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Why Do Good People Suffer ?

admin — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:51:00 +0000

By Swami Tejomayananda “Why do good people suffer or why do bad things happen to good people?” This question seems to be very common these days. It seems as though good people get the brunt of all suffering, while evil-doers enjoy life. But if we observe closely, we see that everyone undergoes suffering in some form. Keeping this in mind, our question becomes meaningless. Just because a person is good does not mean there would be no suffering in his/her life. But what do we mean by ‘good’? In Sanskrit, ‘sadhu’ is the word used for a good person. Sadhu comes from the word ‘saadh’, meaning ‘to accomplish’. If we work for ourselves and achieve great things, there is nothing laudable about it, but if we help others to achieve their goals, then it is an accomplishment. If someone is good to you and you reciprocate, that is common courtesy. But if someone is harming you, and despite that you continue to wish that person well without expecting anything in return, it is real goodness. A sadhu bathing in the river saw a drowning insect. He saved it from drowning and was stung in return. Again, the insect fell back into the river and the sadhu pulled it out of the water and placed it under a shady tree. On seeing this, a person asked the sadhu, “Why did you do that?” He replied, “The insect did not give up its nature, so why should I?” How can we achieve this goodness in our lives? To reach any target, we must first have a goal. Similarly, for achieving goodness, we must have a standard of goodness which is known to us, because only then can we rise up to the required levels. As long as we see differences in the world around us, true goodness will not manifest. This can be achieved only when we become aware of our oneness with others. An example will illustrate this point better. Every organ of my body is part of one whole. If the finger goes into the eye, there is instant forgiveness, because of the complete identification with the finger. Now that we know what is good, let us see what suffering is. Objective suffering befalls all people, good or bad. Situations leading to suffering could have their roots in past actions. Objectively, the existence of pain or any other physical handicap cannot be denied, but the degree of sorrow this leads to is entirely subjective. Riches or positions of power do not guarantee happiness. People become miserable over small matters. If a person claims that he is good and is suffering, while the dishonest person is flourishing, we can be very sure that the person is not good. For a good man, the real suffering is to do something against his convictions. Suppose a pure vegetarian is faced with a situation of remaining hungry or eating beef, the chances are that the former option would be more acceptable. All our spiritual practices cannot eliminate suffering, but they protect the mind and make suffering acceptable, just as on a rainy day, we cannot stop the rain, but can protect ourselves from getting wet with an umbrella. Bhagavan Krishna says, “A good person never suffers.” By some logic we feel that suffering and enjoyment is related to past actions. If we observe at the subtle level, we find immediate results of our actions. The moment a good thought enters our mind, we feel elation, and similarly a wicked thought causes agitation. Real suffering is when we lose our goodness. Compromising with goodness is the greatest suffering. Even though superficially it may appear that evil doers are flourishing, it should not be an excuse to compromise. The problem arises when one does not have an ideal or when one is not able to live up to one’s ideal. But the greatest problem is when one believes that the ideal is not worth living up to and has lost its utility. Remember, a good man will stand by his convictions, because “If you do not stand for something, you will fall for everything.”

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Why Do Good People Suffer ?

Sabrimala

adam — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 09:41:00 +0000

View the enlarged picture by clicking on the Ayyappa picture below. Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa Temple is one of the most ancient and prominent Sastha temples in the country. Located in the Western Ghat mountain ranges of Pathanamthitta district in Kerala, Sabarimala Sri Dharmasastha Temple is one of the few Hindu temples in India that is open to all faiths. The shrine of Sabarimala is one of the most remote shrines in southern India yet it still draws three to four million pilgrims each year. Surrounded by mountains and dense forest Sabarimala is believed to be the place where Ayyappan meditated. Perhaps the best known pilgrimage destination in Kerala is Sabarimala. Sabarimala Sri Dharmasastha Temple is the most famous and prominent among all the Sastha Temples. It is believed that “Parasurama Maharshi” who retrieved Kerala from the sea by throwing his axe, installed the idol of Ayyappa at Sabarimala to worship Lord Ayyappa. The pilgrimage begins in the month of November and ends in January. The temple attracts pilgrims not only from the southern states of India, but also from other parts of the country and abroad. The shrine gets thronged with devotees especially during the main pilgrim season from November to January. Mandala pooja (November16,2009) and Makaravilakku(Jan.14th) are the two main events of the pilgrim season. The temple stays closed during the rest of the year except for the first five days of every Malayalam month and during Vishu (April). Certain customs are to be strictly observed if one has to undertake a pilgrimage to Sabarimala. A pilgrim attending the Mandalapooja should observe austerities for 41 days. During this period, the pilgrim should abstain himself from non vegetarian food and carnal pleasures. Pilgrims set out in groups under a leader, and each carry a cloth bundle called Irumudi kettu containing traditional offerings. Unlike certain Hindu temples, Sabarimala temple has no restrictions of caste or creed. The temple is open to males of all age groups and to women who have either passed their fertility age and those before reaching the stage of puberty. The easiest route is via Chalakkayam, by which one can reach the banks of the river Pamba by vehicle. Pamba is the main halting point on the way to Sabarimala. From here one has to trek 4 to 5 kms to reach the temple. Please visit the website by copy pasting the same to your browser a panorama of Sabrimala. http://www.p4panorama.com/panos/sabarimala/index.html

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Sabrimala

Significance Of Tulasi

adam — Sun, 08 May 2011 06:37:00 +0000

By Kamala Murthy The leaves of the tulsi plant are important in worship. They are superior even to fragrant flowers. Flowers are fragrant only when they bloom. But every part of the tulsi plant has fragrance. Its seeds, it leaves, its stem, its roots- all have fragrance. Even the soil in which it is planted acquires the fragrant smell of the plant. All we need to do is to use a single tulsi leaf in worship. Nothing will please Lord Narayana more. Using tulsi leaves in worship will bring prosperity. One day, Tulsi went to the Lord with a complaint. She had a grievance, she said. Like Goddess Mahalakshmi, Tulsi too came from the milky ocean. But while Lakshmi adorned His chest, which was Her permanent abode, what honour had she (Tulsi) been given? Tulsi had come from the scattered drops of nectar. Why was it that she was not honoured, while Lakshmi was, Tulsi wondered. The Lord said that Lakshmi had done penance and had thus reached Him. Lakshmi, however, was going to appear on the Earth, as the daughter of Sage Markandeya. Tulsi should go to the Earth too, and there spread herself as a bush, that would shelter Lakshmi, who would appear under the bush. Lakshmi would be brought up by Sage Markandeya. The Lord would come down too, and would marry Lakshmi later on. As per the Lord’s instructions, Tulsi appeared on the bank of the Cauvery river. She appeared in such profusion, that the whole place resembled a tulsi forest. So dense was the vegetation. Sage Markandeya, who was on a pilgrimage, reached the place where Tulsi had taken root. He bathed in the river, and began to meditate. In his mind’s eye, the sage could see the Lord. And as long as the image of the Lord filled the sage’s mind, he was oblivious to everything else around him. He did not even notice the child who was under the tulsi bush. This child was none other than Goddess Mahalakshmi. In order that the sage should open his eyes and see Her, the Lord caused His image to disappear from the sage’s mind. Only then did the sage open his eyes, and upon seeing the child, he picked her up, brought her up, and later got Her married to the Lord.

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Significance Of Tulasi

Maharishi Valmiki

admin — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 11:39:00 +0000

Maharshi Valmiki Sri Rama and Seetha. Who has not heard these two names in our country, from the Himalayas to Kanyakumari? Ramanavami is a sacred festival. People observe the Ramotsava and listen to the stories of Rama and Seetha again and again. They worship Rama and Seetha with great devotion. The journey of Rama through life is the ‘Ramayana’ (Ramasya ayana – Rama’s journey). It is remarkable that Sri Rama himself listened to the story of the Ramayana’ and was pleased. Lava and Kusha sang the story before Rama very sweetly; Rama did not know that they were own sons! The poet who composed ‘Ramayana’ and taught the song and story to Lava and Kusha, was a great sage by name Valmiki. How this man became a sage and a singer-poet is itself a very interesting story. Valmiki’s Ramayana is in the Sanskrit language. It is a very beautiful poem. Long poem narrating the story of a very great hero is called an epic. Valmiki’s ‘Ramayana’ is the very first such poem in Sanskrit. Therefore, it is also called the ‘Adi-Kavya’ or – the First Poem; Valmiki is also known as the ‘Adi-Kavi’, which means the First Poet. Valmiki’s ‘Ramayana’ can be sung. It is delightful to the ear like the sound of the cuckoo. Valmiki has been described as a cuckoo on the tree of poetry, singing sweetly. Those who read the ‘Ramayana’ bow to the great Valmiki first and then turn to the epic. Out of the Ant-hill Valmiki was not the name that his parents chose for the poet. His real name was Ratnakara. The word ‘Valmika’ in Sanskrit means an ant-hill. Since he came out of an ant-hill, he got the name of Valmiki. But how strange! How did he come out of an ant-hill? Now, that is a wonderful and delightful story. Valmiki also lived in the age of Sri Rama – called the ‘Treta Yuga’ (the Age of Treta). In those days, there was a thick forest all along the banks of the river Ganga. Many sages built their hermitage in that forest for their ‘tapas’ ; that means they meditated on God. Among them was a sage by the name of Prachetasa. He had, a son called Ratnakara. When he was very young boy, one day he went into the forest. While playing he lost his way and began to cry. Just then a hunter came there looking for a prey. He saw the chubby boy and fondled and pacified him. The hunter had no children. He took the boy to his hut in the midst of the jungle. Ratnakara’s father searched for his son all around the hermitage, but could not find him. Finally he and his wife thought that the boy had become the prey of some wild beast. Both wept very much. The hunter and his wife brought up the lad with great love. Ratnakara forgot his parents. He took the hunter for his father and the hunter’s wife for his mother. He was taught how to hunt by the father. Ratnakara was a clever boy and learnt it quickly. He became a hunter with a sure aim. To the birds and beasts of the forest, he became verily Yama, the God of Death. When he came of age, his foster father searched for a bride and celebrated his marriage with a beautiful girl from a hunters family. In a few years she gave birth to some children. Thus Ratnakara’s family grew in size. It became very difficult for him to provide food and clothing to his large family. So he took to robbery. He began to attack people going from one village to another, frighten them and to away all that they had. If they opposed him, he killed them. One day Ratnakara was sitting by the side of a road waiting for a victim. It happened that the great sage Narada was passing that way. Narada had his favorite musical instrument, a Veena, in his hands. As he played on the Veena, he was singing a song in praise of God. When he was thus lost in joy, suddenly Ratnakara rushed at him. He lifted the stout staff in his hands and shouted, “Look here! Hand over all you have or else I’ll break your head.” But Narada was not an ordinary man. He was a divine sage, and one who wandered all over the Earth, the Heaven and the Underworld. He was not frightened by the loud shouts of Ratnakara. He smilingly, “My dear man, all that I have only this old Veena and the rags I wear; If you want them, you can certainly take them. Why should you break my head for these?” Ratnakara was astonished at these words. He looked up at Narada’s face. There was neither fear nor anger; there was only peace. And how bright was that face! He was surprised to see a face tender and innocent like that of a child. He had never seen such a lovely face. As he gazed, his cruel mind melted into tenderness. Narada sat beneath a tree and as played on the Veena, sang a song in praise of God. It was sweet like the song of cuckoo. Ratnakara was deeply moved. Noticing the change, the sage Narada paused in his song and said, “Brother, stealing is a sin. Killing animals is also sinful. Why do you do such evil?” “Sire, what can I do Ratnakara replied, I have a large family. There are my old parents and my wife and children, They partake of my happiness and my troubles. I have to provide them with food and clothing. Hunting and stealing are all I know. What else can I do?” The sage smiled and said, “My friend, will any member of your family partake of your sin also? Go and ask them, and bring back their reply.” Ratnakara thought that Narada was trying a trick to make his escape. Narada understood it and again said, “Well, child, if you do not trust me, you can tie me to this tree and then go.” Ratnakara thought that was all right. He tied Narada to a tree and went home. On reaching home, he first went to his father and said, “Father, I rob people to get food and clothing for you all. It seems that is a sin. Do you not share in that sin?” His father was angry and said, “You sinner, you should not do such bad things. Am I to share your sins? No, never. You have to suffer for what you do.” Ratnakara went to his mother and said, “Surely, mother, you will share my sin, won’t you?” But she also scolded him and sent him away. He then went to his wife and said, “Do you know how I earn to provide you and your children with food and clothing? It is by robbery. But I steal for your sake. Therefore you are also partners in my sin. Isn’t that so?” The wife was displeased and said, ‘What are you saying? What have we to do with your sin? You are my husband, and my children are your children. It is your duty to look after us and give us food and clothing.” Ratnakara’s eyes were opened. He realized that he alone was responsible for all his sins no one else would share his sin. As soon as it was clear to him, he ran to Narada. He untied the sage and amidst weeping, narrated to him all that had happened in his home. Falling at Narada’s feet he asked the sage, “Oh, sire now what of me? How can I atone for all the sins I have committed? You are my only savior.” Narada lifted him up and wiped his tears. He consoled him saying, “Do not be afraid. I shall teach you a way to wash off your sins.” So he taught Ratnakara the sacred name of Rama – ‘Rama Nam’. He made him sit beneath a tree and asked him to go on repeating the sacred name of Rama. He said, I shall come here again, Till then you should not get up and go away.” Then the sage departed. Ratnakara continued his ‘tapas’ chanting the name of Rama. His eyes were closed. His whole mind was concentrate on the chanting of the name of the Lord He forgot his existence. He had neither food nor sleep for days and days. And in this way quite a few years passed. An ant hill grew all around and above him. He could not even be seen by anybody. At last one day the sage Narada again came that way. Of course, he knew that Ratnakara was inside the anthill. Very carefully he cleared that anthill still Ratnakara was wholly lost in his ‘tapas’ and did not wake up to the world around him. Narada chanted the name of Rama in his ears. Then he opened his eyes and saw the sage standing before him. He saluted him from where he was sitting. Narada helped him to get up. He also gently touched him all over. Ratnakara felt new life flowing through him. He touched the sage’s feet; Narada lifted him up and embraced him. He said to him, “Ratnakara, you are blessed. God is pleased with your ‘tapas’. You are now a sage of the highest order, a Brahmarshi. As you are now reborn from a Valmika (the ant-hill), will here after be famous as Valmiki.” Tears of joy welled up in Valmiki’s eyes at these words. He prostrated before Narada again and said, “Sire, all this is your kindness. The company of good men uplifts man. I am myself a proof of this.” Narada blessed him and went his way. The sage, Valmiki, now formed his ashrama or hermitage near the river Ganga. His fame spread every – where Many other sages went with their families and settled down in his ashrama. This sons became the disciples of Valmiki. One day Sri Rama with his wife Seetha and brother Lakshmana came to Valmiki’s ashrama. Valmiki’s joy knew no limit. With the help of his disciples he waited on them with great enthusiasm. His disciples brought them water to wash their hands and feet, and spread mattresses for them to sit upon. They offered the guests fresh milk and tasty fruits. After resting a while, Sri Rama narrated his story. He had come to the forest so that his father’s promise might be fulfilled. Valmiki was very pleased to hear it. He said, “Ramachandra, there is none so truthful as you are. You have given up your kingdom so that your father’s promise may be kept. Giving up a king’s throne, you have come to the forest. You are not an ordinary man but the Almighty Himself. The power of your name is such that I have changed from a sinful hunter to a sage, a Brahmarshi. Your grace is great.” Sri Rama smiled. Then he said to Valmiki, “O great sage, we have come here to live near your hermitage. Please show us a suitable spot.” There was a hill very near Valmiki’s hermitage. It was called Chitrakuta. It was a beautiful place with many kinds of plants full of flowers and trees bearing fruits. Valmiki guided Rama to that hill. Sri Rama lived for a while on the hill with his wife and brother.

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Maharishi Valmiki

Rishi Vasishta

admin — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 10:44:00 +0000

Vasishta Rishi Temple Himachal Have you seen the Pole Star? If you observe keenly you can see it at night in the northern part of the sky shining bright always. Below the Pole Star you will find a group of stars in the shape of inverted English letters as shown here-u). They are seven in number and are called Saptarshi Mandala or the Great Bear, a constellation. The seven saints after whom they are named are Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu and Vasishta. Rishi or saint means a wise man, the man who knows the secret of the Veda. “The Possessor of riches” = VASISHTA, whose wife was Fidelity = Arundhati. He was the son of the cow of Abundance (Delight = NANDINI). Son of Varuna and Mitra; (his mother would become the nymph Urvashi.) The youngest of Bramha’s seven sons, Rishi Vashisht. Vasishta is supposed to have been born as the result of Brahma s will power. He was a great ascetic, laboured for the welfare of the world Vasishta was not a recluse, he was householder. He was married Arundhati. Arundhati is famous for virtues and devotion to her husband there is a small star close to Vasisht in the Great Bear or Saptarshi Mandal.Vasishta had his hermitage on the banks of the river Saraswati. Arundhati spent all her time in the service of husband. He had with him thousand of disciples and taught them the Vedas as Kulapati or chief preceptor affectionately addressed Vasishta. Vasishta’s daily routine was to teach his disciples, to preach dharma to the visitors and to practise tapas or austerities. Vasishta was a great ascetic. He was the preceptor of great men like Sri Rama and Harischandra. He had conquered anger and desire. He was a great saint who humbled insolent men. As a preceptor he imparted knowledge and became a guide to thousands of aspirants.

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Rishi Vasishta

Pashupati Nath Temple in Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh

admin — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:10:00 +0000

Pashupatinath Temple is situated at the South shore of sacred Shivna river. Eight – faced Pashupatinath temple is the main attraction of the city. This is only one idol of eight faced Shivlingam. This idol is unique work of an anonymous artist and was found in Shivna river. The size of this idol is 2.5 X 3.2 meter and weight is 46 quintal 65 kilogram and 525 gram. After this idol, in 20th century near about 50 idols have been found in Shivna River, mostly are of Aulikar age (6th and 7th century). The age of the eight-faced idol should be decided on the basis of this. In premises of this temple, late Shree Pt. Ram Narayan Sharma (22.12.1932 – 7.1.1998) established Shree Ranbir Mahudi Temple. In the right hand side of this temple there is Jankinath temple. This temple was constructed by Pashupatinath Management Committee. In the west of this temple there is a statue of shree Pratyakshnandanji Maharaj in an ancient Chhatri. There is a Singh Vahini Durga Mata temple. In front of this, there is Maratha age’s Shree Tapeshavar Mahadev temple. This temple was constructed in Maratha age by ruins of ancient temples. An inscription of Kumargupta and Bandhuvarman was found in it’s step in 1884. In this inscription there is world’s first advertisement. At present this inscription is in Gujri Museum of Gwalior Near by this there is Shahastra Linga temple. Just ahead of this Ganpati temple of Phoolmali society, Gayatri temple, a big Shree Ram Temple constructed by Sakal Panch Vashistha Dobhi society and Shree Bagulamukhi Mata temple are at the shore of Shivna. Shivna River In old maps the name of this river is written as SAU and SEU. Its starting source is in Raipuri Hills , four km away from Salamgarh of Chittorgarh district in Rajasthan. At the bottom of hills there is a small village named Shavna. This is copper age habitate and eight ancient temples – Mahakaal, Chaubis khamba temple etc. are here. The source of this river is near by Shavna village that’s why this river is famous as Shivna. At a place named Borkhedi Ghat, Shivna meets Chambhal River after 63 km journey . The Shiva Linga is a eight faced shiva, which is only one of its kind in the world.

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Pashupati Nath Temple in Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh

Shanti Gautami Ganga River Flowing Haidakhan Babaji Ashram India

admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:12:30 +0000

Like so many who come to Haidakhan I too enJOY going and sitting down next to the river and just listen to it’s soothing flow. I wanted to have a video of this so I could just pop it in and try to recreate the shanti feeling of sitting down in the riverbed. [Kind of like the dvd's people put in of log fires or oceans] Hope this small clip brings back some fond memories for you! OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Indian Boy CROSSES The Gautami Ganga River In Monsoon Haidakhan Babaji Ashram India

admin — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:20:03 +0000

That’s Girha Singh, many of you may know him one of the boys who lives and works on the Gufa Side with his family. Watch as he CROSSES the Gautami Ganga from the ashram side to get to the Gufa!!!

Birth Of Lord Krishna

admin — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 06:55:00 +0000

Birth of Lord Krishna Janmashtami is celebrated to welcome and enjoy Lord Krishna’s birth. The birth of Lord Krishna took place when the various planets were in auspicious places. It is said that God chooses a particular time, as to when he will take birth as a human and the planetary systems are adjusted accordingly. Auspicious Nakshatra (Constellation) Around the time of Bhagwan Krishna’s birth, Rohini Nakshatra was predominant as it is considered to be quite auspicious. This is so because it is under the supervision of Brahma, the creator of Universe. Sri Krishna was born in the month Of Sravana more than 5000 years ago. Born in Dwapur Yug (Iron Age) According to some scholars, Krishna was born on Wednesday,the eighth day of second fortnight in Sravana month in the year of Visvavasu around 3227 BC, also known as Dwapur Yug. July 19th 3228 BC to be more accurate. He lived for 125 years and disappeared on February 18th 3102 BC on the new moon night of Phalguna. His death was the onset of the current corrupt age known as Kaliyug. Universal Happiness of all Forms of Life From the time, Devki conceived Sri Krishna, she began to glow and exude divine light. The prison walls glowed with the aura of the new born infant. Atmosphere of peace and happiness prevailed all over, Forests were all green and full of trees with all kinds of beautiful flowers, rivers were all swollen due to joy, peacocks began to dance in sheer joy, people in all villages started being happy. Objective of Krishna’s Birth The main objective of Lord Krishna’s birth was to free Mother Earth from the wickedness of demons. Playing an important part in Mahabharata (legendary battle in Kurukshetra) and propagating the theory of bhakti and good karma were other important objectives. Events Before The Birth of Sri Krishna The people of Mathura were extremely unhappy with the wicked king Kansa who put his father, king Ugrasen in prison and declared himself the king of Mathura. It was to put an end to his evil ways and other demons that Lord Vishnu decided to take birth on Earth in human form. According to Akashvani (heavenly voice) at the wedding of his beloved sister Devki, Kansa got to know that the eighth child of his sister will take birth to kill him. So, in turn he rushed to kill his sister. Kansa gave up the idea of killing after being assured by Vasudev that he will handover all his children to him. He put them in Prison. Kansa killed all the six infants as soon as they were born. The seventh child (Balram) was saved due to divine intervention, when he was transferred from Devki’s womb to that of Rohini’s (other wife of Vasudev). Events During the Birth of Lord Krishna Lord Krishna was born in a prison cell in the captivity of King Kansa. He took birth in divine form with lotus like eyes,his palms bearing the signs of a lotus and discus. He had a swastika sign on his sole. Wearing a yellow colored silk cloth, adorned with precious diamond earrings and a crown made of emeralds. Soon after the birth, a chain of events astonished Vasudev,when he saw the gates of the cell flow open and all the guards fast asleep. He immediately thought of Nand ,his close friend in Gokul and decided to handover his child to him in order to save him from the clutch of Kansa. River Yamuna Bows To The Feet of Sri Krishna The night of birth was witnessed by heavy rains which led to River Yamuna being in floods. As soon as the feet of Lord immersed in the river, the flow became normal and Yamuna made way for the Lord. Sheshnag, the serpent formed an umbrella to save the new born baby from rain. Exchange of the Babies Vasudev kept his child next to fast asleep Yashoda and took the baby girl lying with him back to Mathura. The baby girl is believed to be the sister of Lord Vishnu. Disappearance of The Divine Child On hearing the news of birth of the eighth child of Devki and Vasudev, Kansa rushed to the prison-cell and lifted the baby girl to kill her despite pleadings from Devki. However, instead of hitting the stone, the child flew up in the air and announced that the annihilator of Kansa was born and in safe hands. Krishna later grew in Gokul and finally killed his maternal uncle, King Kansa.

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Birth Of Lord Krishna