All wars have been for gods

From the earliest times, tribes fought for their tribal all-father or deity. The deity prodded his followers to defeat others to establish his superiority. Gods have partitioned the earth; each sect owing allegiance to a god carved out a certain portion of the inhabited lands.  Men, in turn, used gods to get enriched and rule others (every king proclaimed himself as god’s representative thus usurping divine right to subjugate the masses). Later, when organized religions were established, they fought to establish the might of each other resulting in terrible mutual losses and the fight still continues.

The followers of the mythological religions which flourished in the Roman Empire persecuted the early Christians and murdered thousands. When Christianity gained upper hand (as the Roman emperor accepted it as the official religion) it became the persecutor. The Inquisition courts of the Catholic Church threw thousands alive into the dens of lions, burnt more in boiling oil and killed or torched millions. Even scientists were not spared for upholding the truth (remember Bruno and Galileo who were persecuted or burnt alive for rejecting foolishness advocated by the Church).  The Islamic conquerors killed innumerable followers of the other religions and forcibly converted many others into Islam at gun point.  Nobody knows how many perished in the crusades waged between Christians and Moslems! The crimson blood of the children of the oldest religion, Judaism, gushed through the covered up canyons of many countries as they upheld their faith in their Bible God. The Arab Israeli wars do not seem to end.  

When one religion disintegrated into a number of denominations, as did Christianity and Islam, innumerable wars followed. The Anglo-French, Anglo-German wars and others of Europe in the 18^th and 19^th were between the protestant and catholic nations. It continued till the middle of the twentieth century.  In the latter half of the twentieth century we see wars becoming common between the different  of Islam. Continued war between Iran and Iraq, the threat of a conflict between GCC nations and Iran emanate from the animosity between Sunnis and Shiites. Sectarian Islamic warfare is spreading wherever the sects are becoming powerful. Nations following Christianity have conquered Islamic Afghanistan and Iraq killing or maiming millions for their own motives!      

Thousands commit suicide today in the name of their god to murder millions of others who believe in another god. Terror has become a real threat to the existence of man himself. The echoes of bayonet charges and fusillades of terrorists across the borders of different nations resound in deafening intensity. Meaningful harmony seems to be almost impossible as one god’s demands look conflicting and contradictory to another’s. Followers owe allegiance to their god and their group especially in an emotionally charged context. Communal conflicts can arise any moment in countries where different religions co-exist and become a full-fledged war

Birth of sun, earth, life, their death are all natural…

   An earth like planet has to be formed if a cloud of gas of the size that formed the solar system condensed under the pull of gravity. Astronomers have proved this beginning with a cloud of dust and gas of the same mass and density that is thought to have served as the origin of the solar system and setting up experiments for random motion and collision under gravitational forces.   In every case a planetary system very much like ours resulted and an earth like planet formed more or less at the same distance as the earth is now from the sun. Scientists believe that there must be many earth like planets in the universe as a concomitant of the formation of a sun like star anywhere in the universe.

It has been proved too that on an earth like planet placed in the vicinity of a sun like star

life has to be evolved. After years of careful study of the primordial earth atmosphere, it is suggested that life originated in this planet through chemical changes in the primordial conditions with the sun as the energy source.

Even in scanty interstellar gas (it is so rarified that they exist as atoms) researchers have observed that molecules that form always tend to progress towards amino acids and fatty acids –the basis of living tissues. Ever since living cells formed they were subjected to the laws of evolution proceeding form simple to complex forms. In the course of millions of years life has evolved from simple cells to the complexity we see in humans. No power could have stopped this relentless march. It is through the multiplication of the living cells that nature has managed to carry out this process. Each organism takes birth, reproduces and disappears. Similarities between various species have been observed since the time of Aristotle. But it was Charles Darwin who presented the comprehensive thesis. Whatever Darwin could not explain then has been taken up and cleared up subsequently. Now the evolution of man form the lower species is universally accepted.

Today we know there is no life in any other planet of the Solar System. But it could have sprouted out in the thousands of earth like planets placed in the ecosphere of their sun like stars. In the young ones life may be just germinating, in the older ones more complex forms could be roaming about. In others evolution may have reached our levels or more. But no form is permanent here; everything will ‘unform’. The death of our planet and the sun that powers it now are certain events. The earth will remain in its present orbit, shape and surface texture until the sun leaves its main sequence.  Once the sun starts to expand signalling its demise, death of earth and all the life it supports will be imminent.

Many suns are now probably forming up while many others are in their death throes. The formation of suns, planets and galaxies, their eventual death, the reorganization of the scattered cloud gases forming new stars and planets will go on with the unwinding of the universal clock. In these eternal cycles of the universe we got birth now and here. Our lives are infinitesimal energy bubbles forming and bursting almost simultaneously.

God has prepared a place in hell

I was studying philosophy in the seminary in the 1970s. In one of our classes, our philosophy professor, a Spanish father, was discussing man’s freewill and God’s pre-determination. God being pure act there is nothing in potency in Him. He knows everything past and future; it is not simply that He knows them, but things happen because He knows them. I asked the learned priest: “since God determines everything, do we have to try hard to avoid sin and obey the commandments using our Free Will? Whatever we will be and how we will do a thing is already known to God and hence every single deed is decided in Him for all eternity.” 

The priest was obviously not pleased. He thought about it for some time. He tried to evade the issue saying that everyone has the freedom to do what he pleases and that God does not interfere with the free will of man. But I persisted: “Is there any potency in God? Can anyone change something He knows for all times?

The priest was getting annoyed and he replied quoting St. Augustine: “For those who want to know more, God has prepared a place in hell." The whole class fell silent as there was a vague threat in his statement. After all most of the aspirants for priesthood were from very poor families and they could not afford to go out of the seminary. Priesthood was a good career and a respectable means of livelihood. The stand simply showed the attitude of the Church and its representatives. I replied:  “I will, in that case, go to hell and suffer as God wants me to.”

God knows from all eternity who all will go to hell or heaven. He knows too who all will commit adultery, kill, steal, cheat and who all will do good, help others, pray and go to heaven. Then what is the need for all these –churches, sermons, worshipping statues, praying? Can anyone change the Almighty’s determination or knowledge?  Looks funny, eh? 

Attract your love

Who has not desired a person from the opposite sex whom he/she felt strongly attracted to? Usually we would keep up the image for a while and conveniently forget the whole thing as time elapsed. Even when you felt madly in love, if things did not work out as you desired, you would still carry on your life but with  a scar in your mind.  Well, is there a way to realize such a dream?

There lived a poor sculptor who was enthralled at the angelic beauty of a princess who had come to see his work. His creations were so perfect that the princess was thrilled and she came over and over.  He obviously admired her; she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. They exchanged pleasantries, smiled, and felt the positive vibes between them. He was getting infatuated with her although she did not feel the same way for him; she was only attracted to his work. In a few months he reached a firm but dangerous decision. In an audience with the King (arranged with her help) he introduced himself and mustered enough courage to tell the king about her visits to his place and how she liked his sculptures. He mentioned too the princess  liked them very much and that he assumed she had soft feelings for  him. He could not go any further; it was clear he wanted to speak out something important. With the prodding of the King, he muttered, “Can you let the princess marry me?” The king’s face became red with anger: “Escape from this kingdom if you want to be alive,” he thundered. The sculptor retreated and moved to a distant land. He started making wonderful statues of the princess. Even the subtle shades of her complexion and the symmetry of her senses and limbs were perfectly sculpted. His mind, every cell of his body and brain pulsated with the desire of possessing her. Before long the princess left the palace and came to live with him.

His intense desire, round the clock thoughts and visualizations, became a reality.  

Coherent thoughts and pulsating vibrations that permeate every cell over long periods of time manifest the object. To create a reality, live in the reality before it is realized.

Through repeated observations from every possible angle, engrave the image (of whatever you want) solidly into your neurons. Keep an enlarged picture in your bedroom and another one where you spend your day. Let a smaller one be in your wallet. Whenever you see it feel relaxed and happy as he/she is already yours and spend a few moments with your love relaxed and in absolute bliss. Allow your mental energies to work for you to materialize what you intensely desire. Do not force anything. Let tour mind simply indulge in the desired thing. Whatever is indelibly engraved in the subconscious mind will manifest itself. And the route to it is through your conscious mind and thoughts are the carriers. If you visualize in your alpha state (I have already explained how to reach the alpha level in another blog: ‘Get anything through Alpha meditation’ 22 April 2012. If you can indulge in such cohesive, intensified dream just before sleeping and immediately after rising up too every day, for a few minutes, the manifestation will be quicker. This is the  conscious or unconscious way adopted by successful people to acquire a beautiful home, car or anything precious in life.   

Will you succeed? Answer one question

There are many tests in the net to find out whether you will succeed or not. I have given one in a previous blog of mine too. They are all elaborate and cumbersome. Here is a plain simple one that will enable you to know instantly whether you will win or not.

How do you spend your free time (before and after regular work hours and on holidays)? Tick the correct answer (the most generally applicable one) after reading the questionnaire once.

1. I spend most of the free time at home or elsewhere (Watching TV/movies, drinking or with friends)

2. I spend all of it with my family and kids

3. I learn the subjects for the university course undertaken maintaining my present job

4. Working after hours in the office and during most of the other free time, I try to think/know more about my job, related innovative technologies, market, and future direction from the net or from other sources.

5. I spend most of it for taking a new diploma or learning a new skill and improving my knowledge base so as to improve my career or profession

6. Spend some of it for entertainment, some of it with family, some of it for pleasant reading and watching TV

7. Works on a second job to save more each month. (Every month I do save a good % of my income). 

8. I do not know how time flies. I have a feeling that I have no spare time

9. I am always hard pressed for time. My work is never finished

10. Sleeps, hears music, reads favorite books and watches favorite programs

If you have ticked 3/4/5/7 (any one) you are bound to go up and if two of them are applicable simultaneously, your success is almost certain.  You need to have adequate sleep and spend some time with family. But the rest of the free time should be invested for your future. As Dhirubhai, the founder of Reliance  (pictured above) said, '60 minutes of an hour,  24 hours of a day, 7 days of a week, and 12 months of an year I had Reliance in my mind.'  

Double your income in 3 years!

If you think ‘Yes , I can do that,’ your mind will start propping in all the positive qualities you have to enable you to accomplish the task. If, on the other hand you say, ‘No, I can’t,’ your mind brings in all the reasons why you cannot. And you will be convinced in either case. Is it not better to be reinforced why you will succeed than knowing all the reasons why you will not?. If the signal is positive your positive mind steps forward to take command with all positive reinforcements and if negative your negative mind takes command of the situation. As David  J Schwartz  mentions ‘both of these are intensely obedient; all you need do to signal either of them is to give the slightest mental beck and call.’ You can think yourself into success or fall into the nether pits of failure.

Suppose you say, ‘I want to double my income in three years.’ This signals the positive side into action and it starts all the reasons why you can. It shows your love for work; your willingness to go the extra mile and do more than you are paid for. It shows how smart and capable you are, your inner potentialities and your good nature to help others and learn more on the job. It arrays all your past successes and demonstrates how you have achieved goals. In a few minutes your mind is filled with confidence and you feel you have already achieved double pay. You will immediately start looking for a job that pays you more and promises good increment so that you get what you want in just 3 years. Turn down a job that does not pay you enough.Aim at a job abroad or in a Multi National Corporation. (You need to brace yourself up to their expectations.)  Or, you will look for a second job (there are plenty of them at the moment) to increase your income. I have seen that the pay of sincere employees going the extra mile doubling in three years or less. Remember your decision to double your income is more important than anything else.

If you say, ‘I am not all that capable or ambitious and big things are not meant for me; it is all written on one’s forehead,’  the negative side of your mind snaps to attention and it prepares a brilliant case to prove you are right. It will parade before your mind all the defeats you faced since your childhood and all the bad experiences you encountered. It projects instances where you got bad results although you longed for good ones and show you all your inadequacies and negative sides. And you feel convinced your decision is right.

The choice is yours. You can command the positive or the negative side. The additional work you do when you chase a goal is more enjoyable and rewarding than the idleness and inactivity in maintaining the status quo.    

Your appearance ‘talks’

Your appearance ‘talks’ a lot. One can look shabby, average or excellent.. If you are shabbily dressed and groomed, you will be treated shabbily. To get importance, feel important and dressing right is essential to feel important.

One can generally judge a person by the way he is dressed and groomed.  Everyone knows the value of dressing well in an interview and candidates generally take care. But the ones with the habit of dressing well would definitely appear better: he normally dresses well and that day he takes extra care. Nowadays many understand that one’s appearance and the ensuing ‘I am  good’ feeling helps one perform better in any examination (it is after all a type of interview).  

Wear new clothes, a new pair of shoes - at least use washed and neatly pressed clothes and polished shoes- comb your hair in the most pleasing way and apply perfume (if you like) after shaving, trimming your mustache (if you have one), removing unnecessary hair from face,   pruning the nails of toes and fingers and taking time to shower and make your body immaculately clean. This is not only applicable on an interview or exam day;  let it become a habit. The more confidence you feel about yourself, the better will be the treatment from others.  The external world responds to you the way you feel about yourself inside. The well-dressed person commands more respect and gets more positive things. The shabbily dressed person is taken generally as careless, inefficient and is treated relatively badly too.

In my seminars when I mention this, participants always express the apprehension about their inability to afford the kind of clothing required. Dressing right does not always imply expensive clothing. But well–stitched clothes of better quality will give you a better feeling. Instead of buying three shirts you buy one which is a class in itself (like the branded ones). Instead of buying a number of slippers, get a good pair of shoes. Better quality stuff will last more and in the long run you are not spending extra. Take time to choose matching color, shade and texture; do not make a purchase until you are fully satisfied. 

The principle is applicable to ties, coats, perfume, body lotion, soaps and shampoos. (If you can afford better housing it would add up to your confidence too).  When you do all these, you will respect yourself more and others will also respect you more.  Remember your appearance talks to yourself as it does to others. Your gain is two-pronged and hence you take care to appear always the best.