Dedicated to Swamiji Ajay Jain ji

Swamiji said…

” A common recurrence in the stories of great heroes and figureheads of history has been the awe inspiring commitment and dedication with which they took vows and oaths to achieve the impossible. In fact, it was the oath or ‘संकल्प’ taken by them that was the driving force that propelled these great personalities to unimaginable heights in their lifetime.”

“An oath or ‘संकल्प’ is a promise that one makes to achieve something, to reach a specific goal , irrespective of the time, effort or cost involved. And, it is the ensuing struggle – both internal and external, that one goes through to keep this promise, that is a great teacher.”

” Infact, if one has to truly give wings to the desires of one’s heart ; if one wants to achieve the success and glory one dreams of, it is important to take a decision that – ‘This is what I will achieve, no matter what !’ – ‘हम एक दृढ़ निश्चय लेते हैं, एक मुकाम या लक्ष्य तक पहुँचने का |’

” ‘संकल्प’ हम अपने मन से लेते हैं और उसे पूरा करने के लिए हमारा हृदय हमें शक्ति देता है! हमारा ‘संकल्प’ अगर नेक है तो वो हमारे जीवन में एक बदलाव लाएगा !’ ‘ Aur yeh बदलाव … a change that we decide to bring in our lives, in whichever field it could be ; to better, improve or skill ourselves, will be a positive one, and enable our self-confidence, self-belief and self-reliance to grow in leaps and bounds. The deadline that we set to fulfil our oath re-energises us with a renewed interest, focus and determination to achieve it within the time duration that we had promised ourselves.The heart, too, for a change, switches off from its constantly changing, needless desires, and, guides us sensibly, by directing our flow of thoughts and energy towards our ‘sankalp’, motivating and edging us in the right direction – towards its attainment.”

” Yes, we will certainly face obstacles in the fulfullment of the vows that we have made to ourselves. Thus, very often we are tempted to give up, when the period of struggle begins to drain us. Yet, the thought of giving up would mean that we are admitting to ourselves that we have a weak will, that we do not have what it takes to stand committed to our word. On one side lies the easy way out – of giving up, but , living with guilt and shame in our heart ; and, on the other lies a torturous path ahead , but , with a sweet and fruitful end. This is the struggle that ensues in the mind. We have to ignore and overcome the hundreds of excuses that we can think of – to give up. And this struggle, this war against the mind is what makes us stronger,everytime we choose the higher, challenging and demanding path.”

” Yet, we should not be afraid of this struggle and make the mistake of retracing our steps.“हमारे ‘संकल्प’ की आवाज को ईश्वर भी सुनते हैं…” and on seeing the purity of our ‘sankalp’, ‘He’ in His inimitable silent manner stands by us like a pillar of support, removing obstacles and difficulties, that will inevitably come in our way, ensuring that the ‘कार्य’ or task on which we are set, with single-minded dedication and focus, is achieved by us. Seeing us worship our ‘work’, ‘He’ erases all traces of self-doubt, insecurities and diffidence and provides us with the strength needed the most – our inner strength, which at times, proves to be more rewarding and stronger than physical strength.”

” For those on the spiritual path, at the end of the tunnel, lies spiritual enlightenment. Well, that is what they hope for. Contrary to specific, concrete goals in the physical world, spiritual practitioners do not even fully know what exactly will be achieved by them at the end of their spiritual voyage. Yet, they remain steadfast, committed to their spiritual oath, their ‘संकल्प’. ‘What do you achieve by living a ‘God seeking’ life? ‘ – is a question put by many to them. They achieve the ‘strength’ to control the wandering of the mind; the ‘strength’ to control their emotions and desires; the ‘strength’ to abstain; the ‘strength’ to detach themselves from their physical being and focus only on the purification of their soul. Is that not a reward most divine in itself ?”

Swamiji said …

” Life is what we make out of it. Every moment of our life plays out to the chords of the tune set by us, which in turn, depends completely on our interpretation of life. How we look at life is what matters the most ! Our temperament, belief, attitude and outlook play a pivotal role in making us compose either a lilting, lively melody for the joyous ‘song’ of our life, or , fabricate a grieving, melancholic strain for the sad ‘dirge’ called life. Life is all about making choices and so does the choice, whether we intend to make it blissful or stressful, rests only with us.”

“Mere mortals like us have no knowledge of what lies beyond the realm of human life, but, the often heard vivid and detailed descriptions of ‘Swarg’, ‘Narak’…’Heaven’ and ‘Hell’ have always held an undeniable, peculiar fascination for us.The narratives of ‘The Abode of The Lord ‘ and ‘ The Darkness of The Devil’ fill us either with sensations; pleasurable and divine at the very attempt of trying to create a visual of wondrous ‘Heaven’, or , at the same time could overwhelm us with feelings of morbid fear and trepidation at the very mention of ‘Hell’.” Whether ‘heaven’ is wondrous or ‘hell’ is hot, we do not know. But what we do know is – ‘what’ we experience in the ‘now’ ; at the moment, in this life. And, it is here – as we wade through the journey of life, in everyday life situations, that we can find and realise …’Jivan ke har pal mein ! Jis tarah hum har kshan ko jeete hain, ussi se hum apni zindagi ko swayam ‘swarg’ ya ‘nark’ banate hain.”

” Our perceptions differ when we look at a glass filled halfway to the brim. It can be viewed as half full by an optimist , or , half empty by a pessimist. In a similar manner, it is how we choose to view and experience our lives, our circumstances – that make life either ‘hell’ or ‘heaven’ for us.”

“Our past ‘karma’, not only determines the family in which we take birth, but also, pre-decides the obstacles and opportunities that we will come across in life. The one power that we are given is the ability to control our thoughts and actions. And, it is these thoughts and actions that determine how we experience and live life. A calm mind that surrenders to the will of God , and , a heart that is content and soaked in love and gratitude for God’s divine plan…’Aisa mehsoos karta hai jaise ki woh ‘swarg ‘ mein ho…’ and a restless mind that questions God at every step, discontent and clamours for more incessantly…’Apne liye ‘narak’ bana leta hai !”

“ ‘कमल कीचड़ में खिलता है ” – Much like the lotus that blooms in a stagnant pool of mud, we too should have the strength to live joyous and blissful lives in the most dreary, demanding and challenging circumstances. With belief in God and the willingness to work hard, any one of us can live the most liberating and happy lives, irrespective of our surroundings. We only have to create those magical moments of happiness, for ourselves, as well as, for everyone around us. Learn to untie the knots of hatred and instead cultivate forgiveness and kindness in ourselves.
Remember that hatred is taught ; kindness is spontaneous, natural. We must create every opportunity to appreciate others and make the windows of their ‘souls’…the eyes…light up with happiness and joy.”

” Ultimately, it is the mind which is the source of all happiness and misery. The mind can always easily find ‘that’ which is lacking in our lives, and make us ‘want’ more, making us feel dissatisfied with life. But with careful thought and meditation, one can control one’s reactions to such thoughts, and, carefully assess what one truly ‘needs’ for his life to be more fulfilling and act accordingly.”

” The more we learn to discipline the mind, control our impuses, make it wise with the knowledge of the ancient texts and ‘gyan’ of great teachers, the more we will learn to be unaffected by the ‘moh-maya’ of the world. It is only with an enlightened mind that we will succeed in pushing away the darkness of ‘hell’ and negativity from our existence, and , create ‘heaven’ for ourselves on earth with a positive, happy mindset.”

” ‘Jivan’ ko ‘swarg’ ya ‘narak’ banana humare haath mein hai ! Jis parivar mein chahe bahut dhan na ho, parantu prem ho, vishwas ho, ek doosre ka khayal rakhte hon, sukh-dukh ek doosre ke saath baant te hon, unke liye yahin ‘swarg’ hai … aur woh parivar joh dhani hai, parantu parivar ke sadasyon mein prem na ho, swarth ho, ladai jhagda ho, vishwasghat ho, woh maano ‘narak’ mein hi reh rahe hain’!”

Swamiji said…

” Life is a constant struggle for most people, irrespective of the strata of society to which they could belong. The only factor constant in their lives could be struggle.Some struggle to cater for their next meal. Some struggle to meet their childrens’ or family’s needs; and yet others struggle with one, or, many of the other numerous aspects of life; ranging from professional, societal to financial etc.
This struggle is never really over as once one target is achieved, the struggle for the next begins. All this is bound to leave wear and tear on the mind and spirit. But, in the midst of meeting the challenges of life, have we forgotten to smile, be happy and take pleasure in the sights and sounds that surround us? ” Zindagi ki raftaar mein daudte daudte kya hum ‘khush’ rehna bhool gaye hain? Choti choti cheezon mein khushi dekhna band kar diya hai kya hum ne? “

” Man and society are guilty, at large , for equating happiness only with achievement. To get that coveted promotion, to hold a to-die-for degree in hand ; acquire a new luxurious penthouse; see a big payday; apparently are great providers of happiness and all these acquisitions and achievements are celebrated with parties and announced to the world through social media posts. But, we need to remember that such achievements and celebratory moments are bound to be few. So, will we be happy only on such momentous days and sad and morose on other regular, normal days? Even Alexander, the Great, was unable to conquer a new country every other day.”

“Thus, the long span of struggle to ‘unlock’ our next achievement is mostly devoid of any joy, as we seem to have trained ourselves, to focus only on the goal, and , not take a break till we reach that goal. Thus, it is not uncommon for people to feel unhappy and depressed in life. After all, such a lifestyle, adopted by many, is akin to a journey through a desert with no respite from the heat.”

” Yet, from the old travellers we must learn. They too were intent on reaching their destination; but that did not stop them from sipping water and taking a rest at the oasis.
Our lives too has such oases.We only have to learn to see them and enjoy them. Simple things in life should be enjoyed the most as they alone give us genuine happiness. ‘Jo khushi ugte hue suraj ko dekhte huey milti hai, uski kirne raat ke andhere ko prakashit karte huey, woh kshan ki khushi anmol hoti hai.’ ‘Purnima’ ke ‘chand’ ki sundarta aur shitalta ko dekhte huey… jharno aur nadiyon ko naye raaste banate huey dekhte huey, hummey aulokik anand aur prerna bhi milti hai!’ So would savouring a meal, cooked by a loved one, lovingly for us make us happy. Laughing at silly jokes with our colleagues or family. Catching up with old friends…’Doosron ki khushi mein khush ho…’ Enjoying the spectacular sunrise or sunset. Watching the trees sway in the wind. Waking up to the chirping of birds. All these delightful interactions and visuals provide us with priceless, indescribable pleasure…but only if we are not too busy and are determined to derive happiness, at all costs, from every little thing that comes our way.”

” Such natural, everyday occurrences, considered to be trivial, are missed by most of us.The reason for this is simple. We have conditioned ourselves to be happy only in ‘gratification’. The importance of enjoying the small ‘happy’ moments of life around us, needs us to be disciplined in the mind, too. Instead of letting ourselves be solely centered on ‘our life goals’, we must also teach the mind to appreciate ‘that’ – which has nothing to do with gratification of the ego and pride.”

” While there is no shame in being happy while buying an expensive chandelier for one’s home, if one can afford it; one must also learn to enjoy, in a similar manner, the brightness and majesty of the moon that God has gifted us with.The ‘samosa’ from the street vendor or a five course meal at a five star hotel and the mango plucked from a tree – all are delicious in their own way; thus, we must learn to enjoy them all, just as much as the other, as all these moments collectively form an album of fun filled moments and memories. And, It is only then, that we will be able to enjoy the ‘small’ things in life that God gives us to help us ‘struggle’ happily on in life.”

“If we think that money, property and horrendously expensive acquisitions alone can make us happy, we are sadly mistaken, as, though they might give us momentary pleasure on possessing them, ‘nothing’ can make us ‘truly’ happy, unless our ‘soul’ smiles genuinely from within us. And the ‘atman’s’ happiness is in no way dependent on the statement of our hefty bank account or a locker overflowing with gems; but it is the happiest on seeing the glorious sights of nature, marvelling at His creations, which are provided in equal measure to each one of us, free of cost. But then are we willing to be happy? The choice is ours to make.”

” Wise men say –
‘Man, when he plans ; God, He then laughs…’ Thus, we must make it a habit to find happiness in every unplanned, living, present moment that God blesses us with in abundance. It is we, who need to ‘open’ our ‘sleeping’ eyes, to embrace every such moment with delight, and, be thankful to Him, with a heart filled with gratitude for His wondrous ways …’ Hummey sada ‘khush rakhne ke liye !”

Swamiji said …

” This world, ‘जगत’, is much like a mysterious forest through which we must traverse carefully, avoiding the lurking dangers and pitfalls, to reach the Supreme One, ‘जगदीश’, finally. The ‘jagat” is God’s unique, beautiful creation and we cannot travel through it with our eyes closed. We must look at the spectacular sights, appreciate its amazing wonders and enjoy the visions and colours that the world has to show us, Yet, we must be careful not to lose sight of the ultimate goal…to merge with the Creator of this जगत…’Humare ‘जगदीश’ se’. We must remember that we are only travellers in this forest, and that in the process of enjoying the fruits and shade that it offers us during our journey, we must not forget to thank God for providing us with all that He blesses us with during this lifetime.”

” The Preserver of the world, Lord Vishnu भगवान विष्णु, ‘ humare ‘jagdish’ is depicted wearing a golden crown, beautiful jewels and clothes, alongwith His consort, Goddess Lakshmi, next to ‘Him’, while ‘He’ addresses various issues that need to be solved by ‘Him’. ‘He’ is shown as ‘The One’ surrounded by wealth and opulence.This depiction might contradict the common belief associated with ‘spirituality’, as is known to us, where wealth is often viewed as a source of ‘sin’; a dangerous distraction for those on the path of enlightenment.”
 
” Yet, Lord Vishnu is ‘One’ of the three Supreme deities; ‘He’ being the one who maintains the world – जो दुनिया का 
संचालन करते हैं। He is responsible for ensuring that ‘adharma’ does not raise its vicious, ugly head anywhere in the world. So, why is ‘He’ then depicted in riches, surrounded by comfort and abundance, enjoying the world around him? The underlying message must be understood clearly.”

” Lord Vishnu might be surrounded by the glitter of gold, but he has no affinity or attachment for it. In his ‘राम अवतार’ ‘He’ renounces the world ; its material comforts and pleasures, without any hesitation; without turning back to see the ‘objects’ of attachment that were being left behind by ‘ Him’ when ‘He’ leaves the palace, to lead a life in exile for fourteen years! ‘Swayam ‘Jagdish ji’, ‘ Mahadev’ ki aradhana karte hain, manushya yoni mein, ‘jagat’ mein rehte huey !’ On his return from Lanka, while His attire changes on being crowned the King, His attitude does not change. Thus, he does not let worldly pleasures have any sway or hold over him. He ‘appears’ to enjoy them when they are available, but does not crave for them in their absence.”

“Similar must be the case with us. ‘Jis tarah se ‘jagat’ mein rehte huey, ‘Ram avatar’ rup mein Vishnu ji, apne ‘jagdish’ ko nahi bhuley, usi tarah hummey bhi jagat mein rehte huey, apne ‘jagdish’ mein leen rehna hai.’ A busy, prosperous life should in no way bring about any change in the emotions, feelings and connection that we should nurture for our Creator – ‘ Humare paalan haare, humare ‘Jagdish ji ‘ ke liye !” And, it is here that we need to pause , and , honestly ask ourselves – ‘Have we succeeded in maintaining a balance, as we have evolved with time, between ‘ Jagdish ‘ and ‘Jagat’ ?’ Very often, most of us being house holders, involved as we are in attending to our worldly tasks, find ourselves bending backwards to find the few minutes needed to bow our head in gratitude, to praise Him, to thank Him for every little blessing that comes our way. Does the inexplicable attraction for the ‘jagat’ tilt the balance more towards it, thereby, increasing the distance between ‘Jagdish’ and us ? Aren’t we being unfair to ‘Him’ by forgetting ‘Him’ and immersing ourselves completely in worldly affairs? Isn’t such an uncaring attitude unbecoming of us? “
 
“A spiritual guide, a ‘Guru’ makes us understand that there is nothing wrong in doing well in life and progressing in a fair and honest manner. But, He will undoubtedly warn us on seeing us heading towards an abyss, filled with lust and desire, on a never-ending quest for wealth. Using unfair means to lay our hands on ill- gotten wealth, neglecting one’s duties towards his family, conniving against others to gain wealth will without any doubt be frowned upon and checked by Him ! If ‘His’ blessings can enable His devotees to create a name for themselves and leave an indelible mark ‘jagat’ mein’ by excelling in their chosen field, He has the right to check them on seeing them enjoy their worldly success and pleasures unabashedly, but, fail to thank God in helping them attain that level. He consciously draws their attention towards God by saying…’ Hummey ‘jagdish’ ko hamesha yaad karna chahiye !”

” At the same time, a self realised ‘guru’, will dutifully acquaint His devotees with His enlightening words…’Jagdish’ ki rah mein ‘jagat’ ki keemat kuch nahi hai ! Jab hum ‘jagdish’ ki rah par chalte hain toh, ‘jagat’ apne aap humare peeche aataa hai!’ “
 

Swamiji said …

” ‘हम ज्ञान की तलाश क्यों करते हैं?’ Why do we seek knowledge? What is the purpose of acquiring knowledge? What is the Supreme aim of doing so? Some of us read Holy scriptures; some listen to the preachings of saints and ‘Gurus’, while some attend spiritual  congregations. These actions culminate into an exchange of experiences and beliefs. But, why , then is the world in a state of constant conflict and chaos even today? Why doesn’t the spirituality of mankind shine through and make us aware of the death and destruction caused by war? Why doesn’t True Knowledge’ – ‘gyaan’ transform us into better and rational human beings?”

“Just like all seeds do not grow into shade giving trees, similarly, all the religious knowledge acquired by us, will fail to manifest itself into ‘spiritual’ bliss, unless we prepare ourselves, to experience this transformation, externally as well as internally. And, in the same vein, just like it is not the ‘seed’, but, the sower’s fault, for not having worked on the soil adequately and failed in making it fertile enough to plant seeds in it ; it is the knowledge seeker’s fault that he has not put in enough effort to prepare his mind to absorb and cultivate this knowledge. We need to remember that both, our ‘outer’ and ‘inner’ beings should be receptive and willing ; filled with a hunger to attain ‘ True Knowledge, at all costs, irrespective of the obstacle riddled path that leads us towards self – realisation.”
  
” Millions of copies of The Bible, Quran, Bhagwad Gita and numerous other sources of God’s words and Teachings are read and distributed all over the world. Then why are we at perpetual war, at loggerheads with one another? Where has all the goodness vanished from around us? It is because the essence, the ‘True Knowledge’ of every page of the Holy books is not truly understood and imbibed by us in principle. Otherwise, why should the mind continue to remain impure, engrossed with innumerable distractions and admit weakly that it is not ‘prepared’ to follow the voice, words and message of God ! Wouldn’t the ‘kundalini’ be eager to awaken itself from the dormant, listless state that it finds itself, fearless of the pain that our body would have to endure on ‘it’ being awakened and unleashing spiritual energy within us with a tremendous force? Why doesn’t the soul ; the ‘ruh’ yearn for liberation from the never ending cycle of birth and rebirth by cleansing itself of all the impurities that have accumulated over it during its previous lifetimes? Why is it content with the state of darkness in which it finds itself ?”  

“The seeds of ‘knowledge’ will only bear fruit once they are transformed into noble thoughts and positive action by the mind.Thus, it becomes critical for us to calm ourselves and focus on the task of de-cluttering our minds of all that is useless and tends to obstruct our progress on the path of spiritual enlightenment. We must give up bad habits; become kind and endearing in speech, disciplined in thought and action. Only then will the mind be able to implement and wield the value of ‘ज्ञान’ – the knowledge – that it has gained over the years effectively. ‘Gyaan’ empowers us to live a life filled with gratitude to Him and surrendering to His plans for us without protesting and questioning Him time and again.”

” The demon king – Ravan, who possessed knowledge of all the ‘Vedas’ allowed his ego, lust and desire to cloud his mind to such an extent; that he failed to realise that he was waging a war with ‘परमात्मा’ Himself. It was only when he was breathing his last, that he was able to see Shri Ram’s divinity. Similarly, Judas’ mind was so overwhelmed with greed for money, that he betrayed Jesus Christ, despite having received the same ‘knowledge’ as had been received by the other apostles, from The Lord.”

” Just ‘knowing’ about ‘True Knowledge’ is not enough. We must act on what it teaches us, as early as possible, and, act correctly. We need to think of ways and means of using the outer being ; the body, as a medium to know, understand and imbibe the principles of ‘True Knowledge’. A basic knowledge of the rules of chess does not make one a Grandmaster. Similarly, merely ‘listening’ to, or , reading the words said by God cannot liberate one from this world. We must cleanse the mind with meditation… ‘achche vichar’. ‘ ‘Ruh’ ko pavitra karna hai, ‘sadhna’ aur ‘nek karma’ karke’ – by doing good deeds. Only then, will the mind begin to deliberate upon the teachings of God and ‘Guru’ and guide our actions accordingly. ‘ ‘Ishwar’ ki krupa aur ‘guru’ bin ‘gyaan’ praapt nahi ho sakta hai ! Hummey ‘saccha gyaan’ ek adhyatmik ‘guru’ se, kayi janmon ki ‘bhakti’ ke baad milta hai! Ek saccha bhakt ‘guru’ ke dikhaye hue marg pe chalkar, unke diye huey ‘gyaan’ ko apne jivan ka mooladhaar banakar, apne andar virajman ‘Ishwar’ ko dekh sakta hai !’ ‘इश्वर’ की कृपा और ‘गुरू’ बिन ज्ञान प्राप्त नही हो सकता है। हमे सच्चा ज्ञान एक आध्यात्मिक गुरू से कई जन्मों की भक्ति के बात मिलता है। एक सच्चा भक्त गुरू के दिखाए हुए मार्ग पर चल कर उन के दिए हुए ज्ञान को अपने जीवन का मूल आधार बनाकर अपने अन्दर विराजमान ईश्वर को देख सकता है।”

‘ We need to remember that the ‘seed’ of ‘gyaan’, that an enlightened ‘guru’ chooses to sow in us, does so, after great deliberation; only when He is convinced of our state of preparedness; both, our physical endurance and mental toughness; as the access to ‘True Knowledge’ is not easy. The ‘seed’ soaked in His pure love, retains the divinity of His touch and the ‘atman’ on experiencing ‘it’, feels the veil of ignorance and darkness being lifted from it and lights up with the awareness that this ‘knowledge’ brings alongwith it – that the ‘atman’ alone is the ‘Real’ Self. It is ‘pure existence’ – and has nothing to do with the body as it transcends it.The earlier it succeeds in making its bearer understand this ‘Real’ fact , that ‘he’ is the ‘soul’ and not the ‘body’ ; every thought, word and action of his would henceforth be aimed at purifying his ‘soul’ further, enabling it to merge with His Creator at the earliest.”