Oh to be an eagle
And swoop down from a peak
With the golden sunlight flashing
From the fierce hook of my beak.
‘Oh to be an eagle
And to terrify the sky
With the beat of wings like thunder
And a wild, barbaric cry.
‘Oh to be an eagle…but why keep dreaming?
I must learn to be myself,’
Said the rubber duckling sadly
On its soapy bathroom shelf.
Category: Stories
Shortly after his release Nelson Mandela was phoned with his congratulations by US President Bill Clinton. In the course of the conversation Clinton asked him, “Surely after such an experience of incarceration you must still feel some anger towards those who kept you in captivity?” Mandela replied “No, I realised if I didn’t let go of my anger then those who imprisoned me would still be in control of a part of my life.”
Buddha was giving a talk one day underneath a tree in front of a group of people. Many of the people were already believers, several were interested in hearing what he said with an open mind, but there was one man there who had already made up his mind that he was right and that Buddha was wrong.
All during the Buddha’s talk, the man interrupted and heckled rudely. The Buddha simply responded to each interruption calmly and quietly and despite himself, the man began to become impressed by the Buddha’s words and attitude.
After the talk, he went up to Buddha and congratulated him on a good talk. Then he asked,
“Why didn’t you respond to my heckling – usually people get very upset or start arguing back at me.”
Buddha smiled at him and asked the man a question in return.
“When a person offers you a gift and you refuse that gift, who does that gift now belong to?”
“It belongs to the other person.”
“That’s right,” said Buddha. “And so I left your gift with you to enjoy as you see fit.”