Dedicated to Swamiji Ajay Jain ji

Swamiji says …

“Niswaarth kaam alaukik anand deta hai …”
“The rewards of selfless service are divine in nature …”

” I am sure most of us remember the days, when as stubborn tiny tots, almost all of us had selfishly conveyed our annoyance, on being distracted from whatever it was that we were doing, and said the words – ‘Ruk jao, main abhi ‘kaam’ kar raha hoon ! ‘ – very often , and had actually appeared to be very busy with the task that we had set for ourselves. So deeply engrossed would we be with the issue at hand, that we had neither paid heed to what was being said to us by others, nor had we shown any inclination in changing our mind from the set task. The message was clear. We had to give topmost priority to the all important ‘kaam’ that we had set out to do as we were deriving pleasure in doing so. Our ‘kaam’ might have been as mundane as dressing up a doll or adjusting the carriages of a toy train on a track, but we had remained steadfast in our efforts and budged from our objective only after giving it the final touch. The heart-warming innocence and naive simplicity of the words uttered by us, then, had always brought a smile of joy to our parents’ face. We would do our ‘kaam’ putting our heart and mind to it, as that is what we had wanted to do, and it was attended to perfectly by us, since it was done out of our own choice and will.The end result had to be good as we would get a reward, in some form, from our elders on completion of that task.”

” It is here that we need to reflect deeply and think – ‘Will we work with the same drive, the same sense of involvement and pleasure – while doing some good for someone else, without gaining any benefit from it, without a selfish motive.’ Can we truly serve others selflessly, without looking for anything in return? Can we make ‘Service, before self’ our motto? Can we motivate ourselves to help others with enthusiasm and eagerness knowing very well that we will not benefit in any way by either helping them or serving them? Can we stop being selfish ?”

“Our attitude, mental make – up and outlook towards life and others can undergo a tremendous transformation the very minute we understand that –
” ‘Niswaarth kaam hamesha alaukik anand deta hai.’ Once the essence of these words is absorbed and implemented by us, then any act, or any work done by us for someone else, irrespective of its nature, can make us experience the Divinity that lies behind the sacred purpose of making us do something for someone else. Our entire perspective changes when we see God’s hand in everything that He makes us do for someone – using us as His instruments in His Master Plan of assisting and serving our parents, siblings, friends, acquaintances and even strangers. Every opportunity given to us by Him, to help others should be welcomed humbly, with open arms and a bowed head, thankful to Him for making us balance out our ‘karmic’ account – putting the needs and requirements if others before ours, and responding to their call for physical, emotional or financial help. No matter how busy we are, we must find that enriching, self – satisfying, rewarding time – to extend a helping hand to others, without looking at the economics ; the profit or loss involved in the time invested, in doing whatever we can do for others, selflessly. Remember, we serve God whenever we help any other living being, and the bountiful blessings that we receive from Him take us closer to Him.We experience pure bliss when our old, aged parents bless us in quivering voices for taking care of them selflessly…for our ‘seva bhava’. Could anything be more rewarding than their blessings? “

“Humein niswaarth kaam karne mein joh adbhut anand praapt hota hai, uska bayaan karna mushkil hota hai! ‘ Let us think for a moment whether it is possible for us to describe all that our body, mind and soul experience while worshipping Vaishno Devi Ma! Can mere words do justice to the vibrations, the energy, the blessings that are received by us in Her divine presence? Similar to the manner in which we find it difficult to describe the emotions that are experienced by us when we are enveloped in Her divine aura; we fall short of words to express the immense satisfaction, pleasure and genuine happiness that is experienced by us when we do anything for someone else. But , yes , there is a common factor between the emotions that are experienced at the divine ‘darshan’ of the Goddess – and on being selfless, ‘aur niswaarth ‘seva’ or ‘ karma’ karna!’ The intensity of pure, divine joy and true happiness that is derived by us,in both instances, is one and the same.”

“Selfless acts take us a step closer in understanding that Divinity is an inherent part of each one of us and since we have originated from the same consciousness – there is no difference between us.Thus, it becomes easier for us to empathize with the concerns that plague others and on visualizing and placing ourselves in the difficult situation in which the others find themselves, we go all out to draw them out of their discomfort, by forgetting about our personal comfort for once – be unmindful and uncaring of our personal gain, but serve others generously and selflessly. Finally, selflessness wins over selfishness !”

Swamiji says …

“Being disciplined, following a routine and exercising self – restraint over oneself keeps the heart happy and beautiful …”

” ‘Niyam’ aur ‘sanyyam’ mann ko sunder banate hain…’ “

“Nature is the greatest teacher. It teaches us silently, but visually – the important lesson of ‘niyam’ – of following a routine; of doing things that are beneficial for us. And what better example could there be than that of the Sun rising, unfailingly, in the east and setting in the west every day. The seasons that change with clockwork precision, ushering in wondrous winter, glorious spring, august autumn and sultry summer leave us marveling at the synchronicity of Nature! ‘ Srishti ka yeh niyam hai.’ “

“Wouldn’t our lives be much better, more productive, more result oriented if we too led regimented lives as well? Surely most of us remember the words said by our parents and elders to us … ‘ Beta, yeh niyam se kiya karo! ‘ – whether it was going to bed early at night and waking up early in the morning , bathing in the morning, offering water to the Sun, saying our prayers or reciting our ‘mantra’, completing our homework at night , solving some math problems every day to hone our mathematical skills. Young and immature that we were then, it is possible that we might have resisted or maybe, even rebelled against their wise words, and retaliated by not adhering to their advice. ‘After all it was so mundane, so mechanical to be so regular and follow a routine – we said to ourselves!’ None of us wanted to be so boring, so predictable! “

” Believe me when I say …” ‘Niyam’ aur ‘sanyyam’ mann ko sunder banate hain…’ Initially, we might find it difficult to motivate ourselves to venture out of the comfort of our beds, early in the morning to exercise, to bathe in time, or to worship God regularly – but the second we make up our minds to do this, we experience life changing rewards. Happiness befriends us and becomes our constant companion.These habits are addictive and give a new purpose to our lives. The warm feeling of being happy, both externally and internally, helps us acquire a hold on our ‘self ‘ that was otherwise running aimlessly, in a wayward manner. Happy is the heart that beats and dances joyfully while singing ‘aartis’ and ‘ bhajans’ and on seeing spectacular visions of Gods and Goddesses while meditating. The sense of mental peace and calm that we experience on performing rituals that we had always wanted to perform, regularly, makes us feel stronger and closer to God, in the initial phase of our religious growth.” And if we make a regular, repeated effort to climb the spiritual ladder with sincerity, unfazed by our failed attempts and meditate regularly, take His name whenever possible and see His Grace in everything that happens with us, we will undoubtedly be rewarded in a manner most profound and divine.”

” ‘ Sanyyam mein shakti hai !” The silent but constant tussle that goes on between our heart and mind – as each pulls us in different directions when confronted with an irresistible temptation – makes us dither, unsure whether to succumb to it or to stand strong against the waves of desire that intend to engulf us. But once we are successful in exercising self-control over ourselves, no temptation can lure us and melt our steely resolve.The time that is otherwise wasted in calming a heart that gets disturbed and over – excited over trivial issues, is now able to withstand the pressures of life.’ Koi bhi haalat, koi bhi kathinai. mushkil nahi lagti hai …’ as our control over our senses , makes us feel stronger and happier. We begin to understand that it is our sacred duty to stay happy, as the soul is in an eternal state of happiness, and thereby benefit greatly, spiritually. The words – ‘Happiness is a state of mind’ sink deep in our mind and we decide to focus our energies in creating a mindset that is devoid of negativity and unhappiness.”

“Remember, it is better to be blessed with a beautiful heart, than with a beautiful face. Keep it happy and healthy.”

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.”