SUPERSTITIONS

 

                                SUPERSTITIONS

            A superstition is defined as “the belief that particular events happen in a way that cannot be explained by reason or science.”

            This word is also used to mean that particular events bring good or bad luck.

            We daily come across people who believe that such and such days in a week are lucky; if somebody sneezes while you are going to do some important piece of work, it will not produce the result that is expected; number 13 is unlucky; if a cat crosses your way, it means bad luck.

            Scientific temper is still not wide-spread. Idol worship has not vanished. Success is still regarded as the fruit of good luck. Hard work is not fully regarded as productive of proportionately good results. God is considered as the real doer; you are only an agent.

            According to another interpretation superstition is regarded as a belief or practice that is not based on reason or scientific evidence. “It often involves the idea that certain unrelated actions or events bring good or bad luck, or that magic and supernatural forces influence the future.”

            It is a common phenomenon that many people consult astrologers for lucky days or time to do something auspicious significant.

            Some people wear particular types of rings for good luck.

            Some astrologers calculate lucky days or time according to your date and   time of birth.

             Science doest no support such irrational beliefs.

            Given below are some popular quotes on superstitions.

*By superstitions I mean all hypocritical arts of appeasing God and procuring his favour without obeying his laws, or reforming our sins; infinite such superstitions have been invented by heathens, by Jews, by Christians themselves, especially by the Church of Rome, which abounds with them.----English bishop Thomas Sherlock (1678—1761).

*The greatest burden in the world is superstition, not only of ceremonies in the church, but imaginary and scarecrow sins at home,---The English poet John Milton (1608-1674).

*Superstition renders a man a fool, and skepticism makes him mad.---Henry Fielding, English novelist (1707-1754).

*Superstition is the poetry of life. It is inherent in man’s nature; and when we think it is wholly eradicated, it takes refuge in the strangest holes and corners, whence it peeps out all at once, as soon as it can do with safety. ---German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832).

*Liberal minds are open to conviction. Liberal doctrines are capable of improvement. There are proselytes from atheism; but none from superstition. ---Junius, pseudonym of an unknown political writer in England  who wrote during 1769-1772.

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PUNCHLINE:” As we sow, so shall we reap” is not a superstition.

                                                            *******

G.R.Kanwal

13 July 2026                                                                       

 

 

LITTLE THINGS

 

                LITTLE  THINGS

            The  main question in life is how to spend one’ time usefully. Most of the people aspire to do such activities as enhance their wealth. They work for money and more money. They are selfish. If some needy person seeks their help, they do not accept his request. They mind their own business. However,   some of them do love God, worship Him, go to places of prayer and offer gratitude, but these very people do not spare any time for social service.

            In a poem, a character tells an angel who is writing the names of those who love God and when he is asked by a person who was watching him whether his name was also there in the  book which he had completed.  The answer given to him is “No”.  Not disappointed, he requests that very angel to write his name as one who loved the people of God. The angel fulfils his request and when he comes again the next day his book shows that whose name was not there the previous day was now at the top.

            In an anonymous which is given below, the poet prays to God:

            “Give give me love, and care, and strength

            To help my toiling brother.        

 

 The toiling brother here is not his own real brother but any  other man who is there in the world looking for help.

 

                        Here is the full text of the aforesaid anonymous poem. Its title is Little Things but its message is great,

 

                        If any little word of mine

                        May make a life the brighter,

                        If any little song of mine

                        May make a heart the lighter,

                        God help me speak the little word

                        And take my bit of singing,

                        And drop it in some lonely vale

                        To set the echoes ringing.

                       

                        If any little love of mine

                         May make a life the sweeter,

                        If any little care of mine

                        May make a friend’s the fleeter

                        If any little lift may ease

                        The  burden of another.

                        God give me love, and care, and strength

                        To  help my toiling brother.

                                                *******

G.R.Kanwal

12  July 2026          

           

 

THREE TYPES OF MEN

 

          THREE TYPES OF MEN

            In one of the most sacred books of the world known as The Bhagvad Gita, its chief character Lord Krishna says: There are three types of men  in the world whose inherent qualities are mentioned below.

            The first type is known as Sattvic. They belong to the category of goodness. Their characteristics  are: purity, sagaciousness, tranquility, truthfulness, spiritual comprehension, and inner non-disturbance.

            They are the best of three categories. The world is safe in their hands, They are fittest to become world leaders. They are peace-makers. Their interest is in moral values and devotional behavior. They are not lovers of flesh without its  control by divine qualities.

            The second type of men are called Rajasic. They are passionate by nature. They are restless, ambitiousness, greediness, over-activity  lust for  maximum wealth, power and heavy rewards of their labour. Their desires go on multiplying. Their number in the world is much higher than that of Sattvic persons.

            The third category is called Tamasic. The persons of this category are distinguished by their ignorance. They are dull, apathetic, lazy, idle, sleepy, dormant,  un-ambitious, and unconcerned about their duties. Their number is quite high and they are the most unwanted people by the various agencies which manage the world.

            The three categories of men mentioned above find place in Chapter XIV of The Bhagvad Gita . Here, Lord  Krishna says :”According to one’s existence under the various modes of nature, one evolves a particular kind of faith. The living being is said to be of a particular faith according to the modes he has acquired.

            “Men in the mode of goodness worship the demigods, those in the mode of passion worship the demons, and those in the mode of darkness worship the dead and ghosts.”

            The food habits of the categories of men mentioned above also differ. “Foods in the mood of goodness increase the duration of life, purify existence, give strength, and increase health, happiness and satisfaction. Such foods are juicy and fatty.” These are liked by Sattvic category.

            “Food that is too bitter, too sour, too salty, too pungent, too dry or too hot causes distress, misery and disease. Such food is very dear to those in the mood of passion.”  This is liked by people of Rajasic disposition.

            Foods prepared more than three hours before being eaten, which are tasteless, juiceless and decomposed, which have a bad smell, and which consist of remnants and untouchable things are very dear to those in the mode of darkness.”  These foods are the favourite of Tamasic disposition.

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PUNCHLINE: In life, as you sow, so shall you reap.

G.R.Kanwal

10 July 2026

 

 

IDEAS ARE DEATH

 

IDEAS ARE DEATH

            Immortality is one of the precious features of great ideas. Ideas are not made of flesh. They are like souls, which according to the Hindu sacred book The Bhagavad Gita, are deathless.      

            Some nearly exact synonyms of Ideas are: thoughts, views, viewpoints, opinions, beliefs, judgments, and concepts.

            It is great thinkers who produce great ideas and thoughts which last not for a few years but till eternity.

            The ideas of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Francis Bacon, Shakespeare, Goethe, Aristophanes, Balzac, Edmund  Burke, Dante, Einstein, Emerson, Euripides, Abraham Lincoln, Napoleon Bonaparte, Lord Krishna, Lord Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi,  Virgil, and Homer, etc. are immortal.

Look at the following ideas which came into existence long ago and are still on the lips of humanity.

*All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts.---Shakespeare.

*Knowledge is power. Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man and writing an exact man.---Francis Bacon  

*The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.---Dante

*Conquering oneself is the highest victory.---Plato

*Wise men talk because they have something to say. ---Plato

*We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.---Aristotle

*Fortune favours the bold.---Virgil

*Of all creatures that breathe and move upon the earth, nothing is bred that is weaker than man.----Homer

*With our thoughts we make the world.---Lord Buddha

*You have the right to work, but never to the fruit of work. Let not the fruit of action be  your motive, nor let your attachment be to inaction. ---Lord Krishna

*If you want to change the world, start with yourself. ---Mahatma Gandhi

*All men are brothers.----Mahatma Gandhi

 *Until you spread your wings, you will have no idea how far you can fly.---Napoleon Bonaparte

*Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.----Goethe

*Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value.---Albert Einstein

*Hunger is the best sauce. Truth is evergreen. A lie has no legs to stand upon. Might is right. It takes two to make a quarrel. Beggars are not choosers.---All these are proverbial ideas.

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G.R.Kanwal

9h July 2026

 

 

 

A POEM BY WILLIAM WORDSWORTH

 

                A POEM BY WILLIAM WORDSWORTH

                    William Wordsworth (1770-1850) is known as the greatest poet of Nature in English literature. Other romantic poets like Byron, Shelley and Keats also loved Nature but not to the extent Wordsworth did.

                        Wordsworth felt that Nature is the abode of God. It is the dwelling place of divinity. It reflects mutual love, universal relationship solace and perfect harmony. To him Nature was a teacher, a guide, a nurse, and a healer. It turned his sorrows into joys.

                        In a long poem titled Tintern Abbey, Wordsworth tells his sister: Nature never did betray the heart that loved her; It is her privilege, through all the years of this our life, to lead from joy to joy; for she can so inform the mind that is within us, so impress with quietness and beauty, and so feed with lofty thoughts, that neither evil tongues, rash judgments, nor the sneers of selfish men, nor greetings where no kindness is, nor all the dreary intercourse of daily life, shall ever prevail against us, or disturb our cheerful faith that all which we behold is full of blessings. Therefore let the moon shine on thee in thy solitary walk; and let the mist misty mountain winds be free to blow against thee.

                        In another poem Lines Written in Early Spring which is given  below Wordsworth shows the contrasting distinctions  between humans and nature. As a literary critic points out: the natural world reflects divine harmony, whereas human actions (war, greed, exploitation) appear sinful and corrupt.

                                    LINES WRITTEN IN EARLY SPRING

I heard a thousand blended notes,

While in a grove I sate reclined,

In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts

Bring sad thoughts to the mind.

 

To her fair works did Nature link

The human soul that through me ran;

And much it grieved my heart to think

What man has made of man.

 

Through primrose tufts, in that green bower,

The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;

And ’tis my faith that every flower

Enjoys the air it breathes.

 

The birds around me hopped and played,

Their thoughts I cannot measure:—

But the least motion which they made

It seemed a thrill of pleasure.

 

The budding twigs spread out their fan,

To catch the breezy air;

And I must think, do all I can,

That there was pleasure there.

 

If this belief from heaven be sent,

If such be Nature’s holy plan,

Have I not reason to lament

What man has made of man?

                                                            *******

G.R.Kanwal

8^th July 2026

 

 

 

                                   

  

 

SOME LINES FROM THE RIME OF ANCIENT MARINER

 

               

 

                SOME LINES FROM THE RIME OF ANCIENT MARINER

                        “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” is a narrative poem written by the English Poet and literary critic Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834).    

                        The poem is quite long in which an old sailor (the Ancient Mariner) detains a wedding guest to tell him a harrowing tale.

                        He recounts the incident of his shooting an albatross and getting his ship accursed.

                        Consequently, his crew dies and the situation changes for the better only when he learns and decides to respect nature.

                        He now agrees to undergo lifelong penance of wandering and sharing his story with whomever he meets. In the poem, his reluctant listener is the wedding guest.

                        Here are some important lines from the poem:

At length did cross an Albatross,

Through the Fog it came;

And as it were a Christian Soul,

We hail’d it in God’s name.

                        ---

I shot the Albatross.

                        ---

Day after day, day after day,

We stuck, ne breath, ne motion,

As idle as a painted Ship

Upon a painted ocean.

 

Water, water, everywhere

And all the boards did shrink;

Water, water, every where

Not any drop to drink.

                         ----

Alone, alone, all all alone

Alone on the wide wide Sea;

And Christ would take no pity on

My soul in agony.

                        ----

Beyond the shadow of the ship

I watch’d the water-snakes :

They mov’d in tracks of shining white ;

And when they rear’d, the elfish light

Fell off in hoary flakes.

 

Within the shadow of the ship

I watch’d their rich attire :

Blue, glossy green, and velvet black

They coil’d and swam; and every track

Was a flash of golden fire.

 

O happy living things ! no tongue

Their beauty might declare :

A spring of love gusht from my heart,

And I bless’d them unware !

Sure my kind saint took pity upon me,

And I bless’d them unaware.

 

The self-same moment I could pray ;

And from my neck so free

The Albatross fell off, and sank

Like lead into the sea.

                                    -----

O Wedding-guest ! this soul hath been

Alone on a wide wide sea

So lonely ‘twas, that God himself

Scarce seemed there to be.

 

O sweeter than the Marriage-feast

‘is sweeter far to me

To walk together to the Kirk

With a goodly company.

 

To walk together to the Kirk

And all together pray,

While each to his great father bends,

Old men, and babes, and loving friends,

And Youths, and Maidens gay.

                                    -----

Farewell, farewell ! but this I tell

To thee, thou wedding guest !

He prayeth well who loveth well

Both man and bird and beast.

 

He prayeth best who loveth best,

All things both great and small :

For the dear God, who loveth us,

He made and loveth all.

                                                ********

G.R.Kanwal

7^th July 2026

                       

GREAT THOUGHTS ON WORLD PEACE

 

 

                                GREAT THOUGHTS ON WORLD PEACE

            “Peace” is defined as a situation or a period of time in which there is no war or violence in a country or an area.

            World Peace Day is observed on 21 September. This day is dedicated to strengthening the ideals of peace, non-violence, and a global ceasefire. Established by the United Nations, it is observed annually on the above-mentioned date.

            Let us have a look at some great thoughts  on peace.

*Peace is the happy, natural state of man; war, his corruption, his disgrace.---Scottish poet James Thomson (1700-1748).

*Five great enemies to peace inhabit with us: viz, avarice, ambition, envy, anger and pride.---Italian poet Francis Petrarch (1304-1374).

*We love peace, but not peace at any price. There is a peace more destructive of the manhood of living man, than war is destructive of his body, Chains are worse than bayonets. ---English dramatist and editor Douglass Jerrold (1803-1857).

*The English poet and preacher John Donne (1572-1631) was correct when he wrote that no man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less. Any man’s death diminishes me, for I am involved in mankind…And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

*Every man is important in the sight of God---all the way from a bass black to a treble white, we are all significant on God’s keyboard.----American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968).

*Out of one blood, God created all nations to dwell upon the face of the Earth.---The Bible.

*Finally,  a short poem by a great poet whose lines have been set to music and sung often in Baptist churches:

           

Once to every man and nation

Comes the moment to decide,

In the strife of truth with falsehood,

For the good or evil side,

Then it is the brave man chooses,

While the coward stands aside,

Till the multitude make virtue

Of the faith they have denied.              

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PUNCLINE: If we have no pace , it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.---MOTHER TERESA

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G.R.Kanwal

6th July 2026