Anand

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I think...


Surrender...

When you surrender to somebody you recognize that the other person is stronger, wiser, smarter than you and after surrendering to that person you are aware that your fate is depending on the whims of that person so you also hope that the person to whom you are going to surrender is full of mercy and good judgment and, he will take care of you. Also you surrender to somebody only after your ego is completely shattered due to defeat or your wise thinking (and seeing) that the other person is mightier than you.

This is what exactly the Buddhist thinks and he (she) surrenders to Buddha by praying “Buddham sharanam gachchhami” That means I surrender to Buddha.

In Feudal (mediaeval) days, the general population simply surrendered to the lords of the estates in the provinces and the lord of the estates used to take care of them. Some people think the same way when they say that the God is their Lord (Malik, the owner) and they are merely the servants (Banda) of the Lord. You do not have the ego of your strength or your capability and, like a servant, you are ready to take the orders from your Lord. You simply surrender to Him, and leave up to Him your fate, with the feeling that He will take care of you.

Here are another similes: A son always looks up to his father for his well being. A son obeys the father and the father makes sure that his son is well fed, has good clothes, has good education, etc. etc. If on the other hand the son disobeys due to his ego, (challenges, and does not agree with or in the other words does not like to surrender) his father is upset and punishes in the interest of his son. We see this when some of us treat God as Father.

When we say God is Great, we immediately submit to Him, we surrender to him (for our protection). Then, our ego is vanished.

And when we want to start to do anything, we say if God (wishes) permits me I will be successful. Most of the people invoke Ganesh and seek his blessings (permission) to start any project. Here I think this way. We do not take permission from somebody who is weaker than us. We take permission only from the stronger person and when we acknowledge the fact (directly or indirectly) that we are surrendering to that person and we do not have any ego that we can do what we want.

In Middle East and in most Arabic countries it is customary to say “Insha'Allah” before they declare their intention to do any thing. “Insha'Allah” means “God willinig”. In other words, they never say that I will do this or that but they say that I will do this or that only if it is God’s will. In other words, by saying “Insha'Allah” they indicate that they do not have ego (Abhimaan, Garva) of doing perticular thing. They express the desire to be humble and not boastful for any achievements.

Recently I heard this seventy’s song by Kansas
* on the radio:

[Now] Don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away, and all your money won't another minute buy.

Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind
Dust in the wind, everything is dust in the wind.

Does it not tell us to be humble?

When we drive from city to city on the highways we have to enter and exit the highways many times. While doing so we see big YIELD signs on the exit ramps of the highways. And, what "Yield" means? It means "give way", "surrender". (As we see the thesaurus for the word yield.) So, we stop and let the other traffic to be clear and we enter the highway only when the traffic allows. If we do not yield, we might be run over by 18 wheeler truck or even a small volks-wagon might rear ended. So, how do we "yield" or "give way" or "surrender"? By being humble. If the husband and wife team do not yield (or accommodate each other) the result is disaster if not a divorce. I f brothers do not yield the result will be like "Mahabharat" and no one will enjoy the inheritance. If the people do not yield, the country will be divided (as we have seen in 1947 and later).

‘Let us be humble and not boastful for any of our achievements as every thing happens with the grace of God Panduranga and His wish. Tooch karataa aani karvitaa, (Panduranga is the cause.) sharan tulaa bhagvantaa. (Therefore, I seek refuse in you, O Lord!) OM.

But we cannot be fatalist also. We have to fulfill our duty by actions without the ego, Why? Because Bhagwan Krishna has specifically told (“ordered” or in a nicer word I should say “inspired”) us that we must see that the tasks we are assigned must be completed no matter what is the outcome. It might take little longer and there might be tons of obstacles, but with faith and patience we must keep on doing our duty. Bhagawan Krishna who is almighty God, is the strongest, the wisest in the entire universe and hence it is foolish to challenge Him. That’s why we say Om Shree Krishnya Namah – I bow down (surrender) to Shree Krishnya to pray. So we surrender to Him and follow his orders. And, leave to His wish (his ‘plan’) with the feeling that He will take care of us. Lord Krishna had already said, “Yoga kshemum vahamyahum – I will take care of (your) welfare,”

* Click here to listen to "Dust in the wind" by KANSAS on utube
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What do you think? Please let me know.
Please send YOUR thoughts to Anand by email: ag555@yahoo.com

My Encounter With My 'Religion'

Email From:BRAHMACHARI MUKTACHAITANYA

Four years ago, I was flying from JFK NY Airport to SFO to attend a meeting at Monterey, CA. An American girl was sitting on the right side, near window seat. It indeed was a long journey - it would take nearly seven hours.

I was surprised to see the young girl reading a Bible, unusual of young Americans. After some time she smiled and we had few acquaintances talk. I told her that I am from India.

Then suddenly the girl asked: 'What's your faith?'

'What?'I didn't understand the question.

'I mean, what's your religion? Are you a Christian? Or a Muslim?'

'No!' I replied, 'I am neither Christian nor Muslim'.

Apparently, she appeared shocked to listen to that.

'Then who are you?'

'I am a Hindu.'

She looked at me as if she was seeing a caged animal. She could not understand what I was talking about. A common man in Europe or US knows about Christianity and Islam, as they are the leading religions of the world today. But a Hindu, what?

I explained to her that I am born to a Hindu father and Hindu mother. Therefore, I am a Hindu by birth.

'Who is your prophet?' she asked.

'We don't have a prophet,' I replied.

'What's your Holy Book?'

'We don't have a single Holy Book, but we have hundreds and thousands of philosophical and sacred scriptures,' I replied.

'Oh, come on, at least tell me who is your God?'

'What do you mean by that?'

'Like we have Jesus and Muslims have Allah-don't you have a God?'

I thought for a moment. Muslims and Christians believe one God (Male God) who created the world and takes an interest in the humans who inhabit it. Her mind is conditioned with that kind of belief. According to her (or anybody who doesn't know about Hinduism), a religion needs to have one Prophet, one Holy book and one God. The mind is so conditioned and rigidly narrowed down to such a notion that anything else is not acceptable. I understood her perception and concept about faith. You can't compare Hinduism with any of the present leading religions where you have to believe in one concept of God.

I tried to explain to her: 'You can believe in one God and he can be a Hindu. You may believe in multiple deities and still you can be a Hindu. What's more-you may not believe in god at all, still you can be a Hindu. An atheist can also be a Hindu.'

This sounded very crazy to her. She couldn't imagine a religion so unorganized, still surviving for thousands of years, even after onslaught from foreign forces.

'I don't understand but it seems very interesting. Are you religious?'

What can I tell to this American girl? I said: 'I do not go to temple regularly. I do not make any regular rituals. I have learned some of the rituals in my younger days. I still enjoy doing it sometimes.'

'Enjoy? Are you not afraid of God?'

'God is a friend. No- I am not afraid of God. Nobody has made any compulsions on me to perform these rituals regularly.'

She thought for a while and then asked: 'Have you ever thought of converting to any other religion?'

'Why should I? Even if I challenge some of the rituals and faith in Hinduism, nobody can convert me from Hinduism. Because, being a Hindu allows me to think independently and objectively, without conditioning. I remain as a Hindu never by force, but choice.'

I told her that Hinduism is not a religion, but a set of beliefs and practices. It is not a religion like Christianity or Islam because it is not founded by any one person or does not have an organized controlling body like the Church or the Order, I added. here is no institution or authority.

'So, you don't believe in God?' she wanted everything in black and white.

'I didn't say that. I do not discard the divine reality. Our scripture, or Sruthis or Smritis- Vedas and Upanishads or the Gita-say God might be there or he might not be there. But we pray to that supreme abstract authority (Para Brahma) that is the creator of this universe.'

'Why can't you believe in one personal God?'

'We have a concept-abstract-not a personal god. The concept or notion of a personal God, hiding behind the clouds of secrecy, telling us irrational stories through few men whom he sends as messengers, demanding us to worship him or punish us, does not make sense. I don't think that God is as silly as an autocratic emperor who wants others to respect him or fear him.'

I told her that such notions are just fancies of less educated human imagination and fallacies, adding that generally ethnic religious practitioners in Hinduism believe in personal gods. The entry level Hinduism has over-whelming superstitions too. The philosophical side of Hinduism negates all superstitions.

'Good that you agree God might exist. You told that you pray. What is your prayer then?'

*'Loka Samasta Sukino Bhavantu. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti,'*

'Funny,' she laughed, 'What does it mean?'

'May all the beings in all the worlds be happy. Om, Peace, Peace, Peace.'

'Hmm..very interesting. I want to learn more about this religion. It is so democratic, broad-minded and free', she exclaimed.

'The fact is Hinduism is a religion of the individual, for the individual and by the individual with its roots in the Vedas and the Bhagavad-Gita. It is all about an individual approaching a personal God in an individual way according to his temperament and inner evolution - it is as simple as that.'

'How does anybody convert to Hinduism?'
'Nobody can convert you to Hinduism, because it is not a religion, but a set of beliefs and practices.Everything is acceptable in Hinduism because there is no single authority or organization either to accept it or to reject it or to oppose it on behalf of Hinduism.'

I told her-if you look for meaning in life, don't look for it in religions; don't go from one cult to another or from one guru to the next.

'For a real seeker', I told her, 'the Bible itself gives guidelines when it says, *Kingdom of God is within you*,' - reminding her of Christ's teaching about the love that we have for each other.

That is where you can find the meaning of life. Loving each and every creation of the God is absolute and real. *Ishavasyam idam sarvam*, ie, Isha (the God) is present (inhabits) here everywhere- nothing exists separate from the God, because God is present everywhere. Respect every living being and non-living things as God. That's what Hinduism teaches you.

Hinduism is referred to as *Sanatana Dharma*, the Eternal Faith. It is based on the practice of Dharma, the code of life. The most important aspect of Hinduism is being truthful to oneself. Hinduism has no monopoly on ideas. It is open to all. Hindus believe in one God (not a personal one) expressed in different forms. For them, God is timeless and formless entity. Ancestors of today's Hindus believe in eternal truths and cosmic laws and these truths are opened to anyone who seeks them. But there is a section of Hindus who are either superstitious or turned fanatic to make this into an organized religion like others. Again, it is the British who tried to restrict the word 'Hindu' to mean a religion like other religions.

I said: 'Religions have become an MLM (multi-level-marketing) industry that has been trying to expand the market share by conversion. The biggest business in today's world is Spirituality. Hinduism is no exception. I am a Hindu primarily because it professes Non-violence. It says: *ahimsa paramo dharma*-non-violence is the highest duty. I am a Hindu because it doesn't condition my mind with any faith system. A man/ woman who change's his/her birth, religion to another religion is a fake and does not value his/her morals, culture and values in life. Hinduism was the first religion originated. Be proud of your religion and be proud of who you are.

She was just astonished. Hinduism did not fit into any conventional idea of religion. I do not know whether she understood or admired or disliked whatever I said about Hinduism. But surely a discussion with her opened a new understanding of my religion to myself.

Friday, October 19, 2007


Prayer (the best wish) is one of the best free gifts we receive.

St. Theresa's Prayer:
May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget (have PATIENCE ) the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you...
May you be content knowing you are a child of God...
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.

Sent by: Prema Rajan, Cleveland, OH


F A I T H (S H R D D H A) and P A T I E N C E (S A B U R E E)

You have to give instructions to the computer in a language that is understood by the computer such as C, C++, HTML, Pascal, JAVA, SQL etc, etc in a logical order. So, for the computer we have to have complete logic. Not only this but, these languages have their own proper usage of words (Coding), grammar or syntax. One small mistake such as putting a comma, or semi colon and all your million lines of instructions to computer will be useless and your computing program will not ‘run’.
No language is required in case of Pooja or prayer, In fact there is a story about a devotee. He had a complete faith that if he composed a beautiful prayer The Lord will be pleased. So He thought and thought for the perfect words and the style etc. But he could not find proper words. He said to the Lord, Bhagavan, “Hey, Bhagavan, I do not know how to compose a devotional prayer for you. So, I offer You all the 26 alphabets from A to Z and You compose the prayer for yourself. After all You are the real Dnyani, (You are the most knowledgeable in the whole universe.) And he waited patiently for the Lord to appear in front of him. And God did appear in front of him and said to him, “You are the greatest devotee. This is the best Prayer I received in ages.”
In other words in Pooja any thing is allowed, and there is no logic, or proper usage of words, grammar or syntax or any particular language. There is no logic in prayer. But there are only two things required. First you must have total FAITH (Shrdhdha) and then you must have PATIENCE (Saburee).

Shiradinivasi Saibaba said, "Give me two pennies (FAITH (Shrdhdha) and PATIENCE (Saburee)) and I will give you everything from my coffers."


Why women cry...

A little boy asked his mother, "Why are you crying?" "Because I'm a woman," she told him. "I don't understand," he said. His Mom just hugged him and said, "And you never will."

Later the little boy asked his father, "Why does mother seem to cry for no reason?" "All women cry for no reason," was all his dad could say. The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry.

Finally he put in a call to God. When God got on the phone, he asked, "God, why do women cry so easily?"

God said: "When I made the woman she had to be special. I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet gentle enough to give comfort. I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times comes from her children. I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up, and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue without complaining. I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances, even when her child has hurt her very badly. I gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart. I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly. And finally, I gave her a tear to shed. This is hers exclusively to use whenever it is needed."

"You see my son," said God, "the beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart - the place where love resides."

SENT BY: Bhasmank Mehta You may visit his own websit at:
www.indianmaharaj.com
I am sure you will enjoy all the contents.
email: indianmaharaj@hotmail.com


NOTE: Please scroll down for "God will help me"

Sent by: Anonymous


SOME QUOTES

  • Don't miss out on your blessing because it isn't packaged the way that you expect. -Anonymous
  • For every criticism you make of someone's job performance, make sure you give the person four compliments.-Anonymous
  • Be interested and stay interested from start to finish.-Anonymous
  • Every person is a fool in somebody's opinion. -Spanish Proverb
  • Sent by: Anonymous


    Gandhi thought

    Gandhi thought:
    Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words.
    Keep your words positive because your words become your behaviors.
    Keep your behaviors positive because your behaviors become your habits.
    Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values.
    Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.

    Sent by: O.P.Bhatnagar


    GOD WILL HELP ME!

    Jim, who lived near a river was a very religious man. One day, the river rose over the banks and flooded the town, and Jim was forced to climb onto his porch roof. While he was sitting there, a man in a boat came along and told Jim to get in the boat with him. Jim said "No, that's ok. God will take care of me." So, the man in the boat drives off.

    The water rose more, so Jim climbed onto his roof. At that time, another boat came along and the person in that one told Jim to get in. Jim replied, "No, that's ok. God will take care of me." The person in the boat then left.

    The water rose even more, and Jim climbed on his chimney. Then a helicopter came and lowered a ladder. The woman in the helicopter told Jim to climb up the ladder and get in. Jim told her "That's ok." The woman said, "Are you sure?" Jim said, "Yeah, I'm sure God will take care of me.

    Finally, the water rose too high and Jim drowned. Jim went up to Heaven and was face to face with God. Jim said to God "You told me you would take care of me! What happened?" God replied "Well, I sent you two boats and a helicopter. What else did you want?"


    Sent by: Arun Sardesai

    This joke makes me laugh.But, I might have ignored God's help many times, I think...


    There are so many things we can talk about. Many times we compare ourselves with our friends and others and when we find ourselves less than some body we are then jealous of such a person. So I have a simple solution for this. When I find that one of my friends is more intelligent than me then I feel that soon I will be jealous of him. So, I think that I should compare myself with Albert Einstein instead of him. This way, immediately I upgraded myself in better position. So I will be jealous of Albert Einstein only and nobody else as far as intelligence is concerned. Similarly I should be jealous of Bill Gates and nobody else as far as wealth is concerned. So I will be never jealous of any body whom I know because nobody is close even to these great personalities.

    Another thing comes to my mind: When things go really wrong as in the case of Murphy's law, we are worried and when things go really bad we are very much depressed. If I am in a such a terrible situation I think that I should compare my situation with the situation of the greatest warrior Arjuna. Even though Lord Krishna was his friend and savior, Arjun had to face the greatest hardships and humiliation. As soon as I think in this way, my terrible situation becomes bearable.

    Now the greatest question for me: These are just my thoughts and there is no action from me. So I could not get rid of jealousy and when things go really bad I am very much depressed from time to time. So help me GOD.

    Sent by: K.Dev


    N E W J O K E S
    as of November 1, 2008
    Now time for a joke!


    Please email me any comments:ag555@yahoo.com



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