World Without Man

Posted on February 23, 2013 by admin

World Without Man


Before me flowed the gurgling, placid river.
Behind me rose the tree-clad, peaceful mountain.
“Man says this is his world,” I reflected,
“And yet there was a time when there was no man.
Did this old world exist the same without man?
“I was flowing then,” murmured the river.
“I was standing firm,” whispered the mountain.
“Man now,” I thought, “seems bent on self destruction.
A million fiendish things he has invented-
Each one more deadly than the one before it.
If he succeeds in self-annihilation,
will this world he says is his go on without him?”
“I’ll be flowing still,” murmured the river.
“I’ll be standing firm,” whispered the mountain.

Credits:
This is a poem by Peace Pilgrim. You can find out more about Peace Pilgrim here.

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Homeless Man Returns Diamond Ring

Posted on February 23, 2013 by admin

When Sarah Darling dumped her change in the cup of a homeless man, Billy Ray, little did she realize that she also dropped in her diamond ring as well. She did not realize her loss until the next day. But when she went back to Billy Ray he promptly returned the ring back to her.

The five Yamas in the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali are: Ahimsa (non violence), Satya (honesty), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya (celibacy), and Aparigrah (non-possessiveness). Billy Ray by his actions has demonstrated that it is possible even for a man hard on his times, to observe the Yamas. Billy Ray demonstrated honesty, non-stealing and non-possessiveness when he returned the ring to its rightful owner.

The results of practicing Yamas and Niyamas is that it builds the foundation on which you can make spiritual progress. It is also true that along with spiritual progress you may also stumble into material success if you live according to the principles laid down by Patanjali as can be seen in Billy’s case. Since the news of Billy Ray’s actions have spread, donations have been pouring in and till last reported the number is now close to $86,000. Even more fascinating is that the news reached his estranged sister who has not seen her brother for more than 20 years. She is now offering him a place to stay.

You may also like: A Different Kind Of Mugging Incident

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She Wins!

Posted on February 23, 2013 by admin

She WonA lawyer and a blonde are sitting next to each other on a long flight from LA to NY. The lawyer leans over to her and asks if she would like to play a fun game. The blonde just wants to take a nap, so she politely declines and rolls over to the window to catch a few winks.

The lawyer persists and explains that the game is really easy and a lot of fun. He explains” I ask you a question, and if you don’t know the answer, you pay me $5, and vice-versa.” Again, she politely declines and tries to get some sleep.

The lawyer, now somewhat agitated, says, “Okay, if you don’t know the answer you pay me $5, and if I don’t know the answer, I will pay you $500,” figuring that since she is a blonde that he will easily win the match. This catches the blonde’s attention and, figuring that there will be no end to this torment unless she plays, agrees to the game.

The lawyer asks the first question. “What’s the distance from the earth to the moon?” The blonde doesn’t say a word, reaches in to her purse, pulls out a five dollar bill and hands it to the lawyer. Now, it’s the blonde’s turn. Continue reading →

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Living Beyond Limits

Posted on February 16, 2013 by admin

One day when 19 year old Amy Purdy went home early from work, she thought she had the flu, but little did she know that she had bacterial meningitis. In less than 24 hours she found herself in the hospital on life support with a less than 2% chance for survival.

In two and half months at the hospital she lost her spleen, her kidneys, the hearing in her left ear, and both her feet below the knee. Incredibly when she finally went home, she felt the worst was over. But when she received her new feet she felt completely overwhelmed at the prospect of wearing these big, bulky, and ugly feet for the rest of her life. Her legs were so painful and so confining that she felt completely defeated.

But then a thought entered her mind: If her life were a book and she the author, how would she want the story to go? She then imagined herself snowboarding down a mountain, feeling the wind against her face. Her journey from a disabled person with no kideneys barely able to walk to a world champion, gold medal winning snowboarder is incredible and worth watching. Along the way she had to surmount extreme challenges including re-inventing her legs and getting a kidney transplant.

She has now learnt a strong lesson, that the obstacles we face can do one of two things: they can either confine us or they can force us to get creative. She now sees borders as where the actual reality ends and where imagination and the story begins. Are you ready to push off these borders and let your story begin?

Related:
Amy Purdy Web site
Challenged Athletes Foundation
Amy Purdy Facebook Page

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A Chart Of A Saint’s Spiritual Journey

Posted on February 16, 2013 by admin

Spiritual Chart

  1. The ups and downs of emotions within the self-centered nature.
  2. The first hump of no-return. Complete willingness, without reservation, to give life to serve the higher will.
  3. Battle between God-centered nature and self-centered nature.
  4. First peak-experience: A glimpse of inner peace.
  5. Longer and longer plateaus of inner peace.
  6. Complete inner peace.
  7. Continuation of growth on a steadily upward path.

It is indeed rare for a saint to draw out the course of her spiritual journey. We are lucky that the saint known as Peace Pilgrim did just that for our benefit. Peace Pilgrim gave up all her possessions and even her name and dedicated her life to the service of others. (A full account of her life is provided here.)

She was a “Karma Yogi” of the highest order. The definition of Karma Yoga is to live a life of selfless service dedicated to others, while completely surrendered to the Higher Will. While Peace Pilgrim’s chart of her spiritual journey reflects her own experience, but we believe this applies to most spiritual journeys and hence is of deeper significance to all of us.

Credits:
The graph is from the book “Peace Pilgrim Her Life and Work in Her Own Words”.

Related:
The Saint Who Walked Her Talk
A Test Of A Pilgrim
Peace Pilgrim’s Near Death Experience

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