Interesting/Inspirational Stories, Proverb and Saying

The Banquet
A Sufi Story from the Middle East

A poor man dressed in rags came to the palace to attend the banquet. Out of courtesy he was admitted but, because of his tattered clothing, he was seated at the very end of the banquet table. By the time the platters arrived at his seat, there was no food left on them.

So he left the banquet, returning several hours later dressed in robes and jewels he had borrowed from a wealthy friend. This time he was brought immediately to the head of the table and, with great ceremony, food was brought to his seat first.

"Oh, what delicious food I see being served upon my plate." He rubbed one spoonful into his clothes for every one he ate.

A nobleman beside him, grimacing at the mess, inquired, "Sir, why are you rubbing food into your fine clothes?"

"Oh," he replied with a chuckle, "Pardon me if my robes now look the worst. But it was these clothes that brought me all this food. It's only fair that they be fed first!"

[ Last edited by lyhmsia on 1-7-2004 at 10:06 PM ]

Vietnamese proverb: "Your way of giving is more important than what you give."

Too many paths



One of Yang Tzu's neighbours,who lost a sheep, sent all his men out to find it, and asked Yang Tzu's servant to join in the search.



" What !" exclaimed Yang Tzu. " Do you need all those men to find one sheep ?"



" There are so many paths it may have taken," the neighbour explained. When his servant returned, Yang Tzu asked him : " Well, did you find the sheep ?"



He answered that they had not. Then Yang Tzu asked how they had failed o find it.



" There are too many paths," replied the servant. One path leads to another, and we didn't know which to take, so we hd to come back.



At that Yang Tzu looked very thoughtful. He was silent for a long time, and did not smile all day.



His pupils were surprised.



" A sheep is a trifle," they said, " and this wasn't even yours. Why should you stop talking and smiling ?"



Yang Tzu did not answer, and his pupils were puzzled.

One of them, Meng-sun Yang, went out to describe what had happened to Hsin-tu Tzu.



" When there are too many paths," said Hsin-tu Tzu, " a man cannot find his sheep. When a student has too many interests, he fritters away his time. The source of all knowledge is one, but the branches of learning are many. Only by returning to the primal truth can a man avoid losing his way. You are Yang Tzu's pupil and study from him, yet you seem to have failed completely to understsand him."

The Monkey and The Pea
A Tale from India

The King of Benares was out on a hunting trip with his wise counselor. They stopped to feed their horses some peas. Suddenly a young monkey darted down a tree and scooped a huge handful of peas out of the feeding trough. Halfway back up the tree one pea fell from the monkey's furry hands and, in a desperate attempt to catch it, the monkey dropped all the peas he was carrying.

Peas scattered on the ground and the horses ate them. The monkey climbed back up the tree empty-handed and sat sadly on a branch. The King and his wise counselor watched this episode with amusement. The counselor chuckled, "Great King, when far too greedy you be, remember that monkey and the pea."

Two monks were washing their bowls in the river when they noticed a scorpion that was drowning.
One monk immediately scooped it up and set it upon the bank. In the process he was stung. He
went back to washing his bowl and again the scorpion fell in. The monk saved the scorpion and
was again stung. The other monk asked him, "Friend, why do you continue to save the scorpion
when you know it's nature is to sting?"

"Because," the monk replied, "to save it is my nature."

When the spiritual teacher and his disciples began their evening meditation, the cat who lived in the monastery made such noise that it distracted them. So the teacher ordered that the cat be tied up during the evening practice. Years later, when the teacher died, the cat continued to be tied up during the meditation session. And when the cat eventually died, another cat was brought to the monastery and tied up. Centuries later, learned descendants of the spiritual teacher wrote scholarly treatises about the religious significance of tying up a cat for meditation practice.

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and drove the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car, shouting, "What was that all about and who are you?
Just what the heck are you doing?
That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money.
Why did you do it?"
The young boy was apologetic. "Please mister ... please, I'm sorry... I didn't know what else to do," he pleaded.
"I threw the brick because no one else would stop..."
With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car.
"It's my brother," he said.
"He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up."

Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."
Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out his fancy handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay.

"Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger.
Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the little boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!

The Man in the Moon

    THERE was a blacksmith once who complained: "I am not well, and my work is too warm. I want to be a stone on the mountain. There it must be cool, for the wind blows and the trees give a shade." A wise man who had power over all things replied: "Go you, be a stone." And he was a stone, high up on the mountain-side. It happened that a stone-cutter came that way for a stone, and when he saw the one that had been the blacksmith, he knew that it was what he sought, and he began to cut it. The stone cried out: "This hurts! I no longer want to be a stone. A stone-cutter I want to be. That would be pleasant." The wise man, humoring him, said, "Be a cutter." Thus he became a stone-cutter, and as he went seeking suitable stone, he grew tired, and his feet were sore. He whimpered, " I no longer want to cut stone. I would be the sun; that would be pleasant." The wise man commanded, " Be the sun." And he was the sun. But the sun was warmer than the blacksmith, than a stone, than a stone-cutter, and he complained, "I do not like this. I would be the moon. It looks cool." The wise man spake yet again, "Be the moon." And he was the moon. "This is warmer than being the sun," murmured he, "for the light from the sun shines on me ever. I do not want to be the moon. I would be a smith again. That, verily, is the best life." But the wise man replied, " I am weary of your changing. You wanted to be the moon; the moon you are, and it you will remain."

And in yon high heaven lives he to this day.

Worse than a Clown

There was a young monk in China who was a very serious practitioner of the Dharma.
Once, this monk came across something he did not understand, so he went to ask the master. When the master heard the question, he kept laughing. The master then stood up and walked away, still laughing.
The young monk was very disturbed by the master's reaction. For the next 3 days, he could not eat, sleep nor think properly. At the end of 3 days, he went back to the master and told the master how disturbed he had felt.
When the master heard this, he said, "Monk, do u know what your problem is? Your problem is that YOU ARE WORSE THAN A CLOWN!"
The monk was shocked to hear that, "Venerable Sir, how can you say such a thing?! How can I be worse than a clown?"
The master explained, "A clown enjoys seeing people laugh. You? You feel disturbed because another person laughed. Tell me, are u not worse than a clown?"
When the monk heard this, he began to laugh. He was enlightened.

Anybody care to share some thoughts about this story?

he Great Crossing

The Buddha said: "A man beginning a long journey sees ahead a vast body of water. There is neither boat nor bridge. To escape the dangers of his present location, he constructs a raft of grass and branches. When he reaches the other side he realizes how useful the raft was and wonders if he should hoist it on his back and carry it with him forever. Now if he did this, would he be wise? Or, having crossed to safety, should he place the raft in a high dry location for someone else to use? This is the way I have taught the dharma, the doctrine - for crossing, not for keeping. Cast aside evey proper state of mind, oh monks - much less wrong ones - and remember well to leave the raft behind!"

ADMONISHING OTHERS

One who is brought to admonish another must realize herself or himself five qualities before doing so. [he or she must intend] thus: "In due season will I speak, not out of season. In truth will I speak, not in falsehood. Gently will I speak, not harshly. To one's profit will I speak, not to one's loss. With kindly intent will I speak, not in anger."

Sayings of Shakyamuni Buddha (ON KARMA)

"A fool thinks it like honey so long as the bad deed does not bear fruit, but
when it does bear fruit he experiences suffering. - Gautama Buddha"

"Like fresh milk a bad deed does not turn at once. It follows a fool scorching
him like a smouldering fire. - Gautama Buddha"

WHAT IS ZEN (CHAN)?

On one occasion, Fu Dashi was wearing the hat of a Daoist priest, a kasaya (the robe of a Buddhist monastic), and on his feet he wore the shoes of a Confucian scholar.  Upon seeing him, Emperor Wu of the Liang dynasty was perplexed.  Astonished, he pointed at Fu Dashi抯 hat and asked, 揂re you a Daoist priest?

The Laday that Always Cry

There was once an old lady who cried all the time. Her elder daughter was married to an umbrella merchant while the younger daughter was the wife of a noodle vendor. On sunny days, she worried, 揙h no! The weather is so nice and sunny. No one is going to buy any umbrellas. What will happen if the shop has to be closed?

Worse than a Clown...Anybody care to share some thoughts about this story?

Not sure what question was posed to the master. But i'm sure it wasn't something serious that is worth the young monk a grave frown out of curiosity. So the master might be trying to make him laugh to let loose a little bit but the young monk wasn't receptive of the message or gesture. That's why he is worse than a clown who can't laugh seeing other people's joy of laughing. Or maybe the answer lies within the laugh and the attempt to make both of them laugh.

Well at least we get to know that human nature ought to reflect what was projected on them. When people smile, we inadvertently smile back. So, when people laugh, we'd follow suit. That should be our nature to reflect what's good but that sad young monk wasn't reflect his true nature.


Note from ariyamusafir: 10 Credits was given because of actively participating in this board. It is a bonus.

[ Last edited by ariyamusafir on 15-7-2004 at 11:00 PM ]

When an accident deprived the village headman of the use of his legs, he took to walking on crutches. He gradually developed the ability to move with speed -- even to dance and execute little pirouettes for the entertainment of his neighbors.

Then he took it into his head to train his children in the use of crutches. It soon became a status symbol in the village to walk on crutches, and before long everyone was doing so.

By the fourth generation no one in the village could walk without crutches. The village school included "Crutchery -- Theoretical -- Applied" in its curriculum and the village craftsmen became famous for the quality of the crutches they produced. There was even talk of developing an electronic, battery-operated set of crutches!

One day a young Turk presented himself before the village elders and demanded to know why everyone had to walk on crutches since they had been provided with legs to walk on. The village elders were amused that this upstart should think himself wiser than they so they decided to teach him a lesson. "Why don't you show us how?" they said.

"Agreed!" replied the young man.

A demonstration was fixed for the following Sunday at the village square. Everyone was there when the young man hobbled on his crutches to the middle of the square, stood upright, and dropped his crutches. A hush fell on the crowd as he took a bold step forward -- and fell flat on his face.

With that everyone was confirmed in their belief that it was quite impossible to walk without the help of crutches.

Note from ariyamusafir: 10 Credits was given because of actively participating in this board. It is a bonus.

[ Last edited by ariyamusafir on 15-7-2004 at 11:01 PM ]

The Stolen Ax by Lieh Tzu

A woodcutter went out one morning to cut some firewood and discovered that his favorite ax was missing. He couldn't find it anywhere. Then he noticed his neighbor's son standing near the woodshed. The woodcutter thought, "Aha! That boy must have stolen my ax. I see how he lurks about the shed, shifting uneasily from foot to foot, greedy hands stuffed in his pockets, a guilty look on his face. I can't prove it, but he MUST have stolen my ax."

A few days later the woodcutter was surprised and happy to come upon the ax under a pile of firewood. "I remember now," he said, "Just where I'd left it!"

The next time he saw his neighbor's son, the woodcutter looked intently at the boy, scrutinizing him from head to toe. How odd, he thought, somehow this boy has lost his guilty look . . .

Eating Sugar

A woman once brought her son to visit Mahatma Ghandi, who was always willing to be visited by the people of India. She asked him to please tell her son that he should stop eating sugar. "Come back in three days and I will grant your request," he said.

Three days later, she came back with her son, and Ghandi knelt down beside the boy and, looking him in the eyes, said "You really should stop eating sugar, as your mother wishes." The boy promised he would stop. The woman, curious, asked Ghandi why he did not do this on their first visit, three days earlier. He replied "Three days ago, I had not stopped eating sugar."

My reaction:
Without practicing the teaching of Buddha, I don't think I truly understand Buddhism?

The deer hunter does not notice the mountains.
Zen proverb

My Reaction:
We complained about our girlfriend/boyfriend, wife/husband, mother/father, sister/brother cooking and never thank them for their hardwork.

Silence is one of the most effective forms of communication.

My reaction:
Very true. Sadly, I talk to much all the time.