Dr. IQBAL (Author Of " सारे जहां से अछा हिंदुस्तान हमारा " )

    मस्जिद   तो   बना   दी   शब्   भर   मे
इम़ा   की   हरारत   वालो   ऩे
मन  अपना   पुराना   पापी   है
बरसो  में   नमाज़ी   बन     सका

क्या  खूब  अमीरे--फैसल  को
सुनवासी  ऩे  पैगाम  दीया
तू  नामो -नसब का  हिजाजी  है
पर  दिल  का  हिजाजी  बन    सका

तर  आंखें   तो  हो   जाती   है
पर क्या  लज्जत  उस  रोने  में
जो चश्मे  दिले   की  अमेज़श  से
ये  अश्क  पियाजी  बन    सका

इक़बाल   बड़ा   उपदेशक  है
बन  बातो मे  मोह  लेता है
गुफ्तार  का  गाजी  तो  ये  बना
किरदार  का  गाजी  बन    सका
             

SHORT STORIES TO PONDER

A Zen Tale from Japan --- THE  STRAWBERRY
 
There was once a man who was being chased by a ferocious tiger across a field. At the edge of the field there was a cliff. In order to escape the jaws of the tiger, the man caught hold of a vine and swung himself over the edge of the cliff. Dangling down, he saw, to his dismay, there were more tigers on the ground below him! And, furthermore, two little mice were gnawing on the vine to which he clung. He knew that at any moment he would fall to certain death. That's when he noticed a wild strawberry growing on the cliff wall. Clutching the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other and put it in his mouth.

He never before realized how sweet a strawberry could taste.

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A Tale from India --- Who Is King Of The Forest?

When Tiger jumped on Fox, Fox cried out, "How dare you attack the King of the Jungle!"
Tiger looked at him in amazement, "Nonsense! You are not King!"


"Certainly I am," replied Fox, "All the animals run from me in terror! If you want proof, come with me." Fox went into the forest with Tiger at his heels. When they came to a herd of deer, the deer saw Tiger behind Fox and ran in all directions.

They came to a group of monkeys. The monkeys saw Tiger behind Fox and they fled. Fox turned to Tiger and said, "Do you need more proof than that? See how the animals flee at the very sight me?!"

"I'm surprised, but I've seen it with my own eyes. Forgive me for attacking you, Great King." Tiger bowed low and with great ceremony he let Fox go.

:::The fisherman and the businessman:::

There was once a businessman who was sitting by the beach in a small Brazilian village.
As he sat, he saw a Brazilian fisherman rowing a small boat towards the shore having caught quite few big fish.
The businessman was impressed and asked the fisherman, “How long does it take you to catch so many fish?”
The fisherman replied, “Oh, just a short while.”
“Then why don’t you stay longer at sea and catch even more?” The businessman was astonished.
“This is enough to feed my whole family,” the fisherman said.
The businessman then asked, “So, what do you do for the rest of the day?”
The fisherman replied, “Well, I usually wake up early in the morning, go out to sea and catch a few fish, then go back

BINDU JI ( By Bhagat Ram Darshan Ji )

कन्हिया  प्यारे  दुलारे   मोहन
बजा  दो  फिर  अपनी  प्यारी  बंसी
जो  भगत  बे सुध  है  जी  उठे ग़े
सुने ग़े  जिस दम तुम्हरी  बंसी

कभी बनी  बंसी प्रेम मूरत
कभी बनी  बनी बंसी ज्ञान सूरत
पड़ी  जो  सत्य कर्म  कि  जरुरत
तो गीता बनके पुकारी  बंसी
____________________
तुम्हारी कृपा है तो दुश्मन का डर क्या
तुम्हारे गुलामो को खोफो ख़तर क्या
कृपा कि नज़र से जो तुम देखते हो
करेगी किस्सी कि भला बद नज़र क्या

बनाते जो बिगड़ी हुई बात जब तुम
बिगाड़े चीज़ कमतर  बशर क्या
गरीबो  के  अश्रुबिंदु  पर  तुम  जो    रूठो
कर लेगा  सारा  जहां  रूठ  कर  क्या

```````Prayer of Forgiveness```````

I do not know why I have to forgive the man I love.

I forgive , not because I want to become a saint but because I do not want to endure this hatred. This tiresome hatred.
This was not what I expected.
You may not forgive everyone and everything, but forgive me.
I forgive everything and everyone. I forgive you because I love you and you do not love me. I forgive you because you reject me and I am losing my power.

I am liberated from hatred by means of forgiveness and love. I understand that suffering, when it cannot be avoided, helps me to advance towards glory.

The tears I shed, I forgive.
The suffering and disappointments, I forgive.
The betrayals and lies, I forgive.
The slandering and scheming, I forgive.
The hatred and persecution, I forgive.
The punches that were given, I forgive.
The shattered dreams, I forgive.
The dead hopes, I forgive.
The disaffection and jealousy, I forgive.
The indifference and ill will, I forgive.
The injustice in the name of justice, I forgive.
The anger and mistreatment, I forgive.
The neglect and oblivion, I forgive.
The world with all its evil, I forgive.

I have not finished yet.

Grief and resentment, I replace with understanding and agreement.
Revolt, I replace with music that comes from my violin.
Pain I replace with oblivion.
Revenge, I replace with victory.
I will be able to love above all discontentment.
To give even when I am stripped of everything.
To work happily even when I find myself in the midst of all obstacles.
To dry tears even when I am still crying.
To believe even when I am discredited.