Dedicated to Swamiji Ajay Jain ji

Swami ji said…

The measured duration of time that God allots to each one of us – in each lifetime of ours – is an opportunity given to us to improve our ‘karmic’ account – where we should put in all our energy and focus more on doing ‘पुण्य’, and , distance ourself from – “ किसी भी तरह का पाप…” Every ill-thought of ours; a silent mental barb; wishing for another person’s downfall; suspecting another of wrong doing; making someone feel like a culprit without any conclusive evidence – all such ‘acts’ too become part of our bad ‘karma’ – बुरे ‘कर्म’.”

“हम कितनी जल्दी दूसरों पर संदेह करते हैं, शक करते हैं ?” It takes us no time to harbour misgivings against others ; to mistrust others. And , at times we are unwilling to hear them out, as they try to defend themselves, from the barrage of accusations, that are flung at them by us. Even the great ‘devtas’ were susceptible to ‘suspect’ one another in times of trouble. It is, thus, important to realise that we – mere mortals are as vulnerable to this malicious emotion, as dry leaves are in stormy winds.

We fail to realise that by giving sanctuary to ‘suspicion’ in our heart and mind – we are mindlessly wasting precious time – imagining the various ways in which we have been betrayed. Barely do we to lose something, or, rather misplace something at home – and we immediately start casting doubts on the domestic help, an adolescent teenager or someone who could be frequenting our home regularly. Hours are needlessly spent on visualising how the ‘suspect’ was able to carry out the ‘theft’.Suspicion makes us believe the worst in others. Whatever little flaws they might have displayed – in the past are amplified in our mind – in the present time.

What we need to remember is that – ” ‘संदेह’ बेकार की मुसीबतें खड़ी कर देता है…” Misunderstandings develop unnecessarily ; relationships take a beating and are ruined for ever. Has the thought ever occurred to us – ” दूसरों पर ‘संदेह’ करने के बदले हम उनपे ‘विश्वास’ क्यों नहीं करते ? विश्वास तो पहाड़ों में भी रास्ते निकाल देता है…” Any relationship – be it between parent and child, between family members, between friends – is akin to a plant that needs to be nurtured. And, what water and sunlight are to the plant; belief and encouragement are to a relationship. Suspicion, on the other hand, is suffocating for ‘the’ one – who is always suspected of wrong doing. He feels as though he is constantly walking on glass ; mindful and fearful of coming across as a culprit. Such relationships turn sour very fast. Belief and encouragement shown by us – make others believe – that we are confident in them and inspires them to be loyal to us, as it makes them feel they are someone we ‘trust’. Trust – the very remedy a person ridden with ‘suspicion’ needs – to calm his mind.

Yes, we do not have to blindly trust everyone that we come across in our lives. There is always past behaviour ; references from others that must be considered by us. But , if possible, we must always give ‘trust’ a shot. Suspicion is like an iron gate, keeping us jailed in – away from new possibilities. Trust – ‘विश्वास’ – gives rise to new beginnings, new friendships, new journeys.

The epic ‘Ramayan’ depicts the unwavering ‘trust’ that Shri Ram reposed in each individual – who He met – while searching for Sita ma in the forests, when she was forcefully taken away by Ravan to Lanka. He ‘trusted’ Sugriv to keep his promise to help him search the forests for Sita ma with his ‘vanar’ sena. He ‘trusted’ Vibhishan – his enemy’s brother – to lead him to Ravan and reveal his weaknesses to Him. Would we have trusted a King who had just won over his kingdom with our help – to support us with his army – a few months later ? In today’s world that would seem foolhardy, and , perhaps, it might have seemed the same to some people back, then, too. But, the Lord placed His trust in all of them throughout. Would we ever accept our foe’s brother as our friend ? Would we trust him ; trust his words and irrespective of what he said – would we listen to him? But, even here, the Lord did so, smilingly.

How can a saint turn a thief into a good man , if , He does not trust him enough – that he will even ‘try’ to turn into a new leaf ? Even, we, who are blinded by the illusion of the material world, should feel fortunate that God trusts us – उन्हे हम पर ये विश्वास है कि, हम जैसे भी हैं – we will make an attempt to search for Him – not anywhere outside of us, but , within us…Then who are we to doubt anyone else ?

Swami ji said…

‘मैं उसे बहुत अच्छी तरह से जानता हूं! वो ऐसा ही है! वो वैसा ही है!” “I know him in and out !” हम इतनी आसानी से दूसरों के बारे में बुरा बोल देते हैं। हमें एक क्षण भी नहीं लगता किसी की आलोचना करने में, उनकी बुराई करने में; उनके बारे में उनकी पीठ पीछे बात करने में…” It doesn’t take us any time at all to pick on people, and, discuss about them at length with others.The speed with which we claim to ‘know’ people – qualifying and quantifying them in just a few seconds, without any deliberation, or , thought , is possibly faster than the speed of lightning. In our excitement to outdo others while talking behind someone’s back, we actually go guns blazing after them. “हम ये भूल जाते हैं कि किसी की बुराई करना जितना आसान कोई काम नहीं है।” In fact, it is the simplest thing to do.Talk ill about people whenever we want to. At times there could be no particular reason for doing so – but we do it anyway – as a matter of habit – and, also, because we derive some inexplicable, devious pleasure out of it.

But , then , who are we to do so ? Is this a divine right that has been granted to us by the Almighty? How can we say whatever we want to about others? “ ‘दूसरो’ के बारे मे बात करने के बजाये , ‘उनको’ जानने के बजाये – तुम पहले ‘अपने आप’ को तो जानो, अपने आप को पहचानो!” Why don’t we, if , just for a moment, train the same all – knowing, all – seeing eyes – at ourselves, and , make the smallest possible attempt to ‘know’
ourselves -” ‘स्वयं’ को पहचानने का प्रयास करें…”Are we sure that we would like the image that we see there? Or will the shocking reality – of how far we actually are – from the perfect creation that we had always thought we were – hit us hard. It takes guts, courage, and fearlessness to accept and admit the real ‘who’ that we are ! Or, are we such narcissists ; so much in love with ourselves – that we refuse to see any imperfection in us that needs to be worked at ?

Can we honestly question ourselves – “Am I biased towards myself and refuse to acknowledge my shortcomings ? Do the scales of judgment remain evenly balanced when it comes to analysing ‘myself’ as an individual , unlike those times, when I weigh ‘others’ on the same scale ? Am I sure that there is no scope for some improvement in me too ?” We do know who we are , don’t we ? We can do everything but hide from ourselves. Can we say with all honesty – that our ‘virtues’ outnumber the ‘vices’ – that are prevalent all around us ? Are we such truthful and upright individuals – that unperturbed by the outcome of the situation that faces us – we refuse to deviate from the path of honesty and righteousness, in order to remain steadfast to our principles?

When we don’t have any qualms in voicing tauntingly about someone else – “पता नही उसका पेट कब भरेगा? हमेशा पैसे की बात करता रेहता है…” – then can we say with our head held high that greed and avarice are unknown to us ? Are we truly content with what we have, or , do we just pretend to be so in front of others ? वो मुझ से जलते हैं – is said so complacently by us – but , again , have we reached a stage where we don’t turn green with envy on seeing others do better than us? Have we managed to overcome our ‘ego’ – and do not get offended when our point of view is not accepted ? As compared to others , are we more tolerant and less temperamental – because of which arrogance and rude behaviour find it difficult to frequent us? Are we sure the words – ” वो अपने आप को क्या समझता है?” said by us, for others, with questionable contempt do not apply to us also ? Don’t we say mockingly – “अरे, तुमने उससे क्या उम्मीद लगा रखी है ? वो किसी की मदद नहीं करता…” But then, do we go out of our way to help others – even if it causes us some inconvenience?

New resolutions are made by us at the beginning of each New Year – which are implemented with great enthusiasm in the beginning – but fade out quickly. This year make a resolution – to ‘know’ yourself ; to correct yourself ; to change yourself ; to improve yourself – as all these steps will make you realise that – ‘अपने आप’ को जानना भी सबसे बड़ा ‘ज्ञान’ है…”

Swami ji said…

If we are honest with ourselves, it might not be possible for us to deny the fact – that we take life for granted. We feel entitled to all the goodness, happiness and wonder that comes along with it. Somehow, we are certain deep down, that the package of life which is unwrapped by us, layer by layer , every day of our life – will reveal something exceptional, unexpected, something magical – that will take our breath away. If we had our way – we would expect the best from life – every single day of our lives. We would hate to see anything burst the bubble – even if it is one of make believe – in which life as visualised by us can only be rosy and comfortable – minus the thorns and suffering. After all , it is our ‘right’ to have some expectations from life – we tell ourselves, convincingly.

So busy are we expecting the best from life – that a simple thought – that maybe life too could be expecting something from us – completely slips our mind. Here, too, we, need to be completely honest with ourselves once again. Can we actually be so impractical and so far placed away from reality that the thought that we also owe something to life doesn’t come to our mind ? Or, do we deliberately turn our eyes away from what life is trying tell us? That – it too expects something from us. Nothing much. Some simple acts of kindness towards one and all – from us. Formation of some good habits – one, in particular, of doing small, good deeds – regularly, unfailingly. Haven’t we grown up hearing our elders say – ” तुम जैसा दूसरों के साथ करोगे, वैसा ही तुम्हारे साथ होगा…अच्छा करोगे तो अच्छा…बुरा करोगे तो बुरा…”

We might not even be aware of the far reaching consequences that one good deed could reap. One noble act done by us for someone else, sometime back in the past, could come to our rescue, in a do – or – die situation. It could unknowingly help us overcome a major crisis ; assist us in tiding over days of dilemma and darkness – through that ‘someone’ else’s intervention and help in the present time. Many of us might be able to recall such instances in our life – when everything appeared to be going downhill – and all of a sudden – a saviour had appeared from nowhere and made it possible for us to see the Sun – when all we could otherwise see were dark clouds. There could be days when we end up feeling utterly helpless – as maybe our plans for the future had fallen awry – like a pack of cards , and , there is no one out there to support us – and, yet, again , some good soul emerges from the shadows and offers his shoulder as a pillar of support – and reignites the flame of self – belief, self confidence in ourselves – to begin anew, afresh. On seeing our lives take a turn for the better again, we are left wondering as to – why and from where did these particular individuals come all of a sudden ? These good samaritans are those very individuals who had been at the receiving end of our good deed in the past and have stepped forward – in the present time – to return the debt of the good ‘karma’ that they owed us.

For a minute, let us pause and reflect – Is it difficult for us to do good deeds, good acts ? Does the thought of doing good deeds – comes naturally to us – or , we do so while thinking of the possibility of being rewarded sometime later on – by that ‘someone’ – who would want to return the favour done by us, for him – either, in this lifetime or the next – that makes us do good ‘karma’? Is it some sort of a business deal that we are trying to broker here? A barter system? No. More than anyone or anything else – it is we – the doers of good ‘karma’ that benefit the most. Good deeds done by us – need nothing more than a pure heart, a clean, clear mind, good intent and a generous soul – when we don’t want good things to happen only with us – but with everyone else around us – known or unknown to us. We become magnanimous and are no longer confined by the egoistic words – ‘I’ and ‘me’ – but begin to give more importance to ‘we’ and ‘us’.

Many of us fall prey to vices; become habitual offenders. Lying without batting an eyelid; indulging in fraud – if not checked and corrected in time – can turn into ugly habits, and, yet it comes as no surprise to see millions of us take this deceitful, dishonest path. So, then, why should it take us long to get into the habit of doing good ‘karma’? After all, we don’t need to enter into a partnership or alliance with any ungainly element while doing good deeds. Is it very difficult to take care of old parents with genuine love ? Do we have to pretend to love them? Is it too big a sacrifice to forego parties and pleasure time in order to be with them; take care of them? Are we too busy to find those few seconds in the morning to offer prayers to the Sun God; thank Mother Earth for feeding us; sustaining us? Recalling and focussing on the divine instructions of one’s ‘guru’ and implementing them effectively in our everyday life will enable us to be conscious of the fact – whether what we are about to do next – is it a good deed or not …” Kya iss ‘karma’ se hum ‘jagdish’ ke aur sameep ja rahe hain ya nahi ?”

Swami ji said…

In all of mankind’s time on Earth, the times we live in today, the world as it is around us – would seem the most paradoxical to the spiritual seeker. For at one end, he has at his disposal all the knowledge of the ages – from the innumerable, wise spiritual teachers of the past and present ; religious texts and holy scrolls ; old scriptures and modern thought papers – all telling him to eagerly pursue God. To realize the Self. To give up his wants and focus on the spirit, the Soul. To chase only that which is Godly and holy, and nothing else.

And yet, at the same time, he sees that – what the world whole heartedly celebrates, ardently admires – is quite opposite to what he is told to seek. Wealth is admired and adored ; greed is seen not as a vice but as a source of strength and a guide to fortune. The senses are king and satisfying them at all times , at any cost – is made to look like the end purpose of life.

Such circumstances can cause one disappointment and disillusionment. A person can end up being bitter towards the world – on seeing the gulf , the divide between what is preached and practiced. We are taught about morality – are told that we are duty bound ; are expected to behave morally and act in an impeccable , righteous way, but , on the other hand , see the world rewarding handsomely – all those who act immorally. Life can feel unjust and God comes across as uncaring in such conditions.

More often than not, we find many a people of this temperament around us. They are good at heart but bear resentment for the doings of the world. Some of us could find ourselves in the same boat many a times. We put in everything to keep ourselves morally and spiritually sound ; while there are those who seem to be living life to the fullest – doing as they please – uncaring and unfearful of any repercussions.

What then is the solution to this ? How does one change the tide ? The answer to this, as in almost every endeavour to make change, lies in us. We must first bring about change in ourselves. It is important for us to understand that self-realization, spiritual enlightenment ; these are not personal endeavours that one opts for just like that – as one opts to exercise or learn an art. These are simply God’s divine plans for us. Tasks set by Him for us to achieve. And , any spiritual seeker who sets out on the spiritual path must understand , that he is finally doing what he was sent to do on Earth. He is now simply doing what he must do ; is supposed to do – as he is doing the best that he can do for himself. To rein in the mind, cleanse the soul and realize who he is and to achieve all this – is the true purpose of his being here.

Everything else that is enjoyed by us – family, society, job, money – is a result of our past ‘karma’. We wrongly feel that we are defined by these. It is only when we stop identifying ourselves with these things ; it is only when we see ourselves as distinct from these – can we stop caring about them. For the spiritual seeker to be successful, detachment is not an option, but, a necessity – as one who is still seeing through the lens of ‘माया’ will never see the fruits of his spiritual labour.

Without detachment, the spiritual seeker’s motivation and aspirations will remain at the materialistic plane, although his actions could be on a spiritual plane. As seen today, many a times people take up meditation, yoga and other spiritual practices seeking to ‘better’ their lives. Unfortunately, what they think as ‘better’ for them – is materialistic in nature. They are unaware that ‘peace of mind’ is possibly the greatest gift of all in today’s day and age; but , instead they hope silently , that their spiritual practices will bring them a ‘better career’ or ‘make them wealthier’.

Is this not akin to the farmer who lays mango seeds, hoping to grow an apple orchard ? Will such a situation not lead to depression and resentment ?

To avoid this, the spiritual seeker must instead take pride in doing God’s work. He must sacrifice fulfilling his senses, and instead love God and live for others. Yes, this is indeed easier said than done. But , little by little, one can begin to look at life through such a lens.

Once we do this, we will also begin to appreciate those who live like this. Our goalposts in life will shift. We will look up to the self-realised. We will celebrate ‘sacrifice’ and ‘control’. We will be inspired by these and implement them in our lives. Gradually, we will not be concerned with what people think of us, or , what they can do for us. We will only look to assist those who God wishes us to assist. The future will not be in our thoughts and the past will have no use for us. Such is the freedom and strength that we will be rewarded with on our journey.

It is only then that the light within us, God’s light, will shine through. It is only then that others will begin to see why they must seek God. It is only then that they too will follow the steps of the spiritual path. And , perhaps , then we too can feel rewarded for right actions in this life.

Swami ji said…

Do we take cognisance of the number of times we complain, crib or grumble in a day? At times, it seems that we are in a state of preparedness; ever ready to lament, express our dissatisfaction with just about everything that life lays out in front of us. Life has plans for each one of us – be it in the form of a surprise or a shock – a bolt from the blue; all of which could bring either a smile or a tear – but , life , inevitably does bring something for us everyday. At times, even the best of surprises might fail to make us happy, as we have become adept at finding some shortcoming in them ; and, sudden, shocking, unexpected developments in life are conveniently attributed to God’s unfair manner of treating us. During such moments we act as though the theory of ‘karma’ does not apply to us. The blame rests squarely on God’s shoulders according to us.” भगवान मेरे साथ हमेशा ऐसा ही करते हैं…” – we rue accusingly.

Discontentment rules so strong in us – that we seem to completely forget to express gratitude for all that God has been doing for us and gifting us with. Constant comparison with others, on any front, makes us feel insignificant and small and we bemoan that life has never treated us fairly. We appear to be extremely certain that we deserve much more than what has come our way, and , it doesn’t take us any time at all to get into a critical mode and say that we are victims of our cruel destiny. No one is spared by us once we begin our litany of complaints. On our list of complaints could be everyone else – but us.

Do we draw some sort of comfort in complaining ?Do we do so to conceal our weaknesses ; our frailties behind the thick curtain of complaints? We smartly avoid talking about the lack of initiative, effort , concentration and sincerity – that could otherwise have put in from our end, in order to achieve anything substantial in life – but , instead, we complain about the financial crunch, lack of parental support , difficult living conditions – that have led us to the miserable condition in which we find ourselves.Till when will we continue to complain incessantly?

We cannot seek shelter by parroting over and over again – ” If only this had happened?” “If only that had not happened?”
“ऐसा क्यूँ हुआ ?” “ऐसा क्यूँ नहीं
हुआ ?” It is the weak who complain. Rather, we must try in all earnestness to ensure that these never – ending complaints vacate our heart at the earliest – and instead fill the now vacant heart with love , gratitude and thankfulness to God for blessing us with this precious life.

What did the Kaurav prince, Duryodhan, achieve by complaining all the time? Rather than gaining anything ; he lost everything. He was never at peace with himself. He wasted his entire life in conniving , conspiring and scheming against the Pandavs – and to what avail. God and ‘guru’ both derive immense pleasure in seeing His children and devotees live life with a sense of acceptance and surrender to their divine will.