Knowledge and wisdom
Acquiring knowledge is not ‘wisdom’. Applying it is..! State of enlightenment is not like building a block, brick by brick. It is like peeling off of an onion. A diamond is not painted to make it glitter. When the dust is wiped off and the rough edges are cut, it starts sparkling. Enlightenment is also similar. It is letting go off the negatives (like vices and harmful emotions) with acquired knowledge and Jnana. If this is done, already enlightened soul starts glowing.Damayanti, a young princess loved a charming king called Nala and was about to garland him in the swayamvara arranged by her father. Swayamvara is an ancient method of a girl choosing her husband, from among other sitters keen to marry her.
On the day of selection, matters were not as easy as the princess thought. Two demi-gods, Yama and Varuna, the God of death and the God of rain were also in love with her. These Gods have the power to transform into any form of their choice and change their ‘avatar’.
As the princess approached her lover, she was shocked to see three persons looking precisely identical. She listened to a voice, but could not recognise whose it was. The voice said, “Princess...! Here is a test for you. One of us tells you the truth, and the other one lies. Ofcourse your lover always is truthful. By asking each of us just one question, find your lover. If you can, we leave him to you and if not, you have to marry one among the other two”.
Logical inference:
The princess smiled and asked the first person “What is the name of the person sitting in the middle chair?” He said “Nala”. The girl went to the second one and asked, “What is your name?” He hesitated a bit and said, “Yama”. There was anxiety in the last one’s eyes. He was getting ready to answer, but the princess garlanded him without asking the third question.
Write your answers within two days to the address given below. How could she do away with it without the third question? Each of the three winners would be awarded with four motivational books written by the author for the students. This is a simple question, answer is easy and hence the selection would be on the basis of brevity and better expression. Only students should participate.
RELATIONSHIPS
On the eve of New Year, let us discuss how to strengthen the bonds of relationships. Here are a few tips:
Nature gave no other creature on earth except human beings, as many ways and modes of expressing love. Even if you are a medico or engineer or a post graduate, scissoring father’s nails, Mehandi to Mother’s hands, ironing sister’s cloths or combing grandmother’s hair… all are expressions of love.
Love is confidence and not jealousy. When your companion’s phone is continuously engaged, a frustrated feeling that “How my beloved can be happy in other’s company” is jealousy. Believing that “his/her phone may be out of order” is confidence.
By earning a thousand per day you may become a millionaire in terms of money in ten years, but by spending ‘productively’ with your child one hour per day makes the kid a millionaire in terms of wisdom.
Suppose you are a ten year-old kid and your friend tells you that his elder brother sent him a cycle from America on his birth day. If you think that “how nice it would have been if I too had a brother in America” it is a natural feeling. But if you imagine, “How nice it would be if I go soon to America and send a cycle to my younger brother”, it is love.
Understanding feelings, sharing sorrows, taking solace on other’s shoulders, going together to movies, gossiping, sending messages, internet chat etc is normally considered as friendship. Not bothering the friend with your sorrows that have no salvations, not giving impractical solutions, correcting when the other person is going in a wrong path, let your friend know the value of time and cutting down gossip etc is love.
People say, “Love does not demand anything in return”. But if we think truthfully, there are many expectations from others. To make the bond stronger, always think what you are giving rather than what you are expecting. (To be continued)
Last week’s puzzle:
By identifying the middle person as “Nala”, the first demi-god proves to be a liar. Hence the other two are truth tellers. As the middle person confesses that he is Yama, obviously the third one is Nala.