Wednesday, 24 June 2009
The four wives
There was a rich merchant who had 4 wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies. He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best.
He also loved the 3rd wife very much. He's very proud of her and always wanted to show off her to his friends. However, the merchant is always in great fear that she might run away with some other men.
He too, loved his 2nd wife. She is a very considerate person, always patient and in fact is the merchant's confidante. Whenever the merchant faced some problems, he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always help him out and tide him through difficult times.
Now, the merchant's 1st wife is a very loyal partner and has made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household. However, the merchant did not love the first wife and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her.
One day, the merchant fell ill. Before long, he knew that he was going to die soon. He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, "Now I have 4 wives with me. But when I die, I'll be alone. How lonely I'll be!"
Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No way!" replied the 4th wife and she walked away without another word.
The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the merchant's heart. The sad merchant then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you so much for all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!" replied the 3rd wife. "Life is so good over here! I'm going to remarry when you die!" The merchant's heart sank and turned cold.
He then asked the 2nd wife, "I always turned to you for help and you've always helped me out. Now I need your help again. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!" replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only send you to your grave." The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated.
Then a voice called out : "I'll leave with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go." The merchant looked up and there was his first wife. She was so skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition. Greatly grieved, the merchant said, "I should have taken much better care of you while I could have !"
Actually, we all have 4 wives in our lives
a. The 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it'll leave us when we die.
b. Our 3rd wife ? Our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, they all go to others.
c. The 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how close they had been there for us when we're alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.
d. The 1st wife is in fact our soul, often neglected in our pursuit of material, wealth and sensual pleasure.
Guess what? It is actually the only thing that follows us wherever we go. Perhaps it's a good idea to cultivate and strengthen it now rather than to wait until we're on our deathbed to lament
Life is truly a gift of god.
If you disagree.... just watch this video.
This motivational video is one of the most inspirational stories you will ever come across and can only inspire us to be the best we can – even if it is just for a little while…
When you hear somebody sigh, “Life is hard,” this story will tempt you to ask, “Compared to what?“. Do we measured life by the number of breaths we take, or by the moments that take our breath away?
If we could shrink the earth's population
If we could shrink the earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like the following.
There would be:
57 Asians
21 Europeans
14 from the Western Hemisphere, both north and south
8 would be Africans
52 would be female
48 would be male
70 would be non-white
30 would be white
70 would be non-Christian
30 would be Christian
6 people would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth and all 6 would be from the United States.
80 would live in substandard housing
70 would be unable to read
50 would suffer from malnutrition
(ONE)1 would be near death;
(ONE)1 would be near birth;
(ONE)1 (yes, only 1) would have a college education;
(ONE)1 (yes, only 1) would own a computer.
When one considers our world from such a compressed perspective, the need for acceptance, understanding and education becomes glaringly apparent.
And, therefore . . .
If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.
If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you are more blessed than three billion people in the world.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.
If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.
Monday, 22 June 2009
Quotes by Swami Vivekananda
2. That which tends to increase the divinity in you is virtue, and that which tends to increase brutality in you is vice.
3. He who sees Shiva in the poor, in the weak, and in the diseased, really worships Shiva.
4. Purity in thought, speech, and act is absolutely necessary for anyone to be religious. Purity is strength. Spiritual truth is purity.
5. The ideal of the man is to see God in everything. The real evil is idleness which is the principal cause of our poverty.
6. Everyone should know that there is no salvation except through the conquering of desires.
7. Death being so certain, it is better to die for a good cause.
8. Religion is the manifestation of the Divinity already in man.
9. Your country requires heroes, be heroes!
10. To me the very essence of education is concentration of the mind, not the collecting of facts.
11. Each soul is potentially divine.
12. Religion is the idea which is raising the brute unto man, and man unto God.
13. All power is within you; you can do anything and everything. Believe in that.
14. Work, work, work - let this be your motto.
15. Now the only way out is to listen to the words of the Lord in the Gita.
16. Be a hero. Always say, "I have no fear".
17. Struggle hard to get money, but don't get attached to it.
18. Feel that you are great and you become great.
19. To devote your life to the good of all and to the happiness of all is religion. Whatever you do for your own sake is not religion.
20. At my will mountains will crumble up. Have that sort of energy, that sort of will; work hard, and you will reach the goal.
21. It is those foolish people who identify themselves with their bodies that piteously cry, 'Weak, weak, we are weak'.
22. Keep the motto before you: "Elevation of the masses without injuring their religion".
23. Man never progresses from error to truth, but from truth to truth, from lesser truth to higher truth.
24. Avoid all weakness, for weakness is sin, weakness is death.
25. Never talk about the faults of others, no matter how bad they may be. Nothing is ever gained by that.
26. I shall inspire men everywhere until the world shall know that it is one with God.
27. Let us go forward and do yet greater things.
28. The more selfish a man, the more immoral he is.
29. Give to the weak, for there all the gift is needed.
30. Knowledge exists, man only discovers it.
31. Give up all desire for enjoyment in earth or heaven.
32. Be courageous. Do not try to lead your brethren, but serve them.
33. Be the witness and do not react, only thus can you be happy.
34. None can help you, help yourself; work out your own salvation.
35. Be not afraid of anything. You will do marvellous work.
36. Try to love anybody and everybody.
37. You have to gwo from the inside out. None can teach you, non can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.
38. Know it for certain that you are in everything.
39. Go on bravely. Do not expect success in a day or a year.
40. Let all your nerves vibrate through the backbone of your religion.
41. Do not talk much, but feel the spirit within you.
42. If you want to be spiritual, you must renounce.
43. Your way is the best for you, but that is no sign that it is the best for others.
44. Renounce the lower so that you may get the higher.
45. Where can we go to find God if we cannot see Him in our own hearts and in every living being?
46. Your work is to serve the poor and miserable, without distinction of caste or colour.
47. Help another because yu are in him and he is in you.
48. The poor, the illiterate, the ignorant, the afflicted,...let these be your God. Know that service to these alone is the highest religion.
49. If I am in the dark, let me light a lamp.
50. The earth's bravest and best will have to sacrifice themselves for the good of many, for the welfare of all.
51. Every duty is holy, and devotion to duty is the highest form of worship of God.
52. We only get what we deserve. It is a lie when we say, the world is bad and we are good. It can never be so.
53. You will understand the mighty strength of Krishna better with a little of strong blood in you.
54. It is struggle against nature and not conformity to nature that makes man what he is.
55. Each work has to pass through these stages - ridicule, opposition and then acceptance.
56. First there should be strict integrity...Secondly, entire devotion to the cause
57. The will is not free - it is a phenomenon bound by cause and effect - but there is something behind the will which is free.
58. You fail only when you do not strive sufficiently to manifest infinite power.
59. Whatever you do, devote your whole Mind, Heart, and Soul to it.
60. Whatever you think, that you will be. If you think yourselves weak, weak you will be; if you think yourselves strong, strong you will be.
61. Never mind failures; they are quite natural, they are the beauty of life - these failures.
62. He works best who works without any motive, neither for money, nor for fame, nor for anything else.
63. The new religion says that he is an atheist who does not believe in himself.
64. Neither seek nor avoid, take what comes.
65. You should work like a master and not as a slave; work incessantly, but do not do a slave's work
66. Believe that the soul is immortal, infinite and all powerful.
67. Even if the order be wrong, first obey and then contradict it.
68. Be a hero. Always say, "I have no fear".
69. Our first duty is not to hate ourselves; because to advance we must have faith in ourselves first and then in God.
Spontaneity
The confused officials and players remained frozen where they stood, but the spectators were so moved by the boy's spirit and entertained by his performance that they stood up and applauded long and loudly.
This incident totally eclipsed the rest of the game's action. As a result, a new sport was born: Rugby. It wasn't because of carefully worded arguments and rule changes, it was because of one boy's enthusiastic mistake.
The bottom line is that sometimes spontaneity produces incredible results and enthusiasm is always an asset in life. Be spontaneous and enthusiastic and I'll see you at the top!
Always do the right things..
Use the best material --money is no consideration ..make it the greatest house we've ever built"......having given these instruction , the man left ..
The supervisor thought that this was a great opportunity to make a fortune. He used the cheapest material inside but made the house look beautiful from outside..
After a year, the contractor returned, he inspected the house and asked the supervisor what he thought of the house.
The supervisor replied "It's the best house I've ever built"
The contractor handed over the deed to him and said "this is my parting gift to you"
We should develop a high standard of personal ethics ....and always do the right things, even if no one is watching us.
Motivational Story
Eight Children were standing on the track to participate in the running event.
* Ready! * Steady! * Bang !!!
With the sound of Toy pistol , all eight girls started running.
Hardly have they covered ten to fifteen steps, one of the smaller girls slipped and fell down, due to bruises and pain she started crying.
When other seven girls heard this sound, stopped running, stood for a while and turned back , they all ran back to the place where the girl fell down.
One among them bent, picked and kissed the girl gently and enquired ' Now pain must have reduced' .
All seven girls lifted the fallen girl, pacified her, two of them held the girl firmly and they all seven joined hands together and walked together and reached the winning post.
Officials were shocked. Clapping of thousands of spectators filled the stadium.
Many eyes were filled with tears
This happened in Hyderabad [INDIA], recently!
The sport was conducted by National Institute of Mental Health.
All these special girls had come to participate in this event and they are spastic children.
Yes, they were mentally retarded Challenged. What did they teach this world?
Teamwork? Humanity? Equality among all??
Successful people help others who are slow in learning so that they are not felt far behind..
The Apple Tree
The little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree everyday. One day the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad. "Come play with me," asked the tree. I am no longer a kid, I don't play around trees anymore." The boy replied, "I want toys. I need money to buy them." "Sorry, but I don't have money..... but you can pick my apples and sell them. Then you will have money." The boy was so excited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy never came back after he picked the apples.
The tree was sad.. One day the boy returned and the tree was so excited. "Come and play with me" the tree said. I don't have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me? "Sorry but I don't have a house. But you can chop off my branches to build your house." So the boy cut all the branches off the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the boy never came back since then.
The tree was lonely and sad. One hot summer day, the boy returned and the tree was so lighted. "Come and play with me!" the tree said. "I am so sad and getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat? " "Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy." So the boy cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and never showed up for a very long long time.
Finally, the boy returned after he left for so many years. "Sorry, my boy, but I don't have anything for you anymore. No more apples for you...." the tree said". "I don't have teeth to bite" the boy replied. "No more trunk for you to climb on" I am too old for that now" the boy said. "I really can't give you anything.....the only thing left is my dying roots" the tree said with tears. "I don't need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years." The boy replied "Good! Old Tree Roots is the best place to lean and rest on." "Come, come sit down with me and rest " The boy sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears......
This is a story for everyone. The tree is our parents. When we were young, we loved to play with Mom and Dad...When we grew up, we left them...only come to them when we need something or when we are in trouble. No matter what, parents will always be there and give everything they can to make you happy. You may think the boy is cruel to the tree but that is how all of us are treating our parents.
Make a Difference
Once upon a time there was a wise man who had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.One day he was walking along the shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself to think of someone who would dance to the day. So he began to walk faster to catch up. As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasn't dancing, but instead he was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean.
As he got closer he called out, "Good morning! What are you doing?"
The young man paused, looked up and replied, "Throwing starfish in the ocean."
"I guess.. I should have asked, why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?"
"The sun is up, and the tide is going out. And if I don't throw them in they'll die."
"But, young man, don't you realize that there are miles and miles of beach, and starfish all along it. You can't possibly make a difference!"
The young man listened politely. Then bent down, picked another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves and said, "It made a difference for that one."
Each of us can make a difference to this world. Everybody is useful and it is just the matter of whether you want to make a difference.
A Small Inspiring Story - Relationship
The boy kept the biggest and the most beautiful marble aside and gave the rest to the girl. The girl gave him all her sweets as she had promised.
That night, the girl slept peacefully. But the boy couldn't sleep as he kept wondering if the girl had hidden some sweets from him the way he had hidden his best marble.
Moral of the story:
If you don't give your hundred percent in a relationship, you'll always keep doubting if the other person has given his/her hundred percent.. This is applicable for any relationship like love, friends, employer-employee relationship etc., Give your hundred percent to everything you do and sleep peacefully.
Inspiring Story - Three Dolls
“Am I a girl that you give me dolls?” he asked.
“This is a gift for a future king,” said the man. “If you look carefully, you’ll see a hole in the ear of each doll.”
“So?”
The sage handed him a piece of string.
“Pass it through each doll,” he said.
Intrigued, the prince picked up the first doll and put the string into the ear.
It came out from the other ear.
“This is one type of person,” said the man. “Whatever you tell him, comes out from the other ear. He doesn’t retain anything.”
The prince put the string into the second doll. It came out from the mouth.
“This is the second type of person,” said the man. “Whatever you tell him, he tells everybody else.”
The prince picked up the third doll and repeated the process. The string did not reappear from anywhere else.
“This is the third type of person,” said the man. “Whatever you tell him is locked up within him. It never comes out.”
“What is the best type of person?” asked the prince.
The man handed him a fourth doll, in answer.
When the prince put the string into the doll, it came out from the other ear.
“Do it again,” said the sage. The prince repeated the process. This time the string came out from the mouth. When he put the string in a third time, it did not come out at all.
“This is the best type of person,” said the sage. “To be trustworthy and wise, a man must know when not to listen, when to remain silent and when to speak out.”
Three Things In Life
1. Time
2. Words
3. Opportunity
Three things in life that may never be lost
1. Peace
2. Hope
3. Honesty
Three things in life that are most valuable
1. Love
2. Self-confidence
3. Friends
Three things in life that are never certain
1. Dreams
2. Success
3. Fortune
Three things in life that are most appreciated
1. Generosity
2. Humor
3. Forgiveness
Three things that make a person
1. Hard work
2. Sincerity
3. Commitment
Three things in life that can destroy a person
1. Alcohol / Drugs
2. Pride
3. Anger
Lessons On Life
The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall.
When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.
The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise.
The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.
The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.
The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree's life.
He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.
If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall.
Moral:
Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest. Don't judge life by one difficult season. Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come some time or later.
Principles of Life
- Winning isn't everything. But wanting to win is
- You would achieve more, if you don't mind who gets the credit
- When everything else is lost, the future still remains
- Don't fight too much. Or the enemy would know your art of war
- The only job you start at the top is when you dig a grave
- If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for everything
- If you do little things well, you'll do big ones better
- Only thing that comes to you without effort is old age
- You won't get a second chance to make the first impression
- Only those who do nothing do not make mistakes
- Never take a problem to your boss unless you have a solution
- If you are not failing you're not taking enough risks
- Don't try to get rid of bad temper by losing it
- If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you
- Those who don't make mistakes usually don't make anything
- There are two kinds of failures. Those who think and never do, and those who do and never think
- Pick battles big enough to matter, small enough to win
- All progress has resulted from unpopular decisions
- Change your thoughts and you change your world
- Understanding proves intelligence, not the speed of the learning
- There are two kinds of fools in this world. Those who give advise and those who don't take it
- The best way to kill an idea is to take it to a meeting
- Management is doing things right. Leadership is doing the right things
- Friendship founded on business is always better than business founded on friendship
80/20 Rule for Time and Life Management
He later discovered that virtually all economic activity was subject to this principle as well. For example, this principle says that 20 percent of your activities will account for 80 percent of your results, 20 percent of your customers will account for 80 percent of your sales, 20 percent of your products or services will account for 80 percent of your profits, 20 percent of your tasks will account for 80 percent of the value of what you do, and so on. This means that if you have a list of ten items to do, two of those items will turn out to be worth five or ten times or more than the other eight items put together.
Each of the ten tasks may take the same amount of time to accomplish. But one or two of those tasks will contribute five or ten times the value of any of the others. Often, one item on a list of ten tasks that you have to do can be worth more than all the other nine items put together.
Few stanza...
Try Me
Smooth roads never make good drivers.Smooth sea never makes good sailors.
Clear skies never make good pilots.
Problem free life never makes a strong person.
Be strong enough to accept the challenges of life.
Don’t ask life, ‘Why me?’. Instead say, ‘Try me!’
WRITE YOUR NAME
Don’t write your name on sand, waves will wash it away.
Don’t write your name in sky, wind may blow it away.
Write your name in hearts of people you come in touch with.
That’s where it will stay.
LIFE IS A MIRROR
What you want to see in others.,
You must first see it inside you.
What you expect from others.,
You must first expect it from yourself.
Life is just a mirror.
Life...A Motivational Story
As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box.
Curious, but somewhat disappointed the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible. Angrily, he raised his voice at his father and said, "With all your money you give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the holy book.
Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business.
He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care things. When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart.
He began to search his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. As he read those words, a car key dropped from an envelope taped behind the Bible.
It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the
sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words...PAID IN FULL.
How many times do we unknowingly miss life's precious moments because they are not packaged as we expected?
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Mahatma Gandhi - Inspirational story 2
"How many do you need?" asked the boy. "One, two, three.... she'll make as many as you want." Gandhiji thought for a moment. Then he said, "But I am not alone, son. It wouldn't be right for me to be the only one to wear a kurta." "How many Kurtas do you need?" the boy persisted. "I'll ask my mother to make as many as you want. Just tell me how many you need." "I have a very large family, son. I have forty crore brothers and sisters," Gandhiji explained. "Till every one of them has a kurta, how can I wear one? Tell me, can your mother make kurtas for all of them? At this question the boy became very thoughtful. Forty crore brothers and sisters! Gandhiji was right. Till every one of them had a kurta to wear how could he wear one himself? After all the whole nation was Gandhiji's family, and he was the head of that family. He was their friend, their companion. What use would one kurta be to him?
Mahatma Gandhi - Inspirational story
Brooklyn Bridge - The Inside Story (Inspirational)
Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. He thought about it all the time and he knew deep in his heart that it could be done. He just had to share the dream with someone else. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.
Working together for the first time, the father and son developed concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With great excitement and inspiration, and the headiness of a wild challenge before them, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge.
The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.
"We told them so."
"Crazy men and their crazy dreams."
"It`s foolish to chase wild visions."
Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap Washington was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his mind was still as sharp as ever.
He tried to inspire and pass on his enthusiasm to some of his friends, but they were too daunted by the task. As he lay on his bed in his hospital room, with the sunlight streaming through the windows, a gentle breeze blew the flimsy white curtains apart and he was able to see the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment.
It seemed that there was a message for him not to give up. Suddenly an idea hit him. All he could do was move one finger and he decided to make the best use of it. By moving this, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife.
He touched his wife's arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.
For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife's arm, until the bridge was finally completed. Today the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge stands in all its glory as a tribute to the triumph of one man's indomitable spirit and his determination not to be defeated by circumstances. It is also a tribute to the engineers and their team work, and to their faith in a man who was considered mad by half the world. It stands too as a tangible monument to the love and devotion of his wife who for 13 long years patiently decoded the messages of her husband and told the engineers what to do.
Perhaps this is one of the best examples of a never-say-die attitude that overcomes a terrible physical handicap and achieves an impossible goal.
Often when we face obstacles in our day-to-day life, our hurdles seem very small in comparison to what many others have to face. The Brooklyn Bridge shows that dreams that seem impossible can be realised with determination and persistence, no matter what the odds are.
The Tortoise and The Hare - What they learn about teamwork
Long time ago, there was a tortoise and a hare who had an argument about who the faster runner was. They finally decided to take on one another on a race.
As the race started, the hare sprinted ahead briskly for some time. Realizing that it will take some time for the tortoise to catch up with him, he decided to seek shelter from the sun under a tree before continuing the race. As he sat under the tree, he gradually fell asleep. The tortoise, crawling at a steady pace, eventually overtook him and won the race. The hare woke up and realized that his complacency cost him the trophy.
The moral of the story is that the determined, hardworking and steady paced people will eventually overtake the fast but complacent. We are all familiar with this story.
Someone recently added a continuation to this age old tale. It goes like this:
The hare realized that he was over confident, complacent and took things too easily. He decided to have a re-match with the tortoise. The tortoise accepted his challenge.
This time, the hare ran with all his might and didn't stop until he crossed the finish line.
The moral of the story? Fast and consistent will always beat the slow and steady.
But the story doesn't end here.
This time, it was the tortoise that did the soul searching and he realized that if the hare didn't stop, there is no way he will beat him. He thought hard and decided on a different course and he challenged the hare to another re-match. The hare, of course, agreed.
With the lessons learnt from his previous failure in mind, the hare kept on running once the race started and didn't stop until the route leads him to the bank of a river. He was taken by surprise and he did not know what to do, since he could not swim. There were no bridges in sight and no one to ask for directions. As he was cracking his head, thinking of ways to cross the river, the tortoise strolled slowly along, dived into the river, swam across it and ultimately, finished the race before the hare.
The moral of the story? Know your strengths and take on your competitors in areas of your core competency.
The story still hasn't ended.
With the hare and the tortoise spending so much time together racing, they have become rather good friends, they have also developed mutual respect for one another as they realized that they are both different and they have different strengths. They decided to race again, but this time, as a team.
As the race started, the hare carried the tortoise and they sped to the river bank. There, they switched positions and the tortoise ferried the hare across the river. On the opposite bank, the hare again carried the tortoise and they crossed the finishing line together. They completed the race in a record time that both of them can never achieve if they were to do it alone. They also felt a greater sense of satisfaction than they'd felt earlier.
The moral of the story? It's good to be individually brilliant and to have strong core competencies but unless you're able to work in a team and harness each other's core competencies, you'll always perform below par because there will always be situations at which you'll do poorly and someone else does well.
Teamwork is mainly about situational leadership, letting the person with the relevant core competency for a situation take leadership. Being supportive team members is necessary for a team to advance.
There are more lessons on teamwork to be learned from this story. Note that neither the hare nor the tortoise gave up after failures. The hare decided to work harder and put in more effort after his failure. The tortoise changed his strategy because he was already working as hard as he could, but was not doing as well as he wished.
Imagine how long it will take the hare to learn how to swim! Or for the tortoise to learn to run fast. In this day and age when the environment changes at lightning speed, we have to learnt to work with people who have strengths in areas that we do not have.
It is the same in business, if we can collaborate with people who are experts in areas that we are not familiar with, we will realize that our market suddenly becomes bigger.
Adapted from an unknown author's article.
Monday, 15 June 2009
Tirupati token
SUDARSANAM CENTRES @ TIRUPATI
Choultry, Opp. Railway Station, Tirupati - (PAID) Ph.2264737, (FREE) Ph.2264732-
RTC Complex,(Ballaji Link Bus Station) Opp. Railway Station, Tirupati (PAID & FREE) Ph. 2264731
Srinivasam Complex, (PAID) Ph.2264745
Alipiri Toll-gate, (PAID) Ph.0877-2264576
Alipiri foot-path, (FREE) Ph.0877-2264734
Alipiri bus-stand, (PAID) Ph.0877-2287785
Renigunta (Near Railway Station), (PAID) Ph.0877-2264747
2nd New Choultry (Behind Railway Station), (FREE) Ph.0877-2264733.
Srikalahasti Temple
NOTE: At Tirumala Rs.50/- Sudarshan tokens are not issued.
Paid Sudarsanam/Bio-metric token holders have to report at Vaikuntam Queue Complex-I one hour before darshan time allotted to them.
Free Sudarsanam/Bio-metric token holders have to report at 'Supadam' i.e., between Vaikuntam Queue Complex-I and Hathiramji Mutt.
DAILY SEVAS
| Sl.No. | Name of the Sevas/Utsavams | No. of persons | Time Amount for each ticket | Time |
| 1 | Suprabhatham | one | 120/- | 2.30 am |
| 2 | Thomala Seva | one | 220/- | 3.30 am |
| 3 | Archana | one | 220/ | 4.30 am |
| 4 | Archanananthara Darshan | one | 200/- | 5.30 am |
| 5 | Kalyanothsavam | three | 1000/- | 10.00 am |
| 6 | Arjitha Brahmotsavam | five | 1000/- | 12.30 pm |
| 7 | Dolotsavam | five | 1000/- | 1.00 pm |
| 8 | Sahasra Deepalankara Seva | five | 1000/- | 5.30 pm |
| 9 | Vasanthotsavam | ten | 3000/- | ----- |
| 10 | Ekanatha Seva | one | 120/- | 10.30 pm |
The Daily Seva Tickets can be purchased by paying cash across the counter of Vijaya Bank, Tirumala one day in advance. The Pilgrim has to stand in the que from 8am at the counter and pay cash for ticket.
WEEKLY SEVAS
| Sl.No. | Name of the Sevas/Utsavams | No. of persons | Time Amount for each ticket | Time | Day |
| 1 | Visesha pooja | five | 3000/- | 6.00 am | Mon |
| 2 | Astadala Pada Padmaradhanam | two | 2500/- | 5.30 am | Tue |
| 3 | Sahasra Kalasabhishekam | six | 5000/ | 5.30 am | Wed |
| 4 | Vasthalankara Seva (Wife & Husband) | six | 5000/- | 5.30 am | Thu |
| 5 | Kalyanothsavam | two | 1000/- | 3.30 am | Fri |
| 6 | Poorabhishekam | one | 750/- | 3.30 am | Fri |
| 7 | Civet Vessel (Punugu Ginne) | one | 300/ | 3.30 am | Fri |
| 8 | Musk Vessel (Kashturi Ginne) | one | 150/- | 3.30 am | Fri |
| 9 | Nijapada darshan | one | 200/- | 5.00am | Fri |
PERIODICAL SEVAS
| Sl.No. | Name of the Sevas/Utsavams | No. of persons | Time Amount for each ticket | Time | Day |
| 1 | Float Festival | five | 2500/- | 6.00 am | 5days in Yr. |
| 2 | Vasanthothsavam | ten | 3000/- | 2.00 pm | April |
| 3 | Padmavathi Srinivasula Parinayam | five | 5000/- | 3.00 am | May |
| 4 | Abhidheyaka Abhishekam | five | 2000/- | 8.00 am | June |
| 5 | Pushpa Pallaki | five | 1000/- | 5.30 am | July |
| 6 | Pavithrothsavam | two | 7500/- | 8.00 am | Aug |
| 7 | Pushpa yagam | five | 3500/- | 8.00 am | Nov |
| 8 | Koli Alwar Tirumanjanam | Ten | 3000/- | 11.00 am | 4 Times |
For More Details Visit www.ttdsevaonline.com
Pilgrim Attractions in Tirupati
Sri Venkateswara
The ancient and sacred temple of Sri Venkateswara is located on the seventh peak, Venkatachala of the Tirupati Hills, and lies on the southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini. Lord Venkateswara is also called the Lord of the Seven Hills. Here, Sri Venkateswara is described as the great bestower of boons. The temple has its origins in Vaishnavism.
How to reach there?
From the city, Tirumala Hill is connected by free shuttle bus services provided by T.T.D and A.P.S.R.T.C.
By Rail
Tirupati Railway Station has direct trains to and from Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Visakhapatnam, Chennai, Madurai, Puri and Hyderabad. Stations at Renigunta (15 km) and Gudur (100 km) also serve as the major connections across the country. From Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam, there are overnight trains for Tirupati.
By Road
Almost every town and city of Andhra Pradesh is connected with Tirupathi by regular bus services. The town is linked by road to Ahobolam (272 km), Bangalore (280 km), Horsley Hill (145 km), Hyderabad (555 km), Kalahasti (36 km), Lepakshi (379 km), Chennai (140 km), Srisailam (436 km), Vijayawada (380 km) and Renigunta (55 km). Taxis are available throughout Andhra Pradesh and neighboring states to reach Tirupathi.
Sri Varahaswami Temple
Sri Varahaswami Temple in Tirumala is to the north of the Sri Venkateswara temple, on the banks of Swami Pushkarini. According to legend, Tirumala was originally the Adi Varaha Kshetra or the place belonging to Sri Adi Varahaswami. Lord Sri Venkateswara took up residence here, with the permission of Sri Varahaswami. The shrine is dedicated to Vishnu’s avatar of a boar and is supposed to be visited before the main temple.
Srinivasamangapuram
This is located 11 kms away, is a huge stone temple is also dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara. His idol is beautifully dressed in silk, jewels and flowers.
Sri Anjaneyaswami Temple
Sri Anjaneyaswami Temple is located opposite the Sri Varahaswami temple on the northeastern banks of the Swami Pushkarini. It was constructed during the Mahant's period. The idol's hands are joined in supplication (in the Anjali posture). Sri Anjaneyaswami is believed to be a bestower of boons and a protector from all evils.
Alamelumangapuram
This temple is located 4kms from the main shrine and dedicated to Goddess Padmavati, consort of Lord Venkateshwara. Finely decked in silk and jewels, tradition demands that one must visit this shrine before heading to the main temple.
Swami Pushkarini
Swami Pushkarini, believed to be a pleasure tank of Lord Vishnu in Vaikuntham, is adjacent to the Sri Venkateswara temple. A bath in the Swami Pushkarini is believed to cleanse pilgrims of their sins and bestow temporal prosperity. Pilgrims bathe here before entering the main temple.
Sri Govindarajaswami Temple
Sri Govindarajaswami Temple is an important temple in Tirupati. The highlight iof this temple is the outer gopuram, which is visible from quite a distance. Saint Ramanujacharya consecrated the temple in AD 1130. The main deity is worshipped as brother of Lord Venkateshwara. The Brahmotsavam festival here attracts a large number of devotees every year.
Sri Kodandaramaswami Temple
Sri Kodandaramaswami Temple is situated in the heart of Tirupati town. The presiding deities are Sita, Rama and Lakshmana.
Sri Kapileswaraswami Temple
Sri Kapileswaraswami Temple is the only temple dedicated to Lord Siva, in the pantheon of Vaishnava temples in Tirupati.
Sri Kariya Manikyaswami Temple
Sri Kariya Manikyaswami Temple or Sri Perumala Swami Temple is located in Nagiri, 51 km from Tirupati. It is believed that Lord Vishnu killed Makara, a crocodile, and saved Gajendra, an elephant at this place.
Sri Annapurna Sameta Kasi Visweswaraswami Temple
Sri Annapurna Sameta Kasi Visweswaraswami Temple is located in the Bugga Agraharam village, 56 km from Tirupati. The temple is on the banks of Kusasthali River.