Sri Ganesha Temple, Nashville, TN 11/18/2012 Review: What is the moral of the “search for the holy man” story? What is the moral of the “cracked pots” story? The Six Enemies of Happiness - Kaama (desperate desire) – want becomes a need? - Krodha (anger, hatred) - Moha (over-attachment) - Lobha (greed) - Mada/Ahankara (ego, pride) - Matsarya (envy) The Story of the Seven Pots Mohanlal was the royal barber and earned a handsome salary. He was a cheerful man whom everyone liked. One night when he was returning home through the forest he heard some voice. Hari ran, as he was worried that ghosts might chase him. The voice assured him that it only wanted to thank Hari for the kindness he showed to trees. Hari was too scared to pay any attention to the spirit. To his amazement he found seven pots of gold at home. The first six were filled with gold while the seventh was only half-full. Hari and his wife decided to fill the seventh pot to the brim with gold. From the next day, he began to drop all his earnings into the pot. Even after several days, the pot wouldn't full up. The couple began to go hungry hoping to save more money. By the end of the month Hari was losing sleep over the seventh pot of gold. Hari's wife suggested that he should ask the king for a raise. That way could drop all the extra income into the pot. Surely by the end of the second month the pot was bound to fill up. Hari approached the king with a request for a raise. The king noticed that Hari was depressed and appeared worried. The king raised his salary. Page 1 of 5 Sri Ganesha Temple, Nashville, TN 11/18/2012 Despite all their efforts the couple could not fill the seventh pot. Hari decided to ask the king for another raise. The king thought for a moment. It was unlike Hari to be so depressed. Besides,he was being paid handsomely. Then the king asked, "Have you been given seven pots of gold by the forest spirit?" Hari gaped at him and nodded his headed. The king then said, "The forest spirit once gave me six and a half pots of gold. When I asked whether I can share the wealth with others, the spirit vanished. The pots are a curse for the greedy. Return the pots to the forest. You will regain your peace of mind". Hari heeded the king's advice. He threw the pots away and lived happily with his wife. Pay attention to the important things in life and disregard the rest. A group of alumni got together to visit their old university professor. The conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups – porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain-looking, some expensive, and some exquisite – telling them to help themselves to the coffee. After all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: “If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.” “Be assured that the cup itself adds no real quality to the coffee. In most cases, it’s just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups and then began eyeing each other’s cups.” “Now consider this: Life is the coffee. .and the jobs, houses, cars, things, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life, and the type of cup we have does not define nor change the quality of life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us. God brews the coffee, not the cups . enjoy your coffee.” Proverbs: God gives every bird his worm, but he does not throw it into the nest. Sweep first before your own door, before you sweep the doorsteps of your neighbors. Page 2 of 5 Sri Ganesha Temple, Nashville, TN 11/18/2012 MAHABHARATA (Part 8) Duryodhana said to his evil uncle Shakuni, "Uncle, I cannot bear the prosperity of the Pandavas. I feel like attacking them and take away all their wealth." "I know a way they can be tricked and sent to exile" replied Shakuni in his cunning voice. On the way to Hastinapur, Shakuni revealed his evil plan to Duryodhana. He said, "Yudhishthira is addicted to the game of dice, and no one can beat me in this game because I use loaded dice. Your job is to persuade your father, Dhritarashtra, to invite Yudhishthira to play dice with me in the presence of all the dignitaries in the court. Leave the rest to me." When Duryodhana reached Hastinapur, he went straight to Dhritarashtra and narrated the prosperous condition of the Pandavas. Duryodhana then asked "Father, let us have a special celebration to exemplify our friendliness with the Pandavas by inviting them to Hastinapur. We will also invite other dignitaries to this occasion, where the top attraction and excitement will be the dice game between Yudhishthira and our maternal uncle Shakuni." Dhritarashtra did not realize the evil plan of Duryodhana and Shakuni. He was blind and had been indulgent towards his eldest son, Duryodhana. So he permitted Duryodhana to have his way. The invitation of the dice game went to Yudhishthira and he accepted. The Pandavas arrived on the previous day along with Draupadi leaving behind their mother Kunti and their children with Subhadra. The Pandavas rested for the night in the guesthouse and reached the gambling hall on the following day, the day of the royal dice game. Other royal dignitaries also arrived and Dhritarashtra and his courtiers welcomed them. Before the starting of the game Shakuni wished Yudhishthira good luck and said, "Your majesty! Let us decide about the stakes." Yudhishthira remarked, "Uncle, let us keep the game fair." Page 3 of 5 Sri Ganesha Temple, Nashville, TN 11/18/2012 Shakuni was a professional gambler and he knew the weakness of his challenger. He retorted, "Yudhishthira, let the dice decide our luck. Play fearlessly if you have the courage and accept whatever comes out of it. If you are afraid, you can refuse and quit now. There is no quitting after this." Yudhishthira's pride was hurt. He did not want to withdraw in front of the dignitaries who came there to witness the game. He proudly said, "You may call for the stake and I will agree to that." Duryodhana was waiting for the opportunity, he spoke at once, "I shall put the stakes and uncle Shakuni shall throw the dice for me. Is it acceptable to you?" Yudhishthira agreed. Yudhishthira was no match for Shakuni. Using his loaded dice Shakuni won every game. Eventually, Yudhishthira lost everything, his riches, his kingdom, his brothers and finally even himself. Last of all, he staked his wife Draupadi and lost her too. Duryodhana asked his brother Dushashana to bring Draupadi to the court. When Dushashana reached the guesthouse, Draupadi was unaware of the calamity that had befallen on her family. She was amazed to hear that Yudhishthira gambled away every thing that the Pandavas owned. Draupadi refused to go to the court. Dushashana, in the pretext of carrying out the orders of his elder brother dragged her into the court by her hair. Karna got this chance to humiliate the Pandavas in public and got even with the insults that the Pandavas showered on him in the past. He asked Duryodhana to order to remove off the royal garments that the Pandavas and their wife Draupadi were wearing. Dushashana could not find a better way to insult Draupadi in public. Draupadi looked around but there was no one who could rescue her. She finally called for Krishna to save her honor. As Dushashana pulled her saree to disgrace her, Krishna invisibly supplied the sarees one after another and Draupadi could not be undressed. When Dushashana got tired of pulling the saree, Duryodhana ordered Draupadi, "You are now my maid, sit on my thigh." Page 4 of 5 Sri Ganesha Temple, Nashville, TN 11/18/2012 Bheema could not tolerate the insults any longer and shouted, "I am taking this vow that one day I will drink blood from Dushashana's heart and break the thigh of Duryodhana for insulting a chaste woman in public." Draupadi charged the elders with anger, "It is a shame for the race of Kshatriyas, the descendants of Bharata, to allow a chaste woman of their own family to be disgraced before their very eyes. I condemn the elders, the so called warriors, sitting here and watching me disgraced." Dhritarashtra was shaken up. He asked his sons to stop and he apologized to Draupadi for fear of the curse that may befall on the Kauravas. Then he asked Duryodhana to accept an alternative to release the Pandavas from the slavery. Duryodhana agreed to banish them for thirteen years before they return to Hastinapur along with the condition that they should be incognito during the thirteenth year. If their identity is disclosed on the thirteenth year, they would have to go for an exile of another thirteen years.