The Light of the World

The image in the left is an allegorical  painting entitled "The Light of The World" painted by the famous artist, William Holman Hunt (1827–1910). In the picture, Christ is seen standing in a garden holding a lantern in one hand and with the other hand knocking on a door. The door in the picture does not have any handle. It is not a mistake made by the artist. For that, the door represents the human heart and it can only be opened from the inside.

विश्वको प्रकाश 

बायाँतर्फ़ दिईएको चित्र प्रख्यात चित्रकार विलियम होलमन हन्टद्वारा कोरिएको "विश्वको प्रकाश" शिर्षकको प्रतीकात्मक चित्र हो।  चित्रमा एउटा हातमा लाल्टिन बोकी अर्को हातले ढोका ढकढकाईरहेको क्राइस्टको चित्र देखिन्छ। चित्रको ढोकामा ह्यान्डल छैन।  यो चित्रकारले भूलबस बिर्सिएको होइन।  यसमा ढोकाले मानव हृदयको प्रतिनिधित्व, जसलाई भित्रबाट मात्र खोल्न सकिन्छ।   

Criticism

An old man, his young son and a donkey were returning from a town. The boy rode on the donkey and the old man walked. As they went along, they passed some old men who remarked,"Time has really changed! Look at that shameless young lad who rides on a donkey and makes his old father walk." Hearing this, the boy rode off and let his father ride on the donkey.

Then, later, they passed a group of middle aged women who remarked, "What a shame, he makes that little boy walk while he enjoys the ride on the donkey." So they then decided they'd both walk!

Soon they passed a group of young boys who laughed at the father and son,"Why are you both walking when you have a decent donkey to ride?" So, they both rode the donkey. Now they passed a group of old ladies who shamed them by saying,"What a merciless people.... Two heartless people riding on a poor little donkey on this scorching heat...."  

The boy and man figured they were probably right, so they decided to carry the donkey. As they crossed the bridge, they lost their grip on the animal and it fell into the river and drowned.

The moral of the story? Criticism is the way of the world. There is no escape from criticism. Whatever we do, criticism will follow. No matter how hard we try, we won't be able to please everyone. If we try to please everyone, we will lose our "donkey", and that won't please the people either.

Ultimate freedom is to be able to live the life we want to and let people live the life they want to.

आलोचना 

एकजना बूढो मान्छे उसको भरखरको छोरा र उसको गधासंग बजारबाट घर फर्किंदै थियो।  छोरा गधा चढेको थियो र बूढो हिड्दै थियो। जादै गर्दा बाटोमा बूढाहरुको एक समूह भेट भयो।  उनीहरु एक आपसमा कुरा गर्न थाले,"साँचै कलियुग लागेछ।  बूढो  बाउलाई हिंडाएर आफू गधामा चढ्ने कस्तो गधा छोरा रैछ !" यो कुरा सुनी छोरा गधाबाट ओर्लियो अनि आफ्नो बाबुलाई चढायो।  

अलि पर पुगेपछि केहि अधबैसे आइमाईहरुको एक समुहसंग भेट भयो। ती महिलाहरु कुरा काट्न थाले,"कस्तो लाज नभाको बूढो …।  बिचरा कलिलो बच्चालाई हिंडाएर आफू  चाहिं कसरी  आरामले चढ्न सकेको होला…?" यो सुनी बाबु छोरा दुबैजना हिड्ने विचार गरे।  

केहि पर पुगेपछि उनीहरुको भेट जवान केटाहरुको एक हूलसंग भयो। केटाहरु हास्दै गिज्याउन थाले,"कस्तो मुर्खहरु रैछन, गधालाई त्यसै हिडाएर आफूहरु पनि यस्तो गर्मीमा हिडिरहेको। … । के भन्ने… मुर्ख्याईको पनि हद हुन्छ नि !" यो सुनी बाबु छोरा दुबैजना गधा माथि चढ्ने बिचार गरे।  

दुबैजना गधामाथि चढेर अलि  पर पुग्न पाएको थिएन, बुढीहरुको एक समूहसंग भेट भयो। ती बुढीहरुमध्ये एकजना कराउन थाली,"कस्तो निर्दयी पापीहरु ….। यस्तो चर्को घाममा तेत्रो सानो गधा माथि दुई - दुई जना चढेर…। बिचारा गधा …. ।"

बाबु-छोराले ती बुढीको  कुरा बिचार गर्दा सही  नै लाग्यो।  त्यसपछि ती बाबु-छोरा दुबैजना ओर्लिई गधालाई बोकेर हिड्न थाले।  हिड्दै जाँदा खोला तर्नुपर्ने थियो।  पूल माथिबाट खोला तर्ने क्रममा गधालाई अप्ठ्यारो भएछ अनि चल्न थालेछ।  बाबु-छोराले समातिराख्न  सकेनन् र गधा खोलामा खसेर मर्यो।

कथाको पाठ ? आलोचना संसारको नियम हो।  आलोचनाबाट बच्ने कुनै उपाय  नै छैन।  हामीले जे गरेपनि आलोचनाले पछ्याई  नै हाल्छ।  हामीले जेसुकै गरे पनि सबैलाई खुशी पार्न सक्दैनौ। सबैलाई खुशी पार्न खोज्यौं भने हामीले पनि आफ्नो "गधा" समेत गुमाउनुपर्ने हुन्छ।  र त्यसले पनि मान्छेहरु खुशी हुनेछैनन्।     

Working Hard

A student of Buddhism went to his teacher and said earnestly, “I am devoted to studying your Buddhism. How long will it take me to master it.”

The teacher’s reply was casual, “Ten years.” Impatiently, the student answered, “But I want to master it faster than that. I will work very hard. I will study and practice everyday, ten or more hours a day if I have to. How long will it take then?”

The teacher thought for a moment, “20 years.”



कडा परिश्रम 

बौद्ध धर्मका एक बिध्यार्थीले आफ्नो गुरुलाई बिनम्रतापुर्वक सोध्यो,"म बुद्ध धर्मको हरेक ज्ञान हासिल गर्न चाहन्छु।  कति समय लाग्छ होला?"

गुरुले जवाफ दिए,"दस वर्ष"।

अधैर्य हुदै शिष्यले भने,"तर म त्योभन्दा छोटो समयमा ज्ञानी बन्न चाहन्छु। म प्रत्येक दिन मेहनतकासाथ पढ़नेछु, साधना गर्नेछु। आवश्यक परे  दिनको दश घण्टा वा त्योभन्दा बढी मेहनत गर्नेछु। त्यसो गरे कति समय लाग्ला?"

गुरुले एकछिन सोची जवाफ दिए,"बिस बर्ष"।

The Dog And The Shadow

Once a dog was walking back home with a piece of bone on its mouth. On the way, while it was crossing a river through a bridge, it saw its own reflection on the water. The dog mistakenly thought that its own reflection was another dog and wanting to get hold of the bone seen in the reflection, it jumped into the water. While jumping into the river, the dog not only did not get another bone but lost the bone that it had in its mouth by dropping into the river.

The dog in the above fable represents human being at large.The world is extended reflection of oneself. But the human desire is never satisfied. He wants to grab hold of unlimited number of things, forgetting that he already has enough possessions. Like the dog losing the bone, people at the end leave this world, empty handed, even losing the treasures they possessed right from the birth.

The Candle And The Fire

They sat quietly in Dwyer’s old cabin, whittling wood with their knives in front of the fireplace when Tom finally spoke up.

“I don’t know how you do it,” he said.

“Do what?” asked Dwyer.

“I don’t know how you stay motivated to help people after so many years.  I feel like giving up and I’ve hardly started.”

Dwyer smiled wryly and replied, “Can you blow out that candle for me?”

Tom did as he was asked.

“Now, can you blow out this fire?  Dwyer asked.

“Don’t be silly,” Tom replied, “Of course I can’t.”

Dwyer put down his knife and his piece of wood and looked his protegé in the eye.

“When your motivation is as small as the candle’s flame, it’s easy to extinguish, but when it rages like the fire you see before you, nothing can blow it out.”