The wood cutter - Keeping Your Axe Sharp

Once upon a time a very strong woodcutter asked for a job with a timber merchant, and he got it. The salary was really good and so were the work conditions. For that reason, the woodcutter was determined to do his best. His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he was supposed to work. The first day, the woodcutter brought 18 trees "Congratulations," the boss said. "Go on that way!"

Very motivated by the boss' words, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but could bring 15 trees only.

The third day he tried even harder, but could bring 10 trees only.

Day after day he was bringing less and less trees. "I must be losing my strength", the woodcutter thought.

He went to the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on.

"When was the last time you sharpened your axe?" the boss asked. "Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy trying to cut trees..."

Swami Vivekananda's Chicago speech 1893

Sisters and Brothers of America,                                     Date:11-Sep-1893

It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions, and I thank you in the name of millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects.

My thanks, also, to some of the speakers on this platform who, referring to the delegates from the Orient, have told you that these men from far-off nations may well claim the honor of bearing to different lands the idea of toleration. I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation. I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: “As the different streams having their sources in different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee.”

The present convention, which is one of the most august assemblies ever held, is in itself a vindication, a declaration to the world of the wonderful doctrine preached in the Gita: “Whosoever comes to Me, through whatsoever form, I reach him; all men are struggling through paths which in the end lead to me.” Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But their time is come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal.

ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते तांस्तथैव भजाम्यहम् |
मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्या: पार्थ सर्वश: || 4:11||

https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/chapter/4/verse/11

येऽप्यन्यदेवता भक्ता यजन्ते श्रद्धयान्विता: |
तेऽपि मामेव कौन्तेय यजन्त्यविधिपूर्वकम् || 9:23||

https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/chapter/9/verse/23

Story of Mother-In-Law and daughter-in-law - Munde hogi

In a village there was a family and a beggar comes everyday for begging. When the beggar knock the door the Mother-in-law opens the door and ask him saying "Munde hogi" i.e. Go to next door without giving anything. Everyday the same things were happening and she never give anything to the beggar.

Eventually on a special day when the beggar came and knocked the door the daughter-in-law opened the door as the Mother-In-Law was not there at that time. It was quite different. The beggar asked her to give sometime so that she can earn her living. But to her surprise the daughter-in-law just repeated the same what her Mother-In-Law tells everyday. As the beggar was going to the next door while the mother-in-law was coming from outside. She surprised to see the beggar coming out of her house.

She asked the beggar, "Did you go to my house? What did my bahu tell you?".  Beggar was happy thinking, "May be old woman will offer him something, Curiously with sad voice he told that he did not find anything and She asked him to go to the next door.". The mother-in-law was angrily told "Who she to tell you like that? Let's go there". Beggar was very happy to come with the mother-in-law. He was glad thinking his today's begging is done. Once they reached at the home entrance. The old woman saying "Munde hogi".

This is the current situation for some people. They are extremely serious about their own ego. They cannot see anything else.