Small is Beautiful

When we light a small earthen lamp, without a question and with least hesitation it sheds its humble light. It does not look around to watch if any other lamp is shedding its lustre. It is not dismayed also if no other light is burning in the vicinity.

It is content to be given to shed its own little light. It is not worried how much more darkness need to be removed from over the world. Is it a small privilege to be given to remove even a jot of darkness?

The small is beautiful. Have you not seen a tiny grass flower? Natured needed to exercise all its talents to create that tiny flower, complete in its own size of glory. If little things had no meaning they would not be there. Scientists have by now told us how much power, mystery and glory are there in in the tiny atom.

Let us not be nervous about our smallness. For, without grains of sands, even the loftiest monuments could not be built. In fact, the ultimate brick of the greatest monuments is the sand particle.

There are people who think too highly of themselves. They have what is called a superiority complex. That abominable thing is too bad for themselves, and not good for others.

There are, again, those who think too lowly of themselves. They have an inferiority complex. This is worse than the superiority complex. They think that they are good for nothing. By continuously thinking that way, they really become so.

Such people can never become good citizens. When we discuss momentous issues concerning mankind, and the responsibility of doing our mite, they throw up their hands and dogmatically declare that small persons like them can do nothing about these great problems.

So they shy away even from discussing these problems. Taking shelter behind their so-called or supposed smallness they take an inverse pride in declaring that they have nothing to do with the ambitious scheme of solving world problems.

We should clearly understand that even a small lamp has the capacity and the privilege to give light. Often enough, these days, thanks to frequent power shortages, we are given the opportunity to appreciate the usefulness of the good old, humble candles. When proud powerhouses fail, humble candles give light. Even today the basic measure of all magnificent light is the candle power!

If thousand suns do not suddenly burst forth in our horizon, there is no reason to be disheartened. In fact that would be too tragic for our planet. Let us light thousand small lights.

Enlightened citizenship is every individual’s responsibility. That is the spirit of the times. That is the basic assumption of democracy. This is also the teaching of Vedanta. You are, whoever you may be, the centre of light, you are verily that! “Tat Tvamasi!” True enlightened citizenship cannot be worked for in lesser terms. We can gain nothing by letting go our grip on the highest truth, whereas by remaining anchored in the highest truth we can eventually enlighten ourselves and others.

Swami Vivekananda teaches: You are part of the Infinite. This is your nature. Hence you are your brother’s keeper. Not one can be happy until all are happy. When you hurt anyone, you hurt yourself, for you and your brother are one. …Each is responsible for the evil anywhere in the world. He is indeed a yogi who sees himself in the whole universe and the universe within himself.

Enlightened citizenship is very much a home-grown affair, in the sense that your home can become a light-house. The light that is within you, when that shines without also, that is enlightened citizenship.

The greatest legacy that Gandhiji has left to mankind is to have shown by his own example that each human being has a direct responsibility to world peace by the progressive day-to-day transformation of the individual soul. In fact, for all practical purposes, enlightened citizenship is a spiritual adventure.

Courtesy: “ENLIGHTENED CITIZENSHIP” – A Ramakrishna Math, Delhi, publication

Small is Beautiful

When we light a small earthen lamp, without a question and with least hesitation it sheds its humble light. It does not look around to watch if any other lamp is shedding its lustre. It is not dismayed also if no other light is burning in the vicinity.

It is content to be given to shed its own little light. It is not worried how much more darkness need to be removed from over the world. Is it a small privilege to be given to remove even a jot of darkness?

The small is beautiful. Have you not seen a tiny grass flower? Natured needed to exercise all its talents to create that tiny flower, complete in its own size of glory. If little things had no meaning they would not be there. Scientists have by now told us how much power, mystery and glory are there in in the tiny atom.

Let us not be nervous about our smallness. For, without grains of sands, even the loftiest monuments could not be built. In fact, the ultimate brick of the greatest monuments is the sand particle.

There are people who think too highly of themselves. They have what is called a superiority complex. That abominable thing is too bad for themselves, and not good for others.

There are, again, those who think too lowly of themselves. They have an inferiority complex. This is worse than the superiority complex. They think that they are good for nothing. By continuously thinking that way, they really become so.

Such people can never become good citizens. When we discuss momentous issues concerning mankind, and the responsibility of doing our mite, they throw up their hands and dogmatically declare that small persons like them can do nothing about these great problems.

So they shy away even from discussing these problems. Taking shelter behind their so-called or supposed smallness they take an inverse pride in declaring that they have nothing to do with the ambitious scheme of solving world problems.

We should clearly understand that even a small lamp has the capacity and the privilege to give light. Often enough, these days, thanks to frequent power shortages, we are given the opportunity to appreciate the usefulness of the good old, humble candles. When proud powerhouses fail, humble candles give light. Even today the basic measure of all magnificent light is the candle power!

If thousand suns do not suddenly burst forth in our horizon, there is no reason to be disheartened. In fact that would be too tragic for our planet. Let us light thousand small lights.

Enlightened citizenship is every individual’s responsibility. That is the spirit of the times. That is the basic assumption of democracy. This is also the teaching of Vedanta. You are, whoever you may be, the centre of light, you are verily that! “Tat Tvamasi!” True enlightened citizenship cannot be worked for in lesser terms. We can gain nothing by letting go our grip on the highest truth, whereas by remaining anchored in the highest truth we can eventually enlighten ourselves and others.

Swami Vivekananda teaches: You are part of the Infinite. This is your nature. Hence you are your brother’s keeper. Not one can be happy until all are happy. When you hurt anyone, you hurt yourself, for you and your brother are one. …Each is responsible for the evil anywhere in the world. He is indeed a yogi who sees himself in the whole universe and the universe within himself.

Enlightened citizenship is very much a home-grown affair, in the sense that your home can become a light-house. The light that is within you, when that shines without also, that is enlightened citizenship.

The greatest legacy that Gandhiji has left to mankind is to have shown by his own example that each human being has a direct responsibility to world peace by the progressive day-to-day transformation of the individual soul. In fact, for all practical purposes, enlightened citizenship is a spiritual adventure.

Courtesy: “ENLIGHTENED CITIZENSHIP” – A Ramakrishna Math, Delhi, publication

Gandhiana-1: "Gandhiji’s Talisman"

“I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test: Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him. Will he gain anything by it? Will it restore him to a control over his own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to Swaraj for the hungry and spiritually starving millions?

Then you will find your doubts and your self melting away.”

Courtesy: “Living Thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi” – Edited by Mulk Raj Anand
An NCERT publication

Gandhiana-1: "Gandhiji’s Talisman"

“I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test: Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him. Will he gain anything by it? Will it restore him to a control over his own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to Swaraj for the hungry and spiritually starving millions?

Then you will find your doubts and your self melting away.”

Courtesy: “Living Thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi” – Edited by Mulk Raj Anand
An NCERT publication

Some Ideas basic to Enlightened Citizenship

1. Human family is one.
2. We must own the entire human family as our own.
3. My welfare is best guaranteed in your welfare. So I must promote your welfare to be sure about my welfare.
4. Truth is one but is called by various names.
5. You cannot judge without being judged.
6. You can claim without forgetting others’ claim.
7. You can give up without insisting on others to do likewise.
8. You can serve and never ask for return.
9. How wonderful it is to be given to immolate one’s little self and emerge in the great self of all.

Courtesy: ‘Enlightened Citizenship’ – Published by Ramakrishna Mission, New Delhi

Grace Before Reading a Book

Eternal Father, as we open the pages of this book we have chosen to read, we would express our gratitude for all the noble thoughts which mind of man has given to the world.

We are grateful for the opportunity afforded us by good books to become companions of great minds and hearts. May we keep our minds always open and receptive to truth and beauty, knowing that these finally are manifested in our character.

May we treat this book as we respect and admire a friend. May we always choose for our reading moments books which will elevate our hearts, ennoble our minds, and lift our spirits.For all the good things which come our way, we are grateful and, most of all, dear Father, may we be worthy of them. Amen. (From: “Introduction to Treasury of Courage and Confidence” by Dr.Norman Vincent Peale)

Guardian Unlimited: Arts blog – books: The history book that has everything

Guardian Unlimited: Arts blog – books: The history book that has everything

Books-7: "Daily Divine Digest"

This is a pocket book meant for daily use. It contains 365 topics of interest and help to spiritual aspirants for the 365 days of the year, date-wise. Author of this book, Srimat Swami Chidbhavanandaji Maharaj, is a disciple of Srimat Swami Sivanandaji Mahraj, second President of the Ramakrishna Order. He founded Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam at Tirupparaithurai, near Trichy in Tamil Nadu. The swamiji attained ‘Mahasamadhi’ in . I had been to Tapovanam three times when the swamiji was alive and had the good fortune to receive his blessings.

A few lines from the Introduction of this book: “The search for Reality is inborn in man. Ceaselessly it is going on. Geographical limitations and traditional upbringing are no barriers to it. The quest would stop only with the attainment of Union with Reality.
….
Tenets belonging to all the four paths (Karma Yoga or the Path of Action; Raja Yoga or the Path of Self-control; Bhakti Yoga or the Path of Devotion; and Jnana Yoga or the Path of Knowledge) are interspersed in this little book. Their being mixed up is a psychological necessity. As the change of diet is relishing to the tongue, change of theme is refreshing to the mind. An ardent daily pursuit of a page in this book is bound to enrich the spiritual caliber of the aspirant. Pursuit is to be followed by reflection.”

As a sample, I am giving below the entry for today, the 19th July:

“THE AXLE

The wheel turns having the axle as the basis. The axle is not only the basis, it also keeps the movement of the wheel under control. Such is also the structure of nature.

Motion is relative. A moving object requires an immovable basis to move on. The moving planets have the fixed space to move on. The perishing things have the persisting Consciousness as the axle or basis. Nature rests and moves on Consciousness.

In man Consciousness is the axle on which the body and mind move and evolve – Vedanta”

Books-7: "Daily Divine Digest"

This is a pocket book meant for daily use. It contains 365 topics of interest and help to spiritual aspirants for the 365 days of the year, date-wise. Author of this book, Srimat Swami Chidbhavanandaji Maharaj, is a disciple of Srimat Swami Sivanandaji Mahraj, second President of the Ramakrishna Order. He founded Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam at Tirupparaithurai, near Trichy in Tamil Nadu. The swamiji attained ‘Mahasamadhi’ in . I had been to Tapovanam three times when the swamiji was alive and had the good fortune to receive his blessings.

A few lines from the Introduction of this book: “The search for Reality is inborn in man. Ceaselessly it is going on. Geographical limitations and traditional upbringing are no barriers to it. The quest would stop only with the attainment of Union with Reality.
….
Tenets belonging to all the four paths (Karma Yoga or the Path of Action; Raja Yoga or the Path of Self-control; Bhakti Yoga or the Path of Devotion; and Jnana Yoga or the Path of Knowledge) are interspersed in this little book. Their being mixed up is a psychological necessity. As the change of diet is relishing to the tongue, change of theme is refreshing to the mind. An ardent daily pursuit of a page in this book is bound to enrich the spiritual caliber of the aspirant. Pursuit is to be followed by reflection.”

As a sample, I am giving below the entry for today, the 19th July:

“THE AXLE

The wheel turns having the axle as the basis. The axle is not only the basis, it also keeps the movement of the wheel under control. Such is also the structure of nature.

Motion is relative. A moving object requires an immovable basis to move on. The moving planets have the fixed space to move on. The perishing things have the persisting Consciousness as the axle or basis. Nature rests and moves on Consciousness.

In man Consciousness is the axle on which the body and mind move and evolve – Vedanta”

Books-6: ‘As a Man Thinketh’ by James Allen

It is a world-renowned book and does not need any introduction. It is one of the all-time great books. Generation and generation, people are getting benefitted by this wonderful book. I have derived a lot of inspiration from this book. I am reproducing below some of the passages which appealed to me most. I am providing the link to this book for those who want to read this book in full.

As a being of Power, Intelligence, and Love, and the lord of his won thoughts, man holds the key to every situation, and contains within himself that transforming and regenerative agency by which he may make himself what he wills.

Only by much searching and mining, are gold and diamonds obtained and man can find every truth connected with his being, if he will dip deep into the mine of his soul;

… only by patience, practice, and ceaseless importunity can a man enter the Door of the Temple of Knowledge.

Just as a gardener cultivates his plot, keeping it free from weeds, and growing the flowers and fruits which he requires, so may a man tend the garden of his mind, weeding out all the wrong, useless, and impure thoughts, and cultivating towrd perfection the flowers and fruits of right, useful, and pure thoughts.

Law, not confusion, is the dominating principle in the universe; justice, not injustice, is the soul and substance of life; and righteousness, not corruption, is the moulding and moving force in the spiritual government of the world.

Let a man radically alter his thoughts (by systematic introspection and self-analysis) and he will be astonished at the rapid transformation it will effect in the material conditions of his life.

…impure thoughts of every kind crystallize into enervating and confusing habits, which solidify into distracting and adverse circumstances: thoughts of fear, doubt, and indecision crystallize into weak, unmanly, and irresolute habits, which solidify into circumstances of failure, indigence, and slavish dependence : lazy thoughts crystallize into habits of uncleanliness and dishonesty, which solidify into circumstances of foulness and beggary: hateful and condemnatory thoughts crystallilize into habits of accusation and violence, which solidify into circumstances of injury and persecution; selfish thoughts of all kinds crystallize into habits of self-seeking, which solidify into circumstances more or less distressing.

http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext03/mntkh10.txt

Books-5: ‘Life of Pi’ by Yann Martel

Today I completed reading the above book. I had been to Chennai on a two-day trip. I utlized this opportunity to read this book. It is a fantastic book. I have to borrow words from experts to describe its many-sided splendour. Yann Martel blends fact and fiction with wily charm(The Guardian). An astonishing piece of fiction. It is unbelievable that a person can give such free rein to his imagination and put the whole pile of meandering thoughts into a brilliant, logical sequential order(Deccan Chronicle). He is a powerful writer and storyteller(Edmonton Journal). It is an amazing and astounding novel.

The hero is a castaway with only a Royal Bengal Tiger for companion, and of course, the Pacific ocean , the sky, the winds and his thoughts. There are many passages in the book that are worth recording. However, for want of space, I am reproducing below only a few:

“There were many skies. The sky was invaded by great white clouds, flat on the bottom but round and billowy on top. The sky was completely cloudless, of a blue quite shattering to the senses. The sky was a heavy, suffocating blanket of grey cloud, but without promise of rain. The sky was thinly overcast. The sky was dappled with small, white, fleecy clouds. The sky was streaked with high, thin clouds that looked like a cotton ball stretched apart. The sky was a featureless milky haze. The sky was a density of dark and blustery rain clouds that passed by without delivering rain. The sky was painted with a small number of flat clouds that looked like sandbars. The sky was a mere block to allow a visual effect on the horizon: sunlight flooding the ocean, the vertical edges between light and shadow perfectly distinct. The sky was a distant black curtain of falling rain. The sky was many clouds at many levels, some thick and opaque, others looking like smoke. The sky was black and spitting rain on my smiling face. The sky was nothing but falling water, a ceaseless deluge that wrinkled and bloated my skin and froze me stiff.

There were many seas. The sea roared like a tiger. The sea whispered in your ear like a friend telling you secrets. The sea clinked like small change in a pocket. The sea thundered like avalanches. The sea hissed like sandpaper working on wood. The sea sounded like someone vomiting. The sea was dead silent.

And in between the two, in between the sky and the sea, were all the winds.

And there were all the nights and all the moons.

To be a castaway is to be a point perpetually at the center of a circle. However much things may appear to change – the sea may shift from whisper to rage – the sky might go from fresh blue to blinding white to darkest black – the geometry never changes. Your gaze is always a radius. The circumference is ever great. In fact, the circles multiply. To be a castaway is to be caught in a harrowing ballet of circles. …. To be a castaway is to be caught up in grim and exhausting opposites. When it is light, the openness of the sea is blinding and frightening. When it is dark, the darkness is claustrophobic. When it is day, you are hot and wish to be cool and dream of ice cream and pour sea water on yourself. When it is night, you are cold and wish to be warm and dream of hot curries and wrap yourself in blankets. When it is hot, you are parched and wish to be wet. When it rains, you are nearly drowned and wish to be dry. When there is food, there is too much of it and you must feast. When there is none, there is truly none and you starve. When the sea is flat and motionless, you wish it would stir. When it rises up and the circle that imprisons you is broken by hills of water, you suffer that peculiarity of the high seas, suffocation in open spaces, and you wish the sea would be flat again. The opposites often take place at the same moment, so that when the sun is scorching you till you are stricken down, you are also aware that it is drying the strips of flesh and meat that are hanging from your lines and that it is a blessing for your solar stills. … When rough weather abates, and it becomes clear that you have survived the sky’s attack and the sea’s treachery, your jubilation is tempered by the rage that so much fresh water should fall directly into the sea and by the worry that it is the last rain you will ever see, that you will die of thirst before the next drops fall.

The worst pair of opposites is boredom and terror. Sometimes your life is a pendulum swing from one to the other. The sea is without a wrinkle. There is not a whisper of wind. The hours last forever. You are so bored you sink into a state of apathy close to a coma. Then the sea becomes rough and your emotions are whipped into a frenzy. Yet even these two opposites do not remain distinct. In your boredom, there are elements of terror: you break down into tears; you are filled with dread; you scream; you deliberately hurt yourself. And in the grip of terror – the worst storm – you yet feel boredom, a deep weariness with it all……

Life on a lifeboat is not much of a life. It is like an end game in chess, a game with few pieces. The elements could not be more simple, nor the stakes higher. Physically it is extraordinarily arduous, and morally it is killing. You must make adjustments if you want to survive. Much becomes expendable. You get your happiness where you can. You reach a point where you are at the bottom of hell, yet you have your arms crossed and a smile on your face, and you feel you are the luckiest person on earth. Why? Because at your feet you have a tiny dead fish…”

This is only a sample. If one wants to enjoy the whole story, there is no other way than to read the book, which is eminently readable and enjoyable.

Books-5: ‘Life of Pi’ by Yann Martel

Today I completed reading the above book. I had been to Chennai on a two-day trip. I utlized this opportunity to read this book. It is a fantastic book. I have to borrow words from experts to describe its many-sided splendour. Yann Martel blends fact and fiction with wily charm(The Guardian). An astonishing piece of fiction. It is unbelievable that a person can give such free rein to his imagination and put the whole pile of meandering thoughts into a brilliant, logical sequential order(Deccan Chronicle). He is a powerful writer and storyteller(Edmonton Journal). It is an amazing and astounding novel.

The hero is a castaway with only a Royal Bengal Tiger for companion, and of course, the Pacific ocean , the sky, the winds and his thoughts. There are many passages in the book that are worth recording. However, for want of space, I am reproducing below only a few:

“There were many skies. The sky was invaded by great white clouds, flat on the bottom but round and billowy on top. The sky was completely cloudless, of a blue quite shattering to the senses. The sky was a heavy, suffocating blanket of grey cloud, but without promise of rain. The sky was thinly overcast. The sky was dappled with small, white, fleecy clouds. The sky was streaked with high, thin clouds that looked like a cotton ball stretched apart. The sky was a featureless milky haze. The sky was a density of dark and blustery rain clouds that passed by without delivering rain. The sky was painted with a small number of flat clouds that looked like sandbars. The sky was a mere block to allow a visual effect on the horizon: sunlight flooding the ocean, the vertical edges between light and shadow perfectly distinct. The sky was a distant black curtain of falling rain. The sky was many clouds at many levels, some thick and opaque, others looking like smoke. The sky was black and spitting rain on my smiling face. The sky was nothing but falling water, a ceaseless deluge that wrinkled and bloated my skin and froze me stiff.

There were many seas. The sea roared like a tiger. The sea whispered in your ear like a friend telling you secrets. The sea clinked like small change in a pocket. The sea thundered like avalanches. The sea hissed like sandpaper working on wood. The sea sounded like someone vomiting. The sea was dead silent.

And in between the two, in between the sky and the sea, were all the winds.

And there were all the nights and all the moons.

To be a castaway is to be a point perpetually at the center of a circle. However much things may appear to change – the sea may shift from whisper to rage – the sky might go from fresh blue to blinding white to darkest black – the geometry never changes. Your gaze is always a radius. The circumference is ever great. In fact, the circles multiply. To be a castaway is to be caught in a harrowing ballet of circles. …. To be a castaway is to be caught up in grim and exhausting opposites. When it is light, the openness of the sea is blinding and frightening. When it is dark, the darkness is claustrophobic. When it is day, you are hot and wish to be cool and dream of ice cream and pour sea water on yourself. When it is night, you are cold and wish to be warm and dream of hot curries and wrap yourself in blankets. When it is hot, you are parched and wish to be wet. When it rains, you are nearly drowned and wish to be dry. When there is food, there is too much of it and you must feast. When there is none, there is truly none and you starve. When the sea is flat and motionless, you wish it would stir. When it rises up and the circle that imprisons you is broken by hills of water, you suffer that peculiarity of the high seas, suffocation in open spaces, and you wish the sea would be flat again. The opposites often take place at the same moment, so that when the sun is scorching you till you are stricken down, you are also aware that it is drying the strips of flesh and meat that are hanging from your lines and that it is a blessing for your solar stills. … When rough weather abates, and it becomes clear that you have survived the sky’s attack and the sea’s treachery, your jubilation is tempered by the rage that so much fresh water should fall directly into the sea and by the worry that it is the last rain you will ever see, that you will die of thirst before the next drops fall.

The worst pair of opposites is boredom and terror. Sometimes your life is a pendulum swing from one to the other. The sea is without a wrinkle. There is not a whisper of wind. The hours last forever. You are so bored you sink into a state of apathy close to a coma. Then the sea becomes rough and your emotions are whipped into a frenzy. Yet even these two opposites do not remain distinct. In your boredom, there are elements of terror: you break down into tears; you are filled with dread; you scream; you deliberately hurt yourself. And in the grip of terror – the worst storm – you yet feel boredom, a deep weariness with it all……

Life on a lifeboat is not much of a life. It is like an end game in chess, a game with few pieces. The elements could not be more simple, nor the stakes higher. Physically it is extraordinarily arduous, and morally it is killing. You must make adjustments if you want to survive. Much becomes expendable. You get your happiness where you can. You reach a point where you are at the bottom of hell, yet you have your arms crossed and a smile on your face, and you feel you are the luckiest person on earth. Why? Because at your feet you have a tiny dead fish…”

This is only a sample. If one wants to enjoy the whole story, there is no other way than to read the book, which is eminently readable and enjoyable.

Books-4: The Christ We Adore by Swami Ranganathananda

This booklet (pocketsize – 48 pages) is based on the lecture delivered by Srimat Swami Ranganathanandaji Maharaj in 1954. The Swamiji’s fine perception of the inner subtleties of the teaching of Jesus will touch the chord of Universal Truth present in every heart. The Swamiji says in the opening para: ” We, in India, have learnt through our religion to look upon great teachers with a heart open to the inspiration which they hold for all humanity. The approach of our people to the lives of all teachers has something refreshingly beautiful about it; it is hard for non-Hindus to understand how we, professing a different religion, can open our hearts, with equal fervour, to receive the inspiration of this great Son of Man, Jesus… It is spirituality that India seeks in its religious quest and not a creed or a dogma. “

A few pages later, he says: “Jesus came to offer… to give the bread of life to the spiritually hungry……Jesus proclaimed a religion of wide and deep horizons; he brought God near to man and bound both with the cord of love; he eliminated fear as the medium of their relationship. With love implanted in his heart in place of fear, man emerged as the lover of his fellow-men; he learnt to find fulfilment in a life of love for God and service to man, to God in man. This love for God, this intimate communion with Him, is the fulfilment of the righteous life; it is the only means of satisfying the soul’s spiritual hunger. This is the essential religion. It holds that man has a higher dimension which transcends his physical and social personality; he is essentially spiritual; in that inmost being of his life his intimacy with and closeness to the divine, and his kindship to all creation.

This is the approach of Jesus to religion. And this is the approach which India has learnt from the Upanisads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Bhagavata and other scriptures….”

A few quotes from the book:

1. … purity of heart is the one condition for spiritual realization (Bless are the pure in heart: for they shall see God – Bible)
2. … acts of piety, morality and social are but the means to attain this purity.
3. He who is humble and pure realizes the glory of the Atman, and becomes free from grief (Katha Upanishad).
4. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect (Bible)
5. “…. whoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it” (Bible)
6. These words of Jesus are akin to the exhortation of Sri Krsna. “Those devotees who practise, in a converging life endeavour, this teaching op mine which fulfills all righteousness and leads to immortality, endowed with faith and a godward passion, are extremely dear to me” (Bhagavad Gita).
7. Perfection is a complete transformation of character through the realization of the kingdom of heaven which is within. It is the fruit of lived religion.

Books-4: The Christ We Adore by Swami Ranganathananda

This booklet (pocketsize – 48 pages) is based on the lecture delivered by Srimat Swami Ranganathanandaji Maharaj in 1954. The Swamiji’s fine perception of the inner subtleties of the teaching of Jesus will touch the chord of Universal Truth present in every heart. The Swamiji says in the opening para: ” We, in India, have learnt through our religion to look upon great teachers with a heart open to the inspiration which they hold for all humanity. The approach of our people to the lives of all teachers has something refreshingly beautiful about it; it is hard for non-Hindus to understand how we, professing a different religion, can open our hearts, with equal fervour, to receive the inspiration of this great Son of Man, Jesus… It is spirituality that India seeks in its religious quest and not a creed or a dogma. “

A few pages later, he says: “Jesus came to offer… to give the bread of life to the spiritually hungry……Jesus proclaimed a religion of wide and deep horizons; he brought God near to man and bound both with the cord of love; he eliminated fear as the medium of their relationship. With love implanted in his heart in place of fear, man emerged as the lover of his fellow-men; he learnt to find fulfilment in a life of love for God and service to man, to God in man. This love for God, this intimate communion with Him, is the fulfilment of the righteous life; it is the only means of satisfying the soul’s spiritual hunger. This is the essential religion. It holds that man has a higher dimension which transcends his physical and social personality; he is essentially spiritual; in that inmost being of his life his intimacy with and closeness to the divine, and his kindship to all creation.

This is the approach of Jesus to religion. And this is the approach which India has learnt from the Upanisads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Bhagavata and other scriptures….”

A few quotes from the book:

1. … purity of heart is the one condition for spiritual realization (Bless are the pure in heart: for they shall see God – Bible)
2. … acts of piety, morality and social are but the means to attain this purity.
3. He who is humble and pure realizes the glory of the Atman, and becomes free from grief (Katha Upanishad).
4. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect (Bible)
5. “…. whoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it” (Bible)
6. These words of Jesus are akin to the exhortation of Sri Krsna. “Those devotees who practise, in a converging life endeavour, this teaching op mine which fulfills all righteousness and leads to immortality, endowed with faith and a godward passion, are extremely dear to me” (Bhagavad Gita).
7. Perfection is a complete transformation of character through the realization of the kingdom of heaven which is within. It is the fruit of lived religion.

Books-3: "Notes from a Friend" by Anthony Robbins

Anthony Robbins is a well-known writer and a much sought-after consultant by big corporations and government agencies. More than 25 millions people have benefitted by his works.

This concise and easy-to-understand guide contains some most powerful and life-changing tools and principles. If only one could read them carefully and apply them day-to-day life, it would definitely change one’s greatly for the better.

Some of the beautiful ideas contained in it are:

* No matter how daunting or overwhelming your circumstances may seem, you truly can turn things around. You can turn the dreams you once had into reality. How? By tapping into a power that is inside you…. This power within you can change anything in your life literally in a matter of moments. All you must do is unleash it.
* Not only was the secret to living ginv, but to give, I had to become a better person.
* Search for role models.
* Once we understand what shapes our thoughts, feelings, and behaviour, all it takes is consistent, intelligent, massive action.
* …the power to change anything lies sleeping within us. We can wake up this power and bring our dreams back to life, starting today.
* … positive thinking alone is not enough to turn your life around. You must have some strategies, some step-by-step plans for changing how you think, how you feel, and what you feel, and what you do every single day you are alive.
* …. it is possible to change. The past does not matter. Whatever has not worked in the past has nothing to do with what you will do today. What you do right now is what will shape your destiny. Right now, you must be a friend to yourself. You can’t “beat yourself up” about what has happened: instead, you must immediately focus on solutions instead of problems.
* The first step to turning your life around is getting rid of this negative belief that you can’t do anything or that you are helpless.
* The key to success is to decide what is most important to you and then take massive action each day to make it better, even when it does not look as if it is working.
* The most successful people … would not be denied. They would not accept no. They would not allow anything to stop them.
* Massive, consistent action with pure persistence and a sense of flexibility in pursuing your goals will untimately give you what you want, but you must abandon any sense that there is no solution.
* …. we can’t always control the events of our lives, but we can control what we decide to think, believe, feel, and do about these events. … every moment we are alive, whether we admit to ourselves or not, a new set of choices, a new set of actions, and a new set of results are merely a decision or two away. Most of us forget that we have this power to choose. Ultimately, it is our decisions, not the conditions of our lives, that determine our destiny.
* Steer your focus in the right direction…. Focus on where you want to go.
* The reason we set goals is to give our lives focus and to move us in the direction we would like to go. Ultimately, whether or not you achieve a goal is not half as important as the type of person you become in pursuit of it.
* Choosing a goal may cause only a slight change in life’s direction at first. It is like one of those huge freighters at sea: If the captain shifts course by just a few degrees, it won’t be noticeable immediately. But in several hours or days, this change in direction will bring the ship to a completely different destination.
* All people who succeed dedicate themselves to continuous improvement. They are never satisfied with just doing well: they consistently want to do better. If you dedicate yourself to this philosophy of constant and never-ending improvement, …. then you can virtually guarantee that you will not only continue your growth throughout your life – the real source of happiness – but you will also succeed.

The book contains a lot of useful tips/steps for growth and development. Given above are only a few samples. It cannot be a substitute for reading whole the book. Actually, this pocket-size consists of only easily- and eminently-readable 125 pages.

Books-3: "Notes from a Friend" by Anthony Robbins

Anthony Robbins is a well-known writer and a much sought-after consultant by big corporations and government agencies. More than 25 millions people have benefitted by his works.

This concise and easy-to-understand guide contains some most powerful and life-changing tools and principles. If only one could read them carefully and apply them day-to-day life, it would definitely change one’s greatly for the better.

Some of the beautiful ideas contained in it are:

* No matter how daunting or overwhelming your circumstances may seem, you truly can turn things around. You can turn the dreams you once had into reality. How? By tapping into a power that is inside you…. This power within you can change anything in your life literally in a matter of moments. All you must do is unleash it.
* Not only was the secret to living ginv, but to give, I had to become a better person.
* Search for role models.
* Once we understand what shapes our thoughts, feelings, and behaviour, all it takes is consistent, intelligent, massive action.
* …the power to change anything lies sleeping within us. We can wake up this power and bring our dreams back to life, starting today.
* … positive thinking alone is not enough to turn your life around. You must have some strategies, some step-by-step plans for changing how you think, how you feel, and what you feel, and what you do every single day you are alive.
* …. it is possible to change. The past does not matter. Whatever has not worked in the past has nothing to do with what you will do today. What you do right now is what will shape your destiny. Right now, you must be a friend to yourself. You can’t “beat yourself up” about what has happened: instead, you must immediately focus on solutions instead of problems.
* The first step to turning your life around is getting rid of this negative belief that you can’t do anything or that you are helpless.
* The key to success is to decide what is most important to you and then take massive action each day to make it better, even when it does not look as if it is working.
* The most successful people … would not be denied. They would not accept no. They would not allow anything to stop them.
* Massive, consistent action with pure persistence and a sense of flexibility in pursuing your goals will untimately give you what you want, but you must abandon any sense that there is no solution.
* …. we can’t always control the events of our lives, but we can control what we decide to think, believe, feel, and do about these events. … every moment we are alive, whether we admit to ourselves or not, a new set of choices, a new set of actions, and a new set of results are merely a decision or two away. Most of us forget that we have this power to choose. Ultimately, it is our decisions, not the conditions of our lives, that determine our destiny.
* Steer your focus in the right direction…. Focus on where you want to go.
* The reason we set goals is to give our lives focus and to move us in the direction we would like to go. Ultimately, whether or not you achieve a goal is not half as important as the type of person you become in pursuit of it.
* Choosing a goal may cause only a slight change in life’s direction at first. It is like one of those huge freighters at sea: If the captain shifts course by just a few degrees, it won’t be noticeable immediately. But in several hours or days, this change in direction will bring the ship to a completely different destination.
* All people who succeed dedicate themselves to continuous improvement. They are never satisfied with just doing well: they consistently want to do better. If you dedicate yourself to this philosophy of constant and never-ending improvement, …. then you can virtually guarantee that you will not only continue your growth throughout your life – the real source of happiness – but you will also succeed.

The book contains a lot of useful tips/steps for growth and development. Given above are only a few samples. It cannot be a substitute for reading whole the book. Actually, this pocket-size consists of only easily- and eminently-readable 125 pages.

The Witch of Portobello, a Novel by Paulo Coelho

Last week, during my visit to Chennai, I bought this book. I am an ardent admirer of Paulo Coelho and have read almost all his books. I started reading the book on the train itself and completed in five days, in spite of pressing engagements. From the beginning, it completely captured me. It is a typical Coelho book with a mixture of mysticism, spiritual exercises, meditation and supernatural experiences and it is totally absorbing. As usual, I read this book also with a pen in hand to underline/highlight passages which appealed to me. A few of these, which read like Quotable Quotes, I am furnishing below:

* Pity those who seek for shepherds, instead of longing for freedom!
* An encounter with the superior energy is open to anyone, but remains far from those who shift responsibility onto others.
* Our time on this earth is sacred, and we should celebrate every moments.
* We cook and complain that it is a waste of time, when we should be pouring our love into making that food.
* We can see the Divine in each speck of dust, but that does not stop us wiping it away with a wet sponge.
* ..things are never absolute; they depend on each individual’s perceptions.
* When fate is very generous with us, there is always a well into which all our dreams can tumble.
* We had it all, apart from the one thing we wanted most – a child. And so we had nothing.
* ….love is still the strongest force, one that can transform us forever.
* Christ surrounded himself with beggars, prostitutes, tax-collectors and fishermen, I think what he meant by this was that the divine spark is in every soul and is never extinguished.
* …. each of us contains our ancestors and all the generations to come. When we free ourselves, we are freeing all humanity.
* Each of us contains something within us which is unknown, when it surfaces, is capable of producing miracles.
* …. love does not bring and never has brought happiness. On the contrary, it is a constant state of anxiety, a battlefield; it is sleepless nights, asking ourselves all the time if we are doing the right thing. Real love is composed of ecstasy and agony.
* A kind of blanket lies between the physical and the spiritual world, a blanket that changes in colour, intensity and light, it is what mystics call ‘aura’.
* ….. all the advances we have made have been in the field of science. Human beings are still asking the same questions as their ancestors. In short, they have not evolved at all.
* …. when we dare to see things differently, life opens up to our eyes.
* We have a duty to love and to allow love to manifest itself in the way it thinks best………….It is a sin to prevent love from showing itself.
* …… trust in love and miracles will happen.

I have only highlighted a few passages which interested me most and have not said anything about the story. Only reading the full novel will give a real idea about the enjoyable story. So if you want to really enjoy the novel, you will have to read it in full.

The Witch of Portobello, a Novel by Paulo Coelho

Last week, during my visit to Chennai, I bought this book. I am an ardent admirer of Paulo Coelho and have read almost all his books. I started reading the book on the train itself and completed in five days, in spite of pressing engagements. From the beginning, it completely captured me. It is a typical Coelho book with a mixture of mysticism, spiritual exercises, meditation and supernatural experiences and it is totally absorbing. As usual, I read this book also with a pen in hand to underline/highlight passages which appealed to me. A few of these, which read like Quotable Quotes, I am furnishing below:

* Pity those who seek for shepherds, instead of longing for freedom!
* An encounter with the superior energy is open to anyone, but remains far from those who shift responsibility onto others.
* Our time on this earth is sacred, and we should celebrate every moments.
* We cook and complain that it is a waste of time, when we should be pouring our love into making that food.
* We can see the Divine in each speck of dust, but that does not stop us wiping it away with a wet sponge.
* ..things are never absolute; they depend on each individual’s perceptions.
* When fate is very generous with us, there is always a well into which all our dreams can tumble.
* We had it all, apart from the one thing we wanted most – a child. And so we had nothing.
* ….love is still the strongest force, one that can transform us forever.
* Christ surrounded himself with beggars, prostitutes, tax-collectors and fishermen, I think what he meant by this was that the divine spark is in every soul and is never extinguished.
* …. each of us contains our ancestors and all the generations to come. When we free ourselves, we are freeing all humanity.
* Each of us contains something within us which is unknown, when it surfaces, is capable of producing miracles.
* …. love does not bring and never has brought happiness. On the contrary, it is a constant state of anxiety, a battlefield; it is sleepless nights, asking ourselves all the time if we are doing the right thing. Real love is composed of ecstasy and agony.
* A kind of blanket lies between the physical and the spiritual world, a blanket that changes in colour, intensity and light, it is what mystics call ‘aura’.
* ….. all the advances we have made have been in the field of science. Human beings are still asking the same questions as their ancestors. In short, they have not evolved at all.
* …. when we dare to see things differently, life opens up to our eyes.
* We have a duty to love and to allow love to manifest itself in the way it thinks best………….It is a sin to prevent love from showing itself.
* …… trust in love and miracles will happen.

I have only highlighted a few passages which interested me most and have not said anything about the story. Only reading the full novel will give a real idea about the enjoyable story. So if you want to really enjoy the novel, you will have to read it in full.

Books: The Alchemist, a fascinating novel by Paulo Coelho