King in Dreams

A young man dreamt that he was the king of a big empire. His joy knew no bounds after getting such a prized position instantaneously in the dream. In the morning father told him to go to work, mother asked him to go and bring the wood after cutting. Wife asked to bring something from the market but the man didn’t do any work and told that,” I am the king, how can I do any work?”.
Everyone at home was bewildered at his behavior. Then her little sister took charge of situation. She fed everyone in the house except her brother. When he couldn’t bear the hunger, he asked his sister, “Wont she serve him the food? “, to which she replied, “O king, let the night come, angels will descend here and server you food according to your status. You won’t get satisfaction from our simple food.”
He finally accepted the truth and stopped wandering in useless thoughts and got food only after he promised that he would work towards attaining the real and eternal truth and will from now on work industriously.

Cat sees a dream

goat. Barely had she tasted it when a fat dog came pouncing on her. She left the goat and ran and hid near her owner.

In the second dream she saw that she was a dog and has entered into her owner’s kitchen to taste the dishes kept there. Just then the owner came and started beating it black and blue. The owner came and woke up the crying cat. The cat woke up and realized that it was a dream. She said to her owner, “I’ll be what I am. Changing identity is full of dangers.”
We should always remember our original identity.

Cub between wolves

A wolf found a lion’s child in a very infant stage and kept it with his own children. The cub never recognized himself growing in the community of wolves. Once this family went for hunting. As they pounced over a dead elephant, a lion appeared. The lion asked the cub the reason for him being with the wolves and why was he getting afraid of him. The cub was not able to understand what was going on. The lion understood the situation looking at the situation. He showed him his image in water and then again his face. Then he roared and asked him to do so. Then he realized of his original self and went back to his community and roamed fearlessly.
There are a large number of people who forget their self and wander in dreams.

Properly plan where you have to go

There was a rule on a land in which a person who was chosen as king from among common people, would have to go to a lone and barren island after serving the term for ten years. So many kings had lost their lives in this manner. Those who ruled became concerned at the end of their terms but then it would be too late for them.

Once, a wise man became king when no one else was willing to do so. He had future at the back of his mind. He examined the island and started planting trees, making ponds and populating with people. In ten years, that barren island had become a very beautiful place. After his term as the king, he went there and started living happily.

Every one gets some days in life for free choice. In this one who plans his present and future well lives life satisfactorily and happily as the wise king.

Shrutayudh and Bhasmasur

Both the devils had got boons due to their austerities. It was their immoral intelligence, which made them to choose such things that ultimately became the cause of their deaths. Shrutayudh had got a Gada, which he had got by the boon from Lord Shiva on the condition that he would not misuse it. If he did then it would in turn destroy him. In the battle of Mahabharata, in a fit of anger he used it on Shri Krishna who was charioteer of Arjun. The Gada returned from midway and tore him apart. Bhasmasur had asked for a boon that the person would be destroyed if he places his hand on his head. When he started misusing this power, God created illusion and made him keep his hand on his own head, which resulted in his death.
It is the direction of choice that decides our destiny and future.

Third boon of Nachiketa

      Yamraj got please by the sincerity of Nachiketa and gave him three boons. He asked to pacify his father’s anger, instead of asking to overcome the fear of death. He asked about the process of getting to heaven as the second boon. The third thing he asked was the real form of soul and the knowledge how to attain that. Since he had promised to give three boons, so he tried to elude him from this third boon on considering him unworthy for such knowledge and told him to ask anything else. But he had to know only the science of soul and the knowledge of state of soul after death. Having the freedom of choice, in spite of having options to get other happiness, liberation, rebirth etc. he preferred self-knowledge and knowledge of the supreme. He mastered the Panchagni Sadhna and guided mankind successfully. Very few people are so lucky.

Freedom of choosing Krishna

     Duryodhan and Arjun both went to Shree Krishna. Prior to the Mahabharata war both Kauravas and Pandavas wanted to keep Krishna on their side. Duryodhan went first and due to his ego sat near his head. Then came Arjun and because of his humbleness, sat near his feet. Shree Krishna woke up and saw Arjun. After greeting him, He was about to ask the reason for his visit, but Duryodhan spoke in between,” I have come first so I should have the first say”. Shree Krishna was in two minds, he said “Arjun is younger of you two so he will get the priority, but I’ll fulfill your demand also. On one end I am there and on the other my huge army. Say Arjun what do you want? ”. There was freedom of choice, it depended on the intelligence as to who asks what – God’s grace or His opulence. Arjun said, “I’ll choose you, even if you don’t fight and just remain with me.” Duryodhan was too happy to hear this ‘foolish’ decision of Arjun and his joy knew no bounds after getting Shree Krishna’s army.
     Not only did immoral Duryodhan lost the battle of Mahabharata to Arjun who had Gods support and weaponless Lord Shri Krishna but was also killed along with his brothers and friends. Qualities of those like Duryodhan who chose the wrong path and like Arjun who chose to be on God’s side are both present in a human being- one can be called vivek or righteous intellect and the other can be called immoral intelligence. To choose among them is one’s freedom.

Could have done, but didn’t

      Ravan and Vibhishan were real brothers born in the same family; both of them were wise and brave fighters. One chose his path different and the other chose to fight against lawlessness and the wrong. God has given humans the power to change the direction of the tide so that he can become his assistant.
      God has also given the will of asking boons. Ravan was Shiva’s devotee. He asked that he become powerful but also that he would die from the hands of a man. To end his tyranny, God himself had to take birth in the form of Ram. Shiva worshiped Ram. If the master of unusual powers and a wise man such as Ravan did not want to take the right guidance from Shiva, then his end is imminent. God has given the free will to humans.
      Living beings come on earth as pure water drops. On coming to earth, the water drop becomes mud; likewise the humans become disillusioned by Maya. It is up to the human to either lie in the mud or be in the ocean and expanding his consciousness become the clouds and showers his services over the society.
      God wouldn’t have even thought that human will chose the wrong path due to his free will. As far as other living beings are concerned they just follow the discipline laid out by God and live a natural life style. They are just confined to activities of eating, sleeping and mating. But most people are seen to follow such lifestyles, exhibit short sightedness and ultimately suffer and repent. This can be compared to a fly jumping into sweet syrup.
      A fly jumps into a bowl of sweet syrup to finish it off at once and gets trapped and kills itself. Whereas a wise fly sits at the corner, tastes it, fills its stomach and flies into the air. This restlessness causes man to go for quick results and doesn’t let him wait for the right duration, which if he had otherwise waited for, would have easily got the results.
      A fish only sees the bait. It doesn’t have the patience to find out whether there is some danger in it. The allurement of getting the food without any effort is so strong that it can hardly resist. The result doesn’t take long to come. The pin sticks in its intestines and finally gets removed after taking its life.

Human, greater than demi gods or worse than animals

      A debate was going on in a meeting. One side said,”Humans are greatest living beings because they can control all other living beings”, other side said, “Other living beings are greater as they serve humans all their lives without asking for anything”. It was not getting decided who was right. A wise man was passing by. Everyone sought his opinion. He listened to both views and said that there was a limit to the human freedom. Not everyone knows the reason for living life. Till one performs good virtuous actions, he can be considered great but once his actions degrade he becomes worse than animals. Whenever such conditions of choosing between the two came, it has thoroughly test human intelligence.

Mahatma Gandhi and Harishchandra Play

     Mohandas saw the play of the truthful king Harishchandra, and truth sunk deep into his inner self. Many people would have seen it for entertainment and the players also would have performed it so many times but when these teachings seep into the heart then only they guide a person in the right direction. It’s well known how Mohandas took the shelter of truth and became Mahatma Gandhi.

Dacoit changes after hearing story

      A saint was explaining with intense feelings, the results of taking the shelter of God and consequences of performing bad karma. Among the audience was a dacoit who had planned to rob the saint and other prosperous listeners after the lecture was over. But he got shaken from inside when he heard the life transforming stories of Ajamil, Ganika, Tulsidas and Bilva mangal. The way the stories were narrated forced him to think over his own deeds and do self-introspection. After the lecture ended, the dacoit fell into the feet of the saint and told him all his pervious sins and asked how to correct his behavior and follow the right path. Those instructions changed his life. From then he started living a life centered on God, and the hole he had dug up with his sins, he started covering it with selfless social service.

Realization of Valmiki

      The seven Rishis only asked dacoit Valmiki who was blocking their way,”Will your relatives be there with you in your sins as they are in good and prosperous times? ”. When wife and children reacted in negative, he realized his path. Getting the right direction from the Rishis, he became saint Valmiki. Going towards hell, Valmiki using the guidance from Rishis and his own intellect got the right vision and became very famous poet and became immortal in history.

Heard the Bhagwat four times

      Parikshit Maharaj heard Bhagwat Puran from Shukdeo and attained salvation. A rich man on hearing this, developed great respect for the Bhagwat, and got eager to listen to it from a Brahmin to get liberated.

      He searched and found a profound priest of Bhagwat. He told him his intention of hearing the Bhagwat. The priest told him that this is Kaliyug, all the pious activities in this age is reduced four times, thus he had to listen to it for four times. The reason behind the priest’s proposition was to get enough money out of the deal. He gave the fees to the priest and heard four Bhagwat lectures but it was of no use. The man then met a higher level of saint. He asked him, how Parikshit could get and he didn’t after listening to the Bhagwat.

      The saint told him, that Parikshit Maharaj had known the death to be imminent and was completely detached from the world while hearing and Shukdeo Muni was narrating without the feeling of any kind of greed.

      Whoever has got the knowledge in the form of an advice, free of any kind of self vested interests, that has produced desired results.

Due to bad karma, fallen ascetic became demons

Ravana was a wise man. Through his austerities he had acquired great capabilities. In spite of all this, due to his abominable behavior, God himself had to take birth on the planet to kill him. Example of  Bhasmasur, illustrates that even after having reached a high spiritual state, without any compellations, due to ill state of mind one digs a hole for himself. Similarly, great powerful fighters like Hiranyaksh and Hiranyakashyapu had to die due to evil state of mind and behavior. Durga killed Shumbh-Nishumbh,  Madhukaitabh and Mahishasur. Parshuramji killed Sahasrabahu and Shri Krishna killed Vanasur. Bhim  killed Jarasandh. Shoorpnakha used to tease Rishis performing austerities in Khardooshan forest. Tadka used to disturb the yagyas. Bali had out thrown his younger brother and kept his wife with him. Ram and Lakshman killed all of them and ended their tyranny.

Whatever we have, is it less ?

A person went to a Mahatma and said, “Life is short. What all activities to do in such duration? You don’t have knowledge in childhood, old age is worse. You don’t get proper sleep and the diseases also bother. In the youth, we have to look after the family then how do we get the real knowledge? When do we do social service? Getting time in this life doesn’t seem happening.” Saying this he gets depressed and starts crying.
Seeing him, the Mahatma also starts crying. The man asked, “Why are you crying?” The Mahatma said, “Son, what to do, I need food grains to eat. But I don’t have the land to grow grains. I am dying of hunger. One part of God is Maya (illusion). One part of Maya has three qualities. One part of the qualities is the sky. Sky has air and the air has fire. One part of the fire has water. One hundredth of water is earth. Mountains cover half of the earth. Then there are so many rivers and forests here and there. God has not even left a small piece of land for me. Different people have already occupied whatever little land was there. Tell me will I not starve then?”
The person said to him,”In spite of all this you are alive, right? Then why do you cry?” The Mahatma said instantaneously, “You also have time and this invaluable life then why are you complaining that you don’t have enough time and life is getting spent away. From now on don’t complain about lack of time. At least use whatever you have.”
It doesn’t suit human being, the prince of God’s kingdom, to complain about lack of resources. The desire of converting one’s incompleteness into the complete is only acceptable and desirable if it pertains to the inner spiritual space. But such a complaint is uncalled for when the external resources are in plenty.

Cost of body parts

A person went to a saint. ”I am unlucky. I don’t have anything. It’s better to die than to live such a life.” The saint said, “Do you have any idea of the things you have? If not then I’ll give you. What are you willing to take in return of your one arm, one leg and one eye? I am ready to give 100 gold coins for each of the parts.” The person said, “I can’t give them, how will I live without them?” The saint said, “Fool, you already have property worth crores, then also you are crying for having nothing”.
There are many such people who don’t recognize their true worth and consider themselves unlucky. They realize when some enlightened one teaches them lesson.