Searching for a True Master

It's a Sufi story….
A man went in search of truth.The first spiritual person he met was sitting under a tree, just outside his own village. He asked, “I am searching for a true Murshid( It's an Arabic word for "guide" or "teacher" Particularly in Sufism it refers to a spiritual guide). Please tell me the characteristics of a true master.” 
The fakir(a Muslim religious ascetic who lives solely on alms) told him the characteristics. His description was very simple. He said, “You’ll find him sitting
under such and such a tree, sitting in such and
such posture, his hands making such and such
gestures – that is enough to know he is the true
master.”
The seeker started searching. It is said that 10
years passed while he wandered the whole earth.
He visited many places but never met the
master. He met many masters, but none were
true masters. He returned to his own village
completely exhausted. As he was returning he
was surprised, he couldn’t believe it: that old
man was seated under the same tree, and now
he could see that this was the very tree that the
old man had spoken of and his posture
was exactly as he had described. ”It was the
same posture he was sitting in 10 years ago –
was I blind? The exact expression on his face,
the exact gestures….!”
He fell at his feet saying, “Why didn’t you tell me
in the first place? Why did you misdirect me for
these 10 years? Why didn’t you tell me that
you are true Murshid?”
The old man said, “I told you, but you were not
ready to listen. You were not able to come home
without wandering away. You had to knock on
the doors of a thousand houses to come to your
own home, only then could you return. I said it, I
said everything – beneath such and such a tree.
I was describing this very tree, the posture I was
sitting in, but you were too fast, you couldn’t
hear correctly, you were in a hurry. You were
going somewhere to search. Searching was very
important for you, the truth was not so
important.
“But you have come! I was feeling tired, sitting
continuously in this posture for you. You were
wandering for 10 years, but think of me sitting
under this tree! I knew some day you would
come.
The Murshid(Master) was always here.”

It happens many times in our life that we cannot
see what is near, and what is far attracts us. The
distant drum sounds sweeter, we are pulled by
distant dreams.

Teaching Through Stories

Zen Master always found out to be strange to the western mind in the way they teach their disciples.
Some may think that Zen is a kind of cult. Mystics and all the eastern master have the same way to teach their disciples.
They usually don't say directly about the truth. It always depends on disciple's  understanding level and wisdom to get it.

Here I am sharing some stories that will help to understand this....

One day one disciple came to a zen master and asked him "I came all the way from far country to learn Zen"
Master asked him "why do you want to learn"?
Disciple said that's because "I want to gain Nirvana(Enlightenment)"
Then master replied "Until there is ‘I’ you cannot gain any enlightenment. Go back".

here is another one, one day one student came to a monastery and asking the master "I want to learn swordsmanship and kung-fu so I can save our village from thieves.
Then Master replied I don’t know but you can stay here.
(Student after staying in that monastery for few years one day he told his master)
"I have realized there is no greater enemy than the one resides within"
After hearing this the Master replied, "I will teach you swordsmanship and kungfu so you can save your village".

Few disciples went to their master and told him we heard from other schools that their master can walk on the river. We want to know what superpower you have.
Listening to this the master replied, "I eat when I feel hungry and sleep when I feel sleepy that's the only wisdom I have".

Here is the last one..

one day a disciple was learning meditation under a very wise master suddenly he asked his master "If someone asked me what is the ultimate truth what I will reply"
Listening to this the master went into deep silence...

It's not a good idea to explain these short stories or Koan because that would be missing the point.
The stories themselves are the experience. Only someone can meditate upon them to realize the insights within them. For years different masters are using these stories to teach their disciples. 

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Shower Thought

In English there is one phrase called "Shower thought". Its usually referred to  those thoughts, ideas, or philosophical questions that race through your head when you are in the shower. But actually it's more than that. It can applies to any thought you might have while carrying out a routine task like showering, driving, or daydreaming.

Let's share some famous shower thought of all time : 

"We always say things on fire for example the house is on fire or the Forrest is on fire...but have you ever thought how come things on fire actually it would be fire on things''

Have you ever noticed when you say forward or back, your lips actually move on those direction...

Now another interesting one if you punch your self on the face and it's really hurt then is it make you a  strong person or weak...think about it. 

"Clapping is just hitting your self cause you just liked something"

Have you ever encountered with this thought that "it's impossible to skip breakfast. The first time you eat during a day is when you "break your fast."

Here is another one When we ask someone "where are you" its actually a recent thing. Before we had mobile phones, the only way we could talk to people is if we knew where they were.

Here comes the last one "Go to bed and you will feel better  in the morning" we usually say it when we have a very rough day but isn't it another way of saying have you turned off and turned on again.

Spiritual but not religious

Few years a go I was filling up a form. There was one section called your religious believe and on this section there are 10 different option like Islam, Christianity. Buddhism, Hindu, Atheist etc but the one got my attention was the last one, “Spiritual but not religious”.

I found it very interesting and as soon as I read it I said yes finally I found a phrase to express my believe. Cause if I choosed any other option that would not  be fully true. 

Since then whoever asked me about my religious believe I always say “spiritual but not religious”

So how is to be spiritual. Lots of people think spirituality comes from religion. Its not fully correct. Religion tell us to follow a certain ideology and specific rules that you must follow otherwise you will be punished in hell or you will be reincarnated again and again. On the other hand spirituality is about following your own heart and do what feels right. Religion tells you what to fear and show you the consequences but Spirituality makes you aware of the consequences but doesn’t want you to focus on the fear. 

Religion tells you what to believe and what is right. Spirituality lets you discover it by yourself and understand it in your own way. It lets you Connect With Your Higher Self and see with your own mind. Cause truth is same for all of us. 

It actually  let you believe in your own truth through your own perception of your heart.

“Religion Separates us from each other   and Spirituality Unites us”

There are plenty of religion all around the world  and they all preach that  their one is the right path and the only one but Spirituality sees the truth in all of them and unites them because the truth is same for all of us despite our differences and uniqueness. . It focuses on the quality of the divine message in all the religion.

Religion Makes You Dependent – Spirituality Makes You Independent, how it does that,  its shows you that you don’t need or depend on anything to be happy. Happiness is always found deep in ourselves and only we are responsible for it. We are always where we need to be.Divinity is in us and that is why we are always special.

Religion says that if we don’t obey certain rules there is punishment waiting for us which relies on our belief. Spirituality is all about karma its lets us understand that every action has its reaction and realize that the punishment of our actions will be the reaction coming from the actions we set in motion. It relies solely on the fundamental forces of The Universe and it doesn’t need you to believe in that force to be true.

Religion Makes You Follow Other Journey – Spirituality Lets You Create Your Own. The foundation of one religion is the story it tells about a God or Gods, their journey to enlightenment and the truth they have discovered making you follow their steps. Spirituality lets you Walk Your Own Journey to Enlightenment and discover the truth in your own way following what your heart tells it’s right because the truth is always the same no matter how you get to it.

Every religion came by spirituality, by the journey through which one person became God or messenger of god . The details of the story are not important they just help the character discover the truth. The message that shares the truth is what is important, That is why every religion has something true in it

There is very nice quote by Deepak Chopra:

Religion is believe in someone else’s experience and spirituality is having your own experience.

Spirituality give you true freedom. Today you can read some Hindu scriptures and find wisdom from it. Tomorrow might be you are interested in Zen and reading some zen stories and gather knowledge through it.. Later on you  might found a beautiful Sufi poetry that fill your soul.

Being spiritual you will see that we all are connected to one true being and we are not separate, there are no borders, no races and no cultural divides.

Be seeker, Be spiritual......

Welcome to the world of "Quantum"

Welcome to the world of "quantum" the world of quantum physics. Before i go any further more i want to share a quote.

“If anybody says he can think about quantum physics without getting giddy, that only shows he has not understood the first thing about them.”  ~ Niels Bohr

Who was Niels Bohr. He was a Danish physicist who made foundational contributions to understanding atomic structure and quantum theory, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922. Bohr was also a philosopher and a promoter of scientific research.

In this quote he referred quantum physics with giddy that's mean lightheaded sensation or we can say more elaborately a sensation of whirling and a tendency to fall. 

When i was studying about quantum physics i start to feel dizzy just after three page and i am quite honest about that. The person who make quantum physics interesting and help me to understand a bit is my master "Mahajatak". Who is founder of Quantum Method Meditation course in Bangladesh. He even took his meditation course name as 'Quantum' from quantum physics.

I love to learning about quantum physics but to be honest i have very elementary understanding of how it all works. Before its get more complicated lets watch a very interesting video that made by symphony of science featuring Morgan Freeman, Stephen Hawking, Michio Kaku, Brian Cox, Richard Feynman, and Frank Close that will give a introduction to the quantum world.

whats they were saying in this video. Here is few quotes from this video.

Morgan Freeman: So, what are we really made of? Dig deep inside the atom

And you'll find tiny particles Held together by invisible forces.Everything is made up Of tiny packets of energy Born in cosmic furnaces.

Frank Close: The atoms that we're made of have Negatively charged electrons

Whirling around a big bulky nucleus.

Michio Kaku: The Quantum Theory offers a very different explanation

Of our world.

Cox: In the quantum world The world of particles Nothing is certain It's a world of probabilities.

Now lets go more details try to summarize it in few points. What quantum are actually saying what are the facts.

1. All material things are made up of atoms (which are made up of subatomic particles- protons, neutrons, electrons etc), which are 99.99999 percent energy and .00001 percent matter. Think about it - every physical thing in our life is not solid matter but rather, fields of energy or frequency patterns of information. Matter is more “no-thing” (energy) than “some-thing” (particles). Our physical bodies and the body of the physical Universe are as proportionately empty as is all of space. The essential nature of our material bodies and that of the solid-appearing Universe is that they are both non-material. They are made up of non-stuff.

2.Our material bodies and the body of the Universe both flicker in and out of existence at the speed of light. Our nervous systems cannot process these quantum events at the speed at which they are really happening, so it decodes the energy and information soup of the Universe into the experience of solid three-dimensional material bodies. 

3.The “Observer Effect” in quantum mechanics states that at the subatomic level, energy responds to our mindful attention and becomes matter. Quantum experiments demonstrate that electrons (part of the subatomic particles that make up the atom) exist simultaneously in an infinite array of possibilities in an invisible field of energy. So, a particle (matter) cannot manifest in ordinary space-time reality until we observe it. Knowing this, mind and matter can no longer be considered separate; they are intrinsically related, because subjective mind produces measurable changes on the objective, physical world.

4. Every human being, along with every material thing in the Universe, broadcast a distinct energy pattern, and this energy carries information. Our fluctuating states of mind, conscious or unconscious, change this pattern on a moment-to-moment basis because we are not just a physical body; we are consciousness using a body and a brain to express different levels of mind.

5. Quantum Entanglement Theory states that all humans and the quantum field are interconnected. It says that once two particles can be linked in some way, they will always be bonded together beyond space and time. So anything that is done to one, will be done to the other even though they are spatially separated from one another. What this means is that since we too are made up of particles, we are all connected beyond space and time. So quite literally, what we do unto others, we do unto ourselves. 

6.The intelligence keeps our heart beating is part of our autonomic nervous system, which is located in the brain. The brains limbic system is part of the automatic nervous system. Within the brain, there are specific tissues responsible for keeping the heart beating, which are made up of cells. Those cells are made up of molecules. Molecules are made up of atoms. Atoms are made up of subatomic particles and subatomic particles are primarily composed of energy (see #7)

7.If we want to say everything in just one sentences it will be "according to quantum physics, we are part of a vast, invisible field of energy, which contains all possible realities and responds to our thoughts and our feelings."

Listening to the others

This story I read long time ago.  exactly I don't remember but this story is quite nice example  for what's happen when we start to give  importance about what others saying. Story goes like this-

Father and son was going  to visit a city  near by. They had only a donkey. So they both rode on the donkey and started their journey. On the way one man saw father and son riding on a donkey and he felt very pity for the donkey so he stopped them and said "look you both have no sense both of you riding on this poor donkey he must be dying. Please don't do this only one of you ride on it".

After listening this father and son start to think " yes he is right poor donkey he must me suffering a lot" then father put his son on the donkey and he start to walk.

After going for a while another man saw them and said "come on such a bad son making his poor father waking while being young himself riding on a donkey".

After listening this son feel ashamed and tell his father to ride on a donkey and he start to walk.

But it's not finish yet after going for while they met with another man and he said "look at that such a bad example of a father making his young kid walking in the sun while he is riding on a donkey"

After listening this father and son get quiet confused. What they can do that nobody will complain. They decided nobody will ride the donkey they all will walk now.

Then after going for a while they met with bunch of people and all of them start to laugh by seeing father and son walking with a donkey. After seeing this father and son asked them why they were laughing and they replied we are thinking and laughing how stupid you are as you have a donkey and both of you walking with the donkey rather riding on it.

Now what they will do they might need to carry the donkey on their shoulder cause that's the only option left.

Now this is happen when we start to count on each and everybodies words we are actually going no where.

Few Amazing places

Today I want to write something different than my other post. About some amazing places on earth and why I choose them. I didn't visit all those places but one day I will.

I will start with number one, I was in London that moment working and living there. One day I got one thought to find a heaven on earth. Obviously I don't know how heaven looks like I just paint it on my mind. Just Few things i keep on mind that It will looks heavenly without any human touch. Have to be natural like god paint it in his own hand. Time goes one I keep searching more than a week all the famous holiday destination in internet, googled  most beautiful place on earth but nothing match with my image. Time passes life get busier I forgot it. After few months while I was coming back from work in tube I saw one post card in the hand of the passenger beside me, yes that I was looking for "a heaven on earth". I asked him where is that he replied me "it's plitavice national park" in Croatia. Do you want to go there he asked me. I said yes I do on god's will. Then he ask me "are you single" I said what's the connection.

"There is you have to find someone and then take her down there" that was his last words. I didn't said nothing just laugh. After coming home  search the place on internet and  try  to see it virtually and I have to admit It's something so amazing peace of heaven on earth. 

Here is some jaw dropping picture of plitavice national park.

Here comes number 2. This time I was looking for something spiritual outer of this  world. Something very magical. I dont want to say that much i cause i didn't experience it yet so i am sharing those did.

"It is magical, simply magical. You think you must be dreaming, especially when you catch an outbreak from the start. It just comes from no-where… and keeps moving and changing shape! It’s like someone is doing a huge water colour painting, in real time, across the canvas of the dark black sky. This is nature’s own silent movie show, awe-inspiring, majestic and ethereal that leaves you feeling stunned, reminded once again of the incredible beauty of nature. And somewhat grateful that you’ve had the opportunity to see it".

yes i am talking about northern light and one of the place from where to see it is Finland.

Here i am sharing some of the picture of northern light from Finland but trust me none of these snaps give justice as it looks like in real.

Here come number 3. This place is very special for me and this is the first place i wanted to visit when i was kid. I was always great  fan of cricket but in my childhood it was all about Caribbean cricket. Bangladesh not even got test status that moment and  i am actually talking about far before that when tigers are not playing that much international cricket.
Plenty of great names walsh, ambrose, lara, viv richards etc those make cricket classic and nostalgic for me. playing on a island. Beautiful beach with coconut tree, crystal clear water and rum with reggae music what else need to be to choose Caribbean island . Writing more words will be useless if i dont share few pictures of it quickly.

Stamp collecting  was my hobby when i was kid. My uncle got plenty of pen friends from all over the world and that was my source of collecting stamp. Those letter always comes with postcard and my uncle not always took them all so i started to collect the postcard also. From those postcard i found some beautiful image of Philippines and thats make me choose this amazing place for my bucket list. 

This place is most special for me. Kind of sacred. If i want to be alone somewhere only me and my thought this will be the place. Its in Scotland locally known as highland, Scottish highland. Now why it is special i really cant explain but what i can say, being there i found some amazing feelings inside me. Kind of peace. Sitting on the mountain looking around where i can hardly see anyone only me my thought nature and silence and this makes it a sacred place. When i been to lake district i have same kind of feelings but highlands is something different its  more wild. You can walk miles and miles among the nature surrounded by mountain and different area will give you different experiences.  Its something breath taking and what i can say in one line "Think highland and you think of wild". 

This is the place i want to go again and again and i will never be get bored of. When i will be old and nothing left to do, I will be there with my memory. 

Quick Learner

Today i want to share one of my favorite short zen story. Once there was a young man who was very keen to learn martial art. Always looking for a master who can teach him martial art. After long his his searching he finally found one. Then he went to this master and ask anxiously,  “I am devoted to studying your martial art system. How long will it take me to master it.” The teacher’s reply was casual, “Ten years.” approximately. Impatiently, the student answered, “But I want to master it faster than that. I will work very hard. I will practice everyday, ten or more hours a day if I have to. Then how long will it take?” 
The teacher thought for a moment and then replied  “Then it will took 20 years.”

Story of Tuktuki

After long break today i want to share a small story of a school girl from a  very remote village of Bangladesh. Her name is Tuktuki a small little girl studying in a primary school but she was not that much fortunate there. She was so much hated by her class teacher. Though she tried her best to change her discomfort situation but her class teacher always do thing within her power to disfavor Tuktuki.

One day some foreign missionaries visited the school with lots of educational material and gifts to share between the kids of the school. The head teacher

asked every class teacher to organised their pupils in a single line. Tuktuki's class teacher ensured she made Tuktuki to stand as the last person in her class as she said to herself "who knows if the gift might not

be enough, so it won't get to her turn.

" When Miss Jacob the missionary entered the class, she moved to the front of the line but found out the pupils were so close to the blackboard, in order not to stain herself she seek for a space to stand and discovered that

there were more space for her to stand at the back where the line ends.

After arranging materials to be shared she said; class, about

turn', at this point Tuktuki automatically became the first pupil on the line and obviously the first to receive gift from that class.

Though its a very small story i found it quite interesting. No man

will frustrate you from what All mighty prepares for you. Any plan of the enemies to deny the blessing will never stand.

"Which are you"

"A daughter complained to her father about life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of struggling. It seemed that as soon as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her father, who is a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the second one he placed eggs, and the last one he placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

The daughter sucked her teeth and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. In about twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He took the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them a bowl. At last he poured the coffee in the bowl.

Turning to her he asked. “What do you see?”
 “Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.

He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noticed that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.

Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. 
She smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. She said, “What’s the point?” 
He explained that each of the items had faced the same adversity -boiling water – but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong and hard. But after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But after boiled in the water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water itself.

“Which are you?” he asked his daughter. 
“When problem knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?”

True Peace

What is true peace actually are. To determine the true peace here i want to share a lovely story. Once there  was a King who was very fond of paintings.Once he offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. So many artists tried. But the the King  not looked satisfied with none of the painting so more artist tried . Finally after seeing all the paintings  there were only two the king really liked and he had to choose between them. 

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror of  peaceful towering mountains which were all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All he saw in this painting  was a perfect picture of peace. so calm and quite.

The other painting got mountains too. But those were looking so scary  and above the mountains was an angry sky from which rain fell and in which lightening played. It was a perfect storm. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all. 

But when the King looked beyond he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water and a heavy storm,  the mother bird sat on her nest... In perfect peace. ....

Which picture do you think won the prize? 

The King choose the second one thats because... "peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. Peace means to be in the middle of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace."

Who Is The Mightiest

This story is one of my Favorite everytime i remember it i feel so funny. The story is like this.

A lion woke up one morning feeling rowdy. He went out in the jungle and at the cornered he met with a small monkey. The moment he saw the monkey the lion roared and ask the monkey "Who is mightiest of all
jungle animals? 
The poor little monkey doesn't have any choice he said, "You are, mighty lion! you are the king of the jungle". 

The lion felt happy and let the monkey go.Later, the lion chased  a deer and asked her the same question "Who is mightiest of all jungle animals?"
The terrified deer stammered, "Oh great lion, you are by far the mightiest animal in the jungle!" You are the king of this jungle".

The lion felt happy and let her go.
Happily he was walking in the jungle and the end of  it the lion met with an elephant. The moment lion saw the elephant he roared and ask him the same question. "Who is mightiest of all jungle animals?"

Without saying a word The elephant snatched up the lion with his trunk and slammed
him against a tree. The lion get hurted standing up taking away the dust from his body the lion said the  elephant "come one man no need to be upset that match thats because i ask you a question and beat me this way just tell me that you dont know"

Lol same attitude doesn't work for everyone.....

There Must be Something Good In it

Once there was a  king and he got a  close friend who had a habit of remarking "this is good" about every occurrence in life no matter how it is good or bad. Whatever happened he will just say  there must be something good in it dont worry and It was completely his habit.. King always used to take his this friend with him while he went for hunting. One day
the king and his  friend were out hunting. The king's friend loaded a gun and handed it to the king but  he loaded it really wrong  way and when the king fired it, his thumb was blown off cause if it..

The moment its happened according to his habit he spoke up

"This is good!" dont worry.....

The horrified and bleeding king get too much angry and  become really  furious. "How can you say this is good? This is obviously horrible!" and too bad. I just lost my thumb" he shouted.

The king decide to punished him and put his friend in jail.

About a year later the king went hunting by himself. While hunting few Cannibals captured him and took him to their village. They tied his hands, stacked some wood, set up a stake and bound him to it. They wanted to make his barbecue  As they came near to set fire to the wood, they noticed that the king was missing a thumb. Being
superstitious, they never ate anyone who was less than whole or missing any part of the body. So they untied the king and sent him free on his way.

When the king get free from those cannibals the king realized his missing thumb saved his life and he remembered his friend. 

Full of remorse the king rushed to the prison to release his friend.

"You were right, it WAS good" the king said to his friend.

Then The king told his friend how the missing thumb saved his life and
added, now  he felt so sad that he locked him up in jail. That was such a bad
thing to do with his friend.

Then as usual he spoke up again.

"NO! this is good!" and this time he get really delighted..

The kings get annoyed again "Oh, how could that be good my friend, I did a terrible thing to you while I owe you my life".

"Then kings friend said to him.It is good "because if I wasn't in jail, I would have been
hunting with you this time also and they would have captured me with you and  killed ME."

the king asked him why

Then his friends replied  "Thats because i dont have a missing thumb"

"The Salesman"

Once there was a salesman. He was a good salesman and able to sold lots of vacuum cleaner. He was always looking for promotion and ask his manager for it. But his manager always replied him that he was not ready yet  and he needs some more training. One day he complained to manager that he get bored with selling the vacuum cleaner in same place why not he send him in some new place. His manager listened to him and send him to countryside.

So he drove out of town and stopped at the farmhouse. He knocked  the door and farmer's wife open the door. As soon she opened the door he start his speech immediately.

"Mam how much time do you spend to sweeping the floors"

"A lots of time, its a farm as u can see and things get dirty quickly here" the woman replied.

"And how much time do you spend to beating the carpet" asked the salesman.

"A lot of time. This house gets dusty and my dog also lay on them."

"Well this is your lucky day" said the salesman.

Then he shows her his vacuum cleaner and said

"With this you can clean your whole house in just 5 mins."

Farmers wife doesn't look interested.

Then suddenly the salesman took a big bag of dirt and through it on the floor. The farmer's wife got very surprised but before she could say anything to salesman he took out his vacuum cleaner and said "Mam if this machine doesn't pick up every last piece of dart i will eat all of it." !!!!!!

The farmers wife looked at him and said 

"Well i will get  you a big spoon
We have no electricity here"

"LOL" this is happen when we tried to be too smart..............

Counting People's Word

There is great power in the words that we utter. It is believed that words are so powerful that when repeated with emotion, they will bring us that which we are affirming.

The following story demonstrates what can happen when we use words in a discouraging manner, and what can happen when we "turn a deaf ear" to those words that could ruin our dreams or goals.

Two Frogs

A group of frogs were traveling through the woods when two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead.

The two frogs ignored their comments and with all their strength they tried to jump up out of the pit. The other frogs kept telling them to stop jumping because they were as good as dead and it will be useless better they keep their energy so they can live little longer. But those two frogs keep jumping and trying. All other frogs keep saying that "come on give up its too high for you guys better keep the strength so you both can live little longer". At this moment finally, one of the frog start to listen to them and give up  and accept the death while other frog keep jumping. He continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out.

When he finally got out, All the other frogs get surprised and asked him why he didn't listen to them?" The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time. The more they shouted the more inspiration he got and keep jumping with his full strength.

"Hotei"

"Hotei "  believed to be The god of contentment and happiness, guardian of children, and patron of bartenders. Hotei has a cheerful face and a big belly. In Chinese he known as Budai or Putai and  in Japan as  Hotai and for the rest of the world we know him as a Laughing Buddha. The statue we see of laughing budha is actually statue of Hotei. Although Many Westerners confuse Budai with Gautama Buddha. I first heard about him from my "Guru". He used to say "laugh like  Hotei". Later on i found a proverb "Laugh like Hotei". Thats always make me curious to know more about Him and his life. He carries a large cloth bag over his back , one that never empties, he carries all his belongings in a bindle wherever he goes.  He also stuffs the sack with donations of food and clothing from laymen and candy to give to children. Indeed, the Japanese spelling of “Hotei” literally means “cloth bag.” He also holds a Chinese fan called an oogi  (said to be a “wish giving” fan   moreover in the distant past, this type of fan was used by the aristocracy to indicate to vassals that their requests would be granted). 

His large, fat stomach is a symbol of happiness, luck, and abundance and many believed that if one rubs the belly of laughing Budai, it brings good luck and wealth

Legend says that Hotai was not use to talk, his massage was just laugh and smile. While he entered any village with his sack he start to stare at the people looks lame and sad and start to laugh. With laughing sometime he fell on ground and keep laughing. By watching him laugh there everyone start to laugh and its spread among people to people and from villages to villages. people there always wait for him when hotei will come and bring the good luck and happiness.

There’s a Zen story about Hotei.  When someone asked  him “What’s the meaning of Zen?” he put his sack down on the ground and saying nothing. Then when he asked  him again “How he will  understand Zen?” he picked his sack on his back up  again and walked away. What a  Clever Hotei!  without saying a word Hotai simply gave him the wisdom of zen  that is— letting go and dropping off whatever we’re holding and this is actually the significance of zen and by carrying his sack on his back he gave the massage that this is the way to learn zen — that do your job that you have to. 

In western culture, the laughing Buddha is often referred to as the "fat Buddha." As a jolly fat man who frequently distributes candies and presents to children, Ho Tai most closely resembles what Westerners think of as Santa Claus. However, his tidings of good fortune can be enjoyed year round. Ho Tai is also considered the patron of bartenders and restaurant owners and is frequently seen displayed prominently in Asian restaurants. Overindulgence in food and drink are often credited to the influence of the laughing Buddha.

"Banana" an Amazing Fruit

Not only is it fun to say the word banana, it is fun to type too. Filled with deliciously sweet firm-creamy flesh, bananas grow individually packaged in their own easy to open yellow wrapper. In the practice of color therapy, even their bright yellow coloring is known the induce happiness and humor.

Bananas contain tryptophan, an amino acid that the body uses to make serotonin, a chemical produced in the brain that improves your mood and increases your happiness level. Rich in vitamins B6, B12, potassium, and magnesium, bananas help people trying to give up smoking recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal. Banana’s high levels of B-vitamins are also known to improve nerve function. Bananas can reduce stress by providing potassium that normalize the heartbeat and regulates the body's water balance. Experiencing high stress lowers our body's potassium levels rapidly, bananas help to raise those levels back to normal..

Containing three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose when combined with fiber, gives an immediate, continuous boost of energy. Research has shown that consumption of only two bananas is capable of fueling an intensive 90-minute workout. Subsequently providing increased energy and the ability to prevent and recover from a large number of illnesses; bananas are the number one fruit of choice for today’s leading athletes.


Heartburn victims rejoice, bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so try eating a banana next time a fire rises up from within. Expecting mothers can snack on bananas to keep blood-sugar up and avoid constant morning sickness. Bananas are the only raw fruit that can be eaten to reduce and repair the damages cause by chronic ulcers. Substances found in bananas help activate the cells that make up the stomach lining, producing a thicker mucus barrier protecting against high levels of stomach acids. Protease inhibitors are compounds found in bananas that have been found to assist in eliminating ulcer causing bacteria.


Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect food for helping to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Constipation: High in fibre, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin - known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.Now we know why monkeys are always happy.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body so if you suffer from heart-burn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.


PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, trypotophan.

Smoking: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking, as the high levels of Vitamin C, A1, B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalise the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water-balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be re-balanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine"eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronic ulcer cases. It also neutralises over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

"LETS GO BANANAS"

Lets eat bananas like Minions LOL

Minions Banana Movie FUN