And people stayed home
and read books and listened
and rested and exercised
and made art and played
and learned new ways of being
and stopped
and listened deeper
someone meditated
someone prayed
someone danced
someone met their shadow
and people began to think differently
and people healed
and in the absence of people who lived in ignorant ways,
dangerous, meaningless and heartless,
even the earth began to heal
and when the danger ended
and people found each other
grieved for the dead people
and they made new choices
and dreamed of new visions
and created new ways of life
and healed the earth completely
just as they were healed themselves.
Kathleen O’Meara, pen name Grace Ramsay (1839 Dublin – 10 November 1888 Paris) was an Irish-French Catholic writer and biographer during the late Victorian era. She was the Paris correspondent of The Tablet, a leading British Catholic magazine. Irish Monthly also published many of her serialized and biographical works. O’ Meara also wrote works of fiction where she explored a variety of topics from women’s suffrage to eastern European revolutions. The majority of her novels contained Catholic themes and social reform issues. -Wikipedia
Tag Archives: life learnings
Ravana’s Wisdom
After airing fatal arrow on the battlefield of Lanka, Lord Rama told his brother Lakshman: Go to Ravana quickly before he dies and request him to share whatever knowledge he can.
A brute he may be, but he is also a great scholar!
The obedient Lakshmana rushed across the battlefield to Ravana side and wispread in his ears:
Oh demon king, do not let your knowledge die with you.Share it with us and wash away your sins!
Ravana responded by simply turning away his head. An angry Lakshman went back to Lord Rama and said:
He is arrogant as he always was, too proud to share anything!
Rama conformed his brother and asked him softly: Where did you seat while asking Ravana for knowledge?
Next to his head so that I hear what he had to say clearly! – spoke Lakshman.
Lord Rama smiled, placed his bow on the ground ans walked to where Ravana lay.
Lakshmana watched in astonishment as his divine brother knelt at Ravana’s feet.
With palms joined with extreme humility, Lord Rama said:
Lord of Lanka, you abducted my wife, a terrible crime for which i have been forced to punish you. Now, you are no more my enemy. I bow to you and request you to share your wisdom with me. Please do that, for if you die without doing so, all your wisdom will be lost forever to the world.
To Lakshmana surprise Ravana opened his eyes and raised his arms to salute Lord Rama:
If only i had more time as your teacher then as your enemy.
Standing at my feet as a student should, unlike your rude younger brother, you are worthy recipient of my knowledge.
I have very little time so I cannot share much but let me tell you important lessons i have learned in my life.
1) Things that are bad for you seduce you easily; you run towards them impatiently. So you must defer the bad action as much as you can and avoid them.
2. Things that are actually good for you, fail to attract you; you shun them creatively, finding powerful excuses to justify your procrastination. So you must do good action without any delay and as much early as you can.
This is why i was impatient to abduct Sita but avoided meeting you.
This is wisdom of my life, Lord Rama. My last words. I give it to you! said Ravana and died.
!!! Jai Shri Ram !!!
Source: Instagram: #the_shivshakti
Money Wisdom
Please let your children read this, it maybe too late for some of us but if you are young its the right time
There was a one hour interview on CNBC with Warren Buffet, the second Richest man who has Donated $ 31 billion to charity.
Here are some very interesting aspects of his life:
- He bought his first share at age 11 and he now regrets that he started too late!
- He bought a small farm at age 14 with savings from delivering newspapers.
- He still lives in the same small 3-bedroom house in mid-town Omaha, which he bought after he got married 50 years ago. He says that he has everything he needs in that house. His house does not have a wall or a fence.
- He drives his own car everywhere and does not have a driver or security people around him.
- He never travels by private jet, although he owns the world’s largest private jet company.
- His company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns 63 companies. He writes only one letter each year to the CEOs of these companies, giving them goals for the year. He never holds meetings or calls them on a regular basis. He has given his CEO’s only two rules.
Rule number 1: do not lose any of your share holder’s money.
Rule number 2: Do not forget rule number 1.
- He does not socialize with the high society crowd. His past time after he gets home is to make himself some pop corn and watch Television.
- Bill Gates, the world’s richest man met him for the first time only 5 years ago. Bill Gates did not think he had anything in common with Warren Buffet. So he had scheduled his meeting only for half hour. But when Gates met him, the meeting lasted for ten hours and Bill Gates became devotee of Warren Buffet.
- Warren Buffet does not carry a cell phone, nor has a computer on his desk.
I always knew I was going to be rich. I don’t think I ever doubted it for a minute.
Warren Buffett
His advice to young people: Stay away from credit cards and invest in yourself and Remember:
A: Money doesn’t create man but it is the man who created money.
B: Live your life as simple as you are.
C: Don’t do what others say, just listen to them, but do what you feel good.
D: Don’t go on brand name; just wear those things in which u feel comfortable.
E: Don’t waste your money on unnecessary things; just spend on people who are really in need.
F: After all it’s your life then why give chance to others to rule.
The above may not make you Warren Buffet. However it will surely make you successful and bring you more wisdom.
A Must Read: Kindly Spare some time
Shrimad Bhagwad Gita : Ch9 verse 8
प्रकृतिं स्वामवष्टभ्य विसृजामि पुन: पुन: |
भूतग्राममिमं कृत्स्नमवशं प्रकृतेर्वशात् || 8||
prakṛitiṁ svām avaṣhṭabhya visṛijāmi punaḥ punaḥ
bhūta-grāmam imaṁ kṛitsnam avaśhaṁ prakṛiter vaśhāt
The whole cosmic is under Me. Under My will it is automatically manifested again and again, and under My will it is annihilated at the end.
prakṛitim—the material energy; svām—My own; avaṣhṭabhya—presiding over; visṛijāmi—generate; punaḥ punaḥ—again and again; bhūta-grāmam—myriad forms; imam—these; kṛitsnam—all; avaśham—beyond their control; prakṛiteḥ—nature; vaśhāt—force
This is one of the most beautiful shloka of chapter 9 (BG:9.8) of Bhagwad Gita. It signifies the power of Krishna and his creation. Krishna resides in each and everything as everything is created by him. The very element of our existence lies within these few beautiful words.
Krishna says that he only creates and then it is for us how we evolve. Though he is the supreme commander and directs everything with a neutral mind, it is for his creation to grow and evolve.
Krishna resides in each and everything as everything is created by him. The very element of our existence lies within these few beautiful words.
Curve back within yourself again and again till you have absolved yourself of all negative forces. Then create a beautiful human being who is above any form of pain and anger. Create a human who is not affected by the proceedings around him and takes everything in his stride with a calm and composed mind.
✨✨JAI SHREE KRISHNA✨✨ _____________________________
Well Being Secret
The 99 Club
Once upon a time, 🏰there lived a King who, despite his luxurious lifestyle, was neither happy nor contented.
One day, the King came upon a servant who was singing happily while he😊 worked. This fascinated the King…
Why was he, the Supreme Ruler of the Land, unhappy and gloomy while a lowly servant had so much joy.
The King asked the servant, ‘Why are you so happy?’
The man replied,
‘Your Majesty, I am nothing but a servant. My family and I don’t need much – just a roof over🏠 our heads and warm food to fill our tummies.’🍲
The king was not satisfied with that reply. Later in the day, he sought the advice of his most trusted advisor.
After hearing the King’s woes and the servant’s story, the advisor explained, ‘Your Majesty! I believe the servant is not a part of The 99 Club.’
‘The 99 Club? What exactly is that?’ the King inquired.’👥
The advisor replied, ‘Your Majesty, to truly know what The 99 Club is, place 99 Gold coins in a bag and leave it at this servant’s doorstep.’💰
The servant saw the bag, took it into his house and opened it. ‘So many gold coins!’ he gasped in shock.😱
He began to count them. After several counts, he was convinced that there were 99coins only. He wondered, ‘What could’ve happened to that last gold coin? Surely, no one would leave 99 coins!’😕
He looked everywhere but that final coin was elusive. Finally, he decided that he was going to work harder than ever to earn that one gold coin and complete his collection.
From that day, the servant’s life changed. He overworked himself, became horribly😖 grumpy, and castigated his family for not helping him make that 100th gold coin. He had stopped singing.
Witnessing this drastic transformation, the King was puzzled. When he sought his advisor’s help, the advisor explained, ‘Your Majesty! The servant has now officially joined The 99 Club.’……
These are people who have enough to be happy but are never contented. They’re always yearning and striving for that extra 1, saying to themselves: ‘Let me get that one final thing and then I will be happy for life.
Moral Of the Story:
‘ We can be happy, even with very little in our lives, but the minute we’re given something bigger and better, we want even more! We lose our sleep and happiness, we hurt the people around us… all these is the price we pay for our growing needs and desires.
Are you a part of “Club 99” 🤔😊
Wisdom
Today i would like to tell you about Wisdom. There are 3 different types of wisdom.
- The wisdom we hear from others perhaps in a conversation where someone imparts a truth
- Then there is intellectual wisdom when we go further into intellectual understanding perhaps by reading a book or taking a course
- Finally there is the third type of wisdom when we experience insight and truth first hand for ourselves. This is experiential wisdom.
I will share you an example where Sri S N Goenka describes the three types of wisdom from the perspective of being in a restaurant environment.
1st wisdom heard – this is when a friend or coworker recommends a restaurant and we read positive reviews. We have a favorable impression and decide to make a reservation.
The next level of wisdom is deeper where we gain intellectual understanding. We show up, get seated and browse the menu. As a server passes by we see delectable dishes. Our mouth waters and our tummy growls.
Last the third type of wisdom occurs when we receive our food. We taste and know it is good for ourselves . This is experiential learning / applied wisdom. This third type of wisdom is the most powerful , the one that leads to transformation and liberation.
Wisdom that arrives through our own experience .
The Sanskrit verse to attain knowledge is:
असतो मा सद्गमय । Asatō mā sadgamaya
तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय । tamasō mā jyōtirgamaya
मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय । mr̥tyōrmā amr̥taṁ gamaya
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥ Om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ
– Br̥hadāraṇyakopaniṣat 1.3.28
“O Lord Lead me from the unreal to the real.Lead me from darkness to light.Lead me from death to immortality.May there be peace, peace, and perfect peace”.Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.3.28.
I share this because this is common for people who are interested in meditation to be drawn to intellectual understanding . This is how we learnt in school. We read, absorb, memorize and take a test.
Meditation is int like that. Sure it can helpful to read books and take proper courses to learn the correct technique but the deeper understanding can only come from Doing. With time and patience, through experiential learning we witness and realize the benefits for ourselves.
So read about mindfulness, have conversations about it and take courses by all means, but expect the deepest insights, the most everlasting wisdom to come from sitting down, closing your eyes, and discovering this practice for your selves.
As Conficuious said :
I hear and I forget,I see and I remember,
I do and I understand.
Let it Go ……
When somebody told me that he has failed in his exams, my question is, “Is it a law that you will pass every time?”
When someone told me that my boyfriend broke up with me, my question is, “Is it a rule that you will have successful relationships everywhere?”
When somebody asked me why am I in depression, my question is, “Is it compulsory to have confidence all the time?”
When someone cried to me about his huge business loss due to his wrong decision, my question is, “Is it possible that you take all right decisions?”
The fact is our expectation that life has to be perfect/permanent is the biggest reason of our unhappiness.
One has to understand the law of impermanence of nature.
After each sunny day, there has to be a dark night, after each birth there have to be certain deaths, for the full moon to come again it has to pass through no moon. In this imperfection of nature, there is perfection.
So stop taking your failures and bad part of your life soooo personally or intensely, even the divine energy does not like to give you pain but its the cycle through which you have to pass. Prepare yourself for one more fight after each fall because even failures cannot be permanent…!
Enjoy life…. 👍😊☺
Your breath comes to go.
Your thoughts come to go.
Your words come to go.
Your actions come to go.
Your feelings come to go.
Your illnesses come to go.
Your phases come to go.
Your seasons come to go.
You have come to go.
Then why do you hold on to your guilt, anger, un-forgiveness, hatred so so so tightly, when it too has come to go…
Let it go … 🌹🌹
Life is Not Fair on Anybody – Sri Krishna conversation with Karna
In Mahabharat, #Karna asks Lord #Krishna – “My mother left me the moment I was born. Is it my fault I was born an illegitimate child?
I did not get the education from Dhronacharya because I was considered a non-Kshatriya.
Parshu-Raam taught me but then gave me the curse to forget everything since I was a Kshatriya.
A cow was accidentally hit by my arrow & its owner cursed me for no fault of mine.
I was disgraced in Draupadi’s swayamvar.
Even Kunti finally told me the truth only to save her other sons.
Whatever I received was through Duryodhana’s charity.
So how am I wrong in taking his side?”
Lord Krishna replies,
“Karna, I was born in a jail.
Death was waiting for me even before my birth.
The night I was born I was separated from my birth parents.
From childhood, you grew up hearing the noise of swords, chariots, horses, bow, and arrows. I got only cow herd’s shed, dung, and multiple attempts on my life even before I could walk!
No army, no education. I could hear people saying I am the reason for all their problems.
When all of you were being appreciated for your valour by your teachers I had not even received any education. I joined gurukula of Rishi Sandipani only at the age of 16!
You are married to a girl of your choice. I didn’t get the girl I loved & rather ended up marrying those who wanted me or the ones I rescued from demons.
I had to move my whole community from the banks of Yamuna to far off Sea shore to save them from Jarasandh. I was called a coward for running away!!
If Duryodhana wins the war you will get a lot of credit. What do I get if Dharmaraja wins the war? Only the blame for the war and all related problems…
Remember one thing, Karna. Everybody has challenges in life.
LIFE IS NOT FAIR ON ANYBODY!!!
Duryodhana also has a lot of unfairness in life and so has Yudhhishthir.
But what is Right (Dharma) is known to your mind (conscience). No matter how much unfairness we got, how many times we were disgraced, how many times we were denied what was due to us, what is important is how you REACTED at that time.
Stop whining Karna. Life’s unfairness does not give you license to walk the wrong path…
Always remember, Life may be tough at a point, but DESTINY is not created by the SHOES we wear but by the STEPS we take… 🙂 🙂
Key Takeaway :
What Krishna really meant to make Karna understand was –
Life wasn’t fair to anyone. In fact, it can never be because in this human form all of us were here to learn certain lessons and it was important that we did.
He explained just because life has been unfair to you and a certain person has been good to you, who is essentially a threat to the entire society; you will, in the end, have to choose your conscience above the person.
It is the right dharma. It is the only way.
The fact of the matter is, whether be Karna or Krishna, they were essentially here expressing themselves in a human form. This world is a stage and we are all mere characters fulfilling the destiny of the biggest play of all time we call Life. Universe has a way of manifesting things and we are all in alignment with our soul path.
Those who realize and align themselves with their path are freed from the Karmic bondage those who don’t, they come back again to complete the lesson and knowledge that is still unavailable or partially available to them.
The dialogue between Krishna and Karna is a classic example of understanding the difference between ignorance and awareness. Sulking in self-pity has never given any solution. However, when you stand up many times to hold yourself erect and speak your truth, you release yourself from all the unnecessary drama.
Life is a lesson and one should accept all they are to experience.
Human Pschylogy
A Professor started his class on a very serious Topic. The moment he turned towards the blackboard, one of the students whistled. He turned, looked at the class and asked the Whistler’s name. No one answered.
The Professor peacefully kept the Pen in his pocket saying: “Lecture ends here. I’ll tell you a story to utilise the remaining time”.
Everyone became interested.
“Yesterday night I tried hard to sleep, but it was miles away from my eyes, so I thought I’d better get petrol in my car, which will save my time next morning and might induce sleep. After having my tank full, I started roaming in that area, enjoying the peace of a traffic free ride.
Suddenly, on the corner I saw a girl who was as young and beautiful as the clothes she was wearing. Must have been returning from a party. Out of courtesy, I turned my car towards her and asked if I may be of any help. She asked me if I could drop her to her home, she’ll be very obliged, to which I agreed.
She sat in the front seat with me. We started talking, and to my amazement she was very intelligent, had control on many topics which many youngsters don’t.
When we reached her address, she admitted my courteous nature and behavior and accepted that she had fallen in love with me.
I also admitted her intelligence and beauty and that I’ve also started liking her. I told her about my job as a professor in the university.
The girl asked my number, which I gave her willingly. Then she asked me a favor, to which i couldn’t have denied naturally.
She said that her brother is a student in the same university, and asked me to take care of him, since we’ll be in a long relationship now.
I asked the name of the student. She said that I’ll recognise him with one of his very prominent quality, He whistles a lot!
All eyes in the classroom turned towards the boy who had whistled.
The professor said: *”I didn’t buy my Ph. D in Psychology.. I earned it”
