INSPIRATIONAL STORY: THE CRACKED POT

2013-29  Inspirational Story:  The Cracked Pot

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, which she hung on the ends of a pole that she carried across her neck. Every day she would make the long walk to a stream to fetch water for her home. One of the pots was in perfect condition, and always delivered a full portion of water. The other pot had a crack in it, from which water leaked. As a result, by the time the woman returned home, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For two years the woman made her daily trek to the stream, each time returning with only one and a half pots of water. The perfect pot was proud of its condition and of what it could do. The cracked pot, however, was ashamed of its imperfection and of the fact that it could do only half of what it had been made for. One day, the cracked pot, overwhelmed by what it perceived to be its bitter failure, spoke to the woman at the stream.

“I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.” The old woman smiled at the pot and replied, “Have you noticed that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path. Every day, on our walk home, you water them. For two years now I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace our home.”

Each of us has our own crack, our own unique flaw. It’s these cracks and flaws that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding, and it’s often these cracks and flaws that enable us to do good. Accept people for what they are; look for the good in them and the good that they do. And don’t miss the flowers on your side of the path.

TAITTRIYA UPANISHAD: A SUBLIME ECONOMIC POLICY

2013-28  Taittriya Upanishad : A Sublime Economic Policy

[The special feature of the third chapter Brugu Valli of the Taittriya Upanishad is the glorified conception of food for contemplation by any earnest aspirant of the ultimate Truth. Food which sustains the body should not be belittled . This is explained in the last four sections, namely 3.7 - 3.10]

Do not condemn [speak ill of]  food.  
[अन्नं न निन्ध्यात्  |                                                [3.7.1] 

Do not waste [cast away, reject] food.  
[अन्नं न परिचक्षीत  |                                                [3.8.1] 
Do produce food in abundance. 
[अन्नं बहु कुर्वीत  |                                                    [3.9.1] 
Do not refuse [food] to anyone at the house. 
[न कम् चन वसतौ प्रत्याचक्षीत  |                             [3.10.1] 
That should be observed as a pious rule.
तत्  व्रतम्  |    

Therefore a man should, by all righteous means [enjoined by the scriptures], acquire much food to be kept ready for guests.  If he gives food amply, food is given to him amply. If he gives food fairly, food is given to him fairly. If he gives food meanly, food is given to him meanly.

When guests come, not only should they be given shelter but also food.  Hence much food should be acquired for that purpose.  That is the Dharma of a house-holder.  The Sruthi enjoins that an inhospitable person is debarred from all good, both here and hereafter.

Whenever guests come to a wise man’s house, he never turns them away.  On the other hand, he always offers them food by saying that it is ready for them. This is the reason why much food should be acquired.

If food is prepared in the best manner and offered to the guests with courtesy and humility, the giver is blessed in return with ample food.

If food is prepared neither amply nor with care and if it is offered with vanity and reluctance, it is gift of medium value. And the giver gets only the merit of a medium kind and food accrues to him in a medium way.

When food is prepared meanly and offered with insult and disregard, the giver gets equally, a mean return of food.

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TAITTRIYA UPANISHAD: EXHORTATION FOR RIGHT LIVING

2013-27 Taittriya Upanishad: Exhortation for Right Living

[Vedas are the most ancient literary monuments of the human race.  The subject of the Vedas is Supreme Knowledge; that is, Knowledge of the Eternal Reality behind the ever changing objective world of men and matter. Vedas have no authorship (apurusheya). Vedas were revealed to the Sages or Seers during the depth of their mediatation.  Upanishads are the most important parts of, and contain the quintessence of, the Vedas.

Taittriya Upanishad forms part of the Taittriya Aranyaka of the Krishna Yajur Veda.  It is divided into three parts starting with Siksha Valli.  The special feature of the Siksha Valli is that it contains the most beautiful and pithy address to the youth leaving the Gurukula.  This is analogous to the convocation address of the present-day universities.]

Exhortation for Right Living [Taittriya Upanishad - Siksha Valli - 1.11.1-4]

Having taught the Vedas, the teacher exhorts [instructs] the pupil:

Speak Satya [the Truth]. 
[सत्यं वद  ]  

Follow Dharma [the righteous principles] 
[धर्मं चर  ] 

Never swerve from the study of the Vedas. 
[स्वाध्यायात्  मा प्रमदः ]  

After offering the teacher the desired wealth
[आचार्याय  प्रियं  धनम्  आहृत्य ] 

[at the close of the studentship and remaining in family life] 
do not cut off the line of offsprings [children]. 
[प्रजातन्तुं  मा व्यवच्छेत्सीः ] 
  
Never swerve from Satya. 
[सत्यात्  न  प्रमदितव्यम्  ]

Never swerve from Dharma. 
[धर्मात्  न  प्रमदितव्यम्  ]

Never swerve from what is beneficial. 
[कुशलात न प्रमदितव्यम्  ]

Never swerve from prosperity. 
[भूत्यै न प्रमदितव्यम्  ]

Never swerve from learning and teaching. 
[स्वाध्यायप्रवचनाभ्यां न प्रमदितव्यम्  ] [1.11.1]

Never swerve from your duties to Gods and Ancestors. 
[ देव  पितृ  कार्याभ्यां  न प्रमदितव्यम्  ]

See your mother as God. 
[मातृ देवो भव  ]   

See your father as God. 
[पितृ देवो भव  ] 

See your teacher as God. 
[आचार्य देवो भव  ]  

See your guest as God. 
[अतिथि देवो भव  ] 

Whatever actions that are blameless, those are to be performed, not others.
[ यानि  अनवध्यानि  कर्माणि  तानि  सेवितव्यानि  |  न उ  इतराणि  ]

Whatever actions among us that are praiseworthy they are to be embraced, not others. 
[ यानि अस्माकगं सुचरितानि  तानि  त्वया उपास्यानि  | न उ  इतराणि  ]                      [1.11.2]

Wherever there are men of wisdom superior to us, offer them seats and remove their fatigue. [ ये के च अस्मत् श्रेयाम्सः ब्राह्मणाः  तेषां त्वया आसनेन प्रश्वसितव्यम्  | ]

Do not breathe a word in their presence [but hear them].  
[ आसने न प्रश्वसितव्यम्  | ]

[Whenever you give a gift,] 
Give with Sraddha [reverential faith]
 [श्रद्ध्या देयम् ] 
  
Never give without Sraddha. 
[अश्रद्ध्या अदेयम्  ]  

Give according to your plenty; 
[श्रिया देयम्  ]

Give with meekness [modesty]; 
[ह्रिया देयम्  ]

Give with awe [fear of Dharma]; 
[भिया देयम्  ]

Give with understanding [of its need and usefulness]. 
[संविदा देयम्  ]                                                                                                                   [1.11.3]

If there should arise in you any doubt as regards any action [कर्म] or conduct [वृत्त ], then you should act in those matters as do the wise men there, who are impartial in, experienced, independent, kind at heart [not harsh] and devoted to Dharma.  

अथ  यदि ते कर्म  विचिकित्सा  वा   वृत्त   विचिकित्सा  वा स्यात्  ये  तत्र  ब्राह्मणाः  सम्मर्शिनः युक्ताः आयुक्ताः  अलूक्षाः  धर्म कामाः स्युः ।  यथा  ते  तत्र  वर्तेरन  तथा  तत्र  वरतेथाः  । 

Now, as regards dealing with persons of ill-fame, do you deal with them as do the wise men there, who are impartial in judgment, experienced, independent, kind at heart  and devoted to Dharma.  

अथ  अभ्याख्यातेषु  ये  तत्र  ब्राह्मणाः  सम्मर्शिनः युक्ताः आयुक्ताः  अलूक्षाः  धर्म कामाः स्युः ।  यथा  ते  तत्र  वर्तेरन  तथा  तत्र  वरतेथाः  । 

This is the injunction [rule].  
 एष आदेशः ]

This is the advice.
[ एष उपदेशः ] 

This is the secret meaning of the Vedas. 
 [ एष वेद उपनिषत् ]

This is the divine command.  
[ एतत् अनुशासनम् ] 

This should be observed. 
 [ येवं उपासितव्यम् ] 

Thus, indeed should this be observed. 
[ येवं उ च एतत् उपास्यम् ]  [1.11.4]

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DR DEEPAK CHOPRA: HOLISTIC HEALING INTERVIEW

2013-26  Dr Deepak Chopra: Holistic Healing Interview

[Dr. Deepak Chopra has been at the forefront of a major trend in holistic healing. In 1984, he helped to introduce Ayurvedic medicine to the United States, and within a year he established an Ayurvedic Health Centre of Stress Management and Behavioral Medicine in Lancaster, Massachusetts. He was also the founding President of the American Association of Ayurvedic Medicine. Since that time, he has emerged as one of the world's leading proponents of this innovative combination of Eastern and Western healing.

Chopra combines ancient mind/body wisdom with current anti-aging research to show that the effects of aging are largely preventable. By changing your perception of aging and by being aware of your body and how it processes intelligence and experience, you will change how you age.]

DR DEEPAK CHOPRA: QUANTUM HEALING

2013-25 Dr Deepak Chopra: Quantum Healing

[Dr Deepak Chopra is a world-renowned authority in the field of mind-body healing, a best-selling author of numerous books on mind-body health, quantum mechanics, spirituality, and peace, and the founder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing. Dr Deepak Chopra has brought together the current research of Western medicine, neuroscience, and physics with the insights of Ayurveda,  humanities’ most ancient healing tradition, to show that the human body is controlled by a "network of intelligence" grounded in quantum reality. This intelligence lies deep enough to change the basic patterns that design our physiology -- with the potential to defeat cancer, heart disease, and even aging itself.  In this inspiring and pioneering work, Dr. Chopra offers us both a fascinating intellectual journey and a deeply moving chronicle of hope and healing. This is an extraordinary new approach to healing by an extraordinary physician-writer - a book filled with the mystery, wonder, and hope of people who have experienced seemingly miraculous recoveries from cancer and other serious illnesses.] 

CAROLINE A MASON: THE WIND THAT BLOWS; THAT WIND IS BEST

2013-24: Caroline A Mason: The Wind that blows; that wind is best.

[ Caroline Atherton Mason (1823-1890) graduated from Bradford Academy in 1844. Her early poetry, much of it published under the name "Caro," appeared in such local newspapers as the Salem Register. Notable among them was "Do They Miss Me at Home?" (1844), later set to music and sung to Civil War audiences. Her first collection of poetry, Utterances, or Private Voices to the Public Heart, appeared in 1852. Throughout her life, CAM wrote short stories, essays, hymns, poetry and frequent letters to the local newspapers, often signing these only "C.A.M." She was a regular contributor to periodicals as well as to newspapers.  Read her "Buttercups" here and follow it up with "The Voyage" ].

 BUTTERCUPS

Buttercups among the grass, 

Smiling on us as we pass, 

Lifting up such happy faces, —
        Starry-bright and bathed in dew,

        Ah, if we could be like you, 

Each contented in our places!

"Whether skies be bright or sad, 

Little matters: you are glad, 

Darlings, in all sorts of weather 

Just as happy here as there" 

THE VOYAGE

Whichever way the wind doth blow, Some heart is glad to have it so; Then blow it east or blow it west, The wind that blows, that wind is best. My little craft sails not alone: A thousand fleets from every zone Are out upon a thousand seas; And what for me were favoring breeze Might dash another, with the shock Of doom, upon some hidden rock. And so I do not dare to pray For winds to waft me on my way, But leave it to a Higher Will To stay or speed me; trusting still That all is well, and sure that He Who launched my bark will sail with me Through storm and calm, and will not fail, Whatever breezes may prevail, To land me, every peril past, Within his sheltering heaven at last. Then, whatsoever wind doth blow, My heart is glad to have it so; And blow it east or blow it west, The wind that blows, that wind is best.

                                                                                 
                                                                                       by Caroline A Mason

ELLA WHEELER WILCOX: DON'T LOOK FOR THE FLAWS

2013-23 Ella Wheeler Wilcox: Don't look for the flaws as you go through Life

[ Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850-1919), was one of the most popular poets in her time, her verse appearing in innumerable magazines, periodicals and books. She has probably been read by many more people than poets who have been considered her superiors. She wrote for the same reason that a bird sings. It was what she was made for. Her poetry was very popular, generally written in plain, rhyming verse. Her works include Poems of Passion(1883), Poems of Peace (1906), Poems of Experience (1910), and Poems (1919). Her best-known work was Poems of Passion. Her most popular poem was " Solitude", which contains the lines: "Laugh, and the worldlaughs with you; Weep, and you weep alone"."The art of being kind" was her religion, and she lived it every day of her life. The world is better because Ella Wheeler Wilcox lived.]

As You Go Through Life

by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Don't look for the flaws as you go through life
And even when you find them,
It is wise and kind to be somewhat blind
And look for the virtues behind them.

For the cloudiest night has a hint of light
Somewhere in its shadows hiding;
It is better by far to hunt for a star,
Than the spots on the sun abiding.

The current of life runs ever away
To the bosom of God's great ocean.
Don't set your force 'gainst the river's course
And think to alter its motion.

Don't waste a curse on the universe --
Remember it lived before you.
Don't butt at the storm with your puny form,
But bend and let it go o'er you.

The world will never adjust itself
To suit your whims to the letter.
Some things must go wrong your whole life long,
And the sooner you know it the better.

It is folly to fight with the Infinite,
And go under at last in the wrestle;
The wiser man shapes into God's plan
As water shapes into a vessel.