A Sufi story Once a Sufi Master told his audience that even if help is provided to man, something in him could make the help totally useless. When some people objected to this theory, the Sufi Master smiled and said, “Okay we will see.” When everyone had forgotten the incident, the Sufi Master ordered one… Continue reading What is Real Fortune?
Tag: greaterpsychology
What can fear do?
A Bengali Folktale Once a terrible bubonic plague broke out in Asia and wiped out millions of people. The king of India summoned all the old and wise priests of the realm to find ways to arrest the plague. The priests went into a long session of discussion and ultimately told the king that the… Continue reading What can fear do?
What should we do with illness?
An Indian Folklore Once upon a time, two fevers left their place, took the train and got down at the railway station of a big city. One of them thought of catching hold of a poor man while the other one decided to take on a rich well-to-do man. Fever number one seized a daily… Continue reading What should we do with illness?
Our Biggest Obstacle
A Sufi story Shibli, a prominent figure in Sufi tradition, is known for his eccentric personality, profound spiritual insights, and unconventional methods of guiding others. He left no writings, but his legacy was passed down orally. He was an ascetic who embraced altered states of consciousness. He was also a great lover of poetry and… Continue reading Our Biggest Obstacle
Kaala Paaja – The eternal search for immortality
A Himachali Folktale This is a story of a boy called Kirnu and his Guru called Kapish. They used to live in a small village in Himachal Pradesh. Kirnu was an orphan. When he was ten years old, the villagers had taken him to an ashram in the village. Guru Kapish was the head of… Continue reading Kaala Paaja – The eternal search for immortality
Who is responsible for your suffering?
A Sufi Folktale One night a thief, trying to climb through the window of a house which he intended to rob, fell because the window-frame broke, hit the ground and broke his leg. So the thief went to court to sue the owner of the house. The owner of the house said: “Sue the carpenter… Continue reading Who is responsible for your suffering?
What is Beauty?
An Indian Folktale There was a woman who worked for the queen. The queen trusted her very much. While sweeping the queen’s room, some-times the woman found pearls or gold beads which could have fallen from the queen’s several neck-laces and other jewellery. She faithfully restored them to the queen. The queen was so pleased… Continue reading What is Beauty?
What is real Wealth and Happiness?
An Indian Folklore Once lived a proud King. The King one day decided to go on a pilgrimage. Late one afternoon he camped in a village close to a forest. He heard that in that forest lived a Sage for whom the local people had great respect. What was intriguing, the Sage was once a… Continue reading What is real Wealth and Happiness?
What is true freedom?
An Odia Folktale Once lived a very poor plumber in a town in India. One day he was assigned to repair the toilet of the queen of that town. While he was finishing up his work and leaving, he somehow saw a glimpse of the queen’s thigh. It was smooth as silk, fair and soft… Continue reading What is true freedom?
What is virtue?
An Indian Folktale In a village, there lived a thief. He stole things from here and there, sold what he got cheaply and thus made a living. Once someone in the village died and everyone in the house went to the cremation ground to cremate his body. The thief thought there would be nobody in… Continue reading What is virtue?
What are we really seeking?
An Indian Folktale (In Search of Fire) It was a winter night. The chowkidar (the village guard) had already made two rounds of the village. He was carrying a kalke, a handy earthen pipe through which one smokes. He had filled it with tobacco, but he could not light it as he had no match-box with… Continue reading What are we really seeking?
What is psychological progress?
An Indian Folklore “How long will it take to reach the other bank?” the solitary passenger asked the lone boatman as they started crossing the river. “It takes around half an hour. It depends on the course of wind and the current. Since there is storm gathering on the horizon, I will row as fast… Continue reading What is psychological progress?
Is Surrender really important?
An Indian Folklore This is a story of the Mighty Elephant and the Tiny Fish. A wealthy merchant often visited the holy city of Haridwar where his guru lived. He loved to listen to his guru’s discourse, even though he failed to appreciate all the concepts and ideas the sage presented. For instance, he could… Continue reading Is Surrender really important?
How to be wise?
A Kashmiri folktale One day a dissatisfied fellow was sitting under a walnut tree, and his eyes fell on a great pumpkin growing nearby. He thought: “Nature is so foolish. It had to give such small nuts to this big walnut tree and such immense fruits to this thin plant! Now if pumpkins were growing… Continue reading How to be wise?
The Tale of Melon City
A Sufi story The ruler of a certain city one day decided that he would like an arch built, so that he could ride under it with all pomp, for the public to see. But when the great moment came, his crown was knocked off while he was passing the arch. It was found that… Continue reading The Tale of Melon City
What is Indigenous Psychology?
INDIGENOUS PSYCHOLOGY is a movement that began after the Second World War but gained momentum by the 1970s due to the rising need for decolonization of psychology and its therapeutic applications. The need for recognizing the socio-cultural context was increasingly felt. Many social scientists from different parts of the world had been and still are… Continue reading What is Indigenous Psychology?
What is the mystery of Life and Death?
A Bengali Folklore A young king was stricken with impotence. He became bitter and unhappy. No doctor or medicine could restore to him the pleasures of potency, available even to the poorest man. The sight of beautiful women only made him sick with grief. One day, word reached him that there is a dervish who… Continue reading What is the mystery of Life and Death?
What Happens When You Really Listen?
A Telugu Folktale There was a villager who was uncultured and stupid. He was married to a very cultured woman. She tried various ways of cultivating his taste for the higher things of life, but he just wasn’t interested. Once a great reciter of the grand epic, the Ramayana, came to the village. Every evening,… Continue reading What Happens When You Really Listen?
How are women represented in Indian Folklores?
A Tamil folktale (A Hair-Breadth Escape) Once upon a time there lived a rich landlord. He was very miserly and difficult, and hence nobody was willing to work for him. Soon he had no labour for tilling his lands or filling up his tanks. One day, a holy man visited the landlord and heard about… Continue reading How are women represented in Indian Folklores?
The Crying Cherry Tree
A JAPANESE FOLK-TALE Once upon a time there lived a poor woman in a village. One day as she was praying at the shrine of Lord Buddha a lovely green scarf fluttered down and fell before her. She felt as if she had received Buddha’s blessings. She thanked the Lord and picked up the scarf. … Continue reading The Crying Cherry Tree