reflections on life interfaith - nov 2013

The texts and images are The texts and images are designed designed

to create an atmosphere which to create an atmosphere which encourages the development encourages the development

of empathy and understanding of empathy and understanding ––

opening up the mind to new opening up the mind to new possibilities possibilities

and expanding the heart-and expanding the heart-qualities of qualities of

Love, Compassion and Oneness.Love, Compassion and Oneness.

Texts and images have been chosen from many Texts and images have been chosen from many different cultures and religions but the aim is different cultures and religions but the aim is to express ideas in a way that flows smoothly to express ideas in a way that flows smoothly

rather than follow a particular formula. If your rather than follow a particular formula. If your community is not represented directly – or community is not represented directly – or

given more or less ‘space’ than others, please given more or less ‘space’ than others, please try to feel a sense of oneness with them all.try to feel a sense of oneness with them all.

We hope you enjoy watching We hope you enjoy watching

‘‘Reflections on Life’Reflections on Life’

……AumAum ~ ~ Shanti ~ Shanti ~ Peace ~Peace ~ Shanti ~ Shanti ~ Aum…Aum…

The structure of an atom

A diagram of the Solar System

All truth is eternal. All truth is eternal. Truth is nobody’s property; Truth is nobody’s property;

no race, no race, no individual no individual

can lay any can lay any exclusive exclusive

claim to it. claim to it. Truth is the nature Truth is the nature

of all souls.of all souls. Swami VivekanandaSwami Vivekananda

  And the earth was without form, and And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face void; and darkness was upon the face

of the deep. of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the And the Spirit of God moved upon the

face of the waters.face of the waters.

Genesis 1 verse 2Genesis 1 verse 2

And God said, And God said,

Let there be light:Let there be light:

and there was light.and there was light.

Genesis 1 verse 3Genesis 1 verse 3

And God saw the light, And God saw the light, And He saw And He saw that it was good:that it was good:

Genesis 1 verse 4Genesis 1 verse 4

And God And God called the dry called the dry

land Earth; land Earth; and the and the

gathering gathering together of the together of the

waters called waters called he Seas: he Seas:

And God And God said, said, Let the Let the waters under waters under the heaven be the heaven be gathered gathered together unto together unto one place, one place,

andand let the dry let the dry

land appearland appear::

and it was so.and it was so.

Genesis 1 verse 9 - 10Genesis 1 verse 9 - 10

and God saw that it was goodand God saw that it was good

Come out into the universe of Light. Everything in the universe is yours. Stretch out your arms and embrace it with love. If you ever felt you wanted to do that, you have felt God.

Swami Vivekananda

“Music gives soul to the universe wings to the mind flight to the imagination and life to everything" 

Plato

… … all problems of existenceall problems of existenceare essentially problems of are essentially problems of

harmony.harmony.

Sri Aurobindo

Medicine to produce health Medicine to produce health must examine disease; must examine disease; and music, to create harmony must investigate discord.  

PlutarchPlutarch

Better than Better than a thousand hollow wordsa thousand hollow words

is one word that brings peace. is one word that brings peace.

The Buddha (560-483 B.C.E.)

If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner. 

Nelson MandelaNelson Mandela

If we are peaceful, if we are happy, we can smile and blossom like a flower, and everyone in our family, our entire society, will benefit from our peace.

Thich Nhat Hanh

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.

Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.

The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy,

while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.

John Muir (1838-1914)John Muir (1838-1914)

Peace Peace Is in self-conquestIs in self-conquest.

Sri ChinmoySri Chinmoy

To study the Way To study the Way is to study the self.is to study the self.To study the self To study the self

is to forget the self.is to forget the self.To forget the self To forget the self

is to be enlightened by all things.is to be enlightened by all things.To be enlightened by all things To be enlightened by all things

is to remove the barriers is to remove the barriers between oneself and others.between oneself and others.

Dogen ZenjiDogen Zenji

Love came and Love came and emptied me of self,emptied me of self,

every vein and every vein and every pore,every pore,

made into made into a container a container

to be filled by to be filled by the Beloved….the Beloved….

……. Of me, . Of me, only a only a name name is left,is left,the rest the rest is You is You my Friend, my Friend, my my Beloved.Beloved.

Abu-Said Abil-KheirAbu-Said Abil-Kheir

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole

staircase.

- Martin Luther King Jr- Martin Luther King Jr.. . .

Look to this Day!For it is Life, the very Life of Life.

In its brief course lie all the Verities and Realities of Existence.

The Bliss of Growth,The Bliss of Growth,The Glory of Action,The Glory of Action,

The Splendour of Beauty;…..The Splendour of Beauty;…..

….For Yesterday is already a Dream,And Tomorrow is only a Vision;

But Today well lived makes Every Yesterday a Dream of Happiness,And every Tomorrow a Vision of Hope.

Look well therefore to this Day!

KALIDASA translated from the SanskritKALIDASA translated from the Sanskrit

If there is to be peace in the world,

There must be peace in the nations.

 If there is to be peace in the nations,

There must be peace in the cities.

 If there is to be peace in the cities,

There must be peace between neighbours...

…..If there is to be peace between neighbours,There must be peace

in the home.

If there is to be peace in the home,

There must be peace in the heart.

-- Lao Tzu (570-490 B.C.)-- Lao Tzu (570-490 B.C.)

Just as treasures are Just as treasures are uncovered uncovered

from the earth, so virtuefrom the earth, so virtueappears from good appears from good

deeds, deeds, and wisdom appears and wisdom appears

from a pure and peaceful from a pure and peaceful mind.mind.

The BuddhaThe Buddha

However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do you

if you do not

act upon them?

    The BuddhaThe Buddha

with a pure heart with a pure heart it was offered it was offered

with love."with love."

Sri Krishna (Gita 9.26)Sri Krishna (Gita 9.26)

"He "He who offers to me who offers to me

with devotion with devotion only a leaf, only a leaf, or a flower, or a flower, or a fruit, or a fruit,

or even or even a little water, a little water, this I accept this I accept

from that from that yearning soul, yearning soul,

because because

"In any way that men love me "In any way that men love me in that same way they find my love: in that same way they find my love:

for many are the paths of men, for many are the paths of men, but they all in the end but they all in the end

come to me."come to me."

Sri Krishna (Geeta)Sri Krishna (Geeta)

Once Mohammed(peace and blessings upon him) was travelling with some friends. They were just starting to make a cooking fire when Mohammed(pbuh) asked them

to light it in another place as it was too close to an ants nest. His concern and compassion were for all Allah’s creatures, even the little ants.

…. Don't open the door to the study and begin reading. Take down the dulcimer.

Let the beautywe love

be what we do.There are hundreds of

ways to kneel and kiss the

ground.

Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi (1207 - Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi (1207 - 1273)1273)  

My Supreme, My Supreme, my Supreme, my Supreme, my Supreme!my Supreme!

My true My true spiritualityspiritualityIs the love Is the love

of Your Breathof Your BreathIn every heart.In every heart. My Supreme, My Supreme, my Supreme, my Supreme, my Supreme!my Supreme!

Sri ChinmoySri Chinmoy

Blessed are the peacemakers for they Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called shall be called

the children of God.the children of God.

Jesus – from the Jesus – from the Gospel of St. MatthewGospel of St. Matthew

"You are that which you intend to hit, "You are that which you intend to hit, injure, insult, torment, persecute, injure, insult, torment, persecute,

torture, enslave torture, enslave or kill“or kill“

MahaviraMahavira

Find the One everywhere Find the One everywhere and in everything and in everything 

and there will be an end and there will be an end to pain and suffering.to pain and suffering.

Sri Anandaymoy MaSri Anandaymoy Ma

Walk cheerfully Walk cheerfully over the earth over the earth

answering answering that of God that of God

in all.in all.

George FoxGeorge Fox (Founder of the Quaker branch of Christianity)(Founder of the Quaker branch of Christianity)

Yes We Can.Yes We Can.

Barak ObamaBarak Obama

All works of love All works of love are works of are works of

peace.peace.

Mother TheresaMother Theresa

      “I tell you one thing – if you want peace of mind, do not find fault with

others. Rather learn to see your own faults.

Learn to make the whole world your Learn to make the whole world your own. own.

No one is a stranger, my child; this whole world is your own.”

Sri Sarada DeviSri Sarada Devi

Do not try to change the world.You will fail.

Try to love the world.Lo, the world is changed.

Changed forever.

Sri ChinmoySri Chinmoy

All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth.

Man did not weave the web of life. He is merely a strand in it.

Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.

Chief SeattleChief Seattle

……you are bound to gain you are bound to gain mastery if you are mastery if you are

true to faith.true to faith.

Qur’an - Sura 3 ;139Qur’an - Sura 3 ;139

Life is God’s Blessing to His CreationLife is Will… The descending cry

of Concern and Compassion

The Ascending cry of love and helplessness.

Life is man’s experience of wisdom and faith.Life is man’s conscious attempt

to see God face to Face.

from an essay on life by from an essay on life by Sri ChinmoySri Chinmoy

""Ye are all leaves of one tree and the fruits of one branch.“  Bahá'u'lláh

"I find one vast garden "I find one vast garden

spread out all over the universe.spread out all over the universe.

All plants, all human beings, all higher All plants, all human beings, all higher mind bodiesmind bodies

are about in this garden in various ways are about in this garden in various ways ,,

each has his own uniqueness and each has his own uniqueness and beauty.beauty.

Their presence and variety give me Their presence and variety give me great delight.great delight.

Every one of you adds with your special Every one of you adds with your special feature feature

to the glory of the garden.“to the glory of the garden.“

Sri Anandamayi MaSri Anandamayi Ma

""Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet

come. We have only today.

Let us begin."

Mother Teresa

""May there only be May there only be peaceful and peaceful and

cheerful Earth Days to cheerful Earth Days to come for our come for our

beautiful Spaceship beautiful Spaceship Earth as itEarth as it

continues to spin and circle continues to spin and circle in frigidin frigid

space with its warm and space with its warm and fragile cargofragile cargo

of animate life.of animate life.““

U ThantU Thant

Infinity is thisInfinity is thisInfinity is that.Infinity is that.When infinityWhen infinityfrom infinityfrom infinityIs taken awayIs taken awayInfinity remains…Infinity remains…

The UpanishadsThe Upanishads

……And He saw that it was GoodAnd He saw that it was Good……Genesis ch 1Genesis ch 1

……AumAum ~ ~ Shanti ~ Shanti ~ Peace ~Peace ~ Shanti ~ Shanti ~ Aum…Aum…

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