Here are some heartening short stories to give you the burst of hope and courage to persevere and fill your heart with optimism.
Once, a King went to a saint who was sitting under a tree outside the kingdom. King asked, “O revered one! Is there any medicine that can grant immortality? Please tell me.” Saint replied, “O King! Cross those two mountains in front of you. You will find a lake there. Drinking its water will make … Read more
In a faraway kingdom, a wise but moody King kept a vast orchard within his palace walls. The garden was filled with every kind of fruit, and a farmer, along with his family, tended to it faithfully. One morning, the farmer noticed that many fruits had ripened at once – coconuts, guavas, plums, and bunches … Read more
It was 2:30 in the night. A wealthy man couldn’t sleep. He kept pacing around his house but still couldn’t find peace. Finally, tired, he went downstairs, took out his car, and drove onto the city streets. On the way, he saw a temple and thought, “Let me sit for a while near God. If … Read more
Near a house, construction work had been going on for quite some time. Every day, little children would play a game of “train” by holding onto each other’s shirts. Each day, one child would become the engine, and the others would be the coaches. Engine and coaches changed every day, but… One small child, wearing … Read more
About two hundred years ago, a war broke out between two states in Japan. The smaller state was terrified—its defeat seemed certain. It had far fewer soldiers. In fact, for every ten enemy soldiers, they had only one. The commanders of the smaller state refused to go to war. They said, “This would be utter … Read more
There was a devotee who had immense faith in God. With great love and devotion, he used to serve God every day. One day he said to God, “I worship you so much, but I have never truly felt your presence. I don’t ask for your vision but at least give me some experience that … Read more
Once, a crab was happily walking along the seashore, pausing now and then to look at the marks its feet had left in the sand. It would walk forward, look back at the footprints, and feel happy… Suddenly, a wave came and washed away all of the crab’s footprints. This made the crab very angry, … Read more
There was a poor man. Every day, he would go to his Guru’s ashram, clean the place and then head off to his work. Often, he would say to his Guru, “Please bless me so that I gain lots of wealth.” One day, Guru asked, “Is this why you come here to serve in the … Read more
Once, two seriously ill men shared a hospital room. One of them had his bed placed next to the only window in the room, while the other was unable to move and had to lie flat on his back all day, with no view outside. Each day, the man by the window would describe to … Read more
Despite being a universal emperor, King Ambarisha was deeply spiritual and detached from material pleasures. He is known in Hindu scriptures as a symbol of Sattva (purity and goodness). One day, as he was about to break his Ekadashi fast, Sage Durvasa arrived with his disciples. The king humbly invited them to partake in a … Read more