Cohesive Functioning

We have to consciously create institutions and systems that will become a catalyst to a positive change and bring about cohesive functioning of the society.

On Ground Zero issues

God is no more than our conscience.

Drake, I have pondered over this all my life - and comfortable with the belief that God is no more than our conscience; I read heaven and hell as sernity and anguish.

Religions are pluralistic by design

All faiths welcome the strangers, it is a tradition built in all religions.You may feel more at home the way Muslims worship, which is akin to meditation where there is no object of worship but the invisible, intangilbe, formless, energy is honored and sought to be in tune with it.

Indeed, that is the real bottom line in all faiths.

Pakistan Independence day

I wish a very happy Pakistan Independence day to all my Pakistani friends.

Now, it is your turn to bring independence to the millions who are going through trauma from the floods. My prayers to all those who have lost their lives and pray for the survivors to trust in the almighty for help to come.

We the people of the subcontinent also need to gain freedom from bias towards each other on religious, nationalistic or ethnic basis. We need to be free and achieve the Mukti, Nijaat, Nirvana, Moksha, Salvation and real freedom from our own littleness.

Article - http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2010/08/happy-indepdence-day-to-pakistan.html

BE YOURSELVES

BE YOURSELVES

It is liberating to be content with what you know and what you have,and not worry about what others know or have that you don't. Live your own life, be yourselves

Ramadan Mubarak - Happy Ramadan

Muslims around the world will begin fasting from Wednesday, August 11, 2010 and for a whole month thereafter.

Thanks to Washington post, they will publish three articles on Ramadan; The Politics of Ramadan, The Rituals of Ramadan and the Spirit of Ramadan towards the third of Ramadan.

True fasting is self-purification; and from this, a rich inner life brings about values such as justice, generosity, patience, kindness, forgiveness, mercy and empathy - values that are indispensable for the success of the community.Consciousness of behavior and vigilance over action are the most profound dimensions of fasting: the fasting of the heart focuses on the attachment to the divine.That is when Ramadan really becomes a source of peace and solace, just as Christmas goes beyond the rituals to bring forth kindness, charity and caring.For fasting to be truly universal, its benefits must extend beyond the fraternal ties of Muslims and must extend to forging a common humanity with others.

Fasting is meant to impart a sense of what it means to be truly human, and its universality is reflected by its observance in Bahai, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Sikh, Wiccan, Zoroastrian, other faiths and importantly the native traditions.

Mike Ghouse is a Speaker, Thinker and a Writer on Islam and Pluralism and is a frequent guest at Media offering pluralistic solutions to the issues of the day. His work is listed on 22 of his blogs and two websites listed at http://www.mikeghouse.net/

Peace is pluralistic

Individuals and nations cannot have peace exclusively, if others around them are in peace, then your peace is automatic. It is in the interests of individuals and nations to work for mutual peace. You cannot be safe if you threaten others; as you live in constant fear of getting run over in your vulnerable moments.

After death

Every one of us ponders about death and what happens after that. On one hand we want to believe we are eternal and continue after the physical death, and on the other we are not entirely convinced what happens. For centuries a variety of explanations have been offered, we want to believe them but are not satisfied, so the search continues.

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Mike - In preparing for tomorrow, I was reviewing everyone's presentation - thank you for your comments - yes, as you say, the search continues. We have a divine right to peace and my prayer is that everyone, regardless of what they believe about death, will find peace. Blessings, Marylou