong, Wrong will come.

 

Once upon a time there lived a ferocious lion in the forest. It was a greedy lion and started killing animals in the forest indiscriminately. Seeing this, the animals gathered and decided to approach the lion with the offer of one animal of each species volunteering itself to be eaten by the lion every day. So every day it was the turn of one of the animals and in the end came the rabbits’ turn. The rabbits chose a old rabbit among them. The rabbit was wise and old. It took its own sweet time to go to the Lion. The Lion was getting impatient on not seeing any animal come by and swore to kill all animals the next day.

The rabbit then strode along to the Lion by sunset. The Lion was angry at him. But the wise rabbit was calm and slowly told the Lion that it was not his fault. He told the Lion that a group of rabbits were coming to him for the day when on the way, an angry Lion attacked them all and ate all rabbits but himself. Somehow he escaped to reach safely, the rabbit said. He said that the other Lion was challenging the supremacy of his Lordship the Lion. The Lion was naturally very enraged and asked to be taken to the location of the other Lion.

The wise rabbit agreed and led the Lion towards a deep well filled with water. Then he showed the Lion his reflection in the water of the well. The Lion was furious and started growling and naturally its image in the water, the other Lion, was also equally angry. Then the Lion jumped into the water at the other Lion to attack it, and so lost its life in the well. Thus the wise rabbit saved the forest and its inhabitants from the proud Lion.

What I have learnt from the story is that while we’re facing the problem, we must not hopeless and waiting until it comes to us. We must use our brain, we must be flexible in solving the problem, we’re facing. No matter what kind of our obstacle, don’t be afraid. Try our best to fight again it.

A woman who had worked all her life to bring about good was granted one wish: “Before I die let me visit both hell and heaven.” Her wish was granted.

She was whisked off to a great marriage hall. The tables were piled high with delicious food and drink. Around the tables sat miserable, starving people as wretched as could be. “Why are they like this?” she
asked the angel who accompanied her. “Look at their arms,” the angel replied. She looked and saw that attached to the people’s arms were long chopsticks secured above the elbow. Unable to bend their elbows, the people aimed the chopsticks at the food, missed every time and sat hungry, frustrated and miserable. “Indeed this is hell! Take me away from here!”

She was then whisked off to heaven. Again she found herself in a great banqueting hall with tables piled high. Around the tables sat people laughing, contented, and joyful. “No chopsticks I suppose,” she said. “Oh yes there are. Look – just as in hell they are long and attached above the elbow but look… here people have learnt to feed one another

There was once a well-educated, highly successful man who went to visit a Zen master to ask for solutions to his problems. As the Zen master and the man conversed, the man would frequently interrupt the Zen master to interject his own beliefs, not allowing the Zen master to finish many sentences.

Finally, the Zen master stopped talking and offered the man a cup of tea. When the Zen master poured the tea, he kept pouring after the cup was full, causing it to overflow.

“Stop pouring,” the man said, “The cup is full.”

The Zen master stopped and said, “Similarly, you are too full of your own opinions. You want my help, but you have no room in your own cup to receive my words.”

Moral of the story:

This Zen story is a reminder that your beliefs are not you. When you unconsciously hold on to your beliefs, you become rigid and closed-mind to learn and expand your consciousness. The path to self-realization is to stay conscious of your beliefs and always be open to learning.

There is a very interesting and quite applicable law in the book: “Tough times never last, but tough people do”!

If we are facing challenges in life or problems or difficulties, law of potatoes will be helpful for us. It is said that: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”

Robeert says that people are like Potatoes!. Farmers have to ‘categorize’ potatoes after the harvest.

Potatoes come in different sizes i.e. small, medium and large. Hence, if a farmer intends to get maximum value after sales, potatoes need to be arranged based on their sizes before shipping them to the market.

In order to ship potatoes to the market, potatoes are to be put into different bags based on their categories, after which they are loaded into trucks. This is the method that most of the potato farmers use in order to get maximum amounts from sale of potatoes.

However, there was one farmer who was different. He never sorted his potatoes i.e. he never categorized them according to their size but always managed to get maximum sales!

How is that possible? Can you get maximum sales without sorting out potatoes as per their sizes?

So, one of the farmers went to this person and asked him “What is your secret? How can you earn maximum without sorting or categorizing potatoes according to their size?”

He said, “It’s simple. I just load up the wagon with potatoes and take the roughest road to town from my village. During the long trip, the little potatoes always fall to the bottom”.

The medium potatoes land in the middle, while the big potatoes rise to the top. So, the categorization is done based on the rough road”

This is the law of potato: Difficulties of life are there to make us better and not bitter.

It is a law of life. Big potatoes rise to the top on rough roads, and tough people rise to the top in rough times. When we face difficulties in life, we need to remember that every season in life will pass. We can be happy in life, no matter what.

After night, there is morning. There is sun rise after every sunset. Likewise, after every period of difficulty, there is peace. We need to remember:

Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do!