Floatin like a leaf on the river of life....

Effective Bahá’í participation on the Internet [Presentation]

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 03:49:53 GMT

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Praveen

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Maybe there's a world ............

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 11:04:55 GMT

I have dreamt of a place and time,where nobody gets annoyed,
But I must admit I'm not there yet but Something's keeping me going

Maybe there's a world that I'm still to find
Maybe there's a world that I'm still to find
Open up o world and let me in,
Then there'll be a new life to begin

I have dreamt of an open world, Borderless and wide
Where the people move from place to place
And nobody's taking sides

Maybe there's a world that I'm still to find
Maybe there's a world that I'm still to find
Open up a world and let me in,
Then there'll be A new life to begin

I've been waiting for that moment
To arrive
All at once the palace of peace
Will fill My eyes - how nice!

Maybe there's a world that I'm still to find
Maybe there's a world that I'm still to find
Open up o world and let me in,
Then there'll be A new life to begin

I've been waiting for that moment
To arrive
All at once the wrongs of the world,
Will be put right - how nice!

Birth Anniversary of The Bab Celebrations at Cubbon Park ,Bangalore

Thu, 25 Oct 2007 17:40:51 GMT

Trip to Ooty Hills station 6/10/2007

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 09:00:56 GMT

Peace.

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 03:38:45 GMT

"Peace is not a relationship of nations. It is a condition of mind brought about by a serenity of soul. Peace is not merely the absence of war. It is also a state of mind. Lasting peace can only come to peaceful people."

Art of Tranquility zone

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 06:50:12 GMT

The Pebble and the Ocean

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 05:49:13 GMT

I do not know what I may appear to the world; but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.

Isaac Newton, From Brewster, Memoirs of Newton (1855)

Belief in Nothing....!!

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 09:35:35 GMT

Absence of Evidence isn't an Evidence of Absence

Woodcutter and His Axe

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 06:18:39 GMT

Power of Encouragement!!

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 13:32:07 GMT

The business executive was deep in debt and could see no way out. Creditors were closing in on him. Suppliers were demanding payment. He sat on the park bench, head in hands, wondering if anything could save his company from bankruptcy.

Suddenly an old man appeared before him.

"I can see that something is troubling you," he said.

After listening to the executive's woes, the old man said, "I believe I can help you."

He asked the man his name, wrote out a check, and pushed it into his hand saying, "Take this money. Meet me here exactly one year from today, and you can pay me back at that time."

Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he had come.

The business executive saw in his hand a check for $500,000, signed by John D. Rockefeller , then one of the richest men in the world!

"I can erase my money worries in an instant!" he realized. But instead, the executive decided to put the uncashed check in his safe. Just knowing it was there and might give him the strength to work out a way to save his business, he thought.

With renewed optimism, he negotiated better deals and extended terms of payment. He closed several big sales. Within a few months, he was out of debt and making money once again.

Exactly one year later, he returned to the park with the uncashed check. At the agreed-upon time, the old man appeared. But just as the executive was about to hand back the check and share his success story, a nurse came running up and grabbed the old man.

"I'm so glad I caught him!" she cried. "I hope he hasn't been bothering you. He always escapes from the rest home and goes around telling people he's John D. Rockefeller . "

And she led the old man away by the arm.

The astonished executive just stood there, stunned. All year long he'd been wheeling and dealing, buying and selling, convinced he had half a million dollars behind him. Suddenly, he realized that it wasn't the money, real or imagined, that had turned his life around. It was his newfound self-confidence that gave him the power to achieve anything he went after.

Don't let life discourage you; everyone who got where he is had to begin from where he was.

Something to ponder upon.........

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 13:55:16 GMT

Baha'u'llah says :

"Blessed is the man who hath detached himself from all else but Me, hath soared in the atmosphere of My love, hath gained admittance into My Kingdom, gazed upon My realms of glory, quaffed the living waters of My bounty, hath drunk his fill from the heavenly river of My loving providence, acquainted himself with My Cause, apprehended that which I concealed within the treasury of My Words, and hath shone forth from the horizon of divine knowledge engaged in My praise and glorification. Verily, he is of Me. Upon him rest My mercy, My loving-kindness, My bounty and My glory."

A lot to learn........

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 11:12:44 GMT

A frail old man went to live with his son,
daughter-in- law, and four-year old grandson. The old
man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and
his step faltered.

The family ate together at the table. But the elderly
grandfather' s shaky hands and failing sight made
eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the
floor.
When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the
tablecloth. The son and daughter-in- law became
irritated with the mess.

'We must do something about father,' said the son.
'I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating,
and food on the floor.'

So the husband and wife set a small table in the
corner.

There!

Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family
enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or
two; his food was served in a wooden bowl! When the
family glanced in Grandfather' s direction, sometime he
had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only
words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions
when he dropped a fork or spilled food!

The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One
evening before supper, the father noticed his son
playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the
child sweetly,
'What are you making?'

Just as sweetly, the boy responded, 'Oh, I am making a
little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when
I grow up.' The four-year-old smiled and went back to
work. The words so struck the parents so that they
were speechless. Then tears started to stream down
their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew
what must be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather' s hand and
gently led him back to the family table.

For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with
the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor
wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was
dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

On a positive note, I've learned that, no matter what
happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and
it will be better tomorrow.

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by
the way he/she handles four things: a rainy day, the
elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree
lights.

I've learned that, regardless of your relationship
with your parents, you'll miss them when they are
away.

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second
chance.

I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will
elude you. But if you focus on your family, your
friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the
very best you can, happiness will find you.

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an
open heart, I usually make the right decision.

I've learned that every day, you should reach out and
touch someone. People love that human touch, holding
hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn!

We are one..............

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 09:23:39 GMT

In Japan, Afghanistan, Peru & Zanzibar
With Bongos & Marimbos, Bamjos & Guitars
People are singing
Havent you heard
A new day is dawning, we have brand new words.

The earth is but one country
We are learning this today
And all mankind its citizens
These words will show the way
For all of us to truly learn
Our talents and worth
So we can build a new world order
Here on earth

We have all been likened to leaves upon one tree
Flowers of one garden
Waves upon one sea
Brilliant shining stars
Radiant candle rays of light
Birds singing in the garden day and night.

Make the nations one
Let Religions all agree
Be occupied with service
To all humanity
For nothing less than unity can satisfy our minds
So tell the world about the oneness of mankind

In Japan, Afghanistan, Peru & Zanzibar
With Bongos & Marimbos, Bamjos & Guitars
In Japan, Afghanistan, Peru & Zanzibar
With Bongos & Marimbos, Bamjos & Guitars
People are singing
Havent you heard
A new day is dawning, we have brand new words.

I hear.......

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 07:20:23 GMT

Sometimes the most important things in life are those that are heard but never said........

A Wise Decision............

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 10:01:03 GMT

A group of children were playing near two railway tracks, one still in use while the other disused. Only one child played on the disused track, the rest on the operational track.
The train is coming, and you are just beside the track interchange. You can make the train change its course to the disused track and save most of the kids. However, that would also mean the lone child playing by the disused track would be sacrificed. Or would you rather let the train go its way?

Let's take a pause to think what kind of decision we could make................

Most people might choose to divert the course of the train, and sacrifice only one child. You might think the same way, I guess. Exactly, I thought the same way initially because to save most of the children at the expense of only one child was rational decision most people would make, morally and emotionally. But, have you ever thought that the child choosing to play on the disused track had in fact made the right decision to play at a safe place?

Nevertheless, he had to be sacrificed because of his ignorant friends who chose to play where the danger was. This kind of dilemma happens around us everyday. In the office, community, in politics and especially in a democratic society, the minority is often sacrificed for the interest of the majority, no matter how foolish or ignorant the majority are, and how farsighted and knowledgeable the minority are. The child who chose not to play with the rest on the operational track was sidelined. And in the case he was sacrificed, no one would shed a tear for him. The great critic Leo Velski Julian who told the story said he would not try to change the course of the train because he believed that the kids playing on the operational track should have known very well that track was still in use, and that they should have run away if they heard the train's sirens. If the train was diverted, that lone child would definitely die because he never thought the train could come over to that track! Moreover, that track was not in use probably because it was not safe. If the train was diverted to the track, we could put the lives of all passengers on board at stake! And in your attempt to save a few kids by sacrificing one child, you might end up sacrificing hundreds of people to save these few kids.

While we are all aware that life is full of tough decisions that need to be made, we may not realize that hasty decisions may not always be the right one.

"Remember that what's right isn't always popular... and what's popular isn't always right."
Everybody makes mistakes; that's why they put erasers on pencils.

Challenges in our Lives...

Fri, 01 Jun 2007 07:48:14 GMT

The Japanese have always loved fresh fish. But the waters close to Japan have not held many fish for decades. So to feed the Japanese population, Fishing boats got bigger and went farther than ever.

The farther the fishermen went, the longer it took to bring in the fish. If the return trip took more than a few days, the fish were not fresh. The Japanese did not like the taste.
To solve this problem, fishing companies installed freezers on their boats.
They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed the boats to go farther and stay longer.However, the Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen and they did not like frozen fish. The frozen fish brought a lower price . So fishing companies installed fish tanks. They would catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin.
After a little thrashing around, the fish stopped moving. They were tired and dull, but alive. Unfortunately, the Japanese could still taste the difference. Because the fish did not move for days, they lost their fresh-fish taste. The Japanese preferred the lively taste of fresh fish, not sluggish fish .

So how did Japanese fishing companies solve this problem? How do they get fresh-tasting fish to Japan? If you were consulting the fish industry, what Would you recommend?

Here is How Japanese Fish Stay Fresh:

To keep the fish tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies still put the fish in the tanks.
But now they add a small shark to each tank. The shark eats a few fish, but most of the fish arrive in a very lively state.
The fish are challenged.

Have you realized that some of us are also living in a pond but most of the time tired & dull,
So we need a Shark in our life to keep us awake and moving?
Basically in our lives Sharks are new challenges to keep us active and lively .....

"Towards the Goal" -- Bangalore Summer School 2007

Wed, 30 May 2007 09:02:49 GMT

Hmm....We had an Awesome Baha'i Summer School entitled 'Towards the Goal' Near Bangalore at a Resort , It was three days of Learning , we had Talks on Baha'i Laws, Convenent, Importance of Education of Children, Institute Process etc we soaked ourselves in these speeches given by some eminent Bahais in India. other than talks we also had lots of Fun filled activities such as Games everyday , Musical/ Dance events that happened every evening on Baha'i themes, some planning and so on. I think the best part of any Summer school/ conference is the friends that youget to make!! we made so many friends and the socialization was superb. I came out of the Summer school more deepened / Focused , will be in my memories for a long long time......

A year Ago....Pilgrimage to Holyland..2006

Fri, 18 May 2007 08:19:21 GMT

Feels like Yesterday........ :)

Hummin and strummin these days...........

Thu, 17 May 2007 12:04:26 GMT

Come [G]gather 'round [Em]people wher[C]ever you [G]roam

And ad[G]mit that the [Am]waters a[C]round you have [D]grown

And ac[G]cept it that [Em]soon you'll be [C]drenched to the [G]bone

If your [G]time to [Am]you is worth [D]savin'

Then you [D]better start [D7]swimmin' or you'll [Gmaj7]sink like a [D]stone,

For the [G]times, they are a [C]chang[D] - [G]in'

Come writers and critics who prophecize with your pen

And keep your eyes wide the chance won't come again

And don't speak too soon for the wheel's still in spin

And there's no tellin' who that it's namin'

For the loser now will be later to win

For the times they are a-changin'

Come mothers and fathers throughout the land

And don't criticize what you don't understand

Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command

Your old road is rapidly agin'

Please get out on a new one if you can't lend a hand

For the times they are a-changin'

Come senators, congressmen please heed the call

Don't stand in the doorway, don't block up the hall

For he that gets hurt will be he who has stalled

There's a battle outside and it's ragin'

It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls

For the times they are a-changin'

The line it is drawn the curse it is cast

The slow one now will later be fast

As the present now will later be past

The order is rapidly fadin'

And the first one now will later be last

For the times they are a-changin'

Donkey and Leadership

Tue, 08 May 2007 11:14:26 GMT

A Group of Donkeys led by a Lion can Defeat a group of Lions led by a Donkey, Now thats leadership!!

The Two Wolves

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 08:54:12 GMT

A Life Lesson

An elder Native American was teaching his grandchildren about life.

He said to them, "A fight is going on inside me. It is a terrible fight, and it is between two wolves. One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, ego, and unfaithfulness.

The other wolf stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, forgiveness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faithfulness.

This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person too."

They thought about it for a minute then one child asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

The old Native American simply replied, "The one you feed."

The Tea Cup.......

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 07:20:44 GMT

The Tea Cup

There was a couple who used to go to England to shop in a beautiful antique store. This trip was to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. They both liked antiques and pottery, and especially tea-cups. Spotting an exceptional cup, they asked "May we see that? We've never seen a cup quite so beautiful."

As the lady handed it to them and suddenly the tea-cup spoke, "You don't understand." It said, "I have not always been a tea-cup. There was a time when I was just a lump of red clay. My master took me and rolled me pounded and patted me over and over and I yelled out, Don't do that. I don't like it! "Let me alone," but he only smiled, and gently said; "Not yet!!"

"Then, WHAM! I was placed on a spinning wheel and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. 'Stop it ! I'm getting so dizzy! I'm going to be sick!' I screamed. But the master only nodded and said, quietly; 'Not yet.' He spun me and poked and prodded and bent me out of shape to suit himself and then......

Then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I yelled and knocked and pounded at the door. " Help! Get me out of here!" I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as he shook his head from side to side, 'Not yet'.

"When I thought I couldn't bear it another minute, the door opened. He carefully took me out and put me on the shelf, and I began to cool. Oh, that felt so good! "Ah, this is much better," I thought.

But, after I cooled he picked me up and he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. 'Oh, please; Stop it, Stop it!!' I cried. He only shook his head and said. 'Not yet!'

Then suddenly he put me back in to the oven. Only it was not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I just knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. I was convinced I would never make it. I was ready to give up. Just then the door opened and he took me out and again placed me on the shelf, where I cooled and waited ------- and waited, wondering _What's he going to do to me next?_

An hour later he handed me a mirror and said 'Look at yourself.' And I did.

I said, 'That's not me; that couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful!"'

Quietly he spoke: "I want you to remember, then,' he said, 'I know it hurt to be rolled and pounded and patted, but had I just left you alone, you'd have dried up.

I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled.

I know it hurt and it was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked.

I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened. You would not have had any color in your life. If I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't have survived for long because the hardness would not have held.

Now you are a finished product. Now you are what I had in mind when I first began with
you."

The moral of this story is this:

God knows what He's doing [for each of us ]. He is the potter, and we are His clay. He will mould us and make us, and expose us to just enough pressures of just the right kinds that we may be made into a flawless piece of work to fulfill His good, pleasing and perfect will.

So when life seems hard, and you are being pounded and patted and pushed almost beyond endurance; when your world seems to be spinning out of control; when you feel like you are in a fiery furnace of trials; when life seems to "stink", try this.... Brew a cup of your favorite tea in your prettiest tea cup, sit down and think on this story and then, have a little talk with the Potter.

Step up now!!

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 07:28:01 GMT

Step up now!!

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway, it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the

donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up!

Regard Man as a Mine?....

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 05:20:59 GMT

Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that will never be again.... And what do we teach our children? We teach them that two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France.
When will we also teach them what they are?
We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you. Your legs, your arms, your clever fingers, the way you move.
You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel. And when you grow up, can you then have another who is, like you, a marvel?
You must work—we must all work—to make the world worthy of its children. --- Pablo Casals

Reminds me the Ruhi Quotation : "Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom." - Baha'u'llah

Backbiting quencheth the Light.........

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 09:58:32 GMT

One day the great philosopher came upon an associate. The associate ran up to him eagerly and said, "Socrates, do you know what I just heard about one of your students?"

"Wait a moment," Socrates replied. "Before you tell me I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test." "Triple filter?" "That's right," Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about my student let's take a moment to filter what you're going to say.

The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to say to me is true?"

"No," the man said, "actually I just heard about it and...."

"All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's true or not.

"Now let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my student something good?"

"No, on the contrary.... " "So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him, even though you're not certain it's true?"

The man shrugged, a little embarrassed.

Socrates continued. "You may still pass the test though, because there is a third filter - the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my student going to be useful to me?"

"No, not really...."

"Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?"

The man was defeated and ashamed.

Floatin like a leaf on the river of life....

Effective Bahá’í participation on the Internet [Presentation]

Maybe there's a world ............

Birth Anniversary of The Bab Celebrations at Cubbon Park ,Bangalore

Trip to Ooty Hills station 6/10/2007

Peace.

Art of Tranquility zone

The Pebble and the Ocean

Belief in Nothing....!!

Woodcutter and His Axe

Power of Encouragement!!

Something to ponder upon.........

A lot to learn........

We are one..............

I hear.......

A Wise Decision............

Challenges in our Lives...

"Towards the Goal" -- Bangalore Summer School 2007

A year Ago....Pilgrimage to Holyland..2006

Hummin and strummin these days...........

The Times They are A-Changin'

Bob Dylan

Donkey and Leadership

The Two Wolves

The Tea Cup.......

Step up now!!

Step up now!!

Regard Man as a Mine?....

Backbiting quencheth the Light.........