That Man.....

That Man.....

• who in the midst of pain, does not feel pain
• who is not affected by pleasure, affection or fear
• who looks alike upon gold and dust
• who is not swayed by either slander or praise
• who is not affected by greed, attachment or pride
• who renounces all hopes and desires
• who remains desire-less in this world
• who is not touched by sexual desires or anger
• who remains unaffected by joy and sorrow, honor and dishonor

Within that Man's heart - God dwells.

That Man blessed by his Guru's Grace understands the way.

O Nanak, that Man merges with the Lord, Creator or God, like water with water.

from the Sri Granth Sahib

O Mind, Wake Up !

Why are you sleeping unaware ?

That body, which you were born with,
shall not go along with you in the end.

Mother, father, wife, husband, children
and relatives whom you love so dearly
will assign your body to the fire or earth,
when your soul departs from it.

Your worldy affairs exist only as long as you
are alive ; know this well.

O Nanak, sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord ;
everything is but a dream.


from the Sri Granth Sahib

O Master, i have come to Your Sanctuary

Grant me the peace and glory of the Lord's Name,
and remove my anxiety

i cannot see any other place of shelter ;
i have grown weary and lay collapsed at your door.

Please ignore my karmic account ;
Only then may i be saved.

i am worthless - please, save me.

You are always forgiving and merciful ;
You give support to all.

Slave Nanak follows the Path of the Saints ;
prays Nanak, save him O Lord, this time.

from the Sri Granth Sahib

His Will

.

Life is but a DRAMA

.

directed by GOD

.

Therefore accept,

.

accept & accept

.

It's all His Will

.

J.P Vaswani

Heaven & Hell

.

The home which is filled with

love and harmony

is comparable to Heaven

.

The home where there is

dissent and hatred

that is Hell

.

Rosary of thy Name

.

Repeating thy name with loving remembrance,

my heart's beat has turned into a rosary

rolling out thy name,

i have come to thy feet,

for they are the ultimate resting place

for my weary soul,

my eyes yearn to see your radiant face,

they await to behold that precious moment

when thou shall appear

Repeating thy name with love,

this life is dedicated to thy name

.

author Unknown

Meatless Day - November 25th

.

MAKE YOUR STOMACH

.

A GARDEN

.

NOT A GRAVEYARD

.

.

JP Vaswani

.

The Merchant and his Clever Parrot

There was a certain merchant who kept a parrot in a cage.

Being about to travel to Hindustan on business, he asked the parrot if it had any message to send to its kinsmen in that country, and the parrot desired him to tell them that it was kept confined in a cage.

The merchant promised to deliver this message, and on reaching Hindustan, duly delivered it to the first flock of parrots he saw.

On hearing it one of them at once fell down dead.

The merchant was annoyed with his own parrot for having sent such a fatal message, and on his return home sharply rebuked his parrot for doing so.

The parrot no sooner heard the merchant's tale than it too fell down dead in its cage.

The merchant, after lamenting his death, took his corpse out of the cage and threw it away.

To his surprise, the parrot immediately recovered life, and flew away, explaining that the Hindustani parrot had only feigned death to suggest this way of escaping from confinement in a cage.

From The Masnavi by Maulana Rumi

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

The analogy of this story is similar to the plight of our soul.

The soul is imprisoned in this body and True Masters or Saints of the Highest order come to this world with the message of "die to live".

Only when we "die" while living - that is to achieve God consciousness while in this body - only then can we be free from this mortal world and work our way towards self-realization and ultimately God Realization.

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Human Values

* There is One God and He is the creator of all.

* All humans are equal before God regardless of their caste, race, sex, creed, religion, origin, color, education and wealth status.

* Love for God's creation.

* To honestly earn one's living by one's own physical or mental effort.

* Achieve God consciousness and constant loving remembrance of God.

* To live in God's Will. Cultivate the ability to realize that happy and miserable events are two sides of the same coin.

* Always speak the Truth and live a truthful life.

* Cultivate the spirit of Giving and sharing.

* Living in Harmony with one and all.

Truth to Ponder.....

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If there is a painting

there is a painter.

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If there is a Creation

there must be a Creator.

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Human Life

How sad it is that human life, precious as a priceless diamond, has been treated as a worn out, worthless coin!

There is no use repenting after having wasted one's time without meditating on God, or practising any other Sadhana (spiritual exercise) to realise Him.

What is the use of digging a well for water when the house is already on fire?

To begin contemplation on God during the end of one's life is like beginning to dig the well when the fire is already raging on.
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Sai Baba

All About God

** You are within God. God is within you.

** God's delays are not God's denials.

** God is infinite and without end, but the soul's desire is an abyss which cannot be filled except by a Good which is infinite; and the more ardently the soul longeth after God, the more she wills to long after him; for God is a Good without drawback, and a well of living water without bottom, and the soul is made in the image of God, and therefore it is created to know and love God.

** Nothing hath separated us from God but our own will, or rather our own will is our separation from God.

** To know the will of God is the greatest knowledge! To do the will of God is the greatest achievement.

** To be full of things is to be empty of God. To be empty of things is to be full of God.

** We turn to God for help when our foundations are shaking, only to learn that it is God who is shaking them.

** Love is a gift from God, and as we obey His laws and genuinely learn to serve others, we develop God's love in our lives. Love of God is the means of unlocking divine powers which help us to live worthily and to overcome the world.

** There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, Thy will be done, and those to whom God says, All right, then, have it your way.

** Let nothing disturb thee; Let nothing dismay thee; All things pass; God never changes. Patience attains All that it strives for; He who has God Finds he lacks nothing.

** If I were to say, God, why me? about the bad things, then I should have said, God, why me? about the good things that happened in my life.

** One has to believe that God is managing affairs and that He doesn't need any advice from us. With God in charge, believe everything will work out for the best in the end. So what is there to worry about.

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Source: Quotationsbook

Spirit of Giving

Lord Krishna says in the Gita:

Whosoever offers to Me with love and devotion

A leaf, a flower, a fruit, a little water,

That offering of love made by a pure heart,

I accept, O Arjuna !

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It is not what you give that counts ; it is the spirit with which you give it.

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How so ever costly be the gift, if it is empty of love, it can be of no value to Him, the Lord of this creation. A little gift of no material value is precious to Him if it carries within it the love of a pure devoted heart.

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A gift is but the container, the outer vessel. What does it contain - does it carry within it egoistic thoughts or a desire for self glorification ? Or does it contain the aspiration of a humble heart ?

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Once upon a time, a king built a marble temple at a cost of several million dollars.

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When the temple was completed, he said to himself in the pride of kingship,

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" What a beautiful building I have built unto the Lord ! Generations unborn will look at it in wonder and awe ! "

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His offering was infected with a sense of "I"-ness and was not accepted by the Lord.

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Instead He accepted the humble offering of a poor widow, who took from her mattress pieces of straw and fed the oxen who drew the marble from the ships

for the construction of the temple.

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Till this day, the credit for the marble temple is given not to the king who spent millions, but to the poor widow who, out of the fullness of a humble, loving heart, gave only pieces of straw !

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Prayer

Our Prayers to the Lord should be filled with less demands and more thanks.

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A Dark Period of Disintegration

The modern world is wading through a dark period of disintegration. There is unrest alike in the East and in the West. The global financial turmoil has cast worries and uncertaintity to one and all.

Our scientific discoveries and technological achievements have not made us happy or contented.

Mankind has reached the Moon but we have yet to learn how to make our world, this Earth, a place where men and nations may live together in harmony and peace.

All over the civilized world, the cry goes forth from frustrated hearts :

" Is life worth living ? "

"Life is worth living ! ", the saint Sadhu Vaswani proclaims.

"All suffering and pain spring from the lower self of desires and appetites, the ego, the sense of I-ness. The ego is the cause of our suffering and sin. The cure
of this pain is to renounce the ego and be filled with the 'Word" or Name of God."

The question arises as to why is it that though we have all we need, we still are unhappy and there is no peace in our hearts ?

Sadhu Vaswani says, " You are unhappy because you wander. You wander because you are victims to desires and appetites. These will not let you rest in peace."

" Give your mind and heart to God. Let your hands be engaged in work ; but let your thoughts dwell on the Lord. For thoughts are internal forces. As you think so you make or mar yourself. "

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An Elaborate Illusion

It is difficult for Man to come to terms with the reality that this existence is an elaborate illusion.

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It is but a dream that will end when its time runs out, at the ring of the alarm clock.

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Therefore, to crave desires and amass things of this world is to place one's hopes on the proverbial mirage of the desert that floats - always out of reach.

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It can never give us what we really want - true happiness.

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God first.....

Each and everyone one of us is going through tough times right now, but God is ready to bless us in a way that only He can.

Keep the faith.

When God Answers your Prayer, He is increasing your Faith, When He delays, He is increasing your Patience, When He Don’t Give you what you ask for, then He has Something BETTER.....

Pray first before you do anything, aim and shoot high in your goals, and stay focused on God.

Never let others discourage you concerning your past.

The past is exactly that, "the past".

Live every day one day at a time and remember that only God knows our future and that he will not put you through any more than you can bear.

Do not look to man for your blessings, but look to the doors that only He has prepared in advance for you in your favor.

Wait, be still, and patient.

God first and everything else will follow.

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Quote from Wisdom of the Way

Man is born with his hands clenched ;

He dies with his hands wide open.

Entering life, he desires to grasp everything ;

Leaving the world upon death, all he possessed has slipped away.

from the Jewish Talmud

The Cause

All our difficulties are like a mirror.

They reveal our true form.

We harbour all types of desires and consequently undergo many sufferings.

Therefore, give no room to any desires.

Our unlimited desires are the cause of all our difficulties.

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Why have we drifted away ?

It is said that God is closer to us than our hands are.....

He always remains close to us but it is we who have drifted away from Him due to our pursuit of worldly possessions and attachments. a
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To feed an animal OR to feed ON an animal ?

Which is nobler - to feed an animal or to feed on an animal ?

Surely, the former.

These hands are given to us to help and not to harm, to bless and not to butcher, to serve and not to slaughter.

We must not take away that which we cannot give.

As we cannot restore a dead creature to life, we have no right to take away its life.

Most of the animals that man kills for food, live on a vegetarian diet.

Why then, should we not go to the source of all nutrition - vegetarian food ?

Quote by J P Vaswani
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Man without Morality is verily a Demon

Wherever we look in the world these days, greed and desires are on the rise.

People today are accumulating sin due to the misuse of their senses and everyone is filled with unlimited desires.

People appear to speak sweetly, but their minds are full of bitterness.

What is the purpose of human birth ? Who is a human being ?

Human being is the embodiment of Divinity.

Man has taken birth not to raise a family or fill his belly but to redeem his life.

If he acts contrary to this, he loses his human-ness. Human beings become divine when they free themselves from desires.

If one takes to a wrong path, how can one be called a human being ? That is why it is hard to find a true human being today anywhere.

Where there is truth and righteousness, peace will come there automatically.

Love can develop only in peace. Where there is love, violence cannot exist.

Therefore, if you want to have peace, primarily develop love. If you want to have love, adhere to truth.

There is an element of untruth in Man. Today, man resorts to untruth even in small matters. On top of it, he is full of anger. Anger completely eclipses truth in man.

Wherever we look in this world, we do not find even a trace of peace anywhere.

Where is peace?

Peace is only within us. It is there in our speech and in our heart. It cannot be found outside.

First and foremost, we should make our heart steady and peaceful.

We find only conflicts wherever we look in this world. Even intimate friends who have love for each other quarrel on trivial issues. In fact, one cannot find a true friend in this world.

Evil qualities of our heart are responsible for these conflicts. Therefore, make your heart pure — not the physical heart but the spiritual heart. There should not be even a trace of impurity in it.

People today are accumulating a lot of money.
But what for ?

What will they take with them when they die?

They have to go empty-handed. They have to leave even their body here when they go.

Therefore, do not be proud of the body or wealth.

All worldly things are like passing clouds, which come and go.To feel proud of these passing clouds is a great mistake.

Money comes and Goes ; Morality comes and Grows. Develop morality.

In spite of their high education, people today have lost their morality. One bereft of morality is not a human being at all.

In fact, one is a demon in human form.

Where there is no morality, there can be no human-ness.

Only God can give you true happiness.There is nobody in this world who can give you happiness except God.

God alone protects you in every way. Always contemplate on Him.

You will be free from all sorrows when you constantly contemplate on God.

- condensed from a discourse by Sri Sathya Sai Baba

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i know not who i am

Here is an English translation of 16th century Sufi saint Bulleh Shah's poetry.

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i know not who i am

i am neither a believer

Nor given to non-believing ways

Neither clean nor unclean

i am neither Moses nor Pharaoh

i know not who i am

i am neither among sinners nor among saints

Neither happy nor unhappy

i belong neither to water nor to earth

i am neither fire nor air

i know not who i am

Neither do i know the secret of religion

nor am i born of Adam and Eve

i have given my self no name

i belong neither to those who squat and pray

Nor to those who have gone astray

i know not who i am

i was in the beginning, i'd be there in the end

i know not any one other than the ONE

Who could be wiser than Bulleh Shah

Whose Master is ever there to tend ?

i know not who i am

Bulleh Shah
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The Exit - Death

Death knows no calendar, and no one can predict it, nor can anyone escape from it with all his cunning and wit.

Each living thing has its own allotted span of life time.

Death is real and unavoidable. It is the only real thing in the midst of the unrealities of this world.

Everyone, rich or poor, king or beggar, young or old, healthy or diseased, has to pass through the trap door of death, whether one likes to do so or not.

One may live for a long or short period, for a hundred years or just a while; but one cannot live on eternally in one and the same life form which, in course of time, is sure to decay and become wearily burdensome.

" Neither kings nor beggars remain,

All go ; each one in his own time."

" All thy life thou hast bemoaned the death of others ; Why not sit for a while and ponder over thy own fate? "

Is death a painful process ?

The scriptures tell us of the excruciating pain that a dying person suffers at the time of death.

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In the Bhagwod Purana it is said that one experiences the horrors of death - pangs of pain as if one were bitten by a million scorpions at once.

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The holy Quran likens the throes of death to the condition of a person when a thorny hedge were pulled through the alimentary canal from one end to the other.

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The Sikh scriptures also speak in much the same strain:

" The life-currents are wrenched out."

All such statements are merely illustrative of the immensity of the torture that one may experience when the demons of death appear to forcibly take the spirit out of the body.

What actually happens at that time, it is only the dying man who knows.

No one, after the actual experience of terminal death, has ever returned from across the borders of the death land to tell us of the exact nature of his final sufferings.

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Each one suffers unto himself and becomes silent forever.

To be on the death bed is a veritable nailing on the cross, and the death chamber is a charnel house.

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One can scarcely stand unmoved when some people toss restlessly for days on end with a death-rattle in their throat, writhing in extreme agony on the death bed.

Who can understand the tortures of death ?

All stand helplessly by - the best of physicians, administering drugs to the last; the attendant nurses, walking on tip-toes; the nearest of kith and kin with tearful eyes, woebegone looks and somber faces, awaiting the inevitable end.

Who hears the piteous cries of the poor victim and of his life companions, his wife and children ?

" As the wife with hairs dishevelled moans her loss, the solitary spirit wings its way alone."

- Sant Kabir

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Mother of all Evils

" Wine is the mother of all evils ;

all the evils appear when wine is drunk "

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Here is an interesting anecdote to illustrate this :

Once there was a King who wanted to know what was the most evil thing in the entire world - the cause of all evil acts.

He was curious and determined to know. So he set up a plan with his advisers.

Around the city boundary he built a very big wall, with four doors in it. At each door he put an object to test the people of his kingdom.

At one door he placed a cow, at another a few prostitutes, at the third door he set up a food shop selling meat, and finally at the fourth door large containers full of wine were placed.

Guards patrolled outside the doors and everybody in the city were told that if they had to leave the city then they had to go through any one of the doors and had to enjoy whatever was kept inside the door that they were going through.

There was one simple good man who wanted to leave the city.

First he went to the door where the cow was kept, and the guard told him that if he wanted to go out, he had to kick the cow.

He was a god fearing and learned man, and knew that in the Hindu scriptures it is written that it is a grave sin to kick a cow, so he thought,

"I will not go through this door - I will go through another door."

When he went to the second door, he saw there were prostitutes and thought,

"It is not good to enjoy with those woman. In the Hindu scriptures it is written that it is a very heavy sin."

He proceeded to the third door and was told by the guard to eat the meat.

He let out a cry,

"This is the worst sin in the world - to eat the meat of an animal after killing it."

Finally he decided to go through the fourth door.

When he saw the containers full of wine, he thought,

"What is wrong in drinking wine ? It is made of mead and sugar and there is nothing wrong in that."

So he drank the wine, and after drinking the wine, he became intoxicated.

In the state of intoxication one loses one's intelligence - so the simple good man lost his sense of discrimating between the good and the bad.

The intoxication of the wine brought desires into his mind to eat the meat, and when he finished eating, the desire of lust came to him and he enjoyed with the prostitutes.

After all the enjoyment at the three doors, he moved to the fourth door, and started kicking the cow many times, saying,

"Why are you standing here ? You are in my way."

In that way he committed every sin after drinking the wine.

The next morning, when he realized what he had done the night before, he repented, and thought that if he had gone through anyone of those doors except that wine door, he would have had only one sin to his account

However now since he first went through the wine door, and drank that wine, he did all the sins.

So indeed alcohol-wine is the mother of all evils.

Its use unsettles the mind, and an unsettled mind brings in its trail all the evils which one in a normal state avoids.

The soul addicted to intoxicants never crosses the ocean of life.

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more and More & MORE

Once upon a time in a small village there lived a proud learned man who would boast that he was very much in control of his desires.

One day a wise old man visited him and decided to test his will-power.

The wise old man gave him four candles and said,

"Burn one candle and go in one direction. When the candle goes out, dig the ground at that place. Be contented with whatever you find there: do not go in any other direction."

As he handed the man the candles, the wise old man continued,

"However if you decide to go in another direction, don't go in the third direction. Even if you have to go in the third direction, never go in the fourth direction."

So the learned man went out and burnt one candle.He walked in one direction.

When the candle went out, he dug the ground and found some silver coins.

He was not contented; even though the wise old man had told him not to go in another direction, he decided,

"If I have found silver coins in this place, let me go and see what is there in the next direction."

So he burnt another candle and went in the second direction. When the candle burnt out, he dug at that place and found some gold coins.

He became very happy and desire began growing within him for more treasure.

He thought, "That wise man told me not to come to this place because he knew that there was more valuable treasure here, and that's why he didn't want me to come and get it! Maybe he has kept even more valuable treasures in the third direction, so let me go and get that !"

The roots of desire were taking a strong hold of him.

So obeying his mind, he went in the third direction where he discovered some diamonds and gold nuggets.

He was extremely happy, and feeling prosperous, he thought,

"All right. Let me go and try in the fourth direction and I am sure there will be more valuables and great wealth over there."

By now he had collected silver and gold coins, diamonds and gold nuggets from the three directions. He was rich but not contented.

The roots of desire were getting stronger and stronger.

Desire is such a thing that if we have a hundred dollars, we want a thousand; if we have a thousand, we desire ten thousand. It goes on increasing and increasing.

Finally he decided to burn his fourth and last candle.

However he had forgotten that the wise old man had warned him that ,

"...even if you have to go in the third direction, never go in the fourth direction."

His desires drove him to the fourth direction and when the candle burnt out he dug at the ground there.

He kept digging for some time and finally he found an underground tunnel that led him to a house with only a door ; there were no windows.

When he entered the house he saw a woman standing there holding up the roof with her head. She looked very confused and tired.

The learned man walked up to her and said,

"My dear, please tell me, is there any treasure here in this house ?"

The woman replied, "Yes, there is a lot of wealth here, but i cannot tell you where it is hidden because I have this burden of the roof on my head. If you can help share this burden, that is, if you will come and take my place, then I will become free and I will be able to tell you where the treasure is hidden."

The man was more concerned in satisfying his desire for more wealth and did not realize that he was being fooled.

So he took the place of that woman, who had been standing there for ages.

When she became free, she said,

"Yes, there is a lot of wealth here in this house ; but you will get it only when somebody like you comes and takes this burden of holding the roof."

Desire is such a thing that it never comes to an end, it just goes on increasing and increasing ..... and what are the consequences ?

We end up being caught "holding the roof ".

It is the desires of man which keeps him forever a "pauper".

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In the hands of man.....

If it were in the hands of man, he would have taken everything ; but whatever God wishes, only that happens.
- from The Sukhmani of Guru Arjan Devji

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If it were in the control of any one particular man, then that man would never allow anyone else in this world to have any wealth, or to make use of the resources which are in this world.

That man would want to have all those good blessings only for himself.

Thus the Guru says that it is all in the hands of God - "Whatever He wishes, only that happens."

Here is an interesting anecdote to illustrate this :

Once there was a poor farmer who did steadfast devotion to God.

God became pleased with him and He granted him a boon - ask the Lord for anything and it would be granted.

God gave the farmer a little bell and said, "Whenever you need anything, just ring the bell and whatever you ask for, will be provided to you. However whatever you ask for, your neighbour will get double - double of what you get."

When God gave him that bell, the farmer was very pleased, but when he heard that his neighbour would get double of what he would get, he didn't like the idea.

So he went home and told his wife, "I have got this bell from God but the condition is that whatever we get, our neighbour will get double of it. So that is why I don't want to ring this bell and I don't want to get anything from God."

As the days passed, the farmer's condition became more desperate - his crops were lost to fire and he incurred more loses than before.

Inspite of all this he did not ring the bell as the thought of his neighbour getting prosperous bothered him.

So he didn't ring the bell and he didn't ask God for anything.

Many times his wife said to him, "Why should you bother about the neighbours? If they get, with the grace of God, double what we get, let them have it; they are also human beings. Let us at least have what we need!"

"Why should they get anything? I did the devotion, I pleased God and He has given me this boon! Why should I use this boon and let them take advantage of it? I don't want to do that." the farmer replied stubbornly.

God put him through many tests, and the farmer became very poor. His small plot of land became barren and the family was left with very little food.

Yet the man did not ring the bell because he was jealous that his neighbours would get more.

Finally he was in such dire straits that he had to leave his hometown to find work elsewhere.

When he had left, his wife decided to make use of the bell as she could no longer see herself and her family suffering.

She had a different attitude from her husband and thought, "What's wrong if the neighbours get something? They are also human! They should also have what we have."

So she rang the bell and God gave her whatever she asked for and the neighbours got double of it. Many days passed and she became prosperous, and the neighbours became twice as prosperous.

After a few months the man returned home, and saw that his family was living very happily and they were prosperous.

His friends remarked that it was all the grace of God.

The man knew that his wife had used the bell and became upset when he saw that the neighbours had twice as much as his family had.

So he rang the bell and said to God, " Please my Lord i humbly request for these ..... firstly I want a deep well in front of my house."

God granted his wish and his neighbours received two deep wells.

"Next my Lord i request you to make me one-eyed - to take away one of my eyes."

When that wish was granted the man lost vision in one eye but his neighbours became blind in both eyes.

When the blind neighbours in their pain and agony came out of their houses, they fell into the deep wells and died.

Only then was the farmer contented.....

This story illustrates that if supreme power were in the hands of Man, then whoever was in control would never allow other people to enjoy the blessings of God.

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That Man would always keep everything - all the blessings from God - to himself.

However God has not done that. HE has kept everything with Him and if HE wants, only then HE gives.

Whatever He wants to give to man, He gives at his own discretion.

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There is no one to question His authority.

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He has not given the control of this to man; He has kept it in His hands.

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Man is a Slave.....

Man is a slave to the five senses of touch, smell, sight, taste and hearing which in turn are responsible for the actions of lust, anger, greed, attachment and ego.

In animals and the lower species one sense is dominant that gains control.

A moth, for example, is governed by the sense of sight, to the extent of burning itself to death in the heat of a flame or bright light.

Fish, on the other hand, are governed by the sense of taste; and although happily swimming about in the water, yet they will rise to the angler's bait--only to be caught on the hook and die in agonies of torment, flapping around gasping for air.

The large black bumblebee has a very strong sense of smell, and through this easily loses his life to a certain tropical flower that has the ability to close its petals over any insect entering within it.

The sense of hearing is overpowering in a deer. Hunters play a certain tune on a special drum, hearing which the deer is drawn helplessly towards it in ecstasy of that sound, until it quietly lays its head down upon the drum and, of course, is captured.

In the male elephant the sense of touch is very strong (mating). In order to capture or kill it, hunters prepare a large pit and cover it with leaves and then station a female elephant nearby. When the male scents the female, he loses all caution and rushes toward her and falls into the pit which lies in his path. It then spends its life in captivity or killed for its tusk.

So, it is noted that when even a single sense out of the five is ruling and overpowering, it can bring death or slavery.

Take a pause and contemplate on this :

What then will be the condition of us human beings who are slaves to all of these five senses?
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Thoughts and their Consequences

Here is a poem by Bhagat Trilochan written in the Guru Granth Sahib.

He describes the relationship between the thought pattern in the mind just before a person dies and the consequence of that thought.

At the very last moment, one who thinks of his wealth( Greed ), and dies in such thoughts, will be reincarnated over and over again, in the form of serpents.

O sister, do not forget God's Name.

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At the very last moment, he who thinks of women(Lust),and dies in such thoughts, will be reincarnated over and over again as a prostitute.

At the very last moment, one who thinks of his children( Attachment ), and dies in such thoughts, will be reincarnated over and over again as a pig.

At the very last moment, one who thinks of his houses and mansions( Ego), and dies in such thoughts, will be reincarnated over and over again as a ghost.

At the very last moment one who thinks of God, and dies in such thoughts, says Trilochan, that man will be liberated;

God will abide in his heart.

The Ocean & the Rain Drop

When you are in the ocean, before birth, you are part of the ocean, you have no identity, you are the ocean itself, but then the cosmic wind stirs the waves and you become separated from the ocean as spray, you become absorbed into the clouds and form into a raindrop.

For a brief moment in time you think that you are separate from the ocean, that you have a separate identity and purpose, but then the rain falls and you return to the ocean.

That is the nature of human life.

We are temporarily separated from the Source of our being but we will all return one day to the Source from which we came.

There are four important questions that we all should consider -

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Who am I?

Where did I come from?

How long will I be here?
Whither am I going?

- Sai Baba

Karmas

Karma is responsible for birth, existence, and death.

It holds sway over all stages of life as the very deity of human existence.

It is responsible for joy and sorrow.

Karma (action) is the very life breath of a human. Every human being has to undertake karma keeping in mind the possible result of the karmas.

This is the most important duty of a human being. As the karma, so will be the result. One has to keep good health, not merely physical health but mental health too.

Thoughts and resolutions should also be healthy. Good thoughts result in good karmas. When one undertakes karmas with evil thoughts, the result will also be bad.

Who made the bats to hang from the branches of a tree with their heads downward ? Has anyone tied them upside down out of hatred? No, it is their fate.

Likewise, nobody can escape from the consequences of karma. A human being does bad karmas, entertains bad thoughts, and ultimately encounters bad results.

On the other hand, one who entertains good thoughts and undertakes good karmas enjoys good results. It is not possible to get good results by doing bad deeds.

A small example: when one writes correct answers for the questions in an examination, one will get good marks, and vice verse.

Undertaking bad deeds denotes animal tendency. One has to analyze at every stage whether one is behaving like a human being or an animal. When you indulge in bad deeds, even your neighbours will restrain you, saying, "Being born as a human, why do you behave like an animal?"

Thus, one is ridiculed and punished even by a fellow human being. When one resort to evil deeds, one need not have to wait for long till God decides to mete out the punishment.

By doing a bad deed, a good result cannot be achieved;

By doing a good deed, bad results will not accrue;

Having planted a lime sapling, can you obtain a mango fruit ?

By planting a mango sapling, can you get a lime fruit?

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Truth to Ponder......

Right from the time of getting up till going to bed, we struggle to acquire wealth.

We spend all our mental and physical energy on amassing wealth. We undergo many difficulties in the process.

Our mind is confused, and Divinity is forgotten.
It is an endless struggle.

What kind of peace, pleasure, and comfort can we enjoy in this struggle for wealth?
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Three Men & A Landlord

Once upon a time in a small town, there lived a rich landlord. He was well known for his generosity and kindness.

In that same town, there were three young men who decided to ask the landlord for some assistance to help them tide over their difficult period.

Now each of them went separately to meet the landlord and made their request accordingly.

The first man walked into the landlord's mansion and rudely gestured to the guards at the gate of his desire to meet the landlord.

Upon meeting him, the man said, "I am in need of some money. Please give me a thousand dollars."

The landlord was taken aback at this man's impudence and remarked,

"What ! You are demanding the money from me as though I owe them to you. How dare you ? Anyway since its my policy never to turn anyone away, here are fifty dollars ....you may go along."

The man walked away with the fifty dollar note.

A few days later the second man walked up to the landlord's mansion and with folded hands, begged the guards at the gate to let him meet the landlord.

When the landlord came, the man quickly bowed his head and with his folded hands said, " Sir, my greetings to you."

The landlord requested him to take a seat and then asked the man what was his problem.

The man then said, " Sir, please help me. I have not been able to get a job and my family has not had a good meal for some days now."

The landlord took out two hundred dollars and handed them to the man.

"Here take this and get yourself and your family a good meal...tomorrow morning come to my factory and i will arrange some work for you."

The man was very happy and grateful to the landlord.

Finally the third man decided to visit the landlord, but before that he made some research on the attributes and qualities of the landlord. His mind was convinced that the landlord was a noble and high soul.

He felt no desire to ask for any help but the thought of having just a glimpse of the landlord was sufficient for him.

One evening as he walked past the landlord's mansion, he politely asked the guards at the main gate if he could just stand by the side of the road in order to catch a glimpse of the landlord as he drove past in.

Unknown to the man, the landlord was taking a stroll nearby and overheard the man's request. He gestured the guard to let the man in.

The man was excited, with hands folded and beaming with joy, he exclaimed,

"Sir, i am so grateful to have the opportunity to meet you in person. I have heard about your noble qualities. The holy books say that men of charitable and kind disposition are verily the manifestations of God on earth ; it would be my good luck to spend some time in your presence."

The landlord replied, "Oh why not - i would be happy to spend some time with you, too. Come in and we shall have dinner together."

The landlord offered the man a hearty meal.

As they sat down to eat together, the landlord said, " Now please tell me what can i do for you."

The man replied,

"Sir, I merely came to meet such a noble personage that you are. You have shown your kindness and offered me this rich food ; for this i am so thankful. What more do i need from you ? Thank you... you have shown extraordinary kindness towards me. May God bless you! "

The landlord liked the man's simple nature and offered him a pleasant surprise.

"Do you see this huge farmland out there," the landlord said as he pointed towards the window.

"I need someone to look after the affairs of my land. Would you like to work for me ? You will stay at the farm house on my land and everything you need will be taken care of."

The man was at loss of words, and with tears streaming down his cheeks, accepted the landlord's generosity.

Now let us draw an analogy of the above story with our relationship with God.

The Creator, God or Almighty is similar in nature to the kind and generous landlord featured in our story.

In this world, there are three classes of people who approach Him, with their various desires and in a myriad of prayers.

The first in this class are those who are entrenched in greed, vanity, arrogance and desires.

They demand the objects of worldy enjoyment from God. Since they have some good sense to approach God , He grants them some portion of their desires.

(even these very soon pass away, just as the fifty dollar note given by the landlord to the first man will not last forever)

The next type are those who pray to God for the relief from the sufferings of this world.

They are sincere, truthful beings who abide by His will and stay within the rules of the creation.

The Creator grants them relief from suffering and bestows on them wealth and happiness.

Finally there are those rare souls who merely pray to God - not for any desires - but to be with Him only.

The Creator is highly pleased with this spirit of renunciation, of desirelessness and of self-surrender.

Therefore, God makes this rare soul eat His own food - He grants him Supreme Devotion to Himself. Over and above this, the soul lives in God's Abode forever as a liberated sage.

The Beggar's Bowl

An emperor was coming out of his palace for his morning walk when he met a beggar.He asked the beggar, 'What do you want?'

The beggar laughed and said, 'You are asking me as though you can fulfill my desire!'

The king was offended. He said, 'Of course I can fulfill your desire.What is it? Just tell me.'

The beggar said, 'Think twice before you promise anything.'

The emperor insisted, 'I will fulfill anything you ask. I am very powerful ; what can you possibly desire that I cannot give to you ?'

Actually the beggar was the emperor's past life spiritual master. He had promised the emperor in the previous life, that he would return and awaken the emperor to the reality of this existence.

The beggar then replied, 'It is a very simple desire. You see this begging bowl? Can you fill it with something?'

The emperor said, 'Of course!'

He called one of his ministers and said, 'Fill this man's begging bowl with some coins.'

The minister went and returned with a bag of gold coins and poured it into the bowl.The gold coins rolled into the bowl and then disappeared.

No matter how much he poured, it would disappear and the begging bowl would always remain empty.

The crowd in the palace gathered to watch this "magician's show". By and by the rumor went throughout the whole capital, and the crowd swelled.

The prestige of the emperor was at stake. The emperor then said to his ministers, 'If the whole kingdom is lost, I am ready to lose it, but I cannot be defeated by this beggar.'

Diamonds and pearls and emeralds were brought and poured into the bowl ; by now the kingdom's treasuries were becoming empty. The begging bowl seemed to be bottomless.

Everything that was put into it - everything! - immediately disappeared and went out of existence. Finally it was late evening, and the people were standing there in utter silence.

The emperor dropped at the feet of the beggar and admitted his defeat.

"Please just tell me one thing..." the emperor begged. "You are victorious - but before you leave, just fulfill my curiousity.What is this begging bowl made of ?"

The beggar laughed and said, 'It is made up of the human mind. There is no secret. It is simply made up of human desire.'

This understanding transforms life.

Go into any one desire. What is the mechanism of it? First there is a great excitement, great thrill, adventure. One feels a great kick.

Something is going to happen, you are on the verge of it.

Then you have the car, you have the yacht, you have the house, you have the woman, and suddenly all is meaningless again.

What happenend ?

The human mind has dematerialised it.

The car is standing in the driveway, but there is no excitement anymore.

The excitement was only in getting it. This intoxicating desire makes one forget our inner nothingness. When the desire is fulfilled, the car in the driveway, the person in bed, the money in the bank account - all that excitement disappears.

Again the emptiness is there, ready to eat us up in search of the next must have 'thing'.

The human mind creates another desire to escape this yawning abyss.

That is what drives us from one desire to another. It is an endless cycle that causes one to remain a "beggar" forever.

One's whole life proves it again and again - every desire creates a sense of frustration.

When the goal is achieved, one needs another desire.

The day we understand that our desires are the cause of our down fall (from the spiritual point of view) only then will come the turning point in our life.

Does God Listen ?

Never think that God does not answer our prayers.

Every word we have whispered to Him, He has written it in His heart, and He has His many ways of responding.

We must keep our love, faith and wait patiently - only then we will know that in fact He answers us all the time.

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