My Neighbor's Corn
El Maiz de mi vecin@-Por Naren Kini
Había una vez un granjero que cultivaba un maíz de calidad excelente. Todos los años ganaba el premio al mejor maíz. Un año, un reportero de un diario le entrevistó y aprendió algo interesante sobre cómo lo cultivaba. El reportero descubrió que el granjero compartía sus semillas con sus vecin@s.
“¿Cómo puede permitirse compartir las semillas de su mejor maíz con sus vecin@s cuando compite con ell@s cada año?” le preguntó el reportero.
“Señor”, dijo el granjero, “¿No sabe? El viento levanta el polen del maíz que está madurando y lo lleva de un campo a otro. Si mis vecin@s sembrasen maíz de calidad inferior, la polinización cruzada iría degradando la calidad de mi maíz. Si yo tengo que cultivar buen maíz, tengo que ayudar a mis vecin@s a cultivar buen maíz.”
Igual pasa en nuestras vidas. Aquell@s que quieran vivir de forma significativa y bien tienen que ayudar a enriquecer la vida de otr@s, porque el valor de una vida se mide por las vidas que toca. La calidad de la respuesta y el deleite depende de la calidad de los pensamientos y el amor que compartimos y propagamos.
Y esos que eligen ser alegres tienen que ayudar a otr@s a encontrar la felicidad, porque el bienestar de cada un@ está unido al bienestar de tod@s.
Preguntas semilla para la reflexión: ¿Cómo te relacionas con la noción de compartir tus mejores dones con quienes te rodean? ¿Puedes compartir una experiencia personal de alguna vez en la que algo que compartiste volvió a ti? ¿Qué te ayuda a estar enraizado en el círculo de la vida en tus decisiones diarias?
Naren Kini es un emprendedor en Silicon Valley, meditador durante décadas y le encanta la música, escribir y dibujar.
Naren Kini is an entrepreneur in the Silicon Valley, Heartfulness meditator for decades, and loves music, writing and drawing. The artwork above is his own sketch. He will also be a guest on our Awakin Call this Saturday.
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How do you relate to the notion of sharing your best gifts with those around you? Can you share a personal experience of a time when a gift you shared came back around to you? What helps you stay rooted in the circle of life in your daily decisions?
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16 Past Reflections
On Jul 16, 2022 DOMINIC Omuya wrote :
Be ready to share anything Small that we have/get
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On Dec 10, 2019 Anagha wrote :
Hello Naren,
Can we publish marathitranslation of this parable in our magazine?
Can we publish marathitranslation of this parable in our magazine?
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On Oct 8, 2019 Amy wrote :
Amen!
God gave me His Best Gift ever ... I, in turn, share Him (Jesus) ... He returns back to me ... More Holy Spirit Power ... More Holy revelations ... More confidence to share Him ... More opportunities to be a witness to Him ... The Gift is passed ... The Gift is received ... In joyful hope The Gift is passed on.â¤ï¸
Again, Amen to Naren’sstory! Very much loved!
God gave me His Best Gift ever ... I, in turn, share Him (Jesus) ... He returns back to me ... More Holy Spirit Power ... More Holy revelations ... More confidence to share Him ... More opportunities to be a witness to Him ... The Gift is passed ... The Gift is received ... In joyful hope The Gift is passed on.â¤ï¸
Again, Amen to Naren’sstory! Very much loved!
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On Oct 3, 2019 Rajesh wrote :
I would offer this addendum to this passage ...
The next year a neighbor of the farmer won the prize. And the reporter went and interviewed photographed him. After that he went to meet the earlier farmer: "Your strategy to win appears to have backfired. Your neighbor won this year."
The farmer replied: "Don't you see? When my neighbor wins, I win. It is some of my corn that pollinated the winner's. And next time I will get some of that back. The community always wins, that is the important thing."
The next year a neighbor of the farmer won the prize. And the reporter went and interviewed photographed him. After that he went to meet the earlier farmer: "Your strategy to win appears to have backfired. Your neighbor won this year."
The farmer replied: "Don't you see? When my neighbor wins, I win. It is some of my corn that pollinated the winner's. And next time I will get some of that back. The community always wins, that is the important thing."
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On Oct 2, 2019 Raj wrote :
Hello Naren,
Thanks for sharing this gentle parable. It reminds meSarvodaya's commitment to the universal uplift of all and its associated aphorism: "As you build the road, the road builds you."
Again, thank you ... Raj
Thanks for sharing this gentle parable. It reminds meSarvodaya's commitment to the universal uplift of all and its associated aphorism: "As you build the road, the road builds you."
Again, thank you ... Raj
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On Oct 1, 2019 Subhash Garg wrote :
We become the company we keep...
We create Happy & Prosperous neighbors, we become Happy and Peaceful.
We create Happy & Prosperous neighbors, we become Happy and Peaceful.
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On Oct 1, 2019 Anilkumar Pandit wrote :
Reflection truly is getting back whatever we transmit. Be it the corn pollens, our image from a mirror, or our thoughts projected to existance. Goodness begets happiness and that's goodness.
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On Oct 1, 2019 Rajul wrote :
What goes around, comes around. What we want for ourselves, give others. If you want happiness, give others happiness, boomerang effect, it comes around. As you sow, so shall you reap, law of karma , whatever name we may want to give. There is enough in this world for everyone's need but not enough for our greed. It is ' pay it forward' effect.This notion of sharing best gifts with those around you, needsseeing others as not separate entities but as extension of one's self.I am not sure if sharing best gifts , always theoretically comes back to you. I feel there is joy in just giving and sharing sometimes even if there is no chance of it coming back. I like the line ' the quality of response and joy depends on the quality of our thoughts and love we share and spread.'
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On Oct 1, 2019 Lawrence Brown wrote :
I must say that I got rather emotional reading this article. Thank you so much for sharing.
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On Oct 1, 2019 Julie wrote :
thanks a lot 🌻
thought-provoking reminder in times when the world is going understand how urgent is rebuild social responsibilities in actions and how effects everything to everyone on Earth
thought-provoking reminder in times when the world is going understand how urgent is rebuild social responsibilities in actions and how effects everything to everyone on Earth
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On Sep 30, 2019 Abhinav wrote :
Beautiful story..The welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.
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On Sep 30, 2019 myth wrote :
kindness to others not only give you relief from your negative thoughts but its also help to prevent darkness aura in our surroundings.
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On Sep 28, 2019 david doane wrote :
I like Kini's story -- that doing for others is doing for self. I believe in sharing my best gifts with those around me. What I share with others affects and hopefully benefits them and every one and myself. I also know I have experienced sharing a gift being its own reward and have experienced receiving for myself in the process of giving and sharing with others. For example, I have shared an insight and felt satisfaction in my sharing and in the other benefiting from what I shared, and I have learned and received gratitude in sharing. What helps me stay rooted is knowing that we are one, thoroughly interconnected to a greater and deeper extent than we realize, knowing that what I share and do for anyone affects everyone, and knowing that I don't really own anything and whatever I have really belongs to everyone. It only makes sense that I share and be kind with others, and sometimes I do.
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On Sep 27, 2019 Jagdish P Dave wrote :
I love a beautifulsaying I had read a long time ago> it is in Sanskrit: " Udar charitanmavasudhaivakutumkam." For those whose hearts are filled with generosity, the whole universe becomes their family. Gifts coming from our generous and compassionate heart serves both the giver and the receiver. Once a disciple asked GautamBudhha, " Does my body belong to me?" Buddha responded to his question: " Our body is an integral part of the planet. It is not separate from the planet. What we offer to our body becomes an offering to the planet. If you eat bad food, it has an impact on the planet. Unhealthy food has a negative impact on you and also on the planet. You need to make a wise choice. The planet is in you and you are in the planet." I need to be mindful of what I put in me, my body, mind, and heart and how I act has an impact on others. It is a circle.My wholesome thoughts, emotions and actions create wholesome energy for me and those who are connected w... [View Full Comment]