Chanakya Niti - Quotes by Chanakya

Chanakya was an Indian teacher, philosopher and royal advisor. He is also known for foundation of Maurya Empire. His notable works include Arthashastra and Chanakya Niti. 

"A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first and honest people are screwed first.”

v  “Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous.”

v  “The biggest guru-mantra is: Never share your secrets with anybody. It will destroy you.”

v  “There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no friendship without self-interests. This is a bitter truth.”

v  “Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions – Why am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I be successful. Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead.”

v  “As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it.”

v  “The world’s biggest power is the youth and beauty of a woman.”

v  “Once you start a working on something, don’t be afraid of failure and don’t abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest.”

v  “The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind. But the goodness of a person spreads in all direction.”

v  “Whores don’t live in company of poor men, citizens never support a weak company and birds don’t build nests on a tree that doesn’t bear fruits.”

v  “God is not present in idols. Your feelings are your god. The soul is your temple.”

v  “A man is great by deeds, not by birth.”

v  “Never make friends with people who are above or below you in status. Such friendships will never give you any happiness.”

v  “Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years. For the next five years, scold them. By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend. Your grown up children are your best friends.”

v  “Books are as useful to a stupid person as a mirror is useful to a blind person.”

v  “Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats the beauty and the youth.”

v  "A person should not be too honest.Straight trees are cut first and Honest people are screwed first...."

"Even if a snake is not poisonous,it should pretend to be venomous." 

"The biggest guru-mantra is: Never share your secrets with anybody. ! It will destroy you." 

"There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no Friendship without self-interests.This is a bitter truth." 

"Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions - Why am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I be successful. Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead."

"As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it." 

"Once you start a working on something,don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest."

"The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind.But the goodness of a person spreads in all direction." 

"A man is great by deeds, not by birth."

"Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years.For the next five years, scold them.By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend. Your grown up children are your best friends." 

"Books are as useful to a stupid person as a mirror is useful to a blind person."

"Education is the best friend.An educated person is respected everywhere.Education beats the beauty and the youth."

World Healing

One lazy Sunday afternoon a businessman was hard at work entertaining a business client at home. The businessman had a young son of about six years old called David who kept disturbing the proceedings.

David was bored. It was raining. Mum was out. His best friend had flu. He hoped that Daddy and his friend might like to play a game of something either now, soon, or some time later (like in two or three minutes).

Each time David came into the room his father gave him something from the table to go away and play with: first a pen, then a calculator, then a paperweight and then a Financial Times. Finally, David was reprimanded. 

A little while later David was back again, and this time, his father was prepared. On the table was a large full-colour picture of the world carefully torn into a hundred small pieces. He gave David a roll of sticky tape and asked him to play with the world until he had stuck it all back together again. That, surely, was the end of David!

Much to his father’s astonishment, David returned after about five minutes with the picture of the world complete again. "How did you manage that so quickly, and so well?" asked his father. David replied, "Oh, on the back of the picture of the world I had already drawn a big picture of myself, and when I put myself together the world came together also." 

The Teapot

There was a couple who used to go to England to shop in the beautiful stores. They both liked antiques and pottery and especially teacups. This was their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.

One day in this beautiful shop they saw a beautiful teacup. They said, "May we see that? We've never seen one quite so beautiful." As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke.

"You don't understand," it said. "I haven't always been a teacup. There was a time when I was red and I was clay." My master took me and rolled me and patted me over and over and I yelled out, "let me alone", but he only smiled, "Not yet."
"Then I was placed on a spinning wheel," the teacup said, "and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. Stop it! I'm getting dizzy!" I screamed. But the master only nodded and said, 'Not yet.".

Then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I wondered why he wanted to burn me, and I yelled and knocked at the door. I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as He shook his head, "Not yet."

Finally the door opened, he put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. "There, that's better," I said. And he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. "Stop it, stop it!" I cried. He only nodded, "Not yet."

Then suddenly he put me back into the oven, not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. All the time I could see him through the opening nodding his head saying, "Not yet."
Then I knew there wasn't any hope. I would never make it. I was ready to give up. But the door opened and he took me out and placed me on the shelf. One hour later he handed me a mirror and said, "Look at yourself." And I did. I said, "That's not me; that couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful."

"I want you to remember, then," he said, "I know it hurts to be rolled and patted, but if I had left you alone, you'd have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled. I knew it hurt and was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened; you would not have had any color in your life. And if I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't survive for very long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. You are what I had in mind when I first began with you."

MORAL:
God knows what He's doing (for all of us).
He is the Potter, and we are His clay.
He will mold us and make us,
So that we may be made into a flawless piece of work
To fulfill His good, pleasing, and perfect will.
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.
And God is faithful; he will not tempt you beyond what you can bear.
(1 Corinthians 10:13)

SUNSET AT NORTH POLE

A TO Z ON STRESS MANAGEMENT

¢  Always take time for yourself, at least 30 minutes per day.
¢  Be aware of your own stress meter: Know when to step back and cool down.
¢  Concentrate on controlling your own situation, without controlling everybody else.
¢  Daily exercise will burn off the stress chemicals.
¢  Eat lots of fresh fruit, veggies, bread and water, give your body the best for it to perform at its best.
¢  Forgive others, don't hold grudges and be tolerant -- not everyone is as capable as you..
¢  Gain perspective on things, how important is the issue?
¢  Hugs, kisses and laughter: Have fun and don't be afraid to share your feelings with others.
¢  Identify stressors and plan to deal with them better next time..
¢  Judge your own performance realistically; don't set goals out of your own reach.
¢  Keep a positive attitude, your outlook will influence outcomes and the way others treat you.
¢  Limit alcohol, drugs and other stimulants, they affect your perception and behaviour...
¢  Manage money well, seek advice and save at least 10 per cent of what you earn.
¢  No is a word you need to learn to use without feeling guilty.
¢  Outdoor activities by yourself, or with friends and family, can be a great way to relax....
¢  Play your favourite music rather than watching television.
¢  Quit smoking: It is stressing your body daily, not to mention killing you too.
¢  Relationships: Nurture and enjoy them, learn to listen more and talk less.....
¢  Sleep well, with a firm mattress and a supportive pillow; don't overheat yourself and allow plenty of ventilation.
¢  Treat yourself once a week with a massage, dinner out, the movies: Moderation is the key.
¢  Understand things from the other person's point of view......
¢  Verify information from the source before exploding.
¢  Worry less, it really does not get things completed better or quicker.
¢  Xpress: Make a regular retreat to your favourite space, make holidays part of your yearly plan and budget.......
¢  Yearly goal setting: Plan what you want to achieve based on your priorities in your career, relationships, etc.
¢  Zest for life: Each day is a gift, smile and be thankful that you are a part of the bigger picture........

Four Principles of Spirituality

The First Principle States :-
"Whomsoever you encounter is the right one" 
This means that no one comes into our life by chance.  This means that what soever persons comes into our life, whom we interact with, represents something to teach us or something to help us improve a current situation.

The Second Principle States :-

"Whatever Happened is the only thing that could have happened" 
Whatever happened is the only thing that could have taken place and must have taken place for us to learn lesson and to move forward. Every single situation in life which we encounter is absolutely perfect even when it defies our understanding and our ego. 

The Third Principle States :-
"Each moment in which something begins is the right moment"
Everything begins at exactly the right moment, neither earlier or later, When we are ready for it, for something new in our life it is there ready to begin. 

The Fourth Principle States:-
"What is over is over"
When something in our life ends, it helps our evolution. That is why enriched by the recent experience, it is better to let go and move on.

Experiments with My Clicks

Everything Happens for Reason

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there, they serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson or help figure out who you are or who you want to become.

You never know who these people may be; your roommate, your neighbor, professor, long lost friend, lover or even a complete stranger who, when you lock eyes with them, you know that very moment that they will affect your life in some profound way.

And sometimes things happen to you and at the time they seem horrible, painful and unfair, but in reflection you realize that without overcoming those obstacles you would never have realized your potential, strength, will power of heart.

Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of good or bad luck. Illness, injury, love, lost moments or true greatness and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of the soul.

Without these small tests, if they be events, illnesses or relationships, life would be like a smooth paved, straight, flat road to nowhere. Safe and comfortable but dull and utterly pointless.

The people you meet who affect your life and successes and downfalls you experience, they are the ones who create who you are. Even the bad experience can be learned from... Those lessons are the hardest and probably the most important ones.

If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart... forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom you open your heart.

If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because they are teaching you to love and opening your heart and eyes to things you would have never seen or felt without them.

Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from it everything that you possibly can, for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk to people you have never talked to before, and actually listen, let yourself fall in love, break free and set your sights high. You can make of your life anything you wish. Create your own life and then go out and live it.

             

Life In The Fast Lane

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.

As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and spun the Jag back to the spot from where the brick had been thrown.

He jumped out of the car, grabbed a kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, "What was that all about and who do you think you are? Just what the heck are you doing?"

Building up a head of steam he went on. "That's a new car and the repairs are going to cost a lot of money! Why did you do it?" "Please, mister, please. I'm sorry, I didn't know what else to do," pleaded the youngster. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop...." tears were dripping down the boy's chin as he pointed around the parked car. "It's my brother," he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up." Sobbing, the boy asked the man, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me." Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapes and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be okay. "Thank you and May God bless you," the grateful child said to him. The man then watched the little boy push his brother down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long walk back to his Jaguar, a long, slow walk. He never did repair the side door. He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention. God whispers in your soul and speaks to your heart. Sometimes when you don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at you. It's your choice: Listen to the whisper or wait for the brick.

A Little Mouse Story

A mouse looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package. What food might it contain?
He was aghast to discover that it was a mouse trap. Retreating to the farmyard the mouse proclaimed the warning:
"There is a mouse trap in the house, a mouse trap in the house!"

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Excuse me, Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mouse trap in the house, a mouse trap in the house!"

"I am so very sorry Mr. Mouse," sympathized the pig, "but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured that you are in my prayers."

The mouse turned to the cow. She said, "You say, Mr. Mouse. A mouse trap? Like I am in grave danger....NOT!"

So the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mouse trap alone.
That very night a sound was heard throughout the house, like the sound of a mouse trap catching its prey.
The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see that it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer's wife.. 

The farmer rushed her to the hospital. She returned home with a fever.
Now everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient.

His wife's sickness continued so that friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.

The farmer's wife did not get well and a few days later she passed away.
So many people came for her funeral, that the farmer had the cow slaughtered, to provide meat for all of them to eat.

So the next time you hear that someone is facing a problem and think that it does not concern you, remember that when the least of us is threatened, we all may be at risk.

We are all one family on this planet Earth!

Possibilities

Every Day we have a lot of possibilities to change the world and to make our life better.
Sometimes we do that, sometimes we miss these possibilities.
I think it's better to remind yourself about that.

Here is the short list of some easy ideas that can help  to make our life better!

1. Hug someone
2. Smile:)
3. Go for a walk
4. Say a compliment
5. Read a good book
6. Write a post on your blog
7. Get some exercise
8. Call a friend
9. Listen to your favorite music
10. Eat more healthy foods
....

That is just the beginning ...There are many other things to add - the one in which we find ourselves most happy :) 

Law of the Garbage Truck

One day, I hopped into a taxi and took off for the airport . We were driving in the right lane when suddenly, a black car, jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed the brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. I mean, was really friendly. So I asked, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!" This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck'


He explained, "Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. NEVER take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on with the routine life." Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home or on the streets.


The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so...... 'Love the people who treat you right.. Pray for the ones who don't.'


A very rightly said quote: Life is 10% what you make and 90% how you take!!!!

(Abstract from e-mail ) 

Beautiful Rain Drops - My Clicks.

Though To Ponder

Yesterday, I was driving, and the FM radio went off for few seconds. I thought, I should have an iPod. Then suddenly I realized that I have not used my iPod in last 6 months. And then, more things, Handy cam in last 2 years, Digital Camera in last 2 months, DVD player in last 1 month and many more. Now I can say that I bought that Handy cam just out of impulse, I have used it twice only in last 4 years. 
  
 So, what's wrong and where? When I look at myself or my friends I can see it everywhere. We are not happy  
 have. You have a Santro, but you want City; You have a City, but you want Skoda. Just after buying a new phone, we need another one. Better laptop, bigger TV, faster car, bigger house, more money, .I mean, these examples are endless. The point is, does it actually worth? Do we ever think if we actually need those things before we want them? 

After this, I was forced to think what I need and what I don't. May be I didn't need this Handy cam or the iPod or that DVD player. When I see my father back at home. He has a simple BPL colour TV, he doesn't need 32" Sony LCD wall mount. He has a cell phone worth Rs 2,500. Whenever I ask him to change the phone, he always says, "Its a phone, I need this just for calls." 

 And believe me; he is much happier in life than me with those limited resources and simple  gadgets. The very basic reason why he is happy with so little is that he doesn't want things in life to make it luxurious, but he wants only those things which are making his life easier. It's a very fine line between these two, but after looking my father's life style closely, I got the point. He needs a cell phone but not the iPhone. He needs a TV but not the 32" plasma. He needs a car but not an expensive one. 

 Initially I had lot of questions. 
   
 I am earning good, still I am not happy,...why ? 
 I have all luxuries, still I am stressed.... ....... why ? 
 I had a great weekend, still I am feeling tired...... why?   
 I met lot of people, I thought over it again and again, I still don't know if I got the answers, but certainly figured out few things. I realize that one thing which is keeping me stressed is the "stay connected" syndrome. I realized that, at home also I am logged in on messengers, checking mails, using social networks, and on the top of that, the windows mobile is not letting me disconnected. On the weekend itself, trying to avoid unwanted calls, and that is keeping my mind always full of stress. I realized that I am spending far lesser money than what I earn, even then I am always worried about money and more money. I realized that I am saving enough money I would ever need, whenever needed. Still I am stressed about job and salary and spends. 

May be, many people will call this approach "not progressive attitude", but I want my life back. Ultimately it's a single life, a day gone is a day gone. I believe if I am not happy tonight, I'll  never be happy tomorrow morning. I finally realized that meeting friends, spending quality time with your loved one's; spending time with yourself is the most important thing. 

If on Sunday you are alone and you don't have anybody to talk with, then all that luxuries life, all that money is wasted. May be cutting down your requirements, re-calculating your future goal in the light of today's happiness is a worthwhile thing to do. May be selling off your Santro and buying Honda City on EMIs is not a good idea. I believe putting your happiness ahead of money is the choice we need to make. 

 I think, a lot can be said and done but what we need the most is re-evaluation of the value of happiness and time we are giving to our life and people associated with it. 

( Abstract from a e-mail ) 

Life Highs

Life's Highs...

1. Laughing hysterically
2. Dancing your heart out
3. Star gazing
4. Shopping
5. Going to the beach
6. Listening to the rain
7. Ice-cream on a hot day
8. Feeling wanted
9. Getting that warm, fuzzy feeling when you think about the one you love
10. ReceIving text messages
11. Personal jokes
12. ComplIments
13. Late night phone calls
14. Christmas
15. Hugs
16. Kisses
17. Knowing someone misses you
18. Knowing someone is thinking of you
19. Good dreams
20. Skipping school for a day
21. Lying on the grass starring into the sky
22. Going up to the snow
23. Jumping into a warm bed on a cold night
24. Seeing your guys/girls name on your mobile when it rings
25. Your first kiss 
26. Talking for hours about absolutely nothing
27. Looking back on the laughs
28. Receiving presents
29. Giving presents
30. Birthdays
31. Air conditioning when it's hot
32. Being full of energy
33. Seeing your boyfriend/girlfriend
34. Watching someone do something stupid, and them thinking no one saw
35. Nice smelling perfume/cologne/deodorant
36. Good hair days
37. Turning on the radio to hear that your favourite song is being played
38. Running into an old friend
39. Strolling along the pier at night
40. Finding $5 on the ground
41. Being home alone
42. Reading a good magazine
43. Sun baking
44. Sleeping in
45. Watching the sun come up
46. Seeing a shooting star
47. Waking up to find the person you love in your arms
48. Weekends
49. Holidays
50. Jumping on a trampoline
51. Sitting infront on the fire on a cold evening
52. Smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies
53. Singing into your hairbrush in your room
54. Bubble baths
55. Turning up your sterio as loud as it will go
56. Being so happy it makes you cry
57. Summer
58. Finally completing somthing you started a long time ago
58. Achieving a long time goal
59. Warm nights
60. Falling in love...

મન ની ખીંટી

અમારાં ઘરમાં રિપેરકામ માટે એક સુથારને બોલાવેલો.એના કામના પહેલા દિવસની આ વાત છે..  કામ પરઆવતાં રસ્તામાં ટાયર પંક્ચર થયું એમાં એનો એક કલાકબગડ્યો. કામ શરૂ કર્યા પછી  અધવચ્ચે એની ઈલેક્ટ્રિકકરવત બગડી ગઈ. દિવસ પૂરો થયા પછી ઘરે પાછા જતીવખતે એની નાની  ટ્રક ચાલી નહીં. હું એને મારી ગાડીમાંએના ઘેર મૂકવા ગયો. રસ્તામાં એ એક પણ શબ્દ બોલ્યો નહીં. અમે એના ઘેર પહોંચ્યા ત્યારે એણે કહ્યું : 'ઘરમાંથોડી વાર આવો ને ! મારાં પત્ની અને  બાળકોને તમનેમળીને આનંદ થશે.'ઘરમાં દાખલ થતાં પહેલાં નાના ઝાડ પાસે એ રોકાયો. બન્નેહાથ એણે ઝાડ પર મૂક્યા. બારણામાં  દાખલ થતી વખતે મેંએનામાં અજબનો ફેરફાર થતો જોયો. એના થાકેલા ચહેરાપર સ્મિત ફરી વળ્યું.  એનાં બે બાળકોને વહાલથી ભેટ્યોઅને પત્નીને ચૂમી આપી. મને એ કાર સુધી મૂકવા આવ્યો.અમે પેલા  ઝાડ પાસેથી પસાર થયા ત્યારે મારું કુતૂહલ હુંરોકી શક્યો નહીં. મેં એને પૂછ્યું : 'ઘરમાં દાખલ  થતાંપહેલાં તમે ઝાડને શા માટે અડ્યા ?'

'અરે, હા. આ ઝાડ તો મારા મનની ખીંટી છે. હું કામે જાઉંત્યાં કોઈ ને કોઈ તકલીફ તો
આવવાની, પણ એક વાત નક્કી કે ઘરે મારાં પત્ની અનેબાળકોને એની સાથે શું લેવાદેવા ? એટલે,  જ્યારે સાંજેકામ પરથી ઘરે પાછો આવું છું ત્યારે તકલીફો આ ઝાડ પરલટકાવી દઈ ઘરમાં દાખલ  થાઉં છું. સવારે કામ પર જતાંઆ ઝાડ પરથી તકલીફો પાછી લઈ લઉં છું. પણ નવાઈનીવાત તો એ  છે કે રાતે મૂકેલી તકલીફોમાંથી ઘણીખરીસવારે ત્યાં હોતી નથી.

(Abstract from an e-mail )