barney

@@In order for humans to evolve, suffering is required. In order for humans to know which is true and which is false, confusion is required.@@ Is that what you think? I'm sorry but you only make me laugh....excuse me but I just can't stop laughing. You boast of knowing all but your comment tickles me..... Great! You have now been ordained master of masters. @@As can be seen from the Puranas (from Mastya Avatar all the way to Sri Krishna), God have been pushing Man to evolve pass its animalistic background to a higher form. That had been His goal then and it is His goal now.@@ What goal are you talking about? God is God and he need not set goals like we human. It's we who set goals to achieve this and that. It is man who think he knows all things and can be a master to all. God is the creator and a silent obsever not the motivator. I think you are having some problem there and please consult your motivator where you have gone wrong. @@ Humans MUST suffer in order to know the Truth, to know WHO is God and in order to HOW to go back to Him. That is His purpose and its not hidden like some claims. God don't work in mysterious ways, His ways is just beyond those who don't understand Nature and role of Man on this world.@@ Please tell that to the Eutopians. Tell the poor child with rib cage petruding out that God wants it to suffer in order to know HIM. Please do not talk .. If you do not understand ask some divine gurus or a Vethathi like Parasarathi. Don't give statement like this and contradict yourself and later pretend that you are spotless.

He has given his veiw and that seems ok. I dpn't understand your remark. Please, you cannot expect others to write what you think is right. Don't be selfish.

You were once a Sai devotee or shall I say attracted to Sai movement. May be your idea at the time was to gain something personel but you were dejected when your wishes were not fulfilled. You are not alone but many like you who seek Baba's help came back dejected and started to say things about him. You have approach with sincerity and bakthi not seeking materialistic gain. I seek Baba with bakthi and I'm happy inside and outside. Baba is unique in sense that he give hope to those who seek his blessings and not what you want to gain. Do not become a grasshopper and this plant is bitter and that plant is sweeter. Baba's birth is not ordinary and neither is he an ordinary person. There is something that he possess which is unique and only can be gotten from the Supreme Being. Only selected person could have possess a special ray of gravity towards others. I do not see that in the founder of ISKCON. He mere speaks of Gita and interprets it according to his perception while Baba is totaly different. Baba does not instruct you to pray to him or have his picture in your alter bt it is the work of devotees who have deep love and respect for him that they go to the extend of making him a Hindu icon. You do not understand his mission so saying such things would only put you in more complicated situation. If, now you are a ISKON member be a good one and serve mankind seeking nothing in return, this way you might receive the grace of Supreme Brahman.

Most do not understand this coz they are more interested in petty things. As you walk along the street you meet a stranger whom you are meet for the first time and yet you some how take a liking to him and both pick up conversation. This is what you call the link for the past. This stranger is know to you in the past life and in this life he meets up with you. As you become close friends trust is soon built and one day he happen to request you for help and you lend a hand by way of kind or cash, now this is what you are repaying what you owe him in your previous life. This only a small example of what you do not remember of your past life but the link will not be served. Every each one of us are some way or rather linked to the past life. Just like in a case where you are confronted by a stranger one day and trouble starts. Now, you will be thinking why would this person whom you have no ties and unkonw to you in this life yet he has come to cause trouble for you. If you are smart you will realize that this is called karma. Action of the past will follow no matter how many births you take. So, do not worry about knowing your past as you will come to know of it in your destiny of life.

###Wrong ... you claim I'm wrong. You show where I'm wrong. I don't have to do anything or take responsibility for something you think I have errored. Frankly speaking, I think you are wasting my time***. The only way to gain resoect is firstly to give it and give regard to all, rather than be selfish. ##Call me Sephiroth ... that is my chosen name. Just as I don't give a damn about your background, I will not give a damn of giving any information on my personal life either.## I did not say or brag about my background. You are a strange fellow with a strange name. "Damn" is your common word of communication I persume. Anyway, word of advice from an old man. Before performing any task, stop for a moment, think of the effect it will have and then begin. The four things that have spoiled life are "I" and "Mine", "You and "Yours". Forget them and you will be much more happier in life. No matter how great your words may be but you will be judged by your words and action. Cool down and have a glass of water.

It worked or me and so it can for India. But remember there are also people with nagative thoughts like you. It is with positive mind that thses mantras would work wonders. Indian politicians instead of helping the porr are robbing them of the nations wealth. If they can collectively do the necessary rituals and homa I'm sure India will be richer than US. Do not blame the mantras but blame yourself for having such nagative thoughts. The sages would not have wasted their time and effort in reciting such mantras during ytheir time and have recorded them useful purposes for generation to come. If you are not interested it does not matter but do not influence your nagative thoughts to others.

#If you say I have contradicted my own statement, it is your responsiblity (NOT MINE) to show clearly where and when I have contradicted myself. I don't remember any.# If you do not remember that's your fault. I've dected your contradiction and it is your responsibility to recall where and when. Anyway it is not cardinal sin and you would not be punished for that. If you are not a male than you must be a female. So I shall call you darling. If you are not both what shall I call you then?? The ball is in your court. I see you are a temperamental character and that is bad for your health. Learn to be humble and you'll see the wisdom of life.

The Namakarana Samskara, Hindu Name-Giving Sacrament, represents the formal entrance into the Hindu religion - the equivalent of the sacrament of Baptism in the Christian faith. Like Baptism in the West, the Namakarana Samskara is usually given to a child, around the tenth day following birth. However, for those who are born in the West, or outside of Hinduism, and who later through reflection and belief convert to this most ancient religion, the sacrament can be received as an adult.

You are contradictiing you own statement. Go back a few batch and you will see what I mean. May be may be not but does that matter? Spritualism is a different matter altogether what we are discussing here. Yes, you may be right. I'm am blind outside but have a cklear vision inside. Any more sarcasm? Well, try to recall your postings. That would jog your brain a bit. Have a nice day son.

Any faith if propagated by a leader is a cult. Christianity is CULT, Islam is a CULT and so is ISKCON. Such following only emphasises on an individual and tries to prove that it is the only way to kingdom of God. We have seen many such cults mushrooming all over the globe. The particular animal and bird you mentioned only happened in the previous yugas. You cannot see Krishna in his form in this yuga or even the next. Every yuga HE[supreme Brahman] changes his get up. So do not dream of seeing the blueish boy with a flute anymore. Why are you living in the past yuga. We are now in the era of computer technology and the Supreme Brahman would think of some other way to be nearer to man. May be the guy next to you could be him but you silly fellow could not make him out but instead bragging to him about the blueish boy with flute in hand who would hang around cows and girls. Get real man the charactor you dream of is out of date and you can waite till doomsday but HE would not come. Why? That's because the Christians and the Muslims are making fun od him. But seeing Shiva, Durga and Murugan they have fear in their heart. The appearence of these icons have a message. Do not take God for grunted coz at times HE can punish you like a father punishing his naughty son. You need to learn more about RUDRA, SURIA[the giver of energy], DURGA [mother of all Gods] and MURUGAN[the warrior God] who slained Soorapadma. The world is not of Krishanas alone but of Shivas, Durgas, Ganeshas, Murugas and Vengadeshas. May you gain more knowledge and receive the Grace of Mother Durga.

@@@@People cannot get close to God because : 1. They follow Corrupting Religion which doesn't come from God. Even your Puranas full of stories on how Demons do all sort of things to pull devotees to their cults. 2. They have too much Ego and Attachments. Not everyone are equals. I for one do not believe that you and I (or anyone for that matter) born as equals. 3. They are confused and do not wish to pursuit the correct way - like Christians and Muslims.@@@@@@@ Is that so? Who told you the the Christians and Muslims are following the correct way? There are several sect in Christianity that contradicts the bible. I can give refferences but would that help change your perception? Their approach differs. In Iraq there is this Muslim sect that go into trance to cut out their tounges or gouge their eyes as a sacrifice to Allah. Know your facts before you speak. There are also Muslims who believe in their gurus to be have special powers and after their death the followers visit the grave to give offerings and other rituals. But is this really permited in Islam? Hinduism may have different school of thoughts but the goal is one. 'MOKSHA' and to attain that one has many ways of approach. Leave the corrupt aside as these souls are destined to meet their match but those who do not seek to be reborn again have a better approach and understand of Hinduism. So do not say NONSENCE. What makes you make such a statement? If people cannot get closer to God then who can? ANIMIALS?

Eveybody wants to be closer to God but does it happen? No! and do you know why? It is because the choice was yours. Your past karma determinds your mind set. You can wear a yellow robe and chant hare krishna and sit in the temple the whole 365 days but if your destination is not so than the grace of the Lord would not be upon you. It is HE who choses the right time and place may be not this birth but the next and all depands of your action. So, please do not say it is foolish thinking. IF Krishna wants all to follow him why than Sihva, Gansesha, Suria, Ma Durga, Murugan and many other temples in this world. Everything has its purpose and that is the order of nature. Men are just trying to be too smart that's all. You will only know the truth if you had discovered yourself.

The choice of destination is yours and so all are winners. A choses to do good he is blessed with good life while B choses to do bad and he is blessed with bad life. So both are winners. The choice is yours so pick what you wish to attain.

Let me ask a simple question. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is considered to be the reincarnation of Krishna if so why did he not teach the Hindus to take arms against the enemies [Asuras] Hinduism? But instead he though of love for god and all living beings. The human race has come a long way. The human race has passed the three yugas and are now in the fourth. Each yuga the Supreme Being take a form to guide the human race and the last three yugas had super power race of asuras who dared to fight against the Gods and so the Supreme being had to come forth in a manner that these asuras could be destroyed. But in the age of Kali there was none such mighty asuras who can take the Gods to battle. So there was no need for the Hindus to take arms and fight except for interrace war which could be easily defeated by anyone. It is only at the end of Kali that KALKI [the last of the 10 incarnation of the Supreme Brahman} would appear when the Asuras make their return to creat chaos in the world with their super powers. As for now we only fight the mini asuras and for these we do not need arms but our intelligence. So, sharpen your brain instead of the sword.

The Basics of Hinduism 5 PRINCIPLES 1. God Exists: One Absolute OM. One Trinity: Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwara (Shiva) Several divine forms 2. All human beings are divine 3. Unity of existence through love 4. Religious harmony 5. Knowledge of 3 Gs: Ganga (sacred river), Gita (sacred script), Gayatri (sacred mantra) 10 DISCIPLINES 1. Satya (Truth) 2. Ahimsa (Non-violence) 3. Brahmacharya (Celibacy, non-adultery) 4. Asteya (No desire to possess or steal) 5. Aparighara (Non-corrupt) 6. Shaucha (Cleanliness) 7. Santosh (Contentment) 8. Swadhyaya (Reading of scriptures) 9. Tapas (Austerity, perseverance, penance) 10. Sponsored Links

Do not worry about something that is yet to come. You are here and that matters most. Fulfill your destiny and you'll be gone tomorrow. Whatever has happened it happened well, whatever is happening is happening well and whatever is going to happen will happen well too. So, do not worry about tomorrow as tomorrow will take care of itself.

FEATURES OF HINDUISM Unique features of Hinduism We have the rare privilege of being born as human beings and we desire to live happily in this world Pain and sorrow, trials and tribulations, these provide the incentive to think about the course of our lives, about the causes of our griefs, and the way to overcome them. Our present troubles are the effect of some cause, near or remote. This ultimate cause of our suffering must be spotted out and destroyed. All other remedies will be only temporary and palliative. If the root cause is not tackled, the suffering is bound to recur, if not in the same form, in some other manner. Great religious leaders directed their attention to its discovery and each of them offered a solution, which, he felt, was the best to eradicate it. The Buddha was oppressed by the sufferings he found all around him He sought out various teachers; but none of the methods suggested by them appealed to him. Finally, he sat in meditation under the Bodhi tree and enlightenment dawned on him He formulated his theory of illusion (soonya vaadam). He felt that the only way to remain unaffected by any trouble is to realise that everything in the world is an illusion, and, in that realisation, to remain unaffected by pain as well as pleasure. Christianity did not correlate sin and sufferings as cause and effect. According to it, all men are sinners, and can expiate their sins only by believing in Christ. It also averred that the present is the only life vouchsafed to us, and salvation is a case of now or never. There is no future or past life according to that religion. It is the same with Islam also. Belief in Christ or Prophet Mohammed, as the case may be is the only way to go to heaven. According to both these religions, the unbelievers went to hell. As these two religions did not believe in another birth after the present one, the entire emphasis in their teachings was on going to heaven after death. Hinduism, on the other hand, postulates a series of births, and proclaims that the sorrows and sufferings of each life, like its joys, are the result of our karmas (deeds) in our past lives. Consequently the Hindus do not speak of eternal damnation, as the Christians and Muslims do. The Buddha too believed in karmas and cycle of births because he was the product of the Vedic tradition. The logical consequence of the assertion that only those who believed in Christ or in Prophet Mohammed, as the case may be, will go to heaven, is that those who were born in the world before the advent of Christ or Prophet did not attain salvation. This position cannot be accepted. Moreover, these two religions did not give a rational explanation for present sufferings or provide a remedy for them. The Hindu theory of karma and cycle of births and deaths alone offered a satisfactory explanation. Each person has "earned" the sorrows of his present life, as he has "earned" its joys, by his karmas in a previous life, and can "earn" happiness in his present and future lives, by the performance of good karmas. The special feature of the Hindu religion is that there is no sanction in the Sastras for proselytisation. But other religions believe in conversion. Some people are genuinely worried over the gradual depletion of the Hindu fold by conversion to other religions and ask whether we should not also do propaganda for our religion and adopt the method of congegrational worship prevailing in other religions. This view led to the founding of the Brahma Samaj, the Arya Samaj and the Hindu Mahasabha. But their hold on the public has weakened after the passing away of the founders of these movements. If there is no suffering in this world, there can obviously be no scope for religious propaganda or for conversion. A passenger getting down from a train is beseiged by drivers of a variety of conveyances, each claiming merit for his and trying to get the "fare" for himself. The object of all of them is to take the traveller to his destination. Similarly missionaries of each religion try to get at the suffering man and tell him that by embracing the particular religion, he will go to heaven. Christianity has spread in the world through the enthusiasm of the evangelist missionary, who sincerely feels that his is the last and truest word in religion. To save the heathen soul, he uses the unlimited monetary resources behind him, feeling that there is nothing wrong in offering inducements like jobs, medical relief and education, in order to get converts, whose souls, he sincerely believes, will thereby be saved. According to historians, Islam forged ahead with the help of the sword. The Muslim religious leaders obviously felt honestly that even threat can be employed to rescue the unbeliever. Buddhism preached ahimsa and universal love. The love that overflowed the heart of the Buddha and his sincere disciple, attracted people to that religion. The spring of life of Buddhism is this outflow of love. The core of Hinduism is the generation of love in others by the precept and practice of highly developed individual souls. The scrupulous adherence to observance of religious discipline and practices and the Immoral excellence of great men account for the survival of Hindu, religion in such large measure, in spite, of vicissitudes, The Spiritual eminence of these few men and there all-embracing love, sustained the faith of the multitude, who felt drawn towards them, like bees to flowers and bats to fruits. Buddhism laid emphasis on the practice of love to all; in Hinduism the cardinal principle is to develop that love in oneself as the fragrance of the soul. The great men of the Hindu religion did not profess to uplift or save others by their teachings: they made themselves pure and their precept and practice made for the spiritual education of those who came in contact with them. One, who is not himself pure, cannot teach others to be so. There is evidence to show that the Vedic religion is the most ancient religion and was once current in most parts of the world. Now it has shrunk within the confines of this country, as new religions gained appearance. How did they grow? The reason is to be sought in our faltering allegiance to the Vedic religion and our fitful observance of its practices. The "weakness" of our religion, about which people are worried, is not due to our not doing propaganda for it, but to our own lack of faith in it and our own failure to conform to its tenets. In fact, propaganda is not sanctioned, for, it is enjoined that one should not be told unasked and one who has devotion, should not be told the truth. The strength of a religion does not lie in the numbers of those who practise it; but in the conduct of those who practise it. The best "propagandist" for the Hindu religion is the Hindu who lives up to its tenets. It is on account of such great men that our religion survives even to-day. Another significant feature of our religion is that it has no name, because at one time no other religion existed. As it taught the practice of eternal Dharma, it was referred to only as Sanaatana Dharma. When other religions came into existence, they were called by the names of their founders, to distinguish them from the prevailing Vedic religion. To preserve Hinduism, it is wrong to resort to the methods employed by the competing religions. On the other hand, We should fall back on the life breath of our own religion, i.e., on karmaanushtaana as taught in it. There is no need even to combine in congregational patterns. Ours is purely a religion of the individual. When an individual prefects himself, his example will be emulated by others. The true prayer is not for getting relief from suffering, but for keeping out evil thoughts from the mind and for making good thoughts always dwell there. When misfortunes one after another overtook the Pandavas, Kunti prayed that they should be vouchsafed strength to remember God constantly. According to Hinduism, the only way to get rid of sin is to perform the prescribed karmas by which the accrued sins will be expiated and fresh sins will be warded off. The discipline of karmaanushtaana will make for health and for purity of body and mind. The way of religion is not to grieve over c suffering, but to pray that evil thought may not get a foot- hold in the mind in moments of distress. Then the power of endurance will develop and suffering itself will lose its sting. Such a perspective is the outcome of Jnana which has to be acquired by each individual by his own efforts. That is why our religion is individualistic and not congregational in nature. No objection to pleasures sanctioned by Dharma Hindu scriptural texts have said in unambiguous terms that acquisition of wealth is no sin; nor is there any virtue in being poor. The ancient thinkers-the venerable seers-have included wealth (Artha) in the four Purusharthas, the fundamental aspirations one should have, the other three being Dharma (righteousness) Kama (pleasure) and Moksha (deliverance of the soul). In Tamil, the four Purusharthas are described. As Aram, Porul, lnbam and Veedu. All that the thinkers insisted was that wealth be earned through proper means. Similarly, there is no harm in enjoying pleasures which are not opposed to the dictates and principles of Dharma. One is entitled to all happiness that is derived from leading a pure and noble life, the individual performing his duties faithfully. Dharma has always been assigned the first place and Moksha is the supreme goal to be realised by man. However well-placed financially and otherwise, when faced with the stark reality, he will know that all happiness he enjoys is transitory and often mingled with misery and suffering. It is natural that he longs for pure joy, ever-lasting happiness, free from any trace of misery and pain. This supreme bliss beyond earthy existence cannot be realised so long as the soul's bondage in the body continues, which, in turn, is the result of the individual's past actions. Hence, to attain deliverance one has got to free oneself from the effects of Karma. A life characterised by disinterested service and duty and annihilation of ego has been suggested as the means to the goal. Swami Raghaveshananda, in a discourse, said every action done with attachment, with an eye on the fruits, was binding. Man should learn to perform all secular and religious duties as an offering to God without bothering about the results. Even from the mundane point of view, his efficiency would increase as he would be free from anxiety about the outcome of his actions. Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Sarve Janaah Sukhino Bhavanthu........

It may be useless to you but not to me. You will read more useless[useful] posting.

Of all the Hindu Gods none appealed to the emotions of a Hindu mind as much as Lord Shiva, the dweller of the mountains and the bearer of the trident, who with His third eye symbolizes the all knowing awareness of the very Brahman. Although universally acknowledged as one of the trinity gods of Hinduism, to His followers, He is Maheswara, representing the Trinity all by Himself, His different aspects manifesting themselves as the creator, preserver and destroyer of the worlds He creates. Symbolically He is worshipped as Lingeswara, which name stands more for His creative prowess than sexual. Historians believe that He was a pre-Vedic god who was admitted into the Vedic . because of His immense popularity among many non-Aryan tribes. There is a theory that the seated yogi found on the seals of Indus Valley Civilization, was a prototype of Lord Shiva only. References to Him are found in the Rigveda. In the Mahabharata we come across several references to Him. Both Arjuna and Krishna worshipped Him and obtained favors from Him. In the Ramayana too we come across several references to Him. Sage Valmiki depicted Ravana, the demon king and chief villain of the epic, as a great devotee and daily worshipper of Lord Shiva. It is believed that worship of His icons was widely prevalent as early as 2nd or 3rd Century B.C.,. With the popularity of Saivism a great deal of literature grew around Him, which came to be recognized as Agama literature. So great was His popularity and fame that Agama literature was placed on equal footing to even the Vedas by His followers. In the Svetavatara Upanishad He was elevated to the status of Brahman, by the sage who composed it, after he had a vision of Lord Shiva as the Absolute and Supreme Brahman. Saivism as a popular movement took shape mainly in South India because of the patronage of the Pallavas and the dedicated work of many great Tamil Saints, who built enormous bhakti or devotional literature in His honor and made His name a household name. Megasthanese mentioned the worship of Siva in his book Indika. So did Patanjali, the composer of Yoga Sutras. A great devotee of Siva named Lakulisa lived some time during the early or pre Christian era and founded the Pasupatha sect, making in the process, Saivism a very popular movement in the sub-continent. Two great rulers of ancient India, Kanishka and Harshavardhana were His great followers. In the south the Cholas built many temples in His honor He is known by many names and tittles. As a god of anger, He is Rudra, the Red One, feared by one and all. As Kailasapathi, He is the Lord of Kailash, His Abode in the Himalayas. As Purusha, He is Iswara Himself. As the Lord of the beings, He is known as Pasupathinath. As the husband of Uma, the Mother Goddess, He is known as Umapathi or Parvathipathi. As the bearer of the sacred river Ganges, He is known as Ganagadhar. Because of His matted hair, He is dearly called as Jatadhari, by His ascetic followers. As a perfect being He is Siddheshwar. With His Trident in His hands, He became popular as heroic and fearless Trisuladhari. As the world teacher, He was eulogized as Dakhshinamurthi by Adi Shankara in his famous book, "Hymns to Dakhshinamurthi". To the connoisseurs of art , He is well known as Nararaja, master of all dance forms. As the perfect Yogi, He is credited with the source of all knowledge concerning the various yogas. Such was His prowess and divinity, that Lord Vishnu in His incarnations as Rama and Krishna, worshipped Him with great reverence. He was dearer not only to gods but also to demons. Many demons like Ravana and Bhasmasur were His ardent followers, to whom He gave several boons out of His unbound love and in the process invited great trouble for Himself and for others. Ever willing to help those who are in distress, He saved the worlds and all the gods by partaking Halahal during the churning of the oceans. Because of His close association with Vishnu, He is also known as Hari Har. Combining in Himself both the male and female aspects of creation, He earned the popular name of Ardhanariswara. As rider of the Bull Nandi, He is known to the world as Nandiswara. Loved by His children Ganesha and Skanda, and followed by His dutiful wife Parvathi, He became a symbol of ideal householder to His devotees despite of His well known image as an introvert and an ideal ascetic. Although known as the most auspicious Being (Sivam), and white in color in contrast to Lord Vishnu who is darker, He has a darker side too. He has been the object of worship by many schools of tantra, some of whom follow sexual cults and other the negative paths in search of self-realization. The fact that a great mass of heterogeneous cults and practices came to be associated with Him, suggests that in His unlimited wisdom and boundless love as a World Teacher and Father of all, Lord Shiva, gives immense freedom to His followers to chose whatever path they want to follow for their self-realization. To the followers of Vira Saiva cult, He is Vira Bhadra, valor personified. In His terrific forms, He is worshipped as Bhairavamurthy, Pataleswar and so on. He has many temples built all over India and in many other places in the world. He has shrines in almost every village, on the banks of every river and even in remote hilly areas of India. His names are endless. So does His popularity. Even as early as the 2nd Century A.D., His fame spread beyond the boundaries of the Indian Subcontinent and spread to Central Asia. As the Hindu culture spread to far east, temples were built in His Honor in many places like Java, Champa ( Indo-China), Kambhoja ( present day Cambodia) and in the adjoining areas of the now south east Asian countries. Some of these temples were built there as early as 5th Century A.D. We dedicate this section to Lord Shiva our beloved God. Our aim is to develop this into a comprehensive source of information on Saivism, by presenting here some of the basic Teachings which form the core of Saivism. The scope of the subject is enormous, since Saivism is an important sect of Hinduism, with several sub-sects with in, like Kashmiri Saivism, Vira Saivism, the Pasupatha Cult, the Natha Cult and so on. We are therefore well aware of the difficulties and the time consuming process involved in the creation of this section.. We will keep adding new information to this site from time to time on this great Universal God of Hinduism. We searched the Internet to find some useful sites on Lord Shiva for the readers' convenience. But unfortunately, we could not find many. The links we have presented in our link section may satisfy your initial curiosity. Please go to the page on links provided by us to access to some of these interesting sites on Saivism.

This what Ramakrishna Paramahamsa said: 1.The human mind trying to fathom the nature of God is like an ant trying to carry away a mountain of sugar. 2.You cannot realize Him if you have the least bit of attachment in you. A thread with ever so few ragged fibers won't pass through the eye of a needle. 3.Seekest thou God ? Then seek Him in man ! His Divinity is manifest more in man than in any other object. Man is the greatest manifestation of God. 4.It is said that truthfulness alone constitutes the spiritual discipline of the Kaliyuga (i.e. modern age). If a man clings tenaciously to truth he ultimately realizes God.

#Is there a true Self in me? Some say got, some say don't have. If God is true, I rather choose to discover Him rather than waste it on myself.# Now I understand your predictment. You are seeking GOD elsewhere, whereas you do not realize that GOD is within you. So, in short if you have dicovered yourself than you have discovered GOD. Do not be like the Muslims or Christians looking for GOD in some place they call Kingdom of GOD. Jesus himself had said that Paradise is in your hands. Where there is paradise there is GOD. It is up to your to make your life a living paradise whereby you will see GOD. Be contended with what you have, help the needy in whatever way you can, do not demand or be greedy, be humble to all and love all as you love yourself. If you can do all these you have discovered yourself and GOD within you.

#If people know their past existence, there will be trouble, like : 1. Muslims will make noise, saying it is devil's play. 2. Christians will make noise, saying it is devil's play also because, if reincarnation is proven, Jesus's so-called sacrifice is false.# Why worry about Muslims, they themselves are playing with the devil otherwise would they decapitate their captives and call for death to non Muslims? As for Christians, they should study thier bible well. It is stated i the bible that John the babtist was the reincarnation of prophet Elija. And they do believe in the coming of Christ and again this is a sign of reincarnation. So we can rule this two out. #3. Buddhist and Hindus are least to make noise, I guess. 4. Atheists will call it illusion and swallow a few dozen medicine to correct their brains.# As for the atheist, it would not trouble them coz than theu would believe in the creater and Karma. Yours is only assuption, may or may not do such. But there are those lucky ones who have recalled their past life and are able to accept it. By knowing our past life would give us an opportunity to make amends and steer of the bad path in order to attain motcham. #That because God wants you to concentrate in living in the present self. Know which is bad and which is good and do it accordingly# The present self is not living but discovering. We are not puppets and God is not the puppeter. We have our own free will and it works according to our past karma while God is only a wittness to all our action. Discover thy self before dicovering God. "THE TRUTH IS THAT TRUTH IS"

Black Stone is Shiva Lingha worship (II) Sat, 18 Sep 2004 09:00:12 +0500 Further to my earlier article, herewith more details to substantiate the claim of black stone worship to be that of Shiva Lingha. As the pilgrim proceeds towards Mecca he is asked to shave his head and beard and to don special sacred attire that consists of two seamless sheets of white cloth. One is to be worn round the waist and the other over the shoulders. Both these rites are remnants of the old Vedic practice of entering Hindu temples clean- and with holy seamless white sheets. The main shrine in Mecca, which houses the Siva emblem, is known as the Kaaba. It is clothed in a black shroud. That custom also originates from the days when it was thought necessary to discourage its recapture by camouflaging it. According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, the Kaaba has 360 images. Traditional accounts mention that one of the deities among the 360 destroyed when the place was stormed, was that of Saturn; another was of the Moon and yet another was one called Allah. That shows that in the Kaaba the Arabs worshipped the nine planets in pre-Islamic days. In India the practice of ‘Navagraha’ puja, that is worship of the nine planets, is still in vogue. Two of these nine are Saturn and Moon. In India the crescent moon is always painted across the forehead of the Siva symbol. Since that symbol was associated with the Siva emblem in Kaaba it came to be grafted on the flag of Islam. Another Hindu tradition associated with the Kaaba is that of the sacred stream Ganga (sacred waters of the Ganges river). According to the Hindu tradition Ganga is also inseparable from the Shiva emblem as the crescent moon. Wherever there is a Siva emblem, Ganga must co-exist. True to that association a sacred fount exists near the Kaaba. Its water is held sacred because it has been traditionally regarded as Ganga since pre-Islamic times (Zam-Zam water). [Note: Even today, Muslim pilgrims who go to the Kaaba for Haj regard this Zam-Zam water with reverence and take some bottled water with them as sacred water.] Muslim pilgrims visiting the Kaaba temple go around it seven times. In no other mosque does the circumambulation prevail. Hindus invariably circumambulate around their deities. This is yet another proof that the Kaaba shrine is a pre-Islamic Indian Shiva temple where the Hindu practice of circumambulation is still meticulously observed. The practice of taking seven steps- known as Saptapadi in Sanskrit- is associated with Hindu marriage ceremony and fire worship. The culminating rite in a Hindu marriage enjoins upon the bride and groom to go round the sacred fire . Since "Makha" means fire, the seven circumambulations also prove that Mecca was the seat of Indian fire-worship in the West Asia. It might come as a stunning revelation to many that the word ‘ALLAH’ itself is Sanskrit. In Sanskrit language Allah, Akka and Amba are synonyms. They signify a goddess or mother. The term ‘ALLAH’ forms part of Sanskrit chants invoking goddess Durga, also known as Bhavani, Chandi and Mahishasurmardini. The Islamic word for God is., therefore, not an innovation but the ancient Sanskrit appellation retained and continued by Islam. Allah means mother or goddess and mother goddess. Many Koranic verses are the exact translation of a stanza in the Yajurveda and Samveda. This was pointed out by the great research scholar Dr. Gamal abu Hamza of Cairo university. In March 1993, he declared his firm belief that Mohd had been to Kashmir to learn Vedanta. He was later threatened by fundamentalist. He then disappered from the scene. [Note: Another Cairo university scholar points out that the following teaching from the Koran is exactly similar to the teaching of the Kena Upanishad (1.7). The Koran: "Sight perceives Him not. But He perceives mens sights; for He is the knower of secrets , the Aware." Kena Upanishad: "That which cannot be seen by the eye but through which the eye itself sees, know That to be Brahman (God) and not what people worship here (in the manifested world)." A simplified meaning of both the above verses reads: God is one and that He is beyond mans sensory experience.] It will now be easy to comprehend the various Hindu customs still prevailing in West Asian countries even after the existence of Islam during the last 1300 years. Let us review some Hindu traditions which exist as the core of Islamic practice. The Hindus have a . of 33 gods. People in Asia Minor too worshipped 33 gods before the spread of Islam. The lunar calendar was introduced in West Asia during the Indian rule. The Muslim month ‘Safar’ signifying the ‘extra’ month (Adhik Maas) in the Hindu calendar. The Muslim month Rabi is the corrupt form of Ravi meaning the sun because Sanskrit ‘V’ changes into Prakrit ‘B’ (Prakrit being the popular version of Sanskrit language). The Muslim sanctity for Gyrahwi Sharif is nothing but the Hindu Ekadashi (Gyrah = elevan or Gyaarah). Both are identical in meaning. Eid in Sanskrit means worship. The Islamic word Eid for festive days, signifying days of worship, is therefore a pure Sanskrit word. The word MESH in the Hindu zodiac signifies a lamb. Since in ancient times the year used to begin with the entry of the sun in Aries, the occasion was celebrated with mutton feasting. That is the origin of the Eid festival. Since Eid means worship and Griha means ‘house’, the Islamic word Idgah signifies a ‘House of worship’ which is the exact Sanskrit connotation of the term. Similarly the word ‘Namaz’ derives from two Sanskrit roots ‘Nama’ and ‘Yajna’ (NAMa yAJna) meaning bowing and worshipping. Vedic descriptions about the moon, the different stellar constellations and the creation of the universe have been incorporated from the Vedas in Koran part 1 chapter 2, stanza 113, 114, 115, and 158, 189, chapter 9, stanza 37 and chapter 10, stanzas 4 to 7. Recital of the Namaz five times a day owes its origin to the Vedic injunction of Panchmahayagna (five daily worship- Panch-Maha-Yagna) which is part of the daily Vedic ritual prescribed for all individuals. Muslims are enjoined cleanliness of five parts of the body before commencing prayers. This derives from the Vedic injuction ‘Shareer Shydhyartham Panchanga Nyasah’. Four months of the year are regarded as very sacred in Islamic custom. The devout are enjoined to abstain from plunder and other evil deeds during that period. This originates in the Chaturmasa i.e., the four-month period of special vows and austerities in Hindu tradition. Shabibarat is the corrupt form of Shiva Vrat and Shiva Ratra. Since the Kaaba has been an important centre of Shiva (Siva) worship from times immemorial, the Shivaratri festival used to be celebrated there with great gusto. It is that festival which is signified by the Islamic word Shabibarat. Encyclopaedias tell us that there are inscriptions on the side of the Kaaba walls. What they are, no body has been allowed to study, according to the correspondence I had with an American scholar of Arabic. But according to hearsay at least some of those inscriptions are in Sanskrit, and some of them are stanzas from the Bhagavad Gita. According to extant Islamic records, Indian merchants had settled in Arabia, particularly in Yemen, and their life and manners deeply influenced those who came in touch with them. At Ubla there was a large number of Indian settlements. This shows that Indians were in Arabia and Yemen in sufficient strength and commanding position to be able to influence the local people. This could not be possible unless they belonged to the ruling class. It is mentioned in the Abadis i.e., the authentic traditions of Prophet Mohammad compiled by Imam Bukhari that the Indian tribe of Jats had settled in Arabia before Prophet Mohammad’s times. Once when Hazrat Ayesha, wife of the Prophet, was taken ill, her nephew sent for a Jat physician for her treatment. This proves that Indians enjoyed a high and esteemed status in Arabia. Such a status could not be theirs unless they were the rulers. Bukhari also tells us that an Indian Raja (king) sent a jar of ginger pickles to the Prophet. This shows that the Indian Jat Raja ruled an adjacent area so as to be in a position to send such an insignificant present as ginger pickles. The Prophet is said to have so highly relished it as to have told his colleagues also to partake of it. These references show that even during Prophet Mohammad’s times Indians retained their influential role in Arabia, which was a dwindling legacy from Vikramaditya’s times. The Islamic term ‘Eed-ul-Fitr’ derives from the ‘Eed of Piters’ that is worship of forefathers in Sanskrit tradition. In India, Hindus commemorate their ancestors during the Pitr-Paksha that is the fortnight reserved for their remembrance. The very same is the significance of ‘Eed-ul-Fitr’ (worship of forefathers). The Islamic practice of observing the moon rise before deciding on celebrating the occasion derives from the Hindu custom of breaking fast on Sankranti and Vinayaki Chaturthi only after sighting the moon. Barah Vafat, the Muslim festival for commemorating those dead in battle or by weapons, derives from a similar Sanskrit tradition because in Sanskrit ‘Phiphaut’ is ‘death’. Hindus observe Chayal Chaturdashi in memory of those who have died in battle. The word Arabia is itself the abbreviation of a Sanskrit word. The original word is ‘Arabasthan’. Since Prakrit ‘B’ is Sanskrit ‘V’ the original Sanskrit name of the land is ‘Arvasthan’. ‘Arva’ in Sanskrit means a horse. Arvasthan signifies a land of horses., and as well all know, Arabia is famous for its horses. This discovery changes the entire complexion of the history of ancient India. Firstly we may have to revise our concepts about the king who had the largest empire in history. It could be that the expanse of king Vikramaditya’s empire was greater than that of all others. Secondly, the idea that the Indian empire spread only to the east and not in the west beyond say, Afghanisthan may have to be abandoned. Thirdly the effeminate and pathetic belief that India, unlike any other country in the world could by some age spread her benign and beatific cultural influence, language, customs, manners and education over distant lands without militarily conquering them is baseless. India did conquer all those countries physically wherever traces of its culture and language are still extant and the region extended from Bali island in the south Pacific to the Baltic in Northern Europe and from Korea to Kaaba. The only difference was that while Indian rulers identified themselves with the local population and established welfare states, Moghuls and others who ruled conquered lands perpetuated untold atrocities over the vanquished. ‘Sayar-ul-Okul’ tells us that a pan-Arabic poetic symposium used to be held in Mecca at the annual Okaj fair in pre-Islamic times. All leading poets used to participate in it. Poems considered best were awarded prizes. The best-engraved on gold plate were hung inside the temple. Others etched on camel or goatskin were hung outside. Thus for thousands of years the Kaaba was the treasure house of the best Arabian poetic thought inspired by the Indian Vedic tradition. That tradition being of immemorial antiquity many poetic compositions were engraved and hung inside and outside on the walls of the Kaaba. But most of the poems got lost and destroyed during the storming of the Kaaba by Prophet Mohammad’s troops. The Prophet’s court poet, Hassan-bin-Sawik, who was among the invaders, captured some of the treasured poems and dumped the gold plate on which they were inscribed in his own home. Sawik’s grandson, hoping to earn a reward carried those gold plates to Khalif’s court where he met the well-known Arab scholar Abu Amir Asamai. The latter received from the bearer five gold plates and 16 leather sheets with the prize-winning poems engraved on them. The bearer was sent away happy bestowed with a good reward. On the five gold plates were inscribed verses by ancient Arab poets like Labi Baynay, Akhatab-bin-Turfa and Jarrham Bintoi. That discovery made Harun-al-Rashid order Abu Amir to compile a collection of all earlier compositions. One of the compositions in the collection is a tribute in verse paid by Jarrham Bintoi, a renowned Arab poet, to king Vikramaditya. Bintoi who lived 165 years before Prophet Mohammad had received the highest award for the best poetic compositions for three years in succession in the pan-Arabic symposiums held in Mecca every year. All those three poems of Bintoi adjudged best were hung inside the Kaaba temple, inscribed on gold plates. One of these constituted an unreserved tribute to King Vikramaditya for his paternal and filial rule over Arabia. That has already been quoted above. Pre-Islamic Arabian poet Bintoi’s tribute to king Vikramaditya is a decisive evidence that it was king Vikramaditya who first conquered the Arabian Peninsula and made it a part of the Indian Empire. This explains why starting from India towards the west we have all Sanskrit names like Afghanisthan (now Afghanistan), Baluchisthan, Kurdisthan, Tajikiathan, Uzbekisthan, Iran, Sivisthan, Iraq, Arvasthan, Turkesthan (Turkmenisthan) etc. Historians have blundered in not giving due weight to the evidence provided by Sanskrit names pervading over the entire west Asian region. Let us take a contemporary instance. Why did a part of India get named Nagaland even after the end of British rule over India? After all historical traces are wiped out of human memory, will a future age historian be wrong if he concludes from the name Nagaland that the British or some English speaking power must have ruled over India? Why is Portuguese spoken in Goa (part of India), and French in Pondichery (part of India), and both French and English in Canada? Is it not because those people ruled over the territories where their languages are spoken? Can we not then justly conclude that wherever traces of Sanskrit names and traditions exist Indians once held sway? It is unfortunate that this important piece of decisive evidence has been ignored all these centuries. Another question which should have presented itself to historians for consideration is how could it be that Indian empires could extend in the east as far as Korea and Japan, while not being able to make headway beyond Afghanisthan? In fact land campaigns are much easier to conduct than by sea. It was the Indians who ruled the entire West Asian region from Karachi to Hedjaz and who gave Sanskrit names to those lands and the towns therein, introduce their . of the fire-worship, imparted education and established law and order. It may be that Arabia itself was not part of the Indian empire until king Vikrama , since Bintoi says that it was king Vikrama who for the first time brought about a radical change in the social, cultural and political life of Arabia. It may be that the whole of West Asia except Arabia was under Indian rule before Vikrama. The latter added Arabia too to the Indian Empire. Or as a remote possibility it could be that king Vikramaditya himself conducted a series of brilliant campaigns annexing to his empire the vast region between Afghanisthan and Hedjaz. Incidentally this also explains why king Vikramaditya is so famous in history. Apart from the nobility and truthfulness of heart and his impartial filial affection for all his subjects, whether Indian or Arab, as testified by Bintoi, king Vikramaditya has been permanently enshrined in the pages of history because he was the world’s greatest ruler having the largest empire. It should be remembered that only a monarch with a vast empire gets famous in world history. Vikram Samvat (calendar still widely in use in India today) which he initiated over 2000 years ago may well mark his victory over Arabia, and the so called Kutub Minar (Kutub Tower in Delhi), a pillar commemorating that victory and the consequential marriage with the Vaihika (Balkh) princess as testified by the nearby iron pillar inscription. A great many puzzles of ancient world history get automatically solved by a proper understanding of these great conquests of king Vikramaditya. As recorded by the Arab poet Bintoi, Indian scholars, preachers and social workers spread the fire-worship ceremony, preached the Vedic way of life, manned schools, set up Ayurvedic (healing) centres, trained the local people in irrigation and agriculture and established in those regions a democratic, orderly, peaceful, enlightened and religious way of life. That was of course, a Vedic Hindu way of life. It is from such ancient times that Indian Kshtriya royal families, like the Pahalvis and Barmaks, have held sway over Iran and Iraq. It is those conquests, which made the Parsees Agnihotris i.e., fire-worshippers. It is therefore that we find the Kurds of Kurdisthan speaking a Sanskritised dialect, fire temples existing thousands of miles away from India, and scores of sites of ancient Indian cultural centres like Navbahar in West Asia and the numerous viharas in Soviet Russia spread throughout the world. Ever since so many viharas are often dug up in Soviet Russia, ancient Indian sculptures are also found in excavations in Central Asia. The same goes for West Asia. [Note: Ancient Indian sculptures include metal statues of the Hindu deity Ganesh (the elephant headed god); the most recent find being in Failaka island in Kuwait].

Vedic Past of Pre-Islamic Arabia - Parts 1 - 8 - by Aditi Chaturvedi http://www.swordoftruth.com/swordoftruth/archives/byauthor/aditichaturvedi/vpopia1.html http://www.swordoftruth.com/swordoftruth/archives/byauthor/aditichaturvedi/vpopia2.html http://www.swordoftruth.com/swordoftruth/archives/byauthor/aditichaturvedi/vpopia3.html http://www.swordoftruth.com/swordoftruth/archives/byauthor/aditichaturvedi/vpopia4.html http://www.swordoftruth.com/swordoftruth/archives/byauthor/aditichaturvedi/vpopia5.html http://www.swordoftruth.com/swordoftruth/archives/byauthor/aditichaturvedi/vpopia6.html http://www.swordoftruth.com/swordoftruth/archives/byauthor/aditichaturvedi/vpopia7.html http://www.swordoftruth.com/swordoftruth/archives/byauthor/aditichaturvedi/vpopia8.html

http://www.stephen-knapp.com/photographic_evidence_of_vedic_influence.htm