Learning from Lincoln

 
Abraham Lincoln became the 16 th President of the United States in 1861. He was well known all over the country as a kind hearted gentle man and as a lover of truth and justice. Even as a child Abraham Lincoln liked to help and serve people in need. Before he became President, Lincoln spent twenty years as an unsuccessful Illinois lawyer - at least he was unsuccessful in financial terms. But he was very rich in the way he led his life. For example, Lincoln didn't like to charge people much who were as poor as he was. 

For example, an old woman in dire poverty, the widow of a Revolutionary soldier, was charged $200 for getting her $400 pension. Lincoln sued the pension agent and won the case for the old woman. He didn't charge her for his services and, in fact, paid her hotel bill and gave her money to buy a ticket home! He was known at times to convince his clients to settle their issue out of court, saving them a lot of money, and earning nothing for himself. 

He and his associate once prevented a con man from gaining possession of a tract of land owned by a mentally ill girl. The case took fifteen minutes. Lincoln's associate came to divide up their fee, but Lincoln reprimanded him. His associate argued that the girl's brother had agreed on the fee ahead of time, and he was completely satisfied. "That may be," said Lincoln , "but that money comes out of the pocket of a poor, mentally-challenged girl; and I would rather starve than swindle her in this manner. You return half the money at least, or I'll not take a cent of it as my share." 

Before he became a lawyer, Lincoln managed a country store. Late one night, when he counted his cash, he found that he had taken a few extra cents from a customer. He closed the store, and walked a long distance to return the money to the customer. 

At another time, he discovered that there had been a weight on the scales when he weighed out a package of tea for a woman the night before, thus giving her too little for her money. He weighed out what was due, and carried it to her, much to the surprise of the woman. 

Lincoln had compassion for all living creatures. Once, while riding through the country with some other lawyers, Lincoln saw two young birds that the wind had blown out of their nest. He stopped to put them back in their nest. "I could not have slept unless I had restored those little birds to their mother," he said. 

Once when he was president, he went out with his friends for his daily walk. While returning home, he saw behind him a horse with a saddle and no rider. Lincoln asked his friends if anyone knew whose horse it was and why it was roaming about in this strange condition. The friends suspected that the horse belonged to a person they knew. "He is a drunkard," they said, "and he must have fallen down somewhere on the road." 

Lincoln suggested that they might all go back and search for him. "Why should we?" asked the friends. "It is getting dark. Let us hurry along. We are already late. Let the drunkard learn a lesson." They started moving on, but Lincoln did not join them. He turned to go back, saying "I feel the man needs help. He might have fallen and even gotten badly injured." 

As his friends walked away, Lincoln went back along the road and looked for the unfortunate man. After walking some distance, he saw the drunken man lying unconscious on the roadside. Lincoln helped him up with some difficulty and brought him home. Everyone in Lincoln 's home were angry with him for bringing in a drunken man. But Lincoln did not mind their harsh words. He calmly told them, "Look, he may be drunk, but he is a human being like us. It is our duty to help him." Lincoln took the drunken man to the bathroom and put him under the shower of water. When he regained full consciousness, Lincoln served him food. Then he was allowed to go home. 

Lincoln believed that service done with love to man is service to God. He was unhappy to see slavery. He therefore fought to end slavery. Many people afterwards said, "God in heaven and Lincoln on earth - we have only these two to look after us." 

April 15 is the death anniversary day of this great soul; as we remember him on this day let us also get inspired by his life and instil self-confidence and compassion in our lives. 

~~~Heart2Heart Team~~~

Sharpen your Axe

 

A young man approached the foreman of a logging crew and asked for a job. 

"That depends," replied the foreman. "Let's see you fell this tree." 

The young man stepped forward, and skillfully felled a great tree. 

Impressed, the foreman exclaimed, "You can start from Monday." 

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday rolled by and Thursday afternoon the foreman approached the young man and said, "You can pick up your pay cheque on the way out today." 

Startled, the young man replied, "I thought you paid on Friday." 

"Normally we do," said the foreman. "But we're letting you go today because you've fallen behind. 

Our daily felling charts show that you've dropped from first place on Monday to last place today." 

"But I'm a hard worker," the young man objected. "I arrive first, leave last, and even have worked through my coffee breaks!" 

The foreman, sensing the young man's integrity, thought for a minute and then asked, "Have you been sharpening you axe?" 

The young man replied, "No sir, I've been working too hard to take time for that!" 

Our lives are like that. We sometimes get so busy that we don't take time to "sharpen the axe." 
In today's world, it seems that everyone is busier than ever, but less happy than ever. Why is that? Could it be that we have forgotten how to stay sharp? 

There's nothing wrong with activity and hard work. But God doesn't want us to get so busy that we neglect the truly important things in life, like taking time to pray, to read and study Scripture, or to listen to 'the still small voice of God.' We all need time to relax, to think and meditate, to learn and grow. If we don't take time to sharpen the axe, we will become dull and lose our effectiveness. 

~~Heart2Heart Team~~

Picture in a Wallet

A ticket collector on a train found an old worn out wallet in a compartment full of many people. He looked inside to find the name of its owner. There was no clue. It had some money and a small picture of Lord Krishna. He held it up and asked, 'Who is the owner of this wallet?'

In response, an old man approached and said, “That is my wallet, please give it to me.” The ticket collector then told him: “You'll have to prove that it is yours. Only then I can hand it over to you.” The old man, who had no teeth, smiled, and said, “It has a picture of Krishna in it.”

“That is no proof; anyone can have a picture of Krishna in his wallet. What is so special about that? Why is your picture not in there?” Obviously, the ticket collector was not an easy person to deal with.

The old man took a deep breath and said, "Let me tell you why my picture is not there. My father gave this wallet to me when I was in school. He used to give me a small sum of pocket money. I loved my parents and I kept their picture in it.

Later on, I replaced their picture with mine as it was an excellent color picture of a handsome looking teenager.

Some years later, I got married. My wife was very beautiful and I loved her a lot. I replaced my picture in the wallet with that of hers. I spent hours gazing at her pretty face.

When my first child was born, my life started a new chapter. I shortened my working hours to play with my baby. I went late to work and returned home early too. Obviously, my son's picture occupied the prized position in my wallet."

The old man's eyes brimmed with tears as he continued, "My parents passed away many years ago. Last year my wife too left her mortal coil. My son is very busy with his beautiful family. He has no time for me. All that I had close to my heart is out of my reach now.

So, after all the disappointments, I have put this picture of Lord Krishna, my favorite form of God, in my wallet. It is only now that I have realized that He is the eternal companion. He will never leave me. Alas! If only I had realized this before. If only I had loved the Lord all those years, with the same intensity as I had loved my family, I would not have been so lonely today!"

The ticket collector quietly gave the wallet to the old man. When the train stopped at the next station, he directly went to the book stall at the platform and frantically started looking for a picture of his favorite form of God for his wallet!

Innumerable are the occasions when Bhagavan Baba has told us that our one and only true friend is God – He will never forsake us. He will always be with us no matter what. He alone is permanent and will never lift His compassionate gaze from us.

In a Guru Poornima discourse a few years ago, Swami said,

“Try to reduce your attachment to the world to the minimum extent possible. Be happy and make others happy. Do not hurt anybody. Consider difficulties as passing clouds. You have developed family relationships and there are bound to be some worries. But do not be perturbed by them. When you look at the vast sky, you find many clouds. Likewise, in the sky of your heart there are clouds of attachment. They just come and go. Do not worry about them… Develop equanimity and strive to attain Divinity”.

~~~ from Heart2Heart Team~~~~

Life Explained

A large pleasure cruiser docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist got off, and walked along the harbour, ambling up to a middle-aged local fisherman, wizened by many hours sitting under the sun. After a few moments, he complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.

"Not very long," answered the Mexican in a relaxed and pleasant voice.

"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the straight forward American. The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.

The American, who seemed like he was coming around to making a point, asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and help my wife around the house. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, play the guitar, and sing a few songs. I have a full life."

The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat."

"And after that?" asked the Mexican, laconically.

"With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one, and a third one, and so on, until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants, and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise,” he said, filled with enthusiasm.

"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.

"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American.

"And after that?"

"Afterwards?"

"Well, my friend, that's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start buying and selling stocks and make millions!"

"Millions? Really? And after that?" asked the Mexican, looking out to sea.

"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, and spend your evenings enjoying your friends' company."

The American had a self-satisfied grin on his face, as he was rather smug that he had been able to explain his way of thinking so convincingly to this simple man – and yes he seemed to understand!

The Mexican chuckled and looking him straight in the eye said slowly but emphatically, “Well, that’s what I’m doing now, my friend!”

The visitor stopped for a second. He realised he had met his match in this simple man who was actually quite a few steps ahead of him. But, of course, he did not want to show this and simply forced a smile and backed away mumbling some need to get back to his boat.

And the wry Mexican fisherman – well, he just kept on chuckling – wouldn’t you!

Swami ji has been telling us the same message. He exhorts us to aspire for one thing alone – and that is the Supreme Inner Peace that only God can give us. A life based around the pursuit of money, possessions and physical comforts will never grant us any contentment. That, he explains, only leads to ‘pieces’.

It is in contentment that peace and happiness are present. Who is the richest man? The man with contentment. And who is the poorest man? He who has many desires.

Let us have a limit on our desires and make our joy limitless.

~~~Heart2Heart Team~~~

The loyal wife

 

There was a man who had worked all of his life, had saved all of his money, and was a real 
miser when it came to his money. 

Just before he died, he said to his wife, 'When I die, I want you to take all my money and put it in the casket with me. I want to take my money to the afterlife with me.'

And so he got his wife to promise him with all of her heart that when he died, she would put all of the money in the casket with him.

Well, he died . . .
He was stretched out in the casket, his wife was sitting there in black, and her friend was sitting next to her. When they finished the ceremony, just before the undertakers got ready to close the casket, the wife said, 'Wait, just a minute!'

She had a box with her, she came over with the box and put it in the casket..

Then the undertakers locked the casket down, and they rolled it away.

Her friend said, 'I know you weren't fool enough to put all that money in there with your husband.'

The loyal wife replied 'Listen, I can't go back on my word. I promised him that I was going to put that money in that casket with him.'

'You mean to tell me you put that money in the casket with him !!! ?'

'I sure did' said the wife. 'I got it all together, put it into my account and wrote him a cheque. If he can cash it, he can spend it.'
Moral of the story: Women are cleverer than Men .......

The Loretto Chapel Staircase Miracle

There are many storied of what faith in God can do.....Such stories are found all over the world, no matter what the religion.....Here is something interesting that was sent to me......have a look, it is amazing

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A Band of Gold

 
A school boy went to see his teacher to talk about a problem that was troubling him. 

"Everyone says I am good for nothing," he complained. "No one believes that I will ever achieve everything. They think I am stupid and lazy. How can I become a better person? What do I have to do for people to appreciate me?"

Without looking at him, the teacher answered, "I'm very sorry, lad, but at the moment I have a problem of my own that is occupying my mind, so I can't help you." He paused and then continued, "But perhaps if you first help me to solve my own problem I could look at how to help you with yours."
"Of course, Sir," said the boy. But inside he felt let down and small.

The teacher took a gold ring off his little finger and held it up saying, "Take your horse and go to the market. There you must sell this ring for me as I need the money to repay a debt. Obviously you must get the best price you can, but whatever you do, don't accept less than one gold coin for it. Go, and come back with the money as fast as you can."

The boy took the ring and left. When he arrived at the market, he started to show it to the stallholders. They seemed very interested and were keen to know how much the young boy wanted for it. But when he started to talk about a gold coin, some of them fell about laughing while others just walked off without a backwards glance.

Only one old man was kind enough to explain to him that a gold coin was far too much to ask for an old ring. Trying to help the young boy, he offered him a bronze coin for it, and then a silver coin. But following the instructions of his teacher not to let it go for less than one gold coin, the boy refused all offers.

After having approached every stallholder and passer-by in the market without success, feeling extremely downhearted at his failure, he got back on his horse and returned to his teacher. How he wished that he had a gold coin himself that he could use to buy the ring, thus freeing the teacher of debt so that he in turn could help him with his own problem!

He went up to his teacher and said, "I'm sorry, Sir, but I have failed to achieve what you asked of me. I could have got two or three silver coins for it, but I believe that we can't mislead anyone about the value of this ring."

"What you say is very important," replied the professor with a smile. "First of all we have to find out the real value of this ring. Get back on your horse and take it to the jeweller. Who else can know its value better than he? But whatever he offers you for it, don't sell it to him. Come back to me with my ring."

The boy went to find the jeweller and held out the ring to him for him to examine. The jeweller scrutinised it through his magnifying glass, weighed it, and said, "Tell your teacher that if he wants to sell it today I can only give him 58 gold coins for it."

"58 gold coins!" exclaimed the boy.
"Yes. And in a while I might be able to give him 70, but if it's an urgent sale…"

The boy ran back to his teacher in a state of excitement to relate what had happened.

"Sit down," said the teacher. After having listened to the child's story, he said, "You are like this band of gold; a unique jewel of immense value. But it takes a specialist to recognise your true worth. Did you think just anybody would be able to realise your value?" So saying, he put his ring back on his finger.

Let us all be wise builders and role models. Take care of yourself, ... and those you love, ... today, and everyday! 

~~from Heart2Heart Team~~