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Swamiji says …

” We become the receiver of God’s blessings and His responsibility from the moment our mother conceives us in her womb. This life that he gifts us with is a blessing from Him…and He showers His blessings on us, in abundance … from that very moment in various ways … by ensuring that our foetus form is positioned correctly in the womb, our healthy growth and development and finally our birth…in accordance with our past karma.”

” Every breath that we take, every grain of food that we eat, every requirement of ours that is fulfilled are blessings that we receive from God. But engrossed as we are in material pursuits, we fail to see the hand of divinity blessing us all the time. Forget about seeing ! Rather than accepting these blessings gratefully, catching them deftly and holding them carefully, lest we let go of them… most of us are unable to understand, handle and safeguard His blessings…but complain constantly that He doesn’t think or care about us. ‘Hum blessings ko sambhaal nahi paatey hain’.”

” We are so deeply embroiled in the web of ‘maya’ and rituals that we fail to see the mysterious effect of the words…uttered by a ‘guru’ , an elder family member or a poor, wretched soul …in the form of a blessing, when they fructify before us … take a definite shape and form … and turn out to be true and come to our rescue when we are in dire need of relief. Remember … Blessings have an intriguing way of showing the power that words can have when they rise from a pure, genuine and grateful heart. The beauty of such soulful words reverberates in the space around us … enigmatically become a part and parcel of us… and we, undoubtedly, will reap the dividends of these blessings… at least, once in our lifetime.”

“Rituals, totally meaningless at times, play such a predominant role in our lives, that we continue to follow them blindly and perform them regularly… without pausing to reflect on the consequences of doing so. Do you ever think and ponder … Am I gaining something truly beneficial from the rituals that I have been observing since years ? Am I any closer to understanding who I am? Is it time for me to move to the spiritual course from a life steeped in rituals? Have I shown any inclination to know where have I come from? Do I understand the divine import of the words when a ‘sachcha sant’ tells me – ‘I will help you attain liberation from the cycle of birth and death?’ Do I detect the hidden, divine blessing in these magical words ? Can I hug this blessing close to my heart … nurse and raise it with faith and belief and say…Yes , one day, this blessing from my ‘guru’, will surely colour me in identical hues of his divinity, and help me attain ‘moksha’?”

” Count your blessings, reverentially, as they reward you most unexpectedly, at the moment chosen by Him.”

Swamiji says …

” ‘Karma pradhaan hai …’ You must remember that every action… ‘karma’ of yours is being witnessed,
weighed, analysed and evaluated by your family members, acquaintances, friends, by the society in which you live and above all…by your ever-watchful Creator. The importance and consequences of your ‘karma’ cannot be ignored and over-ruled, even for a second, as it is your ‘karma’, that makes you or breaks you, makes you scale loftiest heights or fall into a pit of doom and despair.”

“The ‘sanskaars’ or values that have been instilled in you by your parents , go a long way and play a definitive role in making you the person that you are today. ‘Sanskaars’ that have been passed from one generation to the next … that our forefathers have learnt from ‘anant anadi sanatan dharma.’ However, you must be honest with yourself and ask yourself whether you have made a genuine effort to imbibe the values that had been imparted to you by them. Once you experience the unparalleled joy of leading a simple life…of living in a ‘pure’ environment, knowing your limits and living within certain means, exercising self-restraint, sacrifice willingly for others, serve anyone and anybody selflessly , look for every opportunity to help others – you certainly evolve into a better human being… one who is humble, grounded, stable and at peace with himself. When you live a life like this, your ‘karma’ too is naturally good, selfless, compassionate and considerate… and people laud you, respect you and remember YOU for your truly good ‘karma’. It is your ‘karma’ that has quietly spoken volumes about you. Isn’t it a relief to have no strings of deceit and falsehood attached anywhere to your name?”

” When you give it a serious thought , you might ponder whether it is really possible for you to accumulate unlimited wealth and live a life of ostentation and luxury without carrying the unforgiving baggage of compromising your values and principles. And if you find yourself in a situation like this, you will realise that you are more than eager to jump from your boat of sincerity and integrity without giving anything a second thought …and cling to a lifeboat of dishonesty and untruth… without any sign of remorse. The acts of omission and commission that are involved in becoming wealthy and rich overnight, will undoubtedly require you to walk on a path that is twisted and convoluted … riddled with greed, avarice, underhand dealings and wrongdoings. But you are more than ready to do anything to make some quick money. Just try and visualise the ‘karma’ that goes into making you something like this! Crafty, cunning, ruthless. The ‘so called’ respect, appreciation and laurels that you see coming your way… is not for the Real ‘YOU’ … but for the ‘maya’ that you possess … your wealth, your power and status. The Real You is lost somewhere in the glitter of the Unreal ‘maya’.”

“On reading books and epics you find the names of the rich and the powerful mentioned…but there is no mention,at all, of the ordinary, poor souls who had fought courageously and died in battle … nameless soldiers and distraught subjects. However, one name that has withstood the passage of time, is that of Sudama, the poorest of the poor, who was Lord Krishna’s best friend and comrade in arms. The Lord couldn’t live without His friend. It was not riches and affluence that made Sudama carve a name for himself for eternity, but his values, traits and ‘karma’ that drew the Lord towards him and made Him bridge the imaginary gulf between high and low status, between riches and poverty, as the Lord too had felt dwarfed by the purity and piety of Sudama’s ‘karma’.

Swamiji says ….

” We love the world in which we live as we look upon it as our home…Love its dynamic nature, the ever- changing element of surprise that it stumps us with … its colours , the fragrances that it exudes , the different seasons that it makes us experience…the people we meet as we grow and evolve…and we love to live in it. “

” However, at the same time, it would do us good to remember that it is this very world that is the cause…the reason … for the moments of disquiet , turbulence and unhappiness that come our way. When Nature and Mother Earth too accept the changes that The Creator has designed for them … one moment the Earth is all still and silent …the very next moment tremors of a roaring earthquake can cause unbelievable destruction … one minute the placid ocean invites us to swim and surf on it … the very next moment , gigantic killer waves rise from the ocean and devour everything that stand in their way. Can we mere mortals then, feign ignorance to the reality that we will remain untouched , unscathed… by the ‘changing times’ that we will undoubtedly face… as we wade through our journey of life. The ever -changing world … the ‘not in our control’ circumstances… successful or failed relationships with people we live with and meet …
untimely death of loved ones… intrinsic and extrinsic changes…
worsening nature and temperament … physical infirmities of old age …become a major cause of grief, sorrow and unhappiness for us.”

” It is possible that , today , one could be at the peak of his career … climbing the ladder of success with sure footedness. He has a beautiful family … and shares moments of pure joy and laughter with them and is living a wonderful life … enjoying all comforts of life… when all of a sudden life takes an unexpected turn … for the worse and he ends up losing all that was precious to him. He is devastated and breaks down completely as he sees no sign of getting his life back on track ever again. Believe me, this is not the case! Time can never remain the same for any one of us. If you meet happiness… moments of unhappiness too will visit you, simultaneously. One day , sorrow will be replaced by joy. It is if, and when, you are faced with a situation like this that you must remember … the traumatic phase that you are facing will not last forever. It will be an event of the past after some time. It has to pass. It will pass. Never forget the words…’The world in which we live is an ocean of turbulence … and we must learn to face ‘dukh’ … ‘unhappiness’…
and ‘sukh’…’happiness’ with equanimity …not wallow and submerge in grief … and although it could be difficult , you must have enduring faith … remain undaunted… certain and sure that you will not give up hope… that things will work out fine once again…and you will see things happening that way shortly.”

” A poor , wretched man living in abysmal conditions could one day be awakened with the good tidings that he is the winner of a million dollar lottery. Such things do happen. Doesn’t everything change for him overnight…his condition , his position !”

” Why didn’t Lord Mahavir and other true saints …’sachche sant’ … continue to live here ? They gave up this ‘world’ in order to attain enlightenment. Didn’t Lord Buddha renounce the ‘world’ on seeing people die and suffer with sickness ? Life becomes simpler to understand … when we learn to receive both …’dukh’ and ‘sukh’ as ‘prasad’ given to us by Him… with a sense of acceptance and thankfulness .”

Swamiji says …

” At times , man traverses through the journey of life doing everything that he wants to do his way … the way it suits him … on his terms and conditions. He nurtures a false notion in his mind that all that is done by him is known only to him…is seen only by him. He maintains an irresponsible, casual and carefree attitude as he follows the widely followed motto…’ I will live life … live the moment .. the way I want to.’ He is right to a certain extent in living in the present … but it becomes a major cause of concern when he grows reckless, and says … ‘ I can do anything ! Who is there to observe me, to check me, to control me ? Why should I bother about the result, the consequences of my actions ? I don’t have to fear anyone. I don’t care !’ … And then he starts doing whatever he wants to do, as he takes it for granted that he is not answerable and accountable to anyone for any of his actions. He completely forgets that every action of his is being witnessed, watched and monitored by his Creator.”

“This illusionary perception that is entrenched in his mind…gives him a sense of flattering false confidence that he is strong and powerful and capable of doing anything…and it is at this juncture that he takes a turn at the negative corner … and starts taking completely wrong, random, whimsical chances. The strong urge that rises within him to prove his dominance on seeing a person weaker than him becomes so strong, that he ends up bullying, pushing, beating that person … could be even his spouse or weak , frail parents. It simply doesn’t matter to him!
He could at his will and fancy scorn a person who he rates as a foolish person, although in reality, the other person could be more intelligent than him. He could deliberately, for no particular reason , pull the ears of a small child as he derives pure sadistic pleasure in doing so.”

“You must remember that any and every activity of this nature is surely and most certainly observed , watched, noted down and registered by The Almighty in your ‘karmic’ account… and you will in some way or the other pay for these misdeeds of yours in some lifetime of yours. Raja Dashrath had accidentally killed Shravan Kumar and had been cursed by his dying parents that he (Raja Dashrath) too, would one day die grieving for his son. The king met a similar fate and passed away pining for his son…Lord Ram. When a noble king of his stature could not escape the consequences of his ‘karma’ , do you think you can erase the dark shadows of your wrong-doings! Have you ever wondered why is one person born blind and the other deaf …one is born a prince while the other scavenges for food from a garbage bin ! It is your ‘karma’ of your previous lifetimes that governs every moment of your present lifetime.”

“A self – realized guru out of love for his devotee, at times, overlooks his weaknesses and forgives him, hopeful that the devotee would improve his ways in the future, but the case is not the same in God’s Court of Justice…as when He delivers His verdict, He will hold you guilty for every wrong, unwanted action of yours.”

” In case you are walking on the street of wrong-doing, at this stage of your life , there is still time for you to retrace your steps and walk on the path of goodness. Believe me , the transition will be smooth, encouraging and greatly rewarding.”

Swamiji says …

” A mother willingly takes upon herself the herculean task of creating a strong and firm foundation of uprightness, honesty and truthfulness in her child by instilling in him the all important values of respecting others, speaking the truth and being straight- forward. She utilises every moment in highlighting the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, truth and untruth as she is aware that her child not only mirrors her reflection but also reflects her teachings and upbringing and she has to ensure that he becomes a good human being. The child obediently follows his mother’s guidelines and imbibes the values introduced by her and comprehends the vital difference between respect and disregard, honesty and dishonesty and lives happily by simply following his mother’s teachings.”

“All religious and sacred books emphasise on the importance of respecting our elders , our parents and treating them with reverence and respect. Respect their age , their words, their experience and behave with them appropriately. The same child who had been a good , well-behaved child earlier now succumbs to the external pressure of the environment in which he lives… without putting up a fight…and is now , sadly , transforming into a youth who has no qualms in selling his soul to the devil , who can look away from the truth without batting an eyelid and embrace the untruth unblinkingly , who can hurl abuses at others needlessly and uncaringly, who can lie confidently at every opportunity in order to save his skin. Words of falsehood, deceit and deception stream out of his mouth unceasingly. When, how and why did he develop the art of deception and connivance is the root point on which we must deliberate! The same child who used to treat his parents with love, utmost care and respect in the past… has no time for them now … insults them at his will and fancy and treats them with contempt, disdain and lets them know that they are a burden on him. He becomes so uncivilised and unrefined that he speaks to them in a callous manner, unmindful of the distress and pain that he is causing them. The order of the day now is to be impolite, discourteous, arrogant, disrespectful. Is this what had been taught to him by his mother and elders.”

” You meet your friends in order to gain some happiness and know about all that has been happening in their lives…good and the not so good. But instead of doing that, you while away hours speaking ill about some other common friends… dissecting their personal lives, besmirch their name and reputation… and when you later meet those very people…you put up a facade of being their well-wishers and their best friends too. What kind of behaviour is this? You are turning into a devious con artist …Are you or aren’t you ? You were always taught to be transparent and honest in your behaviour with others. What is bringing about this change in you? Could it be due to a total collapse in your value system and disregard for old age customs and beliefs ?”

“Your material possessions are of such great value to you that if another person’s car as much as touches your vehicle, you are blinded by anger to such an extent that you are willing to kill the other person in a moment of mindless rage. Are you any less than a savage when you let such sweeping emotions take control of you ? Were values of this kind ever taught to you by any of your elders ? Does the society in which you live have an effect so detrimental on you that you are becoming more uncivilised day by day? Shouldn’t you be held accountable for deliberately and knowingly turning into an unrecognizable person… completely different from what you were previously.”

” You must try to rein in your emotions before they gain an upper hand on you and turn you into someone you don’t know at all.”