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?
Tag: truth
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 half-knowledge can mislead us?
A Urdu Folktale A man from the city of Kabul in Afghanistan once visited India. Walking along an Indian street, he came to a sweatmeat shop where all sorts of sweets were neatly displayed. Now the man knew only one or two words of Hindustani. He went up to the vendor of sweets and pointed… Continue reading How half-knowledge can mislead us?
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?
Who is a Sufi?
TO BE A SUFI Being a Sufi is to put away what is in your head—imagined truth, preconceptions, conditioning and to face what may happen to you. – [Abu Said] WHAT MUST COME To those who seek truth in conventionalized religion: Until college and minaret have crumbled This holy work of ours will not be… Continue reading Who is a Sufi?
What the Devil said?
Once upon a time there was a Dervish. As he was sitting in contemplation, he noticed that there was a sort of Devil near him. The Dervish said: “Why are you sitting there, making no mischief?” The Devil raised its head wearily and said: “Since the theoreticians and intellectuals have appeared in such numbers, there… Continue reading What the Devil said?
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
Pathway of the Dead
Nestled within scenic mountains and lush green forests, the state of Mizoram in the North-Eastern region of India, hosts a treasure trove of cultural heritage. Since time immemorial, the people of Mizoram have nurtured customs and habits that represent a distinct world-view. This is a story from that land of Mizoram… A Mizo Folktale Mizo… Continue reading Pathway of the Dead
Ana’l-Ḥaqq
Only His name will remain; He,who is both unseen, and ubiquitous; He,who is both the vision and the beholder.When the clarion call of ‘I am Truth’ will ring out– the truth that is me and the truth that is youAll God’s creatures will rule,those like me and those like you.” Faiz Ahmad Faiz “Ana al-haqq,”… Continue reading Ana’l-Ḥaqq
The Invisible Target
–A Japanese Folktale– Once there lived THREE young SAMURAI. Each had their own specialty, their inherent talent. For one it was the sword, for another the spear, and for the third the bow and arrow. One day they decided to travel together and go from school to school to hone their skills further. As they… Continue reading The Invisible Target