Goodness is not Godliness

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cheat anyone. I earn by the sweat of my brow. What more do you want? ".

Essentially, these are good people. They are certainly superior to the rogues

and cheats and scoundrels of this world. They follow certain ethical codes.

They pass for respectable citizens. All this is good. All these qualities make

a good foundation. But, a foundation is not a building. It is not enough by

itself. The superstructure, the building, has to come up. > > Goodness

is not Godliness. Goodness makes for a good life in this world, but it will

not bring spiritual salvation. The so-called good people are often selfish

people tied down to their families and close friends. Their heart is still

constricted. They are still followers of the Preyo Marga (path of immediate

pleasure). They have some vague ideas about the Sreyo Marga (path of ultimate

good), but are afraid to step on to the Sreyo Marga, afraid

to pay the price of the Sreyo Marga. They have their fears about the sacrifices

they will be called upon to make if they step onto the spiritual path. They

cannot reconcile themselves to thoughts of making charity, loving strangers

and enemies, eating in moderation, practising austerities, controlling anger

and jealousy and things like that. > > If a person wants to register

spiritual progress in life, he should first have this misunderstanding in his

mind cleared. A good life is inadequate. What these people mean by `good life'

will be found to be, on close inspection, just a `non-evil life'. It is

negative goodness. This alone will not do. > > Every man is a combination

of beastliness, human nature and godliness. People who boast about their good

life will generally be found to have transcended the beastly qualities in

them, but that

is only a beginning. They are still very much subject to the innumerable human

foibles, failings and likes and dislikes. They suffer still from human vices

like anger, jealousy and lust. > > Quite often they will justify their

wrong actions by expressing a thought like this: "Arey Yaar! After all, I am

human. In a fit of passion, I made a mistake" or "In a fit of anger, I

committed that crime" or "Under a sudden impulse of greed, I made that

blunder". These good people have still to conquer the human vices in them and

cultivate the divine virtues or Daivi Sampat enunciated in the Gita. That is

the beginning of spiritual practice. That is the beginning of a divine life.

That is stepping on the road to Heaven. > > These men of little

understanding—of meagre spiritual wisdom—identify good life with a pleasant

life. They are men of weak will

who are unwilling to face the unpleasantness and rigours of a truly spiritual

life. You can see these people all over the world, in all walks of life, in

all religions. Some of them openly deny the existence of God, but mostly

affirm allegiance to formal religion, because they still have a flickering

conscience. Their inner conscience, the voice of God within them, is still not

completely stifled, is still not totally dead. > > Not only that. These

friends suffer from a false sense of self-satisfaction and self- sufficiency.

Since, by virtue of a little meritorious action in their previous lives, God

has blessed them with creature comforts in the present life, they feel no need

for any God, for any extraneous help. Their philosophy is: "Eat, drink and be

merry, for tomorrow we die". If you ask them, "What will happen to you in the

next birth if you don't accumulate merit by

virtuous actions in the present birth?", they have their ready answer which

they fling at you "Who knows if there is another birth? Who knows what happens

when you die?" For them, the present life is all. Even if you try to tell them

about the reincarnation theory, which has been demonstrated and reinforced by

the discovery of so many real-life instances and supporting evidence, they are

in no mood to listen. They have a closed mind. They suffer from a sense of

self-sufficiency. > > Self-sufficiency and self-justification are among

the greatest stumbling blocks to spiritual progress. The man who is ignorant

but is willing to take in wisdom from whatever source it comes, in other

words, the ignorant but humble man, can be helped by a man of greater wisdom.

The man who is already wise, but who is unable to practise his wisdom in daily

life because of his overwhelming pride, also has a

chance to improve, because his pride will encounter resistance from the

universe and will be quelled in due course. Then he will become humble and

will begin to live wisely. But the ignorant man who is at the same time

arrogant, who is at the same time filled with the notion that he is all-wise,

is the most difficult of all to reform. Even God cannot help him. His is a

hopeless situation. Now start going from Goodness to Godliness. May his

blessings be with us. > > Yours > George Pillai >

http://rudraaksha.com > > > > >

> Meet your soulmate! > Asia presents

Meetic - where millions of singles gather >

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[Guest guest]

be Lord Ram..and so on.. i myself have not seen Hitler and the heaven..it was

stated in a book - Conversations with GOD..by Neil.. if the world shudders

now in the name of Hitler..why would there be the Hitler then ?? Om Namah

Shivaya.. , Philip Miller

<pem218> wrote: > > Anilji - > > Hitler in heaven? I shudder to

think of what Hitler's future lives will be and the sheer weight of karma. >

> Philip > > anil_bindal2000 <no_reply> wrote: very

rightly said George Ji. > > In fact Hitler went to heaven.. > >

regards > anil > --- In

, pillai george <pillai_george@y. > ..>

wrote: > > > > People very often fail to draw a distinction between good

life and God-life or > Divine Life. There are many well-intentioned

individuals who think somewhat on the > following lines: "Well, I am leading

a good life. I am happily married. I live a clean life. I > don't drink; I

don't smoke; I have no bad habits. I am a vegetarian; I don't take even >

eggs. I don't cheat anyone. I earn by the sweat of my brow. What more do you

want? > ". Essentially, these are good people. They are certainly superior to

the rogues and > cheats and scoundrels of this world. They follow certain

ethical codes. They pass for > respectable citizens. All this is good. All

these

qualities make a good foundation. But, > a foundation is not a building. It

is not enough by itself. The superstructure, the > building, has to come up.

> > > > Goodness is not Godliness. Goodness makes for a good life in

this world, but it > will not bring spiritual salvation. The so-called good

people are often selfish people > tied down to their families and close

friends. Their heart is still constricted. They are > still followers of the

Preyo Marga (path of immediate pleasure). They have some > vague ideas about

the Sreyo Marga (path of ultimate good), but are afraid to step on > to the

Sreyo Marga, afraid to pay the price of the Sreyo Marga. They have their fears

> about the sacrifices they will be called upon to make if they

step onto the spiritual > path. They cannot reconcile themselves to thoughts

of making charity, loving > strangers and enemies, eating in moderation,

practising austerities, controlling anger > and jealousy and things like

that. > > > > If a person wants to register spiritual progress in

life, he should first have this > misunderstanding in his mind cleared. A

good life is inadequate. What these people > mean by `good life' will be

found to be, on close inspection, just a `non-evil life'. It is > negative

goodness. This alone will not do. > > > > Every man is a combination

of beastliness, human nature and godliness. People > who boast about their

good life will generally be found

to have transcended the > beastly qualities in them, but that is only a

beginning. They are still very much subject > to the innumerable human

foibles, failings and likes and dislikes. They suffer still from > human

vices like anger, jealousy and lust. > > > > Quite often they will

justify their wrong actions by expressing a thought like this: > "Arey Yaar!

After all, I am human. In a fit of passion, I made a mistake" or "In a fit of >

anger, I committed that crime" or "Under a sudden impulse of greed, I made

that > blunder". These good people have still to conquer the human vices in

them and > cultivate the divine virtues or Daivi Sampat enunciated in the

Gita. That is the > beginning of spiritual practice. That is the beginning

of a

divine life. That is stepping > on the road to Heaven. > > > >

These men of little understanding—of meagre spiritual wisdom—identify good life

> with a pleasant life. They are men of weak will who are unwilling to face

the > unpleasantness and rigours of a truly spiritual life. You can see

these people all over > the world, in all walks of life, in all religions.

Some of them openly deny the existence > of God, but mostly affirm

allegiance to formal religion, because they still have a > flickering

conscience. Their inner conscience, the voice of God within them, is still >

not completely stifled, is still not totally dead. > > > > Not only

that. These friends suffer from a false

sense of self-satisfaction and self- > sufficiency. Since, by virtue of a

little meritorious action in their previous lives, God > has blessed them

with creature comforts in the present life, they feel no need for any > God,

for any extraneous help. Their philosophy is: "Eat, drink and be merry, for >

tomorrow we die". If you ask them, "What will happen to you in the next birth if

you > don't accumulate merit by virtuous actions in the present birth?", they

have their ready > answer which they fling at you "Who knows if there is

another birth? Who knows what > happens when you die?" For them, the

present life is all. Even if you try to tell them > about the reincarnation

theory, which has been demonstrated and reinforced by the > discovery of so

many real-life instances and supporting

evidence, they are in no > mood to listen. They have a closed mind. They

suffer from a sense of self-sufficiency. > > > > Self-sufficiency and

self-justification are among the greatest stumbling blocks to > spiritual

progress. The man who is ignorant but is willing to take in wisdom from >

whatever source it comes, in other words, the ignorant but humble man, can be

> helped by a man of greater wisdom. The man who is already wise, but who is

unable > to practise his wisdom in daily life because of his overwhelming

pride, also has a > chance to improve, because his pride will encounter

resistance from the universe and > will be quelled in due course. Then he

will become humble and will begin to live > wisely. But the ignorant man who

is

at the same time arrogant, who is at the same time > filled with the notion

that he is all-wise, is the most difficult of all to reform. Even God >

cannot help him. His is a hopeless situation. Now start going from Goodness to

> Godliness. May his blessings be with us. > > > > Yours > >

George Pillai > > http://rudraaksha.com > > > > > > > >

> > > > Meet your soulmate! > >

Asia presents Meetic - where millions of singles gather > > > >

> > > > > > >

> > > >

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> Photos – Showcase holiday pictures in

hardcover > Photo Books. You design it and we'll bind it! >

Photos – Showcase holiday pictures in hardcover Photo Books. You design it and we’ll bind it!