November 2018 – Life is Beautiful

Japji Sahib, The Mool Mantar

Japji Sahib

Japji Sahib , is the first chapter of the Guru Granth Sahib, composed by Guru Nanak, the first guru and the saintly founder of the Sikh religion. The Japji Sahib is considered to be the essence of the Guru Granth Sahib and of Sikh thought. It is of eternal importance because it deals with the perennial philosophy, preaches love, brotherhood and compassion. The Japji Sahib comprises of the mool mantar (the basic sacred teaching) and two slokas as prologue and epilogue; the Japji Sahib also consists of 38 pauris (poems).

The Mool Mantar

Ik-onkaar sat Naam karta purakh, nirbha-o nirvair akaal moorat, ajoonee saibhan gur parsaad,

Jap, Aad sach, Jugaad sach, Hai bhee sach, Naanak hosee bhee sach

Ik-Onkaar : There is but one God

Sat Naam : True in His Name

Karta Purakh : He is the creative power personified

Nirbha-o Nirvair : He is without fear; without enmity

A-Kaal Moorat : He is timeless, without form; beyond birth and death

Ajoonee Saibhan : He is unborn, self existent, self illuminated and self sustaining

Gur Parsaad : He is realized through the Guru’s divine grace

Jap : Recite, reflect and meditate.

Aad sach, Jugaad sach,

Hai bhee sach, Naanak hosee bhee sach

He was true in the primal beginning before the ages began. True through all the ages, He is still the truth here and now; and O Nanak, true shall He ever remain.

Many regard this last ‘Jap’ part as the sloka following the mool mantar.

Ik Onkaar is the seed of the Sikh faith. The Mool Mantar is its root. Japji Sahib is the trunk of the Sikh faith. The rest of the Guru Granth Sahib are the branches, leaves and flowers.

There is no religion higher than the truth, said Guru Nanak. God is the ultimate truth, and this truth shall prevail. Let us therefore resolve: to seek God, the truth of all truths. Speak the truth, worship the truth, and bear witness to the truth in deeds of daily living.

Happy Guru Purab

The Man Who Thinks He Can – Walter D. Wintle

If you think you are beaten, you are

If you think you dare not, you don’t,

If you like to win, but you think you can’t

It is almost certain you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’re llos

For out of the world we find,

Success begins with a fellow’s will

It’s all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are

You’ve got to think high to rise,

You’ve got to be sure of yourself before

You can ever win a prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go

To the stronger or faster man,

But soon or late the man who wins

Is the man WHO THINKS HE CAN!

How To Live & Die – By Khushwant Singh

I’ve often thought about what it is that makes people happy—what one has to do in order to achieve happiness.

1- First and foremost is good health. If you do not enjoy good health, you can never be happy. Any ailment, however trivial, will deduct something from your happiness.

2- Second, a healthy bank balance. It need not run into crores, but it should be enough to provide for comforts, and there should be something to spare for recreation—eating out, going to the movies, travel and holidays in the hills or by the sea. Shortage of money can be demoralising. Living on credit or borrowing is demeaning and lowers one in one’s own eyes.

3- Third, your own home. Rented places can never give you the comfort or security of a home that is yours for keeps. If it has garden space, all the better. Plant your own trees and flowers, see them grow and blossom, and cultivate a sense of kinship with them.

4- Fourth, an understanding companion, be it your spouse or a girlfriend or a best friend. If you have too many misunderstandings, it robs you of your peace of mind. It is better to accept the differences than to be quarrelling all the time.

5- Fifth, stop envying those who have done better than you in life—risen higher, made more money, or earned more fame. Envy can be corroding; avoid comparing yourself with others.

6- Sixth, do not allow people to descend on you for gossip. By the time you get rid of them, you will feel exhausted and poisoned by their gossip-mongering.

7- Seventh, cultivate a hobby or two that will fulfill you—gardening, reading, writing, painting, playing or listening to music. Going to clubs or parties to get free drinks, or to meet celebrities, is a criminal waste of time. It’s important to concentrate on something that keeps you occupied meaningfully.

8- Eighth, every morning and evening devote 20 minutes to meditation or introspection. In the mornings, 10 minutes should be spent in keeping the mind absolutely still, and five listing the things you have to do that day. In the evenings, five minutes should be set aside to keep the mind still and 10 to go over the tasks you had intended to do.

9- Ninth, don’t lose your temper. Try not to be short-tempered, or vengeful. Even when a friend has been rude, just move on.

10- Above all, when the time comes to go, one should go like a Person without any regret or grievance against anyone.

Mother

A young mother set her foot on the path of life. “Is this the long way?” she asked. God replied: “Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it.But the end will be better than the beginning.”

The young mother was happy, but she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her little children,gathered flowers for them along the way, bathed them in the natural streams as the sun shone on them. “Nothing will ever be lovelier than this,” she said to God.

Then as the dark stormy night came, her children shook with fear and cold. The mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and the children said, “Mother, we are not afraid for you are near, and no harm can come.”

And then morning came, and there was a huge mountain ahead. The children climbed and grew weary. The mother was weary too but at all times she encouraged her children,” A little patience and we will be on top.” So the children climbed, and when they reached the peak they said, “Mother, we would not have done it without you.”

The mother looked at the night sky and as she gazed the stars she thought, “This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage. Today, I ‘ ve given them strength.”

And the next day, came angry clouds which darkened the earth. Clouds of war, hate and evil. The children groped and stumbled, and the mother said: “Look up. Lift your eyes to the light.” And the children looked and saw above the clouds an everlasting glory. It guided them beyond the darkness. And that night the Mother said,”This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God.”

Days went by, weeks passed, and then months and years. The mother grew old, feeble and bent. By then, her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. When the way was rough, they lifted her, for she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill, and beyond they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide.

The mother said,”I reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children after them.”

Her children said, “You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates.”

They stood and watched her as she walked alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said: “We cannot see you, but you will always remain with us.”

Your Mother is always with you…. She’s the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street; she’s the smell of bleach in your freshly laundered socks; she’s the cool hand on your brow when you’re unwell.

Your Mother lives inside your laughter. She’s crystallised in every teardrop. She’s the place you came from, your first home; She’s the map you follow with every step you take. She’s your first love and your first heartbreak.

Nothing can separate you from your mother. Not time, not space… not even God!

– Adapted and edited from an anonymous write up.

Love, Sex And Marraige

This note titled “Love, Sex and Marriage”, is based on the all time classic book “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill, first published in 1937 . The book is a comprehensive guide to achieving goals, not just in terms of wealth, but in all aspects of life.

A section of the book talks about the emotions of Love, Sex and Marriage. His explaination of love is unparalleled. His articulation of the connect, between the emotions of Love, Romance and Sex are thought provoking. His views on the balances in a marriage are worth a read.

Back in time, when the book was penned, there were only a handful of successful and famous women in the society. Therefore the last part of the note is limited to his study of the lives of successful men. He emphasises upon the powerful influence of the women in a man’s life.

How much of the author’s views hold true in the modern day context is for every reader to decide, based on his or her own experiences.

Love

Love is without question, life’s greatest experience. Memories of love never pass.

“The effect of love endures, because love is spiritual in nature. Even the memories of love are sufficient to lift one to a higher plane of creative effort. Bathe your mind in the beautiful memories of past love. They will soften the influence of present worries, unpleasant realities of life.

Love is whimsical and temperamental. It’s nature is ephermal and transitory. It comes when it pleases, and goes away without warning. Accept and enjoy it while it remains, but spend no time worrying about its departure. Worry will never bring it back.

It’s untrue, that love happens only once. It may come and go many times. No two love experiences will affect in the same way, but there usually is one love experience, which leaves a deeper imprint on the heart.

All love experiences are beneficial, except to the person who becomes resentful and cynical when love makes it’s departure.”

The Emotions of Love, Romance and Sex

Love, Romance and Sex are all emotions capable of driving men and women to heights of super achievement.

“Love is spiritual, while sex is biological. Emotion of sex is most intense and powerful of all mind stimuli.

When the emotion of love begins to mix itself with the emotion of sex, the result is calmness of Purpose,poise, accuracy of judgment and balance.

When the emotion of romance is added to those of love and sex, the obstructions between the finite mind and Infinite Intelligence are removed. The genius is thus born.

The emotion of love, when mixed with the emotion of sex, softens, modifies, and beautifies the facial expression.”

The Balances in a Marriage

Marriages not blessed with eternal affinity of love, properly balanced and proportioned with sex, cannot be happy, and seldom endure.

“Love alone will not bring happiness in marraige, nor will sex alone. When these two beautiful emotions are blended, marraige may bring out a state of mind, closest to the spiritual that one may ever know.”

Who you choose to be with can turn out to be the most important decision of your life. In the modern day context, “fortunate are those whose partners understands the balance between the emotions of love, sex and romance. The making or breaking of any relationship is the consequence of your partner’s understanding or lack of understanding of the emotions of love, sex or romance. ”

Successful Men, & The Women in their Lives

Men are easily managed by the women of their choice

Napoleon Hill authored Think and Grow Rich in 1937. He presents a point of view, based on how things were then. He states that, “Men who accumulate large fortunes, and attain to heights of power and fame, do so, mainly to satisfy their desire to please women. Take women out of their lives, and great wealth would be useless to most men. It is the inherent desire of man to please woman, which gives woman the power to make of break him.“

The woman who understands man’s nature and tactfully caters to it, does not have to fear competition from other women.“

On Positive Thoughts

Nature has so built us, that they can have control over the thoughts which reach our sub conscious mind, through the five senses. The sub conscious mind is a fertile garden, in which if good seeds are not sown, weeds will grow. In the same way, the thoughts that we have repeatedly in the conscious mind, whether positive or destructive, will manifest, because of the power of sub conscious mind which is influenced by these thoughts. Whenever there is a negative thought, replace it with a more powerful positive thought, accompanied by a strong positive emotion. Faith and love are the two positive and strong emotions.

Excerpt from “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill