Thoughts, words, actions....fate!

Thoughts, words, actions....fate!

Pay attention to your thoughts; because they become words
Pay attention to your words; because they become actions
Pay attention to your actions; because they become habits
Pay attention to your habits; because they become your character
Pay attention to your character; because it is your fate.

What you do, becomes a habit

What you practice frequently, becomes part of you.

All habits & practices ( good and bad) become your character.

Praying for all ( with copy paste from Wikipedia)

I am only aware of the Hindu and Sikh religion and in both the prayers end with praying for the good of every one. Have copy pasted a bit about the Praying for all done by Hindus & Sikhs below. Am sure there is something similar in other religions and hope the readers will add it in the comments.

The Sikh concept of "Sarbaht dah Phahla" which means "blessings for everyone" or literally "May everyone Prosper".

This statement is repeated by all practising Sikhs at least twice daily (if not more) as part of their Nitnem (daily prayers). This concept is central to Sikhism and forms a very important and essential role in the religious philosophy of the Sikh Gurus.

To put this in concise and clear language, it means that the Sikh desires, prays and asks God for the:

• Well being of all of humanity

• Prosperity for everyone in the worldwide community   and

• Global Peace for the entire planet

A true Sikh selflessly prays daily for "all to prosper". This gesture comes from the clear and pure teaching of Gurbani (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, SGGS) and forms the Gurmat code of conduct. Gurbani tells us that there are no "others". There is only One. The same One God resides within all. We are all the children of that One God. As the potter makes pots of different forms and colors from the same basic clay; and as the goldsmith moulds jewellery of various types, colors and shapes from the same single homogenous material, gold; similarly, we are all born of the same One Light. There is no difference.

• "Nanak Naam Chardikala, teraa bhanaa Sarbaht dah Phahla"
 which can be translated as "Nanak asks for 'Naam' (name of God) with which comes well being, happiness and positive spirit and with your blessings, Lord may everyone in the world prosper and be in peace" or can be broken down as:

• Nanak, With Naam comes Chardi Kala and with your blessings, may there be peace for all

All Sikhs narrate this prayer called the Ardas (final request/prayer to God) at least twice a day. In the ardas, the Sikhs say the following line near the end of the Ardas:-

(part of the Ardas performed daily by all practising Sikhs)

Similarly a simple prayer "lokah samastha sukhino bhavanthu" is what most Hindu's will do at the end of a prayer ceremony or any spiritual gathering.

Let's look more closely at the meaning of each word of this invocational mantra:

lokah: location, realm, all universes existing now

samastah: all beings sharing that same location

sukhino: centered in happiness and joy, free from suffering

bhav: the divine mood or state of unified existence

antu: may it be so, it must be so (antu used as an ending here transforms this mantra into a powerful pledge)

May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all.

This is a prayer each one of us can practice every day. It reminds us that our relationships with all beings and things should be mutually beneficial if we ourselves desire happiness and liberation from suffering. No true or lasting happiness can come from causing unhappiness to others. No true or lasting freedom can come from depriving others of their freedom. If we say we want every being to be happy and free, then we have to question everything that we do-how we live, how we eat, what we buy, how we speak, and even how we think.

Study groups

Why is it recommended to study scriptures in groups or with a teacher/ learned person?

Many reasons and explanations

1. Collective effort, sum of all
2. Sharing understanding & experiences
3. Reading individually one may take it 
1. Literally & not understand the subtle knowledge
2. Each one will understand as per his/nature & circumstances 

Whether its Gita study groups or Bible study groups, the objective & endeavour is same : knowledge for spiritual growth! 

Shreyas & Preyas

Short term gain & long term pain ...is the approach of the unaware. They are not equipped to or interested in long term good. Preyas. What we want. Usually easy way out.

And short term pain and long term gain is approach taken with knowledge. For example all the vaccinations we give out kids...pain for a while, ever for a day & immunity for life!!! Mothers almost forcing / coercing kids to eat vegetables!!! Fathers making their kids run !!!

Shreyas. What we should do. Usually tough in beginning but best way for long run.

This path / such choices can only be made when we have the knowledge of what is good/right for the long run and for good of all.

Why some people put ash on their forehead?

In many Indian traditions we put mud on our foreheads & here is why...
1. To pay respect to the land we live on
2. For gratitude to Earth for giving us food
3. Its the grossest of the 5 elements that we can see, feel, smell & touch. 

Apart from patriotism & gratitude , its a reminder that we will merge back into Earth.

Also Catholics have Ash Wednesday as a tradition to mark beginning of Lent.

Ashes are a sign of physical death, as in 'ashes to ashes, dust to dust.' We began as dust (a joyless and lifeless existence), and our bodies will return to dust until we are raised up by God. By receiving ashes and keeping them on, we publicly proclaim our intent to die to our worldly desires and live even more in God's image.

Many Hindu's apply ash every morning as a daily reminder of the above. 

I Want Happiness

I Want Happiness
Remove I as that represents EGO

Want Happiness
remove Want as that is a Desire ( remember desire is the cause of all suffering!)

Happiness is what you have & are

Love and God

Love is easy to feel and difficult to define.

There is love in being quite, in listening, in sharing, in patience, in given , in taking and the list goes on. Its all around us. Everything is related to love.

When they say Love is God , its reminding us that God is in everything and we are all a part of it.

Mahabharat simplified ( a copy paste from an email based on tweets on Twitter )

The Mahabharata has around 1 lakh verses contained in 18 chapters. Can an epic of such proportion be summarized in just 36 tweets, which has a character limit of only 140 characters? Sounds crazy, right? But not for eminent mythologist and storyteller, Devdutt Pattanaik. He tweeted the whole story of Mahabharata in 40 minutes with the help of 36 tweets, proving the age old adage right that says brevity is the soul of wit. Hats off …

01/36 Prince of Hastinapur , Bhisma . He gives up sex & inheritance so that his father can marry an ambitious fisherwoman

02/36 Fisherwoman Satyavati’s sons die childless. Sage Vyasa is called to impregnate the 2 widows who beget 2 sons: 1 blind & 1 pale

03/36 Pale younger Pandu gets crown, 2 wives and curse of death if he touches a woman. Effectively childless, he withdraws to forest

04/36 Blind elder Dhritarashtra becomes regent and clings to throne. He gets a wife Gandhari who blindfolds herself

05/36 Pandu’s 1st wife Kunti uses a mantra and compels 3 Gods to give her 3 sons. Same mantra gets 2nd wife Madri twin sons

06/36 Impatient and frustrated Gandhari strikes pregnant belly. Out comes a ball of flesh that Vyasa transforms into 100 sons

07/36 Dhritarashtra’s 100 Kauravs raised in palace. Pandu’s 5 Pandavs raised in forest. Pandu dies soon after. Madri kills herself

08/36 Orphaned Pandavs return to palace with Kunti and raised alongside resentful Kauravs. Bhisma appoints Drona as joint tutor

09/36 As tuition fee for martial training Drona demands half of Panchala kingdom to settle an old score. Pandavs make it happen

10/36 Blind uncle gifts triumphant Pandavs a (lac) palace. Kauravs set it aflame. Pandavs escape bid on life and hide in forest

11/36 In forest mighty Pandav Bhim kills barbarian Baka & Hidimba and marries their sister Hidimbi who begets a son Ghatotkacha

12/36 Panchala-king Drupada hopes to avenge division of his kingdom through daughter Draupadi and sons Shikhandi and Dhristadhyumna

13/36 Talented charitable Karna disqualified from archery contest at Panchala as he is charioteer’s foster son, unworthy of princess

14/36 Archer Pandav Arjun disguised as priest wins contest; wins Draupadi; shares her with brothers on mother’s orders

15/36 Pandavs meet and befriend their cousin Krishna at Panchala archery contest. Receive support on revealing true identity

16/36 With Krishna as friend and Draupada as father-in-law, Pandavs boldly return to Hastinapur and claim their father’s inheritance

17/36 Kingdom divided. Pandavs get the forest of Khandava, which they burn and clear to build fabulous city of Indraprastha

18/36 Arjun, exiled for intruding Draupadi’s privacy, travels, meets and marries Uloopi, Chitrangada and Krishna’s sister, Subhadra

19/36 Guided by Krishna, Bhim kills mighty Jarasandha in duel. Impressed, all kings attend eldest Pandav Yudhishtir’s coronation

20/36 Jealous Kaurav Duryodhan & cunning ShakuniMama invite Pandavs to gamble. Yudhishtir loses kingdom, himself, brothers and common wife Draupadi

21/36 Jubilant Kaurav Dushasan tries disrobing haughty Draupadi to humiliate Pandavs but she is rescued by Krishna’s miracle

22/36 Draupadi swears to tie hair after washing it in Dushasan’s blood. Unnerved Kauravs grant Pandavs 1 more game to win back kingdom

23/36 Pandavs lose. Exiled in forest for 13 years. Final year as servants: humiliation as well as lesson in humility

24/36 Exile over. Kauravs refuse to return Pandav land. Peace efforts fail. Pandavs declare war with 7 armies. Kauravs have 11

25/36 Armies meet at Kurukshetra. Before war, Arjun loses confidence. Krishna gives him perspective (Bhagavad Gita). 18-day war starts

26/36 Bhisma can choose hour of death; blocks victory; lowers bow before transsexual Shikhandi; pinned to ground by Arjun’s arrows

27/36 Drona is next commander; ruthlessly breaks all rules of war; fights at night; gets Abhimanyu and Ghatotkacha killed

28/36 False rumours that his son (or elephant) Ashwatthama is dead makes Drona lower his bow; Dhristadhyumna beheads him

29/36 Karna leads Kauravs despite knowing he is Kunti’s illegitimate abandoned firstborn. Ignorant Pandavs mock his low status

30/36 On Krishna’s advice, Arjun kills unarmed Karna as latter tries to pull out chariot wheel stuck in mud; consumed by guilt later

31/36 Bhim kills all Kauravs; drinks Dushasan’s blood; washes & ties Draupadi’s hair; unlawfully strikes Duryodhan fatally on thigh

32/36 The Pandavs celebrate victory. Ashwatthama sets aflame battle camp at night and kills Draupadi’s 5 sons & 2 bros as they sleep

33/36 Yudhishtir crowned king. Only surviving heir alive is Abhimanyu’s unborn son, Parikshit. Mother, uncle, aunt go to forest to die

34/36 After a long successful reign, Yudhishtir learns of Krishna’s death and renounces kingdom

35/36 Pandavs & Draupadi travel to mountains. All fall to their deaths except Yudhishtir who is granted access to paradise

36/36 Yudhishtir finds Kauravs in paradise! He is furious until he realises: as long as he clings to rage, heaven can never be his

Sun & Moon, again

The Sun stays constantly the same , however we feel different level of intensity as the Earth rotates & revolves, over the period of day & year.

Similarly the Moon, also moves and added to Earths movement it wanes & increases and appears in different parts of the skies.

Its a pattern which is there and we are all aware of it and some to a greater level of detail about the how & why. Some want to understand the pattern and rest just accept it.

The Sun & Moon are experienced by Earth.
The Moon experiences the Earth & the Sun.
The Sun is just doing what it was meant to, and has no other experience related to the movement of the Earth & the Moon.

Think about it.

TIME

Definition of TIME !
Slow.. when you wait !
Fast.. when you are Late !
Deadly.. when you are Sad !
Short.. when you are happy !
Endless.. when you are in Pain !
Long.. when you feel bored !
Everytime, time is determined by your feelings and psychological conditions and not by clocks.
So Have A sweet Time Always !

When we say someone is having a good time meaning God/Luck is favouring him or a bad time period indicating that circumstances are not in his favour, it is sometimes related to to past karmas too.

Prayers before eating

The human form needs food as food provides one of the forms of energy.

Food comes from nature and if you trace it backwards, it goes back to the 5 elements & Sun

All religions follow that we must say prayers before eating.

Why we say prayers before eating?

• To say Thank you to GOD 
• To be grateful to the farmers who toil in the heat and all those connected in the process of bring the food to the table ( farers, storage folks, traders, sellers & resellers, our family that buys, mom & helpers that cook) 
• To offer to God and then it becomes prasad
• When we share with God & eat the impurities go away.
• When we eat with gratitude & thinking of God & thanking God , the Bhava is pure and that goes to the food as well.

FOOD MANTRA: From Bhagavad Gita 4.24 and 15.14

Brahmaarpanam Brahma Havir, Brahmaagnau Brahmanaa Hutam

Brahmaiva Tena Gantavyam, Brahma Karma Samaadhinaha 
[4th chapter 24th verse of Bhagavad Geetha] The act of offering is Brahman. The offering itself is Brahman. The offering is done by Brahman in the sacred fire which is Brahman. He alone attains Brahman who, in all actions, is fully absorbed in Brahman. (As we chant this prayer we are offering the different types of food to Brahman). 
[4th chapter 24th verse of Bhagavad Geetha] The act of offering is Brahman. The offering itself is Brahman. The offering is done by Brahman in the sacred fire which is Brahman. He alone attains Brahman who, in all actions, is fully absorbed in Brahman. (As we chant this prayer we are offering the different types of food to Brahman). 

Aham Vaishvaanaro Bhutva, Praaninaam Dehamaashritha    
Praanaapaana Samaa Yuktaha, Pachaamyannam Chatur Vidam 
[15th chapter 14th verse of Bhagavad Geetha] This sloka is a sort of acknowledgement and assurance to us from Brahman. "I am Vaishnavara, existing as fire God in the bodies of living beings. Being associated with ingoing (prana) and outgoing (apaana) life breaths, I will digest all the four different types of food (that which we bite and chew, bread; that which we lick, honey; those which we squeeze, sugarcane; that which we drink, milk) and purify them."



We should partake food with a Sathwic mind. Our ancestors recommended the offering of food to God before partaking. Food so partaken becomes "Prasad". Prayer cleanses the food of the impurities; caused by the absence of cleanliness of the vessel, cleanliness of the food stuff, and cleanliness in the process of cooking. It is necessary to get rid of these three impurities to purify the food; for, pure food goes into the making of a pure mind. It is not possible to ensure the purity of the cooking process, since we do not know what thoughts rage in the mind of the man who prepares the food. Similarly, we cannot ensure the cleanliness of the food ingredients as we do not know whether it was acquired in a righteous way by the seller who has sold it to us. Hence, it is essential on our part to offer food to God in the form of prayer, so that these three impurities do not afflict our mind.
"The food thus offered to God is digested by 'Vaishwanara" in the digestive system. Since God exists in the form of fire as Vaishwanara, He digests the food along with the impurities. So, man will not be affected even if the impurities enter the food."