Here are some stories about a Muslim whose name was Ibrahim Adham. Like the man who became the Buddha, he was a prince in a small Kingdom in Persia. Ibrahim was very pious and spent many hours a day at prayer. He said his prayers in a beautiful gem-studded chapel of his palace. One day …

Once there was a great sage named Vyasa. He lived near one of the big rivers in India, called the Yamuna. In those days one had to cross the river by ferry boats, and one day when he wished to cross, the ferry, for some reason, did not show up. He noticed that some dairy-maids …

We don’t know how long ago he was born. It was long centuries ago. There are many legends, as you know, about some of the people who leave their mark on history. One of these is Sri Krishna, whom millions of people have looked upon as God, born in India in a human body.
One day …

One morning they brought Manu his water to wash himself;
Just as they do nowadays — for washing hands.
While he was washing, he found a fish between his hands!
It said: “Save me, and look after me, and I will save you!”
“Save me?” asked Manu, “What do you mean?”
The fish said: “A great flood will destroy every …

The wise man, whom we have called “the Venerable Sage,” came one day to the court of King Janaka, ruler of a portion of India. In those early days, people had no lanterns or artificial lights. They used to keep open fires nearby most of the time. The King had a desire to ask this …

You’ve often heard of God, the Father, creator of the universe. Have you ever heard of God, the Mother? Mothers create too, don’t they? — even more than fathers, because we draw our very life and nourishment from them. So, do not be surprised that in some countries and among some people, God is also …

In ancient India, a very wise man named Angiras (Ung-gee-ross) lived in a hut in the forest. He had inherited all his wisdom from his father, grandfather and great-grandfather. One day he was seated in front of the hut when a young man from the village came up to him. This was a man well-known …

One of the tales Sri Ramakrishna used to tell is about a holy man who had given up all his possessions. His teacher had advised him to make a little hut thatched with palm leaves, in a solitary place away from the public. This he did. He began to live there, …

You probably know about the Buddha, that when he was just a boy he was kept inside the palace grounds by his father, the King, who strictly controlled what he was allowed to see. This was because his father had heard a fortune-teller say that the boy might become a wandering monk. And that was …

In ancient India there lived a certain wise king. One day a pandit (scholar and teacher) who had studied many scriptures and holy books came to the palace and asked to see the king.
“Your Majesty,” said he, “I should like it very much if you would permit me to teach you the Bhagavatam, the holy …