Flying dreams fall under a category of dreams known as lucid dreaming. Lucid dreams occur when you become aware that you are dreaming. Many dreamers describe the ability to fly in their dreams as an exhilarating, joyful, and liberating experience.
If you are flying with ease and enjoying the scene and landscape below, then it suggests that you are on top of a situation. You have risen above something. It may also mean that you have gained a different perspective on things. Flying dreams and the ability to control your flight is representative of your own personal sense of power.
Having difficulties staying in flight indicates a lack of power in controlling your own circumstances. You may be struggling to stay aloft and stay on course. Things like power lines, trees, or mountains may further obstruct your flight. These barriers represent a particular obstacle or person who is standing in your way in your waking life. You need to identify who or what is hindering you from moving forward. It may also be an indication of a lack of confidence. You need to believe in yourself and not be afraid.
If you are feeling fear when you are flying or that you feel that you are flying too high, then it suggests that you are afraid of challenges and of success.
In reality, we cannot really fly, of course. Thus, such dreams may represent that which is beyond your physical limitations. In your mind, you can be anybody and do anything. Another way of interpreting flying dreams is that these dreams symbolize your strong mind and will. You feel undefeatable and nobody can tell you what you cannot do and accomplish. Undoubtedly these dreams leave you a great sense of freedom
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Brahmins of Andhra Pradesh
Brahmins of Andhra Pradesh
Brahmins have been migrating from time immemorial. The Brahmin families that migrated made an impact peacefully by example rather than converting people by any means.
The Brahmin migration to the South features in the legends of sage Agastya. The Vindhya mountain range in central India continued to grow higher showing its might and obstructed cloud movement causing draught. Sage Agastya decided to solve the problem and traveled south. The Vindhya mountain bowed to Agastya and the sage requested Vindhya to stay prostrated until he returns. Vindhya complied with this request and sage Agastya never returned to north.
The earliest Brahmins to arrive in Andhra were most probably sage Viswamitra's students and progeny around 1200 BC. South Indian kings showed respect and patronage for Brahmins and Brahminism since ancient times, e.g., Satavahana dynasty that ruled for five centuries and extended over Andhra and central India, founded by Srimukha (221-198 BC), supported Brahminism and Vedic tradition. One of the most important features of Satavahana dynasty was granting land to Brahmins. Sangam era of Chera, Chola and Pandya kings in Deep South also used to grant lands to Brahmins. Similarly there have been Brahmin migrations back and forth that continue even today. Due to these waves of Brahmin migrations, perhaps, we see today various sub-castes and traditions among Brahmins.
Most of the Brahmins in Andhra Pradesh belong to smaarta Brahmin group, i.e., the followers of smritis and followers of Adi Sankaracharya. The smaarta Brahmins follow Apastambasmriti or Apastambasutra (not Manusmriti). Apasthamba (~600 BC) was one of the earliest lawmakers of south India who lived on the banks of River Godavari. Boudhayana, Parasara, Yajnvalkya sutras and other laws were also important in the past, e.g., in the courts of Srikrishnadevaraya. Pradhamasakha Niyogi Brahmins (see below) follow Yajnavalkya sutras and Kanva sutras. The smaarta Brahmins in Andhra Pradesh can be grouped into two major divisions formed about a thousand to about 700 years ago (most probably during Kakatiya rule), Niyogi and Vaidiki. However, in addition to smaarta Brahmins, there are other Brahmin groups such as Sri Vaishnavas, Madhavas and Aradhyas. I have grouped them in Vaidiki Brahmin group below for convenience only. Today, many Brahmins don't know and don't care about these distinctions. Intermarriages have been very common among theses groups. As a matter of fact, Brahmins have been marrying non-Brahmins also. The following is only of historical importance.
i) Niyogi Brahmins : Niyogi Brahmins are those Brahmins who took up various secular vocations including military activities and gave up religious vocation, especially the priesthood. Niyogi Brahmins depend and emphasize on modern education. They were ministers in the courts of kings and feudatories. Many of them were village accountants/clerks, karanams (Andhra) or patwaris (Telangana), until recently. The Niyogis are considered to be eligible for priestly service. But they will never either accept a religious gift or partake of Sraaddha food (food given to Brahmins duiring the death related rituals). According to Jogendranath Bhattacharya, Niyogi name is derived from Yoga, which means religious contemplation or meditation, as opposed to Yaga, which means religious sacrifice. Niyogin in Sanskrit also means "employed" or "appointed" and accordingly, it is probable that they are so-called because they accept secular employment.
They were very rich and influential. Legendary Rayamantri belongs to this group. Niyogi Brahmins include eminent personalities like Veeresalingam Kandukuri, Radhakrishnan Sarvepalli, Venkatgiri Varahagiri, KL Rao, Prakasam Tanguturi, Venkatanarasimharao Pamulaparti (PV), General K. V. Krishnarao etc. PV was the only Brahmin Chief Minister (1971-72) of Andhra Pradesh and also the only Telugu Brahmin Prime Minister (1991-1996) from South India who ruled the modern Indian Union. Over the past millennium the Niyogi Brahmins are divided further into various groups:
a) Pradhamasakha (First Branch) Niyogi Brahmins
b) Aruvela Niyogi
c) Nandavarika Niyogi
d) Karanakamma Niyogi
e) Velanati Niyogi
f) Telaganya Niyogi
g) Dravida Niyogi
h) Karanalu
i) Sristikaranalu or Sistukaranalu or Sistakaranalu.
j) Kasalanati Niyogi
k) Pakanati Niyogi.
a) Pradhamasakha Niyogi Brahmins: This caste belongs to Sukla (white) Yajurveda School, while majority of Brahmins in Andhra Pradesh belong to krishna (black) Yajurveda School. In Maharashtra also there is a group of Brahmins called Pradhamasakha Brahmins. The Pradhamasakha Niyogi Brahmins are further divided into branches such as Vajasaneyulu, Saivulu, Yajnavalkyulu and Kanvulu.
b) Aruvela Niyogi: Aruvela Niyogi group is the largest Niyogi group. They belong to Krishna Yajurveda School. According to some, the word "Aruvela" is derived from 6000 (Aruvelu) villages in velanadu area of Andhra Pradesh. Some believe that Arvelanadu is an alternate name for Velandu and hence the Niyogi Brahmins of that region are Arvela Niyogis. Aruvela Nioyogi Brahmins are political, worldly-wise, and business minded. They were ministers in the courts of kings and feudatories, and clerks and accountants (Karanalu). Pamulaparti family belongs to Aruvela Niyogi Brahmins.
c) Nandavarika Niyogi
d) Karanakamma Niyogi
e) Velanati Niyogi
f) Telaganya Niyogi
g) Dravida Niyogi
h) Karanalu
i) Sristikaranalu or Sistukaranalu or Sistakaranalu: These are teachers, officials, village accountants (karanam). They are mostly located in Ganjam and Visakha districts. Famous poet Krishnamurthy Sistu belongs to this group of Brahmins.
j) Kasalanati Niyogi
k) Pakanati Niyogi
ii) Vaidikulu (Vaidiki Brahmins): Vaidiki Brahmins are those Brahmins who practice mainly religious vocation performing various religious activities, in addition to other mainstream secular vocations like agriculture, cooking, teaching, clerical, management, administration, architecture, science etc. They perform various religious activities including performing rituals and prayers to please Gods, planets and stars as priests for both Brahmins and non-Brahmins, at homes and in temples. However, they are not the priests for many Hindu temples in which animal sacrifices are common. The priests in such Hindu temples are non-Brahmins. Vaidikis also perform rituals for every occasion in life such as birth, giving solid food to the infant for the first time (annapraasanamu), initiation into education (upanyanamu), female puberty, marriage, consummation of marriage, several stages of pregnancy, death, carrying the dead bodies, cremating the dead, etc. Many of these rituals are very important and limited to Brahmins, except a few ceremonies like marriage. They also take up even begging as ascetics. This ascetic life of Brahmins was the inspiration for the Buddhist ascetics.
The majority of Vaidikulu belongs to krishna Yajurveda School. However, there are Rigvedis, Samavedis etc. also. Some Brahmins had proficiency in several Vedas, e.g., Dvivedi is one who has proficiency in 2 Vedas, Trivedi in 3 vedas and Chaturvedi in 4 vedas and are known by those titles as such. However, these titles became family names, even though the family members may not know any Veda at all today. While Niyogis embraced western education, Vaidikulu had shunned Western education and as a consequence many Vaidikulu are poor and not well educated in Western education, contrary to the notion that Brahmins are rich and well educated.
Brahmins have been migrating from time immemorial. The Brahmin families that migrated made an impact peacefully by example rather than converting people by any means.
The Brahmin migration to the South features in the legends of sage Agastya. The Vindhya mountain range in central India continued to grow higher showing its might and obstructed cloud movement causing draught. Sage Agastya decided to solve the problem and traveled south. The Vindhya mountain bowed to Agastya and the sage requested Vindhya to stay prostrated until he returns. Vindhya complied with this request and sage Agastya never returned to north.
The earliest Brahmins to arrive in Andhra were most probably sage Viswamitra's students and progeny around 1200 BC. South Indian kings showed respect and patronage for Brahmins and Brahminism since ancient times, e.g., Satavahana dynasty that ruled for five centuries and extended over Andhra and central India, founded by Srimukha (221-198 BC), supported Brahminism and Vedic tradition. One of the most important features of Satavahana dynasty was granting land to Brahmins. Sangam era of Chera, Chola and Pandya kings in Deep South also used to grant lands to Brahmins. Similarly there have been Brahmin migrations back and forth that continue even today. Due to these waves of Brahmin migrations, perhaps, we see today various sub-castes and traditions among Brahmins.
Most of the Brahmins in Andhra Pradesh belong to smaarta Brahmin group, i.e., the followers of smritis and followers of Adi Sankaracharya. The smaarta Brahmins follow Apastambasmriti or Apastambasutra (not Manusmriti). Apasthamba (~600 BC) was one of the earliest lawmakers of south India who lived on the banks of River Godavari. Boudhayana, Parasara, Yajnvalkya sutras and other laws were also important in the past, e.g., in the courts of Srikrishnadevaraya. Pradhamasakha Niyogi Brahmins (see below) follow Yajnavalkya sutras and Kanva sutras. The smaarta Brahmins in Andhra Pradesh can be grouped into two major divisions formed about a thousand to about 700 years ago (most probably during Kakatiya rule), Niyogi and Vaidiki. However, in addition to smaarta Brahmins, there are other Brahmin groups such as Sri Vaishnavas, Madhavas and Aradhyas. I have grouped them in Vaidiki Brahmin group below for convenience only. Today, many Brahmins don't know and don't care about these distinctions. Intermarriages have been very common among theses groups. As a matter of fact, Brahmins have been marrying non-Brahmins also. The following is only of historical importance.
i) Niyogi Brahmins : Niyogi Brahmins are those Brahmins who took up various secular vocations including military activities and gave up religious vocation, especially the priesthood. Niyogi Brahmins depend and emphasize on modern education. They were ministers in the courts of kings and feudatories. Many of them were village accountants/clerks, karanams (Andhra) or patwaris (Telangana), until recently. The Niyogis are considered to be eligible for priestly service. But they will never either accept a religious gift or partake of Sraaddha food (food given to Brahmins duiring the death related rituals). According to Jogendranath Bhattacharya, Niyogi name is derived from Yoga, which means religious contemplation or meditation, as opposed to Yaga, which means religious sacrifice. Niyogin in Sanskrit also means "employed" or "appointed" and accordingly, it is probable that they are so-called because they accept secular employment.
They were very rich and influential. Legendary Rayamantri belongs to this group. Niyogi Brahmins include eminent personalities like Veeresalingam Kandukuri, Radhakrishnan Sarvepalli, Venkatgiri Varahagiri, KL Rao, Prakasam Tanguturi, Venkatanarasimharao Pamulaparti (PV), General K. V. Krishnarao etc. PV was the only Brahmin Chief Minister (1971-72) of Andhra Pradesh and also the only Telugu Brahmin Prime Minister (1991-1996) from South India who ruled the modern Indian Union. Over the past millennium the Niyogi Brahmins are divided further into various groups:
a) Pradhamasakha (First Branch) Niyogi Brahmins
b) Aruvela Niyogi
c) Nandavarika Niyogi
d) Karanakamma Niyogi
e) Velanati Niyogi
f) Telaganya Niyogi
g) Dravida Niyogi
h) Karanalu
i) Sristikaranalu or Sistukaranalu or Sistakaranalu.
j) Kasalanati Niyogi
k) Pakanati Niyogi.
a) Pradhamasakha Niyogi Brahmins: This caste belongs to Sukla (white) Yajurveda School, while majority of Brahmins in Andhra Pradesh belong to krishna (black) Yajurveda School. In Maharashtra also there is a group of Brahmins called Pradhamasakha Brahmins. The Pradhamasakha Niyogi Brahmins are further divided into branches such as Vajasaneyulu, Saivulu, Yajnavalkyulu and Kanvulu.
b) Aruvela Niyogi: Aruvela Niyogi group is the largest Niyogi group. They belong to Krishna Yajurveda School. According to some, the word "Aruvela" is derived from 6000 (Aruvelu) villages in velanadu area of Andhra Pradesh. Some believe that Arvelanadu is an alternate name for Velandu and hence the Niyogi Brahmins of that region are Arvela Niyogis. Aruvela Nioyogi Brahmins are political, worldly-wise, and business minded. They were ministers in the courts of kings and feudatories, and clerks and accountants (Karanalu). Pamulaparti family belongs to Aruvela Niyogi Brahmins.
c) Nandavarika Niyogi
d) Karanakamma Niyogi
e) Velanati Niyogi
f) Telaganya Niyogi
g) Dravida Niyogi
h) Karanalu
i) Sristikaranalu or Sistukaranalu or Sistakaranalu: These are teachers, officials, village accountants (karanam). They are mostly located in Ganjam and Visakha districts. Famous poet Krishnamurthy Sistu belongs to this group of Brahmins.
j) Kasalanati Niyogi
k) Pakanati Niyogi
ii) Vaidikulu (Vaidiki Brahmins): Vaidiki Brahmins are those Brahmins who practice mainly religious vocation performing various religious activities, in addition to other mainstream secular vocations like agriculture, cooking, teaching, clerical, management, administration, architecture, science etc. They perform various religious activities including performing rituals and prayers to please Gods, planets and stars as priests for both Brahmins and non-Brahmins, at homes and in temples. However, they are not the priests for many Hindu temples in which animal sacrifices are common. The priests in such Hindu temples are non-Brahmins. Vaidikis also perform rituals for every occasion in life such as birth, giving solid food to the infant for the first time (annapraasanamu), initiation into education (upanyanamu), female puberty, marriage, consummation of marriage, several stages of pregnancy, death, carrying the dead bodies, cremating the dead, etc. Many of these rituals are very important and limited to Brahmins, except a few ceremonies like marriage. They also take up even begging as ascetics. This ascetic life of Brahmins was the inspiration for the Buddhist ascetics.
The majority of Vaidikulu belongs to krishna Yajurveda School. However, there are Rigvedis, Samavedis etc. also. Some Brahmins had proficiency in several Vedas, e.g., Dvivedi is one who has proficiency in 2 Vedas, Trivedi in 3 vedas and Chaturvedi in 4 vedas and are known by those titles as such. However, these titles became family names, even though the family members may not know any Veda at all today. While Niyogis embraced western education, Vaidikulu had shunned Western education and as a consequence many Vaidikulu are poor and not well educated in Western education, contrary to the notion that Brahmins are rich and well educated.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Miracle
http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/plane-lands-breaks-into-three-pieces-one-dead-44953
Miracles do happen these days too. God is great to save so many lifes.
Miracles do happen these days too. God is great to save so many lifes.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
The Beautiful Flower In The Broken Pot
Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to out patients at the clinic.
One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man. "Why, he's hardly taller than my eight-year-old," I thought as I stared at the stooped, shriveled body. But the appalling thing was his face, lopsided from swelling, red and raw.
Yet his voice was pleasant as he said, "Good evening. I've come to see if you've a room for just one night. I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there's no bus 'til morning."
He told me he'd been hunting for a room since noon but with no success, no one seemed to have a room. "I guess it's my face... I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments..."
For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: "I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning."
I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the porch. I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready, I asked the old man if he would join us. "No thank you. I have plenty." And he held up a brown paper bag.
When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him a few minutes. It didn't take a long time to see that this old man had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her five children, and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury.
He didn't tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was preface with a thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a form of skin cancer. He thanked God for giving him the strength to keep going.
At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children's room for him. When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and the little man was out on the porch.
He refused breakfast, but just before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said, Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a treatment? I won't put you out a bit. I can sleep fine in a chair." He paused a moment and then added, "Your children made me feel at home. Grownups are bothered by my face, but children don't seem to mind." I told him he was welcome to come again.
And on his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning.
As a gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I had ever seen. He said he had shucked them that morning before he left so that they'd be nice and fresh. I knew his bus left at 4:00 a.m. and I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us.
In the years he came to stay overnight with us there was never a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden.
Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach or kale, every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must walk three miles to mail these, and knowing how little money he had made the gifts doubly preciou s.
When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor made after he left that first morning.
"Did you keep that awful looking man last night? I turned him away! You can lose roomers by putting up such people!"
Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice. But oh! If only they could have known him, perhaps their illnesses would have been easier to bear.
I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the good with gratitude to God.
Recently I was visiting a friend, who has a greenhouse, as she showed me her flowers, we came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. But to my great surprise, it was growing in an old dented, rusty bucket. I thought to myself, "If this were my plant, I'd put it in the loveliest container I had!"
My friend changed my mind. "I ran short of pots," she explained, and knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn't mind starting out in this old pail. It's just for a little while, till I can put it out in the garden."
She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was imagining just such a scene in heaven. "Here's an especially beautiful one," God might have said when he came to the soul of the sweet old fisherman. "He won't mind starting in this small body."
All this happened long ago - and now, in God's garden, how tall this lovely soul must stand.
One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man. "Why, he's hardly taller than my eight-year-old," I thought as I stared at the stooped, shriveled body. But the appalling thing was his face, lopsided from swelling, red and raw.
Yet his voice was pleasant as he said, "Good evening. I've come to see if you've a room for just one night. I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there's no bus 'til morning."
He told me he'd been hunting for a room since noon but with no success, no one seemed to have a room. "I guess it's my face... I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments..."
For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: "I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning."
I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the porch. I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready, I asked the old man if he would join us. "No thank you. I have plenty." And he held up a brown paper bag.
When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him a few minutes. It didn't take a long time to see that this old man had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her five children, and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury.
He didn't tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was preface with a thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a form of skin cancer. He thanked God for giving him the strength to keep going.
At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children's room for him. When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and the little man was out on the porch.
He refused breakfast, but just before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said, Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a treatment? I won't put you out a bit. I can sleep fine in a chair." He paused a moment and then added, "Your children made me feel at home. Grownups are bothered by my face, but children don't seem to mind." I told him he was welcome to come again.
And on his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning.
As a gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I had ever seen. He said he had shucked them that morning before he left so that they'd be nice and fresh. I knew his bus left at 4:00 a.m. and I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us.
In the years he came to stay overnight with us there was never a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden.
Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach or kale, every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must walk three miles to mail these, and knowing how little money he had made the gifts doubly preciou s.
When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor made after he left that first morning.
"Did you keep that awful looking man last night? I turned him away! You can lose roomers by putting up such people!"
Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice. But oh! If only they could have known him, perhaps their illnesses would have been easier to bear.
I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the good with gratitude to God.
Recently I was visiting a friend, who has a greenhouse, as she showed me her flowers, we came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. But to my great surprise, it was growing in an old dented, rusty bucket. I thought to myself, "If this were my plant, I'd put it in the loveliest container I had!"
My friend changed my mind. "I ran short of pots," she explained, and knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn't mind starting out in this old pail. It's just for a little while, till I can put it out in the garden."
She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was imagining just such a scene in heaven. "Here's an especially beautiful one," God might have said when he came to the soul of the sweet old fisherman. "He won't mind starting in this small body."
All this happened long ago - and now, in God's garden, how tall this lovely soul must stand.
Ravi shankar art of living
In a guitar, all the six strings have to be tuned; a drum needs to be tuned. Similarly, the various aspects of life have to be tuned. Our relationship with our Self, the people in our family, in the work-place, in society – all these need to be tuned. The nurturing of the physical, social and spiritual aspects is called the Art of Living.
Friday, August 13, 2010
One Glass of Milk
One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry.
He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?" "You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness." He said..... "Then I thank you from my heart."
As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.
Year's later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly ! was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to room. Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case. After a long struggle, the battle was won.
Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words..... "Paid in full with one glass of milk"
Signed Dr. Howard Kelly. Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: "Thank You, God, that Your love has spread abroad through human hearts and hands."
Based on real event
He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?" "You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness." He said..... "Then I thank you from my heart."
As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.
Year's later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly ! was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to room. Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case. After a long struggle, the battle was won.
Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words..... "Paid in full with one glass of milk"
Signed Dr. Howard Kelly. Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: "Thank You, God, that Your love has spread abroad through human hearts and hands."
Based on real event
Thursday, August 12, 2010
A good wisdom story which my sir told to me. Thank you sir.
There once was a little boy who had a bad temper.
His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.
The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down.
He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.
Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.
The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence.
He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one."
His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.
The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down.
He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.
Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.
The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence.
He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one."
Unconditional Acceptance
When Ravi kumar got ready for work one Friday morning, he announced to his wife that he finally decided to ask his boss for a salary raise. All day Ravi Kumar felt nervous and apprehensive as he thought about the upcoming showdown. What if Mr. Lalwani refuses to grant his request? Ravi had worked so hard in the last 18 months and landed some great accounts for Braer and Hopkins Advertising Agency. Of course, he deserves a wage increase.
The thought of walking into Lalwani's office left Ravi weak in the knees. Late in the afternoon he finally mustered up the courage to approach his superior. To his delight and surprise, the ever-frugal Lalwani agreed to give Ravi a raise!
Ravi Kumar arrived home that evening-despite breaking all city and state speed limits-to a beautiful table set with their best china, and candles lit. His wife, Tina had prepared an exquisite meal including his favorite dishes. Immediately he figured someone from the office tipped her off!
Next to his plate Ravi found a beautiful lettered note. It was from his wife. It read: "Congratulations, my love! I knew you'd get the raise! I prepared this dinner to show just how much I love you. I am so proud of your accomplishments!" He read it and stopped to reflect on how sensitive and caring Tina was.
After dinner, Ravi was on his way to the kitchen to get dessert and he observed that a second card had slipped out of Tina's pocket on to the ceramic floor. He bent forward to retrieve it. He read: "Don't worry about not getting the raise! You deserve it anyway! You are a wonderful provider and I prepared this dinner to show you just how much I love you even though you did not get the increase."
Suddenly tears swelled in Ravi's eyes. Total acceptance! Tina's support for him was not conditional upon his success at work.
The thought of walking into Lalwani's office left Ravi weak in the knees. Late in the afternoon he finally mustered up the courage to approach his superior. To his delight and surprise, the ever-frugal Lalwani agreed to give Ravi a raise!
Ravi Kumar arrived home that evening-despite breaking all city and state speed limits-to a beautiful table set with their best china, and candles lit. His wife, Tina had prepared an exquisite meal including his favorite dishes. Immediately he figured someone from the office tipped her off!
Next to his plate Ravi found a beautiful lettered note. It was from his wife. It read: "Congratulations, my love! I knew you'd get the raise! I prepared this dinner to show just how much I love you. I am so proud of your accomplishments!" He read it and stopped to reflect on how sensitive and caring Tina was.
After dinner, Ravi was on his way to the kitchen to get dessert and he observed that a second card had slipped out of Tina's pocket on to the ceramic floor. He bent forward to retrieve it. He read: "Don't worry about not getting the raise! You deserve it anyway! You are a wonderful provider and I prepared this dinner to show you just how much I love you even though you did not get the increase."
Suddenly tears swelled in Ravi's eyes. Total acceptance! Tina's support for him was not conditional upon his success at work.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Gift of Insults
There once lived a great warrior. Though quite old, he still was able to defeat any challenger. His reputation extended far and wide throughout the land and many students gathered to study under him.One day an infamous young warrior arrived at the village. He was determined to be the first man to defeat the great master. Along with his strength, he had an uncanny ability to spot and exploit any weakness in an opponent. He would wait for his opponent to make the first move, thus revealing a weakness, and then would strike with merciless force and lightning speed. No one had ever lasted with him in a match beyond the first move.
Much against the advice of his concerned students, the old master gladly accepted the young warrior’s challenge. As the two squared off for battle, the young warrior began to hurl insults at the old master. He threw dirt and spit in his face. For hours he verbally assaulted him with every curse and insult known to mankind. But the old warrior merely stood there motionless and calm. Finally, the young warrior exhausted himself. Knowing he was defeated, he left feeling shamed.
"An insult is like a glass of wine. It only affects you if you accept it."
Much against the advice of his concerned students, the old master gladly accepted the young warrior’s challenge. As the two squared off for battle, the young warrior began to hurl insults at the old master. He threw dirt and spit in his face. For hours he verbally assaulted him with every curse and insult known to mankind. But the old warrior merely stood there motionless and calm. Finally, the young warrior exhausted himself. Knowing he was defeated, he left feeling shamed.
"An insult is like a glass of wine. It only affects you if you accept it."
Monday, August 9, 2010
Carrot, egg and coffee moral story.
A daughter complained to her father about life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of struggling. It seemed that as soon as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the second he placed eggs, and the last he placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word.
The daughter sucked her teeth and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. In about twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them a bowl. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a
bowl.Turning to her he asked. "What do you see?" "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.
He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.
Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. She smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. She said, "What's the point?" He explained that each of the items had faced the same adversity -
boiling water - but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong and hard. But after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
"Which are you?" he asked his daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"
Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the second he placed eggs, and the last he placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word.
The daughter sucked her teeth and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. In about twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them a bowl. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a
bowl.Turning to her he asked. "What do you see?" "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.
He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.
Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. She smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. She said, "What's the point?" He explained that each of the items had faced the same adversity -
boiling water - but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong and hard. But after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
"Which are you?" he asked his daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Scars of love
Some years ago, on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole that was behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out through the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went.
He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.
In the house, his mother was looking out through the window. She saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her son as loudly as she could.
Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed, and made a U-turn to swim to his mother. It was too late. Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him. >From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms, just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began a very incredible tug-of-war between the two.
The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too passionate to let go.
A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from his truck, took aim, and shot the alligator. Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy SURVIVED. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. On his arms, there were deep scratches where his mother's fingernails dug into his flesh; in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.
The newspaper reporter, who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked the boy if he would show him his scars.
The boy lifted his pant legs. Then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, 'But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Mom wouldn't let go.'
You and I can identify with that little boy.
We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly, and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been right there, holding on to you.
The Scripture says that God loves you.
You are a child of God. He wants to protect you, and provide for you in every way. But, sometimes, we foolishly wade into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead. The swimming hole of life is filled with peril and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack. That is when the tug-of-war begins.
If you have the scars of His love on your arms, be very, very grateful. He will not ever let you go.
Never judge other persons scars, because you don't know how they got them.
He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.
In the house, his mother was looking out through the window. She saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her son as loudly as she could.
Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed, and made a U-turn to swim to his mother. It was too late. Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him. >From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms, just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began a very incredible tug-of-war between the two.
The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too passionate to let go.
A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from his truck, took aim, and shot the alligator. Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy SURVIVED. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. On his arms, there were deep scratches where his mother's fingernails dug into his flesh; in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.
The newspaper reporter, who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked the boy if he would show him his scars.
The boy lifted his pant legs. Then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, 'But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Mom wouldn't let go.'
You and I can identify with that little boy.
We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly, and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been right there, holding on to you.
The Scripture says that God loves you.
You are a child of God. He wants to protect you, and provide for you in every way. But, sometimes, we foolishly wade into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead. The swimming hole of life is filled with peril and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack. That is when the tug-of-war begins.
If you have the scars of His love on your arms, be very, very grateful. He will not ever let you go.
Never judge other persons scars, because you don't know how they got them.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Good words
“Life needs to be a perfect balance between sound and silence, between dynamic activity and stillness, between being funny and jovial, and then being serious. If one aspect is missing, life is incomplete. If you are only serious, and not funny, then it’s not complete. If you are only funny, you become superficial. You are not deep. Silence is our ability to switch between them, this is most important.
There are no failures - just experiences and your reactions to them. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
There are no failures - just experiences and your reactions to them. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
Leadership of small things.
One stormy night many years ago, an elderly man and his wife entered the lobby of a small hotel in Philadelphia. Trying to get out of the rain, the couple approached the front desk hoping to get some shelter for the night."Could you possibly give us a room here?" the husband asked.
The clerk, a friendly man with a winning smile, looked at the couple and explained that there were three conventions in town."All of our rooms are taken," the clerk said. "But I can't send a nice couple like you out into the rain at one o'clock in the morning. Would you perhaps be willing to sleep in my room? It's not exactly a suite, but it will be good enough to make you folks comfortable for the night."
When the couple declined, the young man pressed on. "Don't worry about me; I'll make out just fine," the clerk told them. So the couple agreed. As he paid his bill the next morning, the elderly man said to the clerk, "You are the kind of manager who should be the boss of the best hotel in the United States. Maybe someday I'll build one for you."The clerk looked at them and smiled. The three of them had a good laugh.
As they drove away, the elderly couple agreed that the helpful clerk was indeed exceptional, as finding people who are both friendly and helpful isn't easy.
Two years passed. The clerk had almost forgotten the incident when he received a letter from the old man. It recalled that stormy night and enclosed a round-trip ticket to New York, asking the young man to pay them a visit.
The old man met him in New York, and led him to the corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th Street. He then pointed to a great new building there, a palace of reddish stone, with turrets and watchtowers thrusting up to the sky."That," said the older man, "is the hotel I have just built for you to manage."
"You must be joking," the young man said."I can assure you I am not," said the older man, a sly smile playing around his mouth. The older man's name was William Waldorf Astor, and the magnificent structure was theoriginal Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.The young clerk who became its first manager was George C. Boldt. This young clerk never foresaw the turn of events that would lead him to become the manager of one of the world's most glamorous hotels.
The clerk, a friendly man with a winning smile, looked at the couple and explained that there were three conventions in town."All of our rooms are taken," the clerk said. "But I can't send a nice couple like you out into the rain at one o'clock in the morning. Would you perhaps be willing to sleep in my room? It's not exactly a suite, but it will be good enough to make you folks comfortable for the night."
When the couple declined, the young man pressed on. "Don't worry about me; I'll make out just fine," the clerk told them. So the couple agreed. As he paid his bill the next morning, the elderly man said to the clerk, "You are the kind of manager who should be the boss of the best hotel in the United States. Maybe someday I'll build one for you."The clerk looked at them and smiled. The three of them had a good laugh.
As they drove away, the elderly couple agreed that the helpful clerk was indeed exceptional, as finding people who are both friendly and helpful isn't easy.
Two years passed. The clerk had almost forgotten the incident when he received a letter from the old man. It recalled that stormy night and enclosed a round-trip ticket to New York, asking the young man to pay them a visit.
The old man met him in New York, and led him to the corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th Street. He then pointed to a great new building there, a palace of reddish stone, with turrets and watchtowers thrusting up to the sky."That," said the older man, "is the hotel I have just built for you to manage."
"You must be joking," the young man said."I can assure you I am not," said the older man, a sly smile playing around his mouth. The older man's name was William Waldorf Astor, and the magnificent structure was theoriginal Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.The young clerk who became its first manager was George C. Boldt. This young clerk never foresaw the turn of events that would lead him to become the manager of one of the world's most glamorous hotels.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Ravi shankar good thoughts.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Sitting close by and listening is Upanishad. Upanishad is a collection of discourses of high knowledge, how it was transmitted from a Master to students. It is very interesting.
In one of the Upanishads, it is beautifully said.
Once a boy goes to his father who is also his Guru and asked what is God. Father replied, ‘Food is God’ for everything grows from food, everything is sustained by food and in the lack of it, everything dissolves and everything again becomes food. So the boy went and thought about it for several months, understood all about food and came back to his father, and again asked ‘What is God?’
The father, also his Guru, said, ‘Prana is God’. The boy went, thought and understood all about prana, how it is going in and out of the body, how many types of prana are there and read all experiments about prana.
He again came back to his father and asked, ‘What is God?’ The father looked at child’s face, so glowing and so vibrant. Father said, 'Ok, the mind is Brahman, mind is God.'
Like that, the boy went and thought till he finds the ultimate bliss. Neither the student complaint to the teacher that he was told, ‘Food is God, but it is not the ultimate, you told me the wrong thing'. He simply came and again asked the question. So this is ancient way of teaching step by step – food, then prana, then the mind, then the inner spirit, then the universal spirit, bliss.
Bliss is Divinity, the space. You are like the space. Then he said, 'There is no difference between you, me and the infinite self. We all are one. The Self, Guru and the universal energy are not different. All are made up of one substance. Today if you talk to scientists who study string theory, who study quantum physics they will say the same thing that is said in the upanishads.
In upanishads, it was said thousands of years ago, ‘God is not a person, sitting somewhere up in heaven but God is present everywhere. He is omnipresent and omnipotent, the energy of which you are also made up of, everything is made up of’.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
In one of the Upanishads, it is beautifully said.
Once a boy goes to his father who is also his Guru and asked what is God. Father replied, ‘Food is God’ for everything grows from food, everything is sustained by food and in the lack of it, everything dissolves and everything again becomes food. So the boy went and thought about it for several months, understood all about food and came back to his father, and again asked ‘What is God?’
The father, also his Guru, said, ‘Prana is God’. The boy went, thought and understood all about prana, how it is going in and out of the body, how many types of prana are there and read all experiments about prana.
He again came back to his father and asked, ‘What is God?’ The father looked at child’s face, so glowing and so vibrant. Father said, 'Ok, the mind is Brahman, mind is God.'
Like that, the boy went and thought till he finds the ultimate bliss. Neither the student complaint to the teacher that he was told, ‘Food is God, but it is not the ultimate, you told me the wrong thing'. He simply came and again asked the question. So this is ancient way of teaching step by step – food, then prana, then the mind, then the inner spirit, then the universal spirit, bliss.
Bliss is Divinity, the space. You are like the space. Then he said, 'There is no difference between you, me and the infinite self. We all are one. The Self, Guru and the universal energy are not different. All are made up of one substance. Today if you talk to scientists who study string theory, who study quantum physics they will say the same thing that is said in the upanishads.
In upanishads, it was said thousands of years ago, ‘God is not a person, sitting somewhere up in heaven but God is present everywhere. He is omnipresent and omnipotent, the energy of which you are also made up of, everything is made up of’.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Monday, August 2, 2010
conclusion - truth
Once a old man & his 25 years old son were going in train.
The son sat next to window & started looking outwards & then shouted,"Dad look the trees going behind.."Dad smiled...
And a young couple siting near looked at the 25 yrs old behaving childishly, with pity.
Suddenly he again exclaimed,"Dad look the clouds running with us"
Couple couldn't resist & said 2 old man,"Why don't you take your son to a good doctor?"
Old man smiled and said, "We did and we are just coming from hospital. My son was blind from birth & just got his eyes today!"
Moral: Don't jump to a conclusion directly.. coz many times what you see, hear and feel is not the TRUTH!
The son sat next to window & started looking outwards & then shouted,"Dad look the trees going behind.."Dad smiled...
And a young couple siting near looked at the 25 yrs old behaving childishly, with pity.
Suddenly he again exclaimed,"Dad look the clouds running with us"
Couple couldn't resist & said 2 old man,"Why don't you take your son to a good doctor?"
Old man smiled and said, "We did and we are just coming from hospital. My son was blind from birth & just got his eyes today!"
Moral: Don't jump to a conclusion directly.. coz many times what you see, hear and feel is not the TRUTH!
Good article on friendship day on rediff.
A good article on friendship day on rediff.
http://getahead.rediff.com/report/2010/aug/02/money-neither-lend-nor-borrow-money-from-friends.htm
http://getahead.rediff.com/report/2010/aug/02/money-neither-lend-nor-borrow-money-from-friends.htm
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Good Moral story i remembered on this friendship day.
Dedicated to my guide Capt.Ghulam Dastagir Khan. I miss u sir.
Once there was a fakir who used to sit outside a mosque everyday. People used to put coins into his bowl. The king saw him everyday. One day he asked the fakir to come to his palace as he wanted to give something to the fakir. The fakir went to the palace. At that time, the king was in his prayer room and was asked to wait. The fakir could overhear the king praying. The king was saying, “Oh God. Give me a lot of wealth. Make my army strong so that no one can rob my wealth. Give me a lot of pleasures. Give me good health to enjoy my wealth and pleasures. Give me long life. …” When the fakir heard this, he started to leave. The noticed it and came hurriedly and asked the fakir why he was leaving. The fakir said, “I thought you were a king. Now I know you are a beggar. I don’t want to take anything from a beggar.” Outwardly one is the king and the other is a beggar. But internally, it is the other way round.
Most of us are beggars. We keep knocking doors without begging bowl. We are begging for pleasures, wealth, security, peace, happiness, emotional support, etc. But alas, we never get what we seek. Even what we think are given to us is snatched away soon. Gita says “anityam asukham lokam”. This world is transient. This world is a sorrowful place.
If we want to live here, we have the choice to live like a King instead of like a beggar.
What does it mean? Don’t be a consumer of the world. Be a contributor.
You cannot be a controller. You can only be a contributor.
Gita says “karman yeva adhikaaraste maa phaleshu kadaachana”
You have the right only to contribute to a situation. The result will depend on so many factors. So you cannot control the result. But you can contribute to the result. What you do will contribute only to 10% of the result. But if you don’t put that 10%, the chance of success is 0%. But remember, it is only 10%.
You may have written an exam very well. But the person who corrects might have had a quarrel with his wife and you may get poor marks. There are just too many external factors. Don’t depend on the results.
Don’t look at the world, its people and situations as consumables. Some people always keep complaining. “Traffic is bad. Road is bad. It is cold. It is hot. People are bad. There is so much corruption. There is so much violence. …” We call them complain boxes.
Be sensitive to the environment. Be aware of poverty, corruption, violence, etc. But, respond in a contributory corrective action if possible. But don’t complain. There is a popular prayer.
Oh Lord,
Give me the strength to change what I can change.
Give me the strength to forebear what I cannot change.
Give me the wisdom to know the difference.
Gita says “aagamaa payino anityastaam titikshashva bharata”
Things come and go. They are anyway transient. Just forebear them.
What you can do, you have to do. “maa sangostva akarmani”. Don’t resort to inaction. Whatever is your duty in a given situation, you have to do. That is the worship of the Lord.
Gita says “svakarmanaa tam abhyarchya”
The Vedas, when describing the duties of varnas and ashramas, never talk about rights. Only duties. Duties of a student, householder, retired person, monk, teacher, trader, soldier, etc. Vedas talk about duties, duties and duties only. Expectation is always the nature of beggars. Just doing what is to be done is the nature of a King.
In his entire life, Rama never talked about his rights. He always talked only about his duties. So did Krishna. He did not do anything for himself. Everything that he did was for others.
This is the way to live life King-style. Swami Vivekananda says “They alone live who live for others. The rest are more dead than alive.”
You will only get failure and disappointment if you live a beggarly life.
As Swami
Sastranandaji says in his song, “janmagalu kale kaledu dhukkamidi meerutide”
“Birth after birth will pass and only sorrow will be left for you.”
Now, you may ask, “By being a giver in life, what do I get?”
You get wisdom. Wisdom gives you peace and satisfaction.
That is exactly is Karma Yoga. “Do your duty, don’t expect the results”.
The immediate question is “How can we do anything without expecting the results?”
What Karma Yoga says is “Don’t work for immediate results. Work for long term development.” An example is “Don’t study to pass an exam. Study to gain knowledge.”
Slowly your concept of development will raise higher and higher. What is development at one level of understanding will automatically become result from a higher standpoint and you will have a higher concept as development.
Academic knowledge will become the result and personality development will become the actual development. From a still higher point of view, even personality development will be found to be only a short term result. You will seek moral development. At the highest point, even moral development will be seen as a short term result and real spiritual knowledge will be found to be the real development.
This growth will happen naturally. At every point you should give more importance to development than to results, inline with your perception and understanding. You will grow.
There will be success and failure in life. But you should not miss the lesson in both. That is Karma Yoga.
Gita says:
na iha abhikrama naashosti pratyavaayo na vidyate
svalpam api asya dharmasya traayate mahato bhayaat
Normal action has a few defects. There is loss of effort when the action cannot be completed. If a farmer plants seeds but does not water the plants or remove the weeds, he does not get the results. There is the chance of counter results. If a patient is allergic to a medicine, the medicine that was supposed to cure him can kill him. The results are not guaranteed because any action only contributes to a small percentage of the result. When done for development, these defects do not come. To whatever extent the work is done, that amount of internal development happens. There is no negative development. It is always positive. As long as the person is vigilant, the development is guaranteed. This karma yoga will save from the great fear of death.
People are afraid of death because of unfulfilled desires at the time of death. It is desire and regret that makes death painful. By following this Karma Yoga, a person can attain to the state of no desires and so can become free from the fear of death.
This is not possible if you are a consumer. It is possible only if you are a contributor.
This has been beautifully put by Swamiji in the motto he designed for the Ramakrishna Math. “aatmano mokshaartham jagat hitaaya ca” “For the liberation of the individual and for the welfare of the world”. Work in the world. Contribute to the world. This will give you self-development, which will lead you to the final liberation.
Life is precious. Live life
Once there was a fakir who used to sit outside a mosque everyday. People used to put coins into his bowl. The king saw him everyday. One day he asked the fakir to come to his palace as he wanted to give something to the fakir. The fakir went to the palace. At that time, the king was in his prayer room and was asked to wait. The fakir could overhear the king praying. The king was saying, “Oh God. Give me a lot of wealth. Make my army strong so that no one can rob my wealth. Give me a lot of pleasures. Give me good health to enjoy my wealth and pleasures. Give me long life. …” When the fakir heard this, he started to leave. The noticed it and came hurriedly and asked the fakir why he was leaving. The fakir said, “I thought you were a king. Now I know you are a beggar. I don’t want to take anything from a beggar.” Outwardly one is the king and the other is a beggar. But internally, it is the other way round.
Most of us are beggars. We keep knocking doors without begging bowl. We are begging for pleasures, wealth, security, peace, happiness, emotional support, etc. But alas, we never get what we seek. Even what we think are given to us is snatched away soon. Gita says “anityam asukham lokam”. This world is transient. This world is a sorrowful place.
If we want to live here, we have the choice to live like a King instead of like a beggar.
What does it mean? Don’t be a consumer of the world. Be a contributor.
You cannot be a controller. You can only be a contributor.
Gita says “karman yeva adhikaaraste maa phaleshu kadaachana”
You have the right only to contribute to a situation. The result will depend on so many factors. So you cannot control the result. But you can contribute to the result. What you do will contribute only to 10% of the result. But if you don’t put that 10%, the chance of success is 0%. But remember, it is only 10%.
You may have written an exam very well. But the person who corrects might have had a quarrel with his wife and you may get poor marks. There are just too many external factors. Don’t depend on the results.
Don’t look at the world, its people and situations as consumables. Some people always keep complaining. “Traffic is bad. Road is bad. It is cold. It is hot. People are bad. There is so much corruption. There is so much violence. …” We call them complain boxes.
Be sensitive to the environment. Be aware of poverty, corruption, violence, etc. But, respond in a contributory corrective action if possible. But don’t complain. There is a popular prayer.
Oh Lord,
Give me the strength to change what I can change.
Give me the strength to forebear what I cannot change.
Give me the wisdom to know the difference.
Gita says “aagamaa payino anityastaam titikshashva bharata”
Things come and go. They are anyway transient. Just forebear them.
What you can do, you have to do. “maa sangostva akarmani”. Don’t resort to inaction. Whatever is your duty in a given situation, you have to do. That is the worship of the Lord.
Gita says “svakarmanaa tam abhyarchya”
The Vedas, when describing the duties of varnas and ashramas, never talk about rights. Only duties. Duties of a student, householder, retired person, monk, teacher, trader, soldier, etc. Vedas talk about duties, duties and duties only. Expectation is always the nature of beggars. Just doing what is to be done is the nature of a King.
In his entire life, Rama never talked about his rights. He always talked only about his duties. So did Krishna. He did not do anything for himself. Everything that he did was for others.
This is the way to live life King-style. Swami Vivekananda says “They alone live who live for others. The rest are more dead than alive.”
You will only get failure and disappointment if you live a beggarly life.
As Swami
Sastranandaji says in his song, “janmagalu kale kaledu dhukkamidi meerutide”
“Birth after birth will pass and only sorrow will be left for you.”
Now, you may ask, “By being a giver in life, what do I get?”
You get wisdom. Wisdom gives you peace and satisfaction.
That is exactly is Karma Yoga. “Do your duty, don’t expect the results”.
The immediate question is “How can we do anything without expecting the results?”
What Karma Yoga says is “Don’t work for immediate results. Work for long term development.” An example is “Don’t study to pass an exam. Study to gain knowledge.”
Slowly your concept of development will raise higher and higher. What is development at one level of understanding will automatically become result from a higher standpoint and you will have a higher concept as development.
Academic knowledge will become the result and personality development will become the actual development. From a still higher point of view, even personality development will be found to be only a short term result. You will seek moral development. At the highest point, even moral development will be seen as a short term result and real spiritual knowledge will be found to be the real development.
This growth will happen naturally. At every point you should give more importance to development than to results, inline with your perception and understanding. You will grow.
There will be success and failure in life. But you should not miss the lesson in both. That is Karma Yoga.
Gita says:
na iha abhikrama naashosti pratyavaayo na vidyate
svalpam api asya dharmasya traayate mahato bhayaat
Normal action has a few defects. There is loss of effort when the action cannot be completed. If a farmer plants seeds but does not water the plants or remove the weeds, he does not get the results. There is the chance of counter results. If a patient is allergic to a medicine, the medicine that was supposed to cure him can kill him. The results are not guaranteed because any action only contributes to a small percentage of the result. When done for development, these defects do not come. To whatever extent the work is done, that amount of internal development happens. There is no negative development. It is always positive. As long as the person is vigilant, the development is guaranteed. This karma yoga will save from the great fear of death.
People are afraid of death because of unfulfilled desires at the time of death. It is desire and regret that makes death painful. By following this Karma Yoga, a person can attain to the state of no desires and so can become free from the fear of death.
This is not possible if you are a consumer. It is possible only if you are a contributor.
This has been beautifully put by Swamiji in the motto he designed for the Ramakrishna Math. “aatmano mokshaartham jagat hitaaya ca” “For the liberation of the individual and for the welfare of the world”. Work in the world. Contribute to the world. This will give you self-development, which will lead you to the final liberation.
Life is precious. Live life
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