THE HEART OF UNDERSTANDING by THICH NHAT HANH
“If you are a poet, you will see clearly that there is a cloud floating in this sheet of paper. Without a cloud, there will be no rain; without rain the trees cannot grow; and without trees, we cannot make paper. If we look even more deeply, we can see the sunshine, the logger who cut the tree, the wheat that became his bread, and the logger’s father and mother. Without all of these things, this sheet of paper cannot exist. In fact, we cannot point to one thing that is not here- time, space, the earth, the rain, the minerals in the soil, the sunshine, the cloud, the river, the heat, the mind. Everything co-exists with this sheet of paper. So we can say that the cloud and the paper ‘inter-are.’ We cannot just be by ourselves alone; we have to inter-be with every other thing.”
In common language this ‘inter-are’ is known as inter-dependence. When human beings understand this concept and accept it then unconditional love follows. Everyone is a part of everything and loving yourself will mean loving everything and so love will flow. I am the cloud, I am the paper and I am the tree, I am all one and I am all three!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
OPENTRUTHBOX
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
All this control by the lover asking the love ones to change and vice versa causes the breakdown in relationships. Everything becomes a power game and love is lost. What is the answer to this, unconditional love? It is total acceptance without requiring any change, accepting each person as unique and different from us. You are perfect and I love you for what you are. Man’s conditional love has ruined the world the environment and all God’s beautiful gifts to make them perfect to suit human needs. In unconditional love the total acceptance without any change is what we have to accept. When you do this you start loving unconditionally.
All this control by the lover asking the love ones to change and vice versa causes the breakdown in relationships. Everything becomes a power game and love is lost. What is the answer to this, unconditional love? It is total acceptance without requiring any change, accepting each person as unique and different from us. You are perfect and I love you for what you are. Man’s conditional love has ruined the world the environment and all God’s beautiful gifts to make them perfect to suit human needs. In unconditional love the total acceptance without any change is what we have to accept. When you do this you start loving unconditionally.
OPENTRUTHBOX
WHAT IS LOVE?
When you truly love someone, you become one with them. ? You want to share everything with them. Love and light operates on the basis of Loving and Sharing. Lovi ng and Caring to cover all of mankind .
But most people confuse liking and love. Because of this their love becomes conditional. Most human practice conditional love at all times. This kind of love is the same emotion as liking a person and comes from the ego. As we all know the ego is very controlling and negative. Because of this habit of the ego we forget love and start controlling the loved one. The belief of humans is I AM PERFECT, that is why I want to change you and to make you perfect just like me otherwise I cannot love you. The lover and the loved ones both believe this and in the battle of changing each other slowly start hating each other, then the love is lost. Indifference and hate, take the place of love.
THIS IS CONDITIONAL LOVE.
When you truly love someone, you become one with them. ? You want to share everything with them. Love and light operates on the basis of Loving and Sharing. Lovi ng and Caring to cover all of mankind .
But most people confuse liking and love. Because of this their love becomes conditional. Most human practice conditional love at all times. This kind of love is the same emotion as liking a person and comes from the ego. As we all know the ego is very controlling and negative. Because of this habit of the ego we forget love and start controlling the loved one. The belief of humans is I AM PERFECT, that is why I want to change you and to make you perfect just like me otherwise I cannot love you. The lover and the loved ones both believe this and in the battle of changing each other slowly start hating each other, then the love is lost. Indifference and hate, take the place of love.
THIS IS CONDITIONAL LOVE.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Gmail - Inbox (48) - opentruthbox@gmail.com
ACTING WITH LOVE
He who wants to good knocks at the gates of heaven.
He who wants to love finds the gates open.
Acting outwardly or acting within we have to remember that in every relationship in every movement do you want to act out of love ? or do you want to act from a motive.
That is the question ?
He who wants to good knocks at the gates of heaven.
He who wants to love finds the gates open.
Acting outwardly or acting within we have to remember that in every relationship in every movement do you want to act out of love ? or do you want to act from a motive.
That is the question ?
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
OPENTRUTHBOX
OPENTRUTHBOX
One is watching the american elections with bated breath to see whether woman will win the election this will be a great triumph for women kind, because in the west for the first time a women will be head our country.
One is watching the american elections with bated breath to see whether woman will win the election this will be a great triumph for women kind, because in the west for the first time a women will be head our country.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
The Fallen Angel
Technology has advanced, but human nature is stuck in its old mold.
One day, I was listening to a talk on Vedic discoveries, which focused on the fact that whatever is happening today was already in Vedic literature. In others words, nothing is new in the thought process of man, but that which is already known. And nothing is new in the attitude of man, but that which is already there.
All modern technology was already written about and anticipated in the Vedas. Our speaker told us facts about science, mathematics, medicine and many discoveries. He also related a very interesting incident, which brought about the status of women at that time, which continues to be, at this time, as it has never changed.
He told us that one of the Mogul kings visited the famous universities of Nalanda and Txila. At these places he found many modern inventions, and one of them which fascinated him was running hot water. He ordered big tubs of water to be filled up, and into them was put incense, perfumes, rose petals and scented oils, all to make the bodies of his women attractive, sweet smelling and for arousing desire.
All the great scientists, philosophers and thoughtful men present at the universities left in disgust, at the wasteful way this discovery of plumbing and hot water was being used. None of them cared for the way a woman's body was being used, nor for the gender bias.
Today, we have the luxury of hot baths, cold baths, jacuzzis, steam baths and so on, but the gender bias continues, and the female is still a sex object. From the time the female child is born, maybe she brings in her genes the fact that her role in life is to serve men. She leaves her home, her people, to follow her husband, and has to fit in with his way of life, his needs, his family, his name, his style of living.
But with it, her body, which belongs to her, is also his. Without an attractive body, she may lose a husband! Even in this century today, though we have been to the moon, the woman is still stuck in this role.
There is a philosophy that in a country where there is no mother goddess for the people to worship, where there are no female gods, the woman's divinity at home is neither understood nor respected. She becomes a partner in man's greedy ambitions, in his lust, his desire for more. And the society loses its center and the knowledge that the people in that society are in the image of God.
In societies where the mother goddess is worshipped, the divinity is brought into the home by the female, there is less aggression and more peace, and man can realize that he may be made in the image of God and live up to it.
It is also said that a time will come when the divinity of the woman will be recognized. And when that is recognized, man's image will be recognized and lived by, as if man is really the son of God.
In both Eastern and Western societies, we do not recognize the divinity of the female, so there is gender bias. In all societies, the woman has been regaled to a role of a play thing for man, and because of that, dispensable. In Indian societies, even today, there is female foeticide, female infanticide, dowry debts, all because the woman is regarded as a useless tool or at best, a tool.
I once worked with a man, I dare not say from which country or culture, or anything, but his opinion of women, spoken loudly and clearly in a roomful of women was, "A woman is like an old shoe. She can be discarded whenever the man has no need of her." Nobody boycotted this man. Nobody pilloried this man. A lot of women still pandered to him with their false smiles, and he polluted the whole environment with his low thoughts. Did he not have a mother?
Was she an old shoe to be thrown out when there was no need for her? Does this happen to the mothers of all men or just some men?
With technology, we are proud that we are a 22nd century society, but we are still living in the darkness of Hades, I won't even say the Stone Age.
Note: these postings were inspired by the School of Ancient Wisdom.
One day, I was listening to a talk on Vedic discoveries, which focused on the fact that whatever is happening today was already in Vedic literature. In others words, nothing is new in the thought process of man, but that which is already known. And nothing is new in the attitude of man, but that which is already there.
All modern technology was already written about and anticipated in the Vedas. Our speaker told us facts about science, mathematics, medicine and many discoveries. He also related a very interesting incident, which brought about the status of women at that time, which continues to be, at this time, as it has never changed.
He told us that one of the Mogul kings visited the famous universities of Nalanda and Txila. At these places he found many modern inventions, and one of them which fascinated him was running hot water. He ordered big tubs of water to be filled up, and into them was put incense, perfumes, rose petals and scented oils, all to make the bodies of his women attractive, sweet smelling and for arousing desire.
All the great scientists, philosophers and thoughtful men present at the universities left in disgust, at the wasteful way this discovery of plumbing and hot water was being used. None of them cared for the way a woman's body was being used, nor for the gender bias.
Today, we have the luxury of hot baths, cold baths, jacuzzis, steam baths and so on, but the gender bias continues, and the female is still a sex object. From the time the female child is born, maybe she brings in her genes the fact that her role in life is to serve men. She leaves her home, her people, to follow her husband, and has to fit in with his way of life, his needs, his family, his name, his style of living.
But with it, her body, which belongs to her, is also his. Without an attractive body, she may lose a husband! Even in this century today, though we have been to the moon, the woman is still stuck in this role.
There is a philosophy that in a country where there is no mother goddess for the people to worship, where there are no female gods, the woman's divinity at home is neither understood nor respected. She becomes a partner in man's greedy ambitions, in his lust, his desire for more. And the society loses its center and the knowledge that the people in that society are in the image of God.
In societies where the mother goddess is worshipped, the divinity is brought into the home by the female, there is less aggression and more peace, and man can realize that he may be made in the image of God and live up to it.
It is also said that a time will come when the divinity of the woman will be recognized. And when that is recognized, man's image will be recognized and lived by, as if man is really the son of God.
In both Eastern and Western societies, we do not recognize the divinity of the female, so there is gender bias. In all societies, the woman has been regaled to a role of a play thing for man, and because of that, dispensable. In Indian societies, even today, there is female foeticide, female infanticide, dowry debts, all because the woman is regarded as a useless tool or at best, a tool.
I once worked with a man, I dare not say from which country or culture, or anything, but his opinion of women, spoken loudly and clearly in a roomful of women was, "A woman is like an old shoe. She can be discarded whenever the man has no need of her." Nobody boycotted this man. Nobody pilloried this man. A lot of women still pandered to him with their false smiles, and he polluted the whole environment with his low thoughts. Did he not have a mother?
Was she an old shoe to be thrown out when there was no need for her? Does this happen to the mothers of all men or just some men?
With technology, we are proud that we are a 22nd century society, but we are still living in the darkness of Hades, I won't even say the Stone Age.
Note: these postings were inspired by the School of Ancient Wisdom.
Parenting Or Teachers as Surrogate Parents; And Schools as Mini-Societies
I continue writing from the ideas I have put down in the earlier postings. Please note let my last sentence, "you are Divine." Parents and teachers, society leaders, all those in power. please remember, that you were born in the image of God, and you are Divine. In our divinity, we should remember our responsbility to the Universe. We should remember that our thought patterns are going to create the Universe, therefore, what sort of Universe do we want?
Very often, al the leaders today come from a sense of fear and inadequacy. Very often, we parents forget that to a small child, we may be in the shape of a large god, that to a small child in a classroom, the teacher too, may be in the shape of a god and the child is more than willing to believe what the teacher and the parents' say.
The public is more than willing to listen what the leaders say, and follow in ttheir set of values and needs, for goodness in the country, environment, so on. In the home and in school and society, we are the ones (as parents, teachers etc.) who have no faith in our values, who have no faith in our pure desires, and forget we are Divine.
We teach our children in school and at home to live without values, to live without direction, because we have no faith in our capabilities to lead, direct, be examples and to contribute our purity to the Universe. Please note the word Purity or Divinity. To put all the qualities to make a better world, we sacrifice everything on the alter of greed, ambition, finishing the syllabus, worrying about the children's school marks, making laws to tie up the common man, to pay taxes, to take punishments, instead of understanding that parents, teachers, leaders all have the power to make a better world, if they do so believe in a better world. But we give it all up for more money, for greed.
Let me give you Example One, which is teachers won't teach in the classroom, but will take on a lot of private tuitions, start their own coaching classes and in the classroom do indifferent and quick work, in the name of completing the syllabus.
Parents at home are too busy having a good time because they work hard and relax for fun, earning riches to satisfy the greed of their children, to compete with their neighbors and to fulfill their own unfulfilled ambitions. Many parents who have not achieved academically push and push their children to be toppers, not remembering the happiness of the child. Society leaders and state leaders again forget their Divine power, and sacrifice it in mundane projects, giving the public enough loopholes to lie and cheat and evade the law. The Divinity that has been given to them is lost and reduced to something that is mundane and ordinary.
I think the biggest loss is to the parents today, and I say this especially of parents in India, where the lure of the west and the greed for foreign earnings has pushed them to send their children abroad for higher studies. The Western cities and the Western society are so alien to a lot of the Indian Boys and Girls who go from small towns, protected homes and societies, to live in this vast, cold, alien, uncaring environment. The child is an environment of loneliness, and the old parent who has lost the caring of a son or daughter is also in the lost environment of loneliness.
Very often, al the leaders today come from a sense of fear and inadequacy. Very often, we parents forget that to a small child, we may be in the shape of a large god, that to a small child in a classroom, the teacher too, may be in the shape of a god and the child is more than willing to believe what the teacher and the parents' say.
The public is more than willing to listen what the leaders say, and follow in ttheir set of values and needs, for goodness in the country, environment, so on. In the home and in school and society, we are the ones (as parents, teachers etc.) who have no faith in our values, who have no faith in our pure desires, and forget we are Divine.
We teach our children in school and at home to live without values, to live without direction, because we have no faith in our capabilities to lead, direct, be examples and to contribute our purity to the Universe. Please note the word Purity or Divinity. To put all the qualities to make a better world, we sacrifice everything on the alter of greed, ambition, finishing the syllabus, worrying about the children's school marks, making laws to tie up the common man, to pay taxes, to take punishments, instead of understanding that parents, teachers, leaders all have the power to make a better world, if they do so believe in a better world. But we give it all up for more money, for greed.
Let me give you Example One, which is teachers won't teach in the classroom, but will take on a lot of private tuitions, start their own coaching classes and in the classroom do indifferent and quick work, in the name of completing the syllabus.
Parents at home are too busy having a good time because they work hard and relax for fun, earning riches to satisfy the greed of their children, to compete with their neighbors and to fulfill their own unfulfilled ambitions. Many parents who have not achieved academically push and push their children to be toppers, not remembering the happiness of the child. Society leaders and state leaders again forget their Divine power, and sacrifice it in mundane projects, giving the public enough loopholes to lie and cheat and evade the law. The Divinity that has been given to them is lost and reduced to something that is mundane and ordinary.
I think the biggest loss is to the parents today, and I say this especially of parents in India, where the lure of the west and the greed for foreign earnings has pushed them to send their children abroad for higher studies. The Western cities and the Western society are so alien to a lot of the Indian Boys and Girls who go from small towns, protected homes and societies, to live in this vast, cold, alien, uncaring environment. The child is an environment of loneliness, and the old parent who has lost the caring of a son or daughter is also in the lost environment of loneliness.
Where I live, I see many homes which are huge villas, but in them, lives an old man, a mangy dog and a dim light. In the next villa, lives an old woman, a mangy dog and a dim light, and so on.
The men and women in these areas, sit at home, guarding their property, and hoping for a day when their children will use this inheritance.
But the children are already using this inheritance of lack of values.
One day, the villas will be pulled down and from the naked soil maybe the phoneix shall rise!
And, from the valueless mind, too, there will be a burn out of negative values, because nature pushes you onto the right path. And with this natural burnout, the phoenix shall rise.
The men and women in these areas, sit at home, guarding their property, and hoping for a day when their children will use this inheritance.
But the children are already using this inheritance of lack of values.
One day, the villas will be pulled down and from the naked soil maybe the phoneix shall rise!
And, from the valueless mind, too, there will be a burn out of negative values, because nature pushes you onto the right path. And with this natural burnout, the phoenix shall rise.
Dearest Shirin, A Reply to Your Query On My Blog, "I Am Eternal"
All around us, in us, outside us, in our minds, in rocks and stones and everywhere, there is this Universal Consciousness, the spirit, the light. What is this Consciousness made up of, except human thoughts?
Whatever thought you've had, negative or positive, is merged with Existence. If you believe in God, this world is His manifestation. If you believe in no God, and only a Consciousness, again, this Consciousness is full of these thoughts.
I experience what I am writing, and may not be very clear on the theology of various religions. From my feelings and the query of my friend, I asked myself, "Do I want to be Eternal because of my ego?" and I felt "Yes," because what I feel and think is all part of the Universal Consciousness, and this is with or without the ego.
This thought makes me conscious of the fact that whatever I do in my life contributes to shaping the Universe. This shaping of the Universe, lives through my children, my environment and is absorbed by the Universal Consciousness. In the same way, dear friend, whether you have children or no children, your thoughts will always be a part of the Universe, and whether you desire it or not, you will be eternal. Or, you may choose non-eternity and darkness in space. Both are the same, from nothing to something and from something to nothing.
I want to plant this thought in the Universe, because human beings do not feel any responsibility for their thought patterns and they spew out negative-positive, kind-unkind thoughts, to float around in space, resulting in destruction, annihilation and of course, a lot of beauty and purity.
In all of this, we forget our Divinity. Please remember, you are Divine.
Whatever thought you've had, negative or positive, is merged with Existence. If you believe in God, this world is His manifestation. If you believe in no God, and only a Consciousness, again, this Consciousness is full of these thoughts.
I experience what I am writing, and may not be very clear on the theology of various religions. From my feelings and the query of my friend, I asked myself, "Do I want to be Eternal because of my ego?" and I felt "Yes," because what I feel and think is all part of the Universal Consciousness, and this is with or without the ego.
This thought makes me conscious of the fact that whatever I do in my life contributes to shaping the Universe. This shaping of the Universe, lives through my children, my environment and is absorbed by the Universal Consciousness. In the same way, dear friend, whether you have children or no children, your thoughts will always be a part of the Universe, and whether you desire it or not, you will be eternal. Or, you may choose non-eternity and darkness in space. Both are the same, from nothing to something and from something to nothing.
I want to plant this thought in the Universe, because human beings do not feel any responsibility for their thought patterns and they spew out negative-positive, kind-unkind thoughts, to float around in space, resulting in destruction, annihilation and of course, a lot of beauty and purity.
In all of this, we forget our Divinity. Please remember, you are Divine.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
A Secret of Untruth Revealed
When I was born, I was more soul and divinity and less body and thought. I did not have to play games to please people, I did not have to develop a personality according to other people's choices, I could gurgle and play and laungh and be a joy for everyone. All those around me felt unconditional love, which brought me great peace and joy.
The three Magis came to me, adored me and laid at my feet the three gifts as they did with the baby Jesus: my three gifts were love, peace and joy. I had a parallel love in the life of Jesus and all the other great masters, gods and goddesses, but I felt nothing in my heart, till my awakening.
Time went on and that unconditional love changed to accomodate the demands of parents, home, family and society. The unconditional love disappeared and maybe somebody will say that there was conditional love, which is 'liking', when you like a person, you have expectations of them. Unconditional love has none.
I became smart, like the rest of the world, I hid my secret, my great desire for love, for that divine exchange of energy at the soul level. I developed a charming, charismatic personality, and hid my need from the world and from myself and lived in dishonest, false words, saying, "I love, I love, I love." I didn't. I never knew the meaning.
Like went on, I lost my love. I lost my joy. I lost my peace. I looked for it in rock and stone, in the clouds, in water, in liquour, in lust, in greed, in friendships, in children, in husband and wife, in society. No luck, no joy, no peace...all was lost.
I read books. I cried out to my teachers, "Tell me what is love?" But all I got back was, "to be a committed person, to be a good daughter, a good son, to play the role in the family that society has assigned you." I did all that, but at the end of the day, all I had was the emptiness in my heart and hands.
Can you help me? Can you answer my question? Have you found love? Unconditional love, without demands, without expections, without role playing?
The Great Awakening
One day at satsang, we were discussing relationships and in the relationship, unconditional love leading to interconnectedness with all things in the Universe. During this talk, my heart was crying out, "What do I know about love? will I get my answer today?"
We were told to sit in silence and feel the interconnectedness with all the other people in the room. I felt nothing. The question hour began.
"Did all of you feel interconnectedness with each other?"
A hand shot up, and a cocky voice answered, "Of course I did!" My heart sank. If I am asked this question, will I be dishonest? And then it struck me, so often, when I say, "I love," I don't love. I come from untruth and dishonesty. I waited with baited breath and the person who answered next spoke the words which I would have used if I had had the courage to do so.
The person answered, "I feel no connection with anybody in this room." Shock, disbelief and dead silence. The teacher asked us all, if we could feel interconnected with one person and connection and the flow of energy from one to the other? She told us the flow of energy from one person to another is concentric and all benefit by it.
I realized having lived in the dishonesty and the untruth of no connection harms his or herself and the others, because there is a break in the flow. This break in flow results in disease, unhappiness, stress.
Then we were asked to meditate and bring in front of us some relationship which was not working and to see how it had happened. I picked on someone who is very dear to me, and discovered that instead of being in a loving relationship, I was in a personality exchange to impress my friend, and the love was hidden under the personality.
The secret was revealed to me that this relationship and others were not satisfying, were at times unsuccessful, because there was no exchange of love, only pretense, performing and play acting.
I've realized that in today's world we are all working at the thought level, and a lot of us believe that your thoughts can make things happen or not happen. This led me to feel that my secret of nonloving was causing no love to happen.
Personality exchange without love occurs because we believe we are the body. But all mankind is soul and spirit, and love is an exchange of energy from soul and spirit to soul and spirit. Love is. God is love. And Man is Divine. And Divine exchange can only be at the energy level, the spirit level, and the soul level. And this is the secret the Magi revealed to me.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
I am Divine, Therefore I am Eternal
One day, I was taking a lesson in biology and going through the water cycle, the food cycle, the nitrogen cycle, etc., all about matter being used for rebirth, all about God’s recycling habit, without wasting anything.
As my students got busy with some written work, some pictures in the textbook caught my eye, and my imagination took flight.
I saw a picture of a bird, a flower and a gazelle. Suddenly, I felt my body had made the bird, and there was I, flying high, soaring into infinity. I looked at the flower and found such beauty, which was me and suddenly, a thought came, “But you’re ugly. Are flowers ugly or only beautiful?”
And I was so proud that God had recycled me into a flower. The gazelle leaping and bounding gave me so much pride that my old body had been transformed into a gazelle running with the wind.
Dear God, you have used all of me for rebirth. You have shown me, because of this recycling there is rebirth and this rebirth makes me eternal. However, why did I ever doubt it, because I am in your Divine image, and Divinity means that which never changes. Divinity is eternal. I am eternal.
I came back down to earth and continued teaching the lesson, but with a new insight, a spiritual one.
One day, I was going through pictures of my family in the family album, and once again, my imagination took flight. I got a message which I am sharing with all of you: that we never die, through our children we are eternal. How?
Through our genes, through our thought processes, at the time of pregnancy, at the time of birth, with living together, we send signals to our children, to fulfil our wishes for the sake of continuity and wish fulfilment of the parent. I know I’ve subconsciously fulfilled so many of my parents’ wishes, by picking up where they had left in their growth. I can see the same with my children.
Each child of mine has completed a wish of mine, communicated through my thought process. I can see it---a wish for wealth, a wish for beauty, a wish to be able to sing well, a wish to be an intellectual, a wish to be a career woman, a wish for all my children to travel on the spiritual path. Whatever are their unfulfilled wishes will be carried on by their children, and so on and so forth. And the consciousness that is in all of us shall carry on through me, my children and their children. Life is eternal. Not only that, O Lord, I am using all of this as a proof, to prove to me, that I am eternal. But all I have to do is to believe in my Divinity and bask in the gift of eternity.
Dear God, in my rebirth, may I be a flower, a bird or a gazelle....or am I already that?
Friday, February 29, 2008
Rebirth of Perception
Night Sky, Eye of GodMarch is a month of rebirth, of spring, of blossoming and flowering. It is also a month in India where you play with color, you have huge bonfires to celebrate the arrival of spring, and maybe in these bonfires, you can throw in all the darkness of the winter months. So, it is again, a rebirth.
Can we have a rebirth of perception? Would you agree with me if I were to say, “perception is each man’s personal viewpoint, and his way of viewing things?” But this viewpoint, or perception, can be changed, that is called a shift, through meditation, insight and also, imagination. In this space today, I am writing about ‘to be blessed,’ is a daily gift, an opportunity, that God gives us, but we do not see it, we go to churches, temples, etc., we go on pilgrimages to collect blessings and merits, when this facility is at our doorstep.
One morning, my car stopped at the traffic lights and a little beggar boy knocked on the glass of the car door, asking fro alms. I made a grimace, tried to shoo him away, and thought to myself, “My day is ruined.” Imagination knocked at my brain. “Imagine, if you were that boy!” My heart filled with gratitude and I thanked the Lord that here was I, enjoying the comforts of life, with everything to be grateful for, and here was this boy, who had nothing.
I looked at him with an attitude of gratitude, and I looked into his eyes, and I found in them, the light of compassion and joy. My day was made, at meeting this boy, feeling gratitude and joy in my life. The sacred touched me.
Next day, I met the boy again. This time, I wanted to give him a gift, but of course, I couldn’t give him money, he would use it for all the wrong things! I was the moralistic, rich man, who took paperclips and pens and writing paper from the office, but the little beggar boy had to be the keeper of morals.
I had taken a packet of biscuits to give to him and when he knocked on the window pane, I handed the biscuits to him, he gave a whoop of delight, cart wheeled and thanking me, ran to the other side of the road. My day filled with joy at his delight. “Thank you, Lord, for giving me this fantastic experience.”
On the third day, I met this boy again. And this time, I wanted to share my love and energy and I wanted to trust him to use my money wisely for his happiness. His cup was a temple of God into which I was going to put my cash offering, my small tithe. I dropped the coins into the cup, he looked at me with so much love, the energy we exchanged was so charged with the Divine and his words of “thank you” touched my heart. God sent me a message, “Did you know that you can buy blessings for two rupees every day?”
All this never happened. But, at a satsang one night, somebody asked the teacher, “Why has God made beggars?” This question is asked so often. At that moment, my imagination held sway, my perception changed, and my mind gave birth to this story. Today, in this Divine space, I want to share this story with you. And I too, am going to buy blessings every day, would you like to join me?
Friday, February 22, 2008
Who's Way?
Husbands and wives are always quarreling over the fact that, "You always want your way!" and the reply is, "But you always want your way!"
How do we solve this impasse?
Maybe this story will help us in understanding the nature and needs of men and women.
Lord Shiva and Parvati, a celestial couple, living in the abode of Gods and Goddesses, were having a discussion one day. Parvati wanted to attend a puja at her father's home, even though she and her husband had not been invited to it. Lord Shiva explained to her that it was bad manners, to attend a function without an invitation, even though the function was in her father's home. "That home today is not your home," he said.
Parvati, a typical woman, willful and always wanting her own way, argued and insisted that they should go.
In the end, she decided that even if the husband did not go, she was going to attend the puja. Lord Shiva warned her there would be serious consequences to this visit of hers, but she insisted and departed.
With her went an escort of Shiva's disciples. When Parvati reached the puja, no one greeted her or spoke to her, she was given the cold shoulder, except for a lukewarm welcome from her mother. To her horror she discovered, there was not even a seat for her husband in the gathering of Gods and dignitaries.
No woman can bear her husband to be insulted in the father's home, so Parvati cursed her father and to teach the family a lesson, jumped into a sacrificial fire and died.
There was a commotion, a war, Lord Shiva had to intervene, Parvati's father had to pay the price, all because of the willfullness of a woman.
From this story, it is said and explains the nature of the woman who always likes to have her own way. But what about the husband?
The way to approach him is through his ego. Letting him know he is the hero in your life, he is the provider, his home is your shelter. You do not belong to your father and brother anymore, they are not your heroes. The husband agrees to everything the wife wants, the wife believes that her husband is the wisest man in the world, who loses, who wins? And the impasse is broken.
Since we have given advice to husband and wife, parents who choose a husband for their daughters and women who choose for a husband for themselves, please remember, that very often a girl wants a handsome man on her arm, so that he can be the envy of her friends. Please choose wisely.
Valentine's Day advice!
Jihad for Love
Jihad: 1-any vigorous, emotional crusade for an idea or principle, for love.
2-a holy war undertaken as a sacred duty by Muslims.
One day I was listening to a radio program, and unfortunately I came at the tail end of it, so all I heard the speaker say was that "why could I not be a Jihadi for love?"
Earlier on, I had heard a couple of sentences, how he had training in Jihad to be a terrorist and had done what was demanded of him, but in the midst of everything, it came to him, that if he has to fight a war, to save the world, why should he not call himself a Jihadi who fights the war of love?
And his battle will be Jihad for Love.
Is this the kind of battle all of us want to fight? Is this the kind of mindset we would like anyone and everyone to have? This statement is very profound, because all the time the terminology, terror, terrorist, terrorism, is being shot in our environment, and we do know that in today's age, love and unconditional love is the need of the earth. So let us all be Jihadis for love.
2-a holy war undertaken as a sacred duty by Muslims.
One day I was listening to a radio program, and unfortunately I came at the tail end of it, so all I heard the speaker say was that "why could I not be a Jihadi for love?"
Earlier on, I had heard a couple of sentences, how he had training in Jihad to be a terrorist and had done what was demanded of him, but in the midst of everything, it came to him, that if he has to fight a war, to save the world, why should he not call himself a Jihadi who fights the war of love?
And his battle will be Jihad for Love.
Is this the kind of battle all of us want to fight? Is this the kind of mindset we would like anyone and everyone to have? This statement is very profound, because all the time the terminology, terror, terrorist, terrorism, is being shot in our environment, and we do know that in today's age, love and unconditional love is the need of the earth. So let us all be Jihadis for love.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Sacred Exchange in the Tenement
The marriage takes place, the couple comes home, the bride's new homewhich is an 8 by 8 room, a 4 by 4 kitchen, a common bathroom and toilet, shared by the family.
The family consists of mother, father, bride, groom, and two younger children. One elder daughter is married and visits quite often with her three children and husband.
Is the marriage consummated? No. The bride and groom just exchange glances and do not even the privacy to talk to each other. Desperate, the groom thinks of a plan. He buys movie tickets for the whole family, sending them away to the theatre a little early, saying he and his bride would follow, as they had some shopping to do on the way.
At last, privacy, heaven in each other's arms, but there is a knock on the door.
An ailing aunt has arrived from the village. All his plans are foiled.
Nowadays, life is not so tragic, because young couples do go on a honeymoon, but we don't know about the consummation part.
Very often, the groom sleeps in the kitchen, he has bed space all to himself and in the middle of the night, surieptitously, the bride sneaks in to the kitchen and heaven is found.
Who wins, who loses? This is a team effort for love.
The Power Game in Wedlock
In marriage, it is often found that the partner with money is the boss, and the authority is automatic. Can we beat this?
Let me tell you stories, both real and from the movies. A cousin of mine got married, he must have been about 30 years old, so too the bride, who was also a post-graduate. The newly married couple, with his parents who were my aunt and uncle, and the rest of his siblings, with their partners and kids, came to have lunch at my house one day.
There was a charged electrical atmosphere in the living room where we all sat. The boy's sisters and the nieces were teasing the bride and bridegroom, getting them to sit together on a small couch and act as loving newlyweds.
However, the bride would have nothing to do with this, and very demurely flounced around the room, keeping her husband at bay. And of course, disobeying the dictates of the inlaws, an unheard of thing, but establishing her power.
There were many whispers and talk in undertones that the marriage had not been consummated and everytime he went near her, she would rush up to her mother in law's bedroom, plaintively crying, "He's doing something to me! He'se doing something to me. What is he doing to me? Hide me, save me!"
Well, once again, the story has a happy ending. The marriage was consummated, a happy marriage, loving couple. But, she admitted her mother had taught her to play the game, saying that the power set up in a marriage is very important and the woman only has sex on her side. So, delay the consummation but at the same time flash yourself attractively in front of the husband, so that his desire builds up and when the marriage is consummated, it will be a gift from you to him. Because, you have not handed over your sexual power to satisfy his momentary lust.
And as the leader of the daily sexual ritual you will be the leader, without hurting his feelings.
The Same Story Seen in a Movie
In some countries, marriage and its consummation, is a very public "within the family" event. There is a lot of hype, and a lot of excitement built up, about the consummation and the happiness that can result from a good sex life.
Before the wedding, the women sing many songs and through innuendo and jokes, excite the bride and bridegrooms' feelings that something wonderful awaits them. I suppose you could say this is the one way sex education in taught?
The bride's body is prepared for this sacred exchange, with massages and ointments and all the things would make her glow and her scent be an awakening for the senses. The wedding takes place and the bride is not allowed near her husband for the first two or three days, due to certain ceremonies, visits to her mother's home and the underlying idea that the sex consummation should be an act of well rested bodies. Then, the preparations begin.
The girl is given a glass a milk to take to her husband when he is in his bedroom, but she has to leave the glass of milk there and come away. Maybe even smile at him from the door. This goes on for a couple of days. And then one night she is beautifully prepared with oils and scents, ornaments and flowers, and goes in with a glass of milk and has been given instructions to pleasure and enjoy the pleasure. The sacred exchange takes place and there is great rejoicing.
Today's human beings have no time for this, and an act which is sacred can be done in the back seat of a car, fumblingly in a movie house, and that which could be the biggest gift a woman gives a man becomes ordinary and a matter of gossip in the men's locker room. Who wins? Who loses?
Let me tell you stories, both real and from the movies. A cousin of mine got married, he must have been about 30 years old, so too the bride, who was also a post-graduate. The newly married couple, with his parents who were my aunt and uncle, and the rest of his siblings, with their partners and kids, came to have lunch at my house one day.
There was a charged electrical atmosphere in the living room where we all sat. The boy's sisters and the nieces were teasing the bride and bridegroom, getting them to sit together on a small couch and act as loving newlyweds.
However, the bride would have nothing to do with this, and very demurely flounced around the room, keeping her husband at bay. And of course, disobeying the dictates of the inlaws, an unheard of thing, but establishing her power.
There were many whispers and talk in undertones that the marriage had not been consummated and everytime he went near her, she would rush up to her mother in law's bedroom, plaintively crying, "He's doing something to me! He'se doing something to me. What is he doing to me? Hide me, save me!"
Well, once again, the story has a happy ending. The marriage was consummated, a happy marriage, loving couple. But, she admitted her mother had taught her to play the game, saying that the power set up in a marriage is very important and the woman only has sex on her side. So, delay the consummation but at the same time flash yourself attractively in front of the husband, so that his desire builds up and when the marriage is consummated, it will be a gift from you to him. Because, you have not handed over your sexual power to satisfy his momentary lust.
And as the leader of the daily sexual ritual you will be the leader, without hurting his feelings.
The Same Story Seen in a Movie
In some countries, marriage and its consummation, is a very public "within the family" event. There is a lot of hype, and a lot of excitement built up, about the consummation and the happiness that can result from a good sex life.
Before the wedding, the women sing many songs and through innuendo and jokes, excite the bride and bridegrooms' feelings that something wonderful awaits them. I suppose you could say this is the one way sex education in taught?
The bride's body is prepared for this sacred exchange, with massages and ointments and all the things would make her glow and her scent be an awakening for the senses. The wedding takes place and the bride is not allowed near her husband for the first two or three days, due to certain ceremonies, visits to her mother's home and the underlying idea that the sex consummation should be an act of well rested bodies. Then, the preparations begin.
The girl is given a glass a milk to take to her husband when he is in his bedroom, but she has to leave the glass of milk there and come away. Maybe even smile at him from the door. This goes on for a couple of days. And then one night she is beautifully prepared with oils and scents, ornaments and flowers, and goes in with a glass of milk and has been given instructions to pleasure and enjoy the pleasure. The sacred exchange takes place and there is great rejoicing.
Today's human beings have no time for this, and an act which is sacred can be done in the back seat of a car, fumblingly in a movie house, and that which could be the biggest gift a woman gives a man becomes ordinary and a matter of gossip in the men's locker room. Who wins? Who loses?
Sequel to the Two Blogs Below
Nothing Neck Downwards..Sequel One
An old lady long dead and gone praised herself for not succumbing to the devil of lust by swearing, "Nothing neck downwards!" Do you know what she meant? I can not ask here, who wins who loses, because with her, according to her, her husband was also a partner in this crime.
The Toothless Bride ?..Sequel Two
If the bride had no teeth, would there be takers? Once again, who wins, who loses?
An old lady long dead and gone praised herself for not succumbing to the devil of lust by swearing, "Nothing neck downwards!" Do you know what she meant? I can not ask here, who wins who loses, because with her, according to her, her husband was also a partner in this crime.
The Toothless Bride ?..Sequel Two
If the bride had no teeth, would there be takers? Once again, who wins, who loses?
I Wore Boots on My Wedding Night, Did You Wear a Black Nighty?
Eons ago, I met a newly married young couple who related a true story to me, even though I was a stranger to them.
The young couple had been married for two weeks and were on their honeymoon, but the young bride spent the whole one hour I was with them trying to convince me that there was no hanky panky in their relationship todate. She was as pure as the white snow, due to her wily safeguarding techniques, short of wearing a chastity belt.
She did not take into consideration the fact that her husband was too much of a gentleman, too kind, too gentle and maybe just plain scared, to demand his conjugal rights. This is her story.
On the wedding night, she changed from all of her bridal finery into three or four pairs of tights, ski pants, trousers, a couple of shirts on top, an anorak, a trench coat, gloves, socks and boots. The only uncovered part of her body was chin upwards.
She could have worn a detective hat but thought the better of it.
The wedding night wore on and on and the boots never came off. But once again, we can call this a success story, and ask, who wins, who loses, because two children were born in wedlock. The marriage was dull, unsuccessful...but the prodginy a success. Who won, who lost?
The young couple had been married for two weeks and were on their honeymoon, but the young bride spent the whole one hour I was with them trying to convince me that there was no hanky panky in their relationship todate. She was as pure as the white snow, due to her wily safeguarding techniques, short of wearing a chastity belt.
She did not take into consideration the fact that her husband was too much of a gentleman, too kind, too gentle and maybe just plain scared, to demand his conjugal rights. This is her story.
On the wedding night, she changed from all of her bridal finery into three or four pairs of tights, ski pants, trousers, a couple of shirts on top, an anorak, a trench coat, gloves, socks and boots. The only uncovered part of her body was chin upwards.
She could have worn a detective hat but thought the better of it.
The wedding night wore on and on and the boots never came off. But once again, we can call this a success story, and ask, who wins, who loses, because two children were born in wedlock. The marriage was dull, unsuccessful...but the prodginy a success. Who won, who lost?
Mama, She's Biting Me!
MAMA, SHE'S BITING ME is the story of a marriage that should have failed, but succeeded.
There was a family of five children, all of them well educated, rather well settled in life, except for the youngest son...who was dim and odd, and possibly with latent homosexuality. But, this part of his development was not acknowledged by anybody.
Being a conventional family, there was great pressure on this boy to get married and after many refusals, he succumbed to the pressure and the wedding took place. Came the wedding night, the bride in all her gaudy finery, waited on the bed, as a sacrificial lamb, in the bedoom. He, swinging his body, and making helpless hand gestures, scrambled up to the terrace of the home and slept in his usual bachelor bed, next to his mother.
The bride waited. The relatives waited. And the hush in the home waited. Nothing happened.
After 5 days, the situation became desperate, and the mother of the groom had to intervene for the sake of family reputation. She locked the bride and bridegroom in the bedroom, admonished her son and still, keeping her blinkers on, came away.
Next morning. The groom hammered and hammered on the door. When the door was opened, he rushed out of the room, bleary-eyed, disheveled and screaming loudly, "She smells! She stinks! She's got bad breath. I've been cheated. How could you all marry me to a woman with rotten teeth?"
Face was saved, the bride was hauled to the dentist and all of her 32 pearly white teeth were pulled out, under the guise of gum disease and rotten teeth. The 20 year old girl turned into an old woman with sunken cheeks, resembling his mother. So, how could he make love to his mother?!
The marriage was never consumated.
The story has a happy ending, because some years later, the eldest son in law of the family, who was kept on a sexual diet by his wife, went to this young-old woman, who lost her virginity and hoorah! Became pregnant by him. A son was born, there were celebrations, three facts were celebrated:
the loss of her virginity, her husband's reputation to be able to father a child and of course, the newborn baby. The fates laughed.
This event took place 70 years ago and can we say, who won? Who lost?
Welcome to OpenTruthBox
This way the truth! No more rosy lies! The Truth Box is Open.
For too long we have lived in a world of lies, and have choked upon the untruth, holding the poison in our throats. Lord Shiva has declared this sacred space open for all of us to express and say what has never been said before.
This is the time for transcendence and transformation, and we cannot live in the world of lies anymore. Speak the truth and save the world. Here is your space to change the world and your chance to express, to say, to write, to share all the pain and joy in your lives.
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