EQUANIMITY-THE TRUE WISDOM, THROUGH THE VEDAS AND THE BIBLE

[Guest guest]

His teachers were Uddalaka and Vaisampayana. In later life, Yajnavalkya decides

to take up the fourth stage of Ashram life, namely Sanyasa (life of a

renunciate). He tells his two wives, Maitreyi and Katyayani, about his plans

for austerities in the Himalayas and asks them to divide all his property among

themselves and live happily in the ashram. Katyayani, of common intelligence, is

agreeable and accedes, but Maitreyi, who possesses great discrimination,

questions her husband on the value of worldly properties and their suitability

for earning her true happiness. To this, Yajnavalkya agrees saying, “These can

grant you worldly comforts in life, but not knowledge of the Self.” Maitreyi,

who is a sincere seeker, then questions her husband on the source of true

happiness, and how the knowledge of the Self can be acquired. Enlightening

Dialogue Between Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, we

come across this fascinating dialogue between these two. The sage explains to

Maitreyi, the nature of the Self and worldly relations, “Oh Maitreyi,

you were dear to me earlier also, but by seeking thus, you have become dearer.

Listen to what I have to

say: One loves the husband, not for the sake of the husband, but for the Self

present in the husband; One loves the wife not for the sake of the wife, but

for the Self present in the wife; One loves the friend not for the sake of the

friend, but for the Self present in the friend; One loves the Gods, not for the

sake of the Gods, but for the Self present in the Gods; One loves a thing, not

for the sake of the thing, but for the Self present in the thing; This Self

alone exists everywhere. It cannot be known, for it is itself the Knower.” Such

was the profound teaching of Sage Yagnavalkya! As a result these teachings,

Maitreyi quickly becomes an enlightened scholar in the vedic times, along with

Gargi, another woman scholar of those times, in the court of King Janaka of

Mithila. Another valuable story from the Upanishads, which Swami has also

reiterated, describes two birds sitting on the boughs of a tree. The Story of

the Two Birds on a Tree One bird, at the top of the tree, is large and bright,

of brilliant plumage but sits silently, peacefully and in deep bliss. Another

bird, somewhat plain, is sitting lower down, busily eating the berries of the

tree, some of which are sweet, some of which turn out to be bitter. And every

time it eats a bitter one, it is repelled and looks upwards towards the silent

bird, fascinated by the composure of the silent bird at the top of the tree.

The bird continues to eat the berries. Gradually, with such alternate

experiences of sweet and bitter berries, it develops dispassion and

is slowly drawn and moves upwards towards the silent bird. Arriving at close

proximity to it, the plain bird is surprised to see that what it had observed

all along, was its own reflection and that the two are One in reality. There is

total mergence. The analogy to our own lives is that we, by nature, seek and

experience the duality of life in terms of good and bad, (the berries) happiness

and misery, etc, until we finally mature, accept both with equanimity, and learn

to rise above them, thus attaining to the Transcendental One or Atman. This is

the Vision of the Non-dual. How to Overcome the Pleasure-Pain Cycle The normal

human tendency is to readily accept pleasure, but reject pain and suffering.

The greater the suffering, the greater the effort and the intensity in trying

to overthrow and overcome the same. But when we learn to accept pain, (which

happens after a lot of inner struggle and inner preparation), as we do

pleasure, we evolve to a higher level of awareness and equanimity through

surrender. Suffering bring us to our proper senses when we take it in the right

spirit and attitude. This become our spiritual practice for the higher life of

the spirit. Kunti, the mother of Pandavas, had this attitude that she may

always face sufferings, which is a very rapid form of Sadhana - when the

attitude is right. It may look as if suffering is being glorified in God’s

scheme

of things. But there is a great purpose and requirement behind sufferings.

Thomas A. Kempis, the 15th century Roman Catholic monk has much to advise on

the role of suffering in his classic book, The Imitation of Christ. “It is

good for us to have trials and troubles at times, for they often remind us that

we are on probation and ought not to hope in any worldly thing. It is good for

us sometimes to suffer contradiction, to be misjudged by men even though we do

well and mean well. These things help us to be humble and shield us from

vainglory. When to all outward appearances men give us no credit, when they do

not think well of us, then we are more inclined to seek God Who sees our

hearts. Therefore, a man ought to root himself so firmly in God that he will

not need the consolations of men.” Thomas A. Kempis We will see as we

go along, what lessons Swami teaches us on this subject. “Suffering must be

looked upon as ‘adjustment’ sadhana”. Swami tells us that “Test is My Taste!”

and that we should “Give up Ahamkara and Mamakara (I and Mine).” Through many

births we have undergone several forms of body attachment and conditioning. The

ego develops and strengthens its hold through ignorance, selfish samskaras (in

born tendencies) and negative thinking. Sufferings therefore come upon us.

These help loosen the bonds of attachment, and releases the jiva gradually from

the “I and Mine” syndrome. This has been explained

by Swami on many occasions for example: ‘Fish is better than selfish’ ‘Cut the I

clean across and let it die on the Cross’. The World for Us and Not 'We for the

World!' Swami Vivekananda tells us how this world can be useful for our

enlightenment. He says: “This world is a gigantic gymnasium, wherein we come to

develop our spiritual biceps and muscles!” But very few follow this outlook. We

tend to move into the world’s by-lanes, fascinated by the world of

sense-enjoyments and worldly attachments and thus miss the true goal of life.

Our Lord Sai puts it beautifully when He teaches us how to ‘take on’ the world:

“Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a dream, realize

it. Life is Love, enjoy

it.” If we follow these precepts then we shall surely succeed – and realize the

true nature of Love. The jiva (individual) has now learned fully what it has to

from the world - that we must grow and grow in God’s Love! Swami

Vivekananda Let us see how facing challenges, meeting them squarely head on in

the world, helps the jiva develop spiritual biceps. Again, it is Swami’s

nectarine words which will help facilitate our understanding. Challenges

and Adversities - Our Teacher and Redeemer In The Old Testament, The Book of

Job, tells us about a man called Job, his struggle, the challenges he faced and

the sufferings he underwent, at the hands of Satan, before the Good Lord blessed

him and made him whole. The story of Job from the Old Testament is worth

relating here in brief and the important lessons we learn from it, in the light

of what Swami teaches us. The Story of Job Job lived in the land of Uz . He

flourished during the biblical times. He was blameless, upright, honest, one

who feared God and turned away from evil (he was of a sathwic nature). He was

very prosperous. He had 7 children, 7000 sheep, 3000 camels, 500 oxen, 500

she-asses and many servants. The Lord praises Job for his good and noble

qualities, but Satan wants to challenge his integrity and test him - which he is

permitted to do. Satan undertakes the task with full vigour. Job’s Test As a

result Job suffers terribly. In one day he loses all his possessions, camels,

sheep, oxen, etc. Then, all his 7 children die in a whirlwind hurricane, due to

house collapse. Overnight he is a deprived and a devastated man. In the

face of a catastrophe of such magnitude, Job’s response is truly heroic. It

shows his exemplary faith, devotion and his surrender to the Lord’s Almighty

will. Having lost all, he has the courage of his conviction, not to blame God

or ask “Why me?” He utters powerful words in defence of God, whereas many a

good man in his place would have crumbled and quailed. Instead he says, “Naked

I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return; the Lord gave and the

Lord has taken away, Blessed be the name of the Lord.” He says. But that is not

all. Job has won the first challenge round, but wily Satan has more in store for

him: The Second Round Job is next smitten by a rare and painful disease. He is

covered all over his entire body with pus–filled, painful boils and sores. He

sits all day, among a heap of ashes for relief. Finally, even his wife gives

him up – “Curse your God and die!” she utters and weeps. Swami tells us that

‘The body is a bubble, don’t follow the body.’ ‘Deha (body) means that which is

burnt.’ and ’Sharira (body) means that which declines’. With Friends as These,

Who Needs Enemies? To top it all, 3 of his friends visit him in the hour of

his trial. They criticize and blame him fully for his past evil deeds leading to

his present pitiable condition. Job searches his own soul and finds he is

innocent of any

crime or sin, that his friends blame him for. He finds his friends’ talks

shallow and without compassion and substance. To him, it appears as empty

rhetoric and he rejects their explanations. In this light Swami has taught us

that “Friends are like frogs in a pond, they vanish as soon as the pond is dry”

and that “God is the only true friend.” Moreover, the friends have a ‘dual

mind’ - which Swami says ‘is half blind’. The friends speak from the head and

not the heart. The friends are unable to place themselves in his shoes. They

neither empathise, nor pray for his well-being. No one is able to help him. Job

is undergoing, what is called in Christian parlance, “the dark night of the

soul.” He is left all to himself, to grapple with his problems in silence. In

prayer and deep contemplation, he seeks the source of solace and

refuge. “Vichara (enquiry) is seventy percent of true sadhana” – Baba. Job’s

Transformation It is difficult to have a true and proper perspective of

Job’s inner life and his search but we can be sure that through introversion

and self analysis, he is gravitating rapidly towards the core of his inner

being, the spirit. The Lord alone is his shepherd. He develops complete

dispassion for the body, the world, what it stands for and what it has to

offer. When one door closes, the Lord opens another. There is a Divine

Interlude. In the deep silence he hears the voice of God. He hearkens to the

voice of God within, which says “The two ferocious animals responsible for your

bondage have been destroyed!” The Lord’s Grace has descended upon him. In

silence he is totally transformed. “Do you think I would confront you with pain

and sufferings, if there was not a need for it? - Baba The Two Animals In Man

What are these two animals the Lord mentions to Job? The Lord calls them:

“Behemoth” - the enemy within, i.e. self-centredness, (ego -centricity)

containing

animal and carnal elements. In this regard Swami tells us “Destroy the six inner

enemies, the shadripus. Give up the ego.” And the second “Levathan”- the enemy

outside, comprising of “the world, the flesh and the devil.” Swami is

continually exhorting us to “Give up worldly desires.” The Inner and Outer Foes

in Man Conquering these means inner and outer purification. The “inner” and

the “outer” finally merge and there is the One. Every spiritual aspirant has to

undergo this purification (purgatory), lose his body attachment and break away

from the bondage of “I and mine” before final mergence, or atonement

(at–One-ment). His physical, vital, emotional, psychic, intellectual and

spiritual parts undergo transformation. There is no doubt that Job

had undergone this thorough inner cleansing. Job attains the state of

equanimity, “He who is not downcast in sorrow, nor elated in joy, and is

free from anger, fear, attachment, etc. such a person is called the wise one,

established in equanimity.” - The Bhagavad Gita Chap II Lessons Learnt from

Job’s Tale Some of us may be going through pain, suffering, disappointment and

anguish, and are crying out, as Job did, "Why? Why me? What have I done? Where

does it all fit together? What purpose?" Job's answer to us (as of all

Scriptures of the world, likewise) is, "God knows what He is about. One of

these days all the answers will come in. In the meantime, rest in confidence

that He knows what He is doing with you." A Dialogue Between Swami and a Close

Devotee Devotee: “Swami! From the lives of saints like Tukaram and Narsimha

Mehta, we see that they underwent great sufferings in their personal and family

life.” Swami: “Not so! Why do you say they suffered? The Lord took care of

them and their faith and devotion gave them peace and bliss! To the outsider it

may appear as though they underwent great hardships! They had developed

equanimity.” More Lessons Learnt

Suffering like beauty, lies in the eye of the beholder, as Shakespeare would

have put it. The power of faith and devotion leading to discrimination and

dispassion, in a devotee, makes him immune to worldly sufferings. “For bitter

medicines, there is a date marking its use ‘Effective until this date’,

thereafter, it becomes ineffective. God’s Grace, likewise can put a date for

the sufferings and its effectiveness” — Swami. “Instead of saying, ‘Oh God,

I have a big problem’, take the positive step to say -“Oh problem, I have a big

God!” - anon. The Lessons Learnt in a Beautiful Poem These words by a poet,

wrap up in a beautiful fashion, the lessons learnt from facing challenges and

its concomitant sufferings: A Beautiful Poem When God wants to

drill a man,And thrill a man,And skill a man;When God wants to mould a manTo

play the noblest part,When He yearns with all his heartTo create so great and

bold a manThat all the world shall be amazed;Watch His methods, watch His ways

-How He ruthlessly perfectsWhom He royally selects.How He hammers him and hurts

him,And

with mighty blows, converts himInto trial shapes of clayWhich only God

understands, While man’s tortured heart is crying,And he lifts beseeching

hands. How He bends but never breaks When his good He undertakes. How He uses

whom He chooses, And with every purpose, fuses him, By every act, induces him

To try his splendour out. God knows what He's about. - Anon. Finally,

Swami’s parting words on how He transforms Man: “I am Nataraja, the dance

master! The prince among dancers! I alone, know the agony of teaching you each

and every step of the dance!” (Sharing with Sai Love) Ram.Chugani Sri S

Suresh Rao and the Heart2Heart Team Ram ChuganiKobe, Japanrgcjp

New Messenger with Voice. Call regular phones from your PC and save big.

[Smiley 1]

As someone who was raised studying the Bible, I do not see how you can harmonize its teachings with the Vedas. Please reference

skepticsannotatedbible dot com

Also, Numbers 31 will incite horror in normally dispassionate men.

 

 

His teachers were Uddalaka and Vaisampayana. In later life, Yajnavalkya decides

to take up the fourth stage of Ashram life, namely Sanyasa (life of a

renunciate). He tells his two wives, Maitreyi and Katyayani, about his plans

for austerities in the Himalayas and asks them to divide all his property among

themselves and live happily in the ashram. Katyayani, of common intelligence, is

agreeable and accedes, but Maitreyi, who possesses great discrimination,

questions her husband on the value of worldly properties and their suitability

for earning her true happiness. To this, Yajnavalkya agrees saying, “These can

grant you worldly comforts in life, but not knowledge of the Self.” Maitreyi,

who is a sincere seeker, then questions her husband on the source of true

happiness, and how the knowledge of the Self can be acquired. Enlightening

Dialogue Between Yajnavalkya and Maitreyi In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, we

come across this fascinating dialogue between these two. The sage explains to

Maitreyi, the nature of the Self and worldly relations, “Oh Maitreyi,

you were dear to me earlier also, but by seeking thus, you have become dearer.

Listen to what I have to

say: One loves the husband, not for the sake of the husband, but for the Self

present in the husband; One loves the wife not for the sake of the wife, but

for the Self present in the wife; One loves the friend not for the sake of the

friend, but for the Self present in the friend; One loves the Gods, not for the

sake of the Gods, but for the Self present in the Gods; One loves a thing, not

for the sake of the thing, but for the Self present in the thing; This Self

alone exists everywhere. It cannot be known, for it is itself the Knower.” Such

was the profound teaching of Sage Yagnavalkya! As a result these teachings,

Maitreyi quickly becomes an enlightened scholar in the vedic times, along with

Gargi, another woman scholar of those times, in the court of King Janaka of

Mithila. Another valuable story from the Upanishads, which Swami has also

reiterated, describes two birds sitting on the boughs of a tree. The Story of

the Two Birds on a Tree One bird, at the top of the tree, is large and bright,

of brilliant plumage but sits silently, peacefully and in deep bliss. Another

bird, somewhat plain, is sitting lower down, busily eating the berries of the

tree, some of which are sweet, some of which turn out to be bitter. And every

time it eats a bitter one, it is repelled and looks upwards towards the silent

bird, fascinated by the composure of the silent bird at the top of the tree.

The bird continues to eat the berries. Gradually, with such alternate

experiences of sweet and bitter berries, it develops dispassion and

is slowly drawn and moves upwards towards the silent bird. Arriving at close

proximity to it, the plain bird is surprised to see that what it had observed

all along, was its own reflection and that the two are One in reality. There is

total mergence. The analogy to our own lives is that we, by nature, seek and

experience the duality of life in terms of good and bad, (the berries) happiness

and misery, etc, until we finally mature, accept both with equanimity, and learn

to rise above them, thus attaining to the Transcendental One or Atman. This is

the Vision of the Non-dual. How to Overcome the Pleasure-Pain Cycle The normal

human tendency is to readily accept pleasure, but reject pain and suffering.

The greater the suffering, the greater the effort and the intensity in trying

to overthrow and overcome the same. But when we learn to accept pain, (which

happens after a lot of inner struggle and inner preparation), as we do

pleasure, we evolve to a higher level of awareness and equanimity through

surrender. Suffering bring us to our proper senses when we take it in the right

spirit and attitude. This become our spiritual practice for the higher life of

the spirit. Kunti, the mother of Pandavas, had this attitude that she may

always face sufferings, which is a very rapid form of Sadhana - when the

attitude is right. It may look as if suffering is being glorified in God’s

scheme

of things. But there is a great purpose and requirement behind sufferings.

Thomas A. Kempis, the 15th century Roman Catholic monk has much to advise on

the role of suffering in his classic book, The Imitation of Christ. “It is

good for us to have trials and troubles at times, for they often remind us that

we are on probation and ought not to hope in any worldly thing. It is good for

us sometimes to suffer contradiction, to be misjudged by men even though we do

well and mean well. These things help us to be humble and shield us from

vainglory. When to all outward appearances men give us no credit, when they do

not think well of us, then we are more inclined to seek God Who sees our

hearts. Therefore, a man ought to root himself so firmly in God that he will

not need the consolations of men.” Thomas A. Kempis We will see as we

go along, what lessons Swami teaches us on this subject. “Suffering must be

looked upon as ‘adjustment’ sadhana”. Swami tells us that “Test is My Taste!”

and that we should “Give up Ahamkara and Mamakara (I and Mine).” Through many

births we have undergone several forms of body attachment and conditioning. The

ego develops and strengthens its hold through ignorance, selfish samskaras (in

born tendencies) and negative thinking. Sufferings therefore come upon us.

These help loosen the bonds of attachment, and releases the jiva gradually from

the “I and Mine” syndrome. This has been explained

by Swami on many occasions for example: ‘Fish is better than selfish’ ‘Cut the I

clean across and let it die on the Cross’. The World for Us and Not 'We for the

World!' Swami Vivekananda tells us how this world can be useful for our

enlightenment. He says: “This world is a gigantic gymnasium, wherein we come to

develop our spiritual biceps and muscles!” But very few follow this outlook. We

tend to move into the world’s by-lanes, fascinated by the world of

sense-enjoyments and worldly attachments and thus miss the true goal of life.

Our Lord Sai puts it beautifully when He teaches us how to ‘take on’ the world:

“Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a dream, realize

it. Life is Love, enjoy

it.” If we follow these precepts then we shall surely succeed – and realize the

true nature of Love. The jiva (individual) has now learned fully what it has to

from the world - that we must grow and grow in God’s Love! Swami

Vivekananda Let us see how facing challenges, meeting them squarely head on in

the world, helps the jiva develop spiritual biceps. Again, it is Swami’s

nectarine words which will help facilitate our understanding. Challenges

and Adversities - Our Teacher and Redeemer In The Old Testament, The Book of

Job, tells us about a man called Job, his struggle, the challenges he faced and

the sufferings he underwent, at the hands of Satan, before the Good Lord blessed

him and made him whole. The story of Job from the Old Testament is worth

relating here in brief and the important lessons we learn from it, in the light

of what Swami teaches us. The Story of Job Job lived in the land of Uz . He

flourished during the biblical times. He was blameless, upright, honest, one

who feared God and turned away from evil (he was of a sathwic nature). He was

very prosperous. He had 7 children, 7000 sheep, 3000 camels, 500 oxen, 500

she-asses and many servants. The Lord praises Job for his good and noble

qualities, but Satan wants to challenge his integrity and test him - which he is

permitted to do. Satan undertakes the task with full vigour. Job’s Test As a

result Job suffers terribly. In one day he loses all his possessions, camels,

sheep, oxen, etc. Then, all his 7 children die in a whirlwind hurricane, due to

house collapse. Overnight he is a deprived and a devastated man. In the

face of a catastrophe of such magnitude, Job’s response is truly heroic. It

shows his exemplary faith, devotion and his surrender to the Lord’s Almighty

will. Having lost all, he has the courage of his conviction, not to blame God

or ask “Why me?” He utters powerful words in defence of God, whereas many a

good man in his place would have crumbled and quailed. Instead he says, “Naked

I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return; the Lord gave and the

Lord has taken away, Blessed be the name of the Lord.” He says. But that is not

all. Job has won the first challenge round, but wily Satan has more in store for

him: The Second Round Job is next smitten by a rare and painful disease. He is

covered all over his entire body with pus–filled, painful boils and sores. He

sits all day, among a heap of ashes for relief. Finally, even his wife gives

him up – “Curse your God and die!” she utters and weeps. Swami tells us that

‘The body is a bubble, don’t follow the body.’ ‘Deha (body) means that which is

burnt.’ and ’Sharira (body) means that which declines’. With Friends as These,

Who Needs Enemies? To top it all, 3 of his friends visit him in the hour of

his trial. They criticize and blame him fully for his past evil deeds leading to

his present pitiable condition. Job searches his own soul and finds he is

innocent of any

crime or sin, that his friends blame him for. He finds his friends’ talks

shallow and without compassion and substance. To him, it appears as empty

rhetoric and he rejects their explanations. In this light Swami has taught us

that “Friends are like frogs in a pond, they vanish as soon as the pond is dry”

and that “God is the only true friend.” Moreover, the friends have a ‘dual

mind’ - which Swami says ‘is half blind’. The friends speak from the head and

not the heart. The friends are unable to place themselves in his shoes. They

neither empathise, nor pray for his well-being. No one is able to help him. Job

is undergoing, what is called in Christian parlance, “the dark night of the

soul.” He is left all to himself, to grapple with his problems in silence. In

prayer and deep contemplation, he seeks the source of solace and

refuge. “Vichara (enquiry) is seventy percent of true sadhana” – Baba. Job’s

Transformation It is difficult to have a true and proper perspective of

Job’s inner life and his search but we can be sure that through introversion

and self analysis, he is gravitating rapidly towards the core of his inner

being, the spirit. The Lord alone is his shepherd. He develops complete

dispassion for the body, the world, what it stands for and what it has to

offer. When one door closes, the Lord opens another. There is a Divine

Interlude. In the deep silence he hears the voice of God. He hearkens to the

voice of God within, which says “The two ferocious animals responsible for your

bondage have been destroyed!” The Lord’s Grace has descended upon him. In

silence he is totally transformed. “Do you think I would confront you with pain

and sufferings, if there was not a need for it? - Baba The Two Animals In Man

What are these two animals the Lord mentions to Job? The Lord calls them:

“Behemoth” - the enemy within, i.e. self-centredness, (ego -centricity)

containing

animal and carnal elements. In this regard Swami tells us “Destroy the six inner

enemies, the shadripus. Give up the ego.” And the second “Levathan”- the enemy

outside, comprising of “the world, the flesh and the devil.” Swami is

continually exhorting us to “Give up worldly desires.” The Inner and Outer Foes

in Man Conquering these means inner and outer purification. The “inner” and

the “outer” finally merge and there is the One. Every spiritual aspirant has to

undergo this purification (purgatory), lose his body attachment and break away

from the bondage of “I and mine” before final mergence, or atonement

(at–One-ment). His physical, vital, emotional, psychic, intellectual and

spiritual parts undergo transformation. There is no doubt that Job

had undergone this thorough inner cleansing. Job attains the state of

equanimity, “He who is not downcast in sorrow, nor elated in joy, and is

free from anger, fear, attachment, etc. such a person is called the wise one,

established in equanimity.” - The Bhagavad Gita Chap II Lessons Learnt from

Job’s Tale Some of us may be going through pain, suffering, disappointment and

anguish, and are crying out, as Job did, "Why? Why me? What have I done? Where

does it all fit together? What purpose?" Job's answer to us (as of all

Scriptures of the world, likewise) is, "God knows what He is about. One of

these days all the answers will come in. In the meantime, rest in confidence

that He knows what He is doing with you." A Dialogue Between Swami and a Close

Devotee Devotee: “Swami! From the lives of saints like Tukaram and Narsimha

Mehta, we see that they underwent great sufferings in their personal and family

life.” Swami: “Not so! Why do you say they suffered? The Lord took care of

them and their faith and devotion gave them peace and bliss! To the outsider it

may appear as though they underwent great hardships! They had developed

equanimity.” More Lessons Learnt

Suffering like beauty, lies in the eye of the beholder, as Shakespeare would

have put it. The power of faith and devotion leading to discrimination and

dispassion, in a devotee, makes him immune to worldly sufferings. “For bitter

medicines, there is a date marking its use ‘Effective until this date’,

thereafter, it becomes ineffective. God’s Grace, likewise can put a date for

the sufferings and its effectiveness” — Swami. “Instead of saying, ‘Oh God,

I have a big problem’, take the positive step to say -“Oh problem, I have a big

God!” - anon. The Lessons Learnt in a Beautiful Poem These words by a poet,

wrap up in a beautiful fashion, the lessons learnt from facing challenges and

its concomitant sufferings: A Beautiful Poem When God wants to

drill a man,And thrill a man,And skill a man;When God wants to mould a manTo

play the noblest part,When He yearns with all his heartTo create so great and

bold a manThat all the world shall be amazed;Watch His methods, watch His ways

-How He ruthlessly perfectsWhom He royally selects.How He hammers him and hurts

him,And

with mighty blows, converts himInto trial shapes of clayWhich only God

understands, While man’s tortured heart is crying,And he lifts beseeching

hands. How He bends but never breaks When his good He undertakes. How He uses

whom He chooses, And with every purpose, fuses him, By every act, induces him

To try his splendour out. God knows what He's about. - Anon. Finally,

Swami’s parting words on how He transforms Man: “I am Nataraja, the dance

master! The prince among dancers! I alone, know the agony of teaching you each

and every step of the dance!” (Sharing with Sai Love) Ram.Chugani Sri S

Suresh Rao and the Heart2Heart Team Ram ChuganiKobe, Japanrgcjp

New Messenger with Voice. Call regular phones from your PC and save big.