Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu Biography

Lao Tzu was a man from the Qu Ren village, Li district, Ku Prefecture from Chu Land. His family surname was Li, his first name was Er, his nickname was Dan.

Lao Tzu is believed to have been a Chinese philosopher (a person who seeks to answer questions about humans and their place in the universe) and the accepted author of the Tao te ching, the main text of Taoist thought. He is considered the father of Chinese Taoism (a philosophy that advocates living a simple life).

The main source of information on Lao Tzu's life is a biography written by the historian Ssu-ma Ch'ien (145–86 B.C.E. ) in his Records of the Historian. By this time a number of traditions or beliefs about the founder of Chinese

Taoism were going around, and Ssu-ma Ch'ien himself was unsure of their authenticity. The biography in fact contains an account of not one but three men called Lao Tzu.
The first Lao Tzu was a man named Li Erh or Li Tan, who came from the village of Ch'üjen in the southern Chinese state of Ch'u. Li Erh served as historian in charge of the official records in the Chinese imperial capital of Loyang. He was a peer of the famous Chinese philosopher Confucius (551–479 B.C.E. ), and he is reported to have given an interview to Confucius when he came to Loyang seeking information on the Chou ritual.

Another man identified as the founder of Taoism was Lao Lai Tzu, who also came from Ch'u. He is said to be a person of the same age as Confucius and is credited with a fifteen-chapter book explaining the teachings of the Taoist school. Nothing more is known about the second Lao Tzu.

According to a third account, the original Lao Tzu lived 129 years after the death of Confucius. This man went by the name of Tan, the historian of Chou. Actually, it is impossible to prove the historical accuracy of any of these accounts. Lao Tzu is not really a person's name and is only a complimentary name meaning "old man." It was common in this period to refer to respected philosophers and teachers with words meaning "old" or "mature." It is possible that a man who assumed the pseudonym (assumed name) Lao Tzu was a historical person, but the term Lao Tzu also was used as a substitute title to the supreme Taoist classic, Tao te ching (Classic of the Way and the Power).

According to Ssu-ma Ch'ien, Lao Tzu had been serving in the Chou capital for a long time. He became unhappy with the dishonest political situation and decided to go into retirement. As he was passing through the Hanku Pass west of Loyang, the gate-keeper stopped him and asked him to write down a book of his teachings. Lao Tzu then composed a book of five thousand sayings in two sections that described the theory of the tao and te. This book was then known as the Tao te ching.

Lao Tzu is frequently associated with the other famous early Chinese thinker, Confucius. There are numerous stories about debates that supposedly took place between these two great philosophers in which Lao Tzu was always the winner. These stories are undoubtedly anti-Confucian publicity circulated by members of the Taoist school, perhaps as early as the fourth century B.C.E.

Sufi Master Mevlana Jalaluddin Muhammad Rumi

Mevlana Jalalludin Mohammad, the Persian Sufi Sage and Poet, was born in Balkh on the 30th September, 1207. His proper name was Mubammad, title Jalalludin and later "Khudawandagar", "lord". In his poetry he used the pen-name "khamush" (meaning "silent") and from the 15th century came to be known as Mawlawi, the term deriving from his earlier title of Mulla-yi rum, "the learned master of Anatolia". His disciples, such as Ahmad Aflaki called him "The Greatest Mystery of God" (sirr Allah al-a'zam), while the Persian speaking world usually refers to him as Mawlana. In the West where his fame has spread steadily since the 19th century he is usually known as Mevlana Jalalludin, (meaning from Roman Anatolia).

Mevlana Jalalludin's father Muhammad ibn Hussain Khatibi, known as Baha' al-Din Walad (entitled Sultan al-'ulama'), was an outstanding Sufi in Balkh. He is the author of the Ma'arif , a masterpiece of Sufism, which left its mark upon Mevlana Jalalludin's Mathnawi.


When Mevlana Jalalludin was about twelve or thirteen years old (around 1220), Baha al-Din Walad left the eastern provinces of Persia with his whole family and a group of disciples and travelled westward. This may have been as a result of the threat of invading Mongol armies. It is said that in Nayshapur he met the renowned Persian Sufi poet Farid al-Din 'Attar and presented Jalal al-Din to him. Apparently Sheikh 'Attar was very impressed by the young Mevlana Jalalludin, and told Baha' al-Din Walad, 'soon this son of thine shall set the spiritual aspirants of this world afire'.

From Nayshapur Baha' al-Din Walad and his entourage set out for Baghdad where they were highly respected, meeting many of the scholars and Sufis of the city. From there they went to the Hejaz and performed the pilgrimage at Mecca. It was after this journey that most likely as a result of the invitation of 'Ala', al-Din Kayqubad, the ruler of Anatolia, Baha' al-Din came to Asia Minor and finally settled in Konya, a city associated with his family to this day. The family of Baha' al-Din Walad was welcomed warmly in Konya, which was witness at this time to many immigrants from the eastern cities of Persia, since Anatolia offered a peaceful haven in the Islamic world during the turbulent years of the Mongol invasion. Baha' al-Din rapidly gained fame as a religious scholar and Sufi and died with honor when Mevlana Jalalludin was 24 years of age.

Around a year after his father's death, Mevlana Jalalludin met Burhan al-Din Muhaqqiq Tirmidhi, a Sufi master of high quality who was himself a disciple of Baha' al- Din Walad. It was through Burhan al-Din that Mevlana Jalalludin inherited the spiritual heritage of his father and became initiated into the mysteries of Sufism. For nine years Mevlana Jalalludin practiced Sufism as a disciple of Burhan al-Din until the latter died in 1240-1. During this period Mevlana Jalalludin also travelled to Damascus and is said to have spent four years there.

Having become a master of both the Shari'ite sciences and Sufism, Mevlana Jalalludin established a circle around him in Konya, and from around 1240 to 1244, he was occupied with teaching, meditating, helping the poor, and other activities of a religious scholar. It is said that he was a popular teacher and that as many as four hundred students attended his formal classes. In 1244 Mevlana Jalalludin's life was transformed through his encounter with Shams al-Din Tabrizi, who had entered Konya that year after spending some time in Baghdad. Shams was a mysterious and powerful Sufi, who fled social connections. Even his death remains a mystery and he has several tombs which have remained sites of pilgrimage, to this day.

There is no doubt that Shams al-Din Tabrizi was not just a Sufi master for Mevlana Jalalludin. had already practiced Sufism for many years before meeting Shams al-Din. It seems, rather, that Shams al-Din had a spiritual influence on him. Mevlana Jalalludin was the type of Sufi who needed spiritual companionship in order to express himself in words. The companionship that Shams al-Din provided, was so powerful that it transformed the sober teacher Mevlana Jalalludin, into an ecstatic poet. The first poem ever written by Mevlana Jalalludin is in a letter to Shams, and from the time of their encounter until Mevlana Jalalludin's death, the latter never ceased to compose poetry. The spiritual, friendship between these two towering figures is rare in the history of Sufism and has become proverbial in the East.

Harassed by some of the disciples, who had become jealous of the fact that Jalal al-Din spent all of his time with Shams, the latter left Konya. Mevlana Jalalludin became so distressed that he sent him many letters and messages containing his first poems in Persian and Arabic and finally, after having discovered that he was in Damascus, sent his own son Sultan Walad after him. Shams finally accepted to return to Konya, he stayed at Mevlana Jalalludin's home and again the mystical conversation began, leading to a renewed jealousy among some of Mevlana Jalalludin's disciples. On the night of December 5, 1248, as Mevlana Jalalludin and Shams were talking, Shams was called to the door. He went out, and was never seen again. It is believed that he was murdered. The mystery of his absence engulfed Mevlana Jalalludin's world and he searched for him for two years travelling as far as Damascus, but to no avail. It was there that he came to the following realization:

Why should I seek? I am the same as he.
His essence speaks through me.
I have been searching for myself!

Mevlana Jalalludin returned to Konya, began his open instruction of Sufism and devised the spiritual dance (sama), for which the Mawlawi order has been famous for the past seven centuries.
The rest of Jalal al-Din's life from 1249-50 to 1273 was the period of dissemination of Sufism and the esoteric sciences contained in it. He trained numerous disciples, some of whom like Salah al-Din Zarkub Qunyawi and Husam al-Din Chalabi were themselves spiritual guides. According to Mevlana Jalalludin, Husam Chelebi was the one who understood the vast, secret of the Mathnawi, that great work that shifts so fantastically from theory to folklore to jokes to ecstatic poetry. For the last twelve years of his life, Mevlana Jalalludin dedicated the six volumes of this masterwork to Husam.

In December 1273, Jalal al-Din fell ill. He knew that the moment of encounter with the Beloved was near, a moment which for him could not but be the most joyous moment of life.

Evergreen Master Jesus-The Great Master Jesus Teachings

Once he taught on a mountainside near the Sea of Galilee. He told people how they should live so that they would be happy and pleasing to God.

He told them to be peacemakers; they would be called the children of God.

He told them to love their enemies, and to do good to people who hated them. They were to pray for people who mistreated them.

He said they were to be like salt, like a city on a hill and like a light that would light the way for others. His followers were to be a good influence on others and try to get other people to do the right thing.

He wanted people to share with others out of love for them.

"Do not judge others", he told them. "And don't worry about things. God will take care of you."

In Matthew 5:17, Jesus says:
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them."

In this passage, which is part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that he didn't intend to abolish the old Jewish religious laws, such as the Ten Commandments and the various regulations on marriage, inheritance, property rights, diet, and similar matters.

But he often did re-interpret these laws, or add to them, sometimes in very radical ways. As a result, some of his teachings were very controversial. According to Luke 4:28-30, some people in his hometown of Nazareth became so angry at him that they tried to throw him off a cliff.

Even today, some of his teachings still seem very radical to many people. Here are some of the best-known examples:

Violence
In Matthew 5:38-39, Jesus says:


"You have heard that it was said, 'eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also."

Some Christians, such as the Amish, the Mennonites, and the Quakers, try to strictly adhere to this principle of non-resistance. Some of them have been put in prison, or even executed, for refusing to participate in wars.
In Matthew 5:44 Jesus says "Love your enemies." Some people interpret this to mean that you should try to help them rather than harm them. Others say that any needed punishments should be left to God.

But many modern Christians consider these ideas to be unrealistic. They believe that it is sometimes necessary to defend oneself, or even to launch the initial attack. Many people also believe that evil-doers must be punished for their crimes, or at least locked up to prevent them from doing further harm.


Wealth
In Mark 10:25, Jesus says:


"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God."
Some scholars think that the word "camel" in this statement resulted from an accidental mis-copying of a very similar word which meant "rope". Thus, Jesus may have actually said "It is easier for a rope to go through the eye of a needle ...", which is a more natural metaphor.

But whether he said "camel" or "rope", his point was that it is very hard for a rich person to go to heaven. In fact, Mark 10:17-22 indicates that the only way a rich person can go to heaven is, in Jesus' words, to "sell everything you have and give to the poor." Some people try to avoid this conclusion by pointing to Mark 10:27, which says "all things are possible with God." Thus, God can make it possible for a rich man to go to heaven. Certainly this is true. But the context of the statement indicates that God would accomplish this by inspiring the rich man to reform his life and willingly give his money to the poor.

Jesus also warned against the accumulation of wealth on several other occasions. In Matthew 6:19 he says "do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth", and a few verses later, in Matthew 6:24, he says "You cannot serve both God and Money". In Luke 6:24 he says "woe to you who are rich." Jesus disapproved of wealth because he thought it was wrong for some people to live in wasteful luxury while others starved.
According to the Book of Acts, his original followers tried to live by these teachings after he left them. They formed a community in Jerusalem, known as the Nazarenes, in which everyone "had everything in common" (Acts 2:44), and any new member had to sell his or her possessions and give the proceeds to a common fund.
But many modern Christians disagree with these ideas. They see nothing wrong with acquiring money and wealth. And people who do become wealthy are often admired by others.


Non-Marital Relationships
In Matthew 5:28-30, Jesus says:


"But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell."
In an effort to follow this teaching, some people have become hermits, or found other ways to live in total celibacy. Some of the men in the Heaven's Gate cult even castrated themselves. But most people aren't willing to take such drastic measures, and many doubt that it's really necessary.

Compassion and Forgiveness


The teachings quoted above are examples of what are sometimes called the Difficult Teachings of Jesus, because most people find them very hard to follow. Their radical nature has led some people to call Jesus an extreme moralist. Others have called him a utopian dreamer, a social or political reformer, or even a communist.

But whatever else he was, he was also a person of great compassion. He had very strong feelings for the poor, the downtrodden, the outcasts, and the persecuted, and he was keenly aware of the oppression and injustice that kept them in their place. This is why he condemned greedy people who live in opulence while so many others suffer in poverty.

Jesus also had a very strong willingness to forgive. He believed that everyone deserves another chance. A good example of this is his teaching about turning the other cheek: Not only should you instantly forgive a man who strikes you on one cheek, but you should also turn your other cheek to give him a chance to see his error and realize the need to reform himself.

Jesus probably didn't mean it literally when he talked about gouging out eyes and cutting off hands. Most likely he was simply using hyperbole to emphasize his point. But the mere fact that he could talk in this way provides another example of just how strong his convictions were.

Of course most people can feel compassion, and most people have some willingness to forgive. But few, if any, have ever felt these emotions as deeply as Jesus did, or had as strong convictions as he did. That difference may explain why some of his teachings seem so radical to us.

Meditative Work
At the last steps on the way to the Bridal Chamber,
spiritual warriors have to perfect themselves not only
intellectually and ethically, but in the psychoenergetical
respect as well. That is, they have to transform the energy of the consciousness, making it more and more subtle, large, and detached from the body. It is called meditative work.
Jesus and His disciples had no intention to leave to
people a special description of meditative work. But its
general principles and stages were outlined in the Gospel of Philip. Below are some excerpts from the Gospels
and Epistles that contain information on this subject.
“The Kingdom of God is within you!” (Luke 17:21)

“Truly I say to you, whoever shall not receive the
Kingdom of God as a lit le child (that is openly, with sincere joy) shall in no way enter into it!” (Luke 18:17)
“… The Kingdom of Heaven is taken by eff ort!”

(Mat  11:12)
“Sky and the Earth will roll up in your presence (i.e.
they become small when you become large and merge
with the Father), and whoever is Living from the Living
One will not see death.

“… Those who have found themselves (there), of
them the world is not worthy!” (The Gospel of Thomas,
111)

“Damn the fl esh that depends on (other’s) soul. Damn
the soul that depends on (its own) fl esh!” (The Gospel
of Thomas, 112)

“… The Eternal Spirit, dwelling in the state of complete Calm and of Supreme Beatitude, awoke and manifested Itself for some period from the Eternal Beingness,
so as to show (people) in the guise of humanity the means
of uniting with Divinity and of at aining the Eternal Felicity, and to demonstrate by example how man may at-

tain moral purity, separate the soul from its mortal coil,
and achieve the Perfection necessary for entering into
the infi nite Kingdom of Heaven, where Eternal Happiness reigns.” (The Life of Saint Issa, 4:2-4)
“… What is your life? It is a vapor, which appears
for a lit le time, and then disappears…” (James 4:14)

“Do not love this world, nor the things in this world.
If anyone loves this world, the love of the Father is not
in them, because all that is in this world, the lust of the
fl esh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life… is
of this world!” (1 John 2:15-16)

“The world does not know us, because it did not
know Him!” (1 John 3:1)

“… If the root is holy, also the branches (are holy)!”
(Rom 11:16)

“… We look not at the things which are seen, but the
things which are not seen; for the things which are seen
are not lasting, but the things which are not seen are
everlasting!” (2 Cor 4:18)

“… We know that if our earthly house, this tabernacle (body) dissolves, we have a building from God, an
eternal house in Heaven. For indeed in this we groan,
earnestly desiring to be clothed with our Heavenly dwelling-place; for we… wish… that the mortal might be swallowed up by the (True) Life. And God formed us for this
very purpose…

“Then being always confi dent, knowing that while
we are at home in the body, we are away… from the Lord;
for we walk by faith, not by sight; then we are confi dent
and we are pleased rather to go away (forever)… out of
the body, and to come home to the Lord.

“Therefore we are also laboring to be well-pleasing
to Him, whether at home or away from home…, so that
everyone may receive according to what they have done
while living the body…” (2 Cor 5:1-10)
“… Be imitators of God!…” (Eph 5:1)

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, is one of the Masters whose name in the 19 century adorned the ancient Guru tradition of India.

Birth And Early Days

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was born in a poor but a pious family to Kshudiram and Chandramni Devi in Kamarpukur, West Bengal on February 18, 1836. The very conception of Ramakrishna in His mother's womb foretold the birth of one of the most significant beings. His father dreamt of Lord Ghadhadar who said that He would incarnate as his son; His mother is said to have a vision of light entering her womb.Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was named Gadadhar by His parents on the account of His father's dream. Ramakrishna was seldom interested in His studies and had a natural inclination to fine arts and nature. He showed more interest in the religious debates of pious monks who visited Kamarpukur enroute their pilgrimage to Puri.

He exhibited kindness irrespective of differences in caste and creed. He received His first alms from an untouchable when the sacred thread was invested.

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa's Advent To Dakshineshwar

After His father's death, He moved to Dakshineswar with His brother who was to take up the role as the priest of a temple dedicated to Goddess Kali (Bhavatarini), built by a woman called Rani Rashmoni. Ramakrishna was assigned with the job to decorate the idol of Mother Kali. Later after His brother's death, He assumed the role of the priest of the temple.

Ramakrishna's devotion for the Mother grew day by day. He craved for the vision of the Mother and spent long hours of meditation in the grove at the edge of the temple. He once seized the sword in the temple and attempted to kill Himself at the deity's nonchalance . At this juncture a flood of limitless bright light emanated from the deity and engulfed Him causing Him to collapse. But the experience opened up a new vista of undiluted bliss and consciousness in Him.

Ramakrishna identified Himself with roles of mythical figures like Radha, Hanuman etc and merged totally with them. He met Totapuri, a wandering monk who exposed the Advaita philosophy of Non-Dualism after which He was found to have experienced Nirvikalpa Samadhi where His soul was absorbed in Consciousness.

Ramakrishna's spiritual behaviour was misunderstood as being erratic by His worried family who thought that it was the outcome of His celibacy. He was then married to Sarada Devi, to whom He taught all that He had learned and who later became a saint in Her own right.

Disciples & Teachings

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa attracted a lot of devotees and disciples from all walks of life including the sophisticated and educated class as well. He was then addressed as Ramakrishna Paramahamsa by His disciples, the prime among whom was Narandra Dutta, who later became Swami Vivekananda.

Ranakrishna Paramahamsa taught Advaita which embraced the oneness of existence. He emphasized that the supreme goal of human life was God realization. He further saw two aspects of Maya (Illusion) as Avidyamaya which consisted of sensual desires, evil intentions and other like qualities and Vidyamaya which consisted of spiritual virtues and other good qualities. He stated that with Vidyamaya, one can overcome Avidyamaya and be free of Illusion.

He recognized the harmony in different religions and beliefs by exposing Himself to Islam, Christianity and Tantrism and taught that all religions worked towards the same goal. His teachings further revived the principles of Hinduism that was losing popularity due to its complex rituals in the 19th century. His teachings affirmed the divinity in the idol when people were opting for Christinaity, Atheism or for Brahmo Samaj that denounced idol worship. While doing so His teachings also propagated a more practical aspect in Hinduism, easily digestible by the contemporary age.

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa then shed His body on 16th August 1886 of throat cancer. However He lives on as the imperishable Brahman guiding multitudes to tis day!

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Sayings 


1. You see many stars in the sky at night, but not when the sun rises. Can you therefore
say that there are no stars in the heavens during day? O man because you cannot find God
in the days of your ignorance, say not that there is no God.

2. He is born in vain, who having attained the human birth, so difficult to get, does not attempt to realize God this very life. 3. A man is rewarded according to his thoughts and motives. The Lord is like Kalpataru,
the widh yielding tree of heaven. Everyone gets from Him whatever he seeks. A poor
man's son having received education and become a judge of the High Court by hard work
is apt to think,"Now I am happy, I have reached the highest rung of the ladder. It is alright
now." To him the Lord says, "Do thou remain so." But when the judge of the High Court
retires on pension and reviews his past, he understands that he has wasted his life and
exclaims alas,"Alas, what is the real work have I done in this life!" To him the Lord says,
"Alas! What hast thou done!"

4. Man is born in this world with two tendencies-Vidya, the tendency to pursue the path
of liberation and Avidya, the leaning towards worldliness and bondage. At his birth, both
these tendencies are as it were, in equilibrium like the two scales of the balance.The
world soon places its enjoyments and pleasures in one scale and the Spirit, its attractions
in the other. If the mind chooses the world, the scale of Avidya becomes heavy, and man
gravitates towards the earth; but if it chooses the Spirit, the scale of Vidya becomes
heavier and pulls him towards God.

5. Know the one, and you will know the all.Ciphers placed after the figure 1 get the
value of hundreds and of thousands, but they become valueless if you wipe out the figure.
The many ciphers have the value only because of their one. First the one and then the
many. First God and then the Jivas and the Jagat (creatures and the world)

6. First gain God and then gain wealth; but do not try to do the contrary.if, after acquiring spirituality, you lead a worldly life; you will never lose your peace of mind.

7. Do you talk of social reform?Well, you may do so after realizing God.Remember,
the Rishis of old gave up the world in to attain God. This is the one thing needful. All
other things shall be added to you, if indeed you care to have them. First see God, and the
talk of lectures and social reforms.

8. A new-comer to a city should first secure a comfortable room for his rest at night, and after keeping his luggage there, he may freely go about the city for site-seeing. Otherwise he may have to suffer much in darkness of night to get a place for rest.Similarly, after securing his eternal place in God, a new-comer to this world can fearlessly move about doing his daily work. Otherwise when the dark and dreadful night of death over him, he will have to encounter great difficulties and sufferings.