Control your Mind

This is story of a prince who sacrificed all his riches and surrendered his life towards Gautam Budha. The prince enjoyed all the luxuries of life and had all comforts but still he was not happy. He came under Gautam Budha's sharan begged for shelter and requested Mahatma to make him his disciple.
Gautam Budha agreed and told him that he has to lead a life of a Bhikshu. He has to go to people's door and beg for food and he has to sleep on the floor in the open space. The prince politely agreed.
Mahatma told him to take bhiksha from only one house. In that house a rich and young lady used to stay. She was also a disciple of Mahatma.
First day when the prince went to the rich lady's house for bhiksha, she opened the door and called him inside. She gave him delicious food to eat. He relished the food and thanked the lady. When he was about to leave, she asked him "before coming here you were thinking in your mind that in bhiksha you should get rich food to eat and all that you wanted to eat I have cooked for you."
The prince agreed and left. He was thinking how could she read his mind. Anyway he touched Gautam Budha's feet and narrated everything to him. Next day again the Mahatma told him to go to the same lady's house for Bhiksha. The prince in his mind was feeling happy. He took pot and on the way was remembering his prince hood days. How he would get tasty and rich food.His wife would sit beside him. How much he was attached to his children. He slept on comfortable bed, everything was so easy. His parents and other family members would love him and now he has nothing. This way he was lost in his thoughts and reached the lady's house.

The lady opened the door for him. She offered him nice food and after that requested him to sleep on the comfortable bed in her house. After he got up from sleep, she said"I know you are missing your good old days which you have sacrificed. While on your way you thinking about rich food, comfortable bed, your family. Is it right." The prince felt ashamed that this lady can read his mind and whatever he thinks of eating, she cooks accordingly. She provides him all the possible comforts he thinks in his mind. Anyway he thanked her for all that she gave and left her house.

After that he went straight to Mahatma and requested him that next day onwards he will not go to the lady's house as she can read his mind.

Mahatma Budha insisted that he should take bhiksha from her house only. He should learn to control his mind. Gautam Budha said "now since you know that the lady has power to read your mind, try to control your mind. If you practice everyday to control your mind your desires will minimise. Your ego will be under control and the attachment(moha) towards family and the comforts you enjoyed those days will reduce. You will then learn to become a perfect disciple. Your mind is still with your rich old days. If you are serious and want to tread on my path, learn to sacrifice not the outside world but the thoughts within, the desires within. It is easy to sacrifice the outside world like money, family, friends, comforts, riches everything that we touch and feel through our senses but when you introspect within you know how much dirt is accumulated in you. You cannot live in peace. Once you have mastered the art of controlling your mind and have created the habit of introspecting within then only you can become a true saint. Short term sacrifice will not help, sacrifice from within can make you strong and you can win over anybody.

Suspicion

A young boy went to a Mahatma. He touched his feet and requested him to give him knowledge about Atma and Paramatma. The saint made the boy sit next to him and said "how eager are you know about Atma and Paramatma?
The boy replied "I am very eager and I want to learn fast." The boy said that he has come from far of place and all the people suggested him to visit you. Now You are the only person who can give me gyan about God and Soul. The saint asked "how much time can you spare of your life to learn about God"
The boy said "I want to learn instantly."
The saint said "you have to stay with me for sometime and then only I can teach you. It can take one day, one weak, can be one year or more." The boy thought for sometime and replied "yes, I am ready to stay with you and I know I can learn fast."
The Mahatma said "you have to do whatever work I tell you to do."
The boy agreed.
The next day Mahatma handed over a box which was locked and told the boy to handed it over to another Mahatma, his friend, who stayed 2 to 3 klms. away from his ashram.
The boy obediently agreed and took the box and started walking. On the way he felt some funny sound coming from the box. He became curious to know what was inside the box. He first controlled himself but later on got tempted. He unlocked the box and saw a rat jumped out of the box. The boy was surprised and could not decide as to what to do as the rat ran away. He anyway caught hold some other rat and locked it in the box. He reached the Mahatma's ashram, touched his feet and said that this box has been gifted by his Guru.
The Mahatma without opening said "in this box there is a rat. You opened the box to see what it contained. The rat jumped out of it and you have kept another rat instead. Am I right?"
The boy was stunned as he did not know what to say. He apologised and begged sorry by saying "I got curious to know what the box had as it was making some funny sound and as I opened it the rat jumped out and I kept another rat so that my Guru should not know that I opened the box. But swamiji how did you know that I opened the box and exchanged the rat?"

The Mahatma smiled and replied"you are very young and eager to know things fast. But first control your mind. It is running like a rat. First sacrifice something to learn about God. Your Guru gave you your mind in the form of a rat tightly locked in. But see as you opened it, it jumped and ran away somewhere else and you exchanged it with some other rat, the mind. Since your Guru has sent you to me I will try to help you to be steady. Never get tempted. Think, judge and then act. Once you know the art of controlling your own mind, you will also get the blessings of reading other persons mind. So be patient, your queries will be solved.

Saint and Thief

A thief once unknowingly entered a saint's house to steal something. When he entered he could not find anything. There was nothing left in his room or kitchen.
The saint was busy in his prayers. He could sense that a thief has entered his house. He politely called him and said "please wait, I know you have come in search of something. I am a simple man I don't keep anything with me. But since you have come to my house I will not allow you to go empty handed."
Hearing this the thief got scared and started running. The saint ran after him and told him to wait. The saint caught hold of the thief and brought him to his house. He explained to him by saying"if you wanted something you should have told me in advance. I could have brought something from market and kept it for you. I don't allow anyone to go empty handed from my house. I offer something to an animal also. You are a man, God's creation. How can I allow you to go empty handed." He offered him a new shawl which he was wearing. It was gifted to the saint by one of his disciple.

After taking the shawl the thief left from saint's house. The thief decided that in future he will not steal. On the way a policeman saw him and suspected him to be a thief. He asked him that from where he got this expensive shawl. The thief told him about the saint who offered him as a gift. The policeman did not believe him. He dragged him to the police station. There the Chief of the police station asked him about the shawl. The thief again gave him the same answer that saint has given him the shawl.

The Chief of Police station was a disciple of the saint. He took the thief to the saint and asked him whether he has given him this expensive shawl. The saint recognized him and said "yes, this shawl has been gifted to him. Leave him. He is not a thief. He is a poor man and wanted some help from me so I gave him this shawl to remove all previous sins he has committed. Now he is my disciple and I will take care of him."
The Chief of the police touched saints feet and left. The thief cried bitterly and sat under saint's feet. He did pranaam to saint and promised in future he will never involve in anti social work. He will dedicate rest of his life in his service.

The story signified that in the company of good people bad people can also change. The shawl given by saint to the thief changed his life. The saints are like flowers spreading their fragrance to whom so ever they touch. Blessed are the ones who come in contact with saints whose divine touch and fragrance brings magic in their life.

Control over Eating Habit

In Maharashtra there has been a famous personality named Mahadev Gobind Ranade. Once he was busy writing something in his notebook. His friend had sent sweet mangoes for him. His wife Ramabai, washed the mangoes peeled them for him. She kept small pieces of mango for him on the table. He started eating one piece, then another piece by saying "I have never eaten such sweet mangoes, they are very tasty." He offered some pieces to his wife and said "distribute it to the neighbours and all the workers in our house."

His wife Ramabai said "since you like mangoes so much why did you take only two pieces. You could have eaten more. Take more and finish this mango." He politely smiled at her and said "it is not necessary that what you like most you must eat more. There should be some control over your tongue, your taste buds"

Ramabai could not sense what was her husband hinting at. He then explained to her that some years back while he was studying in Mumbai , there used to be a lady, his neighbour. She was very rich and had ten servants at her service. Her dining table used to be full with variety of food items. After some years her husband faced some loss in his business. Their financial condition was deteriorating. They removed their servants and would cook only simple food to fill their stomach. Once being so rich they had no control over their tongue. They used to eat sweets and very rich food, but later they had to eat only dal and rice. Looking at their pathetic condition, I had promised and decided that in future I will keep a control over my tongue. Eat within limits so that in future my standard of living does not suffer.

To maintain stability in our financial conditions we should have some control over our spendthrift habits so that in future we and our children should not suffer.

Patience and Determination

A Bodha Bhikshu went to take bhiksha in Vaishali, once a capital city of India. He entered a big bungalow and knocked at the door. The door opened and a young and beautiful woman was standing in front of the bhikshu. She was wearing heavy jewelery and looked a very rich lady.
She gave a dirty look at the bhikshu and got angry. She was against Budha dharam. She did not believe in Bodha and said "why are you here and next time dare you entered my house? why have you come to my house for begging?

The Bhikshu smiled and said "bhagini,will my bhikshapatra go empty from your house?
She was very angry and said "Yes, I will throw this dirt from dustbin in your patra." She immediately threw the dirt from dustbin in his bhikshapatra. The bhikshu politely removed the dirt and did pranaam and thanked for her foolish act. People gathered there and started telling him why he had to stoop so low and why he went to her house. He could have gone some other place.

The bhikshu replied "when my Guru had given me diksha he told me that whatever you get in your bhikshpatra, be contented and thank that person. If people abuse you, throw mud on you, still you should thank them. She has given me something and not taken away anything. A lady who had never touched or lifted dustbin in her life has to bend at least to take that in her hand. She has changed a bit. Now I will go everyday and knock at her door. Slowly but steadily she will learn to be kind and offer me the right bhiksha."

Never lose courage. There may be many obstacles in our life, we must be patient enough to overcome them. Our efforts will not go in vain. Have faith in Almighty who has created a variety of living and non living things for us. We must feel that he is with us all the time. We will definitely win our task.

Forgiveness

When Sita Mata was in Ashok Vatika, Hanumanji went to meet her. He felt very sad to see her condition and could not bear to see the raakshasni's of Ravan ill treating her. He got very and said "mata. give me permission to kill and punish these raakshsni's who are torturing you." Sita mata with her moist eyes politely said "you are Lord Ram and sita's true bhakt. Forgive them. They are employees of Ravan, they are doing their duty. It is not their fault, forgive them. Why you want to punish them?"
Then Sita Mata narrated a story to Hanuman, the true bhakt of Ram and Sita.
She said a man was wandering in the jungle and he could not find his way. A lion started following him. He got scared seeing the lion and climbed on a tree. On the tree a bear was sitting. He did not know what to do. There was death down in the form of lion and death up on the tree in the form of bear. The bear said "do not got scared, you have come to my house and I will give you shelter. I will take care of you."
The lion was waiting under the tree for this man to fall or come down. The lion told bear "throw him down, don't trust this man." The bear replied "I cannot do this as he has taken shelter(sharan) in my house. I will protect him by sacrificing my life, but I will not throw him."
The lion was adamant and full night he sat under the tree waiting for this man. The bear told the man "I have taken care of you till midnight and then when you wake up I will take rest in your lap and you take care of me." The man agreed and slept peacefully in the bear's lap. At midnight the bear woke him up and said that now it was his turn to rest. The man put bear to rest on his lap. The lion looked up and said to man "this bear is taking care of you because he is scared of me but after sometime he will eat you so throw him down. Lion roared and said "throw him."
The man got frightened and threw the bear down. The bear did not fall he took support of the stems of the tree. The lion laughed and said to the bear "you saw how selfish are these man. You cannot trust them. how can you give shelter to him."
The bear replied "he has come under my shelter(sharan), I will forgive him but not allow him to fall. I will protect him."
Sita Mata said "everybody on this earth makes mistakes, we must forgive them for once. A bear can forgive man whose nature or food his flesh and we man who are intelligent and understanding cannot forgive."
Hearing this Hanuman became quiet and his anger subsided.

Karuna(Love and Sympathy)

When you lit a candle it gives light. Sandalwood is cool and spreads only fragrance. Such are the saints who spread light and fragrance on this earth so that everybody feels happy.

Gautam Budha was full of karuna, love and sympathy for others. Once when Dev Dhoot opened the door of Nirvaan for him and said "Gautam Budha you are welcome to Nirvaan and the door is wide open for you. You can enjoy the bliss and happiness of Nirvaan". Gautam Budha politely refused and said "how can I enter and enjoy the bliss of Nirvaan, when people on this earth are wreathed in pain and sorrow? If all the people are allowed to enter the door to Nirvaan and every living being is relieved from pain and sorrow, I will then only accept the road to Nirvaan otherwise you may close the door."

Gautam Budha was a king and he renounced from all the comforts of King's life. He dedicated his entire life for others and was filled with karuna and sympathy for others. He wanted all the living beings to be happy. There was so much karuna and love in his heart for creatures of this earth.

There used be a Muslim saint named Rabia. Her bhakti was not less than Mira Bai's bhakti. Once her Guru arrived to bless her in her hut. He stayed as a guest for few days and would impart spiritual knowledge to her and others and would immerse in prayers.

When her Guru was to leave, she said that in few words just give her some message so that her life she will dedicate to these words.
Her Guru said there is one message you should always remember "Love God and hate Shaitaan(Devil)". Tears started dripping from Rabia's eyes. She knelt on her Guru's feet and said " I cannot do this".
Guru asked her "why can't you do this". She replied with moist eyes "I have only love, no feeling of hatred. If God and Shaitaan go together, then I will love both of them equally, I will not be able to hate the Shaitaan. There is no bitterness or hatred in me, so how can I give that to anybody. I have only one most precious gift of "Love".
Her Guru was so impressed by her that he knelt before her said"you are full of love, there is no place for hatred in your heart. For you there is no difference between God and Shaitaan, rich or poor, ugly or beautiful. Everything on this Earth is beautiful and lovable." There are no boundaries for love. Hatred makes boundary.