Gems from the Bible-4: 'Do not worry about Tomorrow'

Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Courtesy: ThinkExist.com :

http://en.thinkexist.com/quotes/bible/2.html

Q & A-6: 'What are the means by which one can see God?'

"Can you weep for Him with intense longing of heart? Men shed a jugful of tears for the sake of their children, for their wives, or for money. But who weeps for God? So long as the child remains engrossed with its toys, the mother looks after her cooking and other household duties. But when the child no longer relishes the toys, it throws them aside and yells for its mother. Then the mother takes the rice-pot down from the hearth, runs in haste, and takes the child in her arms."

(Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa- From "The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna" translated into English by Srimat Swami Nikhilanandaji Maharaj)

Gems from the Bible-3: 'Everyone is Unique'

Everyone has a unique role in God's plan. One that no one else can play. I am sure you will do what you are meant to do. Have Faith. No matter what lies ahead. Hold onto your Faith.

(Courtesy: Jerusalem 30 A.D. Quotations:

http://www.j30ad.org/Quotations.htm)

Gems from Jainism-2: Expiation

When a person commits a sinful deed, whether intentionally or unintentionally, he should immediately withdraw from that with the resolve that such an act will not be committed again.

(Courtesy: 'Springs of Jaina Wisdom' by Dulichand Jain)

Gems from the Bhagavad Gita-3: The Atman (Soul) is indestructible

No one can bring about the destruction of the self, this immutable principle. It is eternal, imperishable, immeasurable. He who thinks it (self, atman or soul) to be a slayer and he who thinks it is slain, both are ignorant (of the truth); it (self) neither slays nor is slain. It is not born and it does not die at any time. And it does not again come into existence by being born. It is birthless, constant, eternal and ancient; it is not slain when the body is slain. Weapons do not cut it, fire does not burn it, water does not wet moisten it, and wind does not dry it. Just as a person gives up worn out clothes and puts on other new ones, even so does the embodied self give up decrepit bodies and enter other new ones.

(Mainly based on the English translation of Srimat Swami Vireswaranandaji Maharaj)

Prayer of the Day-3: Lead kindly Light !

The famous prayer written by Cardinal John Henry Newman 1801-1890:

Lead, kindly Light, amid th’encircling gloom, lead Thou me on!The night is dark, and I am far from home; lead Thou me on!Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to seeThe distant scene; one step enough for me.

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou shouldst lead me on;I loved to choose and see my path; but now lead Thou me on!I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years!

So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still will lead me on.O’er moor and fen, o’er crag and torrent, till the night is gone,And with the morn those angel faces smile, which IHave loved long since, and lost awhile!

Meantime, along the narrow rugged path, Thyself hast trod,Lead, Savior, lead me home in childlike faith, home to my God.To rest forever after earthly strifeIn the calm light of everlasting life.

Full hymn with background info: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/l/e/a/leadkind.htm

Cardinal Newmann's bio: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/n/e/newman_jh.htm

Gems from Jainism-1: Give up deceit!

One who is free of deceit attains purity and becomes steadfast in Dharma. Such a person attains the highest emancipation like the lustre of fire sprinkled with ghee.

Gems from the Bible-2: Divine Words of Reassurance

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid...for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

(Oh! what great words of reassurance! Oh Suri! when you are uncertain and afraid, repeat these strength-giving words of the Bible.)

(Courtesy: http://en.thinkexist.com/quotes/bible/)

Gems from the Bhagavad Gita-2: The Real and the Unreal

The unreal has no existence and the real has no non-existence. The real is imperishable and no one can bring about the destruction of this immutable principle.

Q & A-5: How to control the mind?

Mind is intangible. In fact, it does not exist. The surest way of control, is to seek it. Then its activities cease.

Seek the mind. On being sought, it will disappear. The mind is only a bundle of thoughts. The thoughts arise because there is the thinker. The thinker is the ego. The ego, if sought, will vanish automatically. The ego and the mind are the same. The ego is the root-thought from which all other thoughts arise. Dive within. You are now aware that the mind rises from within. So sink within and seek. You need not eliminating the wrong 'I'. How can 'I' eliminate itself? All that you need to do is to find out its origin and abide there. Your efforts can extend only thus far. Then the Beyond will take care of itself. You are helpless there. No effort can reach it.

The individual cannot exist without the Self, but the Self can exist without the individual.

Our analyses are ended, that is, so far as the intellect goes. But they are not enough. Eliminating the 'not I' is not enough. The process is only intellectual. Now begins the real inner quest. The 'I' thought is the root now to be sought at its source. Find out who it is and abide there. (Conversations with Ramana Maharshi by Paul Brunton - Published by Sri Ramasramam, Tiruvannamalai)

Prayer of the Day-2: 'Make my heart Pure and Shining'

O Thou All-effulgent Spirit,
I bring Thee my love and humble worship.
Awaken in me such wisdom that I may seek
all my strength and safety in Thee.
Cleanse my mind from all alien thoughts
And make my heart so pure and shining
That it will ever reflect Thy Divine radiance
and glory.

(From "Book of Daily Thoughts and Prayers" by Swami Paramananda - Pub. by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai-600004).
Grateful thanks to Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore.

Gems from Buddha-1: 'Living Wisely and Earnestly'

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly - Buddha

Gems from the Quran-1: 'Remembering God Always'

If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it. In Happy moments, praise God. In Difficult moments, seek God. In Quiet moments, worship God. In Painful moments, trust God. In Every moment, thank God.

(Courtesy: http://www.talkislam.com/iquotes/)
Grateful thanks to Talk Islam.

Gems from the Bhagavad Gita-1: 'Yield not to unmanliness'

"Yield not to unmanliness; it ill becomes you. Cast off this faint-heartedness. Wake up!" (Lord Krishna to Arjun and, of course, to everyone of us)

Gems from the Bible-1 : Love, the Greatest Thing in the World!

Love is patient; love is kind
and envies no one.
Love is never boastful, nor conceited, nor rude;
never selfish, not quick to take offense.
There is nothing love cannot face;
there is no limit to its faith,
its hope, and endurance.
In a word, there are three things
that last forever: faith, hope, and love;
but the greatest of them all is love.

(Courtesy: http://en.thinkexist.com/quotes/bible/)

Q & A-4: How ought we to live in the world?

"Do all your duties, but keep your mind on God. Live with all - with wife and children, father and mother - and serve them. Treat them as if they were very dear to you, but know in your heart of hearts that they do not belong to you.

A maidservant in the house of a rich man performs all the household duties, but her thoughts are fixed on her own home in the village. She brings up her master's children as if they were her own. She even speaks of 'my Rama' or 'my Hari'. But in her own mind she knows very well that they do not belong to her.

The tortoise moves about in the water. But can you guess where her thoughts are? There on the bank, where her eggs are lying. Do all your duties in the world, but keep your mind on God.

If you enter the world without first cultivating love for God, you will be entangled more and more. You will be overwhelmed with its danger, its grief, its sorrows. And the more you think of worldly things, the more you get attached to them.

First rub your hands with oil and then open the jack-fruit; otherwise they will be smeared with its sticky milk. First secure the oil of divine love, and then set your hands to the duties of the world.

But one must go into solitude to attain this divine love. To get butter from milk, you must let it set into curd in a secluded spot: if it is too much disturbed, milk won't turn into curd. Next, you must put aside all other duties, sit in a quiet spot, and churn the curd. Only then do you get butter.

Further, by meditating on God in solitude the mind acquires knowledge, dispassion and devotion. But the very same mind goes downward if it dwells in the world. In the world, there is only one thought: "lust and greed".

The world is water and the mind milk. If you pour milk into water they become one; you cannot find the pure milk anymore. But turn the milk into curd and churn it into butter. Then, when that butter is placed in water, it will float. So, practise spiritual discipline in solitude and obtain the butter of knowledge and love. Even if you keep that butter in the water of the world the two will not mix. The butter will not float.

Together with this, you must practise discrimination. God is the only Eternal Substance. What does a man get with money? Food, clothes, and a dwelling place - nothing more. You cannot realize God with its help. Therefore, money cannot be the goal of life. That is the process of discrimination. (The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna: Translated into English by Srimat Swami Nikhilanandaji Maharaj)

Q & A-3: How do we fix our mind on God?

"Repeat God's name and sing His glories, and keep holy company; and now and then visit God's devotees and holy men. The mind cannot dwell on God if it is immersed day and night in worldliness, in worldly duties and responsibilities; it is most necessary to go into solitude now and then and think of God. To fix the mind on God is very difficult, in the beginning, unless one practises meditation in solitude. When a tree is young, it should be fenced all around; otherwise, it may be destroyed by cattle.

To meditate, you should withdraw within yourself or retire to a secluded corner or to the forest. And you should always discriminate between the Real and the unreal. God alone is real, the Eternal substance; all else is unreal, that is, impermanent. By discriminating thus, one should shake off impermanent objects from the mind." (The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Translated into English by Srimat Swami Nikhilanandaji Maharaj)

Q & A-2: Why the company of holy men?

It begets yearning for God. It begets love of God. Nothing whatsoever is achieved in spiritual life without yearning. By constantly living in the company of holy men, the soul becomes restless for God. Further, it helps one cultivate discrimination between the Real and the unreal. (From "The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna" : Translated into English by Srimat Swami Nikhilanandaji Maharaj)

Q & A-1: What is the way (to spirituality) for householders?

"Prayer and the company holy men. Constantly seek the company of holy men."(From "The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna : Translated into English by Srimat Swami Nikhilanandaji Maharaj)

Prayer of the Day-1: July 25, 2007 : 'Fill me with Thy Divine Peace'

O Lord, help me to consecrate my whole life to Thee.
May I find all my joy in Thy blessed Presence.
Help me to fasten my heart to eternal Truth.
Fix my thought on Thee alone.
May I never fail to look up to Thee and seek Thy holy guidance.
Fill me and surround me with Thy Divine peace.
May Thy holy peace reign in my heart and life.

(Courtesy: "Book of Daily Thoughts and Prayers" by Paramananda. Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Chennai-600004).
Grateful thanks to Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore.

The Spiritual Trinity of Hinduism

The Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita are called the Spiritual Trinity of Hinduism. They constitute the final authority on scriptural matters. There is no conflict of views among these three. The elucidation of the Ultimate Reality and the means of realizing It are categorically sated in these books. If a question is raised as to which is the scriptural authority in Hinduism, the answer is: this trinity. There is not a single cardinal point in Hinduism that is not touched in these books.

(Srimat Swami Chidbhavananda in his "Introduction to the Bhagavad Gita").

Grace Before Reading a Book

Eternal Father, as we open the pages of this book we have chosen to read, we would express our gratitude for all the noble thoughts which mind of man has given to the world.

We are grateful for the opportunity afforded us by good books to become companions of great minds and hearts. May we keep our minds always open and receptive to truth and beauty, knowing that these finally are manifested in our character.

May we treat this book as we respect and admire a friend. May we always choose for our reading moments books which will elevate our hearts, ennoble our minds, and lift our spirits.

For all the good things which come our way, we are grateful and, most of all, dear Father, may we be worthy of them. Amen. (From: "Introduction to Treasury of Courage and Confidence" by Dr.Norman Vincent Peale)

Why should we pray? What good does it do?

In the first first place, prayer is a way of increasing our sensitivity to the spiritual aspects of life. From this point of view, it is very much like exercise. ...The soul is stretched and enlarged by prayer just as the body is stretched and expanded by physical exercise.

In the second place, prayer is good because it helps us conquer and control our appetites.

And finally, prayer is a way of aspiration. It is a way of lifting ourselves, of getting a higher look, of transcending self. For when a man looks at life only from inside himself, or only from within the walls of his home, or profession, seeing the world as though it were all in terms of his special interests, then he is 'too full of himself to have any room for God.' But, in prayer, he sees life as God sees it, and relates in his own little life and his own little need to the needs and life of humanity. He lifts himself by prayer and achieves a high spiritual stature.

- Robert I.Kahn (Gratefully excerpted from "Treasury of Courage and Confidence" by Dr.Norman Vincent Peale)

The Efficacy of Prayer

If you make a habit of sincere prayer, your life will be very noticeably and profoundly alterned. Prayer stamps with its indelible mark our actions and demeanour. A tranquility of bearing, a facial and bodily respose are observed in those whose inner lives are thus enriched. Within the depths of consciousness a flame kindles. And man sees himself . He discovers his selfishness, his silly pride, his fears, his greeds, his blunder. He develops a sense of moral obligation and intellectual humility. Thus begins a journey of the soul toward the realm of grace.

Prayer is a force as real as teresterial gravity. ... I have seen men, after all other therapy has filed, lifted out of disease and melancholy by the serene effort of prayer. It is the only power in the world that seems to overcome the so-called 'laws of nature'; the occasions on which prayer has dramatically done this hafve been termed, 'miracles'. But a constant, quieter miracle takes place hourly in the hearts of men and women who had discovered that prayer supplies them with a steady flow of sustaining power in their daily lives.

(From 'Treasury of Courage and Confidence' by Dr.Norman Vincent Peale)

The Ten Precepts of Buddhism and Five Mindful Trainings

The Ten Precepts of Buddhism are like the Ten Commandments of Christianity. However, they more of recommendations than commandments.

I undertake to observe the precept to abstain from:

...harming living beings.
...taking things not freely given.
...sexual misconduct.
...false speech.
...intoxicating drinks and drugs causing heedlessness.
...taking untimely meals.
...dancing, singing, music and watching grotesque mime.
...use of garlands, perfumes and personal adornment.
...use of high seats.
...accepting gold or silver

For more details, click:
About.com: http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/precepts.html

The Five Precepts of Buddhism

The Five Precepts of Buddhism is for everybody. If only everybody can apply it to his day to day life, life would become really beautiful.

1. I undertake to abstain from harming living beings
2. I undertake to abstain from taking what is not given
3. I undertake to abstain from sexual misconduct
4. I undertake to abstain from false speech
5. I undertake to abstain from intoxicating drugs or drink

For more details, click: Beginners' Buddhism

'Daily Divine Digest' by Swami Chidbhavananda

This is a pocket book meant for daily use. It contains 365 topics of interest and help to spiritual aspirants for the 365 days of the year, date-wise. Author of this book, Srimat Swami Chidbhavanandaji Maharaj, is a disciple of Srimat Swami Sivanandaji Mahraj, second President of the Ramakrishna Order. He founded Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam at Tirupparaithurai, near Trichy in Tamil Nadu. The swamiji attained ‘Mahasamadhi’ in . I had been to Tapovanam three times when the swamiji was alive and had the good fortune to receive his blessings.

A few lines from the Introduction of this book: “The search for Reality is inborn in man. Ceaselessly it is going on. Geographical limitations and traditional upbringing are no barriers to it. The quest would stop only with the attainment of Union with Reality.
….
Tenets belonging to all the four paths (Karma Yoga or the Path of Action; Raja Yoga or the Path of Self-control; Bhakti Yoga or the Path of Devotion; and Jnana Yoga or the Path of Knowledge) are interspersed in this little book. Their being mixed up is a psychological necessity. As the change of diet is relishing to the tongue, change of theme is refreshing to the mind. An ardent daily pursuit of a page in this book is bound to enrich the spiritual caliber of the aspirant. Pursuit is to be followed by reflection.”

As a sample, I am giving below the entry for today, the 19th July:

“THE AXLE

The wheel turns having the axle as the basis. The axle is not only the basis, it also keeps the movement of the wheel under control. Such is also the structure of nature.

Motion is relative. A moving object requires an immovable basis to move on. The moving planets have the fixed space to move on. The perishing things have the persisting Consciousness as the axle or basis. Nature rests and moves on Consciousness.

In man Consciousness is the axle on which the body and mind move and evolve – Vedanta”