Abdul Qadir's Journey to Baghdad

I like Abdul Qadir's story very much. My mom has narrated this story from a story book to me along with great stories of Arabian nights. Now I am going to share the beautiful story of a young boy 'Abdul', his journey to Baghdad, his pleasing attitude and principles. He set an epitome for all of us.

Many years ago, in a small village, near to Baghdad city, there was boy named Abdul was living . One day a young boy named Abdul saw a large group of people returning from Arafat Mountain, thousands of miles away from his place in the neighbourhood of Mecca after performing Haj. After coming to know about those people, he gave a thought why he was born and he decided to pursue knowledge. Abdul went to his mother and asked her permission to make a journey to Baghdad in order to pursue a career in knowledge. Mother understood the divine call and promptly gave the permission for him to go. She gave him 40 gold coins which was his share he inherited from his father. She stitched these 40 gold coins inside the lining of his coat collar and gave him permission to leave. When she stepped out of the door to bid him a farewell, she said, “Oh, my son! You are going! I have detached myself from you for the sake of Allah knowing that I shall not see your face again until the day of last judgement. But take one advice from me. My son, you always feel the truth, speak the truth and propagate the truth even when your life is at stake”.

Abdul traveled with a small caravan heading for Baghdad. During the journey, when the caravan was passing through the tough terrains, a group of robbers on horses suddenly attacked the caravan and started looting. None of them however took the slightest notice of Abdul, until one of the looters turned to him and said. “You are here poor boy! Do you have anything with you? Abdul replied, “I have got 40 gold coins which are stitched by my mother in the lining of my coat underneath my collar.” The looter smiled and thought that Abdul was just joking. He left him alone and moved elsewhere. When their leader came and the looters took this boy to their leader and said to him, “A poor boy claims that he is in possession of 40 gold coins. We looted everybody but we have not touched him because we hardly believed that he has got gold coins with him”. Then the leader put the same question but Abdul replied the same. Then the leader ripped through his coat and discovered that he indeed got 40 gold coins inside the lining of his coat collar.

The astonished leader asked Abdul, what prompted him to make this confession? Abdul has replied. “My mother made me promise to always be truthful even at the cost of my life. Here, it was a matter of only 40 Gold coins. I promised her and never betrayed her trust, so I told the truth”. The looters started weeping and said, you have adhered to the advice of your great mother but we have been betraying the trust of our parents and the covenant of our Creator for many years. From now onwards, you would become our leader in our repentance and they all decided to give up robbery and from that day, became righteous persons.

Later Abdul has grown up and became a great scholar. Our world saw the birth of a great saint, Shiek Abdul Qadir Al-Gilani. Right from young age with his gesture of sticking to promise that he made to his mother and speaking truth, he gave us a message.

Written by: Adit
Oct 2010, Minneapolis MN

Light of Asia

Speech given by Adit:

Birth of Buddha:

Siddartha / Gautama was born around 566 B.C. in Himalayan Foothills to Queen Maya and KingSuddodhana.

Rising:

King wanted him to be an emperor of this world. He decided to protect him from possibilities of spiritual path. He provided all luxuries to his son, inside the 4 walls.

The Four Signs that changed Siddartha:

1. Old man with white hair, withered skin, staff to lean.

2. Maimed man (distorted).

3. Funeral procession & corpse.

4. A monk in yellow robes, shaven head, empty bowl.

His chariot explained the meaning of each sign. His chariot’s name was Channa.

4 Noble Truths:

1. The truth of suffering

2. The truth of cause of suffering

3. The truth of cessation of suffering (suffering can end)

4. The truth of path that leads to nirvana

8 Eightfold Path:

· Right understanding

· Right thought

· Right speech

· Right action

· Right livelihood

· Right effort

· Right mindfulness

· Right concentration

If anyone sees ‘NIRVANA’ in his life time, he won’t reborn.

Five Hindrances:

· Doubt

· Lust

· Hatred

· Worry

· Languor

Definition of Karma: Karma à means action. Every time a person acts there is some quality of intention at the base of the mind and it is that quality rather than the outward appearance of the action.

Buddha’s Ethics:

What makes a person a Buddhist?

· Do not destroy life

· Do not steal

· Do not commit sexual misconduct

· Do not lie

· Do not take intoxicating drinks

There are some similarities between Buddha’s Ethics and Ten Commandments

Ten Commandments:

· Do not have any other Gods before me

· Do not make unto thee any carved image

· Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

· Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

· Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lordyour God is giving you.

· Do not kill

· Do not commit adultery

· Do not steal

· Do not bear false witness against a neighbor

· Do not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.

Holy Book:

Holy Book of Buddhism is ‘TRIPITAKA’. It was written by Buddha Ghosa in Pali

Famous Mantra:

OM MANI PADME HUM – Jewel in the Lotus

If you take refuge in 3 Jewels:

· The Buddha

· The Dharma

· The Sangha

The chant: http://youtu.be/3T-7Ug7x2uE

Buddham saranam Gachami

Dharmam saranam Gachami

Sangham saranam Gachami

Meaning is:

I go to Buddha for refuge.

I go to Dharma for refuge.

I go to Sangha for refuge.

Dalai Lama, the Spiritual Leader of Buddhism:

Dalai Lama is said to be incarnation of Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig

Dalai Lama is spiritual leader of Tibetan people. Dalai means Ocean (Spirituality as deep as ocean); Lama means Guru (Teacher)

Three Vehicles: There are 3 ways in following Buddhism.

Theravada (conservative)

Mahayana (liberal)

Vajrayana (subset of Mahayana)

Spread of Buddhism:

Many Eastern countries in Asia are following Buddhism. China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Tibet, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Bhutan, Vietnam etc.

Conclusion:

World should follow some of His great sayings.

Written by: Adit
July 2010, Minneapolis MN

Ancient Indian Universities

Centuries ago.......Taxila University........Nalanda University........

*************An interesting blog is on it's way***************

Written by: Adit
Apr 2010, Minneapolis MN

Breathing techniques

Speech given by Adit:

In our busy lives, from dawn to dusk, we never notice when exactly we are breathing in and when we are breathing out.

When do you become aware of your own identity?

When do you become aware of yourself?

When do you become aware of your life?

Breathing comes in first place much before livelihood, materialism etc.

The first thing we have done on this Earth is breathe in. The last thing we are going to do is Breathe out. In between Life is existing.

In our busy life, our mind is wandering from past to present events like a pendulum, we don’t even observe when we are inhaling and exhaling.

‘Now’, present is the moment. Find time to get importance of breathe.

Mind is like a kite and breathe is the thread. Breathe is like a thread that’s joining to heart and mind.

Rhythm of breathe is connected to emotions.

When you are smiling, the breathing is just normal and where as when you are angry on someone, your breathing rate is very much faster than the normal breathing. Did you ever observe? *smiles*

BREATHING:

4 sources of Energy:

1. Food, water – we can survive without Food, Water (at least for some days)

2. Sleep – We can survive without sleep (at least for some days)

3. Knowledge – We can survive without knowledge may be through out our life *smiles*

4. Breathe – can we survive? No.

Importance of Breathe:

Demonstration:

Close your eyes

Breathe in (Take deep breathe)

Aware of your breathe, body

Breathe out

*smiles* Aren’t you feeling fresh? Aren’t you feel active?

Breathing Techniques:

There are many breathing techniques: Pranayama, Bhastrika

Among them, Pranayama is an important Breathing technique.

Pranayama is a Sanskrit name given to one breathing technique.

Pranayama: Increases Life Force.

There are different mudras (Signs) while doing Pranayama / Breathing techniques namely, Adi Mudra, Chihn mudra, Chinmaya mudra, Meru mudra

Benefits with Breathing Techniques:

While practicing Breathing Techniques, you are concentrating in breathing, so you are living in the present.

You are concentrating on inhalation and exhalation, so you are going to be in present moment in any breathing technique.

It gives you peace of mind.

MEDITATION:

There are 7 levels of existence of human-being:

Body : We are going to become aware of this body through

physical asanas (physical exercises)

Breathe : We are going to aware breathe by Pranayama or any breathing technique

Mind : Level of mind, by meditation

Intellect : (Chitta): We are going to aware of Intellect when we use our brain, intelligence. Eg: I invited you for this session, your brain telling you, you have to attend the session.

Memory : (Smriti): We are going to aware of Memory when we use our brain to recall the events. Eg: Who brought you here?

Ego : (Aham):

Demonstrate: stand up …. did I name anybody’s name? I didn’t call anyone by name, so no one didn’t stand up. That awareness of belongingness is called ‘Aham’. Appropriating to oneself all physical and mental activities ‘I eat’, ‘I see’, ‘I talk’ etc is called ‘Aham’ or ‘I consciousness’.

Consciousness: (Chetna): We are going to aware of Consciousness, when you use your intellectual powers. The meditation takes you there.

Meditation:

Introduction:

According to Bhagavad Gita, the undisciplined mind acts as our enemy, whereas a trained mind acts as our friend.

So there is a necessity to know our mind: We intend to do many things – make resolutions to cultivate good habits, to kick certain bad habits, to study with concentration, to do something with a concentrated mind.

How a person behaves, feels and thinks, how he conducts himself in a given set of circumstances is largely determined by the state of his mind.

So becoming aware of our thoughts is ‘Meditation’.

It’s becoming aware of State of peace of mind.

It’s a spiritual technique and adopted as key elemental part in some religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Islam etc.

Meditation

• Transforms life
• Reduce stress and anxiety
• Energizes you
• Improves your patience
• Gives you peace of mind
• Gives you presence of mind

RULES TO BE HAPPY:
1….Opposite values are complementary.
2….Accept people and situations as they are.
3….Don't become football of other people's opinions.
4….Don't see intentions behind other people's mistakes.
5….Present moment is inevitable.

Once the distinction becomes clear, then journey towards the source begins:

Who am I ?

What I am responsible for?

What I am not responsible for?

In this spiritual path, everybody has to walk alone. The quest is the need of the soul. One can attain answers with deep silence, breathing techniques and meditation.

Don’t see the problems as big. If you compare them with universal problems the problems what you think big will become small.

More responsibility, more growth. More you complaint, more you decrease.

Don’t resist thoughts while doing breathing techniques.

Eg: If I say don’t think about Red Monkey when you do breathing/meditation by closing eyes. You will think why I told not to think about ‘Red Monkey’. *smiles*

So whatever thoughts you get, don’t resist. Just invite them.

Failure in exams or failure in relationships is not failure in life.

Responsibilities not given but taken.

More you resist, more you persist

Events come and events go.

Face the challenges in life like a solid rock which is hit by waves

Don’t relate happiness with an event

Don’t catch the anger from a stressful person. Anger is contiguous.

Energy goes where your attention goes.

Conclusion:

There is a clear distinction between religion and spirituality. In Technical words, Spirituality is a Framework and religion is the application built on it. For instance, a banana and banana skin: Religion is like the banana skin and spirituality is the banana. Religion is outer ritual and habits, a way of life; spirituality is the quest for the source of life, going back to the source, knowing deep within us we are part of the divinity.

Breathing and meditation are the technique related spirituality and they are not related to any religion. Breathing and Meditation are good mental exercises. Nowadays, even doctors are suggesting these techniques for peaceful living and proper blood circulation.

Written by: Adit
Jan 2010, Greensboro NC