Month: January 2023

Swami ji said …

All things that live need nourishment to live and grow. Plants need air, water and sunlight. Some animals need flora, while others need to hunt for their intake of meat. And the type and kind of nourishment dictates the future of all. A sapling can grow into a hundred year old tree with uncountable leaves and branches if exposed to clean air, water, regular sunshine and fertile soil. But a sapling put in the desert will not last a day.

The same goes for our bodies – light and nutritious meals, lots of water make us look lean and feel good. Oily and fatty foods make us unhealthy. And we all are highly aware of this. Some of us even go on diets, take extreme precaution in our eating habits and even starve ourselves just to lose a few kilos and ‘look’ better and more attractive to others. For the sake of our physical well being we are willing to follow the most disciplined of lifestyles. The fact that we are willing to expend such energy and effort just for the sake of our physical appearance then begs the question – how committed are we to mainitaining the health of the mind ?

The mind is in a constant state of motion – ticking away all the time. It could be bursting with positivity one moment – only to find itself deflated with negativity the very next moment. If it is upbeat, motivated and enthused to achieve wonders one minute – it could be plagued with doubt, suspicion and lack of confidence the very next.
Thoughts are food for the mind, and who we are, how we experience life, our moods and attitude – all are guided by the kinds of thoughts we allow into our mind.

Thoughts of a negative connotation – such as those of anger, fear or jealousy make the mind unhealthy. As a result our perception of the world narrows down to one – that is filled with hate mistrust and deception. A mind filled with thoughts of anger makes us irritable. We constantly find fault with the world around us as we need some reason to blow off steam. Similarly, a mind filled with fear will never seize any opportunity – as it is convinced of a bad ending in all scenarios. It is thus important to monitor at all times what thoughts – conscious and subconscious – are going through the mind. Let there be no room for unkind, dishonest and hateful thoughts in our mind but instead we need to strengthen it with the bonds of self – belief ; faith in our abilities , honesty and love for all.

The world, the ‘sansaar’ around us itself was borne of a ‘thought’ – a curiosity in Brahma to know who or what He was. We should thus never underestimate the power of even a single thought. It is said that ascetics meditate for long periods of time just to regain control over the mind – so that they think only of God at the time of death – and are able to escape from the cycle of rebirth. For any action to take place, there has to, first , be a thought. Even a mindless act is one caused by subconscious thoughts in the mind. Thus, if we plan to have any control over our lives, it first becomes important to control our thoughts.

It is only through meditation, focussing on God, and introspection – that we can begin to control the avalanche of thoughts that trigger through the mind. With practice, we can begin to see as a spectator – the thoughts in the mind, and, gradually we can learn to turn those thoughts off and on as we find suitable. We are then no longer enslaved by the outside world. Instead of simply being puppets in the world, we are able to first observe , understand and then act, instead of merely reacting to the world around us.

And just like fruits and vegetables make our bodies strong and provide us with immunity and strength – love and thoughts filled with kindness make us feel better. We develop congenial personalities and people enjoy our company. We are hopeful about life and make others around us also feel so. Good thoughts lead to even better action. If we learn to put ourselves in others shoes and appreciate their struggles and challenges, we develop compassion. Compassion in turn drives us to help others selfllessly. We then become free of jealousy and envy. Happiness in our brethren becomes the reward we seek. In such a scenario, we can do no wrong.

Swami ji said…

The cycle of ‘karma’ cannot be ignored or avoided. The circumstances and conditions we find ourselves in – good , or , not so good – is because of the choices that we had made in the past. The decisions that we took in the earlier years of our life reflect our mindset of that time period – the follow up process of which prove to be either constructive or destructive for us. What we need to understand and accept is that – whatever we are or wherever we have reached in life today – is a reflection of the ‘direction’ that we decided to head in during our younger days. While for some ‘today’ is great, for some it is quite the opposite – all because of the direction they decided to set sail on long ago.

But, in the midst of all this, do we at any point question ourselves – hold ourselves accountable for the ‘state’ in which we find ourselves… ‘जो ‘दिशा’ हमने स्वयं अपने आप की करी है… क्या उसके लिए हम स्वयं जिम्मेदारी लेते हैं ?” When things go bad for us or take an ugly turn – we more than happily – pass on the buck to everything possible under the Sun. ‘हम ग्रहों की दशा को हमारे हालात के लिए, हमारी दशा के लिए जिम्मेदार ठहराते हैं…’ At times, we
hold our parents, friends , circumstances – everything else – but ourselves responsible for the dismal state in which we find ourselves. We do this because it suits us. We fail to recall the number of times we slipped – the innumerable times we were unable to resist temptation and ended up indulging in wrong and sinful activities – resulting in the messy situation that we now find ourselves in.

Even now – the direction we are heading in dictates our future – in this life and even the next. Thus, we must always be cautious and wise in taking the smallest of decisions that shape our life.This, however, can only be done if we have the foresight and guidance to see where our path is taking us. Those who keep God in their heart find this the easiest to follow. Even though they cannot see where they will end up, just the ‘nature’ – the goodness or peril – in the direction they decide to take – is something they develop an intuition for – as God is guiding them. Thus, those who regularly reflect and meditate on themselves become acutely aware of where they are headed in life and what they must do if they need to change direction. They are able to observe and glean from the world around them how ‘karma’ seems to work and thus become very careful of what they do. Such is the manifestation of God’s guidance in the spiritual practitioner’s life.

On the other hand, those who are trapped in the illusion of this world, are unable to tell which paths, which directions or what actions are beneficial for them. Enslaved to their physical senses, they are unable to see or sense any of the long term repercussions of their actions done today.

In life we must strive to be guided by honesty and righteousness. A sense of duty and humility is what directed Shri Ram from His Kingdom to the Forest – only so that he would become a King of the Ages – one who would be remembered and worshipped forever. On the other hand, insatiable desire and ambition made the demon king, Ravan – head from the Forest to the Golden kingdom of Lanka, which he coveted – only to see that very kingdom burn – in the last days of his life – as he paid for his sin, of kidnapping Sita Ma, at the hands of Lord Ram. Such is the destiny that awaits us – is in store for us – depending on the direction we take.

Swami ji said…

Life can never be easy. There are bound to be problems, difficulties and obstacles. Failure is inevitable. Successes will be far and few. The so called ‘happiness’ derived from the material world will be fleeting. Such is the nature of the illsuionary world we live in.

In all this, it is only faith – faith in God and ourselves – that can keep us moving forward with a smile on our faces. Despite where we are in life, the conditions in which we live – there are always some difficulties that we face. These can be on the personal or the professional front. When we emerge out of one difficulty – another challenge will most certainly look us in the face shortly.This is bound to take a toll on the spirit and make the mind weary. Yet, it is here that faith can help us. Belief in our dreams, belief that God is very much there looking out for us – is what can make us rise again and take our challenges head on.

But having faith in God is easier said than done – even for the spiritual practitioner. In the fight against despair and dark thoughts, faith is the weapon that must be wielded to tame the restless and doubt filled mind. But just like a sword must be sharpened from time to time, faith in God, too, needs to be reinstated and restored by us, at the earliest. It must be nurtured and developed; filled in the reservoirs of the mind like rivers fill a dam.

The way to do this is through rigorous, regular reflection – to realise how God works His miracles around us. We must be thankful to God for every opportunity He presents us with. Even in the smallest of successes, we must realise and be grateful for all the things that He arranges to fall in place for us at the right time. We must
acknowledge that despite our best efforts, there are a hundred things beyond our control which could go wrong, but, it is by God’s grace that they don’t. It is when we make ourselves humble and subdue the ego – that we realise the magnanmity that God has for us. It is then that we truly begin to ‘believe’ that God is guiding us and looking out for us; and that belief is what turns to faith in times of uncertainty. Despite swimming in the unknown, we simply ‘know’ that God will ensure we reach the safety of the distant shores, no matter how treacherous the seas could be.

Faith in God, faith in Guru is exhilarating and liberating. As long as our actions are borne of no ill will, we will not be scared of the results and will be confident that nothing bad will truly come off them. We will not be plagued by uncertainity, but , will look forward to the journey and wonders that God has in store for us. Even when facing our difficulties alone, we will not feel abandoned and lonely – such is the power of faith and belief in God. His divine plan for us – known only to Him – is the best for us.

Swami ji said…

Who doesn’t like to be praised ? Words of praise and appreciation are always music to the ears. In the days of old, kings and queens loved to hear poems and songs sung in their praise. Today, people crave attention and appreciative words lauding them on social media.The idea that one is admired and appreciated gives anyone a huge boost of confidence. It is thus, but, natural to look kindly upon anyone who praises us. We feel that they must think well of us and must be fond of us.

‘ हम मे से ऐसा कौन है जो अपनी तारीफ सुनना पसंद नही करता ?’ Nothing sounds sweeter than congratulatory and complimentary words commending us on our innovations , success and accomplishments. The frisson of happiness that courses through our being on being lauded and applauded ; on hearing us being praised, should not make us oblivious to the stark difference between – praise and flattery.

But, it is when we begin to confuse flattery with praise that we walk on a perilous path of self-destruction. The ego always lets us believe that we are perfect; so hearing words describing our greatness and goodness also validates our ego in its false beliefs. It is thus crucial for us to be self aware and not be swayed by adulation and applause given to us.

If ever, we reach a point in time, when on getting accustomed to hearing words praising us – we fail to distinguish between those … ‘जो हमारी ‘तारीफ’ करते हैं …और जो हमारी ‘चमचागिरी’ या ‘खुशामद’ करते हैं … we , must , during such times, remember and remind ourselves – ‘तारीफ़’ इन्सान के ‘काम’ की होती है, परन्तु चमचागिरी या ‘ख़ुशामद’
होती है उस इन्सान की जो ‘हमारे काम’ आ सकता है।’ Flatterers should have no place in our lives and should always be kept at an arm’s distance…’ऐसे लोगों से दूरी बनाए रखो…’ Will we know our worth only on hearing others glorify us in honeyed, ingratiating tones? Don’t we realise that those who flatter us – fool us, make the most of the ‘weakness’ in us – for their vested interests. A clear signal should be conveyed to flatterrers – stating sternly – ‘ Flattery will get them nowhere ! ‘

A self-aware individual is aware of his own strengths and weaknesses. He does not need to be told what he is good at and what he needs to improve on – but a person who is solely reliant on others for understanding himself – is at peril of being misled and taken advantage of.

Unfortunately, praise, which should be used only for genuinely appreciating others, is often used as currency for gaining favour with others. Ill – intentioned people often prey upon other’s weakness of low self-belief or of an inflated ego by speaking false words of reverence and adoration. Such people try to gain others’ confidence and trust, and then hope to control them and puppeteer them for their own ambitions and advantage.

We must thus always be on guard, and , not be affected by acclaim and approval. We must be humble in our success and not be carried away by words of flattery. By maintaining such a dememanour it becomes clear to all that we are highly self-assured and their sugar coated words will get them nowhere.

But all praise is not ill – intended. Even our loved one’s praise and admire us for who we are, and , yet it is this praise that quite often can be most harmful for us. For many a times, it is our family and close ones who are unable to see any wrong in us and place us on a pedestal. Out of love for us they only speak of our goodness and in turn lead us to believe that we are just as great as they see us. Yet, this is not their fault but our own. It is we who must be self-critical enough to see this and simply acknowledge their love for us.

Regular self-reflection and meditation make us acutely aware of who we are. We have a clear understanding of who we are and are thus unaffected by adulation and admiration.

Swami ji said …

“Time flies by and quite a many of us have been fortunate enough to have seen days and months ; years and decades pass by – each year leaving behind its indelible imprint on us, embedded for ever in our memory , and , all that is needed – is an instant to recall – what a particular year had brought to us , taught us. Lady luck could have favoured us greatly during a certain time period, giving us many a reason to smile – and, in contrast – unforgettable grief laden, tearful close encounters with unexpected, unfavourable developments like disease and death could have loomed large over a few years of our life.

But, then, this is the unique , mysterious element of time! Its colour and nature changes as swiftly as the manner in which it flies off the calendar. One quality that none of us can take away from each new day that we are lucky enough to see – is the ray of hope , positivity and optimism that it holds for us…giving us an opportunity to achieve all that our heart is set on…and in case the day closes on a dissatisfactory note … the thought of a new day – a new tomorrow filled with possibilities… fills us with hope once again.

And, staying true to the nature of closure – that ‘days’ and ‘time’ maintain on a daily , monthly or yearly basis…it is time once again to draw the curtains on yet another year. A year gone by, much like many years of the past, that must have brought in its fair share of smiles and tears; ups and downs; profit and loss; accomplishments and failures.The distinctive developments of the past year – pale in comparison – to the promise of new hopes, new aspirations, fresh resolutions and new beginnings that the onset of a new year brings with it. It is as though we pin all our hopes, including the long lost ones – on the incoming year and promise ourself that we will outclass and excel ‘ourselves’ in every possible way in the New Year…and we begin to add impetus , with great gusto , to the new resolutions in our mind as we long to see them bear fruit.

And to a certain extent … why not? Because that is what a New Year is all about…when we are enthused to turn things around for ourselves in the coming year; determined to learn from the experience of our past mistakes; to transform past disappointments into future triumphs. All this sounds good when said aloud and looks good on paper but a final shape…’ नए साल की उम्मीद और कोशिशों को रूप देने की क्षमता हम पर निर्भर करती हैं…’

The onus of not letting down the shine and sparkle of the resolutions and promises made in the frenzy of the dawn of a New Year rests completely on us…as once we promise to start afresh – we must stay focussed, fiercely determined and inspired to stay on course – so that on meeting our target – we can turn back and say victoriously … ‘ I did it !’ Belief , faith in ourselves , in our capabilities , in our resolve , in not hunting for lame excuses to give up at the first signs of fatigue – can act as milestones, as these alone can make us go from strength to strength , year after year. Furthermore our self belief and faith should be further strengthened in attaining the unattainable, when a saccha ‘sant ‘, a self realised ‘guru’, says with confidence and sincerity … ‘Sab achcha hoga…Main har pal tumhaare saath hoon… Tum chinta kyun karte ho ? ‘