The Frog’s Half-rupee Coin December 21, 2007
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A frog, living in a pond, by chance picked up a half-rupee coin. Upon getting the half-rupee coin the frog became puffed-up and thought, “Is there anyone else as rich as I am now? If the king’s elephant comes this time to drink water here, I will chain him up. I won’t let him drink water here again!” Meditating thus, the frog sat tightly on the half-rupee coin on the bank of the pond.
Shortly after, the keeper of the king’s elephant arrived at the pond along with the elephant for taking a bath. The frog immediately jumped off and threw himself near the feet of the elephant, leaving the half-rupee coin behind. It wasn’t long before he lost his life under the elephant’s feet.
Those who are simply puffed-up with their great sphere of mundane activities in this material world, prove themselves to be insignificant like ‘the Half-rupee coin of the frog’ whenever they are confronted with a situation of real assessment.
The great valour of an untiring worker in this material world may be crushed underfoot at any moment under the pressure of the mundane spell, as it is nothing but a gift from the material nature.
Thus the Bhagavad-gita says :
prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate
“The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.” (Bhagavad-gita 3.27)
The activities performed under the influence of different modes of nature, are considered by the living entity to have been done by himself under the illusion of “I am the Lord.”
Such a puffed-up person under illusion thinks himself to be the lord of enjoyment in this world and thus wants to lord it over the world. They fail to realize, however, that mother nature can at any moment crush down their tall edifice of boasting as a great worker. There is no use of independence and its related conceit in this material world. Today’s king may be tomorrow’s beggar on the street. Today’s pauper may become puffed-up with unlimited wealth and opulence. So the great saint sings:
“The King’s kingdom is like the dancer’s dance, in an instant it can be finished. In the same way, Maya, the supreme controller, acts. O mind, be always fearful of her!”
The Real Peace December 21, 2007
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IN the Bhagavad-gita, The Blessed Lord Krishna instructs His dear friend Arjuna, “O son of Kunti, the non-permanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.”
Here is a nice story which explains this point.
There once was a King who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The King looked at all the pictures, but there were only two he really liked and he had to choose between them.
One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror, for peaceful towering mountains were all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.
The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky from which rain fell and in which lightening played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all. But when the King looked, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest… perfect peace.
Which picture do you think won the prize?
The King chose the second picture. Do you know why?
Because, as explained by the King: “Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart.”
nd still be calm in your heart.”
Blessing or Curse December 21, 2007
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A devotee of Krishna and his companion lost their way in a forest. The companion despaired, but the devotee said maybe some good will come of this. They came upon a stranger who needed the devotee’s help. The stranger turned out to be a prince who gave the devotee a beautiful horse.
His neighbors praised his good luck and said, “How blessed you are to have such a magnificent animal.”
The devotee said, “Who’s to say whether this is a blessing or a curse?”
The next day the horse ran away, and the neighbors said, “How horrible that you were cursed with the loss of your horse.”
The devotee replied, “Who’s to say whether this is a curse or a blessing? Perhaps some good will come of it.”
The next day the horse returned, leading five wild horses. “You were right!” his neighbors exclaimed. “The curse was a blessing in disguise. Now you’re blessed with six horses.” The devotee replied, “Perhaps, but who’s to say whether this is a blessing or a curse?”
The next day his only son tried to ride one of the wild horses. He was thrown to the ground and broke his leg. The neighbors said, “How wise you were. Your blessing was really a curse.”
The devotee replied, “There may be good yet. Who’s to say whether this is a curse or a blessing?” The next day soldiers came through the village and took every able-bodied boy to fight in a war where it was almost certain all would be killed. Because the devotee’s son was injured, he was the only one not taken. “How blessed are you to have your son!” the neighbors said. The devotee replied, “Who’s to say?”
The Blessed Lord Sri Krishna instructs in the Bhagavad-gita:
duhkhesv anudvigna-manah
sukhesu vigata-sprhah
vita-raga-bhaya-krodhah
sthita-dhir munir ucyate
One who is not disturbed in spite of the threefold miseries, who is not elated when there is happiness, and who is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a sage of steady mind. (Bhagavad-gita 2.56)
THE BRAHMANA AND THE MERCANTILE MAN December 18, 2007
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Long, long ago there lived a brahmana devotee of Lord Krishna. One day a mercantile man came to the brahmana’s house and said, “My dear brahmana, will you marry my daughter? She is very pretty and nice. Please marry her.”The holy brahmana said, “I cannot marry her on my own free will. I can only marry her at Krishna’s will. If Lord Jagannatha will come to witness this marriage, the big Lord Jagannatha who is six feet tall, I will marry your daughter.” Of course, the huge Jagannatha Deity installed in the temple was never seen to move at all, except by pure devotees who can see transcendentally.
So, the mercantile man went home happy and told his son about all that had happened: “O my sons, I have good news! A holy brahmana has said he will marry my daughter. Isn’t that nice?”
The sons said, “Oh, father-what have you done? This brahmana has no money! What have you done? You cannot allow this marriage to take place.”
“But I have promised,” said the mercantile man. “I cannot go back on my word.”
“We have a plan,” said the sons. “Just do as we say and all will be well. Tell everyone you meet in the village that the brahmana is crazy and that you never agreed to get your daughter married to him. They will all believe you over him, and he will become the laughingstock of the village.”
And so it happened. When next the brahmana walked down the village road, all the people laughed at him. He asked them why they were laughing, and they said, “Oh, you’re the one who thinks you are going to marry the rich man’s daughter! You are so crazy!” And immediately they would fall into fits of laughter, because everybody knows that no rich man would marry his daughter to such a poor fellow.
When the day came for him to marry the mercantile man’s daughter, the brahmana went to Lord Jagannatha and said, “O Lord Jagannatha! If You want me to marry the mercantile man’s daughter, please witness this marriage.”
Lord Jagannatha replied, “I want you to be married to her, so I will witness this marriage. Go to the gate now-but you must not look back.”
As the brahmana walked to the gate he heard the beautiful sound of Sri Krishna’s ankle bells and he knew that the Lord was walking behind him; but he would not turn around. Finally at the gate he could resist the sound of the bells no longer; it was too beautiful. He looked back and immediately Lord Krishna turned back into His wooden incarnation, Lord Jagannatha!
At once all the village heard the news and came to see Lord Jagannatha standing before the gate. They all knew that the brahmana could not have picked up Lord Jagannatha and moved Him out of the temple, for He was too heavy. Those that had laughed before laughed no longer. They knew now that this was not just a poor man, but a very holy brahmana, and that the Lord had bestowed great mercy upon him.
The wedding took place that very afternoon with great feasting and rejoicing in the Holy Name of Hari. Through the association of such a holy brahmana, the rich man’s daughter also became a great devotee of the Lord, and together the holy brahmana and the rich man’s daughter are eternally chanting the Holy Names of God: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
THE GOLDLEN STONE POT December 17, 2007
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A wealthy landlord called upon a goldsmith in his village and requested him while giving him a lump of pure gold, “You are to make a nice pot for my milk with this gold. You should not make it in any way impure by mixing any kind of alloy in it.”The goldsmith agreed, “Yes sir,” and went away with the gold-lump.
Thus getting a lump of pure gold in his possession, the goldsmith was tempted to steal it. However, he apprehended that he would be punished by the landlord if he cheated him entirely, so he made up a plan to prepare a stone-pot and gold-plate it so that he would not be accused of stealing the gold.
When the goldsmith took the gold-plated stone pot to the landlord, the landlord asked him in great astonishment, “What is this thing you have brought?”
The goldsmith replied, “O sir! This is a golden pot. I have made it with hard labour.”
The landlord said, “Are you joking? This is a stone pot!”
The goldsmith told him, “O sir, this is a golden stone pot.”
PURPORT
Those who consider casteism among the Vaishnavas, classifying them as brahmana-Vaishnavas, ksatriya-Vaishnavas, vaisya-Vaishnavas, sudra-Vaishnavas, or as candala-Vaishnavas, simply indulge in a speculative inference as “golden” stone pot. Either one should be considered as `Vaishnava’, or as brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, or sudra. Either one should call it a `golden pot’, or a `stone pot.’ Mango-cake (amsatva) must be prepared from mango itself, and no one can call something `mango cake’ if it is made of `jackfruit’ (knathaler amsatva). Similarly, it would be wrong terminology to ascribe the quality of a sudra to a Vaishnava. Whenever one is accepted to be a `Vaishnava’, then it is confirmed that he does not belong to any mundane social classification such as brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra or low-born chandala and the like, nor even Hindu or non-Hindu. Any terminology such as `Hindu-Vaishnava’ or `Yavana-Vaishnava’ is utterly absurd and also offensive.
THE SERVICE December 17, 2007
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Rupa Goswami and his brother Sanatana Goswami were living separately in Vrindavana and going on with their bhajana, devotional service. Rupa was living in the forest, and there was no facility for cooking nice food or begging from the village for a chapati to eat. Rupa Goswami was the younger brother, and he thought, “If I could get some foodstuffs, then I could prepare nice dishes and offer them to Krishna and invite my elder brother.” He had that desire. The next moment, a nice girl about twelve years old came and delivered an abundance of foodstuffs—milk, flour, ghee, etc. That is the Vedic system; sometimes householders present foodstuffs to mendicants and sages in the renounced order of life. Rupa Goswami was very glad that Krishna had sent so many things and that he could now prepare a feast. He prepared a feast and then invited his elder brother.wami and his brother Sanatana Goswami were living separately in Vrindavana When Sanatana Goswami came, he was astonished. “How have you secured such things? You have prepared such a nice feast in this forest. How is it possible?”
So Rupa Goswami explained, “In the morning I desired for it, and by chance Krishna sent me all these things. A nice girl came, and she offered it to me.” He was describing the girl: “A very nice girl.”
Then Sanatana said, “This nice girl is Radharani. You have taken service from Radharani, the Lord’s eternal consort. It is a great blunder.” That is their philosophy. They would not accept service from the Lord. They simply wanted to render service. But Krishna is so clever that He also wants to serve His devotee. He looks for an opportunity to serve His devotee. This is spiritual competition. A pure devotee does not want anything from Krishna; he simply wants to serve Him. And Krishna also looks for the opportunity to serve His devotee. Krishna is always as anxious to please His devotee as the devotee is to please Him.
This is the transcendental world. On the absolute plane, there is no exploitation. Everyone wants to serve; no one wants to take service. In the transcendental world, everyone wants to give service. You want to give service to me, and I want to give service to you. This is such a nice attitude. This material world means that I want to pickpocket you, and you want to pickpocket me. That’s all. This is the material world. We should try to understand it. In the material world, everyone wants to exploit his friend, his father, his mother, everyone. But in the transcendental world, everyone wants to serve. Everyone has Krishna as the central point of serving, and all the devotees, either as friends or servants or parents or lovers of Krishna, all want to serve Him. And at the same time, Krishna also wants to serve them. This is a transcendental relationship; the main function is service, although there is no necessity of service, for everyone is full.
- Science of Self Realization
THE SCORPION & THE CAMEL December 17, 2007
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A scorpion once requested a favor from a camel. The scorpion wanted to cross a deep river but could not find any way to do so. Seeing a camel nearby, the scorpion approached him and asked the camel to carry him across. The camel refused, saying, “You will sting me.”"No, no. I am an ethical scorpion. I promise I won’t sting you.”
The camel agreed and, taking the scorpion on his hump, began crossing the river. Halfway across, the scorpion suddenly stung the camel.
“Why did you do that?” the camel asked. “Now we will both die.”
“What can I say?” the scorpion replied. “It’s my nature.”
Similarly, although the atheists try to live an ethical life, because their concept of the meaning of life is limited to dull matter any ethical behavior they adopt is selfishly motivated and quickly discarded.
Generally, all so-called principles are in the modes of passion and ignorance. Maybe there are some moral instructions, but moral instructions without God-consciousness is impossible to follow.
ATHEIST”S HOLIDAY December 17, 2007
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Once, an atheist became incensed over the coming festival holidays. He decided to contact his lawyer about the discrimination inflicted on atheists by the constant celebrations afforded to the devotees with all their holidays while atheists had no holiday to celebrate.
The case was brought before a wise judge. After listening to the long passionate presentation by the lawyer, the Judge banged his gavel and declared “Case dismissed!”
The lawyer immediately stood and objected to the ruling and said, “Your honor, how can you possibly dismiss this case? The Hindus have Diwali, Janmashtami and many other, Christians have Christmas, Jews have Passover… yet my client and all other atheists have no such holiday!”
The judge leaned forward in his chair and simply said, “Obviously your client is too confused to even know about, much less celebrate his own atheists’ holiday!”
The lawyer pompously said, “Your Honor, we are unaware of any such holiday for atheists. Just when might that holiday be, your Honor?”
The judge said, “Well it comes every year on exactly the same date April 1st! Since our calendar sets April 1st as ‘April Fools Day,’ and consider that in the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna states, ‘Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be.’ and, ‘Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me.’
Thus, in my opinion, if your client says there is no God, then by scripture he is a fool, thus April 1st is his holiday! Get it?”
A BASKET OF WATER December 17, 2007
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An old farmer lived on a farm in the mountains with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his Bhagavad-gita. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could. One day the grandson asked, “Grandpa! I try to read the Bhagavad-gita just like you but I don’t understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bhagavad-gita do?” The grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, “Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water.” The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, “You’ll have to move a little faster next time,” and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead. The old man said, “I don’t want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You’re just not trying hard enough,” and he went out the door to watch the boy try again. At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got back to the house. The boy again dipped the basket into the river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, “See Grandpa, it’s useless!” “So you think it is useless?” the old man said, “Look at the basket.” The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean, inside and out. “Son, that’s what happens when you read the Bhagavad-gita. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be changed, inside and out. That is the work of Lord Krishna in our lives.” |
FAULTY REMEDIES December 16, 2007
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A man went to a dentist asking that one of his teeth be extracted. Upon examining the man’s tooth, however, the dentist refused. “There’s nothing wrong with your tooth,” he pointed out. “Why should I extract it?”
“I know that my tooth is sound,” the man said. “It is my stomach that’s aching.”
Exasperated, the dentist asked, “If it is your stomach that’s troubling you, why are you asking me to extract your tooth?!”
“The pain in my mouth will make me forget the pain in my stomach.”
Srila Prabhupada explains, “Everyone is trying to make a solution of some temporary difficulties, politically, socially, economically. But real solution is, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-duhkha-dosanudarshanam… [Bg. 13.9]. Janma, birth, mrtyu, death, jara, old age, and vyadhi, disease—to get out of this entanglement.” - Bhagavad-gita 7.3 - Vrindavana, October 31, 1973
