Human life is a precious gift that is best utilized for the search of the sublime, the good, the beautiful, and the eternal reality which is joy itself. Such words may appear trite to some, true to some, and irrelevant to still others. Certainly, in the middle of the ups and downs of daily living it is easy to become cynical and bitter about the world around us. We have all endured loss in one form or another and there is no one who has not experienced some shock or tragedy at some point in his or her life.

If you listen to the T.V. news even a few times a week, it seems like the whole world is caught in a whirlpool of suffering. There are endless disputes and wars going on. Human beings are fighting, torturing, or killing each other in the name of religion, God, race, territory…

In this commercial age, everyone has to periodically run out and buy gifts and cards for their lovers, friends, and family on various occasions. However, true love from the heart remains the most practical gift which is suitable for giving on any holiday, be it Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Diwali, Easter, Eid, Hanukkah, Holi, or some other special occasion. It is the only gift which multiplies in value as it is sent out.

Dear Harsha,

I would like to share my current thoughts on Ahimsa, the Indian Philosophy of Nonviolence advocated by Mahatama Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King.

As I look around me at the high school shootings, bombings of embassies, and wars going on all over the world, I can’t avoid looking at Ahimsa. The state of the world is obviously a manifestation of the current level of consciousness and I believe that until we raise the level of consciousness, wars and violence will continue.

Once Sri Ramana was asked, “How does a grihastha (householder) fare in the scheme of Moksha (liberation)?” The Maharshi said, “The obstacle is the mind. It must be got over whether at home or in the forest. Renunciation is always in the mind, not in going to the forest or solitary places, or giving up one’s duties. The main thing is to see that the mind does not turn outward but inward.” (Talk 54).

We often have the idea that our spiritual and religious beliefs and truths are absolute. However, psychologists tell us that where we are born, how we are brought up, the values of our parents and friends, and systems of education we are exposed to have an enormous influence on our thinking and how we perceive reality.