Inspirational Thoughts

Friends! In this, I would like to quote few events of some great people and so we can take a leaf from their stories. I salute these great people wholeheartedly.

Abraham Lincoln:

Take a one cent coin and look at the figure. It's none other than the great Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States.

You should know the events that he faced in his life, how he tackled and how he just continued his journey. Take inspiration from him.

Abraham Lincoln had two business ventures fail, lost 8 different elections and had a complete nervous breakdown before becoming president in 1816. His story is a great inspirational confidence story in that he shows how if you just keep moving towards your dream, you will eventually make it.

Abraham Lincoln overcame great setbacks and obstacles on his journey. Take a look at the synopsis of his life and see whether you would have had the courage to continue on.

1809 Born February 12

1816 Abraham Lincoln's family was forced out of their home and he needed to work to support his family.

1818: His mother passed away

1828: His sister dies

1831: A business venture failed

1832: He ran for the State Legislature. He lost.

1832: In the same year, he also lost his job. He decided he wanted to go to law school but couldn't get in.

1833: He borrowed money from a friend to start a business. By the end of the year, he was bankrupt.

1834: He ran for the State Legislature again. This time he won.

1835: The year was looking better as he was engaged to be married. Unfortunately, his fiancee died and he was grief stricken.

1836: This was the year he had a total nervous breakdown and for 6 months was bedridden.

1836: He sought to become Speaker of the State Legislature. He was defeated.

1840: He sought to become Elector. He was defeated.

1842: Marries Mary Todd. They have 4 boys but only one would live to maturity.

1843: He ran for Congress. He lost.

1846: He ran for Congress again. He won and moved to Washington.

1848: He ran for re-election to Congress. He lost.

1849: He sought the job of Land Officer in his home state. He didn't get the job.

1850: His son, Edward, dies.

1854: He ran for the Senate of the United states. He lost.

1856: He sought the Vice Presidential nomination at a national convention. He got less than 100 votes.

1858: He ran for the Senate again. He lost again.

1860: Abraham Lincoln is elected President of the United States

1862: His son, Willie, dies at age 12.

1865: On April 14, Abraham Lincoln is assassinated.

Whenever you see his picture on a coin or anywhere, you should recall to your mind, those events that great man has faced in his life.

Events come and events go.
Face the challenges in life like a solid rock, which is hit by waves

----

Arthur Ashe:

Arthur Ashe, the legendary Wimbledon player was dying of AIDS which he got due to infected blood he received during a heart surgery in 1983.

From the world over, he received many letters from his fans, one of which conveyed:"Why does GOD have to select you for such a bad disease"?

To this Arthur Ashe replied:

"The world over -- 50 million children start playing tennis, 5 million learn to play tennis,
500,000 learn professional tennis, 50,000 come to the circuit, 5000 reach the grand slam,
50 reach Wimbledon, 4 to the semi final, 2 to the finals,
when I was holding the cup I never asked GOD 'Why me?'.
And today in pain I should not be asking GOD 'Why me?'

Unfortunately, we lost him in 1993 at an early age, but the message that he has given to us will remain in this world forever.

Written by: Adit
Apr 2009, Middletown NJ

Wisdom - Great Sayings in Sanskrit

My teacher 'Sudarshan Kameshwar Sir' has introduced these great Sanskrit shlokas to me.

#1. Importance of Time - How precious time is..

kshanashah kanashashchaiva
vidhyAm artham cha sadhayeth
kshana thyage kutho vidhya
kana thyage kutho dhanam

Meaning:
Knowledge and Wealth have to be accumulated minute by minute and penny by penny. How can one acquire knowledge if even a single minute is wasted? How can one amass wealth if even one penny is spent worthlessly?

#2. Importance of Knowledge - There is no end for Knowledge

yadhA kinchignyOham dhvipa iva madhAnDHaha samabhavam
thadhA sarvgnyOsmIthyabhavadh avaliptham mama manaha
yadhA kinchith kinchith buDHajanasakAshAdh avagatham
thadhA mUrkhOsmIthi jvara iva madhO mE vyapagathaha

Meaning:
I became blind, like an intoxicated elephant, when I acquired a little knowledge. My mind was overcome with pride and I thought I knew everything.
I realized how ignorant I really was when I began to learn more, little by little, from the truly wise; then, my pride subsided, like a fever.

#3. Importance of Education - Vidya
Education - A word which has all vowels

विद्या ददाति विनयं विनयाद्याति पात्रतम्
पात्रत्वाद् धनमाप्नोति धनाद्धर्म ततः सुखम्

vidhyA dhadhAthi vinayam vinayAdhyAthi pAthrathAm
pathrathvAdh DHanamApnOthi DHanAdhDHarma thathaha sukham

Meaning: Knowledge makes you humble; humility gives you character; good character attracts wealth; wealth can be used for doing good deeds. This in turn leads to happiness in the world.

#4. Importance of Character - How a gentleman should repay for the helps he got

praTHamavayasi pItham thOyamalpam smaranthaha
shirasi nihithabhArA nArikElA narANAm
dhadhathi jalamanalpam AsvAdham AjIvithAntham
na hi krtham upakAram sADHavO vismaranthi

Meaning:
In return for the small amount of water that they had been given during their initial years, the coconut trees carry a weight on their heads for as long as they live in order to give men an endless supply of sweet water. The noble never forget a help done to them.

#5. Importance of friendship - A friend in need is a friend indeed

pApAn nivArayathi yOjayathE hithAya
guhyAni gUhathi guNAn prakatIkarOthi
Apadhgatham cha na jahAthi dhadhAthi kAlE
sanmithralakSHaNamidham pravadhanthi santhaha

Meaning:
Good Friends are who will help you to overcome the bad qualities in you and inspire you to take the right path. They will keep your secrets but advertise your good qualities. They will not desert you when you’re in trouble and give of themselves in your time of need – such is the nature of good friends say the wise.

#6. Can't correct them who are strict on their thoughts

shakyO vArayithum jalEna huthabhuk
CHathrENa sUryAthapO
nAgEndhrO nishithAnkushEna
samadhO dhandEna gOgardhabhau
vyADHir bhESHajasangrahaishcha
viviDHair manthraprayOgair viSHam
sarvasyauSHaDHamasthi shAsthravihitham
mUrkhasya nAsthyauSHaDHam

Meaning:
Fire can be extinguished with water, an umbrella can serve to shade against the sun.
To control even a wild elephant a staff is sufficient, while cows and donkeys can be controlled with sticks.
There are medicines for diseases and antidotes for even poisons.
There is remedy for everything in the shastras (books of knowledge), but there is no cure for foolishness.

#7. Don't become foot-ball of other's opinions/ideas

न खल्वात्मनः सचिवोक्तम् इत्येवादरणीयं परसचिवोक्तम् इति वा परिहरणीयम् धीमतां धीरेव सचिवः

na khalvAthmanaha sachivOktham ithyEvAdharaNIyam parasachivOktham ithi vA pariharaNIyam / DHImathAm DHIrEva sachivaha

Meaning:
An idea should not be accepted just because one’s own minister proposed it; nor should it be ignored just because another king’s minister suggested it. For the intelligent, their own intelligence is their minister.

#8. Knowledge is wealth

na chOrahAryam na cha rAjahAryam na bhrAthrbhAjyam na cha bhArakArI / vyayE krthE varDHathE Eva nithyam vidhyADHanam sarva DHana praDHAnam

Meaning:
That which cannot be stolen; that which cannot be confiscated by rulers; that which need not be shared among siblings; that which is not a burden as it does not weigh anything. That which, though it is used, only grows every day.

#9. Three Jewels: Water, Food and Words of wisdom

prTHivyAm thrINi rathnAni jalam annam subhASHitham / mUDaihi pASHANa khaNdESHu rathna sangyA viDHIyathE

Meaning:
In this world there are only three precious gems - water, food and words of wisdom. They are but fools who call mere pieces of stone as gems.

#10. Offering to God
प्रातः प्रभृति सायान्तं सायादि प्रातरन्ततः
यत् करोमि जगन्नाथ तदस्तु तव पूजनम्

Meaning:
From dawn to dusk and from dusk to dawn, whatever I do O Lord of the World, may it be an offering to You.

#11. Offering to God
कायेन वाचा मनसेन्द्रियैर्वा बुद्ध्यात्मना वा प्रकृतेः स्वभावात्
करोमि यद्यत् सकलं परस्मै नारायणायेति समर्पयामि

Meaning:
All that I do - with my body, my words, my mind, my senses, my intellect, my soul or unconsciously, because of my nature - everything do I offer to the supreme spirit, Narayana.

#12. A shloka from Chanakya's Niti Shastram
छायाम् अन्यस्य कुर्वन्ति त्तिष्ठन्ति स्वयम् आतपे
फलन्ति च परस्यार्थे सत्पथस्था इव द्रुमाः

CHAyAm anyasya kurvanthi thiSHTanthi svayam AthapE
phalanthi cha parasyArTHE sathpaTHasTHA iva dhrumAha

Meaning:
Trees give shade to others while themselves standing in the sun. They bear fruits for others to enjoy as do those who follow the path of goodness.

#13. Helping nature
परोपकाराय फलन्ति वृक्षाः परॊपकाराय वहन्ति नद्यः
परॊपकाराय दुहन्ति गावः परॊपकारार्थम् इदं शरीरम्

parOpakArAya phalanthi vrkSHAha parOpakArAya vahanthi nadhyaha
parOpakArAya dhuhanthi gAvaha parOpakArArTHam idham sharIram

Meaning:
Trees bear fruit for others’ sake. Rivers flow for others to use. Cows give milk for all. This body of ours too is meant to serve others.

#14. Hope

गिरिर्महान् गिरेरब्धिर्महान् अब्धेर्नभो महत्
नभसोपि महद् ब्रह्मा ततोप्याशा गरीयसी

girirmahAn girErabDHirmahAn abDHErnabhO mahath
nabhasOpi mahadh brahmA thathOpyAshA garIyasI

A mountain is great; the ocean is greater; the sky is greater still; the Almighty is greater than even the sky. But the greatest of all is Hope.

Written by: Adit
Oct 2008, Middletown NJ
E-Mail: adit.bond007@gmail.com