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Holistic Viewpoint on Vegetarianism
Origin of “Life” on earth needed only 3 essential components – sunlight, minerals of earth and water. Life appears to have begun in water few billion years ago (Propelled by a Supreme Entity we may call – God / Nature) – first in the form of single cell bacteria, thriving by consuming dissolved minerals of water. Concurrently or later, plant life also began on earth in the form of Lichen (Algae) – propelled by the same supreme entity – by combining minerals and transforming it into plants by using water as the main element for ingesting food, and using sun light as the source of energy for the process.
Evolution of life progressed with time, to higher forms from the lower, both in water and on earth. On careful observation we can broadly find two main categories of life on earth – animals that can move on their own from their place of birth to another location in search food for survival – and the plants which stay where they are born and draw food from the minerals of earth with the help of water, with no capability to move to another location. This resulted in the plants becoming the source food for the animals – as plants cannot run and escape. Read the rest of this entry
Corruption – The Genesis
What is corruption? The dictionary defines it as follows…
- Degrading, immoral acts or habits:
- Departure from what is legally, ethically, and morally correct:
- A term that offends against established usage standards:
The definitions above will tell us what it is, but not why it is?
The dynamic & driving principle of Life is “Survival”. No matter what we do, we are either trying to survive or working to enhance our potential to survive. Fundamental “Needs” for survival are food, sleep, clothing, home, physical security etc in that order.
When these needs are met, “Wants” develop for extra “Pleasures” – physical, emotional & intellectual – in that order. This is the most crucial stage in humans, where aberrations may take over the management of human minds. The aberration is – inability to distinguish between needs and wants with their inherent value for survival. The inability to acquire without robbing others fortifies this. Sense of shame is lost!
Needs ensure survival – wants do not. Wealth, power, prosperity, multiple possessions, fame etc. are all wants of varying denominations & degrees – which demand sacrificing basic survival needs like food & sleep. This means wants can drive anyone towards contra-survival … as they breed greed! Read the rest of this entry
GOD IS WITHIN YOU
It is impossible to find God outside of ourselves. Our own souls contribute all of the divinity that is outside of us. We are the greatest temple. The objectification is only a faint imitation of what we see within ourselves.
15 Laws: What You Need to Keep in Mind – Swami Vivekananda
3. Life is Beautiful: First, believe in this world – that there is meaning behind everything. Everything in the world is good, is holy and beautiful. If you see something evil, think that you do not understand it in the right light. Throw the burden on yourselves!
4. It’s The Way You Feel: Feel like Christ and you will be a Christ; feel like Buddha and you will be a Buddha. It is feeling that is the life, the strength, the vitality, without which no amount of intellectual activity can reach God.
5. Set Yourself Free: The moment I have realised God sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment I stand in reverence before every human being and see God in him – that moment I am free from bondage, everything that binds vanishes, and I am free.
Anatomy & Physiology of “Selfishness”
What is selfishness? We tend to use this word very loosely. If some one desires something strongly and acquires it – which he is not prepared to share easily with others – we immediately tend to call him selfish. Is that actually selfishness? Working for wealth, larger income, greater comforts, additional possessions, sound financial security, stability in life, self preservation, emotional security, better education for children, better family welfare, more pleasures in life etc …. None of them can be classified as selfishness! They are all simple mechanisms of enhancing one’s own survival potential against the possible future challenges in life.
Some people argue that selfishness is the basic drive behind all human actions – that there is a selfish motive behind every simple action of a human – be it in friendship, marriage or even worship of God. Even falling in love has a selfish motive. A mother’s or parental love has hidden selfish motive to get back something in future from their children. All these arguments betray nothing but ignorance. Self preservation and self enhancement can never be called selfishness – as that is the basic instinct – the absence of which can be called unnatural. Ambitions and aims of life can never be classified as selfishness – as that is the purpose of life. Then what is selfishness?
12 principles for great grand success in life!
1. Communication
All indications are that willful decisions not to communicate were a significant part of the
original factors which caused us to deteriorate. In any situation where you are unsure as to whether to say something or not, your best course (lacking any other reasons) would be to communicate rather than to keep your mouth shut. One of Hubbard’s most famous quotes is – “When in doubt, communicate”. And if you do get in trouble for communicating, the solution is often to communicate more rather than to back down.
2. Confront
Flinching at things and backing down from them leaves them free to operate against you.
That which is not confronted tends to persist. That which is fully viewed tends to come back under one’s control and ceases to affect one adversely. And so it is generally better to face up to things rather than to suppress them or hide them.
3. Forgiveness
We have been at each others throats for a long time, in a mutually destructive tit for tat. We have taken turns for lifetime after lifetime playing good guys and bad guys. Both Jesus and Buddha saw this one and it is an important part of the road out. If you need more encouragement, then please realize that forgiving others lessens the weight of your own karma, for in forgiving them you forgive yourself as well. And we have all been around long enough to have tried every possible role and committed every dastardly deed at least a few times. The only way out is mutual forgiveness and an abandonment of vengeance and getting even.
MSR Ayyangar's Blog 