Pratibha: I am interested or to know how to live peacefully with the corrupt dominating people in a society. They influenced everything/. In this situation what to do , Please suggest me
Dear Pratibha,
The Physical or the metaphysical world is structured to have positive, negative and neutral charges in it ,and every structure is constantly seeking its own equilibrium through a variety of combinations and permutations.
Living with corrupt people is part of existence, not that we have to agree with the ills of corruption, but we can be a part of it and effect changes in our own way. Non-Violent way is sustainable, where as the violent way is destructive for the time, but it is a part of the system.
Lord Krishna was clear when he said, whenever and wherever there is adharma, I will appear and restore the righteousness back to the society. It is not necessarily him in reality, but the spirituality is built on balance and justice and it works on an auto-pilot. Qur’aan says, to every nation, every tribe, God sends a peacemaker, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, Krishna, Rama, Nanak, Buddha, Mahavir, Confucius, Zarthustra.... and numerous others in native traditions have precisely done that; restore the society back to normalcy.
From a political point of view, the colonial masters in most every colony were un-just, when the adharma and injustice reached a point of no-return; there was Gandhi, to restore it. When the American society was forced upon by a few masters to mistreat the African Americans, there was Lincoln and MLK to restore justness and morality.
Medha Parker stood up in defense of the villagers that were going to be affected by urbanization, there was Shabana Azmi fighting for the slum dwellers...Seshan fought the corrupt election system.
Justice and fairness is the ultimate of a balanced society, and every one including you and I are part of the solutions while some others may be doing the opposite of it.
Prophet Muhammad said, when you see injustice, the least you can do is to speak up. Martin Neimoller in his poem wrote, first they came for Jews and I did nothing about it, as I was not a Jew, then they came after Communists..... and finally when they came for me, there was no one to speak for me.
Pratibha, the least we can do is to speak up and if we have the energy and passion, apply it and build a momentum in the society. Yes, you can make the difference and you will, as you have the concern that is the first step. Co-existence must be at the bottom of every thing.
God bless you.
Mike Ghouse
www.FoundationforPluralism.com
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Press Release, Holocaust and Genocides in Dallas
PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Mike Ghouse (214) 325-1916,
email: MikeGhouse@aol.com
event email: HolocaustandGenocides@gmail.com
Website: http://www.holocaustandgenocides.com/
III ANNUAL REFELCTIONS ON THE HOLOCAUST AND GENOCIDES
DALLAS – (January 14, 2010) –The Foundation for Pluralism announces the 7/7 speakers Panel to reflect upon the Holocaust and Genocides event at 5:00 PM on Sunday, January 24, 2010 at the Center for Spiritual Center, 4801 Spring Valley Road, Dallas, TX. 75244.
Each individual in the seven member panel would acknowledge the inhumanity in each one of us and reflect upon the solutions for co-existence. It is a purposeful event to learn, acknowledge and reflect upon the terrible things, that we humans have inflicted upon each other.
What can you do as individual?
Continue: http://holocaustandgenocides.blogspot.com/2010/01/press-release-on-holocaust-and.html
~ ~ ~
Contact: Mike Ghouse (214) 325-1916,
email: MikeGhouse@aol.com
event email: HolocaustandGenocides@gmail.com
Website: http://www.holocaustandgenocides.com/
III ANNUAL REFELCTIONS ON THE HOLOCAUST AND GENOCIDESDALLAS – (January 14, 2010) –The Foundation for Pluralism announces the 7/7 speakers Panel to reflect upon the Holocaust and Genocides event at 5:00 PM on Sunday, January 24, 2010 at the Center for Spiritual Center, 4801 Spring Valley Road, Dallas, TX. 75244.
Each individual in the seven member panel would acknowledge the inhumanity in each one of us and reflect upon the solutions for co-existence. It is a purposeful event to learn, acknowledge and reflect upon the terrible things, that we humans have inflicted upon each other.
What can you do as individual?
Continue: http://holocaustandgenocides.blogspot.com/2010/01/press-release-on-holocaust-and.html
~ ~ ~
Monday, January 11, 2010
Pluralism and Islam
This is particularly address to Muslims
We are still fighting a battle with the Neocons, and they are constantly mis-representing Islam. As Muslims, we need to rise above and make an effort to understand ideas and concepts without being judgmental.
Let me give you the example of the railway lines, two parallel rail lines run for the length they have designed to run and each line stands on its own. They do not converge, but they exist side by side.
Like wise, there are several faiths that exist side by side. Acknowledging their existence and accepting that it is God’s will to have made us different, and then his guidance for us to know each other is simply Pluralism. Pluralism is not a religion, it is an attitude to be respectful of others sentiments and faiths.
Pluralism is not Deen-e-Elahi and pluralism is not a religion. Pluralism is simply an attitude of who we deal with others. Pluralism is co-existence. The idea of integration is oppressive and expects the minority to merge with the majority.
Pluralism is NOT integration, it is purely co-existence. You are who you are and, I am who I am, and let’s figure out a way to live with least conflicts.
Pluralism is an attitude of respecting the otherness of other and accepting the God given uniqueness of each one of his creation.
Of the several beautiful values, one of the most important values of Islam is to leave the judgment call to Allah and practice non-judgementality in our daily lives. We recite the verse Malik-i-yomiddin so many times a day and hope that becomes a part of it.
Here on this group, except personal attacks all views on a given topic have been posted. We need to resist the thought of gaining support from a few to be against some one. What is the need for it? We all can read between the lines.
As a moderator of this group, I express my views and welcome all other views. My Pluralistic attitude encourages me to present all views, even if they are contrary to my own. This is a critical value, as Muslims, we need to consider adopting. This leads to a development of healthy societies.
Conformity kills creativity; it is the push for conformity that we have gotten behind. The world would not have moved an inch forward if we were all conformist. From a religious point of view – we would not have had the two divisions or six schools of thought.
Muslims are not a monolithic lot, and most certainly each one of us is responsible on the day of reckoning – I am responsible for me and no else will come to rescue me except the good things I have done. Your take and my take on Islam would differ on a few issues and that is healthy. There is no compulsion in Islam.
Mike Ghouse
~~~~~~~
We are still fighting a battle with the Neocons, and they are constantly mis-representing Islam. As Muslims, we need to rise above and make an effort to understand ideas and concepts without being judgmental.
Let me give you the example of the railway lines, two parallel rail lines run for the length they have designed to run and each line stands on its own. They do not converge, but they exist side by side.
Like wise, there are several faiths that exist side by side. Acknowledging their existence and accepting that it is God’s will to have made us different, and then his guidance for us to know each other is simply Pluralism. Pluralism is not a religion, it is an attitude to be respectful of others sentiments and faiths.
Pluralism is not Deen-e-Elahi and pluralism is not a religion. Pluralism is simply an attitude of who we deal with others. Pluralism is co-existence. The idea of integration is oppressive and expects the minority to merge with the majority.
Pluralism is NOT integration, it is purely co-existence. You are who you are and, I am who I am, and let’s figure out a way to live with least conflicts.
Pluralism is an attitude of respecting the otherness of other and accepting the God given uniqueness of each one of his creation.
Of the several beautiful values, one of the most important values of Islam is to leave the judgment call to Allah and practice non-judgementality in our daily lives. We recite the verse Malik-i-yomiddin so many times a day and hope that becomes a part of it.
Here on this group, except personal attacks all views on a given topic have been posted. We need to resist the thought of gaining support from a few to be against some one. What is the need for it? We all can read between the lines.
As a moderator of this group, I express my views and welcome all other views. My Pluralistic attitude encourages me to present all views, even if they are contrary to my own. This is a critical value, as Muslims, we need to consider adopting. This leads to a development of healthy societies.
Conformity kills creativity; it is the push for conformity that we have gotten behind. The world would not have moved an inch forward if we were all conformist. From a religious point of view – we would not have had the two divisions or six schools of thought.
Muslims are not a monolithic lot, and most certainly each one of us is responsible on the day of reckoning – I am responsible for me and no else will come to rescue me except the good things I have done. Your take and my take on Islam would differ on a few issues and that is healthy. There is no compulsion in Islam.
Mike Ghouse
~~~~~~~
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
A tribute to Jesus
A tribute to Jesus on this Christmas;What does it mean to be religious?
Mike Ghouse
This column is dedicated to Rev. Petra Weldes of the Center for Spiritual Living in Dallas. Some of my conversation with her inspired me to write this tribute to Jesus and what it means to be religious.
Continued: http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2009/12/tribute-to-jesus.html
Continued: http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2009/12/tribute-to-jesus.html
~~~
Friday, October 30, 2009
Comfort with other forms of prayers
I am compelled to respond to you for I share a similar experience.
Learning about other faiths need not mean infidelity to one’s own, it is rather an enriching experience to know that it is all belief, my belief, your belief and others’ belief in action and each one works for the believer.
I have an odd usage of the word “translator” that I turn on when I am in a place of worship other than what I am brainwashed with. The imaginary gadget filters the crude data into refined essence. Some 15 years ago, I took my five year old daughter and ten years old son to every place of worship, they invariably would ask me “Dad, what are they saying?” and knowing this I prepared my self to translate in a language that they would comprehend. Be it the Synagogue, Mosque, Church or a Temple, the bottom line was same “God is the creator, we have to be grateful to him/her/it, we have to be thankful for the life, that our actions and have consequences….” I had that down well.
One day, at the middle of the Bhajans (hymns chanting) at the Hindu Temple, my daughter popped the question and I had the answer to which she stood up (every one in the temple sits cross legged on the floor) and raise her hands and said it aloud “Gee Dad, it is cool, that God can be worshipped in so many ways”. That was it, which statement now has become a part of my Pluralism teaching.
I do not see God, as it does not exist in form, nor is it compressed in words, but I see her presence in everything, and he is indeed omnipotent. Whether it is a synagogue, Temple, Church, Mosque or any place of worship, I see the same essence of the creator in a variety of words. My translator device kicks in and reads the words Jesus, or Jesus the son of a God into the creator, Krishna gets translated into the same creator, Allah gets translated into the same creator.
There is just one singular cause that caused the existence and we can call it God for convenience. No matter what words you say, or how you bow, lean, kneel or prostrate, you are acknowledging something that is greater than you, and that brings humility and humility removes conflicts and gives birth to conflictlessness while retaining the diversity, which is oneness of nature and One God (not opposed to NO or many Gods, but oneness of our existence).
I was trained to thank the lord in the Islamic format, and I will continue to live with that schema without grading other ways of worshipping. The Christian, Hindu, Jewish or other formats of acknowledging the creator are working formats to the subscriber and the format that I am trained works for me, as other formats feel natural to the other. I see the same essence in all forms of worship. It is the religion bud that I am attuned to.
Mike Ghouse
www.MikeGhouse.nt
__________________
Re: Mind During prayers
Thank you for this beautiful and eloquent insight, Jannah.
When I’m least distracted, I seek the understanding that Jannah describes, plus an intention to be fully in God’s compassionate Spirit and Will.
Learning about other faiths need not mean infidelity to one’s own, it is rather an enriching experience to know that it is all belief, my belief, your belief and others’ belief in action and each one works for the believer.
I have an odd usage of the word “translator” that I turn on when I am in a place of worship other than what I am brainwashed with. The imaginary gadget filters the crude data into refined essence. Some 15 years ago, I took my five year old daughter and ten years old son to every place of worship, they invariably would ask me “Dad, what are they saying?” and knowing this I prepared my self to translate in a language that they would comprehend. Be it the Synagogue, Mosque, Church or a Temple, the bottom line was same “God is the creator, we have to be grateful to him/her/it, we have to be thankful for the life, that our actions and have consequences….” I had that down well.
One day, at the middle of the Bhajans (hymns chanting) at the Hindu Temple, my daughter popped the question and I had the answer to which she stood up (every one in the temple sits cross legged on the floor) and raise her hands and said it aloud “Gee Dad, it is cool, that God can be worshipped in so many ways”. That was it, which statement now has become a part of my Pluralism teaching.
I do not see God, as it does not exist in form, nor is it compressed in words, but I see her presence in everything, and he is indeed omnipotent. Whether it is a synagogue, Temple, Church, Mosque or any place of worship, I see the same essence of the creator in a variety of words. My translator device kicks in and reads the words Jesus, or Jesus the son of a God into the creator, Krishna gets translated into the same creator, Allah gets translated into the same creator.
There is just one singular cause that caused the existence and we can call it God for convenience. No matter what words you say, or how you bow, lean, kneel or prostrate, you are acknowledging something that is greater than you, and that brings humility and humility removes conflicts and gives birth to conflictlessness while retaining the diversity, which is oneness of nature and One God (not opposed to NO or many Gods, but oneness of our existence).
I was trained to thank the lord in the Islamic format, and I will continue to live with that schema without grading other ways of worshipping. The Christian, Hindu, Jewish or other formats of acknowledging the creator are working formats to the subscriber and the format that I am trained works for me, as other formats feel natural to the other. I see the same essence in all forms of worship. It is the religion bud that I am attuned to.
Mike Ghouse
www.MikeGhouse.nt
__________________
Re: Mind During prayers
Thank you for this beautiful and eloquent insight, Jannah.
When I’m least distracted, I seek the understanding that Jannah describes, plus an intention to be fully in God’s compassionate Spirit and Will.
The first time I visited a Masjid, I just showed up cold. A friendly Muslim explained what would be happening, and assured me I was welcome to join the prayer, or to observe without joining in. I got into the prayer line. (That was what was I there for.)
When prayer started I struggled with lots of scary inner turmoil. Would praying with Muslims repudiate of my relationship with the Holy Spirit? Was I communing with some spirit other than God’s? Was I eschewing a personal relationship with God, and embracing an abstract and impersonal thought construct? Was I compromising or diminishing my devotion to Christ or even my salvation? Was this inner turmoil an affront to God? A warning from God? A sacrilege against the worship taking place around me?
This agitation continued. I kept holding all these questions up, asking for grace, direction and mercy. I felt a touch of Christ spirit (what we Quakers call a “leading”) – like directed insight calling up words and thoughts: “Don’t be troubled. Be at peace. These worries are unnecessary. These are good people. I (God) love(s) them. They love me (God). They are worshiping me (God). Honor their worship.”
David Humanitycheck
~~
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