Monday 28 January 2013

Magic, this day...


I am Making Progress


I Am Making Progress






Yen Hui said, "I am making progress."
Confucius asked, "In what way?"
Yen Hui said, "I have given up doing good and being right."
Confucius said, "Very good, but that is not quite enough."
Another day, Yen Hui saw Confucius and said, "I am making progress."
Confucius asked, "In what way?"
Yen Hui said, "I have given up ceremony and music."
Confucius said, "Very good, but that is not quite enough."
Another day, Yen Hui saw Confucius again and said, "I am making progress." Confucius asked, "In what way?"
Yen Hui said, "I just sit and forget."
Confucius was startled and asked, "What do you mean by sitting and forgetting?"
Yen Hui said, "I am not attached to the body and I give up any idea of knowing. By freeing myself from the body and mind, I become one with the infinite. This is what I mean by sitting and forgetting."
Confucius said, "When there is oneness, there are no preferences. When there is change, there is no constancy. If you have really attained this, then let me become your pupil."

You can!


Monday 21 January 2013

Magical

The Lark and its Young Ones


The Lark and Its Young Ones (A Hindu Fable)



A CHILD went up to a lark and said: “Good lark, have you any young ones?”
“Yes, child, I have,” said the mother lark, “and they are very pretty ones, indeed.” Then she pointed to the little birds and said: “This is Fair Wing, that is Tiny Bill, and that other is Bright Eyes.”
“At home, we are three,” said the child, “myself and two sisters. Mother says that we are pretty children, and she loves us.”
To this the little larks replied: “Oh, yes, our mother is fond of us, too.”
“Good mother lark,” said the child, “will you let Tiny Bill go home with me and play?”
Before the mother lark could reply, Bright Eyes said: “Yes, if you will send your little sister to play with us in our nest.”
“Oh, she will be so sorry to leave home,” said the child; “she could not come away from our mother.”
“Tiny Bill will be so sorry to leave our nest,” answered Bright Eyes, “and he will not go away from our mother.”
Then the child ran away to her mother, saying: “Ah, every one is fond of home!”

(Adapted from: P. V. Ramaswami Raju, Good Stories from Good Holidays)

Be proud...


Tuesday 15 January 2013

Nobunaga’s Destiny


Nobunaga’s Destiny



A great Japanese warrior named Nobunaga decided to attack the enemy although he had only one-tenth the number of men the opposition commanded. He knew that he would win, but his soldiers were in doubt.

On the way he stopped at a Shinto shrine and told his men: “After I visit the shrine I will toss a coin. If heads comes, we will win; if tails, we will lose. Destiny holds us in her hand.”

Nobunaga entered the shrine and offered a silent prayer. He came forth and tossed a coin. Heads appeared. His soldiers were so eager to fight that they won their battle easily.

“No one can change the hand of destiny,” his attendant told him after the battle.

“Indeed not,” said Nobunaga, showing a coin which had been doubled, with heads facing either way.

Time to read tales!

Yes, it's time again to post tales on our blog of bards! I'm still setting up a program for the foreseeable future, but let us kick it off today with an inspirational story...


 Up next!

Go on, create it!



Enjoy your journey



Saturday 12 January 2013