Month: October 2025

Swami ji said…

Those among us who yearn, crave, and hold an ardent desire to know the ‘true’ meaning and ‘purpose’ of the life that we have been blessed with — “जो इच्छुक हैं ‘सम्पूर्ण सत्य’ को जानने के लिए; जो आध्यात्मिक पथ पर चलना चाहते हैं और ईश्वर को पाने के लिए व्याकुल हैं…” — find themselves overwhelmed when, in the most unexpected and unplanned manner, they are suddenly placed upon the path that leads them to the portals and threshold of an enlightened soul’s abode.
To truly experience the divine, powerful vibrations that a ‘सच्चे संत’s’ touch can create when He places His hand upon a seeker’s head – one must possess a genuine hunger and an insatiable thirst to see God, to know God, and ultimately, to merge with Him on the day He wills. When God sees this unfeigned इच्छा, this pure inner longing, He lovingly guides the devotee towards the ‘guru’ — who, also, has been waiting patiently to accept the ignorant soul as His own.

The meeting between a Guru and a prospective ‘bhakt’ is the beautiful culmination of God’s sacred plan to fulfil an earnest devotee’s fervent wish.
The unbreakable bond — “जो दिव्य तार एक ‘गुरु–शिष्य’ को जोड़ता है, उनको एक अटूट, दिव्य रिश्ते में बांधता है — वह बहुत ‘पवित्र’ और ‘भव्य’ होता है…” — as is built on the foundation of faith, honesty, and complete trust. The ‘guru’ knows everything about His devotee — his strengths and his weaknesses — from the very moment He sets His eyes upon him. Yet, He will never embarrass or shame the devotee by directly pointing out his shortcomings. Instead, He remains hopeful that the problems and complications arising in the devotee’s life due to these weaknesses can be overcome by sincerely following the ideals and principles shown by the ‘guru’.

To follow a ‘guru’s’ teachings is to live with divine purpose and once devotees begin to do that – then, they no longer live merely for the satisfaction of the ‘body’, but , instead, begin to live for the nourishment of the ‘soul’. Life’s troubles no longer appear arduous, nor, do the twists and turns of destiny unsettle them – in a way, they had done in the past. Instead, they learn to observe them with calm acceptance, even with gentle amusement – knowing that everything is unfolding under His watchful care.

When one lives as prescribed by the Guru, surrender becomes natural. He is entrusted with our tomorrow. He always provides us with what we truly need, but, not always that what we desire. Even in moments when our faith in Him dwindles, He continues to look after His disciples in the smallest, quietest and most unexpected ways. In His own subtle manner, He ensures that we are never left wanting, so that we may remain steadfast in our ‘bhakti’, focussing more on the soul and less on the distractions of the material world.Those who follow the ‘guru’s’ guidance learn to engage with the world not to satisfy their ego or pride, but to uplift and purify the soul. This becomes the surest way to avoid unnecessary pain and future crisis. A life rooted in a ‘guru’s’ teachings is, thus, one in which harmony and peace remain within reach.

The reassuring words -” Main hoon na …Tum chinta kyun karte ho…” said by the ‘guru’ – with a deep sense of commitment and responsibility – resonate with the devotees – when they unexpectedly
find themselves in deep waters – and on surrendering themselves at the Lotus Feet of their ‘guru’ – are more than surprised to find the strength within themselves – to wade determinedly – through the rough waters with ease and self – belief. Once it becomes second-nature of devotees to put into practice the ‘ Knowledge’ that they were fortunate enough to have assimilated from their ‘guru’ – they begin to live a life devoid of falsehood, deceit and dishonesty – which enables them to purify their ‘soul’ rapidly and ready themselves to face their Creator with the confidence that He will allow them to finally merge with Him.

Swami ji said…

Festive fervour is palpable and discernible during all festivals. Cheer and a celebratory spirit prevail in the air, as the energy, enthusiasm, and excitement with which everyone plans to welcome and celebrate the festival radiates through them. And why should it not be this way ?
“त्यौहार का एक अर्थ ऊर्जा और उत्साह ही होता है…हमें यह समझ जाना चाहिए कि जब हम त्योहार मनाते हैं, तो हम ऊर्जा, उत्साह और उमंग से भर जाते हैं…”

If we fine-tune our senses, we will be able to realise and experience the divine embrace in which He seems to hold everything around us, exuding ‘spiritual’ energy in a very special way – during the days of a festival, thereby,
providing us with that extra energy that each one of us needs – to stay connected with Him – as we plan and prepare – for the day to arrive.

Beaming, cheerful faces are a welcome change for all to behold, replacing the tired, jaded, faded faces that we see regularly. A bounce in our stride hides the tiredness we experience while scrubbing and polishing every nook and corner of our homes. Exhaustion and fatigue turn into unknown, alien emotions during the period preceding the glory and greatness of God. Lethargy and laziness — so regular a feature on ordinary days — are replaced by quickness and lively movements.
It could be any festival, in any part of the world.
Elaborate plans are made enthusiastically to celebrate. Happy, excited faces fill our surroundings – radiating an inner glow and radiance – which unfortunately we allow to extinguish once the festival has been celebrated.

Energy, as we know, can never be destroyed. It is only transferred. It changes form — from positive to negative, or from negative to positive. Thus, negative energy must be replaced immediately by positive energy. Festivals give us that very opportunity — to renew our energy, refresh our hearts, and reconnect with the divine source of all joy.

Have we ever questioned ourselves — When we are capable of exhibiting such a high level of energy and enthusiasm during festivals, why are we then unable to display the same cheerfulness on ordinary days? What makes us so lacklustre and dull on regular days? In order to find an answer to this question of ours – we do not have to look very far to keep ourselves motivated, energetic, and enthusiastic. Just look at a child — ever curious, ever active, and always ready to explore, without the burden of yesterday or the worry of tomorrow. It is said that a child filled with energy can easily engage and hold the attention of sixteen people, drawing them in to placate, pamper and meet his needs and demands.
Just like a child who becomes joyful with the simplest of things, we too should be filled with ‘utsah’ and ‘umang’ throughout – undisturbed and unaffected by all that happens around us.
Unfortunately, the childlike exuberance becomes a trait of the past, and, instead, we prefer to settle for unhappiness, pessimism and negativity. Have we ever wondered – Why do we let positive energy drain away from our ‘selfs’ at the first sight of a storm building on the horizon and allow it to plummet to the lowest realms of negativity? An age-old practice of whitewashing our homes during the festival of Deepawali ensured a clean, spick and span exterior. But, what is of greater significance, today – is to extend that cleansing to the inner walls of our mind and heart as well. For what use is a spotless home, if, the mind remains cluttered with resentment, envy, or , despair? The true radiance of Deepawali is not merely in the lamps we light outside, but, in the one we ignite within — when we sweep away the cobwebs of fear and self-doubt, and allow divine light to enter. It is then that every day – not just the day of the festival, becomes a celebration of renewed energy, purity, and grace.

True renewal begins not with new clothes, sweets, or , lamps — but with a mind renewed in faith, a heart washed of bitterness, and a spirit rekindled with light. Each day, then, becomes its own festival — not marked by noise and decoration, but, by peace, gratitude, and the quiet glow of divine presence within.

Swami ji said…

Undoubtedly, “सांसारिक जीवन व्यतीत करना आसान नहीं है — क्योंकि बहुत सारी ‘समस्याएँ’ हमारे सामने आती रहती हैं और आती रहेंगी…” We cannot deny this and it is a truth that must be accepted. To visualise a life free of problems — a lifetime devoid of difficulties — would be to live in a fool’s paradise. Merely wishing them away will not achieve the desired results, for the challenges and trials we are destined to face will inevitably find their way to us. It is during such demanding phases that we must remain alert and composed in order to overcome them.

Our elders, with the wisdom born of experience, often say philosophically, “इस बात में दो राय नहीं है कि ‘संसार’ का दूसरा नाम ‘समस्या’ है…”
Yet, sitting helplessly and saying, “I don’t know how to overcome this problem,” serves no purpose and helps no one.

So greatly perturbed and over – wrought are we just thinking again and again about the problem – that we seem to forget that – ” ‘ईश्वर’ के पास हमारी हर समस्या का समाधान होता
है…” Our faith and belief in His divine ability to provide us with solutions – whenever we find ourselves in complex and complicated situations – will always yield miraculous results.

Problems in life often seem unsolvable. The mind is unable to see any relief in the future. All its analysis and foresight fail to find a solution. There appears to be no light at the end of the tunnel. In such moments, one can easily give in to despair, react with anger, or, find fault with everyone and everything around.

But, the spiritual seeker must not yield so easily. He must resign himself to God. He must accept that where he stands now was destined by God, and, where he will reach – is also in His hands. The seeker must continue to act – as instructed by the ‘guru’ — with composure, steadfastness and complete faith in God. He must act with the belief that not only will all be well later, but, that all is well even now – regardless of how things may appear to the world outside.

Only then will he truly experience God by his side. He will realise that he has emerged unscathed, even though the worst has occurred. He will also see that situations once deemed hopeless have miraculously transformed themselves into favourable circumstances. Everywhere he looks, he will witness the divine ‘leela’ of God unfold before his eyes.

Even the greatest souls were not spared from hardship. In the Mahabharata, Kunti prayed to Krishna for difficulties, knowing that suffering deepened her remembrance of Him. In the Ramayana, Lord Rama — the Divine Himself — accepted exile with quiet grace, showing that faith is proved in adversity, not comfort. In the Bible, Christ’s words echo the same truth: “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” Across all faiths, the message is one — God may not remove our burdens, but , He walks beside us through them – showing us ways to make the heavy burden feel lighter. The storms of life come not to drown us, but, to teach us to keep our gaze upon Him – as He alone is our problem solver.

Once we develop unshakeable faith in God’s will – we will become aware of the fact that even when all paths seem closed, God, in fact , has already prepared the one we are meant to walk. When faith deepens, fear dissolves — and every problem, however insurmountable it may appear, quietly begins to reveal its divine purpose.

We need to remember – “जहाँ ईश्वर में श्रद्धा अटल होती है – तो वहाँ समस्या से उत्पन्न हुआ अंधकार भी, श्रद्धा की रोशनी से प्रकाशित हो जाता है ।”

Swami ji said…

The divine relationship that develops between a ‘सच्चा संत’ and a devout ‘भक्त’, a dedicated ‘साधक’, is one that is ordained by the Almighty. For, “वो जो ऊपर नीली छतरी वाला बैठा है , जिसकी इजाज़त के बिना जब एक पत्ता भी नहीं हिला सकता , तो क्या यह संभव है कि ‘गुरु–शिष्य के बीच का दिव्य तार उनकी इच्छा के बिना जुड़ सकता है…?”

From the very moment an enlightened soul rests His eyes upon those ‘lost’ souls who come to Him for His Grace, nothing — absolutely nothing — remains hidden from Him. Their past, present, and future is already known to Him. Yet the wisdom, restraint, and discipline that years of ‘साधना’ have instilled in Him, equip Him to keep that knowledge to Himself. With only a gentle, knowing smile, He carries truths that ordinary individuals like us could neither bear nor accept — the shadows of our past deeds, the obstacles awaiting us in the future, and the trials woven into the present journey of our lives.

Once He accepts a devotee as His own – every joy, burden, and sorrow of that devotee becomes His. He smiles when they smile, and, He feels their pain when they are hurt — even when He is fully aware that such moments of pain were destined to come their way. The devotee may feel hesitant to open the deepest chambers of his heart before their ‘guru’, weighed down by shame or remorse for past misdeeds — but nothing remains hidden from Him. To Him, His devotees are open books. When faced with sudden, overwhelming situations, the devotee naturally feels at sea, unequipped to handle unavoidable developments. It is then that the ‘गुरुदेव’ steps in — beginning a silent, systematic process of guidance. Every thought that stirs in the devotee’s mind is read and deciphered by Him, and, answers are quietly offered by Him to them when their mind is still, away from the noise and clamour of the world…” ‘गुरु’ हर समस्या का समाधान बताते रहते हैं…”

A spiritual seeker must, therefore, cultivate the ability to listen inwardly. For the ‘guru’s’ voice is never absent. It flows ceaselessly in silence. Only when the mind is steady, humble and receptive does one begin to truly hear it.
It is natural to feel fear when untoward developments arise. But even that fear must be turned into an opportunity — a reminder to direct one’s thoughts towards ‘guru’ and God.

The spiritual seeker, especially, must make this a practice. Trials and tribulations come to all; no one is spared. Yet for the seeker, these very moments become sacred chances to hold on even more firmly to the Guru’s presence. Slowly, they discover that what once seemed ‘uncomfortable’ begins to feel almost comforting. For when the path ahead is unclear to the mind, the awakened soul does not fret — it rests in the certainty that the Teacher has already taken over and is carrying the devotee gently towards safety.
Thus, it becomes important to stop wandering anxiously in search of answers. And yes — this is easier said than done. But to panic and lose composure is only to surrender to our most base instincts in the face of fear. Instead, we must summon the courage to keep our faith alive, steady ourselves, and place every worry at the ‘guru’s’ feet. For when the mind rests in calm trust, even the fiercest storm reveals a path quietly lit by the Guru’s Grace.