The Bishop's Gift

Once a church had fallen upon hard times. Only five members were left: the pastor and four others

In the mountains near the church there lived a retired Bishop. It occurred to the pastor to ask the Bishop if he could offer any advice that might save the church. The pastor and the Bishop spoke at length, but when asked for advice, the Bishop simply responded by saying, "I have no advice to give. The only thing I can tell you is that the Messiah is one of you."

The pastor, returning to the church, told the church members what the Bishop had said. In the months that followed, the old church members pondered the words of the Bishop. "The Messiah is one of us?" they each asked themselves. As they thought about this possibility, they all began to treat each other with extraordinary respect on the off chance that that one among them might be the Messiah. And on the off, off chance that each member himself might be the Messiah, they also began to treat themselves with extraordinary care.

As time went by, people visiting the church noticed the aura of respect and gentle kindness that surrounded the five old members of the small church. Hardly knowing why, more people began to come back to the church. Attracted by what they felt they began to bring their friends, and their friends brought more friends. Within a few years, the small church had once again become a thriving church, thanks to the wise Bishop's gift

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"A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."

~ ALBERT EINSTEIN

"One should never direct people towards happiness, because happiness too is an idol of the market-place. One should direct them towards mutual affection. A beast gnawing at its prey can be happy too, but only human beings can feel affection for each other, and this is the highest achievement they can aspire to."

~ALEKSANDR SOLZHENITSYN


From: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1119354869&ref=ts#/topic.php?uid=13508242374&topic=13669

Розата в нас

Един мъж посадил роза и я поливал редовно дни наред. Обаче, преди да разцъфти, той я разгледал и видял пъпката, но също така забелязал много тръни по стеблото й и си помислил: "Как може някакво красиво цвете да разцъфти от растение, обсипано с толкова много остри бодли?" Натъжен от тази мисъл, той решил да не полива розата повече и, точно преди да цъфне, розата изсъхнала.

По същия начин, във всяка душа - Всеки от нас има една роза. Богоподобни (Ишвара) качества съществуват сред тръните на нашите грешки и недостатъци. Много от нас гледат към себе си и другите, виждайки само тръните - дефектите и негативната страна. Ние сме отчаяни, мислейки, че нищо добро не може да дойде от тези "тръни". Ние не "поливаме" доброто в другите и в себе си и заради това розата в нас умира, преди да получи шанс да разцъфти.

Някои хора не виждат розата в себе си, някой друг трябва да им я покаже. Един от най-големите милосърдни актове, които човек може да изпълни, е да може да достигне до другите, преодолявайки техните тръни, знаейки техните грешки и все още приемайки ги в живота си ... разпознавайки скритото им благородство и потенциала в техните души - да им помогне да осъзнаят, че те могат да преодолеят своите недостатъци. Ако успее да им покаже "розата" в тях, това ще им помогне да преодолеят техните тръни и ще оставят розата в тях да разцъфне.

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Ние намираме любовта не чрез търсене на перфектния човек, а чрез учене да гледаме един несъвършен човек перфектно.

~ Сам Кийн