Day: July 21, 2024

Swami ji said…

‘ Who am I? What am I? Where have I come from? What is the purpose of my life ? ‘ These are the numerous questions that man’s intellect grapples with , at times. Even when he is completely immersed in this illusionary world, trapped in ‘माया’, there is always a small part in him that asks him these questions.

In some ways, subconsciously, our actions ; our way of living ; our way of expressing ourselves – all seem to arise from the internal quest to understand who we truly our. Since we are unable to understand our ‘true’ nature in this material world – we fill in this void by trying to make an ‘outward’ identity for ourselves. Instead of embarking on an internal journey of ‘self-realization’, man begins an outward struggle – trying to ‘see’ himself through the eyes of others – which is why we often find ourselves concerned about what others think of us and how they perceive us. From our looks, to our standing in society – we are constantly trying to maintain an ‘image’ of ourselves. And, man’s ego, takes further pride in this false sense of identity. ‘I am a professor’, ‘I am rich’, ‘I am a businessman’, ‘I have power’ – He declares all these identities to one and all with pride ; with an inflated chest. It is ironical that the entire duration of time during which he remains pre – occupied in trying to achieve these identities and the actions involved in pursuing them –
are in no way linked to his soul ; the ‘आत्मा’.

While, of course , such materialistic pursuits will never reveal to us the ‘true’ nature of our ‘self’ ; nonetheless, it appears that even throughout our engagement with this world, we are ultimately trying to fulfil, though erroneously, our one true obligation in life – that is to realise who we are ! Such actions and behaviour, however, are not to be passed judgement upon. How can one who is unenlightened know where to begin this journey of self-realization? How can anyone expect him to look inward – living in a world that is appealing to all his ‘senses’ ? There truly is little chance of salvation for man, if , he is to understand all this on his own.

How, then, can one escape this darkness and come into the light of self-realization? What help and assistance can one get ? Who can make his mind, mired in the trap of ‘माया’ – experience beyond the ‘senses’? Who can bring man to the right and righteous path?

The answer to this is – a ‘guru’, an enlightened soul – one who knows the way out of the cycle of life and death and is benevolent enough to show others the Right Path – with His ‘ज्ञान’ and divine powers. It is this kindness ; this love for others in a few enlightened souls – that keeps the path open for others to discover their true selves and escape from the misery of human existence.

Without a ‘guru’s guidance, it is nearly impossible for any one of us to establish trust in the spiritual journey that we seek to embark upon – which otherwise appears to be long, demanding and mysterious. It is a ‘guru’ who tells us what to do in the present time – which He knows will lead us to the destination – earmarked for us in this lifetime. A ‘guru’ understands us individually – the way each one of us is – and tells us specifically what we need to do to develop spiritually. He takes it upon himself to guide us at every step of our spiritual growth…”ताकी हम ऐक दिन मोक्ष के द्वार तक पहुंच जाएँ…”

But , do we truly value the significance of the presence of a ‘saccha sant’ in our lives ? Do we make a genuine attempt to transform ourselves into better versions of ourselves ?Are we aware of the subtle way in which He opens new paths for us ; the path on which we are destined to travel; removes obstacles from our life which we had thought we were incapable of ever surmounting?
Are we aware of the gradual awakening of our soul due to the ‘guru’s Hand on our head – the cleansing of which starts guiding us to walk on – ‘सत्य’ के मार्ग पर , अच्छे ‘कर्म’ करने के लिए उत्साहित करते हैं , ‘ईश्वर’ पे ध्यान केंद्रित करवाते हैं और खुद को जानने की इच्छा – ‘ मैं कौन हूं ?’ ‘मैं’ कहाँ जाऊँगा ?’ – जगाते हैं … हमारा साथ सब छोड़ सकते हैं ,परन्तु एक ‘सच्चे संत’ अपने भक्तों का साथ कभी नही छोड़ते हैं … मुश्किल वक़्त का सबसे बड़ा सहारा होते हैं एक ‘गुरु’, जब वो हमें , हमारा खोया हुआ विश्वास दिलाते हुए कहते हैँ – “सब अच्छा होगा… मैं हूँ ना … तुम चिंता क्यूँ करते हो…”