Spirituality is service of man

[sumitsehrawat]

"It is good for us to see that the animal within us dies so that the man within us can live", is a profound statement by a modern scientist. Man becomes man only when he is able to rise beyond life in the five senses. Until this century, Science believed that through the senses alone, reality could be investigated and apprehended. The truth discovered through sense perception were considered unchallengeable. But the cocksureness is gone today. Biologists, especially, have started thinking at another level.
For long, evolution was organic. Progress was marked by species developing new, more complicated organ. But with the appearance of man, a revolution has taken place. The growth of man is marked not by new organs but by changes in his psyche. An animal is governed by instincts, but men, by values. Human evolution is the story of man's search for values. The world of the senses can give us the comforts and facilities that characterise consumerism, but not the eternal values that enrich the soul. This has been clearly stressed by the upanishads, which speak of two types of knowledge, the "relative" and the "absolute". When sage Narada approached Sanatkumara for instruction, the latter asked him what knew already. narada reeled off an impressive list of 18 sciences he had mastered. Sanatkumara pointed out that these constitute only the relative. The "absolute" is that by which the Imperishable is attaned.
Our misery results because of identifying ourselves witht the body. The first step in spiritual discipline is transcending the body consciousness. Our instinct is to be selfish. In social and political life we see how selfishness rules the roost. Sri Ramakrishna, whose life was a veritable spiritual laboratory wherein he personally tested and revalidated the Upanishadic dicta, speaks of the 'unripe ego' and the 'ripe ego'. The former is the 'selfish gene' which has consideration only for itself - and Devil taking. The ripe ego, on the contrary, is a refined one, which has expanded in unselfishness and cares for the others. Real spirituality consists not in fellowmen, not minding personal inconvenience and sacrifice.

March 25, 1992
The Hindu

[mansi1218]

There once was a man named George Thomas, a pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak.
"I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward
me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright. I stopped the lad and asked, 'What you got there son?' 'Just some old birds,' came the reply.
'What are you gonna do with them?' I asked.
'Take 'em home and have fun with 'em,' he answered. I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time.'
'But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do?'
'Oh, I got some cats,' said the little boy. 'They like birds. I'll take 'em to them.'
I fell silent for a moment. 'How much do you want for those birds, son?' 'Huh??!!! Why, you don't want them birds, mister. They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing - they ain't even pretty!' 'How much?' I asked again. The boy sized me up as if I were crazy and said, '$10?' I reached in my pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. I placed it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone. I picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, I opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free." Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story:
"One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. 'Yes, sir, I just caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!' 'What are you going to do with them?' Jesus asked.
Satan replied, 'Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!'
'And what will you do when you get done with them?' Jesus asked. 'Oh, I'll kill 'em,' Satan glared proudly. 'How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked. 'Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you!! You don't want those people!!'
'How much?' He asked again.
Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, 'All your tears, and all your blood.'
Jesus said, 'DONE!' Then He paid the price."
The pastor picked up the cage he opened the door and he walked from the
pulpit.

Note attached to this email: Isn't it funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Isn't it funny how someone can
say, "I believe in God." but still follow Satan (who, by the way, also "believes" in God).

I hope these examples taken from www.coping.org prove 2 be helpful