Enrich Yourself With Your Mistakes ,a Discourse

Discourse: Swami Sukhabodhananda
Mistakes cannot be avoided, but we can learn how to become rich by them. Unless we teach ourselves to fail wisely, we cannot succeed in life gracefully.
Our gratitude should free us; not bind us. Four people were carrying a boat on their head. Someone asked them why they were carrying it. They said, "We are grateful to the boat that helped us cross the river. Our gratitude does not allow us to abandon the boat".
Religion should set us free and not bind us. Many people use religion to hold people in bondage and so kill the spirit of religion. A man fell into a well. He did not drown, as the well was not full. He cried out for help.
A Buddhist monk passing by said to him: "Buddha's last sermon was, we should be a light unto ourselves; since you are not, you have fallen. If I save you, the darkness in you will make you fall again into the well; so create light within and that light will help you come out".
He went away without helping. A little later, a Hindu renunciate passing by said to him: "It is because of your past deeds that you have fallen.
Even if I help you now, your past deeds will make you fall again. Perform a noble act and earn divine approval. Good deeds will help you come out". He, too, walked away.
A disciple of Confucius saw the man in distress. He assured him, "I will definitely help, but first I will go and tell the village authorities how important the teaching of Confucius is.
Confucius teaches that society is more important than indivi-duals. Meanwhile, you keep screaming; it will warn others of the danger of falling into wells. Then the village authorities will ensure that every well is covered properly". He too went away.
The person who happened to come next immediately helped the man out of the well. Then he made a request, "Any time you fall into a well, please call only me and no one else.
Not only should you fall, but you should also ask others to fall. I will definitely come and help; thus doing good service to you all, I can go to heaven".
Can we serve without being selfish? Prayer without service is not prayer; Service without prayer is not service. True prayer and sincere service are the two wings of spirituality.
In the southern part of India, people plant coconut trees. There is a saying, "Water the plant for five years, reap coconuts for life".
Do good deeds, have trust and patience; the higher centre will open up in you and you will witness a miracle of life. If a cup is placed upside down, even if it rains, the cup will not fill up.
But if the cup is kept properly, it can fill up. You can really serve others only when you have compassion in your heart. A heart without compassion cannot serve.
There was an enlightened monk, and he was an embodiment of goodness. His disciples could not understand one thing about him. He used to rob, get intentionally caught, and go to jail. On being released, he would do the same.
When asked why he did that, he would say, "I have no other way to enter jail, and the prisoners need my teaching". Compassion has its own logic. Let compassion, service, goodness be your living gods.
God does not exist in temples, churches, mosques... God is in love, goodness, and service. In the name of service, do not forget yourself. In serving yourself, do not forget others.
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