2189 ~THE GOD OF SPINOZA!

Did you know that when Einstein attended some conferences in the numerous universities of the USA, the recurring question that the students asked him was:

- DO YOU BELIEVE IN GOD?

And he always answered:
- I BELIEVE IN THE GOD OF SPINOZA.

For the ones who haven't read Spinoza
hope this shall give them an idea.

Baruch De Spinoza was a Dutch philosopher, of Portuguese Jewish origin, considered one of the great rationalists of his time along with the French philosopher Rene Descartes. Spinoza was born in Amsterdam in the 17th century of a businessman father who was successful but not wealthy.

THIS IS THE NATURE OF THE GOD OF SPINOZA:

GOD WOULD HAVE SAID:
"Stop  praying and giving yourselves blows on your chests, what I want you to do is to GO OUT INTO THE WORLD TO ENJOY YOUR LIFE.
I want you to enjoy, you sing, have fun and enjoy everything I've done for you.
STOP GOING TO THOSE GLOOMY, DARK AND COLD TEMPLES THAT YOU BUILT YOURSELF AND that YOU CALL MY HOME.
MY HOUSE is in the MOUNTAINS, in the FORESTS, the RIVERS, the LAKES, the BEACHES. That's where I live and express all my love for you.
STOP BLAMING ME FOR YOUR MISERABLE LIFE; I NEVER TOLD YOU THAT YOU WERE A SINNER.

STOP BEING SO SCARED. I do not judge you, nor criticize you, nor ever is angry with you, nothing bothers me, nor do I devise punishment. I AM PURE LOVE.

Stop asking me forgiveness, there's nothing to forgive. If I made you... I filled you with passions, limitations, pleasures, feelings, needs, inconsistencies... of free will, how can I blame you if you do or say something out of that what I put in you? How can I punish you for being as you are, if I'm the one who made you? Do you think I could create a place to burn all my children who misbehave, for the rest of eternity?
What kind of God can do that?
FORGET ABOUT ANY KIND OF COMMANDMENTS, of any kind of laws; THOSE ARE WILES TO MANIPULATE YOU, TO CONTROL YOU AND  ONLY TO CREATE GUILT IN YOU.
Respect your peers and DON'T DO TO OTHERS WHAT YOU DON'T WANT FOR YOU. The only thing I ask is that you pay attention in your life, that your alert status is your guide. This LIFE IS THE ONLY THING THERE IS, HERE AND NOW and the only thing you need.

I have made you absolutely free, there are no prizes or punishments, there are no sins or virtues, no one carries a marker, no one carries a record.
YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY FREE TO CREATE IN YOUR LIFE A HEAVEN OR HELL.

I couldn't tell you if there's anything after this life, but I can give you a tip. LIVE AS IF THERE WASN'T (AFTER LIFE) .
As if this was YOUR ONLY CHANCE TO ENJOY, TO LOVE, TO EXIST.

So, if there is nothing, then you will have enjoyed the opportunity I gave you. And if there is, be sure that I will not ask you if you behaved well or not, I will ask you. Did you like it?... did you have fun ?..What did you enjoy the most? What did you learn?...

Stop believing in me; believe is to assume, guess, imagine. I don't want you to believe in me, I want you to feel me when you kiss your beloved, when you play with your little girl, when you love your dog, when you bathe in the sea.

Stop praising me. What kind of egotistical God do you think I am?
I'm bored of your praise, I'm fed up with thanks . Do you feel GRATEFUL? PROVE IT TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF, YOUR HEALTH, YOUR RELATIONSHIPS, THE WORLD AROUND YOU. Do you feel  overwhelmed?... EXPRESS YOUR JOY! That's the WAY TO PRAISE ME.

The ONLY THING SURE IS that YOU ARE HERE, that YOU ARE ALIVE, that THIS WORLD IS FULL OF WONDERS.

What do you need more miracles for?
Why so many explanations?

Don't look for me outside, you won't find me. FIND ME INSIDE... THERE I'M BEATING IN YOU."

2188 confidence

2187 CRYING AND TRYING

2184 Life of others

2181 Best medicine

2179 All are free!

2176 ~ WHY ARE PEOPLE UNHAPPY?

(~ Murari Bapu, Femina, March 8 - 22, 1984)

A man had fever and therefore went to a nearby dispensary. On the way, he fell down and had many bruises. When he met the doctor, he was given two medicines- one to swallow for his fever and the other for purely for external application.
The man in his fevered ignorance, came home and drank up the medicine given for the bruises and applied the on the wound- healing neither his fever nor his bruises. in the same manner...

2171~ THE VEDANTA IN FOUR WORDS

THE VEDANTA IN FOUR WORDS!
--------------------------
The great sage Ramana Maharishi once said that all of Vedanta could be compressed into just four words: "deham, naham, koham, soham"

Deham: The body
Naham: I am not
Koham: Who am I?
Soham: I am That

2170 ~ Happy /childhood /doing the impossible /GIGO/useful/ life

2169~Quotes- greatest treasures /life/success/try/ lies& truth

2168~quotes on winning people /practise pause

2162~ EXCEEDING EXCELLENCE

WHAT IS MEANT BY `EXCEEDING EXCELLENCE' ?
~Swami Swaroopananda
------@@@@-----

EXCELLENCE DEFINED :
Excellence has been defined as “the quality of being outstanding or extremely good“. When we put forth efforts and attempt to do the best ­ at all times ­ we attain excellence.
It is not about being the best because somebody will always be better than us at some time or the other.

When a singer's performance is extolled or an artist's painting is admired, it is due to something ethereal and grand in that incredible action or achievement. On the one hand, it gives an immeasurable sense of fulfilment to the artiste, and on the other, the beholder is awestruck and captivated by the brilliance.

HOW TO GAIN EXCELLENCE:
To gain excellence, first, we must have
(1)the essential talent,
(2)we need to work sincerely ,
(3)practice diligently and
(4)have the right attitude.

EXCELLENCE IN ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE:
Arjuna achieved excellence in the field of warfare and archery . But when it came to dealing with his own emotions, he collapsed on the battlefield. If excellence is not developed in all aspects of our life, somewhere or the other we will falter. To such an Arjuna, Krishna gave knowledge- ­
not the knowledge of becoming excellent,
but exceeding it in all aspects of life.

THE ATTITUDE THAT GENERATES EXCELLENCE:
At the individual level, when we combine all internal resources and pour them together; when the body , mind and intellect are integrated; a certain amount of efficiency arises. Whenever we put love into an action, that skilfully executed work becomes beautiful. It may not necessarily be perfect, but there is a magical quality present. When we bring people together and each one does his best; each one strives to contribute to a common goal from which everyone derives success and benefit, it is acting in a spirit of yajna. It is this attitude that generates excellence.

BUT HOW DO WE EXCEED EXCELLENCE?
When we perform actions out of love, dedication, and gratitude, the ego dissolves; we obtain Divine blessings and grace.
Grace is strange and unfathomable. It makes you go beyond your present talent, skill and capacity towards excellence ... some mysterious synergy occurs.
Gratitude indicates giving back or what has been received, not out of feelings of debt, but out of thankfulness, as an offering to the universe. It is being able to see divinity everywhere, at all times, in everything.

HOW VEDA VYASA EXCEEDED EXCELLENCE?
The Vedas are an excellent means of knowledge about the Supreme Truth. Is it possible to improve upon them? Veda Vyasa exceeded excellence. How? He did not rewrite the mantras of the Vedas, but gathered the scattered knowledge, and compiled it into four volumes. He formulated the profound wisdom in such a way that it could be passed on to a yuga where people would neither have the mental capacity to understand nor remember.  Thereby , he exceeded excellence.

WHO COULD ENHANCE SAGE VALMIKI'S SANSKRIT RAMAYANA?
Could anybody enhance Sage Valmiki's Sanskrit Ramayana? But Goswami Tulsidas did it by bringing this exceptional epic, in the language of the common man, immersing it in rhythm, poetry , knowledge and depth.

THE EMBODIMENT OF EXCELLENCE :
Rama was an embodiment of excellence in all respects. In every field, in every role, in every relationship including as husband, whether you may agree or not, he was the best.

GRACE OF THE EXCELLENT :
But, how did Hanuman, a mere vaanar (monkey), exceed excellence to such an extent that he was praised by the Lord?
It is when we serve with humility , the one who is excellent, then, by the sheer grace of the excellent, we exceed excellence.

(The writer is global head, Chinmaya Mission.)
(Jun 17 2017 : The Times of India (Chennai), The speaking tree )

2161~ LIFE IS ABOUT BALANCE

2159~ THE GOLDEN RULE

The "Golden Rule"

(a.k.a. Ethics of Reciprocity)
Passages from various religious texts:
Bahá'í Faith to Zoroastrianism:
-------------------------------------------------------------
Bahá'í Faith:
 "Ascribe not to any soul that which thou wouldst not have ascribed to thee, and say not that which thou doest not." "Blessed is he who preferreth his brother before himself." Baha'u'llah
"And if thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose thou for thy neighbour that which thou choosest for thyself." Epistle to the Son of the Wolf.
-------------------
Buddhism:
"...a state that is not pleasing or delightful to me, how could I inflict that upon another?" Samyutta NIkaya v. 353
"Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful." Udana-Varga 5:18
 ----------------------
Christianity:
"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." Matthew 7:12, King James Version.
"And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise." Luke 6:31, King James Version.
"...and don't do what you hate...", Gospel of Thomas 6. The Gospel of Thomas is one of about 40 gospels that circulated among the early Christian movement, but which never made it into the Christian Scriptures (New Testament).
 ------------------
Confucianism:
 "Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you" Analects 15:23
 "Tse-kung asked, 'Is there one word that can serve as a principle of conduct for life?' Confucius replied, 'It is the word 'shu' -- reciprocity. Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.'" Doctrine of the Mean 13.3
"Try your best to treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself, and you will find that this is the shortest way to benevolence." Mencius VII.A
---------------------
Ancient Egyptian:
"Do for one who may do for you, that you may cause him thus to do." The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant, 109 - 110 Translated by R.B. Parkinson. The original dates to circa 1800 BCE and may be the earliest version of the Epic of Reciprocity ever written.
 -------------------
Hinduism:
This is the sum of dharma (duty): "Do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you." Mahabharata 5:1517
 -------------
Islam:
"None of you [truly] believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself." Number 13 of Imam "Al-Nawawi's Forty Hadiths."
 ---------------
Jainism:
"Therefore, neither does he [a sage] cause violence to others nor does he make others do so." Acarangasutra 5.101.
"In happiness and suffering, in joy and grief, we should regard all creatures as we regard our own self." Lord Mahavira, 24th Tirthankara
"A man should wander about treating all creatures as he himself would be treated. "Sutrakritanga 1.11.33
 ---------------
Judaism:
"...thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.", Leviticus 19:18
"What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow man. This is the law: all the rest is commentary." Talmud, Shabbat 31a.
"And what you hate, do not do to any one." Tobit 4:15
 -----------
Taoism:
"“Regard your neighbour's gain as your gain, and your neighbour's loss as your own loss.” Tai Shang Kan Yin P’ien
"To those who are good to me, I am good; to those who are not good to me, I am also good. Thus all get to be good."
-------------
Zoroastrianism:
"That nature alone is good which refrains from doing to another  whatsoever is not good for itself." Dadisten-I-dinik, 94,5
"Whatever is disagreeable to yourself do not do unto others." Shayast-na-Shayast 13:29
----------------------------------------------
(http://www.religioustolerance.org/reciproc2.htm)

2157~ A LITTLE PHILOSOPHY

"Philosophy is the No man's land between science and theology, exposed to attack from both the sides."
~Bertie Russell
____________
"The basic laws of the universe are simple, but because our senses are limited, we can’t grasp them. There is a pattern in creation…"
~Albert Einstein
___________
The karma garland!
"God gives you a garland made of all good and bad that you have done in previous lives. You have been born with that garland round your neck."
- Bhagavan Sri Satya Sai Baba
____________
Animals may have the transmigrated souls of human ancestors. Therefore,  eating animal products is cannibalism.
~Pythagoras
_____________
Ego (Aham) is like a shadow. The shadow is not real, yet it won't leave us so easily!
- Jaggi Vasudev
_____________

COMMENTS :
Nakkeeran's comment :
"Animals may have the transmigrated souls of human ancestors. Therefore, eating animal products is cannibalism."~Pythagoras  

With reference to this view I recollect a saying by Pattinaththadigal in one of his songs as under, loosely translated to English.  " In my previous births, I could have been a parent to many a soul, so also I could have been a son or daughter to many others, I could have eaten the body of many of the souls and also could have been eaten by many other souls." That way I find a lot of convergence of thought between our Seers and western thinkers.

CNR's comment :
We believe in transmigration and we take a series of births before we are born as human beings, and we may be any living (any animal form) and nonliving form in between because we believe that the permanent soul wears dfferent bodies like our changing of clothes till all the karma wears off!
-----------------
Nakkeeran's comment :
"Ego (Aham) is like a shadow. The shadow is not real, yet it won't leave us so easily!"~Jaggi Vasudev    

To avoid the shadow, the solution is to become self illumined, which is easier said than being achieved.

2156~ Success

2153~ Quotes

2145~Anando Brahma (Don't add, delete)

2144 🌹Philosophical Gems🌹

************************
🐊😃 Never Tell Ur Problems to all,
20% will not Care
&
80% will be Glad that U have Them.

************************
🐊👗 Life is similar to Boxing Game.
Defeat is not Declared when U Fall Down.
It is Declared when U Refuse to Get Up.

************************
🐊👗 Always WRONG PERSONS Teach the
RIGHT LESSONS in Life.
That is called LIFE EXPERIENCE.

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🐊👗 Faith is taking the 1st Step,
even when U dont see the whole Staircase.

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🐊👗 Keep Ur Face to the Sun,
& U will not see the Shadow.

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🐊👗 Everything is Valuable only at 2 Times:
1: Before Getting It.
&
2: After Losing It.

************************
🐊👗 2 Things brings Happiness & Success
in Life:
1: The way U Manage
when U have Nothing.
&
2: The way U Behave
when U have Everything.

************************
🐊👗 2 Places are most Valuable in the World:
1: The NICEST Place is to be in
Someone's Thoughts.
&
2: The SAFEST Place is to be in
Someone's Prayers.

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🐊👗 'FEAR' has 2 Meanings:
1: Forget Everything & Run.
&
2: Face Everything & Rejoice.
Choice is Ours.

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🐊👗 ATTITUDE at its Best:
"My BACK is not a VOICE MAIL.
Kindly Say whatever U have by FACING ME".

************************
🐊👗 What is SUCCESS ?
SUCCESS is, when Ur Photo's are Uploaded on 'GOOGLE' instead of FACEBOOK.

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🐊👗 'EGO' is the only Requirement
to Destroy any Relationship.
Be a Bigger Person,
Skip the 'E' & let it 'GO'.

************************
🐊👗 Do U know why God did not give Us
the Gift to Read Other's Mind ?
So that, We could have the Chances to
'TRUST' & Privilege to be 'TRUSTED'.

************************
🐊👗 As long as We do not Forgive People
who have Hurt Us,
They Occupy a 'RENT-FREE-SPACE'
in our Mind.

************************
🐊👗 Always keep Hoping for Good.
Keep a Green Tree in Ur Heart.
The Singing Birds will Automatically come.

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🐊👗 If U Walk the Way guided by Humans,
U will find a Hopeless End.
BUT
If U will Walk the Way guided by GOD,
U will find Endless Hopes & Opportunities.

************************
🐊👗 GOD always likes to know again & again
what U want.
It is not that He Forgets Ur
Dreams & Prayers,
But He Loves to Check Ur Passion
towards Ur Desire.
That is why He wants U to have Ur
'QUIET TIME' which We call as
'PRAYER TIME' with Him everyday.

************************
🐊👗 I asked GOD: If everything is already Written in Destiny,
then why should I Pray ?
GOD Smiled & said: I have also Written
'CONDITIONS APPLY'.

************************
🐊👗 Empty Pockets Teach
Millons of Things in Life.
BUT
Full Pockets Spoil Us in Million Ways.

************************
🐊👗 TRUST is like a Sticker.
Once it is Removed, it may Stick again,
but not as Strong as it Holds
when U First Applied.

************************
🐊👗 Always take Care of RELATIONS.
Thats why they say, when U are in Doubt,
'SILENCE' is the Best Policy.

************************
🐊👗 Never Win People with Arguments.
rather Defeat Them with Ur Smile.
Because People who always Wish to
Argue with U, cannot Bear Ur SILENCE.

************************
🐊👗 If a Drop of Water falls on a Lake,
its Identity is Lost.
BUT
If a Drop of Water falls on a Lotus Leaf,
it Shines like a Pearl.
Drop is the Same,
but the 'COMPANY' matters.

************************
🐊👗 Our HOPES should be like HAIR & NAILS.
No matter how many times they get Cut,
but they never stop Growing.
That is why they say,
Always Hope for the Best,
however Bad the Situation may be.

************************
🐊👗 'MEMORIES' are always Special.
Sometimes, We Laugh by
Remembering the days We Cried.
&
Sometimes, We Cry by
Remembering the days We Laughed.
Thats LIFE.👍
_____________________________

2143 Religion

" Imagine, with John Lennon, 'a world with no religion'.

Imagine no suicide bombers, no 9/11, no 7/7, no crusades, no witch hunts, no gun powder plot, no Indian partition, no Israeli/ Palestinian war, no Serb/ Croat/ Muslim massacres, no persecution of Jews as 'Christ-killers', no Northern Ireland 'troubles', no 'honour killings', no shiny-suited bouffant haired televangelists fleecing gullible people of their money ( God wants you to give till it hurts). Imagine no Taliban to blow up ancient statues, no public beheading of blasphemers, no flogging of female skin for the crime of showing an inch of it."
-Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion)
There is no bad religion, but there are only bad people!
Followers of each religion, are indoctrinated to feel that their religion is superior to others and want to have hegemony over others using force. They die or kill for their religion but never live by the principles of their religion. Mankind has transformed one God into many religions. When each can realise that, God has no religion and all religions are born out of regional cultural differences and all are different paths leading to one God, then there will not be any conflict.
As Rabbi Rami Shapiro said:
"To me religions are like languages: no language is true or false; all languages are of human origin; each language reflects and shapes the civilization that speaks it; there are things you can say in one language that you cannot say or say as well in another; and the more languages you learn, the more nuanced your understanding of life becomes.
Judaism is my mother tongue, yet in matters of the spirit I strive to be multilingual.
In the end, however, the deepest language of the soul is silence."
Live and let live!