saint-francis-of-assisi.webp

Saint Francis of Assisi

Become prayer

Sairam is Co-founder and Director of Research at UrbanKisaan, dedicated to environmentally safe and sustainable agricultural technologies. He has published over 30 articles in international journals, and received multiple awards. He was listed in the top 10 leaders in the Agriculture Industry for the year 2021.

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Sairam Reddy Palicherla

<h4>SAIRAM REDDY PALICHERLA is one of the founders of UrbanKisaan, creating a sustainable and safe future using hydroponics. They are creating local micro farms, with a low carbon-footprint, and igniting agri-entrepreneurs to bring positive change for humanity and the planet. Here he speaks with LEAH RICH about the work UrbanKisaan is doing, and Kanha Shanti Vanam as a model for feeding a whole community.</h4><hr>Q: Good morning Dr. Sairam. Thank you for taking the time to speak about hydroponics with us. Let’s jump right in. To start, what got you interested in hydroponics?SR: The interest here at Kanha was led by Daaji. He wanted to explore various non-conventional and sustainable ways of growing food. He has been doing this for the last twenty years, in his backyard in the US. This has been his passion – exploring alternative ways of growing food.Prior to seventy years ago, food was nutritious and safe, but the quantity was not enough to feed the people of the world. There was a desperate need to increase the productivity, so fertilizers, pesticides and hybrid crops were introduced. This is also when the needs of the trader came into the picture – transportability, storability, shelf life, and packing in boxes became the focus. This happened at the expense of the nutrient content of the food and the needs of the consumer.In the last seventy years, there’s been a complete shift in food growing. Now we satisfy our hunger but not our nutritional needs. That is where the challenges come. It’s time to shift back to local food production – I call it micro farming.Q: So how does hydroponics fit in? I thought the nutrients in our produce come through the soil, but in hydroponics there is no soil. Can you explain?SR: Our understanding of the source of a plant’s nutrition is also limited. When testing the nutrition content of crops grown in soil and the same crops grown hydroponically, is there any difference?When we measure vitamins, minerals, macro nutrients, protein, carbohydrate and fat, research shows that plants can take up these nutrients equally well from soil and the liquid formula used in hydroponics. A large body of research shows that there is no difference.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Hydroponics2_db9786ceb2.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T13:14:09.630Z" alt="">&nbsp;<hr>Q: How do you ensure the required nutrients are in the hydroponic formula?SR: There are three groups of minerals that a plant uses to meet its basic needs: macro minerals, micro minerals and major minerals. These are all present in the hydroponic formula. The rest happens inside the plant. Vitamins are manufactured inside the plant. Plants also require light and sufficient carbon dioxide to grow.Q: So, what about meeting the need for light for plants grown hydroponically?SR: There are two systems of hydroponics. One uses natural sunlight, for example, a hydroponic tower on a balcony, or a green house. The other type is for growing crops indoors, using artificial light. Typically, LED lights are used. They are low power consuming light sources and the beauty of LED is you can define the spectrum of light that they emit.Plants require different spectra of light for different purposes. For example, photosynthetic activity requires red light. Hormonal activity requires blue and yellow. We can measure how much light a plant needs for a particular spectrum and provide it using LED lights.<hr><hr><h4>Now we satisfy our hunger but not our nutritional needs.&nbsp; That is where the challenges come.&nbsp; It’s time to shift back to local food production&nbsp; – I call it micro farming.</h4><hr><hr>Q: Coming to the individual level, why do you feel is it important for households to grow food hydroponically?SR: Six or seven years ago, I came across a news article that was published by an agriculture university, showing the levels of pesticides and heavy metals in the food we consume. They went around the city of Hyderabad and collected samples of vegetables from organic stores, supermarkets, roadside shops, and farmer’s markets. They analyzed the samples in their laboratory,and to my surprise and agony, all the vegetables were heavily contaminated with heavy metals. 45% of the produce from organic stores was contaminated with pesticides, and 100% was contaminated with heavy metals.This is because the areas where food was grown were near polluting industries. And the surrounding soil and water body in every city, whether it be a reservoir or a canal is being contaminated by the toxic effluents. This contaminated soil and water is being used to produce the crops we are consuming. So even if produce is grown using an organic methodology, without chemical pesticides and fertilizers, the soil and water used to grow them is polluted. It’s impossible to avoid heavy metals like arsenic and lead.This is where I see a huge need for home growers. And hydroponics is one method we can all use. I call our home growers micro farmers.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Hydroponics3_9221eb8abb.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T13:16:04.875Z" alt="">&nbsp;<hr>Q: What are the advantages of hydroponics? Can you offer some tips and guidelines for people who are reading this and interested in starting a small hydroponics system at home?SR: It requires very little water, and you can automate it. If you go away on vacation, your crops can be watered while you are away. It doesn’t need much space. You can easily grow the leafy greens required for your household. All you need is a roof top or balcony that receives three to four hours of direct sunlight per day. You need four by five feet of space. If outdoor space is not possible, you can use an indoor kit with LED lights.Now, expanding this to the community level, at Kanha we have enough hydroponically grown produce to meet the demands of the community.Q: Are you aware of other communities setting up similar operations?SR: This is a growing field. People are overcoming their doubts about hydroponically grown vegetables, as they learn about it and taste the produce. In Singapore, for example, where they have very little land to grow vegetables, they use rooftops to grow their vegetables hydroponically. We call them rooftop farms.Q: This seems like a replicable model in urban areas worldwide.SR: Yes, definitely. It is being well accepted worldwide.On the commercial side, our first farm at Urban Kisaan was a rooftop farm in the heart of the city of Hyderabad. This is where we demonstrated that it can be part of smart city planning.At Kanha, we have built six rooftop greenhouses. Different systems are being used to grow different types of food. We’re growing many types of leafy greens, tomatoes, eggplants, capsicums, and hot peppers. We can grow anything we wish.The cost of the setup is an investment, but I’m sure in the near future governments will offer incentives and subsidies.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Hydroponics4_13fbb14f24.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T13:17:24.975Z" alt="">&nbsp;<hr>Q: What about universities and corporations?SR: University hostels are asking for vertical farms to be installed. And corporates are asking them for their employee restaurants. Generally, they prepare fresh food, such as salads.Supermarkets are also interested. The indoor kits are being installed in the supermarkets so that consumers harvest directly from there.In terms of environmental impact, these initiatives are doing two very important things:<ol><li>They are cutting off the logistics component of food production. This reduces the carbon emissions as there is no transportation involved.</li><li>There is no wastage either. In typical farming operations, up to 40% of the food grown is wasted before it reaches the consumer.</li></ol>Hydroponics is reducing both carbon emissions and wastage.Earlier we had backyard farming. That is becoming more difficult these days as we don’t have much time to devote to it, and there is a lack of space in our urban areas. If you have the space and the time, there is nothing like it. But if you don’t, you can try hydroponics as a micro farming option.It’s time to promote micro farming,to decentralize farming. Micro farming cuts down wastage, and allows you to grow safe, nutritious food even in urban high-rise environments.Q: Dr. Sairam, thank you so much for this eye-opening conversation.<hr><hr><h4>Photographs courtesy of URBAN KISAAN</h4><hr>

Hydroponics

Saki F. Santorelli, EdD, MA, is an educator, author and clinician. He retired as Executive Director of the UMass Medical School Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society. A professor of medicine, he was the very first intern at Dr Jon Kabat Zinn's Stress Reduction Clinic, from where Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) originated. His entire career has been dedicated to the integration of mindfulness into public health and well-being, propelled by his recognition of and trust in the innate goodness of human beings.

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Saki Santorelli

<h4>SAKI SANTORELLI is interviewed by AMIR IMANI as part of a webinar series about mindfulness, love,
 compassion and the way of the heart.</h4>
Q: Today we are very delighted to have my dear friend, mentor and
 teacher, Dr. Saki Santorelli, with us. Saki was the Executive Director of The Center for Mindfulness in Medicine,
 Health and Society at the University of Massachusetts, USA, for 17 years. I have been a witness to his deep
 contribution to bringing mindfulness to the public and the profession, globally.
Saki has been one of the main pulls for me into the mindfulness
 practice, through his loving presence and brotherly support from afar. He will be speaking to us on love, compassion
 and the heart in this way.
Thank you Saki, and welcome to this session with us.
SS: Thank you so much, Amir and Samaneh. It’s
 lovely to be with all of you.
Today I would like to begin by offering you the deepest sense of gratitude and
 appreciation for the work that you are doing in your part of the world, wherever you are. So how about if we begin
 by, each of us in our own way, setting an intention for what we hope for in this next hour together?
You know there are often surface reasons, then there are deeper reasons, and then there
 are deeper than that reasons. For example, you might feel at a professional level, which is a good thing. But if you
 drop down a little further into your heart: What’s really brought you to this, to give yourself over to this for an
 hour of your life, when you could be doing so many other things? And it’s that deeper seed that I’m suggesting you
 attend to.
People come for a whole range of reasons, but then there is some deeper reason for being
 there as well. For example – we never did a formal study about this – all of the 37 years that I was at the Center
 for Mindfulness, we saw people with cancer and heart disease and a huge range of medical and psychological issues.
 And while they came certainly for some relief from the psychological or physical suffering associated with those
 conditions, the single-most frequently stated goal was peace of mind.
So they knew something deep inside themselves, even in the midst of whatever they were
 suffering with, physically or psychologically, that was quite different than the symptoms that they were
 experiencing. So it’s that deeper reason that I am asking, or suggesting, that you invoke or intend and attend to as
 we continue.
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Even right in this moment I feel that we are dear, dear companions, that we are joined
 together by a certain commitment, a certain dedication, and a certain view of human beings: in some very real way,
 the view that human beings are actually filled with a certain kind of genius. They are capable far more than they
 might imagine or certainly far more than most cultures would suggest is possible. It’s as if there’s a treasure that
 they are, that they have forgotten. You know what I mean? You know that in yourself how easy it is to forget?
So you could say that in a very real way the true and real work of any of us, as
 teachers of mindfulness-based programs, is to remember. And that remembering is deeper than the intervention. In
 fact I don’t even like to call MBSR an intervention; we avoided calling it an intervention from the beginning. And
 we avoided calling it a therapy as well. Rather we said it’s an approach or a path. I don’t know what the word is in
 Farsi, but I think in Arabic it is tareeq; it’s a way.
That doesn’t mean all of the competencies that have been described as central to MBSR or
 MBCT teacher development are not important. They are important. I’d read the paper by my dear colleagues, Rebecca
 Crane and Mark Williams, when it came out years ago, about the competencies, and I asked myself, “Are these
 competencies all an aspect of MBSR?” My answer was yes. Then I asked myself another question, “Will these
 competencies be enough to walk into the classroom and teach?” My answer was no.
That doesn’t make them unimportant. It’s just that the central competency in my view, in
 my experience, is the cultivation of the human heart. And that has everything to do with the quality of embodiment.
 And every one of us will embody it in a different way. And it expresses itself probably universally as a kind of
 sympathetic nature, a kind of tenderness and softness – not passivity, but softness – and a kind of mercy.
So maybe for a moment you can just be attentive to that part of yourself. It’s right
 here. You might say it actually shows up as a kind of assertive kindness, warmth and friendliness towards oneself
 and one’s experience. In a very real way we’re asking the people that we work with to come to our courses or
 classes, to cultivate the same quality towards themselves and their experience.
In that, of course, on one hand we’re talking about the quality of tenderness or
 softness of the heart. On the other hand, you probably know well that that the heart is fierce, it can take
 everything, and it can keep giving. I’m not talking about something romantic, but it takes just that kind of an
 organ, if you will, of sensitivity and sensibility, to actually help people meet and in some way be relieved from
 their own suffering and their own pain.
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So if we look a little more deeply into mindfulness itself, there are two dimensions to
 it. On one hand there is what’s often called the instrumental dimension. It has to do with the development of skills
 and competencies, in a sense of effort and improvement over time. Maybe in our modern vernacular we’d say that has
 to do with acquisitional learning. For example, if I have to learn Farsi, I’d learn from the very beginning. I’d
 have to go very slowly, and I would probably feel like a failure or that I’m not getting it. If learn to play the
 piano, I go slowly. I learn the notes then the scales before I can play any music.
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 the same with learning to practice mindfulness. It is a practice
 in the sense that it has its own progression, and over time people often report changes. And if you’re a mindfulness
 practitioner, you discover that there are changes that take place over time. And it’s the same with the various
 competencies that have been identified in the development of MBSR teachers: over time people get more skillful at
 those competencies.
Then there is this other dimension of mindfulness practice that is non-instrumental.
 There’s nothing to get. There’s nothing to improve upon. There’s nothing to gain. It’s already complete. And you can
 see that instrumental is nested in the non-instrumental. For example, how could you love another human being if love
 wasn’t already a part of you? How could you appreciate beauty if beauty wasn’t innate? How could you appreciate the
 light of the sun if light wasn’t an innate part of you as a human being? This is what Rumi was talking about,
 several hundred years ago, when he talked about two kinds of intelligence: one acquired, one already complete.
So what’s it like to walk into the classroom knowing that you’re sitting in front of 10
 or 15 geniuses, who are already complete but they don’t know it? You can’t tell them that, you can’t give them a
 lecture about that. You can’t tell them, “Just believe me, because I know.” Our job is to embody that in some way,
 and then help them over time, simply assist them to become familiar with the depth that’s already a part of them.

That’s why I have written – and I continue to know more than simply believe – that the
 central risk in MBSR or MBCT is that we’ll become blinded to the non-instrumental and the instrumental will take
 over.
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">The central competency in my view, in my experience, 
 is the cultivation of the human heart.</h5>
<hr>
So maybe we’ll take a moment and just sit with this question: How is it inside me to
 hear this, to feel it in some way? Not because I’ve said it, but how is it for you?
This really means that our job is to be students. To listen. To serve. To see if we can
 meet every situation, or many situations, in a way that they provide us with a certain kind of learning, a certain
 kind of insight and understanding. We become kind of intoxicated, so we’re a little drunk. You could say in some
 real way that mindfulness, in its most universal form, expresses itself in a deep and powerful way in remembering
 that we’re actually sober. That our senses serve us. That our mind serves us.
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And then, more centrally, the cultivation and the development of the human heart happen.
 It becomes the central characteristic of mindfulness, because it has everything to do with a slow disillusioning of
 this thing we call ‘myself’. So we move from that position of inhabiting and strengthening the self to recognizing
 that all human beings suffer, all human beings have the capacity to be free and liberated.
So thank you for letting your beauty shine out into the world. We know that there’s a
 lot of uncertainty in the world, a lot of darkness, and a lot of fear. And there’s no value in pretending otherwise.
 But in the middle of all of that, there is the capacity for us to shine forth, to feel this indelible bond between
 us, to touch deeply and know the deep, deep resources that we have within, and that the world has changed through
 very small numbers of people doing very radical things. By radical I mean fundamental. This is fundamental: the
 reality of what mindfulness is in the life of human beings is fundamental.
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;"> 
 There is the capacity for us to shine forth, to feel this 
 indelible bond between us, to touch deeply and know 
 the deep, deep resources that we have
 within.</h5>
<hr>
I would like to end with a few lines of Hafiz, as he’s dear to me. The soil of Iran has
 given the world a universal voice through this human being. At the end of one of his poems he says the following
 lines:
Be strong, Hafiz! 
 Work here inside time, 
 where we fail, catch hold 
 again, and climb.

So that’s what we’re all doing here: working inside time, failing, catching hold again,
 and climbing. And I thank you for climbing. We’ll reach out and help one another.
Q: Thank you, Saki, for showing us how to climb, just by sitting still
 and feeling.
To be continued&nbsp;
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Interview by AMIR IMANI</h4>
<hr>

Insight of the heart – part 1

<h4>We continue SAKI SANTORELLI’s interview with AMIR IMANI as part of a webinar series about
 mindfulness, love, compassion and the way of the heart.</h4>
Q: As a student, Saki, what I learnt from
 you is not to be afraid. This is what you taught me in my training – not to be afraid of not knowing and to rest
 in just being. And what you call heart and love, you get the power through that. You get the courage to “not
 know” through loving. I am always amazed to see how science is showing that this is healing. And the clients are
 amazed how they are transformed by just being.
Now, how do the complexities of the mind
 affect your work as a teacher? Say you have a mild depression, for example. Do you need to reach a stage of full
 recovery? Or does this mild depression dissolve through your practice and through your teaching practice?

SS: Well, I would say it depends. If the depression or anxiety is very, very
 strong in the life of the teacher, it could make working with other people more difficult. On the other hand, we all
 have bouts of depression or sadness or anxiety or uncertainty or insecurity. So it seems to me it’s not a question
 that you shouldn’t teach if you feel some depression, but how will you work with that anxiety or depression or
 uncertainty in a way that is real and genuine, and the fact that it’s known to you.
If you develop a relationship with that situation or that condition within yourself, it’s often the way you develop
 what are called the insights of the heart. In some real way your struggles and your sufferings actually have the
 potential to open you and open the people with whom you work with to bring new ways. So it can be a great service to
 you and your teaching, because it makes you so much more sensitive to others, and your work with yourself in those
 situations and conditions will inform you about how to work with other people.
So you don’t have to be completely cured. If that were the case, we wouldn’t do
 anything. We’re all lame!
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">In some real way your struggles and your sufferings 
 actually have the potential to open you 
 and open the people with whom you work 
 to bring new ways.</h5>
<hr>
Q: Would it help to say, “Keep some pain!
 It may help you in your teaching”?
SS: [Laughing] I wouldn’t say, “Keep it.” I would
 say, “If you’ve got it, you’d better work with it.”
Q: You give an example in your book,
 Healing Thyself, of the wounded healer from Greek mythology, Chiron, who is better able to connect with
 his patients because of his suffering.
SS: Yes, exactly. Those wounds actually help us
 meet other human beings. It is exactly what I was saying before: your sympathy is aroused, your tenderness is
 aroused. Your understanding of the other is informed and aroused.
Q: I remember my early days, Saki, in the
 teacher training, in the Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course. It is a requirement of the teacher
 training program to be a patient first. I found myself listening to these 35 so-called patients, talking their
 hearts out about their pain, their anguish, and I was feeling nothing. I was baffled: Why am I not feeling the
 pain that they are talking about?
Then I spoke to the teacher of our group
 about this. She hinted that it would come when I opened up to myself. So, starting with my own wound first, and
 then opening to the other – it looks like that for me.
SS: Yes, in a very real way we’ve been taught,
 especially as health care professionals, to separate ourselves from the people we work with, because the view is
 that then we’ll serve them better. My experience is quite the opposite. If I am able to discover some semblance of
 what they’re experiencing within myself, I can serve them far better.
I may not have the same content: somebody may have cancer and I may not have cancer, but
 have I suffered from something else? Yes. I may not be addicted to a substance, but do I experience addiction? Yes.
 And what is that like? What does it do to my body, my mind, and my psyche? What do I know about that in myself? What
 does awareness tell me, show me?
And I then can go to that source and maybe at least be in the “not knowing,” as you
 described it, Amir. I may have some sense of, “Where can I put my first foothold? Where can I put my first
 handhold?” This is exactly what Hafiz is saying in that poem. I don’t have to know the second or third or fourth
 step. I simply have to be present and take the risk of taking the first step. The development of our relationship
 will guide the second step.
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Q: When there are stressful sensitivities
 of life, if mindfulness practices create more sensitivity, should we reduce the length and number of the
 practice sessions? How do we find balance in terms a healthy dosage of practice?
SS: Well, these are all important questions. I
 think in some ways it’s true that mindfulness practice can make us more sensitized, and in some way it is parallel
 to what is happening in the class, in the course for people. For example, sometimes in the early weeks people say,
 “I’m feeling worse than when I started. I thought this was supposed to make me feel better, but I feel worse.”
They’re speaking about the fact that through the development of their attention and
 awareness they are becoming more sensitized to their situation, both externally and internally. And that is a lot to
 comfort in oneself. And they often express frustration because they are more aware of what’s going on, but they
 don’t yet have the capacity to do anything about it. That seems to me to be a normal part of the learning process.
 What begins to happen is turbulence. And their awareness is perturbing their system. It is because there’s the way I
 was, and then there is what I perceive now; and that differential creates a kind of friction or discomfort.
The skill of the teacher becomes really important in that moment, in terms of how do we
 titrate the right dose? Just to keep that, but not too much. Too much is overwhelming; too little, transformation is
 not possible. They’re involved in a kind of alchemy, in the sense that there is a phase of dissolution before
 reintegration.
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So as a teacher and a practitioner of mindfulness, as you said, we’re all involved in
 the same process of how to ascertain the right dose to have some sense of balance. I think that involves getting to
 know oneself better and better. And also, if it’s possible to work with a teacher, it’s helpful as well because the
 teacher can help with that dosage.
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">So as a teacher and a practitioner of mindfulness, 
 we’re all involved in the same process of how to ascertain 
 the right dose to have some sense of balance. 
 I think that involves getting to know oneself better and better.</h5>
<hr>
You have to be careful not to push yourself so hard that you’re doing yourself harm, and
 at the same time you have to really look deeper into your practice and see if it is being motivated by love and
 kindness. And if there is any sense that you’re pushing too hard, you have to back off.
Often we instrumentalize practice so much, because we want to gain something. And while
 it takes effort to practice, there is a kind of skillful effort, which has a degree of resting in the way things are
 versus pushing too hard against them. And if that’s the case, which is not unusual, then you need to ask yourself
 some really good questions like: Who is pushing so hard? Who wants to breakthrough and to what? And what is
 motivating? They are not necessarily comfortable questions, but they are fruitful. They help us to be with life and
 ourselves as we are and as life is.
So maybe we can make this the last question, Amir.
Q: I think this will be a good one for us.
 We have been keeping the best for last. What is falling in love?
SS: Okay, the best for last!
Well, that question has been asked by human beings since human beings were on the Earth.
 And it’s portrayed in a very particular way in our cultures. Usually it is portrayed as romantic and intoxicating,
 and it’s usually about what we want. It has its beauty and its value and its function, and it’s quite wonderful. It
 doesn’t last though. At least that particular expression of it doesn’t last. And not unusually we go looking for it
 somewhere else; it’s a kind of addiction.
I think, for me, love has a lot of pain in it. In some real way, to be able to even come
 closer to saying “I’m in love” means that we’re actually putting someone else in front of us. Our care for them
 becomes more powerful than our care for ourselves. And in some very real way it portrays a kind of death. And that
 death is not just metaphoric, because it always involves a diminishment of the usual idea of the self. The pleasure
 and the pain of the other become more important than the pain and pleasure of the self.
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">In some very real way we know we are in love, 
 because in some way we’re becoming bigger in 
 what appears to be our diminishment. So it means 
 that we start to give rather than look to receive. </h5>
<hr>
And that means in some very real way our ego is being slowly dissolved. The kind of
 separation between the self and the other is being eroded. So in some very real way we know we are in love, because
 in some way we’re becoming bigger in what appears to be our diminishment. So it means that we start to give rather
 than look to receive.
It seems a fitting way to end.
Q: And it’s also a beautiful way to begin,
 Saki. The sheer fact of touching our wounds, ourselves, for the first time – however it may be, not pleasant,
 it’s painful even – but the touch, the connection, for the first time is like falling in love for us. And that
 moment we are bigger than before.
SS: Yes, because we begin to discover how big we
 already are. The world is always squeezing us down, and of course awareness is fathomless and boundless, and
 touching that boundlessness is … Love simply arises and is known.
Q: How about rephrasing it to “rising in
 love?”
SS: Yes, I was going to say that!
Q: Thank you so much for raising the
 awareness of this small group. And all this started 20 years ago with a simple act of kindness from your side,
 and it’s amazing that we never forget kindness, especially when it’s not asked for, it’s just given to us. Thank
 you.
SS: Thank you so much. May we continue to travel in
 this caravan together.
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Interview by AMIR IMANI</h4>
<hr>

Insight of the heart – part 2

Samuel is an experienced medical researcher, triathlete, and surfer. As a neuroscientist, he researches genetic and rare diseases at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Brisbane, Australia. He uses the Heartfulness practices to balance his life and maintain a healthy and peaceful mind.

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Samuel Eiszele

<h4>SAMUEL EISZELE explores the depths of happiness,
 reminding us that happiness and suffering coexist, and that true happiness is about intentions, integrity and
 innateness.</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h2 class="text-center">EMBRACING DIFFERENCE</h2>
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I love the question, “What does happiness mean?” Because, in my opinion, unconditional happiness is the purpose of
 human life, so understanding and evaluating what brings happiness will help us fulfill an enlightened life.
Happiness is very rich, rewarding, and complex. It is not diametrically opposed to grief or suffering, but rather
 something that I can experience when I know that I am being held in the integrity of my family, my community, what I
 stand for, and what I am rooted in.
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Happiness is about harmony and solidarity. It is knowing that when I arrive in a new environment, even if it is
 inherently challenging, I am arriving with a set of intentions: The intention to embody gratitude, loving-kindness,
 forgiveness and an active interest in others. And when I know that I carry this energy in my heart, my mind, and my
 inner being, then every moment becomes like a sacred offering, an opportunity to really open up to and unfurl to
 greater levels of interconnectedness and understanding. It truly is exceptional how interdependent we all are and
 have to be in this world.
Expanding upon the notion that happiness is the very nature of our being, I believe that other aspects of our inner
 being, like passion, are innately connected to happiness. Passion is defined as an intense driving conviction. It is
 a powerful feeling of enthusiasm toward something or someone, and it brings us the opportunity for new adventures
 and experiences. 
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For example, I have developed a deep-rooted passion to understand the human body. Most people typically see the body
 as a collection of different parts, like arms, legs, torso, and the head. From this viewpoint, it may be difficult
 to imagine that the human body consists of over 70 trillion cells, all working in perfect harmony within our organs
 and the different organ systems to help us perform under even the most extreme conditions. My passion for the
 medical field has forced me to step out of my comfort zone by moving cities, challenging myself in academic
 research, and assisting in projects that could impact the lives of many. I believe that finding and pursuing our
 deep-rooted passions will help us live a full and happy life. Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, was an extremely
 passionate person who told us, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet,
 keep looking, don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”
When we look outside our innermost feelings and emotions to find happiness, we lose control of our true nature. We
 are habituated to believe that happiness is found outside and through material means – a different partner, a new
 job, more money. We burden ourselves with so many pursuits, and it is difficult to avoid at times – at least I find
 this to be true for myself. When I was younger, I associated happiness with winning, an incredibly joyous feeling of
 coming first in a swimming race or achieving a high grade; however, the feeling was only transient. I have come to
 realize that there is a distinction between the happiness we gain from external factors, and the happiness within
 our being. When our attention is no longer exclusively directed toward material means of happiness, we can more
 deeply experience what’s innate – our very being.
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<h4 class="text-center"
 id="h-by-remaining-open-relaxed-centered-and-able-to-let-go-of-distractions-we-give-ourselves-the-opportunity-to-find-unconditional-happiness">
 By remaining open, relaxed, centered, and able to let go of
 distractions, we give ourselves the opportunity to find unconditional happiness.</h4>
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I think it’s safe to say that nobody wants their happiness to be conditional upon the behavior of other people or the
 different circumstances we find ourselves in. However, this is sometimes difficult to achieve, especially when there
 are a multitude of factors that affect our emotions and beliefs, such as the current pandemic. Releasing these
 distractions and turning toward the present moment can allow us to rest in our own being – enhancing our experience
 of happiness, not diminished by circumstances. I am relatively new to contemplative practices, however, I believe
 that they strengthen our capability to tune into our center and enrich our consciousness. By remaining open,
 relaxed, centered, and able to let go of distractions, we give ourselves the opportunity to find unconditional
 happiness.
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<h4 class="text-center">Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL</h4>
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Discover your true nature

Sangeeth is a Product Manager in the energy sector, exploring Nature Based Solutions to achieve zero carbon emissions, both for corporates and countries. He leads the Forests By Heartfulness initiative, helping with strategy, industry outreach, and collaboration with other NGOs.

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Sangeeth Parvatham

<h4>SANGEETH PARVATAM is the Program Manager at Forests By Heartfulness. BRENDA NETH interviews him about the development of the programs, and the conservation that is developing at the grassroots level as a result.</h4><hr>Q: What are some of the successes at Kanha Shanti Vanam that led to the creation of the Forests By Heartfulness (FBH) initiative? What are some of the lessons learned?SP: Kanha Shanti Vanam has been transformed during the last 7 years as a result of several interventions backed by a combination of science and intuition guided by spiritual practice.For example, one initiative is the ex-situ conservation of critically endangered species, like Syzygiumtravancoricum, with only 15 trees spotted in the wild. Most of the conservation of these rare and endangered species was done without erecting steel or concrete structures, by providing the right natural conditions using shade-giving plants, rain guns, and lots of loving care.Another successful initiative was the translocation of hundreds of adult trees identified for felling during various road and housing developments in Hyderabad and other parts of the country. The survival rate has been astounding, given that tree translocation is fraught with many challenges.But these initiatives are resource-intensive activities that can only be accomplished by committed teams, funding, and a lot of care.I have personally learned the importance of involving the local community. Any project that is designed to benefit the community, can eventually become the community’s, with FBH acting as a conduit or facilitator.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/forests_by_heartfulness2_700x467_9cc995cd97.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T07:01:38.729Z" alt="forests-by-heartfulness2"><hr>Q: Does FBH use the principles of permaculture, which was one of the key reasons for your involvement in the first place?SP: Yes, we have applied some of the core values of permaculture, like Earth Care, People Care, and Fair Share, but our work also includes other aspects like species conservation, landscaping, creating meditative spaces, etc. I am a lover of permaculture principles for supporting ecosystems, food supply, and soil regeneration, but the main objective of FBH is conservation.Q: You have shared a list of 231 species, the majority of which are trees that are currently being grown in 18 FBH nurseries across India. How do you determine which trees to grow in which nurseries, and where to plant them?SP: Thanks to its latitudinal and longitudinal spread, India is one of the 12 mega-biodiversity countries in the world. The Indian subcontinent can be broadly classified into 8 distinct floristic zones: the Western Himalayas, the Eastern Himalayas, Assam, the Indus plain, the Gangetic plain, the Deccan, Malabar, and the Andamans. The species in these zones are not mutually exclusive, there are overlaps. When setting up the nurseries, species are carefully selected with the guidance of conservation experts from forestry, botany, and climate science, to match the zones of the nurseries, and efforts are taken to grow the saplings native to the zone.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/forests_by_heartfulness3_99685a66a9.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T07:02:16.846Z" alt="forests-by-heartfulness3"><hr>Q: How is the land acquired for the plantation efforts? I understand there are three types of plantations. Will you tell us about them?SP: FBH looks for public spaces for plantation efforts to benefit the local communities. These include educational institutions, village common lands, industrial zones for greening, temple lands, etc. Plantation is only done after written approvals are obtained from the landholding authorities. The land rights, the plantations, and the produce always belong to the communities, not to FBH. We only create spaces of conservation by planting trees and eventually handing them over to the communities.The type of plantation depends on the end-goal of the project. Is it to provide fruit and medicinal plants for the local community? Is it to enhance biodiversity and wildlife? Is it to create a microclimate and raise the local water table? Is it to sequester carbon from the atmosphere? None of these goals are mutually exclusive, as you can imagine.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/forests_by_heartfulness4_700x394_dd8d8542cf.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T07:02:51.326Z" alt="forests-by-heartfulness4"><hr>We primarily do block plantation, avenue plantation, and Hearty culture Dense Forest (HDF) creation. HDF is our proprietary methodology to create thriving mini forests within a short period of time. HDF is characterized by the choice of species selected, the placement of species based on their eventual canopy and height, and extensive use of activated biochar for soil remediation.Q: What is biochar?SP: Biochar is made by burning twigs, branches, leaves, paddy husk, crop residue, etc. in the absence of oxygen. The process is called pyrolysis. It can be done in small-scale boilers or by burning in mud pits. The resultant product is a dark pellet of super light material that can crumble in your hands. Pellets are activated by soaking them in fluids with high microbial content, such as nutrient-rich liquids, and the resultant product is activated biochar. This is then put in the holes before planting saplings. One unique feature of biochar is it surface area. Per unit weight, it has more surface area than any other substance on the planet. It can absorb, retain, and release nutrients to plants for several months.&nbsp;We have experimented with biocharat Kanha Shanti Vanam and can vouch for its effectiveness. Now we use it in all our plantations.Q: In 2019, FBH did a mass plantation of 64,000 saplings in 64 cities, each site receiving 1,000 saplings. How are the saplings doing now?SP: The mass plantation in 2019 was a reality check for whether we could pull off a pan-India plantation drive and sustain it. It was a grand success and gave us the necessary confidence to create FBH as a pan-India initiative. The saplings are doing well, although survival rates vary according to location. Survival depends on several factors, including soil preparation prior to planting, health of the saplings, handling during plantation, administration of nutrients during and after plantation, and most importantly the first year of care and regular watering.The costs are kept very low – to around $1.92 for a one-year-old sapling– when the sites have a good water source, fencing to keep out intruders, locally-sourced materials, and lots of local community support.Q: Why are trees so important in halting climate change? Why should farmers be interested in having their “bunds” (dirt borders for farms) planted with trees?SP: Planting trees is the cheapest and most sustainable way of combating climate change. The World Economic Forum has done a scientific study using satellite imaging, and determined that there is enough place on Earth to plant 1 trillion additional trees. They can sequester enough carbon dioxide to keep climate change under control.Tree-based agriculture, known as agroforestry, is a potent solution, especially in countries like India with huge tracts of agricultural land. Trees on farm land provide an alternate source of income for the farmers and insure them against crop failures. They also prevent soil erosion, raise the water table, and improve soil quality.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/forests_by_heartfulness5_700x314_30273f9e75.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T07:03:47.529Z" alt="forests-by-heartfulness5"><hr>Q: In FBH, you make a sankalpa, a prayerful intention, when planting a sapling. What is that experience like for you, and how do you feel it impacts the trees and the planters?SP: Trees are vibratory beings with life in them, just like us. They respond to love, care, and benevolence. A prayerful intention at the time of delivering the sapling to Mother Earth goes a long way in its growth. Although I don’t live in Kanha, I visit there often, and I see phenomenal growth, even after a gap of two months. It can only be attributed to the elevated vibratory levels of Kanha, to which trees respond more than humans. This is not a matter of speculation but of observation.Q: What are some of the challenges facing FBH as you move forward with your goals of 30 million saplings planted by 2025, involving 10,000 farmers and microentrepreneurs, and the preservation of 80 endangered medicinal plants?SP: The challenges are many, but none that can’t be overcome. What works in one region may not work in others. Ready availability of saplings for plantation, suitable land with clear title, the support of local communities, and providing care during the initial months are just some challenges I can think of. This is where collaboration helps. Tree plantation is not an exact science and there are many things we can learn from others who travel this path. Collaborations allow us to play to our strengths and address the gaps in end-to-end project implementation.Q: Do you foresee collaborations with other Heartfulness organizations outside of India?SP: Yes, it’s only a matter of time before this will become a global movement spreading to all corners of the world. The barriers are disappearing, and technology is playing a big role. For example, a simple YouTube video on how to produce and use activated biochar for crop management can go viral, and the principle be applied everywhere.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/forests_by_heartfulness6_700x467_22d3d553c3.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T07:04:46.360Z" alt="forests-by-heartfulness6">

Forests by Heartfulness

Sanjana is a medical student and photographer based in Houston, Texas. Being people-oriented, she is always listening to people. Her focus is to take care of people, not cases; capture memories, not click photos. She also enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, and listening to music.

Sanjana-Ayyagari.jpg

Sanjana Ayyagari

<h4>SANJANA AYYAGARI shares some everyday images of ways to be more aware, take care and responsibility for self and others, and build community. All this leads to a better sense of well-being.</h4><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/better_leader3_700x511_33997710d2.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T07:01:02.602Z" alt="better-leader3-700x511"><h4>Education</h4>Today, young people are revolutionizing the world by educating themselves on issues pertaining to society as a whole. They are conversing with each other, whether over email, social media, or in person. While they do not always find all the answers to their questions, they are enriching their minds and preparing themselves to face the challenges ahead.<hr><hr><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/better_leader2_700x511_de3b7238f8.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T07:02:27.721Z" alt="better-leader2-700x511">Environmental ConsciousnessYoung people are striving to limit the negative impact of their existence on the planet. Everything from metal straws, reusable grocery bags, and recyclable materials have become staples in their households and their mindset is governed by the goal of leaving the planet in a better state than it was when they arrived.<hr><hr><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/better_leader4_700x486_ce1fcd9245.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T07:03:52.209Z" alt="better-leader4-700x486"><h4>Health and Well-being</h4>Health and well-being are no longer a series of quick schemes to get fit and be ready for the next Instagram post, but rather a lifestyle adopted by young people to feel their best from within. Whether it be yoga, meditation, lifting weights, or simply staying hydrated, this generation is prioritizing feeling good physically, mentally, and emotionally.<hr><hr><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/better_leader5_9b37c56479.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T07:05:08.008Z" alt="better-leader5">Community and CamaraderieAt times it can be isolating to be part of a generation that is going through a lot of self-doubt and creating their own path to living a fulfilling life. But young people have realized that it is always better to collaborate and not compete. By coming together as a community, this generation is not only better equipped to navigate the obstacles of their individual lives, but also to redirect their collective journey and create lasting positive change.

Everyday ways you can be a better leader

Dr. Sanjay is Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Biomedical Engineering at University Hospitals, Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, Ohio, USA, and a Heartfulness Practitioner.

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Sanjay Rajagopalan

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">SANJAY RAJAGOPALAN and KYLE RAJAGOPALAN of the Harrington Heart and Vascular Institute, University Hospitals, Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, Cleveland OH, USA, have been exploring the interface between cardiology and the spiritual understanding of the heart’s role in our lives. They bridge the ancient and the modern scientific in a way that can revolutionize the lives and work of medical professionals.</h4>&nbsp;For a long time, scientists thought emotions and feelings came only from the brain. But they now know that the heart plays a big role, too. This new understanding could change the way we think about emotions and consciousness, seeing the heart not just as a symbol, but as an organ that directly influences how we feel. This idea places the heart at the center of empathy, compassion, and love, which can be viewed as our deeper awareness of feelings.An ancient Sanskrit hymn called the Narayana Suktam, which dates back over 7,000 years, describes the heart as the gateway to awareness. In one verse, the heart’s location is described as “below the Adam’s apple, a hand’s width above the navel, shining brightly like a great home, surrounded by garlands of flames.”1 The next verse speaks of the heart’s connection to the nervous system, describing it as “encircled by nerves, with a lotus-shaped bud pointing downward, holding a subtle space inside where the foundation of everything exists.” This hymn offers a unique view of the heart, blending both its physical location and its spiritual significance with the nervous system.The connection between the heart and the brain has evolved significantly since the ideas of French physician Claude Bernard, who highlighted their relationship in 1865.2 While he acknowledged the heart's role in emotions, he believed it was secondary to the brain’s influence. Bernard suggested that when our brain perceives external stimuli, it triggers physiological changes in the heart—like an increased heart rate—through neural connections. This change in heart function, in turn, helps us become aware of our emotions, such as anxiety or fear. For instance, imagine walking alone at night and hearing a sudden noise. You are startled and your heart might race in response to rapid reflexive neural connections between the brain and heart, often before you even consciously register fear. This demonstrates how the heart’s physiological pumping response, while secondary to “fast” responses to stimuli from the brain, may precede and influence our emotional awareness of a physiological state.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">This demonstrates how the heart’s physiological pumping response, while secondary to “fast” responses&nbsp; to stimuli from the brain, may precede and influence our emotional awareness of a physiological state.</h4><hr>Today, the medical understanding of the heart is far more sophisticated. We now see it as more than just a pump; it’s a complex, well-connected organ with its own nervous system. A bi-directional communication between the heart and brain creates a seamless integration of emotions and physiological responses.3 In many cases, signals emanating from the heart precede that of the brain and also override them. For example, proteins and other molecules released by the heart secondarily influence brain activity.4Think about the feeling of warmth and openness you experience when you see a loved one. This sensation, often felt in the chest area, might be the heart’s way of communicating feelings of love and connection to the brain. This sensation may be more than just a psychological response; it could be rooted and originate in the heart itself. While the brain processes and interprets these feelings, the heart plays a vital role in generating them. This shift in understanding highlights the heart’s importance in our emotional lives, suggesting that our feelings may be more heart-centered than we previously thought.Heartfulness offers a fascinating perspective on the connection between our thoughts and feelings, blending ancient wisdom with modern understanding.5 In spiritual terms, chakras are energy centers in our body that influence our spiritual energy. In the Heartfulness tradition, there are 16 chakras—3 lower chakras, 5 chakras in the Heart Region, 7 chakras associated with the Mind Region, and 1 chakra beyond the heart and mind, known as the Central Region.The relationship between the heart and mind helps explain how our thoughts can affect our feelings. It’s believed that our thoughts start from a deep inner space (sometimes called the “chit lake or consciousness lake”), located near the forehead, and then travel down to connect with the chakras in the Heart.6<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Many spiritual traditions suggest that&nbsp; we should pause, feel with our heart,&nbsp; then think before reacting.&nbsp; This heart-centered approach allows us to bypass&nbsp; quick judgments and automatic responses shaped by our past. Instead of reacting from a place of fear or pain,&nbsp; we can respond with greater empathy and understanding.</h4><hr>This flow of thoughts from the mind can sometimes counter-intuitively disrupt our ability to truly feel, as the judgment or analysis of a situation may sometimes precede feeling. Consider a time when you reacted impulsively to a stressful situation, perhaps saying something you later regretted. By pausing to connect with your heart, you might have responded with more empathy and understanding.These insights can help us cultivate heart-based feelings like compassion and empathy in our interactions with others. When we face stressful situations—especially those that trigger painful memories or strong emotions—it’s common to react automatically, based on past experiences. However, by first connecting with our heart in the moment, we can change how we respond.Many spiritual traditions suggest that we should pause, feel with our heart, then think before reacting. This heart-centered approach allows us to bypass quick judgments and automatic responses shaped by our past. Instead of reacting from a place of fear or pain, we can respond with greater empathy and understanding.By entering this “subtle space” of the heart, we tap into a deeper awareness that connects us to others and to universal consciousness. This practice enhances relationships and promotes personal growth and healing. Ultimately, it teaches us that, even in challenging moments, we have the power to choose compassion over reactivity.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/beyond_the_beat2_318c05cb3a.webp" alt="beyond-the-beat2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_beyond_the_beat2_318c05cb3a.webp 117w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_beyond_the_beat2_318c05cb3a.webp 375w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/medium_beyond_the_beat2_318c05cb3a.webp 562w," sizes="100vw"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">By entering this “subtle space” of the heart,&nbsp; we tap into a deeper awareness that connects us to others and to universal consciousness.</h4><hr>For many <a href="https://heartfulness.org/in-en/wellness-retreats" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">healthcare</a> providers, especially those facing life-and-death situations, showing empathy and compassion is essential. However, the prevailing tendency to view patients primarily as clinical cases can create a disconnect between the heart and the mind. Relying solely on analytical thinking often limits the compassion and empathy that patients truly seek.Incorporating heart-centered skills into every physician’s toolkit can bridge the gap between clinical analysis and <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/silence-and-compassion" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">compassionate care</a>. This approach not only improves patient experience but also promotes a more holistic understanding of health, ultimately enriching both the caregiver’s and the patient’s experience.For clinicians, integrating heart-centered attention into their practice may require effort and practice, but the benefits are significant. When we engage our hearts, it can provoke the right thoughts. By allowing our feelings to guide our thoughts, we can produce more compassionate and relevant responses.<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/beyond_the_beat3_105099d14a.webp" alt="beyond-the-beat3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_beyond_the_beat3_105099d14a.webp 208w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_beyond_the_beat3_105099d14a.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/medium_beyond_the_beat3_105099d14a.webp 750w," sizes="100vw"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">When we engage our hearts,&nbsp; it can provoke the right thoughts.&nbsp; By allowing our feelings to guide our thoughts,&nbsp; we can produce more compassionate&nbsp; and relevant responses.</h4><hr>Taking a moment to pause and approach patient interactions with a heart-centered mindset can transform the encounter into a deeply healing experience. Patients often pick up on these heart-centered vibes, as they are particularly attuned to the emotional frequencies emanating from their caregivers. This connection fosters trust and strengthens the doctor-patient relationship.Over time, for caregivers, a heart-centered approach can become a form of practice or “sadhana,” leading to higher levels of conscious action. Just as a skilled musician harmonizes different notes to create beautiful music, a heart-centered approach harmonizes our thoughts and feelings, leading to a more fulfilling and compassionate life.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">References</h4><ol style="list-style-type:decimal;"><li>Narayana sukta [Internet]. Wikipedia 2024 [cited 2024 Jun 26]; available from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Narayana_sukta&amp;oldid=1217270843">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Narayana_sukta&amp;oldid=1217270843</a></li><li>Bernard C. Lecture on the physiology of the heart and its connections with the brain, delivered at the Sorbonne, the 27th March, 1865. Tr. by J. S. Morel. [Internet]. Savannah, Purse; 1867 [cited 2024 Jun 26]. Available from: <a href="http://archive.org/details/39002086349314.med.yale.edu.">http://archive.org/details/39002086349314.med.yale.edu.</a></li><li>Giannino G. et al., 2024. The Intrinsic Cardiac Nervous System: From Pathophysiology to Therapeutic Implications. Biology 13:105.</li><li>Daniele G. et al., 2020. Heart and Brain: Complex Relationships for Left Ventricular Dysfunction. Curr Cardiol Rep. 22:72.</li><li>Patel K.D., 2023. Spiritual Anatomy: Meditation, Chakras, and the Journey to the Center. Grand Central Publishing.</li><li>Patel K.D., 2023. The Eighth Chakra: Surrender, Spiritual Anatomy: Meditation, Chakras, and the Journey to the Center. Grand Central Publishing.</li></ol>

Beyond the beat

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Sanjay Sehgal

<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<h4>
 <spanundefined
 >SANJAY SEHGAL, CEO of MSys
 Technologies, shares a story of a man whose ego-driven intentions led to a
 much-needed lesson, and explains the importance of connecting with our
 truest selves so we can authentically fulfill our purpose.
</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<h4 style="text-align: justify">
 <spanundefined style="color: #274fa2"
 >What is the purpose of my life?
</h4>

 <spanundefined
 >Who am I? Why am I here? What am I really doing?


 <spanundefined
 >A direction to the answer to these questions is in this article, but bear
 with me to get there.

<h4 style="text-align: justify">
 <spanundefined style="color: #274fa2">The three wishes
</h4>

 <spanundefined
 >There was once a sage who gave his disciple a magic mantra that would
 fulfill three of his wishes. But the boon came with a catch: The disciple’s
 neighbor would be twice blessed with whatever the disciple received.
 


 <spanundefined
 >The disciple was overjoyed. He chanted the mantra for a good living,
 including a nice house, a beautiful wife, elephants, horses, cows,
 buffaloes, etc., without paying much heed to the codicil.
 


 <spanundefined
 >As predicted, his neighbor received twice what the disciple wished for.
 


 <spanundefined
 >Suddenly the disciple felt the weight of his wish and its condition. He
 became jealous, and started wanting to harm his neighbor.


 <spanundefined
 >So intense was his desire that he used his second wish for his neighbor to
 lose one of his eyes and break a leg and an arm. His neighbor thus lost both
 his eyes, and broke both arms and legs.
 


 <spanundefined
 >But, as destiny had it, soon the disciple was struck by paralysis that
 completely immobilized him. He lost the use of his working arm, leg and eye.
 He was devastated and wanted to use the last wish to get back to normalcy.
 However, the mantra did not work.
 


 <spanundefined
 >The disciple was confused and called his teacher, the sage. The wise sage
 came to visit his disciple and learned the whole story. He pointed out that
 the wish could not be granted because of the condition. The neighbor had to
 receive twice whatever the disciple wished for, and no normal human has four
 eyes, arms, and legs.


 <spanundefined
 >The disciple realized his mistake and used his last wish to regain the use
 of one eye, arm, and leg to at least be mobile. And lo! His neighbor was
 back to being healthy.
 

<h4 style="text-align: justify">
 <spanundefined style="color: #274fa2"
 >The moral of the story
</h4>

 <spanundefined
 >This is what happens when we get too wrapped up in ourselves and our own
 importance. The disciple was probably hard-working, which is why he received
 a boon from the sage, but due to a lack of self-introspection his hard work
 turned him into an egotist.
 


 <spanundefined
 >To save our minds and not be trapped in an ego-trip, it is very important
 to investigate the motives behind our actions. And a reality check every now
 and again would not go amiss either.

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h5 style="text-align: center">
 <spanundefined
 >To save our minds and not 
 be trapped in an ego-trip, 
 it is very important to investigate 
 the motives behind our actions. 
 And a reality check every now 
 and again would not go amiss either.
 
</h5>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<h4 style="text-align: justify">
 <spanundefined style="color: #274fa2">A reality check?
</h4>

 <spanundefined
 >In life, we play different roles – son or daughter, brother or sister, wife
 or husband, mother or father, boss or subordinate, mentor or mentee, etc.
 


 <spanundefined
 >But who we are, our identities, differs in each of these roles. In other
 words, can we behave like a son or daughter, be demanding and emotional the
 way we are with our parents, say, or in front of a boss?


 <spanundefined
 >The answer is no, we cannot. Our behavior changes based on the people and
 situations we are in.
 


 <spanundefined
 >The same thing applies to social media. Our behavior, actions, the way we
 project ourselves, is influenced by the various platforms on which we have
 our profiles. And it is when our identities clash that we enter crisis mode,
 much like the story of the neighbor in the beginning. The desire to be
 better than someone else pushes us toward an identity crisis.
 


 <spanundefined
 >In the race to be better, to be the same as others, to fit in, we
 compromise on personal space, without taking a note of the fact that we have
 no control over the way people may perceive us.
 


 <spanundefined
 >We have no clue which version of us will be liked. So, to meet the unsaid
 demands of social media, we keep changing our behavior, which eventually
 leads to a loss of identity.
 


 <spanundefined
 >The only way we can save ourselves is to go beyond this fake existence,
 identify who we really are, and become secure in ourselves.

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <img
 decoding="async"
 alt="Reality2"
 class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Reality2_98c7736016.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T06:31:09.487Z"
 />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<h4 style="text-align: justify">
 <spanundefined style="color: #274fa2"
 >How to approach the real us?
</h4>

 <spanundefined
 >How do we merge the experience of the virtual world with our authentic self
 ? Let’s do a self-study.
 


 <spanundefined
 >Ask yourself: “What does being authentic mean? Does our version of our
 authentic selves align with the reality?”


 <spanundefined
 >No knowledge is complete without subject and object. When we introspect,
 we can differentiate between subjective perception (that we imbibe from
 our surroundings), and objective knowledge (of things and life as they
 are).


 <spanundefined
 >This is self-study: To be able to differentiate between perception and
 reality, which happens when we go beyond our existence.
 


 <spanundefined
 >Meditative practices help this process, helping us to stay true to our
 inner nature without letting the demands of a consumer-driven society
 define our existence.
 

<h4 style="text-align: justify">
 <spanundefined style="color: #274fa2"
 >To summarize
</h4>

 <spanundefined
 >Let’s return to the questions:


 <spanundefined
 >Who am I? Why am I here? What am I really doing? What is the purpose of
 my life at this time?


 <spanundefined
 >These are the questions that help us stay true to ourselves and stick to
 reality.


 <spanundefined
 >They trigger a spirit of inquiry from within, which in turn lifts us to
 another dimension that is free from ego, jealousy, depression, worry, and
 all sorts of mental stress.
 


 <spanundefined
 >Seeing life from a broader context is what meditation is all about. It is
 not about chanting a few mantras or some nasal breathing techniques and
 performing religious rituals. We don’t need to do any of that. Instead,
 the quest to uncover the very source of our existence is enough to help us
 differentiate fake from reality.
 


 <spanundefined
 >The only side effect of sticking to our true nature is a happy, healthy
 and intuitive conscience.
 


 <spanundefined
 >So, as they say, “You be you.” That’s the purpose of our life at all
 times.

<h6>
 <spanundefined
 >&nbsp;
</h6>
<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 style="text-align: center">
 Article by <spanundefined>SANJAY SEHGAL <spanundefined
 >Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL
</h4>

<hr />

Reality: going beyond fake existence

<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h4>SANJAY SEHGAL, CEO of MSys Technologies, looks to the future. How are we preparing now for what is to come after the corona crisis passes? And what do we need to learn about ourselves in order to create a “new normal” that is a better future?</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h4 style="text-align: justify;">BC and AD</h4>
For many of us, life is now defined by BC and AD: Before Corona and After its Disappearance. And like most people I can’t wait for AD.
Even as I write this, it hurts my heart to think how far we’ve come since the beginning of this year, and we haven’t even reached the midpoint yet!
We are progressively realizing that power, beauty and money are worthless, and can’t buy what’s truly important. Maybe God is sending us a strong message that we are his guests, not his masters.
As the lockdown stretches on, we’ve arrived at that trying period where the novelty of being confined at home has started to wear off. My days have begun to blur into each other, with the same routine (or lack of one), anxiously checking on the latest updates concerning the viral spread. But I’ve begun thinking about what fate lies ahead in the wake of this pandemic. It is a crucial time, I feel, to reflect on, “Where will we be in six months, a year, or a few years from now?” And there are two aspects to this – our lifestyle and the economy.
<h4>In AD, there are numerous possible futures</h4>
All of these futures depend upon how we respond to the pandemic and its economic aftermath. As the virus has spread its wings, it’s affected more than 175 countries, and, so far, has dented the global economy by an estimated $2 to 3 trillion. In my view, its effects will be more pervasive, and we are probably just seeing the tip of the iceberg that will snowball into something much larger. With that, I see hope of a rebirth, where we work together to rebuild a better world.
The last quarter has seen the most brutal global equity collapse since the Great Depression. Retail sales have dropped, unemployment has reached record highs, and some industries may never be the same again:
Economically, Covid-19 has expedited and deepened the expected economic downturn in many countries. Sectors like travel, hospitality, manufacturing, IT etc. are already feeling the burn from the outbreak.
Politically, the outbreak is highlighting the fact that most countries are placing their own security and well-being first, thereby decreasing trust in the various multinational organizations and pacts.
Lockdown is placing pressure on the global economy, making some world leaders call for an ease of lockdown measures in lieu of a serious recession.
Socially, however, COVID-19 will hopefully show us that we can absorb shocks and be stronger for it, as a global community. This is an important lesson that needs to be relearned by every generation.
<h4>What will the world look like after the crisis?</h4>
Someone once said that a crisis can make you better, but only with the right mindset.
We are now seeing solidarity among citizens of every country: 80 to 90% are currently favoring extended lockdowns, and governments are assisting those in need. So perhaps we are headed for a better normal in AD. As this new normal emerges, local production and all related technologies will gain speed. Entrepreneurial spirit will be tapped more than ever, when many businesses will be functioning as if they are new – functioning like startups.
At the same time, governments will have to repair their selfimage in the public’s eyes. Harder measures to curb fake news and foreign information operations will become the standard, both during normal and crisis times. There will be better infrastructure in place for emergencies, and organizations will be better prepared for people to work from home at a moment’s notice. There will be more pressure on governments to prepare for a rising demand in medical and social facilities, rather than a focus on nuclear weapons and defense. This is surely a welcome change.
I also anticipate the speed of recovery will be much faster than anyone can imagine right now. Bureaucracy will be reduced, all because everyone has joined together in their efforts towards a better future.
Even though there will be economic hardship, business conditions will improve eventually, by overcoming fear, negativity and other roadblocks.
It is a tough lesson for us to learn, that we know so little about ourselves. But learn we must, and quickly, for we need time to build a better future, and we must buy that time through the pursuit of knowledge.
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by SANJAY SEHGAL</h4>
<hr>

What lies beyond corona?

default

Santanu Chatterjee

<h4>Under the Trees&nbsp; Saratoga Springs, New York, 2024 FIONA NEARY</h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace2_eef369b889.webp" alt="expressions-of-peace2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_expressions_of_peace2_eef369b889.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_expressions_of_peace2_eef369b889.webp 1000w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace2_eef369b889.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw"><h4>Finding Joy Saratoga Springs, New York, 2024 FIONA NEARY</h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace3_7881dcc714.webp" alt="expressions-of-peace3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_expressions_of_peace3_7881dcc714.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_expressions_of_peace3_7881dcc714.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace3_7881dcc714.webp 800w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;<hr><h4>May Their Innocence and Joy Continue to Flower South Africa, 2015 HETTY ZANTMAN</h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace4_9fb2448418.webp" alt="expressions-of-peace4.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_expressions_of_peace4_9fb2448418.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_expressions_of_peace4_9fb2448418.webp 1000w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace4_9fb2448418.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;<hr><h4>Tree RAMYA SRIRAM</h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace5_4e2b2479bb.webp" alt="expressions-of-peace5.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_expressions_of_peace5_4e2b2479bb.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_expressions_of_peace5_4e2b2479bb.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace5_4e2b2479bb.webp 800w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;<hr><h4>In Tune with Nature 2007 BRIGITTE SMITH</h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace6_b40f508c95.webp" alt="expressions-of-peace6.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_expressions_of_peace6_b40f508c95.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_expressions_of_peace6_b40f508c95.webp 1000w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace6_b40f508c95.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw"><hr><h4>Expressions of Love 2023 SANTANU CHATTERJEE</h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace7_dc37aae479.webp" alt="expressions-of-peace7.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_expressions_of_peace7_dc37aae479.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_expressions_of_peace7_dc37aae479.webp 1000w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace7_dc37aae479.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;

Expressions of peace from around the world

Santosh is a Certified Hotel Operator and recipient of 2020 Best Western Design Innovator of Year award at BWH Hotel Group®.  He is a Certified Heartfulness Meditation Trainer and had served as SRCM’s Main Representative with the United Nations DPI.  He has  held several Board positions and continue to serve as a Governor for BWH Hotel Group.

Santosh-Khanjee.jpg

Santosh Khanjee

<h4 style="text-align:center;">&nbsp;</h4>&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;<h5 style="text-align:center;">Selfish, folly Selfless, rewarding Wisdom, transforms Unity, transcends Anonymity, shines Harmony, comforts Prayer, vibrates Grace, fills Pranahuti, changes Love, melts Compassion, heals Arrogance, destroys Sacrifice, uplifts Respect, reciprocates Gratitude, nourishes Hope, lifts Anger, destroys Pride, separates Humility, connects Division, destroys Oneness, Realization</h5><hr>&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Words by SANTOSH KHANJEE Illustration by JASMEE RATHOD</h4>&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;

Outcomes of qualities

Sara is a storyteller, Montessori consultant, and a children’s book author. She is also a naturalist, doing her doctoral work in eco-consciousness in childhood. She has been practicing Heartfulness for eight years and is a certified trainer.

Sara-Bubber.webp

Sara Bubber

This is a story by MUNSHI PREMCHAND (1880-1936) about two brothers. Munshi was one of the most popular writers and social activists of India, who wrote poignant stories about the exploitation of the vulnerable and of disadvantaged communities. SARA BUBBER has translated the story from Hindi into English and added an activity to go with it.&nbsp;<h4>My Big Brother</h4>My elder brother was five years older than me but only three classes ahead. I loved to play and he loved to study. I made paper butterflies, climbed walls, and pretended wooden logs were motorbikes. My elder brother, on the other hand, was a perfectionist. He took important subjects seriously and spent two to three years in one grade. I sought opportunities of escaping my hostel and he waited for me to get back and ask the same question every day, “Where were you?” I don’t know why I could never answer him and my silence spoke of my grave offence.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/kite4_e83a4580c6.webp" alt="kite4.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_kite4_e83a4580c6.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_kite4_e83a4580c6.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/kite4_e83a4580c6.webp 500w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;My brother told me English is hard, he himself spends years in the same class to build a good foundation. How could I expect to pass when I played as much as I did? Days rolled by and I tried to give studies a try. I made a plan and tried to stick to it. But when I went into the park, I couldn’t bring myself back. I realized, I couldn’t give up my love for play. Finally, in the exams, I passed with flying colors and my brother failed.&nbsp;I wanted to tease my brother, but I gave up the idea. I became prouder and more confident and continued doing what I wanted to. My brother sensed that he didn’t have a hold over me anymore. He gave great examples of what ego did to Ravana, a very learned and strong demon. He told me luck works once, but in higher grades the concepts of algebra, geometry, trigonometry, the eight Henry’s, freedom in France can give anyone a breakdown! I listened with visible disinterest and prayed for the lecture to end soon. As luck would have it, once again I passed and stood first. My elder brother had failed once again.We were only one grade apart and I thought it would be funny if he were to fail again and have no base for scolding me ever again. Hard work never worked for him and for me, my fortune was strong. Yet I felt like a thief scuttling about to leave the hostel to play. Why would I be bothered if my brother complained about my interests? Would I give them up? In fact, I found a new interest, kitesurfing.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/kite3_bf7a8868b1.webp" alt="kite3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_kite3_bf7a8868b1.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_kite3_bf7a8868b1.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/kite3_bf7a8868b1.webp 500w," sizes="100vw"></figure>Every evening I would be out flying and collecting fallen kites. I entered tournaments and doled out the reels, I cut kites and ran behind kites gliding onto the floor. One such evening, I saw a beautiful kite playing with the breeze, doing acrobatics in the air, gently turning and twisting when I slammed into my elder brother. I was far away from my hostel; maybe my brother had gone to the market.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/kite2_74ca13490e.webp" alt="kite2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_kite2_74ca13490e.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_kite2_74ca13490e.webp 603w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/kite2_74ca13490e.webp 603w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;He held my hand and asked me how could I be playing like a street urchin. He reminded me that I was in the eighth grade, and that a few years back, eighth grade pass outs could be clerks, sub-magistrates, and tehsildars (collectors). He continued in a calm voice that he knew I was smart and had a lot of knowledge, but he had a lot more experience. If he fell sick, I could only sit and cry, but our parents who have studied very less could do much more about it. That is because they are wiser and more stable than us. Behind every successful person, even if I were to do an M.A. or Ph.D., there would be people behind my success. The headmaster of our school is able to do his work well because his old mother at home takes care of everything. He raised his voice and said, “So if you think that you have become older and you can be independent of me, and that I won’t take care of you, you are mistaken because I am always there…”&nbsp;I realized my brothers tactics of taking care of me, and I was filled with tears and gratitude. I hugged him and he placed his hand on my hair. At that moment, a kite glided down and some children were running behind it. It was much higher than them, but my elder brother, who was much taller, caught it with ease. He grasped it and ran into the horizon with it, followed by the giggling boys and the pink yellow kite fluttering in the air.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/kite5_c929363545.webp" alt="kite5.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_kite5_c929363545.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_kite5_c929363545.webp 603w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/kite5_c929363545.webp 603w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/kite6_4d52a46882.webp" alt="kite6.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_kite6_4d52a46882.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_kite6_4d52a46882.webp 603w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/kite6_4d52a46882.webp 603w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Kite flying is part of the festival that falls on January 14 (January 15 in a leap year) in various parts of India. It is known as Makar Sankranti in Hindi, Uttarayana in Gujarat, Bihu in Assam, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, and Lohri in the Punjab.Sankrant falls on the same day every year to mark the solstice, signifying that the days become longer and the nights become shorter.The winter crop is harvested close to Makar Sankranti and so it is a joyous occasion. A good crop calls for a good celebration and food for all!&nbsp;<hr><figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/kite7_9ffa1049b5.webp" alt="kite7.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_kite7_9ffa1049b5.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_kite7_9ffa1049b5.webp 678w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/kite7_9ffa1049b5.webp 678w," sizes="100vw"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Illustrations by LAKSHMI GADDAM</h4><hr>&nbsp;

The kite of affection

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">SARA BUBBER shares a story from AUDREY LIN of ServiceSpace, and then offers us some reflective questions and an experiment to do for a month.</h4>Once there lived a joyful man called Julio and he helped anyone he could. He dropped people to places without charging them, he anonymously paid off people’s debts, and regularly bought food for homeless people. He played games with young children and regaled them with stories.One night he was taking the Metro to his favorite restaurant, and he and a young man were the last ones in the cabin. He reached his station and both got off the train. Julio began to walk to the restaurant, eager to meet his friends. Suddenly the young man sprang in front of him, pointing a knife at his stomach, and said aggressively, “Stay quiet and hand me your wallet.” Julio was a little confused, but he took out his wallet and handed it to the young man. The young man maintained his menacing look and pointed at his beautiful gold watch, saying “That too! Be quick.”&nbsp; Julio took off his watch and gave it to the young man. Julio smiled, took off his jacket and gave it to him, saying, “Probably you are cold. Here, please take this also.” The young man was surprised, but any gifts were welcome.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:70.45%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/the_power_of_love2_07bb68d2ef.webp" alt="the-power-of-love2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_the_power_of_love2_07bb68d2ef.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_the_power_of_love2_07bb68d2ef.webp 600w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/the_power_of_love2_07bb68d2ef.webp 600w," sizes="100vw"></figure> The young man was about to disappear into the darkness of the lonely street when Julio stopped him. He put his hand on the young man’s shoulder and asked if he was hungry. Now the young man was perplexed. He brought out his knife and his angry look again, and said, “Are you trying to pull a swifty? Because if you are…” Julio smiled and said, “No, don’t worry, I’m going to a restaurant. Come join me.”&nbsp;The man followed Julio to the restaurant and watched everyone greet him joyfully. “Hello Julio! How are you today?” “Julio, I thought I would catch up with you, glad we met here!” The young man thought he would meet his end. Everyone knew the man he robbed and he would tattle. He was surprised when Julio walked to a table, pulled a chair for him and invited him to sit. Julio recommended his favorite hot soup and asked the waiter to bring a couple of hot dishes for his young friend. Stunned, the young man ate but really didn’t know what was happening.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/the_power_of_love3_095603bd0d.webp" alt="the-power-of-love3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_the_power_of_love3_095603bd0d.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_the_power_of_love3_095603bd0d.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/the_power_of_love3_095603bd0d.webp 800w," sizes="100vw"></figure>After a hearty meal, Julio asked him how his evening was.&nbsp; The young man had no words. He managed to splutter “excellent… warm food.”&nbsp; Julio then said, “Now, I would be happy to pay the cheque, but my wallet is with you.”&nbsp; Tears streamed down the young man’s face and he hugged Julio. Out came the wallet, the gold watch, and the coat, along with a sheepish sorry. Julio gave the coat back to him and said, “I think you need this more than I do.”The young man walked away into the darkness, whistling a lullaby his mother had sung to him, and smiled, finally feeling warm in his heart.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/pg80_81_1b1254c732.webp" alt="pg80_81.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_pg80_81_1b1254c732.jpg 245w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_pg80_81_1b1254c732.webp 508w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/pg80_81_1b1254c732.webp 508w," sizes="100vw"><hr><h4>An experiment of love</h4>Think of five people you love the most and write their names down._____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:33.39%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/the_power_of_love4_bf0b604094.webp" alt="the-power-of-love4.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_the_power_of_love4_bf0b604094.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_the_power_of_love4_bf0b604094.webp 400w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/the_power_of_love4_bf0b604094.webp 400w," sizes="100vw"><figcaption>&nbsp;</figcaption></figure> Now that you have identified the people you love the most, try to extend that feeling to a wider circle. It may be difficult to be like Julio and feel love and compassion for everyone, so this experiment from the Heartfulness practices will help.&nbsp;At 9 p.m. every day, for 5 to 10 minutes, pause your activities and think that everyone is being filled with love and devotion and that real faith is growing stronger in them.Try it for a month and see what happens. Let the magic of these words unfold over time!<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/pg80_81_1b1254c732.webp" alt="pg80_81.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_pg80_81_1b1254c732.jpg 245w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_pg80_81_1b1254c732.webp 508w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/pg80_81_1b1254c732.webp 508w," sizes="100vw"><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Illustrations by LAKSHMI GADDAM</h4><hr>&nbsp;

Love's power

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">SARA BUBBER brings us a story based on the famous Japanese tale “The Stonecutter,” followed by a fun coloring activity from the story.</h4>&nbsp;Once upon a time in Japan, a poor stonecutter was hard at work. He used his inefficient tools and a lot of breath to cut part of the mountain to sell and earn his bread. He was happy and content with a life that had no unfulfilled desires.One day, he saw a rich man enjoying the cool shade of a silk umbrella held by servants. At work, while hammering away, sweat beads formed on his head. He said aloud, “I wish I was that rich man who had shade over his head.” The spirit of the mountain heard him and granted his wish. He had many servants around him to take care of his needs. He said, “Now I will be truly happy!”&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/who_should_i_be2_81af9d9b44.webp" alt="who-should-i-be2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_who_should_i_be2_81af9d9b44.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_who_should_i_be2_81af9d9b44.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/who_should_i_be2_81af9d9b44.webp 500w," sizes="100vw"></figure>A few days later, as the stonecutter was walking in the market, a procession made its way with the king sitting on the back of an elephant. The stonecutter was now a rich man, but he remarked, “I wish I were king. I could move around on an elephant instead of my feet and everyone would have to make way for me.”<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/who_should_i_be3_f4aa52bd29.webp" alt="who-should-i-be3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_who_should_i_be3_f4aa52bd29.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_who_should_i_be3_f4aa52bd29.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/who_should_i_be3_f4aa52bd29.webp 500w," sizes="100vw"></figure>The spirit of the mountain heard him again and granted his wish. The stonecutter was a king with a palace, and never had to set foot on the ground. He was carried in palanquins, on horses and elephants, and in golden and silver carriages. “Now I will be truly happy. I have everything I could hope for.”But alas, his happiness was short-lived when one day in the heat his head began to hurt and his eyes began to close. He wished aloud, “The sun is so powerful. I wish I were the sun.” Once again, his wish was granted by the spirit of the mountain.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/who_should_i_be4_f524380699.webp" alt="who-should-i-be4.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_who_should_i_be4_f524380699.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_who_should_i_be4_f524380699.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/who_should_i_be4_f524380699.webp 500w," sizes="100vw"></figure>Now the stonecutter had become the sun, he thought, “Now I will be truly happy.” He shone down so hard on all the poor people, but he forgot that after intense heat comes joyful rain. The water began to heat and evaporate, forming fierce gray clouds which covered the sun. “I wish I were a cloud that has dared to cover me. The cloud is more powerful!” The spirit of the mountains fulfilled his wish. As the cloud burst and poured, he felt happy. People ran to take shelter and the cloud moved along dropping its rain. “Now I will be truly happy.”<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/who_should_i_be5_14fdeab6e3.webp" alt="who-should-i-be5.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_who_should_i_be5_14fdeab6e3.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_who_should_i_be5_14fdeab6e3.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/who_should_i_be5_14fdeab6e3.webp 500w," sizes="100vw"></figure>“Bang.” Try as he might, the cloud could not move past a mighty mountain. He looked at how grand the mountain was and thought he wanted to be the mountain, stoic, unaffected and great. The spirit of the mountain heard his wish and the stonecutter was now a mountain. He stood still for many days, not affected by the sun, rain, or cold, until one day something pricked him again and again. He looked down and saw a tiny stonecutter.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/who_should_i_be6_9bd90f6bdc.webp" alt="who-should-i-be6.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_who_should_i_be6_9bd90f6bdc.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_who_should_i_be6_9bd90f6bdc.webp 648w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/who_should_i_be6_9bd90f6bdc.webp 648w," sizes="100vw"></figure>“A stonecutter? Inflicting so much pain? Surely, there is no one more powerful that a stonecutter.” The spirit of the mountain granted his heart’s desire and he once more became a stonecutter. To this day, the stonecutter can be seen around different mountains of Japan, whistling tunes of his journey as a king, the sun, the cloud and the mountains.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/who_should_i_be7_ec908c96be.webp" alt="who-should-i-be7.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_who_should_i_be7_ec908c96be.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_who_should_i_be7_ec908c96be.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/who_should_i_be7_ec908c96be.webp 500w," sizes="100vw"></figure><h4>Activity</h4>Do you remember how many forms the stone cutter took in the story? Can you color every form the stonecutter took in the image below?&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/who_should_i_be8_9775b0638b.webp" alt="who-should-i-be8.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_who_should_i_be8_9775b0638b.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_who_should_i_be8_9775b0638b.webp 1000w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/who_should_i_be8_9775b0638b.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;“You are you. Now, isn’t that pleasant?” —Dr. Seuss<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">AI generated illustrations</h4><hr>

Who should I be?

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">SARA BUBBER shares a Buddhist story on moderation, in honor of World Health Day on April 7. She also offers some easy tips we can start applying to live a healthier and happier life.</h4><h4 style="text-align:justify;">&nbsp;</h4><h4 style="text-align:justify;">The king who tamed wild horses</h4>Once upon a time, there lived a king who was fond of chasing wild horses and taming them. His fellow soldiers enjoyed joining him in this activity. It was fast, strategic, and fun. Some of the soldiers, along with the king himself, enjoyed training the horses after their capture. People from far and wide joined the king’s services to watch this exciting event twice a year.But lately the king had started feeling lethargic, and the chase was no longer exciting. He would finish the chase just as it began and took no interest in running behind fast horses. One time, the king’s nephew was riding close to him when the king ordered them to stop. The nephew asked him why and the king took it as a personal offense, questioning his orders. He considered it a snide comment on his health and body.As the king was having lunch, his nephew Sudassana walked in and reminded him that the great teacher, Gautama Buddha, would be delivering a lecture in his kingdom. The king wanted to listen to the teachings of the Buddha, so he finished his lunch and left for the grove with Sudassana. As the Buddha preached on, the king kept pinching himself to stay awake after all he had eaten.As the crowd cleared after the lecture, the king approached the Buddha, who asked after the king’s well-being. The king complained of his ill health, his inability to do fast activities, and his persistent lethargy throughout the day, more so after meals. Buddha admonished him, saying that if one overeats like a hog, he will never be free from the birth cycle on this Earth, and proceeded to give him a verse to recite whenever he asks for more servings.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_moderation2_d96f3ea834.webp" alt="tale-of-moderation2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_tale_of_moderation2_d96f3ea834.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_tale_of_moderation2_d96f3ea834.webp 298w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_moderation2_d96f3ea834.webp 298w," sizes="100vw"></figure>The king expressed his helplessness to learn new things due to his poor memory. Gautama Buddha offered to give the verse to his nephew, Sudassana. Every time the king ate a meal and started to overeat, Sudassana would recite the verse given by the teacher, and the king would restrain himself from taking more food. As time went by, the king stopped overeating and Sudassana did not need to recite the verse.The king began to enjoy his horse chases again, to remember all the things he had to do, and to discharge his duties well. He even stopped getting angry at small things and stopped misinterpreting people’s comments.A few months later, Gautama Buddha was in his kingdom once again and the king went to listen to his sermon. Afterward, he met the Buddha, who asked after his well-being, and the king thanked him for helping him to be a healthy man. Gautama Buddha was very happy, and explained to the king that health is the greatest acquisition, and contentment is the best happiness one can ask for. The key is to be moderate in all that one does.Based on a Buddhist story: https://www.ancient-buddhist-texts.net/English-Texts/Buddhist-Legends/15-06.htm<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:25%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_moderation3_911e4ecd50.webp" alt="tale-of-moderation3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_tale_of_moderation3_911e4ecd50.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_tale_of_moderation3_911e4ecd50.webp 298w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_moderation3_911e4ecd50.webp 298w," sizes="100vw"></figure><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Tips to maintain your health</h4>On April 7, we celebrate World Health Day, because the World Health Organization (WHO) had its first meeting on that day in 1948. WHO spreads the message of good health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”How can we maintain good health?Health is the greatest wealth we have. We are able to do so many things because our bodies and minds run smoothly. How can we make sure they continue to run like this for as long as possible?Here are some tips for your daily routine:&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:25%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_moderation4_f72049abe3.webp" alt="tale-of-moderation4.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_tale_of_moderation4_f72049abe3.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_tale_of_moderation4_f72049abe3.webp 300w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_moderation4_f72049abe3.webp 300w," sizes="100vw"></figure><h4 style="text-align:center;">Eat well</h4><h4>Food is the fuel for our body. Give your system a light, simple, and balanced diet to keep it effective.&nbsp;Of course you can eat out, but the number of times you eat simple meals should be much more than eating junk food.</h4>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:25%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_moderation5_990c90467c.webp" alt="tale-of-moderation5.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_tale_of_moderation5_990c90467c.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_tale_of_moderation5_990c90467c.webp 300w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_moderation5_990c90467c.webp 300w," sizes="100vw"></figure><h4 style="text-align:center;">Sleep well</h4><h4>Your body needs lots of rest. It repairs itself as we sleep.&nbsp; Therefore, giving yourself that eight hours of sleep becomes necessary to stay alert and healthy.</h4>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:25%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_moderation6_e2f16b881d.webp" alt="tale-of-moderation6.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_tale_of_moderation6_e2f16b881d.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_tale_of_moderation6_e2f16b881d.webp 300w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_moderation6_e2f16b881d.webp 300w," sizes="100vw"></figure><h4 style="text-align:center;">Keep your mind engaged</h4><h4>Keep yourself busy with activities you enjoy: &nbsp;learning new things, playing new games, and engaging in hobbies keep the neurons firing in your brain and keep your mind active.</h4>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:25%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_moderation7_70e7d4e432.webp" alt="tale-of-moderation7.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_tale_of_moderation7_70e7d4e432.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_tale_of_moderation7_70e7d4e432.webp 300w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_moderation7_70e7d4e432.webp 300w," sizes="100vw"></figure><h4 style="text-align:center;">Stress-free and time-out practices</h4>Include some practices to manage the stress you gather during the day. &nbsp;Journaling, playing music, meditating, and reading for fun are activities that reduce stress. Even simple quiet time can help you recharge and re-enter the world with a fresh outlook.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:25%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_moderation8_a4d0518184.webp" alt="tale-of-moderation8.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_tale_of_moderation8_a4d0518184.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_tale_of_moderation8_a4d0518184.webp 300w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_moderation8_a4d0518184.webp 300w," sizes="100vw"></figure><h4 style="text-align:center;">Exercise</h4>Your body is designed for movement, so put on those running shoes and go for a run, play that much-needed game of basketball, or jump into the swimming pool in summer. Even playing tag and catch are good games to keep your body fit and healthy.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Activity: What is your healthy word?</h4>Find all ten words related to health and well-being in the following crossword:<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_moderation9_c178ed2d87.webp" alt="tale-of-moderation9.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_tale_of_moderation9_c178ed2d87.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_tale_of_moderation9_c178ed2d87.webp 956w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_moderation9_c178ed2d87.webp 956w," sizes="100vw"></figure><h4 style="text-align:center;"><a href="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_moderation10_b155064282.webp" download="file" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Click here to see the solution.</a></h4>

A tale of moderation

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">SARA BUBBER tells a story about a king who set a challenge in order to find an assistant. The outcome teaches us the value of time. She also gives us a thoughtful heart activity, and tells us some fun facts about time.&nbsp;</h4><h4>The king’s advisor</h4>Once there lived a king who was looking for an assistant: a man of virtues like hard work, respect for time, commitment, welfare, and many more good qualities. When the king announced it, the people of his kingdom were very excited. Who didn’t want to work for the king himself? Not only did he receive hundreds of applications from within his country, he received thousands from neighboring areas as well. As he began to sort them, he didn’t know how he would choose the best candidates for further rounds of interviews.His wise chief minister made a list of people who could be shortlisted. He made his selections by screening the applicants, then by a series of tests on being kind to strangers, the willingness to learn new skills, alertness, and other things the king would want in an assistant. Finally, the candidates were narrowed down to three.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/time_precious_resource2_690465370a.webp" alt="time-precious-resource2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_time_precious_resource2_690465370a.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_time_precious_resource2_690465370a.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/time_precious_resource2_690465370a.webp 800w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;The king finally met them and congratulated them for reaching so far in the process of selection. He told them that the next task was the best and a challenge everyone should be up for. As the tasks so far had been exciting, like horse riding, finance, presenting talents, playing games, everyone looked forward to it.The king announced there was a tank that held a thousand liters of water, which had to be drained into various water holders for the people of the kingdom. The candidates were ready and asked the king for hoses to transfer the water, but the king said there would be no hoses used, only a pail that was as small as their little finger. The men were stunned at the enormity of the task.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Giving anyone your time is the most valuable gift you can ever give them.</h4><hr><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/time_precious_resource3_8a0fdeacb9.webp" alt="time-precious-resource3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_time_precious_resource3_8a0fdeacb9.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_time_precious_resource3_8a0fdeacb9.webp 600w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/time_precious_resource3_8a0fdeacb9.webp 600w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;They began to work. With the first few pails, one of them men left thinking it was too much work. The update was sent to the king. The other two men continued. For two days they slogged in the sun. The second man finally gave up and went home. The third man continued and his hand touched something made of glass. He brought the bottle out and it contained a note. As he opened the note, it read, “This is the reward for persevering when you know the task is impossible. Impossible tasks can overwhelm you in the beginning, but you may move into them, pail by pail, just like today. Congratulations on assuming your new role as the king’s advisor.” The man wondered why he was being made the king’s advisor when the job was for an assistant.The king came over and told the man he had offered his most precious asset, time. “Giving anyone your time is the most valuable gift you can ever give them. Welcome aboard!”<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Heart activity&nbsp;</h4>We are all unique, we come from different backgrounds, have various qualifications, and speak diverse languages. But there are two things that are the same for everyone—the heart and time!Heart and time go together. When you put your heart into something, you will give it your time.Inside this heart, write the names of people, animals, things or passion projects you are going to take more time for this month.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/time_precious_resource4_91b112092f.webp" alt="time-precious-resource4.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_time_precious_resource4_91b112092f.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_time_precious_resource4_91b112092f.webp 600w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/time_precious_resource4_91b112092f.webp 600w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;<h4>Fun facts about time</h4><ul><li>The concept of “time” in English comes from the Greek “chronos,” which means chronological or ordered.</li><li>In ancient times, there were various ways to measure time including sun dials and water bowls.</li><li>Both the Indian and Greek societies made use of sundials to tell the time using shadows of the sun.</li><li>All cultures experience time differently. Some feel it is linear, some feel time moves from left to right, and some feel that time is cyclical.</li></ul>

Time is a precious resource

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">SARA BUBBER shares a folktale about a king who turned detective and solved a case, then offers us some fun facts about trees, and some detective work of our own to solve!</h4>&nbsp;<h4 style="text-align:justify;">The Detective King</h4>Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, the royal garden was a spectacular sight. Flower gardens, medicinal plants, and orchards were inviting places for birds, small animals, and weary workers. The maintenance was overseen by the head gardener. He had a green thumb and was dedicated to making his garden state of the art.One day, he went to a spot he frequented under an arka shrub. As he dug around the roots, he grew frantic. He couldn’t see the pot he had buried and looked after so well. It contained all his life savings. After digging at multiple spots and worrying for a few days, he went to the king who was known to be very wise and just.He told the king that he had lost his life savings. The king asked for details so he said he had buried his gold under an arka plant and seen it a few days before it disappeared. He was sure it had been stolen. The king admonished him for burying his life savings in such an unsafe place. He told the gardener to go home and he would look into the investigation personally.The king called his physician and asked him the about the arka plant. The physician told him that he had not used any part of it to make medicinal potions. The king summoned all the physicians in the kingdom and asked them about the arka. None of the physicians had any information to share.Finally, an old physician came forth and said the roots of the arka are valued in curing a rare disease. The king asked if he had referred it to a patient recently. The physician told the king that a merchant had contracted a rare disease and he asked him to make a juice from the roots of the arka.The king knew he had a lead. He called the merchant and asked him about his health. The merchant told him about the rare disease and how his physician had saved him. He told the king that the juice from the arka root saved his life. The king asked where he got the roots from. The merchant did not know and said that his servant had brought the roots for him. The king asked for the servant to be presented in court.The servant was led inside and the king asked him whether he procured arka roots for his master. The servant told him that he had. The king asked where he got them from, and stammering the servant told him about the arka shrub in the palace garden. The king finally asked whether there was anything around the tree. The servant froze, so the king said that if he told the truth he would be forgiven. The servant confessed that he had taken the pot of gold that was buried under the tree.The king asked the servant to bring the gold. He gave him three gold coins for confessing and returned the rest to his head gardener with a warning never to bury his life savings in the garden. The king was widely praised for handling a complex case so well. All were happy and prosperous in his kingdom once more.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/detective_king2_7eddfcfd28.webp" alt="detective-king2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_detective_king2_7eddfcfd28.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_detective_king2_7eddfcfd28.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/detective_king2_7eddfcfd28.webp 500w," sizes="100vw"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Fun facts from Dr. Tree</h4>Did you know? Trees are natural doctors and have many benefits. Their roots, stems, leaves, fruits, and flowers can be used to prevent or treat many conditions.The banyan tree has anti-inflammatory properties and its bark can be used to treat ulcers, burning sensations, and skin infections.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:25%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/banyan_03adc4379d.webp" alt="banyan.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_banyan_03adc4379d.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_banyan_03adc4379d.webp 250w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/banyan_03adc4379d.webp 250w," sizes="100vw"></figure>Moringa protects the liver from damage, oxidation, and toxicity. It can also heal wounds and is packed with many vitamins and minerals.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:25%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/moringa_5038932074.webp" alt="moringa.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_moringa_5038932074.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_moringa_5038932074.webp 250w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/moringa_5038932074.webp 250w," sizes="100vw"></figure>Papaya leaf has been used in traditional medicines to cure diabetes and high blood sugar levels. It can also increase platelet count in the blood.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:25%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/papaya_c017ccd12e.webp" alt="papaya.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_papaya_c017ccd12e.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_papaya_c017ccd12e.webp 250w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/papaya_c017ccd12e.webp 250w," sizes="100vw"></figure>Neem is effective against many skin diseases, sores, and burns. Its detox properties promote oral health.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:25%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/neem_8dd9c1c4b9.webp" alt="neem.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_neem_8dd9c1c4b9.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_neem_8dd9c1c4b9.webp 250w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/neem_8dd9c1c4b9.webp 250w," sizes="100vw"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Riddles</h4><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Just like the detective king solved his mystery. Here are some riddles for you to solve:</h4><ul><li style="text-align:justify;">Which house can fly?</li><li style="text-align:justify;">What has 88 keys?</li><li style="text-align:justify;">A man who was outside in the rain without an umbrella or hat didn’t get a single hair on his head wet. Why?</li><li style="text-align:justify;">What can be touched but never seen?</li><li style="text-align:justify;">There’s a one-story house in which everything is yellow. Yellow walls, yellow doors, yellow furniture. What color are the stairs?</li></ul><hr>&nbsp;Answers:<ol><li style="text-align:justify;">Housefly.&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Piano.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">&nbsp;He was bald.&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align:justify;">A heart.&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align:justify;">None, it’s a one story house.</li></ol>

The detective king

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">SARA BUBBER shares a story about shifting from misery to joy through a simple practice of gratitude. She then shares some tips on gratitude and asks us to do some fun activities.</h4>Once upon a time, a little bird lived in a scorching desert. She lived in miserable conditions. No feathers, a weak body, hardly any food, and little will to live on. She cursed her pitiable and lonely life every single day.One day, the winds changed and she sensed a presence in the air around her. She realized that a beautiful angel, with a soft purple aura, was on its way to meet the Lord. The sympathetic angel sensed that someone was in need and stopped near the little bird. “Little bird, what ails you?”&nbsp; The bird replied, “I am alone, I am sick, I am almost lifeless. How can I be happy? I am tired of my existence here. No one has ever asked about me. Who are you, and where are you going?” The angel replied, “I am God’s angel, and I am on my way to the abode of the Lord.” The bird saw a glimmer of hope and put in a small request, “Can you ask God for a way out of my suffering?”&nbsp; The angel agreed and moved on its way.As the angel arrived at the house of the Lord, he mentioned all he had seen in the vast lands of the Earth: the people he had guided, the people who refused to accept guidance, and finally, the little bird he encountered in the hot desert. “Lord, how long does the bird have to suffer? It pained me to see her there all alone waiting for an end.” The Lord told the angel that the bird had to suffer a long punishment, and it could be lifetimes before she was out of pain. The angel felt really bad and hated to be the bearer of this news. He tried again and asked God, “Is there no way out of this trouble?” God smiled and told the angel, “Of course there is. Tell the bird she can use a small mantra. Anytime and every time, let her say, ‘Thank you God for everything, even in the worst of situations.’”The angel went back and told the bird the message from God. The bird was excited at the possibility of relieving her suffering.A few months later, the angel flew over the same spot where the desert lay, and was surprised to see a garden in full bloom, with flowers, shady trees and a waterbody. The angel thought he had travelled on a different route, but then realized the spot was the same. A bird was chirping happily. Sadly, the angel thought of the bird he had seen months back and thought she must have met her end.&nbsp;<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/wings_of_gratitude2_55ff397c22.webp" alt="wings-of-gratitude2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_wings_of_gratitude2_55ff397c22.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_wings_of_gratitude2_55ff397c22.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/wings_of_gratitude2_55ff397c22.webp 800w," sizes="100vw">The little songbird called out to the angel and thanked him.&nbsp; “Who are you?” asked the angel.&nbsp; “Do you not recognize me? You helped me with a message from God. Remember?” The angel was shocked. He conveyed its best wishes and moved on.As the angel landed in the abode of God, still perplexed, God asked, “What is the matter child?” The angel asked, “God, you had said the bird had to suffer many lifetimes. How did she transform herself and her surroundings in such a short period of time?” God said, “It is simple. When you are grateful, you express your joy, and joy brings abundance.”“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.&nbsp; It turns what we have into enough, and more.&nbsp; It turns denial into acceptance,&nbsp; chaos to order, confusion to clarity.” - Melody BeattieJoy is everywhere. We need to refine our vision to be able to see it. Joy is in the trees dancing to the breeze. Joy is in the mother dog feeding her puppy. Joy is in smiling at everyone. Joy is in having one more day to live life.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">What are five things that bring you small joys? 1. &nbsp;_________________________________________________ 2. &nbsp;_________________________________________________ 3. &nbsp;_________________________________________________ 4. &nbsp;_________________________________________________ 5. &nbsp;_________________________________________________</h4><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Draw an image of a joyous scene from the movie of your life:</h4>&nbsp;

Wings of gratitude

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">SARA BUBBER shares a story from the Upanishads about knowledge, communication, truthfulness, and courage. She then gives us a few reflections and an activity to connect with Nature.</h4><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Satyakama</h4>One day a young boy came to Sage Gautama, at the teacher’s Center of Learning, and said, “Revered sir, I desire to live under you as a student. Please accept me and teach me.”&nbsp; The sage asked, “Dear boy, where do you come from?” The boy replied, “Sir, I do not know of where I am from, I have lived with my mother who told me she is Jabala and I am Satyakama. So, sir, I reveal myself to you as Satyakama Jabala.” On hearing it, Sage Gautama smiled and said, “You are a courageous and brave boy, truly ready for learning. I shall initiate you as a student, for you have not deviated from truth.”Thus, Satyakama Jabala became a student.A few days later, Sage Gautama sorted out four hundred lean and weak cows and said to Satyakama, “Dear boy, take these cows to the forest, graze them, and bring them back when they multiply into a thousand.” Satyakama bowed, and while driving the cows he said, “Sir, I shall not return till these cows multiply into a thousand.”Satyakama lived in the forest and looked after the cows. Years went by and the number of cows increased to a thousand.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/seeker_knowledge2_7f7b5457c1.webp" alt="seeker-knowledge2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_seeker_knowledge2_7f7b5457c1.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_seeker_knowledge2_7f7b5457c1.webp 450w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/seeker_knowledge2_7f7b5457c1.webp 450w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;One evening, a bull came to Satyakama and spoke to him, “Dear boy! We are now a thousand in number. Let us go back to the Center of Learning.” The bull told Satyakama that he would teach him a quarter of the true knowledge, the Brahman. “He is so radiant, that if one meditates on him, he becomes as radiant.”At dawn, Satyakama began his journey back to the Center of Learning.He paused in the evening and herded the cows to rest. He lit a fire and sat when the fire addressed him. “Dear boy, I will teach you a little more about true learning, the Brahman. He is Endless. One who meditates on this endless reality, becomes endless with infinite potential.”&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/seeker_knowledge3_4fad3803c8.webp" alt="seeker-knowledge3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_seeker_knowledge3_4fad3803c8.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_seeker_knowledge3_4fad3803c8.webp 450w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/seeker_knowledge3_4fad3803c8.webp 450w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;The next morning, Satyakama resumed his journey towards the Center of Learning. All of a sudden, a swan came flying and said, “Satyakama! I shall teach you a little more of Brahman. He is Effulgent, one who radiates goodness. One who knows him and meditates on him as the Effulgent, becomes effulgent in this world.” Then the swan told him that a waterfowl would teach him the last part of the Brahman.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/seeker_knowledge4_5b670bb043.webp" alt="seeker-knowledge4.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_seeker_knowledge4_5b670bb043.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_seeker_knowledge4_5b670bb043.webp 450w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/seeker_knowledge4_5b670bb043.webp 450w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;As Satyakama began to move towards the Center of Learning, he came in contact with the waterfowl who revealed to him the last secret. “Satyakama! I shall teach you the last part of the true knowledge, Brahman. He is All-supporting. One who knows him and meditates on him as the All-supporting, becomes That.”<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/seeker_knowledge5_6a4abb1889.webp" alt="seeker-knowledge5.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_seeker_knowledge5_6a4abb1889.webp 145w, https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_seeker_knowledge5_6a4abb1889.webp 450w, https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/seeker_knowledge5_6a4abb1889.webp 450w" sizes="100vw"></figure>When Satyakama reached the teacher’s Center of Learning with the thousand cows, the Guru asked him, “Dear boy, your face shines with the knowledge of Brahman. Who taught you that?” Satyakama told him about his four teachers and said, “Sir, I now request you to add meaning to my learning, as guidance from you will help bake the knowledge I have received.”The sage did just that, and Satyakama learned and later became a teacher himself.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Reflections</h4>Teachers are everywhere. Just as Satyakama learned from Nature, reflect on what Nature is teaching you. What makes you think deeply about the goodness of Nature?Have you ever felt that Nature is all-supporting?<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:25%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/seeker_knowledge6_bd32a62cec.webp" alt="seeker-knowledge6.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_seeker_knowledge6_bd32a62cec.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_seeker_knowledge6_bd32a62cec.webp 250w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/seeker_knowledge6_bd32a62cec.webp 250w," sizes="100vw"></figure><h4 style="text-align:justify;">NatConnect Activity</h4>Try talking to a bird, a dog, a river, or a rock. Ask questions and see what answers you get. Think of what a rock or a river may want to tell you. You will be surprised with observations, new learnings, or you may end up with fully-baked answers!<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:25%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/seeker_knowledge7_949a833894.webp" alt="seeker-knowledge7.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_seeker_knowledge7_949a833894.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_seeker_knowledge7_949a833894.webp 250w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/seeker_knowledge7_949a833894.webp 250w," sizes="100vw"></figure>You may enjoy it so much that you want to do it again and again.

The seeker of knowledge

Communicating with plants and animals

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">SARA BUBBER tells a beautiful Japanese folktale on valuing wisdom and experience and then challenges you to do a personal reflective exercise.</h4>&nbsp;<h4 style="text-align:justify;">A Japanese Folktale</h4>Once there lived a farmer who lived with his mother on a small piece of land. He worked and earned his food. Despite being poor, he led a happy and peaceful life. His nation, Shining, was ruled by a&nbsp;dictatorial king&nbsp;who was also a skilled&nbsp;warrior. Despite being a warrior, he feared&nbsp;anything that indicated ill-health and lack of&nbsp;strength. He thought weaknesses&nbsp;hindered the country's progress. One day, he issued a&nbsp;terrible order&nbsp;to abandon all the&nbsp;elderly people, whom he regarded as a symbol of sickness. People were very scared of the powerful king and so they did not raise any objections to his order.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Mountain_no_return2_883981512f.webp" alt="Mountain-no-return2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_Mountain_no_return2_883981512f.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_Mountain_no_return2_883981512f.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Mountain_no_return2_883981512f.webp 800w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;The poor farmer adored and respected his loving mother more than anything else in life. So, the cruel ruler’s order made him feel sad, since he did not want his mother to be abandoned.He thought of a plan to save his mother, but in vain. The poor farmer prepared himself to carry out the king’s command as he lacked the courage to disobey. He looked for gentle ways of leaving his mother and so chose to leave her on the mountain of no return.The next day the farmer completed his work and prepared to take his mother up the mountain. He packed raw rice and filled a gourd with cool sweet water around his neck in a bundle. With a heavy heart, he bundled up his mother and swung her onto his back.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Mountain_no_return3_d6f7a8ad45.webp" alt="Mountain-no-return3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_Mountain_no_return3_d6f7a8ad45.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_Mountain_no_return3_d6f7a8ad45.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Mountain_no_return3_d6f7a8ad45.webp 800w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;The farmer started his journey. The mountain was long and steep; the narrow road had many paths made by hunters and woodcutters, which made it&nbsp;confusing. Still, he continued to walk. It didn’t matter to him which road he chose. He climbed upward, proceeding blindly without a second thought, toward Obatsuyama, “abandonment of the aged.” His mother’s eyesight was keen, despite her advanced age, and she noticed how her son rushed to reach the mountain top without thinking through the&nbsp;consequences. The farmer was solely focused on&nbsp;achieving his goal, unaware&nbsp;of how he would return home at night.His&nbsp;mother, on the other hand, did think about&nbsp;it, since her age and experience had led her to wisdom. She was aware that her son was unfamiliar with the mountain’s numerous pathways and that his return could be&nbsp;dangerous. She thought about ways&nbsp;to ensure his safe return home, and she had an idea. She snapped the twigs from the trees along the route and gently dropped a handful of them every few feet as they climbed the mountain. The tiny stacks of twigs she dropped on the pathways formed a dotted line at&nbsp;regular intervals. She knew that would help her son to return safely.When the farmer reached the&nbsp;top&nbsp;of the&nbsp;mountain, he felt tired from the journey and the thought of leaving his mother. He put her down, gathered some&nbsp;fallen pine leaves,&nbsp;and made a soft cushion for her to rest. He wrapped a coat around her stooped shoulders and said farewell with an aching heart and&nbsp;tears&nbsp;in his eyes.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Mountain_no_return4_4a8b8704eb.webp" alt="Mountain-no-return4.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_Mountain_no_return4_4a8b8704eb.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_Mountain_no_return4_4a8b8704eb.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Mountain_no_return4_4a8b8704eb.webp 800w," sizes="100vw"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">His mother gave him one last piece of advice&nbsp; in a trembling voice. Like any mother,&nbsp; she was concerned about her son’s safety,&nbsp; despite being on her&nbsp;deathbed.&nbsp;</h4><hr>His mother gave him one last piece of advice in a trembling voice. Like any mother, she was concerned about her son’s safety, despite being on her&nbsp;deathbed. She warned him not to walk around in the mountains&nbsp;since it would be dangerous. She advised him to follow the twigs she had dropped as a guide on the mountain path. The farmer looked back and was surprised to see the twigs. He also&nbsp;noticed&nbsp;his mother’s hands, which were scratched and stained from gathering the twigs.His mother’s affection affected him deeply. “Oh, honorable mother, your kindness breaks my heart!” he cried out loudly. “I will not leave you. We will go back on the path of twigs, and bear the consequences together!” The farmer picked up his beloved mother once again, and&nbsp;hurried&nbsp;down the mountain, through the shadows and moonlight, to his small hut. He hid his mother beneath the kitchen floor where he stored food. He gave her everything she needed but was terrified of people finding out about her existence. After many days, when no one had noticed his aged mother, the farmer was relieved.The ruler issued another illogical order to dominate and trouble his people. This absurd order was for his subjects to present him with a&nbsp;rope made of ashes, which seemed to be an impossible task. The people of Shining were afraid that if they did not follow his orders they would be considered disobedient. The poor farmer was also concerned how to follow this order.He told his elderly mother about the king’s command. After a few days, the wise mother advised her son to make a rope out of twisted straw&nbsp;and burn it on a row of flat stones on&nbsp;a windless night.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Mountain_no_return5_13e405e57f.webp" alt="Mountain-no-return5.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_Mountain_no_return5_13e405e57f.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_Mountain_no_return5_13e405e57f.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Mountain_no_return5_13e405e57f.webp 800w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;The farmer called the people of Shining and carried out his mother’s instructions. A marvel revealed itself! After the fire had burned away, the ashes on the stone had taken on the appearance of a rope made of ashes. So the farmer carried out the&nbsp;king’s order.The king was&nbsp;impressed&nbsp;with the farmer’s wit and intelligence when he saw the ash rope. He&nbsp;demanded&nbsp;to know where such an idea came from. The farmer told him of his mother’s hidden existence. For some&nbsp;time, the king stood quietly,&nbsp;and then announced a new&nbsp;decision. He would not punish&nbsp;the farmer, but instead abolish the terrible law he had established. He told his citizens that Shining needed more than youth. While young people devote their efforts in protecting the country, it would be in vain without the experience and wisdom of the elderly.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">While young people devote their efforts in protecting the country, it would be in vain without the experience and wisdom of the elderly.</h4><hr><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Let’s reflect!</h4>What have you observed about your grandparents, and elderly relatives and family friends? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What is your favorite memory with your grandparents or an elderly member of your community? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What are some of the qualities your elders have, which you admire and would like to cultivate? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What is something you want to do for your city or country? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________&nbsp;

The mountain of no return

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">SARA BUBBER shares a Sufi tale about finding happiness and two fun activities to help you discover yours.</h4>&nbsp;There is no way of finding mental well-being without being happy. Happiness cannot be sought outside. It can only come from within.This World Mental Health Day brings a wonderful story on finding your happiness, which leads to inner peace.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">A Sufi Tale</h4>Once upon a time, there was a rich man who was trying to search for happiness, joy, and bliss. He was willing to pay any amount to anyone who could give him the key to happiness. He went from teacher to teacher, but no one could satisfy him. He was not happy. One day he went with a bag of jewels and set them down in front of a Sufi master. He asked him to teach him how to be happy. Sufi teachers rarely answer questions. They create situations that lead to great learning.The Sufi teacher picked up the bag of jewels and ran away! The rich man was in shock for a few minutes, as he couldn’t believe what had happened. He saw a great Sufi teacher running away with most of his savings. When he regained his senses, he began running and yelling, “I have been robbed!” He looked for the teacher, but the Sufi master knew every lane and by lane of the village and could escape easily.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/finding_your_happiness2_aedf7f2322.jpg" alt="finding-your-happiness2.jpg" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_finding_your_happiness2_aedf7f2322.jpg 156w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_finding_your_happiness2_aedf7f2322.jpg 500w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;The town folk gathered and began to console him. They asked him to be calm. The rich man wondered how could he be calm when everything that he owned was in the bag. He was ruined! All that he could think of was how he would have to beg for a living and what a fool he had been to leave his jewels so carelessly.The rich man and the entire town began to look for the teacher. After a few hours, they found the teacher exactly where the rich man had met him the first time. He was sitting the same way and the bag of jewels was lying where the man had placed them. The man was excited to see his life savings and jumped towards it with eagerness. He hugged the bag and sighed in relief.&nbsp; The Sufi teacher asked, “Are you happy?”&nbsp; The man replied, “I have never been so happy before!”&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/finding_your_happiness3_d593512c37.jpg" alt="finding-your-happiness3.jpg" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_finding_your_happiness3_d593512c37.jpg 156w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_finding_your_happiness3_d593512c37.jpg 500w," sizes="100vw"></figure><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Activity 1</h4>Draw a scene, a view or a thing that you have looked at before, but when you look at it now, you observe something different and it gives you some joy or happiness to notice new things.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/finding_your_happiness4_87c2b2eb82.jpg" alt="finding-your-happiness4.jpg" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_finding_your_happiness4_87c2b2eb82.jpg 226w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_finding_your_happiness4_87c2b2eb82.jpg 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/medium_finding_your_happiness4_87c2b2eb82.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw"></figure><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Activity 2</h4>The well-being of your mind and body are connected. Don’t forget to nourish your body, mind, and soul to achieve the pinnacle of health. Let’s explore the koshas (sheaths) and see what we do for them, and what we would like to do to keep them healthy.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/finding_your_happiness5_645609ed50.jpg" alt="finding-your-happiness5.jpg" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_finding_your_happiness5_645609ed50.jpg 119w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_finding_your_happiness5_645609ed50.jpg 380w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/medium_finding_your_happiness5_645609ed50.jpg 569w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_finding_your_happiness5_645609ed50.jpg 759w," sizes="100vw"></figure>

Finding your happiness

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">November 14 is Children’s Day. This year, SARA BUBBER brings to you a world of forests, magical flowers, festivals, and some animals you may have never seen. In the activities feel free to explore your imagination and transform into any creature you want to be. Visit your innermost wishes. Your possibilities are limitless! With creativity and love, every day becomes a children’s day.</h4>&nbsp;<h4>The Kherengbar Flower—A Folktale From Tripura</h4>Once upon a time there was a man named Dhananjoy. He celebrated the Garia festival after completing a period of service, and then left for his village with his new wife. On the way home, he had to cross a forest which had a beautiful scent.His wife Sumantra asked him where such a lovely fragrance was coming from. Dhananjoy explained that this wonderful fragrance came from the Kherengbar flower, which only grows for the creator. Sumantra asked if she could decorate her hair with some of the sweet smelling flowers. Dhananjoy explained that they were meant for the use of the creator so Sumantra asked how he knew all of this. Dhananjoy told her that he had heard the dairi (soothsayer) of the village talk of these magical things.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/flower_from_heavens2_9e3e0b40ab_af630aae8a.jpg" alt="flower_from_heavens2_9e3e0b40ab.jpg" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_flower_from_heavens2_9e3e0b40ab_af630aae8a.jpg 128w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_flower_from_heavens2_9e3e0b40ab_af630aae8a.jpg 409w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Sumantra asked him what would happen if they were used by humans. Dhananjoy asked her to look carefully at the tree, which appeared disconnected from the soil. It was brought by a heavenly nymph to Earth when she visited. Being a heavenly nymph, she had to go back, and leave her favorite flower behind. The flower was waiting for her and did not wish to serve anyone else.Sumantra looked very sad, so Dhananjoy asked her to be happy as he would pick her some flowers. He warned her, though, not to put them in her hair, as there would be consequences. Sumantra’s eyes widened as she heard the consequences: Dhananjoy would turn into a hoolock gibbon and Sumantra would turn into a pangolin! She promised that she would not put the flowers in her hair.Dhananjoy climbed the tree and plucked some flowers. As the flowers fell in Sumantra’s lap, she couldn’t resist the urge to put one in her hair. As soon as she did, she realised that Dhananjoy’s arms had started changing. She quickly pulled the flower out, but it was too late! She called out to Dhananjoy, but all she heard was “hoo, hoo.” Before she knew it, she had developed scales and become a pangolin!The heavenly creatures felt sorry for what had happened and made the sweet flower odorless so that no one in the future would go through the same thing.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/flower_from_heavens3_f0c620ee0c_1b285c5094.jpg" alt="flower_from_heavens3_f0c620ee0c.jpg" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_flower_from_heavens3_f0c620ee0c_1b285c5094.jpg 119w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_flower_from_heavens3_f0c620ee0c_1b285c5094.jpg 383w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Some Facts From North-Eastern India</h4>Hoolock gibbons are the only apes found in India, and they are native to India, Bangladesh, and China. They get their name from the “Hoo, hoo” sound they make. Their song can be heard for miles!A lot of north-eastern tribes have soothsayers who are seen as diviners, communicators, storytellers, and religious experts.The Garia Festival is celebrated in the state of Tripura as a celebration of a god named Garia, the deity of wealth and livestock.<hr><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Activity 1</h4>North-eastern stories often choose to integrate conversion of humans and animals believing that we are all one. Is there an animal that you would like to be?<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Activity 2</h4>It is good to have wishes and dreams. But sometimes these wishes may or may not serve us well, just like Sumantra’s wish did not help her.Take a moment to note three wishes and the pros and cons. Let me give you an example of my wish:<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/flower_from_heavens4_e34ca14929_08525b5012.jpg" alt="flower_from_heavens4_e34ca14929.jpg" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_flower_from_heavens4_e34ca14929_08525b5012.jpg 138w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_flower_from_heavens4_e34ca14929_08525b5012.jpg 442w," sizes="100vw"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Illustrations by LAKSHMI GADDAM</h4><hr>&nbsp;

A flower from the heavens

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">SARA BUBBER tells us a lovely traditional Punjabi folktale in her own words about the generosity and hard work of a little sparrow. This is followed by two creative activities to start the year. Enjoy!</h4>Once upon a time there was a little sparrow. She decided to sow some grain on a field. She asked her friend, the crow, to help her prepare the field. The field needed to be watered and moist. The crow told her to go ahead and he would be on his way! The sparrow waited and waited but the crow didn’t come, so she began to water the field.A few days later, it was time to create patches to sow the seeds. She bumped into her friend crow again and asked if he could help her. The crow told her to go to the field and he would be on his way. The sparrow began to sow the seeds and the crow never joined. Days flew by and the seeds started sprouting. They needed care and attention. The sparrow knew it was time to protect them using some natural sprays and watering them. She needed help and she couldn’t do it on her own. Once again, she approached crow, who was lazing around on the tree. The crow said he would be delighted to help her and would follow soon.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/hardworking_sparrow2_168e6c3abb.webp" alt="hardworking-sparrow2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_hardworking_sparrow2_168e6c3abb.webp 245w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_hardworking_sparrow2_168e6c3abb.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/medium_hardworking_sparrow2_168e6c3abb.webp 750w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/hardworking_sparrow3_ceadc5843f.webp" alt="hardworking-sparrow3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_hardworking_sparrow3_ceadc5843f.webp 233w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_hardworking_sparrow3_ceadc5843f.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/medium_hardworking_sparrow3_ceadc5843f.webp 750w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Sparrow went ahead and started the work on the field. Crow never joined. Tirelessly, the sparrow worked on her field and protected her crop by catching insects and looked after it well and saw them flourish into crop rich plants.The crow flew by and told the sparrow she had done a wonderful job and if she needed help, he would be there. The sparrow told him she needed help to harvest the crop. The crow promised he would be there for his friend. The sparrow started to harvest the land and there was no sign of the crow. The sparrow collected the harvested grain in the bag and kept it ready. The crow swooped down and flew off with the grain leaving the sparrow with straw and husks.A few days later, there was a great storm. The crow tried to hide in the bag of grain, but could not keep dry. On the other hand, the <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/tuning-in" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sparrow</a> had built a home for herself using straw and husks and she was dry!&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/hardworking_sparrow4_19f3586576.webp" alt="hardworking-sparrow4.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_hardworking_sparrow4_19f3586576.webp 245w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_hardworking_sparrow4_19f3586576.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/medium_hardworking_sparrow4_19f3586576.webp 750w," sizes="100vw"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Did you know?</h4>January 5 is known as <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/nature-warrior" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">National Birds Day</a> in India after Dr. Salim Ali. Salim Ali is called the Bird Man of India. As a young boy, Salim Ali was gifted an air gun in pre-independent times. Trying it out in fun, he shot a bird that he had never seen. It had a yellow streak on its neck. He took it to the Bombay Natural History Museum where he learned it was a yellow throated sparrow. His interest in birds began from there and he became the most renowned name in the field of ornithology in India.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/hardworking_sparrow6_1e9d1a8d12.webp" alt="hardworking-sparrow6.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_hardworking_sparrow6_1e9d1a8d12.webp 109w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_hardworking_sparrow6_1e9d1a8d12.webp 349w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/medium_hardworking_sparrow6_1e9d1a8d12.webp 523w," sizes="100vw"></figure><h4 style="text-align:justify;">&nbsp;</h4><h4 style="text-align:justify;">The case of house sparrows</h4>House sparrows have been common in urban areas. Disappearing trees and development has led to the decline of house sparrows across the world. Sparrows play a role in dispersing seeds and eating insects and worms. They are ecosystem buddies!<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Activity 1: Color the Sparrow</h4>There are many types of sparrows in the world, so you can color any sparrow you know of. If you have never seen a sparrow, try to imagine how it might be and fill the colors of your choice.The next time you &nbsp;go out, keep your eyes open; who knows you may find a sparrow who needs your help!&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/hardworking_sparrow7_73ec08b12d.webp" alt="hardworking-sparrow7.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_hardworking_sparrow7_73ec08b12d.webp 164w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_hardworking_sparrow7_73ec08b12d.webp 500w," sizes="100vw"></figure><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Activity 2: Observing Nature</h4>Go outside and take pictures or make drawings of flowers, birds, plants, or animals that you find interesting. You can share the images you make.Don’t forget to share your name, age, and where you are from.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The hardworking little sparrow

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">This month, SARA BUBBER brings us a common folktale, which has been told with many variations, to celebrate World Good Leadership Day on February 20, 2025.</h4><h4 style="text-align:justify;">How to choose a king?</h4>Once upon a time, there was a king who had no successor. He had to think of a person who was qualified in various aspects: patronage, administration, warfare, farsightedness, vision, and philanthropy. He thought he could never find a person with so many qualities, and so he decided to select a candidate based on the most important qualities—<a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/patience-the-spiritual-path-to-personal-growth" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">honesty and patience</a>. All other qualities could be learned and acquired.And so he hatched a plan to test his subjects and find his most honest and hardworking student. One day, he had it announced in the market square, “Hear ye, hear ye, our king is looking for an able person who can succeed him to take on the role. All willing candidates should come up to the palace ground on the day after the next full moon. Candidates will be put through a test and a deserving candidate will be selected.”On the day after the full moon, the palace grounds were thronging with people who either wanted to be part of the contest or eagerly came to watch. The king announced, “There is a tank of water, which you need to empty with a tumbler as small as your little finger.” All the contestants thought the task was too much and left. Two contestants stayed back and went in front of the king. He was happy to see people who wanted to take up the challenge.The participants began to empty the tank. They took out tumbler after tumbler but couldn’t move the levels of water in the tank. Two days later, one of the contestants quit and left. He thought it was too much work. The other contestant kept working until a week later something clinked inside his tumbler. He looked into the tumbler and found a diamond, which he took to the king.The king was so happy to see the diamond. He told the contestant that the aim of the activity was not in fact to empty the tank but to find the diamond and be honest enough to return it to the king. The diamond was installed in the successor’s crown and the final contestant was given the position of the heir to the throne.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/qualities_leader2_eca25e53c2.webp" alt="qualities-leader2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_qualities_leader2_eca25e53c2.webp 156w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_qualities_leader2_eca25e53c2.webp 500w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/qualities_leader3_d7fbca2e49.webp" alt="qualities-leader3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_qualities_leader3_d7fbca2e49.webp 162w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_qualities_leader3_d7fbca2e49.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/medium_qualities_leader3_d7fbca2e49.webp 750w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;The world has seen some wonderful leaders. The clues in the crossword puzzle will help you fill in the names of some of the world’s well-known leaders:<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Down:</h4><ol style="list-style-type:decimal;"><li style="text-align:justify;">An Indian Queen who became the first woman ruler of Delhi in the 13th century.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">A French General who revolutionized military training during the French Revolution.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">An American President who fought for the freedom of slaves.&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align:justify;">A Sikh King from India who founded the Sikh kingdom and expanded its boundaries.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">The Indian freedom fighter who used non-violent measures to bring freedom.</li></ol><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Across:</h4><ol style="list-style-type:decimal;"><li style="text-align:justify;">The first President of South Africa who led an anti-apartheid movement.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">A scientist from Indian aerospace who became the 11th Indian President.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">The Prime Minister who led great Britain to victory in the second world war.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">A Greek leader from ancient Macedonia with a vast kingdom from Egypt to India.&nbsp;</li></ol>Solution to the puzzle can be found at:&nbsp; <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/activity-crossword-of-leaders-solution" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://heartfulness.org/magazine/activity-crossword-of-leaders-solution</a>

The qualities of a leader

<h2 style="text-align:center;">Solution</h2>&nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/leaders_crossword_solutions_d859cdab73.webp" alt="leaders-crossword-solutions.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_leaders_crossword_solutions_d859cdab73.webp 139w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_leaders_crossword_solutions_d859cdab73.webp 446w," sizes="100vw">

Activity: Crossword of Leaders - Solution

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">This World Storytelling Day, March 20, we bring you a story by SARA BUBBER, based on a common folk template. May the stories within the story entertain you!</h4><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Stories have been a tool in the passage of rites from one generation to the next since time immemorial. Entertainment, knowledge, wisdom, and education was passed down in the form of stories.</h4>Once upon a time, the Earth was an open canvas. People lived a nomadic life. Traveling from one place to another for food, shelter, and clothing was a common sight. With no radio, television, and phones the only way to entertain each other was to tell stories. Stories about new roots, giant trees, and scary tigers. Travelers were given lodging in exchange for stories, work could also be done by telling stories.One such day, a group of friends were traveling. After a long day they were tired and were trying to decide who would fetch firewood and cook for the group. They tried many ways of deciding but then saw a young girl who was coming the same way. They thought they could get her to cook for them while they rested. They asked her where she was from and if she cared to listen to some stories.The young girl loved stories. She immediately agreed. The group of travelers asked if she wanted to make the story session interesting. They placed a little bet. The travelers would tell the girl a story that was absolutely impossible. If the girl said that the story was impossible, she would have to cook food. The bet also went the other way. The young girl would tell a story, and if the travelers would say that it was impossible, they would cook for her instead.The story session began.One of the travelers started: “My grandfather was a poor farmer who worked in a rich household. He was always called names for working as a slow and careless worker. He prayed to God every day. However much he tried, he couldn’t work faster and was scolded endlessly. One day, the God he prayed to appeared in front of him and when he woke he had great strength. The next day as he was scolded, the energy he had felt rushed through his veins, he grew in size, lifted the house, and took a big leap. The house shook, the cupboards fell, the beds flew out and the windows shattered. He kept flying high until his employer begged him to stop. His employer not only stopped calling him names but also gave him the place of a family member.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_tales2_7bab8dfbf1.webp" alt="tale-of-tales2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;“How was the story? Does someone disagree?” No one disagreed.Another traveler continued: “Once there was a famine in my grandfather’s land. My grandfather was a very weak person. One day, in a fight with his brother, he had to leave home. He thought of finding fame for himself. He walked into a forest and came across a man painting. He painted a deer and, as my grandfather continued watching, to his surprise the deer came alive. He thought it was such an amazing device, that he wanted to possess it. When he got the chance, he went ahead and painted a boat with the owner of the brush in it. He added winds on the lake and blew the owner away. Now he had full possession of the paintbrush. He took the brush back and painted clouds and grains which solved the problems of his village. He became the treasurer of the village and one day, he created a son from the paintbrush. He was so exceptional that there was no girl to match him. Then he created a fully grown young girl as a match for his son. And thus, I was born from parents who were painted. The brush is gone, but it seems like my smooth hair is a gift from the paintbrush. I use the best herbs from the best orchard that my grandfather painted.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_tales3_5c925060a1.webp" alt="tale-of-tales3.webp"></figure>&nbsp;“This is my story, do you agree?” “Yes we all do.”Now it was the little girl’s turn. She began her story. “My grandparents possessed many things. They were well respected in their community, and helped many people achieve greatness. They possessed hulk-like strength and various magical possessions. One day, in a civil strife, the servants of the house ran away with the chest of hulk strength and some of the magical possessions like a wish-granting paintbrush. My parents looked for it all their life, and today I set off in search. I have finally found all my family possessions with you. It seems you are the long lost servants of our family who have our possessions.&nbsp;“This is the end of my story. Do you agree?” “Yes we do.” The little girl continued, “That is wonderful news, now, give my possessions back.” “But… no we do not agree,” said the group. “Oh, then you must cook for me.” And the little girl, using her wit, rested as the team cooked for her.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_tales4_c3079e9217.webp" alt="tale-of-tales4.webp"></figure><hr><h3>Interesting facts about stories</h3><h4> &nbsp;Aesop’s Fables</h4>Aesop was a slave who lived in ancient Greece. He wanted freedom more than anything else. He noticed the supervisor of slaves and began to tell stories every day. The supervisor was impressed and one day asked Aesop what he wanted. Aesop asked for food for all his fellow slaves. His selfless gesture made the supervisor give Aesop and his community the freedom they deserved. These tales were combined into the <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/once-upon-a-time" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Aesop’s Fables</a> that you have all loved growing up!<h4>Grimms’ Fairy Tales</h4>Grimms’ Fairy Tales is a German collection of fairy tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, first published on December 20, 1812. It is considered the seminal work of Western children’s literature and is listed by <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/master-yoga-2024-unesco-paris" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">UNESCO</a> in its Memory of the World Registry.<h4>Panchatantra&nbsp;</h4>Panchatantra is a collection of stories from ancient India based on politics, behavior, communication, and economics. These stories are based on the Vedas, Upanishads, the Ramayana and Mahabharata as a trove of wisdom. The princes of Amarasakti had no interest in pursuing their studies and thus a teacher, Vishnu Sharma, made a comprehensive manual for these princes to be taught in the form of stories. The Panchatantra started the story within a story form of learning, which delights young readers to this day. &nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_tales5_3adb201b5e.webp" alt="tale-of-tales5.webp"></figure><hr><h4>Activity 1</h4>Guess these popular stories from the details: 1. A young girl who loses her shoe that gives her the chance to marry a prince:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………2. A boy who climbs a tall natural element that grows from magic beans and finds treasures in the clouds:&nbsp;…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3. A prince who moves to the forest with his brother and wife to live for fourteen years. The wife is kidnapped and he goes to rescue her with an army of monkeys:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………4. A little creature born into a family of ducks goes into the world alone to find his true form:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5. Two unusual friends who come together near a riverbank. The friendship ends when one large friend asks his tree-dwelling friend for his heart:&nbsp;……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………<hr><h4>Activity 2</h4>Write your own story here. It can involve animals, kings, kingdoms, humans, plants, or anything else that tells a story.Create a story with a beginning, some problems that come up, and a solution to end the story.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">AI generated images</h4><hr>

The tale of tales

Sarah is a certified practitioner of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), a therapy and self-help technique which uses tapping on acupuncture points to clear negative emotions and patterns of behaviour. She is also a Heartfulness trainer and is married with three children.

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Sarah Naylor

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<h4>
 SARAH NAYLOR
 shares her personal emotional journey from poor self-esteem and negativity
 to love, confidence, clarity and purpose in life. The wonderful thing is the
 ease with which it happened.
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 Over the years I’ve been practicing Heartfulness, I’ve experienced countless
 positive changes in myself, which others have noticed and commented upon. I’ve
 gone from being fearful and depressed to generally happy and relaxed. From
 feeling lost and muddled, with poor self-esteem, I’ve developed confidence and
 clarity. A life which felt rather lonely and pointless now feels filled with
 love and purpose. The amazing thing is that I don’t seem to have done very
 much to enjoy these benefits.



 There is a popular belief that in order to change yourself and clear negative
 traits and behavioral patterns, you need to roll up your sleeves and work
 hard, devoting time, analysis and willpower. It’s almost as though you are a
 sculptor dissatisfied with your work, and you have to chip and carve away at
 yourself to smooth off rough corners and reshape certain unattractive parts of
 yourself. It takes effort, sweat and tears.



 With Heartfulness it is different. As we practice the simple components of
 Meditation, Cleaning and Prayer, old patterns and unhelpful behaviors simply
 dissolve and fall away – at times without us even noticing. Aside from these
 practices, all that is really required is our attention and willingness to
 look at ourselves honestly.


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 Taking a few moments each night to review my day from a calm and
 heart-centered place, I see that moments of discomfort and failure generally
 spring from one simple cause: reacting with the ego, rather than responding
 from my heart. Something happens. I react with like, dislike or fear, which
 often prompts me to take misguided action. Sometimes my ego feels threatened
 by criticism or a comment, and I try to resist the truth by arguing and making
 a case to show myself in a better light.


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 Either way, the cure is simple. Pause. Connect with my heart. Allow whatever is happening just to be – including any discomfort I may feel about it. Instead of action, do nothing, and notice what is unfolding inside me.
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 Either way, the cure is simple. Pause. Connect with my heart. Allow whatever
 is happening just to be – including any discomfort I may feel about it.
 Instead of action, do nothing, and notice what is unfolding inside me.



 The magic of pausing and accepting instead of reacting has made the most
 dramatic and profound change to my personal relationships and family life.



 Others relax and become more receptive. There is more connection and more
 love. Arguments are avoided. My teenage daughter tells me something. I feel
 like reacting with a lecture, with fear, with defensiveness. I pause. Love
 flows into the space I’ve allowed. She feels it. She listens to what comes
 from that place of acceptance and love in a way she never listened to “Mum
 nagging.”



 I find doing this both harder than I expected and incredibly liberating. When
 we receive criticism instead of going on the defensive, or when we allow
 something to be without demanding it be different, it can be surprisingly
 painful. We confront the gap between what we wish for and what actually is. We
 are trying to avoid feeling this pain when we attempt to change others and
 hide aspects of ourselves, whereas allowing ourselves to experience reality
 opens up a walled off, “stuck” old part of ourselves. Another layer of
 “baggage” comes up to be cleaned away, and there is inner progress. Instead of
 having to work at changing myself, it is as though I am in the hands of a
 master sculptor. The more I stop resisting and trying to change things myself,
 the more effortlessly I am remolded into something more beautiful and useful.


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 Our desire to be comfortable and have things a certain way denies reality and
 takes an investment of energy and action. It’s a relief to stop this futile
 effort. To replace the fruitless “doing” with the restful “nothing,” and to
 get such rich results from it seems nothing short of amazing.



 I believe that therapeutic intervention can be wonderfully helpful at times to
 unravel and clear specific emotional issues, in the same way that using
 particular herbs or foods can support good health. However, the simple
 Heartfulness practices hold a secret key to extraordinary personal
 transformation, no matter how ordinary, flawed, or lacking in willpower we
 think we are.


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