The Indian Stammering Association : REALISE THE POWER OF TRUTH AND COME OUT OF STAMMERING

Dear Friends,

I have been advocating to practice truthfulness to improve our stammering. On 13.08.2011, I completed my Project # 10 in Chandigarh Toastmasters Club and have become a Competent Communicator. For this all credit goes to TISA and more particularly Dr. Sachin who only motivated me to join Toastmasters. I am not able to upload the video as the voice quality of recording is not good. However the text of my speech is as under. Please go through and get inspired. Once again thanks to Dr. Sachin.

The Power of Truth

Do you want to have the power of making anything true whatever you say?

Yes you can do this.

It is said that if a man speaks truth uninterruptedly for 12 years, whatever he speaks thereafter will come true. This is the power of truth. That’s why it is said don’t say anything wrong to a satguru. Whatever he will say it will come true. They become so pure in the purity of their thoughts that even the nature cannot afford to defy their words. I am talking of Satgurus not the gurus who are doing business in the market. Guru is composed of the syllable gu and ru . The former signifying “darkness” and the later signifying “the destroyer of that (darkness). Because of the power to disperse darkness the guru is thus named.

The importance of 3 in this universe in our journey of life in order are:

a) Matha , Pitha i.e. Parents . We are in this world because of Parents.

b) Guru, who tells us what is good & what is bad and,

c) Daivam (God)

KABIR

Guru and God both appear before me. To whom should I prostrate?

I bow before Guru who introduced God to me.

GURU GOBIND DONO KHARE, KAKE LAGOO PAV. BALIHARI GURU AAPKO GOBIND DIYO BATEY.

In the Ramayana there are many instances where the miraculous power of truth is revealed. Sita boldly proclaims that if she has been truthful and chaste, Hanuman’s tail that was set afire by enemies would not scorch him. The fire had no option but to bow before the truth. Hanuman’s tail remained unharmed despite the raging fire. Again towards the end of the epic, Sita is asked to prove her chastity before an assembly. This was the second instance after the fire ordeal she was made to undergo soon after the war.

Mother Earth unable to bear the travesty of justice, opened up and took her daughter back into her womb.

A distraught middle –aged woman came sobbing and fell at the feet of a Satguru. The compassionate saint blessed her and said: Sowbhagyavati bhava-May you enjoy a long and happy married life. The startled woman informed him that she had just received the news of her husband’s death on the war-front. Upon hearing this , the Swamy said the words came from him spontaneously and hence should be presumed to be God’s decree. News arrives that the woman’s husband was taken prisoner and his return was imminent.

The first step towards journey of truth begins with a pledge (Sankalpa). It is the decision which is important. The worst sinner becomes a sadhu the moment he decides to be good. In the very moment that the commitment or decision to change for better is made the individual is transformed. In the lives of great Masters we find that their lives were ordinary till some event changed them completely and they rose to great heights. The turning point in the lives of Swamy Vivekananda or Mahatma Gandhi was the decision to seek the truth.

When Mahatma Gandhi was thrown out of the train in the mid of the cold night in south Africa, he chose to follow the path of satyagraha. (satya is truth , agraha is insistence). He held that precious anger of being discriminated against in his heart and put it to good use. He did not waste this energy by cursing those who had insulted him. Instead he used it to fight for the Truth. He took the decision to live and die for the Truth and from an ordinary lawyer he became a Mahatma. Gandhiji’s uncompromising attitude towards truth is what made him a Mahatma. In his autobiography work My Experiments with Truth, he confesses that if something is shameful to reveal, it is more shameful to hide. Those who did not know him called him a half naked fakir. But this frail man , partially – clad in a skimpy dhoty but fully clothed in the attire of truth, was more powerful than battalions of armed men dressed in uniform. Gandhiji used to say- main akela chala tha satya aur swatantrata ki rah par. Log milte gaye, carwan banta gaya.

Swamy Vivekananda was obsessed with the desire to know God. His quest led him to several Mahatmas. For each one of them he had only question – Have you seen God? For him it was not enough to know that the scriptures say God exists. He wanted tangible proof. Finally he came to Ramakrishna Parmahansaji who told him that he was able to see God more clearly than he was able to see Swamy Vivekananda himself. Satisfied with his answer , Narendera in the pursuit of the Truth pledged his life to the Master and rose to the heights of Swamy Vivekananda.

Truth, wholesomeness and compassion can save the world.

One day Buddha went on his morning round for alms through a hamlet in Magdha accompanied by a group of bikshus. Some monks walked ahead of Buddha and some walked behind him. While they were on their way, a great forest fire broke out, raising fiercely and spreading rapidly, until the jungle was a roaring wall of flames and smoke. Those monks who had not yet made attainments were terrified with the fear of death. “Let us set a counter fire so the jungle fire cannot reach us over the ground we have burned,” they cried, and immediately started to kindle a fire. “ What are you doing? “ Asked the other monks. You are blind to the sun rising in front of your eyes. Here you are journeying along with Buddha who is without equal . You don’t know the might of Buddha. Come with us to the Teacher. All the monks gathered around Buddha who had halted as soon as he had seen the flames. The blaze whirled and roared as if to devour them. Suddenly, however when the fire was exactly 16 length from the spot where Buddha stood, the flames went out like a torch plunged into water, extinguished and completely harmless. The monks bursts into praises of Buddha, oh how great are the virtues of the teacher. Even fire cannot singe the spot where Buddha stands.

It is no present power of mine, Buddha told them, that make the fire go out as soon as it reaches this spot, it is the power of a former Act of Truth of mine. No fire will ever burn this spot during the whole of this world age. This is one of the miracles which will last until the end of this era. The Ananda then folded a robe in fourth and laid it down for Buddha to sit on. After he has taken his seat, the monks bowed to him seated themselves respectively around him. Only the present is known to us, Sir. The past is hidden, they said. Please make it clear to us. It their request the Buddha told this story of the past.

The Baby Quail who could not Fly Away (The Power of Truth, wholesomeness and compassion)

Once upon a time, the Enlightenment Being was born as a tiny quail. Although he had little feet and wings, he could not yet walk or fly. His parents worked hard bringing food to the nest, feeding him from their beaks.

In that part of the word, there were usually forest fires every year. So it happened that a fire began in that particular year. All the birds who were able, flew away at the first sign of smoke. As the fire spread, and got closure and closure to the nest of the baby quail, his parents remained with him. Finally the fire got so close, that they too had to fly away to save their lives.

All the trees, big and small, were burning and crackling with a loud noise. The little one saw that everything was being destroyed by the fire that raged out of control. He could do nothing to save himself. At that moment, his mind was overwhelmed by feeling of helplessness.

Then it occurred to him, “ My Parents loved very much. Unselfishly they built a nest for me, and then fed me without greed. When the fire came, they remained with me until the last moment. All the other birds who could, had flown away a long time before.

So great was the loving – kindness of my parents, that they stayed and risked their lives, but still they were helpless to save me. Since they could not carry me, they were forced to fly away alone. I thank them, wherever they are, for loving me so. I hope with all my heart they will be safe and well and happy.

Now I am all alone. There is no one I can go to for help. I have wings, but I cannot fly away. I have feet, but I cannot run away. But I can still think. All I have left to uses is my mind – a mind that remains pure. The only beings I have known in my short life were my parents, and my mind has been filled with loving – kindness towards them. I have done nothing unwholesome to anyone. I am filled with new – born innocent truthfulness.

Then an amazing miracle took place. This innocent truthfulness grew and grew until it became larger than the little baby bird. The knowledge of truth spread beyond that one lifetime, and many previous births became known. One such previous birth had led to knowing a Buddha, a fully enlightened knower of Truth – one who had the power of Truth, the purity of wholesomeness, and the purpose of compassion.

Then the Great Being within the tiny baby quail thought, “ May this very young innocent truthfulness be united with that ancient purity of wholesomeness and power of Truth. May all birds and other beings, who are still trapped by the fire, be saved. And may this spot be safe from fire for a million years!”

And so it was.

The morale is : Truth, wholesomeness and compassion can save the world.

Give everything and sleep peacefully.

A boy and a girl were playing together. The boy had a collection of marbles. The girl had some sweets with her. The boy told the girl that he will give her all his marbles in exchange for her sweets. The girl agreed. The boy kept the biggest and the most beautiful marble aside and gave the rest to the girl. The girl gave him all her sweets just as she had promised. That night the girl slept peacefully. But the boy couldn’t sleep as he kept wondering if the girl had hidden some sweets from him the way he had hidden his best marble ! if you don’t give hundred per cent in a relationship, you will always keep doubting if the other person has given her hundred per cent. This is applicable for any relationship like love, friendship and employer-employee relationship. Give everything and sleep peacefully. A beautiful relationship does not depend upon how good we understand someone, but on how well we avoid misunderstandings.