Insights Vol. 1

Foreword

Let us imagine the Neanderthals. About 200,000 years they were along ruling today’s Eurasia. They were our immediate cousins and Neanderthals most probably they used language to their advantage. Scientists today believe that used language for communication. So one author writes: "There is no reason to think that Neanderthals would not have had the ability for language."

Let us imagine that they come back from their regular hunting, bring their prey, cook and eat them. Then as dawn sets in, they sit around the fire and discuss. Some of them would surely ask questions about the origin of the earth, what they will catch the next day and what would happen to their grandmother who passed away recently. They would discuss, argue and come to some sort of general conclusions about their life, which will enable them to get a good sleep.

Let us transfer the situation to our contemporary world. Contemporary human beings also raise similar questions, but in totally different context. If the question on the origin of the world, for instance, were raised, we know how the astronomers and astrophysicists will answer. They will begin with the Big Bang that took place 13.7 billion years ago. Using elaborate presentations and mathematical equations, they will argue that the universe is still expanding and it will come to an end after a few billion years from now. After such an academic seminar, the scholars will collect the payment/honoraria, withdraw to their air-conditioned bed-rooms, reflect a bit on the day’s proceedings and mostly feel proud of their contribution and fall asleep.

In both the situations they feel that they have achieved some knowledge about the world outside, they feel happy that they share that knowledge among themselves and they can reasonably be satisfied with their explanations. So they can sleep peacefully. But what both of them do not realise is another thing. The cavemen would never have imagined that their answers are partial and will soon be replaced. Similarly the modern scientists know that there will be better theories to explain the origin of the universe, but they do not pay so much of attention to it. But if we can transport ourselves to another 500 years ago, most probably the equations and explanations of the scientists will turn to be totally obsolete.

What happens in both the situations separated by about 200,000 years is the power of stories to convey insights to human beings. Using shared stories, which are surely the best knowledge available to them, they communicate deep insights on life, death, our common origin and destiny. The narratives shared by the cave-men and contemporary scientists help humanity in providing insights to deal with our human condition better.

It is in this context that we can better appreciate the stories provided by Rev. Dr. Jose Kaimlett and published by Joji Valli. They are rare collection of stories that provide meaning and insight to human life. As such they are pearls of wisdom that we human beings badly need about ourselves and about what we can truly hope for. I wish that the readers will be able to understand and appreciate these stories and apply them to their own lives. As one great thinker says, Every understanding is self-understanding. May these stories enlighten our minds and lessen the burdens of life by providing us with meaningful insights and adequate explanations for our own life. May they be source of strength and consolation, especially in our troubled times.

I with the author, publisher wish readers an enriching time assimilating these stories, so that their life becomes wiser and they can enjoy themselves with abandonment and suffer themselves with compassion! May these stories truly provide us with insights for our life and death!

Prof. Dr. Kuruvilla Pandikattu

(Philosopher & Author)

Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune

March 23, 2011

Acknowledgements

Nothing is more heartening to a ‘teacher,’ any teacher for that matter, than to see that his teachings are appreciated by his disciples. There is no greater proof of appreciation, than to see the disciples themselves going out to teach the selfsame ideals.

The contents of this book is a selected collection of Thought for the day mailed out by me on a daily basis to all my friends.

Two of my past-pupils, Dr. Biju Kuttikatt and Jobin Plackiyil had published their collections under the title, Tonic for the Spirit. An Italian version of a 150 Thoughts will be published by Dr. Daniele Sciuto simultaneously with this collection in May on the occasion of my 70th birthday.

I appreciate much their love and regard for me, as well as their burning desire to make available to all and sundry the inspiration and wisdom contained in them that has prompted Joji Valli and Biji Vazhayail to publish this book. I have not seen either of them ever since they left my classroom decades ago.

I am very grateful to you, my dear Joji and Biji, for your love for me that has withstood the test of time. I wish you tremendous success in your efforts to spread the ‘light’ around. You are the light of the world. Be Lighted to Enlighten.

I am thankful to Dr. C. Drago, Dr. Joji Valli and Radha Suresh for offering honest and invaluable editorial suggestions to bring this book ‘INSIGHTS’ into being. May the ‘INSIGHTS’ ignite incessant insights in your life and those around to share happiness, love, peace, contentment and harmony.

Contents

1. War of Words

2. The Man Who Loved Bread

3. Fasting

4. Temptations

5. Love for the Family

6. The Lottery Ticket

7. Blind Boy

8. Best Detergent

9. Johnny’s Tantrum

10. An Atheist

11. The Devoted Wife

12. Doing Your Duty is Prayer

13. The Apostle Raises Pigeons

14. Grandpa Frog

15. Why Do I Work

16. Efficiency Expert

17. The Omnipresence of God

18. The Local Repair Shop

19. Selfishness is the Cause

20. Winning for Ourselves

21. A Carpenter’s Gift

22. Paganini’s Violin

23. Price Makes Things Priceless

24. Two Shipwrecked Men on an Island

25. Mystery Deaths

26. Million Dollar Sweepstake

27. Judge in Dilemma

28. Who is Deaf?

29. Fear Paralyses

30. Love for the Poor Conquers

31. Skeptic

32. Aging

33. Do What Has to be Done!

34. Criticism

35. Gratitude is an Attitude

36. Keep on Going

37. Lesson from a Terrapin

38. Nuisance

39. Focus on Solutions

40. Handicaps

41. The Concert

42. Muscle Power is not Brain Power

43. Mercy

44. Change of Mind

45. Being Smart Pays

46. Flattery

47. Half-Educated

48. Paycheck discrepancy

49. Busy All Day Doing Nothing

50. Brain Power

51. Socialism

52. A Home is Where

53. The Dog that Chewed off the Tag

54. Post Turtle

55. Who will Feed the hungry?

56. Sweet are the Uses of Adversity

57. A Word of Encouragement

58. Happy to the Last Breath

59. The Quality of Mercy

60. Be Yourself

61. Always Hitting the Bull’s Eye

62. Bad Parental Example

63. Learning to Fall

64. What is Truth?

65. Why Pain?

66. Sacrifice that Saves

67. Rash Judgment

68. Think You Have it Tough?

69. The Sinner

70. Regular Rest

71. Excellence

72. The Mouse Trap

73. Bamboo

74. Success is Failure Turned Inside Out

75. Spirit of the Law

76. God Never Gets Tired

77. Who Listens to the People?

78. Shoebox in the Cupboard

79. Mother for Hire

80. Friends are God’s Way of Taking Care of Us

81. Where Have All the Sermons Gone?

82. Can You Answer These?

83. Rituals

84. The Chicken

85. The Bear and the Travelers

86. Great Value in Disaster

87. The Old Faithful Well

88. Finally, Out to the Ball Game

89. Silly Beliefs

90. Pain Passes .

91. The Weight of a Snowflake

92. God Never Gets Tired

93. An Inside Job

94. Strengths and Weaknesses

95. Melrose Suspension Bridge

96. Love Brings Trouble

97. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie!

98. Destined to Win

99. It is my Nature

100. Judge not by External Appearances

101. Beatitudes

102. Signet

103. They also Serve

104. Solidarity

105. The Gullible

106. Truth is Truth

107. Irony of Fate

108. What would Jesus have Done?

109. Being a Light in the World

110. Prayer

111. Jealousy

112. We are All Called to be

113. Care Cures

114. No Point in Cleaning

115. Simple Life

116. Planning

117. To What Extent?

118. Like Human Fools!

119. Follow Your Bliss

120. Being Good and True

121. Tomorrow

122. Which one Wins?

123. I am Out There

124. Assumptions

125. Don’t Rest on Your Old Laurels

126. Discouragement

127. Forgiveness Heals

128. Try to Become What You Could Have Been

129. A Parable of Church Workers

130. Freedom

131. What is Under Your Feet?

132. Gambling

133. The Complaint Book

134. With a Little Push

135. The Medium can Change the Message

136. Greed Destroys Happiness

137. A Dirty Farmer

138. Barber does not Exist

139. The Deacon and the Preacher

140. Phone Call

141. Hereford Cows

142. Where are You Going?

143. The Ant and the Dove

144. Eagles in a Storm

145. You Reap What You Plant

146. Plans or Bridge?

147. Copper Kettle Christians

148. Warmth of Your Love

149. God is Love

150. Better Know Who Your Pilot is?

151. Entirely Guilty

152. Evil Brothers

153. Compassion Turned Sour

154. Blind Statue of Our Lady

155. Not a One Way Street

156. A Little Bit Every Day

157. The Silent Treatment

158. The Silent Air Trip

159. The Two Wolves

160. Grandpa’s Day Out

161. Parable of the Pencil

162. Disobedience

163. Power of Discouraging Words

164. The Frog

165. Opportunity Lost is Irretrievably Lost Forever

166. The Wolf and the Lamb

167. Don’t Copy if You Can’t Paste!

168. Frantic Pursuit, After What?

169. How to Call the Police?

170. When Your Own Conscience Condemns You

171. All Right, Break it Up!

172. Unsolicited Compassion

173. Inscrutable Ways of Bhagavan

174. Windows and Mirrors

175. The Lone Ranger

176. The Wall

177. Mother

178. Procrastination

179. A Wonderful Sermon

180. Courage to Face Failure

181. True Love

182. Sharpen Your Axe

183. Asian Farmer

184. Fear of Death

185. Anything for a Profit

186. What will Happen, if I Don’t Help?

187. Obstinacy

188. Gates of Heaven

189. Dividing Nuts

190. A Blind Girl

191. Fear

192. The Old Faithful Well

193. Different Perception

194. Limping Horse

195. Trucks can be Repaired

196. Stick that grew Shorter

197. Easier to Demolish than To Build

198. You are Wonderful

199. God’s Wife

200. Don’t let me Down

INDEX

INSIGHTS

I was on the lookout for a touching name for this book. So I told one of my colleagues to keep scratching her brains and maybe she can stumble upon a good name. She tells me if you come online, she would be able to help me out. I said, I am going for a walk, will come online as I get back. So I went for my usual one hour walk.

As I returned, went online and saw her on Google talk. I opened the chat window and started writing, any insights or outsights? I pressed enter to send the text. Without giving her anymore time to reply, I wrote again. Wait a minute.

How does it sound ‘INSIGHTS’

Of course, without any delay came the reply. That is it.

Well. That was the moment of insight to get a touching name. It just happens — You need to be aware. ‘Be Just’.

That is how now you are able to hold this book ‘INSIGHTS’ in your hands to bring insights in your life. Now let me enlighten you what ‘INSIGHTS’ really are:

Insight is the understanding of a specific cause and effect in a specific context. Insight has multiple dimensions for example a person with very poor recognition or acknowledgment is referred to as having poor insight or lack of insight.

The mind is a model of the universe built up from insights. A mature mind has assimilated many insights and understands cause and effect. (Ref. Wikipedia)

Insights are the deeper understandings of life with your attitudes and beliefs, which helps you to synchronize yourself and others at an emotional level. Thus making an everlasting bond between you and your surroundings — life itself.

The Pali word for ‘insight’ is ‘vipassana,’ which has been adopted as the name of a kind of Buddhist meditation.

Every moment you are awakened to plenty of insights. Are you ready to grab those insights? If you are able to harness those it is yours. Let me assure you the content of this book would take you to a deeper level of understanding of life as you read and meditate. Let the insights reverberate in each cell of your body and your being. May you be filled with fascinating insights and inspiring people around to lead a happy and peaceful life.

Wishing you all blessings of life.

Dr. Joji Valli

(Publisher & Author)

1. War of Words

A king sent a message to the ruler of a neighboring country. The message read:

Send me a blue diamond as large as a pigeon’s egg or else...

The king on getting the message wrote back: We don’t have such a diamond and if we had...

The first king got very angry and declared war on his neighbor. The fighting went on for several months till a third king arranged a meeting between the two warring rulers. So they met and the first king said to the other: What did you mean when you said, ‘Send me a blue diamond as large as a pigeon’s egg or else...’?

Why, he replied, I meant a blue diamond as large as a pigeon’s egg or else... some other diamond. I love diamonds. But what did you mean when you said, ‘We don’t have such a diamond and if we had’?

It is easy to guess my meaning, said the other man. What I wanted to say was, if we had such a diamond we would have gladly sent it to you. The Kings pledged to write more clearly in future communications and embraced each other and made peace.

Many a time, our understanding of what is left unsaid, including even the most obvious, is what causes problems. We would avoid a lot of trouble for ourselves and others if we are clear in what we say or write.

(Communication, Clarity, Misunderstanding, Prejudice)

2. The Man Who Loved Bread

A man eating in a restaurant called the waiter and complained that he had been given only one loaf with his meat dish. I like lots of bread, said the man, Remember that next time.

The next time he came, the waiter served him three loaves. This is better than the last time, said the man, But I would have liked more bread.

The next time he came the waiter served him five loaves but sill the man seemed unhappy. Later the waiter told the cook about the