Month: March 2023

Swami ji said …

If we were asked – ‘What is that one thing that would make you most powerful ?’ – among the prompt replies would be – money, land, status, power, etc. But on flipping through the pages of our lifetime and giving considerable thought to what would be the ‘one’ most powerful factor that has made us reach where we are in life ; enabled us to attain what we have in the present time – ‘वो हमारी ‘सोच’ की वजह से ही है … हम आज जहां अपने आप को पाते हैं, वहां तक हमें हमारी सोच ही लाई है…’

The patterns and contours that emerge in our mind ; the vision that we have in the present time- whether it is blurred, faint, clear cut or sharply outlined – depends only on our thoughts – our way of thinking
about life and approaching it – “
यह सब हमारी सोच पर ही निर्भर करता है ” A sharply outlined pattern depicts clarity of thoughts and crystal-clear thinking. The most powerful tool that we are equipped with is – the ability to think – and if our ‘thinking’ is on a positive, constructive, and confident line – believe me – we will be able to change any situation – to our advantage and in our favour.

For instance, the state and scenario in which we find ourselves could appear wretched, depressing and tilting towards despair – but a positive mindset would make us refuse to cower down to its darkness and embolden us to brighten up each day with regular doses of happiness. Whether we are ecstatic – steering the wheels of worldly success – or content living a life of seclusion, detached from worldly attachments – it all depends on our way of thinking and our definition of life ; what life means to us and what we intend to make of it.

Are we creatures of comfort and thus attracted only to the pleasures of materialism – so much so – that the thought of living without them, even for a day, is unimaginable to us. Does the foul smell of sweat and toil revolt us to such an extent that we are not willing to work – even if our very existence is in crisis? All this confusion reigns in the mind because of our wayward thinking.

Those of us who have made up our minds to walk the spiritual path, in particular, will have to understand – the strong hold and control that our ‘thinking’ has on us. Our thoughts change with every move of the needle – and it is completely up to us , henceforth, to take charge of controlling these thoughts – which will happen with practice. It would be incorrect on our part to express absolute contentment at the magical turn that our lives take – under the wings of a ‘saccha sant’ – on a particular day – but walk with discontentment written large on our face , the very next day , when we are expected to follow a strict spiritual routine. Eager and regular ‘sadhna’ and meditation teaches us to develop calmness and an unruffled state of the mind – so that we are able to focus on our ‘ आराध्य ‘, our ‘ishta devta’ or ‘guru’ – but the very next day we could find ourselves caught in a fatigued dilemma while meditating – whether or not – all our wishes and desires will be fulfilled by our chosen deity or ‘guru’ ; impending which – ‘ एक ऐसी सोच – की क्या हम किसी दूसरे ‘इष्ट’ या ‘गुरु’ का आशीर्वाद लें जो हमें ज्यादा देंगे ? ‘ – rises within us. So weak and pathetic can be our thinking! Nothing should make us happier and more cheerful than availing opportunities that could make us inch towards realising God – but , at the same time , the thought of not being able to meet our loved ones for long durations could also sadden us. The firm resolve to not surrender to the mirages created by the mind must be strengthened on a regular basis.

Our life principles, our beliefs, can only be called so – if they are applied rigorously over a lifetime – otherwise they are just musings of a fickle mind.Having faith means believing in something when there is no evidence for the same. Similarly, we must have faith in our principles when the going gets tough, no matter what the mind throws up and says. We must gather strength and follow the path we have set out for ourselves.

Jesus had spent 40 days and nights fasting in the desert, and in this malnourished state he was tempted by the devil to forsake God and His teachings and simply worship him in return for all the kingdoms of the world. Despite His hunger and thirst, the extreme suffering of His body, Jesus did not give up God. Similarly, the spiritual practitioner too faces tests and temptations – the mind like the devil offers reasons to take the ‘easier way out’ – just like the devil wanted of Jesus – the mind wants to enslave us – to take us away from God and self-realization. That is the nature of the material world – मोह-माया – that surrounds us.
While it is our beliefs and principles – our सोच – that navigates our journey of life – It is only by staying true to the course – by holding on and believing in these principles – can we show the world why and how beneficial it is to have a sound and strong spiritual system. The path of God is a difficult path to take, but, those who embark upon it for the whole journey – bring only more light on it with their own enlightenment.

Swami ji said…

‘Money’ has cast a spell on us – a spell so magical that none of us ever want its enchanting effect to wear off from us. The satisfaction, confidence and sense of power that is related with money by us – makes us adapt to the requirements of earning it, acquiring and possessing it – quick and fast , by any means. The means of earning it – fair or unfair; dubious or legitimate – do not matter any more. We barely reflect on the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of what we are doing – while making money. Thus , not surprisingly , only a handful of us are content today – making an honest, decent living. The glitter of gold is blinding and emboldens us to compromise wrongly with our scruples, ethics and sense of honour – when it comes to money matters.

Money blinds our sensibilities, as we are in a rush to accumulate it. It is said – ‘Money makes the mare run’ and sadly – the smell of freshly minted currency; the crisp notes and shining coins – is doing exactly the same with us – making us run in their direction.Of course, none of us could survive without food, shelter and clothing – and for our sustenance we need money. We would die of hunger and neglect if we didn’t have any money. Education, our growth and development – can only be realised – if we have enough means to meet these expenditures.

There is also no denying the fact – ‘ घर मैं चीजें तब आती हैं जब हम धन कमाते हैं … ‘ After all, money, not only enables us to buy essential items for our day to day living – but also allows us to indulge in all available material comforts of the world. We stuff our houses with the best of things – the latest appliances, hi-tech gadgets, fancy vehicles and beautiful artefacts. But, somewhere down the road, when resources dry up – we look for refuge in dishonest means of income and resort to devious ways of making a fast buck. Some of us have taken the words – ‘It’s a rich man’s world…’ literally – and focus all our time and energy on making money only. Do we realise that the fruition of every materialistic desire of ours takes us further away from God? The ‘source’ of our income which provides us with our daily bread – plays a pivotal role in determining the state of our physical and mental health. Do we even bother to question ourselves about the kind of money that is coming into our house ? Has it been earned honestly or secured through ill – gotten means? ‘ ऐसे पैसे कामते हुए , हमें किसी की बद्दुआ तो नहीं लग रही ? ‘

We must ask ourselves – is our obsession with money making us insensitive towards our ageing parents, so much so, that we feel that their longevity is depriving us of inheriting their property at the earliest – as we have many personal desires to fulfil. Our wealth could definitely make it possible for us to build our dream house – but we need to remember that a house turns into a home only with the blessings of all those who matter the most to us – our family and relatives…’ क्योंकि जब आप लोगों ki दुआयें प्राप्त करते हैं तो धन के साथ खुशी, अच्छा स्वास्थ्य, बड़ों का आशीर्वाद और स्नेह भी मिलता है…’

Yes, wealth is important – but not at the cost of love, principles and relationships. We must guard ourselves against excessive greed and its ability to take away all that we hold dear from us – in order to become wealthy. Judas willingly betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. His greed for wealth and other reasons made him sacrifice even the Son of God. In the end, there was only repentance, misery and death awaiting Judas. His wealth could not shield him from the anguish that he suffered in his final moments. What could have saved him was God’s Grace ! His name was tarnished forever and stands synonymous with ‘traitor’ ever since then. We must thus beware the devastating ruin that greed for wealth alone can bring upon our lives … but , blessings that pour from a loving and grateful heart , go a long way in shaping our destiny.

Swami ji said …

Our ancient scriptures, hymns, sermons and ‘भजन’ ‘कीर्तन’ – emphasise on God’s Grace on us and the needlessness of man to live in a state of fear – as we have our Protector – our Guardian Angel – constantly by our side – even when unexpected, unfortunate incidents hit us in the face – leaving us in despair, alarmed and anxious. But, rather than seeking shelter in Him, trusting Him and reposing faith in His divine will – we, still prefer to live in a state of fear. We embrace this turbulent emotion instantly, as if it were second nature to us. Fear of the future ; fear of the unknown ; fear of what the future will bring to us. Living in a constant state of fear is not new to us. We fail to see the callous, all – consuming nature of fear ; the intensity and ferocity with which it can make us powerless and submissive – once it has its fangs on us.

Much like many other emotions that are inherently within us – fear, too, needs to be understood and controlled. And, while we would not be human without fear , it is when fear takes control over our mind that we act in the most unpredictable and inhuman manner. A mind filled with fear – makes one take actions that could be self destructive and harmful. When dark shadows of fear and apprehension loom larger than life over us ; we fail to see that we are faced with two situations.We can either give up, forget everything and run away in fear , or , we can face everything with courage and confidence – certain that we will fight our demons and rise – a victor. What is our response when faced with a situation like this ?

When in the grip of fear, we only aim to preserve the status quo – to avoid a loss of any kind – be it name or fame. We are unwilling to take the blame for anything and thus are afraid to think out of the box and instead toe everyone’s line. But, in our efforts and quest to survive – we forget to thrive. We forget that the true essence of life is to push our boundaries – to explore the unexplored – fearlessly.

To understand the true effect of fear in our lives, we must reflect and see minutely the kind of role it plays in our thought process. We fear not only that which is life threatening, but , even that which might cause us pain. We fear the pain of hard work ; we are apprehensive about the pain of sacrifice ; we fear the uncertainty of taking new directions and journeys in life. So many times, it is simply our inability to put those fears to rest that stops us from being the best versions of ourselves.

The best way to overcome fear is by taking small but regular and determined steps towards building courage within ourselves. We must utilise every opportunity that dares us to venture out of our comfort zone – one at a time. It is only then that the mind learns to accept and rein in fear.

The spiritual practitioner must develop courage. This courage must be rooted in the belief that those on the path – leading to God – will never come to any harm as long as their actions are based in humility, honesty and are worthy of His Grace. After all – ‘ Good and honest people have nothing to fear. It is the dishonest who need to be fearful.’

Swami ji said…

Imagine if we were served a cold platter of mouth-watering desserts – the sugary flavours of which would undoubtedly satiate our palette, not only for those brief moments , but also, make us long for more. The presentation and flavour of this platter makes our eyes light up and we long to tuck into the savouries immediately. But then – for how many days would we be able to enjoy the same sweet platter – devoid of salt and spices? Of course, even the best made dessert could not be eaten every single day by us. We would ultimately find eating it a chore – no longer relishing its fine sweet taste. We would, in fact, crave for foods that are sour or even a little bitter.
Imagine if life too were ‘sweet’ all the time ; if we had everything available to us at our beck and call – like a genie – whatever we wished for would appear or happen. While life would be amazing for some time, gradually even the wealth and power available to us would seem to lose its shine as we would take all of it for granted.

Life, perhaps fortunately, does not allow this. There is a always a mix – like a buffet – of some things sweet, some salty, some sour and some bitter. And, just like food that doesn’t taste great – but seems to agree most with the stomach ; hard work and difficulties – are often exactly what the doctor ordered – when it comes to the health of the mind and soul. We however, fervently pray to God to make our lives ‘easier’. We keep talking about how good life must be – for those who have more than us or have always had things easier than us. Instead of acknowledging the reality of life and what it is trying to teach us, we live in the delusion of getting to live the ‘perfect life’ one day – a life in paradise.

When one is untouched by hardships, challenges, and difficulties, that person begins to entertain a condescending, superior attitude – secure in the false knowledge that maybe – ‘ परिश्रम ‘ and ‘दुःख’ ” will always remain foreign, unknown to him. The possibility that one can become stone hearted when basking in the glow of ‘sukh’ cannot be overruled completely – ‘ दुःख को अनुभव किए
बिना हमारा हृदय निर्मल नही हो सकता |’

Difficulties make us sensitive to the struggles of others. Only those who have walked a torturous path to reach a particular destination can understand and empathize with the struggles of others, can feel their pain and suffering. After all, the ability to empathize with our fellow beings is what makes us humans unique. Thus, ‘difficulties’ should not be categorized as bad things to happen to us. Similarly, hard work also makes us see value – in not just what we have achieved through it – but also what others have achieved through their efforts. We, thus, must not be overwhelmed and daunted by hard work or difficult times but rather accept and embrace them fearlessly. Only then will our personal growth be possible.

Challenging times keep us on our toes; as even in the ‘good times’ we remember to not be arrogant, but, simply stay composed and sharp. We do not let our guard down and get carried away when things are in full bloom around us. Instead, we understand that life is a regular flow of struggle and thus tackle the situations that challenge us with determination – which reveals an unknown side of ours ; a little more about ourselves – ‘ परिश्रम के बिना मनुष्य का विकास नहीं होता है !’

It is only when we accept that struggle, pain and heartbreak are a part and parcel of our life – that we truly begin to live to our full potential – as we are then free of the fear of failure. We are able to pursue our dreams with a lot more determination and confidence, secure in the knowledge that any and all difficulties and challenges along the way are only stepping stones to our further growth and advancement.

The spiritual seeker must remain undaunted by any amount of toil that lies ahead of him as he progresses on the spiritual path. He must readily accept that this is what life demands of him before it bestows spiritual rewards on him. The spiritual seeker will face many personal problems ; situations that are demanding in the face of his spiritual practice. These will challenge him – his beliefs and principles. But , it is only by going through these demanding experiences, and , emerging successfully on the other side, will he truly be enlightened. Only then will he be able to appreciate the True Knowledge that was imparted to him by his ‘guru’.