Vision

Once upon a time, a daughter complained to her father that her life was miserable and that she didn’t know how she was going to make it. She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time. It seemed just as one problem was solved, another one soon followed. Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil, he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot and ground coffee beans in the third pot. He then let them sit and boil, without saying a word to his daughter. The daughter moaned and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. After twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He took the potatoes out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. He then ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup. Turning to her, he asked. “Daughter, what do you see?” “Potatoes, eggs and coffee,” she hastily replied. “Look closer”, he...

Tagore is one the best spiritual poets of the contemporary century. For me, he is all time inspiration. Whenever I read his poems, I feel divinely delightful. He has heavenly mirth in his poems. His poems are devoted to God. That is the inner bliss runs beneath. Here in this one, he feels the presence of God with him. We may believe that God is in the temple, but the foremost wisdom is: God is with me, within me. So he keeps his body, mind and spirit pure. He keeps all untruths and evils away from him by knowing that God is in the inmost shrine of his heart. He reveals God’s divine touch in his endeavour because God gives him the strength to act. Here it is:                   Life of my life, I shall ever try to keep my body pure, knowing that thy living touch is upon all my limbs. I shall ever try to keep all untruths out from my thoughts, knowing that thou art that trut...

Restlessness, the longing for something different, something new, or something more, seems to be part of the human condition, and in this poem, George Herbert reflects on this human characteristic. The title is a metaphor drawn from mechanical engineering. A pulley is a device with which by pulling down you lift something up. Restlessness is a device by which God lifts men and women to Himself. Here is the poem:  When God at first made man, Having a glass of blessings standing by, “Let us,” said he, “pour on him all we can. Let the world’s riches, which dispersèd lie, Contract into a span.” So strength first made a way; Then beauty flowed, then wisdom, honour, pleasure. When almost all was out, God made a stay, Perceiving that, alone of all his treasure, Rest in the bottom lay. “For if I should,” said he, “Bestow this jewel also on my creature, He would adore my gifts instead of me, And rest in Nature, not the God of Nature; So both sho...

Once upon a time, there was a king who had gone to visit neighbouring kingdoms. He was gifted a pair of baby Macaw Parrots by the king of the last kingdom where he was visiting. They were the most beautiful birds he had ever seen. So, upon returning to his kingdom, he called for a bird trainer and asked him to train macaw parrots. The king also arranged a place in the palace garden for the parrots. He often looked at them from his palace window. As time passed, one day the trainer came to the palace and informed the king that though one of the parrots was flying majestically high in the sky, the other one was not moving from its branch since the day it had arrived. Upon hearing this, the king summoned trainer and healers from the nearby kingdoms. They all tried their best, but couldn’t make the parrot fly! He even asked his courtiers to try to find a way to make the parrot fly but they all failed. The parrot was not moving from his branch at all. Finally, after trying eve...

Efforts… efforts….efforts… but no results. Faces as many failures and disappointments. Then read this poem. A wonderful ecstasy of an endeavor. When we try and don’t succeed, the mind gets distressed. It agitates in a negative way. We may feel: why always me? We may feel: all the efforts I put are in vain. In such torments, we can surely empower the mind. The truth is: somewhere and somehow the same efforts make changes. We may not be able to notice it. So never ever lose faith and put forth in misery. Pain always teaches us. New strengths get revealed during sufferings. Struggle and scuffle make us brave. Grapple against the circumstance with an undying spirit. Surely the victory will emerge like the sun that arises after a dark and deep night. Here a few lines about it: SAY not the struggle nought availeth, The labour and the wounds are vain, The enemy faints not, nor faileth, And as things have been they remain. If hopes were dupes, fears may be liars; ...

I’ll not look back for that is a useless effort, I can not live one moment of yesterday again, If I have wasted time and talents given If I have caused someone I love deep pain I can not change the words or acts by grieving But I can make today a shining light, Yesterday’s page with all mistakes I’ll turn away from And find before me a clean one on which to write. I’ll pray for strength to make today’s page spotless That tomorrow I’ll have no regret, And may God grant that all tomorrows My talents will be used for good, not one misspent. ~ Author Unknown Accept your past without regret, Handle your present with confidence, And Face your future without fear. ~ Author Unknown If you are depressed you are living in the past, If you are anxious you are living in the future, If you are at peace you are living in the present. ~ Lao Tzu Do not look back and grieve over the past; for it is gone, Do not be troubled about the future; f...

These are a few lines from Stray Birds by Rabindranath Tagore. Worth inspiring and heartening. Anyone who loves poetic philosophy loves these as well. I have picked my favourite ones. Here they are : STRAY birds of summer come to my window to sing and fly away. And yellow leaves of autumn, which have no songs, flutter and fall there with a sigh. THE world has opened its heart of light in the morning. Come out, my heart, with thy love to meet it. DARKNESS travels towards light, but blindness towards death. "IN the moon thou sendest thy love letters to me," said the night to the sun. "I leave my answers in tears upon the grass." "WHO is there to take up my duties?" asked the setting sun. "I shall do what I can, my Master," said the earthen lamp. IF you shed tears when you miss the sun, you also miss the stars. "WE, the rustling leaves, have a voice that answers the storms, but who are you so silent?" ...

A smile. It costs nothing but values more. It is an expression of an amiable heart. It lightens the heaviness. It begins the friendship. It refreshes the tired. It enlivens the exhausted. It sunshines the sad. It’s the sweetest antidote in trouble. Life a divine gift of God. Why waste it in hurry, worry and curry! God has created me and he has sent me into this beautiful world to enjoy. The sun rises and sets for me, a flower bloom for me, the wind blows for me, it rains for me and nature reveals for me, everything is being created to make me happy. So be happy and keep smiling. Whatever fate gifts us, it’s a divine gift of God. So don’t be scared of sorrows, and don’t be afraid of pleasures. In both, be cheery and jolly. Let the glee rest in the heart. Let the gaiety be our nature. Revel the inner delight and bliss in all. Here is a wonderful poem about a smile. The author is unknown but who has written this poem, must have a genial eternal soul.   Here it is: ...