Why Guru

There is a famous story in our scriptures of Eklavya who dreamt of becoming a great archer.
He went to the best and most famous Guru of archery, Dronacharya, and humbly begged Dronacharya to teach him archery.
However, for various reasons, Dronacharya refused.
Unfazed, resolute in his devotion, Eklavya did not despair.
Rather, he went deep into the forest for his sadhana of learning to be an archer. There, he created out of clay the image of Dronacharya.

Each day, he offered devout, pious prayers and love to this image of his Guru. His faith and devotion were so strong that even though he had been rebuked by the physical Guru, the spirit of the Guru came into his heart and taught him archery. Eventually, Eklavya became renowned as a great archer.
Even sitting in front of our Guru, even living in the shelter of our Guru, even being given all of the Guru's grace, still we frequently do not learn what the Guru has to teach. Still we remain stubborn and set in our own ways. But, look at Eklavya who was so filled with faith, dedication and piety that he learned from his Guru even having been sent away by the Guru. We must always remember that, no matter how far away our Guru is, he is still reaching us, still teaching us, still touching us. We must not depend upon being in the presence of our Guru to learn from him. If our hearts are open and pure, we can learn from him no matter how far away he may be. The key is faith. The key is to keep the image of the Guru in our hearts at all times.
What is a Guru?While in the West, the term has taken on myriad, frequently derogatory connotations, the true meaning is pure and simple. In Sanskrit, "gu" means darkness, and "ru" means one who removes. So, a "guru" is one who removes your darkness. It is one whose mere presence emanates so much light, so much love, so much divinity, that every darkness within you is alchemically changed into light. And there is no darkness too dark for a guru. Their light can shine through and transform even the darkest darkness. Even the darkness of midnight would last but a second if the sun decided to rise 6 hours early. This is the power a guru has.
Unlike a "preacher" or "minister" or "rabbi", a guru does not necessarily have to be a religious figure, nor does it have to be a person of a specific religion, gender, age or ethnicity. It is simply someone who holds the light for you if your path becomes shrouded in darkness; it is someone who will carry you if you get tired; it is someone who -- after you have been in his/her presence -- you are not the same. You are lighter, freer, more filled with joy. It is someone in whose light you want to bask forever. In the West, guru is frequently defined as "teacher." Yet, the crucial difference between a teacher and a guru, is that while a teacher can explain things and give you verbal information, they can not actually take you to the realms of which they teach. An astronomy teacher can tell you about other planets, but can not take you there. A science teacher can explain life on the bottom of the ocean, but he can not take you there. A geology teacher can explain the properties of diamonds to you, but he cannot fill your hands with the precious gems. In contrast, a guru not only teaches you about God, but rather, He takes you to God. He not only teaches about peace, He gives you peace.In Sanskrit, the word guru means one who removes our darkness. Yet it is not merely the darkness of ignorance. It is not simply that we go to our guru with a question, ask him, he answers it and then our confusion is cleared. Rather, the mere presence of the guru in our life removes all darkness - all anger, all pain, all confusion.
Meaning of Guru Purnima:
Guru Purnima is the day in which we pay our reverence to the Guru - it is a day filled with devotion, with love, with piety. On this day, Indians across the world pay their deepest reverence to both their personal guru, as well as to Sri Maharishi Vyasji. Vyasji is heralded as the editor of the four vedas, and the author of the 18 puranas, the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita. Having brought such an immeasurable treasure chest of wisdom to the world, Vyasji is worshipped as the Guru of Gurus. It is he who has brought forth this ocean of divine light to dispel the darkness of humanity. Therefore, on this day we also pay our deepest respects to Sri Vyasji. Guru Purnima is celebrated on the full moon day of Ashadha and the four month period of Chaturmas (the holy time of year in which the monsoons come). After the long, hot, dry months of summer in which innumerable people, animals and crops have perished, the rains come, quenching our thirst and bringing us life. And, in India, when the rains come it is not a mere drizzle which lasts for 10 minutes. Rather, the rains are downpours of heavenly nectar, completely saturating the parched land. Similarly, on this day, as we find ourselves dying of thirst for knowledge, as we find our hearts and minds have become dry due to ignorance, anger and darkness, the Guru comes, pouring forth upon our lives the rain of wisdom, of love, of light and of life. Just as the flowers which have wilted and yellowed in the never-ending heat of summer, suddenly stand erect and succulent as soon as the rains come, so we, who have become ignorant and "dead" to the divinity within us are immediately born anew due to His grace in our lives. Yet, just as the soil must allow the rain to penetrate its depths in order to reap the benefits of this life-giving nectar, so we must become porous vessels into which the divine nectar of the Guru can flow. Guru Purnima is a day of renewing our faith, our shraddha, in He who bestows the light upon our lives. It is a day of re-opening our hearts, our souls and our lives to His divine presence and letting it penetrate and saturate every aspect of our being. There is a beautiful story told of a man who wanted to walk on water. He begged his guru to give him a secret mantra or a special boon so he could complete this remarkable feat. The man was extremely pious and devoted, and he had been in his guru's service for many years. Therefore, the guru gave him a leaf, folded many times until is was very small. He told his disciple, "Within this leaf is a secret formula which will enable you to walk on water. However, you must not open it because the formula inside is a secret." So the man agreed, and he takes the folded leaf carefully in his hands and begins his journey across the river. He is walking fine when suddenly he is overcome by curiosity. What could be this secret formula? Is there really a secret inside? Is it a powder or a stone or some holy mantra printed? Where did his guru get it? His doubts get the best of him and he begins slowly to open the leaf as he walks, careful lest any of the secret formula should spill out into the water. As soon as he unfolds the last piece to unveil the secret, he suddenly sinks into the water and drowns. Inside the leaf was written the simple word, "faith." It was not the leaf, nor any secret powder or mantra that enabled the devotee to accomplish a miracle. It was the strength of his faith in his guru and in the "boon" his guru had given him. As soon as that faith wavered and doubt crept in, his life was lost. This is the power of faith. Guru Disciple Relationship:
At this time of Guru Purnima, we must look at what really makes up the Guru-Disciple relationship - what makes it so special, so unique, so powerful and life-transforming? That answer is faith. Faith can work true miracles and without it, much of life is futile. The guru might be of infinite power, knowledge and compassion. Yet, without the faith of the disciple, the guru can do very little for him. There is a beautiful poem that says:
As children bring their broken toys with tears for us to mendI brought my broken dreams to God, because He was my friend.But, instead of leaving Him in peace to work alone,I hung around and tried to help with ways that were my own.At last I snatched them back and cried, "how could you be so slow?""My child," He answered, "what could I do? You never did let go."
That "letting go" is the faith. If we can surrender to the guru with complete faith, he will transform our lives. However, if we "hang around" and doubt and think that we know better than he does, then we gain nothing. A guru should not be chosen haphazardly. Most people say that they "just knew" as soon as they met their guru. That is the way it should be. Our hearts should fill with joy in his presence. Our entire beings should feel like they are bathed in warm sunlight. We should instinctively know that he can take us where we need to go. So, in the early stages, before we take a mantra, or before we officially make someone our guru, that is the time to watch and reflect: "Is he (or she) really the one?" However, once we know, deep in our hearts and souls, that the decision is right, then we not look back. We should offer ourselves with full abandon at the feet of the guru and our lives will become magic. Many people today, especially in the West, are hesitant about what they see as "blind obedience" to the Guru. They feel that somehow they will be lesser people if they become obedient to a master. They don't want to feel like "slaves." I hear this so frequently by people who have been over-indoctrinated by the Western ideal of individuality. And yet, we must realize that we are living our lives as slaves of our own egos and vanity. We live in blind obedience to the call of our senses and desires. We have blind faith in that which our minds and hearts tell us and we act accordingly. Yet, these false "masters" so frequently lead us astray. We act out of impulse or emotion and later regret it. Our egos and our vanity cause us to engage in actions we later regret. Let us realize that we are, as it is, acting in obedience to a master. Therefore, let us at least choose a master who will lead us to the light, not the darkness, a master who will lead us to wisdom, not ignorance, a master who will lead us to peace instead of piece, a master who will never give us an order we will live to regret. Let us live our lives in obedience to the divine orders of our guru instead of in slavery to the volatile callings of our egos, our emotions and our senses. Boliye: Sri Gurudev Bhagwan ki Jai! May God bless you all.
In the service of God and humanity,
Swami Chidanand

101 ways to Praise A Loved one

101 Ways to praise A loved one..A child , lover a Friend

Wow . Way To Go.. Super..You are Special ..Outstanding..Excellent..Great..Good..Neat...Well done..Remarkable..I knew you can do it..I'm proud of you..Fantastic..Super star...Neat Work..Looking Good... You're On top of it..I'am proud of you..Fantastic..Super Star..Nice work..Now You're Flying..You're catching on..NOW you have got it .You're Incredible..Bravo.. You're fantastic..Hoorey for you..You are On Target..You're on your Way.How nice. How Smart..Good Job.That's incredible..Hot Dog.Dynamite..You're beautiful.You're Unique..Nothing can stop you now..Good for you..I like you. You're a winner. Remarkable Job. Beautiful work..Spectacular.. You're spectacular.. You're darling..You're Precious..Great discovery..You've discoverd the secret.. You've figured it out..Fantastic job..Hip .Hip Hoorey. Magnificent..Marvelous..Terrific..You are Important..Phenomenal..You're sensational..Super work. Creative Job..Super Job. Excellent Job..Exceptional performance..You 're a real Trooper. You are responsible. You're Exiting..You learned it right..What an imagination..What a Good listener. You are Fun..You're growing up..You Tried hard..You care..Beautiful Sharing..Outstanding Performance..You are a good Friend..I trust you. You're Important. You mean a lot to me, You make me Happy..You belong .You've Got a friend. You Make me laugh. You Brighten My day. I respect you. You mean the world to me. That's Correct.. You're a Joy. You're a treasure. You're wonderful.
You're perfect ,Awesome..A=job..O.K. My buddy..You made My day..That's the Best . A Big Hug .A Big Kiss. I love you.. Give them a Big Smile.

Take Time !

Take Time !

Take Time to Think .... It is the source of Power.

Take Time to Play ... It is the secret of Perpetual Youth.

Take Time to Read ... It is the fountaionof Wisdom.

Take Time to Pray... It is the greatest power on Earth.

Take Time to Love and be Loved ... It is a God _given Privilage.

Take Time to Be Friendly ... It is the road to Happiness.

Take Time to Laugh ... It is music of the Soul.

Take Time to Give ... It is too short a day to be Selfish.

Take Time to Work ... It is the price of Success.

Takae time to do Charity... Its the key to Heaven.

What Is Life

What IS Life ?

Life is a Challenge ... Meet it.

Life is Gift ... Accept it.

Life Is an Adventure ... Dare it.

Life is a Sorrow ... Overcome it.

Life is a Tragedy... Face it.

Life is Duty ... Perform it.

Life is Game ... Play it.

Life is a Mystery ... Unfold it.

Life is a Song ... Sing it.

Life is an Opportunity ... Take it.

Life is Promise ... Fulfill it.

Life is a Love ... Enjoy it.

Life is Beauty ... Praise it.

Life Is a Spirit ... Realize it.

Life is Struggle ... Fight it.

Life is a Puzzle ... Solve it.

Life is a Goal ... Achive it .

Life is Uncertain ... Insure it.

YEARS AGO, LORD MACAULAY
ADDRESS TO THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT 2FEBRUARY, 1835 ABOUT INDIA

I have travelled across the length and breadth ofIndia and I have not seen one person who is a beggar,who is a thief, such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of suchcaliber, that I do not think we would ever conquerthis country, unless we break the very backbone ofthis nation which is her spiritual and cultural heritage and therefore, I propose that we replace herold and ancient education system, her cultrue, for ifthe Indians think that all that is foreign andEnglish is good and greater than their own, they will loose their self-esteem, their native culture and theywill become what we want of them, a truly dominatednation.

Arthur Schopenhauer on Upanishads:

In the whole world there is no such study so beneficial and so elevating as that of the Upanishads.
It has been the solace of my life; it will be the solace of my death.

Arnold Joseph Toynbee:

At this supremely dangerous moment in human history, the only way of salvation is the ancient Indian way.

Here we have the attitude and spirit that can make it possible for the human race to grow together into a single family.

George Bernard Shaw:

In the face of an Indian, you can see the natural glory of life, while we have covered ourselves with an artificial cloak.
Mark Twain:

Land of religions,
cradle of human race,
birthplace of human speech,
grandmother of legend,
great grandmother of tradition,
The land that all men desire to see and having seen once even by a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for the shows of the rest of the globe combined.

Annie Besat:

After a study of some 40 years and move of the great religions of the world, I find none so perfect, none so scientific, none so philosophical and none so spiritual than the great religion known by the name of Hinduism.

Make no mistake, without Hinduism, India has no future.

Hinduism is the soul into which India's roots are stuck and torn out of that, she will inevitably wither as a tree torn out from its place.

And if Hindus do not maintain Hinduism, who shall save it? If India's own children do not cling to her faith, who shall guard it? India alone can save India, and India & Hinduism are one.

Henry David Thoreau:

The extracts from the Vedas that I have read, fall on me like a light of higher and purer luminary which describes a loftier course through a purer stratum - free from particulars, simple, universal. It rises. on me like the full moon after the stars have come out, wading through some far stratum in the sky. On the Gita he salutes "In the morning I bathe my intellect in the stupendous and cosmogonal philosophy of the Gita in comparison with which our modern world and it literature seem puny and trivial.

Governor Warren Hastings:

Writings such as the Gita will survive when the British domination in India shall have long ceased to exist, and when the sources which it once yielded of wealth and power are lost to remembrance.
Max Muller:

If one would ask me under what sky the human mind has most fully developed its precious gifts, has scrutinized profoundly the greatest problems of life, and has provided solutions which deserves to be admired even by those who have studied Plato and Kant. I would indicate India. And if one would ask me which literature would give us back (Europeans who have been exclusively fed on Greek, Roman, Jewish thought) the necessary equilibrium in order to make our inner life move perfect, more comprehensive, more universal and in short, more human, a life not only for this life, but for a transformed and eternal life, once again I would indicate India.

Will Durant:

India was the mother of our race,
and Sanskrit, the mother of our European languages.
She was the mother of philosophy.
Mother, through the Arabs, of much of our mathematics.
Mother, through Buddha, of the ideals embodied in Christianity.
Mother, through village community, of self-government and democracy. Mother India is in many ways the mother of us all.