30 September 2009
29 September 2009
28 September 2009
27 September 2009
THE ESSENCE OF LIFE IS REMEMBERING HOLY NAME
Once there was a saint who took up residence behind a certain king's palace with a view to benefiting him. Each morning he would shout loud enough so that the king could hear him, “Part of my time is spent like a king and some better than a king.” The king went on listening for few days until one day he got enraged. He went to the saint and said, “You are a beggar. You live on stale food given by others. What do you mean by utterances like this every morning?”
The saint smiled and said, “Sire, you live in a palace and you have hundreds of servants and maidservants to wait on you. You have all kinds of delicious food to eat and magnificent beds to sleep. Your palace is filled with the rarest perfumes. You live in such luxuries, whereas I eat simple food just to fill my belly. I sleep on ashes. I have a torn blanket to cover my body at night. At night, after you have finished dancing and drinking, you sleep on a bed of flowers, whereas I fall asleep meditating and remembering the Holy Name of God. I sleep on the ground beneath the sky with bricks as a pillow. While we are asleep, neither are you conscious of the palace, about your kingship, nor I remember that I am a beggar and earn my livelihood by begging. Now, you decide if your condition during sleep is any different from mine?” The king bowed his head and said, “Yes, it is true that in that state we are the same.” The king then asked, “But tell me, how is your time spent any better than mine?” The saint replied, “In the morning both I and you get up. After getting up I meditate and remember God's Name, whereas you prepare to go to your court. Thereafter, I spend my whole time in satsang and singing the glory of God, whereas you spend your whole time sorting out affairs of the state. Listening to one case after another, you remain disturbed throughout the day. And if you happen to punish an innocent you are responsible for that sin. You probably wonder whether there is any such thing as God's Name. So I have the best of both worlds. I am able to spend my time in this world peacefully and ultimately I will merge in the Divine Light of God while remembering His Name. While you are troubled now and so will you be reborn subsequently in some form or another. So, you tell me if I am better off than you?”
The king bowed and prostrated at the feet of the saint and said in tears, “In reality, I am falling into a dark abyss. Help me and save me from this. I am like a blind man. I have been acting like an animal even though I am a human being.” The purpose of the saint was to awaken the king hence he imparted the Spiritual Knowledge to the king whose life thereafter was full of light.
I am not like others who think ill of people; rather I wish for the salvation of each and every human being. I am a human being and regard each person as a fellow human being. That is why I ask you all to understand the true religion which is the same for all mankind. In ignorance about Manav Dharma (the natural religion of all mankind), the society is engaged in dreadful fights. If you hurt others, so will you also be in pain and trouble. You will be happy only when you make your neighbours happy.
People say they believe in Jesus Christ but they don't tread the spiritual path which He taught. Jesus Christ says that in order to be happy, you will have to ensure your neighbours are happy. But they seem to be making atom bombs to kill their neighbours. Today, the main reason of unrest is that countries are engaging in creating troubles for their neighbours. All citizens in an independent country have equal rights but you see that there are big mansions for rich people whereas poor people spend their nights on the riverbank, at railway stations, or under a bridge and many of them are sleeping under the sky without a roof. They put up with all the miseries of severe cold, heat and rain. Jesus Christ says that if your neighbour is sick, then you should offer help pay for his treatment, otherwise you will also suffer from that disease. I say for your sake that so far you neither have got peace from worldly things nor you can expect to get it in future.
Saint Kabir says,
“Kabir sumiran saar hai, aur sakal janjal.
Adi ant Madhya sodhiya, dooja dekha khyal.”
Simran - Remembrance of Holy Name is the essence of human life. The rest is all a mess which will forever remain unsolved. Worldly pleasures can be enjoyed by most other species also. But you must know the Name and Light of God and take shelter of true saints. Rich and people in high positions today think that they themselves are the creator and destroyer. The whole world is crying out for food, clothes and housing. Our leaders are busy arranging big conferences, meetings and programs so that our countrymen can get food, clothing and shelter, but despite their innumerous efforts, everywhere there are people who are hungry and without adequate clothing. No one except God can fulfill our needs or protect us. The officials do not know the importance of the human body, hence they all are full of arrogance and ego.
Once a potter's son found a ruby while he was digging. He thought it was an ordinary red stone so he tied it around the donkey's neck. He loaded mud on the donkey's back and went to town. He had sold the load and was returning home. On the way, he met a jeweller who saw the jewel hanging from the neck of the donkey. He immediately understood that the potter was ignorant of the value of the stone which is why it was around the donkey's neck.
St. Kabir says,
“Heera parkhe jouhari, shabda parkhe sadh.
Jo jan parkhe sadh ko taka mata agadh.”
A jeweller knows the value of a diamond while it is a saint who knows the Word. And great are those that understand a true saint.
So the jeweller asked the potter, “Will you sell it?” The potter had been carrying mud throughout the day. He thought that it is worth it if he gets a few pennies from selling it, otherwise to him the stone has no value. He replied, “Yes, I am ready to sell it, but how much will you give?” The jeweller replied, “I am ready to give 500,000 rupees for it.” The potter thought that either the jeweller was playing a prank on him or probably the stone is precious one. It is best to know more, so he replied, “No, I will not sell it.” Then the jeweller offered him a million rupees. But again the potter refused. Finally, the jeweller offered several million rupees for the stone. The potter was very happy with the deal to sell the stone. The jeweller paid in cash, whatever he had with him, and for the balance wrote cheques. The potter then handed over the stone to the jeweller. As soon as it came into the jeweller's hands, the stone broke itself into pieces and a voice was heard “You jeweller, you knew that I am priceless and yet you put a price on me. So I have broken into pieces as I can't live with you. It was okay till I was on the donkey's neck as the potter was ignorant, but I can't live with you.” This is just a story, an example. Similarly, this human body is the costliest jewel. No one can purchase it at any price. But we are ignorant like the potter and have tied it to the neck of our mind while we carry like mud loads of illusory worldly pleasures.
After all, everything you do is for the body and what will happen when it is dead and is burnt or buried? You should think about this and do something for enriching and awakening of your soul. After death, these worldly pleasures and powers will not be of any use.
Hence, it is said,
“Arab kharab loun sampada, uday asta lon raj.
Tulsi jo nij maran hai, awey koune kaj.”
After death, none of your millions and billions will be of any use to you. I am of the opinion that remembrance of the Holy Name of God and meditation on the Divine Light only will do you good. So, everyone should take advantage of the opportunity of this human life by acquiring the knowledge of Holy Name and Divine Light. This is the religion for all mankind. This is the Light, which is beyond moon and sun and this is the true and easy method to concentrate the mind. The purpose of human life is to acquire the highest peace, that is, salvation. God is truth, consciousness and bliss and is one and the same for all. So there can be only one religion or one path for all mankind.
www.manavdharam.org
The saint smiled and said, “Sire, you live in a palace and you have hundreds of servants and maidservants to wait on you. You have all kinds of delicious food to eat and magnificent beds to sleep. Your palace is filled with the rarest perfumes. You live in such luxuries, whereas I eat simple food just to fill my belly. I sleep on ashes. I have a torn blanket to cover my body at night. At night, after you have finished dancing and drinking, you sleep on a bed of flowers, whereas I fall asleep meditating and remembering the Holy Name of God. I sleep on the ground beneath the sky with bricks as a pillow. While we are asleep, neither are you conscious of the palace, about your kingship, nor I remember that I am a beggar and earn my livelihood by begging. Now, you decide if your condition during sleep is any different from mine?” The king bowed his head and said, “Yes, it is true that in that state we are the same.” The king then asked, “But tell me, how is your time spent any better than mine?” The saint replied, “In the morning both I and you get up. After getting up I meditate and remember God's Name, whereas you prepare to go to your court. Thereafter, I spend my whole time in satsang and singing the glory of God, whereas you spend your whole time sorting out affairs of the state. Listening to one case after another, you remain disturbed throughout the day. And if you happen to punish an innocent you are responsible for that sin. You probably wonder whether there is any such thing as God's Name. So I have the best of both worlds. I am able to spend my time in this world peacefully and ultimately I will merge in the Divine Light of God while remembering His Name. While you are troubled now and so will you be reborn subsequently in some form or another. So, you tell me if I am better off than you?”
The king bowed and prostrated at the feet of the saint and said in tears, “In reality, I am falling into a dark abyss. Help me and save me from this. I am like a blind man. I have been acting like an animal even though I am a human being.” The purpose of the saint was to awaken the king hence he imparted the Spiritual Knowledge to the king whose life thereafter was full of light.
I am not like others who think ill of people; rather I wish for the salvation of each and every human being. I am a human being and regard each person as a fellow human being. That is why I ask you all to understand the true religion which is the same for all mankind. In ignorance about Manav Dharma (the natural religion of all mankind), the society is engaged in dreadful fights. If you hurt others, so will you also be in pain and trouble. You will be happy only when you make your neighbours happy.
People say they believe in Jesus Christ but they don't tread the spiritual path which He taught. Jesus Christ says that in order to be happy, you will have to ensure your neighbours are happy. But they seem to be making atom bombs to kill their neighbours. Today, the main reason of unrest is that countries are engaging in creating troubles for their neighbours. All citizens in an independent country have equal rights but you see that there are big mansions for rich people whereas poor people spend their nights on the riverbank, at railway stations, or under a bridge and many of them are sleeping under the sky without a roof. They put up with all the miseries of severe cold, heat and rain. Jesus Christ says that if your neighbour is sick, then you should offer help pay for his treatment, otherwise you will also suffer from that disease. I say for your sake that so far you neither have got peace from worldly things nor you can expect to get it in future.
Saint Kabir says,
“Kabir sumiran saar hai, aur sakal janjal.
Adi ant Madhya sodhiya, dooja dekha khyal.”
Simran - Remembrance of Holy Name is the essence of human life. The rest is all a mess which will forever remain unsolved. Worldly pleasures can be enjoyed by most other species also. But you must know the Name and Light of God and take shelter of true saints. Rich and people in high positions today think that they themselves are the creator and destroyer. The whole world is crying out for food, clothes and housing. Our leaders are busy arranging big conferences, meetings and programs so that our countrymen can get food, clothing and shelter, but despite their innumerous efforts, everywhere there are people who are hungry and without adequate clothing. No one except God can fulfill our needs or protect us. The officials do not know the importance of the human body, hence they all are full of arrogance and ego.
Once a potter's son found a ruby while he was digging. He thought it was an ordinary red stone so he tied it around the donkey's neck. He loaded mud on the donkey's back and went to town. He had sold the load and was returning home. On the way, he met a jeweller who saw the jewel hanging from the neck of the donkey. He immediately understood that the potter was ignorant of the value of the stone which is why it was around the donkey's neck.
St. Kabir says,
“Heera parkhe jouhari, shabda parkhe sadh.
Jo jan parkhe sadh ko taka mata agadh.”
A jeweller knows the value of a diamond while it is a saint who knows the Word. And great are those that understand a true saint.
So the jeweller asked the potter, “Will you sell it?” The potter had been carrying mud throughout the day. He thought that it is worth it if he gets a few pennies from selling it, otherwise to him the stone has no value. He replied, “Yes, I am ready to sell it, but how much will you give?” The jeweller replied, “I am ready to give 500,000 rupees for it.” The potter thought that either the jeweller was playing a prank on him or probably the stone is precious one. It is best to know more, so he replied, “No, I will not sell it.” Then the jeweller offered him a million rupees. But again the potter refused. Finally, the jeweller offered several million rupees for the stone. The potter was very happy with the deal to sell the stone. The jeweller paid in cash, whatever he had with him, and for the balance wrote cheques. The potter then handed over the stone to the jeweller. As soon as it came into the jeweller's hands, the stone broke itself into pieces and a voice was heard “You jeweller, you knew that I am priceless and yet you put a price on me. So I have broken into pieces as I can't live with you. It was okay till I was on the donkey's neck as the potter was ignorant, but I can't live with you.” This is just a story, an example. Similarly, this human body is the costliest jewel. No one can purchase it at any price. But we are ignorant like the potter and have tied it to the neck of our mind while we carry like mud loads of illusory worldly pleasures.
After all, everything you do is for the body and what will happen when it is dead and is burnt or buried? You should think about this and do something for enriching and awakening of your soul. After death, these worldly pleasures and powers will not be of any use.
Hence, it is said,
“Arab kharab loun sampada, uday asta lon raj.
Tulsi jo nij maran hai, awey koune kaj.”
After death, none of your millions and billions will be of any use to you. I am of the opinion that remembrance of the Holy Name of God and meditation on the Divine Light only will do you good. So, everyone should take advantage of the opportunity of this human life by acquiring the knowledge of Holy Name and Divine Light. This is the religion for all mankind. This is the Light, which is beyond moon and sun and this is the true and easy method to concentrate the mind. The purpose of human life is to acquire the highest peace, that is, salvation. God is truth, consciousness and bliss and is one and the same for all. So there can be only one religion or one path for all mankind.
www.manavdharam.org
26 September 2009
25 September 2009
24 September 2009
23 September 2009
22 September 2009
21 September 2009
SHINING LIKE A DIAMOND
You know that a diamond comes from the mine. It does not have any lustre when it is taken out from the mine. It does not have the power of reflection at that time. But when an expert technician cuts it and polishes it, then it shines from within and it can split a white ray of light into seven different colours. Similarly, saints say that in the ignorant state when you do not know yourself, you are like a newly mined diamond, which does not possess any lustre. When a man acquires Spiritual Knowledge and takes shelter in the Master, then he shines.
It is written in our scriptures,
“Guru binu bhavnidhi tare na koi. Hari viranchi Shankar sam hoi.”
Nobody can cross the worldly ocean of illusion without the Spiritual Master. Nobody can get salvation without taking shelter of the Spiritual Master.
Saint Tulsidas wrote at the beginning of the Ramcharitmanasa,
“Bandoun guru pad kanj kripa sindhu nar roop Hari.
Maha moh tam punj jasu vachan ravi karni kar.”
I prostrate before my Spiritual Master, who is the ocean of Grace in human form. His Word is like the sun which dispels the darkness of ignorance, lust and attachment.
In India , the Spiritual Master is revered and accepted by people everywhere, whereas people in other countries wonder why India glorifies the Satguru so much. In India , we pray to the Master because Spiritual Knowledge is acquired by his grace and it is considered to be very important. To transform an iron piece into a magnet we bring it into contact with a magnet. This magnet is rubbed from one end to the other of the iron piece and by this process, the iron piece becomes a magnet by and by. Similarly it is said,
“Guru ko kijiye dandvat, koti koti pranam.
Keet na jane bhring ko, Guru kar len ap saman”.
It is said that a bhringi wasp transforms the larva of the insect in its cocoon into another bhringi wasp by emitting a humming sound . Similarly, Guru Maharaj transforms a disciple into master like himself. So we prostrate before Guru Maharaj Ji and salute him endlessly.
Our saints stated,
“Jhukte hain wo jinme jan hoti hai aur
akre rehna to murde ki pahchan hoti hai.”
Those that have life can bend, while rigidity is a sign of death .
So, it is the tradition in our country to bow to Guru Maharaj Ji. The Spiritual Master enlightens a disciple, just like the sun dispels the darkness of night when it rises in the morning. Sunlight is white light but it contains seven colours. Sometimes you may have seen that when a ray of light passes through a raindrop, then a rainbow is formed in the sky. It does not mean that deities are responsible for the red, crimson, yellow, violet, green, blue and indigo there. The truth is that clouds carry water particles. When a sunray passes through such a rain drop, then it is split into seven different colours, which is called a ‘rainbow'. Similarly, when light is emitted from a diamond, it also splits into seven colours. It is said that there is lustre within a diamond and light is emitted from it.
Likewise, when Guru Maharaj Ji imparts the Spiritual Knowledge then the secret is revealed. Seven colours are not visible in ordinary light. For that you will have to pass the light through a prism. Then you will see seven colours. Similarly, spiritual power is hidden within a human being but he does not know it. By the grace of the Master, the whole spiritual world is revealed within his heart. Our scriptures describe Spiritual Knowledge and it is said that the reality of the entire creation is that Energy, that Power.
There is a prayer to Bhagwati (God the Mother), which says,
“Ya devi sarva bhooteshu shakti roopen sansthitah.
Namastasyai, namastasyai, namastasyai namo namah”
O Goddess, we salute you because you are Power, you are Energy . What is this Light? It is nothing but energy. Whatever you are hearing, is energy of sound. Energy permeates the whole creation. There is no place where there is no energy.
Guru Dronacharya Ji wanted to explain the same thing to his disciples, the Pandavas. He gave a stick to each of them and asked them to break it where no one was seeing them. All the Pandavas except Arjuna broke their sticks. Guru Dronacharya Ji asked Arjuna why he did not break his stick. Arjuna replied that he could not find a place where no one was seeing him. He said, “Even if there was nobody else there, I was myself able to see. Even if I closed my eyes still God was seeing me. So I could not break the stick.” Guru Dronacharya Ji was very happy to hear this and said that he wanted to explain this very thing – that the energy of consciousness is everywhere - to him.
So it is said,
“Har jagah moujood hai lekin najar ata nahin.
Yog sadhan ke bina koi usay pata nahin.”
He is not visible while He is everywhere. None can know Him without yoga sadhana (spiritual insight).
Einstein explained this using the formula E=Mc 2. It means that energy is equal to mass into velocity of light squared. He also expounded a very beautiful theory. Suppose there are twin brothers. If one of them travels in a rocket through space at the speed of light and the other brother stays on Earth, then the brother in the rocket does not age and remains as he was before going into space, whereas his brother will become old. So, when you travel at speed of light, time slows down for you, which means that you pass your life more slowly and that is why the first brother remains young.
Lord Krishna tells Arjuna,
“Nana shashtra pathen loke nana devat poojanam.
Atmagyan bina Partha sarva karma nirarthakam.”
All actions and rituals such as reading various scriptures and worshipping various gods and goddesses are futile without Spiritual Knowledge.
So our saints said-
“ Apun ko ap hi men payo. Shabda hi shabda bhayo ujiyaro, Sadguru bhed batayo.”
I found self within myself. The Word alone was there with its radiance all around of which the Spiritual Master revealed the secret.
Hindus worship Lord Ganesh. It is written in the Ramcharitmanasa,
“ Nam prabhaw jani ganrau. Pratham poojiyat nam Prabhau.”
Ganesh Ji knew the glory of the Name, due to which he is worshipped before all the other gods and goddesses.
Tulsidas further writes,
“Sumiri pawansut pawan namu. Apne wash kar rakheu Ramu.”
Pawansut (Hanuman) remembered the Holy Name and this is how he could influence Lord Ram to get His grace.
All these things are written in our scriptures and they are testimony that saints achieved the highest goal by virtue of meditation and by remembering the Holy Name. So, that is the only path to salvation.
In Indian mythology, there is a story that the sage Agastya drank the sea in one gulp. We would wonder how big his stomach must be, if he could drink the entire sea in one gulp. The correct meaning of this is that Agastya Rishi was a great sailor, and such a great navigator that he had measured the depths of the ocean and knew how to navigate and travel by sea. He carried statues of our great deities Lord Shankar and Ma Durga to Bali and Indonesia and installed them there. So people there give great importance to Agastya Muni. In other words, our saints and sages took the tradition of our country to many countries and spread the Indian culture there. Such great was the culture in our country, but nowadays, due to ignorance, we are fighting amongst ourselves. This will never make our country strong. Only when there is love, unity, and goodwill will we become deserving sons and daughters of our country. The jealousy, disparity and malice amongst our countrymen will be eradicated when we are united.
Gandhiji said,
“Ishwar Allah tero Nam, sabko sanmati de bhagwan.”
‘ Ishwar' and ‘Allah' are both your names. May God grant good sense to everyone. We must know the true Name of God from the Satguru, the Spiritual Master.
www.manavdharam.org
It is written in our scriptures,
“Guru binu bhavnidhi tare na koi. Hari viranchi Shankar sam hoi.”
Nobody can cross the worldly ocean of illusion without the Spiritual Master. Nobody can get salvation without taking shelter of the Spiritual Master.
Saint Tulsidas wrote at the beginning of the Ramcharitmanasa,
“Bandoun guru pad kanj kripa sindhu nar roop Hari.
Maha moh tam punj jasu vachan ravi karni kar.”
I prostrate before my Spiritual Master, who is the ocean of Grace in human form. His Word is like the sun which dispels the darkness of ignorance, lust and attachment.
In India , the Spiritual Master is revered and accepted by people everywhere, whereas people in other countries wonder why India glorifies the Satguru so much. In India , we pray to the Master because Spiritual Knowledge is acquired by his grace and it is considered to be very important. To transform an iron piece into a magnet we bring it into contact with a magnet. This magnet is rubbed from one end to the other of the iron piece and by this process, the iron piece becomes a magnet by and by. Similarly it is said,
“Guru ko kijiye dandvat, koti koti pranam.
Keet na jane bhring ko, Guru kar len ap saman”.
It is said that a bhringi wasp transforms the larva of the insect in its cocoon into another bhringi wasp by emitting a humming sound . Similarly, Guru Maharaj transforms a disciple into master like himself. So we prostrate before Guru Maharaj Ji and salute him endlessly.
Our saints stated,
“Jhukte hain wo jinme jan hoti hai aur
akre rehna to murde ki pahchan hoti hai.”
Those that have life can bend, while rigidity is a sign of death .
So, it is the tradition in our country to bow to Guru Maharaj Ji. The Spiritual Master enlightens a disciple, just like the sun dispels the darkness of night when it rises in the morning. Sunlight is white light but it contains seven colours. Sometimes you may have seen that when a ray of light passes through a raindrop, then a rainbow is formed in the sky. It does not mean that deities are responsible for the red, crimson, yellow, violet, green, blue and indigo there. The truth is that clouds carry water particles. When a sunray passes through such a rain drop, then it is split into seven different colours, which is called a ‘rainbow'. Similarly, when light is emitted from a diamond, it also splits into seven colours. It is said that there is lustre within a diamond and light is emitted from it.
Likewise, when Guru Maharaj Ji imparts the Spiritual Knowledge then the secret is revealed. Seven colours are not visible in ordinary light. For that you will have to pass the light through a prism. Then you will see seven colours. Similarly, spiritual power is hidden within a human being but he does not know it. By the grace of the Master, the whole spiritual world is revealed within his heart. Our scriptures describe Spiritual Knowledge and it is said that the reality of the entire creation is that Energy, that Power.
There is a prayer to Bhagwati (God the Mother), which says,
“Ya devi sarva bhooteshu shakti roopen sansthitah.
Namastasyai, namastasyai, namastasyai namo namah”
O Goddess, we salute you because you are Power, you are Energy . What is this Light? It is nothing but energy. Whatever you are hearing, is energy of sound. Energy permeates the whole creation. There is no place where there is no energy.
Guru Dronacharya Ji wanted to explain the same thing to his disciples, the Pandavas. He gave a stick to each of them and asked them to break it where no one was seeing them. All the Pandavas except Arjuna broke their sticks. Guru Dronacharya Ji asked Arjuna why he did not break his stick. Arjuna replied that he could not find a place where no one was seeing him. He said, “Even if there was nobody else there, I was myself able to see. Even if I closed my eyes still God was seeing me. So I could not break the stick.” Guru Dronacharya Ji was very happy to hear this and said that he wanted to explain this very thing – that the energy of consciousness is everywhere - to him.
So it is said,
“Har jagah moujood hai lekin najar ata nahin.
Yog sadhan ke bina koi usay pata nahin.”
He is not visible while He is everywhere. None can know Him without yoga sadhana (spiritual insight).
Einstein explained this using the formula E=Mc 2. It means that energy is equal to mass into velocity of light squared. He also expounded a very beautiful theory. Suppose there are twin brothers. If one of them travels in a rocket through space at the speed of light and the other brother stays on Earth, then the brother in the rocket does not age and remains as he was before going into space, whereas his brother will become old. So, when you travel at speed of light, time slows down for you, which means that you pass your life more slowly and that is why the first brother remains young.
Lord Krishna tells Arjuna,
“Nana shashtra pathen loke nana devat poojanam.
Atmagyan bina Partha sarva karma nirarthakam.”
All actions and rituals such as reading various scriptures and worshipping various gods and goddesses are futile without Spiritual Knowledge.
So our saints said-
“ Apun ko ap hi men payo. Shabda hi shabda bhayo ujiyaro, Sadguru bhed batayo.”
I found self within myself. The Word alone was there with its radiance all around of which the Spiritual Master revealed the secret.
Hindus worship Lord Ganesh. It is written in the Ramcharitmanasa,
“ Nam prabhaw jani ganrau. Pratham poojiyat nam Prabhau.”
Ganesh Ji knew the glory of the Name, due to which he is worshipped before all the other gods and goddesses.
Tulsidas further writes,
“Sumiri pawansut pawan namu. Apne wash kar rakheu Ramu.”
Pawansut (Hanuman) remembered the Holy Name and this is how he could influence Lord Ram to get His grace.
All these things are written in our scriptures and they are testimony that saints achieved the highest goal by virtue of meditation and by remembering the Holy Name. So, that is the only path to salvation.
In Indian mythology, there is a story that the sage Agastya drank the sea in one gulp. We would wonder how big his stomach must be, if he could drink the entire sea in one gulp. The correct meaning of this is that Agastya Rishi was a great sailor, and such a great navigator that he had measured the depths of the ocean and knew how to navigate and travel by sea. He carried statues of our great deities Lord Shankar and Ma Durga to Bali and Indonesia and installed them there. So people there give great importance to Agastya Muni. In other words, our saints and sages took the tradition of our country to many countries and spread the Indian culture there. Such great was the culture in our country, but nowadays, due to ignorance, we are fighting amongst ourselves. This will never make our country strong. Only when there is love, unity, and goodwill will we become deserving sons and daughters of our country. The jealousy, disparity and malice amongst our countrymen will be eradicated when we are united.
Gandhiji said,
“Ishwar Allah tero Nam, sabko sanmati de bhagwan.”
‘ Ishwar' and ‘Allah' are both your names. May God grant good sense to everyone. We must know the true Name of God from the Satguru, the Spiritual Master.
www.manavdharam.org
20 September 2009
ONLY A LIT LAMP CAN LIGHT OTHERS
Only the true Master reveals the path leading to the ultimate goal, because only one who is himself free can make us free. Only he whose heart is illuminated by Divine Light can ignite the light within our hearts. During the Deewali festival, you light candles in your houses using a candle which you have already lit. Only a lit candle has the potential to light another candle and thus eradicate darkness. The darkness of our mind is due to anger, attachment, temptation and vanity and can be eradicated by the one who is himself enlightened with the Divine Light.
Guru Maharaj Ji is today spreading this Spiritual Knowledge from place to place, from house to house, day and night. For whom is he working so hard? Simply for our salvation. He is propagating Spiritual Knowledge day and night for the well-being of mankind. As his obedient disciples it is our duty to obey him.
We go to doctors. A doctor prescribes medicines and also prescribes some dietary restrictions in order to cure the disease. The doctor says, “Look, the problem lies in your stomach. Do not eat rich food, give up rice. Do not eat fried things and sweets.” If a person is diabetic but eats sweets, what will happen? His pathology tests will indicate a high sugar content. If the patient complains that the doctor did not treat him well then whose mistake is this? Definitely the doctor is not at fault in this case. Likewise when we are initiated, we are instructed to curb our worldly indulgence. The first instruction is to do meditation regularly every morning. So tell me how long do you sit in meditation since taking initiation?
You have time to watch TV during the day-time, you have time to see cricket matches, you have time to do all kinds of things, but do you find time to do meditation? No! Whenever you think of sitting for meditation, so many pending things come in your mind and you postpone meditation until the next day. It means that we do not do what we have been instructed to do by the Master. Even though we have taken spiritual initiation, we do not refrain from illusory things. We will not be able to reach the goal this way. What's more, we complain that the Master's grace is not with us. In fact the Master has graced us so much that we didn't have to go far from home to get Knowledge in the first place.
In the olden days, people used to do so much penance to get this Knowledge. They used to go on pilgrimage to all four sacred places, whereas we are so lucky that the Master himself comes right to our cities, his mahatmas come right to our door. This shows the extent of his grace.
Unless we do meditation and remember Holy Name, our mind will keep on wavering and we will not be redeemed from the cycle of birth and death. If we want to eradicate this malady, we will have to give up ego and pride, because this takes us to hell and devours our devotion. So it is essential to understand satsang and implement it in our life. Guru Maharaj Ji, by his grace, has sown the seed of Spiritual Knowledge within our hearts. If we do not let it grow by doing meditation, then it will remain in the seed state. So we have to grow the seed of Spiritual Knowledge within our hearts by watering it with the rain of satsang and remembrance of the Holy Name.
www.manavdharam.org
Guru Maharaj Ji is today spreading this Spiritual Knowledge from place to place, from house to house, day and night. For whom is he working so hard? Simply for our salvation. He is propagating Spiritual Knowledge day and night for the well-being of mankind. As his obedient disciples it is our duty to obey him.
We go to doctors. A doctor prescribes medicines and also prescribes some dietary restrictions in order to cure the disease. The doctor says, “Look, the problem lies in your stomach. Do not eat rich food, give up rice. Do not eat fried things and sweets.” If a person is diabetic but eats sweets, what will happen? His pathology tests will indicate a high sugar content. If the patient complains that the doctor did not treat him well then whose mistake is this? Definitely the doctor is not at fault in this case. Likewise when we are initiated, we are instructed to curb our worldly indulgence. The first instruction is to do meditation regularly every morning. So tell me how long do you sit in meditation since taking initiation?
You have time to watch TV during the day-time, you have time to see cricket matches, you have time to do all kinds of things, but do you find time to do meditation? No! Whenever you think of sitting for meditation, so many pending things come in your mind and you postpone meditation until the next day. It means that we do not do what we have been instructed to do by the Master. Even though we have taken spiritual initiation, we do not refrain from illusory things. We will not be able to reach the goal this way. What's more, we complain that the Master's grace is not with us. In fact the Master has graced us so much that we didn't have to go far from home to get Knowledge in the first place.
In the olden days, people used to do so much penance to get this Knowledge. They used to go on pilgrimage to all four sacred places, whereas we are so lucky that the Master himself comes right to our cities, his mahatmas come right to our door. This shows the extent of his grace.
Unless we do meditation and remember Holy Name, our mind will keep on wavering and we will not be redeemed from the cycle of birth and death. If we want to eradicate this malady, we will have to give up ego and pride, because this takes us to hell and devours our devotion. So it is essential to understand satsang and implement it in our life. Guru Maharaj Ji, by his grace, has sown the seed of Spiritual Knowledge within our hearts. If we do not let it grow by doing meditation, then it will remain in the seed state. So we have to grow the seed of Spiritual Knowledge within our hearts by watering it with the rain of satsang and remembrance of the Holy Name.
www.manavdharam.org
19 September 2009
17 September 2009
16 September 2009
15 September 2009
14 September 2009
13 September 2009
THE IMPORTANCE OF SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE IN LIFE
One day while King Dasarath was hunting near a river, he heard a sound. He shot an arrow in the direction of the sound. This arrow hit a boy named Shravan Kumar. King Dasarath ran to the river and saw the young boy lying there with an arrow in his chest. The King begged his forgiveness and asked how he came to be there. Shravan Kumar said that he was taking his blind elderly parents on pilgrimage.
Along the way they felt thirsty, so he had come to bring water from the river. He then requested the king, “Please take this water to my parents so that they do not die of thirst.” King Dasarath took the pitcher full of water to Shravan Kumar's parents and offered it to them. The blind couple understood from the king's voice that he was not their son and asked, “Who are you?” King Dasarath replied, “I shot your son by mistake and he died. But before dying he asked me to quench the thirst of his parents. So I have brought water for you.”
Shravan Kumar's parents said, “We cannot drink water from the hands of the person who killed our son. We would rather die.” And as they died, they cursed him saying, “You will also die due to separation from your son, just as we are dying now.” Years later, when Lord Shri Rama was exiled and left for the forest with Laxman and Sita, King Dasarath did indeed give up his life due to the grief of separation from his son.
Similarly Lord Rama, during his period of exile, shot Bali with an arrow from behind a tree. He then approached Bali and offered to give him his life back if he so wished. Bali said, “Lord! I am dying by your hand. Can there be any higher death than this?” But still Lord Rama said, “I killed you while hiding behind a tree. You will be avenged for this act of mine when I incarnate on this earth as Krishna in Dwapar Yuga and you will come in the form of a tribal man. Then I will abandon my life due to your arrow.” And so it happened. One day Lord Krishna was resting under a tree and his leg twitched. A forest hunter saw this movement and thought it was a bird. He shot an arrow which hit Lord Krishna's leg and he died. In other words, when even Lord Rama and Lord Krishna had to suffer the fruits of their actions, then what to say of us ordinary beings! So the master souls say that a person understands the value of the human body when he acquires Spiritual Knowledge.
Once a king organised an exhibition with the condition that each visitor could take away only one thing. Many people came to see the exhibition. One poor farmer also came there. He saw a pair of oxen and a plough which he liked very much, but, according to the rules of the exhibition, he could take either the pair of oxen or the plough but not both. So, without taking anything, he went to the king who was sitting on a throne and bowed humbly to him. The king asked him if he did not like anything on display because he was empty handed. The farmer replied, “Your Majesty, I like both the oxen and the plough, but the condition is that I can take only one of these. Then it occurred to me that the whole exhibition is owned by you and if I touch you then the whole exhibition would become mine. So, once again I touch you.” The King was pleased by the farmer's simple words and said that he could take both items.
This is only a small story but it is there to teach us something. God, like the king, has created an exhibition of this world. There are all kinds of things here. Each person desires something and prays to God to give it to him. But a spiritual person understands that if he acquires the Almighty Himself, then all things in this world will automatically belong to him. So, now take shelter in the true Spiritual Master and know the Holy Name, remembering which one can reach God.
www.manavdharam.org
Along the way they felt thirsty, so he had come to bring water from the river. He then requested the king, “Please take this water to my parents so that they do not die of thirst.” King Dasarath took the pitcher full of water to Shravan Kumar's parents and offered it to them. The blind couple understood from the king's voice that he was not their son and asked, “Who are you?” King Dasarath replied, “I shot your son by mistake and he died. But before dying he asked me to quench the thirst of his parents. So I have brought water for you.”
Shravan Kumar's parents said, “We cannot drink water from the hands of the person who killed our son. We would rather die.” And as they died, they cursed him saying, “You will also die due to separation from your son, just as we are dying now.” Years later, when Lord Shri Rama was exiled and left for the forest with Laxman and Sita, King Dasarath did indeed give up his life due to the grief of separation from his son.
Similarly Lord Rama, during his period of exile, shot Bali with an arrow from behind a tree. He then approached Bali and offered to give him his life back if he so wished. Bali said, “Lord! I am dying by your hand. Can there be any higher death than this?” But still Lord Rama said, “I killed you while hiding behind a tree. You will be avenged for this act of mine when I incarnate on this earth as Krishna in Dwapar Yuga and you will come in the form of a tribal man. Then I will abandon my life due to your arrow.” And so it happened. One day Lord Krishna was resting under a tree and his leg twitched. A forest hunter saw this movement and thought it was a bird. He shot an arrow which hit Lord Krishna's leg and he died. In other words, when even Lord Rama and Lord Krishna had to suffer the fruits of their actions, then what to say of us ordinary beings! So the master souls say that a person understands the value of the human body when he acquires Spiritual Knowledge.
Once a king organised an exhibition with the condition that each visitor could take away only one thing. Many people came to see the exhibition. One poor farmer also came there. He saw a pair of oxen and a plough which he liked very much, but, according to the rules of the exhibition, he could take either the pair of oxen or the plough but not both. So, without taking anything, he went to the king who was sitting on a throne and bowed humbly to him. The king asked him if he did not like anything on display because he was empty handed. The farmer replied, “Your Majesty, I like both the oxen and the plough, but the condition is that I can take only one of these. Then it occurred to me that the whole exhibition is owned by you and if I touch you then the whole exhibition would become mine. So, once again I touch you.” The King was pleased by the farmer's simple words and said that he could take both items.
This is only a small story but it is there to teach us something. God, like the king, has created an exhibition of this world. There are all kinds of things here. Each person desires something and prays to God to give it to him. But a spiritual person understands that if he acquires the Almighty Himself, then all things in this world will automatically belong to him. So, now take shelter in the true Spiritual Master and know the Holy Name, remembering which one can reach God.
www.manavdharam.org
12 September 2009
11 September 2009
10 September 2009
09 September 2009
08 September 2009
07 September 2009
06 September 2009
THE PATH OF MEDITATION IS VERY SUBTLE
One day a lawyer visited me and said, “I am your disciple.” I replied, “I do not notice any signs of a disciple in you. The expression of a devotee is full of love. If I have given you Knowledge, then why have you stayed away from us for so many years?”
Jagatjanani Shri Mata Ji
We need three things to be living. They are a ruler, a physician and the Spiritual Master. These days people are suffering from various fatal diseases which were previously unheard of. A lot of research is being done, but still doctors have not been able to find the right medicines. What will you do to save the lives of such sick people? That Power is omnipotent. That Power can destroy hundreds of creatures in a moment. Many examples about devotees are given in our religious scriptures. You can learn from the example of Shravan Kumar how to serve your parents.
Such kings as Shivi have ruled in our land. One day a dove landed in the lap of King Shivi and prayed, “O king, please protect me. I have small offspring. If this eagle which is following me eats me, then my babies will be orphaned and this sin will be upon you, because anyone asking for shelter must be protected.” So the king told the eagle, “I will protect the dove because it has come to me for shelter and I will not give it to you. However in return, I will give you anything else you may ask of me.”
The eagle replied, “O King, give me some flesh from your right thigh equal in weight to the dove. I will feed this to my children and will not kill the dove.” The king was happy that his body would be used for the benefit of the dove. Only those who work for the sake of others are great. There are so many human beings and the majority of them are like beasts. St. Kabir said, “ Nam japat kushti bhala, chui chui pare jo cham. Kanchan deh kis kam ki, ja mukh nahin nam. ”
He says that even a leper, if he remembers the Holy Name of God, is far better than a person of sound health but bereft of the Name.
So King Shivi went on cutting his own flesh and putting it in one pan of a weighing machine and on the other pan was the dove. But even though he cut a lot of flesh from all his limbs the scales did not balance. Then King Shivi himself sat on the pan. Then the god Indra who had been disguised as the eagle and the fire god Agni disguised as the dove manifested and said, ‘Shivi, you have proven yourself to be great in penance and sacrifice. We had, in fact, come to test you.”
King Shivi's name is indelible. It will live forever in our history and his sacrifice is an ideal for us. So we should also establish our own ideal by our service and remembrance of Holy Name.
| I tell you truly that the urge, dedication and love within a devotee are such that he cannot live without seeing his Master. It is like a mother who cannot live without her son. It is like a cow that goes out to graze but in reality her mind is ever attached to her calf. Likewise, a devotee has love and attachment for his Master. Bulleh Shah said, “The path leading to God is extremely subtle. Mullahs put obstacles in our way and do not allow us to progress. Elephants and horses cannot go there, as it is an extremely subtle place.” Who does go there? The mind, which acts as a hindrance to all human beings, is controlled by a spiritual person with a special technique. It is said, “Karani ka phal payega. ” As you sow, so shall you reap. How did Prahlad come to have faith in God? Once some kittens were born inside a potter's earthen pitcher. The potter was not aware of this and placed this pitcher, along with other raw pottery, inside a kiln. After some days when the fire of the kiln was extinguished, the kittens were seen playing inside the pitcher. Prahlad was amazed to see that they were alive, even though the pitcher in which they were lying had been burning in the kiln for days. Who had kept them alive? Then he believed that there is some Power which saved the kittens. He even defied his father, King Hiranyakashipu, who claimed that no power was greater than himself. His father tormented Prahlad a lot, so God finally killed him. Whenever devotees were tormented, God protected them. So it is said that God is omnipresent and the same power is within all of us. Great divine personalities incarnate from time to time to manifest that power. He is already present but one needs divine vision to recognize him. |
We need three things to be living. They are a ruler, a physician and the Spiritual Master. These days people are suffering from various fatal diseases which were previously unheard of. A lot of research is being done, but still doctors have not been able to find the right medicines. What will you do to save the lives of such sick people? That Power is omnipotent. That Power can destroy hundreds of creatures in a moment. Many examples about devotees are given in our religious scriptures. You can learn from the example of Shravan Kumar how to serve your parents.
Such kings as Shivi have ruled in our land. One day a dove landed in the lap of King Shivi and prayed, “O king, please protect me. I have small offspring. If this eagle which is following me eats me, then my babies will be orphaned and this sin will be upon you, because anyone asking for shelter must be protected.” So the king told the eagle, “I will protect the dove because it has come to me for shelter and I will not give it to you. However in return, I will give you anything else you may ask of me.”
The eagle replied, “O King, give me some flesh from your right thigh equal in weight to the dove. I will feed this to my children and will not kill the dove.” The king was happy that his body would be used for the benefit of the dove. Only those who work for the sake of others are great. There are so many human beings and the majority of them are like beasts. St. Kabir said, “ Nam japat kushti bhala, chui chui pare jo cham. Kanchan deh kis kam ki, ja mukh nahin nam. ”
He says that even a leper, if he remembers the Holy Name of God, is far better than a person of sound health but bereft of the Name.
So King Shivi went on cutting his own flesh and putting it in one pan of a weighing machine and on the other pan was the dove. But even though he cut a lot of flesh from all his limbs the scales did not balance. Then King Shivi himself sat on the pan. Then the god Indra who had been disguised as the eagle and the fire god Agni disguised as the dove manifested and said, ‘Shivi, you have proven yourself to be great in penance and sacrifice. We had, in fact, come to test you.”
King Shivi's name is indelible. It will live forever in our history and his sacrifice is an ideal for us. So we should also establish our own ideal by our service and remembrance of Holy Name.
05 September 2009
04 September 2009
03 September 2009
02 September 2009
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