Life and Spirituality

All across India are temples of the Almighty recognized in various names and forms, the most prominent of all being the Lord of The Universe named as Shiva. For worship, Shiva is recognized in diverse forms ranging from the formless infinite to various symbols and the human form known as Shiva Shankar. Yesterday I wrote a small note on Shiva Shankar and a spiritual mantra associated with him. It can be found in a companion blog here: https://nainitalgoddess.blogspot.in/2017/07/jai-shiv-shankar-spiritual-mantra.html In the Hindu lunar month of Sawan that falls around the monsoon month of July every year, the Lord Shiv Shankar is especially worshiped on Mondays regarded, the favorite of the Lord known as Shiva. In this month, a fair is organized near Shiva temples across villages and towns of India. Although I rarely visit temples, being content to pray to the Lord in my heart, home or indeed anywhere, especially secluded natural green forests and mountains where the Lord ...

Text on The Lamentation over the Dead Christ. Tempera on canvas I nformation and news is what humans base many of their actions on. The worst possible human atrocities may be taking place in your town not very far from where you live but if you do not hear of it at all then nothing can be done. In authoritarian countries, flow of information and freedom of speech is carefully controlled by the ruler. However modern democracies pride themselves on freedom of speech. It is necessary in democracies so that people may express their opinions to frame policies that influence their lives as also make to the best possible choices in selecting representatives at time of elections. However even in some of leading democracies media is not totally free, it may have corporate owners who have their own interests to maintain and grow their fortunes. Against this backdrop, the internet has offered a valuable place to seven billion humans on earth to share information and services like...

    O nce upon a time, nestled between pretty green hills lay the happy kingdom of Joy. It was a rich kingdom and the royal family was a kind and generous one. The people were happy and well cared for. Therefore, while world moved on to adopt other forms of governance like democracies, some even dictatorships, Kingdom of Joy continued as an absolute monarchy. Every evening,  people of  Kingdom would gather around the Palace to sing and dance and cheer the King wishing a long life for him. In the fiftieth year of his reign, the King organized an international conference on governance in his kingdom so as to get updated with changes taking place in the world. Leading experts from different countries were invited to the conference. In the opening address, the King requested that in the final plenary session, delegates prepare a one sentence long conclusion in simple language for benefit of all. There would be a day of sight seeing after that and  ...

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Valley_of_flowers_uttaranchal_full_view.JPG by   Araghu “Theologians may quarrel, but the mystics of the world speak the same language.” ― Meister Eckhart L eaving behind ambitions of world and attainments of the world, most of his wealth and property, keeping only the minimum necessary to sustain his remaining years, he became a recluse. When he entered the forests on the mountains and set up his abode there, he became a hermit, a mystic yogi. At first his sleep was disturbed as he tossed and turned through the night, as he resolved the dilemmas and anguish all of us face while in the world for gain, ambition and desire. In time, the tossing and turning subsided. His sleep became as sweet as it was when he was a child. He would wake up early with the same delight that a child wakes up when it is holiday, for every day is a holiday now, each day with its own new magic. He now enjoyed the flowers of the forest...

  T his week seems to have been a great one for all those who wish to understand their journey through the universe and make it joyous. Two books have become available to make this possible for all, over the preceding week. The first of these books is ‘ Astrophysics for People in a Hurry 1st Edition’ by Neil deGrasse Tyson .   He has explained the universe and the cosmos and our place in it in a way that is both interesting and easy to understand by an average reader. https://www.amazon.com/Mystic-Pathways-Love-Peace-Happiness/dp/1546343792/ While we cannot travel physically through our vast and infinite universe, according to mystics our souls can. In fact that is what it is has been doing over several life times. Our physical bodies are born of Mother Earth and cannot go very far from it but our souls are born of Father Universe and may travel to any part in new life times. The challenge before us all is to ensure that this journey is a joyous one an...

W hile some humans, for some of their lives, lead peaceful and happy lives, there are also huge numbers who suffer from varying levels of unhappiness. The unhappiness may vary from severe distress and trauma as for those bombed in their homes and forced to flee as in Syria or Yemen presently, to just those suffering form daily stress and grind of life. It has been so with me too in my journey through life dear friend. It is worth reflecting on the cause of all this and do something to make our lives peaceful and happy for how can there be happiness without peace? Once one discovers root causes of misery and the path to overcome them, one can gain huge amounts peace, happiness and exhilarating joy. While the worldly teach us ways to make money or become more successful, the experience of many is that such paths lead to misery more often than happiness. In the end two things decide course of our lives. First are our own thoughts and actions that create our world and ...

W hile all recognize that being truthful is evolved human behavior leading to progress and lies are bad behavior that produce misery after perhaps some temporary gain, there appear to be exceptions to this rule, at least at first glance. This happens when information is presented selectively albeit truthfully to create an incorrect impression. It is a technique often used by many in some of the major world media to promote an opinion desired by their masters. In this manner the media cannot be held to account for fake reporting and not reporting something can be attributed merely to carelessness. Consider the following fictional account of a democratic election to take place for a President of a fictional country and the two main contenders in the fray are A and B. Mr. A is a crooked, evil and corrupt person but has one good habit. Even the worst of humans may have a good habit or two for he is only human and not yet Satan. Mr. A has a soft corner for old persons ...