eSnips Forums

Three Monks and a Monastery

Once there were monks
in a lovely monastery
tucked away in the country
on the fringe of the dark woods
with tall trees & mysterious depths.

Every place has a head and
here too
there was an aged monk who
was the chief monk.

This lovely place, had an aura!
People came & brought their children to bask in the silence!
They sat & walked, talked and listened.
They went away, touched
each in their own way!

But one day, the chief monk, he died!
He died as the day waned
and the wind was blowing
with the thin top branches were swaying & dancing
and the evening birds were singing

Once the head monk died,
Wasn't it natural to wait
for another monk to become Head!
Every monk in the monastery wondered:
'Who is going to be the next Head?'

It would have been simpler if the dead chief had named a monk.
But he had not!
The monks talked amongst themselves.
Each & every monk thought
and thought and thought.....

Soon under the weight & burden
of this question
Monks grew weary!
One by one,
sometimes in groups of four or five,
they left.
They left, tired and sombre.
The air itself was heavy.

The numbers dropped, of monks and novices!
The garden was soon overgrown!
The visitors dwindled,
The sounds of children's laughter
no longer wafted in the wind....

At last, at long last,
Three monks remained
Only three!
Three monks & a question!
Who will be head?

The question went around,
round & round,
round & round!
Like an animal caged.
No escape, no hope!
Round & round!
Round & round!

A solitary visitor came one day
He lived in the woods
in his reclusive chosen home!
He came to the monastery
and met three weary monks.

After a meal
Just before leaving
He told the three
'One of you has the light of God!'
And left behind three pensive monks!
Three monks, and a new question!

'Now, who could it be, With the light of God?'
Each looked at the other.
'Could it be him, Or could it be the other?'
A new question!
No longer, 'Who will be head?'
A new question! A new energy!

Imagine if you are with two others.
One of whom has the light of God!
How would you relate?
Would you be jealous, would you be envious?
Or would you be happy and careful?

The monks now approached each other
with a newfound respect
a new care.
And lo and behold the air started to change

Soon novices started to flock
in large numbers
“this was a happening place”
drawn by the beauty they felt
something real and not just in words

Soon the monastery grew
and once again parents brought their children
to be touched by the serenity of the place
and the fragrance of a dropped question....

KNOW UR Value....!

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a Rupee 500 note.

In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this Rupee 500 note?"

Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this note to one of you
but first let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the note up.

He then asked, "Who still wants it?"
Still the hands were up in the air.

"Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and
started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all
crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?"
Still the hands went into the air.

"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson.
No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not
decrease in value. It was still worth Rupee 500/-.

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt
by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as
though we are worthless.
But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose
your value.

You are special. Don't ever forget it! Never let yesterday's disappointments overshadow tomorrow's dreams.

" VALUE HAS A VALUE ONLY IF ITS VALUE IS VALUED "

I find your story inspirational

Dear Vivekananda,

thank you for this story.
I really needed to hear this.

Dear Miss P and Ian

Thanks for your comments

with warm regards
vivekananda

I am going to ask a question," King Milinda said to Venerable Nagasena, "can you answer?"

Nagasena said, "Please ask your question."

The king said, "I have already asked."

Nagasena said, "I have already answered."

The king said, "What did you answer?"

Nagasena said, "What did you ask?"

The king said, "I asked nothing."

Nagasena said, "I answered nothing."
--

“In life many people help you when it suits them, but very few people help when it suits you, make the few and be the few to others.”

Many years ago in a small Indian village, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a female village moneylender. The female moneylender, who was old, fat and ugly, fancied the farmer’s handsome son. So she proposed a bargain.

She said she would forego the farmer’s debt if she could marry his son. Both the farmer and his son were horrified by the proposal. So the cunning female moneylender suggested that they let Providence decide the matter. She told them that she would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty moneybag. Then the son would have to pick one pebble from the bag. If he picked the black pebble, he would become her husband and her father’s debt would be forgiven. If he picked the white pebble he need not marry her and his father’s debt would still be forgiven. But if he refused to pick a pebble, his father would be thrown into jail.

They were standing on a pebble-strewn path in the farmer’s field. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As she picked them up, the sharp-eyed son noticed that she had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. She then asked the son to pick a pebble from the bag.

Now, imagine that you were standing in the field. What would you have done if you were the son? If you had to advise him, what would you have told him? Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:

The son should refuse to take a pebble. The son should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the moneylender as a lying, backstabbing female cheat. The son should pick a black pebble and sacrifice himself in order to save his father from his debt and imprisonment.

Take a moment to ponder over the story. The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking. The son’s dilemma cannot be solved with traditional logical thinking. Think of the consequences if he chooses the above logical answers. What would you recommend to the son to do? Well, here is what he did….

What's the answer?

The son put his hand into the bag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it, he fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles. ‘Oh, how clumsy of me,’ he said. ‘But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked.’ Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that he had picked the white one. And since the moneylender dared not admit her dishonesty, the son changed what seemed an impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Most complex problems do have a solution.. It is only that we don’t attempt to think. A man is but a product of his thoughts… M. K. Gandhi.

Heart Of A Mouse

A mouse was in constant distress because of its fear of the cat. A magician took pity on it and turned it into a cat. But then it became afraid of the dog.

So the magician turned it into a dog. Then it began to fear the panther, so the magician turned it into a panther. Whereupon it was full of fear for the hunter.

At this point, the magician gave up. He turned it into a mouse again saying, "Nothing I do for you is going to be of any help because you have the heart of a mouse."

Reflection Questions

These questions are intended for your own reflection.if the storiy and reflection questions have enriched your life, please don't hesitate to share your experiences with others

i recommend that you meditate upon the story and questions, or just think about them while taking a drive or a walk. Each story in this section is chosen for its unique ability to inspire deep reflection, and the questions are intended to help you focus that reflection.

What is the main message of this story?
When in your life have you felt like the mouse?
If somebody you cared about felt like the mouse, what advice would you give?
After reflecting on this story, what is one life change you now want to make?

Why Do We Shout In Anger? (Must Read)

A saint asked his disciples, 'Why do we shout in anger? Why do people shout at each other when they are upset?

Disciples thought for a while, one of them said, 'Because we lose our calm, we shout for that.'

'But, why to shout when the other person is just next to you?' asked the saint. 'Isn't it possible to speak to him or her with a soft voice? Why do you shout at a person when you're angry?'

Disciples gave some other answers but none satisfied the saint.

Finally he explained, 'When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot. To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other through that great distance.'
Then the saint asked, 'What happens when two people fall in love? They don't shout at each other but talk softly, why? Because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is very small...'

The saint continued, 'When they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak, only whisper and they get even closer to each other in their love. Finally they even need not whisper, they only look at each other and that's all. That is how close two people are when they love each other.'

MORAL: When you argue do not let your hearts get distant, do not say words that distance each other more, else there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not find the path to return.

Waves In An Ocean

A little wave was bobbing along in the ocean, having a grand old time. He's enjoying the wind and the fresh air—until he notices the other waves in front of him, crashing against the shore.

"My God, this is terrible," the wave says. "Look what's going to happen to me!"

Then along comes another wave. It sees the first wave, looking grim, and it says to him, "Why do you look so sad?"

The first wave says, "You don't understand! We're all going to crash! All of us waves are going to be nothing! Isn't this terrible?"

The second wave says, "No, YOU don't understand. You're not a wave, you're part of the ocean."

Reflection Questions

What is the main message of this story?
Do you usually feel more like the first wave or the second? Why?
What are some ways you feel more like the first wave?
If you were a third wave, what might you say to the first two waves?

Tiger and the Fox

A fox who lived in the deep forest of long ago had lost its front legs. No one knew how: perhaps escaping from a trap. A man who lived on the edge of the forest , seeing the fox from time to time, wondered how in the world it managed to get its food. One day when the fox was not far from him he had to hide himself quickly because a tiger was approaching. The tiger had fresh game in its claws. Lying down on the ground, it ate its fill, leaving the rest for the fox.

Again the next day the great Provider of this world sent provisions to the fox by this same tiger. The man began to think: "If this fox is taken care of in this mysterious way, its food sent by some unseen Higher Power, why don't I just rest in a corner and have my daily meal provided for me?"

Because he had a lot of faith, he let the days pass, waiting for food. Nothing happened. He just went on losing weight and strength until he was nearly a skeleton. Close to losing consciousness, he heard a Voice which said: "O you, who have mistaken the way, see now the Truth! You should have followed the example of that tiger instead of imitating the disabled fox."

Reflection Questions

In what ways do you feel like the disabled fox?

In what ways do you feel like the tiger?

Who is the "Voice" in this story?

Is it okay for the disabled fox to continue living, or would it be better off either dead or never alive in the first place?

Are there any people in your life who are like the disabled fox, but you wish they were more like the tiger?

You have always such a great inspiring stories. This one ( The Tiger and the Fox) is really a braincracker itself too.

Thank you for sharing.

Yes I am answering those questions (but keep 'em for myself).

The Dalai Lama and the Dog Boy

The following story is a true experience .

Over twenty years ago, while staying in Bodh Gaya, India, my friends and I began hearing rumors about a boy who had allegedly been found among wild dogs. The rumor in town was that his seemingly canine behavior, lack of speech, inability to walk upright or to eat with his hands indicated that he had probably been raised among the dogs.

We were intrigued, so it was with enthusiasm that I accepted an invitation to see the boy at a private gathering with the Dalai Lama, who had expressed an interest in the child. The meeting was to be held at the Ghandi Ashram where the boy was staying among a group of social workers and behavioral therapists who has assembled around him.

Judging from his size, the child appeared to be about five or six years old. Crawling on all fours, his eyes darting from side to side, he was like a frightened animal. Seeing him made me uneasy, such as when I have seen depictions of creatures that are half human and half some other animal. I felt a primal recoil from something alien. This surprised me because I had expected compassion to be my primary response to the boy.

The Dalai Lama was seated in the center of the room, and the child was brought before him. As the Indian officials and therapists began making their presentations about the boy to the Dalai Lama, he reached down and began to gently stroke the child's head, much as one would pat a dog.

The gathered assembly pretended not to notice. Was it okay to treat the boy like a dog, or was that not good for his "rehabilitation?" The officials continued explaining their effeorts to train the child to walk, to form words, and so on. All the while, the Dalai Lama continued to stroke the boy's head and shoulders, smiling and warmly murmuring until the child eventually curled up at his feet.

Reflection Questions

What would you have done if you were the Dalai Lama?
What was communicated from the Dalai Lama to the boy?
What did the boy communicate to the Dalai Lama?
If you talked less with the people in your lives, how might the quality of your relationships change?

Zen Master Blumise On A Whacking Spree

There was chaos at No Wind Monastery. The monks were running scared and the cause of their fear was none other than the head abbot, Zen Master Blumise. They all knew that the only monk who could help them in such desperate times was senior monk Tara, and the monks were running around frantically trying to find her.

Finally, a group located her sitting by the river enjoying the late afternoon sun.

"What's all this ruckus about?" she asked, rather alarmed at seeing a gang of anxious monks approaching her. "And why is one side of each of your faces red?" she continued, noticing the glowing redness on the left cheek of every monk.

"Master Blumise has lost his marbles," replied Chin. "He is running around the monastery asking everyone what time is it? And as soon as you tell him the time, he gives you one tight slap and moves on to the next victim. In fact, he has slapped monk Gzan twice today already, see both his cheeks are red!" Chin exclaimed, while pointing out Gzan's very red face.

"The old bugger is still pretty strong," muttered Gzan.

Just then a very irritated Master Blumise burst onto the scene.

"Tara!" he yelled, "What time is it?"

Tara looked up calmly, smiled and said, "The time is now, Master," and that was the end of that. Master Blumise bowed deeply to his beloved student and left the now awakened congregation of monks to reflect on this right answer.

Reflection Questions

Why does Master Blumise call this the "right" answer?

Do you agree with Master Blumise? Why or why not?

How might your life be different if you knew you would live forever?

What if you knew you'd die one month from now?