THE STORY OF GOD - BOOK REVIEW

Story of God, The by Robert Winston

My review

Rating: 4 of 5 stars
A person's search towards the understanding of religion from a scientific perspective. His opinion has been fair. He takes us through ancient beliefs and all and espouses his own ratification of the circumstances of the time that developed the divine thoughts.

His introduction to Christianity is somehow quite unexpected. His views on religious schisms and acts of heresy more so under the cloak of divinity, drive a note on the troubles of the world throughout time but maintains a kind approach, perhaps a reflection of his rationality.

He touches on some people's idea that evil and illness are products of erroneous thinking and that some people need ritual and symbol to induce the required state of mind, which, I totally agree.

He does not support nor deny the belief in magic and mysticism even among the religious, but state them as they were. Ah, the "golem", a being created from dirt, sounds very familiar. I first heard of it in Lord Of The Rings. It seems very much a Jewish tradition...created by recitation of the divine name and can perform a range of tasks for it's master. I do wonder whether the Malay "Toyol" is a distant cousin?

A totally interesting book.His conclussion - that man's knowledge is complete but man must continue to search for the point of life as the search itself bear sufficient meaning to man's existence......totally concur.

From Poverty to Power by James Allen

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
My hubby bought this book in Chennai.They say that books are a lot cheaper in India.



The first few chapters of this little book reinforce my earlier thoughts that the mind should never be left empty or idle as it would eventually attract evil thoughts. Thoughts……ah, as James Allen puts it, are silent forces which may become beneficent when rightly directed, and destructive when wrongly employed.



A powerful message is espoused herein. The author brings us through hie understanding of evil - in that it is a mental state - and how we can get out of the undesirable conditions. He spouses on the silent power of thoughts that control and direct one's forces.






View all my reviews.

IT'S AN ILLUSION

Last August 18, 2008 I received another of those chain letters forwarded by a friend regarding the reverse course of planet Mars. Translation is as following:

"This information is from xxxxxxxx. He read an article about planet Mars (closest planet to Earth) has exprienced a reversed course last September. It shows that planet closest to Mars would also have a similar experience. Then the sun would rise in the west, a sign of the approach of the end of time. In the mean time the door to

salvation would be closed. Astronomers are saying that Earth is just marking time. This information is not revealed to all and in fact it's revealation has been stopped by NASA. It is not to be revealed widely as it would only benefit the Muslims. Please take note."

While it wasn't clear what was read out the above email may just as well prove how backward and still ancient some people can be........

Now, this observable phenomenon have indeed puzzled man in ancient times. Not until 1543 that the odd retrograde loops motion was first explained by Copernicus by exchanging Earth with the Sun as the centre of the solar system. You see, at the time when Earth and Mars are moving in the same direction but since Mars is moving at a slower pace, it appears as moving backward. It is nothing more than an illusion. The apparent backward motion of Mars usually happen after October 1 when it loops towards the west. After December 10, it would appear as looping back eastward. This had happened in 2005, 2003 and as far back as the ancient times. In fact other planets may be observed to do “retrograde motion” too as Earth laps planets orbiting further from the sun.

God is great....!

Anyssa Farhana

Anyssa is now 4 years old on 11th January 2008.



Here she is at a nephew's wedding recently. I must tell you last weekend she surprised me with her rendition of "Figaro".

THE EVIL OF EMPTY MINDS

A chapter or two of James Allen’s From Poverty To Power reinforce my earlier thoughts that the mind should never be left empty or idle as it would eventually attract evil thoughts. Thoughts……ah, as James Allen puts it, are silent forces which may become beneficent when rightly directed, and destructive when wrongly employed. Some people of old are known to have always related events to inward thought, associated success or disaster with the thoughts and desires that dominate the person or nation. Hence to consciously deny evil the entrance into our mind becomes desirable. Fear, worry, doubt, disappointment, anxiety, chagrin, lack of faith are examples of inherent belief in the supremacy of evil.

However, just to mentally deny evil is insufficient; it ought to be understood and practiced through self control. In life many undesirable things can and will happen to even to the best of people. The idea then is, when the inevitable happens, instead of wallowing in the bogs of doubts, fear, or anxiety, it is better to focus our thought-forces by cultivating calmness and repose. Go to a quiet place where you can be alone and direct your mind on something in your life that is pleasing and bliss-giving, your anxiety would pass away as a calm and reposeful strength steal into your mind. Once you are on this plain work towards the solution of your problems.

Here is a prose I’d love to share:

Would you scale the highest heaven,
Would you pierce the lowest hell,-
Live in dreams of constant beauty,
Or in basest thinking dwell.

For your thoughts are heven above you,
And your thoughts are hell below;
Bliss is not except in thinking,
Torment nought but thought can know.

Worlds would vanish but for thinking;
Glory is not but in dreams;
And the drama of the ages
From the Thought Eternal streams.

Dignity and shame and sorrow,
Pain and anguish, love and hate
Are but maskings of the mighty
Pulsating Thouhgt that governs Fate.

As the colours of the rainbow
Made the one uncolored beam,
So the universal changes
Make the one eternal dream.

And the dream is all within you,
And the dreamer waited long
For the Morning to awake him
To the living thought and strong.


That shall make the ideal real,
Make to vanish dreams of hell
In the highest, holiest heaven
Where the pure and perfect dwell.

Evil is the thought that thinks it;
Good, the thought that makes it so
Light and darkness, sin and pureness
Likewise out of thinking grow.

Dwell in thought upon the Grandest,
Ant the Grandest you shall see;
Fix your mind upon the Highest,
And the Highest you shall be.

I AM BACK..........!

I finally return to visit my blog and gosh, what do I find? There has been some changes and I am now required to open a Google account. It took me so long to do it and still fail in the attempt. An SOS to my son, Najib, finally does it. But then it is getting so late now that I think I will call it a day. I shall try to refresh my skills at blogging next day..........Good night!