A little bird in partnership with God

It is said that this story was narrated by Sri Buddha.

It happens in a wild forest. Many animals and birds live there peacefully. When I say peacefully, the wild world is always ruled by jungle laws. Still life there is comfortable.

There comes the summer. Birds and animals fear summer. Summer is hot and dry. Dry means, it has no rain and moist. It draws up water from their rivers and lakes. Usually they do not feel short of food, but water is scarce in summer. 

It is dangerous to go for water in some areas of the forest. They are afraid of wild animals stronger than them and men with weapons. They know that men are not stronger than them, but their weapons are deadly. That’s why animals and wild birds attack men from the back. It is the law of their existence. When it came to existence, anything is wild law.

Seeds Never Die

I was a seed; a small one and dark brown in color. I was deformed in shape, bending to myself. I was not handsome. I bore wrinkles on my body. I was hard and looked lifeless.

I preferred loneliness. I talked to none, beckoned not any one for an evening coffee. In fact I stopped eating and drinking after I became a seed. I had distaste for life. I bend and bend and squeezed myself into a deformed shape which men call a ‘nut shape’. I had no clothing except a thin skin in dark brown color. That was enough to protect me for I had no zeal for life.

Once I was a part of a promising stalk of grain, green in color which on maturity became golden yellow. It was such a beauty that all those who walk by stopped and envied us. There in the sun and water we grew and matured.

Maturity is a big problem. My bad days started as I began to grow and ripen. You are cared and appreciated as long as you remain unripe in green color.

Unique with a Unique Purpose

You are Unique with a Unique purpose.

I am aware that this is not the first time you hear that You are Unique. Still I want to tell it once again at your face, looking deep into your eyes, that You are Unique. There is absolutely no one else like you.

You are remarkable, and a miraculous thing. None, no power in the universe can duplicate you. Of all the people who have come and gone on the earth, since the beginning of time, not One of them is like You!

No one who has ever lived or is to come has had your combination of abilities, talents, appearance, friends, acquaintances, burdens, sorrows and opportunities. No one’s hair grows exactly the way yours does. No one’s finger prints are like yours. No one laugh or sneeze the way you do. No one prays about exactly the same concerns as you do. No one is loved by the same combination of people that love you!

No one before, no one to come.

YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY UNIQUE!

Conquering Depression

What is Depression?

There are normal ups and downs in life.

Everyone feels sad or has "the blues" from time to time.

Sadness or downswings in mood are normal reactions to life’s struggles, setbacks, and disappointments.

Depression is much more than just sadness.

If emptiness and despair have taken hold of your life and won't go away, you may have depression.

Depression makes it tough to function and enjoy life like you once did.

Just getting through the day can be overwhelming.

Some people describe depression as “living in a black hole” or having a feeling of impending doom.

The story of a watchman

The watchman I speak of is the night watchman of the ancient days. He is called watchman because he keeps watch, keeps awake, throughout the night guarding the town with its people, livestock and wealth.

Time, during those days were divided into first watch, second watch etc.
Thus the modern wrist watch we use got its name which was later abbreviated to watch.

Watchman is the guard of the town, it's people and all precious things in the town during the night. He never sleeps.

He is an image for one who waits hopefully and patiently for the dawn of success in his life.

The other side of the river

Those who stand on the other side of the river will never comprehend your thoughts however cleverly you utter it.

Think about such a situation.
Two persons are standing on the opposite sides of a river. They talk the same language. They follow same gestures. They wear identical dresses. Their race is the same. They belong to the same gender. There is no plausible reason against a reasonable communication between them.
Still they always fail to communicate.

Communication is not just talking. It is not just showing gestures. It is reaching the other person with your thoughts. It is a meeting of thoughts and understanding.
Communication has a second part also. It is comprehending what is passed on to us. It is a sending and receiving process. One part of the process is incomplete without the other part.

Lessons from a farmer

A farmer indeed is a wise person. He is the bread provider of the world. Without him the world would go hungry and waste. Hence he may be called the wisest person in the world.

He is wise because he knows the secret to success. He brings out success from the cursed land. He successfully uses his knowledge and skill to feed the world.

He is an entrepreneur whose success is shared with the world. His success is life to the world; his failure is the death of the world.

He proclaims excellent lessons for success.

Life is a horrible dream

Life is a horrible dream to rise to a beautiful reality.

I believe in afterlife. I am not scientifically sure of afterlife. If there is no such thing I lose nothing by believing in it. If there will be an afterlife, my hope won’t be at loss.

The expectation of a more blessed and glorious life after this fretful life is a consolation. Man lives on such consolations. Every dream of a better tomorrow is an uncertainty and an abstract platform on which we live today.

That is why I believe in after life.

I have no intention of passing on a negative message to the readers by calling life on this earth ‘a horrible dream’. My intention is contrary to it. It is to encourage with a hope for a better tomorrow.

The ant and the mystery of the world

This is not a statement on any scientific truth; this is only a moral story.

Our story narrates one of the many strange experiences an ant goes through in his life. Some of them reveal the mystery of the world, while some others are everyday experience with no philosophical insights. In fact all experiences in our life are philosophical statements since everything speak about the mysterious thing called life.

One day the ant was roaming aimlessly. Its stomach was full. The air was calm and comfortable. Since the ant was not used to sit idle, it came out of the anthill hoping to have another look at the world. How far it traveled so far is unknown. The world is a pretty place for a tiny ant to experience.

Want to see stars?

All of us are afraid of darkness.

Animals are not afraid of darkness like men. Some animals and birds prey in the night. Some animals have better vision in the night.

But night always frightens human beings.

We are afraid of night because of the ferocious and poisonous animals that roam in the dark. Then poisonous snakes, scorpions, lions and such animals have no problem in attacking others during the day. These animals may be roaming in the night because night is calmer with fewer enemies. It may be easy for them to prey during the night than the day. No snake comes out of its hole with the sole intention of biting a human being. No lion wakes in the morning with a decision to kill a man. They kill for their food. So ferocious animals that prowl is only one reason for our fear of night.

Honor is death in war

“Die in harness” (death in harness) means to die with armor on; to die while actively engaged in work or duty.

This phrase is often used to refer to Government or Non government servants who die while in active service.

The phrase has roots in Roman culture and tradition.

In ancient Roman culture, all soldiers were dedicated as bridegrooms to the goddesses of war. They were not permitted to marry or have a family. They were 24x7 soldiers. Once they joined the military service, they discarded all ties with their family. All of them were unmarried young men.

Fear gives Power

This is a Moorish proverb: "He who is afraid of a thing gives it power over him." The Moors were the medieval Muslim inhabitants of Morocco, Western Algeria, Western Sahara, Mauritania, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta.

This is an old wisdom that a minority keeps in mind to resist fear. They are the successful minority.

Why do lions roar? The roaring sound of the lion sends a chill into the heart of weaker animals. The roar of lions announces their presence in and around. The bigger the sound nearer they are. The ancient Kings in war used this tactics to defeat their enemies even before the war actually begin. They scared the enemies by a show of their might.

Fear is the strongest emotion of 21 century.

What is fear?

Fear is an apprehension of sufferings and loss. Fear is an emotion over something unpleasant which may occur in future. Fear is an unwelcome anticipation of pain, hunger, sickness, torture, dishonor etc. We are afraid of loss of property, income, time, health, power, honour and life itself.

Fear is caused by the belief in the existence of other personalities or powers that is against our life.

These personalities and powers are evil people and evil supernatural powers. Fear may have its base in our past life/the life of other people.

Fear has positive side too. It effects self restraint on us. Since we are afraid of suffering and loss, we try to avoid thoughts, words and action that may cause suffering and loss to us.

Fear as a negative emotion always has an enemy on the other side. It tells us always that we will be proven impotent against the enemy at any time in our life.

So we try to keep away the fearsome suffering and loss.

HOW

1.       By trying to please the enemy/fear

2.       Entering into a compromise/treaty with the enemy

3.       By avoiding a confrontation with the enemy

4.       By joining hands with a more powerful personality

The first three methods are that are of a coward.

We are acknowledging that you are afraid of the enemy.

We acknowledge:

His existence

His power to harm you

Your inability to stand against him.

By acknowledging the above three means we agree to remain subservient to fear.

That is what the Moorish proverb says. We are giving power and authority over us to fear. Hence fear rules over you.

Fear has many arrows in his quiver to keep us servile. Once we have subdued to him, it is difficult to escape. He is a relentless enemy who follows us to the grave. He will never bless us. He will try to ruin those who are disobedient to his authority.

He will try to convince us that:

We have no authority or no free will over our life

Everything in our life is controlled by fate or by some supernatural enemy power

Every happening is predestined and hence it will happen whatever we may do

The only way of escape is to live in fear of fear and subservient to fear.

The last option to escape fear of unexpected suffering and loss is to join a more powerful personality. People call Him GOD. God is almighty, omnipotent and omnipresent. Those who have joined hands with God have decided to fight against fear.

They believe that:

God is almighty – there none more powerful than God and hence more powerful than the enemy.

God is beneficent

God does not want us to live in subservience

With God we can overcome all enemies

Their decision is to:

Fight against fear

Defeat fear

Live a life of victory

The only option available to those who wish to live a life of victory is to fight and defeat fear.

Those who do not believe in the existence of God may try to depend on the power of their mind to defeat fear.

Let us conclude:

If you are afraid of fear, you live a defeated live, subservient to fear

Those who live a victorious life over fear live resisting, fighting, defeating and overcoming fear.

Professor Jacob Abraham

The Old Kerosene Lamp

The Old Kerosene Lamp

My childhood days were different in comforts and luxuries from these days. Though it dates back to only fifty years, tremendous fast changes have happened to my country during this span of time. Electricity is not a luxury now, but an essential comfort. But in my childhood days electric connection in a house was a luxury and a sign of social status. We had to make some wiring in the house, apply for electric connection in the Electricity Office and wait for three or four years to get a new connection to our house. Even applying for electric connection and telephone connection improved the social status. We also had to go through the same road for a new electric connection.

Before we ever got electric connection, we used kerosene lamps in houses. Kerosene lamps were available in different sizes and shapes made with different materials. Poor people used small kerosene lamps made with thin metal sheet with an open rope like wick at the top. The metal container at the bottom contained 100 ml or less kerosene. The lamp is lighted at the wick. The burning wick emitted light, smoke and the suffocating smell of kerosene.

We were richer than some others in the village. Our lamp was made of glass. The base was round and made from hard glass. Since it was transparent, we could see the kerosene inside. Above the glass base it had a burner made of metal. The burner held the flat cotton wick. The wick was white and clean. The burner and the wick had a removable glass cover. This thin glass canopy had a beautiful organic shape. Some of them bore small colored flowers on it as design. As the wick is lightened, the light falls through the flowers printing beautiful color patterns on the table or nearby walls.

As a small boy, it was my duty to light the lamp every day by dusk. I had to clean the bottom part, the burner and the glass canopy of the lamp from dust and smoke. My father was so insistent that the lamp should look clean. Only a clean lamp can send out clean light.

After cleaning all parts and the tip of the wick, I light the wick using a stick from the safety matchbox. I lowered the wick with the help of a small lever at the side of the burner to the minimum so that it will not emit smoke or will not put off. Then I placed the thin glass canopy over it. That was done with much precaution. After placing the glass canopy over the burner, I raised the wick slowly. This was the moment of the scientist and mathematician in me. The wick is raised to emit the maximum light but not any layer of smoke. Even the thinnest invisible layer of smoke could paint the canopy grey.  If it ever happened, my father will not be happy at the inexpertise on my part.

The smoke on the glass canopy, if it ever falls on it, will hinder the passage of light emitted by the burning wick. The lamp cannot lighten my house. The white walls of my house will not be decorated by beautiful colorful patterns from the lamp. Thus the lamp fails to fulfill its purpose of existence. The wick burns, but no light in the room. No beautiful color patterns on the wall.

It is a precautious task to light and raise the wick to the maximum light and still keep the glass canopy clean from smoke.

Life should emit maximum light and beautiful color patterns around us. At the same time, our life should never cast a smoke shadow on others life.

This is the beautiful act of balancing life.

Professor Jacob Abraham

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Reach out to the unprivileged

REACH OUT TO THE UNPRIVILEGED

This is a story that might have happened in a remote area, in a thick forest, in a rocky cave, in a pre historic era, in a dark continent.

Even if you feel that this story might never have happened, it makes no difference, because the message it conveys is true and eternal.

It is about reaching out to the unprivileged; to those who have never seen or heard of the warmth of light.

A family, under certain circumstance happened to live in a dark cave. The cave was large but dark everywhere. No ray of sun ever entered into the cave. In fact, the forest around the cave never let the sun to peep through. It was thick, dense, dark and cold. The whole area had no days and night; because it was always night. There were no seasonal changes; no spring and summer; no autumn and winter. It was always winter everywhere there.

This poor family happened to be living in that area in a dark rocky cave. The father had never heard of light and heat, the mother never heard of sun and fire. Their children had no other experience different from their parents. They were not sad, not happy, but content with their life. Everything present there were theirs and nothing that was not their posed a temptation.

Sri Buddha, the great Indian saint and philosopher, was enlightened on the cause of suffering. He realized that craving is the cause of suffering.

The cave family had nothing to crave for; hence they suffered not.

They never craved for sun light; they never knew of its existence. They never wished for heat; they never experienced fire and warmth. Their eyes could see in the dark, their body felt warm in the coldness of the cave. Their imagination flew in and around the cave; it had no larger wings to fly far.

Ignorance was comfort for them. Ignorance was warmth. Ignorance was life to them.

One day a man from the ‘outside’ civilized world lost his way and entered this dark forest. He could not see anything and felt freezing. He collected a bunch of dry sticks, bundled them together and lighted it. The torch spread light and heat. He felt warm and could see into the forest. Far in a corner of the forest he saw a rocky cave. He decided to move into it.

As he approached the cave, he heard shrieks of men, women and children and sound of running feet. He smelt human beings. He knew that there were men and women in the cave and felt happy. To find a fellow human being in this dark forest is really a great comfort and hope. So entered the dark cave with his torch made of the bundle of sticks. Their shrieks became louder and the running feet made heavier sound.

He stood inside the cave and waved his torch. At the far end corner of the cold cave he saw a small family, rolled into one, eyes closed, shivering with fear shrieking helplessly. The civilized man from the outside world understood that they were afraid of him, mistaking that he was an enemy. So he assured them that he is a friend and will never harm them. He continued to tell his story, how he lost his way in the forest and told them that he needed their help to return to his home.

They did not turn towards him and they did not open their eyes. In a trembling and horrified voice, they asked him to throw away the torch. They could not name it, for they never saw it before. Their little vocabulary had no name for the burning wonder. They knew only one thing; the burning thing with the man is a torture to them. The light and heat of the fire were pain to them. They could not open their eyes. They were afraid to go near, for they do not know what torment it may fling upon them. They stood far from the light, much far from the warm of it. They ran and hid themselves in another part of the dark cave. They were afraid the light may destroy their eyesight for ever.

The man was confused. He did not laugh at them. He understood the plight of the cave family. He started a conversation with the cave family. A conversation can always bring the ignorant to truth.

He told them that what he held was only a bunch of dry sticks picked from their own forest. The only thing he did was to ignite them. Fire is such a magnificent blessing to man from God. Fire produces light that can help people to see around. Light is knowledge. Light is life. Light will never damage their eye sight. In fact their eyes, like the eyes of all other human beings in this world, is created to function with the aid of light. Light is necessary to see with their eyes. Fire is warmth also. Fire produces heat. It chases away coldness of the cave. Fire is comfort.

After his short speech, like a Christian preacher who makes the alter call, he invited the cave family to come forward and experience the fire, the light and heat. They moved not. He repeated his arguments in favor of light and heat. He called them to come forward.

A small girl appeared in the far end. Her family members produced a shrill sound of shock. But she walked slowly and slowly towards the light. She hid her eyes with her fingers and walked carefully with small steps. As she was walking towards the fire, she cautiously removed one little finger from her eyes and then the next little finger. Her slow steps took her to the fire, the light and heat. She opened her eyes in amazement. She looked around to see the cave and everything inside the cave. The man asked her to look out at the trees around in the light. She could not believe that the surrounding had such beauty that she missed so long. She was happy, thrilled and jumped with joy.  She felt the heat, the warmth of the heat. The icy cold, the freezing air of the cave left her exposing her to the warmth of fire. She felt a new life passing through her little body.

She looked back and beckoned her parents and other family members to come forward and embrace the new knowledge and experience. But they refused in fear. Fear is the weapon of ignorance. Ignorance keeps its captives in slavery with fear. The cave family expressed their fear for the little child. No words of her or of the ‘outside’ man could move them. The little girl expressed her despair that they will never come forward to the light.

The man smiled. He lifted one burning stick out of the bunch of sticks and handed it to the little girl.

‘They may not come to us; they may not come to light; they may not come to the warmth of fire. But surely you can take the fire, the light and heat, to them. Go! It is your duty! Only you can do it. This is the purpose of your life.’

The little girl, held the burning stick in her hand, walked back to her family who were still living in the dark, cold corner of the cave. She was holding fire; she was taking light to them; she was carrying the truth.

Professor Jacob Abraham

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