Life Lessons...

Some interesting information I came across while searching for self help information.

This should make you think!  Info from here

1. Most Important Lesson.

During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one:

"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark haired and in her 50's, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank.

Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count towards our quiz grade.

"Absolutely," said the professor.

"In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say 'hello'."

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

2. Pickup in the Rain.

One night, at 11:30 PM, an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm.

Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.

A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s.

The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxi cab. She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him.

Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console colour TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached. It read,

"Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."

Sincerely,
Mrs. Nat King Cole

3. Always remember those who Serve.

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.

"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked.

"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.

"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired.

By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient.

"Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins.

"I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left.

When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies - you see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

4. The Obstacle in our Path.

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock.

Some of the kirig's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been.

The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.

The peasant learned what many of us never understand. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

5. Giving When it Counts

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness.

The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying,

"Yes, I'll do it if it will save her."

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the colour returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?"

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

You see, after all, understanding and attitude, are everything.

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THE INVISIBLE ARMS

A beautiful story I came across --

Bill was a meticulous potter. His craftsmanship with clay was reputed well beyond his immediate neighbourhood.

The pots that were moulded by him were of very high quality, giving the meals cooked in them a special aroma. While stored food remained fresh for several days, the plants that were sown in Bill’s clays pots grew healthier and more beautiful.

Aware of the miraculous properties, most people would insist on buying pottery that was shaped by Bill alone.

When asked what made his pots so distinctively special, Bill would shrug off saying there was no secret at all. All he did was to remember God and pray for His blessings before commencing work on any piece, whether a pot, vase or cup. Bill said God was his helper in all his work. 

A typical day of the potter would start early in the morning, when most others were still in bed. Bill would laugh and say he preferred to have a headstart on his day as God would have more time to help him, before the others woke up and vied to seek His attention and grace. 

Bill had a five-year-old son who had been taught to start the morning and end the day with a prayer. The child was also inculcated with the habit of seeking the grace of God before beginning any work for it to progress smoothly and efficiently.

One day, the boy woke up earlier than usual. Bill was already at work when his son appeared at the doorstep of his workshop - sleepy, barefoot, and dressed in a white, long nightshirt.

The father noticed the early guest and said with a smile on his face: “Good morning, son! Have you already said good morning to God?”

Rubbing one eye and in a drowsy voice, the boy replied, “Not yet.”

He then asked, “Why should I do this every single morning and evening and why do I need to pray to God for help before I do anything?”

“God is the closest, the fondest, and the most reliable companion. He is present everywhere, at all times. He is the richest and most powerful guardian but, yet we ignore Him. The Lord is here, near, loving, accessible and affectionate, but many of us do not open our eyes to this great opportunity. And how can we get closer to Him? Just by repeating His Name with feeling and devotion from the heart.”

Bill went on to finish working on his pot before he said in a calm voice, “Come to me! I will show you why this needs to be done.”

The boy ran to his father and crept into his lap. 

The father took a piece of clay and put it on the wheel.

“My son, do you see this piece of clay?”

“Yes,” said the child.

“Clay is energy; it is the life that God gives to each one of us. At the time we are born, every person is given a piece of clay and everyone decides on one's own what he or she will create out of this piece of clay.

One may choose to make his or her life into a nice graceful vase, while someone else would prefer to mould it into a wine jug or an ash tray. There are so many possibilities to make something out of a simple piece of clay! What would you make, my son?”

The boy excitedly answered, “I would make a nice vase!”

“Aha! So, take this piece and create a vase,” said Bill.

The boy stretched out his right leg to touch the lower wheel to set the throw rotating. He could hardly reach it and pushed with all his force. The wheel was heavy and rotated very slowly. The boy immersed his hands into the water placed next to the wheel and put his little hands on the piece of clay.

He tried to follow the same process that his father would. But the wheel turned too slowly and the clay squeezed through the boy's fingers and a vase that the boy intended to make remained unmade. The child tried once, twice, thrice….a fourth time and then once more; but after this desperation overwhelmed him. Frustrated, the boy cowered in his father’s lap and started to cry.

He whimpered, “Nothing turns out of what I do. I cannot make a vase out of my piece of clay! I am so unfortunate.” 

“God is our father and mother. When you pray for His help, He always will support you. He will turn your wheel of life faster or slower depending on what is needed and help you overcome all impediments. He will hold your hand and lead you through all your work, enabling you to achieve what you wish and be happy. He will help you make what you wish to make out of your life.”

The father fondled the boy’s head and comforted him: “Don’t be upset, my dear! I can help you, if you like.”

The child perked up and eagerly said, “Yes, daddy, please help me. I want to make a vase!”

The boy's father put his feet on the lower wheel and pushed it to rotate. Taking into his arms the little hands of his son, he immersed them into water and put the piece of clay that was rotating on the throwing-wheel. The father held his son's arms, guided his fingers and hands in such a way that the piece of clay slowly began taking the shape of a vase. The throwing-wheel kept rotating fast enough and eventually a small, but proportional vase was born.

Both the father and son working together made a pretty picture. While the child was working his hands around the wheel, the father steadily and surely led him through the process.

When the work was complete, the boy proudly held the vase in his hand that he had intended to make. Now, he embraced his father and said: “Thank you, dad! Thank you! I am so delighted!”

Watching his son indulgently, Bill asked, “Did you understand, my son, why I teach you to pray for God’s help every morning and to thank Him every evening?”

The boy looked thoughtfully into his father’s eyes. Bill then continued, “God is our father and mother. When you pray for His help, He always will support you. He will turn your wheel of life faster or slower depending on what is needed and help you overcome all impediments. He will hold your hand and lead you through all your work, enabling you to achieve what you wish and be happy. He will help you make what you wish to make out of your life.”

Bill now paused and then added, “I wish that the pottery I make brings people pleasure, health, well-being and peace. That is why I always think of God before I start work and pray for His help. I know that when I do that, God puts His invisible arms on my hands and leads the process of creating in the same way as I did today, when I helped you make that vase.”

The boy quietly embraced his father again, and then as if in a hurry, he crept out of the father's lap and stepped towards the door.

Suddenly, he turned back and said, “Thank you, daddy, but I still have something to do. I need to go and talk to God.”

After the child left, Bill smiled to himself knowing that the invisible arms of God will safeguard and lead his son too, and help him shape his piece of clay – his life – into a nice and graceful vase.

Bhagavan Baba says, “God is the closest, the fondest, and the most reliable companion. He is present everywhere, at all times. He is the richest and most powerful guardian but, yet we ignore Him. The Lord is here, near, loving, accessible and affectionate, but many of us do not open our eyes to this great opportunity. And how can we get closer to Him? Just by repeating His Name with feeling and devotion from the heart.”

- By Rita Ivanova, Latvia

Illustration: Mrs. Lyn, New Zealand

Dear Reader, did this article inspire you in any way? Do you have a similar story to share? Please tell us your reflections about this article by writing to h2h@radiosai.org mentioning your name and country. Thank you for your time.

- Heart2Heart Team 

 

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Values in Life

     
I came across this teaching by Sai Baba today - Just wanted to share it with you all :

In the world today, one sees anger, hatred, greed, jealousy, misguided ambition and power seeking. What is the reason for the prevalence of these negative emotions?
It is one thing only: man is lost and is wandering in a jungle where real values have no meaning. Real values can have meaning to man only when he steps on to the spiritual path, a path where negative emotions have no use. The spiritual path is based on the true human values: truth, right conduct, peace, love and non-violence. When man plots a course through life based on these values, which provide a solid foundation, then all the negative emotions fall away. Even if he should stumble on the path, he can easily see the reason for the fall and quickly steady himself and continue the spiritual journey.
Man learns through experience, and the spiritual path is full of different kinds of experiences. He will encounter many difficulties and obstacles, and they are the very experiences he needs to encourage and complete the cleansing process. And when the cleansing is finally complete, the evolved soul ceases to react to anything. All emotions are perfectly balanced. He lives in a state of permanent happiness, regardless of prevailing circumstances.
So long as you continue to react to whatever you experience, you must also continue to look at yourself progressively more closely. Only through self-examination will you be able to see through the negative emotions. You must see them for what they really are: aspects of the lower self attempting to maintain the grip which it has exerted over you for so long.

As you progress along the spiritual path, you should walk hand in hand with God. In whatever form you see Him. God the Ultimate is your guide and helper an He will carry you forward on the spiritual path if only you establish real contact with Him. It is like walking along a path with your closest friend. You can walk in complete silence and your friend, too, will remain silent. Or, you can talk to your friend all the time and learn from him as you go along.
God is that friend and it is up to you to break the silence and bring Him into your life at every moment of the day. God is love, and that is the easiest way to find Him, through love. If you keep your heart open and let love flow, God's love will fill you with divine energy and help you along the path, guiding you to overcome all obstacles. It is a long journey, but it becomes shorter and easier once you share it with the Lord. He knows the path, and will guide you all the way to the very end, to ultimate liberation.

It is beautiful and to the point - So true that we are so confused in this materialisitc world and we've lost the human values.

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Can water be affected by our words?

Following is a beautiful email I received today - just wanted to share.

Can water be affected by our words?

Dr. Masaru Emoto, a Japanese scientist, believes so.

And he has proof.

Dr. Emoto took water droplets, exposed them to various words, music, and environments, and froze them for three hours. He then examined the crystal formations under a dark field microscope. And he took photographs.
The results were totally mind-blowing.
Here’s a photo of ordinary water without any prayer spoken over it. The molecular structure is in disarray.

                                                                     

The photo below is water after the prayer was said. It’s simply breathtaking.  (I now have a great respect for praying before meals! More on this later.)

 

Dr. Emoto also exposed water to Heavy Metal music. Here’s how it looks like. Looks sad if you ask me.

Here’s water exposed to classical music and folk dance music. Looks much better, right?

         

Next, Dr. Emoto stuck a piece of paper with these words: “You make me sick. I will kill you.” Here’s how the frozen water droplets looks like under the microscope…

Below is how water looked like with the words “Love” over it. The difference is amazing.

This is Polluted water…

       This is water from Lourdes , France . Utterly beautiful, right?

               

       

Wait A Minute—

Aren’t You Made Up Of Water?

       Yes! 72% of your body is made up of water.
       Imagine how your words affect your own body.
       When you say, “I’m a failure,” or “I’m hopeless,” or “I won’t get well,” imagine how these words weaken your health.
       Make a choice to say the best words out there. Say often, “I’m wonderful,” and “I’m beautiful,” and “I’m God’s child,” and “God has a great plan for my life!”
       It’s not only water.
       Dr. Emoto also experimented with cooked rice.
       He placed one cup of cooked rice in two airtight jars. On one jar, he wrote, “I love you,” and on the other, “You fool.” Everyday for 30 days, Dr. Emoto would say these words to each jar of rice.
       After 30 days, the “I love you” rice was still white. But the “You fool” rice was so rotten, it was black. How can you explain this?

       

Just as a side note: When I was a child, my mother taught me to pray before meals. Now I realize it wasn’t just a nice thing to do. When I pray over my meal, I know a material transformation takes place in the molecular level of the food that I pray for. I say, “Be blessed,” to the water and food on the table—and I expect it to be blessed.

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Five Human Values - Spiritual Learning

Whither shall I go from thy Spirit?
       Or whither shall I flee from Thy Presence?
       If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there;
       If I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there.
       If I take the wings of the morning,
       And I dwell in the uttermost part of the sea;
       Even there shall Thy hand lead me,
       And Thy right hand shall hold me.
                                      -Psalms 139: 7-10

The five human values are - 

1. Truth, 
2. Righteous Conduct,
3. Peace,
4. Love and 
5. Non-Violence.

Below are the explanations - ( Source)

Truth

The life principle within each of us is the truth. We would not be existent without it and once we are not there, the world also ceases. This life principle is identified as the human soul which in turn is the 'resident divinity' within each individual. It is this truth which is the basis of every other thing and with the power of which the heart beats, the lungs breath and the system works. The role of human intellect is to find out the truth.

Interestingly, when one realizes and experiences this truth, one sees that the same truth pervades every other person and object. And in essence we are all one.

Truth has different levels. There is the truth of sense perception such as: 'the fire burns'. One can ascertain this with one's senses. There is also the truth by inference: such as 'man is mortal'. We base this statement on the strength of our observation of those around us and extend it to arrive at a general conclusion, even though we may not have seen every human being born in this world dying. Apart from all these is the truth which is incapable of being destroyed or hurt. It persists and pervades the whole cosmos.

Right Conduct

Truth in action is Righteous Conduct. The action takes place on the physical domain and behind each action there is thought. If this thought derives its sustenace from the human will, as opposed to human desire, the resultant action will be righteous.

What is of significance here is to understand the distinction between will and desire. Will is the colourless component of human resolve which motivates and inspires him to act in accordance with the truth. Different from this is the desire that prompts action. More often than not, this desire springs out from some myopic assumption or misbelief. The child has to be encouraged and trained to ignore impulses like this. In fact, it is the will to succeed which precedes everything else.

To ensure that Righteous Conduct becomes a way of life for a person, the education and training has to start in the childhood itself. This capability is developed in a child by some basic training in some important skills.

Peace

Peace is the end purpose of all human endeavour. Right or wrong, whatever a man thinks or does is with the intention of attaining peace and happiness.

Peace would certainly become a far more attainable entity, if one were to know the domain of personality at which it is acquired.

It is only when there is an emotional equilibrium that one experiences peace. This equipoise is not inert or vegetative but a dynamic realization that the emotional conflict and upsurge can never withstand the test of Truth and Righteousness. Peace is a state of 'power packed stillness' and follows the awareness that the source of human fulfilment is within.

Often dubbed as a mirage, peace can be a reality for each of us if we have faith in our innate power to do good, to be good and see good.

What is equally important is to recognize that nothing in this universe is ever responsible for absence of peace within us. It is only when our internal emotional system is disturbed that restlessness and confusion find a home. By conscious efforts we can certainly avoid such lacunae.

Love

 "How can one cultivate Prema? Firstly, consider always the faults of others however big to be insignificant and secondly, consider your faults however small to be big and feel sad and repentant. Whatever you do, with yourself and others, do it remembering that God is omnipresent. Endeavour every moment to be aware of the omnipotence of God."

The psychic domain of the human system is the source of love. Love is the expression of the individual divine within and is the power of soul. It is the mightiest of forces in the world and is truly representative of human nature.

Loeve is not an emotion. It is a form of energy which each individual transmits and receives every moment. It affects all forms of life. It is a peculiar possession which grows with sharing.

Love is the answer to the question: 'What in me loves - What in another person'. It is the reflection of the same Truth that one loves. What to say of children, even animals and beasts respond to this power of love. love helps us overcome the sense of fear by promoting better understanding and appreciation. Since Love springs from the Truth, it is in nature of Tighteous Action and results in peace.

Love has to begin by manifesting itself towards parents and grow and gradually to include family, neighborhood, country and most of all God.

Non- Violence

Non-violence is the zenith of human achievement and perfection. It is universal love that goes beyond our relation with our fellow beings and embraces all living and non-living things. It is the spiritual domain of existence. Here, one experiences the essential oneness and unity of all creation. It blossoms from the understanding that man has an obligation towards every object and component of this universe. And the least one can do is to try and extend one's sphere of love to all.

In the context of human beings, Non-violence means amity, harmony and the understanding; in the context of plants and animals it means non-injury that is, desisting from avoidable harm in the context of nature as such, it means non-violation of the law and balance of nature.

Thus the practice of non-violence is not restricted to the physical plane alone but includes all the three, that is, thought word and deed.

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