Faith of King Jayamal - Story of Krishna

There was a king named Jayamal. Jayamal had intense faith in Lord Krishna. He never missed a single day spending in devotion and rituals performed through love towards his deity Shyamsundar (Black beauty). He worshiped Lord Krishna as Shyamsunder.

Although a king, with many duties towards the kingdom and the people of his kingdom. His faith was great. He spent the time in devotion and worship from early morning till midday. He would not leave the sacred shrine, where he spent the time in devotion, even if it meant losing his kingdom and all the wealth.

There are always people taking the devotion towards God as a weakness. So knowing that the king spends half the earlier day in devotion, a neighboring king decided to attack his kingdom in the early hours of the day and capture it the easy way. It was an easy meal for him. Thus, one early morning, an attack was made on king Jayamal's kingdom. All with the bright hopes of acquiring a new kingdom.

The soldier's of Jayamal had no other option but to watch the enemy soldiers surround the kingdom with ease. They could not fight without their king's order.

The news of the arrival of the enemy troops reached the mother of King Jayamal. She rushed to the king and asked him to take immediate steps. To go and fight the battle. Jayamal the devotee was unperturbed. Bursting with faith he said , "Why should I worry if Shyamsunder decided to take back the kingdom He gave me?". "On the other hand if He does not want the kingdom to be loosed, nothing on the earth can take it away."

Outside the temple, Shyamsunder took the horse of the king from the stable. Riding the horse and fully armed, He single handed attacked the enemy troops. There was no way the enemies could compete the blue warrior. Except the leader all were reduced to corpses. Shyamsunder after doing what had to be done, rode back to the temple where the king used to pray, tied the horse to the tree and vanished.

The king after the worship came out. He was a little down on leaving the temple, he thought Shyamsunder must have decided that he should no longer hold the kingdom. He sees his horse panting with heavy breath, tied under the tree, right outside the temple. "Who has been riding my horse and brought it here?" he demanded. "How can anybody even think of sitting on my cherished horse leave aside riding him?"

None of the officers of the king had the answer. They were all unaware of what had happened. Nevertheless the king in the pensive mood rode his horse and galloped along with the little army towards the battle field. There was no time for any investigation.

On reaching the battlefield he saw the entire enemy troop, but the leader, dead.The leader, the sole survivor, felt at his feet. He said, "I am so sorry to attack you, sir." "You have a warrior no one on earth can defeat." "Please tell me a little more about your blue warrior, your friend." "He has cast a spell on my heart and soul."

The king realized that it was Shyamsunder who rode his horse and cleared the enemies army. The enemy king realized it too and worshiped and begged Jaymal for acquiring the grace of his God. The attraction of wealth and kingdom was no more in his system. With Jayamals blessings he too received the grace of Shyamsunder, the chitchor, the divine Krishna.

Inspirational story of Childs Faith

There was a boy named Jatila. He had to walk through the jungle everyday to reach his school. Going through the thick woods to the school and coming back again from the jungle all alone was huge task for the kid. Naturally it was a frightening experience many a times.

He told about his fear while going through through the woods to his mother. The mother was a woman with great faith in God. Accordingly she said to the boy, "Dear child, why get frighten?" "You are not alone. Just call Madhusudana (One of many names attributed to Hindu God Lord Krishna) and he will be there with you.

The guileless child had the imbibed the Faith from his mother. So from next day as he entered the jungle with deep faith from his heart called out Madusudana. He called, "Oh Madusudana please come and walk with me through the woods. Alone i am scared. You are my only friend to whom i can call for." And God listened to this straightforward call full with faith. The faith of boy was such that Madusudana always remained with him, talked with him during the daily journey through the woods.

So if one has total faith in God, God appears in the form the devotee wishes to see him, or even makes the presence felt as formless divine energy.

In a music video Jagjit Singh Mann Mein Ram Basale one can see this beautiful story of child's faith.

Prayers for the love of God - A short story of legendary Sufi Rumi

The local daily Gujarati news paper Gujarat Mitra provides with good inspirational short stories. The following one got more intense attention as the story is of the Persian Sufi Saint Mowlana Jalaladdun Rumi.

Stories and poems of Rumi has always attracted me. Rumi is the one of the rarest gems that walked on earth in blood and flesh.

Once the sleep took over Rumi before his evening Namaz. The time of Namaz was getting closer but Rumi was deep in sleep. Just then a weird looking fellow woke him up and told him wake up the time for evening prayers the Namaz is near.

Rumi surprised by the uncanny look of the person enquired who he was. “I am Lucifer.” Came the reply. The element of surprise grew even more on hearing the reply. Lucifer is the king of darkness, creator of conflicts, the chief of Satan. Why would he bother to assist him in prayers and love for God?

Lucifer became aware of the spinning mind of Rumi. He began to give the clarification for his action. He told, “Look first I was born and brought up as the messenger of the light. I have yet not forgotten my roots.”

He continued, “Just like a traveler does not forget his country even if he lives in another country for long, so I have not forgot my roots.”

“My possessive nature got me away from God.” He said. “When God created Adam I suffered from the possessive nature, I became jealous of Adam, and thought that Adam would share my love towards God. Hence I rebelled and joined the work against God.”

Rumi could not believe what he was hearing. There was an argument between both and none got satisfied, as it happens with the arguments. The arguments continued the whole night.

As the sun rays of the early morning shined, Lucifer gave up. He confessed that his intentions were not good. He knew that Rumi did not just prayed as a daily routine. He had intense love for God. Missing the Namaz of the night would have hurt his heart more than anything.

He would regret dearly what happened. He would have prayed and longed for God with more intensity then ever. Lucifer did not wanted to get the prayers and longing for God intensified. As it is the intensity of prayer, that leads one closer to God.

The incident helped Rumi, the prayer and longing for the God from the depth of the heart became more intense.

Strength of being or physical strength and sharp techniques ?

Again one another Zen story to ponder upon.

This one is called 'Great Waves'.

In the early days of the Meiji era there lived a well-known wrestler called O-nami, Great Waves.

O-nami was immensely strong and knew the art of wresting. In his private bouts he defeated even his teacher, but in public was so bashful that his own pupils threw him.

A wrestler called O-nami, meaning the great waves, was immensely strong and technically sound with the moves of wrestling. His physical strength and the techniques were so sharp, that he would defeat even his teacher, not to mention the fellow wrestlers in the private bouts.

The story was altogether different when the bouts happened in public. Even the even his own pupils would throw him. The fear to be in public seemed to work on this physically strong and so sound with sharp techniques of wrestling art. However a man may be strong physically and endowed with the sharpest of the techniques in any field, it loses it's importance when the strength draining impulses or feelings like fear attacks the system. Out of fear the body would tremble the wits will lose it's sharpness, all the hard work done for years for physical strength and sharpening of the techniques, vanishes in moments.

That's the reason more emphasis should be put on the strength of being along with the strength of physic and strength of technique. Unless freed from feelings and impulses that drains the strength.

O-nami felt he should go to a Zen master for help. Hakuju, a wandering teacher, was stopping in a little temple nearby, so O-nami went to see him and told him of his great trouble.

The great waves felt he should go to a Zen Master for help. Perfectly a right decision. He has already trained under a reputable instructor dealing with techniques and physical strength. He himself is an instructor. A Zen Master or a spiritual master is the one who carries the spiritual wealth that washes away the negative impulses and feelings. The presence, the grace, the divine love, the compassion of the Spiritually perfect Master is most important for washing away impulses like fear. Hakuju was a wondering teacher. Some Zen Master wanders from place to place bestowing their grace and compassion to the ones who receptive. O-nami was in the receptive state humble with no pride of strength or sharpen techniques. He really needed the help and hence was humble at heart and mind. With a receptive and humble heart and mind, he presented his problem to the Zen Master.

A receptive and humbleness is the most essential quality one requires when seeing a spiritual perfect master. A mind puffed with pride of it's own accomplishments, or a mind that goes with the attitude i know a lot or i am something would definitely come without gaining much. It's like pouring water in already filled cup, most poured water will overflow, the rest gets contaminated with the water already present inside.

"Great Waves is your name," the teacher advised, "so stay in this temple tonight. You are no longer a wrestler who is afraid."

The master advises him to stay in the temple. Near his overflowing presence. This one might be overlooked and the technique given by the Master would be pondered upon by the most readers. The real secret lies in this short advise most than what has to follow. A temple is a sacred place were much is done to evoke the sacred energies. Moreover wherever a Master is the sacredness flows in torrents. Only a receptiveness and humbleness is required. Not humble and i know much will not find much there. There would not be much difference for the one to be in presence of Master, in temple or in market place. In fact a market place would be much comfortable and friendly.

For humble, receptive and with faith, the presence of the Master is a place overflowing with great treasure. The treasure that would fill the one with grace, love compassion and bliss. Removing feelings like anger, fear, frustration and such.

Then the Master provides him with a simple technique.

"Imagine that you are those billows."

Looks simple but if one tries to put it in practise it becomes apparent that that's not so simple as it looks. The thought process one has been with attacks and takes away one from feeling the of raging waves. The mind has this quality of wandering in the known. Of what it has already known and feels most comfortable with the known. It fears with something new.

"You are no longer a wrestler who is afraid."

This one is difficult too. Losing the identity. Nobody would like to lose the identity one has build up. That holds much importance. A wrestler, a scientist, a thinker, a rationalist, a businessman every body would cling to their identity. Letting go of the identity and be receptive and open, to be intelligent in that sense is also a huge arduous task.

For the wrestler who approached the Master it shouldn't be that arduous. He is there to get free from the fear. And with that fear the identity of the wrestler has also to be given up. It would have been much difficult for a successful wrestler. Rather a successful wrestler would least care going to the Master, be with his fears and enjoy the success.

"You are those huge waves sweeping everything before them, swallowing all in their path. Do this and you will be the greatest wrestler in the land"

If the above mentioned hurdles are absent or weak, there should be no problem for the elimination of the fear through the presence of the Master grace.

The teacher retired.

This one is a paradox. Physically it may seen that the teacher is retiring, but He never retires. The flow of grace, love and compassion is ever flowing through Him. The greatest of the forces for the receptive is always at work, it does not require and rest and never retires.

O-nami sat in meditation trying to imagine himself as waves. He thought of many different things. Then gradually he turned more and more to the feeling of waves.

Onami sat and made the effort of imagine himself as great waves sweeping everything. The force of the conditioned thoughts would not allow it in the beginning. Gradually he turned more and more towards the feeling of waves. Just imagination or thoughts are not of much importance. The feel, one should be so one with the thoughts, that the thoughts disappears. The totality is and intensity is most important. The waves does not think, they just flow with vigor. The actual feeling of the waves is required and he was turning towards the same.

As the night advanced the waves became larger and larger. They swept away the flowers in their vases. Even the Buddha in the shrine was inundated. Before dawn the temple was nothing but the ebb and flow of an immense sea.

As the night advance, with the help of overflowing grace of the Master, the identity of the wrestler was lost. Only the waves were their. There was no self centered self meddling with the waves. Hence the waves became bigger and bigger. The waves cannot get bigger it the self centered identity is there. The mind would be occupied in solving the problems identified with the self. Since there were only the waves they swept away everything. Before the dawn there was nothing but the sea.

This could be also understood symbolically. The waves is the grace of the Master. Felling the grace the grace takes over wrestler's identity. Along with the identity everything negative with that identity is lost. Only the grace, the divine love and compassion remained. The fear was of the wrestler, since the wrestler was not there and only the powerful grace was working, it took care of sweeping away everything. Nothing but the grace, the divine love and compassion was present.

In the morning the teacher found O-nami meditating, a faint smile on his face. He patted the wrestler's shoulder. "Now nothing can disturb you," he said. "You are those waves. You will sweep everything before you."

The next morning the Master saw the disciple immersed in the meditation. The mind that thought itself as a wrestler and that was afraid was not present there. A new spiritual mind filled with spiritual strength, Divine love and compassion was there. The old fearful mind had died. This brought about a faint smile on Masters face, whose heart is still sending the strong waves of compassion and divine love. He knew nothing could disturb this new mind. The wrestler himself had become the master. He would not just sweep away the opponents in Wrestling matches, but would sweep away the fears of many. A perfect wrestler in true sense.

The same day O-nami entered the wrestling contests and won. After that, no one in Japan was able to defeat him.

Obedience - A Zen Story

Zen stories are wonderful stories with deep insight. Every individual understands the story in one's own way. Only the masters have the true understanding of the zen stories. Here i would write down what my mind understands through this story.

Readers are welcomed to write their own understanding in the comments.

The master Bankei's talks were attended not only by Zen students but by persons of all ranks and sects. He never quoted sutras nor indulged in scholastic dissertations. Instead, his words were spoken directly from his heart to the hearts of his listeners.

The master Bandei's talks were not just attended by the students of Zen. This is the quality of the true Zen master. A master is like a huge magnet attracting so many people from all sects and worldly ranks. That is that something great they carry, that makes it irresistible for people. It is not the words that attract them, but their presence. Same talk could be given by any other person with exactly same words and punctuations, but that won't carry the essential and would not be a center of attraction. Few people engaged in mind gymnastic might go there.

He never quoted, Sutras. A true enlightened master does not need to quote any Sutra or any other words. He does not rely on borrowed words. What comes out, comes out of direct perception. He does not require any other source than himself for the wisdom. No scholastic dissertations are required for him. It is not reading and acquiring information and dishing out again. The words are spoken from the powerful source of heart and thus it has capacity to pierce the heart and soul of the listeners. The words falling from their mouths carry a special power which falls like seeds in the heart of the listeners and germinates. Same set of words from weak at souls would not carry any weight and the listeners would soon forget them and carry on with their daily routine cores, never pondering on what has been said, but when those words from Masters pierce their hearts, they can't but ponder on what has been said and proceed towards freedom.

The words germinates in the heart of the listener and the listener then feels grateful for attending a Master's talk.

His large audiences angered a priest of the Nichiren sect because the adherents had left to hear about Zen. The self-centered Nichiren priest came to the temple, determined to debate with Bankei.

The Master seldom worries or craves about a large audience. What he is concerned is about the freedom and well being of the people and all living beings. On the other hand the priests and scholars are too attached with the the largeness of the audience. They feel large if large audience attends them. They are at the mercy of the audience. When the priest of Nichiren sect saw that his audience was attracted by the Master, Anger and jealousy took over him. The priest who should be responsible to free his audience from negative feelings like anger and jealousy falls victim of the same. A true priest concerned with the benefit of his audience would have felt great joy, on seeing his audience attracted to the true source. The master does not consider any number of people attending as mere audience. He communicates with each being one on one. Each one's heart and soul is penetrated individually according to one's conditioning of mind or sanskaras. The priest must scholarly and with crafted with intelligence of information and logic. Hence he decided to debate with the Master, gain victory over him and hence gain the large audience, to make himself greater again.

"Hey, Zen teacher!" he called out. "Wait a minute. Whoever respects you will obey what you say, but a man like myself does not respect you. Can you make me obey you?"

He goes to the Master and challenges him. The challenge comes from his self centered mind. He says whoever respects you. The Master is not at for gaining respect, he does not need it. What he wants is the freedom, love and compassion to develop from those attracted towards him. A scholar or a priest is too much after respect. A slave of people's opinion. If people respects them they feel great else their mind and hearts are at great turmoil. Master's peace and strength of mind and heart is least affected by any disrespect shown to them. Now here was a challenge thrown with disrespect shown towards the master.

"Come up beside me and I will show you," said Bankei.

The master does not show any reaction towards the harsh challenge thrown at him, by a proud priest in presence of so many listeners. He remains cool, that is the strength that a master carries.

Proudly the priest pushed his way through the crowd to the teacher.

The priest blinded by his arrogance and the ambition to win over the Master's audience pushes his way from the crowd. The ambition to get back his lost prestige, makes him push from the crowd. So many individuals is crowd for him. No respect or love for them flows through him, hence the pushing. Pushing his way through the mere crowd for his glory.

Bankei smiled. "Come over to my left side."

The Master smiles at him. Looking at the arrogance and disrespect shown towards him and individuals connected with him does not break the strength and silence and smile of His heart. And very softly he ask him to come over to his left side.

The priest obeyed.

The priest obeyed but was not at all aware of it. His mind was crowded with the thoughts and feelings of defeating the Master. To show to people and himself that he did not obey the master and was not a part of herd.

"No," said Bankei, "we may talk better if you are on the right side. Step over here."

So naturally and coolly the masters asks him to step over on the other side where he was sitting. The master knew what he was doing and the proud priest totally unaware and blinded with pride was following what master asked him to do.

The priest proudly stepped over to the right.

"You see," observed Bankei, "you are obeying me and I think you are a very gentle person. Now sit down and listen."

The master gestures did not show that any challenge was faced. Unperturbed he points to the priest that he had been obeying him. There was no need of scholarly talks. Regardless of all the pride and arrogance shown by the priest, Master points him out the gentle quality in him that obeyed.

Since the title of the story is obedience the mind ponders a little more on the obedience

- Obedience brought about by love, gentleness and compassion is far better than Obedience brought about by harshness, ambition and glorying the self centered self

- There no way out of Obedience either obey the self burning qualities like anger, jealousy and greed or obey the love, compassion and togetherness.

Thoughts and feelings

Today in the local newspaper there was a short story, which had a deeper insight.

Once a king was chit chatting with his prime minister about the thoughts and the feelings. He told the prime minister that since the thoughts cannot be seen or read it is very easy to befool people. The prime minister did not agree on this and asked the king for an instant experiment on the same.

One man was walking towards them. The prime mister asked the king to mentally curse the approaching person and think negative about him. The king did so. As the person came closer to the rulers, he had to bow to the mighty ruler and did so.

As he was leaving the prime minister asked the person about how he was feeling about the king at that moment. On the question, clearly a little fear could be seen on the face of the person inquired. The prime minister assured him that he has to put forward the fact and no harm would be done to him, regardless of his answer in negative.

The person said that he could not understood, but to the kind whom he considered highly, at that moment there was a strange feeling arising in him, to curse and abuse the king. There was a repellent force working towards the king. He was thanked for an authentic answer and sent away.

After a while another person was seen approaching them. This time the king was asked to think well about the person and shower his love towards him from within. The person came near paid his respect towards the king and prime minister. His beaming and happy face did not require the king and the prime minister of how he felt. The face and the happy gestured said it all.

Indian Spiritual Story on Karma and spirituality

Two friends were on the way. As they were moving across the nasty place filled with prostitutes, one of them had a desire to spend a night indulging himself in physical pleasure. The other one was given this idea to which he denied, and told his friend not do so.

They both parted, one going with a prostitute, the other with anger and resentment in his mind, decided to visit a temple and read a holy scripture. Along the way thoughts of comparison and how lowly his friend was dominated his mind.

The first one, as he moved with the prostitute began to have resentment on what he was doing. His mind was engrossed in how great his friend was, who decided to visit the temple and read a spiritual book. He was greatly started t miss that.

The other with the religious book in his hand and siting in the temple, was engrossed in the thought f his lowly friend.

An earthquake struck claiming many lives, both the friends included.

The officers from heaven and hell were busy with their work. The first one was taken by the officers of heaven, and could see at distance his friend being ruthlessly driven by the officers from hell.

'There must be some mistake', he said, 'According to what we were doing I deserve to be there and that friend of mine deserves to be graciously led by you to the heaven.'

'We are following the orders, and there is no mistake,' the officer from the heaven said.

The first one demanded and explanation for what had happened in the heaven. 'Your mind was engrossed in how your great your friend was, and was on the temple and sacred text, while your friend's mind was dwelling in how lowly the other was filled with deep resentment.' came the answer.

'Thinking of others as low and self higher is the door to hell.' the voice continued.