Mira Prabhu's Blog, page 26
January 24, 2017
Ahimsa – The Antidote to Fear
“Ahimsa means to be gentle with others and oneself and all of nature. Ahimsa means to be natural and aware without rushing and pushing and trying to get somewhere quickly. This applies to both the material and the spiritual world. The mental tendency to grab and consume experiences of various types remains, even as people get on the spiritual path. There is nothing wrong with that. However, we should be aware of the tendencies that drive us in one direction or another as they create restlessness in the mind. A restless mind cannot surrender to the Lord who sits in the Heart as Pure Existence.” I’m still working on this one…thanks for sharing, Harsh Luthar!
By Dr. Harsh K. Luthar
Bhagavan Sri Ramana used to say, “Ahimsa Param Dharma”. It means that Ahimsa (Nonviolence) is the Supreme Dharma (Duty or Principle). Sri Ramana pointed out to the devotees and yogis that in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, Ahimsa is named as the highest virtue above all other virtues. If we are able to understand what Ahimsa means at the deepest level, that clarity itself guides us in discovering the nature of the Self as our own Being.
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January 23, 2017
The minute I heard my first love story I started looking for you: Rumi
When we realize that no human can give us the unconditional love we crave – not because they are reluctant, but because in finite form we are capable of only a limited love – the real quest begins…and if we are blessed, we realize that what we were seeking so desperately outside of ourselves was always within us. For me, Rumi’s final line – that lover’s are in each all along – corresponds to a profound statement made by Ramana Maharshi – that Infinite and Finite meet in the cave of our own Spiritual Heart – which process culminates in an eruption of unceasing LOVE. Thanks, Harsh Luthar!
The minute I heard my first love story
I started looking for you, not knowing
how blind that was.
Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere.
They’re in each other all along.
From Open Secret: Versions of Rumi, Translated by Coleman Barks / Translated by John Moyne
Chronic Illness and Self-Acceptance
“Living with a chronic illness is a challenge at best. If the illness is devastating but not recognized by the medical establishment, convincing ourselves life is worth living becomes an uphill battle.” Read Tina Frisco’s post on her struggle with a debilitating illness…and the conclusion she arrives at – self-acceptance. self-love and self-compassion…we are all works in progress….
Photo courtesy of Lucie Stastkova
Living with a chronic illness is a challenge at best. If the illness is devastating but not recognized by the medical establishment, convincing ourselves life is worth living becomes an uphill battle.
In the year 2000, I was diagnosed with a chronic illness that presented as a drop-dead flu. I’d been symptomatic since in the 1980s, but early on, flareups were few and far between. Innumerable doctor visits always produced tests with negative results. Over time, symptoms increased in severity and duration until they became immobilizing and constant in 1999.
I knew my doctors thought I was malingering. I felt invalidated yet knew damn well something was wrong. I lived in fear of a dreaded disease not being detected in time to be treated. Simultaneously, I wasn’t sure I wanted to live. By 1999 I was nearly bedridden; in debilitating pain; overwhelmed by fatigue; suffering…
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January 22, 2017
The Nature of Enlightenment in Advaita
I spent years studying Buddhism and my notion of enlightenment was different than the simple beauty of Ramana Maharshi’s teachings on the Self…not that there were not powerful similarities. While a Buddha is considered to be omniscient, the sage (in Advaita) has no need of “knowledge” for everything is already included in the Self.
“The great Advaitic Mahavakya, “Aham Brahmasmi” means, “I Myself Am Brahman”, One without a second. Therefore, the question of “knowing” something truly becomes moot in Advaita.” Thanks for an enlightening post, Harsh Luthar!
Dear Harsha:
In many Eastern traditions it is believed that once a person is fully Self-Realized or Enlightened, he or she attains complete perfection and becomes omniscient and all knowing about three periods of time (past, present, and the future) anywhere in the entire universe. What would be Sri Ramana Maharshi’s view on this? Was Sri Ramana really all knowing and perfect in every way?
_______
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12 Difficult Things You Need To Accept About Being A Writer #AmWriting #Writer
For those who want to write seriously, check this out…no, its not easy being a writer!!! But the end result, when you’ve actually a finished a piece of work you love and are ready and willing to share with a critical world, can be exhilarating. Thanks Lucy, for another great post!
Here are some difficult things about being a writer, which are hard to accept and may cause you to take a few solitary walks in the rain:
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The Swamp
Andrew Joyce writes about his tangle with a serial killer…and it really happened, which gives me the chills. I’m glad he was a smart and tough 17-year old then! I did a lot of research on the psychopath for my second novel, Krishna’s Counsel, and still I don’t think I’ll ever understand why they do what they do. Thanks, Andrew, for surviving to tell your grisly tale, and D. Wallace Peach for leading me to a great read!
When I got into the car, he told me to call him Teddy Bear. It was 3:00 a.m. and I was hitchhiking. I was grateful when I saw the brake lights come on and the car stop about thirty feet from where I was standing. The car itself was not visible because the fog at that time in the morning was so thick.
As I’ve said, I was to call the driver Teddy Bear, which didn’t strike the seventeen-year-old boy, which I was at the time, as a strange or unreasonable request. The road was a deserted two-lane affair that ran right through a swamp, which accounted for the excessive fog. I was damn glad he had happened along. It was mighty wet and cold, standing out there on the side of the road.
Because of the low visibility, we were going about twenty miles per hour and Teddy Bear…
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10 Reasons Why You Should Not Write For Fame and Fortune #SundayBlogShare #Writer
“True writers don’t think about the destination of their work. They are too busy falling in love with their writing during the journey.” Great post…and I concur…I write because I would go insane if I did not express myself. Thanks for a great post, Lucy, and Chris Graham for pointing me to it.
Ever questioned why you write?
Ever wondered why you spend hours and hours slaving away over a piece of writing?
If your answer is “because I want to be rich and famous!” – check out my list below.
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January 20, 2017
Rejection: the Ultimate Teacher – Guest Post by author Tina Frisco…
“When feeling disliked or ignored by another, it’s wise to step back and view that person’s behavior as a mirror our own subconscious. Often the things we don’t like in ourselves are reflected back to us by others, giving us an opportunity to examine what prompts us to react and how we might change. This not only buffers the impact, but also opens the door to personal growth. Becoming the witness rather than the recipient allows us to determine if our behavior rather than our essence is being rejected, or if the other person’s bias in play, and/or if we’re simply misreading all the cues.” Thanks for sharing on a painful subject that every being has to deal with at some point or another, Tina Frisco!
Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog
Image courtesy of Lucie Stastkova
Rejection comes in many forms, from many places, and is very painful. What makes rejection so devastating? What causes us to react in a particular way? How can we use rejection to our advantage?
On a purely instinctual level, rejection threatens to extinguish our life force by depriving us of vital nourishment. No being can truly thrive without some measure of love and acceptance.
Rejection devastates when we attach our personal worth to someone or something outside of ourselves. Feeling worthy only when liked and accepted by those with whom we engage sets the stage for rejection.
When feeling disliked or ignored by another, it’s wise to step back and view that person’s behavior as a mirror our own subconscious. Often the things we don’t like in ourselves are reflected back to us by others, giving us an opportunity to examine what…
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January 19, 2017
Whimsical Pictures of Glowing Flowers
What an amazing planet we inhabit…take a look at these glowing flowers….thanks for sharing, Alk3r!
Craig Burrows is an ingenious photographer. He imagined to let the plants and flowers fluorescence. He uses a unknown photography technique called UVIVF (ultraviolet-induced visible fluorescence)
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Inspiring Pictures for Writers – create a compelling character
What does this man not want you to know about him??? Compelling character…great post….thanks Bridget Whelan!
What does his voice sound like?What does he say he wants?
What does he really want?
What doesn’t he want anyone else to know about him?
This outstanding self-portrait is by the Norwegian painter Edvard Munch – probably most famous for The Scream. Forget the details of the real man’s life and use this face as a springboard into a work of the imagination.
