A FORWARD….

A Difficult Judgment !!
In a small town, a person decided to open up his "Bar" business, which was right opposite to a Temple. TheTemple & its congregation started a campaign to block the Bar from opening with petitions and prayed daily against his business.

Work progressed. However, when it was almost complete and was about to open a few days later, a strong lightning struck the Bar and it was burnt to the ground.

The Temple folks were rather smug in their outlook after that, till the Bar owner sued the Temple authorities on the grounds that the Temple through its congregation & prayers was ultimately responsible for the demise of his Bar shop, either through direct or indirect actions or means.

In its reply to the court, the Temple vehemently denied all responsibility or any connection that their prayers were reasons to the Bar shop’s demise. As the case made its way into court, the judge looked over the paperwork at the hearing and commented:

“I don’t know how I’m going to decide this case, but it appears from the paperwork, we have a Bar owner who believes in the power of prayer and we have an entire Temple and its devotees that doesn’t.”

HE WHO OWNS,TAKES IT BACK.

As you come, so will you leave, you fool; as you were born, so will you die. As you enjoy pleasures, so will you suffer pain? Forgetting the Naam, the Name of the Lord, you will fall into the terrifying world-ocean. Gazing upon your body and wealth, you are so proud. Your love for gold and sexual pleasures increases; why have you forgotten the Naam, and why do you wander in doubt?

You do not practice truth, abstinence, self-discipline or humility; the ghost within your skeleton has turned to dry wood. You have not practiced charity, donations, cleansing baths or austerities. Without the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, your life has gone in vain. Attached to greed, you have forgotten the Naam. Coming and going, your life has been ruined. When the Messenger of Death grabs you by your hair, you will be punished. You are unconscious, and have fallen into Death's mouth.

Day and night, you jealously slander others; in your heart, you have neither the Naam, nor compassion for all. Without the Word of the Guru's Shabad, you will not find salvation or honor. Without the Lord's Name, you shall go to hell.

In an instant, you change into various costumes, like a juggler; you are entangled in emotional attachment and sin. You gaze here and there upon the expanse of Maya; you are intoxicated with attachment to Maya.

You act in corruption, and put on ostentatious shows, but without awareness of the Shabad, you have fallen into confusion. You suffer great pain from the disease of egotism. Following the Guru's Teachings, you shall be rid of this disease.

Seeing peace and wealth come to him, the faithless cynic become proud in his mind. But 'He' who owns this body and wealth, takes them back again, and then the mortal feels anxiety and pain deep within.

At the very last instant, nothing goes along with you; all is visible only by His Mercy. God is our Primal and Infinite Lord; enshrining the Lord's Name in the heart, one crosses over.

You weep for the dead, but who hears you weeping? The dead have fallen to the serpent in the terrifying world-ocean. Gazing upon his family, wealth, household and mansions, the faithless cynic is entangled in worthless worldly affairs.

He comes when the Lord sends him; when the Lord calls him back, he goes. Whatever he does, the Lord is doing. The Forgiving Lord forgives him.

I seek to be with those who have tasted this sublime essence of the Lord. Wealth, miraculous spiritual powers, wisdom and spiritual knowledge, are obtained from the Guru. The treasure of liberation is obtained in His Sanctuary.

The Gurmukh looks upon pain and pleasure as one and the same; he remains untouched by joy and sorrow. Conquering his self-conceit, the Gurmukh finds the Lord;'Nanak says, he intuitively merges into the Lord.

maya

The Mystical Maya

In Devi Bhagwata Purana, it is mentioned that once Narada asked Vishnu about the secret nature of Maya (Illusion).

"What is Maya?" asked Narada.

"The world is my Maya. He who accepts this, realizes me," said Vishnu.

"Before I explain, will you fetch me some water?" requested the Lord pointing to a river.

Narada did as he was told. But on his way back, he saw a beautiful woman. Smitten by her beauty, he begged the woman to marry him. She agreed.

Narada built a house for his wife on the banks of the river. She bore him many children. Loved by his wife, adored by his sons and daughters, Narada forgot all about his mission to fetch water for Vishnu.

In time, Narada's children had children of their own. Surrounded by his grandchildren, Narada felt happy and secure. Nothing could go wrong.

Suddenly, dark clouds enveloped the sky. There was thunder, lightning, and rain. The river overflowed, broke its banks and washed away Narada's house, drowning everyone he loved, everything he possessed. Narada himself was swept away by the river.

"Help, help. Somebody please help me," he cried. Vishnu immediately stretched out his hand and pulled Narada out of the water.

Back in Vaikuntha, Vishnu asked, "Where is my water?"

"How can you be so remorseless? How can you ask me for water? when I have lost my entire family?"

Vishnu smiled. "Calm down, Narada. Tell me, where did your family come from? From Me! I am the only reality, the only entity in the cosmos that is eternal and unchanging. Everything else is an illusion ' a mirage, constantly slipping out of one's grasp."

"You, my greatest devotee, knew that. Yet, enchanted by the pleasures of worldly life, you forgot all about me. You deluded yourself into believing that your world and your life were all that mattered and nothing else was of any consequence. As per your perspective, the material world was infallible, invulnerable, and perfect. That is Maya."

Thus Vishnu dispelled Narada's illusion, bringing him back to the realm of reality and making him comprehend the power of Maya over man.

ABOVE ALL…

No vision can graspHim.
But His grasp is over every vision.

Don't just open my eyes,
open my soul!
Join your heart to mine
to make me whole.

Give me a world
I've never been shown,
show me the places
I've never known.(an unknown author)

Karmas bond the Soul.

Jiva (soul), All living beings are called Jivas. Jivas have consciousness known as soul, which is also called the Atma (soul ' chetan), the soul and body are two different entities. The soul cannot be reproduced. It is described as a sort of energy which is indestructible, invisible, and shapeless. Jivas are divided in to five categories ranging from one sensed to five sensed beings. The body is merely a home foe the soul. At the time of death, the soul leaves the body to occupy a new one. Soul has an infinite capacity to know and perceive. This capacity of the soul is not experienced in its present state because of accumulated karmas.

Influx of Karmas,Influx of Karman particles to the soul is caused by wrong belief, vowlessness, negligence, and psychophysical activities. Such influx of karmas is facilitated by mental, physical or verbal activities.

By undertaking activities like providing food or other items to the need people, doing charity work, propagating religion etc we acquire good karmas, which when mature bring forth worldly comfort and happiness.

By undertaking bad activities like being cruel or violent, showing disrespect to parents or teachers, and others, being angry or greedy and showing arrogance or indulging in indecencies etc we acquire bad karmas, which when mature bring forth worldly sufferings, misery, and unhappiness.

Bondage of karmas, Bondage of Karman particles with the soul occur when we react to any situation with a sense of attachment or aversion.

Influx of Karman particles with the soul can be stopped by observing carefulness, control, monkshood, contemplating of the twelve mental reflections and sufferings.

Eradication of karmas, Karmas can be shed off by putting in active efforts for karmas to mature earlier than due time. This can be achieved by performing penance, repentance, asking for forgiveness for the discomfort or injury we might have caused to some one, meditation etc.

Liberation, When we get rid of all the karmas, good or bad, we attain liberation or moksha.