SRI RAMAKRISHNA
tells of a man who was about to cross a river when the teacher Bibhishana approached him, wrote a name on a piece of paper, fixed it to the man’s back and said: “Fear not. Your faith will help you to walk upon the waters. But the moment you lose your faith, you will drown”. He trusted Bibhishana and began to walk effortlessly across the waters. He had an immense desire to know what his teacher had written on the piece of paper fixed to his back.
He got hold of it and readwhat was written on it:“Oh God Rama, help thisman to cross the river”.
The man thought, “who is this God Rama anyway?” As soon as doubt entered his mind, he was drowned.
The girl and the storm
The worried mother phoned the school and was told that the girl had already left the school despite the storm. Seeing that she had not arrived home yet, she put on a raincoat and went out to search for her daughter.
As she turned the corner,she saw the girl walking towards the house; but she stopped every time lightning fell, looked up at the sky, and smiled.
“Can’t you see the flashes of lightning, mummy?God is taking pictures of me!”
True respect
During the Christianising of Japan, a missionary was arrested by the samurais.
“If you want live, you will have to trample on Christ’s statue, in front of everyone,” said the warriors.
The missionary went to bed, without any doubt in his heart: he would never commit such a sacrilege,and was prepared to be a martyr.
He woke from his bed in the middle of the night and he stumbled over a man sleeping on the floor. It was Jesus Christ himself, in person! “Now that you’ve stood on me, go outside and trample on my statue,” said Jesus. “Because fighting for an idea is far more important than the vanity of a sacrifice”.
Praying for every body
A farmer’s wife was ill. He called a Buddhist priest. The priest began to pray to heal all the sick.
“Just a minute,” interrupted the farmer. “I asked you to pray for my wife,and you are praying for all the sick; you could end up helping my neighbour,who is also unwell. And I don’t like him”.
“By praying for everyone, I am joining together in my prayers the people who are imploring for their sick ones. In unison,these voices reach God and benefit everyone.Divided, they lose their force, and get nowhere”.
Translated by JAMES MULHOLLAND
This article was taken from the Sunday Edition of Hyderabad Deccan Chronicle dated 19.10.2008
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