After Maha Kasyapa left home, he painstakingly looked for a master until he met Buddha Sakyamuni. Drawn to and inspired by ....(Buddist image resources - www.e-sangha.com/alphone/sakya/sakya.html.)

Stories worth gold ! Ancient tales of wisdom epitomizes harmony in audio, with narrated stories of courage and nobility, honour, spirituality and benevolence. Ancient Tales of Wisdom brings our world cultures into the stream of our imaginations. Living inside each story is an insight into the timeless understandings of what is truly right and what is truly wrong, and an invigoration in our hearts toward goodness and purity of being.

Our story today reveals how when one can stay steadfast to the wisdom of his and her hearts inner-knowing amidst all tests and hindrances, rewards will abound. This storyline also makes clear, that a life lived with conscious diligence and dignity, respect and kindness, will be granted heavens honours within the course of one’s destined life’s journey. Please enjoy yet another treasure from the SOH Network. We will soon have our Ancient Tales of Wisdom Gold Pass ready. This will be a subscription website in which subscribers will receive three new narrated pieces of Gold per week. We will keep you updated as it gets closer and closer.

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From the Slum-Long Poem to Emperor Zhenzong. (23 December 968–23 March 1022) (Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Hello and welcome, this is Grace Mann from the SOH Network the home of Ancient Tales of Wisdom. Today’ story, titled “People are urged to Follow Their Fate” tells of how respecting the will of heaven, selflessly doing good deeds, and having a kind, steadfast and humble heart, will, in way and timing lead to good fortune, a great life and a destined future.

In divine culture, it is believed that a person’s fate is determined by heaven, and that a person needs to respect heaven and accept his or her own fate. Only if a person does good deeds and accumulates virtue, will he or she be rewarded with a good life. The famous official Lu Mengzheng was an honest and tolerant person. He dared to say what was on his mind, was tolerant of challengers, and had a broad understanding. In ancient times, he served as prime minister through three generations. He wrote an article entitled Slum Long-Poem that described many prominent instances and circumstances in history, in an effort to tell people that everything is determined by heaven.  He said that all one should do, was to do his best and follow the will of heaven. To be accepting of and harmonizing with the natural course of things, because fighting against everything or anyone to gain self interest cannot change anything. Lu Mengzheng used his long- poem to teach the then, young and arrogant prince. After reading the poem, the prince consciously righted his behaviour and became kind and humble. Then in time, this young prince later became Emperor Zhenzong.

Our story now follows on with a translation of Lu Mengzheng’s Slum Long-Poem:

“The blue sky can suddenly turn stormy, and a person’s luck can change abruptly. Even with hundreds of legs, a centipede cannot overrun a snake. With a pair of powerful wings, a rooster cannot out-fly a duck. A horse can run a thousand miles, but it has to be guided by its rider. A person who has mile-high ambition, but is without good luck, will not achieve anything.  A person should not renounce his morals for riches, and stay steadfast if he is poor. Confucius wrote wonderful articles, but that didn’t stop him from being stranded in Chen Country. Jiang Taigong who was the founding official for Zhou Dynasty had wonderful talent, though he fished idly at the Wei River. Yan Yuan, a model student of Confucius  had great integrity, although his life was short-lived. But, Dao Tuo was a scumbag bandit in Confucius’s time was a scumbag, lived a long life. Even though Emperor Yao was a great leader, he raised an unworthy son. Gusou was unintelligent and stubborn, but his son was famous, because he had respect for his elders. It was only when Zhang Liang met Xiaohe that he became a mayor; otherwise, he would have remained an ordinary citizen. Though Yanzi  was less than five feet tall, he became the prime minister of Qi Country . – and – while residing in a hut on a farm, Kong Ming became the chief of staff for Shuhan.

“Despite his almighty power, the King of Chu still committed suicide at the Wu River. Even though the King of Han was a weak person, he conquered the whole country. Li Guang was so powerful that he shot and killed tigers with a bow and arrow, though he was never granted title during his life. Feng Tang was a prominent person under the Hanwen Emperor who had an amazing talent, but timing was never right, so he never had the opportunity to demonstrate this talent. Han Xin was so poor that he could not afford three meals a day before his luck arrived, though in his destined timing he became a high ranking official, till fate again stepped in when his life ended abruptly.

“Some people are poor for a long time and then become rich. There are those who are weak when young, though strong when old. There were many educated and intelligent people in ancient times, who tried to pass the required examinations throughout their lives, but failed. Yet, there was people with little knowledge, who passed these examinations with ease. Beautiful girls in the emperor’s court became prostitutes in their adverse times, whilst prostitutes were married to noble people during their times of good luck. Young and pretty girls sometimes married unsightly, old men. Handsome men sometimes married unattractive women. And there was also times when a gentleman served under a commoner.

The Slum Long-Poem continues in saying: “One needs to maintain upright behaviour when one is poor, just as one should respect others when he or she is distressed. A human being of good worth will not be bothered by a poor life. So too a humble person is always humble, even if he suddenly becomes rich.  Whilst a dragon, before its timing will swim along with the fish and turtles in a river, When fate appears not to be in your favour, you should be patient and quietly do your duty without untoward thoughts.  As long as you maintain your integrity and dignity, things will turn around.

“When the timing is not right for heaven, the sun and the moon will lose their radiance. When the timing is not right for the earth, the plants will not grow. So too, when the timing is not right for the ocean, the waters will be turbulent – and – when the timing is not right for a person, he may have misfortune and be down on his luck. People’s fate is all predetermined, and revealed within the enfolding of their life’s journey.

Lu Mengzheng also reveals in this Slum Long-Peom “I used to live in Luoyang City. I was so poor that I relied on the monks for food and slept in a slum. I did not have enough clothes to keep me warm and was always starving. No one liked me, and they all looked at me as if I were an outcast. Now, I serve in the emperor’s court as the highest official. I am above everyone in the country except for the emperor himself. I am authorised to punish any official, and I can order a citizen’s immediate death. I have tons of beautiful silks, nice clothes and my food is all delicacies. When I go out, warriors drive my carriage. When I am inside, beautiful girls serve me fine drinks and everyone holds in high regard. This is not because I am so capable, but that of my destiny.

“A person should not exchange all of his luck for riches, nor should he be worried so much about poverty. Because heaven and the earth are cyclical, and what goes around comes around.”

Thank you for the privilege of being able to share another classic storyline with you from days long gone by.  I’ll be back with you again real soon on Ancient Tales of Wisdom.

Until then, laugh lots, be happy and let’s each take the time to accept and learn the lessons of our destined journey.

Clearharmony

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At that moment, one famous artist disappeared from the world, while two happy artists with their hearts well-connected, worked harmoniously, to bring joy and beauty to all corners of the world. (Image courtesy Wikipedia Commons)

SOH’s Ancient Tales of Wisdom brings stories that enrich the core of our essential nature.  Today’s storyline reveals of how a life lived with conscious kindness and humility always wins the prize, be it in seen and unseen, or told and untold ways.

Welcome to the SOH Radio Network, the home of Ancient Tales of Wisdom. Hello again, this is Grace Mann. Today’s story from Ancient China is simply titled: Two Artists.

There was once an old artist who had two equally diligent and gifted students. He taught them everything he knew and, eventually, they became quite famous. They were Master Zhang and Master Ding.

After their teacher passed away, Master Zhang and Master Ding both wanted to explore their artistic futures. Before they parted, Master Zhang said, “Our teacher used to say that you and I are equal in our abilities. Why don’t we each bring our best piece back here after five years? Then we can take a look and decide who is better.”

Master Ding said with a smile, “Of course, that sounds fine.”

After they said good-bye, Master Zhang travelled all over the world, saw the best scenery, and learned from various cultures. His paintings were created one after the other. His popularity was rising and so was the price of his paintings. Master Zhang was really enjoying his accomplishments. He thought, “It is not quite five years, but I have advanced so quickly. In fact, I think my improvements are nothing short of miraculous. On the contrary, no one has yet to mention Master Ding. I am sure that I can easily win this contest.”

When the five year mark arrived, Master Zhang was quite confident and took his best painting to where they were supposed to meet. Master Ding was already there and he welcomed Master Zhang with a big smile and empty hands.

Master Zhang was not happy.  He said “we agreed to bring our best paintings and you come empty-handed. How are we going to make a comparison?”

Master Ding looked at his gray-haired classmate and said, “Dear friend, it is not that I wanted to come empty-handed, it is because I simply didn’t have a picture to bring with me.”

Master Zhang thought, “I bet this is an excuse and that he is just afraid of losing the competition.”  So he asked Master Ding why he didn’t have a painting with him.

Master Ding replied, “Even though I could not bring my paintings, I can show them to you.”

With that, Master Zhang followed along with Master Ding, and they walked all over town. Master Zhang was very surprised to find all of Master Ding’s paintings hanging throughout the various buildings in the town. Every picture was better than the previous one.

The little town was cosy and quaint and filled with an artistic atmosphere. Originally, everyone in the town was not well-educated, though now they were well refined in their manners and temperament. The way they carried themselves was just like they were depicted in the paintings.

Everybody always respectfully acknowledged Master Ding. Seeing this, Master Zhang was a little jealous and asked, “Did they hire you to do all these paintings? You must have a fortune by now!”

Master Ding smiled and said, “When we went our separate ways 5 years ago, I thought how much hard work it was for our teacher to teach us.  So, I decided to give something back to the people in this town. After I finished my first picture, they were very courteous toward my paintings and were moved by the beauty of my work. They then invited me to stay here and continue to paint.

At first, they were afraid I would charge them a lot of money, but I told them that I would do it for free, and my only request was that they provide me with my daily meals.

Master Zhang was astonished to hear that Master Ding painted for free, “How come you are so foolish? You could earn a lot of money!”

With tears in his eyes Master Ding said, “Actually, these people helped me immensely. To begin with my skill was not that good, and initially, when they saw my work, they didn’t know how to pay me compliments, though they were always very kind and sincere. With such encouragement, my paintings gradually became better and better. How could I ask anything more for my work?”

Master Zhang felt ashamed after hearing this. In his mind, the value of a piece of art was determined by its price. His thought was, the higher the price, the more valuable the artwork.

Then Master Zhang said, “Master Ding you have won the five-year contest. Your paintings are invaluable and cannot be bought with money, whereas my paintings can. Your paintings can bring changes to countless people, but my paintings are nothing but a part of rich peoples’ decorations. I think that I deserve to lose – and you have allowed me to understand the true value of art. Let me learn from you! Let’s work together and create more beauty for the world!”

They then hugged each other and wept.  Master Ding was then no longer lonely in his creative world with Master Zhang by his side. At that moment, one famous artist disappeared from the world, while two happy artists with their hearts well-connected, worked harmoniously, to bring joy and beauty to all corners of the world.

Thank you for joining us again on Ancient Tales of Wisdom. Stay tuned to the SOH Radio Network for more of these heart warming tales.

I’ll be with you again real soon, until then, laugh lots, be happy and let humility be a noble guide – in our daily lives.

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The Temple of Heaven, literally known as the Altar of Heaven, is a complex of Taoist buildings situated in the southeastern region of Beijing.(Courtesy Ivan Walsh/Flickr)

Throughout ancient Chinese history, Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism has aligned all things between the heavens, the earth and human beings. Our narrative today discusses how Chinese architects consciously and respectfully harmonized their buildings with the environment – and mankind with their world and the heavens.

This is Grace Mann.  Today in Ancient Tales of Wisdom, our storyline is a little different, and it tells of ancient China’s architecture and its correlation and harmony between the heavens and earth.  It is entitled Chinese Architecture, a Miniature of the Cosmos.

Modern architecture juts into the sky, declaring its dominance over us mere humans. It doesn’t connect us with the heavens; and it’s as though it challenge heavens for supremacy.

Over thousands of years, the Chinese people have developed their own architectural style. Based on the tenets of Taoism and Buddhism, they reflect Chinese understandings that the heavens, the earth and human beings are intimately and innately connected.

Japan, Korea and much of Asia has also followed the Chinese approach in their architectural structures.

Harmony between Heaven and Earth

In “I Ching—the Book of Changes” and other writings it says that ancient peoples acted according to the laws of heaven, earth, nature and the time of year. Taoist philosophy was based on the central element, that which gives birth to the heavens, the earth and humans.

So too, Confucianism ascribed to the principle of harmony between heaven and earth. The Ancients knew that nature is the big cosmos and a human being is a small one. Because it is a miniature of nature, a human being must live and act within the laws of nature’s cosmos.

This traditional belief enveloped all areas of Chinese life, including architecture. More than location and its practical use, a building had to harmonize with nature both inside and out.

Chinese architects designed elements of the cosmos into every structure. From primitive caves and simple buildings – to complex construction, one finds the elements of the cosmos consistently embedded in Chinese architecture. In a very real way, Chinese architecture portrays a miniature of the cosmos.

Points of the compass

All Chinese architecture started with points on the compass—north, south, east and west.  An Architect used charts that astrologers specifically prepared beforehand. Unlike today’s maps, the south was at the top, north was on the bottom, west on the right and east on the left.

Based on China’s location in the Northern Hemisphere, the Chinese people believed a pleasant climate, warmer winters and summer breezes of southern regions—came from heaven. So South became the point of reference for all building.

The architects insulated buildings on the north, west and east and opened it to the south.  This prevented other weather currents, such as northern winds or other adverse weather conditions, to affect the temperature in the home.

To protect against weather disasters, four mythical creatures were placed on the rooftops of houses, as protector spirits of the four cardinal points. The black Wen, a fictitious animal, was placed in the North. In the South was the cinnabar canary, in the West the white tiger and in the East the green dragon.

Roofing tiles

Around 3,000 years ago, the first roof tiles were made of clay. Later Ylang-Ylang grass and a clay-and-stone mixture covered the roofs of homes. Roofs soon after were enhanced with glazes and glosses of various hues.

Roof tiles were held together by nails and often adorned with animal or plant motifs, meant to protect against natural catastrophes.

Specific designs were reserved for the emperor’s housing, such as splendid yellow roof tiles, which can still be seen today on the buildings in the Forbidden City in Beijing, and the roof tiles on Beijing’s Temple of Heaven are blue.

Wood—the primary construction material

Wood was the primary construction material used by Chinese architects. It could be easily obtained from the many forests in China, and it was not difficult to get rid of.  Wood was preferred as natural construction material, because it gave off a fragrant and pleasant odour in the interior of buildings, while the natural grain and lustre of the earth, like clay, brought a natural living atmosphere into the buildings. For architects, wood was a living building material, which breathed, absorbed and repelled moisture. Though, it did have its drawbacks as houses easily caught fire.

Framing

Chinese architects preferred constructing buildings by first erecting a frame, as it brought a number of advantages to both the builder and the building. They believed that in contrast to a solid structure, a frame building had beams and pillars to carry weight at certain pressure points – and that this construction method allowed wide and open rooms.

Throughout the ages, the ancient Chinese architects consciously and respectfully harmonized their buildings with the environment – and human beings with their world and the heavens.

Thanks for being with us again on Ancient Tales of Wisdom, here on the SOH Radio Network.

I’ll be with you again real soon – and from this day forward, may we all find our personal harmony amidst the heavens and the earth.

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The Chu people were very confused as to why their melons would grow so well - despite their lack of work. (Courtesy kumon/fkr)

Early culture from all lands embodies a wealth of rich folk-lores.  Again, today’s  simple but reflective idiom on Ancient Tales of Wisdom tells of a classic example  as to how simple acts of kindness, and  good deeds  given from a noble and righteous  heart will in way and time, always reward the selfless giver.

Greetings to you all, and welcome to today’s Ancient Tales of Wisdom. Hi, this is Grace Mann back with you to share more great words from the wise. Today story is about the happening that gave rise to the Ancient Chinese idiom entitled: “Irrigating the Neighbouring States Melon Fields.”

Song Jiu was a magistrate of Bian County near the border of the Liang State before he became a high-ranking official. On the other side of the border was the Chu State. Both states grew melons, and the border patrols would check out each other’s melon harvests. The Liang State’s people were very diligent in farming and irrigated the melon fields frequently; therefore, their melons grew well. The Chu State’s people often dodged work and neglected tending and irrigating their melon fields. Consequently, their melons grew poorly.

The magistrate of the border county in the Chu State became jealous and irritated when he saw the disparity between the two states’ melons. Influenced by the magistrate, people in his county became jealous and angry with the people of the Liang State. One night a group from  the Chu State sneaked into the Liang State’s melon fields and destroyed some of their melons. The next day when the Liang people saw the state of their melon field, they reported it to the Master of Arms and expressed their wish to retaliate. The Master of Arms reported to magistrate Song Jiu and asked for his approval to reciprocate. Song Jiu replied, “Evil will only beget evil. If you should retaliate against their crimes, you would only make things worse. If my son had a melon field, I’d ask him to irrigate the Chu people’s melon fields at night – and keep his good deed in secret.”

From then on the Liang people followed Song Jui’s words and irrigated the Chu people’s melon fields secretly at night. Sometimes the Chu people would irrigate their melon fields in the day as well, not knowing -they had also been irrigated the night before.  As a result, the melons in the Chu fields grew bigger and better.. The Chu people were very confused as to why their melons would grow so well –  despite their lack of work, so they  began to secretly investigate the issue and discovered it was because the Liang people had been secretly irrigating their melon fields for them nightly. When the magistrate of the Chu State heard this, he was very happy about what their people had discovered and reported it to the King of the Chu State. The King of Chu felt extremely ashamed of his peoples’ actions and told the magistrate, “How could you allow your people to destroy the Liang State’s melon fields? It is obvious that the Liang people are more kind and have a bigger heart than the Chu people.”

Because of the Liang State peoples’ noble deed, The King of Chu sent a lot of money to the Liang State to thank them for their gracious help.  He also expressed his wish to establish friendship between the two states. The two states thus formed a friendly alliance because of Song Jiu’s wisdom.

It is said that it was this Ancient Chinese story that initiated the idiom, “irrigating the neighbouring state’s melon fields,” which in today’s terms means ‘it is not worth fighting over trivial matters.’

It’s been great to be with you again on Ancient Tales of Wisdom.  Stay tuned to the SOH Radio Network to savour the wisdom of old.

Till next time, laugh lots, be happy and may we all remember that ‘it is not worth fighting over trivial matters.’

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Socrates 469-399BC (Courtesy gds/Flickr)

Hi this is Grace Mann, welcoming you back to Ancient Tales of Wisdom.  Today we have a tiny tale for you which tell of the Classical Greek philosopher, Socrates. This tale is titled: “Know Thyself.”

Socrate’s close friend Chaerephon once consulted God at the Oracle of Delphi and asked, “Is there any person in the world who is smarter than Socrates?”

God answers: No man is wiser than Socrates.

Chaerephon happily informed Socrates of God’s answer. But to Chaerephon’s surprise, Socrates  acted mystified and even felt uncomfortable.

Socrates did not believe that he was the wisest or the most intelligent person in the world. To disprove God’s conclusion, he decided to look for a person with more wisdom and a better standing than himself.

Firstly, he found a politician. The politician had a very high opinion of his own knowledge and talked non-stop with Socrates. Socrates saw the politician’s self-righteousness and unawareness. He thought, “This person knows nothing about compassion and has no higher learning, yet, he thinks that he knows everything. At least I recognize that I am ignorant; so it seems that I may be wiser than him.”

Socrates was not satisfied, so he continued with his pursuit. He found a poet. This poet was a genius at writing poems, though he thought that he was the wisest man alive, simply because he could write poems.

The next person Socrates met with was a craftsman. To his dismay, the craftsman made the same mistake as did the poet and the politician. He too thought that he was greater that others and above reproach, because he had some good skills.

Socrates believed, that is was ignorance and pride that eroded the intelligence of these three persons.

Finally, Socrates came to an understanding to the true meaning of the words God had spoken to Chaerephon.  He enlightened to the fact that God had not said that he was the most intelligent person in the world. But that amongst the people of the world that he was the wisest, because he was aware of his own ignorance.

Although Socrates was a prophet, that didn’t stop him from seeking confirmation of his own ignorance. In today’s world, we can find many who think very highly of themselves.  But, just how many people would truly seek proof of their ignorance with a humble heart?

“Know thyself” are the famous words inscribed on the Oracle of Delphi. It is said that is was these words that brought about Socrates journey of self, a journey that opened- to much wisdom, And as history reveals, a wisdom which has been passed on for many generations that followed him.

When one truly begins to cultivate his / her character, they begin to see that they have many attachments and shortcomings and are ignorant about many things. They come to esteem the The Law of the Universe as their Teacher, and slowly, rid themselves of the debilitating notions that drive their attachments.  Thus, these people, over time with diligence and perseverance learn improve their heart and mind nature.

By looking deeply into oneself, consciously correcting our behaviour and mistakes, while also learning the art of non retaliation and non-blame of other people or things-for our own errings, can one gain the quality of humility and really begin to “know thyself.”

Unlike the politician, poet and craftsman that Soccrates sought out, it is the humble man, that knows himself, who is most able.

To bring conclusion to this tale, the author leaves us with the following words: Before the rice plants are ready to be harvested, they bow down their heads.

Thank you for being with us again on the SOH Radio Network for Ancient Tales of Wisdom.

And from this day on, let us all make a conscious effort to humbly -get to ‘know thyself’ from the inside out.

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In Lao Zi's classic text Dao De Jing it states, “Kind people don’t argue; people who argue are not kind.” (Photo courtesy Wikipedia Commons)

Greeting to you all, and welcome to today’s Ancient Tale of Wisdom. Hi, this is Grace Mann, back with you again to share another great storyline and it is titled: Kind People Don’t Argue; People Who Argue Are Not Kind

In the past, there was a gentleman who was acquainted with people who were eloquent and glib in their arguments. At that time, he believed it was their skill, and he didn’t give much thought about the relationship between eloquence, goodness and unrighteousness. Over time, this gentleman met a lot of other people who endured humiliation and they didn’t argue or fight back. It was then he came to realize the vast difference between these two types of people.

One day, when reading Lao Zi’s classic text Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching), where it said, “Sages do things but not fight for things,” he again suddenly enlightened to the fact that clever talk and a conniving manner are not talents, and that humility is a higher realm of life.

In chapter 81 of Dao De Jing it states, “Kind people don’t argue; people who argue are not kind.” This chapter also goes on to say that: “Honest words may not be pleasant to listen to; and pleasant words may not be honest. Smart people may not have a wide vocabulary while those who are experienced and knowledgeable may not be smart.”

Being conscious of virtue, focuses value upon actions, not words. It is not necessary to debate higher truths every day. Because endless debates in actuality are just words, whereas, it is upright actions that reveal the true essence of a person. Every truth and righteous principle can only be realized through consistent and genuine cultivation of character.

Also, within his different scriptures, Confucius said “Gentlemen are slow of speech but quick in action.” And, “Gentlemen eat, but not eat their fill; they live, but seek not an easy life; they are resourceful, but cautious about their words.”

Both Confucius, Lao Zi and other great Masters, agree that whatever we do, whether we are cultivating our character or involved in social activity, we should work hard without resistance and pretension.

If we think about it carefully, a kind person with great abilities and skills doesn’t need to take a stance with others. He doesn’t have to prove his point. Even in the face of slander or personal attack, he can stand tall and be unsullied in his actions. Those who can endure offensiveness are people who also give silently and relentlessly without thought of reward or recognition. This type of person also has a mind that is detached from the hype of worldly success. Kind people don’t need flowery words and wily statements to win others’ praises.

On the contrary, those who constantly argue every day, don’t really have great wisdom, though they may appear to be skilful. A wise person will pause before he speaks.

In the nurturing of speech one should also avoid loud and empty talk, not criticize others in any way, but be sincere and kind to all. One should at all times avoid disagreements in front of another and in no way humiliate others. These are the traits of righteous and upright people.

So, it is clear that we should all talk less, and do more.

Thank you once again for joining us here at SOH Radio Network for Ancient Tales of Wisdom.

Until we next meet, laugh lots, be happy and may we all consciously learn to follow the traits of the wise.

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The tale of One Yuan - Our heart will not be at peace if we obtain something through improper means. (Courtesy Wikipedia Commons)

Hello everyone, this is Grace Mann welcoming you back to Ancient Tales of Wisdom, an SOH Radio Network initiative.  SOH takes great pride in bringing these wonderful stories, tales, and legends to you, our valued listeners. We trust that these fables inspire your hearts and minds as much as they do ours, and that they give rise to your every day.   The title of today’s tale is: One Yuan

As a child, I lived through the Great Cultural Revolution when there was only a few classes taught at school. Therefore, we spent most of our time playing or sitting on the side of the street. Girls would play a game where players performed complicated routines on a pair of long bands of rubber and those who could not perform the routine without making any mistakes were dropped out. This simple game was one of the most important activities of my childhood.

We were poor and I did not have money to buy the bands for the game. I found an old bicycle tube, and made my own bands out of it. But they soon broke because they wore out quickly. I dreamed that someday I could buy brand new bands to play with. But I had no money. One day, I saw two yuan (Chinese currency) that my mom had left on the table. I thought for a long time before I finally decided to grab one yuan. It took all my courage to walk out of the room. I was very nervous. I paced up and down in the yard while tightly holding that one-yuan bill. I wondered what to do next. To a little kid at that time, one yuan amounted to a lot of money. I imagined that with this money I could buy lots of rubber bands, wrapped candy, colourful papers, beautiful sewing threads and so on. It was as if all the expenses of a lifetime could be paid with this note. I felt at that moment like a millionaire. But after the excitement wore off, I began to agonize about my parents finding out. Where was a safe place to hide the money, since it was getting dark? I couldn’t think of any hiding place. Besides being worried about my mom’s reaction, I was also concerned about my elder brother, who was a little nosy. He had a sixth sense with respect to any trouble that I got into. In the end, he would either expose me or get his share. Right then, the hand that was tightly holding the money became sweaty.

The more I thought about it, the more desperate I felt. Thus, I first pretended to be sick and went to bed without eating or drinking anything. That night I couldn’t sleep well, tossing and turning, as though I were fighting a battle. In my dream, at times I saw policemen chasing robbers and thefts happening, and at other times I was chased and tried to escape. Finally, it was morning. I was so scared and my body very heavy and all sweaty.

At breakfast time, Mom asked me gently and kindly whether I felt better. Then she quietly said, “Very strange, I put two yuan on the table yesterday. How could they then become one yuan?” I heard my mom’s words. My guilty feeling made my face turn red, and I was afraid that my mom would notice it, so not thinking, I bent down to tie my shoelaces. After I bent over, I then realized that that day I was wearing a pair of shoes without shoelaces. My brother saw it and began to make fun of me. He stood aside facing Mom, peeking at me, speaking in a strange voice. His tone of voice made me so angry that I almost bit him. I couldn’t stand it anymore. I rushed into my room, grabbed the one-yuan bill that I had hidden  under my pillow, and handed it to my mom. I said, “Mom, I found the money for you.” Mom appeared relieved and asked me, “Where was it?” I randomly pointed to a direction, “Over there.” Then, picking up my school bag. I ran out the door as fast as I could, with the horrible feeling that two glowing eyes watched me all the way.

When I was far enough away from home, I sat on the curb, thinking back over the past 16 hours that I had been a “millionaire.” I then realized that it was better to use a bicycle tube to make my own rubber bands then buying nice, new, real rubber bands. With this thought, I at once felt more and ease and peaceful within myself.  I now always constantly recall my mom’s words, as if there were a cassette tape playing in my head, “Be an honest and kind child.”

This little childhood experience and my mom’s words have etched themselves deeply into my brain. Now having grown up, the memory of this experience often brings forth a warning, which reminds me, as it can us all, that our heart will not be at peace if we obtain something through improper means.

It has again been my pleasure to bring you another great tale on the SOH Radio Network’s Ancient Tales of Wisdom.

Until next time, laugh lots, be happy and let’s all be mindful as to how we obtain our means.

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The grandfather looked around and found himself sitting among several tombs. (Image courtesy laura padgett/Flickr)

Welcome back to the SOH Radio Network the home of Ancient Tales of Wisdom. Hello everyone, I’m Grace Mann, and it is my privilege to bring you the following factual story as told by a grandson of his grandfather’s experience.  This story is titled: For a Debt of Seven Pennies.

The author’s grandfather was a famous doctor in his hometown. One night, after receiving an urgent call from a villager, he took a ferry to see the patient. Because he arrived very early in the morning and did not want to bother the patient’s family, he decided to wait until a more reasonable hour before knocking at the door. In the darkness, he settled himself on the bank beside the river to take a nap. While resting, he overheard a conversation between two children.

“Come on, forget about the debt. She’s your mother anyway.”

“No way, debt between blood kin is also debt. She owes me, and she has to pay back every penny.”

“How much does she owe you?”
“Seven pennies!”
“How are you going to get it back?”
“I have my way. Just watch!”

The grandfather suddenly woke up and realized he had been napping, yet the conversation between the two children had seemed so real. He looked around and saw that there were no villages or inns nearby. Where had the two children’s voices come from? He was confused. He looked around and found himself sitting among several  tombs. There was one nearby which was very new. The dirt was wet and still fresh.

At that moment he was scared.  At dawn, he saw a young woman approaching. She wore a pretty scarf on her head and a beautiful apron printed with blue flowers, and she carried a basket. When she walked closer, he saw she had a small white flower in her hair and she looked deeply grieved. She went to the new tomb, lit some candles and incense, and took out some rice and some small dishes. While crying, she said, “My son, you died so young. Do you know how much I miss you when I see other children? My son, I am so miserable. Please answer if you can hear me….”

Hearing her weeping, the doctor was deeply touched by the sorrow of this young mother who had lost her young son.

All of a sudden, the young woman’s apron caught fire from the candle. By the time she had extinguished the fire her beautiful apron was burned on one corner. She cried, “I just bought this apron yesterday for seven pennies.”

The doctor’s eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open in shock. He then realized his experience and that her son had gotten back the seven pennies that she owed him.

Now, for an update on our ATW Premium Gold Pass podcast release.  We are on track with this initiative and with things flowing as they are now, we trust that our launch date will be around mid March, just some four weeks away.

SOH is proud to bring this proposal to you all.  By becoming a valued ATW Gold Pass subscriber, not only will you regularly receive our fabulous stories, but also, your very affordable membership fee will 100% support SOH’s continued growth in becoming a stable major contributor to our world societies.

Please also tell your family, friends and work colleagues about the ATW Premium Gold Pass. And, stay turned to Ancient Tales Wisdom for the how and when to sign up for this great opportunity.

Before signing off for today, let’s listen to the Quote of the Day from an inspired audience member at the final Los Angeles Shen Yun Performing Arts show.   [audio]

Until next we meet, laugh lots, be happy, while always remembering we all must pay for what we owe.

Thank you for being with us again on the SOH Radio Network for Ancient Tales Wisdom.  I look forward to being with you all again real soon.

Story Source: PureInsight.org
(with slight modification)

Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2003/2/3/20309.html

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Buddha Shakyamuni teaching his disciples. (Courtesty Wikimedia Commons)

Welcome again to Ancient Tales of Wisdom brought to you by the SOH Radio Network. Hello, I’m Grace Mann. Today’s story dates back to over 2,500 years ago and tells how one of Buddha Shakyamuni’s disciples became known as “The Monk Who Overslept.”

But first, let’s listen to an update ‘quote of the day, from an audience member attending a Fort Lauderale,  Shen Yun Performing Arts performance during its 2010 Global Tour.      [audio]

And now, to our story “The monk who over slept.”

Buddha Shakyamuni repeatedly taught his disciples to study Buddhist doctrine attentively and wholeheartedly, and that they must not slack off or be lazy. Most of his disciples followed his teachings and cultivated diligently, and therefore obtained the Dao and reached their Attainment Status while eliminating a lot of worries and suffering.

However, there was one monk who simply was not diligent. Whenever others practiced meditation, he would just go to sleep. His fellow disciples tried to reason with him, but he would not change.

The monk’s greatest weakness was oversleeping.  Everyday he would to go sleep after he ate a meal. When he slept, he kept his door closed tightly and slept alone in his room. No one could wake him up, no matter how hard they tried.

One day at noon, after begging for food on the street, the monk came back carrying his alms bowl. He went straight to his room and again fell asleep. The snoring from his room could be heard till the next morning.

That  morning, it was time for Shakyamuni to teach the Buddha Fa to the public. Every disciple was present, except the monk who liked to sleep. Shakyamuni asked, “Why doesn’t the disciple who likes to sleep come?”

A disciple quickly stood up and replied, “Buddha, he has been sleeping since noon yesterday. We could not wake him no matter what we tried.”

Shakyamuni then said that the monk only had seven days to live. If he died while sleeping all the time, his death would bring him unhappiness. Shakyamuni had great pity for the monk. He instructed his disciples to recite a scripture and took Ananda with him to see the monk in his room.

They could hear the thunderous snoring before they reached the monk’s room. They opened the door only to hear even louder snoring. The monk was still in bed in a deep sleep.

Ananda called the monk’s name a few times, but the monk did not respond and continued sleeping. Then,  Buddha Shakyamuni walked to his bed and gently shook him. The monk immediately woke up.

Upon seeing Shakyamuni standing before him and gazing at him with compassion, the monk immediately got up and bowed to Shakyamuni, saying, “Revered Buddha, please forgive me for being disrespectful.”

Shakyamuni said to him, “You only have seven days to live. I cannot bear to see you die while sleeping so much and failing to reach an upright Attainment Status. I’m here to wake you up.”

The monk was shocked. It had never occurred to him that he might only have seven days to live. He was frightened and did not know what to do.

Shakyamuni comforted him and said, “It is predestined for you. Several lifetimes ago when you were a monk, you indulged in food and sleep and never pondered the meaning of the Fa. You did not follow the Buddhist’s precepts. You did not sow any blessings or virtue, therefore, you reincarnated many times into four different beings over many thousands of years.

“In your previous lives you liked to live in dark places without light, and you treasured your body and life very much. What’s more unusual is that all four different beings were fond of sleeping and could sleep for over 100 years once they fell asleep. You did not try at all to be diligent. However, after 200,000 years you were finally able to repay the sin you had committed. Then, you reincarnated as a human and became a monk.

“Now that you have become a monk you should cultivate and study diligently to make up for what you have previously lost. I did not expect that you would still be so attached to food and sleep like you were 200,000 years ago. Why do you always feel like you do not get enough sleep? Don’t forget the consequences you suffered 200,000 years ago.”

Shakyamuni stopped talking. The monk blushed with shame. He quickly repented to Shakyamuni. When he criticized himself deeply and repented, all his distracted thoughts disappeared and he was able to attain the status of Arhat by the end of his life.

It is said that time passes by in the blink of an eye. There are only twenty-four hours in a day and the average person sleeps eight hours of this day. People who oversleep may end up spending most of their time in sleep and dreams and therefore accomplish very few major tasks in a lifetime. Several decades pass by quickly in the human world. You’ll indeed regret it if you do not firmly seize all opportunities.

Sometimes you will feel that life is long and arduous.  You may ponder, have I done a good job completing the tasks I was supposed to do and the missions I was  supposed to fulfil.  Or even worse, do you acknowledge you may not have made the effort to do those things at all.  How regretful you feel? What about your next life? The monk who overslept finally realized that he needed to seize the time he had left in this life.   Can we all learn from ‘the monk who overslept.’

Cultivate diligently in *Buddha Law Cultivation.* How can a sleepy and drowsy person become as magnificent as a mighty lion? A cultivator should seize every minute, sleep less, and cultivate more to succeed in cultivation.

Before signing off for today,  just a quick update on our Premium ATW podcast membership offer.  Yes, the wheels are turning behind the scenes, and progress is being made. This great offer will be brought to you all, our valued listeners, as soon as possible.  Thank you for your patience.  SOH is proud to bring you this service, that will not only bring you our fabulous stories, but also, through paying the very low, Gold Pass membership, you will be supporting SOH’s continued growth in becoming a stable, major contributor to our world societies.

Thank you for being with us again on the SOH Radio Network for Ancient Tales of Wisdom.

Until it is again my privilege to be with you all, laugh lots be happy and make the best of every day of your life.

Story Source:  Clearwidom.net
Chinese version available at http://minghui.ca/mh/articles/2009/11/15/212614.html

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