That is birth ... and that is death.

[Guest guest]

Namaskar,

Another good story to share:

 

Once upon a time, twin boys were conceived.

Weeks passed and the twins developed. As their awareness grew, they

laughed for joy: "Isn't it great that we were conceived? Isn't it

great to be alive? "

 

Together the twins explored their worlds. When they found their

mother's cord that gave them life, they sang for joy! "How great our

mother's love is, that she shares her own life with us!"

 

As weeks stretched into months, the twins noticed how much each was

changing.

 

"What does it mean?" one asked.

 

"It means our stay in this world is drawing to an end." said the

other.

 

"But I don't want to go," said one. "I want to stay here always."

 

"We have no choice," said the other. "But maybe there is life after

birth."

 

"But how can there be?" responded one. "We will shed our life cord

and how can life be possible without it? Besides, we have seen

evidence that others were here before us, and none of them has

returned to tell us there is life after birth. No, this is the end.

Maybe there is no mother after all."

 

"But there has to be," protested the other. "How else did we get

here? How do we remain alive?"

 

"Have you ever seen our mother?" said one.

 

"Maybe she only lives in our minds. Maybe we made her up because the

idea made us feel good."

 

So the last days in the womb were filled with deep questioning and

fear.

 

Finally, the moment of birth arrived. When the twins had passed from

their world, they opened their eyes and cried for joy - for what

they saw exceeded their fondest dreams.

 

That is birth ... and that is death.

 

Om Shanti

[Guest guest]

Jaya Sri Radhey! Namaste.

 

....

 

To whom, with tender smile, (O Bharata! )

While the Prince wept despairing 'twixt those hosts,

Krishna made answer in divinest verse:

 

Krishna:

 

Thou grievest where no grief should be! thou speak'st

Words lacking wisdom! for the wise in heart

Mourn not for those that live, nor those that die.

 

Nor I, nor thou, nor any one of these,

Ever was not, nor ever will not be,

For ever and for ever afterwards.

 

All, that doth live, lives always! To man's frame

As there come infancy and youth and age,

So come there raisings-up and layings-down

Of other and of other life-abodes,

Which the wise know, and fear not. This that irks--

Thy sense-life, thrilling to the elements--

Bringing thee heat and cold, sorrows and joys,

'Tis brief and mutable! Bear with it, Prince!

 

As the wise bear. The soul which is not moved,

The soul that with a strong and constant calm

Takes sorrow and takes joy indifferently,

Lives in the life undying! That which is

Can never cease to be; that which is not

Will not exist. To see this truth of both

Is theirs who part essence from accident,

Substance from shadow. Indestructible,

Learn thou! the Life is, spreading life through all;

 

It cannot anywhere, by any means,

Be anywise diminished, stayed, or changed.

 

But for these fleeting frames which it informs

With spirit deathless, endless, infinite,

They perish. Let them perish, Prince! and fight!

He who shall say, "Lo! I have slain a man!"

He who shall think, "Lo! I am slain!" those both

Know naught! Life cannot slay. Life is not slain!

 

Never the spirit was born; the spirit shall cease to be never;

Never was time it was not; End and Beginning are dreams!

Birthless and deathless and changeless remaineth the spirit for ever;

Death hath not touched it at all, dead though the house of it seems!

 

Who knoweth it exhaustless, self-sustained,

Immortal, indestructible,--shall such

Say, "I have killed a man, or caused to kill?"

 

Nay, but as when one layeth

His worn-out robes away,

And taking new ones, sayeth,

"These will I wear to-day!"

So putteth by the spirit

Lightly its garb of flesh,

And passeth to inherit

A residence afresh.

 

I say to thee weapons reach not the Life;

Flame burns it not, waters cannot o'erwhelm,

Nor dry winds wither it. Impenetrable,

Unentered, unassailed, unharmed, untouched,

Immortal, all-arriving, stable, sure,

Invisible, ineffable, by word

And thought uncompassed, ever all itself,

Thus is the Soul declared! How wilt thou, then,--

Knowing it so,--grieve when thou shouldst not grieve?

 

How, if thou hearest that the man new-dead

Is, like the man new-born, still living man--

One same, existent Spirit--wilt thou weep?

 

The end of birth is death; the end of death

Is birth: this is ordained! and mournest thou,

Chief of the stalwart arm! for what befalls

Which could not otherwise befall? The birth

Of living things comes unperceived; the death

Comes unperceived; between them, beings perceive:

What is there sorrowful herein, dear Prince?

 

......

 

Bhagavad-Gita

Chapter 2

 

 

Translated from the Sanskrit Text

by

Sir Edwin Arnold,

M.A., K.C.I.E., C.S.I.

 

from: http://www.allspirit.co.uk/gita/

 

Jaya Sri Radhey!

[Guest guest]

THIS WAS A GREAT STORY, THANKYOU FOR SHARING IT WITH US JIGYASA

 

, jigyasa02 <no_reply> wrote:

> Namaskar,

> Another good story to share:

>

> Once upon a time, twin boys were conceived.

> Weeks passed and the twins developed. As their awareness grew,

they

> laughed for joy: "Isn't it great that we were conceived? Isn't it

> great to be alive? "

>

> Together the twins explored their worlds. When they found their

> mother's cord that gave them life, they sang for joy! "How great

our

> mother's love is, that she shares her own life with us!"

>

> As weeks stretched into months, the twins noticed how much each

was

> changing.

>

> "What does it mean?" one asked.

>

> "It means our stay in this world is drawing to an end." said the

> other.

>

> "But I don't want to go," said one. "I want to stay here always."

>

> "We have no choice," said the other. "But maybe there is life

after

> birth."

>

> "But how can there be?" responded one. "We will shed our life cord

> and how can life be possible without it? Besides, we have seen

> evidence that others were here before us, and none of them has

> returned to tell us there is life after birth. No, this is the

end.

> Maybe there is no mother after all."

>

> "But there has to be," protested the other. "How else did we get

> here? How do we remain alive?"

>

> "Have you ever seen our mother?" said one.

>

> "Maybe she only lives in our minds. Maybe we made her up because

the

> idea made us feel good."

>

> So the last days in the womb were filled with deep questioning and

> fear.

>

> Finally, the moment of birth arrived. When the twins had passed

from

> their world, they opened their eyes and cried for joy - for what

> they saw exceeded their fondest dreams.

>

> That is birth ... and that is death.

>

> Om Shanti

[Guest guest]

Thank you jigyasa02 for that wonderful story. This reminds me of

another story.

 

There was once a Raja, who had transferred all responsibility of

ruling to his Manthri, and who was spending his time in ease. He

never worried about anything, be it big or small. He had a personal

companion, whom he had always by his side, more or less as a

bodyguard. This fellow was very wise, for he never did anything

without deep deliberation, about the how and the why and the

wherefore. The Raja took all this deliberation to be just foolishness

and he nicknamed the companion, "Avivekasikhamani" or "The Crest-

Jewel of Fools". He went to the length of actually engraving the

title on a plate of gold and compelling him to wear it on his

forehead for all to see! Many people were mislead by this and they

took him to be an ignoramus at court; they did not heed his words.

 

Meanwhile, the Raja fell ill and took to bed. The kingdom was combed

for physicians who could heal the king. Messengers went to the eight

corners, seeking drugs and doctors. Hundred were busy round the royal

patient, but, all efforts failed; the illness worsened day by day.

The Raja was at the very door of Death.

 

The Raja suspected that his end was near; so he hurriedly made some

dispositions, spoke to all those whom he wanted to meet, and was

immersed in sorrow. He had no thought of God or any other auspicious

Power. He was in terrible fear of Death and could not think of

anything else.

 

One day, he called Avivekasikhamani to his bedside and whispered

feebly in his ear, "Well; I am going soon, my friend!" Then, the Fool

asked without any compunction, "What? You are weak and cannot walk a

few steps; I shall order a palanquin, please wait till it is

ready.No palanquin can take me there," said the Raja. "Then, I

shall order a chariot," entreated the Fool. "The chariot too is of no

use," replied the Raja. "Of course, then, the horse is the only means

of journey," wailed the companion, who seemed eager to come to the

rescue of his master, and spare him the toils of travel. The Raja

said that the horse too could not enter there. The Fool was at his

wit's end. Then suddenly an idea struck him, he said, "Come on

master! I shall carry you there." The Raja became sad; he said, "My

dear friend, one has to go alone to that place, when one's time has

come. No companion can be taken." The Fool was thrown in great doubt;

he asked the Raja, "It is curious, is it not? You say that the

palanquin won't reach there, that the chariot can't go there, nor the

horse; you say that no second person can join you! Well can't you

tell me at least where that place is?" The Raja replied, "I do not

know."

 

Immediately, the Fool unwound the Golden Plate with the engraving of

the title, 'Avivekasikhamani', and tied it round the brow of the

Raja, saying "Raja! You know so much about the place, even, which

things cannot go there, but, you do not know where it is, and still

you are going there soon. O, you deserve this title much more." The

Raja was overcome with shame. "Alas," he said to himself, "I wasted

my years in eating and sleeping and pursuing pleasures, never caring

to inquire who I am, whence I came, what I am doing, whither I am

going, and why I came. The precious time allotted to me has come very

near its end. There is no time for me any more for all that inquiry.

Death is knocking at the door; children have started weeping; my

subjects are in great anxiety. Can I, under such conditions immerse

myself in inquiry? Can a thought that I never entertained throughout

my life suddenly arise now, during my last moments? It is impossible.

Yes, I deserve the title, Avivekasikhamani more than anyone else, for

I wasted my life in useless pursuits; without any thought of the

Reality." The Raja let it be proclaimed that Inquiry is the best

means of knowing the Truth, that the inquiry must be directed to

separating the true from the untrue, the eternal from the temporary,

that people should arrive at the conclusion that, 'God is the only

true and eternal Entity' and that by their own independent

investigation, his subjects must not only grasp the entity

intellectually but must also attain the Grace of God, by their pure

lives. Announcing this lesson to his subjects, the Raja breathed his

last.

 

-----------------------

 

For any major event in our life we prepare for it years together. But

for our final destination, we hardly make any preparations.

 

For example : when children grow up, they need to be responsible,

earn a living, manage the house, and be an example for their

children.

To earn a living, training is given for 20 years.

 

A girl is the center of the house when she gets married. She is

trained for this event since her childhood. She is taught cooking,

cleaning, and all the other household chores.

 

To live life economically, children are trained by parents. For any

other major event, we plan well in advance, and get trained before

the event.

 

If we plan to have a short holiday, we plan at least 1 month in

advance, apply leave to our offices, buy the necessary things, book

tickets/ lodging arrangements, pack our things etc to facilitate our

trip.

 

But our final destination is the only event in our lives, for which

many do not plan or make any kind of arrangements. The wise alone

plan ahead, and save for the final journey.

 

jigyasa's story beautifully illustrates how ephemeral our present

life is, and how unknown our future life is, and yet how we hold on

to what we have now, and refuse to look ahead, thinking what we have

now alone to be true and all else to be untrue.

 

I pray God showers His Grace so we may differentiate the real from

the unreal, and plan and make arrangements for the inevitable.

 

Hari Aum !!!