Half A Pomegranate

Brian Conroy is a story teller and an excerpt from his book - Stepping Stones is published here. Following  is my reflection to it:

Such simple and easy to understand stories teach a profound spiritual lesson. When we offer a gift from our heart without expecting any reward, it becomes an abundant offering. When a poor old woman heard that the Buddha was accepting offerings she had already eaten half of the pomegranate. The only thing she had to offer was the other half of that pomegranate. It was a meager offering but it had the deepest abundance. It is indeed a gift from the heart and that way it was priceless.

Serving others with no axe to grind. This is the heart of the Karma Yoga narrated in the Bhagavad Gita. This is my understanding of spiritualty. It lifts us from a lower self to a higher self. I practice Karma Yoga in my life by sharing what I have with others mostly in the form of teaching without expecting any reward in return. This way of living feels my heart with deep joy, contentment, and fulfillment.

Reading such stories from different wisdom traditions, contemplating on them, and sharing them with others has been very helpful to me in my spiritual journey. Daily practice of mindfulness meditation and cultivating skills of compassionate living help me stay on my path. It's by giving we receive!
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Namaste!