Anyway....

"People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; forgive them anyway. If you are kind, People may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, someone can destroy overnight; build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, there may be jealousy; be happy anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; give the world the best you’ve got anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; it was never between you and them anyway."
- Mother Theresa

A beautiful thought...

Love is giving freely, expecting nothing in return. It keeps no record of wrongs, It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

A beautiful pearl from one of my fav blogs "Lessons of the day" @ http://lessonsoftheday.blogspot.com/

Position

When the world pushes you to your knees,you are in the perfect position to pray..

Arrows of devotion

Kat nahi thaur mool kat lavhun
khojat tan mein thaur na pavhun
Laagi hoii so jaane peer
naam bhagat aniaale teer !!

There is no special place where soul aches
where should i apply the medicine ?
I have searched my body
but have found no such place..
He who feels the pain knows it
pointed are the arrows of devotion of Lord...

[Kabeer Ji
[Sri Guru Grath Sahib Ji
Page 326]

Amal

Amal is carried out through intention but action can be intentional or unintentional, Amal transcends the limbs and reaches the heart, as in the case of Rabiah Basriyyah (RA.). When she went on a pilgrimage to the Ka'aba Shareef, then the special blessings of Allah that perpetually descend upon the Ka'aba, were focussed on Rabiah Basriyyah (R.A.), as if they were welcoming her. Meanwhile
Hazrat Ibrahim ibnê-Adham (RA.) was proceeding to the Ka'aba performing Nafl at every step. When he reached it, he noticed the spiritual effects of the Ka'aba absent. They were at that time focussed on Hazrat Rabiah Basriyyah (R.A.). He addressed her “Just what is all the excitement you have aroused?” She said, “Have I drawn the attention of creation or have you, through your performance of Nafl at every step?” Hazrat lbrahim-ibn-e Adham (R.A.) said, “Even though I behave in the most arduous manner, yet the Ka'aba came forward to welcome you.” She said, “You came offering your head and submission and I, my heart”

Excerpted from :
members.tripod.com/alislaah4/sciencesoftasawwuf/id29.htm

A cracked pot.....

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on the end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years, this went on daily with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.


After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."


"Why?" asked the! bearer. "What are you ashamed of ?"


"I have been able for these past two years to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get the full value from your efforts," the pot said.


The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice of the beautiful flowers along the path." Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.


The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path ! and not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years, I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."

Moral: Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for who they are and look for the good in them. There is a lot of good out there. There
is a lot of good in us!

Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape. Remember to appreciate all the different people in your life!


Author: Unknown
[Image courtsey: http://paulgillphoto.com/images/close_ups/400/WILDFLOWERS.jpg]

Dew ...

"In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.”

Kahlil Gibran

Inferno

Expectations..
always begin
as a little spark
ready to flare
in a wildfire ...

patience ..
a stream of
heavenly waters
to keep this
inferno in check....

[ Dipti : 02/25/2008 ]

Chief Seattle's letter to President

On my post "Colors of the Wind" logged on Feb 18th , Brother Maithri commented that

' I have always loved this song.
The lyrics are based on Chief Seattle's letter to the president, .... google it if you have a moment... its words always move me deeply,"

I am glad that I took his advise and searched on "Chief Seattle's letter to President" on net. Although the text and speech itself might be controversial but the contents of this letter are so deep and soul touching.It was mentioned that it was one of the finest environments text ever written..

How can you buy the sky?
How can you own the rain and the wind?
My father said to me,
I know the sap that courses through the trees,
as I know the blood that flows through my veins.
We are part of the earth as it is part of us.
The perfumed flowers are our sisters.
The bear, the deer, the great eagle,
these are our brothers.
The rocky crests, the meadows, the ponies,
all belong to the same family.
The voice of my ancestors said to me,
The shining water
that moves in the streams and rivers is not simply water
but the blood of your grandfather's grandfather.
Each ghostly reflection
in the clear waters of the lakes
tells memories in the life of our people.
The water's murmur is the life
of your great-great-grandmother.
The rivers are our brothers.
They quench our thirst.
They carry our canoes
and feed our children.
You must give to the rivers
the kindness you would give any brother.
The voice of my grandfather said to me:
The air is precious.
It shares its spirit with all the life it supports.
The wind that gave me my first breath
also receives my last sigh.
You must keep the land and air apart and sacred
as a place where one can go
to taste the wind
that is sweetened by the meadow flowers.
The voice of my grandmother said to me:
Teach your children what you have been taught.
The earth is our mother.
What befalls the earth
befalls all the sons and daughters of the earth.
Hear my voice and the voice of my ancestors,
Chief Seattle said.
The destiny of our people is a mystery to us.
What will happen when the buffalo are all slaughtered?
The wild horses tamed?
What will happen when the secret corners of the forest
are heavy with the scent of many men?
When the view of the ripe hills is blotted by talking wires?
Where will the eagle be?
And what will happen
when we say good-bye to the swift pony and the hunt?
It will be the end of living, and the beginning of survival.
This we know:
All things are connected like the blood that unites us.
We did not weave the web of life,
we are merely a strand in it.
Whatever we do to the web we do to ourselves.
We love this earth as a newborn loves its mother's heartbeat.
If we sell our land, care for it as we have cared for it.
Hold in your mind the memory of the land
as it is when you receive it.
Preserve the land and the air
and the rivers for your children's children
and love it as we have loved it.

[http://home.att.net/~berliner-Ultrasonics/rel-phil.html]

More on Chief Seattle and his letter at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Seattle
http://www.barefootsworld.net/seattle.html
http://www.synaptic.bc.ca/ejournal/wslibrry.htm

Who is at my door?

Somebody sent this beautiful translation of Rumi's poetry .. absolutely loved it..

He said, "Who is at my door?"
I said, "Your humble servant."
He said, "What business do you have?"
I said, "To greet you, 0 Lord."


He said, "How long will you journey on?"
I said, "Until you stop me."
He said, "How long will you boil in the fire?"
I said, "Until I am pure.


"This is my oath of love.
For the sake of love
I gave up wealth and position."


He said, "You have pleaded your case
but you have no witness."
I said, "My tears are my witness;
the pallor of my face is my proof.'
He said, "Your witness has no credibility;
your eyes are too wet to see."
I said, "By the splendor of your justice
my eyes are clear and faultless."


He said, "What do you seek?"
I said, "To have you as my constant friend."
He said, "What do you want from me?"
I said, "Your abundant grace."


He said, "Who was your companion on the 'ourney?
I said, "The thought of you, 0 King."
He said, "What called you here?"
I said, "The fragrance of your wine."


He said, "What brings you the most fulfillment?"
I said, "The company of the Emperor."
He said, "What do you find there?"
I said, "A hundred miracles."
He said, "Why is the palace deserted?"
I said, "They all fear the thief."
He said, "Who is the thief?"
I said, "The one who keeps me from -you.


He said, "Where is there safety?"
I said, "In service and renunciation."
He said, "What is there to renounce?"
I said, "The hope of salvation."


He said, "Where is there calamity?"
I said, "In the presence of your love."
He said, "How do you benefit from this life?"
I said, "By keeping true to myself


Now it is time for silence.
If I told you about His true essence
You would fly from your self and be gone,
and neither door nor roof could hold you back!

[Rumi - In the Arms of the Beloved, Jonathan Star
Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, New York 1997]

Colors of the Wind

Lyrics of "colors of the wind" by Vanessa Williams

You think you own whatever land you land on
The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim
But I know every rock and tree and creature
Has a life, has a spirit, has a name

You think the only people who are people
Are the people who look and think like you
But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger
You'll learn things you never knew you never knew

Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon
Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned?
Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains?
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?

Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest
Come taste the sunsweet berries of the Earth
Come roll in all the riches all around you
And for once, never wonder what they're worth

The rainstorm and the river are my brothers
The heron and the otter are my friends
And we are all connected to each other
In a circle, in a hoop that never ends

Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon
Or have the Eagle tell where he's been?
Can you sing with all the voices of the moutnain
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind

How high will the sycamore grow?
If you cut it down, then you'll never know
And you'll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon

For whether we are white or copper skinned
We need to sing with all the voices of the mountains
We need to paint with all the colors of the wind

You can own the Earth and still
All you'll own is Earth until
You can paint with all the colors of the wind

--Vanessa Williams

Many Lives ..Many Masters

My sister recommended a book to me "Many Lives Many masters" by Dr Brian Weiss . I feel that being a physician herself I guess she is partial to physician writers ..

The subject of the book is "Reincarnation", a controversial topic ... but I enjoy reading on a variety of topics ..I got the book from library yesterday..could not put it down till late last night .. almost done reading it..

In his first book, Many Lives, Many Masters, Dr Weiss vividly describes the insights of a young patient named Catherine. She came to important realizations (under hyponetic therapy by the Author) about the circumstances of her life today and the intricate thread of previous beings within her experience.

Some excerpts from the book:

"I know that there is a reason for everything, Perhaps at the moment that an event occurs we have neither the insight nor the foresight to comprehend the reason, but with time and patience it will come to light"

Our task is to learn, to become God-like through knowledge. We know so little. By knowledge we approach God, and then we can rest.

“I have been to different planes at different times. Each one is a level of higher consciousness. What plane we go to depends on how far we’ve progressed…"

That we must share our knowledge with other people. That we all have abilities far beyond what we use. Some of us find this out sooner than others. That you should check your vices before you come to this point. If you do not, you carry them over with you to another life.

Only we can rid ourselves of the bad habits that we accumulate when we are in physical state. The Masters cannot do that for us. If you choose to fight and not rid yourself, then you will carry them over into another life. And only when you decide that you are strong enough to master the external problems, then you will no longer have them in your next life.

We are given intuitive powers we should follow and not try to resist. Those who resist will meet with danger. We are not sent back from each plane with equal powers. Some of us possess powers greater than others, because they have been accrued from other times. Thus people are not all created equal, But eventually we will reach a point where we will all be equal.

In case you want to read the first chapter of the book ..Please click here..

The subject broaches the topic of "Collective Unconsciousness" , a term coined by Carl Jung

Also a parallel concept that i found intresting was on "Akashik Records"

I also did find out intresting , conflicting viewpoints about the subject of reincarnation on the net

http://www.thewaytotruth.org/resurrection/reincarnation.html

http://www.geocities.com/richard_holmes/reincarnation/faq.htm

Happy Reading :-) !!!

Nanak Ji

Guru Nanak Dev Ji (15th April 1469 – 7 May 1539) has given a beautiful summary of his teachings in one of his hymns as follows:—

Love the saints of every faith:
Put away thy pride.
Remember the essence of religion
Is humility and sympathy,
Not fine clothes,
Not the Yogi’s garb and ashes,
Not the blowing of the horns,
Not the shaven head,
Not long prayers,
Not recitations and torturings,
Not the ascetic way,
But a life of goodness and purity,
Amid the world’s temptations.

Nanak Ji is also wrote the mool (central) mantra in Sikh holy book Guru Granth Sahib Ji :

"Ek Onkaar Satnam Karta Purkh Nirbhau Nirvair, Akaal murat Ajuni Sabhang Gur Parsad"

"There is only one God, His Name is true, He is the Creator, He is without fear, He is without enmity, He is timeless and without form, He is beyond birth and death, the enlighted one , He can be known by the master's Grace".
The Granth Sahib

[Excerpted from:http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/]
[Image Courtsey:http://www.sikhcouncilusa.org]

Echo...

Marlene Dietrich:

I love quotations because it is a joy to find thoughts one might have, beautifully expressed with much authority by someone recognizably wiser than oneself.

Reminded me of this famous Sheyr from Ghalib ...

Daikhna taqreer ki lazzat keh jo us nay kaha
MaiN ne yeh jaana keh goya ye bhi meray dil maiN hai....

Wisdom of Life

Ella Wheeler Wilcox:
The truest greatness lies in being kind, the truest wisdom in a happy mind.

Andre Gide:
Believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who find it.

Helen Keller:
I do not want the peace that passeth understanding. I want the understanding which bringeth peace

Happiness

Had heard somewhere ..

Happiness is a butterfly, which, when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you sit down quietly, may alight upon you ....

Lesson...

No study is of avail so long as our inner being is not attuned. We must hold a peaceful attitude towards all living things.. and if it is lacking, we must strive fervently to cultivate it. The same lesson is taught by Jesus christ when he says :

"If thou bring thy gift to the alter and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; leave there thy gift before the alter and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift."

Excerpted by :
The Upnishads (Translated by Swami Parmananda)

Make a difference

Its a beautiful and touching inspirational story... could not stop my tears while viewing this...
http://www.makeadifferencemovie.com/full/

Aval Allah Noor Upaaya

I once heard Raagi Harjinder Singh Ji sing this shabad(hymns) from Gurbani ..and absolutely loved it ...It is written by Bhagat Kabeer Ji and is a part of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ...

the first few lines are

Aval Allah noor upaaeiaa kudrat ke sab bandey ||
Ek noor te sab jag upajaiaa koun bhalae ko mande ?
logaa bharam n bhoolahu bhaaee ||
khaalik khalak.. khalak mehi khaalik poor rahiou srab thaii....

I also found the translation of whole shabad online
@http://www.sikhitothemax.com/Page.asp?SourceID=G&PageNo=&ShabadID=4892&Format=2

First, Allah created the Light;
then, by His Creative Power, He made all mortal beings.
From the One Light, the entire universe welled up.
So who is good, and who is bad? ||1||

O people, O Siblings of Destiny, do not wander deluded by doubt.
The Creation is in the Creator, and the Creator is in the Creation,
totally pervading and permeating all places. ||1||Pause||

The clay is the same,
but the Fashioner has fashioned it in various ways.
There is nothing wrong with the pot of clay
- there is nothing wrong with the Potter. ||2||

The One True Lord abides in all;
by His making, everything is made.
Whoever realizes the Hukam of His Command,
knows the One Lord.
He alone is said to be the Lord's slave. ||3||

The Lord Allah is Unseen; He cannot be seen.
The Guru has blessed me with this sweet molasses.
Says Kabeer, my anxiety and fear have been taken away;
I see the Immaculate Lord pervading everywhere. ||

Hurt

There's one sad truth in life I've found
While journeying east and west -
The only folks we really wound
Are those we love the best.
We flatter those we scarcely know,
We please the fleeting guest,
And deal full many a thoughtless blow
To those who love us best.

~Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Perfection

Read somewhere ...

Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect. It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections

...

I read the above quote and the thought came to mind that only time you look beyond the imperfections is when your heart is full of love .. like a mother who can only sees beauty and perfection in her kid... when a person's heart is full of love for everyone around him or her .. the only thing you can see all around you is just pure beauty and pure happiness ...

We are blessed with so much happiness and beauty all around us ..its just upto us what we choose to see ..Is being able to perceive perfection just a matter of the purity and sensitivity of a heart?

Its true that the beauty of a full moon mesmerizes us but equally stunning is a shining sparkling crescent moon ...

khoobsurat woh tab bhi tha
jis raat woh poora tha
chaand lubhaata tab bhi tha
jis shab adhoora tha ....

[Image courtsey: http://apod.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0705/venusmoon_ouellet_big.jpg]

Friendship.... continued...

Brother Irving's comments in the last post reminded me of this qissa that I had read before ... fortunately I found it again in some saved drafts .. I apologize as I am not sure of the source of this story ..I had read it on the net and had saved it in the past .....Hope we all learn from this wonderful story...

A person came crying and weeping to Shaikh Shiblee Rahamatullahi alayh and said,'O Shaikh, I have destroyed myself; make du'aa for me that may Allah take me away from this world.'

People, whose relationship with Allah is strong, will never ever dream of committing suicide. Those people who enjoy the pleasures of this world; alcohol, drug, women, dubbing, etc., they are the people who will ultimately, want to commit suicide because they will get sick of this world. Those who enjoy the pleasures of this world by committing sins will be surrounded by problems from all four sides. They have brought these problems upon themselves through disobedience to Allah Ta’aalaa.

Such people begin to feel they will only find peace, if they are dead. An Urdu poet has said: Now out of fear you desire to die (But) even after death, if you do not find peace, where will you go?

Now, overpowered by calamities and problems, you desire to die and you consider death a solution to all your problems, but if, after death, you do not find peace in the grave, if you do not find peace on the Day of Qiyaamah, if you do not find peace on the Pul Siraat and you are deprived of entry in Jannah, then where will you go?

So the person said to Shaikh Shiblee, 'I have a big problem. Make du'aa that may Allah Ta’aalaa take me away from this world.’

The Shaikh said, 'Calm down, take it easy, what is the problem?' He replied, 'I had a very close friend, and I loved him very much. We were friends for a very long time. He sacrificed everything for me and I sacrificed everything for him. I had never thought that he will ever leave me but he has left me. Now my heart is empty. I cannot survive without him. I love him so much that I want him back, and if I cannot have him back, then I want to die.’

The Shaikh soothed him and asked him to calm down saying, 'Look, there is no need to lose hope. Why do you want to die when there is a solution to your problem?'

He quickly said, very happily, 'Tell me what is the solution, tell me quickly! Since he has left me I have not been eating, drinking or sleeping. There is no joy in my life. Please tell me quickly.’

The Shaikh replied, 'The only way to forget a friend who has left you is to make a new friend.’ He said, 'O Shaikh, after ten to fifteen years of loyal friendship, he has left me and I am suffering. And you are telling me to make a new friend. I fear that if the same thing happens, then what will become of me.’

Shaikh Shiblee said, 'What if I find you a friend who will never leave you. In fact, if you are disloyal to him and after years of disloyalty, you go back to him saying O my friend! Forgive me. I want to be your friend again, he will immediately accept you again as a friend.’ He said, 'O Shaikh! Show me this friend! Who is this friend that is so loyal.’

The Shaikh replied, 'Turn to Allah and make friendship with Him.'

Friendship

It was Kahlil Gibran's Birth Anniversary a couple of days back.. I always enjoy reading his writings ... Following are his thoughts about friendship... Each and every word is a beautiful and priceless pearl...

And a youth said, 'Speak to us of Friendship.'

Your friend is your needs answered.

He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.

And he is your board and your fireside.

For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace.

When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the 'nay' in your own mind, nor do you withhold the 'ay.'

And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart;

For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.

When you part from your friend, you grieve not;

For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.

And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.

For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught.

And let your best be for your friend.

If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also.

For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill?

Seek him always with hours to live.

For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness.

And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.

For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.

[Kahlil Gibran ]

Heaven and Hell

A very simple but thoughtful message for all of us ..I read this story in a fwded email and felt like sharing with all friends..

A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, 'Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.'

The Lord led the holy man to two doors.

He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man ' s mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful. But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. The Lord said, ' You have seen Hell. '

They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man ' s mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here

the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, ' I don ' t understand. '

' It is simple, ' said the Lord.

'It requires but one skill. You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves. '

PhysicalWorld

If anybody can understand and read transliterated Urdu , I would recommend the following blog ..Posts are a little longer and infrequent , but the analysis , choice of words and the way the posts are written are wonderful...Blog posts uses Khaalis Urdu zabaan but to me that is what makes these posts all the more appealing ..

http://physicalworld-physicalworld.blogspot.com/

Hope you all will enjoy and benefit from this blog too...