Monday, 24
June 2019
Quote
from the True Charm and Power of Vedanta
Peace and
Blessedness
When we
realize that we have desired so much in this life and gained so little, then
the spriit of renunciation comes. Desires are the cause of all our suffering. So
long as we have any selfish desire whatever, we shall have to live in the world
of variety; but the wise man realizes that this is perishable and give it up. So
long a man is hungry he will ask for food. Only
when his hunger is satisfied will be refuse it. so, as long as a man is hungry
for the world, as long as he has desire, he clings to the things of the world;
but when his hunger is satisfied, then he is ready and glad to give it up and
the life of consecration begins for him.
Worldly men
think that the religious man is foolish; us they will grow and change. If the
child asks how sugar tastes, you cannot describe it, he will have to taste it
for himself. So that state beyond desire is indescribable and you will have to
taste it for yourself to know what is; The Seers of Truth may tell you what is
to be seen and felt in that state; but only as you have experienced it for
yourself , can you know what it really is. Each must have his own experience. We
cannot learn form the experience of others.
It is
true that when we try to lead an ideal life of absolute devotion and renunciation,
we have to go through many trials in the form of criticism and condemnation
from teh world; but also is it true that the joy one feels in the spiritual life
even in the midst of all external suffering, is infinitely grater than any
pleasure that the world can give us. So we
should discrimination and stand by the ideal, whatever may happen to us. Courtesy peace and blessedness
Do It
From Your Heart
The
Speaking Tree | India | ET
By DENISE
MIHALEK
“You’re
not doing anything but asking people to pray and chant. What about the
pollution, the poverty, the wars, the problems of the world?” Radhanath Swami
answered simply, “…We can clean up the entire world today but until we clean up
our own hearts, tomorrow it will all be polluted again.”
Wow. What
a simple and powerful answer. The child in me wants to say… “tell her about the
programmes you have developed to feed children, educate farmers and preserve
the earth’s natural resources!” But his message was more important.
And, so,
as I walk along the shoreline picking up trash, I look ahead and see that my
one bag is hardly going to make a difference.
Discouraged,
I begin to cry. “Could I ever influence the consciousness of these polluters as
I walk the shores alone?” But, then, remembering Radhanath Swami’s words, I
begin to chant gently, reach for another discarded plastic straw, and pray.
“Please
purify my heart and let this action in some way help and teach others.” What
you do matters. How you do it also matters. Perhaps no one will notice, perhaps
no one will applaud. Do it without asking for anything in return. Do it from
your heart.
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.
