Wednesday, April 15, 2015

An Encounter..




"By what name do people call you"

"Many names" was the answer.

"Then I shall call you Sir"

"As you like."

I asked him something to determine his age.

"I am ageless, neither birth nor death touch me."

"A tree is rooted Sir, How old are your roots?"

"That is not to be known" He gently reproved me.

"Tell me then Sir, the secret of your youth."

"Well, well, if there isn't my old friend!" He suddenly exclaimed

When I looked for his friend my breath stopped and my teeth chattered. His friend was a huge tiger! To my eyes she looked as large as a horse. Noting my terror my friend assured me that I was in no danger.

"Do you mean this fearsome beast is your friend?"

"Why not?"

"Who are you?" I asked in awe!

"Thyself!" His voice was gentleness itself.


Hardly believing my eyes, I saw him approach the tiger and fondly stroke its fur and the beast responded by every show of returned affection. "Come, come.. meet my friend" He beckoned me.

Tremblingly I ventured forward.

"See how sweet she is" he said, "such a good mother. She has a baby and two of her sisters who passed away. Show us the babies, will you?"

Obediently, the tiger stalked along before us and I silently followed. Since my courage had deserted me I couldn't question, though my thoughts were many. Half a mile we were led by the tiger to a wooded hill thickly overgrown with brush. There is a deep ditch frolicked three tiger cubs, one about a month old and two older ones. 




The cubs were harmless enough and very loveable in their rounded furriness. I asked permission to play with them. The youngest was a bit frightened, but soon warmed up and played along. A little later my comrade bade me come away from the cubs as we resumed our journey to the cave.


" You are a Master," I asserted, " I am sure of it."

"Why?"

"Because the tiger did not harm us."

"That is nothing. They attack only those who desire to kill them. If you have love in your heart for them and no fear, they won't harm you. Love in your heart for everyone brings love in return."

"Master, will you explain the secret of making a tiger like you?"

"If  man will relinquish the idea of killing, the love of every creature will be his."

" How long will it take to do this?"

He answered that if in twelve years the hand, eyes and tongue have not harmed anyone, the power will be gained. many who do not destroy with the hands, do so with their eyes and words. Neither beast nor man will ever attack such a one, nor will opposition of any kind be presented.

"Must one, Master, do anything else except abstain from killing any living creature?"

"Yes, my son, he should have love in his heart for everyone, but he should not fix his affection on any particular one, holding all in love. Nor should he fear death at anytime, realising that he is not bound by the narrow walls of flesh and bones, but is soul or spirit, of all and in all. His song should be ~

There is no jealousy, no fear.
I am the dearest of the dear;

No rival, no foe,
No injury, no woe,

Om, Om, Om!

Nothing can harm me,
Nothing alarm me,
The soul of all,
The nectar falls,

Om, Om, Om!

The heavens and stars,
Worlds near and far
Are hung and strung
On the songs I sung,

Om, Om, Om!





: Great Masters of the Himalayas

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

20 Questions for every Spiritual Seeker


Came across this Q&A list in the Awakening times website. Thought provoking as they are, I thought I would attempt to answer them. If you wish to try this too, you can copy paste the questions from awakeningtimes.com, and answer them on your blog or FB page.


20 Questions -

1. Why is there poverty and suffering in the world?

2. What is the relationship between science and religion?

3. Why are so many people depressed?

4. What are we all so afraid of?

5. When is war justifiable?

6. How would God want us to respond to aggression and terrorism?

7. How does one obtain true peace?

8. What does it mean to live in the present moment?

9. What is our greatest distraction?

10. Is current religion serving its purpose?

11. What happens to you after you die?

12. Describe heaven and how to get there.

13. What is the meaning of life?

14. Describe God.

15. What is the greatest quality humans possess?

16. What is it that prevents people from living to their full potential?

17. Noverbally, by motion or gesture only, act out what you believe to be the current condition of the world.

18. What is your one wish for the world?

19. What is wisdom and how do we gain it?

20. Are we all one?



MY UNDERSTANDING ~


1. Why is there poverty and suffering in the world?
A - For the same reason as there is joy and plenty in this world. 

This is a world whose nature is duality and thrives in opposites. For good there is bad, for joy there is sorrow, for sickness there is health, for ignorance there is wisdom. What comes your way is decided solely by your actions which you reap as your karma in this lifetime or the next. No action or intent, no matter how small, goes unnoticed by the cosmic intelligence.
In many cases poverty and suffering may also come due to wrong choices made in this lifetime.


2. What is the relationship between science and religion?
A - Science, is an ever growing body of knowledge that studies our outer physical world (and to some extent our mental world).
Religion is the science of the inner - spiritual and mental world. It is much vaster in nature then physical science. 

Religion begins where science ends, Spirituality begins where religion ends. Religion includes science, but science may not include religion.

The principles of religion are rooted in Spirit, hence they are eternal in nature.
The principles of science are rooted in a changing universe, hence they are changing and ever upgrading.

Spirit is the sole truth, hence religion is true and liberating.
The Universe is a dream of the Spirit, hence its science is also a dream and transcend-able by those who realise it as a dream. We call this miracles.


3. Why are so many people depressed?
A - The root answer is Ignorance - of their lives and their Selves.
The practical answer is the working of the law of karma. Joy or sorrow, whatever we are reaping at any point in time is what we have sown in the past, though we are utterly unaware of it.


4. What are we all so afraid of?
A -The unknown (Ignorance)


5. When is war justifiable?
A - When it is protecting Dharma (Universal Righteousness)


6. How would God want us to respond to aggression and terrorism?
A - Be strongly and fairly resistant with the actions of the body… Be loving, healing and understanding in the mind. Much as we would with an insane violent child.


7. How does one obtain true peace?
A -  By being aware of the Self.


8. What does it mean to live in the present moment?
A - To stop living, start Being.


9. What is our greatest distraction?
A - Our fickle mind with its ever increasing desires.


10. Is current religion serving its purpose?
A - True religion is never current or former; it is eternal. Every religion can serve its purpose provided its followers follow it in honesty and sincerity. The harvest is plenty but the labourers are few.


11. What happens to you after you die?
A - You are born to a different reality.

In sleep, sometimes called little death, you close to one reality and awaken to another in the mental dreamworld. Soon the dream world ends and you awaken to this reality. Death is no different. It is sleeping to one reality and awakening in another. 
Neither realities are real. The only reality is You, the witness.


12. Describe heaven and how to get there.
A - There are two heavens - That which exists in the higher Astral worlds deemed heavenly because of the existence of supernal joys and lack of pain and sorrow; and the other heaven is a state of mind.

The former heaven can be reached either after death and if you have lived a righteous life or by raising and purifying your awareness and reaching there astrally, while still living in the body. 
The later can be attained by right living, detachment and wisdom, sometimes even by karma - for e.g. a mother giving birth to her child may inwardly be in heavenly joy upon seeing her child.


13. What is the meaning of life?
A - It is a game of hide and seek where you begin you journey having lost your Self and the journey ends when you have found your Self.


14. Describe God.
A - That which transcends description.


15. What is the greatest quality humans possess?
A - The power to discriminate right from wrong and using it to reach Self Realisation.


16. What is it that prevents people from living to their full potential?
A - Ignorance - of their Selves, their Lives and their purpose.


17. Nonverbally, by motion or gesture only, act out what you believe to be the current condition of the world.
A - 


18. What is your one wish for the world?
A - Samastha Loka Sukhino Bhavantu - May All the beings in All the world be Happy.


19. What is wisdom and how do we gain it?
A - Self Awareness is the highest wisdom. You gain it by inwardly inquiring - ' Who am I?' and living a life discovering that 'I'.


20. Are we all one?
A - As much as all waves in an ocean are one despite their apparent differences in shapes and size.