Simplicity in life

From time to time, we should go through our possessions and get rid of unwanted items by giving them away to the needy or throwing them in the garbage. You must have heard "Less is more". Enjoy the treasure which you will receive by possessing less stuff. This treasure is in the form of more space, more clarity in the mind, less hassles, less wastage of time, less anxiety, less sorrow, less accidents, better health,  etc.  These "possessions" literally weigh us down. We should do this "cleaning-up" process at least once a month.  This "cleaning-up" process will expand your vision and take you to the higher-consciousness.

How to make yourself beautiful

Do hard work from body,
Mind should have self-discipline,
Intellect should have wisdom,
Heart should have compassion,
No ego,
With these things, you will be beautiful.

By the way, these lines apply to men also. Just replace beautiful with handsome.

p.s. I found this in my diary. I want to thank the author of these beautiful lines.

Beauty in Nature

Daily we have to make it a point to see beauty in nature. This beauty has the power to heal us. Daily we need to keep aside some time to go for a long walk in nature. It will really be a boon if we can go for a walk in the morning and in the evening. Walking in nature is very therapeutic. The more problems we have, the more time we should spend in nature. To savor the beauty of nature, we need to let go our preoccupation with our thoughts. If we are already full, how can we receive anything? So, consciously, during this walk, drop all worries of the mind. From time to time we should just empty ourselves. Don’t we all get tired of carrying burdens of life?

To have balance in life, one must spend time with nature. One will be a happier and a healthier person. I am sure there are many people in this world who have not seen a sunrise or a sunset. Have you seen a flock of birds flying? It just takes your breath away. These birds are so much full of energy, vitality, and enthusiasm. They don't even own any houses or have any bank accounts. I don’t see any signs of worries in them. Not only birds, you might see squirrels chasing each other, ducks, cranes, butterflies etc. Relax in sounds of nature like a chirping of birds, a murmur of leaves. Pay attention to a variety of flowers, majestic trees. During sunrise, the eastern sky gets filled with a golden hue. One can see beautiful scenes of a variety of colors in the sky. Morning sunlight is good for health. We get our quota of vitamin D. Wake up early in the morning and spend time in the fresh air.

I remember while growing up, my father used to tell me the benefits of looking at the sky. By looking at the sky, one feels more spacious inside. One feels less constricted. It is nice to see various shapes of clouds in the sky too. Sometimes one can see a pure blue sky with no clouds at all. Both offer their own beauty. With the advancement of technology, we don't have to distant ourselves from nature. Nowadays, we are spending more time indoors and online. Daily we should soak ourselves in the beauty of nature. One becomes a more contented, positive and peaceful person. By becoming a peaceful person, we are contributing to the peace of the world. A peaceful person will only transmit peaceful vibrations which are healthy for everybody.

I would like to share a personal note with you. I have a picnic bench in my backyard. I have put a mosquito net around it. This way mosquitoes don’t bother me. I am even writing this post from inside this setup. Mild wind is blowing. I can hear the chirping of birds. To me relaxing like this is worth more than a million dollars. 

I wish you peace in your life.

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A few quotes of Lao Tzu

Lao Tzu (604 BC - 531 BC) was a Chinese philosopher and a writer. Below are some of his quotes which are among my favorites. Do not be in a hurry to go through these quotes. Read them slowly and let them assimilate in you. Each and every quote has a potential to transform your life for the better.

"Nature does not hurry,

 Yet everything is accomplished."

"There is no calamity greater than lavish desires.

 There is no guilt greater than discontentment.

 There is no disaster greater than greed."

"Silence is a source of great strength."

"If you are depressed, you are living in the past.

 If you are anxious, you are living in the future.

 If you are at peace, you are living in the present."

"Be content with what you have,

 Rejoice in the way things are.

 When you realize there is nothing lacking,

 The whole world belongs to you."

"The best fighter is never angry."

"He who knows others is wise

 He who knows himself is enlightened."

"Mastering others is strength. 
  Mastering yourself is true power."

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

"When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare, or compete, everybody will respect you."

"To a mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders."

"Care about what other people think, and you will always be their prisoner."

"If a person seems wicked, do not cast him away,

 Awaken him with your words, elevate him with your deeds, 

 Repay his injury with your kindness;

 Do not cast him away, cast away his wickedness."

"Water is fluid, soft and yielding.

 But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield.

 As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard.

 This is another paradox: what is soft is strong."

"Stop thinking and end your problems".

"If one desires to receive, one must first give.

 This is called profound understanding."

"By letting go, all gets done."

"If you want to become full, let yourself be empty."

"If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place."

"Great acts are made up of small deeds."

"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes.

 Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow.

 Let reality be a reality.

 Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like."

"New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings."

"Clay is shaped into a bowl,

 But it is the empty space that makes it useful."

"Be still like a mountain,

 And flow like a great river."

"Watch your thoughts, they become words.

 Watch your words, they become actions.

 Watch your actions, they become habits.

 Watch your habits, they become character.

 Watch your character, it becomes your destiny."

We are visitors on this planet earth

No one has come on this planet earth who lives forever. We have to leave this earth after we complete our lifespan. We did not bring anything with us when we were born. In the same fashion, when we leave this earth, we have to leave everything.  Have you seen anybody taking anything when leaving this earth? We can’t even take a blade of grass with us. What is the need to hoard much more than our need? You must have heard this quote ''we came to the world with empty hands and we leave the world with empty hands". That is the reality. Whatever we have earned during our lifetime, we have to leave here. We are trustees of things which we have acquired during our lifespan.

We are visitor on this earth for the duration between point A and point B. Compared to eternity, our average lifespan of 80 years or so is negligible. Everything in the world is impermanent. Many of us are caught up in small things which do not matter in a long run. We waste precious time and energy pursuing those little things. If we keep in mind the reality of point B, we will let go those small things. Time is going so fast. Yesterday has gone. Morning has gone. This second has gone. Seeing that everything is going, let go all worries, anxieties, anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, etc. This will help us live life peacefully. We are visitor on this earth for a limited time.  Let us utilize this time effectively and make choices wisely in life which leads to happiness. 

The Last Three Wishes of Alexander the Great

I was inspired by this story a lot. Let us learn three lessons which the below story offers:-

Alexander, while returning home after conquering many kingdoms fell mortally ill. While lying on his deathbed, he realized the worthlessness of his vast hoard of gold, silver, and jewels, accumulated through his conquests with his sharp sword and his mighty army.

He longed to reach home. He wanted to have a last look at his mother’s face before departing from this mortal world. But, he knew that his sinking health would not let him reach his distant homeland. He called his generals and said, “I will depart from this world soon, I have three wishes, please carry them out without fail.”

With tears flowing down their cheeks, the generals agreed to abide by their king’s last wishes.

“My first wish is that my physicians alone must carry my coffin,” said Alexander.

After a pause, the king continued, “For my second wish is I want the path leading to my grave be strewn with gold, silver and precious stones which are in my treasury while my body is being carried to be buried.

The dying king continued, “My third and last wish is that both my hands be kept dangling out of my coffin.”

Though the generals wondered at the king’s strange wishes, no one dared to question or ask him the reason for these three wishes.

Alexander’s favorite general kissed his hand and pressed them to his heart. “O king, we assure you that your wishes will all be fulfilled. But tell us why do you make such strange wishes?”

At this Alexander took a deep breath and said:

“I would like the world to know of these three fundamentals:

I want my physicians to carry my coffin because people should realize that no doctor can really cure anybody. They are powerless and cannot save a person from the clutches of death.

My second wish to strew gold, silver, and other precious stones on the way to the graveyard is to let the people know that though I spent all my life accumulating riches, not even a grain of gold will come with me when I leave this world. I want people to understand that it is a sheer waste of time to chase wealth.

With my third wish of having my hands dangling out of the coffin, I want people to know that I came empty handed into this world and likewise will go empty handed from this world.”

With these words, the king closed his eyes. Soon he let death conquer him and breathed his last. . . .

About "Mistake"

I found this sentence in my diary and thought of sharing with you all. I do not know who the original author is. I offer my gratitude to him/her for such a thoughtful sentence -

A mistake is not a mistake if you learn from it.