03 August 2009

“ Binu satsang vivek na hoi. Ram kripa binu sulabh na soi .” There is no discrimination without satsang (company of saints) which one gets by the grace of the Lord.

02 August 2009

SURRENDER OF MIND IS TRUE WORSHIP



Our saints said, “ Ag lagi akash men, jhar jhar pare angar. Sant na hote jagat men to jal marta sansar .” “The sky is on fire. It is raining fire. Had there been no saints, this world would have been burnt to ashes.”
Great divine souls always protected the world from time to time as well as spread Spiritual Knowledge. It is written in our scriptures, “Uttishthat jagrat prapya varannibodhat .” Arise, awake and don't stop until you reach the goal!” To get to the goal, we have to keep moving, , we will have to put one foot in front of the other and we must always put in the effort; then we will get the goal. Let us understand this as it is most essential. Those who do not understand the goal of life, get lost in an illusory world. Having come into this world, it is futile to simply live and wander in this world, not realising that we have to return from where we have come. This is our goal, but if we could not discover it, we are wasting this opportunity of human life with every passing day and night. It is a serious matter that, despite its dreadful effects on our environment, we are still busy accumulating illusory wealth.
People made great sacrificies during India 's struggle for independence. Our martyrs and freedom fighters made our country independent by virtue of their great sacrifices. But what is our situation nowadays? We walk along the road and amuse ourselves by breaking the streetlights. We enjoy destroying national property. We think that these things do not belong to us, but we forget that these things have come out of our own money paid in the form of various taxes. You buy a matchbox and whatever tax you pay is being utilized in constructing public property. All public property belongs to us, yet why do we destroy this wealth? Why does a man kill another man? So, our country is in dire need of encouraging civic pride. Everybody says, “Get rid of corruption.” But how will corruption be eradicated? It will be done only if we build up spiritual power.
King Shiva Ji went to Guru Samarth Ramdas to get Spiritual Knowledge. In those days one was required to take a pledge and promise that whatever he had henceforth belonged to Guru Maharaj Ji, before Knowledge was given. It is also said, “Mera mujhme kuchh nahin jo kuch hai so tor. Tera tujhko sounpate kya lagat hai mor.” “Nothing is mine, whatever I have is yours. So how would I lose in handing over to you what is already yours!”
Shiva Ji Maharaj prostrated at the feet of Samartha Ram Das Ji and said, “O Master, I sacrifice my entire kingdom and all wealth whatever I have, to you.” Samarth Ramdasji was the Spiritual Master. Shiva Ji had gone to many saints but they all advised him to take the shelter of Guru Samartha Ram Das Ji, who was the Spiritual Master of that time, if he wanted true Knowledge. Then he went to Samarth Ramdasji and sacrificed all his wealth and kingdom at the feet of the Master. Samarth Ramdasji said, “This entire kingdom is mine because you have surrendered it to me. Now, I give it to you to govern, knowing that it is mine.” Henceforth Shiva Ji adopted a saffron-coloured flag as his standard. Regarding the kingdom as Guru Maharaj Ji's, he governed it selflessly. Even today, he is considered to be ‘Chhatrapati'. How much spiritual power he had within himself! This is the kind of attitude we should have too. We also should have the feeling of total surrender to Guru Maharaj.
The power of God is the centre of the entire creation and explaining this power, Lord Krishna said to Arjuna, “I am the centre of the entire creation. All the magnificent things in this world are my form. All these exist due to me.” That is why our saints emphasized the need to know God, the spirit. Not only that there is God, rather one has to know God. So, we should also get the Spiritual Power from the Master for our salvation. This is the purpose of our human life.
Once there was a king who presented three questions to his Court: What runs faster than air? What protects a person in time of trouble? and, What is the sweetest thing? Someone answered, “Your Majesty, birds fly faster than air.” Another said that weapons protect a person in danger. Someone else said that sugar is sweetest. Yet another said that honey is sweetest. Thus all of them started arguing amongst themselves and the king was very perplexed. In the meantime a blind man, supported by his wife, came into the Royal Court and said, “Maharaj, I want to give the answers to your questions.
‘Your first question is: what is faster than air? The answer is - the mind of a man. It reaches anywhere in no time.” The king was satisfied with this. The blind man then said, “Your Majesty, your second question is, what protects a person in time of danger? Sire, it is the person's own courage. Even without weapons one can protect himself if he has courage.” Then the king asked, “So now tell me what is the sweetest thing?” The blind man replied that this is the voice. The king was very pleased with his answers and ordered his minister to give him a reward.
The blind man expressed his gratitude to the king and said, “Sire, this prize will provide my sick mother and children with medical treatment.” The king was very pleased with the blind man's sentiments that he would spend the money treating his mother and children rather than on himself. So the king ordered his minister to give him extra money.
The point is, man's mind has become so unsteady that when he sits for meditation, his mind gets distracted. That is why St. Kabir said, “ Man diya tin sab diya, man ke lar sharer. Ab devan ko kuchh nahin, kah gaye Das Kabir .” If one sacrifices his mind, it means that he has surrendered everything, as the body follows the mind.. Worshipping the Master does not mean that you prostrate before him or give him as much wealth as possible or you offer a lot of sweets or fruit. Worship and prayer means that you have surrendered your mind at his feet, to his teachings. To surrender the mind is true worship. That is why Lord Krishna said to Arjuna, “To prevent fluctuations in the mind is yoga. One whose mind is not controlled is neither a yogi nor a renunciate.” That meditation alone which controls the mind can enhance our spiritual power. Only when our mind is fully controlled can we meditate easily upon the Divine Light, the form of God.
Lord Vishnu says, “I neither dwell in the hearts of yogis, nor in religious scriptures; rather I am present wherever my devotees sing my glories, where there is spiritual discourse. I dwell wherever my praises are being sung, where people talk about how to awaken mankind towards God. “Jaat paat poochhe nahin koi, Hari ko bhaje so Hari ka hoi. ” Those who, without any consideration for caste and creed, remember God, are dear to God.

01 August 2009

“Majjan phal pekhiye tatkala. kak hoy pik bakau marala. Suni ashcharya kare jani koi. Sat sangati mahima nahin goi. ”

www.manavdharam.org

31 July 2009

Even a dumb and blind cripple can practise the inner technique which is the true Knowledge of the True Spiritual Master.

30 July 2009

“When wickedness increases and, due to vanity and pride, negativity and injustice increases and the pious are persecuted, God manifests to relieve their misery.”

29 July 2009

“Svans Svans Sumiro Govind, Man Antar Ki Utare Chint...”
“Svans Svans Sumiran Karo, Vritha Svans Mat Khoye
Na Janne Iss Svans Ka Awan Hoye Na Hoye...”

28 July 2009

Our sages said, only that which remains ever-existent in all three states of wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep, is the Truth.

27 July 2009

“ Aadi Sach, Jugaadi Sach, Hai Bhi Sach, Nanak Hosi Bhi Sach!”, meaning that which is eternal, incessant; which was, is and will always be there.

26 July 2009

Discourse - Jagatjanani Shri Mata Ji


A farmer ploughs his field, sows seeds and only then does he reap a harvest. It is the same with satsang. Firstly, one has to listen to satsang and then think about what the Master wants us to know. Even the worst sinner can have wealth, wife and children. One should find Spiritual Knowledge and then practise day and night. How much trouble did Hiranyakashyap give to Prahlad! He was also a human being, the son of a king. His father used to tell him that he was a mighty king and all were under his command, so how could he be devoted to anyone else ? But Prahlad did not take any notice. He was firm in his path. With that faith, he left his father and totally devoted himself to the Almighty. And he was tormented for his faith. He was trampled by an elephant, stung by a snake, thrown from mountains but he remained firm in his faith. He believed that his father also had been created by God. When a man develops such strong belief then that indestructible Power manifests for him in the form of a human being.
Troubles in life come to everyone. Read the story of the Pandavas. Even though Lord Krishna himself was present, there was total destruction. During the time of Lord Rama too, many great warriors were killed. Everyone has to leave this body. Those, who remember Holy Name and meditate on Divine Light are very fortunate. There is disturbance today all around. Who is creating these disturbances? Man. When will such disastrous conditions come to an end? Only when individuals are peaceful can peace be established in a society. Only remembrance of God and the bliss of satsang can give peace to mankind.
It is written that even his father abandoned Ravana when he started doing heinous things. But Ravana did not refrain, indeed he went on doing wicked deeds, he became obstinate. One day, without any provocation, he kidnapped the wife of Lord Rama. He kidnapped Sita because his end was near. He even disguised himself as an ascetic in order to kidnap her. So it is said that when one's end is approaching, his intelligence fails him.
As he was dying, Ravana told Laxman, “One should not postpone good work until tomorrow as tomorrow never comes. I wanted to build a ladder to heaven and make sea water sweet. I kept on postponing these projects but I didn't hesitate to kidnap Sita, which was such a wicked and unrighteous thing to do.” So one should postpone doing wrong but do religious and noble actions right now. Many people say, “I have received the Holy Name but I have a lot of domestic problems. I have to take care of my children, so I am not able to devote time to meditation.” But one day we shall have to leave this world and then the house will remain as it is and our children will be left behind. Those whom we consider ours, are in fact not ours. So, while doing our household chores, we should remember Holy Name and add to our spiritual wealth. A person makes so many plans but leaves this world all of a sudden.
The uniqueness of satsang and the Guru Darbar is that here we are inspired time and again to remember the Holy Name of God. This can only be done in this human lifetime. When we migrate into other species we cannot remember the Name and we cannot meditate. All other species are ‘ bhog yoni' , in which one can suffer or enjoy pleasure according to past karmas earned during human births but in these bodies we cannot remember Holy Name or do meditation. The spiritual capital earned by remembering the Name is possible only during the human life span after acquiring Knowledge from the true Spiritual Master. You are very lucky to have been given Knowledge by the grace of the Master. So you must remember the Holy Name and meditate day and night as much as possible. You may get possessions, wife and kids again in any other species but you may not get a human life again and again. The human being is the only form in which one can remember the Name and meditate as well as experience worldly pleasures and pain.
There are both very poor and very rich people in this Darbar. But the love within poor devotees is such that it entraps you and moves you to tears – this is the spirituality in them. Sudama was very poor but when he visited Lord Krishna, then see how the Lord wept. Lord Krishna was so pleased with Sudama's love that tears poured from his eyes. In our Guru Darbar too, there are many such devotees who have so much love and faith that they are always busy serving.
When the spirit of Guru Maharaj Ji is pleased, then the disciple goes into the transcendental state. No one knows when or how he will be pleased but then the disciple is redeemed totally. The Master is like a boatman who takes you from this shore to the other. The Master has also been compared to a potter. A potter makes vessels of various designs, his wheel goes on moving. But when the Master makes a disciple according to his own design in all respects, the salvation of the disciple is accomplished.
How does one go into samadhi? This happens by the grace of the Master and one who has come into his shelter is redeemed. But the mind is a clever thief, a real enemy which can destroy you. Mind is also within and intelligence is also within. But a disciple must use his consciousness to stick to the Master. We live in one family, comprising of sisters, father, mother and brothers and we respect and love them all differently. The Court of the Master, the Guru Darbar is where salvation is granted, where the key to eradicating all miseries is given. Even kings and queens served in the Guru Darbar. There was a devotee, Peepa, who put aside his kingdom and became a saint. There would have been many other kings alive at that time, but only the devotees Peepa and his wife are mentioned in scriptures. Many devotees, during difficult and miserable times in their lives, remember the Holy Name and say that their troubles and miseries vanish. Who does this? The true feeling of the devotee, the Almighty Power within him does all this, but one has to have faith for this. Salvation lies in faith, everything depends on faith. If one has faith, love, then he has everything.
It is said that Shishupal abused Lord Krishna 100 times, while Arjuna could not see even one demerit in the Lord. How will you recognize him if he comes before you? How will you know that this is the Power? What yardstick do you have? Great Powers are recognized by Spiritual Knowledge. This is not ordinary Knowledge, it is beyond language. They who believe in the words of Guru Maharaj Ji, who have reverence and love, get everything. St. Kabir has said that “ na kuchha dekha gyan dhyan men, na kuchh dekha pothi men, Kahat Kabir suno bhai sadho, jo dekha do roti men ”: they see nothing in this Knowledge. All they think about is food.
Hunger bewilders a man. Lord Krishna tells Arjuna, “Excess of anything is not good. Too much sleep is not good, overeating is not good, starvation is also not good. One should eat normally so that the mind does not go here and there”. The Master has filled your heart with Knowledge. If you have conscience and intellect, then see within that the Master has made available to you householders that rarest of Knowledge which even great yogis could not acquire. But attachment and ego keep us away from Knowledge. It is like when clouds cover the sun, then its brightness is dimmed. Similarly, mental doubts and turbulence obscure the Knowledge. The Master inspires through satsang and opens the source of the Knowledge. Then it is up to the disciple to apply his intelligence to reach the goal. So we should understand the grace of the Master and remember the Holy Name of God as much as possible for our salvation.