A Aytibar
B Bharosa
C Chahat
D Dosti
E Enayat
F Faasle
G Gham
H Hamdam
I Intezaar
J Justuju
K Khayal
L Lamhe
M Mohabaat
N Narazgi
O Omeed
P Pyar
Q Qismat
R rishte
S samjhota
T tamanna
U udasiyan
V Virasat
W wada
X Xcuses
Y Yaadein
Z Zindgi
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Friday, 25 January 2008
Love Marriage VS Arranged Marriage - The IT Perspective
Love Marriage
Resembles procedural programming language. We have some set functions like flirting, going to movies together, making long conversations on phone and then try to fit all functions to the candidate we like.
It is a throwaway type of prototype as client requirements rises with time thus it is a dynamic system and difficult to maintain.
Family system hangs because hardware called parents are not responding.
You are the project leader so u are responsible for implementation and execution of PROJECT- married life.
Client expectations include exciting feature as spouse cooking food, washing clothes etc.
Acceptance test possible you can try before you Buy.
Arranged Marriage
Similar to object oriented programming approach. We first fix the candidate and then try to implement functions on her. The main object is fixed and various functions are added to supplement the main program. The functions can be added or deleted.
Requirements are well defined so use of waterfall model is possible.
Compatible with hardware Parents.
You are a team member under project leader parents so they are responsible for successful execution of project Married life.
All these features are covered in the SRS as required features.
Product is sold on an as is where is basis, Product once sold will not be taken back!
www.shashionline.in
Resembles procedural programming language. We have some set functions like flirting, going to movies together, making long conversations on phone and then try to fit all functions to the candidate we like.
It is a throwaway type of prototype as client requirements rises with time thus it is a dynamic system and difficult to maintain.
Family system hangs because hardware called parents are not responding.
You are the project leader so u are responsible for implementation and execution of PROJECT- married life.
Client expectations include exciting feature as spouse cooking food, washing clothes etc.
Acceptance test possible you can try before you Buy.
Arranged Marriage
Similar to object oriented programming approach. We first fix the candidate and then try to implement functions on her. The main object is fixed and various functions are added to supplement the main program. The functions can be added or deleted.
Requirements are well defined so use of waterfall model is possible.
Compatible with hardware Parents.
You are a team member under project leader parents so they are responsible for successful execution of project Married life.
All these features are covered in the SRS as required features.
Product is sold on an as is where is basis, Product once sold will not be taken back!
www.shashionline.in
Roles in Heaven
Brahma
Systems Installation
Vishnu
Systems Administration & Support
Lakshmi
Finance and Accounts consultant
Saraswati
Training and Knowledge Management
Shiva
DBA (Crash Specialist)
Ganesh
Quality Assuarance & Documentation
Narada
Data transfer
Yama
Reorganization & Downsizing Consultant
Chitragupta
IDP & Personal Records
Apsaras
Downloadable Viruses
Devas
Mainframe Programmers
Surya
Solaris Administrator
Rakshasas
In house Hackers
Kumbhakarnan
Zombie Process
Lakshman
Support Software and Backup
Hanuman
Linux/s390
Jatayu
Firewall
Dronacharya
System Programmer
Vishwamitra
Sr. Manager Projects
Valmiki
Technical Writer (Ramayana Sign off document
www.shashionline.in
Systems Installation
Vishnu
Systems Administration & Support
Lakshmi
Finance and Accounts consultant
Saraswati
Training and Knowledge Management
Shiva
DBA (Crash Specialist)
Ganesh
Quality Assuarance & Documentation
Narada
Data transfer
Yama
Reorganization & Downsizing Consultant
Chitragupta
IDP & Personal Records
Apsaras
Downloadable Viruses
Devas
Mainframe Programmers
Surya
Solaris Administrator
Rakshasas
In house Hackers
Kumbhakarnan
Zombie Process
Lakshman
Support Software and Backup
Hanuman
Linux/s390
Jatayu
Firewall
Dronacharya
System Programmer
Vishwamitra
Sr. Manager Projects
Valmiki
Technical Writer (Ramayana Sign off document
www.shashionline.in
Confusion about Before Marrieage & After Marriage...
Before Marriage - - -
Boy: Yes. At last. It was so hard to wait.
Girl: Do you want me to leave?
Boy: NO! Don't even think about it.
Girl: Do you love me?
Boy: Of course! Over and over!
Girl: Have you ever cheated on me?
Boy: NO! Why are you even asking?
Girl: Will you kiss me?
Boy: Every chance I get!
Girl: Will you hit me?
Boy: Are you crazy! I'm not that kind of person!
Girl: Can I trust you?
Boy: Yes.
Girl: Darling!
After marriage - - -
simply read from bottom to top
www.shashionline.in
Boy: Yes. At last. It was so hard to wait.
Girl: Do you want me to leave?
Boy: NO! Don't even think about it.
Girl: Do you love me?
Boy: Of course! Over and over!
Girl: Have you ever cheated on me?
Boy: NO! Why are you even asking?
Girl: Will you kiss me?
Boy: Every chance I get!
Girl: Will you hit me?
Boy: Are you crazy! I'm not that kind of person!
Girl: Can I trust you?
Boy: Yes.
Girl: Darling!
After marriage - - -
simply read from bottom to top
www.shashionline.in
Thursday, 24 January 2008
The benefits of Surya Namaskar (Good Morning SUN)
Better pray to the Creator rather than the created things.
When you believe that AIR is there without seeing it - the same way believe in the One & Only Creator and not its innumerable created things. Each created thing is created for its specific purpose which it is doing like man created for his worship and he has to worship him ONLY and not his created things.
It tones up the nervous system and improves memory & produces health, strength, efficiency and longevity. It promotes sleep and calms anxiety,refreshes the skin and prevents Skin disorders as well.
It is a religious ritual, actually scientific reason is that during morning when sun is red and the temperature is low, due to low temperature the atmospheric gases composition becomes in such a way that it absorbs negativity from the rays coming from sun to earth.This more positive rays are being received by our fore head generates more positivity in our body.
When you believe that AIR is there without seeing it - the same way believe in the One & Only Creator and not its innumerable created things. Each created thing is created for its specific purpose which it is doing like man created for his worship and he has to worship him ONLY and not his created things.
It tones up the nervous system and improves memory & produces health, strength, efficiency and longevity. It promotes sleep and calms anxiety,refreshes the skin and prevents Skin disorders as well.
It is a religious ritual, actually scientific reason is that during morning when sun is red and the temperature is low, due to low temperature the atmospheric gases composition becomes in such a way that it absorbs negativity from the rays coming from sun to earth.This more positive rays are being received by our fore head generates more positivity in our body.
Monday, 21 January 2008
Are you a father?
You are a father. It looks like such a simple sentence. But your new role is actually profound; one you are a father, you can never be “not-a-father” anymore. By becoming a father, you’ve embarked on an amazing and fulfilling journey, powerful from the moment of birth.
The day you bring your newborn or your adopted back home with you is exciting and overwhelming. It’s a cliché, but your life will never be the same. Even if this is not your first child, he is different from your others and you are different than you were before. Heck, my identical twins were born 14 minutes apart; they are markedly different from one other, as is my relationship with each of them. Each father-child bond is unique and continually evolving.
The child is not the only one being influenced here. As James Joyce once said, “People talk of my influence on my daughter, but what about her influence on me?”
No one has ever been so completely dependent on you as this baby. It feels wonderful to be so needed, but also a bit scary. Fortunately, you have more resources at your disposal than you may think (for example, Dsds & Daughters).
That said, I think every prospective parent should watch the movie Parenthood before getting pregnant. The film could easily be called Fatherhood, since the main character is a dad. That movie makes clear some central truths about fathering:
- It is like a roller coaster.
- You can’t know for sure how your actions will affect your children.
- You can guarantee that your actions do affect your children.
My favorite line from Parenthood is when Keanu Reeves’ character Tod says, “You need a license to buy a dog or drive a car. Hell, you even need a license to catch a fish. But they’ll let any [expletive deleted] a**hole be a father.”
With a bit of earthy humor (the kind guys like, right?), Tod explains the biggest dilemma a new father faces: No one trained me for this job. The child doesn’t come with an operator’s manual, plug-and-play attachments, or downloadable upgrades.
Despite this, dads today have more freedom than ever to take “nontraditional” approaches to fathering. Many men take time away from their careers to stay home with the baby while their partners return to the workplace. Other men work part-time or telecommute so they can commune with baby every possible moment. Some men even teach Head Start and early childhood parent education classes!
In other words, you don’t have to father the same way your father or grandfather did. You can be your own kind of Dad. That opportunity is liberating and exciting, but can also be disconcerting. After all, it’s harder to find examples to follow when you’re doing things in a new way.
But did you know that nature provides tools that you may not yet be conscious of? For example, from the moment of birth, you and your baby can instinctively communicate with each other, even though it’ll be a year or more before she uses words.
A pioneering pediatric psychologist, the late Dr. Lee Salk (brother of Jonas, creator of the polio vaccine) urged parents to trust this kind of natural connection. As a new dad, I took comfort and confidence from Salk’s What Every Child Would Like His Parents to Know (Warner, 1973-now out-of-print).
In a refreshing departure for a parenting author, Salk argued that we shouldn’t worry so much about what the latest parenting book says. His book wisely encouraged me to trust my heart along with my baby’s sounds and body. If I “tuned in” to my deep fathering instincts, and the signals my infants “broadcast,” I’d have most of what I’d need to be a good father. As fathering expert Will Glennon says, “The key is to father from the heart.”
www.shashionline.in
The day you bring your newborn or your adopted back home with you is exciting and overwhelming. It’s a cliché, but your life will never be the same. Even if this is not your first child, he is different from your others and you are different than you were before. Heck, my identical twins were born 14 minutes apart; they are markedly different from one other, as is my relationship with each of them. Each father-child bond is unique and continually evolving.
The child is not the only one being influenced here. As James Joyce once said, “People talk of my influence on my daughter, but what about her influence on me?”
No one has ever been so completely dependent on you as this baby. It feels wonderful to be so needed, but also a bit scary. Fortunately, you have more resources at your disposal than you may think (for example, Dsds & Daughters).
That said, I think every prospective parent should watch the movie Parenthood before getting pregnant. The film could easily be called Fatherhood, since the main character is a dad. That movie makes clear some central truths about fathering:
- It is like a roller coaster.
- You can’t know for sure how your actions will affect your children.
- You can guarantee that your actions do affect your children.
My favorite line from Parenthood is when Keanu Reeves’ character Tod says, “You need a license to buy a dog or drive a car. Hell, you even need a license to catch a fish. But they’ll let any [expletive deleted] a**hole be a father.”
With a bit of earthy humor (the kind guys like, right?), Tod explains the biggest dilemma a new father faces: No one trained me for this job. The child doesn’t come with an operator’s manual, plug-and-play attachments, or downloadable upgrades.
Despite this, dads today have more freedom than ever to take “nontraditional” approaches to fathering. Many men take time away from their careers to stay home with the baby while their partners return to the workplace. Other men work part-time or telecommute so they can commune with baby every possible moment. Some men even teach Head Start and early childhood parent education classes!
In other words, you don’t have to father the same way your father or grandfather did. You can be your own kind of Dad. That opportunity is liberating and exciting, but can also be disconcerting. After all, it’s harder to find examples to follow when you’re doing things in a new way.
But did you know that nature provides tools that you may not yet be conscious of? For example, from the moment of birth, you and your baby can instinctively communicate with each other, even though it’ll be a year or more before she uses words.
A pioneering pediatric psychologist, the late Dr. Lee Salk (brother of Jonas, creator of the polio vaccine) urged parents to trust this kind of natural connection. As a new dad, I took comfort and confidence from Salk’s What Every Child Would Like His Parents to Know (Warner, 1973-now out-of-print).
In a refreshing departure for a parenting author, Salk argued that we shouldn’t worry so much about what the latest parenting book says. His book wisely encouraged me to trust my heart along with my baby’s sounds and body. If I “tuned in” to my deep fathering instincts, and the signals my infants “broadcast,” I’d have most of what I’d need to be a good father. As fathering expert Will Glennon says, “The key is to father from the heart.”
www.shashionline.in
Spiritual Revolution
These references are emphatically worth noting and initiating Socratic dialogue upon, as opposed to an unfruitful focus on apocalyptic scenarios. We begin by initiating the next Holisitic Quantum Relativity -- HQR* -- Socratic dialogue on Buddhism, the Baha'i faith and The Golden Age of the Unity of Humankind and Peace with the overarching Grace of The Great Spiritual Masters!
HH Master Kirpal has said, "Truth is eternal, and all Masters taught the same old Truth with one opinion, but their commandments differed according to the prevalent conditions of their time." Many people could not understand the deep meaning when His Holiness said, ‘Mind, that the Golden Age is approaching!’
Reflections on Buddhism and the Bahá’í faith
The Spiritual Master, Gautama Buddha, was born a prince in Northern India around the year 563 BC. Buddha means "Enlightened" and he claimed to be one of a series of Buddhas -- Enlightened Ones -- revealing teachings to humanity over many thousands of years.
The Bahá’í Faith was founded by the Great Bahá’u’lláh, Who was born into a noble family in Persia in 1817. Bahá’ís recognise Him as one of the successive Buddhas, the “Buddha of Universal Fellowship”, for whom humankind had been waiting at the time.
Gautama Buddha promised repeatedly that after a long period of time, another Buddha would arise:
“I am not the first Buddha Who came upon this earth, nor shall I be the last. In due time, another Buddha will arise in the world, a Holy One, a supremely enlightened One… knowing the universe, an Incomparable Leader of men… He will reveal to you the same eternal truths which I have taught you. He will preach to you His faith, glorious in its origin, glorious at the climax and glorious at the goal… He will proclaim a spiritual life, wholly perfect and pure, such as I now proclaim. His disciples will number many thousands, while mine number many hundreds.” (Digha-nikaya, IV.26)
When asked how Buddhists would recognize this new Teacher, the Buddha replied, “He will be known as Maitreya, which means He Whose name is kindness.” The other title for the Buddha-to-come was Amitabha (or Amida), which means “The Glory of the Infinite”. The blessed child born in Persia in 1817 was given the name Husayn, which means “kindness”, but later adopted the spiritual title of Bahá’u’lláh, (“The Glory of God” or “The Glory of the Infinite.”)
The Unknowable Essence
Speaking of the Creator, the “First Cause”, the Buddhist Scriptures say, “O disciples, there is a non-born, a non-produced, non-created and a non-formed. If there were not, O disciples, a non-born, a non-produced, a non-created and a non-formed, there would be no issue for the born, the produced, the created, the formed.” (Udana, v.81)
Bahá'u'lláh described the Supra Universal Consciousness in this way, “The birds of men's hearts, however high they soar, can never hope to attain the heights of His unknowable Essence. It is He Who hath called into being the whole of creation, Who hath caused every created thing to spring forth at His behest… Far be it from His glory that human pen or tongue should hint at His mystery, or that human heart conceive His Essence. ” In one of His books, ‘The Seven Valleys’, Bahá'u'lláh described the seventh valley as “true poverty and absolute nothingness”. This, the ultimate goal of life, is explained as “ the dying from self and the living in God.”
The Basic Truths
Although the basic truths taught by Gautama Buddha remain the same, they are expanded and made more explicit, in accordance with the needs of this age. The Buddha taught The Middle Way, between materialism and extreme asceticism. This approached is reaffirmed by Bahá’u’lláh: “In all matters moderation is desirable. If a thing is carried to excess, it will prove a source of evil.”
The Buddha presented the Noble Eightfold Path as a guide to living. As projected by the Buddha, Bahá’u’lláh taught similar noble ideals. Below are some examples of Bahá'u'lláh’s teachings under the individual headings of the Buddha's Eightfold Path:
Right Understanding
“Man should know his own self, and know those things which lead to loftiness or baseness, to shame or to honour…”
Right Resolve
“He is my true follower who, if he come to a valley of pure gold will pass straight through it aloof as a cloud, and will neither turn back, nor pause.”
Right Speech
"Verily I say, the tongue is for mentioning what is good, defile it not with unseemly talk.”
Right Conduct
“They that follow their lusts and corrupt inclinations have erred and dissipated their efforts. They indeed are of the lost.”
Right Livelihood
“It is made incumbent on every one of you to engage in some one occupation, such as arts, trades, and the like. We have made this – your occupation – identical with the worship of God, the True One.”
Right Effort
“All efforts and exertion put forth by man from the fullness of his heart is worship, if it is prompted by the highest motives and the will to do service to humanity.”
Right Mindfulness
“The station of absolute self-surrender transcendeth, and will ever remain exalted above every other station.”
Right Contemplation
“The meditative faculty is akin to the mirror; if you put it before earthly objects it will reflect them… But if you turn the mirror of your spirits heavenwards… the virtues of the Kingdom will be obtained.”
Progressive Revelation
Bahá’u’lláh taught the idea of progressive revelation. The Founders of the faiths of the world, in every age, reaffirm the universal spiritual truths, but also reveal new teachings appropriate to the conditions of the time:
"Every Prophet Whom the almighty and peerless Creator hath purposed to send to the peoples of the earth hath been entrusted with a Message, and charged to act in a manner that would best meet the requirements of the age in which He appeared." Bahá’ís believe that the new Teaching (Dharma) specifically for this age is the recognition of the oneness of religion and the oneness of humankind.
Bahá’u’lláh introduced teachings designed to bring about this universal fellowship. These teachings include:
· Equality of women with men
. Independent investigation of truth
. Elimination of poverty
. Relinquishing prejudice of all kinds
. A world federation
. A society based on spiritual values
These teachings will bring about the Golden Age of humankind, prophesied by the Buddha as “the world system of the Lord Amitabha”, the ‘Pure Land’.
The Bahá'í writings describe it like this:
“The gift of God to this enlightened age is the knowledge of the oneness of humankind and of the fundamental oneness of faith. War shall cease between nations, and by the will of God the Most Great Peace shall come; the world will be seen as a new world, and all men will live as brothers.”
www.shashionline.in
HH Master Kirpal has said, "Truth is eternal, and all Masters taught the same old Truth with one opinion, but their commandments differed according to the prevalent conditions of their time." Many people could not understand the deep meaning when His Holiness said, ‘Mind, that the Golden Age is approaching!’
Reflections on Buddhism and the Bahá’í faith
The Spiritual Master, Gautama Buddha, was born a prince in Northern India around the year 563 BC. Buddha means "Enlightened" and he claimed to be one of a series of Buddhas -- Enlightened Ones -- revealing teachings to humanity over many thousands of years.
The Bahá’í Faith was founded by the Great Bahá’u’lláh, Who was born into a noble family in Persia in 1817. Bahá’ís recognise Him as one of the successive Buddhas, the “Buddha of Universal Fellowship”, for whom humankind had been waiting at the time.
Gautama Buddha promised repeatedly that after a long period of time, another Buddha would arise:
“I am not the first Buddha Who came upon this earth, nor shall I be the last. In due time, another Buddha will arise in the world, a Holy One, a supremely enlightened One… knowing the universe, an Incomparable Leader of men… He will reveal to you the same eternal truths which I have taught you. He will preach to you His faith, glorious in its origin, glorious at the climax and glorious at the goal… He will proclaim a spiritual life, wholly perfect and pure, such as I now proclaim. His disciples will number many thousands, while mine number many hundreds.” (Digha-nikaya, IV.26)
When asked how Buddhists would recognize this new Teacher, the Buddha replied, “He will be known as Maitreya, which means He Whose name is kindness.” The other title for the Buddha-to-come was Amitabha (or Amida), which means “The Glory of the Infinite”. The blessed child born in Persia in 1817 was given the name Husayn, which means “kindness”, but later adopted the spiritual title of Bahá’u’lláh, (“The Glory of God” or “The Glory of the Infinite.”)
The Unknowable Essence
Speaking of the Creator, the “First Cause”, the Buddhist Scriptures say, “O disciples, there is a non-born, a non-produced, non-created and a non-formed. If there were not, O disciples, a non-born, a non-produced, a non-created and a non-formed, there would be no issue for the born, the produced, the created, the formed.” (Udana, v.81)
Bahá'u'lláh described the Supra Universal Consciousness in this way, “The birds of men's hearts, however high they soar, can never hope to attain the heights of His unknowable Essence. It is He Who hath called into being the whole of creation, Who hath caused every created thing to spring forth at His behest… Far be it from His glory that human pen or tongue should hint at His mystery, or that human heart conceive His Essence. ” In one of His books, ‘The Seven Valleys’, Bahá'u'lláh described the seventh valley as “true poverty and absolute nothingness”. This, the ultimate goal of life, is explained as “ the dying from self and the living in God.”
The Basic Truths
Although the basic truths taught by Gautama Buddha remain the same, they are expanded and made more explicit, in accordance with the needs of this age. The Buddha taught The Middle Way, between materialism and extreme asceticism. This approached is reaffirmed by Bahá’u’lláh: “In all matters moderation is desirable. If a thing is carried to excess, it will prove a source of evil.”
The Buddha presented the Noble Eightfold Path as a guide to living. As projected by the Buddha, Bahá’u’lláh taught similar noble ideals. Below are some examples of Bahá'u'lláh’s teachings under the individual headings of the Buddha's Eightfold Path:
Right Understanding
“Man should know his own self, and know those things which lead to loftiness or baseness, to shame or to honour…”
Right Resolve
“He is my true follower who, if he come to a valley of pure gold will pass straight through it aloof as a cloud, and will neither turn back, nor pause.”
Right Speech
"Verily I say, the tongue is for mentioning what is good, defile it not with unseemly talk.”
Right Conduct
“They that follow their lusts and corrupt inclinations have erred and dissipated their efforts. They indeed are of the lost.”
Right Livelihood
“It is made incumbent on every one of you to engage in some one occupation, such as arts, trades, and the like. We have made this – your occupation – identical with the worship of God, the True One.”
Right Effort
“All efforts and exertion put forth by man from the fullness of his heart is worship, if it is prompted by the highest motives and the will to do service to humanity.”
Right Mindfulness
“The station of absolute self-surrender transcendeth, and will ever remain exalted above every other station.”
Right Contemplation
“The meditative faculty is akin to the mirror; if you put it before earthly objects it will reflect them… But if you turn the mirror of your spirits heavenwards… the virtues of the Kingdom will be obtained.”
Progressive Revelation
Bahá’u’lláh taught the idea of progressive revelation. The Founders of the faiths of the world, in every age, reaffirm the universal spiritual truths, but also reveal new teachings appropriate to the conditions of the time:
"Every Prophet Whom the almighty and peerless Creator hath purposed to send to the peoples of the earth hath been entrusted with a Message, and charged to act in a manner that would best meet the requirements of the age in which He appeared." Bahá’ís believe that the new Teaching (Dharma) specifically for this age is the recognition of the oneness of religion and the oneness of humankind.
Bahá’u’lláh introduced teachings designed to bring about this universal fellowship. These teachings include:
· Equality of women with men
. Independent investigation of truth
. Elimination of poverty
. Relinquishing prejudice of all kinds
. A world federation
. A society based on spiritual values
These teachings will bring about the Golden Age of humankind, prophesied by the Buddha as “the world system of the Lord Amitabha”, the ‘Pure Land’.
The Bahá'í writings describe it like this:
“The gift of God to this enlightened age is the knowledge of the oneness of humankind and of the fundamental oneness of faith. War shall cease between nations, and by the will of God the Most Great Peace shall come; the world will be seen as a new world, and all men will live as brothers.”
www.shashionline.in
Happiness about to be pure
Beyond the high speeds of those imaginary particles we describe and much further than the field of infinite potentiality of the new verse, there lies a most shy, omnipotent, innocent and inexplicable joy.
Let’s make believe, like little girls playing at serving invisible tea that we are hearing this music unheard, and dance, just dance
Bring along the so-called sins and other deviations that spice up the rhythm yes why not, also the sac of virtues and credits you can spare.
Let’s dare to be absolutely naked in this purity so insane that it can only be seen in moments of silence and then forgotten, like sacred oaths unspoken.
Pour the cups of non existing tea and share with each other this instant our little girl hands so poised and elegant as they pour and serve, the inebriating nothing tea that lies hidden, in the shyness of the explosion.
Beyond the accelerated particles of our imagination, way in there, impossibly near , hiding behind what has never been lost. Collapsing in intervals so fine you can call them divine and yet it is all beyond words and languages.
www.shashionline.in
Let’s make believe, like little girls playing at serving invisible tea that we are hearing this music unheard, and dance, just dance
Bring along the so-called sins and other deviations that spice up the rhythm yes why not, also the sac of virtues and credits you can spare.
Let’s dare to be absolutely naked in this purity so insane that it can only be seen in moments of silence and then forgotten, like sacred oaths unspoken.
Pour the cups of non existing tea and share with each other this instant our little girl hands so poised and elegant as they pour and serve, the inebriating nothing tea that lies hidden, in the shyness of the explosion.
Beyond the accelerated particles of our imagination, way in there, impossibly near , hiding behind what has never been lost. Collapsing in intervals so fine you can call them divine and yet it is all beyond words and languages.
www.shashionline.in
Calculation for Success
All of us appear to measure success differently. I asked family and friends and they wondered if success is linked to:
. Our level of satisfaction
. Our level of happiness and consciousness of what we are and what we have
. Having security in regard to lifestyle -- shelter, food, clothing and leisure -- both now and in the future
. Fulfilling our creative energy and deeper purpose
. Our optimistic attitude and positive energy, which attracts more of the same, which we call "good luck"
. Remembering where we have come from, what we feel we are, and where we are headed
. Capability to listen, to learn and to love
. Capability to influence and motivate others around us
. The sharing of inner feelings with family and/or friends
. Having trusted companions
. Knowing what we have achieved and what we are likely to achieve on the basis of our present trajectory
. Our perception of our relative position
. Being renowned amongst our peers for our domain specific expertise
. Role(s) and responsibilities
. Societal standing and display of status symbols
. Feeling liberated
Also, we may prioritise the different threads which make up success in our own way. What are your measures of success? Do they make you happy?
If success, satisfaction and happiness are linked, why does our modern society make success reductive and measure it often in terms of excessive accumulation of money, power and glory, which may not deliver satisfaction or happiness?
www.shashionline.in
. Our level of satisfaction
. Our level of happiness and consciousness of what we are and what we have
. Having security in regard to lifestyle -- shelter, food, clothing and leisure -- both now and in the future
. Fulfilling our creative energy and deeper purpose
. Our optimistic attitude and positive energy, which attracts more of the same, which we call "good luck"
. Remembering where we have come from, what we feel we are, and where we are headed
. Capability to listen, to learn and to love
. Capability to influence and motivate others around us
. The sharing of inner feelings with family and/or friends
. Having trusted companions
. Knowing what we have achieved and what we are likely to achieve on the basis of our present trajectory
. Our perception of our relative position
. Being renowned amongst our peers for our domain specific expertise
. Role(s) and responsibilities
. Societal standing and display of status symbols
. Feeling liberated
Also, we may prioritise the different threads which make up success in our own way. What are your measures of success? Do they make you happy?
If success, satisfaction and happiness are linked, why does our modern society make success reductive and measure it often in terms of excessive accumulation of money, power and glory, which may not deliver satisfaction or happiness?
www.shashionline.in
Listen your Inner Guide
Each of us has had this experience: we knew something was going to turn out a certain way, but we didn’t listen to that gut instinct and it cost us. Maybe we missed out on an opportunity, or we had to dig ourselves out of some kind of mess. But we’ve all done it.
The other day I caught myself ignoring my inner guidance. I didn’t quite catch it as early as I’d have liked, however. I spent an entire weekend working on a series of articles for a website. Somewhere inside I just knew it wasn’t the right kind of content. But I didn’t want to admit to myself that I was wasting my own time, so I kept trying to tweak the wording to force what I was writing into a better fit. I probably got a third of the way through what I was trying to accomplish when I couldn’t take it any more. I stopped myself (not easy!) and sent in what I had already written to the editor to check that I was going in the right direction. When I got his reply I “hid” from it for a little while, not wanting to even open it, because I already knew what it was going to say.
It was a frustrating little tug-o-war with my ego, but it was progress. At least I stopped, right? And it helped me to get more clarity on where I should have been going in the first place. After the fact, I do feel good about the experience. But, boy! It was excruciating witnessing myself struggle through it.
So who else is making progress out there? Are you someone who enjoys the learning process of self-help concepts and techniques, but who then looses steam when it comes to practicing what you’ve learned? It’s always fun to get a new book or DVD, or to attend a seminar and spend time thinking and talking about all of this stuff. But putting it into practice is a whole different ball game.
www.shashionline.in
The other day I caught myself ignoring my inner guidance. I didn’t quite catch it as early as I’d have liked, however. I spent an entire weekend working on a series of articles for a website. Somewhere inside I just knew it wasn’t the right kind of content. But I didn’t want to admit to myself that I was wasting my own time, so I kept trying to tweak the wording to force what I was writing into a better fit. I probably got a third of the way through what I was trying to accomplish when I couldn’t take it any more. I stopped myself (not easy!) and sent in what I had already written to the editor to check that I was going in the right direction. When I got his reply I “hid” from it for a little while, not wanting to even open it, because I already knew what it was going to say.
It was a frustrating little tug-o-war with my ego, but it was progress. At least I stopped, right? And it helped me to get more clarity on where I should have been going in the first place. After the fact, I do feel good about the experience. But, boy! It was excruciating witnessing myself struggle through it.
So who else is making progress out there? Are you someone who enjoys the learning process of self-help concepts and techniques, but who then looses steam when it comes to practicing what you’ve learned? It’s always fun to get a new book or DVD, or to attend a seminar and spend time thinking and talking about all of this stuff. But putting it into practice is a whole different ball game.
www.shashionline.in
What is beauty?
What is beauty, and how do we find it?
We live in a culture where feeling beautiful has a profound impact on one’s self-esteem and self-confidence, particularly for women. This culture would have us believe that there is a particular “look” that is beautiful, namely thin, young, and blemish-free.
The Dove advertising campaign has helped to shed light on the many ways that the advertising industry promotes this unrealistic view of beauty. There is a constant message that if you are not perfect, you are not quite good enough; you are not really beautiful.
Statistics reflect the impact of these messages: 80-90% of adult women dislike their bodies. 15% of women say they would sacrifice more than five years of their lives to be thinner, while 24% say they would sacrifice up to three years of their life. 81% of 10-year-olds are afraid of being fat, 78% of 18-year-old girls are unhappy with their bodies, and the number one wish of girls 11-17 years old is to lose weight. 51% of 9 and 10 year-old girls feel better about themselves when dieting, and 9% of 9-year-olds have vomited to lose weight.
The natural process of life seems to be a problem. Anti-wrinkle creams and botox treatments abound. There are millions of diet products, shakes, and nutrition plans designed to help you shed unwanted pounds. It is as if we constantly need to fight against our bodies and their natural processes in order to achieve the desired beauty, the desired “perfection.” This constant focus on what we are not or what we should be eclipses the beauty of who we are.
When we struggle in this way against our bodies and ourselves we are setting ourselves up for pain and misery. When we focus on what we should be or how we should look, we live with a constant state of fear and dissatisfaction.
What if beauty was more expansive then we think? What if everyone was beautiful simply because they exist?
We can learn to see beauty in everyone and everything, regardless of how closely they fit culturally-dictated standards of desirability. When we learn to see beauty in ourselves and the world around us, we discover that we are more than enough. We no longer have to live with a sense of inadequacy or shame; we no longer have to live wishing that our nose was smaller, our stomach flatter, or our hair fuller. We can begin to live from a place of peace, knowing we are beautiful simply because we exist.
Sometimes, however, finding the beauty in ourselves can seem like a herculean task. We are constantly being exposed to messages that we should be taller, shorter, thinner, fitter, wealthier, etc. It is a constant practice of returning to ourselves and affirming with compassion “I am beautiful; I am radiant; I am divine.”
We can soar on the wings of eagles, but we must learn to love ourselves first.
www.shashionline.in
We live in a culture where feeling beautiful has a profound impact on one’s self-esteem and self-confidence, particularly for women. This culture would have us believe that there is a particular “look” that is beautiful, namely thin, young, and blemish-free.
The Dove advertising campaign has helped to shed light on the many ways that the advertising industry promotes this unrealistic view of beauty. There is a constant message that if you are not perfect, you are not quite good enough; you are not really beautiful.
Statistics reflect the impact of these messages: 80-90% of adult women dislike their bodies. 15% of women say they would sacrifice more than five years of their lives to be thinner, while 24% say they would sacrifice up to three years of their life. 81% of 10-year-olds are afraid of being fat, 78% of 18-year-old girls are unhappy with their bodies, and the number one wish of girls 11-17 years old is to lose weight. 51% of 9 and 10 year-old girls feel better about themselves when dieting, and 9% of 9-year-olds have vomited to lose weight.
The natural process of life seems to be a problem. Anti-wrinkle creams and botox treatments abound. There are millions of diet products, shakes, and nutrition plans designed to help you shed unwanted pounds. It is as if we constantly need to fight against our bodies and their natural processes in order to achieve the desired beauty, the desired “perfection.” This constant focus on what we are not or what we should be eclipses the beauty of who we are.
When we struggle in this way against our bodies and ourselves we are setting ourselves up for pain and misery. When we focus on what we should be or how we should look, we live with a constant state of fear and dissatisfaction.
What if beauty was more expansive then we think? What if everyone was beautiful simply because they exist?
We can learn to see beauty in everyone and everything, regardless of how closely they fit culturally-dictated standards of desirability. When we learn to see beauty in ourselves and the world around us, we discover that we are more than enough. We no longer have to live with a sense of inadequacy or shame; we no longer have to live wishing that our nose was smaller, our stomach flatter, or our hair fuller. We can begin to live from a place of peace, knowing we are beautiful simply because we exist.
Sometimes, however, finding the beauty in ourselves can seem like a herculean task. We are constantly being exposed to messages that we should be taller, shorter, thinner, fitter, wealthier, etc. It is a constant practice of returning to ourselves and affirming with compassion “I am beautiful; I am radiant; I am divine.”
We can soar on the wings of eagles, but we must learn to love ourselves first.
www.shashionline.in
You are a father
You are a father. It looks like such a simple sentence. But your new role is actually profound; once you are a father, you can never be “not-a-father” anymore. By becoming a father, you’ve embarked on an amazing and fulfilling journey, powerful from the moment of birth.
The day you bring your newborn back home with you is exciting and overwhelming. It’s a cliché, but your life will never be the same. Even if this is not your first child, he is different from your others and you are different than you were before. Each father-child bond is unique and continually evolving.
The child is not the only one being influenced here. As James Joyce once said, “People talk of my influence on my daughter, but what about her influence on me?”
No one has ever been so completely dependent on you as this baby. It feels wonderful to be so needed, but also a bit scary. Fortunately, you have more resources at your disposal than you may think.
That said, I think every prospective parent should watch the movie Parenthood before getting pregnant. The film could easily be called Fatherhood, since the main character is a dad. That movie makes clear some central truths about fathering:
- It is like a roller coaster.
- You can’t know for sure how your actions will affect your children.
- You can guarantee that your actions do affect your children.
My favorite line from Parenthood is when Keanu Reeves’ character Tod says, “You need a license to buy a dog or drive a car. Hell, you even need a license to catch a fish."
With a bit of earthy humor (the kind guys like, right?), Tod explains the biggest dilemma a new father faces: No one trained me for this job. The child doesn’t come with an operator’s manual, plug-and-play attachments, or downloadable upgrades.
Despite this, dads today have more freedom than ever to take “nontraditional” approaches to fathering. Many men take time away from their careers to stay home with the baby while their partners return to the workplace. Other men work part-time or telecommute so they can commune with baby every possible moment. Some men even teach Head Start and early childhood parent education classes!
In other words, you don’t have to father the same way your father or grandfather did. You can be your own kind of Dad. That opportunity is liberating and exciting, but can also be disconcerting. After all, it’s harder to find examples to follow when you’re doing things in a new way.
But did you know that nature provides tools that you may not yet be conscious of? For example, from the moment of birth, you and your baby can instinctively communicate with each other, even though it’ll be a year or more before she uses words.
A pioneering pediatric psychologist, the late Dr. Lee Salk (brother of Jonas, creator of the polio vaccine) urged parents to trust this kind of natural connection. As a new dad, I took comfort and confidence from Salk’s What Every Child Would Like His Parents to Know (Warner, 1973-now out-of-print).
In a refreshing departure for a parenting author, Salk argued that we shouldn’t worry so much about what the latest parenting book says. His book wisely encouraged me to trust my heart along with my baby’s sounds and body. If I “tuned in” to my deep fathering instincts, and the signals my infants “broadcast,” I’d have most of what I’d need to be a good father. As fathering expert Will Glennon says, “The key is to father from the heart.”
The day you bring your newborn back home with you is exciting and overwhelming. It’s a cliché, but your life will never be the same. Even if this is not your first child, he is different from your others and you are different than you were before. Each father-child bond is unique and continually evolving.
The child is not the only one being influenced here. As James Joyce once said, “People talk of my influence on my daughter, but what about her influence on me?”
No one has ever been so completely dependent on you as this baby. It feels wonderful to be so needed, but also a bit scary. Fortunately, you have more resources at your disposal than you may think.
That said, I think every prospective parent should watch the movie Parenthood before getting pregnant. The film could easily be called Fatherhood, since the main character is a dad. That movie makes clear some central truths about fathering:
- It is like a roller coaster.
- You can’t know for sure how your actions will affect your children.
- You can guarantee that your actions do affect your children.
My favorite line from Parenthood is when Keanu Reeves’ character Tod says, “You need a license to buy a dog or drive a car. Hell, you even need a license to catch a fish."
With a bit of earthy humor (the kind guys like, right?), Tod explains the biggest dilemma a new father faces: No one trained me for this job. The child doesn’t come with an operator’s manual, plug-and-play attachments, or downloadable upgrades.
Despite this, dads today have more freedom than ever to take “nontraditional” approaches to fathering. Many men take time away from their careers to stay home with the baby while their partners return to the workplace. Other men work part-time or telecommute so they can commune with baby every possible moment. Some men even teach Head Start and early childhood parent education classes!
In other words, you don’t have to father the same way your father or grandfather did. You can be your own kind of Dad. That opportunity is liberating and exciting, but can also be disconcerting. After all, it’s harder to find examples to follow when you’re doing things in a new way.
But did you know that nature provides tools that you may not yet be conscious of? For example, from the moment of birth, you and your baby can instinctively communicate with each other, even though it’ll be a year or more before she uses words.
A pioneering pediatric psychologist, the late Dr. Lee Salk (brother of Jonas, creator of the polio vaccine) urged parents to trust this kind of natural connection. As a new dad, I took comfort and confidence from Salk’s What Every Child Would Like His Parents to Know (Warner, 1973-now out-of-print).
In a refreshing departure for a parenting author, Salk argued that we shouldn’t worry so much about what the latest parenting book says. His book wisely encouraged me to trust my heart along with my baby’s sounds and body. If I “tuned in” to my deep fathering instincts, and the signals my infants “broadcast,” I’d have most of what I’d need to be a good father. As fathering expert Will Glennon says, “The key is to father from the heart.”
Listen your Inner Guide
Each of us has had this experience: we knew something was going to turn out a certain way, but we didn’t listen to that gut instinct and it cost us. Maybe we missed out on an opportunity, or we had to dig ourselves out of some kind of mess. But we’ve all done it.
So who else is making progress out there? Are you someone who enjoys the learning process of self-help concepts and techniques, but who then looses steam when it comes to practicing what you’ve learned? It’s always fun to get a new book or DVD, or to attend a seminar and spend time thinking and talking about all of this stuff. But putting it into practice is a whole different ball game.
So who else is making progress out there? Are you someone who enjoys the learning process of self-help concepts and techniques, but who then looses steam when it comes to practicing what you’ve learned? It’s always fun to get a new book or DVD, or to attend a seminar and spend time thinking and talking about all of this stuff. But putting it into practice is a whole different ball game.
Calculation for Success
All of us appear to measure success differently. I asked family and friends and they wondered if success is linked to:
. Our level of satisfaction
. Our level of happiness and consciousness of what we are and what we have
. Having security in regard to lifestyle -- shelter, food, clothing and leisure -- both now and in the future
. Fulfilling our creative energy and deeper purpose
. Our optimistic attitude and positive energy, which attracts more of the same, which we call "good luck"
. Remembering where we have come from, what we feel we are, and where we are headed
. Capability to listen, to learn and to love
. Capability to influence and motivate others around us
. The sharing of inner feelings with family and/or friends
. Having trusted companions
. Knowing what we have achieved and what we are likely to achieve on the basis of our present trajectory
. Our perception of our relative position
. Being renowned amongst our peers for our domain specific expertise
. Role(s) and responsibilities
. Societal standing and display of status symbols
. Feeling liberated
Also, we may prioritise the different threads which make up success in our own way. What are your measures of success? Do they make you happy?
If success, satisfaction and happiness are linked, why does our modern society make success reductive and measure it often in terms of excessive accumulation of money, power and glory, which may not deliver satisfaction or happiness?
. Our level of satisfaction
. Our level of happiness and consciousness of what we are and what we have
. Having security in regard to lifestyle -- shelter, food, clothing and leisure -- both now and in the future
. Fulfilling our creative energy and deeper purpose
. Our optimistic attitude and positive energy, which attracts more of the same, which we call "good luck"
. Remembering where we have come from, what we feel we are, and where we are headed
. Capability to listen, to learn and to love
. Capability to influence and motivate others around us
. The sharing of inner feelings with family and/or friends
. Having trusted companions
. Knowing what we have achieved and what we are likely to achieve on the basis of our present trajectory
. Our perception of our relative position
. Being renowned amongst our peers for our domain specific expertise
. Role(s) and responsibilities
. Societal standing and display of status symbols
. Feeling liberated
Also, we may prioritise the different threads which make up success in our own way. What are your measures of success? Do they make you happy?
If success, satisfaction and happiness are linked, why does our modern society make success reductive and measure it often in terms of excessive accumulation of money, power and glory, which may not deliver satisfaction or happiness?
Spiritual Revolution
These references are emphatically worth noting and initiating Socratic dialogue upon, as opposed to an unfruitful focus on apocalyptic scenarios. We begin by initiating the next Holisitic Quantum Relativity -- HQR* -- Socratic dialogue on Buddhism, the Baha'i faith and The Golden Age of the Unity of Humankind and Peace with the overarching Grace of The Great Spiritual Masters!
HH Master Kirpal has said, "Truth is eternal, and all Masters taught the same old Truth with one opinion, but their commandments differed according to the prevalent conditions of their time." Many people could not understand the deep meaning when His Holiness said, ‘Mind, that the Golden Age is approaching!’
Reflections on Buddhism and the Bahá’í faith
The Spiritual Master, Gautama Buddha, was born a prince in Northern India around the year 563 BC. Buddha means "Enlightened" and he claimed to be one of a series of Buddhas -- Enlightened Ones -- revealing teachings to humanity over many thousands of years.
The Bahá’í Faith was founded by the Great Bahá’u’lláh, Who was born into a noble family in Persia in 1817. Bahá’ís recognise Him as one of the successive Buddhas, the “Buddha of Universal Fellowship”, for whom humankind had been waiting at the time.
Gautama Buddha promised repeatedly that after a long period of time, another Buddha would arise:
“I am not the first Buddha Who came upon this earth, nor shall I be the last. In due time, another Buddha will arise in the world, a Holy One, a supremely enlightened One… knowing the universe, an Incomparable Leader of men… He will reveal to you the same eternal truths which I have taught you. He will preach to you His faith, glorious in its origin, glorious at the climax and glorious at the goal… He will proclaim a spiritual life, wholly perfect and pure, such as I now proclaim. His disciples will number many thousands, while mine number many hundreds.” (Digha-nikaya, IV.26)
When asked how Buddhists would recognize this new Teacher, the Buddha replied, “He will be known as Maitreya, which means He Whose name is kindness.” The other title for the Buddha-to-come was Amitabha (or Amida), which means “The Glory of the Infinite”. The blessed child born in Persia in 1817 was given the name Husayn, which means “kindness”, but later adopted the spiritual title of Bahá’u’lláh, (“The Glory of God” or “The Glory of the Infinite.”)
The Unknowable Essence
Speaking of the Creator, the “First Cause”, the Buddhist Scriptures say, “O disciples, there is a non-born, a non-produced, non-created and a non-formed. If there were not, O disciples, a non-born, a non-produced, a non-created and a non-formed, there would be no issue for the born, the produced, the created, the formed.” (Udana, v.81)
Bahá'u'lláh described the Supra Universal Consciousness in this way, “The birds of men's hearts, however high they soar, can never hope to attain the heights of His unknowable Essence. It is He Who hath called into being the whole of creation, Who hath caused every created thing to spring forth at His behest… Far be it from His glory that human pen or tongue should hint at His mystery, or that human heart conceive His Essence. ” In one of His books, ‘The Seven Valleys’, Bahá'u'lláh described the seventh valley as “true poverty and absolute nothingness”. This, the ultimate goal of life, is explained as “ the dying from self and the living in God.”
The Basic Truths
Although the basic truths taught by Gautama Buddha remain the same, they are expanded and made more explicit, in accordance with the needs of this age. The Buddha taught The Middle Way, between materialism and extreme asceticism. This approached is reaffirmed by Bahá’u’lláh: “In all matters moderation is desirable. If a thing is carried to excess, it will prove a source of evil.”
The Buddha presented the Noble Eightfold Path as a guide to living. As projected by the Buddha, Bahá’u’lláh taught similar noble ideals. Below are some examples of Bahá'u'lláh’s teachings under the individual headings of the Buddha's Eightfold Path:
Right Understanding
“Man should know his own self, and know those things which lead to loftiness or baseness, to shame or to honour…”
Right Resolve
“He is my true follower who, if he come to a valley of pure gold will pass straight through it aloof as a cloud, and will neither turn back, nor pause.”
Right Speech
"Verily I say, the tongue is for mentioning what is good, defile it not with unseemly talk.”
Right Conduct
“They that follow their lusts and corrupt inclinations have erred and dissipated their efforts. They indeed are of the lost.”
Right Livelihood
“It is made incumbent on every one of you to engage in some one occupation, such as arts, trades, and the like. We have made this – your occupation – identical with the worship of God, the True One.”
Right Effort
“All efforts and exertion put forth by man from the fullness of his heart is worship, if it is prompted by the highest motives and the will to do service to humanity.”
Right Mindfulness
“The station of absolute self-surrender transcendeth, and will ever remain exalted above every other station.”
Right Contemplation
“The meditative faculty is akin to the mirror; if you put it before earthly objects it will reflect them… But if you turn the mirror of your spirits heavenwards… the virtues of the Kingdom will be obtained.”
Progressive Revelation
Bahá’u’lláh taught the idea of progressive revelation. The Founders of the faiths of the world, in every age, reaffirm the universal spiritual truths, but also reveal new teachings appropriate to the conditions of the time:
"Every Prophet Whom the almighty and peerless Creator hath purposed to send to the peoples of the earth hath been entrusted with a Message, and charged to act in a manner that would best meet the requirements of the age in which He appeared." Bahá’ís believe that the new Teaching (Dharma) specifically for this age is the recognition of the oneness of religion and the oneness of humankind.
Bahá’u’lláh introduced teachings designed to bring about this universal fellowship. These teachings include:
· Equality of women with men
. Independent investigation of truth
. Elimination of poverty
. Relinquishing prejudice of all kinds
. A world federation
. A society based on spiritual values
These teachings will bring about the Golden Age of humankind, prophesied by the Buddha as “the world system of the Lord Amitabha”, the ‘Pure Land’.
The Bahá'í writings describe it like this:
“The gift of God to this enlightened age is the knowledge of the oneness of humankind and of the fundamental oneness of faith. War shall cease between nations, and by the will of God the Most Great Peace shall come; the world will be seen as a new world, and all men will live as brothers.”
HH Master Kirpal has said, "Truth is eternal, and all Masters taught the same old Truth with one opinion, but their commandments differed according to the prevalent conditions of their time." Many people could not understand the deep meaning when His Holiness said, ‘Mind, that the Golden Age is approaching!’
Reflections on Buddhism and the Bahá’í faith
The Spiritual Master, Gautama Buddha, was born a prince in Northern India around the year 563 BC. Buddha means "Enlightened" and he claimed to be one of a series of Buddhas -- Enlightened Ones -- revealing teachings to humanity over many thousands of years.
The Bahá’í Faith was founded by the Great Bahá’u’lláh, Who was born into a noble family in Persia in 1817. Bahá’ís recognise Him as one of the successive Buddhas, the “Buddha of Universal Fellowship”, for whom humankind had been waiting at the time.
Gautama Buddha promised repeatedly that after a long period of time, another Buddha would arise:
“I am not the first Buddha Who came upon this earth, nor shall I be the last. In due time, another Buddha will arise in the world, a Holy One, a supremely enlightened One… knowing the universe, an Incomparable Leader of men… He will reveal to you the same eternal truths which I have taught you. He will preach to you His faith, glorious in its origin, glorious at the climax and glorious at the goal… He will proclaim a spiritual life, wholly perfect and pure, such as I now proclaim. His disciples will number many thousands, while mine number many hundreds.” (Digha-nikaya, IV.26)
When asked how Buddhists would recognize this new Teacher, the Buddha replied, “He will be known as Maitreya, which means He Whose name is kindness.” The other title for the Buddha-to-come was Amitabha (or Amida), which means “The Glory of the Infinite”. The blessed child born in Persia in 1817 was given the name Husayn, which means “kindness”, but later adopted the spiritual title of Bahá’u’lláh, (“The Glory of God” or “The Glory of the Infinite.”)
The Unknowable Essence
Speaking of the Creator, the “First Cause”, the Buddhist Scriptures say, “O disciples, there is a non-born, a non-produced, non-created and a non-formed. If there were not, O disciples, a non-born, a non-produced, a non-created and a non-formed, there would be no issue for the born, the produced, the created, the formed.” (Udana, v.81)
Bahá'u'lláh described the Supra Universal Consciousness in this way, “The birds of men's hearts, however high they soar, can never hope to attain the heights of His unknowable Essence. It is He Who hath called into being the whole of creation, Who hath caused every created thing to spring forth at His behest… Far be it from His glory that human pen or tongue should hint at His mystery, or that human heart conceive His Essence. ” In one of His books, ‘The Seven Valleys’, Bahá'u'lláh described the seventh valley as “true poverty and absolute nothingness”. This, the ultimate goal of life, is explained as “ the dying from self and the living in God.”
The Basic Truths
Although the basic truths taught by Gautama Buddha remain the same, they are expanded and made more explicit, in accordance with the needs of this age. The Buddha taught The Middle Way, between materialism and extreme asceticism. This approached is reaffirmed by Bahá’u’lláh: “In all matters moderation is desirable. If a thing is carried to excess, it will prove a source of evil.”
The Buddha presented the Noble Eightfold Path as a guide to living. As projected by the Buddha, Bahá’u’lláh taught similar noble ideals. Below are some examples of Bahá'u'lláh’s teachings under the individual headings of the Buddha's Eightfold Path:
Right Understanding
“Man should know his own self, and know those things which lead to loftiness or baseness, to shame or to honour…”
Right Resolve
“He is my true follower who, if he come to a valley of pure gold will pass straight through it aloof as a cloud, and will neither turn back, nor pause.”
Right Speech
"Verily I say, the tongue is for mentioning what is good, defile it not with unseemly talk.”
Right Conduct
“They that follow their lusts and corrupt inclinations have erred and dissipated their efforts. They indeed are of the lost.”
Right Livelihood
“It is made incumbent on every one of you to engage in some one occupation, such as arts, trades, and the like. We have made this – your occupation – identical with the worship of God, the True One.”
Right Effort
“All efforts and exertion put forth by man from the fullness of his heart is worship, if it is prompted by the highest motives and the will to do service to humanity.”
Right Mindfulness
“The station of absolute self-surrender transcendeth, and will ever remain exalted above every other station.”
Right Contemplation
“The meditative faculty is akin to the mirror; if you put it before earthly objects it will reflect them… But if you turn the mirror of your spirits heavenwards… the virtues of the Kingdom will be obtained.”
Progressive Revelation
Bahá’u’lláh taught the idea of progressive revelation. The Founders of the faiths of the world, in every age, reaffirm the universal spiritual truths, but also reveal new teachings appropriate to the conditions of the time:
"Every Prophet Whom the almighty and peerless Creator hath purposed to send to the peoples of the earth hath been entrusted with a Message, and charged to act in a manner that would best meet the requirements of the age in which He appeared." Bahá’ís believe that the new Teaching (Dharma) specifically for this age is the recognition of the oneness of religion and the oneness of humankind.
Bahá’u’lláh introduced teachings designed to bring about this universal fellowship. These teachings include:
· Equality of women with men
. Independent investigation of truth
. Elimination of poverty
. Relinquishing prejudice of all kinds
. A world federation
. A society based on spiritual values
These teachings will bring about the Golden Age of humankind, prophesied by the Buddha as “the world system of the Lord Amitabha”, the ‘Pure Land’.
The Bahá'í writings describe it like this:
“The gift of God to this enlightened age is the knowledge of the oneness of humankind and of the fundamental oneness of faith. War shall cease between nations, and by the will of God the Most Great Peace shall come; the world will be seen as a new world, and all men will live as brothers.”
What is beauty?
What is beauty, and how do we find it?
We live in a culture where feeling beautiful has a profound impact on one’s self-esteem and self-confidence, particularly for women. This culture would have us believe that there is a particular “look” that is beautiful, namely thin, young, and blemish-free.
The Dove advertising campaign has helped to shed light on the many ways that the advertising industry promotes this unrealistic view of beauty. There is a constant message that if you are not perfect, you are not quite good enough; you are not really beautiful.
Statistics reflect the impact of these messages: 80-90% of adult women dislike their bodies. 15% of women say they would sacrifice more than five years of their lives to be thinner, while 24% say they would sacrifice up to three years of their life. 81% of 10-year-olds are afraid of being fat, 78% of 18-year-old girls are unhappy with their bodies, and the number one wish of girls 11-17 years old is to lose weight. 51% of 9 and 10 year-old girls feel better about themselves when dieting, and 9% of 9-year-olds have vomited to lose weight.
The natural process of life seems to be a problem. Anti-wrinkle creams and botox treatments abound. There are millions of diet products, shakes, and nutrition plans designed to help you shed unwanted pounds. It is as if we constantly need to fight against our bodies and their natural processes in order to achieve the desired beauty, the desired “perfection.” This constant focus on what we are not or what we should be eclipses the beauty of who we are.
When we struggle in this way against our bodies and ourselves we are setting ourselves up for pain and misery. When we focus on what we should be or how we should look, we live with a constant state of fear and dissatisfaction.
What if beauty was more expansive then we think? What if everyone was beautiful simply because they exist?
We can learn to see beauty in everyone and everything, regardless of how closely they fit culturally-dictated standards of desirability. When we learn to see beauty in ourselves and the world around us, we discover that we are more than enough. We no longer have to live with a sense of inadequacy or shame; we no longer have to live wishing that our nose was smaller, our stomach flatter, or our hair fuller. We can begin to live from a place of peace, knowing we are beautiful simply because we exist.
Sometimes, however, finding the beauty in ourselves can seem like a herculean task. We are constantly being exposed to messages that we should be taller, shorter, thinner, fitter, wealthier, etc. It is a constant practice of returning to ourselves and affirming with compassion “I am beautiful; I am radiant; I am divine.”
We can soar on the wings of eagles, but we must learn to love ourselves first.
We live in a culture where feeling beautiful has a profound impact on one’s self-esteem and self-confidence, particularly for women. This culture would have us believe that there is a particular “look” that is beautiful, namely thin, young, and blemish-free.
The Dove advertising campaign has helped to shed light on the many ways that the advertising industry promotes this unrealistic view of beauty. There is a constant message that if you are not perfect, you are not quite good enough; you are not really beautiful.
Statistics reflect the impact of these messages: 80-90% of adult women dislike their bodies. 15% of women say they would sacrifice more than five years of their lives to be thinner, while 24% say they would sacrifice up to three years of their life. 81% of 10-year-olds are afraid of being fat, 78% of 18-year-old girls are unhappy with their bodies, and the number one wish of girls 11-17 years old is to lose weight. 51% of 9 and 10 year-old girls feel better about themselves when dieting, and 9% of 9-year-olds have vomited to lose weight.
The natural process of life seems to be a problem. Anti-wrinkle creams and botox treatments abound. There are millions of diet products, shakes, and nutrition plans designed to help you shed unwanted pounds. It is as if we constantly need to fight against our bodies and their natural processes in order to achieve the desired beauty, the desired “perfection.” This constant focus on what we are not or what we should be eclipses the beauty of who we are.
When we struggle in this way against our bodies and ourselves we are setting ourselves up for pain and misery. When we focus on what we should be or how we should look, we live with a constant state of fear and dissatisfaction.
What if beauty was more expansive then we think? What if everyone was beautiful simply because they exist?
We can learn to see beauty in everyone and everything, regardless of how closely they fit culturally-dictated standards of desirability. When we learn to see beauty in ourselves and the world around us, we discover that we are more than enough. We no longer have to live with a sense of inadequacy or shame; we no longer have to live wishing that our nose was smaller, our stomach flatter, or our hair fuller. We can begin to live from a place of peace, knowing we are beautiful simply because we exist.
Sometimes, however, finding the beauty in ourselves can seem like a herculean task. We are constantly being exposed to messages that we should be taller, shorter, thinner, fitter, wealthier, etc. It is a constant practice of returning to ourselves and affirming with compassion “I am beautiful; I am radiant; I am divine.”
We can soar on the wings of eagles, but we must learn to love ourselves first.
Happiness about to be pure
Beyond the high speeds of those imaginary particles we describe
and much further than the field of infinite potentiality of the new verse,
there lies a most shy, omnipotent, innocent and inexplicable joy.
Let’s make believe, like little girls playing at serving invisible tea
that we are hearing this music unheard, and dance, just dance
Bring along the so-called sins and other deviations that spice up the rhythm
yes why not, also the sac of virtues and credits you can spare.
Let’s dare to be absolutely naked in this purity so insane
that it can only be seen in moments of silence and then forgotten,
like sacred oaths unspoken
Pour the cups of non existing tea and share with each other this instant
our little girl hands so poised and elegant as they pour and serve,
the inebriating nothing tea that lies hidden, in the shyness of the explosion
Beyond the accelerated particles of our imagination, way in there,
impossibly near , hiding behind what has never been lost.
Collapsing in intervals so fine you can call them divine
and yet it is all beyond words and languages.
and much further than the field of infinite potentiality of the new verse,
there lies a most shy, omnipotent, innocent and inexplicable joy.
Let’s make believe, like little girls playing at serving invisible tea
that we are hearing this music unheard, and dance, just dance
Bring along the so-called sins and other deviations that spice up the rhythm
yes why not, also the sac of virtues and credits you can spare.
Let’s dare to be absolutely naked in this purity so insane
that it can only be seen in moments of silence and then forgotten,
like sacred oaths unspoken
Pour the cups of non existing tea and share with each other this instant
our little girl hands so poised and elegant as they pour and serve,
the inebriating nothing tea that lies hidden, in the shyness of the explosion
Beyond the accelerated particles of our imagination, way in there,
impossibly near , hiding behind what has never been lost.
Collapsing in intervals so fine you can call them divine
and yet it is all beyond words and languages.
Monday, 7 January 2008
Emotional distress due to social networking websites
There is a boom of social networking websites on Internet .The newer social networking sites like orkut , wayn, myspace not only helps in building social contacts but also gives other privileges like earning through blogging & uploading pictures .Majority of people who surf Internet frequently are members of at least one social networking websites either for fun , or to build contacts or for promotion of their own on line business or for earning through blogging . When it comes to earning through blogging , people spend several hours in a day to update their blogs & than on reading & commenting other blogger work. As a result of which blogger get very much acquainted with each others style of writing , thoughts ,likes , dislikes ,profession & other personal aspects & at times blogger get attracted to opposite sex blogger. Once this happens the blogger mind gets completely diverted from blogging . He or she starts giving very sensitive comments on the articles of the blogger with whom he or she has got attracted .The comments are very frequent & personalized a result both the blogger get attracted to one another. Recently I came across few cases where in male blogger first approached female blogger by giving frequent & touching comments on their articles & than they exchanged their contact numbers & email IDs.Later the male blogger shared their past with the female blogger & expressed how lonely they are without true love in their lives & eventually proposed the females saying that they can only bring the lost love back into their lives . Women feel very sorry for the past of males & they started loving the them thinking that the males are very honest & will be carrying husbands if they tie knot with them. For few months these couples continued their interaction through blogging & chatting & meanwhile they committed for marriage , without any face to face meetings. Since it was not a true love & was near attraction the male blogger got attracted to another female blogger & thereby they lost interest in the previous female blogger & the commitments which they made to them became meaningless. As usual the females got very upset , they lost hope , trust & health & now these woman do not believe in the Institution of marriage they do not want to get married for ever & are not ready to forget them although their dream homes are scattered totally According to me it is not wrong to love somebody & to express love for someone nor I say it is the folly of men alone .Also there might be people who got true life partners through social networking sites but I feel one should not commit for marriage without family consent & face to face interaction with the person whom you met through social networking websites.
www.shashionline.in
www.shashionline.in
The choice for a life Partner
Marriage is a social custom which is given importance in most of the human societies all over the world & hence mate selection is a crucial part in marriage . Psychologists & Sociologists have developed several theories which deal with mate selection .These theories mainly suggest the factors that govern consciously or unconsciously an individuals choice for a mate. There are various theories however I am mentioning the common & popular theories of mate selection.
1 ) HOMO GAMY THEORY : According to this theory individuals choose life partner who also has the same religion , race , social status & economical status as he or she has.According to Psychologists the more the couple is homogeneous the better is their married life.
2 ) PROPINQUITY THEORY : According to this theory individuals often choose to marry a person with whom they are working in office for a long time or studying in same college or staying in same area or locality.The theory is based on the fact the individuals who work together or in same area or company or study in same class or college or stay in same area meet daily or occasionally & therefore develop some kind of attraction which influences their decision of mate selection.
3) COMPLEMENTARY NEED THEORY : The theory has been propounded by Winch .According to this theory the individual seeks out a mate to complement his or her own personality. Winch suggests that in mate selection the need pattern of each spouse will be complementary rather than similar to the need pattern of the other spouse .In other words the person choose a mate who will fill out the weaknesses in his or her personality.
4) PARENTAL IMAGE THEORY : Psychologist Sigmund Freud proposed this theory. According to this theory a child develops a deep attachment for the parent of opposite sex. Therefore in a partner the youth tends to seek the quality of his opposite sex parent .Thus a girl wishes to marry a man who has similar traits of her father & man wants to marry a woman who has similar traits of his mother. These theories govern our choice of mate consciously or unconsciously.
For the sake of Stomach
India women have to work extremely hard every day to get their daily bread . Due to ignorance & social customs like childhood marriage many Indian men are illiterate . As a result of which they have to go for jobs which involve more of physical work than mental work. However there are some professions which neither demand much physical or mental labor but still very hard & painful. Well in this article I am elucidating on the profession of Rudali & women posing nude for aspiring artists. Rudalis are women who are hired for morning in Rajasthan . These women have to dress up in black attire & have to cry loudly & beat their chest for hours. To cry continuously they use a kind of kajal to maintain the flow of tears. Rudalis are paid very nominal for their work . Just 15-20 Rs to cry for 4-5 hours. In long run crying affects the health of Rudalis. In Rajasthan people hire Rudalis for mourning when somebody dies in their family. It is believed that hiring Rudalis is a matter of status symbol & prestige. Wealthier the person & more number of Rudalis are hired by him in the event of death in his family. Still more painful & harder is the job of women posing nude for aspiring artists . In art schools where students are trained in painting & sketching women for nude modeling are appointed & are paid daily for their work. They have to pose nude for several hours & some times even have to work overtime. However these women are not paid in accordance with their toil. They get around 200 Rs daily . Recently I read about 50 years old Arai Sankar Naidu who is posing nude for last 30 years in Mumbai's oldest art college - J J School of Arts . Arai is an uneducated lady & due to domestic violence she left her in-laws house & migrated to Mumbai . In order to earn her daily bread she took up the job of nude model in J J School of Arts. When she started her career she used to get 8 Rs for 12 hours of work . Now she gets around 200 Rs from which she spends 25 Rs per day in transportation. Arai is not happy with the pay scale , she is happy as she was able to educate her son in an English medium school. Although Arai has helped several students of J J School of Arts in becoming renowned artists but unfortunately Arai is still a very poor lady living in Chembur area of Mumbai. Thus to get petty requirements of life fulfilled many Indian women have to take up profession of mourners & nude models & other embarrassing professions.
www.shashionline.in
www.shashionline.in
For the sake of Stomach
India women have to work extremely hard every day to get their daily bread . Due to ignorance & social customs like childhood marriage many Indian men are illiterate . As a result of which they have to go for jobs which involve more of physical work than mental work. However there are some professions which neither demand much physical or mental labor but still very hard & painful. Well in this article I am elucidating on the profession of Rudali & women posing nude for aspiring artists. Rudalis are women who are hired for morning in Rajasthan . These women have to dress up in black attire & have to cry loudly & beat their chest for hours. To cry continuously they use a kind of kajal to maintain the flow of tears. Rudalis are paid very nominal for their work . Just 15-20 Rs to cry for 4-5 hours. In long run crying affects the health of Rudalis. In Rajasthan people hire Rudalis for mourning when somebody dies in their family. It is believed that hiring Rudalis is a matter of status symbol & prestige. Wealthier the person & more number of Rudalis are hired by him in the event of death in his family. Still more painful & harder is the job of women posing nude for aspiring artists . In art schools where students are trained in painting & sketching women for nude modeling are appointed & are paid daily for their work. They have to pose nude for several hours & some times even have to work overtime. However these women are not paid in accordance with their toil. They get around 200 Rs daily . Recently I read about 50 years old Arai Sankar Naidu who is posing nude for last 30 years in Mumbai's oldest art college - J J School of Arts . Arai is an uneducated lady & due to domestic violence she left her in-laws house & migrated to Mumbai . In order to earn her daily bread she took up the job of nude model in J J School of Arts. When she started her career she used to get 8 Rs for 12 hours of work . Now she gets around 200 Rs from which she spends 25 Rs per day in transportation. Arai is not happy with the pay scale , she is happy as she was able to educate her son in an English medium school. Although Arai has helped several students of J J School of Arts in becoming renowned artists but unfortunately Arai is still a very poor lady living in Chembur area of Mumbai. Thus to get petty requirements of life fulfilled many Indian women have to take up profession of mourners & nude models & other embarrassing professions.
The choice for a life Partner
Marriage is a social custom which is given importance in most of the human societies all over the world & hence mate selection is a crucial part in marriage . Psychologists & Sociologists have developed several theories which deal with mate selection .These theories mainly suggest the factors that govern consciously or unconsciously an individuals choice for a mate. There are various theories however I am mentioning the common & popular theories of mate selection.
1 ) HOMO GAMY THEORY : According to this theory individuals choose life partner who also has the same religion , race , social status & economical status as he or she has.According to Psychologists the more the couple is homogeneous the better is their married life.
2 ) PROPINQUITY THEORY : According to this theory individuals often choose to marry a person with whom they are working in office for a long time or studying in same college or staying in same area or locality.The theory is based on the fact the individuals who work together or in same area or company or study in same class or college or stay in same area meet daily or occasionally & therefore develop some kind of attraction which influences their decision of mate selection.
3) COMPLEMENTARY NEED THEORY : The theory has been propounded by Winch .According to this theory the individual seeks out a mate to complement his or her own personality. Winch suggests that in mate selection the need pattern of each spouse will be complementary rather than similar to the need pattern of the other spouse .In other words the person choose a mate who will fill out the weaknesses in his or her personality.
4) PARENTAL IMAGE THEORY : Psychologist Sigmund Freud proposed this theory. According to this theory a child develops a deep attachment for the parent of opposite sex. Therefore in a partner the youth tends to seek the quality of his opposite sex parent .Thus a girl wishes to marry a man who has similar traits of her father & man wants to marry a woman who has similar traits of his mother. These theories govern our choice of mate consciously or unconsciously.
Emotional distress due to social networking websites
There is a boom of social networking websites on Internet .The newer social networking sites like orkut , wayn, myspace not only helps in building social contacts but also gives other privileges like earning through blogging & uploading pictures .Majority of people who surf Internet frequently are members of at least one social networking websites either for fun , or to build contacts or for promotion of their own on line business or for earning through blogging . When it comes to earning through blogging , people spend several hours in a day to update their blogs & than on reading & commenting other blogger work. As a result of which blogger get very much acquainted with each others style of writing , thoughts ,likes , dislikes ,profession & other personal aspects & at times blogger get attracted to opposite sex blogger. Once this happens the blogger mind gets completely diverted from blogging . He or she starts giving very sensitive comments on the articles of the blogger with whom he or she has got attracted .The comments are very frequent & personalized a result both the blogger get attracted to one another. Recently I came across few cases where in male blogger first approached female blogger by giving frequent & touching comments on their articles & than they exchanged their contact numbers & email IDs.Later the male blogger shared their past with the female blogger & expressed how lonely they are without true love in their lives & eventually proposed the females saying that they can only bring the lost love back into their lives . Women feel very sorry for the past of males & they started loving the them thinking that the males are very honest & will be carrying husbands if they tie knot with them. For few months these couples continued their interaction through blogging & chatting & meanwhile they committed for marriage , without any face to face meetings. Since it was not a true love & was near attraction the male blogger got attracted to another female blogger & thereby they lost interest in the previous female blogger & the commitments which they made to them became meaningless. As usual the females got very upset , they lost hope , trust & health & now these woman do not believe in the Institution of marriage they do not want to get married for ever & are not ready to forget them although their dream homes are scattered totally According to me it is not wrong to love somebody & to express love for someone nor I say it is the folly of men alone .Also there might be people who got true life partners through social networking sites but I feel one should not commit for marriage without family consent & face to face interaction with the person whom you met through social networking websites.
Wednesday, 2 January 2008
Happy New Year
Happy New Year
If it didn't bring you joy
just leave it behind
Let's ring in the new year
with good things in mind
Let every bad memory
that brought heartache and pain
And let's turn a new leaf
with the smell of new rain
Let's forget past mistakes
making amends for this year
Sending you these greetings
to bring you hope and cheer
If it didn't bring you joy
just leave it behind
Let's ring in the new year
with good things in mind
Let every bad memory
that brought heartache and pain
And let's turn a new leaf
with the smell of new rain
Let's forget past mistakes
making amends for this year
Sending you these greetings
to bring you hope and cheer
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