Getting sick is not fun. The body becomes weak and dials down your productivity level. I believe that is why praying for the sick should be such a huge ministry. Whenever we pray, we remember those striving to recover their good health. I got food poisoning over the weekend, not a good feeling! But am recovering well and feeling better.

Let’s get back to it!

I was going through some of the texts I had written previously and I came across my journey to explore other religious beliefs.

I believe that reading about other religions for me has been one of the ways I got to draw closer to the greatest mystery. When we are able to allow our minds to be open to understand other people’s beliefs and faith, we get to learn a lot.

I found myself getting really drawn into one religion in particular. I remember my first research was Buddhism, it was one hell of a ride. But it was also interesting and refreshing. After gathering much of its teachings, I decided to abandon all my reading and research on it and move on to something new.

All the same, I learnt about meditation, yoga and mindfulness. These practices have been a core part of my healing; living in the present moment; embracing suffering and allowing it to flow freely while I observe its nature from a distant as I – with time – transform it into something beautiful. Some of you are wondering how?

If you pour a handful of salt into a cup of water, the water becomes undrinkable. But if you pour the salt into a river, people can continue to draw the water to cook, wash, and drink. The river is immense, and it can receive, embrace, and transform.

“Thich Nhat Hanh”

So in essence this teaches us to be more like rivers and oceans, to expand our capacities to receive what comes our way and embrace the changes we experience eventually.

Some of these teachings just point us to something amazing; they make us see and understand the power of the human spirit and it’s ability to evolve and transform by just the positive use of our will.

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The Bhagavad Gita

It means “song of the spirit.”

It is a religious Indian text that became an important Hindu tradition in terms of both literature and philosophy.

They are sacred writings done in metaphors and allegories to conceal from ignorant, spiritually unprepared minds the deepest revelations of the spirit.

The Bhagavad Gita contain conversations between Krishna and Arjuna; the setting is in a battle field where Arjuna is led step by step from mortal consciousness of spiritual doubt and weak-heartedness to divine attunement and inner resolve.

To begin with, Krishna tells Arjuna “to renounce the fruits of action” i.e., you have the right to work, but never to the fruit of work. “You should never engage in action for the sake of reward, nor should you long for inaction. Perform work in this world Arjuna, as a man established within himself — without selfish attachments.” For yoga is perfect evenness of mind.

Fruit of course means outcome, i.e. give your best to every undertaking without insisting the results turn out the way you want. Each of us has the obligation to act rightly, but no power to dictate what is to come of what we do. We must not worry whether the desired result follows from your action or not, so long as your motive is pure, your means is correct.

This attitude frees a person, in that, whatever comes — success or failure, praise or blame, victory or defeat, man can give his best with a clear unruffled mind. Nothing can shake his courage or break his will; no setback can depress him or make him feel burned out.

The person who is compulsively attached to results of action cannot really enjoy what he does; he gets downcast when things do not work out and clings more desperately when they do.

Therefore…

My personal conclusion after all the research and practices, is that: all religions strive towards the same purpose if the teachings and practices are of peace, healing and love. Without a doubt I am learning more about God even through other religions! What a wonder!

In every jounery, you will meet a lot of flowers, some beautiful; some poisonous. The goal is to water and absorb in your life those that have healing roots & resonate with your spirit and let go of those that do not — W. Mwangi

♣️

Message inspired greatly by the Bhagavad Gita—translation and introduction by Eknath Easwaran