My country is a mother to me -2

[Guest guest]

When, out of desperation, India carried

out<br>the Pokhran II nuclear test; the whole world

condemned us, US sanctions were the first to be

implemented.Pakistan was given as much support as required. India was

firmly told to cool down! India has time and again

spoken up for terrorism. The same country which has for

centuries been far ahead of the western world in its way of

thinking.... Almost like a mother who bears all the sufferings

and yet is the first to forget and forgive.... Isn't

it ironical that the big bully who did not think

twice before the Pearl Harbor bombing, raced to wipe

out Vietnam, eagerly instigated the Palestine's, time

and again reminded their next generation that they

should fight for justice turns face about when it comes

to their country? America, the country who finds it

difficult to swallow the same bitter pill, the<br>DEVELOPED

NATION who had no clue of what was going to happen to

them on a Tuesday morning, who had no inkling of

events to unfold... the same country who has all along

just given us lip service got full support from India

in its time of need, a country who has helped the US

grow by letting the creme de la creme work in their

country... India stood by a nation in its time of

need.India, you are a great country. You are indeed Sare Jaha

Se Acha. I am proud to be an Indian. Are You?>Jai

Hind!>>>><br><br>ps: This is only an account of situation in

reminiscent of the past days. I do not have any intention to

spread hate, hatred or any kind of indignation. However,

I am thinking of a great culture which give us the

power of forgiveness and forebearance and ofcourse, I

hold my head high only because the Almighty chose me

to take birth in this Great Country, My country My

Mother...<br><br>Hari Om Tat Sat!!!<br>Devan.

[Guest guest]

Thank you for your post. What do you suppose is

the Karmic implications of this history?<br><br>One

one hand if we feel alll present experience is karmic

in nature, that absolutely nothing happens without

the "nod of Krishna" then can anyone blame anyone for

anything that is happening? If each of our actions, even

our readiness for action is a result of our past

(distant and immediate) Karma, then who is to be blamed

for any actions or inactions today?<br><br>On the

other hand if we do have free will, who decides the

responsibility? How does one know who is "right"? Each one makes

a case for themselves, and money and power decides

the actions taken. And most importantly who ensures

that right action is taken? <br><br>That brings us

back to the questions Silentsoulji has asked. Karma ..

do we have free will? How do we know when we are

being called? How can we hear the sound of the flute?

What if we insist it is the trumpet and not the flute?

Tagore says "Have you not heard HIS silent steps? He

comes, comes, ever comes!"<br><br>Tough questions for

sadhaks. Reaches faar beyond net pujas and empty words and

scriptures on the net. Requires reaching deep within, to our

own personal truths, through any path one is

attracted to. What is our responsibility to ourselves and

to our community?<br><br>But then, no one ever said

to me was easy.<br><br>Dear Members ..

waiting to hear your thoughts! <br><br><br>_/\_ Tat twam

asi<br><br>Uma

[Guest guest]

My dear brither, Devan , I know first hand what

you are talking about. My family and I have lived

through the Mumbai bomb blasts. One of my uncles got

killed in those explosions. But, what are we going to

do? I am proud to be an Indian. it is said, ''janani,

janmabhoomicha swargatapi gariyasi." -mother and motherland are

dearer than heaven. Forgiveness . that is what our great

leaders taught us. That is the beauty of 'hinduism' !

Hindu means 'Na Hinayate ithi hindu' one who does not

harm anyone is hindu. Yes, let us honor the MOther

today!!!Look at our mother's name. UMA . Juggle the letters it

becomes -AUM. <br><br>Hari Om tat sat!!!!<br><br>Salaam.

[Guest guest]

Dear uma didi, You are confusing me. Are you

condemning hindu pujas and scriptures? Are you saying we

should not do net pujas and read net scriptures? I am

not as learned as you are. Please explain, didi.

Saadnaa includes puja and reading the scriptureS. I have

been reading all your posts, didi. You yourself are

quoting from a varietY of sources including the Holy

BIBLE. What do you mean by 'empty' words. Words are more

potent than a Sword. A Sword only pierces your physical

body. But, words they cause your 'soul' to bleed. That

is why, during the British Raj, many freedom

fighters were sent to jail for sedition' because their

'words' lead to ' uprising and unrest.'<br><br>Saadhna

includes dhyanam (meditation ), mananam (contemplation)),

kirtanam ( singing glories of god), sravanam (hearing

about God)., likhitam (writing about God), smaranam

(remembering about God) and sevanam (serving God and his

creation) and patitham (reading scriptures.). I guess your

objection is we should not do this on the net but in real

life. Then, uma didi , you are right. My question to

you is how many of us really practice what we preach?

sadhnaa means practice. It also means Living the truth.

Such was the case with great saints, sri Ramakrishna,

sri Aaurobindo, sri Ramana etc. <br><br>Thanks!

Salaam !

[Guest guest]

Respected Uma didi, Ome more point. I have seen

you add 'links' to web pages on the net regarding

pujas, saints and other resources. If you do not want us

to access them, then why bother to add these links.

I am sorry, uma didi. My mother says I am

argumentatitive. But didi, so were you at my age. I am only 19. In

fact, tomorrow is my birthday. <br><br>Salaam

[Guest guest]

Greetings,<br><br>Since you brought-up the

question of Karma....<br>I would not go again into why

karma is a fallacy and an illusion for people who

believe in it because they do not have any understanding

of the real 'forces' at work here.<br><br>However,

we do have free will today and it is safe to assume

that most of us have quite a degree of control over

our actions.<br>Thus, the people who planned and

carried out this action knew very well what they were

doing.<br><br>And there is no God's will in this, no divine order

or intervention, even though the terrorists have

claimed that they were simply following their religion

['jehad' and all that crap].<br>It was a strong statement

at the growing frustration and impatience at the

current world order.<br>If those guys were really Arab

terrorists [and that is a *big* *big* IF], and if they were

protesting against the occupation of Palestine and Iraq etc.

[again a *big* IF] then it is a statement against the

powers and monopolies of the big nations.<br>Powerful

nations today are not the same as powerful nations of the

ancient times, such as the Romans, Greeks, Egyptians,

etc.<br>They are different because the driving force is not

conquest, but economic domination to feed the greed for

profit.<br><br>Anybody who is interested in *really* understanding *why*

this happened, should look away from religion and

karma and other concepts and search for answers in the

very real world-the world that we live in.<br>Answers

lie in the objects around us, in the nature of

production and distribution and in the quest for more and

more economic domination by the capitalist

countries.<br>In simpler words: answers lie in the nature of

social relations in our times.<br>The contradictions in

the social relations create these kinds of frictions

and acts of terror.<br>The solution is *not* [i

repeat, not] to increase religious or spiritual awareness

but to consciously and deliberately change the

economic relations in our society.<br><br>And while I am

here: let me also clarify another point. Most people

seem to think that the attack was on *all* Americans

and *all* of America.<br>It was not. The attack was

intended for the 'pillars' of America-like the WTC and

Pentagon.<br>Those people see these as instruments of the govt.-as a

ruthless and relentless war machinery that spreads hate,

conflict and poverty all over the world.<br>When attacking

such a symbol, they never considered that they are

also killing thousands of innocent men, women and

children.

[Guest guest]

"I would not go again into why karma is a fallacy

and an illusion for people who believe in it because

they do not have any understanding of the real

'forces' at work here" Wouid you PLEASE STOP making

decisions for everyone else and their beliefs? Who exactly

does not have any understanding? who are you to say

who does and who doesnt? I think when it comes to

making choices for others, you need to look at the name

you have chosen here.....and then follow it. SILENT

opposition. Your way is not the only way. <br><br>Secondly, I

thought we were done with political commentary here? Can

we move on please? in love, mirabai

[Guest guest]

Greetings Mirabai,<br><br>I am sorry [and

surprised] that you felt personally offended by my

message.<br>My intention was not to tell you what to think and

feel.<br>Please don't get defensive and reactionary on the

subject of faith.<br><br>My way is not the only way and

no one till today has found a 'way', so to

speak.<br><br>But let me get the record straight-my login name has

nothing to do with the ideas that I express. It is simply

a handle I use to participate in lots and lots of

newsgroups, discussion boards, etc.<br>And in case you are

wondering, it is simply the name of a character that I

plucked out of a movie I had seen some time

back.<br>Don't remember the name, but it starred Pierce Brosnan

(James Bond).<br>Nice movie, though.

[Guest guest]

Salaam Salaam!<br><br>>>I guess your

objection is we should not do this on the net but in real

life. .. sadhnaa means practice. It also means Living

the truth.>><br><br>Bingo! That's exactly what

I mean. I apologize, I assumed you have read my

past posts on similar subjects in our club.<br><br>We

already have plenty of temples and rituals all over the

world, now we have thousands of internet sites

reproducing scriptures which are then reproduced and further

copy-pasted. We can even do arati and puja on the net. We can

quote, and write essays in message boards and

listserves. <br><br>Sadhna however is not only reading and

learning, it means going several steps beyond these things.

Apply in our daily lives. Spirituality isn't a part

time job, or restricted to the puja room. A Bhakta

starts to look at the world and its experiences as a

gift from Krishna or Shiva or Christ. A Karma yogi

sees the world as a result of one's past actions,

without blame and acts with righteousness without

attachment to fruits of their actions. Learns to live

consciously, with awareness of their very thoughts, emotions

and actions. A Jyani sees the world as maya, and

doesn't get caught up in the ups and downs of life doing

what needs to be done in a detached manner, and the

Raja yogi sees the world as a reflection of

themselves, all are only a different aspect of our own

selves, knowing that changing ones inner world changes

how we experience the world. A Tantric becomes a

co-creator in the world using the essence of who we are - a

vibrating ball of energy. <br><br>Sadhna, the practice, no

matter what path is chosen, leads to a change in one's

paradigm of thinking, and actions with this different

perspective begins to change at both individually and

collective levels. While we have to make our inner journey

alone, our outer actions towards others become

different. As we remain grounded our choices and decisions

are made at the level of inner Truths, not ego-fed

emotions. <br><br>This aspect of sadhna cannot be learnt,

read in books, or explained. Well .. maybe a better

writer can do a good job of expressing it. It needs to

be experienced. As soon as we begin a conscious

journey, changes begin to happen in our entire

experiential world. One disciplined step at a time. It doesn't

happen overnight. <br><br>Such has been my experience

and that of others who have travelled this path

before me. <br><br>So read, learn, dialogue, argue, do

your puja, rejoice in it all; become aware of how you

live the words you learn. <br><br>_/\_ Tat twam

asi<br><br>Uma

[Guest guest]

told like a true patriot

[Guest guest]

Blessed Self, Tatwamasi<br><br>I have posted this

before, but it bears repeating (endlessly). For me, out

of the hundreds of books and thousands of pieces of

advice that Swami Sivananda gave us, one line stands out

about all else:<br><br>"Reform yourself and let the

rest of the world reform itself."<br><br>This refusal

to be drawn into and to judge the world of maya is

viveka (discrimination between the Self and the nonself,

between Truth and illusion) and vairagya (dispassion,

renunciation) in action. <br><br>The continual application of

these words of Swami Sivananda to one's own life,

deeds, words, and thoughts is abhyasa, practical

sadhana.<br><br>In other words, practice (of vairagya and viveka)

makes perfect.<br><br>Om namah Sivaya<br><br>omprem

[Guest guest]

Dear tatwamasi<br><br>I agree with you.<br><br>Sadhana is also what you practice

in real life.<br><br>As you expressed it as walk the talk. <br><br>philomina7