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Swami ji said…

Can any of us ever forget the instructions that were given to us by our family members, teachers and others – when it came to keeping , placing and arranging articles, objects and things – that were used by us in the formative years of our childhood , in particular? We might even recall that all those instructions were followed diligently by us – and a few good ones among us – would go all out to ensure that every thing was kept back neatly – from where it had been taken or pulled out by us in a great hurry earlier. All the things that were used by us ; be it toys, books, pens and pencils, bags, clothes, soaps – had to be put back in specific boxes, bags or areas designated for them – once we had finished playing with them or using them.

And, we , gradually began to understand that the box in which we kept our toys – became our toy box. Books were to be covered and kept in school bags. Pencil boxes which were treasured by us – were used to keep pencils. Shoe cupboards were meant to stack our shoes in an orderly manner. As we grew up – and started wearing jewellery – the box in which we carefully kept our diamonds and gold – became our very valued jewellery box. Toffee wrappers went into a trash can. Soap dishes were meant to have fragrant soaps placed in them.

We have been following this drill – year after year. Infact , so familiar are we with the spot where our things are to be put away or placed – that we can do the same, very easily, in pitch darkness too. So clear is the route in our mind. But , at the same time , it is this very darkness which can blind us to such an extent – that we fail to understand and remember a simple thing – that ‘when’ a ‘thing’ actually becomes ; is determined by ‘what’ goes ‘into’ it – like the things above – shouldn’t we be very careful and aware of what is it that we ‘keep’ and carry in our ‘mind’ ? Are our minds beautiful jewellery boxes – carved with the gems of love for all, honesty and compassion, or, have we converted them into garbage bins which are filled with hatred, anger and jealousy ? Because, what we should never forget is that – we ‘are’ what our mind ‘is’. We do as our mind directs us to do – and many a times we follow it unquestioningly. Do we rein in our mind or do we allow it to gallop like a wild horse ? Do we keep a quality check on our thoughts ? Do we screen our thoughts – before acting on them ? Or are we impulsive – say and do anything – and regret about our harsh words and inappropriate behaviour later ? Do we allow our mind to become too self – opinionated ; to think that it is one of the sharpest minds, replete with knowledge – one that will not allow any one else to counter it ? A mind in love with itself – will only swell with pride and find it difficult to make room for a fresh, new inflow of thoughts. And, a mind – stagnant would not be of any use at all.

Are we even conscious of the nature of the energy that pervades our mind and is easily visible to others ? Negativity in a person’s mind will not let him see anything good around him. He remains angry and ill – tempered for no reason and has many problems with people around him and with life in general.
A positive minded person finds it easy to smile and is thankful for every little blessing that comes his way. Such a person experiences heaven on Earth and the former makes life nightmarish for himself.

Do we realise that we have a certain responsibility towards our mind too ? To keep it pure , happy and healthy. Gossiping constantly ; speaking ill of others ; being avaricious ; desirous of materialistic pleasures – are all signs of an unhealthy, fatigued mind. Whereas a mind inclined towards spirituality – will be happy ; filled with the brightness of the love of God ; abundantly positive ; filled with faith and trust in God’s plans for us.

We need to remember that since our mind reflects a lot about us ; the kind of person we are ; what we think – wouldn’t it be wonderful for us to radiate a spiritual glow – with a mind focussed and immersed in God ?

Swami ji said…

In life, we often times come across phases and moments of dejection. We feel lost and discouraged. Absolutely nothing seems to make us feel secure and confident. We are a picture of self-doubt and fear. The mind is convinced that all has been for naught – our efforts and sacrifices – all of them have meant nothing and we are no good. We are quite convinced that we are of no use. And, strangely, our silent communication with these dark thoughts – has such a strong hold and influence on us – that we begin to believe in them – wholly and completely.

Do we ever ask ourselves as to why do have such faith and belief in the power of ‘NOT’? ” I cannot do this !” ‘ I cannot do that !” That is not possible for me to do ! ” That cannot be done! ” Day in and day out, we see so many people – achieve remarkable feats ; attain goals that we could only dream of. Yet, we convince ourselves that we surely will not be able to replicate none of those ourselves. It appears as though we are drawn towards these words, with some kind of a strange, fascinating conviction. As if these words – were only further strengthening the belief that we had already developed in our inadequacies. It is almost as if we trust these words…” ऐसा क्यूँ कि हम उन शब्दों पर ज्यादा विश्वास करते हैं जो हमें कमजोर करते हैं ? लेकिन स्वयं पर अटल और अटूट विश्वास नहीं करते ?”

The difference between those who think they ‘can’t’ and those who think they ‘can’, is often times not so much to do with ability or talent – but , rather, it is how they view themselves and others spiritually.To know oneself is to know God. Most of us however, do not view God in the remotest sense – when we think of ourselves. So blinded are we by ‘maya’, that we do not sense or feel any connection to a higher form. And , since all our experiences are limited by, and, bound to the physical senses – we are of course going to always place limits on what we can do or not do.

Man’s ego always makes him believe that he is the sole doer, the ‘कर्ता-धर्ता’ – and it is only he – who brings about everything – in his life. And , while such thinking can make one arrogant; it also makes one feel alone, bound by the limitations of ‘their’ self – be it physical or mental. How then can one ever think of taking on things that seem ‘out of reach’ or appear to be ‘insurmountable’?

But, those who are aware, who believe in a power higher than their own ; who believe that they can tap into that power and can be assisted by that power – such people, of course, are different ! They understand that it is their duty to give any and all their endeavours – their best shot; and that with God’s blessings they will be able to find ways to overcome whatever obstacles they are faced with. They understand that it is not just them, but, the Hand of God that makes them capable of doing that – which otherwise seems impossible.
The self-confidence that we see in such individuals, is not just confidence in their own abilities, but , also in the belief that God is looking over them and will be there for them whenever He is needed by them – provided they put in their best to achieve their goal.

Those, thus, on the spiritual path must ask themselves – Will a few setbacks leave them feeling uninspired, unimaginative and lustreless throughout their lifetime?
” ‘स्वयं’ पर विश्वास’ करने से, अपनी क्षमताओं पर भरोसा करने से और अपना सारा ध्यान अपने लक्ष्य पर केन्द्रित करने से हम मुश्किल से मुश्किल समय से गुज़र सकते हैं और नामुमकिन को मुमकिन कर सकते हैं…”

One must never give up on oneself. What we must understand is that it is in those moments – when we push ourselves – even while surrounded by darkness and despair – feeling lost and powerless – that is when we are actually not just placing faith in ourselves, but , also placing our faith in God. In fact, it is only when we begin to do so ; start being that way – that we begin to realise that there is something other than ‘us’ that is assisting us, wanting us to succeed. It is only when we persevere beyond our own limits that we can feel the helping Hand of God – guiding us forward – towards the light of motivation , self – confidence…और विश्वास स्वयं पर …”

Swami ji said …

“उसमें अहंकार कूट कूट के भरा है…” “पता नहीं वो क्यों इतना अहंकारी है?” ‘Why is he so arrogant?’ Haven’t many of us fumed in anger; expressed our frustration and exasperation while interacting with individuals – who refuse to let go their point of view. They refuse to listen to the perspective of others ; cutting off people in between ; making it clear that what they say is the last word and there is no room for them – to accommodate what others think or have to say. So rigid are they while expressing an opinion – that flexibility we feel is unknown to them – and they begin to feel that , if, they loosen up even a little ; relent to others opinions and accept their view point – ” उन्हें ऐसा लगता है, जैसे उनकी नाक कट जाएगी …”

The false sense of pride that they foolishly develop by thinking that they are the ones who are always right ; can only be right – and that the others are always wrong – is only leading them up a path of make believe – which will finally leave them feeling deserted and isolated – in the long run. Gradually, their ego turns them into headstrong , stubborn individuals – who grow accustomed to not being countered , controlled or checked by others – and end up agitating other people unnecessarily. Unless they are checked and attempts are made to refrain them from letting their egos – ”उनका ‘अहंकार ‘” – get the better of them; they are looking at a bleak future – in which a lot of resentment, dislike and displeasure – from others – awaits them.

Why should any of us behave in a manner that would be so contradictory to how God would like us to behave with others ? If we were to give it some serious consideration – we could relate with the thought that maybe – ‘हमारा ‘अहंकार’ ‘ – is that one trait , one characteristic – that wasn’t gifted to us by God – but created by us – ourselves.

Arrogance is what separates us from the Divine. If there is no humility in us – how can we, then , ever hope to see the Hand of God – that alone has the power to write our destiny. The ‘ego’ is what blinds us. We become believers of – “When I do this – only then do things happen.” But , in reality – we have control – only over what we can ‘do’. What happens as a result of that – is never in our control. Those who have humility, realise this very soon. They understand what is meant by God’s grace. They realise that it is only through His power that we are able to function.They realise that all that has come about in their lives is because of Him. It is the humble – who realise ‘what’ the world around them truly is. They do not see themselves as superior to others, but , that they are simply blessed by God and nothing more. They are thankful to Him for His blessings and try to repay His kindness by being good, kind and honest as He would want them to be. Such people, thus, are always good to have around us. They carry no air of self-importance or superiority. They see and treat everyone with equal respect and love and feel for one and all.

Arrogance is also what leads to jealousy. If we cannot be humble, then , we will not be able to appreciate God’s kindness to us. In such a state, we will never experience a single moment of gratitude in life. We will always see, compare and want what others have. We will be jealous of others for some reason or another. We will never be happy with our own lot in life and are bound to be in conflict with others. We will always find fault with others and resent other’s successes and celebrate their failures.

Arrogance, thus, will never make it possible for us to have healthy relationships with others. There will always be mistrust and deceit even in our relationships with our closest ones.
We need to think as to what could happen to those who allow arrogance to rule over them ? Their downfall is surely written in stone. Be it Ravan in the Ramayana or Duryodhan in the Mahabharat – those who act with arrogance always end up being at the receiving end of life’s cane.

No matter how good one’s life is – how great things are for him – any arrogance in him – can be removed by a flip in fate – that he couldn’t have ever seen coming his way. This is God’s way of reminding us about who actually is in charge. Thus, instead of having Him trying to remind us – we must try to check ourselves – the moment we feel that we begin to give undue importance to ourselves and bask in unwarranted admiration of our own abilities. The more we ‘clean’ ourselves of these ideas of ‘me’ and ‘ I ‘- the ‘more’ we prepare ourselves to experience the beauty and mystical power of God.

We must remember that – ‘ Life elevates the humble – and humbles the arrogant”.

Swami ji said…

” I just didn’t get the chance to do that ! ” ” I never got the opportunity to accomplish that …” ” मुझे जीवन मैं आगे बढ़ने का कोई अवसर ही नहीं मिला … जीवन मैं कुछ ख़ास करने का कोई मौक़ा ही नहीं मिला …” – is a complaint made by most of us very often – but whether we want to address this issue , attend to it immediately and see better results – is known only to us. If we were to give due consideration to the fact as to why this is said by us , quite a many times in our lifetime – when we pronounce the above about ourselves – it would be quite evident that we have already typecast ourselves into one of the regular, ordinary , typical run of the mill individuals – found in the teeming millions and are happy to be one among them…” हम यह तय कर लेते हैं की हम बिलकुल साधारण इंसान है और कोई भी साधारण इंसान कौन से झंडे गाड़ देगा … जब उसे कोई अवसर ही नहीं मिला , koi mauka hi mila – तो वह क्या कर सकता है…” We give ourselves great comfort by coining up such excuses.

And, once we are successful in relaying our sob story of how unlucky we were to do anything much in life – due to lack of opportunities – to all those who know us ; care for us and love us – we find it so easy to live a life in which we don’t have to prove anything to anyone in the future. Isn’t it surprising that we don’t hear the hollowness of the defeated words said by us ? Don’t all these excuses sound so archaic ; so lame , so feeble ; with many of us having already made up our minds – as to how comfortable we ‘were’ , ‘are’ and ‘will’ remain – leading life the way we have been that way.

We fail to remember – that when we speak in such an uninspiring manner about ourselves it appears that – ” Yeh humara
एक बहाना बनाने का तरीक़ा है … अपने आप को तसल्ली देने का तरीक़ा है …” – that we couldn’t have achieved miracles – even if we had put in everything that we were capable of. We must stop doing so immediately as it is very evident to all – that more than them , we are trying to convince ourselves. All the more so – as – ” ऐसे बहाने साधारण लोग बनाते हैं – ‘असाधारण’ लोग नहीं …”

By adopting an attitude of passing the blame on to anything and everything around us – we are reinforcing the truth of the words with a deep significance –
” Ordinary people wait for opportunities ; extraordinary people create opportunities…” It us upto us – in which category – would we like to see ourselves – the vanquished or the victorious. We must start thinking afresh and
create opportunities , in every stage of our life ; instead of waiting for ‘them’ to arrive at our doorstep. A precious lifetime cannot be wasted in just waiting for things to happen ; one has to think of new, innovative ways to progress in life.

A spiritual seeker should not hold responsible the demands of a hectic lifestyle for the sharp drop in the interest taken and the time put in by him for his ‘sadhna’ and ‘bhakti’ for God. He will have to do, no matter what it takes from him, to ascertain that he doesn’t forget his first and foremost duty – towards God. As challenging as it may be , he will have to create time , find those valuable moments – which will ensure that He maintains a perfect balance between all his duties in life. As a child of God – he is supposed to be ‘extraordinary’.

Swami ji said…

The mere thought of any festival – Deepawali, in particular – is all it takes for our faces to light up with a radiant smile – and we begin the joyful journey of preparing for the festival – with fervour. We go to great lengths to plan out in elaborate detail all that has to be attended to – to ensure a perfect beginning and faultless culmination of the festival. Our involvement with the festival is complete; both mentally and physically – the mind busy – both while dwelling on all the things that still have to be done – and at the same time ticking off all the tasks that have been accomplished. Endless trips to and fro to buy ‘samagri’ for the rituals involved; offerings to be made to the Goddess; flowers to adorn the temple and our homes ; gifts for loved ones and new clothes for ourselves- all this is done without a sign of fatigue. And, all this is done to welcome ‘लक्ष्मी’ – into our homes and lives ; Who brings in ‘समृद्धि’ – affluence, wealth and prosperity.

Though we may adorn ourselves with new clothes, buy beautiful gifts and decorate our homes – these outward symbols of prosperity pale in comparison to the richness we can cultivate within. And, thus, we must ask ourselves – What are we doing to enrich ourselves in mind and spirit? In fact, are we doing anything at all ? And if so, is it enough?
In a world that often equates success with material gain, it is easy to be swept away in the pursuit of possessions, status and wealth. We pour time and energy into building a life that looks abundant from the outside, but, too, often – leaves us feeling empty and unfulfilled within. True wealth, however, goes much deeper than what can be measured in numbers or displayed in possessions. It resides in the strength of our character, the clarity of our vision, and , the values that guide us. This is the wealth that endures us through life’s changes and challenges.

Just as material wealth grows through consistent effort and wise investments, ; inner wealth is cultivated through daily practices that align with our values and principles.
Simple practices, like showing appreciation to loved ones, taking a few minutes each day for reflection, or , helping others without expectation – can transform our lives from the inside out. These habits make us feel rich in a way that money cannot, as , they nourish our spirit and uplift those around us. We realise it is the qualities we cultivate within ourselves that are our real treasures.

While material wealth is often unstable – fluctuating with circumstances- values are the steady anchor that ground us, offering a source of stability and purpose. When we live principled lives, we , experience inner peace, and, also create such a positive impact – all around us that we truly can leave a legacy behind that no amount of money can create.

” बहुत ज़रूरी है हमे यह याद रखने की – कि समृद्धि पैसे, धन दौलत से ही नहीं आती , बल्कि वास्तविक समृद्धि हमारी आदतों से, हमारे सिद्धांतों से, हमारे दृष्टिकोण से और अपने जीवन को अनुशासन से जीने से आती है । अगर हमे अपने आप को वास्तव मे समृद्ध बनाना है तो इस तरह से समृद्ध बनाये…”

We, thus, must change our perspective. We must also see our wealth in terms of the spiritual quality of our actions and thoughts. We must ask, not to be blessed with worldly riches , but , to be able to remain unaffected by them. What difference is there in suffering from lack of wealth and suffering from the fear of losing it ? Either way, there is no peace of mind. There is no joy and happiness in either state. Yes, we cannot truly wish to live in physical poverty , but , we must not forget that it is only a wise and stable mind that knows how to act correctly when it has wealth at its disposal. The festive spirit will witness our ‘senses’ savouring every minute to the prelude of the celebration of the festival – as they get involved with all the ‘outwardly’ happenings – to such an extent – that we forget to understand the nuances of the core message of the festival – which is to direct our senses inwardly too – and awaken ourselves ; improve ourselves ; endeavour to strengthen ourselves ; overcome the vices that could have become a part of our lives ; conquer our weaknesses ; be honest and brave enough to be critical of ourselves.

For the spiritual seeker – ‘समृद्धि’ – is when he has the wisdom to live life correctly. The wisdom to act in a way that brings him closer to God. Even the material wealth he obtains must be viewed as a means to be closer to God – by serving others in need selflessly. What other purpose should it serve? For there can be no higher or better purpose.