PRAYER

 

PRAYER

Prayer is defined as words that one says to God giving thanks or asking for help. In religion, there may be a fixed form of words that one can say when one speaks to God.

All religions have a good number of prayers which are addressed to God by individuals or groups of devotees.

True prayers should be offering of gratitude to God. Regrettably enough it is not so in many cases. People seek some relief, benefit or favour from God in their prayers and hope that He will grant it to them.

Some common synonyms of prayer are ----asking, beseeching, imploring, entreating, supplicating, requesting and appealing.

Such prayers as praise God and offer Him thanks for giving us worldly life with all its goods and chattels are the best. They should always be there day and night, in both comfortable and uncomfortable circumstances.

To forget God in happy times and remember Him only in unfortunate hours is utter selfishness and lacks sincere gratitude.

The English poet Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) says: Many things are wrought by prayer than the world dreams of. What are men better than sheep or goats, that nourish a blind life within the brain., if, knowing God, they lift no hands of prayer both for themselves and those who call them friends !

According to The British clergy Jeremy Taylor (1613-1667) : When we pray for any virtue, we should cultivate the virtue as well as pray for it; the form of your prayer should be rule of your life; every petition to God is a precept to man. Look not, therefore, upon your prayers as a method of good and salvation only, but as a perpetual mention of duty. By what we require of God we see what He requires of us.

Finally, this short but significant quote : Prayer is the inner bath of love into which the soul plunges itself.

                                                *******

 

G.R.Kanwal

16^th December 2024

 

 

   

PRAISE IS NECESSARY

 

          PRAISE IS NECESSARY  

Praise is expression of appreciation, approval, admiration, applause, devotion, or adoration.

The short answer to the question whether praise is necessary is “Yes”. It can have many positive effects on the person praised by you. It pleases him, motivates him, enhances his self-esteem, multiplies his productivity, improves his talents, strengthens his skills, and uplifts his enthusiasm for doing more admirable tasks for not only individuals but also for masses.

According to a saying in the Bible : “God dwells close to us when we praise Him and we are strengthened by His peace.

And one of the quotations on praise says: “For many of us, praise is an incredibly powerful motivator. It tells us whether we are succeeding or not and is also linked to self-worth. If it is sincere, it makes us feel good.”

Speaking with reference to children, the American writer Christian  Nestell (1820-1904 } said  : Words of praise, indeed, are almost as necessary to warm a child into a congenial life as acts of kindness and affection. Judicious praise is in children what the sun is in flowers.    

            Scottish economist and philosopher Adam Smith (1723-1790)  does not like unmerited praise. According to him they are the most frivolous and superficial of mankind, who can be much delighted with that praise which they themselves know to be altogether unmerited.

            Greek philosopher Socrates  (469-399 B.C.) is realistic  when he says:Think not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions, but those who kindly reprove the faults.

            Finally, this short but beautiful  quote: Just one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day.  

                                                            *******

G.R.Kanwal

15 December 2024

 

ACT, ACT , IN THE LIVING PRESENT

 

 

                             ACT, ACT , IN THE LIVING PRESENT

 

“Time” has been classified into three stages ---- present, past and future. None of them is stationary. The present comes and in no time becomes past.  We cannot call it back. It becomes history. As regards, the time which is yet to come is called future. But it is unreliable. It may or may not come for you. You are living at the current moment. The next moment is a dream. You may not be there to see it and use it as per your advance planning.                                                   

 

            In her poem “NOW” , the English poetess and philanthropist A.A.Procter (1825-1964)  uses in each of the four stanzas of her  poem a line beginning with the word “Rise ! These lines are:

            Rise !  for the day is passing

                                    ****

            Rise from your dreams of the future

                                    ****

            Rise ! if the past detains you      

                                    ****

            Arise ! for the foe is here

 

            Her poem is inspirational. She wants to tell her readers:

 

“The Past and Future are nothing,

In the face of the stern today.

 

She believes that time has three dimensions ----- there is present which is in your hands “Now” .  This dimension of time is alive and real. It is available to you for realizing any dream. The past time being over has become dead. The future is like a dream which may or may not come. She does  pray that the future should come but advises you to:

Rise from your dreams of the Future,

Of gaining some hard fought field;

Of storming some airy fortress,

Or bidding some giant yield;

Your future has deeds of glory,

Of honour (God grant it may!}

But your arm will never be stronger,

Or the need so great as To=day.

 

She counsels you also against brooding over the past:

            Rise ! if the past detains you,

Her sunshine and storms forget;

No chains so unworthy to hold you

As those of a vain regret:

Sad or bright, she is lifeless ever;

Cast her phantom arms away,

Nor look back, save to learn the lesson

Of a nobler strife To-day.

 

Finally, these words of the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-182): “Trust no Future, however pleasant! Let the dead past bury its dead! Act,---Act in the living Present ! Heart within, and God overhead! -- ( From A Psalm Of Life). “

                                                                        *********

G.R.Kanwal

13 December 2024

THE LAWS OF GOD

 

          THE LAWS OF GOD

The laws of God are eternal. They can neither be amended nor abolished. They are also known as “God’s commands that regulate human behaviour and lives.”

The laws of God mentioned in the Bible are God’s requirements and expectations for how people should behave, speak, and think. They are also known as The Ten Commandments  and read as follows:

1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 2. Thou shall not make unto thee any graven image. 3. Thou shall take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. 4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 5. Honour thy father and thy mother. 6. Thou shall not kill. 7. Thou shall not commit adultery. 8. Thou shall not steal. 9. Thou shall not bear false witness. 10. Thou shall not covet your neighbour’s goods.

Most of the foregoing ten commandments are based on perpetual  moral disciplines.

The ten key disciplines emphasized by Hinduism  comprise five Yamas -- such as truth, non-violence, celibacy, non-stealing, non-possessiveness;  and five Niyamas including --- cleanliness, contentment, austerity, prayers and regular study of holy books.

As for sins in Hinduism they include sensual pleasures, moha, ego, desires, jealousy, greed and anger .

In Christianity, the seven deadly sins are: pride, envy, gluttony, greed, lust. sloth and revenge.

Since God is known for love, goodness, mercy, kindness, reform and forgiveness, there is no place for punishments like the ones whicj men administer to criminals.

God expects the sinners to worship,  atone, repent, pray, become regenerative, abandon vicious conduct and seek opportunities to mend themselves.

Finally, this popular quote: “We do pray for mercy; And that same prayer doth teach us to render the deeds of mercy.”  

                                                ********

G. R. Kanwal

12 December 2024

 

 

 

 

THERE IS NO UNITY

 

          THERE IS NO UNITY

The phrase “Unity in Diversity” is admirable  but not so true as it should have been .

 According to one popular definition “it refers to the unity of people with different cultural, religious, social, and other demographic differences.”

A UNESCO book about the life history of Indian anti-colonialist Mohandas Karamchand  Gandhi (2^nd October 1869- 30 January 1948) bears the title “All Men Are Brothers.”

A Sanskrit saying “Vasudhaive Kutumbakam” means “The World is One Family”. According to the vision of this saying there should be no discrimination and violence among the people of the world. Sadly enough it is not so. We are living in a divided and violent world. There is disunity, rather than unity in diversity.

English poet and translator James Kirkup (1918-2009) said in his poem “No Men Are Foreign:

“Remember, no men are strange, no countries foreign,

Beneath all uniforms, a single body breathes

Like ours; the land our brothers walk upon

Is earth like this, in which we all shall lie.”

 

Scottish essayist Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) wished that men’s hearts ought not to be set against one another, but set with one another, and all against evil only.

 

French philosopher Blaise Pascal (1623-62) believed that the multitude which does not reduce itself to unity is confusion; the unity which does not depend upon the multitude , is tyranny.

 

English clergy James Martineau (1805-1900) claims that what science calls the unity and uniformity of nature, truth calls the fidelity of God.

 

Finally, this quote: “Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization.”                                                                               **************

G.R.Kanwal

11 December 2024

LIFE WITHOUT WORK

 

          LIFE WITHOUT WORK

Life without work is unthinkable. We are alive because the organs of our body are working. Let then become inactive and we are no more.

Work is the useful consumption of energy, abilities, talents, skills, thoughts and ideas. It fulfills our needs through creation. It is meaningfully productive.

Dictionaries define work as “to do something that involves physical or mental effort, especially as part of a job.  

Some common synonyms of work are: labour, toil, job, task, undertaking, duty, assignment, mission, trade, profession, career, trade, vocation, craft and pursuit.

Animals, too, have to work to survive. Idleness is the enemy of all life, whether human or non-human. God has allotted some duty to everything that exists.  

The American poet Robert Frost (1874-1963) said: “ The Woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep. “

Mahatma, Gandhi (1869-1948)  pointed out the importance of hard work and its results  by saying: “Work is worship.”

It has been rightly said: “Life without work could be a difficult transition that would cause suffering for many people. While work can provide a sense of purpose and structure, it can also be a source of social interaction and personal growth.“

Try to be employed and spend your time by performing  specific duties. If you are unemployed, don’t sit idle; choose a hobby, develop some new skill, read, reflect, and write or  become a volunteer somewhere.  

Finally, look at the following short but significant quotes:

1.Give me love and work.---William Morris. English poet (1834-1896).

2. A man is a worker. If he is not that he is nothing.----Joseph Conrad, Polish-British novelist (1857-1924).

3. I believe in work, hard work and long hours of work . Men do not break down from overwork, but from worry and dissipation. ---Charles E. Hughes, American statesman (1862-1948).

4. He who would really benefit mankind must reach them through their work. ---Henry Ford, American industrialist (1863-1947).

5. The man who does not work for the love of work but only for money is not likely to make money nor to find much fun in life. ---Charles M. Schwab, American steel magnate (1862-1939).

                                                ********

G.R.Kanwal

10 December 2024  

 

         

FRIENDSHIP IS A BLESSING

 

FRIENDSHIP IS A BLESSING

The best definition of friendship has been stated as “a close relationship between two or more people who care about and support each other. It is built on trust, honesty, and mutual respect.“  Friends, says the same definition, often share common interests and experiences, and enjoy time together.

            Some common synonyms of friendship are ---companionship, mutual affection, fellowship, comradeship, attachment, alliance, amity and intimacy.

            A friend is also called one’s second self – his  alter ego, almost like a twin.

            Everybody wishes to have a best friend who is like-minded, helpful, unselfish, trustworthy, reliable, supportive, dependable, honest, empathetic, loyal and motivator.

            One who has no best friend is unlucky. He is alone, desolate, solitary, deserted, isolated. .

            The Bible says: A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.     

            Friendship can be a blessing in life’s ups and downs because friends offer unconditional help, support, companionship and encouragement,

            Here are a few famous quotes about friendship:

(1). Friendship improves happiness, and abates misery, by doubling our joy, and dividing our grief. ----English essayist and poet Joseph Addison (1672-1719).

(2). In poverty and other misfortunes of life, true friends are a sure refuge.--- The young they keep out of mischief; to the old they are a  comfort and aid in their weakness and those in the prime of life they incite to noble deeds. ----Greek philosopher Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC).

(3). He that hath no friend, and no enemy, is one of the vulgar; and without talents, powers, or energy. --- Swiss poet and writer Johan Kaspar Lavater(1741-1801).

(4). If a man does not make new acquaintances as he passes through life, he will soon find himself left alone. A man should keep his friendships in constant repair.----English writer Samuel Johnson (1709-1784).

            And finally the following quote by the Greek tragedian Euripides (c.480- c. 406) :

“ Life has no blessing like a prudent friend.”

                                                            **********

G.R.Kanwal

9^th December 2024