Banyan Tree
November 2022
Banyan Tree
TEACHING STORY
KINDNESS TRANSFORMS
Once, the river became very proud of the tremendous flow of its water. She felt that she was powerful and could wash away everything with her—mountains, houses, trees, animals, humans, etc.
One day, the river proudly asked the ocean, “Tell me, what should I bring for you? Houses, animals, humans, trees? Whatever you want, I can uproot and bring with me.”
The ocean said after a pause, “If you want to bring something for me, uproot some grass and bring it.”
The river replied, “Is that all? I’ll bring it right away.”
While passing through the field, the river exerted its full force on the grass, but the grass did not get uprooted. She tried several times but failed. Eventually, the river gave up and told the ocean, “I can uproot trees, houses, and mountains, but whenever I apply force to uproot the grass, it bends and I have to pass over it, empty-handed.”The ocean listened carefully to the river and said with a smile, “Those who are hard and rigid like mountains and trees, are easily uprooted. But the one who has learned the humility of grass, cannot be disturbed even by the fiercest of winds or violent storms.”
Happiness in Life does not mean fighting battles but avoiding them. To retreat skilfully is also a victory in itself because arrogance turns even angels into devils.
THIS, I KNOW
OSCAR WILDE
• To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.
• Never love anyone who treats you like you’re ordinary.
• Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination.
• With freedom, flowers, books, and the moon, who could not be perfectly happy?
• To define is to limit.
• To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.
• Everything in moderation, including moderation.
• I have grown to love secrecy. It seems to be the one thing that can make modern life mysterious or marvellous to us. The commonest thing is delightful if only one hides it.
• Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead. The consciousness of loving and being loved brings warmth and richness to life that nothing else can bring.
• Life is never fair, and perhaps it is a good thing for most of us that it is not.
INSPIRATION
“HOPE” IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words And never stops at all
And sweetest in the Gale is heard And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little Bird That kept so many warm
I’ve heard it in the chilliest land And on the strangest Sea
Yet never in Extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.
—Emily Dickinso
ONE-MINUTE WISDOM
TRUE COLOURS
A student went to his meditation teacher and said, “My meditation is horrible! I feel so
distracted, or my legs ache, or I’m constantly falling asleep. It’s just horrible.”
“It will pass,” the teacher said matter-of-factly. A week later, the student came back to his
teacher. “My meditation is wonderful! I
feel so aware, so peaceful, so alive. It’s just
wonderful.’
“It will pass,” the teacher replied matter-of factly.
QUOTE
“When we do the best we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life or the life of another.”
—Helen Keller
JUST FOR LAUGHS
MULLA’S MEMORY
One evening, Mulla Nasruddin went to his favourite tobacco shop. He was gossiping as usual with the shopkeeper and began complaining about his
wife.
“She’s driving me crazy,” Mulla said. “Her memory is worse than anyone
I’ve ever known.”
“Your wife forgets everything?” asked the shopkeeper. “You never mentioned that before.”
“Heck, no,” Mulla replied. “She remembers everything.”