Walk for Values

n a world where everybody is running and never walking, where we know the price of everything but have forgotten the value of life, we have decided to walk in order to celebrate and remind ourselves what we are made of: Love, Peace, Truth, Non-Violence, Right-Conduct. Let's turn anxiety into peace, fear into love, war into non-violence, exclusion into right-conduct. Let's walk hand in hand so that this world turns into our home...

Walk for Values is an annual event that takes place worldwide to promote the goodness of human beings and the unlimited amount of values we posses. 

Ordinary people can do extraordinary things when we come together.

Continue reading →

Lessons from Bhagavad Gita – Being Honest about one’s Weakness

Source: Hindu Blog

If Arjuna was a slave of his image then he would have lost the Mahabharata war. Arjuna was honest about this weakness and was ready to share it with Sri Krishna. The greatest warrior became a weakling and sat down asking guidance. The world got the Bhagavad Gita and Arjuna fought successfully for Dharma. Ramnath Subramanian, CEO and President, The Bhakti Center, explores this aspect of Bhagavad Gita in an article titled ‘The Bhagavad Gita and the Value of Vulnerability’ in the Huffington Post.

Excerpts from the article
This very lesson is conveyed at the onset of the Bhagavad Gita, India's classic on yoga and spiritual wisdom, where prince Arjuna provides a remarkable example of vulnerability. Arjuna was a veteran of many battles and had never lost a single combat. His acts of prowess, courage and intelligence were world-famous. Yet, Arjuna faced a situation where he had to fight his own kinsmen. 

His courage was tested and he broke down in front of his dear friend Krishna, expressing his distraught situation. In a matter of moments, Arjuna turned from a mighty warrior into a weakling, right in front of his opponents. In that exhibition of weakness, Arjuna exhibited great courage. It is that honest expression of weakness that set the stage for timeless wisdom to be spoken. Consequently, he received the strength and inspiration to confront his inner doubts and overcome them. 

The same can happen in our lives if we take the courage to be vulnerable; when we learn to walk through the door of fear that has kept us prisoners to our idealized self-image. We can wake up to our authentic potential and experience the sense of freedom. It can also help us better understand and be compassionate to another's needs.
Visit - http://humanvalueshub.blogspot.com/

Continue reading →

Why Tulsi Leaves are not offered to Shiva in Hindu Pujas and Rituals

Source - Hindu Blog

Hindu God Shiva is never worshipped with Tulsi leaves. It is also not offered during pujas, rituals and festivals associated Shiva. The reason for this is mentioned in the Shiva Purana.

Legend has it that an Asura named Dambh did not have any children. So he did intense Tapas for several years and pleased Vishnu. When Vishnu appeared before him, he asked for a powerful and invincible son. Vishnu blessed him with a son. Later a son was born to Dambh and he was named Shankhchud. Some scriptures refer to Shankhchud as Jalandhar

Shankhchud wanted to be a conqueror of the three worlds and with this intention he performed tapas and pleased Brahma. As a boon he asked Brahma that no gods should defeat him. Brahma blessed him with Sri Krishna Kavach and advised him to marry Tulsi daughter of Dharmadvaj. Brahma told him that the boon depended on Sri Krishna Kavach and chastity of Tulsi. Tulsi is mentioned as Vrinda in some holy texts.

Once he attained unimaginable powers, Shankhchud attacked the three worlds and conquered it. He started committing numerous atrocities on people, saints and Devas.

People prayed to Shiva and Vishnu to alleviate them from the Adharma of the demon.

Vishnu then took the form of a Sanyasi and asked Shankhchud for the Sri Krishna Kavach. The demon in a moment of weakness parted with the Sri Krishna Kavach.

Next, Vishnu appeared as Shankhchud and breached the modesty of Tulsi.

Then a battle took place between Shankhchud and Shiva and Shiva burned the demon into ashes.

Tulsi, who had to suffer for no fault of her later, attained divine status and was given a boon by Vishnu that she will be dear to him and will become part of him. Tulsi became the divine plant. This is why Tulsi is considered holy.

As Shiva had killed the husband of Tulsi, offering Tulsi leaves makes pujas and rituals meaningless. So the Tulsi leaves are not offered to Shiva.

Visit - http://humanvalueshub.blogspot.com

Continue reading →

This will not Last

Visit - http://humanvalueshub.blogspot.com/

The senses are the villains, they instil the delusion that you are the upadhi (container, disguise, encasement, limitation). Curb them as tbe bull is curbed by the nose-ring, the horse by the bit in the mouth, the elephant by the goad. When the Pândavas were traversing the Himalayas towards the end of their careers, Dharmaraja [Yudhishthhira] was still affected by mental anxieties and so he prayed to Lord Krishna to spend some time with them. On His departure from their dwelling, Krishna gave Dharmaraja a note, which he was to read to himself whenever he was affected by joy or grief. The note read "eppudoo undadu" - 'it will not last forever'. That is one method by which mental agitations can be calmed.

Many people think that just because we are doing through a difficult time in our life, that this will last forever. Everything changes. One day you will be really happy, the next you may be really sad. Nothing is permanent because it is all worldly matters. We should not get so involved with our emotions because it may feel right one day, but wrong in another.

Continue reading →

He yelled the Truth

Visit - http://humanvalueshub.blogspot.com/

There was once a famous scholar who earned great fame as a Vedic exponent, but no one could guess his caste. Many suspected that he was not a brahmin, but there was no means of discovering. At last, the wife of a pundit said she could easily solve the problem. The scholar was invited for a feast at the place and when he was fast asleep after a full repast, she applied to the sole of his foot a red-hot brand at which the Vedic scholar yelled "Allah". Thus it was discovered he was a Muslim. Faith should not be a matter of exposition; it should be patent even when you yell in pain.

Many people claim to love God, and follow his teachings all the time. Yet, many fail to call for his help during sadness, and in pain. God’s name, whatever it may be, should always be on the tip of our tongue. This way, during happiness and in pain God will be there to help you. We should not just say merely that you love God and he is always with you, but call him when you are happy, sad, and in pain.

Continue reading →