A Purified Mind is Essential for Eternal Happiness!

[Guest guest]

Namaste:

 

I received this Chinese story from my friend through email and I the

source is unknown. But this story does contain a Vedantic message

and you will understand when you read it!

 

A long time ago in China, a girl named Li-Li got married & went to

live with her husband and mother-in-law. In a very short time, Li-Li

found that she couldn't get along with mother-in-law at all. Their

personalities were very different, and Li-Li was angered by many of

her mother-in-law' s habits. In addition, she criticized Li-Li

constantly.

 

Days passed, and weeks passed. Li-Li and her mother-in-law never

stopped arguing and fighting. But what made the situation even worse

was that, according to ancient Chinese tradition, Li-Li had to bow to

her mother-in-law and obey her every wish. All the anger and

unhappiness in the house was causing Li-Li's poor husband great

distress.

 

Finally, Li-Li could not stand her mother-in-law' s bad temper and

dictatorship any longer, and she decided to do something about it! Li-

Li went to see her father's good friend, Mr. Huang, who sold herbs.

She told him the situation and asked if he would give her some poison

so that she could solve the problem once and for all..

 

Mr. Huang thought for a while, and finally said, 'Li-Li, I will help

you solve your problem, but you must listen to me and obey what I

tell you.'

 

Li-Li said, 'Yes, Mr. Huang, I will do whatever you tell me to

do.'Mr. Huang went into the back room, and returned in a few minutes

with a package of herbs. He told Li-Li, 'You can't use a quick-acting

poison to get rid of your mother-in-law, because that would cause

people to become suspicious. Therefore, I have given you a number of

herbs that will slowly build up poison in her body. Every other day

prepare some delicious meal and put a little of these herbs in her

serving. Now, in order to make sure that nobody suspect you, when she

dies, you must be very careful to be actively friendly towards

her. 'Don't argue with her, obey her every wish, and treat her like a

queen.' Li-Li was so happy. She thanked Mr. Huang and hurried home to

start her plot of murdering her mother-in-law.

 

Weeks went by, and months went by, and every other day, Li-Li served

the specially treated food to her mother-in-law. She remembered what

Mr. Huang had said about avoiding suspicion, so she controlled her

temper, obeyed her mother-in-law, and treated her like her own

mother.

 

After six months had passed, the whole household had changed. Li-Li

had practiced controlling her temper so much that she found that she

almost never got mad or upset. She hadn't had an argument with her

mother-in-law in six months because she now seemed much kinder and

easier to get along with.

 

The mother-in-law' s attitude toward Li-Li changed, and she began to

love Li-Li like her own daughter. She kept telling friends and

relatives that Li-Li was the best daughter-in- law one could ever

find. Li-Li and her mother-in-law were now treating each other like a

real mother and daughter. Li-Li's husband was very happy to see what

was happening.

 

One day, Li-Li came to see Mr. Huang and asked for his help again She

said, 'Dear Mr. Huang, please help me to keep the poison from killing

my mother-in-law. She's changed into such a nice woman, and I love

her like my own mother. I do not want her to die because of the

poison I gave her.'

 

Mr. Huang smiled and nodded his head.. 'Li-Li, there's nothing to

worry about. I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were

vitamins to improve her health. The only poison was in your mind and

your attitude toward her, but that has been all washed away by the

love which you gave to her.'

 

There is a wise Chinese saying: 'The person who loves others will

also be loved in return.' God might be trying to work in another

person's life through you.

 

'A candle loses nothing if it is used to light another one.

 

With my warm regards,

 

Ram Chandran

[Guest guest]

Beautiful story and wonderful teaching, Ram, thank you.John MillerRam Chandran <ramvchandranadvaitin Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 1:06:51 PM A Purified Mind is Essential for Eternal Happiness!

 

Namaste:

 

I received this Chinese story from my friend through email and I the

source is unknown. But this story does contain a Vedantic message

and you will understand when you read it!

 

A long time ago in China, a girl named Li-Li got married & went to

live with her husband and mother-in-law. In a very short time, Li-Li

found that she couldn't get along with mother-in-law at all. Their

personalities were very different, and Li-Li was angered by many of

her mother-in-law' s habits. In addition, she criticized Li-Li

constantly.

 

Days passed, and weeks passed. Li-Li and her mother-in-law never

stopped arguing and fighting. But what made the situation even worse

was that, according to ancient Chinese tradition, Li-Li had to bow to

her mother-in-law and obey her every wish. All the anger and

unhappiness in the house was causing Li-Li's poor husband great

distress.

 

Finally, Li-Li could not stand her mother-in-law' s bad temper and

dictatorship any longer, and she decided to do something about it! Li-

Li went to see her father's good friend, Mr. Huang, who sold herbs.

She told him the situation and asked if he would give her some poison

so that she could solve the problem once and for all..

 

Mr. Huang thought for a while, and finally said, 'Li-Li, I will help

you solve your problem, but you must listen to me and obey what I

tell you.'

 

Li-Li said, 'Yes, Mr. Huang, I will do whatever you tell me to

do.'Mr. Huang went into the back room, and returned in a few minutes

with a package of herbs. He told Li-Li, 'You can't use a quick-acting

poison to get rid of your mother-in-law, because that would cause

people to become suspicious. Therefore, I have given you a number of

herbs that will slowly build up poison in her body. Every other day

prepare some delicious meal and put a little of these herbs in her

serving. Now, in order to make sure that nobody suspect you, when she

dies, you must be very careful to be actively friendly towards

her. 'Don't argue with her, obey her every wish, and treat her like a

queen.' Li-Li was so happy. She thanked Mr. Huang and hurried home to

start her plot of murdering her mother-in-law.

 

Weeks went by, and months went by, and every other day, Li-Li served

the specially treated food to her mother-in-law. She remembered what

Mr. Huang had said about avoiding suspicion, so she controlled her

temper, obeyed her mother-in-law, and treated her like her own

mother.

 

After six months had passed, the whole household had changed. Li-Li

had practiced controlling her temper so much that she found that she

almost never got mad or upset. She hadn't had an argument with her

mother-in-law in six months because she now seemed much kinder and

easier to get along with.

 

The mother-in-law' s attitude toward Li-Li changed, and she began to

love Li-Li like her own daughter. She kept telling friends and

relatives that Li-Li was the best daughter-in- law one could ever

find. Li-Li and her mother-in-law were now treating each other like a

real mother and daughter. Li-Li's husband was very happy to see what

was happening.

 

One day, Li-Li came to see Mr. Huang and asked for his help again She

said, 'Dear Mr. Huang, please help me to keep the poison from killing

my mother-in-law. She's changed into such a nice woman, and I love

her like my own mother. I do not want her to die because of the

poison I gave her.'

 

Mr. Huang smiled and nodded his head.. 'Li-Li, there's nothing to

worry about. I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were

vitamins to improve her health. The only poison was in your mind and

your attitude toward her, but that has been all washed away by the

love which you gave to her.'

 

There is a wise Chinese saying: 'The person who loves others will

also be loved in return.' God might be trying to work in another

person's life through you.

 

'A candle loses nothing if it is used to light another one.

 

With my warm regards,

 

Ram Chandran

[Guest guest]

advaitin , " Ram Chandran " <ramvchandran

wrote:

>

 

> Mr. Huang smiled and nodded his head.. 'Li-Li, there's nothing to

> worry about. I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were

> vitamins to improve her health. The only poison was in your mind

and

> your attitude toward her, but that has been all washed away by the

> love which you gave to her.'

>

> There is a wise Chinese saying: 'The person who loves others will

> also be loved in return.' God might be trying to work in another

> person's life through you.

>

> 'A candle loses nothing if it is used to light another one.

>

> With my warm regards,

>

> Ram Chandran

>

Namaste Ram,IMO.

 

A lovely story and good for instruction. All this goes to ekagratha

or one pointedness.....The reason for Daya is so we can know that we

are all one and the ego is so weakened. They are all steps on the

path. However even Ravana didn't need to be a nice guy to get

liberation---he just need one pointedness..

 

If Hitler and Stalin could have risen above their egoistic desires

they also could get liberation and eventually will.

 

All that is necessary is to get to a point where it is realised that

all is mind and mind itself is illusion. It is a matter of steps to

overcome the samskaras in the mind, telling us something else.

 

So if a purified mind means one pointedness and a realisation that

all is illusion then that is the way out so to speak...for good and

evil are relative to mind........Cheers Tony.