Month: October 2023

Swami ji said…

The pure joy that lights up a baby’s face; the gurgling laughter that rings out, on being thrown up in the air by his father , over – riding fear of any kind – is a delightful sight to behold. The moment gains greater significance as it highlights the complete sense of surrender that the child places in his father ; secure , sure and confident that his father – will hold him in his arms ; will not let him slip through and will not let go off him. A baby – who doesn’t know much about what awaits him in this lifetime – during those innocence filled days – knows only one thing – that his parents arms are his safe haven, as he trustingly nestles and cuddles up in them. It is this trust; complete faith, acceptance and surrender in their father’s ability to cut short their fall – by catching them in their arms – that makes them fearless and carefree. They are sure that nothing untoward will happen to them and there is no cause of worry.

Now, if, as little children, we , could trust our parents blindly – then what happens to that element of trust – as we grow and mature ? Why does our trust in God – our Father in Heaven – decrease ?
Why is it so difficult for us to be convinced that whatever is happening with us ; to us – is happening because He wants, wills and desires it to be that way ? Why do we find it extremely difficult to harbour the same degree of trust in God; in our Creator as we had placed earlier in our parents ?
Where is that spirit of surrender? We get upset and distraught at the first sign of turbulence in our set life. How could any incident or issue , for which we feel we were not responsible, and, had not catered for in our wildest imagination – whip up a storm in our life – we rage angrily ? ‘How can something go ‘wrong’ in a life that we feel had been planned to perfection by us?’

This obsession that we have with ourselves – is well fed by the ‘ego’ – which inflates us with wicked suggestions that – ‘All that is happening – is happening – because ‘you’ are making it happen’. ‘If it wasn’t for you – it wouldn’t have happened this way !’ And, gullible that we are – we lap up every command that the ego issues – and then onwards are mostly on a power trip – as we attribute every achievement and award – to the prowess of the mighty and powerful ‘I’. Our moods swing with the day to day occurrences in our life – from ecstatic to morose. We are pretty as peach one day; and dark as thunder the next. We are willing to suffer mentally, but , are not ready to accept and surrender to the eternal truth that it is not ours but God’s plan alone that works.

Once in a while we do hear someone say – ” I have surrendered myself to God.” ” My surrender to God is complete!” But , if , our surrender is so complete, then why do we ask Him for any thing at all? Why do we repeatedly ask Him for wealth ; a better future ; for good things to happen to us? Why do we look at God with the hope that He will solve all our problems and get us what we think we need. More often than not, we try to plan what is the best for us, and, hope that He will listen to our prayers and make our plans work when we request and beseech Him to do as ‘we’ desire. Such is the folly of the mind.

True surrender does not mean inaction, nor , does it mean that we should stop analysing our life and head blindly into tomorrow. What true surrender means is that – we begin to realise that what is truly in our control – is our actions – and our actions only ; and what is not – is the external world around us ; the circumstances that we are in, and, all that we will face in the future. True surrender liberates the mind – from wandering around – over which we have no control. A person, who has truly surrendered to God, will focus solely on his own actions. He will live life in the best way that he can – irrespective of the circumstances in which he lives, without asking God for any help or favour. He might live a life which might not leave a mark in the world – but will certainly make God proud of him – when He sees him doing his ‘karma’ and living life with complete surrender in God’s will.

Swami ji said…

The thought of any festival lights up our face with delightful smiles and joyous eyes. We are barely able to wait to celebrate it in our own special way. Such is our deep connection with festivals – that we consider them to exclusive, individualistic celebrations – because of which we often have our own ideas and suggestions about the way they should be celebrated. Elaborate planning, preparation and purchasing for the festival begin well in advance. Every little detail is looked into. Inputs are taken from here and there and additions are made at the last minute too. A ritual which perhaps had not been performed by us in the past – is incorporated anew – with a lot of faith and devotion. The list of ‘to – do’ is rechecked to ensure that nothing has been left out by us.

The excitement and elation are palpable, infectious – during the days preceding the actual day of the festival – as each one of us is determined to put in everything – in lighting up our homes or decorating the Christmas tree; bedecking the Goddess with beautiful attire and jewellery on Dussehra or depicting the birth of Jesus Christ with figurines on Christmas ; laying out the most delicious, traditional feast ever on the dining table – and dressing up in expensive and stylish clothes – as we want to look our best – thereby further enhancing the flavour and fragrance of the festival.

The ‘external’ part of the festival is taken care of with a sense of complete involvement. At times, we might even go overboard while spending money on celebrating the festival – aware that its presentation is subject – to the eagle eye of numerous onlookers. But , do we for a moment focus on the essence; the reason for the celebration? Do we reflect on the most vital aspect of the festival ? The message underlying the celebration of the festival. What exactly are we celebrating? Isn’t there more to a festival than only enjoying the flavour of the mouth-watering dishes that are cooked by us , exchanging gifts and wearing new clothes ?

Do we recall the countless sacrifices that were made by all these great, noble souls – whether they were founders of new religions or vanquishers of evil – as they had taken blood-soaked steps – to accomplish the formidable task ; to achieve the goal that destiny had in mind for them? Can we imagine even for a second the bitter hardships; the pain that they must have endured at leaving their families and the comfort of their homes – understand the sense of fear that must have pervaded them at the thought of the obstacles that lay ahead of them ? Are we able to relate with even a fraction of the self – restraint that they must have had to impose on themselves as they moved ahead – undaunted – without turning back to look at what they were leaving behind?

Many of them freed themselves from the ‘powerful’ grip that their ‘senses’ had on them and in fact ‘overpowered’ them with their mental strength – as suffering and endurance – had become their new friends.There was nothing that they would complain about. They were in an eternal state of happiness. Do we stand anywhere close to these luminous souls? Rather, we are victims of our senses – always clamouring for everything in excess. Our happiness is dependent on others and material possessions.

The message of peace that was always stressed upon by God – seems to have been forgotten by man completely as today, many a times, he finds it difficult to live peacefully with his immediate family members. So selfish have we become – that, today, our ‘greed’ dominates over our needs. A filled wallet refuses to part with money – even to help the weak and helpless. We, as human beings, are not only losing faith in each other, but, even in God. We need to remember that it is only our devotion and faith in God that shows us light in the darkest of days – much like the bright light of the lit up lamps and lights on festivals – that light up a dark night.

Swami ji said …

Talk we must – and man’s penchant to talk is known to all – be it relevant or irrelevant ; meaningful or meaningless
talk. Infact , it doesn’t take us too long to express our surprise on coming across a man of few words – quiet , reserved – as we fail to understand – what is understood by him – that it is better for him to speak only when his words are better than his silence. We whisper among ourselves – ” कितना कम बोलता है ये !” Those of us who are verbose and garrulous – don’t spare such people – comment even on them – as the vast majority of us – love to hear our own voice – at every given opportunity – and, if , we don’t get an opportunity, we simply create one for ourselves – by speaking out loudly, whatever plays on our mind, even when categorically told not to do so.We don’t pause for a minute to think whether what we are about to say ; do we really need to say it or not ! At times we speak just because we have to. It is more of a habit with some of us. Would it be wrong to say that , maybe , some of us love our own voice so much – that we are more than willing to drown the voice of other people, by speaking loudly and assertively most of the time ?

The din in which we live – with bedlam and babel of noises all around us ; it completely obliterates the sound of the soft , gentle ‘inner’ voice within us – which can only be heard – when one is quiet and at peace. The voice that comes from deep within us – from the stillness of our inner being – and, if , we are perceptive and wired to that voice – we cannot fail to hear His voice – the voice of God – which not only guides us and directs us to do the right thing – but also protects and shields us.

Our ‘अंतरात्मा’ is – and was always supposed to be still , at peace – happy – not elated by success nor perturbed by grief ; undisturbed by any kind of development that takes place in our day to day lives – focussing on giving each individual – the insight and strength to understand the nature and true purpose of life – which is to do good ‘karma’ in each lifetime and purify our ‘soul’ further so that we may merge with Him finally.

The senses of ‘saadhaks’, spiritual speakers, in particular, should be finely tuned to the minutest of vibrations and voices that arise and are generated within them. In solitude – which they must understand is not loneliness – they must touch, realise and experience this divine stillness, His presence within them – hear His Voice which speaks to them ; encourages them ; reminds them – not to be disheartened – when inspite of repeated attempts to meditate – the results according to them are as good as being fruitless. On detecting the first signs of weakness and thoughts of abandoning the spiritual path float in our mind – He unravels the beauty of the spiritual world ; steering us to new heights of spiritual bliss – making us reconsider our hasty decision of retracting from the spiritual path.

Many a times, one is woken up from deep slumber by His Voice – as He alerts us, cautions us to the perils and pitfalls that await us ; the good and favourable that can be looked forward to by us. ‘His’ generosity is boundless and on feeling our silent gratitude for Him , He responds by revealing to us His glorious divine forms – be it of the ‘Creator’, the ‘Preserver’, the ‘Destoyer’ and also of the female energy – ‘शक्ति’. We must have faith in the words of a self – realised ‘guru’ , a ‘सच्चा संत ‘ when He tells us emphatically and confidently – ‘मैं तुम्हारा ‘ध्यान बढ़ाउँगा..’ ‘मैं तुम्हें आध्यात्मिक पथ पर ले जाऊँगा…’ ‘ मैं तुम्हें ‘मोक्ष’ दिलाऊंगा …’ as He has been chosen by the Almighty to be His Voice.

Swami ji said…

When God made us , it is possible that He, too, might have pinned some hopes on us. After all ‘man’ was an exceptional creation of His ; one which was crafted by Him with utmost thought and deliberation – and as He infused life into us ; endowed us with intellect and intelligence; senses and emotions – He must have stepped back – marveling at His exquisite artistic skill – confident that..
‘ उनका हर अंश, हर प्रतिबिंब – हर परिस्तिथि में – खुश रहेगा , प्रसन्न रहेगा, साहसी रहेगा और भयहीन रहेगा…” as ‘He’ knew very well that ‘He’ would always be with us – as we are a part of ‘Him’ – a fact which He would want us to realise ourselves.

But, the ignorant lot that most of us are – we fail to understand the soft and subtle ways – in which He repeatedly tries to convey to us that He is with us through thick and thin. The more distant we grow from realising the deep significance of His words – the more unhappy, fearful and uncertain – we remain. More often than not – we choose to ‘become’ so. Unhappiness – knows that it is very easy for her – to rule over us – as we allow her free access into our heart and mind. Her entry into our inner being is unchecked, unrestricted. Any little thing…”जो चीज़ हमें पसंद नहीं है या पसंद नहीं आती है ; जो हमारी इच्छा के विरुद्ध है या हो रहा है ; कोई दुख का अगर हमें सामना करना पड़े…” – is enough to displease and distress us.The mere shadow of any situation , circumstance or condition – that is not comfortable, convenient or conducive for us – is enough to make happiness flee ; to give her an excuse to make a hasty exit from our being – and unhappiness settles down immediately – smugly, with ease – in the area vacated by happiness.

In a similar manner , all it takes is a dark fearful thought to envelope our mind in its shroud – and fearlessness – becomes a distant cousin. Why is it that our mind and heart are attracted like magnets to negativity, despair and unhappiness – but – repel positivity, optimism and happiness – most of the time ? It is so , because we – who should be masters of our emotions – instead – become subservient to them.

Do we ever question God when He does some good for us ? Have we ever asked Him – “God , why did you fulfill my ambition ; help me acquire my dream home ; enable me to holiday in the land of my dreams?’ We just take it for granted that He will always do good for us – and the possibility that we might not even be grateful to Him for doing so, cannot be over – ruled. If, in our happiness, we forget to do this – then with what face do we accuse Him – when we are besieged with problems ; ill – health ; financial duress ? We move around with worried faces ; a look of hopelessness about us ; filled with fear of the unknown…” भयभीत होने मैं हमें एक क्षण भी नहीं लगता है…साहस नहीं होता है मुश्किल का सामना करने के लिए … घबरा जाते हैं … टूट जाते हैं बहुत जल्दी…”Will we remain happy only when things go our way ; the way we want them to – and grapple with fear when the unexpected encounters us?

We need to remind ourselves repeatedly – that fear is a natural reaction to any untoward , unwanted development or incident. But , with God and ‘sadguru’ by his side and with faith in them – a spiritual seeker must learn to overcome it – and instead replace it – with courage – ‘साहस से ‘- to make decisions that will help him remain steadfast – like a steady wick of a candle – unaffected by strong gusty winds – placing trust , hope and faith in ‘ the neeli chatriwala ‘ in all situations – the good and the not so good.

Swami ji said…

Can we even recall the number of times we had picked up the receiver of our landline phones in the days gone by ; and do the same with our mobile phones in the present time too…when we had called up or call up a friend and say with genuine affection …”
बहुत दिन हो गए मिले हुए…दर्शन कब होंगे तुम्हारे…?” We had done so in the past and do so today too – talk to, share the joys and sorrows ; the ups and downs of life with those who matter to us ; our friends – all those to whom we are very close.The minute we think of anyone – an image of their physical form – forms before us – and the very thought of those who are particularly dear to us lights up our face ; a smile tugs at our lips and as we call them up – we say – ‘चलो , आज इससे बात करते हैं…’ And, once we begin talking, our talk time could last for a very long time. Don’t we very often remind ourselves that it is extremely essential for us to stay connected with all those who mean a lot to us? And, at times, we don’t leave any stone unturned to stay in touch with them. We feel that they might feel neglected and bad , if , we didn’t make an honest effort to reach out to them regularly. Such is our determination to not lose connection and communication with those who care for us and love us – that extensive plans are made to travel long distances to meet them – if need be across the globe too.

The question that arises next is that if we are so greatly consumed with love for family members and friends ; so
conscious and aware of what must be done by us to express our affection and love for them – those who could be far away from us, then what about reaching out to Him who is seated within us – ‘ वह जो साक्षात हमारे अंदर बैठे हैं ; जो हर क्षण हमारी देख भाल करते हैं ; जो हर पल हमारी निगरानी करते हैं – हमारे ‘परमात्मा’, ‘ईश्वर’ !
Are we even aware that He is within us ; that we are a part of Him ? Do we make the same effort or any effort at all ; take some initiative to establish a communication network with Him ; one that doesn’t depend on any technology, wires and cables ; but is cordless, wireless and can be set – up on zero expenditure – as all it needs is – divine love, firm faith, prayers that are said from a selfless, pure heart ; a mind filled with devotion while chanting His name ; grateful for all His mercies ; surrendering to His divine plan for us ; letting Him know that His generous love for us illuminates us with the awareness to understand – that the point at which we are at the present moment – is only because He wants us to be there – and only there.

The more we take His name ; the more we narrate His glories ; the more we think about Him ; the more we reflect on His wondrous doings – the more connected we will feel to Him ; feel His enlightening presence within us. Once the heart begins to embrace such thoughts ; the mind too starts thinking of embarking on the spiritual journey of experiencing His divinity within us and realising that God – is not anywhere outside of us, but , is residing within us.

A spiritual seeker realises that reciting , repeating and ruminating on the sacred syllables of the ‘गुरु – मंत्र benefit him in a way so personal that they can only be ‘felt’ and understood by him. He begins to feel that God has chosen Him over many others – and that his Creator on detecting the spark of spirituality in Him – is instrumental in directing him to receive the Grace of a self realised ‘सद्गुरु’- who not only reveals the glory of the spiritual world to him , but , also makes him realise that God and the spiritual seeker are ‘one’. On receiving this love and relating with His presence within us – life becomes not only more meaningful , but, also beautiful – as we, henceforth, think twice before doing anything wrong ; develop self restraint ; and understand that – ” ‘ईश्वर’ के साक्षात दर्शन पाने के लिए , हमें सबसे पहले अपने भीतर , ‘ईश्वर’ की उपस्थिति का अनुभव करना चाहिऐ…”