Category: Uncategorized

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.”

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A humble offering at Swamiji’s lotus feet! The chants are a composition by Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya on the greatness of Guru’s Padukas. It is called Guru Paduka Stotram. The text with meaning is as below.

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ananta saṁsāra samudra tāra

naukāyitābhyāṁ guru bhakti dābhyām |

vairāgya sāmrājyada pūjanābhyāṁ

namō namaḥ śrīguru pādukābhyām ||        

Let us salute the Padukas (sandals) of the Guru which bestow upon us devotion to the Guru and supreme detachment which act as a boat that takes us across the endless ocean of birth and end of life.

kavitva vārāśi niśākarābhyāṁ

dourbhāgya dāvām budamālikābhyām |

dūrī kr̥tā namra vipattitābhyāṁ

namō namaḥ śrīguru pādukābhyām ||

Let us salute the Padukas of the Guru which act as the moon to the ocean of one’s poetic prowess, and also as a cluster of dense clouds that extinguish the fire of one’s misfortunes which destroy the difficulties of those devoted to them.

natā yayōḥ śrīpatitāṁ samīyuḥ

kadācidapyāśu daridra varyāḥ |

mūkāśca vācaspatitāṁ hi tābhyāṁ

namō namaḥ śrīguru pādukābhyām ||

Let us salute the Padukas of the Guru by worshiping which, the poorest of the poor become supremely wealthy in this life and even a dumb person becomes a great orator.

nālīkanīkāśa padāhr̥tābhyāṁ

nānā vimōhādi nivārikābhyām |

namajjanābhīṣṭa tatipradābhyāṁ

namō namaḥ śrīguru pādukābhyām ||

Let us salute the Padukas of the Guru which destroys all our attachments and desires, and which fulfills the aspirations of those that bow to the preceptor.

nr̥pāli mauli vraja ratna kānti

sarid virājan jhaṣa kan’yakābhyām |

nr̥patva dābhyāṁ natalōka paṅktēḥ

namō namaḥ śrīguru pādukābhyām ||

Let us salute the Padukas of the Guru which shine like (a pair of) fish in the river of effulgent gems that adorn the crowns of kings (who bow before them) and which grant kingship to those who salute them.

pāpāndhakārārka paramparābhyāṁ

tāpatrayāhīndra khagēśvarābhyām |

jāḍyābdhi samśōṣaṇa vāḍavābhyāṁ

namō namaḥ śrīguru pādukābhyām ||

Let us salute the Padukas of the Guru which act as a row of many suns that destroys the darkness of ignorance and as the Lord of eagles that slays the serpents of sufferings (three types) and which become the fire that dries up the ocean of diseases.

śamādi ṣaṭka prada vaibhavābhyāṁ

samādhi dāna vrata dīkṣitābhyām |

muktēhē hētusca sthira bhakti dābhyāṁ

namō namaḥ śrīguru pādukābhyām ||

Let us salute the Padukas of the Guru which have the glory of granting the six qualities (that qualify an aspirant to pursue the spiritual path), which are bound by the pledge to grant the state of Samadhi (the highest state of Divine communion) that which causes liberation and bestows unwavering devotion to the feet of the Lord.

svārcā parāṇām akhilēṣṭa dābhyāṁ

svāhā sahāyākṣa dhurandharābhyām |

svāntāccha bhāva prada pūjanābhyāṁ

namō namaḥ śrīguru pādukābhyām ||

Let us salute the Padukas of the Guru which fulfil all the aspirations of those who worship them at all times and which are the first among those that grant us pure joy and help, and which are worthy of worship since they bestow upon us purity of thought.

kāmādi sarpavraja gāruḍābhyām

vivēka vairāgya nidhi pradābhyām |

bōdha pradābhyāṁ druta mōkṣadābhyāṁ

namō namaḥ śrīguru pādukābhyām ||

Let us salute the Padukas of the Guru, which are like the eagles for the serpents (six inner enemies) led by desire, and grant us the treasure of discrimination and detachment and bestow upon us wisdom and liberation.

 

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Source: Sri Sathya Sai Official Strotram Tutor

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Artwork – Nitya Gunturu

Credits : Kondala Rao

Swamiji says …

” Be it the news channels on our TV sets, social media, our workplace, or even our friend circle – irrespective of the medium or the social situation in which we could be, we do see someone or the other gossiping and spreading rumours; using inflammatory and abusive language; bullying and trolling or even outrightly threatening others with dire consequences.
While a generally held belief is that these are consequences of poor education or poverty; a deeper study would reveal that the ones most likely to display such grotesque behaviour are the ones educated at top-notch schools and colleges and work at some of the most recognised and prestigious organisations in the world.”

“Clearly, there is something amiss here ! What is lacking is not education – nor does it have to do anything about where the individual comes from ! It is simply due to lack of maturity, ‘ठहराव’, ‘sthirtah’…when one gets so carried away by the tempest of his emotions that he is unable to control himself from behaving in a manner least befitting him and least expected from him !”

“ It is essential for people to behave in a mature manner as they grow older with time. Yet, unfortunately, these days the trend seems to have reversed and there is an acute shortage of ‘mature’ adults. There is increasing disquiet in the minds of many adults today – a lack of depth and stability (स्थिरता) in their minds and hearts – as a result of which their actions are often fraught with recklessness and danger.”

“ There are times when one feels like sharing his problems with another person; talking his heart out to him or her and letting them know about his personal issues. And as soon as he shares his personal grief, or takes such people into confidence, he regrets it almost immediately, as his personal life becomes a matter of hot discussion over WhatsApp messages, office lunches, and evening get-togethers. The inability of a person to respect the trust that is placed by someone in him, while confiding a secret, stems from the person’s immaturity. Such a person does not think twice before spreading the news of the other person’s personal affairs like wild fire – as he has no ‘ठहराव’ – but rather bubbles with eagerness, to spill out anything he considers as potentially scandalous, and news-worthy. He is bereft of the foresight to see the damage his gossip-mongering could cause to the concerned person.”

“Such immaturity is also on full display in business houses and organisations where impulsive and knee-jerk actions from leadership and management lead to the downfall of an entire company. In times of crisis, a CEO should not lose his mental strength and confidence – but should be able to look at matters as they are, good or bad, and make decisions in a rational manner. Yet, we often see rash decisions being taken by Ivy-league educated elite when the going gets tough. This is the sign of a mind that has already taken the ‘flight in fear’ and has not grown with experience to realise that the best way forward in difficult times is to keep one’s head down and keep trying.“

“We often see such people also engaging in petty office politics and harassing their juniors – a full display of ‘छिछोरापन’. Instead of being a welcoming mentor and an inspiring leader, these people – drunk with the power of the position they hold – a sign of a weak mind – look to suppress new talent out of fear that they might be eclipsed by these newbies one day. A stoic and स्थिर individual, on the other hand, would look to build a talented team around him as he would be wise enough to realise that he can only be promoted if he has subordinates capable of taking his current role.”

“ Moreover, many among us are neither adolescents, nor very young, now. But if our behaviour continues to be childish or immature, we could create unwanted misunderstandings and unnecessary problems of such a nature that could make us lose all those we love and hold dear. The mind is like a lake. One stone, one thought – joyous or fearful, one piece of information – is all that it takes to create a series of ripples in it, and then into a stormy sea. Yet, it is our duty to learn to calm the mind. To not let the stones hurled at it create ripples, but simply skid away from the surface. We must learn to observe and engage with the world – ‘maya’ – around us, yet, not let it engulf our minds. Only then will we be able to develop some degree of ‘ठहराव’” within us !