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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 25 2009 : 1:54:52 PM
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Along the way I have heard many stories/analogies that have touched me and I have used many to explain things to others. I will share a few here now and will share some more later. I would love to hear some more, they come in very handy when explaining things to my children, family, friends. So do share some of your own.
This one is my favorite. I remember telling my daughter about it some time back. She and I were cleaning up her room and she looked at a picture frame in her room and said to me she absolutely loved that frame, but hated the picture it held. I was not sure why, it was a picture of her and a friend, and she looked beautiful in it. So I asked her why? She said, because her friend's mom took almost half an hr to get the perfect picture and she just hated how painful it was. I told her this story.
There were two monks walking. An old one and a young one. They came to a shallow river and there was a lady there who demanded one of them should carry her across the river. So the old monk carried her across and the two monks carried on. At the end of the day they decided to rest for the night. While they sat by a fire, the young monk told the old one.. "I cannot believe you carried that lady across the river, she was perfectly capable of walking across, she was so rude, did not even thank you. I really don't get why you did it". The old monk looked at the young monk and said "You are still carrying her? I dropped her hours ago".
I saw my daughters face change. 
I told my daughter, "the pain you felt was for maybe 15-20 min while you had to wait for that perfect picture, but do you realize you have been reliving that pain for a year now?" |
Edited by - Shanti on Feb 25 2009 1:57:01 PM |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Feb 25 2009 : 1:58:49 PM
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This one was from Nithyananda. He told this story when he was talking about people who argue and talk with authority about what enlightenment is but have not experienced it.
Four blind men were taken to an elephant and asked to describe what an elephant looks like. The first man touched the tail of the elephant and said, "without a doubt, the elephant looks very much like a rope". the second felt the leg of the elephant and said "the elephants were like the trunk of a tree", the third touched the ears and said it looked like a hand held fan, the fourth felt the trunk and said the elephant looked like a snake. Each one talking from their limited perception. |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Feb 25 2009 : 2:07:38 PM
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This one is from a member of our forum Jim and his karma. I have told this analogy to many, and this is another one of those analogies that people really get. I remember telling my dad this one and half way across the world over the phone I remember feeling a shift in him and almost heard a "got it" click in him.
This is in my words:
When a child is sitting in the car with a toy steering wheel.. and he turns the toy steering wheel left.. and his father happens to turn the car left.. he is very happy.. he feels he is controlling the car.. Then he turns the steering wheel right.. but his dad turns left.. now he is confused.. what happened here.. how come my steering wheel is not controlling the car anymore.. so he gets upset.. and tries so hard to make the car go the right way again..
It is the same with us.. we feel we control our lives but it is in God's hands.. and if we just let God drive us around.. it becomes so much simpler to get home.
In Jim's words:
Our ego is like a toddler steering his toy steering wheel with great attention in the passenger seat as daddy drives. We feel disoriented, angry, and disappointed that the car keeps turning when we don't, and that our turns often have no effect. It's a nauseating disconnection. But there are enough random coincidences (I steer my toy wheel and the car really does go that way) to keep us hooked to the delusion for our entire bloody lives.
Let go of the chintzy little plastic toy steering wheel, already. |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Feb 25 2009 : 2:09:01 PM
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This one is also from Nithyananda.
Nithyananda was once asked, "I want to bring smile on the face of needy people... "... Nithyanada said "First bring a smile on your face.. then let that smile overflow and bring smile on others face... else in the name of service you will only be imposing your ego on others".
He then told this story, Some kids were asked to do some kind of social service for the day. Later their teacher asked them what they did.. 3 boys said "we helped an old lady cross the street".. the teacher looked puzzled and said.. "it took 3 of you???" They replied.. "yes.. the lady did not want to cross the street". |
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Shanti
USA
4854 Posts |
Posted - Feb 25 2009 : 2:10:46 PM
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And this one is the last for today. 
This one really hit home.
Nithyananda was talking about how the ego is such a deeply ingrained part of our lives, that when we are told we can actually function perfectly fine without our thinking ego minds we find it really hard to believe. Even when we have tasted the freedom we experience when not controlled by the ego, it is hard to let go, to unlearn how not to try and control every aspect of our lives. How can you survive without thoughts?
It is like a man who was born blind and is told by the doctors they now have some kind of surgery that will return his eyesight for him, and he can actually walk without a stick after that. The man replies, "that will be awesome, I will be able to see again.. but what has that got to do with walking without a stick? How can you ever walk without a stick?" |
Edited by - Shanti on Feb 25 2009 2:25:20 PM |
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Katrine
Norway
1813 Posts |
Posted - Feb 25 2009 : 2:39:09 PM
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Hi Shanti
I really enjoyed the stories. Thank you so much
Can't wait to hear the next one.......hope you plan on posting very consistently |
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YogaIsLife
641 Posts |
Posted - Feb 25 2009 : 3:53:21 PM
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Yes Shanti, keep on posting! Great stories!
I wish I could remember one now...will post if I do!
Storytelling is great...it's in our genes you know...that is how knowledge was passed on from one generation to the next for millenia...before books...stories fascinate something very deep within all of us...we love stories!  |
Edited by - YogaIsLife on Feb 25 2009 3:55:28 PM |
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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Feb 25 2009 : 4:01:28 PM
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Here is one I like and have shared with a few people around here before:
Dr. Arun Gandhi, gandson of Mahatma Gandhi and founder of the M.K.Gandhi
Institute for Nonviolence, in his June 9 lecture at the University of
Puerto Rico, shared the following story:
I was 16 years old and living with my parents at the institute my
grandfather had founded 18 miles outside of Durban, South Africa, in the
middle of the sugar plantations. We were deep in the country and had no
neighbours, so my two sisters and I would always look forward to going
to town to visit friends or go to the movies.
One day, my father asked me to drive him to town for an all-day
conference, and I jumped at the chance. Since I was going to town, my
mother gave me a list of groceries she needed and, since I had all day
in town, my father asked me to take care of several pending chores, such
as getting the car serviced.
When I dropped my father off that morning, he said, "I will meet you
here at 5:00 p.m. , and we will go home together." After hurriedly
completing my chores, I went straight to the nearest movie theatre. I
got so engrossed in a John Wayne double-feature that I forgot the time.
It was 5:30 before I remembered. By the time I ran to the garage and got
the car and hurried to where my father was waiting for me, it was
almost 6:00.
He anxiously asked me, "Why were you late? "I was so ashamed of telling
him I was watching a John Wayne western movie that I said, "The car
wasn't ready, so I had to wait," not realizing that he had already
called the garage.
When he caught me in the lie, he said: "There's something wrong in the
way I brought you up that didn't give you the confidence to tell me the
truth. In order to figure out where I went wrong with you, I'm going to
walk home 18 miles and think about it.
So, dressed in his suit and dress shoes, he began to walk home in the
dark on mostly unpaved, unlit roads.
I couldn't leave him, so for five-and-a-half hours I drove behind him,
watching my father go through this agony for a stupid lie that I uttered.
I decided then and there that I was never going to lie again. I often
think about that episode and wonder, if he had punished me the way we
punish our children, whether I would have learned a lesson at all. I
don't think so.
I would have suffered the punishment and gone on doing the same thing.
But this single non-violent action was so powerful that it is still as
if it happened yesterday.
That is the power of non-violence.
by Dr. Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi |
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brother neil
USA
752 Posts |
Posted - Feb 26 2009 : 8:12:34 PM
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swaminosepickingbuttscratcher was with his disciple masterofcontinuosbangingheadonwall when the disciple was telling swami of all his problems, during the middle of this rant by masterofcontinuosbangingheadonwall swaminosepickingbuttscratcher asked him, "do you lke the sun or the clouds"? the disciple replied "The sun of course, it is the giver of light, life". back to his rant went masterofcontinuosbangingheadonwall so later that day, just after lunch swami called the headbanger outside. he told him to look in the sky and tell him what he saw, he says "two clouds" the swami laughed and and pointing he said "there is only two clouds in the sky today and neither of them are blocking the sun"
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machart
USA
342 Posts |
Posted - Feb 28 2009 : 3:28:19 PM
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The butterfly story...
One day, a small opening appeared on a chrysallis.
A person sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.
Then, it stopped and did not appear to be
making any progress.
It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could not go any further.
So the person decided to help the butterfly.
With a pair of scissors, the person opened the chrysallis.
The butterfly then emerged easily.
But it had a swollen and withered body.
It was tiny and had shrivelled wings.
The person continued to watch, expecting that at any moment the wings would open, enlarge and expand, to be able to support the butterfly's body and become firm.
It never happened...
In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a withered body and shrivelled wings.
It never was able to fly. . . .
What the person, in sincere kindness and goodwill, did not understand was that the restricting chrysallis and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening, were natures way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings, so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the chrysallis.
Sometimes,
struggles
are exactly
what we need
in our life.
If God allowed us to go through our life
without any obstacles,
...it would cripple us.
We would not be as strong as we could have been.
We would never be able to fly.
........................................
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CarsonZi
Canada
3189 Posts |
Posted - Feb 28 2009 : 3:51:30 PM
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Awesome Machart.....thank you for sharing that.
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krcqimpro1
India
329 Posts |
Posted - Mar 02 2009 : 12:21:49 AM
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Good stories, Shanti and Machart.
Krish |
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Rattan
South Africa
41 Posts |
Posted - Mar 02 2009 : 03:50:14 AM
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A very old story that helps me often:
There was once a farmer and his only son. Having only one horse, the farmer and son worked long hard days, sun up to sun down, just to get by, with nothing left to spare.
One day as the father and son plowed the fields, their horse got spooked and ran off. The son was devastated; “What bad luck, now what will we do?”
The father replied; “Good luck, bad luck, too soon to tell.”
The father and son continued to work the farm. Then one day their horse comes running back over the hill with 6 other horses. The son exclaimed, “What great luck, now we have all the horses we’ll ever need!”
To which the farmer replied; “Good luck, bad luck, too soon to tell.”
The next day as the farmer and son were working with the horses, one particulary difficult horse threw the son off his back and broke his leg. The son cried: “Oh father, I am so sorry, now you have to work the farm all by yourself. What bad luck!”
Once again the father replied: “Good luck, bad luck, too soon to tell.”
Several days later war broke out and all the able bodied young men were sent off to war. The farmer’s son, having a broken leg, was forced to stay at home.
After the leg had healed, the father had the only farm around with a son to help and seven horses to boot. They worked the farm and prospered.
Good luck, bad luck. It’s too soon to tell.
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brother neil
USA
752 Posts |
Posted - Mar 02 2009 : 6:42:57 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Rattan
A very old story that helps me often:
There was once a farmer and his only son. Having only one horse, the farmer and son worked long hard days, sun up to sun down, just to get by, with nothing left to spare.
One day as the father and son plowed the fields, their horse got spooked and ran off. The son was devastated; “What bad luck, now what will we do?”
The father replied; “Good luck, bad luck, too soon to tell.”
The father and son continued to work the farm. Then one day their horse comes running back over the hill with 6 other horses. The son exclaimed, “What great luck, now we have all the horses we’ll ever need!”
To which the farmer replied; “Good luck, bad luck, too soon to tell.”
The next day as the farmer and son were working with the horses, one particulary difficult horse threw the son off his back and broke his leg. The son cried: “Oh father, I am so sorry, now you have to work the farm all by yourself. What bad luck!”
Once again the father replied: “Good luck, bad luck, too soon to tell.”
Several days later war broke out and all the able bodied young men were sent off to war. The farmer’s son, having a broken leg, was forced to stay at home.
After the leg had healed, the father had the only farm around with a son to help and seven horses to boot. They worked the farm and prospered.
Good luck, bad luck. It’s too soon to tell.
that is great that it helps you often but for me
helpful, not helpful, too soon to tell |
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jusmail
India
491 Posts |
Posted - Apr 07 2015 : 9:38:06 PM
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Once two kids found a pouch containing fifteen silver coins. One had spotted it and
the other had picked it up. Each claimed ownership of the find. This led to an argument
and ultimately they approached the wise Mulla Nasruddin with their quandary.
"Hmmm...so you want me to resolve the matter?"
"Yes, please," both said in unison.
"Alright, I'll divide the coins between you two. But tell me, do you want me to do
justice like a human or God?"
"Please do as God would."
He counted the coins and gave twelve to one and three to the other. While they both
istood there bewildered, said Mulla plainly, "That's how He operates."
Life can be unfair.
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NoDogma
USA
123 Posts |
Posted - Apr 08 2015 : 12:28:45 AM
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Thanks for reopening this thread. Here's my fav :
An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.
"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." He continued, "The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."
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Prem
Canada
90 Posts |
Posted - Apr 08 2015 : 09:41:12 AM
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Thank you for sharing, here is another.
A 24 year old boy seeing out from the train’s window shouted…
“Dad, look the trees are going behind!”
Dad smiled and a young couple sitting nearby, looked at the 24 year old’s childish behavior with pity,
suddenly he again exclaimed…
“Dad, look the clouds are running with us!”
The couple couldn’t resist and said to the old man…
“Why don’t you take your son to a good doctor?”
The old man smiled and said…
“I did and we are just coming from the hospital, my son was blind from birth, he just got his eyes today.
Every single person on the planet has a story. Don’t judge people before you truly know them. The truth might surprise you. |
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AYPforum
351 Posts |
Posted - Apr 08 2015 : 10:42:44 AM
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| Moderator note: Topic moved for better placement |
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1734 Posts |
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Storytelling.
