Religions of the World - 4 -JUDAISM-722 BC

Basic Beliefs

Judaism is a monotheistic religion that believes that the world was created by a single, all knowing divinity, and that all things within that world were designed to have meaning and purpose as part of a divine order. According to the teachings of Judaism, God’s will for human behaviour was revealed to Moses and the Israelites at Mount Saini.

Statement of Faith

Moses Maimonides, a Spanish Jew who lived in the 12^th century, tried to condense the basic beliefs of Judaism into the form of a creed. It is still followed by the traditional forms of Judaism.

1. I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, is the Creator and Guide of everything that has been created; He alone has make, does make, and will make all things.

2. I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, is One, and that there is no unity in any manner like unto His, and that He alone is our God, who was, and is, and will be.

3. I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, is not a body, and that He is free from all the properties of matter, and that He has not any form whatever.

4. I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, is the first and the last.

5. I believe with perfect faith that to the Creator, blessed be His Name, and to Him alone, it is right to pray, and that it is not right to pray to any being besides Him.

6. I believe with perfect faith that all the works of the prophets are true.

7. I believe with perfect faith that the prophecy of Moses, our teachers; peace be unto him, was true, and that he was the chief of the prophets, both of those who preceded and of those who followed him.

8. I believe with perfect faith that the whole Torah, now in our possession, is the same that was given to Moses, our teacher, peace be unto him.

9. I believe with perfect faith that this Torah will not be changed, and that there will never be any other law from the Creator, blessed be His name.

10. I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His name, knows very deed of the children of men, and all their thoughts, as it is said. It is He that fashioned the hearts of them all, that gives heed to all their works.

11. I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His name, rewards those that keep His commandments and punishes those that transgress them.

12. I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah; and , though he tarry, I will wait daily for his coming.

13. I believe with perfect faith that there will be a revival of the dead at the time when it shall please the Creator; blessed be His name, and exalted be His Fame for ever and ever:

For Thy salvation I hope, O Lord.

Three Branches of Judaism

These are the three branches of Judaism which form the framework for the type of lifestyle and beliefs of Jewish individuals:

Orthodox: Traditionalists who observe most of the traditional dietary and laws of Judaism.

Conservative: Do not hold to the importance of a jewish political state, but put more emphasis on the historic and religious aspects of Judaism, somewhere in between Orthodox and Reform.

Reform: The liberal wing of Judaism, culture and race oriented with little consensus religious belief.

Religions of the World -3- BAhá’í-1863 AD

Bahá’u’lláh, a Persian nobleman from Tehran, founded this faith. It is said that he left a life of princely comfort and security in the mid-nineteenth century, ,to face the intense persecution and deprivation, brought a soul stirring new message of peace and unity for the benefit of mankind.

Bahá’u’lláh, it is also claimed, to be nothing less than a new and independent Messenger from God. His life, work, and influence parallel that of Abraham, Krishna, Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, Christ, and Muhammad. Bahá’ís view Bahá’u’lláh as the most recent in this succession of divine Messengers.

The essential message of Bahá’u’lláh is that of unity. He taught that there is only one God, that there is only one human race, and that all the world’s religions represent stages in the revelation of God’s will and purpose for humanity. In this day, Bahá’u’lláh said, humanity has collectively come of age. As foretold in all of the world’s scriptures, the time has arrived for the uniting of all peoples into a peaceful and integrated global society. “The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens,” He wrote.

The youngest of the world’s independent religions, the Faith founded by Bahá’u’lláh stands out from other religions in a number of ways. It has a unique system of global administration, with freely elected governing councils in nearly 10,000 localities.

It takes a distinctive approach to contemporary social problems. The Faith’s scriptures and the multifarious activities of its membership address virtually every important trend in the world today, from new thinking about cultural diversity and environmental conservation to the decentralization of decision making; from a renewed commitment to family life and moral values to the call for social and economic justice in a world.

The Faith’s most distinctive accomplishment by far, however, is its unity. Unlike every other religion — not to mention most social and political movements — the Bahá’í community has successfully resisted the perennial impulse to divide into sects and subgroups. It has maintained its unity despite a history as turbulent as that of any religion of antiquity.

The forces at work, Bahá’u’lláh predicted, will eventually give birth to a universal civilization. The principal challenge facing the peoples of the earth is to accept the fact of their oneness and assist in the creation of this new world. "Basudhaiba Kutumbakam."

For a global society to flourish, Bahá’u’lláh said, it must be based on certain fundamental principles. They include the elimination of all forms of prejudice; full equality between the sexes; recognition of the essential oneness of the world’s great religions; the elimination of extremes of poverty and wealth; universal education; the harmony of science and religion; a sustainable balance between nature and technology; and the establishment of a world federal system, based on collective security and the oneness of humanity.

The Bahá’í Faith arose from Islam in the 1800s based on the teachings of Baha’u’llah and is now a distinct worldwide faith. The faith’s followers believe that God has sent nine great prophets to mankind through whom the Holy Spirit has revealed the “World of God.” This has given rise to the major world religions. Although these religions arose from the teachings of the prophets of one God, Bahá’í’s do not believe they are all the same. The differences in the teachings of each prophet are due to the needs of the society they came to help and what mankind was ready to have revealed to it. Bahá’í beliefs promote gender and race equality, freedom of expression and assembly, world peace and world government led by Bahá’ís will be established at some point in the future. The faith does not attempt to preserve the past but does embrace the findings of science. Bahá’ís believe that every person has an immortal soul which can not die but is freed to travel through the spirit world after death.

Religions of the World -2-TAOISM-440 BC

The Founder of Taoism -LaoTse (604-531 BC), a contemporary of Confucius. (Alternative spellings: Lao Tze, Lao Tsu, Lao Tzu, Laozi, Laotze, etc.).
He tried to show a way which could avoid the constant feudal warfare and other conflicts that disrupted society during his lifetime.
His Famous Book: Tao-te-Ching (a.k.a. Daodejing).

Many believe that he is a mythical character.

Around 440 BC Taoism was fully accepted as a religious faith and was adopted as a state religion although it primarily started as a mixture of Philosophy and Pshychology. The establishment of Tao Religion turned Lao-Tse as a cult figure and he was started to be treated as a deity. Like Confucianism and Buddhism , Taoism became a great religion of China. But it had a sad end with the end of the Ch'ing Dynasty in 1911. The communist victory in 1949 restricted all religions of China to a great extent. The remaining Taoist heritage was destroyed during the cultural revolution in China from 1966 to 1976.

Now primarily centred in Taiwan, Taoism had about 25 million of followers all over the world. A majority of these live in North America.

Taoism has been popular in the areas of "acupuncture, herbalism, holistic medicine, meditation and martial arts...etc... etc"

Tao and Christ

Taoism is a beautiful religion, actually it is a "predecessor of Christianity", but the one most misunderstood, because for its symbol is used the dualistic anagram of the Yin and Yang, born 1,500 years before Taoism.

In 440 BC it was adopted as a state religion. At that time Lao-Tse, the founder, became popularly venerated as a deity. Taoism, along with Buddhism and Confucianism, became the three great religions of China. With the end of the Ch'ing Dynasty in 1911, state support for Taoism ended. Much of the Taoist heritage was destroyed during the next period of warlordism. After the Communist victory in 1949, religious freedom was severely restricted.

Taoism currently has about 20 million followers, and is primarily centered in Taiwan. About 30,000 Taoists live in North America; 1,720 in Canada (1991 census). Taoism has had a significant impact on North American culture in areas of "acupuncture, herbalism, holistic medicine, meditation and martial arts..."

1- The essence of Taoism and the Bible:

The essence of Taoism is "Tao", "the way", who is not the "eternal Tao", (not God the Father); he is "the way, the truth and the life" (does it sound like Christ?)... the translation of the Bible in Chinese reads, "In the beginning was the Tao, and the Tao was with God, and the Tao was God"...like John1:1... the "Tao" is "infinite profundity", "the origin of all things", "a stabilizing force, for where Tao is equilibrium"... "it existed before heaven and earth", "it is eternal", "stands alone, and never changes, pervades everywhere", "Tao is the source of all things, the treasure of good men, and the sustainer of bad men"... He is the "Word", Jesus Christ!.

However there is a great difference: "Tao" is not a person, it is a force, a principle... "Jesus" is a person, he is God, the creator of all things in heavens and earth, and he wants to live in your heart, and you in him, in his Mystical Body, in his Church... come to Jesus, just have faith in him and you will be saved... he is the real living Tao!.

"Tao" (pronounced "Dow") is basically indefinable. It has to be experienced. It "refers to a power which envelopes, surrounds and flows through all things, living and non-living. The Tao regulates natural processes and nourishes balance in the Universe. It embodies the harmony of opposites (i.e. there would be no love without hate, no light without dark, no male without female.)"

In Taoism, Tao, roughly translated as path, is a force which flows through all life and is the first cause of everything. The goal of everyone is to become one with the Tao. Tai Chi, a technique of exercise using slow deliberate movements, is used to balance the flow of energy or "chi" within the body. People should develop virtue and seek compassion, moderation and humility. One should plan any action in advance and achieve it through minimal action.
Yin (dark side) and Yang (light side) symbolize pairs of opposites which are seen through the universe, such as good and evil, light and dark, male and female. The impact of human civilization upsets the balance of Yin and Yang.
Taoists believe that people are by nature, good, and that one should be kind to others simply because such treatment will probably be reciprocated.
Taoism's focus on nature and the natural order complements the societal focus of Confucianism, and its synthesis with Buddhism is the basis of Zen.

The concept of a personified deity is foreign to Taoism, as is the concept of the creation of the universe. Thus, they do not pray as Christians do; there is no God to hear the prayers or to act upon them. They seek answers to life's problems through inner meditation and outer observation.... Each believer's goal is to become one with the Tao.

2- The "men of Tao":

"He who lives in Tao, and Tao in him, is a good men: He keeps in good terms with men, takes things easy, loves the world as he does his own person; he is simple like an infant, cautious, modest, yielding. He is humble, and thus he remains entire. He is subtle, penetrating and profound; avoids excess, extravagance, and indulgence. He makes the self of the people his self"... he acts to the good or to the bad with goodness, and to the faithful or the faithless with faith. He returns love for great hatred"...

All these quotations from the "Tao-Tee King" certainly sound like "Christ" and "Christianity!...

The Three Jewels to be sought in Taoism are compassion, moderation and humility.

What Taoism is missing is the "Tao" incarnated, and that's what Christianity got.

The essence of Christianity is not "to know" about Christ but "to be" another Christ, with Christ in the Christian and the Christian in Christ, in his Mystical Body, in his church... and Christ is God, the Absolute, the real "Tao" who became a real human person.

1- The Cross: Jesus on the Cross redeemed us, He paid for all our sins for all our bad karma, we just have to appropriate this free payment just by believing in Jesus Christ. snd doing what he orders, mainly to be baptized in his church ((Mark 16:16-18).

2- The Resurrection: But the Cross was not the end... After His Resurrection Jesus Himself wants to live in us, here, on earth. We were saved from sin to live on earth with the love and joy and peace of Jesus in us, I no longer live, but Christ lives in me (Gal.2:20). A love and joy and peace that nothing and nobody can take away (Rom.8:37-39).
Give thanks with joy to God always and in any circumstance as proclaimed in Eph.5:20 and emphasized in the Preface of every Holy Mass, Indeed it is "just" and "necessary", our "duty" and our "salvation" to give thanks to God always and in all circumstances. There are no more words in the dictionary to emphasize it!
The life of a Christian on earth is a A Wedding Feast! , as proclaimed in at least 20 quotations in the Bible. In this Wedding Feast each one of us is invited, and not just as any guest, but as the "Bride of the Lamb". This is the message of the Cana wedding feast in John 2, the first miracle of Jesus.
With problems like in Cana, but always with the joy and love and excitement of a bride in her wedding feast. In success or failure, good or bad health, always with the joy and love and peace of Jesus in me that nobody and nothing can take away.

3- The Ascension: Still more: The work of Jesus on earth did not end with the Cross nor with the Resurrection, but with His Ascension to Heaven: He wants us to go to eternal Heaven, like Him!... Christianity is the religion of joy on earth, but still more, in Heaven for one eternity, without the need for any reincarnation, because Jesus paid for absolutely all or sins, all our bad karma.

Suffering?
Yes, many problems and sufferings, but with the joy and excitement of a "mother in labor" Jesus tells us in Jn.16:21. Because Each suffering is to bring up a new life, either in us or in others:
1- In us... because each suffering is like an injection of God to purify us, as proclaimed in Hebrews 12.
2- In others... like the sufferings of redemption of Christ or Mary, of Peter or Paul... Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions. (Colos.1:24)... yes, with my cross I am a co-redeemer with Christ, it is my best evangelization, to help others to go to Heaven. An old sick woman is not a burden, but the best treasure of home.
"Suffering" is a great revolution of Jesus in the two mountains:
1- In the Mount of the Beatitudes, proclaiming the "poor happy", the "hunger happy", those who "mourn happy", the "persecuted happy"...
2- At Calvary it was not with words, but with deeds, with his flesh... the greatest success of humankind!...
IT CAN BE DONE... CHRIST AND I, ABSOLUTE MAJORITY!, I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Phil.4:13).

3- The third part of Taoism: The Old dualism:

The "old dualism" of life stems from Tao, as the competition of complimentary opposites, "Yin and Yang"; these two competing energies are found in all things, but both must be kept in "balance". Excess of any energy is harmful. When the 2 forces are in balance within the human personality then the perfect ideal human will exist. But always Tao, the spirit, will prevail over the physical, material nature, for Tao will never die.

Tai Chi:
There is a long history involvement by Taoists in various exercise and movement techniques. Tai chi in particular works on all parts of the body. It "stimulates the central nervous system, lowers blood pressure, relieves stress and gently tones muscles without strain. It also enhances digestion, elimination of wastes and the circulation of blood. Moreover, tai chi's rhythmic movements massage the internal organs and improve their functionality." Traditional Chinese medicine teaches that illness is caused by blockages or lack of balance in the body's "chi" (intrinsic energy). Tai Chi is believed to balance this energy flow. http://www.utah.edu/stc/tai-chi/articles.html http---www.taoist.org

4- The other site of Taoism: Priests, magic, spirits, emperor

Lao-Tze left no church, no priests, no rituals and services... but today, it is lived in syncretism with the old Animism of China, and it is demeaned by polytheism, witchcraft, demonology, spiritism, spirit spells, and a degenerate papacy...

"- The "Yin" and "Yang" represented as a "dragon" and a "tiger", live in a sort of cosmic struggle of gestation and have to be controlled in life by the "priests" rituals, plus the "medium", the "shaman", and the "oracle"... and the Emperor..

The "priests" head the rituals in the temples, and an "incense burner" is essential to every magic rite and exorcism... these "temples", besides of the religious rituals, are as well a "cultural axis", providing fairs, puppet shows, story-tellers, opera... and most Chinese have they altars at home, to the ancestors, and to spell the bad spirits.

The "medium" whose body is occupied by a spirit while in trance, communicates with the ancestors, makes divination...

The "shaman" travels into the afterlife, either to heaven or hell, and makes healing rituals, alchemical formulae, medicine, herbal texts...

The "oracle" speaks in the words of a by standing spirit, and fulfills the role of a seer, healer, and keeper of justice mainly in the villages, providing more stability than the rapidly political and industrial forces of Communism.

The Emperor is the only one who can communicate with Tao, so, for centuries, became the "Emperor-god", the actual god of the people of China... and when the Emperors were dethroned by the Communists in 1950, Mao and his successors became the actual "atheist gods" of the Chinese.

After-Death:

Each Chinese, after death, wants to be an important ancestor... in their Heaven, where they can help the living... but there is Hell, like "Purgatory", with 9 stages of punishments, each one governed by a demon king; and the prayers can help them to get out of there.

HOLY SCRIPTURES:

Lao-Tze was not successful in China, so he decided to leave... and he went away, no body knows where... but before leaving, at the request of his friend Yin Hsi, he wrote the "Tao-Te King" which means "the Way to Virtue Canon", and it is the main holy scripture of Taoism, and very beautiful!. Two centuries latter "Chuang Tze" spread Taoism, and his writings are also considered holy scriptures. Tao te Ching, Chuang Tzu

FESTIVALS:

Most of them are to honor the ancestors, who can help us in this life, because thy may be in a kind of a Christian Heaven, or to pray for them, because they may be in a kind of Christian "Purgatory"

DENOMINATIONS or Traditions:

1- Orthodox: Tao masters and Black Headed Taoists. Stress the importance of rituals, cosmic renewal, and controlling spirits.
2- Spirit Claud Taoists: Masters of methods or Headed Taoists. Concentrate on meditation, not rituals.

TAOISM AND CONFUCIANISM:

Taoism, was founded in the 604 BC in China by Lao-Tze, which means "old philosopher" or "old boy", but his real name was Li-Uhr.
It is actually practiced in China by most of the 2 billion Chinese, in syncretism with Confucianism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam... and even by those who call themselves Communists...

Lao-Tze was the teacher of Confucius... and both Taoism and Confucianism complement each other: Lao-Tze is the "mystic" who spoke chiefly of the unseen and intangible; Confucius is the "great realistic" and moral philosopher who preferred not speaking of things unseen, rather he set a system of "moral axioms" rather than "religious dogmas".

"Two" different religious ways:

For Confucius "human conduct" must be righteous, and the man's relation with God and the universe would take care of itself... for Lao-Tze, man must establish himself in harmony with the universal principle, with Tao, through his own Tao, and good human conduct will follow...
- Which way will be better to become a good person?... to try to be good, or to try to unite with God?...

For Christianity the way is to live in Christ and Christ in you... because all persons are essentially "selfish", we love ourselves, which is the opposite of the real "love"; but if Jesus is in you, then you are going to feed the hungry, help the sick or the one in need... but it is "not you", it is Christ "who lives in you" (Gal.2:20)... however, when Christ is in you, you do not become a "robot", you are still the only one responsible for yours actions, and you have to strive to be pure and good, living every minute of your life with faith in Jesus, who lives in you, without fear to nobody and to nothing... the greatest sin of a Christian is to do something without faith in Christ, trusting in himself or in money or in human power instead of trusting in Jesus Christ (Rom.14:23).

Religions of the World -1 -SIKHISM-1500 AD

We will talk about the salient features of some of the important religions of the world one by one. To day we will take up the Sikhism first.

The Sikh faith was founded by Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji in the Punjab area, now Pakistan. He bagan preaching the way to enlightenment and God after receiving a vision. After his death a series of nine Gurus (regarded as reincarnations of Guru Nanak) led the movement until 1708. At this time these functions passed to the Panth and the holy text. This text, the Shri Guru Granth Sahib, was complied by the tenth Guru Gobind Singh. It consists of hymns and writings of the first 10 Gurus, along with texts from different Muslim and Hindu saints. The holy text is considered the 11 th and final Guru.

Sikhs believe in a single formless God with many names, who can be known through meditation. Sikhs pray many times each day and are prohibited from worshipping idols or icons. They believe in samsara, karma, and reincarnation as Hindus do but reject the caste system.

They believe that everyone has equal status in the eyes of God. During the 18^th century, there were a number of attempts to prepare an accurate portrayal of Sikh customs. Sikh scholars and theologians started in 1931 to prepare the Reht Maryada- the Sikh code of conduct and conventions. This has successfully achieved a high level of uniformity in the religious and social practices of Sikhism throughout the world. It contains 27 articles. Article I defines who is a Sikh:

“ Any human being who faithfully believes in:

• One Immortal Being,

• Ten Gurus, from Guru Nanka Dev to Guru Gobind Singh,

• The Guru Granth Sahib,

• The utterances and teachings of the ten Gurus and

• The baptism bequeathed by the tenth Guru, and who does not owe allegiance to any other religion, is a Sikh.”

The Union

In the plain of cosmos,
met have more often than once;
vibrations blend, hearts sing,
the same for ever and ever.

In the meadow of joy loved have I you,
loving you, have I found the joy;
Oh Lord in my heart enfold me,
and let me join your soul.

Death is the union the soul craves,
and the heart is ready to elapse;
embracing you for ever in the arms,
shall be the last solace.

Take me oh lord take me please,
take me unto you;
let the bond be solemnly pure,
in the bliss of solitude.

The heart is eager to surge into you,
hesitation lies in gesture;
here I wait and with love I wait…….
we will be “ONE” in future.

Awareness

Let the words from the lips of the Lord;

touch the divine cord of your heart;

In the light of knowledge thus acquired

you shall understand the resonance.

May God love you with all His love;

And may you lead a life full of verse;

May you live the life with God's perspective;

A life - which shall be then full of delight.

May the feeling of equanimity fill your life to its brim;

And may you live a life full of divinity.

May you understand the life;

with its richer aspect;

May lord guide you all along;

step by step.

May you understand the divinity of creation;

with all its glory and joy being magnified a million.

THE LINK

The brown shadows of your coiffure glows,

enlightening the spirit of life;

the depth of your blue eyes reflect,

the shining love for (the) divinity.

Your pinkish blush warms the cheek,

and kindle the words of expression;

blessed indeed is your seat of heart,

that portrays the passion of animation.

The aura of light that surrounds you,

bestow the presence of almighty;

love beckons in silent steps and,

touches the strings of vitality.

The reflection in your eyes show,

a touch of supreme compassion;

the strength of your inner crux,

reveals hermetic illumination.

In (this) light of lore & truth of your being,

Traversed have I now into your heart;

Lord beckons in a quiet code,

and now we can not part.

BUT IT WAS TOO LATE....

I set my eyes on the intense agony;

And she laughed, laughed and laughed;

I asked her to go away,... in vain;

But she would not part.

“You invited me in love and pleasure;

How can I go away now?”

She looked at me with unfathomable love;

(and said) “You have to reap whatever you sow.”

Fortune came at the doorstep;

Begging me to chase agony out.

I looked on with helpless eyes;

For I was wholly drained out.

Fortune cried while agony laughed;

Both were keen to abide,

Love, trust and cajole failed;

In favor of agony’s side.

Agony said:

“You looked for me in wine, women & wealth,

And I came here to your side;

Now you want to divorce me out;

When I have become your bride!”

Hearing this, the fortune fled;

With deep anguish on her face,

“Don’t go, please don’t go.” I cried,

But it was too late...

CROSSROAD FAREWELL

The full moon shines in brightness of love,

the life shines as an aura,

love cherish in the path of adore,

shows the end of an era.

The ethereal tune of the song celestial,

vibrates the life afresh and again,

the past comes in plaiting hands,

to cross the realm of Eden.

Eyes radiate the rays of ardor,

Immersed in deep humiliation,

soul of life whispers fire,

engulfed in the flame of passion.

Mother Nature seeks the link,

cuddling the prior bond

Lord stands in the midst of these

with love and love and love.

Humiliating, indeed, is the life of pledge,

alien heart throbs in grief,

parting is near, the reason warns

the meeting was so brief!!!

Just checking in….

A minister passing through his church
in the middle of the day,
decided to pause by the altar
and see who had come to pray.

Just then the back door opened,
a man came down the aisle.
The minister frowned as he saw
the man hadn't shaved in a while.

His shirt was kind a shabby
and his coat was worn and frayed,
the man knelt, he bowed his head,
Then rose and walked away.

In the days that followed,
each noon time came this chap,
each time he knelt just for a moment,
a lunch pail in his lap.

Well, the minister's suspicions grew,
with robbery a main fear,
He decided to stop the man and ask him,
"What are you doing here?"

The old man said, he worked down the road.
Lunch was half an hour.
Lunchtime was his prayer time,
For finding strength and power.

"I stay only moments,
because the factory is so far away;
as I kneel here talking to the Lord,
This is kind a what I say:

"I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU LORD,
HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN,
SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP
AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN.
DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY,
BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY.
SO GOD, THIS IS JIM
CHECKING IN TODAY."

The minister feeling foolish,
told Jim that was fine.
He told the man he was welcome
To come and pray just anytime.

Time to go, Jim smiled, said "Thanks."
He hurried to the door.
The minister knelt at the altar,
he'd never done it before.

His cold heart melted, warmed with love,
and met with the Lord there.
As the tears flowed, in his heart,
he repeated old Jim's prayer:

"I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU LORD,
HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN,
SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP
AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN.

DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY,
BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY.
SO GOD, THIS IS ME
CHECKING IN TODAY."

Past noon one day, the minister noticed
that old Jim hadn't come.
As more days passed without Jim,
he began to worry some.

At the factory, he asked about him,
learning he was ill.
The hospital staff was worried,
But he'd given them a thrill.

The week that Jim was with them,
Brought changes in the ward.
His smiles, a joy contagious.
Changed people, were his reward.

The head nurse couldn't understand
why Jim was so glad,
when no flowers, calls or cards came,
Not a visitor he had.

The minister stayed by his bed,
He voiced the nurse's concern:
No friends came to show they cared.
He had nowhere to turn.

Looking surprised, old Jim spoke
up and with a winsome smile;
"the nurse is wrong, she couldn't know,
that in here all the while
everyday at noon He's here,
a dear friend of mine, you see,
He sits right down, takes my hand,
Leans over and says to me:

"I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU JIM,
HOW HAPPY I HAVE BEEN,
SINCE WE FOUND THIS FRIENDSHIP,
AND I TOOK AWAY YOUR SIN.

ALWAYS LOVE TO HEAR YOU PRAY,
I THINK ABOUT YOU EACH DAY,
AND SO JIM, THIS IS GOD
CHECKING IN TODAY."

Source-Unknown

Retrospection

I looked for you in the mountains

in the hollows of the sky

in the remnants of the cloud

with no answer………

I looked for you in the temple

in the caves of the foothill

in the ridge of the river

with no answer………..

I looked for you in the haze

and beyond the sphere of the mist

in the paradise as well as in abyss

with no answer……………

I looked for you in the scriptures

in the rhymes of the gospel

and in the fragrance of melody

with no answer……………..

Then I looked inside me

and there you were ….

as quiet as silence…….

and laughing with love.

Seclusion

When tears of wail falling down as pain

Render depth to the gloomy;

Night rests deep in slumber

the smiles begin to cry.

Deep in the heart life reminiscences

yonder moments of bygone;

the mind floats in the river of thoughts

and worries become stern.

Far away... the memory flutters,

loneliness feels lonely;

the heart thumps with crowd of thoughts

courage turns to cemetery.

Dream embraces the dry thoughts

becomes ascetic in the process;

eyes lay awake wide in wonder

and wince listing the stress.

Momentous is such a moment,

when heart craves for no more;

Then 'ONE' comes and touches the soul

yet you cannot touch her.

Meditation

In the long path of silence

God beckons me with a smile;

In the process of being transformed

I shall go to him flowing.

Across the river shall I swim

over the mountains shall I fly;

And meet Him with outstretched hands,

along the tune of His flute's rhyme.

Leaving behind the pleasure and pain

thinking of nothing more to gain;

fly shall I high in the sky

fly, fly and fly...............

God has taken me into His arms

the realm of life remains behind;

leaving away the earth, moon and sky,

die I, die and die.........