Inspirational Stories #128 - Aesop's tales # 13 - A Man and his two Wives

In the old days, when men were allowed to have many wives, a middle-aged Man had one wife that was old and one that was young; each loved him very much, and desired to see him like herself.

 

Now the Man's hair was turning grey, which the young Wife did not like, as it made him look too old for her husband. So every night she used to comb his hair and pick out the white ones. But the elder Wife saw her husband growing grey with great pleasure, for she did not like to be mistaken for his mother. So every morning she used to arrange his hair and pick out as many of the black ones as she could. The consequence was the Man soon found himself entirely bald.

Moral: Yield to all and you will soon have nothing to yield.

Inspirational Stories #127 - Aesop's tales # 12 - The Rivers and the Sea

The Rivers joined together to complain to the Sea, saying, "Why is it that when we flow into your tides so potable and sweet, you work in us such a change, and make us salty and unfit to drink?"

The Sea, perceiving that they intended to throw the blame on him, said, "Pray cease to flow into me, and then you will not be made briny."

Moral: Don't blame others for a situation caused by you.

Inspirational Stories #126 - Aesop's tales # 11 - The Two pots

Two Pots, one of brass and the other of clay, stood together on the hearthstone. One day the Brass Pot proposed to the Earthen Pot that they go out into the world together. But the Earthen Pot excused himself, saying that it would be wiser for him to stay in the corner by the fire.

“It would take so little to break me,” he said. “You know how fragile I am. The least shock is sure to shatter me!”

“Don't let that keep you at home,” urged the Brass Pot. “I shall take very good care of you. If we should happen to meet anything hard I will step between and save you.”

So the Earthen Pot at last consented, and the two set out side by side, jolting along on three stubby legs first to this side, then to that, and bumping into each other at every step.

The Earthen Pot could not survive that sort of companionship very long. They had not gone ten paces before the Earthen Pot cracked, and at the next jolt he flew into a thousand pieces.

Moral: The strong and the weak cannot keep company.

Inspirational Stories #125 - Aesop's tales # 10 - The Young Thief and his Mother

A young man had been caught in a daring act of theft and had been condemned to be executed for it. He expressed his desire to see his mother, and to speak with her before he was led to execution, and of course this was granted.

When his mother came to him he said: "I want to whisper to you," and when she brought her ear near him, he nearly bit it off.

All the bystanders were horrified, and asked him what he could mean by such brutal and inhuman conduct.

"It is to punish her," he said. "When I was young I began with stealing little things, and brought them home to mother. Instead of rebuking and punishing me, she laughed and said: "It will not be noticed".

"It is because of her that I am here to-day."

Moral: Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old he will not depart there from.

Sri Sri Ravi Sankar Biography

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a humanitarian leader, a spiritual teacher, and an ambassador of peace. His vision of a stress-free, violence-free society has united millions of people the world over through service projects and the courses he has developed.

The Beginning

Born in 1956 in Southern India, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was a gifted child. By the age of four, he was able to recite parts of the Bhagavad Gita, an ancient Sanskrit scripture, and was often found in meditation. At the age of seventeen in 1973, he graduated with degrees in both Vedic literature and physics.

In 1982, Sri Sri entered a ten-day period of silence in Shimoga located in the Indian state of Karnataka and in that silence, Sudarshan Kriya – a powerful breathing technique – was born. Later Sudarshan Kriya became the centerpiece of the Art of Living courses.

Founding the First Organizations

Sri Sri founded The Art of Living Foundation as an international, non-profit, educational, and humanitarian organization.  The educational and self-development programs of the Art of Living Foundation provide powerful tools to eliminate stress and improve well-being. These programs include breathing techniques, meditation, yoga, and practical wisdom for daily living which have helped millions around the world to transform their lives.

In 1997, Sri Sri created the International Association for Human Values (IAHV) as a global platform for humanitarian initiatives that solve problems by uplifting human values.  Through its country organizations and partners, IAHV conducts service projects and raises funds for humanitarian and disaster relief initiatives throughout the world.  Activities administered or funded by IAHV include prisoner rehabilitation, trauma relief for veterans, youth and community development, disaster and trauma relief, and organizational excellence programs.

Inspiring Service and Globalizing Wisdom

Sri Sri is a noted humanitarian leader who has developed and led programs that provide assistance to people from a wide range of backgrounds—victims of natural disasters, survivors of terror attacks and war, children from marginalized populations, communities in conflict, among others. The power of his message has inspired a wave of service based on spirituality through a huge body of volunteers who drive these projects forward in critical areas around the globe.

Sri Sri is a spiritual teacher.  He has rekindled the traditions of yoga and meditation and has offered them in a form that works in the 21st century. By reviving ancient wisdom, Sri Sri has created new techniques for personal and social transformation. These include a powerful technique called Sudarshan Kriya® which has helped millions of people to find relief from stress and discover inner reservoirs of energy and peace in daily life. In only three decades, his programs have affected the lives of participants in over 150 countries.

 Collected From http://srisriravishankar.org/life/biography/