Dedicated to Swamiji Ajay Jain ji

Swami ji said…

Festivals are associated with joyful celebrations, gaiety, fun, laughter and cleanliness. A whole lot of detailed planning goes into the manner in which festivals are celebrated; the offerings that will be made to God; dishes that will be cooked; the gifts that will be exchanged; the outfits that will be worn ; the decoration of the house – and all this is done, while giving equal importance to the cleaning of our home. Cleanliness of our home and surroundings is carried out on a war footing and reaches a feverish pitch with all the unwanted material being thrown out of the house in abundance – without a second thought. It appears as if all of a sudden we are in a great rush to discard and get rid of things that have lost their utility for us.

Every nook and corner of our residence is scrubbed and cleaned. All that is visible to the eye – has to be spick and span , we feel. But why do we do this ? ‘ त्योहारों के दौरान घरों की इतनी सफाई क्यों की जाती है? हम ऐसा इसलिए करते हैं ताकि घर का कोई भी बेकार सामान जगह न घेरे | ‘And, It is always good to make it a habit to do so, periodically. Moreover, the words – ‘ The old gives way to the new’ – if applied in this perspective, too, could hold a realm of meaning , as, after all that cleaning , dusting and mopping – our homes do emerge clean, fresh and uncluttered – as though welcoming us with open arms, for the next innings of our lifetime, free from all the negativity that the unused items had accumulated over them.

But while cleaning up the interior and exterior of our home , we should not get distracted from the main issue which is – ‘जिस प्रकार हम समय-समय पर अपने घरों की सफाई करते हैं, उसी प्रकार हमें अपने मन को सभी फालतू के विचारों, गलतफहमी से मुक्त करना चाहिए…’ At times, in our foolishness, a slight misunderstanding is all that is needed to create immediate rifts and cracks in a relationship – that last for a lifetime. What about evicting them too from our heart? Why do we find it so difficult to let bygones be bygones ? We must clear the cobwebs of past issues and start afresh and not let negativity occupy our hearts and minds.’ ये ‘गलतफहमियां’ बेमतलब की होती हैं … उनका न सिर है और न पैर। लेकिन हम उनसे बेवजह अपना मन भर लेते हैं।’

While cleaning up our homes, we go all out to remove every cobweb that is visible to us – without thinking for even a second about the painstaking effort that had been put in by the spider to create its home – its web. So, why don’t we with the same detachment – without giving importance to our ego and misguided notions – let go of all misunderstandings and lighten our heart, unburden it of the weight of anger and darkness and instead fill it with love, compassion and understanding for others.

The celebration of a festival is not only about displaying outward fervour and holding excited festivities – but to also live, absorb and follow the hidden core message – the subtle nuances of the festival in its true letter and spirit – enrich ourselves and live a life … ‘ जिसमे हमारा तन, मन, घर और विचार – सब पवित्र, शुद्ध और स्वच्छ रहे। “

Swami ji said…

We worship God, pray to the Almighty, perform rituals, go on pilgrimages and try to seek God’s blessings in every possible way from a very young age. As children we follow the instructions, pertaining to our religion, that are given to us by our elders and do – as we are told – while offering prayers etc. in our sacred places of worship. We grow accustomed to going to various religious institutions on certain special and sacred days of the week and year and do so dutifully. But , what we need to ask ourselves is that when we make an attempt to follow religious directions – do we do so as if they were a mere formality ; treat them purely as regular religious practices that we are supposed to perform outwardly – or do we attempt to understand the ‘sacred’ nature of the divine moment that we are fortunate enough to be blessed with – while praying to Him? Do we feel connected with ‘divinity’ and experience His sublime presence within us ? It is possible that, at times, while offering prayers, we could momentarily feel, that our prayers and worship of God would be incomplete – unless we did so – in a specific place of worship, like a temple for instance.

It is during such moments of dilemma and confusion that we need to search for answers deep within ourselves. On reflection we might recall the words – ‘ Your body is a temple in which the soul resides and it is your duty to keep it clean.’ If we were to deliberate on the essence of these words – then – the need to keep our hearts pure would be foremost. The ‘heart’ is the seat of God and it is here – in the heart – that we must find Him, place Him and experience Him. The heart in which God resides would but naturally be suffused with love, joy, purity – one that wishes good for others and is happy in their happiness and progress. We go to ‘external’ places of worship to offer prayers to Him , but , tend to forget that He is ‘internally’ within us, with us – all the time. It is thus essential for us to understand this eternal Truth at the earliest and feel His presence in our heart. We need to remember…’ प्रार्थना करते समय ये जरूरी नहीं है कि व्यक्ति किसी पूजा स्थल में ही पूजा करे … आवश्यक यह है कि व्यक्ति के मन में ईश्वर की उपस्थित का एहसास होना चाहिए…”

Thus, all out earnest efforts should be made by us to not sully our heart and make it impure in any way. Would God wish to reside in a heart that is filled to the brim with grievances and anger for others, thinking of destructive ways of causing another person’s downfall ? We will fail miserably in all aspects of life , if , we are unable to draw God within us. No prayers in any specific place of worship can come to our rescue until we have seated God on the throne of our heart. We would live a life most fulfilling if we did this – as every action , every thought and every word said by us , henceforth , would have a pure intent ; selfishness would surrender to selflessness and dishonesty would give way to honesty – as God would not want to see it happen any other way than this.

The revered depiction of Lord Hanuman baring His heart , showing Ma Sita and Lord Ram – seated in it , conveys a very deep meaning. That God chooses to stay in the heart of the pious, devotional and loving; and that a true devotee carries God and Guru in his heart, and need not look anywhere else to find them.’ ‘Ishwar’ ko agar hum apne ‘mann’ mein utarenge toh woh avashya utrenge…’

Swami ji said …

The best of us make mistakes. It is completely natural to err and impossible to live a life free of mistakes. The wise words of our elders – हम अपनी गलतियों से सीखते हैं – hold a wealth of meaning. The truth in their words has been proven time and time again , as the bitter-sweet lessons, when learnt from our mistakes, successfully transform us into better individuals – as we promise ourselves of not making the mistake again.

On realising that a mistake has been made by us , and , if , we bear the responsibility of having done something wrong ; accept it with the right frame of mind and act upon it immediately – a remedial measure of this nature will undoubtedly help us make a new beginning; to start afresh by correcting ourselves; by becoming more disciplined, more considerate and bring about a change, not only in us, but also, in the way in which we would live life in the future – with a certain amount of seriousness.
Unless, we do this i.e. embark on a journey of self improvement , by learning from our mistakes, rather than posturing in self denial – we will continue to make the same mistake again and again. Strong determination and firm resolve to check ourselves are the only keys that can help us lock the corridor thronging with grave mistakes.

When we repeat the same mistakes over and over again, it not only signals the streak of carelessness inherent in us, but also conveys in poor light , the blatant disregard and disrespect that we personally have for ‘ourselves’ too. We might not realise it, but , a constant repetition of mistakes by us speaks volumes about our casual attitude ; the lack of seriousness with which we take ourselves as we shrug off our mistakes without a care in the world. Mistakes – like failures – must be treated as stepping stones to success. Making new mistakes is always better than making the same one again and again – while the former is a signal of progress, the latter defines a lazy and uncaring attitude. If one refuses to learn from one’s mistake – that too is nothing short of facing the consequences of one’s bad ‘karma’ of a previous lifetime. The consequences of making mistakes can be severe – not for just the doer but for others also.

Mistakes, however, qualify as mistakes only if we had made them unknowingly. Doing something wrong on purpose or knowingly cannot and should not be guised as a mistake. When a child speaks a lie for the first time – it is possible he does so as he might not be aware of the importance of truth and honesty; but , when he resorts to falsehood again and again ; and speaks the untruth repeatedly, it cannot be categorized as a mistake anymore. He could be doing so with a particular intention in mind. The nature of his intent needs to be known at the earliest.

The difference between a ‘गलती’ and a ‘दुषकर्म ‘ is one’s ‘intent’ – हमारा ‘इरादा | It is important to remember that … ‘ माना की हमसे ‘गलतियां’ होती रहती हैं, लेकिन हमें याद रखना चाहिए कि हमारे ‘इरादे ‘गलत’ नहीं होने चाहिए | Our intention behind every thought and act of ours – whether it is good or evil – is what matters the most. Do we extend a helping hand to a person in need today, because we intend to use him for a nefarious purpose tomorrow, knowing very well that it would be difficult for him to not oblige us ? Like Duryodhana, are we always planning the downfall of others, wishing them harm and misfortune constantly ? Do we laugh at someone’s failure deliberately and mock him just to make him feel small ? What kind of a life would we lead if we allowed such malicious , impure and evil intentions to rule over us ? Would it be possible for a mind rooted in such बुरे इरादे – to focus on God and meditate for even a fraction of a second ? We must remember that – Jab humara iraada nek hota hai toh prabhu swayam usey poorna karne ke liye humari madad karte hain…”

Swami ji said …

Society places a high price on happines. Very often it mistakenly equates material and worldy success for happiness. It is felt that without the former the latter cannot exist. This is why we are constantly looking for ‘happiness’ in the external. A new car, a promotion, salary increment , a new house makes us perceive that we are happy. We constantly set milestones for ourselves and tell ourselves that we deserve to be happy when we attain them. More often than not we make happiness conditional by promising and convincing ourselves that … ‘मुझे तभी खुशी होगी जब मैं उस चीज को हासिल कर लूंगा|’ Have we made happiness subservient to our moods and fancies ?

The misconception of weighing happiness … ‘प्रसन्नता’ on a scale of material possessions ; our accumulations and appearance… the way we present ourselves to the judgemental world has taken away the true essence of happiness from us. Our limited understanding of true happiness coaxes us to waste an entire lifetime on purchasing commodities, acquiring assets and chasing materialism – all this, so that we are also looked upon as a force to be reckoned with, by others. This false belief makes us crave constantly to possess, hoard and accumulate all the more – only for ourselves , not to be shared with others – and true happiness that can be experienced by sacrificing – is postponed for a later day.

But what about the present moment when we do not possess the said things that would supposedly make us happy. What then? Unfortunately, we decide to stay glum and crib about life rather than choose to be happy at the simplest of things – a joke, a smile, a small act of kindness – which don’t cost us a penny. At times, it appears as though we refuse to be happy , and , deliberately extinguish the flame of happiness that resides within us – on seeing our materialistic plans fail as – ‘हम समझते है ki ‘प्रसन्नता” के लिये बहुत कुछ एकत्रित करना पड़ता है।’

We cease to remember that happiness does not grow only where there is power and influence, but , rather blossoms in humility , in sacrifice , in giving. Happiness cannot be bought with wealth , but , it can be cultivated with love , kindness ; by not only receiving but also by giving. Attachment to material possessions and worldy gains creates stress and tension whereas freedom from them gives way to happiness , as gradually, life experiences teach us that – “प्रसन्नता” के लिए बहुत कुछ त्यागना पड़ता है |

Sacrificing something priceless that is treasured by us for the betterment of someone else can make us experience ‘true’ happiness. Are we willing to give up our share of ancestral property to a sibling who might not be doing as well as we could be doing knowing very well that our sacrifice could change his entire life ! Can we even think of sacrificing the things most loved by us – our well paid jobs , our privacy – if our old parents need us to be with them all the time ? After all, they had sacrificed a lot for us. It is not just about giving up material things – but pride and ego; grudges of the past; anger and frustrations; jealousy and other negative emotions. Letting go of all this makes us empty jars ready to be filled with happiness.

When we begin to derive greater joy in giving – rather than in receiving – it is only then that we experience true happiness and finally understand that ‘ त्याग मे ही सच्ची खुशी मिलती है |’

Swami ji said …

There once lived a couple who’d seen many a twilight years together. They lived a simple life. The husband fell sick In his old age which left him tired and drained. Despite his deteriorating condition, he unfailingly, continued to offer water to the Sun God every day. One particular morning, his wife, who was naturally concerned about his health, noticed that the sky was overcast with thick grey clouds. She thought to herself that her husband should not strain himself , at least on that day , by going out of the house to offer water to the Sun God as the Sun would not be visible in such stormy conditions. When she expressed her thoughts about the weather to her husband , he replied, that since he had been offering water to ‘सूर्य देव’ devoutly for years, he would neither let his illness nor the grey sky come in his way of performing his daily ritual. He said -“ मै सूर्य को जल रोज चढ़ाता हूं। यह मेरा नियम है, और मै इस नियम को कभी नही टूटने दूंगा।”

Despite his weak physical state, determined, he ventured out of the house to perform his morning ritual, and lo behold – to his wife’s amazement , the thick clouds parted to give way to the Sun, which shone in all its glory. She couldn’t believe what she had witnessed for this was nothing short of a miracle to her. The husband , however , performed his daily ritual with the same devotion, without any outward signs of jubilation, as though he had known all along that the inclement weather would not have caused an impediment in the completion of his ‘routinely ritual’ and his faith in God too wouldn’t have allowed it to happen any other way.

This story tells us of the power of ritual and routine ; of the positive outcome of being disciplined enough, to stay the course , and , perform good and beneficial acts regularly – as a routine. That moment would be scripted as a moment most sacred in that couple’s life as it appeared that God and His creation – Mother Nature themselves had blessed the old man’s routine, ritual and faith – all in one moment.

When we were young we were unable to understand the emphasis that our elders laid on ‘ नियम ‘ – the daily routine that was followed by them with fierce diligence. In fact , we would often wonder as to why were they so particular , so finicky about the time slots that they had fixed to sleep , to wake up in the morning ; a time set for their meals , for a walk. They valued the routine that governed their lives. Every activity of theirs was synchronised with precision – with the moving needles of the clock – during which they not only took care of themselves but carried out all their responsibilities, too, ably. And , if we were to introspect , they certainly fared well, lived happier and healthier lives as compared to us. Infact , we need to take a leaf out of the healthy – routine lifestyle lived by them and get a clear direction to walk towards it – away from the messed up, indisciplined , devoid of routine life that many of us lead today.

Be it eating our meals on time, or exercising daily at a specific time or praying to God – timely and routine actions are a must, as not only do we become more disciplined, but , we are also able to do more in the twenty four hours that we are gifted with daily. Didn’t we follow a routine when we were kids ? Infact, ‘routine’ had become a part and parcel of our life right from our infancy , but , gradually as we grew up, we started resisting the ‘routine’ part that we were supposed to follow in our life. Some of us might have feared the thought of following a routine, as we could have misinterpreted it , and , felt that we would be more like prisoners chained to time – if we did so. But the case, is not so. We are able to do much more in a day if we don’t do what we just ‘desire’ to do in a haphazard manner ; on the spur of the moment which might not be productive for us – than , if , we do what is ‘required’ to be done by us – for our betterment , make it a part of our routine , and , as a result not lose precious time that is flying by.

Following a routine is essential for the spiritual practitioner as it builds fortitude and discipline in him. It builds in him the ability to be able to commit to a plan. If he intends to put in a particular number of hours in a day to meditate, come what may , he stays steadfast to his intent then and does so effectively. Despite the ever changing times and fortunes, a ‘sadhak’ – who follows a routine, is not distracted from that what is most important to him, but , derives the strength and faith to stay committed to his cause , as he is aware that a religious routine is required in order to realise the ‘self ‘.