walk by faith

I am sure many of us know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of Passage?
His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone.
Once he survives the night, he is a MAN.
He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own.
The boy is naturally terrified. He hears all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him . Maybe even some human might do him
harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man!
Finally, after a horrific night, the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold.
It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him.
He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm.
We, too, are never alone.
Even when we don't know it, God is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us.
When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him.
Moral of the story:
Just because you can't see God,
Doesn't mean He is not there.
"For we walk by faith, not by sight."

There is another similar story, doctor.

A man who was very pious, always felt the presence of God beside him. But, during so many intense tragedies, he could not see Him, walking beside.

After a long patience, the man yelled out before God, "Why did you leave me, especially when I needed you the most?".

To this, God smiled and patiently explained:

"My dear Son, I never left you. If you watch carefully, there were footprints of two persons all along; but, whenever you faced distress situations, you could have noticed only one set of footprints. Those do not belong to you, my Son. They are mine, because I was carrying you on my shoulders, then".

What a nice story!

pannvalan said:

There is another similar story, doctor.

A man who was very pious, always felt the presence of God beside him. But, during so many intense tragedies, he could not see Him, walking beside.

After a long patience, the man yelled out before God, "Why did you leave me, especially when I needed you the most?".

To this, God smiled and patiently explained:

"My dear Son, I never left you. If you watch carefully, there were footprints of two persons all along; but, whenever you faced distress situations, you could have noticed only one set of footprints. Those do not belong to you, my Son. They are mine, because I was carrying you on my shoulders, then".

What a nice story!

Click to expand...

yes sri pannvalan, thanks for recalling this story. I am aware of that too.
Nice of you .

drsundaram said:

I am sure many of us know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of Passage?
His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone.
Once he survives the night, he is a MAN.
He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own.
The boy is naturally terrified. He hears all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him . Maybe even some human might do him
harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man!
Finally, after a horrific night, the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold.
It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him.
He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm.
We, too, are never alone.
Even when we don't know it, God is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us.
When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him.
Moral of the story:
Just because you can't see God,
Doesn't mean He is not there.
"For we walk by faith, not by sight."

Click to expand...

Dear Dr Sundaram,

Nice story. So true.

"Na Tu Kaaryaabhaavaat Kaaranaabhaavah"

The absence of effect does not mean the absence of cause.

renukakarthikayan said:

Dear Dr Sundaram,

Nice story. So true.

"Na Tu Kaaryaabhaavaat Kaaranaabhaavah"

The absence of effect does not mean the absence of cause.

Click to expand...

hi renuka ji,
namasthubyam....karanaabhavaat karyabhavah bhavithum arhati....
yatra yatra dhoomaha.. tatra tatra vanihi...atra dhoomaha karyam
vanhihi karyam...kintu parvatho vanhimaan dhoomhah...atra
karyabhavaat karanabhavah asthi...

dhanyavadaha
tbs

tbs said:

hi renuka ji,
namasthubyam....karanaabhavaat karyabhavah bhavithum arhati....
yatra yatra dhoomaha.. tatra tatra vanihi...atra dhoomaha karyam
vanhihi karyam...kintu parvatho vanhimaan dhoomhah...atra
karyabhavaat karanabhavah asthi...

dhanyavadaha
tbs

Click to expand...

Dear tbs,
thanks for you sanskrit saying above, i read further and found this link to share with everyone.



http://www.yogamalika.org/sutra.html http://www.yogamalika.org/sutra2.html http://www.yogamalika.org/sutra4.html http://www.yogamalika.org/sutra5.html http://www.yogamalika.org/sutra6.html http://www.yogamalika.org/sutra7.html http://www.yogamalika.org/sutra8.html [FONT=arial,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Introduction to Brahma Sutrani - 3[/SIZE][/FONT]
Brahmasutra is a Nyaya Prathana which uses Nyaya or Reasoning to establish the Upanishadic teachings. Brahmasutra uses anumaanam (inference) based on pratyaksham(direct perception). Anumaanam has 4 factors which have been deeply studied by Taarkikas or Naiyaayikas. We borrow their method with slight modifications.The 4 factors involved in a syllogism(logical statement) are :

• Paksha (preposition to be proved in the syllogism)
• Saadhyam (the conclusion arrived at through the syllogism)
• Hetu (the reason for inference)
• Drishtaantam (an example in support of the syllogism)

An illustration is given to understand each factor:

For instance, the inference of fire on the mountain can be made by seeing the smoke. This is stated in the anumaanam vaakyam:
Parvatah agnimaan dhoomavatvaat yathaa mahaanase.
The four factors in this Anumana Vakyam are:

1. Paksha : the mountain, Parvatah
2. Saadhyam: the mountain which has fire, Agnimaan
3. Hetu: because of smoke, Dhoomavatvaat
4. Drishtaantam: the example, Yatha mahaanase, as seen in the fire place.

Paksha: The mountain is the paskha because it is the locus of discussion about which some conclusions has to be arrived at. The paksha should be perceptible or known and also partially visible.
Saadhyam: The conclusion is that the mountain has fire. This conclusion is not perceptully available, it is invisible.
Hetu: The smoke obtaining in the mountain is the cause. It is perceptible.

To arrive at this inference, the basic knowledge of the invariable co-existence of fire along with smoke has to be gathered through Pratyaksham. In the language of Tarka it is called Vyaapti . Vyaapti has 2 factors:

• Vyaaptam - yatra yatra dhoomah (wherever there is smoke).
• Vyaapakam - tatra tatra agni (there is fire)

Only if this is proved, the anumaana vaakyam is valid. The only means of validating the vyaapti vaakyam is 'perception'. For this a few standard cases are shown. Data is collected through observation and the conclusion arrived at will be about that object. Therefore, the data and conclusion should necessarily deal with the same object alone.

The use of Anumanam in the Brahma Sutras will be elaborated in the next sesion...
http://www.yogamalika.org/sutra.html http://www.yogamalika.org/sutra2.html http://www.yogamalika.org/sutra4.html http://www.yogamalika.org/sutra5.html http://www.yogamalika.org/sutra6.html http://www.yogamalika.org/sutra7.html http://www.yogamalika.org/sutra8.html [FONT=arial,helvetica][SIZE=-2]| List of Lectures by Swami Paramarthananda | Talks by Swami Dayananda |[/SIZE][/FONT]