Meditation is the art of witnessing the cloud of thoughts

Meditation is the art of witnessing the cloud of thoughts and feelings. As our witnessing grows this inner cloud of mind starts settling down and our inner sky becomes more clear.

Our real self is always present but it is not visible as long as the cloud of mind is there. We just have to remove the dust from our inner sky and real self starts shining. Meditation is the art of clearing this inner confusion by witnessing it.

Zen story of a student interested in Martial arts

There is a very famous zen story of a person who wanted to learn martial art. He went to a zen master and said to the master "I wanted to learn martial arts sincerely, How long will it take me to master the martial arts."
The master's reply was casual, "Ten years."

Impatiently, the person answered, "But I want to learn it quicker than that. I will work extra hard, and will be very sincere and regular. How long will it take to master arts then?"
The teacher thought for a moment, "20 years."

Moral of the story - Mind is always impatient. Real effort goes in understanding the mind and putting it aside so that our inner nature can shine in our actions. More impatient we are, more time it takes to understand our mistakes and learn any art form. Stay relax and no need to be ambitious in spirituality. Through ambition ego enters into spirituality also. Avoid the ambition, craving for siddhis- occult power and power in spirituality. There is no need to be in hurry.

Wise person goes through the internal questioning

Wisdom is not some thing which we are born with. But we become wise when we act from our intelligence. We have to think, question, doubt and come to our own conclusion about right and wrong.

Society has formed its own rules about how things should be done and no one questions them. Some times we are just following orthodox rules with out questioning them. A wise person is some one who has gone through the internal questioning and listened to his soul in coming to an conclusion. Our soul never misguides us but it is difficult to follow it.

Today is the first day of rest of your life

Today is the first day of rest of your life. We can make any thing out of this remaining life. Today we have got another chance to give a new direction to our life. Every day when we wake up, its a new birth. Every day we have the option to be more positive, optimistic or to be sad, depress.

I choose to be optimistic and bring more joy in my life as well as in others. Life is a growth and one has to participate in the life to grow. Lets share and grow our positive talents and make this life a celebration.

Meditation Tips | Meditation is not an separate activity

Meditation is not an separate activity. One need not sit for meditation to meditate. One can be equally meditative while doing day to day activities of walking, eating, talking etc provided one know the knack of meditation. Once one know the art of meditation then every activity becomes meditative.

One has to learn the knack of meditation and more time we spend in learning this knack of meditation better it is. Normally beginners of meditation are recommended to meditate for 30 minutes or one hour every day. But a beginner should be sincere in their meditation practice. One should not meditate for one day and next day skip the meditation practice. Sincerity is important for learning the knack.

Meditation is one way of becoming master of our inner world

We can not control our outer circumstances. Outer world is very much changing and we can not control it. Some times we will be doing well in the outer world and some times things will go against us.

But our inner world is in our hand and we can become master of it. Meditation is one way of becoming master of our inner world. A intelligent person chooses to become master of his inner world rather than wasting time in pursuing ambitions in the outside world.

Whole art of meditation is in putting the mind aside

Meditation is nothing but the art of putting the mind aside. Normally mind takes the center seat and controls our life. But in meditation we put the mind out of the way and bring a watcher, who watches this mind. This watcher is always there but is hidden underneath the mind.

Mind is just our periphery and not our center. Our real center is at our inner most core which is always centered, calm, still and watching every thing. Whole art of meditation is in putting the mind aside and allowing this inner center to take the center seat.

Meditation is to move from unconsciousness to conscious living

Meditation is the art of being more conscious in our actions. For so many lives we are just living unconsciously and mechanically. Meditation is a decision which any one can make in the current life to be conscious in their actions.

Meditation is the art of moving from unconsciousness to conscious living. When we drink alcohol, drugs or take any thing which makes us more unconscious then we bring down our consciousness. Any thing that reduces our consciousness is not good for meditation. A meditator makes every effort to raise its consciousness

Real spirituality is an upward journey

Real spirituality is an upward journey. It is an effort to grow despite the unconsciousness of the society. Society always brings down the people who wants to grow spiritually. Because a spiritual person is no longer part of the society.

A real spiritual person becomes an individual and is not part of any mentality, group, or nation. It needs wisdom to grow despite all the resistances imposed by the society. A seeker has to be very intelligent in making use of the opportunities for his spiritual growth and no matter what happens he should keep on putting effort for his growth.

Journey of thousand steps begins with one step

Journey of thousand steps begins with one step. Most difficult thing in a journey is not the last step but it is to take the first step. It takes more courage and will power to take the first step of a thousand mile journey than to take the last step.

It is easier to turn back in between and gave up. But it needs a man of character to go on despite all odds and complete the journey. To give up is easy and even a fool can do it but to keep on growing and moving needs courage, intelligence and will power. No matter what happens one should stick with truth.

Meditation is to be aware of seeking mind

Meditation is not concentration, contemplation or prayer. Meditation is all about understanding the mind who is always seeking and desiring. Concentration, contemplation and prayer are all done by the mind and meditation is to be aware of this seeking mind. Meditation is the art of being aware about our thoughts, feelings, moods, actions. Meditation is not an doing but it is become aware about our doings and efforts to seek any thing in life. In fact Meditation is the real prayer towards life.

Spiritual Quotes | Spirituality is all about finding our inner nature

Spirituality should not become another game of ego. Many people who are not able to achieve success in materialistic world enters the spiritual world and start desiring things in the realm of Spirituality. Many such people desire for siddhis, occult power or a place in heaven.

A sincere seeker should guard himself against the desires and fancies of the mind. The very nature of mind is to seek and desire. Real Spirituality begins when we start understanding the mind and its working by becoming aware of it. Spirituality is all about finding our true face and inner nature and it nothing to do with fulfilling the desires of the mind.

Meditation Quotes | Meditation is all about being aware of our thoughts

Meditation is all about being aware of our thoughts. Mind is always thinking all the time and it controls our life. There is no way for an average person to stop the mind except meditation. Only way to stop the mind is to become a witness to the thinking process. In Meditation, we witness the thoughts in a very relax and detached way. We don't interfere with the thoughts in any way. We just witness them coming and going as if we are watching vehicles coming and going in a traffic signal.

Meditation makes the hold of mind on us weak. Mind feeds on our energy and cooperation. In meditation we stop our identification with the thoughts. Instead we just become a watcher of these thoughts.

Gods and Demons churning ocean for divine nectar

In Hindu mythology there are many stories of fights between gods and demons. But there is one unique case where gods and demons worked together. God and Demons wanted to churn the ocean in the hope of getting divine nectar, which would have made them immortal. But alone they would not have been able to churn the ocean. So they have to join hands and cooperate with each other.

When they started churning the ocean, many things started coming out from the ocean. First thing that came out was a very deadly poison. Many people started suffering from the ill effects of this poison. So Lord Shiva drank this poison and this poison was so deadly that the throat of Lord Shiva became blue in color and the Shravan month is dedicated to Lord Shiva for this particular event only as people started throwing water and milk on Lord Shiva to reduce the impact of this poison. In Shravan month Shivalinga is worshipped with milk etc.

After the poison many more things came out from the ocean like Goddess of wine, Lakshmi (Goddess of prosperity and beauty), Parijata the Celestial tree, Rambha the nymph , Moon, Kaustubha a jewel, White Horse, Surabhi the cow of Plenty, Dhanus a mighty bow, Airavata a white elephant, Sankha a conch shell came. But Gods and Demons were looking for divine nectar which would have given them immortality. So they kept on churning the ocean till the divine nectar came out.

This story looks like a myth but if we analyze this story from the perspective of a meditator. Then I think it has a very deep meaning. When we start practicing meditation then we have to face many unconscious fears, desires, traumas which are buried deep in our unconscious mind.
Through meditation, the meditator transform these desires by passively witnessing them. In the end we get enlightened which is like drinking the divine nectar.

Moral of story is that much is stored inside us. It carries both good and bad seeds. Instead of looking outside we have to look inside for the inner richness. When any negative desire comes out from our mind then we have to transform the energy into its highest form. e.g. sex into love, hate into compassion etc

Ramana Maharshi - On a particular day in the year the God

Ramana Maharshi - On a particular day in the year the God and the Goddess are taken to an adjoining field and the festival of the gods and goddess is celebrated. This is in memory of the fact that one day Sundaramurti Swami entered the temple and found to his dismay that neither God nor Goddess was there, and that on searching for them he found them in a field working at transplanting seedlings for a devotee, a Harijan.

Ramana Maharshi tale - How shall I repay your Grace

Ramana Maharshi - A Disciple served his master for a long time and realised the Self. He was in Bliss and wanted to express his gratitude to the Master. He was in tears of joy and his voice choked when he spoke. He said, “What a wonder that I did not know my very Self all these years! I suffered long and you so graciously helped me to realise the Self. How shall I repay your grace?

It is not in my power to do it.” The Master replied, “Well, well. Your repayment consists in not lapsing into ignorance again but in continuing in the state of your real Self.”

Ramana Maharshi - Krishna surrounded by 16,000 gopis is a brahmachari

Sri Bhagavan warned the hearers against the mistake of disparaging a jnani for his apparent conduct and again cited the story of Parikshit. He was a still born child. The ladies cried and appealed to Sri Krishna to save the child.

The sages round about wondered how Krishna was going to save the child from the effects of the arrows (apandavastra) of Asvattama. Krishna said, “If the child be touched by one eternally celibate (nityabramachari) the child would be brought to life.” Even Suka dared not touch the child. Finding no one among the reputed saints bold enough to touch the child, Krishna went and touched it, saying, “If I am eternally celibate (nityabramachari) may the child be brought to life.” The child began to breathe and later grew up to be Parikshit.

Just consider how Krishna surrounded by 16,000 gopis is a brahmachari! Such is the mystery of jivanmukti! A jivanmukta is one who does not see anything separate from the Self.

Ramana Maharshi on permanent Realisation and Glimpse of Reality

Question : What is the difference between a man who makes no attempt and remains an ajnani, and another who gains a glimpse and returns to ajnana?

Ramana Maharshi : In the latter case a stimulus is always present to goad him on to further efforts until the Realisation is perfect.

Question : The Srutis say, ‘this knowledge of Brahman shines forth once and for ever’.

Ramana Maharshi : They refer to the permanent Realisation and not to the glimpse.

Question : How is it possible that a man forgets his own experience and falls back into ignorance?Sri Bhagavan illustrated this with the following story.

There was a king who treated his subjects well. One of his ministers gained his confidence and misused the influence. All the other ministers and officers were adversely affected and they hit upon a plan to get rid of him. They instructed the guards not to let the man enter the palace. The king noted his absence and enquired after him.He was informed that the man was taken ill and could not therefore come to the palace. The king deputed his physician to attend on the minister.

False reports were conveyed to the king that the minister was sometimes improving and at other times collapsing.The king desired to see the patient. But the pandits said that such an action was against the dharma. Later the minister was reported to have died. The king was very sorry when he heard the news. The arrogant minister was kept informed of all the happenings by spies of his own.He tried to foil the other ministers. He waited for the king to come out of the palace so that he might report himself to the king.

On one occasion he climbed up a tree, hid himself among the branches and awaited the king. The king came out that night in the palanquin and the man in hiding jumped down in front of the palanquin and shouted his identity.The companion of the king was equally resourceful. He at once took out a handful of sacred ashes (vibhuti) from his pocket and scattered it in the air so that the king was obliged to close his eyes. The companion also shouted victory (jai) to the king and ordered the band to play so that the other man’s shout was drowned in the noise.

He also ordered the palanquin-bearers to move fast and he himself sang incantations to keep off evil spirits. The king was thus left under the impression that the dead man’s ghost was playing pranks with him.The disappointed man became desperate and retired into the forest for tapasya (austerities). After a long time the king happened to go hunting. He came across the former minister seated in deep contemplation. But he hastened away from the spot lest the ghost should molest him.

Ramana Maharshi - Self (Atma) gets purified by intense devotion to Hari

A devotee asked, “Swami, what is the easiest way to attain moksha?”Bhagavan said with a smile, “As and when the mind goes astray, it should be turned inward and made to steady itself in the thought of the Self. That is the only way.”Another devotee said, “To do so, the repeating of the name of Rama is good, is it not?”“Certainly, it is good,” said Bhagavan. “What could be better?

The greatness of the japa of the name of Rama is extraordinary. In the story of Namadeva he is reported to have told one devotee, ‘If you want to know the greatness of the name of Rama you must first know what your own name is, what your real nature (swarupa) is, who you are and how you were born.Unless you know your own origin, you will not know your name!’

This idea is found in the Abhangas of Namadeva written in Marathi language and in the Malayalam Adhyatma Ramayana.”

Thereupon Bhagavan related a story from the latter.It is stated in that book that when Anjaneya went in search of Sita, he seated himself opposite to Ravana in the Darbar Hall on a high pedestal and fearlessly spoke to him thus: ‘Oh Ravana, I give you a teaching (upadesa) for attaining liberation (moksha). Please listen to me carefully.

It is certain that the Self (Atma) gets purified by intense devotion to Hari, who is in the lotus of the Heart at all times. The ego gets destroyed and then the sin gets destroyed.Afterwards, in its place, the knowledge of the transcendent Self emerges. With a pure mind and with the Bliss (Ananda) generated by a firm knowledge of the Self, the two letters ‘Ra’ ‘Ma’ which are like mantras, will repeat themselves within you automatically.

What more is required for a person who has this knowledge, however little it might be? Hence worship the lotus feet of Vishnu, which will remove all worldly fears, which are dear to all devotees and which shine as brightly as the light of a crore of Suns. Give up the ignorance of your mind’. This has been mentioned in two or three slokas in the Sanskrit Adhyatma Ramayanam but not as elaborately as in the Malayalam text. Is the greatness of the name of Rama ordinary?

Sri Bhagavan Story of Ma Sita and Lord Rama

Lakshman Brahmachari from Sri Ramakrishna Mission asked, “Enquiry of ‘Who am I?’ or of the ‘I-thought’ being itself a thought, how can it be destroyed in the process?”

Sri Bhagavan replied with a story. When Sita was asked who was her husband among the rishis (Rama himself being present there as a rishi) in the forest, by the wives of the rishis, she denied each one as he was pointed out to her, but simply hung down her head when Rama was pointed out. Her silence was eloquent.

Similarly, the Vedas also are eloquent in neti-neti (not this, not this) and then remain silent. Their silence is the Real State. This is the meaning of exposition by silence. When the source of the ‘I’-thought is reached it vanishes and what remains is the Self.

Ramana Maharshi Stories - Ramana Maharshi Story of a Fake Monk

A devotee told Bhagavan about his ill-health, treatment by doctors and services rendered to him by his servants. Bhagavan did not immediately reply to him, but in the evening, when the devotees all gathered, he began massaging his own legs with oil. Looking at the questionerwith a smile, he said, “We are our own doctors and our own servants.”

The questioner then said, “What are we to do if we do not have strength like Bhagavan to attend to our own work?”
Bhagavan’s reply was, “If we have strength to eat, why should we not have strength to do this?”
The questioner could not say anything and so kept silent with his head bent. Just then the post arrived. After looking through the letters, Bhagavan narrated the following story.

Once a Certain sanyasi was anxious to be the head of a Mutt. He had to have disciples, you see and he tried his level best to secure some. Anyone who came, soon found out the limited knowledge of the person and so went away. No one stayed on. What could he do?

One day he had to go to a city. There he had to keep up his position; but he had no disciple. No one must know this. His bundle of clothes, etc., was on his head. So, he thought he would place the bundle in some house unobserved and then pretend to go there afterwards. He wandered throughout the place. Whenever he tried to step into a house, he found a number of people in front of it. Poor chap! What could he do? It was almost evening. He was tired. At last he found ahouse with no one in front. The door was open. Greatly relieved, he placed the bundle in one corner of the house and then sat in the verandah.

After a while the lady of the house came out and enquired who he was. “Me! I am the head of a Mutt in such and such a place. I came to this city on some work. I heard that you were good householders. I therefore sent my belongings through my disciple to put them in your house thinking that we could put up with you for the night and go away next morning. Has he doneso?” “No one has come sir”, she said. “No, please. I asked him to put the bundle here, go to the bazaar and get some things. Kindly see if he has put it in any corner”, he said. When the lady searched this side and that, she saw the bundle in one corner. Thereupon she and her husband welcomed him and gave him food, etc.

Rather late in the night, they asked, “How is it, sir your disciple has not come yet?” He said, “Perhaps that useless fellow has eaten something in the bazaar and is wandering about. Youplease go to bed. If he comes, I will open the door for him.”

That couple had by then understood the sanyasi’s true position. They thought they would see further fun and so went into the house to lie down. Then the person started his acting. He opened the door and closed it, making a loud noise so as to be heard by the members of the household. He then said loudly, “Why! What have you been doing so long? Take care – if youdo it again, I shall beat you black and blue. Be careful henceforth.” Changing his tone thereafter, he said in a plaintive voice, “Swami, Swami, please excuse me. I shall not do it again.”

Assuming the original tone, he said, “All right. Come here, massage my legs here. No, there. Please hit lightly with your fists. Yes a little more.” So saying, he massaged his own legs andthen said, “Enough. It is rather late. Go to bed.” So saying he went to sleep. There was a hole in the wall of the room where the couple were staying and through it they saw the whole farce.
In the early morning the sanyasi again began repeating the evening’s performance, saying, “You lazy fellow! The cocks have begun to crow. Go to so and so’s house and come back after doing such and such work.” So saying, he opened the door, pretended to send him away and went back to bed. The couple saw this also.

In the morning he bundled up his belongings, put the bundle in a corner, and went to a tank nearby for bathing, etc. The couple took the bundle and hid it somewhere. The sannyasi returned and searched the whole room but the bundle was not found anywhere. So he asked the lady of the house, “Where is my bundle?”

The couple then replied, “Sir, your disciple came here and took away the bundle saying you wanted him to bring it to you. It is the same person who massaged your legs last night. He must be round the corner. Please see, Swami.” What could he do then? He kept his mouth shut andstarted going home. This is what happens if a disciple serves you. Just like me, we are our own servants. So saying, Bhagavan pretended to massage his legs with his hands and his fists.

Sri Ramakrishna - Chaitanya means 'Undivided Consciousness

Sri Ramakrishna (to the devotees): "Chaitanya means 'Undivided Consciousness'. Vaishnavcharan used to say that Gauranga was like a bubble in the Ocean of Undivided Consciousness (To the elder Gopal) "Do you intend to go on a pilgrimage now?"
Gopal: "Yes, sir. I should like to wander about a little."

Ram (to Gopal): "He [meaning the Master] says that one becomes a kutichaka after being a vahudaka. The sadhu that visits many holy places is called a vahudaka. He whose craving for travel has been satiated and who sits down in one place is called a kutichaka.

"He also tells us a parable. Once a bird sat on the mast of a ship. When the ship sailed through the mouth of the Ganges into the 'black waters' of the ocean, the bird failed to notice the fact. When it finally became aware of the ocean, it left the mast and flew north in search of land. But it found no limit to the water and so returned.

After resting awhile it flew south. There too it found no limit to the water. Panting for breath the bird returned to the mast. Again, after resting awhile, it flew east and then west. Finding no limit to the Water in any direction, at last it settled down on the mast of the ship."

Sri Ramakrishna (to the elder Gopal and the other devotees): "As long as a man feels that God is 'there', he is ignorant. But he attains Knowledge when he feels that God is 'here'. "A man wanted a smoke. He went to a neighbour's house to light his charcoal. It was the dead of night and the household was asleep. After he had knocked a great deal, someone came down to open the door.

At sight of the man he asked, 'Hello! What's the matter?' The man replied: 'Can't you guess? You know how fond I am of smoking. I have come here to light my charcoal.' The neighbour said: 'Ha! Ha! You are a fine man indeed! You took the trouble to come and do all this knocking at the door! Why, you have a lighted lantern in your hand!' (All laugh.) "What a man seeks is very near him. Still he wanders about from place to place."

Ram: "Sir, I now realize why a guru asks some of his disciples to visit the four principal holy places of the country. Once having wandered about, the disciple discovers that it is the same here as there. Then he returns to the guru. All this wandering is only to create faith in the guru's words."

Source: from book "Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna"

Sri Ramakrishna - To the jnanis the waking state is no more real than the dream state

It was about five o'clock in the afternoon. Sri Ramakrishna was sitting on the steps of his verandah. Hazra, Rakhal, and M. were near him. Hazra had the attitude of a Vedantist: "I am He."

Sri Ramakrishna (to Hazra): "Yes, all one's confusion comes to an end if one only realizes that it is God who manifests Himself as the atheist and the believer, the good and the bad, the real and the unreal; that it is He who is present in waking and in sleep; and that He is beyond all these.

"There was a farmer to whom an only son was born when he was rather advanced in age. As the child grew up, his parents became very fond of him. One day the farmer was out working in the fields, when a neighbour told him that his son was dangerously ill—indeed, at the point of death. Returning home he found the boy dead. '

His wife wept bitterly, but his own eyes remained dry. Sadly the wife said to her ncighbours, 'Such a son has passed away, and he hasn't even one tear to shed!'

After a long while the farmer said to his wife: 'Do you know why I am not crying? Last night I dreamt I had become a king, and the father of seven princes. These princes were beautiful as well as virtuous. They grew in stature and acquired wisdom and knowledge in the various arts. Suddenly I woke up. Now I have been wondering whether I should weep for those seven children or this one boy.'

To the jnanis the waking state is no more real than the dream state. "God alone is the Doer. Everything happens by His will."

Source: from book "Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna"

Sri Ramakrishna - God alone is the Doer; all others are mere instruments in His hands

Sri Ramakrishna :"No. But from what you say it seems to me that she has a desire for name and fame. That kind of egotism is not good. The feeling 'I am the doer' is the outcome of ignorance. But the feeling that God does everything is due to knowledge. God alone is the Doer; all others are mere instruments in His hands.

Parable of the calf
Sri Ramakrishna : "The misfortune that befalls a man on account of his egotism can be realized if you only think of the condition of the calf. The calf says, 'Hamma! Hamma!' that is, 'I! I!' And just look at its misfortune! At times it is yoked to the plough and made to work in the field from sunup to sundown, rain or shine.

Again, it may be slaughtered by the butcher. In that case the flesh is eaten and the skin tanned into hide. From the hide shoes are made. People put on these shoes and walk on the rough ground. Still that is not the end of its misfortunes. Drums are made from its skin and mercilessly beaten with sticks.

At last its entrails are made into strings for the bow used in carding cotton. When used by the carder the string gives the sound 'Tuhu! Tuhu!', 'Thou! Thou!'—that is, 'It is Thou, O Lord! It is Thou!' It no longer says, 'Hamma! Hamma!', 'I! I!' Only then does the calf's trouble come to an end, and it is liberated. It doesn't return to the world of action.

"Likewise, when the embodied soul says: 'O God, I am not the doer; Thou art the Doer. I am the machine and Thou art its Operator', only then does its suffering of worldly life come to an end; only then does it obtain liberation. It no longer has to be reborn in this world of action."

A Devotee: "How can a man get rid of his ego?"
Sri Ramakrishna : "You cannot get rid of it until you have realized God. If you find a person free from ego, then know for certain that he has seen God."

Source: from book "Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna"

Sri Ramakrishna : "In samadhi one attains the Knowledge of Brahman"

Sri Ramakrishna : "In samadhi one attains the Knowledge of Brahman – one realizes Brahman. In that state reasoning stops altogether, and man becomes mute. He has no power to describe the nature of Brahman.
"Once a salt doll went to measure the depth of the ocean. (All laugh.) It wanted to tell others how deep the water was. But this it could never do, for no sooner did it get into the water than it melted. Now who was there to report the ocean's depth?"
Source: from book "Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

Dhammapada Story of Gautam Buddha and Cruel Butcher

There was once a Butcher who was a very mean and wicked man. Never in his life had he ever done any meritorious deeds. His job was slaughtering pigs and he loved it, often torturing them mercilessly before putting them to death.

One day he got very sick and finally died, but before he died he suffered such agony that he crawled around on his hands and knees for days, squealing and grunting like a pig being slaughtered.

It so happened that the butcher’s home was within ear’s reach of the monastery where the Buddha and his monks were staying. When the bhikkhus heard the desperate squeals coming from his house, they assumed that the miserable butcher was at his cruel work again and shook their heads in great disapproval.

The squeals and grunts went on for several days until, one day, they stopped just as suddenly as they had begun. The monks could not help but remark to each other how wicked and hard-hearted the butcher was for having caused his poor animals so much pain and suffering.

The Buddha overheard what they were saying and said, “Bhikkhus, the butcher was not slaughtering his pigs. He was very ill and in such great pain that he was acting like the pigs he used to enjoy inflicting pain upon. His bad kamma had finally caught up with him. Today he died and was reborn in a woeful state of existence.”

The Buddha then exhorted his disciples to be alert at doing good, for anyone who did evil deeds would have to suffer for them. There was no way to escape from one’s evil deeds, he warned his disciples. Here he grieves, hereafter he grieves.

The evildoer grieves in both existences. He grieves and he suffers anguish when he remembers his impure deeds.

Dhammapada Story of The Lady and the Ogress

Once There was a Man who was becoming impatient with his wife for not being able to bear him any children. At the same time, his wife was becoming increasingly anxious because she was not able to give him the children he longed for. Fearing that her husband would one day abandon
her, she coaxed him into taking another wife.

But each time she learned that the new wife was pregnant, she caused her to miscarry by putting some drugs into her food. The second wife eventually figured out what was going on, but it was too late to do anything about it, for she was already near death’s door from being poisoned so often.

Before she finally died, however, she swore that she would pay the first wife back for all the suffering she was caused should their paths cross again in future lives. And indeed their paths did cross again. Once they were reborn as a cat and a hen, and another time as a leopardess and a doe, and each time they were after each other’s offsprings, creating more and more hatred between themselves.

Finally, they were reborn as the daughter of a nobleman and an ogress. One day, the ogress in all her fury was chasing after the nobleman’s daughter and her baby. The mother, in desperation, fled to the monastery where the Buddha was staying and begged the Buddha to save her child from the hungry ogress. The Buddha, instead, admonished her, as well as the ogress, for the folly of their unabated vengeance.

He then related to them how their mutual hatred began and how, because of that hatred, they had been killing off each other’s babies in their successive lifetimes. He made them realize that hatred only caused more hatred, and that hatred ceased only through goodwill and compassion.

The lady and the ogress then felt great remorse for their past actions and asked each other for forgiveness. In that way, after many lifetimes of unbroken rivalry filled with hatred, they finally made peace with each other.

Hatred in the world is indeed never appeased by hatred. It is appeased only by loving kindness.
This is an ancient law.

Ramana Maharshi story of Shiva Bhakta Jnanasambandar

Ramana Maharshi story of Shiva Bhakta Jnanasambandar

Sri Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi : In the course of conversation Sri Bhagavan said that Thirujnanasambandar had sung in praise of Sri Arunachala. He also mentioned the story briefly as follows: Jnanasambandar was born in an orthodox family about 1,500 years ago.

When he was three years old his father took him to the temple in Shiyali. He left the boy on the bank of the sacred tank and went in to bathe. As he dipped in the water the boy, not finding his father, began to cry out. Immediately Siva and Parvati appeared in a vimana. Siva told Parvati to feed the boy with her milk. So she drew out milk in a cup and handed it to the boy. He drank it and was happy.

The father as he came out of the water saw the boy smiling and with streaks of milk round his lips. So he asked the boy what happened to him. The boy did not answer. He was threatened and the boy sang songs. They were hymns in praise of Siva who appeared before him.

He sang, “The One with ear-rings... the Robber, who robbed me of my mind....”
He thus became one of the most famous bhaktas and was much sought after. He led a vigorous and active life; went on pilgrimage to several places in South India. He got married in his sixteenth year. The bride and the bridegroom went to have darsan of God in the local temple soon after the marriage ceremonies were over. A large party went with them.

When they reached the temple the place was a blaze of light and the temple was not visible. There was however a passage visible in the blaze of light. Jnanasambandar told the people to enter the passage. They did so. He himself went round the light with his young wife, came to the passage and entered it as the others had done earlier.

The Light vanished leaving no trace of those who entered it. The temple again came into view as usual. Such was the brief but very eventful life of the sage. In one of his tours he had come to Ariyanainallur or Tirukkoilur, eighteen miles from Tiruvannamalai. The place is famous for its Siva temple. (It was here that Sri Bhagavan had that vision of Light on his way to Tiruvannamalai in his seventeenth year. Sri Bhagavan did not then know that the place was sanctified by the feet of Tirujnanasambandar some fifteen centuries ago.)

When the ancient sage was staying in Ariyanainallur an old man who carried a flower-basket came to him. The young sage asked the old man who he was. The latter replied that he was a servitor of Sri Arunachala the God residing as the Hill here.