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

How not to be hopeless?

An Indian Folktale One evening, a merchant was locking the doors of his shop. Suddenly, a young man sprang up from behind and snatched the bag he was holding in his hand that contained the day’s collection from his business.  The merchant as well as some passers-by chased the thief and managed to catch him.… Continue reading How not to be hopeless?

Being grounded

An Indian Folktale Once a FARMER and a CLEVER MINDED person got together to do farming jointly. They acquired some farmland. The farmer BARRICADED it with hedging and tilled it and PREPARED for sowing. Then went to the clever one and asked about the details of sharing the harvest. The clever one said, “I shall… Continue reading Being grounded

Melon and Knife

A Kashmiri Folktale There was a King who had a dream one night – a strange dream.  He saw that there were three things lying in front of him — a watermelon, a knife and a plate. An invisible hand operated the knife, cutting slices of the melon which fell into the plate one after… Continue reading Melon and Knife

The Three Perspectives

A Sufi Folktale There were once three Sufis, so observant and experienced in life that they were known as The Three Perspectives.  One day during their travels they encountered a camel-owner, who said: “Have you seen my camel? I have lost it.” The Three Perspectives in reply started asking questions about the lost camel. They… Continue reading The Three Perspectives

The Location of Paradise 

An Indian Folktale “Sir, is there a paradise?” Vraja, the young disciple, asked the Master for the umpteenth time.  At last the Master replied with another question, “Must you know?”  “Yes, Master, yes!” said the disciple most eagerly.  “Well, my first disciple, Hemchandra, is in paradise,” said the Master and then he closed his eyes… Continue reading The Location of Paradise 

Other Lives

A Kashmiri folktale Once there lived a Seeker of the Truth who wanted to know the mystery of Death and the Great Time. For many years, the seeker kept visiting many gurus, scientists, academicians and ashrams.  Then one day, he came across a group of wandering mystic minstrels while walking on the bank of a… Continue reading Other Lives

Changing stories of our life

An Aeshop’s Fable Once a Man and a Lion travelled together through the forest.  They soon began to boast of their respective superiority to each other in strength and prowess. As they were disputing, they passed a statue carved in stone, which displayed “a Lion strangled by a Man”.  The traveller pointed to it and… Continue reading Changing stories of our life