Extreme Bhakti – Eknath - Remove the root of the Ajnana tree!

Divinity plays  its  endless little leelas through  the saints  and  devotees  of  God.  Divinity  enacts incidents that are miraculous and amazing in order to attract and hold our attention. We do not pay attention  or  learn the divine truths  of  life  in daily miracles  of  life  like  the Sun rising or the rain falling.  Only  when  extraordinary  events  are played  out, are we attracted  and try and learn the lessons taught by them. Saints and men of God all over the world enact such divine dramas which are remembered over the years. These incidents  inspire, teach and instruct mankind on divine rules and how  to attain grace. The   divine play of  Sri Jnaneshwar  and  Sant Eknath for the editing and rewriting of Jnaneshwari- the Bhagwad Gita – in Marathi language is one such example:

Jnaneshwar was born over seven hundred years ago in the village of Apegaon, in Maharashtra. His father was a sanyasi who came back into material life at the orders of his Guru, lived with his wife and had four children. The entire family was ostracized by the brahmin community. The boys were not permitted to wear the sacred thread until Jnaneshwar commanded a buffalo to recite the Vedas.

Jnaneshwar was an incarnation of Lord Vishu. The purpose of his birth was to pass on the knowledge of the Bhagwad Gita to the masses. Jnaneshwar spontaneously dictated a commentary on the Bhagwad Gita in vernacular Marathi called the Bhavartha Dipika. Later on it was called the Jnaneshwari. As the knowledge of the Gita spread to the common man, Jnaneshwar became famous. At the age of twenty two, while he was residing at Alandi, he decided to give up his body. He went into deep meditation and left his physical body. He was entombed after that. This is known as Jeeva Samadhi. Over a period of time, the tomb became a part of a jungle and people forgot its existence.

Eknath was born  centuries after Jnaneshwar. He was a disciple of Janardana Swami. He was a great guru bhakta and devotee of Lord Vitthala. He dedicated himself to the revival of Marathi literature, of the great epics and other sacred hindu texts. His knowledge, bhakti, wisdom and hardworking nature made him an ideal tool for many divine leelas or plays. Jnaneshwar worked through Eknath for the revival of Jnaneshwari which was distorted by translations and did not exist anymore in its original, pure form.

Eknath suddenly developed pain and swelling in his throat without any cause and was very uncomfortable. One night he had a dream in which he saw the young saint Jnaneshwar. Jnaneshwar had taken Maha Samadhi  about 300 years earlier at Alandi near Pune, Maharashtra. Jnaneshwar complained to Eknath: Please come and remove the root of the  anjana tree. It is wrapped around my throat and choking me.

Eknath journeyed to Alandi and searched for the Samadhi of Jnaneshwar. The area was overrun by jungle and it took him a long time to search out the particular anjana tree under which the Samadhi  of Jnaneshwar lay. He pried open a massive slab and found the cave of Jnaneshwar’s Samadhi. When he went in, he found the subtle form of Jnaneshwar, effulgent and glowing and a sweet perfume pervaded the cave. He worshiped the great saint with folded hands and removed the root. Jnaneshwar spoke to him with great love: The root was only an excuse to call you here. In the past 300 years, my Jnaneshwari has become corrupt with misinterpretations and interpolations. Please rewrite it as it was and in the way I intended it to be.

Eknath stayed for three days in the cave and conversed and discussed with Jnaneshwar. He felt honoured to be with such a great personage. Before he left he placed his head on Jnaneshwar’s feet and sought his blessings. Then he came out and closed the cave with the massive slab and returned back. He worked for over a year sorting and clearing the Jnaneshwari of unwelcome additions or omissions. The Jnaneshwari we read today is the one amended by Eknath. It is believed that Jnaneshwar exists in his light body in the cave at Alandi, radiating his divine energy to the entire world.

Great saints and their lives are examples for us to follow. They are benchmarks which define the heights a man can reach following the spiritual path. Let us do our SitaRam mantra japa, meditation and follow the teachings of the Guru and aspire to reach the heights set by such great saints.

Mind your thoughts

Our thoughts have a powerful effect on our physical, mental and emotional health. This truth  has been proclaimed by  the  Rishis of India since many  thousands of  years. They stressed  on  right living, physical exercises, proper breathing, fresh nutritious food,  mantra and   meditation to  have good health,  control the mind and  guide the thoughts  to achieve maximum results in the material world and also in spiritual life.  A thought is only a thought. But when we hold any type of thought in our being, the thought gathers strength  and  vibrations in us. It colors everything  we  think, do, see or speak in life. These vibrations also affect those who are near us. We are attracted to positive people and  repulsed by  negative  people even if they are strangers to us.  It  is important to learn to mind  our  thoughts. This is beautifully  demonstrated  by the story of the king and the sandalwood seller:

A king was touring his kingdom on his elephant. The parade passed through the main streets into the market area. Suddenly he stopped in front of a shop and said to his minister that he was overcome by an urge to hang the owner of the shop.  Before the minister could ask why, the elephant had moved ahead. The minister was shocked as it was not in the nature of the king to speak in this manner.  He decided to investigate the matter. 

The next morning, the minister dressed up like one of the locals and went to the shop. It was a shop selling sandalwood. He spoke to the shopkeeper causally and asked him how his business was doing. The owner said that things were bad. He did not have any customers. People would come in, touch the sandal wood and admire the quality and fragrance and go away without buying. He was running in a loss. The only way he could survive and earn quick wealth was if the king died soon. Then there would be a huge demand for sandalwood to perform his last rites. And he was the only sandalwood merchant in that entire area.

The minister now understood why the king suddenly stopped in front of the shop and expressed that strange desire to kill the shopkeeper. The negative vibration of the owner’s wish for the king’s death expressed in his mind over a period of time had affected the king’s mind. In turn, the king too wished for the death of the shop owner. The minister thought deeply for a few minutes. Then he formulated a plan and bought some sandalwood. The owner was pleased. He wrapped it up well and handed it

The minister went back straight to the king’s court and offered the sandalwood bundle to him as a gift from the sandalwood merchant. The king was surprised and pleased. The fragrance and color of the fine sandalwood enchanted him. He sent some gold coins to the sandalwood merchant as a token of his appreciation. The king was a good man and he had also felt remorse in his heart for having bad feelings about a man he had never met or even seen.

When the shopkeeper received the gold coins from the king, he was very overwhelmed. He began to sing the praises of the king to one and all. He had not met the king but somehow the king seemed to know his problems and had helped him out by sending him the gold coins. He recalled the ugly thoughts he had towards the king and repented for having such negative thoughts about the king for his personal gain.

Negative thoughts keep festering in our mind and build up to such levels that they affect not only us but also others around us. We create a negative stench around us and all those who come near us can feel the stink. When we consciously ignore the negative thoughts and judgement in our mind and do mental japa of SitaRam mantra, meditate and follow the teachings of the Guru, we cultivate the fragrances of good thoughts and receive Grace of God and Guru. Let us learn to mind our thoughts!

And the heads roll!

We live in great ignorance which is partially  self imposed.  We know the rules of law, the rules of life, spiritual rules, rules of karma etc.  But we truly believe that rules are meant for others and they are not applicable to us. We watch others make mistake after mistake and suffer. We even offer the right advice on how to avoid such incidents and overcome their negative effects in life. But when it comes to us, we turn a blind eye and believe nothing is going to happen to us. We are well aware of this failing of ours. We must pay heed when we are cautioned from within by our conscience or warned by someone who offers sincere advice. The person who becomes suddenly aware of the truths of life and takes the right steps to apply the truths in life  is truly blessed. For we all live in self imposed fallacy that we are great, pure and standing next to the right hand of God. The  story of goat and a priest  teaches us this lesson:

There was a famous priest who believed that he heard the voice of God and that every deed he performed was to please God. Once he got this inner urge to sacrifice a goat to please God. So he selected a suitable goat and ordered his servants to take him to the holy river and bathe him  and decorate him with flower garlands. The servants were also asked to bathe themselves as part of purification process. At the riverbank, the goat suddenly realised that he was going to be killed. All  his past lives flashed in front of him. He realised that the sacrifice that day was a result of his evil actions in the past. So he began to laugh uproariously.

As the goat was laughing, he also realized another truth – that the ignorant priest who was going to sacrifice him would suffer the same terrible results. So he began to cry aloud. The servants were amazed to hear his laughter and then his cries of pain. When they questioned him, he said he would reply only to their master – the priest. So the goat was taken to the priest where he spoke out:  Respected Sir, many births before, I too was a priest like you. I was well educated in religious rituals. I thought that sacrificing a goat was necessary to please God so that others would benefit and I, too would benefit for many births to come. The true result of my action was that  in my next 499 lives, I was beheaded! Today I realised that I am to be beheaded for the 500th time which would release me from the results of my bad karma. So I laughed joyfully. Suddenly I also saw you suffering from the same results like me due to your ignorance and wrong action. So I wept in pain.

The priest realised that the goat was speaking the truth. So he released him and cancelled the sacrifice. The goat thanked him and said: O Noble Sire, even if you do not kill me today, I am surely going to lose my head. The goat wandered around a rocky area in search of fresh leaves to eat. He saw some tender leaves on a branch and stretched his neck to eat them. All of a sudden, there was a thunderstorm. A bolt of lightning struck and hit an overhanging rock. The rock was cut and it fell down, chopping the goat’s neck. He died instantly and the thunderstorm vanished.

All animals kill only when hungry and solely for food. Man is the only animal who hunts for pleasure and also kills for selfish reasons such as pleasing God. God does not seek the life of an innocent animal and by taking away a life for no reason, we cannot please Divinity. Life is precious and we all know this truth. Yet we think that the rule is not applicable to us.  The law of karma dictates that when we create suffering for others, we will suffer and when we do good, we get good. Let us not roll others’ head lest our own head rolls. Let us please God by an easier and safer means – by SitaRam mantra japa, meditation and following the teachings of the Guru.

Insuring for a safer future

Life is very short and full of uncertainties. We never know what the next moment brings. It can be joy, pleasure,  wealth,  success, power  and   fulfillment. It can also be  accidents, pain, sickness, disease,   misfortune and  death. In   order to ensure  a more  safe future  for ourselves  and  our dependents, we insure our lives and property  with an insurance company so that we are protected and compensated in case of loss. We pay regular premiums to the insurance company. If we default in the payment of premiums, we lose our policy and protection cover.

Death is as sure as life is. So are sickness, disease, pain and misfortune. Money does not compensate for pain, negativity and death. We have to leave everything behind when we die. Only the good and wrongs done by us and the spiritual practices of mantra japa and meditation come with us to the next life. Our spiritual practices ensure divine grace during our life to protect us from the pitfalls in this life and in our afterlife too. Knowing that death is definite and a given for every person, we should do our spiritual practices daily, protect ourselves and insure a good future for ourselves like the king in the story below:

There was a very rich kingdom with fertile lands, forests, mountains and rivers that never went dry. This kingdom had a strange rule. After every five years, a new king was chosen. An elephant was set loose with a garland. It went on a procession with music and dancers and selected a person in random and garlanded him. This was the next king. This was an envious position for anyone to receive. The glamour of wearing the golden crown, rich robes, diamonds and gold, the delicious food, a vast army of servant waiting to fulfil every command and the adoration of all the subjects of the land. Blessed was the man who was selected by the elephant to be the next king.

But none in the kingdom wanted to be the king! At the end of the fifth year, the king was exiled to an island which was full of thick forests and wild beasts. No one knew what happened to the ex-kings. It was presumed that they all died there. No man who was chosen to be king ever enjoyed the tremendous powers of being a king or his luxurious lifestyle. All the kings were worried as they knew that they would be exiled at the end of the tenure and had to die in that terrible island.

One particular year was the fifth year of tenure of the current king. He was then taken by the guards to the boat and sent to the island. In the meantime, the crowds gathered on the streets and the elephant came by and garlanded one young man who was watching the fun. This young man was highly intelligent, having foresight and understanding and was hardworking. He was able to rule the kingdom well and brought greater prosperity and peace to the subjects. He was always cheerful and smiling and worked for the welfare of the people. The subjects were pleased with him and they were also worried about what would happen to him at the end of the fifth year. The king for his part did not show any worry or tension with the passing of time.

Finally the day arrived when the tenure of the new king was over and the king had his last ride on the royal horses and reached the river front. He was to board the boat which would leave him stranded in the terrible island of no return. And he would surely die there as no one had returned back till then. The people could not believe the calmness and composure on the king’s face. One of the subjects asked: Your Majesty, this is the last hour of your tenure.  Your end has come. Are not your worried about your future?

The king replied: I knew the rules from the day I became the king.  I also checked out about this island where all kings are exiled. I knew I had five years to do something to insure my future life. So in the first year of my reign, I sent teams of hunters to the island and they cleared it off all wild animals. In the second year, I send teams of woodcutters who cleared out the forests and cut wood to build a township. During the third year, teams of builders constructed an entire new town and many villages there. During the fourth year, I began to move farmers there so that they could cultivate land and grow crops, vegetables and fruits. During the last year of my reign, groups of people and some of my close advisers went over there. Now when I go there, there is a palace, town, many villages, my guards, cooks, servants, ministers and subjects awaiting my arrival. I will take over my new kingdom! My subjects will be well looked after and taken care of. I look forward to a long reign of peace, prosperity and bliss. 

Like the king who knew of the dangers of the unknown island he was to be exiled in and took steps to make that place safe for himself, we too should make our lives safe for living now and in the life thereafter by doing the daily mantra japa of SitaRam, meditation and following the teachings of the Guru.

Mind- the genie in the lamp

Our mind helps us to think, perceive, will, understand, judge, criticize and take decisions. Human beings have minds which help them to live in this material world and rise up to their true divine nature. All life forms, including plant and animal life have minds and use them to live and survive. 

Our mind is a wonderful gift from God. It is said that God created the Universe from His Mind. When used well, it can create and gift us with anything that we wish for. A mind trained by meditation and mantra can lead us to self realization. When we are unable to master our mind, it propels us into  many hells of our own making.

Our mind has tremendous multitasking capacity. It also has ability to totally focus on a single topic or area to the exclusion of all others.  When we train our minds in both of these skills, we can complete great tasks and achieve many of our goals in life. When the mind is left alone and it wanders around aimlessly at its will, it creates desires and intensifies them. Greed, vengeance, lust, pride, attachment, anger are the results of a mind which is not in control. The thoughts that are produced in our mind demand our time and attention and dictate our behavior and reactions. 

This story of the man and genie in the lamp illustrates how our mind can make or break us:

A poor man wandered about in the market. His sole wealth was a rupee.  He was hungry and hoped to buy some fruits. At the market he met a merchant with a fancy waist coat and a magnificent turban. He had a tableful of wares for sale. There was beautiful oil lamp on it with a sign – One Rupee Only. The poor man could not believe what he saw. He asked the merchant why it was so cheap. The merchant explained that a genie lived in the lamp. This genie fulfilled all the desires of the owner. But he was very impatient and active. If the owner did not pay him attention or keep him occupied, he would take away all the gifts he bestowed on the owner.

The poor man thought over. He was far too poor and had nothing to lose. So he felt he could take a chance. He bought the lamp and took it to his hut. He rubbed the lamp and the genie appeared. The genie asked: O Master, how can I serve you? The starving man replied he wanted a good meal. The genie served him a 36 course meal fit for Gods.  The man was delighted and ate his fill. As soon as he finished eating, the genie asked: What can I do for you now? The man commanded: Build me a magnificent palace suitable for a king! Within a few seconds, a truly beautiful palace with lush gardens was there in front of the poor man. The genie at once asked the man: What can I do for you now Master? The man immediately issued  order after order.  And the genie kept fulfilling them.

The man was tired and fed up. He went to the village sage and explained his problem. The sage gave him a wonderful solution.  He went back to his palace and said: Genie, build me a large pole and stick it to the ground. The genie did it within a few seconds. Then the man said: Climb the pole and get down, then climb the pole, then get down ... and continue doing so till I ask you to stop! The man went in and enjoyed roaming in his palace and the gardens. He had enough wealth to last him many lifetimes. He planned a list of things to do for helping other. Then he went out and checked on the genie. The genie had fallen asleep next to the pole!

The man visited the wise sage and informed him of the success of the plan. The sage explained: Our mind is restless and active and wants to fulfill each and every desire we have. It is like the genie. The pole is a tool called mantra. By repeating the mantra over and over again, our restless mind is kept busy till it calms down and goes into a meditative state. Then our true self – our soul can enjoy this world and also perform actions to help others.

We are more than our mind.  We are the immortal soul. But as long as the mind is restless and active, we cannot enjoy  the joys of the material world or of the spiritual world. Let us do the SitaRam mantra, meditation and follow the teachings of the Guru so that our mind is calm and meditative and we can enjoy this world and also our divine state.

Manas Puja – Pusalar

The evolution of man to his original  state  of Divinity is a gradual  development  over a period of time. The  process  starts when we have association of like-minded devoted people. With satsang, we develop taste for nama smaran, bhajans and japa. Being with devotees who are sincere  is a great boon. We learn to let go the vices of anger, jealousy, lust, greed, attachment  and  need for power and control. We develop qualities of selfless love, compassion and peace. We give up what takes us away from the path of God and develop those qualities which help us to be in the presence of God within us.  When we develop ourselves this way, we become steady in meditation and are constantly absorbed in the Lord.  We develop a taste for the sweetness of the name and form of the Lord and are constantly absorbed in Him. This helps us to do manas puja which is superior to physical puja as it requires going within and worshiping the Lord in the way we want to shower our love and devotion on Him.

There is a wonderful story of a great devotee of Lord Shiva called Pusalar who practised manas puja. He was well trained in Vedas and Agamas. In the village where Pusalar lived, there was no Shiva Temple. He had a burning desire to construct a temple for his Lord. Though he had great desire to build a temple, he had no material resources and wealth to support it. He had in-depth knowledge of temple construction according to the Agama Vidhi. He thought over for long and found a way to fulfill his deep desire.

Pusalar decided to build a magnificent temple for Lord Shiva in his mind. From that day onward, he started building the temple. Even though he built it in his mind, he went through every step of construction the way he would have done if it was actually built. He planned every single detail like amount of material needed, labor, design and carefully executed the plan. Finally the temple was constructed. It took Pusalar the same number of years it would be needed for the actual construction of the temple. Pusalar fixed an auspicious time and date for Kumbabhishekam or the opening of the temple when the Lord is invited to be present and sanctify the deity and temple.

At the same time that Pusalar was constructing the temple for Lord Shiva, the Pallava King was also constructing a grand temple for Lord Shiva and fixed the same date and time as Pusalar for the main ceremony of sanctifying the temple. Lord Shiva who is present everywhere and in the hearts of all, wanted to show the King, the greatness of his poor devotee. He appeared in the dream of the King and commanded him to change the date. Lord Shiva said that He was going to enter the magnificent temple built by Pusalar on the same date and time as fixed by the King and would not be available for the King.

Next day, the astonished Pallava King and his ministers went out in search of the town indicated by Lord Shiva. They could not find the temple. They made enquiries and no one had heard or it or seen it. Finally they managed to locate the home of Pusalar. The King informed Pusalar about the dream and his conversation with Lord Shiva. Pusalar was stunned and overcome with emotion at the Grace and Love showered on him by his Lord. Finally wiping his tears of love and joy, he narrated to the King the details of the temple built by him in his mind. The detailed work and attention to every aspect of temple construction stunned the King and his ministers. They knew that the temple built by Pusalar was grander than the temple built by the King. All were overjoyed by the Leela or Divine Play enacted by Lord Shiva. The King paid his respects to Pusalar and returned back to his capital. He performed the kumbabhishekam of the temple as scheduled in all pomp and grandeur. Six times pooja was performed at the temple to the Lord as per the rules of scriptures. 

The path of Kundalini Maha Yoga teaches Manas Puja. We worship the Guru or the Light or the Self within us. By being regular in our SitaRam mantra japa, meditation and following the teachings of the Guru, we become steady and absorbed in our meditation. We are able to tap the bliss of the Divinity within us and be One with it.

Manas Puja – Mental Worship of the Lord

Worship of the Lord can be done in many ways. At an early age, we see our elders offer simple worship at home in the puja room or at the altar. We learn how to worship the Lord by mimicking our elders. We are also taken to temples and places of worship where we see elaborate modes of worship. The rituals performed in the temples are beautiful, artistic and as per the rules given in the sacred scriptures.  Many of us also perform elaborate puja at our homes. As we walk the spiritual path, we move on from external puja at homes, altars and temples to inner worship. Manasa puja should accompany the regular daily external worship.

Manas Puja is the mental worship of God in our hearts. We sit still, go within us and perform the pooja of our choice to the Lord within us. No physical offerings are made in this puja. The devotee worships the Lord as he pleases within himself. It can be an elaborate puja with the sixteen upcharas – the 16 steps in the ritual Hindu Puja. The Lord is experienced as a live being and not a stone in a temple and systematic worship is offered to Him with mantras.

The devotee pours out his love and honors the Lord by  the 16 upcharas or offering.  In this systematic puja, we start with : Avahana - Welcome/installation of the Lord, Asana - Giving seat, Padya - Washing the feet, Arghya - Washing the hands, Achaman - Water to drink, Madhuparka - Sweet (honey) mixture to eat, Snana – Bathe, Vastra – Clothe, UpavIta - Offering holy thread, Gandha – Offering perfume, Pushpa – Flower offerings, Dhupa - Incense smoke, Deep – oil or ghee lamps, Nivedana - Offering food, Karpura - Camphor light, Pradakshina, Namaskara - circumambulation and salutation. Manas puja can also be simple. We can chant the SitaRam Mantra or any other mantra and offer the Lord within us flowers with each mantra. We can offer Him Nivedana (food offering) of our choice. 

Manas puja needs mental preparation and physical preparation. We should be bathed and clean. We need to sit still in one place when we do this pooja. When we follow the procedures given in the sacred scriputures, Manas puja is very rewarding. We must prepare ourselves through bhuta shuddi (cleansing of the elements of body through mantras), pranayam and dhyan. This helps the mind to focus properly. When these preparations are not done, even while doing physical puja, it is not successful. Our mind wanders and we think of the dinner menu, laundry, office schedules and other problems. We go through the motions of puja without actually linking ourselves to the Lord we are worshiping.

Manas Puja gives wonderful results when done with bhakti and shraddha – love and devotion for God.  The scriptures give an example of brahmin who was very poor but a content man. One day he heard a discourse at a temple about Manas Puja. He decided to practice it. He bathed in the Godavari river and offered  mental worship. He would wash the temple within his mind and bring water from all sacred rivers and oceans in gold pots for worship. He collected the best jewellery, flowers , fruits and clothes for the Lord. He worship his Lord in great style – beginning from bathing and ending with aarti or the waving of lights. He was very blissful after the worship. So he continued this way for many years. 

One day, after completing the puja, he picked up the sweet rice to offer the Lord. As he touched the plate, it felt very hot. So he touched it with a finger to test the heat. His finger was burnt by the heat and he winced in pain. Lord Vishnu smiled seeing this and Goddess Mahalaxmi enquired why. Lord Vishu  explained and ordered that the brahmin be brought to Vaikunta – the abode of the Lord. He received these blessings through his Manas Puja.

Manas Puja is the highest form of puja and can be done sitting at home without involving costs or causing hindrance to anyone. Let us meditate and use the SitaRam mantra for doing the Manas Puja and sanctify our inner selves and our lives.

How does a calm mind help?

Our mind is very restless and whirls around at the rate of hundreds of thoughts per minute. Like a tornado roaring in frenzy, our thoughts whirl around, touching every topic and desire in the universe. We speculate about them in the past, present and future tense. We conjecture about our desires with if, buts and whys. We have imaginary conversations with many people in our mind and wreck vengeance on them. We dash out rousing dialogues and vanquish the enemy. We grind  the enemy to dust and we relish the moment when  the enemy is totally wiped out.  

We wage wars in our mind and win all of them with the most grand flourish. We also seethe with raging anger, pain, fear, attachment and pride. When such thoughts flood and ravage our mind, we are restless and our entire being is filled with negativity. Those who are with us feel our inner rage and  they wish to run away from us. There are many who are happy, peaceful and calm. Their inner being is full of such peaceful vibrations that we seek their company to get some of their peace. When we sit in the presence of Great Gurus, Rishis, Avatars and Men of God, in a very short time, their peace fills us and our mind calms down. In their presence, all our pain and negativity is drained away. In the presence of Rishis and Gurus, even natural instincts of animals change and they are calm. Let us see one such incident in the life of a disciple and his Guru:

A Guru and his disciple were walking back to their ashram. They had to cross a dense forest where many wild animals lived. Suddenly they heard a roar behind them. They turned and saw a huge tiger following them. The disciple reacted in the normal manner. He wished to run away at once. But he could not do so as his Guru was with him. So he controlled his natural impulse and waited to see what his Guru would do.

The Guru saw the fear in the eyes of the boy and his trembling limbs. He decided to make this dangerous encounter into an unforgettable and useful lesson. He told the boy: We have many choices. We can stand here paralyzed with fear and let the tiger attack and kills us. We can faint and hope for it to sniff at us and go away. We can run but must be prepared for it to chase us. We can fight it but we must remember that it is stronger than us. We can pray to God to manifest here and save us. We can also influence the tiger through the power of our minds. We can fill our mind and being with love and peace and become one with the Universe and the tiger. In this way, we can fill its mind with peace. What should we do?

The tiger had come nearer now and the disciple was in panic. He urged the guru to do whatever he wished to do and also give him instructions. The Guru turned towards the tiger. He emptied his mind of all thoughts and entered into a state of meditation. He embraced everything in the Universe including the roaring tiger that was coming towards him. In that state of consciousness, the  Guru became one with the consciousness of the tiger.

In the meantime, seeing the tiger so near, the disciple was trembling with fear. But the Guru continued with his meditation. In a short time, the tiger slowed down, lowered its tail and went away. The tiger sensed the inner calmness, peace and unity and did not feel any threat to its safety. So it did not attack the men who were in front of it. When the mind is calm and silent, its peace is automatically transmitted to everything and everyone around it.

Let us not do this experiment in front of tigers. But we can allow the SitaRam mantra to vibrate in us at all times and keep our mind and being filled with its holy vibration. Then  when we are in a meditative state and we continue doing our work, we speak calmly and think and react calmly to all the happenings around us. Even those who are angry and wish us a bad end will calm down before us. Only in a calm state of mind, we can achieve much and help others achieve their goals too.

Source of Happiness

All of us want to be happy. When asked about what he wants in life, every person replies:  I want to be happy. We link happiness with material things. We believe that money and relationships are the source of happiness. Definitely, money is essential to fulfill our basic wants and keep us in comfort. We need loving relationships which support and lift us in life. Good health, good looks, power, prestige - all give happiness. But it is short lived. The happiness that comes from all these vanishes quickly and we keep yearning for more possessions, power etc., as others have more than us. 

When we look around, we see powerful  people, many with good health and wealth, others having relationships with many loving people. We find that most of them are always angry and irritated and not happy. The source of happiness is Self. We have to make up our minds to be happy and we become happy.  The soul within is Bliss. This bliss is covered with layers of negative emotions and desires of mind. When we shift aside these layers by will and determination, with a smiling positive attitude, we become happy. We all know these truths but generally choose to ignore them. Let us see the story of the happy monk and the reasons for his happiness:

Once upon a time, there was a monk in the forest. He meditated sincerely and over a period of time, developed his mind. He freed himself from unwholesome and ugly thoughts and became content and happy. His peaceful nature and friendliness drew others to him and he had several hundred disciples living with him. Most monks in his group were dignified and serious. But there was one monk, though dignified, was always smiling. No matter what happened, he never lost this glimmer of inner happiness. When it was a happy occasion, his laughter rang out merrily.

At times the other monks would ask him why he was so happy and smiling. The happy monk smiled more broadly and told them that they would not believe him and if they thought he spoke a lie, that would be a dishonour to his master. Seeing his constant smiling face, his master knew this monk had found the source of happiness within and made him his primary assistant.

Once, the entire group of monks went to the city. The King permitted them to live in his pleasure garden for the spring time. When summer approached, the monks got ready to return to the forest. The King  was concerned about the health and well being of the leader of the monks as he was now old and not keeping good health. He requested him to stay in the city and send the other monks back. The leader accepted the King’s request and made the happy monk the new group leader and sent them back.

The happy monk practiced intense meditation and gained more wisdom and insight in life and reality. His inner happiness always shone on his face. He missed his master and wished to share his new experiences and insights with him. So he went to the city. When he arrived, he sat at the feet of his master. They did not speak much but every now and then the happy monk would say: What happiness! O what happiness!

The King came for a visit then. He paid his respects to the old leader. However, the happy monk did not get up and show proper respect to the King. He sat there with a broad smile and kept saying – o what happiness! The King felt angry and insulted. He had the burden of the entire kingdom on his head and was stressed out. Yet he had made time to visit the monk and was not given due respect. He asked the old leader if the happy monk was stupid from overeating and lying around all time.

The old leader replied: O King, this man was a mighty, powerful and wealthy King like you. He became a monk and his old happiness is nothing compared to his state of joy now. He used to be surrounded by armed men, who guarded and protected him. Now, he sits alone in the forest with nothing to fear. He has given up the burden of worrying about wealth that has to be protected. He is free of the worry of wealth and the fear of power.  His wisdom protects himself and others. He advances in meditation to such inner peace, that he cannot keep from saying: O what happiness!

The King understood the message. He stayed with the monks for some time and received advice from them. He was at peace.

When we get wealth and power, we fear for their safety and we lose our happiness. The only wealth which increases with time and for which we do not have to fear is the Holy name of God. The source of all happiness is Love of God.  Let us do bhakti,  the SitaRam Mantra and meditation and live in peace and happiness.

Simple actions can change life

We always think that something which is twisted and complicated is great and will grant success. We do not give importance to simple actions or practices. We feel simplicity cannot grant success. Often many of us have doubts if a simple mantra like ‘SitaRam’ can transform our lives. Can SitaRam bring the mind under control? Can it help us overcome the vices of anger, lust, greed, desires, jealousy, attachment and pride? Can it dissolve the ego? Will it bring grace into our lives? Will it guide us to God? Yes! Yes! Yes! The mantra is a Siddha mantra and when taken from the Guru and chanted daily, it transforms us from within. Over a period of time, it makes us fit and worthy of receiving the final grace of enlightenment. Simple actions can have profound effect on lives as is seen in the story of the ‘mouse merchant’:

Once, a wise adviser of the King was on his way to attending a meeting with the King. He saw a dead mouse lying on the road and commented to his group: Small and simple beginnings with hard work bring success. A man of intelligence can build a fortune by using this dead mouse here. A man who was passing by heard this remark and decided to follow it. He picked up the dead mouse by its tail and carried it. As luck would have it, within a few minutes, a shop keeper called him and said: My cat is hungry and pestering me. Give me the dead mouse and I will give you two copper coins.

The man exchanged the dead mouse for the coins and bought sweet cakes and waited on side of road. Flower sellers returning from the market bought the cakes and gave him flowers in return. He sold them and bought more sweet cakes for selling. This went on for some weeks. One day there was a storm with heavy winds. The man noticed that many branches were broken and had fallen down on the ground in the King’s garden. He offered to clear the branches away if he could keep them and the lazy gardener quickly agreed. The man found some children playing across the street. They agreed to collect all the branches and bring them out to the street for the price of one sweet cake each child. The King’s potter came along. He needed wood for firing his glazing oven and he offered a handsome price for the wood and also some pots.

With the profit from selling flowers and the wood, the man opened up a refreshment shop. One day, the local grass mowers stopped by his shop.  He gave them free drinks and cakes. They wanted to pay but he said he would seek payment from them when the time came. A week later, he heard that a horse dealer was coming to the city to sell 500 horses. He asked the grass mowers to give him a bunch of grass and not sell any grass to the horse dealer till he sold the grass he held. In this way he made good money.

Time passed and the man came to know that a new ship was landing from a foreign country. The man hit upon a good business plan. He made a good gold ring with a beautiful red ruby in it and gave it to the captain of the ship. In return he asked that all the passengers be sent to him and he would take them around the shops and get commission from the shop keepers. After several ships came to the port, the man became very rich. He remembered from where this journey of success and wealth started –from the simple advice of the wise minister. So he made necessary arrangements and invited the minister and offered him 100,000 gold coins which was half the wealth he  earned along with his humble thanks. When the minister asked him how he got the money, he told him the story of the dead mouse, hungry cat etc. The minister was very impressed and offered his daughter to him in marriage and after his death, the King made the man as his chief adviser. 

The changes in this man’s life came by taking a simple action. A simple  action of SitaRam mantra japa starts an avalanche within which gathers momentum over a period of time and brings drastic changes and internal transformation. Let us perform this simple action of SitaRam mantra japa with diligence and sincerity and improve our lives

Perseverance- The strike that saved their lives

We have goals in life, things to achieve. We do our work and try to achieve our ambitions in the shortest possible time. This desire to complete the work quickly and with least effort can sometimes be our undoing. We get disheartened when the work is not accomplished easily and in short time. We simply give up. And many a time, we stop our work just before the final results are achieved. We lack patience and perseverance. We are unable to continue our work with determination till it is completed.

Perseverance of some very determined people has given us the greatest gifts and blessings of this technological world. Electricity, electric bulbs, phone, cars, rails, planes, cell phones, television, radio, computers and a variety of other gadgets that we use daily and cannot live without are the fruits of someone’s perseverance. Without perseverance, we cannot succeed in learning new skills, completing our education, driving a car, cooking, our jobs and our relationships in life. Let us define our goals and work with perseverance despite all troubles and hindrances.  For our next hit on the rock of hindrances  could be the one which breaks it and gives us sweet results as is given in the story below:

Once upon a time a tradesman was leading a caravan to another country to sell his goods. Along the way, caravan had to pass a desert. During the day the sun heated up the sand and made it extremely hot. No one could walk on it – not even the camels and the bullocks. So the tradesman hired a desert guide to help them. The guide would read and follow the direction of the stars and they would travel safely in the coolness of the night. They began their dangerous night time journey across the desert.

They crossed most of the length of the desert safely. They had one more night of crossing left. They cooked and had their meal and waited for the sands to cool down. The desert guide was driving the first cart. He read the stars and pointed the bulls in the right direction and the journey began. That evening the guide had overeaten and he relaxed and dozed off to sleep. The bullocks lacked their master’s ability to read the stars. They gradually turned to the side and went in a big wide circle. The caravan ended up in the same place where they started.

It was dawn by the time the people realized that they were in the same spot they had camped the previous day. They lost heart and began to cry. Their stock of water was over. The people and the animals needed water to survive the hot desert day. Immediately they blamed the tradesman who was their leader and the desert guide for their sorry state.

The  tradesman was a man of intelligence, perseverance and courage. He did not lose heart in this disastrous situation. He was determined to find a solution and save the lives of  people and the animals in his caravan. As he was alert, he noticed a small clump of grass growing in one place. This was a sign of underground water. So he issued orders to some men to dig  in that spot. As they dug they hit a large stone. They were all disheartened and gave up. They were all ready to die in that hot desert. The trader admonished them and asked them to persevere.  He was very sure they would find water there for there was a clump of fresh green grass growing there.  He jumped into the hole and put his ear to the rock. He could hear the sound of flowing water. He picked up a heavy hammer and struck the rock. It split into two and a mighty flow of water gushed out from under the rock. All the people were overjoyed. They drank, bathed and washed the animals. They cooked and ate. They stored plenty of water with them. They raised a high banner there so that other travelers could see it from afar and come to the new spring in the middle of the hot sand desert. Then they continued safely on their journey.

Let us persevere in all our work. SitaRam mantra japa, meditation and following the teachings of the Guru also require perseverance. But the fruits of grace are always sweet and blissful.

Perseverance

Perseverance is commitment to a goal. It  consists of hard work and patience.  Perseverance helps us to forge ahead in our work and achieve our goals despite obstacles and hindrances.  When we do any work or aim towards a specific goal, there are always hindrances and obstacles. It starts from early childhood even when  a baby tries to crawl, sit or walk. Only when the baby overcomes the hindrances with perseverance, can it successfully crawl, sit or walk. Trying to hold a pencil and a slate, forming the lines and curves with a chalk or pencil, writing the alphabets  -  all require hard work and patience. Endurance is essential to master any art, work or skill.

The progress in the modern world today is due to this wonderful quality of perseverance. Basic facilities that we take for granted are the fruits of extreme hard labor and perseverance despite seemingly endless failures. The light bulb without which we cannot even think of living is one such example of success due to perseverance.  The light bulb has made night into day and we are able to work at times of our choice. We are not dependent on sunlight. Thomas Alva Edison who created it was not the first or the only person who tried to make it. But he was the only person who stuck to it despite failures and kept on trying till he succeeded.  The invention of the telephone, radio and computers are all examples of men who did not give up despite numerous failures.

Difficulties are a part of life. We need to be able to bear up with them without complaints and calmly continue working. It is steadfast persistence with internal purpose  that helps us to overcome difficulties.  Only those with this quality can be successful in any aspect of life.   

Perseverance is extremely important in the spiritual path. Spiritual growth is a long  slow process and spans many years of patient work. We make the intent and start the journey. We never know when grace descends and when the journey ends. There are periods when we feel we do not make any progress and there is an impatience and anger from within and we feel like giving it up all. At such times, it is essential to persevere and keep on with the practices.

Practices of mantra japa take time to show results. The mantra vibrations work slowly but surely at the physical, mental, emotional and karmic levels. The results can be seen in a short time but being human, we seek miraculous effects in an instant. This is not generally possible unless the person was a Siddha in his previous birth. It takes many years of dedicated practice of mantra japa to get mantra siddhi. Meditation is another process which is slow and painstaking. It is watching the thoughts and not reacting to them and gradually moving on to higher states of consciousness.

Internal cleansing and purification is also a slow process. No one can change overnight. It is a long drawn process where pain and suffering teach us lessons of life. We learn how to avoid certain behavior patterns as they give us pain- physically, mentally and emotionally. We learn to overcome anger, lust, jealousy, vengefulness, attachment and pride. We learn to replace these vices with divine qualities of peace, compassion, selfless love, balance and bliss. This inner transformation takes place slowly and gradually. We cannot force such changes upon ourselves instantly. Patience and regular spiritual practices are essential.

The task of self transformation – from human to the divine level- is indeed not for the faint hearted.  We should not run away as it is an extremely difficult task. Perseverance gives the ability to be steadfast and continue with self efforts. Grace and Goddess of Prosperity remain with those who never give up despite the daunting journey filled with difficulties. Let us work diligently and patiently on ourselves with the practices of SitaRam Manta, meditation and following the teachings of the Guru.

Life is too short to waste

Birth is always celebrated as it is new life and continuation of the lineage and species. Along with birth, the clock starts ticking.  When there is birth,  death is also definite. Death is inevitable. We are all aware that death is inevitable and every single living creature has to die. But we always live in hope that it is  another person who falls sick and dies. Not us. One of the most amazing marvels of this world is that people attend funerals and feel sorry for the person who has just died. They reflect on the shortness of life and approaching death for little time. Once they leave the funeral ground, they forget about it and go about living their normal lives as if they have eternal life.

In the short time that is allotted to us, we must live a rich and rewarding life. We must give selfless love, compassion, peace and understanding to all. We must work hard and develop ourselves to the maximum capacity. Loving relationships with all, rewarding work, selfless service to needy make life worth living however short it may be must be our aim of life.  And the crowning glory of our life’s purpose is realizing the Light of God within us. We never know when death comes to us, on which day and date and at which age and manner. We must utilize the time given to us in bhakti and worship of God and walking towards Him. This is the story of a King who realized that old age was upon him and took the right steps to ensure that he entered the Path of Light.

There was a prosperous kingdom where all the subjects were happy and content. Their King had just given up his throne and seated his young son in his stead. The young King was wise and a loving leader and was beloved to his subjects. As years passed, the young King grew older and was married and had his own children. One day he told his barber: If you see any grey hair on my head, you must tell me immediately.

One day his barber told him: Sire, I see a grey hair on your head. He removed the grey hair with golden tweezers and put the little grey hair in the King’s hands. The King was still young, strong and steady. He could rule for many more years without any trouble. But looking at the grey hair, he became afraid of dying. He felt that death was closing upon him without his walking the path of Light. He felt as if he was trapped in a burning house. Sweat rolled down his back and he shuddered.  He felt that he had wasted his entire life without trying to overcome the vices of anger, greed and envy. He had not learnt to live without hating or getting rid of ignorance or the truth about Self and truly become wise. Now death was approaching and he decided to take immediate action to rectify his grave mistake. He decided to become a monk and practice meditation. He thanked his barber for his services, rewarded him and went to the court.

The King announced to his sons and courtiers about his decision. He had seen a grey hair and had become old. He had enjoyed enough of worldly pleasures, great wealth and power. He did not wish to die without attaining the Right Knowledge of Self. The first grey hair was a message that death was approaching. Grey hairs were messages given by God to man that he must make wise use of the remaining years of his life in the most useful manner. The King crowned his eldest son as King and gave up everything and became a monk. He went to the forest and practiced intense meditation. His focus was tremendous and he soon attained the Light.

We need not leave our homes and family and go to the forest and practice meditation after we see grey hairs on our head. Let us have the awareness of the shortness of life and be regular and sincere in the practises of SitaRam mantra, meditation and the teachings of the Guru. Our practices will take us steadily towards our goal even while we are a part of family and society and we can achieve our goal of realising Divinity.

Karma always bounces back!

Success in any field attracts admiration and followers. It also attracts jealousy, hatred and rivalry. A successful person gets a good name, becomes famous and has many followers. He also has many rivals who hate him and plot to ruin his good name and reputation. When we plot and try to destroy others, we are destroyed. When we do good to others, we are blessed. This is rule of karma. What goes up always comes down. We get in equal measure of what we give. What we give to enlightened beings and gurus comes back to us a thousand fold! This story of Buddha and the pregnant woman tell us this truth:

Buddha was always peaceful and blissful. There was always  a large crowd of disciples, followers and admirers around him. Wherever he went, people followed him and listened to his wise words. Effortlessly he gathered large crowds around him and his teachings spread wide and far. This attracted the hatred and jealousy of monks of other religions. There were also some in his own group who wanted to oust Buddha and become the leader. Once, some jealous monks plotted against Buddha to ruin his reputation and after he was shamed, take over his place and position and become famous. They asked a beautiful female follower of theirs to help them to carry out their plan.

One day, at time of sunset, the young woman started to walk in the direction of the monastery where Buddha was staying. Then she went and stayed at night at the place of the jealous monks. Early next morning  as she returned home, her curious neighbors asked her where she had been. She replied that she had spent the night with Buddha. After a few months, she began wrapping up cloth around her waist to look pregnant. She added more cloth as the weeks went by. She beat her hands and feet till they looked swollen. She pretended to be tired all the time like pregnant women and walked tiredly and slowly. She looked as if she was going to give birth at any time.

One evening when Buddha was giving a discourse, she arrived there holding her stomach. Seeing him preach, she screamed at him: Instead of  giving lectures, you should take care of me and your baby. You had your fun with me and now you are no longer interested in me nor do you care for your responsibilities. Buddha sat calmly and waited for her to finish speaking. Then he said that they both knew that her words were not true. She looked at him scornfully and said that none could see what they were doing at night.

Even before she completed the sentence, the strings holding the bundle of cloth around her waist loosened and her ‘baby’ fell down. All those seated there realized that the woman had been lying.

They all rushed and surrounded her and called her a wicked woman, a liar and a cheat. She was scared that she would be beaten and that her life was in danger. She ran off from there as fast as she could. On her way back home, she had an accident and died a miserable death. The wicked monks who plotted against Buddha also suffered terribly.

Later on, when all gathered were around Buddha, he told them that the one who is not afraid to tell lies, does not care what happens in his future lifetimes and will do evil without hesitation. We must realize that we make our own fate by our own action. While we cannot alter the past, we can learn to bear up with the present and create a great future by our own actions or karma. Let us not harm or do any evil to holy men as the consequences of such acts are terrible. Let us do the SitaRam mantra japa, meditation and follow the teachings of the Guru and let grace  help us cope with our past and shape our present and future.

Is there rebirth?

Hindu philosophy speaks of rebirth. The Infinite created from itself millions of souls  and set them free in the Universe in order for these souls to enjoy freedom and varied experiences and then return to the Source of Peace and  Bliss.  These souls were covered by the five elements, the five senses,  five organs of action and the three gunas of satwa, rajas and tamas. As the soul undergoes experiences, it  gets covered by layers of negativity and desires. The soul dons on many bodies and undergoes a variety of experiences. It evolves till it reaches the state of pristine purity and merges with the Light. Just as we discard old and torn clothes and wear new ones, the soul also discards sick and aged bodies and dons new ones. One of the great Jagad Gurus of India has explained  rebirth in a very logical manner in the example given below:

His Holiness JagadGuru Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi, was Swami of Kanchi Kamakoti Math. He was called Mahaperiyavaal (a great man of towering proportions)  due to his wisdom, patience, calmness and kindness. Mahaperiyavaal was an enlightened being and a man of God. He received visitors from all over the world and cleared and clarified the doubts of the seekers.

Once, a foreigner who was interested in Hindu philosophy was waiting for the darshan of Mahaperiyavaal. He had a very important doubt to clarify with the JagadGuru. Shortly, he was called in and without wasting time he set out his doubt to the JagadGuru:  Swamiji, I understand all the concepts of Hinduism and respect them. But there is a particular one about which I have doubts. You believe that the same soul is born again and again. The same soul appears in different bodies according to the accumulation of paapa(wrong deeds) and punya (good deeds) which are carried forward to the next birth. The soul takes on a body, background and personal qualities as per the good and bad deeds of the past. Can you make me comfortable on this aspect? In our religion we are taught that we reap the rewards for whatever we do in this birth itself. If we are good and honest and God is pleased with us and we go to heaven and enjoy its benefits and if we are dishonest, we are punished by Him by being sent to Hell and suffer miseries there.

At this point the Mahaperiyavaal interrupted him.  He asked if his visitor had a car and if he could do him a  favour of collecting some statistical information within Kanchipuram using his vehicle. The visitor readily agreed but at the same time wondered why his question was not answered spontaneously.  He was directed to visit ten maternity centres within Kanchipuram and collect data  on the children born within the last two days. He had to collect information regarding the child’s gender, health conditions, parents name and status, education qualification and time of birth. He was given two days to do the work.

The visitor left immediately and went about completing the task given to him. He collected the required information and rushed back the same evening to see the Mahaperiyavaal. He presented the exact statistics: 15 children born in 10 hospitals, 8 female and 7 male out of which 3 children had malnutrition defects, 2 were the first child of very wealthy parents and born in luxury hospitals while 4 were children of laborers who already had several children.

Mahaperiyavaal smiled and asked the visitor few questions:  These children are only a day or two old. Do you think they have been honest or dishonest or earned paapa or punya in these two days? They are too young to even recognize their own mothers. They have definitely not done wrong or good deeds.

As per the concepts given by you, all these children should be in the same status and living in same manner. But it is not so. Some are ill, some are healthy. Some are born to rich parents and others to poor parents. Remember, all these children are born with a few hours gap from each other in the same longitude and latitude and so their horoscopes would be almost identical. The horoscopes are surely not to blame!

The visitor was dumbfounded. He had no answer and now could clearly understand the concept of rebirth and past karmas. All the children whom he had visited and checked on were born according to their past deeds or misdeeds and every child had a different status and position in life.

The purpose of rebirth is to give new opportunities for the soul to cleanse and purify the layers of desires and negativity that cover it. We take endless number of births for this purpose. Let us utilize the time given to us in this birth in the right manner by doing the SitaRam Mantra, meditation and following the teachings of the Guru so that we reach this state of pristine purity and merge with the Light.

Make your mind your best friend!

The mind has always been criticized and condemned as the cause of all our miseries and troubles. It is often called ‘monkey mind’ as it wanders aimlessly and leaps from topic to topic. It leaps to judgement and conclusions and rarely waits to understand the matter at hand. It is impatient and hears no voice but its own. It is full of self importance and likes and dislikes.  The mind has its own likes and dislikes which are very dear to it and it will never give them up.  Our mind, indeed, can be the cause of our downfall. It can also be the cause of transformation and living to our highest potential.

Our mind is an invisible organ which creates thoughts. It holds memories and emotions. Thoughts are only thoughts. Our particular likes and dislikes are colored by karma of past and karma of this life time. This makes the thoughts good or bad or unbearable. Some thought make us smile as they hold good associations and others make us sad as our ego is hurt or pained by them. When we hold on strongly to our memories or likes and dislikes, we start choking and seek help in order to survive. Most of us spend our entire lives with a sense of being suffocated by our own thoughts and memories and are unable to breathe and live in freedom.

Our mind can also be our best friend. It can help us to focus and concentrate on our work at hand. It can help us clarify our goals in life and prioritize them. Clarity of thinking makes us appreciative of our lives, the work we do, the gifts we are blessed with, the various relationships we have and the role they play in shaping us. A calm and clear mind reflects Divinity very well. When our mind is pure, the light of God within us shines brightly and can be seen by all. 

We can purify our mind when we learn to overcome the dislikes and hatred in our mind. We need to ruthlessly throw out the ugliness and rejections we carry in our mind which create so much negative thoughts. When we learn to be independent  of likes and dislikes and be dependent only on Divinity, we will stop getting hurt and stop hurting others. We will stop sulking and be cheerful and balanced at all times. We must recognize the ugliness within us and learn to let go of them. 

Our mind enjoys controlling others and dictating their behavior. As long as we play this game of controlling and manipulating others, we will never be calm or peaceful.  We must recognize the  right of others to live their lives as they please and accept and live our lives as we please. We must be aware of what we want in life and work for it. We must not depend on anyone for helping us achieve our goals. The minute others recognize that we depend on them, they start manipulating us. And this causes endless pain to all. Our mind needs constant appreciation. We must learn to appreciate ourselves and not depend on others for appreciation as they use this dreadful need to force and coerce us into doing things as per their desires.

Mantra japa and meditation are the greatest tools we possess in order to befriend our mind and make our mind our best friend.  The mantra japa fills us with vibrations and power of the Holy name of God. Meditation helps us to calm the mind and thoughts cease to exist during Samadhi. Regular japa and meditation help us to overcome the vices of our mind and live in constant love of God and His creation. We become appreciative of all that is given to us and all that is around us. We live in the present and let go of the past and the future. There is a fresh zeal and zest in us. We are able to work with focus and achieve our goals effortlessly.  The fresh vision we have of life makes us take responsibility for our own lives and we stop blaming others for all things that happen to us. We truly enjoy life. Let us use the SitaRam Mantra, meditation and teachings of the Guru to make our mind our best friend!

Extreme Bhakti – Bola, disciple of Swami Samarth Ramdas

Bhakti, selfless Guru seva and innocence are a great combination for drawing the ultimate Grace of God and Guru. The lives of the saints of India and all over world demonstrate this truth. One such example is found in the live of Bola- disciple of Sri Samarth Ramdas.

Sri Samarth Ramdas was a prominent warrior saint of Maharashtra who lived during the 17th century.  He was a great poet and writer. He was Guru to Shivaji Maharaj and guided him well in freeing Marathas from the Mughuls and ruling his people with benevolence, justice and love. He was a great devotee of Sri Rama and Hanuman. He had many disciples who lived in his ashram and studied at his feet.

One day, a small boy came to the ashram and humbly asked Ramdas if he could join the ashram. Seeing the sweet innocence on his face, Ramdas agreed. He named the boy ‘ Bola’ meaning innocence. Bola attended the classes the first day but was missing the next day. Later on Ramdas saw him sweeping the backyard. Bola explained to his Guru that he was not learned and could not understand scriptures but he could sweep and clean the ashram well and feed the cattle. The Guru was pleased with his attitude to seva and humbleness. 

Ramdas allowed Bola to do Guru seva but asked him to attend the reading of Ramayana every night.  Every night Bola would listen to the Ramayana attentively. He never paid heed to others sniggering behind his back. One night, Bola was late in arriving for the class. Ramdas waited for him to come and then started the Ramayana. The other disciples often wondered what the Guru saw in this boy but no one dared to ask Ramdas.

Once Shivaji Maharaj invited Ramdas and his disciples to the palace for a few months to enlighten the royal courtiers with daily talks and teachings. Ramdas asked Bola to join him. Bola refused saying that someone had to stay behind and take care of the cattle and the ashram. The ashram was large and there was far too much work for a small boy to handle. Ramdas instructed Bola to call upon Hanuman for help if he was unable to manage. Bola accepted his Guru’s words implicitly.

So Bola stayed back and looked after the ashram. There was a lot of work to do, but he cheerfully did all the work alone. After cleaning the ashram and feeding the cattle, he prepared food for the Gods. He set the food on a tray and took them to the puja room. He waited for a long time but Sri Ram, Maa Sita and Laxman did not come to eat. He wondered what to do when he recalled his Guru’s words. Without hesitation, he called out to Hanuman. The very next second, Hanuman appeared before him. He requested him to bring Sri Rama, Maa Sita and Laxman quickly as the food was getting cold. Hanuman was surprised at the innocence of Bola but decided to test him. He said to Bola: Why don’t we eat some of the food now and then I can bring them. I am really hungry. Bola replied: Nothing doing. Go and call them. After they have eaten, I will serve you a lavish meal.

Hanuman bowed to the innocent faith of Bola and fetched Sri Rama, Maa Sita and Laxman. Bola prostrated in front of them and offered them food and drink. He pleaded with them to come daily and accept the offerings. This went on for a few months. A day before his Guru was due to return, he sought help from Sri Rama, Laxman, Maa Sita and Hanuman to clean  and prepare the ashram to receive his Guru.  Maa Sita offered to cook a feast for Sri Samarth Ramdas and asked Sri Rama and Laxman to decorate the ashram and Hanuman was sent off to fetch fresh flowers and fruits. Very happily, Bola cleaned the ashram and fed the cattle.

The next morning when  Ramdas came in with his disciples, the ashram was cleaned, fragrant with floral decorations and delicious fragrances of cooked food. Bola explained all the happenings to his Guru. All the disciples had a disbelieving look when Bola said that Sri Rama, Maa Sita, Laxman and Hanuman lived at the ashram and helped him to get the ashram ready for the Guru’s arrival. The Guru ignored their scorn and asked where they were. Bola lead the Guru and disciples to the main ashram building. As soon as they reached the puja room, everyone saw the figures of Sri Rama, Maa Sita, Laxman and Hanuman disappearing into the puja room. All were speechless. Sri Samarth Ramdas embraced Bola and blessed him profoundly for his bhakti and surrender to God and Guru.

Extreme bhakti and selfless service to the Guru compels Divinity to assume form and permit the devotee to offer worship and love. Let us cultivate this extreme bhakti and guru seva through SitaRam Mantra, meditation and following the teachings of the Guru and serve God.

Everything has value

The Cosmos created by God is wonderful.  It is huge and beyond our imagination. Trillions of planets and stars are spread across the vastness of space like sand scattered on a beach. When we study the cosmos and life, it is easy to understand that everything created by Him has its own worth, value and usage. There is not one single item which is useless or worthless. We have created traditions in which we have placed our own value to all things. We label some things as useless and discard them. We even label people as unworthy or inferior just because they are not like us by birth or qualification or lifestyle. When people or things are labelled in this manner, we are unable to comprehend their actual value or usage.  We fail to see the vast Intelligence and Logic of God who has created everything with multiple uses and value. When we sit and ponder, the usefulness and uniqueness of every part of creation is very clear. This story of the two pupils and their Guru teaches us to view the world from a different perspective:

There was a Gurukula (school) at the edge of the forest where many children studied under a wise Guru. Two of the students had finished their education and were ready to leave the Gurukula. They wished to offer their Guru a gift of the Guru’s choice as Gurudakshina ( offering made to Guru in lieu of fees). The Guru was pleased with the love, devotion, discipline and sense of duty of the students. He did not want anything from them. However, he decided to add a little more wisdom to their store of knowledge before they left. So he asked them to go to the forest behind the Gurukula and bring him some dry leaves for which no one had any use. The boys wondered at the strange request but left obediently to fulfill the Guru’s request.

As soon as they entered the forest, they saw a small heap of dry leaves beneath a tree. They went to pick it up and a farmer came out running and stopped them. He had collected them to burn and utilize the ashes as manure. By doing so, his fields would produce excellent crop.

They went further into the forest and saw three women collecting dry leaves and putting them into their baskets. The boys asked them why they collected dry leaves which were useless. The first woman said she used them as fuel for heating bath water and for washing clothes. The second woman said she pinned nice dry leaves together and made leaf plates which were used  as dinner plates in ashrams and temples.  She earned some money by doing so and fed her children. The third woman said that she collected dry leaves of a particular tree. Her husband was a doctor and used them for preparing herbal medicines. Many sick people were cured by using those medicines.

As the boys walked farther, they saw some dry leaves under a tall tree. As they were watching, a big bird swooped down and picked up a leaf and flew away. It carried it to the top of a small tree where it was building a nest. As it was growing late, they decided to return to the Gurukula. On the way back, they saw a big leaf float in the water. One of the boys picked it up as it was of no use to anyone. To his surprise, he saw two red ants sitting on it. They had used it as their raft and saved themselves. So he put the leaf gently on the ground and left it.

The boys were sad and informed their Guru that they could not get him even dry leaves as they discovered dry leaves have so many uses and people, birds and insects used them extensively.  The Guru replied that the wisdom they had received that day was his real Gurudakshina.  Dry leaves had such extensive use. The human body was extremely precious and must be put to right use. We must take good care of it and use it to make ourselves happy and others happy. We must use it for the most important purpose of our lives- loving God and for self realization. In the meantime as we live our lives, we must help the needy, poor and sick. Every part of creation is beautiful and is useful.

Let us be thankful for all the blessings we have received in life and understand their value. Let us transform ourselves by the SitaRam Mantra, meditation and following the teachings of the Guru. This will change our perspective in life and help us fulfil our goals of life.

What price lust?

Lust is a feeling of intense sexual desire in the body. Sex and reproduction are essential for survival of life on earth and sex is a natural part of our bodies.  Sex is a natural expression of love between two people. When there is an expression of love between a man and woman with respect and reverence within the relationship, sex acquires a unique beauty and a divine sanctity. Sexual expression within a relationship is good and should be encouraged as it increases love and brings about closeness and unity between the partners.  Lust on the other hand is uncontrolled sexual appetite.  It has strong overtones of illicit urges. It is an inordinate craving for sexual pleasure. We usually use the term lust when it is a strong physical attraction and  it has nothing to do with love or respect for the partner. Lust depends on physical attraction and is short lived. Our body and beauty are subject to ravages of illness, age and time. Should we really go after something that is so short lived? Let us see this story of the courtesan and the monk:

Once there lived a courtesan of great beauty. She was good hearted and would willingly give alms and excellent food to the monks who came to her home. One day, one of the monks who came to her home  for alms spoke about how beautiful she was. A young monk who heard this remark felt desire for the courtesan. He spent the night in great lust and next morning joined the group of monks who went to her home for alms. The courtesan was ill that day but she came out carried by her servants in order to ensure that she personally offered food and alms to the monks. When the young monk saw her enchanting beauty though she was sick, he developed even more intense lust for her. By evening her sickness worsened and by morning she was dead. When Buddha came to know about her death, he advised that she should not be buried for a few days, after which  time he would take his monks to see her before her final rites.

The young monk was not aware of the death of the courtesan. When he heard that all the monks were going with Buddha to see her, his lust rose to heights. By the time, Buddha and the monks reached the cemetery, the desirable body of the beautiful courtesan had transformed into an ugly sight. Her body was bloated and rotting. Foul matter was oozing from every orifice of her body. Buddha then announced that the courtesan was going to be auctioned off. Anyone who was willing to pay a thousand pieces of gold could spend the night in bed with her.

Of course, no one was willingly to pay that amount or any amount to be with the courtesan. In the end, no one was ready to take her even for free. Then Buddha told his monks: When the courtesan was alive, many were ready to give all the money they had to spend one night in her embrace. But now no one is ready to take her even for free. This body is subject to old age and decay. What is the value of beauty and lust? The young monk heard the words of Buddha and realized the true nature of life and lust and strove to free himself of sensual desire.

Lust is definitely one of the gateways to hell. We cause suffering to ourselves and our partner as the relationship is purely sexual, short-lived and there is no sharing or respect or love involved in it.  When we fail to overcome illicit, lustful desires we bring ruin on ourselves. Understanding the true nature of the human body and beauty – that it is subject to deterioration and decay can help us to overcome lust. Keeping satsang or good  company, regular japa of SitaRam Mantra and meditation and following the teachings of the Guru help us to overcome lust. We reach a state of development where we see Divinity manifested in all and when we look at other women/men, we see the Divine Mother/Father.

What is the greatest of all things?

Man has wants and desires. The need for food, clothes, shelter, medical aid etc is common to all mankind. Nature has provided for all of our needs but we need to plan, put in effort and then only we can acquire materials to fulfill our needs. As we are given intelligence, rationalizing ability, discernment and logical ability, we are able to refine on the material available to us and create sophisticated products which satisfy our need for creativity and refinement. We have created and invented a multitude of items, products and machines which grow more refined with the passing of time. Automatic looms, gas cooker, electric cooker, microwave oven, fridge, computer, handheld tablets, cellphone, a vast variety of medical equipment, the rocket to the moon and unmanned rocket to the mars – the list of inventions is endless. What is the greatest of all things? Let us look at this incident between Sri Krishna and Sage Narad  to understand what is the greatest of all things:

Once, Sri Krishna and Sage Narad were together in a beautiful forest. It was an idyllic scene. A little stream was flowing past by and there were shady trees and flowering shrubs everywhere. The fragrances of the flowers were wafting in the cool breeze and the Lord and his devotee sat under the shade of a big tree. All devas – or minor gods were gathered there to spend time in the delightful presence of the Lord. The animals and birds of the forest too were sitting in peace at the Lord’s Feet. The lion sat next to the deer and the snake lay at the feet of the peacock. A fox licked at the ear of a squirrel with love and swan sat gracefully next to the tiger. The effulgence of light, love and peace from the Lord wove its magic spell on all and everyone was in bliss.

Sage Narad sat at the feet of the Sri Krishna and was massaging His Feet. His heart was overflowing with love and devotion. All of a sudden, the Lord looked deeply into eyes of Sage Narad. He wanted to test and see  if Sage Narad had the understanding of reality of life. He asked him: Narad, what is the greatest thing there is? What is your opinion and experience?

Sage Narad had traveled all over the cosmos and undoubtedly had a great experience of life and reality. But he became nervous as he desperately wanted to please the Lord. He replied:  O Lord, I think it is the ocean. The little fishes in the stream jumped in joy as they were on their way to meet the river which would eventually merge into the ocean. The Lord smiled and said the answer was wrong as the ocean is surrounded and bounded by land.

Sage Narad apologized to the Lord. His next choice was the mountains. Undoubtedly they were the greatest. The squirrels sitting at the Lord’s Feet were very happy and scampered about excitedly.  The Lord smiled and said that the mountains were limited as the sky around their peaks were much greater.  Sage Narad was surprised at his own ignorance. He replied that he understood that the sky was the greatest of all. All the birds were very happy to hear this and they chirped and twittered in joy. The Lord smiled and said that the answer was wrong as Heaven was  beyond the sky. The devas were thrilled at the answer given by the Lord and they zoomed around in the skies in happiness. Then Sage Narad said that the Heavens were the greatest of all. And the Lord said no.

Sage Narad could not think further. He was confused and felt defeated. Then Sri Krishna came to his rescue. He said: Devotion is the greatest of all things as it makes you little, humble and loving. And there is nothing greater than being little, humble and loving, for then you win Me over  and I become yours.

The purpose of this life is to attain our potential in the material and spiritual world. All of us attain degrees of success in the material world. Few of us work to obtain the Love of God. To get grace and love of God we have to be wholly devoted to Him. Let us do our SitaRam mantra, meditation and follow the teachings of the Guru with utmost devotion and win the Lord for ourselves. 

Right understanding of wealth

Wealth is an abundance of material resources, of money, valuable metals like gold and silver and property. Wealth has utility and can be exchanged for other resources or items that we desire. Wealth means an abundance of all that we would need or desire for having a good and fulfilled life.

Wealth is a collection of things of value. Different people place different values to different things. Value of items varies with the passage of time. Values of things vary as per culture and heritage. Salt was once great wealth and given as salary in Roman times. All the gold in the world is of no use when we are stranded in the desert without water.

Wealth is essential for a comfortable life. We need food, clothes, shelter, medicines, education and transportation. We also need communication services, entertainment, banking, insurance services etc. We require some comforts and luxuries in life too. The list of our desires is endless and hence the need for wealth also keeps on growing. Unless we learn to appreciate what we have, we will be wanting and yearning endlessly for more and more wealth. The perspective of the young boy in the story below teaches us to view wealth in the right way:

A wealthy man wanted to teach his son about the value of the good things he was given by his father and all the facilities, comforts and luxuries he had. So he took his son on a trip to the country side. They visited a farmer and his family for the weekend. The purpose of the trip was to show the son how the poor people lived and how much the father had given the son and that the son should be thankful for his wealth.

The father and son spent the weekend at the farm. The farmer had reasonable facilities in his farm and the food was good. They had a good time bathing in the stream in the backside of the farm and picking up fruits and enjoying great meals cooked by the wife of the farmer. When they returned home, the rich man spoke to his son about their weekend: How was the trip?

It was great, Dad.

Did you see how the people of the world suffer and how poor they are?

Yes, Dad.

What did you learn from the trip?

I saw that we buy milk in cartoons and pouches and they gets theirs fresh from the cows.

We have a swimming pool that reaches the middle of our garden and they have a stream in the backside of the farm that has no end.

We have only one dog and they have four dogs to guard the farm.

We eat stale food. They pick fresh vegetables and fruits from their garden and cook. They have the freshest eggs and fish. No wonder the food was so delicious!

We hang fancy lamps in our garden. They have brightly shining stars.

Our veranda is small. They have the whole horizon.

We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond the sight.

We buy our food and they grow theirs.

We have servants who serve us and they serve others.

We have walls around our property to protect us and they have friends to protect them

The rich man was speechless hearing the words of his son. Then his son added: Thank you Dad for showing me how rich they are and how much we lack in life!

It is not possible to do ‘bhajan’ or spiritual practices without ‘bhojan’ or food. Only when the stomach has food and we have clothes and shelter we feel like doing spiritual practices. Else God goes out of the window and our sole focus in life is earning wealth.  Let us earn enough wealth to cover our needs and not earn to fulfil our greed. Let us utilize the remainder of our time in our SitaRam Japa and meditation so that we earn spiritual wealth. Spiritual wealth keeps us happy in this world and carries us forward to higher dimensions and finally to God.