Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts

24 March 2018

Heaven—Tale about Loyalty



'. . . Once upon a time, a man, his horse and his dog were travelling along a road. As they passed by a huge tree, it was struck by lightning, and they all died. But the man failed to notice that he was no longer of this world and so he continued walking along with his two animal companions. 






. . . It was a long uphill walk, the sun was beating down on them and they were all sweating and thirsty. At a bend in the road they saw a magnificent marble gateway that led into a gold-paved square, in the centre of which was a fountain overflowing with crystal-clear water. The man went over to the guard at the entrance.

"Good morning."
"Good morning," the guard replied.
"What is this lovely place?"
"It’s Heaven."
"Well, I’m very glad to see it, because we’re very thirsty."
"You’re welcome to come in and drink all the water you want." And the guard indicated the fountain.
"My horse and dog are also thirsty."
"I’m terribly sorry," said the guard, "but animals are not allowed in here."

The man was deeply disappointed because he was very thirsty, but he was not prepared to drink alone, so he thanked the guard and went on his way. Exhausted after more drudging uphill they reached an old gateway that opened on to a dirt road flanked by trees. A man, his hat pulled down over his face, was stretched out in the shade of one of the trees, apparently asleep.

"Good morning," said the traveller.
The other man greeted him with a nod.
"We’re thirsty—me, my horse and my dog."
"There’s a spring over the amongst those rocks," the man indicating the spot. "You can drink all you want."

The man, his horse and his dog went to the spring and quenched their thirst.
The traveller returned to thank the man.

"Come back whenever you want," he was told.
"By the way, what’s this place called?"
"Heaven."
"Heaven? But the guard at the marble gateway told me that was heaven!"
"That’s not Heaven, that’s Hell."

The traveller was puzzled.

"You shouldn’t let others take your name in vain, you know! False information can lead to all kinds of confusion!"

"On the contrary, they do us a great favour, because the ones who stay there are those who have proved themselves capable of abandoning their dearest friends."'

[From "The Devil and Miss Prym," by Paulo Coelho]

For more such tales go to my Website at this link here

19 November 2009

Our Deepest Fear


This narrative which was used by Nelson Mandela in his 1994 Inaugural Speech, was actually written by Marianne Williamson.


"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves; "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."



3 October 2008

Arunachala Newsletter -- October

The October issue of Arunachala Grace News will be sent out within the next few days direct to subscribers’ email inbox. If you do not yet have a subscription please check out the ‘subscribe facility’ at the left hand column of this page.



This October issue of Arunachala Grace News has an article about the ongoing Navaratri Festival and an extract from the related Durga mythology of the slaying of the demon Mahishasura at Arunachala. As well as the usual section of Arunachala Tidbits, this October Newsletter features the Tiruvannamalai herb “Withania Somnifera” – often called the ‘Indian equivalent to Ginseng’.

The bird in this issue is the ubiquitous, noisy crow (both House Crow and Jungle Crow), and the Navagraha in this month’s Arunachala News is 'Shukra' which is identified with the planet Venus. As well as the usual pot-pourri of inspiration, poems and extracts, this month’s Newsletter also has a lively, amusing story about an Arunachala monkey called “Buddy,” from Apeetha Arunagiri who is currently associated with the reforestation programme of Arunachala Greening.

19 March 2008

Arunachala Grace News - April, 2008

This month’s newly designed Arunachala Grace News will be sent out around the end of the month. April Newsletter has the Red Wattled Lapwing and Oregano as its featured Arunachala Bird and Herb respectively. As well as Arunachala Tidbits, poems and inspirations, the Newsletter will also have the next part of the Dakshinamurti narrative and an inspirational narrative about what an IT education means to those attending the Don Bosco Siharam programme.




This month there will be a special section dedicated to the moon and its relevance at Arunachala. In conjunction there will also be a very charming story about the time the Sun, Moon, and Wind went out to dine with their uncle and aunts Thunder and Lightning and how what happened that night resulted in the Moon's light becoming soft, cool, and beautiful.

To become a free subscriber and receive a copy of Arunachala Grace News directly into your email inbox, please sign up at the facility on the left hand column of this page.

4 May 2007

I AM




O, raise up thine eyes to eternal sky
In thy bondage strike out to be free
Hush the whispering voice of the infinite why
With "I am and I was and I ever will be."

[Anonymous]