Month: December 2025

Swami ji said…

Often, in times of difficulty, we hear words of encouragement—“Keep the faith going!” or “Have faith!”— said by people around us to motivate us, telling us, in a way, not to lose confidence. They reflect the reality that, in the worst of circumstances, one can only endure and try to move ahead. And this is only possible if one has ‘faith’; if one has a belief that there is something—either a purpose, a destiny, or a higher power—that is beyond this immediate crisis and worth much more than the suffering of today. It is this ‘faith’ that gives rise to strength and commitment within us. It is this ‘faith’ that makes us mortals move mountains and weather storms to achieve our goals.

In the life of a spiritual seeker, nothing is possible without faith. In this material world, our eyes cannot see the hands of its Maker, and the nose cannot smell His divine aroma, nor can the ears hear His words and sounds. Our senses do not aid us, but deceive us in the quest for enlightenment. Thus, it is only ‘faith’, only belief— belief that there is something, someone, beyond this world that we see.

We get only thoughts, observations, and glimpses of Him in this world. There is a realisation of His hand behind ‘something’— and that something is what we find so difficult to define. But that is all that we have to go by. And it is in ‘that’ – that we have to keep our ‘faith’, and move towards perfecting ourselves spiritually.

A Guru comes into a spiritual seeker’s life precisely for this: to nurture and nourish his faith in God. He shows the spiritual seeker the hidden reality behind the ‘maya’ of the universe. He tells him about it, and guides him on how to see it for himself. It is in this way that the faith of the disciple becomes even stronger.

Why did Lord Krishna lift the Govardhan Parvat? Why did Jesus walk on water? It was to show that God is the true master of this world and everything beyond. These miracles were done to give us the proof that we needed to see, and thus accept, that there are no laws of this world that cannot be defied by God—if He so wishes. Thus, we must have ‘faith’ in the Lord and not let the ‘senses’ become the masters of our lives.

True surrender is a must to gain enlightenment. It is not enough just to know all about the way to God; it also has to be followed. And to do so is more difficult than it appears to be. True surrender to God means sacrificing many of those very things that we hold dear in this world— wealth, sentiments, relationships. It is quite frightening to disregard all these, to think that they ultimately have no meaning, and to proceed towards something that we have never experienced before ourselves. This is only possible when one is one hundred per cent certain that all these are nothing more than specks compared to the true bliss and joy that lie ahead. Where does this certainty come from if not faith; if not belief in God?

Thus, for the spiritual seeker – ‘faith’ becomes the fuel for the spiritual fire within him, that burns and burns till it consumes his ego and makes him see nothing else but the realisation of God as the ultimate aim.

Swami ji said…

In the journey of life, every individual, encounters moments – during which he feels that he lacks something; there is something missing in his life; unfulfilled desires or unanswered prayers. In fact, we always feel that the very thing that we deem ‘essential’ – seems to be missing from our life.

It could be anything. To some, it might be a house in their name; to others, a promotion; and to someone else, finding a life partner. Whatever it is that we lack at any point in time- strangely that very thing seems very essential to us — and without it – we feel as though we are on a slippery slope. We are convinced in a strange way, that doom awaits us, unless this ‘need’ is fulfilled.

But, if, we introspect a little, we will realise that there is no phase in our life in which we ever feel fully fulfilled. The mind always notices something missing — and convinces us that this missing piece is critical – even non-negotiable. And yet — don’t we see the next day? Don’t the problems we anticipate due to our ‘insufficiencies’ rarely ever materialise before us? And even when they do – how is it that the unlikeliest of solutions appear?

Have we ever asked ourselves- How does this happen? Is it due to our own talents and skills only? Definitely not. In such situations, our actions have very little to do with the outcome. The way we are provided for — the way solutions arise — is nothing but the work of God. Yes, we certainly try. But, our ability to stay not just afloat, but even fulfilled – despite shortcomings, has less to do with us and more to do with the miracles of God.

How do people emerge from tragic circumstances? How do some achieve their goals against impossible odds? Yes, they put in effort — but even their strength and resilience is not enough. It is purely God’s will.

The gaps in our life should not make us feel morose or inadequate. They should remind us that we are not in control. We can only act. The fruits of those actions are not ours to command — they are His alone to give.

The spiritual seeker must remember that life’s difficulties are not meant to push him down — but to liberate him from the illusion of control. They are reminders to focus only on right action. There is no point clinging to what we have today, imagining it will be ours forever. It will be ours – only if God wills it to be that way.

Such a perspective brings clarity. We stop worrying and complaining that – ” हमारे पास यह चीज़ नहीं है… वो चीज़ नहीं है…” We realise how foolish we can be by pining for things that just don’t seem to come our way and stop obsessing over fulfilling only our needs. Instead, we begin to focus on what we must do today; do it to the best of our ability and leave the rest to Him. Every opportunity we receive, every person we meet, every idea we have — all are God-sent. They are His way of providing for us. Thus, we must act with sincerity and gratitude and do the best we can with what He has given us.

Swami ji said…

“I can’t wait for this to happen!” “I can’t wait for this to end!” “How much longer?” More often than not, we hear these expressions from people – hoping that either some uncomfortable or unwanted circumstance will come to an end soon, or , that something desirable and wonderful will happen quick and fast in their lives. In essence, there is always something that we want and are waiting for to happen — something that constantly tugs at our thoughts and mind.

Even in the best of circumstances, man ends up thinking that something will inevitably go wrong, and, he begins to hope to foresee and overcome such problems immediately. He wants to overcome even those problems that are only imaginary – in that very instant; immediately.

Such anxiety and fear will only lead us down a path of depression and sadness. Irrespective of the circumstances—good or bad— we are unable to find a moment of peace. We are unable to savour a single moment of joy, or, even of reflection, because we are never able to appreciate what we have in the present moment.

“Patience is key” – is a phrase we have often heard or been told. But a key to what? It is, in fact, the key to happiness. People often mistake patience for ‘suffering’— for simply bearing whatever they are going through and waiting for things to change. This, however, is a morose description of an otherwise noble trait. What patience truly means is having complete faith in oneself and one’s Creator, and knowing that everything will happen at the ‘right’ time. It means accepting today as it is— humbly and respectfully— without losing sight of where one wishes to be tomorrow. It also means – joyfully accepting that – what one has today is what God feels is enough for him at that moment in time.

Patience is not about waiting. It is a practice of dealing only with the present. It is a practice of focussing more on one’s actions in the present, and, not being preoccupied with what they will yield, or , when they will bear fruit in the future. Our ‘wait’ could last an eternity. The waiting period could try the limits of our patience – but once we develop firm faith in the words – “Sabr ka phal meetha hota hai…” – it is only then that we will understand later as – life unfolds before us – the ‘whys’ and the reasons that had made us wait for ‘that’ certain thing to happen, to be achieved or acquired by us.

The spiritual seeker needs along with personal discipline – a large reservoir of patience – as a foundation for spiritual growth. As he evolves spiritually, he should understand and accept that each belief, each principle, and each teaching that he has absorbed – will be tested by life – at every turn. Yet, the seeker must not react in a manner that is unprincipled or untrue to his faith. He must pause, reflect, and listen within. Oftentimes, he will feel reassured even in the most trying of circumstances. He will be confident that – “This too shall pass.” He will soon realise that patience is the art of surrendering oneself to God — of giving up the urge to control outcomes. He will understand that the practice of patience is not about wasting or whiling away time in the hope of a better tomorrow, but, is rather the art of careful and patient preparation. He is of the firm belief that it is only his patience that will reveal the very reason – behind every wait of his – in his lifetime.

Swami ji said…

Man has always believed himself to be strong, powerful — almost invincible. He takes pride in having conquered the unimaginable ; whether in the skies, in the depths of the oceans, or across the vastness of the earth. He feels that God has created him to subdue, control, and tame the unconquerable. And, when he greets success — after a few failed attempts — he becomes even more confident of his ability to overpower and establish his dominance over the insurmountable, the unvanquishable.

And, this sense of power slowly becomes woven into his identity, convincing him that ‘life’ itself must bend and shape itself to his will. But, on coming across this ‘one’ obdurate, unbending characteristic
of ‘life’ – he finds himself ill-equipped to handle, and, in a way is taken aback by his inability to control the pace, the speed at which his life flows.

Life can never he tailored to our demands. It is not a machine which can be regulated or controlled by us. We can neither increase or decrease its speed…” जीवन अपनी गति से चलता है…” – moving gently, like a river, carving its own path, unhurried by the world’s impatience. There is great wisdom in the words -” Let life flow.” We could wait an entire lifetime for something exceptional to come our way – but, it just doesn’t happen that way. So, wouldn’t it be better if we accepted and welcomed – ‘what’ comes our way. And value, cherish ‘what’ is with us, stays with us and let go, forget ‘what’ is no longer with us. Yet, how often do we attempt to understand what we are truly meant to do in this lifetime — which itself is so brief and fragile?

Man struggles to accept his life for what it is. The crests and troughs of life leave him uncertain, feeling helpless and fearful. The uncertainty makes him despair. He is forever living in the future, trying to guess what tomorrow will bring, hoping to avoid any bumps ahead. But, this is not the way life is to be lived. It is not to be lived in fear. Yes, there will be struggles in life, and , there will be pain. But, we have also been given strength and endurance to overcome them. We must live life being keenly aware of the moment. We must focus on what needs our attention ‘now’. Anything beyond that is wasted effort.

Not all days are meant to be the same. Make the most of each. Display your heart and courage in the dark days and kindness and benevolence in the good days. Each day calls for us to display different aspects of ourselves. Some need discipline, some need joy; some need seriousness, and others need lightness. All, however, must be met with equal effort. That is all that is demanded of us. Life can be enjoyed to the fullest when we accept that – ‘ जीवन को उसकी गति से बहने दो…”

Life unfolds with divine care. The sparrow does not force tomorrow, and the flower does not rush its bloom — yet both are held in God’s protection. Then why should we, who have been given the gift of awareness and faith, live in fear of days yet to come? To live each day with trust — without the burden of anxious expectation — is itself an act of worship. It is to recognise the divine hand that guides every step of ours – at an unhurried pace – even when the path ahead seems unclear to us – but is seen clearly by Him – as He knows that it is most suitable for us.