Prescription

We can compare the practice to a bottle of medicine a doctor leaves for his patient. On the bottle are written detailed instructions on how to take the medicine. No matter how many times the patient may read the directions, he is bound to die if that is all he does. He will gain no benefit from the medicine. And before he dies, he may complain bitterly that the doctor wasn’t any good, that the medicine didn’t cure him. He will think that the doctor was a fake or that the medicine was worthless, yet he had only spent his time examining the bottle and reading the instructions. He hadn’t followed the advice of the doctor and taken the medicine. However, if the patient had actually followed the doctor’s advice and taken the medicine regularly as prescribed, he would have recovered. The teachings of the Buddha are prescribed to cure diseases of the mind and to bring it back to its natural healthy state. So the Buddha can be considered as a doctor who prescribes cures for the illnesses of the mind which are found in each one of us without exception.

-Based on "A Tree in the Forest" by Ajahn Chah

The Fox and the Grapes

While walking through the woods, the fox saw a vine full of grapes hanging on a branch of a tree. The fox's mouth watered. But the grapes hung from a high branch and the fox had to jump for it. It jumped to reach the grapes, but could not. It tried several times but could not reach the grapes. At last, the fox was fed up and it gave up. The fox walked away saying, "Anyway, those grapes are sour."

Insight: People often despise things that they cannot achieve. 

The Stone

There was a famous sculptor in a village who converted stones into marvellous pieces of art. The villagers wanted to build a temple of Lord Ganesh in their village. For that, they needed the statue of Lord Ganesh. They commissioned the job to the sculptor. 

The sculptor searched for the right kind of the stone for carving on a bank of the river where he usually went. Not all the stones were good for the carving. After searching for a while, he found a perfect stone for the work. With his expertise in the stone, he knew he could find no better stone than that one. He brought the stone to his workshop and started carving it. As he started to hit the hammer on the chisel, the stone cried, "Please stop it, I can't bear the pain!"

The sculptor said, "But you'll make the finest statue. You're the perfect and deserving stone to become the statue of Lord Ganesh. Endure this pain and you will be converted into the statue of Lord Ganesh."

"I'm sorry, I can't endure this pain", pleaded the stone, "Please leave me." 

The sculptor then put the stone in a corner of his workshop and went to the riverbank in search of another stone. Not finding a better stone, he had to pick a stone which was a little inferior to the first one. After coming back with the second stone, he started working on it. He started to hammer it. The stone endured the pain of the hammer and the chisel. After a few days of carving the stone had turned into the beautiful statue of Lord Ganesh.  

The statue of Lord Ganesh was taken by the villagers. The jubilant villagers took rally all around the streets of the village before the statue was placed in the temple. As time passed by, not only the villagers but people from far away also came to worship Lord Ganesh in the temple. The villagers felt that they needed another stone to break the coconuts brought by the devotees to offer for Lord Ganesh. They went to the sculptor to ask for the stone. The sculptor gave the first stone which was lying at the corner of his workshop. The villagers fixed the stone just outside of the temple. All the devotees bringing coconuts broke the coconuts on the stone before offering to the statue of Lord Ganesh. The statue, which stayed safely inside the temple, was worshipped with offerings like flowers, sweets, coconuts and incense, whereas the first stone had to bear rain and heat, and also it had to bear the hard hits of the coconuts.  

Moral:

• The first stone was better and more deserving to become the statue, but the second stone, which was a little inferior to the first one became the statue. Talent is not the sole factor for success.
• We must endure problems if we are to meet a bigger purpose in life.

The Jackdaw and the Doves

Once a jackdaw saw a flock of doves enjoying the good food. The jackdaw painted itself into white and joined the dove to enjoy the meal. Everything was fine until the jackdaw kept itself silent while eating. As the doves were having a nice conversation, the jackdaw also joined the conversation. As soon as it started to speak, the doves realised its true identity. The doves drove the jackdaw away by pecking it with beaks. Then, the jackdaw went back to its own flock of the jackdaws. As the jackdaw was white in colour, the other jackdaws also drove it away from their group.

Moral: Always accept your true nature, otherwise you will land nowhere.

-Based on Aesop's fable

It's Fine Today

- Douglas Malloch

Sure, this world is full of trouble 

I ain't said it ain't. 

Lord, I've had enough and double 

Reason for complaint; 

Rain and storm have come to fret me, 

Skies are often gray; 

Thorns and brambles have beset me 

On the road — but say, 

Ain't it fine today? 

What's the use of always weepin', 

Making trouble last? 

What's the use of always keepin' 

Thinkin' of the past? 

Each must have his tribulation — 

Water with his wine; 

Life, it ain't no celebration, 

Trouble? — I've had mine — 

But today is fine! 

It's today that I am livin', 

Not a month ago. 

Havin'; losin'; takin'; givin'; 

As time wills it so. 

Yesterday a cloud of sorrow 

Fell across the way, 

It may rain again tomorrow, 

It may rain — but say, 

Ain't it fine today? 

The Bird's Neigh

A bird was gifted with a beautiful voice to sing. Once it heard a neigh of a horse. The bird was enchanted by the neigh. The bird became disappointed because it could not neigh. It tried imitating the horse's neigh. In doing so, it forgot how to sing. 

Moral: We should appreciate our own gifts.

चराको हिन्हिनाई 

एकादेशमा सारै मिठो गीत गाउने एउटा चरा थियो। एक दिन त्यसले घोडा हिन्हिनाएको सुन्यो। त्यो चरा घोडाको हिन्हिनाईमा मोहित भयो र आफू हिन्हिनाउन नजानेकोमा निराश हुनथाल्यो।  त्यो चराले पनि हिन्हीनाउने अभ्यास गर्न थाल्यो।  अभ्यासको क्रममा त्यो चराले आफुले मिठो गीत गाउने सिप पनि बिर्सेर गयो। 

पाठ: अरुको इर्ष्या गर्दा आफुसंग भएको प्रतिभा पनि गुम्नसक्छ। 

-Based on Aesop's fable

If I Could Just Get Organized

- Douglas Malloch

There may be nothing wrong with you,
The way you live, the work you do,
But I can very plainly see
Exactly what is wrong with me.
It isn’t that I’m indolent,
Or dodging duty by intent;
I work as hard as anyone,
And yet I get so little done,
The morning goes, the noon is here,
Before I know, the night is near,
And all around me, I regret,
Are things I haven’t finished yet.
If I could just get organized!
I oftentimes have realized
Not all that matters is the man;
The man must also have a plan.

With you, there may be nothing wrong
But here’s my trouble right along;
I do the things that don’t amount
To very much, of no account,
That really seem important though
And let a lot of matters go.
I nibble this, I nibble that,
But never finish what I’m at.
I work as hard as anyone
And yet, I get so little done,
I’d do so much you’d be surprised,
If I could just get organized!

The Hen and The Golden Eggs

Once a cottager and his wife found a hen. The next day they were surprised to see that the hen had

laid a golden egg. They were delighted. The hen laid another golden egg the following day also. Each day, the hen laid a golden egg.

One day, the husband said to his wife, "Instead of waiting each day for an egg, let's kill the hen and get all the eggs from its stomach."

The wife agreed. They killed the hen, opened its stomach but did not find any eggs. Because of the greed, they not only lost that day's egg but also lost the chance to own the eggs the hen would lay in the following days.

Moral: Being impatient might mean to deprive oneself of opportunities.

कुखुरा र सुनौलो अन्डा 

एउटा गाउँमा एकजना किसान र उसकी पत्नी बस्दथे। एक दिन उनीहरुले एउटा कुखुरा भेट्टायो। भोलिपल्ट बिहान त्यो कुखुराले सुनको अण्डा पार्यो। त्यो देखेर पति-पत्नी दुबैजना धेरै खुशी भए। अर्को दिन पनि त्यो कुखुराले अर्को सुनको अन्डा पार्यो। प्रत्येक दिन त्यो कुखुराले एउटा-एउटा अन्डा पार्थ्यो। 

एकदिन त्यो किसानले आफ्नी पत्नीलाई भन्यो,"अन्डाको लागि दिनदिनै पर्खिनुभन्दा त्यो कुखुरालाई मारेर त्यसको पेटबाट सबै अण्डा एकैचोटी निकालौं।"

किसानकी पत्नीले स्वीकारिन्।  उनीहरुले त्यो कुखुरालाई मार्यो।  तर कुखुराको पेटमा कुनै अण्डा थिएन।  लोभको कारणले गर्दा उनीहरुले त्यो दिनको मात्र होइन त्यसपछिका सबै दिनहरुको सुनको अण्डा गुमाए। 

पाठ : अधैर्यका कारण लाभका सम्भावनाहरु गुम्न सक्छ।  

- Based on Aesop's fable