Phone call from God!

- Just place yourself as ME and the conversation can be interesting. Its really good one..


God: Hello.... Did you call me?

Me: Called you? No.. who is this?

God: This is GOD. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will chat.

Me: I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now. I am in the midst of something..

God: What are you busy at? Ants are busy too.

Me: Don't know. But I cant find free time. Life has become hectic. It's rush hour all the time.

God: Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results.
Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it.

Me: I understand. But I still cant figure it out. By the way, I was not expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.

God: Well I wanted to resolve your fight for time, by giving you some clarity. In this net era, I wanted to reach you through the medium you are comfortable with.

Me: Tell me, why has life become complicated now?

God: Stop analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.

Me: why are we then constantly unhappy?

God: Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. You are worrying because you are analyzing.
Worrying has become your habit. That's why you are not happy.

Me: But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?

God: Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.

Me: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty..

God: Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.

Me: If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?

God: Diamond cannot be polished without friction..

Gold cannot be purified without fire.

Good people go through trials, but don't suffer.

With that experience their life becomes better not bitter.

Me: You mean to say such experience is useful?

God: Yes. In every terms, Experience is a hard teacher.


She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.

Me: But still, why should we go through such tests? Why can't we be free from problems?

God: Problems are
Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons (to) Enhance Mental Strength.
Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance, not when you are free from problems.

Me: Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don't know where we are heading..

God: If you look outside you will not know where you are heading. Look inside. Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken.

Eyes provide sight. Heart provides insight.

Me: Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in the right direction. What should I do?

God: Success is a measure as decided by others.

Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you.

Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than knowing you rode ahead. You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock.

Me: In tough times, how do you stay motivated?

God: Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.

Me: What surprises you about people?

God: when they suffer they ask, "why me?" When they prosper, they never ask "Why me". Everyone wishes to have truth on their side, but few want
to be on the side of the truth.

Me: Sometimes I ask, who am I, why am I here. I can't get the answer.

God: Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be. Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here. Create it. Life is not a process of discovery but a process of creation.

Me: How can I get the best out of life?

God: Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.

Me: One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.

God: There are no unanswered prayers. At times the answer is NO.

Me: Thank you for this wonderful chat. I am so happy to start the New Day with a new sense of inspiration.

God: Well. Keep the faith and drop the fear.
Don't believe your doubts and doubt your beliefs.
Life is a mystery to solve, not a problem to resolve.



Daily Prayer: “O LORD”,

Grant me the Serenity to Accept, the Things I can not Change,

To Change the Things, I Can

& the Wisdom to Know the Difference.

Self-Realization Fellowship, Los Angeles, CA (Mother Center)

The administrative center for the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) and its home, the Mother Center of the SRF is a beautiful complex on the crest of Mount Washington in Los Angeles, California. It was here in 1925 that Paramahansa Yogananda (Pahr-ah-mah-hahn-sah Yoh-gah-nahn-dah) founded the SRF. In the nearly 30 years that followed he lived and worked at this center, bringing the light of Kriya yoga to the west, as he was instructed to do by his Guru, Shri Yukteswar. His rooms here have been preserved as a shrine and there are exhibitions of his personal items in the library and in the reception hall.
The Grounds

The center includes a chapel where for years he held services. This chapel is available for prayer and meditation daily. There is also an outdoor “temple of leaves” where he would give classes which you can use for quiet meditation and prayer. This “temple of leaves” is very inviting, practically calling you to sit in its cool embrace and drift off in blissful union with the Divine.

There is an ashram here, populated by monks and nuns of the Swami order. They are the ones who perform all the administration duties of the SRF, which is an international organization that publishes and distributes worldwide the lectures, writings, and recorded talks of Paramahansa Yogananda. Here, at the Mother Center, all publishing and distribution functions for the SRF are done. Busy monks and nuns!

There are many gardens on the Center grounds for you to enjoy, several of which offer stunning panoramic views of the city below.
Daily Activities

Being primarily an administrative center, inspirational services are no longer conducted at the Mother Center, but you are encouraged to sit and meditate in the chapel, on the grounds, or in any of the public spaces the Mother Center offers. For inspirational services or yoga training you are invited to visit one of their other temples or centers worldwide, such as their temple in Encinitas, California, about 100 miles south of Los Angeles.

The Self-Realization Fellowship is based in the practice of kriya yoga, an meditation technique that focuses on the breath and the movement of energy up and down the spine, as taught by Paramahansa Yogananda. They also use several other supporting practices designed by him to condition the body and focus the mind for extended meditation practice.

Just inside the main gate is a Visitors’ Center where you can buy books and recordings. Introductory literature and information for a self guided tour are also available there.
Our Comments

The SRF Mother Center is a great destination for history buffs and those who just want a nice quiet place for meditation. A must see for anyone who has read Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda, or has an interest in Kriya yoga.
Visiting Hours & Location

Visiting hours for the Mother Center are Tuesday through Saturday, 9am - 5pm, and Sunday from 1pm - 5pm. They are closed on Monday. The administrative offices are open Monday through Friday, 9am - 4:30pm. All times are Pacific Standard Time.

The Mother Center is located right in the heart of Los Angeles at 3880 San Rafael Avenue, on the crest of Mt. Washington, and is easily accessed from both the Pasadena freeway and the Glendale freeway.

Self-Realization Fellowship
The Mother Center
3880 San Rafael Avenue
Los Angeles, California
90065-3298
Telephone: (323) 225-2471

Spiritual Enlightenment

The Self-Realization Fellowship is arguably the most recognizable landmark in Encinitas, but what goes on behind the temple walls? Meditation, sublime solitude and strict diets are just part of the mystery behind the monkhood.

by Judd Handler

Raad the full story at:

http://www.encinitasmag.com/stories/sfr.html

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Text courtesy : masterspeaketh@gmail.com (yahoo group)with Thanks!

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Stigmata and Life of Theresa Neumann- The Non Eating saint

The Art of Giving

...

Courtesy: Mr Rishi Pathania (rishipathania@tatachemicals.com)


*"Rivers do not drink their own water, nor do tree eat their own fruit, nor do rain clouds eat the grains reared by them. The wealth of the noble is used solely for the benefit of others" Even after accepting that giving is good and that one must learn to give, several questions need to be answered.

The first question is: When should one give?

We all know the famous incident from Mahabharat.

Yudhisthir, asks a beggar seeking alms to come the next day. On this, Bhim rejoices, that Yudhisthir his brother, has conquered death! For he is sure that he will be around tomorrow to give.

Yudhisthir gets the message. One does not know really whether one will be there tomorrow to give!

The time to give therefore is now.



The next question is: How much to give?

One recalls the famous incident from history. Rana Pratap was reeling after defeat from the Moghals. He had lost his army, he had lost his wealth, and most important he had lost hope, his will to fight. At that time in his darkest hour,& nbs p; his erstwhile minister Bhamasha came seeking him and placed his entire fortune at the disposal of Rana Pratap. With this, Rana Pratap raised an army and lived to fight another day.

Give as much as you can!

The next question is: What to give?

It is not only money that can be given. It could be a flower or even a smile. It is not how much one gives but how one gives that really matters.When you give a smile to a stranger, that may be the only good thing received by him in days and weeks!

You can give anything but you must give with your heart!

One also needs answer to this question: Whom to give to?

Many times we avoid giving by finding fault with the person who is seeking. However, being judgmental and rejecting a person on the presumption that he may not be the most deserving is not justified.

Give without being judgmental!

Next we have to answer: How to give?

*Coming to the manner of giving, one has to ensure that the receiver does not feel humiliated, nor the giver feels proud by giving. Charity without publicity and fanfare is the highest form of charity.

Give quietly!

While giving let not the recipient feel small or humiliated. After all what we give never really belonged to us. We come to this world with nothing
and will go with nothing.
*The thing gifted was only with us for a Temporary period. ***
*Why then take pride in giving away something which really did not belong to us?

Give with grace and with a feeling of gratitude.

What should one feel after giving?

We all know the story of Eklavya. When Dronacharya asked him for his right thumb as "Guru Dakshina" he unhesitatingly cut off the thumb and gave it to Dronacharya.

There is a little known sequel to this story.

Eklavya was asked whether he ever regretted the act of giving away his thumb .He replied, and the reply has to be believed to be true, as it was asked to him when he was dying:*****

*His reply was "Yes! I regretted this only once in my life. It was when the Pandavas were coming in to kill Dronacharya who was broken hearted on the false news of death of his son Ashwathama and had stopped fighting. It was then that I regretted the loss of my thumb. If the thumb was there, no one could have dared hurt my GURU

The message to us is clear:

Give and never regret giving!

(There is also the lesson from Dronacharya' s life - he asked for so much that it killed him in the end.)

And the last question is:

How much should we provide for our heirs?

Ask yourself, 'are we taking away from them the gift of work'? - A source of happiness!

The answer is given by Warren Buffett : Leave your kids enough to do anything, but not enough to do nothing!

**In learning the Art of Giving, I would conclude by quoting Sant Kabir: **"When the wealth in the house increases, When water fills a boat, Throw them out with both hands! " This is the wise thing to do.*

*Start doing immediately;*




Learn from the mistakes of others...
You can't live long enough to make them all yourselves!!"
- Chanakya

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