mightier than I? Oh, that I were a cloud, and mightier than any!”
And the mountain spirit answered: “Your wish is heard; a cloud you shall be!”
And a cloud he was, and lay between the sun and the earth. He caught the sun’s beams and held them, and to his joy the earth grew green again and flowers blossomed. But that was not enough for him, and for days and week he poured forth rain till the rivers overflowed their banks, and the crops of rice stood in water. Towns and villages were destroyed by the power of the rain, only the great rock on the mountainside remained unmoved.
The cloud was amazed at the sight, and cried in wonder: “Is the rock, then, mightier than I? Oh, if I were only the rock!”
And the mountain spirit answered; “Your wish is heard; the rock you shall be!”
And the rock he was, and gloried in his power. Proudly he stood, and neither the heat of the sun nor the force of the rain could move him. “This is better than all!” he said to himself. But one day he heard a strange noise at his feet, and when he looked down to see what it could be, he saw a stonecutter driving chisel into his surface.
Even while he looked, a trembling feeling ran all through him, and a great block broke off and fell upon the ground. Then he cried in his wrath: “Is a mere child of earth mightier than a rock? Oh, if I were only a man!”
And the mountain spirit answered: “Your wish is heard. A man once more you shall be!”
And a man he was, and in the sweat of his brow he toiled again at his trade of stone cutting. His bed was hard and his food scanty, but he had learned to be satisfied with it, and did not long to be something or somebody else. And as he never asked for things he did not have, or desired to be greater and mightier than other people, he was happy at last, and never again heard the voice of the mountain spirit.
Theme: Live today. Now.
Know this:
(1) Yesterday is gone. You cannot change events of yesterday. Decisions made and actions taken will remain so for ever. So forget it.
(2) We have no clue about what is in store for tomorrow. Do not worry about it.
(3) Today, is definitely in our hands. Act with a positive mind set so that life will be enjoyable today and for ever.
(4) Many accumulate wealth for tomorrow by living poor today.
(5) Many waste their time in discussing and dwelling in yesterday’s pain or glory.
(6) Not many live in the present. Most of us live either into the past or a distant future.
(7) There by, they miss their best in their lives.
(8) In any adverse situations in our life time, there is some thing to be happy about, all the time.
(9)There is something good in every one’s life, all the time.
(10) It is a matter of attitude to identify and enjoy it ! Search and reach it.
Life, for every one, is a mixer of good and bad, pleasure and pain, favorable and adverse. Trained minds wear a positive attitude always. Such individuals can search around, look for and pick every pleasurable events, acts and moments and remain happy.
Here goes a story that highlights this theme.
Theme: Live today. Now.
Short Story 18
The traveler on the mountain
This is a story of a traveler. He was walking alone on a mountain to reach his home on the other side of the mountain.
The mountain had a thick forest on it and several wild animals lived in it. Suddenly the traveler spotted a tiger at a distance. He was sure it would devour him. He started running, to save his life.
He has now reached the end of a cliff. He realized that the death followed him in the form of a hungry tiger.
In order to escape the jaws of the tiger, the man climbed a tree that had grown on the end of the cliff. He moved on the tree, as far away as possible.
Soon the tiger had reached the tree and moved on the branch to reach him.
He discovered to his dismay that the branch was too slender to carry his weight for long. The approaching tiger would make the tree branch break sooner and faster. Thus the death was approaching the traveler in its second form.
Tiger continued to follow him on to the tree. This signalled the fact that the death is approaching this man faster.
He moved towards the end of the tree branch. The death followed him this time in the form of a fall into the river from a great height.
He thought, in the event the branch breaks, he would fall into the river and flow with it and escape to safety. He then noticed the hungry crocodiles in the river eagerly awaiting his fall. He found that the death is chasing him in the form of crocodiles too.
The death was lurking in his mind. That is the thought that he would fall to certain death as he cannot hold on to the branch for long as the fatigue on his arm would take him to feed the crocs. He is sure of his death is approaching him in many forms and not sure which would cause that and how soon.
That’s when he noticed that a honey comb right above his head and drops of honey dripping from it.. Clutching the branch with one hand, he adjusted his body in such a way that the drops of honey would fall right into his mouth.
He never enjoyed the taste of fresh mountain honey any time in the past.
There is always something that can make you joyous irrespective of nasty and painful situations that surround you.
Identify the best of things around you and enjoy it. It is a matter of attitude.
Theme: Mindless Compassions
Know this:
(1) Compassion is a great Spiritual vehicle.
(2) Self-pity is not to be thought of as compassion.
(3) Compassion of people devoid of knowledge can be dangerous.
There are several saints know for their Compassion as their vehicle in their spiritual journey. Ramalinga Vallalar is one to quote.
Compassion is good, but our action based on compassion should not be misplaced.
Because, as the proverb goes “Way to hell is paved with good intentions !”, we often endanger other’s situation with very good intentions.
Freedom and flight would only come after the struggle. Struggle is a gift of nature to every specie to make them strong.
The struggle gives us the strength to face the odds in life and wisdom to act.
If we were to go through our initial part of the life without any obstacles and struggles to achieve we would be crippled.
“The way to hell is paved with good intentions”, is an old adage. Mindless compassion is an example.
Theme: Mindless Compassions
Story 19
Compassion that killed
We all know the butterfly, finally, come into the world breaking open the cocoon in which it grew.
So also there are a few species that build around a cocoon at the early stage of its life, grow into it and finally breaks open the cocoon to enter the world.
This is a story of a moth that was killed by compassion. Can compassion kill? Yes; Read the story below:
A science student, found one such cocoon and wanted to watch as the butterfly come out of its cocoon. As he watched, a small opening appeared on the cocoon. He skipped his classes and sat down watching for the butterfly to finally come out of the cocoon. He spent several hours, watching it.
A small hole appeared on the cocoon and the creature, say a moth, struggled to force the body through that little hole.
Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. It just seemed to be stuck.
Then the man, in his kindness, decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.
The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shrivelled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. It did not happen! In fact, the little butterfly spent the rest of it
s life crawling around with a swollen body and shrivelled body and shrivelled wings.
It never was able to fly.
What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening was the way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.
Freedom and flight would only come after the struggle.
Theme: COMPASSION.
Know this:
(1) Most of us love ourselves.
(2) Some of us love our parents, wife, children and a few other relatives and friends too.
(3) A few among us goes beyond this circle of relatives and friends to love and care to the people in the society where he lives in.
(4) Lord Buddha, Lord Jesus and Prophet Muhammad, Ramalinga adigalaar, are a few, who had compassion extending to the entire humanity.
(5) Compassion of some of the Saints surpassed the limits of humanity to include every life forms such as animals and plants.
(6) Compassion is not an act. instead a means of acting with kindness to people.
(7) Compassion is not a rationale act, for you do not think of pros and cons of the actions you take. It is a subconscious function, performed instantly.
Let us read a Zen story of a Buddhist Monk and his true nature.
Theme: COMPASSION.
Short Story 20.
The monk and the scorpion.
The monk carry with them a bowl, some food and minimal clothing and move from one monastery to another, meeting various Gurus and learning.
People all over were glad to share their food with strangers who travel.
Two monks were traveling to a distant monastery on