Friday, July 16, 2010
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
Art of Giving
"Rivers do not drink their own water, nor do tree eat their own fruit, nor do rain clouds eat the grains reared by them. The wealth of the noble is used solely for the benefit of others"
Even after accepting that giving is good and that one must learn to give, several questions need to be answered.
- The first question is when should one give ?
We all know the famous incident from Mahabharat. Yudhisthir, asks a beggar seeking alms to come the next day. On this, Bhim rejoices that Yudhisthir, his brother, had conquered death! For he was sure that he would be around the next day to give. Yudhisthir gets the message. One does not know really whether one will be there tomorrow to give! The time to give therefore is now.
- The next question is 'how much to give?'
One recalls the famous incident from history. Rana Pratap was reeling after defeat at the hands of Mughals. He had lost his army, lost his wealth, and most important he had lost hope, his will to fight. At that time, in his darkest hour, his erstwhile minister, Bhamasha came seeking him and placed his entire fortune at the disposal of Rana Pratap. With this, Rana Pratap raised an army and lived to fight another day. The answer to this question how much to give is "Give as much as you can".
- The next question is what to give ?
It is not only money that can be given. It could be a flower or even a smile. It is not how much one gives but how one gives that really matters. When you give a smile to a stranger, that may be the only good thing received by him in days and weeks ! "You can give anything but you must give with your heart."
One also needs answer to this question whom to give ?
Many times we avoid giving by finding fault with the person who is seeking. However, being judgemental and rejecting a person on the presumption that he may not be the most deserving is not justified . "Give without being judgemental."
- Next we have to answer 'How to give'.
Coming to the manner of giving, one has to ensure that the receiver does not feel humiliated, nor the giver feels proud by giving. In giving follow the Bible 'Let not your left hand know what your right hand gives'. Charity without publicity and fanfare, is the highest form of charity. 'Give quietly'
While giving, let not the recipient feel small or humiliated. After all what we give never really belonged to us. We come to this world with nothing and will go with nothing. The thing gifted was only with us for a temporary period. Why then take pride in giving away something which really did not belong to us? Give with grace and with a feeling of gratitude.
- What should one feel after giving ?
We all know the story of Eklavya. When Dronacharya asked him for his right thumb as "Guru Dakshina", he unhesitatingly cut off the thumb and gave it to Dronacharya. There is a little known sequel to this story. Eklavya was asked whether he ever regretted the act of giving away his thumb. He replied, and the reply has to be believed to be true, as it was asked to him when he was dying. His reply was "Yes" I regretted this only once in my life. It was when Pandavas were coming in to kill Dronacharya who was broken hearted on the false news of death of his son Ashwathama and had stopped fighting. It was then that I regretted the loss of my thumb. If the thumb was there, no one could have dared hurt my Guru" – The message to us is clear . Give and never regret giving.
- And the last question is 'how much should we provide for our heirs?
Ask yourself 'are we taking away from them the "gift of work" - a source of happiness! The answer is given by Warren Buffett: "Leave your kids enough to do anything, but not enough to do nothing."
"When the wealth in the house increases
When water fills a boat,
Throw them out with both hands,
This is the wise thing to do"
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Vegetarian Food by Swamy Chinmayanandha
Q. Why is vegetarian food considered better in India?
A. Eat we must. What we like to eat depends upon one's
taste. There are only four things available –Stones,
plants, animals and humans. Unfortunately we cannot
eat stones because our system is not geared to digest
and assimilate them directly. And even though we
sometimes destroy human beings with our cruelty, our
progressive society does not allow eating them. That
leaves us the vegetable and animal kingdom to choose
from. No doubt, since prehistoric times, animals have
been eaten, but we find that the very first progenitor
of humanity, Adam himself, was eating only vegetables.
It is only his second son who started this easy method of
obtaining food because agriculture seemed to be too
difficult for him, as it required a continuous process
of putting forward effort to produce. Whereas sitting
behind a stone, waiting for innocent animals to come
along, and destroying and eating them seemed to be the
easier way!
Q. How did the idea of vegetarianism develop in India?
A. We learned that vegetables can stay fresh up to
forty-eight hours, but meat deteriorates and becomes
harmful very quickly. Furthermore, within the human
body, during the process of digestion, food remains in
the digestive system for forty-eight hours. Fruit and
vegetables digest much faster than meat. Whatever
stays longer in the intestines starts to decay with
the heat of the body system, which creates a lot of
toxins.
Let me explain this idea of toxicity a little more.
You must have noticed that generally man eats only
those animals that don't eat other animals. It is very
difficult for man to digest and assimilate carnivorous
animals. This suggests that they must be highly toxic
to his system. It also suggests that a certain amount
of toxicity is present in the first round of eaten
animals, because twice removed the meat of carnivorous
animals becomes impossible to eat.
Q. So it means that what one eats is between the
doctor and the person who wants to remain healthy.
But in what way does vegetarian food help a person's
mind? Did people discover that it affects the mental
temperament?
A. The food that we take in and the thoughts and
actions that spring forth from us have a distinct
relationship. In the computer world, there is a
well-known saying – garbage in, garbage out. This
seems to be true of our bodies as well. If you put
toxic food – garbage – into your system, in the long
run the texture of your thoughts and actions have a
tendency to become more un-reconciling, extremely
selfish, less concerned for others, and lusty and
therefore potentially dangerous to the social order.
Thus, we can see that toxins in the system bring about
a lot of mental disturbances. The same principle
applies to drinking alcohol. Since our culture is
essentially geared for the life of meditation, the
mind that is constantly agitated and wandering finds
it difficult to plunge into meditation. To such an
individual, the toxin is an obstacle in reaching his
goal. Probably this must have been the reason why the
rishis in the jungles ate only fruits, roots, leaves
and water. Those who take non-vegetarian food may be
very uncontrolled because of the toxins in their food.
Watch a vegetarian and a nonvegetarian animal. All the
herbaceous animals are available for eating; whereas
the non-vegetarian or carnivorous animals are never
eaten, even by hard core non-vegetarians. Why is this?
Because carnivorous animals have got so much toxicity
in them that it means almost death to eat them.
Take Care of the Body
Avoid overeating and select the food that agrees with
you and is conducive to the harmony of the body. Many
people think eating food is the greatest exercise for
the stomach! That is not enough. Apart from eating
healthy food, you must also have some exercise of all the limbs,
especially some exercises of the stomach so that your
digestion, assimilation and evacuation can be as good
as possible.
These are the primary rules to be followed. Our
ancient teachers said: "The first duty is to take care
of the body, which is the means for the pursuit of
spiritual life." Sometimes weak persons come to me and
say, "I want to forget
my body!" What kind of body do the have? They are just
a mass of skin and bones! Develop the body properly.
You can never forget the body if it is not in a
healthy condition
A. Eat we must. What we like to eat depends upon one's
taste. There are only four things available –Stones,
plants, animals and humans. Unfortunately we cannot
eat stones because our system is not geared to digest
and assimilate them directly. And even though we
sometimes destroy human beings with our cruelty, our
progressive society does not allow eating them. That
leaves us the vegetable and animal kingdom to choose
from. No doubt, since prehistoric times, animals have
been eaten, but we find that the very first progenitor
of humanity, Adam himself, was eating only vegetables.
It is only his second son who started this easy method of
obtaining food because agriculture seemed to be too
difficult for him, as it required a continuous process
of putting forward effort to produce. Whereas sitting
behind a stone, waiting for innocent animals to come
along, and destroying and eating them seemed to be the
easier way!
Q. How did the idea of vegetarianism develop in India?
A. We learned that vegetables can stay fresh up to
forty-eight hours, but meat deteriorates and becomes
harmful very quickly. Furthermore, within the human
body, during the process of digestion, food remains in
the digestive system for forty-eight hours. Fruit and
vegetables digest much faster than meat. Whatever
stays longer in the intestines starts to decay with
the heat of the body system, which creates a lot of
toxins.
Let me explain this idea of toxicity a little more.
You must have noticed that generally man eats only
those animals that don't eat other animals. It is very
difficult for man to digest and assimilate carnivorous
animals. This suggests that they must be highly toxic
to his system. It also suggests that a certain amount
of toxicity is present in the first round of eaten
animals, because twice removed the meat of carnivorous
animals becomes impossible to eat.
Q. So it means that what one eats is between the
doctor and the person who wants to remain healthy.
But in what way does vegetarian food help a person's
mind? Did people discover that it affects the mental
temperament?
A. The food that we take in and the thoughts and
actions that spring forth from us have a distinct
relationship. In the computer world, there is a
well-known saying – garbage in, garbage out. This
seems to be true of our bodies as well. If you put
toxic food – garbage – into your system, in the long
run the texture of your thoughts and actions have a
tendency to become more un-reconciling, extremely
selfish, less concerned for others, and lusty and
therefore potentially dangerous to the social order.
Thus, we can see that toxins in the system bring about
a lot of mental disturbances. The same principle
applies to drinking alcohol. Since our culture is
essentially geared for the life of meditation, the
mind that is constantly agitated and wandering finds
it difficult to plunge into meditation. To such an
individual, the toxin is an obstacle in reaching his
goal. Probably this must have been the reason why the
rishis in the jungles ate only fruits, roots, leaves
and water. Those who take non-vegetarian food may be
very uncontrolled because of the toxins in their food.
Watch a vegetarian and a nonvegetarian animal. All the
herbaceous animals are available for eating; whereas
the non-vegetarian or carnivorous animals are never
eaten, even by hard core non-vegetarians. Why is this?
Because carnivorous animals have got so much toxicity
in them that it means almost death to eat them.
Take Care of the Body
Avoid overeating and select the food that agrees with
you and is conducive to the harmony of the body. Many
people think eating food is the greatest exercise for
the stomach! That is not enough. Apart from eating
healthy food, you must also have some exercise of all the limbs,
especially some exercises of the stomach so that your
digestion, assimilation and evacuation can be as good
as possible.
These are the primary rules to be followed. Our
ancient teachers said: "The first duty is to take care
of the body, which is the means for the pursuit of
spiritual life." Sometimes weak persons come to me and
say, "I want to forget
my body!" What kind of body do the have? They are just
a mass of skin and bones! Develop the body properly.
You can never forget the body if it is not in a
healthy condition
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Treasure Of Life
Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air.
You name them - work, family, health, friends, and spirit and you're keeping all of these in the air.
You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back.
But the other four balls - family, health,friends, and spirit - are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.
Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.
Don't set your goals by what other people deem important.
Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart.
Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future.
By living your life one day at a time, you live ALL the days of your life.
Don't give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really
over until the moment you stop trying.
Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us together.
Don't be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn
Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.
Don't set your goals by what other people deem important.
Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart.
Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future.
By living your life one day at a time, you live ALL the days of your life.
Don't give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really
over until the moment you stop trying.
Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us together.
Don't be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn
how to be brave.
Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find. The
quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to lose love is
to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings .
Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you've
been, but also where you are going.
Don't forget that a person's greatest emotional need is to feel
appreciated.
Don't be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can
always carry easily.
Don't use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved.
Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.
Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find. The
quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to lose love is
to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings .
Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you've
been, but also where you are going.
Don't forget that a person's greatest emotional need is to feel
appreciated.
Don't be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can
always carry easily.
Don't use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved.
Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Surrender to God A moral Story
There was a good-natured millionaire in the town. Three beggars thought of approaching him for help. The first man went to the millionaire and said: "O Lord! I want five rupees. Please give me." The millionaire was taken aback at this man's impudence. "What! You demand five rupees from me as though I owe you the money! How dare you? How can I afford to give five rupees to a single beggar? Here, take these two rupees and get away," he said. The man went away with the two rupees.
The next beggar went to the millionaire and said: "Oh Lord! I have not taken a square meal for the past ten days. Please help me."
"How much do you want?" asked the millionaire.
"Whatever you give me, Maharaj," replied the beggar."Here, take this ten rupee note. You can have nice food for at least three days." The beggar walked away with the ten rupee note.
The third beggar came. "Oh Lord, I have heard about your noble qualities. Therefore, I have come to see you. Men of such charitable disposition are verily the manifestations of God on earth," he said.
"Please sit down," said the millionaire. "You appear to be tired. Please take this food," he said, and offered food to the beggar."Now please tell me what I can do for you."
"Oh Lord," replied the beggar; "I merely came to meet such a noble personage that you are. You have given me this rich food already. What more need I get from you? You have already shown extraordinary kindness towards me. May God bless you!"But the millionaire, struck by the beggar's spirit, begged of the beggar to remain with him, built a decent house for him in his own compound, and looked after him for the rest of his life.
God is like this good millionaire. Three classes of people approach Him, with three different desires and prayers. There is the greedy man full of vanity, full of arrogance, full of desires. He demands the objects of worldly enjoyment from God. Since this man, whatever be his vile desires, has had the good sense to approach God, He grants him some part of the desired objects (even these very soon pass away, just as the two rupees the first beggar got are spent before nightfall).
The other type of devotee prays to the Lord for relief from the sufferings of the world, but is better than the first one, in as much as he is ready to abide by His Will. To him the Lord grants full relief from suffering, and bestows on him much wealth and property.
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