CNV3-I2-10- Titbits

Does One Need Money to Help Others?

Once, a very poor man came to Buddha. He asked: "Why am I so poor?"

Buddha answered:

"You are poor because you don’t practice generosity. You don’t practice charity."

"But how can I practice charity if I don’t have anything to give?"

"You have five treasures that you can share with others.

First, you have your face. You can share your smiles with others. It's free. And awesome. And has an amazing impact on others.

Second, you have your eyes. You can look at others with eyes full of love and care. Genuinely you can impact millions. Make them feel so good.

Third, you have your mouth. With this mouth you can say nice things to others. Talk good. Make them feel valued. Spread joy and positivity.

Then, you have a heart. With your loving heart you can wish happiness to others. Make others feel a bundle of emotions. Touch their lives.

Last treasure that you possess is your body. With this body you can do many good things to others. Help the people who need. Help is not money. A small caring gesture can light up lives.

Patience, Perseverance & Performance

The Story is so beautiful that I couldn't resist sharing with you all. Her name was Mildred Honor, a former elementary school Music Teacher from Des Moines, Iowa.

She has always supplemented her income by Teaching Piano Lessons...Something she has done for over 30 years. During those years, she found that Children have many levels of musical ability, and even though she never had the prodigy, she taught some very talented students.

However, she also had her share of what she calls 'Musically Challenged Pupils. One such Pupil being

Robby. Robby was 11 years old when his Mother (a Single Mom) dropped him off for his first Piano Lesson. She preferred that Students (especially Boys) begin at an earlier age, which she explained to Robby.  But Robby said that it had always been his Mother's Dream to hear him play the Piano, so she took him as a Student.

At the end of each weekly Lesson he would always say 'My Mom's going to hear me Play someday. But to her, it seemed hopeless, he just did not have any Inborn Ability. She only knew his Mother from a distance as she dropped Robby off or waited in her aged Car to pick him up.  She always waved and smiled, but never dropped in.

Then one day Robby stopped coming for his Lessons.  She thought about calling him, but assumed that because of his lack of Ability he had decided to pursue something else. She was also glad that he had stopped coming. He was a Bad Advertisement for her Teaching!

Several Weeks later she mailed a flyer recital to the Students' homes. And to her surprise, Robby (who had received a flyer) asked if he could be in the Recital. She told him that the Recital was for current Pupils and that because he had dropped out, he really did not Qualify.

Robby told her that his Mother had been Sick and Unable to take him to his piano lessons, but that the had been practicing.  'Please Miss Honor, I've just got to Play,' he insisted. But somehow Honor allowed him to play in the Recital - perhaps it was his insistence or maybe something inside of her saying that it would be all right;

The night of the Recital came, and the high school gymnasium was packed with Parents, Relatives and Friends. Honor had put Robby last in the Program, just before she was to come up and thank all the Students and Play a finishing piece. Because she thought that any damage Robby might do would come at the end of the Program and she could always salvage his poor performance through her 'Curtain Closer'.

Well, the Recital went off without a Hitch, the Students had been Practicing and it Showed. Then Robby came up on the stage. His Clothes were Wrinkled, and his Hair looked as though he had run an eggbeater through it. 'Why wasn't he dressed up like the other Students?' She thought. 'Why didn't his Mother at least make him Comb his Hair for this Special Night?'

Robby pulled out the Piano bench, and she was Surprised when Robby announced that he had chosen to play Mozart's Concerto No.21 in C Major.  Robby was not prepared for what he heard next.  Robby's fingers were light on the keys, they even danced nimbly on the Ivories.  He went from Pianissimo to Fortissimo, from Allegro to Virtuoso; his Suspended Chords that Mozart demands were Magnificent!  Never had se heard Mozart played so well by anyone his age.

After six and a half minutes, Robby ended in a Grand Crescendo, and everyone was on their feet in Wild...

Applause!!! Overcome and in Tears, Honor ran up on stage and put his arms around Robby in Joy;

'I have never heard you Play like that Robby, how did you do it?'  Through the Microphone Robby explained: 'Well, Miss Honor, Remember I told you that my Mom was sick?  Well, she actually had Cancer and passed away this Morning. And well... she was born deaf, so tonight was the first time she had ever heard me play, and I wanted to make it Special.,

There wasn't a Dry Eye in the house that evening.  As People from Social Services led Robby from the stage to be placed in to foster care, she noticed that even their Eyes were red and Puffy. She thought to herself then how much Richer her Life had been for taking Robby as her pupil.

Robby had taught her the meaning of Perseverance and Love and Believing in Yourself and may be even taking a chance on someone and you didn't know why. Robby was Killed years later in the Senseless Bombing of the Alfred P. Murray Federal Building in Oklahoma City in April 1995.

Live Simply.

Love Generously.

Care Deeply.

Speak Kindly.

If you had cried, you are just human.

Who says we Indians are backward in Vidyadan?

Alas! we have forgotten our own treasure.Sanskrit words for 'teacher' based on their unique abilities...

• The teacher who gives you information is called: Adhyapak.
• The one who imparts knowledge combined with information is called: Upadhyaya.
• The one who imparts skills is called: Acharya.
• The one who is able to give a deep insight into a subject is called: Pandit.
• The one who has a visionary view on a subject and teaches you to think: Dhrishta.
• The one who awakens wisdom in you, leading you from darkness to light, is called: Guru.

Sanskrit is perhaps the only language that has such a refined vocabulary to distinguish the different kinds of teachers.

With 2020 Greetings

Contributed by Dr Jagan Mohan Reddy