Nature is the best Teacher- 10

Except Man, no creation exercises greed. No animal hoards food, all share and eat whatever is available in the Now. Many do not kill once their stomach is full. Most pair for Life. Yes We can learn.

Krishnamachari Santhanam

Nature is the best Teacher- 9

Man willingly takes on the role of destroyer of a broader spectrum of Life but as creator for only a very miniscule particle of life form.

Krishnamachari Santhanam

Nature is the best Teacher - 8

IF AN EGG IS BROKEN BY AN OUTSIDE FORCE..A LIFE ENDS.
IF AN EGG BREAKS FROM WITHIN...... .LIFE BEGINS.
GREAT THINGS ALWAYS BEGIN FROM WITHIN.

Krishnamachari Santhanam

Nature is the best Teacher - 7

Bodies come and go. Soul is Eternal. It is ageless. With the encasing in the womb,with the first fortification and form,confusion of "I" starts and the merry dance begins.

Krishnamachari Santhanam

Nature is the Best Teacher -6

Rivers from many sources empty into the ocean. Once the merger happens can you identify the different rivers seperately? Men from different faiths, once tasting the ocean of bliss can never ever discriminate on the basis of faith.

Krishnamachari Santhanam

10 THINGS TO EMULATE FROM JAPAN

1. THE CALM

Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief. Sorrow itself has been elevated.



2.THE DIGNITY

Disciplined queues for water and groceries. Not a rough word or a crude gesture.



3. THE ABILITY

The incredible architects, for instance. Buildings swayed but didn't fall.



4. THE GRACE

People bought only what they needed for the present, so everybody could get something.



5. THE ORDER

No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on the roads. Just understanding.



6. THE SACRIFICE

Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the N-reactors. How will they ever be repaid?



7. THE TENDERNESS

Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM is left alone. The strong cared for the weak.



8. THE TRAINING

The old and the children, everyone knew exactly what to do. And they did just that.



9. THE MEDIA

They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins. No silly reporters. Only calm reportage.



10. THE CONSCIENCE

When the power went off in a store, people put things back on the shelves and left quietly.

Nature is the Best Teacher -5

The cow never drinks its own milk, the Tree never eats its own fruit. Learn to be charitable and selfless from them.

Krishnamachari Santhanam

Nature is the Best Teacher - 4

Be Like the Sun,give Life to one and all without discriminating.

Krishnamachari Santhanam

Nature is the Best Teacher-3

Learn from the Bird, Depend on the strength of your wing , not on the strength of the twig.

Krishnamachari Santhanam.

Nature is the Best Teacher-2

Patience and Penance, Learn from the mountains.

Nature is the Best Teacher.

Nature is the best teacher. Learn from nature.

Nature

Always be close to Nature. That is the Lifeline.

Puppet On a Chain

Not even the tiniest event can happen unless willed by the Lord. Be fully convinced of this. He is the Suthradhari, the holder of the strings that move the puppets and make them act their roles; but He seats Himself among the spectators and pretends He is unaware of the plot or story or cast. The characters cannot deviate a dot from His directions. His Will guides and determines every single movement and gesture. The varying emotions affect the hearts of those who witness the play; but they do not cause a ruffle in the heart of the Suthradhari. He decides what this person should say or that person should do and He prompts in them the appropriate words and deeds.

SAI

Thapas-Penance

Tapas (penance) does not mean positioning oneself upside down, head on the ground and feet held up like a bat. Nor is it the renunciation of possessions and properties, wife and children, emaciating one’s body or holding the nose to regulate one’s breath. Physical actions, oral assertions and mental resolves—all three have to be in unison. The thought, the speech and the act, all have to be pure. This is the real Tapas. And they have to be co-ordinated not by the compulsion of duty. The effort must be undertaken for satisfying one’s inner yearnings, for the contentment of the Self. This struggle is the essence of Tapas.

Sai.

The best gift to ask from God

Our faith diminishes because our ambitions are limitless. There was a rich person who had a daughter with a flat nose. The father wanted to get this girl married. Every person who came and looked at the girl used to go away, although they were tempted by the wealth. In those days, persons who could perform plastic surgery were not available. In desperation, he announced that he would give plenty of money to anyone who would marry his daughter. The marriage was performed, and thereafter the couple developed considerable faith in God. They visited many temples, went on many pilgrimages and bathed in many sacred rivers. They met a saint who advised them that he, who created the nose, alone, could bring it back to normal. Although they had lot of wealth, they were not happy at all. The girl used to feel others were looking at her and making fun. She suggested to her husband that they should both go to the lonely Himalayas and spend a month there in that manner. He agreed and they did go. The girl had a great desire to get back her nose, so she began to pray to God in great earnestness. God appeared, due to her good luck, and asked her what she wanted. As soon as God appeared, she asked for the grant of a good looking big nose. God said, so shall it be and granted her the boon. As soon as God disappeared, she looked at her face. She looked at the big nose and felt that she had become uglier than before. She prayed again more earnestly and God appeared again and asked her what she wanted. She said that she did not want that big nose. God said, so shall it be and granted her the boon. She immediately found that her nose had completely disappeared. The moral of this story is that although God is present before you, playing with you and talking with you, you do not know what to ask.

Sai in Chinnakatha

Experience is the best teacher.

One day, Brighu, the son of Varuna approached his father and asked him: "Father! Will you enlighten me about Brahman?" Sage Varuna replied endearingly: "Son, none can enlighten anyone on Brahman. One has to experience through meditation. Go and do meditation and carry on self-enquiry. I bless you."

Brighu went into a forest and sat for meditation. He used to carry on self-enquiry too. He used to contemplate on several questions related to the spiritual world. One day, he thought: 'What is the most essential thing that is necessary for the existence of all living beings in general and man in particular? It must be food', he decided. Man lives, grows and works only because of food, the most essential thing for life is food, so food is Brahman." He ran to his father and said: "Father, I know what is Brahman. Food is Brahman." Varuna replied with a smile: "No, my son, food is not Brahman. Go and meditate."
Brighu went to the forest and continued his tapas for some more time. One day he thought, 'food may be essential, but unless there is energy, how can the food be digested? What is that energy? It must be prana (vital air) so prana is Brahman.' So, he went to his father and said: "Father, I know what is Brahman, Prana is Brahman." Varuna replied: "No, my son, go and meditate for some more days."
Brighu obeyed his father's command. He continued his meditation. One day he thought, 'Food is essential, prana is essential, but what is more essential? Unless one has desire to live and to eat, of what avail is food and prana? The seat of desire is mind. So Manas is Brahman' he decided. Brighu reported about his discovery and said: "Father, Manas is Brahman." Varuna smiled and said: "Son, no, Manas is not Brahman. Go and do tapas for some more days."

Brighu continued his meditation. One day he thought 'Food is essential, prana is essential, manas is also essential, but what is still more essential? Unless one is able to distinguish and discriminate between good and evil, of what use is this life? What is the seat of this discriminating faculty? It is intellect, vijnan.' So vijnan is Brahman", he decided. Brighu went and told his father: "Father, vijnan is Brahman". Varuna once again said: "Son, no, vijnan is not Brahman. Go and do tapas for some more days."

Brighu once again continued to do tapas. One day he thought, 'Food gives strength, parna energises, manas causes desires, and vijnan endows man with discrimination (viveka). But, I must find out what is the ultimate goal of man's life. I have to experience it'. Having thus resolved, he went into deep meditation again.

One day, he experienced an ineffable joy and he sat utterly unconscious of the outside world. That day, Varuna came to the forest in search of his son. He was happy to see his son in samadhi. From the effulgence which shone on Brighu's face, he knew that his son had realised that 'Bliss is Brahman'.

In the upanishadic age, parents and preceptors used to encourage their pupils to ask questions, yet they would not give them immediate answers. They would advise them to carry on self enquiry and find out the answers for themselves.

Experience is the best teacher.

Reality

Athma Tatwa is One and the same in all.
There was a guru with a large number of disciples and the guru was telling them some good things. One day, when the lesson was going on, the teacher told the disciples that while they are engaged in puja and meditation, no matter what obstacles come their way, they must take care to see that their meditation is not disturbed. The disciples had great faith in the guru. There were also some disciples who were staying in the âs'ram itself. On a birthday of the guru, one disciple decided to offer special prayers to the guru by repeating the 108 names of the Lord. The disciple collected a photograph, 108 flowers and wanted to perform the puja in the traditional manner. One other disciple invited the guru and took him to his house. The guru while going told this other disciple, who wanted to do the worship at the âs'ram itself, to be careful and asked him to keep the front door closed. The day was very hot and the guru neither had slippers for his feet nor did he have sufficient hair on his head to protect him from the sun. When the guru came to the âs'ram and wanted the door to be opened, the disciple inside was engaged in offering puja. The guru knocked at the door and asked the disciple to open the door. The disciple replied that he was engaged in puja and that the guru must wait till the puja was over, as the puja was not to be interrupted. Today ninety-nine out of hundred people are like the disciple. They only worship the photograph of the person whose grace they long for, and continue to do so even when the latter is knocking at the very door of the worshipper.

Sai in Chinna Katha.

A Moving note from a friend in Sendai

Date: March 14, 2011 7:23:04 AM

HST



From my cousin in Sendai, Japan where she has lived for the

past decade teaching English. Very moving!!



Hello My Lovely Family and Friends,



First I want to thank you so very much for your concern

for me. I am very touched. I also wish to apologize for a

generic message to you all. But it seems the best way at the

moment to get my message to you.



Things here in Sendai have been rather surreal. But I am

very blessed to



have wonderful friends who are helping me a lot. Since

my shack is even



more worthy of that name, I am now staying at a friend's

home. We share



supplies like water, food and a kerosene heater. We

sleep lined up in one room, eat by candlelight, share

stories. It is warm, friendly, and beautiful.



During the day we help each other clean up the mess in

our homes. People sit in their cars, looking at news on

their navigation screens, or line up to get drinking water

when a source is open. If someone has water running in their

home, they put out sign so people can come to fill up their

jugs



and buckets.



Utterly amazingly where I am there has been no looting,

no pushing in



lines. People leave their front door open, as it is

safer when an



earthquake strikes. People keep saying, "Oh, this is how

it used to be in the old days when everyone helped one

another."



Quakes keep coming. Last night they struck about every

15 minutes. Sirens



are constant and helicopters pass overhead often.



We got water for a few hours in our homes last night,

and now it is for



half a day. Electricity came on this afternoon. Gas has

not yet come on.



But all of this is by area. Some people have these

things, others do not.



No one has washed for several days. We feel grubby, but

there are so much



more important concerns than that for us now. I love

this peeling away of



non-essentials. Living fully on the level of instinct,

of intuition, of caring, of what is needed for survival, not

just of me, but of the entire group.



There are strange parallel universes happening. Houses a

mess in some



places, yet then a house with futons or laundry out

drying in the sun.



People lining up for water and food, and yet a few

people out walking



their dogs. All happening at the same time.



Other unexpected touches of beauty are first, the

silence at night. No



cars. No one out on the streets. And the heavens at

night are scattered



with stars. I usually can see about two, but now the

whole sky is filled.



The mountains are Sendai are solid and with the crisp

air we can see them



silhouetted against the sky magnificently.



And the Japanese themselves are so wonderful. I come

back to my shack to



check on it each day, now to send this e-mail since the

electricity is on,



and I find food and water left in my entranceway. I have

no idea from



whom, but it is there. Old men in green hats go from

door to door checking



to see if everyone is OK. People talk to complete

strangers asking if they



need help. I see no signs of fear. Resignation, yes, but

fear or panic,



no.



They tell us we can expect aftershocks, and even other

major quakes, for another month or more. And we are getting

constant tremors, rolls, shaking, rumbling. I am blessed in

that I live in a part of Sendai that is



a bit elevated, a bit more solid than other parts. So,

so far this area is



better off than others. Last night my friend's

husband came in from the



country, bringing food and water. Blessed again.



Somehow at this time I realize from direct experience

that there is indeed



an enormous Cosmic evolutionary step that is occurring

all over the world



right at this moment. And somehow as I experience the

events happening now



in Japan, I can feel my heart opening very wide. My

brother asked me if I



felt so small because of all that is happening. I don't.

Rather, I feel as



part of something happening that much larger than

myself. This wave of



birthing (worldwide) is hard, and yet magnificent.



Thank you again for your care and Love of me,



With Love in return, to you all,



Anne

Old Age!

One day an old German Shepherd starts chasing rabbits and before long, discovers that he's lost. Wandering about, he notices a panther heading rapidly in his direction with the intention of having lunch

The old German Shepherd thinks, "Oh, oh! I'm in deep shit now!"

Noticing some bones on the ground close by, he immediately settles down... to chew on the bones with his back to the approaching cat. Just as the panther is about to leap, the old German Shepherd exclaims loudly, "Boy, that was one delicious panther! I wonder, if there are any more around here?"



Hearing this, the young panther halts his attack in mid-strike, a look of terror comes over him and he slinks away into the trees."Whew!," says the panther, "That was close! That old German Shepherd nearly had me!"



Meanwhile, a squirrel who had been watching the whole scene from a nearby tree, figures he can put this knowledge to good use and trade it for protection from the panther. So, off he goes.



The squirrel soon catches up with the panther, spills the beans and strikes a deal for himself with the panther. The young panther is furious at being made a fool of and says, "Here, squirrel, hop on my back and see what's going to happen to that conniving canine!"



Now, the old German Shepherd sees the panther coming with the squirrel on his back and thinks, "What am I going to do now?," but instead of running, the dog sits down with his back to his attackers, pretending he hasn't seen them yet, and just when they get close enough to hear, the old German Shepherd says... "Where's that squirrel? I sent him off an hour ago to bring me another panther!"



Moral of this story...



Don't mess with the old dogs... Age and skill will always overcome youth and treachery!