THE SPIRITUAL MASTER
On the auspicious occasion of Vijayadasami day ,dedicated to Goddess Sarswathi, the presiding Deity for education, knowledge, wisdom and intellect I present a brief article titled 'THE SPIRITUAL MASTER' earnestly believing, will of interesting to you all.Let me reveal a Truth before I commence writing on the subject:-
"GURU ARUL ILLENDRAL THIRU ARUL ILLAI" I.E
"WITH OUT THE GRACE OF THE MASTER, NO GRACE OF GOD."
The term 'Spiritual 'Master' refers and means one who dispels darkness i.e spiritual ignorance . The Master with his collyrium of knowledge opens the eyes of the blinded by ignorance. To achieve this a spiritual aspirant should earnestly and with dedication seek the company of an enlightened persons. Spiritual knowledge cannot generally be attained without the guidance of a Spiritual Master.
As the sun lights the earth,the Master by his radiance of wisdom, awakens a spark in the heart of of his disciple to make the spiritual light shine within, and thereby he removes the darkness born of ignorance. The disciple needs to surrender to the Master in all humility and the Master in turn reveals the hidden treasures of Self Knowledge. Devotion to the Master leads to self control and mastery over the senses. By disciples association with the Master his mind becomes pure and he acquires the capacity to learn the 'Truth'.
The best and most suited way is to remain in all simplicity like children at the at the feet of the Master, hearing him with unflinching faith , devotion and dedication and carry out all his instruction implicitly.
The Master acts according to the calibre of the aspirant and if an aspirant thinks that the Master is also a man like him with a physical body, he can never progress. The Master out of compassion for the ignorance of the aspirant, assists him to correct the errors and to follow the right path. Firm faith and unstinted reverence to the Master would undoubtedly quicken the aspirants spiritual efflorescence. Those with deficiency with spiritual practices can benefit very much from the subtle impact of the association with the Spiritual Master who possess the power to transmit the spiritual impetus to the aspirants like a flash.
The ego in a person is like a huge wild elephant and can be controlled only with an aid of an effective weapon used to control and drive the elephant Similarly to effectively deal with the situation a Master is indispensable and is the goad to remove the ego of an aspirant and by surrendering to the Master one becomes entitled to the Master's unfailing grace and guidance in abundance as the Master never forsakes those who sincerely and in reality surrender to him.
Inspired Spiritual Masters who fill the air around them with spiritual fragrance are unassuming and are also averse to publicity. Their lights shines forth beyond their mortal frame. The aspirant should, therefore be pure, faithful and receptive for Master's grace.
The real purpose and its approprite,precise and meaningful interpretationscan be understood only through a Spiritual Master as Lord Krishan declared "Know the Guru to be me" and what more is needed to realise the greatness and imporance of a Spiritual Master? There may from time to time appear some noble and great souls who belongs to calss of their own and they can transmit self-realisation like a flash by mere glance and by the effulgence radiating from them and many of you are already aware of such appearnces and I don't intend to go with examples. Keep in mind that a Spiritual Master can make even a worst sinner, saints and seers by his mere will and you to have belief in this.

Food for thought
In every one of us there are two guiding and rulingprinciples, which lead us whither, they will।One is the natural desire of pleasure; the other is anacquired opinion, which aspires after the best.Sometimes the one, sometimes the other conquers.When opinion by the help of reason leads us to thebest, the conquering principle is called temperance,but when, desire, which is devoid of reason, rules inus and drags us to pleasure, that power of misrule iscalled excess. Now excess has many names, and many members and manyforms, and any of these forms when very marked gives aname, neither honourable nor creditable, to the bearerof the name. The desire of eating which gets thebetter of the higher reason and the other desire iscalled gluttony and he who is possessed by it iscalled glutton.

POWER OF INFLUENCE

Influencing skills:-

Is it an art or Science ? Left to me ,I would call it
an Art as well Science to practise and develop.

For instance,as a child of say about the age of 8 or 9
you could persuade your father to buy a new bi-cycle
for you. As soon as you have completed your schooling
you could convince your father let you opt for an
academic course of your choice and liking. In a job
interview, you could impress upon the interviewing
board that you are the best suited person for the job
and got the offer and later you have managed your team
to work effectively and if need be during week ends to
meet a decisive deadline. You had discussed with a
tough and difficult client into signing a high value
contract with your company- Now tell me what's the
secret behind all these achievements? The answer is
nothing but "YOUR POWER TO INFLUENCE PEOPLE"

Influence is the ability to get things done in a
desired way and is the key factor behind one's
success.
Influence plays a great role in building
relationship-It is a premise for negotiations and can
appear in many forms such as wealth,status,power,
cause or ability to communicate effectively. Of all
these ,ability to influence by virtue of one's
position, one's communication skills and work for a
cause are generally observed at work place. In the
present day conditions of lateral organisations, the
ability to lead is the decisive factor for growth and
Leadership is all about influencing others. The power
of influence is an inherent skill of human beings and
the degree of the success improves with the efforts to
develop the skill of influence.

What does it mean and take to influence people? First
of all you must be very clear about your expectations
from others and communicate this effectively to
them-this also includes influencing people to work to
achieve the common objectives.

If you are a Team leader or Manager this ability to
influence is vital for the success of the team. The
skill to effectively communicate your cause to other
persons is an important aspect of influencing.

To build rapport, to be a very good
listener,Understand and comprehend the expectations of
others,device suitable strategies to put your ideas
forward,to know to inspire,plead,convince,offer,
accommodate, demand and also threaten at times if
situation so warrant are part of factors of
influencing others.

Idea(s)-a very important aspect of influencing
people.Therefore be ready to accommodate others
idea(s)
and change your plans and ideas if it involves a
better cause.

All said and done man's progress and success
inevitably depends on the people around him, be it in
business or in relationship-who may or may not
correspond with his ideas-hence it is essential to
brighten your influencing skills in order to remain
successful and happy.

J.K

Have you ever gone through a balance sheet of a Man's
life ? Here it is for you to go through:-

Balance Sheet of Man's Life:-

Have a look at it carefully and 'am looking forward to
your views and comments on omissions (if any).

Father is our authorised, subscribed and paid up
capital.(In other words founder & promoter)

Mother is our good will.

Our Birth is our Opening Balance.

Our Death is our Closing Balance.

Our Prejudiced Views are our Liabilities.

Our Creative Ideas are our Assets.

Heart is our Current Asset.

Soul is our Fixed Asset.

Brain is our Fixed Deposit.

Thinking is our Current Account.

Achievements are our brand equity.

Character & Morals, our Stock-in-Trade.

Friends are our General Reserves.

Values & Behaviour are our brand image and recognition

Patience and perseverance are our Interest Earned.

Broad out look and smiling disposition are our
additional resources.

Love and liking are our Dividends.

Children are our premium Bonus Issues.

Education is Brands / Patents.

Knowledge is our Investment.

Experience is our Premium Account.

Good values of living,right thinking,righteous and
ethical conduct are the profits.

Jealous, ego, misconduct, unethical practises are
losses.

Notes on accounts are corrective steps to lead a good
life with simplicity and compassion.

There should not be any suspense account in the
balance sheet of life, instead there can be surprise
account.

The Aim is to Tally the Balance Sheet of life
Accurately.

The Goal is to get the Best Presented Balance sheet
Award from divine and supreme sources.

Have great life to present a nice balance sheet.

J.K

LIFE'S LIKE THAT- LEARN TO ADAPT AT ALL CIRCUMSTANCES AND LEAD YOUR LIFE TO FULFIL YOUR MISSION.

I earnestly believe, these compilation of quotes will help many ,with perseverence to read.

"Nothing is more noble, nothing more venerable than fidelity. Faithfulness and truth are the most sacred excellences and endowments of the human mind."

"There will be times in life when impossibility is felt, but then there are dreams - and dreams allow us possibility."

"Every problem has in it the seeds of its own solution. If you don't have any problems, you don't get any seeds."

"Know how to listen, and you will profit even from those who talk badly."

"The essence of life is finding something you really love and then making the daily experience worthwhile."

"No one lives long enough to learn everything they need to learn starting from scratch. To be successful, we absolutely, positively have to find people who have already paid the price to learn the things that we need to learn to achieve our goals."


"Never allow anyone to rain on your parade and thus cast a pall of gloom and defeat on the entire day. Remember that no talent, no self-denial, no brains, no character, are required to set up in the fault-finding business. Nothing external can have any power over you unless you permit it. Your time is too precious to be sacrificed in wasted days combating the menial forces of hate, jealously, and envy. Guard your fragile life carefully. Only God can shape a flower, but any foolish child can pull it to pieces."

"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good."

"What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing."

"Fear is a question: What are you afraid of, and why? Just as the seed of health is in illness, because illness contains information, your fears are a treasure house of self-knowledge if you explore them."

"A tulip doesn't strive to impress anyone. It doesn't struggle to be different than a rose. It doesn't have to. It is different. And there's room in the garden for every flower."

"Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes."

"You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover will be yourself."

"Gratitude is a duty which ought to be paid, but which none have a right to expect."

"It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it's the journey that matters in the end."

"A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body."

"If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow."

"If your sword's too short, add to its length by taking one step forward."

"The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: decide what you want." -

"Success will not lower its standard to us. We must raise our standard to success."

"Success is the good fortune that comes from aspiration, desperation, perspiration and inspiration."

"Happiness is the interval between periods of unhappiness."

" Don't think of the past. The only thing that matters is the everlasting present."

"This art of resting the mind and the power of dismissing from it all care and worry is probably one of the secrets of energy in our great men."

"When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad, and that is my religion."

"The hatred you're carrying is a live coal in your heart - far more damaging to yourself than to them." -

"Confidence is the hinge on the door to success."

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

"I have become my own version of an optimist. If I can't make it through one door, I'll go through another door - or I'll make a door. Something terrific will come no matter how dark the present."

"The cure for all ills and wrongs, the cares, the sorrows and the crimes of humanity, all lie in the one word 'love.' It is the divine vitality that everywhere produces and restores life."

"An effort made for the happiness of others lifts us above ourselves."

"Pay no attention to what the critics say... Remember, a statue has never been set up in honour of a critic!"




"True happiness is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose".

"The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof".






"The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it".

"Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves - slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. Live the actual moment. Only this moment is life".

"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies".

"A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they are".

"Courage is never to let your actions be influenced by your fears".

"Waste not the smallest thing created, for grains of sand make mountains, and atomise infinity".

"The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives".

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen".

"To live in an evolutionary spirit means to engage with full ambition and without any reserve in the structure of the present, and yet to let go and flow into a new structure when the right time has come".

"Memory... is the diary that we all carry about with us".

"You must give some time to your fellow men. Even if it's a little thing, do something for others - something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it".

"People may not remember what you did for them, or even what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel."

"Make not your thoughts your prisons".

"Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it".

"Your life changes the moment you make a new, congruent, and committed decision."

"The meaning of life is to find your gift, the purpose of life is to give it away".

"Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance."

"Believe in the impossible. We have the power to make this an amazing society ... if we work together. Be a part of it. Make waves".

"Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will never be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared"

Knowledge speaks. Wisdom listens.

Be The Change: How well do you really listen? The next time you engage in conversation, watch where your mind is when the other person is talking.

"Be a good listener. Your ears will never get you in trouble."

"Many people are afraid to forgive because they feel they must remember the wrong or they will not learn from it. The opposite is true. Through forgiveness, the wrong is released from its emotional stranglehold on us so that we can learn from it".

"There's no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love doing. There is only a scarcity of resolve to make it happen."

"I not only use all the brains that I have, but all that I can borrow."

"You can't help getting older, but you don't have to get old. New dreams, new works in progress that's the ticket for a long and happy ride."

"Take the attitude of a student, Never be too big to ask questions, Never know to much to learn something new."

"If there were in the world today any large number of people who desired their own happiness more than they desired the unhappiness of others, we could have paradise in a few years."

"Everyone has the obligation to ponder well his own specific traits of character. He must also regulate them adequately and not wonder whether someone else's traits might suit him better. The more definitely his own a man's character is, the better it fits him."

"We would never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy in the world."

"Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell 'em, 'Certainly I can!' Then get busy and find out how to do it."

"A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him."



"If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we aren't really living."

"No one lives long enough to learn everything they need to learn starting from scratch. To be successful, we absolutely, positively have to find people who have already paid the price to learn the things that we need to learn to achieve our goals."

"Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought."

"Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable."

"The secret of greatness is simple: do better work than any other man in your field - and keep on doing it."

"Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there."

"Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact."

"Advance confidently in the direction of your dreams to live the life that you have imagined. That's when you have success."

"People take different roads seeking fulfilment and happiness. Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost."

"The best thing to give to your enemy is forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to your child, a good example; to a father, deference; to your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you; to yourself, respect; to all men, charity."

"Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom."

"We are so vain that we even care for the opinion of those we don't care for."

"When one door closes, another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the ones which open for us."

"Lead the life that will make you kindly and friendly to everyone about you, and you will be surprised what a happy life you will lead."

"I would never have amounted to anything were it not for adversity. I was forced to come up the hard way."

"Heroes take journeys, confront dragons, and discover the treasure of their true selves."

"I learned that it is the weak who are cruel, and that gentleness is to be expected only from the strong."

"You have not lived a perfect day, even though you have earned your money, unless you have done something for someone who will never be able to repay you."

"A real leader faces the music, even when he doesn't like the tune."

"Do not wait; the time will never be just right. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along."

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them."

"In order for people to be happy, sometimes they have to take risks. It's true these risks can put them in danger of being hurt."

"There's no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love doing. There is only a scarcity of resolve to make it happen."

"To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe."

"It's not who we are that holds us back, it's who we think we're not."

The rung of a ladder was never meant to rest upon, but only to hold a man's foot long enough to enable him to put the other somewhat higher."

"If you develop the absolute sense of certainty that powerful beliefs provide, then you can get yourself to accomplish virtually anything, including those things that other people are certain are impossible."

"We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience."

"Don't be afraid of showing affection. Be warm and tender, thoughtful and affectionate. Men are more helped by sympathy than by service. Love is more than money, and a kind word will give more pleasure than a present." -

"We don't receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take us or spare us."

"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm."

You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.

Compiled by J.K

Know more about bananas and ensure to include to your daily diet.

There is so much in it-read and find out.

This is very interesting.There is so much in banana from health point of view, after reading this, you'll NEVER look at bananas in the same way again - It contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber, it gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two of this fruit provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder it is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way it can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression:

According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating this fruit. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS:

Forget the pills - eat this fruit. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia:

High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of haemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anaemia.

Blood Pressure:

This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power:

200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating this fruit at breakfast, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation:

High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers:

One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. This fruit calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn:

Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness:

Snacking on this fruit between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites:

Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves:

Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work:

Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers:

The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronic ulcer cases. It also neutralises over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control:

Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):

Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, tryptophan.

Smoking:

Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress:

Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalise the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be re-balanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes:

According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine", eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%"

Warts:

Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

A banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around.

A banana contains:

86 calories in a medium banana
1 gram of protein
3 grams of dietary fiber
26.9 g carbohydrates
23.9 g sugar
467 mg Potassium
43 mg Magnesium
27 mg Phosphorus
7 mg Calcium
1.3 mg Selenium
.4 mg Iron
Also trace amounts of zinc, manganese and copper
95 IU Vitamin A
11 mg Vitamin C
22.5 mcg Folate (important during pregnancy)
.7mcg Vitamin B6
.6 mg Niacin
.31 mg Pantothenic Acid
.67 IU Vitamin E

So, the good old saying"An Apple a day keeps doctor away" has to be re-written like "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

Make it a habit to eat bananas in your daily diet.

GOD's there.

Whatever your cross,
whatever your pain,

there will always be sunshine,
after the rain ....

Perhaps you may stumble,
perhaps even fall,

But God's always ready,
To answer your call ...

He knows every heartache,
sees every tear,

A word from His lips,
can calm every fear ...

Your sorrows may linger,
throughout the night,

But suddenly vanish,
in dawn's early light ...

The Savior is waiting,
somewhere above,

To give you His grace,
and send you His love ..

Whatever your cross,
whatever your pain,

"God always sends rainbows ....
after the rain ... "

and always be sure that HIS plans are perfect.
HE works in ways in which we cannot even think of…

Hindu Bride's attire and make-up at wedding.


For an Indian bride the wedding day is the most important day of her life. She has lots of expectations and hope for this day. Most of the girls in our country have lots of dreams for this day since it marks the beginning of their journey into womanhood.

Every bride wants to look best on this day. Different kinds of beauty rituals are associated with this day as her female friends and relatives spend the whole day preparing her for the occasion. The full beautification consists of sixteen parts from head to toe. On this very special day of her life she wants to look the best. She epitomises beauty on this special day. The bride's make up and beautification starts from the top with her hair and ends with her toe.

First her hair is washed and oiled and adorned with flowers and other ornaments for the hair. It is decorated with borla, a conical shaped ornament for the head. Then a paste of turmeric, oil, and gram flower is used as a scrub and a cream for the bride's hands and arms. Then her forehead is decorated with a mang-tikka or bhor ornament, which is worn along the hairline. The face is also adorned. And the eyes are highlighted with kajal to give a beautiful look and effect. Make up is applied on face with talcum powder and lipstick. A nose ring is worn. It can be made of gold, pearl or diamond.

In some regions and community nose rings are never removed, and they become symbol of married woman like mangalsutra. Earrings are also worn on ears. They are of different shapes and sizes. Necklaces of different designs and sizes are worn around the neck. It can be of different lengths short, long or choker or collar type. The bride also wears floral garland. On hands, bangles and bracelets are worn. It is the most visible part, so bangles and bracelets are one of the most important adornments worn by the bride. Bangles can be of different kinds. They can be made of gold, silver, iron, ivory, glass, ceramic or other metals depending upon the custom and rituals of the particular region.

Armlets are also worn on the upper arm, which can be made of different metals. Mehndi designs are made on the hands and feet. On the waist elaborate gold or silver belts are worn. The belts serve the purpose of keeping the bride's sari in place. And last but not least the toes are also adorned. Various kinds of toe rings are worn that can be simple or elaborate looking.

The bridal sari is considered the most important part of beautification. It is always red in colour because red is considered auspicious. The sari usually has rich and heavy embroidery with gold and silver threads some also has beads work on it.

Bride is now ready with beautiful,charming and divine look for the wedding ceremony.

Some very Good and Very bad things

The most destructive habit......................Worry

The greatest Joy...............................Giving

The greatest loss................Loss of self-respect

The most satisfying work...............Helping others

The ugliest personality trait.......... ...Selfishness

The most endangered species.........Dedicated leaders

Our greatest natural resource...............Our youth

The greatest "shot in the arm"..........Encouragement

The greatest problem to overcome.................Fear

The most effective sleeping pill........Peace of mind

The most crippling failure disease............Excuses

The most powerful force in life..................Love

The most dangerous pariah..................A gossiper

The world's most incredible computer........The brain

The worst thing to be without................... Hope

The deadliest weapon.......................The tongue

The two most power-filled words..............."I Can"

The greatest asset..............................Faith

The most worthless emotion..................Self-pity

The most beautiful attire......................SMILE!

The most prized possession................Integrity

The most powerful channel of communication.....Prayer

The most contagious spirit.................Enthusiasm

The most important thing in life..................GOD

Now you know what to retain and what to get rid of.

SECRET OF SUCCESS AND GREATNESS IN LIFE REVEALED - READ


"Nothing is more noble, nothing more venerable than fidelity. Faithfulness and truth are the most sacred excellences and endowments of the human mind."

"There will be times in life when impossibility is felt, but then there are dreams - and dreams allow us possibility."

"Know how to listen, and you will profit even from those who talk badly."

"The essence of life is finding something you really love and then making the daily experience worthwhile."

"No one lives long enough to learn everything they need to learn starting from scratch. To be successful, we absolutely, positively have to find people who have already paid the price to learn the things that we need to learn to achieve our goals."

"A tulip doesn't strive to impress anyone. It doesn't struggle to be different than a rose. It doesn't have to. It is different. And there's room in the garden for every flower."

"You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover will be yourself."

"Success will not lower its standard to us. We must raise our standard to success."

"Success is the good fortune that comes from aspiration, desperation, perspiration and inspiration."

"I have become my own version of an optimist. If I can't make it through one door, I'll go through another door - or I'll make a door. Something terrific will come no matter how dark the present."

"Pay no attention to what the critics say... Remember, a statue has never been set up in honour of a critic!"

"The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it".

"You must give some time to your fellow men. Even if it's a little thing, do something for others - something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it".

"People may not remember what you did for them, or even what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel."

“Knowledge speaks. Wisdom listens.”

"A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him."

"No one lives long enough to learn everything they need to learn starting from scratch. To be successful, we absolutely, positively have to find people who have already paid the price to learn the things that we need to learn to achieve our goals."

"Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought."

"The secret of greatness is simple: do better work than any other man in your field - and keep on doing it."

"Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there."


"The best thing to give to your enemy is forgiveness; to an opponent, tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to your child, a good example; to a father, deference; to your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you; to yourself, respect; to all men, charity."

“You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great. “

Compiled by J.K

LIMITLESS FAITH

"Faith is the limitless power of God within
oneself.God knows through his consciousness, that he
created everything , so faith means the knowledge and
conviction that we are made in the image of God. When
we are attuned to His consciousness within us, we can
create worlds. Remember, in your will lies the
almighty power of God.


When a host of difficulties
comes and you refuse to give up in spite of them, when
your mind becomes "SET", then you will find God
responding to you."

NOBLE DOs

" Sing songs that none have sung,
Think thoughts that never in brain have rung,
Walk in paths that none have trod,
Weep tears as none have shed for God,
Give peace to all to whom none other gave,
Claim him your own who's everywhere disclaimed,
Love all with Love that none have felt,
AND
Brave the battle of life with strength unchained."

Importance of Financial knowledge for effective decision making.

Do not be under the wrong notion that the subject matter pertains and concerns only CFO's, Accountants and Financial executives alone.

It is essential that non-finance managers, business leaders,CEO's, Managing Directors,Sales Managers,Departmental Heads and even supervisory caders are expected to have basic financial knowledge for effective decision making in their organisation at their respective levels.

It is essential to know how to read and understand a balance sheet, cash flow , assets &liabilities,depreciation, P&L ,reserves, surpluses etc.etc.

Many of the executives and employees harbour a mortal fear of accounts and lack in basic financial concepts,and in the process of this ignorance, they even do not know how money comes in, how money is managed and accounted for in business.The most routine financial statements continues to bamboozle them and there is no wonder that businesses fall and fail due to poor Cash management.How can Managers make informed business decision without distinguishing how the finance of the business actually operate?How can the employees perform effectively without understanding the basic financial aspects of the business of the organisation they work ?

Lack of executive level financial awareness of malpractices like pilfering,manipulations, embezzlement etc. can lead for more clued-up elements.

Calculating and assessing the over all financial health of the business is an important part and core aspect of any managerial position, as highlighted by Mr.Karen Berman in his famous book "FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE". Companies to expect and ensure Managers to use financial data to allocate resources and run their department cost effectively, and with end result of profitability. Many managers are at a loss without knowing to read a balance sheet and to calculate return on investment etc. apart from many other relevant aspects.

In the present scenario, many business being in choppy waters- mangers , executives, business leaders are required to possess sound financial literacy more than ever before. Business complexities, legal regulations , bindings and certain practises have made the financial acumen crucial. Without basic and fundamental number sense and awareness , executives and managers cannot decipher financial statements or arrive at the net present value of the business- and if you can't read a balance sheet and understand its contents, its going to be pretty difficult to craft required business strategies.

Only by understanding the financial aspects of the business, like Income statement,P&L statement,assets and liabilities cash flow, depreciation, costing etc. decision makers can comprehend the business implications of the day to day and with this insight, they will be angle to analyse the statements, grasp the required information and monitor future growth and development on an on going basis- and prepare themselves for plans of actions and bolster effective decision making capabilities.Poor and ineffective corporate decisions are a direct result of lack of awareness of the dire implications on the financial structure of the business. Knowledge of factors like capital turn over,debt ratio, equity ratio,working capital management will enable the business managers to create proper strategies when comes to financial planning, budgeting and forecasting which in turn will assist to increase profitability by achieving business targets effectively and efficiently.

Business Managers need not necessarily become experts in accounts and finance, but are expected to possess with basic finance and accounting principles in order to understand the "bottom line"and therefore it is imperative for mangers of organisations to possess working knowledge of finance in general and should be in a position to to identify the financial skills needed for business development.

In view of the above organisations should arrange and organise work place financial education to develop employee skills in the financial sphere as the employees cannot be afford to be inadequately informed of the money matters. Once the financial health of the organisation is clean and clear and every one knows how to impact the bottom line, it make them efficient and confident at work. It is the bounden duty of the management of the organisation to impart basic financial education and knowledge to it employees without any second thought, and the role of the CFO and his team has to look upon this aspect in all earnestness ,to impart basic financial knowledge to their employees.

Create a proper system in place to indoctrinate new employees on finance while inducting and make them understand the basic importance and value of finance and its relevant application and operations in the organisation.

An executive or Manager is incomplete to an organisation without basic financial knowledge and skill and it is the responsibility of the management to inculcate this knowledge and skill in them while inducting ,with periodical reviews.

J.K

NEVER POSTPONE WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO- TODAY.

One should never postpone anything that has to be done, as” procrastination is thief of time”. Do not allow even a moment to be stolen from you. If you keep an account of the number of times you say, ‘I should have done this yesterday’ or I should have been more cautious and careful before, then you will realize that when you had the opportunity, you let it slip by, saying, I will do it tomorrow, or next week, or next month or next year and so on.

Always remember the simple fact that “What you have to do today, do it today or else To-day will become, yesterday by tomorrow.”

Here is a simple tip to follow. Spend half an hour alone with yourself soon after waking up and use part of this time for contemplation, for prayer and the rest of the time reflect on the purpose of your life, what and where your duty is. Do not allow the mind to say, “you cannot allow spend this time. If you persist in this, you will find that the mind learns to enjoy this half an hour without any useful purpose.

Spend some time alone before retiring to slumber at night, Now review the day, see how much of your precious life (time) you have wasted and how fast you slipped from the resolves made in the morning and how you can correct this so that you once more regain self control, self confidence and a purposeful direction in your life.

The only way to make the best use of today is to live in the present, purposeful as well useful for self and others.

ACHIEVEMENTS.

Have firm determination and burning desire for achievements in life and earnestly work for it.

"What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals."

"Nothing stops the man who desires to achieve. Every obstacle is simply a course to develop his achievement muscle. It's a strengthening of his powers of accomplishment."

"We are built to conquer environment, solve problems, achieve goals, and we find no real satisfaction or happiness in life without obstacles to conquer and goals to achieve."



"Having once decided to achieve a certain task, achieve it at all costs of tedium and distaste. The gain in self confidence of having accomplished a tiresome labor is immense."



"What do you want to achieve ?or avoid? The answers to this questions are objectives. How will you go about achieving your desired results? The answer to this you can call strategy."

"To desire is to obtain; to aspire is to achieve."

"Great thinking precedes great achievement."

"Spectacular achievement is always preceded by spectacular preparation."

"Today's preparation determines tomorrow's achievement."



"Every great achievement is the victory of a flaming heart."

"You never achieve real success unless you like what you are doing."

"Happiness does not lie in happiness, but in the achievement of it."

"It's how you deal with failure that determines how you achieve success."

"What ever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve."

"The results you achieve will be in direct proportion to the effort you apply."

"Enthusiasm is the mother of effort, and without it nothing great was ever achieved."

"He who has achieved success has worked well, laughed often and loved much."

"Nothing is as difficult as to achieve results in this world if one is filled with full of great tolerance and the milk of human kindness. The person who achieves must generally be a one-idea individual, concentrated entirely on that one idea, and ruthless in his aspect toward other men and other ideas."

AND ALWAYS BEAR IN MIND,BE IT IN PERSONAL LIFE OR COMMERCIAL LIFE:-

"TEAM"

"Together
Everyone
Achieves
More."

Be Great Achievers.

WHAT IS YOUR CONCEPTION OF GOD?

Whatever conception you have of God, if it does not influence your daily life, conduct and interaction with others with Like & Love and if you do not experience inspiration from it, and if it is not felt universally necessary, then that conception is meaningless and useless.

God the infinite, Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Divine, Merciful, Benevolent, personal etc. these conceptions are not sufficiently enough, compelling one to try to know Him and is of not for immediate and practical use of those conceptions in our busy and pre-occupied, rushing life.

If God is not conceived in a way that we cannot do with out Him in the meeting of wants, in our interaction with people, in earning money, in performing the most trifling or the highest of duties, then it is clear that one has not felt any reality and relationship between God and life- What a malady of living?

What one conceives of God should be of daily rather hourly, guidance. The very conception of God should stir and stir one to seek Him in the midst of our daily lives. This is what is meant by pragmatic, realistic, compelling and convincing conception of God. Take the God out of the sphere of belief and see it as truth in our daily life. To move a further step forward -bear in mind “GOD IS- REST IS NOT’ should be the spirit and attitude with which we should lead and live daily, and trust me: -

“In the hearts of men lives God.
He shall whisper to feel in your heart, the vibrations of
Wake up and walk up to the light ‘am leading you
To brighten up the sky and your lives always.”

J.K

ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL


The following is one of my favorite poetries I have
learned when I was studying in middle school way back
in late 1950's, now I have downloaded this from google
search. I love this poetry and thought of forwarding
to you all my readers and hope you too will like it.

J.K


All things bright and beautiful,
all creatures great and small,
all things wise and wonderful:
the Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,
each little bird that sings,
God made their glowing colors,
and made their tiny wings.


The purple-headed mountains,
the river running by,
the sunset and the morning
that brightens up the sky.


The cold wind in the winter,
the pleasant summer sun,
the ripe fruits in the garden:
God made them every one.


God gave us eyes to see them,
and lips that we might tell
how great is God Almighty,
who has made all things well.

&

All things bringht and beautiful

THE REALISATION OF REALITY.

“Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this divine within, by controlling nature, external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy, by one, or more, or all of these- be free and feel free.”
-SWAMI VIVEKANANDA-

Life is a precious gift. It is the gateway to freedom and light, but is seldom seen and experienced as a manifestation of colur and beauty, love and compassion.

We all live in world of uncertainity,(Life is like a drop of water on the Lotus Leaf) it is impermeneant, illusory-a place of pain, non-eternal. Here happiness is a mirage, which never eludes us. Joy is only an interlude between continuing sufferings. Man and nature seems to have conspired to add to our woes.There is apprehension in man’s mind, a sense of bewilderment at the state of our being and the inevitability of death which none can escape.

How is one to face re-birth ? What can one expect to be incarnted into ? With his present make-up and the sum total, how canm he hope to improve his position, much less be and heir to,the bliss and beautitude of life everlasting ?

Can we ever change our destiny?Can we ever conquer death and attain a state where there is no want,sorrow,suffering, sickness and old age i.e. a state of permenant bliss and beautitude ? So many profound questions for which baffled humanity seeks an answer.

Most of us ,ever remain busy in our day to day pursuits, seldom ask ourselves the questions:-
Who am I ?
Where did I come from ?
Why do I exist ?
Where am I going ?

Confused about the real and ultimate goal of life, which is ‘SELF REALISATION’-to come face to face with the reality and be free. Stress is on living a life of purity. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. To be pure is to be pure in thought and action.. To live one has to work. We are born to work. Work is the greatest salvation of mankind. It can inevitablty lead one towards the supreme goal- THE REALISATION OF REALITY.

The secret is “To perform right action without attachment and with out hoping for the results of our actions.By performing action without attachment and surrendering all actions to the Supreme,leads one to the supreme.

Question arises what is right action. To act in unison with in the divine, rather unselfish and detached action. It springs from right thinking motivated by [pure mind which is ever blessed with divine grace, its like a rippleless lake, cleasr and transparent.) This is THE REALISATION OF REALITY. Mind and action go together as fire and heat-One cannot exist with out the other. Mind is the source of all our actions. It can be the cause of the bondage as also the key to liberation and the mind plays the most dominant role in one's life.

Desire, what is it? It is the projection of one's mind, is the root cause of all evils and ills One suffer more by desire of things rather than lack of things. Therefore the mind should be without desire. Once there is no desire , there is no ego and mind remains without fear,,envy,anger and hatred. One who has acquired these awaremesses and reaches the serenity(Its difficult ofcourse-but possible)has achieved all that needs to achieve in life.

J.K

THE REALITIES OF SELF REALISATION

Realization means to accomplish that genuinely and really exists i.e. the divine bliss-The God. There are realities to understand and to follow to accomplish to commune with God, realize the truth and attain God.

The material a scientific inventor uses, make the force of nature to make the environment of man better and comfortable whereas the one a realized spiritual master uses, the mind power to enlighten the soul as the mind power shows the man the way to inner happiness and gives him immunity to external inconveniences and disturbances, therefore the guidance and teachings of a genuine spiritual Master is inevitable and indispensable. Excessive worldly ambitions will be negative, adverse and is detrimental to spiritual advancement- behind every rose bush of pleasure, hides rattlesnake of sufferings and pain- please beware of this truth.

Self-realization means realizing your true self as the great ocean of spirit by breaking the delusion that you are” this little ego”, this human body and personality. The true basis of spirituality is not belief but an intuitive experience as “intuition” is soul’s power of knowing God, and to know what spirituality is one must know God. Faith is different from belief. Faith is rooted in experience whereas belief is provisional faith. Do not be satisfied with daily meditations and prayers until you have found God. A donkey may carry bundles of holy books on its back, doest it mean it has become spiritual? No, on the contrary the very weight of the holy books on its back deprives it of any peace and happiness it may have had when it was carrying nothing.

The law of life is designed to teach us how to live in harmony and kindness with objective nature and with our true inner nature .Do not ever treat others unkindly, if you do so you will in turn receive only unkindness in your life and your heart will grow dry and pale. When you know that, this LAW IS and conduct yourself appropriately, to live in lasting happiness, good health and perfect harmony within us. And the law of life is “the less one lives in harmony with truth within, the more one suffers”, whereas the more one lives in harmony within the truth, will experience unceasing happiness and nothing can come his way causing barriers. Therefore learn to dwell always in the self within. Harmony is the way to love and follow this way at all times.

Now let me come to the core aspect of the subject. “TEN MAXIMS” - our Divine Master’s beautiful creation. Live by the ten maxims of Sahaj Marg given to us with the blessings and grace of our Divine Master- watch your progress and then see the difference- it will indeed be amazing. You have got to experience to believe it. It may take time and one has to wait with patience, perseverance and positive ness. Just imagine the amount of divine thoughts and vibrations have been applied to create such a wonderful way of living by our beloved and divine Master for the benefit and betterment of Abhyasis and humanity. One must read it daily without skipping and should form a habit of every day. By reading daily you keep constantly remembering the ten maxims and it becomes easier to implement into our day-to-day activities and interaction with others. The Master has made it further more easy by not insisting to adhere to the maxims in seriatim but to ones convenience but to start and complete is the idea and the at the end the result will be fabulous, marvelous and blissful. You will never know what worry and unhappiness is and will know only True Love. Do not ignore this-Ignorance is not bliss but a sin. An error born out of ignorance.

Forget about the past. The vanished lives of most men are dark with many shames. Instead anchor yourself in divine living and leave your anger and things in future will impress and change for good by making earnest spiritual efforts. It is easy to sin-but the effects of the sin, however are not easy to dismiss. The actions of the sins also can be cleansed through meditation, prayer, and right attitude and action by the divine grace of the Master. Please do not have even an iota of doubt on this. Never count your flaws and faults, instead ensure that your Love for God is deeply sincere, for God does not mind your imperfections, and he minds your indifference.

Spiritual ignorance is the greatest sin and paves way for all other sins. Every action, every thought reaps its own corresponding rewards, there fore only good actions and good thoughts should be regulated within oneself. Human sufferings is not a sign of God’s anger with mankind, it’s a sign of man’s ignorance of his divine law, the law is forever infallible in its working. As long as you enjoy living in this dreams of delusion, so long you will go for re-birth after re-birth, experiencing the pains and pleasures of the physical body and material world- Lord Krishna has described it in Bhagavad-Gita, as a great wheel, endlessly keeps turning. If you do not understand this, you will deny yourself of Self-realization. However should one earnestly desire to get out of this, will be released.

Please do always remember that freedom is your eternal destiny and God realization is your ultimate goal and whenever desires trouble your mind, think of truth and ecstasy and desires will vanish and calm down yourself in eternal relationship with the Master.

With Love and Regards.

Yours in divine friendship.

JK

SWEETER THAN HONEY: WHAT'S IT- ITS MONEY......READ

The fresh out of the mint the money shows its colour
and sparkle to shine of its value. Then suddenly a
banker picks that currency notes and pushes to the
stacks in the bank safe. It travels thru the places
and reaches to the common man out of window on a
counter.

A man slides it into the vaulet happy as ever and goes
to the marketplace and spends in turns of goods and
services. he is satisfied with the things he gets out
of exchange of money. Keep doing work hard to get it
and spend it the way he likes. Well money keeps its
journey on. The trader gets his hands on it to
expansion of his business. He lends in the market and
make more money and gets interests.

It reaches to the finacial institution and they invest
it in the stocks in exchange for certificates. the
drive of the money accelerates the stock price and
boost the value of person who invested it. The
business who gets it uses it to generate profit and
give out salaries. The person gets the salary and
utilize to make his living.

The life of money makes its move as it rotates thru
people. The more hand it changes more people are
touched by the value of it. More it is used the more
it shines. Keeping it to one self does not make value
forever. Using it gets back more to all who has been
touched by this.

It still is same currency note as it came out of mint.
It has lost its colour, little torn somewhere,
scrached and supple. Nevertheless, Its value never
decreased. It remains same. It changes life. It
suffices purpose in life. Shell out a little and make
its reach wider ever and forever.

The magnetism the money has got is such that the more
you invest it the more it gets to you. Show off the
things that you possess. Make use what you have, It
will get you more and more............and less and
less ...............(Leaving the blank for
appropriately to be filled as per individul's likings
and choice.

GOD- THE OMNISCIENT.

The God is the friend and well-wisher of all beings, the selfless benefactor of all persons, the dweller in the hearts of all creatures, the dispenser of the fruits of every action and the witness of all thoughts and feelings. The supreme God is omniscient, who knows and ordains. The attachment of true knowledge is through the grace of God alone. One, who knows God’s real nature, is blessed and by God’s grace gets godly powers.

The all-knowing God through his two natures, higher and lower, is the cause of the universe. It is a matter of common experience that the ‘self ‘is dear to every one. As he realizes the God as his own Self, he is dear to the knowledge and knowledgeable

In fact the God is the Self of all and should be dear to all. But the truly discerning alone knows this and hence they alone hold on and cling to God ad dearer than every thing else. He who resorts to God, the Self of all, is indeed a high soul.

The supreme God is Kala (TIME) as he is the ordained of even time, the controller of all. He, who is disgusted with this constant whirl of birth and death, is alone competent to gain the knowledge of the true nature of God. None else is fit to attain that knowledge. This could be one of the reasons that Kala (Time) is in preference to God in the sequence referred to in epic/Vedanta which reads:-

1.Yatnam (Effort)
2.Prayatnam(Effort in the right direction)
3.KALAM (TIME)
Deivam (God).

J.K

The following four felicitous qualities are difficult to attain:-

1.Charity done with pleasing words.

2.Wisdom without arrogance.

3.Valour with forbearance.

4.Wealth without tight-fistedness.

BUT ARE NOT IMPOSSIBLE.
&
Nepolian had mentioned on IMPOSSIBLE as:-

Is the word found only in the dictionary of fools.

ASPECTS OF IGNORANCE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BONDAGE OF THE WORLDLY LIFE.

It goes without saying that “Viveka Chudamni” is one of the masterly work on advaitic thought Sri. Adi Sankaracharya, and this deal with the subject matter. Viveka Chudamani deals with the nature of the bondage and analyses the ways and means to get rid of it for attainment of ultimate liberation.

The two powers of ignorance can be described as ‘avarana’ (veiling) and ‘vikshepa’ (projection). All problems of human life arise from identifying the non-self with the self, more the identification more the bondage leading to bindings, and man gets bound by his own deeds, just like the caterpillar by the threads of its cocoon. There can be and there is only one reality that is ‘self’. The entire world and its objects that we see are illusory appearances like a dream sequence and the mistaken identity, considering the worldly objects to be real is really a reel and is responsible for all bondage.

Illusory appearances have two fold powers .1. They can veil the reality 2. they can project one thing as the other and on account of these powers, ignorance covers up the true nature of the self as the sun is eclipsed by a minor luminary of the sky.

Being veiled by such ignorance, man forgets his own self as being of the form of supreme bliss and starts thinking that he is unhappy and searches for pleasure from outside sources which push him more and more deep into the quagmire of desire and bondage. He identifies himself with the body, which is non-self and rises to binding fetters of lust, anger and like things.

Here please remember what Lord Krishna in Bahagavad Gita had described “Lust and anger leads to infatuation, loss of intellect and ultimate destruction”.

The same idea is emphasized in Viveka Chudamani. The self is the real nature of every being and is therefore present in every being. But due to wrong identification with the body and the senses makes one feel that he is different from the self, and such a feeling of the difference is the root cause of lust, jelousey and anger. And these base instincts push and pull a man into the boundless ocean of samsar, that is, cycle of birth and death.

Doubt may arise, if the self is but one and if its real nature is of supreme joy, how can it ever be veiled by lesser things? The answer is that ignorance and egoism are unfortunately endowed with such a power of veiling even the supreme self, until true knowledge dawns.

The mind and the senses owe their existence to the self, but project themselves as the true nature of the self. A wise man who realizes this truth controls the mind and the senses and basks in glory of the self, while the ignorant man, enslaved by the mind and senses, lose track and get entangled in the miseries of the worldly life. You will notice that ultimately the two powers of ignorance (illusory world) i.e. veiling and projecting (avarana and vikshepa) are responsible for the bondage because of which man superimposes the perishable body on the eternal self and undergoes countless cycles of births and deaths not knowing the ways and means of liberation.

Ignorance may start in a small way like a seed of a tree. But if it is allowed to sprout up, will lead to superimposition of the body on the self. The small plant of ignorance sprouted out of the seed is watered by worldly desires, the vital airs are the branches, the sense organs are the tips of those branches, the sense objects are the flowers, the momentary joys and sorrows are the fruits. The bird that sits on the tree and enjoys the fruits of action is the individual soul (jiva) The tree of worldly life projects itself seemingly impregnable but likely to get uprooted at any time. If a man feels that he does not have peace, it is he himself who is responsible for such a state. He has brought upon himself miseries by his own deeds and desires. He cannot blame any one else for his bondage, which is caused by his own ignorance.

Now the question arises how can the endless chain of births, deaths, desires, longings and bondage can be destroyed- only by real knowledge in the form of discrimination between the non-self and self, is capable of destroying the chain. Following the traditions, the mere knowledge will lead, to pride and egoism as said by Adi Sankaracharya, but the knowledge of the self coupled with grace of the lord, under THE GUIDANCE OF A GENUINE MASTER, can mitigate the sufferings of the mind, and this cannot be attained overnight and needs proper training, perfect cleansing of mind and practice under the guidance of a MASTER, and to achieve this study of the scriptures and performance of the prescribed duties and practices are recommended.

The mind purified by the scriptural study, performance of rites and duties without attachment of the results of such duties becomes fit to receive the knowledge of the self (Atmagnana), which alone can free one from the bondage of worldly life.

If one cultivates endurance towards this, makes sincere efforts, and surrenders to the MASTER, can certainly achieve and get freed from the bondage to attain liberation.

J.K

What did the World’s acclaimed and renowned Teacher Sri.Adi Sankaracharya said about “Work”

The secret of action is to get the dexterity by which works naturally causing bondage cease to have that effect. That dexterity consists in being even minded in pain and pleasure and such opposites.

It is not proper for one who has not known the self to give up the duties enjoined on him. It will be wrong if such a person were to think that he should not do his duty on the plea that work leads to bondage. For the reason that action sets the wheel of the world in motion, the person on whom a duty is enjoined should perform it. Before attaining the competence to the knowledge of the self, a man should engage in the path of action (karma yoga), which is his proper sphere, as that will lead him to attain to self-knowledge.

Path of action is the means of reaching the true knowledge of self and consists in the performance of unselfish work accompanied by the conquest of the dualities of the sensations as such heat and cold and pleasure and pain, and done in the spirit of worship of God. It is the Yoga of concentration and equality while doing work. Ordinarily, work brings about bondage in the form of merit and demerit , virtue and vice. By God's grace work ceases to bind when it is done as worship of God. Karma Yoga, therefore, is the means to liberation.

Until a man has attained the competence to follow the yoga of knowledge he should engage himself in work, as he is till then qualified only to follow the path of action.

JK

God Chooses men for realization and liberation-10 Aug 2007

The supreme soul is not realized by eloquent speeches, not by intellect or brainpower, not by listening to sermons or Holy Scriptures. But only he, whom this supreme soul chooses, realizes Him and for him he illumines His real form.

God cannot be known or realized by wisdom, by one who has not ceased from doing evil or by one who is not calm or by one devoid of any concentration of any object or by one having no peace of mind.

The self-existent God has made our senses to interact outwardly, i.e. with the outward objects; hence the soul looks to outside objects and not to God within. Only a thoughtful wise man, desiring liberation looks to the supreme soul inside his heart.

This is not a philosophical mention
This is what Kathopanishad mention.

J.K

MANAGING THE MIND FROM RESTLESSNESS.



In human life, mind plays a crucial and vital role. A man’s real strength lies not in his muscle but in the mind- to be precise in the tranquility of his mind. It is evidenced in Bhagvad Gita that the “Mind is our best friend” when kept under control, and “Our worst enemy when not”.

But what is the mind? Many thinkers have attempted to explain the mind in such terms as a function of the brain, a product of heredity, a product of environment, a by product of bodily processes so on and so forth. These views describes only ‘How the mind acts and reacts, but not why.’

Thinkers did not succeed in explaining a person’s moral commitment, aesthetic sensibility, and spiritual aspiration. They leave out the most essential part of a man-his soul, and diminish him to either a creature of circumstances or a stimulus- response mechanism. The spiritual interpretation of man and his mind- Mind is a positive entity that stands between the body and senses on the one hand, and the knowing self on the other. While knowing the self of a man is the focus of the all-pervading universal self, the mind serves as the ego-self. The mind is the leader of the sense organs and pervades the entire body, though closely connected with the body; the mind is independent of it. At the pervade stage itself man should take initiative to regulate the mind failing which the mind will invade the body and thereafter will be extremely difficult to regulate it and bring to control. (Not impossible).

The functions of mind are: -

1.Deleberation.
2.Detremination.
3.’I’ Consciousness.
4.Memory.

Mind is our subtle body and gross body is an extension of our mind. As you are all aware that the body is created out of five gross elements, earth, air, water, ether and fire and the mind is of the subtle form of same elements. Being material by nature, these elements do not posses consciousness of their own. The mind has three levels of consciousness: -

1.Subconscious.
2.Conscious.
3.Superconscious.
Conscious is that level from which man takes decisions, choices and value judgements. Beneath the conscious level lies the subconscious, hidden and unperceived and exerting its influence on the conscious. Above the conscious level there is a third level, the super conscious, where the individual consciousness comes in contact with the universal consciousness. The subconscious is guided by instinct; the conscious by reason and the super conscious guide the subconscious by intuition. The ego operates only on the conscious level and on the subconscious level it is unmanifest, while on the super conscious level it vanishes.

The mind is subject to three modifications of matter (gunas): -
1.Inertia (Tamas)
2.Passion (Rajas)
3.tranqulity (Satva)
The preponderance of one over the other two at any time affects the moods of the mind.

Inertia (Tamas) over powers the mind with darkness.

Passion (Rajas) with agitation.

Tranquility (Satva) gives the mind stability.

In regard to the perception of reality, Inertia causes non-perception, passion, distorted perception and tranquility brings clarity of perception.

There are six subtle centers of consciousness located along the spinal column and they are: -
1. At the base of spine.
2. At the level of organ of generation.
3. At the navel.
4. At the heart.
5. At the throat.
6. In the space between the eyebrows.

When the mind dwells in the three lower centers, it broods only on eating. Sleeping and gross sense enjoyments. When it rises to 4th, it feels spiritual longing and makes a spiritual effort. By rising higher it eventually goes beyond the six centers and merges in the universal consciousness. The natural flow of the mind is Cosmo centric, because of the ego, the flow gets obstructed, and falls back upon itself and breaks into waves of negative emotions and urges such as lust, anger, jelousey, possessiveness etc.thereby being unable to be Cosmo centric and becomes egocentric.

Impurities of the mind are the deposits of past indulgent living. They are not mere impure thoughts. Having been repeated over and over again, the impure thoughts have become persistent habits. Striking roots into the body-These habits are called SAMSKARAS and these cannot be overcome neither by intellectual reasoning and analysis nor erased by passage of time.

Face the mind! How? . It has four aspects: -

1.Self-acceptance: - Is acknowledging that the problem of restlessness is our own creation, and we ourselves will have to overcome it. A solution will always elude so long one deny this responsibility.

2. Self Control: - This is the second aspect. The unruly mind never comes under control unless it is controlled consciously. The four paths of yoga outline four ways to achieve control of the mind and they are: -

1.Persuasion. – By Jnana Yoga.
2.Purification.- by Bhakthi Yoga.
3.Eradication.- by Karma Yoga
4.Subjugation.- by RAJA YOGA.

Left to my experience, the path of meditation by Raja Yoga way has been proved to be pretty effective and result oriented in my case. It in reality emphasizes the way of subjugation, not relying so much on reasons.

Self-regulation involves concentrating the mind on a single object and meditating on the object at a center of consciousness and in Raja Yoga method it’s the ‘Heart’ the object of meditation.-the ideally chosen one for regular practice by one and all.

Efforts when too weak and casual fails to change the habits, when too intense can affect adversely. Bhagavad-Gita advises the moderation in all matters and in the case of Yoga: -
“Yoga is not for him who eats too much, nor for him who sleeps too little, but for him who is temperate in his food and recreation, exertion at work, sleep, and waking, and yoga puts an end to all sorrows.

Mind you, no task is more priority than gaining mastery over the mind by overcoming its restlessness. No sacrifice is great to achieve this. No effort in this venture is ever lost or wasted. Mind will never be restless.

Success in self-mastery comes only to those who long for it, urge for it. practice it with faith , devotion and perseverance in the practice.

J.K

ECONOMICS & ITS RELATIVITY WITH MIND.



While referring to the subject matter: -

Economics is a concept of the mind, wherein desire arises and that desire drives the individual towards its satiation by obtaining the needful objects. The existence, through ignorance, has assumed itself to be associated with the limiting adjuncts called ego, and attained the state of the individual. adjuncts called ego, memory, intellect, mind, sense organs etc. and attained the state of the individual. Since there are numerous egos and gross bodies and impressions pertaining to those bodies, the existence identifying with such varieties is referred to as ‘Jivas’. The Jivas along with insentient things like stone forms the cosmos.

The universe is meant for the enjoyment of the sentient being. If the sentient being is to enjoy this universe, then he should have worked to deserve this universe for his enjoyment. The work called ‘Karma” can be the cause of the universe in the form of enjoyment to the performer of the karma. The universe is seen to be in pair of opposites because Karma includes good karma (in accordance with sastras) and bad Karma (prohibited by sastras).

Human beings alone are entitled to perform Karma and the rest are meant for exhausting their past karmas by means of enjoying the results, in the present birth. Similarly. Celestial beings are meant for exhausting their past karmas by way of enjoyment. Therefore the Lord uses the economics for viable administration of the universe. Here the so called virtue and vice form the part of the currency, sastras, the code of conduct rules, universe, the place of work and enjoyment, the Lord plays the role of the employer and owner of the industry called universe.

We can find one difference, in the Lord’s way of administering, viz; there is no scarce commodity. Having caught into the meshes of ignorance of a jiva transmigrates. How can he go back to his original state of ever-free existence, consciousness and bliss?

That’s the game of economics and its relativity with the mind!!!
And has to be tackled with Arts & science of Mind Management.

J.K

Reflections On the self & soul.

Sit calm and composed in absolute silence and think on
these reflections. It will reveal inner peace;
happiness and you will enjoy the blissful experience.

And in dreams mind beholds its immensity.
What has been seen is seen again.
What has been heard is heard again.
What has been felt far and beyond is felt again
But when the mind is overcome by its own radiance,
Then dreams are no longer seen,
Joy and peace come to the body.

The wise should surrender speech in mind. Mind in theknowing self.
The knowing self in the spirit of the universe. And
the spirit of the universe in the spirit of peace.

All things find their final place in their innermost
self, the spirit.earth, water, fire, air, space and their invisible
elements; mind, reason, the sense of ‘I’, thought,
inner light and their objects; and even life and all
that life sustains.

Lead me from the unreal to Real
Lead me from darkness to Light
Lead me from death to Eternal
Oh! Peace! Peace! Peace!

J.K

THE REALISATION OF REALITY.

Please read and understand what Swami Vivekananda had
said:-

“Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to
manifest this divine within, by controlling nature,
external and internal. Do this either by work, or
worship, or psychic control, or philosophy, by one, or
more, or all of these- be free and feel free.”

Life is a precious gift. It is the gateway to freedom
and light, but is seldom seen and experienced as
manifestation of colour and beauty, love and
compassion.

We all live in world of uncertainty, it is
impermanent, illusory- a place of pain, non-eternal.
Here happiness is a mirage, which never eludes us. Joy
is only an interlude between continuing sufferings.
Man and nature seems to have conspired to add to our
woes.There is apprehension in man’s mind, a sense of
bewilderment at the state of our being and the
inevitability of death which none can escape.

How is one to face re-birth ? What can one expect to
be incarnated into ? With his present make-up and the
sum total of what one is, how Can he hope to improve
his position, much less be an heir to,the bliss and
beatitude of life everlasting ?

Can we ever change our destiny? Can we ever conquer
death and attain a state where there is no
want,sorrow,suffering, sickness and old age i.e. a
state of permanent bliss and beatitude ? So many
profound questions for which baffled humanity seeks an
answer.

Most of us ,ever remain busy in our day to day
pursuits, seldom ask ourselves the questions:-

Who am I ?
Where did I come from ?
Why do I exist ?
Where am I going ?

Confused about the real and ultimate goal of life,
which is ‘SELF REALISATION’-to come face to face with
the reality and be free. Stress is on living a life
of purity. Blessed are the pure in heart for they
shall see God. To be pure is to be pure in thought and
action. To live one has to work. We are born to work.
Work is the greatest salvation of mankind. It can
inevitably lead one towards the supreme goal- THE
REALISATION OF REALITY.

The secret is “To perform right action without
attachment and with out hoping for the results of our
actions.By performing action without attachment and
surrendering all actions to the Supreme,leads one to
the supreme.

Question arises as to what is right action. To act in
unison with the divine, rather unselfish and detached
action. It springs from right thinking motivated by
pure mind which is ever blessed with divine grace, its
like a rippleless lake, clear and transparent. This is
THE REALISATION OF REALITY. Mind and action go
together as fire and heat-One cannot exist with out
the other. Mind is the source of all our actions. It
can be the cause of the bondage as also the key to
liberation and the mind plays the most dominant role
in one's life.

Desire, what is it? It is the projection of one's
mind, is the root cause of all evils and ills. One
suffer more by desire of things rather than lack of
things. Therefore the mind should be without desire.
Once there is no desire , there is no ego and mind
remains without fear,,envy,anger and hatred. One who
has acquired these awareness and reaches the
serenity,(Its difficult of course and not
impossible)has achieved all that needs to achieve in
life.

When we talk of desirelessness it does not mean to
work without any motivation and inspiration.Continue
to work diligently,earnestly, whole heartedly but
without attachment and hankering after the fruit of
action.Do your best earnestly and sincerely and leave
it to God, policy is good.

Now comes the question of fate and free will. How is
one to explain the inequalities of birth? One is born
as heir to the throne of a vast empire of wealth, the
other one is born in a low and wretched home. One is
born with high intelligence and become scholar,
doctor, professional etc, the other one is born as
sub-normal without intelligence. Of all the
explanations, the doctrine of Karma, as propounded in
the Bhagavad Gita, offers a more logical explanation
Do not confuse the theory of karma with that of theory
of fate. We carry with us the whole past-an indelible
record which neither time can blur nor death can
erase.But the free will exists there.

One can rise above and go beyond the laws of karma.
Can wipe out one's past and completely change one's
destiny- How ? again question. The answer is
Meditation. Meditate on Brahman. Knower of Brahman
becomes Brahman. By being attuned to the eternal, one
can attain eternity and thereby reach the state of
singularity, when all laws of cause and effect and all
mathematical equations break down. All the inevitable
and destined consequences of our past actions,
termed as "Prarabhdha" can be wiped out and makes one
enter into the REALISATION OF REALITY.

J.K

Reflections On the self & soul.

Sit calm and composed in absolute silence and think on these reflections. It will reveal inner peace; happiness and you will enjoy the experience.

And in dreams mind beholds its immensity.
What has been seen is seen again.
What has been heard is heard again.
What has been felt far and beyond is felt again
But when the mind is overcome by its own radiance,
Then dreams are no longer seen,
Joy and peace come to the body.

The wise should surrender speech in mind. Mind in the knowing self.
The knowing self in the spirit of the universe. And the spirit of the universe in the spirit of peace.

All things find their final place in their innermost self, the spirit.
earth, water, fire, air, space and their invisible elements; mind, reason, the sense of ‘I’, thought, inner light and their objects; and even life and all that life sustains.

Lead me from the unreal to Real
Lead me from darkness to Light
Lead me from death to Eternal
Oh! Peace! Peace! Peace!

J.K

Significance of celebrating 60th Birth anniversary of a Father.

"August is the eight month of the year named after the Roman Empire Augustus.
August also means "Sublime" & "Majestic". So why not to begin the posting for August with a sublime and majestic one."

This is indeed going to be a little lengthy article-but very much worth reading, between lines- So have patience and perseverance and read it attentively.

In the beginning while reading, you may feel the subject title, irrelevant, read and upon completion of reading , I believe so,you will be contended and satisfied.

It is better to have awareness and reasons of the benefits of celebrating 60th Birthday of one's Father.

The performance of rituals gain benefits. such as peaceful and healthy life in old age, leading people on to esoteric consciousness.

The contents of this article is from a book with a strange origin with interesting outcome. The book was written by an ancient Brahmin, to this date no one knows who he was. The book was discovered in Tibet and was translated into English by an author residing in China and made its first appearance in 1751 in England. The contents of the book are exhilarating. What's being written below is only some extracts from the book.(I have again edited ,to make it as short as possible)

The uniqueness and importance of the book is in the simple and lucid manner in which it explains the "DUTY OF PARENTS TO THEIR CHILDREN AND OF CHILDREN TOWARDS THEIR PARENTS" who have brought them up so well in life.

DUTIES OF FATHER TO SON:-

Consider, thou art a parent, the importance of thy trust the being thou has produced it is thy duty to support.

Upon thee also it depends whether the child of thy bosom shall be a blessing or a curse of thyself, a useful or a worthless member of the community. Prepare him early with instruction, and season his mind with the maxims of truth.

Watch the bend of his inclination , set him right in his youth and let no evil habit gain strength with his years.So shall he rise like a cedar on the mountains, his head shall be seen upright above the trees of the forest.A wicked son is a reproach to his father, but he that does right is an honour to his grey hair. The soil is your own, let it not want cultivation, the seed which you sow shall you reap.

1.Teach him obedience, and he shall bless thee.

2.Teach him modesty, and he shall not be ashamed.

3.Teach him gratitude , and he shall receive
benefits.
4.Teach him Charity, and he shall gain Love.

5.Teach him temperance , and he shall have health. teach him prudence and fortune shall attend him.

6.Teach him justice, and he shall be honoured by the world.
7.Teach him sincerity and his own heart shall not reproach him.

8.Teach him diligence, and his wealth shall increase.

9.Teach him benevolence , and his mind shall be exalted.

10.Teach him science, and his life shall be useful.
11.Teach him religion , and his death shall be happy.

DUTIES OF A SON TO HIS FATHER:-

From the creatures of the God let man learn wisdom and apply to himself the instruction they give.
Go to the desert, my son, observe the young stork of the wilderness, let him speak to thy heart. He beareth on his wings his aged sire, he lodged him in safety and supplied him with food.

The piety of a child is sweeter than the incense of Persia offered to the SUN, yea, more delicious than the odours wafted from a field of Arabian spices by the western gales.

BE GRATEFUL TO PARENTS:-

Be grateful, to thy father , for he gave thee life, and to thy mother , for she sustained thee.

Hear the words of his mouth. for they are spoken for your good, give ear to his admonition, for it proceeds from Love.

He has watched for your welfare, he has toiled for your cause , do honour,to his age and let not his grey hair be treated with irreverence.

Forget not your helpless infancy nor the forwardness of your youth, and indulge in infirmities of your aged parents, assist and support them in the DECLINE OF THEIR LIFE.

So shall their hoary heads go down to the grave in peace, and your own children, in reverence of your example, shall repay your piety with filial Love.

Very many years ago, similar ideas have been expressed by our saints. Tiruvalluvar in Tirukkural wrote:-

"The gratefulness reciprocated by son to his father to be expressed by others in such a manner that they say-what amount of penance he had done to get such a virtuous son."

How happy the parents would be , when such noble children perform ritualistic functions in honour of their parents in vedic style and reciprocate their sincerity and gratitude.

Now let's read through the subject matter after having explained of the duties of relationship between parents and children.

The following "Shantis" are necessarily to be performed ritually during ones life.

1. At the end of 54th year Bheema Santhi.
2. At the beginning of 60th year Ugraradha Shanti.
3. At the end of 60th yearSasahti Abda Poorti Shanti.
4. At the beginning of 70th year Bheemaraatha Shanti.
5. At the beginning of 72nd year ratha Shanti.
6. At the end of 72nd year Vijaya ratha Shanti.
AND
7. At the appropriate time after 80th year and after one thousand Chandra darsans, Sattabishekam
AND
8. At the end of his centenary year Kanakabhishekam.

These shantis are prescribed for one to ward off illness and become strong and healthy at old age . These shantis bring equilibrium and strength to their physical bodies and minds, so that they may be able to concentrate on meditation, turn towards godliness and attain esoteric consciousness.

Though Shantis at different stages are prescribed, normally people perform Sashti Abda Poorthi(60th birth anniversary) and Sathabhishekam(80th birth anniversary) rituals. I shall limit myself narrating the significance of only these two rituals.

Sashti Abda poorthi Shanti is to be performed at the end of 60th year in one's life. The following deities and great souls and rishis are propitiated and worshipped.
1. Mrutyunjaya:-
It is desired that holy Triambaka mantra to be recited, as it is a life giving mantra.

Worship Lord Siva who is all fragrance and who nourishes all beings, may he liberate us from death for the sake of immortality even as the cucumber is severed from its bondage of creeper.

It is also a Moksha mantra, It is Lord Siva's mantra. It bestows long life, peace, wealth, prosperity, satisfaction and immortality. It saves one from accidents.

2. Brahma: Offer obeisance to the Brahmaswarupi, the Lord of Sharada, the one who is exalted, the one who is seated on the Hamsa, the one who has four faces and the one who has Satyaloka as his abode.

3. Vishnu:- The well known dhyana sloka of Vishnu Sahasranama is to be recited. He is invoked as resting on the serpent, dear to Goddess Lakshmi, and accessible to yogis in their hearts.

4. Rudra:- O Lord Parameswara ! You are in the highest form. You have a lock of thick hair resembling dense black smoke. You bear the moon on your head Please accept the worship performed by me.

5.Markandeya:- O Sage son of Mrukanda Rishi, grand son of Rishyasringa, you are always meditating on Lord siva. I pray upon you.

6.Navagrahas;-The Sun,Angaraka, Sukra,Soma(Moon),Budha,Brihaspati,Saniswara,Rahu & Kethu are propitiated. pulses and cereals are placed along with related vastra(cloth)(appropriate and as applicable) to propitiate the Navagrahas.

7.Sapata Chiranjeevins:- Aswathama, mahabali,Vyasa, Hanuman,Vibheeshana, Krupa and Parasurama are worshipped.

8.Ayur Devata:- Worshipping daily and on special occasion like this,gives longevity.

9.Samvatsara devatas:- beginning with Prabhava and ending with Akshaya, there are 60 years. It is therefore significant that a man born on Prabhava completes his 60th year in Akshaya and re-starts at Prabhava. Thus he has seen all the years that had blessed him during his 60 year life circle.

10. Nakshatra Devatas:-As you are aware that there are 27 main constellations beginning with Aswini and ending with revathi.The reason for worshipping the Nakshtra Devatas is for stability and permanency.

11.Ashtadikpalas are:-(The directions controlled by each are indicated in bracket.All the ashtadikpalas are to be worshipped for overall well being, prosperity, good health etc.

1.Indra(East)-King of all Devas,

2.Agni(south-East)-7 flames of Agni are his hands,4 Vedas his horns & he illumines the whole world),

3.Yama(south)-a great justice,

4.Nirruti(south-west)-considered as a demon of south-west direction.Though demon by birth considered as Punyathma, follows as per Sruti and Smriti.Born for the benefit of helping righteous men.

5.Varuana(west)-The one rich with jewels,master of all waters.

6.Vayu(North-west)-The prana(life) in all beings,

7.Kubera (North)-son of Visravas and Idavida, a friend of Parameswara and cousin of Ravana,Kumbakarna and Vibishana.

8.Isanam(North-East)-Winner of Mrityu.having the great honour of being iswara.

12.Saaptha Rishis, are:-
1.Kasyapa.
2.Atri.
3.Bharadwaja.
4.Viswamitra.
5.Gauatahama.
6.Jamadagni.
7.Vasishta.
These great rishis are remembered on this auspicious occasion. They are the one's who has given us the prime mantras, to thank them we worship them during 60th birth day celebrations.

All these devatas,great souls,and rishis are pleased by the repeated chanting of their mantras, offering pujas, homams in Agni with appropriate samits and they bless the person celebrating 60th birth day.

Have so far seen a list of devatas, great souls, rishis etc and their importance and significance. The main aspect of celebration is Kumbha or Kalasa stapanam. There are rules governing how and where these Kalasas are to be placed, and this will be guided to the house holder by the vedic scholars conducting the rituals and the sanctification process is religiously observed. The following 11 mangala dravyas are to be applied.

1. Gorochana: To be applied on the heads of Husband and wife for longevity,health,fame,courage and prosperity.

2.Cow's milk curd: To smear a small quantity on their foreheads(for prosperity, sweet, fragrance and comforts around for ever).

3. Cow's Ghee:- Smeara little amount of cow's ghee on their eye lids.(for brightness,good appearance and good conduct.)

4.Green grass:- Keep few grass on their heads(Longevity, devoid of diseases and for very strong body).

5.Cow's milk:- A spoonful of cow's milk should be sprinkled on their heads(for strength and longevity).

6.Fruits: Touch fruits with hands.

7.Flowers; wear flowers on the heads with veneration.

8.Mirror: see the faces in the mirror(for disappearance of poverty evil devatas and ugliness).

9.Lighted Lamp: See the lighted lamp(Let there not be darkness,intelligence and lack of knowledge).

10.Earth soil: Touch the earth brought from beneath the Tulsi plant.

11. Gold: Keep a gold coin or an ornament on the head. The gold removes all sins and brings comforts.

After mangala dravyas are applied the couple take bath in sanctified water from the Kalasa wherein rituals are already performed.

The japas to be chanted during the rituals are:-
Rudra Gayathri,Tryambakam,Yaajamahe,Vedas, Dikpala mantras, Apo Hisshta, Hiranya varnaPavamanye,Varuna,Braahman,Vishnu, Rudra,Durga, Sri Bhoosuktani,, Rudram, Chamakam,Putrushasooktham,Gruthasooktham,Panchasanthi,and Navagraha Mantras.

Hoamam include mainly Svishtakrita homam and Jayathi Homam.
The ardra vastra and Kumbha Vastra are to be offered to brahmins. The clothes worn during the time of Abhishekam i.e the Dhoti and upper cloth, the sari and the blouse worn by the consort of the performer and the cloth wrapped around the Kumbhas as well icons kept in the Kumbha should be offerred to the priests performed the rituals.

Now comes Dhana(give aways to the priests). Well this depends upon ones affordability and no hard and fast rules can be laid rigidly and the priests should also feel satisfied with what the receive from the couples.Phaladhanam to be given to all tyhe participants towards mutual wish of gratitude.The giver pleases the receiver and the receiver blesses the giver.

And finally mangalya puja is performed with chanting of mantra. hen the wife is seated facing eastwards and the husband stand facving north. He ties the mangaalya around the neck of his wife with the blessings of all Gods,Goddesses and Rishis. Thus the celebration come to an auspicious end.

The only occasion where children can witness their own parents getting married. Is it not a divine occasion and scene ? Yes of course.

J.K