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God is nowhere

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God+is+nowhere.jpg

Once there was an atheist who argued about the presence of God. He even had it written on the wall of his house, “God is nowhere" A child was born to him and as the child began to grow, he started teaching language to it. One day as he played with his child he began to teach language. The child had to say “God is nowhere". Since the word 'Nowhere' was too big for the child to pronounce, the atheist father had to break it to make it more articulate. The little child babbled, Now-Here. It went on to say “God is now-here" The atheist could not jump into an argument as his reaction normally would have been as it was a child's babble. Rather he enjoyed playing with the child.

Swami Ramtirtha says that the company of a child is meditative and existential. For the first time it struck him that 'Nowhere' actually contained 'Now-here' A great transformation took place in him that in due course, people around him caught sight of it. He was not argumentative as before and when he was questioned, he simply said, “Ask this child for I am myself puzzled. Hearing the sentence, “God is Now-Here" has brought about this change in me! Looking into his eyes I got transformed. I am all together a different person now.

Since then I have been seeing God Now-Here; when the wind passes through the trees, when rain pitter patters on the roof. When the birds sing I realise God is Now-Here, when the sun rises, I get reminded that “God is Now-here!" Osho says that the mind is never 'now-here'. It is shuttles between the past and future. To think of the future and past may be logical but it is not existential. Existence is, only in now-here, for once when one starts to think that he caught hold of it logically it has already escaped into the past. Hence existence is thus Now-here and God is simply existence.--- Swami Ramathirtha’s story retold by Osho



God sneaks in to a Communist City

Letter published in Indian Express, July 1981:

Very few people know that about 23 years ago the communist party and the Polish government built a city at Novahuta, a village in the district of Kroscvia, Poland and named it as a city without God. The aim was to fulfil the instructions of Marx in which he said religion is opium. In this city they built a huge steel factory and thousands of workers were employed here. After some time, thousands of citizens of the city and workers of the factory demanded sanction to build a church in the city. The credit for this non violent movement goes to the factory worker Cardinal Kairol Vaziryala, who later became a popular priest of Poland. This movement gained strength and ultimately in the city without a God, a grand church was built.


Only after 20 years of public dissatisfaction and civil movement permission to build the church was granted. There is hardly any person in Poland who has not visited this city and its church. There appears to be the blessing of Providence in all that is happening in Poland. Had this not been the case, the people of Poland by their unique solidarity would not have been able to obtain permission to form an independent labour union and independent farmers association. The influential Communist Government of Poland had its biggest defeat in its movement against God.

(letter by Surendra Trivedi, Chinmaya Mission, Lucknow, July 1981)

Atheism+bus.JPG


1. God Exists

Every breath that flows in the nose,
Every beat that throbs in the heart,
Every artery that pulsates in the body,
Every thought that arises in the mind,
Speaks to you that God is near.
Every flower that wafts fragrance,
Every fruit that attracts you,
Every gentle breeze that blows,
Every river that smoothly flows,
Speaks of God and His mercy.
in+god+we+trust.jpg

[h=3]The vast ocean with its powerful waves,
The Mighty Himalayas with its glaciers,
The bright Sun and stars in the wide sky,
The lofty tree with its branches,
The cool springs in the hills and dales,
Tell me of His omnipotence.[/h]
The melody of sweet music,
The oration of powerful orators,
The poems of reputed poets,
The inventions of able scientists,
The operations of dexterous surgeons,
The utterances of holy saints,
The thoughts of the Bhagavad Gita,
The revelations of the Upanishads,
Speak of God and His wisdom.

---swami Sivananda in his book ‘GOD EXISTS’
 
Dear sir,

If we broaden our vision we see God in everything..including in Love songs.

Even a love song can sound spiritual if we think that it is God singing it to us:

Main Yahaan Hoon

janam dekhlo mit gayin dooriyan
main yahan hoon yahan hoon yahan hoon yahan
kaisi sarhadein kaisi majbooriyan
main yahan hoon yahan hoon yahan hoon yahan
tum chupa na sakogi main woh raaz hoon
tum bhula na sakogi woh andaaz hoon
goonjta hoon jo dil mein toh hairan ho kyun
main tumhare hi dil ki toh aawaaz hoon
sun sako toh suno dhadkanon ki zabaan
main hi main ab tumhare khayaalon mein hoon
main jawabon mein hoon mein sawaalon mein hoon
main tumhare har ek khwab mein hoon basaa
main tumhari nazar ke ujaalon mein hoon
dekhti ho mujhe dekhti ho jahan

I am here

Darling, look, there's no more distance between us
I'm here, I'm here, I'm here
Whatever impediments you meet
I'm here, I'm here, I'm here
I'm the secret you won't be able to hide
I'm the habit you won't be able to forget
When I echo in your heart, why are you surprised
I am the the voice of your heart, afterall
If you can hear, then listen to your heartbeats
From now on, I only occupy your thoughts
I am in your questions and I am in your answers
I took place in each of your dreams
I am the fire in your eyes
Wherever you look, you see me

Read more at Translation of "Main Yahaa Hoon" by Veer Zaara from Hindi to English
 
Hi Renuka

I am back in London. I was fortunate enough to hear the voice of Raji Ram over phone in Chennai when I rang her.I had a tight schedule in India and could not meet anyone other than my relatives.I took 600 photos and slowly uploading them on face book.

The love song you have quoted is very interesting. I will add it to my file. Whenever some new points are added I add it to my original post in my file. One day it may come in book format.

Talking about Love Duets, only in India the lover and the ladylove are compared to Krishna/Rama and Radha/Sita. Somewhere in my one of the 525 articles I have quoted it. Hindu religion is a way of life. A Hindu cannot live without religion. That is why we see Stalin's wife Durga and Karinanithy's wife Dayanithy (??correct?) are seen in the temples. Even Karunanithy is doing Surya Namaskar everyday through an Iyengar Yoga teacher. But he refused to say 13 Sanskrit Mantras Mitra, Ravi,Surya, Bhanu, Kagha, Pushana, Hiranyagarbha, Maricha, Aditya, Savithra, Arka, Bhaskara, Savitra Surya Naryana Nama: But he can never avoid religious practices.

45 years ago I listened to Dr Usharbudh, Head of the Department of Sanskrit in Minnesota University in Madurai. He quoted Vivaha Mantras from Rig Veda and challenged the audience to come with some film songs that can match the beauty of such mantras. It is still ringing in my ears. Later Dr Usharbudh became a Swamiji and once again I listened to him in Bharatiya Vidhya Bhavan ,London ten years ago.
 
Dear London,

If God were to choose to between a Man and an idol to dwell in, what would be His choice?
 
Mr Iyer

Definitely MAN. Hindus strongly believe in it. This belief only produced great people like Swami Vivekananda, Adi Shankara, Ramana and Kanchi Paramacharya.

Late Patrick Moore, Royal Astronomer of Britain, mentioned in one of his prgrammes that WE ARE ALL STARS. That is, at one time, we were star particles, probably sun or a star from a different galaxy.

It is true with religion as well. We are ALL GODS.That is to say part of God, trying to merge with him. Is it not ADVAITA?
 
Mr Iyer

Definitely MAN. Hindus strongly believe in it. This belief only produced great people like Swami Vivekananda, Adi Shankara, Ramana and Kanchi Paramacharya.


Dear Sir,
Iyers question was :

Dear London,

If God were to choose to between a Man and an idol to dwell in, what would be His choice?​

God does not make choices and He is not looking for any outcome of any situation.

Usually when we humans have to choose it is becos of some sort of transaction and awaiting the outcome or results situation mostly becos of personal gain...hence we need to make choices.

God is beyond duality (Dvandaatheetam).

The God Principle is all pervading and present in everything be it from animate to inanimate objects.

So God is equally present in an Idol and in a Man.
 
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Agree in toto. To put in the Saint Ramakrishna's words "His is with Form and without Form".

To put it other words He is "Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient"

In my personal meditation experience, once you cross a point (we call it the point of no return), you can see that "I ness" quality in you pervades everywhere and in everyone. This will happen as soon as the experiencer and experience merges. Ask me more, I am dumb struck. That is the wonder.
 
Dear Renu and Srimadhan

Advaita says Aham Brahmasmi, but Vishistadwaitam and Dwaitam look at it differently.
Ultimately it depends upon the Bhakta/devotee.

Even Kanchi Shankaracharya has to do daily puja to idols.
He himeself referred to it and said people may wonder why we sanyasins who advocate Advaita do this?
But we need to take others to reach that high state and these are the steps for it.
There we see GOD in man and idol.
That is why I said it depends upon the level we reached.

In my previous reply I said God would prefer to reside in man rather than idol.
That is for people at higher level.
For a child or little boys and girls, if you give an idol and ask them to do Puja, it will be easy to fall in the grew.
Later you can teach them Advaita.
Still Dwaitees and Vishistadwaitees wouldn't agree. It is their approach.
Alvars sing that they should be the granite steps in the temple.
 
Dear Renu and Srimadhan

Advaita says Aham Brahmasmi, but Vishistadwaitam and Dwaitam look at it differently.
Ultimately it depends upon the Bhakta/devotee.

Even Kanchi Shankaracharya has to do daily puja to idols.
He himeself referred to it and said people may wonder why we sanyasins who advocate Advaita do this?
But we need to take others to reach that high state and these are the steps for it.
There we see GOD in man and idol.
That is why I said it depends upon the level we reached.

In my previous reply I said God would prefer to reside in man rather than idol.
That is for people at higher level.
For a child or little boys and girls, if you give an idol and ask them to do Puja, it will be easy to fall in the grew.
Later you can teach them Advaita.
Still Dwaitees and Vishistadwaitees wouldn't agree. It is their approach.
Alvars sing that they should be the granite steps in the temple.

Dear Sir,

When I said God is equally present in an idol and man..I did not mean that idol worship is not advocated.

If we choose to deify God as in an idol then we need to give Him the due respect and position.

What I disagreed is this line you wrote:

God would prefer to reside in man rather than idol.

This is what I disagreed about cos God does not have a preference.

Further more it gives an impression that you see an Idol as a stone and not as God.

I think even Vishishtadvaitam agrees on this that God as in Vishnu is all pervading hence God is in everything and so does Advaita that Everything is Verily Brahman.

This line explains well:

Kallai Mattum Kandal Kadavul Theriyathu
Kadavul Mattam Kandal Kalladi Theriyathu.
 
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I think both of us agree on all the important points.
But the presentation is different.

Maraththai Maraiththathu Maamatha yaanai
Maraththil Marainthathu Maamatha yaanai

---TIRUMULAR'S TIRUMANTHIRAM same like Kallaaik kandaal naayaik kaanoom, Naayaik kandaal kallaik kaanoom (Tamil Proverb)
 
I think both of us agree on all the important points.
But the presentation is different.

Maraththai Maraiththathu Maamatha yaanai
Maraththil Marainthathu Maamatha yaanai

---TIRUMULAR'S TIRUMANTHIRAM same like Kallaaik kandaal naayaik kaanoom, Naayaik kandaal kallaik kaanoom (Tamil Proverb)




[video=youtube_share;y9XQR1whXkQ]http://youtu.be/y9XQR1whXkQ[/video]
 
For easy reading:

புல்லாய்ப் பிறவி தரவேடும் கண்ணா புனிதமான பலகோடி பிறவி தந்தாலும்

பிருந்தாவன
ம் திலொரு (புல்லாய்)


புல்லாகிலும் நெடுனாள் நில்லாது - ஆதலினால்
கல்லாய்ப் பிறவி தரவேண்டுமே கண்ணா

கமல மலரிணைகள் அணைய எனது உள்ளம்
புளகிதமுற்றிடும் பவமற்றிடுமே (புல்லாய்)


ஒருகணம் உன் பதம் படுமெந்தன் மேலே
மறுகணம் நான் உயர்வேன்
மேன்மேலே

திருமேனி என்மேலே அமர்ந்திடும் ஒருகாலே
திருமகளென மலர்பெயர்ந்தடி உன்னைத்

தொடர்ந்த ராதைக்கு இடந்தருவேனே
திசை திசை எங்கணும் பரவிடும் குழலிசை

மயங்கி வரும் பல கோபியருடனே
சிறந்த ரசமிகு நடம் நீயாடவும்

சுருதியொடு லயமிக கலந்து பாடவும்
திளைப்பிலே வரும் களிப்பிலே

எனக்கிணை யாரென மகிழ்வேனே
தவமிகு சுரரொடு முனிவரும்
லா தனித்த பெரும்பேடைவேனே

எவ்வுயிர்க்கும் உள்கலக்கும் இறைவனே
யமுனைத்துறைவனே
(புல்லாய்)
 
Dear Renuka and Rajiram

It is very good you reminded me of those beautiful songs.
Through out Thevaram and Divya Pabandham, we come accross such beautiful poems.

When I read Renuka's reaction to Jesus on cross, I am reminded of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.
He has experimented with all major faiths in the world. He slips/falls in to Samadhi as and when he sees any divine symbol or figure.Even natural scenery!

Once he was walking along the beautiful paddy fields of Bengal.
Ever green as long as he could see.
Up above the sky, blueish dark clouds thick;
Beautiful white cranes were flying in this back ground.

Oh, My God, What a beautiful creation! he said.
That is it. He fell in to Samadhi.
His friends carried him to his house.
He was in the state of Samadhi for a several days!!

If anyone could feel this way, that shows higher level of yoga according to Hindu shastras.
But people will call you a mad man or woman at this stage.
Later they will realise it is DIVINE MADNESS and people will come in thousands to get his or her blessings.
 
Dear Renuka and Rajiram

It is very good you reminded me of those beautiful songs.
Through out Thevaram and Divya Pabandham, we come accross such beautiful poems.

When I read Renuka's reaction to Jesus on cross, I am reminded of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.
He has experimented with all major faiths in the world. He slips/falls in to Samadhi as and when he sees any divine symbol or figure.Even natural scenery!

Once he was walking along the beautiful paddy fields of Bengal.
Ever green as long as he could see.
Up above the sky, blueish dark clouds thick;
Beautiful white cranes were flying in this back ground.

Oh, My God, What a beautiful creation! he said.
That is it. He fell in to Samadhi.
His friends carried him to his house.
He was in the state of Samadhi for a several days!!

If anyone could feel this way, that shows higher level of yoga according to Hindu shastras.
But people will call you a mad man or woman at this stage.
Later they will realise it is DIVINE MADNESS and people will come in thousands to get his or her blessings.


Dear sir,


Ramakrishna Paramhansa is a Divine Being and he is supposed to be one of the Saptha Rishis who took birth in the world to help mankind.

There is no way what I wrote about how I feel when I see the statue of Jesus on the cross can be compared with the experience of Ramakrishna Paramhansa.


I have a tendency to imagine putting myself in the place of another person I see when it comes to pain and death.

That is why I find it hard to see a statue of Jesus on a cross...cos I imagine on myself how much pain and torture he must have gone through and I can even faint out of fear of his suffering.

I have even fainted flat once when I saw goats being slaughtered in a temple even though I had done many autopsies but I can still faint when I see animals tortured or killed cos I tend to feel their pain.

So my experience that causes me to faint is fear and pain but Ramakrishnas Paramhansa's experience is Samadhi..His experience is beyond pain and pleasure.


There is a world of difference between fainting out of fear/pain which is Tamas in nature and fainting becos of Samadhi which is pure Sattva.

Tamas and Sattva might outwardly sometimes look the same but there is a world of difference.
 
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