“Aacharan”

Swamiji says …

“At times, I ponder, whether we, as individuals, have given life its due, tried to understand its unpredictable nature – abounding with blessings and grace one moment, and bearing tragic tidings the very next; but, at the same time endowing us with a silent strength, to face completely contrasting occurrences, on a daily basis, with fortitude. Do we realise how fortunate we are to be blessed with the greatest gift of all – to be born as a human being – ‘manushya yoni mein janam lene ke liye’? But are we anywhere close to underlining and understanding the real purpose for which God infused life – ‘prana’ into our being?”

“And what have we been doing? We have taken our life for granted; certain that we will live for eternity, and can live life the way we want to, without any restrictions and inhibitions ; and, not only are we very happy with ourselves, but also with the course that our life has taken. So pleased are we with everything around us, and the ‘perfect’ beings that we have turned out to be, that we forget how essential it is for us to regularly analyse ourselves critically, in order to work on our shortcomings, and evolve into better human beings. ‘What kind of an individual am I! ‘ Humara aacharan kaisa hai?! ‘ – is a moot point on which we should deliberate very often! ‘Am I succeeding in winning people over with my polite and caring behaviour? Do I form an emotional connect with them immediately? Or do I come across as rude and arrogant that makes people avoid me? ‘ – are questions that each one of us needs to ask ourselves, and listen to that inner voice which doesn’t lie and always presents an unpretentious, clear cut impression of ours, to us. The fact whether God would be happy or unhappy on hearing the conclusion drawn by our inner voice – about our behaviour – ‘aacharan’ – should serve as a check point for us.”

” ‘Humara vyavhaar aur bartaav doosron ke saath kaisa hai ? ‘ – needs to be answered honestly by us. Do we respect the divinity existing in ‘others’ around us and behave in a respectful and refined manner with them? Or do we walk all over them, hurting them with words of insult and humiliation? Believe me, nothing goes unnoticed by Him and He will laud us in His own way for being sensitive to the emotions and needs of others or censure us for disregarding others!”

” There is no denying the fact that we have changed, and rather than being in a state of eternal gratitude to Him for the life that He has gifted us with, we have become heady with the power that life has given us, and may have stopped taking His name with the same faith and fervour that we had done earlier ! What will be the result of behaviour as selfish as this? Will God allow us anywhere close to Him with an attitude as overbearing and egoistic as this?”

“Do we responsibly and worthily bear the trust that God has reposed in us, by shaping us as human beings? Can we distinguish between good and bad, right and wrong; respect the ‘principled and virtuous life’- ‘aur apna aacharan aisi achchi values par base kar sakte hain?’ Do we try to stay connected with Him by thanking Him for His mercies ; by feeling that we are serving Him while performing our duties ; letting Him know that our aim is to keep Him seated in our heart forever and that we will carry and conduct ourselves in a manner befitting; one that will make Him proud of us as – ‘Achcha aacharan insaan ko Ishwar ke pass le jata hai!’ ”

“Are we worthy representations of the time and energy that has been invested in us, by our parents, in trying to raise us on an unshakeable, concrete base of good ‘sanskars’, sound values and beliefs? We are what we think; and it is the quality of the thoughts that we allow to mushroom in our mind, that mould, shape, and make us what we are finally. Good, healthy, positive thoughts of serving others selflessly, ‘sacche aur nek raaste par chalna…’ make us better human beings, and we remain absorbed in performing rituals in His honour and glory in the beginning, which later leads us towards the spiritual path. Remember – ‘Humein apna aacharan achcha rakhna chahiye!’ – as our nature, behaviour and temperament is an indicator of our thoughts and values.What could be more rewarding than leading a principled, uncomplicated life – which has a clear direction and a specific purpose – a life wherein, apart from successfully shouldering our responsibilities in all fields of life, we also worship Him regularly and remain devoted to Him throughout ! ”

” ‘Ishwar’ has nothing to do with one’s physical appearance. All that He is looking for is a pure, kind, sympathetic heart, devoid of pretence and artificiality – a heart that longs for Him and ultimately wants to merge with Him. As it is,
real beauty is not in the face, but compassion in the soul, and athough one is unable to capture this beauty in a camera, it can be easily felt and understood by others.Beauty fades into insignificance, if the treatment meted to others, inferior to these beautiful people is condescending and condemnable.No one wishes to be illtreated and be a victim of the other’s varying tantrums ; sweet and sugar one minute, waspish the very next – ‘Bura aacharan sab cheezon ko khatam kar deta hai ! ‘ It destroys us, our relationships, when it realizes that its negative traits have gnawed at the core of our being and we were too weak to thwart them – ‘aur phir woh deemak ki tarah insaan ko kha jaata hai , khatam kar deta hai!’ On the other hand, each time we do a good deed that touches the heart and soul of those around us, we succeed in pushing the darkness a little further and bring in the light of hope and good will. God, too, rejoices on seeing His children behave with the grace and dignity that He had expected from them and rewards them by absorbing them in His divine light.”