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Swamiji said …

” Life is what we make out of it. Every moment of our life plays out to the chords of the tune set by us, which in turn, depends completely on our interpretation of life. How we look at life is what matters the most ! Our temperament, belief, attitude and outlook play a pivotal role in making us compose either a lilting, lively melody for the joyous ‘song’ of our life, or , fabricate a grieving, melancholic strain for the sad ‘dirge’ called life. Life is all about making choices and so does the choice, whether we intend to make it blissful or stressful, rests only with us.”

“Mere mortals like us have no knowledge of what lies beyond the realm of human life, but, the often heard vivid and detailed descriptions of ‘Swarg’, ‘Narak’…’Heaven’ and ‘Hell’ have always held an undeniable, peculiar fascination for us.The narratives of ‘The Abode of The Lord ‘ and ‘ The Darkness of The Devil’ fill us either with sensations; pleasurable and divine at the very attempt of trying to create a visual of wondrous ‘Heaven’, or , at the same time could overwhelm us with feelings of morbid fear and trepidation at the very mention of ‘Hell’.” Whether ‘heaven’ is wondrous or ‘hell’ is hot, we do not know. But what we do know is – ‘what’ we experience in the ‘now’ ; at the moment, in this life. And, it is here – as we wade through the journey of life, in everyday life situations, that we can find and realise …’Jivan ke har pal mein ! Jis tarah hum har kshan ko jeete hain, ussi se hum apni zindagi ko swayam ‘swarg’ ya ‘nark’ banate hain.”

” Our perceptions differ when we look at a glass filled halfway to the brim. It can be viewed as half full by an optimist , or , half empty by a pessimist. In a similar manner, it is how we choose to view and experience our lives, our circumstances – that make life either ‘hell’ or ‘heaven’ for us.”

“Our past ‘karma’, not only determines the family in which we take birth, but also, pre-decides the obstacles and opportunities that we will come across in life. The one power that we are given is the ability to control our thoughts and actions. And, it is these thoughts and actions that determine how we experience and live life. A calm mind that surrenders to the will of God , and , a heart that is content and soaked in love and gratitude for God’s divine plan…’Aisa mehsoos karta hai jaise ki woh ‘swarg ‘ mein ho…’ and a restless mind that questions God at every step, discontent and clamours for more incessantly…’Apne liye ‘narak’ bana leta hai !”

“ ‘कमल कीचड़ में खिलता है ” – Much like the lotus that blooms in a stagnant pool of mud, we too should have the strength to live joyous and blissful lives in the most dreary, demanding and challenging circumstances. With belief in God and the willingness to work hard, any one of us can live the most liberating and happy lives, irrespective of our surroundings. We only have to create those magical moments of happiness, for ourselves, as well as, for everyone around us. Learn to untie the knots of hatred and instead cultivate forgiveness and kindness in ourselves.
Remember that hatred is taught ; kindness is spontaneous, natural. We must create every opportunity to appreciate others and make the windows of their ‘souls’…the eyes…light up with happiness and joy.”

” Ultimately, it is the mind which is the source of all happiness and misery. The mind can always easily find ‘that’ which is lacking in our lives, and make us ‘want’ more, making us feel dissatisfied with life. But with careful thought and meditation, one can control one’s reactions to such thoughts, and, carefully assess what one truly ‘needs’ for his life to be more fulfilling and act accordingly.”

” The more we learn to discipline the mind, control our impuses, make it wise with the knowledge of the ancient texts and ‘gyan’ of great teachers, the more we will learn to be unaffected by the ‘moh-maya’ of the world. It is only with an enlightened mind that we will succeed in pushing away the darkness of ‘hell’ and negativity from our existence, and , create ‘heaven’ for ourselves on earth with a positive, happy mindset.”

” ‘Jivan’ ko ‘swarg’ ya ‘narak’ banana humare haath mein hai ! Jis parivar mein chahe bahut dhan na ho, parantu prem ho, vishwas ho, ek doosre ka khayal rakhte hon, sukh-dukh ek doosre ke saath baant te hon, unke liye yahin ‘swarg’ hai … aur woh parivar joh dhani hai, parantu parivar ke sadasyon mein prem na ho, swarth ho, ladai jhagda ho, vishwasghat ho, woh maano ‘narak’ mein hi reh rahe hain’!”

Swamiji said…

” Life is a constant struggle for most people, irrespective of the strata of society to which they could belong. The only factor constant in their lives could be struggle.Some struggle to cater for their next meal. Some struggle to meet their childrens’ or family’s needs; and yet others struggle with one, or, many of the other numerous aspects of life; ranging from professional, societal to financial etc.
This struggle is never really over as once one target is achieved, the struggle for the next begins. All this is bound to leave wear and tear on the mind and spirit. But, in the midst of meeting the challenges of life, have we forgotten to smile, be happy and take pleasure in the sights and sounds that surround us? ” Zindagi ki raftaar mein daudte daudte kya hum ‘khush’ rehna bhool gaye hain? Choti choti cheezon mein khushi dekhna band kar diya hai kya hum ne? “

” Man and society are guilty, at large , for equating happiness only with achievement. To get that coveted promotion, to hold a to-die-for degree in hand ; acquire a new luxurious penthouse; see a big payday; apparently are great providers of happiness and all these acquisitions and achievements are celebrated with parties and announced to the world through social media posts. But, we need to remember that such achievements and celebratory moments are bound to be few. So, will we be happy only on such momentous days and sad and morose on other regular, normal days? Even Alexander, the Great, was unable to conquer a new country every other day.”

“Thus, the long span of struggle to ‘unlock’ our next achievement is mostly devoid of any joy, as we seem to have trained ourselves, to focus only on the goal, and , not take a break till we reach that goal. Thus, it is not uncommon for people to feel unhappy and depressed in life. After all, such a lifestyle, adopted by many, is akin to a journey through a desert with no respite from the heat.”

” Yet, from the old travellers we must learn. They too were intent on reaching their destination; but that did not stop them from sipping water and taking a rest at the oasis.
Our lives too has such oases.We only have to learn to see them and enjoy them. Simple things in life should be enjoyed the most as they alone give us genuine happiness. ‘Jo khushi ugte hue suraj ko dekhte huey milti hai, uski kirne raat ke andhere ko prakashit karte huey, woh kshan ki khushi anmol hoti hai.’ ‘Purnima’ ke ‘chand’ ki sundarta aur shitalta ko dekhte huey… jharno aur nadiyon ko naye raaste banate huey dekhte huey, hummey aulokik anand aur prerna bhi milti hai!’ So would savouring a meal, cooked by a loved one, lovingly for us make us happy. Laughing at silly jokes with our colleagues or family. Catching up with old friends…’Doosron ki khushi mein khush ho…’ Enjoying the spectacular sunrise or sunset. Watching the trees sway in the wind. Waking up to the chirping of birds. All these delightful interactions and visuals provide us with priceless, indescribable pleasure…but only if we are not too busy and are determined to derive happiness, at all costs, from every little thing that comes our way.”

” Such natural, everyday occurrences, considered to be trivial, are missed by most of us.The reason for this is simple. We have conditioned ourselves to be happy only in ‘gratification’. The importance of enjoying the small ‘happy’ moments of life around us, needs us to be disciplined in the mind, too. Instead of letting ourselves be solely centered on ‘our life goals’, we must also teach the mind to appreciate ‘that’ – which has nothing to do with gratification of the ego and pride.”

” While there is no shame in being happy while buying an expensive chandelier for one’s home, if one can afford it; one must also learn to enjoy, in a similar manner, the brightness and majesty of the moon that God has gifted us with.The ‘samosa’ from the street vendor or a five course meal at a five star hotel and the mango plucked from a tree – all are delicious in their own way; thus, we must learn to enjoy them all, just as much as the other, as all these moments collectively form an album of fun filled moments and memories. And, It is only then, that we will be able to enjoy the ‘small’ things in life that God gives us to help us ‘struggle’ happily on in life.”

“If we think that money, property and horrendously expensive acquisitions alone can make us happy, we are sadly mistaken, as, though they might give us momentary pleasure on possessing them, ‘nothing’ can make us ‘truly’ happy, unless our ‘soul’ smiles genuinely from within us. And the ‘atman’s’ happiness is in no way dependent on the statement of our hefty bank account or a locker overflowing with gems; but it is the happiest on seeing the glorious sights of nature, marvelling at His creations, which are provided in equal measure to each one of us, free of cost. But then are we willing to be happy? The choice is ours to make.”

” Wise men say –
‘Man, when he plans ; God, He then laughs…’ Thus, we must make it a habit to find happiness in every unplanned, living, present moment that God blesses us with in abundance. It is we, who need to ‘open’ our ‘sleeping’ eyes, to embrace every such moment with delight, and, be thankful to Him, with a heart filled with gratitude for His wondrous ways …’ Hummey sada ‘khush rakhne ke liye !”

Swamiji said …

” This world, ‘जगत’, is much like a mysterious forest through which we must traverse carefully, avoiding the lurking dangers and pitfalls, to reach the Supreme One, ‘जगदीश’, finally. The ‘jagat” is God’s unique, beautiful creation and we cannot travel through it with our eyes closed. We must look at the spectacular sights, appreciate its amazing wonders and enjoy the visions and colours that the world has to show us, Yet, we must be careful not to lose sight of the ultimate goal…to merge with the Creator of this जगत…’Humare ‘जगदीश’ se’. We must remember that we are only travellers in this forest, and that in the process of enjoying the fruits and shade that it offers us during our journey, we must not forget to thank God for providing us with all that He blesses us with during this lifetime.”

” The Preserver of the world, Lord Vishnu भगवान विष्णु, ‘ humare ‘jagdish’ is depicted wearing a golden crown, beautiful jewels and clothes, alongwith His consort, Goddess Lakshmi, next to ‘Him’, while ‘He’ addresses various issues that need to be solved by ‘Him’. ‘He’ is shown as ‘The One’ surrounded by wealth and opulence.This depiction might contradict the common belief associated with ‘spirituality’, as is known to us, where wealth is often viewed as a source of ‘sin’; a dangerous distraction for those on the path of enlightenment.”
 
” Yet, Lord Vishnu is ‘One’ of the three Supreme deities; ‘He’ being the one who maintains the world – जो दुनिया का 
संचालन करते हैं। He is responsible for ensuring that ‘adharma’ does not raise its vicious, ugly head anywhere in the world. So, why is ‘He’ then depicted in riches, surrounded by comfort and abundance, enjoying the world around him? The underlying message must be understood clearly.”

” Lord Vishnu might be surrounded by the glitter of gold, but he has no affinity or attachment for it. In his ‘राम अवतार’ ‘He’ renounces the world ; its material comforts and pleasures, without any hesitation; without turning back to see the ‘objects’ of attachment that were being left behind by ‘ Him’ when ‘He’ leaves the palace, to lead a life in exile for fourteen years! ‘Swayam ‘Jagdish ji’, ‘ Mahadev’ ki aradhana karte hain, manushya yoni mein, ‘jagat’ mein rehte huey !’ On his return from Lanka, while His attire changes on being crowned the King, His attitude does not change. Thus, he does not let worldly pleasures have any sway or hold over him. He ‘appears’ to enjoy them when they are available, but does not crave for them in their absence.”

“Similar must be the case with us. ‘Jis tarah se ‘jagat’ mein rehte huey, ‘Ram avatar’ rup mein Vishnu ji, apne ‘jagdish’ ko nahi bhuley, usi tarah hummey bhi jagat mein rehte huey, apne ‘jagdish’ mein leen rehna hai.’ A busy, prosperous life should in no way bring about any change in the emotions, feelings and connection that we should nurture for our Creator – ‘ Humare paalan haare, humare ‘Jagdish ji ‘ ke liye !” And, it is here that we need to pause , and , honestly ask ourselves – ‘Have we succeeded in maintaining a balance, as we have evolved with time, between ‘ Jagdish ‘ and ‘Jagat’ ?’ Very often, most of us being house holders, involved as we are in attending to our worldly tasks, find ourselves bending backwards to find the few minutes needed to bow our head in gratitude, to praise Him, to thank Him for every little blessing that comes our way. Does the inexplicable attraction for the ‘jagat’ tilt the balance more towards it, thereby, increasing the distance between ‘Jagdish’ and us ? Aren’t we being unfair to ‘Him’ by forgetting ‘Him’ and immersing ourselves completely in worldly affairs? Isn’t such an uncaring attitude unbecoming of us? “
 
“A spiritual guide, a ‘Guru’ makes us understand that there is nothing wrong in doing well in life and progressing in a fair and honest manner. But, He will undoubtedly warn us on seeing us heading towards an abyss, filled with lust and desire, on a never-ending quest for wealth. Using unfair means to lay our hands on ill- gotten wealth, neglecting one’s duties towards his family, conniving against others to gain wealth will without any doubt be frowned upon and checked by Him ! If ‘His’ blessings can enable His devotees to create a name for themselves and leave an indelible mark ‘jagat’ mein’ by excelling in their chosen field, He has the right to check them on seeing them enjoy their worldly success and pleasures unabashedly, but, fail to thank God in helping them attain that level. He consciously draws their attention towards God by saying…’ Hummey ‘jagdish’ ko hamesha yaad karna chahiye !”

” At the same time, a self realised ‘guru’, will dutifully acquaint His devotees with His enlightening words…’Jagdish’ ki rah mein ‘jagat’ ki keemat kuch nahi hai ! Jab hum ‘jagdish’ ki rah par chalte hain toh, ‘jagat’ apne aap humare peeche aataa hai!’ “
 

Swamiji said …

” ‘हम ज्ञान की तलाश क्यों करते हैं?’ Why do we seek knowledge? What is the purpose of acquiring knowledge? What is the Supreme aim of doing so? Some of us read Holy scriptures; some listen to the preachings of saints and ‘Gurus’, while some attend spiritual  congregations. These actions culminate into an exchange of experiences and beliefs. But, why , then is the world in a state of constant conflict and chaos even today? Why doesn’t the spirituality of mankind shine through and make us aware of the death and destruction caused by war? Why doesn’t True Knowledge’ – ‘gyaan’ transform us into better and rational human beings?”

“Just like all seeds do not grow into shade giving trees, similarly, all the religious knowledge acquired by us, will fail to manifest itself into ‘spiritual’ bliss, unless we prepare ourselves, to experience this transformation, externally as well as internally. And, in the same vein, just like it is not the ‘seed’, but, the sower’s fault, for not having worked on the soil adequately and failed in making it fertile enough to plant seeds in it ; it is the knowledge seeker’s fault that he has not put in enough effort to prepare his mind to absorb and cultivate this knowledge. We need to remember that both, our ‘outer’ and ‘inner’ beings should be receptive and willing ; filled with a hunger to attain ‘ True Knowledge, at all costs, irrespective of the obstacle riddled path that leads us towards self – realisation.”
  
” Millions of copies of The Bible, Quran, Bhagwad Gita and numerous other sources of God’s words and Teachings are read and distributed all over the world. Then why are we at perpetual war, at loggerheads with one another? Where has all the goodness vanished from around us? It is because the essence, the ‘True Knowledge’ of every page of the Holy books is not truly understood and imbibed by us in principle. Otherwise, why should the mind continue to remain impure, engrossed with innumerable distractions and admit weakly that it is not ‘prepared’ to follow the voice, words and message of God ! Wouldn’t the ‘kundalini’ be eager to awaken itself from the dormant, listless state that it finds itself, fearless of the pain that our body would have to endure on ‘it’ being awakened and unleashing spiritual energy within us with a tremendous force? Why doesn’t the soul ; the ‘ruh’ yearn for liberation from the never ending cycle of birth and rebirth by cleansing itself of all the impurities that have accumulated over it during its previous lifetimes? Why is it content with the state of darkness in which it finds itself ?”  

“The seeds of ‘knowledge’ will only bear fruit once they are transformed into noble thoughts and positive action by the mind.Thus, it becomes critical for us to calm ourselves and focus on the task of de-cluttering our minds of all that is useless and tends to obstruct our progress on the path of spiritual enlightenment. We must give up bad habits; become kind and endearing in speech, disciplined in thought and action. Only then will the mind be able to implement and wield the value of ‘ज्ञान’ – the knowledge – that it has gained over the years effectively. ‘Gyaan’ empowers us to live a life filled with gratitude to Him and surrendering to His plans for us without protesting and questioning Him time and again.”

” The demon king – Ravan, who possessed knowledge of all the ‘Vedas’ allowed his ego, lust and desire to cloud his mind to such an extent; that he failed to realise that he was waging a war with ‘परमात्मा’ Himself. It was only when he was breathing his last, that he was able to see Shri Ram’s divinity. Similarly, Judas’ mind was so overwhelmed with greed for money, that he betrayed Jesus Christ, despite having received the same ‘knowledge’ as had been received by the other apostles, from The Lord.”

” Just ‘knowing’ about ‘True Knowledge’ is not enough. We must act on what it teaches us, as early as possible, and, act correctly. We need to think of ways and means of using the outer being ; the body, as a medium to know, understand and imbibe the principles of ‘True Knowledge’. A basic knowledge of the rules of chess does not make one a Grandmaster. Similarly, merely ‘listening’ to, or , reading the words said by God cannot liberate one from this world. We must cleanse the mind with meditation… ‘achche vichar’. ‘ ‘Ruh’ ko pavitra karna hai, ‘sadhna’ aur ‘nek karma’ karke’ – by doing good deeds. Only then, will the mind begin to deliberate upon the teachings of God and ‘Guru’ and guide our actions accordingly. ‘ ‘Ishwar’ ki krupa aur ‘guru’ bin ‘gyaan’ praapt nahi ho sakta hai ! Hummey ‘saccha gyaan’ ek adhyatmik ‘guru’ se, kayi janmon ki ‘bhakti’ ke baad milta hai! Ek saccha bhakt ‘guru’ ke dikhaye hue marg pe chalkar, unke diye huey ‘gyaan’ ko apne jivan ka mooladhaar banakar, apne andar virajman ‘Ishwar’ ko dekh sakta hai !’ ‘इश्वर’ की कृपा और ‘गुरू’ बिन ज्ञान प्राप्त नही हो सकता है। हमे सच्चा ज्ञान एक आध्यात्मिक गुरू से कई जन्मों की भक्ति के बात मिलता है। एक सच्चा भक्त गुरू के दिखाए हुए मार्ग पर चल कर उन के दिए हुए ज्ञान को अपने जीवन का मूल आधार बनाकर अपने अन्दर विराजमान ईश्वर को देख सकता है।”

‘ We need to remember that the ‘seed’ of ‘gyaan’, that an enlightened ‘guru’ chooses to sow in us, does so, after great deliberation; only when He is convinced of our state of preparedness; both, our physical endurance and mental toughness; as the access to ‘True Knowledge’ is not easy. The ‘seed’ soaked in His pure love, retains the divinity of His touch and the ‘atman’ on experiencing ‘it’, feels the veil of ignorance and darkness being lifted from it and lights up with the awareness that this ‘knowledge’ brings alongwith it – that the ‘atman’ alone is the ‘Real’ Self. It is ‘pure existence’ – and has nothing to do with the body as it transcends it.The earlier it succeeds in making its bearer understand this ‘Real’ fact , that ‘he’ is the ‘soul’ and not the ‘body’ ; every thought, word and action of his would henceforth be aimed at purifying his ‘soul’ further, enabling it to merge with His Creator at the earliest.”

Swamiji said …

” ‘Manushya apni nasamjhi mein, apni sansarik ‘ichchain’, ‘ashain’ aur ‘ummidon’ ko poora karna hi apne jivan ka lakshya samajhne ki bhool kar deta hai ! Aur uska zyadatar jivan inn ‘ichchaon’ ko paane main hi, nikal jaata hai !’
All that man needs is a whimsical desire, a fanciful wish and a distant dream to motivate him, drive him ; a challenge to keep him going and very often he doesn’t rest until he gives his desire a real, concrete and definite shape. So, he works with a willing heart and determination, pursuing his desires, which are mostly materialistic in nature, and very often succeeds in achieving them one at a time. Thus, ‘desire’ in itself is not bad as it teaches him quite a many lessons about self awareness.The world itself was born out of Brahma’s ‘desire’ to understand ‘Himself’. It is, however, falling in love with desire fulfilment; failing to understand where this chase of his never ending desires is taking him and seeking immediate gratification is the cause of man’s undoing.”

“We all desire something or the other. While we all are a part of the same ‘परमात्मा’, our past ‘karma’ and the physical bodies that we inhabit make us different people with different desires. Many of us desire wealth; some desire physical beauty; some academic excellence, while others desire power and status. There is nothing wrong in desiring any of these. However, our purpose on earth – our ‘कर्म भूमि’ – is not just to fulfil these desires. Such a life would be a waste, if it kept us away from realising its true purpose; the desire to attain self – realization by treading on the spiritual path; the Right path.”

” Our desires are unending. They keep tugging the mind in all directions.There can be no peace if one pays heed to them all the time. The desire to be wealthy is not a sin. Money is required during one’s old age and for the well being of one’s family. But this desire must not seize control of one’s being. The tendency to accumulate personal wealth is strong amongst most of us.The relentless pursuit for wealth blinds us to the social miseries around us and turns us into insensitive human beings. It is obvious that we have been snared in the “माया जाल” of money and gold.”

” While living a life in the thick darkness of desires, we must pause for a moment ; correct ourselves and ensure that we find time to take a few steps in the direction towards the brightness of the ‘divine’ light regularly. We should often contemplate about the real cost at which we are achieving our desires? What are we gaining by making our desires the end all of our lives? What are we losing by embarking on this wild goose chase ? Have we deviated from a simple, easy life in which we used to remember God unfailingly ? ‘Hum apni ‘ichcha’ poorti kar ke kya achche insaan ban pa rahe hain?’ ‘Ishwar’ ke aur sameep ja pa rahe hain kya? These questions need to be answered honestly by us.Time can only keep a constant vigil and await the final outcome silently.”

” ‘Hummey yeh baat yaad rakhni chahiye ki jitni ‘zyaada’ humari ‘ichchayen’ poori hoti hain, hum utne zyaada hi ‘ Bhagwan’ se dur hote jaate hain , aur jitni kum ‘ichchayen’ poori hoti hain , hum utna hi ‘Bhagwan’ ke kareeb jaate hain !”

” The all seeing, all pervading ‘Paramatma’ has His own unique way of taking care of each one of us and He does so, in a manner, best known only to Him. Since, ‘He’ is The One, who has created us, He knows us in and out. Thus, in Him, rests the power of ‘judging’ us. And, He, in His unprejudiced, divine manner judges us and awards us with a verdict…fair and just…which may, or, may not be to our liking. The choice is totally His whether He allows us proximity to Him ; or prefers to keep us at an arm’s distance from ‘Him’. Only ‘He’ enjoys the exclusive privilege of taking the final call, judge us accordingly, and , decide whether the bond between Him and us should be strong or fragile. It is possible that our Master could pick a few among us, fulfill our desires, and give us in plentiful. He might do so deliberately, solely, to judge us. He knows that in all probability we will most likely forget Him, as well as the blessings that He had showered on us, the minute we are inundated with wealth and riches. At the same time, God doesn’t bestow much on a few people; and keeps their desires unfulfilled, on purpose, so that being in a state of want, they remember Him constantly, beseech Him to  listen to their voice, as they pray and appeal to Him. He does so, because He wants them to take His name and establish an unbreakable bond with Him. Such are God’s unfathomable ways of judging us. In which ‘category’ would we like to see ourselves is something that we need to answer ourselves !”

” The exercise of fulfilling our desires is like a double edged sword. We must, thus, pause to reflect and ask ourselves – ‘Why is it that our mind seeks certain things? Will the new jewellery, latest watch or smartphone really make a difference to our lives?’ Instead of spending hours on end, trying to make money to obtain these objects, will not our time be better served in pursuit of a higher goal of meditation, ‘sadhna’ and ‘dhyan’ ?”

” A day must dawn…’Jis din hum apni ‘ichchaon’ ka antt kar sakte hain ! Jab humare andar siwai ‘ Ishwar’ ke darshan karne ki ichcha ke alawa koi aur ichcha jagrat hi nahi hogi ! Aisi nek aur pavitra ichcha avashya poori hoti hai!’ Believe me, if we try sincerely, we will reach that point in time, when we will harbour only one desire within us – the desire to meet God. All other desires must be ignored and cast aside, before it is too late, as no amount of money ; no amount of power ; no position in society can ever substantiate for the true happiness that is felt on developing a direct connection with God and ‘guru’. Life is short and will end soon, with us regretting too little too late in life, for letting our desires overwhelm us ; for making us feel dissatisfied and unfulfilled; sad and forlorn on seeing the gateway to God’s abode close on seeing us.”