•Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 41 )
Before considering further how devotion to duty helps us in our spiritual progress, let me place before you in a brief compass another aspect of what we in India mean by Karma. In every religion there are three parts: philosophy, mythology, and ritual. Philosophy of course is the essence of every religion; mythology explains and illustrates it by means of the more or less legendary lives of great men, stories and fables of wonderful things, and so on; ritual gives to that philosophy a still...
•Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 42 )
Then there is the most universal of all symbols, the Swastika (pictured). At one time it was thought that the Buddhists carried it all over the world with them, but it has been found out that ages before Buddhism it was used among nations. In Old Babylon and in Egypt it was to be found. What does this show? All these symbols could not have been purely conventional.There must be some reason for them; some natural association between them and the human mind. Language is not the result of...
•Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 49 )
Following this simile further, it is quite possible that, just as light waves may travel for millions of years before they reach any object, so thought waves may also travel hundreds of years before they meet an object with which they vibrate in unison. It is quite possible, therefore,that this atmosphere of ours is full of such thought pulsations, both good and evil. Every thought projected from every brain goes on pulsating, as it were, until it meets a fit object that will receive it. Any...
•Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 50 )
Now comes a very fine and serious question about Karma-Yoga -- namely, that these actions of ours, both good and evil, are intimately connected with each other. We cannot put a line of demarcation and say, this action is entirely good and this entirely evil. There is no action which does not bear good and evil fruits at the same time. To take the nearest example: I am talking to you, and some of you, perhaps,think I am doing good; and at the same time I am, perhaps, killing thousands of...
•Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 54 )
However much their systems of philosophy and religion may differ, all mankind stand in reverence and awe before the man who is ready to sacrifice himself for others. Here,it is not at all any question of creed,or doctrine - even men who are very much opposed to all religious ideas, when they see one of these acts of complete self - sacrifice,feel that they must revere it.
Have you not seen even a most bigoted Christian, when he reads Edwin Arnold's Light of Asia, stand in reverence of Buddha,...
•Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 55 )
To come back to one of our main points,we say that we cannot do good without at the same time doing some evil, or do evil without doing some good. Knowing this, how can we work? There have, therefore, been sects in this world who have in an astoundingly preposterous way preached slow suicide as the only means to get out of the world, because if a man lives,he has to kill poor little animals and plants or do injury to something or some one. So according to them the only way out of the world is...
•Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 56 )
Then again, there are people who are foolish in another way: they teach us that all these animals were created for us to kill and eat, and that this universe is for the enjoyment of men. That is all foolishness. A tiger may say, "Man was created for me," and pray, "O Lord, how wicked are these men who do not come and place themselves before me to be eaten; they are breaking Your law." If the world is created for us, we are also created for the world. That this world is created for our...
•Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 57 )
The course of nature will not stop for such as you and me; it is, as already pointed out, only a blessed privilege to you and to me that we are allowed, in the way of helping others, to educate ourselves. This is a great lesson to learn in life,and when we have learned it fully, we shall never be unhappy; we can go and mix without harm in society anywhere and everywhere. You may have wives and husbands, and regiments of servants, and kingdoms to govern; if only you act on the principle that...
•Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 61 )
In addition to meaning work,we have stated that psychologically the word Karma also implies causation. Any work, any action, any thought that produces an effect is called a Karma. Thus the law of Karma means the law of causation,of inevitable cause and sequence. Wheresoever there is a cause, there an effect must be produced; this necessity cannot be resisted,and this law of Karma, according to our philosophy,is true throughout the whole universe. Whatever we see,or feel, or do, whatever action...
•Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 62 )
The next question for consideration is what we mean by law being universal. Our universe is that portion of existence which is characterised by what the Sanskrit psychologists call Desha- kala- nimitta, or what is known to European psychology as space, time, and causation. This universe is only a part of infinite existence, thrown into a peculiar mould, composed of space, time, and causation. It necessarily follows that law is possible only within this conditioned universe; beyond it there...
•Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 63 )
The question has been raised as to from whom this universe comes,in whom it rests, and to whom it goes; and the answer has been given that from freedom it comes, in bondage it rests, and goes back into that freedom again. So, when we speak of man as no other than that infinite being which is manifesting itself, we mean that only one very small part thereof is man; this body and this mind which we see are only one part of the whole, only one spot of the infinite being. This whole universe is...
•Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 64 )
To acquire freedom we have to get beyond the limitations of this universe; it cannot be found here. Perfect equilibrium, or what the Christians call the peace that passeth all understanding, cannot be had in this universe, nor in heaven, nor in any place where our mind and thoughts can go, where the senses can feel, or which the imagination can conceive. No such place can give us that freedom, because all such places would be within our universe, and it is limited by space, time, and...
•Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 74 )
The grandest idea in the religion of the Vedanta is that we may reach the same goal by different paths; and these paths I have generalized into four, viz. those of work, love,psychology, and knowledge. But you must, at the same time, remember that these divisions are not very marked and quite exclusive of each other. Each blends into the other. But according to the type which prevails, we name the divisions. It is not that you can find men who have no other faculty than that of work, nor that...
•Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 75 )
There is to be found in every religion the manifestation of this struggle towards freedom. It is the groundwork of all morality,of unselfishness, which means getting rid of the idea that men are the same as their little body. When we see a man doing good work, helping others, it means that he cannot be confined within the limited circle of "me and mine".
There is no limit to this getting out of selfishness. All the great systems of ethics preach absolute unselfishness as the goal. Supposing...
•Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 76 )
But, if you come to details, the matter will not be seen to be quite so simple. For instance, environment often makes the details different as I have already mentioned. The same action under one set of circumstances may be unselfish, and under another set quite selfish. So we can give only a general definition, and leave the details to be worked out by taking into consideration the differences in time, place, and circumstances. In one country one kind of conduct is considered moral, and in...
•Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 77 )
Karma-Yoga, therefore, is a system of ethics and religion intended to attain freedom through unselfishness, and by good works. The Karma-Yogi need not believe in any doctrine whatever. He may not believe even in God,may not ask what his soul is, nor think of any metaphysical speculation. He has got his own special aim of realising selflessness; and he has to work it out himself. Every moment of his life must be realisation, because he has to solve by mere work, without the help of doctrine or...
•Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 81 )
This world's wheel within wheel is a terrible mechanism; if we put our hands in it, as soon as we are caught we are gone. We all think that when we have done a certain duty,we shall be at rest; but before we have done a part of that duty, another is already in waiting. We are all being dragged along by this mighty, complex world - machine. There are only two ways out of it; one is to give up all concerns with the machine,to let it go and stand aside,to give up our desires. That is very easy to...
•Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 83 )
But Buddha is the only prophet who said, "I do not care to know your various theories about God. What is the use of discussing all the subtle doctrines about the soul? Do good and be good. And this will take you to freedom and to whatever truth there is." He was, in the conduct of his life,absolutely without personal motives; and what man worked more than he? Show me in history one character who has soared so high above all. The whole human race has produced but one such character, such high...
•Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 84 )
Through the vistas of the past the voice of the centuries is coming down to us; the voice of the sages of the Himalayas and the recluses of the forest; the voice that came to the Semitic races; the voice that spoke through Buddha and other spiritual giants; the voice that comes from those who live in the light that accompanied man in the beginning of the earth -- the light that shines wherever man goes and lives with him for ever -- is coming to us even now.
This voice is like the little...
•Age New Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 85 )
When I was a boy, this skepticism reached me,and it seemed for a time as if I must give up all hope of religion. But fortunately for me I studied the Christian religion,the Mohammedan,the Buddhistic,and others, and what was my surprise to find that the same foundation principles taught by my religion were also taught by all religions. It appealed to me this way. What is the truth? I asked. Is this world true? Yes. Why? Because I see it. Are the beautiful sounds we just heard (the vocal and...
•New Age Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 21 )
Now the princess had fallen so much in love with this young man that she said, "I must marry this man or I shall die"; and she went after him to bring him back. Then our other Sannyasin, who had brought the king there, said to him, "King, let us follow this pair"; so they walked after them, but at a good distance behind. The young Sannyasin who had refused to marry the princess walked out into the country for several miles. When he came to a forest and entered into it, the princess followed...
•New Age Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 22 )
So he plunged into the midst of the fire and perished. The guests saw him falling and tried to save him, but he was too quick for them.
The little bird's wife saw what her husband did, and she said, "Here are three persons and only one little bird for them to eat. It is not enough; it is my duty as a wife not to let my husband's effort go in vain; let them have my body also." Then she fell into the fire and was burned to death.
Then the three baby - birds, when they saw what was done and...
•New Age Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 24 )
The miseries of the world cannot be cured by physical help only. Until man's nature changes, these physical needs will always arise, and miseries will always be felt, and no amount of physical help will cure them completely. The only solution of this problem is to make mankind pure.Ignorance is the mother of all the evil and all the misery we see. Let men have light, let them be pure and spiritually strong and educated, then alone will misery cease in the world,not before. We may convert every...
•New Age Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 37 )
Duty is seldom sweet. It is only when love greases its wheels that it runs smoothly; it is a continuous friction otherwise. How else could parents do their duties to their children, husbands to their wives, and vice versa? Do we not meet with cases of friction every day in our lives? Duty is sweet only through love, and love shines in freedom alone. Yet is it freedom to be a slave to the senses, to anger, to jealousies and a hundred other petty things that must occur every day in human life?...
•Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 68 )
So Karma-Yoga says, first destroy the tendency to project this tentacle of selfishness, and when you have the power of checking it, hold it in and do not allow the mind to get into the ways of selfishness. Then you may go out into the world and work as much as you can. Mix everywhere, go where you please; you will never be contaminated with evil. There is the lotus leaf in the water; the water cannot touch and adhere to it; so will you be in the world. This is called "Vairagya", dispassion or...
•Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 69 )
For those who believe in God there is another way, which is much less difficult. They give up the fruits of work unto the Lord; they work and are never attached to the results. Whatever they see, feel, hear, or do, is for Him. For whatever good work we may do, let us not claim any praise or benefit. It is the Lord's; give up the fruits unto Him. Let us stand aside and think that we are only servants obeying the Lord, our Master, and that every impulse for action comes from Him every moment....
•Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 70 )
Karma-Yoga teaches us that the ordinary idea of duty is on the lower plane; nevertheless,all of us have to do our duty. Yet we may see that this peculiar sense of duty is very often a great cause of misery. Duty becomes a disease with us; it drags us ever forward. It catches hold of us and makes our whole life miserable. It is the bane of human life. This duty,this idea of duty is the midday summer sun which scorches the innermost soul of mankind.
Look at those poor slaves to duty! Duty...
•Spirituality - Inspirational Stories ( Part 71 )
What is duty after all? It is really the impulsion of the flesh,of our attachment; and when an attachment has become established, we call it duty. For instance, in countries where there is no marriage,there is no duty between husband and wife; when marriage comes, husband and wife live together on account of attachment; and that kind of living together becomes settled after generations; and when it becomes so settled, it becomes a duty. It is, so to say, a sort of chronic disease. When it is...
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