Shake off and Step up!

This is a story some good soul sent out to me over the internet. It is one of the best stories I have ever heard with a beautiful message. Read on...

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Our frame of mind!

Once Buddha was  giving a sermon. keeping in mind that monks were present in the audience, he said at the end of the semon, "Before u go to bed don't forget to do the most important thing of the day". Hearing these words the monks thought, "We must not forget to meditate before sleeping." A thief who was also present thought,"Lord Buddha is right.", he mused "Late night is the best time for stealing." A  prostitute hearing these words thought that she should try to get some customers that night on the way home from the sermon. Each one took Buddha's  instruction according to his or her own frame of mind!

 When problems arise in our lives, we always try to change  the  circumstances often interpreting things as our minds wills, but in many cases the only appropriate solution is to change ourselves- to change our mind!