The love in your heart

I know I am spinning an old tune about love and all those related stuff but you just got to know that one of the greatest, or perhaps the greatest asset you will ever possess is the burning love in your heart.

Many, many moons ago when I was studying at a La Sallian School, there was this Christian Brother who taught us cathecism.

In one of his morning lectures, he said there was this saint who had so much love in his heart that he had to put a wet towel over his chest so that it could cool down.

When the laughter finally died down in class, we all concluded that too many prayers had affected the brother's sanity.

Now after several decades, I am not sure any more. Love can make some of us do crazy things. Yes, some people express their love in some very strange ways.

But if you have love and nothing else to your name, then you are a rich man indeed. Wealth in the material sense is always welcome but it may not last because of the vicissitudes of fate.

Health too has its statutory limitation because our physical forms do not allow an unlimited period of trouble-free life or unreasonable longevity. Thus, that leaves love.

Love is intangible and so long as you have an abundance of it in you, the aura will shine through your being. It will come through your smile, and it will affect everybody who comes into contact with you.

Love is that thing that has an unlimited warranty. It is even better than some of those items you buy in the supermarket that say "lifetime warranty".

Love outlasts everything I can think of. It is what creates revolutions, causes changes in history and holds families together for generations.

Love is free. It needs no maintenance and it will act as a warm blanket in the winter of your life. It will even cushion any hardship that you may experience in this lifetime.

Be comforted by the fact that God understands the language of love very well. If you speak with love to God, he hears you all the time. If you treat everybody with love, they will respond in kind.

Love is that universal language that even animals can feel and empathise with. It is given freely to everyone. It is here to stay and it will continue to remain long after you have left this planet.

THINK OF THE FOLKS BACK HOME!
One of the greatest treasures largely unheralded is your mum and dad. Yes, you can get off the chair now and call them on the phone and wish them well.

They may experience some heart palpitations due to your unexpected action but the effort will be worth it, I assure you.

Many of us grown-ups think we are so independent that we won't call our parents most of the year because we don't want them to know we are "mama's boy" or just being a wimp.

We may even harbour the idea that if we call them too often, somebody may find out and tease us. That part about being attached to apron's strings is all nonsense.

Showing an open affection for your parents is admirable. More people should do that. It is nothing to be ashamed of. One day, when your children have reached adult status, you will begin to get the whole picture.

All this is dependent on whether or not you are lucky enough to find a mate and then againt depending on the grace and generosity of the Lord, you will have children.

I can say all this with some degree of confidence because my parents have passed away. I do miss them. Not as much as I would like because I stayed away from home for a number of years.

But my dad, God bless his soul, understood my situation because he too grew up under similar circumstances but as a parent myself, it is always heartwarming to have your children, young or grown-up calling up to enquire how you are and whether you have been having your meals.

It is such a simple act of concern and consideration. To call up your mum or your dad doesn't require any effort except lifting up your mobile.

If you can spend two hours in the cinema, you can spend five minutes talking to your mum. Yes, they have independent lives of their own. They may even be working but I assure you, they will never get tired of hearing from you.

It is small compensation for bringing you up, changing your diapers, worrying about your health, taking you to see the doctor when you are sick and coughing, crying for you in silence when you are in pain or in trouble, etc.

These are some of the things they don't teach you as a parent in books. Some of the finest and most worthy lessons as a parent is doing it all for free and out of love.

When you become a father or mother for the first time, it is a special experience. When you later grow old, as time will guarantee it, your children will leave the nest to set up their own households.

It is the twilight time for you as a parent. And the cycle goes on. From father to son, and then son to father.

Thus it is an opportunity to express your appreciation of what your parents have done for you, when you call them to say, not in so many words, but those little unspoken gestures that you love them; that you will always love them; that when it's time for them to leave this world, their lives have been worth living, and yours too if you do the right thing.

THERE'S NO POT OF GOLD AT THE END OF THE RAINBOW!

When the word "treasure" pops up, everybody thinks of diamonds, gold, cash and a roomful of hidden relics.

Wake up, this is not Hollywood. There are no gems lying out there in your backyard. I wish I had some of these imagined treasures too but after decades of wishful thinking, I finally decided to just get off my butt and work.

And what do you know, when you work hard for that little extra cash, you are not in a hurry to spend it all in a hurry.

After putting in those unused mental and physical muscles to work, I suddenly found the satisfaction that I have been craving for, and it tastes much better than striking lottery.

I wonder if I should withdraw the last sentence. Honestly though, unless you try working, you will never know what it's like to earn money through sweat, no blood and sometimes tears.

OK, I confess. I sometimes do place a buck or two on some lottery. It's just one of those human frailties. We are always trying our luck. Taking that long shot in the dark. Who knows? You know what I mean?

One of the greatest treasures to my mind, at this time in my life is the satisfaction I get from looking back at the years of hard work, lots of faith and a big dose of prayers in "surviving" those so-called hard times.

I guess when you have completed one phase of life's journey, you tend to derive a great amount of personal satisfaction that you have had some interesting experiences along the way.

Life is basically all about experiences. So you have have a roomful of gold nuggets, what can you truly boast about?

True, you will have a great time spending all that money. Spend, spend, spend. After a while, I assure you, you will get bored. Too much money has that kind of effect on a lot of people.

It has been said by many wise men, the simpler your life, the greater your joy. Ask those old timers who consciously and wilfully lead a quiet life based on simple personal needs.

At the end of the day, nobody really is going to look at the label in the collar of your shirt to judge your character. Everybody is obsessed with what they wear, how they look and how much they can impress their colleagues and friends.

The game is the same. But when you can see through everything, it pales in comparison to what is the true path to joy, peace and happiness. The answer is so simple, it's almost idiotic.

All you need are two or three square meals a day. You need a good night's sleep without worrying about world affairs because you are probably not a president of any country and you don't need good looks to be deliriously happy.

If you don't have a great car, get a bicycle. If you don't even have that, walk! I have done a lot of walking in my life and believe me, walking has opened up a lot of vistas for me.

I learn new things every day because I choose to walk. Heck, it ups the ante as far as healthy living is concerned.

Go for it. The greatest treasure is right there with you. Forget the cash and diamonds. Leave them to Hollywood.

Many would mistaken the "greatest treasure on earth" as a hall full of diamonds, gold ornaments and other relics of incalculable value.

Actually, the greatest treasure as any wise man will say is the knowledge you carry with you in your head. It is not heavy. It does not take up much room and it is readily available on recall.

Knowledge often leads to wisdom but first it must be coupled with experience. Information is merely bits of knowledge which when stored at random and haphazardly is of no value to its possessor.

Knowledge leads its owner to greater heights of awareness. It averts personal disasters and prevent unwarranted foolish behaviour.

Therefore, when you are given a choice of opening either door - treasure or knowledge - choose wisely.

Treasures of the tangible kind can be lost through natural disasters, robbery, avarice and just plain foolishness.

If you are knowledgeable and wise, no matter how you are clothed, it doesn't alter your state of being.

Now, you have only one wish and the genie is waiting......

The greatest treasure on earth is knowing that you are the most precious being at this moment in time, and nothing can hurt you in whatever circumstances no matter surprising they may be.

There's only you on this plane of existence, and then there's God. Begin your moment.

Great tales in Small stories



There are great books and there is wonderful literature. Unfortunately for many of us, we neither have the inclination, the money or the time to do all that and more.

Yes, somethings we do come across a great book and may find the time to read the first three chapters. Unless we are avid readers and reading is more of a habit than a pastime, we will finish the entire book, and digest its contents.

So it is more practical to find nice stories in anecdotes. I have often come across wonderful lessons in life from digesting small write-ups in magazines like Reader's Digest, academic publications or even the community newspaper.

Don't always be in the hunt for those thick hardcovers that cost a bomb. Sometimes the hardcover will even sprain your wrists from its sheer weight.

Life-changing stories are not the monopoly of best-selling titles. Some of the most wonderful stories are found in free booklets put on public stands for passers-by to pick up and digested at home at their own leisure.

Recently, I picked up three such books. They were all on Buddhism. I am a Catholic but I am open to good news of any form. Since I am also an Asian, I keep an open mind about a lot of things.

Buddhism is one of the finest philosophies ever to flower in our part of the world. The little booklets that I had picked up have some great advice. They are written in simple language so that the ordinary man can read it and not be confused.

Look for the little things. For these too have wisdom in them. Books are not the only platform for great revelations. There are things more wonderful and more wondrous that the human mind can understand or comprehend in the tiniest of this living planet.

All you have to do is to keep your eyes open, your mind free and your heart warm.

Kahlil Gibran re-visited



Anyone who has read Gibran's works will come away feeling slightly awed and perhaps even bewildered by this Lebanese's ways of expressing his profoundest thoughts.

Gibran came into the new world from the old one at a time when America was finding its own identity amid rapid development.

This writer-philosopher speaks for things that sometimes flirts with our soul. His spiritual stirrings lift the veil that shrouds the crucible of knowledge that all men drink from.

It has been 77 years since Gibran passed away in New York City. His enduring legacy are the works he left behind for the world to ponder and wonder.

Some of these are The Prophet, Jesus, Son of Man, Voice of the Master, The Vision, Broken Wing and Mirrors of the Soul.

Kahlil Gibran grew up in the town of Bsharri, Lebanon on Jan 6, 1883. His grandfather on his mother's side was a Catholice priest. He grew up without formal education except for irregular lessons about the Bible taught to him by priests.

In time, he acquired adequate knowledge of Arabic languages to express himself in the printed form.

Gibran is known foremost for being a poet and a theologian. His artistic works are admired by many and his poetic expressions has found new fans over the decades.

Those who have read Gibran works know him to be a mystic as well as a philosopher. The years have passed since Kahlil Gibran walked the streets of New York City but his fame has not diminished the slightest.

Today, those who are in search of knowledge or desire to catch a glimpse of all there is to be seen behind the veil of heaven can browse through Gibran's books at leisure.

Perhaps in the solitude of your mental wanderings, you may catch a fleeting light that is encased in some of Gibran's most memorable works.

The Greatest Secret In The World
By Og Mandino



I read this book years ago but its simple lessons are a joy to behold. Mandino has a talent of reducing the complex into a few simple sentences.

The writer is behind a series of "greatest" books. Those who have become literary friends of this author will know what a treasure they have in their hands.

On those occasions in my life when I needed some inspiration, I will pick up a Mandino book and recharged myself. We all need to be reminded of the truly great and simple.

For there's really nothing complicated about life unless you wish to make it so. Mandino is the master of the doeable and the workable. He distills the precious gems of a great life into simple formulas that all of us can understand and act upon.

Like so many of his contemporaries and those who had come before him, Od Mandino spins a tale or a yarn and make it entertaining. He talks of enthusiasm, high spirits and change of attitude.

Anybody who is familiar with the rudiments of education will understand Mandino's words and philosophy. His books, particularly this one is so straightforward and simple that you will amazed that wisdom wears only simple clothes.

There are "teachers" who walk among us mortal beings with many lessons yet unheard. Mandino, I believe, is one of these teachers. If we heed his wise words, our lives will be so much richer.

IN THE EYE OF THE TIGER: SURVIVAL PRINCIPLES FROM SYLVESTER STALLONE'S FILMS AND LIFE BY GERALD CHUAH



Gerald is an old friend of mine and an office colleague. For a better part of 18 years, he has laboured on his pet project. There were times when he must have felt like giving up because he wasn't sure if the book he was working on will eventually seen the light of day.

I recall the times through the years when he came to me to express the doubts and the frustrations he has had over this book. In many ways, I understood, sympathised as well as empathised with what he was going through.

For one thing, finding a publisher for a book with that kind of title is never easy. Then there are the copyright laws and other legalities that make publication seemed like an uphill battle at times.

Gerald underwent all that and more. Finally one day about a year or two ago, he again engaged in a conversation with me over "In the Eye of the Tiger". Out of a sense of frustration with Gerald's consistent hesitations and procrastinations, I blurted out: "You are not getting any younger. You have walked this path longer than most normal writers. It's time for you to do what you must. If you have any satisfaction or reward that you think you deserve for slogging on this project of yours, now is the time to do it. Spend your own money. Forget about cornering or signing that book deal with a faceless publisher. That may never come. Once it's done, at least you know you have done it.
"Decades from now, Gerald, when all is said and done, at least you can boast to your grandchildren that their grandpappy has one book to his name. And nobody can take that away from you."

Before I know it, Gerald went on an overdrive and got his book published at last - all at his own expense. I thought that was the best testimony of what he has expounded in his book, In the Eye of the Tiger.
Figuratively, he jumped on the tiger and rode it. Now that that mission has been accomplished, I am pleased to say that the book is undoubtedly a good read.
Any reader would realise quite quickly all the passion that has been invested in the book. Gerald lives his life along the principles he so believes. A man can have any hobby in the world, my friend Gerald has seen it fit to absorb the principles embodied in all of Sylvester Stallone's movies, especially The Rocky series.

I am glad this book has brought much joy to an old chum. It is not often that a person can truly feel happy with his own achievements. To have a book with such a title on the book shelves of major bookstores is truly something to be proud of.

Initially, there were doubts among a number of people, among them Gerald's friends, that whether this journalist can see it all through. But praise the Lord, Gerald stuck to his guns and romped home a winner.

The principles expounded in the book and the anecdotes that accompany most of the guideposts make a book of such nature quite palatable. Even if you are not an admirer or a fan of Stallone, you would appreciate the trouble that the writer had gone through to amass the mini-mountains of facts to put his points across.

In the Eye of the Tiger is recommended for those who are seeking answers to their lives. It doesn't matter if you are young or old, Gerald's book will shine a path in the darkened corners of your mind, and hopefully lead you to higher ground.

I have read a draft of this book before it was published and I have just digested the finished product. The writer has gone through numerous revisions of the manuscript before it saw print.

It has taken thousands of hours and much mental energy on the part of Gerald to finally sculpted it to its final form. The end product will make any writer proud.

Gerald Chuah has done a fine job. The important thing is he believes in himself. It has been a long and interesting journey. I am sure there were times when he probably question whether it was worth it.

Thank goodness, those moments were fleeting. Those painful moments are now history. The door is thrown wide open. Gerald can now hold his head up high and walk with a steady gait.

He has done well and he knows it. Congratulations, Gerald. You have earned it all. Now go and reap the rewards of your literary labour.

THE ULTIMATE GIFT
by Jim Stovall

I am usually not in favour of heavy tomes that hurt my arms through sheer weight and the time involved in perusing the hundred-odd pages.
So it was with some delight that I picked up The Ultimate Gift recently. Honestly though, it was its brevity that attracted my attention.
Finally, I thought, something that won't tax my mind too much. I have a low threshold of books that are purposely written to be thought-provoking in a pedantic manner.
I am no stranger to Og Mandino books or those inspirational books by Norman Vincent Peel, and other writers who have written some of the wisest and shortest books on the market.
The Ultimate Gift is a marvellous read. It can be digested in one sitting. No need to rush through it. It calls for intermittent pauses to ponder its lessons. Nothing really too heavy, as I have said before.
Jim Stovall is a great story teller. I am thoroughly smitten by this book. The messages within are simple and unforgettable. I have from time to time in the passages of my life encountered similar tutorials but have forgotten most of these life's lessons in the rush towards fulfilling other human wishes and needs.
The Ultimate Gift revived all the lessons that I have been taught but have forgotten with the passage of time. Within its pages, lie some shiny nuggets of truth that come our way but like all mortals with an inclination to forget and ignore, we tend to lay our clammy hands on items that have no lasting value.
Stovall has put together a string of ideas that have long been immortalised elsewhere outside the library of life in one small book.
If I were to recommend a book to anyone this year, this could be it. It is a healthy read. It should be read by all of us who are constantly in a hurry to get rich. We are often too busy to smell the flowers, take a stroll or don't even have time for our own families.
The Ultimate Gift will act as a gentle reminder for us all to rethink life's priorities. We will be poorer by missing the points in this book. The best things in life are often the intangibles.
These are the experiences that do not have dollar signs on them. They are not legal tender from our perspective, and yet at the same time so beneficial that if we could practise the principles for the rest of our lives, we will be the happiest people on earth.
The treasury of life is often right in front of us but we are constantly too busy looking over other people's shoulders for that pot of gold that never was there in the first place.
The Ultimate Gift should be read not once but many times in our lives and at different times of our lives. It should serve as a regular reminder of the finer things in life. We need to be told again and again that happiness is never found in the number of zeroes in our bank accounts but in laughter, joy unexpected, love unconditional and perpectual kindness.
The joy in our hearts is worth a thousand pounds of solid gold, the smiles that we give are better than all the beautiful things around the house and the laughter that echoes through our daily lives is certainly more valuable than the accolades we readily receive whether or not we truly deserve them.
This then is the true message of The Ultimate Gift. It is to look at the really important things in life and not find out a little too late at the twilight years of our existence on earth.
Better to have experience all the things that give the greatest joy at an early age than to regret all that has passed despite being surrounded by some of the trappings that are coveted by the silly, ignorant and the miserable.
Read this book if you want to touch the helm of heaven and breath the fresh breeze of eternal joy.

I AM MUSLIM by Dina Zaman

SOMETIMES a book appears on the shelves of local bookshelves that won't garner a second glance but there are a selected few that draw one's attention.
I Am Muslim is one of those that tends to capture a visitor browsing through the New Arrivals. I suppose it is the title that is catchy. Everything that has the word "Muslim" or "Islam" on it has the ability to arouse a non-Muslim's curiosity.
Honestly, I have no expectations whatsoever when I started reading it. I knew it must have some message within the pages.
As it turned out, it was written by a woman who has some interesting ideas of what it was like to be a modern Muslim woman living in a fast changing world. The most interesting aspect of this book is the writer's courage in tackling subjects that are avoided by most Muslims.
I reckon these are the subjects that are discussed freely in the confines of one's home but in I Am Muslim, Dina dives headlong into the "sensitive" subjects. Some of these are Sex, lifestyles, beliefs in ghosts and other things.
To most non-Muslims, these would be non-issues but in Malaysia somehow it is not politically correct or socially polite for Muslims, especially Muslim women, to dwell at length on these subjects.
I don't think they are taboo but they are just not talked about in a public forum, and a book is considered a "public forum". The notion at present is that this book is more popular among non-Muslims.
Many non-Muslims are curious about the thinking of modern Muslim women. Some of us are of the opinion that what is portrayed daily in TV news programmes as well as in newspapers and magazines are not reflective of the actual situation.
It is good that someone like Dina comes along and clears the air. Of course, it would be erroneous to think that she represents the majority of Muslim women. But it is also informative to know that there are certainly others who share her sentiments.
What then is the message in this book? I suppose if you were to ask me to say it in one sentence, I would say: "A good Muslim woman who calls a spade a spade."
Almost 99 per cent of us are not saints so regardless of our religious beliefs, we do have faults. But the bottom line is we all want to be good people, and if we are parents we want our children to be good people when they grow up. Perhaps even better than us.
So it is not uncommon that generally Muslims are like the rest of us. They too have children. They too have good qualities, faults and fears like the rest of mankind.
I Am Muslim sheds light on corners that are not often discussed freely with non-Muslim. The bonus point about this book is its honesty and its desire to show the world that Muslim women are not the stereotype as being perceived via the printed lines of newspapers or even shots from CNN.
It is refreshing to find out that behind every Muslim face, man or woman, is a person much like you and I. We do not have to be suspicious of each other or hold on to those prejudices that are stumbling blocks to good relationships.
The time has come for the courageous ones to step forward and speak up. Dina is one of these people. She should be applauded for her efforts.
It is a good read. It is not a mind-blowing treatise on an obscure subject that is foreign to all of us. Those who wish to understand their Muslim sisters a little more should spend some time reading this book.
It may alter your perception of Muslim women in general. Dina may not be the typical Muslim woman but I certainly don't think she's represents the minority.

MARY'S MESSAGE TO THE WORLD
by Annie Kirkwood

There are some books pertaining to the longevity of life on Earth that are best left on the shelf. There are a small number that excite and provoke thinking among the non-believers and stir the souls of the faithful.
Years ago, I was browsing through the shelves of the neighbourhood second-hand bookstore when I came across Mary's Message To The World. Since, I am a Catholic, it naturally arrested my attention.
It was also natural that I should extract that book lodged among the many and gave it a few quick glances. What started off as an act of curiosity led me to the purchase of the book and a reading session that was unhurried and yet suspenseful.
Who doesn't want to know the fate of the earth through Our Lady? No point telling those who are not Christians about the legitimacy of the messages.
Short of being labelled as a horror monger, I have kept what I have found out from the book to myself, with exception of a few friends who share my interest in predictions about life on earth and all its natural and unnatural happenings.
Basically, this book dwells on a numerous "conversations" the mother of Jesus had with a woman living in Texas, USA. The "talks" began in 1987 and ended in 1991.
The most interesting parts of the book touch on the catastrophies that are about to visit earth and its inhabitants. The Mother of Perpectual Succour said those tragic events that were about to come have been held in abeyance for 10 years.
As with everything else that we call life here on Earth, events and actions can be changed, thus altering the course of Earth's future.
The crux of the messages is clear. When all the things take place as they may or will, the cost in human lives will be colossel. Our planet currently has about 6.5 billion people.
The disasters that are predicted will reduce earth's population by at least one third. In other words, the casualties are in billions. Thus, the idea is to prepare ourselves for what comes after.
We are reminded of our real purpose on earth and in this life. The right path is explained by Mary to all of us who wish and want to listen. Generally, all our lives will be affected. There will be no exception, no mater where you stay in the world.
The safest platforms for us all are love, truth and prayer. On these shall our salvation lie.
Those who have read Mary's Message To The World may find its contents disquieting because it talks about "Florida returning to the ocean" and the "evacuation of New York City by 1993".
Naturally, all that have been said would come to pass have not taken place. This year is 2007. In other words, the events are long overdue.
When the author took note of the predictions in the second half of the 80s, the changes on earth were predicted to take place in the early 1990s. Nothing happened.
Subjects like volcanic eruptions and earthquakes were brought up. People on earth were forewarned that these disasters would take place in places not known to have experienced these kinds of upheavals.
In the last century, apparitions of Our Lady have been documented from Fatima, Lourdes to Medjugorje in Yugoslavia. Her messages are widespread. The faithful naturally need no reminders or spiritual advice.
The idea has always been "not to come to save the righteous" because they are already saved.
What then is the benefit of reading this book? Let assume that this book is a figments of Annie Kirkwood's imagination, where then lies its merits.
With the benefit of hindsight, I would say the greatest contribution of Mary's Message To The World is the spiritual advice that is sprinkled generously all over the pages.
Even if those words did not "come from beyond", they are sound advice. Who among us are foolish enough to ignore good advice, regardless of the source?
Let's push our scepticism and cynicism aside and focus on the good, the bright and the positive. No matter what is the eventual outcome of global heaing, global catastrophe or global armaggedon, one thing's for sure, the way to heaven is through the garden of heaven and love's the key that unlocks its gate.

Introduction to Bhagavad Gita by Swami Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood.

Recently, I was at a festival celebrating the forthcoming Diwali or the Festival of Lights in which the Tamils and Hindus regard as their New Year.
At one of the stalls, religious objects and books were on sale. The woman who came forth to speak to me didn't look like an Indian. Indeed, she wasn't. She was a Croatian. Her husband is a Malaysian Indian.
During our brief conversation, I found out that she was a former Catholic but the religion which she was born with didn't find her a willing believer when she grew up. Later she was more attracted to Hinduism.
There were several copies of Bhagavad Gita or the Song of God. The hard-bound version was a bit pricey and the soft cover wasn't to my liking. Anyway, she managed to convince me of the usefulness of the booklet by Swami Prabhavananda.
A few days after I had brought the book home, I spent one evening reading its contents. It is an excellent introduction to one of India's finest book on religion. Many of the aspects covered were similar to the Bible and other great books of religion.
I couldn't help seeing the connection between the philosophies behind the major religions of the world.
It is my personal belief that great teachers always have the ability to convey the most complex spiritual issues in the plainest of language. To that end, Swami Prabhavananda has not failed. In fact, he has succeeded most admirably.
From a single reading of this booklet, you won't be an expert on the Bhagavad Gita but it will open that little window towards a broader understanding of a religion that spans thousands of years.
Now if you were to be asked what is the bhagavad gita, you can tell the person who asks that it is an ancient Sanskrit text that consists of 700 verses of the Mahabharata.
The title can also be translated to mean "Song of the Divine One". In this case, it refers to the Bhagavan (Supreme Being) who is Lord Krishna.
The gist of the Bhagavad Gita is a conversation between Krishna and Arjuna at the battle ground of Kurukshreta. The dialogue takes place just before a major war.
Arjuna is confused about certain moral and personal issues, so Krishna explained to him his responsibilities. Krishna specifically brought up examples and anecdotes from several Vedantic and yogic teachings.
From the Gita, Hindus have since got the impression that it is a guide to the Hindu philosophy. During the course of the conversation with Arjuna, Krishna reveals himself to be the Bhagavan or God.
From this humble introduction, the reader will be led to understand that the Bhagavad Gita can be considered to be an Upanishad or Hindu scriptures. The Upanishad is considered to be a text that discusses the meditation, philosophy and the power of God.
There are small paths that can be found in everybody's life that leads him to enlightenment, if an individual is so inclined. This booklet is one of the tiny paths, if you are interested.
Even though I am a Catholic, I find books like this one a source of inspiration and knowledge. Is it not God's will that everything that exists on earth are at our disposal whenever we need them?
So go in peace and live in serenity, for that is the way of the masters and the enlightened ones.

CHRIST IN YOU by Anonymous

THIS book was on loan to me from my sister. Through the years, she would pick up a book or two from her coffee table and dump them on my lap. This happened recently with this book.

She shares my taste in books of this kind. This book is purportedly written by some entity who is probably not residing on earth. I really don't mean to belittle or make fun of this book because after reading it, I find myself rather moved by its contents.

This book reminds me of another book entitled Reflections of the Christ Mind. As people are inclined to avoid books of religious flavour and fervour, books with titles like Christ In You tend not to find a very wide audience.

I guess I have reached a passage in my life's journey when such books have become a balm to me. Inexplicably, I find books of this kind fascinating and strangely exhilarating.

Christ In You talks about our real self and it is not of earth. When we finally realise that our higher consciousness is inseparable from God, we would finally have "arrived home".

This is not a difficult book to read. In fact, it is so easy, it bothers on being incredible. That's the catch. We are most liable not to digest its contents. Our human side has been with us for so long that we simply cannot accept that we truly belong to another world.

This then is not our real world. Earth then is not our true home. The Almighty and us are One. We cannot be divided. We will never be two. In that fact, the book rests its case.

I wish I could make this book sounds a bit more logical to the human mind, so that its message will be more acceptable to our human side. Unfortunately, Christ In You touches on nothing that belongs on earth.

Sometimes, I wonder if such book "finds" a person, rather than a person "finds" a book. For years now, I have been receptive to book with messages like what can be found in the pages of Christ In You.

The veils of obscurity and ambiquity are gradually lifting. Once they part completely, we should no longer have any fear in our hearts but love. Love is man's strongest weapon and Man is God's most wonderful creation.

Christ In You shines a light on the darkened paths on your spiritual journey. It speaks to us from beyond. This book was first published in 1910. That's almost 100 years ago.
Now the book comes around again. Considering the state of affairs around the world, the messages in this book may be all the more urgent. But humans are almost never convinced by what they think are permanent.

Nothing on earth is permanent except for God's love. We tend to think of love as something temporal and fleeting. God speaks of a different love that burns with an everlasting rigous of something that can never be extinguished.

Christ In You removes the loneliness in our lives. It tells us not to fear anymore. It proclaims the joy that is our right. It continues to inform all of us that not only is God watching us, he is also looking after us, the lost sheep.

Man has spent a long time on earth, wandering and wondering. In man's periodical forays in the spiritual realm, we always return empty-handed. Not this time. This time, God speaks loudly and clearly from all possible angles.

He no longer whispers. He stands in front of us, speaking in audible, measured tones so that we can hear him clearly. There is a calming effect in his voice. In this case, his voice comes across crystal clear from the pages of Christ In You.

Be no longer afraid for He is with us until the end of time.

THE IMPERSONAL LIFE

The person who introduced this book to me was my sister. She was so keen on this book that she ordered it direct from the Internet, probably Amazon dot Com.

This book apparently was given a touch of glamour when Elvis Presley first read it. Elvis was so impressed by the book that he made a bulk purchase and promptly distributed it to all his friends and relatives.

Basically, the book is a spiritual guide. It has words and phrases that are strangely soothing and yet very wise. If I may be allowed to say it, it doesn't sound like it's coming from the mind of one who dwells on earth.

Those who believe in this book, as I do, know it is the voice of the Big Man himself.
It has the most profound advice on life and hereafter I have ever read. It gave me goose-pimples the first time I read it.

If you are "ready", then this book will change your life. If you are spiritually undernourished and want to be filled, then this is the right book for you. It affects different individuals in different ways.

The journey is the same. The answers even though same will be perceived differently by separate persons. It seems to be a living testament of what is going on now, before and yet-to-come.

Without sounding like a crackpot, you need to read it to find out if I have just said is true. It doesn't matter if you are a Buddhist, Muslim, Jew or Christian, the message within is the same.

It has a flavour that transcends all times and suits all situations. It talks to your soul and bypasses your ego. You will need to leave all your preconceived notions at the entrance of the reading chamber.

The Impersonal Life is anything but. It will cast a glow of eternity on that shadowed parts of your life that needs to be brightened up.

I shall not force you to read it. You must make the choice yourself, but be prepared never to be the same again. There is no fear ahead. You need not be apprehensive. It is written for one sole purpose - for your enlightenment and eternal benefit.

May the Peace that is ageless be yours forever.

LORD DENNING – The Family Story
By Alfred Thompson Denning
Publisher: Butterworths

ALL aspiring LLB candidates and practising advocates and solicitors who have emerged relatively unscathed from the grueling examination halls of English Law would recognise the name Lord Denning.

He was the last United Kingdom judge not bound by the mandatory retirement age. The Family Story is the book that he had always wanted to write but couldn’t find the time. Finally, he did it and it was published in 1981.

In Lord Denning’s own words, “it is a tale that is told by me”. Lawyers who studied and practised under the British legal system have always been fascinated with Denning, one of the greatest judges of modern times.

This is the judge who sat on the Bench for 38 years and had redefined justice in his own unique ways. Many of his judgments have become talking points and landmarks of legal reasoning the world over.

Denning’s Family Story is a very personal account of his parents and his brothers. There were five sons in the Denning household. Two of them died in the First World War. One became an army general, one an Admiral and Alfred Thompson was to become the most famous of the five brothers. He was the Master of the Rolls, the senior civil judge in the Court of Appeal of England and Wales.

Denning’s account of his family history borders on a level that does not seem to reflect his exalted station in life. His reputation as a man of great learning hid the truth that behind that mind of astonishing legal proportions was a man of great humility.

If the reader were to expect some lyrical prose of Shakespearean quality, he would be sorely disappointed. Lord Denning writes with a style that startles with simplicity. He talks about his brothers with great pride.

His account of his family reveals the extraordinary ordinariness of their lives; that they are no different from many others in different vocations. The only exception was Denning had greatness thrust on him at an early age. First Class in his first love, law, seemed to come too easy for him. From then on, it was a career always on the ascent.

It is in the pages when the learned judge talks about the legal cases he handled that his story rises to a whole new level. His sharp legal mind had no equal. His judgments were unprecedented in foresight and often astoundingly accurate and fair.

His contributions to the English legal system are almost unequalled in scope and range. Admirers of Lord Denning will find this book a constant source of inspiration, and a great delight.

Is it not Lord Denning who said in Southam v Smout (1964): “The poorest man may in his cottage bid defiance to all the forces of the Crown. It may be frail - its roof may shake - the wind may blow through it - the storm may enter - the rain may enter - but the King of England cannot enter - all his force dares not cross the threshold of the ruined tenement.' So be it - unless he has justification by law.”

Then again in the Bramley Moore case (1964): “Limitation is not a matter of justice. It is a rule of public policy which has its origin in history and its justification in convenience.”

Alfred Thompson Denning lived 100 years. Indeed he lived a long and fruitful life. None could begrudge such a great man’s claim to longevity. His mark on the Court of Justice is indelible.

This book is just another testimony of a young English lad who was born to change the stoic face of the English law, and what a great judge he became.

PROFILES IN COURAGE
Author: John F. Kennedy
Publisher: HarperCollins

JOHN F. Kennedy, US President from 1961 to 1963, was one of the most charismatic American Presidents ever. He was also the youngest man ever to be elected to the Oval Office, and had the distinction of being the first (and only) Roman Catholic to have held that office.
Early in his political career, JFK already earned the mark of greatness when he penned Profiles in Courage in 1954. A junior senator then, this book was his tribute to the strength and spirit that formed the foundation of a nation that had become the richest and most powerful in the world.
He picked eight senators from American history as subjects of this book. The eight senators discussed at length in the book - John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, Thomas Hart Benton, Sam Houston, Edmund G. Ross, Lucius Lamar, George Norris and Robert A.
Taft - were men of outstanding courage and integrity. Their courage was seen in their political integrity in the face of almost insurmountable odds.
This work by JFK is basically about grace under pressure, a phrase first coined by Ernest Hemingway. The lives of these eight senators represented what America as a nation is supposed to be about. For this splendid literary effort, JFK was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1956.
Till today, this book is heralded as one of the best-written works on American political history. It shines a powerful light on the risks undertaken by the senators; the unpopularity they had to endure; the defamation they suffered and the vindication that followed after a long and weary political struggle.
Perhaps Kennedy, in writing this book, wanted to remind himself of the possible pitfalls and rocky path that led all the way to the White House. In truth, his sense of foreboding would later be played out to its fullest effect when he became president.
However, Profiles in Courage as a work about moral courage can be learned by anybody from any part of the world. It also serves as a source of inspiration for those who are about to embark on a political career of unknown proportions.
JFK has captured the essence of what it is like to be a true politician.
As his brother Robert Kennedy says in the foreword: "It is not just stories of the past but a book of hope and confidence for the future. What happens to the country, to the world, depends on what we do with what others have left us."
Non-Americans who read this book may find some of the political dilemmas unfamiliar. Nevertheless, the book makes a strong case for leadership, personal principles and strength of character.
Profiles in Courage should not only be read by the voting public, but the oliticians as well. In it, politicians will find situations that they are familiar with. Perhaps somewhere in between the pages, they may find the answers to their own political problems and dilemmas, or at least some inspiration and reassurance.

THE POWER OF LOGICAL THINKING
Author: Marilyn vos Savant
Publisher: St Martin's Press/New York


IT can now be revealed that the smartest person on earth could very well be a woman, and her name is Marilyn vos Savant. It is with great humility that I accept this decision on behalf of my much-astonished gender when the Guinness Book of World Records listed in its 1986-89 editions that vos Savant has an IQ of 228, the highest in the world.
The Power of Logical Thinking, which is basically a book on challenging and puzzling mathematical questions, was published in 1996. Any reader would have thought that such a book must be one of the driest subjects to be digested.
But vos Savant is actually one of the most entertaining writers I have ever come across. Normal people would expect a genius like her to talk "above their heads".
Instead, they would, as I did, find out on reading her book that she makes the most difficult questions seem so simple.
This American magazine writer has a weekly column in Parade called "Ask Marilyn". It is the Sunday magazine for 341 newspapers in the United States, with a total circulation of 37 million and a combined readership that touches 81 million.
The "Ask Marilyn" column receives about 40,000 letters every year. Like many students from the arts stream, I found and still find mathematics to be a strange subject of unfathomable proportions, but vos Savant has made a believer out of me from a single reading of her book.
One of the issues brought up in her column that propelled her popularity to the stratosphere is the Monty Hall Dilemma. Vos Savant's analysis of this counter-intuitive problem is discussed at length in this book.
On September 9, 1990, Craig F. Whitaker of Columbia, Maryland posed this question to "Ask Marilyn": "Suppose you're on a game show, and you're given the choice of three doors. Behind one door is a car, the others, goats. You pick a door, say No.1, and the host, who knows what's behind the doors, opens another door, say No. 3, which has a goat. He says to you, `Do you want to pick door No. 2?' Is it to your advantage to switch your choice of doors?"
Vos Savant's reply was startling because she advised Whitaker to switch because door No. 2 has a 2/3 chance of winning while door No. 1 has only 1/3 chance. When America woke up on Sunday morning to read her answer, it sparked a gathering storm of responses. Before long, members of the academia, including professional mathematicians and PhDs, begged to differ.
The outcome of the whole affair made the Parade columnist even more popular than the US president at that time, for a while.
This book delves into the pitfalls of misunderstanding mathematics and not being familiar with the intricacies of numbers and statistics. For those who have been groping in the dark, vos Savant is like the Goddess of Mathematics.
She has this uncanny ability to dissect and analyse any problem thrown at her and deliver a simple and irritatingly logical answer.
It is no wonder then that Marilyn vos Savant is America's most beloved mathematician.

RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM
TRANSLATED BY: Edward Fitzgerald
PUBLISHER: St Martin's Press


ABOUT 900 years ago, in a land called Khorasan, a scientist and astronomer who sometimes doubled up as a poet looked up at a clear night sky filled with countless stars. He pondered over man's fate and the ageless galaxies beyond. Inspired, he began to pen his first rubai, or quattrain.
In total, Omar Khayyam wrote more than 75 quattrains, reflections on fate's fickle decisions, man's fleeting existence and the lack of wisdom among mankind, and these became known as the Rubaiyat.
About eight centuries later, on the other side of the world, far removed from Persia, was born another poet, a bon vivant who would have shared Omar's zest for life if he had been born at the same time as the ancient astronomer.
Edward Fitzgerald was from a family that was used to a life of wealth and luxury. With his privileged education at Cambridge, and across the lengthy timeline that linked Persia and England, it was almost as if Destiny had decreed that a transcript of Omar Khayyam's original Rubaiyat be delivered into Fitzgerald's hands.
The Rubaiyat in its original form was probably written and driven by an undeniable inner passion that possessed Omar. When he read the Rubaiyat, Fitzgerald had already established an academic familiarity with several Arabic languages, among them was Persian. In Omar, Fitzgerald discovered a kindred spirit who shared his love for wine, life and a fascination of man's mortality.
It is said that Fitzgerald took great liberties in his translation with the Rubaiyat. On this, the world's reading population will have to thank Fitzgerald for his splendid translation of Omar's inspiring poetic imagery.
Omar Khayyam's Rubaiyat is not meant to be digested in a single evening. The flavour of the ancient Persian nuggets of wisdom is akin to the bouquet of a fine wine. It must be consumed in measured moments.
Enjoyment of the Rubaiyat can only be experienced when the heart and the mind of the
reader move with rhythmic coordination in conjuring images that tell stories of a time when life placed a higher value on other considerations alien to our times.
For example, in one of the quattrains, Omar says:
And If the Wine you drink, the Lip you press,
End in what All begins and ends in
- Yes; Think then you are To-day what Yesterday You were
Tomorrow you shall not be less
Some of the quattrains flow with a musical refrain that echoes with our
heartbeat. For instance:
A Book of Verses underneath the Bough.
A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread -
and Thou Beside me singing in the
Wilderness -
Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow!
The world should be grateful that two learned and talented men, from ages long past, had inexplicably and unintentionally combined their inspired writings for the benefit of generations that followed.

A Course In Miracles
By Helen Schucman
Publisher: Foundation for Inner Peace



IF YOU are faced with a choice of reading only one book for the rest of your life, let it be this one. It is certainly the most amazing book I have read in my entire life.
It is actually a three-in-one book. The first volume is called the Text; the econd is Workbook for Students and the third, Manual for Teachers. Originally, it was published in three parts but the ACIM, as it is generally called, has merged to be one book.
This book was born under unusual circumstances. The writer is Helen Schucman who was a research psychologist as well as an associate professor of medical psychology. Schucman preferred to refer to herself as the "scribe".
Schucman had made public that the writing on this book was through inner dictation. She said she was aided in the process by Dr William Thetford, who was a professor of medical psychology.
ACIM is a comprehensive self-study spiritual thought system. It does not impose any special conditions on the part of the reader except a willingness to partake in its lessons.
In its introduction, it says:

"This is a course in miracles. It is a required course. Only the time you take it is voluntary. Free will does not mean that you can establish the curriculum. It means only that you can elect what you want to take at a given time. The course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught. It does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love's presence, which is your natural inheritance. The opposite of love is fear, but what is all-encompassing can have no opposite."

Even though the book is all about spirituality, the writer herself is a self-professed atheist. Schucman said: "I do not believe what has been written but I do know the principles work." A strange statement about an otherwise astounding book.
ACIM was published in 1975 and has since been translated into nine other languages with another 11 in the translation process.
This book alters a person's perception of life in general. It teaches you to "see" beyond what is before your eyes. It makes you understand the link of all that exists and what can never die.
The whole message of ACIM can be distilled into just a few lines. And they are:

Nothing real can be threatened
Nothing unreal exists
Herein lies the peace of God.

ACIM changes your life if you allow it to. It alters an individual's sense of perception and transports you to another level of consciousness. If you have the discipline to follow the 365 lessons in the Workbook for Students, it will clear your mind, unlock your heart and free your soul to wander to its real home.
In its 30 years of existence, it has spread its message and lessons across the world. The ACIM book cannot be found in bookshops. It can only be obtained from its source, the Foundation For Inner Peace. That is, through the Internet.
Students who have "undergone" the course believe the book "finds" them when the desire and quest for spiritual fulfilment burns brightly in their hearts.
To read the book is to embark on a journey without distance. It teaches its reader that "heaven is here, there's no other place; heaven is now, there's no other time."