Regaining Paradise

Regaining Paradise

Paradise is not a physical place somewhere. Its a state of being. The good news is, we do not have to die to go to paradise. The best news is, all of us can live there, and now.

In paradise, nationality, religion, colour, race, gender, are irrelevant. Nor is our bank balance, wealth, social status of any consequence. Ego, hatred, lust, etc. all the things that define who we are but in the end corrode humans are not even a factor.

There is one very large group of people that live in paradise, they are called 'Children'. 

The ultimate state sought by all true seekers of spirituality is to reach this stage of being innocent, carefree, just like little children. The child is innocent because of purity and ignorance. The evolved adult is not ignorant but becomes innocent by an enlightened consciousness. They transcend human social failings to become unitary creatures, the always pure individual soul connected with the  The Divine, experienced as Creation which most of us call God by a multitude of names. 

We adults are so busy making a living and merely existing, that we forget that life is to be lived. By the time most of realise the folly of our actions or inactions its too late. 

There is a lot that children can teach us. Show us how to be carefree and happy.  

Today 14th November has been declared as 'Children's Day'. In fact everyday should be Children's day, if we wish to be happy and make others happy. 

This too shall pass

Moonlit Seascape, 1902 -Thomas Moran

One evening there was a storm on Lake Galilee. All the people on the boat caught in this storm feared for their lives as the howling winds tore the sails and rigging  and the waves mercilessly lashed against the sides threatening to wreck the creaking and helpless boat. All but one sleeping man were terrified. 

The man awoke and asked the terrified people to have faith and calm themselves. When they refused to be calmed he rose and walked to the side of the boat and spoke to the waves and the winds. "Peace. Be still" and miraculously the storm subsided.  The bad time had passed.
That man was Jesus Christ and he had been heard.  Though legend has it that this particular incident occurred more than 2000 years ago in the lives of those people, it happens even today in the lives of each one of us.

The boat is our being and the storm is what happens in our minds. We tremble and worry as some genuine and mostly imaginary concerns lash and threaten our very sanity and life.

Have faith, in yourself, and in creation and you will be alright. Let the great power sleeping within you awaken, address the storm and command it to be still. Almost always the storm listens, for we are the creators of the storm.

If the time to die has come then embrace death with peace and joy. If death it is not, then remember that whatever challenges we face and overcome that does not kill us only makes us stronger.  If you have gone through difficult times in the past and persevered, you know that this too shall pass. 

Some of us have gone through very difficult times and now laugh at the uselessness of our worry. Tough times never last but people with faith always do.

A Saviour came this day

Wherever one goes in the world, you will find a special type of people.  They are inevitably respected for their integrity, passion and joyful nature. They work hard, live well and love passionately. They are the Sikhs.

Who are the Sikhs and where did they come from?

Whenever there is grief and unbearable anguish and humanity loses its way, there always arrives a saviour, to provide a loving balm, guide and inspire people to rise and discover through their true potential, salvation.

On this day in 1469 on the day of Kartik Poornima ( the full moon in the month of Kartik) such a saviour took birth in Rai-Bhoi-di Talwandi. Guru Nanak ji had arrived. The people who imbibe Guru Nanak ji's teachings call themselves Sikhs (meaning disciples).

When people are lost they seek guidance, but the priests inevitably land up distancing man from God. The older the faith the more distorted and abused is the religion by those who claim to serve it.

Sikhism is the most modern and relevant faith in the world. The teachings of Guru Nanak ji are easy to understand and hence follow, as it is in the spoken language, free of rituals and does not need middlemen. All it requires, is for us to be loving and to be true. 

Guru Nanak ji's preached three fundamental beliefs.

• 'Kirat Karo':  Fulfil your duties. Make an honest living. For if you do not earn how will you provide for those you are responsible for. This is why the Sikhs are extremely hard working and have a very good work ethic.
• 'Vand Chakko': Share what you earn with others, who are in need. This is why the Sikhs are so helpful and charitable.
• 'Nam Jappo': Remember God and joyfully sing his praise. This is why Sikhs are usually alway happy evening adversity.

Sikhism is relevant even more today for it teaches, 

• Tolerance and universal brotherhood. All are accepted and welcome without any preconditions or  compulsions.
• Breaks all forms of class barriers ignoring sex, colour, religion, caste, rank or wealth. 
• The "Langar" or the community kitchen where kings and the poorest break bread together
• Feed, protect and care for the poor, the hungry and the unfortunate.
• Promotes environmentalism. For to love and respect creation is to love The Creator.
• To honour and respect women as equals and give them same rights and privileges as men.

Guru Nanak ji had two constant companions Mardana a Muslim and Bala a Hindu. He travelled widely across a world torn by strife,  singing hymns and teaching love and tolerance by example.
They travelled mostly on foot from Punjab in all directions, up North till Tibet and South to Sri Lanka, up to Myanmar in the east and Saudi Arabia in the West.


If we do seek salvation then let us learn from a saviour. Paths may be many, but the destination is the same. "There is only One and He is Truth"

I congratulate all the people in all lands on this great day.

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*Rai-Bhoi-di Talwandi is now called Nankana and is in Pakistan

God belongs only to me.

Some colleagues and I were enjoying listening to 'Kirtan'  (holy hymns) as we drove to a meeting.

My colleague asked, "Who composed these beautiful hymns, and who were the minstrels?
I stated with a cocky pride that the hymns were those originally sung by my Guru, Nanak Dev ji, in praise of that one unifying energy and force we call God.
The first Sikh Guru, and humanity's youngest and probably most modern spiritual faith.

In fact the day was special because it marked Guru Nanak ji's 543rd birth anniversary.

The moment I uttered these words I felt rather foolish.
'My Guru, my God, my faith', how could I for even a fraction of a moment presume that all these belonged only to me ?  Me, an insignificant bit of living dust was now claiming ownership over God and Guru.

Was not God one? How dare I believe for a fraction of a moment that the Guru was not for the universe and only for a select few like me? How stupid and arrogant of me?  How weak and petty was my belief?

Luckily my companions did not comment, either because they were as ignorant as I or  graciously indulgent of my shortcomings. I am not alone, for I share this same myopic vision with countless other followers of various faiths.

Some time ago, the Supreme court in Malaysia passed a judgement that a non Muslim may not use the name 'Allah', as only Muslims are permitted to do so. The simple meaning of 'Allah' is God, now belongs only to Muslims as per the learned judges of the court.

The creator is one and we call Him by a million names, our perceptions may change but He remains unchanged. He belongs to no one rather we belong to him and maybe to each other.

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Religion is supposed to be a unifying force and make people and the world a better place. Somewhere along the way,  religions and faiths have mostly lost their unifying purpose,  unless to attack others. Religions have turned violent, ugly and mostly irrelevant for spiritual growth of humanity.

If one looks below the surface it is quite evident that the problem is not with religion, it is with leaders of religion.
Spiritual phenomenon are now political movements, and politics is nothing but a game of power. Politics is war by other means. Wars have no winners only losers, and the greatest loss is our reverting back from human to beast.


We visit places of worship, where we meet so called 'religious persons'. We are asked to surrender to God. What they really mean is hand over your existence to these men, these self appointed, self serving so called representatives of God.

We are told to behave in a particular manner and to indulge in a certain way as it makes the individual subservient to other men.
This is why man's greatest cruelties, inhuman acts, miseries have been inflicted on mankind in the name of religion.
God did not create the world, He is the world for He has never been separate. He is in the air, water, soil, trees, animals, the mountains and the valleys, in the rainbow.

God is everywhere and belongs to all beings and all things. A truly religious person is easy to identify,  they are compassionate, tolerant, follows no dogma,  Through the true religion of love, friendship, contentment, tolerance,  with one another and with our world we can