Category: Life

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A universal grace prayer

Back in 2007, I went to India to do Dyan Yatra (a spiritual trek/pilgrimage to the foothills of the Himalayas to visit ancient temples). We were a group of 120 people traveling in 4 buses containing 30 people each. We would drive to the foothills of a mountain range, then hike up around 8 to 10 km to reach a small village and the temple we wanted to visit. We would sleep in the village and hike back down the next day and resume our pilgrimage.

One day, we got stuck in a village because of a landslide blocking the road. We stayed an extra day in the village and this is when I befriended an Indian who’s both a homeopathic doctor and a Yogi. I had an extensive chat with him and he ended up teaching me a few handy spiritual practices. One of the things that I still remember and practice to this day was the prayer he taught me to say before eating. It is akin to the Christians’ grace prayer that is recited before food is consumed.

If you follow my blog, you may have noticed that I love two things: Prayers and Stories. Anyway, his version of the prayer goes something like this:

Oh my creator and God, thank you for this food. May this food nourish my body, may it be converted into blood and energy that I can use to help and serve others.

This is a very short prayer and is almost devoid of any religious affiliations. It is not a Christian prayer, it is not a Muslim prayer and it surely not a Buddhist or Hindu prayer. It is a simple remembrance that we are grateful for the grace we have in our life and how we intended to return this grace by serving others.

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The prince and the tiger

One day, a prince and his servant were walking in the jungle. Suddenly, a ferocious tiger leapt out of no where and tried to attack them. The servant, out of fear, quickly climbed a nearby tree and took refuge and refused to stay and help his master. The prince, on the other hand, faced the tiger with so much courage and finally killed the tiger.

The prince then calls down his servant and asked him: “Why did you not come down and help me? Come down, I will kill you myself!”

The servant: “I saw a Lion fighting a tiger and it is well known, when those two are fighting, dogs should not get involved”.

The prince then smiled at his reply and spared his life.

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A lesson to my teenage son

One day, a father was lecturing his teenage son about modesty and morality. The son replies arrogantly saying:

“Dad, it seems you forgot that you yourself went through the same age as me and my generation. You have left your father’s house, found a woman, got married and had your own kids. Can’t we do the same as you?”

The father replied: “No doubt in that my son, however you are from the new generation. You eventually walk the same path we walked but you start that path from the opposite direction and you start from where we ended”.

Indeed, the new generation is all confused about relationships. They have been brainwashed by the media and Hollywood about what is the “right” way to conduct a spiritual and wholesome life that improves the society. I have spoken about this upside down world we live in currently in my article entitled “The seven chakras and spiritual dating”. I encourage you to read this article because it really illustrates how a big number of the new generation of people start a family or a relationship completely backwards under the influence of alcohol and other mind numbing drugs.

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Catching up after a long time

Two friends, Tom and Mark reunite after a long time. They started chatting and catching up.

  • Tom: So Mark, what’s up with you after this long time?
  • Mark: Oh, since then I got married
  • Tom: So that must be good news
  • Mark: No, not really. The wife turned out to be very evil and made my life miserable
  • Tom: Oh, that’s not good
  • Mark: Well, no worries here. We got divorced and she paid me lots of money during the divorce
  • Tom: So, that is of most convenience then
  • Mark: Oh yeah, with all the money, I decided to get into the cattle business, but unfortunately they all died in an accident
  • Tom: What luck!
  • Mark: Luckily, I could sell their pelts for good money
  • Tom: So for selling the pelts, at least you recovered your losses
  • Mark: Yes indeed and with the money I bought a new house
  • Tom: What a turn of events. That sucks!
  • Mark: No not really. The wife was still in the house when it burned.
  • …

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54 sayings about life and relationships

  1. First learn to listen, second learn to judge
  2. Nature gave man two ears and one mouth so that we listen more than we talk
  3. The treasures of the thieves goes back to the kings
  4. Do not offer salt or advise to those who never asked for it
  5. One hundred washes do not make the coal white again
  6. The tired can sleep on a pillow made of rock and can find rest. The lazy sleeps on a feather pillow and can’t find rest
  7. If you were right then no need to raise your voice
  8. Do not befriend those who are shy to announce your friendship
  9. The origin of all good is knowledge and justice, but the origin of all evil is ignorance and darkness
  10. A Tyrant cuts the tree to get the fruit
  11. During the storm, the fishermen befriend each other
  12. When the eagle is sad, he calls the owl “my brother”
  13. One cannot argue when it comes to colors and taste
  14. He who asks for a friend without a flaw, remains a person without a friend
  15. He who helps others so people can see him, cannot help anybody behind the scenes.
  16. A 1000 miles trips start with a single step
  17. Like the water flows back to the ocean, so good deeds go back to the benevolent
  18. It is easy to be a human being, but it is hard to be a man
  19. Success is a ladder that you cannot climb with your hands in your pockets
  20. A small hut to laugh with family and friends is better than a castle where we are lonely and sad
  21. After a good meal, have a nap. After a good dinner take 40 steps
  22. There’s nothing in life to be afraid from, but there are plenty of things worth understanding
  23. Water can wash away almost everything except for a bad tongue
  24. Duties are ligther than a feather but heavier than a mountain
  25. Keeping the head is better than keeping the hat
  26. The home is turned upside down when the cock is silenced and the chicken starts singing
  27. A hand washes the other hand, but both hands wash the face
  28. Do not spend a big part of the discussion talking about yourself and life with acquaintances, instead ask about them and their lives
  29. When there’s so many captains, the ship sinks
  30. If you do good to others, make sure you don’t mention that. If others do good to you, make sure you remember their favor.
  31. Do good to your friends so they appreciate you more. Do good to your enemies so they become your friends.
  32. Justice sleeps sometimes, but it never dies
  33. To become a master, first you have to become a servant
  34. The man loved most the things denied to him
  35. My advise to you is to get married: if you find a good woman, you will have a happy life. If you find a bad woman, then you will become a philosopher
  36. We are all born crazy, except that some stay crazy.
  37. If a woman speaks, then shut up. If she stops, then talk. You better not talk.
  38. Marriage is our last chance for us to grow up
  39. It is not the lack of love that makes a marriage miserable, but it is the lack of friendship in marriage
  40. Love: a temporary insanity that can be cured with marriage
  41. Two roosters were living in harmony until the chicken showed up
  42. Banging the head into the wall brings nothing but swelling
  43. If you saw your neighbor’s beard catching fire, go and wet yours
  44. A bad knife cuts a finger but not wood
  45. A book is a good friend, but unfortunately, its only defect is that it is bought with money
  46. Forgive your enemies but never forget their names
  47. One man in the house is better than ten in the street
  48. A man falls in love with through his eyes and the woman through her ears
  49. A man cannot live because of beauty, but is ready to sacrifice himself for beauty
  50. The mother spends twenty years to make her boy a man, till another woman makes her son a fool in twenty minutes
  51. Sorrow can be a bridge to happiness
  52. He who could not stand being taught for one hour, stays ignorant for ever
  53. Do not become curious about other people’s business lest you hear what you don’t like.
  54. We can understand life if we looked into the past, but we cannot live fully unless we look forward

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A man’s face is his autobiography. A woman’s face is her work of fiction.

Memes make rounds on the internet and this time, I received this quote:

A man’s face is his autobiography. A woman’s face is her work of fiction.

The first thing I did is make sure that this quote is really attributed to Oscar Wilde and it was indeed.

I totally agree with his quote especially in this modern age.

It is hard to find a young woman that is not obsessed about makeup or how she looks. In fact, these days there are less and less true things about a woman’s appearances. Consider yourself lucky if you find a natural woman who is not riddled with insecurities.

Plastic surgery to make bigger breasts, asses or lips are but a minor subset of cosmetic surgeries that are conducted mainly to increase their sexual market value and appeal. Continue reading “A man’s face is his autobiography. A woman’s face is her work of fiction.”

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The holy books quadrilogy

Throughout the mankind history, 3 major Abrahamic religions arose in the world. Almost two millenniums afterwards (in the year 1830), another “religious” book emerged in the US (the Book of Mormon).

It is funny how these 4 books can be likened to a funny quadrilogy book set.

  • The Jewish adventures: old Jewish scrolls.
  • Jewish Adventures II – The return of the Jews: the old and the new testament. Basically the modern day “Holy Bible”.
  • Jewish Adventures III – The Revenge of Mohammed: That’s Holy Quran used by Muslims throughout the world.
  • Jewish Adventures IV – Jesus in Space: The Book of Mormon, written by Joseph Smith

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The Ten Paramis

I learned about the paramis when I partook my first Vipassana meditation retreat. A parami is a good mental quality that one must practice and perfect in order to attain liberation.

The 10 paramis are as follows:

  1. Generosity, giving (dana): giving for the sake of giving.
  2. Morality (sila): lead a moral life and follow the 5 precepts
  3. Renunciation (nekkhamma): drop attachment to your personal belongs and lead a generous life. Give and volunteer whenever you can.
  4. Wisdom (panna): participate in wholesome learning. The ultimate knowledge and wisdom comes from within. Hence, practicing the insight meditation helps achieving true wisdom.
  5. Energy/Effort (viriya): conserve your energy and do wholesome activities. Work hard and earn your livelihood. Help others.
  6. Patience/Tolerance (khanti): replace anger and frustration with patience, forgiveness and compassion.
  7. Truthfulness (sacca): every action should come from a place of truthfulness. Prejudice blinds you from the truth.
  8. Determination (adhitthana): success does not come easily. Stay determined and remember that success begets success.
  9. Loving-kindness (metta): or self-less love. Practice loving without expecting anything in return.
  10. Equanimity (upekkha): nothing in life is permanent. Learn to recognize the impermanence and stay equanimous

May all beings be happy!

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The meaning of the Chariot and charioteers in the Bhagavad Gita

In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna imparts to Arjun various important spiritual lessons.

If you have not read the Gita, then it is a good an insightful read.

In this blog post, I want to explain to you the symbolism behind the chariot picture in which we see Arjun, Krishna and the 5 horses driving the chariot.

Continue reading “The meaning of the Chariot and charioteers in the Bhagavad Gita”

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The Maori Wisdom – Youth Talks – Age Teaches

Little dogs make most noise.
No one needs help to get into trouble.
The God of evil and the God of fear are good friends.
An idle young man – an unhappy old man.
Never be late to a battle to win it.
A piegon won’t fly into a wide open mouth.
Wishing never filled a game bag.
An obedient wife commands her warrior.
Beauty won’t fill te puku (stomach).
Today’s meal is better than tomorrow’s feast.
The brighther the clearing the darker the shadows.
Chase two Moas – catch none.
Time to dream when you are dead.
The widest mouth has the widest grave.
One rotten fish, one fresh fish – two rotten fish.
A warrior without courage has a blunt taiaha (spear).
Great griefs are silent.
A fine food house doesn’t fill itself.
No twigs on the fire – no flame.
A bad thing usually costs a lot.
A wise man knows both pain and joy.
The little wedge reduces the mighty Kauri.


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7 Rules of Life

  1. Make peace with your past so it does not disturb your future.
  2. What others think of you is none of your business.
  3. The only person in charge of your happiness is you.
  4. Don’t compare your life to others, comparison is the thief of joy.
  5. Time heals almost everything. Give it time.
  6. Stop thinking too much: it is okay not to know all the answers.
  7. Smile. You don’t own all the problems in the world.

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Story: Do you have an email account?

Once upon a time, a man was looking for a job. He reads about an office boy position in Microsoft Corporation. He applies and soon enough he lands an interview.
The interviewer starts asking the man some questions and then notices that the man forgot to fill in his email address.

  • The interviewer: “Oh, it seems you forgot to type in your email address”
  • The man: “No I did not forget. Actually, I don’t have an email account”
  • The interviewer: “You don’t have an email? Well sorry, you cannot work for Microsoft in that case”

Continue reading “Story: Do you have an email account?”

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Removing the stone of folly

I forgot the artist’s name but I know he or she is famous. This painting drew my attention because it reminds me of the old days when people used to characterize what we now deem as psychological illnesses as demonic possessions.

In the same way, this picture shows how that crow-man is trying to remove the stone of folly (the title of this painting).

How do you like this painting? Share your thoughts!

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Saint Elias

This is Saint Elias (or Elijah). He is celebrated in my home country, Lebanon, on the 20th of July.

According to Wikipedia:

Elijah (Hebrew: אֱלִיָּהוּ‎, Eliyahu, meaning “My God is Yahu/Jah”) or Elias (/ɪˈlaɪ.əs/; Greek: Ηλίας Elías; Syriac: ܐܸܠܝܼܵܐ‎ Elyāe; Arabic: إلياس or إليا, Ilyās or Ilyā) was a prophet and a miracle worker who lived in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of Ahab (9th century BC), according to the Books of Kings in the Hebrew Bible.

Continue reading “Saint Elias”