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The materialist often views a religious person as being unsociable, dogmatic and lacking in intellectual insight.There is a certain perception that 'religious' people don't drink or smoke; they pray before every meal, frown at the free mixing of the sexes, are superstitious, impractical and way behind the times. Hence religious people are looked upon as social misfits.
However, the religious person understands that though he may be a social misfit, others are misfits of a different kind. They are spiritual misfits. They do not fit into the wider, more important, spiritual scheme of things.
(See also: Peace on Earth , God and Religion,
Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind
and Soul)
It is important to recognise the difference between bhagavan bhakti (love of God) and religious fundamentalism - however, desh bhakti (love of country) has its own significance. After all, you have to begin with a smaller constituent. People have to get on with their lives. Can you sit back and do nothing if your nation’s security is threatened? Or even if one state’s safety is compromised?
(See also: Peace on Earth , God and Religion,
Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind
and Soul)
Whenever I come across news of violence, be it between individuals, mob factions or between countries, a nightmare usually envelops me, of a return to the days of the caveman. But scenes of the incineration of innocents at Godhra and the retaliatory mass live-burning of hundreds in other parts of Gujarat brought back poignant memories of the Partition massacres.
In extenuation, apologists among us could seek to ascribe the latter at least partially to the departing Brits but who do we blame for our own Millennium Abel and Cain act this past week? Only ourselves: In a land which boasts of its sanskriti, sabhyata, and itihaas - noble words uttered from political pulpits especially at election times, what surfaced in the past week is bestiality at its best (worst?).
(See also: Peace on Earth , God and Religion,
Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind
and Soul)
Through the years, history shows that despite the existence of the caste system and its abuse by vested parties, the idea of equality has always ruled supreme in the minds of India’s sages. In fact, many of India’s most revered saints and philosophers came from the lowest strata of society.
Few are aware about the sacrifices made by some who, since ancient times, have silently worked to uplift human values.
Today, very few know of the invaluable contributions of the selfless humanists who have worked relentlessly for the uplift of the marginalised classes. The name of B R Ambedkar, however, is still fresh in public memory as the saviour of the Dalits. Atrocities continue to be heaped on the weaker sections, in one form or the other. Many saints and sages have stood by the Dalits and many of them were Dalits themselves. The work done by these saints are the real heritage of the Dalits.
(See also: Peace on Earth , God and Religion,
Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind
and Soul)
Information is often tailored to fit preconceived notions and stereotypes. In wartime, we repeatedly air scenes of "our side" coming under attack - scenes of the hellish misery inflicted on the citizens of the other country are rarely broadcast.
Dialogue that creates peace with others must first start with an open and earnest "inner dialogue".
It is vital to ask ourselves: Do I accept without question the images provided to me? Ceasing to introspect, we become self-righteous and dogmatic and discourse becomes a one-way street: Unable to hear others, real dialogue becomes impossible.
(See also: Oneness , Faith and Belief,
Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and
Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)
At the Baba Budan Hills in Karnataka, Muslims revere the shrine as their saint's, while Hindus revere him as Lord Dattatreya. The shrine's manager is Muslim. The Haji Malang shrine near Mumbai is managed by Hindus.
Asia is the fusion of many cultures. Great periods of human history are marked by widespread access of spiritual vitality derived from the fusion of national cultures with foreign influences. So intertwined are our faiths that it is a terrible travesty when violence is carried out in the name of any one faith.
(See also: Oneness , Faith and Belief,
Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and
Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)
It is very easy to advise others. Only the one who suffers knows the extent of the pain. At the same time there is no difference between one person'spain and another"s, whether that person is rich or poor.
No philosophy, sermon or concept will help relieve that suffering immediately. It is useful, however, to remember that at the core of any pain-causing conflict there is duality. We are part of a cycle that contains both pain and pleasure, creating a split between mind and body, delaying the healing process.
Duality is all-pervasive; it is present in everything around us. Even that oft-quoted line from Shakespeare reflects this: "To be or not to be".
(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and
Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)
Spirituality and sustainability go hand in hand. Living in a sustainable manner helps in spiritual growth. This week, representatives of more than a hundred countries are congregating in Johannesburg, South Africa, to discuss and perhaps come to an agreement on how to create sustainable living on Planet Earth.
However, none of the information handouts made available so far have given any indication that there will be discussions on the subject of spirituality and its effects on sustainability.
(See also: Spirituality and sustainability , God and Religion,
Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind
and Soul)
Mahavira, a great prophet and teacher, systematised the Jain doctrines and embodied them in a comprehensive constitution of the faith. He built the edifice of Jainism by renovation, modification and extension. Most of all, he infused new life and vitality into Arhata tradition.
In his own time, he was referred to in Buddhist literature as "Niggantha Naatputte "and his teachings were described as "Nirgrantha Dharma ", a way of life that found its truth in the universe and not in a single scripture.
(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and
Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)
Now more than ever, we require those qualities that Mahatma Gandhi so remarkably embodied - qualities which are crystallised in the philosophy of ahimsa or non-violence that he bequeathed to us: Optimism, activism, love for people, and a holistic, embracing vision.
"I remain an optimist," he said, "not because I give evidence that right is going to prosper, but because of my unflinching faith that right must prosper in the end."
For Gandhi, at the deepest level of the human spirit, non-violence is never defeated. Violence, in contrast, inevitably ends in defeat.
(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and
Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)
Now more than ever, we require those qualities that Mahatma Gandhi so remarkably embodied - qualities which are crystallised in the philosophy of ahimsa or non-violence that he bequeathed to us: Optimism, activism, love for people, and a holistic, embracing vision.
"I remain an optimist," he said, "not because I give evidence that right is going to prosper, but because of my unflinching faith that right must prosper in the end."
For Gandhi, at the deepest level of the human spirit, non-violence is never defeated. Violence, in contrast, inevitably ends in defeat.
(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace in Mind, Love and
Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)
Islam and Hinduism: Symbiotic
Mysticism In Devotional Poems
Few have heard of the mystic poems
Brahma Prakash or Dasa Avatar by the mediaeval Muslim saint Pir Shams. Both are
famous ginans of South Asia's Ismaili community, sometimes also known as Khojas
or Aga Khanis in popular parlance.
Ginans are hymn-like poems of
spiritual import. They are revered by the faithful in deep veneration as
repositories of wisdom and spiritual knowledge, and as transmitting the
essential teachings of the Holy Qur'an in the vernacular. Composed in Sindhi,
Gujarati, Hindustani and Punjabi among other subcontinental languages, the
oldest are ascribed to the pirs or saints who first preached Ismaili Islam
in India nearly 1,000 years ago.
When I pass by the neighbourhood mosque, I bow my head in
respect just as I do when I pass by the temple. The mullah's call to the
faithful turns me towards prayer and God. I go through the same upsurge of
emotions when I visit a church or gurdwara. When I bow my head in humility to
Christ and the Guru Granth Sahib, I see in them my beloved Lord
Krishna. Similarly, when I hear the Buddhist chant: ''Buddham Sharanam
Gachchhami'', it continues to reverberate within me for long after, giving
me the same sense of peace I experience when I say my usual prayers.
Thirty years ago the historian Arnold
Toynbee and Daisaku Ikeda, head of the Japanese Buddhist Soka Gokkai
International, discussed at length various pertinent issues, trying to discern
the future direction that our world must take if it is to survive these
"times of the end".
Toynbee remarks, "...The question of mankind's
future religion arises because all the current religions have proved
unsatisfactory... A future religion that is to bring into being, and to keep in
being, a new civilisation will have to be one that will enable mankind to
contend with, and to overcome, the evils that are serious present threats to
human survival."
Islam and Hinduism: The
Thousand Names of Vishnu and Allah
Allah is Al-Ahad or The One and
Vishnu is called Eka, The One. It's curious but there are striking similarities
between the many names of Vishnu and those of Allah.
In the 20th century great changes took place as a result
of experiments and developments in a broad range of human activities, in
economics, politics, and science. The past hundred years' experiences have made
us appreciate the importance of freedom, and the significant contributions of
individual and private enterprise in improving the economy. We also began to
recognise the importance of putting a stop to the production and proliferation
of weapons of tremendous destructive power.
Having been born into a secular Hindu
family which venerates a Sufi saint, I have always thought I had a special
advantage over my friends whose faith in their respective religions would
perhaps be more limiting than mine. So, while we commemorate the Urs of our
Pir, we also celebrate Diwali and New Year at his shrine. Are we Muslim, Hindu,
Sufi or Christian?
The 20th century has been one of the most memorable
periods in history. Imperialism, colonialism and feudalism folded up and
monarchy died a natural death, showing that however powerful a tradition may
be, it becomes redundant once its role in social evolution is over. The driving
force and the foremost objective of that process is greater freedom for
mankind.
Nearly 121 million children around
the world receive little or no schooling, and the majority of these children
are girls. Why is the gender divide so deep? What is holding us back from
pursuing a policy of enlightened self-interest?
The Baha'i international community
has long recognised the importance of educating girls because as future
mothers, they would be better equipped to encourage Generation X - of either
gender - to go to school. Nearly 90 years ago, Abdu'l-Baha said: "The
education of women is of greater importance than the education of men, for they
are the mothers of the race, and mothers play an important role in rearing
children. So, they must be capably trained in order to educate both sons and
daughters".
All creatures, big and small, are beautiful creations of
God. Very often, however, we tend to either ignore the "small" or
exploit them for selfish reasons. This is where religion and spirituality can
help - to restore to us a holistic perspective so that all of God's creations
are given due respect.
Religious thought and spirituality serve a larger purpose
only when they find positive expression in action. Theory without
implementation is of no use. I fear that the concepts of religion and
spirituality are being hijacked by humans for their own selfish purposes,
leaving out all the other, equally if not more valid forms of life.
It does not matter to a man of awareness whether he is successful or unsuccessful, well-known or absolutely unknown, powerful or just a nobody. To a man of awareness, these dualities don't matter at all, because awareness is the greatest treasure. When you have it, you don't want anything else. You don't want to become the president or prime minister of a country.
Those who pursue power suffer even in success - they live in the eternal fear that they might lose it. At first they suffered because they were not successful; now after being successful, too, they are suffering because of a feeling of insecurity.
(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and
Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)
Despite the stupendous achievements in various fields today, peace and happiness continue to elude humankind. Although peace and happiness have to be generated from within, we have started relying more and more on external factors to solve our internal problems.
The progress we see today is mainly of the external world. But, this is no measure of individual evolution. If the individual wants to be peaceful and happy, he must uplift himself.
(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and
Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)
