THE MEANING OF LIFE: SOME THOUGHTS, MANY BORROWED

A lamp in india lit near gods to enlighten the Temple.
Author: Aditya thaokar
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THE MEANING OF LIFE: SOME THOUGHTS, MANY BORROWED

Many ask the question: “Does life have any meaning at all?”

My answer is this: life, in itself, may have no inherent meaning. It is up to each of us to give our life meaning. In other words, you are the one who provides meaning to your life.

Life is a mixture of ups and downs. For some, the downs may seem more frequent than the ups. This is where self-effort and self-discipline become vital. For a few, life may seem like a bed of roses. But for most, it is a struggle—and so we must struggle. We must fight, and fight until the very end.

Yield not to feebleness; yield not to weaknesses; yield not to temptations; yield not to evil.

You are a warrior, a fighter. Overcome all that is bad and evil.

The Creator is impartial. Each one of us has been gifted with some UNIQUE quality. Becoming aware of this gift and accepting it as a fact of life is crucial.

The next step is to identify your unique talent.

Then nurture it.

Develop it to its fullest potential.

Express it through a suitable endeavor—not just to benefit yourself and your family but also to serve society, perhaps even all mankind.

When you do this, your life becomes meaningful.

When your achievements benefit all humankind, you become a blessing to the world.

Along this path, you will have lit many lamp posts, guiding your stumbling brethren who gratefully find comfort and hope in their lives.

In the end, we come to fully realize that, despite our differences, at the core of our being we are all one. This is the essence of Advaita—non-duality. You are not merely your body, mind, intellect, senses, or ego. You are a limitless being, the Atman. A spark of the Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, and Eternal.

It is Maya that makes you believe you are an ordinary being—powerless, helpless, tossed about by life’s vicissitudes. Maya deludes us in many ways, confusing reality with illusion.

But once you realize your true Self, Maya vanishes. You shine in the glory of the Omniscient and Omnipotent.

It is never too late to realize your potential and make life truly meaningful. No matter where you stand now, this goal is still within your reach.

May God help you on this path toward perfection and self-realization!

Grateful thanks to PERPLEXITY AI for its help in  improving this blogpost.

GEMS FROM SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

GEMS FROM SRI PARAMHANSA YOGANANDA

GEMS FROM SRI RAMANA MAHARISHI

GEMS FROM THICH NHAT HANH

                                                                      Wikimedia Commons 

Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.

― Thich Nhat Hanh, 

     Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life

ENJOY IMPERISHABLE BLISS

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GEMS FROM THE BUDDHA

VEDIC GYAN: Grand Guruvayur Sri Krishna

VEDIK GYAN  🛕🛕* 

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      *Grand Guruvayur Sri Krishna*

Narayaneeyam is a stotra composed by Narayana Bhattathiri. Stotra means explaining and highlighting the prevailing good characteristics in someone. Vedas say Devas love it when yagnas are conducted, while pitrus are pleased when their descendants pray to them. It is human nature to revel in being praised as a good person. However, not everyone remains good constantly. God alone has that unique trait, which is why He is celebrated by staunch devotees such as Bhattathiri.

We love to listen to scriptural discourses because we believe that God will come to our aid, as He has done for countless others. It is not possible to see God, only experience Him. Why so? The first sloka of Narayaneeyam offers an answer. The Supreme Reality, the Brahma Tatwa, which is not easy to grasp in the beginning, (we cannot see this God through our human eyes), but the realisation of which is the highest purushartha, shines right in (concrete form) as Sri Krishna at the Guruvayur temple.

Wonderful indeed is the good fortune of those who seek His Grace, says Bhattathiri. If God chooses, He will appear to His true devotee, as He did to Arjuna. Chapter XII of the Bhagavad Gita says that having decided to show His Viswaroopam to Arjuna, Krishna says, “Let me empower you to see My form,” after which Arjuna is able to behold the Divine Form.

One may wonder why if He is the Brahma Tatwa, the deity at Guruvayur has such a defined form: glistening like sunrise, with long eyes that stretch nearly to the ears, reeking of kindness, teeth like pearls, neck adorned with precious garlands and necklaces, with Mahalakshmi gracing His chest. This form of the idol is said to have been in worship and when Krishna was ready to depart, He instructed Guru and Vayu to carry the idol and install it at a sacred spot. As they journeyed with the idol, Lord Siva, whose form was installed at the very place where Sri Krishna now stands in Guruvayur, instructed Guru and Vayu to leave the idol there as it was the purest place. He Himself decided to move His sojourn a few metres away, in order to help devotees pray to Krishna in peace.

Grateful thanks to SHUBOUDHAY!

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PRAHLADA’S BHAKTI

Learning is everything and putting our children through the right education is important. Our intentions in life have to be on point and principled. 

Hiranyakasipu was very fond of his son Prahlada, but wanted him raised in the manner of asuras, even though the boy showed great promise at a young age. When the instructors tutored him in a narrow vein, Prahlada continued to stay true to his early lessons, the ones he heard when he was still in the womb of his mother, as narrated by Narada, said Damal S. Perundevi. 

Therefore, when his father asked him about the best lessons he received from his teachers, the young boy promptly discoursed on how one should learn to develop bhakti.

Hearing about Vishnu (shravanam), singing about Him (kirtanam), remembering Him (smaranam), serving Him (padasevanam), worshipping Him (archanam), saluting Him (vandanam), being His servant (dasyam), being His comrade (sakhyam), and surrendering oneself and everything that is one’s own to Him (atmanivedhanam) are the nine aspects of bhakti or god-love. 

If a man could be trained to practice devotion characterised by these nine features, that indeed would be the highest education he could have,  Prahlada said.

A furious Hiranyakasipu said there was no other god but himself, but Prahlada’s faith was unshakable. When Hiranyakasipu asks, “Where is that Lord of the world that you speak of, if there is any such other than me?”, an unruffled Prahlada says, “Everywhere.” 

Pointing to a pillar, the asura asks, “Is he in this pillar then?” and the son quietly replies, “I see him there too.” Prahlada constantly thought of God (smaranam) and this fetched him the desired result. Sri Hari, taking the avatar of Nrisimha, burst forth from the pillar, proving that He is ever ready to rush to the aid of his devotees.

Grateful thanks to SHUBOUDHAY!