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Swamiji says …

” ‘Jivan’, ‘zindagi’ – anmol hai, amulya hai!’ – and what makes it all the more exquisite, exciting and exhilarating – is the fact that the wheels of our life gain traction from the moment of our birth, reminding us that life is all about being on the move constantly. The words – ‘Jeevan mein chalte rahein, aagey badhtey rahein, kyunki jeevan chalne ka naam hai!’ should keep us going. It is simply not possible for us to look directly at ‘life’ – raise our hands in surrender, and address it by saying , ‘I give up! Enough is enough! I can’t handle you any more!’ We can’t give up just like that – as we know that the essence of life is all about moving forward, striving and working hard !”

“It is inherent for us to understand that life will demand a lot from us – blood, sweat, toil – but it does so, purely because it knows very well that it has to groom us for the struggles that await us – which can tire out some of us to such an extent – that we lose interest in changing anything around us and just sit still, refusing to do anything that could improve our future. Remaining inactive has never helped anyone succeed in life, and thus it is better for us to be on our toes, give up our sedentary habits, be up and about ; aware of the need to move on, for a better personal and professional life.” 

“The colors and flavors of life are ever changing. Happy, sweet, a perfect dream run one moment; tearful, bitter and an obstacle filled nightmare the very next – but we must learn to embrace life with even more warmth, when situations and circumstances are challenging; not in our favor and control…’ Kuch log choti si cheez se haar maan lete hain; bahut jaldi ghabra jaate hain! ‘ We need to reflect as to why do we concede and break so easily!  After all, did God not endow us with intelligence too? Can we not buck up and stand stoic and undaunted in the face of adversities and challenging times? Can we not trust our instincts and simply concentrate on doing what is needed to move on – instead of lamenting about our misfortunes? The thought of simply giving up, and accepting defeat without putting up a fight – should not be permitted to mushroom in our mind.”

” Aadmi ko kabhi bhi haar maan kar baith nahi jana chahiye !” Stagnation, immobility of the mind and body; is the moot cause of the ruin and end of many a lives. How can we just sit – remain mute and stare blankly at the unwanted, undesirable situation in which we find ourselves and – watch things going over the edge, transfixed to the spot, and do nothing – absolutely nothing about it…’Paani bhi agar ek jagah thaiher jaaye toh keechad ban jaata hai!’ Would we want to see ourselves stagnating, and decaying ; accumulating layers of dark, pessimistic thoughts – which will not allow the enlightening rays of …’utsah’ – encouragement and motivation to filter through and wake us up from our stupor, illuminating our minds with thoughts of taking remedial action, of following the right direction…’Hummey aagey badhna hai! Tarraki karni hai!’ The comfort zone that we carve for ourselves while working in one segment, and at one station, in our professional lives, is so dear to us that the thought of venturing out – and trying something slightly different from our run-of-the-mill lives is averse to us. Shouldn’t we be expanding our horizon and broadening our vision?…’Jo bhi kaam mein, ya naukri mein, ek hi jagah sthir ho kar baith jaata hai –  woh uth nahi paata hai !’ – otherwise , how else will we work our way through the learning curve that life offers to us in a new way, every day?”

“A defeatist attitude will not only drain us of energy, but also, make us drag our heels and run around in circles – with no solution in sight – adding to further physical fatigue, mental exhaustion and illness, which has never done anyone any good…’Ek hi jagah baithe rehne se daridrata aa jaati hai !’ No way should we ever think of doing something like that. Never! It will only worsen the situation. We will have to pull out all stops in order to first fix and then emerge victorious from the situation.”

“Negative thoughts and emotions can overwhelm us; but rather can crumbling easily under their unbearable weight, we should remain unfazed, and remind ourselves that our duty is to rise once again, brush away the last fragment of doubt that rests on our sagging shoulders, and move forward – motivated and confident. We need to overcome the opponent, whether real or fabricated, at the earliest – determined to reset the wheels of our life in rhythmic motion, looking forward to new opportunities and new destinations. At no point in time should we get entangled in the web of sloth and laziness ; but rather be pragmatic and practical; be adventurous, a seeker, a wanderer – imbibe and exhibit traits that are associated with one who is on the move, spurred with a mission.”

 

Swamiji says …

” Our family…’ humara parivaar, humara kutumb, humara ghar’ – our grandparents, parents, siblings, cousins and relatives- all mean the world to us, especially when we are young, and it is difficult to imagine a life without their loving and caring presence around us. Joyful sounds of pealing laughter and cheerful banter resound from homes – in which generations of family members live – as cousins play, fight and quarrel too. The concerned sound of elders rushing to help a child in pain, or a stern voice admonishing and counselling the younger children with concern, conveys the bond and love they have for one another. Happiness resides aplenty in such homes – and it too, in turn, derives immense pleasure in seeing members of a joint family, extending up to three to four generations, living together in an amiable and affectionate manner. ‘Humara parivar humari duniya hoti hai – humari prerna, humara sahara, humari shakti !’ ” Acceptance, understanding and respect – for one generation from the other, is all that is needed, for joint families to live together, without any acrimonious feelings of bitterness for each other…and even when such differences do arise, they are forgotten and buried very quickly !”

“We see and understand the world through the eyes of our elders. No one could be stronger than our grandparents and elders, for us, when we hold on to their comforting hand, soaking in the warm support and strength that it provides us with, unwilling to let it go at any cost. Our family is our lifeline, our pillar of trust and hope, and the mere thought of losing any one of our loved one, or separating from them, is unbearable to us. We dote on them; treasure every family member; remain insanely attached to them, and take great pride on being told that we are our parents carbon copies,and, mirror all that our family holds dear – good values and sound beliefs. We are genuinely happy as we have nothing to complain about and we are in a state of thankfulness to God for blessing us with a family like ours – where we are one close tightly knit unit, and always want to remain that way…and do not want anyone to untie those knots. Maybe, happiness too envies, just for a moment, the degree of happiness experienced by us, in sharing emotional bonds as strong as those that we share with our joint-family. We love them unconditionally and are convinced that we just can’t do without them.’

“Why is it then that a change – a transformation – takes place in our thought process as we grow up, evolve into adulthood ! Why do we baulk at the thought of being a part of a joint family? The family that was once our most cherished treasure seems to have lost some of its sheen for us, and the thought of sharing space with them… living in the same house with them is pure anathema for us. Relationships cease to matter. Memories of the happy, memorable past are erased quickly – and our new motto is ‘Divide and Rule’ – ‘Aur hum mein se kuch, jald se jald, ghar ka vibhajan kar dete hain! Kisi bhi cheez ka vibhajan jo karta hai, woh achcha nahi hai !’ ”

” Happiness too winces at this new, modern us, and tears well up in its eyes as it tries to understand the new life-style that we are very keen to adopt. Priorities change in a jiffy. We want to live independently – on our own, with just our spouse and children.To live as a nuclear family is our new dream. The lesser the number of people in the house, the better it would be, we convince ourselves. We are not bothered whether it is the right thing to do or not! ‘Gharon mein sab ko jod kar chalna chahiye! Jo anand joint – family mein rehna ka hai, woh anand akele rehne mein nahi hai!’”

“We might not admit it, but there is a certain beauty – a soothing calmness – in having elders around us in our home; to receive their blessings as they place their hands on our head…’Badon ka haath humare sar par rehta hai!’ Much as we may avoid seeking their advice, and adhering to their words of wisdom, we cannot deny that they are more experienced than us, and that we could gain a lot by taking a leaf or two out of their rich and vast experience…’Unka tajurba, experience, jo unki umar ke saath aaya hai woh bilkul hi alag hota hai aur woh hummey raasta dikhate hain!’”

“Times of duress and difficulty are easier to handle in a joint-family, when the entire family stands by us – united, shoulder to shoulder. Agonising moments of hardships are tided over with comparative ease with their reassuring support …’ ‘Dukh – sukh’ ke samay mein saara parivar ekjutt ; saath khada ho jaata hai, nahi toh koi dekhne wala nahi hota, aur hum akele padh jaate hain!’ The reading of scriptures by the elders of the house; the counting of beads on their rosary… the reminder that the ‘diya’ has to be lit and prayers are to be said at a particular time – ‘ ‘Bhagwaan’ ka naam lena, unka simran karna aur ‘Bhakti’ ki neki se hummey jod te hain, avagat karatey hain !’ ”

” Nothing is more meaningful and important than maintaining healthy family ties. Every attempt should be made to ensure that our home remains an undivided house. The first thought of breaking filial relationships should be nipped in the bud immediately. Generation next needs to know that life is not only about receiving education in the best educational environment, but to be also acquainted with our past ‘parampara’, ‘ sabhyata’ – of living happily in a joint family aur – ‘Jo parivaar ko jod kar chalta hai, woh aagey tak ke liye achcha karta hai!”’

Swamiji says …

“The popular adage – ‘Promises are meant to be broken…’ has, quite remarkably, never been taken literally by most of us – the reason being our ablility to relate with the worth, true weight and responsibility of the words – ‘ I promise …’ from the moment we utter them. The thought of not valuing the said words, does not rise within us, as the ring of sincerity and commitment in them, is not lost on the person or people, to whom we make a promise – but rather, is clearly audible to them, as we give them the lifeline needed to tread from insecure hope to definite attainment.”

“But I had promised! How can I break my promise? I cannot let down that person!’ Our voice reflects genuine pain and sadness at our inability to cover the wide distance between making – and fulfilling a promise. We present a picture of utter despair and misery on sensing the possibility of not being able to live up to the words of promise that had been said by us, and we most certainly do not want to feel that we have been dishonest with others…’ Kyunki hum yeh sochte hain ki vachan ko poora na karna, jhooth maana jayega aur hum paap kar rahey hain !’ Many a copious tears have been shed…heart wrenching sobs have racked our body…while growing up – as we felt disconsolate, restless and helpless on facing the possibility of breaking a promise. The thought of not keeping a promise, of being unable to fulfil a verbal commitment – would make us feel as guilty as a criminal, and we would be certain that the world of friendship and faith that we had created would come crashing down on us – at our inability to live up to the expectations and trust that our friends, siblings and others had reposed in us, from the minute we had given them the much needed assurance, to stand by them and help them in accomplishing their task, or meeting their need or requirement.”

” Promises have a strange trait. They bind us; make us feel duty – bound, accountable and answerable from that very moment in time, when we make a promise.
Some people, in fact, are fiercely passionate about the promises that are made by them.They safeguard their promise as their honour, and it appears as though their words are cast in stone. Breaking a promise is considered to be a sign of weakness and an act – unpardonable by them.”

“At times, we make a promise, at the spur of the moment. Our reaction is spontaneous. We don’t pause to think about the curve, that the graph of our promise could take. A promise should be made to a person who understands the worth of our commitment to him. An appealing face, a helpless hand or a noble cause – draws an emotional response from us that makes us want to reach out, assist, help – and before we realize it , we end up giving them our word…make a promise ; shrugging off the gentle reminders that question us … ‘Should you be making such a promise? Are you capable of fulfilling such a promise?’ But the great rush that we are in while doing so, do we forget to pay attention to the finer details ? Do we happen to overlook the specific nature, purpose for which we had willingly extended our hand , in an emotional moment – filled with promise and hope – towards the other person?”

“Believe me, we are in no way bound by the promise … the words that had been said by us …if we see things shaping out in a way completely against our wishes, belief and trust ! There is no need for us to develop an emotional attachment with the promises that we make, but, it would be in the best interest of all if we were pragmatic, alert and aware while making promises.’

” ‘Kai log vachan badh ho jaate hain …vachan de baithtey hain! ‘ Very often we get carried away and make a promise – ‘Vachan, ya pratigya le letey hain’ – but it is here that we need to draw a line of caution, and analyse about the crop of fruits that our promise would yield – whether they were edible or rotten! What if, the person that we have promised to help…’Agar woh galat kar raha hai , toh aisa toh nahi ki tum vachan-badh ho gaye ?’ Would we want to see the net result of our promise culminate in the most unexpected, ugly shocking manner? The moment we experience a sense of foreboding ; a premonition of something not being right in the outcome of the promise given by us, or in the intent of the person to whom we have made a promise… ‘Jiski madad karne ki hum ne pratigya ya vachan liya tha, humey tabhi uss vachan ko todh dena chahiye…uska saath nahi dena chahiye !’ We should not allow confusion of any kind to cloud our thought process during such moments of dilemma, but make it very clear to the person concerned, that we will neither support nor side with him, if he plans to indulge in acts of dishonesty or treachery. ‘ Hum me sey koi bhi adharm, ya kisi bhi galat tarah ke kaam mein kisi aur ka saath nahi dena chahega !’

“Thus, when we break a promise ; take back the words that had earlier been placed in the loving care of the other person – as we later feel, that the promise made by us had been misinterpreted, and could be misused …’woh paap nahi mana jayega …kyonki humein adharma ka saath kabhi bhi nahi dena chahiye !’

Swamiji says …

“The physical form; our outer being; the body that we love and cherish, means everything to us, as it enables us to experience life in all its glory; enjoy its enthralling, giving nature one day; and question its unpredictable, mystifying element the very next. At the same time we also get busy and involved with our routine activities, from which we try to take out some time to serve God – ‘Hum ‘Narayan’ seva mein aur doosron ki seva mein ‘tan, mann aur dhan’ laga dete hain …’ and are filled with a sense of satisfaction – ‘ Achche, nek karam kar ke, rituals kar ke, punya kar ke! ‘ – as we feel that we have done all that is possibly required to serve , both, God and man, in this lifetime.”

“It is excellent to have such noble and pure intentions, but at the same time, wouldn’t it be wonderful if we were to understand the deeper and divine purpose for which we have been blessed with this life and body – which is to attain ‘moksha’. ‘Jab tak insaan, spiritual marg mein nahi chalta hai , tab tak usey ‘moksha’, ‘mukti ‘ nahi mil sakti!’ We have to understand that the body not only serves as a robe and encasement for the ‘soul’ that resides in it, but should also be utilised to make an earnest, honest endeavour so that – ‘Insaan – apne shareer aur atma, dono mein, parmatma ki lau jalaye! Aur aisa karne ke liye, woh apne shareer ka upyog, atma ko ‘bhagwan’ mein leen honay ke liye karay ! ‘Bhakti’ hi woh marg hai joh insaan ko ‘moksha’ dilwa sakti hai !’

” Very often we hear people talk about their good karma …’ Log apne kiye huey bahut achche, aur nek karmon ke baarey mein batatey hain … ‘ and undoubtedly they must have selflessly served God, observed the required rituals with great piety, donated large amounts in charity and extended a helping hand to those suffering from disease and poverty. The good ‘karma’ accumulated by them for their selfless service to God and innumerable acts of charity will not go unnoticed by Him, and they will most certainly be awarded by Him for their commendable and praiseworthy acts. One can most certainly take birth in a wealthy, reputed family – ‘Woh achche kul mein paida ho sakta hai! Raja, maharaja ya samrat ban sakta hai, apne pichley janam ke achche karmon ki vajeh se …’ He could be born with a silver spoon in his mouth, taste success of an unprecedented level, enjoy a position of power and status – but attaining ‘moksha’ purely, by having done such noble deeds alone, is not possible !”

“All saints and great religious Teachers – whether they were kings or ordinary individuals – had to walk the path of ‘bhakti’ – deep devotion, unswerving faith and implicit trust in God, by leaving the comfort and confinement of their palace and home and spending hours in ‘tapasya , dhyan aur sadhna mein… Unn sab ko ‘bhakti’ ke raastey pay hi jaana pada !’ Their fervent desire to seek the Truth made them oblivious to the rigors that their body had to bear as they chanted ‘mantras’ while in ‘tapasya’, with their minds fixed on God. Their material, gross body did not mean anything to them. Their yearning and unsuccessful attempts for the divine darshan of the Omnipresent brought tears to their eyes, but they shed not a single tear when they turned their back on their kith and kin, as they considered them to be the greatest distractions during their ‘dhyan’, and thus they renounced them… and the valuable time spent in loving ‘sadhna’ of God…created ‘nek vichar aur unki shareer aur atma ki shuddhi hui.’ What mattered to them was ‘bhakti’ of the highest level ! We too must strive to devote, at least, half an hour, out of the twenty four hours that we have in a day in ‘tap, jap, dhyan aur sadhna … joh ki saare nek kaarya hain…’ which will give us an opportunity to be completely immersed in God and experience spiritual bliss – pure and divine.”

“Similar to the joy that we experience on seeing a once parched area of land – green and replete with a yield of golden crop, later…the soul, too, dances with glee on seeing its bearer, put in his time and energy in purifying it, cleansing it of the layers of impurities, ignorance and darkness in which it was enmeshed … by reaching a point when ‘parmatma’ allows it to merge with Him. When one meditates on Him and repeats His name, he should do so reverentially, with humility and without a trace of pride and arrogance in his being …’Bhagwaan ka naam lete samay abhimaan aur ahankaar nahi hona chahiye ! Apne andar jhanko …and look beyond your body. You are much more than the body… Apne shareer aur atma dono ko jhukao … aur sampoorna tarah se samarpit kar do unhey, bhakti aur spirituality ke marg par!’ There has to come a point in time when after having comprehended the significance of rituals, one needs to find a way out of this cycle of life and death that can only be discovered by walking the spiritual path.”

” A spiritual ‘guru’, a ‘saccha sant – ek maadhyam hota hai, apne shishya ko ‘parmatma’ ki lau se milwane ke liye … un mein merge karwane ke liye ! ‘Guru’ ek raasta hota hai janam maran se chhutkara dilwane ke liye ! Once we develop a spiritual bent of mind we understand clearly that the body has to be used by us for our spiritual growth and mundane issues like ‘dukh aur sukh’ humarey liye ek saman ho jatey hain!’ ‘Ek ‘sadguru’ apne devotees ki adhyatmik unnati ko khoob badhava detey jaatey hain…’ and makes us aware that once we have fulfilled our ‘kartavya’ and major responsibilities towards our family, etc.we owe it to ourselves to give topmost priority – ‘ apni ‘ruh’ ko pure karne ke liye aur sampoorna roop se aagey badhtey badhtey, ek samay aaye jab hum uss sey hi jud jaain…’ and we finally realise that the sole purpose of our ‘janam uss sey lau laganey ke liye mila hai !”

Swamiji says …

” We derive great pleasure and joy in whiling away time in non-stop gossip, catching up on the neighbourhood and office grapevine, indulging in some completely undesirable, scandalous talk – ‘ Vyarth ki baatein kartein hain !’ – as we are not only curious and consumed with the desire of knowing about the personal affairs of others, but also, for some inexplicable reason, experience a strange sense of gratification in watching time pass by, as it slips through our fingers, without any feeling of remorse or regret …’aur samay ko nasht kartein hain! ‘

“All that we need is the slightest of distractions to divert our attention from the task at hand, and draw us towards anything that is worthless and meaningless. We are so besotted with all the insignificant trivia around us that it appears to be as rejuvenating as fresh oxygen for a few of us, and brings a whiff of fresh air to our otherwise self-proclaimed ‘ever so boring lives!’ Thus we try to escape to this world of nonsensical rubbish that is fabricated by us – as often as we can – by losing the required perspective of what should be done by us at the right time, forgetting completely that time is in a constant state of motion, and every second lost by us – is time, that is lost forever. But do we give time its due ? Do we value time and give it the respect it should be accorded ? ”

“The irresistible temptation of spending a few hours extra, now and then, in an absolutely futile, meaningless manner can be so strong and enticing, that one could develop an attitude of laxity and lethargy towards his work – result – oriented and concrete work, and tend to forget about the commitment that we need to put into the work that we do – as it plays a major role in building our lives. Work that should be attended to immediately or completed by a certain period of time takes a backseat, as one’s priorities begin to get misplaced and he/she starts resorting to the oldest trick in the book by pushing things forward for either the later part of the day, or for the next day, or for the day after next … ‘Woh aaj ka kal kar deta hai, aur phir kal ka parson!’ The process of postponing, procrastinating, and delaying begins from thereon. He begins displaying traits of his foolhardy behaviour and tries to oversimplify things by reassuring himself … ‘If not today, I will definitely complete the task tomorrow!’ But when, and if that day will ever dawn finally, is known only to him!”

“One can literally see him trying to feel desperately sure and secure with the insincerity of those hopelessly deceptive words, ringing clearly in his ears, even as he says them to himself ; and then he accepts them as honest, truthful words – but by then it is too late, as before long – postponing things becomes a regular habit with him. He is ready to handle the pressure of the incomplete work, hang above his head like the Damocles’ sword, but will not miss out on an opportunity to while away time in needless ways.”

” ‘Time flies’ are words with which we are very familiar, but it seems that some of us, unfortunately, are under the misconception that time is at our beck and call , and that clocks will stop chiming at our command, and start ticking again at the snap of our fingers. The case, in fact, is reverse. It is we who are governed by time. But are we willing to accept this reality, or will we continue to treat time with apathy and arrogance by taking it for granted? The choice is ours to make.”

“We must make an attempt to catch every fleeting second – the way we used to catch butterflies as children – lest they fly away, and convert them into colourful moments of creativity and optimal utility. Time is precious. The moment that has passed by, is lost in eternity, never to return, nor to be relived by us ever again as it has registered itself in the echelons of time, that is now our past. A fruitful, rich, worthy past – could make ‘time’ itself feel proud of us, as we had utilised it in the most rewarding manner ! ”

“ We all are participants in the race against time because of which…’Samay ka sadupyog kar na bahut zaroori hai… Har kshann ka mahatva samjho…Sirf baatein karney mein samay nikal jaata hai !’ While many of us are petrified at the prospect of running out of money one day – what could be truly terrifying is when one needs and requires time, he finds himself in want of it , and has none left to invest in meaningful activities that can help him in his overall growth – personal, as well as, professional. At times, parents are unable to devote enough time to their children, as they are busy socialising. Some students do not give enough time to their academics, as they are distracted with their friends and gadgets. Some officegoers could be spending more time chatting with their colleagues, pushing deadlines further ; rather than finishing their work early and spending more time with their family at home or pursue a hobby. Time is passing by faster than we think it is, but we are yet to awaken to the reality of this truth in our lives. If there is one thing that is truly limited in life – it is time, and we must thus invest every moment of it wisely.”