After the long silence

Fish and the lake 

Once upon a time, not very long ago in a certain village was a huge lake filled with plenty of fish. One wise man who was journeying through the villages came to rest near the lake for couple of days. On the day, he was leaving the village he as usual took his bath in the lake and when he finished taking his bath called forth fish of the lake and said “leave the lake immediately as this lake will dry up after this season.  You all will perish then. So, make haste and leave to the river that this lake flows into.”  Having said this, he left the village and continued with this journey.

Now the fish who listened to what he said were both shocked and frightened at the start. But after couple of days only very few fish – just a handful of them decided to leave the lake as the wise man suggested. They shared their decision with other fish and asked them to come along with them.  Most of others laughed at their fear and called them names. And few others though agreed it was right to leave felt they could wait for some more time before taking that step.  These fish left the lake with a heavy heart and reached the river in time and continued to live there happily. 

 

Few months passed and the sun was at his brilliance best and the heat caused the water of lake to evaporate more than usual and the lake showed up land here and there.  Fishermen came in large numbers to fish in these shallow waters. Few fish who remembered the wise-man’s sayings immediately started swimming towards the river and as they were leaving were also calling out to their friends to warn of the impeding danger. They too reached the river safely and lived there for long time to come. 

 ....contd.....

 

Me, my Guru – fish and the ascetic

Contd....

Me, my Guru – fish and the ascetic 

Monk had bought fisherman’s logic!

Next day, as he was going about his morning chore he thought about his promise that he made to fisherman of catching fish for him. Even before going to sleep he recollected his promise. He made a mental review of catching those fish. As he was walking towards the lake he saw himself catching fish and putting in fisherman’s bag. He was happy with the picture of bag full of fish he had helped fisherman catch.

When he reached the lake, he saw those fish that he was so used to seeing every day – all these years. He knew it was child’s play to catch those fish today for him! He stepped into the lake. All the fish suddenly swam away! He didn’t notice that though. He got into the water waist high and waited for fish to come near him. Not one fish came near him – today! He was surprised! A little later he tried chasing and catching them. He failed miserably after several attempts too! Now, he got irritated. He swam towards fish to catch them. Yet, he failed – every time. Sometime passed! He became tired. And angry! He felt he had lost his face to the fisherman who believed him. He did all that he could to catch fish. He couldn’t catch even one fish. 

Fisherman was seeing all this standing on the shore. He saw his plan fall flat on the face. He got dejected. He assumed that he had unnecessarily given credit to this monk. He was useless. So he left without saying a word.

Monk saw the fisherman leave. He felt like a failure. He was both confused and angry at these fish. He didn’t understand what went wrong today! Finally, as day came to an end, he left towards his hut. 

Contd....

# intention, desire, lust and love, law of attraction, dharma and adharma, fish and the ascetic in the pond story

also read suggested : https://kantipadam.blogspot.com/search?q=people+we+meet+in+our+life

Pointer in this and previous posts : 

* See the language of the fisherman like "blessed one/great one/ seek your blessings..." etc in the previous post and the present one - it reflects the language of a flatterer - one who desires to get his 'wrong' and 'adharmic' desires to be performed by the other.......sweet talk doesn't mean you respect the person from whom you seek or expect some favour.....sweet talk talks and reflects who you are.........your intention becomes evident in your language and the way you use it.....many times people use words like 'great guru' or 'you are great' just to please the other......don't fall for it.........and don't use it too......work on that need to please others. It comes from the centre which knows the favour we seek is unethical or our character is at flaw. Instead, work on character, look within, meditate, know your areas you are ashamed of, address it, work on it, heal it and become free from wanting to please or flatter others......

*When even the fish gets to know the intent of a person, what to say of the Universe and humans? Think! 

*" Monk felt like a failure" - not being able to fulfill someone's lustful desires doesn't mean we have failed. It reflects who the other person is and what his intentions are! It doesn't reflect who you are! Don't stoop to please the 'wrong desires' of a wrong person......

*Meditate to know what your duties and responsibilities are and only then you will know what is right and what is wrong.....

Thanks through sadhan........

Make a list of people giving you essential services and keep it ready for weekend sadhan - 

milkman,

paper boy

veg. vendor

grocery vendor

cab drivers

auto and public transport men

telephone services

beauty salons

EB

watchman

liftmen

barbers

road sweepers

rag pickers....

you add the ones i left out.......

Miracle of the day : 

I could write even today!

That means -

- there still is body mind coordination

-my hand can still hold a pen

-my mind still can think coherently

- my hand still is capable of typing in the computer

-my eyes working 

-i can still sit to be able to do all this

- i can still write 

- even after 10-12 years of writing this blog, i have still something worth a dime to say and write (and excuse people give to blabber is 'but we have to talk with others something know maam, otherwise it is against social norm' - this shows we can talk for years and still be talking within the framework of something useful, productive, something insightful - all this and yet entertaining and in simple story form!!!)

- so many pointers that i am blessed - that too when only one act of the day is taken into consideration. Can you take 15mts from today till sunday to write down in your journal all the things you still have and you can feel blessed about? Even things and people you take for granted like - my mom is there but that tho everyone's is...ask people who have lost their near ones to time......having someone in your life is not something that you can take for granted.....

i have miracles to share, do you?

Me, my Guru – fish and the ascetic

Contd.....

Me, my Guru –  fish and the ascetic 

They followed their rituals as monk followed his. This went on for years. One day a fisherman came to the forest lake. He saw the monk meditating standing in the lake. He was surprised to see so many fish come so near him. He hit upon an Idea. Why struggle to catch these fish? So, in the evening he went to meet the monk in his hut. He found the hut by observing the monk and his routine for couple of days!

When he met monk in his hut, he fell on his feet and prayed “Great one! Shower your grace on a sinner like me. You are my only hope! I seek your blessings. Existence and survival of my family depends solely on you, blessed one!”

Monk hadn’t met or seen any human since he had come to forest many years ago! He was touched by the fisherman’s words and actions. Being pure in heart, he decided to be of service to the fisherman even without knowing his intent.

He raised the fisherman and said “Son, what can I do for you?”

Fisherman being himself very smartly answered “Respected Sir, I seek your help. I am a fisherman. I need to catch good fish to fend and feed my family. If I used my net, many fish would get entangled in it, get hurt and die pathetic death. I don’t wish to harm them. I don’t wish to hurt them too! But, I am to do my duty towards my family. So, help me to catch fish without hurting them. I see fish are very comfortable with and around you. Just catch few big fish for me daily so that I can sell them and make money. At the same time, I need not hurt other fish. Please don’t say no to me!”

Being pure in heart, his heart melted after hearing fisherman’s words. He agreed to do the needful the next day. Monk thought “This fisherman will anyhow catch fish. And there are lots of fish in the lake. So, why not I help him catch them thereby reducing the suffering of all those fish?”

Monk had bought fisherman’s logic! 

Contd.....

# law of attraction, law of Universe, on giving out to the Universe and receiving from it

also read : https://kantipadam.blogspot.com/search?q=girl+and+apple 

 

Me, my Guru – fish and the ascetic

Contd.....

Me, my Guru –  fish and the ascetic 

But it remained a wish for all these years. And today if we found the reason, there may be a way to ‘make friends’ in our life too! So I listened carefully!

She started off with a story as if Vaishnav’s question did not make any sense to her. He was bit angry with her there. But I expected her story to give us a clue to the answer and solution we were so desperately seeking. 

Unmindful of my expectation and Vaishnav’s anger she continued her story “In a certain forest lived a monk. He had settled in this forest many years ago with a view to do intense penance. He wanted to become ‘Enlightened’. That desire prompted him to do penance.

Every morning he would go down the lake in the forest, stand in the water waist high and do penance. Years passed by as he followed this routine. He would stand in those waters for hours before going back to his hut in the forest. Because of this routine, the fist in the lake became used to him over the period of time. They would swim near and around him unmindful of his presence.

They followed their rituals as monk followed his. This went on for years. One day a fisherman came to the forest lake. He saw the monk meditating standing in the lake. He was surprised to see so many fish come so near him. He hit upon an Idea. Why struggle to catch these fish? So, in the evening he went to meet the monk in his hut. He found the hut by observing the monk and his routine for couple of days!

When he met monk in his hut, he fell on his feet and prayed “Great one! Shower your grace on a sinner like me. You are my only hope! I seek your blessings. Existence and survival of my family depends solely on you, blessed one!” 

Contd.....

# on giving out energies and receiving, wish granted, law of attraction, how the Universe works

also read : https://kantipadam.blogspot.com/search?q=echo+of+life 

Me, my Guru – fish and the ascetic

 

Contd....

Me, my Guru – fish and the ascetic 

Monk saw the fisherman leave. He felt like a failure. He was both confused and angry at these fish. He didn’t understand what went wrong today! Finally, as day came to an end, he left towards his hut.

There in the dark of his hut he saw through the events and his actions. He realized his folly. He saw the ‘ego trip’ he fell into! He saw how one expectation of that fisherman changed his nature, stability and the state of mind. He saw how he became bound wanting to live up to fisherman’s expectations! In that he saw his fall.

He noticed how change in his intention brought about the change in his conduct. Those fish sensed his intentions! No doubt, they kept away from him!

He laughed at his folly. He laughed at himself. All these years he had done such intense penance and yet fell such an easy prey to flattery! His desire to live up to fisherman’s expectations made him look such a fool!

No doubt, ‘maya’ is considered so difficult to overcome. With renewed respect for sadhan and increased vigour, awareness and enthusiasm he decided to win over his ‘ego’. He thanked the fisherman’s arrival for it taught him where he stood in his sadhan. He slept over his decision.

Next day, he got up as usual! He went to lake as usual. He got into the lake and started his penance as usual! And fish came near him as usual!

Things returned to their normal routine” so saying our Guru left us.

Some people had come to visit her and she had made them wait while she attended our queries. Having finished her job here, she left to play her part with the visitors.

We were left with the story, our questions and our understanding.

If simple fish could behave differently to different state of mind of that monk, then what say about humans and Universe? 

Contd....

# fish and the ascetic story, intentions, lust, desire and its effect, law of attraction

also read : https://kantipadam.blogspot.com/search?q=Warangal 

read the above link to understand what destiny and freewill mean....read the complete post of the above link - not just the part i have given link to.....

Me, My Guru – on disturbed mind

 

Contd....

Me, My Guru – on disturbed mind

“My mind chatters non-stop. Help me to stop it. What do I do for that?” asked another.

“People are not behaving right. I am so angry. What do I do?” I asked. Each one asked a question related to their life. But, all that said only one thing – “that our mind was a monkey creating chaos with ego, anger, demands, justification, fault-finding, jealousy and what not!” We needed to address that aspect of our mind. We failed miserably there. 

Our mind was way smarter than us and so it always won. That way we ended up living emotions of fear, pain, anger etc as it wished us to! But our Guru didn’t explain all this to us today. She had told us all this umpteen times. So, she simply started her answer “Once Buddha was going along with his disciples. Having walked for long, they decided to sit and rest under a banyan tree beside a lake. It was then that one of the disciples asked “Master, pray tell us how to stop the chatter of this mind? What do we do?”

Buddha simply smiled and said “But before that, bring me some water to drink”

The disciple went to the lake to get the water. Some villagers were taking bath there. So, he walked ahead to fetch water. He knew water where people were taking bath was not good enough to drink. As he got down in the lake, a cart came rushing into the lake. The water became muddy. The disciple waited for that water to settle. This way something or the other kept happening which made it impossible for him to get water. So, after sometime he decided to go back without water. He returned and narrated the same to Buddha. Buddha just smiled and asked him to sit down.

Contd....

# Me, My Guru stories, on chattering of mind, control the mind, handling ego, energies, our presence and absence, anger, 

also read previous post : https://kantipadam.blogspot.com/search?q=fish+and+the+ascetic%2C+me%2C+my+guru

read the given link above to understand how our energies/aura/thoughts emitted from us and by us effect the atmosphere around us. Here it is beautifully explained. In this given story we see how fish are comfortable with the Ascetic as long as his thoughts are without lust or kamam. The moment his thoughts become harmful, lustful and one of hurting them, how they move away from him. If fish would sense won't people react to how we feel about them!? If I am hating you day in and day out and wanting you out of my life, would you be comfortable, happy, good to me and around me? If you are good to people who are good to you only then how can you expect someone you dislike to like you or make you feel comfortable? We receive what we give out! I have said it like a million times and am committing this wrong of repeating myself again this time.....WE RECEIVE WHAT WE GIVE! When I hate my m-i-l I can't expect her to love me - remember that!

Covid Challenge

Covid Challenge

Those who are feeling bad that they have lost just couple of kgs weight, don’t! This challenge basically is not about or for losing weight. It is to gain our lost health and strength. To increase the stamina is the purpose. And of course, to reduce the burden of few hundred kgs on Mother Earth (I guess our total loss of weight could amount to that…..)…..

Those who can’t find time or energy to do exercise – for whatsoever the reason – at least take a break of 5-10mts /hour and climb stairs. You can start with climbing just one floor every hour. It also means you take steps to climb down too! Do it 5-6 times/day. Less time needed and yet you do good cardio exercise. You can also take a call while doing it. No waste of time too there! And yet the result is visible….

You’ll notice the benefit in just one week onwards. Next week take 2 floors at a time. Those who are in independent houses and have only one floor just do the stairs twice – that’ll do. Do it 2-3 times and other 2-3 times do only one floor as before.

Like this gradually increase the floors to at least 5 floors in 3 months. See the difference – simple but very effective and beneficial. Less time needed. Need not take time for exercise separately and yet result is wow!

This increases lung capacity. It strengthens the heart and also clears blocks if any. Decreases the cholesterol and also is good for BP and sugar. It works for people with thyroid issue too.

Remember: There are three types of people a. They don't know what to do and so when the crisis arises and when they are told what to do, they do and get benefited. b. They know what to do and do it even before the crisis arises... c. They don't know what to do. And when crisis arises even if  told they will not do what should be done and suffer the consequences. 

What type are you?

Points to think about :

How much are you committed to your health?

Some people want to be sick to gain pity from others? I am sure you are not one among them...

also read : https://kantipadam.blogspot.com/search?q=fish+in+the+lake (like previous posts dates are not in order even in this link. you read the story in sequence)

Keep sharing your insights, experiences etc daily........