Positive News : Edition XXXIX

Moved by Video, Kerala Man Rescues 14 Indian Students Stuck in Rome Without Food

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“We had no place to go to because of the lockdown situation. I don’t know who told the EUnnathi group about us but they are like angels to us. I owe so much to Shyam.”

Read more…

Anand Mahindra Gives Enterprising Haryana Cobbler a Brand New ‘Hospital’!

17april2020_cobbler“This man should be teaching at the Indian Institute of Management” is what one of India’s most high profile industrialists tweeted about Narsi Ram!

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This cop travelled 420 km on his bike to deliver medicines to a cancer patient amid coronavirus lockdown

17april2020_copcancerKumaraswamy, a head constable in Bengaluru, travelled to Dharwad despite the nationwide coronavirus lockdown, to help a cancer patient.

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Coronavirus: How Islampur, a small Maharashtra town, fought against Covid-19

17april2020maharastravillagecovidfreeThe town once had over two dozen novel coronavirus cases but is now on the verge of becoming Covid-19 free.

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Coronavirus positive: good news round-up – a glimpse of normality returning

17apr2020coronagoodnewsA daily compendium of positive coronavirus news stories from around the world, published every weekday at 12.30

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Inspiring Stories From Seattle’s Restaurants

17april2020_seattleCheck out these heartwarming tales of some hard-working culinary crews doing what they do best: Feeding people, of course, but these folks are going way beyond what’s expected with a generous helping of compassion for those who are struggling during the COVID-19 crisis.

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Fable : JRD Tata and the lesson that changed a man’s life

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JRD Tata had a friend who used to say that he misplaces and loses his pen very often. He will use only very cheap pens so that he need not worry about losing them.

But he was worried about his carelessness habit.

JRD suggested to him to buy the costliest pen he could afford and see what happens.

He did that and bought a 22 carat gold Cross pen.

After nearly six months JRD met him and asked him if he continues to misplace his pen.

His friend said that he is very careful about his costly pen and he is surprised how he has changed!

JRD explained to him that the value of the pen made the difference and there was nothing wrong with him as a person!

Interpretation

This is what happens in our life. We are careful with things we value the most in our life.

– If we value our health, we will be careful of what and how we eat;

– If we value our friends, we will treat them with respect;

– If we value money, we will be careful while spending;

– If we value time, we will not waste it;

– If we value relationship, we will not break it.

Carelessness is a trait in all of us. But we know when to be careful!

Carelessness only shows what we don’t value.

*Learn the power of value. It will change the way you look at things in life*.

Positive News : Edition XXXVIII

Himalayas visible for first time in 30 years as pollution levels in India drop

08aprilhimalayasAs the lockdown to stop the spread of coronavirus in India continues, pollution levels across much of the country have dropped sharply. Now some residents in northern India say they can see the snow-capped Himalayas 200 kilometres away for the first time in 30 years.

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Fluent in five languages, this woman is allaying migrant workers’ concerns in Kerala

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Supriya Debnath from Odisha has been trained by the Nation Health Mission to circulate COVID-19 information on a helpline set up for migrant workers

Ever since the lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24, Kerala has been on the frontline when it comes to combating the consequences of both the pandemic and the lockdown that it has led to.

Read more at:

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Lockdown: India’s polluted holy river Ganga self-purifies!

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Today is the 10th day of our nationwide lockdown in view of the coronavirus outbreak and people are coming to terms with this unprecedented impact. As India’s 1.3 billion people continue to stay at home on this 10th day, the country’s most polluted holy river Ganga has seen significant improvement.

Read more …

 

09april2020_irfanIrfan and Yusuf Pathan have reportedly distributed 10,000 kg rice and 700 kg potatoes amidst the widespread COVID-19 pandemic in the country, with COVID-19 cases already crossing the 3500 mark in India. The news comes on the back of Sourav Ganguly donating Rs 50 lakh rice to poor people on Saturday.

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Teaching Story : Listen,  listen, listen

coronaimg06apr2020A jampacked courtroom was abuzz with people from all over the world and from various sections of society. Emotions are running high. Anger and frustration writ on their faces and some even swearing aloud Punish,”Prosecute” “kill” when the Honourable Judge makes his entry.

The judge, all of fifty six, puts his hand over his bald head and straightens his moustache. He then sits with panache and pronounces “order order“,

This case is of course bound to be covered by the media as corona is indeed in everyone’s mind now, he knew this

No one keeps quiet until the judge says, “anyone who speaks shall be sent out.”

The defendant is Corona who is standing calmly and is unaffected by the million eyes glaring at it. The plaintiff(global citizens) have hired the best lawyer with a repute of not having lost a single case.

 

Amidst the crowd bursting at the seam, Anamika, a journalist who has been assigned the task of covering this case makes way for herself. She is sure this is an open and shut case where Corona will definitely be convicted.

 

Judge ; What are the charges??

 

Lawyer: Plenty, your honour

Judge to Corona: Do you want a lawyer for defense?

 

Corona: NO sir, I can defend myself

Lawyer :I present the first Witness “Children whose life was affected by Corona. I present their representative. A chubby child, who definitely looks like he has been served everything by his parents comes in.

He says, ” We cannot step out and play’

Everyone is watching him, especially the children.

Corona: Are you all obedient children who heed to your parent’s advice of maintaining basic hygiene like washing your hands ,not touching your face with soiled hands ? if so it is not likely that i would infect you my dear children .Hygiene was compromised so I spread rapidly (smiles)

Everyone is watching him.

The children are speechless and they walk away, looking down in shame.

Anamika reflects, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness. Corona has taught this lesson very effectively to the children. Not just children, but in fact to the whole world.

Second Witness youth representative- Our lives have come to a grinding halt, no party  we are quarantined

Corona: I believed that youth are supposed to be in the pink of their health and I was expecting a better fight from your immune systems. But I guess majority of you are couch potatoes and binging on junk food, falling prey to bad habits which has weakened you all and I could infect a lot of you.(laughs) do you still think I am guilty?

Youth have a confused look

Anamika can”t help but thinking “Health is wealth” a forgotten proverb. She thinks of  some binging and some even starving themselves, succumbing to anorexia. She hopes Gen Z takes their health  seriously and mends their ways take up fitness and understand the importance of a healthy diet.

Third Witness: Education Department Official representative. A lady, who looks like a taskmaster and not a teacher at all walks in :  ‘Our exam schedules are haywire , we are at out wit’s end due to the uncertainty looming large

Corona asks sarcastically: are exams the only way of assessing a child’s capability? I thought modern education systems had better alternatives to that?

Anamika secretly agrees with Corona that we must revamp our education system and not burden the children with the monotonous exams. In fact she feels Corona has watched bollywood hits like Taare Zameen Par and 3 Idiots and understood the true essence of those movies. It brings a smile on her face.

Education officials walk away, shell shocked

Fourth witness: Tourist: All our travel plans are ruined

Corona in a stern tone: Most travellers are indisciplined and leave a trail of trash in the exotic locales disturbing the delicate ecological balance. None of you wish to learn anything about the culture of the place, you just want to share photos on social media to boast to your friends. I did a favour by relieving those places of excessive footfalls I guess (Chuckles).

Anamika ponders,  “man has destroyed the beauty of nature irresponsibly. Travelling to exotic places is a status symbol for many who boast about the same on Social media. The fiasco at Mount Everest is a chilling reminder of man’s recklessness. Anamika knows she is on the same page as Corona in this context but decides to keep her thoughts to herself.

Fifth Witness : Government Officials : Corona should be held responsible for the migrants exodus that caused chaos in major cities

Corona (in a sarcastic tone): My job was very easy in the congested, overcrowded cities.  In fact  I wondered why in the first place the cities house so many migrants?

Officials were dumbstruck

Anamika ponders “As you sow ,so you shall reap”  The Government has not taken proper steps to provide employment opportunities in semi-urban and rural places to check the rapid and unscientific urbanization. The  ill effects of this Is loud and clear : Delhi is left gasping for breath, The pristine lakes of Bengaluru are frothing and Chennai is marooned during rainy seasons etc etc

6 Religious leaders: Our daily routines and rituals are disrupted

Corono ( in a soft tone) I believe that God is one and He is supreme. I was impartial when I struck and did not discriminate on the basis of religion, caste, creed, race, colour, poor or rich. Do you still think I am guilty?

The religious leaders have no answer

Anamika is is reminded of the fact that God is love and love is God. She sadly thinks of the fact that it took a humanitarian crisis to make us understand that  all humans are equal and we can tide over this crisis if we stand united. The undisputable truth is no discrimination is valid. She also wonders if this thought could help restore religious harmony and peace across the world??

Seventh Witness The world powers- Our economy has spiralled downwards and we face an uphill task to revive it

Corona has a broad smile on its face: I never thought I would get this far, in fact when I struck I thought I would be contained immediately. Thanks to your vested interests, you hid facts which helped my free run and I have a grip on the whole world. I owe my fame to you (bows)

World super powers are red faced and start the blame game which is stopped by the honourable judge who reminds them to maintain the decorum of the court.

Anamika rues “ Today’s super powers are indulging In a rat race and want to race ahead of each other and this has cost the whole world “ The universe runs on the principle that one who can exert the most evil on other creatures runs the show”

Now Corona gets bolder and requests the honourable judge to allow it to present a few witnesses who would speak in its favour

The crowd is left wondering Who on earth would speak in Corona”s favour?

A huge gang of all the creatures on earth walk in –“Your honour we have reclaimed our space in this earth. Man had invaded every inch of this earth and robed us of our rightful place in this world. Many of us have been tortured and caged up in zoos for his entertainment. Now it gives us immense pleasure to see Man’s desperate and helpless faces through the windows, caged in his own house. It is payback time .

Anamika almost chokes thinking karma it is.

Judge pronounces his verdict

Though Corona has inflicted huge losses upon this world, man was equally responsible for the current state of affairs. Orders that vaccines be found out to check corona and ample precautions are taken to check such pandemics in future.

Corona is acquitted and case is dismissed

 To the dismay of the global citizens, corona walks free

Anamika can’t believe her ears. This is the time for introspection. We are dealing with an invisible but a formidable enemy Corona which though microscopic is capable of infecting millions. Hypothetically its spread could have been contained but for the vested interest of a few. The chinks in our armour stands exposed by Corona which has got the mighty super powers begging on their knees.

Now basic hygiene practices and ancient super foods for building immunity, which is often scoffed at by this generation must be adopted.

Irresponsible human behaviour which has destroyed the ecological balance and triggered human animal conflicts have to be reversed by taking drastic steps

Better town planning and forethinking could negate the ill effects of urbanization

Every cloud has a silver lining.

We know the earth is a survivor and will survive. It stayed with dinosaurs and without them. For us, the human beings to survive, we must make friends with the earth by understanding how to treat it.

It is time for all of us to turn Corona warriors. Salute the health officials, loosen your purse strings, be a good human being or at the least abide by the rules.

By then a popular song plays on one of the mobile phones which Anamika finds very relevant.

HEAL THE WORLD AND MAKE IT A BETTER PLACE FOR YOU AND FOR ME AND THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE

Story by Sapna Martin, a thinker and seeker of truth from Bangalore

 

 

 

 

 

 

Positive News : XXXVII

16 moments of human kindness amid the coronavirus pandemic

Although uncertainty and fear dominate the headlines during the COVID-19 crisis, it’s good to take a moment to focus on the good in the world.  No politics, no fear-mongering, no hatred, just people coming together to take care of one another at this very difficult time.  Here are 16 examples of human kindness to remind you that, despite the unprecedented chaos and dread that this virus.

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The coronavirus pandemic is making Earth shake less

Once-crowded city streets are now empty. Highway traffic has slowed to a minimum. And fewer and fewer people can be found milling about outside.

Global containment measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus have seemingly made the world much quieter. Scientists are noticing it, too.

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Plant-Based Tennis Ace Novak Djokovic Donates €1 Million To Fight Coronavirus

‘I am fully aware of how much this crisis has impacted everyone on all fronts’

The top player said life is about giving (Photo: Carine06)Plant-based tennis ace Novak Djokovic and his wife Jelena have donated €1 million to Serbian hospitals to buy medical equipment and supplies to fight the coronavirus.

The coronavirus is understood to have originated from a wet market – where live animals are kept and slaughtered in close proximity to dead ones – in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Since then, the virus has spread, killing more than 47,000 people at the time of writing.

The number 1 tennis player has revealed during a video press conference last week, that the couple have been carefully researching how they could ‘make the biggest and best impact on our country’ in tackling the disease. He thanked people from the Republic of China, saying they have given the pair ‘tremendous help and support’.

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IAS Officer Behind Tiruppur’s ‘Disinfection Tunnel’ Explains How It Works

“You wash your hands, walk through the tunnel during which sprayers overhead sprinkle disinfectant and then get into the market. This can considerably reduce the amount of germs you carry into the market.”

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Mumbai Mum Turns Beverage Cartons Into School Desks, Recycles 750 Tons of Waste/Year!

In 2012, under the ‘Go Green with Tetra Pak’, the ‘Cartons Le Aao, Classroom Banao’ campaign was launched where waste Tetra Pak cartons were recycled to make benches which would be donated in government schools.

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Inspirational Story : The ant and the contact lenses

fable03apr2020Brenda was almost halfway to the top of the tremendous granite cliff. She was standing on a ledge where she was taking a breather during this, her first rock climb. As she rested there, the safety rope snapped against her eye and knocked out one her contact lens. ‘Great’, she thought. ‘Here I am on a rock ledge, hundreds of feet from the bottom and hundreds of feet to the top of this cliff, and now my sight is blurry  I will have to climb with one eye shut.’
She looked and looked, hoping that somehow it had landed on the ledge. But it just wasn’t there.
She felt the panic rising in her, so she began praying. She prayed for calm, and she prayed that she may find her contact lens.
When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but it was not to be found. Although she was calm now that she was at the top, she was saddened because she could not clearly see across the range of mountains with both eyes open. Also because she knew the cost of the contacts and she was running short of money due to the expensive mountain vacations.
She Prayed to GOD, ‘Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me.’
Later, when they had hiked down the trail to the bottom of the cliff they met another party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, ‘Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?’
Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving slowly across a twig on the face of the rock, carrying it!
The story doesn’t end there. Brenda’s father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a cartoon of an ant lugging that contact lens with the caption, ‘Lord, I don’t know why You want me to carry this thing. I can’t eat it, and it’s awfully heavy. But if this is what You want me to do, I’ll carry it for You.’
I think it would do all of us some good to say, *”God, I don’t know why You want me to carry this load. I can see no good in it and it’s awfully heavy. But, if You want me to carry it, I will.”*�
*Keep the faith in God!*�

Interpretation : Whatever the load given to us, let us carry it with grace and faith.

 

Positive News : XXXVI

Good News: SpiceJet Offers To Fly Migrant Workers From Mumbai & Delhi!

To the point: SpiceJet is taking steps to ensure migrant workers reach their homes, read on to find out more!

Recently, pictures and posts depicting and detailing the struggles of migrant workers trying to get home went viral, prompting an outpouring of support from the public and questions as to what could be done to help them. Well, one company has stepped up and decided to be a leader in this regard! SpiceJet has offered to fly workers from Delhi and Mumbai to Patna – while commercial flight activities have been suspended, airlines have been offering their services to the government as COVID-19 cases increase.

 

Read more…

Coronavirus positive: good news round-up- testing times coming soon

“Testing, testing 1,2,3”. In the Before Time these were the words of someone sheepishly checking a microphone. Now they are a valid strategy for fighting a global pandemic. What an odd period of our lives this is.

To escape it, there is broad agreement that increasing testing is key. So it is heartening to learn it will soon be possible for UK residents to take a test which gives a result within 15 minutes. You won’t even have to leave your home (let’s overlook the fact you’re not allowed), they can be delivered to your door.

The tests do not confirm whether you’re currently a corona-carrier, instead they will look for the antibodies which suggest you’ve already had the virus and developed some immunity. They will, though, require a finger prick, so you’ll have to be brave. See how they work below.

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Azim Premji Does It Again – Donates Over 50,000 Crore To Charity

The billionaire chairperson of Wipro Limited has just added to the billions of dollars worth he has already donated by committing 34 per cent of shares in his company – worth 7.5 billion dollars or 52,750 crores.

 

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Casillas shaves his head and sends message: Positive news will come

Iker Casillas has surprised his Instagram followers by publishing a picture of himself with his head completely shaved.

The former Real Madrid goalkeeper took to social media to send a message of unity and optimism amidst the coronavirus crisis.

“Positive news will come,” Casillas posted.

“Together.”

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32 Positive News Stories You May Have Missed During The Coronavirus Outbreak

In dark and distressing times, humankind can really pull through to show its good side

 

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Sufi tale :The drum

There was once a small boy who banged a drum all day. No matter what anyone else said, he wouldn’t stop. Various people were called in by neighbors and asked to do something about the child.999

One by one, townsfolk came to warn the boy about his eardrums or that drums were only for sacred ceremonies. They gave him a book and meditation lessons. They even gave neighbors earplugs. Nothing worked.

Eventually, a Sufi came along. Handing the boy a hammer, he said, “I wonder what’s inside the drum?”

Interpretation : Be it a child or an adult, we must go into the minds of others to see what interests them and handle them accordingly.

Positive News : Edition XXXV

Pune Trio’s Rs 5 Spit Pouch Could Curb TB, Swine Flu & Save Railways Rs 100 Crore!

This pouch turns your spit into a semi-solid biodegradable waste within ten seconds, to avoid your germs from spreading, while converting your spit into a fertiliser that can enhance plant growth.

Read more…

 

Exclusive: Despite Mom’s Appeal, Indian Doctor Stays Back to Save Lives in China

“He not only saved lives through treatment in quarantine camps, but he also offered up his own stored food to people in urgent need.” #CoronavirusPandemic

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Kerala man offers to convert his house into isolation ward for coronavirus suspects

KOTTAYAM: At a time when people are apprehensive about getting infected with Covid-19, an individual has come forward to offer his house to be converted into an isolation ward for Covid-19 suspects.

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Celebrities flock to Instagram Live to entertain fans during coronavirus social distancing

While some famous faces have used the platform to read books or play music for fans, some have caused controversy while on Instagram Live.

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10 ways to help others during the coronavirus outbreak

Stories of people emptying supermarket shelves and duelling over loo roll paint a bleak image of humanity during the Covid-19 outbreak. But beyond the sensational stories, most people want to pull together and help. As social distancing becomes the norm, here are 10 tips to boost solidarity

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Zen Fable : Life is always uncertain

There once lived a samurai who was plagued by a large and clever rat who had the run of the house. This annoyed the samurai to no end so he went to the village to buy a cat. A street vender sold him a cat that he said would catch the rat, and indeed the cat looked trim and fit. But the rat was even quicker than the cat and after a week with no success the samurai returned the cat. This time the vender pulled out a large and grizzled cat and guaranteed that no rat could escape this master mouser. The rat knew enough to stay clear of this tough alley cat, but when the cat slept, the rat ran about. Half the day the rat would hide, but the other half he again had run of the place. The samurai brought the cat back to the vender who shook his head in despair saying he had given the samurai his best cat and there was nothing more he could do. Returning home with his money, the samurai happened upon a monk and sought his advise. After hearing the samurai’s story the monk offered him the services of the cat that lived in the temple. The cat was old and fat and he scarcely seemed to notice when he was carried away by the doubtful samurai. For two weeks the cat did little more than sleep all day and night. The samurai wanted to give the cat back to the temple but the monk insisted he keep him a while longer assuring him the rat’s days were close to an end. The rat became accustomed to the presence of the lazy old cat and was soon up to his old tricks even, on occasion, brazenly dancing around the old cat as he slept. Then one day, as the rat went about his business without any concern, he passed close by the cat who swiftly struck out his paw and pinned the rat to the floor. The rat died instantly.

Source: The Thirty-Six Strategies of Ancient China

Interpretation: Everything is uncertain in life. We need to accept this and move on in the journey of our lives.

Positive News : Edition XXXIV

Updated every minute, 17-year-old whiz kid’s coronavirus site used by millions

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A self-taught computer maven from Seattle, Avi Schiffmann uses web scraping technology to accurately report on developing pandemic, while fighting misinformation and panic

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One Meeting Inspired Duo To Create Amazing Organic Products From Over 8000 Farmers

12march2020_organic“Our vision is to make good food and a holistic lifestyle easy for people. We want to develop and nurture a sense of purpose which is greener and more sustainable,” says Akshay, the co-founder.

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The Good News Report: This woman’s heartwarming message for other mums is truly inspiring

12march2020-momDropping every Sunday, The Good News Report brings you nothing but positive news about wonderful people, to uplift and inspire you.

If you were to simply scroll through your news app and take a glance at the front pages of the country’s newspapers, you wouldn’t be blamed for wanting to avoid the real world for the rest of the month: everything seems pretty bleak, to say the least.

Read more. …

Daughter of Indore sewage worker stuns everyone, she earns ₹1 crore scholarship for her PhD

12march2020_sewageworkerIn a competitive world, every aspiring mind has a different story to tell and behind every aspirant’s success, there is an interesting backstory which we are unheard of and Rohini Ghavri’s story is well and truly inspiring.

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Breaking Barriers: Shafali Verma’s success is an inspiration for all young girls

Shafali Verma of India plays a shot during the ICC Women's T20 Cricket World Cup match between India and Sri LankaIndia’s 16-year-old woman cricketer Shafali Verma has shot to the top of ICC’s T20 batting rankings after a series of match winning performances at the ongoing T20 World Cup in Australia. In fact, she is now only the second Indian after Mithali Raj to top the women’s T20 batting rankings. Verma is the third highest scorer at the World Cup and has hit more sixes than anyone in the tournament so far.

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Fearing death : Fable

13march2020_death

One day a young man asked his Master, “I fear death. How can I get rid of this fear?”

“Tell me,” the old man answered, “When you borrow a few coins, are you afraid to give them later back?”

“Of course not,” the student answered with surprise, “but what does this have to do with my fear?”

The teacher picked up a small piece of soil from the ground and continued, “You have received your body in debt with required return. And every bite of bread eaten by you, every sip of water drank by you increases that debt. You are made from dust on which you walk and the ground is your main creditor, constantly reminding you of this debt. It is pulling you down towards it. In the end, the ground will swallow you whole, without any remains.”

The old man threw the soil into the air, after attaining its fall, he finished, “No matter how high you rise, how long you are in the flight, you will still need to fall down. That is given. And to cope with the fear of this fall is very easy – stop thinking about yourself as the master of your body. Face the thought that you are just a tenant. And because you don’t know the length of your rent, remember that it can end at any second. We are all debtors, and our debts will certainly be recovered, no matter if we are afraid of it or not. So is there a point of being afraid?”

Interpretation :: We all will indeed die someday. This is a truth we must accept. The moment we understand and accept it, we could lead a complete and holistic life.

 

 

 

 

Positive News : Edition XXXIII

Women’s day special: This mother of two is the only police officer in Telangana to be part of UN mission

Padma, 37, is now also a part of the present batch of officers who are in the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Republic of South Sudan.

Padma is the only police officer from Telangana this year to partake in a UN mission (Image sourced from Padma Palle)

Read more..

At 10 years old, boy who spent two years growing his hair, donates it to make wigs for kids with cancer

“Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver.” – Barbara De Angelis

 

Read more,,,

In 22 Years, Prema Has Helped Over 5 Lakh Women Become Organic Farmers, Mentors

As a mother of two, 24-year-old Rajshree from Andur village in Osmanabad, Maharashtra, was at her wit’s end. Her children, aged 3 and 5, were falling sick almost routinely every two or three weeks. The nature of the ailments was common, and the parents were incurring heavy medical expenditure.

Read more …

 

Chennai Couple Develop New Tech, Turn 150 Tons of Plastic Waste Into Low-Cost Fuel

The eco-friendly fuel alternative made from plastic can be used can be used to fuel generators, industrial boilers, and furnaces, among others.

https://www.thebetterindia.com/200794/chennai-innovation-technology-plastic-to-fuel-alternative-low-cost-green/?fbclid=IwAR3W5a8RnBngT_ST93SQuwKmahqu6RKkODDQ6EMkRhtLr_b89tMV2DqB7mQ

The dwarf of anger

There is a story in the Mahabharata. Once Sri Krishna and the five Pandava brothers went hunting in the forest. By the time they had finished the hunt, the sun had gone down and night was about to fall. They realized that they couldn’t return to the kingdom that day and decided to spend the night in the forest. A cave was found and it was agreed that each person would stand guard for two hours while the others slept.

The youngest brother, Sahadeva, was given the first watch. He sat down at the entrance of the cave, holding all his weapons aloft and the others went to sleep inside. After an hour and half, Sahadeva suddenly noticed a dwarf coming towards him from the forest. “Stop!” said Sahadeva.

“Who are you? Where are you going?” The dwarf said, ” You can see that I am a tiny dwarf. I want to fight you. “Sahadeva thought, ” Here is a foot-and-a-half tall dwarf and here I am, a six-footer. I will win with no difficulty at all. “Therefore, for the sake of entertainment, he agreed to fight the dwarf. However, this was no ordinary dwarf. He defeated Sahadeva, tied him up with a rope, left him on the ground and went away.

A little later, Nakula woke up. He went out and found Sahadeva missing. He called out to him and a faint voice replied, “I am here.” Nakula found him in the state in which the dwarf had left him. ” Who did this to you?” he asked. Sahadeva could not bring himself to say that he had lost to a small dwarf, so he replied, “I just felt like tying myself up and resting on the ground.” Nakula said, “Okay, go and sleep inside now, I will keep watch. “Towards the end of Nakula’s two hours, again the dwarf appeared and the same sequence was repeated. Next was Arjuna’s turn. He also found Nakula lying on the ground tied up with a rope. All the brothers faced the same situation, including Bhima and Yudhishthira.

Finally, Krishna came out and found Yudhishthira on the ground. Now, Yudhishthira was one who always spoke the truth. He told Krishna the whole story.

“I don’t understand what happened,” he said. “When my watch was just about to finish, this tiny dwarf appeared from nowhere and said ‘I want to wrestle you. ‘ When we started wrestling, something strange happened. The more I fought, the bigger the dwarf became until he was a huge giant and I was like a child before him. He easily caught hold of me, threw me on the ground and tied me up. I am unable to understand what kind of a dwarf he was. “Krishna smiled and said, ” Never mind. Go and rest. Now that I am awake, I will see to him.

Just as dawn was about to break, Krishna saw the dwarf walking towards him. When the fellow was right before him, Krishna asked, “What brings you here?” The dwarf replied, “The same desire with which I came to your five friends and defeated them. I want to wrestle and fight you. ”

Krishna prepared himself and the two started wrestling. Soon, the dwarf began to increase in size. Krishna understood the matter. He threw down his weapons, sat down quietly on the ground and said to the dwarf, “You can hit me.” At this, the dwarf began to reduce in size. Krishna simply watched him. Finally, when he became tiny, Krishna tied him up in his peetambari (Krishna’s customary yellow wrap), and sat down.

Soon after, all the brothers woke up and came out of the cave. Seeing Krishna, they asked him, “Did someone come to see you while you stood guard?” Krishna replied, ” Ah yes, a tiny dwarf came. “The brothers asked, ” So what did you do with him? “Krishna replied, ” I did nothing. Here he is, tied up in my peetambari. “In surprise, the Pandavas asked, ” What is the meaning of this? When we fought him, he continued to become bigger and you have him tied up in your wrap! “Krishna now told them who the dwarf was. It was anger. He said, ” Anger assumed the form of a dwarf and fought you. The more you fought the anger before you, the anger within you also rose. This made the anger confronting you bigger and bigger until it became so huge that it completely overpowered you and tied you to the ground.” Yudhishthira said, ” The matter has become clear now. You were the only one who recognized him. When you did not express anger in turn, he became so small that he was insignificant. ”

This story signifies that negative qualities will always exist. If you try to remove them from your life, you will end up in a fight which you are bound to lose, as the more you struggle with negativities the stronger they become. Therefore, simply ignore them and focus on adopting positive qualities, tendencies, actions and behaviours in your life. The negativities will then go away on their own; they will become mute.

Interpretation:

We can only work on ourselves. The more we do this, the more wonderful ‘our’ world and ‘the’ world will be.

 

 

Positive News – Edition XXXII

This Artist Creates “Henna Crowns” for Women with Cancer

People in public approach them to talk about the art they’re wearing, not just the cancer they’re dealing with.”

Despite the fact that chemotherapy provides life-saving treatment against cancer cells, the side effect of hair loss can be devastating for many women. A 2010 study found that 47 percent of women undergoing chemotherapy called their hair loss the “most traumatic aspect” of the treatment.

Read more …

Black Engineer Invents Gloves That Turn Sign Language into Audible Speech

Roy Allela, a 25-year old engineer and inventor from Kenya, has found the ultimate solution to bridging the communication barrier between deaf and hearing people. He has invented the Sign-IO gloves that can translate signed hand movements to audible speech so deaf people can “talk” even to those who don’t understand sign language.

Read more …

9 YO Bullied Boy Cancels Disneyland Trip, Decides To Donate The ₹3.4 Cr To Charity

A 9-year-old boy from Australia, Quaden Bayles, was bullied for his dwarfism. After a video of him crying inconsolably and expressing suicidal thoughts after a bullying episode went viral, love and support from all over the world came pouring in. Comedian Brad Williams raised a total of 475,000 USD (3.4 CR INR approx) so that the boy can visit Disneyland!

However, Quaden Bayles has decided to cancel his trip to Disneyland and donate the entire amount to charity, reports News18.

Read more…

New award celebrates acts of kindness to people and the planet

Simple and Positive News have today launched the Kindness Awards, with public voting now open now to decide the winner

Anew award to uncover and support organisations that are showing kindness to people and the planet through the impact of their work, launches today.

Set up by skincare brand Simple in partnership with Positive News, the Kindness Awards winner will be chosen by public vote and receive a £7,000 donation from Simple.

 

Read more..

An inspiring book club

As she explains it, Leesa Neiner was looking for something meaningful that she and her daughter, Alyson, could get involved in.

“When my daughter was about 8 or 9 years old, we tried sports, we tried music, we tried everything and found we had talent for nothing. But I was like, we’re nice people so maybe there’s something out there for us,” said Neiner.

What Neiner and her daughter did find was a book club for mentally challenged adults organized by St. Louis Arc, a United Way agency.

Read more…

 

 

This Young IAS Officer From Jharkhand Is Improving Education And Healthcare With His Unique Initiatives

IAS Officer, Aditya Ranjan, collaborated with NGOs as well, such as Titli, to make Model Anganwadis more impactful. When Aditya Ranjan got his first posting in the West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand as a District Development Officer (DDC), he was horrified to know the dismal situation of education and healthcare. But he was determined to do something with the responsible position he was allocated with and came up with his unique ideas to change the situation. It is often reiterated, “With great power, comes great responsibility” and Aditya’s incredible efforts as a young IAS officer stand as a testimony to this quote. Working as a district development officer opened avenues for him to connect with people on ground and understand their problems which need to be resolved. Even at a personal level, belonging to the suburbs of Bokaro in Jharkhand, he has faced obstacles in completing his schooling. He realizes the need of the hour is to bring change in the educational infrastructure of backward regions and he aims to transform the schools in Chaibasa.

Read more…

 

Fable : The Gates of Paradise

A soldier named Nobushige came to Hakuin, and asked: “Is there really a paradise and a hell?”

“Who are you?” inquired Hakuin. “I am a samurai,” the warrior replied.

“You, a soldier!” exclaimed Hakuin. “What kind of ruler would have you as his guard? Your face looks like that of a beggar.” Nobushige became so angry that he began to draw his sword, but Hakuin continued: “So you have a sword! Your weapon is probably much too dull to cut off my head.”

As Nobushige drew his sword Hakuin remarked: “Here open the gates of hell!” At these words the samurai, perceiving the master’s discipline, sheathed his sword and bowed.

“Here open the gates of paradise,” said Hakuin.

Interpretation : Both paradise and hell can be created only by us by releasing the right vibrations.

Positive News – Edition XXXI

Mohammed Ali Shihab IAS: An Inspiring Journey from Orphanage to UPSC

Mohammed Ali Shihab has emerged successful in the Civil Services Examination and has secured All India Rank 226th in 2011, going to a reputed campus still remains an unfulfilled experience. The 31-year-old from a remote village in Kerala’s Malappuram district, who grew up in an orphanage, has a story of grit and perseverance to tell.

Read more

India’s cleanest city Indore aims to be most ”silent” as well

To curb this, discussions are being held with different communities so that these equipments are played within the approved sound and time limits,” he added.

Read more ..

Kerala Muslim Couple Conducts Adopted Daughter’s Wedding According To Hindu Rituals

The Muslim couple had adopted Rajeshwari after her father who worked at Abdulla’s farm passed away. As her mother also died when Rajeshwari was a child, she grew up with the couple’s three sons.

Read more

IAS Officer Turns Crumbling Hospital Into Affordable & Green Health Centre!

Once plagued by bad service, the centre now provides the best healthcare in Mhow and sources 40% of its power from sun, saving thousands of rupees!

Read more…

Lingayat Mutt in Gadag appoints Muslim man as its head priest 

Rahimsab Mulla, who strongly believed in social justice and communal harmony, will be incepted as the new head of Murugharajendra Mutt of Asuti in Ron taluk on February 26.

Read more …

Fable *One Life, Many Masters*

One of the great Sufi Masters, Junnaid, was dying. His chief disciple came close to him and asked softly, ″Master, you are leaving us. One question has always been in our minds.  Who was your Master? This has been a great curiosity among all your disciples because we have never heard you talk about your Master. But we could never gather the courage to ask you.”

Junnaid opened his eyes and said, ″It will be very difficult for me to answer because I have learned from almost everybody. The whole existence has been my Master. I have learned from every event that has happened in my life. And I am grateful to all that has happened, because out of all that learning I have arrived.″

Junnaid said, ″Just to satisfy your curiosity I will give you three instances…

One:

I was very thirsty and I was going towards the river carrying my begging bowl, the only possession I had. When I reached the river a dog rushed, jumped into the river, started drinking.

I watched the dog for a moment and threw away my begging bowl. Because I saw it is useless. A dog could do without it. I also jumped into the river, drank as much water as I wanted. My whole body was cool because I had jumped into the river. I sat in the river for a few moments, thanked the dog, touched his feet with deep reverence because he had taught me a lesson.

I had dropped everything, all possessions, but there was a certain clinging to my begging bowl. It was a beautiful bowl, very beautifully carved, and I was always aware that somebody might steal it. Even in the night I used to put it under my head as a pillow so nobody could snatch it away. That was my last clinging. The dog helped. It was so clear: if a dog can manage without a begging bowl… I am a man, why can′t I manage? That dog was one of my Masters.

Two:

I lost my way in a forest and by the time I reached the nearest village that I could find, it was midnight. Everybody was fast asleep. I wandered all over the town to see if I could find somebody awake to give me shelter for the night, until finally I found one man. I asked him, ′It seems only two persons are awake in the town, you and I. Can you give me shelter for the night?′

The man said, ′I can see from your gown that you are a Sufi monk….′″

The word Sufi comes from suf; suf means wool, a woolen garment. The Sufis have used the woolen garment for centuries; hence they are called Sufis because of their garment.

The man said, ″I can see you are a Sufi and I feel a little embarrassed to take you to my home. I am perfectly willing, but I must tell you who I am. I am a thief. Would you like to be a guest of a thief?″

For a moment Junnaid hesitated. The thief said, ″Look, it is better I told you. You seem hesitant. The thief is willing but the mystic seems to be hesitant to enter into the house of a thief, as if the mystic is weaker than the thief. In fact, I should be afraid of you–you may change me, you may transform my whole life! Inviting you means danger, but I am not afraid. You are welcome. Come to my home. Eat, drink, go to sleep, and stay as long as you want, because I live alone and my earning is enough. I can manage for two persons. And it will be really beautiful to chit-chat with you of great things. But you seem to be hesitant.″

Junnaid became aware that it was true. He asked to be forgiven. He touched the feet of the thief and he said, ″Yes, my rootedness in my own being is yet very weak. You are really a strong man and I would like to come to your home. And I would like to stay a little longer, not only for this night. I want to be stronger myself!″

The thief said, ″Come on!″ He fed the Sufi, gave him something to drink, helped him to prepare for sleep and he said, ″Now I will go. I have to do my own thing. I will come back early in the morning.″ Early in the morning the thief came back. Junnaid asked, ″Have you been successful?″

The thief said, ″No, not today, but I will see tomorrow.″

And this happened continuously, for thirty days: every night the thief went out, and every morning he came back empty-handed. But he was never sad, never frustrated–no sign of failure on his face, always happy –and he would say, ″It doesn′t matter. I tried my best. I could not find anything today again, but tomorrow I will try. And, God willing, it can happen tomorrow if it has not happened today.″

After one month Junnaid left, and for years he tried to realize the ultimate, and it was always a failure. But each time he decided to drop the whole project he remembered the thief, his smiling face and his saying ″God willing, what has not happened today may happen tomorrow.″

Junnaid said, ″I remembered the thief as one of my greatest Masters. Without him I would not be what I am.

Three:

I entered a small village. A little boy was carrying a lit candle, obviously going to the small temple of the town to put the candle there for the night.″

And Junnaid asked, ″Can you tell me from where the light comes? You have lighted the candle yourself so you must have seen. What is the source of light?″

The boy laughed and he said, ″Wait!″ And he blew out the candle in front of Junnaid. And he said, ″You have seen the light go. Can you tell me where it has gone? If you can tell me where it has gone I will tell you from where it has come, because it has gone to the same place. It has returned to the source.″

Junnaid said, ″I had met great philosophers but nobody had made such a beautiful statement: ′It has gone to its very source.′ Everything returns to its source finally. Moreover, the child made me aware of my own ignorance. I was trying to joke with the child, but the joke was on me. He showed me that asking foolish questions–′From where has the light come?′–is not intelligent. It comes from nowhere, from nothingness–and it goes back to nowhere, to nothingness.″

Junnaid said, ″I touched the feet of the child. The child was puzzled. He said, ′Why you are touching my feet?′ And I told him, ′You are my Master–you have shown me something. You have given me a great lesson, a great insight.′

″Since that time,″ Junnaid said, ″I have been meditating on nothingness and slowly, slowly I have entered into nothingness. And now the final moment has come when the candle will go out, the light will go out. And I know where I am going–to the same source.

I remember that child with gratefulness. I can still see him standing before me now, blowing out the candle.

No situation is without a lesson, no situation at all. All situations are with a meaning and intelligence. But we have to discover them. They may not always be on the surface.

*When we see life itself as our master, these lessons become more accessible*

Interpretation : We have teachers all around us. We only need to take the right lessons after observing them.

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Positive News : Edition XXX

14feb2020_brainsoilantidepressant-1140x560Antidepressant Microbes In Soil: How Soil Makes Your Brain Happy

Soil microbes have been found to have similar effects on the brain as prozac, without the negative side effects and potential for chemical dependency and withdrawal.

Read more by clicking here

India’s Niket Dalal becomes first blind athlete to finish Ironman 70.3 Triathlon

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A speech therapist by profession, India’s Niket Dalal created history on Friday last week when he finished the Ironman Triathlon , thereby becoming the first

blind athlete to achieve the feat.

Read more by clicking here

Make humanity great again

14feb2020_marathonEddie Izzard undertakes Europe-wide marathon challenge to promote unity

The comedian’s bid to run 28 marathons in 28 days is in order to ‘make humanity great again’

Comedian Eddie Izzard is running 28 marathons around European capital cities in a month, in a bid to promote unity and shared humanity across the continent.

Read more here

His Wife Lost Her Memories to Alzheimer’s But He Never Stopped Caring

14feb2020_alzheimersIn 1955, Sukla Bhattacharjya waited for her husband Shiv to recover from an illness to marry him despite his insistence that she find other suitors. Four decades later, when she began losing her memory, he took care of her like few ever could. #CoupleGoals

Read more here

In A Unique Gesture, Kannada Actor Chetan Gifts Copies Of Constitution To Guests At His Wedding 

14feb2020_kannadaactorchetan
In what can be considered another very unique act, the duo took three vows – a personal vow, a social vow and an environmental vow.

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Fable : The frog who never gave up

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A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, when two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep it was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all of their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. She fell down and died. The other frog continued to jump as hard as she could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at her to stop the pain and just die. She began jumping even harder and finally made it out. When she got out, the other frogs said, “Did you not hear us?” The frog explained to them that she was deaf – she thought they were encouraging her to jump out of the hole the entire time.

Interpretation : We need to know our body listens to our thoughts so the more positive thoughts we feed ourselves, the better we will be in all areas of life.

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