Blind Leading Blind

One late evening a donkey was walking down a street. It was getting dark and it was difficult for the donkey to see where he was going. The frightened donkey stood under the shade of the tree and was wondering what to do. Sitting above him on a branch was a curious owl. The owl looked at the donkey and asked, “Oh, Mr. Donkey why are you standing under the tree so late at night, where are you going?” “I have a long way to go to reach my home in the neighboring village, but I have a problem,” said the donkey. “I cannot see very well when it gets dark.” The owl said, “Oh! But I can see very well at night. I happen to be going that way too. I can show you the way.” The donkey was happy to have a guide who could see.

The owl sat on the back of the donkey and the donkey traveled through the night under the owl’s directions and was able to avoid many pit falls. However eventually the night came to an end and day light was beginning to break. Now instead of the donkey, it was the owl that could not see. But this owl was not willing to give up his role as a guide and further more the donkey that was able to see was still depending on the owl for guidance. Continuing their journey the now blind owl told the donkey to turn left. When they did they both fell into a rapidly flowing river and were never seen again

Message : We should accept others help when needed, but should never become dependent on anyone. Do not be blind when you need not be blind like the donkey did. Keep your eyes open to see what you are able to see without getting blind dependence. Also out of ego don’t assume more than what you are capable of doing, like the owl in the story.

Value of Life

एक आदमी ने भगवान बुद्ध  से पुछा : जीवन का मूल्य क्या है?

बुद्ध  ने उसे एक Stone दिया और कहा : जा और इस stone का
मूल्य पता करके आ , लेकिन ध्यान रखना stone को बेचना नही है I

वह आदमी stone को बाजार मे एक संतरे वाले के पास लेकर गया और बोला : इसकी कीमत क्या है?

संतरे वाला चमकीले stone को देखकर बोला, "12 संतरे लेजा और इसे मुझे दे जा"

आगे एक सब्जी वाले ने उस चमकीले stone को देखा और कहा
"एक बोरी आलू ले जा और इस stone को मेरे पास छोड़ जा"

आगे एक सोना बेचने वाले के
पास गया उसे stone दिखाया सुनार उस चमकीले stone को देखकर बोला,  "50 लाख मे बेच दे" l

उसने मना कर दिया तो सुनार बोला "2 करोड़ मे दे दे या बता इसकी कीमत जो माँगेगा वह दूँगा तुझे..

उस आदमी ने सुनार से कहा मेरे गुरू ने इसे बेचने से मना किया है l

आगे हीरे बेचने वाले एक जौहरी के पास गया उसे stone दिखाया l

जौहरी ने जब उस बेसकीमती रुबी को देखा , तो पहले उसने रुबी के पास एक लाल कपडा बिछाया फिर उस बेसकीमती रुबी की परिक्रमा लगाई माथा टेका l

फिर जौहरी बोला , "कहा से लाया है ये बेसकीमती रुबी? सारी कायनात , सारी दुनिया को बेचकर भी इसकी कीमत नही लगाई जा सकती ये तो बेसकीमती है l"

वह आदमी हैरान परेशान होकर सीधे बुद्ध  के पास आया l

अपनी आप बिती बताई और बोला "अब बताओ भगवान , मानवीय जीवन का मूल्य क्या है?

 बुद्ध  बोले :

संतरे वाले को दिखाया उसने इसकी कीमत "12 संतरे" की बताई l

सब्जी वाले के पास गया उसने इसकी कीमत "1 बोरी आलू" बताई l

आगे सुनार ने "2 करोड़" बताई lऔर जौहरी ने इसे "बेसकीमती" बताया l

अब ऐसा ही मानवीय मूल्य का भी है l

तू बेशक हीरा है..!!लेकिन, सामने वाला तेरी कीमत,
अपनी औकात - अपनी जानकारी -  अपनी हैसियत से लगाएगा।

घबराओ मत दुनिया में.. तुझे पहचानने वाले भी मिल जायेगे।

Respect Yourself,
You are very Unique..👌👌👌👌👌

Leave of blessing

There is a blood bank inside the Tata Motors premises in Jamshedpur (there are blood banks in other plants as well). If you donate a bottle of blood, not only you are given off for that day, but you can also avail an extra leave within 7 days of donating the blood. Employees use it to extend their holidays. So, there is no shortage of leaves ever!! Needless to say, Tata loses several man-hours through this policy.
Once while having a conversation with the employees of the company, Ratan Tata was asked a question (by a senior official), "People take undue advantage of the policy. We lose several man-hours due to this. The blood is replenished within 24 hours, you know. Why to give that extra holiday within 7 days of donating blood."
Ratan Tata smiled. He always does. And then came a calm reply. "Encouragement is something I don't need to teach you. Only a few people donate because they want to. Talking about man-hours, we may be losing some man-hours doing that, but have you ever thought of the number of man-hours that get added to the person's life who receives that blood in the time of necessity? I am ready to sacrifice some of our man-hours for the better good of humanity."
 A gem, a true gem of a person.

May God Bless him...

Valentine Day for All

वेलेंटाइन डे आते ही छोटू की आँखों में एकख़ुशी की लहर दौड़

जाती थी ! मंदिर के साइड से लगे दुकान पे

काम करने वाला छोटू

हर बार की तरह इस बार भी खूब सारे

गुलाब की पंखुड़िया खरीद

लाया था ! छोटू को ये

नहीं पता था की वेलेंटाइन डे

होता क्या है ? पर ये जरूर पता था उसे

कि आज दस का बिकने

वाला गुलाब पच्चास में बेचेगा ! वह सुबह से

दौड़ भाग में

लगा था इस उम्मीद में कि आज

अच्छी कमाई कर

लेगा वो..दो तीन घंटे में उसके सारे गुलाब बिक

गए ! उसने

जल्दी से पैसो का गुना भाग करके पाँच

सौ अलग निकल

लिया !

अब फुर्ती से भागकर सेठ के पास

पंहुचा उसकी उधारी चुकाई !

और दनदनाता हुआ बाजार पहुंच गया हीरामन

के

दुकान पे..

“अरे छोटू आज बड़ी जल्दी आ गया रे तू

तो ..?

हा चच्चा आज चौदह फरवरी है न

अरे हाँ में तो भूल ही गया था ..

“बता क्या चाहिए ?

वो हरी वाली फ्रॉक तो दिखाना चच्चा ,

छोटू ने

चहकते हुए कहा

“महंगी है नहीं ले पायेगा

कित्ते कि है ?

“पुरे चार सौ अस्सी कि बोल पैक कर दू क्या.?

छोटू ने कुछ देर सोचते हुए कहा ..

ठीक है चच्चा कर दो पैक..

पाँच सौ में चार सौ अस्सी गया बचा बीस..

अच्छा बीस कि डेरी मिल्क

भी पैक कर दियो चच्चा..

“ये ले कहते हुए चच्चा ने उसे पैकेट थम दिया..

छोटू फुदकते हुए घर पंहुचा माँ से

पूछा “छोटी कहा है..?

यही कही खेल

रही होगी..?

छोटू ने उसे जल्दी से ढूढ़ा और जादू

कि झप्पी देते हुए बोला

“हैप्पी वेलेंटाइन डे छोटी ”

🙏🏻🌹सोच सोच का फरक है प्यार तो प्यार ही होता है🌹🙏🏻

Real Master

Adi Shankara was walking through the market place with his disciples.

They saw a man dragging a cow by a rope.

Shankara told the man to wait and asked his disciples to surround them.

“I am going to teach you something” and continued...

“Tell me who is bound to whom? Is the cow bound to this man or the man is bound to the cow?

The disciples said without hesitation “Of course the cow is bound to the man!. The
man is the master. He is holding the rope. The cow has to follow him wherever he goes. The man is the master and the cow is the slave.”

“Now watch this”, said Shankara and took a pair of scissors from his bag and cut the rope.

The cow ran away from the master and the man ran after his cow. “Look, what is
happening”, said Shankar

“Do you see who the Master is? The cow is not at all interested in this man. The cow in fact, is trying to escape from this man.” This is the case with our MIND.

Like the cow, all the non-sense that we carry inside is not interested in us. WE ARE INTERESTED IN IT, we are keeping it together somehow or the other. We are going crazy trying to keep it all together under our control.

The moment we lose interest in all the garbage filled in our head, and the moment we understand the futility of it, it will start to disappear. Like the cow, it will escape and disappear.” We can allow disappearing of all the unwanted things from our mind and feel relaxed.

Eternal Happiness

After years of hard & dedicated service to his Company, Rahul was being appointed at  an elegant reception as the new Director.

It was a small function where his wife Anita , a Home Executive & some of the wives of the other persons in top management were also present.

In an adjacent room, Ann, the wife of the CEO of the Company, asked Rahul's wife a very odd & usual question; "Does your  husband make you  happy?"

The husband, Rahul, who at that moment was not at her side, but was sufficiently near to hear the question, paid attention to the conversation, sitting up slightly, feeling secure, even filling his chest lightly in pride & hope,  would definitely not publically lower or degrade her husband, would answer affirmatively, since she had always been there for him during their marriage and generally in life.

Nevertheless, to both his & the others' surprise, she replied simply; "No, no he doesn't make me happy…"

The room became uncomfortably silent, as if everyone were listening to the spouse's response. There was a sudden coldness in the air. The husband was petrified. A frown appeared on his face.

He couldn't believe what his wife was saying, especially at such an important occasion for him. To the amazement of her husband & of everyone!

Anita sat up firmly & explained in a modest but stern tone to the other wives who were present; "No, he doesn't make me happy… I AM HAPPY. The fact that I am happy or not doesn't depend on him, but on me. GOD has granted each of us intellect & discretion to reason, interpret & decide. GOD made me the person upon which my happiness depends.

I make the choice to be happy in each situation & in each moment of my life.
If my happiness were to depend on other people, on other things or circumstances on the face of this earth, I would be in serious trouble!

Over my life I have learned a couple of things: I decide to be happy & the rest is a matter of 'experiences or circumstances' like helping, understanding, accepting, listening, consoling & with my spouse, I have lived & practiced this many times.

Honestly true happiness lies in being content"

Relieved & reassured, a smile was clearly noticed on Rahul's face.

Happiness will always be found in contentment, forgiveness & in loving ourselves & others.
To truly love is difficult, it is to forgive unconditionally, to live, to take the "experiences or  circumstances" as they are, facing them together & being happy with conviction.

There are those who say I cannot be happy  :
· Because I am sick.
· Because I have no money.
· Because it's too cold.
· Because they insulted me.
· Because someone stopped loving me.
· Because someone didn't appreciate me.

But what they don't know is that they can be happy even though sick, whether it is too hot, whether they have money or not, whether someone has insulted them, or someone didn't love or hasn't valued them.

Being Happy is an attitude about life & each one of us must decide!

Being Happy, depends on us!

It Depends on Me.
I fall. I rise. I make mistakes. I live. I learn. I've been hurt but I'm alive. I'm human.
I'm not perfect but I'm Thankful.!!

Letter from a Father

Here's the inspiring letter, from her father, that Deepika Padukone read at the 61st Filmfare Awards:

Dear Deepika & Anisha,

As you stand on the threshold of life’s journey, I want to share with you some lessons that life has taught me. Decades ago, as a little boy growing up in Bangalore, I started my tryst with badminton. In those days, there were no stadiums and courts where sports people could train. Our badminton court was the wedding hall of the Canara Union Bank near our house, and it was there that I learned everything about the game. Every day, we would wait to see if there was a function in the hall, and if there was none, we would rush there after school to play to our hearts’ content. Looking back, I realise that the most important thing about my childhood and adolescent years was my refusal to complain about a lot in life. I was thankful for the few hours a week we had the opportunity to hit the shuttle back and forth. In fact, the foundation on which I based my career and my life was the refusal to whinge or whine about anything. And that is what I want to tell you my children, that there is no substitute for perseverance, hardwork, determination and passion for what you choose to do. If you love what you do, nothing else matters — neither awards nor compensation, not even the gratification of seeing your face in newspapers or television. When I won the All England Championship, the prize money in badminton became significant — £3,000 — a huge amount in those days. But that did not distract me from the sheer joy of having been instrumental in putting India on the global map of this game. Deepika, at eighteen, when you told us that you wanted to shift to Mumbai for a career in modeling, we felt you were too young and too inexperienced to be alone in a big city and in an industry we knew nothing about. In the end, we decided to let you follow your heart and thought it would be cruel to not give our child the opportunity to go after a dream that she lived and breathed for. If you succeeded, it would make us proud, but even if you didn’t, you would not have any regrets that you did not try. Deepika, I have learned that you can’t always win in life, that everything you want might not come your way. That events don’t always turn out as you want them to. To win some, you have to lose some. You have to learn to take life’s ups and downs in your stride. The amount of effort that I put in my game never varied from the first day till my retirement. Even during my toughest times, I focused on what I had, instead of dwelling on what I did not. I had the ability to make the best of the worst circumstances and remain steadfast to my goal. Remember how I constantly tell you both about the importance of making your way up in the world without waiting for your parents to pull strings? I believe it is best for children to work hard to make their dreams come true and to not have things handed to them on a platter. When you are home visiting us, Deepika, you make your own bed, clear the table after meals, and sleep on the floor if there are guests at home. If you occasionally wonder why we refuse to treat you like a star, it is because you are our daughter first and a film star later. The cameras that follow you everywhere and the arc lights will eventually fade and what will remain is the real world. Strive to generate positivity around you even though you are too new and too small a player to effect a big change. You are in an industry where there’s always going to be big money, but I believe that it is important to try to be the best in whatever you do regardless of the money. The things that really matter in life are relationships, honesty, respect for your parents and elders. Material success is important, not fundamental to happiness and peace of mind. I can’t tell you enough about the rejuvenating power of prayers and a little faith. Spare a few minutes of your day to close your eyes and meditate, to think about God and you will see how much faith in His power will strengthen you. In the end, when your career is behind you, what remains is family, the friends that you have made. Live a life that is healthy and one that will allow you to live with your own conscience. Everything else is transient. And remember, no matter what, we are always going to be there for you.

Lovingly,
Pappa