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Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Looking Beyond by Vivekananda

Most people cannot believe that there is something beyond, there is a divine spark present in us, and that undying divine light is our real essence.
We live in this little cage of flesh and bones, its cravings and comforts, and refuse to believe in anything higher or different from our present state of being. Imprisoned in the mire of stagnated living, we refuse to acknowledge the existence of anything deeper or subtler.
But such is the nature of life, the inherent design of life, that one cannot remain stagnated forever. However mired may be his feet in the dirt of finitude, man longs to emerge out. This is the reason why people seek to immortalize themselves through various ways. Some want to earn wealth, buy properties and want to leave a big bank balance behind. Some construct a building in their name. Some seek to perpetuate their memory through writing books or articles. There are only few, however, who understand that only by giving up their lower self can they gain or regain their blissful, immortal nature.
There are experiences which cannot be classified or restricted to our ordinary sensory experience. There are many areas in our life for which the usual cause and effect relationship does not provide a complete answer, but then, if we have failed to find the right explanations, why not for once listen to the testimony of Great Ones like Sri Ramakrishna, whose blazing life of spirituality can easily remove all doubts we have? Sri Ramakrishna lived spirituality. His words only conveyed what he lived. Take for example, his meeting with a Ramayat sadhu (a monk in the tradition of the worshippers of Sri Ramachandra) by name Jatadhari. For years, Jatadhari had carried with him the image of his beloved Ramalala. Wherever Jatadhari went, he took the small metal image of his Ramalala (infant Rama) with him and took care of it (or him?) as a living being. He bathed him, worshipped him, fed him, and put him to bed. Ramalala received the same attention as a child receives from his father.
When Jatadhari came to Dakshineswar, Sri Ramakrishna became acquainted with him and through him, with Ramalala. To Sri Ramakrishna's great delight, Ramalala responded to his worship as eagerly as he did to Jatadhari's. Sri Ramakrishna recalls:
`As the days passed, I felt that Ramlala loved me more and more. As long as I remained with Jatadhari, Ramlala was happy and playful. But whenever I left and went to my own room, he followed me there at once. He wouldn't remain with Jatadhari, even though I ordered him not to come with me. I thought at first that this must be an illusion. For how could the deity whom Jatadhari had worshipped for so long with such devotion love me more than him? But it was not my imagination.
I actually saw Ramlala as I see you—now dancing ahead of me, now following me. Sometimes he insisted on being taken on my lap. But then when I picked him up, he wouldn't want to stay there. He would run around in the sun, plucking flowers among the thorns, or splashing and swimming in the Ganges. I told him over and over again: `Don't do that, my child. You'll get blisters on the soles of your feet if you run in the sun. You'll catch cold and fever if you stay in the water so long.' But he never listened to my words, however much I warned him. He'd go right on with his pranks. Sometimes he'd look at me sweetly with his beautiful eyes, or he'd pout and make faces at me. Then I'd get really angry and scold him. `Just you wait, you rascal,' I'd tell him, `I'll give you a big thrashing today. I'll pound your bones into powder.' I'd pull him out of the water or the sun and try to tempt him with some gift to stay and play inside the room. If he went on being naughty, I'd give him a couple of slaps. But when I did that he'd pout and look at me with tears in his eyes, and I'd feel such pain that I'd take him on my lap and comfort him. All these things actually happened.'4
It may be difficult to believe this narrative, especially for a person stuck in the world of senses, but Sri Ramakrishna's testimony vindicates what countless saints and mystics over the millennia have believed and experienced—the living presence of God in their lives. God is. No arguments needed.

A Story of Two Frogs

There were two frogs.
One frog lived in the sea. He knew vastness, openness and fathomless-ness. He was so used to bigness that the sea is, that no smallness could trap his attention.
The other frog lived in a well, not far from the sea. But he knew not what sea was. He had never seen it—not even heard of it. In his most wildest of imaginations, if at all he ever imagined, sea was an extended well—or at the most, a `part' of his well, maybe from `this end to that.
Both the frogs lived in different worlds, though they lived so close by.
One day, however, they both met. They tried to speak on common lines, but their conversation could not make much headway. They both talked different languages: the sea-frog spoke of vastness of sea, the well-frog insisted on the `vastness' of his well.
The sea-frog wondered and smiled, `How could the well-frog compare his little well to the vast expanse of ocean!' To him, even the very idea of it was ridiculous, or at the most, sheer amusement. `Sea and a well, where is even the possibility of a comparison?' he pondered.
The well-frog on the other hand, wondered: `How could there be anything larger, bigger, than my well? How could one trifle with the vastness of my well?' He surmised, after he heard the sea-frog describing the sea, that the sea-frog must be a little out of his mind, or else, how could he talk like that? Can a well have an equivalent, a match?
The sea-frog understood where the difficulty lay. But how could he convince his fellow frog of the existence of the sea? He pitied that his fellow frog never went out of his well, and had remained so small and narrow in his world-view.
The well-frog lived a cosy and protected life, but at times he felt something was missing in his life, though he could not figure out what it was. He had all that he needed, but there came to him, now and then, a desire to know if there was anything beyond his well. He often recalled the sea-frog's description of sea, something much bigger than his well. Many times he planned to undertake a journey, but rarely did his enthusiasm sustain. His desire to know what lay beyond lacked strength and steadiness.
Then, one day, he knew not how, he climbed out of his well, and began his journey towards the sea—the place of his dreams. What pushed him out of his well, and how he could manage to climb out, he could not understand, but he was happy he was out.
The journey to the sea, however, was far from being easy and smooth. He went along his path, but at times he slipped off the surface and at other times, his little feet got stuck in the sand. There were moments when he was not sure whether he was going in the right direction. It was a challenging experience—frightening and satisfying by turns. The journey was so long, arduous and tedious, that he wondered whether there was anything called sea—until he reached the sea.
Having reached the seashore, he had nothing more to ask. He had no doubts, no enquiries, no complaints, no regrets.

He stood speechless; he knew the sea-frog was right.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Free Your Mind

A man went to a buddhist monk and said that "I am not happy
with my life". "I have a hut and i am living with my big family". In his family he has his wife, 2 children, father, mother and grand
mother. The monk asked that "do you have any pet also". The man replied "Yes, I have 2 cows, 2 goats and a dog". "Where are they living" asked the monk. "In my hut's
Backyard" replied the Man. The Monk asked the man
to let your pets also live along with him in his hut and come back here after 7 days. As the man respected the Buddhist Monk he followed his advice. Life of man became even more worst for the next 7 days. He came back to the Monk and asked for his advice. The Buddhist Monk now asked the Man to again let his pets live in the backyard of hut and look at the the difference. Now the Man felt relieved in the same hut with the same space and same members of his family.
Moral:- This story is related to the human mind. We have lots of good and bad ideas in our mind. Remove those good and bad ideas and see the difference in your life. Emptiness of your mind is the real
essence of Enlightenment.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Fearless Buddhist Monk

During the civil wars in Japan, an invading army
would sweep into a town and take control. In a particular village, every villager fled just before the army has arrived over there- everybody except the Buddhist monk. General was curious about this old fellow, he went to the temple to see for
himself what kind of man this monk was. When the general wasn't treated with the deference and submissiveness to which he was accustomed, the general burst into anger and he shouted on monk "You fool, don't you realize you are standing in front of a man who could kill you without blinking an eye!" as he reached out his sword. But despite this threat, the monk seemed expressionless. The monk replied calmly "And do you realize, that you are standing in front of a man who can be run
through without blinking an eye?"
Moral:- The General Said - Don't you realize you are standing in front of a man who could kill you without blinking an eye!
Buddhist Monk Replied - And do you realize, You are standing in front of a man who can be run through without blinking an eye!
The above conversation tells that the General is so brave that he is not afraid of killing the monk. Whearas the Buddhist Monk is so Fearless that he is not even afraid of being killed. This clearly tells who is fearless and who is more Powerful.

God Or Air

A hermit was meditating at the riverside when a young man
interrupted him. "Master, I want to become your disciple,"
said the man. "Why?" replied the hermit. The young man
thought for a while and said "Because I want to find God."
The hermit grabbed the man by the scruff of his
neck, dragged him into the river, and plunged his head
under water. After holding him there for a minute, with him
kicking and struggling to free himself, the master finally
pulled him up out of the river. The young man coughed up
water and gasped to get his breath. When he eventually
quieted down, the master spoke. "Tell me, what did you
want most of all when you were under water."
"Air!" answered the man.
"Very well," said the master. "Go home and come back to
me when you want God as much as you just wanted air."
Moral:- The will to live is sometimes stronger than wanting God in
your life. In the Bible Jesus tells people that they must give
up everything in order to follow him to God.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Spider

A Tibetan story tells of a meditation student who, while
meditating in his room, believed he saw a spider
descending in front of him. Each day the menacing creature
returned, growing larger and larger each time. So
frightened was the student, that he went to his teacher to
report his dilemma. He said he planned to place a knife in
his lap during meditation, so when the spider appeared he
would kill it. The teacher advised him against this plan.
Instead, he suggested, bring a piece of chalk to meditation,
and when the spider appeared, mark an "X" on its belly.
Then report back. The student returned to his meditation.
When the spider again appeared, he resisted the urge to
attack it, and instead did just what the master suggested.
When he later reported back to the master, the teacher told
him to lift up his shirt and look at his own belly. There was
the "X".
Moral:- This is a good story which guides us to understand that
"Fear is nothing but our own imagination". The Monk saw
that the mark was on his stomach, which proves that there
was no spider, but his own imagination.

I wish I could be...

There was once a stone cutter who was dissatisfied with
himself and with his position in life.
One day he passed a wealthy merchant's house. Through
the open gateway, he saw many fine possessions and
important visitors. "How powerful that merchant must be!"
thought the stone cutter. He became very envious and
wished that he could be like the merchant.
To his great surprise, he suddenly became the merchant,
enjoying more luxuries and power than he had ever
imagined, but envied and detested by those less wealthy
than himself. Soon a high official passed by, carried in a
sedan chair, accompanied by attendants and escorted by
soldiers beating gongs. Everyone, no matter how wealthy,
had to bow low before the procession. "How powerful that
official is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a high
official!"
Then he became the high official, carried everywhere in his
embroidered sedan chair, feared and hated by the people all
around. It was a hot summer day, so the official felt very
uncomfortable in the sticky sedan chair. He looked up at
the sun. It shone proudly in the sky, unaffected by his
presence. "How powerful the sun is!" he thought. "I wish
that I could be the sun!"
Then he became the sun, shining fiercely down on
everyone, scorching the fields, cursed by the farmers and
laborers. But a huge black cloud moved between him and
the earth, so that his light could no longer shine on
everything below. "How powerful that storm cloud is!" he
thought. "I wish that I could be a cloud!"
Then he became the cloud, flooding the fields and villages,
shouted at by everyone. But soon he found that he was
being pushed away by some great force, and realized that it
was the wind. "How powerful it is!" he thought. "I wish
that I could be the wind!"
Then he became the wind, blowing tiles off the roofs of
houses, uprooting trees, feared and hated by all below him.
But after a while, he ran up against something that would
not move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it - a
huge, towering rock. "How powerful that rock is!" he
thought. "I wish that I could be a rock!"
Then he became the rock, more powerful than anything else
on earth. But as he stood there, he heard the sound of a
hammer pounding a chisel into the hard surface, and felt
himself being changed. "What could be more powerful than
I, the rock?" he thought.
He looked down and saw far below him the figure of a
stone cutter.
Moral:- Don't underestimate yourself and be satisfied with what
you are.

Friday, July 20, 2007

Ritual

When the spiritual teacher and his disciples began their
evening meditation, the cat who lived in the monastery
made such noise that it distracted them. So the teacher
ordered that the cat be tied up during the evening practice.
Years later, when the teacher died, the cat continued to be
tied up during the meditation session. And when the cat
eventually died, another cat was brought to the monastery
and tied up. Centuries later, learned descendants of the
spiritual teacher wrote scholarly treatises about the
religious significance of tying up a cat for meditation
practice.
Moral:- A Perfect example to explain the ritual system which we
follow. In almost all the religions we follow some kind of
ritual, without trying to understand why we do that. Some
spiritual people wear a special kind of hat etc. Some keep
long hairs and some don't keep hairs. All these rituals are
not helpful in the path to enlightenment.

Meditation and Laziness

A Sufi teaching story tells of a man who prayed continually
for the awareness to succeed in life. Then one night he
dreamed of going into the forest to attain understanding.
The next morning he went into the woods and wandered for
several hours looking for some sign that would provide
answers. When he finally stopped to rest, he saw a fox with
no legs lying between two rocks in a cool place. Curious as
to how a legless fox could survive, he waited until sunset
when he observed a lion come and lay meat before the fox.
"Ah, I understand," the man thought. "The secret to success
in life is to trust that God will take care of all my needs. I
don't need to provide for myself. All I have to do is totally
surrender to my all-sustaining God." Two weeks later,
weakened and starving, the man had another dream. In it he
heard a voice say, "Fool. Be like the lion, not like the fox."
Moral:- Don't misunderstand meditation with laziness. An
Enlightened person should not be dependent on others. He
should be the one who is always eager to help and guide
others.

Is That So

A beautiful unmarried girl in the village was pregnant. Her
angry parents demanded to know who was the father. At
first resistant to confess, the anxious and embarrassed girl
finally pointed to Hakuin, the Zen master whom everyone
previously revered for living such a pure life. When the
outraged parents confronted Hakuin with their daughter's
accusation, he(Hakuin) simply replied "Is that so?"
When the child was born, the parents brought it to Hakuin,
who now was viewed as a false Guru by the whole village.
They demanded that he take care of the child since it was
his responsibility. "Is that so?" Hakuin said calmly as he
accepted the child.
For many months he took very good care of the child until
the daughter could no longer withstand the lie she had told.
She confessed that the real father was a young man in the
village whom she had tried to protect. The parents
immediately went to Hakuin to see if he would return the
baby. With profuse apologies they explained what had
happened. "Is that so?" Hakuin said as he handed them the
child.
Moral:- There is no meaning of this story as its not a story its a real incident. It tells us about how perfect the Zen master was.
He never regretted anything and accepted everything that
was good or bad. Also what we see in this incident is that
Hakuin was not asked if he is guilty or not. He was angrily
assaulted. He was aware that the truth will automatically
hide the lie and was waiting for it it to happen without any
effort.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

The Greatest Teaching

A renowned Zen master said that his greatest teaching was
this: Buddha is your own mind. So impressed by how
profound this idea was, one monk decided to leave the
monastery and retreat to the wilderness to meditate on this
insight. There he spent 20 years as a hermit probing the
great teaching.
One day he met another monk who was traveling through
the forest. Quickly the hermit monk learned that the
traveler also had studied under the same Zen master.
"Please, tell me what you know of the master's greatest
teaching." The traveler's eyes lit up, "Ah, the master has
been very clear about this. He says that his greatest
teaching is this: Buddha is NOT your own mind."
Moral:- "Buddha is in your mind and Buddha is not in your mind",
both these phrases are right and both these phrases are
wrong. The greatest teaching of the master is that there is
nothing like greatest teaching. The monk who devoted 20
years on the former and the monk, who understood the
later, both misunderstood the master. Both have limited
themselves.
We have so many religions, spiritual organizations and
cults now a days. All have their own way and no way is
perfect. Stop wasting your energy on any so called
knowledge as no knowledge is perfect. Knowledge comes
from mind and mind is imperfect. The same mind which
says "this is right" will say "this is wrong". The story
named Burn the Books tells the same thing.

What is Ego ?

The Prime Minister of the Tang Dynasty was a national
hero for his success as both a statesman and military leader.
But despite his fame, power, and wealth, he considered
himself a humble and devout Buddhist. Often he visited his
favorite Zen master to study under him, and they seemed to
get along very well. The fact that he was prime minister
apparently had no effect on their relationship, which
seemed to be simply one of a revered master and respectful
student.
One day, during his usual visit, the Prime Minister asked
the master, "Your Reverence, what is egotism according to
Buddhism?" The master's face turned red, and in a very
condescending and insulting tone of voice, he shot back,
"What kind of stupid question is that!?"
This unexpected response so shocked the Prime Minister
that he became sullen and angry. The Zen master then
smiled and said, "THIS, Your Excellency, is egotism."
Meaning:- The best way to learn something is not by having it
explained to you, but by EXPERIENCING it yourself. This
is a very interesting and commmon way how Zen Masters
try to explain things to the seeker.

Destiny

During a momentous battle, a Japanese general decided to
attack even though his army was greatly outnumbered. He
was confident they would win, but his men were filled with
doubt. On the way to the battle, they stopped at a religious
shrine. After praying with the men, the general took out a
coin and said, "I shall now toss this coin. If it is heads, we
shall win. If tails, we shall lose. Destiny will now reveal
itself."
He threw the coin into the air and all watched intently as it
landed. It was heads. The soldiers were so overjoyed and
filled with confidence that they vigorously attacked the
enemy and were victorious. After the battle, a lieutenant
remarked to the general, "No one can change destiny."
"Quite right," the general replied as he showed the
lieutenant the coin, which had heads on both sides.
Meaning:- It happens with us everyday. Due to our fear we try to rely on destiny. If someone tells that destiny is with us than we
become so confident. No mantra, no gem or any so called
divine device can help us. Its only our faith which helps.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

The Transformation

There was a young man that could not in any way support his family. He was strong and vigorous and, finally, became a highway robber; he attacked persons in the street and robbed them, and with that money he supported his father, mother, wife, and children. This went on continually, until one day a great saint called Narada was passing by, and the robber attacked him.
The sage asked the robber, 'Why are you going to rob me? It is a great sin to rob human beings and kill them. What do you incur all this sin for?' The robber said, 'Why, I want to support my family with this money.' 'Now,' said the sage, 'do you think that they take a share of your sin also?' 'Certainly they do,' replied the robber. 'Very good,' said the sage, 'make me safe by tying me up here, while you go home and ask your people whether they will share your sin in the same way as they share the money you make.' The man accordingly went to his father, and asked, 'Father, do you know how I support you?' He answered, 'No, I do not.' 'I am a robber, and I kill persons and rob them.' 'What! You do that, my son? Get away! You outcast!' He then went to his mother and asked her, 'Mother, do you know how I support you?' 'No', she replied. 'Through robbery and murder.' 'How horrible it is!' cried the mother. 'But, do you partake in my sin?' said the son. 'Why should I? I never committed a robbery', answered the mother. Then, he went to his wife and questioned her, 'Do you know how I maintain you all?' 'No', she responded. 'Why, I am a highwayman,' he rejoined, 'and for years have been robbing people; that is how I support and maintain you all. And what I now want to know is, whether you are ready to share in my sin.' 'By no means. You are my husband, and it is your duty to support me.'
The eyes of the robber were opened. 'That is the way of the world--even my nearest relatives, for whom I have been robbing, will not share in my destiny.' He came back to the place where he had bound the sage, unfastened his bonds, fell at his feet, recounted everything and said, 'Save me! What can I do?' The sage said, 'Give up your present course of life. You see that none of your family really loves you, so give up all these delusions. They will share your prosperity; but the moment you have nothing, they will desert you. There is none who will share in your evil, but they will all share in your good. Therefore worship Him who alone stands by us whether we are doing good or evil. He never leaves us, for love never drags down, knows no barter, no selfishness.'
Then the sage taught him how to worship. And this man left everything and went into a forest. There he went on praying and meditating until he forgot himself so entirely that the ants came and built anthills around him, and he was quite unconscious of it. After many years had passed, a voice came saying, 'Arise, O sage!' Thus aroused he exclaimed, 'Sage? I am a robber!' "No more 'robber,'" answered the voice, "a purified sage art thou. Thine old name is gone. But now, since thy meditation was so deep and great that thou didst not remark even the anthills which surrounded thee, henceforth, thy name shall be Valmiki _'he that was born in the anthill.'" So, he became a sage.

Gods and Demons

A god and a demon went to learn about the Self from a great sage. They studied with him for a long time. At last the sage told them, 'You yourselves are the Being you are seeking.' Both of them thought that their bodies were the Self.
They went back to their people quite satisfied and said, 'We have learned everything that was to be learned; eat, drink, and be merry; we are the Self; there is nothing beyond us.' The nature of the demon was ignorant, clouded; so he never inquired any further, but was perfectly contented with the idea that he was God, that by the Self was meant the body. The god had a purer nature. He at first committed the mistake of thinking: I, this body, am Brahman: so keep it strong and in health, and well dressed, and give it all sorts of enjoyments. But, in a few days, he found out that that could not be the meaning of the sage, their master; there must be something higher. So he came back and said, 'Sir, did you teach me that this body was the Self? If so, I see all bodies die; the Self cannot die.' The sage said, 'Find it out; thou art That.' Then the god thought that the vital forces which work the body were what the sage meant. But, after a time, he found that if he ate, these vital forces remained strong, but, if he starved, they became weak.
The god then went back to the sage and said, 'Sir, do you mean that the vital forces are the Self?' The sage said, 'Find out for yourself; thou art That.' The god returned home once more, thinking that it was the mind, perhaps, that was the Self. But in a short while he saw that thoughts were so various, now good, again bad; the mind was too changeable to be the Self. He went back to the sage and said, 'Sir, I do not think that the mind is the Self; did you mean that?' 'No,' replied the sage, 'thou art That; find out for yourself.'
The god went home, and at last found that he was the Self, beyond all thought, one without birth or death, whom the sword cannot pierce or the fire burn, whom the air cannot dry or the water melt, the beginningless and endless, the immovable, the intangible, the omniscient, the omnipotent Being; that It was neither the body nor the mind, but beyond them all. So he was satisfied; but the poor demon did not get the truth, owing to his fondness for the body.
This world has a good many of these demonic natures, but there are some gods too. If one proposes to teach any science to increase the power of sense--enjoyment, one finds multitudes ready for it. If one undertakes to show the supreme goal, one finds few to listen to him. Very few have the power to grasp the higher, fewer still the patience to attain to it.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Universal Brotherhood

I remember an old story. In India, taking wine is considered very bad. There were two brothers who wished, one night, to drink wine secretly; and their uncle, who was a very orthodox man, was sleeping in a room quite close to theirs. So, before they began to drink, they said to each other, 'We must be very silent, or uncle will wake up.' When they were drinking, they continued repeating to each other 'Silence! Uncle will wake up,' each trying to shout the other down. And, as the shouting increased, the uncle woke up, came into the room, and discovered the whole thing. Now, we all shout like these drunken men, 'Universal brotherhood! We are all equal, therefore let us make a sect.' As soon as you make a sect you protest against equality, and equality is no more. Mohammedans talk of universal brotherhood, but what comes out of that in reality? Why, anybody who is not a Mohammedan will not be admitted into the brotherhood; he will more likely have his throat cut. Christians talk of universal brotherhood; but anyone who is not a Christian must go to that place where he will be eternally barbecued.

The Tartar Inside

You know the story of the man who caught a Tartar. A soldier was outside the town, and he cried out when he came near the barracks, `I have caught a Tartar.' A voice called out, `Bring him in.' `He won't come in, sir.' `Then you come in.' `He won't let me come in, sir.' So, in this mind of ours, we have `caught a Tartar': neither can we tone it down, nor will it let us be toned down. We have all `caught Tartars'. We all say, be quiet, and peaceful, and so forth. But every baby can say that and thinks he can do it. However, that is very difficult. I have tried. I threw overboard all my duties and fled to the tops of mountains; I lived in caves and deep forests — but all the same, I `caught a Tartar', because I had my world with me all the time. The `Tartar' is what I have in my own mind, so we must not blame poor people outside. `These circumstances are good, and these are bad,' so we say, while the `Tartar' is here, within; if we can quiet him down, we shall be all right.

Buddha's Counsel

It [Buddhism] was founded by a great man called Gautama, who became disgusted at the eternal metaphysical discussions of his day, and the cumbrous rituals, and more especially with the caste system. Some people say that we are born to a certain state, and therefore we are superior to others who are not thus born. He was also against the tremendous priestcraft. He preached a religion in which there was no motive power, and was perfectly agnostic about metaphysics or theories about God. He was often asked if there was a God, and he answered, he did not know. When asked about right conduct, he would reply, `Do good and be good.'
There came five Brahmins, who asked him to settle their discussion. One said, `Sir, my book says that God is such and such, and that this is the way to come to God.' Another said, `That is wrong, for my book says such and such, and this is the way to come to God'; and so the others.
He listened calmly to all of them, and then asked them one by one, `Does any one of your books say that God becomes angry, that He ever injures anyone, that He is impure?' `No, Sir, they all teach that God is pure and good.' `Then, my friends, why do you not become pure and good first, that you may know what God is?'

Monday, July 16, 2007

Neither Good Nor Evil

It is a great gymnasium in which you and I, and millions of souls must come and get exercises, and make ourselves strong and perfect. This is what it is for. Not that God could not make a perfect universe; not that He could not help the misery of the world.

You remember the story of the young lady and the clergyman, who were both looking at the moon through the telescope, and found the moon spots.

And the clergyman said, `I am sure they are the spires of some churches.'

`Nonsense,' said the young lady, `I am sure they are the young lovers kissing each other.'

So we are doing with this world. When we are inside, we think we are seeing the inside. According to the plane of existence in which we are, we see the universe. Fire in the kitchen is neither good nor bad. When it cooks a meal for you, you bless the fire, and say, `How good it is!' And when it burns your finger, you say, `What a nuisance it is!' It would be equally correct and logical to say: This universe is neither good nor evil.

The world is the world, and will be always so.

The Noseless Saint

Swami Vivekananda had occasion to ask the saint [Pavahari Baba] the reason of his not coming out of his cave to help the world. At first, with his native humility and humour, he gave the following strong reply:
`A certain wicked person was caught in some criminal act and had his nose cut off as a punishment. Ashamed to show his noseless features to the world and disgusted with himself, he fled into a forest; and there, spreading a tiger-skin on the ground, he would feign deep meditation whenever he thought anybody was about. This conduct, instead of keeping people off, drew them in crowds to pay their respects to this wonderful saint; and he found that his forest-life had brought him once again an easy living.
Thus years went by. At last the people around became very eager to listen to some instruction from the lips of the silent meditative saint; and one young man was specially anxious to be initiated into the order. It came to such a pass that any more delay in that line would undermine the reputation of the saint.
So one day he broke his silence and asked the enthusiastic young man to bring on the morrow a sharp razor with him. The young man, glad at the prospect of the great desire of his life being speedily fulfilled, came early the next morning with the razor. The noseless saint led him to a very retired spot in the forest, took the razor in his hand, opened it, and with one stroke cut off his nose, repeating in a solemn voice, "Young man, this has been my initiation into the order. The same I give to you. Do you transmit it diligently to others when the opportunity comes!" The young man could not divulge the secret of this wonderful initiation for shame, and carried out to the best of his ability the injunctions of his master. Thus a whole sect of nose-cut saints spread over the country. Do you want me to be the founder of another such?'
Later on, in a more serious mood, another query brought the answer: `Do you think that physical help is the only help possible? Is it not possible that one mind can help other minds even without the activity of the body?'

The Utility of Philosophy

The great question that generally arises is the utility of philosophy. To that there can be only one answer: if on the utilitarian ground it is good for men to seek for pleasure, why should not those whose pleasure is in religious speculation seek for that? Because sense- enjoyments please many, they seek for them, but there may be others whom they do not please, who want higher enjoyment. The dog's pleasure is only in eating and drinking. The dog cannot understand the pleasure of the scientist who gives up everything, and, perhaps, dwells on the top of a mountain to observe the position of certain stars. The dogs may smile at him and think he is a madman. Perhaps this poor scientist never had money enough to marry even, and lives very simply. May be, the dog laughs at him. But the scientist says, 'My dear dog, your pleasure is only in the senses which you enjoy, and you know nothing beyond; but for me this is the most enjoyable life, and if you have the right to seek your pleasure in your own way, so have I in mine.'
The mistake is that we want to tie the whole world down to our own plane of thought and to make our mind the measure of the whole universe.

Vedanta

Vedanta is one of the world's most ancient religious philosophies and one of its broadest. Based on the Vedas, the sacred scriptures of India, Vedanta affirms the oneness of existence, the divinity of the soul, and the harmony of religions. Vedanta is the philosophical foundation of Hinduism; but while Hinduism includes aspects of Indian culture, Vedanta is universal in its application and is equally relevant to all countries, all cultures, and all religious backgrounds.

A closer look at the word "Vedanta" is revealing: "Vedanta" is a combination of two words: "Veda" which means "knowledge" and "anta" which means "the end of" or "the goal of." In this context the goal of knowledge isn't intellectual—the limited knowledge we acquire by reading books. "Knowledge" here means the knowledge of God as well as the knowledge of our own divine nature. Vedanta, then, is the search for Self-knowledge as well as the search for God.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

A Letter From God

When you ran around the house getting ready, I knew there would be a few minutes for you to stop and say hello, but you were too busy. At one point you had to wait fifteen minutes with nothing to do except sit in a chair. Then I saw you spring to your feet. I thought you wanted to talk to me but you ran to the phone and called a friend to get the latest gossip instead. I watched patiently all day long. With all our activities I guess you were too busy to say anything to me. I noticed that before lunch you looked around, maybe you felt embarrassed to talk to me that am why you didn't bow your head. You glanced three or four tables over and you noticed some of your friends talking to me briefly before they ate, but you didn't. That's okay. There is still more time left, and I hope that you will talk to me yet.You went home and it seems as if you had lots of things to do. After a few of them were done, you turned on the TV. I don't know if you like TV or not, just about anything goes there and you spend a lot of time each day in front of it not thinking about anything, just enjoying the show. I waited patiently again as you watched the TV and ate your meal, but again you didn't talk to me.Bedtime I guess you felt too tired. After you said goodnight to your family you plopped into bed and fell asleep in no time. That's okay because you may not realize that I am always there for you. I've got patience, more than you will ever know. I even want to teach you how to be patient with others as well. I love you so much that I wait everyday for a nod, prayer or thought, or a thankful part of your heart. It is hard to have a one-sided conversation.Well, you are getting up once again. Once again I will wait, with nothing but love for you. Hoping that today you will give me some time.

Friday, July 13, 2007

NEWTON’S GREATNESS

The great scientist Sir Isaac Newton worked several hours every day for twenty years and wrote down the results of his brilliant research. One day he went out for a walk leaving the papers on the table. His pet dog ‘diamond’ was lying in the room. A few minutes later, it jumped on to the table playfully. Due to this, the burning candle fell on the bundle of manuscript and it caught fire. Twenty years of hard research was reduced to ashes within minutes. When Newton came back he was shocked. His precious papers were now a handful of ashes. Any one else would have beaten the dog to death. But Newton simply stroked the dog’s head and said looking at it with pity ‘Diamond, you know not what you have done.’
He started writing again. It took him several years to complete the task. How great was his compassion for the dumb animal. Newton’s heart was as great as his head.
It is difficult to forgive a wrong done to you – yet, with a stronger will it is possible. To forget the whole episode requires super human effort and nobility of heart. If you develop the habit of forgiving and forgetting, you will not have any enemy in this wide world. You will be friendly with all.
Swami Vivekananda uttered : "Know that talking ill of others in private is a sin. You must wholly avoid it. Many things may occur to the mind, but it gradually makes a mountain of a molehill if you try to exprerss them. Everything is ended if you forgive and forget."

Where is GOD ?

Once an inquisitive devotee asked a realized saint, “Bhagavan, what is the form of God? Where does he live and where can I find him?”
The saint said, “God is everywhere and is all pervading. He is blissful, omniscient and immortal and He is your own self”. The devotee asked, “If it is so, why do I not perceive and have an experience of Him?” The saint replied, “As the God is all pervading, He is within your own mind as well but your mind is not in Him. Your mind is engrossed in the world.”
The saint in many ways tried to make him understand the existence of God but the devotee could not comprehend and realize God. The saint then told him, “Go to Haridwar, there in Ganga, there is a fish of a strange colour and it can speak in the voice of human beings. The fish will give you an appropriate answer to your question”.
The inquisitive devotee bowed to the saint, touched his feet and started on his way to Haridwar. There he sat down in a corner and began to wait for the arrival of the strange fish. Whenever he saw any fish he repeated his question and asked where God lived and how could he see Him?
After sometime the strange fish came and asked the devotee “where from have you come?” The devotee replied, “A saint asked me to see you and I want to know where does God live and how can I see Him?” The fish said to him, “I am thirsty for the last seven days. So tell me where I can get water from.”
On listening to the words of the fish, the devotee laughed and said, “Oh foolish one, water is above you, below you, it is on your right, on your left and there is water on all you sides”.
When the devotee spoke like this, the fish became serious and said, “Oh, you innocent devotee. You are also foolish like me. God whom you are searching is above you, below you, on your right, on your left, and in brief he is on all your sides.
The devotee was a bit satisfied and said, “If so, why am I unable to see the blissful God and why am I so miserable?” The fish said, “The same is my question. If water is on all my sides why is my thirst not quenched?
The devotee knew the construction of the body of the fish and knew that so long as the fish swam straight with its face upward, no water can enter its mouth. To quench its thirst the fish has to swim upside down. If the construction of the body of the fish is not been like this, water can enter its body freely and it will die. So the devotee advised the fish to take a turn upside down to quench its thirst.
The fish then said to the devotee, “As we have to take a turn to quench our thirst, you should also take a turn to see God. Turn away from the desires to see God. In other words, when you turn the flow of the thoughts of your mind from the world to the blissful omniscient God, then all your sorrows will come to an end. The devotee did accordingly and realized his real Self.

Where is my eternal home?

There was a very rich woman, who lived in a beautiful palatial mansion. She lacked nothing; she enjoyed all the comforts that money could buy.
However, she was a selfish soul; she had no thought for others. Her doors were always shut in the face of people who came to ask her for donations and help for good causes. Not a penny of her money would she give away to another.
Years passed. Her long, self-centered life was drawing to a close. Gradually, life after death began to haunt her.
One day, she had a strange dream in which she saw herself die, and mounted up to the heavenly world. It was a strange and fascinating place, and she felt quite lost, not knowing where to go. Meeting an angel, she enquired of him, "Can you please show me the way to my eternal home? I have come up to heaven after a long life. I am weary, and I would like to see the place where I shall live forever!"
"Come with me, I shall show you the way," said the Angel. And he led her through the beautiful territory of the heavenly world. Here she saw vast palaces, exquisite villas, beautiful mansions. But the Angel led her on until they entered a slum like territory. There were broken huts and humble cottages everywhere. The Angel stopped outside a poor, lowly hut, and said to her, "This is to be your eternal home."
The woman recoiled in horror at the sight of the hut. "How is this possible?" she Cried. "On earth God gave me a beautiful mansion to live in! How can my heavenly home be so poor and shabby?"
The Angel said to her, "Your eternal home is built with what you send to us here. This is the best we could do with what you sent to us."
The rich woman awoke from her dream in a cold sweat. She resolved to turn over a new leaf, and to share what she had with those in need.
The money that we give to the poor is deposited in our account in the Bank of Providence.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

The Meaning Of Life

If you’ve never asked the question
Who or when or why or how
Give your mind that great suggestion
Go ahead and do it now
You will find when you consider
All the options that abound
There is still but one conclusion
Where peace of mind is found
It not in education
In religion of in books
In retirement funds and IRAs
Or how the market looks
It’s not in status or in style
How low in golf you score
It’s not the running of a mile
Or who you’re working for
It’s not the price you pay for things
It’s not the jewels and fancy rings
It’s not the checks and credit cards
Secured by all those guns and guards
It’s not the beauty of your face
It’s not a matter of your race
It’s not the muscle on your bones
Your classy looks or great skin tones
What matter most in life today
Is where you stand along the way
Not what you have, but what you are
How faith in God succeeds by far
God is the answer to the question
Of the who, when, why or how
And he gives the invitation
Trust in me and do it now
You’ll find God meets your deepest need
With His kind words your soul he’ll feed
He guide your steps and make things right
He’ll turn darkness into light.