Month: July 2021

Swamiji said…

” ‘True devotion is unwavering. Real belief is persistent.’ And, God on seeing His ‘bhakt’s’ devotion, yearning for His ‘darshan’, responds to his call in the most magical manner. Didn’t ‘He’ reward
‘Shabri’s’ ‘shraddha’ and ‘sabr’ who had waited year after year, patiently, for the glorious ‘darshan’ –
‘दर्शन’ of Shri Ram ! Such is the reward of ‘सब्र’ – patience – and complete surrender of one’s fate and self to God, that brings one closer to the ultimate Supreme Bliss. ‘Shabri’ mein Shri Ram ke liye jo ‘shraddha’ thi, joh ‘sabr’ tah unke darshan praapt karne ke liye, vaisi hi ‘shraddha’, ‘sabr’ aur ‘samarparn’ ka bhaav, hum sab mein ‘ Parampita Parmeshwar’ ke liye hona chahiye!’ “

” Man, for reasons known to him, looks upon God as more of a problem solver. He believes God to be a ‘Supreme’ being who can give him wealth, happiness and fulfil his desires.Thus, man has the utmost respect, undulating love and deep reverence for His Maker. But what happens when man suffers? What goes on in his mind when his ‘wishes are not fulfilled’? Doesn’t he begin to doubt the abilities of his Creator? Does not his faith begin to waver?”

” Can we men, being of many moods and needs, tell ourselves honestly, that our feelings, faith and veneration for God remain constant,and, do not vary with the swiftly changing dates on the calendar and the twists and turns of life, when things do not take a shape as definite as the one perceived by us? Our attitude towards God, on not being granted a wish, could be as abysmal as that of a servant whose master does not pay him on time? The servant’s master is ‘God’ for him, but only till the day the servant does not receive his wages on time. Does he then not besmirch the master’s name? Does he not think of leaving work immediately?”

” We must ask ourselves – Does not the Almighty treat us as his ‘children’? Has he ever made us feel that we are inferior must be servile ? We are his creation. And, while we only realise later in life that all those times we felt betrayed or held back was only because the all knowing God gives us what we desire – at the ‘right’ time and only ‘that’ what is ‘right’ for us.”

” An unbreakable bond can be formed between us and ‘Him’ when we repose unabiding ‘ shraddha’ – faith and belief in Him – that ‘He’ is by our side; watching over us, every living moment of our lives.These values once firmly ingrained within us are our constant companions till the last breath of our lives…so much so that when we bow our heads, it is not in tokenism; but, an honest expression of gratitude; when genuine emotions of pure, divine love and respect – for ‘Him’ – flood our inner being.”

” Impatient that we are, most of us are in a tearing hurry to know about every ‘sukh’ that awaits us; about every positive occurrence and blissful incident that awaits us at every crossroad of the journey of our life. If we had our way, we would be happiest to see the original blueprint of our life, drawn and placed before us, highlighting the heady moments of success and fame, keeping ‘dukh’ and everything unpleasant and untoward at an arm’s distance from us. But, again, life is not a bed of roses. Bright, sunny days are followed by dark, grey days of thunder and lightning. And, so is life, a kaleidoscope of changing colours and situations…But, we tend to forget this, as we treasure the sight of the graph of our lives take an upward curve, and, to see it plateau could be our worst nightmare. We expect God to manoeuvre us through the ups and downs of life in accordance with our wishes. We begin to lose confidence in Him when ‘bad’ days greatly outnumber ‘good’ days.”

” ‘Kunti’, in the ‘Mahabharata’, is said to have told Shri Krishna to ensure that He would always give her some problem or the other to face, as she found it easier to remember Him in difficult times, than when she was not faced with a problem.This is how we too must face the difficult , or , the supposedly ‘unfulfilled’ time of our lives. Thus, Instead of being distracted in the gratification of an achievement, we will stay more focussed on the Almighty Himself, in the hope that he brings our dreams to reality.”

” Do not only the hungry appreciate the value of food? Do not the thirsty truly savour a drop of water? Similarly, God gives us what we truly need at just the right time. Never too early, never too late. Just like the rains need to arrive at the right time for a crop to harvest successfully, God also sends his blessings at the right time so that they have the best impact on our lives. It is only we who need to be patient and gain the ‘wisdom’ to see the miracle of His timing.”

” Ultimately, the hard times are a test ; a test of our ‘love’ for – and ‘belief’ – in the Almighty. Love that is unselfish, selfless is the purest love. We must strive to overcome the fears that ‘माया’ – the material world – instills in us and look beyond.We must have complete faith and trust in God’s divine plan for us, place ourselves in His hands and wait patiently to see our fate – the magic unfold in a particular lifetime.”

Swamiji said…

” ‘गुरु ‘भगवान’ का रूप होते हैं … A Spiritual ‘Guru’, an enlightened ‘Guru’ is God on Earth. And, the divine grace that touches such a Guru’s disciples is no less than ‘ईश्वर का वरदान’ – a divine boon from God Himself – because just like the boons of ‘Brahma’, ‘Vishnu’ and ‘Mahesh’, mentioned in the Puranas, made their receivers worthy of mighty feats, a ‘Guru’s’ grace enables his students to unlock their potential and achieve greatness in their lives.”

” Arjun , Swami Vivekanand and Saint Paul, the Apostle ; all achieved unparalleled success in their lives. Their achievements are often immeasurable.
Arjun emerged as the greatest and most skillful warrior in the Mahabharata.
Swami Vivekananada’s teachings of Vedanta spread like wildfire in the East and West alike. His speech at the Parliament of the World’s Religions is remembered till this day and he remains an inspiration for the youth of the world. Saint Paul on the other hand, witnessed a personal transformation in which he was able to change himself from being a persecutor of Jesus’ followers to becoming not just a follower, but a significantly important apostle of Jesus.”

“Yet, all three had one commonality. The greatest blessing ; divine grace of their respective ‘Gurus’ on them. Arjun, was blessed with ‘Vishnu avatar’, Lord Krishna’s grace, who guided him throughout, on the battlefield, in Kurukshetra. In Swami Vivekanda’s case, it was His Guru, Sri Ramkrishna Paramhans, who made him a beacon of spiritual knowledge for the world to imbibe.
And, in Saint Paul’s case, it was in Jesus’s presence and words that he was able to find his true calling to be a preacher of the Lord’s message.”

” A ‘Guru’s’ presence in his disciple’s lives enables them to become fearless. Secure in the knowledge that they have a guardian angel looking over them, they feel confident in pushing their own limits. Often, when in doubt, or when fearful of taking a perceived risk, a disciple can gather and compose himself, by remembering that his Guru is always there with him and that even failure, as an honest endeavor, will not truly harm him in anyway.”

” In a world where the darkness of fear engulfs most, and, immobilizes them from moving beyond their comfort zone and self-imposed handicaps, a ‘Guru’s’ grace opens one eyes to the numerous possibilities of life and makes one motivated to look for and seize opportunities. A spiritual teacher teaches his disciples to believe in themselves and gives them hope that with the required effort nothing is beyond their reach – be it in their professional or personal lives – and that they are capable of doing what is needed to succeed.”

” Like fuel to fire, a ‘Guru’s’ grace, ‘गुरु – कृपा’ , a treasure most divine, brings positivity to our thoughts, strength to our self-belief and passion to our cause. The most daunting situations no longer threaten us, but rather seem an opportunity to display our valor and ability. Self – doubt is replaced with subtle confidence, and hard work doesn’t seem as painful as one had feared it to be.”

“Just like the presence of Shri Ram brought out numerous magical and powerful abilities of Shri Hanuman to the fore, a Guru’s grace also unleashes within us the power to transform our existence for the better and have as fulfilling an experience of this adventure called life.”

” ‘Guru – kripa’ agar shishya ko ‘surya’ ka ‘tej’ deti hai jiss se woh apne nek ‘karmon’ se, ‘satya’ ke marg par chalkar apne naam ko roshan karte hain ; toh ‘chand’ ki ‘sheetalta’ bhi pradan karti hai, joh unke shishya apni nirmal, meethi ‘vaani’ aur har haal mein apni madhur muskaan se apni ‘santushthi’, ‘khushi’ aur ‘sukh’ zaahir karte hain !”

Swamiji said…

” A common recurrence in the stories of great heroes and figureheads of history has been the awe inspiring commitment and dedication with which they took vows and oaths to achieve the impossible. In fact, it was the oath or ‘संकल्प’ taken by them that was the driving force that propelled these great personalities to unimaginable heights in their lifetime.”

“An oath or ‘संकल्प’ is a promise that one makes to achieve something, to reach a specific goal , irrespective of the time, effort or cost involved. And, it is the ensuing struggle – both internal and external, that one goes through to keep this promise, that is a great teacher.”

” Infact, if one has to truly give wings to the desires of one’s heart ; if one wants to achieve the success and glory one dreams of, it is important to take a decision that – ‘This is what I will achieve, no matter what !’ – ‘हम एक दृढ़ निश्चय लेते हैं, एक मुकाम या लक्ष्य तक पहुँचने का |’

” ‘संकल्प’ हम अपने मन से लेते हैं और उसे पूरा करने के लिए हमारा हृदय हमें शक्ति देता है! हमारा ‘संकल्प’ अगर नेक है तो वो हमारे जीवन में एक बदलाव लाएगा !’ ‘ Aur yeh बदलाव … a change that we decide to bring in our lives, in whichever field it could be ; to better, improve or skill ourselves, will be a positive one, and enable our self-confidence, self-belief and self-reliance to grow in leaps and bounds. The deadline that we set to fulfil our oath re-energises us with a renewed interest, focus and determination to achieve it within the time duration that we had promised ourselves.The heart, too, for a change, switches off from its constantly changing, needless desires, and, guides us sensibly, by directing our flow of thoughts and energy towards our ‘sankalp’, motivating and edging us in the right direction – towards its attainment.”

” Yes, we will certainly face obstacles in the fulfullment of the vows that we have made to ourselves. Thus, very often we are tempted to give up, when the period of struggle begins to drain us. Yet, the thought of giving up would mean that we are admitting to ourselves that we have a weak will, that we do not have what it takes to stand committed to our word. On one side lies the easy way out – of giving up, but , living with guilt and shame in our heart ; and, on the other lies a torturous path ahead , but , with a sweet and fruitful end. This is the struggle that ensues in the mind. We have to ignore and overcome the hundreds of excuses that we can think of – to give up. And this struggle, this war against the mind is what makes us stronger,everytime we choose the higher, challenging and demanding path.”

” Yet, we should not be afraid of this struggle and make the mistake of retracing our steps.“हमारे ‘संकल्प’ की आवाज को ईश्वर भी सुनते हैं…” and on seeing the purity of our ‘sankalp’, ‘He’ in His inimitable silent manner stands by us like a pillar of support, removing obstacles and difficulties, that will inevitably come in our way, ensuring that the ‘कार्य’ or task on which we are set, with single-minded dedication and focus, is achieved by us. Seeing us worship our ‘work’, ‘He’ erases all traces of self-doubt, insecurities and diffidence and provides us with the strength needed the most – our inner strength, which at times, proves to be more rewarding and stronger than physical strength.”

” For those on the spiritual path, at the end of the tunnel, lies spiritual enlightenment. Well, that is what they hope for. Contrary to specific, concrete goals in the physical world, spiritual practitioners do not even fully know what exactly will be achieved by them at the end of their spiritual voyage. Yet, they remain steadfast, committed to their spiritual oath, their ‘संकल्प’. ‘What do you achieve by living a ‘God seeking’ life? ‘ – is a question put by many to them. They achieve the ‘strength’ to control the wandering of the mind; the ‘strength’ to control their emotions and desires; the ‘strength’ to abstain; the ‘strength’ to detach themselves from their physical being and focus only on the purification of their soul. Is that not a reward most divine in itself ?”

Swamiji said …

” Life is what we make out of it. Every moment of our life plays out to the chords of the tune set by us, which in turn, depends completely on our interpretation of life. How we look at life is what matters the most ! Our temperament, belief, attitude and outlook play a pivotal role in making us compose either a lilting, lively melody for the joyous ‘song’ of our life, or , fabricate a grieving, melancholic strain for the sad ‘dirge’ called life. Life is all about making choices and so does the choice, whether we intend to make it blissful or stressful, rests only with us.”

“Mere mortals like us have no knowledge of what lies beyond the realm of human life, but, the often heard vivid and detailed descriptions of ‘Swarg’, ‘Narak’…’Heaven’ and ‘Hell’ have always held an undeniable, peculiar fascination for us.The narratives of ‘The Abode of The Lord ‘ and ‘ The Darkness of The Devil’ fill us either with sensations; pleasurable and divine at the very attempt of trying to create a visual of wondrous ‘Heaven’, or , at the same time could overwhelm us with feelings of morbid fear and trepidation at the very mention of ‘Hell’.” Whether ‘heaven’ is wondrous or ‘hell’ is hot, we do not know. But what we do know is – ‘what’ we experience in the ‘now’ ; at the moment, in this life. And, it is here – as we wade through the journey of life, in everyday life situations, that we can find and realise …’Jivan ke har pal mein ! Jis tarah hum har kshan ko jeete hain, ussi se hum apni zindagi ko swayam ‘swarg’ ya ‘nark’ banate hain.”

” Our perceptions differ when we look at a glass filled halfway to the brim. It can be viewed as half full by an optimist , or , half empty by a pessimist. In a similar manner, it is how we choose to view and experience our lives, our circumstances – that make life either ‘hell’ or ‘heaven’ for us.”

“Our past ‘karma’, not only determines the family in which we take birth, but also, pre-decides the obstacles and opportunities that we will come across in life. The one power that we are given is the ability to control our thoughts and actions. And, it is these thoughts and actions that determine how we experience and live life. A calm mind that surrenders to the will of God , and , a heart that is content and soaked in love and gratitude for God’s divine plan…’Aisa mehsoos karta hai jaise ki woh ‘swarg ‘ mein ho…’ and a restless mind that questions God at every step, discontent and clamours for more incessantly…’Apne liye ‘narak’ bana leta hai !”

“ ‘कमल कीचड़ में खिलता है ” – Much like the lotus that blooms in a stagnant pool of mud, we too should have the strength to live joyous and blissful lives in the most dreary, demanding and challenging circumstances. With belief in God and the willingness to work hard, any one of us can live the most liberating and happy lives, irrespective of our surroundings. We only have to create those magical moments of happiness, for ourselves, as well as, for everyone around us. Learn to untie the knots of hatred and instead cultivate forgiveness and kindness in ourselves.
Remember that hatred is taught ; kindness is spontaneous, natural. We must create every opportunity to appreciate others and make the windows of their ‘souls’…the eyes…light up with happiness and joy.”

” Ultimately, it is the mind which is the source of all happiness and misery. The mind can always easily find ‘that’ which is lacking in our lives, and make us ‘want’ more, making us feel dissatisfied with life. But with careful thought and meditation, one can control one’s reactions to such thoughts, and, carefully assess what one truly ‘needs’ for his life to be more fulfilling and act accordingly.”

” The more we learn to discipline the mind, control our impuses, make it wise with the knowledge of the ancient texts and ‘gyan’ of great teachers, the more we will learn to be unaffected by the ‘moh-maya’ of the world. It is only with an enlightened mind that we will succeed in pushing away the darkness of ‘hell’ and negativity from our existence, and , create ‘heaven’ for ourselves on earth with a positive, happy mindset.”

” ‘Jivan’ ko ‘swarg’ ya ‘narak’ banana humare haath mein hai ! Jis parivar mein chahe bahut dhan na ho, parantu prem ho, vishwas ho, ek doosre ka khayal rakhte hon, sukh-dukh ek doosre ke saath baant te hon, unke liye yahin ‘swarg’ hai … aur woh parivar joh dhani hai, parantu parivar ke sadasyon mein prem na ho, swarth ho, ladai jhagda ho, vishwasghat ho, woh maano ‘narak’ mein hi reh rahe hain’!”

Swamiji said…

” Life is a constant struggle for most people, irrespective of the strata of society to which they could belong. The only factor constant in their lives could be struggle.Some struggle to cater for their next meal. Some struggle to meet their childrens’ or family’s needs; and yet others struggle with one, or, many of the other numerous aspects of life; ranging from professional, societal to financial etc.
This struggle is never really over as once one target is achieved, the struggle for the next begins. All this is bound to leave wear and tear on the mind and spirit. But, in the midst of meeting the challenges of life, have we forgotten to smile, be happy and take pleasure in the sights and sounds that surround us? ” Zindagi ki raftaar mein daudte daudte kya hum ‘khush’ rehna bhool gaye hain? Choti choti cheezon mein khushi dekhna band kar diya hai kya hum ne? “

” Man and society are guilty, at large , for equating happiness only with achievement. To get that coveted promotion, to hold a to-die-for degree in hand ; acquire a new luxurious penthouse; see a big payday; apparently are great providers of happiness and all these acquisitions and achievements are celebrated with parties and announced to the world through social media posts. But, we need to remember that such achievements and celebratory moments are bound to be few. So, will we be happy only on such momentous days and sad and morose on other regular, normal days? Even Alexander, the Great, was unable to conquer a new country every other day.”

“Thus, the long span of struggle to ‘unlock’ our next achievement is mostly devoid of any joy, as we seem to have trained ourselves, to focus only on the goal, and , not take a break till we reach that goal. Thus, it is not uncommon for people to feel unhappy and depressed in life. After all, such a lifestyle, adopted by many, is akin to a journey through a desert with no respite from the heat.”

” Yet, from the old travellers we must learn. They too were intent on reaching their destination; but that did not stop them from sipping water and taking a rest at the oasis.
Our lives too has such oases.We only have to learn to see them and enjoy them. Simple things in life should be enjoyed the most as they alone give us genuine happiness. ‘Jo khushi ugte hue suraj ko dekhte huey milti hai, uski kirne raat ke andhere ko prakashit karte huey, woh kshan ki khushi anmol hoti hai.’ ‘Purnima’ ke ‘chand’ ki sundarta aur shitalta ko dekhte huey… jharno aur nadiyon ko naye raaste banate huey dekhte huey, hummey aulokik anand aur prerna bhi milti hai!’ So would savouring a meal, cooked by a loved one, lovingly for us make us happy. Laughing at silly jokes with our colleagues or family. Catching up with old friends…’Doosron ki khushi mein khush ho…’ Enjoying the spectacular sunrise or sunset. Watching the trees sway in the wind. Waking up to the chirping of birds. All these delightful interactions and visuals provide us with priceless, indescribable pleasure…but only if we are not too busy and are determined to derive happiness, at all costs, from every little thing that comes our way.”

” Such natural, everyday occurrences, considered to be trivial, are missed by most of us.The reason for this is simple. We have conditioned ourselves to be happy only in ‘gratification’. The importance of enjoying the small ‘happy’ moments of life around us, needs us to be disciplined in the mind, too. Instead of letting ourselves be solely centered on ‘our life goals’, we must also teach the mind to appreciate ‘that’ – which has nothing to do with gratification of the ego and pride.”

” While there is no shame in being happy while buying an expensive chandelier for one’s home, if one can afford it; one must also learn to enjoy, in a similar manner, the brightness and majesty of the moon that God has gifted us with.The ‘samosa’ from the street vendor or a five course meal at a five star hotel and the mango plucked from a tree – all are delicious in their own way; thus, we must learn to enjoy them all, just as much as the other, as all these moments collectively form an album of fun filled moments and memories. And, It is only then, that we will be able to enjoy the ‘small’ things in life that God gives us to help us ‘struggle’ happily on in life.”

“If we think that money, property and horrendously expensive acquisitions alone can make us happy, we are sadly mistaken, as, though they might give us momentary pleasure on possessing them, ‘nothing’ can make us ‘truly’ happy, unless our ‘soul’ smiles genuinely from within us. And the ‘atman’s’ happiness is in no way dependent on the statement of our hefty bank account or a locker overflowing with gems; but it is the happiest on seeing the glorious sights of nature, marvelling at His creations, which are provided in equal measure to each one of us, free of cost. But then are we willing to be happy? The choice is ours to make.”

” Wise men say –
‘Man, when he plans ; God, He then laughs…’ Thus, we must make it a habit to find happiness in every unplanned, living, present moment that God blesses us with in abundance. It is we, who need to ‘open’ our ‘sleeping’ eyes, to embrace every such moment with delight, and, be thankful to Him, with a heart filled with gratitude for His wondrous ways …’ Hummey sada ‘khush rakhne ke liye !”