God's Ways God Alone Knows

God’s Ways God Alone Knows

By

Satish K Kapoor

Death is not just a physical fact and the human body, a part of the Universal body, is not the complete man. The Invisible Bing operates through the physical vestment in an eternal process of cosmic evolution.

The Rishis prayed for a full life-span (purnayu) of hundred years. ‘May we see a hundred autumns. May we live a hundred autumns (Rigveda, VII.66.16). ‘Living on are ye; may I live, may I live my whole life –time’ (Atharvanaveda, XIX.69.1); the purpose being ‘multi-benevolent activities’ (Yajurveda XXXV.15).

They why do some leave physical frame early and why some live long? Are they governed by the inexorable laws of nature, having little control?

The questions are baffling and may never be solved to the satisfaction of all. The individual mind can never fully grasp the working of the Universal Mind without merging into it. But after merging, there may be no coming back to narrate the experience. Human souls are like waves on the ocean of cosmic consciousness. Just as solid becomes liquid and liquid turns gaseous under certain conditions, the Supreme Spirit becomes embodied in gross matter and then reverts to its original state, in a process of creative motion. Different types of souls come with different assignments.

There are three types of souls – the evolved, the evolving and those in between. The evolved souls come as incarnations to help, support or guide humankind, kindle he light of love and knowledge, and to dilute negative forces. The evolving souls struggle to attain divinity through ethical means and spiritual activities. The middling category fluctuates between the pure and the impure spheres of consciousness.

Death is not the end of journey of life but the beginning of it as there are lives after lives in the cosmic process of evolution till one attains perfection. The cosmic force working through humans stays in the world till its mission is complete. All human activities are made manifest through the working of natural laws.

The impulse of consciousness is lesser in stone than in plants, lesser in plants than in animals. But it is at optimum level i in humans who can move from self consciousness to universal consciousness. Despite man’s will and his freedom to act, he seems to be no more than a puppet governed by the Universal Mind, which decides his role and duration, before providing him suitable vehicle of matter, and infusing in him the spark of life. Vital breaths allotted to a person are determined by his prarabdha karma or past actions of successive lives which shape the events of his present life.

The question, why do some die young, is the same as asking, why do some die old? Death is inevitability in human time. In cosmic time, there is no death. As the Bhagavad Gita says:

Worn-out garments, Are shed by the body;

Worn-out bodies, Are shed by the dweller

Within the body, New bodies are donned

By the dweller, like garments.

(Part of the article from The Vedanta Kesari of Sri Ramakrishna Mission, November 2010)

Thoughts and Aspirations

Thoughts and Aspirations

By

JP Vaswani

You are the builder of your own destiny! Therefore, do not swerve from the path of truth!

God gave; God hath taken; Blessed be His Name!

Learn to depend on yourself, and on God! Therefore, do your own work with your hands. And if here is anything that you find too difficult to do, pray to God. He will make the difficult easy but God helps those who help themselves!

You are unique. God made you for a special purpose. Discover that special purpose.

If we do anything for the love of God, it turns out to be the best. Therefore, every action should be done in a spirit of an offering to the Lord!

Would you be truly independent? Then learn to depend upon God and the Guru!

Life is a great teacher, the greater initiator. Every experience enriches our inner life and leads us onwards in our march towards the True, the Good, the Beautiful, and the Holy.

Fix a goal and keep an unwavering focus on it all the time.

Silence is a great purifier. It is only when our minds are purified that we can behold the Beauteous Face of God. Therefore, spend some time in silence every day.

Do not pray for this or that to happen. Pray that you may grow into an understanding of what God Wills for you. Cooperate with His Will and let it work, uninterrupted and through you!

(Taken from the monthly magazine “Splendour”, November 2010)

Thoughts and Aspirations

Thoughts and Aspirations By JP Vaswani

You are the builder of your own destiny! Therefore, do not swerve from the path of truth!

God gave; God hath taken; Blessed be His Name!

Learn to depend on yourself, and on God! Therefore, do your own work with your hands. And if there is anything that you find too difficult to do, pray to God. He will make the difficult easy but God helps those who help themselves!

You are unique. God made you for a special purpose. Discover that special purpose.

If we do anything for the love of God, it turns out to be the best. Therefore, every action should be done in a spirit of an offering to the Lord!

Would you be truly independent? Then learn to depend upon God and the Guru!

Life is a great teacher, the greater initiator. Every experience enriches our inner life and leads us onwards in our march towards the True, the Good, the Beautiful, and the Holy.

Fix a goal and keep an unwavering focus on it all the time.

Silence is a great purifier. It is only when our minds are purified that we can behold the Beauteous Face of God. Therefore, spend some time in silence every day.

Do not pray for this or that to happen. Pray that you may grow into an understanding of what God Wills for you. Cooperate with His Will and let it work, uninterrupted and through you!

(Taken from the monthly magazine “Splendour”, November 2010)

Ten Guidelines from God

10 Guidelines from God.....

Effective Immediately, please be aware that there are changes YOU need to make in YOUR life. These changes need to be completed in order that I may fulfill My promises to you to grant you peace, joy and happiness in this life. I apologize for any inconvenience, but after all that I am doing, this seems very little to ask of you. Please, follow these 10 guidelines

1. QUIT WORRYING:

Life has dealt you a blow and all you do is sit and worry. Have you forgotten that I am here to take all your burdens and carry them for you? Or do you just enjoy fretting over every little thing that comes your way?

2. PUT IT ON THE LIST:

Something needs done or taken care of. Put it on the list. No, not YOUR list. Put it on MY to-do-list. Let ME be the one to take care of the problem. I can't help you until you turn it over to Me. And although My to-do-list is long, I am after all... God. I can take care of anything you put into My hands. In fact, if the truth were ever really known, I take care of a lot of things for you that you never even realize.

3. TRUST ME:

Once you've given your burdens to Me, quit trying to take them back. Trust in Me. Have the faith that I will take care of all your needs, your problems and your trials. Problems with the kids? Put them on My list. Problem with finances? Put it on My list. Problems with your emotional roller coaster? For My sake, put it on My list. I want to help you. All you have to do is ask.

4. LEAVE IT ALONE:

Don't wake up one morning and say, "Well, I'm feeling much stronger now, I think I can handle it from here." Why do you think you are feeling stronger now? It's simple. You gave Me your burdens and I'm taking care of them. I also renew your strength and cover you in my peace. Don't you know that if I give you these problems back, you will be right back where you started? Leave them with Me and forget about them. Just let Me do my job.

5. TALK TO ME:

I want you to forget a lot of things. Forget what was making you crazy. Forget the worry and the fretting because you know I'm in control. But there's one thing I pray you never forget. Please, don't forget to talk to Me - OFTEN! I love YOU! I want to hear your voice. I want you to include Me in on the things going on in your life. I want to hear you talk about your friends and family. Prayer is simply you having a conversation with Me. I want to be your dearest friend.

6. HAVE FAITH:

I see a lot of things from up here that you can't see from where you are. Have faith in Me that I know what I'm doing. Trust Me; you wouldn't want the view from My eyes. I will continue to care for you, watch over you, and meet your needs. You only have to trust Me. Although I have a much bigger task than you, it seems as if you have so much trouble just doing your simple part. How hard can trust be?

7. SHARE:

You were taught to share when you were only two years old. When did you forget? That rule still applies. Share with those who are less fortunate than you. Share your joy with those who need encouragement. Share your laughter with those who haven't heard any in such a long time.. Share your tears with those who have forgotten how to cry.. Share your faith with those who have none.

8. BE PATIENT:

I managed to fix it so in just one lifetime you could have so many diverse experiences. You grow from a child to an adult, have children, change jobs many times, learn many trades, travel to so many places, meet thousands of people, and experience so much. How can you be so impatient then when it takes Me a little longer than you expect to handle something on My to-do-list? Trust in My timing, for My timing is perfect. Just because I created the entire universe in only six days, everyone thinks I should always rush, rush, rush.

9. BE KIND:

Be kind to others, for I love them just as much as I love you. They may not dress like you, or talk like you, or live the same way you do, but I still love you all. Please try to get along, for My sake. I created each of you different in some way. It would be too boring if you were all identical. Please, know I love each of your differences.

10. LOVE YOURSELF:

As much as I love you, how can you not love yourself? You were created by me for one reason only -- to be loved, and to love in return. I am a God of Love. Love Me. Love your neighbors. But also love yourself. It makes My heart ache when I see you so angry with yourself when things go wrong. You are very precious to me. Don't ever forget.......

Note: I received this from a friend and I have no idea who wrote it, but I was so touched by it, that I had to share it with you. I hope that you will be blessed by it and will share it with others. Touch someone with your love. Rather than focus upon the thorns of life, smell the roses and count your blessings!

The Principle of Japa

The Principle of Japa by Prof. Eknath Easwaran

The repetition of the Holy Name or mantra, called japa, can bring us lasting benefits on the physical, mental and spiritual levels. The impact of mantra is based on the theory of vibrations. According to this theory, from the Great Silence there issued one Creative Word. ‘In the beginning was Brahman, with whom was the Word; and the Word was truly the supreme Brahman.’ This verse from the Rig Veda has an almost exact parallel in the Gospel according to St. John: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.’

According to this theory, sabda or sound is the subtle stuff out of which the phenomenal world has emanated, and every object may therefore be looked upon as sound of a particular concentration. In other words, this world of name and form is sabda (sound) manifesting itself at varying levels of vibrations.

As contrasted with the words of language, Om or Aum is a ‘natural name’ in which there is an intrinsic and inherent connection between name and rupa, between the sound and substance, between the Word and the Reality in represents. To quote Swami Vivekananda: The first letter A is the root sound, which is pronounced without touching any part of the tongue or palate; M represents the last sound in the series, being pronounced by the closed lips, and U rolls from the very root to the end of the sounding board of the mouth. Thus Om or Aum represents the whole sound-producing phenomenon. According to the Katha Upanishad, Om is Brahman. It is the strongest support, it is the highest symbol. He who knows it is revered as a knower of Brahman.

How can one make mantra an integral part of one’s consciousness? The mantra has to be repeated in the mind as often as we can – while walking, driving, while doing mechanical chores, etc. When we are angry, afraid or otherwise agitated let us go for brisk walk, repeating the mantra in the mind. Gradually, the rhythm of our step, the rhythm of our breath and the rhythm of the mantra will blend into a healing harmony to transform the negative emotion. The mantra acts as a tremendous transformer. At bedtime, after lying down, let us close our eyes and keep repeating the mantra until we fall asleep. This may be difficult at first, but we are likely to be pleasantly surprised at the ease with which we get good sleep as a consequence of this practice.

As the mantra sinks into the deeper levels of consciousness, a wave of bliss begins to rise up from the Sea of Bliss, that is the Atma. After years of patience and practice, we no longer have to perform japa consciously because the mantra has become an integral part of our consciousness. It is now ajapa japa (japa without japa) in which the mantra goes on repeating itself.

One in whom the mantra has become an integral part of consciousness carries God with him into all his work and into all places, and God alone does all his work. He seeks nothing but God, nothing seems good to him but God. He becomes one with God in every thought.

(Taken from Sri Ramana Jyoti – November 2010)

THE GOAL OF LIFE

THE GOAL OF LIFE

O man! The Goal of life is God-realisation. God-realisation grants Supreme Joy. Peace and Fearlessness. Most precious is human birth utilise this birth to attain God. Life is short. Time is fleeting. Waste not time. Engage in noble deeds. Be up and doing upon the path of Divine Life.

Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate, Realise. Be good; do good. Be kind; be compassionate. Practise non-injury, truth and purity. This is the foundation of Yoga and Vedanta. Adapt, adjust, accommodate. Bear insult; bear injury. Serve all. Love all. Embrace all in the Oneness of the Spirit. This is Divine Life.

Enquire ‘Who am I?’ Know thy Self and be free. Thou art no this body, not this mind. Thou art Immortal Self. Thou art unborn, eternal, changeless, indestructible, ever-pure, all-perfect Spirit or Atman. Realise this and be free. This is your foremost duty. Do this through selflessness and service, devotion and worship, purification, concentration and meditation. Attain God-realisation. Do it now. Abide in Bliss, Pease and Perfection for ever.

... Swami Sivananda