It is what it is or
some words of wisdom from across time.
I ran across this posted saying at the Durga Hindu Temple in Fairfax County Virginia almost two years ago. I took several shots of the poster. I do not know the origins of the text. Maybe someone can comment on that. It’s written in Hindi. I’m sure there are versions available in Nepali as well. It is most probably translated from Sanskrit from one of the many old Hindu texts like Gita, Upanishad or even the Vedas.
Here is my approximate translation of what is being said. Take it with a grain of salt.
I have to say, just like everything else, it’s ambiguous, almost bitter-sweet.
why do you fret so? who are you so afraid of?
who has the power to kill you?
The soul neither takes birth, nor does it die.Whatever happened, happened for the best.
What is happening now is for the best.
What is yet to happen is also for the best.
Do not regret about the past. Do not worry
about the future. The present is still going on.What did you lose that you cry so?
What did you bring with you that you lost?
What did you create that was destroyed?
You did not bring anything with you –
What you took, you took from here.
What you gave, you gave here.
What you took, you took from God.
What you gave, you gave to God.
You came with empty hands,
you must continue with empty hands.
What is yours today, belonged to someone else yesterday
and will belong to someone else tomorrow.
You are lost in the enjoyment of what you think is yours.
This very pleasure is the root of your worries.Change is the law of the universe.
What you think of as death, is the very personification of life.
One moment you are the master of billions,
the next you are poor.
The concept of mine-yours, small-big, friends-enemies
erase these from your heart ,
erase these from your thoughts,
then everything and everyone belongs to you
then you belong to everyone.This body does not belong to you
neither do you belong to the body.
Your body is made up of fire, water, air, earth and the sky
and it will go back into these.
But the soul remains, stable.
Then what are you?
Dedicate yourself to God.
This is your ultimate support.
Those who recognize this support
are forever free of fear and worries.Whatever you do, do it with dedication to God,
thus you will experience the true pleasure of deliverance from life.
here are the pics:
mogambo on stuff: halftilts caveat 