This is 1000 Year Old Vegan Poem which was shared on the JainVegans Yahoo group.

You are diseased in understanding and religion.
Come to me, that you may hear something of sound truth.
Do not unjustly eat fish the water has given up,
And do not desire as food the flesh of slaughtered animals,
Or the white milk of mothers who intended its pure draught
for their young, not noble ladies.
And do not grieve the unsuspecting birds by taking eggs;
for injustice is the worst of crimes.
And spare the honey which the bees get industriously
from the flowers of fragrant plants;
For they did not store it that it might belong to others,
Nor did they gather it for bounty and gifts.
I washed my hands of all this; and wish that I
Perceived my way before my hair went gray!

Al-Ma’arri (973-1057)
Baghdad (modern Iraq)

Here’s a 6 slide PowerPoint about the use of fireworks.

Please do share your thoughts.

I think spirituality is really important for everyone. It doesn’t have to be attached to a particular religion or any faith. Thus anyone and everyone can access it. In this post I am going to talk about how I’ve experienced life differently since progressing spiritually. Towards the end of the post I’ve included the experiences of some other souls who have explored spirituality too.

You may have read the post describing my craving for some regular input. I published that a couple of years ago. Since then I’ve been attending weekly sessions whereby a group of like-minded souls get together. ‘What do you do?’ I hear you ask. Well…we read texts from Shrimad Rajchandra. He was a self realised soul who wrote some majorly influential books. One of them is called Mokshamala. In this book he has written 108 lessons that explain the path to Moksha.

It has been said that in Moksha all souls are free. Liberated from the cycle of birth, death & re-birth. It is described as pure, unending bliss.

So getting back to the weekly sessions. We read Mokshamala so that we can understand the imparted wisdom of the Tirthankaras. Their teachings were documented in a language that was easy for the people to understand then. However, Shrimad Rajchandra wrote Mokshamala in Gujarati which is helpful to us now. Each week we read a bit, think about it, talk about it and discuss how we can apply it in our daily lives. We also discuss how things would be if we did not put his words into action.

Once I had begun attending these sessions I developed a thirst for it, which I didn’t recognise until someone said this to me: -

“So you come home & then travel into Central London? Even when it’s raining like it was today?“

I hadn’t thought about it before then. Many of  our friends in the group work in or near the city. Thus they’re not making a special journey from home or travelling very far. I realised then how deeply important it was to me. So much so that I hadn’t even questioned the travelling or thought about the weather. Neither was an obstacle.

A year or so later we attended a retreat. There were  few workshops during the weekend but one of them really stood out for us. It was about the need for a higher source. We explored the need for someone who has experienced what we want and thus is able to take us there. A guru. Suraj and I were quite taken by the content of that session but we didn’t do much about it. I think we got home and returned to our ‘normal’  routine.

A number of months later we went to Sayla. I wanted to go to check out some Humanitarian projects and Suraj and I both wanted to understand more about the Ashram.

A project that support those who don't have enough food.

Towards the end of our trip I accepted Bhaishree as my Guru. What an amazing and unexpected step!

My spiritual journey, thanks to the weekly sessions prior to meeting Bhaishree was positive but it became even better level after our trip to Sayla!

Bhaishree is holding a divo which makes me think about the light that he has shone on my soul. This has enabled the progress I've made thus far.

Life is easier, smoother, less complicated & a lot of that is because I have changed! I’m less judgemental, more reflective, slower to act and more understanding of karma and how it hurts and binds my soul, as well as, the impact that it has on other souls. The benefit has been helpful to me and those around me.

The journey goes on! It’s not easy but it IS worth it!

This is what others have shared with me about their journey: -

Ultimately we all want to be happy, and spirituality teaches us to search for this within. This has grounded me, given me new eyes with which to see the world, and helped me deal with the ups and downs in everyday life feeling more calm and content. And for me, I am lucky to be learning from living and true guides which makes the path of spirituality less abstract and more real.

Menka

 

What is spirituality? It is a way of life. For me spirituality is like coming home. The concept is so welcoming and logical that one tends to associate with it right away. The deeper I have dwelled into spirituality the more complete I have felt. I have personally benefitted many folds.
I can now focus more on the tasks that I have to do in everyday life, infact, I have observed that I complete all my tasks in lesser time now.
I feel happy for no reason at all and also more confident.
My outlook towards various things and situations is so much more positive now.
I worry less and live more in the present which has made a huge difference.
I have become less complaining and more accepting. It wasn’t me who realised that I was a changed person but the people around me.
When other people appreciate and acknowledge the good in you it feels amazing and you want to do even better.
The above mentioned things are just the by-products of living a spiritually endowed life.
The main outcome is something much more deep. The realisation that your soul is different from the body and that you are the soul itself brings a peace and a happiness that cannot be explained.
I feel very fortunate and extremely lucky to have guidance from my Guru who has realised his soul and has passed down his first hand experience to us. I hope to follow in his footsteps and to reach the ultimate destination.

Niyati na aatmabhave vandan

 

It is absolute truth that the only way one can find peace in their lives is to follow a true guru.
HE can guide us in our day to day lives and save us from binding new karmas.
Once Param Pujya Bapuji came in to my life everything changed. My outlook towards the outside material world changed for the better.
I was able to take defeats more positively.
I could take criticism in a better way.
I was able to face life more bravely .
All the fears just vanished.
There was a strange sort of security that now nothing will go wrong in my life and if at all something happens HE will take care!!!!!!!
As I started following HIS aagnas (instructions) my inner tranquility increased and I could be more calm and patient without much effort.
Once I got Sadhna/Dhyan (a technique of meditation) my mind started getting tame. It would do only as directed. It would not wander away.
When my first born died I just remembered what Param Pujya Bapuji said. “BE BRAVE”. The entire period until I had my second child was just normal as if nothing unforseen had happened. This is the benefit of having a true guru in our lives.
There are lots of such experiences where religion/ guru bails you out.

 

So any thoughts or comments?

This was sent to me by email. It’s so short, to the point and beautiful. I had to share it!

Imagine the peace we’d have if we had this. The contentedness we’d feel. WOW

Richness is not earning more,

Spending more or

Saving more…

Richness is when we need NOTHING MORE!

Rohit Shah

Love the creatures for the sake of God and not for themselves.
You will never become angry or impatient if you love them for the sake of God.
Humanity is not perfect.
There are imperfections in every human being, and you will always become unhappy if you look toward the people themselves.
But if you look toward God, you will love them and be kind to them, for the world of God is the world of perfection and complete mercy.
Therefore, do not look at the shortcomings of anybody; see with the sight of forgiveness.”

Abdu’l-Bahá

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you.” ~ Unknown

Courtesy of Ultra Spirit Love

Over the last 3 years I have been covering PPA, rather than, being a class teacher. I ended up teaching a lot of R.E. and P.E. and I ended up really enjoying teaching R.E., especially in Middle School. The children are able to articulate their thoughts, ask questions, reflect and more. It was truly amazing!

One lesson stood out the most. The lesson was called ‘Deep thoughts about deep ideas.’
The objective was for the children to know about Hindu concepts of the atma (the true self).
They also needed to understand the Hindu belief that God is within the heart and conscience.

We discussed the soul and the various words that can be used to describe it. We also talked about the fact that many religions talk about the soul or the spirit. Many of the children had heard of it.

Here are some of the things that the children said: -

Fred said that an example of the soul not needing a body was shown in Harry Potter. Moaning Myrtle lives in the in the toilet.

Dave said that the soul’s trapped in the body.

Vijay said if the soul doesn’t have a body it can live but if the body doesn’t have a soul it can’t live.

Danielle said that “the soul controls you. When you die it gets re-born into another body.”

Sandy said “it’s like a ghost. It leaves the body when you die”

Tommy said “the soul leaves the body when you die and goes somewhere. If you’re knocked out you see yourself on the floor but you’re see-through and like a silky wall. If your heart stops you see your soul raise out of your body and you go to heaven.”

Natalie said “A child could see the soul that came out of the body of the dead person” so we discussed that many people believe children’s minds are more open to this kind of thing and others believe that our minds becomes closed as we get older. Thus we lose the ability to see things like this. We discussed that others believe it’s not possible at all.

Ben said “It helps you make hard decisions. The soul helps you face your fears.”

Ali remembered the episode of Tom and Jerry when Tom died and 9 souls came out. They all showed different feelings – playful, bossy etc.

Tammy said the same as Ali but she remembered a similar episode from Garfield.

It may not read as well as it felt. The lesson was buzzing. The children were so into it. their hands were shooting up all the time because they wanted to explore their ideas together. They felt curious, safe & most of all, they all showed respect for all faiths as they spoke. It was amazing!

This article is not my own. However, it is so worth reading, I asked the author if I could post it on my blog. Thus with his permission…here it is.

This article was first published on Internet (Jain-list) in August 1997.  Later on more information was added to this article.

Dairy Visit in USA:

I visited a dairy farm located on Route 2 north of Burlington, Vermont (USA) in May of 1995.  The dairy owns approximately 150 cows.  All of its milk production is used to make ice cream.

Here is the summary of what I saw and learnt:

It was milking time (5:00 PM) and the cows were being milked in 3.5 minutes each by a machine. This is done without regard to how hard it is on the cow.  It was extremely difficult to watch the cows’ sufferings during the milking.  The machine has no feeling.  To extract the last drop of milk sometimes traces of blood get mixed with the milk.

Since cows produce the most milk after pregnancy, they are kept pregnant for their entire fertile life through artificial insemination. Every morning hormones or drugs are injected into the cows. They are also fed a diet geared toward high production of milk.  The dairy cow produces about 8 times the amount of milk a cow on the traditional family farm produces.

The gestation period of cow is 9 months same as human does.  If a male calf, of no use to the dairy industry, is born, he is shipped to the veal industry within two or three days of birth.

The evening I was there, the farm was shipping three baby calves in a truck to a veal factory.  The mother cows were crying when their babies were separated from them.  I cannot forget the scene and can still hear the cries of the mother cows.

The veal industry is the most cruel meat industry in the world.  It produces very tender meat that is considered a delicacy.  The baby calves are raised in darkness in a very confining crate, which allows practically no movements.  They are fed an iron-deficient diet.  This way the meat gets very tender and properly textured.  They slaughter the baby calves after six months.  There is much literature available about cruelty in the veal industry.

Within two months of delivery, the cows are impregnated again.  I did not have the stamina to watch the process of artificial insemination that the farm was showing off.

About four to five times a year, this farm would take the cows outside for a walk.  Otherwise, the cows are tied in one place and they have no choice but to defecate where they are confined.  It badly stunk when I was there; the farm would wash the confinement areas once or twice a day, and the remaining times the cows would live in their own waste.

The life expectancy of cows is about 15 to 20 years.  However, after about 4 to 5 years, their milk production capacity drops significantly so these cows are sent to the slaughterhouse for cheap meat which is used in fast food restaurants, hot dog filler, dog & cat food and a variety of other “foodstuffs”.  The rest of the body material (by products) turns up in the products like floor wax, pet food, medicines, insulin, gelatin, footwear, upholstery, taco filling, cosmetics, candles, and soaps.

During her fertile life, cow delivers about four babies.  Statistically only one female baby is needed to replace the existing cow.  Hence all other babies (males or females) are sent to veal industry where they are tortured for six months and then slaughtered for the meat (delicacy meal).

As I learned and observed the cruelty in the dairy industry, I at first found it hard to believe.  On a personal level, I feared that it would be impossible for me to give up the dairy products and become vegan (absolutely no animal product).  How could I eliminate milk, yogurt, butter, ghee, and cheese from my diet?  To become vegan means that I cannot drink tea with milk, eat any Indian sweets, pizza, milk chocolate, ice cream, eggless but dairy-containing cake, and many other items.

At this time I remembered my daughter Shilpa’s (who became vegan few months prior to my visit) word, “Dad, cows’ milk is for baby cows and not for humans or their babies. No other animal consumes the milk of another species.  We do not have the right to consume the milk of other animals for our benefit by exploiting and torturing them.  Furthermore milk and its products are not essential for our survival or for healthy life”.

However, needless to say, the dairy farm tour made me an instant vegan.

Pravin K. Shah

Jaina Education Committee Chairperson

Director, Jain Study Center of North Carolina (Raleigh)

education@jaina.org

www.jaineLibrary.or

October 26, 2009