THE SWEEPER OF THE MONASTERY !!!

A highly uncultured peasant, of advanced age, comes to the doors of a monastery. When they open them, he explains himself like this," Friendly monks, I am a man with a lot of faith. I want to receive teachings."

The monks talk among themselves, at the side of the newly arrived. When they verify his lack of culture, they think that he is not able to receive teachings and much less methods of self-development, but since he seems a man of faith, they tell him, "Look, good man, you are going to be in charge of sweeping the monastery every day. You may stay here and will have room and board."

Months after, the monks start to see that each day the peasant is found more tranquil, with a semi-smile always drawn on his lips and a special shining in his eyes. He exhale true tranquility and is seen happy and balanced. It is so that the monks, bewildered, ask him,"Good man, it looks that during these months you have undergone a great spiritual evolution. Are you practicing any special method?"

And the man answers,"Brothers, the only thing I do, with a lot of attention, clarity and love, is to sweep the monastery. I put all my vigilance and precision in that one too, when sweeping the garbage I think that I am sweeping from myself the rancor, deceptions, greed and hatred. And each day I am happier."

THE LAST SUPPER

There is an anecdote of the great painter, sculptor and inventor, Leonardo Da Vinci, about his painting "The Last Supper", one of his works presently most copied and sold.

It took 20 years to make it due to the fact that he was very strict at choosing people who would pose as models. He had problems to initiate the painting because did not find a model to represent Jesus, who should reflect in his face purity, nobility and the most beautiful feelings. He also should posses an extraordinary virile beauty. At last he found a young man with these characteristics, he was the first he painted. Then he was finding the eleven apostles, whom he painted together, leaving Judas Iscariote pending, since he did not find the adequate model. This should be a person of mature age and showing in his face the marks of treason and avarice. Thus the painting was unfinished for a long time, until they told him of a terrible criminal they had jailed. He went to see him, and he was exactly the Judas he wanted for finishing his work, for what he asked the mayor if he would allow the defendant to pose for him. The mayor, knowing the fame of the master Da Vinci, gladly accepted and the accused was taken to the painter's studio, guarded by 2 guards and chained.

During all the time that the defendant posed he did not show any emotion for being selected as model, showing himself too quiet and distant. At the end, Da Vinci, satisfied with the result, called the accused and showed him the work; when the accused saw it, extremely impressed, fell on his knees, crying.

Da Vinci, surprised, asked him the reason of his attitude, to what the prisoner answered,
"Master Da Vinci, don't you remember me by chance?"

Da Vinci observing him fixedly answered, "No, never before I have seen you."

Crying and asking forgiveness to God, the accused told him, "Master, I was that youth who 19 years ago you chose to represent Jesus in this same painting."

The moral of this story is that no matter how much physical beauty you posses, it is the inner beauty what in time finally comes out to shine on us and thusly inevitably is marked in our face.

Reflect upon it........

Some day you will die.

Lying on your sick bed about to breathe your last, you will be assailed by every kind of pain,

Your mind will be filled with fears and anxieties and you will not know where to go or what to do,

Only then you will realize you have not practiced well.

The skandhas/aggregates (matter, sensations, conceptions, impulses and consciousness)

and the four elements in you will quickly disintegrate, and your consciousness will be pulled wherever your ancient, twisted karma leads it.

Impermanence does not hesitate.

Death will not wait.

You will not be able to extend you life by even a second.

How many thousands times more will you have to pass through the gates of birth and death.

If these words are challenging, even insulting, let them be an encouragement for you to change

Practice heroically

Do not accumulate unnecessary possessions.

Don't give up.

Still your mind, end wrong perceptions, concentrate and do not run after the objects of your senses.

Practice diligently.

Be determined not to let your days and months pass by wastefully.

RECIPES FOR SELF-LOVE

Take full responsibility for your life.

Stop blaming others.

See yourself as the cause of what happens to you.

Do things you like to do.

Don't stay in a job you don't like.

Participate in life at the highest level you can.

Stop terrorising yourself with your thoughts.

Be gentle and kind and patient with yourself.

Give yourself the simple pleasures of life abundantly.

Wear clothes you feel good in, get a massage etc.

Watch what you say. Avoid self put-downs.

Stop being critical of yourself and others.

Take care of your body.

Give it exercise and good food.

Be willing to create a life-style that generates and nourishes self-esteem.

Associate with others with high esteem.

Acknowledge yourself frequently.

Keep a diary of your successes and accomplishments.

Avoid comparing yourself with others.

Remember that it's who we are, not what we do, that's important

Give yourself permission to do nothing periodically.

Schedule time by yourself.

Frequently take deep breaths.

Discover the benefit and pleasure of breathing fully.

Eat first class frequently.

Don't look at the right side of the menu.

Stop trying to change others.

Focus your attention on being the way you want others to be.

Look into a mirror regularly

and say "I love you, I really love you".

Stop feeling guilty and saying "I'm sorry".

See mistakes as valuable lessons and avoid judging yourself.

Consciously generate positive thoughts and feelings of self-love

in place of old thoughts of inadequacy.

Be willing to laugh at yourself and at life.

Stop taking yourself so seriously.

Accept compliments from others without embarrassment.

Don't invalidate their positive thoughts and feelings about you.

Be kind to your mind.

Don't hate yourself for having negative thoughts.

Gently change your thoughts.

Keep your awareness and your thoughts focussed in present time

instead of living in the past or future.

Acknowledge others frequently.

Tell them what you like and appreciate in them.

Invest money in yourself.

Go to seminars, workshops and courses that develop your talents.

Make a list of 10 things

you love doing and do them frequently.

Treat yourself as you would treat someone you really loved.

Praise yourself.

The Lost Key

One day, people saw Mullah Nasruddin out in the street searching frantically for something. 

The enquisitive nature of man was on work. “What are you searching for, Mullah? They enquired.

“I’ve lost my key” replied Mullah. 

The helping nature of mankind was at work.So everyone joined him, trying to help him 

After some search someone had the urge to ask the place where exactly, the key was lost. So that more condensed search could be made. So, the enquiry was made for the same to Nasruddin.

“I lost the key in the house,” replied Mulla matter-o-factly. 

“Then why are you searching for it in the street?” was the obvious question asked to him. 

“Because there is more light here.” Replied the Mulla 

This short story is symbolic. Everybody is looking for the key. The key to happiness, the key to bliss, the key to freedom, the key to God, the key to peace or whatever one may like to term a phrase.

Most of us look for the key outside. The key is sought in power, in success, in relationships, in wealth, in others. Much light seems outside. Very few look for the key within. The key was lost within and so has to be searched within. But if faces one’s own self one cannot see the light instantly, rather faced by the fears, the loneliness, the conflict one runs away from the self. One looks for some company, some game, some work anything but facing one’s own self and the never ending search on the outside continues.