Cycle of birth and death

Monday, 20 January 2020

Quote from True charm and power of Vedanta

YOGA APROHISM

Now the question arises: Is going back to God the higher state, or not? The philosophers of the Yoga school emphatically answer that it is . They say that man’s present state is degeneration. There is no one religion on the face of the earth which says that man is and improvement. The idea is that his beginning is perfect and pure, that he degenerates until he cannot degenerate further and that there must come a time when he shoots upward again to complete the circle. The circle must be described. However low may go, he must ultimately take the upward bend and go back to the original source, which is God Man comes from God in the beginning, in the middle he becomes man, and in the end he goes back to God. This is the method of putting it in the dualistic form. The monistic from is that man is God, and goes back to Him again. If our present state is the higher one then why is there so much horror and misery and why is there an end to it? It this is the higher state why does it end? That which corrupts and degenerates cannot be the highest date. why should it be so diabolical so unsatisfying ? it is only excusable inasmuch as through it  we are taking a higher groove we have to pass though it in order to become regenerate again. Put a seed into the ground and it disintegrates dissolves after a time, and out of that dissolution comes the splendid tree. Every soul must disintegrate to become God. So it follows that the sooner we get out of this state we call man, the better for us. Is it by committing suicide that we get out of this state/ not at all. That will be making it worse. Torturing ourselves, or condemning the world, is not the way to get out. We have to pass through the Slough of Despond, and the sooner we are though the better. It must always be remembered that man state is not the highest state.

Cycle of birth and death

The Speaking Tree |India, Spirituality

Life has been described as a long preparation for death. Death, as also birth, is governed by the inexorable cosmic laws of shrushti, sthithi and laya. Even though death is a commonplace event, it is dreaded. To survivors, the thought that they came so close to death is traumatic.

Ever since life originated, the cycle of birth and death has continued ceaselessly. All life forms, whichever kingdom they belong to — vegetable, animal or human — are destined to die. Even inanimate objects undergo mutation over time. Then why are we afraid of death? Is it because death will, all too suddenly, transport us from light to darkness, from a known area to an unknown one? Is our fear of death merely fear of the unknown? The only welcome aspect about death is that it is a great reliever of pain, misery and suffering.

It brings to an end our troubles, trials, tribulations and travails. So, even though death is dreaded, it is welcomed by many harassed people. It is longed for by the terminally ill, the destitute and those who say they have nothing whatsoever to look forward to in life. For them, death is a release from worldly suffering.

Hindus and Buddhists believe in rebirth. They will at once agree that death is not an end in itself, but the beginning of a new life. “Punarapi jananam, Punarapi maranam, Punarapi janani jathare shayanam,” says the Bhaja Govindam. Nature perpetuates the species. Man dies, but the human species might survive for a long time to come. Death and renewal go on side by side ceaselessly and relentlessly.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

But, if He exists?

I drive joy There was a doctor in Benaras who spent 7 minutes in the morning and evening for mediation on God. Knowing this, his colleagues and friends laughed at him. One day they argued that he was wasting ten precious minutes on something, which he had been misled into believing. The doctor replied, “Well, if God does not exist, I agree that I am wasting ten minutes a day. But, if He exists? I am afraid you are wasting your entire lifetime. I prefer to waste ten minutes rather than a lifetime. Why should you grudge me the 10 minutes joy that I derive 4m.

ILLUSTRATED REVIEW : 7^th Heaven moment of the week   India beat nz by 7 wk  , in isl Chenni no 7 scored a goal, in BBL Melbourne star won by 7 wk

GOD AND THE WORLD

Monday, 20 January 2020

Quote from the True Charm and Power of Vedanta

GOD AND THE WORLD

According to Vedanta the highest expression of spiritual knowledge is Hindu culture, three points of view from which God’s relationship with the world can be discussed  in dualism. God is personal and extra-cosmic, and the universe, like a machine or a pot made out of self-existent materials or atoms which are real. This may be called the theory of atomic agglomeration. In what is known as qualifies non –dualism. God is personal impersonal and is immanent in Nature. Here the universe is looked upon as an Organism. It is real and passes through gross and subtle states in a cyclic order. This is the theory of evolution and involution.

In the third point of view known as non-dualism or monism, the Divine who is really impersonal and transcendent appears as the universe though the power of Maya or delusive and creative Ignorance. With its limitations of time, space and causation. My forms , as it were , the matrix of matter and mind. This appearance is taken to be real as long as the soul is in ignorance , but it is found to be unreal with the dawn of true knowledge, which reveals the nature of Reality

None of these theories advocates th idea of creation out of nothing. In the first tow the cause of gross matter is subtle matter, and destruction is not annihilation but is only going back to the cause . Through ignorance men take the world to be a reality of the first order. With the dawn of higher knowledge, the world is found to be a reality of lesser order dependent on the Divine who alone in the Reality of the first order. According to the monist, Brahman or Reality appears as the universe. Here there si no question of creation out of nothing as the substratum is always present even when it is not recognized. The power that is partly the cause of this appearance, and the appearance itself are not illusions but empirical realities to the ordinary man. They do not how ever, possess absolute reality , as they disappear when the highest spiritual consciousness is brought about by supreme knowledge

Clarion call by Vivekananda

The Speaking Tree | India | ET

Applying the Vedantic notion of the cosmic Brahmn, from which all emerges and into which all dissolves without any distinction of creed or caste, Vivekananda called upon each person to accept the other. That is the real understanding of the principle of life, the realisation that each is either as divine or as flawed as the other.

His notion of God as the Infinite Self exhorts us all to tap into our dormant selves, wherein lies the infinite capacity to become good and compassionate. He believed that the rejection of the other stems from our own fears and insecurities, and his clarion call was to awaken from this hypnotism of weakness. His watchword of the acceptance of the other led him to envision a ‘Vedantic brain with an Islamic body’ as roadmap towards greater understanding and empathy between traditions in the Indian context.

This view of a mystical Self at the root of all religions stems from the experiential life of Vivekananda’s own guru, Ramakrishna, who immersed himself in the practice of all faiths, to finally arrive at the view that all faiths lead us to realisation of the inner Self. Vivekananda’s pluralistic vision was grounded in the fact that this common core of all faiths was not merely an intellectual assertion but an experiential realisation of his guru.

His call to rise above dogmas and ‘isms’ was a call to understand this spiritual core, which binds each one of us.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

But, if He exists?

I drive joy There was a doctor in Benaras who spent 7 minutes in the morning and evening for mediation on God. Knowing this, his colleagues and friends laughed at him. One day they argued that he was wasting ten precious minutes on something, which he had been misled into believing. The doctor replied, “Well, if God does not exist, I agree that I am wasting ten minutes a day. But, if He exists? I am afraid you are wasting your entire lifetime. I prefer to waste ten minutes rather than a lifetime. Why should you grudge me the 10 minutes joy that I derive 4m.

ILLUSTRATED REVIEW : 7^th Heaven moment of the week south India beat Australia by 7 wk  

 

Self surrender

Monday, 13 January 2020

Self surrender

Quote from true charm and power of Vedanta

It is a great and unselfish work to be happy, strong and cheerful for the sake of your ideal. By working with such unselfishness you will gain every day more and more purity and strength. But this can be done only through constant thought of the ideal and earnest prayer. The Mother will not fail to fulfil the prayers which are said from the heart with unselfishness. She will always protect you and give strength and guide you . will she make you unhappy when you try to serve . Her always with whole heart and soul? She will not, for She is an ocean of mercy and cannot Her children unhappy. No fear, if any misery comes Her heart will always be ready to share it with you.

Then why so often do our prayers remain unanswered, you ask? We cannot know. We are only children- we should not wish to know much. She knows the Divine Mother knows. This is Her world. She will take care of Her children. We should hold the thought. “I am only a child , a simple child; i am the servant of all Her children” There is some happiness in serving Her children unselfishly , so let us always try to serve them. But here also we find differently because we do not know what real service means. Out of our foolishness we hurt those whom we intend to serve. In this way we make mistakes and cause unhappiness to others. Life is very hard without the power of proper understanding .

But still let us try to depend upon Her entirely. Although cloud some times gather so darkly about us, we must stand and be patient. Let us walk on steadily without being afraid of anything. Never mind for the results. Know that good will always produce good, it cannot be otherwise. It may not show outwardly; still this is the only true and desirable path to follow.

The Meaning Of Prayer

The Speaking Tree | India, Lifestyle | ET

By K S RAM

Some people who, even as they sit at prayer, are constantly interspersing it with household instruction — to the spouse, children or staff. Some try to pray during bath time to save time before leaving for work. They would probably argue that it is part of the pressures of modern life. However, if something is worth doing, it is worth doing well. This dictum applies to prayer more than to any other everyday activity.

Kabir ridicules the practice of such multitasking, “Mechanical fingers turn the beads; the tongue rolls inside the mouth; the fickle mind wanders all over: this isn’t simran — not at all!’ Prayer, as Kabir indicates, is simran, meaning, communion, or a simulation of it. The Srimad Bhagavatam says, “Religion is not for the purpose of securing a place in heaven. It is an inquiry into Truth, and its ideal is the knowledge and the realisation of Truth.”

Simran is the process of Self identification, of recognising the essential unity, non-differentiation, self-expansion. This is not an intellectual idea that, once grasped, sticks forever. It is a matter of spiritual activation that is ideally done everyday, preferably at fixed hours. Such prayer is essentially meditation.

To reduce prayer to a session of pleading your wants before God is to corrupt it, even though it is possible that you get the things you ask for during prayer. Making prayer into a thanksgiving session is better. The best, however, is to keep it as a session of reaffirmation of your bond with the One, the All. This is the same as making it a session of humility and surrender.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

But, if He exists?

I drive joy There was a doctor in Benaras who spent 7 minutes in the morning and evening for mediation on God. Knowing this, his colleagues and friends laughed at him. One day they argued that he was wasting ten precious minutes on something, which he had been misled into believing. The doctor replied, “Well, if God does not exist, I agree that I am wasting ten minutes a day. But, if He exists? I am afraid you are wasting your entire lifetime. I prefer to waste ten minutes rather than a lifetime. Why should you grudge me the 10 minutes joy that I derive 4m.

ILLUSTRATED REVIEW : 7^th Heaven moment of the week south India won second t20 by 7 wk, in bbl Melboune star won by 7 wk

 

Spiritual Healing

Monday, 06 January 2020

Quote from True Charm and Power of Vedanta

Spiritual Healing

We must not imagine that all bodily diseases is the result of wrongdoing . There are those who think hat when ever there is any physical disturbance it must be due to sin and they are ashamed to have it known. On the contrary the disturbance may be the outer sign of an active cleansing process, which is preparing us for a new spiritual awakening. it is very great thing to have a healthy body, but a healthy body alone does not lead one to the loftiest pinnacle of spiritual attainment. There are plenty of healthy animals and there are also plenty of healthy people who have not begun to approach the state of spiritual consciousness. Physical health is not the end and aim of life. Bodily healing is not always a blessing. It may even prove a drawback. Suffering also has a purpose in our experience. It lessens the hold of the flesh on us and enables our mind to  rise to a higher plane of consciousness. Sometimes an illness brings a lesion of which we have need. People are awakened often to higher thought and ideals through bodily affliction or through misfortune. A person who is full of aspiration learns both through good fortune and ill fortune, he learns equally though physical dieses and through health. There are many different disciplines in life and if we do not have an all round experience our consciousness remains incomplete.

This does not mean that we should deliberately invite ill health. Health is a great blessing. A healthy body is an undeniable advantage in our spiritual pursuits, but we must not let ourselves become absorbed in the idea of health as an end in itself. the best form of health is where we are least conscious that we have a body. When we are really healthy we do not thinking about the body at all, our feet scarcely touch the ground, but when we are thinking constantly of the body that is not a healthy attitude of mind or a healthy sate of body. We should try to regulate our life in such a way that we do not violate the law, because nothing contributes more towards good health than an orderly life of moderation. We must be careful not to be carried away to minor details. we must desire a strong body wholly that we may express Divinity within us , and that we may have and serve the ideal. If we do not use our health to this end, we are bound again and again by physical fetters.

Say goodbye to your ego

The Speaking Tree | India | ET

BY ULLHAS PAGEY

Once a man asked Gautama Buddha, “I want happiness,” to which the Buddha replied, “First remove ‘I’, then remove ‘want’, so you are left with only ‘happiness’.” Simple as it may sound, its implications are deep enough to be reflected upon.

Ego smacks of arrogance. No one likes to deal with people who are arrogant or who display ‘attitude’. Their sense of superiority prevents them from listening to others and renders them unresponsive to constructive criticism. Little do they realise that in the ‘war of ego, the loser always wins’. But as people ‘progress’ in a materialistic world, their ego further gets reinforced primarily because of pampering by friends, relatives, employees or sycophants surrounding them that further pushes them towards their downfall. To avoid these complications, it is better to skip ‘e’ and then let it ‘go’.

The other aspect of Buddha’s advice relates to ‘wants’ or ‘desires’, which emanate from attachments we have for worldly things and beings. Unbridled desires, if not satiated, often lead to anger that, in turn, creates delusion, loss of memory, destruction of intellect and, ultimately, misery. Similar sentiments are reflected in Aristotle’s quote, “I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies, for the hardest victory is over self.”

It is abundantly clear by now that ‘ego’ and ‘wants’ are the biggest obstacles in our spiritual evolution. So, let us resolve to dissolve our ego and desires to pave the way to discover the ‘Supreme Self ’ within.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

But, if He exists?

I drive joy There was a doctor in Benaras who spent 7 minutes in the morning and evening for mediation on God. Knowing this, his colleagues and friends laughed at him. One day they argued that he was wasting ten precious minutes on something, which he had been misled into believing. The doctor replied, “Well, if God does not exist, I agree that I am wasting ten minutes a day. But, if He exists? I am afraid you are wasting your entire lifetime. I prefer to waste ten minutes rather than a lifetime. Why should you grudge me the 10 minutes joy that I derive 4m.

ILLUSTRATED REVIEW : 7^th Heaven moment of the week south Adam Arm strong no 7 scored a goa, D.cowerely no 7 scored a goal, in nba grizzle won by 7 , Laker won by 7