AFVOA Newletters of Year 2004

Page 144 of 153 116. Astikya, the faith. Faith transcends logic and reasoning. You live in a very logical world. Every step in your life is measured. You reason for everything that you do and for all your experiences. You try to capture your experiences through logic, through reasoning. When the reasoning or logic breaks down, you tremble. Sooner or later you again find some logic, some reason, and feel comfortable with it. Why? Reality is beyond logic; truth is beyond logic; you cannot capture truth by logic. If you could reason out all your life and all its experiences, then you have not lived life fully, you have not known life fully. 117. World transcends reason; world is much more than logic. If your experiences could all be put into the slots of logic, then you have missed something very beautiful, something basic in life. Devotion is outside the purview of reasoning or logic. Faith transcends logic and reasoning. (Source: http://www.newwindpress.com/sunday/colltems.asp?ID=SEE20040924132116 ) The 99 Club 118. This is truly one of those fascinating stories.… 119. Long ago, there lived a King. This King should have been content with his life, given all the riches and luxuries he had. However, this was not the casel The King always found himself wondering why he was just never content with his life. Sure, he had the attention of everyone wherever he went, attended fancy dinners and parties, but somehow, he still felt something was lacking and he couldn’t put his finger on it. 120. One day, the King had woken up earlier than usual and decided to stroll around his palace. He entered his huge living room and came to a stop when he heard someone happily singing away. Following this singing, he saw that one of his servants was singing and he had a very content look on his face. 121. This fascinated the King and he summoned this man to his chambers. The man, his servant, entered the King’s chambers as ordered. The King asked why he was so happy. To this the man replied: “Your Majesty, I am nothing but a servant, but I make enough of a living to keep my wife and children happy. We don’t need too much, a roof over our head and warm food to fill our stomach. My wife and children are my inspiration and they are content with whatever little I bring home. I am happy because my family is happy.” 122. Hearing this, the King dismissed the servant and summoned his Minister to his chambers. The King related his personal anguish about his feelings and then related the story of the servant to his Minister, hoping that somehow, he will be able to come up with some reasoning that here was a King who could have anything he wished for at a snap of his fingers and yet was not contended, whereas, his servant, having so little was extremely contented. 123. The Minister listened attentively and come to a conclusion. He said “Your Majesty, I believe that the servant has not been made part of The 99 Club.” 124. “The 99 Club, and what exactly is that?” the King inquired.