Month: August 2022

Swami ji said…

“Other than that particular duration of time when we are asleep, the remaining hours of the day when we are awake, find us in a state of physical motion – ‘हम सब कोई न कोई कार्य या कर्म करते रहते हैं।’ We are either involved in some physical activity, doing something or the other , or , are lost in thoughts pertaining to the action that should be taken by us in the ensuing situation or focussed on what we are supposed to do in the near future. ‘कर्म’ and we go hand in hand. We are so used to ‘it’ that we feel ‘कर्म’ is just an action, a deed that is to be done by us – best done, when it suits our mood and is beneficial for us. After all, how many of us can claim to be selfless – putting the welfare, issues and requirements of others above ours? Are we aware of the ‘nature’ of the thoughts that we harbour, the intent of our ‘कर्म ? Do we analyse ourselves while doing our ‘कर्म …’ हमारी भावना कैसी है जब हम कर्म करते हैं ? क्या हमारे कर्म करने के पीछे हमारा स्वार्थ छिपा है ? चाहे कर्म छोटा से छोटा हो या बड़ा , कर्म निस्वार्थ होना चाहिए…” Does selfishness seep into our actions? Kya hum ‘karma’ karte huey apna ‘swarth’ aur laabh dekhte hain ?”

“The entire purpose and meaning of our ‘कर्म’ is lost the moment it rests on a weak structure of duplicity and selfish, vested interest. ‘कर्म’ – when done for others should be done with a joyful mind, love in the heart and a pure soul. What could be more saddening than the sight of children making a pretence of loving and taking care of their old parents – when their actions make it clear that they are weighed by a heavy burden – and with hearts devoid of genuine love or affection for their parents , they are forced to bear this responsibility – simply because of the lucrative factor that tempts them – the hefty inheritance that awaits them on their parents’ departure from the world. Do we actually think that God is not aware of what goes on in the inner recess of their selfish minds and hearts !”

“Similarly, it would be wrong on the part of parents, if , they were to provide quality education and the best of everything for their offspring – with an ulterior motive – that irrespective of the challenges that the children face in their own personal lives, they are duty bound to take care of their parents as they grow old. There is no point in compelling the younger lot to take care of their old parents. If good values have been instilled in our children , they will always do the right thing. “क्यों बच्चों को कहते हो कि वह तुम्हारे बुढ़ापे का सहारा हैं ? क्यों उम्मीद बांधकर रखते हो बच्चों से?” As parents, we have to do our duty of raising our children , but , when we do this -‘ यह निस्वार्थ भाव से होना चाहिए …’ – without any expectations.”

“We are willing to wine and dine our bosses for a promotion in the most expensive hotels , but , the thought of parting with money to feed the poor could make us blanch. Why are we such selfish hypocrites? ‘कर्म ‘ when done by us for anyone with a selfless, noble intent can take a completely new dimension. We simply have to make an earnest effort to replace the physical form of the person we are serving – with the form of our ‘इष्टा’. We will immediately feel a divine shift in our intent as the ‘कर्म’ then becomes spontaneous and joyful, offered in the service of the Almighty with a loving heart and a soul that is purified further as it looks for nothing in return – no benefits, no dividends…when divine love for all precedes everything else, making us selfless for that time period at least.”

“We must strive to transform ourselves from ‘saadhaks’ to ‘ni:swaarth karmyogis’, so that if ever someone remembers us, we are remembered for our selfless ‘कर्म ‘…”

Swami ji said …

” Times have changed and so have we. But , then the question that arises is whether the change that has taken place in us – is it for the better or worse ! What has brought about this change? Is it a change in our value system , our life style, in our being over ambitious ? If we were to ask ourselves today – ‘What makes us happy ? ‘ – what do you think our answer would be ? The probability of receiving an answer as – ‘Money’ – cannot be ruled out completely.”

” At the same time, it is not that each one of us has made ‘money’ our top most priority, but, the fact, that ‘it’ has begun to dominate our thoughts and conversation – cannot be swept under the carpet. There was a time when life and we were very simple. We would be happiest with the smallest pleasures of life and the ‘happiness’ that we derived was ‘priceless’ as our needs were minimal and desires realistic and attainable.”एक वक्त ऐसा था जब हम बड़े थे , हमारी खुशियाँ बड़ी थी …और पैसा छोटा था …परन्तु आज पैसा बड़ा है …और हम छोटे …” And, we can see this dangerous trend pick up speed at an alarming pace. All this is happening because we have allowed it to happen.”

” Do we ask ourselves – ‘Why is money enslaving us ?’ ‘Why are we allowing money to become our Master?’ And that too, to such an extent, that we are willing to sell our ‘soul’ to the Devil if need be. Does the disproportionate shadow of wealth and gold make us feel like dwarfs, overwhelmed by the power and potential that it promises us – leaving us confused and bewildered.”

” Man, by nature, is a consumer. He has to consume basic essentials in order to survive. But with his thoughts centred totally on his personal growth, brilliant future, cutting out all competition ;
somewhere, midway, man has forgotten to draw a line between his ‘basic’ needs and greed. The more expensive the desire, the greater is his fascination for it – uncaring whether he is in a position to afford it or not. In order to keep himself and his loved ones happy, he is willing to resort to any means – illegal or forbidden to possess the unattainable.The values of honesty and goodness that were imprinted on our minds by our parents appear to be hazy and unclear now. We fool ourselves by saying – Why live in an uninteresting past if one can enjoy a rosy, luxurious present , irrespective of the fact whether the means to do so are illicit and irregular ! ‘हमारे सोचने का तरीका कितना छोटा हो गया है ! क्या हम पैसे के आगे सर नही झुका रहे है?’ “

” The disturbing signs are visible to all. We have become unscrupulous in our day to day dealings. Property and money mean more than relationships to us. We do not hesitate to indulge in shameful acts. Old parents are forced out of their own homes as their children are in a great rush to encash that property. Patience to serve elders is being replaced by impatience for money. Money is given so much of importance now that one is unable to take out time to devote to one’s physical well being and spiritual growth. We need to be cautious of the web of greed and deceit in which we could get entangled – as we are tossed about between bundles of currency – forgetting that …” जो सबसे ‘छोटा’ है, वो है हमारा ‘जीवन’, और हमने अपने ‘जीवन’ को ‘बड़ा’ बनाना है नेक कर्म करके, पवित्र विचार रख के और सत्य का साथ दे के । “

Swami ji said…

” It is often said that we must listen to our heart , for, it is from here, that the voice of truth emanates and guides us through the haze of ‘मोह-माया’. But, not all actions and decisions must be made from one’s heart. For it is the heart that suffers most – when love turns to attachment and longing. In such cases, the heart is the one that is blinded – disbelieves logic and reason – and misguides our journey of life.”

” ‘Moh’ – attachment – renders even the most powerful, the most capable – incapable of thinking soundly and acting wisely.
Attachment to anything and of any kind does not serve anyone well. In the epic – ‘Mahabharat’, the filial head – ‘Bhishma pitamah’s undue attachment to his ‘pratigya’ and family actually lead to sorrow all around. ‘Ganga putra’ – Bhishma pitamah – all knowledgeable, the strongest of warriors, became a slave to his own attachment for his family. First, his love for his father, Shantanu, and , need for approval from his step-mother, made him take a pledge of celibacy that would ultimately subject Hastinapur and its residents to a weak lineage of Kings for generations. He would again, for the sake of his family – wrongfully kidnap Amba from her ‘swamayamvar’ and then abandon her to fend for herself. Time and again, such a learned and strong man would take repeated mis-steps out of ‘moh’ for his family.”

” Even today men steal, defraud and deceive for the sake of their ‘family’. But they forget that one’s ‘karma’ is one’s own and that they will alone have to face the consequences of their actions. Feeding one’s own family by stealing from the mouth of others has never brought any good to anyone. But ‘moh’ for their loved ones makes them see no wrong in what they are doing ; and since all their love is centred on their families, they fail to see to see the course correction signal that ‘He’, who loves them the most, is trying to send them.”

” Attachment comes in many forms. Sometimes, it is simply the attachment to the way things are around us – even though they might not be conducive to our well-being. Unfound sentiments can often make us get stuck in a rut and not allow us to make any change in our lives. We do not move from old, dilapidated homes that are hazardous to our health as we are emotionally attached to them. We are not willing to let go of untrustworthy people, from our lives, as sometime in the past, they had been good to us. We will suffer forever – for the sake of sentiment and attachment ; rather than experience the temporary pain of detachment , and , finally experience the joy of freedom of the heart and mind.”

” Attachment to money and wealth is the greatest destroyer of man.
‘ हम वस्तुओं के मोह मे ही डूबे रहते हैं।’ Even as one grows richer than before in terms of worldly possessions, he , strangely, remains insatiable and longs to procure more for himself. The thought of possessing more is what fires his body and mind. A sense of dissatisfaction at not having made enough and of losing a fraction of his assets takes away his peace of mind. He tends to forget that ‘ईश्वर’ के ‘मोह’ मे तर jaane se joh sukun aur shanti milti hai ; vaisi khushi kisi bhi vastu ko praapt karne se nahi mil sakti hai …” Happiness during such ‘materialistic’ moments is fleeting ; whereas experiencing oneness with God gives us everlasting happiness.”

” Attachment to this physical world is the biggest impediment in our spiritual growth. Family, wealth, power, pleasure – all these keep our mind pre-occupied and distant from focussing on what should be most important to us – God. ‘ ‘मोह’ केवल ‘भगवान’ का होना चाहिए । ‘ We must strive to keep God in our thoughts all the time, so that our actions also become good and pure. Thus, we must guard ourselves from the trappings of ‘moh-maya’ for objects and all things transient in nature. We must find ways to keep remembering God even when we are immersed in our dealings with the physical world around us. Whenever we sense that we are making decisions and committing actions driven more by emotions, a discontent and restless heart ; rather than with a sound peaceful mind – we must stop and reflect on our own spiritual state. We must reconnect with the Supreme through meditation and prayer and have an honest conversation with ourselves. It is only through such repeated practice that we will find our way out of the tangles of this worldly illusion and attain spiritual bliss.”

Swami ji said …

” Life is a continuous battle with हमारी परिस्थितियां – our circumstances which change their colour and nature on a daily basis with the speed of lightning. Circumstances are deemed to be so ! They are made that way. ‘ कभी वह कष्ट देती हैं तो कभी आनंद। कभी हमे आरोग्य रखती हैं तो कभी रोग देती हैं।” Their meandering role makes them just touch us and move on without turning back to see the impact that they leave on us – whether we are smiling or fretting.’ अनूकुल परिस्थित मे हम प्रसन्न होते हैं और प्रतिकूल परिस्थित मे हम मूह लटका लेते हैं।’ Such is our habit of having things go our way. But is that the way God’s most intelligent creation supposed to behave ? If we look deep within us, we know the answer to this question. We know that we have no control over our circumstances which tend to waltz by us. But, what certainly is in our control is the way we react to them; and respond to their unexpected nudge. The ‘परिस्थित’ could be an unexpected bonanza out of the blue or a sudden calamity that moves the earth from under our feet and leaves us shaken. Well! If we can extend our arms outwards to accept the boon with glee and happiness, then why do we wince and flinch on being faced with an ailment, a tragedy or unexpected and adverse circumstances.”

” Much like the cycle of life and death, the wheels of circumstances too keep on moving; spinning out good or bad, favourable or unfavourable days. ‘हमे इस बात को गांठ बांध कर रखना है … that our ‘प्रारब्ध’ will give us only what has been earned by us in our previous lifetimes. We are accountable for the circumstances which appear to come out from nowhere and it is then that we either declare an all out war to overcome them with great stress and tension or learn to flow with the turn of events that disclose themselves of their own free will to us. In the end, it doesn’t really matter how many battles have we won or lost. The only thing that matters is the manner, temperament and behaviour that was displayed by us while we fought the adverse circumstance like a lone warrior – sensibly and intelligently – and learned some life changing lessons and survived the ordeal with forbearance and faith in Him.”

“The best way to handle परिस्थित irrespective of the fact whether they are sweet or bitter – is by accepting them as naturally as the glory of a sunlit day and the darkness of a moonless night – ‘both’ giving way to each other from time immemorial. We must learn from Mother Earth which endures and suffers the killing heat, devastating storms, destructive earthquakes and its soul ravaging floods… but it endures quietly and then doggedly begins the process of healing and recuperating. Similarly, we too should be reservoirs of peace and joy and develop happy and spiritual minds – understanding once and for all that happiness is not the absence of problems but the ability to deal with them…’और जो भी हमारे साथ हो रहा है, वह हमे सहना ही पड़ेगा…’ as it is only then that we will be able to survive.”

” ‘ जीवित रहने के लिए… being merely
physically strong is not good enough. We have to be mentally tough too – to endure, to keep going forward ; applying every skill to emerge victorious from the चक्रव्यूह that life in a way is – with a sense of complete surrender in His Divine plan for us.”

” Shri Ram is the epitome of stoicism in the face of ever changing destiny. Be it as a King or a forest dweller, He never compromised on His principles and behaviour with others. He was just as kind, benevolent and understanding when He was in need of help from others or when in a position to assist others. He did not let destiny define Him as a person. Similarly, a spiritual practitioner should also remain impassive to his ever changing ‘takdeer’ or destiny. He must learn to smile, accept and enjoy life in all circumstances , as his spiritual journey is one, which cannot be postponed by providing weak excuses of bodily suffering and lack of determination. ‘Moksha’ bahut kuch seh ke hi milta hai … “