The Secret Of Happiness

A certain shopkeeper sent his son to learn about the secret of happiness from the wisest man in the world. The lad wandered through the desert for 40 days, and finally came upon a beautiful castle, high atop a mountain. It was there that the wise man lived.

Rather than finding a saintly man, though, our hero, on entering the main room of the castle, saw a hive of activity: tradesmen came and went, people were conversing in the corners, a small orchestra was playing soft music, and there was a table covered with platters of the most delicious food in that part of the world. The wise man conversed with everyone, and the boy had to wait for two hours before it was his turn to be given the man’s attention.

The wise man listened attentively to the boy’s explanation of why he had come, but told him that he didn’t have time just then to explain the secret of happiness. He suggested that the boy look around the palace and return in two hours.

“Meanwhile, I want to ask you to do something”, said the wise man, handing the boy a teaspoon that held two drops of oil. “As you wander around, carry this spoon with you without allowing the oil to spill”.

The boy began climbing and descending the many stairways of the palace, keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. After two hours, he returned to the room where the wise man was.

“Well”, asked the wise man, “Did you see the Persian tapestries that are hanging in my dining hall? Did you see the garden that it took the master gardener ten years to create? Did you notice the beautiful parchments in my library?”

The boy was embarrassed, and confessed that he had observed nothing. His only concern had been not to spill the oil that the wise man had entrusted to him.

“Then go back and observe the marvels of my world”, said the wise man. “You cannot trust a man if you don’t know his house”.

Relieved, the boy picked up the spoon and returned to his exploration of the palace, this time observing all of the works of art on the ceilings and the walls. He saw the gardens, the mountains all around him, the beauty of the flowers, and the taste with which everything had been selected. Upon returning to the wise man, he related in detail everything he had seen.

“But where are the drops of oil I entrusted to you?” asked the wise man. Looking down at the spoon he held, the boy saw that the oil was gone.

“Well, there is only one piece of advice I can give you”, said the wisest of wise men. “The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon”.

A certain shopkeeper sent his son to learn about the secret of happiness from the wisest man in the world. The lad wandered through the desert for 40 days, and finally came upon a beautiful castle, high atop a mountain. It was there that the wise man lived.
Rather than finding a saintly man, though, our hero, on entering the main room of the castle, saw a hive of activity: tradesmen came and went, people were conversing in the corners, a small orchestra was playing soft music, and there was a table covered with platters of the most delicious food in that part of the world. The wise man conversed with everyone, and the boy had to wait for two hours before it was his turn to be given the man’s attention.
The wise man listened attentively to the boy’s explanation of why he had come, but told him that he didn’t have time just then to explain the secret of happiness. He suggested that the boy look around the palace and return in two hours.
“Meanwhile, I want to ask you to do something”, said the wise man, handing the boy a teaspoon that held two drops of oil. “As you wander around, carry this spoon with you without allowing the oil to spill”.
The boy began climbing and descending the many stairways of the palace, keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. After two hours, he returned to the room where the wise man was.
“Well”, asked the wise man, “Did you see the Persian tapestries that are hanging in my dining hall? Did you see the garden that it took the master gardener ten years to create? Did you notice the beautiful parchments in my library?”
The boy was embarrassed, and confessed that he had observed nothing. His only concern had been not to spill the oil that the wise man had entrusted to him.
“Then go back and observe the marvels of my world”, said the wise man. “You cannot trust a man if you don’t know his house”.
Relieved, the boy picked up the spoon and returned to his exploration of the palace, this time observing all of the works of art on the ceilings and the walls. He saw the gardens, the mountains all around him, the beauty of the flowers, and the taste with which everything had been selected. Upon returning to the wise man, he related in detail everything he had seen.
“But where are the drops of oil I entrusted to you?” asked the wise man. Looking down at the spoon he held, the boy saw that the oil was gone.
“Well, there is only one piece of advice I can give you”, said the wisest of wise men. “The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon”. - See more at: http://www.storydose.com/2013/06/the-secret-of-happiness.html#sthash.wuHIVu9c.dpuf

A certain shopkeeper sent his son to learn about the secret of happiness from the wisest man in the world. The lad wandered through the desert for 40 days, and finally came upon a beautiful castle, high atop a mountain. It was there that the wise man lived.
Rather than finding a saintly man, though, our hero, on entering the main room of the castle, saw a hive of activity: tradesmen came and went, people were conversing in the corners, a small orchestra was playing soft music, and there was a table covered with platters of the most delicious food in that part of the world. The wise man conversed with everyone, and the boy had to wait for two hours before it was his turn to be given the man’s attention.
The wise man listened attentively to the boy’s explanation of why he had come, but told him that he didn’t have time just then to explain the secret of happiness. He suggested that the boy look around the palace and return in two hours.
“Meanwhile, I want to ask you to do something”, said the wise man, handing the boy a teaspoon that held two drops of oil. “As you wander around, carry this spoon with you without allowing the oil to spill”.
The boy began climbing and descending the many stairways of the palace, keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. After two hours, he returned to the room where the wise man was.
“Well”, asked the wise man, “Did you see the Persian tapestries that are hanging in my dining hall? Did you see the garden that it took the master gardener ten years to create? Did you notice the beautiful parchments in my library?”
The boy was embarrassed, and confessed that he had observed nothing. His only concern had been not to spill the oil that the wise man had entrusted to him.
“Then go back and observe the marvels of my world”, said the wise man. “You cannot trust a man if you don’t know his house”.
Relieved, the boy picked up the spoon and returned to his exploration of the palace, this time observing all of the works of art on the ceilings and the walls. He saw the gardens, the mountains all around him, the beauty of the flowers, and the taste with which everything had been selected. Upon returning to the wise man, he related in detail everything he had seen.
“But where are the drops of oil I entrusted to you?” asked the wise man. Looking down at the spoon he held, the boy saw that the oil was gone.
“Well, there is only one piece of advice I can give you”, said the wisest of wise men. “The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon”. - See more at: http://www.storydose.com/2013/06/the-secret-of-happiness.html#sthash.wuHIVu9c.dpuf

Why Some Places Become Sacred

‘‘The moment i entered the temple my eyes welled up and i felt calm, completely at peace for those few moments,” said my friend about her recent trip to the Golden Temple in Amritsar. I have heard many such anecdotes and a personal experience bears testimony to the attainment of this higher feeling, even if it was short-lived. 

    I wonder what makes certain spaces ‘sacred’. According to sociologist Emile Durkheim, almost anything can be sacred: a god, pebble, tree, king, the moon, a river, animal or bird. They derive sanctity only because the community has marked them as sacred. Once established as sacred, however, they become symbols of religious beliefs, sentiments and practices. Thus, status of any space or object progressing from the realm of the profane to the sacred depends on people who vest their faith in them. 

    Perhaps it works as a placebo. Once a place of worship is established as ‘powerful’ it acquires sanctity over time; it could become a popular pilgrimage destination and provide succour to the faithful. Once a community confers upon a space the attribute of sacredness, it is spontaneously treated differently. Devotees visit the place only after ritualistic cleansing and vest unflinching faith in what their community has singled out from the realm of the profane. As several devotees congregate at such a ‘sacred space’ it produces strong vibes emerging from each of these devotees and creates an aura that changes its dynamics. 

    We all inhabit strong spiritual energies that flow from us into the space we inhabit. There are certain spaces that have a ‘calming effect’ even though they may not necessarily be marked as a sacred space. This ‘calming effect’ owes its existence to the spiritual energies the people frequenting these places carry. Humans are gifted with the tendency to personalise the space they are in. The aura of a space derives its worth from the people frequenting it. 

    What makes some parts of space qualitatively different from others is the strength of the vibrations emerging from those inhabiting it. It is looked upon as a void, an empty well that is filled with the hopes, dreams and ambitions of its devotees who believe that pouring their faith into this void will miraculously lead to their fulfillment  The joint faith of myriad members of a community empowers the void 

    What makes some parts of space qualitatively different from others is the strength of the vibrations emerging from those inhabiting it. It is looked upon as a void, an empty well that is filled with the hopes, dreams and ambitions of its devotees who believe that pouring their faith into this void will miraculously lead to their fulfillment  The joint faith of myriad members of a community empowers the void with strong spiritual energies and the constant human interaction with these forces leads to miracles. Thus, the attainment of peace and calm is the spiritual transfer of energy which, according to researchers, activates the kundalini or subtle energy systems in our body that are vital for spiritual growth. 

    There is indeed no end to human potential. The human race collectively is imbued with insurmountable power. Even the spiritual is produced and controlled by human beings. A human gives birth to God, for without the faith that we vest in these forces they shall cease to exist. Miracles happen when our spiritual energies create auras that take extra-human leaps. 

    It is time we cherish our worth as spiritual beings and use the power vested in us to create a world that we deserve. We have the potential to make every space sacred with the energies that we transfer. To inhabit positive energies we need to first commit ourselves to optimism and believe in the power of our faith. For faith can indeed move mountains. 

    It is time we cherish our worth as spiritual beings and use the power vested in us to create a world that we deserve. We have the potential to make every space sacred with the energies that we transfer. To inhabit positive energies we need to first commit ourselves to optimism and believe in the power of our faith. For faith can indeed move mountains. 

Binaifer Dulani 

Famous Buddhist Quotes & Sayings

• Neither fire nor wind, birth nor death can erase our good deeds.
• You only lose what you cling to.
• Fill your mind with compassion.

We live in illusion and the appearance of things. There is a reality. We are that reality. When you understand this, you see that you are nothing, and being nothing, you are everything. That is all.

• The Four Reliances
  First, rely on the spirit and meaning of the teachings, not on the words;
  Second, rely on the teachings, not on the personality of the teacher;
  Third, rely on real wisdom, not superficial interpretation;
  And fourth, rely on the essence of your pure Wisdom Mind, not on judgmental perceptions.

• We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make our world.

• To be idle is a short road to death and to be diligent is a way of life; foolish people are idle, wise people are diligent.

• Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful.

• Pay no attention to the faults of others,
  things done or left undone by others.
  Consider only what by oneself is done or left undone.

• What we think, we become.

• Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one getting burned.

• Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others.

• He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.

• An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind

• Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.

Anger will never disappear so long as thoughts of resentment are cherished in the mind. Anger will disappear just as soon as thoughts of resentment are forgotten.

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change our world.

On life's journey Faith is nourishment,Virtuous deeds are a shelter,Wisdom is the light by day and Right mindfulness is the protection by night.

• If a man lives a pure life nothing can destroy him;
  If he has conquered greed nothing can limit his freedom.

• To know that you do not know is the best. To pretend to know when you do not know is a disease.

• One of his students asked Buddha, "Are you the messiah?"
  "No", answered Buddha.
  "Then are you a healer?"
  "No", Buddha replied.
  "Then are you a teacher?" the student persisted.
  "No, I am not a teacher."
  "Then what are you?" asked the student, exasperated.
  "I am awake", Buddha replied.