Dedicated to Swamiji Ajay Jain ji

Swami ji said…

” The epic – ‘Mahabharat’ imparts many a great lesson to those who ‘study’ it. One such crucial lesson can be learnt from an interaction between Lord Krishna, Arjun and Duryodhan.”

” It is said that Shri Krishna – seeking to be impartial – had promised both sides assistance in the war. He had thus offered his large ‘Narayani Sena’ (army) to one side, and , his presence and support as a ‘saarthi’ and advisor to the other side.”

” When the time to choose between the two presented itself, Arjun, who was given the right to choose first, unblinkingly, chose Shri Krishna’s presence by his side, instead of the large army. It is believed that Duryodhan, who was delighted at the prospect of getting the support of thousands of soldiers, went away very pleased with the way events had turned out for him.”

” While many today would tell us that the mistake made by Duryodhan in choosing the ‘sena’ and not Lord Krishna possibly cost him the war, let us stop for a moment and reflect on the nature of choices that are made by us today ! The choice that Duryodhan made that day is a choice made by many of us, today , repeatedly and knowingly. If we put ourselves in Duryodhan’s shoes – we can clearly see what he saw – a seemingly unbeatable army on one side and a wisdom – preaching ‘man’ on the other side. He was certain that he had made the right choice by choosing the strong army, as according to him a massive army alone could make him victorious in the battle. Having Lord Krishna’s wisdom, guidance and blessings on his side meant nothing to him ; all that mattered to him was the size of the army ; as he felt that his enemy would find it difficult to fight a larger army. Unfortunately for him, his decision proved to be wrong.”

” We too often make such choices in life. We simply take the ‘easier’ path. We do not pause to think whether the ‘difficult’ path might actually be the right path; the path that could lead us to our destination. We do not stop to listen to our ‘heart’ to see whether our moral compass also points in that very direction that our logic tells us to move towards. In such cases, the right path is often the difficult, challenging path.”

” While it is easy to say that God is on our side, it is difficult to implement that belief and faith in our actions. A clerk who does not take bribes, but, diligently works every day, appears to be a fool when compared to his greedy counterparts, who need to get their palms greased even before pushing a file.Yet, why does he continue to work in an honest manner ? Would his family not be better off if he too turned corrupt and took money offered to him as a bribe ? What then does his honesty, his faith that God will support him – bring him? Why does he make life ‘difficult’ for himself by following his ‘dharma’? It is because, like Arjun, he knows, that victory will be his in the end. No matter what hardships and challenges his chosen ‘path’ bring him – it will make sure he reaches his ‘destination’.”

” In the material world, it is difficult to discern the ‘intangible’. We see people around us taking shortcuts, making deals, being ‘smart’. We see numerous choices being made, similar to the one that Duryodhan would have made. Yet, we rarely see anyone with the belief and spirituality of Arjun. Rarely do we come across those who remain steadfast to their principles. It is upon us, the spiritual seeker, to not straightaway opt for the easy path. Sometimes the path is clear , sometimes not so much. Every twist , every turn can challenge our sense of direction. But it is the choice that we make when we reach the fork in the path that define who we are !The path to God…the path to Krishna, will be winding and long – and the destination too might not be in sight ; however, our faith in God, in our principles, must act as our guiding light and keep pushing us forward – towards Him. Only then will we emerge victorious from the struggle of life.”

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

” At times, a person accumulates unimaginable wealth, lives in the lap of luxury and enjoys all material comforts of life. He receives all this due to God’s blessings. But, if such an individual continues to remain preoccupied only with gold, worldly matters and fails to use this lifetime to make God a part of himself, by cleansing his soul, the entire purpose of receiving God’s blessings in the form of lucre is lost. We have to enrich our soul and if we make a genuine and honest attempt to do so, nothing can stop us from reaching our divine destination. God’s love for us is not affected by the glitter of gold that we place at His Holy Feet. All that ‘He’ needs from us is true love and respect, from our heart and mind. The minute ‘He’ receives this in its purest form, from us, ‘He’ opens His heart and gives us His all; showers us with His blessings and ‘Divine Grace’.”

” The number of houses we own; the acres of land that we acquire; the power that we wield in society; all these tangible things are immaterial if we fail to sense and feel the presence of God within us, and, do not make any attempt, whatsoever, to draw ‘Him’ within us.Time alone teaches us the irrelevance of the race that we run chasing to acquire name, fame, power and wealth. All these ‘terms’ which we hold so close to our heart are not only inconsequential, but also extremely deceptive, so much so, that once they take over our mind completely, they have an uncanny ability to take us away from God. It is only a matter of time before our distracted senses and mental deterioration make it difficult for us to concentrate on God, as, the sheen of silver appears to be more attractive. Self-analysis in terms of one’s monetary worth has to match a perfect score set by our own expectations, and, thus, the attention, time and energy that needs to be directed towards ‘self-realisation’ are reduced and divested to the minimum, as we are not satisfied with its immediate returns.”

” The ‘soul’ waits impatiently for its cleansing process to begin at the earliest by the individual within whose body it is enrobed. It knows very well about the dire consequences that it will have to undergo on account of the wicked deeds committed by the individual within whose body it resides. We need to be cautious of the misdeeds that are committed by us. Reflect before doing anything that fills us with regret later, makes us feel guilty and pricks our conscience, and, instead, perform ‘karma’ which works towards the elevation and enrichment of our soul. We cannot deceive ourselves into believing that we are someone that we know we are not , as , we are the only ones who truly know what we are, and, always remember that the mute spectator of every act of ours is our ‘atman’.”

Swami ji said…

” ‘Success’ can mean different things to different people at different times. For some, it is the achievement of a single goal – a mountaineer summiting a peak; a runner completing a marathon. For others, it could be living in certain circumstances in life. This could be a life rich in wealth and relationships, or, one that is filled with freedom to do what one wants. All of us, thus, have our own definition of success.”

” It is this pursuit of ‘success’ that majorly defines our lives.The story of our life is filled with chapters dedicated to the trials and tribulations, sacrifices and effort spent in the chase of ‘success’; to taste, savour and experience ‘success’.”

” Life teaches us all that .. ‘ ‘सफलता’ न तो जादुई होती है और न ही रहस्यमय…’ The only time tested formula that makes us attain our goals is that of persistent, honest hard work, consistent effort and good habits…’सफलता’ निरंतर
प्रयासों व अच्छी आदतों का स्वाभाविक परिणाम है…’ This fact should not come as a surprise to any of us, but , what could surprise is when we realise that our ‘success’ will not necessarily make us ‘happy’. While a ‘happy’ soul will most definitely be ‘successful’ in whatever pursuit he or she engages in; a ‘successful’ person might not necessarily be happy.”

” It thus becomes important to understand that true success lies in first achieving blissfulness in the soul, and calmness in the mind. It is only then that one can set ‘fruitful and ‘meaningful’ goals for oneself and go after them with focus and dedication.”

” It is very likely that an evil person’s attainment of ‘success’ will be at the expense of ‘others’. There are many who are ruthless, calculated and cunning in their quest for riches and fame. While society might celebrate such people; in reality, such people are difficult to get along with. Like the Banyan tree, such people grow big on their own, but, do let anything else flourish in their shadow. Is this truly ‘success ? Does filling one’s stomach at the expense of another’s hunger define success? Is an achievement, however great and noteworthy, if, founded on deceit and sabotage, truly be counted an achievement? Can such a person be called a successful person !”

” We also make the mistake of letting other people’s success rate alter our definition of success. Someone else’s purchase of a bungalow should not belittle our achievement of buying a flat. Our gratitude for our own success must not be lessened in the face of the larger than life achievements of others. There is no aim that is too low. For a pauper to turn around his life and be able to earn a living is a greater achievement than a rich man multiplying his riches ten fold for purely his benefit. Success, thus , must not be gauged by the circumstances in which one ends up, but , rather must be measured by the ‘change’ that one is able to affect in the circumstances of others.”

” Ultimately, it is the ‘mind’ that holds the key to unlocking the definition of ‘success’ in life. Our limitations, beliefs, perception of the world are all in the mind. The spiritual seeker understands that true ‘success’ is only in merging with the Supreme. For this, the mind has to be cleansed through repeated meditation and reflection. It is only then that one’s actions, one’s ‘karma’ can lead him to true ‘success’.”

Swami ji ,once, in a reflective mood said…

“I am very much aware of the changing needs and requirements of people at large today. As materialism is the order of the day, it is but natural that people’s goals and aspirations have also changed. It doesn’t surprise me to see that very few devotees come to the Darbar with a genuine desire to seek True Knowledge. Most of them come to me with the hope and expectation that I will be able to remove the obstacles that create difficulties for them and find a solution to their day to day problems… and as I am their Guru, my dharma is to give them what they want. I give them all that I can, but I have never given and done anything that my conscience does not allow me to give and do.”

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”Have we ever considered or thought for a moment that everything that we perceive is perishable. When we look outwards…externally, every living thing that we see around us will, according to the law of nature, wear and tear away slowly, and surely. Our biggest folly is to get attached emotionally, and otherwise, with all and everything that is visible to our eye. We start believing that our life and existence depends on all that is seen by us, and the thought of leaving this world behind becomes unbearable.” 

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“The body will continue to do its work in this lifetime according to the karma that it has accumulated in the previous lifetimes and finally perish without leaving any trace behind. Everything that you associate with your body will merge with the dust from which you have arisen… but your soul will have to reap the dividends of your karma, whether good or bad, of this lifetime and then take rebirth accordingly. One must always remember that it is the soul alone that is imperishable. Thus, it is imperative for an individual to draw his eyes inwards and see within himself… what he is like internally, to analyze and assess himself, and judge for himself whether his soul is pure or impure, and think of ways and means by which he can cleanse it.” 

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Swami ji’s Sandesh…

Swami ji said…

“The persistent attempt to attend to the rigmarole of worldly affairs with poise and perfection ; the intense pressure and stress that we place on ourselves to build a better future, a better life – takes us further away from realising the ‘fleeting’ and ‘fragile’ nature of life. The life that we are blessed with is just a short space of time in which we are alive, wherein, the value of every breath taken by us, which has the potential to be our last, should thus be respected and utilised appropriately. It is imperative that we live every moment of our life in the most constructive manner; give our life a definite meaning, a specific purpose and ensure that we make a conscious effort to truly ‘elevate’ the ‘quality’ of our life on a daily basis. But, are we able to do so ? Don’t we sully the purity of our ‘soul’ by talking ill of others and indulging in gossip about others. Who gives us the right to do so? Nobody. It is we alone who have granted this right to ourselves and while away precious hours, in doing so with great relish and enjoyment. Why do we waste our precious breath in such irreverent talk?”

“To be critical; to criticise someone is so easy. After all, it costs us nothing. A few nasty, insulting, humiliating words are all that are needed to wipe out the last traces of self – respect and confidence that one could have for himself. Unfortunately, ‘ ‘आलोचना’ करना कितना आसान होता है…लेकिन हम आलोचना करने की जगह उनका ‘प्रोत्साहन’ क्यों नहीं करते।’ It is highly possible that constant criticism could make one feel all the more incapable, worthless and insignificant. Rather than belittling others – why don’t we motivate them, inspire them, make them – believe in themselves, feel confident and good about themselves. The fact that none of us can just sit and wait for good and better things to happen for us should be explained to them. They need to look around and on seeing that hard work alone can make them realise their aims, they, too, should, do the same, and, see their new approach yield positive results before them.”

“Remember, the ‘goodness’ in us, unlike the fragrance of a perfume – ‘ jo हवा के रुख का मोहताज़ होता है ‘ – spreads in all directions – and, before long we are able to earn a ‘good’ name for ourself in the true sense of the word. People know us for our ‘goodness’ and are certain that we will stand by a friend who needs our support ; will be able to relate with the suffering and anxiety of a neighbour and will never let misunderstandings between our family members blow out of proportion and take an irretrievable ugly turn for good. ‘ रिश्तों को जीना…उन्हे निभाना,उन्हे संभालना हमें जरूर आना चाहिए…”

” ‘गुंणवान बनो!’
Imbibe good habits. Habits that make us better, stronger and worthy individuals. We must use our mind – which is is so powerful that it can invent, create, experience and destroy things with the thoughts alone that rise in it – to steer us on the path of spirituality, goodness and humility…make us remember God and repeat ‘His’ name with every breath that we take.”