Life Is God’s Novel
“Life is God’s novel so let him write it.”
–Isaac Bashevis Singer (Polish-born American Writer and, in 1978, Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, 1904-1991)
Let Your Light Shine
“We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we won’t need to tell anybody it does. Lighthouses don’t fire cannons to call attention to their shining — they just shine.”
–Dwight Lyman Moody (American Evangelist, 1837-1899)
Posture
I have long been convinced about the importance of developing a good posture. Not simply the way you walk, sit and stand, but the posture that you adopt emotionally, mentally and spiritually. It is something that goes way beyond attitude and is one of the secrets of the person who is really trying to develop him or herself.
I shall have a lot to say about it in the months to come, and it will be a central theme of a forthcoming book.
Here is a little taste from someone whose work I have admired for a great many years:
“Mental posture is critical and crucial, and everyone can at any time alter his or her standpoint.”
–Sri Raghavan Iyer (Indian-born Prodigy, Rhodes Scholar, Academic, Philosopher, Theosophist, and, from 1965-1986, Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Father of Pico Iyer, 1930-1995)
Happiness Is the Nature of the Self
“Happiness is the very nature of the Self; happiness and the Self are not different.
There is no happiness in any object of the world. We imagine through our ignorance that we derive happiness from objects.
When the mind goes out, it experiences misery. In truth, when its desires are fulfilled, it returns to its own place and enjoys the happiness that is the Self. Similarly, in the states of sleep, Samadhi and fainting, and when the object desired is obtained or the object disliked is removed, the mind becomes inward-turned, and enjoys pure Self-Happiness. Thus the mind moves without rest alternately going out of the Self and returning to it. Under the tree the shade is pleasant; out in the open the heat is scorching.
A person who has been going about in the sun feels cool when he reaches the shade. Someone who keeps on going from the shade into the sun and then back into the shade is a fool.
A wise man stays permanently in the shade. Similarly, the mind of the one who knows the truth does not leave Brahman. The mind of the ignorant, on the contrary, revolves in the world, feeling miserable, and for a little time returns to Brahman to experience happiness. In fact, what is called the world is only thought. When the world disappears, i.e. when there is no thought, the mind experiences happiness; and when the world appears, it goes through misery.”
–Ramana Maharshi (Indian Hindu Mystic and Spiritual Teacher, 1879-1950)
Pregnant With Light
“The whole Universe is pregnant with Light; humans are pregnant with Light – each of us individually and the whole human race.”
–Henryk Skolimowski (Polish-born Philosopher, Writer and Poet, 1930-)
Goldilocks Light
“There are two kinds of light—the glow that illumines, and the glare that obscures.”
–James Thurber (American Writer, 1894-1961)
Fear of the Light
“We can forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”
–Plato (Athenian Philosopher, 428-348 B.C. )
Life Is Meant To Be Lived
“I could not, at any age, be content to take my place by the fireside and simply look on. Life was meant to be lived. Curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life.”
–Eleanor Roosevelt (American Diplomat, First Lady and Humanitarian, 1884-1962)
Courage
“Have the courage to face a difficulty lest it kick you harder than you bargain for.”
–Stanislaus Leszcynski (Polish King – Stanislaus the First – who reigned from 1704-1709 and again from 1733-1735, 1677-1776)
God Must Be Experienced
“Suppose I give a talk for three hours about blueberry pie. Can you taste it? No. I will be wasting my time. Instead, I have to give you the recipe: One cup of this, a tablespoon of that; put this together, mix, and then put it all in the oven.
But even that is not enough. You can’t just take the recipe book, gold-gilt it, put on an altar, wave incense, and say, “Blueberry pie, blueberry pie”. You have to get the ingredients, cook them, and eat the pie… God is not something that can be talked of. God must be experienced. The day man started talking of God, he created all kinds of religious fights and quarrels.”
–Swami Satchidananda (Indian Spiritual Teacher and, in 1966, Founder of Integral Yoga International, 1914-2002)
