Bhilni

In the course of explaining the nine-fold path of devotion to Bhilni, Lord Rama said, "The first step in devotion is keeping the company of saints. The second is listening to satsang about me with love and attention, and inwardly digesting what you hear. Just by hearing about something, the desire to know it arises." 
www.manavdharam.org

Holy Name

This is why St. Kabir said, "What guarantee does this body have? It can be finished off in a second. Remember the Holy Name with every breath. There is no other way." This is the only way to reach God, because you just don't know when your time will come. In the Gita, Lord Krishna explains the same thing to Arjuna: "Remember me at all times and fight. If you surrender yourself to me like this, without a doubt you will come to me." This happens through practise and satsang.
www.manavdharam.org

Right Time

The house has several rooms. What will a sensible person do at night? He will close the doors of the house. Then he can do whatever he likes without a care and outsiders will not be able to bother him. Likewise, when all senses are closed off, then anger, lust, attachment, greed, etc. cannot disturb us. When our concentration is inwardly directed, we see divine Light. Now, after that, do you think you need to fast, take holy baths, go on pilgrimage, etc.? Won't your attention stay introverted all the time? If we can keep our mind attuned to the True Name 24 hours a day, then at the time of death we'll be able to remember it also and we'll go to God. There's no telling when this body will be vacated or how. You might get struck by lightening, or encounter a lion in the jungle. You might slip and break your neck, or drown, or die in an earthquake. If it is night time, tell me, what religious services, rituals, pilgrimages, or recitations will you be able to do?
www.manavdharam.org

See God Within

You have seen Shiva statues in temples. He is sitting with eyes closed, in samadhi. He is neither twisting a rosary, nor going to a temple. Also Guru Nanak is depicted as sitting in meditation, with eyes closed. So what are they doing? St. Kabir said, "Merge your mind in meditation, speaking is not necessary. Close the outer doors and open the inner." He is telling us to put the mind into the Holy Name. You may think that doing things with your eyes, ears, hands and feet is devotion. Stop this and close them. Don't direct your mind outwards. Become introspective. See God within.
www.manavdharam.org

Holy Name

"Lord Shiva realized this Name, by whose effect poison didn't do him any harm." When Draupadi was being disrobed in front of the entire Court and realized that no one would defend her honour she remembered the Holy Name and the wicked Duryodhana couldn't do anything to her.
www.manavdharam.org

Glory of Name

Tulsidas says, "Rama gathered an army of Vanaras and built a bridge to Lanka, but remembering the Name dries up the ocean of mortality itself. Rama himself redeemed only the sage's wife, whereas the Name has redeemed countless sinners." Tulsidas asks, "How can someone like me hope to adequately praise this Name, when even Lord Rama himself couldn't?"
www.manavdharam.org

Name

The Ramayana glorifies the Name, saying, "Hanuman meditated on the Name and had Lord Rama in the palm of his hand. Lord Shiva himself meditated on the Name and initiated the people of Kashi so that they would be liberated. Ganesh thoroughly understands the greatness of the Name, which is why he is worshipped before the other gods."
www.manavdharam.org

Omnipresent

Guru's omnipresent form is the Holy Name. He assumes human form only for the sake of mankind and to teach. That is why he is said to be beyond senses, mind and intellect. It is impossible to measure him by any standard.
www.manavdharam.org

Maya

"In the river of bondage to maya, all are swept out to sea, Guru's boat is the Holy Name. In seconds he has set us free. Religions harp their own glory and call us to follow their path. The essence of all was revealed, Guru sets us on the true Path.
Nectar from Satguru's feet
Is holy and cleans us from our sins.
When he speaks darkness flies away,
Doubts removed, a new life begins.
Dedicate your body, mind, wealth,
Dedicate your all at his holy feet and attain the Supreme Abode."
www.manavdharam.org

Washerman

`The toenails of the Master's feet are lustrous and concentrating on them opens up one's inner vision.'
When the nails of the Master's holy feet begin to shine within the devotee's heart, he achieves divine insight, and there no more darkness for him. However, only an extremely fortunate devotee achieves such a vision, and he then begins to understand all facets of the Lord, both hidden and manifested. In other words, by meditation on Guru, his eyes are opened. This is the greatest of all benefits and there are no bad effects. A piece of cloth which is only a little dirty can be easily cleaned, but a cleaning rag which has not been washed for many days takes a long time to come clean again and a lot of effort is needed to clean it, too. Likewise, a devotee who immediately throws himself into satsang, service and meditation is quickly cleaned. Otherwise it takes a long time and who can say for sure how clean he'll be? That is why it is said that `Guru is the washerman and the devotee is the cloth.' A washerman soaps up the clothes and pounds them on a stone slab to clean them, and Guru Maharaj Ji uses the soap of Holy Name on his disciple. The washerman uses a stone slab, while Guru uses the washing stone of meditation. The cloth becomes clean and shines with dazzling brightness.
www.manavdharam.org

Greatness

`Actually, the real greatness of Guru Maharaj Ji cannot be expressed in words. Merely by remembering Guru, countless obstacles are removed. That is why saints remember him before starting to do anything.'
www.manavdharam.org

SatGuru

Meditate on the Guru, Have faith in his Name.Keep his lotus feet in your heart. Always regard him as God incarnate. Make no mistake about it, Without Guru there is no salvation.
www.manavdharam.org

Satguru

People say they have a guru but they don't see Light. If you aren't seeing Light then what good is such a guru? The definition of Guru is, "the one who reveals Light." As Tulsidas said, "I offer my obeisance to my Guru, who is an ocean of mercy and God in human form. His word, like sunbeams, has dispelled the darkness of ignorance and attachment for me." If you want True Knowledge, then you will have to find Satguru and take shelter in him.
www.manavdharam.org

Satsang

Satsang tells us about Knowledge. Satsang is the medium for determining what Truth is. So, dear friends, God is your Eternal Companion. Know Him.
www.manavdharam.org

The real Name

Whatever people do - business, a job, even stealing or cheating - they do to make a profit, they do it in their own interest. Likewise, devotion is in your own interest, but what you call devotion won't profit you at all: "There are thousands of names in this world but they won't liberate you and only a rare person knows the Original Name which is remembered in silence within," and "Tantras and mantras are not the real thing, so don't be fooled. You cannot cross the ocean of life if you don't know the Name which is the Universal Essence."
www.manavdharam.org

Remember God Non Stop

"If your mind is running all over the place, what you are doing is not meditation." As you are breathing your last, you won't be able to perform rites and rituals or go on a pilgrimage, etc. Your mouth will be shut tight and your hands and feet rigid. You will no longer hear nor see. Before we were born, what did we do in the way of devotion? We have forgotten our original devotion and involved ourselves in artificial methods. So know what genuine devotion is and remember God non-stop. You ask how it is possible to continually meditate and yet do your daily tasks. But for example, while you are riding a bicycle or driving a car, you do other things at the same time. Animals can wiggle their ears or wag their tail while they do other things and you are human beings! But until you focus your mind in the real devotion (remembering the Name) you will not get salvation.
www.manavdharam.org

Name

What Name could dry up the ocean of life and death? . It cannot be expressed in alphabetical letters: "O Nanak, remember the Name which sustains earth and water. Why remember another which has a beginning and end?"
www.manavdharam.org

Divine Light

Unbroken devotion to God happens through the heart, not through the senses. His form is beautiful Light that frees from all sorrow. "Devotion is like a beautiful crown-jewel. The Divine Light shines day and night, needing neither lamp, oil, nor wick." When you know this devotion, you will be purified, you will cross the ocean of existence. It is written in the Ramayana, "Rama gathered an army and built a bridge with great effort, whereas simply remembering the Name dries up the ocean of birth and death. The wise should think about this." It also says, "How can the Name be glorified adequately? Even Rama couldn't praise it enough."
www.manavdharam.org

Meditate

God is omnipresent, and is in you too. Meditating on God is devotion. Anything else you may do is not. For instance, you throw water at the sun and call that devotion. But it is devotion to the sun. How can it be called devotion to God? The saints and sages meditated within themselves - "Remembrance is through focusing your attention, it is not verbal. Close the outer doors and open the inner..."
www.manavdharam.org

Liberation

Lord Rama explained that one is most fortunate if born as a human being, because the human form is just right for meditation and is the doorway to liberation. If, having got such an opportunity one fails to realise his Self, he will bitterly regret it, wrongly blaming circumstances, karma, and God.
www.manavdharam.org

Think

Krishna also explained (in the Gita). "If a person remembers Me as he dies he will surely come to me." But if you don't even know yet what it is you have to be aware of as you die, how will you do it when the time comes? Think about it. 
www.manavdharam.org

Remembrance

what is continuous devotion? Unbroken means non-stop. As St. Kabir said, "You turn a rosary between your fingers and your tongue around in your mouth, but your mind goes in all directions. This is not remembrance." Non-stop remembrance or meditation is that which can be practised all the time. Guru Nanak Dev Ji also talked about it. He said, " Remember the Name while sitting, standing, sleeping or awake and everything you do will be perfect."
www.manavdharam.org

Grace of God

This human life is a very rare and precious thing. Effort can give you anything - except birth as a human being, which is given by the grace of God. In the Gita (11:25-26, 54) Lord Krishna says, "This Knowledge is not attained by sacrificial rituals, religious ceremonies, reciting scriptures, studying the Vedas or through strenuous austerities - it is found only through unbroken devotion."
www.manavdharam.org

Religion

Religion has become almost a non-entity, and, more alarmingly, is being used to motivate and rationalise violent behaviour. The mushrooming of sects is due to the ignorance of the Truth. But a religion which cannot save us is no religion at all. What is called religion these days is destructive, divisive and spreads confusion rather than enlightenment.
www.manavdharam.org

Maharajji

The sage of the Taittirya Upanishad praises the paravidya, saying, “The Knowledge which I have transmitted to you is my commandment. This is the essence of the Vedas and is the sovereign secret. This is the injunction of the Vedas and other scriptures. Practise this Knowledge and live according to it” (11-6). For four decades, Shri Maharaj Ji worked tirelessly to offer this path, which had well-nigh vanished from India, to all aspirants irrespective of caste or creed. Undoubtedly history will testify that this unique spiritual personality cleansed religion of the dross of ritual and superstition that had obscured it, and broadened the spiritual horizon of millions of people. He revealed to all aspirants their living, conscious spiritual core. He revealed the foundation which underlies all religions and which is their common factor. He claimed that the ritualistic and ceremonial aspects of religions which make them seem different are merely the outer robes.
www.manavdharam.org

Saint

It has been said that a river does not drink its own water, a tree does not eat its own fruit and saints come only for the sake of others. Kabir, the Indian mystic poet, describes the greatness of saints in these words: “God is like the ocean, and saints are the rainclouds; God is the sandalwood tree and saints are the breeze which carries the fragrance.” God is within every heart, but is experienced only by the grace of a living enlightened saint. Shri Hans Ji Maharaj was one such saint, who dedicated his life to making available to one and all the paravidya–the practical spiritual Knowledge which leads to liberation.
www.manavdharam.org

Updesh

Many people think that altruism means donating cheap wheat or clothing. Even if it rains gold for two hours and you collect as much as you can, it won't benefit you if you don't do anything with it. You may spend your life giving food and clothing, but will the real need ever be met? People die and are reborn, because we have more than one life, so there is never an end to people's needs. The real meaning of paropkar is not understood. Nor is the real meaning of updesh (initiation). People proclaim loudly from high stages and call this "updesh", or teaching. But on the one hand is this desh, or mortal realm, and on the other is the realm from which there is no return, about which Lord Krishna says, "Once the soul reaches the self-effulgent realm beyond the light of sun, moon or fire, it does not return." But nowadays people think that simply bestowing a rosary is "updesh".
www.manavdharam.org

Salvation

Nowadays people make a fuss about `paropkar', which means beneficence, going out of one's way to help others. Everyone agrees that there should be more of it . But do they know the real meaning of that word? No! First of all we have this mortal world, where creatures are born then die. This is the realm of reincarnation, where the soul encounters obstacles and a variety of miseries. Secondly, there is parlok, the next world, or after life. Lord Rama said that the human body is a gateway to liberation and a soul is very fortunate to get it. Even gods long for it. If you put halvah in front of a god, or any creature for that matter, it will eat it, but only human beings can cook halvah for themselves. That is why it is also written that one can experience paradise in this very life. The human body is the only way out of the cycle of birth and death _ no other species has this capacity. Only humans can work for their own salvation.
www.manavdharam.org

Meditation

Indra by nature is obstinate so he sends heavy rain and storms, but even this god's pride was broken by Krishna. Only the Lord can do that, but even He depends on devotion. God cannot be realized without meditation. So meditation is most important. That is the main thing. God is not realized by reading scriptures _ that ultimate state of bliss is absolutely indescribable and can be reached only with the help of a saint.
www.manavdharam.org

Duty

What are saints like? There is a story that once a saint was walking beside a river. He saw a scorpion drowning. As he lifted it out of the water it stung him and fell back in the river. So the saint picked it up again. A passer-by asked him, "Why do you keep on trying to save it?" The saint replied, "It can't help doing what it does. It is acting naturally, and so am I."
www.manavdharam.org