Editor
A Native American and his friend were in downtown New York City, walking near Times Square in Manhattan. It was during the noon lunch hour and the streets were filled with people. Cars were honking their horns, taxicabs were squealing around corners, sirens were wailing, and the sounds of the city were almost deafening.
Suddenly, the Native American said, “I hear a cricket.” His friend said, “What? You must be crazy. You couldn’t possibly hear a cricket in all of this noise!”
“No, I’m sure of it,” the Native American said. “I heard a cricket.”
“That’s crazy,” said the friend. The Native American listened carefully for a moment, and then walked across the street to a big cement planter where some shrubs were growing. He looked into the bushes, beneath the branches, and sure enough, he located a small cricket. His friend was utterly amazed.
“That’s incredible,” said his friend. “You must have superhuman ears!”
“No,” said the Native American. “My ears are no different from yours. It all depends on what you’re listening for.”
“But that can’t be!” said the friend. “I could never hear a cricket in this noise.”
“Yes, it’s true,” came the reply. It depends on what is really important to you. Here, let me show you.”
He reached into his pocket, pulled out a few coins, and discreetly dropped them on the sidewalk. And then, even with the noise of the crowded street still blaring in their ears, they noticed every head within twenty feet turn and look to see if the money that tinkled on the pavement was theirs.
“See what I mean?” asked the Native American. “It all depends on what’s important to you.”
What’s important to you? What do you listen for? If you are in tune with the Great Spirit, you will be able to hear when He speaks.
Author Unknown
“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.”
“The only devils in this world are those running around inside our own hearts, and that is where all our battles should be fought.”
“If all Christians acted like Christ, the whole world would be Christian.”
“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)
Many years ago in London, Shri Mataji spoke about star signs. She mentioned that Lord Jesus was born under the sign of Scorpio, which is the sign of death and resurrection. He was actually born at Diwali, which falls at the time of year which is Scorpio in the astrological calendar. Diwali is celebrated in India in October as the Festival of Lights.
The chakra of Lord Jesus is the Agnya, and this is the chakra associated with the light element. So it is only right that Diwali is the festival of lights. Also, for the Christians Lord Jesus came as a light to lighten the darkness; so again there is the connection to light.
The birth of Christ is celebrated on 25 December because for nearly seventeen hundred years this has been traditional in most of the churches. The ancient and politically powerful Romans adopted Christianity in the third century AD, and changed the date of Christmas to 25 December, because of various pagan Roman festivals which fell on and around that date. So now, of course, Christmas is on that date. But, as Shri Mataji explained, He was actually born at Diwali.
LW, India
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate;
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant?”
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking
So that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the Glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.
Nelson Mandela, 1994