Lessons from Quotes

I have been collecting quotes ever since I have begun to understand them. I don't know whether its because I look for them, or its because I enjoy them, I tend to find a quote either in books, or a movie or while people are talking. I do think I am weird in this aspect. Whatever the reason, quotes form part of the foundation of my life. Some quotes simply helps me get over certain excruciatingly painful or temper certain overly joyous times of my life, while some help me accept the boringly mundane practice times of life.

My first introduction to quotes was unwittingly done by my Aunt. My love for diary's started when I was quite young, especially the kind that had a page for every day of the month in the year. On one particular year when I was in the 7^th or 8^th grade, my maternal aunt gave me one, no it wasn't a present or a gift. Our family doesn't have a gift giving concept. We believe that nothing is really ours to give away, so if someone does give, it would merely be giving cause it is universe's way of giving everyone what they need. What is given is made meaningful by coming through that particular giver to the receiver. A sort of karmic cycle of payment. Hmmm, where was I? yeah the diary.

At the foot of each page was a quote. This was my introduction to names I hadn't heard of Benjamin C. Leeming, Howe, Milton, Samuel Butler etc. etc. etc.(hmm the after effects of watching the movie King and I?). Soon after, my Dad gave me more quotes to read about, in the form of a subscription for a magazine called "Wisdom". I don't know if it is still in circulation but that too had a quote at the foot of each of its page. After a few years I graduated in my collecting quotes standard. I realized, I knew quotes from everyday life, some that my gran or dad or mom or any of my aunts, uncles, neighbours used. I also looked in books, magazines, TVshows, movies anything that has a good play of words and makes sense of the senseless world..

I was a very talkative girl, I could endlessly go on and on about stuff, see as many sides to something and make everyone around me quite confused or give them a whopping headache with all my chattering.. heres my mom's scolding for me - "You have one mouth but two ears, eyes and nostrils so that you talk less but see, listen and breathe more." I was(probably still am if you ask my husband) a scatterbrain, I usually had my hand in a few different pies/ideas/jobs, so my mom used to say-"Don't be a washman's dog, it belongs no where."  My maternal gran was the wisest woman in my life. I have learned things from her that I cant quite put my finger on. Whenever I argued about the pluses of  "modernity" she used to say "Just because you bought a new umbrella doesn't mean you got to hold it open inside the house" . I never ever saw my gran sit and do nothing, she was constantly working. Living in a village with fields to plough, 7 kids, buffalos, chickens, pigs, ducks, dogs and cats to look after plus add the usual slew of relatives and labour- her kitchen was always busy. But she always found the time to look after herself, talk to us grandkids during our vacations and teach us a few things about life. I secretly admired her, I was glad I had parts of her in me cause that means STRENGTH, the kind you don't see in a bulged muscle. On one occasion I asked "Gran, how do you manage to do all these things by yourself?" Her answer was quite profound, she said "When you understand that it has to be done, you will find help at the end of your own arm, that's the best help God has granted you. God only gives you what you can carry with ease. Its up to you to trust that you can carry the load." She used to say it really doesn't matter if you don't have much to show, eat or wear as long as you have Self-respect, Virtue and aren't afraid of hard work. She is no more but I believe what she said without doubts. It didn't occur to me to ask her where she learned that, I presumed life taught her as it has me.

My dad and I used to have long winded discussions about most everything in life, the one thing we don't agree with each other about is religion. He believes that that's a man made thing so just a hype, the only religion is Work and living life to the best of your ability. So on one occasion he tried to make his point and said "If you remove the concepts of God, Temple, rituals, Chants, holy books, what do you think you have left?" I sat there looking at him blankly and he continues.. "You have people working, doing the things they need to do for a life, to have their basic necessities covered, so then Why fight and run after a concept that is so invisible when you can see the WORK done."

Suffice to say, I never argued about the topic ever again(giggling, that was a Knock out folks).

Going to stop for now, as real life chores give their final call. Here are some of the quotes I have enjoyed reading again and again. I have mentioned the author for those I know.

1. Obstacles are what you see when you lose sight of the goal.
2. If you want to conquer anger, you need to reign in your expectations.
3. All streams flow to the ocean because it is lower than they are. Humility gives it, its power-Lao-tzu.
4. Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration
5. FEAR- False Evidence Appearing Real.
6. We have the right to remain ignorant, but it doesn't help our case- "Little book of Karma" by Richard Lawerence.
7. Those who know, do not speak; Those who speak, do not Know.- from the Tao-te-ching
8. A bird does not sing because he has an answer, He sings because he has a song- from "A cup of Sun" by Joan Walsh Auglund.
9. Even a Man of Knowledge acts according to his nature; all creatures follow their nature- Shrimad Bhagawath Geetha.
10. Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart - Jalauddin Rumi.
11. When memories outweigh our dreams, we have grown old - William J Clinton.
12. We cannot direct the wind but we can adjust the sails.
13. The best way to get out of stress is not to get so stressed to start with.
14. Even a turtle cannot go anywhere unless he sticks his neck out first.
15. In the beginning you make habits, in the end habits make you. So beware of what habits you cultivate.
16. Being harmless means being so Strong, so empowered, that the idea of showing power through Harm is not even a part of your consciousness - Gary Zukav

And for the Grand Finale, here's a tongue twister quote that reminds me that at the most, I know Nothing -

"There are known known's. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know."

Hope the quotes are useful to you as they are to me.

Peace always

Mithuna.