Dedicated to Swamiji Ajay Jain ji

Swami ji said…

When God made us , it is possible that He, too, might have pinned some hopes on us. After all ‘man’ was an exceptional creation of His ; one which was crafted by Him with utmost thought and deliberation – and as He infused life into us ; endowed us with intellect and intelligence; senses and emotions – He must have stepped back – marveling at His exquisite artistic skill – confident that..
‘ उनका हर अंश, हर प्रतिबिंब – हर परिस्तिथि में – खुश रहेगा , प्रसन्न रहेगा, साहसी रहेगा और भयहीन रहेगा…” as ‘He’ knew very well that ‘He’ would always be with us – as we are a part of ‘Him’ – a fact which He would want us to realise ourselves.

But, the ignorant lot that most of us are – we fail to understand the soft and subtle ways – in which He repeatedly tries to convey to us that He is with us through thick and thin. The more distant we grow from realising the deep significance of His words – the more unhappy, fearful and uncertain – we remain. More often than not – we choose to ‘become’ so. Unhappiness – knows that it is very easy for her – to rule over us – as we allow her free access into our heart and mind. Her entry into our inner being is unchecked, unrestricted. Any little thing…”जो चीज़ हमें पसंद नहीं है या पसंद नहीं आती है ; जो हमारी इच्छा के विरुद्ध है या हो रहा है ; कोई दुख का अगर हमें सामना करना पड़े…” – is enough to displease and distress us.The mere shadow of any situation , circumstance or condition – that is not comfortable, convenient or conducive for us – is enough to make happiness flee ; to give her an excuse to make a hasty exit from our being – and unhappiness settles down immediately – smugly, with ease – in the area vacated by happiness.

In a similar manner , all it takes is a dark fearful thought to envelope our mind in its shroud – and fearlessness – becomes a distant cousin. Why is it that our mind and heart are attracted like magnets to negativity, despair and unhappiness – but – repel positivity, optimism and happiness – most of the time ? It is so , because we – who should be masters of our emotions – instead – become subservient to them.

Do we ever question God when He does some good for us ? Have we ever asked Him – “God , why did you fulfill my ambition ; help me acquire my dream home ; enable me to holiday in the land of my dreams?’ We just take it for granted that He will always do good for us – and the possibility that we might not even be grateful to Him for doing so, cannot be over – ruled. If, in our happiness, we forget to do this – then with what face do we accuse Him – when we are besieged with problems ; ill – health ; financial duress ? We move around with worried faces ; a look of hopelessness about us ; filled with fear of the unknown…” भयभीत होने मैं हमें एक क्षण भी नहीं लगता है…साहस नहीं होता है मुश्किल का सामना करने के लिए … घबरा जाते हैं … टूट जाते हैं बहुत जल्दी…”Will we remain happy only when things go our way ; the way we want them to – and grapple with fear when the unexpected encounters us?

We need to remind ourselves repeatedly – that fear is a natural reaction to any untoward , unwanted development or incident. But , with God and ‘sadguru’ by his side and with faith in them – a spiritual seeker must learn to overcome it – and instead replace it – with courage – ‘साहस से ‘- to make decisions that will help him remain steadfast – like a steady wick of a candle – unaffected by strong gusty winds – placing trust , hope and faith in ‘ the neeli chatriwala ‘ in all situations – the good and the not so good.

Swami ji said…

Can we even recall the number of times we had picked up the receiver of our landline phones in the days gone by ; and do the same with our mobile phones in the present time too…when we had called up or call up a friend and say with genuine affection …”
बहुत दिन हो गए मिले हुए…दर्शन कब होंगे तुम्हारे…?” We had done so in the past and do so today too – talk to, share the joys and sorrows ; the ups and downs of life with those who matter to us ; our friends – all those to whom we are very close.The minute we think of anyone – an image of their physical form – forms before us – and the very thought of those who are particularly dear to us lights up our face ; a smile tugs at our lips and as we call them up – we say – ‘चलो , आज इससे बात करते हैं…’ And, once we begin talking, our talk time could last for a very long time. Don’t we very often remind ourselves that it is extremely essential for us to stay connected with all those who mean a lot to us? And, at times, we don’t leave any stone unturned to stay in touch with them. We feel that they might feel neglected and bad , if , we didn’t make an honest effort to reach out to them regularly. Such is our determination to not lose connection and communication with those who care for us and love us – that extensive plans are made to travel long distances to meet them – if need be across the globe too.

The question that arises next is that if we are so greatly consumed with love for family members and friends ; so
conscious and aware of what must be done by us to express our affection and love for them – those who could be far away from us, then what about reaching out to Him who is seated within us – ‘ वह जो साक्षात हमारे अंदर बैठे हैं ; जो हर क्षण हमारी देख भाल करते हैं ; जो हर पल हमारी निगरानी करते हैं – हमारे ‘परमात्मा’, ‘ईश्वर’ !
Are we even aware that He is within us ; that we are a part of Him ? Do we make the same effort or any effort at all ; take some initiative to establish a communication network with Him ; one that doesn’t depend on any technology, wires and cables ; but is cordless, wireless and can be set – up on zero expenditure – as all it needs is – divine love, firm faith, prayers that are said from a selfless, pure heart ; a mind filled with devotion while chanting His name ; grateful for all His mercies ; surrendering to His divine plan for us ; letting Him know that His generous love for us illuminates us with the awareness to understand – that the point at which we are at the present moment – is only because He wants us to be there – and only there.

The more we take His name ; the more we narrate His glories ; the more we think about Him ; the more we reflect on His wondrous doings – the more connected we will feel to Him ; feel His enlightening presence within us. Once the heart begins to embrace such thoughts ; the mind too starts thinking of embarking on the spiritual journey of experiencing His divinity within us and realising that God – is not anywhere outside of us, but , is residing within us.

A spiritual seeker realises that reciting , repeating and ruminating on the sacred syllables of the ‘गुरु – मंत्र benefit him in a way so personal that they can only be ‘felt’ and understood by him. He begins to feel that God has chosen Him over many others – and that his Creator on detecting the spark of spirituality in Him – is instrumental in directing him to receive the Grace of a self realised ‘सद्गुरु’- who not only reveals the glory of the spiritual world to him , but , also makes him realise that God and the spiritual seeker are ‘one’. On receiving this love and relating with His presence within us – life becomes not only more meaningful , but, also beautiful – as we, henceforth, think twice before doing anything wrong ; develop self restraint ; and understand that – ” ‘ईश्वर’ के साक्षात दर्शन पाने के लिए , हमें सबसे पहले अपने भीतर , ‘ईश्वर’ की उपस्थिति का अनुभव करना चाहिऐ…”

Swami ji’s Sandesh…

Swami ji said…

The world today is filled with numerous opportunities. There are a plethora of things that one can pursue and do. In fact, compared to earlier times, there are considerably more options and things to take up today.
Yet, even in times of abundance, have we truly progressed? Do we as individuals live life pursuing more hobbies or picking up more skills than our ancestors? How many of us can actually say that we have learnt something new in the last five years ; acquired new skills, or , imbibed new routines or habits? Very few of us could answer this in the affirmative.
The reason is very simple. We are all prone to ‘paralysis by analysis’. Whenever our interest is kindled in something – we look it up; research more on it; talk to people about its benefits, compare it, consider it etc. etc. ‘हम चीजों का अनुमान लगाने लगते है…हम ये भूल जाते हैं कि हमारा
अनुमान” गलत हो सकता है…”

We do this many a times and fail to understand that our assessment , our judgement could be wrong – and it would be better to experience whatever it is that could benefit us and help us evolve – ‘उस चीज़ का ‘अनुभव’ करना, अनुमान’ लगाने से ज्यादा बेहतर होता है…’ to ‘do’ it ; to implement it ; to experience it.
Be it exercise, yoga, different courses, morning routines, healthy nutrition and diets – all of us do show interest in different things. We are well aware of the benefits that such activities would provide us with. In fact, we are walking encyclopaedias when it comes to preaching others about the positive effects of these activities. Yet, we rarely put these sermons into practice. This is because we have ‘assessed and analysed’ a lot of things in life, but, not practiced them or implemented them…” हम भूल जाते हैं कि अनुभव बहुत zaroori होता है और कभी गलत नहीं होता …”

And the reason for this is simple. It is our weakness of being so easily distracted by things that we wrongly feel could be more beneficial for us – that prevents us from doing something new. We have some kind of a mental block that makes us wary of trying anything new. Sometimes the time is not right ; sometimes the place is not right. Somehow, we always look for excuses to postpone or cause a delay while beginning something new.

The same challenge is faced by the spiritual seeker. One reads books on spirituality. One listens to holy men on television. ‘Gyan’ is even assimilated and accumulated by us through us. Yet, it is hardly put into practice. One can maybe even relate with the peaceful state that the mind would experience after meditating – yet, we are barely able to meditate. We say, without batting an eyelid, that at times we are unable to find even ten minutes in a day to meditate ; but , find all the time, to watch numerous videos that preach the benefits of meditating on our gadgets. Rather than indulging in all the above activities – we must strive to ‘do’ in earnest.

Experience -‘ हमारा अनुभव ‘ –
is the greatest teacher. One can only excel in life – firstly – by facing life head on – instead of hiding from it , and, secondly, by trying to ‘prepare for it’. The spiritual seekers must simply – ‘begin’. They should abandon negative thoughts – which make them feel that the spiritual ‘process’ is complicated – and simply begin with basic steps – anything that they are comfortable with. God can be remembered anywhere , anytime – so we need to keep that in our mind – and remember Him whenever this divine thought occurs. It could be while crossing the street ; while falling asleep – anytime is absolutely fine. If we are busy at work – let us take His name while working. But, start we must – as only then can we truly begin our spiritual journey. Gradually with time, we will come up with our own process, or , with our own routine to keep ourselves focussed on the path of spirituality… We need to remind ourselves that – ” हमारा ‘अनुमान’ ज़्यादातर हमारे मन की कल्पना होती है…और हमारा ‘अनुभव’ हमारे जीवन की सीख।”

Swami ji said…

What we experience today – is due to the actions of the past , and , what we experience in the future is because of our actions of the present time. Such is the inescapable law of ‘karma’. Whether, we choose to believe it or not, it applies unequivocally to each one of us. Following this logic, we , should realise that our ‘fate’ – then – is in our own hands. While what we face and go through today – is not entirely in our hands – for we cannot undo deeds of the past – we certainly have a say – in how our future should unfold.

We are thus, quite certainly, responsible for ourselves ; for everything that is done by us. Every action of ours – be it today, yesterday or tomorrow – comes about from a thought process. Whether we are mindful of that or not is a separate issue altogether. But, it , is our mind that gives birth to every action of ours – and , thus, we , cannot , but, be responsible for every action of ours.

While this seems very simple to understand – we have always found it extremely difficult to adopt it ; to practice it in everyday life. One might think that such is not the case. After all, we go around making decisions everyday about something or the other. But, a true litmus test of this would be – how we behave when we have major decisions to make. Decisions – the results of which are not evident, not obvious and cannot be foreseen immediately. Decisions – the repercussions of which can have significant , long term effects. Do we keep asking for others opinions during such moments? Do we feel agitated when faced with situations which need us to make such decisions ? Do we try to push these decisions on others who we trust?

Why do we behave this way? Is it possible that we are afraid of making the wrong decision? Are we trying to shield ourselves from taking responsibility of any kind , in case our decision does not give the best outcome? Are we scared from taking ownership of our own fate?

Such behaviour only comes about in those who feel – that they can somehow absolve themselves of the results of their actions. Even letting someone else guide us in our actions – is an action of our own ; a decision taken by us to seek his help. Everything that happens from then on – good or bad – is ultimately our responsibility.
There are those who blame their parents for not having guided them well enough in life.They too must realise that it was their past ‘karma’ which brought them to their parents in this life.

Thus, there is clearly no escape from responsibility for one’s fate. But , simply accepting this and living life is not easy either. What happens when something bad comes out of a decision that we had taken with due diligence from our end ? Many times people lose confidence.They are afraid, and stressed at every turn in life. In fact, they would rather see things remain unchanged. Such a life can be dreadful – where one is only wondering – whether what they have decided to do will bear fruit or not – where they can congratulate themselves on their success , but , will resent themselves on their failure.

The truth is that we can never be really sure of the outcome of anything we do in our lives, and , yet, we will have to take full , complete responsibility for everything that is done by us. The solution to such a dilemma – lies with God , and , God only. One who surrenders to God ; one who seeks His blessings in all actions ; one who trusts that all and any outcome – are not their own personal failings. but , a direct reflection of His wishes – such a person only truly understands how to approach and live life. When we decide to place God in our mind and heart above all else – we begin to do that – which brings us closer to Him. If we decide to chase a dream, we must first place that dream at God’s Lotus feet ; reveal what we intend to do and ask Him about the right way to achieve this dream. We must ask Him to bless us and make us His instrument.

Only this way will our actions, our decisions become the ‘right ones’. Whatever the outcome, we will begin to see His ‘will ‘ in it and we will realise that it is for the best. We will no longer be plagued by self judgement, and , will be able to see His plans for us in all that happens with us. What the world might see as an unfortunate outcome – or , as a failure – we will see it as His ‘will’ – including His approval in our successes too. The pressure, stress and tension that we take while living life ; trying to take responsibility for everything – will no longer afflict us – as with time passing by , we begin to understand that – the more we surrender to Him ; He takes over everything – our thoughts , our ‘karma’ , our decisions – and helps us in becoming a better human being.

Swami ji said…

It is routine for us to go to bed at night, apparently, to sleep soundly for eight precious hours – which for all practical purposes is a must , if , we want to stay healthy and happy. We were always told that a deep sleep does wonders – as it prepares us physically and mentally – to meet the bad or good that awaits us the following day. But , how many of us can honestly say – today – that we have a truly restful, rejuvenating, refreshing peaceful sleep at night? Are we able to relate with the wondrous nature of the words – ‘ I slept like a log’…? Or, do we envy those who say that they sleep like a baby? It is not uncommon to hear the words -‘I couldn’t sleep last night !’ ‘ I tried so hard to sleep but I just couldn’t !’ – being said by many of us as we stifle a yawn or two while saying so. But, we must try to find the main reason for the state of
wakefulness in us.

A good, sound sleep could be as distant as a long lost dream for most of us. Surprisingly, we don’t have to look too far to find an answer to this problematic question; as the answer is within us – ‘गहरी नींद तभी आएगी जब हमारा ‘चित’ शांत होगा , और , चित शांत तब रहेगा जब हम पूरी कोशिश करेंगे अपने आप को शांत रखने की

• irrespective of what has taken place throughout the day.

The cure for ‘अशांति ‘ – lies within us.We might have to put in every ounce of our will power to keep calm ; to remain unaffected; not get perturbed – by all that is happening outside of us; around us. There is bound to be friction between us and people who matter the most to us; things might not turn out the way we would want them to; our efforts might not get the desired result; we could have borne the brunt of someone’s anger; got a dressing down for no fault of ours; feel that life has not been fair and square. We can go on and on , and, keep counting the number of times we were treated unfairly. But , doing so will only add to our misery. ‘बार-बार इन्हीं बातों के बारे में सोच कर, हम अपने आप को ‘अशांत’ करते हैं कि ऐसा क्यों हुआ?’ Is it possible for anyone to sleep with a mind which is flooded with questions – which do not have immediate answers ?

The only way to counter this negative, cynical way of thinking is by bringing about a transformation ; a change in ourselves and be determined to remain unfazed in the face of any such developments that expect a volatile reaction from us. We have to accept – that things will happen the way they are destined to. It is our past ‘karma’ – working in the present moment. Worrying excessively about what tomorrow has in store for us ; when we start feeling that we are the ones who can control our lives and on seeing our over – ambitious dreams fizzle out – ” यह चीजें काफी हैं हमें ‘अशांत’ करने के लिए…ऐसा लगता है कि ‘अशांत’ रहना कितना आसान है; परंतु ‘शांत’ रहना बहुत कठिन…”

The worst part is that the sense of disquiet and anxiety that should have been alien to us – sits comfortably within us – and succeeds in banishing calmness and serenity from our being. Can anything be stranger than this? ‘ एक अशांत,अस्थिर
मन की सोच कैसे ठीक हो सकती है ? Doubt , despair and despondency are bound to cloud our thoughts and decisions. Weren’t Duryodhan’s anger ; agitated and restless mind – ‘ उसके ‘अशांत’ चित और अशांत मन ने ‘- which constantly hungered for more – responsible for making him blind to reason and for bringing his end at the hands of Bhim ? We need to always remember…” ‘शांति’ की ‘इच्छा’ हो तो पहले, ‘इच्छा’ को ‘शांत’ करो…”