HAPPY VISHU

Wishing everyone a HAPPY VISHU - 2011

Maha Shiv Rathri

May Lord Shiva bless all of us with joy, good health and prosperity.

Wishing everyone a devout and peaceful Shiv Rathri.

True devotion

The Lord does not demand offerings from the believer, it is as per the financial strengths of the individual and his/her own choices that one makes offerings. Today religion has become a business and we are forced to buy archanai-platters from the temple's administrations, make dakshinas mandatorily and other such wrong practices.

God listens to everyone's prayers. Genuine requests are answered and a path is shown to the devout. Faith in God and one-self is the greatest strength that a person can have.

From God we Receive to God we Offer

Sometimes it is good that we do not get what we asked for!

In the long run, life irons out the differences in what we asked for and what we got!

Remember from God we receive to God we offer

Verse-4

The form and formlessness of the Supreme One are based on the ego's conception of itself.

Verse-3

Speculations about God and world avail nothing: Self-realization is the heart's cry of all.

Verse-2

The triad - God, soul and world - is the creation of the ego and disappears with the ego.

Happy Pongal

May your lives be filled with the sweetness of sugarcane and jaggery!

Wishing all readers a Happy Pongal!

I have been tied up with loads of work and am not able to blog as frequently as I would like to.

Please bear with me if the posts are a bit irregular, loads of work at work:)

Verse-1 - Ulladhu Narpadhu

All of us have our own perceptions of the world. A screen hides the actual reality of life. Only a chosen few can see the light of the "Supreme One". Blessed are those!

Upcoming posts

Dear Readers,

I recently got an English translation of the essence of Ulladhu Narpadhu a book which is extremely popular among the devotees of Ramana Maharishi.

I am planning to post snippets from the book in the upcoming weeks.

Happy reading and do post your comments and experiences on spirituality and spiritual master.

Om Nama Shivaya!

Regards,
Sishya

God and worship

As long as you respond to a name what objection could there be to your worshipping a God with name or form? Worship God with or without form till you know who you are.

Ramana Maharishi

Happy New Year - 2011

I pray that all of us have a healthy, prosperous and successful 2011!

May the blessings of God and the guidance of the Master help us!

Fear and Worry

If you have fear of some pain or suffering, you should examine whether there is anything you can do about it. If you can, there is no need to worry about it; if you cannot do anything, then there is also no need to worry.

Dalai Lama

Reality

Reality is at once Being and Consciousness.

From "Erase the Ego" by Ramana Maharishi

Truth

“Truth can not be suppressed and always is the ultimate victor. So, we should tread on the righteous path.”

The Yajur Veda

Love

The one who loves all intensely
begins perceiving in all living beings
a part of himself.

He becomes a lover of all,
a part and parcel of the Universal Joy.
He flows with the stream of happiness,
and is enriched by each soul.

From the Yajur Veda

Joy

“Where there is joy there is creation. Where there is no joy there is no creation: know the nature of joy.”

The Upanishads

Prayers

It is very important to inculcate the habit of chanting prayers among children. Earlier a lamp used to be lit during the mornings and evenings and prayers were chanted. Changing lifestyles and nuclear families have made this practice redundant slowly.

Working couples who return late from office, should pray together at least in the mornings. Ask what you want with faith and you shall receive it!

Life

The greatest tragedy in life is not death; the greatest tragedy takes place when our talents and capabilities are underutilized and allowed to rust while we are living.

Mata Amritanandamayi

Excellence in what we do!

A parable on dedication and excellence in what we do:

A person once visited a temple under construction where he saw a sculptor making an idol of God. Suddenly he noticed a similar idol lying nearby. Surprised, he asked the sculptor,
"Do you need two statues of the same idol?" "No," said the sculptor without looking up, "We need only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage."
The gentleman examined the idol and found no apparent damage. "Where is the damage?" he asked.
"There is a scratch on the nose of the idol." said the sculptor, still busy with his work.
"Where are you going to install the idol?"

The sculptor replied that it would be installed on a pillar twenty feet high. "If the idol is that far, who is going to know that there is a scratch on the nose?" the gentleman asked.
The sculptor stopped his work, looked up at the gentleman, smiled and said, "I will know it."

The desire to excel is exclusive of the fact whether someone else appreciates it or not.
"Excellence" is a drive from inside, not outside. Excellence is not for someone else to notice but for your own satisfaction and efficiency...