Akram Youth
December 2014 | English
Dada Bhagwan Parivar
12
Publisher & Editor: Dimple Mehta Year : 2, Issue : 8 Conti. Issue : 20 December 2014 Contact : Gnani Ni Chhayama (GNC), Trimandir Sankul, Simandhar City, Ahmedabad-Kalol Highway, Adalaj, Dist. Gandhinagar, Gujarat-382421 Phone: (079) 39830100 email: akramyouth@dadabhagwan.org website: youth.dadabhagwan.org store.dadabhagwan.org/akram-youth
02 | December 2014
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Editorial Friends, it's Christmas time once again. Time to give and share, time to forget and forgive, time to reflect and introspect about the hits and misses of the goals set over the past year. A time to remember the sacrifices and pain suffered by the icons of humanity. A time to comprehend the basic fundamentals of humanity and the joy of giving. A time to grow. A time to climb onto the next rung of our development. Also a time to set fresh goals and New Year resolutions. So, let’s begin this New Year on a note of excitement and optimism and strive to better ourselves in all our endeavours. The team at Akram Youth hopes and prays that the New Year not only begins on a truly bright note but remains one full of excitement and achievement. A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL. - Dimple Mehta. The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well. — Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Contents
OR Visit - http://youth.dadabhagwan.org/Galaxy/Akram-Youth
04 Gnani with Youth
14 Cause effect |
06 Story | The essence of humanity
16 Akrampedia | Maanav Dharm
08 Gnani’s Scientific Solution
19 The Awesome 21 day Rule
09 Experiences
20 Story | Self-appraisal
10 Glimpses of Great Souls |
22 Solutions to our Problems
Mallinath Bhagwan
Santa Claus
12 Pujya Niruma’s 71st Birth Anniversary
23 Jesus Christ Akram Youth | 03
Gnani with Youth
Q: What is required to be done if we need to achieve ultimate salvation? Niruma: First you have to attain 'self-realization' and then remain in awareness of pure soul by following “Gnani's Agna�. Now to reach that level this is what needs to be done, a very conscious effort should be made such that not a single living being, however trivial it may be, is ever hurt through our thoughts, speech or deeds even in the slightest form. Even after our utmost precautions if we end up hurting some being then we should sincerely repent over it and wash off those mistakes by doing 'pratikraman'. Sincerely adhering to these principles shall lead us to a 'Gnani' and we shall attain 'Gnan'. Later this 'Gnan' itself shall help us progress on the path of salvation and that shall be the 'end of the journey'.
Q: What is 'soul'? Niruma: What's your name? Q: My name is Naman Rawal. Niruma: Yes. But that's your name. But then 'who are you' actually? Q: Well it seems as if Naman is to identify this physical body. I am totally different from within, may be, a soul! 04 | December 2014
Niruma: Your true self is what you are 'within' and not this external physical being. Once you experience it, then you shall remain so forever. To recognize anything we first need to know its qualities, similarly to know and experience the 'soul' one needs to recognize it's qualities. Dadashri was bestowed with that knowledge of the 'soul', you too can attain that 'Gnan' once you reach the age of 18 years. Till then all you need to do is sincerely try not to hurt any living being and in case even after your best efforts if you end up hurting some being then you have to heartily repent over that act and do 'pratikraman'. Besides that you should daily chant 'Dada Bhagwanna aseem jai – jaikaar ho' for a few minutes.
Q: What is pure soul? Niruma: The soul is eternally pure. You, your true self is completely separate from your name. Intents such as anger, greed, pride, deceit are all part of 'prakruti' and you as a pure soul are absolutely separate from it. Q: People often say that there isn't a possibility to attain Godhood in this era – 'Kalyug', then how come Dadashri could attain it? Niruma: Yes. Now you need to understand to whom do we address as Dada Bhagwan? Dada Bhagwan is not what you see as a physical body. Dada Bhagwan is neither an individual nor a person. Dada Bhagwan is actually addressed to the Supreme Lord- 'The Parmatma' that resides within the physical body. Dada Bhagwan is addressed to the 'pure soul' within and the same Dada Bhagwan – ‘pure soul' resides within us all within you, within all around you, in fact within each and every life form. Q: What's the link between Dada Bhagwan and Lord Simandhar Swami? How did He come to know of Simandhar Swami? Niruma: With the help of His 'subtle' body Dadashri was able to communicate with Lord Simandhar Swami. He would speak with the Lord, ask questions and seek further knowledge. He was able to travel to 'Mahavideh Kshetra' with the help of 'subtle body'. Q: Where is Dada Bhagwan now? Can he come back? Niruma: After toiling for ages He could finally realize His dream of being with Lord Simandhar Swami, now why would He come back from there? From there He would like to progress further and attain ultimate salvation. Suppose you pass your 5th standard and gradually progress to clear your matriculation then would you like to come back and attend class 5 again? You wouldn't, ever! But then, once having created that awareness of the 'self' He will always remain with us in 'subtle' form. Besides that He has left Niruma and Deepakbhai, as His heirs who shall keep on spreading His message to the future generations.
Akram Youth | 05
Story
The essence of
humanity A nurag Dutta , 20, a second year student of electronics engineering at Netaji Subhash Engineering College came from a very affluent background. He lived with his parents and siblings in a lavish bungalow located in Bhawanipur area of South Kolkata. Born with a golden spoon he had never experienced scarcity of money or luxuries. He would never think twice prior to spending money and would take his friends for movies and parties, buy them lavish gifts or take them out on vacations. His motto --spend money,Win friends. Besides his immediate family he was very close to Avinash Gosh and Aditi Shah, his childhood friends. Avinash and Aditi who came from middle class family would always avoid spending unnecessarily but at the same time were too kind hearted and would strive to help those in need. Their help or support would not necessarily be through financial aid but through various other means. They would teach the children in their neighbourhood, run chores for the elderly, willingly serve the sick and poor and so on. This was the only point of contradiction amongst the three close friends as Anurag had a different mindset and would always express his disagreement, “Friends, life is a party make the most of it, why are you wasting away your time for others?” Avinash and Aditi never paid any heed to his view and selflessly continued their activities. At times they tried to instill in Anurag
06 | December 2014
the significance of selfless services, but Anurag could never understand their logic. He was too self -centered to think about others. 'A picnic has been arranged for the engineering students of electronics stream' read a message on the notice board of the college. Anurag, Avinash and Aditi too registered their names along with many of their batch mates. The next day, a bus loaded with students singing on the top of their voice left early in the morning. All the three friends were seated together, hardly had they covered some distance when the bus came to a halt. Initially every one thought that it might be due to a traffic signal and continued with their singing but when the bus did not budge for quite a while the singing stopped and a few students got down to enquire. What they saw, l took their breath away; they were right in the midst of a traffic snarl stretching a few miles. Their chances of reversing and turning back too had been blocked with vehicles streaming behind their bus bumper to bumper. Soon the word got around that further down the road an accident had taken place between a car and an oil tanker. This had led to tons of oil spilling on the road leading to two and three wheelers skidding and causing grievous injuries to riders and passengers. All they could now do was to wait and watch. “Oh God, just look at them”- exclaimed Aditi on seeing the injured. “Let's take them to the nearest hospital” suggested Avinash. “Ofcourse. Come on. Not a moment to be wasted.”A concerned Aditi almost took off in earnest. Come on yaar, what are you both upto? We are out for a picnic. Don't spoil the mood” – Anurag barged in, thinking his friends
had gone nuts.
explanation.
“Can't you see these people need help?” – Aditi replied, with tears brimming in her eyes.
“Almost everyone live for their own selves, but the life spent for others can be called a life spent well.” Aditi tried to instill some sense..
Avinash too joined her, “So what if we are on our way for a picnic. How can we even think of enjoying when so many people out here are injured and need immediate help?” “Okay, if you guys are so touched then let's just give them some money and move on.” Anurag tried his best to save the day. “Not only money, my friend, right now they also need people like us to carry them to the hospital.” Avinash retorted with irritation in his voice. “Yaar, that shall be sheer waste of time and our picnic shall go for a toss.” A dejected Anurag continued with his arguments. Aditi clarified in her usual philosophical way, “It is not 'waste', it is called 'invest'!
Not the one to concede easily Anurag further argued, “But I do spend money on so many people”. Aditi clarified, “Yes. But in that case you are not helping them in true sense of the word.” Avinash joined in, “As of now these guys need to be taken to a hospital, that's the help they need.” “But what's in it for us?” Anurag wasn't able to understand their logic. “When you spend money on others you may gain their respect, but when you help the one in need you are bound to experience sheer bliss?” “But of course we are all in pursuit of happiness. But then is it necessary to serve others to gain happiness? What sense does it make to sacrifice our pleasures to help others....?” Anurag wondered. Let us see what Dadashri has to say about this...
“How is it so?”-Anurag sought an
Akram Youth | 07
Gnani’s Scientific Solution LE B O
U ON TI
M
S OL
PR
I
f you like this world, if you like to enjoy and desire to use all that is available for the benefit and pleasure of your own being, then you must follow the principle of humanity i.e. keep others happy by being kind and charitable. It may be called “YOGUPYOG PAROPKARA” meaning use mind, body and speech in such a way that it imparts happiness to others. Use your intelligence and ideas for the benefit of people at large.
'Benevolence always rewards' Q: What can be termed as good deeds in this world? Can it be defined? Dadashri: Look this tree is giving fruits to the people. Tree is a living thing. It has life of its own. But it does not become a 'doer' of any act. They give fruits to all people alike, irrespective of their difference in stature. Similarly if you use the expertise of mind or speech or any act for the benefit of all alike, even if they are unknown to you, you will never find dearth of any necessary thing in your life. What will happen if this mango tree eats up all fruits itself? It will be simply cut it by the owner and destroyed. That will result in pain and suffering. The moral of the story is that if you use your villa or cars and other amenities for your own use only, if will be difficult for you to part with at the time of death. Whereas if you are obliging type and benevolent, you will be at ease. All your wishes will also be fulfilled. Otherwise you are bound to suffer no matter how hard you try to achieve happiness. Q: A benevolent person speaks for the benefit of others. But still they wouldn't listen. What about it? Dadashri: To differentiate amongst the recipients of benevolence is the work of devil's advocate. Does a mongo tree differentiate whether a person is noble or cunning while giving its' fruits? It treats all alike. In real sense a tree is living a philanthropic life. The benevolence is in fact a very high state of development. It is believed to be the ultimate goal of development in human form. In India, however, there is also another view of seeing self realization as the ultimate goal.
08 | December 2014
Experiences Learning Through Experience
I
t was for the first time ever that I got the chance to offer 'seva' during 'Janma Jayanti' celebrations of Dadashri. The event was held on a very grand scale wherein thousands of seekers and visitors visited the venue daily. I was thrilled to be a part of all this and was feeling blessed to be in the company of many other 'sevarthis'. I experienced very positive and strong vibes working with them. I never felt any fatigue despite spending long hours in 'seva'. I was also very cautious about my dealings with each and every visitor such that none was hurt and saw to it that each visitor went back happily after enjoying all the various shows. In case of some minor hiccups, I instantly resorted to 'pratkraman'. I was at ease all the time. I came in contact with many fellow mahatmas who shared with me their pleasant experiences while giving 'seva' during the JJ celebrations in past. My enthusiasm is enhanced to such a great extent that I eagerly await the next JJ event scheduled at Pune in 2015 so that I can once again get a chance to offer 'seva' with all my heart. JSCA, Nirmit Mer
Akram Youth | 09
Glimpses of Great Souls
T
he Man Behind Father Christmas -Santa Claus
St. Nicholas was a Bishop who lived in the fourth century AD in a place called Myra in Asia Minor (now called Turkey). He was a very rich man and his parents died when he was young leaving a lot of money for him. He was also a very kind man and had a reputation for helping the poor and giving secret gifts to people who needed it. There are several legends about St. Nicholas, although we don't know if any of them are true! The most famous story about St. Nicholas tells how the custom of hanging up stockings to get presents began! It goes like this: There was a poor man who had three daughters. Due to poverty he was unable to offer dowry and thus was unable to get suitable grooms for his daughters. One night, Nicholas secretly dropped a bag of gold down the chimney and into the house. The bag fell into a stocking that had been hung by the fire to dry! With this he was able to marry off the eldest daughter. This was repeated later for the second daughter as well. Finally, determined to discover the person who was helping him, the father secretly hid by the fire every evening until he caught Nicholas dropping the bag of gold. Nicholas begged the man to not tell anyone what he had done, as he did not want to bring attention to himself. But soon the news got around and when anyone received a secret gift, it was thought that it was from Nicholas. Because of his kindness Nicholas was acclaimed Saint.
10 | December 2014
S
t. Nicholas is not only the saint of children but also of sailors!
One story tells of him helping some sailors that were caught in a dreadful storm off the coast of Turkey. The storm was raging around them and all the men were terrified that their ship would sink beneath the giant waves. They prayed to St. Nicholas to help them. Suddenly, he was standing on the deck before them. He ordered the sea to be calm, the storm died away, and they were able to sail their ship safely to the port. St. Nicholas was exiled from Myra and later put in prison during the persecution by the Emperor Diocletian. Since no one really knows when he died, but it was on 6th December in either 345 or 352 AD. In 1807, his bones were stolen from Turkey by some Italian merchant sailors. The bones are now kept in the Church named after him in the Italian port of Bari. On St. Nicholas feast day (6th December), the sailors of Bari still carry his statue from the Cathedral out to sea, so that he can bless the waters and so give them safe voyages throughout the year.
This is how Santa Claus evolved. Akram Youth | 11
12 | December 2014
Pujya Niruma’s 71st Birth Anniversary. Date: December 2. Venue: Simandhar City. The day began early with mahatmas from all over joining the ‘prabhat pheri’ which went around Sim city and concluded with Pujyashri giving ‘darshan’ at Vatsalya. Next on the list were ‘vidhi’ and ‘aarti’ at ‘Samadhi.’ The evening session began with ‘bhakti’ and telecast of a special CD on ‘Ma’. The highlight of the day being the evening session wherein ‘Kaviraj’ had everyone spellbound for more than 2 hours with recital of his ‘bhakti pads, alone with anecdotes of the days both he and Pujyashri had spent with Dadashri.
Akram Youth | 13
Cause & Effect
Mallinath Bhagwan Once there lived a King called Mahabal who ruled over the kingdom of Vitsoka located in Mahavideha Jambudwip. Since early childhood the king shared a very deep bondage with six friends. Such was their intimacy that they did not keep any secret amongst them and always informed each other prior to taking any decision. Once a renowned 'acharya' Shri Dharmghoshsuri visited the kingdom. All the seven friends went to attend the discourse and were highly impressed by the preaching's of the 'acharya'.King Mahabal realized that the material pleasures and fame were all temporary and illusionary while true and permanent happiness was in realizing one's true self (soul). He motivated his friends, “Till date we have enjoyed all the material pleasures together. I think the time is ripe for us to renounce these and proceed on our journey to realize our soul.� His friends agreed to what the king said and decided to renounce the world by taking 'Diksha'under the aegis of acharya Dharmagoshsuri. The friends decided to perform the same level of penance so as to 14 | December 2014
continue their journey which had begun since their childhood, together even on the path of spiritual development. They began their penance with great enthusiasm. As had been mutually agreed from day one they applied equal efforts and thus the progress of all was aligned. But as days turned in weeks and months a sense of competition developed in King Mahabal’s mind. He felt a strong urge to increase the intensity of his penance so as to enable him to make better and faster progress than his friends. But the pledge to act in tandem was disturbing him. Overcome by the desire to be the best he finally decided to break the promise and secretly began doing additional penance. The King resorted to extra hours of penance while his friends were asleep. On the pretext of ill health he would excuse himself from going to meals with the group and secretly continue with his penance. Owing to this deceit, he charged 'karmas' to be reborn as a female in forthcoming life. On the other hand the more he learned about spiritual science the more he was
filled with love and compassion for humanity and his intent to free mankind from the bondages due to ignorance increased. As a result of these feelings he also charged 'Tirthankar Gotra' (to be born as a tirthankara). All seven of them completed their spiritual learning and on completion of their 'karmas' of this life were re-born as deities. After their life span as deities the king was reborn as a princess to Queen Prabhavati and King Kumbhariya and was named “Mallikumari” while the other six friends were reborn as princes of six different kingdoms.
affection all the six princes were attracted towards her, but she tactfully dissolved their attraction towards her. Later the princess renounced the riches of the material world and took 'diksha' and attained 'keval gnan' (ultimate knowledge) on the very same day. The six kings who were present on the day Mallinath Bhagwan gave 'deshna' (discourse) too decided to renounce the world to continue their journey on the path of ultimate salvation. This Mallikumari is none else but the 19th ‘tirthankara’ Shri Mallinath Bhagwan.
Young Mallikumari grew to be a very beautiful princess. Due to their past life's
Akram Youth | 15
The Knowledge Encyclopedia
Author : Age : City : Hobby:
Ayush Mehta 16 Mumbai , India. Explorer, Adventurer, Socially Active
Jingle bells jingle bells jingle all the way‌.. friends you might be thinking what has come upon me, well I am already filled with the flavor of the month--- 'be merry, be happy'‌ feeling very much on the top of the world. Christmas time to give and share, well for me the celebrations began a wee bit early. And it began with this phone call I just received. Confused? Well let me start from the beginning. Last weekend I had travelled to Pune to celebrate my uncle's 25th wedding anniversary. Returning all alone as my parents had stayed back for an extended holiday, I had to take a cab. The driver, Subhash, a friendly young chap in his mid-twenties, though dressed immaculately seemed to be from financially weak background. We got chatting immediately and although he was in deep financial mess he had a very positive outlook towards life. Amongst many other things he was frank enough to share with me his temptations to swipe the customers of a few rupees now and then but had somehow resisted the temptation till now. At the same time he wasn't sure for how long he would be able to resist this temptation as his financial burden was increasing by the day. Impressed with his efforts I felt the setting was perfect for me to share the wisdom of Dadashri's philosophy, with him. I began with a few tips on the 'fault is of the sufferer' and later read out a para from Dadashri's small booklet titled 'Manavdharma'. I was pleasantly surprised with his arguments and also at his willingness to accept the logic. But first what Dadashri has said in His own words,
Dadashri: If we happen to find a bundle of 100 rupee notes worth Rs. 15000/- on the road, then our immediate thought should be, 'How sad would I feel if I were to lose such an amount, then how sad that person too might be feeling right now?' So we should give a small ad in a newspaper stating that whomsoever has lost the said amount should come with proper evidence and collect it by paying for the ad. That's it, this is fundamental rule needed to maintain humanity (manavdharma). We can easily understand that whatever pain I may experience, the same the other person too shall experience. We should maintain this thinking in all walks of our life. But as 16 | December 2014
of now the principles of humanity are completely lost. And hence everyone around is in such misery and discontent. Wherever you go you shall find that people have become completely self centered and are not bothered about others, this is just not 'humanity'. The thinking nowadays is, 'finders – keepers', since I found it, hence it belongs to me, now won't the same hold true for the person who would find whatever you might lose? Q: But what if I were to distribute that amount amongst the needy and the poor instead of keeping it for myself? Dadashri: No, do not distribute it amongst the poor. You have to try your best to trace that person, by spreading the word around, even then if you are unable to locate him, in case of him being an outsider, then only should you utilize that amount for some good deed. But we should never keep that amount with us. Also if you were to return the same to its rightful owner then only someone might end up returning your lost belongings. If you yourself act selfishly then you can't expect others to return your lost belongings. So, we need to completely overhaul our mindset. This is not at all acceptable; it's not the right path. Even after earning so much none seem to be contended and happy, why is it so?! Now if you have taken a loan of 2000/- rupees and are not in a position to repay the same then it might come across your mind, 'How do I avoid repaying it? Let’s forget about repaying.' The moment these thoughts arise we should immediately counter check, 'How would I feel if the one who owes me money were to think on these lines?' So we should lead a life wherein our intent is never self centered. That's humanity. The fundamental principle is, 'None should ever be hurt by any means.'
He seemed to be touched by this small recital of Dadashri's pearls of wisdom and assured me that he shall try to remember this during his weak moments. We soon reached Mumbai and as a parting gift I gave him the booklet along with a sticker and asked him to paste it right near his meter. The sticker stated, 'Dishonesty is the best foolishness' – Dadashri. Touched by my efforts to help him, he took my contact details and with misty eyes bid me adieu. Getting engrossed in my daily routine I had completely forgotten about that journey until I
best Dishonesty is the hri. as foolishness - Dad
Akram Youth | 17
received a call from him. “Hello, Ayush Sir, Subhash bol raha hoon.” “Arre Subhash, kaiso ho dost? Kyu yaad kiya?” “Sir, aaj main bahoot khush hoon aur yeh anubhav aapke saath baatna chahta hoon.” “Kya hua bhai koi lottery lagi kya?” “Haan bhi aur nahi bhi” “Arre kya huwa, theek se battao?” “Sir, aaj ek passenger apni bag meri gaadi mein bhul gaya tha,usko uttaar kar jab mein gaadi saaf kar raha tha tab meri najar pichli seat par padi ek bag par gaie, khola toh dekha ki bag 1000 – 1000 ki noto ke bundle se bhara hua tha, Sir, eetne rupye the ki hamari agli saat pushto tak kisi ko kaam nahi karna padta.” “Phir, tumne kya kiya?” – I couldn't stop myself from interrupting him. “Sir, pehle to socha ki aaj upar waale ne meri aur meri biwi ki prarthna sun li, par tabh hi tumhare diye gaye woh sticker par najar padi. Bahut muskil se aapne aap ko sambhaala, par ant me Dadaji ki jeet hui aur mene turant hi gaadi start ki aur uske asli maalik ko uski amanat lauta di.” “Bahut accha kiya”I had goose bumps all over. “Sir, itni khushi ka anubhav toh pehle kabhi nahi huwa aur woh bhi kissi ko kuch dene par. Aaj tak toh yahi socha tha ki kuch milne par hi khushi milti hain par yeh toh kuch alag hi ehsaas ho raha hai. Saab yah sab aapi ki meharbaani hai.” “Sir, iss liye maine kahaan ki lottery lagi bhi aur nahi bhi. Rupyo ki lottery lagi thi par ushe thukraarya toh saaache anand ka jackpot lag gaya.” Well friends we chatted for a few minutes more and ended our call with an assurance of meeting at the earliest. Well that's what I call 'IMPACT'. If a person in dire need can take such a call then what prevents us from being a SANTA CLAUS? Think over it…….
18 | December 2014
It Takes
21 Days
M
To Form A New
HABIT
ost people who have quit smoking know that those first 21 days are possibly the hardest, BUT if they can just keep focused on their goal of better health and living a smoke-free life, they'll have broken one of the most difficult addictions we know of. It's how your brain works and, yes, it's a rule. In fact it's such a powerful rule, that I recommend you start using it today. The patterns we repeat consistently (over a 21 day period) become neurological programs that we then run on a daily basis. You are writing programs all the time, you just may be unconscious of this process. Today, I'm giving you the instruction manual to start writing better programs. Making rules often seems like it will create limitations but you'll find the opposite is true. What are your rules? Are you still focused on your New Year's Resolutions? If not, revisit them. Do you still value them or do they require some editing or deleting? Great rewards sometimes require great sacrifice. Here's a list of some habits to do for 21 days that offer some surprisingly HUGE benefits. Whatever you decide to do for the next 21 days, make sure it feels right for you and if you miss a day, you need to start back at day 1; it's called the 21 Day RULE for a reason. When you get to day 21, congratulate yourself and move on to the next one. For 21 days, drink 8 glasses of water every day. For 21 days, atleast take 1 adjustment everyday. For 21 days, repent for your daily mistakes for 5 mins. For 21 days, go for a walk OR do push-ups OR any exercise you chose every day. For 21 days, visit a temple everyday. For 21 days, eat a salad with dinner every day. For 21 days, repeat a positive statement about yourself every day. For 21 days, only speak positives about others. No Negativity Policy for 21 days. For 21 days, do 5-10 minutes of deep breathing exercises every day. For 21 days, visualize your DREAM life for a few minutes every day. Anything you choose‌do it every day for 21 days. The funny thing is, 21 days starts to fly past you and you'll realize that this is easy. Just focus on choosing habits that you really want to commit to. Let us start forming new habits... small habits that will help us towards our ultimate goal... MOKSH. Akram Youth | 19
y r o t S praisal p a f l e S
I was tense as I entered a hotel located at the far end of the road. The hotel was full with customers who were mainly the employees of business houses situated in the area. They seemed to be having a tea break amidst their busy work schedule. It was a traditional hotel with few tables and a cash counter right in front of the main door. A large wooden board on the side wall displayed the menu . An old model of telephone instrument was placed on the desk of the cashier with a tag attached 'Rs.2/- per call' to facilitate the customers. I took a seat beside a group of people in the front row overlooking the main counter. They were discussing share market fluctuations, political developments and news relating to the world at large. I had come to the city in search of a job. My interview was successful and I was offered to join the company from the very next day. I was in two minds whether to accept the offer or not because the pay package was not that tempting. I ordered a cup of tea and a plate of 'samosas' to ease myself a bit. Just at that point in time I saw a boy, in his mid teens, approaching the counter and asking the owner to allow him to use the phone. He made a call and I could hear the conversation as I was sitting just next to the counter. The conversation went on as follows: Boy : Ma'am, can you give me the job of cutting your lawn? Lady : I already have someone doing that job. Boy : Ma'am, I will cut your lawn at half the price than the person who does the job. Lady : But I'm very satisfied with the person whom I have employed. Boy : (with more perseverance) Ma'am, in addition, I shall also do other petty jobs like sweeping the floors and the stairs of your house, absolutely free.
20 | December 2014
Lady : No, thank you. I am tempted by your offer but can’t think of dismissing the boy who is doing a marvelous job. With a smile on his face, the young boy replaced the receiver. The hotel-owner, who was a witness to all this, walked over to the boy, Owner : Son, I like your attitude; I like that positive spirit of yours and would like to offer you a job. Boy : No thanks. Owner : But just now you were practically begging for one. Boy : No Sir, I was just checking my performance at the job I already have. I am the one who is working for that lady. I was only assessing my performance. I call it, ‘Self Appraisal.’ I was stunned with this revelation. I went to the boy and asked him, “Why did you do so?” He looked at me calmly and replied, “You seem to be new to this place. It is very difficult to survive here. One has to be constantly aware of his performance and need to improvise from time to time. If you can win the confidence of your employer and work honestly and sincerely, then sky is the limit. But first you need to build your reputation. That’s the key to success.” This little conversation truly charged me up. I got that much needed boost and I decided to accept the job offer I had in hand with a will to prove my worth. I had once read in Akram Youth magazine, wherein Dadashri was quoted saying,
“There are gurus (teachers) everywhere.” Akram Youth | 21
Solutions to our Problems
Q.2: Should we let the bad habits to gradually wither away or do we have to make efforts to stop it?
Ans: We must always make positive efforts to nip them in the bud itself or else over a period of time it shall encompass our whole being. Dadashri advises that we must try our best to prevent the glass, which might have slipped from our hands, from hitting the floor. Even after our best efforts if the glass hits the floor and breaks then only we can proclaim it to be 'vyavasthit' - not before that. 'Gnan' is not to be misused in any way. Just don't take solace believing it was 'karmic' account that has got settled. Wherever you feel that these bad habits are creating obstacles in your spiritual progress then those need to be dealt with firmly whereas if things are progressing smoothly on the path of 'Gnan' then there is no need to stop that, in that case one should remain in 'Gnan'. Call it fate or scientific circumstantial evidence only after having given it your best shot.
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Jesus Christ Birth: 25 December Celebrated as
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J
esus (also called Christ which means king or Messiah) was born to Mary and Joseph at Bethlehem in Israel 2000 years ago. Modern civilisation marks his birth by dividing time B.C. (before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini - or the year of our Lord). Jesus Christ laid stress on love of God and love of fellowmen, and the need for repentance or a change of heart, for entry into the Kingdom of God. He instructed people to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. He said that a apologetic heart was necessary in order to receive God's forgiveness. Jesus welcomed and embraced the sinners, the despised and purified them. He comforted them and gave them solace and peace. "The Kingdom of God is within thee. Seek and ye shall find. Knock and the door shall be opened unto thee." This is the foundation upon which the ethics of Jesus has been built. Christian doctrines include the beliefs that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, was born of a virgin, performed miracles, founded the Church, died by crucifixion as a sacrifice to achieve atonement, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven. He was the way, the truth and the light, for all men to follow. Christ's message has always been: "Love thy neighbour as thyself".
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December 2014 Year -2, Issues - 8 Cont Issue - 20
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