All you wanted to know about Money

Do you recall the Beatles song ‘Can’t buy me love’ in reference to money. Money is definitely a very important aspect of our life, but we should not become slaves of it. Money is a consequence of hard work. If  your efforts are sincere, Goddess Mahalakshmi will endow you with all prosperity, one of them being money. You see, prosperity means happiness and money also is one of the factors which contribute to that noble goal. Always remember the law of attraction. The universe works in mysterious ways to bring you all that you desire. So go ahead make your wish for wealth in your life. True wealth is also good health and a strong dose of happiness. But be prepared to put in the effort and rest assured you will get what you yearn for.

Money becomes useful when it is put to good work. It can buy you a good piece of attire, but the infatuation with the attire will wash away, once you have worn it a couple of times. Hence that is temporary happiness, or pleasure. But the universe is glad that it could buy you happiness momentarily. Imagine that while buying an attire for yourself, you go ahead and buy some things for your loved ones also. Won’t that make them also happy? So here’s the lesson: Money is as good as how it is used. If you splurge it on yourself, you won’t really feel complete. Give it to others as a gift (clothes, shoes, books, gadgets etc) maybe as plain money. That will light up their faces and you will receive much more satisfaction, than when you had spent for yourself.

In the Malayalam language of India, Mon means son and so money roughly translates to something like you are addressing your son. So take good care of it, like you take care of your kids. Plenty of it, will give you peace of mind. But don’t get so much caught up in managing it that you lose your night’s sleep. Money attracts money. So make careful investments which will guarantee you future returns. Plan out the mix first and then monitor regularly for changes. Say once a week or maybe a month, as it suits you. I know people who check their balances every day. Drop that. Don’t be paranoid, so much so that the worry itself might take a toll on you. So get money and sleep well during the nights.

See it clearly. The utility of money is enormous, but it shines only when you give it away. Don’t hold it close to your heart. The more you give, the more you get in return. Money can buy you a better comfortable lifestyle, but true love – no. Yes, when you give it to others, without any expectation, that is money buying you love. Do not hoard money. There is more than enough for everyone on this great planet. But put it to good use. You don’t have to help the whole world, but be generous and help at least bring a smile to somebody’s face with your money. Maybe money is not required to bring a smile, yet it can do that too. So go ahead make your day (and a wayward strangers also) and I wish that you will be blessed with money always. And please thank God when you receive the bounty.

Forever your well wisher ...

Guru30

MahaShivratri – Ask and you shall receive it

Today is MahaShivratri day. According to legend, this is the day when Lord Shiva got married to Goddess Parvathi. On this auspicious day, all planets and stars are exalted in special positions and it’s a new moon night. People chant the holy mantra ‘Om Nama Shivay’ to get the blessings of Lord Shiva. The more a person chants this mantra, the more he or she becomes spiritual. Ladies fast on this day and get the blessings of Goddess Parvathi to attain a husband like Lord Shiva. Men eat Sattvic food (pleasant food devoid of spicy and stale food) and women also can eat diet food, if they are not fasting.

Now let us try to understand what Lord Shiva means. In mathematical language he is denoted by zero, which means nothingness. However when you add zero to any number, the power of the number increases by a factor of ten. Shiva also means nirguna brahman, which means one who is devoid of any qualities. He is basically an ascetic who adorns a tiger skin and his body is sprinkled with ashes. His head sports the moon and a snake. Also the river ganges is tied up in his headlock. He has a third eye, the opening of which means awakening. He is always meditating and his dance (he is also called Lord Nataraja) is called Tandavam, which is the dance of the cosmos.

Goddess Parvathi stands for ultimate devotion. She is also the most beautiful woman in the universe. Her penance in trying to attain Lord Shiva (despite obstacles, like others who persuade her to give up the obsession of Lord Shiva) is just beyond compare and is the ultimate symbol of love. Any woman who is captivated by a man can achieve him if she simply prays to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi. They get married tonight and people sometime do not sleep the whole night. It’s celebration time and the whole world is illumined by the opulence of this lovely couple.

Whoever with true love and devotion worships his / her spouse is likely to get his / her wish fulfilled tonight. Also chant the holy mantra ‘Om Nama Shivay’ as many times as you can. You will receive it. But don’t be in a hurry. You may have to wait. Distance makes the heart grow fonder. And hence we may have to wait a while. But be sure of one thing. Thy wish will be granted. And this is also what the Bible says ‘Ask and it shall be given’. What better day than today to ask God to fulfill our wishes. So go ahead remember the Holy Father and wish for true love. Who knows, you may see a shooting star tonight.

May God Bless You.

Guru30

Why this Kolvari Di (The truth behind passion)

A song in recent times that became popular is ‘Why this Kolveri Di?’. This is a phrase in Tamil language which roughly translates to ‘Why this murderous rage against me, dear lady. ?’ Kola means murder and veri means rage and Di as in addressing a lady. If you try to analyze why this song went viral, well you can reach various conclusions. My feeling is that it simply is a meaningless song with lots of meaning embedded in it. Allow me to explain.

Some people have this passion for a belief. This belief may be simply something like “All fit men are attractive”, hence I should also be fit. Well, this seems like a rational belief, but some people take up fitness with a vengeance. They workout very hard at the Gym and put in extra hours to achieve a fit body. And you know what? The results may be good (provided he / she doesn’t injure him/herself in the process) but the matter doesn’t end there.

Of course, staying fit and being attractive makes us feel good inside, but we don’t have to be desperate. Even obesity or slimness has its own beauty. Some people have preferences for say plump men or women. Others may think that being thin is dashing. As they say, different strokes for different folks. Nevertheless, the fact remains that a majority of people think that fit men and women are more attractive. It’s not a universal law. But it helps.

Now coming back to our Kolaveri, the matter of the fact is that some people are driven by a passion which surmounts to being murderous. This is typically arising from the pent-up anger inside (a rajasic tendency, if you know what I mean) which can border on the lines of insanity. A lot of great men and women had this inside them. What they have achieved is clearly in front of us in the form of history. The pendulum of the good and bad have swung both ways and we are experiencing their mania in these times also.

My take: Passion is good but not so much so that it becomes insanity. Also passion should be for the universal good. A deep passion for something like ‘This is wrong or this is right’ can prove counter-productive. We do not have to be opinionated, even though, that is what some people call as character. A cause in the right direction (although there is no such thing in the absolute sense) can prove to be beneficial for everyone. A bad motive (again this is relative) doubled with a deep passion can prove detrimental.

How do we choose which is the path to be trodden? Remember what Lord Krishna says ‘Everything in moderation’ No excesses. Passion – yes. Murderous passion – no. Passion drives us forward. At the same time, we may become color blind because we tend to believe so deeply in this fictitious concept that everything else seems to fade away in the kick. It’s very essential to see the real as it is. And with a passionate mind we won’t be able to. Passion also can bind us in the form of attachments. Hence dear friends, I leave it to you, to decide.

With all my love …

Guru30

How to be really happy

We are all seeking to be happy. But somehow it seems like utopia. Well, here’s news. You can be 100% happy. The caveat: Limit your desires. I’m not saying do not have any desires. Otherwise we won’t be able to move ahead. All I’m saying is weed out those desires which seem impractical, for e.g: you want to go to Mars and see how it feels like. Be practical, it’s not going to happen in the near future.

Yes, if you want to be rich, that’s a valid desire. Who doesn’t? If you want happiness and peace for the world, yes, that is also achievable. However, remember that the most important part of manifesting a desire is to work hard towards making it a reality. Just making a wish is akin to day dreaming. It won’t materialize without you taking steps towards it.

And the journey begins with the first step. Walk one mile and God walks 100 miles towards you. God is not somebody who is going to punish you. Never ! He is always your benefactor, however bad your experiences might have been. Maybe you have done something terrible. Let it go. God will never ever banish you. He is your best friend. And as friends are, they forgive your misgivings.

But you have to improve. Do not repeat it. Learn the lesson and then let go. Divert your mind to the positive aspects of life. Do something good like helping a person. If God gives you more strength help as many people as you can. I remember a poem (don’t recollect the author)
If I have helped a fainting Robin
Walk unto it’s nest again
I haven’t live in vain.
You just need to spread your smile to one person. And may God give you strength to spread it to others also, I want you to know that you are a very special person in God’s eyes. No matter what others or you, yourself think about you. May God bless you with Health, Wealth and Happiness.

Always …

Guru30

Does life have a purpose ?

We are on the brink of a spiritual transition. This switch is bound to happen, as the world grapples with uncertainty brought forth by factors like increasing medical problems, new information patterns and globalization.

The Mayan Calendar comes to an end on December 23, 2012. They have predicted great climatic changes due to reversal of the earth’s magnetic field and a high degree of sunspot occurrences which in turn will disrupt life. Think of all those warnings that we are getting nowadays about global warming. As a report details out that by 2050, the result of the same can increase the sea water levels by as high as 7 to10 meters. Islands and other locations close to the sea , beware !!!

Despite the dangers, we march on. At times thoughtfully, but many a times recklessly. Many of those prophecies of the seer minds or tribes or sects are coming true.

For e.g: The Hopi Indians have predicted

“Before the great Purification, they will make metal roads for iron horses [trains and train tracks] and hang metal ropes [power lines] in the air." The last danger sign is that "first they will bring back pieces of the Moon. Purification will begin shortly after humans build a great house in the sky" [space station?]

Jules Verne in his classic book ‘A trip to the moon’ wrote about a vehicle like a tram that would be launched to set foot on moon. A century later, the forecast came true.

These are trying times. Progress is always welcome. But what is really progress?

Sometimes progress is not visible. Here’s an excerpt from the Tao te Ching

• We put thirty spokes together and call it a wheel;
• But it is on the space where there is nothing that the usefulness of the wheel depends.
• We turn clay to make a vessel;
• But it is on the space where there is nothing that the usefulness of the vessel depends.
• We pierce doors and windows to make a house;
• And it is on these spaces where there is nothing that the usefulness of the house depends.
• Therefore just as we take advantage of what is, we should recognize the usefulness of what is not

Because the invisible is intricately connected with what can be felt with our senses. And it’s in the hustle-bustle of daily events that we forget to read between the lines.

Everyone of us is receiving messages from providence every second. But we tune ourselves to a different frequency. Why? Cause we are not in control of our thoughts. Hopping between different wavelengths, and marauding through the stack of the deeds of the day, we have become robots. Maybe better or maybe worse.

The only solution is to get back in touch with the inner ‘us’ and that can only happen with an intense desire to achieve this goal.

And trust me, the only reason we are here is to achieve God-Realization.

Bless …

Guru30

The 5 minute guide to Love and Sex

Love is the ultimate paradox of our universe. Love cannot be explained with an Aristotelian logic, which  says 1+1 is always 2. In love the same does not apply. Although it takes two people to love, when they melt into each other, they become one. This requires a little more explanation.

Consider that you bring two candlelight's into a dark room. Although there are 2 candles, the light you see is one. There is no distinction between the lights of the two candles. Suddenly, love has become one, although there are two people involved. If we bring more candles into the room, the light is still one. This is many people in love together. Notice that the light is more luminous. Thus the intensity of love has increased.

In the same way, consider the bank of a river. A river cannot have just one bank. There has to be two banks, in order for the river to exist. But deep down, the banks are connected. They become one. Similarly in love there has to be two or more people. Them more the merrier.

Sex is just the physical aspect of love. Sex is a bodily need and is selfish in nature. You think of your pleasure. Your partners pleasure is just in your mind for the ego trip that you get, feeling that you are a better lover as you could give him/her an orgasm. But at the bottom of your mind is your own satisfaction.

Sex is a peak experience for people who have not found the peak of love. Love with sex is the ultimate pinnacle. Sex just for the purpose of sex is a fleeting phenomenon. It just provides a temporary relief. After you are bored with your partner (having tried everything that you could) it becomes mechanical. Hence you move on to the next partner. And on and on. If you ask me, it’s really meaningless because you will never find happiness. Pleasure (temporary) yes. Happiness (permanent) never !

When you are in love, you may not even feel the need for sex. Just holding hands, or sitting in silence or witnessing a scenic panorama together can be fulfilling. Lovers talk less and enjoy the fun of being together. In order for you to become close with God, it’s essential that you have experienced love. Remember what is said in the Bible ‘Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.’ 1 John 4:7

Love is the ultimate force in the universe and Jesus, the apostle of love has said so much about it. Still we chase the other edge of the rainbow. Love is right here, showering in front of us. But we can’t seem to be able to grasp it. The poorest man in the world is he who has not loved. Mind you, self love is a property of the ego, and hence that can be termed narcissism. True love is sublime. We are all wired to find love. All we need to do is experience it and then this whole world is magic. How can we know if we are in love. Just one simple guideline: If we care for the other person more than we care for ourselves, we are in love.

I pray that we all find the highest love: The love for God.

Sincerely,

Guru30

How to face life with good health on your side

The food that you eat makes your brain function in a particular way. The term in computer parlance is Garbage In, Garbage Out (GIGO). If you feed yourself with lousy food, then your thoughts are going to be likewise, whereas good eating habit leads to a life full of vigor and thoughts which will assist you to face the daily chores better.

In the Hindu texts, mention is made of 3 kinds of foods:

• Sattvic
• Rajasic
• Tamasic

Sattvic foods are palatable and good for the body and brain. They consist of things like green leafy vegetables, fruit juices (originally crushed, rather than canned) etc. These foods transform the nature of a person, in the sense that he becomes more at peace with himself, mentally active and full of goodness.

Rajasic foods on the other hand are spicy. Like lots of pepper, salt etc. They bring up the passionate part of our nature. Passionate not just as in aggressiveness, but also anger, greed, lust etc. Such foods fuel our material quests that we seek. Also these kind of food are not good for digestion.

Tamasic food means basically that which is putrid, pungent etc. These can be left-over's, foods which have expired and hence not to be eaten. Basically this kind of intake makes us lazy and sleepy. Food such as these can harm our entire life. We tend to become dreamers without execution. Hence always regretting, this may lead us to a lot of dissatisfaction.

Depending on what we eat, our moods influence us. The above mentioned types of foods lead us directly to the nature that we portray on a day-to-day basis. A mixture of all these will lead to a mixture of thoughts. You may see a person acting very nice (Sattvic) and in the next moment getting angry (Rajasic) or simply avoiding responsibility. (Tamasic)

The only addendum that you should be aware of, are genetic dispositions. But they can be altered through habits. Hence a person born with a Rajasic streak (because of his parents genes and past life karma) can become a Sattvic in this very lifetime, if he/she chooses to..

There is one more type of disposition which is above all these modes of nature. And to achieve that we have tot transcend our thoughts. This nature is not Sattvic, but above that in the sense that the actions do not generate karma. Such people live life through instinct. There is no thought process. They have  transcended happiness and sorrow. To get there is difficult. It requires practice, however trying to become Sattvic will lead us to that. (more probability)

To your health and happiness …

Guru30

I’m responsible for what I say, not what you understand

Saying something is easy. You don’t require much effort. However making somebody understand your viewpoint is extremely difficult. How others interpret what you say is not at all in your hands. However, there is a technique called mirroring, by which you ask the receiver to repeat whatever you said. Then, you can easily make out whether the person understood you.

Most of the problems in the world stem from this sad aspect called miscommunication. A says something. B understands it in a way. He says the same thing to C. And C to D. By the time it reaches Z, the meaning of your message has completely changed. The media is also responsible for some of this malfunction. But I don’t blame them entirely.

What is the best way to communicate. Visuals. Short sentences and words that convey meaning as much as possible. Words are really tricky. They can be misinterpreted. So can images and videos, but the probability is lower. Convey a story, not words. Your viewpoints must be reiterated till the other person understand it.

Coming to understanding, here we come across another problem. Between friends, spouses and other relations. If you do not understand a person, chances are you will misinterpret what they are saying. Hence it’s very essential to at least understand where a person is coming from. Do not judge or form an opinion. But listen carefully.

To your heart …

Guru30

Let there be love

Love is to give. The more you give, the more you get back. This is an unalterable law. Life is like a bouncing ball. What you give comes back to you in a different way. If you give good, then good you shall reap. The stronger you give, the stronger you get back, in return.

Imagine a seashore without waves. Impossible right? The waves denote our karma, sometimes on the crest (good ones) and other times on the trough (bad ones). They say that the high tide and low tide is caused by the moon, the metaphor for which is the mind. The mind makes the waves.

For us, a thought evokes an action. The thought does not create karma. The action does. The sum total of our karma’s can either be positive or negative. Mind you, do not think about it mathematically. Here 2 + 2 may not mean 4. Good karma does not cancel the bad ones. In fact there is no relation between the two.

Once we cross the chasm of good and bad, we become absorbed in the supreme. Like the centre of the ocean, where the water is steady. Giving away in charity or in kind, should be without an intention, in the spirit of detachment. You really don’t have to put effort to love. You are born with the skill. So give away in ease, as much as you can.

Lots of love to you …

Guru30