The sweet aroma of faith

As I was browsing through the net, I came upon this nice post in www.ecclesia.org.The reading of the story reinforces the belief that total faith in the Supreme relieves one from the pressures of life’s problems

“You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again. A young woman went to her mother complaining about her hard life. She was tired of fighting and struggling.

Mother invited her into the kitchen. Here she filled three pots with water and placed each on a high burner. They chatted while she placed carrots, eggs and ground coffee beans, separately, in each of the three pans. In about twenty minutes she turned off the stove. The contents of each pan were placed, apart from one another, in two dishes and a cup

Now, she spoke, "You see Carrots, eggs, and coffee." The daughter was asked to feel the carrots - they were soft. With the shell removed, it was obvious the eggs had become hard. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

The daughter asked, "What's this all about?" Her mother explained that all three ingredients had faced boiling water, but each reacted differently. The hard carrot softened and became weak. The liquid egg contents had become hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were boiled they had changed the water.

"Which are you most like?" she asked her daughter. "When trouble knocks, how does it affect you? Are you like the carrot, the egg, or the coffee bean?" Think of this: The ground up coffee bean actually changed the hot water, the very circumstance that brings pain. When the water gets hot, the coffee releases the fragrance and flavor. Faith in God is like that.

If you are a faith-filled believer, when things are at their worst, you release the love of God that changes both yourself and the situation around you. When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest, you let go and let God have his way. This is how a believer makes the difference in adversity. It's called the sweet aroma of faith”

The journey

As the end of life's journey is uncannily felt near,

The soft thuds of ‘Kala's’ footsteps I seem to hear.

Thoughts of my wasted life bring me little cheer

And the spectre of unknown dark ahead makes me fear.

While my life unwinds in my mind like a film surreal

As I espy my foolish chase  for things ephemeral

In pursuit of endless desires -sensual and material,

I feel like a wretch having gambled life for unreal.

Deep inside me, I have always had a nagging fear,

Having spent my life without much of His thought

 In acts, that would not have pleased His heart,

My final prayer made in dread,He may not hear.

Still, I strive to chant His thousand names

And utter some hymns that speak of His fame

But the thoughts of near and dear hinder me,

Even as  the failing memory makes a fool of me.

My tears are mistaken for my loathe to die

And not as the upshot of my deep remorse

For my failure to grasp the life's real purpose

And a life wasted approaching its inevitable close.

(kala means time or a form of Yama the god of death)

Break the Egg from inside

I received this wonderful message in whats app and wished to share with you

Break the Egg from Inside - Maulik Unadkat

One night Rabia, a noble Sufi saint, was desperately searching for something on the street outside her small hut. When Hasan, returned back from work, he saw this and curiously asked, “Rabia, my dear, what are you looking for, here on the street, at this hour?”

Rabia replied, “I lost my needle.”

Hasan joined her in the search, but after searching for a while, he asked, “Can you try and recollect where you might have dropped it?”

Rabia said, “Of course, I remember. I dropped it near the bed, in our hut.”

Hasan mocked her, “Are you insane? You lost it inside the house, then why are we looking for it outside?”

Rabia innocently replied, “There was no oil left in our lamp. It was pitch dark inside the house to search for it. Hence I thought of searching for it outside, since there was enough streetlight here.”

While holding his laugh, Hasan said, “You are really acting weird. If you lost your needle inside the house, how could you even expect to find it outside?”

Rabia simply smiled back at Hasan and Hasan got the beautiful moral behind her silly act. We are all seeking outside, what we have lost inside us. Why, just because it is pitch dark inside? Silly, aren’t we? Light the lamp inside you. Find your lost treasure.

As children, we were all so happy. Somewhere along the journey of life, we lost our happiness. Where did we start searching for it again? Outside! We do not need the latest Smartphone, a 7 digit salary, a beach house or a long vacation to be happy.  Happiness is an INSIDE job. Nothing in this world outside will make us happy, if we are unhappy from inside. Many a times, people who have much less than us are much happier than us. Happiness is self generated. You are not expected to be unrealistically happy when your life may be miserable. When life is harsh on you, stay at peace and wait for happy days peacefully. This too shall pass. When your peace of mind is lost, remember where to look for it, INSIDE.

We keep looking for God in the world outside, while He resides inside each one of us. God can never be found outside but that doesn’t mean temples are useless. Temples help us connect with the God inside us. God is lost somewhere inside us, in the darkness of our disbelief and our ignorance. Light the lamp and search, the postal address of God is INSIDE.

If an egg is broken by an outside force, a LIFE ENDS. If broken by an inside force, a LIFE BEGINS. You will find all the treasures of life, all the secrets of life inside you. Stop looking outside. Break the egg from inside, let LIFE BEGIN.