Month: May 2026

Swami ji said…

What the next moment holds, what our next thought may be, what someone may say or do the very next instant — man has absolutely no control over any of this. It is this complete lack of certainty and visibility that creates great fear within him. Even in the most peaceful of surroundings, uncertainty has the power to unsettle the mind.

A crystal-clear understanding of the fact that the only ‘certainty’ of life is ‘uncertainty’ itself — that one can never know what the next moment may reveal, and, that what remained unchanged for the last ten days, or even the last ten years, may not repeat itself tomorrow — becomes the very instrument through which calmness, endurance, and acceptance are forged.

In today’s world, man constantly lives under the shadow of stress, fear, and tension. His world grows more uncertain with each passing day. His plans keep changing, his targets keep shifting, and he struggles to see a straight path showing where life is leading him.

And then there are others around him — all voicing opinions, telling him what they think is right or wrong, best or worst.
Finally, there is the haunting burden of the past — regrets about what could have been done, what should have been said, and what perhaps should never have happened at all. There is chaos and confusion all around him. There is no peace.

But this is merely the state of the world — the illusionary world around us. Man makes the mistake of believing himself to be a part of this restless chaos and therefore feels disturbed and uneasy. But , those on the spiritual path know otherwise.

What we need to practice is to – close our eyes and focus on our breath — and we will slowly realise that we are not of this world, but, merely surrounded by it. We begin to understand that circumstances do not truly control how we feel; rather, it is our mind that determines whether we remain disturbed or peaceful.

And the mind — when disciplined and controlled — can choose peace. It can withdraw itself from the noise of the world and focus solely on God.
Those who succeed in doing this radiate a serene and unperturbed aura, as they experience His presence at all times. They understand, in letter and spirit, that life — even on the spiritual path — can never be devoid of problems. But, their focus on God becomes so unwavering – that neither the size nor the nature of any difficulty can affect them. They remain calm, because they know that the True ‘doer’ alone has the power to remove their suffering.

For such people, a deep understanding of God’s teachings makes them aware of the importance of discarding their ego and walking away from arguments, heated debates, and needless discussions. For they know that in a war of ego, the ‘loser’ is often the true ‘winner’. They understand that for the peace of their mind, it is better to borrow the characteristics of a tree — one that quietly sheds its dead leaves and focuses only on bearing fresh leaves and fruits again. In other words — it is best to let bygones be bygones.

It is equally important to understand that even altercations, misunderstandings and differences of opinion occur – only by God’s will — and He alone knows why they had to happen.

“जीवन की परेशानियाँ, कठिनाइयाँ हमें ‘अशांत’ करती हैं…” Peace, does not refer to a complete absence of troubles — but is felt as the presence of God – within one’s heart and mind.

Complete surrender and unwavering faith in God – erase the fear of uncertainty, remove the burden of doubt and unworthiness, and give us the strength to let go of the past and walk peacefully towards a better tomorrow.

Swamij ji said…

We wake up every morning with a mission in our mind; a goal to be accomplished; a dream to be fulfilled — and many a time, when we are right at the threshold of attaining that objective; realising our purpose – which appears to be very much “within our grasp” at that moment – it seems to fall apart the very next moment, leaving us dumbfounded, heartbroken, and extremely distressed and dejected.

At other times, something happens that we least expected. Something that rudely jolts us, scares us, and takes the wind out of our sails. What follows is deep despair. The mind, in fear, is unable to fathom what is happening. One feels completely numb. It appears as though what has now happened will forever stay with us and will always be on our minds. One is convinced that one’s life has been altered in such a way that there is no possibility of there being any happiness in it – ever again. But that is never really true.

‘Time’ takes its own ‘time’, but, changes everything – at the right time; at the moment destined for the change to happen. Little by little, inch by inch – that significant change occurs in our lives. And what seemed implausible before – lies right before our eyes – as ‘proof’. Pain recedes and is replaced by joy. Hope gradually overcomes fear. The immovable mountain that seemed to stand in our way is now behind us.

“स्वयं समय में ही इतनी शक्ति है कि वह ग़म को खुशी में; हार को जीत में; उदासी को खुशहाली में; हँसी को रोने में — अगले क्षण में ही बदल सकता है…”

And it is this singular, significant, and exclusive feature that time possesses – which has never been comprehended by God’s most intelligent creation — man. His arrogance, sense of superiority, and habit of overriding others – can only be silenced and subjugated completely – by the stronghold and absolute control that time exerts on him – as and when it feels the need to do so.

It is the situation and circumstance that time places us in, that finds us either exhilarated or dejected; gloomy or happy; positive or negative. But, the most amazing and mystifying quality of time is that – bad days will most certainly see the light of good days – one fine day; days of sadness will lead to days of merriment; and months of repeated failure will see monumental success one fine day.

So, it is ‘time’ alone that has the power to wound as well as to heal us; to give a disease and to cure. But what does this mean for us? What message does it carry?

To the spiritual seeker, this means only one thing : to have faith in all kinds of situations. What exists today — be it good or bad — will not be there tomorrow. Nothing is permanent, even though it might appear so. In good times, one is often acutely aware of this, praying that the good times last. But they never do.

In bad times, however, one seems to believe that the situation one is in will never change. But that too is never true.

With a little reflection, we will realise this – to be true. But it is when we internalise this lesson that we are able to live life better. For those who realise, see and feel the power of time- they are never too bothered by their circumstances today. They neither rejoice at good tidings excessively , nor, mourn in grief too bitterly. They are acutely aware that change is bound to happen,and, they thus act accordingly.

What matters, thus, is to keep moving forward in life. Life might trip us up today, but we must get up and continue, for it could only mean that we might ‘now’ be on time – for something great ‘later’.

Time teaches us the value of patience. It teaches us that patience does not mean slowing down, but, rather accepting and waiting for change to happen at the right time. It teaches us that today is only fleeting and does not necessarily have much say in how tomorrow will be. And, all we can do is our best and leave the rest to God.

In the Ramayana, Lord Ram’s life is an enlightening example of this. From a prince in a palace- to a warrior roaming the forests- and then to be crowned the King of Ayodhya- time placed him in circumstances that would have been impossible to discern- from any moment in the past.

Time heals all, time creates all, time erodes all, and finally, time reveals all. Thus, we all must strive to keep our faith in ‘time’ as- ‘समय’ हमेशा बदलता है और ज़रूर बदलेगा…”

Swami ji said…

Have we tried to visualise, even for a moment, the expression, the emotion, the look that would flit across God’s face on listening to the prayers, pleas, and petitions that we present and lay out before Him unfailingly, unhesitatingly, day in and day out— without ever thinking of giving Him a respite, even if it were only for a day? Have we ever wondered whether we come across as individuals whose expectations from Him are non-negotiable?

Barely have we whispered our fervent appeal into His ear or read out our prayers with greater devotion and zeal- that we begin to expect immediate results, miracles and fructification of our endless desires from Him. And to say that we do not expect Him to hear, listen, and pay heed to every invocation of ours would be an understatement?

After all, don’t we tell ourselves and hear others say—“वो नहीं सुनेंगे तो और कौन सुनेगा…?” But, wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could develop the strength to ensure that the same exultation that we show on seeing our wishes being granted- doesn’t turn into sorrow on being denied the fulfilment of our desires?

Because that is often what happiness and disappointment are to us. When things happen as we wish—we are happy—happy with God. But, when they do not—we look at God with disbelief- hurt and betrayed.
But when has God ever promised this to us? Where is it written? When was it ever said that every wish of ours will be fulfilled and that every request agreed upon? Asking God for things to happen—that is not really prayer—those are wishes being expressed to God- that we await to be granted by Him.

Yes, He hears us- patiently. Yes, He sees us. And yes, He does take care of us—but all in His own time and His own way, and not as we think is best and should be best for us. For who are we to think that we know better than Him? Why are we so impatient? When will we start believing in the Truth- that since what is happening with us in the present moment is the ‘best’ for us- so will it be in the future?

And it is perfectly natural to ask God to fulfil our wishes, and it is alright to feel disappointed when those wishes go unfulfilled. It is even more normal to personally spar with Him in seclusion ; question Him why He hasn’t listened to us. After all, we are His children—even we have a right to expect from Him.

But at the end of the day, like a good child accepts the final decision of his parents, we should accept what He decides for us wholeheartedly and move forward trustingly.

If a toddler cries out for more sweets – it is not the parent’s duty to meet his demands—for that would only harm the child in the long run. While the child might think his parents inconsiderate, they are only doing that what is good for the child. For a moment think of our ‘wishes and hopes’ that we express to God as similar demands. They seem ideal to us. But God is doing us a favour by not agreeing to give them a final shape- as He alone knows they will not be beneficial for us in the long run.

Pray to God to surrender to Him. Pray to God to be able to listen to what He tries to tell us. Pray to God to understand His ways. That is true prayer. Prayer is not meant to ensure outcomes—it is meant to free the mind and its thoughts from them.

If we can accept this, and embrace this in our heart; if we can instil this in our mind, we shall be freed from all the anxieties of the world. We will be unburdened of fears and adverse outcomes. We will realise that there is only the Now—that what we do at this moment is all that truly matters and is all that we can control. By doing so, we will be living free in a world where men are shackled by the five senses and the wayward thoughts of the disquiet mind.

Be comforted, knowing that He will do not as we please, but , rather that which He sees best for each child of His.