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Copyright © 2009, New Age International (P) Ltd., Publishers Published by New Age International (P) Ltd., Publishers All rights reserved. No part of this ebook may be reproduced in any form, by photostat, microfilm, xerography, or any other means, or incorporated into any information retrieval system, electronic or mechanical, without the written permission of the publisher. All inquiries should be emailed to
[email protected] ISBN (13) : 978-81-224-2965-7
PUBLISHING FOR ONE WORLD
NEW AGE INTERNATIONAL (P) LIMITED, PUBLISHERS 4835/24, Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi - 110002 Visit us at www.newagepublishers.com
Dedicated to all the kids Especially Gaurav, Pramath, Saujanya, Sunaina, Disha and Purvi
“I dreamed I stood in a studio And watched two sculptors there, The clay they used was a young child’s mind And they finished it with care. One was a teacher; the tools he used Were books and music and art; One a parent with a guiding hand And a gentle and loving heart. Day after day the teacher toiled With a touch that was deft and sure While the parent laboured by his side And polished and smoothed it o’er. And when at last their task was done They were proud of what they had wrought, For the things they had moulded into the child Could neither be sold nor bought And each agreed he would have failed If he had worked alone. For behind the parent stood the school And behind the teacher, the home.” —Author Unknown
Comments
Readers say about the book… ☞ A truly inspirational book!! Each of the fable or anecdote take only a few minutes to read but, offer invaluable practical wisdom that sees us through the upheavals of life. This book I am sure, will strike a responsive chord in everyone from a teenager going through the vagaries of her adolescence to a senior citizen enjoying his peaceful sunset days. The style is simple and lucid, but the book offers profound yet common sensical insights about the differentiating edges we all strive for. The puzzles are true calisthenics for the brain!!! A must buy!!! —Seema Sambargi Itagi, M.Sc. (Statistics), M.B.A. Faculty Member—Statistics. ☞ Chintana Manthana – as the name itself narrates is a book which triggers thinking. Starting with Ganesha’s symbolization of values in life, the author has carefully touched aspects of everyday life and has interestingly woven these into story line to simplify the message. This book is a must read not only for motivation but also for challenging brainteasers. —Dr. Anuradha, M.B.B.S., D.M.R.D., D.N.B., Radiologist. ☞ Great thoughts of life expressed with greatest simplicity of expressions. The articles are thoroughly mesmerizing and invoke thinking about the true meaning of life. The beauty of life is in its simplicity and this is brought out excellently in the book. —Jyoti Srinath, M.Sc. (Physics), M.B.A. Sub-Divisional Engineer, BSNL, Bangalore.
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Comments
☞ It is with a sense of pride and pleasure that I welcome the publication of Chinthana Manthana, written by our Mathematics teacher Mrs. G.R. Veena. This volume is full of endearing nuggets of wisdom and mind teasing-puzzles which will provide hours of amusement for readers. I commend Mrs. Veena for her imaginative initiative in creating this fine book. —Dr. Matthew Sullivan, (D.Phil., Oxford) Principal, TISB. ☞ An impressive effort to synthesise varied aspects for enabling a richer and wholesome experience of life. —G.K. Prasanna, B.E., M.B.A., Sr. Manager/CE-Purchase BHEL Electronics Division, Bangalore. ☞ The use of a variety of tools like parables, poetry and puzzles makes the reading very interesting. —B.P. Sumana, M.Com., AICWA, Audit Officer, Bangalore. ☞ Chintana-Manthana is an effort of sincere compilation with lot of dedication to give our children of today a volume to ponder and reflect. Though not unique or even original in the fundamental ideas the compiler has an honest intention of inspiring today’s children with her set of emotions and affection. The tone and tenor of this work throughout appears quite formal, which goes to say that the compiler has sensed the ability of today’s children to browse through such seriously drafted fun-filled work. Here, there is an effort to bring in the folk approach of the Karnataka regional/local tinge in the language of English. Interconnecting the granny’s story-telling style with that of the English lingual prowess, the compiler is successful in blending the concepts into a new form. It is the English reading modern kids backed up by homely-tradition who will enjoy and emulate this tiny and vivid compilation. The inspiration instilled and the moral modelled through the traditional approach, the local tinge and the local wit to drive home effective life-living disciplines are indeed appreciable. The riddles, the high-value concepts, the pneumonic way, the thinker-ticklers and in the end, the gist of Bhagavad-Gita have given the compilation a spiritual finishing. Wishing everyone a happy reading… —A.S. Chandramouli, M.A. (Journalism) —Principal, Surana College, Bangalore.
Preface
T
he ardent interest in puzzle solving, inspirational and motivational poems and parables led me to develop some visual programmes that would appeal an audience in a short period of time. I envisioned programmes that should be informational, motivational and entertaining, yet short and compact and put up efforts on it. The result was ‘CHINTHANA MANTHANA’ Kannada TV series. This book is written to share that concept in English with you. It contains stories and thoughts that are designed to be short and simple but leave a lasting impression. The book contains puzzles that will lead you on an exciting, informative and adventurous journey through the dense jungle of abilities and capabilities. It is filled with fun and mystery and will take you on a journey into the fascinating world of human thought. I am sure by the end you have improved your thinking ability as well as your faculties of perception and problem solving skills. I wish you fun and success in every step of the way. Bangalore
G.R. Veena
[email protected] Acknowledgements
I
nterdependence has a higher value than independence. Any accomplishment requires the effort of many people and this work is no different. I thank Mrs. Usha Narayan for providing me an opportunity to bring out the TV series—CHINTHANA MANTHANA. I am also thankful to Ms. Mallika Balu for translating some of the parables from Kannada to English. I am grateful to my husband Mr. H.G. Rajesh, my mother-in-law Mrs. Chaya Swamy, my father-in-law Mr. H. Govinda Swamy, my sister Mrs. Jyothi Kumar, my brother Mr. G. R. Nagesh and my brother-in-law Mr. B.K. Kumar whose patience and support was instrumental in accomplishing this task. Many anecdotes, quotations, parables and puzzles are the result of a collection from various sources such as books, newspapers, magazines, websites etc. Unfortunately sources were not always mooted or available; hence it becomes impractical to provide an accurate acknowledgement. Regardless of the source I wish to express my deep gratitude to those who may have contributed to this work, even though anonymously. I am also thankful to Mr. Saumya Gupta, Director, New Age International Publishers and Mr. S.P. Sudharshan, Marketing Manager, Bangalore Division, for helping me in publishing this collection. Bangalore
G.R. Veena
[email protected] Contents
Comments
vii
Preface
ix
Acknowledgements
x
1. Inspirations from Lord Ganesha
1
2. Small truth to make our life 100% successful...
4
3. Perception…
10
4. Making a difference…
18
5. Opportunities…
21
6. Planning…
24
7. Time management…
28
8. Thinking…
33
9. Obstacles…
40
10. Problem solving…
43
11. Purpose…
49
12. Enthusiasm…
54
13. Effort…
56
14. Building our life…
57
15. Value…
58
16. Good deeds…
61
17. Sharpen your axe…
64
18. Knowing and doing…
67
Contents
xii
19. Attachment…
70
20. Expectations…
75
21. Greediness…
76
22. Fame…Fame…Fame…
77
23. Greatness…
79
24. Ability…
82
25. Criticism…
89
26. Ego…
92
27. Mental tension…
95
28. Way to happiness…
99
29. Balance…
101
30. Unity…
103
31. Everything happens for good…
110
Answers with explanation to the puzzles
113
❐
Inspirations from Lord Ganesha
Lord Ganesha is known throughout South Asia as the fountainhead of wisdom and courage. Before any task, be it laying of the foundation of a house or starting any other work, the blessings of Lord Ganesh are invoked. Prayers to Ganesha precede every Hindu religious ceremony. This is performed like a ritual. The underlying meaning associated with this practice is very profound. Also there is an important social message communicated by the symbol of lord Ganesha. Listen m ore
T hink big C oncentrate
Talk less
A daptability P eacefully digest all good and bad of life D iscover the sw eetness of inner voice
K eep desires and m ind under control
Symbols are perfect representations of hidden messages and wisdom. Lord Ganesha’s big head inspires us to think big. The big ears show openness to new ideas and suggestions and have the ability to listen to and comprehend all that others say; the narrow eyes point to the deep concentration needed to finish a
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task well; the long nose encourages curiosity and also adaptability. Small mouth tells us to talk less. The large stomach inspires us to keep all that is within our minds under wraps until it is accomplished and also peacefully digest all good and bad of life. The vehicle of Ganeshji is mouse. The unique quality of the mouse is that, while the rest of the world sleeps with great abandon, it quietly hoards all sorts of things in its hole, to be discovered only when its young ones start playing around! Also it symbolizes to keep our desires and mind under control. Similarly, before starting any task, it is essential to undergo the penance of collecting all related information and making necessary preparations. This wisdom fuelled by hard work is the vehicle for success, signified by the laddoos!
1.. I have no voice, yet I speak to you; I tell of all things in the world that people do. I have leaves, but I am not a tree. I have a spine and hinges, But I am not a man or a door; I have told you all, I cannot tell you more. What am I
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Listen When I ask you to listen to me and you start giving advice, you have not done what I asked. When I ask you to listen to me and you begin to tell me why I shouldn’t feel that way, you are trampling on my feelings. When I ask you to listen to me and you feel you have to do something to solve my problem, you have failed me, strange as that may seem. Listen! All I asked was that you listen. Not to talk or do-just hear me. Advice is cheap. And I can do for myself. I’m not helpless. Maybe discouraged and faltering, but not helpless. When you do something for me that I can and need to do for myself, you contribute to my fear and weakness. But, when you accept as a single fact that I do feel what I feel, no matter how irrational, then I can quit trying to convince you and get to the business of understanding what’s behind this irrational feeling. And when that’s clear, the answers are obvious and I don’t need advice. Irrational feelings make sense when we understand what’s behind them. So, please listen and just hear me. And if you want to talk, wait a minute for your turn; and I’ll listen to you. —Author Unknown
❐
Small truth to make our life 100% successful...
“Don’t grieve that your roses have thorns. Rejoice instead that your thorns have roses!” If A = 1 B = 2 C = 3 D = 4 E = 5
F=6
G=7 H=8 I = 9
J = 10 K = 11 L = 12 M = 13 N = 14 O = 15 P = 16 Q = 17 R = 18 S = 19 T = 20 U = 21 V = 22 W = 23 X = 24 Y = 25 Z = 26
Then Hardwork
Knowledge
Love
Luck
K = 11 H=8
N = 14
L = 12
L = 12
A=1
O = 15
O = 15
U = 21
R = 18
W = 23
V = 22
C=3
D=4
L = 12
E=5
K = 11
W = 23
E=5
O = 15
D=4
Makes 54%
Makes 47%
R = 18
G=7
K = 11
E=5
Makes 98% Makes 96%
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5
(None of them makes 100%) Then what makes 100%?? Is it Money? ..... NO!!! Leadership? ..... NO!!! Every problem has a solution, only if we perhaps change our “ATTITUDE”. It is OUR ATTITUDE towards Life and Work that makes OUR Life 100% Successful. D=4 A=1
I=9
T = 20
S=19
T = 20
C=3
I=9
I=9
T = 20
and
P=16
U = 21
L=12
D=4
I=9
E=5
N=14
Makes 100%
E=5 Makes 100%
It is the discipline in life and work that makes our life 100% successful.
5.What is Unusual About this Paragraph? How quickly can you find out what is so unusual about this paragraph? It looks so ordinary that you would think that nothing is wrong with it at all, and, in fact, nothing is. But it is unusual. Why? If you study it and think about it, you may find out, but I am not going to assist you in any way. You must do it without coaching. No doubt, if you work at it for long, it will dawn on you. Who knows? Go to work and try your skill. Par is about half an hour.
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There was a man who made living selling balloons. He had all colors of balloons, including yellow, blue and green. Whenever business was slow, he would release a helium-filled balloon into the air and when the children saw it go up, they all wanted to buy one. They would come up to him, buy a balloon and his sales would go up again. He continued this process all day. One day, he felt someone tugging his jacket. He turned around and saw a little boy who asked, ‘If you release a black balloon, would that also fly?’ Moved by the boy’s concern, the man replied with empathy ‘Son, its not the color of balloon, its what’s inside that makes it go up’. The same thing applies to our live. It’s what inside that count. The thing inside of us, makes up go up is ATTITUDE. We can’t change the reality that life is a mixture of beauty, joy, danger and pain, but we can change our perspective ... our attitude, and that one change can transform everything! The reality of our lives may result from many outside factors, none of which we can control. The only thing we can really control in this life is our own mental attitudes. We should try to remember that all we are dealing with is thoughts, and thoughts can be changed. We may not have control over our circumstances, but we do have control over our thoughts and we can choose how we will respond to the things that happen to us. We all have unlimited choices about what we can think. The things we think become the truth for us. Our subconscious minds will accept whatever we choose to believe. There is no person, no place and no thing that has any power over us, for “we” are the only thinkers in our mind. Things seem to turn out best for those people who can make the best out of the way things turn out. It is not the situation ... it is our reactions to the situation. Although pain is inevitable for all of us, we do have an option as to how we react to it. It’s no fun to suffer ... in fact, it can be horrible! We are all going to have pain, but “Misery is optional!” We all have choices. It is up to us to decide how we will react to the pain that inevitably comes to us all. Having joy or misery all depends on how we look at or think about it. It is in how we choose to look at the circumstances. We can look for the
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7
flowers or just see the weeds. We can see the bright side or look for the clouds. How we look at life can either bring a sparkle of joy or a handful of gloom. We can be as happy as we decide to be. Two people living in the same world, with the same set of circumstances, can experience life so differently just by the way they think. Each day can be an exciting, joyous, hopeful experience, or it can be a sorrowful, limiting, and painful one. What you see in your mind is what you get out of life.
79. On a shelf in the library, there is a 3 book set of encyclopedias labeled volume 1, volume 2 and volume 3. Each book is 2 1/2 inches thick, the pages being 2 inches thick and each cover is 1/4 inch thick. A bookworm starts eating its way from the 1st page of volume 1 and stops at the last page of volume 3. How far did the bookworm travel? 89. How many birth does the average man have. 90. If you have only match and you walked into a room where there was an oil burner, a kerosene lamp, and a wood burning stove, which one would you light first? 91. A doctor give you three pills telling you to take one every half hour. How long would the pills last? 92. A clerk in the butcher shop is 5' 10" tall. What does he weigh?
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This is a story of identical twins. One was a hopefilled optimist. “Everything is coming up roses!” he would say. The other twin was a sad and hopeless pessimist. He thought that Murphy, as in Murphy’s Law, was an optimist. The worried parents of the boys brought them to the local psychologist. He suggested to the parents a plan to balance the twins’ personalities. “On their next birthday, put them in separate rooms to open their gifts. Give the pessimist the best toys you can afford, and give the optimist a box of manure.” The parents followed these instructions and carefully observed the results. When they peeked in on the pessimist, they heard him audibly complaining, “I don’t like the color of this computer . . I’ll bet this calculator will break . . . I don’t like the game . . . I know someone who’s got a bigger toy car than this . . .” Tiptoeing across the corridor, the parents peeked in and saw their little optimist gleefully throwing the manure up in the air. He was giggling. “You can’t fool me! Where there’s this much manure, there’s gotta be a pony!”
2. The rope ladder of a boat hangs over the side of the boat and just reaches the water. Its rungs are 8 inches apart. How many rungs will be under the water when the tide rises 4 feet? 93. What three numbers have the same answer when added together and multiplied together? 94. What is round as a dishpan and no matter the size, all the water in the ocean can’t fill it up? 95. I have many eyes but cannot see. I have not mouth or nose, but always smell. Do not eat may three or you will, be, A very rare FATALITY!
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9
Attitude Determines Altitude I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight. I have responsibilities to fulfill today. I am important. My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have. Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free. Today I can feel sad that I don’t have more money or I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste. Today I can grumble about my health or I can rejoice that I am alive. Today I can lament over all that my parents didn’t give me when I was growing up or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born. Today I can cry because roses have thorns or I can celebrate that thorns have roses. Today I can mourn my lack of friends or I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new relationships. Today I can whine because I have to go to work or I can shout for joy because I have a job to do. Today I can complain because I have to go to school or eagerly open my mind and fill it with rich new tidbits of knowledge. Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework or I can feel honored because the Lord has provided shelter for my mind, body and soul. Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped. And here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping. What today will be like is up to me. I get to choose what kind of day I will have —Author Unknown
! ❐
Perception…
Man or Woman?
Do you see the man or woman? Or do you see both? Or are there THREE people in this picture. If you are missing it, the man is the brown moustache. The woman is looking to the left and you can see here eye and nose protrude from the left part of the image. There is also another face - the woman’s chin is the nose for this third face, and the wrinkle in the woman’s neck is the mouth.
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Six blind men were discussing exactly what they believed an elephant to be, since each had heard how strange the creature was, yet none had ever seen one before. So the blind men agreed to find an elephant and discover what the animal was really like. It didn’t take the blind men long to find an elephant at a nearby place. The first blind man approached the beast and felt the animal’s firm flat side. “It seems to me that the elephant is just like a wall,” he said to his friends. The second blind man reached out and touched one of the elephant’s tusks. “No, this is round and smooth and sharp - the elephant is like a spear.” Intrigued, the third blind man stepped up to the elephant and touched its trunk. “Well, I can’t agree with either of you; I feel a squirming writhing thing - surely the elephant is just like a snake.” The fourth blind man was of course by now quite puzzled. So he reached out, and felt the elephant’s leg. “You are all talking complete nonsense,” he said, “because clearly the elephant is just like a tree.” Utterly confused, the fifth blind man stepped forward and grabbed one of the elephant’s ears. “You must all be mad - an elephant is exactly like a fan.” Duly, the sixth man approached, and, holding the beast’s tail, disagreed again. “It’s nothing like any of your descriptions - the elephant is just like a rope.” And all six blind men continued to argue, based on their own particular experiences, as to what they thought an elephant was like. It was an argument that they were never able to resolve. Each of them was concerned only with their own idea. None of them had the full picture, and none could see any of the other’s point of view. Each man saw the elephant as something quite different, and while in part each blind man was right, none was wholly correct. There is never just one way to look at something - there are always different perspectives, meanings, and perceptions, depending on who is looking and how is he looking and with what perspective.
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Imagine you’re in bus stand. While you’re waiting for your bus, you notice a petty shop selling shortbread cookies. You buy a box, put them in your traveling bag and then you patiently search for an available seat so that you can sit down and enjoy your cookies. Finally you find a seat next to a gentleman. You reach down into your traveling bag and pull out your box of shortbread cookies. As you do so, you notice that the gentleman starts watching you intensely. He stares as you open the box and his eyes follow your hand as you pick up the cookie and bring it to your mouth. Just then he reaches over and takes one of your cookies from the box, and eats it! You’re more than a little surprised at this. Actually, you’re at a loss for words. Not only does he take one cookie, but he alternates with you. For every one cookie you take, he takes one. Now, what’s your immediate impression of this guy? Crazy? Greedy? He’s got some nerve?! Can you imagine the words you might use to describe this man to your associates back at the office? Meanwhile, you both continue eating the cookies until there’s just one left. To your surprise, the man reaches over and takes it. But then he does something unexpected. He breaks it in half, and gives half to you. After he’s finished with his half he gets up, and without a word, he leaves. You think to yourself, “Did this really happen?” You’re left sitting there dumbfounded and still hungry. So you go back to the shop and buy another box of cookies. You then return to your seat and begin opening your new box of cookies when you glance down into your traveling bag. Sitting there in your bag is your original box of cookies — still unopened. Only then do you realize that when you reached down earlier, you had reached into the other man’s bag, and grabbed his box of cookies by mistake.
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Now what do you think of the man? Generous? Tolerant? You’ve just experienced a profound paradigm shift. You’re seeing things from a new point of view. Now, think of this story as it relates to your life. Perhaps you’ve been doing something the same way for years, but never stopped to think about how it could be done better. A little bit of research and brainstorming may make you see what you’re currently doing in a whole new light. Seeing things from a new point of view can be very enlightening. Think outside the box. Don’t settle for the status quo. Be open to suggestions. Be open to changing your point of view. Things may not be what they seem.
3. What am I? I am what I am, but if you know what I am, I am no longer what I am. Guess, what am I? Six letters have I, and many more; One word tells what the others are for; Conceal a thing is what I do; So what am I? 96. It lives without a body, hears without ears, speaks without a mouth, and is born in air. What is it? 97. I am the beginning of sorrow, and the end of sickness. You cannot express happiness without me, yet I am in the midst of crosses. I am always in risk, yet never in danger. You may find me in the sun, but I am never seen out of darkness.
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By Changing Your Thinking By Changing Your Thinking, You change your beliefs; When you change your beliefs, You change your expectations; When you change your expectations, You change your attitude; When you change your attitude, You change your behavior; When you change your behavior, You change your performance; When you change your performance; You Change Your Life! —Author Unknown
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Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour a day to drain the fluids from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed next to the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed would live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the outside world. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man had said. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band, he could see it in his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head: Why should he have all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never get to see anything? It didn’t seem fair. As the thought fermented, the man felt ashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window - and that thought now controlled his life. Late one night, as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running. In less than
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five minutes, the coughing and choking stopped, along with the sound of breathing. Now, there was only silence—deathly silence. The following morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendant to take it away—no words, no fuss. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. The pursuit of happiness is a matter of choice...it is a positive attitude we consciously choose to express. It is not a gift that gets delivered to our doorstep each morning, nor does it come through the window. And our circumstances are just a small part of what makes us joyful. If we wait for them to get just right, we will never find lasting joy. The pursuit of happiness is an inward journey. Our minds are like programs, awaiting the code that will determine behaviors; like bank vaults awaiting our deposits. If we regularly deposit positive, encouraging, and uplifting thoughts, if we continue to bite our lips just before we begin to grumble and complain, if we shoot down that seemingly harmless negative thought as it germinates, we will find that there is much to rejoice about.
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Comfort Zone I used to have a comfort zone where I knew I wouldn’t fail. The same four walls and busywork were really more like jail. I longed so much to do the things I’d never done before, But stayed inside my comfort zone and paced the same old floor. I said it didn’t matter that I wasn’t doing much. I said I didn’t care for things like commission checks and such. I claimed to be so busy with the things inside the zone, But deep inside I longed for something special of my own. I couldn’t let my life go by just watching others win. I held my breath; I stepped outside and let the change begin. I took a step and with new strength I’d never felt before, I kissed my comfort zone goodbye and closed and locked the door. If you’re in a comfort zone, afraid to venture out, Remember that all winners were at one time filled with doubt. A step or two and words of praise can make your dreams come true. Reach for your future with a smile; success is there for you!
" ❐
Making a difference…
You don’t have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great. Once upon a time there was a wise man who had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. One day he was walking along the shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself to think of someone who would dance to the day. So he began to walk faster to catch up. As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasn’t dancing, but instead he was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean. As he got closer he called out, “Good morning! What are you doing?” The young man paused, looked up and replied, “Throwing starfish in the ocean.” “I guess I should have asked, why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?” “The sun is up and the tide is going out. And if I don’t throw them in they’ll die.” “But, young man, don’t you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it. You can’t possibly make a difference!” The young man listened politely. Then bent down, picked another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves and said, “It made a difference for that one.” We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.
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Now take a quiz… Take a quiz or Just read straight through and you’ll get the point, an awesome one. ..... The quiz has two sections: section A and section B Section A: 1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world. 2. Name the last five Ranji trophy winners. 3. Name the last five winners of the Miss India contest. 4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel Prize. 5. Name five filmfare award winners for best actor/actress. 6. Name the last decade’s worth of World Series winners. How did you do? Here’s Section B of the quiz. See how you do on this one: 1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school. 2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time. 3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile. 4. Think of a few people who have made you feel, appreciated and special. 5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with. 6. Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you. Easier? The point is , none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners. The people who make a difference in our life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.
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The Road Not Taken Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that, the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. —Robert Frost
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Opportunities…
Once upon a time a little princess was seated by a pond crying. Suddenly a good fairy appeared and said: ‘I cannot bear to see you cry, and so I will grant you two wishes’. Only two? The princess asked since she could think of much more than two things to wish for. ‘Two and not a singe one more’ the fairy replied firmly. ‘Enough is enough’. The princess gave a deep sigh. Good. First I wish for a prince. So be it’, replied the fairy. ‘And for my second wish I wish to have two more wishes granted’, the shrewd little princess added in no uncertain terms. ‘This is terrible!’ the good fairy thought to herself, ‘but then a promise is a promise’ ‘Well the prince must be very handsome, the little princess continued, and then I wish to have two more wishes granted. Annoyed, the good fairy swallowed hard, but did as she had promised. And the princess started again. ‘First I want the prince to be very rich and then you must grant me two more wishes’ the good fairy complained: ‘well is this never going to end?’ ‘Never’ the insatiable princess crowed delightedly. ‘Next I would like to have many healthy children with the prince. My second wish you must know: grant me two more wishes. This story illustrates the principles that you can count yourself lucky if you have wished for the right thing and like the princess, thought of the next step ahead. Especially when the second wish opens up so many more wishes.
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A traveling preacher finds himself in a tremendous rainstorm. Within a few hours the hotel he is staying in becomes flooded. As the water rises, the preacher climbs to the roof and starts praying. “Lord, save me so that I can continue on my mission of preaching your gospel.” Just then, a coast guard rescue party floats by in a rowboat. “Let’s go mister, into the boat.” “I’ll stay here,” says the preacher, “The Lord will save me.” An hour later a second boat reaches the scene and the water is close to the roof of the hotel. “Sir, you better get in the water is still rising.” “No thanks. The Lord will be my salvation.” Toward evening, the hotel is almost completely under water and the preacher is clinging to the satellite dish on the roof. A helicopter is spotted and on a loudspeaker is heard “Sir, grab on to the line and we will pull you up. This is your last chance. “I’m all right,” says the preacher, as he looks heavenward. “I know the Lord will provide sanctuary.” As the boat departs, the satellite dish is hit by lightning and the preacher is killed. When he arrived at the Pearly Gates he was furious. “What happened,” he shouts. “I thought the Lord would provide!” Moments later a thunderous voice is heard. “Gimmie a break pal. I sent you two boats and a chopper.”
82. A drawer contains ten brown socks, ten black socks and eight blue socks. How many socks must you take (in total darkness) before being sure of having a pair of socks? 84. Suhas arrives at his local railway station to catch the metro express train, which departs hourly at exactly five minutes past the hour. Thinking he might have just missed it, he looks up at the station clock and sees that the hour and minute hands are coincident between 1 and 2. Rather surprisingly, he then knows that he hasn’t missed his train. If the clock is correct, how does he know? 102. If one child has 6 2/3 sand piles and another has 3 1/3, and you combine them, how many sand piles do you have?
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Winner versus Loser The Winner is always part of the answer; The Loser is always part of the problem. The Winner is always has a program; The Loser always has an excuse. The Winner says,”Let me do it for you; The Loser says;” That is not my job.” The Winner sees an answer for every problem; The Loser sees a problem for every answer. The Winner says, “It may be difficult but it is possible”; The Loser says, “It may be possible but it is too difficult.” When a Winner makes a mistake, he says, “I was wrong”; When a Loser makes a mistake, he says, “It wasn’t my fault.” A Winner makes commitments; A Loser makes promises. Winners say, “I must do something”; Losers say,”Something must be done.” Winners see possibilities; Losers see problems. Winners believe in win/win; Losers believe for them to win someone has to lose. Winners choose what they say; Losers say what they choose. Winners stand firm on values but compromise on petty things; Losers stand firm on petty things but compromise on values. Winners follow the philosophy of empathy: “Don’t do to others what you would, not want them to do to you”; Losers follow the philosophy, “Do it to others before they do it to you.” Winners make it happen; Losers let it happen.
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Planning…
He who fails to plan, plans to fail (Proverb) Long ago in Gonibeedu, the people followed a strange custom. According to this, anyone of its citizens could become the king. The period of rule was for five years only. But, after the fifth year, the king would be tied hand and foot and taken in a boat across the river Hemamvathi to the other bank thrown as food for the wild animals in the forest there. So, very few chose to become the king. The few that did choose were those people who felt that at least for five years they could live in regal splendor and not want anything in life. When the ruler’s term came to an end many a king wished that he had not chosen this doom for himself. The ministers would speedily send the king across the river without any mercy to face his end. None of the kings could avoid this doom, so prudent people judiciously avoided taking this position. It was the custom of the people to gather on the bank to watch their king make this tragic exit. On such occasions, they could hear the pitiful cries of the king for a chance at life. They also saw how the cries for mercy were ignored. But on one such occasion, they were surprised to see a king come calmly with royal dignity and maintaining a silent composure of serenity. The king was followed by his ministers. The boat was ready for the king. The king looked at his ministers and said, “Well am I not your king till I reach the other bank of the river?” All of them together said, “Yes your majesty.” The king said, “In that case I feel that I have not been honoured properly. This boat has not been readied to fit a king. It
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is insulting to sit on a hard plank for a king. Get cushions and pillows and arrange them in such a way that I can make my journey in a comfortable manner to the other bank of the river Hemavathi.” The ministers carried out the king’s command immediately. The King’s seat was made comfortable. Smiling at them all cheerfully the king took leave of them. The old boatman who was steering the boat was surprised to see the king in good cheer. He thought that the king hadn’t realised his doom. Rowing the boat slowly, he asked the king how he could keep himself cool and collected inspite of the fact that soon he would meet his end. Hearing this, the king laughed loudly and burst into a song. The boatman was even more shocked. He thought for a while and said to the king, “If your Majesty is thinking of escaping from me, I have to say humbly but firmly that I, at all costs, will stop such a thing from happening. I have to take all precautions. So allow me, Your Highness, to tie you to your seat.” The king laughed again and allowed himself to be tied to the seat. The boat had gone the half way mark when the boatman asked the king again whether he was not afraid of the wild animals on the other bank of the river. The king, in surprise said, “What did you say? Wild animals! Where? On the other side of the river? Oh! Then, innocent man, you don’t know all that has taken place. I will tell you all that I have done. Listen carefully. This shows that you have not been to the other bank of the river all these years. You have also not noticed the increase in traffic on this river these five years. There is neither a wild forest nor wild animals on the other bank of the river Hemavathi. I have not ruled the kingdom as the other kings have done all these years. Right from the first day the thought haunted me that I would be mercilessly thrown to my death at the end of my tenure. I felt that I should find a way out. Though this thought kept me from enjoying the comforts of kingship in the initial days, I mastered my fears and started enjoying with complete enthusiasm the position as a ruler. I drew up a five year plan. Of course I could not avert going to the other bank at the end of five years. I felt I could make heaven in the place of hell. So, during the first year, I sent an army of hunters to this forest with the order that they should kill all the wild animals. In the second year, I sent two thousand woodcutters to fell the trees and clear the forest. The third year masons were sent along with architects and engineers
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with instructions to build lovely palaces, develop pleasure gardens, beautiful parks, exquisite bowers, swimming pools and stadium. Thus I made a paradise of pleasure from a wild forest. I selected trustworthy and loyal men from my court in the fourth year, appointed them as ministers, bade them to go to the newly constructed kingdom and plan how the country could be ruled righteously and well. In the fifth year, I picked and chose loyal people and bade them go to Hemapura for that is the name I have given to the new city. They are owners of the new houses they have occupied. I am now going to that place to take charge of my kingdom. Oh! Look for yourself how grand my city is. Just see that way. Don’t you see the welcoming party consisting of my ministers in their best with garlands in their hands? Can’t you see the musicians waiting with their musical instruments singing and playing soulful music welcoming me, their cherished lord? There I will rule permanently, without the disturbance of wrong doers. I have mastered my fate. Am I not a man of destiny? If you wish you too can come and be my boatman.” The boatman did see all that the king had described on the other side of the bank. The elephant with the howdah was ready to carry the king. The boatman was speechless with surprise and wonder. From then on, the king spent the rest of his days in joy and ruling well and righteously the land of Hemapura. We are self appointed rulers of our lives. But there is a fixed time for our stay. We will not be allowed to stay for an extra second. We waste our time thoughtlessly in trivial matters. Then, when the end comes, we blame fate, our stars and God for the way we lead our lives. Instead we too like the king of Hemapura with foresight can work hard with determination to reach our goal. Then happiness will last long in our lives along with peace. At the same time we can face the challenges thrown by life, space, and time.
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IF If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies, Or being hated, don’t give way to hating, And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise: If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two imposters just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools; If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breathe a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!” If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds’ worth of distance runYours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And - which is more - you’ll be a Man, my son! —Rudyard Kipling
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Time management…
Today, be aware of how you are spending your 1,440 beautiful moments, and spend them wisely. Taking pity on a pauper, a sage gave him a sparshmani saying, “This will be with you for six months. If you touch this to anything made of iron it will turn to gold. But, six months later it should be returned to me. This is a good opportunity to get rid of your poverty.” Then he went away. The lazy pauper thought “six months is a long time. I will see later. Right now the price of iron is high. Let it come down” he kept the bead safely in a box. The price of iron went on increasing in the market. This man did not touch the sparshmani to any piece of iron and thus no gold was got. Six months later when the sanyasi came, he asked “How much gold did you make? Did your poverty go? “Hearing this, the pauper fell at the feet of the sage, his eyes are filled with tears. “O great man forgive me! I did not make use of the good path you showed me. I am lazy. Forgive me!” The sage got angry and said “There is no greater enemy than lazyness in this world. There is last chance. Get all the things made out of iron in our house and touch it to this magical stone and get gold. At least let your poverty leave you” the poor begger ran into his house. What is there? Wooden things, mud pots, aluminium utensils and nothing else was found. Finally he got an iron needle. He gave it to the sanyasi. “ Your fate is just this” sanyasi said. Time is the greatest opportunity in man’s life among all the gifts that has been given to man, this is the best. Those
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who utilize it well are the successful ones. If a farmer, a business man, a student use their time properly they become achievers. Instead of this the lazy ones postpone doing this by saying “I will do tomorrow”, “I will do next week” and regret the loss time later.
85. There is a miniature of an apartment having 100 flats. Imagine 100 children are playing a special game which is as follows. First child comes and opens all the doors of 100 flats. Second child comes and closes the door number 2, 4,6, 8 ... Third child comes checks for door number 3, 6, 9, 12 ... and opens the door if it is closed or closes it if it is open. Same way Fourth child opens/ closes the door number 4,8, 12, 16 ... and the playing continues. How many doors are open after 100th child opening/closing the door? Identify the door numbers which are open. 86. Hamsa and Thrupti are 65 miles apart. Hamsa travels at 10 miles per hour from Hamsapur to Thrupti town. While Thrupti travels at 3 miles per hour from Thrupti town to Hamspapur. If both set out at the same time, how many miles will the hamsa have to travel before meeting the thrupti en route? 87. 0nce a Brahmin performed pooja. For performing pooja, he took the help of three pujaris. One is main pujari and other two are helpers. After pooja, Brahmin offered all the cows in his shed as dhaana. Main pujari asked for half of them, second pujari asked for one fourth of them and the third pujari asked for one fifth of them. But in the shed there were only 19 cows. The pujaris stuck to the share and they are not agreeing to compromise. Brahmin’s brother who is very good in calculations resolved this. How did he share 19 cows exactly into one half, one fourth and one fifth?
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A lecturer at a university is giving a pre-exam lecture on time management. On his desk is a bag of sand, a bag of pebbles, some big rocks and bucket. He asks for a volunteer to put all three grades of stone into the bucket, and a keen student duly steps up to carry out the task, starting with the sand, then the pebbles, then the rocks, which do not all fit in the bucket. “This is an analogy of poor time management,” trills the lecturer, “If you’d have put the rocks in first, then the pebbles, then the sand, all three would have fit. This is much like time management, in that by completing your biggest tasks first, you leave room to complete your medium tasks, then your smaller ones. By completing your smallest tasks first you spend so much time on them you leave yourself unable to complete either medium or large tasks satisfactorily. Let me show you..” And the lecturer re-fills the bucket, big rocks first, then pebbles, then sand, shaking the bucket between each so that everything fits. In other words: Plan time-slots for your big issues before anything else, or the inevitable sand and water issues will fill up your days and you won’t fit the big issues in (a big issue doesn’t necessarily have to be a work task - it could be your child’s sports-day, or a holiday).
98. What flies without wings? 99. What word books the same upside down and backwards? 100. How you heard the saying what goes up must come down? Well what goes up and never goes down? 101. If an electric train is going east at 60 miles an hour and there is a strong westerly wind, which way does the smoke from the train drift.
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A fisherman lived on the banks of river Ganga. Everyday he caught fish, sold it and he lived with the money he got. The expenses of the day met the income of that day. Once, he could not catch a single fish, though he tied the whole day. Tired from hunger and effort, he slowly went home wards in the evening. He thought “ If only I was rich”, As he was thinking about riches and walking home, his let hit a sack, Deep in the thought, he took the sack and saw that there were some stones. “If I become rich, first I’ll buy a house” he said and threw one stone into the river. “Later I’ll buy a house” He said and threw one stone into the river. “Later I’ll buy a new boat” saying this threw another stone into the river. This way, he had thrown all the stones into the river. At last only one stone was left in his hand. He was about to throw the stone into the river when it caught the sun’s rays and started shining. When he examined it closely, he understood that it was diamond. He had thrown the riches in his hand dreaming about the riches he didn’t have into the river. We have the power of realizing our dreams. But, we do not give attention towards it. But, spend time over useless things.
70. You have 200 yards of ribbon on a spool, and you need 200 lengths of ribbon 1 yard long. It takes you 1 second to measure and cut each yard. How long will it take you to come up with the 200 pieces of ribbon? 71. Girish walked up a hill at the rate of 2 miles an hour, turned around as soon as he got to the top, and walked down the hill at the rate of 4 miles an hour. The whole trip took him 6 hours. How many miles is it to the top of the hill? 103. While on Safari in the wild jungles of Africa, Professor woke one morning and felt something in the pocket of her pajamas. It had a head and a tail, but no legs. When Caludia got up she could feel it move inside of her pocket. However, Claudia showed little concern and went about her morning activities. Why wasn’t she concerned?
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A New Day This is the beginning of a new day. I have been given this day to use as I will. I can waste it, or use it. I can make it a day long to be remembered for its joy, its beauty and its achievements, or it can be filled with pettiness. What I do today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it. When tomorrow comes this day will be gone forever, but I shall hold something which I have traded for it. It may be no more than a memory, but if it is a worthy one I shall not regret the price. I want it to be gain not loss, good not evil, success not failure. —Author Unknown
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Thinking…
“A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes.” —Mahathma Gandhi In a small village, there lived a group of honest peasants. They lived in harmony, friendship and mutual co-operation. For them the seasons blessed them with good yield. They spent their days in harmonious hard work, play and prayer. But time and fate do bring in sorrow. A severe famine rocked the village, weakening the flora and fauna and rendering the artless rustic folk weak. So severe was the drought and famine that the villagers forgot their good ways and started quarrelling among themselves for the little food that remained to satisfy their extreme hunger. Among these villagers lived a thin, poor, old Brahmin with a large family. Though the heavens had not blessed him with riches, it had blessed him with five children. Living in poverty, gloom and great fear of severe poverty, with a nagging wife and teasing neighbours, he did not know how to overcome mounting trouble. As his hut was a thatched one, it let in sun’s rays in summer and the cold winds in winter. Though he was weak physically, he had a great will power. Thus he did not desert his family. He was willing to do any work. But in the hard times the village was facing, no job could be found. He was at his wit’s end. Bent by despair and thinking deeply about all the troubles, the Brahmin stood under a red rock, holding a handful of earth in his hands. As he in this mood, a hymn from the Vedas passed through his mind. After he finished chanting it in his mind, he felt at peace and suddenly he remembered the sage in the forest. He thought of visiting the sage. Immediately he put this thought into action.
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By the time he reached there it was evening. The earth was very dry and was marked with gashes. Dust was all round. When he reached the hermitage, the peace there was like a healing balm to his troubled soul. The sage was in “Samadhi”. So he waited for the sage to wake up. On opening his eyes he saw the Brahmin and asked him to come near him. He indicated that the man must sit on the mat near him and gave him a glass of cool water. He enquired after his welfare. The sage was in deep meditation for three months and had not gone out of his hermitage. Thus he didn’t know the condition in the village. The Brahmin gave him all the news and begged the great man to help him in life. The sage smiled and said, “May peace and plenty be with you. Do not worry. The Lord knows how to remove all the despair. Trust in Him and surrender yourself to Him. He will not betray your trust. Now go and take a dip in the pool behind there and come here. I have something for you and your people. Destiny is about to change!” The brahmin did as he was told and quickly came to the sage. The sage had by this time started a Jyothi with five sparkling wicks. Outside the birds were hooting softly and peace was all round. This was because the sage was at peace with nature. The sage and the Brahmin sat facing each other. The sage taught a mantra to the Brahmin which he repeated after the sage. The sage said, “You have now a powerful mantra which can solve all the difficulties you are facing. When you chant this mantra a powerful genie will appear before you. You can have all your problems solved. The problem of the villagers can also be solved. But you have to chant this mantra with faith and devotion. Go to your village and do good to your fellowmen. But remember once you call the genie, you have to give him work. Otherwise he will eat you up. May peace be with you.” The Brahmin felt that he was truly blessed and touched the feet of the sage in respect and took his leave. He thought he could keep the genie engaged and left the place. His wife and children were eagerly awaiting his return. He told his family to go out for a while promising good food shortly. He went to a corner of the hut and with devotion and faith chanted the mantra. Soon a genie appeared before him. It was very ugly. Bowing low the genie asked, “Master, what do you want me to do? Give the order and it shall be done.” Overjoyed the Brahmin ordered for a feast for his family. Quickly the genie got it ready in silver plates and golden bowls. The Brahmin called his family
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in and they had their dinner. He then ordered the genie to make the hut into a palace. This too the genie did in no time. The genie demanded work to be given. The Brahmin thought and ordered the genie to bring cheer to the villagers in the valley. Soon the valley was changed to a prosperous place filled with contentment. The people were overjoyed. The genie kept on asking the Brahmin for more work. The Brahmin who was satisfied in all respects didn’t know what to give him. He stood like a statue lost in thought which the genie mistook for no work. It rushed towards the Brahmin to eat him up. The Brahmin rushed out of the house screaming for help. None in the valley could come to his rescue. They were helpless. The Brahmin ran to all the streets and by lanes in the village. But he could not escape the genie. No one came forward to help him. He quickly remembered the sage in the forest and ran towards the hermitage. He stopped only when he saw the sage. The sage looked up and asked the reason for a hasty visit. The Brahmin informed the sage about the genie and how there was no work and it was waiting to eat him up. The sage calmly said, “Didn’t I tell you to give it work constantly? Now even I can’t take away the genie, but I advice you to put a long pole in the yard and order the genie to keep going up and down and tell him to come down only when he is called for. If you follow this, you can keep him under your service and keep him engaged at the same time.” Quickly the Brahmin went home and did as he had been told. Thus the genie was brought under control and the Brahmin was happy. Our mind is like the genie. It should always be kept engaged. This mind makes us work hard and fulfill our desires. But this mind should be constantly engaged in work. “An idle mind is a devil’s workshop.” The mind which is the genie will eat you up if you do not keep it engaged in some work always. So great sages have told us to keep our minds busy doing one or the other activity. This will help us in controlling our mind and also help us to stay focused and achieve our goals.
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Two monks were strolling by a stream on their way home to the monastery. They were startled by the sound of a young woman in a bridal gown, sitting by the stream, crying softly. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she gazed across the water. She needed to cross to get to her wedding, but she was fearful that doing so might ruin her beautiful handmade gown. In this particular sect, monks were prohibited from touching women. But one monk was filled with compassion for the bride. Ignoring the sanction, he hoisted the woman on his shoulders and carried her across the stream—assisting her journey and saving her gown. She smiled and bowed with gratitude as he noisily splashed his way back across the stream to rejoin his companion. The second monk was livid. “How could you do that?” he scolded. “You know we are forbidden even to touch a woman, much less pick one up and carry her around!” The offending monk listened in silence to a stern lecture that lasted all the way back to the monastery. His mind wandered as he felt the warm sunshine and listened to the singing birds. After returning to the monastery, he fell asleep for a few hours. He was jostled and awakened in the middle of the night by his fellow monk. “How could you carry that woman?” his agitated friend cried out. “Someone else could have helped her across the stream. You were a bad monk!” “What woman?” the tired monk inquired groggily. “Don’t you even remember? That woman you carried across the stream,” his colleague snapped “Oh, her,” laughed the sleepy monk. “I only carried her across the stream. You carried her all the way back to the monastery.” The learning point is simple: Leave it at the stream.
29. Keshava spent one-fourth of his life as a boy, one-eighth as a youth, and one-half as an active man. If Keshava spent 8 years as an old man, then how many years did he spend as an active man?
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There was a rich man. He had earned a lot doing business. He had a wonderful bungalow and lots of servants. He had lost his youthful years in making money. He was middle aged. According to age he had one or the other illness. The rich man was worried. If he died due to an illness what would be the use of having made all this money, he started thinking. Shouldn’t he enjoy all this wealth? Isn’t there any medicine which prevents getting diseases? The rich man started hunting for a medicine that would cure all diseases and prevent them from coming. He started spending huge sums of money in such a search. He met a lot of medicine men, sages, magicians and doctors in this regard. But he did not get the medicine that he desired. Hearing that there was a sage in the Himalayas who had a cure for all diseases, he went in search of the sage. The rich man met the sage. He prayed that he should be given the medicine that would prevent all the disease. “I have the sarvarogaparihara (cure for all disease) with me I’ll give you the medicine. But there is a condition while you take the medicine. Will you be able to do it?” he asked. “I’ll follow any condition. Please tell me what the condition is” begged the rich man. “It is easy. When you are taking this medicine, you should not think of the monkey. While taking the medicine if you think of the monkey, the medicine will not be effective.” The rich man laughed loudly. “I never think of monkeys and no thought will ever come to me. Give me the medicine.” He got the medicine from the sage and returned to his city. All along the way he was in deep thought of what the sage had told him. The condition was simple. But just in case when he was taking the medicine and he thought of a monkey, what would happen? He started getting tense. He calmed himself by telling himself that he would take the medicine two days later. He felt that he would have forgotten all about the incident. But his mind was not calm. Whenever he picked up the medicine bottle, he would remember the condition told by the sage and his mind would start thinking about monkeys.
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Man’s mind is the root of all illness. Man gets attracted to whatever is forbidden. If the mind is pure, the body will be able to cure itself. Instead of going in search of a medicine that can cure all diseases whenever we feel we have an illness, the laws of nature should be followed. The sage had indirectly shown the rich man the same thing.
32. A farmer sold his pair of bullocks for Rs. 1000. His wife insisted on bringing back the same as they were useful for ploughing. So he went back to the market place to bring it back. He got a pair, but for Rs. 1100. While returning he met a friend who offered Rs. 1200 for the pair of bullocks. Without having any second thoughts, he sold it for Rs. 1200. Walking with Rs. 1200 in his pocket he remembered his nagging wife and went back to the market place to purchase another pair of bullocks. He purchased a pair for Rs 1300. Did the farmer gain or lose in this transaction or was it a no profit no loss transaction?
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You Can If You Think You Can! If you think you are beaten, you are If you think you dare not, you don’t. If you like to win, but you think you can’t, It is almost certain you won’t. If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost, For out in the world we find, Success begins with a fellow’s will. It’s all in the state of mind. If you think you are outclassed, you are, You’ve got to think high to rise, You’ve got to be sure of yourself before You can ever win a prize. Life’s battles don’t always go To the stronger or faster man. But soon or late the man who wins, Is the man who thinks he can. —C.W. Longenecker
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Obstacles…
A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it had and it could go no further. Then the man decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly. What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon. Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. And we could never fly.
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I Asked for Strength I asked for Strength... And God gave me Difficulties to make me strong. I asked for Wisdom... And God gave me Problems to solve. I asked for Prosperity... And God gave me Brain and Brawn to work. I asked for Courage... And God gave me Danger to overcome. I asked for Love... And God gave me troubled people to help. I asked for Favors... and God gave me Opportunities. I got nothing I wanted... But I received everything I needed. —Author Unknown
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In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one’s condition.
6. In a chemistry lab a frog fell into a measuring jar 12 inch deep. The measuring jar was earlier used for measuring oil. So he could jump 3 inch but every time he jumped 3 feet, he slides back 2 inch. How many times did he have to jump to get out of the measuring jar? 3. A woman has 7 children, half of them are boys. How can this be possible?
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Problem solving…
In a city there was a king. After the unfortunate death of his minister, he needed to appoint a new minister. Is the post of a minister ordinary? The man who becomes a minister should be smart and resourceful. Therefore three most intelligent men were chosen among all the intelligent people of the kingdom. To choose one of them as the minister, the king thought of organizing a competition. Accordingly, the king invited the three intelligent men into the room in his palace. He told them that he would lock them inside the room and the first person who would open the door and come out, would be made the minister. The door was closed with the three of them inside the room. The three men prepared themselves to open the door that was locked from outside. Among them two started thinking the different ways in which the door locked from outside would be opened from the inside. They both thought that this was a nice opportunity to show case their brilliance. The third man remained calm for a few minutes and went to the door and turned the handle. The moment he turned the handle, the door opened. The door had not been locked at all. If the door had been locked from outside, how can it be opened from the inside, therefore it is not locked he thought and opened the door, the other two wanted to show off their intelligence and never checked to see if the door was truly locked. Some times we commit the same mistake. We keep searching for the solution to our problems else where when the solution is right in front of us.
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This incidence happened in one of the biggest cosmetics companies. The company received a complaint that a consumer had bought a soap box that was empty. Immediately the authorities isolated the problem to the assembly line, which transported all the packaged boxes of soap to the delivery department. For some reason, one soap box went through the assembly line empty. Management asked its engineers to solve the problem. Post-haste, the engineers worked hard to devise an X-ray machine with high-resolution monitors manned by two people to watch all the soap boxes that passed through the line to make sure they were not empty. No doubt, they worked hard and they worked fast but they spent whoopee amount to do so. But when a rank-and-file employee in a small company was posed with the same problem, he did not get into complications of X-rays, etc. but instead came out with another solution. He bought a strong industrial electric fan and pointed it at the assembly line. He switched the fan on, and as each soap box passed the fan, it simply blew the empty boxes out of the line.
19. A lily pad doubles in size each day. In 28 days, the lily pad will cover the entire pond.In how many days will the pond be half covered? 20. You own a pet store. If you put in one canary per cage, you have one canary too many. If you put in two canaries per cage, you have one cage too many. How many canaries and cages do you have? 72. A man started to town with a fox, a goose and a sack of com. He came to a stream which he had to cross in a tiny boat. He could only take one across at a time. He could not leave the fox alone with the goose or the goose alone with the com. How did he get them all safely over the stream?
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When NASA began the launch of astronauts into space, they found out that the pens wouldn’t work at zero gravity (Ink won’t flow down to the writing surface). In order to solve this problem, it took them one decade and $12 million. They developed a pen that worked at zero gravity, upside down, underwater, in practically any surface including crystal and in a temperature range from below freezing to over 300 degrees C. And what did Russians do.....................?? The Russians used a Pencil!!! Keep It Simple i.e. always look for simple solutions. Devise the simplest possible solution that solves the problem So, learn to focus on solutions not on problems “If you look at what you do not have in life, you don’t have anything” “If you look at what you have in life, you have everything.”
65. Connect 9 dots with 4 straight lines, without lifting the pen from the paper or going back on yourself
76. When is it correct to say, “I is?” 81. What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a head but never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps?
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A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three vessels with water and placed each on a high flame. Soon the vessels came to a boil. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs and the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them there and boil, without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me, what do you see?” “Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied. She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, “What does it mean, mother?” Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity—boiling water—but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water. “Which are you?” she asked her daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?” Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened
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heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you can get better and change the situation around you. How do you handle adversity? When adversity strikes, ask yourself...ARE YOU A CARROT, AN EGG , OR A COFFEE BEAN?
83. Imagine an island which is filled with grass, trees and plants. The only inhabitants are 100 lions and 1 sheep. The lions are special: (1) They are infinitely logical, smart, and completely aware of their surroundings. (2) They can survive by just eating grass (and there is an infinite amount of grass on the island). (3) They prefer of course to eat sheep. (4) Their only food options are grass or sheep. Now, here’s the kicker: (5) If a lion eats a sheep he TURNS into a sheep (and could then be eaten by other lions). (6) A lion would rather eat grass all his life than be eaten by another lion (after he turned into a sheep). Assumptions: (1) Assume that one lion is closest to the sheep and will get to it before all others. Assume that there is never an issue with who gets to the sheep first. The issue is whether the first lion will get eaten by other lions afterwards or not. (2) The sheep cannot get away from the lion if the lion decides to eat it. (3) Do not assume anything that hasn’t been stated above. So now the question: Will that one sheep get eaten or not and why?
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Don’t Quit When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, when the road you’re trudging seems all up hill, when the funds are low and the debts are high, and you want to smile but you have to sigh, when care is pressing you down a bit - rest if you must, but don’t you quit. Life is queer with its twists and turns. As everyone of us sometimes learns. And many a failure turns about when he might have won had he stuck it out. Don’t give up though the pace seems slow - you may succeed with another blow. Often the goal is nearer than it seems to a faint and faltering man; often the struggler has given up when he might have captured the victor’s cup; and he learned too late when the night came down, how close he was to the golden crown. Success is failure turned inside out - the silver tint of the clouds of doubt, and you never can tell how close you are, it may be near when it seem so far; so stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit - it’s when things seem worse, that you must not quit. —Author Unknown
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Purpose…
One day a man came across 3 stonecutters working in a quarry. Each one was cutting out a block of stone. Curious as to what they were doing he asked the first stone cutter what he was doing. “What? Are you blind?” the stone cutter shouted, “Can’t you see, I’m cutting this stupid piece of stone.” Shocked but still no wiser the man turned to the second stonecutter and asked him what he was doing. “I am cutting this block of stone to make sure that it’s sides are straight and smooth so that the builder can build a straight wall.” Feeling a lot better but still not really any wiser the man turned to the third stonecutter, who seemed to be the happiest of the three, and asked him what he was doing. “I am building a temple,” the 3rd stonecutter replied.
17. Three women each have two daughters. They are having lunch at a restaurant. There are only seven chairs in the restaurant. All the women are seated. How is this possible? 18. A drawer contains ten brown socks and ten black socks. How many socks must you take (in total darkness) before being sure of having a pair of brown socks? 77. Ramu died and is in limbo. There are two doors. One door leads to h eaven, and the other door leads to hell. There are two guardians, one by each door. One guardian always tells the truth, and the other guardian always lies. What one question should Ramu ask a guardian to find out which door leads to heaven?
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A king needed a rare fruit for a yagna. That fruit was available in an ashram situated faraway in a jungle. The king went there with his soldiers. He begged the sage in the ashram to give the fruit. Seeing that the king himself had come, the sage welcomed him with honours. He got the fruit plucked. The king observed the ashram as he was being honoured. It was filled with cows brimming with milk, useful and costly utensils. Above all this he saw the beautiful and unmarried daughter of the rishi. ‘All this is not needed in the middle of a forest. It should decorate my palace’ saying this, he forcefully married the girl and took away all the utensils and the cows. The sage felt very unhappy and hurt. After the pain come down, the way the king had left the fruit behind and taken all that he did not need. He had left behind what he needed most and taken what he did not need. What do you feel about this king? What the king did was an unforgivable mistake. He was a useless king for having forgotten what he had come for. One should not commit the mistake that king made.
12. A worker is to perform work for you for seven straight days. In return for his work, you will pay him 117th of a bar of gold per day. The worker requires a daily payment of 117th of the bar of gold. What and where are the fewest number of cuts to the bar of gold that will allow you to pay him 117th each day? 13. A child stood on the middle step of a stairs. Seeing his mother it then climbed up 6 steps. When the mother started climbing up, the child came down 10 steps and reached its mother. After sometime it was able to climb 18 steps to the very top of the stairs. How many steps did the stairs have? 88. You are participating in a race. You overtake the second person. What position do you finish?
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Winds of Fate One ship drives east and another drives west With the selfsame winds that blow. ‘Tis the set of the sails And not the gales Which tells us the way to go. Like the winds of the sea are the ways of fate, As we voyage along through life: ‘Tis the set of the soul That decides its goal, And not the calm or the strife. —Ella Wheeler Wilcox
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The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box. “There are 5 things you need to know,” he told the pencil, “Before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be.” “One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone’s hand.” “Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you’ll need it to become a better pencil.” “Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.” “Four: The most important part of you will always be what’s inside.” “And Five: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.” The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart. Now, replacing the place of the pencil with you. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be. One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God’s hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess. Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems in life, but you’ll need it to become a stronger person. Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make. Four: The most important part of you will always be what’s on the inside. And Five: On every surface you walk through, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to do your duties.
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Allow this parable on the pencil to encourage you to know that you are a special person and only you can fulfill the purpose to which you were born to accomplish. Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot make a change.
14. What does not have weight but is able to let a ship sink? 15. A peasant is convicted. He gets the death penalty. The judge allows him to say a last sentence in order to determine the way the penalty will be carried out. If the peasant lies, he will be hanged, if he speaks the truth he will be beheaded. The peasant speaks a last sentence and to everybody’s surprise some minutes later he is set free because the judge cannot determine his penalty. What did the peasant said? 51. You are playing a game of table tennis in the back yard of a friend’s house. When you miss the ball, it bounces across the lawn and rolls into a small but deep hole. The hole goes down too far for you to reach the ball with your hand, and the hole bends so much to one side that you can’t get the ball by poking a stick into the hole. After a few minutes you think of an easy way to get the ball. What did you think of?
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Enthusiasm…
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm —Ralph Waldo Emerson Satan had exhibited all the equipments that he had. Satan’s followers and helpers had come to see it. Arrogance, pride, jealousy, dishonesty, enemity, anger, this way all that made mankind miss its’ way- the equipments of Satan could all be seen by his helpers. With all these big exhibits, a small exhibit was also kept at the end. “What is this? What use is this?” one follower of Satan asked. “Oh that is the most important equipment. Even if all the others fail, this will never fail” said Satan. Its name is “unenthusiasm” this is the weapon that Satan uses on good people so that they don’t do good things. “Why should I do anything when there is no advantage for me” say many people without enthusiasm. People who take up jobs with enthusiasm are very less. Or else if they fail in doing a job twice, most people loose all the enthusiasm they have.
73. Two fathers and two sons went duck hunting. Each shot a duck but they shot only three ducks in all. How come? 74. What can you break with only one word? 75. What is always coming but never arrives?
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Words of Encouragement If there was ever a time to dare, to make a difference, to embark on something worth doing, IT IS NOW. Not for any grand cause, necessarily... but for something that tugs at your heart, something that’s your inspiration, something that’s your dream. You owe it to yourself to make your days here count. HAVE FUN. DIG DEEP. STRETCH. DREAM BIG. Know, though, that things worth doing seldom come easy. There will be good days. And there will be bad days. There will be times when you want to turn around, pack it up, and call it quits. Those times tell you that you are pushing yourself, that you are not afraid to learn by trying. PERSIST. Because with an idea, determination, and the right tools, you can do great things. Let your instincts, your intellect, and your heart, guide you. TRUST. Believe in the incredible power of the human mind. Of doing something that makes a difference. Of working hard. Of laughing and hoping. Of lazy afternoons. Of lasting friends. Of all the things that will cross your path this year. The start of something new brings the hope of something great, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. —Author Unknown
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Effort…
It’s not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy about? —Henry David Thoreau A giant ship engine failed. The ship’s owners tried one expert after another, but none of them could figure out how to fix the engine. Then they brought in an old man who had been fixing ships since he was a youngster. He carried a large bag of tools with him, and when he arrived, he immediately went to work. He inspected the engine very carefully, top to bottom. Two of the ship’s owners were there, watching this man, hoping he would know what to do. After looking things over, the old man reached into his bag and pulled out a small hammer. He gently tapped something. Instantly, the engine lurched into life. He carefully put his hammer away. The engine was fixed! A week later, the owners received a bill from the old man for ten thousand rupees. “What?!” the owners exclaimed. “He hardly did anything!” So they wrote the old man a note saying, “Please send us an itemized bill.” The man sent a bill that read: Tapping with a hammer ........................ Rs.
2.00
Knowing where to tap ............................Rs.
9998.00
Effort is important, but knowing WHERE to make an effort in your life makes all the difference.
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Building our life…
An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the housebuilding business to live a more leisurely life with his wife and enjoy his extended family. He would miss the paycheck each week, but he wanted to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go & asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but over time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career. When the carpenter finished his work, his employer came to inspect the house. Then he handed the front-door key to the carpenter and said, “This is your house... my gift to you.” The carpenter was shocked! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then, with a shock, we realize we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we would do it much differently. But, we cannot go back. We are the carpenter, and every day we hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Someone once said, “Life is a do-it-yourself project.” Our attitude, and the choices we make today, helps build the “house” we will live in tomorrow. Therefore, Let us build it wisely!
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Value…
A rich man had a rare diamond stone. His servant once asked him the value of it. To this, the richman said, “Do one thing take this diamond and find out the value. First ask the vegetable seller.” He gave the small stone to the servant and sent him. The servant came to the vegetable seller and showed the diamond and asked what would he give for it. The vegetable seller looked at the diamond all over once and said “At the most, I’ll give ten kilograms of brinjal.” Later the servent went to the shetty’s grocery shop, the shetty looked over the diamond once and said “atmost I’ll give two loads of jaggery.” The servant came and informed his master, this time the rich man sent him to jeweller’s shop to enquire. The servant went to the jeweller’s and asked how much he would give. The jeweller took it and wiped it well with the cloth and held it up to sunlight. He said. “The diamond is of good quality and there is no mark on it. I’ll give you one lakh rupees.” Likewise people value things according to their standard. They also put a value on people accordingly. To recognize the worth and value in others, we too should have the same worth.
8. What question can you never answer “yes” to? 9. What has rivers but no water, cities but no buildings, forests but no trees, deserts but no sand, and mountains but no rocks?
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A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a Rs.500 note. In the room of 200, he asked, “Who would like this Rs.500 note?” Hands started going up. He said, “I am going to give this Rs.500 note to one of you but first, let me do this.” He proceeded to crumple the Rs.500 note up. He then asked, “Who still wants it?” Still the hands were up in the air. “Well,” he replied, “What if I do this?” And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. “Now who still wants it?” Still the hands went into the air. “My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth Rs.500. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way.
7. Name five days of the week without saying: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. 10. What is bigger when it is put upside down? 11. A rishi has a very specific ritual for climbing up the steps to the temple. First he climbs up to the middle step and meditates for 1 minute. Then he climbs up 8 steps and faces east until he hears a bird singing. Then he walks down 12 steps and picks up a pebble. He takes one step up and tosses the pebble over his left shoulder. Now, he walks up the remaining steps three at a time which only takes him 9 paces. How many steps are there? 80. If a snail crawls halfway around a circle then turns around and crawls halfway back, is it now back where it started?
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Beware of Your Gun less Friend! The dangerous people are not the ones Who hit you with clubs and rob you with guns! The thief won’t attack your character traits Or belittle your abilities to your face! It likely will be a well-meaning friend Who merely crushes your will to win. No, he doesn’t rob you, at point of gun, He simply says, “It can’t be done.” When pointed to thousands who already are He smiles and says, “They’re superior!” Personality-wise, and abilities, too, They’re way ahead of what others can do!” It matters not that his words are untrue For, you feel “others” must know you! So, you’re robbed of your hopes, your dreams to succeed. Robbed of the material blessing received, Robbed of your faith that says, “I can.” And robbed by an ignorant, gunless friend. So, the deadliest of men is not he with a gun, But the one who tells you “It can’t be done!” For that taken by burglars can be gotten again. But, what can replace your will to win? —Author Unknown
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Good deeds…
There was a king in a kingdom. He never had faith in Sanyasis, hermits or religious gurus. He felt that they were all imposters and liars. His minister did not share this opinion. He felt that there were some true sages, gurus and sanyasis. He also felt that everyone was not a liar or imposter. One day the king called the minister and told “look in our kingdom the number of imposters passing off as sanyasis is increasing. There is no true sage. If there is only one truly selfless sage who can withstand any temptation is enough. I order you to show me one such sage.” The minister could not go against the king’s order. He went in search of a true sanyasi. However much he tried he could not get anyone who had given up all worldly pleasures and was truly selfless and immersed in philosophical studies. He could not find any one who a true sanyasi as everyone had one or the other weakness. But he could not go empty-handed as the king would get angry. As the minister sat in thought, he noticed a few people hitting a thief .The minister rescued the thief from the people. He questioned the thief the reason for stealing. He answered, “I was unable to withstand hunger. That’s why.” The minister got an idea. The minister addressed the thief “I’ll give you a job. If you do it right I’ll give you 100 gold coins.” “For 100 gold coins I’ll do any kind of job.” The thief answered. “The job is not difficult. You have to wear the disguise of a sanyasi and act like one. When the king comes and offers you prizes you are to say no to everything that is offered to you.” The thief agreed. The minister returned to the palace and informed the king that a true sanyasi had been found and that he was sitting under
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the peepul tree on the outskirts of the kingdom. The king went to see the true sanyasi. The thief is sitting dresses as a sage. The king bowed to the sage with folded hands and said, “O pious man, I’ll build you an ashram in my kingdom if you stop going from place to place and settle down in my kingdom.” The thief in the role of a sanyasi shook his head to say no. “If the ashram is not enough, I’ll build a bungalow and give you a lot of servants” said the king raising the temptation. He kept on showing more and more tempting things. For everything the sanyasi kept shaking his head to indicate no. Finally when the king offered half the kingdom the sage said no and the king was amazed. He thought that this was a true sage and praising his minister he went away. As soon as the king was out of sight, the minister came near the thief and offered him the promised 100 gold coins. But, the thief shook his head meaning NO! Now it was the turn of the minister to feel surprised. When the minister questioned him why, the thief said, “Just for acting like a sage for five minutes I was offered half the kingdom. If I became a true sanyasi, then, who can control me?” This way the thief became a sanyasi. Good thoughts, good actions are this way. If you do them with a lot of reservation in your mind or even pretend to do them, the results will be good. So even though you may not like it, or you may not have faith in it, if you get a chance to do some good work, listen to good thoughts, or read a good book, don’t let it go. You may be enlightened by it.
21.What is the product (i.e. Multiplying all the numbers together) of the following series: (x–a) (x–b) (x–c), ..... (x–z)? 22. A boy visited a farm house. He asked the servant “How many animals are there in the farm house?” The servant answered “All but three are dogs, all but three are cats, all but three are hens and all but three are rabbits” Can you find out how many animals are there in the farm house using the answer given by the servant?
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Beauty Tips for Everyone! For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For beautiful eyes, look for the good in other people. To lose weight, let go of stress, hatred, anger, contentment and the need to control others. To improve your ears, listen to the word of God. Rather than focus on the thorns of life, smell the roses and count your blessings, giving thanks for each one of them. For poise, walk with knowledge and self-esteem. To strengthen your heart, forgive yourself and others. Don’t worry and hurry so much. Rather than walk this earth lightly, walk firmly with determination and leave your mark. Doing these things on a daily basis will certainly make you a more beautiful person. Peace Is Not The Absence of Trouble But The Presence of God
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Sharpen your axe…
Once upon a time, there was a very strong woodcutter. He asked for a job from a timber merchant, and he got it. The pay was really good and so were the work conditions. For that reason, the woodcutter was determined to do his best. His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he was supposed to work. The first day, the woodcutter brought down 18 trees. The Boss was very much impressed and said, “Congratulations. Go on that way!” Very motivated by the boss’ words, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but he only could bring down 15 trees. The third day he tried even harder, but he only could bring down 10 trees. Day after day he was bringing down less and less trees. “I must be losing my strength”, the woodcutter thought to himself. He went to the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on. “When was the last time you sharpened your axe?” the boss asked. “Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy trying to cut trees.” Our lives are like that. We sometimes get so busy that we don’t take time to “sharpen the axe.” In today’s world, it seems that everyone is busier than ever, but less happy than ever. Why is that? Could it be that we have forgotten how to stay sharp?
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There’s nothing wrong with activity and hard work. But God doesn’t want us to get so busy that we neglect the truly important things in life, like taking time to pray, to read and study Scripture, or to listen to “the still small voice inside.” We all need time to relax, to think and meditate, to learn and grow. If we don’t take time to sharpen the axe, we will become dull and lose our effectiveness.
67. Connect 12 dots with 5 straight lines, without lifting the pen from the paper or going back on yourself?
68. Manish brought 10 bags containing 10 gold coins weighing 10 grams each. That is, each bag should weigh 100 grams. But one of the bags contain coins weighing 9 grams each. i.e., the bag weighs 90 grams. Now by weighing only once you have to identify which bag contains 9 grams coins. Is it possible? If possible, how is it? 69. Two persons Rohith and Udit went to a party. When they arrived at the party, Rohith introduced Udit to the other guests as “Brothers and sisters have I none, But this man’s father is my father’s son.” How were Rohith and Udit related?
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Take Time Take time to think-it is the source of power. Take time to read-it is the foundation of wisdom Take time to play-it is the secret of staying young. Take time to be quiet-it is the opportunity to seek God Take time to be aware-it is the opportunity to help others. Take time to love and be loved-it is God’s greatest gift. Take time to laugh-it is the music of the soul. Take time to be friendly-it is the road to happiness. Take time to dream-it is what the future is made of. Take time to pray-it is the greatest power on earth. “There is a time for everything...” —Author Unknown
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Knowing and doing…
The best varieties of birds are found in the dense forests of muthodi. It is a feast for the eyes to see the birds coming in groups to build nests and live in the trees with thick green leaves. Many Ornithologists has made his way into the forest with the main object to study the birds in this area. A young man, strong in build and kind of heart trekked into this place one day. The birds gave a beautiful performance of singing with their lilting voices. During such times the young man would get absorbed in the music. There were many birds in this dense foliage. The young man lost himself in thought, admiring the happy, innocent life of these birds. One day as he was passing the same way, he saw, much to his shock a sturdy hunter greedily eyeing the birds. The young man’s curiosity was aroused as the hunter had neither bows nor arrows. He had slung a huge net on his back and a basket hung by his side. When he saw the group of birds, his eyes began to sparkle. Soon he scattered some grains and spread the net and waited at a distance. Seeing the grains the birds on the trees flew down to the ground. They began to peck at the grains. Alas! They were soon trapped in the tangle of the net. The hunter lifted the net filled with the birds and carried it to the city to make a fortune by selling them. The religious young man who saw all this felt very sad at the fate of the birds. He felt he should warn the other birds about the hunter. He thought that he should do it then and there. So he went back to the jungle and seeing the birds said, “Innocent birds which fly free in the air, give all your attention to all that I say. There is a hunter who comes into the jungle everyday and tempts all of you with grains and captures your family and friends so that he can separate you
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and sell you in the city. He will spread the grain and the net and when you go to eat the grain, you will all be caught and taken away. Be careful of the hunter! Be careful of the hunter!” After a pause, he again asked, “Birds did you understand what I said?” The birds cried together, “Yes, yes we do understand what you say.” The young man wanted to make sure that they had truly understood his words. So he asked them to repeat all that he had told them. Immediately all the birds sang together “The hunter will come, spread the grains and the net, if we eat the grain then we are caught in the net, so be careful of the hunter! be careful of the hunter!” When the young man heard this he felt happy. He was sure that the birds would not fall prey to the hunter. As he was leaving, he could still hear the birds singing, “The hunter will come, be careful of him…” The next day, the hunter who was greedy had come with a larger net to trap birds and make more profit. As he was about scatter the grains, he heard a strange chanting from the birds. When he listened, he was shocked at the lyrics. He heard, “The hunter will come and scatter the grains. Be careful! He will spread the net. As we peck at the grains, we will be trapped! Be careful of the hunter!” The puzzled hunter threw his net down and sat wondering at the turn of events. He was tired and sleep overtook him. After an hour, when the hunter awoke, he was surprised to see his net sagging under the weight of the birds. He was all the more surprised because the birds in the net were still chanting “The hunter will come and scatter the grains. Be careful! He will spread the net. As we peck at the grains, we will be trapped! Be careful of the hunter!” Hearing this foolish chanting, the hunter laughed to his heart’s content. Lifting the net, he happily went through the forest on his onward march to the market. The young man who came that way again saw the hunter and his net filled with birds. He was dismayed to see the birds still chirping foolishly. “Be careful of the hunter! Be careful of the hunter!” The religious young man told himself, “Now I see the truth. Just repeating the given advice without understanding the significance of it, is of no use.”
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Just like the birds, we humans act foolishly many a times. We keep on chanting and mechanically repeating words of wisdom without a thought to its importance or meaning. Thus we fail to reap the benefits of these chants.
16. You are on your way to visit your Grandma, who lives at the end of the valley. It’s her birthday, and you want to give her the laddoos you’ve made. Between your house and her house, you have to cross 7 bridges, and as it goes in the land of make believe, there is a troll under every bridge! Each troll, quite rightly, insists that you pay a troll toll. Before you can cross their bridge, you have to give them half of the laddoos you are carrying, but as they are kind trolls, they each give you back a single laddoo. How many laddoos do you have to leave home with to make sure that you arrive at Grandma’s with exactly 2 laddoos? 59. Ramu was caught by cannibals who were about to eat him. The cannibal chief said, “I will give you one chance. In this bout are two chits one says, “ I live” and the other says “ I die”. Pick one, and it shall decide your fate. Also Ramu overheard two tribals discussing that both chits had, “I die” written on them. Whichever chit Ramu picked, death was certain. How did Ramu escape from his awful fate? 66. Harish said his Gardner to plant coconut trees in 5 rows having 4 plants each. Gardner went to the market to bring 20 plants but there he got only 10 plants. How can he plant these ten plants in 5 rows having 4 plants each?
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Attachment…
Sadhu Veerappa was a lonely young man who was religious. This was not by choice but by necessity. He had taken this religious lifestyle not because he wanted to get out of the clutches of materialism or for intellectual pursuits away from the temptations of this world; but he undertook this way of living as he was lazy and it suited him well. He had a simple hut on the banks of river Hemavathi. He was blessed in having a good physique which gave a glow when he wore his saffron robes and sat by himself. Passers –by and pilgrims did mistake him to be a devout person and a well versed in yoga. None knew or guessed he had taken this lifestyle to satisfy his hunger in an easy manner. He never worked hard physically or exerts his mind to have self-control. The Hemavathi river slaked his thirst and the innocent pilgrims satisfied his hunger. On a festival day a pilgrim from the north who had come from long distance, happened to see this Sadhu. As the pilgrim had come to clear off his sin of having deceived his own family members, and he also felt that the religious man is worthy of being worshipped, he decided to give Sadhu Veerappa a generous offering of a hundred rupee note, a saffron-coloured dhoti and an upper cloth. As was the custom, he also gave him a cup of caster oil with which the young religious man was expected to rub it into his body and only then have a bath. The young religious man blessed the pilgrim and accepted these in return. The Sadhu put away the hundred rupee note safe from prying eyes, rubbed himself with the oil from head to foot, plunged into the river and had a pleasant bath. Then he wore the new cloth and the upper cloth given by the pilgrim. The pilgrim then fed him
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with good food that he had brought with him. After getting blessed by the Sadhu, the pilgrim returned home supremely satisfied. The Sadhu amused himself by seeing the play of light and shade on the waters of the flowing river as his hunger and thirst were satisfied. As the Sadhu was sitting thus on the banks of the river, he saw a bright object floating down stream. He did not pause to think. He jumped into the river and with quick stokes reached the object. When he lifted the object out of the water he saw that it was a Malacca cane with a silver handle. As he was busy noticing this, he did not pay attention to the current taking him downstream. He turned and started swimming back. But it was not easy. It was at this moment as he was thinking of his good luck; he was caught in a whirlpool. The more he tried to come out of it, the faster he was being dragged under water. He struggled hard to save himself. One hand was holding the cane so he was unable to do justice. At this point his survival instincts came to help him. “Save yourself first” This took the upper hand when compared to the greed of retaining the cane. He let go of the cane and kicked himself out of the whirl pool. The cane was thrown with force and it floated away down the stream as the Sadhu reached the bank. Seeing the cane floating away from him the Sadhu began to wail and weep saying that he had lost his cane. Another Sadhu who was all the while watching the entire drama, said to him, “Veerappa, a few minutes back when you were on the banks of the Hemavathi, you had no cane. The cane that floated down the stream would have continued its course if you had not disturbed its course. You, driven by your greed plunged headlong into the water, caught hold of the cane and claimed it as yours. Later, when you lost your hold on it while freeing yourself from the whirl-pool, you did not strive to get it. Now that you are safe on the banks, you say you have lost your cane. In what way is the cane yours? Isn’t all this sorrow your own choosing? Give up this unholy attachment of what is not yours.” Like the Sadhu, we too, in our ignorance, ruled by our greed and desire come to maintain a wrong relationship with the world
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of objects, emotions and thoughts. We come to waste our powers, running after the objects we wish to possess and, thereafter try very hard to preserve these objects forgetting that everything in the world obeys the law of movement and change. This world is a continuous moving force. He who tries to disturb this harmony reaps the pain and sorrow attached to it. Welcome all that come towards you and don’t stand in the way of those leaving you. “Agatham swagatham kuryath, Gachhantham na nirvarayeth.” The objects by themselves have no power to give us pain or pleasure. We, through our attachment with the objects, give them power to throw us out of gear, to depress us or to make us feel extremely happy.
52. A small bird trying to learn to fly, has tumbled into a hole in a large cement block that is part of the foundation of a building. The rectangular hole is just big enough to take a hand and arm, but it is more than three feet deep. No one can reach down far enough to pick up the baby bird. The construction workers don’t know what to do. They are afraid to use long sticks for fear of hurting the bird. Purvi who lives nearby has just thought of a clever idea. When the men tried it, it worked beautifully. The bird was rescued unharmed. One of the men put a ladder against the tree and returned the baby bird to its nest. What idea did Purvi think of? 55. Three boys discovered a cave and went in to explore it. Suddenly there were rushing sounds above their heads and the boy holding the torch dropped it. Now all was pitch dark. Another boy had a box of matches. Considering that one match bums for 15 seconds and it took them 15 minutes to reach the exit, how many matches did they need?
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There was a rich merchant who had 4 wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies. He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best. He also loved the 3rd wife very much. He’s very proud of her and always wanted to show off her to his friends. However, the merchant is always in great fear that she might run away with some other men. He too, loved his 2nd wife. She is a very considerate person, always patient and in fact is the merchant’s confidante. Whenever the merchant faced some problems, he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always help him out and tide him through difficult times. Now, the merchant’s 1st wife is a very loyal partner and has made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household. However, the merchant did not love the first wife and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her. One day, the merchant fell ill. Before long, he knew that he was going to die soon. He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, “Now I have 4 wives with me. But when I die, I’ll be alone. How lonely I’ll be!” Thus, he asked the 4th wife, “I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I’m dying, will you follow me and keep my company?” “No way!” replied the 4th wife and she walked away without another word. The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the merchant’s heart. The sad merchant then asked the 3rd wife, “I have loved you so much for all my life. Now that I’m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?” “No!” replied the 3rd wife. “Life is so good over here! I’m going to remarry when you die!” The merchant’s heart sank and turned cold. He then asked the 2nd wife, “I always turned to you for help and you’ve always helped me out. Now I need your help again. When I die, will you follow me and keep my company?” “I’m
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sorry, I can’t help you out this time!” replied the 2nd wife. “At the very most, I can only send you to your grave.” The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated. Then a voice called out : “I’ll leave with you. I’ll follow you no matter where you go.” The merchant looked up and there was his first wife. She was so skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition. Greatly grieved, the merchant said, “I should have taken much better care of you while I could have !” Actually, we all have 4 wives in our lives (a) The 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it’ll leave us when we die. (b) Our 3rd wife? Our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, they all go to others. (c) The 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how close they had been there for us when we’re alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave. (d) The 1st wife is in fact our soul, often neglected in our pursuit of material, wealth and sensual pleasure. Guess what? Soul is actually the only thing that follows us wherever we go. Perhaps it’s a good idea to cultivate and strengthen it now rather than to wait until we’re on our deathbed to lament.
56. A king was angry with his astrologer and said, “If you are so smart, tell the date of your death, or I’ll kill you” The astrologer said, “The stars that I believe never lie and I know their secrets. I will tell you when I have to die.” When did the astrologer say to avoid being killed? 64. If it takes twelve 1p stamps to make a dozen, how many 3p stamps are needed?
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Expectations…
A young man was getting ready to graduate college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer’s showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted. As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bhagavadgeetha. Angrily, he raised his voice at his father and said, “With all your money you give me a Bhagavadgeetha?” and stormed out of the house, leaving the holy book. Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care things. When he arrived at his father’s house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search his father’s important papers and saw the still new Bhagavadgeetha, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bhagavadgeetha and began to turn the pages. As he read those words, a car key dropped from an envelope taped behind the Bhagavadgeetha. It had a tag with the dealer’s name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words...PAID IN FULL. How many times do we miss God’s blessings because they are not packaged as we expected?
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Greediness…
There lived three brothers in a remote village. They were very poor but had desire to come up in life. One day they thought of going to a town near by to find avenues for better living. On their way they had to cross a forest to reach the town. They started early in the morning from their village. At around 10 o’clock in the morning suddenly clouds started collecting heavily in the sky. All of a sudden thunder and lightening started. Three brothers took shelter under a banyan tree. After a while, they saw a pot hole under the tree. They found treasure of gold coins in the pot. They decided to share the treasure. By this time they were all tired and hungry. The youngest said that he would fetch the food for all from a nearby shed. When the younger one departed to bring food, the two elders became ‘greedy’ and conspired to kill the younger one to have two shares instead three. No sooner the younger brother came with the food two elders pounced on him and killed him. Afterwards two elder brothers, being very hungry, ate the food the younger one had brought. After a while two elders omitted and died of poisonous food. The younger one had mixed poison in the food desiring to have full share of the treasure by himself. Being greedy none of the brothers got the treasure.
78. A farmer and his hired help were carrying grain to the bam. The farmer carried one sack of grain and the hired help carried two sacks. How come the farmer is carrying the heavier load?
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Fame…Fame…Fame…
Once in an oil mill, a tank of oil caught fire. The management quickly informed the Fire fighting force. Even though the fire fighters came on time they could not put out the fire immediately. The fire had spread rapidly. They could not even go near the place where the fire had spread. The heat from the fire was too much. The management felt afraid. They pleaded over the telephone with various self-help groups to come and help them by putting out the fire. After some time an old fire fighting force vehicle came and stopped a few feet away from the fire. A few people got out of the vehicle and started putting out the fire. They didn’t think about their life and brought the fire under control. The management was very happy and organized a function to honour the fire fighters of the self help group. They praised their courage, skill and dedication. They were given many prizes and were honoured. They were even given a huge sum of money. The news reporters questioned the chief of the fire fighting force what they would do with the prize money. To this the chief said “first we must get the brakes of the vehicle repaired. That day the vehicle never stopped in spite of trying hard.” A few would have gained fame by birth. A few achieve it by hard work. Fame is thrust on a few people. Among us the third category people are more in number and that is what we observe in the story.
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There was a family of house flies. Is there any place belonging to it? To go from place to place is its nature. This house-fly too was the same. Once it thought that it should set up house inside the ear of the elephant. Addressing the elephant it said, “O great elephant, my family has decided to make your ear our house. I need your permission for this. I need to know it within a week.” The elephant did not pay attention to all this. After a week when the elephant did not say anything, the fly accepted the silence as a yes and started living in the elephant’s ear. After a month the female housefly told her husband, “this ear is not the correct place to stay. Let us go else where.” To this the male house fly said that they should try it out for one more month. “Otherwise we may hurt the elephant’s feelings” saying this he comforted his wife. After the month was over unable to bear the nagging of his wife the house fly told the elephant, “O great elephant, we are leaving your ear and setting up our house else where. Do not feel bad. We had all comforts in your ear. There is enough air and light. There is a lot of space. But, my wife’s relative’s house is empty and we are going there.” The elephant said nothing. He didn’t even know that the fly was living in his ear. The house-fly thought that he had a clear conscience and went away. Among us a lot of people think like the house-fly. They spend their time giving importance to what the people around them think of them. In this huge world everyone is busy with their own work. When are they free?
60. How can you leave a room with two legs and return with six legs? 62. How many squares are there in a chess board? 63. What word starts with ‘e’ ends with ‘e’ and only has one letter in it?
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Greatness…
There was once a stone cutter who was dissatisfied with himself and with his position in life. One day he passed a wealthy merchant’s house. Through the open gateway, he saw many fine possessions and important visitors. “How powerful that merchant must be!” thought the stone cutter. He became very envious and wished that he could be like the merchant. To his great surprise, he suddenly became the merchant, enjoying more luxuries and power than he had ever imagined, but envied and detested by those less wealthy than himself. Soon a high official passed by, carried in a sedan chair, accompanied by attendants and escorted by soldiers beating gongs. Everyone, no matter how wealthy, had to bow low before the procession. “How powerful that official is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be a high official!” Then he became the high official, carried everywhere in his embroidered sedan chair, feared and hated by the people all around. It was a hot summer day, so the official felt very uncomfortable in the sticky sedan chair. He looked up at the sun. It shone proudly in the sky, unaffected by his presence. “How powerful the sun is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be the sun!” Then he became the sun, shining fiercely down on everyone, scorching the fields, cursed by the farmers and laborers. But a huge black cloud moved between him and the earth, so that his light could no longer shine on everything below. “How powerful that storm cloud is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be a cloud!”
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Then he became the cloud, flooding the fields and villages, shouted at by everyone. But soon he found that he was being pushed away by some great force, and realized that it was the wind. “How powerful it is!” he thought, “I wish that I could be the wind!” Then he became the wind, blowing tiles off the roofs of houses, uprooting trees, feared and hated by all below him. But after a while, he ran up against something that would not move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it - a huge, towering rock. “How powerful that rock is!” he thought, “I wish that I could be a rock!” Then he became the rock, more powerful than anything else on earth. But as he stood there, he heard the sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into the hard surface, and felt himself being changed. “What could be more powerful than I, the rock?” he thought. He looked down and saw far below him the figure of a stone cutter.
23. A man shoots his wife, immerses in water for an hour and then he goes for walking with her. How is this possible? 24. If you put a small coin into an empty wine bottle and replace the cork, how would you get the coin out of the bottle without taking out the cork or breaking the bottle? 25.Ramu kept six cows in six pens of equal size, made with thirteen wooden fences (see the picture on the right). One night, there was a terrible storm, in which one of the thirteen fences was badly damaged. Ramu rearranged the fences so that the six cows still each had pens of equal size. The Question: How did he do that? 58. Yesterday it was five days to Sunday. Which day is tomorrow? 61. If you count 20 houses on your right going to school, and 20 houses on your left coming home, how many houses in all have you counted?
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The More You … The more you give, the more you get The more you laugh, the less you fret The more you do unselfishly, The more you live abundantly The more of everything you share, The more you’ll always have to spare The more you love, the more you’ll find That life is good and friends are kind For only what we give away, Enriches us from day to day. —Author Unknown
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Ability…
Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right! —Henry Ford There once was an Indian brave that was walking down the trail when he discovered an eagles’ egg had fallen out of it’s nest. He looked up and saw that the nest was too high for him to return the egg. So he placed the egg in a nearby prairie chicken nest. The eagle’s egg hatched along with the other eggs in the nest, and the little eaglet grew up with the other baby birds. All his life the young eagle thought he was a prairie chicken. He learned to do what chickens do: “Scratch in the dirt for seeds and insects, cluck and cackle and fly just a few feet off the ground with wings thrashing and feathers scattering to the wind.” After all, that’s how chickens fly. They don’t know any other way. Years passed and the young eagle became full grown. One day he looked up and saw a magnificent bird high above in the cloudless sky. The huge bird seemed to hang in the air, soaring with scarcely a beat of its huge, powerful wings. “What a beautiful bird!” he said. “What is it?” “That’s an eagle – the chief of birds,” somebody said. “But don’t give it a second thought. You could never be like him.” The eagle might have died after living the life of a chicken but, fortunately, he did give it a second thought. On another day, as he scratched in the dirt for seeds and insects, he looked up
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and again saw that same majestic bird as it soared high above, its huge wings outstretched against the sky. Strange, he said to himself. I, too, have giant wings and my feet have these huge claws that could be used for more than scratching the dirt. And so the eagle got a running start and leaped into the air, working his huge wings rhythmically and steadily as he had seen the huge bird do. Instead of rising only a few feet as usual, he soared into the sky and found his true potential and destiny. What made the difference, you might ask yourself? When the chicken-eagle got another glimpse of excellence as it soared past, high above, something clicked inside. He had always heard an inner voice whispering, “You can do more than this,” but he had never responded. He had taken the advice of his chicken companions who said, “Why make more dust than necessary as you scratch your way through life? Settle for the status quo. This is the way its always been! It’s safer than the wild, blue yonder.” We are all eagles in a chicken world. The person you see is the person you’ll be. You can commit yourself to the pursuit of excellence or you can settle for mediocrity. You can reach your real potential or be content with far less. Where there is a dream, there is hope, and where there is hope, there is faith. We are eagles, not chickens, who have the passion and knowledge to create our own career opportunities, and who are entrepreneurs with a dream to fly high above the mediocrity. We should stretch our boundaries and try new things rather than listening to the limitations that others have put on themselves. 57. A petrol merchant when he died, left his three sons, seven full, seven half full and seven empty barrels and said that each son should inherit the same number of full, half full and empty barrels. How was this done?
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A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his master’s house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.” “Why?” asked the bearer. “What are you ashamed of?” “I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your masters house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your efforts.” The pot said. The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, “As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.” Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again the pot apologized to the bearer for its failure. The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pots side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these
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beautiful flowers to decorate my masters table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.” Each of us has our own unique flaws. We’re all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace His Fathers table. In Gods great economy, nothing goes to waste. Don’t be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them, and you too can be the cause of beauty. Know that in our weakness we find our strength.
26. How can just three coins be moved to make the triangle point downwards?
53. Arrange eight sticks to make the fish as shown below. Add a coin for the fish’s eye.
Move the coin and just 3 sticks to make the fish swim in the opposite direction 54. If Pramath shares his chocolates with his 7 friends he is left with 5 chocolates whereas the same number of chocolates shared with 9 of his friends he is left with 7 chocolates. What is the number of chocolates he is originally having?
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Sometimes our biggest weakness can become our biggest strength. Take, for example, the story of one 10-year-old boy who decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident. The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn’t understand why, after three months of training the master had taught him only one move. “Sensei,” the boy finally said, “Shouldn’t I be learning more moves?” “This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you’ll ever need to know,” the sensei replied. Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training. Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals. This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a timeout. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened. “No,” the sensei insisted, “Let him continue.” Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion. On the way home, the boy and sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind. “Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?” “You won for two reasons,” the sensei answered. “First, you’ve almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of
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judo. And second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grap your left arm.” The boy’s biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.
27. Rearrange these seven sticks to form a single square shape. None of them may overlap or be broken.
28. Divide 186 gold coins into a number of bags so that I can ask for any number of coins between 1 and 186, and you can give me the proper number of coins by giving me a certain number of these bags without opening them. What is the minimum number of bags you will require? 49. You are on a hike with your friends. After driving through a small town on your way to your destination, you reach a spot where two roads cross. A signpost has been knocked over and is lying on its side. None of you knows which road leads to your destination. Then you remember something that will solve your problem. What do you remember? 50. You see a truck that has become stuck beneath an underpass because it was an inch too tall to continue passing through. There is a filling station and garage a short distance down the road. The driver of the truck is starting to walk toward the garage to get help when suddenly a bright idea pops into your head. You tell the driver and five minutes later he is through the underpass and on his way. What did you tell him to do?
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Lessons of Life . . . I feared being alone until I learned to like myself. I feared failure until I realized that I only fail when I don’t try. I feared success until I realized that I had to try in order to be happy with myself. I feared people’s opinions until I learned that people would have opinions about me anyway. I feared rejection until I learned to have faith in myself. I feared pain until I learned that it’s necessary for growth. I feared the truth until I saw the ugliness in lies. I feared life until I experienced its beauty. I feared death until I realized that it’s not an end, but a beginning. I feared my destiny, until I realized that I had the power to change my life. I feared hate until I saw that it was nothing more than ignorance. I feared love until it touched my heart, making the darkness fade into endless sunny days I feared ridicule until I learned how to laugh at myself. I feared growing old until I realized that I gained wisdom every day. I feared the future until I realized that life just kept getting better. I feared the past until I realized that it could no longer hurt me. I feared the dark until I saw the beauty of the starlight. I feared the light until I learned that the truth would give me strength. I feared change, until I saw that even the most beautiful butterfly had to undergo a metamorphosis before it could fly. —Author Unknown
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Criticism…
There was a hunter who came into the possession of a special bird dog. The dog was the only one of its kind, because it can walk on water. One day he invited a friend to go hunting with him so that he could show off his prized possession. After some time, they shot a few ducks, which fell into the river. The man ordered his dog to run and fetch the birds. The dog ran on water to fetch the birds. The man was expecting a compliment about the amazing dog, but did not receive it. Being curious, he asked his friend if the friend had noticed anything unusual about the dog. The friend replied, “Yes, I did see something unusual about your dog. Your dog can’t swim!” Many people whom we face everyday are negative. They choose to look at the hole in the middle rather than the doughnut. Do not expect compliments or encouragement from them. These are the people who cannot pull you out of your situation. They can only push you down. So be aware of them and do not let them steal your dreams away from you.
48. The matches in this picture represent a cocktail glass with a coin inside. Pick just 2 matches and place them so that the cocktail glass is upside down and the coin is outside the glass .
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There was nine great scholars who were well versed in many arts in King Akbar’s Court. They were called the nine gems. Birbal was the smartest of them all. Once Birbal drew a picture of Akbar and presented it to him, Akbar asked the opinions of the other eight scholars. Each one said that the picture had come out well. But said it was slightly incomplete. It was less in one place, saying this they would either keep a dot or draw a line and went away. Akbar informed Birbal about their opinions, then Birbal requested the scholars to draw a picture of Akbar. But none among them was capable of drawing a picture of Akbar. Everyone is a critic, said Birbal. Most of the people around us belong to this group of keeping dots on other’s work. Instead of praising a job done by others, they criticize it or show where it is not good. It is not great to search for mistakes and weaknesses.
30. My teacher has a total of 36 chalks. When a chalk reduces to 1/6 of its original size, it gets too small for her to hold for writing and hence she keeps it aside. But our teacher hates wasting things and so, when she realizes that she has enough of these small pieces to join and make another chalk of the same size, she joins them and uses the new chalkstick. If she uses one chalk each day, how many days would the 36 chalks last? 31. It was Guddy’s first day at school. The teacher suggested that it would be a good idea for each child to meet every other child in the class. The teacher said, “When you meet, please shake hands and introduce yourself by name.” If there were 11 children in the class, how many total handshakes were there?
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Anyway People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway. If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway. What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway. Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway. In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway. —Mother Teresa
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Ego…
There was a scientist. With perseverance and determination he had achieved his goals. He was successful in creating another human being exactly like himself. This creation was so realistic that nobody could recognize the real scientist and the cloned scientist. Once he came to know that the messengers of Lord Yama were searching for him. Immediately he created ten other humans exactly like him. As the life span of the scientist was over, the messenger of lord Yama had come to fetch the scientist. But, he could not distinguish the real one among the eleven likenesses. Totally confused he returned to hell empty handed. On his way to hell, Yama’s messenger got an idea. He knew man’s mind very well. So, he thought of a plan and came to the scientist’s house again. “O Scientist, you are extremely intelligent. I praise your skill. Even lord Brahma cannot create a look alike like you have done. But you have done it. Yet, there is a small fault in your creation. I have found that out.” He said. “Fault? Certainly not. Show me where it is” said the real scientist. “Here” said the messenger of Lord Yama and took the scientist with him to the land of Yama. It is human nature to feel happy when praised and get angry when criticized. It is rare to find people who are not affected by praise or criticism. If the scientist had not got angry with the messenger’s criticism on his work he would not have died. But the messenger knew man’s nature very well.
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In a small town Shimoga, there lived a person named Rangappa. He was a school dropout. As days passed he had nothing to do but to gradually enter politics and was chosen as a member of legislative assembly. One day a strange idea came in his mind – he thought of giving speech in his home town and boast about himself. So he expressed strong desire to arrange an inaugural function at his home town. The leaders of the town were puzzled to hear the inauguration ceremony. There was nothing left for inauguration: All the schools, hospitals, gardens, choultries and even some sulabh shouchalayas were inaugurated. They were in hot discussion on how to handle this situation. At this time the head master of a school arrived on the scene and told the leaders to fix a date and arrange an inaugural function. The leaders asked the head master “what is left to be inaugurated?” The head master replied not to worry about the subject matter that he will arrange. The date was fixed and MLA Rangappa arrived with all state honours. There was a well decorated pendal by the side of river Thunga. The leaders received Rangappa and took him to the podium. They searched for the head master who was the key person and he only knows what to inaugurate. Mr Rangappa asked the leader what is to be inaugurated. The leaders were in a ‘fix’. At this juncture head master arrived with a silver vessel in his hand and asked Mr. Rangappa to walk down a few step to the river. Mr. Rangappa followed the head master and all the leaders followed him. No sooner they reached the river the head master took Thunga water in the silver vessel and asked Mr. Rangappa to pour the contents back to river. Then the head master announced that Tunga river was inaugurated by our beloved and honuarable MLA. Then the head master honoured distinguished MLA with garland, bouquet and applaued him- rest of the audience followed the same. MLA was overwhelmed with joy and expressed his gratitude for arranging the inaugural function. Also, in his elaborate speech MLA explained how he left all his work at the state capital and concerned about the water problem of Shimoga came to inaugurate the river Thunga. In this confused world, are we not behaving like MLA? Was the river not flowing from decades in the same area? Was this
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river not a boon to his elders for their daily needs? Has this gentleman played in the same river when he was young? This gentleman who has learnt swimming in the same river, now with the ego is under the false impression that he inaugurated the ever flowing river.
33. In road signals, we start when the green light glows and stop when the red light glows. But when do we start at red and stop at green? 34. Place six ‘X’ in a tic tac board so that no three of them are in a same line-horizontally, vertically or diagonally 35.An emperor had a photo decorated with 32 diamonds. Whether on the top bottom, left or right sides of the frame, the sum of the diamonds was always 12. One of the emperor’s servants managed to steal four pieces, Even though 12 diamonds still remained in place on each side of the frame. How did the thief manage it? (Try and solve the problem by laying some coins in place)
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Mental tension…
Who doesn’t have mental stress? Who doesn’t require a solution to it? Therefore when one of the famous doctors gave a lecture on this topic, people came to hear him in large numbers. The doctor began his talk by saying that the situation that came in life are not the main reasons for mental stress. He said that unnecessarily thinking about the problems is the main reason. The audience said “Please explain your words/ideas in detail.” Then he did an experiment to show what he meant. He picked up the bouquet of flowers kept on the table and showed everyone. “What is the weight of this bouquet?” He asked from the audience he got the answers as “250 grams, 300 grams, 400 grams, 500 grams.” Doctor: “May be this may weigh 500 grams. Now I have held this up in my hands. If I keep this, this way for 10 minutes, what will happen?” Audience: Nothing will happen Doctor: If I hold it up for half an hour? Audience: The hands will ache. Doctor: If I hold it up for two hours what will happen? Audience: The hands will freeze in position. Doctor: You said it right. If I keep it this way for the whole day, what will happen? Audience: Your arm will be rendered useless. Blood flow may stop. That hand will get into a severe crams. You may have to go to a hospital for treatment.
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Doctor: Certainly! During this time, will anything happen to the flower? Will the weight increase or decrease? Audience: Nothing will happen to the bouquet. It will remain the same. Doctor: Why will this arm pain? Why should treatment be given to it? Audience: The arm pains because, it has held the bouquet up for a very long time. Doctor: To reduce the pain in the arm what should be done? Audience: If the bouquet is kept down it is enough. Doctor: Excellent! I was expecting the same answer. Now I will tell you the reason for having done this exercise. Problems will come in life. If we lift it up for sometime nothing is going to happen. But if we keep thinking about it for long or keep it in our mind for a long time, then our lives too will be stifled. It will pain. Life too gets paralyzed. We will need treatment. We must face the problems when they come. We must give attention that it requires. We should not brood over it. This is one way of reaving mental stress! Now we can imitate the action of keeping down a bouquet if we have lifted it up.
36. A table tennis championship is played on a knock-out basis, i.e., a player is out of the tournament when he loses a match. (a) How many players participate in the tournament if 255 matches are totally played? (b) How many matches are played in the tournament if 35 players totally participate? 37. Rakshitha says “When I add 2 times my age 2 years from now to 3 times my age 3 years from now, I get 6 times my current age.” How old will Rakshitha be 4 years from now?
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In a forest, there was a big tree which had many nests in it. The tree was always echoing with the sound of birds. One day a hunter decided to trap the birds. He sprinkled corns and spread a net. While trying to peck at the corns the birds got trapped in the net. All the birds got tensed and stopped singing. There was one bird that continued its song in the net also. The hunter was so happy with his catch and he took it home. In his happiness he offered his son anything he desired for. The boy asked his father for the bird that continued singing in the net. The hunter took the bird from the net and gave it to his son. The son happily liberated the bird. Like the birds one should not let tension rule over oneself. Like the bird which kept on singing, we need to continue our work.
42. You are in a classroom with 40 people of varying heights. The teacher/instructor of the room has asked you to exchange papers for the purpose of marking them. However, nobody is allowed to change papers with anyone that is shorter than themself. How many exchanges will occur? 43. Gaurav invited 10 friends to his birthday party. He wanted to give return gifts to them. His mother wanted to bring exact number of gifts so that she can share all of them equally with his friends. She doesn’t know how many friends amongst the 10 will come to the birthday party. Only one may come, 2 may come or all the ten of them may come. What is the least number of gifts that has to be purchased in order to share equally among the friends who come to the birthday party? (HINT: The answer has something to do with the numbers 1 through 10).
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Two Days We Should Not Worry There are two days in every week, about which we should not worry, two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension. One of these days is Yesterday with all its mistakes and cares its faults and blunders, its aches and pains. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control All the money in the world cannot bring back Yesterday. We cannot undo a single act we performed; we cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone forever. The other day we should not worry about is Tomorrow with all its possible adversities, its burdens, its large promise and its poor performance; Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control. Tomorrow’s sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds, but it will rise. Until it does, we have no stake in Tomorrow, for it is yet to be born. This leaves only one day, Today. Any person can fight the battle of just one day. It is when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternities Yesterday and Tomorrow that we break down. It is not the experience of Today that drives a person mad, it is the remorse or bitterness of something which happened Yesterday and the dread of what Tomorrow may bring. Let us, therefore, Live but one day at a time. —Author Unknown
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Way to happiness…
A few intelligent boys were searching a formula for success, peace and contentment in life. Somebody told them that they could get all this from the enlightened man who lived on the other side of the river. They left to meet this enlightened man. They had to cross the river. On the river bank the owner of the boat, an old man was sitting beneath a tree singing a song. When they asked him to take them to the other bank, he rowed them across. He told them that he would wait for them and sat in the shade of a tree. After they walked a long distance they met the enlightened man. “we have come to learn how to achieve success, peace and contentment” they said. The learned man said “To learn all that why did you come this far? If you had asked the old man who brought you here in the boat, he would have told you”, and sent the boys to him. The boys were extremely surprised to know that they could get the answer from an illiterate, elderly boat man! When they come near the boat, they saw the old man singing to himself. “We have asked the learned man how to get success, peace and be content in life. He told us to ask you. Please teach us,” requested the boys. Hearing this, the old man said, “ I don’t know all that. All I know is how to row a boat. I do it without cheating. I am content with whatever I get. When the boat is on the other bank I do not think of this bank and when the boat is on this bank, I do not think of the other bank. When there is no work, I think about something or I song to myself. I know only this.” The intelligent boys listened to the old man and returned in happiness. Doing one job at a time, accepting whatever one gets with happiness and not thinking of other things when doing a job are some of the principles to achieve success, peace and contentment. Isn’t it?
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Steps to Happiness Everybody Knows, You can’t be all things to all people. You can’t do all things at once. You can’t do all things equally well. You can’t do all things better than everyone else. Your humanity is showing just like everyone else’s. So, You have to find out who you are, and be that. You have to decide what comes first, and do that. You have to discover your strengths, and use them. You have to learn not to compete with others, because no one else is in the contest of “being you”. Then, You will have learned to accept your own uniqueness. You will have learned to set priorities and make decisions. You will have learned to live with your limitations. You will have learned to give yourself the respect that is due. And you’ll be a most vital mortal. Believe, That you are a wonderful, unique person. That you are a once-in all history event. That it’s more than a right, it’s your duty, to be who you are. That life is not a problem to solve, but a gift to cherish. And you’ll be able to stay one up on what used to get you down. —Author Unknown
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Balance…
Once a prince came to lord Buddha. He was a handsome, polite and knowledgeable richman who wanted to become a sanyasi. Agreeing Buddha showed him the way. In his enthusiasm to reach the goal he started punishing his body. He ate just enough to live. In the cold winter season, he stood in freezing waters to meditate. Hours together he would be concentrating on deep thinking without a single movement, the body became weak. The eyes sunk into their sockets. Buddha who was observing all this called the prince one day and questioned him, “ young one, every evening you are lost in playing the veena in the prayer hall. Attaining salvation is ever present in your music. I have a question. What should the condition of your veena strings to produce this music?” The prince replied “ the tension in the wires should not be too tight, or too loose, they should be moderate only then will the tune be good to hear.” Giving a smile the guru said – “Life too is the same. In everything the tension should be moderate. Even in punishing the body one should not go beyond the breaking point. The same applies to the mind. The process of reaching the goal should be like music.” It is possible from balanced thinking says our ancient knowledge. Our ancestors tell us that we should face all the challenges that come in life with an open mind. Then life is just like music. 47. How could a baby fall out of a twentystory building onto the ground and live?
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Be Thankful Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire. If you did, what would there be to look forward to? Be thankful when you don’t know something, for it gives you the opportunity to learn. Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you grow. Be thankful for your limitations, because they give you opportunities for improvement. Be thankful for each new challenge, because it will build your strength and character. Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons. Be thankful when you’re tired and weary, because it means you’ve made a difference. It’s easy to be thankful for the good things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks. Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can become your blessings. —Author Unknown
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Unity…
Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable. —Kenyan Proverb There was a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon... One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbours. “How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbours when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?” the reporter asked. “Why sir,” said the farmer, “didn’t you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbours grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbours grow good corn.” He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbour’s corn also improves. So it is in other dimensions. Those who choose to be at peace must help their neighbours to be at peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all. The lesson for each of us is this: if we are to grow good corn, we must help our neighbours grow good corn.
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Eight children were standing on the track to participate in the running event. * Ready! * Steady! * Bang !!! With the sound of toy pistol, all eight girls started running. Hardly have they covered ten to fifteen steps, one of the smaller girls slipped and fell down, due to bruises and pain she started crying. When other seven girls heard this sound, stopped running, stood for a while and turned back, they all ran back to the place where the girl fell down. One among them bent,! picked and kissed the girl gently and enquired ‘Now pain must have reduced’. All seven girls lifted the fallen girl, pacified her, two of them held the girl firmly and they all seven joined hands together and walked together and reached the winning post. Officials were shocked. Clapping of thousands of spectators filled the stadium. Many eyes were filled with tears and perhaps it had reached the GOD even! YES. This happened in Hyderabad [INDIA], recently! The sport was conducted by National Institute of Mental Health. All these special girls had come to participate in this event and they are spastic children. Yes, they were mentally retarded challenged. What did they teach this world? Teamwork? Humanity? Equality among all????? Successful people help others who are slow in learning so that they are not felt far behind.
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Once a group of people wanted to know what makes for hell and what makes heaven. Where all suffer, it is called hell and where all enjoy it is called heaven. So the committee of the above persons wanting to know how hell is made, first went to hell where all people were suffering. What they saw in hell surprised them very much because hell looked a very rich place where every enjoyable object was available in plenty. Why any one should suffer here, they wondered. As it was the lunch time in hell, all denizens of hell were in the dining hall and the committee went to investigate whether there was any food problem. Again what met their eyes surprised them beyond words because the dining table was full with a variety of delicacies in abundance and no one need starve for lack of food. Yet the most puzzling thing of all was the fact that all the hell-dwellers who were gathered there looked famished, hungry and angry. They were quarrelling and shouting at one another blaming one another in abuse language. The members of the investigation committee closely scrutinized the people who were thus quarrelling and fighting. They found that the persons in hell had no elbow joints in their arms because of which they were unable to bend their hands and feed themselves though food was plenty available. So all of them starved and had no joy. The committee felt that it was cruel joke to play upon people. Why give them plenty of food if it was not meant to feed themselves? They wished to see how things were in heaven and went there in time to see the heavenly beings at lunch. The heaven was exactly like hell... looked very rich with all enjoyable things of life. As they approached the dining hall they could hear the loud cries of satisfaction and joy emanating from the hall. The committee members hastened to the hall to witness such an exuberance of joy. The dining table was full with delicacies just as in hell. The people looked happy, well-fed and contented and they were still eating. Now the committee members watched carefully how their arms were. Here too the arms of the denizens
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were without elbow joints. They too could not bend their forearms to feed themselves. Still they were not unhappy. They understood that the plenty of food in front of them was not given to them to feed themselves but was meant for serving others. So they all collected enough food from the table and fed the others. When each one fed the others, all of them got plenty to eat and nobody famished. All were happy and it became heaven. In the other place they did not know that the hands were given to serve others. When they tried to serve themselves they could not, and it became hell.
38. A set of football matches is to be organized in a “round-robin” fashion, i.e., every participating team plays a match against every other team once and only once. If 45 matches are totally played, how many teams participated? 39. Balappa weighs 100 pounds more than his sister, Durgi. Their combined weight is 140 pounds. How many pounds does Balappa weigh? 40. Shopping malls have escalators. Children won’t stand simply on the escalator. They climb the steps even though the escalator is moving. In a shopping mall if a child runs up 7 steps of the escalator, then it takes him 45.0 seconds to reach the top of the escalator. If he runs up 15 steps of the escalator, then it takes him only 33.0 seconds to reach the top. How many seconds would it take to reach the top if he did not run up any steps of the escalator at all? 41. An old man says “My grandson is about as many days as my son is weeks, and my grandson is as many months as I am in years. My grandson, my son and I together are 140 years.” What is the age of that old man?
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Once upon a time a tortoise and a hare had an argument about who was faster. They decided to settle the argument with a race. They agreed on a route and started off the race. The hare shot ahead and ran briskly for some time. Then seeing that he was far ahead of the tortoise, he thought he’d sit under a tree for some time and relax before continuing the race. He sat under the tree and soon fell asleep. The tortoise plodding on overtook him and soon finished the race, emerging as the undisputed champ. The hare woke up and realised that he’d lost the race. The moral of the story is that slow and steady wins the race. This is the version of the story that we’ve all grown up with. But then recently, someone told me a more interesting version of this story. It continues: The hare was disappointed at losing the race and he did some soul-searching. He realised that he’d lost the race only because he had been overconfident, careless and lax. If he had not taken things for granted, there’s no way the tortoise could have beaten him. So he challenged the tortoise to another race. The tortoise agreed. This time, the hare went all out and ran without stopping from start to finish. He won by several miles. The moral of the story? Fast and consistent will always beat the slow and steady. If you have two people in your organisation, one slow, methodical and reliable, and the other fast and still reliable at what he does, the fast and reliable chap will consistently climb the organisational ladder faster than the slow, methodical chap. It’s good to be slow and steady; but it’s better to be fast and reliable. But the story doesn’t end here. The tortoise did some thinking this time, and realised that there’s no way he can beat the hare in a race the way it was currently formatted. He thought for a while, and then challenged the hare to another race, but on a slightly different route. The hare agreed.
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They started off. In keeping with his self-made commitment to be consistently fast, the hare took off and ran at top speed until he came to a broad river. The finishing line was a couple of kilometers on the other side of the river. The hare sat there wondering what to do. In the meantime the tortoise trundled along, got into the river, swam to the opposite bank, continued walking and finished the race. The moral of the story? First identify your core competency and then change the playing field to suit your core competency. Working to your strengths will not only get you noticed, but will also create opportunities for growth and advancement. The story still hasn’t ended. The hare and the tortoise, by this time, had become pretty good friends and they did some thinking together. Both realised that the last race could have been run much better. So they decided to do the last race again, but to run as a team this time. They started off, and this time the hare carried the tortoise till the river bank. There, the tortoise took over and swam across with the hare on his back. On the opposite bank, the hare again carried the tortoise and they reached the finishing line together. They both felt a greater sense of satisfaction than they’d felt earlier. The moral of the story? It’s good to be individually brilliant and to have strong core competencies; but unless you’re able to work in a team and harness each other’s core competencies, you’ll always perform below par because there will always be situations at which you’ll do poorly and someone else does well. Teamwork is mainly about situational leadership, letting the person with the relevant core competency for a situation take leadership. There are more lessons to be learnt from this story. Note that neither the hare nor the tortoise gave up after failures. The hare decided to work harder and put in more effort after his failure. The tortoise changed his strategy because he was already
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working as hard as he could. In life, when faced with failure, sometimes it is appropriate to work harder and put in more effort. Sometimes it is appropriate to change strategy and try something different. And sometimes it is appropriate to do both. The hare and the tortoise also learnt another vital lesson. When we stop competing against a rival and instead start competing against the situation, we perform far better. To sum up, the story of the hare and tortoise teaches us many things. Chief among them are that 1. fast and consistent will always beat slow and steady; 2. work to your competencies; 3. pooling resources and working as a team will always beat individual performers; 4. never give up when faced with failure; and finally, 5. compete against the situation - not against a rival.
44. A 23" × 23" square metal plate needs to be fixed by a carpenter on to a wooden board. The carpenter uses nails all along the edges of the square such that there are 24 nails on each side of the square. Each nail is at the same distance from the neighboring nails. How many nails does the carpenter use? 45. There are three switches outside a closed room. There are three lamps inside the room. You can flip the switches as much as you want while the door is closed, but then you must enter just once and determine which switch is connected to which lamp. How can you do it? 46. There are six mangoes in the basket. Six people each take one of the mangoes. How can it be that one mango is left in the basket?
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Everything happens for good…
There was once a King who had a wise advisor. The advisor followed the King everywhere, and his favorite advice was, “Everything happens for the good.” One day the King went hunting and had a little accident. He shot an arrow at his own foot and was injured. He asked the advisor what he thought about the accident, to which the advisor replied, “Everything happens for the good.” This time the King was really upset and ordered for his advisor to be put in prison. The King asked his advisor, “Now, what do you think?” The advisor again replied, “Everything happens for the good.” So the advisor remained in prison. The King later went on a hunting trip, this time without the advisor. The King was then captured by some cannibals. He was taken to the cannibals’ camp where he was to be the evening meal for the cannibals. Before putting him into the cooking pot he was thoroughly inspected. The cannibals saw the wound on the King’s foot and decided to throw him back into the jungle. According to the cannibals’ tradition, they would not eat anything that was imperfect. As a result the King was spared. The King suddenly realized what his advisor said was true. The advisor also escaped death because had he not been in prison, he would have followed the King on the hunting trip, and would have ended up in the cooking pot. It is true that everything in life happens for a purpose, and always for our own good. If you think about it, all our past experiences actually happened to bring us to where we are today and it is always for the good. All the past experiences make us a better person. So, whatever challenges that we may face today, consider it happening to bring us to the next level.
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Geeta Saara Whatever has happened, happened for good. Whatever is happening is happening for good. Whatever will happen, will also be for good. What have you lost that you cry for? What did you bring, that you have lost? What did you create, that was destroyed? You did not bring anything when you were born. Whatever you have, you have received from here. Whatever you will give, you will give here. You came empty handed and You will go the same way. Whatever is yours today was somebody else’s yesterday and will be somebody else’s tomorrow. Change is the law of the universe.
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Answers with explanation to the puzzles
1. 2. 3.
A riddle A Book All the children are boys, so 1/2 half are boys and so is the other half. 4. When the tide rises 4 feet, the boat and its ladder will also rise. So no rungs will be under the water. 5. The letter ‘e’, which is the most used letter in the alphabet, is missing from this paragraph. 6. The tenth jump took him out. (On the tenth jump he reached 13 inch and was out.) 7. The day before yesterday, yesterday, today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow. 8. “Are you asleep?” 9. Its a map. 10. The number 6. When it is put upside down, it is 9. Nine is bigger than six. 11. There are 49 steps. He hears the bird singing on step 33. He picks up the pebble on the 21st step and tosses it on the 22nd step. The remaining 27 steps are taken three at a time which is 9 paces. 12. Only two cuts are required Day One: You make your first cut at the l/7th mark and give that to the worker. Day Two: You cut 2/7ths and pay that to the worker and receive the original l/7th in change. Day three: You give the worker the l/7th you received as change on the previous day. Day four: You give the worker 4/7ths and he returns his l/7th cut and his 2/7th cut as change. Day Five: You give the worker back the l/7th cut of gold. Day Six: You give the worker the 2/7th cut and receive the l/7th cut back in change.
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Day Seven: You pay the worker his final l/7th. 13. 29 steps The child was standing on the middle step. He goes up 6 steps so he is now at M+6, he now goes down 10 steps so he is now at M-4 he goes up 18 steps so he is now at M+ 14=T. 14 steps from the top, 14 steps from the bottom and the middle step. 14+14+1=29! 14. A hole 15. The peasant said: “I shall be hanged!” If the peasant was lying, he would be hanged. But that’s what the peasant was saying. So he speaks the truth. But if he speaks the truth, he would be beheaded, so then he was not speaking the truth. So it is impossible for the judge to determine whether the peasant speaks the truth or not. So therefore the judge cannot determine the penalty and sets the peasant free. 16. 2: At each bridge you are required to give half of your laddoos, and you receive one back. This leaves you with 2 laddoos after every bridge. 17. Grandmother- 2mothers-2daughters each. So totally there are 1 + 2 + 4 = 7 members 18. 11 19. 27 20. 3 cages and 4 canaries 21. Zero because it contains a factor (x-x) which is zero and any number multiplied with zero is zero. 22. Four 23. This is possible because that man is a photographer. 24. Push the cork inside.
25.
26.
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27.
28. You divide 186 gold coins into 8 bags as follows: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, ..., 64, 59. The first 7 bags contain a total of 127 coins as per the following series: 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, ..., 26. To gain a better understanding, consider the simple case where 12 coins needs to be divided into a number of bags. You divide 12 coins into 4 bags as follows: 1, 2, 4, 5, then, If I ask for coins:
12 3
4 5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
You give bags 1 2 1+2 4 4+1 4+2 4+2+1 5+2+1 5+4 5+4+1 5+4+2 5+4+2+1 containing:
29. Fraction of life as a boy = 1/4 Fraction of life as a youth = 1/8 Fraction of life as an active man = 1/2 Fraction of life as boy, youth and active man = 1/4 + 1/8 + 1/2 = (2 + 1 + 4)/8 = 7/8 Fraction of life as an old man = 1 – 7/8 = 1/8 Thus, one-eighth of Keshava’s life (as an old man) is 8 years. So, Keshava’s Age = 64 years. It may be noted that: Life as boy = 64/4 = 16 years. Life as youth = 64/8 = 8 years. Life as active man = 64/2 = 32 years. Life as old man = 64/8 = 8 years. The problem may also be solved by setting up the following a a 11 equation: + + + 8 = a where a denotes Keshava’s age in 8 8 8 years.
The equation may be solved as shown below. 7a/8 + 8 = a 8 = a – 7 a8 = a8 8a = 8 or a = 64.
Therefore, life spent as active man = 64/2 = 32 years. 30. Our teacher uses one chalk each day. Hence the total number of days she uses 36 chalks is 36. Each chalk leaves a fraction of 1/6 its size ... so 36 such fractions remain. Since 6 such fractions are joined to give a new chalk, our teacher combines all the fractions
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to get 6 chalks which can again be used for 6 days. Hence, she has managed to use 36 chalks for 36 + 6 days! But, what about the leftovers of the chalks used over the last 6 days? They can be joined to form yet another chalk. .. which means another day! So, our teacher uses the 36 chalks for a total of 43 days. 31. The class has 11 children. The first child shakes hands with the other 10 children. The second child has already shaken hands with the first child, and so has to shake hands with only the other 9 children. In this manner, the second-last child has to shake hands with only one child, and the last child has already met all the children. Thus, the number of handshakes is 10 + 9 + …… + 2 + 1 = 55. If there were 11 children in the class, then there were 55 total handshakes. 32. Rs. 200 loss. This is really confusing one. Think of selling a pair for Rs. 1000 and bringing back at Rs.ll 00 (Loss: Rs. 1 00) and then selling for Rs.1200 and bringing back at Rs.1200 (Loss: 100) 33. While eating watermelon!! 34. X
X
X
X X
X
X
or
X
X
X X
X
35.
36. The matches in the championship may be visualized (starting backwards from the finals) as follows: Matches Total Matches Total Players Finals 1 2 Semi Finals 1+2=3 4 Quarter Finals 1+2+4=7 8 Pre-Quarter Finals 1 + 2 + 4 + 8 = 15 16
Answers with Explanation to the Puzzles
(a) (b) 37.
38.
39.
40.
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Note that half the players lose their matches at each stage and are out of the tournament. More importantly, the above table shows that the total number of matches played is always one less than the number of players participating in the tournament. This is basically because all players except the champion have to lose one match. One can now easily answer the two questions posed. If 255 matches are totally played, then 256 players participate in the tournament. If 35 players participate in the tournament, then 34 matches are totally played. “Let x be Rakshitha’s present age. Her age 2 years from now will be x + 2, and 2 times that will be 2 (x + 2). Similarly, her age 3 years from now will be x + 3, and 3 times that will be 3 (x + 3). Adding the two gives 6 times her current age. This gives the equation: 2 (x + 2) + 3 (x + 3) = 6 x. Solving the above equation gives x = (2 × 2) + (3 × 3) = 13. Thus, She will be 17 years old 4 years from now.” If 10 teams participated, then the first team plays matches against the other 9 teams. The second team has already played against the first team, and so has to play matches against only the other 8 teams. In this manner, the second-last team has to play against only one team, and the last team has already played against all the teams. Thus, the total number of matches is 9 + 8 + … … + 2 + 1 = 45. If 45 matches are totally played, then 10 teams participated. “Balappa weighs 120 pounds” is the correct answer. His sister weighs 20 pounds. Thus, Balappa weighs 100 pounds more than his sister and their combined weight is 140 as per the problem requirements. The common mistake is to quickly jump to the conclusion that “Balappa weighs 100 pounds and his sister weighs 40 pounds.” But, Balappa would then erroneously weigh 60 pounds more than his sister. Alternative Solution through Equations: Let b be Balappa’s weight and s be his sister’s weight. Then, b – s = 100; and b + s = 140. On solving the above two equations, we get b = (100 + 140)/2 = 120. If he runs up 7 steps, then he needs 45.0 seconds to reach the top. If he runs up 15 steps, then he needs 33.0 seconds to reach the top.
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41.
42. 43.
44.
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The 8 additional steps take 12.0 seconds. Therefore, each step takes 1.5 seconds. Total steps in escalator = 7 + 45.0/1.5 = 37 or Total steps in escalator = 15 + 33.0/1.5 = 37. If a child did not run up any steps at all, he would reach the top of the escalator in 55.5 seconds (i.e., 37 steps × 1.5 seconds/step). Alternative Solution through Equations: Let the total number of steps in the escalator be x. The escalator moves at a constant speed given by speed of escalator = (x – 7)/ 45.0 = (x – 15)/33.0 The above equation may be solved as follows. 33.0 (x – 7) = 45.0 (x – 15); or x = (15 × 45.0 – 7 × 33.0) / (45.0 – 33.0) = 37. Now, Speed of escalator = (37 – 7)/45.0 = (37 – 15)/33.0 = 1/1.5 steps/second. Time to reach top = Total steps/Speed = 55.5 seconds. This problem is conveniently solved by writing down the necessary equations. Let m be the age in years of the old man. If s is the son’s age in years, then old man’s son is 52s weeks old. If g is the grandson’s age in years, then old man’s grandson is 365g days old. Thus, 365g = 52s. Since my grandson is 12g months old, 12g = m. Since my grandson, my son and I together are 140 years, g + s + m = 140. The above system of 3 equations in 3 unknowns (g, s and m) can be solved as follows. m/12 + 365 m/(52 × 12) + m = 140 or 52 m |+ 365 m + 624 m = 624 × 140 or m = 624 × 140/1041 = 84. So, the old man is 84 years old.” An elegant solution is possible on realizing the significance of the word “about” in the Problem Statement. The first equation (365g = 52s) can be approximated by 7g = s. As before, the other two equations are 12g = mg + s + m = 140. The above system of 3 equations in 3 unknowns (g, sand m) can be simply solved as follows. g + 7g + 12g = 140 or 20g = 140. m = 12g = 12 × 140/20 = 84. So, the old man is 84 years old. Nil The number 2520 is the smallest number that can be divided evenly by each of the numbers I through 10. So Gaurav’s mother bought 2520 return gifts. The four corners of the square have one nail each. Each side of the square now requires 22 nails (excluding the four corners). Thus, Total number of nails used = 4 + (4 × 22) = 92.
Answers with Explanation to the Puzzles
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45. Switch the first one on for a minute, then turn it off and turn the second on. Enter the room and feel the two bulbs that are off. The warm one was turned on by the first switch, the light that is on is connected to the second, and the other to the third. 46. The last person took the basket with the last mango still inside! 47. The baby fell out of a ground floor window. 48.
49. You remember the name of the town you have just left. If the sign post is replaced in the hole, with the name of the town you have left pointing back along the road you have just traveled, all the other signs will have to be pointing in the right direction. 50. You tell the driver to let some air out of his tires. This lowers the truck enough to let it through the underpass, and then the driver can stop at the garage ahead and put the air back in his tires. 51. Fill the hole with water from a hose and TT ball will float to the top. 52. Purvi suggested that sand be poured very slowly, a tiny bit at a time, into the hole. The baby bird moved its feet to stay on top of the sand until the sand brought it up high enough in the hole to be reached. 53.
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54. 61 55. They needed just one match to find the torch!! 56. The astrologer said, “My death will be exactly one hour before yours.” So the king wanted to live, he also had to allow his astrologer to live. 57. Pour four of the half filled barrels to make it full ones. Then you get 9 full, 3 half full and 9 empty, which can be divided equally amongst the three sons. 58. Thursday 59. Ramu drew one chit and swallowed it. Since the other chit had” I die” on it, Ramu insisted that the swallowed chit had” I live” written on it. 60. Bring a chair back with you!! 61. Twenty. You counted the same houses going and coming. 62. 204 Square size Number of squares l×l 8 ∧ 2 = 64 2×2 7 ∧ 2 = 49 3×3 6 ∧ 2 = 36 4×4 5 ∧ 2 = 25 5×5 4 ∧ 2 = 16 6×6 3 ∧ 2 = 09 7×7 2 ∧ 2 = 04 8×8 1 ∧ 2 = 01 Total: 204 squares 63. An envelope! 64. 12
Answers with Explanation to the Puzzles
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65.
66.
67.
68. It is possible. Arrange the bags in row and number it as 1,2,3,4 ... 10. Take 1 coin from the 1 st bag, two coins from the 2nd bag, and three coins from the 3rd bag and so on and 10 coins from the 10th bag and weigh it. If the weight is one gram less than 550 grams then it is 1 st bag which contain 9 gram coins. If the weight is two gram less than 550 gram then it is 2n bag. Similarly if it is 10 gram less than 550 gram then it is 10th bag. 69. Udit was Rohith’s son. 70. It will take you 199 seconds. Each cut, including the 199th, produces two pieces of ribbon. 71. 8 miles - Here’s one of several ways to figure out the answer: Girish walked 1 mile up the hill in 30 minutes and 1 mile down in 15
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72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77.
78. 79.
80. 81. 82. 83.
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minutes. In other words, 1 mile took him 45 minutes round trip; The whole trip took him 6 hours, or 360 minutes; if you divide the overall time (360 minutes) by the time it took to do 1 mile (45 minutes), you find out that the overall length of the hill is 8 miles He took the goose over first and came back. Then he took the fox across and brought the goose back. Next he took the corn over. He came back alone and took the goose. The hunters were a man, his son and his grandson. Silence. Tomorrow “I is the letter after H.” Ramu should ask “If I asked the other guardian which door leads to heaven, what would he tell me?” The door that the guardian specfies will be the one that leads to hell, so Ramu will know the other one leads to heaven. This is because if Ramu asked the guardian who tells the truth this question, he will tell the truth in that the other guardian will lie, and show him the door to hell. If Ramu asked the guardian that always lies, he will lie by showing him the door to hell, because the other guardian would show him to door to heaven. The farmer’s load was heavier. His hired help only carried two sacks, while the farmer carries one sack, but his sack is a sack of grain. The hired help only carried 2 sacks — both empty. 3 inches ..... you must visualize that when the books are on the shelf with the binders facing you that the right side of volume 1 is where page 1 is and the left side of volume 3 is the last page of volume 3. This being the case, the worm only eats through the cover of volume 1 ( 1/4 inch), all of volume 2 (2 1/2 inches ), and only the cover of volume 3 ( 1/4 inch) for a total of 3 inches. No, it crawls halfway around the circle, but halfway back is only 1/4 of the return trip ( half of a half). A river 4 The sheep would remain untouched. In fact, the sheep would remain untouched if there is an even number of lions on the island, and would be eaten immediately if there is an odd number of lions on the island. Here’s the reasoning: Consider a scenario with just one lion and one sheep: The lion will eat the sheep. Why? Because after he eats it and turns into a sheep himself, there aren’t any lions on the island to eat him, so he is happy. Now look at a scenario with 2 lions and 1 sheep. Here the sheep would remain unharmed. Why? Because if anyone of them
Answers with Explanation to the Puzzles
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eats it, and turns into a sheep himself, he knows that he awaits certain death because he will then be a sheep and the other lion will be the only lion on the island and nothing will stop him from eating the sheep. So now we know for a fact one lion and one sheep – sheep gets eaten. 2 lions and one sheep – sheep doesn’t get eaten. We can now make a conclusion about 3 lions and one sheep: the sheep will definitely be eaten, Because the lion that eats it will know that by eating he leaves behind 2 lions and 1 sheep (himself). And as we already know 2 lions and 1 sheep is a situation where the sheep survives. We can use the same logic to go on to 4 lions and 1 sheep, and then all the way to 100 or 1000, but it will always be true that with an odd number of lions the sheep gets eaten and with an even number the sheep doesn’t. 84. The hands are coincident between the 1 and 2 of 12. 85. 10 doors are left open: Door numbers 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, and 100. Each of these numbers is perfect a square. This problem is based on the factors of the door number. Each door is opened/closed by each factor; for example, door number 40 is toggled on pass number 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 20, and 40. That’s eight toggles: open-closed-open-closed-open-closed-openclosed. The only way a door could be left open is if it is toggled an odd number of times. The only numbers with an odd number of factors are the perfect squares. Thus, the perfect squares are left open. For example, door number 25 is toggled on pass number 1,5, and 25 (three toggles): open-closed-open. 86. Hamsa and the Thrupti together covers the distance at 13 miles per hour (i.e., on adding their speeds). So, they will cover the distance of 65 miles in 5 hours. Thus, in 5 hours, they will meet and the hamsa will have traveled 50 miles. Alternative Solution through equations: Note that: Distance = Speed × Time Let t be the time before the Hamsa and the Thrupti meet. In t hours, the Hamsa will travel 10 t miles. In t hours, the thrupti will travel 3 t miles. Now, 10 t + 3 t = 65 So, t = 65 / 13 = 5 hours.
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87.
88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. 103.
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Thus, distance traveled by Hamsa before meeting = 10 × 5 = 50 miles He added one cow to 19 cows. It became 20. He gave half of 20, i.e., 10 cows to main pujari, one fourth of 20 i.e., 5 to the second pujari and one fifth of 20 i.e., 4 cows to the 3rd pujari and then he took his cow back!! If you said first, you are wrong. You arrive second if you overtake the second person and you take his place!! One Birthday – the day he was born. But he celebrates it yearly The match has to be lit first One hour – you take one at the start of the hour, one after 30 minutes and one at the end of the hour He weighs meat!! 1, 2, and 3 because 1 + 2 + 3 and 1 × 2 × 3 = 6 A sieve A potato An echo The letter S Time SWIMS Your age Electric train do not produce smoke. 1 !! If they are all combined then there is only one Sand pile Because she knew that it was a coin.
