Wisdom Shared III

“A wise person is one who watches over himself and restrains himself from that which is harmful and strives for that which will confront him after death; and a foolish one is he who gives rein to his cravings and seeks from Allah the fulfillment of his vain desires.”

“It is part of the excellence of a person’s Islam that he should eschew that which is of no benefit to him.”

- Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam)

Benevolence and Benefaction

“True benevolence, or compassion, extends itself through the whole of existence and sympathizes with the distress of every creature capable of sensation.” – Joseph Addison

“Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go.” – Mother Teresa

“Charity is a supreme virtue, and the great channel through which the mercy of God is passed on to mankind. It is the virtue that unites men and inspires their noblest efforts.” – Conrad Hilton

“I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.” – Anne Frank

“The man of wisdom is never in two minds about right and wrong; the man of benevolence never worries about the future; the man of courage is never afraid.” – Confucius

“The heart benevolent and kind The most resembles God.” – Robert Burns

“For peace is not mere absence of war, but is a virtue that springs from, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice.” – Baruch Spinoza

“Generosity during life is a very different thing from generosity in the hour of death; one proceeds from genuine liberality and benevolence, the other from pride or fear.” – Horace Mann

“The true source of cheerfulness is benevolence.” – Unknown

“To remove ignorance is an important branch of benevolence.” – Ann Plato

“Behold, I do not give lectures or a little charity, When I give, I give myself.” – Walt Whitman

“The principle of liberty and equality, if coupled with mere selfishness, will make men only devils, each trying to be independent that he may fight only for his own interest. And here is the need of religion and its power, to bring in the principle of benevolence and love to men.” – John Randolph

“If you haven’t got charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.” – Bob Hope

“How quickly a truly benevolent act is repaid by the consciousness of having done it!” – Hosea Ballou

“Every fresh act of benevolence is the herald of deeper satisfaction; every charitable act a stepping-stone towards heaven.” – Henry Ward Beecher

“There is scarcely a man who is not conscious of the benefits which his own mind has received from the performance of single acts of benevolence. How strange that so few of us try a course of the same medicine!” – John Frederick Boyes

“The only way to be loved is to be and to appear lovely; to possess and display kindness, benevolence, tenderness; to be free from selfishness and to be alive to the welfare of others.” – John Jay

Joy and Happiness

“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” – Buddha

“Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. It means that you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.” – Unknown

“He who has not looked on Sorrow will never see Joy.” – Kahlil Gibran

“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.” – Aristotle

“Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.” – Robert Heinlein

“We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” – Frederick Keonig

“Joy lies in the fight, in the attempt, in the suffering involved, not in the victory itself.” – Mahatma Gandhi

“Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.” – Mother Teresa

“Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed.” – Storm Jameson

“Joy is not in things; it is in us.” – Richard Wagner

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” – Herman Cain

“The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be.” – Marcel Pagnol

“One of the sanest, surest, and most generous joys of life comes from being happy over the good fortune of others.” – Robert A. Heinlein

“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.” – Albert Einstein

“There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward.” – Kahlil Gibran

“Joy is increased by spreading it to others.” – Robert Murray McCheyne

“Joy delights in Joy.” – William Shakespeare

“When you wish someone joy, you wish them peace, love, prosperity, happiness… all the good things.” – Maya Angelou

“Cheerfulness is the very flower of health.” – Proverb

“The sun does not shine for a few trees and flowers, but for the wide world’s joy.” – Henry Ward Beecher

“It isn’t what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about.” – Dale Carnegie

“One joy shatters a hundred griefs.” – Chinese Proverb

“Joy is the holy fire that keeps our purpose warm and our intelligence aglow.” – Hellen Keller

Prejudice and Discrimination

“I have no race prejudice. I think I have no color prejudices or caste prejudices nor creed prejudices. Indeed, I know it. I can stand any society. All that I care to know is that a man is a human being — that is enough for me; he can’t be any worse.” – Mark Twain

“We must remember that we have to make judges out of men, and that by being made judges their prejudices are not diminished and their intelligence is not increased.” – Robert Green

“He flattered himself on being a man without any prejudices; and this pretension itself is a very great prejudice.” – Anatole France

“Prejudice is the reason of fools.” – Voltaire

“Reason transformed into prejudice is the worst form of prejudice, because reason is the only instrument for liberation from prejudice.” – Allan Bloom

“Before we can study the central issues of life today, we must destroy the prejudices and fallacies born of previous centuries.” – Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy

“Logic: an instrument used for bolstering a prejudice.” – Elbert Hubbard

“The First Law of Journalism: to confirm existing prejudice, rather than contradict it.” – Alexander Cockburn

“Prejudice squints when it looks, and lies when it talks.” – Duchess de Abrantes

“When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudice, and motivated by pride and vanity.” – Dale Carnegie

“Ignorance gives a sort of eternity to prejudice, and perpetuity to error.” – Robert Hall

“Passion and prejudice govern the world; only under the name of reason.” – John Wesley

“Hypocrisy: prejudice with a halo.” – Ambrose Bierce

“Ignorance is stubborn and prejudice is hard.” – Adlai E. Stevenson

“Where prejudice exists it always discolors our thoughts.” – Mark Twain

“Opinions founded on prejudice are always sustained with the greatest violence.” – Hebrew Proverb

“I conceive of a world without poverty, without classes, without nations, without religions, without any kind of discrimination. I conceive of a world which is one, a humanity which is one, a humanity which shares everything — outer and inner — a deep spiritual brotherhood.” – Bhagwan Shree

“When calamity approaches, discrimination departs.” – Sri Sathya Sai Baba

“The sun showers light to one and all without any discrimination. Similarly, humans should also engage himself in doing works for the benefit of the society.” – Atharva Veda

Humanity First – Help Bangladesh Cyclone Sidr Rebuilding Phase

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Humanity First invites you to support the rehabilitation phase of the relief work for Cyclone Sidr victims. The emergency relief phase was successfully completed and now Humanity First is starting the rebuilding and rehabilitation phase, where longterm assistance will be provided to the victims of cyclone.

Humanity First provided the following emergency assistance:

  • Medical Aid at four locations seeing about 200 patients daily.
  • Ration of Food distributed to more than 16,000 victims.
  • 330 Water purification units were distributed.
  • 48,000 two liter water bottles distributed.
  • Blankets, clothes, cooking utensils, tools, torch, lanterns, toiletries, paper, pencil and toys were distributed to victims and their children.
  • Repair of school buildings.

Following projects will be completed in next 6 months:

  • Rebuilding of homes
  • Rebuilding of schools
  • Medical Clinics and Camps
  • Distribution of Farm animals and farm equipments
  • Distribution of Fishing boats

Join us for a Fund raising dinner for Bangladesh Cyclone Sidr Rebuilding Phase

When: Thursday, January 17th, 2008
Time: 7:00 – 9:30 pm
Where: Woodbine Banquet Hall (30 Vice Regent Blvd., Toronto, ON M9W 7A4)
Tickets: $50 per person

Keynote Speaker: Honorable Jim Karygiannis P.C., M.P. who has recently visited the Humanity First Relief Camps in Bangladesh

All proceeds will go to Bangladesh Relief and Rehabilitation effort. A tax deductible receipt will be issued for all donations received.

Humanity First is a registered international non-profit charitable and humanitarian relief organization that aims to mitigate hunger, poverty and disease among the less privileged human beings around the world and strives to reduce peoples’ sufferings caused by natural disasters or human conflicts.

If you can’t make it and wish to just make a donation, or more information about Humanity First, please go to http://www.humanityfirst.ca. Please also consider spreading the word online on your blog or website and posting flyers on work and neighborhood bulletins to help Humanity First raise as much as possible for this cause.

To order tickets, please call at 416-440-0346 or alternatively via email at info@humanityfirst.ca. More information about Humanity First can be obtained through http://www.humanityfirst.ca.

“The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity.” – Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy

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Help Humanity First

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” – Martin Luther King Jr

I truly believe that when you find a good cause, and see their positive contribution to society, then you should do all you can to help. That is why I’ve decided to show my full support to Humanity First. They are a “humanitarian relief organization, established to provide help and assistance to the less fortunate fellow human beings around the globe and also to improve the quality of life in under- privileged countries”. Humanity First has many branches in various countries and is a disaster relief and human development organization with one very big difference.

Humanity First is a non-profit charitable and 100% volunteer based. “Every one working for Humanity First – aid workers, fund raisers, administrators and the board of directors are unpaid volunteers. All personal expenses are met by the volunteers to maximize the use of funds raised and donated for those in need.” While just the presidents of other “charitable organizations” live in luxuries of having over $400,000 in salary, Humanity First strives to run on volunteers! This is in fact amazing!

So how can you help Humanity First and show your support? For one thing, pass the word around and pass their flyer. Next time you hear of someone wanting to sponsor a child, suggest Humanity First instead. Pin a poster at your work bulletin. Participate in their events, and ask your friends to join you. Volunteer for them if you can. If you can make a one-time donation or a monthly one, then don’t hesitate and look at the various ways you can help. The programs include fight against illiteracy, orphan care, gift of vision, feed a family, water for humanity and learn a skill. Check out the programs and downloads sections of their websites for more details.

Having been a child sponsor with World Vision and through my earlier post and many more to come, I can honestly say that although they do alot of good, they waste alot of money! Unfortunately the money wasted doesn’t amount to thousands, rather millions of dollars which can be put to really good use. Humanity First is different and that difference will in fact make a great impact on the world if they get more and more support everyday.

Even if you won’t show your support today, please still check out their website and learn a bit about them. An organization that is volunteer driven, has an international scope and a non-religious agenda is hard to find and deserves all the respect. As for me, I have become attached to my sponsor child and will continue my support to her until I can find another way to help her family. I will make one time donations to Humanity First anytime I can, help spread the word and volunteer at their events and God willing, someday in the near future, I will begin to contribute monthly to Orphan Care and other programs with Humanity First.

So what are you willing to do to put Humanity first?

Loba

Humanity First Canada
Humanity First USA
Humanity First UK
Humanity First Germany

“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.” – Mother Teresa

Goodwill and Humanity

“It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.” – Albert Einstein

“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” – Ryunosuke Satoro

“Peace on earth, the quiet wish of every heart, the focus of each prayer, is that this season be the start of goodwill everywhere.” – Unknown

“All humanity is one undivided and indivisible family, and each one of us is responsible for the misdeeds of all the others. I cannot detach myself from the wickedest soul.” – Mahatma Gandhi

“Humanity is never so beautiful as when praying for forgiveness, or else forgiving another.” – Jean Paul Richter

“There is, nevertheless, a certain respect and a general duty of humanity that ties us, not only to beasts that have life and sense, but even to trees and plants.” – Michel de Montaigne

“We can work together for a better world with men and women of goodwill, those who radiate the intrinsic goodness of humankind.” – Wangari Maathai

“Fear makes us feel our humanity.” Benjamin Disraeli

“Nothing that I can do will change the structure of the universe. But maybe, by raising my voice I can help the greatest of all causes – goodwill among men and peace on earth.” – Albert Einstein

“Justice and goodwill will outlast passion.” James A. Garfield

“A map of the world that does not include Utopia is not worth even glancing at, for it leaves out the one country at which Humanity is always landing.” – Oscar Wilde

“Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s future. And we are all mortal.” John Fitzgerald Kennedy

“The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity.” – Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy

“You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end, each of us must work for our own improvement and, at the same time, share a general responsibility for all humanity…” – Marie Curie

“We cannot despair of humanity, since we are ourselves human beings.” – Albert Einstein

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

“The earth is the general and equal possession of all humanity and therefore cannot be the property of individuals.” – Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy

“We must never permit the voice of humanity within us to be silenced. It is man’s sympathy with all creatures that first makes him truly a man.” – Albert Schweitzer

Grace and Kindness

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children…to leave the world a better place…to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“I expect to pass through this world but once; any good thing therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now; let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.” – Stephan Grellet

“Spread love everywhere you go: First of all in your own house… let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness.” – Mother Teresa

“Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace. And your best days are never so good that you’re beyond the need of God’s grace.” – Unknown

“I am only one, but I am one. I can’t do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do. And by the grace of God, I will.” – Edward Everett Hale

“Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn’t anyone who doesn’t appreciate kindness and compassion.” – Dalai Lama

“Be generous with kindly words, especially about those who are absent.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“Kind hearts are the gardens, Kind thoughts are the roots, Kind words are the flowers, Kind deeds are the fruits, Take care of your garden And keep out the weeds, Fill it with sunshine Kind words and kind deeds.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair but manifestations of strength and resolution.” – Kahlil Gibran

“Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.” – Mother Teresa

“Grace isn’t a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal. It’s a way to live.” – Jackie Windspear

“Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses.” – Confucius

“Each day offers us the gift of being a special occasion if we can simply learn that as well as giving, it is blessed to receive with grace and a grateful heart.” – Sarah Ban Breathnach

“In life as in dance: Grace glides on blistered feet.” – Alice Abrams

“Grace must find expression in life, otherwise it is not grace.” – Karl Barth

“Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the and the blind can see.” – Mark Twain

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” – Leo F. Buscaglia

“Count your blessings. Once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play, and you will finally be able to move forward the life that God intended for you with grace, strength, courage, and confidence.” – Og Mandino

“Be kind to unkind people – they need it the most.” – Ashleigh Brilliant

“Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness.” – Seneca

“This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.” – Dalai Lama

“Kindness is more than deeds. It is an attitude, an expression, a look, a touch. It is anything that lifts another person.” – Unknown

“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.” – Denis Waitley

“The will of God will never take you to where the grace of God will not protect you.” – Unknown

“Faith is a living and unshakable confidence, a belief in the grace of God so assured that a man would die a thousand deaths for its sake.” – Martin Luther

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.” – Plato

“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.” – Lao Tzu

“Kind words do not cost much. Yet they accomplish much.” – Blaise Pascal

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