Three Thousand Stitches: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives

by Sudha Murty

If you start with something negative, then nobody will like it. The first introduction should always be positive and bring real

God, I don’t need a kingdom nor do I desire to be an emperor. I don’t want rebirth or the golden vessels or heaven. I don’t need anything from you. O Lord, if you want to give me something, then give me a soft heart and hard hands, so that I can wipe the tears of others.’

With a firm voice, she said, ‘We want to give our akka a special gift. It is an embroidered bedspread and each of us has stitched some portion of it. So there are three thousand stitches.

‘Atma aiva hi atmano bandhu aatma aiva ripu atmanah’.