Texas Faith : Why does the nation still pause 50 years after JFK’s death?

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Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in Standing up for others and has done that throughout his life as an activist. Mike has a presence on national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News; fortnightly at Huffington post; and several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes all his work through many links.

Texas Faith: Why do we say grace over a meal, including at Thanksgiving?

http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/11/texas-faith-why-do-we-say-grace-over.html


Expression of gratitude is the ultimate balancing act in everyone’s life. We know from whom we receive the good and to whom we offer our gratitude. The absence of a simple “thank you” creates an imbalance in the relationship and spiritual energy while a simple “thank you” will tie the loose ends and restore the balance - Mike Ghouse

 
Texas Faith: Why do we say grace over a meal, including at Thanksgiving?

The Texas Faith blog is a discussion among formal and informal religious leaders whose faith traditions express a belief in a transcendent power – or the possibility of one. While all readers are invited to participate in this blog, by responding in the comments section, discussion leaders are those whose religion involves belief in a divine higher power or those who may not believe in a transcendent power but leave room for the possibility of one. Within this framework, moderators William McKenzie and Wayne Slater seek to bring a diversity of thinkers onto the Texas Faith panels.

But why do we say grace over a meal, including a traditional one like the Thanksgiving dinner?

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

Life is a self-balancing act. Everything we do and say is spiritual as well as a real-life transaction that moves the needle from balance to imbalance, and back to balance.

The mechanism is built around forgiveness, repentance, service and gratitude. These values are a product of co-existence and inculcated through religious teachings. However, atheists would also achieve the same without invoking God.

The accountant chants that for every debit there is a credit. The physicist has proved that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. And the doctor declares that blood lost from the body of an individual must be replenished with an equal amount of blood to sustain life.

As a spiritualist I say, for every wrong we do, an equal amount of energy is drained from us. And for every good we do, energy is recouped. We are constantly receiving and giving energy. Intake and output must be equal to have a healthy living, or else we are thrown off balance.

For every hurt we hurl on others, an equal amount of burden gets dumped on us. Until we say “sorry” and repent genuinely, the energy balance within us deteriorates. The transaction remains incomplete.

Why do we say grace over a meal?

Expression of gratitude is the ultimate balancing act in everyone’s life. We know from whom we receive the good and to whom we offer our gratitude. The absence of a simple “thank you” creates an imbalance in the relationship and spiritual energy while a simple “thank you” will tie the loose ends and restore the balance.

When the giver is not identified, to whom do we give thanks? The accident we got out of safely, the job we did not lose or the meal we are able to have must be accounted for. 

For believers, that source is identified as God, and it behooves them to say grace over the meal. The transaction will be fully complete when we become considerate to those who do not have the same basic things in life as we do. Prophet Muhammad had said when you have nothing to give to others; the least you can give is hope, and a smile to let them know that we care.

Published in Dallas Morning News. Message from all contributors at:
http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/2012/11/texas-faith-why-do-we-say-grace-over-a-meal-including-at-thanksgiving.html/

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Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace making, foreign policy, Islam, Israel, India, Pakistan, interfaith, and cohesion at work place or social settings. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. Mike has a strong presence on national local TV, Radio and Print Media, and is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News, fortnightly at Huffington post, and several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes everything you want to know about him.

Balance in life

Dharma, righteousness - Balance conscience are the internalized values of the society around, and it certainly varies to a smaller degree from culture to culture (culture differs from home to home and is not bound by geography).

In a few cultures, the parents may feel bad, but it may not bother them to spank their child in the name of discipline bordering on abuse, the child may accept that to be a norm, even though he or she may resent the parent for it and perhaps want to beat them up too.

An imbalance is created in both psyche - they may not have the time, or knowledge to come out of it. In societies where children are aware of abuse laws they have no hesitation calling the police, but there are those who suppress it out of fear....

What you see in every case is an imbalance in the spiritual plane, each one has a threshold, beyond which it triggers an action. But no matter what culture, society or faith we follow, the basic is same. There is God given balance in each one of us, a child is born with a zero balance on both the right side and wrong sides, we keep adding to both sides as we develop.

In Islam, the idea of Munkir- Nakir, the angels who register your bad and good karma exists; signifying the freedom one has to pile up either side and live with its consequences in terms of anguish (Hell fire) and serenity (Jannah).

There is one essence, and one singular cause gave birth to the universe and it all emanated from one source.

- The purpose of all religions is to bring a balance to an individual and what surrounds him/her; life and environment. Whether it is Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Bahai, Zoroastrianism or the native traditions, the unintended goal is same - peaceful co-existence.

Thanks for sharing the four elements of living a balanced (righteous) life;

Wisdom emanates from all sources, in different places and different formats; the bottom line is to create co-existence and harmony. ... See More

The teachings of Zarthustra, Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Mahavir, Jesus, Muhammad, Nanak and all the great teachers are universal, and no one should own them nor should they confine it to a group, they never had a patent or copyright to be used exclusively, indeed their teachings belong to all of us and can be used in any proportion that works.

True Nirvana, Mukti, Moksha, Salvation, Nijaat or freedom comes when one is in full balance; physical, mental, and spiritual, and one is completely free and independent of external stimuli. I can clearly see how it works in each faith, let me give the Islamic perspective – After defending and stopping the aggressors from offensive destruction, Prophet Muhammad responded to his associates to the question, what next? He said the greater Jihad begins now. That is greater striving to reign in one’s temptation for revenging, anger, hate, malice and ill-will. Once conquer the base animal within, you would earn the title of “Ashraful Mukhlookhat” meaning honored creatures, the ones who have mastered their instincts.

What makes a thought, an act or a word right? Life is all about balance; justice is the ultimate in balance where no one feels insecure, unsafe and bonded. Indeed, Dharma is dynamic; righteousness can also be likened to peacefulness.

The ultimate responsibility to extricate oneself from fear and other enemies (anger, hate, ill-will etc) rests with the individual. No one but us is responsible for our thoughts, actions and words and we face it in our solitude.

Notes from my postings at Face Book on Arbania Fitrianis wall.
http://www.facebook.com/friends/?filter=flp_108944915248#!/notes/arbania-fitriani/new-meaning-of-dharma-artha-kaama-and-moksha/326442142387

!!!!!