Vote for Devotion

To dedicate one’s life for the love of God is DEVOTION….so enumerated Sri Rama to Shabhari the nine ways to love God:
Drawing oneself to the company of good people
Earful listening to stories of God
Votary to serve Guru without ego
Offering one’s heart by singing the qualities of God
Tuning the mind by chanting the name of God
Inner control, character building and detachment by following noble teachings
Only seeing God as the world and saints as greater than God
Never seeing wrong in others even in dream and being content
Simplicity in dealing with others with balanced emotions
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Devotion to duty is a fire that warms us but worldly ambition is a fire that consumes us
============================Humor
A famous art collector is walking through the city when he notices a mangy cat lapping milk from a saucer in the doorway of a store and he does a double take. He recognizes that the saucer is extremely old and very valuable, so he walks casually into the store and offers to buy the cat for two dollars.
The store-owner replies "I'm sorry, but the cat isn't for sale.
The collector says, "Please, I need a hungry cat around the house to catch mice. I'll pay you twenty dollars for that cat."
And the owner says "Sold," and hands over the cat.
The collector continues, "Hey, for the twenty bucks I wonder if you could throw in that old saucer. The cat's used to it and it'll save me from having to get a dish."
And the owner says, "Sorry buddy, but that's my lucky saucer. So far this week I've sold sixty-eight cats."=================================================

Community - Common Unity

A community must have a common vision that strives for unity. When such a vision is compromised, community will become mere commercial entity. Mahatma Gandhi observed the following as ‘Sins’ that can potentially destroy a community:
Wealth without work
Knowledge without character
Pleasure without conscience
Commerce without morality
Science without humanity
Politics without principle
Religion without sacrifice
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Action expresses priorities – Mahatma Gandhi
==========================================Humor
A lawyer died and arrived at the pearly gates. To his dismay, there were thousands of people ahead of him in line to see St. Peter. To his surprise, St. Peter left his desk at the gate and came down the long line to where the lawyer was, and greeted him warmly. Then St. Peter and one of his assistants took the lawyer by the hands and guided him up to the front of the line, and into a comfortable chair by his desk. The lawyer said, "I don't mind all this attention, but what makes me so special?" St. Peter replied, "Well, I've added up all the hours for which you billed your clients, and by my calculation you must be about 193 years old!"
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Transform to Reform

Sadhana is  to transform –
Boasting with the Body to Beneficence
‘Mine’-ness of the Mind to Meditation
‘I’-ness of the Intellect to Intuition
Prejudice of the Perceiver to Perpetrate
Fickleness of the Feeler to Felicitation
Torpidity of the Thinker to Transcendence
Obsession with Objects to Observation
Exhaustion with Emotions to Empowerment
Tossing with Thoughts to Tranquility…
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Man can no longer live his life for himself alone. We realize that all life is valuable and that we are united to all this life. From this knowledge comes our spiritual relationship with the universe. -- Albert Schweitzer
=================================================Humor
Two elderly couples were enjoying friendly conversation when one of the men asked the other,” Fred, how was the memory clinic you went to last month?" "Outstanding," Fred replied. "They taught us all the latest psychological techniques: visualization, association, etc. It was great." "That's great! And what was the name of the clinic?" Fred went blank. He thought and thought, but couldn't remember. Then a smile broke across his face and he asked, "What do you call that flower with the long stem and thorns?"

"You mean a rose?"

"Yes, that's it!" He turned to his wife, "Rose, what was the name of that memory clinic?"

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Known to No one

True knowledge is eternal and profound
source is Brahman, the Supreme beyond
enlightened ones receive it in faith
 in deep stillness in oneness with Truth
vision of Truth is the feat of intuition
where subject and object find no division
vision takes form, expressing as thoughts
result of the silent mind that ever reflects
spoken words are the means to convey
subjective Truth in objective way
O mindful listener, reverse the order
listen, reflect, intuit and ponder
go beyond thoughts, words and sound
it is Truth within, rishi-s have found 
in this journey you meet everyone
those who wish to lose to be One!
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Words are only postage stamps delivering the object for you to unwrap -  George Bernard Shaw
=================================Humor
A new business was opening, and one of the owner’s friends sent flowers for the occasion. But when the owner read the card with the flowers, it said. “Rest in Peace”

The owner was little upset and called the florist to complain. After he had told the florist about the obvious mistake, the florist said, “Sir, I’m really sorry for the mistake, but rather than getting angry, you should imagine this: Somewhere there is a funeral taking place today, and they have flowers with a note saying, “Congratulations for your new location.”
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Stop Negation

Enlighten me, O infinitely compassionate
 how much long should I engage to negate?
When you touch me through pair of ears
 through sound and silence, you I hear
When you happily dance in my tongue
 I enthrall you through speech and song
When you toughen my pair of hands
 I serve in love per your own commands
When you run through my fleeting mind
 I feel you as emotions of several kinds
When you breathe through my own nose
 I slow down to relax and to repose
If only you are not me, not my being
 I will be inert, changing and decaying…
Conversely, I am full of life and vigor
 it is you, O beloved… you are here
As undivided presence, spirit that is free
 my eyes are open, yet fail to see
O Lord, become my pair of eyes
 then, nothing to negate… you I realize!
====================================Quote
“The eyes indicate the antiquity of the soul” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
====================================Humor
Three old men are sitting in a diner, chatting about various things. One man says, "You know, I'm getting really forgetful. This morning, I was standing at the top of the stairs, and I couldn't remember whether I had just come up or was about to go down." The second man says, "You think that's bad? The other day, I was sitting on the edge of my bed, and I couldn't remember whether I was going to bed or had just woken up!" The third man smiles smugly. "Well, my memory is just as good as it's always been, knock on wood." He raps the table. With a startled look on his face, he asks, "Who's there?!"
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Wisdom in Freedom

Krishna’s celestial song is not commandments
nor are they list of instructions…
they are lofty statements of wisdom
and list of constructive suggestions
for, they show us the standard of life
ordinary mortal can emulate to become wise,
to be free from fear of hell
to no more fancy about heaven hereafter,
to be clear about one’s duties of life
to enjoy the beauty of calm mind
to learn the ways to worship
to skillfully play game of life…
choice is always yours 
for, wisdom dawns only in freedom!
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“Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.” - Albert Camus
=========================================Humor
Little Johnny was at football practice one day and the coach said
"Who here thinks they can jump higher than the goal posts
Immediately little Johnny said, "Ooh me sir me
The coach then said, "But Johnny you are the worst in the team!
Then Johnny said, "I know, but goalposts can’t jump!"

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Spring is here...

Three seasons are Maya’s treason
Her expression is this diverse creation
Summer - the heat of lustful passion
Fall-ego’s decent to deep depression
Search for true light - cold winter night
Spring is when the wisdom shines bright
Welcome spring….for the joys that you bring
Relief from agony and nameless suffering
We welcome Thee with showers of flower
As grateful tribute to mystery we discover
Summer, fall and winter are three moods
Beyond is you, O spring – you’re Godhood
Says Shankara, saint’s heart is spring season
Full of compassion, love without reason
Life and happiness wherever they go
For, they’ve discovered the land without ego
Land that is, it is God’s own garden
Freedom fruits in it fully laden
It’s hidden within in your heart, oh dear…
Spring is here, spring is here…
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“And you would accept the seasons of your heart just as you have always accepted that seasons pass over your fields and you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief.” -  Kahlil Gibran
=====================================Humor
A man hasn't been feeling well, so he goes to his doctor for a complete checkup. Afterward, the doctor comes out with the results.
"I'm afraid I have some very bad news," the doctor says. "You're dying, and you don't have much time left."
"Oh, that's terrible!" says the man. "Give it to me straight, Doc. How long have I got?"
"Ten," the doctor says sadly.
"Ten?" the man asks. "Ten what? Months? Weeks? What?!"
"Nine..."
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