sumitsehrawat
April 16th, 2005, 01:54 PM
Religion is more than mere austerity. It includes the control of emotions and the senses. Nowadays, people ridicule any practice that is considered 'religious' and display lack of faith in the supremacy of God. The Bhagavad Gita says that the pleasures enjoyed by man may be like nectar in the initial stage but will turn as poison after some time. Religious exercises may appear painful in the beginning but will be like elixir in the end. So, too, discipline will be hard to relish but will enable a person to keep physically and mentally alert. The present day problems of stress and strain stem out of the mistaken notion about religious duties. Those who decry our sacred heritage would hence do well to inquire into the different aspects of religion than wasting their energy in their attempts to censure those who sincerely practice them, knowing their value.
The scriptures remind men of the want of spiritual knowledge to assess the strength of others, particularly those who may not be favourably disposed toward them. Ravana perished because he mistook Rama to be a mortal. Duryodhana was destroyed as he thought that Krishna was just a cowherd. Some who decry God and show disrespect to His devotees may thus have to regret later. Some may commit sins and indiscretions knowingly while others do them out of ignorance. Man will certainly fail before the Supreme Being.
Sri Kripanandavariar, in a discourse, narrated how a talented sculptor was informed by an astrologer about his death at a certain time. Instead of taking steps to spend his days in the service of God, the artisan designed a scheme to avoid his end by making 11 other replicas of himself, stationing himself amid them. The messengers of the Lord of Death who came to him on the appointed day were indeed puzzled to spot the real man whom they have to take with them. However, one among them hit at a plan to find out the man casually remarked that one image among the 11 had a defect. Immediately, the sculptor, burst out that among his creations, nothing can be imperfect. The culprit thus got exposed by his pride, impetuosity and folly.
God alone is perfect. No human being can equal Him. If he has to be approached, submission is the only way.
July 12, 1993
The Hindu
The scriptures remind men of the want of spiritual knowledge to assess the strength of others, particularly those who may not be favourably disposed toward them. Ravana perished because he mistook Rama to be a mortal. Duryodhana was destroyed as he thought that Krishna was just a cowherd. Some who decry God and show disrespect to His devotees may thus have to regret later. Some may commit sins and indiscretions knowingly while others do them out of ignorance. Man will certainly fail before the Supreme Being.
Sri Kripanandavariar, in a discourse, narrated how a talented sculptor was informed by an astrologer about his death at a certain time. Instead of taking steps to spend his days in the service of God, the artisan designed a scheme to avoid his end by making 11 other replicas of himself, stationing himself amid them. The messengers of the Lord of Death who came to him on the appointed day were indeed puzzled to spot the real man whom they have to take with them. However, one among them hit at a plan to find out the man casually remarked that one image among the 11 had a defect. Immediately, the sculptor, burst out that among his creations, nothing can be imperfect. The culprit thus got exposed by his pride, impetuosity and folly.
God alone is perfect. No human being can equal Him. If he has to be approached, submission is the only way.
July 12, 1993
The Hindu