Are you keeping the company of Manthra?

Manthara was the special maidservant of Queen Kaikeyi.
Queen Kaikeyi loved Rama as dearly as she did her own son.
Manthara informed Kaikeyi that Rama was to be crowned king the next day.
Kaikeyi was aware of the fact, and happy for it,
Manthara added a lie, she said that preparations had started in the Kingdom long before Kaikeyi had been informed.
Manthara convinced Kaikeyi that if Kaikeyi were not to make her own son Bharata the king, the position of Kaikeyi would be reduced to nothing
The seed of doubt had been implanted.
But how was Kaikeyi to achieve her ends?
Manthara again played a mischief and misguided her
Hence Kaikeyi asked Dasaratha to install Bharata as the King, and banish Rama from the Kingdom for 14 years.
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let us analyse
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1. Manthara was a wicked servant . (it should have made no difference whether Bharata was to be made king or Rama. After all she was going to remain a servant).
2. A bad companion enjoys taking their mate on the wrong track whether he receives any benefit or not.
3. When one makes a bad companion as one’s Guru /guide/friend /associate one suffers and become the source of suffering for others.
4. What we read, watch , think, see, act, react , emote are also our associates.
5. Bad habits are also Manthras
6. Introspect -Are you in the company of Manthras?

Are you not happy?

You are not happy Because you are searching for happiness.

-The search for happiness consumes our lives, though we may not be aware that happiness is what we seek.
-We seek and seek happiness from things , people , activities.
-We keep convincing ourselves - "Someday I'll be happy".
-We tell ourselves we'll be happy when our bills are paid,
-When we get out of school, get our first job, when we have a nicer car, a better house or something else and else....

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The truth is there is no better time to be happy than RIGHT NOW .
If not now, when?
Happiness is our creation . Happiness is a state of mind.
Happiness is not to be searched somewhere.
Overcome expectations and desires;
Forget the past, not depend on the future.
Live in the present;
Not ask others for happiness, instead create it and share it with them.
Happiness is not a destination, it is a journey.
Happiness is not tomorrow, it is now.
Happiness is not a dependency, it is a decision, your own decision.
YOUR ARE HAPPY NOW or NEVER
BE HAPPY NOW , FLASH A SMILE

Is everything predestined?

Once upon a time, a man, in search of livelihood, on his way to another town had to pass through a jungle. It so happened that he lost his way in the woods. Roaming helplessly, he came across an old banyan tree, its roots hung low and it canopied a wide area. He saw a fox sitting under the tree. At first, he got scared, thereafter, relieved, for, he noticed that it was lame, an old fox, mostly disabled, unable to hunt.
He sat there in a shady corner. What he witnessed a while later amazed him, he observed birds who sat on the tree occasionally dropped pieces of meat and the fox fed on them. That was how it survived. It dawned on the man that there was no need for him to run around, that, he too, like the fox, could just take up a corner somewhere, God would provide for him too.
Subsequently, he managed to navigate his way out of the forest and parked himself, under a tree, outside the first village he came across. He vowed to surrender to God and only live off what was offered to him. Only that, days went by and no one offered him anything. He was starving, at the verge of collapsing. His faith shook, just short of shattering, and he wondered how could God be partial, how come he provided for the fox and not him.

While he was engrossed in his own world, he saw a sannyasi, mystic, pass by. In his frail condition, he called out for the mystic, narrated his story, his predicament, and put him the question that bothered him. The monk chuckled, and said, "Who told you to take on the role of the fox? Are you lame? Disabled? You should be the bird, working for yourself as well as providing for those who depend on you."
The anecdote has two morals,
 We cannot pick and choose roles as per our own convenience, we have to be pragmatic, realistic, honest with ourselves and get the best out of ourselves , and
Surrendering to God or having faith in Him does not mean we cease to make an effort. God help those who help themselves.