Santa & God & Aliens

Does Santa exists? Are there Aliens?? Is there God???

These are questions and doubts we have heard many a time.

And we may have also heard , if you believe in Santa then he is there.

Or for those who believe in God no explanation needed and for those who don't there is no explanation possible.

As for Aliens I have not much interest, but for those who do , they will read every book about them and watch every movie of science fiction with Aliens. For them they exist.

So what is critical - a proof that they exist ? Or a belief that they are there???

Think about it.

Eating, Digesting & Nutrition

What we eat may be a wholesome nutritious meal. But it depends what we really digest ( which has many variables - did we eat in right combination, chew well, enzymes et all) and then eventually what nutrition did the body absorb ( again depends on age, health conditions etc).

Say we eat 100 units of nutrition what really gets absorbed could be much less dependingon various factors. But we don't stop eating!!!!

Now relate this to Shravan ( listening to knowledge) , Manan ( churning it in our heads) and Nidhidhyasan ( assimilation & application).

What we hear, only part we understand & even less is imbibed. This happens due to various factors. We have to figure out what works for us.

Co existence

Scriptures say that when opposites co-exist peacefully and in harmony, that is symbolic of divinity.

If you are crying and laughing at the same time - divinity is there!

Shivji is the best and most quoted example of Divinity

He is called Bholenath as he is one God very easy to please and requires no rituals - on the other hand he is also called Rudra because of his Raudra (angry roop)

He has hot poison in his neck and cool moon and ganga on his head

He has snake and his son Ganesha's vahan rat co-existing

He is the highest Yogi and yet a perfect householder with a wife and 2 sons...

Night and day ; Life & death??? are they opposites? or just nature in peaceful co existence?

Moral: Opposites are meant to co-exist and complement each other. They are not meant to be in conflict.

Thus believe in the fact that God has created EVERYTHING FOR A PURPOSE and EVERYTHING IS NICE. 

We just have to have the right attitude and right kind of learning to understand the purpose and use it  accordingly.

Example: electricity gives us life and so many comforts ( air conditioning, warm water & so on) in so many ways. But if we put our finger in the socket and get a shock - it is not the fault of electricity. It is MISUSE AND IGNORANCE :-)

Major Themes in Gita ( a copy edit paste)

Yoga vs. Renunciation

A number of Eastern religions preach a strict form of asceticism which involves learning to renounce action and will. Renunciation becomes a process, then, of casting off worldly possessions and obligations and proceeding on a quest for nirvana, as the Buddha did. But Hinduism, as dictated by the Gita, urges yoga instead of renunciation. Yoga is literally "skill in action," or the process of using selfless action -- action designed only to unite with the divine -- as the true process to achieving enlightenment. For we cannot help but act, says Krishna. It is our nature -- and because of that, we must learn to act in accordance with the divine, not as the result and in service to our own egos, which are nothing more than destructive illusions.

Saatva vs. Rajas

The three gunas, born of the body, offer three different qualities which can either support or infect our lives on Earth. The ideal, or the least destructive guna, is saatva -- which supports harmony, purity, and balance in the body. Rajas is its opponent, born of passion and often a primary driver of ego, anger, greed, and lust. And finally, there is tamas, or disconnection -- a person eagerly clouds themselves in ignorance and darkness to avoid the process of reaching yoga. These three gunas present a person's natural inclinations. As long as a person is aware of which one he is naturally born to, as a result of his karma, then he can slowly move toward saatva and eventually toward a yoga which is free from the burden of the gunas.

Karma vs. Dharma

The terms dharma and karma often get confused by introductory Hinduism students and with good reason -- they are both products of the samsaric cycle of birth and death, but they have entirely different spheres of purpose. Karma is the accumulation of debt of action in the course of a person's samsaric cycle. Every action has a reaction and over the course of a lifetime, if one is accordance with the divine, he will gradually work off his or her karma. If he is acting selfishly and for ego, then he will accumulate more karma to work off. Reborn, each person finds their "dharma" or duty in order to work off this karma. Some are born to wealthy families, others to poor ones, some to spiritual families, others to evil-doing ones. The question isn't what you are born to, but how you use your life to dissolve as much karma as possible in order to end the samsaric cycle.

Proof vs. Faith

One of the more subtle themes in the Gita is the contrast between faith and evidence -- and humanity's inclination to want to "see" something in order to believe it. Indeed, one of the central tenants of Buddhism is that we must believe what we see -- and spend our lives trying to see as clearly as possible. But Arjuna keeps asking for evidence, or practicalities of how to achieve yoga and meditation, and Krishna finally offers him the sight of him in his most powerful form. Why Krishna doesn't demand total faith is an interesting tension in the Gita, and one that requires careful attention.

Theory vs. Action

Arjuna is constantly asking Krishna for pragmatic advice of how to put the Gita into concrete action. This emphasis on action is at the core of the entire work. What Krishna gives Arjuna, then, are clear steps and hierarchies for achieving the path of yoga. First off, he says meditation is the most important element, for meditation allows a focus on the divine that will inform every aspect of one's life. Second, there is selfless service, and finally, though not as powerful, one can also turn to blind renunciation. Krishna sees an enlightenment as a process that requires self-control and self-discipline in a series of concrete steps.

Seen vs. Unseen

Krishna makes the distinction between the seen world and the unseen world -- both products of his divine lila, or play. The unseen world is the purusha, of which all things are born. It is the spiritually unseen realm that informs everything that comes of prakriti, the material world. As humans, we have a tendency to put a primacy only on what we see instead of believing in a higher realm. Krishna wants Arjuna to have faith in the unseen as the guide of all his actions.

Jinana vs. Vijanana

Jinana is knowledge - and Krishna preaches knowledge as the first step towards true nirvana. The self-awareness that comes with understanding the role of the divine in everything we do will help guide a person towards yoga. But this is not enough. Krishna also encourages vijanana, or the act of using jinana in life, as the key to finding spiritual peace. Vijnana is simply yogic action -- or being able to maintain self-awareness at every moment in life -- even at the moment of death.

Respond , not React ( a copy & paste)

RESPOND NOT REACT - The Cockroach Theory for Self-development

Response Vs Reaction - The Cockroach Theory for Self-development At a restaurant, a cockroach suddenly flew from somewhere and sat on a lady. She started screaming out of fear. With a panic stricken face and trembling voice, she started jumping, with both her hands desperately trying to get rid of the cockroach. Her reaction was contagious, as everyone in her group also got panicky. The lady finally managed to push the cockroach away but ...it landed on another lady in the group. Now, it was the turn of the other lady in the group to continue the drama. The waiter rushed forward to their rescue. In the relay of throwing, the cockroach next fell upon the waiter. The waiter stood firm, composed himself and observed the behavior of the cockroach on his shirt. When he was confident enough, he grabbed it with his fingers and threw it out of the restaurant. Was the cockroach responsible for their histrionic behavior? If so, then why was the waiter not disturbed? He handled it near to perfection, without any chaos. It is not the cockroach, but the inability of the ladies to handle the disturbance caused by the cockroach that disturbed the ladies. We have to realize that it is not the shouting of your father or your boss or your wife that disturbs you, but it’s your inability to handle the disturbances caused by their shouting that disturbs you. It’s not the traffic jams on the road that disturbs you, but your inability to handle the disturbance caused by the traffic jam that disturbs you. More than the problem, it’s your reaction to the problem that creates chaos in your life. Lessons learnt from the story: I understood, I should not react in life. I should always respond. The women reacted, whereas the waiter responded. Reactions are always instinctive whereas responses are always well thought of, just and right to save a situation from going out of hand, to avoid cracks in relationship, to avoid taking decisions in anger, anxiety, stress or hurry. Let's all Practice this - Let's RESPOND, NOT REACT !!!"less