https:\/\/www.himalayanacademy.com\/media\/audio\/books\/the-guru-chronicles-audiobook\/guruchronicles-stories-excerpts\/6-Miracle-of-the-Gold-Rod.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n![\"\"](\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\")
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One Really Tired Student<\/h1>\n
Arun, what are you doing? Don\u2019t you know this is a classroom and not your bedroom?\u201d Arun heard the voice and opened his eyes in surprise. The voice was replaced by loud laughter. To his embarrassment, he saw a group of boys standing around him. Confused and not sure where he was at first, he tried to focus. Again he heard the voice, \u201cArun, wake up. This is your English teacher.\u201d In spite of his drowsiness, Arun realized that it was only Ekanath disguising his voice and trying to mimic their teacher. As soon as Ekanath said those words, the boys once again laughed loudly.<\/p>\n
Jogesh did not like the other boys mocking Arun. He barked at Ekanath, \u201cLeave him alone. You are not always awake in class, either.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Arun was embarrassed. He had not meant to fall asleep, but it had been happening regularly all week. He pushed himself through the group of boys and ran to the washroom. The cold water he splashed on his face woke him up. In the mirror, his ten-year-old face showed dark circles under bloodshot eyes. Shaking his head in dismay, he slowly trudged back to class.<\/p>\n
His English teacher was just outside the classroom. She was surprised to see him in the hall. \u201cCome inside, Arun, we are about to begin.\u201d Pausing for a moment, she observed, \u201cYou look so tired\u2014are you getting enough sleep?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, Ma\u2019am,\u201d he said, without much conviction.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, then, let\u2019s get started.\u201d<\/p>\n
And so it continued. Day after day, Arun felt drowsy. No matter what precautions he took, he could not stop his eyes from closing. Ekanath and the other boys teased him nonstop. They gave him a nickname, \u201cSleepy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arun ignored the teasing, but wished the boys would be friends with him. They did not include him in any of the games. Some even moved away when he approached. No one wanted to associate with Sleepy. And no one asked why he was so tired.<\/p>\n
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As the semester neared its end, Arun sat late one night completing some notes. The light in his bedroom attracted a firefly, which was spinning around recklessly near the light. He shooed it away and continued to write.<\/p>\n
A few blocks away, Ekanath looked with dismay at his math book. He had not completed his homework and knew he would be in deep trouble with the teacher. The date for submitting the assignment had already passed. There was n option\u2014he had to stay up and complete it. He reached for his iPhone and called Mithun. Mithun\u2019s mother answered the phone and grumbled that Mithun had gone to bed.<\/p>\n
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He then called Girish, Raj, Rajiv and finally Jogesh. Girish and Rajiv had already gone to bed. Raj lived too far away. Jogesh scolded Ekanath for teasing Arun in class, and added, \u201cI don\u2019t even want to lend you my notes!\u201d<\/p>\n
Ekanath glanced at the clock. It was close to ten, way past his bedtime. With a grimace he realized that he had no other choice but to ask Sleepy. He wondered if Arun would lend him his notes. \u201cI\u2019d better not call him \u2018Sleepy.\u2019 He is probably as mad at me as Jogesh is.\u201d But it was too late to worry and guess at what might happen.<\/p>\n
Quietly sneaking out of the house, Ekanath thought he would just go by Arun\u2019s house. \u201cSince the boy sleeps in the daytime, maybe he will be awake at this hour.\u201d<\/p>\n
The lane to Arun\u2019s house was silent, except for the familiar sounds of night creatures. Nearing the house, he saw that a light was shining in Arun\u2019s room. \u201cJust as I thought. He sits up at night and then sleeps in class. What a story I will have for the boys tomorrow.\u201d \u201cBetter not laugh,\u201d he thought, \u201cI\u2019m about to ask him for a favor.\u201d Putting a serious expression on his face, Ekanath crept up to the side of the house and peeked in the window. Inside, he saw Arun bent over a notebook writing briskly. Ekanath tapped on the window and gestured to Arun to open it.<\/p>\n
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Arun was surprised to see Ekanath, but, honestly, he felt happy, too. Maybe the boys were finally tired of teasing him and they would be his friends! He opened the window, and Ekanath tumbled in. Plunking himself on a chair, he said, \u201cHey, sorry to barge in so late.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arun smiled, \u201cThat\u2019s okay. I was awake anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you always stay up at night to study?\u201d asked Ekanath.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo… Not to study but…\u201d He barely completed the sentence when the sound of coughing reached their ears. Arun got up quickly, saying, \u201cI\u2019ll be back in a minute,\u201d and rushed out.<\/p>\n
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Ekanath followed him out the door and stood by quietly. In the room across the hall he spotted an old man in a bed. He knew that the man was Arun\u2019s great grandfather who was almost 90. Ekanath watched as Arun rubbed his great grandfather\u2019s chest and lifted up a glass of water for him to drink. The man, sick and exhausted, sipped the water and fell back on the bed. \u201cYou are so kind. Every night you miss your sleep because of me. God bless you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arun\u2019s mother usually took care of her grandpa, but she had caught the flu a week ago. His father was off on a business trip. Arun had decided to help great grandpa to give his mom more rest. So whenever Grandpa woke up coughing, Arun would hurry to his side to calm him so his mother would not be awakened.<\/p>\n
Grandpa explained, \u201cI know your mother is tired from taking care of me in the daytime. You are so unselfish to watch after me at night.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHush, Grandpa, don\u2019t tire yourself. You will start coughing again. Go to sleep. I am awake and close by\u2014in the room across the hall. Call me if you need anything, and I will come immediately.\u201d Saying that, Arun hurried out almost bumping into Ekanath. Embarrassed he whispered, \u201cGrandpa is not well.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Ekanath felt a strange tightness in his chest. What he had just witnessed surprised and shamed him. He had no idea Arun was so selflessly helping his family. And how terribly he had behaved toward his friend, not knowing that Arun was tired as a result of caring for his great grandfather! And not only had Ekanath been mean himself, he had encouraged the other boys to be cruel as well.<\/p>\n
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Lowering his head, he wished Arun good night and slowly walked back home, wondering why he had never given thought about why Arun was sleepy in class. Reaching his room, Ekanath stayed up for two more hours and struggled through his homework alone.<\/p>\n
The next morning was a bright, clear day, with birds chirping in the trees. Arun had gone to bed really late, only to wake up twice more to help Grandpa. He walked into the classroom, his body stiff in anticipation of the teasing he expected to receive. But strangely, today all was quiet. He looked around. All the children stood in silence. As Arun gazed at them, Ekanath walked up and explained, \u201cI told everyone why you are so tired these days. We\u2019re sorry for all the teasing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arun smiled, \u201cHey, forget it! I didn\u2019t mind, really.\u201d Of course, he did mind, and it meant a lot that they were not teasing him. \u201cBesides, my mom is getting better, and my dad is coming home in a few days. I should be back to normal soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf only we had the kind of compassion you have,\u201d Ekanath blurted, \u201cwe would have tried to find out why you were so tired. Instead, we teased you. We hope you will forgive us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hearing Ekanath\u2019s words, the children all gathered around Arun. One patted him on the back, another gave him a chocolate bar and a third just apologized, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arun was happy to have his friends back and didn\u2019t feel sleepy anymore. Finally, school would be fun again.<\/p>\n
The World Is an Ashram<\/p>\n
In this 14-minute video Satguru teaches us to use evry experience to advance our evolution.<\/p>\n