Enlightening Tales: as Told by Sri Swami Satchidananda - by Sri Swami Satchidananda

Here is a storybook for everyone with lions and kings, rogues and saints, a boy who can stop an elephant, and a milkmaid who can walk on water!

Filled with wisdom, adventure and surprises, these timeless tales remind us of what is important as we enter the twenty-first century. At once entertaining and instructive, these simple, practical stories have been related by Sri Swami Satchidananda, who is well-known and well-loved for his deep spiritual insight, as well as his sense of humor. Some of the stories that He tells have been drawn from nature; others have been passed on from generation to generation. Some come from ancient scriptures, others from folklore of India. They enlighten us about how to lead easeful, peaceful, useful lives and, ultimately, attain spiritual realization.

(7" x 10" / 120 pages / Paper)

Excerpted from the Introduction to Enlightening Tales as Told by Sri Swami Satchidananda; Swami Karunanada, Editor. Copyright (c) 1996 by Satchidananda Ashram - Yogaville. All rights reserved

If you really want to learn, you will find that the entire nature is a book of knowledge. It can teach you everything you need to know. All the knowledge that you seek is freely available in this universe-ity. You don't have to go to a library; even the tiniest thing can teach you a big lesson. The great teachers understood this; that is why they used examples from ordinary life to convey important truths. This can be seen in the beautiful stories and parables they told their students.

That is how they taught--with very simple examples to bring out great truths. Many of the great saints and sages were just simple people. They seldom quoted from scriptures, because they didn't even read. They lived with nature, and what they, themselves, were learning directly from nature, they brought out in the form of stories. Then, when the people saw the ordinary, natural things in their daily lives, they were reminded of the highest truths.

Another reason that most of the great teachers taught in the form of stories is that people often forget the plain truth, because it's just plain. But they can easily remember a story. And by remembering the story, they can remember the teaching, also.

So the great teachers often presented the higher truths through stories--and the stories are very simple. In fact, the truth itself is very simple. Sometimes, our complicated minds don't want to accept that. They question, "Could it really be that simple?" A complicated mind doesn't want to accept simple things.

That is why the kingdom--real peace and joy--lies among the children. As the great sage Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa would often say, "Forget everything that you have learned. Become like a child again, and you will experience God right now."

These stories are for children of all ages. They contain within them the ancient wisdom and universal teachings of the great sages and saints of India, and are golden keys for true success in life. May you apply them well and experience all health, happiness, peace, and prosperity.

Editorial Reviews:

From the foreword by Carole King

This collection of Swamiji's Enlightening Tales was put together for children, including those of us who reside in grown-up bodies. If you are not seeking enlightenment, don't worry--the stories will entertain you, and my guess is that enlightenment will find you anyway. The stories are derived from India's cultural heritage, but each has a lesson which holds true universally whatever your religious or cultural background.

Dr. P. Jayaraman, Executive Director, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, USA

[This] collection of stories and parables is of immense value and significance for any reader irrespective of age, religion or faith...The book proves the ancient Sanskrit dictum ... "Nothing is purer or more sacred than knowledge."