3000 Muslims pray at Capitol Hill
The following note was posted at Washington PostAs a Muslim, I am pleased with the demonstration of Unity and solidarity with America; however, I found some of the comments to be gratuitous.

One of the Imams in the video wearing the Arab traditional dress invites people to prayers,( links in the article below) it was indeed beautiful, but when he suggests to “lay your idols down and come to pray” was offensive to those who worship the creator in the form of Icons, which he called Idols. The act of denigrating Idol worship reduces Islam to be a faith based on absence of Idols. He knows Islam’s existence is not dependent on vilifying other faiths and the call was un-neccessary, most likely the Imam did not realize that it was inflammatory to others who share the city, state, nation and the world with him.

Thank God, the majority of preachers respect and honor divinity of other faiths as they honor their own. A few, just a few preachers among Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus and others simply have no regard, how the statements they make don’t create goodwill.

You find bigots in your faith as well, they are right there and you know them. The Christians standing and shouting ‘repent’ and asking people to convert to Christianity also cheapens the teachings of Jesus. Jesus would not have approved their act; you win people by showing your goodness, if they had served the Muslims with Halal refreshments, water and helping with parking, they would have earned the good will for future harvesting of the souls.

Religion is not about reciting Mantras and doing rituals, ultimately it is about becoming a good human being. When Jesus said follow me, Krishna says surrender to me, Allah says submit to my will, they are are asking one to be a good human being like the good God who loves and cares about every one of his creation.

Some of these unspiritual religious men are brainwashed with the idea of conversion. It is time we do our individual and group renaissance – and evaluate the value of conversion. Are we open to investigate if Jesus or Mohammad really wanted people to become Christians or Muslims politically numberwise or they wanted the world to be a better place with better humans. Which route is easire to achieve and sustainable with least conflcits?

We scream at the extremists that they cannot think, are we?

Mike Ghouse

# # #

At Capitol, a Day of Muslim Prayer and Unity

3,000 Gather to Combat Fear and ‘Do the Work of Allah’ Amid Christian Protests
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2009/09/25/AR2009092502183.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/25/AR2009092502183.html
The following note was posted at Washington Post

3,000 Gather to Combat Fear and ‘Do the Work of Allah’ Amid Christian Protests
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/25/AR2009092502183.html

By Jacqueline L. Salmon
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, September 26, 2009

#

ARROGANCE

I wrote the following in the comment section of Washington post in response to Princess Lubna;http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2009/09/lunar_calendar_holy-days.html

The purpose of religion is to create harmony. Indeed, arrogance is the mother of all disharmonies in the society. Not the religion, but the self appointed guardians of religions add religious arrogance to create disharmony.

If you are Muslim, Jew, Hindu, Christian, Buddhist or a person of any faith, and claim your faith to be wise, oldest, modest, best or perfect then it is sheer arrogance. God has not signed a deal with you or me behind any one’s back. Each one of us believes that God is about justness, peace, harmony, co-existence and truthfulness, and then we cannot make God our exclusive property or a partial sneaky God.

As people of faith, we need to resist the temptation to claim that our faith is superior to the other; that amounts to sheer arrogance. God likes a person most who forgives and the least that is arrogant. The purpose of religion is to bring humility, harmony and peace to an individual, and not rattling arrogance. As a Muslim, I do not claim my faith to be superior, but it works for me as your faith works for you.

All faiths work for the individuals who believe in. As they say beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, I would say, faith is in the heart of the believer.

#

.
I have been sharing these two stories about how Muslims and Jews stereo type each other and yet, when asked individually, they would seek the truth. I hope through this story, we learn a lesson and speak up the truth, in the long haul, every one would be better off.I was with a group of Jews after the movie “the monster among us” shown in a local auditorium.

I made copiuos notes about the 72 minute movie, and after the moive, there was a demand from audience to know if a Muslim had seen the movie, and there was a lady who said, I have many Muslim women friends, this movie does not reflect anthing like them. The barrage of questions was endless and I kept raising my hand to address some of the questions, but it took a chorus from the audience “give him the microphone” to get me to speak for a few brief moments.

Indeed the first thing I did was to hug a holocaust survivor who literally cried during the movie and during his comment. I wanted him to know that we are all humans and we need to be together in sharing the sorrows and joys.

I spoke about the movie, and condmned the ugly parts about anti-semitism in Europe, the efforts of the producer were lauded for bringing this to the fore. However, there were serious mistakes made in the movie, either they were deliberately made to fish money out by scaring the Jews who have survived the holocaust or a have made a genuine mistake.

The producer had warned me that the movie is one sided, “strictly a Jewish opinion” that made me want to see that perspective to understand and bring about a solution. In the movie, there was a Jewish professor of Islam in France, who said unlike the Jews and Christians, Muslims don’t beleive in the messiah and beleive Muhammad will come and kill or convert every one to be a Muslim. The producer argued about the professors credentials, and I laid it out, that he did not know that aspect of Islam and challenged the audience to pick up the phone and call 100 Muslims randomly to verify this, and make their own determination. It is a cooked up lie to support the movie and further to cash on the fears. There were several flaws in the movie, another one was a man with a beard saying hateful things towards Jews and a book was shown nearby him to create the false impression that it was the Qur’aan he was speaking from.

After the conversations, some 15 people gathered around me with more questions, then I narrated a story about Muslims in the same situation.

I was attending a dinner some five years ago, and after the initial prayers people formed smaller groups for conversation while the food was getting ready to be delivered. I was in a group of about 15 with an Imam in the center. The Imam was telling a story of an acquisition of a Synagogue some where in W.Virginia or one of those states… and concluded that ” we beat them Jews in the deal and got it and it is a mosque today”.

I jumped at him without blinking an eye, “Prophet Muhammad would not have liked this” I continued, “he would have condemned it, for it breeds ill-will towards a people without any reason”

There was a dead silence and I was worried which way it was going to go, but speaking the truth was paramount, then one of the guys broke that eternal silence of some five seconds and said, “Mike is right, why do we need to hate the Jews?” then one after the other every one nodeed in agreement. I looked up at the Imam, he apologized and I asked him “never do it again” and I have watched him several times after that, thank God, he has fixed himself up.

What I would like you to think about is that critical moment; had the silent been broken by the wrong guy and question me instead, “Mike he is the Imam, he knows what he is talking about, you better apologize to him” do you think the other sheep would have all jumped with him? I considered that, but speaking the truth is paramount, the eveil exists in the world because good people do nothing about it. I would have considered myself evil, had I remained silent. Would you feel the same in a situation like that?

After the story, I asked the Jews around me, by a raise of your hand how many of you would speak out against some one manufacturing ill-will towards Muslims, even it suits them? Every hand went up.

I congratulated them for being honest and forthright and told them… you know it is a coincidene that those Muslims were also 15 and every one spoke against the wrong, and now you have done the same… what if the group was 100, would I get the same response? The hands went up again. The same thing is true with Muslims, Jews, Christians, Hindus or any people.

Shame on us, many of us would walk away from the perceived trouble, it is as though encouraging the wrongdoers to go ahead. We worry about what the Jewish or Muslim or other gangsters are going to do to us if we spoke up? They would not spare Jimmy Carter or Salman Rushdie, they will make their lives miserable. That is fascism to hound the people who speak up.

My friends, this was a great example I have witnessed of stereotyping each other without logic or brains. People are inherently good but we need to keep them up and not let them fall into the pit of connivance.

If you are a Jew, Muslim, Christian, Hindu or otherwise, would you take a pledge to yourselves that you will speak out when some one is falsfying or spewing ill-will towards others, Even if it suits you?

It is you and your conscience and your solitude.

Let’s change the world, one at a time. Let’s become the change we want it to be like Mahatma Gandhi had said.

Mike Ghouse
#

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Met my old Jewish friend at the program connecting faiths; Abraham in different faiths.

He had not returned my calls nor had he responded to my emails for a while, I asked him what do I need to do to connect with him.

His answer surprised me.
He said ” he saw that I wrote about Jimmy Carter on my website,
and that turned him off”, then he asks me, “How can you do that?”

I asked him we will make the time and talk, why can’t we support what Jimmy Carter had said? The man spoke the truth as he saw it, don’t you believe you, him and I have the right to speak? Why do we have to hide on such a critical issue?

The policies the hawks of Israel are pursuing is detriment to its own peace, what Jimmy Carter is doing, if listned to, would bring peace and security that the Jews deserve. I hope the Jews and Israelis take a stand and do what is right for them, work for peace and not let the leaders mess up their future.

Bush should have been opposed earlier on, we would not have seen this destruction of our own economy, deaths of our soldiers and some million Iraqis and countless Afghanistan.

Evil persists because good men do nothing about it.

Mike Ghouse

Our Role as Religious communicators

Unlike the matter, human life was not put on a trajectory; we were not put on a plan to circumambulate around something, or hung in one place. We were given the freedom to create our own balance. Whether we believe in God or not, we still seek that balance.

God loves his creation just as each one of us loves what we create, be it the food we cook, the clothes we wear, the paintings we paint or sculptures we sculpt.

It is the love of the creator that gave each one of us, each community, each nation and each tribe a “formula” to live in peace within ourselves and with what surround us. He, she or it communicated that formula through the spiritual masters in the form of scriptures like Torah, Bible, Quran, Bhagvad Gita, Avesta and other scriptures including the oral traditions. Please remember, God has reached to every one of us and has offered that formula – to seek a balance for ourselves and a balance for what surrounds us; life and the environment.

God is about love, kindness and justice.

Hate is one of the few sources of disrupting peace in a society and it is our duty to track down the source of such hate and work on mitigating it. We have an obligation to maintain a balance in the society for our own individual good.

In your solitude, it is you who personally feels the anxiety, apprehension, fears or the joys of life for the actions you take in your life. Your Pastor, Pundit, Rabbi, Imam or Clergy are not responsible for it, even if they were; it is you who has to live with yourselves, so finding the truth is your own responsibility.

One of the Prophets said to his associates that if someone uploads you with words that will cause you to have ill-will, malice, hate, anger towards other beings, you have to investigate before you believe it, you should do your best to live a regret free life, you should not hate or pre-judge negatively any one without finding the truth.

We lose that balance when we let hate mongers, hate sermons and hate lectures creep in our societies, much of it is product of insecure men and it breeds arrogance. Arrogance that my way of life is superior or my religion is the only way to heaven. Arrogance is the source of most of the conflicts and much of the evil.

I am a Muslim and Islam works for me, just as Christianity works for you, Judaism works for you, Hinduism or other faiths work for you. And further I am humbled to say that my religion is not superior to others, that claim would be a sheer arrogance. Religion is an emotion, a faith and a belief to have and not to compare.

As religious communicators we need to explore and communicate that God has not signed up a deal with any religion behind our back, he just cannot do that. Let’s honor every tradition and faith whether they believe in one, multiple or no God. The essence of the creator and causer of the universe does not change with our beliefs.

Let’s learn to accept the otherness of other and respect the God given uniqueness of each one of the 7 billion of us, then conflicts fade and solutions emerge.

Mike Ghouse is a thinker, writer speaker and an activist of pluralism, interfaith, co-existence, peace, Islam and India. He is a frequent guest at the TV, radio and print media offering pluralistic solutions to issues of the day. His websites and Blogs are listed on http://www.mikeghouse.net/

Celebration of Sri Krishna’s birthday, the man who gave us so much wisdom in Bhagvad Gita. The book is an encapsulation of his advise to Arjuna when he goes through different phases of thoughts and actions. …It is one of the best self analysis books to read.

One of my best inspirations comes from Bhagvad Gita, the following verse or shloka turned my life around ” finding the truth is one’s own responsibility” and all my work on Religion and Pluralism emantes from that. It is a very powerful statement.

The other Sholoka Sri DD Maini shares with me frequently is – do your work, and don’t look for the fruit.. Indeed, you may want to think about the meaning in it. When you set out to do some good, don’t fail yourselves with negative thoughts, if you fail yourselves why should any one want you to succeed? Let the invisible creator make that call. You just do it.

When I was a baby, I was dressed up as Krishna (baby) as on in the picture on the left, and a matka (vessel made of clay) with Makhan (butter) was placed infront me and apparently I did just like Sri Krishna did with the Makhan… my pictures were in many homes…I have to go find them… after 57 years!

I grew up with all the beautiful traditions of Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jains and Zoroastrians in my town, never thinking it was their festival or ours, festival is every one’s way of being with friends and family. My Dad was the Mayor the town of Yelahanka, a suburb of Bangalore. In fact my home is the home of Bangalore’s founder – Kempe Gowda. When I was born, I was circulating in every one’s hands in the town. I was donned as Bala (kid) Krishna and my pictures were in all his friends homes. I ask my brothers and sister to reach out to families of Gopal Gowda, Ramaswamy, Shankrappa and Bellur Muniyappa, they have the pictures of me as Krishna when I was a toddler. Those folks are all gone but their kids are still around.

When Najma and I were in Brindavan to visit the birth place of Sri Krishna, it was very inspiring to think about the man who changed so many lives, and I was privileged to see that place where he was born. Krishna is one my mentors and inspiration in life and hope to learn a lot from reading about him. Indeed, one of the best teachers in Bhagvad Gita is Swami Nityananda Prabhu at the Hare Krishna Temple in Dallas. He and I have spent over 100 hours talking about Hinduism and Bhagvad Gita on my Radio talk show “wisdom of religion, all the beautiful religions”He shares the Pluralistic vision of Sri Krishna.

We bought several song tapes out in Brindavan, … . I was frustrated as I could not find the song by Rafi and Lata… Sonu had made so many copies of it that Rafi’s original version had become rare. Finally we found it in a remote store and enjoy it very much.

Here is my favorite Janmasthami Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKy_OtSbNFo

# #
Sri Krishna is one of my mentors along with Prophet Muhammad, Gandhi, MLK, Jesus and a few others. These souls were committed to peace and co-existence, they wanted nothing but goodness for human beings.

I have quite extensively written about vasudeva Kutumbakam , it is the ultimate essence of all faiths. The idea of one God or oneness of God is another expression of Vasudava Kutumbakam – the whole world is one family….

Quraan mentions that God has sent 124,000 messengers to the world – meaning God did not leave out any one, 124000 is number to indicate reaching out to every one. God has not excluded any group. Sri Krishna says, whereever unrighteousness emerges, I will emerge and bring the righteousness (dharma) back. Both mean bringing sanity to people when they are not – most people get that messages and few don’t.

Hare Krishna to ya’ll.

108 NAMES OR EXPRESSIONS OF THE NAME KRISHNA

Acala-dharaka – He who lifted the Govardhana-hill
Acyuta –He who is infallible
Aghasura-vinasi – He who defeated Agha-demon
Barhavatamsaka – He who wears a peacock-feather
Bhakta-vatsala – He who is affectionate towars His devotees
Bhramaka – He who is a cheat
Bimbasya – He whose lips are like bimba-fruits
Caru-locana – He who has beautiful eyes
Caura-jara-sikha-mani – He who is the crest-jewel of thieves
Dama-baddhahvayi – He who was bound with a rope
Damodara – He who was bound around the belly
Danindra-candra – He who is the king of moonlike tax-collectors
Dhenukasura-sanghata – He is the killer of the ass-demon Dhenuka
Dina-bandhu – He who is the friend of the fallen
Ghana-syama – He who is of a darkish colour (ghana and syama both mean darkish, blackish)
Giridhari – He who is the lifter of Govardhan
Girivaradhari – He who is lifter of Govardhan, the greatest of mountains
Gokulananda – He who gives bliss to Gokula
Gokulananda-kari – He who is the cause of Gokula’s bliss
Gokula-bandhu – The friend of Gokula
Gokula-candra – He who is the moon of Gokula
Gokula-ranjana – He who delights Gokula
Gokula-vallabha – He who is dear to Gokula
Gokulendra – He who is the king of Gokula
Gopala – He who is a cowherd-boy
Gopala-kamini-jara – He who is the paramour lover of the passionate cowherd ladies
Gopala-ramani-bharta – He who is the master of the young wives of the cowherds
Gopali-citta-harta – He who stole the minds of the gopis
Gopanganavrta – He who is surrounded by beautiful-limbed cowherd ladies
Gopa-nari-priya – He who is dear to the wives of the cowherd men
Gopa-svami – He who is the lord of the cowherds
Gopa-vesa-dhara – He who is dressed like a cowherd
Go-patha – He who follows the path of cows
Gopati – He who is the master of cows
Gopati-nandana – He who is the prince of the cowherds
Gopendra-nandana – He who is the son of the king of cowherds
Gopika-priti-ranjana – He who delights the gopis with His love
Gopi-jana-vallabha – He who is dearmost for the gopis
Gopinatha – He who is the master of the gopis, or He whose master are the gopis
Gopika-nayanananda – He who delights the eyes of the gopis
Gopika-prana-vallabha – He who is lord of the lives of the gopis
Gopi-kanta – He who is the lover of the gopis
Gopi-prana-dhana – He who is wealth of the life of the gopis
Gopi-priya-jana – He who is the dearmost of the gopis
Gopi-raksana – He who protects the gopis
Gopi-vastra-haraka – He who stole the gopis’ clothes
Gopi-vimohana – He who enchants all the gopis
Gotra – He who is the protector of cows
Govardhana-dhari – He who held up Govardhan with His hand
Govinda – He who gives pleasure to cows, gopis, gopas and senses
Govinda-gopala – He who is the cowherd boy who gives pleasure to cows, gopis and gopas
Hari – He who steals
Indivara-dala-syama – He is dark like a blue lotus petal
Kama-kala-nidhi – He who is expert in amorous arts
Kamalabha – He who is like a lotus
Kamalaksa – He who has lotus-eyes
Kami – He who is passionate
Kana – An affectionate nickname of Krishna
Kanhaiya – An affectionate nickname of Krishna
Kala-nidhi – He who is a treasurehouse of artistic skils
Kalindi-prema-puraka – He who is a flood of love flowing in the Yamuna
Kaliya-damana – He who subdues the Kaliya serpent
Kamadeva – He who is the god of love
Kamala-locana – He who has lotus eyes
Kamala-mukha-lolaksa – He who looks at Radha’s face with eager eyes
Kamala-patraksa – He whose eyes are like the petals of lotus flowers
Kandarpa – He who is like Cupid
Kandarpa-dipanah – He who awakens amorous desires
Kandarpa-koti-lavanya – He who is equal to millions of Cupids
Karuna-sindhu – He who is an ocean of mercy
Kesava – He who has beautiful hair
Kesi-ha – He who killed the Kesi-demon
Kesi-vadha – He who killed the Kesi-demon
Kisora – He who is a youthful boy
Kokila-svara-bhusana – He who is ornamented with a voice like that of the cuckoo-birds
Krpa-kara – He who is merciful
Krsna-candra – The moonlike all-attractive one
Kunja-bihari – He who enjoys in the forest groves
Lavanya-lahari-sindhuh – He who is an ocean of waves of handsomeness
Lila-kamala-pujita – He who is worshiped with a pastime lotus
Lila-manusa-vigraha – He who enjoys pastimes in a human form
Madana-manohara – He who steals the mind of Cupid
Madana-mohana – He who enchants Cupid
Madana-gopala – He who is a Cupid-like cowherd boy
Madhava – He who is beautiful like the spring-season, who is intoxicating like honey-wine, and who …
Madhumardana – He who extracts honey
Madhusudana – He who defeated the Madhu-demon, or He who defeats honey in sweetness, and He is the husband (dhava) of all beauty (ma).
Mala-kara – He who makes garlands
Manohara – He who captures the mind
Mina-ketana – He who is like Cupid
Mukunda – He who is the giver of liberation
Murali-manohara – He who enchants with his fluteplaying
Murali-vadana – He who is the player of flute
Murari – He who is the enemy of Mura-demon
Nagara – He who is a lover
Nanda-dulala – He who is the dear son of Nanda
Nanda-gopala – He who is the cowherd boy of Nanda
Nanda-kumara – He who is the son of Nanda
Nanda-nandana – He who is the son of Nanda
Nanda-kisora – He who is the youthful son of Nanda
Nanda-suta – He who is the son of Nanda
Nanda-tanuja – He who is the son of Nanda
Navanitasana – He who enjoys fresh butter
Navanita-taskara – He who steals fresh butter
Nava-yauvana – He who is eternally youthful
Navina nirada – He who is like a fresh raincloud
Parama-karuna – He who is supremely merciful
Phullaravinda-nayana – He whose eyes are like blossoming lotuses
Pitambara – He who is dressed in yellow clothes
Prananatha – He who is the lord of life (of the Vrajavasis)
Prema-niketana – He who is a divine abode of prema
Priya-karaka – He who acts in a lovely way
Pundarika – He who is like a lotus flower
Pundarikaksa – He whose eyes are like lotuses
Putana-moksa-dayaka – He who liberated Putana
Radhalingana-sammoha – He who is bewildered by Radha’s embraces
Radharadhayita – He who worships Radha
Radha-citta-pramodaka – He who delights the mind of Radha
Radha-hrdayambhoja-satpada – He who is the bumblebee attracted to the lotus of Radha’s heart
Radha-kama-phala-prada – He who gives the fruit of Radha’s desires
Radha-kanta – He who is a lover of Radha
Radha-manmatha-vaibhava – He who is the Cupid who attracts Radha
Radha-mohana – He who enchants Radha
Radha-mukhabja-martanda – He who is the sun who makes the lotus of Radha’s face bloom
Radha-nartana-kautuka – He who is eager to dance with Radha
Radha-nayaka – He who is the lover of Radha
Radha-natha – He who is the lord of Radha
Radha-pati – He who is the master of Radha
Radha-prana-natha –He who is the lord of Radha’s life
Radha-prana-sama – He to whom Radha is as dear as His life
Radha-ramana – He who gives pleasure to Radha
Radha-rati-sukhopeta – He who enjoys amorous pastimes with Radha
Radha-sanjata-sampriti – He who is overjoyed because of Radha
Radha-vadanabja-madhuvrata – He who is a bee attracted to Radha’ lotus face
Radha-vallabha – He who is the beloved of Radha
Radha-vasi-kara – He who fascinates Radha
Radhikanandana – He who gives bliss to Radhika
Radhika-ranjana – He who delights Radhika
Radhika-ramana – He who gives pleasure to Radhika
Radhikanatha – He who is the lord of Radhika
Rajiva-locana – He whose eyes are like lotuses
Rama – He who gives pleasure, He who enjoys
Ranga – He who enjoys
Ranga-mahiruha – He who is a tree of enjoyment
Ranjaka – He who is charming
Ranjana – He who is charming
Rasavihari – He who is the enjoyer of rasa
Rasaraja – He who is the king of relishers
Rasa-rasayana – He who brings nectar of life to the rasa-dance
Rasika-sekhara – He who is the best among enjoyers of rasa
Rasikendra-sekhara – He who is the king among the best relishers of rasa
Rasikendra-cudamani – He who is the crown-jewel among the kings of rasa
Sankhacuda-vadhoddama – He who killed Sankhacuda-demon
Sarva-kama-pradayaka – He who is the fulfiller of all desires
Sikhanda-cudaya – He who wears a peacock-feather in His head
Sindura-tulitadharah – He whose lips are red like sindura
Srngara-murti – He who is the very form of amorous love
Subha-darsana – He who is beautiful to behold
Su-bhru-yugala – He whose two eyebrows are beautiful
Su-kapola-yuga – He whose two cheeks are beautiful
Su-lalataka – He whose forehead is beautiful
Sundara – He who is beautiful
Syama – He who has a darkish complexion
Syamasundara – The beautiful, bluish Krishna
Tribhangi – He whose form is bent from three places
Trnavartantaka – He who was the end of Trinavarta demon
Ujjvala-vigraha – He who is the very form of conjugal love
Ulukhali – He who was bound to a grinding mortar
Vanamali – He who wears a beautiful garland of forest flowers
Vamsi-dhari – He who carries a flute in with Him
Vamsi-vihari – He who rejoices in playing His flute
Vamsi-gopala – He who is the flute playing cowherdboy
Vamsivata-vihari – He who enjoys at Vamsivata
Venu-vadya-visarada – He who is an expert flute-player
Visalaksa – He who has large eyes
Vraja-jana-palana – He who protects the Vrajavasis
Vraja-mohana – He who bewilders Vraja
Vraja Uttamsa – The flower-crown of Vraja
Vrajendra-nandana – He who is the son of the king of Vraja
Vrajera rakhala – He who is the protector of Vraja
Vrndapati – He who is the master of Vrinda
Vrndavana-candra – He who is the moon of Vrindavana
Vrndavana-cara – He who roams in the forests of Vrindavana
Vrndavana-natavara – He who is the most expert dancer in Vrindavana
Vrsabhanusuta-pati – He who is the master of the daughter of Vrisabhanu
Vrsasura-vighataka – He who defeated the Vrisa (Arista) demon.
Yamalarjuna-mukti-da – He who liberated the Yamalarjuna-trees
Yamuna-tira-sacari – He who wanders on the banks of Yamuna
Yasoda-dulala – He who is the darling son of Yasoda
Yasoda-khani-mani – He who is a jewel from Yasoda’s womb
Yasoda-nandana – He who is Yasoda’s son
Yasoda-vatsala – He who loves Yasoda
Yasoda-yasa – He who is the fame of Yasoda
Yasomati-nandana – He who is Yasoda’s son.
……………………………………. these names are shared by Kavita

.
Fact or Emotion?
When you buy a car, a house, clothes or whatever,
what dominates the decision, fact or emotion?Can facts override the emotion or vice-versa?
It is different each time, but usually emotion rules.

Emotion is that which connects, it is wireless.

.
July 6th, 2009:- I was in a plane the other day sitting next to a 70 year old lady reading a book on how to get out of a Mormon Church. I asked her about the book and she said, she was a born again Christian and would live for Jesus who gave his blood.It beats me to witness individuals like her. A few insecure individuals from different denominations of Christianity gang up on Mormon church and give a fatwa that Mormons are not Christians, an act Jesus would have spoken against. The same goes with a few Muslim individuals who love to declare Ahmadiyya as non-Muslims, which is absolutely against the principles of Islam; to judge. The Jewish individuals are not behind either they call them self-hating Jews. It is in every religious group with no exception.

Being a Pluralist (that is respecting and honoring every which way one appreciates the creator) I asked her what in particular that she did not like about other faiths? – Without batting an eye, she said “don’t like them other religions messing up my country”. I asked her to help me understand that.

She was trying to wiggle out of that, instead she caught me scrolling my cell phone and said in a stern voice “The pilot said to turn off all the electronic equipment and I don’t want the plane be blown up, you better turn the phone off” I complied instantly.

Then a few minutes later, the pilot announced, something I had never heard before “to pull the window shades down”. Promptly the window shades were going down on my side of the plane and the lady looks at me, and reluctantly pulls the shade half way down. A few seconds later while we were taxiing on the runway, the announcement came to keep the seat belts on until the plane comes to a full halt. She had already taken off her seat belt and now she looks at me with guilt and I put my hand on my fastened seat belt – and she instantly pulls the seat belt and pretends to fasten it, but leaves it un-fastened under her book. I did not say a word and just observed, aren’t the people who claim to be conservative are simply a show off?

I was wondering what would she have done, if I had said I was a Muslim.

I have found most of the NEOCONS; the men and women who have no tolerance for others, and their insecurity falsely seeks the wrong actions like annihilating those whom they disagree with and the word dialogue is not in their vocabulary. They also wrongfully label themselves as conservatives, if only they know that they are bigots, they may think about changing, I hope they do.

Conservatives want a strong national defense to keep our nation safe, where as the Neocons want a strong national defense with the intention of threatening others. Neocons end up messing the life for every one. They are the extemists found in every faith label.

** Neocons are the extremists wearing different religious labels and believe that they have an exclusive right to exist, they believe peace comes to them by eliminating those who differ from from them.

#

As members of the civil society, we have to find solutions for co-existence, it is not easy but our goals should be focused on it rather than get diverted to other issues.

We must continue to identify the sources of hate and conflict and figure out solutions. Almost always it is the individuals whose words prompt action, wars, and destruction of others they don’t like.

Clarity is a must in finding solutions; these individuals are responsible for prompting conflicts, and certainly not their race, ethnicity, religion or nationality. Let’s place the responsibility where it belong and not their periphery.

If there are a 1000 murders, 5000 traffic violation tickets in San Francisco;

it not the law books that are wrong, the violators, criminals and the 99.9/10th of good citizens follow the same law books,

it is not San Franciscans who are criminals,

it is not even our constitution that is wrong.

It is the individuals.

Blaming the wrong party has never produced justice in history and there is no reason it will now. We have to blame the wrong doers and haul their ass in to jails, then justice can be served.

Mike

.