Dedicated to Swamiji Ajay Jain ji

Swami ji said…

” Societal changes happen at a fast pace alongwith the changing generational mindset and needs. The present time is witnessing a chase by people for money, fame, and success. There are millions of us, who prefer to live in our own worlds, concerned with only our issues and problems. We do not seem to have much time, when, it comes to relating with the problems and issues of others. In today’s world, we form opinions of others through social media – photos and status; videos and posts. A news headline, a piece of gossip, is more than enough for us, to form a strong view of another person’s character, actions or situation , without pausing to reflect, what could really be underneath the surface.”

” We see , but , rarely do we ‘observe’ those around us. We continue living with our assumptions about others and tend to classify them immediately. How many of us have ever given a second thought to the mental state and physical plight of the handicapped beggars who come to us, winding their way through heavy traffic, at a traffic light, in the hope of getting alms from us ? Do we ever wonder about the emvironmental conditions in which he would be living ? We drive past them often enough, but , ignore them, as if they did not exist. We think of them as only desperate and criminal elements and , hence, want to be far away from them. But, do we ever ponder as to how do they pass their days while we enjoy the comforts of our home ? How do they keep themselves cool in the heat of summers or stay warm in the cold of winters ? We believe that a 10 rupee note will take care of them and promptly forget about them. Do we ever thank God for the cool air of our air conditioners, and, the warm water in our geysers, and , pause to think of the living conditions of the less fortunate who live on the streets, and, pray to God to give them the strength to face the difficulties of their life ?”

” More often than not we show our displeasure to the delivery boys, who get delayed for whatever reason, in delivering food to us, in the scorching heat and do not bother to ask them if they were thirsty and would like to have a glass of water. Just for a minute, visualise what would be our state, if we were at the receiving end of such behaviour. We shout at call centre executives who call us up in the middle of the day. We are irritated by their calls and very often speak rudely to them. But, do we ever think that they too are trying to earn a living by putting in hours of work for a nominal salary? We must not make feel them feel small by humiliating or insulting them with our arrogance.”

” Empathy is often mistaken as a sign of weakness, and , hence, people develop a blind eye to the troubles and problems of others.This becomes an impediment to their spiritual development. If the soul is not stirred by the suffering of others, do we deserve to be called human beings ? Being empathetic does not entail solving everyone’s troubles. It is neither practical nor possible for us to live a life solving other people’s problems only. However, what we can do is to be understanding and respectful. Once we learn to truly walk in someone’s shoes and see life through their eyes, we will have a kinder and more considerate attitude towards them. We will be able to feel their pain and joy, and , understand what makes them behave the way we do. It is only then that we will begin to think of serving others in whatever capacity we can, and , realise that there is divine joy in doing so ; when tears well up in our eyes and the ‘soul’ feels that it has being cleansed further by the purity of our action.”

” Empathy leads to humility. Once we feel the pain that others experience while going through their trials and tribulations in life, we realize that we truly have been blessed by God with what we have. We realise that others also struggle as much, if not more than us , and , yet seem to have much less than us. We realize then that it is not our efforts , but , only God who ultimately ensures our well being. This only motivates us to continue to do good ‘karma’ and keep our faith in God.”

” The spiritual seeker must be empathetic to those around him. He can only see God’s miracles at play – if and when, he places himself in the sad and unfortunate situations of others and realises how fortunate he is to be blessed with His abundant blessings.”

Swami ji said…

” It is very difficult to define life. If It is complicated and complex, it is colourful and comforting too. If, life’s surprises are fascinating and funny ; its shocks
are frightening and formidable. None of us can throw a challenge at ‘life’ and say mockingly – ‘ I know you !’ ‘I understand you !’ A few learned men, who, made an attempt to understand ‘it’ by reading every word of the Holy scriptures, humbly agreed later – ‘ The only thing certain about life is that it cannot be understood !’ The same mind, the same brain, that can create an application that is used by millions all over the world, is unable to understand the unpredictable nature of life. All of us are at a loss of words when it comes to stating with certainty about what ‘zindagi’ has to offer us the next day.”

” Life in itself is ironic.The contrasting nature of emotions that it makes us live through, whether we race joyfully or struggle complainingly through it, are beyond one’s understanding. One thing that cannot be refuted about life is that it takes sadness to know what happiness is, noise to appreciate silence and absence to value presence. It leaves us feeling confused, doesn’t it ? What are we but puppets with our drawstrings in the hands of ‘zindagi’ – life.”

” But, amidst this confusion, not for a moment should we forget, to be thankful to God and feel indebted to Him for giving us this…’ Zindagi – jiss ke har rang mein hummein dhal jaana chahiye !’ The ‘beauty’ of life ; to be alive in the moment ; to soak in the visual beauty of all that ‘He’ has gifted us with, the blessings that He has showered us with are to be treasured; whether it is an event that we are celebrating, or, a crisis that we are trying to fix. ‘ Humara kartavya banta hai ki jis bhi stithi mein hum apne aap ko paate hain , har haal mein hum khush rahein. Dukh – sukh hamesha saath chalte hain!’ But, ultimately ‘one’ always gives way to the other, making us accept and emerge from both.”

” Similarly, a spiritual aspirant who has given up hope of ever being accepted by a ‘guru’, knows no bounds of happiness, when he is not only blessed with the ‘darshan’ of a ‘guru’ but also receives ‘gyaan’ from Him. It is the lull before the storm that makes us appreciate the difference between noise and silence. A ‘saadhak’ relates with the silence of peace and stillness that permeates his inner being, once the awakened ‘kundalini’ settles down, after whipping up a turbulent spiritual storm within him, and, illuminating him internally. This can only be understood on experiencing it. When a ‘sadguru’ takes ‘samadhi’, His absence is missed greatly by His devotees as He had helped them in understanding the purpose of their life ; the balanced manner in which life should be lived, with a smile on our face, as if telling the world…
” मुस्कुराहट इसलिए है क्योंकि ‘जिंदगी’ से न हारने का वादा हैं।”

Swami ji said…

” We live in a world where people only want to be heard , but, do not want to bother themselves by listening to the views of others around them; where people only want to be seen airing their opinion, but, refuse to see other’s perspectives. Their self – worth is so inflated that they cannot comprehend anything beyond themselves. That is the ‘ego’ at work – leading us to our doom and destruction.”

” Our ‘ego’ can lead us astray by playing devious tricks with us – one of which is by making us stubborn. As an obstinate fool – one cannot bear to hear anyone challenge his views or course of action. The ‘my way or the highway’ attitude rules such a person’s behaviour. Such people are convinced that only their actions will bear fruition, or, that only they have a clear understanding of any and all situations.Their ego dances with glee on seeing them have their own way all the time and encourages them to behave like stubborn mules.”

” Being stubborn or obstinate is not wrong in itself. If one is stubborn for a positive cause, while working towards his goals, his ambitions, then that obstinacy is a wonderful characteristic to possess. But, to be blinded in one’s own admiration and abilities , and , thus disregard other’s opinions is a recipe for self- sabotage. Such obstinacy is also a result of always wanting to be proven right – and the fear of being wrong.”

” An obstinate person is his own enemy. Such a person is unable to accept his mistakes, let alone an error, and, thus cannot improve ; and, if, one cannot improve, then he is bound to live caged within the rigid confines of obstinacy and in misery as ‘अक्सर ‘ज़िद’ को पकड़े रहने से, ‘हाथ’ और ‘साथ’ दोनो छूट जाते हैं।”

” We must beware of becoming ‘हठी ‘ – stubborn. Success in life can also breed ‘जिद्द’ in us. Strangely, we are greatly enamoured with this streak of stubbornness in ourselves, with our aggressive attitude and become over – confident about our overbearing behaviour , as , our ‘ego’ deludes us into believing that it is only ‘we’ who know and can do everything right. Thus, the moment we find ourselves getting annoyed with suggestions made by others ; the moment we find ourselves saying ‘No’ to others’ ideas even before hearing them out; or, the moment we catch ourselves ‘tuning out’ when someone else speaks or presents their views – we must know that we are catching the ‘flu’ of stubbornness.”

” Even if it annoys us, even if it makes our false pride wince – we must make an attempt to listen to the suggestions of others. We must be attentive listeners, pay heed to the views of others and learn something new and different from them. We need to do things that feed our ‘soul’ and not our ‘ego’, but, by being stubborn are we anywhere close to attaining this ?”

” Children can be a victim to stubborness. Their young minds often learn – wrongly – that constant crying and yelling can always get them what they want. Doting parents, out of blind love for their children, give in to their children’s tantrums. As they grow up, a habit of being rewarded for their stubbornness, grows in these children, turning them into hard-headed adults who are diffcult to deal with. Their stubborness ultimately becomes their greatest handicap, and, ultimately costs them their friends and well-wishers who find all their efforts and good advice wasted in the face of obstinacy.”

” A spiritual seeker’s definition of stubbornness takes a completely different meaning , when he refuses to let anything , and , anyone come in the way of his single minded steadfastness of seeking God – otherwise, ‘ज़िद’ – obstinacy in any other form for him, would be much like wearing a blindfold even in the brilliance of God’s divine light.”

Swami ji said…

” If any of us were asked as to how would we expect our lives to unfold – we would, in all likelihood, present our lives as a journey, which would be marked by a series of achievements and successes only. None of us would mention or talk about any struggles, mishaps, etc. as we take it for granted that…’ Humare saath achcha hi hoga…’ That is how we generally view life and want to live it that way. We only want ‘that’ which we perceive as good and beneficial to happen to us. We treat life like a series of bus rides – only interested in reaching certain bus-statons – and are irked and disappointed if we do not reach where we want within a certain period of time or ‘miss’ our station altogether.”

” But, living life in a state of impatience, restlessness and agitation, for the next ‘big thing’ to happen, is a poor way of spending the short time that we are blessed with on Mother Earth. All of us have been told that…’सब्र का फल मीठा होता है ‘ ; yet, we barely exercise restraint when faced with struggles and frustrations. We feel unfulfilled with the days that go without a ‘win’. We seem to overlook the fact that the moments of lull and quiet are just as important. The days of failure and assessment, drawbacks and rejection are all the more important for our growth and development – in both the spiritual and physical realm.”

” We all know that God has a plan for us. Yet, we are impatient to know about our future ; what is in store for us and want God to reveal all and give us all at the earliest. Instead, we must look within and ask God to guide us – to tell us through His various divine ways – what we must do, what we must work upon and correct in our ways, so that we are able to live a life that He wants us to live. One’s aim in life must not be only to ‘gain’ all the time , but , to seek ‘happiness’ in whichever situation he finds himself. If we solely look to ‘gain’ some materialistic pleasure everyday – our lives would be much like that uncomfortable bus ride, filled with meaningless moments, unable to decide on our final stop. But, if we look for ‘happiness’ – internal happiness, we will learn to appreciate and live every moment with joy and fervour knowing that He has accorded that particular moment to us – ‘ chahe woh dukh ka ho ya sukh ka.’ Such is the life that God wants us to live – this is His plan of giving us ‘Heaven on Earth’.

” For the spiritual seeker, the ‘guru’ provides the manual to live a heavenly life on Earth itself. The ‘guru’ does not want to ensure the disciples’ material successes for the sake of just that, but, to enable a spiritually fulfilled life too, as he will be able to focus on God and ‘guru’ without constantly worrying about the next meal that he has to provide for his family. Many a times, what we want and crave for, is to possess in ‘excess’, and , forget that what we are provided with by Him is ‘enough’ to ensure that we can focus on our spiritual development too. We must be wary of this confusion created by the mind’s greed.”

” God’s plan for us is to be happy, content and take out some time to remember Him, and, that is what we must strive to be – with complete faith and a sense of surrender to His divine plan, as , His plan is the only plan that works. The day we are destined to meet a particular ‘guru’…the sacred day on which we receive the ‘guru – mantra’ from Him…and the auspicious days on which we receive ‘guru – gyaan’ is all ordained by our Lord and Master.”

Swami ji said…

“The blue print of every thought and every action of ours; every word that is said by us ; who we meet, we like or dislike; every ‘karma’ that is added by us to our ‘karmic’ account in our lifetime is drafted and prepared by our Creator. It is our ‘vidhaata’ who decides, stamps and seals…’ हर दुख जिसका हमे सामना करना पड़ता है , हर सुख जो हमे भोगना होता है और जिस ‘गुरु’ से जिस ‘भक्त’ को ज्ञान प्राप्त होना होता है…’ ‘Jis tarah विधि के विधान को कोई नही बदल सकता, usi tarah kis guru se kaunse shishya ke taar judne hai, yeh bhi ‘vidhaata’ pehle se hi nishchit karke rakhte hain…aur yeh rishta atoot hota hai…”

“We form and establish close relationships with many people in our lifetime. Filial relationships; friendly relationships. A few relationships – so precious that the mere thought of losing them; the passing away of a dearly loved one, appears to bring the world crashing down on one. Time, the great healer, that it is, fills the void and wounds over a period of time and the bond that had appeared to be unbreakable, once, does break in a way as the demanding rigours and routine of everyday life, shortly begin to take precedence over everything else, and, the past becomes a bitter sweet memory “

“But, the spiritual bond of pure, divine love that connects and binds the souls of a ‘saccha sant’ and a deeply devoted ‘bhakt’ is unbreakable. Nothing can ever break this bond. Death too cannot break this invisible, spiritual divine bond. A ‘guru’s ‘physical’ eyes may have shut for the outer world when He attains ‘nirvana’, but, His ‘Real’, divine vision continues to remain fixed lovingly on His devotees. ‘Ek ‘saccha sant’…ek ‘sadguru’ apne deh ko tyaag ne ke baad bhi har pal apne bhakton par nazar rakhta hai , har pal unke saath khada hota hai, unhe achche – burey ka gyaat dilwaata hai! ‘ ‘He’ continues to keep a watch on His devotees all the time , and , more so during those unguarded moments when they are fast asleep. Silently, ‘He’ continues to create a thorn free path … ‘Apne bhakton ke kalyan, unnati aur pragati ke liye!’ This bond is to be experienced personally – to be believed.”

“The words that are said by a self realised, enlightened ‘guru’ to His devotees while ‘He’ is in His physical form should resonate vividly after ‘He’ takes ‘samadhi’ too; thus, further strengthening the spiritual connect between ‘guru – shishya.’ ‘Words’ – deep, relevant and sincere that had motivated, inspired and provided courage to His devotees while they had frantically tried to juggle their worldly duties ; words which had given them a sense of calm and peace… ‘ Mere bete , tum chinta kyun karte ho! Mein hoon na! Mein har pal tumhare saath hoon! Apne aap ko kabhi akela mat mahsoos karna !’ ‘ Always remember the law of nature and apply it to your everyday life –
यदि खेत में बीज न डालें जाएं, तो कुदरत उसे घास-फूस से भर देती है ! ठीक उसी तरह से दिमाग में अगर ‘सकारात्मक’ विचार न भरे जाएँ, तो ‘नकारात्मक’ विचार अपनी जगह बना ही लेते हैं !’ ‘Kabhi niraash mat hona ! Sab achcha hoga ! Tumhara ‘guru’ hone ke naate ye mera kartavya ban ta hai ki main har kshann apne ‘bhakton’ ko prerit rakhoon , prerna doon, ki samay ki mushkilon ke saamne kabhi haar nahi maan ni hai…Hummey samudra ki lehron se prerna leni chahiye ; not because they rise and fall , but , because after ‘falling’ they ‘rise’ again. And, that is what ‘I’ most certainly expect from my devotees.”

“A deeply devoted ‘bhakt’ will continue to experience the presence of his ‘guru’ through the divine vibrations, visions and voices that the ‘guru’ blesses him with and uses to communicate with him after shedding His mortal robe. ‘His’ invisible Hand is always outstretched to help His ‘bhakt’ in moments of despair and difficulties; to hold him back when he is about to fall into a pit of greed and desires; and the same ‘Hand’ will lead a keen ‘bhakt’ lovingly, towards the path of spirituality, at the end of which, he will hear his ‘guru’s promising voice say …”मैं तुम्हें मोक्ष दिलाऊंगा … “