Dedicated to Swamiji Ajay Jain ji

( Excerpts from ‘ Divine Grace ‘ – a book authored by a devotee on Swami ji.)

” This world of which you are an inhabitant is nothing but an ocean of turbulence and disquiet. Nothing could be more untrue, false and illusionary than this ‘sansar’. Everything that you see around you is ‘maya’.You wrongly believe that everything you see around you is the only reality. You are farthest from reality when you think on such lines. You believe everything that your eyes see as you have always been looking ‘outwards’. You have to turn your eyes ‘inwards’ and see the ‘Real’ you.”

” Everything ; ‘all’ and ‘sundry’ that we see around is ‘mithya’…a mirage, a false, imaginary creation of our mind as ‘it’ is all that we desire to see. We nurse the wrong notion that everything we see around us is Real – that it ‘is’ there ; it exists; that things are actually happening and taking place.The truth is that nothing really exists. We imagine that we have this body with which we relate ourselves. We relate our existence, our experiences, every little thing with this ‘body’ and hardly pay any attention to our ‘soul’. We fail to understand that the only element truly alive and eternal about us is our ‘soul’. We must accept this as the Absolute Truth… ‘sampoorna satya’…and our foremost goal in this lifetime should be to liberate the ‘soul’, release it from this cage ; our body, and, attain ‘moksha’ by focussing on God.”

” We associate ourselves purely with the body and allow it to take precedence over everything else. We relate ourselves with our physical entity and identity to such an extent that our intent remains only to clean the outer self of our being – which is visible to the world, and , foolishly forget to give importance to the cleansing of our inner self ; the ‘soul’ … which is most vital.”

” As we are trapped in a web of ‘moh maya’ … attachment and illusion…we willingly and happily reside within the confines of this comfort zone , as our ignorance of the Real Truth , our limited knowledge has instilled within us, that ‘moh maya’ is the only world that actually exists. ‘Moh’… Affection, deep love, and attachment for our family members and friends makes it difficult for us to understand that we have come only to part. It is extremely necessary for us to comprehend that ‘maya’ also refers to every action that is made by us , by our body ; our limbs, our eyes, eyelashes, fingers. The flickering movement of our eyelids, the sensations that we feel ; the actions made while eating, talking…every little movement made by us is nothing but ‘maya’, and blissfully unaware that we are of this eternal fact, we choose to remain embroiled in this illusion of ‘maya’ that is all around us , within us… till the time we are in this body , till our dying breath.”

” People who say that they have freed themselves from ‘moh maya’ are speaking the untruth as it is not possible for us to free ourselves from ‘moh maya’ till the last breath in our body. You are dependent on others, in every which way for your very existence. Can you think of standing even for a second without the support that the Earth provides you with ! Aren’t you dependent on farmers, industries etc.to fulfil all your needs and requirements ? One just can’t live all by himself, all alone. It is not possible even for a saint or sage to live all by himself. He too is dependent on nature and others for his survival.”

Swami “ji said…

“In the epic ‘Mahabharat’, it is said that Queen Kunti – mother of the Pandavas – asked Shri Krishna, not for any gifts or boons, but for ‘difficulties’ in her life. In today’s day and age, this might quite certainly seem a strange request to ask of God. One would certainly ask for ‘सुख: – happiness or the other wonderful things that any of us could think of. Yet, Queen Kunti chose to ask for ‘difficulties’ in her life. Her reason for this was that whenever she and her family were in any difficulty, she would invariably remember Shri Krishna to free her from her troubles and Shri Krishna would then come to her aid immediately, Thus, all in all – it was ‘difficulties’ and ‘challenges’ in her life that brought her closer to God, and not ‘sukh’ and ‘good’ times.”

” We too experience what Kunti had experienced. Whenever we are in a tight spot, are uncertain of the future and are filled with doubt and dread – we inevitably turn to God and Guru for help and guidance. In such moments, we are humbled by life and realize that we really have control over nothing and that it is simply God’s grace that provides us with everything we have. It is only then that it dawns on us that all our efforts, hard work and sacrifices can amount to nought if not aided by God’s grace. Our sense of ‘entitlement’ disappears and we leave ourselves at the mercy of the Supreme. Is this not good for us? Doesn’t this bring us closer to divinity? Every ‘अग्नि परीक्षा ‘ though painful and difficult – ultimately purifies the mind and soul. Why then should one ever truly fear difficulties?”

” ‘चुनौती’, ‘विपत्ति’, challenges ; overcoming these is what builds character. It is only after one has been through difficult times and emerged successful that one is wiser for the better. We realise that the ‘good’ times are not moments to be squandered in ‘enjoyment’, but a signal from God telling us that – ‘ This is your opportunity. Work hard and benefit from it while I keep other problems at bay’. Life’s difficulties make us grittier and resilient. It is only in times of ‘difficulty’ that we realise that we must detach ourselves from the roller-coaster like ups and downs of life and make our state of mind immune to the time ; good or bad – that we are going through and focus on developing strong, positive traits within us, which give us the strength needed to weather the storm in our life.”

‘ ‘विपत्ति’ में ही जीवन की ‘संपत्ति’ छिपी है…’ Like diamonds in coal, life’s treasures are also hidden in its difficulties. It is only by embracing our life’s struggles can we emerge stronger and worthy of receiving God’s blessings and gifts and enjoy our lives to the fullest. We must thus develop an attitude where our troubles must be viewed as ‘opportunities’ to develop and test ourselves. We must not curse our woes, but , simply look at them as a chance to demonstrate to God how strong of heart and mind we are. It is only then that we are able to unlock and truly realise our own potential, empowering us to go ahead and pursue even greater achievements in life.”

” A ‘sadguru’…’a saccha sant ‘ should be in an eternal state of gratitude and thankfulness to God for blessing him with a life that enables him to make God his focal point, his epicentre. No other talk, except conversation related to God, ‘dharma’ – religion, and , spirituality interests a ‘guru’ and can hold his attention for long. He should seek detachment from ‘ I ‘ – his ego and also inculcate in his devotees the necessity of comprehending the Real Truth; the fact that the life and existence with which they relate themselves is just a myth. Since none of us ‘really’ exist, then with ‘which’ and ‘whose’ ego do we attach and associate ourselves.”

” Gradually, an enlightened ‘guru’ starts developing a sense of detachment from his exterior self, his physical being, his family, his loved ones and reaches a stage when no worldly possessions matter to him. He is able to master his emotions and senses and does not depend on any external factor to gain happiness. His happiness lies in the happiness of his devotees.”

” God loves us all equally and it is thus the duty of a ‘guru’, too, to treat all his devotees in an equal , fair and impartial manner. It does not befit a ‘guru’ to give more importance and special blessings to devotees from an influential and affluent background and treat the less fortunate devotees in a discriminatory manner. So involved, should a ‘sachcha sant’ be in doing good for his devotees, that he should willingly take upon himself the suffering of his devotees – heedless, uncaring about the cycle of life and death. His sole intent should be to be ‘connected’ with every devotee of his – every moment of the day and night. When his devotees are fast asleep, after a hard day’s work, it is then the time for the ‘guru’ to remain awake and keep watch on each one of them. It is during those unguarded moments , when his devotees are asleep that a ‘guru’ should ward off the obstacles that could come their way , thereby ensuring from his side that all is well with his devotees. A ‘guru’ should be willing to have poison’ – so that his devotees can have ‘amrit’ – holy nectar !”

” ‘Gyaan’…True Knowledge imparted by a self realised ‘guru’ to one pure, good soul – one who derives great joy in meditating, experiences ecstasy in God’s presence, doesn’t tire of chanting God’s name repeatedly, whose sole aim in life is to attain liberation from the cycle of birth and death…can benefit ten other people by propagating the sacred words that had been passed on, bequeathed to ‘him’ by his ‘guru’ and continue his selfless, noble work.Ten to twenty dedicated, devoted and disciplined followers of a ‘guru’ can ensure that the divine words and work of their ‘guru’ can be preserved for posterity. The divine love and commitment borne by a disciple for his ‘guru’ can galvanize him to move mountains in order to immortalise his ‘guru’s’ name for eternity.”

Swami ji said…

“ ‘The truth will set you free! ” These words, set in gold, have been heard by most of us at some time or the other. And, while they sound philosophical and wise, they are seldom applied by us in our own lives.”

” The reason behind this is quite simple. The ‘truth’ can be hard to hear, difficult to bear and deal with. In an illusionary world, where our senses are constantly engaged with ‘maya’, the ‘truth’ often comes as a rude shock and awakening. However, it is only by acknowledging the ‘truth’ that one can find happiness in one’s life.”

” Speaking the ‘truth’ is difficult, especially when it is not ‘self-serving’ and means admittance of a mistake or guilt. However, it is the pain, the suffering of that guilt that reminds one to avoid making mistakes, to become better. The truth, thus only leads to one’s betterment , happiness and mental peace.”

” However, just speaking the truth is not enough. Often, one does not acknowledge one’s own truth, which is perhaps an even greater crime than speaking a lie. We all are guilty of running away from ourselves; for not listening to ourselves. We all know when we are doing something wrong or right. We are well aware of the nature of every action of ours. But, very often, we simply push aside the ‘truth’ deliberately; refuse to accept that our actions might be wrong, and , simply go on doing them as they are self-serving or easier to do than otherwise.”

” We are also guilty of not accepting the situations we are in, or , those that we foresee ourselves to be in, as we find making the effort to change them a very difficult task. We simply turn a blind eye to our own circumstances out of laziness. While the ‘truth’ simply tells us to make an effort, our lethargy makes us look the other way.”

” It is the fear of change, fear of hard work and effort that makes us oblivious to the truth. However, we must realise that it is only by listening to our conscience, our ‘inner voice’, that our life turns into an adventure. Yes, there will be challenges when we are forced to change and improve ourselves, or , our circumstances for the better. There will be pain and sacrifice. However, there will not be the unending monotony and dreariness that afflicts comfort-seeking modern society today.”

“We must trust the fact that pursuing the truth, though challenging, will not ever hurt us or impair us. While society at large might not, God will most definitely lookout for those who follow the path of ‘truth’ and that is the faith that one must live with. It is only then that we will be able to make our lives truly meaningful and happy.”

“A person’s thoughts play a vital role in shaping not only, him, but also, his future – as the thoughts that arise in his mind alone have the power to direct and guide him to pursue a particular course of action ; act in a particular manner; encourage him to achieve what he desires in the future. His optimistic thoughts mould him accordingly; propel and motivate him to design a better, brighter future. Our positive thoughts have the power to eliminate all negativity and negative elements within us enabling us to overcome the obstacles that stand in our path and change things for an improved tomorrow. Negative thoughts, on the other hand, only pull us down.”

“We do as we think and we become what we think. Everything is in our mind. Our mind has total control over us and, we, to a certain extent pamper it, by allowing it take complete possession over us. It is here that we need to be very careful. We must never permit our mind to gain supremacy over us. In fact, it is ‘we’ who need to put in everything possible to gain complete and absolute control over it and not allow it to control us. We cannot be enslaved by our mind. We should be the master of our mind and our mind should be our slave. Once we are able to conquer the whimsical mind, exercise restraint on our senses, we will experience great mental peace and equilibrium. We will see the best come out of us.”

“Don’t let emotions sway you. You cannot be a puppet in the hands of your emotions ; at the mercy of the many negative thoughts that your mind dwells on. Don’t let negative situations and circumstances gain an upper hand or a stranglehold on your mood. Be resolute and obdurate when you feel that things are not in your favour. Be stubborn while facing the challenge as you have made up your mind that you will not give up , and , instead face it boldly, filled with surety that your faith in your resolve, determination – will not blow away with the first gust of a strong wind heralding the brewing of a storm.”

“Always remember – the only thing permanent is ‘change’. Seasons change and so will things. Life could be placid or tumultous on different days. Be practical and logical in both situations. Work towards attaining complete mastery over your senses, your mind – which will tempt you, entice you and distract you to succumb to them…give in to them. You cannot be a weakling – enslaved and entrapped by them, at their beck and call. You have to master this skill, this art ; make your mind strong, as you progress on the spiritual path.”

” Your mind exults on seeing you acquire material comforts and benefits ; reach an exalted state in society, but ‘you’ must remind ‘it’ not to get too carried away on seeing the fulfilment of your materialistic desires. The ‘mind’ needs to be awakened to the fact that fulfilment of such desires is a clear indication that you are still some distance away from ‘realising’ God, but, if these desires are not fulfilled, then, there is a possibility that you might find ‘Him’ one day.”