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🌺🌺🌺 Dedicated to all devotees of Swamiji 🌺🌺🌺

by Leah

Swamiji says…

” The search for the ‘Absolute Truth’ is the highest calling. Running a large corporation, heading a government department or being a celebrity ; neither of these ; nor any other vocation, come close to the joy and contentment that is experienced, while gaining proximity to God, through spirituality.
‘Adhyatma’ se oonchi koi aur line nahi hai ! ‘Adhyatmik path’ par ni:swarth chalo!’ All relationships are based on some expectation, and on seeing them materialise, we appreciate and love that person all the more and place him on a pedestal.”

“We must change ourselves aur…’Ek jagah toh aisi rakhein jis mein ‘Parmatma’ ko uttarein; unse ni:swarth, atoot prem karein !’ Our relationship with God must be one of pure love and bereft of expectation.But we digress from this belief, as we continue to give, the gross body and materialism, utmost priority. Both take precedence over the mind and soul. This makes us constantly involved with the external ‘moh maya’ ; and thus the senses and mind are constantly in a state of buzz and excitement, of highs and lows, of wants and desires, completely ignoring the main purpose of our life which is – ‘Ishwar’ ko apni ‘atma’ mein utarney ki koshish karo! Apni ‘ruh’ ko ‘parmatma’ ki oer karo ! Apni ‘atma’ ko shudhh karo ! ‘Parmatma’ aur ‘bhakti’ ko apne andar aise ramayo, jaise ‘saans’ tumhare bhitar apne aap chalti jaati hai!”

“Thousands of thoughts flood our mind on a daily basis !’Kabhi ek vichar aata hai ; doosre hi kshann doosra vichar aata hai ! ‘Mann’ ki chanchalta ko ‘sthir’ karna padega!’ From cricket matches to salary bonuses,TV serials to online food orders – the mind and senses forever seek gratification. This entanglement in ‘maya’ makes the mind fickle and unstable. Infact it is ‘maya’ that then rules over our mind.The numerous thoughts that keep bouncing in our head give rise to as many emotions, making it near impossible for us to keep calm.”

“For those on the spiritual path, a calm mind is as necessary as the sickle to a farmer; since a calm mind is a tool, that enables one to ‘see’ the ‘web of life’, and safely navigate its treacherous intricacies.”

” Hummey ‘ Bhagwan’ par, jivan ki har sthithi mein, ‘sampoorna vishwas’ karna chahiye kyunki woh jaante hain jo humare hitt ke liye hai!’ We must learn to have complete faith in Him and His plans for us! An attitude of shifting emotions towards His decisions for us; that of unconditional love for Him, on a successful day ; and a doubtful, questioning attitude, the very next; speaks volumes about our lack of faith and trust in God. When everything is hunky dory in life, we vouch by His name and worship Him faithfully,but, the moment adversities and challenges create a few speed-breakers for us, we lose faith in the Almighty, and, run to palm readers and crystal ball gazers for ‘solutions’ and ‘foresight’. So restless, weak and selfish are we ! Remember, we can have faith in Him, only when we have complete faith in ourselves ! ‘Pehle ‘swayam’ pe sampoorna bharosa karna seekho…tabhi toh ‘ Bhagwan’ ke har decision par poora bharosa karoge!’ “

” ‘Adhyatma’ mein ‘saatwik path’ par chalo aur uss mein abhiman mut lao ?” Why should one proclaim about his ‘bhakti’ and spiritual bent of mind to the entire world? Let it be known to others around you through the spiritual glow that radiates from you!”

“Yeh joh shareer mila hai hummey, jiss sey hummey ‘manushya yoni ‘ ki pranaali mili hai…jiss shareer se hum ‘kriya’ karte hain ; sab kaam karte hain …uss shareer ko ‘parmatma’ ko praapt karne ke liye bhi lagao. Jab tum shareer se aagey ki bhi sochoge ; apni ‘atma’ ko ‘parmatma’ se jodoge aur apne niyam dwaara, mann ki shanti, dhyaan dwaara apne andar utaar paogey !’ and derive great spiritual pleasure in chanting God’s name; praising His glory and realize His presence within us as…’Sab kuch humare andar hai !”

” ‘Adhyatma’ ko shareer ke aagey ki line se jodo! ‘Atma’ ko ‘parmatma’ se jodo ! Hum ‘bhakti’, ‘bhajan’, ‘satsang’, ‘dhyaan’, ‘gun-gaan’ dwaara’ ‘prabhu’ se judd sakte hain ! Joh sthaan tum chaho, wohi ‘mandir’ ‘tapovan’ bann sakti hai ! ‘Bhagwan’ kehtey hain…’Mein toh tak taki lagaye dekhta rehta hoon tumhe ! Tum kab meri oer dehkogo!’ Why can’t we simply befriend God ? Just like we know that our friends will be there for us through thick and thin, we must befriend God,too, in a manner as complete as this, and not think that He will be just a fair weather friend. He is a friend for eternity ; in all seasons and for all reasons !”

Swamiji says …

“‘We are what we think !’ Ancient wisdom tells us to be mindful of the thoughts we nurture,as they manifest, in various forms. Depending on their nature, they shape out in, either, a good or a bad form; illness or good health, wealth or poverty, good luck or misfortune.Yet, it is a person’s speech, a person’s words that are the earliest and a true reflection of his thoughts. Even nature teaches us this. A lion does not roar while playing with its cubs,but,does so, only when it intends to scare, or, hurt another animal.A dog growls to intimidate but barks,gleefully, when it wants to play. Speech is truly a reflection of intent. Man,thus, has the ability to control his speech, by being mindful of his thoughts ; but then the choice is completely his; whether to be careful with his words or to fire them, like a loose canon on all, within his range!”

“Allowing noble, good, positive thoughts to reign supreme in our mind, will always help us in saying words that are kind, caring and motivating.The joy in seeing a person smile and glow in the warmth of our encouraging and life-transforming words is immeasurable ! But,then,again how many of us remember that words are powerful enough to affect others in both ; a positive, as well as, a negative manner. If kind words can make a person’s day ; rude and humiliating words can ruin another person’s day completely. Our harsh attitude makes us oblivious to the fact that words once said by us can never be taken back; all the more so, when spoken in a rude vein. Hurtful words can never be erased from one’s memory and are rarely ever forgotten. It is possible that one could be forgiven for his abrasive words, but a person never stops feeling the pain of the wound caused by them.”

“Insaan ko yaad rakhna chahiye ke achchey vicharon se hi ‘karma’ bantey hain! Achchey vichar aatey hain, tabhi toh kaam banta hai! Achchey vichar, shubh vichar socho taaki humarey shabd bhi achchey hon!’ We must learn to rein in our thoughts, lest they get the better of us, and lead us to say things which will only add to our bad ‘karma’. Our outlook changes the moment we relate with the purity and divinity derived while doing good ‘karma’ ; and, simultaneously, by speaking words that can help and heal, we become humble and humane. Once habituated to doing good ‘karma’, our thoughts and words become more meaningful, ‘karma’ oriented and weightier. Uplifting thoughts and confidence-building words go a long way in ensuring a fruitful and successful day.”

“God has blessed us with the ability to think and speak.Let us do him proud by making our thoughts God-centric and offer every thought of ours to Him.In this way, our mind will resist the entry of any convoluted and crooked thought within its parameters.When we offer the fruit of every thought and word to Him, we will undoubtedly make a subtle,yet, conscious effort to think good,and, say inspirational,
positive words to one and all.”

Swamiji says …

” Our ‘Sanskriti’, our culture is steeped in the idea of ‘service’. In ‘prakriti’, Nature – the ‘law of the jungle’ prevails, wherein, the strong rule; and, the timid, the weak perish. But Indian culture ; our ‘sanskriti’ – reminds us not to develop a nature, a temperament; as base, as selfish as this. It encourages us to serve those in need, to assist those who are less fortunate than us; thereby, enabling a sense of equality to be experienced, to a certain degree, by society at large.”

“Humari sanskriti vishwa mein sabse oonchi hai aur hamesha hi humari sanskriti ne sabko achcha hee sikhaya hai ! Humari ‘sanskriti’ hum mein seva ki bhavna ko ujaagar karti hai ! Sabki seva ki oer lejaati hai ! Jo kamzor hain unki seva karo…Badon ke prati aadar, sammaan rakho, yeh sikhaati hai ! Humari ‘sanskriti’ ne har kissi ko maan diya hai ! Insaano ko bhi aur baaki jeev ko bhi ! ‘ ‘Gau’ ko mata ka darja diya hai !
Har chotey jeev ki raksha karna sikhayi hai!’ “

“The age old practice of touching the feet of elders in the house and seeking their blessings, instill a sense of deep respect for elders in children. This respect is evident later, too, during their interaction with their seniors, at their workplace, when these children grow into adults.”

“Our ‘sanskars’ teach us to look upon flora and fauna too with reverence.There are not many traditions or belief systems that give humans the perspective to look at animals through such a humane lens. It is because our ancient texts and scriptures have given animals and plants, a Godly status, that many among us feed strays near our homes, give donations to cow shelters and remain strictly vegetarian. But most importantly, such practices develop in us a deep sense of empathy towards all living creation around us.”

” In a society that is growing more Westernised every day, it is important not to lose sight of preserving and having belief in our ancient and glorious culture. The world around us witnesses war, hatred and violence at sporadic intervals. It is important for us to realise that such sections of society have gone back to the ‘jungle law’ where only might is right; and everyone is concerned only about themselves.
However, it is due to the strong values of our heritage, our culture, our ‘sanskriti’ – that our beliefs are uniquely different from the rest, and unlike others, we believe in bridging hate with love ; war with peace and violence’ with ‘ahimsa’. It is our ‘sanskriti’ that teaches us the principle that service to others is service to God, thus aligning our spiritual and material life beautifully.”

“Can a person who is selfish, desirous of fulfilling only his personal wants, uncaring of others around him – ever be a pleasant person to be acquainted with? Yet modern culture tends to celebrate the ‘individual’ who has amassed wealth, speaks in an unabashedly uncouth manner, and seems to be focussed only on his growth. Wouldn’t the mere thought of knowing such a person make us feel uncomfortable?”

” It is here that our ‘sanskriti’ saves us ! Anyone who is raised in the old traditional way, will always be kind, caring and respectful. In other words – ‘Woh ek ‘sabhya’ insaan hoga!’ – a decent, polite, respectful person. And a society that stresses upon,and, gives importance to its ‘sanskriti’ ensures that such ‘sabhyata’- decency, is always present in its people ; thereby, making it a Shangrila to live in !”

Swamiji says…

“The proverbial saying, ‘Pride comes before a fall’ – is a warning that haughtiness and hubris lead to failure and loss. But man pays no heed to the underlying message of these words ; and shrugs them off without as much as giving them a second thought, as he believes that he has a lot to be proud about. Pride and arrogance – his twin enemies – make him gloat over his superior knowledge, skills and powers, and instigate him to develop an ego; inflated and self-opinionated, by constantly hammering into his being that there is none other more powerful or stronger than him;  and within no time, supremacy and smugness encase themselves over such persons.”

“Conceit makes them forget that they are flesh and blood, just like their brethren, and that their position in society ; the wealth that has been accumulated by them ; the power that their position has brought them, is all transient. People filled with pride and arrogance see themselves superior to others, and, thus are unable to feel empathy or a sense of kinship with others, which makes it more difficult for them to understand and alleviate the pain and suffering of others, thus taking them further away from God. It is no wonder that Man’s ego is identified as the biggest obstacle in the path to self-realization. They fail to understand that
pride and arrogance will be the cause of their undoing one day and take them towards their downfall ! “

” Jis insaan mein ‘abhimaan’ aur ‘ahankaar’ aaya hai, ussey woh patan ki oer hi legaya hai ! Ravan  kitna vidwan tha ! Agar woh apni ‘vidya’ aur ‘gyan’ ka achcha upyog karta, toh sab uski pooja karte !’ Ravan’s egotistical behaviour and pride in his knowledge, powers and strength had made him commit unpardonable acts of ‘adharma’ which had brought him in the crosshairs of Shri Ram’s bow. Similarly, it was King Parikshit’s ego and pride in being a great king that were used by ‘Kaal’ to compel him to commit senseless acts of atrocity that had ultimately resulted in his death.None can be spared from an ignominious end, if, they and pride become  inseparable or always walk side by side.Their time of glory; of shining in the Sun; is
obliterated swiftly due to their own doing.The sense of false pride that one begins to nurture within himself makes him rigid and stubborn and he starts assuming wrongly that he is way above others and looks down on others condescendingly. He alludes himself into believing that it is his decisions alone that are always right and leaves no space for others to express themselves. Arrogance is that treacherous quality – ‘joh ki ek baar jab kisi pe hawi ho jaata hai, toh woh uss insaan ko patan ki oer hi le jaati hai !’ and he himself is responsible for his ruin.”

” Insaan ne ussi ko maana hai jo ‘satya’ pe, vinamrata se chala hai ! Jiss ne jan kalyan ke baare mein socha hai !” Don’t we remember only those from the annals of history who had seamlessly won over the hearts of people and society, at large, with their humility and simplicity ; as not only did their selfless work speak for itself ; but also the exemplary way in which they took others along with themselves, to bring about social reforms and change in society, conveys volumes about their character.The names of all those who had only worked to fulfil their own personal ambitions and done as demanded by their ego, to satisfy the megalomaniac streak in them, is taken with great dislike and resentment even today.”

” Remember – Pride, an inflated ego and arrogance bring the mightiest, the richest and most powerful of men to their knees. Such is the potency of pride and arrogance.”