FROM THE SPIRITUAL TREE

There is a tree beside my house. I call it the 'Spiritual Tree'. I derive spiritual inspiration from it. A tree is an evergrowing being that was initially a seed possessing the potential of becoming a full-grown tree. A seed takes food from the universe around it and then grows into a tree. The same is true with spirituality, the desire for which is intrinsic to, and an integral part of, the very nature of every human being. To realize this spirituality, Man must derive spiritual food from the universe around him. A tree converts carbon-dioxide into oxygen; a spiritual person is one who can take positive lessons from negative situations. From this perspective, a tree is an embodiment of a spiritual personality. —Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

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HAPPINESS ONLY IN THE HEREAFTER

CHARLIE CHAPLIN was a British film star. He was born in 1889. And he died in 1977 at the age of 88. He was a comedian and filmmaker and became a worldwide icon as his comic film persona “The Tramp”. He entertained thousands across the world with his hilarious shows. But Charlie Chaplin himself was unhappy from the inside. Despite all the fame and wealth and material comforts, he could not find happiness in his life.

It is said that once a man visited a psychiatrist. He said to the doctor that, “I am very depressed. Can you give me such advice so that I can be happy?” Doctor advised the patient to watch a Charlie Chaplin show. The visitor said that he himself was Charlie Chaplin. “I make others laugh but my heart cries from the inside.”

Charlie Chaplin was a comedian, but when the time of death approached, psychologically he had become a tragedian. The man who laughed for others, commented on his condition in these words:

“I always like walking in the rain, so no one can see me crying.”

This is the story of every person in this world. People laugh superficially, but they do not get any joy from the inside. People tell stories of their apparent successes, but from inside, they live in a defeatist mentality. The fact is that there is no happiness or comfort reserved for anyone in the present world. Happiness and comfort are only in the Hereafter for God-conscious people. The Creator has created the present world for action. Here only action to achieve happiness is possible and not happiness per se.