Nelson Mandela

Delightful When Nelson Mandela was studying law at the University, a white professor, whose last name was Peters, disliked him intensely. One day, Mr. Peters was having lunch at the dining room when Mandela came along with his tray & sat next to the professor. The professor said, "Mr Mandela, you do not understand, *a pig & a bird do not sit together to eat"* Mandela looked at him as a parent would look at a rude child & calmly replied.... *"You do not worry professor. I'll fly away,"* & he went & sat at another table. Mr. Peters, reddened with rage, decided to take revenge. The next day in class he posed the following question: "Mr. Mandela, if you were walking down the street & found two packages, in one was a bag of wisdom & in another bag was plenty of money, which one would you take ?" Without hesitating, Mandela responded, *"The one with the money, of course."* Mr. Peters , smiling sarcastically said, "I, in your place, would have taken the bag with wisdom." Nelson Mandela shrugged & responded, *"Each one takes what he doesn't have."* Mr. Peters, by this time was about to throw a fit, seething with fury. So great was his anger that he wrote on Nelson Mandela's exam sheet the word *"IDIOT"* & gave it to Mandela *the future struggle icon of the world* Mandela took the exam sheet & sat down at his desk trying very hard to remain calm while he contemplated his next move. A few minutes later, Nelson Mandela got up, walked up to the professor & told him in a dignified polite tone, "Mr. Peters, *you signed your name on the sheet*, but you forgot to give me my grade." 😂😄😆😩 May we develop wisdom to respond to our haters. *Never lose your temper* *Remain cool* *Apply wisdom!* *GET EVEN!!* 😜 Don't mess with intelligent people.... pass it on to your intellectual friends..

Guudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Your body is like a hard shell. And your mind, the inner self is like water. You are like water inside. Nature of water is cooling and flowing. But when the innermost, which is like water, is burning with jealousy, anger, frustration and all the fires you put inside, then the water boils and its cooling nature disappears. Then how does one cool the water? Just imagine a pot and underneath are all these burning sticks. To cool the water you have to remove these sticks. All emotions are linked with people, objects and events. Catching on to objects, people or relationships hinders freedom, liberation. You are hankering for some greater joy that is not there, not going to be there. I will have greater joy if I have a better companion or if I have lot of money or if I have lot of freedom. Money gives you a hallucination that you have better freedom. Your mind tells you that with more money one could have more freedom; could travel anywhere; do whatever you wanted; these illusory ideas come into the mind. And when this idea comes in the mind, it binds you. When you feel bound, you feel very stiff and there is no freedom. The moment you become soft and non-resisting inside, the stiffness drops, the feeling of being bound leaves you and everything else including wealth, comfort and prosperity follow. So, remove all this firewood and the water will become cooler. Because “cool” is the nature of water. When all these other negative stresses, burning sticks are removed, water will possess all its natural qualities — humility and naturalness — just like the nature of water which flows down. Don’t ever think deep inside you is any negativity, sorrow, anger or jealousy. In the Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna talks about all the good qualities. And then He adds that they are already in you. Just like in an atom, the core is positive and the negativity is peripheral. Your nature is calmness and coolness. If it wasn’t your nature, you would never feel at home in it!

What is the story behind Lord Shiva obtaining Rudraksha from Vishnu and why does he wear it?

What is the story behind Lord Shiva obtaining Rudraksha from Vishnu and why does he wear it? As far as I know, even though everything happens according to Lord Vishnu’s will and He is the ultimate Karta in ALL beings and universes, there was no specific involvement of Lord Vishnu in the story. Once, Lord Shiva, who is a Param Yogi hence is always in a deep state of meditation was concentrated in his meditation. During his intense penance, drops of tears fell from Lord Shiva's eyes onto the ground, which later transformed into the Rudraksha trees. The Rudraksha trees produce fruits known as Rudraksha beads, and are believed to possess spiritual and healing properties. As to why Lord Shiva wears them, he wears them because, they are a symbol of asceticism, Lord Shiva is revered as the ultimate ascetic who renounced worldly comforts and attachments in pursuit of spiritual enlightenment. Rudraksha beads originated from him hence symbolize renunciation, detachment, and austerity, qualities that resonate with Lord Shiva's ascetic nature explaining why he wears them. Jai Bholenath Shiv Shankar!! Jai Deenabandhu Sreeman Narayan!!

Om Prakash

A man had a fullsome meal in a modest restaurant in Bombay and when the waiter presented the bill he went straight to the manager and admitted honestly that he had no money. He added that he hadn't eaten for the past two days and was terribly hungry so was forced to do this. The manager heard his story patiently as the man promised that the day he gets a job the first thing he would do was to settle the bill. The manager smiled and told him to leave wishing him luck. The waiter who stood watching the drama was aghast. He questioned the manager "Saab why did you let him go". The manager replied, "Go and do your work". Few months later the same man came to the restaurant and settled his pending bill to the utter dismay of the waiter. The man thanked the manager and told him that he had bagged an acting offer. The manager visibly happy offered him a cup of tea and a friendship bloomed between the two. The actor soon became a known face and did multiple films at a time. Later he owned a bungalow and a chaufer driven car. Times had changed but everytime he passed by that area he made it a point to visit the restaurant for a cup of tea with the manager who had shown incredible sympathy years ago. Faith at times does wonders. Had the manager thrashed and humiliated the hungry man that day maybe the industry wouldn't have got a talented and natural actor called *Om Prakash*. Remembering the veteran actor on his birth anniversary...

*Professor Ram Shastry*

*Professor Ram Shastry* Flashback to 1954 - A tall gangling young lecturer, Ram Shastry with a very marked Telugu lilt to his English, taught us Physics at IIT Kharagpur. He was an excellent teacher despite his accented English and also served as the warden of Azad Hall. A (hilarious) general body meeting of the hostel was held sometime late1954 to discuss burgeoning mess bills which had climbed from rupees thirty to an astronomic forty rupees per month. Ram Shastry had to pacify the irate students. He patiently explained the reasons for the increase 'What to do, everythingu become costly, ricu, saltu, pepperu, vegetablesu all cost more." The students were mesmerised by the accent'u and kept quiet. The meeting passed off peacefully. The anecdote became part of the early IIT student lore as a memorable event'u! Ram Shastri was deputed for a year to MIT, Cambridge Massachusetts on a post doctoral fellowship. He came back a changed man. He had broad shoulders (filled out thanks to nourishing US food) and sported a marked American accent. His bold visage was unrecognizable from the figure he cut a year earlier. He sounded totally American until he came to the deadly word 'against', when he reverted to his original Telugu persona. He pronounced it as 'againistu" and we were relieved that our beloved Prof had become normal. Ram Shastri left IIT Kharagpur in the early sixties and joined the Physics Department of the newly set up IIT Madras. He retired years later as a much loved Professor after an excellent career. His son graduated from IIT Madras in 1977. One may wonder the reason for a long spiel about a Physics teacher of long ago: HIs granddaughter Usha was born in USA, graduated from Yale, did a Master's degree at Cambridge and later attended the Law School at Yale where she met and married a classmate. Usha Chilukuri is the wife of JD Vance, Trump's running mate. Yes, the accomplished grand daughter of a Physics teacher of seventy years ago, could well become the Second Lady of the USA! (KGP WhatsApp group post) ...........

Divine Whispers

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJTxviDgC5A/?igsh=MXA1dDJwdnNqcmxnNQ==

What is Guru Kripa?- Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

What is Guru Kripa? A wonderful answer! Money, luxury houses, expensive cars and wealth are not the blessings of Guru. In this life, many crisis and calamities that disappear without our knowledge, that is Guru-Kripa. Sometimes, we somehow escape falling, and balance despite the crowded space, on the journey. The balance that saved us from falling, is the grace of Guru. Whenever it is difficult to get a meal at a time, still we get to eat full of food, That is Guru-Kripa. When you are buried under the burden of many difficulties, still you feel the strength to face them, That strength is the grace of Guru. When you're just about to give up and think it's over. Then, at that very moment, you begin to see a ray of hope and you get ready for the struggle again, That hope is Guru-Kripa. When all your relatives leave you alone in times of trouble, a teacher-brother (a friend or a sibling who believes in a teacher) comes and says to you- "You go ahead, we are with you". The courageous words of that Guru-Bandhu are the blessings of Guru. When you are at the peak of success, full of money and happiness, even at that moment you feel grounded and humble, That is Guru-Kripa. Having money, wealth and success alone is not Guru-Krupa, but when you don't have these things, you still feel happy, satisfied and blessed. That is Guru-Kripa.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Your body is like a hard shell. And your mind, the inner self is like water. You are like water inside. Nature of water is cooling and flowing. But when the innermost, which is like water, is burning with jealousy, anger, frustration and all the fires you put inside, then the water boils and its cooling nature disappears. Then how does one cool the water? Just imagine a pot and underneath are all these burning sticks. To cool the water you have to remove these sticks. All emotions are linked with people, objects and events. Catching on to objects, people or relationships hinders freedom, liberation. You are hankering for some greater joy that is not there, not going to be there. I will have greater joy if I have a better companion or if I have lot of money or if I have lot of freedom. Money gives you a hallucination that you have better freedom. Your mind tells you that with more money one could have more freedom; could travel anywhere; do whatever you wanted; these illusory ideas come into the mind. And when this idea comes in the mind, it binds you. When you feel bound, you feel very stiff and there is no freedom. The moment you become soft and non-resisting inside, the stiffness drops, the feeling of being bound leaves you and everything else including wealth, comfort and prosperity follow. So, remove all this firewood and the water will become cooler. Because “cool” is the nature of water. When all these other negative stresses, burning sticks are removed, water will possess all its natural qualities — humility and naturalness — just like the nature of water which flows down. Don’t ever think deep inside you is any negativity, sorrow, anger or jealousy. In the Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna talks about all the good qualities. And then He adds that they are already in you. Just like in an atom, the core is positive and the negativity is peripheral. Your nature is calmness and coolness. If it wasn’t your nature, you would never feel at home in it!

ANONYMOUS GIFTS OF KINDNESS

God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; and Wisdom to know the difference. Thy will, not mine, be done. *~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~* July 29, 2024 ANONYMOUS GIFTS OF KINDNESS As active alcoholics we were always looking for a handout in one way or another. "THE TWELVE TRADITIONS ILLUSTRATED," p. 14 The challenge of the Seventh Tradition is a personal challenge, reminding me to share and give of myself. Before sobriety the only thing I ever supported was my habit of drinking. Now my efforts are a smile, a kind word, and kindness. I saw that I had to start carrying my own weight and to allow my new friends to walk with me because, through the practice of the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, I've never had it so good. **************************************************** After The "Honeymoon" "For most of us, the first years of A.A. are something like a honeymoon. There is a new and potent reason to stay alive, joyful activity aplenty. For a time, we are diverted from the main life problems. That is all to the good. "But when the honeymoon has worn off, we are obliged to take our lumps, like other people. This is where the testing starts. Maybe the group has pushed us onto the side lines. Maybe difficulties have intensified at home, or in the world outside. Then the old behavior patterns reappear. How well we recognize and deal with them reveals the extent of our progress." The wise have always known that no one can make much of his life until self-searching becomes a regular habit, until he is able to admit and accept what he finds, and until he patiently and persistently tries to correct what is wrong. 1. Letter, 1954 2. 12 & 12, p. 88 **********************************

MAINTAINING THE NEW EQUIVALENT

MAINTAINING THE NEW EQUIVALENT Around the Year with Emmet Fox July 29 There is an instructive legend of the Middle Ages. It seems that a certain citizen was arrested by one of the barons and shut up in a dungeon by a ferocious looking jailer who carried a great key. The door of his cell shut with a bang. He lay in the dark dungeon for twenty years. Each day the big door would be opened with a great creaking; water and bread would be thrust in and the door closed again. After twenty years the prisoner decided that he wanted to die but he did not want to commit suicide, so, the next day when the jailer came, he would attack him, and the jailer would then kill him. In preparation he thought he should examine the door, so, he turned the handle, and to his amazement the door opened. He found that there was no lock. He groped along the corridor and felt his way upstairs. At the top of the stairs two soldiers were chatting, and they made no attempt to stop him. He crossed the great yard. There was an armed guard on the drawbridge but paid no attention to him, and he walked out a free man. He went home unmolested. He had been a captive, not of stone and iron, but of false belief. He had only thought he was locked in. “Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me” Psalm 142:7

Which god is the combined form of Lord Vishnu, Shiva, and Shakti and is widely worshipped?

Which god is the combined form of Lord Vishnu, Shiva, and Shakti and is widely worshipped? Well, there is no specific God who is a merged combination of Lord Vishnu, Shiva, and Shakti. However, there are two very important gods who are born with the combination of Lord Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti, and Brahma. They are Dattatreya & Ardhanarishvara. Read this answer further to get a detailed description about both of them. Dattatreya: Dattatreya is a fascinating Hindu god revered as a combination of the three main gods of Hinduism: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. He is also known as the embodiment of knowledge, yoga, and renunciation (त्याग). In his name, Datta means “Given” because the Trimurti has given a form to themselves. They were born as a son to Guru Atri and Mata Anusuya. Origins and Iconography Depictions of Dattatreya vary across different regions and traditions. He is commonly portrayed as a benevolent figure with four arms, symbolizing the four Vedas (ancient Hindu scriptures). Each of his hands holds an object representing one of the three murtis: A kamandalu (water pot) representing Brahma, the creator. A chakra (discus) representing Vishnu, the preserver. A trishul (trident) representing Shiva, the destroyer. The fourth hand often holds a sannyasa staff or a japa mala (prayer beads), signifying his ascetic nature. Significance and Role Dattatreya is considered the embodiment of wisdom and the ideal yogi. He is said to have attained enlightenment through complete detachment from worldly possessions and desires. He is a patron of seekers and those on the spiritual path, offering guidance and knowledge. Here are some of his key roles: Adi Guru (First Teacher): In some traditions, particularly the Nath Sampradaya, Dattatreya is revered as the Adi Guru, the first teacher of yoga. Bestower of Knowledge: Devotees worship Dattatreya for knowledge, particularly spiritual wisdom and self-realization. Symbol of Renunciation: Dattatreya's simple life under a tree signifies the importance of detachment from material possessions for spiritual liberation. Worship and Practices The worship of Dattatreya is not as widespread as some other Hindu deities. However, he has a dedicated following, particularly in South India and among yogis. Devotees chant his mantras, perform pujas (prayers), and seek his blessings for spiritual growth. Here are some interesting facts about Dattatreya: He is said to have lived under a tree with no possessions, content with whatever nature provided. He is often depicted with a dog as his companion, symbolizing loyalty and detachment. Legends mention that the four Vedas flowed from his four mouths, highlighting his embodiment of knowledge. Ardhanarishvara / ShivShakti: Ardhanarishwara is a form that represents the union of Shiva and Maa Shakti, his wife. It represents the dual nature of cosmic energy in which the left side is Shiva (masculine energy) and the right is Shakti (feminine energy). It literally translates to "half-woman Lord" (Ardha - half, Nari - woman, Ishvara - Lord) Symbolism and Significance Ardhanarishvara embodies the cosmic unity of masculine and feminine energies. The right half depicts Shiva, typically adorned with his signature blue throat, trishula (trident), and damaru (hourglass drum). The left half represents Parvati, with her fair skin, jewelry, and serene expression. This combined form signifies several important concepts: Inseparability of Masculine and Feminine: Ardhanarishvara emphasizes that the divine encompasses both male and female energies, which are not separate but interconnected. Balance and Harmony: The image represents the ideal balance between masculine and feminine principles, essential for creation and sustenance of the universe. Non-duality: In some interpretations, Ardhanarishvara transcends duality, representing the ultimate reality beyond gender distinctions. Worship and Representation Ardhanarishvara is not as widely worshipped as individual deities like Shiva or Parvati. However, it holds significance in Shaivism (devotion to Shiva) and Shaktism (devotion to Shakti) traditions. Sculptures and paintings of Ardhanarishvara are found in many Hindu temples across India.

Why is Sri Ram blue skinned and Sri Krishna dark skinned?

Why is Sri Ram blue skinned and Sri Krishna dark skinned? Originally Answered: Why is Rama Blue skinned and Krishna dark skinned? In Valmiki Ramayana Aranya Kanda, Maareechi describes the teenage Rama to Ravana - AjAta vyanjana sreemAn bAla shyAma subhekshaNAha, eka vastra dharO dhanvee sikhi kanaka mAlayA. Meaning: one with birthing identities of masculinity ( signs of moustache, ruggedness in face etc.), the fortunate boy with magnificent looks, smoky-grey complexioned, wearing a sikha (choti on head) & only a loincloth, holding the long bow with a golden necklace around his neck. and Akampana (Ravana’s spy) reports to Ravana that he saw Rama and describes him - shyaamaH pRithuyashaaH shriimaan atulya bala vikramaH, hataH tena janasthaane kharaH ca saha duuSaNaH Meaning: He is smoky-grey (or bluish-black) in complexion, a highly renowned one with matchless might and valour, a magnificent one such as he is, he slew Duushana along with Khara in Janasthaana. In Bhakti literature Ramayanas and Mahabharata they both were described as 'Neela megha shyaama', i.e. akin to the dark grey cloud. i.e they were both smoky-dark colored. Songs are still sung today on Sri Rama and Sri Krishna using this epithet. Please do not go by what they show in movies and TV shows, these entertainment sources are not correct. Go to the original source as i.e. Valmiki Ramayana and Vyasa Mahabharata, and you will see for yourself. *:A gentleman suggested that hindi alphabet with consonant together are worded as ‘Krs’ and not as ‘krus’ as I mentioned above. He is right in the sense that it is written that way in Hindi. But it is pronounced as ‘krushna’ & not certainly as ‘krishna’ in Sanskrit. So I made the edit above. The ‘kru’ is not to be pronouced as ‘kroo’, but the ‘u’ in it is pronounced as how you would pronounce the ‘uh’ in “uh oh”

Is Lord Balaji the same as Lord Krishna, or is he Vishnu?

Is Lord Balaji the same as Lord Krishna, or is he Vishnu? Yes, in Kali Yuga Lord Krishna manifested as Lord Venkateshwara or Balaji. This is because during Dwapara Yuga, Yashoda complains to Lord Krishna that she was not able to witness anyone of his marriages. So to please her, in Kali Yuga Krishna manifested as Venkateshwara and Yashodha reborn as Vakula devi and with her help Lord Venkateshwara married Padmavathi Devi who is an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi. Om Namo Narayana

Lust is one of the main botherations that many face.- Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Lust is one of the main botherations that many face. Lust grips the mind and tires the body, and dulls the intellect. Lust when indulged brings inertia, and when suppressed brings anger. Lust is nothing but primordial un-harnessed energy. The same when harnessed manifests as enthusiasm, sparkle, sharpness of intellect and love. What are the factors which can sublimate or transform lust into love? - Playfulness : People who are in the grip of lust cannot be genuinely playful. When you are genuinely playful, then there is no lust there. - ⁠Generosity : When you realize that you are here only to give and give, and you feel that you are very generous, lust is sublimated. Lust makes one possessive and not generous. - Moderate to less intake of food - Remembrance of death - Divine Romance - Cold water baths - Undertaking creative challenges

A Tale of Parallels

https://thedailyguardian.com/a-modern-day-classic/

A New Life

God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; and Wisdom to know the difference. Thy will, not mine, be done. *~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~* July 26, 2023 THE “WORTH” OF SOBRIETY Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions. TWELVE AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 160 When I go shopping, I look at the prices and if I need what I see, I buy it and pay. Now that I am supposed to be in rehabilitation, I have to straighten out my life. When I go to a meeting, I take a coffee with sugar and milk, sometimes more than one. But at the collection time, I am either too busy to take money out of my purse, or I do not have enough, but I am there because I need this meeting. I heard someone suggest dropping the price of a beer into the basket; and I thought; that’s too much! I almost never give one dollar. Like many others, I rely on the more generous members to finance the Fellowship. I forget that it takes money to rent the meeting room, buy my milk, sugar and cups. I will pay, without hesitation, ninety cents for a cup of coffee at a restaurant after the meeting; I always have money for that. So, how much is my sobriety and my inner peace worth? **************************************************** A New Life Is sobriety all that we are to expect of a spiritual awakening? No, sobriety is only a bare beginning; it is only the first gift of the first awakening. If more gifts are to be received, our awakening has to go on. As it does go on, we find that bit by bit we can discard the old life– the one that did not work– for a new life that can and does work under any conditions whatever. Regardless of worldly success or failure, regardless of pain or joy, regardless of sickness or health or even of death itself, a new life of endless possibilities can be lived if we are willing to continue our awakening, through the practice of A.A.’s Twelve Steps. Grapevine, December 1957 As Bill Sees It, p. 8 © 1967 by Alcoholics Anonymous ® World Services, Inc

THE MENTAL EQUIVALENT

THE MENTAL EQUIVALENT Around the Year with Emmet Fox July 26 There is one thing that means more to us than all the other things in the world, and that is our search for God and the understanding of His nature. Our aim is to learn the practice of the presence of God. We practice the presence of God by seeing Him everywhere, in all things and in all people. Some years ago, I coined the phrase "mental equivalent." For anything that you want in your life— a healthy body, a satisfactory vocation, friends, opportunities, and above all the understanding of God— you must furnish a mental equivalent. Supply yourself with a mental equivalent, and the thing must come to you. This expression "mental equivalent" is borrowed from physics and chemistry. We speak of the mechanical equivalent of heat, and engineers constantly have to work out the equivalent of one kind of energy in another kind of energy. They have to find out how much coal will be needed to produce so much electricity, and so on. In like manner there is a mental equivalent of every object or occurrence on the physical plane. The secret of successful living is to build up the mental equivalent that you want; and to get rid of, to expunge, the mental equivalent that you do not want. I will meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto thy ways. Psalm 119:15

If Shri Ram and Shri Krishna are avatars of Lord Vishnu, why isn’t lord Vishnu worshiped directly?

If Shri Ram and Shri Krishna are avatars of Lord Vishnu, why isn’t lord Vishnu worshiped directly? The other answers have already stated some of the many Vishnu temples which are present. However, it is not only about temple worship, but also the daily worship we perform. Vishnu is the most important deity to be worshipped in Vedic ceremonial rituals and is the foremost of those venerated in the yajna. It is necessary to chant His names in the form of mantras, such as “(pranava) madhavaya namah,” “(pranava) keshavaya namah,” etc. Apart from that, many other rituals in Hindu households, such as the Satyanarayana Katha, Gajendra Moksha, etc., are all related to the four-handed Lord. He is also worshipped during major festivals. Hence, Vishnu is widely worshipped ‘directly’ as well. Thanks! Jaya Bhagavan Hari!

Did aswathama ever countered the aindrastra of Arjuna?

Did aswathama ever countered the aindrastra of Arjuna? The Aindrastra he posessed was superior to those Posessed by the likes of Bhishma, drona , Karna, Ashwathama, etc.. because he received it directly from Indra. Drona, aswthahma ,karna and others failed to counter it during Virata war(Bhishma was out of its range) and had to retreat. Then Duryodhana, Karna, Duhshasana, Vivimshati, Drona and his son, and Kripa who was an atiratha in battle, returned angrily to the battle again, wishing to cause violence to Dhananjaya. They drew their sturdy and powerful bows. O great king! The one with the monkey on his banner went forward to meet them on a chariot that was as radiant as the sun, with his flag unfurled. Kripa, Karna and Drona, supreme among charioteers, immensely valorous and with great weapons, sought to repulse Dhananjaya. They released a flood of arrows, like rain from monsoon clouds. A shower of arrows descended on Kiriti. They stationed themselves nearby and with great determination in that field of battle, swiftly showered him with many arrows that possessed feathered shafts. Having been thus covered from every direction with divine weapons, not even a space of two fingers could be seen on him. But maharatha Bibhatsu laughed and fixed his divine Aindra weapon on Gandiva. It was as radiant as the sun. In that battle, the diademed and powerful Kounteya covered all the Kurus with arrows that burnt like the rays of the sun. Gandiva was like lightning in the clouds, like fire in the mountains and as long as Indra’s weapon. It was like Parjanya’s showers and like lightning in the sky. Like a bird, Gandiva enveloped the ten directions. All the charioteers were completely terrified and sought peace. They were bereft of their senses. Losing their consciousness, all the warriors lost heart in the battle. O bull among the Bharata lineage! Thus, all the soldiers were shattered and fled in all the directions Bhishma, Drona, Ashwathama and several others failed to counter it on 3rd day of the war and had to flee. Srutayush, the ruler of the Amvashtas, and Durmarshana, and Chitrasena, and Drona, and Kripa, and the ruler of the Sindhus, and Valhika, and Bhurisravas, and Salya, and Sala, O king, and other warriors by hundreds united together, along with Bhishma himself, have on battle, by the prowess of his own arms, been vanquished today by the angry son of Pritha, viz.,.Kiritin, that one mighty car-warrior in the world.' Talking thus, O Bharata, all the warriors of thy side went to their tents from the field of battle. And all the combatants of the Kuru army frightened by Kiritin, then entered their tents Karna was the only one among Kauravas who managed to destroy Arjuna's Aindrastra using his Brahmastra on 17th day of the war. Beholding the brahmastra, Arjuna invoked the Aindra weapon with proper mantras. Inspiring gandiva, its string, and his shafts also, with mantras, that scorcher of foes poured showers like Purandara pouring rain in torrents. Those arrows endued with great energy and power, issuing out of Partha's car, were seen to be displayed in the vicinity of Karna's vehicle. The mighty car-warrior Karna baffled all those shafts displayed in his front. Seeing that weapon thus destroyed, the Vrishni hero, addressing Arjuna, said, "Shoot high weapons, O Partha! The son of Radha baffles thy shafts." It was almost impossible to counter this weapon and Arjuna used it against samsaptakas to put and end to them on 17th day. 6.7K views View 28 upvotes

*When I was YOUNG,*

*When I was YOUNG,* *I found it DIFFICULT to WAKE UP.* *When I am OLD,* *I find it DIFFICULT to SLEEP.*. *The reality n truth of LIFE so beautifully written. 👌👍😃 ...*. *YOUNG and OLD* *When I was YOUNG,* *I was WORRIED about MY PIMPLES.* *When I am OLD,* *I am WORRIED about MY WRINKLES.* *When I was YOUNG,* *I was WAITING to HOLD someone's HAND.* *When I am OLD,* *I am WAITING for SOMEONE to HOLD MY HAND.* *When I was YOUNG,* *I wanted my parents to leave me alone* *When I am OLD* *I am worried to be left alone* *When I was YOUNG,* *I HATED being ADVISED.* *When I am OLD,* *there is NO ONE around to TALK or ADVISE.* *When I was YOUNG,* *I ADMIRED BEAUTIFUL THINGS.* *When I am OLD,* *I see BEAUTY in THINGS around ME.* *When I was YOUNG,* *I felt I was ETERNAL.* *When I am OLD,* *I know SOON it will be MY TURN.* *When I was YOUNG,* *I CELEBRATED the MOMENTS.* *When I am OLD,* *I am CHERISHING MY MEMORIES.* *When I was YOUNG,* *I WANTED to be a HEART - THROB.* *When I am OLD,* *I am WORRIED when will MY HEART STOP.* *At EXTREME STAGES of OUR LIFE,* *WE WORRY but WE DON'T REALIZE,* *LIFE NEEDS to BE EXPERIENCED.* *It DOESN'T MATTER whether YOUNG or OLD. LIFE needs to be lived and LIVED WITH LOVE & LOVED ONES . You are surely one of these.* Thank GOD For this wonderful journey called LIFE. 🙏 *A Wonderful Message to be shared*

Guru Poornima Celebrations

Guru Poornima Celebrations Boone Ashram 21 July 2024 Guru is the power. Guru is the principle. Guru is not a person. Guru is the energy. It is easy to be a saint. A saint is one who does not want anything. (They are) engaged in one's own sadhana. But to be Guru is something much different than just being a saint. How? Guru is more than Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh. There are some who can only create. They cannot maintain; they cannot manage it. Creative impulse is different, but managing it is very different. And there are others who only manage. Managers only manage. They don't create anything. And there are others who destroy; they only bring transformation. If all the three things come together - you create, you maintain, and you bring transformation - that is the power of the Guru. All three together is Guru and that is not separate from you, away from you. It is your own. That is why you have to feel (that) like you feel the breath. You know air is all around you, you don't feel it unless you put attention on it. Similarly, Guru Purnima is the day to feel the connection and gratefulness. And that takes us forward. Guru relieves us of all the sorrows, joy wells up, knowledge dawns, talents blossom. All these qualities simply happen in the presence of the Guru. Guru doesn't need to speak. But today there are people all over the world who are watching. For their sake I said a few words. You all have a lot of blessings. Today you should remember and recollect and rejoice that you are blessed. One more thing. Guru is always young. The legend goes this way that under the Banyan tree the young Guru sits quiet and the old disciples... Disciples should be old that means for a long time you have been doing (your practices). Banyan tree means the planet Earth, the world of five elements. All the doubts of the old disciples vanished. The Guru gave his speech in silence and disciple's questions disappeared. That's what is happening, right? Good.

Guru Poornima Celebrations

Guru Poornima Celebrations Boone Ashram 21 July 2024 Guru is the power. Guru is the principle. Guru is not a person. Guru is the energy. It is easy to be a saint. A saint is one who does not want anything. (They are) engaged in one's own sadhana. But to be Guru is something much different than just being a saint. How? Guru is more than Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh. There are some who can only create. They cannot maintain; they cannot manage it. Creative impulse is different, but managing it is very different. And there are others who only manage. Managers only manage. They don't create anything. And there are others who destroy; they only bring transformation. If all the three things come together - you create, you maintain, and you bring transformation - that is the power of the Guru. All three together is Guru and that is not separate from you, away from you. It is your own. That is why you have to feel (that) like you feel the breath. You know air is all around you, you don't feel it unless you put attention on it. Similarly, Guru Purnima is the day to feel the connection and gratefulness. And that takes us forward. Guru relieves us of all the sorrows, joy wells up, knowledge dawns, talents blossom. All these qualities simply happen in the presence of the Guru. Guru doesn't need to speak. But today there are people all over the world who are watching. For their sake I said a few words. You all have a lot of blessings. Today you should remember and recollect and rejoice that you are blessed. One more thing. Guru is always young. The legend goes this way that under the Banyan tree the young Guru sits quiet and the old disciples... Disciples should be old that means for a long time you have been doing (your practices). Banyan tree means the planet Earth, the world of five elements. All the doubts of the old disciples vanished. The Guru gave his speech in silence and disciple's questions disappeared. That's what is happening, right? Good.

Power of Foregiveness

https://www.dailypioneer.com/2024/columnists/the-power-of-forgiveness.html

At 40, Franz Kafka

At 40, Franz Kafka (1883-1924), who never married and had no children, walked through the park in Berlin when he met a girl who was crying because she had lost her favourite doll. She and Kafka searched for the doll unsuccessfully. Kafka told her to meet him there the next day and they would come back to look for her. The next day, when they had not yet found the doll, Kafka gave the girl a letter “written” by the doll saying “please don’t cry. I took a trip to see the world. I will write to you about my adventures.” Thus began a story which continued until the end of Kafka’s life. During their meetings, Kafka read the letters of the doll carefully written with adventures and conversations that the girl found adorable. Finally, Kafka brought back the doll (he bought one) that had returned. “It doesn’t look like my doll at all,“ said the girl. Kafka handed her another letter in which the doll wrote: "my travels have changed me.” the little girl hugged the new doll and brought her happy home. A year later Kafka died. Many years later, the now-adult girl found a letter inside the doll. In the tiny letter signed by Kafka it was written: “Everything you love will probably be lost, but in the end, love will return in another way."

When Bhagat Singh left his home, he wrote at the end of the letter, "Don't worry about my marriage, my bride is freedom."

When Bhagat Singh left his home, he wrote at the end of the letter, "Don't worry about my marriage, my bride is freedom." On one hand, while the world thought this issue was very serious, on the other hand, our young revolutionaries used to joke a lot about it! When Bhagat Singh raised this issue while pulling the leg of his friend, he got this reply: "I am already married to 'Bamatul Bukhara', and as long as she is with me, no British can catch me." And today, this answer seems less of a joke and more of a prophecy. Bhagat Singh's friend lived as 'Azad', and died as 'Azad'. We are talking about Shri Chandrashekhar Azad. He used to call his Mauser pistol 'Bamatul Bukhara'. Today is his birthday. So I thought, why not introduce you to the real 'Azad' today? Do you know who named him 'Azad'? At the age of 15, his parents sent him to Banaras. They wanted young Chandrashekhar to become a great scholar of Sanskrit. But young Chandrashekhar loved freedom from the beginning. At a very young age, he became a part of Gandhiji's 'Non-Cooperation Movement' and also went to jail for the movement. When he was presented before the magistrate, the magistrate asked, "What is your name? Whose son are you? Where is your home?" Then young Chandrashekhar said, "My name is 'Azad', my father's name is 'Swadhinta', and my home is 'jail'." Seeing this attitude, the magistrate punished him with 15 lashes. He happily accepted it. And from that day onwards, he was called ‘Azad’. But don’t be fooled, Azad was not always so serious! If you ask HSRA (his organization) comrades Shiv Verma, Bhagwandas Mahor, and Manmath Nath Gupta, they will tell you the inside story. Azad was a very sociable person. He would often crack jokes in serious situations! Also, he used to talk with such intimacy that the parents of all the comrades considered him as their elder son. And why not? When the young comrades of HSRA were 16-17 years old, Azad was 20 years old. It was Azad who trained all the new revolutionaries and took care of them like an elder brother. Not only this, he used to meet the parents of the comrades regularly. He kept a constant watch that they did not get any inkling of the revolutionary activities and their anxiety did not increase. Tell me one more thing? Azad loved to ride a bicycle. If someone overtook him, he would get peace only after defeating him in a race. Every morning, he would defeat many soldiers of Jhansi cantonment in this way and in the evening, he would narrate the story with great enthusiasm. When Ashfaqulla Khan and Ramprasad Bismil were caught after the Kakori incident, the police were looking for Azad. There was a reward of thousands on his head. In such a situation, HSRA started falling apart. Then, hiding from the police, he kept all the revolutionaries of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh united and strengthened the struggle for freedom. To stay hidden from the police, he would sometimes change his disguise and sometimes his place. To deliver two meals a day, his companions would steal rotis from their homes. To earn money, he would work in factories and plan movements from the hostels of his friends studying in college. Hunger, thirst, financial constraints, the danger of being caught—nothing could stop him. When, at the age of 25, he found himself surrounded by the British in Alfred Park, Prayagraj, on 27 February 1931, he chose death over sacrificing his freedom. His 'Bamatul Bukhara' fulfilled its promise. ➖➖➖➖ Since then, India has covered a journey of almost 100 years. The population of the country has increased from 27 crores to 143 crores, The literacy rate has increased from 9% to 77%, The average age has increased from 25 years to 70 years, The country has improved in many other parameters. There is just one shortcoming… Now young people like 'Azad' are not born.

HELPING OTHERS

Good Morning!!! God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; and Wisdom to know the difference. Thy will, not mine, be done. *~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~* July 24, 2024 HELPING OTHERS "Our very lives, as ex-problem drinkers, depend upon our constant thought of others and how we may help meet their needs. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 20 Self-centeredness was my problem. All my life people had been doing things for me and I not only expected it, but I was ungrateful and resentful they didn't do more. Why should I help others, when they were supposed to help me? If others had troubles, didn't they deserve them? I was filled with self-pity, anger and resentment. Then I learned that by helping others, with no thought of return, I could overcome this obsession with selfishness, and if I understood humility, I would know peace and serenity. No longer do I need to drink. *************************************************** Behind Our Excuses As excuse-makers and rationalizers, we drunks are champions. It is the business of the psychiatrist to find the deeper causes for our conduct. Though uninstructed in psychiatry, we can, after a little time in A.A., see that our motives have not been what we thought they were, and that we have been motivated by forces previously unknown to us. Therefore, we ought to look, with the deepest respect, interest, and profit, upon the example set us by psychiatry. "Spiritual growth through the practice of A.A.’s Twelve Steps, plus, the aid of a good sponsor, can usually reveal most of the deeper reasons for our character defects, at least to a degree that meets our practical needs. Nevertheless, we should be grateful that our friends in psychiatry have so strongly emphasized the necessity to search for false and often unconscious motivations." 1. A.A. Comes of Age, p.236 2. Letter, 1966 As Bill Sees It, p.267 *~*~*~*~*~*~* "It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark." –Howard Ruff Voices we prefer to ignore may speak words we need to hear. –Don Deal ~*~*~*~ Emotional Sobriety "Self-centeredness is a poison to my emotional system. It frustrates my every effort toward a comfortable and happy existence. A terrible chain reaction begins. Fear sets in. Anger, resentment, and self-pity become my guiding forces. My only escape is to put this awful selfishness aside and become involved with the world around me." December 1979 "The Root of Our Troubles," Emotional Sobriety David Madden

WORSHIP MEANS VICTORY

Tue, 23 Jul, 21:24 (14 hours ago) to Good Morning!!! WORSHIP MEANS VICTORY Around the Year with Emmet Fox July 24 “Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” Psalm 29:2 God is bigger than any problem. God in you is greater than any difficulty that you have to meet. God cares for you more than it is possible for any human being to realize. God can help you in proportion to the degree in which you worship Him. You worship God by really putting your trust in Him instead of in outer conditions, or in fear, or in depression, or in seeming dangers, and so forth. You worship God by recognizing His presence everywhere, in all people and conditions that you meet; and by praying regularly. You pray well when you pray with joy. “Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord” Psalm 105:3

Why does Brahma not take incarnation like Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva?

Why does Brahma not take incarnation like Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva? Vishnu is the one and only Hindu God who can incarnate. No other Hindu God can. Why is it so? What is incarnation? Among the incarnations of Brahman, Vishnu is the one and only manifestation, who symbolizes the whole of Atman. Vishnu is the Preserver God, whose Atman has lower and upper limits. Vishnu thus keeps our life between a lower and an upper limit. However, the Preserver function in our life is lost often. Then Vishnu incarnates in us and restores the Preserver function. When Vishnu incarnates to restore the Preserver function our life remains unaffected. Incarnations are different from forms. Shiva has many forms. They are not incarnations. Somnath, Pashupatinath, Nataraj, etc. are forms of Shiva and not incarnations. The different forms of Shakti are not incarnations. Incarnation is a desirable feature. Therefore, this feature is added to all gods, goddesses, and to birds, animals and plants. The fact is that Vishnu is the one and only Hindu God who can reincarnate.

Who came earlier: Lord Shiva or Vishnu? Who is greater and why?

Who came earlier: Lord Shiva or Vishnu? Who is greater and why? Before answering this question, I'll tell you something. There is extensive research conducted in Cosmology to conclude whether universe is finite or not. According to 'A brief history of time' by Stephen Hawking, Universe is finite because of its dynamical nature attribute to time. The beginning of real time, would have been a singularity, at which the laws of physics would have broken down. Nevertheless, the way the universe began would have been determined by the laws of physics, if the universe satisfied the no boundary condition. This says that in the imaginary time direction, space-time is finite in extent, but doesn't have any boundary or edge. The predictions of the no boundary proposal seem to agree with observation. The no boundary hypothesis also predicts that the universe will eventually collapse again. However, the contracting phase, will not have the opposite arrow of time, to the expanding phase. Also the concept of universe is not limited to a single big bang. Despite the fact that the universe is so uniform and homogeneous on a large scale, it contains local irregularities, such as stars and galaxies. These are thought to have developed from small differences in the density of the early universe from one region to another. What was the origin of these density fluctuations? He says that there are cycles of universes. One after the other, with the previous ones leaving subtle marks on the new universes. Here real time is the time that we can perceive. Imaginary time is the time before or after the present universe. Even though time doesn't start and stop, it has a singularity to cede and proceed after every single universe cycle ( i.e Expanding and contracting phase of a universe). Next, I want to quote a paper on para-psychology, which has published research on existence of 'Spirit', scientific analysis. The I-ASC - Newsletter The gist of this paper is "WHAT SCIENCE CAN AND CAN'T SAY ABOUT SPIRITS " Interestingly at the end of the paper, certain topological paradoxes assuming universe as finite are mentioned. Even metaphysical state of different levels in the universe perceivable to different levels in a cosmological point of view is discussed. But research in these areas are very limited. It is one very interesting paper to read. The Evidence section talks about various scientific inquiries which proved the existence of Spirits. But the problem is to prove it's existence in a cosmology point of multi-level universe. Mass vs Energy In various scientific discussions on Mass vs Energy as to which existed first. As of now, within the 10^-43 seconds precision, of the big bang timeline, matter needs energy to form, and neutrons and protons came after 3 seconds. There weren't even quarks or other fundamental particles until the first second had elapsed. Which came first, mass or energy? read this for further information. Now the answer. According to Srimad Devi Bhagwat Purana's 1st book and 4th chapter. Devi addressed Trimurti as follows: "I am Adi Parashakti, goddess. I am the owner of this universe. I am the Absolute Reality. I am dynamic in feminine form and static in masculine form. You have appeared to govern the universe through my energy. You are the masculine form of Absolute Reality, while I am the feminine form of that Reality. I am beyond form, beyond everything, and all the powers of God are contained within me. You must know that that I am the Eternal limitless energy. She then said: Brahma! You will be generator of the universe; the Goddess Sharada (saraswati)is your consort, my form by which I will be recognized as the goddess of wisdom and the primeval sound. Lord Brahma, this goddess will be with you when you create the universe. She continued: Lord Narayana! You are the Supreme, Immortal Spirit. You are formless, yet you take form. You are the preserver of the universe. You will take a different incarnations in order to save this universe's inhabitants. Oh Narayana! You are the Supreme of all the deities with form. You have created Lord Brahma, and Brahma will further create thirty three other gods and goddesses. My Great Power, goddess Mahakali, has been born from your mystic sleep. You are the Paramatman. Your consort will be goddess Shri Maha Lakshmi, my form. Lord Vishnu, this goddess will be with you when you rule/maintain the universe. When life evolves, you will take the form of Vishnu, the one who will perform the task of observing and preserving this universe. At Last she instructed: Oh Lord Rudra, the Great Lord, you are the personification of time, which is above all and beyond everything. You will perform the task of destroying and regenerating this universe. When you are formless absolute, time stands still. It is due to my power that you become dynamic and are capable of bringing about the destruction and regeneration of this universe. Your consort is goddess Mahakali (born from Narayana's mystic sleep), Mahakali is myself , my full form , where Laxmi and Saraswati are just my clone, partial form. But due to meditation, you will surpass all my forms. It is then that I will incarnate from your left half in my manifested form. This form will be my truest manifested form. Lord Shiva, she will perform the task of destroying evil and will be your consort. Aum Shakti is used to describe the name of the goddess when she is without attributes. Now all said and done, I'll draw 3 conclusions. 1. Adi Shakti is nothing but foremost energy, who is the very first requisite for existence of universe. This is nothing but the concept of Parabrahman, i.e ( the Supreme Brahman). 2. But then while addressing Narayana she says that he is the Paramatman ( the Supreme Atman). She also address that he is immortal. Immortal meaning, one who has no birth and death. She also says his responsibility as Vishnu. Though I can't strongly prove existence of Spirit with science, nevertheless as I quoted before in the paper, evidences exist. He is the immortal spirit. 3. While addressing Rudra she says that he is the personification of time which is beyond all. And describes his attributes for becoming Shiva. Now time is beyond everything ( Kala rupam of Shiva). She also said that she will be giving her attributes to his personified form. To decide when Shiva was born, is like asking at what time, did time start, which itself is a paradox. Kalaroopam means the personification of Kalam. This is similar to the imaginary and real time singularity that Hawking mentioned. 4. From the very addressing it is clear that Brahma was born later. My inference: According to me, the concept of Atman and Brahman in Hinduism aptly suite the Narayani-Narayana concept. (Narayini is the mother goddess shakti.) Hence we often hear about the concept of moksha. Here the immortality of spirit represents Vishnu-aikyam (unifying with God) or Mukti. When it comes to time. It is beyond the concept of existence and non existence. But it also clearly tells that to achieve such a state immense meditation and practicing penance. It is really hard for a normal human to achieve this state. Now in a creation point of view which is greater? Yes answer it for yourself.

Art of Letting Go

https://www.dailypioneer.com/2024/columnists/the-art-of--letting-go.html

Where is she going to ?

Where is she going to ? Hospital? No, our assumptions are totally wrong. With 2 walking sticks in her hands she reaches the classrooms of Centurian University in Andhra Pradesh by travelling 60 kms daily by bus to teach. She is Santamma aged 95 years old who teaches Medical Physics, Radiology & Anesthesia. Under her guidance, 17 students have completed their Doctorates (PhD). She has translated Bhagwat Gita into English and Telugu languages besides being involved in extensive research works. Her aim is to record her name as the oldest Professor in the Guinness Book of World records. Such a great inspiration to us all. If you have a strong will and determination, no age can stop you from achieving anything. Let's all be inspired by her to do something different and Great. My heartiest Tributes to this 95 years old Great Lady Teacher Santamma.

Smell of a woman!

mell of a woman! This is one of the best posts I have read about a woman ... please read it completely ... it's worth it ... *woman*. . . . . . . . . When God created the woman He worked late on Friday ....... An angel came and asked. "Why spend so much time on it?" Replied the lord. "Did you see all the specifications I had to meet in order to design it?" ● She must function in all kinds of situations. ● She must be able to adopt several children at once. ● Have a hug that can heal anything from a bruised knee to a broken heart. ● She must do it all with just two hands. ● She heals herself when she is sick and can work 18 hours a day. The angel was impressed "Only two hands ..... impossible! And this is the standard model? " The angel approached and touched the woman. "But you made her so soft, Lord." "She's soft," God said. "But I made her strong. You can not imagine what she can endure and overcome" "Can she think?" Asked the angel ... Replied the lord. "Not only can she think, she can reason and negotiate." The angel touched her cheek .... "God, this piece seems to be leaking! You've put too much of a burden on it." "She's not leaking ... it's a tear." The Lord corrected the angel ... "What is it for?" Asked the angel ...... Said the lord. "Tears are her way of expressing her sorrow, her doubts, her love, her loneliness, her suffering and her pride." ... It made a great impression on the angel, "God, you're a genius. You thought of everything. A truly wonderful woman " Said the Lord. "Indeed she is. ■ She has the power to amaze a man. ■ She can handle troubles and carry heavy loads. ■ She holds happiness, love and opinions. ■ She smiles when she feels like screaming. ■ She sings when she feels like crying, cries when she's happy and laughs when she's scared. ■ She fights for what she believes in. ■ Her love is unconditional. "Her heart breaks when a relative or friend dies, but she finds the strength to continue living." The angel asked: So she is a perfect being? The Lord replied: No. It has only one drawback. "She often forgets what she's worth." Send it to all the women you respect .... 👍 And to all the men who respect a woman 👍👍 *Being a woman is invaluable* 💃💃 Pass this on to every woman in your life to make her feel proud of herself.

Which mantra is best for Lord Vishnu?

Which mantra is best for Lord Vishnu? THERE ARE MANY MANTRA BUT YOU CAN'T CHANT VEDIC MANTRA WITHOUT GURU BUT ONE MANTRA IS BEST OF ALL IS SARNAGATI(COMPLETE SURRENDER), AS THIS IS TOLD BY SRI BHAGWAAN HIMSELF IN BHAGWAT GEETA :- सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज | अहं त्वां सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुच: || Abandon all varieties of dharmas and simply surrender unto Me alone. I shall liberate you from all sinful reactions; do not fear. THIS IS THE BEST FOR ALL WHICH IS TOLD BY SRI VISHNU HIMSELF IN GEETA. NAMO LAXMINARAYANA

THE STRAIT GATE

THE STRAIT GATE Around the Year with Emmet Fox July 18 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in *thereat, Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:13-14 There is only one way under the sun by which man can attain salvation, in the true sense of the word, and that is by bringing about a radical and permanent change for the better in his own consciousness. For countless generations humanity has been trying in every other conceivable way to compass its own good. This change in consciousness is the strait gate that Jesus speaks of here, and, as he says, the number of those who find it is comparatively small. Now why should man be so reluctant, apparently, to try to change his consciousness? The answer is that the changing of one's consciousness is really very hard work, calling for constant unceasing vigilance and a breaking of mental habits. Entering the strait gait is, however, worth much more than whatever trouble or effort it may call for. If you make a qualitative change in consciousness, which is what happens in prayer, then not only is the effect of that change felt in every department of your life, but it is with you through all eternity, for you never can lose it. Thieves cannot break in and steal. As soon as you obtain this spiritual consciousness you will find that all things indeed work together for good to those who love God. *thereat= At that occurrence or event; on that account

Take Things As They Come

https://www.dailypioneer.com/2024/columnists/take-things-as-they-come.html

Gurudev

When there is love, you take total responsibility for any misunderstanding. You may express dismay for a moment on the surface. But when you do not feel that in your heart, you arrive at a perfect understanding. You are in a state where all problems and differences slide away and only love shines through. Usually we get stuck in our differences, because we have lost sight of ourselves. In the name of love we try to manipulate and control the other person. This is natural that when we love somebody, we want them to be perfect. You can never see the pits in the ground from the top of a hill. From a plane the earth looks so smooth. So also from a state of elevated consciousness, you do not see the pitfalls in others. But if you come to the ground you always see the holes. And when you want to fill the holes, you have to see them. You cannot build a home being airborne. You cannot till the land without looking at the pits, filling them, removing the pebbles.... That is why when you love somebody you find all the faults in them. But finding faults destroys love. Instead of filling the pits we run away from them. When you love somebody and see their faults, stay with them and help them fill the pits. This is wisdom.

Most complex problems do have a solution,

_*An old but a wonderful story... A must read... Inspiring!_* _Many hundreds of years ago in a small Italian town, a merchant had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to the moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the merchant’s beautiful daughter, so he proposed a bargain. He said he would forgo the merchant’s debt if he could marry the daughter. Both the merchant and his daughter were horrified by the proposal._ _The moneylender told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty bag. The girl would then have to pick one pebble from the bag.If she picked the black pebble, she would become the moneylender’s wife and her father’s debt would be forgiven. If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father’s debt would still be forgiven. But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail._ _They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the merchant’s garden. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick her pebble from the bag._ _What would you have done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you have told her? Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:_ 1. _The girl should refuse to take a pebble._ 2. _The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the moneylender as a cheat._ 3. _The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment._ _The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking._ _The girl put her hand into the money bag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles._ “_Oh, how clumsy of me,” she said. “But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked.” Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one. And since the money lender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into an advantageous one._ _*MORAL OF THE STORY:_* _Most complex problems do have a solution, sometimes we have to think about them in a different way._

Guru Purnima

A thief came to a saint wanting to surrender to him, but he didn’t want to give up stealing. The saint allowed him to have his way under the condition that he can steal provided he does it with full awareness. The thief thought it would be very easy as stealing was his second nature. But as and when he got ready to steal, he remembered the saint’s condition and became aware of his action. And he couldn’t steal thereafter! Such is the power of awareness. It can bring about the highest transformation. Mistakes happen in unawareness. In awareness, one cannot get angry or commit a mistake. Such awareness comes when one establishes a connection with the Self. When a Guru enters the life of a seeker, the awareness of higher Self dawns. The Guru is a doorway one sees when groping for shelter from rain or the hot sun. The same rain and thunder, which appeared frightening, becomes beautiful when one is inside the shelter. A Guru doesn’t fill one with information but kindles the life force in the seeker. The Guru enlivens the knowledge of the unseen which brings a sense of security. The Guru is a principle, not something to be conceptualised or limited to the physical body!

Are there any bad qualities of Arjuna?

Are there any bad qualities of Arjuna? In Bhagvad Gita chapter 16 sloka 5 Krishna clearly tells Arjuna that he's born with divine qualities. This statement by the Lord is a tight slap on the face on those who accuse Arjuna if jealousy hatred bla bla bla which were actually predominant in karna. The Bhagvad Gita comes before the war but most people skip it as a result they are totally misguided and end up committing unforgivable offence towards great personalitied like Arjuna

UNREMITTING VIGILANCE

Good Morning!!! UNREMITTING VIGILANCE Around the Year with Emmet Fox July 21 Read Matthew 7:21-23 We are all willing to do God's will sometimes and, in some things, but until there is a complete dedication of one's whole self, there cannot be a complete demonstration. "There is no home for the soul in which there dwells the shadow of an untruth," said George Meredith. Never is it truer than in the life of the soul that the price of liberty is eternal vigilance. We must not allow any consideration whatever, any institution, any organization, any book, or any man or woman, to come between us and our direct seeking for God. Centers, churches, schools, all fill a useful purpose in providing the physical framework for the distribution of right knowledge, but the actual work must be done by the individual. “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” Matthew 7:21

With which weapon did Rama kill Ravana?

With which weapon did Rama kill Ravana? According to knowledge In the Hindu epic Ramayana Rama the protagonist, defeated and killed Ravana, the demon king of Lanka using a divine weapon called the Brahmastra. The Brahmastra was a powerful celestial weapon granted to Rama by the sage Agastya Muni. It was an arrow capable of immense destruction and could only be used once. Rama invoked the Brahmastra and fired it at Ravana during their final battle ultimately leading to Ravana's demise.

- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

I can't promise you that you'll always be comfortable, Because comfort brings boredom and restlessness... I can't even promise that all your wishes will come true, Because desires may be fulfilled or not bring frustration... I can't even promise you all will have a good day, Because hard times make us understand joy... I can't even promise that you will be very rich, famous, powerful, Because all these paths lead to sadness... I can't even promise that we will be together forever, Because separation is what makes coincidence so wonderful... Still if you want to be with me.. If you consider love more valuable than anyone else... So I promise your life to prosperity Would be perfect. I promise your life will be an eternal celebration. I will love you as much as a king wants his crown, I will like you more than that. A mother loves her newborn baby as much as she loves, I will love you more than that. By coming into my arms you will find what you always wanted. You will meet yourself in my arms... I promise you. - Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Khushwant Singh, the famous writer, had a good sense of humour.

Khushwant Singh, the famous writer, had a good sense of humour. He was a great fan of film actress Nargis. He narrates the following incident in one of his articles. "When I was the editor of Illustrated Weekly of India published from Bombay I received a phone call. A lady was on the line. "Can I speak to Mr. Khushwant Singh ?" she said. " Speaking" I replied. "This is Nargis Dutt". "Nargis Dutt the film star ?". "Jee haan." " Mother India and all that ?" "Je haan. Can I see you ?" Half an hour later she breezed into my office setting many a heart aflutter. Introductions over, she said, "You see my kids are studying in Sanawar. I have to attend their Annual Day school function. But all the hotels are overbooked. I learn you have a villa in Kasauli. Would you be kind enough to allow me to stay there for a night ?" I said, "I have no objection but on one condition." There after I gave necessary pause to create suspense. She was silent for a moment and then asked with trepidation, "What ?" "Provided thereafter I have your permission to tell anybody I like, that Nargis Dutt slept in my bed." She burst into laughter and said, "Agreed." Thereafter Nargis herself related this incident to many of her friends. Great sense of humor, That is life living king size.

Desi Creativity

People are getting more and more creative. Here is a set of desi puns.. 1. My watch is stuck between 2 and 2:30; it's a do or dhai situation. 2. Vishwanathan Anand gets tensed when the waiter asks, 'Check de doon'. 3. A potato was grilled by cops; after two hours of torture, it gave in, 'Main Batata hun, main Batata hun...' 4. A well-executed theft without any fingerprints is a stainless steal. 5. Friends pay food bills on a de-tu-de basis 6. Rahul Dravid's wristwatch is technically a wall clock. 7. Toll Booths are nothing but Bill Gates 8. The way to the cemetery, 'Go straight and take the last rite.' 9. The salaried class feel that the changing nature of taxes is too T.D.S.. 😊😊😊

A NOURISHING INGREDIENT

Good Morning!!! God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; and Wisdom to know the difference. Thy will, not mine, be done. *~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~* July 14, 2024 A NOURISHING INGREDIENT Where humility had formerly stood for a forced feeding on humble pie it now begins to mean the nourishing ingredient which can give us serenity. 12 & 12, p.74 How often do I focus on my problems and frustrations? When I am having a "good day" these same problems shrink in importance and my preoccupation with them dwindles. Wouldn't it be better if I could find a key to unlock the "magic" of my "good days" for use on the woes of my "bad days?" I already have the solution! Instead of trying to run away from my pain and wish my problems away, I can pray for humility! Humility will heal the pain. Humility will take me out of myself. Humility, that strength granted me by that "power greater than myself," is mine for the asking Humility will bring balance back into my life. Humility will allow me to accept my humanness joyously. ************************************************ The Value of Human Will Many newcomers, having experienced little but constant deflation, feel a growing conviction that human will is of no value whatever. They have become persuaded, sometimes rightly so, that many problems besides alcohol will not yield to a headlong assault powered only by the individual’s will. However, there are certain things which the individual alone can do. All by himself, and in the light of his own circumstances, he needs to develop the quality of willingness. When he acquires willingness, he is the only one who can then make the decision to exert himself along spiritual lines. Trying to do this is actually an act of his own will. It is the right use of this faculty. Indeed, all of A.A.’s Twelve Steps require our sustained and personal exertion to conform to their principles and so, we trust, to God’s will. 12 & 12, p. 40 As Bill Sees It, P. 232 ************************************************ RESPONSIBILITY Via - "archie" There should be separation between our spiritual life in A.A. and the practice of our religious beliefs. There's more to quitting drinking than quitting drinking. I am glad to be a part of Alcoholics Anonymous, of that great fellowship which is spreading all over the world. I am only one of many A.A.'s, but I am one. I am grateful to be living at this time, when I can help A.A. to grow, when it needs me to put my shoulder to the wheel and help keep the message going. I am glad to be able to be useful, to have a reason for living, to have a purpose in life. I want to lose my life in this Fellowship and so, find it again. I need the A.A. principles for the development of the buried life within me, that good life which I had misplaced but which I found again in this Fellowship. This life within me is developing. I cannot yet know what it will be, but I know that it will be good. That's all I want to know, it will be good. A.A. may be human in its organization, but it is divine in its purpose. The purpose is to point me toward the God of my understanding and the good life. My feet have been set upon the right path. I feel it in the depths of my being. I am going in the right direction. The future can be safely left to my Higher Power. Whatever the future holds, it cannot be too much for me to bear. I have the Divine Power with me, to carry me through everything that may happen. Participating in the privileges of the A.A. Fellowship, I shall share in the responsibilities, taking it upon myself to carry my fair share of the load, not grudgingly but joyfully. I am deeply grateful for the privileges I enjoy because of my membership in the A.A. way of life. They put an obligation upon me which I will not shirk. I will gladly carry my fair share of the burdens. Because of the joy of doing them, they will no longer be burdens but opportunities. I shall not wait to be drafted for service to my fellow travelers, but I shall volunteer. I shall accept every opportunity to work for A.A. as a challenge and I shall do my best to accept every challenge and perform my task as best I can. I shall be loyal in my attendance, generous in my giving, kind in my criticism, creative in my suggestions, loving in my attitudes. I shall give A.A. my interest, my enthusiasm, my devotion, and most of all, myself. We in Alcoholics Anonymous know the joy of giving. We believe that when we come to the end of our lives, it will be only the things that we have given away that we will take with us. We will take no material thing with us, but we will take with us the kind words we have said, the kind deeds we have done, the help we may have given to our fellow alcoholics. We alcoholics, who have been helped to find A.A. by someone who was interested in our welfare, believe that we are under a deep obligation to pass the message on to others. We members of Alcoholics Anonymous believe in this with all our hearts: If an alcoholic needs help and asks for help: I am my brother's keeper. Source unknown

CHILDREN OF THE MOST HIGH

Good Morning!!! CHILDREN OF THE MOST HIGH Around the Year with Emmet Fox July 14 Read Matthew 7:7-11 This is the wonderful passage in which Jesus enunciates the primary truth of the Fatherhood of God. He says here, definitely and clearly, that the real relationship of God and man is that of parent and child. It is extremely difficult to realize the far-reaching importance that this declaration holds for the life of the soul. It is axiomatic of course, that the offspring must be of the same nature and species as the parent; and so, if God and man are indeed Father and child, man must be essentially divine too, and susceptible of infinite development up the rising pathway of divinity. That is to say, as man's true nature unfolds, he will expand in spiritual consciousness until he has transcended all bounds of human imagination. It is in reference to our glorious destiny, that Jesus himself says elsewhere, quoting the older scriptures: Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken. . . ". (John 10:34-35)

Woman of Substance

Where is she going to ? Hospital? No, our assumptions are totally wrong. With 2 walking sticks in her hands she reaches the classrooms of Centurian University in Andhra Pradesh by travelling 60 kms daily by bus to teach. She is Santamma aged 95 years old who teaches Medical Physics, Radiology & Anesthesia. Under her guidance, 17 students have completed their Doctorates (PhD). She has translated Bhagwat Gita into English and Telugu languages besides being involved in extensive research works. Her aim is to record her name as the oldest Professor in the Guinness Book of World records. Such a great inspiration to us all. If you have a strong will and determination, no age can stop you from achieving anything. Let's all be inspired by her to do something different and Great. My heartiest Tributes to this 95 years old Great Lady Teacher Santamma. Woman of Substance 🙏🙏🙏

Is it true that Verabhadra defeated Vishnu during Daksha Yagya Vinasha?

Is it true that Verabhadra defeated Vishnu during Daksha Yagya Vinasha? Veerabhadra is a dustmite compared to Maha Vishnu. He was defeated by Hanuman in some stories. Even Vishnu's own avatar seshnag is infinitely more powerful than Veerabhadra who literally bears the weight of the entire cosmos and has enough power to burn the entire universe O Rama! You appear as Sesha, a large serpent in water, at the earth's bottom, bearing the three worlds, gods, Gandharvas, the celestial musicians and the demons." (VR ) Next the great fire of annihilation will flare up from the mouth of Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa. Carried by the mighty force of the wind, this fire will burn throughout the universe, scorching the lifeless cosmic shell. Text 10: Burned from all sides — from above by the blazing sun and from below by the fire of Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa — the universal sphere will glow like a burning ball (Bhagwat purana) Vishnu killed two demons who were threat to Brahma with a single arrow . When he was lying down on the great ocean and could not be seen by the gods and the asuras, the god Svayambhu created this arrow. While he was invisible to all creatures and was filled with rage in a desire to kill the evil-souled Madhu and Kaitabha, the brave one fashioned this excellent arrow. Desiring to create the three worlds, he used this excellent arrow to kill those two in the battle and created the worlds. Vishnu is Ajith and Aja . Literally no one can defeat him or even save someone if he tries to kill them . "Either Brahma the self-existing god with four faces or Rudra with three eyes and the destroyer of Tripura (the city built of gold, silver and iron in the sky, air and earth, by Maya for the demons and burnt by Shiva), or Mahendra the god of atmosphere and sky as also the lord of celestials would not be able to protect the one to be killed by Rama in battle." Anyone who believes such stories are dull witted asuras

*Fascinating incident from the annals of history*

*Fascinating incident from the annals of history* Hathras town in Western UP is in news currently for dubious reasons. It is also a town which has 4 railway stations with the word Hathras in it. (City, Jn, Kila, Road) But Hathras is remembered for another reason. And it is linked to the Railways of which we are still ardent fans. More than 130 years back, a wandering peniless monk was sitting on a bench of Hathras Jn station. He was traveling partly on foot, partly by train, partly by bullock cart, as Providence would provide. Suddenly, the ASM of the station spotted this sanyasi with striking features, a sharp nose and wide eyes sitting on the bench. He went up to him and struck up a conversation. Impressed by his knowledge and dispisition, the ASM requested the monk to be his guest that night and took him to his quarters behind the station. After spending a day or two the monk wished to bid goodbye but the ASM told him to wait; he would rush to the station, submit his resignation and leave with the monk as his disciple which he did and became the monk's first disciple. The monk was none other than Narendranath Dutta who later became Swami Vivekananda. And the ASM of Hathras Jn was Sharat Chandra Gupta, a Bengali gentleman, who, after getting his sanyas vows, was called Swami Sadananda of the Ramakrishna Mission. Yes, it's a fascinating story of a monk and his disciple. You can read more about them in the book, "The Life of Swami Vivekananda, by his Eastern and Western Disciples", Advaita Ashrama (1989 edition), pages 220-224. Before acepting him as his disciple, Vivekananda gave his begging bowl to Sharat and asked him to beg food from the porters and khalasis of the station. This was his way of testing his disciple's earnestness. Without waiting for a moment, Sharat went to the station and begged for food from those very people who were his subordinates till just the previous day. He came back to Swamiji with the alms collected and partook of them along with his Guru. That proved the sublimation of his ego after his renunciation. Incidentally, he was a good friend of Dr. Boshi Sen who later became a world renowned plant/agricultural scientist and lived in Almora. Sharat Chandra Gupta or Swami Sadananda, the erstwhile Asst. Station Master of Hathras Jn., though a Bengali, belonged to Jaunpur. He died in 1911.

Nostalgia Unplugged: Cherishing the Imperfections of the '80s and '90s

Nostalgia Unplugged: Cherishing the Imperfections of the '80s and '90s Social media often brings out fascinating videos that take us back to the good old days of the 1980s and 1990s. Inspired by this, I decided to take a memorable trip down memory lane in my latest blog post. Before the era of mobile phones and digital devices, our lives were filled with outdoor games like cricket, football, and badminton. Morning badminton sessions were fiercely competitive and set the tone for an energetic day ahead. Indoor activities were just as engaging. We enjoyed board games like Ludo, Snakes and Ladders, and Chinese Checkers. I even had a mini cricket game to recreate stadium matches with friends! Despite lacking proper facilities, I dreamt of playing lawn tennis, inspired by Wimbledon. Our TV was a black-and-white EC model, offering limited but cherished programs. Fridays brought laughter with "Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi" and music with "Chitrahaar." Sundays were special with "Ramayan," "Mahabharat," and "Spiderman," which we watched in color at a neighbor's house. Video games made their debut, and an Atari game box brought endless joy until it malfunctioned. Movies were a treat during summer vacations, rented from local video shops, and watched on a borrowed video cassette player. Music had its own charm with audio cassette players. We meticulously recorded songs from friends' cassettes, creating our own playlists. Life was very social without social media, filled with neighborhood interactions, outdoor picnics, and fun vacations. Reading was a personal favorite, from comics like Tintin and Asterix to novels and encyclopedias. Train journeys were magical, offering a perfect blend of adventure and reading time. We navigated life without modern conveniences, yet it was rich with experiences. We traveled without personal vehicles, learned without Google, and enjoyed a fantastic social life without social media. Our memories of unfulfilled desires and highs and lows now seem perfect. In fact, a lot of the so called necessities today weren't necessities at all for us as they did not even exist in our mind space! This blog post is a tribute to those simpler times, reminding us that nothing is imperfect in retrospect. Today's moments, too, will be perfect memories tomorrow. Let's live them fully and with complete awareness

AN EVER-GROWING FREEDOM

Good Morning!!! God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; and Wisdom to know the difference. Thy will, not mine, be done. *~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~ *~*~*~* July 8, 2024 AN EVER-GROWING FREEDOM The Seventh Step is where we make the change in our attitude which permits us, with humility as our guide, to move out from ourselves toward others and toward God. Twelve Steps & Twelve Traditions, p.76 When I finally asked God to remove those things blocking me from Him and the sunlight of the Spirit, I embarked on a journey more glorious than I ever imagined. I experienced freedom from those characteristics that had me wrapped up in myself. Because of this humbling Step, I feel clean. I am especially aware of this Step because I'm now able to be useful to God and to my fellows. I know that He has granted me strength to do His bidding and has prepared me for anyone, and anything, that comes my way today. I am truly in His hands, and I give thanks for the joy that I can be useful today. ************************************************* Principles before Expediency "Most of us thought good character was desirable. Obviously, good character was something one needed to get on with the business of being self-satisfied. With a proper display of honesty and morality, we'd stand a better chance of getting what we really wanted. But whenever we had to choose between character and comfort, character building was lost in the dust of our chase after what we thought was happiness. "Seldom did we look at character-building as something desirable in itself. We never thought of making honesty, tolerance, and true love of man and God the daily basis of living." ~~~~~1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, PP. 71-72 "How to translate a right mental conviction into a right emotional result, and so into easy, happy, and good living, is the problem of life itself." ~~~~~2. GRAPEVINE, JANUARY 1958 ********************************************** You are here for a purpose. There is not a duplicate of you in the whole wide world; there never has been, there never will be. You were brought here now to fill a certain need. Take time to think that over. —Lou Austin No other person is exactly like you or me. No one can do exactly what we can, or touch another person in exactly the way we can. Out of all the people who could have been created, we were chosen to be a part of this time and place. We are needed to fulfill a plan, in our families as well as in our relationships. Knowing we have unique abilities, we will spend less time feeling jealous of what others can do. Through our dreams and yearnings, God shows us who we can be. It is up to us to have the courage to follow that dream with action. What unique gift can I offer the world today?

A THRILLING EXPERIMENT

Good Morning!!! A THRILLING EXPERIMENT Around the Year with Emmet Fox July 8 Why not make the following experiment, which will not only be thrillingly interesting, but will certainly teach you more in one day than you could learn from books or lectures in many weeks. Here is what you have to do. For one whole day think, speak, and act exactly as you would if you were absolutely convinced of the truth of the statements that God has all power and infinite intelligence, and that His nature is infinite goodness and love. To think in this manner all day will be the most difficult thing, because thought is so subtle. To speak in accordance with these truths will be easier, if you are vigilant. To act in accordance with them will be the easiest part, although it may require much in the way of moral courage. “And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform” Romans 4:21

*Humility*

*Humility* Cricketer *Rahul Dravid was honoured with a doctorate degree* by the University of Bangalore, which Rahul Dravid *gracefully returned*. Not only did he give back the degree, but he also *gave a wonderful speech*; he said "My *wife is a doctor, she has spent countless, sleepless nights and days to get this degree*." " *My mother is a professor of arts*, she has *waited for a long, fifty years for her degree* with perseverance. I *worked hard to play cricket, but I didn't study* that much, so *how come I accept this degree*?" *Einstein was offered the Prime Ministership* by the Israeli government *in 1952*. Einstein politely said, “ *I am an inexperienced student of physics*. What do I understand about the governance and administration of a state !!!” *Grigori Perelman, the Russian world-renowned mathematician*, he *returned the Field Medals in 2006 and a large sum of money*, regarded as the *equivalent of Nobel Prize in the field of Mathematics*. He said *“We had a poverty driven childhood* in our family. We had to *manage in a very calculative manner* to save mother's earnings. May be, that’s the *reason why I was able to develop a little skill in mathematics* since childhood. Since *that phase of poverty is not there anymore* in my life, *what do I do with so much of money?”* Seeing the humility of these greatly skilled people, one feels to bow down in respect. *These humble* and down to earth *people remind us over and over again that being humble does not mean one gets less dignified* in the eyes of the society, *rather it portrays in them a much larger than life image*. As there is a saying *‘Sky is the limit for humility* while there is no limit at all to stoop down to any level”, which our politicians are notoriously popular fo

Memorable Quotes

The foundation of the Buddha's teachings lies in compassion, and the reason for practicing the teachings is to wipe out the persistence of ego, the number-one enemy of compassion. The Dalai Lama The ego is a self-satisfying historian which seeks only that information that agrees with it, rewrites history when it needs to, and does not even see the evidence that threatens it. Anthony G. Greenwald Emotions are the color of life; we would be drab creatures indeed without them. But we must control these emotions, or they will control us. John M. Wilson So often we think that to be encouragers we have to produce great words of wisdom when, in fact, a few simple syllables of sympathy and an arm around the shoulder can often provide much needed comfort. Florence Littauer He who would move the world must first move himself. Edward Ericson Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one. Malcolm Forbes Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your objective. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Majesty of Fairy Queen

https://thedailyguardian.com/the-majesty-of-the-fairy-queen/

Why did only Lord Shiva drink the halahala poison from Samudra Manthan? Why didn't Lord Vishnu?

Why did only Lord Shiva drink the halahala poison from Samudra Manthan? Why didn't Lord Vishnu? Only Parameshwara is capable to drink most deadliest Halahal Poison. Srivishnu is actually preserver of universe. Srivishnu is capable to do anything for protection of universe until when They are in his control. when Srivishnu understood himself that which is beyond his control . Then only vishnu take complete help from Parameshwara for protection of universe . All devas of universe including Brahma & vishnu prayed Parameshwara by chanting “Om Namah Shivay” Immediately Parameshwara enter in to the spot took Halahal deadliest poison .all devas are very happy Praised Parameshwara as “Har Har Mahadev” In this way Srivishnu protected the universe by taking complete help from Parameshwara. That's the reason lord Shiva is called Ultimate creator, protector & Distroyer. Lord Shiva is called Neelakanteshwara /vishakanteshwara

Funny African Proverbs

Funny African Proverbs When a man is stung by a bee, he does not destroy all beehives- Kenya Proverb It is only a stupid cow that rejoices at the prospect of being taken to a beautiful abattoir - Zambian Proverb No matter how far an eagle flies up the sky, it will definitely come down to look for food - Zimbabwe Proverb An army of sheep led by a lion can defeat an army of lions led by a sheep. - Ghanaian proverb The man who marries a beautiful woman, and the farmer who grows corn by the roadside have the same problem- Ethiopian Proverb A short man is not a boy- Nigerian Proverb No matter how hot your anger is, it cannot cook yams- Nigerian Proverb It requires a lot of carefulness to kill the fly that perches on the scrotum- Ghanaian Proverb The frown on the face of the goat will not stop it from being taken to the market - Nigerian Proverb An old lady feels uneasy when dry bones are mentioned in a proverb - Ghanaian Proverb The same sun that melts the wax, hardens the clay - Nigerien Proverb If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there - Ugandan Proverb There is no virgin in a maternity ward- Cameroonian Proverb The madman, who throws a stone into a crowded market, forgets that his own mother could be hit by his madness. - Ugandan Proverb

Did Draupadi ever got any gift from Arjuna?

Did Draupadi ever got any gift from Arjuna? Arjuna, being a prince would have gifted Draupadi who was his beloved wife. Vyasa mentioned in Vana Parva that Arjuna gave all the jewelry to Draupadi which was given by Indra to Arjuna. Excerpt “And when Matali had gone away, that foremost of the royal race, Sakra's son, the high-souled destroyer of all foes made over unto his love, the mother of Sutasoma, beautiful precious gems and ornaments having the splendour of the sun, which had been presented to him by Sakra.”

Then how was Jayadrath killed?

In Mahabharata, it is said that the Pashupatastra obtained by Arjuna from Shiva is never used. Then how was Jayadrath killed? On the 14th day of war drona created a terrible formation of 3 vyuhas. Arjuna penetrated into the vyuha and killed the major number of army. But when arjuna approaching jayadratha he was obstructed by 6 maharathis in the kaurava army. How ever he managed to face those 6 warriors but sun is approaching the western hill to be set. In that situation Krishna created an illusion that sun was setted by using his chakra. By seeing that Jayadratha came out of his chariot and came before Arjuna to celebtare his defeat. Then Krishna removed his illusion and told Arjuna to kill Jayadratha. Arjuna took a sharp naracha arrow and did cut the head of Saindhava but Krishna told Arjuna make sure that the head should not fall on the ground. Arjuna is keeping jayadrarha's head to be in the sky with his arrows by continuing his fight with maharathi warriors. Then Arjuna asked krishna how much time that he should keep that head in the sky? Then Krishna replied Arjuna that Saindhava’s father took a boon from lord Shiva that “Who ever makes my son's head fall on ground that person's head should be made into pieces.” Make that head to fall in the lap of his father Vridhakshatra. He is in Samanthaka panchaka now. Then Arjuna for the first time in mahabharat war used Pashupatastra and made Jayadratha's head to fall in the lap of his father. He is doing meditation at that time. Suddenly by seeing the cutted head in his lap he thrown away that head on the ground and his head was made into pieces. In this incident Kriahna told the place where jayadratha's farher stayed. But Arjuna did not know the perfect place where he sat and meditating. So he used pashupatastra but if he had known his perfect place with in his eye sight Arjuna would have completed this task with normal arrow

_T20 WC 2024 Final_in rhymes

How about this? _T20 WC 2024 Final_in rhymes In Bridgetown's heat, a battle brews, India's hopes ride on Boys in Blue. Early wickets fall, fans hold their breath, Is this dream headed for a death? But Kohli rises, a phoenix strong, His bat sings a defiant song. Seventy-six runs, a farewell grand, He sets the stage, takes final stand. A target set, not great, not small, Can our bowlers answer the call? South Africa starts with steady pace, We pray our team can keep its grace. Then Klaasen explodes, a furious storm, Fifty-two off twenty-seven, top form. Boundaries flow like raging flood, Our hearts sink, chill runs through our blood. "Not again," we cry in silent fear, Another loss seems oh so near. But wait! Here comes our Bumrah brave, His yorkers are like a crashing wave. Six runs in two, he stems the tide, Rekindling hope that seemed to hide. Pandya joins in, snares Klaasen's wicket, The stadium roars, oh a thriller cricket! The pressure mounts with each dot ball, Asking run-rate now stands too tall. Our bowlers fight with all their might, Victory now seems within sight. The final over, nerves on edge, Pandya bowls, we're on the ledge. A catch by SkY seals the deal, *T20 World Champions!!!Oh, how sweet we feel!*

A fifteen year old Mexican boy and his father were in a mall.

A fifteen year old Mexican boy and his father were in a mall. They were amazed by almost everything they saw, but especially by two shiny silver walls that could move apart and then slide back together again. The boy asked, "What is this, Father?" The father (never having seen an elevator) responded, "Son, I have never seen anything like this in my life, I don"t know what it is." While the boy and his father were watching with amazement, a fat old lady in a wheel chair moved up to the moving walls and pressed a button. The walls opened, and the lady rolled between them into a small room. The walls closed, and the boy and his father watched the small numbers above the walls light up sequentially. They continued to watch until it reached the last number, and then the numbers began to light in the reverse order. Finally, the walls opened up again, and a gorgeous 24-year-old blonde stepped out. The father, not taking his eyes off the young woman, said quietly to his son, *"Go get your mother."*

USA has invoked Gandhi after receiving the following order from the British King::

USA has invoked Gandhi after receiving the following order from the British King:: To the citizens of the United States of America from HIS Majesty King Charles In light of your failure in recent years to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately. (You should look up 'revocation' in the Oxford English Dictionary.) Hइस Sovereign Majesty King Charles will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except North Dakota, which she does not fancy). Your new Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed. To aid in the transition to a British Crown dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect: ----------------------- 1. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour,' 'favour,' 'labour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix '-ize' will be replaced by the suffix '-ise.' Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up 'vocabulary'). ------------------------ 2. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as ''like' and 'you know' is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as U.S. English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into account the reinstated letter 'u'' and the elimination of '-ize.' ------------------- 3. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday. ----------------- 4. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not quite ready to be independent. Guns should only be used for shooting grouse. If you can't sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist, then you're not ready to shoot grouse. ---------------------- 5. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. Although a permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public. ---------------------- 6. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left side with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour. -------------------- 7. The former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline) of roughly $10/US gallon. Get used to it. ------------------- 8. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar. ------------------- 9. The cold, tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. South African beer is also acceptable, as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of the British Commonwealth - see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion. --------------------- 10. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English dialect in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater. --------------------- 11. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies). --------------------- 12. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the South Africans first to take the sting out of their deliveries. -------------------- 13.. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad. ----------------- 14. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776). --------------- 15. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 p.m. with proper cups, with saucers, and never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; plus strawberries (with cream) when in season. God Save the King PS: Only share this with friends who have a good sense of humour (NOT humor).