GIBIRAN:
Truth and Good are common in any religion. This blog brings in rich amount of information from GIta, the Bagavat Gita, the BIble, the holy book of Christianity, and Al QuRAN, the holy book of Islam. Coining the letters of Bagavat Gita, the Bible, and the Quran has given birth to GIBIRAN. Undoubtedly all other religions show path to the ultimate and, of how to lead a noble and peaceful life. We request all those good hearts who glance at this blog to post good information with a mention of from where the source of the information is being obtained. This would help people understand the rich value of our religions and the commonness in all the religions.
This is an attempt to pool in all good quotes from different sources. Any information if found slightly deviating from the point of focus may please be indicated to achieve utmost perfection to present worthy information to our readers. This blog purely tries to bring out the commonness in religions and though by explanation they vary but focuses on same point.
Gita [Bagavat Gita 9.18]
gatir bharta prabhuh saksi
nivasah saranam suhrt
prabhavah pralayah sthanam
nidhanam bijam avyayam
nivasah saranam suhrt
prabhavah pralayah sthanam
nidhanam bijam avyayam
Translation
I am the goal, the sustainer, the master, the witness, the abode, the refuge, and the most dear friend. I am the creation and the annihilation, the basis of everything, the resting place and the eternal seed.
From the the four verses of Surah Ikhlas which is Chapter 112 of the Qur’an:
"Say: He is Allah,
The One and Only.
"Allah, the Eternal, Absolute.
"He begets not, nor is He begotten.
And there is none like unto Him."
"Allah, the Eternal, Absolute.
"He begets not, nor is He begotten.
And there is none like unto Him."
[Al-Qur’an 112:1-4]
Evolution
The first step for salvation is the knowledge about sin. The foremost step to escape from this vicious circle of births and deaths and to be ever happy and peaceful in life is to love all. There's a significant difference between Happiness and Pleasure. It is obvious that Love leads to Happiness whereas Pleasure results in pain. Love is the common language that is not spoken but experienced by all living beings.
Bodily Structures
It is believed that all entities on this Earth are from "Five Gross Elements of Nature", viz Earth, Water, Air, Fire, and Ether. In other words, living and non-living entities like human, birds, grass, tress, sand, wood, etc are from these gross elements. To be more precise, each living entity is made up of 8 elements, with above mentioned 5 [gross]elements, the other 3[subtle]elements are mind, intelligence, and false ego.
The purpose of giving different shapes to different entities is to share and live which, in other words, dependency. The subtle definition for this is getting socialized, the general nature of all living entities. Obviously, give and take make all of us sustain on this wonderful planet. A deeper thought on it would be, what, if the dependency or getting socialized or give and take goes beyond limits? As we know that, "extremes do not pay", and anything that is beyond limits would create an imbalance situation. Effects of imbalance situation is natural calamity. Fine, let's hit the nail right on its head.
The inference of all such terms like dependency, socializing, give and take is, one should not become self-centered, greed, not concerned about others. All commotions start here when human thinking changes from socialization to self-centered attitude.
The following is very clear that apart from human beings how the Almighty is gloried by other living creatures in their own ways.
``Seest thou not that it is Allah Whose praises are celebrated by all beings in the heavens and on earth, and by the birds with extended wings? Each one knows its prayer and psalm, And Allah is aware of what they do.''
(Qur'an 22:18)
Grave Yard - Our Stomach??
Any carcass or diseased would either be buried or burnt to mix with nature [5 gross elements], and the soul that stands as a witness of ALL good and bad deeds[karma] that the body has done, leading to decide our next birth which may not necessarily be human, and, which may be immediate or after millions of years that may be decided by the Almighty.
Coming back to gross body, the disposal of this dead human is done in a place called the "Grave Yard", and how about the disposal of carcass.? Some of them are eaten up and gets settled in human stomach? Does it mean that our stomach is a grave yard to dump dead animals (of course after cooking)? Is the stomach meant for dumping carcasses that we voluntarily kill for sense gratification and add bad karmas? Let us give a deep thought to it..........
Many (who take non-veg) would raise a very common question that, "are there not lives in plants and vegetables that we eat?" When we all are part and parcel of nature, let us check the solution with nature. We all have come to this planet to live a clean life, being aware of what we're doing to avoid bad karmas, and obviously, we ought to depend on something else for our living. Remember, the very vital point is dependency should not lead to greediness.
Does a herbivore[that which lives on eating plants/grass/vegetables] say, horse eat the flesh of another animal? Do lions or carnivores[that live on eating other animals] depend on grass and plants? but omnivorous[eat both plants and animals] do depend on both. For humans, situation demanded to be an omnivorous. When the thinking of human becomes self-centered, even the herbivorous becomes an omnivorous which is not warranted or uncalled for. This causes the bad karma in him when he goes against the laws of nature.
There are [self-centered] people producing innumerable chicks for the sake of flesh and money.
Injecting cows with rBGH, which stands for recombinant bovine growth hormone [Also known as bovine somatotropin or psostaglandin.] BGH occurs naturally in the cow's milk production system. Would the animal be healthy by injecting this hormone for crooked thought of man for money?
Practically, have the disease rate come down in the recent years? Are the number of medical practitioners, medical shops, hospital less in numbers despite advancement of science?
A word to people who respect religion, please let us realize the meaning of
"How long will the land lie parched and the grass in every field be withered?
Because those who live in it are wicked, the animals and birds have perished." Jeremiah 12:4
All animals belong to God (Psalm 24:1)
God cares for the animals (1 John 4:16)
Because those who live in it are wicked, the animals and birds have perished." Jeremiah 12:4
All animals belong to God (Psalm 24:1)
God cares for the animals (1 John 4:16)
Jesus identifies himself as
"The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." John 1:29
These are wonderful quotes which I happen to come across on different articles.
The Holy Quran
A man walking along a path was thirsty and finds a well. He descended into it and drank his fill and came up. Outside the well, he sees a dog looking at the water to drink but could not as the steps are conveniently built for human to reach the water. Looking at this, the man went down into the well and again brought water in his shoes for the dog. God forgave his sins for this action. The Prophet was asked: 'Messenger of God, are we rewarded for kindness towards animals? He said, 'there is a reward for kindness to every living being.'"
.
- The Holy Bible
"I require mercy, not sacrifice"
(Matthew 9:13 & 12:7)
The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
And the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
And the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
And a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall feed;
Their young shall lie down together;
And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The suckling child shall play over the hole of the asp,
And the weaned child shall put his hand on the adders den.
They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain;
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea.
And the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
And the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
And a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall feed;
Their young shall lie down together;
And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The suckling child shall play over the hole of the asp,
And the weaned child shall put his hand on the adders den.
They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain;
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea.
Isaiah 11:6-9
He who slaughters an ox is like him who kills a man.
Isaiah 66:3
Doom's Day
The Doomsday, the judgement day, end of yuga. You name it anything. This is the day the good and bad deeds of each soul will be judged. How are they done as per the holy scripts.
Three important factors that are very precious in human life, viz time, youth, and money. The ways how these three are spent will be judged. Thus, the fate of every being will be decided by itself not by the Almighty and hence HE gives the judgement for our deeds which we call it as 'fate'. We're are the cause of what we are now and, the good and bad that we face in our day to day life is the consequences of our deeds in our previous birth(s).
Maha Pralaya: End of all Universes
In Hindu cosmology, pralaya is the end of the universe and Maha Pralaya is the end of all universes that came out of the Almighty. The period of time of the cycle of existence of the planets where activity does not occur. According to computations of the Lord Brahmas, 4,320,000,000 years or 100 years of Brahma's period, the universes will come to an end. The period of activity, Manvantara, has the same duration.
Judgement Day
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the
earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw
the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and
another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out
of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw
the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and
another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out
of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
.........................(Rev 20:11-12)
Yawm al-Qīyāmah [ Arabic: يوم القيامة literally: "Day of the Resurrection") ]
On the hour, the deeds of every man or a woman in
his/her own book of deeds will be opened, and they will be apprised of
every action they did and every word they spoke. Childhood happenings are not
judged.
....................(Qur'an 54.52-53)
What are the pillars of Islam and other religious Organizations?
Islam:
Islam:
Shahadah - The Testimony of Faith [Oneness of Almighty & Prophet Mohammed (pbuh), the final messenger]
- Salat - Ritual Prayer
- Zakat - Obligatory alms giving.
- Sawm - Fasting.
- Hajj - The Pilgrimage to Mecca.
ISKCON - International Society for Krishna CONsciousness
- mercy - No meat eating
- austerity - No intoxication
- cleanliness - No illicit sex
- truthfulness - No gambling
2. What Islam says about meat eating?
- Towards meat eating, Islam's stand is neutral. A person can follow Islam by being a pure Vegetarian. Meat eating started with scarce in availability of food stuff in deserts and, gradually, people got addicted to the taste of it despite availability of food stuff other than flesh of animals and birds. It's all left to the individual's discretion. Now, the prevailing situation is, killing birds(chicken, turkey, etc) and animals(Goat, Cow, etc) in abundance for the sake of money and food and taking the refuge of holy books which is absolutely a self centered attitude.
- None of the Holy Books says that, "YOU DO NOT BELONG TO THIS RELIGION IF YOU DO NOT EAT ON ANIMAL FLESH".
For the personal reasons of making money, making use of addiction, people say, it is mentioned in this holy book, in our tradition, and so on.
Sources:
* Islam Awareness - Vegetarianism
Why is meat eating not accepted globally when it has more proteins. A very practical approach is appreciated ?
HEALTH
- Increase in Cholesterol level
- Very positive symptoms of cancer causing chemicals
- Depression
- Alarm from recognised Medical Foundations
- By Spending hard earned money and getting diseases - Is this a prudent thought?
- Skin Cancer
- Cholesterol
Health is Wealth. We think, meat eating is good for health. Adversely, bad results are more. The following gives a clear picture of the effects of meat eating.
Total Cholesterol:
- Less than 200 mg/dL Desirable
- 200-239 mg/dL Borderline high
- 240 mg/dL or higher High
- Source: National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP)
If the 'total cholesterol' level is in between 200 and 239 mg/dL, then the person is considered as being in the borderline risk category.
How many in population fall within this bracket?
- Only 1/3 of all people lie in this range. The obvious reason is, the habit of regular checkup with a doctor is very very less with many people who consume meat.
What happens if this level exceeds?
- High Risk of Heart Attack or Cardiac Arrest.
- High Risk of Stroke.
- Susceptible Coronary problems.
Sources - Cholesterol Issues
- Very positive symptoms of cancer causing chemicals
- 25% more chances of Cancer.
Sources:
- Meat Eating - Effects
MORAL
- Sinful Act
How animal killing is quoted in holy books?
- "CAUSE AND EFFECT" theory clearly indicates, What you sow, so is you reap. Knowingly or Unknowingly all actions have karmic effects. Do not think that who knows about what happens to life after death!!, Why not we be punished for our deeds which is also possible. When you believe in destiny, JUDGMENT DAY, Sure, you will get all your Good and Bad deeds back without an iota of balance. Think and Act. Don't get carried away by wrong interpretations or by not understanding the exact meaning of what is mentioned in "Holy Books".
- "Those who have done an atom's worth of goodness will see it and those who have done an atom's worth of evil will also see it" (Qur'an 99:7-8).
- Holy books have mentioned this very clearly.
Simple Tests:
- You can check your results with the nature. Let, for example, a baby[being Ignorant] touches fire[CAUSE]. By nature, the fire doesn't see who touches it, the fire would certainly burn the hand [EFFECT]. It is an unknowing act but there's no mercy in the severity of its Effect. It is very obvious that whether the person has the knowledge about it or not, effect is pretty much sure.
- When the mango seed is sowed, no fool would expect a banyan tree out of it. Your deeds are the seeds you sow. A person who has rational thinking would by now, have known the effect of Karma[work or deeds].
- None of the Hotels which serve your [meat] meal chants the holy name of Almighty with pure heart and then get you your favorite dishes. There is no ambiguity that the meat supplied to hotels, butcherer is not holy as it's all for commercial. Almighty doesn't do business. Knowingly or Unknowingly for the deeds of yours, you will be held responsible when you consume them. It is up to an individual to think rationally or to get succumbed to taste and fate.
Other Sources - A must read:
- Health Challenges - 6.8.2 - Dr Asim
- C.A.R.E - By Rev M.W.Shaw
- eBook - By Stephen Knapp
PERSONALITIES CONVERTED TO VEGETARIANISM
What are the comments from eminent personalities who have become vegetarians ?
Albert Einstein - Scientist and Noble Prize winner.
- "So I am living without fats, without meat, without fish, but am feeling quite well this way. It always seems to me that man was not born to be a carnivore."
- letter written to Hans Muehsam, and dated March 30, 1954,
- Source & Courtesy: International Vegetarian Union.
- "I have always eaten animal flesh with a somewhat guilty conscience."
Alice Calaprice is a Senior Editor at Princeton University Press and worked with the Einstein Papers for over twenty years.
- Source & Courtesy : International Vegetarian Union.
"Although I have been prevented by outward circumstances from observing a strictly vegetarian diet, I have long been an adherent to the cause in principle. Besides agreeing with the aims of vegetarianism for aesthetic and moral reasons, it is my view that a vegetarian manner of living by its purely physical effect on the human temperament would most beneficially influence the lot of mankind."
- Translation of letter to Hermann Huth, December 27, 1930. Einstein Archive 46-756
- Source & Courtesy: International Vegetarian Union
Adolf Hitler
- If I offer a child the choice between a pear and a piece of meat, he'll quickly choose the pear. That's his atavistic instinct speaking."
Adolf Hitler. December 28, 1941. Section 81, HITLER'S TABLE TALK
- Source & Courtesy: Adolf Hitler - A vegetarian
- Other Sources:Legends & Vegans
Let us ask these questions and come out with legitimate and truthful answers. Let us not mix our emotions to answer these questions.
- Do we really understand our surrounding environment, science, and nature?
- Are we humane in nature?
- Do we really believe in Almighty or just say that we belong to so and so religion just for the heck of feeling proud?
- Do we dare to decimate our own children or who're dearest to us?
- Can we not live without the flesh, the blood, and the curse of ignorant beings?
- Are we not a mentally balanced?
- Are we educated?
- Do we really have the guts to touch any of the holy books with conscience?