Religion

Hinduism:

If Gita is understood well, everything is understood well

Swami Dayananda SARASWATI

Gita-sugita kartavya kim anyaih sastra-vistaraih Praising the Bhagavadgita, this verse says that the Gita has to be studied well, gita-sugita kartavya; what will you gain by studying other books in detail, kim anyaih sastra-vistaraih?

This verse presents the Gita as a book to be studied, a book containing everything that one has to know through the scriptures (Vedas).

It doesn’t belittle the efficacy or the necessity of studying other scriptural books; it only points out that the study of the Gita amounts to the study of other scriptures.

What constitutes a scripture?

A scripture is something that has a message with a lasting, universal value. What is relevant now, may not be relevant later; nor may it have been relevant before. A scripture’s message should be relevant to me as an individual and to you; it should be relevant to anyone at any time and place.

Only when a message addresses certain problems that are always there for a human being does it have lasting relevance. Because the Vedas and the Gita have that kind of a message, they are a scripture.

The Gita is recognized and highly respected by the scholars and the devoted lay public in India because of its two main topics: yoga-sastra and brahma-vidya. Together they form the body of knowledge which is very important for every individual.

The knowledge meant to make a person mature as an individual is called yogasastra. A mature individual is one who is free from conflicts, fear, agitation, guilt, and hurt.

Brahma-vidya is knowledge of the whole, the knowledge that liberates a person. A person who has become mature by yoga has something more to accomplish - total freedom, generally called moksha. To know Brahman is to know the truth of oneself as the whole, as complete. The discovery of this fact frees you from all sense of limitation and isolation.

So the first message of the Gita, yogasastra, helps you to gain maturity as a person, as an individual. It helps one to become relatively composed, tranquil, alert and free in short, a cheerful person.

You are then fit to gain brahma-vidya, knowledge that you are the whole, knowledge that frees you from the notion of being a small, limited, mortal being. These two topics of the Gita, which form the very essence of all four Vedas, make the Gita a scripture with a message that is relevant for everyone.

The Gita itself is set in a battlefield, not in the Himalayas, or in a forest. Arjuna is face-to-face with a problem born of conflict between his familial affections and the call of duty. On one side, it seems to be necessary for him to perform his duty, which is to fight the war.

Then, there is another equally powerful pull - his affection for his family and teachers and his own self respect, which conflict with the concept of duty. Caught between the horns of duty and affection, Arjuna is confused as he stands between the two forces on the battlefield.

When Arjuna looked, he found highly respected people like Drona, his own teacher, Bhishma, his grandfather, and many relatives and acquaintances with whom he had to fight.

He said, “What is the use of fighting all these people? Without killing them, I’m not going to get the kingdom back. And what is the use of getting the kingdom back by destroying the people in whose company I would be happy?”

While caught between the call of duty and his emotions, Arjuna begins to appreciate a fundamental problem, the problem of a human being. That problem takes possession of his mind and he wants to find a solution. Finding a teacher in Lord Krishna, he presents himself to Krishna as a Sisya, a disciple.

Arjuna was always a devotee, but not a Sisya; he finds himself a sisya on the battlefield. Lord Krishna accepts Arjuna as a disciple and teaches him in the succeeding 17 chapters of the Gita.

Throughout the Gita the yoga-sastra is given; telling one the ways and means to be a mature person free from conflicts, fear, hurt, and guilt. Along with the yoga message is the brahma-vidya, knowledge of the reality of yourself being the essence of everything, your being the whole.

The Gita has all that is to be learned from the four Vedas, which are a vast literature. Therefore, the Gita has to be studied, and if it is understood well, everything is well understood.

Indian post

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Tulsidas wrote Ramayan under the directions of Hanuman

Swami SIVANANDA

Tulsidas was born in Rajpur, in the district of Banda in Uttar Pradesh, in 1532 AD. He was a Sarayuparina Brahmin by birth and is regarded as an incarnation of Valmiki, the author of Ramayana written in Sanskrit. Tulsidas did not cry at the time of his birth. He was born with all the thirty-two teeth intact.

Tulsida’s wife’s name was Buddhimati (Ratnavali). Tulsidas was passionately attached to his wife. He could not bear even a day’s separation from her. One day his wife went to her father’s house without informing her husband. Tulsidas stealthily went to see her at night at his father-in-law’s house.

This produced a sense of shame in Buddimati. She said to Tulsidas, “My body is but a network of flesh and bones. If you would develop for Lord Rama even half the love that you have for my filthy body, you would certainly cross the ocean of Samosara and attain immortality and eternal bliss”.

These words pierced the heart of Tulsidas like an arrow. He did not stay there even for a moment. he abandoned home and became an ascetic. He spent of fourteen years in visiting the various sacred places of pilgrimage.

While returning from answering the calls of nature, Tulsidas used to throw the water that was left in his water pot at the roots of a tree which a spirit was occupying.

The spirit was very much pleased with Tulsidas. The spirit said, “O man! Get a boon from me”. Tulsidas replied, “Let me have Darshan of Lord Rama”. The spirit said, “Go to the Hanuman temple. There Hanuman come in the guise of a leper to hear the Ramayan as the first hearer and leaves the place last of all. Get hold of him. He will help you”.

Accordingly, Tulsidas met Hanuman, and through His grace, had Darshan or vision of Lord Rama.

Tulsidas wrote twelve books. He wrote Ramayan-Ram-charit-manas-under the directions of Hanuman. Vinaya Patrika is an other important book written by Tulsidas.

Some thieves came to Tulsidas’s Ashram to take away his goods. They saw a blue complexioned guard, with bow and arrow in his hands, keeping watch at the gate. Wherever they moved, the guard followed them. They were frightened.

In the morning they asked Tulsidas, “O venerable saint! We saw a young guard with bow and arrow in his hands at the gate of your residence. Who is this man?” Tulsidas remained silent and wept. He came to know that Lord Rama Himself had been taking the trouble to protect his goods. He at once distributed all his wealth among the poor.

Tulsidas lived in Ayodhya for some time. Then he shifted to Varanasi. One day a murderer came and cried, “For the love of Rama give me alms. I am a murderer”. Tulsi called him to his house, gave him sacred food which had been offered to the Lord and declared that the murderer was purified.

The Brahmins of Varanasi reproached Tulsidas and said, “How can the sin of a murderer be absolved? How could you eat with him? If the sacred bull of Siva-Nandi-would eat from the hands of the murderer, then only we would accept that he had been purified”. Then the murderer was taken to the temple and the bull ate from his hands. The Brahmins were put to shame.

Tulsidas once went to Brindavan. he visited a temple. He saw the image of Lord Krishna. He said. “How shall I describe Thy beauty, O Lord! But Tulsi will bow his head only when You take up bow and arrow in your hands”.

The Lord revealed Himself before Tulsidas in the from of Lord Rama with bow and arrows.

Tulsidas’s blessings brought the dead husband of a poor woman back to life.

The Moghul emperor at Delhi came to know of the great miracle done by Tulsidas.

He sent for Tulsidas. Tulsidas came to the emperor’s court. The emperor asked the saint to perform some miracle. Tulsidas replied, “I have no superhuman power. I know only the name of Rama”.

The emperor put Tulsi in prison and said, “I will release you only if you show me a miracle”. Tulsi then prayed to Hanuman. Countless bands of powerful monkeys entered the royal court. The emperor got frightened and said, “O saint, forgive me. I know your greatness now”. He at once released Tulsi from prison.

Indian post

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Islam:

Obey and pray to Allah

Mohammed NAALIR

Hadj celebration depicts tolerance, compassion, unity, co-relationship and equality among Muslim community all over the world said Housing and Common Amenities Minister Ferial Ashraff.

She was addressing the media and other officers attached to the National Housing Development Authority on how the Hadj festival celebration can help bring unity among diverse ethnic communities.

Continuing Minister Ferial Ashraff said that in 1995 during the office tenure of late Minister Ashraff to whom she was the Private Secretary utilised every Muslim festival to arrive at a unity among diverse ethnic communities.

During the Muslim festive seasons the Buddhist prelate was keynote addresser and during the Vesak Poson celebrations the Muslim prelate was the key note addresser.

When M.H.M. Ashraff was the Minister of Ports and Aviation she was in charge of the Seva Vanitha Union of the Ministry. She said they staged bakthi gee recitals for Christmas, Vesak and Poson seasons.

The late Minister Ashraff’s desire was such co-functions help arrive at a consensus among various ethnic groups and to put end to ethnic issues prevailing in the country. Praising the reputation of other religions was the symptom of ethnic unity and harmony. He also acted according to his desire.

During the Poson celebrations he delivered a speech on the principals of Buddhist philosophy. During the Hadj festive a Buddhist prelate was brought to deliver key note address on Islam doctrines.

In addition Minister Ashraff said that following the demise of Minister M.H.M.Ashraff she too lost her Secretary post.

If we celebrate the festivals of diverse ethnic communities in unison then we will be able to build up a prosperous Sri Lanka.

The words pronounced by all of us is unity and peace. Unity must be achieved among ourselves.

She said that every one knows the differences of each other but no body knows the common features of a human being.

She said it is doubtful whether we have used even 10 per cent of our knowledge. There is nothing that could not be succeeded by a human being. If we think we are Sri Lankans in one voice then solution could be found for various problems of us.

If one respect his religion he will respect other religions too. If one fails to respect his religion he will never respect other religions. Every one should learn to obey and respect each other’s religion.

Addressing to the event Dharul Ulum Al Furkaniya Arabic College deputy Principal Mohammed Rafi said the meaning of Edul Alha is sacrifice. It means to eradicate evil thoughts from our minds. Tolerance and compassion are the basic principals of Hadj ceremony. When one fulfil Hadj duty he should have possessed utmost tolerance.

Hadj pilgrimage is undertaken by Muslims to recall the incomparable sacrifice and the loyalty of Prophet Ibrahim he kept on Almighty Allah 5000 years ago in Arabia peninsula.

No body can do such a sacrifice in the history of human being. He had boundless faith and loyalty on Almighty Allah.

Continuing Moulavi Rafi said that Almighty Allah created the humans as his special creation and sent him to the world as his representative on a trail period. If one successfully continued his life obeying to God he will achieve the heaven of Jannathul firdhouse, if one failed in the examination he will be pulled into the abyss.

In addition Moulavi Rafi said that at the very outset there were objects appearing to our eyesight. After creating the soul of human, Allah asked it who is your God. Then The soul replied you are my God.

He said that Allah created everything for human being to enjoy. In place of these privileges he asked the man to pray and obey him. The human soul intered into an agreement with Allah to obey him and pray him. But the humans are violating the agreement and acting against the God.

The sky is standing without any pillars. Isn’t this the phenomenon of the God’s creation.

In addition Moulavi Rafi said that Allah several times scrutinised Prophet Ibrahim. Once Allah ordered Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his one and only child Ismail by beheading him. He also accepted the order of Allah and came forward to sacrifice his one and only child Ismail to Allah.

By the time he was cutting his beloved son’s neck suddenly the neck of a sheep which was brought by the Messenger of Allah Jibreal was cut off in place of the child.

The second test was to leave his wife Hajara and son Ismail in a desert where no human settlements or human movements were not available. Prophet Ibrahim did so accepting the order of the God.

His beloved wife and child were left alone in a desert. The food items and water which were in their possession finished completely. They faced an immense shortage for food and water. The young son was shouting due to hunger and thirsty.

There was nothing to eat or drink in that desert for them. The mother went in search of water and food for her beloved son leaving the child in a place.

The son was crying tapping its feet on the ground when suddenly a phenomenol water spring appeared under his foot. When the mother arrived with disappointment she saw a phenomena water spring flowing next her son.

Suddenly Mother Hajara ordered the spring to sum (stop). Then the spring stopped in a certain place. If mother Hajara did not say sum(stop), the spring would have run until the end of the world Moulavi Rafi added.

Muslims all over the world celebrate the sacrifice made by Prophet Ibrahim 5000 years ago.

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