30 November 2009
Adi Granth
Burn all attachment in True Knowledge, Grind it to ashes and make ink out of it. Make thy clean mind the paper. With love as thy pen and thy heart as the writer Write the Name and glory of God. Under the inspiration of the Guru.
29 November 2009
THE QUALITIES OF A TRUE MASTER
A true disciple understands that it is not he who meditates, it is the Master who makes him meditate. He feels that the Master inspires him to such an extent that he begins to meditate. Such a devotee is in the situation where he understands that the Master is making him perfect.
A mother doesn't say to her child, “Okay, sit here, this is a class and I am going to teach you charity and you are going to get charity lessons, or saying ‘Papa' lessons”, or something like that. Naturally, automatically, she teaches everything necessary – walking, talking, addressing people, good behaviour, everything like that.
In the same way, the Master doesn't say, “Okay, this is a class and I am the Master!” There is nothing of the sort. There is a love that is generated and automatically this love encompasses the Master and the disciple. Then they have a communion and with this communion there is an exchange of ideas. Automatically a disciple understands the inspiration and with that inspiration he begins to meditate.
May be in the world everybody is greedy, grasping, devouring everything, chasing money, but in spirituality there is still purity and ethical principles and with that, motivated by that, the Master comes. St Kabir says, “Trees do not eat fruit, rivers do not drink water. Motivated by his compassionate awareness, the Master comes into the world for the sake of devotees.” This is true, even though people do not understand him. I'll tell you a short story.
Once upon a time, a saint was trying to save a scorpion from getting drowned in the river by reaching down and picking it up. As soon as he lifted the scorpion, it stung him and again fell into the water. The saint lifted it again, but again it stung him and fell over. In this way, as often as the scorpion stung the saint, he lifted it from the water to save it.
A passer-by noticed this and remarked, “Why do you keep taking this creature out of the water when all it does is sting you? Let it die.” The saint replied, “No, I can't. Just as the scorpion's nature is to sting, it is my nature to rescue. So if it cannot change its nature, why should I abandon my habit of serving and saving?”
In India there was a king whose name was Ranjit Singh. He was very famous. He was a very pious man. Once he was travelling on his elephant. He entered a village. In that village stood a huge fig tree with a lot of fruit, and a child was throwing stones at the tree. Just as the king was entering that village, a stone hit his eye and blood poured down.
He said, “Find the kid who did this and bring him to me!” Everybody panicked and said to each other, “This is it, he's going to kill us all now.” Finally the child was brought there. The king said, “You know, people throw stones at that tree and what does the tree do? It gives them fruit! So, even though he hit me, I should reward this child.” He then took off his expensive necklace and gave it to the child.
In the same way, people say a lot of things, but a true spiritual Master doesn't pay any attention to it, he simply gives back inspiration, peace and tranquility. It doesn't matter what kind of dirt you throw towards the sun – that dirt will fall back on your face.
But now-a-days what happens is, that many people wear the garb of spirituality, they say that they are very spiritual, they have this knowledge and they are the Incarnated One, then they start doing things that even non-religious people wouldn't do. And people accept it because they hope, they simply have blind faith, but this will not help you. Because if you do not practise and understand Knowledge, then Knowledge will not know you!
So how can we recognise the Truth? How can we know the true Master? When the Master of Guru Teg Bahadur was dying, he was heard to say, “Bakala, Bakala.” So people took this to mean that his successor would be found in Bakala. Soon there was a self-proclaimed guru on every street corner! Temples were being built and each guru was claiming to be the only true one. But Truth cannot be concealed by lies.
At that time the real Guru, Teg Bahadur, was also living in Bakala, but most people thought he was crazy and a good-for-nothing. However there was a merchant there who called out from the depths of his heart to the real Guru and he found him. So we should know how a disciple should be, but at the same time we should also understand how a Guru should be.
Before you buy pots and pans in the market, you tap them to test their quality. Similarly, you also have to examine the Master. Only when you are fully satisfied, when you feel that he knows the inner meaning of the scriptures and can give you the practical experience of the Truth, do you have to approach him with a humble and surrendered attitude, because he is your doorway to liberation.
There are a lot of people who claim to be avatars, or divine masters. But it is said, “singhon ki lahandey nahin, hanso ki nahin pant, lalon ki nahin boriyan, sadhu na chaley jamat.” Lions don't travel in herds. Each lion has his own territory, extending to the distance that his roar can be heard. People stand in line to buy milk or to board a bus, but you will not see a queue of swans! The verse then says, “Rubies don't come by the sackful”. India had the unique Kohinoor diamond. There has not been another like it.
In the same way the true saints are few and far between. Only the one whose mind is totally under control, whose character and life are truly righteous, deserves to be called a ‘great soul'.
A lot of people wonder why we should concern ourselves with a Master's character. Surely all we have to do is follow his teachings! There are such people who say that we should just do what the guru teaches and not care about how he lives. For example, a professor teaches chemistry. He may be an addict, but nobody cares about that because it has no bearing on what he teaches. His personal life and his professional life are two different things. He does not have to use his character to prove what he teaches. He can use formulas and laboratory experiments to prove what he teaches. If he is a good teacher his students will get good marks and his character has nothing to do with it. It's not essential for the students to know what kind of a person he is. All they need is someone who can teach them properly. They are only concerned with his intellectual ability and with his mastery of the subject. Character is not a factor here, because what he teaches is not proven by character, but is based on textbooks, formulas and theories.
But spirituality is not merely reading books. It's a way of life. Its ‘principles', ‘formulas' and ‘theories' are meditation on the Holy Name, achieving the state of samadhi and merging the mind in God. If you don't meditate on the Holy Name now in this life, then when and where will you do so? If you don't achieve perfection in this life, when will you? So for this, a spiritual life is necessary, purity is necessary, love is necessary. If a person is really a spiritual Master, then he should have meditation and self-discipline and dedication in his life; he must be an Enlightened One.
Spiritual development does not take place in a laboratory, it is not simply a matter of chemicals, test tubes and theories. If a person is teaching meditation on the Holy Name, if he claims to teach purity and truth, how can his personal life not reflect this? Can spirituality be different to how one lives his life?” How can one's spirituality be proven except in the laboratory of his own life? Where can meditation take place other than in one's own life? The path of Knowledge is something you practise in your own life. So for a spiritual man, there should be no discrepancy between what he teaches and what he is. Because he walks the path of dharma, because he upholds morality and ethical principles, because his spirituality is expressed in his way of life, he is a role model for others.
So it is essential that someone who calls himself a spiritual teacher should radiate spirituality in his own life. This is absolutely vital. If a perfume has scent, we will experience it when we sniff it. A bottle does not have the ‘scent' label if it smells bad when you open it. In a spiritual person's life there is no discrepancy between what he teaches and how he lives – they are two sides of the same coin. It's wrong to say that we don't have to examine the master's character, we only have to listen to his teachings. If that is the case, then there was no reason for the criminal Ratnakar to change into the great saint Valmiki, or for the murderer Angulimal to become a disciple of Lord Buddha. If all they had to do was fill their minds with intellectual knowledge, then why did they meditate and transform themselves?
“When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; but when character is lost, everything is lost”. If a person loses money, he can work and earn it again. If his health is poor, he has lost something because it will take time and effort to regain. But if he loses his character, he has lost everything. Good character is a person's most valuable asset. The body is the temple of God . Within this living temple God dwells and it is where real worship takes place. Other temples are man-made, but this temple has been made by God, so it is our duty to keep it pure.
The sage Patanjali wrote in his ‘Yoga Sutra', chittvritti nirodhshchay yogah: - prevention of fluctations arising in the mind is yoga. Having perfect control of one's mind is yoga. This is the only way to keep the mind pure. I believe that if someone is a perfected soul, he will act in accordance with divine law, his actions will be conscious and ethical. Being perfect means that one's mind is totally under control, that everything he does is in accordance with the laws of dharma, and if his behaviour doesn't reflect this, then he is not perfect.
St Kabir said, “Satguru makes you like himself”. There is only one sun in our solar system. Why don't we say that Mars and Jupiter are suns? It is because the sun is radiant, it is self-luminous. Planets shine, but only with the reflected light of the sun, they do not have the capacity to shine by themselves. In the same way, the true master radiates the glory of Knowledge himself and makes others shine with the light of Knowledge too. He has the ability to elevate others.
So, only a title will not do. We have to look for the quality of a great soul and that quality is that he is enlightened with Self-Knowledge and enlightens others, too. The great saints and Masters didn't preach a complicated philosophy. They taught the way to salvation in a very simple fashion. So many commentaries have been written on the Gita. There is only one Gita but thousands of commentaries! Still people are far from the Knowledge which Krishna gave to Arjuna. Only a person who is pure in himself, who is spiritual in himself, whose only motivation is to uplift humanity, whose heart is full of love, can give Knowledge and love to others.
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Sadgurudev Shri Satpal Ji Maharaj
In the same way, the Master doesn't say, “Okay, this is a class and I am the Master!” There is nothing of the sort. There is a love that is generated and automatically this love encompasses the Master and the disciple. Then they have a communion and with this communion there is an exchange of ideas. Automatically a disciple understands the inspiration and with that inspiration he begins to meditate.
May be in the world everybody is greedy, grasping, devouring everything, chasing money, but in spirituality there is still purity and ethical principles and with that, motivated by that, the Master comes. St Kabir says, “Trees do not eat fruit, rivers do not drink water. Motivated by his compassionate awareness, the Master comes into the world for the sake of devotees.” This is true, even though people do not understand him. I'll tell you a short story.
Once upon a time, a saint was trying to save a scorpion from getting drowned in the river by reaching down and picking it up. As soon as he lifted the scorpion, it stung him and again fell into the water. The saint lifted it again, but again it stung him and fell over. In this way, as often as the scorpion stung the saint, he lifted it from the water to save it.
A passer-by noticed this and remarked, “Why do you keep taking this creature out of the water when all it does is sting you? Let it die.” The saint replied, “No, I can't. Just as the scorpion's nature is to sting, it is my nature to rescue. So if it cannot change its nature, why should I abandon my habit of serving and saving?”
In India there was a king whose name was Ranjit Singh. He was very famous. He was a very pious man. Once he was travelling on his elephant. He entered a village. In that village stood a huge fig tree with a lot of fruit, and a child was throwing stones at the tree. Just as the king was entering that village, a stone hit his eye and blood poured down.
He said, “Find the kid who did this and bring him to me!” Everybody panicked and said to each other, “This is it, he's going to kill us all now.” Finally the child was brought there. The king said, “You know, people throw stones at that tree and what does the tree do? It gives them fruit! So, even though he hit me, I should reward this child.” He then took off his expensive necklace and gave it to the child.
In the same way, people say a lot of things, but a true spiritual Master doesn't pay any attention to it, he simply gives back inspiration, peace and tranquility. It doesn't matter what kind of dirt you throw towards the sun – that dirt will fall back on your face.
But now-a-days what happens is, that many people wear the garb of spirituality, they say that they are very spiritual, they have this knowledge and they are the Incarnated One, then they start doing things that even non-religious people wouldn't do. And people accept it because they hope, they simply have blind faith, but this will not help you. Because if you do not practise and understand Knowledge, then Knowledge will not know you!
So how can we recognise the Truth? How can we know the true Master? When the Master of Guru Teg Bahadur was dying, he was heard to say, “Bakala, Bakala.” So people took this to mean that his successor would be found in Bakala. Soon there was a self-proclaimed guru on every street corner! Temples were being built and each guru was claiming to be the only true one. But Truth cannot be concealed by lies.
At that time the real Guru, Teg Bahadur, was also living in Bakala, but most people thought he was crazy and a good-for-nothing. However there was a merchant there who called out from the depths of his heart to the real Guru and he found him. So we should know how a disciple should be, but at the same time we should also understand how a Guru should be.
Before you buy pots and pans in the market, you tap them to test their quality. Similarly, you also have to examine the Master. Only when you are fully satisfied, when you feel that he knows the inner meaning of the scriptures and can give you the practical experience of the Truth, do you have to approach him with a humble and surrendered attitude, because he is your doorway to liberation.
There are a lot of people who claim to be avatars, or divine masters. But it is said, “singhon ki lahandey nahin, hanso ki nahin pant, lalon ki nahin boriyan, sadhu na chaley jamat.” Lions don't travel in herds. Each lion has his own territory, extending to the distance that his roar can be heard. People stand in line to buy milk or to board a bus, but you will not see a queue of swans! The verse then says, “Rubies don't come by the sackful”. India had the unique Kohinoor diamond. There has not been another like it.
In the same way the true saints are few and far between. Only the one whose mind is totally under control, whose character and life are truly righteous, deserves to be called a ‘great soul'.
A lot of people wonder why we should concern ourselves with a Master's character. Surely all we have to do is follow his teachings! There are such people who say that we should just do what the guru teaches and not care about how he lives. For example, a professor teaches chemistry. He may be an addict, but nobody cares about that because it has no bearing on what he teaches. His personal life and his professional life are two different things. He does not have to use his character to prove what he teaches. He can use formulas and laboratory experiments to prove what he teaches. If he is a good teacher his students will get good marks and his character has nothing to do with it. It's not essential for the students to know what kind of a person he is. All they need is someone who can teach them properly. They are only concerned with his intellectual ability and with his mastery of the subject. Character is not a factor here, because what he teaches is not proven by character, but is based on textbooks, formulas and theories.
But spirituality is not merely reading books. It's a way of life. Its ‘principles', ‘formulas' and ‘theories' are meditation on the Holy Name, achieving the state of samadhi and merging the mind in God. If you don't meditate on the Holy Name now in this life, then when and where will you do so? If you don't achieve perfection in this life, when will you? So for this, a spiritual life is necessary, purity is necessary, love is necessary. If a person is really a spiritual Master, then he should have meditation and self-discipline and dedication in his life; he must be an Enlightened One.
Spiritual development does not take place in a laboratory, it is not simply a matter of chemicals, test tubes and theories. If a person is teaching meditation on the Holy Name, if he claims to teach purity and truth, how can his personal life not reflect this? Can spirituality be different to how one lives his life?” How can one's spirituality be proven except in the laboratory of his own life? Where can meditation take place other than in one's own life? The path of Knowledge is something you practise in your own life. So for a spiritual man, there should be no discrepancy between what he teaches and what he is. Because he walks the path of dharma, because he upholds morality and ethical principles, because his spirituality is expressed in his way of life, he is a role model for others.
So it is essential that someone who calls himself a spiritual teacher should radiate spirituality in his own life. This is absolutely vital. If a perfume has scent, we will experience it when we sniff it. A bottle does not have the ‘scent' label if it smells bad when you open it. In a spiritual person's life there is no discrepancy between what he teaches and how he lives – they are two sides of the same coin. It's wrong to say that we don't have to examine the master's character, we only have to listen to his teachings. If that is the case, then there was no reason for the criminal Ratnakar to change into the great saint Valmiki, or for the murderer Angulimal to become a disciple of Lord Buddha. If all they had to do was fill their minds with intellectual knowledge, then why did they meditate and transform themselves?
“When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; but when character is lost, everything is lost”. If a person loses money, he can work and earn it again. If his health is poor, he has lost something because it will take time and effort to regain. But if he loses his character, he has lost everything. Good character is a person's most valuable asset. The body is the temple of God . Within this living temple God dwells and it is where real worship takes place. Other temples are man-made, but this temple has been made by God, so it is our duty to keep it pure.
The sage Patanjali wrote in his ‘Yoga Sutra', chittvritti nirodhshchay yogah: - prevention of fluctations arising in the mind is yoga. Having perfect control of one's mind is yoga. This is the only way to keep the mind pure. I believe that if someone is a perfected soul, he will act in accordance with divine law, his actions will be conscious and ethical. Being perfect means that one's mind is totally under control, that everything he does is in accordance with the laws of dharma, and if his behaviour doesn't reflect this, then he is not perfect.
St Kabir said, “Satguru makes you like himself”. There is only one sun in our solar system. Why don't we say that Mars and Jupiter are suns? It is because the sun is radiant, it is self-luminous. Planets shine, but only with the reflected light of the sun, they do not have the capacity to shine by themselves. In the same way, the true master radiates the glory of Knowledge himself and makes others shine with the light of Knowledge too. He has the ability to elevate others.
So, only a title will not do. We have to look for the quality of a great soul and that quality is that he is enlightened with Self-Knowledge and enlightens others, too. The great saints and Masters didn't preach a complicated philosophy. They taught the way to salvation in a very simple fashion. So many commentaries have been written on the Gita. There is only one Gita but thousands of commentaries! Still people are far from the Knowledge which Krishna gave to Arjuna. Only a person who is pure in himself, who is spiritual in himself, whose only motivation is to uplift humanity, whose heart is full of love, can give Knowledge and love to others.
CLICK HERE TO VISIT OUR WEBSITE
28 November 2009
LIFE AND DEATH
If we ask a young child, “What is death?” Most probably he will reply, “I don't know.” He is vibrating with life and energy, therefore, death has no meaning for him. But if you ask an old man approaching the end of life, he will reply with a sigh “Ah! It is the tragic end of life. It is separation from my near and dear ones. It is parting from my body which is then consigned to the fire”. Generally as we grow old, our clinging to life and attachment to property, our beloved ones, our bank balance or our achievements become so strong that very idea of separation from all that creates horror in our minds. Death is hated by everyone, because in one stroke it snatches from us everything which we accumulated with great efforts and pains. If life is a mystery then death is an even greater mystery and that is why the question of death has haunted human beings from time immemorial. There are only some enlightened saints who accept death with a smile.
Science is trying its best to explore the mystery of death. According to scientists death is the failure of the body-mind system. The daily wear and tear, stresses and strains sap the vitality of the body and hasten its degeneration and decay until it ultimately succumbs to death. According to doctors, clinical death is the dysfunctioning of brain cells, which die because constant wear and tear and lack of oxygen weaken their regenerative mechanism. A variety of therapies have been developed from ancient times to modern age to increase longevity and to postpone death as far as possible through life saving drugs and supplementary diets manufactured to strengthen the body-mind mechanism.
We live a very short span of life from birth to death on this planet. Living itself is full of suffering, fear, anxiety, sorrow and struggle. There are very few moments in our life full of joy and pleasure and those moments are also snatched from us by the cruel hand of death. If life is so futile and miserable the question then arises, why does man want to live forever and avoid death? Rather, he should welcome death as an escape from all the sufferings and agonies that he is undergoing while living. In fact deep within us is the vital current of life which animates and sustains us and which is always imbued with the spirit of life eternal. It is this life-force, enshrined as the immortal spirit, which never meets death. In almost all philosophies and religions the basic question of deliverance of the spirit - the spark of the divine within us - is discussed and inbuilt techniques are laid down to achieve its redemption from the body-mind mechanism comprised of the sum total of sanskaras (karmic tendencies) or genes as they are known in scientific terms. If we ask a young child, “What is death?” Most probably he will reply, “I don't know.” He is vibrating with life and energy, therefore, death has no meaning for him. But if you ask an old man approaching the end of life, he will reply with a sigh “Ah! It is the tragic end of life. It is separation from my near and dear ones. It is parting from my body which is then consigned to the fire”. Generally as we grow old, our clinging to life and attachment to property, our beloved ones, our bank balance or our achievements become so strong that very idea of separation from all that creates horror in our minds. Death is hated by everyone, because in one stroke it snatches from us everything which we accumulated with great efforts and pains. If life is a mystery then death is an even greater mystery and that is why the question of death has haunted human beings from time immemorial. There are only some enlightened saints who accept death with a smile.
Science is trying its best to explore the mystery of death. According to scientists death is the failure of the body-mind system. The daily wear and tear, stresses and strains sap the vitality of the body and hasten its degeneration and decay until it ultimately succumbs to death. According to doctors, clinical death is the dysfunctioning of brain cells, which die because constant wear and tear and lack of oxygen weaken their regenerative mechanism. A variety of therapies have been developed from ancient times to modern age to increase longevity and to postpone death as far as possible through life saving drugs and supplementary diets manufactured to strengthen the body-mind mechanism.
We live a very short span of life from birth to death on this planet. Living itself is full of suffering, fear, anxiety, sorrow and struggle. There are very few moments in our life full of joy and pleasure and those moments are also snatched from us by the cruel hand of death. If life is so futile and miserable the question then arises, why does man want to live forever and avoid death? Rather, he should welcome death as an escape from all the sufferings and agonies that he is undergoing while living. In fact deep within us is the vital current of life which animates and sustains us and which is always imbued with the spirit of life eternal. It is this life-force, enshrined as the immortal spirit, which never meets death. In almost all philosophies and religions the basic question of deliverance of the spirit - the spark of the divine within us - is discussed and inbuilt techniques are laid down to achieve its redemption from the body-mind mechanism comprised of the sum total of sanskaras (karmic tendencies) or genes as they are known in scientific terms.
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27 November 2009
ENLIGHTEN THE INDIVIDUAL-ENLIGHTEN THE UNIVERSE
Being the unit of society, family, party or the nation, man is the pivot of global phenomena. If we see unrest, turmoil, violence and terrorism on a universal scale, surely men are behind these inhumane and heinous crimes. So all the news channels, papers and magazines describe those people at length along with sickening incidents of killing and destruction. People read or listen and go through other news the next day presenting more bloody scenes.
But who in fact is behind the destruction, violence and terror? If we go deeply into it, we find that the mind is the entity responsible for all such destructive trends and chaos. The mind may be invisible but it takes over a person and surpasses all boundaries of social correctness. “Wars begin in the minds of men and it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be established.”
The great souls always inspired individuals to transform society. They interacted with people disclosing the mystery of the Almighty and preached Self-knowledge. They trained the mind by the knowledge of meditation upon the Holy Word of God.
In the Old Testament God said, “I am that I am.” So the idea of existence provides some essence beyond the past, present and future and is the substratum that is constant and ever present sustaining everything. It is termed as the Almighty Lord, described as Sat-Chit-Anand (Truth, Consciousness and Bliss). Human existence is an integral part of truth and consciousness. Without Knowledge man runs away from bliss and suffers from a lot of tension, pressure, conflicting thoughts and scarcity. The Master, on the other hand, is a unique scientist who not only teaches or preaches about knowledge, but actually imparts the spiritual technique through which the mind is enlightened and its age-old thirst is quenched.
Whether in the realms of education, science or politics the Spiritual Knowledge supersedes everything else in really enlightening human minds for universal well-being.
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26 November 2009
NIRVANA
Man is born free but everywhere he is in chains. Freedom or liberation is the human possibility. Buddha said, “What I have attained every one can attain.” Every man has the potential to attain Nirvana. Human life, in fact, is the gateway to Nirvana i.e. total freedom from all conditionings, all sufferings and all obsessions.
Buddha explained :
There is a sphere of experience that is beyond the entire field of matter, the entire field of mind, that is neither this world nor another world nor both, neither moon nor sun. This I call neither arising, nor passing away, nor abiding, neither dying nor rebirth. It is without support, without development, without foundation. This is the end of suffering.
He also said,
There is an unborn, unbecoming, uncreated, unconditioned. Were there not an unborn, unbecoming, uncreated, unconditioned, no release would be known from the born, the becoming, the created, the conditioned. But since there is an unborn, unbecoming, uncreated, unconditioned, therefore, a release is known from the born, the becoming, the created, the conditioned.
Nirvana is not just a stage one gets after death but something to be experienced within oneself here and now. It is difficult to define or describe. We have no real word to define it because it is something beyond mind and matter. Any description of nirvana will only be confusing. Rather than discussing and arguing about it, the important thing is to experience it. “This noble truth of the cessation of suffering must be realized for oneself”, said Buddha. It is only when one has experiencedNirvana that he understands the ultimate truth of liberation.
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25 November 2009
SPIRITUAL VALUES
The wise are generally of the opinion that despite all-round knowledge and development in various fields we lack the requisite wisdom to give a human touch to life. Science has undoubtedly exploded the myths of religious dogmas but has not given any value-based system so far. It has only added to the scepticism and uncertainty. No doubt science and technology have changed the face of the world, but on the human front we have not made any progress worthy of the name.
Mankind is passing through critical times. We have come to possess the power of self-destruction. Even a minor friction born out of hatred and mutual jealousy can lead to a cataclysmic situation. A glittering civilization is on the brink of a precepice. We have to retrieve it from such a situation and make it durable and immune from violence and total destruction. The whole responsibility for this is on all those institutions and individuals who are primarily engaged in moulding human beings. We, therefore, have to begin with the mind which needs to be re-educated so as to remove the sense of aggression, jealousy and hatred. Stung by such poisons, mankind is riven by artificial divisions of caste, creed and colour. There is conflict, there is tension, there is violence and there is bloodshed. There is, therefore, an immediate need for viable doctrines which interpret man not only in the true sense but also bestow on him the humane touch for living life accordingly. In fact, there is a dire need for the immediate humanisation of mankind.
Man is the crown of species and is related to the Cosmos and Ultimate Reality in the most holistic sense. Man has the inherent potential to rise above the self in this very life and can become a source of humanitarianism and universal love. The very existence and practical life of prophets gives us the hope that it is not only worthwhile but also possible to create a society with a culture overflowing with human kindness and universal brotherhood. As man is largely
influenced by his environment and cultural ethos, it is but natural that we should aim at re-establishing values that tend to create an overall environment conductive to moulding the mind of man towards humanitarianism.
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24 November 2009
PEACE, UNITY AND GOODWILL
Man seems never satisfied by his limited efforts or achievements. Despite higher ambitions, riches and intellect also, none is at peace but the global stage has become a common platform for mass unrest and destruction, the outcome of the horrible human mind. Why is it so? Have we fallen short of the think tank that enables to contemplate in right direction for the good of ourselves as well as of the universe? Do we have the will to have the way out?
No doubt the world is full of eductional books of various subjects but the destructive challenges emanating from the explosive human mind can't be contained by the worldly knowledge. The eternal science of life has always been the origin of the source that imparts the highest wisdom for social, communal or global peace, harmony and goodwill. Saints and great souls always taught the world the spiritual therapy to cure the human mind of negativity and engender in him the positive human values of love and good will. We have to see better and deeper.
Cricket, media, technology or politics are not only the global events for today's enjoyments but it is the spirituality that can provide an eternal base for entire human beings free from confrontation, crimes, violence, corruption and terrorism. Let us realize the Spiritual Knowledge and inspire our society and children that God is one. He is omnipresent, so His Name and Form is also omnipresent i.e. the same dwells in every speck of the universe and in the human hearts as well. The living master can reveal the same if we surrender our mind at His lotus feet with an earnest and sincere desire for the same. The stream of eternal Knowledge is flowing within but it is disclosed by the grace of the Master.
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23 November 2009
INITIATION (DIKSHA)
According to Shaivite philosophy, a patient requires a physician and medicine and in the same way, a human being (fettered or embodied soul) requires a Spiritual Master and initiation to get cured of earthly sufferings and limitations. Physicalailments are not only curable but also of short duration, but spiritual disease is a chronic ailment lasting many cycles of births and deaths. The condition of a fettered soul is dismal spiritually but the glamour of worldly pleasures lulls him into forgetting his real captivity. The object of Agam Shastras (mystical scriptures) is to impart the knowledge which cannot be gained through the senses. Real spiritual knowledge cannot be acquired through logic and reason, so the door to super-sensuous knowledge is unlocked and the sleeping Kundalini awakened by the living technique revealed by the spiritual master. This is called ‘initiation' or diksha .
In Shiva Philosophy diksha is the living technique of communing with the Divine. Fromdiksha flows the Divine Knowledge which cuts worldly bonds. In a Tantric teaching called Rudrayamalam , it is stated that he who has not been initiated cannot acquire Divine Knowledge and hence the best state after death. Therefore it is most important that one should, by all means, get himself initiated by the perfect spiritual master. Further stressing the importance of initiation, this scripture says- those who do chanting and rituals without having been initiated derive little benefit, just as seeds sown among stones do not germinate.
In one of the Agams the importance of initiation is described as follows:
“As iron is transmuted into gold when it is penetrated by rasendra (fluid), even so is the individual ego converted into the Divinity by diksha . His karma being burnt by the fire of diksha , he becomes free from the bondage of karma and once the fetters of karma have been removed, the jiva (embodied soul) becomes Shiva”.
‘No amount of worship, without diksha , can give Divine Knowledge, so one should by all means get himself initiated so that the mantra (‘Word') becomes efficacious”.
‘One cannot derive any benefit by repeating a mantra learnt from books; on the other hand, injury is incurred at every step”.
‘Having acquired the Mantra from the Guru (Perfect Master), it should be cultivated in the disciple's consciousness. The fruition of spiritual practices is dependent entirely upon the Guru.”
The grace of the perfect Master works as a panacea for the disciple. This is why the Guru is called the Deliverer, that is, the one who delivers the disciple from all the bonds and sufferings of worldly life.
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22 November 2009
KNOWLEDGE MANIFESTS THROUTH LOVE AND DEVOTION
Incarnated souls liberate other human beings through Knowledge. They do not feel ill-will for anyone. St. Kabir said, “Kabir teri jhonpari, galkatton ke pas. Jo karega so bharega, tu kyon bhaya udas.” (“Kabir, your hut is situated next to a butcher. But as one sows, so shall he reap, so why feel bad about it?”)
If a man acquires the Knowledge imparted by true saints and treads the path according to their teachings, then he can be protected from evil. Saints want to save mankind. They do not want people to fight amongst themselves. You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink. Similarly, Spiritual Knowledge is a matter of love and reverence. The fire of Knowledge manifests within those who have love and devotion for it. .
Those who can impart the indestructible Spiritual Knowledge, which is in accordance with our religious scriptures, are called saints. The Lord says that He is hungry for love. In reality, one can get to God only if he has true selfless love for Him. Worldly people do devotion but only for show – to gain name or fame or reputation.
There was once a famous devotee in Gujarat named Narsi who sacrificed all he had in the path of devotion. He had nothing left. He spent all his time singing the glory of the Almighty. He was a family man however and one day a letter came from the in-laws of his daughter asking him to come and help fill sacks of rice. His daughter prayed, “O God, my father is mad about You, he is always singing Your glory and nothing else. Maybe he hasn't received the letter and the time for harvesting the rice is nearly over. All my relatives have been invited. If nobody from my father's place comes, then my sisters-in-law will taunt me. O God! How will I listen when people say things about You? What if they say, ‘Your father poses like a great devotee, so why did he not come to help with the rice?' “ When devotees tell other people about spiritual and devotional things, usually they reply, “‘You can keep your God; let us go on living as we are now.” But Narsi's wealth had been sacrificed in devotion, so the Lord Himself went there to help at the house of Narsi's daughter's in-laws, which is still known by the name of ‘Rice of Narsi.'
How much time does a mother devote to transform the life of her child, how much money is required for a child to get a B.A or M.A. degree! Despite all this, the child may or may not be successful. Even then, parents have so much faith in their child and accept him as their own.
Even these mahatmas sitting here also listened to spiritual discourse from someone at some time. Then they felt the inner urge to know Spiritual Knowledge and we imparted the Knowledge to them. They had such an experience that they said “We want to live in your service.” So now they go from village to village and inspire people to know the Holy Name. In reality, they are messengers of God spreading the message of God.
If there had not been such saints in our society, then you cannot image what would have become of human beings. Men would have become like demons. Vibhishan and Ravanna both were sons of the same mother, but their natures were vastly different. Vibhishan warned Ravanna not to hold Sita captive as she was the divine Consort of Lord Rama himself. But Ravanna did not pay any heed to his brother's advice. When Hanuman went in search of Sita, he had to face a lot of troubles and demons but none could do any harm to him. Remembering the Name of God, he crossed the sea. He had faith in God and said with full confidence that he would trace Mother Sita. Vibhishan met Hanuman in Lanka and said, “Ab mohi bha bharosh Hanumanta, binu Hari kripa milahin na santa.” “Now I firmly believe, Hanuman, that one cannot meet a saint without God's grace.” Saints are glorified in great detail in our scriptures. So these mahatmas give spiritual discourse inspiring people to transform themselves. They spread the knowledge of Holy Name from house to house. They are servants of God. Like a postman delivering the mail, these saints sow the seed of Knowledge among people; they quench their thirst for knowledge.
Saints educate everyone. Guru Nanak Dev Ji used to visit the houses of the poor, not the rich people. One rich man asked him, “Why do you visit poor people? I will feed you well and give you more respect.” Guru Nanak Dev Ji said, “Your wealth has been earned by foul means so the chappatis prepared by you contain blood, whereas the chappatis prepared from the hard-earned money of poor people are full of milk. If you want to see, then watch.” He took two chappatis, one brought by the rich businessman and one by a poor man and pressed both the chappatis one by one. Blood came out of the chappati of the businessman while milk flowed from the chappati brought by the poor man. Look, riches and possessions are devoured by time but sacrifices are immortal, thoughts remain immortal.
Lord Krishna did not want the Kauravas and Pandavas to fight. He wanted the five Pandavas brothers to get some villages and they would be satisfied with that. But Duryodhan did not accept his proposal. He said, “I will not give them even a pin-head's worth of land without a fight!” What happened after all? The great battle of the Mahabharata took place and so much life and property was destroyed.
History reminds you, “Samvat do hazar ke upper, aisa yog parhe. Uttar dakshin poorab pashchim, chahun dishi kal pare. Kal vyal se wahi bachega, jo Hans ka dhyan dhare.” After the samvat year 2000 (1994 AD) such will be the time and circumstances that death will stalk all four directions - North, South, East and West. Only those who will be meditating on ‘Hans' will be saved.” Who is that ‘Hans'? It is within everyone's heart.
On the strength of her spiritual power, Gargi discussed the meaning of scriptures with the greatest sages. Savitri fought with the king of death (Yamraj) to bring her dead husband back to life.
You may have heard the story of King Shivi. He was a very charitable man and would grant the wish of anyone who approached him. His fame spread far and wide.
Indra and Agni (the fire god) came down in the form of an eagle and a dove to test King Shivi. The dove sat in the king's lap. The eagle said, “Please give me back my prey. I have babies to feed. I must take this dove with me.” The king said, “Eagle, I protect those who come in my shelter, so I will protect this dove.” When the king offered his own flesh in lieu of the dove, then Indra and Agni revealed their true forms.
But nowadays if you ask an official to do some work for you, he will say that he does not have time. Why don't you have time, my friend? You have time to go to clubs, weddings and hotels, but when saints out of their selfless love invite you to hear about Spiritual Knowledge, you say that you don't have time. Once Shri Maharaj Ji said, “O God, I want to save this country and make it great but here no one has time.”
So, we must find time to attend satsang and once we get Spiritual Knowledge we should make our life successful.
CLICK HERE TO VISIT OUR WEBSITE
If a man acquires the Knowledge imparted by true saints and treads the path according to their teachings, then he can be protected from evil. Saints want to save mankind. They do not want people to fight amongst themselves. You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink. Similarly, Spiritual Knowledge is a matter of love and reverence. The fire of Knowledge manifests within those who have love and devotion for it. .
Those who can impart the indestructible Spiritual Knowledge, which is in accordance with our religious scriptures, are called saints. The Lord says that He is hungry for love. In reality, one can get to God only if he has true selfless love for Him. Worldly people do devotion but only for show – to gain name or fame or reputation.
There was once a famous devotee in Gujarat named Narsi who sacrificed all he had in the path of devotion. He had nothing left. He spent all his time singing the glory of the Almighty. He was a family man however and one day a letter came from the in-laws of his daughter asking him to come and help fill sacks of rice. His daughter prayed, “O God, my father is mad about You, he is always singing Your glory and nothing else. Maybe he hasn't received the letter and the time for harvesting the rice is nearly over. All my relatives have been invited. If nobody from my father's place comes, then my sisters-in-law will taunt me. O God! How will I listen when people say things about You? What if they say, ‘Your father poses like a great devotee, so why did he not come to help with the rice?' “ When devotees tell other people about spiritual and devotional things, usually they reply, “‘You can keep your God; let us go on living as we are now.” But Narsi's wealth had been sacrificed in devotion, so the Lord Himself went there to help at the house of Narsi's daughter's in-laws, which is still known by the name of ‘Rice of Narsi.'
How much time does a mother devote to transform the life of her child, how much money is required for a child to get a B.A or M.A. degree! Despite all this, the child may or may not be successful. Even then, parents have so much faith in their child and accept him as their own.
Even these mahatmas sitting here also listened to spiritual discourse from someone at some time. Then they felt the inner urge to know Spiritual Knowledge and we imparted the Knowledge to them. They had such an experience that they said “We want to live in your service.” So now they go from village to village and inspire people to know the Holy Name. In reality, they are messengers of God spreading the message of God.
If there had not been such saints in our society, then you cannot image what would have become of human beings. Men would have become like demons. Vibhishan and Ravanna both were sons of the same mother, but their natures were vastly different. Vibhishan warned Ravanna not to hold Sita captive as she was the divine Consort of Lord Rama himself. But Ravanna did not pay any heed to his brother's advice. When Hanuman went in search of Sita, he had to face a lot of troubles and demons but none could do any harm to him. Remembering the Name of God, he crossed the sea. He had faith in God and said with full confidence that he would trace Mother Sita. Vibhishan met Hanuman in Lanka and said, “Ab mohi bha bharosh Hanumanta, binu Hari kripa milahin na santa.” “Now I firmly believe, Hanuman, that one cannot meet a saint without God's grace.” Saints are glorified in great detail in our scriptures. So these mahatmas give spiritual discourse inspiring people to transform themselves. They spread the knowledge of Holy Name from house to house. They are servants of God. Like a postman delivering the mail, these saints sow the seed of Knowledge among people; they quench their thirst for knowledge.
Saints educate everyone. Guru Nanak Dev Ji used to visit the houses of the poor, not the rich people. One rich man asked him, “Why do you visit poor people? I will feed you well and give you more respect.” Guru Nanak Dev Ji said, “Your wealth has been earned by foul means so the chappatis prepared by you contain blood, whereas the chappatis prepared from the hard-earned money of poor people are full of milk. If you want to see, then watch.” He took two chappatis, one brought by the rich businessman and one by a poor man and pressed both the chappatis one by one. Blood came out of the chappati of the businessman while milk flowed from the chappati brought by the poor man. Look, riches and possessions are devoured by time but sacrifices are immortal, thoughts remain immortal.
Lord Krishna did not want the Kauravas and Pandavas to fight. He wanted the five Pandavas brothers to get some villages and they would be satisfied with that. But Duryodhan did not accept his proposal. He said, “I will not give them even a pin-head's worth of land without a fight!” What happened after all? The great battle of the Mahabharata took place and so much life and property was destroyed.
History reminds you, “Samvat do hazar ke upper, aisa yog parhe. Uttar dakshin poorab pashchim, chahun dishi kal pare. Kal vyal se wahi bachega, jo Hans ka dhyan dhare.” After the samvat year 2000 (1994 AD) such will be the time and circumstances that death will stalk all four directions - North, South, East and West. Only those who will be meditating on ‘Hans' will be saved.” Who is that ‘Hans'? It is within everyone's heart.
On the strength of her spiritual power, Gargi discussed the meaning of scriptures with the greatest sages. Savitri fought with the king of death (Yamraj) to bring her dead husband back to life.
You may have heard the story of King Shivi. He was a very charitable man and would grant the wish of anyone who approached him. His fame spread far and wide.
Indra and Agni (the fire god) came down in the form of an eagle and a dove to test King Shivi. The dove sat in the king's lap. The eagle said, “Please give me back my prey. I have babies to feed. I must take this dove with me.” The king said, “Eagle, I protect those who come in my shelter, so I will protect this dove.” When the king offered his own flesh in lieu of the dove, then Indra and Agni revealed their true forms.
But nowadays if you ask an official to do some work for you, he will say that he does not have time. Why don't you have time, my friend? You have time to go to clubs, weddings and hotels, but when saints out of their selfless love invite you to hear about Spiritual Knowledge, you say that you don't have time. Once Shri Maharaj Ji said, “O God, I want to save this country and make it great but here no one has time.”
So, we must find time to attend satsang and once we get Spiritual Knowledge we should make our life successful.
CLICK HERE TO VISIT OUR WEBSITE
21 November 2009
Intuition
Intuition and insight are two words which are often used in spiritual parlance, just as
reasoning and logic are used in physical sciences. The physical sciences are known
for the systematic study of physical phenomena on the basis of input from sensory perception. According to paranormal theory, we are also blessed with extrasensory
perception which perceives the Truth directly.
reasoning and logic are used in physical sciences. The physical sciences are known
for the systematic study of physical phenomena on the basis of input from sensory perception. According to paranormal theory, we are also blessed with extrasensory
perception which perceives the Truth directly.
This extrasensory perception which comes to a person all of a sudden is called ‘intuition’ or ‘insight’. The dictionary meaning of intuition is “knowledge from within or quick perception of truth without reasoning or logic”. It happens to a person in the moment of silence of mind or deep meditation when the mind gets tuned to super- consciousness. In a moment of mystical wonder when the thought process stops, a flash of light shines in the heart, giving us a clue as to what to do and what not to do in particular circumstances.
Intuition is the innate ability in everyone to perceive truth directly - not by reason, logic or analysis, but by a simple knowing from within. This is the actual meaning of the word ‘intuition’, to know or understand from within - from one’s own self, and from the heart of whatever one is trying to understand. Intuition is the inner ability to see behind the outer forms of things to their inner essence. This intuitive ability is latent within all of us. It can be developed consciously to bring clarity to all our decisions.
Intuition is neither feminine nor masculine. Sometimes we hear people talk about
‘feminine intuition’, because intuition relates more to the feeling aspect of human nature. Intuition, though, is present both in men and women, yet women are often more intuitive in their understanding of other people because they are heart-prone. But the truth is that intuition is a calm, impersonal feeling. Women often experience life more through feeling in the form of emotions; men often tend to be more impersonal. A combination of these two qualities is what produces intuition.
‘feminine intuition’, because intuition relates more to the feeling aspect of human nature. Intuition, though, is present both in men and women, yet women are often more intuitive in their understanding of other people because they are heart-prone. But the truth is that intuition is a calm, impersonal feeling. Women often experience life more through feeling in the form of emotions; men often tend to be more impersonal. A combination of these two qualities is what produces intuition.
20 November 2009
SALVATION IS HERE AND NOW
People make a lot of effort to achieve salvation. They think as if it is to be attained step by step with the passage of time. But the fact is that salvation is here and now. It is in the very breath which one takes from moment to moment. Happiness and salvation are two sides of the same coin. Salvation is total freedom, total bliss and total happiness.
Most of the people pursue physical pleasures or various forms of psychological gratification because they believe that those things will make them happy or will free them from a feeling of fear or want. Happiness may be perceived as a heightened sense of aliveness attained through physical pleasure or some form of psychological gratification. Invariably, any satisfaction that people obtain is short-lived. Total satisfaction eludes them and they project the condition of total satisfaction or fulfilment on to an imaginary point away from the here and now. “When I obtain this or am free of that, I will be okay.” This is the unconscious mindset that creates the illusion of salvation in the future.
True salvation is fulfilment, peace, life in all its fullness. It is the joy of being that depends on nothing outside itself. It is felt not as a passing experience but as an abiding presence. In theistic language, it is to “Know God”- not as something outside you but as your own innermost essence. True salvation is to know yourself as an inseparable part of the timeless and formless One from which all that exists derives its being.
True salvation is a state of freedom - from fear, from suffering, from a perceived state of lack and insufficiency and, therefore, from all wanting, needing, grasping and clinging. It is freedom from compulsive thinking, from negativity and above all from past and future as a psychological need. But unfortunately your thought and mind, which is the byproduct of time, tells that you cannot get salvation so easily. You have to do something for which time is needed. You see time as the means to salvation, whereas in truth it is the greatest obstacle to salvation.
There is nothing you can ever do or attain that will get you closer to salvation than it is at this moment, in the very life breath vibrating in you. This may be hard to grasp for a mind accustomed to thinking that everything worthwhile is in the future. Nor can anything that you ever did or that was done to you in the past prevent you from saying yes to what is and taking your attention deeply into the Now. You cannot do this in the future. You do it now. Salvation is Here and Now in the breath you inhale and exhale.
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19 November 2009
WAR BEGINS IN THE MIND OF MAN
The high, noble-sounding words that form an epigraph to the UNESCO Constitution state, “Since wars begin in the mind of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be established.” Will this UNESCO epigraph ever be fulfilled by nations? So far the picture seems very dismal.
Medieval history is witness to ghastly accounts of religious wars or crusades between zealous Christians and Muslims that lasted for three centuries. Some religious leaders still exhort their followers to participate in jihads or ‘holy wars'.
Wars today are not confined only to army personnel who personally and directly are engaged in military campaigns. The injurious effects of wars now extend to entire civilian populations as well. It is a foregone conclusion that in a future world war nuclear weapons would be widely used. The destruction of life and property will be so great that neither victor nor vanquished will be left to rule over the debris of this world.
Cyclones, earthquakes and tsunamis are not considered these days to be acts of God. Nations are jointly trying to overcome these natural hazards but wars are not like natural disasters, they are
man-made. But even then there is no worldwide agitation against warmongers.
Man has treated war as if it were something external to his inner psychological nature. In fact man's psyche plays an important role in the wars which are fought externally but actually begin in the human mind. Aldous Huxley, in his celebrated book “Ends and Means”, prophesied, “If we want to get rid of war we must get rid first of all of its psychological causes.” Krishnamurti, a great thinker and sage, said that war is merely an outward expression of inward state, an enlargement of our daily actions. There are psychological factors which are inherent causes of war such as fear, hatred, envy, insecurity, collective ego, competitive spirit, craze for supremacy over others, primitive tribal and racial arrogance and religious fanaticism. Spiritual therapy is the only way to root out the seeds of war from the minds of men.
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18 November 2009
THOUGHT-THE BARRIER TO EXPERIENCING REALITY
Thought is blockage - it is a barrier. It creates an opaque screen of concepts, labels, images, words, judgments and definitions that blocks all true relationship. It comes between you and yourself, between you and your fellow man and woman, between you and Nature, between you and God. It is this screen of thought that creates the illusion of separateness, the illusion that there is you and a totally separate “other.” You then forget the essential fact that, underneath the level of physical appearances and separate forms, you are one with all that is. By “forget”, I mean that you can no longer feel this oneness as self-evident reality. You may believe it to be true, but you no longer know it to be true. A belief may be comforting. Only through your own experience, however, does it become liberating.
Not to be able to stop thinking is a dreadful affliction, but we do not realize this because almost everybody is suffering from it, so it is considered normal. This incessant mental noise prevents you from finding that realm of inner stillness that is inseparable from Being. It also creates a false mind-made self that casts a shadow of fear and suffering.
The philosopher Descartes believed that he had found the most fundamental truth when he made his famous statement: “I think, therefore, I am.” He had, in fact, given expression to the most basic error: to equate thinking with Being and identity with thinking. The compulsive thinker, which means almost everyone, lives in a state apparent separateness, in an insanely complex world of continuous problems and conflict, a world that reflects the ever-increasing fragmentation of the mind. Enlightenment is a state of wholeness, of being “at one” and, therefore, at peace. At one with life in its manifested aspect, the world, as well as with your deepest self and life unmanifested - at one with Being. Enlightenment is not only the end of suffering and of continuous conflict within and without, but also the end of the dreadful enslavement to incessant continuing. What an incredible liberation this is!
Thinking has become a disease. Disease happens when things get out of balance. For example, there is nothing wrong with cells dividing and multiplying in the body, but when this process continues in disregard of the total organism, we have disease.
The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive. To put it more accurately, it is not so much that you use your mind wrongly - you usually do not use it at all. It uses you. This is the disease. You believe that you are your mind. This is the delusion. The instrument has taken you over.
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17 November 2009
ESSENCE OF RELIGION
The teachings of all realised souls state clearly that religion does not mean mere rituals and dogmas. It has eternal values which are evergreen. Religion in essence is the realisation of ‘ Svabhava ' i.e. one's innate nature. The real nature of every soul is equanimity. In this state, consciousness is completely free from constant flickering, excitement, disharmony and disorders. In reality, the soul is different from the body and should remain away from the impure state of mind. The object of religion is to achieve equanimity of mind and get real peace and bliss.
Some religious philosophies emphasize knowledge while some emphasize action, but in a real sense religion takes an integral view of life. We need a combination of right faith, right knowledge and right conduct to attain salvation. Without right faith, there is no right knowledge and without right knowledge, there is no right conduct. According to Lord Mahavira, he who knows the Self to be wholly different from the body and mind is said to be the master of all scriptures. Right knowledge is that which helps one to understand the truth, control the mind and purify the soul. Equanimity of mind and soul is the guiding principle of religious life. Equanimity of mind is non-attachment. Equanimity of body is non-violence, and equanimity of thought is non-absolutism. Non-violence is the cardinal principle of religion. It means giving reverence to all forms of life. Human beings, animals, plants, trees and insects all have some source of life-energy. This energy is present even in invisible creatures living in air, water and space. Respect and love for all types of life is the essence of religion.
Respect for all forms of life implies essential equality. Only action, not birth, is the determining factor of human status. Lord Mahavira proclaimed, “A person does not become a monk by merely torturing the body nor a Brahmana by reciting the Onkar Mantra , he does not become a Muni by living in the forest or a hermit by wearing clothes woven from grass. One becomes a monk through equanimity, a Brahmana through celibacy, a Muni by his knowledge and a hermit by his austerities”.
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16 November 2009
RELIGION IS REALISATION
We read in one of the Buddhist scriptures, ‘The Tathagata has no theories.' If anyone came to Buddha with the intent of merely satisfying an idle curiosity with respect to metaphysical problems, he was certain to be disappointed.
One day one such inquirer came to discuss theories of the soul and the world and the problem of knowledge. Buddha observed that if one has been wounded by a poisoned arrow and refuses to accept help from the physician until he has learned the exact nature of the man who wounded him - to what caste he belonged, his stature and his complexion - such a one would indeed be foolish. Some questions Buddha dismissed as useless and unnecessary, while others, he said, could not be answered in logical terms.
In the same way, the Upanishads admonish us to give up vain talk, for it brings “weariness to the tongue”. Moreover, they speak of the truth “which words cannot express”. “The mind,” they say, “comes away baffled, unable to reach it.”
Buddha, like the sages of the Upanishads, insisted that one should experience the truth for oneself. In the Upanishads we read, “I have known, beyond all darkness, that great Being of golden effulgence. Only by knowing Him does one conquer death.” There is no other way of escaping the wheel of birth, death and rebirth. Truth is to be known by one's own inner exertions.
Buddha also exhorted Ananda, “Be lamps unto yourselves. Be a refuge to yourselves. Take yourselves no external refuge. Hold fast to the truth as a lamp. Hold fast to the truth as a refuge. And whosoever, Ananda, either now or after I am dead, shall be a lamp unto themselves and a refuge unto themselves, who takes no external refuge, but - holding fast to the truth as their lamp, and holding fast as their refuge to the truth - shall not look for refuge to any one besides themselves, it is they, Ananda, among my bhikshus, who shall reach the very topmost heights! But they must be anxious to learn.”
“But they must be anxious to learn”; and to learn one must experiment - an action demanded by all the great religious teachers of India . For them essential religion does not lie in dogma or creed, in doctrines or theories, but in experience alone. From the Vedic age to our own, every spiritual leader has declared this primary truth - that one must realize God in one's own soul.
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15 November 2009
SAINTS LIVE ONLY FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERS
All the saints who came into the world to awaken mankind were anchored in Truth (the highest goal). The sufferings encountered by human beings are eased by the satsang such saints gave, like clouds quenching the scorched earth with their rain. So it is said, “Sant vitap sarita giri dharni. Par hit het, saban ki karni .” Saints, trees, rivers, mountains and earth exist only and always for the benefit of others. Trees put up with cold, heat and rain and offer shade and fruit to whoever approach them.
The Ganges flows continuously, day and night without a break, simply for the benefit of others. Mountains bear the weight of so many trees and shrubs and the wood of all these trees is used by us either for burning or for making furniture. Earth produces so many varieties of fruit, flowers, crops, nuts, pulses and such things for our daily use. Earth never differentiates between high and low and absorbs all creatures, after death, in itself. Saints also come into this world simply for the sake of others. They put up with all kinds of hurdles, obstacles and troubles to help others. Their whole life is dedicated to doing good to others and uplifting and awakening mankind. “Bhu raj taru sam sant kripala. Par hit sahen nit vipat vishala. Sant uday santat sukhkari. Vishwa sukhad jimi indu tamari” : The appearance of a saint is always pleasurable for all, like the calm and soothing moon which wipes out the darkness of night. Likewise, saints wipe away the troubles and miseries of mankind.
Lord Rama taught Bhilni the nine steps of devotion and described the 7 th step as“Saptam sab mohi may jag dekhe. Mo te adhik sant kar lekhe.” “ See Me in everything and revere saints even more than Me.” You may wonder why you should give more importance to saints when you know that the entire creation is the body of God. “Ram sindhu ghan sajjan dheera. Chandan taru hari sant sameera.” The Lord, being omnipresent, is present within the heart of everyone. He does not tell anyone that He is dwelling there or that one should meditate, and neither He prevents anyone from doing good or bad. But when saints, like clouds, come into this world, then they shower us with the rain of satsang and glory of God. They impart the Spiritual Knowledge through which a true seeker experiences Divine Light within and this is how the darkness of ignorance is eradicated.
Lord Rama is like a sandalwod tree and saints are like a breeze. The whole tree is full of perfume, but only when the wind blows is this perfume diffused throughout the entire forest and thus the whole forest becomes like a sandal tree. The essence of the Lord permeates the entire body but is not able to remove miseries of anyone. However, when saints come, like the breeze, they impart through satsang the Spiritual Knowledge to sincere seekers and thus a disciple experiences bliss. Even though the entire forest is permeated with the sandalwood perfume due to the breeze, a bamboo tree is unaffected, it remains as it is. A person who listens patiently and receives Spiritual Knowledge, becomes wise and blissful by doing regular meditation, but foolish and unwise people, for whom satsang goes in one ear and out the other, never improve even by having the company of saints.
All pictures of saints, sages, hermits and Incarnation are products of the imagination of an artist, so they would not be real. These days there are temples of ‘Bharat Mata' and regular worshipping takes place there. But if you want to see ‘Bharat Mata', where will you look? ‘Bharat Mata' (‘Mother India') is the name of the entire land of India . Similarly, you would have seen pictures of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna. In some they are depicted as a child, in others they are youthful. All these pictures were painted by artists according to their feelings and imagination. We know that God incarnated in other forms but we worship Him in the form of human beings. People see pictures of rishis and sages living in the jungle with long hair and beard and so they also start doing the same. Then others, seeing these unkempt persons, take them to be real saints and devotees and waste their invaluable human life serving and obeying these so-called saints. It appears that people have closed their eyes to what saints and divine personalities have said. St Kabir, for example said, “Man na rangaye, rangaye jogi kapara. Asan mari jogi mandir men baithe, Nam chharri poojan lage pathara. Mathwa muday jogi bhagwa rangole, Geeta banchi jogi ho gaile labra. Kanwa pharay jogi jatwa barhole, darhi barhay jogi ho gaile bakara. Man na rangaye, rangaye jogi kapra: “ The impostor dresses like a yogi but his mind is not dyed in devotion. This false yogi sits in a meditation posture in a temple. He does not have the Knowledge of Name and worships gods made of stone. He shaves his head and colours his clothing similar to that of a true renunciate. He reads the Bhagavad Gita without knowing its true real meaning. He gets his ears pierced; he has long hair and a beard and looks like a goat.”
When God is within our heart then His Name should also be within our heart. Where there is a thing, its name is also there. But we do not remember the Holy Name of God, which is ever-present within our heart and we think we are great devotees as we do our external rituals. Will such external things yield any benefit?
You believe in Lord Krishna. But you do not try to know his primordial name which is within and instead you worship idols made of metals or stone. Will you accrue any benefit from such things? St.Tulsidas says, “Ghat men hai soojhe nahin, lanat aisi jind. Tulsi ya sansar ko bhayo motia bind.” God is within our heart but we do not see! Shame on such a futile life! Tulsi says that the whole world is suffering from cataracts”.
If one could find God by living in the forest, growing long hair or living naked then why did Lord Krishna not say in the Bhagavadgita that one can reach him by doing such things? In fact he says the opposite. He says that he cannot be realised by such external means. He explained the importance of Spiritual Knowledge and told Arjuna to remember him constantly and also to fight.
Bullehshah also said the same thing: “Do your worldly duties with your hands and keep your mind ever hooked to God.” St. Mansoor says, “If you want to meet God, then keep your mind continuously in His Name.” Think about King Janak, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, St Kabir and all other saints and Divine Personalities. Did any of them live in the forest?
Sukhdev Muni ran into the forest soon after he was born but the great king Janak, while ruling the entire kingdom, was not conscious of his body and Sukhdev eventually accepted him as his Spiritual Master. You are redeemed when the mind ceases to fluctuate. Why was King Janak called ‘unconscious of his body'? Because his mind was ever joined to the Holy Name. Whatever a person does, he gets engrossed in that. He becomes like a worm of illusion! He appears to be human but his actions are like that of animals. If you remove a worm from the dung in which it lives, it will again and again go back to the filth from where it was taken. Similarly, a worldly person is happy in illusory things. You may put in any amount of effort to steer such people towards devotion, but they do not relish it. They prefer to circulate through the millions of species. They think that by listening to satsang, serving the master and acquiring Spiritual Knowledge they will get salvation and then they will not be able to enjoy worldly pleasures. Such people can't understand the ultimate bliss of devotion.
Saints say that you have wasted your precious human life in worldly illusory pleasures as you did not acquire Spiritual Knowledge and did not remember the Holy Name of the Almighty. You have lived no differently to a pig, an ass, cat, or dog. You may have a bed and mattress to sleep on, whereas a lion sleeps on the bare earth in a jungle. A lion eats raw flesh whereas you eat cooked meat. A parrot sees the fruit of the semal tree and thinks that it will eat the fruit after it is ripened and in this hope it sits on the branch of the tree and goes on waiting. But when the parrot pierces the fruit with its beak, cotton comes out. This should not happen to us. We should not go on waiting until ultimately our lifetime comes to an end. So well before that, we should understand the importance of this human body. We should get Spiritual Knowledge and do as much meditation as possible.
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The Ganges flows continuously, day and night without a break, simply for the benefit of others. Mountains bear the weight of so many trees and shrubs and the wood of all these trees is used by us either for burning or for making furniture. Earth produces so many varieties of fruit, flowers, crops, nuts, pulses and such things for our daily use. Earth never differentiates between high and low and absorbs all creatures, after death, in itself. Saints also come into this world simply for the sake of others. They put up with all kinds of hurdles, obstacles and troubles to help others. Their whole life is dedicated to doing good to others and uplifting and awakening mankind. “Bhu raj taru sam sant kripala. Par hit sahen nit vipat vishala. Sant uday santat sukhkari. Vishwa sukhad jimi indu tamari” : The appearance of a saint is always pleasurable for all, like the calm and soothing moon which wipes out the darkness of night. Likewise, saints wipe away the troubles and miseries of mankind.
Lord Rama taught Bhilni the nine steps of devotion and described the 7 th step as“Saptam sab mohi may jag dekhe. Mo te adhik sant kar lekhe.” “ See Me in everything and revere saints even more than Me.” You may wonder why you should give more importance to saints when you know that the entire creation is the body of God. “Ram sindhu ghan sajjan dheera. Chandan taru hari sant sameera.” The Lord, being omnipresent, is present within the heart of everyone. He does not tell anyone that He is dwelling there or that one should meditate, and neither He prevents anyone from doing good or bad. But when saints, like clouds, come into this world, then they shower us with the rain of satsang and glory of God. They impart the Spiritual Knowledge through which a true seeker experiences Divine Light within and this is how the darkness of ignorance is eradicated.
Lord Rama is like a sandalwod tree and saints are like a breeze. The whole tree is full of perfume, but only when the wind blows is this perfume diffused throughout the entire forest and thus the whole forest becomes like a sandal tree. The essence of the Lord permeates the entire body but is not able to remove miseries of anyone. However, when saints come, like the breeze, they impart through satsang the Spiritual Knowledge to sincere seekers and thus a disciple experiences bliss. Even though the entire forest is permeated with the sandalwood perfume due to the breeze, a bamboo tree is unaffected, it remains as it is. A person who listens patiently and receives Spiritual Knowledge, becomes wise and blissful by doing regular meditation, but foolish and unwise people, for whom satsang goes in one ear and out the other, never improve even by having the company of saints.
All pictures of saints, sages, hermits and Incarnation are products of the imagination of an artist, so they would not be real. These days there are temples of ‘Bharat Mata' and regular worshipping takes place there. But if you want to see ‘Bharat Mata', where will you look? ‘Bharat Mata' (‘Mother India') is the name of the entire land of India . Similarly, you would have seen pictures of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna. In some they are depicted as a child, in others they are youthful. All these pictures were painted by artists according to their feelings and imagination. We know that God incarnated in other forms but we worship Him in the form of human beings. People see pictures of rishis and sages living in the jungle with long hair and beard and so they also start doing the same. Then others, seeing these unkempt persons, take them to be real saints and devotees and waste their invaluable human life serving and obeying these so-called saints. It appears that people have closed their eyes to what saints and divine personalities have said. St Kabir, for example said, “Man na rangaye, rangaye jogi kapara. Asan mari jogi mandir men baithe, Nam chharri poojan lage pathara. Mathwa muday jogi bhagwa rangole, Geeta banchi jogi ho gaile labra. Kanwa pharay jogi jatwa barhole, darhi barhay jogi ho gaile bakara. Man na rangaye, rangaye jogi kapra: “ The impostor dresses like a yogi but his mind is not dyed in devotion. This false yogi sits in a meditation posture in a temple. He does not have the Knowledge of Name and worships gods made of stone. He shaves his head and colours his clothing similar to that of a true renunciate. He reads the Bhagavad Gita without knowing its true real meaning. He gets his ears pierced; he has long hair and a beard and looks like a goat.”
When God is within our heart then His Name should also be within our heart. Where there is a thing, its name is also there. But we do not remember the Holy Name of God, which is ever-present within our heart and we think we are great devotees as we do our external rituals. Will such external things yield any benefit?
You believe in Lord Krishna. But you do not try to know his primordial name which is within and instead you worship idols made of metals or stone. Will you accrue any benefit from such things? St.Tulsidas says, “Ghat men hai soojhe nahin, lanat aisi jind. Tulsi ya sansar ko bhayo motia bind.” God is within our heart but we do not see! Shame on such a futile life! Tulsi says that the whole world is suffering from cataracts”.
If one could find God by living in the forest, growing long hair or living naked then why did Lord Krishna not say in the Bhagavadgita that one can reach him by doing such things? In fact he says the opposite. He says that he cannot be realised by such external means. He explained the importance of Spiritual Knowledge and told Arjuna to remember him constantly and also to fight.
Bullehshah also said the same thing: “Do your worldly duties with your hands and keep your mind ever hooked to God.” St. Mansoor says, “If you want to meet God, then keep your mind continuously in His Name.” Think about King Janak, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, St Kabir and all other saints and Divine Personalities. Did any of them live in the forest?
Sukhdev Muni ran into the forest soon after he was born but the great king Janak, while ruling the entire kingdom, was not conscious of his body and Sukhdev eventually accepted him as his Spiritual Master. You are redeemed when the mind ceases to fluctuate. Why was King Janak called ‘unconscious of his body'? Because his mind was ever joined to the Holy Name. Whatever a person does, he gets engrossed in that. He becomes like a worm of illusion! He appears to be human but his actions are like that of animals. If you remove a worm from the dung in which it lives, it will again and again go back to the filth from where it was taken. Similarly, a worldly person is happy in illusory things. You may put in any amount of effort to steer such people towards devotion, but they do not relish it. They prefer to circulate through the millions of species. They think that by listening to satsang, serving the master and acquiring Spiritual Knowledge they will get salvation and then they will not be able to enjoy worldly pleasures. Such people can't understand the ultimate bliss of devotion.
Saints say that you have wasted your precious human life in worldly illusory pleasures as you did not acquire Spiritual Knowledge and did not remember the Holy Name of the Almighty. You have lived no differently to a pig, an ass, cat, or dog. You may have a bed and mattress to sleep on, whereas a lion sleeps on the bare earth in a jungle. A lion eats raw flesh whereas you eat cooked meat. A parrot sees the fruit of the semal tree and thinks that it will eat the fruit after it is ripened and in this hope it sits on the branch of the tree and goes on waiting. But when the parrot pierces the fruit with its beak, cotton comes out. This should not happen to us. We should not go on waiting until ultimately our lifetime comes to an end. So well before that, we should understand the importance of this human body. We should get Spiritual Knowledge and do as much meditation as possible.
CLICK HERE TO VISIT OUR WEBSITE
14 November 2009
THE FLASH OF UNDERSTANDING
Since time immemorial Spiritual Knowledge has been considered to be the Supreme Knowledge. "Know Thyself" was written on the gate of the Academy of Plato , the great Greek philosopher. Self Realization is the motto of Indian culture and thought. But what is Spiritual Knowledge is has been debated down through the ages. The literal meaning of Spiritual Knowledge is " to know the Spirit". Spiritual Knowledge deals with the study of the Spirit, just as physical science deals with the study of matter.
Spirituality is neither a concept nor a dogma but a flash of understanding; in other words, an awakening of the insight that lies dormant in man. This happens when the turbulent mind becomes still and silent. The light of spirit is clouded by the dust of the flickering mind. The chattering of the mind disturbs the subtle inner rythmic sound of the Spirit. Therefore, meditation within oneself is the laboratory of Spiritual Knowledge. When a person, with the grace and guidance of the Spiritual Master, gets initiation into the inner realm of the Spirit and, through attention and proper focusing on the light of the Spirit and the subtle rythmic vibration, the fluctuation of the mind stuff slowly and gradually becomes still and silent, then the light of the Spirit is experienced as flash of understanding or insight. That is when one starts experiencing the existence of the entity called the Spirit or Soul.
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13 November 2009
LIVE TOTALLY IN THE HOLY NAME
In the infinity of life, all is perfect, whole and complete.
Live therefore in harmony and balance with entire creation.
Deep at the centre of your being, there is an infinite well of love.
Allow this love to flow to the surface
So that it fills your very being and radiates out from you in all directions
and returns to you multiplied.
Sharing love makes you feel good;
it is an expression of your inner joy, love thyself;
While taking loving care of your body, mind and spirit.
Enjoy with love vibrant health and energy.
Let vibration of love fill your self and your surroundings,
so that all who enter your life, feel this love and be nourished by it.
Love thyself; and totally release the past.
Be free and forgiving by living totally in the Holy Name experiencing your
life breath in each and every moment.
Have faith in the Almighty, knowing that your future is bright and joyous
and secure, for you are a beloved child of the Universe,
and the Universe lovingly takes care of you
now and forever more. All is well in your world.
12 November 2009
THE NECTAR OF MEDITATION
Meditation is a mystical term for the process that awakens the dormant spirit in man. It does miracles. It opens up the higher realms of consciousness. The mystic saints have extra sensory powers because of deep meditation. Meditation is a wonderful tonic for the body and mind. It releases tension and balances the mind. It opens the centres of consciousness. It increases the intuitive power of a person and develops his insight. It annihilates the ego self and unites with the cosmic self. It is the wonder of wonders. One who does not meditate cannot have wisdom. Meditation opens the third eye by which your perception becomes keen and sharp. You can look into the distant and esoteric meaning of life. The divine play becomes visible through meditation. Meditation gives lot of mysterious powers and skills to man. The Hebrew Bible alludes to meditation as the method by which all prophets achieved visionary states of consciousness. Meditation reaches the ecstatic and blissful stage when the ‘meditator' is no longer there. So if you want to drink the nectar of life, meditation is the only way.
11 November 2009
SEEK TRUTH, LIGHT, PEACE AND BLISS
A seeker of Truth has to lead a very alert and vigilant life. Though he wants to live from moment to moment and meditate from breath to breath, his mind slips into brooding about past memories or future rosy imaginations. The momentum of bad habits is so strong that it drags the mind into reveries of sense pleasures and temptations. One therefore lives in a psychological dilemma between repentance and indulgence. One feels remorseful about his slavery to the senses and takes a solemn oath to overcome the inner weaknesses forever, but when the desire for some pleasures arise in the mind, this repentance and resolve fade away. The seeker of Truth, therefore, stands between the two extremes of repentance-born resolutions and desire-instigated forgetfulness.
Before we make our New Year's resolution, we should apply real understanding and determination. Anyone who wants a permanent safeguard against temptation must constantly strengthen his right resolve with positive thoughts, service and deep meditation. Watchfulness and introspection hold the key to banishing temptations whenever they threaten self-control.
In this new year definitely make a resolution to do meditation - not in a hurry but with a strong discrimination and determination. We wish you the happiest New Year and a renewed resolve to seek Truth. And may you enjoy the inner journey of the Self towards light, peace and bliss.
www.manavdharam.org
10 November 2009
| Can you explain about the types of karmas? |
| Yes, there are basically three types. There are karmas, the seeds which you are creating, there are karmas which you are suffering now and there are karmas which you will suffer. It’s like past, present and future karmas. Now, the karmas which you have done in the past you are suffering or enjoying at present, but you will, through Knowledge, be eliminating the karmas which you will suffer in the future, or even at present. You can correct your present and completely change your future. What you are cannot be changed - that you have to suffer. You have not broken, you have not neutralized your karmas, you are still under the karmic law. You are not above that. Coming here is due to karma. but through satsang, through practising the path of Knowledge, one can actually break that cycle of karma. www.manavdharam.org |
09 November 2009
| Is Knowledge some kind of evolved mental process? |
| It’s not a mental process, it is the process of concentration. Also, evolution means to be reborn, to come out. See, we are already spiritual beings, the spiritual entity is already inside us. We have to evolve in order to really taste it. It’s like having food ready, but you have to go inside the dining room in order to taste it. Then your understanding will be a balanced understanding. It is called the middle path. The will then has a spiritual inclination. Or you can call it a spiritual baptism. These are all different words, but they mean the same thing. www.manavdharam.org |
08 November 2009
DEVOTION TO GOD EMBRACES EVERYONE
Mahatma Gandhi said that one lit candle wipes out all darkness, however dense it may be. Likewise, we all should take a pledge to eradicate the darkness of ignorance so that each human being may experience Divine Light within, our country may be all light and the light of Spiritual Knowledge may thus enlighten the whole world. So it is said, “ Jot se jot jalate chalo, prem ki ganga bahate chalo. Ishwar allah tero nam, sabko sanmati de bhagwan. Raghupati raghaw raja ram, patit pawan Sita Ram.”Light all unlit candles with a lit one. Let the Ganges of Love flow. Your Name is ‘Ishwar' and also ‘Allah'. May God grant good sense to all. You are the redeemer of all sinners and outcastes”.
The Holy Name of God purifies all sins. There is only one name for the Almighty. ‘Ishwar' and ‘Allah' are adjectival names of God, but the empirical Name is only one. St.Tulsidas has written in the Ramcharitmanasa, “ Nam prabhaw jani ganarau, pratham poojiyat nam prabhau.” “ Ganesh knew the influence of the Name, due to which he is worshipped first amongst all deities”. It is further written, “Sumiri Pawansut pawan namu, apne bas kari rakhe Ramu.” The son of the Wind (Hanuman) captivated Lord Rama by remembering the Holy Name. He got so much power from remembering the Name that he had the Almighty, Lord Rama, under his control.
We also have to remember the Holy Name and captivate the Lord. St. Kabir expressed his experience thus, “Koti nam sansar mein, tate mukti na hoy. Adi nam jo gupta jap, bujhe birla koy.” There are thousands of names for God, but they will not grant salvation. There is one secret primordial Name which is known by only a rare soul.” There are many adjectival names of God. Saints and great Divine Personalities called the true name of God the ‘ Adi Nam ' (Primordial Name). Guru Nanak Dev Ji said, “ Shabad hi dharti, shabad akash. Shabad hi shabad bhayo prakash. Sagli srishti shabad ke pachhe. Nanak shabad ghata ghat achhe.” Earth, sky and the entire creation have been made by the Word. Light is also produced by the Word which is within everyone's heart”.
We accept the scientific formula E=mc 2 , which means that the entire physical world has been created by the power of the Word. If you split the minutest particle of matter, energy comes out of it and we all are made from that energy. So our saints said, “Jarre jarre men hai jhanki bhagwan ki, kisi sooojh wali ankh ne pahchan ki . God is omnipresent but only he who has the eye to see can perceive it.. A spiritual person understands this. Knowledge means to manifest the omnipresent. Knowledge of the soul is the instrument by which we know who we are. So St. Surdas says, “Apan ko ap hi mein payo. Shabda hi shabda bhayo ujiyaro, Sadguru bhed batayo. Apan ko ap hi mein payo.” “Within myself, my Self I see. The Word alone was there, emanating the blazing Divine Light. My Satuguru revealed the secret.”
Our saints said to remember the primordial vibration, because that is the basis of the entire world. So it is said, “Kaliyug kewal nam adhara. Sumari sumari nar utarahin para. ” In Kaliyuga, the Dark Age, the only support is the Name of God, by remembering which one is redeemed. After acquiring Spiritual Knowledge, our new life begins, the life of our second birth begins, the life of knowledge begins. So, we should take a pledge here in satsang to tread the spiritual path.
Once a holy man visited a businessman. He asked him, “How old are you?” The businessman humbly replied, “Mahatma Ji, I am only five years old.” After a while, some children came there and said to the rich man, “Father, we are going for a walk.” The saint asked the rich man, “How many children do you have?” The businessman replied, “I have only one son.” Then the saint further asked, “How wealthy are you?” The rich man replied, “Mahatma Ji, I am worth 10,000 rupees.” The saint said, “That's not how it seems to me. You are doing business worth millions by phone. You tell your staff to purchase in thousands then sell for millions. I also don't understand what you mean when you say that you are only five years old, you have only one son and only 10,000 rupees. Please clarify this for me.”
The businessman replied, “Mahatma Ji, it's like this. I got an opportunity to attend satsang about 5 years ago. I acquired Spiritual Knowledge and then my consciousness was awakened. Due to that alone I am remembering the Holy Name and doing meditation. So I believe that my true age is only five, as the rest of my life was wasted in worldly and illusory things and was spent in vain.
A short time ago you saw five children here. They went away without seeking my permission. If I tell them to bring a glass of water for me, they reply that they are very busy and that they do not have time and they further advise me to ask the servants to bring water. So they are not my sons. I have only one son who obeys me. If I ask him to bring a glass of water, he will bring it with his own hands. That is why I said that I have only one son.
“I have a business worth millions of rupees, but I have so far invested only ten thousand in the service of saints and hence that is my real wealth. Only what I have spent in the service of saints, to help spread of Spiritual Knowledge, is my real wealth.”
If people want to take and accept the message of spirituality, then it is a matter of great pride that even today that message of spirituality is available in India . India and China are becoming economic super-powers in the world. India also has spiritual wealth. So let us all join to strengthen India with spirituality. Only when Spiritual Knowledge spreads will India be strong. When goodwill spreads everywhere in our country, then India will be strong. Today, due to ignorance we are fighting in the streets. Men are killing other men. While I was travelling on foot through Gujarat , from Dandi to Ahmedabad, (a distance of 350 kilometres) I saw that, simply due to ignorance, hatred was flourishing in society. We have to eradicate this hatred and we can wipe it out only by spreading love and goodwill.
So, let us come together, tread the spiritual path, understand the influence of the true name of God which has been described as the indestructible Word in the Bhagavadgita. That Word is indestructible, which cannot be destroyed, which is the primordial vibration, which sustains the entire creation. That is why it is written in the Bible, “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God.” To understand that, we have to find the Spiritual Master. “And you shall know the truth and truth shall make you free”. When you know the Truth, then Truth will redeem you from desire for illusory things. That is why it is written in the Ramcharitmanas: “Bhakti swatantra sakal sukh khani. Binu satsang na pawahin prani.” Devotion is independent and is the treasure house of all happiness and bliss, but no one can get it without satsang.” Devotion to God is independent. It is dependent on nothing and it embraces everyone.
During his period of exile, Lord Rama visited Shabari. She was very poor and downtrodden. Nearby was Pampa Lake which had become stagnant and dirty. Lord Rama told all the rishis living there to put their feet in the water and purify it. Accordingly, all the Rishis put their feet in the water but the water did not get purified. Lord Rama then asked Shabari to put her feet in the water. Shabari, very hesitatingly, put her feet in the water and it was totally purified. It was very strange that such knowledgeable sages who had done a lot of meditation and penance could not purify the water of Pampa Lake, whereas it became pure the moment Shabari, whom people considered low-caste, put her foot in it.
It is said that Vishwamitra was jealous of Rishi Vashishtha. Whenever Vishwamitra visited Vashishtha Ji, the latter would address him as ‘Rajrishi' (royal sage). He never called him ‘Brahmarishi' (divine sage). So Vishwamitra became angry and killed Vashishthaji's hundred sons. Vishwamitra had decided to kill even Vashishtha if he did not address him as ‘Brahmarishi'. He hatched a plan to kill Vashishtha Ji.
Late one night Vashishtha Ji was talking to his wife Arundhati. She asked him, “Maharaj, look how bright the moon is shining tonight.” Vashishtha Ji replied, “The moon is indeed shining brightly, but our rishi Vishwamitra shines even more brightly.” When heard Vashishtha Ji, whom he was going to kill, comparing him to the moon, he felt ashamed. He approached Vashishtha Ji and prostrated before him. Vashishtha embraced him and said, “Come, Brahmarishi!” It means that Vishwamitra became ‘Brahmarishi' by virtue of his feeling of total surrender. So, we should also develop the feeling of total surrender to the Spiritual Knowledge.
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