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Swami ji said…

Right from early childhood, we are taught to fold our hands and take God’s name — and nearly every parent makes his baby repeat this act whenever they interact with others — be it family or friends. The happiness and pleasure with which tiny tots perform this act is a sight to behold, as their innocence and purity shine through. They sit atop their father’s shoulders, take His name with joy in their hearts, focusing more on repeating His name alongwith the newly introduced action of folding their hands – as they surrender themselves completely to just getting His name right. Unknowingly, our sole focus is on God’s name during ‘those’ idyllic days of babyhood – as babies don’t and can’t have any ulterior motives. Can they ? They have not a care in the world, certain and absolutely sure that their parents will ‘carry them’ — and ‘everything to’ them, ‘for’ them — and will be with them constantly and always.

But as time passes and we grow up, varied interests distract us. We begin to centre more on these, as we feel that – the fame, money, power, and position that we could be ‘enjoying’ at that moment – have been created by ‘us,’ by only ‘our’ hard work, ‘our’ dint of merit. We start assuming that — “वो हम ही हैं , जो सब कुछ कर रहे हैं …” The gay abandon with which we used to perch ourselves on our elders shoulders, in our childhood, appears to diminish greatly during our adulthood, as we take it for granted that the responsibility for every thing rests on us, and ‘we’ are the ones who painstakingly bear and carry everyone’s burden — our parents, children — on ‘our’ shoulders. We fail to see that it is not we, but “वो ऊपर नीलीछतरिवाला जिसने ‘हमारी’ सारी ज़िम्मेदारी अपने कंधों पर ले रखी है …” But what is it that makes us hesitate to accept the fact that — “जब एक पत्ता भी उनकी मर्ज़ी के बिना नहीं हिल सकता है तो क्या हमारे जीवन में कुछ भी उनकी इच्छा के बिना हो सकता है?” Where and why does that childlike innocence, love, and faith in God vanish as we mature? Very often we hear people say… “मैं करूँगा…” and thump their chest on achieving their goal. It is wonderful to be elated on realising a dream, but , do we realise that – it could only happen because – He allowed it to manifest ; to materialise – by taking upon Himself the responsibility of equipping, empowering, and enabling us to see its fulfilment — and this is exactly what our ego and ‘अहंकार’ blind us to.

Do we honestly ask ourselves — “What is it that makes us take His name?” Why do we offer prayers to Him?” Is it out of pure love and respect for our Creator ? Is it out of fear – that if we don’t pray – things would not work out well for us ? Or is it more need-based ? Don’t we keep on asking Him for something or the other all the time ?Barely is one wish fulfilled by Him when we put our next request to Him. Do we ever feel that we should give up the ‘give and take’ policy that we seem to have formed with God – by trying to win Him over with the ingratiating words – “ईश्वर ! आप मेरी ये इच्छा पूरी कर दीजिए और मैं आपको ये चढ़ाऊँगा…” Why have we formed a business relationship with God? Does He really need any adornments or bribes from us? But we somehow believe — the heavier our offering to Him, the more our coffers will fill.

What if we changed our ‘desire-riddled’ relationship with God – with one, instead , that sees love overflowing from us for Him ? Let us feel love for Him — only love — divine and pure, which makes us so blissful that materialistic desires seem inane and insignificant in front of Him. Did we ask Him for anything as a baby ? Didn’t He rejoice in hearing us baby-mouth His name and fulfil all our needs without us giving a voice to them? It is only when we reach a blissful state like this — when we stop asking from Him — that we will be able to see the divine manner in which He bears our burden and gives us what should be given to us in this lifetime — without our having to ask Him for anything.

What we all fail to understand is that if our relationship with God were purely transactional, and, if our offerings got us what we wanted, then we would never truly understand God — or His power and grace. No matter how well we think we know what we need, God alone knows best.

We often misinterpret surrender to God as a sign of weakness or passivity — as though we are resigning ourselves to chaos or helplessness.
But that is certainly not what surrendering to Him entails.
Surrendering to Him means having faith and belief that He is making everything happen for the best. Such a mindset is truly empowering, as one is able to act with confidence and also know that some grand surprise or revelation is just around the corner for us. Such a way of thinking helps us see His miracles more clearly and make us enjoy life’s moments to the fullest.

Swami ji said…

“I will do it…” “I will look into it… That’s a promise…” “Rest assured it will be done…” – we say with such promise in our voice that the person concerned – who has a problem at hand and is looking for a solution – feels energized and hopeful with just these reassuring words, and , feels as though a great weight has already been lifted from his shoulders. Such is the power of words that ring in a promising tone, expressing support and strength to —
” उन डूबते हुओं के लिए , जिनको तिनके का सहारा ही काफी लगता है…”

But how many of us, to be honest, live up to the expectations that we create in whosoever it could be – be it a family member, a friend, or maybe an acquaintance too – by promising to help them in which ever way they had wanted help from us ? Were we sincere while extending our support to them? Did we actually mean to do whatever we were capable of doing for them? Or had we said so, as, momentarily, we got carried away ; became emotional in the spur of the moment and had impulsively promised to stand by them – but, on realising later that we would not be able to help them, we had just melted into the darkness of unkept promises and set a perfect example of those who just say anything and promise anything as – ‘कहने में क्या जाता है…’ – all the time knowing very well that – ‘जो वो चाहते हैं हम ‘कर’ ही नहीं पाएंगे…” Doesn’t matter that – ‘हम ने ‘कह’ दिया था कि हम उनकी मदद करेंगे…”

Apart from promising to rescue others from a challenging situation – what about the instances when we promise to give up a vice, and, on persistent reminders and questions from others, we lie to them by saying that we have given it up – even when we are nowhere close to trying to give it up?

We are in such a hurry – ‘दूसरों की वाह -वाही कमाने में … वो कितना अच्छा इंसान है , हमेशा सब की मदद करता है…Yeh sab सुनने में…’ that it becomes easy to make a promise, even if it’s a false one – and when it is time for us to deliver – well, the disappearing act is never very difficult; particularly for those who are exceptional at creating a deceptively good’ image of themselves.

It is only when we become aware, conscious of the underlying import of the words – ‘कहना कितना आसान होता है, पर करना उतना ही मुश्किल …’ and assimilate the hidden significance of these words – it is only then that we are likely to pause, think, and deliberate – before making a commitment, a promise – and prevent ourselves from becoming the cause of creating false hope within the other person. Instead of ‘showing’ our willingness to help others – when we don’t intend to do so – we should ‘promise ourselves’ that, if, in the future, we give our word to anyone – we will abide by what we say. When we make this a habit, we will see a change for the better in ourselves – as we will think twice before falsely committing ourselves to others; weigh and watch the words that are said by us, and once we promise something to others – we will make it a point to keep it, fulfil it.

A spiritual seeker stands to gain absolutely nothing , if, in order to please his ‘guru’, he makes false promises to Him – while being instructed to take certain steps that will help him progress on the spiritual path. In all earnestness, a devotee might promise his ‘guru’ – “मैं ऐसा ही करूंगा…” “मैं ये सब करूंगा…” – but later, for whatever reason, he fails to follow through on those promises. He must understand that a promise or a commitment made to his ‘guru’ is as good as an offering made to the divine. Breaking that promise is not only a colossal lapse on his part but it also becomes a cause of
failure in spiritual discipline.
Eventually, our actions must match our words. It is as simple as that.

Is the ‘Ramayana’ not a profound lesson in this truth ? King Dasharatha honoured his promise to Queen Kaikeyi – to grant her two boons that she had asked for , from him. Even though it broke his heart and led to immeasurable sorrow, he kept his word. And it was this very promise – painful though it was, that set Lord Rama on his path to the forest, and , ultimately to conquer Ravana.

A moment of truth upheld, a promise honoured, led not just to personal trials but to the triumph of ‘dharma’ over ‘adharma’. The story reminds us that integrity in speech and action – form the very foundation of character and of destiny.

Swami ji said…

” I am getting bored…थोड़ी देर जरा उस से गप- शप लगा के आता हूँ…” – we say eagerly , with happiness lighting up our face, at the prospect of talking to a friend. How many times in our lifetime have nearly all of us spoken in a similar manner? Boredom sets in very easily in all of us ! And, this, even when we talk about the never-ending struggles and labour of life which apparently should have kept us occupied. We complain about the rapid pace at which life is passing by – leaving us with no time for ourselves. But, since we are easy on the ‘ears’ – which is known to ‘them’ – the need to hear ‘all’ that is happening around ‘them’ – makes ‘them’ propel us to gossip keenly with others and know the latest tales of those who are both, known and unknown, to us and, thus, we, are somehow always able to ‘find’ some time to chitter – chatter.

But, then again – till when, for how long – will we continue to overcrowd our mind with all that unnecessary information – which could be of no use to us ? Of course, we need a change in the course of our day and having a light-hearted conversation is not a crime ; but, the problem arises when the ‘talking points’ refuse to leave our mind – specially those related to materialism. If, we are honest to ourselves, we must try to recall the last time we were fortunate enough to hold conversations that were inspirational ; worth emulating and spiritually uplifting ? Aren’t we influenced and affected by what we hear ? Talks centred around material prosperity will make us sink in the mire of materialism further – as there is no end to our craving for material luxuries.We need to understand that there is more to life than comforts and conveniences – and our mind needs to be purified with thoughts focussing on cleansing our ‘soul’ and making ourselves worthy of experiencing His divine ‘दर्शन’.

Can a spiritual seeker who has been initiated by a ‘सच्चा संत ‘ ; received his ‘गुरु -मंत्र’ – benefit in any way by knowing about ‘all’ that is happening in the personal lives of others? Just getting upset and distressed at the events unfolding in their lives – but knowing about his limitations at the same time ; his inability to help them – will not solve the problem. Rather, ‘ the thought ‘ on getting lodged in his mind- tends to fix itself there – unless and until the ‘साधक’ is mentally strong enough to let go off the thought ; release it and replace it with the sound and syllables of the ‘गुरु -मंत्र ‘. He needs to remember that he has had his fair share of enjoyment in the ‘संसार’ before being blessed by God and ‘गुरु’ – with the ‘गुरु- मंत्र ‘, and, now is the time for him to focus on his spiritual growth.

The power of the ‘गुरु- मंत्र’ and the positive effect that it has on us – in an unfathomable manner – in every aspect of our life , can only be realised , once we make it a habit of repeating it , silently , within us again and again.
Thoughts – happy and sad ; illuminating and depressing – will flit through our mind. Let them fly by. We must be particular to entertain them, if, at all, for a fleeting second only ; make ‘them’ our temporary guests only – but remember to make our “गुरु -मंत्र ‘ a permanent resident in our mind – as it alone makes us understand why we suffer pain one day, and, see a day most joyous the very next day. We begin to comprehend that whatever is happening in our lives – is happening for a reason – and had to happen only this way. Every incident in our life – whether it was good or bad – had to take place and lead us to the point where we find ourselves today. We stop questioning life – and ‘resistance’ and ‘arrogance’ – give way to ‘acceptance’ and
‘humility’. The repetition of the ‘गुरु- मंत्र’ takes away the darkness that envy, anger and hatred had covered us in – when the light of knowledge makes us aware – that we are and will always be where we are supposed to be – as per His wish.

The internal strength that a ‘गुरु मंत्र ‘ provides us with cannot be provided by anyone else. In thankfulness and despair – ‘it’ stands by us and rejoices with us – while at the same time gives us strength to face any crisis. Unlike a best friend – who could part ways due to a misunderstanding – the ‘गुरु – मंत्र ‘ stands by us, stays with us – guiding us at every step – till our last breath.

‘गुरु – मंत्र’ makes us believe in the presence of God – as the more we repeat it – the closer we feel to Him. We take His name, pray to Him and expect Him to listen to us – and so involved do we become in laying out our list of wishes and requirements before Him that we are unable to understand that the ‘गुरु- मंत्र ‘ is silently and quietly enabling us to hear Him.

Swami ji said…

Do we try to analyse, make an attempt to understand the causes which make us declare that life is not easy but difficult and challenging ? And, if so, are we honestly able to come to a few sound, logical conclusions – without showing any bias towards ourselves and defending ourselves by saying that – ‘life’ has become extremely stressful and that there is too much pressure to handle – which makes it difficult for us to face life’ ? Don’t we hear everyone around us say – ” मैं कोशिश कर रहा हूं , परंतु हर कोशिश विफल हो रही है… कुछ भी आगे नहीं बढ़ रहा है… बड़ा मुश्किल हो रहा है जीवन गुजारना…” And, most of the time, don’t we come across as morose, dejected and despairing individuals ? The cycle and ‘nature’ of ‘life’ has always been the same – but has man’s ‘nature’ and needs changed drastically over the ages? Have we become over – ambitious? Turned
blind to our limited capabilities, and, yet , envision a future that is close to being perfect ?

It is rather difficult for us to forget the proverbial saying…”Try and try till you succeed…” Isn’t it? And, thus, we continue to make one attempt after another; putting everything into that effort – body, mind and soul – and are left befuddled on meeting failure repeatedly. So deeply immersed are we in achieving the desired goal – that we fail to see that ‘someone’ up there – ‘ नीली छतरीवाला ‘ – ‘who’ knows what is best for us – will keep on denying us the realisation of that particular dream of ours?

What is it that makes us feel small and insignificant in surrendering before God’s will ? Does our ‘ego’ take the repeated failure faced by us as a personal insult and feels that it has to prove a point to itself, if, not to others, by attaining its target – no matter when and how ? However, if , we look at the positives – be it even in the most negative situation that we could find ourselves in – we will, without any doubt, not only see the skills of perseverance and resilience that have developed within us – but also become aware of the strength that has set its roots within us to accept setbacks and failures – which can break many a strong heart – and make us aware of the fact that we are to walk a path less travelled.

Man proposes, God disposes. That is the true essence of ‘karma’. Man must keep doing his ‘karma’. But , what he gets as the fruits of his labour, must be accepted by Him as God’s will. There will be times he will feel compelled to keep trying, only to find failure at the end. In that too is God’s grace – as it is God’s way of taking us on a path only he sees as best for us. We must learn to accept this. Even though at a certain moment, it might seem inexplicable as to why certain failures befall us, we must not give in to despair and believe that we are being carried by God to that ‘particular’ point or path – better suited to us.

What we need to understand about ‘life’ is that – a balance needs to be maintained by us between things and events that can be managed and controlled by us – and to ‘let’ go off things which were not meant to happen for us. We could have put in sincere, tireless effort – but ‘failure’ stonewalled us repeatedly. We have a
fixed notion in our mind that it is a sign of weakness to accept defeat. Buy the case is not so – ” हार मानने में हमें अपने आप को छोटा महसूस नहीं करना चाहिए…” All that we need to do is to learn to live between ‘effort’ and ‘surrender’-” हम बस कोशिश कर सकते हैं … हमारी कोशिश का परिणाम ईश्वर के हाथ में होता है…और समर्पण करने में हमें अलौकिक आनंद प्राप्त होता है…”

Swami ji said…

If you ever chart the course of a river, you will observe that it cuts through various terrains – sometimes rocky and mountainous, sometimes plain, sometimes marshy. At some places it flows fast with its banks reaching the horizon , while at other places it flows like a narrow stream; and at times, hidden from our view, it finds its wayunder the ground. Yet, it unfailingly flows on, never abandoning its true nature. We too, like a river, must never abandon our true nature, our inherent goodness.

Unfortunately, somewhere, in the constantly changing situation of everyday life – that elicit different emotions from us, we seem to lose all traces of the goodness that is an inherent part of us. At the first sign of anything unwanted and unwarranted – we take up a suit of armour. One of coldness and bitterness and anger. It only takes a few unkind words or actions by someone, and, our mood and day is ruined. We roam about bitter and resentful.

Don’t all of us understand rather well that we should not let others get under our skin? And, yet , this is where we perpetually fail ? Not once, but repeatedly.
It appears that how others behave with us is what controls our own behavior. We ponder and scrutinize whether they were polite, impolite or downright rude to us ? And if so – why were they so? At times, we are rattled and disturbed even by the way others look at us – even, if, it is for a fraction of a second. Our impulsive reaction is to somehow get back at them. We take a vow to payback everyone in the same coin. It is a pity to think how much precious time of ours is spent ruminating over how people have wronged us and how we shall extract our revenge. Be it at the workplace, in our own families, our friend groups or neighbors; we always find something wrong with how people have been behaving with us. And they end up occupying our thoughts more than anything else in the world. Our behavior, our actions, all become in line with feelings of revenge and bitterness.

The truth is, there always will be people who might not like us and could treat us in an undesirable manner. There always will be someone who will say or do something to hurt our feelings.There will always be someone who will not have our best interests at heart. Much like the mountains and rocks that try to impede a river’s flow ; the presence of such people in our lives – serves as a stumbling block in being our best selves. But, there is no avoiding such people. And, they will never cease to exist. But we must learn not to hate them and instead tell ourselves – ” Agar woh bure hai – toh tum bhi kyun bure bante ho…” Tum apni achchai kyun ek pal mein , gusse mein aane ke kaaran, kho dete ho? Apne andar ki achchai khone mein sabse zyaada nuksaan tumhara hi hoga…”

Just like the mountains and rocks that have been placed in a river’s course by God ; these people who we are irked by, too, are placed in our lives for a purpose – that only God understands. All we need to do is exercise some restraint and will-power and remind ourselves to refrain from indulging in the kind of behavior – that is disliked by us.The only ‘positive’ that we can take away from the presence of such ‘negative’ people in our lives – would be to learn to control ourselves from being uncouth and harsh to them – by reminding ourselves – “Why should we stoop to a level as low as theirs which will only take away our goodness?”

The spiritual seeker must imbibe this thought process. Every time something is said or done to him – that hurts him, his feelings ; he must ‘remember that’ – and ensure that he never does anything that could cause pain and grief to anyone else.That is how he will improve his own behavior. To keep calm and reassure himself while fighting the urge to react rudely and impulsively – that is what teaches the spiritual practitioner ‘control’. It teaches hin how the mind can be tamed, and, how one can regulate one’s emotional response with wisdom. He understands that rather than wasting time on drafting a tit – for – tat policy and address all ‘those’ – who had caused him mental stress with their bad behavior and horrible attitude – in a similar rude manner ; it would be better for him to forgive them, forget about them and instead focus on serving God and meditate on His name.