Bishwa Story

A Gentle Person A gentle person, while in the jungle safari, met a terrible animal. He never had gone to the jungle before and heard anything about wild animals. The terrible animal roared, “Don’t come across my territory. I kill you without any empathy.” The gentle person asked politely, “Who are you? Why are you so angry?” The terrible animal replied, “I am a lion. I am the king of the jungle. All animals are scared of me. I am strong and brave too. I can even kill elephants; the biggest and strongest animal of the jungle.” The lion said further, “I don’t eat fruits and plants. I am completely a non-vegetarian.  I survive only on flesh and blood. To fulfill my hunger I kill animals every day. There is no one to stop and control me. When I like I can kill an animal from anywhere. Walking all over the jungle is my right. Killing animals every day is my daily routine and while killing I don’t have any regret and pity.” After listening to the lion the gentleman said, “You a...

The Wrong Order of Life The philosopher was lying on the hospital bed. I was very close to him as he was trying to say something important. He was telling me particularly about human beings, life, and the universe.   He looked very afraid. The tests were going on to find out the disease he was suffering from. He was in the hospital for two months yet his disease was unknown to the medical team involved to cure him. That had made him very anxious. I reminded the philosopher about his courageous speeches given to his followers. His speeches were full of positive thinking and encouragement. In his speeches every time he had said, “People should remain positive in troubled situations. There is neither joy nor sorrow. Both sorrow and joy are outcomes of our thinking, otherwise there is nothing else. Watching a garden of blooming flowers could be joyful to its owner but boring to the worker assigned to look after the garden. So joy and sorrow are inside not outside of us.” I lea...

Road and Car Conversation While walking on the street, two long-time friends named Road and Car debated on a topic.   The topic they debated was:   Who is greater, Car or Road?   During the debate, Car was aggressive, whereas Road remained calm. Car said to Road, “Look, how poor you are.   People only use you, but don’t love you. People leave you alone when they reach home and forget about you. When you are not needed by people, they even don’t remember you.   In the heavy rain, nobody cares for you and you are wet.   In extreme heat, you are burned. Nobody ever comes to protect you.” Car continued, “Look at me -- how lucky I am!   People love me so much. They keep me in their garage for my comfort and safety.   I am always cared for and protected by my owner.   I am never left alone in the sun and rain like you are.   People always keep me clean and tidy as well.   They even wipe and shine me to make me look better.” ...

The Philosopher The philosopher was a great orator too. He was very famous for public speaking. Listeners did look like a stone when he started to say something on any topic. The audience did pay so much attention that they didn’t have any movement while listening to him. His speeches were highly appreciated all over the world. He used to say, “There is no life or death. There is a soul and it is immortal. Only the soul transfers from one body to another. When the soul comes in a certain material the material gets a shape of a living thing. Death means only changing the soul from one body to another.” Once the philosopher’s follower asked, “Guru, why people cry when their loved ones die?” “It is their ignorance,” Guru replied. Guru further said, “They don’t have knowledge about the soul. They don’t know what is life and death. General people only know that death is end of the life. That is not true. Death kills only the body not the soul. Since the soul never dies there is n...

Locations and Life Amanda said to her friend, “July, you know, when you live in a certain city for a quite long time or you are raised there, you start loving it. You feel that the roads, the buildings, the restaurants, the trees and even the stores of the city are part of your life and you are in love with them. When people ask you where were you raised? You answer- I was raised in Oklahoma City or Tulsa or any other place. While giving name of the city the picture of the city comes in your mind simultaneously. The days you passed in the city start moving around your memory. Human beings are in love also with geography this way.” Amanda continued, “Not only for a longer period, may you fall in love with a certain location where you lived for a short period as well. If you are going to Houston for a vacation and your plan is to stay there in a motel for few weeks, I am sure that you will prefer that room of the motel in which you already have stayed during your previous visits...

A Ruthless Person A giant figure stood in front of me. He was not a normal person. He looked like a dragon. Staring at him I asked, “Who are you?” He laughed very loudly. The irritating sound of his laughing expanded throughout the house. He answered, “Why?   Don’t you know me?   I am well known all over the world. I can bet you that every person in the world knows me very well. Don’t ask me that foolish question again.” I kept silent for a moment. Having been silent for a second he shouted at me, “I am the most powerful person in the world. I am also very intelligent. I can even prove that 2+2=3 and people will believe it without making any arguments. I said, “But how?” He replied, “If a majority of the population will say 2+2=3, then the rest of the population will believe that. What the majority of the population says is also very easily believed. I possess the power to make the majority of the population say that 2+2=3. Now, I am sure that you will understan...

Devastating Love Rita said, “You are very lucky Anita; your husband loves you so much. People could be jealous of his love for you.” On her friend’s remark, Anita replied, “That is true. There is no doubt or argument about his love. His love is honest and selfless. I do not have words to describe his love for me.” Anita continued, “When I go shopping he always goes with me. When I start choosing a certain dress design he comes to me and says- that dress which you have chosen doesn’t look beautiful on you. Please choose this dress instead. This dress looks more beautiful than that one you have chosen.” “At times, when I go to the kitchen and try to cook one of my recipes he comes into the kitchen and says- why are you taking the trouble to cook, I will do it. Instead of cooking, go the living room and watch the television and enjoy your favorite shows. While watching television I like to eat sweets, ice cream, potato chips etc. My husband stops me from eating those things ...

The Mourner Although my friend Kamala’s father died, she was not participating in the ritual mourning— called ‘Kriya’ and which lasts for eleven days. The reason Kamala was not in ritual mourning was simple: she was a woman. According to religious belief, females cannot perform the Kriya rites for either their late mother or father.   Only sons or males are allowed to perform mourning and my friend didn’t have any brothers.   Kamala’s father did have a ritual mourner, however; his name was Ramnath. He sat next to Kamala where primary functions of the rituals were to be performed. Ramnath looked emotionless. It was quite difficult to read the expression on his face. Kamala was allowed only to assist Ramnath. When I arrived to pay homage, the two of them were surrounded by relatives, friends, and well-wishers. Although mourners were whispering quietly, I remained silent. I watched and tried to read my friend’s face--which showed clearly she was in deep sorrow. The ...

The Masseur in Gauri Kunda It was 2005 or 2006, I cannot recall. We were going to Kedarnath after completing the pilgrimage of Yamunotri and Gangotri.   The paved road ended in Gauri Kunda and from there we had to either walk or take a horseback ride or dandi/kandi to Kedarnath- the holy place where the temple of Lord Shiva is situated.   A nine-mile mountainous way to Kedarnath from Gauri Kunda was arduous. Still most of people chose to walk. Some were riding horses and some were being carried by porters (dandi/kandi). Old people, kids, and women were among the most user of riding options. Gauri Kunda is also called the base camp for Kedarnath temple. In Gauri Kunda, there is a famous pond. People usually stay for few days in Gauri Kunda for two purposes- one, to see the Kunda (pond) where, as per the belief, goddess Parvati had holy bath, and second, to start a fresh journey to Kedarnath temple. Pilgrimage to the temple of Lord Shiva is a lifelong dream for most...

The Hotel It was around 1989 that we were going to Arughat from Gorkha.. The road was very difficult. The road was divided into two halves- one being the mountains and the other being the river. I cannot remember correctly if it was half way to Arughat or beginning of the river because it was four hours since we had departed from Gorkha. We were very hungry. We stopped in a small village-market and saw a house that looked like a hotel. We entered the house and asked a lady, “Is this a hotel, madam? Do you have something to eat for us? The lady standing near the burner with wooden fire replied “Yes, this is a hotel and you can get something to eat but for that you have to wait for more than an hour” She had a very beautiful smile on her face while replying me. Her answer left us in a big surprise. I asked her, “Why so long? How come just giving the cooked food could take so long?” The lady replied, “We don’t keep cooked food since there is no certainty of the customers coming to...

Why Aren’t the Clothes Speaking? Today is Saturday and here I am, in a super center; the biggest store, where everything for our daily use is available. The store opens for twenty four hours. I am here to shop. But I am here, late in the evening because I was busy in the morning and the afternoon, cleaning my house. I cleaned the rooms with the vacuum cleaner, washed the cars, mowed the lawn, mopped the kitchen and organized the living room. I always pile up these chores for weekend. My weekdays are so busy that I don’t even have time to do my laundry. I have to go to work even on Sunday. So I always pile up chores to do on Saturday. Saturday is my own day, it is not sold like the other days. Just a few minutes ago I entered the store. Without any confusion I went straight to the men’s section because the sign ‘on sale’ drew my attention. I saw the price tags hanging on the clothes. They were amazing. I calculated the costs; the cost is my five- minute wage, enough to buy four...