THE RIGHT QUESTION

Gun-Zai and his disciples were walking in the country and talking about God’s miracles, when it began to rain. They all ran to a cabin that stood close by.

When they reached there, the master turned to his pupils and said: “I shall only let you in if you give me the right answer.”

Intrigued, they all remained there under the downpour, not knowing how to please Gun- Zai. They trembled with cold, but could not find the right answer.

Finally, after nearly two hours in the rain, one of them said: “Master, you haven’t asked any question, and here we stand like fools, looking for explanations. It isn’t wise to look for problems if we weren’t posed any problem.”

“Congratulations, that’s how we should behave in life. You may come in,” said the master, opening the door

I FORGOT MY PRAYER BOOK

A peasant boy came to the big town to work. But found himself without his prayer book.

The wheel of his cart had come off right in the middle of the woods and it distressed him that this day should pass without his having said his prayers.
He thought:

“The Holy One blessed is enthroned in the heavens and we pray all year long to Him. It is time for me to pray but I forgot my prayer book”.

So this is the prayer he made: 

“I have done something very foolish, Lord. I came away from home this morning without my prayer book and my memory is such that I cannot recite a single prayer without it. So this is what I am going to do. I shall recite the alphabet five times very slowly and you, to whom all prayers are known, will put the letters together to form the prayers I can’t remember.”

And the Holy One said to his angels,

“Of all the prayers I have heard today, this one was undoubtedly the best because it came from a heart that was simple and sincere.”

NORMA AND THE GOOD THINGS

In Madrid lives Norma, a very special Brazilian lady. The Spanish call her ‘the rocking grandma’. She is over sixty and works in various places, organizing promotions, parties and concerts.

She was once asked where she got all her energy from.

‘I have a magic calendar. If you like, I can show it to you.’

She picked up an old, much scribbled-upon calendar.

‘Right, today is the day they discovered a vaccine against polio,’ she said.’ We must celebrate that, because life is beautiful.’

On each day of the year, Norma had written down something good that had happened on that date.

For her, life was always a reason to be happy.

THINKING MAKES IT SO

The Master was certainly no stranger to what goes on in the world. When asked to explain one of his favorite sayings,
"There is no good or ill
but thinking makes it so,"
this is what he said:
"Have you ever observed that what people call congestion in a train becomes atmosphere in a nightclub?

HOW THE PATH WAS FORGED

One day, a calf needed to cross a virgin forest in order to return to its pasture. Being an irrational animal, it forged out a tortuous path full of bends, up and down hills.

The next day, a dog came by and used the same path to cross the forest. Next it was a sheep’s turn, the head of a flock which, upon finding the opening, led its companions through it.

Later, men began using the path: they bent down, deviating obstacles, complaining and cursing – and quite rightly so. But they did nothing to create a different route.

After so much use, in the end, the path became a trail along which poor animals toiled under heavy loads, being forced to go three hours to cover a distance which would normally take thirty minutes.

Many years passed and the trail became the main road of a village, and later the main avenue of a town. Everyone complained about the traffic, because the route it took was the worst possible one.

Meanwhile, the old and wise forest laughed, at seeing how people tend to blindly follow the way already open, without ever asking whether it really is the best choice.

COMMUNICATING WITH GOD


One day a construction supervisor from 6th floor of a building was calling a worker working on the ground floor. Because of construction noise, the worker on the ground floor could not hear his supervisor calling.

Then to draw the attention of the worker, the supervisor threw a 10 rupee note from up, which fell right in front of the worker. The worker picked up the 10 rupee note, put it in his pocket & started his work.

Again to draw the attention of the worker, the supervisor now threw a 500 rupee note. The worker picked up the 500 rupee note, put it in his pocket & continued doing his job.

... Now the supervisor picked a small stone & threw it on the worker to draw his attention. The stone hit the worker exactly on his head. This time the worker looked up & the supervisor communicated with him.
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This story relates to our life in a similar manner:
Our God wants to communicate with us, but we are busy doing our work. God gives us small gifts & we happily keep it. Then God gives us bigger amounts/gifts & and we take it for granted without even acknowledging or thanking God. We just say we are LUCKY!

Then when we are hit with what we call 'problems', we look up & communicate with God.

So every time you get a gift or get saved by His divine grace......acknowledge His blessings, and don't wait till you are hit by a problem to communicate with God....

NUMBER GAME

The Governor announced that he was coming to see a monastery bush that was full of exotic roses.

When he got to the monastery garden he found there was only one rose on the bush. When he learnt that the Master had cut all the roses, he demanded to know why.

"Because", said the Master, "had I left them on the bush you would not have seen even one of them."

Then, after a pause he added, "You have grown accustomed to multitudes, my friend. When did you last see a person?"

At ten minutes to seven on a dark, cool evening in Mexico City in 1968, John Stephen Arkwari of Tanzania painfully hobbled into the Olympic Stadium – the last to finish the marathon.

The winner had already been crowned, and the victory ceremony was long finished. So the stadium was almost empty as Arkwari, alone, his leg bloodied and bandaged struggled to the finish line. The respected documentary maker, Bud Greenspan, watched from a distance. Then intrigued, Bud walked over to Arkwari and asked why he had continued the grueling struggle to the finish line.

The young man from Tanzania answered softly, “My country did not send me nine thousand miles to start the race. They sent me nine thousand miles to finish the race.”

FLINGING YOUR HAT OVER THE WALL

Two intrepid Irish boys used to spend their days exploring the rolling countryside.

They journeyed over rivers and through valleys, past farms and flocks. When they got hungry, they’d help themselves to what God offered them through the unwitting generosity of local farmers.

One day, the boys came upon a high wall that guarded an orchard and blocking their path. It seemed impassable. For a moment, they considered turning back and ending their journey. Then, in a flash of unspoken agreement, they took their caps off their heads and flung them over the impassable wall. Now they had no choice but to continue.
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Sometimes when you reach a dead end, maybe a high wall in what you are trying to achieve, do you give up or do you throw you cap over the wall and seek to continue?

THE LAW OF THE HARVEST

It was reputed that a very wise old man who lived on a hilltop overlooking the beautiful city of Venice, Italy, could answer any question anyone might ask him. Two local boys figured they could trick him, so they caught a bird and took it to the wise sage.

"Tell us," they asked, "is the bird in our hand dead or alive?"

The wise man replied, "Son, if I say the bird is alive, you will close your hands and crush it to death. Or, if I say the bird is dead, you will open your hands and it will fly away. You see, son, in your hands you hold the power of life and death."
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And so it is with life. Whether we succeed or fail, live a meaningful or empty life, it's all in our hands! For whatever we sow we reap.

SHACKLES

The highly competent and capable senior manager in a multinational company explained how he valued people’s appreciation.

“That helps me do my work well. When my boss is happy with me it makes my day. If he is upset or angry I am down all day. It’s the same story at home.”

“You have mortgaged your freedom for the appreciation of other people,” warned the teacher. “You can’t live your life based on the reassurance you find in the eyes of another person and still hope to be happy.”

THE ROSE PALM

A grandmother and her young granddaughter are walking down a busy city street. They pass by a homeless man. He is sitting against the cold granite wall of a high rise building. The man doesn't have a sign, or a cup for begging; He is busily making roses from palm leaves. There are three roses beside him.

The grandmother stops and asks if she could buy one of the beautiful handmade roses. The homeless man smiles and says, "For you kind Lady, it is free." The grandmother takes out her purse and gives the homeless man $5.

As they walk away, the young girl asks her grandmother, "Why did you give him money? He will probably just buy beer and cigarettes."

The grandmother replies, " My dear, it may be his nature to take the money and buy beer and cigarettes, but it is my nature to help a man in need."

FETCH ANOTHER SORT OF DOCTOR

A powerful monarch called a priest with healing powers to help him with his back ache.

"God will help us," said the holy man. "But first let us understand the reason for these pains. I 

suggest Your Majesty confesses now, for confession makes men face up to their problems, 

and liberates much guilt."

Annoyed at having to think about so many problems, the king said:

"I do not wish to speak of these matters; I need someone who heals without asking questions."

The priest went off and returned half an hour later with another man.

"I believe that words can relieve pain, and help me to discover the right path to a cure," he said.

 But you do not wish to talk, and I cannot help you. This is the man you need:

My friend here is a veterinarian, and does not generally speak to his patients."

MASTER THE FOG!

In 1952, young Florence Chadwick stepped into the waters of the Pacific Ocean off Catalina Island, determined to swim to the shore of mainland California. She had previously been the first woman to swim the English Channel both ways.

The weather was foggy and chilly; she could hardly see the boats accompanying her. Still, she swam for fifteen hours. When she begged to be taken out of the water along the way, her mother, in a boat alongside, told her she was close and that she could make it. Finally, physically and emotionally exhausted, she stopped swimming and was pulled out. It was not until she was on the boat that she discovered the shore was less than half a mile away.

At a news conference the next day she said, “All I could see was the fog.…I think if I could have seen the shore, I would have made it.”

Two months later, Florence got back in the water to try her task once more. This time was different. She swam from Catalina Island to the shore of California in a straight path for twenty six miles. The same thick fog set in, but Florence made it because she said that while she swam, she kept a mental image of the shoreline in her mind. Florence Chadwick became the first woman to swim the Catalina Channel, eclipsing the men’s record by two hours!

She didn’t lose sight of the shore because she focused on that image of the coast in her mind, and in this way, she reached her goal.

Consider Florence Chadwick’s words: “I think if I could have seen the shore, I would have made it.” When a fog rolls over your life, or your business, have the courage to stay the course. If you can visualize your goal, you can make it through the fog.

COVERING THE SUN WITH ONE'S HAND

A disciple went to Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav:
"I shall not continue with my studies of sacred texts," he said. "I live in a small house with my brothers and parents, and never have the ideal conditions for concentrating on that which is important."

Nachman pointed to the sun and asked his disciple to place his hand over his face, in order to hide it. The disciple obeyed.

"Your hand is small, yet it can completely cover the power, light and majesty of the great sun. In the same way, the small problems manage to give you the excuse you need in order to hinder your progress along your spiritual journey.

"Just as your hand has the power to hide the sun, mediocrity has the power to hide your inner light. Do not blame others for your own incompetence."

WINDOW WATCHING

In a Peanuts comic strip, there is a conversation between Charlie Brown and Lucy. As they look out of the window, Lucy exclaims, “Oh, look at the birds and the trees and flowers and sunshine.” And Charlie says, “I see fingerprints, bugs and smudges.” 

Lucy tells him, “Charlie Brown, don’t you know that windows are for looking through, not at.”
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Our lives are like windows. We can look through the challenges and see the glory and joy of winning. Or we focus on what is wrong and all we see are our weaknesses, and the bugs, the smudges, the difficulties. When you stand by the window of your life’s challenges, choose to look at your strengths. Don’t focus on your limitations. Don’t look at the fingerprints and the smudges.

THE REFLECTION

There was a king who presented his daughter with a beautiful diamond necklace. The necklace was stolen and his people in the kingdom searched everywhere but could not find it. The king then asked them all to search for it and put a reward for Rs. 50,000 for anyone who found it.

One day, a clerk was walking home along a river next to an industrial area. This river was completely polluted and filthy and smelly. As he was walking, the clerk saw a shimmering in the river and when he looked, he saw the diamond necklace. He decided to try and catch it so that he could get the Rs. 50,000 reward.

He put his hand in the filthy, dirty river and grabbed at the necklace, but some how missed it and didn't catch it. He took his hand out and looked again and the necklace was still there. He tried again. This time he walked in the river and dirtied his pants in the filthy river and put his whole arm in to catch the necklace.

But strangely, he still missed the necklace! He came out and started walking away, feeling depressed. Then again, he saw the necklace, right there. This time he was determined to get it, no matter what. He decided to plunge into the river. Although it was disgusting, he plunged in and searched everywhere for the necklace. Yet one more time, he failed. This time he was really bewildered and came out feeling very depressed that he could not get the necklace that would get him Rs. 50,000.

Just then, a saint who was walking by, saw him, and asked him what the matter was. The clerk didn't want to share the secret with the saint, thinking he might take the necklace for himself, so he refused to tell him anything.

The saint could see this man was troubled. Being compassionate, he again asked the clerk to tell him the problem and promised that he would not tell anyone about it. The clerk mustered some courage and decided to put some faith in the saint. He told him about the necklace and how he tried and tried to catch it, but kept failing.

The saint then told him that perhaps he should try looking upward, toward the branches of the tree, instead of in the filthy river. The clerk looked up and true enough, the necklace was dangling on the branch of a tree. He had been trying to capture a mere reflection of the real necklace all this time.

MAKES ME THINK.....Concluded......

Makes Me Think (MMT) has truly evolved into a remarkable online community. Every day, users share their thought-provoking life stories and vote on stories that other users have shared. Some are happy, some are sad, and others twist your emotions, pulling them in several directions at once. Sometimes the most random everyday encounters force us to stop and rethink the truths and perceptions we have ingrained in our minds. These encounters are educationally priceless. They spawn moments of deep thought and self-reflection that challenge the status quo and help us evolve as sensible individuals.

Some of the stories listed below perfectly fulfill that description. What do you think?

51. Today, exactly twenty years ago to the hour, I risked my life to save a woman who was drowning in the rapids of the Colorado River. And that’s how I met my wife - the love of my life. MMT

52. Today, my wife checked herself into an alcohol rehab clinic after she glanced up at me while she was eating her breakfast and asked how I got a black eye and fingernail scratches all over my face. MMT

53. Today, I asked my mentor – a very successful business man in his 70’s – what his top 3 tips are for success. He smiled and said, “Read something no one else is reading, think something no one else is thinking, and do something no one else is doing.” MMT

54. Today, as my grandfather (a military doctor, war hero, and successful business owner) rested in his hospice bed, I asked him what his greatest life accomplishment was. He turned around, grabbed my grandmother’s hand, looked her in the eyes, and said, “Growing old with you.” MMT

55. Today, it’s just the six of us. One was raped when she was fourteen. Three come from abusive households. Two were orphans. Like me, one spent almost two straight years in a psychiatric facility as a kid. But I wouldn’t trade a single one of them for all the perfect friends in the universe. MMT

56. Today, I was walking home from work in the pouring rain without an umbrella. I was walking just behind an elderly man who had an umbrella. As we both passed under the overhang to an apartment building, he stopped, turned around and handed me the umbrella. He said, “This is my stop and you look like you need an umbrella. Pass it along someday when the opportunity arises.” MMT

57. Today, the teenager I scream at almost every day for driving too fast in the neighborhood because it worries me that he’s going to run over my kids, ran across the street from his driveway to ours and grabbed my son off of his tricycle in the middle of the street just before a swerving drunk driver ran over my son’s tricycle and kept going. MMT

58. Today, I was in an accident that left me with a gash on my forehead. The doctors wrapped a bandage around my head and said I have to keep it on all week. I hate wearing it. Two minutes ago my little brother walked into my room wearing a bandage on his head. My mom said he insisted that he didn’t want me to feel alone. MMT

59. Today, when I tapped the side of my wheelchair and told my husband, “You’re the only reason I want to be free from this contraption,” he kissed me on my forehead and said, “Honey, I don’t even see that thing.” MMT

60. Today, I was jogging in Central Park when this lady started screaming for help. Her husband was having a heart attack. I ran over and checked his pulse. He didn’t have one. I gave him CPR and got his heart beating before the paramedics arrived. I’ve done some bad things in my life, but today I saved a life. MMT

61. Today, I met a powerful businessman who is worth 100 million dollars. In conversation he told me he regretted never making it to his son’s hockey games or his daughter’s dance recitals. It made me smile because my dad is probably only worth as much as this man’s last paycheck, but he made it to everything. MMT

62. Today, my fiancé was in a head-on collision car accident. He is currently in a coma. And all I can think about is the argument we had this morning. I screamed at him for screaming at me. It was a petty argument. But if he could scream now, I wouldn’t say a word. I’d just listen to the sound of his voice. MMT

63. Today, I have two twin boys in my kindergarten class. I have heard from other parents that they come from a very broken home in which their mother is in and out of rehab and their father is always away on business. But their 16 year old sister never fails to get them to school on time or pack them a healthy bagged lunch with a smiley face on it. MMT

64. Today, I interviewed my grandmother for part of a research paper I’m working on for my Psychology class. When I asked her to define success in her own words, she said, “Success is when you look back at your life and the memories make you smile.” MMT

CHANGE OF HEART

When someone boasted of the economic and cultural achievements of his country, the Master was quite unimpressed. “Have all those achievements made the slightest change in the hearts of your countrymen?” he asked.

And he told of a white man who was captured by cannibals and brought to the chief prior to being roasted alive. Imagine his astonishment when he heard the chieftain speak with a perfect Harvard accent.

“Did your years in Harvard do nothing to change you?” asked the white man.

“Of course they did. They civilized me. After you’re roasted I shall dress for dinner and eat you with knife and fork.”

PHILOSOPHICAL COBBLER

A philosopher who had only one pair of shoes asked the cobbler to repair them for him while he waited.

“Its closing time,” said the cobbler, “so it won’t be possible for me to repair them just now. Why don’t you come for them tomorrow?”

I have only one pair of shoes and it won’t be possible for me to walk without shoes.”

“Very well, I shall lend you a used pair for the day.”

“What! Wear someone else’s shoes? What do you take me for?”

“Why should you object to having someone else’s shoes on your feet when you don’t mind carrying other people’s ideas in your head?”