Saturday 23 March 2024

Morning Hymn.

Oh, timely happy, timely wise,

Hearts that with rising morn arise!

Eyes that the beam celestial view,

Which evermore makes all things new!

New every morning is the love Our wakening and uprising prove, Through sleep and darkness safely brought, Restored to life, and power, and thought.

New mercies, each returning day,

Hover around us while we pray;

New perils past, new sins forgiven,

New thoughts of God, new hopes of heaven.

If, on our dailv course, our mind Be set to hallow all we find,

New treasures still, of countless price,

God will provide for sacrifice.

Old friends, old scenes, will lovelier be,

As more of heaven in each we see;

Some softening gleam of love and prayer Shall dawn on every cross and care.

As for some dear familiar strain Untied we ask, and ask again,

Ever, in its melodious store,

Finding a spell unheard before;

Such is the bliss of souls serene,

When they have sworn, and steadfast mean, Counting the cost, in all t’ espy Their God, in all themselves deny.

Oh, could we learn that sacrifice,

What lights would all around us rise! How would our hearts with wisdom talk Along life’s dullest, dreariest walk!

We need not bid, for cloister’d cell,

Our neighbor and our work farewell,

Nor strive to wind ourselves too high For sinful man beneath the sky;

The trivial round, the common task,

Will furnish all we ought to ask;

Room to deny ourselves,—a road To bring us, daily, nearer God.

Seek we no more: content with these,

Let present rapture, comfort, ease,

As heaven shall bid them, come and go; The secret this of rest below.

Only, O Lord, in Thy dear love Fit us for perfect rest above,

And help us, this and every day,

To live more nearly as we pray!

John Keble.

Sunday 15 October 2023

What is Ethics

Is a starving man entitled to food that does not belong to him? Are you ever justified in lying? Why do we classify certain actions as faults and others as virtues? These are all questions that belong to the field of ethics, that branch of philosophy that deals with human actions from the moral point of view, as right or wrong, right or bad. Its field is character and conduct, and moral judgments we pass.

You might, perhaps, think that there is no difficulty in deciding between right and wrong. There is a certain field in which custom or tradition provides an undisputed standard. We know not to murder our neighbors or steal their property. The only moral problem that arises in such instances is the practical one, whether we will do what we know is right.

But there are times when we do not know what to do. Suppose a manufacturer wants to pay his laborers a living wage but finds himself in competition with others who do not. If he raises his wages he falls into bankruptcy. What shall he do? In solving such problems ethics insists that we must act with reference to the actual facts involved. We must recognize worthwhile things, and act according to all these “values.”

The term “ethics” is derived from a Greek word meaning “manners,” “customs,” or “habits,” just as “morals” is derived from a Latin word with a similar meaning. Some philosophers—those of the naturalistic school—believe that our present ethical system is the outgrowth of very slow and unconscious alterations to these habits and traditions. Others, however, believe that standards are not truly ethical unless they are the result of reflection and conscious criticism of these habits and customs.

Sunday 5 February 2023

10 Best Life Quotes

 Here are ten of the best life quotes:

  1. "The purpose of our lives is to be happy." - Dalai Lama XIV

  2. "The greatest glory in living lies not in falling, but in rising every time we fall." - Nelson Mandela

  3. "The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny." - Albert Ellis

  4. "The only way to do great work is to love what you do." - Steve Jobs

  5. "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that count." - Winston Churchill

  6. "The best way to predict the future is to create it." - Abraham Lincoln

  7. "Believe you can and you're halfway there." - Theodore Roosevelt

  8. "The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams." - Oprah Winfrey

  9. "Be the change you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi

  10. "Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions." - Dalai Lama XIV

Tuesday 6 September 2022

Feeling lost? Find out where you are!

 When you believe you are lost, the first thing you need to do is to sit down and find out where you are. Try not to get too caught up in your surroundings. Look for landmarks. Are there mountains that dominate the surrounding area? It gives us a clue to where we are, doesn't it? Could you tell me more about that stream nearby? 

Aren't you familiar with the source of it? It is true that the sun, setting over there, can be used as a compass because that direction is, has always been, and will always be West! On the other hand, you can be certain that, even if the sun is hidden and you have to wait until morning, you will know where East is since the sun rises in that direction only! 

But suppose you don’t know which way to go, even if you know what the directions are? Well, if there’s a stream you can follow it downstream, and it will usually come out in some town. Hunger may bother you, but even so, you needn’t fear starving to death. At least not for several weeks! 

Isn't it true that a normal person, or even someone who is sub-normal, can fast for twenty days, and may even go without food for thirty days or longer, without suffering any serious consequences? It will do a lot to keep your morale cheerful, and your body comfortable, if you find some sort of shelters like the lee of a big rock or fallen tree. Once you find some sort of shelter, clear away all inflammable matter for three to four feet, and build a fire that will keep the weather clear, and the night coming. 

A two-foot wide trench about six inches deep will suffice if it is cold and you don't have a blanket. You should sleep on the warm spot of your coal bed covered with earth. Cover yourself with leaves if you don't know how to start a fire, or with pine or cedar branches if you don't have access to a fire starter. Forestry and Outdoorsmen's codes can be used to signal for help. 

Here are three sound signals: three quick shots from any firearm, three quick shouts, or three quick whistles. It is recommended that every sportsman carry a whistle that can be blown without much effort, and whose blast is much more powerful than a voice. 

Sight Signals (Daytime): Three puffs of smoke, from a fire built where it won’t start a forest conflagration. Throw damp wood or green leafy branches on it to make smoke, and regulate the puffs with your coat or a blanket. Three mirror flashes; waving a coat, shirt, or blanket (use something white if possible) in three wide semi-circles. 

Sight Signals (Night): Three small fires in a row, three flashes from a flashlight, or from screening and unscreening a lantern, or a small, bright fire. Be sure to keep repeating all signals at regular intervals in order to attract attention by their recurrence. The three fires, however, should be kept burning steadily. There are three indispensables when you go into big woods, hunting, fishing, or hiking. These are compass, map, and matches in a waterproof box. 

I know one very successful resort owner, who at the expense of about 50 cents for each guest, insists that each one, even when accompanied by a guide, carry with him the topographical map of the region prepared by the lumber company which operates there. Such maps or the Government’s Geodetic Survey maps are available for almost every part of the country, no matter how wild or unsettled. With such a map and a compass, even a tenderfoot can find his way out, especially if he will check his course occasionally during the day by some prominent landmark. 

If, however, no landmark is available, he should check before going out something like this: “Here’s the camp on the stream which flows north to south. I’m hunting east of it today. To get back to the stream, I can’t miss it if I go west. I’ll just glance at the compass now and then and see how much I veer north or south. Then if I am lost temporarily at any time I’ll just go west and reach the stream, and I already have checked enough to know that by veering north I’m going to come out above camp. 

So I’ll go downstream till I get there.” Another good stunt to avoid being lost is to mark out on the map in pencil certain parallel or converging trails, or a triangle between two streams, or a circle around a hill beyond which you positively forbid yourself to go. Above all, when a guide places you on a ridge, trail, runway, or stand, stay right there. Don’t even go twenty yards to one or the other side of it. Should you be darn fool enough to follow a wounded animal, or for some other reason strays from the spot, stop where you are and stay there the moment you’re “lost.” 

If you do this you’ll hear the guide the minute he returns, finds you absent and shouts for you. Certainly, you won’t be out of distress signal range. But don’t start firing distress signals till it's time for the guide to return to the spot where he placed you. Save your ammunition for the time when it will do some good. 

Another thing—if you come into camp late the night of your arrival, and the next day is sunless, better be sure you are all straightened out by a guide or the proprietor on the north, east, south and west, as you may have some absurd ideas about direction, due to being “turned around,” and no sun, etc. Also, any man who goes into the big forest without knowing how to build fires, utilize shelter, etc., is just plain foolish. 

Practice these tasks till you know their fundamentals at least, before starting out. Above all, you have reasoning power. So why fly into a senseless panic? Even if you spend a night or two in the woods, do your traveling by day, and avoid risking a broken leg, sprained ankle, or another hurt. 

If you’re incapacitated by an accident, anyway, the best thing you can do is to stay right where you are, build a big fire and keep it smoking as constantly and as much as you can, by throwing on the green brush. Chances are this will be seen and investigated, especially now that most Forestry Services are equipped with planes, which can easily locate, and always report, were distress signals (above all smoke) are coming from!

Sunday 14 August 2022

Every Flower Must Grow Through Dirt


 

Work and Passion

Work and Passion Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. —HOWARD THURMAN 

I remember when in college, many of us were herded into teaching because there seemed a need in the job force. But by the time we graduated, teaching jobs were scarce. The same thing happened fifteen years later when I was teaching college. Many of my students were herded into the study of business. 

But a few years after graduating, there were very few jobs. This is another way that scarcity can direct our lives. Often when we shape our interests around what others need, we wind up selling our chance at happiness for what we think will be secure. But while supply and demand may work on paper, they can build a loveless life in the world. 

This is why finding what we love, though it may take years, is building a life of passion. For what makes you come alive can keep you alive, whether you are paid well for it or not. And beyond the fashion of the job market, a life of passion makes us healthy cells in the body of the world. 

Center yourself and allow the things that stir you to come into your heart. It may be as simple as watching a candle flicker or running in the wind. Breathe freely, and just feel how these things affect your whole body and being. When you can, discuss with a loved one what makes you come alive.

Friday 29 April 2022

CHANGING YOUR REALITY TO ACCOMMODATE THE SECRET

This is a lesson is about unity. As a young man, I was driven to reach as far as I could, but over time I began to grasp that unity is not an achievement one can set for oneself in the way one can set winning a game or finding the perfect wife or rising to the top of a profession. Unity is more like music. 

Bach might visit a kindergarten class and inspire the children with the hope that they can all be like him. In reality, few children will ever grow up with Bach’s genius for music. But they don’t have to. Music is a glorious pursuit on its own, comparing yourself to no one. Every moment of music-making brings delight on its own, not just as a step up the mountain toward the highest peak. 

Spirituality can bring delight at every moment—or at least every day—if it is pursued with the four things in mind that Vashistha taught. Let’s review them again, this time as they might be applied to our own lives. 

Contentment: Look for a moment of contentment every day. You have a right to it because, in cosmic design, you are safe and cared for. Be content not with your lot in life but with being here in the flow of life. The glories of creation are in your very cells; you are made of the same mind-stuff as the angels, the stars, and God himself. 

Inquiry: Don’t let a day go by without asking who you are. Understanding is a skill, and like all skills, it must be coaxed into existence. To understand who you mean return again and again to the question, Who am I? Each time you return you are allowing a new ingredient to enter your awareness. Every day is filled with the potential for expanding your awareness, and although each new addition may seem tiny, overall the accumulation will be great. It may take thousands of days to know who you are; it takes only one day to quit asking. Don’t let today be that day. 

Self-awareness: Never forget that you are not in the world; the world is in you. Whatever you need to know about existence will arise nowhere outside yourself. When anything happens to you, take the experience inward. Creation is set up to bring you constant hints and clues about your role as a co-creator. Be aware of them; absorb them. Your soul is metabolizing experience as surely as your body is metabolizing food. 

Strength: No one will ever be able to say that walking the spiritual path is the easiest thing in the world—or the hardest. The birth of the new is too intimately tied to the death of the old. Joy comes on the heels of sorrow, as it must if birth and death are merged. Don’t expect one or the other today. Use your strength to meet whatever is coming your way. Be as committed and passionate about spirituality as you can be. Strength is the foundation for passion, and you were designed to survive and thrive no matter how life unfolds. Be strong today in that knowledge.

THE MYSTERY OF LIFE IS REAL

THE LIFE YOU KNOW is a thin layer of events covering a deeper reality. In the deeper reality, you are part of every event that is happening now, has ever happened, or ever will happen. In the deeper reality, you know absolutely who you are and what your purpose is. There is no confusion or conflict with any other person on earth. Your purpose in life is to help creation to expand and grow. When you look at yourself, you see only love. 

The mystery of life isn’t any of these things, however. It’s how to bring them to the surface. If someone asked me how to prove that there really is a mystery in life, the simplest proof would be just this enormous separation between deep reality and everyday existence. Ever since you and I were born, we’ve had a constant stream of clues hinting at another world inside ourselves. 

Haven’t you ever fallen into a moment of wonder? Such moments may come in the presence of beautiful music, or at the sight of natural beauty that sends a shiver up your spine. Or you may have looked out of the corner of your eye at something familiar—morning sunlight, a tree swaying in the wind, the face of someone you love as he or she sleeps—knowing at that moment that life was more than it appears to be. Countless clues have come your way, only to be overlooked because they didn’t form a clear message. 

I have met an astonishing number of people whose spiritual beginnings were nothing short of amazing: As children, they may have seen a grandmother’s soul leave at the moment of her death, witnessed beings of light surrounding on a birthday, traveled beyond their physical bodies, or come home from school to see a beloved family member standing in the hallway, even though the person had just died in a terrible auto accident. 

(One man told me he was a “bubble boy” for the first ten years of his life, journeying in his bubble high over the city and away to unknown lands.) Millions of people—this is no exaggeration but testimony from public polls— have seen themselves bathed in a pearlescent white light at times. Or they heard a voice they knew came from God. Or they had invisible guardians in childhood, secret friends who protected them while they slept. Eventually, it became clear to me that more people have had such experiences—truly secret voyages into a reality separated from this one by a flimsy veil of disbelief—than not. 

Parting the veil means changing your own perception. This is a personal, totally subjective, yet very real shift. Where would you begin to solve a mystery that is everywhere, yet somehow never forms a whole message? A great sleuth like Sherlock Holmes would start his search from one elementary deduction: Something unknown wants to be known. A mystery that doesn’t want to be known will just keep retreating the closer you come to it. 

The mystery of life doesn’t behave that way: Its secrets are revealed immediately if you know where to look. But where is that? The body’s wisdom is a good entry point into the hidden dimensions of life because although completely invisible, the body’s wisdom is undeniably real—a fact that medical researchers began to accept in the mid- 1980s. The former view was that the brain’s capacity for intelligence was unique. But then signs of intelligence began to be discovered in the immune system, and then in the digestive system. 

In both these systems, special messenger molecules could be observed circulating through every organ, bringing information to and from the brain, but also functioning on their own. A white cell that can distinguish between invading enemy bacteria and harmless pollen is making an intelligent decision, even though it floats in the bloodstream apart from the brain. Ten years ago, it would have seemed absurd to speak of intestines being intelligent. 

The lining of the digestive tract was known to possess thousands of nerve endings, but these were just remote outposts of the nervous system—a way for it to keep in touch with the lowly business of extracting nutrition from food. Now it turns out that the intestines are not so lowly after all. Their scattered nerve cells form a finely tuned system for reacting to outside events—an upsetting remark at work, the threat of danger, a death in the family. 

The stomach’s reactions are just as reliable as the brain’s thoughts, and just as intricate. Your colon, your liver, and your stomach cells also think, only not in the brain’s verbal language. What people had been calling a “gut reaction” turned out to be a mere hint of the complex intelligence at work in a hundred thousand billion cells. In a sweeping medical revolution, scientists have stepped into a hidden dimension that no one had ever suspected. 

Cells have been outthinking us for millions of years. In fact, their wisdom, more ancient than cortical wisdom, could be the best model for the only thing more ancient than they, which is the cosmos. Perhaps the universe has been outthinking us, too. No matter where I look, I sense what cosmic wisdom is trying to accomplish. It is much the same as what I myself want to accomplish—to grow, expand, and create—the main difference being that my body is cooperating with the universe better than I manage to. 

Cells have no problem fully participating in the mystery of life. Theirs is a wisdom of total passion and commitment. So let’s see if we can link the qualities of bodily wisdom with the hidden dimensions we want to uncover:

Monday 28 March 2022

You can't be strong all the time

You might have heard that strength training helps build muscle mass and burn fat. But did you know that strength training also improves brain function? In fact, research shows that strength training can improve memory, attention, and even mood.

Strength training builds lean muscle tissue, which burns calories at rest. This means that strength training can help you lose weight without having to count calories or restrict food intake.

When you lift weights, your body releases hormones called myokines that boost metabolism and increase energy levels. Strength training can also reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and improve sleep quality.

Strength training is one of the best ways to maintain a healthy heart. It strengthens the walls of your arteries, helping keep them clear of plaque buildup.

If you’re looking for an activity that will strengthen your bones, there are few better options than lifting weights. Weightlifting increases bone density and reduces the risk of osteoporosis by strengthening muscles around joints.

If you want to get stronger, this is the most effective way to do it. Research has shown that strength training increases the size of neurons in the brain, making us smarter.

Wednesday 16 March 2022

Pain that hurts you and pain that changes you

Pain that hurts you and pain that changes you? Pain that hurts you is pain that you feel in your body. This kind of pain is usually sharp and intense. It can make it difficult to do the things you normally do. Pain that changes you is pain that affects how you think and feel. This kind of pain can be long-term and chronic. It can make it hard to enjoy life. Pain is a very common symptom in our society today, but many people don't know how to manage their own pain or what they can do about the pain they experience. 

This will help you understand more about pain management and the importance of managing your own pain. The pain that changes you is a story about the ways in which we learn to live with and survive our experiences. It’s also about how we can change those stories, and the way we tell them to ourselves. We are all affected by pain differently. Some people who have experienced trauma or abuse find themselves unable to trust anyone else, no matter what they do. Others may become more aggressive as a result of their experience. Still, others may develop eating disorders because of the way it affects their relationship.