God won't ask...

• God won't ask what kind of Car you drove; he'll ask how many people you drove that didn't have transportation...
• God won't ask the square footage of your house; he'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home...
• God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet; He'll ask how many you helped to clothe...
• God won't ask what your job title was. He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability...
• God won't ask what your highest salary was. He'll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it...
• God won't ask how many friends you had. He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend...
• God won't ask in what in what neighborhood you lived. He'll ask how you treated your neighbors...
• God won't ask about the color of your skin. He'll ask about the content of your character...
• God won't ask why it took you so long to seek salvation. He'll lovingly take you to your mansion in heaven and not to the gates of hell... 

~Unknown

I love you!

I love you! The most wonderful, uplifting phrase in all the world. It does not matter what language you say it in, it always has the same effect. So, how often do you say it? Do you say it enough to those in your life that matter? Could you say it to a complete stranger?

I tell my wife, child and family members that I can that I love them. We close all our conversations with "Love ya, bye!". I even tell my dog, cats and garden plants that I love them. But I am like a majority of people out there who probably would not and could not tell someone I do not know that I love them. I mean the animals and plants will not try to have me arrested or give me weird looks. OK, so the cats give me weird looks all the time but they are cats, they just do that.

So, how can I say "I love you" without actually saying it. Actually, there are numerous ways I can do this and I will share a few of them with you.

1. I can just smile at people. A smile can say "I love you". It has at least a similar effect as uttering that wonderful phrase. When you smile at someone, you are letting them know that you care. And if they smile back then you have connected on the soul level.

2. I can just think "I love you". Sure, our thoughts are creative. That energy is released into the Universe and does have a positive affect, so why not walk around and think "I love you" about everything, especially yourself. It is the energy that is most important here so release your "love" energy for all the world to feel. Quite frankly we do not tell ourselves enough that we love who we are. Like I have always said it all begins with us, so go ahead, tell yourself that you love yourself.

3. I can give a gift to someone, donate to charity or volunteer for a worthy cause. All of these actions say "I love you" and just like thinking it, you spread the energy.

4. I can just look into someones eyes and with a look of love, I can connect and share the "love" energy, so words are not really even necessary. Did you ever do that? Just look deep into someones eyes and connect with their very soul. Wow, that is always a powerful moment.

5. I can write a poem, song or letter in which I express my love for someone, something or even the entire world.

6. Finally, I can just be loving towards myself and others. I can give a compliment, open a door, help someone load groceries in their car. I can get a massage, meditate, take a walk or eat my favorite desert.

There are as many ways that you and I can spread love either by actually saying "I love you" or doing and thinking loving things. The possibilities are as endless as the Universe.

So, let's all go out there and spread love in every way we can. I know it will have an immediate impact on you and the world.

I leave you today with this quote:

"Don't spend your precious time asking 'Why isn't the world a better place?' It will only be time wasted. The question to ask is 'How can I make it better?' To that there is an answer." - Leo F. Buscaglia

I LOVE YOU!

Harry Shade
An author, inspirational speaker, trainer and coach. Lives in Columbus, OH. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University and a life member of the The Ohio State University Alumni Club. He has studied spiritual things for the past 35 years and own his own business, Rare Sense Unlimited where he help people along their spiritual path and with their life goals. He lives life to the fullest each and every day and approach life with a never ending optimism. His main goal is to help at least one million along their spiritual path and to find their life's path. My first book, Rare Sense: One day It Will Be Common; A Practical Guide to a Fulfilled and Balanced Life is available through Trafford Publishing, www.trafford.com/07-1266. You can learn more about him and the services he provide @ www.raresenseunlimited.com.

Copyright 2008, Harry Shade, All Rights Reserved
Sourced with permission from http://raresenseunlimited.blogspot.com/

I aspire ...

Image by jsymmetry via FlickrMay every being remain happy.

May there be no enmity, immorality or pride.

May the virtues prevail in all.

May there be no perils.

May there be no drought.

May there be no illness.

May everyone live in peace.

May there be compassion every where.

May no one speak malice.

May we always remain to be a responsible citizen.

By developing the understanding the nature of sustances, I develop courage to face adversity.

My Feelings...

Image via WikipediaMy feelings of friendliness for all.

My feelings of sympathy for the poor and miserable.

My feelings of indifference for the ill-virtued.

My feelings of praise, appreciation for people with virtues.

May I always look at good qualities of others and not their follies.

I keep away from...

Image by Su℮ ❥ via Flickr
I keep away from the five infirmities of Causing Injury, Lying, Stealing,, Impurity in Relation and Excessiveness.

I keep away from the four passions of Anger, Pride, Deciet and Greed.

I choose to be simple, truthful and helpful towards all.

Paryushan & Festival of Forgiveness

Paryushan is the most important Jain religious observance of the year.

Paryushan Parva lasts 10 days; (two popular titles of this festival, viz. (1) ‘Paryushan Parva’ and (2) ‘Dashlakshan Parva’ are in vogue). The festival ordains the Jain’s to observe the ten (10) universal supreme virtues in daily practical life. This is a time of intensive study, reflection and purification.

It takes place in the middle of the rainy season, in the auspicious month ‘Bhadrapad’ of the Jain calendar extends from the fifth day to fourteenth day of the bright fortnight, a time when Jain monks and nuns cease travelling and stay with a community and are available to them for instruction and guidance. It is also a time when the laity takes on various temporary vows of study and fasting, a spiritual intensity similar to temporary monasticism. Paryushan concludes with a time of confession and forgiveness for the transgressions of the previous year.

Even if there are no religious leaders in residence, the laity meets every day during Paryushan, shifting their focus of life to the soul for these days. The most important part of Paryushan is daily meditation and prayer, which provides an opportunity for looking within and looking toward the teachings of the Tirthankaras for guidance. Jain’s often take time off from work during this period and eat a much simpler diet.

Select Jain’s also fast during Paryushan, some for the entire period. At the end of Paryushan, those who have fasted for the 10/31 days; break their fast with a special meal during which they do not touch food, but are fed by friends and loved ones in honor of their achievement.

One cannot consume any fruits or even a grain in our upvaas (fast) except water. We live in a sea of energy. Our bodies gain energy indirectly from the food we eat, while we gain direct energy from the cosmic energy that flows into us through the medulla oblongata at the bottom of the brain. But this kind of acceptance of energy depends upon our mental set-up. The greater the will, the greater would be the flow of energy.

Penance is given high importance to purify one's soul. In the time cycle, Lord Rishabh started the penance for one year at a stretch. The same tradition is followed even today. During the process of penance, all the accumulated toxins in the cells of the body over a period of time start to melt away. Since the body's energies are concentrated in cleaning and detoxification during the fasting process, rest becomes a necessary adjunct. The body parts are recharged and relaxed. This minimizes physical ailments, increases strength and keeps body, mind and the hormonal balance in check.

Its origin is related to the staying of the monks in one place for the rainy season. ‘Paryushan’ is staying of the monks in one place. In popular terminology this stay is termed ‘chaturmas’ because the rainy season is regarded to be about four months.

Paryushan means, literally, "abiding" or "coming together". It is also a time when the laity takes on vows of study and fasting with a spiritual intensity similar to temporary monasticism. Paryushan concludes with a time of confession and forgiveness for the transgressions of the previous year.

Paryushan Parva -Definition / Translation:

The word "Parva" means auspicious day. The word "Paryushan" has several different meanings:

1. Pari + ushan = all kinds + to burn = to burn (shed) our all types of karmäs. To shed our karmäs, we do twelve different types of austerities including fasting.

2. Another meaning of "ushan" is to stay closer. To stay closer to our own soul from all directions and to stay absorbed in our own-self (soul), we do Svädhyäya (self-study), meditation, austerities, etc., and

3. Pari + upshamanä = upshamanä means to suppress, to suppress our passions (kashäyas - anger, ego, deceit and greed) from all directions.

According to Sanskrit grammar the underlying idea of the festival and its interpretation is given below:

“Parismantadushayante dhante karmani yasimannasau paryushanam”

· The celebration through which the karmic matter attached to the soul is totally burnt or vanquished (both internally and externally) is known Paryushan (self-purification).

Therefore:

· The real purpose of the Paryushan is to purify our soul by staying closer to our own soul, to look at our own misdeeds, to ask for forgiveness for the mistakes we have committed, and to take vows to minimize our faults and passions. We try to forget about the needs of our body (like food) and our business so that we can concentrate on our self.

· Paryushan is a festival of self-discipline through fasting and other ascetic practices.

· Men, women and children as well as monks and nuns undertake fasts with varying strictness.

They celebrate ten best characteristics of the soul:

1. Kshamä (forgiveness), Total lack of anger

2. Märdav (Humility), Lack of pride

3. Ärjav (straightforwardness), Lack of cunning

4. Shauch (content - absence of greed), Lack of cunning

5. Satya (truth), Lack of falsehood.

6. Samyam (restraint of all senses), Control over physical violence

7. Tapa (austerities), Austerity is repentance of one's sins

8. Tyäga (charity), Giving up possessions both internal and external

9. Äkinchan (non-possessiveness), Lack of attachment

10. Brahmachärya (celibacy), Abstaining from sexual relations

The festival ordains the Jain’s to observe the above mentioned ten universal supreme virtues in daily practical life. Besides assuring a blissful existence in this world and the other world for every living being, it aims at the attainment of salvation - the supreme ideal for mundane soul.

Jain community, as a whole, high and low, young and old, and males and females, participate with full vigor and zeal in the various religious rituals and cultural programs. They listen with rapt attention to the holy sermons of the Saints and learned Jain scholars arranged during the ten-day festival. In these celebrations lie dormant the seeds of the well being, peace and happiness of the common man. On the eve of this festival all activities, which add to social discord or bitterness are declared taboo from the temple pulpits.

These celebrations harbinger social harmony and amity and preach the lofty Jain motto:

‘Live and Let live’.

Forgiveness
At the conclusion of the festival, the followers request each other for forgiveness for all offenses committed during the last year.

This occurs on Pratipada (first) of Ashwin Krashna (Jain Calendar).

This ritual of forgiveness is sometimes called the rite of "universal friendship." Most Jain centers even in the U.S. now conduct at least part of the ritual of forgiveness in English for the benefit of the youth.

There are several great aphorisms (Sutras) to ask for forgiveness with the unity of the body, speech and mind, and one of them is as follows:

Khämemi Savve Jivä, Savve Jivä Khamantu Mi
Mitti Me Savva bhuesu, Veram majjham na Kenai.

I grant forgiveness to all living beings, May all living beings grant me forgiveness; my friendship is with all living beings, my enmity is totally non-existent. Let there be peace, harmony, and prosperity for all.

The process of shedding our karmäs really begins by asking for forgiveness with true feelings, and to take some vows not to repeat mistakes. The quality of the forgiveness requires humility (vinay - absence of ego) and suppression of anger.

Therefore, the real purpose of the Paryushan is to purify our soul by staying closer to our own soul, to look at our own faults, to ask for forgiveness for the mistakes we have committed, and take vows to minimize our faults.

Paryushan Parva gives expression to the perfectly purified trait of the soul, through which one gets rid of worldly discords and allurements and one gets fully absorbed in the eternal truth on experiencing and realizing the true nature of soul. In other words we can say that the natural realization of the trio ‘the True, the Good and the Beautiful’ is fully possible only through Paryushan. In fact the other name of the Jainism, which is universal religion, is Paryushan. This festival puts an end to all evils in man; gives him realization of the eternal bliss, and spiritualism becomes alive by the celebration of this festival.

Paryushan Parva is a grand Jain festival of self-introspection, self-enlightenment and, self-achievement, which, ultimately leads to the one and only one final goal, i.e., liberation or salvation.

Namokar Mahamantra

Image via Wikipedia

Namo Arihantanam

I bow to the Arihants (God) who are ever perfect spiritual beings.

Namo Siddhanam

I bow to the Siddhas (God) who are the liberated souls.

Namo Ayariyanam

I bow to the Achaaryas (Saadhu, Guru) who are the leaders of Order.

Namo Uvajzayanam

I bow to the Upaadhyaayes (Preachers) who are the learned preceptors.

Namo Loe Savva Sahoonam

I bow to all the Saadhus (Possessionless Monk) in the world.

Eso Pancha Namokaro

Savva Pava Ppanasano

Mangalanam cha Savvesim

Padhamam Havai Mangalam

This fivefold obeisance mantra, destroys all sins and obstacles, and of all auspicious repetitions, is the first and foremost.

Welcome to the world of Navkar, the world of immeasurable bliss, joy, and pure truth. Solutions offered through this Mahamantra are supposed to provide the reciter with great spiritual and material success, removes all evil and negative tendencies of the mind, destroy various aspects of misery and give divine peace of mind while removing any obstacles that may come in the way of individual's spiritual and material growth. Thus the mantra is attributed with powerful healing and curative properties. This Mahamantra can take man to the pinnacles of spirituality and holiness.