Death of an Ego

Verdant fields, woods and water falls as the back drop, the little church made a perfect picture of peace and tranquil. The distant mountains made a beautiful silhoutte.

The priest was leading the prayer and the small gathering was totally immersed in the same. All of a sudden the calm was upset by the mounds of dust kicked up by the hooves of a dozen horses. At the head was the dictator, sodden with dust and grime. The gathering was still absorbed and no one moved. The priest was serene. This infuriated the dictator. "Hey there, dont you acknowledge my presence and respect me?".

With his sword drawn he approached the  priest. Undeterred, the latter replied " noble sir, we respect only the Almighty. You might kill me but you will  slay only a dead body as I am already dead". His peaceful countenance and benign smile unarmed the dictator. "If you have no objection we can entertain you all  with supper blessed by God as our small gift".

The visitors were very happy and relaxed after the dainty supper. The dictator continued, "O priest, we are happy but you said you are already dead? How is it?"

"Sir, we see only God every where. I see God in you too.This attitude killed my ego long back. God is the Supreme commander and we are bound to serve Him for all that He has so mercifully given to us".

Wisdom dawned on the dictator. He threw away his sword and committed his followers and himself to the service of the Lord.

Dr.M.R.V.Krishnan

STOOP TO CONQUER

Peter and Russel were bosom friends. One evening they met in a city park and started discussing about the most challenging problems. Russel stated that it was a challenge for anyone to lie stretched on a busy thoroughfare when the Sun was over the head. Peter accepted the challenge and  a day and time were fixed.

At the fixed hour, Russel posted himself under a shady tree. Peter was not to be seen. Suddenly an old automobile was seen chugging along the road. With a grinding noise it came to a halt in the middle of the road. The driver, in his overalls, jumped out and went under the jalopy. When accosted by the policeman the driver replied that he was driving the contraption to a vintage car rally nearby and he would take only 30 seconds to set things right. As traffic started building up, the driver jumped into the vehicle and rode off. Before doing so he didn't fail to wave to Russel. Oh! it was Peter with a broad smile on his face.

He won a decent gift for his stunt.

Dr.M.R.V.Krishnan.       

INTELLIGENT BARGAIN

The city badly needed a face lift. Office bearers met and suggestions poured in. To sum up, the city father observed: "we need funds. May I request the members to collect money through selling whichever valuable commodity they possessed  that would fetch maximum  price at the market". Every body approved of this and set about the task.

Old farmer McDonald was very much peeved. All he had were an old tractor (which he considered as valuable) and a rickety bicycle. He took them to the market. Customers approached him. He announced that whosoever opted for the tractor should also pay for the cycle. When asked about the price, he said the price of the tractor was $20 and that of the cycle, $1200. The buyers had a hearty laugh saying he must be mad and totally confused about the prices. One gentleman concluded the prices were acceptable to him; only thing they were reversed. He paid the farmer $1220 and took the two commodities home.

McDonald was very happy. He handed over the entire proceedings of the tractor, namely, $20 to the city father and happily pocketed $1200.

Dr.M.R.V.Krishnan.

Man, then and now

            (sentences shifted to the right  show the attitude of the present day man)
 In the  OLDEN  times man  stood on his own feet.
                     Now a days, man depends on others; in fact he prefers to boss over others.
Community feasts were common; an individual's problem was solved by the entire community.
                     Feasts are unheard of; individual is left to fend for himself.
 He never coveted others property.
                     He has become highly  avaricious. 
 He loved every one and was helpful to others.
                     He has no hesitation in living on others.
 He kept his doors open for guests and those who needed help.
                     He is highly self centered, discontented and jealous.
 He loved animals and birds.
                     He is overwhelmed with mental worries, diseases; has no time for others.
 He believed in hard work and shared facilities with others in the community. 
                     He has become mentally and physically too weak to care for others.
 

The real meaning of life

The three teenagers parked their limousine in front of the cafeteria at the foot of the hills. While admiring the scenic beauty around, they noticed an old person going up the hill carrying a huge log of wood  with a lot of ease.  The three were stunned by the sight. They entered the cafeteria commenting that the old man must be making a big fortune. After a hearty meal they came out and occupied the seats in the portico. They were surprised to see the same man coming down with a small package in hand. They called him and engaged him in a talk. The man was carrying wood to the temple on top of the hill  for a religious function and the authorities had given him a packet containing food for his family. His son and himself had to work to feed the family. As the son was sick, he was doing the work alone. The grand child would be awaiting the food and the man had to hurry back.

The three youngsters were drawn to tears. Born in rich families they were whiling away their time. They had spent around Rs.1500 for their little eats and drinks, whereas, at this ripe age the old man had to toil for a simple meal. You call it fate and go your way. Is this the right attitude?

The leader of the group pulled out a visiting card, gave it to the man and said:" Sir, we are from the next town. You have shown us the right path. My father has an industry near this place. Kindly go to this address. Your son and your good self will be employed there. No doubt, under your care your grand son will make it big. Please remember us and we will assist you in all ways.

He pulled out a thousand rupee note and thrust it into the man's hand. When the latter refused, the youngster replied," sir ,this is for teaching me the real meaning and value of life, which I have not learned from any university all these years".       

What a compensation?

Nature always compensates for any possible defect in the health of the people.

Thomas Alva Edison, Stephen Hawking, John Warcur Cornforth, Helen Keller... are some of the names that come to memory of persons who had some form of disability, but who were the torch bearers to the Society.

It is a big paradox that many persons on the earth, despite perfect health and comfortable life, are a big burden to the Society.   

Bickering at higher levels

One normally tends to think that bickering, sneaking and misunderstanding are the birthright of the lower mortals. No,it happens in the higher echelons too. Thomas Alva Edison and Nikole Tesla (each working in the field of electricity), towards the  eve of their career, were having bitter fights. They were not game enough for a joint Nobel award. Personal egos surfaced to establish their superiority and a lot of dirty linen was washed in public. All this could have been circumvented if each had respected the others knowledge and age and come down the ivory tower.  Giulio Natta and Karl Ziegler, both engaged in the field of polymers, had a similar experience. Each had made monumental contributions. A bit of misunderstanding arose between the two, but their story had a different end. They met, exchanged pleasantries and graciously received the coveted (joint) Nobel prize.

Unpleasant instances like this are not very uncommon. Wisdom and humility will make a very nice blend.