Spiritual Practice

 

Quote from the True charm and Power of Vedanta

Spiritual Practice

Spirituality cannot come without a true estimate of the value of things. We confuse values. A seer knows that the world ahs not value. It is unsubstantial, empty, and insignificants its grandeur, its societies, its governments, its powers, are as nothing. We must grow to this consciousness, if we want to be spiritual, this consciousness, That is, we must have a keen sense of freedom. We must never feel that we are bound to anything or to any person. Absolutely freedom –that is the ideal . can a house holder ever feel and realize it/ He cannot. The moment a man attaches any value to thins or persons. The moment he wants to posses them, that moment he comes under the jurisdiction of society, government, conventions, customs, and vulgar criticism. He is no longer free to do what he feels to be right. He has to submit to other powers, than his conscience. His thoughts words, and deeds must be guarded lest they jeopardize the interests of his family, relations, friends, and community. It is impossible for him to stand by truth alone. He can antagonize society only when he is confident of the protection of another society. Courtesy spiritual practice.

Can’t Go Outside? Try Going Inside

Editorial by Rajiv Vij

My 87-year-old dad went through the Second World War, the Partition of India and went to jail for Gandhiji’s Jail Bharo Andolan. Chatting with him on the current pandemic here are four key thoughts that arose:

 

1.Calm amidst the panic: Fear levels around us are high and palpable. The reality is that our prehistoric brain is wired for survival, not for peace and equanimity. We instinctively feel fearful with even the slightest of triggers affecting our survival. Imagine stepping on a rope in the dark! The current Covid-19 pandemic crisis is unprecedented and potentially devastating at multiple levels. It may turn out to be a generation-defining event. Fear is naturally turning to panic.

 

While fear and panic are totally understandable, we need to recognise the need to stay calm. Being calm and positive, while staying fully vigilant and following all necessary guidelines, is the key to effectively working our way through any crisis. Listening to the horror stories of the Partition from my dad, it is clear that if the health crisis continues, each of us will likely experience a roller coaster of emotions – from denial, anxiety, anger and panic to sadness and despair.

 

To build greater equanimity, it helps to switch off from the external world of news and social media from time to time and instead, focus on our inner world. Simply sitting still and becoming an observer of our varying emotions help. Remain focused only on observing, without judging them (or ourselves). With consistent practise, the volatility of our emotions does subside.

 

2.We along with i: With the virus spreading rapidly, protecting ourselves and our loved ones is important. If we are healthy, we also need to pay attention to helping others if we can. Whether it is the frontline health workers, daily wage earners or families of domestic helpers. Being helpful to others is therapeutic for our heart and soul too.

 

In our individualistic society, where we are otherwise growing apart, the virus is a reminder of our interconnectedness; that we cannot live or succeed in isolation. We are part of different communities and we should routinely contribute towards the welfare of all those communities. We are all in it together.

 

3.Trifocal vision: It’s easy for many of us to get into the survival mode for the next three weeks. Simultaneously, I would encourage you to proactively plan for at least two more time-horizons. The next three months and the next fifteen months.

 

It is not unforeseeable that the current crisis, including some form of lockdown or social distancing, may continue for a couple of months. Also, it’s possible that even if the infections decline this summer, they may reappear next winter – until we have a vaccine over the next 12 months. Besides, the economic downside of a prolonged outbreak would not only be severe but also could last over a year.

 

4.Pursue personal goals: Crisis and isolation can be a remarkable time for personal growth. Whether the pandemic is short-lived or prolonged, as my dad reminds me, this too shall pass. So, consider using this time of reduced activity wisely. Don’t just watch the news or movies. Attend that online photography or AI course that you wanted to; catch-up on your reading; get fitter; learn to meditate; practise gratefulness; be more loving to your family.

 

The writer is a Singapore-based life coach

IF HE EXIST

 

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 : 7th heaven moment of the week in champion league uefa chelas no 7 won players of the match . in French open vika7 won her first round

 

Can we be scientific and yet be spiritual

 

 

Quote from the true charm and power of Vedanta

Can we be scientific and yet be spiritual

This is spiritual empiricism if we ma use such term, has been a bold feature of Indian spiritual search and research down millenniums, beginning from the Vedic times and continuing up to the present day. One of the reasons of India’s capacity to keep producing  in an unbroken line great saints, is to be sought here  this futures, which way somehow never lost to India, was acidized in Sri Ramakrishna’s life to an amazing degree.

When his disciples came some of whom did not hide their frontal scientific bias, Sri Rama Krishna  accepted their mispronounced  challenge with masterly case.

And because he himself was fully convinced about the validity of the approach which we call scientific he not only never frowned on any who had pronounced scientific  leanings; on the other hand he encouraged them.

One day when a visitor was arguing with Sri Ramakrishna on a point which he could not accept a devotee said to the visitor with pious annoyance. “Why don’t you accept what he says?” Sri Ramakrishna turned on the devotee and said sharply, “What sort of man are you?

To accept words without conviction! Why , that is hypocrisy! I see you are only a counterfeit.

 

Prescription For Living

 The Speaking Tree,  India, ET

By BAHA’U’LLAH

 

Be generous in prosperity and thankful in adversity. Be worthy of the trust of thy neighbour, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face. Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer of the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge.

 

Be fair in thy judgement, and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto those who walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression.

 

Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Be a home for the stranger, a balm for the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive. Be eyes to the blind and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring.

 

Be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility.

 

Beautify your tongues, O people, with truthfulness, and adorn your souls with the ornament of honesty

 

IF HE EXIST

 

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 : 7th heaven moment of the week In ATP Tistipan won his 7^th  title

 

Life is a Celibration

 

Devotion its Genesis and GrowthQuote from the true charm and power of Vedanta

 

The Blessed Lord Said

 

13. I shall expound to you that path of spiritual realization which leads to the ultimate good of man, where in there is complete and irreversible abeyance of the pleasures and pains of worldly existence

 

14 This Yoga which I preached in ancient days to the Rishis who were eager to hear it-the same Yoga, perfect in all its limbs, I shall teach you now, O pure-minded lady. 

 

 15. It is the view of wise men that the mind indeed is the cause of both the bondage and liberation of embodied beings . If the mind is attached to the Gunas of Prakriti and their products, it leads to bondage; but when it begins to feel delight and attraction for the Lord (Purusha) it leads to liberation.

16. When the mind is freed from impurities of lust and greed generated by the sense fo “I” and “mine”, it attains to purity and rests in equanimity, being unaffected by pleasure of pain.

 

17-18 Then the Jiva , endowed with knowledge, renunciation and devotion, experiences in truth the Supreme Spirit transcending Nature (Prakriti)-Kevala (untouched by anything) eternal , self-effulgent, subtle, indivisible, and unconcerned-as well as Prakriti with all its binding power destroyed.

 

19 For one aspiring to attain Brahman , there is no path more straight , safe and practical then that of loving devotion for the Supreme Lord who is the soul of all . kapilopodesh

 Life is a Celibration 

 By MEENA OM

Baisakhi is a harvest festival when farmers bring home the life-giving grains, for example, wheat and mustard, to sell and meet their yearly expenses. Now, they renovate their houses, buy new clothes, jewellery and sweetmeats.

It also time to dance and be merry, to reflect the abundance of nature and, more importantly, show the feelings of caring and sharing. Indic folklore has it that when farmers cut the crop, they leave 6-9 inches of stalk as an offering to Mother Earth.

To recycle energy, these stalks are later turned into compost to nourish the earth back. After threshing the grain, the resulting hay straws are set aside to provide roof for the poor and needy, and fodder for the cattle. And when it comes to storing grain, a small quantity is taken out to feed birds.

When the wheat grain is ground up, a handful of the flour is kept out for ants. Of the chapatis made from the flour, the first one goes to the cow, thereafter, they are offered to elders in the family, then children and other family members. Some rotis are kept for beggars and stray dogs.

This is a great example of ‘Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam’ and being considerate, concerned and compassionate. Such sanskars need to be passed on from generation to the next generation. Just as the crop ripens and becomes a life-giving source for all, we too should grow to spread truth, love and light everywhere, and make every act of ours Satyam-Shivam-Sundaram — truthful, for the welfare of all, and beautiful — so that there is Baisakhilike gaiety and abundance.

 

IF HE EXIST

 

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 : 7th heaven moment of the week In Epl  Ashton villas no 7 scored a goal

Soul of a man

Quote from the True charm and power of Vedanta

Soul of a man

We have found out the true seat of the ego to be the heart , which it knows nothing about . It is simply seated there, in spite of the ignorance about the place, and hence how can it have any control over it? But we have to say that it presides over the whole of the nervous system, for without it, the nerves are absolutely powerless as we have seen it to be the case in the condition of sound sleep when all the sensory and motor nerves are perfectly inactive. The moment the ego comes back to them, they are all able to work. The senses are able to sense. The organs of activity are able to be active, and the mind is able to think, feel, will and remember. So the ego is the rightful master of the entire nervous system, and the cause is to be sought in its own sheer weakness and nothing else. The ego has no control over the heart which works perfectly well even when it sleeps soundly. Who directs the movement of the heart at that time, and through its ceaseless contractions and expansions, presides over the circulation of the blood all over the body? It is God. ‘When all the inner and outer organs of the body are sleeping. he who keeps awake and goes on producing thing that they desire most, is the pure One. He is Brahman . He is described in all scriptures as the one deathless Being. All the spheres exist in Him He is beyond all, none can go beyond Him . This is what He is

World As A Sanctuary

The Speaking Tree, India, ET

A placewhere you can feel protected and be safe – that’s what the word ‘sanctuary’ means. In a sanctuary, all life is revered, and there is balance, harmony, peaceful coexistence and above all, safety and security.

 

This is perhaps why Henryk Skolimowski, the Polish philosopher who avidly promoted eco philosophy, added this tagline: ‘The world is a sanctuary’. The human species is perhaps the only one that fouls its own nest.

 

Our individual homes – the house or apartment in which we live – are regarded as sacred spaces; we take care to keep them clean, happy, safe and secure. Yet, when it comes to our collective home, Planet Earth, all these protective instincts fly out the window and we pollute the planet and its atmosphere, denude forests and drive other species to extinction.

 

Skolimowski believed in a living philosophy, rather than confining it to abstract thought and rituals that have lost their meaning. Abstraction may be part of human intellectual pursuit, but one needs to also apply what we learn and discover in our daily lives so that we have a living philosophy that promotes constructive behaviour for individual and common good.

‘Ecosophy’, as propounded by European thinkers Guatteri and Naess, looks at the whole picture and pleads for applying ecological wisdom in our relationship with the environment. Skolimowski also upheld the value of light as energy that nurtures life and helps all species thrive, giving us the potential to overcome our ignorance so that we can lead more enlightened lives.

IF HE EXIST

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 In Epl Totnham no 7 scored a goal, Manunited no 7 scored a goal, everton no 9 scored a goal

         

Spiritual healing.

 

Quote from the True Charm and Power of Vedanta

Spiritual healing.

Body and soul each has its own place in our life. And if we can keep these two separate in our mind, often we can make our adjustment. Whenever something happens on the physical plane, we should not take it as an inevitable finality. Spirit can always transcend bodily limitations. That is one of the great thoughts of the indo-Aryan school of philosophy . This does not mean that there are no healing methods in India. Healing is one of the most essential elements in her spiritual evolution. It is an accepted thing that one who has risen to a great spiritual height can dispel ignorance, the cause of all illness, by his touch, his word, his very presence. Whenever there is light, there can be no darkness. Healing is accomplished in that way, but another element is introduced in order that people may help themselves instead of depending on others, and that is the element of mediation.

When we are in physical or mental trouble, it is well to forget it sometimes , in the world, when we have any perplexing problems we say: I want to think it over. I want to sleep on it. In other words we wish to reflect , to find a clear light before we give our decision. That is exactly what mediation means. The body requires a certain amount of inward recreation which the mind can give. Body and mind when united, find balance, a sense of rest within. Retired from all worldly disturbance they both grow stronger. Whether we are in public life or following some line of spiritual study, we cannot do without these times of retirement. The nervous disorders of modern life are due not so much to our intensity of action as to our lack of understanding and wrong direction of our energy. We must have balance, and meditation give us that balance. Without it we cannot maintain our health our happiness or our peace of mind. One person in a household who maintains his balance becomes a great power. He helps even unconsciously . in this day it is hard for us to believe that any one can instruct without speaking . we believe more in noise than in silence; that is our misfortune. We miss the subtler , the finer, the more beautiful part of life when we merely follow the noisy trend of the  world.

Bliss is eternal

The Speaking Tree, India, ET

By Swami Kriyananda

 

What everyone really wants is bliss. Happiness is counterfeit: too much of it diffuses one’s very concept of bliss. To a mind full of attachments, bliss seems almost a threat. A cottage by the sea is something the ego, at least, can handle without effort. But bliss? Bliss requires total absorption. Few people are ready to be all that happy! They need suffering, to spur them towards ever higher aspiration.

A bird, after 20 years of living in a cage, would be afraid to leave it. Were the cage door opened, the bird would cower at the back, dreading the flight that is perfectly natural for it. Man, at the thought of absorption in bliss, faces two major challenges. First, to his mind, bliss implies a need for exerting high energy. Second, the concept of absolute consciousness seems overwhelming to him.

If you have attained a certain degree of refinement, you would be unwilling to return to living like others who limit their pleasures to the table, their bar room and the bedroom. Creatures at every stage of evolution cling to what is familiar to them. Familiarity gives them their sense of security. And, so, they may meet the call to higher awareness with stout resistance.

 

The principal challenge bliss presents is the demand that one’s ego be abandoned. Human beings define themselves in terms of their bodies. They think of themselves as having a specific age, name, nationality, sex and social position. These do not, however, truly define us at all. In infinite consciousness, not even self-awareness, ultimately, is lost; it is simply transformed. Nothing, in essence, can be either created or destroyed.

IF HE EXIST

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 In Ipl Chenni won by 7 wk, Mumbai won by 7 wk, dc won by 7 wk.