Another story for another day.

A friend of mine sent me a story.


A man and his dog were walking along a road. Even as he was enjoying the scenery, suddenly he realised that he is no more alive but is dying. He experienced that Death has overtaken him and also the dog walking beside him. He was walking a long distance and wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a mansion with high, white wall with magnificent arch made of pearls and gate made from fine marble glowing in the sunlight and the road that lead to the mansion paved with pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw one with head bent and eyes sparkling with eager attention.

When the man with dog was close, he asked, 'Excuse me, where are we?' The attendant answered with a wink, 'This is Heaven, sir'. The man and his dog were thirsty after long walk. They asked for some water and the attendant replied, 'Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up.' The man then asked, 'Can my friend, the dog come in, too?' The attended said, 'I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets.'

Disappointed the man turned back and continued to walk the opposite direction,with his dog.
After long difficult walk, he came to a hard and difficult road which lead to a lonely farm house, with no fences or doors ever open and never closed.

As he approached the gate, he saw an old man inside, leaning on  the desk and reading a book. Approaching him the man with the dog said, 'Excuse me!' Can I have some water?' The old man replied 'Sure there is water, come on in.' The man a asked, 'How about my friend here?' The old man gestured and said, 'There should be a bowl by the pump. Pick it up and let the dog have its share'. The man filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself and gave some in the bowl to the dog.

Being satisfied he and the dog walked toward the man and asked, 'What do you call this place?'. 'This is Heaven,' the old man answered. 'Well, that is strange ! 'The man down the road also said that his place was also a Heaven'. The old Man looked up and asked, 'Oh, you mean the place with marble walls, pearly gates on the gold paved street ?No, That is hell.' Surmised the man asked, 'Does it not make you angry seeing that they use your name without your permission?'
The old me said, 'No, we're just happy that they take those inside who desert their friends behind.'

00000

The Supreme Self within.

Yajnyavalkya was the great sage of his times. One day he was a asked, by what luminous light illumined the Person here?
 "किं ज्योतिरयं पुरुष: ... ".  When the sage enumerates the Sun, the Moon, the Fire, the Speech progressively as the light that illumine the Person, the question arose, what happens when Sun, Moon and the Speech become silent -"". Then the Sage conclusively communicates that it is by the Self alone as the luminous light, the Person becomes illumined, energised, resurgent - "अस्तमित आदित्ये ... चन्द्रमस्यस्तमिते ... शान्ते अग्नौ ... शान्तायां वाचि ... आत्मैवास्य ज्योतिर्भवतीति । आत्मनैवायं ज्योतिषास्ते पल्ययते कर्म कुरुदेश विपल्येतीति।।".

In the final analysis nothing is more important for living than the Self within, which as the divine essence is the energy - शक्ति that pervades every gross form, enveloping every part and parcel of that body. The Self is not seen but manifests as the actions performed by the form. Therefore the Self should be perceived from the actions performed, as the lost cow is searched from the foot prints which it leaves behind.  The Self is the consciousness, the Person that exists within the heart as the Breath, assuming the likeness to the form it moves, between the waking state and dream state thinking as it were, shaking as it were, transcending this waolrd of perception to the world of dreams as the form of death - "यों अयं विज्ञानमय: प्राणेषु ह्रद्यन्तज्योति: पुरुष: । सं समान: सन्नुभौ लोकावनुसंचरति ध्यायतीव लेलायतीव सं हि स्वप्नो भूत्वेमं लोकमतिक्रामति म्रत्यो रूपाणि ।।"

00000

Being Alone

There is much difference between being Alone and being Lonely. A person who is Alone is the man of Wisdom with thoughts restrained and mind settled within his own self. A person who is Lonely is the man whose thoughts are unrestrained and the mind unsettled un aware of his self within. A person who is Alone needs no one else to give him company. A person who is Lonely can not remain without having company of others. A person who is Alone is one who having transcended with conscious awareness all that he knows or does not know as Knowledge acquired through the medium of senses, finds peace being Alone being not bound by thoughts in mind is not bound with physical or psychological relationships built and nurtured with other people, having transcended his desires.

Such one, being a man wise in Wisdom, transcends hunger and thirst, sorrow and delusion, old age and death, all the shackles which bind one to संसार, the Primordial World, with no past thoughts or future aspirations to disturb him, wander living Alone the life of a mendicant, having severed all the shackles which bind one to संसार, the Primordial World, with no past thoughts or future aspirations to disturb him. Because the desire for progeny is the desire for wealth, desire for wealth is the desire for fame in the world. "एतं वै तमात्मानं विदित्वा ब्राह्मणा: पुत्रैषणायाश्च वित्चैषणायाश्च लोकैषणायाश्च व्युत्थायाथ भिक्षाचर्यं चरन्ति ।" .

Therefore a man of Wisdom, having known all about learning desires to live like a child, with no past thoughts or future aspirations to disturb him. Transcending both the childlike and Knowing states, he becomes meditative and thinking and reflecting with illumined mind which is resurgent, he becomes the knower of Brahman -"तस्माद् ब्राह्मण: पाण्डित्यं निर्विद्य बाल्येन तिष्ठासेत् । बाल्यं च पांडित्यं च निर्विद्याय मुनि:, अमौनं च मौन निर्विद्याय ब्राह्मण: ।".

00000.

When one recites and worships gayatri! it is not so much the  physical Sun that it adored and worshipped, but "तत् सवितृ वरेण्यं" who is "भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि " the resplendent luminous intelligence within, which is not normally accessible? The divine essence नाम within the रूप the gross form is not seen because of the display of the resplendent rays that envelop the fair face - "हिरण्मयेन पात्रेण सत्यस्यापिहितं मुखम् ।". Therefore the upanishadic seer prays पूषन् to draw his rays within since rhe desires to see the face of सत्य, the Prime Existence - "तत् त्वं पूषन्नपावृणु सत्यघर्माय दृष्टये ।" . Gather together and soften the glare of the resplendent rays, O luminous Sun, so that he may see the fair face of सत्य, The Prime Existence - "पूषन्नेकर्षे यम सूर्य प्राजापत्य  व्यूह रश्मीन् । समूह तेज:, यत्ते रूपं कल्याणतमं तत् ते पश्यामि ।".  

A thought - Moksha is deliverance from the travails of the empirical thoughts caused by the influence of senses on Mind. Maitri up says चित्तमेव संसारम् - that is to say our संसार is made up the influence of thoughts on our mind. The thought in our mind make us bound or liberated. Therefore being liberated from our mind full of thoughts ,is liberation from our संसार . Therefore, for Moksha one need not physically die. Up says that when mind is freed from the influence of senses and the mind itself become still, that state is referred as Yoga. Nirvana is distancing oneself from one's body, as Sri Madhva explains. Therefore up says the thoughts create bondage and absence of thoughts creates the state of liberation.

I received this  beautiful poetry from a friend of mine, which I would like to share.

Read it slowly with receptive mind, take time to think, reflect and meditate on each line.

जो चाहा कभी पाया नहीं, जो पाया कभी सोचा नहीं,
जो सोचा कभी मिला नहीं, जो मिला रास आया नहीं,
जो खोया वो याद आता है, पर जो पाया संभाला जाता नहीं ,
क्यों अजीब सी पहेली है ज़िन्दगी जिसको कोई सुलझा पाता नहीं...

जीवन में कभी समझौता करना पड़े तो कोई बड़ी बात नहीं है,
क्योंकि, झुकता वही है जिसमें जान होती है,
अकड़ तो मुरदे की पहचान होती है।
ज़िन्दगी जीने के दो तरीके होते है!

पहला: जो पसंद है उसे हासिल करना सीख लो.!
दूसरा: जो हासिल है उसे पसंद करना सीख लो.!
जिंदगी जीना आसान नहीं होता; बिना संघर्ष कोई
महान नहीं होता.!

जिंदगी बहुत कुछ सिखाती है; कभी हंसती है तो कभी रुलाती है;
पर जो हर हाल में खुश रहते हैं; जिंदगी उनके आगे सर झुकाती है।
चेहरे की हंसी से हर गम चुराओ; बहुत कुछ बोलो पर कुछ ना छुपाओ;
खुद ना रूठो कभी पर सबको मनाओ;
राज़ है ये जिंदगी का बस जीते चले जाओ।

गुजरी हुई जिंदगी को  कभी याद न कर,
तकदीर मे जो लिखा है उसकी फर्याद न कर...
जो होगा वो होकर रहेगा,
तु कल की फिकर मे अपनी आज की हसी बर्बाद न कर...
हंस मरते हुये भी गाता है और मोर नाचते हुये भी रोता है....

ये जिंदगी का फंडा है बॉस, दुखो वाली रात  निंद नही आती
और खुशी वाली रात कौन सोता है...

ईश्वर का दिया कभी अल्प नहीं होता;
जो टूट जाये वो संकल्प नहीं होता;
हार को लक्ष्य से दूर ही रखना;
क्योंकि जीत का कोई विकल्प नहीं होता।

जिंदगी में दो चीज़ें हमेशा टूटने के लिए ही होती हैं :
"सांस और साथ"
सांस टूटने से तो इंसान 1 ही बार मरता है;
पर किसी का साथ टूटने से इंसान पल-पल मरता है।

जीवन का सबसे बड़ा अपराध -
किसी की आँख में आंसू आपकी वजह से होना।
और
जीवन की सबसे बड़ी उपलब्धि -
किसी की आँख में आंसू आपके लिए होना।

जिंदगी जीना आसान नहीं होता; बिना संघर्ष कोई महान नहीं होता;
जब तक न पड़े हथोड़े की चोट; पत्थर भी भगवान नहीं होता।
जरुरत के मुताबिक जिंदगी जिओ - ख्वाहिशों के मुताबिक नहीं।
क्योंकि जरुरत तो फकीरों की भी पूरी हो जाती है;

और ख्वाहिशें बादशाहों की भी अधूरी रह जाती है
मनुष्य सुबह से शाम तक काम करके उतना नहीं थकता;
जितना क्रोध और चिंता से एक क्षण में थक जाता है।
दुनिया में कोई भी चीज़ अपने आपके लिए नहीं बनी है।

जैसे दरिया - खुद अपना पानी नहीं पीता।
पेड़ - खुद अपना फल नहीं खाते।
सूरज - अपने लिए हररात नहीं देता।
फूल - अपनी खुशबु अपने लिए नहीं बिखेरते।

मालूम है क्यों?

क्योंकि दूसरों के लिए ही जीना ही असली ज़िंदगी.

Nice Lines By Gulzar Sahab

पानी से तस्वीर कहा बनती है,
ख्वाबों से तकदीर कहा बनती है,
किसी भी रिश्ते को सच्चे दिल से निभाओ,
ये जिंदगी फिर वापस कहा मिलती है
कौन किस से चाहकर दूर होता है,
हर कोई अपने हालातों से मजबूर होता है,
हम तो बस इतना जानते है,
हर रिश्ता "मोती"और हर दोस्त "कोहिनूर" होता है।



 .

Dalai Lama' words of Wisdom.

The great one once said that when one speaks one repeats what one knows. But when one is receptive with one's mind open, one recieve what one does not have. One speaks what one has gathered as Knowledge from sources outside oneself. One receives what one experiences as Wisdom from the source within one's self.

Maitri Up. says that mind is verily the thoughts, therefore, by freeing the mind from sloth and distraction and making it motionless, then that is the supreme state. Mind verily is the cause for one forone'sbondage and deliverance; attachment to the senses is the bondage; detachment from the objects of sense is the liberation - "चित्तमेव संसारम् । ... लय विक्षेप रहितम् मन: कृत्वा सुनिश्चलम् । यदा याति अमनिभावम्  दत्तात्रेय परमम् पदम् ।। ... मन एव मनुष्यानाम् कारणं बंधमोक्षयो: । बंधाय विषयसंगीम् मोक्षों निर्विषय ं स्मृतम् ।।". Therefore, Katha Up says that when the five organs of sense together with mind cease and even the intellect does not stir, that, they say, is the supreme goal - "यदा पंचावतिषठन्ते ज्ञानानि मनसा सह । बुद्धिश्च न विचेष्टति तां आहु: परमम् गतिम् ।।".

Therefor what one speaks is what one knows, mere weariness of speech. Therefore the wise one being consciously aware assiduously seeks Wisdom. He does not think about diverse words, because that's but waste of speech - "तमेव धीरो विज्ञाय प्रज्ञां कुर्वीत ब्राह्मण: । नानुध्यायाद्बहुंशब्दान् वाटों विग्लापनं हि तत् ।।". Therefore, The seer Yajnyavalkya says let the man wise in Wisdom after transcending all his learning, desire to live like a child - "तस्माद् ब्राह्मण: पांडित्यं निर्विद्य बाल्येन तिष्ठासेत् ।।".

00000

The proof of the pudding lies not in the recipe but in eating.
-------------

Recently I had placed in my Face Book an information about acupressure which reduces stress and tension  and which works wonders with head ache. I was asked whether this method is effective, whether it has by any one in the group been tested with consistency to be sure that it works in general case. Further it is mentioned that the writer is waiting for headache to come and trying on himself he. Will recommend it to others.

I do not know whether the gentleman has raised many fundamental questions which I myself have been confronted with, for which I have no answers since I have not personally  experienced. But I like to communicate what I have heard and read to others hoping that solutions which I could not find some one else may find.

It is with this fact in mind that I have gathered from scriptures of many people, places and period that I had occasion to read. I have neither tried the Truths revealed in the scriptures nor do I have the wisdom to experience them.

I have not yet found people who have not experienced stress, tensions and head aches, though I remember a childhood friend of one telling me that he had never any head ache and therefore dramatically asked me what head ache is ! I had experienced stress, tensions and headaches as well but I could never explain to him all those clearly. But I remembered the incident when Natrendranath (who in later das came to be referred as Vivekanand) had asked Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa whether he had seen God. And Sri Ramakrishna have seen God, replied "Yes,  I have". Yet Sri Ramakrishna could not show God to Narendranatha, but only the Path that would lead him to God. Narendranatha had to become Vivekananda before he could see God.

One should experience stress, tensions and headaches before one could say that the remidy removes them. On physical level I have experienced stress, tensions and head aches and have found relief following many suggestions, which I have accepted, without being attached to one or rejecting the other, even as I have neither accepted one scripture or one revelation one religion and one Guru rejecting all other scriptures, religions, Gurus. Therefore, I cannot be definite that what cured me would cure all others as well. The Path which Sri Ramakrishna had traversed was different than the one which was recommended for and which Vivekanand finally traversed.

One should be under stains and stress and have. A head ache to experience relief from whichever remedy  recommended by any one, from whichever source.

The experience comes from all sources, from all direction. Keep your mind open and the heart receptive to respond to the luminous light to seep within.

00000

A new month - श्रावण has commended with new festivities and new hopes. Therefore such month needs  a story. Therefore I share a new one which I find appropriate.
-----------------------------------------------------

The Falcon & The Branch

There was a king who had received a gift of two most beautiful magnificent falcons like which he had not seen any earlier.  He gave them to be trained. But months passed but no progress was seen in respect of the one who remained glued to the branch of the tree, while the other was flying majestically, soaring high in the sky.

The king was worried but none of the healers and sorcerers from all the land could make the falcon fly. The problem was presented the task to the member of his court. The next day, the king saw the bird still glued to the branch, not moving from the branch. The king was worried and thought that the falcon perhaps missed its familiar surroundings.

So he summoned a farmer from the dense forest. The farmer saw the falcon and smiled to himself. The next day morning the king saw the falcon not glued to the branch but soaring high above in the sky.

The king asked the farmer, how did he make the falcon ?  With bowed head the farmer replied, “It was not me,  your highness. who made the falcon fly. The falcon flew all by itself. I simply detached the bird from being entangled by the branch where the bird was sitting.”

We too could fly and soar in the sky, liberated from the sufferings and sorrows, if refuse to be attached to our little world of desires and detach from becoming salves to our senses. Once we become conscious of the incredible potential within the human beings, then we will detach ourselves from our little familiar, Comfortable, mundane, mediocre desires and will attach ourself to the vast undiscovered lex citing, trilling, and fulfilling opportunities that are endless, spread around with no fear, freeing ourselves to the glory of Bliss of Beatitude.

00000

सत्य, the Prime Existence.

The Scriptures declare that सत्य, the Prime Existence pervades the entire creation and yet remains more by ten measures - "सं भूमीं  विश्वतो अत्यतिष्ठद्दशांगुलम् ", further clarified in Isha Up. as "पूर्णमद: पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमेव अवशिष्यते  ।।". He comes to be known as पुरुष,since he pervades and envelopes singularly the whole of creation -"सं वा अयं पुरुष: सर्वासु पुर्षु पुरिशय: । नैनेन किंचनानावृतम् । नैनेन किंचित् समावृतम् ।।" and also comes to be known as िवष्णु, since covers comprehensive everything in creation - "यस्माद् विश्वं  इदं सर्वतस्य शक्त्या महात्मन: । तस्माद् एव उच्यते विष्णु: विश्वतो प्रवेशनात् ।।".

In Upanishads it is said that the Prime Existence to make itself known formats itself in many forms - "रूपं रूपं प्रतिरूपो बभूव तदस्य रूपं प्रतिचक्षणाय ।  इन्द्रो मायाभि: पुरुरूप ईयते युक्ता ह्यस्य हर्यश्व: शती दश ।।". Therefore it manifested as नाम the subtle divine essence, known as शक्ति and as रूप, the gross form known as िशव, in the continuing process of creation the शक्ति comes to be posited within िशव to the tip of the fingure as it were.  Therefore, when one says that gross forms are active in performance of actions what we really mean is that the subtle divine essence within the form has made the gross form resurgent to become active in performance of actions.  No gross form can be active unless the subtle essence posited within the form makes the gross form to be proactive, it being said - "िशव: शक्त्या युक्तो यदि भवति शक्त: प्रभािवतुम् । न चेद् एवं देवो न खलु कुशल: स्पंिदतुमपि ।।".

It is, however true that while the manifest gross forms are available to be perceived, neither the subtle essence nor the unmanifest Brahman are perceived, but are able to be perceived when the forms perform actions - "तां न पश्यंित ... तानि अस्यैतािन कर्म नामािन एव ।". Therefore, even as one would search the lost cow by the footprints which it leaves behind even so सत्य, the Prime Existence dwelling within the heart or the divine essence within the forms should be searched and perceived by the actions performed by the forms. When one says that gross forms are active in performance of actions, what one really means is that the subtle divine essence within the form has made the gross form resurgent to become active in performance of actions.

The Supreme Being, as the all pervading and all enveloping िवष्णु does not display his divine essence शक्ति as the power or energy only in some extra-ordinary mediums or in some extra-ordinary situations but also displays as शक्ति through every gross form िशव, the medium in creation and in every situation and in every moment in life. Devi Sukta narrates some of the definite places  where शक्ति becomes significantly perceived - 'या देवी सर्व भूतेशु िवष्णु मायेित संिस्थता ।' the divine essence - शक्ति that manifests as Vishnu's formatted power or energy existing in creation as " 'बुद्धी, िनद्रा,  क्षुधा, छाया, शक्ति, तृष्णा, शांति, लज्जा, श्रद्धा, वृत्ति, कान्ति, लक्ष्मी, स्मृति, दया, भ्रान्ति रूपेण ... इन्द्रियानामधिषठात्रि भूतानां चिति चाखिलेषु या । भूतेषु सततं व्याप्ति देवियाँ नमो नम: ।।'.

Therefore, look around the world and you will see शक्ति, the divine essence of the Supreme Brahman existing as the resurgent power proactive and energising every thing in creation to perform their actions according their attributes and inclination.
There is nothing in nature which is beautiful or ugly, good or bad, order or confusion, except in relation to human imagination.

On empirical level all that is gross becomes experienced using organs of senses. Mind being influenced by senses, every thing becomes a matter of human taste, choice, selection and preference at the point of Time, when Mind is under the influence of the organs of senses, every thing experienced, seen, heard, spoken or thought being temporary and impermanent as something written on flowing water, was it were. The entire concepts about the seemingly good or bad events, noble and ignoble intentions, auspicious and Inauspicious thoughts are absolute in existence, both being reflected as positive and negative aspects of the Divine manifestation, relative to the actions performed by human being in response to the influence of senses on their Mind.

One can surmise that no object in gross form can be active unless the subtle essence, the power or energy within those gross forms do not become become resurgent, as the power by which one lives, which promotes  every action and one  who determines every action and life, as source and the end of every thing, as wisdom of the wise and as strength of the soldier, as enterprise of the industrious and as service of the surrendered one,  as the speech of the speaker and hearing of The listener, thought of the thinker, as blazing energy of the Sun and soothing calm of the rising  moon, warmth of the fire and moisture of the waters, valour of the soldiers and compassion of the victorious, as the veiled illusion that pervades the entire creation.

On spiritual level ब्रह्मन् is neither good or bad, noble and ignoble, auspicious and Inauspicious all equally being divine responses, Upanishad pointing Brahman "to be neither gross nor subtle, neither short nor long, neither blowing red not adhesive like water, neither shade nor darkness, neither air nor space, without attached. Brahman is the, smell, eyes, ears, voice or mind, radiance. Or breath, mouth or measure, having neither within nor any without, eating any thing or anything eating it". Further it is the being "understanding, mind, life, sight, hearing, earth, water, air, either, light, absence of light, desire, absence of desire, anger and absence of anger, righteousness and absence of righteousness, what is perceived and what is not perceived, what is inferred and what is not inferred.

Thus when one looks around for God and perceiving attentively everywhere and if finds him NOWHERE, then he will surely be there and found NOW HERE.
Spinoza, a western mystic says, "Whenever anything in nature seems to us as ridiculous, absurd or evil, it is because we have but a partial knowledge of things and are in the main ignorant of the order and coherence of nature as a whole and because we want everything arranged according to the dictates of our own reason. (Therefore) the terms good or bad, they indicate nothing positive considered in themselves  ... For one and the same  thing can at the same time be good, bad and indifferent. For example, music is good to the melancholy, bad for mourners and indifferent to the dead".

The moment one becomes conscious of the indivisibility of existence as the subtle divine essence within every gross form, then  shorn of the hallowed imagery, religious allegory and temporal poetry, profound thoughts, philosophical interpretations, he sees Brahman every where and in every inanimate thing and animate beings, as the One, Singular and Sole Being, acting by necessity and according the Cosmic Law and rules of Righteousness.

Jnyanadeva, a mystic born in Maharashtra has given a beautiful expression to his spiritual awareness of सत्य, the Prime Existence which a supra-sensory mind can experience. Therefore, he says that it is difficult to describe Vithala, the father who stands with mother Rakhumadevi, as one with attributes or without, one who could be conceived or one beyond being conceived since even scriptures say 'not this, not this', neither subtle nor gross, with form or without form, seen or unseen, manifest or unmanifest. Because, verily he, verily is one who is both with and without attributes :

"तुज सगुण म्हणों कीं निर्गुण रे ।
सगुण-निर्गुण एकु गोविंदु रे ॥१॥

अनुमाने ना अनुमाने ना ।
श्रुति नेति नेति म्हणती गोविंदु रे ॥२॥

तुज स्थूळ म्हणों कीं सूक्ष्म रे ।
स्थूळ-सूक्ष्म एकु गोविंदु रे ॥३॥

तुज आकारू म्हणों कीं निराकारू रे ।
आकारू-निराकारू एकु गोविंदु रे ॥४॥

तुज दृश्य म्हणों कीं अदृश्य रे ।
दृश्याअदृश्य एकु गोविंदु रे ॥५॥

तुज व्यक्‍त म्हणों कीं अव्यक्‍तु रे ।
व्यक्‍त-अव्यक्‍त एकु गोविंदु रे ॥६॥

निवृत्ती प्रसादें ज्ञानदेवो बोले
बाप रखुमादेविवरू विठ्ठलु रे ॥७॥".

Vithala, the Supreme Being, verily is distinct with and without form, the eternal manifestation of सत्य,  the Prime Existence, the auspicious redeemer, who captivates one imagination, the Object, the Purpose, the meditation which makes intellect stainless :

"सगुण निर्गुण दोन्ही विलक्षण
ब्रह्म सनातन विठ्ठल हा

पतितपावन मानसमोहन
ब्रह्म सनातन विठ्ठल हा

ध्येय ध्यास ध्यान चित्त निरंजन
ब्रह्म सनातन विठ्ठल हा

ज्ञानदेव म्हणे आनंदाचे गान
ब्रह्म सनातन विठ्ठल हा."

The present verily is the moment when he should be seen and experience in this very life, here and now, not elsewhere and later. If one does not great will be the danger. Those who know and experience they become immortal while others suffer misery - "इहैव सन्तो अथ विद्मस्तद्वयम्, न चेदवेदिर्महती विनष्ठि: । ये तद्विदुरमृतास्ते भवन्ति अथेतरे दु:मेवापियन्ति ।।".

00000

LESSON FROM A BUTTERFLY :

A man is said to have found a cocoon of a butterfly in the form of a caterpillar.

When he observed the caterpillar closely one day a small opening appeared in the cocoon and after several hours there appeared a hole in the cocoon, through which the butterfly appeared to struggle to come out forcibly. When it seemed to stop make any progress in its struggle,
the man decided to help the butterfly. Taking a pair of scissors he snipped off bit of the cocoon.

The butterfly emerged easily from the cocoon with small, shriveled wings but it's body seemed to have become swollen. The man expected the wings would soon be strong to support the body. But the wings did not not appear to become strong and the butterfly spent the rest of its life with shriveled wings, not ever becoming able to fly.

The kindness of the man did not  help the butterfly, having interfered with the way of the divine Intent and Purpose, with the effort and struggle needed for the butterfly to get through the tiny hole in the cocoon forcing fluid from the body to the wings to enable it to fly separated from the cocoon.

Effort and struggles are what one needs in life. If God had allowed us to live our lives without struggles then one would be cripple too in meeting the obstacles in life. We would not be as strong as we could have been left on our own. We would not be be able to live our life as the butter could never be able to fly on its own strength.

There are lessons to be learnt? When the going gets tough, the tough one gets the things going. Neither life is smooth nor is it lived as one desires. Life moves according the divine Intent and Purpose.  Hhardships are there to be surmounted with effort and determination, making stronger to face the challenges in life. Life is constant endeavour overcoming challenges, for only through tough times one become strong.

Nothing in life happens without divine Intent and Purpose. If we do not understand, at least we should not have audacity to question the divine Intent and Purpose, interfering with the events that take place.

There is reason and purpose for the things that happen in our life. Therefore one should neither be remorseful when bad things happen nor  gloat when good things happen, but surrender to the divine Intent and Purpose.

Let the caterpillar be the butterfly on its own as the nature intended it to be, without human beings trying the interfere the natural
process.

00000

The Rains !

Once again the rainy season has arrived. The  dark clouds have gathered, flashes of lightening illuminate underneath, winds whistle and storms roar across the sky, over the hills and dales,

Yes I, as the immortal self that I am, see the rains now falling, as I did saw earlier during the last eighty four years in my present body-form and as I did earlier, as the Supreme Lord willed, in my many lives in innumerable body-forms.

The rains will continue to pour and I will continue to see them falling, as long as I, the immortal self will continue to exist.

That is what the Lord has willed and that is how I will live ever and ever my life, trying to become better and better in my each and every later form.

So the Lord may help me.

।। ओम् । हरि: तत् सत् । ओम् ।।

00000

In life when one feels something has become decayed, deteriorated, old and useless and therefore is not useful to have any more, he decides to reject and give that thing away. But while he thinks every thing else as alien to his self, therefore dispensable, it is strange that he is not agreeable to reject and give his body away.
That is because a Person accepts every thing else as distinct from his self but does not think that his self is different and his body is different but thinks and believes that his body is his self.

But our scriptures do not agree with this view and in Gita, Krishna specifically points out that while self is immortal, the body is mortal, subject to pain and pleasures, deterioration, decay and destruction. Therefore, even one discards old clothes and wears new ones, the self discards the old body and acquires a new one.

Strangely while we believe and accept Krishna to be Supreme Lord himself we do not see any reason to have faith in what he says and recommends. We would rather prefer to cling to our deceased, decayed, deteriorated body than accept Krishna's sage and considered words of advise.

Strange are the ways of human mind; it believes what it wants to believe and rejects what is not palatable to believe. That is the tragedy of human beings, influenced by senses and not my intelligence.

00000