Quotes & Quips
“One who loves God finds the object of his love everywhere.”
Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950)
The more you know of the Hindu religion, the more you will honour and love it. The more you study it, the more it will enlighten you and satisfy your heart. Swami Sivananda (1887-1963)
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Be ashamed of your hatred. Give up hatred and be quiet. Shirdi Sai Baba (1838-1915)
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Work and worship are necessary to take away the veil, to lift off the bondage and illusion. Swami Vivekananda
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My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind. Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
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An empty pot makes the loudest noise. Kenyan Proverb
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A man is born gentle and weak; at his death he is hard and stiff. All things, including the grass and trees, are soft and pliable in life; dry and brittle in death. Stiffness is thus a companion of death; flexibility a companion of life. An army that cannot yield will be defeated. A tree that cannot bend will crack in the wind. The hard and stiff will be broken; the soft and supple will prevail. Lao Tzu (ca 600 bce), Chinese philosopher
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You are awareness. Awareness is another name for you. Since you are awareness, there is no need to attain or cultivate it. All that you have to do is to give up being aware of other things, that is of the not-Self. If one gives up being aware of them, then pure awareness alone remains, and that is the Self. Ramana Maharishi
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The fish in the water is wracked by thirst: I hear about it and burst out laughing. What you are looking for is right at home and yet you roam from forest to forest, full of gloom. Saint Kabir (1440-1518)
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A good mother is worth a hundred teachers. Italian Proverb
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What seems to be coming at you is really coming from you. Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), mystic poet
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The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it. Thich Nhat Hanh,Buddhist monk
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How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them? Every part of the Earth is sacred to my people, every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clear and humming insect is holy. Chief Seattle (1780-1866), leader of the Suquamish and Duwamish Native American tribes
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Loud speech, profusion of words, and possessing skillfulness in expounding scriptures are merely for the enjoyment of the learned. They do not lead to liberation. Adi Shankara (788-820)
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India’s traditional ideas talk about conquering the mind and reject the idea of conquering the world. Karolina Goswami, Polish-born Indian resident and filmmaker
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We desire to bequeath two things to our children; the first one is roots, the other one is wings. Sudanese proverb
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There are many who, without instructions from a Satguru, but smitten by vanity, read the Vedas and other shastras; but those who are possessed of a knowledge of scripture’s true meaning are very rare. As a ladle does not know the taste of the liquid which it serves, and as the head carries flowers but their fragrance is smelled by the nose, so while these people read the shastras, the Truth they reveal is known by good sadhakas only. Kularnava Tantra 4
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Your guru will come to you at the proper time. Shivabalayogi Maharaj (1935-1994), Indian yogi and guru
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Be a mountain or lean on one. Somali proverb
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So long as passion for attaining God is not firm you shall fly hither and thither, without knowing, like a kite. Swami Brahmanand Saraswati (1868-1953), Shankaracharya of the Jyotir Math
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There’s no scripture that surpasses what you’ll find inside yourself. Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami,publisher of Hinduism Today
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In the end, the Great Mystery is known as one, as two, as neither one nor two. Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927-2001), founder of Hinduism Today
DID YOU KNOW?
Are Hindus Forbidden to Eat Meat?
The overlying principle that defines the answer to this query is ahimsa—refraining from injuring—physically, mentally or emotionally—anyone or any living creature. Our religion does not force “do’s and don’ts.” but the Hindu who wishes to follow the path of ahimsa, naturally adopts a vegetarian or vegan diet. It’s a matter of conscience more than anything else. The Yajurveda 36.18 calls for kindliness toward all creatures living on Earth. To successfully practice yoga and meditation, it is mandatory to be at least vegetarian. Consuming animal products amplifies our lower nature, which is prone to fear, anger, jealousy, confusion and resentment. There are many great resources for vegetarian cooking. It is easy, healthy and ahimsa to go veg! If you need recipes, instruction or inspiration, check out these wonderful, illustrated, vegetarian recipe sites, and you might just find youself on the way to your kitchen with some mouth-watering ideas:
BASICS
Understanding Timeliness
Verses from the ancient Tirukural, by Saint Tiruvalluvar
Verse 481: During the day, a crow can overcome the more powerful owl. Desiring to defeat his enemy, a king must pick the proper time.
482: A man may tightly bind himself to prosperity by the tether called timely action.
483: Is there any task too difficult for the man who acts at the right time and with the proper means?
484: One may aim to acquire the whole world and succeed, if actions target the right time and place.
485: Those who aim to own the world must wait, unruffled, for the fitting hour.
486: The powerful man’s patient restraint is like the drawing back of the fighting ram before he strikes the stunning blow.
487: When irate, clear-minded men never show it then and there. Holding it within, they watch for an opportune moment.
488: Bow ever so humbly when meeting an enemy. His own head will hang humiliated when, in time, he meets defeat.
489: When a rare opportunity comes your way, do not hesitate to swiftly accomplish otherwise impossible tasks.
490: There are times to stay still as a stalking heron. There are times to move swiftly as a heron strikes.
