Festival of Lights

Deepavali - The festival of Lights!



Deepeana Dipitam Iti, Pa alnena Palitam,

Aayurdaayakam, Walnana Arjitam

Layayogena Iipsitam Iti Deepavali

Deepavali Prakashyeta Khalu Sarvam!!

May the Deepawali (Diwali) take the humanity towards Eternal Light! This light is the physical light created by the earthen Lamp, for seeing around, where I do exist. May it lead me to Eternal flame and to provide me meaningful Long life, the higher Yoga of Supreme realization and grant me the boon of Spiritual illumination!



Deepavali - literal translation: A String of Lights.

Book Extract: Attitude

The secret is this: Whether you reach success or failure in life has little to do with your circumstances; it has much more to do with your attitude…with your faithful courage…with your choices!

You see, non-achievers blame their circumstances; winners rise above their circumstances. Some concentrate on the blank wall that boxes them in; winners always look for a way to get under it, over it, around it, or through it.

Surround yourself with positive influences. When you are surrounded by negative thinkers, image, or materials, it is easy to get bogged down in hopelessness.

Read inspiring books and magazines. Listen to motivational recordings and speakers. Attend positive-thinking seminars or programs. Make it a point to read or watch or listen to something positive and inspiring at least once every day.

Associate with positive people. Look for friends who feel good about themselves, people who have the attitude of gratitude. People who need to tear down others are not happy with themselves and are not good for you or your attitude.

Life should be an adventure, to be savored from beginning to end. It is a game of constantly changing odds, constantly developing challenges, constantly opening opportunities.

To win it, you have to play it. Sitting on the sidelines won’t do. Even after you’ve achieved all you ever hoped to achieve, it’s no time to stop living.

Extract from the book: Attitude: The Remarkable Power of Optimism by Nido R. Qubein

Nido Qubein, one of the most remarkable leaders of the world!
 His personal story and what he has achieved are an inspiration to thousands across the country and around the world. You see, Nido came to the United States with limited knowledge of English and only $50 in his pocket, but he learned that the power to affect your future lies within your own hands, and in your attitude. An entrepreneur, business consultant, author and coveted public speaker, Nido is the President of High Point University in High Point, North Carolina.    (as said by Mark Andersen, Simple Truths)

 

 

Happiness is a Butterfly!

A king enquired from a learned sage, “I often wonder what happiness really is. O enlightened one, could you please reveal to me the secrets of happiness?” The sage cast his merciful glance upon the king and said, “Dear king, happiness is simply a butterfly.” The king, confused by the cryptic answer, probed further, to which the revered sage smiled and said, “Very soon, O King, it will be revealed to you.” The sage then departed, leaving the king confused about the mysterious wisdom he had just heard.

A few days later as the king relaxed in his royal garden, he saw a butterfly resting on a leaf. Intrigued by the sage’s wisdom that he had pondered upon, he carefully went behind to catch the butterfly. As soon as he moved his hand, the butterfly flew away and landed on another plant. The king pursued the butterfly, but each time the insect slipped away to another leaf, flower or a plant.

A little later, the king, exasperated by his unsuccessful attempts, resigned to his seat.

As he closed his eyes, he felt a slight itch on his arm. Slowly he opened his eyes and, lo and behold, the same butterfly now rested on his arm. He was amazed, and just then a special realization gushed forth in his heart, “Yes, the sage was indeed right. Happiness is a butterfly, for when we intensely search after it, it eludes us and when we least expect it, we receive it.”

Vidura's Wisdom

Vidura's Wisdom


क्षिप्रं विजानाति चिरं शृणोति
विज्ञाय चार्थं भजते न कामात्।
नासंपृष्टो व्यपयुंक्ते परार्थे
तत् प्रज्ञानं प्रथमं पण्डितस्य॥

kShipraM vijAnAti chiraM shR^iNoti;
viGYAya chArthaM bhajate na kAmAt
nAsaMpR^iShTo vyupayu~Nkte parArthe;
tatpraGYAnaM prathamaM paNDitasya

So said the wise Vidura to the blind king, Dhitarashtra - in the Udyoga parva, enlisting the virtues of a good human being.

The shloka means:
A wise man is one who understands things quickly. His comprehension is fast and he has an unending patience to listen to others. This forms the basis of his wisdom. Most of us never bother to listen. Listening is a great virtue, but it is lacking in most of us. Listening and comprehension form a successful duo. Skills of comprehension are sharpened by patient listening and it leads us to the right decision. A wise man also embarks on a work; he understands it threadbare and then forms a strategy which guides him towards successful completion. He does not depend on his compulsions. Another great virtue enumerated here is remaining aloof from meddling into others’ affairs unless asked to help. We harm others’ interests most of the time intending to help. A meddlesome person is the most unwelcome among us. Combined, these features are said to be indicative of a wise man.

Background:
Dhritharashtra shared a strange relationship with his half-brother Vidura. Dhritharashtra always bore it in mind that Vidura was not of royal Kuru/Pandava blood. He just couldn't digest that Vidura and he shared a father and hated the fact.
But whenever the blind-king had a doubt or was in trouble, he looked up to Vidura for his help and lavished him with praise for his mature counsel. It was a kind of love-hate relationship. Here Vidura enumerates the salient features of a Wise man.

The Story of A Butterfly

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly in his backyard. 

He kept observing the cocoon, until one day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole. Then it stopped, as if it couldn’t go further.


So the man, sad that the butterfly could not emerge, decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bits of cocoon.

The butterfly emerged easily but it had a swollen body and shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch it, expecting that any minute the wings would enlarge and expand enough to support the body, Neither happened! The poor butterfly fell to the ground and remained motionless. It tried very hard to open its wings and fly away, instinctively, time and again, but to no avail. In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around the backyard.

It was never able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand: The restricting cocoon and the struggle required by the butterfly to get through the opening was a way of forcing the fluid from the body into the wings so that it would be ready for flight once that was achieved.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives.

Going through life with no obstacles would cripple us.

We will not be as strong as we could have been and we would never fly.