Month: January 2024

Swami ji said…

From the moment we are born, our allotted time on earth starts ticking away. There is nothing we can do to stop it. Neither pause it – in times of joy and happiness; nor, make it go faster – in times of pain and suffering. It moves at its own pace – undisturbed – beyond our commands or wishes ;
reigning supreme over us all. But, each day that dawns does come to an end ; unlike – ‘मनुष्य की व्यथा जिसका शायद कोई अंत ही नही है…”

‘Time and tide wait for none’. These simple words of wisdom are known to all, but, rarely are they ever acknowledged and imbibed. The constant churn of disturbing, troublesome thoughts and emotions in our heart and mind – ‘हमारे मन की व्यथा ‘ – leaves us immobile in mind and body, distracting us ; making us waste precious time – that could otherwise have been utilised in doing something worthwhile and constructive.

Maybe, ‘man’ has evolved into a creature quite different from God’s expectations. Wouldn’t God have liked to see us as – ‘मनुष्य जो शांत हो, शांतिप्रिय हो और सब के साथ शांतिपूर्वक रहे… व्यथित ना रहे?’ But, are we anywhere close to meeting any such expectation of His ? Many of us – most of the time – are in an agitated state of nerves; disturbed and confused.” क्या हम कभी भी अपने मन की व्यथा पर नियंत्रण पा सकेंगे?” At times, we are angry over nothing, in particular, but – angry with life, in general, as it is unable to meet the expectations set by us.

At the core of our frustrations and anger lies our inability to accept that it is simply not possible for happiness to wait for us with open arms at every crossing of our life. ‘हम हमेशा सुख ही देखेंगे – ऐसा होना बहुत मुश्किल है…’ It takes only a hiccup of hardship to get us all worked up ; to begin lamenting that Doomsday is round the corner to get us. Why have we driven contentment and satisfaction away from our lives? If we wanted to – we would without fail – see a lot to be happy about in the present moment ; but, in a foolish way, we are determined not to do so. Are we worried that if we do so – ‘हमे व्यथित रहने का कोई कारण ही नही मिलेगा ?’ The number of precious hours that are wasted in thinking about – ‘how’, ‘when’ , ‘if only’ – which are related to the unknown, unseen future – rather than gaining satisfaction from the living moment – should make us change our mindset. We must make a determined effort to gain control over the pain, agony and suffering that we needlessly take upon ourselves ‘today’ – for a perceived, perfect ‘tomorrow’. Our biggest loss while going through all this self – created turbulence is our failure to see God’s blessings and love for us.

The only thing in our hands, at any moment in time, is our ‘karma’ – our actions. A farmer never knows what the weather will bring. Yet, he does not stop laying seeds for his next crop. Come hot or cold, pleasant or dreary, he always goes out to plough his fields. Sitting still – will serve him nothing. Going out and working, struggling – most certainly will. We too must focus not on the ‘what ifs’ and ‘what nots’, but, rather, on what we can do. The more we focus solely on our ‘karma’, the better will its quality be. In times of stress and duress, we must tell the mind – “Do not worry ! This too shall pass – onwards and upwards it is !”

The spiritual seeker must realise that the mind will not always sit idle at one’s command. It is in its nature to worry about the past or future. But , what we can do is to not pay much heed to it. We should instead console it like we console a scared child. We must tell it that it is only by going through today – can we get away from yesterday and reach tomorrow. So, we must do the best we can in the present – that is the only way we can be best prepared for what comes later and best compensate for what we have left behind. Prosperity and adversity will always be part and parcel of our life – but we must continue on the spiritual path with equanimity.

Swami ji said…

” अगर तुम मेरी सलाह मानो तो…” If you were to ask me for advice, my advice to you would be…” “मेरा अनुभव ये कहता है…My experience tells me that … In my experience…” We are rather familiar with these words. Aren’t we ! We might have lost count of the number of times we were close to feeling incapable of solving the problem at hand ; unsure whether our next step would take us towards our desired goal or not ; uncertain about the choice that we had to make within a fixed duration of time – would it be right or wrong ? Try as we might – we seemed to have met with no success…”उस समय ऐसा लगाता है जैसे कि हमारी बुद्धि ने ही काम करना बंद कर दिया हो…” – and that inflated ego of ours refuses to seek advice from another person – as we foolishly feel that in doing so – we could come across as weak and indecisive to them.

But is this the right attitude to adopt ? It is not uncommon for us to be in a state of dilemma – when it comes to taking decisions about
our personal and professional lives ; decisions
which will lead to our success or failure in the future. We must remember during such moments or times, in particular, that there is just no harm in reaching out to family members or friends – who could help us – by providing us with the ideal way to tackle , overcome and deal successfully
with what appeared to be an impossible ‘issue’ earlier. There is nothing to feel small about in seeking advice from the elderly, in particular, as their grey hair reflects the rich experiences that they have gone and grown through.

We somehow fail to understand that we can learn something, imbibe something valuable – from every person we meet in our lifetime. It is not always only people with rank , status and power – from whom we can learn something.The simplest and humblest of individuals can surprise us with their gems of wisdom. We need to remember that…”सलाह हारे हुए इन्सान की भी बहुत काम आती है…”as he would know how best to rise from the ashes once again ; rework on the causes of his failure ; learn a never to be forgotten lesson from his defeat and to not repeat the mistakes made by him in the past…” हम सफलता कभी भी अकेले प्राप्त नही
कर सकते है।”

It is next to impossible for us to proceed and progress single handedly in life. We have a team alongwith us in every stage of our life – right from the moment of our birth – to support us , to guide us. We would be wrong in taking solo credit for our success – as it would not have been possible for us to reach – where we are in the present time – without the contribution of the experienced minds of winners ; people who have planned and executed victories and wins for themselves…” जीते हुए लोगो के अनुभवो को सुन ने से भी , उनसे सीखने से भी हमे जीवन मे
सफल होने मे बहुत मदद मिलती है…” The process to be successful – can be called a collective process. A combination of the advice of people who have tasted the bitterness of defeat and have worked on their flaws later – as well as the motivational stories of those who have tasted sweet success ; और साथ – साथ अपनी बुद्धि का सही उपयोग करें तो हम सफलता ज़रूर
प्राप्त कर सकतें हैं।”

A spiritual seeker who has made up his mind to be successful on the spiritual path – will remain steadfast to his promise to himself – as he would have learnt a lesson or two from a few devotees – who had given up the same sacred path easily ; without putting up a fight against all the distractions that had lured them away from the spiritual path – and they on regretting the mistakes made by them had cautioned him from making the same mistakes. At the same time, a few other devotees who have experienced bliss and sublime joy on the spiritual path will share their unparalleled happiness on evolving spiritually – and will instil in him too the relevance of pursuing this divine path – and to never deviate from it – come what may. He, now, needs to use his mind and intelligence – to decide on the ways and means that could be pursued by him to focus intently on God ; cleanse his soul further and understand the true purpose of his life…” हमें अपनी बुद्धि का इस्तेमाल कर के आध्यत्मिक रास्ते पर चलने का महत्व भी समझना चाहिए और सफल होना चाहिए…“

Swami ji said…

The measured duration of time that God allots to each one of us – in each lifetime of ours – is an opportunity given to us to improve our ‘karmic’ account – where we should put in all our energy and focus more on doing ‘पुण्य’, and , distance ourself from – “ किसी भी तरह का पाप…” Every ill-thought of ours; a silent mental barb; wishing for another person’s downfall; suspecting another of wrong doing; making someone feel like a culprit without any conclusive evidence – all such ‘acts’ too become part of our bad ‘karma’ – बुरे ‘कर्म’.”

“हम कितनी जल्दी दूसरों पर संदेह करते हैं, शक करते हैं ?” It takes us no time to harbour misgivings against others ; to mistrust others. And , at times we are unwilling to hear them out, as they try to defend themselves, from the barrage of accusations, that are flung at them by us. Even the great ‘devtas’ were susceptible to ‘suspect’ one another in times of trouble. It is, thus, important to realise that we – mere mortals are as vulnerable to this malicious emotion, as dry leaves are in stormy winds.

We fail to realise that by giving sanctuary to ‘suspicion’ in our heart and mind – we are mindlessly wasting precious time – imagining the various ways in which we have been betrayed. Barely do we to lose something, or, rather misplace something at home – and we immediately start casting doubts on the domestic help, an adolescent teenager or someone who could be frequenting our home regularly. Hours are needlessly spent on visualising how the ‘suspect’ was able to carry out the ‘theft’.Suspicion makes us believe the worst in others. Whatever little flaws they might have displayed – in the past are amplified in our mind – in the present time.

What we need to remember is that – ” ‘संदेह’ बेकार की मुसीबतें खड़ी कर देता है…” Misunderstandings develop unnecessarily ; relationships take a beating and are ruined for ever. Has the thought ever occurred to us – ” दूसरों पर ‘संदेह’ करने के बदले हम उनपे ‘विश्वास’ क्यों नहीं करते ? विश्वास तो पहाड़ों में भी रास्ते निकाल देता है…” Any relationship – be it between parent and child, between family members, between friends – is akin to a plant that needs to be nurtured. And, what water and sunlight are to the plant; belief and encouragement are to a relationship. Suspicion, on the other hand, is suffocating for ‘the’ one – who is always suspected of wrong doing. He feels as though he is constantly walking on glass ; mindful and fearful of coming across as a culprit. Such relationships turn sour very fast. Belief and encouragement shown by us – make others believe – that we are confident in them and inspires them to be loyal to us, as it makes them feel they are someone we ‘trust’. Trust – the very remedy a person ridden with ‘suspicion’ needs – to calm his mind.

Yes, we do not have to blindly trust everyone that we come across in our lives. There is always past behaviour ; references from others that must be considered by us. But , if possible, we must always give ‘trust’ a shot. Suspicion is like an iron gate, keeping us jailed in – away from new possibilities. Trust – ‘विश्वास’ – gives rise to new beginnings, new friendships, new journeys.

The epic ‘Ramayan’ depicts the unwavering ‘trust’ that Shri Ram reposed in each individual – who He met – while searching for Sita ma in the forests, when she was forcefully taken away by Ravan to Lanka. He ‘trusted’ Sugriv to keep his promise to help him search the forests for Sita ma with his ‘vanar’ sena. He ‘trusted’ Vibhishan – his enemy’s brother – to lead him to Ravan and reveal his weaknesses to Him. Would we have trusted a King who had just won over his kingdom with our help – to support us with his army – a few months later ? In today’s world that would seem foolhardy, and , perhaps, it might have seemed the same to some people back, then, too. But, the Lord placed His trust in all of them throughout. Would we ever accept our foe’s brother as our friend ? Would we trust him ; trust his words and irrespective of what he said – would we listen to him? But, even here, the Lord did so, smilingly.

How can a saint turn a thief into a good man , if , He does not trust him enough – that he will even ‘try’ to turn into a new leaf ? Even, we, who are blinded by the illusion of the material world, should feel fortunate that God trusts us – उन्हे हम पर ये विश्वास है कि, हम जैसे भी हैं – we will make an attempt to search for Him – not anywhere outside of us, but , within us…Then who are we to doubt anyone else ?

Swami ji said…

‘मैं उसे बहुत अच्छी तरह से जानता हूं! वो ऐसा ही है! वो वैसा ही है!” “I know him in and out !” हम इतनी आसानी से दूसरों के बारे में बुरा बोल देते हैं। हमें एक क्षण भी नहीं लगता किसी की आलोचना करने में, उनकी बुराई करने में; उनके बारे में उनकी पीठ पीछे बात करने में…” It doesn’t take us any time at all to pick on people, and, discuss about them at length with others.The speed with which we claim to ‘know’ people – qualifying and quantifying them in just a few seconds, without any deliberation, or , thought , is possibly faster than the speed of lightning. In our excitement to outdo others while talking behind someone’s back, we actually go guns blazing after them. “हम ये भूल जाते हैं कि किसी की बुराई करना जितना आसान कोई काम नहीं है।” In fact, it is the simplest thing to do.Talk ill about people whenever we want to. At times there could be no particular reason for doing so – but we do it anyway – as a matter of habit – and, also, because we derive some inexplicable, devious pleasure out of it.

But , then , who are we to do so ? Is this a divine right that has been granted to us by the Almighty? How can we say whatever we want to about others? “ ‘दूसरो’ के बारे मे बात करने के बजाये , ‘उनको’ जानने के बजाये – तुम पहले ‘अपने आप’ को तो जानो, अपने आप को पहचानो!” Why don’t we, if , just for a moment, train the same all – knowing, all – seeing eyes – at ourselves, and , make the smallest possible attempt to ‘know’
ourselves -” ‘स्वयं’ को पहचानने का प्रयास करें…”Are we sure that we would like the image that we see there? Or will the shocking reality – of how far we actually are – from the perfect creation that we had always thought we were – hit us hard. It takes guts, courage, and fearlessness to accept and admit the real ‘who’ that we are ! Or, are we such narcissists ; so much in love with ourselves – that we refuse to see any imperfection in us that needs to be worked at ?

Can we honestly question ourselves – “Am I biased towards myself and refuse to acknowledge my shortcomings ? Do the scales of judgment remain evenly balanced when it comes to analysing ‘myself’ as an individual , unlike those times, when I weigh ‘others’ on the same scale ? Am I sure that there is no scope for some improvement in me too ?” We do know who we are , don’t we ? We can do everything but hide from ourselves. Can we say with all honesty – that our ‘virtues’ outnumber the ‘vices’ – that are prevalent all around us ? Are we such truthful and upright individuals – that unperturbed by the outcome of the situation that faces us – we refuse to deviate from the path of honesty and righteousness, in order to remain steadfast to our principles?

When we don’t have any qualms in voicing tauntingly about someone else – “पता नही उसका पेट कब भरेगा? हमेशा पैसे की बात करता रेहता है…” – then can we say with our head held high that greed and avarice are unknown to us ? Are we truly content with what we have, or , do we just pretend to be so in front of others ? वो मुझ से जलते हैं – is said so complacently by us – but , again , have we reached a stage where we don’t turn green with envy on seeing others do better than us? Have we managed to overcome our ‘ego’ – and do not get offended when our point of view is not accepted ? As compared to others , are we more tolerant and less temperamental – because of which arrogance and rude behaviour find it difficult to frequent us? Are we sure the words – ” वो अपने आप को क्या समझता है?” said by us, for others, with questionable contempt do not apply to us also ? Don’t we say mockingly – “अरे, तुमने उससे क्या उम्मीद लगा रखी है ? वो किसी की मदद नहीं करता…” But then, do we go out of our way to help others – even if it causes us some inconvenience?

New resolutions are made by us at the beginning of each New Year – which are implemented with great enthusiasm in the beginning – but fade out quickly. This year make a resolution – to ‘know’ yourself ; to correct yourself ; to change yourself ; to improve yourself – as all these steps will make you realise that – ‘अपने आप’ को जानना भी सबसे बड़ा ‘ज्ञान’ है…”