Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Suffering


"Unto whom should I tie up and give the bundle of my pains? The whole world is overflowing with pain and suffering ;who can know the state of my inner self?" (p767)
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"Wherever I look, I see loads of pain and suffering." (p710)
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Suffering is universal - it is an ingredient of life which is seen throughout this entire creation.

One may think he alone is the victim of suffering, but when we look around, we find sorrow in every home.

We are all lost in love and attachment to this material world. No one seems happy. In fact every one is beset with one's woes.

Even the President of a mighty nation is not happy.

Across the entire globe, pain and suffering are a major part of life.

All of us who have to traverse through this human existence will have to endure suffering - some to a lesser and others to a greater extent.

Source: From the holy scriptures of the Sri Granth Sahib

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

The Bare Fact of this Life...

This world will always remain a place of suffering and misery, and will never become a paradise.
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Life in this world is made up of both joys and sorrows. Therefore spiritual masters or saints tell us to get liberation from this world of births and deaths,
of joys and sorrows, once and for all.
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We can only achieve this goal while in this human body. We do not have the opportunity of having this human body in every birth.
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It is a very rare and precious gift bestowed to us by the Creator.
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We must not waste this opportunity upon the perishable things and objects of this world.
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Our aim or objective in life ought to be the achievement of God Realization.
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If we do not find a way to achieve this, then we have thus wasted this human life which the Lord has blessed us with.
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Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Wheel of 8.4 million

We are all caught in this endless cycle of 8.4 million life forms. Freedom from this never ending cycle of births and deaths can only be obtained in this human form.
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Do we want to waste this priceless opportunity ?
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Friday, September 14, 2007

The Light of God

The entire creation is filled with the Light of God.
At various levels, its manifestation is different.

In stones and minerals, the Light is asleep

In leaves and vegetation, the Light is stirring

In birds and animals, the Light is dreaming

In Man, the Light is yearning to awaken
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Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Attributes of God

God is metaphysical , beyond time, Eternal, Unborn, Uncreated, Self-existant, and without form, feature, colour or contour.

Therefore, neither can He be described or depicted, nor can anyone make His image or idol. God is Universally Pervasive in His manifestations.

He cannot be confined to any particular place, land, country, religion, race, garb, body or name.

God is the Creator of the Universe and the laws governing it.

Never can anyone be outside the ambit of these laws nor can anyone have the power to oppose them. His Law and Justice is Righteous and Ultimate.

God is pervasive in His Creation and also extends beyond it; He is thus Immanent in His Creation and at the same time Transcends it.

God is Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and Omniscient.

Nothing, whether good or evil, can happen outside of His Will.

He Himself is the Life of life, the Death of death.
He Himself is the Darkness of darkness, the Light of light.

He is the Creator-Sustainer-Annuller of His Creation.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Do We Have Mercy ?

The well known Nobel Prize winning author, Isaac Bashevis Singer once wrote :

" The longer I am a vegetarian, the more I feel how wrong it is to kill animals and eat them. I think that eating meat, fish (and the flesh of all creatures) is a denial of all ideals, even of all religions.

How can we pray to God for mercy if we ourselves have no mercy ?

How can we speak of rights and justice, if we take an innocent creature and shed its blood ?

Every kind of killing is savage and there is no justification for it.

As long as people will shed the blood of innocent creatures, there can be no peace, no liberty, no harmony between people.

Slaughter and justice cannot dwell together.

If Man has the heart to cut the throat of a chicken or calf, there is no reason he should not be willing to cut the throat of another Man. "

Friday, September 7, 2007

Compassion

Compassion is about recognizing the pain and suffering that someone else is going through and wishing for that suffering to be alleviated.

This pain and suffering can be seen in individuals who we associate with on a daily basis, our parents, spouse, our children, relatives and close friends.

We identify with their suffering, imagine what they are going through and hope that this suffering will come to an end.

On seeing the pain of someone who is suffering, a compassionate heart softens and lead to tears in the eyes.

If we learn to generate compassion in our mind, then we will not harm other living beings - humans and animals alike.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Four Things to Know

A Persian mystic once said, " I have chosen four things to know, and have discarded all other knowledge in this world."

He was asked, " What are they ? "
This was his answer :

" Firstly, I know that my daily bread is apportioned to me and will neither be increased nor diminished. Consequently, I have ceased to augment it.

Secondly, I know that I owe to God a debt which no other person can pay on my behalf. Therefore, I am occupied with paying it.

Thirdly, I know that there is One pursuing me (death) from whom I cannot escape. Accordingly, I am preparing myself to meet him.

Fourthly, I know that God is observing me ; therefore I am ashamed to do what I should Not do in His Presence. "
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Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Contentment

Contentment is a pearl of great price,
whoever procures it at the
expense of ten thousand desires,
makes a wise and happy choice.
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Monday, September 3, 2007

Two Lines to Ponder.....

Learn to Give, Learn to Share,
Not to Judge.
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