Lord Jesus

Jesus was born a Palestine Jew. He was born of Mary and Joseph at Bethlehem without impregnation and out of immaculate conception. He was meek and humble. He remained as innocent as a child throughout his life. He was tolerant, kind and merciful. He was a Yogi of the East though he preached in Palestine.

Jesus welcomed and embraced the sinners, the despised and the harlots and purified them. He comforted them and gave them solace and peace. He raised the fallen. He brought relief and rest to the broken-hearted.

Jesus said: "Unless you become as little children, you shall in no wise enter the Kingdom of God". To Jesus, God was a loving Father. Jesus' watchword was love for God and fellowmen.
"Have faith in God. The Lord is our God. Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy heart and all thy soul, and all thy mind, and all thy strength. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. The love of God manifests in the love of man." This is the central teaching of Jesus.

Jesus was a world teacher, a prophet and Messiah. His Sermon on the Mount is nothing but the practice of Sadachara or right conduct. It corresponds to the practice of Yama-Niyama of Raja-Yoga, the Eightfold Path of Lord Buddha. It is marvellous, inspiring and soul-stirring.
Jesus washed the feet of his disciples at the Last Supper. How humble he was! He said, "Blessed are the meek, for they shalt inherit the earth".

Lord Krishna washed the feet of the guests in the Rajasuya-Yajna performed by King Yudhishthira. Avataras or mighty souls perform such actions. Should you not learn lessons from those great persons ? Lord Krishna, the mighty Lord of the three worlds, took delight in washing the feet of the guests. Should you not learn to be humble ? How haughty and proud you have become ! You are puffed with vanity and intoxicated with pride when you possess a little money, a small car and a small estate. You think you are a mighty emperor and walk with arrogant steps and treat others with contempt. You think too much of yourself and your position in life. In reality, your officeship has created in you a slave mentality and a fear of losing your position !
Christ's message has always been: "Love thy neighbour as thyself". He said: "The Kingdom of Heaven is within thee. His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Be not anxious. Seek ye first His Kingdom. Everything will be added unto thee". He was the way, the truth and the light, for all men to follow.

Jesus Christ laid stress on love of God and love of fellowmen, and the need for repentance or a change of heart, for entry into the Kingdom of God. He instructed people to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. He said that a contrite heart was necessary in order to receive God's forgiveness.

"The Kingdom of God is within thee. Seek and ye shall find. Knock and the door shall be opened unto thee." This is the foundation upon which the ethics of Jesus has been built.
Jesus recommended prayer as a means to seek the Kingdom. He said, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more gifts unto your children, how much more good things shall your Father who is in heaven give to them who ask Him ?".
Jesus said: "You have heard that it was said by them of old time, 'Thou shalt not kill and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment'. But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment". In the Sermon on the Mount, he said, "Blessed are they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled up. Those who seek the Kingdom of God within themselves will find Him, and therefore, 'All things would be added'." "Overcome evil by good." Jesus prescribed this great rule for his followers and the world at large. This is only the practice of Ahimsa or non-violence which purifies and softens the heart. Ahimsa is a form of truth only.

Lord Jesus retired after baptism into the wilderness beyond the Dead Sea. He disappeared at the age of thirteen and reappeared in his thirty-first year. During this period, from his thirteenth to his thirty-first year, he came to India and practiced Yoga. Thereafter he preached for about two or three years and passed into the Great Beyond.

Jesus left Jerusalem and reached the land of Indus in the company of merchants. He visited

Varanasi, Rajgriha and other places in India. He spent several years in Hindustan. Jesus lived like a Hindu or a Buddhist monk, a life of burning renunciation and dispassion. He assimilated the ideals, precepts and principles of Hinduism. Christianity is modified Hinduism only, which was suitable for those people who lived in the period of Christ. Really speaking, Jesus was a child of the soil of India only. That is the reason why there is so much of similarity between his teachings and the teachings of Hinduism and Buddhism. Some Christians do not believe in this account of the Lord's "missing period." They argue it is not specifically mentioned in the Bible.

In matters connected with persons who lived as far back as nearly twenty centuries ago, there is bound to be slight divergence of view. The Old Testament naturally cannot contain any reference. The New Testament consists of Gospels, etc., written by His Disciples, after He was enlightened. It is obviously futile to search for a reference about the period preceding this,-which was the period during which he travelled in India where he got initiation from sages and seers-in accounts of His actions written by people who could never have had any knowledge of His earlier days. It has been the belief of many historians that at some time during the missing period Jesus travelled in India. Anyway there is nothing untenable in this view, and its acceptance would only strengthen the bonds of love between the East and the West, and promote good will between the two hemispheres, which is the Mission of the Lord.

Jesus preached on earth the divine and perfect love. He spoke very highly of gifts and charity. He said: "It is more blessed to give than to receive. Give thy heart's best treasures. From fair nature learn. Give thy love and ask not. Await not a return. And the more thou spendeth from thy little store, the more will God give thee. He will give thee a double quantity".
Jesus said: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto the treasure hid in a field which a man hath found. He selleth all that he hath and buyeth that field".

Jesus Christ was crucified and yet he is living now. He has immortalized his name. None can silence his voice. His voice has been speaking through centuries. Jesus said: "Come into the Kingdom by selling all ye have and distributing it to the poor". Men have not adhered to his message, but his voice has not been silenced.

Jesus was a perfect Yogi. He did many miracles. He stopped the waves of the ocean. He gave sight to blind people. He cured lepers by mere touch. He fed a large multitude with a small loaf of bread.

Lord Christ was crucified. He accepted death with great joy in order that others might live. What a magnanimous soul! He had learnt to die cheerfully for His children. His last words are an example to the world. He said: "O Lord! Forgive those people who are torturing me and putting me to death, for they know not what they do". How noble! His hands were tied to the cross and nails were hammered into them. In this state he prayed for the people who were tormenting him. What a large and forgiving heart he had! Jesus was an embodiment of forgiveness or Kshama. That is the reason why he still lives in our hearts and why millions of people now worship him.

Jesus set an example to man to overcome evil by good. The cross of Jesus will remain for all time as the supreme example of this doctrine: "Return good for evil". Jesus surrendered himself completely to God. He knew that God changed the heart of the unjust through the suffering of the just.

The life of Jesus displays a silent yet supreme heroism in the face of the most determined opposition, persecution, and misunderstanding. And he has set an example how a true seeker repulses the temptations on the spiritual path. Long before the outward drama of crucifixion, Jesus had voluntarily crucified himself spiritually by annihilating the lower self and living a purely divine life. Jesus declares: "Ye cannot serve both God and Mammon". In other words, his teaching implies: Detach; attach. Detach yourself from the material objects of this transient world. Attach yourself to the eternal spiritual treasure of Atman. Christ thus teaches us the great way of going beyond all sin and sorrow.

Jesus was God Himself. The Holy Scripture reminds us of this fact again and again. Yet, why did he have to endure so much of persecution and suffering ? Could he not have overwhelmed his foes by a mere exercise of his divine will ? Yes. But the supreme incarnation of love that Lord Jesus was, he had willed it that his own life would be an example for people to emulate. Therefore he behaved like any other human being; and while so doing, fully demonstrated in his own brief but eventful life the great Sermon that he gave on the Mount.
After Jesus was crucified, he was restored to life. The resurrection or the rising again from dead was, according to Jesus, and ineffable condition in which all bodily limitation was transcended. It was a condition of being perpetually in the presence of God. Jesus was a fully developed Yogi and sage. He had no identification with the physical body. He identified himself with the Supreme Soul. He said: "I and my Father are one".

Education

Chennai is considered to be the land of education with people from all over the country coming here to succeed in their life. It is true that the future of our country is shaped in the classrooms of today. Former President A.P.J Abdul Kalam said, “Build special capacities through the education system to enable student growth & contribute towards economic development. These capacities would enable students to meet the challenges in the mission of transforming India into a developed country by 2020”

Chennai is home to many well known educational and research institutions. IIT Madras is ranked among the top centers of engineering education in India. Anna University and Guindy College of Engineering are other well known institutions for engineering studies. Medical colleges such as the Madras Medical College and Stanley Medical College are located in the city. Some of the schools in Chennai are recognized among the top schools in the nation. The city also has some more renowned institutes like National Institute of Technology-Guindy, National Institute of Fashion Technology and Loyola College. These institutes provide quality education in their respective field.

The Structure of education in Chennai, is based on the national level pattern with 12 years of schooling (10+2+3), consisting of eight years of elementary education, that is, five years of primary and three years of middle school education for the age groups of 6-11 and 11-14 years, respectively, followed by secondary and higher secondary education of two years each besides two years of pre-primary education. The entry age in class 1 is 5+. Pre-primary classes form age group 3 to 4. The higher secondary school certificate enables pupils to pursue studies either in universities or in colleges for higher education in general academic streams and in technical and professional courses such B.E., MBBS., elementary teacher training (ETT) etc., which are of different durations. After higher secondary or the +2 stage, the first University degree takes three years to complete followed by Post Graduation course of two years. Students can also join Professional Courses like B.Ed., and B.L. after completion of graduation and on completion of Post Graduation, a student may work for M.Phil/Ph.D degree.
Schools in Chennai are either run by the Tamil Nadu government or by the private organizations. The medium of education in private schools is English but government schools offer both English and Tamil medium of education. Private schools are usually affiliated to the CBSE or to the Tamil Nadu State Board. A few schools are affiliated to the ICSE board and the Montessori system. There are some schools which offer the International Baccalaureate and the American systems. Schooling begins at the age of three with two years of kindergarten, followed by ten years of primary and secondary education. Students then need to complete two years of higher secondary education in one of two streams: science or commerce, before being eligible for college education in a general or professional field of study.

Talking about the colleges in Chennai, there are a number of them & students from different states come here to accomplish their goals. Let’s look at some of these…

Loyola College – considered to be the no.1 college in the country in the field of science (India Today Magazines ranking), this college also specializes in commerce & arts courses. It has a colossal campus divided according to the areas of study. It also has additional sectional institutes like LIVE & LIBA. LIBA is a country famous B-school offering a full-time MBA as well as other diplomas. The visual arts section of the college is ranked among the best in the city.

IIT Madras – Indian Institute of Technology, Madras like all other IIT”s is known for its engineering courses. The campus is the biggest in the city and provides the best research facilities.

Anna University – its known for its Bsc courses, is the most preferred engineering & science college after IIT. It offers Bio technology which is deemed to be the best in the city.

SRM University – situated on the outskirts of the city SRM University is most preferred for its engineering courses, especially mechanical engineering. Even the visual communication course is at par with the best in the city. Recently it also introduced a new graduation degree in “Nana technology” – the first ever in the city.

National Institute of Fashion Technology, Chennai – it’s one of its kind which specializes in courses relating to fashion technology. They offer various graduation & post-graduation degrees in various related fields.

Other colleges like MOP Vaishnav, Stella Maris, Ethiraj, Women’s Christial College are all women colleges with each of them offering a variety of courses. While MOP vaishnav is known for its Media & Business courses, Stella Maris is very popular for its Fine arts & Visual arts.

Chennai has always been known for its intellectual supremacy owing to its high standards of education. Whether it’s in the field of academics, sports or art, Chennai has always maintained its supremacy. The standard of education in the school, college and all other levels are very high and it is little wonder that students from far and wide come for studies here.

Namma Chennai

Chennai, formerly known as Madras is the capital of the state Tamil Nadu and is one of the four metropolitan city in India. This 350 year old city grew up under the huge influence of an English settlement of Fort Saint George and with time absorbed the surrounding towns and villages. However, despite having a British influence, Chennai has been successful in retaining its traditional Tamil Hindu culture and have been able to provide a unique blend of foreign influence and Indian culture. The city is widely spread in about 180 Sq. Kms. and is one of the major trade centers of India, being well linked by road, rail and air to important cities besides being a sea port. Compared to the other major metros of India, it is far less congested and polluted. Chennai is a journey into timeless India, a kaleidoscope of sorts. Rich in the treasures of history, from temples and shrines to forts and palaces, here past is able to live easily with the present.

From being a small fisherman's village in 1639 to becoming one of the most enormous and beautiful city in India Chennai has definitely come a long way from where it stood. Chennai is also host to some cultural theatres that showcase various India traditional dances and plays on regular basis. Chennai like its counterpart Mumbai is the centre of the film industry of south India.

In the city, one cannot fail to notice the dominant British influences in the form of old Cathedrals, buildings in the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture and wide tree lined avenues. But Chennai retains a charm characteristic of the typical South Indian heritage. As a city it continues to maintain the best of South Indian traditions. This may not be surprising because the region was an important center of Pallava culture. Long before when the British came here, the traces or inscriptions were found in numerous old temples.

It is noted for its 12 kms long Marina Beach, which is one of the longest beaches in the world. Chennai was previously called Madras.