Gita
In Gita lord Krishna informs Arjuna that this system of yoga, the Bhagavad Gita, was first spoken to the sun-god ,and the sun-god explained it to Manu, and in that way by disciplic succession ,one speaker after another, this yoga system has been coming down. But over the period of time that it has become lost. So the lord spoke it again, this time to Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra.
Bhagvad Gita is best understood by a devotee of lord .As Arjuna was a friend and devotee of Krishna so it was the Lord's wish, therefore,to establish another parampara in the same line of thought that was coming down from the sun-god to others.
Chapter One:
The Mahabharta is not history,it is a dharma-grantha. Who can ever describe an actual event. A man cannot exactly describe even a drop of water seen by him.God having created him so week,how can he describe an actual event perfectly.
This is a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna about the battle which Sanjaya is narrating to blind king Dharitarashtra . Sanjaya is a man of devotion .The battle takes place far away from where he is ,and he cannot see it. Vyasa therfore endows him with divine vision so that he can see what is happening.And what does this signify.
In this battle,moreover,the warriors were,on the one side,the sons of Dharma,Vayu ,Indra and Ashvinikumars and ,on the other,a hundred brothers all born at the same instant.Have we ever heard of such a thing actually happening. Duryodhana rode on the chariot of adharma,and Arjuna that of dharma. The battle described here is ,therefore,a struggle between dharma and adharma. The epic describes the battle ever raging between the countless Kauravas and pandavas dwelling within us.It is a battle between the innumerable forces of good and evil which become personified in us as virtues and vices. We shall leave aside the question of violence and non-violence and say that this dharma-grantha was written to explain man's duty in the inner strife.
Quite a few such blind men live within us. This is not a battle which took place so many thousand years ago, it is one which is raging all the time,even today.
On the battlefield Arjuna could see all kind of relatives.He could see his grandfathers Bhisma and Somadatta teachers like Dronacarya and Krpacarya,maternal uncles like Salya and Sakuni,brothers like Duryodhana,sons like Laksmana,friends like Asvatthama, well wishers like Krtavarma, etc.He could see the armies with many of his friends.
After seeing all his family Arjuna asks Krsna I do not see how any good can come from killing my own kinsmen in this battle,nor can I, my dear Krsna, desire any subsequent victory,kingdom or happiness.
Why should I kill them ,I may survive,I am not willing to fight with them even in exchange for the three worlds,let alone this earth.
It was the custom ,that an unarmed and unwilling foe should not be attacked .Arjuna decided not to fight if he were attacked by the enemy.I would consider it better for the sons of Dhrtarastra to kill me unarmed and unresisting,rather than fight with them.
Sometimes we lose sight of the truth when we get into emotional attachments to people. It is here that Lord Krishna tries to remove the sentimental feelings and bring Arjuna back to truth and his duty. But Sanjaya said: Arjuna, having thus spoken on the battlefield ,cast aside his bow and arrows and sat down on the chariot,his mind overwhelmed with grief.
Let us suppose that Arjuna flees the battle field . Though his enemies are wicked people ,are sinners,they are his relations and he does not want to kill them.If he leaves the field what would happen to people on his side.Kaurvas will simply kill all Pandavas .The very calamities which he feared would have befallen them.. Their families would have been ruined ,and the traditional dharma of these families and the race would have been destroyed. Arjuna therefore had no choice but to fight. This shows that war is not always bad.Occasionally there is a just war,when innocent people are being vicitimizes by the wicked and there is no way to stop it except by fighting.
This ends the first chapter of Bhagvad Gita.
Chapter Two (The Yoga of Wisdom)
No one can destroy what is everlasting and imperishable.
The indwelling one is eternal ,indestructible and immeasurable . The bodies of the in dwellings one are impermanent . Therefore who ever thinks that Atman ,or the self does the killing or can be killed misunderstands that self does not kill,nor is it ever killed .It is not born and it does not die . Unborn eternal and ancient ,the self is not killed when the body is killed.
Chapter Three (Karma Yoga)
In order to excel ,mentally control the senses,let go all attachments and engage the body in Karma Yoga ,selfless service.
Through sacrifice you cherish the Gods and they cherish you. Thus loving one another,you reap the very highest.Always do your duty without attachments . If you will do things without desiring results for yourself ,you will experience the highest state.
The enemy here on earth is (personal) desire and anger which arises because of the restless nature of humans.Wisdom in the humankind covered over by the insatiable fire of desire ,is the constant enemy of the wise.Take control of your desire ,the sinful destroyer of wisdom and self realization.
Senses are stronger then the body . The mind is stronger then senses . The discriminating intellect (Budhi) is stronger then the mind ATMAN is above intellect.
Gita calls upon us to dedicate ourselves ,body,mind and soul ,to pure duty and not to become victim of desires and undisciplined impulses.Once you have tasted of its sweet nectar,your attachment to it will grow from day to day. The recitation of Gita verses will support you in your trials and console you in your distress,even in the darkness of solitary confinement.
Karmayogi:
One can establish communion with God through work.You will see him in the communal services,you will meet him when you are helping poor,sick,or any one who is distressed and is in need of help. God could be only realized through service .A KaramYogi will relieve the hunger and sickness of the millions of starving human beings by advocating equality and sharing of the wealth by honest and hard work. We should give Vedic learning and counting of beads a second place before community service.God's work and God's name go hand in hand.
Devotion to duty is itself prayer. We go and pray in order to be qualified for doing actual service.But when one is engaged in actual practice of duty prayer is merged with the execution of duty.If some one is engaged in deep prayer ,hears the cry of other for help,one should leave prayer and run to help the distressed.Prayer finds fulfilment in the service of the distressed.By doing the service of community one can attain self realization,to see God face to face,to attain Moksha.Real prayer from the heart brings the real work behind it.For in the end work itself becomes prayer.The real way to pray to God is to do something in his name some little service to those who are less fortunate then ourselves.
There is no worship purer or more pleasing to God then selfless service of the poor.The rich and powerful in their arrogance and intellectual pride often forget God and even question His existence . But God dwells among the poor as they cling to him as their sole refuge and shelter.To serve the poor is to serve Him.Karmayogi:
One can establish communion with God through work. You will see him in the communal services, you will meet him when you are helping poor, sick, or any one who is distressed and is in need of help. God could be only realized through service .A KaramYogi will relieve the hunger and sickness of the millions of starving humanbeings by advocating equality and sharing of the wealth by honest and hard work. We should give Vedic learning and counting of beads a second place before community service.God's work and God's name go hand in hand.
Devotion to duty is itself prayer. We go and pray in order to be qualified for doing actual service.But when one is engaged in actual practice of duty prayer is merged with the execution of duty.If some one is engaged in deep prayer ,hears the cry of other for help,one should leave prayer and run to help the distressed.Prayer finds fulfilment in the service of the distressed.By doing the service of community one can attain self realization,to see God face to face,to attain Moksha.Real prayer from the heart brings the real work behind it.For in the end work itself becomes prayer.The real way to pray to God is to do something in his name some little service to those who are less fortunate then ourselves.
There is no worship purer or more pleasing to God then selfless service of the poor.The rich and powerful in their arrogance and intellectual pride often forget God and even question His existence . But God dwells among the poor as they cling to him as their sole refuge and shelter.To serve the poor is to serve Him.
Lot of important things which we do in our lives they are not prompted by reason but by instinct.Inner voice cannot be described in words.But sometimes we have a positive feeling that something in us prompts us to do a certain thing.When you are close to God you will recognise this voice within you.
God can do tremendous things through the person who doesn’t care who gets the credit. If you make a goal that you will be helping others who are sick, poor and needy and do good things without any thing in return for you. You will be surprised how much God will help you in achieving your goals .He will be working with you lot harder then you and helping you at every step till the time your aim is service and not getting credit.
As the sixth chapter in Gita assures us the least little sadhna (spiritual effort) is not wasted.The seeker will proceed in his next birth,starting from it as a base.Similarly if a person has the will but not the ability to make spiritual progress ,his environment in his subsequent birth will be such as to strengthen that will
Gita calls upon us to dedicate ourselves , body ,mind and soul ,to pure duty and not to become victim of desires and undisciplined impulses. Once you have tasted of its sweet nectar, your attachment to it will grow from day to day. The recitation of Gita verses will support you in your trials and console you in your distress, even in the darkness of solitary confinement.
As the sixth chapter in Gita assures us the least little sadhna (spiritual effort) is not wasted. The seeker will proceed in his next birth, starting from it as a base. Similarly if a person has the will but not the ability to make spiritual progress ,his environment in his subsequent birth will be such as to strengthen that will.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Prayer
PRAYERS, SERVICE,RELATION,HEALTH& HAPPINESS
I have faith in Prayer and I believe in service to humanity and I believe in having relation with God and good honest people who believe in living a healthy life. 08/10
Beautifulthingsfortoday.blogspot.com
Prayer
1)Necessity of Prayer .
2)How to pray and whom to pray. Deity worship.
3)Fruits of prayer.
4)Power of prayer ,Faith and Karma .
5)Meditation, silence, and self-realization, Moksha
6)God, religion, and prayer :
7)Ramanama and mantras.
8)Fasting and Prayer.
9)Prayer, medicine, cure.
10)Silence.
11)Confession.
12)Happiness
13)Gita.
1)Necessity of prayer..
Prayer is the very soul and essence of religion, and, therefore, prayer must be the very core of the life of man, for no man can live without religion.He therefore, who hungers for the awakening of the divine in him must fall back on prayer.
Any amount of repetition of name of God is futile if it fails to stir the soul. It must be in clear response to the spirit which hungers for it. He who has experienced the magic of prayer may do without food for days together but not a single moment without prayer. For without prayer there is no inward peace. Begin, therefore, your day with prayer, and make it so soulful that it may remain with you until the evening. Close the day with prayer so that you may have a peaceful night free from dreams and nightmares. Do not worry about the form of prayer. Let it be any form, it should be such that it can put us into communion with the divine. Only, whatever be the form, let not the spirit wander while you are doing prayers. If your, mission in life is service of your fellowmen, it will go to pieces if you do not impose on yourselves some sort of discipline, and prayer is a necessary spiritual discipline. It is discipline and restraint that separates us from the brute. The prayer is for God to make us better men and women. If the prayer came truly from the heart, God’s grace would surely descend upon us. There is not a blade of grass which moves without his will, not one single true thought which does not leave a mark on character. It is good, therefore, to develop the daily habit of prayer. Silent prayer is often mightier than overt act in my helplessness. I continuously pray in the faith that the prayer of a pure heart never goes unanswered. Practicing silent prayer will give rest to the mind .But it was difficult to turn the mind inward except through silent prayer. A silent prayer is often more effective than the spoken word consciously uttered. People come together for prayer in order to obtain peace, to hear God's name and to recite it. For five minutes at least every day one should sit in silence. When we practice silence at first, many thoughts will enter our minds we even may begin to doze. Silence will remedy these defects. Samadhi means silence. Muni(sage) and maun both are derived from the same root.
2)How to pray-When to pray-Place of prayer -Deity worship:
Prayer is no mere exercise of words or of the ears, it is no mere repetition of empty formula. Wherever people meet and utter his name from their hearts ,there God dwells ,there is his temple, mosque or church. Religious places start its existence from the time of its first prayer. And it is the prayer of true men and women ,its continuous progress was assured.
Devotees of God and tillers of the soil rise early. Devotees take the name of God and peasants work in their fields serving the world as well as themselves. Both of them are worshippers ,cultivators by their industry worship God unawares as it helps to sustain the world.
Everyone ,should observe silence at the time of prayer. While watching a movie sometimes we sit for hours in silence. We can tune our mind to do that at a religious place .In my opinion, prayer should be said in one’s mother-tongue. It alone can affect the soul best. I should say that a sincere prayer for one minute is enough. We should retire within ourselves for inward communion with the divine for at least few minutes a day .Prayer should be a passionate cry of a soul hungering for union with the divine. If should suffice to promise God not to sin. Prayer is nothing else buys an intense longing of the heart. You may express yourself though the lips: you may express yourself in the private closet or in public: but to be genuine, the expression must come from the deepest recesses of the heart. As grain is the body’s food , so prayer is the souls. He who is convinced about the existence of the soul cannot live without prayer. Prayer means the soul turning towards God. He alone truly adores God who finds his happiness in the happiness of others, speaks evil of none, does not waste his time in the pursuit of riches, does nothing immoral, who acquits himself with others as with a friend, does not fear the plague or any human being. Prayer is the greatest binding force, making for the solidarity and oneness of the human family. If a person realizes his unity with God through prayer, he will look upon everybody as himself. Prayer is the greatest binding force .
Begin your day with prayer and make it so soulful that it may remain with you until the evening. Close the day with prayer so that you may a peaceful night free from dreams and nightmares.
When one is filled with the presence of God then anything he does becomes prayer, even labor is prayer. Presence of God in one's heart will make the whole life as continuous prayer or act of worship. Any work done keeping him in mind makes it a prayer . Others who are indulged in sin ,and live for self ,they should keep on praying till the time they feel presence of God in them.
We should remember Him at least for a few minutes daily. If we don't express gratitude for many bounties of Providence daily, life ceases to have any meaning. By doing daily prayer you will add something new to your life, something with which nothing can be compared.
Praying together or congregational prayers in temples ,churches or mosques is like a daily bath ,a necessity for the existence. Going to places of worship will help you in bringing faith in God and prayer. Once one develops faith in God and prayer all the evil thoughts will leave and one will find peace of mind and will also start seeing God in everything and one will start serving the community which needs help without being greedy.
Prayer can be done by simply thinking or recitation of verses from religious books, also hymns from saints .One can read ,sing or listen to them .A relationship between God and yourself should not be only at prayer but, at all the times.
Prayer is to me the intense longing of heart to merge with his creator.
Deity Worship
We go to the temple to worship not the stone or the metal image but God who resides in it. The image becomes what man makes of it .It has no power independently with which it is invested by the worshipper. One can worship an idol even made of clay, if thereby one's heart feels lighter. If my life seems satisfying and meaningful, fruitful then the worship of God's idol has meaning.
God has a transcendental body. Vedic literature describes each part of His transcendental body can perform any of the functions of any part of body. For example with our eyes we can only see ,the Lord cannot see only with his eyes ,but also can taste ,smell or hear with them. Thus the transcendental form of Supreme Lord is unlimited and all powerful human beings or any living objects when they come to this material world, the material energy covers him with a temporary material body, thus he has to get old and diseased and finally die and accept other body. But the supreme Lord is not under the material laws of nature. He is beyond those laws.
3).Faith and Fruits of prayer. :
When mind is full of prayerful thoughts, everything in the world seems good and agreeable. Prayer is essential for progress in life. True prayer never goes unanswered. It does not mean that every little thing we ask from God is readily given to us. It is only when we shed our selfishness with a conscious effort and approach God in true humility that our prayers find a response.
He alone truly adores God who finds his happiness in the happiness of others, speaks evil of none ,does not waste his time in the pursuit of riches, does nothing immoral ,who acquits himself with others as with a friend .
True prayer never goes unanswered. It is only when we shed our selfishness with a conscious and approach God in true humility that our prayers find a response.
The object of prayer is not to please God but to purify ourselves and self realization of his presence within us. We should feel his presence in every walk of life. Prayer will bring us self purification and realization of truth.
Prayer is a sign of repentance ,a desire to become better, purer.
I have seen and believe that God never appears to you in person ,but in action which can only account for your deliverance in your darkest hour. God is formless . He can therefore ,only, be seen by spiritual sight-vision. The more I want to listen or see God that I am still far away from God. Come close to God and he will answer your questions and will give you solution to your problems. After constant and patient eternal striving and waiting on God one can be face to face with God.
I open my eyes to find nothing but the beautiful manifestation of God everywhere to greet and delight me .Since the time I have started praying Him ,all corrupt thought has left me; I am so lost in Him there is no time for anything else. I am merged in it ,it is a state beyond misery and bliss.
Faith & Karma
What is present is the intensity of faith whereby I lose myself in an invisible power. God will never forsake you, he will come to your help at the eleventh hour but you must not lose your faith in Him.
I am striving to do so many things, every moment of my life is a strenuous attempt to build up more Karma, to undo the past and add to the present.
You are not going to know the meaning of God or prayer unless you reduce yourself to a cipher . You must be humble enough to see that merely intellectual is not enough. It is the spiritual realization which alone can give satisfaction.
Devotional songs or readings will help you keep the memory of God fresh in the heart of devotee. They will also help you in doing things in accordance with the will of God. Worship or prayer ,therefore ,is not to be performed with the lips ,but with the heart. Prayers of those whose tongues are neutered but whose hearts are full of poison are never heard. Therefore, you must cleanse your heart. Rama was not only on the lips of Hanuman ,he was enthroned in his heart. By having faith in Him Hanuman lifted the mountain and crossed the ocean. That faith is nothing but a living ,wide awake consciousness of God within. One can be bodily diseased or poor but will be spiritually healthy rich and pure. Bhakta -the true devotee knows language of the heart only he knows it and can teach it. He who serves who are distressed and other fellowmen without greed and believes in Religion of Service will be at the top list of God.
If you will give God a fruit, flower or even a leaf in the spirit of Bhakati you will be his servant says the Lord in the Bhagavad-Gita.
By serving the humble, the lowliest, lost, needy and sick you will be doing the greatest prayer, sacrifice and worship.
We should pray to God when we are getting up in the morning, and when closing our eyes in the evening. During the day time one will keeps God's presence in his heart when doing anything. Anyone who will keep God constantly in his mind God will start dwelling in his heart. One will be able to live without food for days, but not without prayer for a day. Prayer must be done with a pure heart. Anybody who prays to God with his heart wills in the end become filled with Him .As eye lids are doing their work; similarly prayer should go on constantly in our heart. One can pray by oneself even while lying in bed, bathing, eating, or doing any other work.
By having faith and prayer ,you can change yourself completely like a new person with a new life and new character. As there is light behind every shadow you will see and fid solution to most of your problems. Prayers and happiness will make you strong. Prayers and happiness will uplift your spirits. Your guilt’s, problems and feeling of failure and hurt will change into positive thinking.
4)Power and advantage of prayer:
Man of prayer will be at peace with himself and with the whole world. Prayer can be a mean of bringing orderliness strength and peace in our daily acts. When it is done from the heart, it has the power to melt mountains of misery. Prayer is a food for soul. Heart-felt prayer will help overcoming cowardice and all other bad habits. By faith and prayer one can conquer every difficulty in their upward progress. Prayer is intended to sober and humble us and enable us to realize that nothing happens without His will and that we are but 'clay' in the hands of the Potter.
Prayer is the greatest binding force, Families which pray together will stay together. Praying together brings solidarity and oneness of the human family. Prayer unites us with God. Once we are united with God through prayer everybody will look like a big family. Prayer means being one with God.
If humans stay in tune with God ,no matter they belong to what religion ,or to whom they pray weather they are poor or rich ,they are strong , or weak they will all live in peace and happiness . Even the weakest would enjoy perfect protection. Realization of God will bring freedom from all earthly fear.
We should always keep him in mind, how can we forget Him by whose mercy we live, who strengths us in all my efforts. How can we forget our God?
You must make time everyday for prayers. You may excuse yourself from other duties, but never from prayers. You should cultivate such a state of mind that for half an hour during the day at different times you will have only one thought in your mind, and no other. It will provide you peace, happiness and an opportunity to be one with all living creatures.
True prayer never goes unanswered. If the prayer came truly from the heart, God's grace would surely descend upon us.
5) Meditation, silence, and self-realization,Moksha
Moksha is liberation from pure thought. This can be achieved through ceaseless communion with Him and complete self -surrender. This communion may be in the beginning is just lip repetition of His name even disturbed by impure thoughts. But ultimately what is on the lips will possess the heart. Don't let your senses wander with mind. He who keeps control of his physical senses will someday be able to bring impure thoughts under control. Chanting of mantras like Ramanama and surrendering completely to his grace will help mastery over thoughts. There is however a golden rule for gaining controls of the carnal desire. It is the repetition of the divine word or mantra such as 'Rama' , 'OM' ,'Krishna' 'Allah' 'Christ' or such other divine word with which one can identify while repeating it. One will have complete peace of mind as a result of repeating such name or mantras in complete faith .These Mantras will bring happiness, help preserving of morals. To be effective one must throw his soul into it. One must repeat them like a parrot. We should repeat them with a view to preventing the approach of unwelcome thoughts and with full faith in the efficacy of the mantra to the end.
True meditation is closing the eyes and ears of the mind to all else, except the object of one’s devotion. The Gita also tells us that mind is restless,but it tells us that with patient we can bring it under control. The highest goal of the devotee is to become one with the object of his devotion. .
In the artful prayer the worshipper’s attention is concentrated on the object of worship so much so that he is not conscious of anything else besides. The worshipper has well been compared to a lover. The lover forgets the whole world and even himself in the presence of the beloved. The identification of the worshipper with God comes only after much striving, self suffering (tapas) and self -discipline.
6) God, religion, and prayer:
God demands nothing less than complete self surrender as the price for the only real freedom that is worth having. And when a man thus loses himself , he immediately finds himself in the service of all that lives . It becomes his delight and his recreation . He is a new man never weary of spending himself in the service of God’s creation. We will know and take care of God's will by prayer and right living.Prayer means being one with God.
God is not some person outside us or away from the universe. He pervades everything, and is omniscient as well as omnipotent. Being immanent in all beings, He hears everything and reads our innermost thoughts. He abides in our hearts and is nearer to us then nails are to the fingers. We desire to recognize and realize Him, to become one with Him, and seek to gratify that desire through prayer. Truth alone is eternal everything else is momentary.
Once we accept the existence of God ,then the necessity of prayer will become inescapable.
To get rid of the devil and impurity that has seized us we should take Ramayana and kneel before God and seek his help. Gold is the help of helpless. If you would ask Him to help, go to him in all your nakedness, approach Him without reservations. The prayer of even the most impure will be answered.
As Poet Surdas has sung , God (Ram,Christ,Allah) is the strength of the weak. His name,Rama is but synonym of God, Allah or Christ whatever other name you may like, but the moment you trust naught but Him, you will become strong and you will have strength and he will put all doubts and despairs to flight. We should pray that he cleanse our hearts of pettiness, meanness, deceit, greed, selfishness and he will surely answer our prayers.
When a man is down, he prays to God to lift him up. He is the help of helpless. Prayer is a call to humility. It is a call to self purification, to inward search.
God is formless. You will never see God face to face. He can therefore, only, be seen by spiritual sight-vision. Eternal striving can only can take us face with God.
7. Ramayana and mantras:
God is known by thousand names. His names are innumerable and He is the same whether we call him Allah, Khuda, Rahim, or any other names that come from the heart of a true devotee. If you do nothing else but keep repeating Ramanama. Some day you will suddenly see light in the midst of darkness.
Tulsidas holds that the name of Rama is more powerful than Rama himself and suggests that there is no relation between the word Rama and its meaning. The meaning will be filled in later by the devotee in accordance with the nature of his devotion. That is the beauty of this repetition (Japa).For days and sometimes for years ,the mind wanders and becomes restless, the body craves for sleep when one is engaged in repeating the name of God. If you have faith ,repeat the name at all times ,when you sit or stand or lie down, eat or drink. If you try it you will have peace of mind .will remove all suffering ,mental, moral, and physical.
Ramanama ought to be repeated from the depth of one's heart. God has been given thousand names which only means that He can be called by any name and that his qualities are infinite. But for us mortals the support of his name is absolutely essential to fall back upon. Value of reciting His name cannot be established by reasoning, it can only be experienced if one does it by faith and by a person whose vision is not blurred and whose faith is not damped by learning. Learning takes us through many stages in life but it can fail us utterly in the hour of danger and temptations. Then faith alone saves.
Ramanama is for the pure in heart and for those who want to attain purity and remain pure.
8)Fasting and prayer.
Clarity of vision for the good of humanity as well as for an individual can be attained through Prayer and fasting .Buddha, Jesus and Mohammad fasted so as to see God face to face. Whenever there is distress which one cannot remove, one must fast and pray. There is no prayer without fasting. This fasting relates not merely to the palate, but all the senses and organs.
Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed fasted so as to see God face to face. Fasting relates not merely to the palate, but all the sense and organs. All fasting if it is a spiritual act is an intense prayer or a preparation for it... It is yearning of the soul to merge in the divine essence. A genuine fast cleanses body, mind and soul. It crucifies the flesh and to that extent sets the soul free. Fasting and prayer therefore are a most powerful process of purification of soul and a mean to come closer to eternal. A complete fast is a complete and literal denial of self. Abstention from food and even water is but the mere beginning, the least part of the surrender.
Prophet often fasted and prayed, kept awake for nights together and would be on his feet at all hours of the night as he received the revelations.
Strength of the soul grows in proportion as you subdue the flesh. Absence of food is an indispensable but not the largest part of it. The largest part is prayer--communion with God. It more than adequately replaces physical food.
Missing a meal sometimes is beneficial for health. Omitting prayer never is.
09). Prayer, medicine, and cure .
Repeating name of God and pure living are the best and cheapest preventive of disease. Ramanama recited from heart is a cure -all for every kind of disease.
Illness implies some error or other. He whose body and mind are perfectly sound ,should never suffer from illness.
All the modern medicines and prayers are blessings of God . But for anything to be effective it has to be applied with faith. Sick person with the help of prayer and modern medicine and procedures can be cured or at least they will give a relief to the soul and body and can be used together.
Sorrow Happiness Selfishness is the cause of sorrow. Generally there are two kinds of fears in men’s minds fear of death and fear of loss of material possessions .A man of prayer will and self -purification will shed the fear of death and embrace death as a boon companion and will regard all earthly possessions as fleeing and of no account .He will see that he has no right to possess wealth when misery and pauperism stalk the land and when there are millions who have to go without a meal.
One can be sick and unhappy by not eating right, or not doing exercise, not breathing properly or living in a place where they don’t have proper water and air, or not sleeping right, living an unhealthy ethical life, greed to become rich and stretching you beyond control. Stress because of job, family and other reasons sometimes beyond ones control will make you sick. When we lose our balance with our surroundings then we get sick. Prayer, self control and happiness will help you keeping a balance in your life. We cannot blame God for our sickness without improving our thinking and life styles. When we don’t obey God rules then sickness will follow. Praying, exercising and living a healthy life style will make you happier, healthier and smarter.
10)Silence.
If we want to listen to the still small Voice that is always speaking within us, it will not be heard if we continually speak. Silence must be observed to be spiritually strong. A seeker after truth must learn how to be silent. A man of few words will rarely be thoughtless in his speech; he will measure every word.
As Gandhiji said "Silence is a great help to seeker after truth; in the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth, and the soul requires inward restfulness to attain its full height."
Modern Civilization has taught us to convert night into day and golden silence into noise. The Divine Radio is always singing if we can sit in silence and listen to it.
St. Theresa has summed up the sweet result of silence."You will at once feel your sense themselves together; they seem like bees which return to the hive and there shut themselves up to work at the making of honey; and this will take place without effort or care on your part . God thus rewards the violence which your sole has been doing to itself; and gives to it such a domination over the senses that a sign is enough when it desires to recollect itself, for them to obey and so gather themselves together. At the first call of the will they come back more and more quickly. At the first call of the will they come back more and more quickly. At last after many and many exercises of this kind , God disposes them to a state of absolute repose and of perfect contemplation."
He is truly silent who, having the capacity to speak, utters no idle word.
13)Confession:
To err is human,.By confessing we convert our mistakes into steppino stones for advance.The moment we repent and ask God for forgiveness for our lapse ,we are purged of our sin and new life begins for us. True repentance is an essential pre-requisite of prayer.
14) HAPPINESS
Happiness and Prayer go together. An unhappy mind won’t be able to focus on prayers. If you are sad then start praying things which make you sad will start disappearing. When you are sad mind will not be able to pray.
There are people who are very poor and are very happy, on the other hand there are people who are rich and are un happy. So wealth only cannot make you happy.
If you are unhappy and getting sick instead of seeing a doctor go and try to meet your spiritual doctor first which is your God weather he is Ram, Mohammad, or Christ or any one else in whom you have faith. Try to come closer to him first try to talk to him and ask his advise and pray to him. He will give you pills of happiness and they will help you in curing your sickness and you will be happier.
Ask him for help. God can help us only if we ask him to help us, he cannot make us happy or well if we don’t ask him. Most important thing is to have faith in him and pray to him and he will make you happier and better. Tell him your problem, ask him for directions and what ever directions he gives you have faith in his voice and follow him. Surrender to him and he will take care of you. Tell God that with his help you are going to be happier and feel better. You will be happy, if you have faith in him. Faith will make you a peaceful person because it will teach you and help you in staying calm and peaceful in your hard times and bad conditions. By being happy you will realize that no matter what and where you are still life is beautiful. You will have this feeling only if you will start loving him, and he will make things beautiful and will give you strength and so happiness.
HAPPINESS AND HEALTH GO TOGETHER: When you are happy you will see that you will feel healthier also and when you are healthy you will see that you are happy also. To be happy live a sin free life. Sin free life is described in every religion. If anything you do which is not approved by God it is sin. Follow the way God wants you to live. You will see that you will be happy and healthy. Body illness is caused by tension, fear, stress, and living immoral and unhealthy life styles. God has shown humans to live a clean life without greed and sin, but when humans don’t live that Godly way then they become unhappy.
Every morning when I get up I thank God when I see light and the whole beautiful nature surrounded by trees, flowers, birds, animals, lakes, clouds and rays of Sun rising between clouds and trees. This all shows that a new beautiful day is again for us to be happy and enjoyment. When people die they don’t see the next day so imagine how lucky we are that we are still alive and our eyes are open to see beautiful things created by nature. We should not think of our past and look into our sorrows, pains, our short comings, and enemies who have hurt us but rather see how beautiful it is that we are alive and living and God is with us if no one else is there and be happy .God has still given us this beautiful nature and another day to live. Now start your day with beautiful memories what you have. It can be sound of a bird chirping, or a beautiful song, flowers in the garden and trees and animals or birds that are out and trying to find food this is all the life is all about and be happy.
Don’t let your sad thoughts take it over rather bring smile on your face again and again to be happy and think of the song you like and the people to whom you love and who is still there and are living weather they are close to you or are far from you. If your loved one is far talk to anyone who is close to you and that will make you happy. Change your attitude and you will see there are so many happy things around you just have to make yourself part of those small things.
Just smile no matter how sad you are. If you are finding it difficult to do then listen to some good music, meditate and do prayers. Go to Church, Temple, or to Mosque and meet people. These things will change your state of mind. God is always your companion when you are alone you can always count on his help; he will give you strength and peace in your sad time and will help you in coming out of your grief. When you are unhappy because you lost something, don’t look what you have lost or what you don’t have rather think of what you have. Biggest thing what we all have is a beautiful day what God gave us to live today, what else we need, now it is up to us to see, if we are going to live happily or pass it sadly.
You will be Happy and blessed if you are closer to God and are humble and honest. As said in Bible “Blessed are also those who are meek, for they shall inherit the earth”. Blessed means happiness.
Greed : All relegions have explained harms of greed.
I have repeated to you, a ninth Beatitude‥‘Blessed is he who expect nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.’
[1727 Pope Letter 6 Oct. (1956) II. 453]
Blessed is he that expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.
[1739 B. Franklin Poor Richard's Almanac (May)]
When we are all the time restless and due to greed want something more and more all the time then when we don’t get more then we will be unhappy. This is a sickness in itself when we want more. Some people have more than enough to live a good comfortable life but they still want more, when we get into this state of mind we become unhappy. So be satisfied and contended with what you have. If after having more and more wealth for you did not make you happy then try the opposite then live for others. After you have made enough money for yourself and family to live comfortably try to share your wealth and time with those who are needy, sick or so poor that they don’t have very basic things to exist .Happiest people in the world are those who make others people life happy, and think for other. Happy people don’t live for themselves they live for others.
Contentment is not as difficult to come by as you may think.
Happiness in relation only comes when both people open up and are frank with each other and tell each other their expectations. Good relationship will have fights and arguments so that relations can be improved but all this should be done without losing respect for each other.
By understanding each other God driven dreams can be achieved. If you are kind, not selfish and giving you will make good friends. If you are surrounded by selfish, self centered, greedy, undesirable people change them into good people. Selfish people are a burden to themselves as well as to the society.
Forgiveness: Be forgiving: If someone hurts you forgive him .By forgiving you will stay happy, and sadness which is again a sickness will not overpower you. So to stay happy learn to forgive all the time if somebody hurts you or don’t do things according to your way.
Clean up your heart and start thinking positive: when it is blocked by depression, hate, sin and fear. Pray to God and ask him to release you from doubts, anxieties, fears, so that you can see his presence everywhere. Once you will start seeing his presence everywhere your fear and unhappiness will disappear and it will bring you happiness peace and you will start seeing beautiful people and things around you and you will see that problems for which you did not have solutions now they are being solved by some hidden power. Unhappiness can put a lid on your thinking and you cannot look things and solution around you. Once your negative thinking stops and you start living a life with presence of God in your heart and ask him to give you directions with a promise to yourself, that you will stay happy and follow his directions. You will see that life will be beautiful again. But remember only a clean and happy heart will be able to see his presence all the time.
Negative thinking hinders us from confronting our need for God. By getting rid of evil and fearsome thoughts happiness will come and in return you will see your faith in him will improve and he will come as close to you as breathing. When you get angry or are sad you block the flow of God into your life so if you want to close with him as well as if you want him to show you the way then be happy. God’s presence in your actions is more important than breathing itself, as this is him who has given you counted breaths to live. Once all the breaths he has given you to live be over you will die. It is also a belief in Hindu religion that on your last breath if you were taking his name or you were thinking about him you will reach him.
Your faith combined with good work makes God come alive within you. God will come and stay in your heart if you will take him in your heart. Like mother Theresa have a goal to do something beautiful for God. Happiness generally will prolong life, because if you are happy you will have less stress. If due to any reason you have been unhappy for a long period of time which can effect your immune system , which in return will make you sick. Spend time with the people who are happy and have healthy habits. Most of people who have positive attitude towards life will also have positive relations with other people . These people appreciate life and everything which is Gods creation and its glory..
How to be successful.
Always think with a cool head. Sit silent everyday for few minutes, while you will be sitting silent your mind will be able to think calmly and give you answer for your problems. Talk to your inner consciousness and it will give you answers. Meditation is a very big tool to relax your body and mind. Enjoy every day of your life keeping God in mind. Start your day and every moment with a positive attitude and try to keep your happiness and positive attitude all day long
Don’t let any thing bother you. If you have some problems solve them instead of worrying them. If you really cannot solve them then time will solve them one way or other. But don’t let your problems stress you as stress will weaken you and you will get sick creating more problems for you.
How to improve your health and stay healthy: If you want a good health then believe in your ability to keep a healthy body. Make your health a goal and whatever makes body and mind happy work on it. It takes physical and mental energy to achieve your goals,Don’t think you’re too busy to exercise or eat well. Having a regular exercise practice that tones the body and meditation and prayer which will calm the mind is important and your health will improve.
Eat healthy food everyday. Healthy servings of salad and fruit in every meal will help you keeping your weight in control. Eat Green, red, purple and orange vegies for maximum antioxidants – is a great way to get fibre and the vitamins and minerals you need.
If your life has a purpose that is one of the best things you can do for your soul and your happiness. You are the master of your life and what you are today is your own creation.”
Do meditation regularly. Meditation regularly connects you to a higher being and consciousness. Stay relaxed and not tensed Try to make other people life happy, if you will spread love you will get love. Always have a helping attitude, when you help needy you will get satisfaction and happiness plus God will give you many times back.
People to whom you love stay in touch with them and appreciate them. This will build a strong relationship.
Motivational:
Take care of things which worry you the most. Stop worrying just take care of your problem, If once you take care of your problem it won’t be a problem anymore. Do what’s most important first.
Success and positive attitude have a direct relation they go hand by hand.
Keep your positive attitude and you will see you will be successful. Don’t think of your failures and a negative attitude then you will always think that you cannot be where you want to be. When you will start thinking that you cannot be successful then you will not start even.
Consider your dreams. Set your goals. Figure out what you are good at. Aim to achieve those goals. Be disciplined. Believe you can achieve your goals. Involve others, Never give up till the time you achieve your goals.
Do things which relax you. Walking, bicycling, gardening, swimming, cooking, going to church ,playing inside games like cards. outside games, going to beach or on mountain, boating, fishing, listening or singing music. going to a movie. It is important to find out what relaxes you most and one must do that at least one hour a day. Hour spent on relaxation will not go waste it will make you healthier and increase your productivity.10-21-2008
Life with a purpose:
1) Bible says, “It is God who directs the lives of his creatures; everyone’s life is in his power. God’s purpose of your life predates your conception. He planned it before you existed, without your input. You may choose your career, your spouse, your hobbies, and many other parts of your life, but don’t get to choose your purpose. The purpose of your life fits into a much larger, cosmic purpose that God has designed for eternity. Without God life makes no sense.
“Everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him.” How can I remind myself that life is really about living for God, not myself?
Blessed are those who trust in Lord….Thay are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of draught. Their leaves stay green, and they go right on producing delicious fruit.
2) You are who you are for a reason. As God had a purpose in creating me. He planned where I was going to be born. He planned who my parents will be and the place and time of my birth and death. He made me from nothing into something. Before we were born he had us on his list, God has bestowed his love on us since the time we were born. Even when we will be old he will take care of us. God made us so he could love us. “He is my Creator. I was in his list and care before I was born. You are a beautiful perfect unique design. He made me because of a reason. Our God made no mistake. You are who you are, beloved, because God made you.
It is important to build our life on eternal truths. Start your relation with him. Once we develop a close relation with him then what ever we will do it we will do with a purpose in him. Without God life should have no meaning. God created me because he loved me. As I am his creation he will always love me. As I was born because of love I should and will give that love to other people and his creation.
Love makes us happy, brings a glow to our face as well as everything around us will become happy if our life is full of love.
When we lose our contact with him and from our old bad memories we start leading life of a restless wanderer then life losseses its purpose. Our past is past nothing can change it we should forget our resentments and bitternesses from it and chnage our lives with a new relation with him.
Focus:If you want your life to have impact ,focus it.Stop dabbling,stop trying to do it all Do less. Prune away even good activities and do only that matters you most at that particuler time as well as takes you closer in achieving your purpose of life. Put all your efforts and energy on what is important. The power of focusing can be seen in light. Diffused light has little power or impact,but you can concentrate its energy by focusing on it. With a magnifying glass,the rays of the sun can be focussed to set grass or paper on fire. When light is focussed even more as a laser beam ,it can cut through steel. There is nothing quite as potent as focused life. The men and women who have made the greatest difference in history like Buddha,Gandhi,apostle Paul almost single handedly changed the humanity.
11) Gita
Chapter One:This is a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna about the battle which Sanjaya is narrating to blind king Dharitarashtra .
On the battlefield Arjuna could see all kind of relatives.He could see his grandfathers Bhisma and Somadatta teachers like Dronacarya and Krpacarya,maternal uncles like Salya and Sakuni,brothers like Duryodhana,sons like Laksmana,friends like Asvatthama, well wishers like Krtavarma, etc.He could see the armies with many of his friends.
After seeing all his family Arjuna asks Krsna I do not see how any good can come from killing my own kinsmen in this battle,nor can I, my dear Krsna, desire any subsequent victory,kingdom or happiness.
Why should I kill them ,I may srvive,I am not willing to fight with them even in exchange for the three worlds,let alone this earth.
It was the custom ,that an unarmed and unwilling foe should not be attacked .Arjuna decided not to fight if he were attacked by the enemy.I would consider it better for the sons of Dhrtarastra to kill me unarmed and unresisting,rather than fight with them.
Sanjaya said: Arjuna, having thus spoken on the battlefield ,cast aside his bow and arrows and sat down on the chariot,his mind overwhelmed with grief.
This ends the first chapter of Bhagvad Gita.
When
Chapter Two (The Yoga of Wisdom)
No one can destroy what is everlasting and imperishable.
The indwelling one is eternal ,indestructible and immeasurable . The bodies of the indwellings one are impermanent . Therefore who ever thinks that Atman ,or the self does the killing or can be killed misunderstands that self does not kill,nor is it ever killed .It is not born and it does not die . Unborn eternal and ancient ,the self is not killed when the body is killed.
Chapter Three (Karma Yoga)
In order to excel ,mentally control the senses,let go all attachments and engage the body in Karma Yoga ,selfless service.
Through sacrifice you cherish the Gods and they cherish you. Thus loving one another,you reap the very highest.Always do your duty without attachments . If you will do things without desiring results for yourself ,you will experience the highest state.
The enemy here on earth is (personal) desire and anger which arises because of the restless nature of humans.Wisdom in the humankind covered over by the insatiable fire of desire ,is the constant enemy of the wise.Take control of your desire ,the sinful destroyer of wisdom and self realization.
Senses are stronger then the body . The mind is stronger then senses . The discriminating intellect (Budhi) is stronger then the mind ATMAN is above intellect.
Gita calls upon us to dedicate ourselves ,body,mind and soul ,to pure duty and not to become victim of desires and undisciplined impulses.Once you have tasted of its sweet nectar,your attachment to it will grow from day to day. The recitation of Gita verses will support you in your trials and console you in your distress,even in the darkness of solitary confinement.
Karmayogi:
One can establish communion with God through work.You will see him in the communal services,you will meet him when you are helping poor,sick,or any one who is distressed and is in need of help. God could be only realized through service .A KaramYogi will relieve the hunger and sickness of the millions of strving humanbeings by advocating equality and sharing of the wealth by honest and hard work. We should give Vedic learning and counting of beads a second place before community service.God's work and God's name go hand in hand.
Devotion to duty is itself prayer. We go and pray in order to be qualified for doing actual service.But when one is engaged in actual practice of duty prayer is merged with the execution of duty.If some one is engaged in deep prayer ,hears the cry of other for help,one should leave prayer and run to help the distressed.Prayer finds fulfilment in the service of the distressed.By doing the service of community one can attain self realization,to see God face to face,to attain Moksha.Real prayer from the heart brings the real work behind it.For in the end work itself becomes prayer.The real way to pray to God is to do something in his name some little service to those who are less fortunate then ourselves.
There is no worship purer or more pleasing to God then selfless service of the poor.The rich and powerful in their arrogance and intellectual pride often forget God and even question His existence . But God dwells among the poor as they cling to him as their sole refuge and shelter.To serve the poor is to serve Him.Karmayogi:
One can establish communion with God through work. You will see him in the communal services, you will meet him when you are helping poor, sick, or any one who is distressed and is in need of help. God could be only realized through service .A KaramYogi will relieve the hunger and sickness of the millions of strving humanbeings by advocating equality and sharing of the wealth by honest and hard work. We should give Vedic learning and counting of beads a second place before community service.God's work and God's name go hand in hand.
Devotion to duty is itself prayer. We go and pray in order to be qualified for doing actual service.But when one is engaged in actual practice of duty prayer is merged with the execution of duty.If some one is engaged in deep prayer ,hears the cry of other for help,one should leave prayer and run to help the distressed.Prayer finds fulfilment in the service of the distressed.By doing the service of community one can attain self realization,to see God face to face,to attain Moksha.Real prayer from the heart brings the real work behind it.For in the end work itself becomes prayer.The real way to pray to God is to do something in his name some little service to those who are less fortunate then ourselves.
There is no worship purer or more pleasing to God then selfless service of the poor.The rich and powerful in their arrogance and intellectual pride often forget God and even question His existence . But God dwells among the poor as they cling to him as their sole refuge and shelter.To serve the poor is to serve Him.
Lot of important things which we do in our lives they are not prompted by reason but by instinct.Inner voice cannot be described in words.But sometimes we have a positive feeling that something in us prompts us to do a certain thing.When you are close to God you will recognise this voice within you.
God can do tremendous things through the person who doesn’t care who gets the credit. If you make a goal that you will be helping others who are sick, poor and needy and do good things without any thing in return for you. You will be surprised how much God will help you in achieving your goals .He will be working with you lot harder then you and helping you at every step till the time your aim is service and not getting credit.
As the sixth chapter in Gita assures us the least little sadhna (spiritual effort) is not wasted.The seeker will proceed in his next birth,starting from it as a base.Similarly if a person has the will but not the ability to make spiritual progress ,his environment in his subsequent birth will be such as to strengthen that will
Gita calls upon us to dedicate ourselves , body ,mind and soul ,to pure duty and not to become victim of desires and undisciplined impulses. Once you have tasted of its sweet nectar, your attachment to it will grow from day to day. The recitation of Gita verses will support you in your trials and console you in your distress, even in the darkness of solitary confinement.
As the sixth chapter in Gita assures us the least little sadhna (spiritual effort) is not wasted. The seeker will proceed in his next birth, starting from it as a base. Similarly if a person has the will but not the ability to make spiritual progress ,his environment in his subsequent birth will be such as to strengthen that will.
I have faith in Prayer and I believe in service to humanity and I believe in having relation with God and good honest people who believe in living a healthy life. 08/10
Beautifulthingsfortoday.blogspot.com
Prayer
1)Necessity of Prayer .
2)How to pray and whom to pray. Deity worship.
3)Fruits of prayer.
4)Power of prayer ,Faith and Karma .
5)Meditation, silence, and self-realization, Moksha
6)God, religion, and prayer :
7)Ramanama and mantras.
8)Fasting and Prayer.
9)Prayer, medicine, cure.
10)Silence.
11)Confession.
12)Happiness
13)Gita.
1)Necessity of prayer..
Prayer is the very soul and essence of religion, and, therefore, prayer must be the very core of the life of man, for no man can live without religion.He therefore, who hungers for the awakening of the divine in him must fall back on prayer.
Any amount of repetition of name of God is futile if it fails to stir the soul. It must be in clear response to the spirit which hungers for it. He who has experienced the magic of prayer may do without food for days together but not a single moment without prayer. For without prayer there is no inward peace. Begin, therefore, your day with prayer, and make it so soulful that it may remain with you until the evening. Close the day with prayer so that you may have a peaceful night free from dreams and nightmares. Do not worry about the form of prayer. Let it be any form, it should be such that it can put us into communion with the divine. Only, whatever be the form, let not the spirit wander while you are doing prayers. If your, mission in life is service of your fellowmen, it will go to pieces if you do not impose on yourselves some sort of discipline, and prayer is a necessary spiritual discipline. It is discipline and restraint that separates us from the brute. The prayer is for God to make us better men and women. If the prayer came truly from the heart, God’s grace would surely descend upon us. There is not a blade of grass which moves without his will, not one single true thought which does not leave a mark on character. It is good, therefore, to develop the daily habit of prayer. Silent prayer is often mightier than overt act in my helplessness. I continuously pray in the faith that the prayer of a pure heart never goes unanswered. Practicing silent prayer will give rest to the mind .But it was difficult to turn the mind inward except through silent prayer. A silent prayer is often more effective than the spoken word consciously uttered. People come together for prayer in order to obtain peace, to hear God's name and to recite it. For five minutes at least every day one should sit in silence. When we practice silence at first, many thoughts will enter our minds we even may begin to doze. Silence will remedy these defects. Samadhi means silence. Muni(sage) and maun both are derived from the same root.
2)How to pray-When to pray-Place of prayer -Deity worship:
Prayer is no mere exercise of words or of the ears, it is no mere repetition of empty formula. Wherever people meet and utter his name from their hearts ,there God dwells ,there is his temple, mosque or church. Religious places start its existence from the time of its first prayer. And it is the prayer of true men and women ,its continuous progress was assured.
Devotees of God and tillers of the soil rise early. Devotees take the name of God and peasants work in their fields serving the world as well as themselves. Both of them are worshippers ,cultivators by their industry worship God unawares as it helps to sustain the world.
Everyone ,should observe silence at the time of prayer. While watching a movie sometimes we sit for hours in silence. We can tune our mind to do that at a religious place .In my opinion, prayer should be said in one’s mother-tongue. It alone can affect the soul best. I should say that a sincere prayer for one minute is enough. We should retire within ourselves for inward communion with the divine for at least few minutes a day .Prayer should be a passionate cry of a soul hungering for union with the divine. If should suffice to promise God not to sin. Prayer is nothing else buys an intense longing of the heart. You may express yourself though the lips: you may express yourself in the private closet or in public: but to be genuine, the expression must come from the deepest recesses of the heart. As grain is the body’s food , so prayer is the souls. He who is convinced about the existence of the soul cannot live without prayer. Prayer means the soul turning towards God. He alone truly adores God who finds his happiness in the happiness of others, speaks evil of none, does not waste his time in the pursuit of riches, does nothing immoral, who acquits himself with others as with a friend, does not fear the plague or any human being. Prayer is the greatest binding force, making for the solidarity and oneness of the human family. If a person realizes his unity with God through prayer, he will look upon everybody as himself. Prayer is the greatest binding force .
Begin your day with prayer and make it so soulful that it may remain with you until the evening. Close the day with prayer so that you may a peaceful night free from dreams and nightmares.
When one is filled with the presence of God then anything he does becomes prayer, even labor is prayer. Presence of God in one's heart will make the whole life as continuous prayer or act of worship. Any work done keeping him in mind makes it a prayer . Others who are indulged in sin ,and live for self ,they should keep on praying till the time they feel presence of God in them.
We should remember Him at least for a few minutes daily. If we don't express gratitude for many bounties of Providence daily, life ceases to have any meaning. By doing daily prayer you will add something new to your life, something with which nothing can be compared.
Praying together or congregational prayers in temples ,churches or mosques is like a daily bath ,a necessity for the existence. Going to places of worship will help you in bringing faith in God and prayer. Once one develops faith in God and prayer all the evil thoughts will leave and one will find peace of mind and will also start seeing God in everything and one will start serving the community which needs help without being greedy.
Prayer can be done by simply thinking or recitation of verses from religious books, also hymns from saints .One can read ,sing or listen to them .A relationship between God and yourself should not be only at prayer but, at all the times.
Prayer is to me the intense longing of heart to merge with his creator.
Deity Worship
We go to the temple to worship not the stone or the metal image but God who resides in it. The image becomes what man makes of it .It has no power independently with which it is invested by the worshipper. One can worship an idol even made of clay, if thereby one's heart feels lighter. If my life seems satisfying and meaningful, fruitful then the worship of God's idol has meaning.
God has a transcendental body. Vedic literature describes each part of His transcendental body can perform any of the functions of any part of body. For example with our eyes we can only see ,the Lord cannot see only with his eyes ,but also can taste ,smell or hear with them. Thus the transcendental form of Supreme Lord is unlimited and all powerful human beings or any living objects when they come to this material world, the material energy covers him with a temporary material body, thus he has to get old and diseased and finally die and accept other body. But the supreme Lord is not under the material laws of nature. He is beyond those laws.
3).Faith and Fruits of prayer. :
When mind is full of prayerful thoughts, everything in the world seems good and agreeable. Prayer is essential for progress in life. True prayer never goes unanswered. It does not mean that every little thing we ask from God is readily given to us. It is only when we shed our selfishness with a conscious effort and approach God in true humility that our prayers find a response.
He alone truly adores God who finds his happiness in the happiness of others, speaks evil of none ,does not waste his time in the pursuit of riches, does nothing immoral ,who acquits himself with others as with a friend .
True prayer never goes unanswered. It is only when we shed our selfishness with a conscious and approach God in true humility that our prayers find a response.
The object of prayer is not to please God but to purify ourselves and self realization of his presence within us. We should feel his presence in every walk of life. Prayer will bring us self purification and realization of truth.
Prayer is a sign of repentance ,a desire to become better, purer.
I have seen and believe that God never appears to you in person ,but in action which can only account for your deliverance in your darkest hour. God is formless . He can therefore ,only, be seen by spiritual sight-vision. The more I want to listen or see God that I am still far away from God. Come close to God and he will answer your questions and will give you solution to your problems. After constant and patient eternal striving and waiting on God one can be face to face with God.
I open my eyes to find nothing but the beautiful manifestation of God everywhere to greet and delight me .Since the time I have started praying Him ,all corrupt thought has left me; I am so lost in Him there is no time for anything else. I am merged in it ,it is a state beyond misery and bliss.
Faith & Karma
What is present is the intensity of faith whereby I lose myself in an invisible power. God will never forsake you, he will come to your help at the eleventh hour but you must not lose your faith in Him.
I am striving to do so many things, every moment of my life is a strenuous attempt to build up more Karma, to undo the past and add to the present.
You are not going to know the meaning of God or prayer unless you reduce yourself to a cipher . You must be humble enough to see that merely intellectual is not enough. It is the spiritual realization which alone can give satisfaction.
Devotional songs or readings will help you keep the memory of God fresh in the heart of devotee. They will also help you in doing things in accordance with the will of God. Worship or prayer ,therefore ,is not to be performed with the lips ,but with the heart. Prayers of those whose tongues are neutered but whose hearts are full of poison are never heard. Therefore, you must cleanse your heart. Rama was not only on the lips of Hanuman ,he was enthroned in his heart. By having faith in Him Hanuman lifted the mountain and crossed the ocean. That faith is nothing but a living ,wide awake consciousness of God within. One can be bodily diseased or poor but will be spiritually healthy rich and pure. Bhakta -the true devotee knows language of the heart only he knows it and can teach it. He who serves who are distressed and other fellowmen without greed and believes in Religion of Service will be at the top list of God.
If you will give God a fruit, flower or even a leaf in the spirit of Bhakati you will be his servant says the Lord in the Bhagavad-Gita.
By serving the humble, the lowliest, lost, needy and sick you will be doing the greatest prayer, sacrifice and worship.
We should pray to God when we are getting up in the morning, and when closing our eyes in the evening. During the day time one will keeps God's presence in his heart when doing anything. Anyone who will keep God constantly in his mind God will start dwelling in his heart. One will be able to live without food for days, but not without prayer for a day. Prayer must be done with a pure heart. Anybody who prays to God with his heart wills in the end become filled with Him .As eye lids are doing their work; similarly prayer should go on constantly in our heart. One can pray by oneself even while lying in bed, bathing, eating, or doing any other work.
By having faith and prayer ,you can change yourself completely like a new person with a new life and new character. As there is light behind every shadow you will see and fid solution to most of your problems. Prayers and happiness will make you strong. Prayers and happiness will uplift your spirits. Your guilt’s, problems and feeling of failure and hurt will change into positive thinking.
4)Power and advantage of prayer:
Man of prayer will be at peace with himself and with the whole world. Prayer can be a mean of bringing orderliness strength and peace in our daily acts. When it is done from the heart, it has the power to melt mountains of misery. Prayer is a food for soul. Heart-felt prayer will help overcoming cowardice and all other bad habits. By faith and prayer one can conquer every difficulty in their upward progress. Prayer is intended to sober and humble us and enable us to realize that nothing happens without His will and that we are but 'clay' in the hands of the Potter.
Prayer is the greatest binding force, Families which pray together will stay together. Praying together brings solidarity and oneness of the human family. Prayer unites us with God. Once we are united with God through prayer everybody will look like a big family. Prayer means being one with God.
If humans stay in tune with God ,no matter they belong to what religion ,or to whom they pray weather they are poor or rich ,they are strong , or weak they will all live in peace and happiness . Even the weakest would enjoy perfect protection. Realization of God will bring freedom from all earthly fear.
We should always keep him in mind, how can we forget Him by whose mercy we live, who strengths us in all my efforts. How can we forget our God?
You must make time everyday for prayers. You may excuse yourself from other duties, but never from prayers. You should cultivate such a state of mind that for half an hour during the day at different times you will have only one thought in your mind, and no other. It will provide you peace, happiness and an opportunity to be one with all living creatures.
True prayer never goes unanswered. If the prayer came truly from the heart, God's grace would surely descend upon us.
5) Meditation, silence, and self-realization,Moksha
Moksha is liberation from pure thought. This can be achieved through ceaseless communion with Him and complete self -surrender. This communion may be in the beginning is just lip repetition of His name even disturbed by impure thoughts. But ultimately what is on the lips will possess the heart. Don't let your senses wander with mind. He who keeps control of his physical senses will someday be able to bring impure thoughts under control. Chanting of mantras like Ramanama and surrendering completely to his grace will help mastery over thoughts. There is however a golden rule for gaining controls of the carnal desire. It is the repetition of the divine word or mantra such as 'Rama' , 'OM' ,'Krishna' 'Allah' 'Christ' or such other divine word with which one can identify while repeating it. One will have complete peace of mind as a result of repeating such name or mantras in complete faith .These Mantras will bring happiness, help preserving of morals. To be effective one must throw his soul into it. One must repeat them like a parrot. We should repeat them with a view to preventing the approach of unwelcome thoughts and with full faith in the efficacy of the mantra to the end.
True meditation is closing the eyes and ears of the mind to all else, except the object of one’s devotion. The Gita also tells us that mind is restless,but it tells us that with patient we can bring it under control. The highest goal of the devotee is to become one with the object of his devotion. .
In the artful prayer the worshipper’s attention is concentrated on the object of worship so much so that he is not conscious of anything else besides. The worshipper has well been compared to a lover. The lover forgets the whole world and even himself in the presence of the beloved. The identification of the worshipper with God comes only after much striving, self suffering (tapas) and self -discipline.
6) God, religion, and prayer:
God demands nothing less than complete self surrender as the price for the only real freedom that is worth having. And when a man thus loses himself , he immediately finds himself in the service of all that lives . It becomes his delight and his recreation . He is a new man never weary of spending himself in the service of God’s creation. We will know and take care of God's will by prayer and right living.Prayer means being one with God.
God is not some person outside us or away from the universe. He pervades everything, and is omniscient as well as omnipotent. Being immanent in all beings, He hears everything and reads our innermost thoughts. He abides in our hearts and is nearer to us then nails are to the fingers. We desire to recognize and realize Him, to become one with Him, and seek to gratify that desire through prayer. Truth alone is eternal everything else is momentary.
Once we accept the existence of God ,then the necessity of prayer will become inescapable.
To get rid of the devil and impurity that has seized us we should take Ramayana and kneel before God and seek his help. Gold is the help of helpless. If you would ask Him to help, go to him in all your nakedness, approach Him without reservations. The prayer of even the most impure will be answered.
As Poet Surdas has sung , God (Ram,Christ,Allah) is the strength of the weak. His name,Rama is but synonym of God, Allah or Christ whatever other name you may like, but the moment you trust naught but Him, you will become strong and you will have strength and he will put all doubts and despairs to flight. We should pray that he cleanse our hearts of pettiness, meanness, deceit, greed, selfishness and he will surely answer our prayers.
When a man is down, he prays to God to lift him up. He is the help of helpless. Prayer is a call to humility. It is a call to self purification, to inward search.
God is formless. You will never see God face to face. He can therefore, only, be seen by spiritual sight-vision. Eternal striving can only can take us face with God.
7. Ramayana and mantras:
God is known by thousand names. His names are innumerable and He is the same whether we call him Allah, Khuda, Rahim, or any other names that come from the heart of a true devotee. If you do nothing else but keep repeating Ramanama. Some day you will suddenly see light in the midst of darkness.
Tulsidas holds that the name of Rama is more powerful than Rama himself and suggests that there is no relation between the word Rama and its meaning. The meaning will be filled in later by the devotee in accordance with the nature of his devotion. That is the beauty of this repetition (Japa).For days and sometimes for years ,the mind wanders and becomes restless, the body craves for sleep when one is engaged in repeating the name of God. If you have faith ,repeat the name at all times ,when you sit or stand or lie down, eat or drink. If you try it you will have peace of mind .will remove all suffering ,mental, moral, and physical.
Ramanama ought to be repeated from the depth of one's heart. God has been given thousand names which only means that He can be called by any name and that his qualities are infinite. But for us mortals the support of his name is absolutely essential to fall back upon. Value of reciting His name cannot be established by reasoning, it can only be experienced if one does it by faith and by a person whose vision is not blurred and whose faith is not damped by learning. Learning takes us through many stages in life but it can fail us utterly in the hour of danger and temptations. Then faith alone saves.
Ramanama is for the pure in heart and for those who want to attain purity and remain pure.
8)Fasting and prayer.
Clarity of vision for the good of humanity as well as for an individual can be attained through Prayer and fasting .Buddha, Jesus and Mohammad fasted so as to see God face to face. Whenever there is distress which one cannot remove, one must fast and pray. There is no prayer without fasting. This fasting relates not merely to the palate, but all the senses and organs.
Buddha, Jesus and Mohammed fasted so as to see God face to face. Fasting relates not merely to the palate, but all the sense and organs. All fasting if it is a spiritual act is an intense prayer or a preparation for it... It is yearning of the soul to merge in the divine essence. A genuine fast cleanses body, mind and soul. It crucifies the flesh and to that extent sets the soul free. Fasting and prayer therefore are a most powerful process of purification of soul and a mean to come closer to eternal. A complete fast is a complete and literal denial of self. Abstention from food and even water is but the mere beginning, the least part of the surrender.
Prophet often fasted and prayed, kept awake for nights together and would be on his feet at all hours of the night as he received the revelations.
Strength of the soul grows in proportion as you subdue the flesh. Absence of food is an indispensable but not the largest part of it. The largest part is prayer--communion with God. It more than adequately replaces physical food.
Missing a meal sometimes is beneficial for health. Omitting prayer never is.
09). Prayer, medicine, and cure .
Repeating name of God and pure living are the best and cheapest preventive of disease. Ramanama recited from heart is a cure -all for every kind of disease.
Illness implies some error or other. He whose body and mind are perfectly sound ,should never suffer from illness.
All the modern medicines and prayers are blessings of God . But for anything to be effective it has to be applied with faith. Sick person with the help of prayer and modern medicine and procedures can be cured or at least they will give a relief to the soul and body and can be used together.
Sorrow Happiness Selfishness is the cause of sorrow. Generally there are two kinds of fears in men’s minds fear of death and fear of loss of material possessions .A man of prayer will and self -purification will shed the fear of death and embrace death as a boon companion and will regard all earthly possessions as fleeing and of no account .He will see that he has no right to possess wealth when misery and pauperism stalk the land and when there are millions who have to go without a meal.
One can be sick and unhappy by not eating right, or not doing exercise, not breathing properly or living in a place where they don’t have proper water and air, or not sleeping right, living an unhealthy ethical life, greed to become rich and stretching you beyond control. Stress because of job, family and other reasons sometimes beyond ones control will make you sick. When we lose our balance with our surroundings then we get sick. Prayer, self control and happiness will help you keeping a balance in your life. We cannot blame God for our sickness without improving our thinking and life styles. When we don’t obey God rules then sickness will follow. Praying, exercising and living a healthy life style will make you happier, healthier and smarter.
10)Silence.
If we want to listen to the still small Voice that is always speaking within us, it will not be heard if we continually speak. Silence must be observed to be spiritually strong. A seeker after truth must learn how to be silent. A man of few words will rarely be thoughtless in his speech; he will measure every word.
As Gandhiji said "Silence is a great help to seeker after truth; in the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth, and the soul requires inward restfulness to attain its full height."
Modern Civilization has taught us to convert night into day and golden silence into noise. The Divine Radio is always singing if we can sit in silence and listen to it.
St. Theresa has summed up the sweet result of silence."You will at once feel your sense themselves together; they seem like bees which return to the hive and there shut themselves up to work at the making of honey; and this will take place without effort or care on your part . God thus rewards the violence which your sole has been doing to itself; and gives to it such a domination over the senses that a sign is enough when it desires to recollect itself, for them to obey and so gather themselves together. At the first call of the will they come back more and more quickly. At the first call of the will they come back more and more quickly. At last after many and many exercises of this kind , God disposes them to a state of absolute repose and of perfect contemplation."
He is truly silent who, having the capacity to speak, utters no idle word.
13)Confession:
To err is human,.By confessing we convert our mistakes into steppino stones for advance.The moment we repent and ask God for forgiveness for our lapse ,we are purged of our sin and new life begins for us. True repentance is an essential pre-requisite of prayer.
14) HAPPINESS
Happiness and Prayer go together. An unhappy mind won’t be able to focus on prayers. If you are sad then start praying things which make you sad will start disappearing. When you are sad mind will not be able to pray.
There are people who are very poor and are very happy, on the other hand there are people who are rich and are un happy. So wealth only cannot make you happy.
If you are unhappy and getting sick instead of seeing a doctor go and try to meet your spiritual doctor first which is your God weather he is Ram, Mohammad, or Christ or any one else in whom you have faith. Try to come closer to him first try to talk to him and ask his advise and pray to him. He will give you pills of happiness and they will help you in curing your sickness and you will be happier.
Ask him for help. God can help us only if we ask him to help us, he cannot make us happy or well if we don’t ask him. Most important thing is to have faith in him and pray to him and he will make you happier and better. Tell him your problem, ask him for directions and what ever directions he gives you have faith in his voice and follow him. Surrender to him and he will take care of you. Tell God that with his help you are going to be happier and feel better. You will be happy, if you have faith in him. Faith will make you a peaceful person because it will teach you and help you in staying calm and peaceful in your hard times and bad conditions. By being happy you will realize that no matter what and where you are still life is beautiful. You will have this feeling only if you will start loving him, and he will make things beautiful and will give you strength and so happiness.
HAPPINESS AND HEALTH GO TOGETHER: When you are happy you will see that you will feel healthier also and when you are healthy you will see that you are happy also. To be happy live a sin free life. Sin free life is described in every religion. If anything you do which is not approved by God it is sin. Follow the way God wants you to live. You will see that you will be happy and healthy. Body illness is caused by tension, fear, stress, and living immoral and unhealthy life styles. God has shown humans to live a clean life without greed and sin, but when humans don’t live that Godly way then they become unhappy.
Every morning when I get up I thank God when I see light and the whole beautiful nature surrounded by trees, flowers, birds, animals, lakes, clouds and rays of Sun rising between clouds and trees. This all shows that a new beautiful day is again for us to be happy and enjoyment. When people die they don’t see the next day so imagine how lucky we are that we are still alive and our eyes are open to see beautiful things created by nature. We should not think of our past and look into our sorrows, pains, our short comings, and enemies who have hurt us but rather see how beautiful it is that we are alive and living and God is with us if no one else is there and be happy .God has still given us this beautiful nature and another day to live. Now start your day with beautiful memories what you have. It can be sound of a bird chirping, or a beautiful song, flowers in the garden and trees and animals or birds that are out and trying to find food this is all the life is all about and be happy.
Don’t let your sad thoughts take it over rather bring smile on your face again and again to be happy and think of the song you like and the people to whom you love and who is still there and are living weather they are close to you or are far from you. If your loved one is far talk to anyone who is close to you and that will make you happy. Change your attitude and you will see there are so many happy things around you just have to make yourself part of those small things.
Just smile no matter how sad you are. If you are finding it difficult to do then listen to some good music, meditate and do prayers. Go to Church, Temple, or to Mosque and meet people. These things will change your state of mind. God is always your companion when you are alone you can always count on his help; he will give you strength and peace in your sad time and will help you in coming out of your grief. When you are unhappy because you lost something, don’t look what you have lost or what you don’t have rather think of what you have. Biggest thing what we all have is a beautiful day what God gave us to live today, what else we need, now it is up to us to see, if we are going to live happily or pass it sadly.
You will be Happy and blessed if you are closer to God and are humble and honest. As said in Bible “Blessed are also those who are meek, for they shall inherit the earth”. Blessed means happiness.
Greed : All relegions have explained harms of greed.
I have repeated to you, a ninth Beatitude‥‘Blessed is he who expect nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.’
[1727 Pope Letter 6 Oct. (1956) II. 453]
Blessed is he that expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.
[1739 B. Franklin Poor Richard's Almanac (May)]
When we are all the time restless and due to greed want something more and more all the time then when we don’t get more then we will be unhappy. This is a sickness in itself when we want more. Some people have more than enough to live a good comfortable life but they still want more, when we get into this state of mind we become unhappy. So be satisfied and contended with what you have. If after having more and more wealth for you did not make you happy then try the opposite then live for others. After you have made enough money for yourself and family to live comfortably try to share your wealth and time with those who are needy, sick or so poor that they don’t have very basic things to exist .Happiest people in the world are those who make others people life happy, and think for other. Happy people don’t live for themselves they live for others.
Contentment is not as difficult to come by as you may think.
Happiness in relation only comes when both people open up and are frank with each other and tell each other their expectations. Good relationship will have fights and arguments so that relations can be improved but all this should be done without losing respect for each other.
By understanding each other God driven dreams can be achieved. If you are kind, not selfish and giving you will make good friends. If you are surrounded by selfish, self centered, greedy, undesirable people change them into good people. Selfish people are a burden to themselves as well as to the society.
Forgiveness: Be forgiving: If someone hurts you forgive him .By forgiving you will stay happy, and sadness which is again a sickness will not overpower you. So to stay happy learn to forgive all the time if somebody hurts you or don’t do things according to your way.
Clean up your heart and start thinking positive: when it is blocked by depression, hate, sin and fear. Pray to God and ask him to release you from doubts, anxieties, fears, so that you can see his presence everywhere. Once you will start seeing his presence everywhere your fear and unhappiness will disappear and it will bring you happiness peace and you will start seeing beautiful people and things around you and you will see that problems for which you did not have solutions now they are being solved by some hidden power. Unhappiness can put a lid on your thinking and you cannot look things and solution around you. Once your negative thinking stops and you start living a life with presence of God in your heart and ask him to give you directions with a promise to yourself, that you will stay happy and follow his directions. You will see that life will be beautiful again. But remember only a clean and happy heart will be able to see his presence all the time.
Negative thinking hinders us from confronting our need for God. By getting rid of evil and fearsome thoughts happiness will come and in return you will see your faith in him will improve and he will come as close to you as breathing. When you get angry or are sad you block the flow of God into your life so if you want to close with him as well as if you want him to show you the way then be happy. God’s presence in your actions is more important than breathing itself, as this is him who has given you counted breaths to live. Once all the breaths he has given you to live be over you will die. It is also a belief in Hindu religion that on your last breath if you were taking his name or you were thinking about him you will reach him.
Your faith combined with good work makes God come alive within you. God will come and stay in your heart if you will take him in your heart. Like mother Theresa have a goal to do something beautiful for God. Happiness generally will prolong life, because if you are happy you will have less stress. If due to any reason you have been unhappy for a long period of time which can effect your immune system , which in return will make you sick. Spend time with the people who are happy and have healthy habits. Most of people who have positive attitude towards life will also have positive relations with other people . These people appreciate life and everything which is Gods creation and its glory..
How to be successful.
Always think with a cool head. Sit silent everyday for few minutes, while you will be sitting silent your mind will be able to think calmly and give you answer for your problems. Talk to your inner consciousness and it will give you answers. Meditation is a very big tool to relax your body and mind. Enjoy every day of your life keeping God in mind. Start your day and every moment with a positive attitude and try to keep your happiness and positive attitude all day long
Don’t let any thing bother you. If you have some problems solve them instead of worrying them. If you really cannot solve them then time will solve them one way or other. But don’t let your problems stress you as stress will weaken you and you will get sick creating more problems for you.
How to improve your health and stay healthy: If you want a good health then believe in your ability to keep a healthy body. Make your health a goal and whatever makes body and mind happy work on it. It takes physical and mental energy to achieve your goals,Don’t think you’re too busy to exercise or eat well. Having a regular exercise practice that tones the body and meditation and prayer which will calm the mind is important and your health will improve.
Eat healthy food everyday. Healthy servings of salad and fruit in every meal will help you keeping your weight in control. Eat Green, red, purple and orange vegies for maximum antioxidants – is a great way to get fibre and the vitamins and minerals you need.
If your life has a purpose that is one of the best things you can do for your soul and your happiness. You are the master of your life and what you are today is your own creation.”
Do meditation regularly. Meditation regularly connects you to a higher being and consciousness. Stay relaxed and not tensed Try to make other people life happy, if you will spread love you will get love. Always have a helping attitude, when you help needy you will get satisfaction and happiness plus God will give you many times back.
People to whom you love stay in touch with them and appreciate them. This will build a strong relationship.
Motivational:
Take care of things which worry you the most. Stop worrying just take care of your problem, If once you take care of your problem it won’t be a problem anymore. Do what’s most important first.
Success and positive attitude have a direct relation they go hand by hand.
Keep your positive attitude and you will see you will be successful. Don’t think of your failures and a negative attitude then you will always think that you cannot be where you want to be. When you will start thinking that you cannot be successful then you will not start even.
Consider your dreams. Set your goals. Figure out what you are good at. Aim to achieve those goals. Be disciplined. Believe you can achieve your goals. Involve others, Never give up till the time you achieve your goals.
Do things which relax you. Walking, bicycling, gardening, swimming, cooking, going to church ,playing inside games like cards. outside games, going to beach or on mountain, boating, fishing, listening or singing music. going to a movie. It is important to find out what relaxes you most and one must do that at least one hour a day. Hour spent on relaxation will not go waste it will make you healthier and increase your productivity.10-21-2008
Life with a purpose:
1) Bible says, “It is God who directs the lives of his creatures; everyone’s life is in his power. God’s purpose of your life predates your conception. He planned it before you existed, without your input. You may choose your career, your spouse, your hobbies, and many other parts of your life, but don’t get to choose your purpose. The purpose of your life fits into a much larger, cosmic purpose that God has designed for eternity. Without God life makes no sense.
“Everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him.” How can I remind myself that life is really about living for God, not myself?
Blessed are those who trust in Lord….Thay are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of draught. Their leaves stay green, and they go right on producing delicious fruit.
2) You are who you are for a reason. As God had a purpose in creating me. He planned where I was going to be born. He planned who my parents will be and the place and time of my birth and death. He made me from nothing into something. Before we were born he had us on his list, God has bestowed his love on us since the time we were born. Even when we will be old he will take care of us. God made us so he could love us. “He is my Creator. I was in his list and care before I was born. You are a beautiful perfect unique design. He made me because of a reason. Our God made no mistake. You are who you are, beloved, because God made you.
It is important to build our life on eternal truths. Start your relation with him. Once we develop a close relation with him then what ever we will do it we will do with a purpose in him. Without God life should have no meaning. God created me because he loved me. As I am his creation he will always love me. As I was born because of love I should and will give that love to other people and his creation.
Love makes us happy, brings a glow to our face as well as everything around us will become happy if our life is full of love.
When we lose our contact with him and from our old bad memories we start leading life of a restless wanderer then life losseses its purpose. Our past is past nothing can change it we should forget our resentments and bitternesses from it and chnage our lives with a new relation with him.
Focus:If you want your life to have impact ,focus it.Stop dabbling,stop trying to do it all Do less. Prune away even good activities and do only that matters you most at that particuler time as well as takes you closer in achieving your purpose of life. Put all your efforts and energy on what is important. The power of focusing can be seen in light. Diffused light has little power or impact,but you can concentrate its energy by focusing on it. With a magnifying glass,the rays of the sun can be focussed to set grass or paper on fire. When light is focussed even more as a laser beam ,it can cut through steel. There is nothing quite as potent as focused life. The men and women who have made the greatest difference in history like Buddha,Gandhi,apostle Paul almost single handedly changed the humanity.
11) Gita
Chapter One:This is a dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna about the battle which Sanjaya is narrating to blind king Dharitarashtra .
On the battlefield Arjuna could see all kind of relatives.He could see his grandfathers Bhisma and Somadatta teachers like Dronacarya and Krpacarya,maternal uncles like Salya and Sakuni,brothers like Duryodhana,sons like Laksmana,friends like Asvatthama, well wishers like Krtavarma, etc.He could see the armies with many of his friends.
After seeing all his family Arjuna asks Krsna I do not see how any good can come from killing my own kinsmen in this battle,nor can I, my dear Krsna, desire any subsequent victory,kingdom or happiness.
Why should I kill them ,I may srvive,I am not willing to fight with them even in exchange for the three worlds,let alone this earth.
It was the custom ,that an unarmed and unwilling foe should not be attacked .Arjuna decided not to fight if he were attacked by the enemy.I would consider it better for the sons of Dhrtarastra to kill me unarmed and unresisting,rather than fight with them.
Sanjaya said: Arjuna, having thus spoken on the battlefield ,cast aside his bow and arrows and sat down on the chariot,his mind overwhelmed with grief.
This ends the first chapter of Bhagvad Gita.
When
Chapter Two (The Yoga of Wisdom)
No one can destroy what is everlasting and imperishable.
The indwelling one is eternal ,indestructible and immeasurable . The bodies of the indwellings one are impermanent . Therefore who ever thinks that Atman ,or the self does the killing or can be killed misunderstands that self does not kill,nor is it ever killed .It is not born and it does not die . Unborn eternal and ancient ,the self is not killed when the body is killed.
Chapter Three (Karma Yoga)
In order to excel ,mentally control the senses,let go all attachments and engage the body in Karma Yoga ,selfless service.
Through sacrifice you cherish the Gods and they cherish you. Thus loving one another,you reap the very highest.Always do your duty without attachments . If you will do things without desiring results for yourself ,you will experience the highest state.
The enemy here on earth is (personal) desire and anger which arises because of the restless nature of humans.Wisdom in the humankind covered over by the insatiable fire of desire ,is the constant enemy of the wise.Take control of your desire ,the sinful destroyer of wisdom and self realization.
Senses are stronger then the body . The mind is stronger then senses . The discriminating intellect (Budhi) is stronger then the mind ATMAN is above intellect.
Gita calls upon us to dedicate ourselves ,body,mind and soul ,to pure duty and not to become victim of desires and undisciplined impulses.Once you have tasted of its sweet nectar,your attachment to it will grow from day to day. The recitation of Gita verses will support you in your trials and console you in your distress,even in the darkness of solitary confinement.
Karmayogi:
One can establish communion with God through work.You will see him in the communal services,you will meet him when you are helping poor,sick,or any one who is distressed and is in need of help. God could be only realized through service .A KaramYogi will relieve the hunger and sickness of the millions of strving humanbeings by advocating equality and sharing of the wealth by honest and hard work. We should give Vedic learning and counting of beads a second place before community service.God's work and God's name go hand in hand.
Devotion to duty is itself prayer. We go and pray in order to be qualified for doing actual service.But when one is engaged in actual practice of duty prayer is merged with the execution of duty.If some one is engaged in deep prayer ,hears the cry of other for help,one should leave prayer and run to help the distressed.Prayer finds fulfilment in the service of the distressed.By doing the service of community one can attain self realization,to see God face to face,to attain Moksha.Real prayer from the heart brings the real work behind it.For in the end work itself becomes prayer.The real way to pray to God is to do something in his name some little service to those who are less fortunate then ourselves.
There is no worship purer or more pleasing to God then selfless service of the poor.The rich and powerful in their arrogance and intellectual pride often forget God and even question His existence . But God dwells among the poor as they cling to him as their sole refuge and shelter.To serve the poor is to serve Him.Karmayogi:
One can establish communion with God through work. You will see him in the communal services, you will meet him when you are helping poor, sick, or any one who is distressed and is in need of help. God could be only realized through service .A KaramYogi will relieve the hunger and sickness of the millions of strving humanbeings by advocating equality and sharing of the wealth by honest and hard work. We should give Vedic learning and counting of beads a second place before community service.God's work and God's name go hand in hand.
Devotion to duty is itself prayer. We go and pray in order to be qualified for doing actual service.But when one is engaged in actual practice of duty prayer is merged with the execution of duty.If some one is engaged in deep prayer ,hears the cry of other for help,one should leave prayer and run to help the distressed.Prayer finds fulfilment in the service of the distressed.By doing the service of community one can attain self realization,to see God face to face,to attain Moksha.Real prayer from the heart brings the real work behind it.For in the end work itself becomes prayer.The real way to pray to God is to do something in his name some little service to those who are less fortunate then ourselves.
There is no worship purer or more pleasing to God then selfless service of the poor.The rich and powerful in their arrogance and intellectual pride often forget God and even question His existence . But God dwells among the poor as they cling to him as their sole refuge and shelter.To serve the poor is to serve Him.
Lot of important things which we do in our lives they are not prompted by reason but by instinct.Inner voice cannot be described in words.But sometimes we have a positive feeling that something in us prompts us to do a certain thing.When you are close to God you will recognise this voice within you.
God can do tremendous things through the person who doesn’t care who gets the credit. If you make a goal that you will be helping others who are sick, poor and needy and do good things without any thing in return for you. You will be surprised how much God will help you in achieving your goals .He will be working with you lot harder then you and helping you at every step till the time your aim is service and not getting credit.
As the sixth chapter in Gita assures us the least little sadhna (spiritual effort) is not wasted.The seeker will proceed in his next birth,starting from it as a base.Similarly if a person has the will but not the ability to make spiritual progress ,his environment in his subsequent birth will be such as to strengthen that will
Gita calls upon us to dedicate ourselves , body ,mind and soul ,to pure duty and not to become victim of desires and undisciplined impulses. Once you have tasted of its sweet nectar, your attachment to it will grow from day to day. The recitation of Gita verses will support you in your trials and console you in your distress, even in the darkness of solitary confinement.
As the sixth chapter in Gita assures us the least little sadhna (spiritual effort) is not wasted. The seeker will proceed in his next birth, starting from it as a base. Similarly if a person has the will but not the ability to make spiritual progress ,his environment in his subsequent birth will be such as to strengthen that will.
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