Click here to go to the next issue
Highlights Home Page | Receive the Nondual Highlights each day
Nondual Highlights Issue #2389, Saturday, February 11, 2006, Editor: Mark
When we are training in the art of peace, we are not given any
promises that, because of our noble intentions, everything will
be
ok. In fact, there are no promises of fruition at all.
Instead, we are encouraged to simply look deeply at joy and
sorrow, at laughing and crying, at hoping and fearing, at all
that lives and dies.
We learn that what truly heals is gratitude and tenderness.
- Pema Chodron, from the book, When Things Fall Apart: Heart
Advice For Difficult Times", published by Shambhala,
posted to DailyDharma
You are always in love
and you can only love yourself,
the Changeless One in which even space is.
There is no beginning, no middle, and no end to it.
Only love is worth loving and this is your own Self.
- Papaji. The Truth Is. posted to AlongTheWay
Divine Message of His Holiness Shri Datta Swami:
You have to live in this world according to the instructions of
the Lord. Regarding your life in this world, the essence of His
instruction is that, you should be "deceived" by others
and not deceive others, you should be "harmed" by
others but not harm anyone, you should not insult others, but you
can be insulted by others and you should be abused by others but
not abuse others. One cannot attain God by doing penance even for
centuries. But there is one easiest way to attain God. When you
are deceived by others or when you are harmed by others or when
you are insulted by others or when you are abused by others, the
Lord comes to your side. It means you have attained God.
Therefore, you should thank the people who have deceived or
harmed or insulted or abused you. They have helped you in
attaining God by the easiest way. Therefore you should not
deceive or harm or insult or scold even such people in return.
They might have passed on the punishment to you, for your sins on
the will of God. In that case also, they have cleared your sins
at an early stage without further interest on the punishment.
Even in that way you should thank them.
Some people say that even good people are unnecessarily harmed.
They criticize God. You cannot decide any person as a good
person. Did you observe him every minute from his birth? You also
think yourself as a good person. Are you aware of your sins done
in your childhood? You might have harmed an innocent insect in
your childhood. Do you remember that? Even mental feelings are
sins, which may not be expressed in words and actions. The
feelings of the mind are the source of words and actions.
Therefore the feeling may not hurt others today. But tomorrow it
will hurt others which will come out in words and actions.
Infact, intention is given more importance in the crime according
to law. The judge gives more importance to the intention in
giving the punishment. You are walking on the road and the ant is
killed by your foot, without any intention. There is no
punishment for such sins. But when you kill the same ant with
intention, you are punished by God. Therefore mind is the source
of action. If somebody harmed really a good person, then also
leave it to God. You should not revenge. Why? The reason is that
you cannot judge the exact nature and line of the case. You do
not remember your own sins. Sometimes you do the sin thinking
that it is good. You cannot be the standard in judging your own
sins. Only the Lord can decide. Therefore, if somebody harmed
really a good person, in the view of the Lord also, then the Lord
himself will punish him. You cannot take the law and order into
your hand. You have to refer the case to the court. Let the Judge
decide and punish the criminal. Therefore the Lord said,
"Revenge is Mine" If the revenge is justified, the Lord
will certainly punish. The Lord will not revenge if you pray Him
to do so. The Lord, will not excuse even if you recommend the
unjust case.
Neither you have the power to punish nor to excuse anybody. The
reason for this is that you are not omniscient. If a sinner
realizes the sin and repents, the punishment is reduced. After
repentance if you do not repeat the sins, the punishment is
cancelled. If the sinner does not repent, he will repeat the sin
again and again. Such sinner can be controlled only by
punishment. If this is not true the police department has no use.
There are some sinners who can be controlled only by third degree
treatment. If such punishment and revenge are not required and if
everybody can be transformed by preaching, then what is the
necessity of the existence of "Hell and Liquid Fire?"
If such possibility of transformation by love and knowledge is
there, then why the Lord mentioned the word "revenge at all?
Therefore this means that there are some sinners who cannot be
transformed by love and knowledge. Some clever people criticize
Lord Rama and Lord Krishna, who have resorted to punish the
sinners. Such clever people should answer about the word
"revenge" uttered by the Lord and also should explain
the mention of the liquid fire in the scriptures. If all the
human beings can be transformed through love and knowledge such
words should not have been mentioned in their scriptures.
The Lord is the father of all the souls. Your love on another
human being is only brotherly love. The love of the father is far
greater than the brotherly love. You are criticizing your father
for punishing your brother! The father tries His best to
transform His son. On the first day of the war Ravana was
defeated by Rama. Rama could have killed him on the very first
day. But Rama asked Ravana to go back and think that night. The
Lord punishes anyone as last resort. Even then, the Lord does not
have anger or hatred. The punishment is only the last method
attempted for transformation. There also the aim is only
transformation. But when you punish your enemy such aim does not
exist. Therefore the punishment by Lord is also reflecting His
divine love and kindness on the soul. Due to such sacred aim the
Lord is authorized to punish the soul. He is just like a teacher
who punishes the student for his misbehavior. The teacher does
not get any sin in such punishment. The reason again is that the
intention decides the action.
Therefore when you live in the world according to instructions
given by the Lord, the Lord is pleased with you. The Lord will
make you happy in this world. Your happiness in this world is an
indication of His grace. Therefore you will be happy in the upper
world also. He is the only one lord for both the worlds.
Therefore if you are unhappy in the worldly affairs, you will be
unhappy in the spiritual matters in the upper world also. If you
are blessed in this world you are also blessed in the upper
world. Therefore you follow His commandments and be happy in this
world. posted by: His servant
at the lotus feet of shri datta swami, posted to
meditationsocietyofamerica
"Where are you off to Mulla?"
"I am off to the madrasah to teach class!" replied
Nasrudin hurriedly
"And what are you teaching those little tykes today?"
inquired his neighbour jovially, "reading? writing? math?
history? religion?"
"Actually, today I am giving them a very intriguing
assignment!" said Nasrudin with a gleam in his eye, "I
am going to ask each of them to draw God!"
"WHAT??!!!" scowled the neighbour, "have you gone
MAD??? but... but... that is sheer blasphemy!!! why it is
immoral!!! scandalous!!! outrageous!!! besides... no-one knows
what God looks like!"
"They will," winked Nasrudin, "they soon
will!"
- posted to Nasrudin
The Diver's Clothes Lying Empty
You're sitting here with us, but you're also out walking
in a field at dawn. You are yourself
the animal we hunt when you come with us on the hunt.
You're in your body like a plant is solid in the ground,
yet you're wind. You're the diver's clothes
lying empty on the beach. You're the fish.
In the ocean are many bright strands
and many dark strands like veins that are seen
when a wing is lifted up.
Your hidden self is blood in those, those veins
that are lute strings that make ocean music,
not the sad edge of surf, but the sound of no shore.
- Rumi, Version by Coleman Barks, The Essential Rumi,
HarperSanFrancisco, 1995, posted to Sunlight