Wednesday, 19 August 2026

LEARNING FROM GREAT MEN (PART III)

 

                LEARNING FROM GREAT MEN (PART III)

            Great men are enlightened with a number of sublime thoughts which they liberally share with others in their speeches and writings. Here are some of them.

1.     A Prayer by Indian poet, philosopher, and writer Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941):

This is my prayer to thee, my lord-

Strike, strike at the root of penury in my hear,    

Give me the strength lightly to bear my joys and sorrows.

Give me the strength to make my love fruitful in service.

Give me the strength to make my love fruitful in service.

Give me the strength never to disown the poor or bend my knees before insolent might.

Give me the strength to raise my mind high above daily trifles.

And give me the strength to surrender my strength to thy will with love.

                                                ---

2.     A quote from the Bhagavadgita by the great philosopher and the former President of India Dr. S.Radhakrishnan (1888-1975):

 

The spirit of man is immortal. Weapons do not cleave the Self, fire does not burn him, waters do not make him wet, nor does the wind make him dry. He is un-cleavable, he cannot be burnt, he can be neither wetted nor dried; he is eternal, all pervading, un-changing , immovable; he is the same forever.

 

Note: The Self in this quote means the Divine in man.

 

3.      A few words from the writings of the Indian mystic Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, popularly known as Osho (1931-1990).

 

“If you respect life, you will start finding it difficult even to pluck a flower. You will enjoy the flower, you can kiss the flower ----but plucking it up, you are destroying it and you are hurting the plant, which is as alive as you are.  

 

Nonviolence simply says don’t kill others. Do you think it is enough? It is only a negative statement: don’t kill others, don’t harm others. Is that enough?

 

Reverence for life says share, give your joy, your love, your peace, your bliss. Whatsoever you can share , share.

                                                            -------

PUNCHLINE: Life is the childhood of our immortality (German writer and philosopher Goethe (1749-1832).

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G.R.Kanwal

19 August 2026

     

 

 

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