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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.”

Swamiji says …

” The veracity of these words cannot be denied, and they, undoubtedly, are true.The ‘karma’ of our past lives will quite certainly bear fruit in this lifetime, in the form of ‘sukha’ and ‘dukha’, and we will be subject to their taste ; ‘sweet’ or ‘bitter’ in one way or another.That is the inescapable law of the cosmos.”

“Yet, this principle of life is quite often misconstrued. We infer this message as one that says, that our fate is decided and sealed, and that we can do nothing about it further. At times, we truly believe that there is no point in trying to achieve anything in particular, as the outcome of our lives is already pre-decided and thus our efforts will go in vain.This leads us to live a life of resignation; of accepting anything that comes our way, with no zest and sense of direction.”

” But one must ask oneself – Did God create us to simply resign ourselves to our fate and do nothing to change the situation ? Unexpected situations and unpredictable circumstances should not throw us off balance and leave us shattered, to such an extent, that we stop doing good ‘karma’, and completely forget the main purpose of our life, which is to free oneself from the cycle of life and death.Should a gardener not tend to flowers just because they will wither one day ! Does a forest not grow due to the fear of a forest fire !”

“In essence, there are obstacles and unexpected circumstances that we will face in life which are pre-determined by our past actions. But, it is how we act and behave in the face of these obstacles, in these trying circumstances that matters the most now.”

“It is here that we need to remember that a life of ‘shudh bhakti’ ; pure devotion to God prepares us to face life’s greatest challenges with a smile. ‘Bhakti’ enlightens the mind, and an enlightened mind does not ‘suffer’; rather, it only observes the trying times that it is faced with, and acts in the best possible way that the situation demands. A man on being robbed off his wealth, and facing various financial difficulties, holds his past bad ‘karma’ accountable for his present plight. Yet, ‘shudh bhakti’ is what drives him, to dutifully keep working, and slowly, but surely, he will get back what he had lost. In such a case, convincing himself that he was meant to be poor in this lifetime, and, not trying to get back on his feet, would be a sure-shot way of ensuring a life of poverty for himself and his family.”

‘Jo honi hoti hai , woh hokay rehti hai , lekin uss samay agar hum haath par haath rakh kar na baithein, par achche ‘karma’ karte jaayein aur ‘sacchi bhakti’ se Ishwar ka dhyaan karein, toh kaafi baar honi tal bhi sakti hai ! Dard bhi kam ho jaata hai; honi bhi tal jaati hai aur woh samay bhi kat jaata hai !
‘Bhagwan’ mein apne vishwas ko jagao; apne andar ki shakti ko jagao ; nek ‘karam’ karo; apne vichar shubh rakho, ashubh nahi ! Sampoorna, ‘shudh bhakti’ ka hona bahut zaroori hota hai ! Apni bhakti aur vishwas ke dwaara Sati Savitri , apne mritya pati, ‘Satyavaan’ ko Yamraj se wapas liyayi thi ; toh socho ki tum bhi apni ‘shudh bhakti’ se kya nahi kar sakte ho ! ‘

Swamiji says…

“Man, indeed, is a strange creature ! Warm and affectionate one moment; cold and cruel the very next. If he can love with all his heart; so can he hate from the very core of his being. And, there are those among us who quite simply love to hate! They happily opt to choose an emotion most negative, self-destructive; and laced with an arsenal of hatred, resentment and ‘ghrina’ set out on a mission to hate people! ‘

“‘Insaan ko apne mann se ‘ghrina’ ko nikal dena chahiye! Woh ‘ghrina’ apne andar liye phirta hai! Kabhi kisi se! Kabhi kisi se! Aur yehi ‘ghrina’ ussey ley doobti hai!’ Can nursing hatred for anyone ever be beneficial to us? Yet we refuse to learn and firmly fixate our dark, morbid hatred on one person; and when we are content with the silent or vocal outpour of loathing for him, we then determinedly move to target another person. An unnatural fixation of this kind can only be harmful and detrimental for us, and cause us to flounder in waves of decline and downfall that can only pull us down and make us sink in the sea of hatred on which we had set sail. But do we realise, regret and repent over this unpardonable, awful trait in us and try to change ourselves?”

“At times, our hatred for an individual could have no particularly logical or rational reason! But, yet, we carry the weight of these very unfriendly, negative emotions in a normal manner ; look at others with resentment, and before long it becomes easy for us to hate others. Blind hatred of this kind is mindless and can indeed be baffling! ‘Bematlab mein kisi na kisi ke prati joh ‘grihna’ woh apne dil mein basa kar rakhte hain, aur ussey badhate hi jaatey hain, woh ‘ghrina’ unhe ek din khud bhogni padh ti hai!” ‘

“At times there could be no plausible reason for one to hate the other person with the intensity with which he hates him! ‘Main uss insaan se nafrat karta hoon, ‘ghrina’ karta hoon!’ I hate that person! I can’t stand that person! The mere enunciation of these words from our mouth and thoughts filled with loathing and disgust for the other person ; convince us further, that we are justified in hating that person. And, strangely, this absurd, senseless and illogical reasoning, makes us feel strong and victorious, and adds further impetus, to the abhorrence and dislike that we hold for the other person!”

“The energy within us, which otherwise could have been utilized for positive and productive purposes; unfortunately by now is so well in sync with the negative flood of emotions within us, that it serves as fuel, to further feed the hate within us, just like oil being fed to a fire! The obsession to hate someone all the time, takes a person’s focus away from everything else…’Aur woh ‘ghrina’ ke andar hi khoya rehta ha !’ In such a state, one is oblivious to everything beyond his hatred!”

“Do you really think that you will be able to escape the consequences and repercussions of such wicked and evil thoughts? Whenever you spit towards the sky, it only falls back on you! Similarly, it is you who will hurt the most and suffer unbearably on nurturing such disturbing and vile thoughts. ‘ Insaan apne aap ko hi chot pahuncha deta hai doosron se grihna kar ke ! Uske saath hi durghatna ghat jaati hai!’ if he continues to deliberately embark on a rough mental journey of turbulent and tempestuous thoughts.”

“‘Apne mann ko achcha rakho, nirmal rakho aur sab ki achchai dekho! ‘ Let positive energy and love for all inundate your mind, heart, body and soul! Trust me, the results are blissful!”