The 50-Buck Illusion: Our Choice of Appearance Over Reality

 

A photographer once hung a clever sign outside his studio:

• For 20 bucks: A photo of you as you truly are.
• For 30 bucks: A photo of you as you think you are
• For 50 bucks: A photo of you as you want others to see you. 

Years later, in his memoir, he reflected: "In all my decades of work, not a single person ever asked for the 20-buck photo. Everyone wanted the 50-buck one."

That simple observation says a lot about us. Most of us don't want to see ourselves plainly; we want to be seen as society wants us to be seen. We crave admiration, not honesty. Ultimately, much of life is shaped by appearances: How we want to be seen, not necessarily who we are. It might cost us inconvenience or mental peace. If we accept ourselves honestly, as we are, we would be much lighter and happier.

Rajendra Maharjan

Email: teacher.rajen@gmail.com

www.rajendramaharjan.com.np

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran: A Book Review

Book: The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

Page Count: 107

Publication: Alfred A. Knopf

Edition: 1923

Summary

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran is a masterpiece of prose poetry, imbued with mysticism and universal truth. Gibran, a Lebanese-American writer, poet, and artist, was often regarded as a philosopher, though he himself rejected the label. The Prophet is said to have been translated over 100 languages and is one of the best selling books of all time.

The book presents the wisdom of Al Mustafa, the central character, who has lived in the city of Orphalese for 12 years. As he prepares to board a ship which will take him home, the people of the city ask him to share his wisdom on various facets of life, such as love, marriage, children, work, death, and more. Through Al Mustafa, the writer offers profound insights into these topics. 

Positive Side

The book is short enough to be read in one sitting, yet its true essence unfolds when savored slowly, allowing time to reflect on its profound messages. A thoughtful reader will naturally pause to ponder the insights woven into its sentences or paragraphs. Deep thinkers will find immense value in its pages. The book does not seem to emerge from mere intellectual reasoning; instead, it feels as though it is drawn from a higher, universal source. To borrow the writer’s style: “The book is not the writer’s creation; it is not his, though it comes through him.” It is a work of genius, an extraordinary blend of literary and spiritual insight.

Negative Side

Readers seeking actionable guidance or practical advice may find this book less satisfying. It does not provide a roadmap or list of tasks to improve one’s life in tangible ways. Instead, the book operates on a deeper, more subtle level, stirring the soul and altering the state of being.

In a world driven by productivity and material goals, this book might seem like a collection of beautiful but impractical words—more a luxury of introspection than a tool for achieving worldly success. For some, this could be seen as a limitation. However, those willing to embrace its mystical and transformative power will find that it changes them in ways that are profound, albeit intangible.

Conclusion

The Prophet is a must-read for anyone drawn to mysticism or seeking a fresh perspective on life’s timeless themes. It is a book that touches the soul, leaving readers feeling changed and enriched. Fans of Paulo Coelho’s works will likely find a place for this book in their hearts.

Highly recommended for deep thinkers, introspective readers, and anyone needing a brief yet meaningful escape from the noise of the world, this book is a treasure to be cherished.

Words from the Book

"Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you yet they belong not to you."

Rajendra Maharjan

Conact: teacher.rajen@gmail.com

Devotion to the Buddha

Bhikkhu Vakkali was devoted to the Buddha. His adoration was patent for all to see. Whether the Buddha was preaching, walking, or meditating, the eyes of Bhikkhu Vakkali were fixed upon him raptly. Just as the eyes of a lover devour the form of the beloved, so the gaze of Bhikkhu was fixed to the majestic features of the enlightened one.

The Buddha called Vakkali amidst the assembly and said,"Why do you constantly gaze at my body, which is transitory, subject to suffering and without essence? Why do your eyes constantly dwell on this corporeal form, which is nothing but a sack of impurities? It would be better for you to seek out a forest retreat and there strive earnestly to gain that liberation which brings all formations to an end."

Giving him the subject of meditation, he dismissed the monk. The Bhikkhu thereupon retired to the forest, strove earnestly for insight, and after some time duly attained Arahantship. 

Moral: Attachment to the Guru can also be hindrance for liberation.

The Ocean

A little wave was bobbing along in the ocean, having a grand time. It was enjoying the wind and the fresh air until it noticed the other waves in front crashing against the shore.

"My God, this is terrible," the wave said. "Look what's going to happen to me?"

Then came along another wave. It saw the first wave, looking grim, it asked, "Why do you look so sad?"

The first wave replied, "We're all going to crash! All of us waves are going to be nothing. Isn't it terrible?"

The second wave said, "No, you don't understand. Actually, you're not a wave, you're a part of the ocean. You are the ocean."

Helping the World

Once there was a monk who lived up in the mountains. One day a young seeker came to meet him in search of wisdom. 

The young seeker asked, "Why do you spend your time meditating? Should not our duty be to help people by doing charitable work for the betterment of the world?"

The monk questioned, "What is the meaning of the world?"

The young man thought for some time and said, "I think the world means everything around us."

The monk then explained, "The world is such a vague term. The world is made not only of people but animals, insects, plants, water, air, soil and many things which are beyond our senses. You can never help the world because the world is enormous and you are just a microscopic part of this vast universe. People are always entangled in their own ego-boosting game. Whatever you do, if you are not doing it with the awareness of the impermanence of your act and the world, you are just playing with your ego. It does not matter if it's the act of charity or the act of cruelty."

-Rajendra

The Sun and The Wind

The wind always boasted of his mighty strength. The wind was of the view that fierceness, might, and strength always wins over gentleness. But the sun argued that gentleness and kindness are more important to get things done. The debate heated up. The wind challenged the sun for a test. 

A man was walking on a road. The wind said, "You try with your gentleness and I will use my strength to make that man take off his coat. Do you agree to test?"  

The sun consented. Then the wind began to blow the air with all its might. As the wind blew, the man who was walking grabbed his coat. The more the wind became fierce, the tighter was the grip on the coat. The wind blew with all its might causing a fierce storm. But, the man grabbed the coat even tighter. After a long effort, the wind got tired and gave up.

Now it was the sun's turn. The sun gently smiled. As the sun got brighter, the man felt hot and he took off his coat.

Moral: More things are accomplished with gentleness and kindness than strength and force. 

-Based on Aesop's fable

The Third Force

A myrmecologist said, "If you put 100 red ant and 100 black ants in a jar, nothing will happen. They will co-exist in harmony. But if someone shakes the jar violently, and puts the ants on a table, they start attacking each other and kill each other. The black ants think the red ones caused the tremble and the red ants think the black ones are responsible. They don't realize that the trembling is caused by the third force."

The above statement holds true for all human relations as well. Next time when you are about to have a conflict with someone, think first if there exists a third force. 

तेस्रो शक्ति 

एकजना कमिलासम्बन्धी अनुसन्धानकर्ताले भनेका थिए, "१०० वटा कालो कमिला र १०० वटा रातो कमिला एकै भाडोमा राख्दा केहि हुदैन. ती कमिलाहरु मिलेर बस्छन्. तर त्यस भाडालाई बेस्सरी हल्लाएर ती कमिलाहरुलाई टेबलमा छोडिदियो भने एक-अर्कासंग झगडा गर्न थाल्छन् र एकले अर्कालाई मार्छन्.काला कमिलाहरुलाई लाग्छ राता कमिलाले गर्दा त्यो कम्पन भएको हो र राता कमिलाहरुलाई लाग्छ त्यो कम्पनको कारण सेता कमिला हुन्. बास्तवमा त्यस कम्पनको दोषी तेस्रो शक्ति हो भन्ने उनीहरुले थाहा नै पाउदैनन . "

माथिको भनाई मानव सम्बन्धमा पनि लागू हुन्छ. अर्कोपल्ट कसैसंग मनमुटाब हुनलाग्दा सोच्ने गरौँ कतै यो द्वन्दको कारण कुनै तेस्रो शक्ति त होइन. 

Leadership

Alexander the Great led a forced march across a hot and desolate plain. On the eleventh day, he and all the soldiers still with him were near death from thirst. Alexander pressed on. At midday two scouts brought him what little water they had been able to find - it hardly filled the bottom of the helmet. Their throats burning, Alexander's men stood back and watched him enviously. Alexander did not hesitate. He turned the helmet over and poured the water on the hot sand at his feet. Then he said, "It's of no use for one to drink when others are thirst." They desperately needed water - plenty of it. Alexander gave his men the only thing he had - inspiration. 

Leadership is not only about teaching but by living the way of a leader.

The Fowler and The Viper

A fowler, taking his bird-lime and his twigs, went out to catch birds. Seeing a thrush sitting upon a tree, he wished to take it, and fitting his twigs to a proper length, watched intently, having his whole thoughts directed towards the sky. While thus looking upwards, he unknowingly stepped upon a viper asleep just before his feet. The viper, turning about, stung him, and falling into a swoon, the man said to himself, “Woe is me! that while I purposed to hunt another, I am myself fallen unawares into the snare of death.”

-Based on Aesop's Fable

The Last Hurdle

When Mahavir left this world, Gautam, his closest disciple, was out of the town. On returning, Gautam was informed that Mahavir has passed away. All his life Gautam was near Mahavir, but he was not there at the last moment of Mahavir's life. He felt he was very unfortunate. He began to cry and said, "I didn't attain nirvana (salvation) while He (Mahavir) was alive. How do I attain nirvana now?" He then asked, "Did he leave any message for me?"

"Yes, Mahavir's last message was - Gautam, you have renounced everything. When will you renounce me?"

It is said that Gautam attained nirvana at that very moment.

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

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

Prayer and Faith

“Is there anything more important than prayer?” asked the disciple to his master.

The master asked the disciple to go to a nearby bush and cut off a branch. The disciple obeyed. “Is the bush still alive?” asked the master.

“Just as alive as before,” answered the disciple.

“Now go and cut the roots,” said the master.

“If I do that, the bush will die,” said the disciple.

“Prayers are the branches of a tree, whose roots are called faith,” said the master. “There can be faith without prayer. But there can be no prayer without faith.”

-From Maktub by Paulo Coelho

The Oak and the Reeds

A giant oak stood near a brook in which grew some slender reeds. When the wind blew, the great oak stood proudly upright with its hundred arms uplifted to the sky. But the reeds bowed low in the wind.

The oak said proudly, "The slightest breeze that ruffles the surface of the water makes you bow your heads, while I, the mighty oak, stand upright and firm before the howling tempest."

As the oak was speaking, a great hurricane rushed out of the north. The oak stood proudly and fought against the storm, while the yielding reeds bowed low. The wind redoubled in fury, and all at once the great tree fell, torn up by the roots, and lay among the pitying reeds. The bowing reeds were unbroken and were unharmed by the wind.

Moral: Better to surrender when it is folly to resist than to resist stubbornly and be destroyed.

-Aesop's Fable

Preaching

The master and his disciples were travelling. On the road, they were unable to eat properly. The master asked some of them to go and seek food. The disciples returned at the end of the day. Each brought with him the little he had been able to gain through the charity of others; fruit that was already going bad, stale bread and bitter wine. One of the disciples, however, brought with him a bag of ripe apples. 

“I would do anything to help my master and my brothers,” he said, sharing the apples with the others.

“Where did you get these?” asked the master. 

“I had to steal them,” the disciple answered. “People were giving me only spoiled food, even though they knew that we were preaching the word of God.” 

“Get away with your apples, and never come back,” said the master. “Anyone who would rob for me would rob from me.”

-From "Maktub" by Paulo Coelho

The Boy and The Devil

A boy was walking to buy bread when the mayor of the city crossed the street.

‘The reason he is so powerful is that he’s made a pact with the devil,’ a very devout woman in the street told the boy, and he was intrigued.

Sometime later, when travelling to another town, the boy saw a beautiful corn field. He asked who the owner was.

‘All this land belongs to one man. I’d say the Devil had a hand in that,’ answered one of the villagers.

Later the same day, a beautiful woman walked past the boy. A priest also saw her and said aloud, ‘That woman is in the service of Satan!’

From then on, the boy decided to seek the Devil out. One day he managed to see him face to face.

‘They say you can make people powerful, rich, and beautiful,’ said the boy.

‘To be totally honest, this is not true’ replied the Devil. ‘You have just been listening to the views of those who are trying to promote me.’

-By Paulo Coelho

The Prayer That The God Hears

A Spanish missionary was visiting an island when he came across three Aztec priests.

“How do you pray?”, asked the priest.

“We have only one prayer", answered one of the Aztecs, “We say: God, You are three, we are three. Have mercy on us.”

“Beautiful prayer,” said the missionary. “But it is not exactly the prayer that God hears. I shall teach you a much better one.”

The priest taught them a Catholic prayer and went on his way to spread the Gospel among others. Years later, on the ship taking him back to Spain, he stopped at that island once more. From the deck, he saw the three holy men on the beach and waved farewell to them. At that moment the three began to walk on the water towards him.

“Father! Father!” shouted one of them, approaching the ship. “Teach us again the prayer that God hears, because we can’t remember it!”

“It doesn’t matter,” said the missionary, seeing the miracle. And he asked God to forgive him for not understanding before that He understood all the prayers.

-By Paulo Coelho