The Fear of GOD

Should we love God or should we fear God? As per me there is no need to have fear of God in our mind as God is not someone to be feared but loved. Loving God let's you come closer to Him. God is called the "Ocean of Love". If you love Him a little bit then He shall love you ten folds, as God is hungry of love & devotion only. In "Bhagwat Gita" also Lord Krishna says to Arjuna to adore Him as then He shall be pleased with him. I wonder many times, why sometimes fear of God is put in people's mind so that they can mend their ways. As per me there is no need to have fear of God in one's mind but should have love of God in our mind. Below is a funny story when a mother tried to mend the ways of her young children by putting the "Fear of God" in them. Enjoy the story:

"There were two brothers who were always up to some mischief. If somebody had been locked up in his house it was surely the mischief of the two brothers. If somebody's dog had been painted green, one always knew who the culprits were, similarly if someone's vehicle's tyres were found flat it was surely to be the mischief of two brothers.

One day the boys mother asked a priest to talk to her sons and put THE FEAR OF GOD in them so that they would mend their ways. The priest asked her to send her sons to him one at a time.

When the younger boy, a lad of ten, came, he made him sit and asked him : " WHERE IS GOD ?" The boy did not answer. The priest asked again, in a louder voice: " WHERE IS GOD?" The boy remained silent. But when the priest asked the same question third time, the boy jumped up and ran away. He went straight to his brother. " We are in big trouble!" he gasped. "What's wrong? asked the older brother, warily,wondering which of their sins had caught up with them.

"GOD IS MISSING," said the youngster, " and they think we have something to do with it !!!!"

Change the Direction Of Your Mind

In India, sometimes you find that there are some Devotional songs (Bhazans) that are made while copying the tunes of popular Boolywood songs. To the people, when they listen to such Devotional songs, often the original Boolywood song comes in their mind. Some don't like these type of Devotional songs (Bhazans), while some enjoy these very much & in rural India, such type of Devotional songs made on Tunes of Boolywood songs are very popular.

Now, why it is so that such Bhazans or any other type of Devotional songs are enjoyed by many people, while not liked by other people at all. Simple answer to it is that our mind always wanders outside in this world & always goes about the objects of the senses. Our mind always loves things of this outside world, be it the beautiful scenery, music, scent etc . but does not normally find joy in things or songs related to God. Our mind always believes in visible things of this world & somehow believes with difficulty in someone, who is invisible, just like the God or Soul which is so subtle that it is invisible through our gross human eyes. The other thing is that your mind finds joy in your family, relations, sons, daughters etc. & not in God who is invisibly sitting in your heart in a subtle way. Your mind rarely goes inside yourself & tries to find joy over there but always hankers in the outside world for the joy.

Last weekend, while going out for the dinner in my car, my 6 year old niece asked me to stop the devotional songs (bhazans) which were playing in my car & instead asked me to play the popular bollywood songs. That little girl listens daily to the popular bollywood songs on TV etc. & understands those type of songs only. Bhazans playing in my car were not understandable & enjoyed by her. It's O.K. for a child but for the grown ups like us, our mind shall find joy in the things of the God only when we shall have some devotion towards the God. God is sitting in our heart & the pure soul joy is there within each of us. If our mind shall turn inwards & see the God sitting in our heart, then only we shall get the eternal pure joy & peace which is much better than the joy of the senses of the outside world.

Now human mind is so stubborn that it shall not turn easily inwards as it is accustomed to the things of the outer world. Our mind always hankers in our daily affairs, in our family & in the things of this world & has no place for the God in our day to day life. It is only due to the stubborn nature of the mind that it refuses to move towards the God, if it is finding joy in the outside world. In fact "Mind" is very powerful one & to control it, is just like keeping in control a raging bull. It just wanders like the wind, here & there & it takes enough of self discipline & practice of meditation to control it. In Bhagwat Gita, nature of mind is beautifully described which is there in below verses:

As per "Arjuna" to "Lord Sri Krishna" in Bhagwat Gita Chapter Six verse 34:

"chanchalam hi manah krishna
pramathi balavad drdham
tasyaham nigraham manye
vayor iva su-duskaram" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Six verse 34)

"Arjuna said: For the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Krishna, and to subdue it, to control it, I think, is more difficult than controlling the wind."

"sri-bhagavan uvacha
asamsayam maha-baho
mano durnigraham chalam
abhyasena tu kaunteya
vairagyena cha grhyate" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Six verse 35)

"Lord Sri Krishna said: O mighty-armed Arjuna, it is undoubtedly that mind is very difficult to curb & is restless, but it is possible by suitable practices of meditation and by detachment to control it."

So, if we want to have some devotion in God & want "Peace of Mind", then we need to change the direction of our "Mind", from this world to the God sitting in our heart. Unless our "Mind" stops wandering in this world, it shall not find peace. Our Soul is the centre in our heart & unless our "Mind" turns toward that centre, it shall not find peace. Our "Mind" shall not find peace & joy, if it moves away from the "Soul center" in our heart & moves in the outside world. So if you want to find the joy, bliss & peace in your life, just turn your mind inwards towards the God, who is sitting in your heart invisibly. It is the promise of the God in Bhagwat Gita that He shall welcome anyone who shall come to Him & He shall always protect that person. So let's change the direction of our mind from the outside world to the God. As per the below verse, if we shall do so, then we shall reach the God & shall enjoy the Bliss, Peace, Joy & Eternal Love with Him.

God, Lord Sri Krishna says to Arjuna in Bhagwat Gita:

"Be aware of me always, adore me, make every act an offering to me, and you shall come to me; this I (Krishna) promise to you, for you are dear to me.
(Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 65)

"Whosoever, always & constantly remembers Me with undivided mind; by that person, I am easy to obtain, O Arjuna, because of his constant engagement in the devotional service to Me" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eight verse 14)

Video - Infatuation

Infatuation is something that we get attached to some object or person badly. We are always thinking of that & without that object / person , our life seems impossible....Read more here

Video - How to be Peaceful in Life

In your normal life, just introspect & check the state of your mind. Normally whether it remains calm or it remains agitated & disturbed. It is generally said that we see this world through our mind.......read full article at here

A Simple Prayer

God is the Supreme Reality. He is the only one without a second. He is all powerful - Omnipotent God. As he is having all the powers to do anything, so we should pray only to such a God. Prayer is basically an act of addressing the God for the purpose of worship. Prayer is a way of having a personal experience and intimate connection with our loving God, through which He listens silently to what we have in our mind. So in this way, God as the Supreme one, blesses anyone who worships Him in sincere devotion, as there is no discrimination with Him, whosoever, is the seeker.

In my school days below few lines were engraved in cement on the top of front entrance gate of our school. Whenever, I used to enter the school in the morning, I used to read these lines which is a simple four line prayer to God. Since then it has got engraved in my mind.

त्वमेव माता च पिता त्वमेव,
त्वमेव बंधू च सखा त्वमेव,
त्वमेव विद्या द्रविणं त्वमेव,
त्वमेव सर्वं मम देव देव

It's meaning is that:

"O Lord, You Are My Mother, Father,
You Are My Kinsman And Friend.
You Are My Wealth Of Knowledge, Strength, Power And Velour.
You Are My All God Of Gods".

Below is a devotional music Hindi video "Tumhi Ho Mata Pita Tumhi Ho, Tumhi Ho Bandhu Sakha Tumhi Ho". It's also a prayer to the God similar to the above one.



It's lyrics are here below:

"Tumhi ho maata pita tumhi ho,
tumhi ho bandhu sakha tumhi ho

tumhi ho saathi tuhmi saharay
koie na apana siva tumharay

tumhi ho naiyaa tumhi khevaiya
tumhi ho bandhu sakha tumhi ho

jo khil sa ke na
woh phool hum hain
tumharay charanon ke dhul hum hain
daya ke drishti sada hi rakhana
tumhi ho bandhu sakha tumhi ho

tumhi ho maata pita tumhi ho,
tumhi ho bandhu sakha tumhi ho"

The meaning of above lyrics is:

"You are the mother, You are the father
You are the kinsman and You are the friend

You are the companion & You the support,
There is no one is own except You in my life,

You are the boat and You are the boatman
We are the flower that cannot blossom...

and We are the dust of You feet.
O God, Please always keep merciful eye on us


You are the mother, You are the father
You are the kinsman and You are the friend "

So Let's pray God with above few simple lines & God shall have mercy on us. These simple few lines are enough for the God to become Happy with us. Below verses of Bhagwat Gita ensures that only:

"man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaishyasi satyam te
pratijane priyo ’si me" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 65)

"Lord Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend."

"sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
mokshayisyami ma suchah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 66)

"Lord Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear."

See The Hand Of God In Everything

How much faith do you have in God? Some have this faith due to their family traditions, others due to their social traditions, while others have genuine search for God in their lives & they are the one's who have firm faith & quest for God. Only such people who have a great thirst for God are able to know the God truly. Through their such strong yearning for God, they start seeing God's presence in every person & object of the world. Such people also see the hand of God in everything & believe the God to be the cause of everything. Below is a beautiful ancient story of a cobbler from India who believed in this truth & saw the hand of God in everything:

In the ancient times there was once a cobbler who lived an ordinary, simple but honest life. He was a very poor man and had to work hard to support his family, but he was very much devoted to the worship of God - Lord Vishnu, the God of creation in Hinduism. He lived beside a huge Banyan tree. This Banyan tree's central trunk was huge & it was surrounded by smaller trunks which hung down from the branches to put out fresh roots. The tree was very old and was just like a small forest.

One day, as he worked in the shade of the Banyan tree, the great ancient "Saint Narada" came to visit him. Narada is famous among all Hindus as the personal messenger and friend of God-Vishnu. Saint Narada is able to see God, whenever he wants, but he spends most of his time travelling throughout the universe in all the different planets, visiting God's devotees and instructing them. The cobbler was very happy to receive the God's messenger, Narada. After welcoming him with due respect he ventured to ask if he had recently seen God-Vishnu.

"Yes," replied Saint Narada, "I have just been with God-Vishnu and He has sent me to see you."

The cobbler was amazed to hear that God-Vishnu had sent Narada to him. No one important ever came to see him - he was only a shoemaker. What possible interest could God-Vishnu have in him? After some time he asked Narada. "Why did God-Vishnu want you to see me?"

Saint Narada said: "God thought you might have some questions."

"Questions?" The cobbler was taken unawares. Saint Narada himself had come to answer his questions! Of course, he did have questions from time to time, but now, with this unique opportunity, his mind went blank! In confusion he could not think of anything.

Suddenly cobbler thought of one simple question. "What was God-Vishnu doing when you saw Him?"

"He was threading an elephant through the eye of a needle," Narada replied mysteriously.

"Threading an elephant through the eye of a needle?" the cobbler was surprised. He hadn't expected that God-Vishnu would be doing this. "Well, one thing's for sure," he said, "Only God-Vishnu could do that!"

"Surely you don't believe me," smiled Narada, amused at the cobbler's simplicity. He had given this answer merely to test the cobbler and didn't expect him to believe it. "I don't think even Vishnu could really do that - it's impossible."

"Why can't God-Vishnu do that?" responded the cobbler, a little taken aback at Narada's lack of faith. "Nothing's impossible for God-Vishnu. This world is full of His miracles. He makes the Sun rise each day. He makes the Wind blow. He makes the rivers run and the trees and flowers grow. He provides for the food for all the creatures in this world."

The cobbler said to Saint Narada, "Look at this," he went on as he bent to the ground and picked up a seed from beneath the Banyan tree, "Inside this seed is a Banyan tree as big as the one above us. It's just waiting to come out. If God-Vishnu can squeeze a whole Banyan tree into such a tiny seed, surely he can thread an elephant through the eye of a needle!"

Hearing the wisdom of the cobbler's words, Narada had to admit that what he said was true. He realized that this man was not a simple man he had thought of him but was very wise because he could see in everything, the hand of God.

So such is the faith of true saintly people like the cobbler in God that they cannot think of anything without Him. Such saints see God equally present in everyone, everything. Below verse of Bhagwat Gita says that only:

"vidya-vinaya-sampanne
brahmane gavi hastini
suni chaiva sva-pake cha
panditah sama-darsinah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Five verse 18)

Sri Krishna said: The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision, the God present in a learned and gentle Brahmin, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater (outcaste) even.

Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita which tell us about the powers of God & how all this world is under His control:

"prakritim svam avastabhya
visrijami punah punah
bhuta-gramam imam krtsnam
avasam prakriter vasat" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 8)

"Sri Krishna said: The whole cosmic order is under My control. Under My will it is automatically manifested again and again, and under My will it is annihilated at the end."

"mattah parataram nanyat
kincid asti dhananjaya
mayi sarvam idam protam
sutre mani-gana iva" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 7)

"Sri Krishna said: There is nothing else besides Me, Like clusters of Yarn-Beads, Formed by knots on a thread, All this world is threaded on Me (universal soul)."

"yad aditya-gatam tejo
jagad bhasayate ’khilam
yac chandramasi yac chagnau
tat tejo viddhi mamakam" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Fifteen verse 12)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, The splendor of the Sun, which dissipates the darkness of this whole world, comes from Me. And the splendor of the moon and the splendor of fire are also from Me."

Perfect Love

In our relationships we enjoy Love & Affection. But these are the same relationships which give us pain, hurt & at times we feel completely disillusioned. Why it is so that the same person who gives you so much love & affection becomes the cause of hurt & pain? When relationships go wrong, then many times people are so much depressed in all such situations that they feel completely lost and alone in their lives. Why such relationship problems come in our lives? Why our lives are disrupted by our own relations with whom we in the first place received so much Love & Affection?

The answer to all the above questions is that we all are equally Human & equally Divine. Due to our Divine nature we are so lovable & due to our Human nature we fall a prey to ego, mistrust, hatred, jealousy, anger etc. which destroy our relationships. Now let us understand the nature of Love which is always pure & blissful. Each human being whether it's you, your partner or any of your relations, is having a Divine Soul & each one is a part of that Universal Soul - God. Soul is the source of Love in one's heart & it reflects from that person when we are in love. Nature of "Pure Perfect Love" is like the Sun shining in the sky but when this Sun of love in the sky of your heart is clouded by ego, mistrust, hatred, jealousy, anger etc. then our relationships are destroyed.

When we fall in love with someone, we love to be in the company of that person, as bright sunlight of love comes gushing through that person's Soul & we feel blissful. Receiving pure love from another person bestows a great blessing on us. Such a "Perfect Love" lets us realize the goodness & beauty in our Soul nature. Human Soul is beyond the qualities of our personality traits like ego, mistrust, hatred, jealousy, anger etc. that's why our experience of "Pure Perfect Love" is so beautiful. But when our mind is clouded by the negative personality traits, we have the problems in our relations. Same person who seemed so lovable once becomes an object of hatred. Just remember that our body is just a channel through which this radiance of "Pure Love" flows from our Soul in our heart but when it is clouded by our bad personality traits of ego, mistrust, hatred, jealousy, anger etc. in our mind, then all this love is marred.

How to preserve our relationships beautifully?

In our relationships, we continually move between times, when the Sun of "Perfect Love" in the clear sky is shining brightly and the times of dark clouds which cover this Blissful Sun by the negative traits of our human nature. Now as the sky is infinite & the clouds cannot cover the Sun always, same is the case with our relationships that if we move intelligently in our relationships then we can easily cross the times when it is marred by the clouds of ego, mistrust, hatred etc. Whenever, such negative qualities arouse in your relationships, just remember the immortal, loving, blissful qualities of Love that is shining through the Soul of each person in this world. Each human being is Divine in nature at the Soul level. So just ignore the negative traits of a person & Love that person unconditionally; just like a mother Loves her children, ignoring the negative traits & tantrums of her children.

Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita which tell us that each human being is Divine at the core, as God as the "Super Soul" resides in the heart of all beings, from where fountain of "Perfect Love" springs out in our lives.

"sarvasya chaham hridi sannivisto"
God is seated in everyone’s heart.

"ishvarah sarva-bhutanam
hrd-dese ’rjuna tishthati"
The Supreme God dwells/resides in the hearts of all beings.

Below are some beautiful quotes on Love:

"There is more hunger for Love and Appreciation in this world than for bread." - Mother Teresa

"You, yourself, as much as anybody else in the entire universe, deserve your Love and Affection." - Gautama Buddha

"What most people need to learn in life is how to Love people and use things, instead of using people and Loving things." - Author Unknown

"Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get, it's what you are expected to give - which is everything" - Author Unknown

Jai Shri Krishna

8 in 10 People Seek Help Of God: US study

What is the meaning & value of God in your life? Do you depend on God in your bad times? Is God directly involved in your personal life?

Answers to all the above questions have become the subject of a new research. As per the findings published in the journal ‘Sociology of Religion’, below are the findings, where it was found that 8 in 10 people depend on God for help in their life:

As per Sociology Professor Scott Schieman : "Many of us might assume that people of higher social class standing tend to reject beliefs about divine intervention. However, my findings indicate that while this is true among those less committed to religious life, it is not the case for people who are more committed to religious participation and rituals."

As many as 82 per cent said they depended on God for help and guidance in making decisions, while 71 per cent believed that when good or bad things happen, these occurrences are simply part of God's plan for them.

While 61 per cent held that God has determined the direction and course of their lives, 32 per cent agree with the statement: "There is no sense in planning a lot because ultimately my fate is in God's hands."

In Bhagwat Gita also God is teaching the same thing that if we turn toward the God, then God too turns toward us & always protects us in all circumstances. So let's always remember God in our good & bad times so that God can help us always in our life. Below are few verses from Bhagwat Gita which confirm that.

"ananyas cintayanto mam
ye janah paryupasate
tesham nityabhiyuktanam
yoga-ksemam vahamy aham" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 22)

"Sri Krishna said: But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form—to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have."

"sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
mokshayisyami ma suchah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Eighteen verse 66)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, Abandon all varieties of religion or Setting aside all meritorious deeds, just surrender unto Me. I shall liberate you from all sins. Do not fear."

Karma Believers Have Higher Expectations

In Hindu Philosophy "Karma" has greater significance. Though "Karma" in its simplest term is "Action" only but in Hindu scriptures Karma is related to the origin of one's own body. Karmas of earlier birth become the basis of this birth & Karmas of this birth become the basis of his next birth & so on.

Now as per one study "People who believe in karma are more likely to have higher expectations" in life:

"People who believe in karma are more likely to have higher expectations and a more long-term orientation, which decreases the importance of momentary happiness, says a new study.

Authors Praveen K. Kopalle, Dartmouth College, Donald R. Lehmann, Columbia university, and John U. Farley Dartmouth College, found that some consumers strategically lower their expectations in order to try to increase their satisfaction with a product or experience

The experts wrote: “The doctrine of karma links current conduct to future consequences either in this life or the next. Thus, a belief in karma entails, among other things, a focus on long-run consequences.” Read more on it.......here

Read about "Karma Philosophy"............here

MP govt mulls 'Bhagwat Gita' teachings in schools

NDTV reports:

The teachings of the Bhagwat Gita could soon be a part of school curriculum in Madhya Pradesh.

"As part of the moral science the teachings of Gita should be included in the school curriculum. I am seriously thinking of doing so," Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said.

But will it snowball into yet another controversy. Read More................MP govt mulls 'Gita gyan' in schools

Happiness

Here below is a story from "Chhandogya Upanishad" where a son is questioning his father regarding happiness:

"Father, everyone is looking for happiness. But what is meant by happiness?" This was one of the questions a wise boy in India, Sveta-ketu, put to his father many centuries ago.

"Son, one of the signs of happiness, is that a person who has it becomes active in life. A person who does not find happiness does not feel like being active in life. His mind is cramped, his will is weak. What is vast and infinite brings happiness. There is no true joy in what is small or finite. I can tell you that the Infinite alone is happiness; but you must desire to understand this Infinite, my son."

"I want to understand it, Father," said Sveta-ketu.

"Good," said his father. "Then you must listen carefully to what I say and think deeply about it:

"When a person sees that Brahmn/God pervading everywhere and that no one is separate from Him, that he is one with all the people, animals, and objects in the universe, when a person sees and hears and knows nothing else -- that is the Infinite.

"But, if one sees or feels some other thing, obstructing him, separating him, then that is the finite. He has not yet found the Infinite.

"The Infinite never passes away; it lasts forever; but what is finite will pass away."

In the above story, father is teaching his son to realize that he is a soul & that soul is present in everyone & everywhere. This infinite Super Soul is called Brahmn. God himself is called Brahmn. Whole world dwells in Brahmn. Whole world comes from Brahmn. Whole world goes back in Brahmn. Whole world breathes in Brahmn. Let's worship that Brahmn, the God. Finding & realizing one's identity with the infinite Super Soul is finding the real happiness.

Below are few verses of Bhagwat Gita where God is also telling of His nature to be as described above only:

"maya tatam idam sarvam
jagad avyakta-murtina
mat-sthani sarva-bhutani
na chaham tesv avasthitah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 4)

"Sri Krishna said: By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them."

"athakasa-sthito nityam
vayuh sarvatra-go mahan
tatha sarvani bhutani
mat-sthanity upadharaya" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 6)

"Sri Krishna said: Understand that as the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, rests always in the sky, all created beings rest in Me."

"prakritim svam avastabhya
visrijami punah punah
bhuta-gramam imam krtsnam
avasam prakriter vasat" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Nine verse 8)

"Sri Krishna said: The whole cosmic order is under Me. Under My will it is automatically manifested again and again, and under My will it is annihilated at the end."

"aham atma gudakesha
sarva-bhutasaya-sthitah
aham adis cha madhyam cha
bhutanam anta eva cha" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 20)

"Sri Krishna said: I am the Super Soul, O Arjuna, seated in the hearts of all living entities. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings.

Greed

Greed is typically the desire to have anything, more & more, than it is actually required in your life. It is generally considered, the accumulation or hoarding of undue wealth for personal satisfaction than it is required to sustain one's life. It has no useful purpose except to become rich and to continue getting more wealthy. It is a strong desire in each and every one of us that is extremely difficult to overcome. Greed is typically considered a major source of evil that is the root cause for stealing, hoarding, plundering, and treason, just to name a few sins. Greed sometimes drives people to do unethical, immoral, and illegal things in the pursuit of more money.

Greed - the desire to have what someone else has is really the basis for almost all forms of sin. Every war in history was fought because someone wanted to occupy a space on the planet Earth that another group of people inhabited. Many marriages have been torn apart and children have suffered because another woman desired the husband of another woman.

Many people have been shot to death because someone desired to have something they didn't presently have - and for some reason or another - felt that they deserved it. And think of the multitudes of criminals who break into houses, steal cars and other possessions belonging to other people every few seconds across the World.

All of these sins have one thing in common — Greed!

Our religious books too call Greed a Sin. Below is what Bhagwat Gita Says about Greed.

"tri-vidham narakasyedam
dvaram nasanam atmanah
kamah krodhas tatha lobhas
tasmad etat trayam tyajet" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Sixteen verse 21)

"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, There are three gates leading to the hell—Lust, Anger and Greed. Every sane man should give these up, for they lead to the degradation of the Soul."

Now here below is a beautiful story which shows why we should shun the Greed.

The Gold-giving Serpent

"In ancient India there lived a Brahmin named "Haridatta". He was a farmer, but was able to earn little through his labour. One day, at the end of the hot hours, the Brahmin, overcome by the heat, lay down under the shadow of a tree to have a doze. Suddenly he saw a great hooded snake creeping out of an ant-hill near at hand. So he thought to himself, "Sure this is the Guardian deity of his field, and I have not ever worshipped it. That's why my farming is going in vain. I will at once go and pay my respects to it."
When he had made up his mind, he got some milk, poured it into a bowl, and went to the ant-hill, and said aloud:

"O Guardian of this Field! all this while I did not know that you dwelt here. That is why I have not yet paid my respects to you; pray forgive me." And he laid the milk down and went to his house. Next morning he came and looked, and he saw a gold coin in the bowl, and from that time onward every day the same thing occurred: he gave milk to the serpent and found a gold coin.

One day the Brahmin had to go to the village, and so be ordered his son to take the milk to the ant-hill. The son brought the milk, put it down, and went back home. Next day he went again and found a coin, so he thought to himself: "This, ant-hill is surely full of golden coins; I'll kill the serpent, and take them all for myself." So next day, while he was giving the milk to the serpent, the Brahmin's son struck it on the head with a cudgel. But the serpent escaped death by the will of fate, and in a rage bit the Brahmin's son with its sharp fangs, and he fell down dead at once. His people raised him a funeral pyre not far from the field and burnt him to ashes.

Two days afterwards his father came back, and when he learnt his son's fate he grieved and mourned. But after a time, be took the bowl of milk, went to the ant-hill, and praised the serpent with a loud voice. After a long, long time the serpent appeared, but only with its head out of the opening of the ant-hill, and spoke to the Brahmin: "'It is this Greed of yours that brings you here, and makes you even forget the loss of your son. From this time onward friendship between us is impossible. Your son struck me in youthful ignorance, and I have bitten him to death. How can I forget the blow with the cudgel? And how can you forget the pain and grief at the loss of your son?" So speaking, it gave the Brahman a costly pearl and disappeared. But before it went away, it said: "Come back no more." The Brahmin took the pearl, and went back home, cursing the folly of his son."

So the Moral of the story is that we should not fall a pray to Greed. Below are few famous quotes on the Greed.

“The world is burning in the fire of desire, in greed, arrogance and excessive ego.” - Sri Guru Granth Sahib

“Inflamed by greed, incensed by hate, confused by delusion, obsessed by mind, a man chooses for his own affliction, for others' affliction, for the affliction of both and experiences pain and grief” - Gautama Buddha - the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.

“Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction.” - Erich Fromm

“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed” - Mahatma Gandhi

So let's not run unnecessarily after what others have & let's try to earn our living by rightful means & do not fall a pray to Greed. Only through continuously contributing and donating to society can we find true rewards that are far greater than the illusion that Greed provides.

GitaBlog.com

Dear Readers,

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Thanks,
Sancho

Do Not Cling to Untruth

How many times it has happened with you that you got frightened with some shadow in the dark but when you switched on the light, nothing was there? Once a person saw in the dark that there is a snake in the room but on switching on the light, it turned out to be a rope only. So believing something to be something else is called ignorance. The person believing the rope to be a snake, was an ignorant person.

Same is with the philosophical truth of God & this world. As per the scriptures, God created this universe & sit's in an invisible way in every nook & corner of the universe. This outer visible world is His creation, while He is there within this world in an invisible way. This whole world is changing all the time, while God is constant, changeless.

But why it is so, that we cling to this visible world only & just forget the invisible God, who is the creator of this world. It is due to our ignorance only. In philosophy, it is said that we are clinging to Maya (visible world) & ignoring the God who is the real thing. So that's why, it is said that we should not cling to the unreal, untruth (Maya) & should turn our mind towards the God, who is the only reality & truth. Just like alighting a small lamp eats away all the darkness in the room, so just by illumining your intellect with the knowledge, shall lead you to the truth of God.

Now, why do we fall in to ignorance? It is all due to the Nature born "TamoGun" (mode of ignorance) which we put into practice in our lives. "Tamas" or "Tamo Gunn" is the mode of Nature which is responsible for ignorance, delusion, indolence, laziness and sleep in a person. We should not fall a pray to this "TamoGun".

Here below is a story "The Lost Son" by Gautama Buddha who is teaching us through this story that we should not cling to the untruth, as when we fall a pray to the ignorance, then we do not see things clearly & ultimately it harms our life only.

"A young widower, who loved his five year old son very much, was away on business when bandits came who burned down the whole village and took his son away. When the man returned, he saw the ruins and panicked. He took the burnt corpse of an infant to be his son and cried uncontrollably. He organized a cremation ceremony, collected the ashes and put them in a beautiful little bag which he always kept with him.

Soon afterwards, his real son escaped from the bandits and found his way home. He arrived at his father's new cottage at midnight and knocked at the door. The father, still grieving asked: "Who is it?" The child answered, it is me papa, open the door!" But in his agitated state of mind, convinced his son was dead, the father thought that some young boy was making fun of him. He shouted: "Go away" and continued to cry. He shouted time & again, "Go away" "Go away". After some time, the child left.

Father and son never saw each other again."

After this story, the Buddha said: "Sometime, somewhere, you take something to be the truth. If you cling to it so much, even when the truth comes in person and knocks on your door, you will not open it."

Now here below is a verse from Bhagwat Gita which also tells us that in this whole creation, unreal has no existence, and the real (God) never ceases to be, So we should always turn our mind towards the God who is the only reality & truth.

"na-asato vidyate bhavo
nabhavo vidyate satah
ubhayor api drsto ’ntas
tv anayos tattva-darshibhih" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 16)

"Sri Krishna said: The unreal has no existence, and the real never ceases to be; the reality of both has thus been perceived by the seekers of the truth.

Wise Man

How can you solve all the problems in your life? Simple answer to it is that if you act wisely, then all problems in your life shall be solved & no problem shall affect you. To act wisely, the prime thing is that, while taking any decision your mind should be peaceful. In all such troubled situations, your mind should be controlled, unwavering and undisturbed. Only such a mind can take correct decisions. Now how can you be such peaceful in mind or how can you control your mind?

Simple way of keeping your mind in control & be peaceful is described in the below verse of Bhagwat Gita. As per that if a person keeps faith in God & does practice of meditation regularly, then his mind is not disturbed in normal circumstances. Such a person always acts wisely in life. Meditation is a powerful means of directing the mind towards God.

"tad-buddhayas tad-atmanas
tan-nisthas tat-parayanah
gacchanty apunar-avrttim
jnana-nirdhuta-kalmasah" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Five verse 17)

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: When one’s Intelligence, Mind, Faith and refuge are all fixed in the God, then one becomes fully cleansed of misgivings through complete knowledge and thus proceeds straight on the path of liberation." Such a person is really called a wise man.

In our life, if we daily think of God & do little prayer to Him with true love and devotion, then all our problems will become lighter and eventually will disappear. Just like the ice which, with the addition of the heat will turn into water, and that will eventually evaporate as steam and disappear.

Now here below is a Beautiful Story in which a Wise Man solved the tedious problem of the villagers:

"In ancient times, there was a rich man who owned 19 horses. One day he died. In his last will and testament he had written that upon his death, half of the horses he owned should go to his only son; one fourth should go to the village temple and one fifth should go to the faithful servant.
The villagers were puzzled, how to divide the horses as per his will. How can they give half of the 19 horses to the son? You cannot cut up a horse. Villagers were puzzled over this dilemma for more than two weeks and then they decided to send for a wise man who was living in a neighboring village.

The wise man came to the village riding on his horse and asked the villagers if he can be of any help to them. The villagers told him about the rich man's last will and testament which stated that half of the (19) horses must be given to his only son, one fourth must go to the temple and one fifth to the faithful servant.

The wise man said he will solve their problem without any delay. He had the 19 horses placed in a row standing next to one another. Then he added his own horse as the 20th horse. Now he went about giving half of the 20 horses – that is ten horses to the son. One fourth of 20 - that is 5 horses were given to the village temple. One fifth of twenty - that is 4 horses were given to the faithful servant. Ten plus five plus four made 19 horses. The remaining 20th horse was his own which he promptly mounted, spoke a few inspiring words, and rode back home.

The villagers were simply awestruck, full of disbelief and filled with admiration. And the parting words of the wise man were inscribed in their hearts and minds which they greatly cherished and passed on to their succeeding generations till today.

The wise man said: In our daily lives, in our daily affairs, simply remember God’s name, do little prayer to Him and then go about facing the day’s happenings & all of the problems in your life shall be solved."

Om Namah Shivaye

Today is Maha Shivratri. It is also called Sivaratri or Shivaratri (Night of Shiva or "Great Night of Shiva"). It is a festival celebrated every year by the Hindus. It is celebrated in the honor of Lord Shiva who is one of the Hindu Gods forming the trinity, Brahma, Vishnu & Mahesh (Shiva). Sivaratri (Night of Shiva) literally means ‘the grand night dedicated to the worship of Shiva. This festival is observed for one day and one night every year.

Many legends are associated with the Sivaratri festival. According to one legend, Sivaratri is the wedding day of Lord Shiva and Parvati. As per another legend it is the night when Lord Shiva performed the Tandava Dance - the dance of primordial creation, preservation and destruction. Another legend associates Sivaratri with the great mythical churning of the ocean called Samudra Manthan. According to the legend, during the churning of the ocean, a pot of poison emerged. The gods and the demons were terrified as it could destroy the entire world. When they approached Lord Shiva for help, He, in order to protect the world, drank the deadly poison. However, he held it in his throat instead of swallowing it. This turned his throat blue. Since then Lord Shiva came to be known as ’Nilkantha’, the blue-throated one. Mahashivaratri celebrates this event by which Lord Shiva saved the world.

As per the Hindu mythology, God is ONE. Lord Krishna is same as Lord Rama & also same as Lord Shiva. As per Bhagwat Gita Chapter Ten Verse - 23, God himself declares that He (Lord Krishna) is same as Lord Shiva.

"rudranam sankaras chasmi
vitteso yaksha-rakshasam
vasunam pavakas chasmi
meruh sikharinam aham" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Ten verse 23)

"Sri Krishna said: Of all the Rudras I am Lord Shiva, of the Yakshas and Rakshasas I am the Lord of wealth [Kubera], of the Vasus I am fire [Agni], and of mountains I am Meru."

Now here below is a beautiful story which shows the kindness of Lord Shiva to his devotee & how He saved one of His devotee from the tiger.

Lord Shiva saves the Hunter

Once a hunter was wandering in a dense forest, to chase a deer and suddenly he found himself on the banks of river Kolidum, where he heard the roar of a tiger. In order to defend himself from the tiger, he climbed up a tree close by. The Tiger sat on the ground below the tree without the purpose to leave.

The huntsman stayed at the tree whole night and to keep himself awake, he plucked one leaf after another from the tree and threw it down. There was a "Shiva Lingam" under the tree and gracefully the tree turned out to be a ''bilva'' tree (leaves of this tree are adored by Shiva). Without any knowledge, the huntsman had delighted the Lord Shiva by pouring Bilva leaves all night. With the arrival of the sun, the hunter looked down and found that the tiger has gone. In its place, Lord Shiva was standing there and he prostated before the lord. With Shiva's blessings, he attained salvation from the bondage of the material world.

Om Namah Shivaye

See the God in your heart

Our mind always wanders outside in the world & always goes about the objects of the senses. Say, if you see a beautiful fruit or food, your mind wants to eat it. If there is good music going on out there, then your mind wants to listen to it. If there is good fragrance out there, then your mind wants to smell that. After seeing a picturesque scenery in the nature, your mind says Wow!! So it's certain that your mind finds joy in the external world objects which are experienced by your senses. But your mind rarely goes inside yourself & tries to find joy over there.

The pure joy is there in your self (soul) which is a part of the God only who sits in your heart. If your mind shall turn inwards & see the God sitting in your heart then you shall get the eternal pure joy & peace which is much better than joy of the senses. Below is a little tale--"parable" about looking for the God in your heart. This little tale is by India's great saint from Bengal, Sri Ramakrishna.

"In the olden days, one Indian village hired a night-watchman to keep a vigil during night time to check for robbers that were frequent in those times. Night-watchman would go around the streets and lanes in the village with a square metal lantern, open only at the front. The watchman could see, wherever the lantern cast its light. No rays of light used to fell on him, who carried the lantern. If you wanted to see who the watchman was, you had to ask him to turn the lamp back on his own face. We too are like that watchman!!! Our eyes (ears, tongue, nostril etc.) are all facing outward, looking at and feeling the things of the world. God says, "If you want to see me, turn the lamp around; look within your heart and you shall find the Source of all the light over there."

Same is said in the Bhagwat Gita by Lord Krishna:

"sarvasya chaham hridi sannivisto"
God is seated in everyone’s heart

"ishvarah sarva-bhutanam
hrd-dese ’rjuna tishthati"
The Supreme God dwells/resides in the hearts of all beings.

So let's look inwards & find the God in our hearts who is the source of all Joy, Peace & Bliss. Be sure that "God Loves You", only thing is that you need to turn toward HIM.

Body & Soul

How many of you see your face & body in the mirror?
How many of you have sometimes closed your eyes & tried to be peaceful?

Now what is the link between the above two questions? When you see your body in the mirror, you are seeing & relating yourself to this body of flesh & bones. When you try to close your eyes & try to be peaceful, you are trying not to link yourself to this body but to something inward inside you where you can find peace. What is that inward thing that you are trying to find where you find yourself to be more peaceful? Yes, It's your Soul. In Soul, there is peace & you are trying to delve into that only in times of closing your eyes or in meditation.

I am remembering an old English song whose two lines are here;

"Faces.......all around different faces I see,
Some are happy, some in misery.............."

On this earth there are more than 7 billion people & each one is having a unique face. In fact God has created a vast variety of human bodies (to create illusion) & it seems that these all people are different only. But if we see closely then we shall find that all the bodies are made of similar nature elements & at Soul level all these are same only. Variety of bodies is external only but on deep analysis it is not so & are the same consequence of few nature elements. As per Bhagwat Gita, at soul level all these people are one only as one all pervasive soul pervades through all these bodies.

"Sri Krishna said:
There is nothing else besides Me,
Like clusters of Yarn-Beeds,
Formed by knots on a thread,
All this world is threaded on Me (universal soul)." (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Seven verse 7)


So a person should not consider himself/herself limited to this body of flesh & bones but should consider himself/herself to be that universal soul only. 

In fact a person's soul is infinite, omnipresent and is diffused everywhere throughout the space. A person's soul is as much same in London or New York as in Bombay, although it can only apprehend and feel and act where the body is. As the soul is subtle so it is not the object of physical perception.

Human body is made of Eight constituents of material nature. These elements are Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego. At death when the body perishes it is dissolved in these elements only but the soul which is indestructible survives. So it's up to you, if you perceive yourself to be a body then one day you shall die but if you consider yourself to be indestructible, infinite, omnipresent universal soul, then there is no death for you & you are immortal.

Here below is a saying from Upanishad which explains about the mortal body & immortal soul:

"It is true that the body is mortal, that it is under the power of death,but it is also the dwelling place of Atman (Soul), the Spirit of immortal life..............when a man is in the joy of the Spirit, he is free from all bondage, the bondage of pleasure and pain."

Same is said in Bhagwat Gita:

"na jayate mriyate va kadacin
nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah
ajo nityah sasvato ’yam purano
na hanyate hanyamane sarire" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 20)


"Sri Krishna said: O Arjuna, The soul is never born nor dies at any time. Soul has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. Soul is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. Soul is not slain when the body is slain."

Persistence

Here Below is the most famous verse of Bhagwat Gita which explains that one should excel in doing his work without keeping the end result in mind. If you do not work with the end result or preset outcome in mind & rather enjoy the way, the process, the path in doing any work, you shall certainly succeed in your work. So it is always better to perform your actions and carry out your duty in an efficient way rather than caring or worrying about the results.

"Karmanye vadhikaraste
ma phalesu kadachana
ma karma-phala-hetur bhur
ma te sango ’stv akarmani "(Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 47)"

"Sri Krishna said to Arjuna: You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty."

Here below is a beautiful real story which teaches us the same.

"In 1947, Lester Wunderman was arbitrarily fired from his advertising job in New York. But he felt he still had a lot to learn from the head of the agency, Max Sackheim. So the next morning, Wunderman went back to his office and began working as he had before. He talked to co-workers and clients; he sat in on meetings - all without pay. Sackheim ignored him for a month.

Finally, he walked up to Wunderman: 'Okay, you win', he said, shaking his head. 'I never saw a man who wanted a job more than he wanted money.' Well, guess what? Wunderman went on to be one of the most successful advertising men of the century. He's credited with having invented preprinted newspaper inserts, plus subscription cards such as those used by Time-Life Books and the Columbia Record Club; ideas that have produced billions of dollars in profit. Now, advertising may not be your thing - but action must be.

What are you willing to do to achieve your dream? Work without pay? Refuse to quit? Success begins at the beginning, and it continues with consistent action without caring for the success or failure."

Life is a Chess Game

How many of you have ever played a Chess Game? Those who have played it, know very well that in a Chess Game there is a square Chess Board on which each player controls sixteen pieces: king, queen, two rooks, two bishops, two knights & eight pawns. There are two armies of such sets in Black & White opposite to each other & this game is played between two players. Moves are played in the Chess Game & slowly pawns, knights, rooks, queen, king etc. are killed or checked out. In this way Chess Game goes on.

Same is the case with our lives. Through ages God is playing this Chess Game with us. He puts us on this Chess Board called "Earth" & makes His moves through all of us so that His game goes on. We all are just puppets of God on this Chess Board called "Earth". Slowly, one by one, people are Checked Out (die) & again God plays this game with His new people (new one's born). In this way God's game is going on since time immemorial.

Just see that in Egypt, you find tombs of Kings & Queens in Pyramids which date back to many centuries ago. In Taj Mahal in India there is tomb of Shah Jahan & Mumtaz Mahal who were King & Queen of their times. So where have all of them gone? They were very much real people like you & me in their times but now their Chess Game is over. At their time, they were King, Queen & they were having their own "life real" rooks, knights, pawns etc. That army of people used to serve them in their times but all of them were checked out from the Chess Board i.e. all of them have died with their army of people. Now new players are on the Chess Board.

So anyone who is born on this earth is sure to die. We are here on this earth for a limited period of time after which we need to leave this earth. So let's not get attached to things in life too much. Below verse of Bhagwat Gita explains that only:

"jatasya hi dhruvo mrityur
dhruvam janma mrtasya cha
tasmad apariharye ’rthe
na tvam socitum arhasi" (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 27)

"Sri Krishna said: One who has taken his birth is sure to die, and after death one is sure to take birth again. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament."

In Fact we all become so much involved & busy in our life on this earth that we all forget that one day we all have to leave this earth, leave this body. Our Life is not permanent on this earth & it is for a limited period of time after which it shall pass away. Transient nature of life is aptly described in below few lines of the Persian Poet, 'Omar Khayyam' :

'Lo! some we loved, the loveliest and the best
That time and fate of all their Vintage prest,
Have drunk their Cup a Round or two before,
And one by one crept silently to Rest. '

'Omar Khayyam'

Lo, here were all those our near & dear one's, whom we loved the most & are gone now. Wine of life that used to flow through their mortal body has gone. Time & fate ( karmic law of cause & effect) has acted in their case & after drinking a Cup or two (of life), they have departed from this earth & have died a short or long before us. So shall be the fate of our self also & we shall too some day depart after drinking a Cup or two.

So instead of letting time & fate rule our destiny & lead us to death, why not let God immortalize us. So let's remember & pray to God daily, let's know Him daily so that God can bless us with the immortality