November 2020 – INNER THOUGHTS

GURU NANAK DEV JI’S BIRTH ANNIVERSARY 30TH NOVEMBER 2020 (OUR HEARTIEST FELICITATIONS TO ALL ON GURU NANAK DEV JI MAHARAJ)

GURU NANAK DEV JI’S BIRTH ANNIVERSARY 30^TH NOVEMBER 2020

(OUR HEARTIEST FELICITATIONS TO ALL ON GURU NANAK DEV JI’ MAHARAJ)

Guru Sri Nanak Dev Ji – (1469-1539 CE)
The Founder of Sikhism & The First of the Sikh Gurus

What an amazing occasion, a holiest one at that
To commemorate!
Than the birthday of our most revered Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj
The most loved one, who travelled most extensively
That too during those days
When there was not much communication and connectivity
Bereft of transport facilities
Not only to all corners of India, in its entirety
But also to the foreign countries
Like Sri Lanka, China, Iraq and so many foreign lands
And wherever he kept his lotus feet
Along with his two disciples
One Muslim named Bhai Mardana Ji
Born to Marasi couple named Badhra Ji & Lakkho Ji
And the other one a Hindu named Bhai Bala Ji
Both being the longtime disciples of Guru Ji
To spread the Divine Message so brilliantly
Related to love without bias to the humanity
And against the ritualistic customs
Rampant during those days, so extensively
Besides having discourses and interactions
With Saints and Sufis of all shades
And presented his viewpoints
Giving all the reasoning and logics
And changed the eco-system wherever he put his Lotus Feet
Guru Nanak Dev Ji, our most revered Guru Ji
An embodiment of Supreme Being
A harbinger of deliverance
From our pains and sufferings
Through His gems of preaching
A Messiah who made a huge difference
In our viewpoints on spiritual values
And showed a clear cut path to the humans
By meditating on Divine Name – EK NAAM
With all the deepest devotion
Thus got rid of all pervading lack of knowledge
With his teachings, so enlightening indeed
So simple to follow by ordinary humans even.
His birthday is celebrated as Prakash Utsav or Guru Purb
In essence, life is a festival (Utsav or Purb) of highest order
A Day of immense value for us all
For self-realization through love, faith and total devotion
Besides rendering assistance to the fellow beings without any expectation
And gain knowledge about the Divine Truth for our liberation
By realization of Divine within
By union with the Divine
And attain Divine Peace within
Which is the sole purpose of humans
Thus realize the aim of Guru Granth Sahib.
Guru Ji while on this beautiful planet
Changed the lives of millions with his equanimity and wisdom
His preaching have created wide-ranging positive effects on masses.
On the Gurupurb Day
Diwan starts early in the morning hours
With holiest Asa-di-Var
Along with hymns from Guru Granth Sahib are sung
Followed by discourses and prayers (Ardas)
And finally Prashad as Langar in lines (Pangat)
By the devout (Sangat)
Served to all without any bias
People share Langar eatables with great reverence
And make this day; a day to reminisce
On the most auspicious full moon day – Pooranmashi
At a village named Rai-Bhoi-Di-Talwandi
Now known as Nanakana Sahib
In the month of Kartik
15th day of April in the year 1469
When our most revered Baba Nanak Ji was born
To father Baba Kalu & Mother Tripta
No one but our beloved Akalpurakh (God)
Knew his observable mission for this Special Messenger
Of spreading ‘EK NAAM’S’ pious Message
And that such a person will make huge difference
For causes most dear to the society in general
Indeed a Shining Star on the horizon was born!
Of the Sikhs & the ones who believe in (Khalas) purity
Way of living now or in future with certainty
Gurupurb lasts for three days
A pious Akhand Path in all Gurudwaras
With organization of Nagar Kirtan
Procession (Kirtni Jatha) is led by Pious Fives
(Panj Piyaras – the Beloved Ones)
With Holiest Sri Guru Granth Sahib kept on the Palanquin
Hymns from It purifies the environs the most
Spreading Its Message – the most fragrant
Far and wide making the gentry mesmerized
Gatka Parties displaying their artistry
With their traditional weapons.
Babaji – the most benevolent of all
Our earnest prayer to Thee our beloved One
Let the spirit of this day
Remain echoing in our memory
Spreading Thy Universal Message
Of Uniting the Humans without bias
And ridding society of all ills and malice
Engendering brotherly feelings amongst all
And make our life sublime at all times.

GURU NANAK DEV JI’S BIRTH ANNIVERSARY ON 30^TH NOVEMBER 2020

The Supreme Lord sends His Messengers to this earth to spread His Message so that such Messengers interact with the masses in their own languages and make huge difference with their discourses to the world at large thus change their lives. Their teachings are so relevant that there is a definitive imprint of teachings on the psyche of people. This is why the far reaching influence of these Messengers remain permanently in the minds of the people. Those sincere devotees who have attained the certain level of spirituality can see the Divine Vision and could transform others lives from negative thoughts to positive ones. Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s message to the humanity has an eternal imprint on the psyche of the people.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji was born on 15th April 1469 at Rai Bhoi-di-Talwandi of Shekhopura, presently in Pakistan. He was married to Sulakhani the daughter of Mool Chand of Pakhoke Randhawe village of Gurdaspur and had two sons named Shri Chand and Lakhmi Das.

Guru Nanak Gurpurb also called Guru Nanak Prakash Utsav or Guru Nanak Jayanti is celebrated with gaiety and enthusiasm by all those who know about Guru Nanak Dev’s contribution to the humanity with His preaching.
On this day Prabhat Pheris (early morning processions or congregations) are taken from the Gurdwaras in the early morning itself and cover almost all the lanes and by-lanes in the vicinity. People sing hymns in His glory in this procession. There is an air of tranquility in the environs around these processions.

This is the holiest day in the history of Sikhism. It is celebrated not only by Sikhs but also by all those who believe in His Holy Words. Akhand Path, non-stop recitation from Guru Granth Sahibji, Asa Di Var (Collection of 24 Stanzas written by the revered Guruji). Gurdwaras are specially decorated tastefully on this occasion.

Devout pay respectful tributes to Sri Guru Nanak Devji and remember His contributions for the spiritual upliftment of the common masses and rid them from unnecessary rituals that prevailed.

Equality of all the faiths and religions is a reality. His disciples were from all castes and creeds.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji defines the traits of Divine Lord as: There is but One all-embracing and all-powerful Divinity, who manifests Himself first in the shape of all sacred words and then through the whole created Universe – Ik Onkar Sat Naam, Kartaa Purakh Nibhou Nirveir Akaal Moorat Ajoonee Saibha Bhaug Gur Parsaad. This is also termed as the Mool Mantra.

Divine Lord also is: The One who was real and self-existent before all Creations, who was real through all ages (Yugas), who is real and true now and who shall be true and self-existent for all times to come. (Aad Sach, Jugaad Sach, Heibhee Sach Hanak Hosee bhee Sach).

GURU NANAK DEV JI’S LIFE SPANS FROM 1469 – 1539 A.D.

History is the guide to tell us that during this period many of the spiritualistic, cultural and progressive ideas came to the fore and fructified owing to the proactive role of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. These ideas are very much relevant for us to follow and get experiences in our lives. One thing unique in these ideas is that these are practical in nature and realistic; not based on mysticism and ritualistic. In many of His thoughts and deeds, during His journey to various parts of India and even in foreign lands, sheds light on His unstinted and clear philosophy that AKALPURAKH – SAT NAAM SRI WAHE GURU is the only TRUTH, a Truth which could be proved anywhere anytime.

THE PREACHING OF GURU NANAK DEV JI

The universal message of Guru Nanak Dev Ji was to reach a common understanding through dialogue and carry all along by understanding others viewpoints too without imposing his viewpoints on others. These teachings have far reaching effects on the general masses and most relevant in the Covid-10 pandemic situations.

Three miseries of humans are: miseries of mind, physical ailments due to bad deeds and miseries created by nature. These could be removed by God through realization of Truth by complete devotion.

The human body is made of five elements; air, water, fire, earth and sky and within subtle body lives mind which remains in perpetual instability. The body consists of nine outlets and there is also the tenth one which is attained through intense meditation on Divine Naam. This way ego is destroyed and man merges with Divine.

The old dogmas and unnecessary rituals prevailing amongst the masses gave place to progressive ideas. Service (Seva) and prayers (Simran) should be given more credence.

The Divine pervades within the body which is termed as Soul (Atma). It enables the body to perform its functions. This Divine Power pervades in the Universe called as Universal Soul.

He propagated the idea of goodwill and welbeing of all without any discrimination – for him all are the creations of Akalpurakh and therefore there should not be any difference on the basis of religion or caste or creed.

The God is the Divine Husband of Creation and all creatures are His brides to whom He looks after without any discrimination.

He taught that everybody should be truthful in words and deeds in their lives and face the situations and conditions.

His preaching resulted in the intellectual and spiritual renaissance of the masses in general.

Humanism was given more credence with the idea that human beings are considered good or bad according to the deeds one performs and not on the basis of birth, caste or colour or region.

Religion should create harmony and not dissensions and hurdles in the path of masses.

Complete surrender to the will of God for the spiritual forward march should be pursued.

He taught the philosophy of ONE GOD – EK NAAM.

Bad traits such as ego, anger, greed, attachment, and lust should be shunned from our midst in order to lead a balanced life.

We should always be in the quest/pursuit of knowledge for our enlightenment. Knowledge helps us to attain salvation too.

The Holy Gurbani is a sacred treasure and has universal appeal, every verse (Shloka) while recited suffuses and fills with fragrance in the environment it is spoken and cures the illness of our body, mind and soul. Almost all the prayers are for the praise of our Akalpurakh in one form or other.

For Example: Gun Biant Kimat Nahi Pae!! Nanak Jis Bhavai! Tis Lae Malae!
Endless are His virtuous qualities; His worth cannot be appraised. O Nanak, one who pleases Him is united with Him.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s premise was that those who do not know the true meaning of scriptures, cannot differentiate between good and bad; are steeped in egocentric pursuits. These people are truly the ignorant ones. There is no exaggeration in saying that main thrust of Guru Ki Bani is to remove ignorance, superstition and complex customs bedeviling the masses This also helped in spreading the message of goodwill besides engendering brotherly feelings amongst them without any distinction. Guru Nanak’s stellar contribution is for the wellness of the humanity as a whole and for the spread of this message, He traveled length and breadth of our country and abroad.

All the incarnations Messengers of God suffered while they were living on this earth because people at that time could not understand them. Such incarnations suffered so that we may learn the lesson for a peaceful co-existence between all humans:

GURU NANAK PREACHING IS MORE RELEVANT NOW THAN EVER

While pains and sufferings are, in essence, part and parcel of our life but when it is inflicted by our own brethren then it is more painful. What has been happening around the world now is nothing but painful. Guru Nanak has himself mentioned this “Unto whom should I tie up and give the bundle of my pains? The whole world is suffering from pain and suffering. Wherever I see loads of pain and suffering – NANAK DUKHYA SAAB SANSAR.

Guru Nanak traverses lengths and breadths of India and in the foreign lands, so he mentioned about the ‘pain across the globe. This pain and suffering could be ameliorated through meditation, he mentioned. “Remembering Him in meditation, a profound peace is obtained. Oaub and suffering will not touch you at all – remain in the sanctuary of God and no pain and suffering will ever touch you at all.

All the humans are our Creator’s creations but they are born under different circumstances and different conditions and different locations. But from the same LIGHT, we are created. Then why people we interpret scriptural inscription differently. It really pains me immensely.

PROPHET MOHAMMAD

Prophet Mohammad suffered immensely at the hands of his opponents in Makkah and in other places like Al-Tayf and Madina who knew His exceptional intelligence and integrity. Although he was bestowed with very good business, a happy family and helpful relatives yet he preferred the path of pains and sufferings. His opponents raised every conceivable hurdle in His path but he did not care about His sufferings but wiped off the tears of downtroddens. Although like Christ, He forgave them and followed Allah ordained path for the welfare of mankind. He gave credence to compassion and kindness for the needy.

JESUS CHRIST PREACHING

Jesus Christ preached the importance of having compassion for our fellow beings. He taught that kindhearted feelings should be there even for our enemies, Jesus was born in 7 – 2 BC and was crucified in 30-33 AD in Jerusalem on the orders of the Roman prefect, Pontius Pilate. He was born in Nazareth, Galilee to Parents Marry & Joseph. During his lifetime too he had to suffer at the hands of opponents on one pretext or other.

Christ preached forgiveness and mercy. He even forgave those who harmed him immensely. No ill-feelings for anyone absolutely that is the message given:
Jesus was the one who had won victory against material consciousness. He exists in the hearts and minds of His followers. He said, ‘I do nothing of myself, but as my Father hath taught me.’ Christians including numberless others who have indomitable belief in His preaching shun delusions and follow His ideals. His presence is felt through his teachings. Those who have self-realization know that in every speck of cosmos Christ Consciousness exists but only those who have vision can experience this. Christ Consciousness is a part of Cosmic Consciousness should never be lost sight of by us humans.

His teachings are so exhaustive, yet, if we care to follow the ones mentioned below, we can make our lives sublime.

LORD KRISHNA

Lord Krishna – the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who appeared on this earth as the Avtar (incarnation of Lord Vishnu) more than 5,000 years ago had to put put up with so many pains and sufferings firstly at the hands of Demon King Kamsa (the most demonist of all Bhoja dynasty. Subsequently faced evils in the form of demons like Trnavarta, Bakasura, Aghasura, Dhenuksura, Pralambasura, Kesi in the form of the horse, besides serpent Kaliya to whom he forgave and finally besides serpent Kaliya to whom he forgave. So much so was he disturbed by the demons that for the safety of his subjects he had to establish his abode at Dwarka suffused with fortification etc. In Mahabharata, Lod Krishna played a stellar role in the annihilation of evil in the form of Dhritarashtra and his sons especially Duryodhana/ Though the battle between Kauravas and Pandavas took a heavy toll yet truth won and evil perpetrated and pampered by Kauravas was destroyed ultimately.

LORD RAMA

Lord Rama an epitome of Dharma and peace. He was to be carbonated as King of Ayodhya but had to go for exile for 14 long years. During exile, he killed many demons who disturbed the hermits in their meditation. His consort Sita was abducted with deception by the demon king Ravana who represented evil. There was a ferocious battle between the two armies of Lord Rama and Ravana where the evil of Ravana was defeated.

LORD BUDHA

Lord Budha who epitomized non-violence and peace throughout his life and spread his message of fair-play and tolerance through his disciples too faced many hurdles initially from his opponents while spreading the message of love and affection. Even his death is death after consuming a special delicacy offered by his generous host, the remains of which were buried.

It goes to show that our most revered ones suffered at the hands of their opponents then what we are? We should actually learn lessons out of their sufferings/sacrifices and live joyously and with empathy.

PROFOUND LESSONS THAT WE HUMAN SHOULD GET FROM THE MESSENGERS AND GOD INCARNATIONS

We woefully opine that we are suffering pains at the hands of our opponents (those who do not agree with our viewpoints) just conveniently forgetting the untold sufferings undergone by the Messengers of God.

Bestow us enlightenment by removing ignorance through spread of knowledge.

The world of ours is in constant struggle between good and evil.. This is due to thrusting our opinions on others forcefully and consequent struggle. Then differing people resort to disproportionate violence result in loss of precious lives. No religion recommends this.

There is a fight between the truth and falsehood. This difference may be due to the different interpretation of scriptures but the basic thrust of all religious scriptures is good of humanity as a whole without bias and feelings of compassion, empathy, cooperation, brotherhood, and goodwill to be encouraged between all humans.

There are those who are the oppressor and those who are oppressed. The oppressor should introspect about his/her origin and should never identify himself/herself different from others.

Bad things could happen to good ones. This is a fact, bad things have happened to the good people but when this injustice should stop and message of goodness that is codified in all the religious texts made applicable in letter and spirit? The sooner this happens the better for the humanity as a whole. No human loss, please.

We should never forget that we have a common Creator meaning we are commonly related to our Him. Then why bloodletting for temporary gain – aagain which pains even our Creator!

All the main scriptures exhort us for co-existing with mutual cooperation and with goodwill then why misunderstanding and killing? Where all this will lead the humanity?

Be that as it may, let’s forget our small differences and live as creation created by our ONE Creator.

The message of communal harmony that Guru Nanak Dev Ji gave should be followed by all the societies so as to remove the discriminations in the societies. He had his disciples from hindu and Muslim – a clear message of communal harmony which is the need of the hour.

EXPERIENCING OUR EXXPERIENCES

EXPERIENCING OUR EXXPERIENCES

In weal and woe of our lives
Whence we perform our karmic deeds
We experience umpteen experiences
Through ongoing practices
And persistence in our varied experiences
Some polluted and some holiest ones
Adding up unpolluted experiences
We develop a feeling of difference
Which experience we have to surrender
And which one to be absorbed for and till our existence
Through dedicated practice
Sometimes with trial and error
With it all, our understanding gets fillip
And we become self-aware
To perform the journey of our life
With more confidence
Which helps us to perform our multifarious tasks
Tasks and responsibilities without any obscurity
Bereft of any inside and outside pressures
Thus enable us to navigate our pathways
With ease and with peace
After having acquired skills
Gained over a period of time
By so doing
Develop reservoir of expertise
To handle more challenges
Which come in our lives

Based on principles of Yoga
Practicing of which
Helps break the bonds of Karma
Which makes us Yogi of Karmic deeds
By so doing
We can gain ocean of information
Thence a little of our sincere effort
Can help us gain our coveted goal
By surmounting pitfalls
That may come in the way
Of our life’s journey
And the experiences gained
Over a period of time
Will create situation and condition
Created through repeated practices
And uncontaminated experiences
And rich and deep knowledge
And enlightenment gained
Through these fine-tuned experiences
Bereft of any negative feelings
Key for success in any venture
Is to keep our effort going
Principles being keep trying
Keep on going
Never retreating
Till the final goal is attained
Or till the added up familiarity
With the variety of actions
Under variety of situations and conditions
Till the final goal is accomplished
With know-how attained
With untainted experiences of lifetime
Successful surely we shall be because of confidence gained
With tons of experiences we gain over a period of time.

Similar is the case of establishing full connectivity
With GOD ALMIGHTY
We have to undergo severest tests
With utter precision
With endurance
Perseverance
Patience
Tolerance
Till acceptance is attained
For the result of our persistence
We have to experience plenty of our experiences
Emulate the good experiences
And get rid of the awful ones
Like sieving the chaff
With trials and pains
Continually
And eventually
Our sincerest prayers
Are answered, for sure
By our benevolent God
Thence afterwards
Our path to our most beloved Lord
Is narrowed and eventually connectivity established
Thence He attends to our calls
Anytime and anywhere
When we sincerely call Him
Depending on the deepest desire we nurture
For His presence
Wherein our sincerity
And honesty
Of our prayers does not fritter away
Meaning in both our usual actions
And spiritual realization
For seeking our Creator
Key to attainment in both is purity in our actions
And when we have attained all these things
There is supreme joy and ecstasy in our existence
A state of Seventh Heaven indeed.

FORMS & MANIFESTATIONS OF LOVE

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FORMS AND MANIFESTATIONS OF LOVE

WITH LOVE ENEMITY COULD TURN INTO FRIENDSHIP

Love is a crazy marvelous concoction which could cure the demon of enmity from within us in the form of ill-will and bitterness. But this to be reality, realization should dawn from within our soul besides there should be sincerity and purity in our thoughts and actions.

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. BIBLE

LOVE NEVER DIMINISHES BUT MAY UNDERGO SOME CHANGES SUITING OUR TIME AND CIRCUMSTANCE

Love never diminishes, but may undergo some changes in sync with changed time and circumstances. To find true love, we have to begin with ourselves, and start seeing beyond ego driven behavior pattern into the hearts of others. But for that to be reality, our own heart needs to flower and open-up as love never happens when we are living in close compartment. As love is two sided, we have to see a positive response from other person, to open his/her heart – that too bereft of any ego. This heart-to-heart meet-up helps us understand each other and also produces warmth in our feelings thus sprouting our love for each other.

SIGNIFICANCE OF LOVE IN OUR LIVES

Significantly, there is inherent truth in the maxim: Love begets love. If we love others, we create positive vibe wherever we go. It means, through the medium of love, we can create broader outlook in our life. We feel the necessity of fulfilling others needs when we love others as we love ourselves.

TRUE LOVE IS UNCONDITIONAL

True unconditional love is of permanent value. But we probably have no idea what that true love is since this type of love has to be created with the participation of our mind, heart and soul. We have all felt it after our birth as a child, but as we have grown older, we are seeing less and less of it. In our entire life span, we remain seeking true love till our last breath.

TRUE LOVE ORIGINATEs FROM OUR SOUL & EGO IS ENEMY NUMBER ONE OF LOVE

True love originates from our mind, heart and from our soul. God has created us as loveable ones; all hearts and all spirits are totally lovable. But the problem arises after we develop egocentric tendencies. Our ego is a collection of thoughts based on exaggeration of self importance, beliefs, conditionings, attitudes, values, our identity besides our fears, pride, sorrows, grief, greed, anger etc. It becomes our identity in this world. As the ego develops and makes a permanent residency in our psyche, we start detaching ourselves from others because of our self-created identities. Be that as it may, love is detached attachment without any expectation from others rather than on the premise of ‘tit-for-tat’.

LOVE WITH ANY EXPECTATION TATTERS UNDER ITS OWN WEIGHT

While in pure love, we do not expect anything in return. It is free of any expectations. A love with any modicum of expectation is of momentary value and impermanent. It gives way with even a little stress and strain.

NEGATIVE MINDSET IS THE ENEMY OF LOVE

Negativity like greed, ego, lust, and envy are negative emotions, it leads to arousal of dismay from people thus adversary of love. These negative emotions generate hate. An individual with emotion considers himself superior with close mind mindset. It is not receptive to brilliant strategies or ideas of coworkers and restricts warm social bond. In Mahabharata, Lord Krishna says, “Do everything you have to do, but not with greed, not with ego, not with lust, not with envy but with Love, compassion, humility, and devotion”.

COMPASSION BRINGS ABOUT WARMTH IN RELATIONS

While compassion brings you close to people, helps you listen to others soul. Lust and envy arouse strong emotions leading to loss of senses. Instead, a person should carry humility and be humble to coworkers, friends, and family and bring about inner peace and wellness. Devotion is required in any activity because one needs to be devoted wholeheartedly to succeed and love is a potion which empowers people to have emotional link.

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. BIBLE

TRUE LOVE IS ETERNAL

Lord Krishna is the lord of compassion, love, and tenderness. Krishna is admired for his playful acts and love towards Radha. Radha is his one true love and the love they share is immortal and eternal. Even though Krishna never married Radha, yet they are worshipped as the divine couple. The two names of Radha-Krishna can never be separated from one another. Similar is the love of Meera towards Lord Krishna. Then the love of Gopis towards Krishna and other Gopas is eternal and inspire us even today.

TYPES OF LOVE

It has been observed that love originates and blooms variously but one thing common is that each type of love affects us in one way or other.

MATERIAL LOVE

We must have observed how some people have huge love for material possessions and for realizing it, they adopt any means to satisfy their hunger for more. So much so is their love and hunger for power and pelf that they can even go against and physically harm their own kith and kin to get material possessions! They do not realize that when we were born, we did not bring anything, what we got has been acquired here only and when we leave this earth we shall not take anything. Then question arises, why we should adopt ulterior methods to satisfy their love for material possessions?

AFFECTIONATE LOVE

Affectionate love, in essence, is the one which is originated from heart and runs deep and synergizes true friendships. The medium for this mind. For this type of love to be fructified, it is mandatory that each of the persons in love shares his/her weaknesses and potentials too to each other. In other words, nothing should be hidden from the friend for its longevity/continuity and closeness. This should also include the belief and faiths of the concerned persons for uniting affect of the love.

TRUSTING LOVE

The friends who create the positive wavelength in the mind are the ones who are trustful to each other points of view. Trust is the cementing factor for the friendship to be more durable and enduring. For this to be of value, nothing should be hidden from a true friend, be steadfast in good or not to good days. Then important thing in having lasting love is to support each other in thick and thin. Last but not the least, some modicum of showcasing our amity in the form of celebrations on various occasions like birthdays and other well-known days for love and affection between the love ones.

LONG LASTING LOVE

It is a mature love which consolidates as time passes on. The driving force for this is our subconscious mind. We know that at the first instance, we may not be able to understand each other but in order to consolidate the bonds of love it is important that it is established on the found foundation of trust, faith, friendship, camaraderie, cooperation and finally time-tested on which it could stand. In other words, this love is matures with time and each one has to invest his/herr time and energy to consolidate its bond because it is based on give and take i.e. on reciprocity. The lovers need to express this till it matures.

LOVE BETWEEN TRUE FRIENDS

One of the significant features of this type of love is based on selfless bond between individuals. The friendship could be between spouses, between opposite sexes, between the countrymen or with men and women abroad. This love is without any expectations. Only one thing which is of paramount importance is the reciprocity in LOVE. Eternal love between Krishna and Radhey is the best example of this sort of a friendship.

DIVINE LOVE

It should never be forgotten that our Creator loves us immensely. If we take one step in loving Him, He reciprocates us with ten steps and bestow His blessings. This love is all encompassing and eternal in its manifestation makes our body, mind and soul pure. This also happens when we lead a spiritual oriented lifestyle along with following positive orientation in our loves. Our Soul is the link with Super Soul and a pure mind has connectivity with Him, then we become hugely detached from worldly possessions.

Good souls have been preaching for ages, “love is key to all doors”. Even Krishna has adhered to this belief in Bhagavad Gita; he quotes, “The only way you can conquer me is through Love and there I am gladly conquered”.

LOVE AT OUR HOUSEHOLDS

This love is generated at our homes between our love ones; parental love, brotherly love, sisterly love including our friend circles. The catalyst for love is our memories which we develop while living with our kith and kin in our households. This is a natural love and we are ready to do anything required for our relatives and friends. It is a necessary that we not only show our love but also practice the same in real terms and space.

ROMANTIC LOVE

This love originates from our attraction, based purely on infatuation and body attraction. Although this sort of love is generated by mutual trust, belief, respect for each other views on reciprocal basis, standing by the love ones in good and not so good days. This sort of love matures with time and catalyst of love is our body magnetism.

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT

We must have heard the sentence; Love at first sight. This sort of love may or may not be true love but if it succeeds. This sort of a love is quite enduring and long lasting since it is based on heart-to-heart connect without much credence to caste, creed, religion, region or any other narrow considerations.

Love at first love is primal love that comes as a natural instinct for most people. It’s a passionate love displayed through physical affection. These romantic behaviors include, but are not limited to, kissing, hugging and holding hands and appreciating each other. This love is a desire for another person’s physical body.

PLAYFUL LOVE

This love originates with welling of our emotions especially in the at the ab-initio stage of relationship. This is based on playful behavior, just childlike, for a joyful living with each other and for each other. All this is with an intention of eliciting response and thereby love for each other.

LOVE BASED ON OBSESSION OR INFATUATION

I felt immensely dismayed when I viewed a news item on the television that one person tried to kidnap a girl in one of our states. When she resisted, she was shot dead. Afterwards, I came to know that this ill-tempered, ill-mannered and immoral person was having one sided love for the girl. Her resistance resulted in killing of the hapless girl. This is the case of obsessive or love based on infatuation. More often than not, this sort of love is one sided. So much so is the infatuation or possessiveness as though the other person is a material to be possessed anyhow. Also, if his wishes are not met the concerned person does not get then that person in madness tries to harm the person; kills, maims, throws acid with a motive to harm or do anything and everything with whom he/she is obsessive with. Ulterior motive is the intent for this sort of a compulsive love. It shows that the individual concerned have exaggerated sense of importance and in order to satiate his desire, stoops too low, even adopt unethical and immoral course.

SELF-LOVE

First of all, the one who loves himself/herself loves others too. And this self-love originates from soul and affectionate love is catalyzed by our mind. A love which is catalyzed and originated or provoked from our soul and heart is sacrosanct and such a love could be our love for our Creator – the Omnipotent and Omniscient One who loves us immensely without any expectation from us. This also is our love for our parents, grand-parents, spouses, fast friends, brotherly love or sisterly love etc. It encompasses all other loves since a person who loves himself/herself will certainly be able to assess and respect others needs and by extension love others. Since this sort of love originates from mind, heart and soul, therefore, iy is more significant for everybody.

LOVE YOURSELF AND THEN YOU WILL LOVE OTHERS TOO

The key to inner peace is self-awareness. It starts in a person after he compassionately loves himself and everyone around him. The purest form of love is without strings attached. it helps one liberate from materialistic and emotional needs while respecting his/her partner’s needs and expectations. Krishna desired to make people around himself conscious, he called upon people to love him with the aim of making them self-aware, and void of emotional as well as materialistic need. Various epics and teachings also claim that unhappiness stems from worldly, emotional and materialistic orientation. In epic Mahabharata, Krishna with his divine love said, “What ineffable joy does one find through Love of me (Krishna), the blissful Atman. Once that joy is realized, all earthly pleasures fade into nothingness.”.

MOTHER’S LOVE FOR HER OFFSPRING

We all are aware that when a mother carries her child in her womb, the mother and the child are one. The child breath the same air, eats the same food and have all the metabolic processes together, There is no ego between a mother and the child as they are having the same identity. The mother loves the child unconditionally while bringing the child up. Nothing comes in the way of love between mother and child since the child is having pure heart, pure soul/spirit and also bereft of any ego. In other words, there is a seamless bond between the child and the mother. But as the child grows up, the child develops its own identity, own ego, attitude, habits, etc. The child is influenced by peer group, formal and informal institutions and environment in which he/she is living. Also, we cannot dispute the impact of value system which a child gets from the parental love and affection but dilution in the love takes place as a child grows up and passes from one stage to other.

……………………

A TRUE LOVE

A TRUE LOVE

A love that remains lustrous
A love that sprouts without bias
A love that gives strength to all.

A love which is symphonic in nature as a means to an end
A love that could be expressed in writing or thru any other medium
A love that is sacrosanct with an implicit meaning.

A love that cares not for caste, color or creed
A love that surpasses in every way we feel
A love that obviously is for real.

A love that remains unchanged as time passes doubtlessly
A love that puts its indelible stamp of its immortality
A love that provides relationship’s solidarity.

A love that instills a feeling of simplicity ultimately
A love that solves our off-putting problems finally
A love that cleanses our body, mind and heart eventually.

A love which is without expectations
A love that removes all pervading discriminations
A love that waters-down all bitterness thus cementing relations.

A love that removes a feeling of jealousy
A love that produces goodwill for all to see
A love that could inculcate positivity in our over-views.

A love that teaches the feeling of being humane
A love that takes for granted our mistakes sometimes
A love that knows how to forget and forgive others mistakes with passage of time.

A love that paints everyone with humane brush
A love that gives a sublime affection a gentle push
A love that generates inner peace & purity.

A love that is eternal and magical
A love that is not theatrical
A love that works with the belief of not to showcase.

A love that asks nothing in return
A love that burns all suspicions in turn
A love that eventually provides helping hand when required.

A love that knows only giving
A love that teaches all the spot-on ways of living
A love that leads us to a path of piety for all living beings.

A love that cares not, even if the ultimate result is supreme sacrifice
A love that showers only fragrance
A love that engenders grace.

A love that removes ill-will prevailing around
A love that spreads goodwill for all without doubt
A love that makes us in every way stout.

A love when facing troubled moments
Produces synergy to our efforts at all times
No negativity like greed, rancor, jealousy can shake its base.

*******

PRAYER TO SYNERGIZE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BROTHER AND SISTER ON 16TH NOVEMBER 2020

PRAYER TO SYNERGIZE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BROTHER AND SISTER ON 16^TH NOVEMBER 2020

BHAI DOOJ

A festival to strengthen the relationship
Between the brother and sister
Wherein a Tilak (Mark) which is put on the forehead of brother
By sister with utmost love and affection
With prayers to the God, so sincerest
To bestow abundant graces to both
With prayers on her lips for the long life of his brother
In return, the brother promises to be at her beck and call, when needed
In all her good and not so good days in her life
Though parental blessings remain for both always.
This being an important annual festival of repute
Which bestows strength to the relationship between the brother and sister
Besides being a reminder to both
That there exists somebody who could be banked
At all times when needed
Hence our prayers too are there to God
To provide synergy to the brotherly and sisterly love
So that there exists a solid bond of relationship
Between brother and sister
And also peace and harmony for the entire family
The sister may be together with the family while not married
Or married and living a a distant place
After having left the household after marriage.
This brotherly and sisterly bond
Could be with biological or blood relation
It could also be with not real brothers and sisters
Where cementing factor is God ordained love and affection
Generated from inner recesses of heart.

A FESTIVAL FOR CONSOLIDATING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SISTERS AND BROTHERS

Every society has a particular day which is commemorated as a reminder that there is somebody to care for us and provide synergy to the relationship. It is may Father’s Day, Mother’s Day and also for other relations but the moot point is to provide strength to the relationship and by extension the family too. But BHAI DOOJ is the consolidation of relationship between brothers and sisters. This day serves as a reminder to both brother and sister that there exists somebody to bestow needed protection to sister while living in the community in which we are living, it is also essential that we consolidate our bonds/relationships within the family and outside the family fabric. For cementing the relationship and solidifying the same we have Rakhi Festival and also Bhai Dooj.

On 16^th NOVEMBER 2020 is the brother and sister when we have Bhai Dooj wherein the sisters apply Tilak (a mark of vermilion) , consisting of a mix of flowers and sandoor (vermilion) on the foreheads of their brothers suffusing with love and affection after sincere prayers to Almighty God for His bountiful graces to both.

This festival is celebrated in the entire North India and falls on the second day of Vikrami Samvat New Year – the first day is celebrated as Goverdhan Puja wherein the people worship the Goverdhan Parvat (Mountain), situated South of Virandavan and Gokul (U.P) where Lord Krishana had created his Maya during his childhood period. Govardhan Parvat had saved the people of Gokal and the surrounding areas from the severe floods created by Rain God, Lord Indira. The complete area was inundated with flood water. Lord Krishana had saved the entire populace by taking them inside the Goverdhan Parvat after Lord Krishna picked had picked up part of Govardhan Parvat on his single little finger. In West Bengal, this Bhai Dooj is celebrated one day after Kali Pooja. In Maharashtra, it is termed as Bhai Beej.

LEGEND BEHIND BHAI DOOJ

There is a popular belief that after killing the evil Demon Narkasura the festival of Bhai Dooj had started. There is a legend that Lord Krishna had killed many demons who killed innocent people and spoiled the sacredness of Yajnas rites of the saints/hermits. In that one Demon named Narkasura was also known for his evil Karmic deeds was killed by Lord Krishna. After killing him, Lord Krishna visited his sister named Subhadra. She received him with warmth since he had exterminated a demon that used to create mayhem and spared none – men and women alike. She applied Tilak on his brother Lord Krishna. From that day onward this day is being celebrated as a remembrance of closeness of relationship between brothers and sisters.

RELATIONSHIP OF LORD OF DEATH LORD YAMA & YAMI

This day is also to remember the relationship which Lord Yama (The God of Death) and his sister Yami (The Yamuna river). This day is also termed as Yamadvitiya owing to this. Such is the importance of this day.

SIGNIFICANCE OF BHAI DOOJ

The festival of Bhai Dooj is considered important since it consolidates the relationship between brother and sister. The parents too participate in giving their blessings for the long life and prosperity of their offspring. Even in South India, this day is celebrated by different names.

On this festival, the brothers visit their sisters houses (if they are married) and the sister applies Tilak on the fore head of her brothers The sisters also offer them sweets and make tasty meals for them. Unmarried sisters too applies Tilaks on their brother after worshipping their family deities and other deities in presence of the entire family members,

THE PURPOSE OF CELEBRATING BHAI DOOJ

The main purpose of celebrating the festival is to strengthen the bond of relationship between the brothers and the sisters. The brother promises his sister to protect her from any misfortune and the sister prays to Almighty God for peace, prosperity, security and long life of their brother. All the members of the family await this day with enthusiasm; especially brothers and sisters as this is also construed as the family reunion for some of them.

The following is the purpose of this festival:-

Brothers makes a solemn promise to their sisters to bestow safety and security of the sisters against any misfortune that may befall them in life.

The sisters prays to God with all the sincerity for gracing his brothers with long life, peace and prosperity.

The parents wish the both the sisters and the brother all the best in life. Their blessings are always there for both.The brothers give their sisters gifts as per their capabilities.

This being the annual festival after Diwali, it has special significance to cement the relationship in the families.

Those brothers and sisters who are far away and are not able to come to their homes, the sisters pray to moon for its blessings for granting long life, prosperity and peace to their brothers.

During this festival too, there is no religion tag. The girls from Hindu religion put Tikka on their brethren of other religions just to consolidate the feeling of togetherness and brotherhood. It is similar to Rakhi festival.

May sincere prayer is that this like festival may be repeated many a times to create a feeling of warmth, harmony and peace between different religion.

THOUGHTS ON DIWALI DIWALI – THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS IN COVID-10 PANDEMIC SITUATION (ON 14TH NOVEMBER)

THOUGHTS ON DIWALI
DIWALI – THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS IN COVID-10 PANDEMIC SITUATION (ON 14TH NOVEMBER 2020)

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While we do not aspire for worldly possessions
But live with satisfaction,
Which could be due to inner potency
Comes out just involuntarily
Graced by God Almighty
Without any shred of doubt, which generates a feeling of joy
Because whence we have inner tranquility
We become immune to outer adverse influences
This moment of glory dawns due to Almighty God’s blessings
These graces and bounties do spur us to take on any life’s challenges
Which fate throws at us un-askance
But one thing is however certain
We learn resilience, tolerance and persistence
From the adverse experiences faced by our incarnations –Lords Ram, Krishna, Jesus Christ, Prophet Mohammad, Guru Nanak Dev & all others
And how best they withstood everything just silently without a demur
Presenting us humans examples how best to face the challenges by us humans.

As always, Diwali is celebrated with thoughts so pious
From this day we can learn so many lessons if we care to learn
Firstly a leaf from the life of Lord Rama
Who obeyed the orders of his father King Dhashratha
To go on exile for fourteen long years
To spend these many years in the jungles
And withstand all the sufferings posed by the elements in the forests
Infested with demons so ferocious
Away from the life’s comforts of palace
Do the offspring of today have the same sort of spirit?
To obey the orders of the parents with the same strength of mind

Thence, so our children have the toughness to face the challenges of our existence?
Which Lord Rama along with Lakshmana and Maa Sita faced with mental toughness
Our youth just wilt under pressure while facing challenges thrown in life!

Then the way Lord Rama treated his subjects while he took was crowned as a King of Ayodhya
There is a clear message
He commanded respect from his subjects
For his justice and evenhandedness
He treated his subjects and his kith and kin equality which administrating justice
That is why his rule was termed as RAM RAJYA
Where everybody enjoyed respect and freedom to air his/her view without fear of anybody
Here there was one instance wherein he proved his impartiality
On coming to know that there was a whispering campaign
About the purity of his consort Sita staying in Lanka of demon king Ravana
While he came to know of this, he ordered to leave Sita in the forest
Though he suffered much pain for doing so.

Then one of the finest lessons which we get from his life
Is about fulfilling promises made while living our life
He believed in the dicum: RAGUKUL REET SADHA CHALI AAYI PRAN JAYE PAR BACHAN NA JAYE
Meaning, he preferred death if the promises are not fulfilled with fullest sincerity.

The Diwali day begins with fond prayers
To Lord Rama for his bounties and graces
in the form of peace and prosperity.

Shri Ram, Maa Sita with brother Lakshmana
Had come back to Ayodhya
To their own subjects and relatives so close
After 14 years of exile
After finishing the evils
In the form of Demon King Ravana.
Because this is the day of Diwali
A day when Shri Ram had come back from his 14 years exile.

A lesson for us who with everything
Graced by our Creator
With all the comforts of our own homes to live
With all the security and everything else graced
Due to His blessings indeed
Even then we nurture fear so hidden
On variety of dilemmas
Which are eating us from within
And robbing us of the peace of mind
Thereby earning for us in the process
The depression and stress related ailments
And robbing us of happy and joyful moments
Instead of ‘peace and prosperity.

If we try to live a life of satiety
With whatever we are graced with by our Bhagwan Ji
We shall have peace and prosperity, surely
This happens when we enjoy celebrating
Every small or big happenings
Which come and go in our lives
And remain enriching our mind and soul
Thus enlightening us in the process
And giving us peace and prosperity
By living a life GITA’S SONG directed existence
‘What we brought when we were born her on this earth
And will not be taking anything when we leave this earth
What we have is given here ONLY
What did you lost that you cry for?
What did you bring that you have lost?……

Then if we lose something why we should nurture fear psychosis
With everything graced by the God’s grace
We’re living a life of unfounded fears
Which cannot be expressed in simple words
But are gnawing us every moment without any solace
A life lived without fear of unknown
Robs us of mental peace and satiety
Which we wish others on the auspicious day
My prayer to our Almighty God
Bestow us with peace of mind
An eternal one
So that we can bring a smile
On our fellow-beings faces
Like all are having and wishing others ‘PEACE & PROSPERITY’
The one who wishes us well is a richest living human on this earth
Since he has got everything to give with a smile
Oozing with happiness and joy aplenty
Without much expectations from any
This dawns when we wish other well
On not merely on Diwali Day
But also on all the days which dawn.
DIWALI – A SACRED FESTIVAL OF LIGHT AND SOUND

Literally, the word DEEPVALI contain two syllables meaning; deep – Wick light and vali a row and together it means a row of lights (earthen) wicks.
After the end of Lord Ram’s 14 long years of exile, winning over the ‘Sone Ki Lanka – GOLDEN LANKA’ and killing the demon King Ravana; with it all his evil Karmic deeds; Lord Rama, accompanied with his brother Lashmana and consort Sita and all his followers including Hanumanji (A reservoir of strength, knowledge and intelligence, courageous but without even a touch of pride, an epitome of Bhakti and Shakti – despite all these qualities he considered himself to be the humble servant of Lord Rama).

CELEBRATING DIWALI DAY IN COVID-19 PANDEMIC

In essence, while I wish all PEACE & PROSPERITY on the occasion of DIWALI, it is my fond hope, expectation and fervent appeal that all of us should celebrate this auspicious DIWALI DAY by spreading smiles rather than become instrument of spreader of COVID-19 pandemic infection by observing all the norms like social distancing, putting on face masks etc. Also, we should not burst crackers since the pollution level in Delhi NCR is all time high which becomes a cause of lung related diseases. We should always keep in mind the most compassionate and most benevolent life of Lord Rama while he ruled Ayodhya or while he was constrained to spent his 14 years (on the bidding of his father King Dhashratha) in exile with simple and austere lifestyle, just living on forest fruits and herbs; bereft of any palace comforts. Following Lord Ram’s life, we can also make of life humble, compassionate and above all humane besides his adaptive lifestyle along with Hanuman Ji and his monkey forces who fought the demons of King Ravana and his forces and thus became an instrument in eliminating the evil by killing the evil demons.

When Lord Rama reached Ayodhya, he was accorded a rousing reception/ welcome by the happy populace there. They welcomed all who accompanied Lord Ram by lighting their homes and streets of Ayodhya with earthen wicks. The righteous emperor Bharata, the virtuous one coronated his elder brother Rama to the throne of Ayodhya.

A STERLING EXAMPLE OF OBEDIENCE

The king of Ayodhaya Dhashratha, had made a solemn vow to his wife Kalkkeyi to ask for two boons or promises whenever she felt a need of the same when she had saved him from a certain critical situation. While there was a confirmed news that the king wanted Ramji to be coroneted as the king, Manthra the maid servant of KaIkeyi poisoned the ears of the queen Kaikeyi and exhorted her to ask for realization of two promises given to her by the king.

First the coronation for Bharata (Kaikeyi’s son) and second, 14 years’ exile for Rama (the son of Kaushilya). As there was the motto in the family since ages together: – Raghukul Reet Sada Chali Aayi Puran Jaaye Par Bachan Na Jaye (There is a tradition in Raghukul that their members will prefer death rather than to break a promise), so Ayodhya king had to concede the demands of Kaikeyi though with heavy heart/resentfully.

After hearing about the turn of events (Coronation for Bharata and exile for him), Rama did not say even a single word. Contrarily, he put on the simplest dress to depart for exile, thus obeying the directive of his father without demur or reservation. Sitaji (consort of Ramji and Lakshamana (his brother – the son of Sumitra) too accompanied Ram Ji. This is a fine example of obedience of the orders of elders in the family. We ought to imbibe this fine trait of Lord Rama and thus follow a righteous path in our lives too.

FINE EXAMPLE OF COHESION IN THE FAMILY

As Bharata came to know about the 14 years’ exile to Rama and coronation for himself, he felt very disappointed. He flatly refused to be crowed as a king of Ayodhya in the absence of elder brother Rama and Lakshmana. No arguments of any sort could consol him. He thought this act of being emperor as adharam (irreligiosity). He even went to the jungles in order to persuade Rama and Lakshmana to come back to Ayodhaya but Rama did not agree to this because of the promise of his father. The meeting between Lord Rama and Bharata is termed as Bharat Milap. He could not convince Lord Rama to come back to Ayodhya and rule.

LOVE BETWEEN BROTHERS

Finally, Bharata extracted a promise from Ramji that on his return back from 14 years’ exile, he will take the reigns as an emperor. Such was the love between the brothers – an unparallel one. Rama’s love for Bharta was also an example that ought to be followed by brothers now for ensuring goodwill in our families. Wealth or any other consideration should not be an impediment for a good relations in our families.

IF KNOWLEDGE IS NOT USED WITH WISDOM IT WILL NOT SERVE ANY PURPOSE

Ravana, the Demon King, was most Learned Demon King. Ravana, the son of Vishwashrava (A Brahman Rishi) and his mother Kaikasi (from a demon family) was a scholarly person who had the knowledge of Vedas and other scriptures at his finger tips but he is taken in negative light because he did not make use of this knowledge for the benefit of demon clan. But Ravana was intoxicated with his prowess and knowledge. So much so he was influenced by ego that he stooped to the sordid act of abducting Sita Mata the consort of Lord Rama – by deceit, an evil act by any reckoning. It goes to prove that if we do not use the knowledge with sagacity, we sure will fall prey to unethical karma leading to our sure downfall.

KUBER PUJA

Kuber is the step brother of Ravana and is considered as the treasurer of wealth. It is believed amongst the devout that worship of Lord Kubera, especially on the auspicious day of Diwali, brings affluence and progress in business. Just as we can have fresh water from the fresh water reservoir, we can have Lord Kubera’s blessings for wealth and prosperity. If we pray with sincereity and work hard for that we can get Kuber’s bounties. Meaning, he bequeaths wealth if we sincerely do our karma as per the natural laws. He graces those who resort to righteous karma and possess right attitude in life. Kubera pooja is done on Diwali Day so that there is sufficiency of everything for meeting the needs of our family.

LORDESS LAKSHMI & LORD GANESHA POOJA

Diwali is considered incomplete without first inviting the Lord Ganesha because He is an embodiment of good beginning and removes obstacles besides being the Lord of Wisdom. Goddess Lakshmi represents wealth and well being. On the auspicious day of Diwali, both the deities share a single altar thus ensuring blessings of the both. The former is taken as Lordess of wealth and the latter as the giver of prosperity.

GAMBLING ON DIWALI DAY

A legend has it that on Diwali Day Goddess Parvati played dice with Lord Shiva and He ordained that anyone who gambled on this day, prosperity will smile on such a person. This tradition continues even today. But some unscrupulous / unethical people just gamble away their homes and hearths on this day and have to fend for themselves. This is bad. Tradition is alright, but excess of everything is bad should be kept in mind.

TRADITION MARRYING WITH MODERNITY

It should never be forgotten that when tradition marries with modernity, the celebration is double whammy. It may be the celebration of festivals or any other day important individually, it gives us feeling of wellness for our fellow beings. But this celebration should never be individualistic in nature. There is more credence to celebration when all feel happy and satiated. May it be celebration of Diwali, Christmas Day, EID or any other religious day – when all accompany us, celebration becomes more meaningful and eventful in true sense of terms.

NO CRACKERS PLEASE THIS YEAR TOO

Due to the extreme pollution caused due to heavy smog cause due to burning of rice stubble and its waste. This pollution in the atmosphere becomes the cause of lung related diseases. Furthermore, the Covid19 pandemic infection will also increase due to this pollution. It has been seen that as on today the Covid-19 infection in our capital Delhi is spreading like wildfire. therefore, we have to do everything to control pollution. Factually, the bursting of crackers produce too much pollution in the atmosphere, hence the only remedy is to prevent bursting of crackers.

There are umpteen ways of celebrating Diwali. It is lighting our home with candles, earthen wicks etc. But cracker bursting and spoiling the atmosphere is too bad. Therefore, care ought to be taken that we should not all use crackers since these results in pollution which becomes cause for lung related diseases.

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DHANTERAS ON 13TH NOVEMBER 2020 – A FESTIVAL OF PEACE & PROSPERITY

DHANTERAS ON 13^TH NOVEMBER 2020 – A FESTIVAL OF PEACE & PROSPERITY

***MAY GOD OF WEALTH & PROSPERITY BLESS US ALL***

The beauty of all the festivals is that each of these festivals have special message for us humans. It may be Eid, Christmas Day, Diwali or any other festival. Dhanteras too has a message that if we earn our living by adopting sincere and honest methods, wealth, prosperity and wellness will flow in abundance.

The word Dhanteras is derived from Dhan meaning wealth and Teras means thirteenth. In other words, the people on this day, people purchase gold, silver ornaments or any other precious metal wares as per the purchasing power of an individual concerned.

Dhanteras marks the beginning of the festival of Diwali Festival. It coincides with Trayodashi Tithi (Thirteenth) of the Krishna Paksha of the Hindu lunar month of Kartik. Goddess Lakshmi, Lord Dhanvantari the Lord Kubera (God of wealth), and Yamraj (God of Death) are worshipped.

This year, there is a confusion about the date of Dhantares. Some are of the opinion that this festival is on 12^th November or 13^th November As per the calculations, the festival is on 13^th November. On this day, Hindu worship Dhanvantari, who is considered as the God of wealth as well as Ayurveda so as to rid the humanity of diseases. This day too would be celebrated as the National Ayurveda Day.

WORSHIP OF GODDESS OF WEALTH – MAA LAKSHMI

On this day The Goddess of Wealth, Maa Lakshmi is worshiped – with a sincere prayer to Maa to shower her graces on the entire family so that all the members of the family remain blessed with health and wellness. As she is the Goddess of opulence and wellness, those who worship her with utmost sincerity are graced by her optimally. With his point in view, the devout worship her for earning her graces.

LORD KUBERA WORSHIPED FOR MATERIAL PROSPERITY AND WELLNESS OF THE FAMILY

***LORD KUBER – THE LORD OF WEALTH & PROSPERITY***

KUBER PUJA

Besides, Lord Kuber, the step-brother of Demon King Ravana and the true owner of Golden Lanka is the treasurer of the precious metals.. He was driven out of Lanka by Demon King Ravana, his half brother. Kubera got the status of God in Puranas. He is the Lord of wealth and wellness. He is also considered as the protector or Lokapala. On this auspicious day, houses and business establishments are spruced for earning his blessings. It is not only Hindus who worship him, Jains and Buddhistis too worship him for prosperity and wellness of their families.

WORSHIP OF LORD YAMA (THE LORD OF DEATH) FOR FOLLOWING THE PATH OF DHARMA

Lord Yama or Yamraj is worshiped on this day for our longevity, good health while following the path of Dharma.

Lord Yama is assigned the responsibilities of maintenance of moral duty or upkeeping Dharma. In this, he looks after how best the mortal beings adopt self-restraint and follow the path of Dharma. He is one of the protectors (Lokpala). He is shown to carry a stick (Danda) to enforce the rules of Dharma. His vahan *vehicle) is shown as a buffalo. He is the Lord of Death who keeps a tab of births and deaths along with the way we perform Karmic deeds or misdeeds etc. In this, he is assisted by Chitragupta to record all the Karma performed by all of us.

WHY WE REQUIRE HEALTH, WEALTH AND WELLNESS?

In life everybody requires wealth according to ones needs and aspirations. For possession of wealth we need for subsistence. This possession of wealth depends on the propensity to earn according to our capability and job we perform. Then there is question of how much of material possessions we need for meeting our needs; for meeting expenditure on our family, the expenditure on our children’s education, for construction of our house etc. All these are necessary for everybody for living a honourable life. In this Goddess Lakshmi bestows us bountiful graces if we offer her prayers with utmost sincerity.

For earning wealth we require to meet our daily expenditure, it is important that we remain hale and hearty so as to put in long hours of work. For being healthy, we require health giving diet and have to perform exercises for keeping the body fit. All this could happen if we devote some of time in prayers and especially on this day Maa Lakshmi is the prime-mover – for giving us health, wealth and wellness.

WHY WE PURCHASE PRECIOUS METALS ON THIS DAY?

For earning our living and having good health, we have to put in our best efforts and then destiny too plays its part. For this, we have to have spiritual oriented life. DHANTERAS is a festival of purchasing something precious such as gold coin, silver coin, house utensils based on our need and our capacity to spend. The price of precious metals appreciates and could act as a security. Security in the sense that we can sell the precious metal and have our emergent needs fulfilled.

SELFLESSNESS – A POSITIVE TRAIT

SELFLESSNESS

A class apart from others,
Whose reflection in the life’s mirror,
Exhibit vividly classy image so clear,
Without any spot or blur,
With ease, we can grasp their selflessness,
Deeply ingrained in them is greatness,
They mix with the surrounding so easily,
That even the powerfully poised bestow them the coveted place so respectfully,
Will jump to action when others need – without demur,
Ever full of verve and dynamism,
To lead the battle of life from front,
Selflessness is the service they render for others,
Without exception bereft of expectation at all,
Not by exertion of pressure at command,
But by gentle persuasion,
Service with a smile with nothing in return,
They are responsible for facing any challenge of the day,
Together with his men they accomplish the job at hand,
Use heart and soul to lead their mind,
Selfless feel the people’s pulse fully,
What they actually need the most,
They take credit or discredit,
What their men do or not do,
They are where the action exist,
Not at a place where rewards are disbursed,
Listen to what your men want from them,
Not what you require from them,
Those who work for us honestly deserve our praise without pre-condition,
Heart and soul put together helps to lead from the front,
Being selfless is hardest task, tough call indeed,
Never say die for anything under the sun
O God, the Creator of all things
I beseech Thee to increase the tribes with self-less mindset.

Because the selfish are weaklings and cannot stand any heats,
Of challenges thrown by life’s challenges,
Since they fear them and spurn challenges,
Such people want reward for doing even little things,
Deception is their hallmark,
To take credits for others laurels,
Without accepting any blame for wrong doings
Done willfully but not accepting for having done so.

SELFISHNESS VERSUS SELFLESSNESS

In life we come across people who know how change in the changed environs annd how and where their bread could better be buttered. They may even steal / borrow / forcibly take the butter from somebody else to put on their bread thus leaving the hapless owner hungry! This though is a selfish trait – a negative one at that.

There are people who are bedeviled with excessive lust, greed and anger. These three negative traits come in the way of imbibing divine qualities like LOVE, TRUTH, GOODNESS et al. Nearness to these negative qualities takes us farthest from ULTIMATE TRUTH: GOD.

Whenever man is tempted to take something which legitimately is not his, it is called covetousness due to his selfish nature. He is carried away by his own impulses without caring for others. By doing so, he injures the society for his own wellbeing. In his views, his self-existence is more than the existence of others. A person with selfish motives always considers his interests uppermost and for getting those interests satisfied he would go all out, taking others’ lives even! Is this not happening every day? He transgresses codes of human behaviour, which regulates the behaviour of humans.

No power of reason can transform his self-centered approach for satisfaction/aggrandizement of his desires. He is carried away by his own impulses and temptations without carrying for the society at large. In other words, it could be said that for getting his selfish ends fulfilled, that persons adopts all sorts of means / stratagems in his command.

In our daily lives, we are witness to selfishness in our lives:-

• Family Members working at cross purposes to garner cheap points bordering on selfish motives browbeating others in the bargain.

• SOCIAL MEDIA working with the sole aim of enhancing TRP at any cost without thinking about the consequences of the scoops on the hapless victim if the story is incorrect.

• SOME PRESENT DAY CRICKETERS spoiling the gentlemen’s game by their greed not just bordering on selfishness but immorality too; by indulging in cricket spot–fixing – scandals which has tarnished the image of the cricket and the cricketers irretrievably!

• Some religious priests and present day Gurus following baser selfish methods to earn name and fame for themselves, sometimes going against the teachings of religious philosophy while teaching others to follow ethical and moral ways of life.

Need of the hour is to quaff the nectar of selflessness from Divine cup. Selflessness qualities which are good for self and for the society at large are to be adopted in our daily lives. Efforts should also be made to shun demon like, baser selfish qualities. It is the conscience which should be made responsible to be on the guard for maintaining and imbibing selfless attitudes for our personal gain spiritually.

While experiencing lives ups and downs and enjoying every moments, we should always remember that this life of ours is the most precious gift of Almighty God and we should always live a life of selflessness since it will earn us KARMIC CREDIT for us which will ultimately cleanse our SOUL thus would live a balanced life enjoying every moment of life.

ON GIVING & ACTING ON THE ADVICE

ON GIVING & ACTING ON ADVICE

ADVICE

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It is ingrained in human nature
To give advice to others
On topical subjects variously
To be followed sincerely
But question pops us in our fertile mind
Whether advice giver
Follows the same advice himself
So clearly given by such individual
Because giving a piece of advice
Is the easiest one indeed
But to follow it up till its conclusive end
Is patently hard
Thence the receiver’s mood
To follow advice too counts
His mind may be made up
To act as per his freewill!
In other words
We follow advice of others
As per our own convenience

And as per our own conscience
And also according to our own pleasure!
As advice has got no binding
To be followed or to be spurned if we are not willing
To follow it up to its fruition.
Thence there are the advices
Which are based on hard facts
And experiences of personage with wisdom aplenty
Gained over a period of time of working constantly
These advices are the lucky charms of our lives
Which can bring about positivity
With the change in our attitude
And make huge difference in our lives.
Then principles enshrined in the religious texts
Are the ocean of knowledge
Which if followed in letter and spirit
Can have indelible impression on our spirit
Besides inculcating in us the positive thoughts for our Karmic deeds
Along with connectivity with the Almighty God indeed.

ON GIVING ADVICE AND ACTING ON THE SAME

WE TEND TO CONSIDER OTHERS BAD

French Philosopher and thinker Sartre has rightly said: ‘Evil is the other.’ It is human nature to brand others culprit rather than introspecting that there lies the evil in the mind of the doer. In other words, the evil doer will preach or counsel others to follow goodness in the day and commit heinous crimes at night time thinking that others may not be knowing about his actions of omissions and commissions. Even the cruelest of all will not consider . Hitler did not care who suffered the most as long as he could push his agenda what he wanted. There are such similar cases too.

WE ACCEPT ADVICE ACCORDING TO OUR CONVENIENCE

We must have come across some individuals who do not want to follow others advice even if the same is beneficial to them. Reasons for this may be any. It may be due to our ego coming our way with a question; how such and such individual can advice me. Secondly, we may not have willpower to accept the advice of others. Thirdly, we may be in our comfort zone and we do not want to change regardless of how it affects others. Besides, we fail to see our faults and it is easier to preach than to follow.

DUALITY IN OUR LIVING

We must have observed that lives of some of the known Gurus or preachers who give lofty sermons on simple living and high think to be followed by the masses but they themselves lead a lavish lifestyle, without much care for others wellness. Such people lead a dual lives.

OUR EGOCENTRIC TENDENCY PREVENTS US FROM FOLLOWING OTHERS ADVICE

Sometimes our excessive self-importance becomes a hindrance in our path to follow truth – a question may pop-up in our mind as to why we should listen others advice. Or may be an attitude of ‘holier than thou’ a thought characterized by an air of superior piety or morality than others. There may arise some questions in our mind; Who is he to give us sermons and why we should follow his advise etc?

GIVING ADVICE IS EASIER THAN FOLLOWING IT

It is because speaking is easier than listening and subsequently taking action on that advice.. For a thought process to be made applicable in our lives, it is necessary that we analyze the thought; whether the particular thought is good for us or just a outmoded account and not applicable in the presently.

FOR AN ADVICE TO BE EFFECTIVE WE HAVE TO CHANGE FROM WITHIN

It has been experienced that one of the easiest thing in our life is to lecture others but when the question of making the same lecture applicable in our life, it is a bit hard since we have to have change from within our own self.

WHEN DO WE FOLLOW AN ADVICE HONESTLY

Once our mind has held on the view of others’ advise then we act on the same. Therefore, listening others with engrossed attention will pay huge dividends while listening half-heartedly will bring about half results on following advice. While Arjuna was filled with doubts he turned to Lord Krishna for advice to come out of the all pervading confusion. Advice given to Arjuna by Lord Krishna is the subject of entire Bhagvad Gita.

One of the most well-known advice given by Lord Krishna was: You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty. Lord Krishna said that whenever there is predominance of irreligious and decline in virtue, He comes to eliminate the evil.

SPIRITUAL FORWARD MOVEMENT WILL UNIT US WITH OUR LORD

When we perform our duty with determined efforts and with utmost sincerity then this duty is termed as the Yoga of Karma and bestows us inner peace and stillness. This will also open path for our unity with God.

FORGIVING AND FORGETTING ARE DIFFICULT BUT HAVE ULTIMATE VALUE

It has been experienced that when somebody treats us shabbily, it is natural we feel slighted. Rather than giving somebody in the same coin, if we adopt the attitude of forgiving and forgetting, this attitude will make huge difference to our inner peace and tranquility.

NATURAL AND UNNATURAL WORK

It has been observed that we perform our natural work with utmost sincerity with our free will and havind done that natural work, we get utmost satisfaction. But when we perform a job which is at variance with our character or our nature it is bad in laws of the land and is not in sync with the natural laws. The unnatural work carries stigma of unethical work culture. Therefore, it should be our sincere endeavor to perform our natural work only, and if possible, remaining away from doers of unnatural work.

NOT TO BE OVER-AMBITIOUS

Essentially, ambition is the basic tenet of human nature, and rightly so, everybody should be ambitious. But ambition too has got its limit. We should not be over-ambitious. When we cross the threshold then problem arises. This situation results when we want to excel others by adopting ethical or unethical means. We also know that man is constantly at war with his adversaries at work place. It is relevant for individuals as well as countries who get excited and create untanable situation even on filmiest pretex. The war between Armenia and Azerbaijan for occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh has resulted in deaths and destructions on both sides. Then there are the countries with hegemonic attitude with the use of force knowing full well that it goes against the spirit of good neighbourly relationship. We should never forget the two World Wars which brought about untold miseries to the countries concerned.

STRONGER THE CHALLENGE THE STRONGER WE EMERGE

Life is not always a bed of roses. Sometimes we face stronger challenges. Those who break down under the stresses and strains of challenges just perish but the ones who are determined to face and experience challenges head on succeed and come out unscathed. I do have faced difficult situations and conditions. The more the difficult situation, the more determinedly I faced the situation with total belief on self and Almighty God. Therefore, my advice is to be steadfast and face the situation rather than running away from it.

ADVICE TO SHUN THINGS WHICH ARE OF IMPERMANENT VALUE

Then, whenever we aspire For lust for sense objects, the inclination for sense objects gives rise to anger, greed and lust for worldly possessions. All these result in confused memory, which results in ruin of reason and when there is no reason man finally perishes.

REMAINING CALM AND QUITE WITH UTMOST FOCUSSED ATTENTION EVEN IN WORST SITUATION AND CONDITION

When we get agitated on any given situation, we cannot have focus on the project in hand. No focus means performing our job in a lack luster manner. The result of this action would not be as sound as done while with peace of mind and with utter calmness – putting undivided attention to the job in hand. In Bhagwad Gita it has been rightly said: He, by whom the world is not agitated and whom the world cannot agitate, he who remains calm in times of joy, anger, fear and anxiety is most dear to the Lord. It can be said that such a person will put full concentration on the project in hand.

PERFORMING OUR JOB WITHOUT MUCH GIVING CREDENCE TO THE FRUITS OF OUR ACTION

It has been observed that whenever we put in our efforts in doing something, our main focus on the destination or result of our action. By so doing, we tend to ignore the nets and bolts or small details which are essential for fructification of our efforts. Sound advice on this is that we should put more stress on how best we put our focus on the journey and the pin-pricks which may arise during our efforts rather than on the result. By performing actions without attachment, one attains the highest: Bhagwad Gita.

DOING OUR DUTY WITH THE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF OUR GOD

When we put in our best with self-belief and with utmost self-belief, we tend to have smooth sailing in any project we are undertaking even at present Covid-19 pandemic lockdown situation. No situation is as insurmountable if we have belief on God for our deliverance at any given situation and condition.

SELF-AWARENESS OR SELF-REALIZATION IS MUST FOR OUR HOLISTIC GROWTH

Those who know themselves known others too should never be forgotten. In that, we should know our potentials and weak areas, while continuing making efforts to improve ourselves. There would be ups and downs in our lives but we should have belief that those who put in their best only succeed. Our most effort should be to remain exploring new vistas of knowledge and put the know-how into practice.

OUR LIFE IS BASED ON GIVE AND TAKE

It should always be kept in mind that we cannot have peace of mind if we remain in isolation. It takes two to tango and clapping happens when we strike our two hands. Therefore, best course of action for us would be to have mutual understanding – give sound advice and take sound advice and follow the same for mutual benefit

SHOWCASING OUR POWER AND STATUS

We should never showcase our power and status to the people. This would be construed as having egocentric tendencies and we are aware that this tendency is one of the prime negative traits that a person could possess.

HAVE THE TRAIT OF PATIENCE, TOLERANCE AND PERSISTENCE

When failure knocks our door, some of us just break under the pressure of failure. It should always be kept in mind that in life ups and downs are part of our existence. The wheels of fortune are sometime on the upswing and sometimes downswing. We should always keep in mind that patience and persistence in our honest and sincere efforts should never be lost sight of. Then sometimes, a time may come when we may face opposition, may be from the unexpected quarters, then our tolerance trait will come to our succor.

WE HAVE LIMITLESS CAPABILITIES TO ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING IN OUR LIVES

It should always be kept in mind that we have the limitless power at our disposal provided we exploit the limitless inherent potentials by delving deep into ourselves, then and then only the reservoir of knowledge could be drawn. Here spiritual orientation, meditation and prayer could also play their part.

WHEN PERFORMING SINCERILY WE SHOULD NOT TAKE UNHEALTHY CRITICISM VERY SERIOUSLY

There are people who get finicky when somebody sometime criticizes his/her style of function at the workplace.. I think we should take healthy advice with a pinch of salt and if the criticism is not healthy or untenable then we should just forget and forgive the person who criticizes us. Becoming overly concerned solves no problem but may divert our focus on the job in hand.

NEVER TO BE JUDGEMENTAL

We are judgmental when we are critical in our thinking, behaving or while speaking in a tone which is critical in nature. In other words, we find fault in anything and everything even though the point of contention may not be critical. Also, a person who has this trait is reactive in general and picks holes where none exists. The other day one of our employees was very critical of me and even called me ‘unworthy’ because I did not toe his line of thought. But he was explained about the nuts and bolts of the problem in hand, he came round and appreciated the same point. This shows that a judgmental person gives more credence to his own thought percepts and thinks himself ‘more than equals’ and lambasts others left and right, sometimes, without thinking about the outcome of such reactive onslaught.

It is not that a person with judgmental mindset always is reactive. Sometimes, such a person goes deep into a problem and after a thorough introspection and analysis comes out with balanced solution of a knotty problem.

Being judgmental means to be distrustful on everything which happens, suspicious, intolerant, pessimist to the core, do not want to see good things in others, always sees the flaws in others while giving more importance to his own self, along with the tendency not to believe others. In other words, it is our way of resistance which compels us to behave in a particular way and the person concerned does not change that thought process.

NOTHING WORKS WITHOUT HARDWORK

It has rightly been said, ‘Hard work is a key to success’. The fruits of success are sweeter if it is attained through the sweat of our brow. We should, therefore, work hard in whatever useful work we do with concentration and with focused attention. In Bhagwad Gita it has rightly been said: Some perceive God in the heart by the intellect through meditation, others by the yoga of knowledge and still others by the yoga of work’.

LEARNING FROM OUR MISTAKES

It should never be forgotten that we being humans commit mistakes but we should always learn from the mistakes we commit. Our effort should be to not to repeat the mistakes committed. Then there are mistakes we commit unintentionally while at times people commit mistakes which has ethical and moral connotations for which we have to be responsible for the same and for which we have to bear the brunt of our mistakes. Repetition of these would both be criminal offence and sin too.

In the Bible it has rightly been said: For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.

OUR MARRIAGE ANNIVERSARY TODAY

O OMNIPOTENT & OMNISCIENT GOD WE PRAY FOR THY GRACES

OUR MARRIAGE ANNIVERSARY

With grace of God
We tied our nuptial knot
In the on 5th November 1977
At Samba in Jammu & Kashmir
I reminisce still so vividly
Whence, with the grace of God Almighty
I and my beloved wife Kamal
Tied the nuptial knot
On this date
My God!
It is more than 43 years ago
But seems as though it was only a few years ago!
As per Hindu rites
While the whole ceremony
Took place
With lighting of fire (Dhuni)
With scented Havan Samagri
Put in the sacred fire
With sacred verses or hymns
From Vedas are chanted
I vividly remember
The marriage vows
To be fulfilled with utmost sincerity
And honesty.
First being prayer to God Almighty
To bestow both of us enough provision for our nourishment
So that we’re able to sustain ourselves and perform our duty
With good health and holistic progress

Second vow is to prayer to our revered God
To bestow us twosome
Needed strength
And live our good or bad times together
While performing our daily duties.

Third vow by way of prayer to Omniscient God
To bestow us the blessings and graces
For our peace and prosperity
So that we live a life with harmony
With Mother Divine.

Fourth vow and prayer to the Omnipotent God
For standing by and supporting
All the members of family
In good and not so good times.

Fifth prayer to our beloved Almighty God
To grace us with children
With all the good traits
And shall together
Bring-up our children
While giving them right value system
Which are good for all the societies universally.

The sixth vow a sincere prayer to most venerated God
To bestow them good health
And keep them away from sickness
So that the twosome
Should be able to perform
Their noble and divine deeds
With the blessings of Almighty God.

Seventh one is also a sincere prayer to our Lord
Is for bestowing them the grace
For a longevity in the relationship
With love and affection galore
While standing by with each other
In good and not so good times.

All the Seven Promises
Echo in my ears
Even today
And both of us
Have tried our utmost
To live upto the vows
We had taken
Till date
And will try
Doing so
Till our last breath
Of course
Together
With the umpteen
Graces of God Almighty.