LIFE AND DEATH – FINDING THE REAL PURPOSE OF OUR LIFE

Posted on August 10, 2014by dsharmadxb

As a Human we believe that we are born to excel in materialistic life and constantly try to roll up the wealth and materialistic desires, we run hard in our lives to accomplish the best of this world. Since birth we motivate our kids to surpass in their study get the best marks and to have best career where they can realize the utmost. If you see as a one side of the coin it looks perfect what is wrong in thinking in such a way, after all, most of us think in that way and it looks right as well. But it has other side of the coin which no one has time to explore in their busy materialistic life. The million $ question is how you define what is faulty and what is right.

“The Real Purpose of our life” – we start with a normal Human being, they born work hard in their life to reach where many dreams. They earn and amass good wealth and then one fine day they die, but thereafter can they do anything with their wealth. We all born with empty hand and we leave this world in the same way. What will go with us is our Karma account, what deed we did in our life, how many times we cheated, how many times we bring the happiness in others life. It means what we are doing is not hundred percentage right, did we ever introspect what we are doing, why we are not in peace, why we have so many problems. We all are trapped in our own web which we have created for ourselves in the name of society, peer group or due to other reasons. We just want to justify our actions because we don’t want to follow the right path we all are slaves of our desires.

It doesn’t mean that we should not have desires, but more important is what we do to fulfill them. Whether we are doing the right Karma or we indulge in wrong doing. It means, we should learn how to balance the life where you can do your right Karma in such a way that greed will never overpower you and satisfaction and peace will always stay with us. To understand this I would like to start with the very important aspect of life who we are, we are nothing but the soul trapped in the leased Body for the period decided by the supreme GOD. Once you died the soul will leave the Body and as per the destiny it will re acquire another Body and this cycle will go on and on continuously. It is mentioned in the Grun Puran (Indian Vedic Text) that when the soul comes in the womb, it has full knowledge of ultimate reality, the soul prays to the God that why you are again sending me in this materialistic world and why you want me to again become the slave of my desires and greed. But once the birth takes place the knowledge will subside in your sub-conscious  mind, buried deep inside and with your first cry you will start your life like a new book. The process is endless.

Now does it really make a difference if I follow the right path or the wrong path as in any case we have to re-born in this endless cycle. To understand further we have to understand the theory, as there is no guarantee that in your next birth you will be a Human, as per Vedic Texts, it all depend on your Karma. After Death your account of bad Karma and good Karma is evaluated and based on that you will send to hell or heaven for a temporary phase. Further, it is decided based on your Karma that in your next birth you will get a Human Body or of Animal Body, and once you are in Animal form then it will take thousands of birth to get the Human Body. It means Human Body is precious and difficult to get and Human is the only living form where GOD has given Intelligence to understand and unfold the ultimate truth of life through religious and spiritual way and can try to come out from this endless cycle of birth.

“Does it make a difference for me as a common man” if you have no problem in your life, you can go ahead do whatever you want to do. But ask yourself one question are you happy with your life, do you have peace, do you have tensions or stress. If the answer is yes, then it’s the high time you should think over what you are doing in your life. In real life we have so many examples of big personalities who earned a lot, but in the end when they died other people are enjoying on that money and they just left this world with empty hand. Do you want to enjoy your life with the real nectar of life or you just want to work hard and amass wealth for others to enjoy (it includes your children, for detail reasons I will write in next blog).

To summarize this we can say nothing in wrong to have desires, but you should not have greed you should know what are you doing to earn money. You should not be involved in bad Karma or any wrong doing which may be harmful to others just to get your own selfishness. Don’t be a slave of your desires. You should try to devote part of your time in exploring spirituality and God it will help you in your life to have a satisfied and peaceful life.

How To Live with Spirituality in Modern day Life

First of all I would like to thank to all my friends who do lot of arguing on spirituality which activate my thought process to cook something really nice. Recently I was discussing about our modern day life and how in this material world we can practice the "Dharma" or spiritual principles and is there any limit for a common man?

I have realized that there is a big misconception on this subject, mostly people feel that it is very tough to follow the spiritual path in this material world and if we follow the spiritual path then it is wrong to have material desires, even though I am not the master in this subject but I feel that I should try my best to explain

.

First and foremost what is spiritualism we have to understand that, mostly we have a misconception that if you follow the spiritualism it means you will be involved in prayers for full day or give-up your materials desires or live like a saint or something like that. But in my view spiritualism is nothing but a way to connect yourself with the God, to follow the path of truth and not do the acts which are wrong, for example we all do prayers in the morning and sometime morning & evening for getting the blessing from the God but later in the day do we follow the path of truth or taking the right decisions? Or Sacrificing our self interest, as most of the time people do prayers and when they will go for their jobs or business they do all kind of wrong things just for their personal benefits for either money or professional reasons, it means you are not following the right path you are just faking or lying yourself of doing so and that is the reason in long run people face problems in their life and then they will question why this is happening to us even we believe in GOD and still God is punishing us. The problem is very simple, we all believe in GOD but we don't believe in his teachings. It is like we want to eat half cooked pan cake and complaining about the taste. Life has a very simple principles what you give to this world will come back to you either Good or Bad, it's on you and nature is neutral for all of us it never take sides just return your deed to you with interest.

The problem is most of the time we lie to ourselves that we believe in God but we are not, most of the time we do prayers for example when we believe in Goddess Luxmi and pray her for success and prosperity then how we can disbelief the Origin of her (उत्पत्ति) (In Hinduism Luxmi origin is from the sea as described in Samudra manthan, Ksheera Sagara Mathanam ('క్షీర సాగర మధనం' in Telugu) or Ksheera Sagara Manthanam. Churning of the Ocean of Milk is one of the most famous periods in the Puranas. The story appears in the Bhagavata Purana, the Mahabharata and the Vishnu Purana. But most of the people they believe this is a fiction or mythology, I will write on this also in coming days) , this is the problem with us, we don't believe the full facts we believe what we want to believe and the result is in front of us, we have to think in totality if not than we may have success but not satisfaction, we may have money but no time to enjoy or utilize that, if you would like to die as a ATM machine it's your choice.

One of the most important aspect of this I would like to discus i.e. learn to listen your heart than your mind, there are times when your mind may misguide you for selfishness but your heart will never misguide you and always tell you what is the right path, I am telling you this as I am doing that and I have seen the difference. This is one of the ways to advance you on the path of truth. I don't think these are very difficult things and we can't follow.

The next question arise that what should be the limit for common man, very simple, if you are practicing the path of truth than nothing else is required that is the limit, you need not to go to Himalaya and do the meditation for years that is for Great Souls not for the common man if God has written this in your destiny than definitely you will do that so better leave this on God and just follow the path of Truth. To explain the power of truth I will give you very simple example if you all remember in our old stories about Saint, there were incidents when due to some reason these Saint got angry and they cursed the people and it happened why? the theory is very simple when a person always utter a truth nothing but the truth in his life for years automatically whatever is coming out from his mouth becomes the truth, it may sound little bit crazy but this is the real truth.

Most important thing is once you start practicing the truth and the prayer, automatically you can feel the difference in your life more happiness, more satisfaction and realization of the real meaning of your life, in that case your heart will guide you, and you feel like from inside to have the ultimate ecstasy of your life and for that you will have inside desire to follow the right way and ready to sacrifice your wrong desires or habits or even wrong food habits, but this you will not do in any compulsion or out of fanatic act, you would like to do these things as you already tested the nectar of PARAM-ANAND or ecstasy, which will give you the ultimate satisfaction and happiness.  Therefore there is no limit is spirituality as the more you advance the more you want to go further. For example if someone fall in true love they can go up-to any limit, same way if you start the true relation with God you yourself feel like to do best to achieve the internal satisfaction. Remember to find the best quality pearls you have to go deep in the ocean.

Now to summarize I would like to say it’s on personal choice of an individual how he want to follow the spiritual path or path of Dharma, it’s like more the sugar more the sweetness. Further as far as modern day life is considered there is no harm to have materials desires and in enjoying them until unless you become a slave of your desires and start following the wrong paths to acquire them. As a common man I also have a big list of materials desires but I try to follow the right path.

Choice is your choose wisely. 

Money with Peace

You must be thinking when everyone behind money why I am talking about this crazy things, we are in a society where money got the first place and I am talking of Money with Peace, looks funny for some but the fact remain if we can achieve that than you can say you did the job, but how? that is the million dollar question.

Few days back I had a conversation with someone very good friend of mine and I have realized due to the society and peer pressure we are force to live a life otherwise given a chance would not like to have, our needs are not much but due to peer group behaviour and other constraint we think to earn the maximum money and buying the material thing is the only goal of our life and then we fall in a trap and black hole of life till the date we realize we have everything but now the time is over and we can't enjoy due to health issues, ages issues and you are not more than an ATM where your children withdrawing money and enjoying and in some cases you feel frustrated as you did such a hard work to earn that and they don't understand the value of that.

Most important thing is success and satisfaction looks similar but not the same thing, if you go in deep you realize that we need satisfaction over success, as you may be successful but not satisfied in that case is it that success is worth for you, I am not saying being a successful person is a bad thing but important is to be satisfied with that if you are not satisfied than what is the purpose of that success to prove my point I would like to give you a very good real life example of a person studied in IIT Delhi ( student dream to be a part of this institution), he was brilliant and after passing from there he went to USA and later become a CEO of a very big MNC at the age of 34, and suddenly one fine day people find he was disappeared, later after 3 years people comes to know that he went to Himalayas and took sanyaas and become a yogi, the point is you have caliber you can achieve something you have money but what is the point if you are not satisfied. To prove my point I would like to tell you a story of a person who worked hard till the age of 45 and retire himself and went to a village and settle down opened a school for the children and still running to his satisfaction. When people asked him why he did that he explained that I earned a lot but I was not satisfied not peaceful from inside, I have enough for my basic requirements and now when I teach these children I get a complete satisfaction I feel I am living my life for a purpose what else I need now,

The point is money plays a very important part in today's life, no doubts but the same time I feel to have a satisfied life with peace is also very important, also if we are not satisfied than what is the purpose of earning that money. As per Vedas  food, house and clothes more than this is all are luxury they can bring you the feeling of possessions and happiness but they can't guarantee you satisfaction and in turn peace. Very basic question for example I have a big villa, expensive car and all kind of luxuries but if I can't enjoy that I don't have time to have quality time with my family, no good food due to work pressure, no health than do you think that money really worth of that. It means we need money but at the same time we need a quality life also which is full of peace and satisfaction. Think about the time you spend with your loved ones, your children, your parents, the food you enjoy together with your family the feeling itself brings you a smile on your face so you can understand the point.

I would like to conclude in this way, no doubt we have to live a quality life for that we need money but at the same time we should not become a slave of that money and forget to enjoy the most prestigious gift of GOD called life, money can buy things but can't buy peace and if you are not peaceful not satisfied with your life than what is point of earning that money, be different try to find a solution and have a balance life, it is possible only when you try to connect yourself with the Almighty or GOD, as prayer is so powerful it gives you inner strength, inner wisdom so you can take the right decision and can follow a good life instead of be a part of rat race where only race is there and no goals. Life is yours choose wisely.

Arvind Kejriwal and Punya Prasun Bajpai Exposed

                         FAITH AND FANATICISM

Dear Friends, It’s nice to get the feedback through email but I would appreciate if you can leave your comments on the site also, last week I have started a series “Food for Soul”, I was planning to continue with the same but yesterday one very interesting thing happened and I thought better to talk about this first as this is very important in today’s social environment so therefore I would like to discuss this first. Yesterday one of my friend had the birthday celebration for his daughter and for that purpose he had invited Hare Krishna Hare Rama Group for chanting or bhajans. The session was really nice and satisfying as far as the inner satisfaction is concerned after that we had some discussions and preaching session where one of them did through GITA (The Holy Book). During that he told that there is only one way to get rid of all your problems and miseries just to chant Hare Krishna…. Mantra and you can see the difference in your life and there is no other way, if you are following than it means you are wasting your time and except Krishna all other are Demi Gods.

During that I had some serious discussion with that person, as I believe as far as chanting of Hare Krishna mantra is there I have not a single percent doubt about this but if you will say that this is the only way out that I will not agree as one very serious thing is there that there is a very fine line between FAITH AND FANATICISM and you will never know when you cross the line and reached on the other side.

As far as Faith is concerned, as I have touched little bit in my last blog, it is the base of any religious and spiritual journey you undertake, and it is your faith which can change your destiny too, faith is the ultimate when it comes to devotion. For example, like child is always confident that whatever he will do his parents are always there to take care and will save him if any danger is there, it is the faith which gives you courage to accept the happening around you and with you, which may not be the one which you always desire or wanted as the faith is “Ishwar yat Karoti Shobhnam Karoti”, it means whatever God will do it is always good for us as he is the only one who knows what is good for us. Same way when you believe in GOD and have faith in GOD you know he is always there to take care of you, you don’t have to worry about anything.

Now comes the million $$ question what kind of faith, it is the one which we practice most of the time half heartedly where mind overtake the heart we pretend to ourselves and sometime to other also that we believe in GOD but when it comes to test we believe in ourselves and so many time we take wrong decision just to satisfy our materialistic requirements or better to say Greed. That time most of us say yes we believe but it doesn’t mean that we should behave like a fool or irrational after all it is about money or may be something valuable. Therefore take inspiration from Meera, Bhakht Prahalad and there are number of peoples around us you can find, if you get the chance try to read Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda which may enlighten you. Like in Ramayana there is one place when sati died and took rebirth as parvati (Tulsi Ramayan Doha 65 to 80) Naradmuni told that Parvatiji will marry Shivji and She has to do Tapa for that, during that tapa time to test Sapt rishi went to Parvatiji and told her that do you believe Narad words he himself never married how come he can guide you for a better match when it comes to marriage you should stop this Tapa and We will try to get you the best possible match. Parvatiji replied that if I disbelieve my Guru (Naradji) than I have no right to live in this world. So please don’t tell me anything I will not do so even God will come and say the same thing than also I will not disbelieve my Guru. That should be the faith. I think I can write and write and it will not finish but important part is faith is ultimate but you should not become fanatic in that process if you do so you loose the beauty and enlightenment of the knowledge you discovered or learned.

Fanaticism is very dangerous thing as it will misguide you in some other direction and you will never realize that you have changed your path from faith to Fanaticism. As when you are in enlighten position hate will disappear from your heart and mind and the only thing which left inside you is LOVE the true love, love for your God, love for your surrounding, love for your universe. And when you cross the fine line you will start feeling that what you doing is right and other person is doing the wrong thing, you try to correct them and try to force them that follow my path which is the only way to get the enlightenment and in that whole course you will loose the real beauty of the God and involve in some other kind of activity which will take your on some other direction. I remember IQBAL lines “Mazhab Nahi Sikhata Aapas mai Bair Karna”, as we don’t have to search the GOD he is always there inside us but irony is we always search for him outside. We all belongs to the same Param-atma and we all have the same ansh Atma so if we hate someone or do bad to someone in-directly we are hurting the GOD.

Therefore have faith, have deep faith which will not be broken by the reasoning of others or by any other means but don’t become Fanatic. Rest next week…till than keep smiling.

updated on 03/02/2013:

After your feedback I would like to add one more thing  that we are not here to talk about any particular religion or way, being a Hindu I have mentioned few examples from my holy books as I have very limited knowledge of other religious text and my believe is whatever way you choose or any religion you follow important is to have faith in that and no religion in this world teach you to hate anyone as once you have the true knowledge you will always love all the creations of GOD.

 

Food for the Soul - Part 1

Even though I am attracted to spirituality and involved in daily prayers but even though I am always confused, daily I ask number of questions to myself and try to find out the answers.

 When it comes to Tulsi Ramayan, there is one thing which talks about Navdha Bhakti while going though all the types I am always attracted to the only one which is simplest form which says you can do in any form important is it is from your heart. like in case of Meera it is from the bottom of her heart, even when her brother in law offered poison by saying it is Prasad (prasadam), there was no second thought and she had that and nothing happened to her as GOD is there to take care, and the second one in Tulsi Ramayan when Bhilni offered the berries to Ram but to avoid the wrong ones she tasted first and than offered to Ram, these are two examples to explain my point.

Second thing which sometimes I feel is that just to lit the lamp in front of GOD and recite the mantras and Aarti is it what we should do to please the GOD or to satisfy our spiritual hunger or need. As I think your full day itself is a place where you should perform prayers, it is not just the morning or evening where you should do like a daily routine and than you forget the values which you should follow in your day to day routine, I feel in our day to day activity also we should implement the prayer concept I mean in our day to day activity when we should take decision either financial or non financial we should think from our Heart not just Mind as mind may be selfish but heart is always guide you to the right direction, in a way that when we finish our day we can say that today I have performed my real prayer for that day, and I feel than definitely GOD will be happy and definitely answer our prayer and we will have peace in our mind which everybody searching in this material world. Try to share joy and happiness with others, make people happy around you, try to understand the sorrow of other and if you can do something for them than do something it will give you great pleasure.

I firmly believe in “Give to the world the best you have and the best will come back to you.” In fact what you get is a RESULT of what you give. Same way if you give worst to other it will come back to you also. But the problem is that we are too busy in our life that we are ready to go through our suffering but we are not ready to understand the simple principles of life. Try to do that and see the difference share joy, love and happiness with others and see the difference around you. I think enough for the day next blog next Saturday till than ….keep smiling.

Five Regrets of the Dying - By Bronnie Ware

Five Regrets of the Dying - By Bronnie Ware

For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives.People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I learned never to underestimate someone�s capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, such as denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance.

Every single patient found their peace before they departed though... every one of them.

When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:

1) I wish I did had the courage to live a life true to myself, not
the life other expected of me.

This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people have had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.
It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.

2) I wish I didn't work so hard.

This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children�s youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.
By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.

3) I wish I did had the courage to express my feelings.

Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.
We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.

4) I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved.

Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.
It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.

5) I wish that I had let myself be happier.

This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called �comfort� of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.

When you are on your death-bed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying. Life is a choice.

It is YOUR life.
Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly.
Choose happiness.