Ramnami Samaj

Content

1. Introduction

2. Life sketch of Parsuram and founding of Ramnami Samaj

3. Bhakti Philosophy

4. Relevance: Then and Now

Conclusion                                                                                                                                                                  

 Introduction

My presentation of this paper is based on Ramdas Lamb’s book, “Rapt in the Name.” Unlike the tradition to devotion to Krishna Ram tradition is also an important component of Hinduism. As we know that Ram is the most-worshipped form of the divine being in India today, and has been particularly important to those of the lower castes throughout of India. There are groups like Satnam samaj, Kabirpanth, Ramnami Samaj etc., whose devotion is rooted and grounded in the name of Ram. My primary focus in presentating this paper is the rise of lower caste religious movements devoted to Ram, specifically the Ramnami Samaj, an Untouchable religious movement in Central India. Ramnami Samaj movement is the movment of untouchable, specially a lower cast called chamr. When we speak about the author of the book Ramdas Lamb, he has experienced about this movement as a Hindu monk and later as their friend and researcher. What we find the surprising innovative aspects of the sect is its adaptation of the story of Lord Ram that is uniquely woven into its devotional repetition of his name. They tattoo their bodies with the name ‘Ram’, write it on their clothing and adorn their walls with it. Their primary focus has been on chanting verses from the Ramchartimas. The Ramnamis have no elaborate rituals, no temples and use only small bells during their prayers.

Ramdas lamb first visited India in 1968. He was much inspired by Vaishave monk and joined Ramnanadi order in January 1970. Being a sadhu, he spent alone his time in a valley of Himalaya. He was told that Harijans were dirty, ignorant, untrustworthy and unevolved beings. As a Ramananadi sadhu his daily life was chanting of the name of ram and study of the ram story. In Haridwar at religious festivals he met some Ramnamis. Then after, he made more than 15 visits to Chhattisgarh and discovered around 80% villages were Ramnamis.

Chhattisgarh is the home of two- third scheduled casts and a large majority of them are tribal, formerly of Madhya Pradesh. Shudras dominate the ranks of caste; Hindus in the state and in many villages harijans are actually dominating the caste. In rural Chhattisgarh, the voice of the untouchables is much louder than the other parts of the India. In villages harijans have more opportunity for self expression and this gives an excellent opportunity to see them more “on their own terms.” When asked to identify themselves most of the residents, young and old refer to themselves first as rather than Indian or Hindu.

Ramnami samaj is fairly new by Indian standard, having existed for barely a hundred years. In that short time, however the samaj had a significant influence on the religious and social life of the region.

Life sketch of Parsuram and founding of Ramnami Samaj

Since the time of Ghasidas, many Chhatisgarhi became aware of their social and religious position assigned them by the Hindu Orthodox. During this time the founder of ramnami samaj Parsuram was born. He was a poor villager chamar. People have different opinion about this man. Same say that he was a great saint some say he was a simple man but his life was devoted to Ram. As one Ramnami put it,”Parsuram was a poor Chhatisgarhi villager, similar in many ways to us; therefore we have the capabilities and opportunities to become as great as Ramnam devotee as he was.”

Seeing his unusual behavior his parent married him in his early age. He was twelve and his wife ten when they were married. He was good at study and business. In his mid thirties, he contracted a disease called leprosy. Thinking about the safety of his family he thought of leaving his family. Before leaving his home he sat outside of his home by the side of the river. A sadhu came to him without considering his disease. Seeing this Parsuram was deeply moved by the holy man. The sadhu told his name as Ramdev. In the afternoom Ramdev visited Prasuram’s family and told the family that Ram is Happy with Parsuram. He told Parsuram that tomorrow as he will get up from the sleep he will see that a Ramnam will appear on his chest or in his heart. Next morning Parsuram found the things as the sadhu had told him about, he also found out that the disease he had was no more now. The sadhu asked Parsuram, Manas was his istdev and that will fulfill all his need. In the beginning he felt shy to share his experience but after few days when he came to his normal life started sharing his experience with the people. He spoke about his experience and transformation. He chanted the name of ram, people who came to listen to him tattooed on their head to follow his teacher.

For many villagers Parsuram was a guru. Under his guidance they began to memorize verses from the Manas. He proclaimed the power of nam to all those he met and told them that it was the beast means of liberation. All kinds of people were welcomed in his home. The news spread throughout much of eastern Chhattisgarh. When high caste Hindus heard about it, they got angry thinking that a low caste man, a chamar is preaching the name of Ram. They tried to stop him from doing so but Parsuram did not listen to them. Many Ramnamis were attacked. Ramnamis went to British court to get protection. Case went to court in 1910. Finally, on October 12, 1912, they won the case. They got freedom to practice their religion and they got police protection for their movement. This was a big victory for them in order to mark this day they gathered together in one place and chanted the name of ram. Similarly every year they organize bhajan mela, where they come together and celebrate.

Bhakti Philosophy

                                                     

The two central practices of Ramnami devotion are chanting Ramnam ("the name of Ram") and reciting Ramkatha ("the story of Ram"). These practices are shared by the larger Ram traditions in India. Parsuram, the founder of the ramnami Samaj simply started the path of devotion for Ram. The primary goal of early Ramnami samaj was bonding together of low caste and uneducated people. Anybody who wanted to join in this samaj was welcomed without considering their caste. According to Parsuram the salvation can be attained only by chanting Ramnam. Keeping this in their mind the members of the sect use to chant Ramnam as much as possible. Especially they used to use their free time in chanting the Name of Ram, e.g., if they waited for the bus they use to chant the name of Ram.

Some lows were prescribed like other religions, they are as follows:

1.      Sect members are to eat only in the home of an initiated Ramnami, though they may invite anyone to their own home.

2.      All children born to a Ramnami family should be tattooed at least once by the age of two.

3.      Anyone seeking to be married by the sect must also have at least one Ramnam tattoo and must agree to chant Ramnam daily.

Besides above mentioned three lows, they have some other rules also which the sect members have to follow, they are as follows:

1.      Practicing Ramnam daily

2.      Treating all sect members with equality and respect.

3.      Abstaining from alcohol

4.      Practicing vegetarian

5.      Tattooing of Ramnam at least once on the body

6.      Wearing the Ramnam ordhni during chanting if one is owned.

Among all these rules first three rules are considered of supreme importance, next two are of great importance and last one is encouraged but not compulsory.

Significance of Tattoo,Ordhni,Mukut and Ghungru

Tattoo or Ankit

Parsuram the founder of Ramnami samaj, was the first one to be tattooed, But in India the concept and practice of wearing the name of God or other important religious and cultural symbols on the body date back to ancient times.

The Sanskrit term for the sacred marks used by many Hindus sect to identify themselves is “Tilaks”. Some religious sects in south India also refer to their marks as “nama”. For the ramnamis, Ramnam tattoos have had varied significance throughout the sect’s brief history, but they have always remained a vital part of the sect’s tradition. For Parsuram, his tattoo was the result of his devotion and also Prasad, a gift and an acknowledgement from Ram. For the First Ramnamis, their tattoos expressed their religious connection with Parsuram, signified their commitment to ramnam, and furnished them with a common bond, which set them apart from others and linked them together in a permanent and visible way.

Ordhni

A ramnami ordhni is the sect’s ritual shawl, its major part of ramnami wardrobe. The shawls are generally made from piece of white cloths and are covered with ramnam, written in devnagri script. All ramnamis are encouraged to possess an ordhni and wear it whenever they chant. The shawl is meant to symbolize the ramnamis’ devotion to Ram and their membership in the samaj. More importantly it is used to wrap them in the name, as well as in a sheath of purity and protection provided through the power of name.

Mukut

The ramnamis wear a peacock feather hat known as mukut. It gives the members of the samaj a unique physical appearance. In Hindu devotional literature peacock feather is often associated with Vishnu or one of his avatars, usually Krishna but also Ram. To symbolize their devotion to Ram Parsuram used to wear a peacock feather in his turban when he worked in the fields, and the members of his village soon began to call him pankhawala.

Ghunghuru

The ramnamis used no musical instruments as such to accompany their chanting of Ram. Throughout much of the history of the sect, however, members used a set of handmade bells, called “ghunguru”, for maintaining a beat during the bhajan. They did not use other cymbals saying that they wish to hear is only the sound of ramnam.

Bhajan Mela

The bhajan mela is an important event not just for ramnamis but also for the people of eastern Chhatisgarh. Its increasing popularity has caused it to become a focus of energy and activity, and it is anticipated by many from all over the regions. As none of the other religious sects in the rural Chhattisgarh, has as large gathering. The mela enhances the Ramnamis’ popularity and credibility in the eyes of many villagers. Mela shows as a sign of stability and continuity, and thus it enhances the status of the sect. The mela also gives ramnamis an opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to the movement and its goals, to come into contact with people from all over the region and to celebrate. For many it is also a time to forget a few days the problems and worries that so often plague daily existence. At the mela it is easy to become involved in the ritual, emotional, and religious activities and fervor, thus allowing the daily difficulties to fade from thought and concern.

Relevance: Then and Now

When we study carefully about the ramnami movement we find that Parsuram, who was the founder of Ramnami movement wanted to make a way of devotion to Ram for the untouchables. The life of untouchables or a low caste person of central India was very pitiful at that time. They were not allowed to enter in the temple of upper cast orthodox Hindu. They were considered dirty, untrustworthy and unevolved human beings. These people even could not express their devotion as they wanted. Thus we see that at this time Parsuram the founder of Ramnami movement comes into scene.

Ramnami movement gave a base for those untouchable low caste people who because of fear remained speechless. They became aware about their rights and opportunities. In a way this movement gave an open platform to practice their religion. Parsuram who was their own man and who had received a special grace from God encouraged his followers to be the part of this movement. This movement was not so difficult also; Parsuram the founder of this movement used to tell his followers that one can attain salvation by chanting the name of the Lord Ram. This was something new for them thus they started to show great devotion to Ram. Ramnam could be chanted anywhere but sometimes they came together and chanted the name of Ram. This kind of arrangement brought them under one umbrella. We can observe that there was uniformity in their movement. Tattoo, mukut, ankle bells and ramnam shawl they shared in common gathering, created the feeling of oneness and united in one community. In the time of difficulties they used to help one another. Bhajan mela they organized every year again this occasion strengthened their unity and strength.

Today when we see Ramnami samaj then we find that it is slowly fading away. Today low caste people are also getting good education. Thus, they don’t want to spoil their beautiful bodies by getting Ramnam tattoo. Even their parents don’t encourage their children to get tattoos. They rarely use the ramnam shawl and chanting ramnam is limited to only some special occasions, feasts and special rituals. This shows that a lot of changes have taken place in ramnami samaj with the change of time. Their thinking pattern has changed with the proper education. But when we talk about caste system, we observe only a little change. As we know that Gandhiji also tried his best to eliminate the caste system by saying that the harijans are the sons of God but sad thing is that it still exists in India even today. There are some changes in thinking about the low caste people, high caste Hindus at least many of them don’t consider harijans as dirty, untrustworthy and unevolved human beings. Dr. Ambedkar who was also an untouchable once said that, “he don’t want to die as Hindu.” Keeping this in his mind he converted into Buddhism, along with him so many harijans also converted into Buddhism.

Thus we see that the practice of caste system has been decreased with the time but still in some places we hear that harijans are not allowed to enter in the Hindu temples. Today it is difficult to find ramnamis in their original custom. Reason may be whether they are forgetting or they don’t want to follow the old custom. Thus we conclude that with the change of time ramnami samaj is also changing its existence.

                         

Conclusion

Ramnami samaj which was founded by a low caste chamar named Parsuram was much effective in the central India, specially in Chhattisgarh. Ramnami samaj’s bhakti was based on the Lord Ram. Members were fully devoted to their Lord Ram. This religion was much popular in the central India only. People of other part of India were not aware about this movement. Thus we can give some credit to the author of the book “Rapt in the name,” Ramdas Lamb whose research and study threw light about this movement. Ramnamis were simple, humble and mostly illiterate people who belonged to the low caste community. These people were not aware about their social and religious status. Parsuram who was believed to be enlightened one, brought awareness among these people.

One good thing we can observe about this movement is that it brought unity among the low cast people, specially among the harrjans. In this religion people of all caste and creed were welcomed without discrimination. People came together under the same roof and chanted the name of Ram. Followers of this movement shared the same belief with their teacher about the liberation; the chanting of Ramnam can lead to liberation. Thus ramnamis wanted to hear and utter only the name of Ram. Tattoo, ramnami shawl, mukut and Ghungru they shared in common were to show their devotion to their Lord Ram and to their unity. Some high caste Hindus misunderstood this movement and the result they attacked the ramnamis. But at last ramnamis won the case and this victory strengthened their movement.

Today when we talk about the ramnami samaj we find that there are lot of changes has taken place. With the change of time they have also changed their life style and their custom. Today we cannot identify with their physical appearance like earlier used to. This kind of changes can be observed in other religions to. Thus I conclude by saying that things changes with the time, and the changes are the sign of progress but the problem arises when we lose our identity.

                                                                                                       

Isa Upanishad

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

2. SUMMARY OF ISA UPANISAD

3. PERSONAL REFLECTION

4. CONCLUSION

5. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Introduction

Īśā Upaniṣad is one of the principal upanisads consisting of only eighteen verses. In all collections of the Upanishad it occupies the first place, owing partly because perhaps to the great spiritual significance of its contents. It focuses on the divinity of man and all manifestations in the nature. The subject matter of the Upanishad, as of all the Upanishad, is spiritual, profound, and all comprehensive. All the Upanishad including Īśā Upaniṣad exhaust them simply by determining the true nature of the self, and the Gita and the scripture dealing with moksa have only this end in view. “For the people who are versed in the science dealing with competence say that a man is qualified for karma when he hankers after the results of karma, be they of this world in the form of spiritual eminence etc., or of the thereafter in the form of heaven etc. and thinks of himself thus: I am a twice- born man and am free from such defects as being one –eyed which stand in the way of one’s competence for karma.”

Īśā Upaniṣad, commentary by Sankara, deals with the true form of inner god and how to discover that God. It also speaks about the paths by which that true God may be found. It speaks about the divinity of man as well as all manifestation in nature. It is the last chapter of sukla-yajur-Veda_samhita. This Upanishad is in verses so it is Mantroupanisads. The name Isa Upanishad is derived from its opening words of the first verse, ‘Īśā vasyam……..’ It tries to convey us to the knowledge of the seers who have had experienced the spiritual solidarity and unity of all existence.

Summary

The first verse of Īśā Upaniṣad explains that everything in this universe is changeable, nothing is real but they all seem to be temporarily real. Only God alone is changeless. Here God is none but our own indwelling self. Thus one needs to know the essence of own true self. In order to protect true self one need to renounce the worldly things, like desires and wealth. One can protect oneself through detachment and realization of true nature through the knowledge attained through discrimination and remuneration. This verse tries to explain that wealth is illusory but only our true self is our true lord. This verse is meant for those who are able to renounce three fold desires through knowledge and discrimination.

According to Sankara second verse refers to those who are incapable of complete renunciation and absorption in the self and have , as a consequence, to be  devoted to righteous works by which they can attain purity of mind, and thereby knowledge ultimately. Thus we find that highest knowledge can be attained by giving up all the worldly desires including karma and retiring to the forest or by doing karma in this world.

The third verse speaks about asuras or demons whose worlds are covered by blinding darkness. They are noted for their attachment to sensual enjoyment. Everyone who is indifferent to the realization of the Atman, his own essential nature, may be described as committing spiritual suicide.

Those who have not realized the self are therefore competent only for work, re-borne in different spheres, and this is the condition infinitely inferior to the realization of self.

The verses four, five and eight explain about the true nature of self as follows: the self is the unchangeable and eternal principle at the back of a hanging nature. Self is swifter than the mind, the swiftest of all things known to us. Mind is faster than senses but self is beyond the grasp of the mind. It is much more so beyond the powers of the senses. The self is never an object of perception, nothing can go beyond self. Self does really no action; it is the cosmic energies translates itself into all activities of life, mind itself being a manifestation of it.

In its real absolute state self does not move, it is immutable, but it appears to be ever-changing, even in motion. It is omnipresent. For ignorant it is very difficult to attain, but to wise it is very near, because they know it as their very self. It is beyond creation. It has two aspects, the conditional and the unconditional aspect.

The self has distributed all objects of universe rightly for all eternity. Thus the self existence is everywhere without body, without muscles, and without the tent of sin; radiant whole and pure:  seeing all, knowing all and encompassing all.

The verses sixth and seventh explain about a wise man that sees all beings in the self and the self in all beings, feels no hatred by virtue of such realization. Because hatred is born of self interest, when the unity of the self in all is realized, there is no room for hatred. There is no place for sorrow for the wise man that sees the unity of existence and perceives all beings as his own self.

The verses ninth, tenth and eleventh, describe the empirical knowledge as vidya and avidya. Here the world knowledge should be seen as worldly knowledge, for both vidya and avidya blind and delude the person from true reality. Both should be transcended to reach the highest state of knowledge.

Persons, who remain satisfied with the performance of the rituals only, and never strive to know the real significance of the works as explained in the scriptures, cannot attain sathvic state of life, but still worse are those people who remain controlled with the mere theoretical knowledge about gods and sacrifices and never stir themselves up for any action. goal can be obtained by vidya that is knowledge of ritualistic or can be obtained by avidya that is ignorance or pure rituals.

According to Sankara that mere conceptional knowledge of Brahman is not enough: it must be combined with practice of spiritual discipline. The mere theorization of Brahman is not the realization of Brahman for without combining practice with it, the theory will not able to countered the mental and physical tendencies that obstruct the downing of knowledge.

The verse twelve describe that those who worship non becoming(the unmanifested) enter into blinding darkness into darkness still greater than that, as it were, do they enter who delight in becoming.

The verse thirteenth explains about different results. One result can be obtained from the worship of sambhava (the becoming) and a quite another from that of asambhava. Sankara says that the result of worshiping sambhava is the attainment of eightfold yogic power: and of worshiping asambhava, absorption in Prakriti.

The verse fourteenth explains that one who knows these two-the unmanifest and destruction-together, crossing  death through destruction, attains  immortality through the unmanifest.

According to Sankara the upaniṣad explains from verse fifteenth onwards, by what path those who have been devoted all their life to scripture- enjoined works and the worship of lower Brahman, attain immortality  after death, this and the succeeding verses from the prayer of such a devotee.

One is advised to meditate upon Brahman as residing in the sun, the heart, and the eyes, because special manifestations of divine glory are associated with these regions. This particular verse is dying prayer for illumination of one who has been devoted all through his life to the contemplation of the deity as manifested in the sun. He wants to see the shining orb of the material sun.

As the course of departing soul entirely depends upon the predominant thoughts of the dying moment, the devotee is, at the time of death, asking the mind to fill itself with the memories of all the good deeds of his life, so that he may take the higher passage. Devotee asks Agni(the fire) to lead him by the fair path that he may reap the good he has sown. He tells god that god knows all his deeds. He asks lord to destroy all crooked-going sins in him. Then he remembers whatever work has been done from his childhood with solicitude.

In the last verse two paths are mentioned by which the departed souls may proceed to enjoy the fruits of karma done during their life in the earth. One is called ‘the path of gods’, the other is called the path of manes or path of darkness. The first one leads to the region of Brahma, known as Satya-loka. The second one leads to Candara-loka or the region of moon. One, who goes to Candara-loka, has to come back again in this world by rebirth. The verse also speaks about Jivan-mukti or direct salvation, even alive in the body which is attained only by the realization of the true nature of the self. None but one who obscures lifelong vow of sexual purity, one who leads retired life of worship and devotion in forest and the Grahastha are eligible for the direct salvation.

Personal reflection

As we know that Īśā Upanishad is a shortest Upanishad among all other Upanishads but each line of Upanishad carries a heavy spiritual significance. After reading this Upanishad I found that every word of this Upanishads filled with the great spiritual meanings. There is a kind of attraction in each word of Upanishad which fills you with spiritual insights. It has that power of quality which touches our inner self when we read it. Its spiritual insights strike both our minds and hearts. It has the power of attraction that if once we start reading; it does not allow us to leave on the way. Its heart touching words teaches us how to read from our heart. It makes us to think about our work, life and our inner self. It gives us a spiritual insight to evaluate our life and shows us a way to live our life meaningfully. Īśā Upaniṣad explains us meaningfully about god and how to find that hidden god. It seems that to find god is very difficult but Upanishad shows us an easy way to find that inner god.

In a way Īśā Upaniṣad opens our eyes to see our inner god who is changeless, omnipresent and all powerful. It teaches us something about our true self and how to find that true self who is god himself. It gives a way to find our true self and if we are not able to take one way it gives another way too. It tells that for wise, it is very easy to find god but for ignorant it is very difficult to find. Īśā Upaniṣad give an idea about god that how is he, where he is and how to find him. It tells that a person who has found his true self is sinless and free from sorrow, so he is the happiest man in the world. Īśā Upaniṣad strikes my mind and heart because it nicely explains about our entire life, god and how to see god in our life. In a way it explains about our all aspects of our life. At the end it enables us to remember all our good deeds and evil deeds and for good deeds be thankful to God and for evil deeds pray to God to destroy all our evil deeds. This line remind me something about the value of or Christianity which also teaches us to be thankful to God for all the good deeds and ask pardon from him for evil deeds. Īśā Upanishad speaks something about theoretical knowledge of rituals and God and the true knowledge and actualization. It reminds me about attending holy mass everyday in order to fulfill the daily routine. It also makes to think me about all those religious leaders including priests who who perform pujas and preach many good things in the temples, mosques, gurudwara and cathedrals but they themselves fail to practice those values.

Īśā Upaniṣad makes me to wonder why Hindus believe in so many gods. Why the make statues of gods and after pujas and celebration they throw it into the rivers. Īśā Upanishad clearly speaks about our inner God. It’s true that Hindus read and understand this, then, why they worship so many gods. In place of searching their inner God why they fight in order to build temples for gods. why they have different temples for different gods like hanuman temple, saraswati temple, ganesha temple, siva temple etc. thus we see that all the holy scriptures including Īśā Upaniṣad teach us only about good things but like us many other people read it, understand it but never practice it excluding few exceptions.

CONCLUSION
Īśā Upanishad consists of only eighteen verses but it is considered one of the principal Upanishad because of its great spiritual significance. This Upanishad is called Mantropanisad because it is in verses. It begins with the explanation of inner God. It tells us that everything in this world is changeable except God. In order to know the essence of our true self one needs to renounce the worldly things. Those who are not able to take the first path, Īśā Upaniṣad gives the other option also. They can attain purity of mind by doing righteous work. Īśā Upaniṣad speaks something about the people who are busy with the worldly things that their world will be covered with darkness. These are some people who have not found their true self. Our true self, which is changeless and omnipresent is beyond the grasp of the mind and powers of senses. Self is the cosmic energy translates itself into all activities of life. For those people who know their self is very easy to find but for ignorant it is very difficult to find. Self is beyond creation and limitation. Self has distributed well all the objects of universe and it itself if omnipresent everywhere. The wise people who have found their true self have no hatred in their lives. Thus, they are the happiest people in the world. The people, who are limited with the theoretical knowledge of rituals and gods, will never find the true God. Isa Upanishad speaks about the practical knowledge of rituals and gods in order to find the true God. It teaches us to thank and pray for our good and evil deeds. In Isa Upanishad two paths are mentioned in order to get salvation. First path is known as ‘the reason of Brahma’ and the second path is called ‘Chandra loka’. Those who go to the reason of Brahma find salvation and those who go to Chandra loka have to reborn in order to gain salvation.

Bibliography

1.      Eight upanisads, volume one, with the commentary of Śańkarācārya, translated by swāmi Ganbhīrānda.

2.      Isa, kena and mundaka upanisads and sri sankara’s commentary translated by S. Sitarama Sashi. B. A.

3.      Īśā Vāsyopānīsad by swāmi Sarvānda, Sri Ramkrishna Math Mylapore, Madras-4, India.1970

4.      www.maharajnisargadatta.com/Isa_upanishad.php

As a man thinketh

As A Man Thinketh

Introduction

Allen was born in Leicester, England, into a working-class family; Allen was the elder of two brothers. His mother could neither read nor write while his father, William, was a factory knitter. In 1879, following a downturn in the textile trade of central England, Allen's father traveled alone to America to find work and establish a new home for the family. Within two days of arriving his father was pronounced dead at New York City Hospital, believed to be a case of robbery and murder. At age fifteen, with the family now facing economic disaster, Allen was forced to leave school and find work.

In 1903, Allen published his third and most famous book As a Man Thinketh. Loosely based on the biblical proverb, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he," the small work eventually became read around the world and brought Allen posthumous fame as one of the pioneering figures of modern inspirational thought. The book's minor audience allowed Allen to quit his secretarial work and pursue his writing and editing career.

This books’ intention is not intended as an exhaustive treatise, but to motivate the reader to believe that, "They themselves are makers of themselves." by the thoughts they choose and encourage. A person's thoughts form an inner garment of character and an outer garment of circumstance.

In its theme that ‘mind is the master weaver’, creating our inner character and outer circumstances, As A Man Thinketh is an in-depth exploration of the central idea of self-empowerment writing.

James Allen's contribution was to take an assumption we all share - that because we are not robots we therefore control our thoughts - and reveal its fallacy. Because most of us believe that mind is separate from matter, we think that thoughts can be hidden and made powerless - this allows us to think one way and act another. But Allen believed that the unconscious mind generates as much action as the conscious mind, and while we may be able to sustain the illusion of control through the conscious mind alone, in actuality we are continually faced with a question, 'Why cannot I make myself do this or achieve that?' In noting that desire and will are sabotaged by the presence of thoughts that do not accord with the desire, Allen was led to the startling conclusion that, 'We do not attract what we want, but what we are.' Achievement happens because you as a person embody the external achievement; you don't 'get' success but become it. There is no gap between mind and matter.

Summary of the book

Thought & Character

Allan writes that "A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all of his thoughts. And since "...cause and effect are as absolute and undeviating in the hidden realm of thought as in the world of visible and material things," we determine our situation in life... essentially sleeping in the bed we have made. According to the author, "Man is made or unmade by himself" and can improve his lot in life by thinking "right" thoughts and by the right choice of the application of thought

"As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he". The sum of a man's thoughts are his character. His character influences the conditions and circumstances of his life. Every action springs forth first from thought – even actions considered to be spontaneous and unpremeditated.

Act is the blossom of thought, and joy and suffering are its fruit.

The law of cause and effect exists in the world of thought, not just the natural world. A God-like character is the result of God-like thoughts. A bestial character is the result of groveling thoughts. Man is made or unmade by his own thoughts, which can destroy him or build him up. Man becomes master of his "household" of thoughts, by application, self-analysis and experience.

Gold and diamonds are found only by much searching and mining. Similarly, a man must dig deep in the mine of his soul to find every truth connected with his being.

A man must watch, control and alter his thoughts – tracing their effect on himself, others, and his life and circumstances. In doing so he will prove to himself that he is maker of his own character, life and destiny.

Effect of Thought on Circumstances

A man's mind may be likened to a garden – cultivated or uncultivated. The cultivated produces flowers & fruit, while the uncultivated produces weeds. A man must continually weed-out all wrong, useless, and impure thoughts and deliberately cultivate right, useful, and pure thoughts. Thought and character are one, and character has a profound influence on the circumstances of one's life. If a man learns the spiritual lesson of his current circumstances they will give way to other circumstances.

As long as a man believes he is a creature of external conditions he will be buffeted by those conditions. When he practices self-control and self-purification of thought, and remedies his defects of character, he finds that his circumstances will change.

The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors -- its loves and fears. The soul reaches the height of its cherished aspirations and the depth of its unchastened desires. Every thought-seed allowed to take root in a man's mind will eventually produce the fruit of character and opportunity and circumstance.

Good thoughts bear good fruit, bad thoughts bad fruit.

Effects of Thoughts on Health & Body

"The body is the servant of the mind. It obeys the operations of the mind, whether they be deliberately chosen or automatically expressed," Allen writes.  And that, upon the body, "habits of thought will produce their own effects, good or bad." Ever heard the saying clean body, clean mind, clean living? That's what Allan is getting at here; that "The people who live in fear of disease are the people who get it" and that "A sour face does not come by chance; it is made by sour thoughts."

The habits of thoughts will produce their effects -- good or bad -- upon the body. Thought is the fount of action, life, and manifestation. Make the fountain' pure and all will be pure.

If you would perfect your body, guard your mind. If you would renew your body, beautify your mind. Thoughts of malice, envy, and disappointment, rob the body of its health and grace. A bright, happy, and serene countenance follows from thoughts of joy, goodwill and serenity. To continually live in thoughts of ill-will, cynicism, suspicion and envy, is to be confined in a self-made prison.

To think well of all, to be cheerful with all, to find the good in all -- such unselfish thoughts are the very portals of heaven.

Thought & Purpose

Until thought is linked with purpose there is no intelligent accomplishment. Aimlessness is a vice. They who have no central purpose in their life fall prey to worries, fears, troubles and self-pity, which lead to failure and loss.

A man should conceived of a legitimate purpose in his heart and set out to accomplish it. He should make this purpose the centralizing point of his thoughts.

To think with purpose puts one in the ranks of those who know that failure is one of the pathways to success. A man should mentally mark out a straight path to achieving his purpose and rigorously exclude doubts and fears. The will to do springs from the knowledge that we can do. Doubt and fear are the great enemies of knowledge and must be slain.

He who has conquered doubt and fear has conquered failure. Thought allied fearlessly to purpose becomes a creative force.

All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts. A man's weakness and strength, purity and impurity, are his own and not another man's. They can only be altered by himself. His sufferings and his happiness are evolved from within.

A strong man cannot help a weaker unless the weaker is willing to be helped. Even then the weak man must become strong of himself -- only he can alter himself. Oppressor and slaves are cooperators in ignorance and afflict themselves rather than each other. A perfect love condemns neither and a perfect compassion embraces both. He who has conquered weakness and has pushed away all selfish thoughts belongs neither to oppressor nor oppressed. He is free.

Before a man can achieve anything -- even worldly -- he must lift his thoughts above slavish animal indulgence. A man whose first thought is bestial indulgence could neither think clearly nor plan methodically. He could not find and develop resources and would fail in any undertaking. Not having begun to manfully control his thoughts, he is not in a position to control affairs and to adopt serious responsibilities. He is limited by the thoughts he chooses.

By the aid of self-control, resolution, purity, righteousness, and well-directed thought a man ascends. By the aid of animality, indolence, impurity, corruption and confusion of thought man descends. A man who has risen to high success may descend into great wretchedness by allowing arrogant, selfish and corrupt thoughts to take possession of him. Victories attained by right thought are maintained by watchfulness. Many give way when success is assured, and rapidly fall back into failure.

All achievements -- business, intellectual, spiritual -- are the result of definitely directed thought. To achieve greatly one must sacrifice greatly.

Visions & Ideals

The dreamers are the saviors of the world. The entire visible world is sustained by the invisible. He who cherishes a beautiful vision, a lofty ideal in his heart, will one day realize it. To desire is to obtain, to aspire is to achieve. Shall a man's basest desires receive the fullest measure of gratification, and his purest aspirations starve for lack of sustenance? Dream lofty dreams and as you dream, so shall you become.

Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be. The greatest achievements were at first and for a time a dream. The Oak sleeps in an acorn. Dreams are the seedlings of realities.

Uncongenial circumstances can be overcome by perceiving and striving toward and ideal. You cannot travel on the inside and remain still on the outside.

You will always gravitate toward that which you secretly love most. You will become as small as your controlling desire, or as great as your dominant aspiration. The thoughtless, ignorant and indolent speak of luck, fortune and chance. They do not see the trials, failures and struggles of men who achieve wealth, intellect or holiness. They have no knowledge of the sacrifices, efforts and exercised faith of the latter in overcoming the obstacles to their dreams. They do not know the darkness or the heartaches.

Gifts, powers, material, intellectual and spiritual possessions are the fruits of effort. They are thoughts completed, objectives accomplished, and visions realized. The vision that you glorify in your mind, the ideal that you enthrone in your heart, this you will build your life by; this you will become.

Serenity

Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom. It is the result of long and patient effort in self-control. A calm man, having learned how to govern himself, knows how to adapt himself to others. The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. The strong, calm, man is always loved and revered. Only the wise man, only he whose thoughts are controlled and purified, makes the winds and storms of the soul obey him. To tempest-tossed souls: Self control is strength. Right thought is mastery. Calmness is power. Say unto your heart, "Peace. Be still."

Personal Reflection

I liked this book because James Allen put into words many thoughts I have had. The statements are blunt and some based on scientific evidence as opposed to personal experience. If applied, this book has potential to be powerfully useful. It is very short; I read it in between classes in just a couple hours. It is thoughtful, obviously, not your basic story line book. I do think the book lacked in addressing mental illnesses fully. It gives the notion you can think away any problem or illness. While this has some truth, the mental struggle can often be overwhelming. I agree that the mind is very powerful, perhaps much more than we acknowledge. A good book to study.

James Allen's book, As a Man Thinketh, I thoroughly enjoyed and found personally rather intriguing and mind opening giving me a new possibly better perspective of just how much impact one’s thoughts have on in not only their personality and ways of life, but also on the ability to change from those certain ways of life, habits, or addictions that might have been accumulated at some point into hopefully greaterly desired ones. Basically saying that you are brought up from your thoughts, and if you want to change who you are and how others perceive you- change your thoughts.

On occasion some of the Shakespearian words and expressions used- like that described in its title- would trip me up slightly, but it wasn’t too overpowering as to where I was constantly lost in the. Still I would undoubtedly recommend Allen’s book to all those people want to do something new or especially if they wanted to change themselves or are just going through a rough time in trying to find out who they are.

Conclusion

As A Man Thinketh is a book of dynamite proportion with respect to wise counsel we all know, yet too often and foolhardy forget to practice.

It is as its Foreword says ‘A Little Volume’ making it a quick although not necessarily easy read.  The content is descriptive old world wisdom the message encompassing as the author guides you along the tunnel of truth and life.  Effectively crunching larger volumes expounding the effect and role our thoughts have on our lives, down to the very core ‘harvest’ of awareness and benefit to you the reader.

It is like, starkly illuminating universal truth not from a theoretical perspective, rather more powerfully via a  ‘join the dots’ process and practical tool.  Because the journey is very much a personal one however and As A Man Thinketh a book best read from cover to cover in one sitting.

And not only do you hold the power for your life to be exactly how you want it to be, YOU are the KEY that will make it so. This book clearly explains that we are the makers of ourselves. We are the master of our own self. If we want to make a better and happy person, it’s possible, if we want. The book of Allan clearly explains about the thought which originates in our mind. These thought may be good or bad. It fully depends on us that how do we take. And these thought play a big role in curving our life. Thus at the end I can say”As A Man Thinketh … SO IT IS!”

15 books reviews

1.The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell: The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate. This widely acclaimed bestseller, in which Malcolm Gladwell explores and brilliantly illuminates the tipping point phenomenon, is already changing the way people throughout the world think about selling products and disseminating ideas.

2.No Greater Love by Mother Teresa-No Greater Love is the essential wisdom of Mother Teresa -- the most accessible and inspirational collection of her teachings ever published. This definitive volume features Mother Teresa on love, prayer, giving, service, poverty, forgiveness, Jesus, and more. It is a passionate testament to her deep hope and abiding faith in God and the world. It will bring readers into the heart of this remarkable woman, showing her revolutionary vision of Christianity in its graceful, poetic simplicity. Through her own words, No Greater Love celebrates the life and work of one of the great humanitarians of our time.

3.The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle: To make the journey into The Power of Now we will need to leave our analytical mind and its false created self, the ego, behind. Although the journey is challenging, Eckhart Tolle offers simple language and a question and answer format to guide us.

Surrender to the present moment, where problems do not exist. It is here we find our joy, are able to embrace our true selves and discover that we are already complete and perfect. If we are able to be fully present and take each step in the Now we will be opening ourselves to the transforming experience of THE POWER OF NOW. It's a book to be revisited again and again.

4.The Prophet by Khalil Gibran:In a distant, timeless place, a mysterious prophet walks the sands. At the moment of his departure, he wishes to offer the people gifts but possesses nothing. The people gather round, each asks a question of the heart, and the man's wisdom is his gift. It is Gibran's gift to us, as well, for Gibran's prophet is rivaled in his wisdom only by the founders of the world's great religions. On the most basic topics--marriage, children, friendship, work, pleasure--his words have a power and lucidity that in another era would surely have provoked the description "divinely inspired." Free of dogma, free of power structures and metaphysics, consider these poetic, moving aphorisms a 20th-century supplement to all sacred traditions--as millions of other readers already have.

5.Peace Is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh: in the rush of modern life, we tend to lose touch with the peace that is available in each moment. World-renowned Zen master, spiritual leader, and author Thich Nhat Hanh shows us how to make positive use of the very situations that usually pressure and antagonize us. For him a ringing telephone can be a signal to call us back to our true selves. Dirty dishes, red lights, and traffic jams are spiritual friends on the path to "mindfulness"—the process of keeping our consciousness alive to our present experience and reality. The most profound satisfactions, the deepest feelings of joy and completeness lie as close at hand as our next aware breath and the smile we can form right now.

6.Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E Frankl:Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Between 1942 and 1945 Frankl labored in four different camps, including Auschwitz, while his parents, brother, and pregnant wife perished. Based on his own experience and the experiences of those he treated in his practice, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. Frankl's theory—known as logotherapy, from the Greek word logos ("meaning")—holds that our primary drive in life is not pleasure, as Freud maintained, but the discovery and pursuit of what we personally find meaningful.

7.The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho:This is the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure as extravagant as any ever found. From his home in Spain he journeys to the markets of Tangiers and into the Egyptian desert, where a fateful encounter with the alchemist awaits him. This story teaches us, as only few can, about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read omens strewn along life's path and above all following our dreams.

8. The Art of Happiness by The Dalai Lama: This book is actually written by a psychiatrist and includes extensive interviews with the Dalai Lama about how to be a generally happier person. Parts of the book are really great, and a couple of sections are a little bland, mostly depending on what questions the author is asking. The Dalai Lama's amazing traits come across throughout, however. His pragmatic, logical, and yet also spiritual approach to everything.

9. The Story of My Life by Helen Keller: An American classic rediscovered by each generation, The Story of My Life is Helen Keller’s account of her triumph over deafness and blindness. Popularized by the stage play and movie The Miracle Worker, Keller’s story has become a symbol of hope for people all over the world.

This book–published when Keller was only twenty-two–portrays the wild child who is locked in the dark and silent prison of her own body.

10. A Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela:An inspirational read with a life-changing impact. Through the deep injustices of his oppression to the overwhelming joy of his ascendency, the text fills the reader with an overwhelming pride of what human nature can achieve.

11. Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frankhe: Book was written in Amsterdam from 1942-1944, as young Anne hid out from the Nazis with her family. Anne Frank died in a concentration camp, but the book was eventually published in 1947 by Doubleday.

12. Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson: Written by Spencer Johnson, coauthor of The One Minute Manager, this enlightening and amusing story illustrates the vital importance of being able to deal with unexpected change. Who Moved My Cheese? is often distributed by managers to employees as a motivational tool, but the lessons it teaches can benefit literally anyone, young or old, rich or poor, looking for less stress and more success in every aspect of work and life

13. Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix-tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

But Charlie can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up

14. What is the What by Dave Eggers: What is the What is an astonishing, eye-opening, and heartbreaking book that defies classification. Once you’ve read it, the story of Valentino Achak Deng refuses to leave your mind. Even if you’re not familiar with the Lost Boys and their struggles to escape from war-torn Sudan, you’ll be drawn into this pseudo-autobiography. What is the What tells a devastating story but never plays for sympathy. Instead, the hope, complexity, and tragedy of the situation take center stage.

15. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger: J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caufield recounts the days following his expulsion from Pencey Prep, a private school. After a fight with his roommate, Stradlater, Holden leaves school two days early to explore New York before returning home, interacting with teachers, prostitutes, nuns, an old girlfriend, and his sister along the way. J.D. Salinger's classic The Catcher in the Rye illustrates a teenager's dramatic struggle against death and growing up.