Children and Values

Look Inside To Find Everything

2025-09-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

Look Inside To Find Everything

I would like to tell you a beautiful story here about a young boy who went to a master and wanted to become his disciple. The master said, "Come to me with something you can give me." The boy said, "Anything you want?" The master said, "Yes. Find me the worst thing in this world that you can find." The boy thought, "It is a stupid thing. How can it be difficult to find the worst thing? To find the best thing, yes. But to find the worst thing?" But he went from one bad thing to another bad thing to another bad thing to another bad thing, and the search was endless. at no time could

he say, "Yes this is the worst thing." And he was despairing of ever bringing this worst thing to his master. Excuse me for what is going to follow. He was sitting in the toilet one day andthen suddenly he decided, "This is the worst thing in the world because all human beings think it is the worst thing in the world." So he put out his hand to take some of the waste when a voice came from that and said, "Stop! What are you going to do with me?" The young boy said, "Well my master said, Bring the worst thing in the world. I have found it today." Then the voice said, "Reflect a moment. Yesterday evening I was apple pie. I was ice cream. I was dosa. And you

touched me and I have become this. Now you may decide yourself, what is the worst thing in the world." Then, you know, the young boy had this inner awakening and he went back empty- handed to his master, prostrated himself before him and said, " Please accept me as your disciple." The Master said, "Where is the worst thing in the world?" He answered, "I am here Master. I am the worst thing in the world."

Now this is the sort of humility that comes when we look inside ourselves. And then it is possible to have compassion for others who are sinners as we call them, who make mistakes, who suffer because of a guilt complex. And the master is able to tell them, "Do not worry about it, because there is no human being who has been free of these things. There has never been no a human being who has ever been free of these things. But do not despair. There is a way of changing yourself."

So you see, this was the way my Master taught me, not merely to have compassion for others, friendship for others, love for others but, much more important, to have compassion for myself, to have sympathy for myself, and slowly to change myself in such a way that I could love myself.

సంస్కృత సుభాషితాలు

2022-07-09T21:27:00.003-07:00

My Mom only had One Eye ... - a Heart-touching story

2021-03-23T01:24:00.003-07:00

My mom only had one eye. I hated her… She was such an embarrassment. She cooked for students and teachers to support the family.

There was this one day during elementary school where my mom came to say hello to me. I was so embarrassed.

How could she do this to me? I ignored her, threw her a hateful look, and ran out. The next day at school one of my classmates said, “EEEE, your mom only has one eye!”

I wanted to bury myself. I also wanted my mom to just disappear. I confronted her that day and said, “If you’re only gonna make me a laughing stock, why don’t you just die?”

My mom did not respond… I didn’t even stop to think for a second about what I had said, because I was full of anger. I was oblivious to her feelings.

I wanted out of that house, and have nothing to do with her. So I studied real hard, got a chance to go abroad to study.

Then, I got married. I bought a house of my own. I had kids of my own. I was happy with my life, my kids and the comforts. Then one day, my Mother came to visit me. She hadn’t seen me in years and she didn’t even meet her grandchildren.

When she stood by the door, my children laughed at her, and I yelled at her for coming over uninvited. I screamed at her, “How dare you come to my house and scare my children! GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!”

And to this, my mother quietly answered, “Oh, I’m so sorry. I may have gotten the wrong address.” – and she disappeared out of sight.

One day, a letter regarding a school reunion came to my house. So I lied to my wife that I was going on a business trip. After the reunion, I went to the old shack just out of curiosity.

My neighbors said that she died. I did not shed a single tear. They handed me a letter that she had wanted me to have.

“My dearest son,

I think of you all the time. I’m sorry that I came to your house and scared your children.

I was so glad when I heard you were coming for the reunion. But I may not be able to even get out of bed to see you. I’m sorry that I was a constant embarrassment to you when you were growing up.

You see……..when you were very little, you got into an accident, and lost your eye. As a mother, I couldn’t stand watching you having to grow up with one eye. So I gave you mine.

I was so proud of my son who was seeing a whole new world for me, in my place, with that eye.

With all my love to you,

Your Mother.”

2016-02-22T01:01:00.001-08:00

A letter from Albert Einstein to his daughter: about The Universal Force which is LOVE

Reposted from: https://suedreamwalker.wordpress.com/2015/04/15/a-letter-from-albert-einstein-to-his-daughter-about-the-universal-force-which-is-love/

In the late 1980s, Lieserl, the daughter of the famous genius, donated 1,400 letters, written by Einstein, to the Hebrew University, with orders not to publish their contents until two decades after his death. This is one of them, for Lieserl Einstein.More can be found about Lieserl here

…”When I proposed the theory of relativity, very

few understood me, and what I will reveal now to transmit to mankind will also collide with the misunderstanding and prejudice in the world.
I ask you to guard the letters as long as necessary, years, decades, until society is advanced enough to accept what I will explain below.
There is an extremely powerful force that, so far, science has not found a formal explanation to. It is a force that includes and governs all others, and is even behind any phenomenon operating in the universe and has not yet been identified by us.

This universal force is LOVE.

When scientists looked for a unified theory of the universe they forgot the most powerful unseen force.

Love is Light, that enlightens those who give and receive it.
Love is gravity, because it makes some people feel attracted to others.

Love is power, because it multiplies the best we have, and allows humanity not to be extinguished in their blind selfishness. Love unfolds and reveals.

For love we live and die.
Love is God and God is Love.

This force explains everything and gives meaning to life. This is the variable that we have ignored for too long, maybe because we are afraid of love because it is the only energy in the universe that man has not learned to drive at will.

To give visibility to love, I made a simple substitution in my most famous equation.

If instead of E = mc2, we accept that the energy to heal the world can be obtained through love multiplied by the speed of light squared, we arrive at the conclusion that love is the most powerful force there is, because it has no limits.
After the failure of humanity in the use and control of the other forces of the universe that have turned against us, it is urgent that we nourish ourselves with another kind of energy…

If we want our species to survive, if we are to find meaning in life, if we want to save the world and every sentient being that inhabits it, love is the one and only answer.
Perhaps we are not yet ready to make a bomb of love, a device powerful enough to entirely destroy the hate, selfishness and greed that devastate the planet.

However, each individual carries within them a small but powerful generator of love whose energy is waiting to be released.
When we learn to give and receive this universal energy, dear Lieserl, we will have affirmed that love conquers all, is able to transcend everything and anything, because love is the quintessence of life.

I deeply regret not having been able to express what is in my heart, which has quietly beaten for you all my life. Maybe it’s too late to apologize, but as time is relative, I need to tell you that I love you and thanks to you I have reached the ultimate answer! “.

Your father Albert Einstein

Parent's Prayer

2011-09-19T21:40:00.000-07:00

Help me to understand my children, to listen patiently to what they have to say, to answer all their questions kindly. Keep me from interrupting them, talking back to them and contradicting them. Make me as courteous to them as I would have them to be to me. Give me the courage to confess my sins against my children and to ask of them forgiveness, when I know that I have done them wrong.

May I not vainly hurt the feelings of my children.

Forbid that I should laugh at their mistakes or resort to shame and ridicule as punishment. Let me not tempt a child to lie and steal. So guide me hour by hour that I demonstrate by all I say and do that honesty produces happiness.

Reduce, I pray, the meanness in me. May I cease to nag; and when I am out of sorts, help me Oh Lord, to hold my tongue. Blind me to the little errors of my children and help me to see good things that they do. Give me a ready word for honest praise. Help me to treat my children as those of their own age, but let me not exact of them the judgments and conventions of adults. Allow me not to rob them of the opportunity to wait upon themselves, to think, to choose and to make decisions.

Forbid that I should never punish them for my selfish satisfaction. May I grant them all their wishes that are reasonable and have the courage always to withhold a privilege which I know will do them harm.

Make me fair and just, so considerate and companionable to my children that they will have a genuine esteem for me. Fit me to be loved and imitated by my children.

- Garry Cleveland Myers

Route Map for Career and an Ideal life for a Student

2010-09-29T04:00:00.000-07:00

Set your ultimate of Goal of Life

Set your goal to exist on earth

Time Management for an Ideal Student

1	Set time to think of these goals every day of your life exclusively
2	Set aside some time only to work on your Character
3	Set time for playing games/exercises
4	Set time for studying
5	Set time for Internet browsing for educating yourself
6	Set time for listening to good music
7	Set time for having nutritious food
8	Set time for prayer morning as soon as you wake up from bed and before going to bed
9	Set time for gardening/helping at home/hobbies
10	Set time to learn one new thing every day
11	Set some time every day for reading/writing/speaking
12	Set time for spending in JUST UTTER SILENCE

A Dad's letter to his children

2010-09-26T21:30:00.000-07:00

My Dear Son and my Dear daughter,

I am attempting to give you some sort of prescription for you to ponder, contemplate and then if you feel it is worth following, try to follow it to have healthy balanced life while on Earth and to be more useful to one’s own self first and then to others.

As, I understand from my experiences in life, a balanced life is a life that has healthy BODY, healthy MIND and healthy SOUL. This can happen if equal attention is paid by the human being on all these things. Only then, one can apply his body, mind and soul on everything that a man undertakes and that is what is giving 100%. That gives a sense of fulfillment. The day should begin with by waking up in a clean and light heart and should continue as a series of experiences of fulfillment and sleep with a clean and clear, guilt-less consciousness. This is the pursuit of human perfection. We should constantly apply this on to our own self till this happens and then continue to refine ourselves after that. And Excellence is something that we have to aspire for in everything that we do. What is excellence? Excellence is attempting to do a particular thing as perfectly as possible giving 100%. As someone said – if we pursue excellence, success follows.

Pursue your professional excellence not forgetting that you have to be a good human being first before you become anything else.

May the Almighty Lord bless you profusely to become what He wants all of you to become ultimately. My prayers for your overall-wellbeing – the material (Preyas) and spiritual (Shreyas).

With lots of Love and affection,

Dad

A Dad’s Prescription to his Children
to Live as a GOOD human being and live a life of Excellence
Pay due attention to the following aspects of life.

BODY - Physical Strength
Physique:
            Height
            Weight
            Chest

Physical Habits
            Eating habits
                        Nutritious food
                        Junk Food
            Drinking habits
                        Soft drinks
                        Hot beverages (coffee/tea)
            Physical Exercises
                        Yogasanas/some physical exercises
                        Playing games

MIND - Mental Strength
            Intellectual Habits
                        Reading
                        Writing
                        Speaking
                        Watching Movies
                        Internet Browsing
            Emotional Habits
                        Being with family
                        Spending time with friends
                        Pursuing hobbies
                        Voluntary Service

SOUL/HEART - Spiritual Strength
            Strong Heart
                        Concern for others
                                    Voluntary service at home and outside
Contemplate on the values such as Love, Compassion, Service, Sacrifice, Surrender, Devotion, Dedication, Commitment etc.
                        Spiritual Habits
                                    Reading inspirational/ self-development literature
                                    Meditation
                                    Spending time alone
                                    Spending time with Master
                                    Getting over the habits that do not contribute to our growth/strength
                                    Voluntary service at home and outside

There IS a Brighter World!

2010-09-22T20:06:00.000-07:00

I received the kernel of this message in a few seconds around 4am on the morning of January 1, 2007. I wept tears of joy. This is an attempt to capture that knowing.Source: http://brighter-world.org/

There IS a brighter world!
We've grown accustomed to thinking of the universe as a dark place with small pinpoints of light called "suns" that fill tiny parts of the darkness. There is a brighter world. A place of light where our universe appears as a tiny speck of darkness. A speck of darkness that cries out, for what reason the Beings of Light cannot imagine, but they want to love the blinders from us so that we can see the brighter world.
There IS a brighter world!
The darkness we see all around is but a shroud over the brighter world. It covers the light, but it does not itself have any substance. Evil isn't real. Evil is but a veil over the brightness, a covering of the real, a mask over the world of light, a temporary forgetting of our true nature. Yes, evil can kill you, but death simply awakens you to bask in the brighter world until enough naps in this dark universe finally enable you to waken permanently to the real.
There IS a brighter world!
Birth into this dark universe is a temporary forgetting of that reality. Some do it for play. Some do it in an attempt to rescue those who have completely forgotten the light. Most are stuck here, with a latent memory of the light, a desire to believe in it, but blinded by the darkness into thinking that it is real. It is not. Evil isn't real. Darkness isn't real.
There IS a brighter world!
Imagine it. Seek it out. Aim your dreams at it. Desire it. Want it. Become it.
There is a brighter world. You are living in it right now. Focus on the light and the darkness will fall away. The brighter world is your birthright. The brighter world is the only reality. The brighter world is your home. Find it. Live it.
There IS a brighter world!

Lincoln’s letter to his son’s Headmistress

2008-05-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

Respected Teacher,

My son will have to learn I know, that all men are not just, all men are not true. But teach him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero; that for every selfish politician, there is a dedicated leader. Teach him that for every enemy there is a friend.

It will take time I know; but teach him, if you can, that a dollar earned is of far more value than five found.

Teach him to learn to lose and also to enjoy winning.

Steer him away from envy if you can.

Teach him the secret of quiet laughter. Let him learn early that the bullies are the easiest to lick.

Teach him, if you can, the wonder of books… but also give him quiet time to ponder over the eternal mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun, and flowers on a green hill-side.

In school teach him it is far more honorable to fail than to cheat.

Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if every one tells him they are wrong.

Teach him to be gentle with gentle people and tough with tough.

Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when everyone is getting on the bandwagon.

Teach him to listen to all men but teach him also to filter all he hears on a screen of truth and take only the good that comes through.

Teach him, if you can, how to laugh when he is sad. Teach him there is no shame in tears. Teach him to scoff at cynics and to beware of too much sweetness.

Teach him to sell his brawn and brain to the highest bidders; but never to put a price tag on his heart and soul.

Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob… and to stand and fight if he thinks he’s right.

Teach him gently; but do not cuddle him because only the test of fire makes fine steel.

Let him have the courage to be impatient, let him have the patience to be brave. Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself because then he will always have sublime faith in mankind.

This is a big order; but see what you can do… He is such a fine little fellow, my son.

- Abraham Lincoln.

A Different Hare and Tortoise story

2008-05-20T09:38:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time there lived a hare and a Tortoise near a lake in a beautiful forest. The two were great friends indeed . The two were great friends indeed! They used to meet each other frequently, to chat, to dine, to play, and also to quarrel! Their relationship was always very lively.

However, the hare sometimes felt that it is superior to the Tortoise in certain respects. To prove it’s point, one day the Hare persuaded the Tortoise that the two of them should contest in a running race, just for fun! The Tortoise laughed aloud and quipped, “Are you kidding? You want to have a dig at me, knowing full well you will be the winner! The hare said, “Look, it’s only a friendly contest. If you feel insulted, then I’ll not compel you…OK!” and said goodbye. With this remark, the Tortoise responded that it is ready for the contest. In fact, the Hare somehow coaxed the Tortoise in a clever manner to respond positively.

Within a few moments of the start of the race, the Hare was nearing the Finish Line. It was thinking, “My friend is still miles away. In the meantime, let me have a nice nap and when he comes right near me, let me have the pleasure of overtaking him and cross the finish line!”

But the Tortoise came near him, overtook him and also crossed the finish line and still his friend, the Hare was snoring in deep sleep!

The tortoise was very proud and happy that, for once, he could score over his friend in a contest, in which he is least expected to win. The Hare felt very dejected, obviously.

The moral of the story is : Never be over confident!

The story doesn’t end here. Unable to stomach the defeat, the Hare calls for a contest, once again. The tortoise also agrees. This time, the Hare is vigilant and it wins the race very easily. Now the Tortoise feels very dejected over it’s defeat.

The moral of the story is : You cannot defeat a strong opponent when he is equally vigilant.

The story doesn’t end here either. Throughout that night, the Tortoise was brooding over it’s defeat and was wondering whether it can ever defeat the Hare at all! Suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind. The next day, the Tortoise called on his friend and congratulated him on his success. It said, “Since you said it’s a friendly contest, will you agree for another contest…this time with a venue of my choice!”

The Hare said, “Let it be as per your choice”… knowing very well that the Tortoise can never win him in a running race!

The race starts. As usual, the Hare springs fast like an arrow. But he suddenly comes to a grinding halt when he comes across a river in front of him. He goes to his left, to his right, and there is no way that he can go to the other side of the river. In the meantime, the Tortoise comes leisurely in his own pace, gives a sarcastic look at his friend and straight plunges in to the river, swims swiftly, and reaches the other side and wins the race.

The moral of the story is : Each one may have some strong point over the other.

If you think the story ends here, you are mistaken. The cut throat competition goes on for sometime, with alternate victory and defeat on either side. After sometime, both of them get fed up and feel, enough is enough.

They feel deeply of their waning friendship and the Hare said in a remorseful manner, “My dear friend, we have been fooling each other and only developing animosity over each other, in the name of fattening our ego with the pride of victory. I wish we bring back our good old friendship, once again, to its pristine glory.” The Tortoise immediately agrees and also pledges that it will do everything to live in harmony and friendliness.

So, instead of indulging in a cut throat competition, they have determined to travel together with care and concern for each other. When the Hare comes across the river, his friend takes him on his back, and reaches the other shore safely. On the Land, the Tortoise gets on the back of his friend and is able to get past the obstacles in a jiffy! Like this, together, they could cross many rivers and lands, many obstacles and risks, which would not have been possible, had they travelled alone!

The moral of the story is : Together, we can cover greater distance, acieve more, face turbulent situations and times more effectively, and in the long run, we always end up in a win-win situation!

And the story …..begins here, in the real sense, for both of them! Let them enjoy every moment of it.

Parents As Mirrors

2008-05-20T09:35:00.000-07:00

You are the whole world to a baby – the source of all comfort and security, the banishers of fears and pain. Every waking hour he learns about himself from you. You are the mirror that shows this new person who he is.

From you smile a baby learns that he is delightful, from your touch a baby learns that he is safe. From your responsiveness to his crying, a baby learns that he effective and important. These are the first lessons about his worth and the building blocks of self esteem.

Babies who are not comforted, who are not spoken to, rocked, and loved, learn other lessons about their worth. They learn that their cries of distress don’t bring relief. They learn helplessness. They learn they are not important. These are the first lessons in poor self-esteem.

As they grow older, children will have other mirrors that show them who they are. Teachers, friends, and sitters will all perform their role, but a child will return to the reflection in the mirror that his parents held for this sense of goodness, importance, and basic worth.

Providing a positive mirror for your children does not mean that you approve of everything that they do or that you let them run the family. There is a way to raise socialized, reasonable children with strong self-esteem. It requires that you look at your child, look at yourself and look at your patterns of communication.

Building Self Esteem in Children

2008-05-20T09:27:00.000-07:00

Look At Your Child

It’s not easy to really see your child your vision is clouded by your hopes and fears. Your son might remind you of yourself or your life-partner or another child. When you are able to see your child accurately you’ll be rewarded with a relationship that is more enjoyable, with more reasonable expectations and less conflict. You will be contributing to your child developing good self-esteem.

Accurately seeing your children builds self-esteem in four ways:

First, you are able to recognize their unique abilities and talents to reinforce them, and help them recognize what is special about themselves.

Second, you are able to understand their behaviour in the context of who they are – you don’t misinterpret a natural shyness as being unfriendly, or a need for privacy as rejection. Seen in context, even negative behaviour is more understandable and predictable.

Third, seeing your child accurately helps you focus on changing only the behaviour that is important to change – behaviour that is harmful to them socially, or behaviour that is disruptive to the family.

Fourth, children who feel that they are really seen and understood by their parents cannot afford to be authentic. Such children don’t have to hide parts of themselves because they feel being rejected. If you can accept all of your child, the good and the bad, your child can accept himself, look to you and align to more positive acceptable aspects…

This is the cornerstone of good self-esteem.

( Excerpts from ‘Building self esteem in children’ by R N Judith McKay )