INSPIRATIONAL STORIES

The war was going. Men were fighting. Women were carrying food to soldiers day and night, nursing the injured. In the village only old people and children remained.
One old man took an old plough and started sharpening it, mending it while singing something. His wife said to him with annoyance:
– You have a stone heart! Your sons joined a deadly battle, the village is in mourning. Your comrades are thinking about the fate of the village, and you, knowing this, are mending the plough and singing a song! If someone would ask, whom are you trying for, what would you say? Tomorrow the enemy will come here, they will kill you and us too, and they will take your plough.
– Woman, what are you talking? They will kill us, but not the plough. I’m building – not destroying. The world is resting on this plough: if we survive, we will need the plough, and if we die, maybe the love for labour will awaken in those who will take it. Maybe even I will be blessed. We don’t know, what is what in this world.

One day Adam came to God asking to create a partner for him, because he was tired of loneliness. After considering it, God decided to create a Woman and wished to create her wise and harmonious.

So he took a little bit of gentleness and tenderness from the morning dew and added there a little bit of strength and stiffness from the rocks which formed the mountains. Later he took a little bit of assertiveness from the water flow and a bit of flexibility and pliability from the clay, a bit of kingship from the lioness and a little of meekness from the dove, a little bit of kindness and warmth from the evening sun and added there a couple of drops from the vial ‘Severity’. He took equal parts of the endurance of the ox and fragility of a wildflower, the mystery of the night and the clarity of the day; he added to his masterpiece a little bit from the twitter of the birds and from the silence of the celestial heights, for courage He added defencelessness, for sharpness – naivety. He wanted to add some other qualities, but he changed His mind. He decided to leave an empty space for creativity of the Spirit. For the last strokes God gave His masterpiece two talents: be a good mother to her children and a good wife to her husband, and so that the woman, by inexperience, wouldn’t mix those talents, God divided them and hid them in different parts of her nature.

By putting all of these qualities together in a Woman God breathed life into her.

So the Woman, spirited and full of Life, stood before God as he created her in the fullness of herself. She wished to look at herself immediately, that is why she glanced at her reflection in the waters of the lake and smiled because her appearance was so beautiful. She was happy, but soon she glanced inside of her depth and she was frightened of what she found inside. She turned to God with bitterness in her voice:

– Is that something you can call harmony? How can I combine so many oppositions that are inside of me? And where is the wisdom that was promised to me?

And then a soft golden light poured on her, and she heard the voice of God:
– That’s what you will have to learn.

The affection distorts the perception. The Master used to talk about it often. One day his students got an amazing example, proving those words. They heard the Master talking to one mother.

– How is your daughter living?

– My dear daughter! She is so happy. She has a wonderful husband! He gave her a car, bought her jewellery that she dreamed about, hired servants for her. They serve her breakfast in bed, and she stays in bed until noon. He’s not a husband, but a prize!

– And how’s your son?

– My poor boy! He married a real grouch! He gave her everything that she wanted: a car, jewellery, an army of servants. And she is lying in bed until noon! And doesn’t even get up to make breakfast for her husband!

One day after a high tide lots of sea-stars were brought to the shore. They started drying up in the sun. A boy, walking down the shore started throwing the sea-stars into the sea, so that they could continue their lives.
A person came up to him and asked:
– Why are you doing this? Look around! There are millions of sea-stars; the shore is covered with them. Your attempts won’t change anything!
The boy picked up the following sea-star, thought for a moment, threw it into the sea and said:
– No, my attempt will change a lot…for this sea-star.

Two men were seriously ill. They occupied the same room in the hospital. One of them was lying in the bed near the only window in their room. Every day he was allowed to spend some time sitting up in his bed to help draining the fluid from lungs. The other man was forced to spend all his days flat on his back.

They talked a lot about their life, families, jobs, vacations. Every time, when the first man was sitting by the window, he described in details all that he saw outside the window. His roommate always looked for those moments, when his world was broadened and brightened up by the world outside.

Amazing views of a park with a beautiful lake could be seen from the window of their room. Children delightfully played among ducks and swans. Couples walked arm in arm among colourful flowers. Also the stunning city skyline could be seen.

When the man by the window had been thoroughly describing all that was happening outside the window, his roommate would close his eyes and imaged all the beautiful scenes of life that were told to him.

One night the man, whose bed was near the window, died peacefully during sleep and his roommate was very sad.

After some time, when the nurse came to visit him, he asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse agreed and kindly made the switch. When she left, the man slowly and painfully propped himself up on one elbow and took the first look at the world outside. He was stunned. The window faced a blank wall.

When the nurse came to visit him the next time, he told her about beautiful things outside the window that his roommate described him. The nurse replied that his roommate was a blind man. She said: „Probably he just tried to encourage you.“