“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.”
“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.”
” As we usher in a new year, there is always a talk of ‘new beginnings’ and ‘new year resolutions’. The world is abuzz with people telling each other about what they will take up in the coming new year and how they will ‘change’. While there is nothing wrong with New Year resolutions, it would – on deeper thought – appear odd that one has to wait for a specific day in the calendar to make changes in one’s life. Is it only the ‘change’ in the year of the calendar and time that will cause and bring about a change in us? Does the thought of bringing about a ‘change’ on a normal day lose some sheen and become insignificant in the glory of inculcating the ‘change’ only on a ‘New Year’ which is celebrated with fireworks, fanfare and festivities !”
” Yet, strangely, the promise to implement a ‘change’ in our lives and habits seems to always be scheduled for the future – be it the ‘first’ of January , a birthday, a Sunday, or any other day ‘special’ to us. It is very rare that we implement the much promised ‘change’ immediately, or , at that very moment when the thought of the ‘change’ arises in our mind.”
” The reason for this constant procrastination is our ‘resistance’ to ‘change’. At times, even those ‘changes’ in us that we know will do us good – such as giving up alcohol or smoking, sleeping on time, exercising, meditating – are not implemented immediately, but, rather, are given ‘starting dates’ in the future. We seem to believe that our ‘plan’ will work without a fault, when put into effect in future ; that our transformation will begin from that very point, in the future, that we have decided on , and , that we do not have to worry about making that crucial ‘change’ in us today.”
” Such casual thinking, such laziness is harmful for us. If there is any set definition of a ‘right time’ to change, ‘right time’ to start improving – then that ‘time’ is ‘now’. There is nothing like a specific ‘time’ that is too early, or , too late. We must either improve ourselves with a firm determination, with immediate effect or ‘try’ to improve ourselves, undaunted by the number of times we fail to do so successfully. Numerous plans will fail, numerous resolutions will not see their fruition. Our attempts will most probably be thwarted by our own indiscipline and weak resolve’ a number of times, before we are able to effect and implement any serious change in our lives. Such ‘failures’ are a part of the process. But, true failure is , only , when we stop thinking of ways and means of improving, changing and transforming ourselves in the present moment , and , simply postpone it for another day.”
” Have faith and belief in the power of ‘now’ ! Believe me when I say – ‘It is mostly a case of ‘now’ or ‘never’ !’ Some of us are wary of treading the spiritual path at a young age, as , we are petrified of the ‘sacrifices’, that we wrongly misinterpret we might have to make , and , thus, we conveniently postpone the most rewarding and joyous ‘ journey’ of our lives , for the last few years of our lives. We, thus, foolishly make the mistake of delaying the golden opportunity of gaining proximity to God at an earlier age and stage of our life.The ‘changes’ that spiritual awakening brings within us can only be understood on experiencing it – ‘ Jab hum ‘nek raah par chalne ka , nek ‘karma’ karne ka aur ‘ruh’ ko ‘ parmatma’ se jodne ka har kshann prayatna karne lagte hain !” Shouldn’t we ‘change’ our mindset and start walking on the ‘spiritual’ path, ‘now’ – from this very moment to fulfil the true purpose of our life !”
” Life is God’s gift to us. It is an opportunity for the soul to reconnect with the ‘परमात्मा’; to realise and become aware of its origin and divine nature. At times,the trials and tribulations; highs and lows of life do make man see the futility of struggling in the material world,and, make him look within; to explore his inner being,and, try to understand ‘what’ and ‘who’ ‘he’ is.”
“Yet, all this is rarely achieved by us on our own. Like sheep, we, too need a shepherd to guide us; to look over us and show us the way out of the miseries of the world. But, not all of us are lucky enough to be taken under the tutelage of great spiritual teachers and ‘gurus’, who can enlighten our minds and show us the path to peace and salvation. Many souls pass through life unguided and lost. They are bound in the endless cycles of life and death, until and unless, they are shown the way to attain liberation.”
” It thus becomes important to know – ‘How can we be worthy of ‘Divine Grace’? A few qualities that God looks for in us – are the abilities to walk on the ‘Right Path’ with sincerity; to self-analyse critically and honestly; and, make genuine efforts for self improvement. It is, thus, truly miraculous that some fortunate ‘souls’ – considered worthy enough by God – are able to find, a ‘sadguru’, a ‘saccha sant’ to guide them on their spiritual journey. This is ‘ Divine Grace’ – in its most sacred form that is showered upon them by the ‘नीली छत्रीवाला’.”
“Nothing and nobody; neither creation, nature nor the universe can avert the meeting of a ‘guru-shishya’ in a particular lifetime – as they are destined to meet. Miracles take place when true and genuine feelings exist between a ‘guru’ and his devotee. A ‘guru’s’ heart melts on sensing the spiritual inclination and yearning; the devotion, purity and selflessness of a ‘saccha bhakt’ and, then, he, too, quenches the devotee’s thirst by focussing on purifying his ‘soul’ further ; opening his ‘chakshyu’…his eyes, and, awakening ‘consciousness’ within him.”
“ The Holy Bible says – ‘Blessed are the Pure in Heart, for they shall see God…’ and, thus , it becomes important for us to try and cleanse our hearts and minds of all negative thoughts and purify our ‘souls’,if, we truly seek ‘Divine Grace’. The pious and pure bond between a ‘guru – devotee ‘ can achieve the unachievable and an unbelievable transformation begins to take place in the devotee. A self realised ‘guru’s’ touch and teachings can bring about unprecedented changes in a devotee’s ‘inner’ being and way of thinking. He becomes selfless, pure hearted and is filled with love for all as he prepares to enter the gateway of Heaven and merge with His Creator.”
” Life takes a completely different meaning when we experience the beauty of ‘Divine Grace’ – which is God’s Grace on us. His love and concern for us infuses us with an inner strength not possessed by us earlier ; when we surrender unconditionally to Him and His ways, knowing very well that His will only prevails. We finally begin to understand that what is happening in our lives had to only happen this way and thus – “हम ‘दुख’ में भी ‘सुख’ देखते हैं… ‘मुश्किलों’ से उभरना सीखते हैं और ‘मुसीबतों’ से हार नहीं मानते हैं…’ “
“Jeevan mein ‘Arjun’ hi nahi , ‘Abhimanyu’ bhi banna seekho“
Swami ji said…
“In the ‘Mahabharat’, ‘Arjun’ was destined to win against all his foes. Not only did Arjun possess unparalleled skills of a great archer ; but, he also had God – Shri Krishna, Himself, by his side and once his doubts were clarified by Lord Krishna, his belief in himself ; in the rightness of his actions grew beyond measure. He gained supreme confidence not only, in, himself, but also, in the fact that victory would be theirs. He fought one of the greatest battles on the battlefield of Kurushetra and tasted victory.”
” Similarly, when good fortune and success come knocking at our door; when we feel that the steps taken by us to experience the ‘winning’ moment had been just and right, then, like Arjun, we too can feel worthy enough of receiving acknowledgements and recognition that we knew would be coming our way, as ‘आप जानते थे कि आपकी जीत निश्चित थी aur जब जीत’ निश्चित हो तो ‘अर्जुन’ कोई भी बन सकता है ‘ In such circumstances, when one has the Midas touch – it becomes easy to look strong and unfettered. One exudes an aura of both spunk and elan. It is easy to captivate and draw admiration from others as they are well aware that you are bound to succeed. Like a gambler on a lucky run, every move you make seems like a masterful, winning strike and as a winner you will always be remembered. The inspirational words of winners, stressing on their beliefs and attributing them to their success are heard over and over again. But, is it possible for all of us to only face win win situations and be winners all the time ? “
” Let us reverse the situation now, and, for a moment think – ‘What kind of an image do we present, project – when faced with unanticipated and completely unexpected developments in our lives?’ Do we lose every vestige of faith, belief and confidence and simply grapple with the problem mindlessly, without a sense of purpose and direction. Is it a case of being a winner only when things around us are conducive to us? How we react in adverse conditions is a true test of our character ! Do we make an attempt to win situations that require unprecedented mental courage and strength?”
” It is possible one might lose a loved one ; be given the ‘pink’ slip and informed that his services were no longer required ; or, is all of a sudden afflicted with a deadly disease. There is no “success’ at the end of the dark tunnel in such cases. Often, such misfortunes, seem more like a walk to the gallows, as there is no sweet reward for the suffering one goes through while living through ‘them’. How can one behave confidently in such a situation? What is there to be confident about, one might wonder, in such a hopeless situation ?”
” परंतु जब जीवन में ऐसी मुश्किलें और चुनौतियां आती हैं, या मृत्यु निश्चित हो, तब क्या हम ‘अभिमन्यु’ बनने ka साहस रखते हैं? During such moments, we should understand that since the storm that has risen out of nowhere before us, has not been created by us, it is not possible for it to be controlled by us either ; but, what we can surely do is to plot the course, set sails, and try our best to manoeuvre successfully through the life threatening storm. ‘Abhimanyu’, Arjun’s son, did not let the thought of his imminent death at the hands of his enemies – while he was trapped in the ‘chakravyuh’, surrounded by his opponents, baying for his blood – shake his mental strength and courage. He knew that his end was near. He could have surrendered to the enemy and requested a quick painless death; yet, he chose to struggle on – to fight on with the same confidence and energy as had always been shown by his father ‘Arjun’. ‘Abhimanyu’ fought – what one could refer to as a “losing battle” – but he still fought it , like a lion, with every intent to win, with the belief that he would win.”
” All of us face such ‘losing battles’ at some point in our lives. But, this does not mean that we should quit without putting up a fight against whichever challenge that we are destined to face. For, it is neither our circumstances, nor the result ; but, our actions and our intent that ultimately count. If Abhimanyu’s name is remembered today, it is because of the courage and bravery that he had shown in the face of adversity. While he may not have won his final battle, his legacy has lived on for generations. Similarly, we too must ensure that the life we live in this ‘karambhoomi’ is one where we are strong, courageous and positive minded ; where we are steady and strong beacons of light that can outshine and eliminate the darkness of challenges, not only for ourselves but for others too.”
Dedicated to Swamiji Ajay Jain ji 