Dedicated to Swamiji Ajay Jain ji

Swamiji says …

” ‘Moksha’ … ‘self realization’ is attained not only by the child who walks the spiritual path , but his parents too benefit from their child’s spiritual bent of mind and attain ‘moksha’.

” ‘Moksha’ … ‘jannat’…uss insaan ko hi praapt nahi hoti hai jo ‘aadhyatmik’ marg par chalta hain, parantu unke mata-pita ka bhi uddhaar ho jata hai aur unhe bhi ‘moksha’ praapt hota hai …”

“As we evolve from a young child into an adult, each one of us gets acquainted and intimately involved with the teachings, rituals and practices of our religion. We are familiarised with the importance of worshiping God in either a temple, a mosque, a church, a ‘gurudwara’, a synagogue or any other place of worship and we learn to pray regularly and reverentially, to Our Creator. We learn that wonders can be achieved by talking to Him; forgiveness can be sought by confessing to Him and that we will be provided with what is right and suitable for us, miraculously, when we ask Him for what we desire.”

“Apart from a few great, noble, enlightened souls, none of us have seen God but we do know ‘of ‘ Him. We have heard about Him – His greatness, His glory, His strength, His forgiving nature, His love for us and we too love Him … but do we make a genuine attempt to know who He is?”

” A child – inquisitive and constantly seeking to clear the never-ending stream of doubts that arise in his mind – questions the relevance of the rituals involved in honouring, pleasing and appeasing God. He expresses his eagerness to learn more about the possibility of gaining proximity to God by adopting a different, simpler approach – to establish a closer, individual personal rapport with Him. And in order to do so, he begins a journey on a path unknown and mysterious to him. The firm resolve in the child’s mind makes him adventurous, resilient and patient. He wants to rise above the immediate gains and rewards that are showered on him by the Grace of God and craves, instead, for Divine Grace to allow him to get a glimpse of God, to be accepted by Him, enfolded in His embrace and to be merged in Him forever.”

” Fortunate and blessed is a child who lives a life based on the strong foundation of good values, abides by his sacred, religious institutions, performs the required rituals and decides to veer off from the road taken by all – as the sense of peace and contentment experienced by chanting ‘mantras’, and reciting prayers motivates him to further develop a spiritual bent of mind. He places his undying faith at the Lotus Feet of His Supreme Master certain, that his spiritual thirst of wanting to ‘know’ God, will be quenched,one day, and that God will reveal Himself to him, in all His splendour and magnificence.”

“The earnest effort made by a child or any other member of a family – to make his life meaningful by experimenting with the spiritual dimension by constantly focussing on thoughts of God … Bhagwan, Allah, Jesus Christ, Guru Nanak ji – by serving Him selflessly, loving Him unconditionally, do not go unrecognized and unrewarded by God, and He not only guides them towards the portals of ‘ jannat ‘, but also ensures that the parents of such a blessed child too are rewarded by Him in an equal measure.”

” ‘Insaan ka vishwas jab ‘parmatma’ par atoot hota hai, aur ‘bhakt’ Bhagwan ki aaradhna mein samay vyatit karta hai, tab woh sirf apna hi nahi , parantu apne mata-pita ka bhi udhdhaar karwa deta hai.’ “The divine cord that binds the spiritual connection between ‘ iss tarah ke nek jeev’ and ‘parmatma’ is so strong, that God takes upon Himself the responsibility of ensuring that not only is his ‘bhakt’ given the rarest of rare privileges of rejoicing in the visual delight of His glorious presence, welcomed by Him personally in ‘jannat’, allowed to merge with Him and attain liberation from the countless cycles of birth and death; but his parents also, attain the very same blessing of ‘moksha’.”

“The world would certainly be a much better place if more of us opted to tread the spiritual path with tenacity and sincerity, determined to live a simple, pure, purposeful life and merge with Him finally.”

Swamiji says …

” Listen to the good that others want to teach you, without getting into an argument.”

” Logon ki achchai ko grahan karo … Bekaar mein tark vitark mat karo !”

” Arguments … We love to get into an argument at the drop of a hat ! Don’t we ? Illogical, senseless debates. We have all the time under the sun to force our point of view on others – but refuse to listen to others with an open mind. Heated discussions – as each of us believes blindly that ‘I am the one who knows it all !’ ‘ I am always right ! ‘ ‘ I don’t have to listen to anyone and heed to anybody’s advice !’ Most of us suffer from this superiority complex, as we simply love our own voice, love listening to it and do not want our set, fixed flow of thoughts to be disturbed by the discordant notes of someone else’s jarring voice counseling us… and the moment we feel threatened that the other person might score a point in the debate – we pretend that we are suffering from impaired hearing, raise our voice to a higher pitch and get into the mode enjoyed by us the most – argumentative , rigid and insanely, foolishly crazy.”

” The barricades of rigidity and stubbornness that we have created in our mind, disallow the entry of views, opinions and beliefs of others. In our rush to drown out the other person’s voice, we do not pause for a second to see the weight and wealth of meaning behind the words being said – but escalate the issue and rebut the wisdom of those educative words callously , with senseless talk. Why is it so difficult for us to understand the crux of the matter at once? Is goodness so difficult to comprehend ? And what should have been understood by us in a few minutes, takes hours to be assimilated by us, as we stubbornly endeavour to prove the other person wrong; uncaring, that we could be causing emotional unrest in the other person’s mind – causing him to doubt his own meaningful words, lose confidence in himself and fall into depression on our account – and he starts feeling ki ‘ Woh hi galat bol raha hai! ‘ But it doesn’t make any difference to us as we are adamant in our resolve – ‘ Unki baat , unki achchai ko grahan nahi karna hai … ‘ and no way will we absorb his goodness !”

“A well intentioned person could try to talk to us about the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle by going to sleep early, waking up early, exercising regularly, devoting some time to yoga, performing ‘Surya Namaskar’ and the necessity of following a routine – but , will we listen to him and follow his advice. No. We have to disagree with him by putting up some kind of defense – lame and weak. ‘Oh! It is not possible for us to wake up early as we are in the habit of sleeping at midnight and waking up late in the morning!’ We play with the words said by the other person , twist and convolute them in such a manner, that we deviate completely from the moot point, and take the conversation to a totally different level by talking about trivial, insignificant issues, whiling away time by indulging in nonsensical chatter that can never benefit anyone in any way … ‘ Hum unki kahi hui baat ko kahaan se kahaan leja teh hain, aur fizool ki bekaar baaton mein samay barbaad karte hain …”

“We should make a determined attempt to douse the first sparks of what could be a senseless, fiery argument – where neither of the parties concerned are willing to withdraw, as that would mean a loss of face for both of them ; and instead of adding fuel to the fire, walk away from discussions where our voice goes unheard or our participation is not acknowledged. But we must remain sharp and alert to all situations wherein we get an opportunity to learn something new, that could transform us and make us embark on the remaining journey of this lifetime with faith in the goodness of everything around us. We must win over people with our calm, controlled, telling silence – which conveys more than verbosity and the endless words said by us in a desperate attempt, to prove, that we are better than the rest.”

Swamiji says …

” Do not waste your life by letting lethargy and laziness get the better of you.”
” ‘Aalas’ humey deemak ki tarah jakad leta hai aur hum uske shikaar ho jaate hain ! ‘

” Laziness… Lethargy … Dullness… Inactivity ! The whimsical desire to do nothing ; nothing at all, at times, rises strongly within us. It is but natural and normal for each one of us to be engulfed by this inexplicable feeling of not wanting to do anything at all. ‘No , I can’t do it right now. I don’t want to do anything at the moment. I don’t feel like doing anything!’ – we complain.There is nothing wrong in feeling lazy at times. We could be tired to the bones after a long , gruelling day that might have sapped us of all our energy and strength, and the mere thought of moving a limb, even fractionally, appears to be a monumental mission.”

” And thus we procrastinate ! Postpone things for a later day and date. How we love to convince ourselves of the sense of satisfaction, mental peace that can be derived by us due to that ‘one’ extra day – those ‘few’ extra hours – during which we will not work – to complete an unfinished task or meet a deadline. We think of every possible reason and excuse for not attending to something that requires our attention, immediately. We are willing to sit idle and bear the constant weighty burden of the unfinished job – but the haze of dewy pleasure of lazing around and not completing the task at hand, encloses our mind, and we submit to those few carefree moments of lethargy with utmost delight. What happens to our sense of responsibility then! Does it blow away with the first breeze of wily laziness that tempts us to capitulate to its promises of rest , respite and recoup.This is nothing but an escapist measure ! Why dilly dally and postpone a thing for tomorrow when we know we have the time to do it at that very moment ! What will we gain by postponing it for another day? Won’t it lead to further tension?”

” It is here that we need to be careful and not allow our mind to become a slave to the frequent calls of ‘surrendering to laziness’ ; a demand transmitted to the mind by the tired body; and before long we commit the offence of postponing things for the next day or later without thinking of its repercussions. We need to fight and ward off these bouts of laziness which, otherwise, could within a short period, make procrastination settle comfortably within us, tantalize us with promises of restful, joyous moments and have us completely at its mercy …’ Aalasya humey deemak ki tarah jakadd leta hai ! ‘ It is too late, at times, for a person to change himself, as by then he has fallen prey to the inviting moments of rest, comfort and impassivity – which unfortunately start taking precedence over everything else. His duties, obligations and commitments take a back seat as his misplaced priorities disallow him to do anything gainful , fruitful ..’aur woh aalas ka shikaar ho jaata hai.’ And before long, he reaches a stage in life when he is unable to do anything , even for himself. A task as simple as getting a glass of water or a plate of food for himself, appears to be a task so laborious, that he either postpones it or just sits waiting for someone to get him some water to drink and forgoes his meal, until someone serves him food.”

” Yeh jeevan anmol hai ! ‘ This life that we have been blessed with is God’s greatest gift to us and it should have a purpose, meaning and direction. We cannot afford to wear a cloak of indolence and sluggishness, get lost within its folds, close our eyes and since we have nothing to do, we sleep for hours at a stretch, be it morning , noon or night…’ Aur dheere dheere hum naastik hotey jaate hain…!’ We have to stop ourselves, at all costs, from succumbing to the immediate returns of laziness and get rid of this habit immediately.We should aspire to live a life that is meaningful – has a purpose, so that we are able to help others, support and benefit them and take them along with us.”

” Remember, first and foremost, we have to love ourselves, and the moment we start doing that, we will unfailingly see the appalling manner in which we are wasting our life, and, also, the abyss of disaster that we are plummeting into. We can always make an effort to correct and improve ourselves – ‘aur humey apna aacharan achcha karna chahiye’ – and live a life based on principles of morals and values. Believe me , before it is too late , everything will work out fine for us.”

Swamiji says …

” Free yourself from attachment to illusionary wealth and beauty. Do good , be good and develop an attachment to God .”

” Na ‘kaya’, na ‘maya’ – kuch kaam nahi aata hai , sivaay humarein ‘achche vicharon’ ke aur ‘nek raaste’ par chalney ke…”

” Lure of the lucre – the insatiable yearning to be extremely wealthy and accumulate unlimited possessions – suppplemented with an incessant need to maintain alluring, good looks – to look good and young , always, has had a stranglehold on man since eternity. Man has been trapped in its web, forever, and he loves to get enveloped in it – happily and knowingly all the time. ‘Insaan ‘mayajaal’ mein phansta jaata hai.’ He starts believing that he has taken birth only to enjoy ‘maya’and ‘kaaya’ and he makes them the pivots on which his life revolves.”

“Man enjoys living in this make believe, false , illusionary world of ‘maya’. There is no other world that he aspires to inhabit, as this world of ‘maya’ deliberately misleads him, and makes him oblivious of the stark reality that he has a very short innings to play in this game of life, and that a day will dawn when he will have to depart from this world and neither ‘maya’ nor ‘kaya’ will accompany him. He will leave everything that he considers, and calls his own, behind – one day. “

” The darkness of ignorance blinds him completely – so much so , that he fails to understand that when even his own shadow which is an inseparable part of him, is always with him – can leave him , desert him on a moonless , pitch – dark night and is nowhere to be seen, then ; is there anything else that he can boastfully say is truly ‘His’, and something that will never leave him.’Uski chhaya bhi andhere mein uska saath chhor deti hai.’ “

“Man identifies himself with his physical being , his personality , his looks. The more attractive he is , the more he has to be proud and pleased about. After all , he is so good looking ; that is what his reflection in the mirror assures him of, as he preens at himself and gives himself a thumbs up sign in approval. His great looks boost his confidence and he develops a swag , convinced that his appealing , irresistible looks are here to stay, for ever and ever. But then we are not ageless and the ‘physical’ being will age and follow its natural process of death and decay. Shortly, wrinkles and laughter lines will cause furrows on our face, and the face that had once launched a thousand ships, will neither be the center of attention nor the cause of envy to anyone. So, our ‘kaaya’ also doesn’t stay with us permanently – ‘Kya reh jaata hai us insaan ke pass joh sochta hai ki woh jeevan bhar sundar hi rahega!”

” And , in case , one is ‘fortunate’ enough to have a fat bank balance, and also attains an affluent status – where he gets opportunities to hobnob with the who’s who of society , it doesn’t take too long for the narcissist in him to start suffering with vain pretensions, and, assume falsely, that he has become a permanent citizen of this materialistic blissful haven. But then once again , there is no escaping the Real Truth that ‘maya, aishwarya aur dhan , yeh bhi tumhein tyaag deti hain. Insaan ke saath kya reh jaata hai … Kuch nahi !”

” We should try to seek redemption from the suffering and unbearable sorrow that is caused unnecessarily to us – as we attach ourselves to anything and everything around us. It would be best for us to accept , at the earliest , the bitter but Real truth of the transient nature of things around us. Only an individual who allows good , pure thoughts to reign supreme in his mind – who only thinks for the good and betterment of others – ‘aur achche , nek raaste par chalta hai ‘ – one in whom there is nothing but goodness, and who is neither attached to ‘maya’ nor ‘kaya’ – can enjoy and experience Supreme bliss, both, in this world, as well as in his afterlife. ‘Aise insaan ka , chahey woh jitna bhi buzurg ho – ya apahij ho, uska ‘yahan’ par bhi aur ‘wahan’ par bhi sampoorna uddhaar ho jata hai ! Unhe na ‘maya’ se , na ‘kaaya’ se koi matlab hai…’ Unhe sevak mil jaate hain jo unki seva kartein hain , log jo unko pyaar karte hain ! Aise log sada prasann rehte hain aur doosron ko bhi khush rakhte hain.’ “

” We have to rise above these physical and mental attachments that have been created by us, free ourselves from the bondage in which we find ourselves chained, and instead, develop a permanent attachment to God, and let our love for Him take over us completely.The rewards of this attachment are unimaginably divine.”

Swamiji says …

” The raucous cacophony of raised, angry, loud voices can be heard anywhere and everywhere these days. We don’t have to strain our ears much to hear voices – impatient , shouting and yelling at each other – each trying to drown the other voice. Soft, gentle, polite voices have been stifled in the din of sharp, rough, piercing voices.The art of speaking in a refined, cultured manner seems to have flourished in a bygone era, as we seem to have completely forgotten, that the manner in which we speak, conduct ourselves , interact with others is observed and judged by all who we come across, in our journey of life.”

“We cannot deign ignorance of the fact that an impression is formed about us , by others , during every interaction that we have with them. Our temperament, mannerisms and attitude are constantly being observed as we engage with people around us, speak to them and interact with them. The manner in which we communicate – whether we are soft and refined or crass and forceful; our reactions to success and disappointments, minor irritations and unexpected favours – all these project volumes about our family background, our raising , upbringing and education.”

“It is rightly said – ‘Real beauty lies beneath the surface’ – and in order to delve deep and understand the correct perspective of these words, we need to outgrow the typical mentality that has always clouded our vision. We declare a person to be ‘ beautiful’ the minute our eyes ‘behold’ a beautiful, handsome individual. We are so greatly enamoured by these individuals’ physical appearance , that we just gape and marvel at their good looks – but are shocked when that beautiful facade is distorted by the mocking, condescending, and disdainful behaviour that they direct at others. How good are these ‘good’ looks then ?
On the other hand, we might pass by an ordinary looking person , without giving him a second look; but, this very person surely catches our attention and we certainly turn to look back at him when we hear him speak – his voice filled with love, respect and politeness. We are unable to prevent ourselves from saying – ‘ Uske moonh se phool jhadh rahe hain!’ ‘He has such a wonderful way of speaking ! ‘ – we chorus, and before long we are smitten, and completely in awe of his style of speaking ! Looks are of no consequence after that.”

“A person who conveys his concern, care and thoughtful attitude for others through his words and voice benefits greatly – as many avenues, and opportunities make way for him on their own accord, without him having to struggle to create a way through unknown ventures and territories. ‘Jis insaan mein ‘vinamrata’ hoti hai, uske raaste apne aap khulte jaate hai !’ Other people too laud this commendable quality of his and wonder as to how is it possible for him to maintain an air of calm and composure in his verbal dealings with others, and not allow an inflection of rudeness to mar the quality of his tone.’ Log bhi uski iss quality ko appreciate kartein hai ! ‘

“The effect of such an individual is so mesmerizing and prolific on ‘those’ who derive great pleasure in speaking in an arrogant , demeaning manner with the others around them, that they are unable to remain unaffected by the positive, pleasant vibes and warm comfort that his soft words provide them. Their frequent , richly rewarding interaction with him, motivates them to imbibe a similar ‘speech ‘ trait and they are more than willing to give up the ‘not so pleasing’, harsh, coarse manner which they might have adopted to dominate or belittle others around them. ‘Woh agar char logon ko bhi milta hai toh apni vinamrata se unko sudhaar deta hai! ‘ The same people who might have earlier sneered at his prim and proper way of speaking and imitated him behind his back – develop a great liking for him and want to be like him – ‘Woh unko achcha lagne lagta hai!’ “

” This ‘good’ person who never waxes eloquent about himself – unknowingly, develops an identity that is associated with his soft approach towards others – and surprisingly, the ‘other’ bandwagon no longer has any reservations in following his footsteps and emulating him. ‘ Vinamrata ‘ uski ek pehchaan ban jaati hai! ‘No one could be a happier person than him, as he holds no grudges against anyone else. He bears love and, only love, for all around him and doesn’t have time to nurture dislike or hatred for anyone. He believes in winning over people with his goodness that is clearly visible to one and all. ‘Uske mann mein sab ke liye pyaar hota hai … Usey kisi se grihna nahi hoti hai! Apni achchai se sab ko jeet teh jaata hai!’ People with an acerbic, malicious tongue and a mean attitude towards others, too , cannot but help like a person like him and are encouraged to change their volatile, disturbing behaviour … ‘Dusht pravrati ke insaan ko bhi woh achcha lag ne lagta hai ! ‘ “

” When it is possible for us to win hearts by speaking gently in a happy , lilting voice, by injecting reassurance and warmth in it ; then why should we turn people away, from us, by hurting them with a vicious, verbal whiplash ? “