Month: March 2022

Swami ji said…

” It is strange, but, true that most of us have formed a firm opinion that the ‘battle’ which we have to fight on a daily basis, not just to exist, but , to survive and live on our ‘karm-bhumi’ can never be easy. ‘How can life be easy – with issues, difficulties and problems raising their heads all the time from the most unexpected quarters ? ‘ – we question.The mere thought of having a problem at hand; facing a challenge or overcoming a difficulty sets off panic within us. Our mind becomes agitated. It becomes restless and is unable to find ways and means of solving the problem. Solutions appear to be nowhere in sight. Pessimistic thoughts deluge all other sensible thoughts. We curse the problem for having surfaced without any warning and fail to understand…’ जिस प्रकार उबलते पानी में कभी परछाई नहीं दिखती है, ठीक उसी प्रकार परेशान मन से समाधान भी नहीं दिखते हैं …”

” Yet, rarely do we ever think that ‘problems’ inherently are not wicked or evil. They are quite simply occurrences or events that we did not anticipate or prepare ourselves for. It is the agitation, anger and fear that rises within us on facing problems that actually harm us.”

” Most of us face similar problems related to health, wealth, family, etc. Yet, some seem to come out better than others from the shadows of difficulties and concerns. The answer – as to how they are able to do this lies in understanding how much control do they have over their mind. They refuse to be cowed down and thrown off balance by the magnitude of the challenge that stands in their way.They do not allow situations to control them but rather are in control of difficult situations, and , are not willing to let anything affect their mental peace. They believe – ‘शांत मन
और धैर्य से रहने पर समस्याओं का हल जरूर मिलता है।”

” A clear mind sees solutions immediately, while a restless and weak mind only sees more obstacles, visualises great pain and suffering in the face of any difficulty. In the face of a problem, the mind must be objective and should be able to assess the situation for what it actually is. This can only be possible if it has been trained repeatedly and rigorously to focus and not let loose like a wild horse.”

” The mind , if , focussed can rarely be unnerved by any problem. It thus must be directed to stay calm and composed through reflection and meditation. The distractions that are prevalent all around us rarely give the mind any time to rest. We are constantly ‘consuming’ – in some form or another.The mind thus behaves like a monkey – jumping from one thought to another, never staying still. It is due to this reason that when deep reflection, insight, and listening to one’s instinct is required, the mind fails in the face of problems as it is easily distracted by thoughts of fear and uncertainty.”

” ‘ मन की शांति’ – is the greatest wealth that we can possess as it alone keeps us strong and unfazed during the most turbulent times of our life.”

” The clock ticks away – without a pause. Every moment lived by us – passes into eternity – leaving behind etched memories, impressions and experiences. Time is unconquerable. We cannot exercise any control over it. Rather, it is time that has the power to govern us and our fate ; the wisdom to keep us in check and the ability to discipline us in a subtle manner. Time is our greatest teacher. Surely, it teaches us to endure pain; it also endows us with the strength to accept a loss by standing with us. If it makes us sad, forlorn and cry on certain days, it also gives us an opportunity to beam, smile and rejoice on other days, trying to instil in us the core message that – ‘समय’ और ‘भाग्य’ दोनों ही परिवर्तनशील है, इन पर किसी को ‘अंहकार’ नहीं करना चाहिए …’”

“Time, fate, destiny are dynamic. Therefore, rather than turning arrogant on achieving success, or a nervous wreck in difficulty or despair; one must accept the varied nature and colours of life that time permits.Time elates us one day and can leave us broken and defeated the very next. Scoring continuous wins in life should not make us feel that “हम ने ‘वक्त’ पे ‘विजय’ पा ली है…or being unsuccessful shouldn’t deter our morale to such an extent that we start believing -‘कि हम ‘वक्त’ से ‘हार’ गए हैं।’ Rather, our aim should be to learn – from every win and loss; every tear of joy and every gasp of fear.”

” Time alone knows where it intends to take us and what it desires to lay out before us, as it is well versed with what is good and appropriate for us, and, accordingly serves the ‘best’ for us at the most appropriate time. And, although, all the while it does so, knowingly and lovingly, without nursing any malice against us for ‘wasting’ it, time is the happiest when it sees us learning from our missed chances. It is generous enough to give us as many opportunities and chances to reform and refine ourselves as long as we utilise it in a fruitful manner.”

” ‘वक़्त’ से ‘हारा’ या ‘जीता’ नही जाता…केवल ‘सीखा’ जाता है…’ But, when we refuse to understand this, at times, the consequences can be fatal and detrimental. The Mahabharata narrates the foolish and arrogant attitude of Shishupala, Lord Krishna’s cousin, who had always humiliated and insulted the Lord for no particular reason. On being abused by Shishupala constantly, Lord Krishna had warned him that He would bear not more than a hundred insults hurled by Shishupala at him. When Shishupala refused to pay heed to the words of the Lord and insulted the Lord more than a hundred times, he had to pay with his life as he was beheaded by Lord Krishna’s ‘sudarshan chakra’. Shishupala paid the price for not absorbing the warning underlying Lord Krishna’s words – for not seeing that time was willing to give him an opportunity to learn from his past mistakes and improve himself. He, thus, perished at the hands of Vishnu ‘avatar’ – Lord Krishna.”

( Excerpts from ‘ Divine Grace ‘ – a book authored by a devotee on Swami ji.)

” This world of which you are an inhabitant is nothing but an ocean of turbulence and disquiet. Nothing could be more untrue, false and illusionary than this ‘sansar’. Everything that you see around you is ‘maya’.You wrongly believe that everything you see around you is the only reality. You are farthest from reality when you think on such lines. You believe everything that your eyes see as you have always been looking ‘outwards’. You have to turn your eyes ‘inwards’ and see the ‘Real’ you.”

” Everything ; ‘all’ and ‘sundry’ that we see around is ‘mithya’…a mirage, a false, imaginary creation of our mind as ‘it’ is all that we desire to see. We nurse the wrong notion that everything we see around us is Real – that it ‘is’ there ; it exists; that things are actually happening and taking place.The truth is that nothing really exists. We imagine that we have this body with which we relate ourselves. We relate our existence, our experiences, every little thing with this ‘body’ and hardly pay any attention to our ‘soul’. We fail to understand that the only element truly alive and eternal about us is our ‘soul’. We must accept this as the Absolute Truth… ‘sampoorna satya’…and our foremost goal in this lifetime should be to liberate the ‘soul’, release it from this cage ; our body, and, attain ‘moksha’ by focussing on God.”

” We associate ourselves purely with the body and allow it to take precedence over everything else. We relate ourselves with our physical entity and identity to such an extent that our intent remains only to clean the outer self of our being – which is visible to the world, and , foolishly forget to give importance to the cleansing of our inner self ; the ‘soul’ … which is most vital.”

” As we are trapped in a web of ‘moh maya’ … attachment and illusion…we willingly and happily reside within the confines of this comfort zone , as our ignorance of the Real Truth , our limited knowledge has instilled within us, that ‘moh maya’ is the only world that actually exists. ‘Moh’… Affection, deep love, and attachment for our family members and friends makes it difficult for us to understand that we have come only to part. It is extremely necessary for us to comprehend that ‘maya’ also refers to every action that is made by us , by our body ; our limbs, our eyes, eyelashes, fingers. The flickering movement of our eyelids, the sensations that we feel ; the actions made while eating, talking…every little movement made by us is nothing but ‘maya’, and blissfully unaware that we are of this eternal fact, we choose to remain embroiled in this illusion of ‘maya’ that is all around us , within us… till the time we are in this body , till our dying breath.”

” People who say that they have freed themselves from ‘moh maya’ are speaking the untruth as it is not possible for us to free ourselves from ‘moh maya’ till the last breath in our body. You are dependent on others, in every which way for your very existence. Can you think of standing even for a second without the support that the Earth provides you with ! Aren’t you dependent on farmers, industries etc.to fulfil all your needs and requirements ? One just can’t live all by himself, all alone. It is not possible even for a saint or sage to live all by himself. He too is dependent on nature and others for his survival.”

Swami “ji said…

“In the epic ‘Mahabharat’, it is said that Queen Kunti – mother of the Pandavas – asked Shri Krishna, not for any gifts or boons, but for ‘difficulties’ in her life. In today’s day and age, this might quite certainly seem a strange request to ask of God. One would certainly ask for ‘सुख: – happiness or the other wonderful things that any of us could think of. Yet, Queen Kunti chose to ask for ‘difficulties’ in her life. Her reason for this was that whenever she and her family were in any difficulty, she would invariably remember Shri Krishna to free her from her troubles and Shri Krishna would then come to her aid immediately, Thus, all in all – it was ‘difficulties’ and ‘challenges’ in her life that brought her closer to God, and not ‘sukh’ and ‘good’ times.”

” We too experience what Kunti had experienced. Whenever we are in a tight spot, are uncertain of the future and are filled with doubt and dread – we inevitably turn to God and Guru for help and guidance. In such moments, we are humbled by life and realize that we really have control over nothing and that it is simply God’s grace that provides us with everything we have. It is only then that it dawns on us that all our efforts, hard work and sacrifices can amount to nought if not aided by God’s grace. Our sense of ‘entitlement’ disappears and we leave ourselves at the mercy of the Supreme. Is this not good for us? Doesn’t this bring us closer to divinity? Every ‘अग्नि परीक्षा ‘ though painful and difficult – ultimately purifies the mind and soul. Why then should one ever truly fear difficulties?”

” ‘चुनौती’, ‘विपत्ति’, challenges ; overcoming these is what builds character. It is only after one has been through difficult times and emerged successful that one is wiser for the better. We realise that the ‘good’ times are not moments to be squandered in ‘enjoyment’, but a signal from God telling us that – ‘ This is your opportunity. Work hard and benefit from it while I keep other problems at bay’. Life’s difficulties make us grittier and resilient. It is only in times of ‘difficulty’ that we realise that we must detach ourselves from the roller-coaster like ups and downs of life and make our state of mind immune to the time ; good or bad – that we are going through and focus on developing strong, positive traits within us, which give us the strength needed to weather the storm in our life.”

‘ ‘विपत्ति’ में ही जीवन की ‘संपत्ति’ छिपी है…’ Like diamonds in coal, life’s treasures are also hidden in its difficulties. It is only by embracing our life’s struggles can we emerge stronger and worthy of receiving God’s blessings and gifts and enjoy our lives to the fullest. We must thus develop an attitude where our troubles must be viewed as ‘opportunities’ to develop and test ourselves. We must not curse our woes, but , simply look at them as a chance to demonstrate to God how strong of heart and mind we are. It is only then that we are able to unlock and truly realise our own potential, empowering us to go ahead and pursue even greater achievements in life.”