"The Universe is made up of stories, not atoms."

Muriel Rukeyser

Stories

The Bank of I.D.E.A.S. both in its creation and evolution has been influenced by many people from around the globe.

One such person is Anthony de Mello, a Goan Jesuit Priest who through his wonderful publications (e.g. Song of the Bird, Prayer of the Frog etc) has taught the importance of the story. In his own words, he captured so well this reality:

‘It is a great mystery that though the human heart longs for truth in which alone it finds liberation and delight, the first reaction of human beings to truth is one of hostility and fear. So the spiritual teachers of humanity, like Budda and Jesus, created a device to circumvent the opposition of their listeners – the story. They knew that the most entrancing words a language holds are – “Once Upon a Time…” that it is common to oppose a truth, but impossible to resist a story. Vyasa, the author of the Mahabharata says that if you listen carefully to a story you will never be the same again. That is because the story will worm its way into your heart and break down barriers to the divine.’

Below is a range of inspirational fables from across the globe that teach simple truths about personal and community development. Enjoy, but in the words of Anthony de Mello:

‘Even if you read these stories only for the entertainment, there is no guarantee that an occasional story will not slip through your defences and explode when you least expect it to. So you have been warned’.

If you have a story, please share it with us.

PLEASE SELECT FROM ONE OF THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES BELOW:


INSPIRATIONAL FABLES

 

INSPIRATIONAL STORIES

History and contemporary society is full of amazing stories of young people who have made a huge difference to their world. The Bank of I.D.E.A.S. is beginning to collect these stories and circulate them. Did you know for example:

  • Joan of Arc lead 3,000 French knights to victory in the Battle of Orleans at age 17
  • Mozart composed his first symphony at age 6
  • Einstein wrote his first paper on the theory of relativity at age 16
  • Steven Spielberg wrote and directed his first large scale movie – ‘Firelight’ at age 16.

If you have a story, please share it with us.