Comprehending God Through Logic

Determination

2011-12-14T11:43:00.001+06:00

It was the season of drought. It did not rain for months. Therefore, farmers in order to irrigate there field had to cut a long canal connecting the river to their field.

One day a farmer resolved to himself that he would not rest for the day until he had finished the job of cutting the canal. He began his work early in the morning. Nine O’ clock approached. It was time for him to take his regular bath. His wife went to him with the soap and said “My dear, it’s time for you to have your bath. Here is the soap”.

“Go away. I can’t have my bath now. I have to somehow finish cutting this canal today itself.”

The farmer did not even stop to have his bath. At two O’ clock, his wife came to him again and said, “What kind of madness is this? You have not even eaten your lunch. If the work is too much you can do the rest of it tomorrow”

“Hey, you foolish woman! Only a few plants have survived in this heavy drought season. If I don’t finish cutting this canal today, the plants will certainly die. Where will our children go for food? After finishing this job only I will think about my bath or my lunch.” Saying so, he chased away his wife.

He worked all day. At dusk, he successfully finished cutting the canal. The water ran towards the field with a rush. He felt very happy. He went home and called out to his wife “Now bring the soap, dear. I will have my bath.” He had his bath and ate his food. Then he fell asleep and snored loudly.

There was another farmer also, who had a similar work that day. His wife also went to him and said, “Why are you working so hard. If you can’t finish it today, why not finish it tomorrow. The farmer said to his wife “Since you ask me to stop I‘ll stop. You are right. I am working too hard. Let me finish this work tomorrow. Let’s go home now.”

This farmer did not irrigate his field that day.

Maxim:-

Determination is needed to achieve a goal. Those who wish to progress spiritually must also have determination.

There is Power behind the Words of an Incarnation of God

2011-12-13T17:23:00.000+06:00

Near the banks of Ganga was a slum area. Some families did not have proper sanitation facility. They used the banks of Ganga River as their lavatory. For environmental concerns, so many people tried to stop this unhygienic behavior. However, the using of Ganga River banks as lavatory continued. One day a person sent by a high authority came and put up a sign, which said, “Do not mess the banks of Ganga” That stopped the misuse of the Ganga banks.

Maxim:-

The words of an incarnation of God have power behind them because he was sent by God.

2011-12-13T07:19:00.003+06:00

We must establish a close relationship with God, so that in the hours of death we think of Him alone. Is there anything or anyone worth thinking about in the hours of death?

World is Temporary

2011-12-12T15:58:00.005+06:00

In the heaven above, deities Narayana and Lakshmi were busy entertaining a guest. Suddenly they heard a very loud noise. “My Lord, What is this loud noise” asked Goddess Lakshmi. “Ravana has born. This made the earth shudder with vibration,” answered Lord Narayana. After few seconds, they again heard a terrible loud noise. “Another loud noise! What caused this one, my Lord?” asked Lakshmi curiously. Narayana laughed and said, “Ravana has been killed by the arrows of Rama. He fell down dead to the ground with a thud. That is what caused this second noise”.

Maxim:-

The world is temporary. Everything appears and disappears as if within few seconds in the eyes of God.

2011-12-12T12:10:00.003+06:00

God is nameless, formless. Those who realized God were able to tell only 3 things about Him. They are:
1. He exists (Sat).
2. He is awareness (Chit).
3. He is blissful (Ananda).

2011-12-11T17:37:00.004+06:00

It is God who has become the universe and the living beings. He is the One who is shining as the Sun. He is the moon. He is the sky. He is the One who has taken the forms of animals, birds, and human beings. This is highest truth. It is the One that appears as Many due to ego which is a product of Ignorance. Meditate on this truth and realize Him as He is.

2011-12-11T11:20:00.003+06:00

Nothing lasts forever in this world. Nobody lives forever in this world. All the people in this world will one by one die. After 100 years there will be no one left of those who are living now. All of us belong to the graveyard. Contemplate on this truth. May my mind detach from this transient world and think of God only!

2011-12-10T19:28:00.003+06:00

Our worldly mother gave this body. Who gave us the mind, intellect, soul? It is God. God is our Mother too. We should love Her like our own.

2011-12-10T19:22:00.002+06:00

There is only one Self. You, I , and the world are illusory......His Maya.

2011-12-10T19:18:00.002+06:00

God is love and bliss that is beyond the experience of an ordinary human being.

Drama Actor

2010-02-14T21:22:00.002+06:00

A drama was going on. A man owed some money to a person who was about to perform in that drama. Therefore, he went to the make-up room to handover the money. However, the actor did not accept the money. Soon after the play was over the actor removed all his make-ups, went to the man, and asked for his money.

“Why didn’t you accept the money when I first gave it to you?” the man asked.

The actor said “Then I was dressed up like Siva, a sanniyasi. Therefore, I did not accept the money. Now the drama is over. Handover the money you owe me.”

Sanniyasi:- A holy man who had renounced woman and money.

Maxim:-

God behaves exactly like a human being when He incarnates Himself and plays His part as a human being.

It’s not in the Newspaper

2010-02-14T21:18:00.000+06:00

A person went to his friend and said, “Friend! Yesterday I was going along that street and saw a house collapse.” The friend said,” Wait, let me see whether it is in the newspaper” Then he quickly went through the papers. He couldn’t find any such report. “I can’t find your story in the newspaper. Therefore, what you say is not true.” “But it happened right in front of me. I saw it with my own eyes” “Get away! I won’t believe you. How can I believe you when it’s not in the newspaper?

”

Upanishads – Divine knowledge handed down from generations to generations by Indian sages.

Maxim:-

People refuse to accept the phenomenon of incarnation of God no matter how hard the evidence (e.g. Upanishads) is in favor of it. They say that they do not find any such thing as incarnation of God mentioned in their English educations. However, they blindly accept everything said in the name of Science, Psychology etc.

What Kind of Yearning one should have in order to see God?

2007-04-19T22:55:00.009+06:00

A disciple asked his guru “What kind of yearning one should have in order to see God” The guru said, “Come with me. I will show you” The guru led the disciple to a river. Then he asked him to climb down into the river with him. When they reached the middle of the river, the guru pushed the head of disciple under the water and held him like that for a while. Then he released him and asked, “How did you feel? The disciple said “why, I was gasping for breath”

Maxim:-

One should feel restless for God as one gasps for one’s breath.

The Begging King

2007-04-18T10:38:00.001+06:00

During the time when King Akbar was ruling the kingdom, there lived a fakir in a forest situated near Delhi. He lived in a hut. A lot people used to visit the holy man. He was poor. He did not have enough money to entertain all the visitors. He decided to ask the King Akbar for some money.

Therefore, one day the fakir visited the king. When he entered the palace, the king was doing his daily prayers. The fakir also spread his mat and did his prayers next to the king. Akbar prayed, “Allahu Akbar, give me more wealth, riches and kingdoms and I will be your faithful follower forever.” The fakir overheard the prayers of the king. He decided to leave the king without asking for the money. Akbar saw the fakir leave and by a gesture of his hand motioned to the fakir to wait. After finishing his prayer Akbar went to the fakir and asked him the reason for what he came. The fakir said, “The reason why I came to see you was to ask you … never mind, I don’t want to give you any unnecessary trouble,” the fakir decided to drop the subject. However, the king insisted on being told the reason. The fakir at last decided to tell him. He said, “A lot of people pay me visit these days. I don’t have enough money to entertain them all. Therefore, I thought I could ask you for some money.”

After hearing the reason for which the fakir visited him, the king said, “Then why did you decide to leave suddenly without fulfilling the purpose of your visit”.

“Your Majesty, I overheard your prayers. You were praying to God for wealth, riches and kingdoms. I thought I’d rather directly beg God for money instead of beg from a beggar,” answered the fakir.

Fakir – a Muslim sanniyasi

Maxim:-

Praying to God for riches, children, long life etc. is a lower form of devotion.

Seek God First

2007-04-17T15:36:00.001+06:00

Two friends met each other on the way to a town. Then they met again in the town. One friend asked the other friend who was out sightseeing the town. “You really are having a nice time looking around the town. I wonder where your luggage is.” The other friend said, “First thing I did on my arrival to this town was to find myself a room. Then I put my luggage inside and locked it. Now I am having a nice time looking around the town. I am free of any worries or anxieties.”

Maxim:-

A person should first seek God: after finding Him, he can freely and without any fear, direct his mind on worldly matters.

What does God Expect from His Devotee?

2007-04-16T18:56:00.001+06:00

Once, Krishna was a guest of Viduru, Krishna’s devotee. Viduru was so excited at receiving the Lord as his guest that he forgot himself. He peeled a banana and gave Him the banana peel instead of the pulp. Krishna wholeheartedly accepted the banana peel as an offering. Viduru was sad when he realized his error. But Krishna said “ It is devotion that really matters, not the thing offered. Whoever offers me a leaf, a flower, a fruit or a handful of water with devotion I accept with pleasure”.

Duryodhana, the villain of Mahabharata story also welcomed Krishna as a guest to his palace. When Krishna refused his invitation, Duryodhana was furious. He said, “So you accepted the banana skin offered by Viduru but reject the gorgeous banquet kept ready for you”.

“A banana skin offered with love is far better than a banquet thrown at you,” said Krishna in reply.

Maxim:-

The only thing God expects from His devotee is love.

Our Judgment of the World depends upon who we are.

2007-04-15T20:09:00.003+06:00

Once a sanniyasi (a holy man) was so intoxicated by the vision of God (called Samadhi), that he fell on the side of the road unconscious. A thief was passing by and he saw that holy man. He said to himself, “Look at this thief; He’s been breaking into the houses all night. That is why he is sleeping on the roadside in this broad day light. I’d better get away from this place before the policemen arrive.” Saying so, he quickly disappeared from that site.

Next, a drunkard was passing by that place. Seeing the holy man lying there unconscious the drunkard said to himself, “Look at this idiot; He must have drunk three or four bottles to lose consciousness like that. Well, I am not like him. I drink but I know the limit”. Mumbling thus, he too walked away from that holy man.

Lastly came by that way another holy man. He at once recognized the true status of the holy man lying on the roadside. He sat by that holy man in Samadhi and began to take care of him.

Maxim:-

Only a person who is advanced in spirituality is able to see things as they are.

God judges His devotee by looking into his mind rather than by what he does.

2007-04-13T15:07:00.001+06:00

Two friends were walking along a road passing their leisure time. On one side of the road, they heard the sacred Bhagavata being read aloud by a sadhu to some devotees who were sitting around him. One friend said to the other, “Friend, let’s go there and listen to the wonderful Bhagavata and get some spiritual knowledge.” The other friend disagreed and said, “No, I am not in the mood to listen to religious talks. I am going to visit the prostitute who lives on the other side of the road.” So the two friends separated and went to their respective places. The one who went to hear the religious talks was thinking to himself, “My friend is having a good time with the prostitute. Look at me; I am wasting my time listening to this boring Bhagavata”. The other friend even though was in the house of the prostitute was thinking all the while, “My friend is listening to the sacred Bhagavata. He is going to gain a lot of spiritual knowledge. I have foolishly chosen the path to my own destruction.”

Out of these two friends, the one who went to the prostitute is the better devotee of God.

Maxim:-

What we think is what really matters. Whatever we may do outwardly is not going to help us receive God’s grace.

Will God take Responsibility for our Well-Being?

2007-04-13T14:59:00.002+06:00

In the Heaven above lived Narayana (God) and His spouse Lakshmi (Goddess) passing their time happily. Suddenly the Lord Narayana felt anxious and wanted to leave the place hurriedly. Lakshmi who at the time was massaging His feet asked Him the reason for His anxiety. He said, “A devotee of mine is in great trouble”. Saying so, He left the place. No sooner he left than He came back, laughing to Himself. Lakshmi asked Him the reason for His sudden return. He said, “The devotee was meditating on Me and was so absorbed that he walked over some clothes a cloth-washer had been drying on the grass. The washer man was very angry. He was chasing after my devotee. That is when I felt I had to intervene to protect my devotee. But I found him picking up a rock and threatening the washer man in order to protect himself. He has taken the responsibility of protecting himself. There is no need for My intervention. That is why I came back”.

Maxim:-

God protects only those who have completely surrendered their responsibility to Him and are unable to protect themselves.

Do not hurt others and at the same time be wise enough to avoid getting hurt yourself

2007-04-13T14:44:00.001+06:00

In a village lived a very vicious snake. It bit all who came near it injecting its poisonous venom and killing them instantly. Therefore, no one ever dared to go near the place where the snake used to roam in search of food. Children became victim to it by accidentally running into it while playing.

A sanniyasi (a holy man who wanders from place to place) who happened to pass by that village heard about that vicious snake. So he went to the place where the snake lived and had a little chat with it. He said to it, “Do not harm anyone. That is not good for your spirituality. The more you harm others the more you drift away from the center of unity which is God. You should think of God very often.” Saying so the holy man gave the snake a sacred mantra (a name of God that is suitable for an aspirant) to repeat everyday. He said that he would visit the snake again after about one year to see how it had spiritually progressed.

Obeying the advice of the holy man, the snake began to live a religious life. It spent most of its time in its hole where it lived, remembering God by repeating His holy name. Whenever it encountered any human being by accident, it would remember the words of the holy man and would crawl away from them. Soon the word began to spread around the village that the vicious snake had lost its venom and that it was no longer harmful. Children to amuse themselves would pick up the snake by its tail, swirl it around and fling it away. Some would throw stones at it. As a result, the snake had many wounds on its body. It seldom went out for food. “How are they supposed to know that I have become harmless”? Saying so, it would forgive the villagers for their misdeeds.

One year had passed and the holy man as promised came back to the village to see how his disciple had progressed spiritually. He was greatly annoyed to see the snake very skinny and weak with scars on its body. He asked the snake the reason for it. The snake only gave lame excuses for it. It had developed enough sattvic-ness (spiritual character) to avoid pointing fingers at the villagers for its misfortune. But the holy man knew the reason at once. With love overflowing for His disciple, he began to admonish his disciple. “You are a fool. I only asked you to not to harm others. I never asked you to not to scare them away. You should have hissed and frightened them away whenever they came close to you.”

Maxim:-

A devotee of God should be wise and pretend to be tamasic i.e. make a show of anger in order to avoid getting hurt.