LOVE FOR THE LOVE'S SAKE

LOVE IS AN EMOTION WHICH PURIFIES OUR HEART. LOVE IS OFTEN COMPARED TO GOD.

ONLY PUREST FORM OF LOVE CAN BE COMPARED TO GOD. PUREST LOVE IS ALWAYS DIRECTED TOWARDS GOD. THIS IS CALLED DEVOTION.

IN DEVOTION WHAT ONE DOES IS ONLY FOR THE SAKE OF GOD. HE TRIES TO MAKE HIM HAPPY. HIS EVERY ACTION IS MEANT TO SERVE GOD WITHOUT ANY DESIRE FOR HIMSELF. 

BUT MOST OF US WORSHIP GOD NOT FOR DIVINE LOVE. WE WORSHIP GOD TO GET SOME FAVOUR FROM HIM. OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IS BASED UPON OUR SELFISH MOTIVE. THAT IS WHY OUR FAITH ON GOD IS NOT SO FIRM. WHEN WE GET THE DESIRED THING WE PRAISE GOD BUT WHEN SOMETHING UNDESIRABLE HAPPENS WE IMMEDIATELY START COMPLAINING, BLAMING GOD FOR WHATEVER HAPPENS.

OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD SHOULD NOT  DEPEND ON SELFISH MOTIVE. WE ARE MEANT TO SERVE GOD NOT TO BE SERVED BY HIM. LOVE GOD FOR LOVE'S SAKE NOT FOR GETTING SOME BENEFITS FROM HIM. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO REACH HIM.

KARMA THEORY

MANY PEOPLE SAY THAT WE ARE PUPPETS IN THE HANDS OF GOD. WE MOVE THE WAY HE WANTS US TO MOVE.

NOW THE QUESTION ARISES IF WE ARE CONTROLLED BY GOD IN THIS MANNER WHAT IS THE UTILITY OF 'KARMA' THEORY. 

WHY MAN CAN BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS ACTIONS IF HE ACTS AS GOD WANTS HIM TO ACT.

THERE IS ANOTHER BELIEF IN MOST OF THE PEOPLE. WHATEVER HAPPENS HERE IS PREDETERMINED. WE ARE JUST PLAYING OUR PART. AGAIN IT DEFIES THE ROLE OF 'KARMA'. WHATEVER HAPPENED WAS ALREADY PLANNED SO ONE CAN NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS DEEDS.

BUT IN BHAGVAD GEETA SRI KRISHNA HIMSELF RENDERED THE THEORY OF 'KARMA'.   SRI KRISHNA SAYS THAT ONE SHOULD NOT INDULGE IN INACTION IN ANY SITUATION. 'KARMA' IS ONLY WAY FOR HIM TO MITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF HIS PAST DOINGS AND GET EMANCIPATION. 

'JEEVA' {BEING}IS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THREE QUALITIES. HE ACTS ACCORDING TO THE QUALITY DOMINATING HIM.

A PERSON UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF SATTVA ( QUALITY OF GOODNESS ) WORKS FOR SELF PROGRESS AND FOR THE BENEFIT FOR OTHER PERSONS. HE ENGAGED HIMSELF IN PHILANTHROPIC WORKS.

UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF RAJAS ( QUALITY OF PASSION )  PERSON IS DRIVEN BY HIS DESIRES. ALL HIS ACTIONS ARE TO SATISFY HIS DESIRES.

TAMAS ( QUALITY OF IGNORANCE ) MOTIVATES A PERSON FOR EVIL DEEDS. ALL HIS ACTIONS BRING PAIN AND SUFFERINGS FOR HIM AND FOR OTHERS'.

EVERYONE IS ENGAGED IN 'KARMA'. AS THE 'KARMA' SO WILL BE THE OUTCOME. GOOD DEEDS BRING GOOD RESULT WHILE BAD DEEDS BRING BAD RESULT. ONE HAS TO COME ON THIS EARTH AGAIN AND AGAIN UNTIL ALL EFFECTS OF HIS PREVIOUS 'KARMA' COME TO AN END. THAT IS WHY SRI KRISHNA ASKS US TO ACT SELFLESSLY FOR BENEFIT OF OTHER PERSONS WITHOUT DESIRING THE FRUIT OF ACTION.

THE LIFE CAN NOT BE IMAGINED WITHOUT 'KARMA'. GOD HAS CREATED THIS NATURE AS A FIELD OF ACTION. THEREFORE EVERY BEING IS WORKING IN ITS OWN CAPACITY. MAN WHO IS THE BEST CREATION OF GOD HAS MORE ADVANTAGE TO IMPROVE HIS CONDITION AND IN THE END TO GET EMANCIPATION FROM THE CYCLE OF REPEATED BIRTH AND DEATH THROUGH HIS ACTIONS.

'KARMA' THEORY PROVIDES US A RAY OF HOPE. NO MATTER HOW PITIABLE OUR CONDITION IS WE HAVE A CHANCE TO IMPROVE IT THROUGH OUR ACTIONS. EVEN IF WE FAIL IN FIRST ATTEMPT WE CAN START AGAIN. ACT AND FACE THE RESULTS. IT IS MUCH BETTER CONDITION THAN THINKING YOUR SELF AS INSIGNIFICANT BEING DANGLING WITH STRINGS TIED TO THE FINGERS OF A SUPER POWER LIVING ABOVE AND APART FROM ME. 

'GOD' IS NOT A PUPPETEER WHO MOVES US ACCORDING TO HIS WILL. HE GIVES US COMPLETE FREEDOM TO ACT AND FIND OUR WAY TO REACH TO HIM THROUGH OUR 'KARMA'. LIKE A GOOD FRIEND HE IS ALWAYS WITH US. HE GUIDES US THROUGH INNER VOICE WHENEVER WE NEED TO BE TOLD ABOUT RIGHT PATH. BUT HE NEVER INTERFERES IN OUR ACTIONS.

TAKE BABY STEPS

EVERYTHING NEEDS TIME IN THIS WORLD. NOTHING CAN BE ACHIEVED IN A JIFFY. IF ONE WANTS TO EAT MANGOES FROM HIS OWN ORCHARD HE HAS TO SOW THE SEED. AFTER SOME TIME IT WILL SPROUT AS SAPLING. THIS SAPLING NEED TO BE PROTECTED FROM ANIMALS. HE HAS TO WATER IT REGULARLY TO STOP IT TO WITHER. WITH THE PASSAGE OF TIME IT WILL BECOME A HUGE TREE. WHEN THE SEASON  COME IT WILL BEAR FRUITS. STILL ONE HAS TO KEEP PATIENCE UNTIL FRUITS GROW RIPE.PATIENCE IS THE KEY FACTOR.SIMILAR GOES FOR DEVELOPING A RELATIONSHIP. THERE ARE DIFFERENT STAGES. WHEN ONE CROSSES ALL STAGES THEN A HEALTHY AND EVERLASTING RELATIONSHIP IS DEVELOPED.THE BEST RELATIONSHIP IS OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. THE BOND IS CALLED DEVOTION [BHAKTI].DEVOTION FOR GOD CAN NOT BE DEVELOPED IN A SINGLE DAY. IT ALSO REQUIRES TIME.THE FIRST STEP IS ACCEPTANCE OF FACT THAT GOD IS SUPREME REALITY. WE ALL ARE   PART AND PARCEL OF GOD. HE IS OUR ONLY PRESERVER. I SHOULD COMPLETELY SURRENDER UNTO HIM. THIS IS LIKE SOWING SEED.THIS SEED GERMINATES WITH THE FEELING THAT GOD IS OUR ONLY WELL WISHER AND IS ALWAYS WITH ME.THIS IS THE CRUCIAL TIME. ONE HAS TO PROTECT THIS  FEELING FROM THE PEOPLE OF MATERIALISTIC THINKING. THEY CAN HARM THIS SUPPLE PLANT. THEREFORE CONTINUOUS REMEMBRANCE OF GOD IS NEEDED. THE CHANTING OF HOLY NAME OF GOD IS LIKE WATERING THIS PLANT.THE CHANTING OF HOLY NAME OF GOD WILL STRENGTHEN THIS FEELING AND SLOWLY SLOWLY IT WILL GROW AS A BIG TREE OF DEVOTION.IT WILL BEAR FRUIT WHOSE SWEETNESS WILL NEVER FADE FROM YOUR HEART.

SUFISM

Sufism is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam.A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a Sufi. Sufism is a discipline, a system of education that facilitates the journey of self-knowledge, a journey which enables the individual to discover his stable reality. Cognition of our true self enables us to free ourselves from our limitations and attachments, and experience freedom, peace, and tranquility in our everyday lives.  "Whoever cognized his true self has cognized God."

The message of all Prophets has been through time: Know yourself. Know the "being" who is everlasting and not restricted to the body, to desires, and all the action and reaction that takes place continuously. The Prophets are not addressing the elements that make up the various organs including the brain, the memory and the senses. They are not addressing the behaviors learned through the various socialization processes. They are addressing the "being" who has existed ever since the baby was born, and continued to be constant through out the changes that the child underwent until it reached adulthood. Everything changed –the body, ideas, ideals, thoughts, goals, etc.—but the "being" called "I" always remained constant.

Sufism is a discipline, a method and a way that teaches humans how to discover and unfold their true self, the "I". Know the "being" who is your true identity, the source of your becoming, the source of knowledge, so you may live in peace and balance. Sufism is the method through which the Prophets attained the cognition of God, and their true self. Sufism arose out of the quest for some Muslims to find greater meaning in life, God and in Islam itself. 

Two origins of the word sufi have been suggested. Commonly, the lexical root of the word is traced to Safa which in Arabic means "purity". Another origin is Suf "wool", referring to the simple cloaks the early Muslim ascetics wore.The Sufi is the one who wears wool on top of purity. The sufi is one who is a lover of Truth, who by means of love and devotion moves towards the Truth, towards the perfection which all are truly seeking.

Sufism, to its followers meant to acquire the inner knowledge, the enlightenment that could enable them to realise the Truth, which is also the underlying objective of all the religions. This being central to all religions, the Sufi fundamentals existed in all religions and, therefore, Sufism travelled beyond the borders of religion.

A Sufi seeker has to complete his journey to self-realisation. He has to find his Beloved within himself, for He can be found only in a heart that has been purified by the fire of love. The distance, however, can be covered in a moment, the Truth can be realised in a moment, if one wants it as desperately as a drowning man wants the air.

One of the most fundamental principles of Sufism is that whatever exists is the manifestation of the one absolute knowledge that pervades everything and is not limited to time or place. Therefore, the closest place to gain access to this knowledge is within one's own self. This is why Islam proclaims the Oneness of Existence --- la ilaha-illa’llah --- or, “there is no other but God.” This is the true human dignity granted to humans - that there is no separation between him and God. As stated in the Holy Qur’an (50:16), “I am closer to you than your jugular vein.”

The foundation of all “religions” is the same principle, and that is the principle of unity. The Prophets came with the good news, that there is a God and each individual could know him. If there is only one Reality, one God, there can be only one Religion. Therefore, what does the word “religions” mean, and what is the Reality of Religion. There are no differences within the original doctrines of the different religions. The differences exist in the interpretation among people.

Sufism teaches love. Ordinary love, which is a manifestation of divine love, has real traces of true love. The lives of those who are in love are full of meaning and purpose. They are positive, hopeful, passionate, and giving. They see beauty as more beautiful and problems as less severe. However, because ordinary love is changeable and unstable, these feelings can turn into the opposite. Real love, the rapture that is hidden in the "I", is constant, and its positive characteristics are permanent and eternal. 

The substance of Sufism is the Truth and the meaning of Sufism is the selfless experiencing and actualization of the Truth. The practice of Sufism is the intention to go towards the Truth, by means of love and devotion. This is called the tarigat, the spiritual path or way towards God. 'If you want to see the Reality You would find there nothing but The true reflection of the Almighty.

The Sufis are the men of the highest morality. They are the people who behave according to the need of the time. They are not bound by the shackles of rituals and customs. Religion for them is important only so long as it does not hinder spiritual progress. The greatest religion for them is the love for the humanity and not to hurt anyone’s feelings. Their objective being to evolve as a complete man by improving one’s character and conduct the principles and practices adopted by them revolve around these central ideas and are to be seen in this light.