Happy Thanksgiving :)

If you ever feel as if any part or anything in your life isn't quiet "enough", try practicing an attitude of thankfulness and you will soon begin to realize how good you have it after all. Gratitude is never so important as during those times when everything appears to be lost. Life gets so much better and easier when you adopt a gratitude attitude. Being thankful is what you need to be when you travel on that long but hopeful road to your destiny. Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving ~ Jai Krishna Ponnappan

"As we pause to thank Him for the blessings of the past year,
we must not forget to thank Him for the lessons we have learned through our difficult times.
We are not to be thankful for just the pleasant, easy things, but ALL things."
~Millie Stamm

"Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has many--not on your past misfortunes,
of which all men have some." 
~Charles Dickens

 

“Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.”
~G. B. Stern

"We are so taken up with the affairs of the present that we don't have time to give thanks for blessings of the past."
~John A. Broadus


"We tend to take all the gifts and pleasures and happiness and the joy without saying much to God. We take our health and strength, our food and clothing and our loved ones, all for granted; but the moment anything goes wrong we start grumbling and complaining and we say 'Why should God do this to me, why should this happen to me?'
How slow we are to thank and swift to grumble."
~Martyn Lloyd-Jones

"True thanksgiving means that we need to thank God for what He has done for us,
and not to tell Him what we have done for Him."
~George R. Hendrick

"A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues."
~Cicero

"Gratitude is born in hearts that take time to count up past mercies."
~Charles E. Jefferson

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."
~William Arthur Ward

"No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks."
~Ambrose of Milan


"Giving thanks to God for both His temporal and spiritual blessings in our lives
is not just a nice thing to do - it is the moral will of God.
Failure to give Him the thanks due Him is sin."
~Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins

"O Lord, who lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness."
~Shakespeare

"He who remembers the benefits of his parents is too much occupied with his recollections to remember their faults."
~Béranger

 "We never approach God without cause for gratitude.
Thankfulness, a duty and delight greatly prominent in the Bible, is the declarative mood of gratitude - a bright fire in the world's frigid zone,  the memory and homage of the heart,
a master force in soul-building, the greatest tonic faith has. Be ye thankful."
~Robert G. Lee

"I hate ingratitude more in man than lying, vainness, drunkenness or any taint of vice,
whose strong corruption inhibits our frail blood."
~Shakespeare

"Pride slays thanksgiving, but a humble mind is the soil of which thanks naturally grow.
A proud man is seldom a grateful man,
for he never thinks he gets much as he deserves."
~Henry Ward Beecher



"That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works."
~Psalm 26:7

"Life without thankfulness is devoid of love and passion. Hope without thankfulness is lacking in fine perception. Faith without thankfulness lacks strength and fortitude.
Every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road."
~John Henry Jowett

"To hear someone say 'Happy Turkey Day' makes me sad because they have nothing to be thankful for
and no one to whom to be thankful."
~Robert Flatt

"Perhaps it takes a purer faith to praise God for unrealized blessings than for those we once enjoyed
or those we enjoy now."
~A. W. Tozer

"We would worry less if we praised more. Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction."  
~Harry A. Ironside

"The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts.
No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving."
~H. U. Westermayer

"In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give,
and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich."
~Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"You say, 'If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.' You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled."
~Charles Haddon Spurgeon

"Thanksgiving is nothing if not a glad and reverent lifting of the heart to God in honor
and praise for His goodness."
~Robert Casper Lintner

"Our rural ancestors, with little blest, patient of labor when the end was rest, indulged the day that housed their annual grain, with feasts, and off'rings, and a thankful strain." 
~Alexander Pope

"Remember God's bounty in the year. String the pearls of His favor. Hide the dark parts, except so far as they are breaking out in light! Give this one day to thanks, to joy, to gratitude!"
~Henry Ward Beecher

“A thanksgiving-day hath a double precedency of a fast-day.
On a fast-day we eye God’s anger; on a thanksgiving-day we look to God’s favor.
In the former we specially mind our corruptions; in the latter, God’s compassions;
therefore a fast-day calls for sorrow, a thanksgiving-day for joy.
But the Lord’s day is the highest thanksgiving day.”
~George Swinnock

 "The Christian who walks with the Lord and keeps constant communion with Him will see many reason for rejoicing
and thanksgiving all day long."
~Warren Wiersbe

"No longer forward nor behind
I look in hope or fear;
But, grateful, take the good I find,
The best of now and here."
~John Greenleaf Whittier 

P.S ~ I wish you, your family and friends a very very Happy Thanksgiving 

Love & Regards,

Jai Krishna Ponnappan 

The Unity of Love: We Stand as One, When We Stand in Love

“Be ever faithful to that which exists nowhere but in yourself, and thus make the self in all of us indispensable” ~ Jai Krishna Ponnappan

Everything you want is out there waiting for you. Everything you want also wants you. But only the deepest of passions can know the glory of Love.

Torn by dust and darkness

I see this Light

Between blades of hate

And the lures of lust

I felt its strength

Raise a storm within my Heart

Between blades of hate and endless storms

I began to Live

When I found this Love

Our differences can never define us

They make us whole

They bless us with this Unity

When we stand as one

They bless us with this Unity

When we stand in Love

Entwined together in a moment

A rising Spirit towers through and above

Entwined by a breath of Love

Our Souls cry out in Joy

A strange Truth Speaks

To weary and worn but familiar Souls

Passing seamless and endless

Shattering through the veil that covers our Hearts

We feel its message

Light the lamp of Love

In Love the worst of misfortunes

Is worth the sweetest of treasures

To Love this way is to Live in Eternal Bliss

In Love the worst of pains

Is worth the blessings of birth…..a life renewed…..a Soul reborn

We become this treasure….. When we become this Love

 Wishing Heartfelt Love & Blessings to You All
~ Jai Krishna Ponnappan :)

In Search of Home

‘Home Is Where The Heart Is’:

Trust your heart ..... Follow your heart. 
It will never fail to show you the way. 

Finding Home

There is always a beautiful and untold story hiding behind each and every face I see. Learn to see through their eyes and you will find that Love is the beauty growing inside their Souls.
~ Jai Krishna Ponnappan

P.S~ Words can never compare to the wonderful stories you'll find in their eyes, if only you would look with your heart.

Love, Peace & Best Wishes to You All :)

The Underlying Spirituality of Chaos & Instability

In a profound sense every man has two halves to his being; he is not one person so much as two persons trying to act in unison.  I believe that in the heart of each human being there is something which I can only describe as a "child of darkness" who is equal and complementary to the more obvious "child of light."  ~Laurens van der Post

                This a comment in response to an interesting, eye opening and insightful post by my friend Cary Buchanan

‘I read an article on AOL business today about businessmen consulting psychics for the edge in business. Financial mogul J.P. Morgan, known for his ruthless manipulation of the markets, did not operate alone. In fact he would not make a single move on the stock market without listening to the advice of his psychic consultant, Evangeline Adams.’ He proudly proclaimed: "Millionaires don't use astrology, billionaires do."

This is an excerpt from a similar post,

‘…….In this challenging economy, when U.S. unemployment is far too high and our national and personal bank balances are much too low, one profession that continues to thrive -- and perhaps even benefit from all the uncertainty -- is psychics. According to Penelope, a "hands on healer and psychic medium" who charges $125 for an hour session, she has seen an increase in male customers amid these hard times.

 "I do think that [men] are more open now because I feel that they don't know where to go to get direction at this point," she says. "You're not going to your mortgage broker or your banker or your investment person for guidance because nobody really knows what's going to happen, everything's unstable. So they're looking for outside things, to have an edge, to understand the market conditions. There's all different variables for them."……..’

As read on, http://www.dailyfinance.com/2011/09/21/psychics-prosper-as-economic-fears-attract-new-clients/

The Power of Love is All Pervading, Its Intelligence is Omnipotent

People are like stained-glass windows.  They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.  ~Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

                                   As with all things of Power and Privilege, Dear Cary, an individual or group of people can either use such gifts and resources or abuse it left, right and center. There are good people and there are bad. In the game of Good vs. Bad, Light vs. Darkness, Hate vs Love, Greed vs. Humanity.....sadly it's not too hard to tell who is dominating the scene with all the prevailing and rampant oppression, manipulation, exploitation, intimidation, discrimination, war, violence and suppression. Unlike the conflict some may have been observant enough to study in America’s recent history this struggle has always been played out in older and more established cultures ranging from everyday life to politics, scandals, warfare, propaganda, trade and commerce. In other words this is not out of the ordinary; it has always been commonplace to those who are familiar with its pros and cons. My greetings and well wishes to those psychics, healers and astrologers who divine to do the right thing for the right reasons without defiling the sanctity and purity of their sacred traditions, gifts, faculties, ESP's, blessings  and customs. As for the rest who have chosen to become an abusive burden to their fellow being and serve the people who perpetuate their greedy, selfish and sadistic agendas through them, time and nature and all the very things that have brought such small but significant blessings and gifts to these men and women will themselves eventually correct and right the wrongs perpetrated by the likes of these that have gone too far astray. It is not too hard for the Truth in Love to turn the world in which these men live with all their advantages, ego and edge upside down overnight. They must learn to accept the greater advantages of humility, Love and everything else that comes with being grounded and selfless. All this wealth, knowledge combined with greed and an insatiable and irrational lust and thirst for power has only fed and fueled their arrogance as opposed to cultivating attitudes and habits of charity, collective thinking, social responsibility, morality and welfare. I wish a day will come when they too will have the chance to heal and redeem their Souls and the much neglected humanity that lay dormant in them. Masked and overpowered by the degenerate, vile and pretentious facades and hypocrisies they put on and exercise, such people must eventually find the road to reconciliation and peace, not just with the world in which they coexist but more importantly with themselves.

             
                   We live in volatile times that will only exceedingly increase in its intensity until change can set straight and purge the Souls of men enslaved and usurped by greed, selfishness, hate, violence and immorality. Only change can return the rightful place of Truth, Love, Light & Liberty in the hearts and minds of men. Thank you for the interesting and factual post, Cary. Regardless of how wealthy a man may fool himself to think he is there is nothing noble, noteworthy, admirable, memorable or respectable about men who neglect the world in which they live and confine themselves to the senseless overindulgence of securing and progressing their own affairs, propagandas and agendas. Like AOL's biased article posted on their newly acquired platform (The Huffington Post) aiming for Google. It is understandable and acceptable that they all have their own reasons to launch well timed, market and propaganda campaigns against those whom they compete with. Rather than being inspired by their rival's success it is amazing how quick they are to act contrary to what is in the best interest of all men. 

To Illuminate Is to Uncover The Simple Truth, To Enlighten is To Awaken, Sense, Live and Behold its Glow

Light gives of itself freely, filling all available space.  It does not seek anything in return; it asks not whether you are friend or foe.  It gives of itself and is not thereby diminished.  ~Michael Strassfeld

                      Although the average Joe or Jane maybe entirely naive of the Spiritual and worldly environment in which they live they must learn to loose their fears and they must learn to trust and learn to have faith, all in the hope that the Truth will triumph when the time is right and the time is ripe.

P.S ~ Everything happens for a reason, nothing is without a cause. As an after thought, keeping in mind some of my friends who may be reading this.....I know that this may not be so, but if that thought or feeling has ever crossed your mind and you feel like you are a Spiritual being living in a Spiritual world, and you are well and truly convinced that there are men out there who live and act in ways that make your circumstances, future and stay here unpleasant, miserable and difficult then please trust in the inevitable and inescapable dawn that awaits to shine its Light upon them.  

Brightest Blessings and Love To You All

~ Jai Krishna Ponnappan

CHILDREN OF THE WORLD: WE ARE LOVE

When opposite poles become one and the circle is made complete. Only then can the Truth revolve around a united and centered Human family. The reality we co-create is within us and the unity we have with all Life. The Peace that all men hope and long for requires everyone to be in the circle, for we are all worthy of Love, wholeness and inclusion ~ Jai Krishna Ponnappan

                         This speech is perhaps among the best that I have ever read. It is definitely worth a read because the speech is just as relevant today as it was 71 years ago. Regardless of your political inclinations, ideologies, priorities and religious views, I'd highly recommend you watch this video. I am sure that over the years the speech has had a truly profound impact on all of its audiences. I hope that it will have the same effect on you as well.

                         It’s old and many of you will have seen it in various forms over the years, this version may be the best of them all. The speech itself is from a comedy directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin. First released in October 1940, Chaplin plays two characters who look strikingly similar- a Jewish barber and a dictator who looks like Adolf Hitler. Near the end of the film, after a series of bizarre incidents, the dictator gets replaced by his look-alike, the barber, and is taken to the capital where he is asked to give a speech.

The full transcript of the speech can be found below the video.

I’m sorry but I don’t want to be an Emperor – that’s not my business – I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone if possible, Jew, gentile, black man, white. We all want to help one another, human beings are like that.
We all want to live by each other’s happiness, not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone and the earth is rich and can provide for everyone.

The way of life can be free and beautiful.

But we have lost the way.

Greed has poisoned men’s souls – has barricaded the world with hate; has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed.

We have developed speed but we have shut ourselves in: machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical, our cleverness hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little: More than machinery we need humanity; More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost.

The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men, cries out for universal brotherhood for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world, millions of despairing men, women and little children, victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people. To those who can hear me I say “Do not despair”.

The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed, the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress: the hate of men will pass and dictators die and the power they took from the people, will return to the people and so long as men die [now] liberty will never perish…

Soldiers – don’t give yourselves to brutes, men who despise you and enslave you – who regiment your lives, tell you what to do, what to think and what to feel, who drill you, diet you, treat you as cattle, as cannon fodder.

Don’t give yourselves to these unnatural men, machine men, with machine minds and machine hearts. You are not machines. You are not cattle. You are men. You have the love of humanity in your hearts. You don’t hate – only the unloved hate. Only the unloved and the unnatural. Soldiers – don’t fight for slavery, fight for liberty.

In the seventeenth chapter of Saint Luke it is written ” the kingdom of God is within man ” – not one man, nor a group of men – but in all men – in you, the people.

You the people have the power, the power to create machines, the power to create happiness. You the people have the power to make life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure. Then in the name of democracy let’s use that power – let us all unite. Let us fight for a new world, a decent world that will give men a chance to work, that will give you the future and old age and security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power, but they lie. They do not fulfill their promise, they never will. Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people. Now let us fight to fulfill that promise. Let us fight to free the world, to do away with national barriers, do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness.

Soldiers – in the name of democracy, let us all unite!

~ Charlie Chaplin

WHEN SEXISM BLINDS SCIENCE: THE FORGOTTEN WARRIORESS

Inside every relationship, human, spiritual, worldly or otherwise, it is important to first understand who’s coming into the relationship, it is not just you but the woman inside whose womb you and the rest of your fathers were fashioned and created. You understand yourself better when you know that her qualities, her face, her Spirit, her endless inner beauty and her Soul will always shine through you.
~ Jai Krishna Ponnappan
Dedicated in Loving Memory & Honor of Aryama

WHEN SEXISM BLINDS SCIENCE:


This is a comment in response to an interesting article I read today,

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2039636/Mother-tongue-Its-likely-come-father--alongside-sword.html

                 I know it's tough, even though it’s 2011 and much of what is considered as Western ideologies, rationale, philosophies, sciences, culture and outlook are more or less still clearly and firmly based and modeled around a not so ancient Greco-Roman & Anglican past. It is still very evident how hard it can be to try to uncover the Truth, concepts and facts when we are so fixated with only relating with the accepted norms of our way of thinking, world view and outlook, and nothing beyond it or outside it.

The only reason why some men avoid connecting the dots is because of constricting habits and preferences that defy and deny.

              Unfortunately like so many others before, this article/theory including the genetic studies that support it seems to have deliberately or unknowingly brushed aside well established scientific and anthropological truths about the legacy and dominance of matriarchal and matrilineal martial tribes, customs and traditions, not to mention the prevalent genetics that cuts right across the length, breadth and history of Europe, Eurasia, Central Asia and India. Being sexist is like being stuck in the dark ages or being in denial of who we are, our own past and genetic history..... Downgrading the central role that woman have played in our genetic, sociological and evolutionary history is merely a sad reflection of the existing condescending attitudes and shameful sexual disparities that plague the world in which we live.....I really want to keep myself from wondering what strange delusions can make an educated man think that an Agro-pastoral warrior such as a Celt or Viking would be less trusting, faithful and loyal to his Mother, wife and Sisters whom he regards as 'Goddesses', defenders and caretakers of his progeny, land and wealth . 

            Perhaps unlike me, some of their genetic cousins and their ancestors, they seem to have adopted a very different treatment and attitude towards women in general including their Mothers, Sisters, Partners and daughters. Indeed this is nothing short of a very disturbing trend that seems deplorable, artificial and unnatural to me. Sexism, gender disparity and an exploitative, unhealthy, unnatural and dehumanizing attitude towards women is by far one of the leading factors and root causes for many of our socio-economic woes, issues and societal imbalances.

          I Hope this will change someday soon....I trust that Nature has a very strange, mysterious and special way of fixing and correcting all her problems and the forces and ideas that cause them to perpetuate.

P.S ~ I wish to dedicate this message to her.....

In honor of her, 

THE FORGOTTEN MOTHER, 

THE FORGOTTEN SISTER, 

THE FORGOTTEN WIFE

THE FORGOTTEN DAUGHTER AND........

~ THE FORGOTTEN WARRIOR. 

             To Aryama or the mother, progenitor and matriarch of all branches and sub branches of ethnic, native and nomadic Aryans and her story as described in many ancient Hindu and Indoeuropean scriptures and folk lore predating written history. 

             Whether you are a woman or a man, please do not let obvious scientific contradictions, iconoclasm, false supremacists, ignorance, gender disparity, narrow mindedness  or obsessive and curtailing fixations damage your respect for women and the world cultures that were spawned, nurtured, preserved and strengthened by HER.

~ Jai Krishna Ponnappan

Love is an Eternal River

This is a response to an interesting question I came across today, 

Does love like sadness have a beginning, like the edge of time, no end?

~ Posted by my friend Catherine Nathalie Delaloye.

Thank You for this question dear friend, there is nothing more refreshing and inspiring to the mind, heart and Soul like Love.

                 Love is eternal, an endless river that flows beyond time. Love both feeds and transcends all.... thoughts, ideas, creation, time, distance, karma, distractions, pleasures, faces and places. It is like the rain that showers all souls from the heavens above, some are nourished by it yet others will eventually do so in time. Everything else all virtues, beings and worlds are strung upon it, like beads that hang from a necklace. 

                Sadness isn't the absence of Love it is a deep and innate sense of awareness that cuts through the illusion which keeps us blind to Love. Sadness is a deeper emotion, like guilt or remorse, it is like a deep yearning from within; it is something that has its purpose and place in time. Like all other imaginable things of meaning, virtue and value, Love is something more glorious, lustrous and valuable than all the treasures in all of existence. We are all capable of both giving and receiving, this all sustaining Spiritual currency. You can Love the Earth, Love all life, all of humanity, trees, animals, creatures both big and small, books, thoughts, ideas and inanimate things that no one cares about. Love is blind to the illusions and imagined differences that separate and divide us. The Spirit of Love illuminates like a lamp that brings to light all knowledge, it showers itself upon all its children equally. We would do well to walk in Love's footsteps, along this path by celebrating the equanimity that is germane to all Love. The most difficult and most beautiful instance of Love is to give that warmth in your heart to the very things that repulse you. Again, I call it unconditional equanimity, kindness, affection and Love. It is said 'Love your enemies...' . Do it every single day you live and I guarantee you that from their Souls to yours it will always flow back to you as a blessing that was willed and decreed from above.

              On a personal note I’ve come to realize the greatness of Love. I’ve come to understand the importance of Loving unconditionally. There is no greater religion, rule or Truth than the endless debt to Love one another as we Love ourselves. We are not alone here, all life, the open skies, the stars above and the Earth in all her glory are here with us, in this moment to share with us, Love us and strengthen us as we discover and heal are deepest bond with the source, that wonderful heart, an eternal fountain from where all Love flows endlessly and unconditionally.

                     I’d like to thank Catherine for her profound and wonderful question. Love is endless. It was always there. The illusions that blind us have a beginning and most certainly will be faced with an end, but Love will carry on. Every Soul in every heart, beats in its own sweet rhythm, asking to find and be guided back to its home in Love. Love is the answer to Love, everything else is brought to life and existence by the knowledge and the power that is Love.

May you all be blessed with the unparalleled Abundance that is Love.

Best Wishes & Regards,

Jai Krishna Ponnappan :)

WHEN LOVE COMES ALIVE

It's not for the beauty, the vanity, the worldly delights or the obvious superficiality.... but madly, deeply and profoundly for the most admirable and lovable virtues that come to light and glory from deep within another Soul. Such is the intelligence, the intensity and the purity of Love. You can not play with it. Love is no game, it cares little for the follies of your perishable flesh. Your existence is defined by what it depends on. Love gives so much and takes ever so little. A Love so true, so content, so pure and eternal is born between what dwells within and between my heart and yours. The intelligence of Love is ineffable but you can still experience its Truth somewhere in the depths of your Soul, in that special place within the intelligence that governs your heart. The truth in  my words will be the Love and the sweetness inside you. Love delivers those who wait to have it sanctified deep inside that sacred and special place within their hearts. 

  
This is a short message inspired by an article I read this morning. I've been writing about this subject for the last 2 years. It has come off like a plague that torments the very nature of Love ....I hope that someday men will learn to understand and distinguish between the Spirit and the flesh....between Love and Lust. I hope that someday the Lord will rid them of their Spiritual blindness. Love is so much more than a mere virtue but it can transform, transmute and become a virtue that truly captivates, captures and holds still the joy in your heart. Once you find it, don't let go of it, no matter what! Let it feed and be the Life and the bliss within you. Love is the most beautiful thing this existence will ever know, like how a child knows its mother. It's not a sin to have a heart, it's not a crime to go to a place that feels like eternity.
You'll find the article at,
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/judith-orloff-md/lust-love-difference_b_876162.html

 
P.S ~ Soul mates part ways when one decides to trust a stained and tainted deck of tarots. Love is not lost between the traps ensnared by the damned Souls among the dead or those forsaken ones who are haunted by it....I have been scorned since I was a child, saith Love....this world is burdened by those who dislike my ways and my Love. Selah. Yes, Moses did see a face, and your Soul hides in fear from  it. Love will bring us both together. My patience is endless and eternal, saith Love. My dear Angel of Love, you are alone today, but fear not, my flesh and my blood will honor  you with  its strength, for it seeks no other, it seeks the Truth in Love............  
~ Jai Krishna Ponnappan

To Love: A Note to Self

To Love, and to keep persisting and prevailing in endless and eternal love with strength, valor, resilience, honor and courage is the hallmark of those blessed Lion hearted Souls that serve, defend, protect and preserve the fragile, the weak, the meek and the defenseless. To surge ahead, undeterred and tireless, in the face of insurmountable odds, hardships, strife, struggles, dangers, miseries, oppression and ordeals. Striving to glorify and mark the victory of Love above fears, bondage, darkness and death. All eagerly marching forward, hearts entwined, seeking to liberate into their destiny by glorifying and offering their very existence and being as a sacrifice meant to honor that miraculous, all redeeming, imperishable and heaven sent blessing called Love.

The Spirit of Freedom ~ The Spirit of Love

The Spirit of Freedom is the Spirit of Love

This is a response made to a very valid, interesting and mind opening note made by my friend Princess Erika de Krutova on facebook,

 " I do not understand. America is so strong on freedoms. I have read your Constitution many times in an effort to incorporate some ideas and items into our country. How is it that freedoms can be taken away? Everyone in my country and almost all I know across Europe envy the American way of life and freedom it brings." - Princess Erika de Krutova


Some of the colorful and inspiring responses that were made.........


Simon Templar:"When considering American freedom you should start with the Declaration of Independence "We hold these truths as self evident..." Then move on to the Constitution. The Constitution is more of a document outlining how the national government should operate and the authorities it is granted. The first ten Amendments secure many of the freedoms that Americans enjoy. However, the power of big government is always a threat to those rights. The Constitution clearly states that those powers not enumerated within the document are reserved to the states and the people. However, the "New Deal" the federal government usurped many of those rights under the banner of the "Interstate Commerce Clause." The degradation of rights among the American people can be directly attributed to this one interpretation of the Constitution. Freedom is lost through fear. When fear enters our society the people willingly forfeit their freedoms so that they feel safe and secure. Therefore, you will always see some incident that creates fear in the people, economy problems, terrorism, etc. prior to the government removing rights and liberties. And always remember, there is the ideal of American freedom and the reality that those freedoms are always subject to a politician's interpretation........"

Sherry Lee: "Freedom cannot be taken away of heart mind and spirit but evil people empowered by satan want to enslave because that is the nature of the beast. They want to destroy happiness on the planet and light and fill every soul with terror. I have worked with these people. There is no logic, love or sanity in their universe. Only darkness. They create destruction. If they enslave a few they will enslave the world through advanced technology. I wrote a book about this. It is called 'In Satan We Trust'- Age of destruction. The devil gains whatever power he can. The foolish servants of the anti Christ dominate to get control. Anyone with half a brain knows this sick power won't stay in the hands of a few. It will spread and lead to world destruction unless it is stopped. This can't have a good outcome...."

Michael Scott:"Seems to be a combination of greed based economics and an evil need to change something established by a previous person in power. Freedom is a commodity it seems in so many ways and a country can go bankrupt in private and turn the tables of any constitution. There is much to say about this. I am so glad you are asking. It is wonderful to hear you interest and passions......"

My comment and response to add to this excellent discussion,

I agree with several of the valid points made by Simon. I strongly believe that this ' Ideal of American freedom' is still truly well within the reach of all Americans regardless of the political environment, primarily because this ideal and the very Spirit of it is something deeply rooted in the hearts and minds of almost every generation of American  to date. You must never alienate the fact that the capitalism we have here and the economy it supports has thrived alongside this freedom. Perhaps most of the doubts, wider issues, corruptions, fears and the rest of the problems we face today stem from the inherent flaws of capitalism, whether it is the uneven distribution of wealth, opportunities or the current ill health of our economy. For better or for worse, with time change is imminent and inevitable. As far as the ideas of corruption, uneven distribution of power and abuse of authority are concerned we are still in the infantile stages as compared to some of the well established cultural norms and structures elsewhere in the world. As long as Americans can still vote, Politicians can and will be replaced. As long as Americans still have a voice and some of the brave and pro active journalists continue to do their jobs we will always question, expose and root out any and every form of high handed corruption that threatens our freedom and liberty. Freedom is a rare quality, with many facets and dimensions. This ' Ideal of American freedom' is more than just a sentiment; it is immaculate and has no hypocrisy or so called evil infiltrating its definition since its birth several centuries ago. This is something emotional, psychological and most certainly something beautiful and spiritual that every American carries deep within his heart and mind. Psychologically, yes, I agree that fear comes and goes but most certainly it has a role and a part to play in giving us the window of opportunity to weed and root out some of the flaws and socio-economic problems we face today. Unlike many resentful perceptions, this Freedom is something very obvious in almost every generation of Americans. If you compare an average American with let’s say someone else there is something very obvious, unique and special in the way he/she is thinking, evolving and functioning, that sense of independence has a very strong personal side to it, which has been handed down from generation to generation and can rub off very easily on someone who is open minded and open hearted enough to accept the truth that is innate and germane to this freedom and to this nation. Perhaps the only serious threat that many of us overlook and side step is the fact that if what we face today continues to dwell and grow, creating an environment where corruption, high handedness and abuse of authority prevails and instills growing fears in the hearts and minds of our young working men and women, the youth of this nation and the new generation, then we risk creating a generational gap and may fail to propagate this gift of freedom to our children and to our future. This to me is very unlikely because of the level of awareness that is currently widespread among the educated, enlightened and bright minds that serve as the wheels, the engine, the fuel and the driving force of this nation. On a broader economic context, capitalism has its cycles, and just as they did during the great depression, the Americans of today will face and overcome this test with the strength of our Spirit. They will never fail to surge this nation forward and this ' Ideal of Freedom' is certainly somewhat of an untainted divine gift that serves as their God given right to continue to face their fears, problems and strive forward into a future filled with socio-economic and cultural evolution, opportunities to growth and prosperity for all, and the many countless gifts that come with carrying the ideal of freedom in your heart. The Spirit of freedom will never fail those who have placed their trust in it. That's what it takes to be an American. This, my opinion, is the Truth that I have had to live with, the Truth that I have observed and the Truth that I continue to study. It doesn't matter where you're from or where you're going, this sense of freedom will stick and stay with your Soul no matter what. As they say Freedom isn't free but it is worth so much more than all the gold in the world, and we treasure it with all our hearts and all our lives.

Many thanks to my friend Princess Erika de Krutova and her friends for providing such an insightful and eye opening discussion. I hope, pray and wish everyone the best of what the Spirit of freedom has to offer and give to all its children.

Love, Peace, Freedom, Best Wishes & Blessings to You All,

Jai Krishna Ponnappan :)

Sultana: The Impregnable Ways of Her Loving Soul

 

Behold the meaning of beauty, a delightful and worthy sight. Behold what even the Supreme turns its gaze to learn from. Among the greatest of gifts is the Spirit of the brave. To be born and to die. To challenge fear and darkness and come alive in between. For this fragile creature has dared to defeat the many faces of fear, and appreciate in its life the force of courage. To accept this legacy is to realize an untold victory. If men will speak of the brave, they will do so with pride because the victor was one among them, more glorious and gentle than the crowned Angels of Heaven. 

~ Jai Krishna Ponnappan   

                                                                                                 

Sultana: The Impregnable Ways of Her Loving Soul

A Spirit so true, pure and bold
Among the most beautiful of things
All of existence will ever know
A father's pride, a brother's joy and a husband's prize
She lay down in a place of rest and repose
Possessing all the beauty
Personifying ineffable and untold wisdom
Her ways are filled with a multitude of delightful virtues
Like Angels she carries each of them in the womb of her heart
Heaven holds a sense of wonder
How her thoughts can silence a storm
The kiss of her blade
Rains down waves of justice and peace
She moves the waters of the Heavens
As she blesses and nourishes the Earth with the works of her Love
Like a Mother's Loving embrace
Her touch can be gentle, nurturing, kind and humble
Here is an Art no Lightning and thunder can rival....
She will rise again....
Hungry in search of the things she adores
Ready to serve the ones she Loves
Brave and bold her ways are Immortal
Just as her Spirit is Eternal and Endless
She will rise again....
Noble, righteous, strong and virtuous
The Earth will manifest again....
Her most beloved of offspring
Filled with this beautiful, divine and wondrous Spirit
The weight of her footsteps will be welcomed by the Earth
An Age of joyous and delightful relief  

She will usher in with her Love.

~Jai Krishna Ponnappan

                                                                                                 

P.S ~ This is a poem I wrote today, inspired by the photo of a female warrior posted by my friend Mary Trainor-Brigham on facebook. I dedicate this to her and to all the women of the world. Be bold and you will bloom better and more beautiful than the best of the Earth's most colorful and scented flowers :)

Freedom is The Strength of The Soul: It Helps Love Find its Home in Your Heart

               Freedom is the Strength of the Soul that helps Love find its home in Your Heart. Guided by Love the Soul travels along the Long and winding path that leads it to its home in the everlasting heart within the Truth. 
   
              Among the many worldly, unworldly and surreal adventures and experiences that rock my Soul this note is a special dedication to the community at Soul Rock Nation.

              I recently shared a very powerful and enlightening experience exchanging ideas, moments and lessons with a younger Actor/Model friend of mine. I'd like to share with you all a brief prolog of the things that came about as thoughts, exchanges and emotions during that time.

              I’m glad to say that being young in this day and age still means being blessed with an innocent heart and an eager Soul. Working and living in Hollywood with that big city lifestyle all around you, can make it all the more vital and important for some of my young and eager friends and people such as myself, Artists and like minded professionals to have a strong sense of self realization, integrity, inner peace, balance, humbleness, faith and spiritual direction. Become what you aspire from deep within the needs and the longings of your heart and Soul. Avoid becoming what society, circumstances, opinions and people may suggest, dictate, force and pressure you to become. To do this is to be able to respect yourself and thus find the means and the heart by which to care for, Love and respect others. More importantly it means to be able to experience life with that most liberating of gifts called freedom. To live freely in the long run on both a mundane and a deeper and higher Spiritual level, makes it possible for us to pursue life with Liberty, and our Souls to pursue the bliss of Liberation. It is necessary to learn to find a way by which to lay a strong spiritual foundation and core within yourself and help lay the spiritual seeds for the same to transpire at its own pace in those around you. The goal is to be able to forge ahead with intent and focus and to cultivate and build on these very personal and unique experiences through life, and make it as creatively and spiritually progressive, self sustaining and meaningful as possible.

Every Seed has a Life of its Own: Lay the Seeds and Create a Strong Foundation with Roots that Run Deep

              It could be anything ranging from a simple yet radical piece of advice or an idea you introduce to someone, an experience you share with another, a brief conversation, a more subtle and stronger exchange of deeper and higher emotions. All of these are different ways in which to set forth a liberating intelligence in motion. Trust me every seed has a life of its own and a guiding intelligence innate within it that won’t rest until its purpose is served. A simple piece of advice and a few minutes of your time could mean a lot to someone, it could possibly have a deep and life changing impact on them and possibly their family, friends and those around them. Sometimes you may not really witness the change because this form of spiritual initiation and how it evolves and unfolds is unique to each person in question, sometimes the seeds may lay dormant until the circumstances and environment are more favorable and nurturing. On the contrary the seeds of sin are just the same for they lay dormant and ever present in your intelligence and intellect. And at times when the mind is weak, the body is tired and your faith and free will are off guard, the underlying intelligence of this seed can grow, cause malefic action and sin to bear fruit to more sin. It is funny how easy it can be to tame and root out the seeds of sin in every form once you have cultivated the many faculties of your very human higher-self and developed a clear understanding of the psychological, emotional and spiritual mechanism that defines these seeds of intelligence and knowledge in you.  

The Joy of Creation is entwined with Freedom

               We live in an increasingly materialistic Society where there is an alarming and growing emphasis on money and the sensual experiences and things that it can buy. There is also an accompanying, and very unfortunate and sad decline in the value placed on human life and human dignity. Where the fundamental rights of one person is very readily denied by the other or the immediate human collective around him/her. Justice even with the most highly respected and expensive attorneys and lawyers can be very hard to come by and injustice seems to spread itself rapidly like a tormenting fire that first takes down the branch and then threatens to turn into ashes the entire tree. When a child is born it has an essential and rudimentary need to breathe and as a person grows older he still has to be granted the essential freedom to breathe emotionally, psychologically, creatively and spiritually. Given today’s lifestyle people increasingly associate their identity and expand the definition of their false ego with the clothes they wear, the cars they drive, the houses they live in, their occupation, their employers and all the other mundane and finite things they acquired slowly. This becomes a burdensome extension of their identity and their false sense of ego. If you were to look at the way a child relates to its world freely it hasn’t quiet entangled itself with any of these things, it has barely got its mind wrapped around the idea that its flesh is who it is or the notion of ‘I am what I see, feel, sense, perceive and own’. The intelligence of its Soul is still free of the illusion that is the ego. Just as you can tell when you look into their eyes that every child is special and unique, so are the Souls within those eyes. The Soul continues to have this need to be free of the illusory effects of the ego and the sensual things that we wrongly associate our identities with. The danger is off course that it has become very difficult to achieve this creatively and spiritually empowering sense of freedom even through intense meditation thanks to the enormous proportions that the false ego is allowed to take on in a society such as ours. My actor friend was shocked to find out that she really didn’t know who she was when she stripped herself and her mind off  of the money, expensive clothes, tastes, boy friend, car, house, opinions, emotional strings, pride, vanity, beautiful blonde hair, high maintenance lifestyle, insecurities, entanglements, habits, compulsive social engagements, vocations etc… etc. She didn’t know who she was, or what she wanted and where she was going with her Life. She had inadvertently become a slave to her ego and the things, pleasures and people it associated with, and everything else that fed it. She joked about becoming a rich, powerful soulless zombie (real creatures that have come back to life thanks to the films, young urban pop culture, social conditioning and the trend here in tinsel town). Well, she discovered a neglected train wreck when she finally managed to do some deep and profound Soul searching and look inside herself, but at least now I’m glad that she managed to see the Truth as it was and ceased to be a powerless slave to the lie that she believed and embraced as and when it was fed to her. It is a priceless gift to develop a sense of inner clarity, and it serves as a powerful tool that can expose the Truth to those who sincerely Love, serve and seek it, both within themselves, others and the environment around them. It is like being able to see and perceive the Truth in the world with your eyes closed, a special type of spiritual and divine vision with which to behold and understand all things both beautiful and wicked as the Truth in them defines it to the Truth in you. You can always create and recreate all these worldly things like wealth, fame, honor, comfort, riches, relationships etc. with the tiniest amount of intelligence, will power, creativity and faith. But at all times be sure to give the Soul and the Self within the Soul its rightful place above the temporal and finite ego. Stay on top of the ego at all times to govern, tame and control it, never succumb to its illusions or let your Soul become a slave to its blind, demanding, depleting, degrading and binding servitude. Use it like the masks an actor adorns and carefully inscribes and takes off depending on the roles that he plays on stage and in real life. My advice to her when we last spoke was to strive to identify and correct the flaws she came across within herself and more importantly her self-perception, and see how drastically it alters her perception of the world and the people around her. Your intentions to overcome these flaws within yourself slowly but surely will transform into a mission to help others surmount their own struggles, flaws and challenges in Life 
 

        Freedom: The Life & Spirit of the Fruitful Tree

                 If you were to travel around the world and meet people from all walks of life, cultures, businesses, professions and craft, trust me I guarantee you that you’ll notice that the elite that thrive, flourish and grow the most are the ones that have been granted an abundance of this freedom. You will see it not only in each person in the form of their behavior, inner character and the things that they do, but more importantly in the synergistic vibe of the environment that surrounds them. It’s like they literally feed off of a bounty of freedom innate in the people, opportunities and the environment that surrounds them. Freedom is a quality with many dimensions. If you are like me… multi-dimensional and complicated with a passionate eye for detail you would probably look for it in the psychological makeup, intellectual exchanges, emotional expression and the ambitions and intentions of those who seem to feed off of this powerful blessing called freedom.


         I understand that Life can be short, and resources and connections can only go so far for many people who have but an everyday grasp of the realities, forces and principles that govern all things mundane and Spiritual. It can be a hard pressing dream to try and change the world overnight, but my advice to you would be to change your attitude towards others, yourself and your perception of the world instead. ‘Love thy neighbor as you Love thyself.’ And if you don’t Love yourself start doing it right now, it will be your very first step towards perceiving the all pervading realities of the Truth and you will have a life time full of loving still left to do. Take it day by day, one small step after the other and one person at a time. For there is immense victory in doing this, the Truth in it can set you free in more ways than you can possibly imagine. It can set you free for an Eternity. The idea is to learn from the success, lessons and failures of others that have tried to overcome these internal and external obstacles that impede their innate need for freedom and spiritual growth. Treat them as teachers and then try your best to incorporate these lessons into your own life and help evolve the hidden intelligence within your Soul that is ever eager to inspire, expand and grow creatively beyond all the beautiful wonders that your dreams and imagination can possibly fathom. 
   
          My deepest and most sincere Love to you all, and especially to those who have cared to read and understand the deeper meaning of these words that have helped clarify, transform and unveil a Soul’s purpose and sense of belonging in this world.

          I’m grateful to my friend for having entrusted me with the task of paving the way for her. I’m glad to say that her days are now filled with real happiness and she finds her life to be more authentic, beautiful and meaningful. Thank You for permitting me to write about this story, both yours and mine.

A Note: My Deepest Respect, Regards & Apologies

                 On a more personal note, spiritually reclusive as I am, I’m thankful to the Supreme for having made many instances of these acts of devotional service, Love and the rest of it all possible for me and my dear friends. Just as some men trust and rely heavily on their guts, instincts, prayers, experience and intuition, I rely heavily on these and the spiritual guidance, wisdom and mandates my Soul receives; this can happen only if you are perpetually situated in a state of Yoga or union with the Supreme. Before I act out even the most simplest of things I fully place my faith and free will in the Loving hands of that which guides, controls and commands my eyes to read, my stomach and flesh to meet, deprive or satiate its attributed needs, and my senses to engage outwardly or inwardly in this world. Perhaps you can guess and tell from my name that I have my lineage, ancestry and its endogamous heritage, liberating values, principles, customs, scriptures and culture to be thankful for. Although outwardly it may seem like many such like minded Souls live worldly lives, inwardly although it may be very hard for the untrained eye to discern, they truly are still progressing and maturing spiritually in their association and union with the Supreme. My apologies to members of my ethnic community and teachers, who perhaps consider and strongly believe it to be more apt, befitting and appropriate to live a spiritual life that is more reserved, private and reclusive; Focusing on my Karmic, social, professional and moral duties and obligations rather than the perpetuation of wisdom and Light to those who may or may not try to learn from it, tarnish it or see reflections of their own self indulgence, desires and vanity in it. My ethnicity, culture, native language, heritage and its ways are dying and being replaced by my own people who have adopted and chosen the ways of the larger herd. I don’t have it in me to do such a spineless and dehumanizing thing when I know I can be both flexible, respectful and strong, my identity is evolving and transforming in a respectful, rational, cultured and civilized manner like it has done for so many others over several millennia. To those who want to throw their authority, ego, base values, worldly ideas, addictions, obsessions and powers around and upon people such as myself, you are more than welcome to try your luck, waste your time, strength and resources. Why use cooperation and prosperity as a pretentious facade for exploitation and give me your coins and treasures when I have no greed, need or use for them. Surely amidst your haste and burning desires you must have overseen the Truth that I have my own and the means and wisdom to multiply my blessings. The Truth weighs the hearts of men as it pierces through the blinding clouds of illusion to reveal itself to those that are deserving and worthy of it. Isn’t it foolish to tell someone who they are or who they should be when they have it in the resourcefulness of their own Soul, intelligence, flesh and the many facilitating processes and blessings of life to discover and define their own story and ever evolving identity? So let them use their freedom and its true meaning to do this. To get to know your own Soul is to know the Soul of the Supreme, the creator, the Divine Spirit, the whole of creation and all of existence, its many expressions, energies and diverse forms. Why not do it when you have all the human and spiritual faculties and the means? I might as well disseminate these words of value here in the West as life presents people and opportunities that are more receptive and enquire of me to do so. I always persist in staying very humble, grounded and blissfully engaged in meditating and serving the Supreme. And the Truth persists, steady, strong and eternal regardless of whether you believe in it or not, it is indifferent and seemingly oblivious to the wild sways of the disillusioned, entangled and conditioned. But remember that its considerate correction, Love and grace are always available to you. The Truth may remain a myth to those who deny it or choose to dwell in the cowardly comforts of ignorance, insatiable desires, lust, sensual excesses and darkness. I see no harm or sin in selflessly going out of my way to help someone who approaches me and requests me for my time, kindness, advice and favor.
  
                The world isn’t a perfect place filled with perfect beings but perhaps together, you and me can stand this test and walk a step closer towards making it so. Divine Grace is truly a beautiful, universal and boundless wonder that applies to all existence and all humanity; it can empower and strengthen faith with each passing moment and fill it with the miracle of heartfelt Love, the mystery of the absolute Truth and the sheer magic of zestful devotion.
  ~ Jai Krishna Ponnappan
P.S ~ Love, Light, Freedom, Hope & Blessings to you All :)