Prayer

It's been sometime since I last posted something on my blog.Got a little preoccupied with some household chores.Anyways....today i'm going to write about prayer.Now you must be wondering what is there to know about prayer,we all have been doing it since our childhood.From the very childhood it is deeply inculcated in us to say our prayers daily.Just read the article to know the difference between what we have been doing and what should have been done?

We have been taught since our childhood, that it is enough if we are good and helpful to our fellow human beings.Is it really enough?If it is,then why do we have some unsolvable problems,which should not have come to us at all?What have we done to deserve this?We feel cheated by God,fate,life or destiny.We have tried our best to come out of our problems,but still can't find solutions.

The answer is to be found in the words of Sri Amma,"When you cannot help yourself and seek my help,I would help you."How exactly should we seek help?Is there a way?Yes,the answer is prayer.Prayer is essentially a conversation you have with God in order to solicit Grace.Prayer should be like an itch that you send down the body of God.It is an art that has to be learnt.

Now let's see how one must pray?

Emotional Bond:You should relate to God as a child,friend,brother,sister,or any relation that comes naturally to you.In one of the Darshans,a devotee asked Sri Bhagwan,"Bhagwan how do I come close to you?"Sri Bhagvan said,"There are many ways to reach me.You could fight with me,plead,play or do anything with me;I would certainly respond to you.However,if you are indifferent to me or are careless with me I would not respond to you."

Clarity:The desire for which you are praying should be clearly communicated to your God.Do not pray for more than noe thing at a time.Sri Amma says,"If you are not clear about what you want,it becomes difficult for me to bless you."

Speak to your God internally:Prayer is speaking to God.Hold the photo or idol of your God in your hand and tell him/her whatever is weighing heavy on your heart,the way you would tell your parents or friends.Having a bond while speaking is very important.

Gratitude:Gratitude is the most important part of prayer.After praying,express your gratitude to your God for having listened to your prayer.When your prayer is answered,share the Grace you received with others for Grace when recognized multiplie's in one's life.

Please remember that your prayers must always be for your own good and for the good of the world.

Sri Amma Bhagvan's Message:

Prayer is a conversation with God.All prayers,when done in a spirit of helplessness are most certainly answered.Prayers done with emotion reach me.Simply the word 'God' would mean nothing.The Divine must either be your father,mother,sister,brother,friend,or any other relationship that comes naturally to you.

Oneness University

In my posts I have mentioned about the Oneness University and its founder Shri Bhagwan.Today i'm going to write about the vision or the purpose of the Oneness University.

This university is a university for universities.It is to make you into a true human being.Other universities give you technical knowledge,specialisation,but they never make you into a human being;into what you are supposed to be.Every human being has to be enlightened.Every human being has to be God realised.This university exists to help you become enlightened,to help you become God realised.But down the line if you have got specific problems,the guides at the university are prepared to deal with that also.The full flowering of the human being is nothing but the flowering of the heart.Society must be so structurd that the heart of the child does not wither away.And the way parents conceive children,bring them up in the womb,the way they deliver them in the hospitals and the way they bring up the children in the schools,in the colleges,in the society,everything destroys the child.That is why there are no human beings.

There was once a great saint,in Chennai city,about a century ago.He used to sit in front of his house and when people went by,he would say,"here goes a dog,here goes a fox,here goes a pig,here goes a donkey".Only on one occassion,throughout his life he said,"here goes a man" and that was for Ramalingaswamy,a great saint who disappeared into light.Only he was qualified to be called'man' by him.To him,all the others were animals.

Look deep within yourselves and see what you are.Outwardly we all appear to be very cultured,educated,sophisticated,but if you look inward are we not that dog,pig,fox or a donkey that that saint had the vision to see.Wake up and grab this opportunity that has come your way to become a human being,rather than be the animal that exists in all of us.

Think about it and think hard!!!!

Youth and Success

Let me begin today by taking a realistic look at our lives.I am not writing this to preach to you or to give you some dos or dont's about life,but let us together take a look within us.What is your present condition?Do you have a vision for your life and are all set to achieve it or are you helplessly caught in the current of life?Do you consider yourself a success or a failure?Do you meet the right kind of people and make the right decisions or are you indecisive and dilly-dallying through life?Do you reap the fruits for your hardwork or do things go wrong at the last minute?Are you a last minute failure?Are you a happy,self confident and frindly extrovert or do you tend to be withdrawn and have very few friends?Can you enjoy every moment of your life- be it hard work,health,relationships or pleasure for that matter.If you identify with any of the above then this is for you.Be integral to your self and then answer the above questions.Being honest with yourself and your God is the key essential to find true happiness.

Two of the most important things for a youth are success and joy."A successful person who is not happy is a danger to the society while an unsuccessful person who is kind and helpful is no use to the society either.Only a successful individual with a compassionate heart could be a complete human being"Mahakavyas of Shri Bhagwan.Looking deeper, don't we see that in all our endeavours,be it search for fame,intelligence,beauty,wealth or our relationships,we ultimately only seek success and joy.Every one of us dream of a successful and happy future.Then what are the factors that might hinder us from achieving these goals?Where and why could things possibly go wrong?

Sri Bhagwan says that one must look within and understand the mind to find answers to these questions.The mind has two levels,the conscious and the unconscious.The unconscious is a storehouse of all fears,traumas and negative decisions in one,s life.Unfortunately most human beings are unaware of the unconscious.Not only are they unaware,but their lives are also being ruled by the unconscious.It is from the unconscious that all negative energies are released which manifest as problems,obstacles and suffering in our lives.

There was a boy from Mumbai who had come to the Oneness University.He was the youngest of the sons in the family.He was very intelligent but somehow,never serious about his life.The father constantly compared him with his elder brother.Unable to put up with the comparison,the boy started hating his father and brothers.Hatred destroyed his joy and creativity.As long the unconscious ruled his life,he was a miserable failure.Only when Sri Bhagwan freed him from the cluthes of the unconscious could he begin a new life.

Then what is the solution?As youth,it is Sri Bhagwan,s desire that you achieve what ever vision you have set for yourself and at the same time enjoy your life too.Sri Bhagwan always says,"Life is to be experienced and enjoyed completely."Be it hardwork,success,failure,good food,clothes,entertainment,good relationships or even spirituality,every aspect of life has to be totally lived.Infact a truly spiritual person is one who enjoys life.That is what spirituality is all about.

Close your eyes and become conscious of your relationship with yourself.How do you feel about yourself.(for fifteen minutes do this sadhana)Remember inner integrity is the key to true happiness.So for yourself be true to your self.

Spiritualism Redefined.

They were different from the rest.The Philosopher Teachers,both men and women from all walks of life lived not in the jungles and caves but in the thick of the world.They shouldered responsibility of the welfare of the society even as they did for their own families.They personified compassion and were guided by the divine.They were the spiritual guides for their society.

With the passage of time,science took over the role of of unraveling the mysteries of the universe and the pursuit truth.Politics claimed to render justice and religion in the form of the written word and its organized structure guided people with morality and ethics.With their roles gone,the philosopher teachers,vanished from the sands of time.

Sadly science, politics and religion have failed in fulfilling their promises.Life has become more comfortable but meaningless.Man has many things to live with,but nothing to live for.There is emptiness in everybody's hearts.Devoid of the divine presence Mankind is orphaned.

It is now time for a comeback.!!!

You may be a parent shouldering responsibilities of a growing family,a caring mother concernedabout her child's health and future,a student surviving to make a difference in the field you are engaged in,a professional meeting the never-ending demands of a multinational,a seeker in search of the ultimate truth,a person in quest of peace and God;whoever you are,if you are interested in creating a better world then this blog is for you.

Keep watching for more interesting stuff.

NEW THOUGHT SPIRITUALISM

New Thought Spiritualism seeks to promote the original intent of Spiritualism which has been lost due to the focus on spirit communication over the development of spirituality.

In New Thought Spiritualism it is taught that guidance and love surrounds us by the design of Infinite Intelligence, God. In New Thought Spiritualism it is sought to accept the good in people and all of life, here and hereafter. In New Thought Spiritualism it is stressed that Infinite Intelligence is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscience. Infinite Intelligence is Spirit, everywhere present, the one and only Spirit behind, in and through all things, visible and invisible. A true understanding of life is based on the realization that the unseen hand of Infinite Intelligence guides and provides for us in every component of our existence.

In New Thought Spiritualism the existence of any power or presence opposed to Infinite Intelligence is denied. There are evil appearances and there is suffering in the world, but these are ascribed to man's ignorance and erroneous use of Infinite Intelligence's Universal Laws. Living in accordance with Universal Laws is the only true religion.

In New Thought Spiritualism seeks to relate universal and natural laws to all aspects of this existence, extending one's spiritual practice to every aspect of life. Thereby, manifesting Infinite Intelligence's perfect love for all. In New Thought Spiritualism individuals, organizations and the higher spheres are aligned into one great Harmonia.

New Thought Spiritualism was not meant to have any restrictive dogma or creed. New Thought Spiritualism states that there is a necessity for each individual, according to their means, temperament and desire to develop a higher understanding of Infinite Intelligence. Therefore, in New Thought Spiritualism acknowledges everyone has the right to have their own beliefs, and to use the methods they choose to develop a higher understanding.

In New Thought Spiritualism worship is seen as serving Infinite Intelligence by uplifting and glorifying Infinite Intelligence's spirit in any positive, joyous way. It seeks not to emphasize one's sins of the past, but instead gives attention to the good that exists in every person and what can be done now and in the future to transform one's self. By their own desire a New Thought Spiritualist seeks to serve Infinite Intelligence by acting as a channel for guidance and love for the upliftment of others and of all things.

In New Thought Spiritualism it is explained that one's words, thoughts and action affect the universe. A New Thought Spiritualist accepts and understands the power that every thought, feeling, word and act has upon one's life and accepts that responsibility.

An essential underlining belief of New Thought Spiritualism is that everyone is a potential mystic and can develop a greater understanding of the higher spheres. The use and acceptance of spiritual gifts is seen as a technique for expanding and transforming one's mind, and thus changing oneself. Spirit communication is a tool to help us understand the true nature of the universe and is a tool to help all develop to the highest possible extent. New Thought Spiritualism believes that life is a continual progression and is eternal.

Spiritualism

Spiritualism is a religious movement, prominent from the 1840s to the 1920s, found primarily in English-speaking countries. The movement's distinguishing feature is the belief that the spirits of the dead can be contacted by mediums. These spirits are believed to lie on a higher spiritual plane than humans, and are therefore capable of providing guidance in both worldly and spiritual matters. Today, Spiritualism has obsorbed itself into British popular culture. Spiritualism is closely related to Spiritism, a religious movement that originated in France, and is today widespread in Brazil and other Latin countries.

Origins

Modern Spiritualism first appeared in the 1840s in the Burned-Over District of upstate New York where earlier religious movements such as Millerism (Seventh Day Adventists) and Mormonism had emerged during the Second Great Awakening. It was an environment in which many people felt that direct communication with God or angels was possible, and in which many people felt uncomfortable with Calvinist notions that God would behave harshly — for example, that God would condemn unbaptized infants to an eternity in Hell (Carroll 1997).

Swedenborg and Mesmer

In this environment the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772) and the teachings of Franz Mesmer (1734–1815) provided an example for those seeking direct personal knowledge of the afterlife (Carroll 1997). Swedenborg, who in trance states would commune with spirits, described in his voluminous writings the structure of the spirit world. Two features of his view particularly resonated with the early Spiritualists: first, that there is not a single hell and a single heaven, but rather a series of spheres through which a spirit progresses as it develops; second, that spirits mediate between God and humans, so that human direct contact with the divine is through the spirits of deceased humans.

Mesmer did not contribute religious beliefs, but he contributed a technique, latter known as hypnotism, that could induce trances and cause subjects to report contact with spiritual beings. There was a great deal of showmanship in Mesmerism, and the practitioners who lectured in mid-19th century America sought to entertain audiences as well as demonstrate a method for personal contact with the divine.

Perhaps the best known of those who combined Swedenborg and Mesmer in a peculiarly American synthesis is Andrew Jackson Davis who called his system the Harmonial Philosophy. Davis was a practicing hypnotist, faith healer and clairvoyant from Poughkeepsie, New York. His 1847 book The Principles of Nature, Her Divine Revelations, and a Voice to Mankind[1], dictated to a friend while in trance, eventually became the nearest thing to a canonical work in a Spiritualist movement whose extreme individualism precluded the development of a single coherent worldview (Carroll 1997; Braude 2001).