Use the Hardships you Encounter as Opportunities and Tests

January 21, 2008

Do not give in to temporary excitements and anger, and thereby lose your peace of mind. Sorrow, loss, pain, worries are all tests to help you rid yourself of your weaknesses. They reveal whether or not you have developed firm faith and patience to endure hardships, and be unaffected by them. There is no use in merely passing examinations conducted by educational institutions. You must pass the examinations presented to you by life itself. It has been said, 'After acquiring all types of education, it is only a fool who doesn't know his own mind.' Whatever learning he might have acquired, a mean person will not acquire any good qualities from it. Then what is the use of all his education? After acquiring a lot of useless knowledge, he has only achieved the faculty for engaging in arguments and counter-arguments.

Why study so many things which have no value at all? Instead, make every effort to learn about that which has no death; that is the education which has lasting value. What is the knowledge which enables you to know that which has no death? That knowledge is the knowledge of atma, and that education is the atmic education. The one who has no death has no birth either. Everything which is born, which has come into existence, undergoes modifications and will eventually die, and thereby lose its form. The entire world and everything in it has a particular form. As it has form, it will undergo change. You should try to reach the state where there is no change at all. To do so you must gain self-knowledge, you must realize the atma.

saibaba gita

mukundan

January 25, 2008

Hare Krishna,

Thanks for this gyan . I have been trying to follow what ever is

written here. Though still some times I lose my cool, but still I am

practicing to pass this exam each time I feel anger or sorrow.

With Krshna's grace, I will pass this exam.

Hare Krishna

, " MUKUNDAN " <sunrays_mr wrote:

>

> Use the Hardships you Encounter as Opportunities and Tests

>

> Do not give in to temporary excitements and anger, and thereby lose your

> peace of mind. Sorrow, loss, pain, worries are all tests to help you rid

> yourself of your weaknesses. They reveal whether or not you have

> developed firm faith and patience to endure hardships, and be unaffected

> by them. There is no use in merely passing examinations conducted by

> educational institutions. You must pass the examinations presented to

> you by life itself. It has been said, 'After acquiring all types of

> education, it is only a fool who doesn't know his own mind.' Whatever

> learning he might have acquired, a mean person will not acquire any good

> qualities from it. Then what is the use of all his education? After

> acquiring a lot of useless knowledge, he has only achieved the faculty

> for engaging in arguments and counter-arguments.

>

> Why study so many things which have no value at all? Instead, make every

> effort to learn about that which has no death; that is the education

> which has lasting value. What is the knowledge which enables you to know

> that which has no death? That knowledge is the knowledge of atma, and

> that education is the atmic education. The one who has no death has no

> birth either. Everything which is born, which has come into existence,

> undergoes modifications and will eventually die, and thereby lose its

> form. The entire world and everything in it has a particular form. As it

> has form, it will undergo change. You should try to reach the state

> where there is no change at all. To do so you must gain self-knowledge,

> you must realize the atma.

>

> [Next] <http://atmapress.com/saibabagita/saigita354.html>

> saibaba gita

>

> mukundan

>

January 30, 2008

Dear Mukundan/Sharmameera,

It is not clear who asked the question. I hope I addressed the reply correctly.

I agree with your suggestion that "Use the Hardships you Encounter as Opportunities and Tests" in the sense of maintaining a positive attitude and having faith in yourself and in your ability to overcome difficulties.

But I am troubled by other statements you made:

" . . what is the use of all his education? .. Why study so many things which have no value at all? Instead, make every effort to learn about that which has no death; that is the education which has lasting value. What is the knowledge which enables you to know that which has no death? That knowledge is the knowledge of atma, and that education is the atmic education."

You seem to suggest that secular education is useless, only Atmic education matters. I respectfully disagree. In admiring atmic education one ought not decry secualr education, which provides one with secular knowledge, talents and skills with which one can get a job, earn money and support family, provide food and shelter, take care of the education of children--all of these essential are needs of life.

Atma education provides Vedantic knowledge, and one's spiritual potential. This is part of spiritual-cultural education. To live a wholesome Hindu life, one also needs Yoga education which helps one to understand how samskaras are formed and how to rid bad samskaras and cultivate good ones. In my view we also need modern psychology education that teaches one's personality type. All these educations together help a person to maximize the positive spirit and help accomplish positive things in life. Such a person can contribute to build a better society, a stronger nation. The young person who asked the question is a citizen, who has also obligation to contribute to the nation.

If one does not have a good secular education, he has no way to earn money, which is essential for food, shelter and other things I mentioned.

Atmic education teaches about one's spiritual nature, which remains to be fulfilled. But other educations are also necessary, I believe. Would you please give some thought to these points?

Regards,

Sincerely,

S Rao Allada **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489

February 4, 2008

Hare Krishna,

That's true. See if we are on the Karma Yoga path and we want to

achieve God through it, the way is to remember God all the time, while

performing all our karmas. That does include studies, job etc.

This Subject on which I replied, I only agreed as to the central idea

of the subject. Meaning, that any hardships that I do face in my daily

life, I treat them as a test of my faith on God. And many a times such

hardships did prove out to make my life better, after which I again

thanked God.

I hope I did not convey any thing negative or confusing. It would be

nice to have your comment on this.

Hare Krishna

, sraoallada wrote:

>

> Dear Mukundan/Sharmameera,

> It is not clear who asked the

> question. I hope I addressed the reply correctly.

>

> I agree with your suggestion that " Use the Hardships you Encounter as

> Opportunities and Tests " in the sense of maintaining a positive

attitude and having

> faith in yourself and in your ability to overcome difficulties.

>

> But I am troubled by other statements you made:

>

> " . . what is the use of all his education? .. Why study so many

things which

> have no value at all? Instead, make every effort to learn about that

which

> has no death; that is the education which has lasting value. What is

the

> knowledge which enables you to know that which has no death? That

knowledge is the

> knowledge of atma, and that education is the atmic education. "

>

> You seem to suggest that secular education is useless, only Atmic

education

> matters. I respectfully disagree. In admiring atmic education one

ought not

> decry secualr education, which provides one with secular knowledge,

talents and

> skills with which one can get a job, earn money and support

family, provide

> food and shelter, take care of the education of children--all of these

> essential are needs of life.

>

> Atma education provides Vedantic knowledge, and one's spiritual

potential.

> This is part of spiritual-cultural education. To live a wholesome

Hindu life,

> one also needs Yoga education which helps one to understand how

samskaras are

> formed and how to rid bad samskaras and cultivate good ones. In my

view we also

> need modern psychology education that teaches one's personality

type. All

> these educations together help a person to maximize the positive

spirit and help

> accomplish positive things in life. Such a person can contribute

to build a

> better society, a stronger nation. The young person who asked the

question is a

> citizen, who has also obligation to contribute to the nation.

>

> If one does not have a good secular education, he has no way to earn

money,

> which is essential for food, shelter and other things I mentioned.

>

> Atmic education teaches about one's spiritual nature, which remains

to be

> fulfilled. But other educations are also necessary, I believe. Would

you please

> give some thought to these points?

>

> Regards,

> Sincerely,

> S Rao Allada

>

> **************

> Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in

> shape.

>

http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489

>

February 10, 2008

My main point is that secular education is essential and ought not be decried. The rest of your discussion seems to me as sound. I thank you for replying and for contributing to the discussion of saadhana through Karma yoga.

Sincerely,

S Rao Allada

**************Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music. (http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp00300000002548)