views of an Officer's daughter

A very nice piece I received from one of the forces groups – thought it deserved to be forwarded. Unfortunately the lady’s email ID is not mentioned, or one could have congratulated her on her thoughts.

Rohit

 

 

 

 

 

 

Absolutely genuine views of an Officer's daughter!

It's very simple. A military coup, that is. One collective word
is all it needs to convert this nation from a democratic country to a
progressive economy with martial law. The armed forces will take over the
nation, and no one can do a thing about it. Not the police force, not
Manmohan Singh(=Sonia Gandhi), not A.K. Antony. No one. A movement will
arise so suddenly and with the fury of a raging tsunami, that it will
rewrite India's future, inject discipline in the blood of every Indian,
unscrew unopened bottles of potential and terrorise the intestines out of
those who dare to oppose them or irrigate the minds of others with vile
thoughts. Corruption will be eliminated 90% and progress will double..
Indeed, the souls of our forefathers who fought for real freedom, will rest
whole-heartily under this military control. Ironic, but true.

The question here is, why won't they do it?

Let me tell you what bothers me. I am the 19 year old daughter of a retired
government servant, an army officer to be specific (note the 'Servant'..
absolutely true in case of the armed forces)

My father, who retired as a Colonel, is not a receiver of the PVSM, AVSM,
VSM, or even the VC for that matter. He was a part of the army, served an
ordinary Colonel's role, did not jump in front of a bullet to save his men,
or plan an intelligent strategy to capture some enemy territory. He was a
part of both major wars with Pakistan and China, returned without being a
decorated war hero, served in regiments in both borders, saw extreme weather
conditions and backward technology and most importantly, he enjoyed and took
immense pride in doing all this and serving the nation.

Yet, I feel my father is a greater man than many 'greats' in this nation.
Shahrukh Khan, or Pratibha Patil,to begin with:neither of them have
sacrificed more than a sleepless night or compromised on their Saturday
morning sleep for the nation.

I don't blame you for saying, 'Oh, she's an army officer's daughter,
obviously that's why she's biased'. I don't deny it. It is true. I am
biased. And I want every single person in this country, if not the world to
be biased. I can only tell you what it is like to have seen these people up,
close and personal, to have heard true incidents of bravery and selflessness
and then know they're are being paid peanuts, to sacrifice their lives
without hesitation for the nation.

When I was 16, my family took a holiday to Arunachal Pradesh, to the
regiment where my father had been in command, more than 20 years ago. From a
scenic , quaint little town called Tenga, on the banks of a gushing river,
we travelled to a snow desert near the Chinese border called Bumla. Here, in
the middle of nowhere, one could see a small board stuck in the ice reading
'Welcome to India'. For as far as our eyes could see in all four directions,
there was nothing but snow. Beside that board stood a guard, probably of
south Indian origin, in 6 layers of clothing, a giant wind-cheater and the
heaviest pair of snow-boots imaginable, against constant rapid winds,
endless lengths and immense depths of ice, pacing an abandoned minefield
from the 1962 war, looking through a telescope at Chinese vantage points to
track enemy positions and moves.

He didn't opt to be there, but when he chose the forces as a career he knew
what he would be facing, and he faces it with valour, for he has the
patriotism that you and I and many of our politicians lack. Tomorrow he may
die in battle, but I know for sure, that no one who has joined the forces
will ever regret taking up that profession. If he dies in an act of bravery,
he will most probably be awarded a VC or PVC medal for the same,
posthumously. Then the government might give his family a lump sum and/or a
measly monthly stipend of Rs.850 to Rs.1500. I ask you, is that all this
man's life is worth?

What about a serving soldier? He mostly hails from small areas or rural
backgrounds with an uneducated wife and 2 children back in his village
alone.Typical, but true. This man, who has time in the forward areas only to
eat, sleep and watch the enemy, hardly sees his family. His entire salary is
sent back home to his spouse, who faces the brunt of yet again uneducated
parents-in-law ready to blame her for anything that happens to their son. In
such a situation, a soldier's wife receiving the pitiful salary of her
husband will be left an orphan in the middle of the road, simply for the
lack of money.

Then, these war heroes, and martyrs are forgotten within minutes, no, wait,
seconds of their death. No one forgets to come for the Republic Day parade
,or to place that wreath they didn't order on the grave of some memorial
they don't know was built for what on Independence day. Just because it is
protocol. Protocol to 'remember' (or forget?) these people on these 'days'
meant for our nation, to 'remember' them for the 30 seconds it takes you to
read patriotic forwards and messages in your in boxes on email and on your
cellphone.

Like a 90-year old war veteran said, I guess it's the forces who are to be
blamed. Right from the 3rd pay commission-who screwed up royally- the three
forces have always put the pride of serving the nation over money. I guess
it's their fault they didn't demand it then.

My father and I have been discussing this issue for a while now, and my
blood boils, every single time I see our so-called Defence minister
Mr.A.K.Antony defending his stupidity on a podium which he does not deserve.
Have you for a minute stopped and thought about why you at home are able to
enjoy your evening spent listening to your iPod, or watching a DVD on your
42-inch LCD? It is because you live in India, where the borders, threatened
by invasion every second, are guarded constantly, by the watchful eyes of
some 27-year old son of a mother who sits far away in a remote town, praying
consciously every second for the safety of her son. If that guard decided to
look away for even a minute, he would be dead, within seconds, and there
would be an invasion leading to chaos everywhere. Soon, India would become a
replicate Iraq, pandemonium prevailing,where you would need the permission
of your invaders to even use the toilet, which under normal circumstances
would be your birthright.

Sometimes it's scary, how something so simple and routine is linked to
something so complex and out of hand. From all of you who saw these reports
of the military's peaceful war against the government on television, some of
you changed the channel since it didn't concern you, some saw the report and
took it in as general knowledge, and some burnt rage over it for a few
seconds. Those whose blood still boils, would be the ones who have actually
some patriotism left in their blood.

Am I being too philosophical for a nineteen year old? Most of you might say
yes, but I say, why not? You would too, if you saw the fire in the eyes of
these people the way I do.

And what is it, with Mr.Antony's comment on discipline? I'm sorry Mr.Antony,
but you politicians, who hit each other with chappals, and microphones, use
unparliamentary language in the parliament, come half an hour late to a
meeting, and do not know the words of the national anthem, are talking about
discipline.Please, don't make me laugh.Or with the panel that is enquiring
the pay commission having IAS officers in it!? Why don't we have a separate
pay commission for the Military like most other countries do? Why do we have
to put up with a cock-eyed system? Why does a DGP get paid almost twice as
much as his equivalent in the forces? Why does the army have to replace the
fire-brigade, police force and everyone else, when it is specifically
mentioned that the forces are only for training during peace and attack
during war. Why does the government involve the forces in flood relief ,
earthquake relief, tsunami relief, and more recently, rescuing of children
fallen in pits? Then to put the cherry on the icing, you pay them in a pay
scale adopted in 1948?

I have faced and will face a lot of criticism for my views.As some of my
friends say, we do get good rations, accommodation and cheaper FMCGs and
alcohol. Rations and accommodation -anyone in a decent government service
gets that. Cheaper FMCGs- The least the government can do is to remove the
taxes off the MRP of many products and make it available to the average
soldier, who in return is willing to pay the price of his life for his
nation. Cheap alcohol- yes, a bottle of rum is relatively cheaper. Why don't
you spend one year of your life to replace a soldier in snowy altitudes, in
nothing but a tent or in the blistering heat of the Thar with the only wind
bringing sandstorms along with it or in the jungles of Nagaland with the
leeches sucking your blood out and I'm sure ANY soldier you replace to give
him precious time with his family will gladly give you all the rum he can
ever get in his life, simply so you don't die of exhaustion and depression
and actually live to tell your tale.Simply, so you can survive.

Let me remind you (non)patriotic souls, that the life of a person in the
armed forces is one filled with dignity and pride, and I believe it should
reflect in how much s/he is paid, for glamour and corruption rule the roost
today, and that bias will take our country nowhere.

Hoping for the best to come for our brave men and women..

JAI HIND.
--
Vaishnavi Prasad

 

Rohit Agarwal

9868967224

http://jottingsofmine.blogspot.com

http://www.goodnewz.in

http://www.linkedin.com/in/1agarwal

 

! PaUNa-mad: PaUNa-imad\ma pUNa-at\ pUNaa-maud\cCyato .

pUNa-sya pUrmaaVa pUNa-maovaaiSaYyato .

Absolute perfection comes from the absolute.

 

That which is well built
will never be torn down.
That which is well latched
can not slip away.
Those who do things well
will be honored from generation to generation.

(Tao Te Ching)

 

 

Good but Tough to Practice

Too Good but Tough to Practice

 

1) Apologizing doesn't mean that (apologetic? ????)  You are wrong and the other is right.  It only means that you value the relationship more than your ego....

 

2) If everything is going according to your wish, then you are lucky...... If its not, then you are too lucky, because it is going according to Gods wish......

 

3) Ever noticed your parents spend the first 18 months trying to make you stand up and talk....and the next 18 years trying to make you sit down and listen?

 

4) Either walk as if you rule the world.... or, Walk as if you don't mind who the hell rules the world...That' s the attitude...Rock your life....

 

5) Confidence never comes if we have all the answers, Be ready for all the questions... .Be bold to face the world....

 

6) When you are depressed... When you are confused.... When you have been hurt the most...Don't ever get carried away...rather just get in front of the mirror, and there you will find the right person who could actually help you get out of this....

 

7) There is always a little truth behind every "just kidding" A little knowledge behind every "I don't know" A little emotion behind "I don't care"

 

8) Two aspect of life: If we become too sentimental, it is too hard to lead life and if we become too practical, it is too tough to respect relations... ..

 

9) No on in this world is afraid to speak the truth.  They are afraid only about the consequences that are to be faced after speaking the truth.

 

10) Truth of life:  What is status??  "Spending money which we don't have to buy things which we don't need....To impress people whom we don't know..."

Great Sayings

Think out of the Box...For All kind of Employees

 

 

Every company has a performance appraisal system in place to measure the effectiveness of its employees. Employees are normally rated in most of the companies in the above categories. Apart from the above non performance category is also there, which is not depicted here ) . Needless to say everyone wants to be rated Outstanding. What is the yard stick and how do you measure these aspects? Employee "A" in a company walked up to his manager and asked what my job is for the day? The manager took "A" to the bank of a river and asked him to cross the river and reach the other side of the bank. "A" completed this task successfully and reported back to the manager about the completion of the task assigned. The manager smiled and said "GOOD JOB" Next day Employee "B" reported to the same manager and asked him the job for the day. The manager assigned the same task as above to this person also. The Employee "B' before starting the task saw Employee "C" struggling in the river to reach the other side of the bank. He realized "C" has the same task. Now "B" not only crossed the river but also helped "C" to cross the river. "B" reported back to the manager and the manager smiled and said "VERY GOOD JOB" The following day Employee "Q" reported to the same manager and asked him the job for the day. The manager assigned the same task again. Employee "Q" before starting the work did some home work and realized "A", "B" & "C" all has done this task before. He met them and understood how they performed. He realized that there is a need for a guide and training for doing this task. He sat first and wrote down the procedure for crossing the river, he documented the common mistakes people made, and tricks to do the task efficiently and effortlessly. Using the methodology he had written down he crossed the river and reported back to the manager along with documented procedure and training material. The manger said "Q" you have done an "EXCELLENT JOB". The following day Employee "O' reported to the manager and asked him the job for the day. The manager assigned the same task again. "O" studied the procedure written down by "Q" and sat and thought about the whole task. He realized company is spending lot of money in getting this task completed. He decided not to cross the river, but sat and designed and implemented a bridge across the river and went back to his manager and said, "You no longer need to assign this task to any one". The manager smiled and said "Outstanding job 'O'. I am very proud of you." What is the difference between A, B, Q & O???????? Many a times in life we get tasks to be done at home, at office, at play…., Most of us end up doing what is expected out of us. Do we feel happy? Most probably yes. We would be often disappointed when the recognition is not meeting our expectation. Let us compare ourselves with "B". Helping some one else the problem often improves our own skills. There is an old proverb (I do not know the author) "learn to teach and teach to learn". From a company point of view "B" has demonstrated much better skills than "A" since one more task for the company is completed. "Q" created knowledge base for the team. More often than not, we do the task assigned to us without checking history. Learning from other's mistake is the best way to improve efficiency. This knowledge creation for the team is of immense help. Re-usability reduces cost there by increases productivity of the team. "Q" demonstrated good "team-player" skills, Now to the outstanding person, "O" made the task irrelevant; he created a Permanent Asset to the team. If you notice B, Q and O all have demonstrated "team performance" over an above individual performance; also they have demonstrated a very invaluable characteristic known as "INITIATIVE". Initiative pays of every where whether at work or at personal life. If you put initiative you will succeed. Initiative is a continual process and it never ends. This is because this year's achievement is next year's task. You cannot use the same success story every year. The story provides an instance of performance, where as measurement needs to be spread across at least 6-12 months. Consequently performance should be consistent and evenly spread. Out-of-Box thinkers are always premium and that is what every one constantly looks out for. Initiative, Out-of-Box thinking and commitment are the stepping stone to success. Initiative should be life long. Think of out of the box.

 

Self Appraisal

"Self Appraisal"

A little boy went into a drug store, reached for a
soda carton and pulled it over to the telephone. He
climbed onto the carton so that he could reach the
buttons on the phone and proceeded to punch in seven
digits (phone numbers).

The store-owner observed and listened to the
conversation:

Boy: "Lady, Can you give me the job of cutting your
lawn?
Woman: (at the other end of the phone line): "I
already have someone to cut my lawn."

Boy: "Lady, I will cut your lawn for half the price of
the person who cuts your lawn now."
Woman: I'm very satisfied with the person who is
presently cutting my lawn.

Boy: (with more perseverance) : "Lady, I'll even sweep
your curb and your sidewalk, so on Sunday you will
have the prettiest lawn in all of Palm beach , Florida
."
Woman: No, thank you.

With a smile on his face, the little boy replaced the
receiver. The store-owner, who was listening to all
this, walked over to the boy.

Store Owner: "Son... I like your attitude; I like that
positive spirit and would like to offer you a job."
Boy: "No thanks,

Store Owner: But you were really pleading for one.
Boy: No Sir, I was just checking my performance at the
job I already have. I am the one who is working for
that lady, I was talking to!"


This is what we call "Self Appraisal"

Highly Recommended. .... 

Thoughts

The Masters...

These glorious insults are from an era when cleverness with words was still valued, before a great portion of the English language was taken over by American slang and curse words and got boiled down to 4-letter words, not to mention waving middle fingers.
 
The exchange between Churchill & Lady Astor: She said, 'If you were my husband I'd give you poison,' and he said, 'If you were my wife, I'd drink it.'
 
A member of Parliament to Disraeli: 'Sir, you will either die on the gallows or of some unspeakable disease.' 'That depends, Sir,' said Disraeli, 'whether I embrace your policies or your mistress.' 
 
 
'He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire.' - Winston Churchill
 
'A modest little person, with much to be modest about.' - Winston Churchill
 
 'I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure. 'Clarence Darrow
 
'He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary.' - William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway). 

 'Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?' - Ernest Hemingway (about William Faulkner)
 
'Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it.' - Moses Hadas
 
 
'I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it..' - Mark Twain
 
'He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends.' - Oscar Wilde 
 
'I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend....

 if you have one.' - George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill

 'Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second.... if there is one.' - Winston Churchill, in response.
 
'I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here.' - Stephen Bishop
 
'He is a self-made man and worships his creator.' - John Bright
 
'I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial.' - Irvin S. Cobb
 
'He is not only dull himself, he is the cause of dullness in others.' - Samuel Johnson
 
'He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up.' - Paul Keating
 
 'There's nothing wrong with you that reincarnation won't cure.' Jack E. Leonard
 
 
 'They never open their mouths without subtracting from the sum of human knowledge.' - Thomas Brackett Reed
 
'In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily.'  - Charles, Count Talleyrand
 
 
Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?' - Mark Twain
 
'His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork.' - Mae West
 
'Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go.'  - Oscar Wilde
 
'He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts.. . for support rather than illumination. ' - Andrew Lang (1844-1912)

 

Isn't it strange??

Isn't It Strange...??

 

• Isn’t it strange how a $100 dollar bill seems like such a large amount when you donate it to the temple, but such a small amount when you go shopping?
   
• Isn’t it strange how endless an hour seems when we are serving God, but how short it is when we watch a Football game or Cricket for 60 minutes?
   
• Isn’t it strange how 2 hours seem so long when you’re at the temple and how short they seem when you’re watching a good movie?
   
• Isn’t it strange that you can’t find things to say when you’re praying, but you have no trouble in thinking what to talk about with a friend?
   
• Isn’t it strange how difficult and boring it is to read one chapter of Bhagwad Gita, but how easy it is to read  100 pages of a popular novel?
   
• Isn’t it strange how everyone wants front-row-tickets to concerts or games, but they do whatever is possible to sit in the last row in the temple?
   
• Isn’t it strange how we need to know about an event for the temple 2-3 weeks before the day so we can include it in our agenda, but we can adjust it for other events at the last minute?
   
• Isn’t it strange how difficult it is to learn a fact about God to share it with others, but how easy it is to learn, understand, extend and repeat gossip?
   
• Isn’t it strange how we believe everything that Magazines and Newspapers say but we question the words in the holy books like Ramayana?
   
• Isn’t it strange how everyone wants a place in heaven, but they don’t want to believe, do, or say anything to get there?
  
  

Once upon a time...

HOW TRUE

 

Once upon a time leadership mattered, now dealership rules the world.

*********

Once upon a time quality was craftsman's pride, now it is a departmental mess.

*********

Once upon a time mouse was an untouchable mammal, now it is handheld pest...

*********

Once upon a time wisdom was cultivated by wise people, now it is flashed on T-shirts.

*********

Once upon a time teacher taught and students learned, now teacher trade and students

consume.

*********

Once upon a time population was a problem, now it is a flourishing mass market.

*********

Once upon a time competition brought out the best, now it brings out the worst in people.

*********

Once upon a time there was a golden rule, now if you have gold, you rule.

*********

Once upon a time truth telling was good for your soul, now it is bad for promotion.

*********

Once upon a time success meant living by ideals, now it is about using above all principles.

*********

Once upon a time beauty was in the eye of the beholder, now it is booming business.

*********

Once upon a time the government was clean and s** was dirty, now one doesn't know.

 

Coffee Cups

 

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor.

Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to hot coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups and were eyeing each other ' s cups.

Now if life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the quality of Life doesn ' t change. Some times, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it."

Don ' t let the cups drive you... Enjoy the coffee instead.

 

How True

1. ATTITUDE IS WHAT  LIFE  IS  ALL  ABOUT.......  SOLDIER : SIR  WE   ARE SURROUNDED  FROM  ALL  SIDES  BY  ENEMIES ,  MAJOR : EXCELLENT !  WE CAN ATTACK IN ANY DIRECTION.
 
2. EVERY ONE  KNOWS  ABOUT  ALEXANDER  GRAHAM BELL  WHO  INVENTED  PHONES, BUT  HE  NEVER  MADE  A  CALL  TO  HIS  FAMILY.  BECAUSE  HIS  WIFE  AND DAUGHTER  WERE  DEAF.  THAT'S  LIFE "  LIVE  FOR  OTHERS " .
 
3.  THE   WORST  IN  LIFE  IS  "ATTACHMENT " IT   HURTS  WHEN  YOU  LOSE  IT. THE   BEST  THING  IN  LIFE  IS " LONELINESS "  BECAUSE  IT  TEACHES  YOU EVERYTHING  AND  WHEN  YOU  LOSE  IT.  YOU GET EVERYTHING.
 
4.  LIFE  IS  NOT  ABOUT  THE  PEOPLE  WHO  ACT  TRUE TO  YOUR  FACE ........ ITS  ABOUT  THE  PEOPLE  WHO  REMAIN  TRUE  BEHIND  YOUR  BACK .
 
5.  EGG  BROKEN  FROM  OUTSIDE  FORCE........A  LIFE ENDS  . IF  AN  EGG  BREAKS  FROM  WITHIN.......LIFE  BEGINS .GREAT   THINGS  ALWAYS  BEGAN  FROM   WITHIN .
 
6.  ITS  BETTER  TO  LOSE  YOUR  EGO  TO  THE  ONE  YOU   LOVE. THAN  TO  LOSE  THE   ONE  YOU  LOVE ....... BECAUSE  OF   EGO .
 
7.   A  RELATIONSHIP  DOESN'T  SHINE  BY  JUST  SHAKING  HANDS  ON  BEST  TIME. BUT  IT  BLOSSOMS  BY  HOLDING  FIRMLY  IN  CRITICAL  SITUATION  .
 
8. HEATED  GOLD  BECOMES  ORNAMENTS. BETTED  COPPER  BECOMES  WIRES. DEPLETED  STONE  BECOMES  STATUE.SO  THE  MORE PAIN  YOU  GET  IN  YOUR  LIFE  YOU  BECOME MORE  VALUABLE.
 
9. WHY  WE  HAVE  SO  MANY  TEMPLES  , IF  GOD  IS  EVERYWHERE ? A   WISE  MAN  SAID  : AIR   IS  EVERYWHERE , BUT   WE   STILL  NEED  A  FAN   TO  FEEL  IT.
 
10. TOLERATION  IS   THE  GREATEST  GIFT  OF  THE   MIND : IT  REQUIRES  THE  SAME  EFFORT  OF   THE  BRAIN  THAT  IT  TAKES TO  BALANCE  ONESELF  ON  A  BICYCLE ..........    
 
11.  WHEN  YOU  TRUST  SOMEONE  TRUST  HIM  COMPLETELY  WITHOUT  ANY  DOUBT................  AT  THE  END  YOU  WOULD  GET  ONE  OF   THE  TWO :  EITHER  A  LESSON  FOR  YOUR  LIFE  OR  A   VERY  GOOD  PERSON.

 

Thoughts from great personalities

Ponder over these

 

Triple Filter Test

In Ancient Greece (469 - 399 BC), Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom. 
One day the great philosopher came upon an acquaintance that ran up to him excitedly and said, 'Socrates, do you know what I just heard about one of your students called Plato?
'Wait a moment,' Socrates replied. 'Before you tell me I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test'.
 
'Triple filter?' 
That's right,' Socrates continued. 'Before you talk to me about my student let's take a moment to filter what you're going to say. The first Filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?'
'No,' the man said, 'actually I just heard about it and....
'All right,' said Socrates. 'So you don't really know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the Filter of Goodness.. Is what you are about to tell me about my student something good?'
'No, on the contrary...'
 
'So,' Socrates continued, 'you want to tell me something bad about him, even though you're not certain it's true?'
 
The man shrugged, a little embarrassed.
Socrates continued. 'You may still pass the test though, because there is a third filter - the Filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my student going to be useful to me?' 
'No, not really....'
'Well,' concluded Socrates, 'if what you want to tell me is neither True nor Good, nor even Useful, why tell it to me at all?' 
 
The man was defeated and ashamed.
This is the reason Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem. 
But it also explains why he never found out that Plato was sleeping with his wife! 

 

Bhagwat Geeta

An old Farmer lived on a farm in the mountains with his young grandson.
 
Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his  Bhagavat Geeta. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could.
 
One day the grandson  asked, "Grandpa! I try to read the Bhagavat Geeta just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget  as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bhagavat Geeta do?"
 
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied,  "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of  water."
 
The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back   to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, "You'll have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to  the river with the basket  to try again.
 
This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead. The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.
 
At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak  out before he got back to the house.
 
The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, "See Grandpa, it's useless!" 
 
"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket."
 
The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old  coal basket and was now clean, inside and out.
 
"Son, that's what happens when you read the Bhagavat Geeta. You might not   understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be  changed, inside and out. That is the work of Krishna in our lives."

The Soup Story

 The Soup Story...

An old friend of Nasruddin once came visiting and brought along a big

chicken. Mullah's wife cooked the chicken and they enjoyed the feast for

dinner. The next morning, they had delicious chicken soup that Mullah's wife

prepared. The friend enjoyed his short stay with Mullah.

 

 The next day when he was leaving, Mullah returned his friend's profuse

thanks by thanking the latter for bringing the big chicken along.

 

 An hour after his friend had left Mullah heard a knock on the door. When

he opened the door, a man introduced himself and quickly entered: " I am a

friend of your friend who brought you that big chicken!"

 

 Reluctant to insult the friend of a friend, Mullah invited the man inside

and asked him to stay back for lunch. They had some lovely chicken stew for

lunch, which the man also enjoyed. Having eaten like a glutton, the man left

thanking Mullah profusely for the tasty chicken.

 

A couple of hours later, there was a knock on the door and Mullah beheld

another stranger before him. "I am the friend of your friend's friend," the

man smiled.

 

Again, not wanting to turn away the friend of a friend's friend, Mullah

invited him inside and asked him to stay back for dinner. The man accepted

hurriedly. He too feasted on some delicious chicken stew and left smacking

his lips some time later.

 

 Barely had the man left, there was another knock and another stranger at

the door! The friend-of-a-friend story all because of a chicken was now

getting Mullah's goat! "My house has been turned into an eating house!"

Mullah muttered to himself as he permitted the man to enter.

 

 The next day too there was no respite as another man entered with the same

tale: "I am a friend of the friend of the friend of the friend of the friend

who had come here with a huge chicken!"

 

 Mullah smiled weakly and asked the man to come right in and have a meal.

The man entered hurriedly, smacking his lips in anticipation of a tasty

chicken meal. A few minutes later, a bowl of soup was placed before him.

Just one sip told the man that this 'soup' was nothing but boiled water.

 

" This is nothing but boiled water!" the man protested angrily.

 

" Not at all!" Mullah smiled wickedly. " This is the soup of the soup of the

soup of the soup of the soup of the soup of the chicken!"

 

Moral of the story:

 

When people take advantage of your generosity and hospitality, do not turn

them away rudely. Instead, invite them in and serve them a lesson they will

never forget for a long time to come - just as Mullah did by serving the

soup of the soup of the soup . . .

Fifteen Things God Won't Ask

Fifteen Things God Won’t Ask 
 

·        God won’t ask which car you drive, but will ask how many people you drove who didn’t have transportation.

·        God won’t ask how big is your house, but will ask how many people you welcomed into your home.

·        God won’t ask about the fancy clothes in your wardrobe, but will ask how many of those clothes helped the needy.

·        God won’t ask about your social status, but will ask what kind of class you displayed with others.

·        God won’t ask how many material possessions you had, but will ask if they dictated your life.

·        God won’t ask what your highest salary was, but will ask if you compromised your character to obtain that salary.

·        God won’t ask how much overtime you worked, but will ask if you worked overtime for your family and loved ones.

·        God won’t ask how many promotions you received, but will ask how you promoted others.

·        God won’t ask what your job title was, but will ask if you reformed your job to the best of your ability.

·        God won’t ask what you did to help yourself, but will ask what you did to help others.

·        God won’t ask how many friends you had, but will ask how many people to whom you were a true friend.

·        God won’t ask what you did to protect your rights, but will ask what you did to protect the rights of others.

·        God won’t ask in what neighborhood you lived, but will ask how you treated your neighbors.

·        God won’t ask about the color of your skin, but will ask about the content of your character.

·        God won’t ask how many times your deeds matched your words, but will ask how many times they didn’t..