Sunday, May 4, 2008
Quote from His teachings-The Whole World is One Family
"The highest principle of Sanatana Dharma is 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,' the whole world is one family. God is the father of this whole universe. That is why we are all brothers and sisters and belong to one family. No matter what religion we are following, if we cannot love others then we are not following religion, but the illusion of religion. Religion teaches oneness of all. Where there is no unity, no love, no harmony among each other, how could there be religion?"
The Straw on the River Ganges
Man, who lives in darkness, thinks: ''Look at me! Look at all the things I'm doing!" Yet God is so great that he hides behind his creation. We should give thanks to Him and remember Him from whom we draw our strength.
One day the river Ganges was flowing beautifully out of the high Himalayas. The sun was bright on the pure, clean water. There was a sudden gust of wind and the wind picked up a straw and dropped it on the current of the river.
"Look at me!" The straw said. "This river is so beautiful! I'm passing flowers and woods and I can see all the mountains, and overhead the sky is blue!"
The river kept flowing and passed one holy place after another.
"Look at me!" The straw said. "I'm passing all the holy places of India!"
They came to a place where a lady was gathering water by the side of the river. She had a bucket and she dipped her bucket into the river and the straw went into her bucket.
"Look at me!" The straw said. "This lady will carry me throughout the town. I've found the holy place meant for me."
"Goodbye, straw," the river Ganges said. "I'm going to keep going, but you stay here if you want. I've taken you to all the holy places and I'm pleased that you found a place that you like. But first, though, don't you think you should thank me?"
"Thank you?" The straw said. "For what?"
"For carrying you," the river said. "You floated in my current and I brought you here."
"No!" The straw said. "Didn't you see me swimming? I wasn't floating; I was swimming."
"Little straw," the river laughed. "You were floating, not swimming. You did nothing on your own. You didn't have the strength to swim on your own in my water and if you had, you would have swam all over the place and not arrived at this holy spot. Go now, if you want to, live here and be happy, but give thanks to God."
And the river left.
Story told on May 1, 1974.
The Straw on the River Ganges
One day the river Ganges was flowing beautifully out of the high Himalayas. The sun was bright on the pure, clean water. There was a sudden gust of wind and the wind picked up a straw and dropped it on the current of the river.
"Look at me!" The straw said. "This river is so beautiful! I'm passing flowers and woods and I can see all the mountains, and overhead the sky is blue!"
The river kept flowing and passed one holy place after another.
"Look at me!" The straw said. "I'm passing all the holy places of India!"
They came to a place where a lady was gathering water by the side of the river. She had a bucket and she dipped her bucket into the river and the straw went into her bucket.
"Look at me!" The straw said. "This lady will carry me throughout the town. I've found the holy place meant for me."
"Goodbye, straw," the river Ganges said. "I'm going to keep going, but you stay here if you want. I've taken you to all the holy places and I'm pleased that you found a place that you like. But first, though, don't you think you should thank me?"
"Thank you?" The straw said. "For what?"
"For carrying you," the river said. "You floated in my current and I brought you here."
"No!" The straw said. "Didn't you see me swimming? I wasn't floating; I was swimming."
"Little straw," the river laughed. "You were floating, not swimming. You did nothing on your own. You didn't have the strength to swim on your own in my water and if you had, you would have swam all over the place and not arrived at this holy spot. Go now, if you want to, live here and be happy, but give thanks to God."
And the river left.
Story told on May 1, 1974.
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