Religious Leaders

"Brother, we are willing to eat sevian at your house to celebrate Eid but you do not want to play with colours with us on Holi. We hear your calls to prayer along with our temple bells, but you object to our bells. How can unity ever come about? The Hindu faces this way, the Muslim the other. The Hindus writes from left to right, the Muslim from right to left. The Hindus pray to the rising sun, the Muslim faces the setting sun when praying. ... Whatever the Hindu does, it is the Muslim's religion to do its opposite (...)"

"When Sadhvi Ritambhara, a pro-Janmabhoomi campaigner (a cassette of a speech of hers was banned), tells an interviewer: "Politicians appease [the Muslims] at every step, while the Hindus are taken for granted. We can't even teach our children our religion in schools", the interviewer replies : "But this is a secular nation". No, in these circumstances it is not a secular nation. Either secular means anti-religious, and then all religion teaching should be banned from schools, also that of the minorities. Or secular means religiously neutral, and then the state should leave all the religions the same right to impart religious education in schools, including the Hindus. Passing off this communal discrimination as secular, is a very crude lie indeed."

"Charaka composed a Samhita (or encyclopedia) of medicine, which is still used in India, and gave to his followers an almost Hippocratic conception of their calling: “Not for self, not for the fulfilment of any earthly desire of gain, but solely for the good of suffering humanity should you treat your patients, and so excell all.” Only less illustrious than these are Vagbhata (625 A.D.), who prepared a medical compendium in prose and verse, and Bhava Misra (1550 A.D.), whose voluminous work on anatomy, physiology and medicine mentioned, a hundred years before Harvey, the circulation of the blood..."

"Non Muslims... are the field of action of 'tabligh' of islam and form the raw material for this splendid activity. Today, by propagating hatred towards the Hindus, this field is being closed and this material wasted."

""Loving the religion and people of religion is a great thing. However, to focus on the faults of others whilst not assessing one’s own faults is incorrect.’’"

"‘‘ The blessed age of youth is extremely valuable; adorn it with the pleasant hues of Allah’s remembrance.’’"

"In the year 1836, if my recollection is right, we undertook to leave our motherland, and then crossed the Orange River. Would you now testify against us, whether we took anything without compensation from anyone during our passage? On the contrary, we exchanged with each tribe a lot of wheat and maize for our livestock, whereby we also enriched your father Moshesh. We trekked as far as the Vaal River, where Mzilikazi, the conqueror of you all, also unexpectedly overwhelmed our people. He killed a good part of us and robbed us of a very large part of our property, me being absent while on the commission trip to Zoutpansberg. When we returned from thence to the Renoster River, at Vechtkop, Mzilikazi attacked us again and also robbed us of all our livestock. When we were thus helpless, and in great distress, not your father Moshesh, but the Rev. Mr. Archbell with Moroka assisted us, for which I still thank them. They are still our friends, who have done us no harm to this day. Nor have Moroka's people robbed us, whereas our brethren suffered greatly under the pillaging of your father's people. To return to my story – we retreated from Vechtkop to Moroka's land. He received us as his friends and also made a donation of wheat for our hungry women and children. Moroka sent some of his people to join us on the first commando against Mzilikazi, our great enemy who was likewise your father's enemy."

"Let me draw your attention to Mzilikazi, when he fell upon us, murdering and pillaging – did he benefit from it, or suffer harm? Was he able to remain in his country, or did he have to flee? Let me draw your attention to our negotiations with Dingane, who in his demeanour had the likeness of a sheep, but in his heart was a ravaging wolf. How did it work out for him? Did he benefit, or suffer harm?"

"I conceded in my weakness to the wish of all the officials, also was I aware that the majority of burghers were in favour of it. ... on a canon carriage [was the vow delivered] ... in a simple way, with as much dignity as the Lord enabled me to do."

"... he had a leather bag around one shoulder, which he still carried and which contained his papers, including Mr Retief's negotiated treaty with Dingane, the circumscription of the land – this was to us all a wonder to see, as the bodies had been lying there for so long, and since the papers were still so unblemished and clean…"

"Moroka and also your father Moshesh would confirm in which circumstances they were at the time of our crossing of the Orange River – how we formed a wall of protection around them against the robbery and destruction of the Korannas and Basters – and how it subsequently went with them, as Rev. Archbell and Mr. Sephton can testify. In fact, in the year 1834, in a company of 10 men, namely A. and J. Struijs, A. and P. Pienaar, H. and P. van Heerden, A. Duvenage, A. Visagie, P. Cilliers and myself, we undertook a commission trek to the far side of the Vals River, during which we were able to view the region from the Modder River almost to the Renoster River. At this time, this region was empty, so to speak without inhabitants, with only here and there a few particularly lean and emaciated kaffirs who were in the process of starving. Wherever we went at this time, I did not see any sheep, goats or cattle. Those who escaped the assegai of Mzilikazi and the ravages of the Basters and Korannas, yes also survived famine, subsisted by digging trapping pits at the waters' edge. We also observed more than once that they carried bones and remains of overnight lion and hyena catches back to their kraals, when they saw the vultures descending on these. Out of compassion we shot a lot of game for them, and a group of them also accompanied us. In two places we met with horrible scenes. At the first I saw a stream where the waters had washed the corpses into a heap. The second was a defile in a cliff which was so to speak filled up with human bones. Upon our return home, we sent a memorandum, signed by 72 men, to the Cape Governor requesting to go and live there. This request was however denied."

"Among Hindus and Sikhs resentment at the agitation is growing and, particularly in the case of the latter in an ominous degree. On the 12th of February in the second statement he has issued against the agitation since it started, Master Tara Singh declared that it was communal in its essentials and has as its purpose the domination of the Punjab by Muslims. He called on the Sikhs to prepare themselves to face the Muslim League onslaught and towards this and to reorganize the Akal Fauj."

"In Tainch and Harnali about two dozen Sikhs were killed and brutalities committed in the latter place. About 30 women were abducted from these places and the Gurdwaras were burnt. In Harial about 20 Sikhs were killed and 40 were abducted. The Gurdwara was burnt. This last is Master Tara Singh’s home place. Masterji’s house were razed to the ground with sadistic vengeance, the site struck with shoes and ploughed over."

"His mistress, or, as she was called, Zuleika, pursued him day after day with her amorous talk and her flattery, saying: "How fair is thy appearance, how comely thy form! Never have I seen so well-favored a slave as thou art." Joseph would reply: "God, who formed me in my mother's womb, hath created all men." Zuleika: "How beautiful are thine eyes, with which thou hast charmed all Egyptians, both men and women!" Joseph: "Beautiful as they may be while I am alive, so ghastly they will be to look upon in the grave." Zuleika: "How lovely and pleasant are thy words! I pray thee, take thy harp, play and also sing, that I may hear thy words." Joseph: "Lovely and pleasant are my words when I proclaim the praise of my God.""

"She would say, "I will bring false accusations against thee before thy master," and Joseph would reply, "The Lord executeth judgment for the oppressed." Or, "I will deprive thee of food;" whereupon Joseph, "The Lord giveth food to the hungry." Or, "I will have thee thrown into prison;" whereupon Joseph, "The Lord looseth the prisoners." Or, "I will put heavy labor upon thee that will bend thee double;" whereupon Joseph, "The Lord raiseth up them that are bowed down." Or, "I will blind thine eyes;" whereupon Joseph, "The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind.""

"Another time she came to him, and said, "If thou wilt not do my desire, I will murder the Egyptian and wed with thee according to the law." Whereat Joseph rent his garment, and he said, "O woman, fear the Lord, and do not execute this evil deed, that thou mayest not bring destruction down upon thyself, for I will proclaim thy impious purposes to all in public.""

"Joseph said: "Though thou coverest up the eyes of the idol, remember, the eyes of the Lord run to and fro through the whole earth. Yes," continued Joseph, "I have many reasons not to do this thing for the sake of God. Adam was banished from Paradise on account of violating a light command; how much more should I have to fear the punishment of God, were I to commit so grave a sin as adultery! The Lord is in the habit of choosing a favorite member of our family as a sacrifice unto Himself. Perhaps He desireth to make choice of me, but if I do thy will, I make myself unfit to be a sacrifice unto God. Also the Lord is in the habit of appearing suddenly, in visions of the night, unto those that love Him. Thus did He appear unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I fear that He may appear unto me at the very moment while I am defiling myself with thee. And as I fear God, so I fear my father, who withdrew the birthright from his first-born son Reuben, on account of an immoral act, and gave it to me. Were I to fulfil thy desire, I would share the fate of my brother Reuben.""

"Zuleika saying, "If it be thy wish that I forsake idol worship, then fulfil my desire, and I will persuade that Egyptian husband of mine to abjure the idols, and we shall walk in the law of thy God." Joseph replied, "The Lord desireth not that those who fear Him shall walk in impurity, nor hath He pleasure in the adulterer.""

"she said to Joseph: "Why dost thou refuse to fulfil my wish? Am I not a married woman? None will find out what thou hast done." Joseph replied: "If the unmarried women of the heathen are prohibited unto us, how much more their married women? As the Lord liveth, I will not commit the crime thou biddest me do.""

"The whole course of the son's life is but a repetition of the father's. As the mother of Jacob remained childless for a long time after her marriage, so also the mother of Joseph. As Rebekah had undergone severe suffering in giving birth to Jacob, so Rachel in giving birth to Joseph. As Jacob's mother bore two sons, so also Joseph's mother. Like Jacob, Joseph was born circumcised. As the father was a shepherd, so the son. As the father served for the sake of a woman, so the son served under a woman. Like the father, the son appropriated his older brother's birthright. The father was hated by his brother, and the son was hated by his brethren. The father was the favorite son as compared with his brother, so was the son as compared with his brethren. Both the father and the son lived in the land of the stranger. The father became a servant to a master, also the son. The master whom the father served was blessed by God, so was the master whom the son served. The father and the son were both accompanied by angels, and both married their wives outside of the Holy Land. The father and the son were both blessed with wealth. Great things were announced to the father in a dream, so also to the son. As the father went to Egypt and put an end to famine, so the son. As the father exacted the promise from his sons to bury him in the Holy Land, so also the son. The father died in Egypt, there died also the son. The body of the father was embalmed, also the body of the son. As the father's remains were carried to the Holy Land for interment, so also the remains of the son. Jacob the father provided for the sustenance of his son Joseph during a period of seventeen years, so Joseph the son provided for his father Jacob during a period of seventeen years."

"When Joseph said to his father: O my father, I saw eleven stars and the sun and the moon -- I saw them making obeisance to me. He said: O my son, relate not thy dream to thy brethren, lest they devise a plan against thee. The devil indeed is an open enemy to man."

"When he was on the point of complying with the wish of his mistress, the image of his mother Rachel appeared before him, and that of his aunt Leah, and the image of his father Jacob. The last addressed him thus: "In time to come the names of thy brethren will be graven upon the breastplate of the high priest. Dost thou desire to have thy name appear with theirs? Or wilt thou forfeit this honor through sinful conduct? For know, he that keepeth company with harlots wasteth his substance." Astonished at the swift change in his countenance, Zuleika said, "My friend and true-love, why art thou so affrighted that thou art near to swooning? Joseph: "I see my father!" Zuleika: "Where is he? Why, there is none in the house." Joseph: "Thou belongest to a people that is like unto the ass, it perceiveth nothing. But I belong to those who can see things.""

"Some people asked the Prophet: "Who is the most honorable amongst the people?" He replied, "The most honorable among them is the one who is the most Allah-fearing." They said, "O Prophet of Allah! We do not ask about this." He said, "Then the most honorable person is Yusuf, Nabiyyullah (Arabic: نَـبِيُّ الله‎, Prophet of Allah), the son of a Nabiyyillah, the son of a Nabiyyillah, the son of Khalilillah (Arabic: خَـلـيـلِ الله‎, "Friend of Allah").""

"And she [ Rachel ] conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach: And she called his name Joseph; and said, The LORD shall add to me another son."

"By way of punishment for having traduced his ten brethren before his father, Joseph had to languish for ten years in the prison to which the wiles of traducers had in turn condemned him. But, on the other hand, as he had sanctified the Name of God before the world by his chastity and his steadfastness, he was rewarded. The letter He, which occurs twice in the Name of God, was added to his name. He had been called Joseph, but now he was called also Jehoseph."

"This and that outrage have I executed against thee, but, as thou livest, I will put yet other outrages upon thee if thou dost not obey me." But Joseph replied, "The Lord executeth judgment for the oppressed." Zuleika: "I will push matters so far that all men will hate thee." Joseph: "The Lord loveth the righteous." Zuleika: "I will sell thee into a strange land." Joseph: "The Lord preserveth the strangers."

"Then she would resort to enticements in order to obtain her desire. She would promise to release him from prison, if he would but grant her wish. But he would say, "Better it is to remain here than be with thee and commit a trespass against God.""

"And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf."

"And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?"

"And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and, having him, he knew not aught save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was of beautiful form, and fair to look upon. And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said: 'Lie with me.' But he refused, and said unto his master's wife: 'Behold, my master, having me, knoweth not what is in the house, and he hath put all that he hath into my hand; he is not greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?' And it came to pass, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her. And it came to pass on a certain day, when he went into the house to do his work, and there was none of the men of the house there within, that she caught him by his garment, saying: 'Lie with me.' And he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. [...] And she laid up his garment by her, until his master came home. And she spoke unto him according to these words, saying: 'The Hebrew servant, whom thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me. And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment by me, and fled out.' And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke unto him, saying: 'After this manner did thy servant to me'; that his wrath was kindled. And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, the place where the king's prisoners were bound; and he was there in the prison."

"The first Hindu guru I ever encountered, Puri-based Swami Hariharananda Giri, teacher of the Kriya Yoga made famous by Paramhans Yogananda, had a charisma I’d never seen before, exuding such goodness and power that forever cleared all my doubts about whether yoga really works. But his practice had nothing to do with kirtan, of which he didn’t think too highly. Alright, it keeps people off the streets, so to speak, but it can’t get you very far compared with silent meditation.... Swami Hariharananda Giri in fact deplored the way it distracted genuine seekers from the more fruitful practice of silent sitting. As a born Bengali, he was entirely familiar with street-singers in the tradition of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He once imitated their Hare Krishna chanting: “Hare-hore-hori-horrible!” He taught a direct way to experience that funny feeling which some call God, directing the attention inward and becoming aware of what is lurking there."

"The Satan is using this opportunity as it has always done to lead us astray from our religious duties in the name of precautions, treatment and protection. Whenever a calamity strikes, Satan makes the victims of calamity commit such acts which destroy their rewards and add to their woes. This is the time to populate the mosques and to invite the ummah towards repentance. As I have already said, this is the time to make our supplications effective. This is not the time to pay heed to false remedial measures…."

"I request all, both in India and abroad, to strictly follow the guidelines and instructions of the local or national governments and till the time restrictions are in place and please observe prayers at home. And even in this, we should not invite people from outside."

"Hannad ibn Sari (may Allah be pleased with him) ..... Narrated Ata (may Allah be pleased with him). He said: The Kaaba was burnt down during the reign of Yazid ibn Muawiyah - when the Syrian army was fighting in Makkah (63 AH) and that is what happened to the Kaaba. When the people arrived during the Hajj (Hajj/Pilgrimage) season, ‘Abdullah ibn Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him) left the Kaaba in this state. His intention was to incite the people or to inspire them to fight against the Syrians. When the people gathered, he said: O people! Give me advice about the Kaaba. Should I demolish it and rebuild it completely, or should I repair only the damaged parts? Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "A thought has occurred to me that you should repair only the damaged parts and leave the Kaaba and its stones in the condition in which they were when the people embraced Islam and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was sent." Ibn Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "If one of you has a house that is burnt down, he will not be relieved until he repairs it. So how can the House of your Lord be left in such a dilapidated condition? I will seek refuge with my Lord for three days. Then I will take a final decision." After three days, he firmly decided to demolish the Kaaba and rebuild it. The people feared that the first person to climb to the roof of the Kaaba would be subjected to a heavenly wrath. Finally, a man climbed to the roof of the Kaaba (to demolish the roof) and threw a stone down. When the people saw that he was not in any danger, they followed him and demolished the Kaaba and razed it to the ground. Then Ibn Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him) erected some pillars and hung curtains on them. Finally, the walls of the Kaaba were raised. Ibn Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I heard Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) say that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "If the people had not abandoned disbelief a short time ago and I did not have the means to rebuild the Kaaba, I would have included five yards of Al-Hajar (Hatim) in the Kaaba and built two doors for the people to enter and exit." Ibn Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Now I have enough money to build it and there is no fear of any opposition from the people." Al-Rabee' said, "Then he included five yards of Hatim in the Kaaba." So it was built on the (old) foundation on which Abraham (peace be upon him) had built it, and the people looked at it. A wall was built on this foundation. The length of the Kaaba was eighteen yards. When it was extended, it was increased by another ten yards, as it was short, and two gates were built for it, one for entry and the other for exit. When Ibn Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyred, Hajjaj (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote to ‘Abdul Malik ibn Marwan. He also said that Ibn Zubair had built (the Kaaba) on that foundation [which was the foundation of Abraham (peace be upon him)] and the trustworthy people of Makkah (Makkah) had verified it. ‘Abdul Malik wrote to him and sent him saying that we do not need to accuse Ibn Zubair of anything. Leave what he has extended in length, and break down what he has extended towards Hatim and restore it to its original state. And close the (new) door that he has opened. Then Hajjaj broke it down and rebuilt it on its old foundation."

"Family of al-Zubayr, if you give yourselves up willingly for me, we shall be people of a distinuished house among the Arabs. We shall have been extirpated for the Sake of God, but no calamity will have afflicated us. And now, O family of al-Zubayr, let sword blows not frighten you. Whenever I have been present at a battle field, I have been carried away wounded from among the slain; and I have found the treatment of sword wounds to be worse than the pain of the sword's blow. Guard your swords as you guard faces. I know of no man who ever broke his sword and saved his life. If a man loses his sword, he is a defenseless as a woman. Pay no attention to the glittering swords; let each man engage his adversary. Let no question about me distract you, and do not say, Where is Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr? But if anyone asks about me, I am in the front ranks."

"I didn't believe in it for a moment but I gulped down the wine of my own voice. And then I wrestled with the darkness inside me, knocked it down, clawed at it, ripped it to shreds."

"It covers your shame, keeps you from shivering. Grass and water are the food it asks. Who taught you, priest-man, to feed this breathing thing to your thing of stone?"

"They lash me with insults, serenade me with curses. Their barking means nothing to me. Even if they came with soul-flowers to offer, I couldn’t care less. Untouched, I move on."

"I trapped my breath in the bellows of my throat, and a lamp blazed up inside, showing me who I really was. I crossed the darkness holding fast to that lamp."

"yi yi karu'm suy artsun yi rasini vichoarum thi mantar yihay lagamo dhahas partsun suy Parasivun tanthar."

"I can dispel the clouds, drain the sea, or cure someone hopelessly ill. But to change the mind of a fool is beyond me."

"Padmasambhava... is loved and revered as a legendary figure in Tibet, just as Bodhidharma is in China, Korea, and Japan. There are two major versions of his life story: in the teachings of the tertons, or treasure revealers, he is a mahasiddha and tantrika with many dimensions; someone who cannot easily be defined or pigeonholed. He is more than a monk, yet he cannot be regarded as a layperson. His iconography depicts his core nature and the nuances of his being more than words can describe. He wears yellow monastic robes, royal coats, earrings, holds skull cups, and has long hair hanging to his shoulders. These images can give an immediate sense of inner liberation and an entire nonverbal teaching on the true Dharma that is complete, vast, deep, and beyond the bondage of the limits intellectual comprehension."

"At Padmasambhava’s time all of Tibet prospered and was happy; their harvests were good and it was time without strife. All the provinces on the four frontiers were subdued. Both political and religious practices were firmly established."

"Padmasambhava defined the future of Tibet, planting the seeds of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, which would come to flourish over the next millennium. Padmasambhava taught that past and present are interrelated, connected to each other in one’s present experience."

"The myth of Guru Padmasambhava is known to every Himalayan Buddhist and Buddhist enthusiast... As the myth explains, Mandarva, the Princess of Mandi, on the arrival of Guru Padmasambhava, immersed herself in his teachings such that she embarked on everyday journeys to the cave in which he resided. However, the King of Mandi, her father, could not acknowledge this and immediately sent soldiers to the cave. As the soldiers entered, they saw both of them in some form of meditation pose, and proceeded to kill them in a fire, as per the King’s instruction. But the power of meditation made Guru Padmsambhava realize the conspiracy, and he vanished from the site, leaving behind the sacred lake in its wake. This myth has variations, but a sure fact was that the powers of Guru Padmasambhava were recognised, and celebrated over the centuries to follow."

"Whatever work I've done, whatever I have though, was praise with my body and praise hidden inside my head."

"If a person’s vision, imaginative cultivation of the vision, and the enactment of this vision (as his life style) is grounded, (This person) does not become the playground for spiritual death; But as long as he is not grounded, He will be the playground for the eighteen kinds of spiritual death. When vision falters and becomes ungrounded the subject-object dichotomy with its five poisons of emotional pollution arises. When the imaginative cultivation of the vision becomes ungrounded and falters Two kinds of spiritual death, depression and ebullience, arise. When the enactment of the vision (as a person’s life style) becomes ungrounded and falters, Seven kinds of spiritual death affect the enactment. When vision, imaginative cultivation of the vision, and the enactment of the vision (as the person’s life style) become ungrounded The four kinds of spiritual death affecting his dignity arise; Thus, when (a person) is ungrounded He becomes the playground for (all kinds of) spiritual death. Even if there is (Being’s) self-originated originary awareness present in such a person. This person is like a prince walking among commoners."

"My father is the wisdom of spontaneous awareness. My mother is the Ever-Excellent Lady, the space of all things. ...I sustain myself by consuming the concepts of duality. My purpose is the act of killing disturbing emotions."

"If one does not recognize the Dasein as one’s own face, But were to search for it for aeons, one would merely become disheartened. If self-originatedness is not separated from its prop, It is (like a) hermit with his hut becoming destroyed by an avalanche. If one does not understand that (Dasein) can (unlike a totality) neither be summed up (by its parts) nor be taken apart(by separating its parts), But (expects to) find it somewhere else (than in one’s self), one is on the wrong track."

"Biographies of Indian saints and scholars like Nagarjuna, Dignaga, Santideva, Padmasambhava were recovered from Tibetan literary treasures. Among them the name of Padmasambhava is the most venerated one in Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan... The rediscovered books were all credited also to Padmasambhava. Hence Padmasambhava was regarded as an emanation of the primary wisdom of all Buddhas"