An ideal family is the
foundation of an ideal society. The strength of an ideal family is woman, who
ultimately makes the world a beautiful place to live in.
It is only men of virtues and human values
that make a Nation great. It is true that the worth of a civilization can be
measured by the place it gives to woman in the society. It is also true that
where women are honored, God dwells.
The future progress of
the Nation depends upon the way she rears up the future generation. A woman is
a giver, back bone for every family and every child. She pampers, loves, gives,
corrects and helps all without any expectation. She is axle in the wheel of
life where all the humanity is connected to the core.
Hindu scriptures
claim: ‘A man without the participation of his wife can perform no religious
rites with perfection. ’
Sant Nirankari Mission
has given the necessary platform to women to scale spiritual heights as there
is equality, responsibility and accountability without gender-discrimination.
SNM has provided a practical working model for the world to emulate, a pioneer
in spiritual revolution based on the wisdom that woman play a constructive role
in transforming the world which is now passing through a period of intense
unrest. We find women discharging responsibilities entrusted to them as
administrators, Zonal Incharges, pracharaks and sewa dal members.
Every Nirankari woman must use the deep wisdom within in the service
of Humanity and grow into a woman of
spirit and faith. We can draw inspiration from Mamatamayi Rajmataji, a living
legend of woman power. She attained God knowledge during childhood and immediately
thereafter she surrendered herself to devotion, satsang and sewa. She inspired
her parents and other family members to obtain God Knowledge and lead a
blissful life.
Rajmataji was a living example of true devotion and love.
She taught the entire world the art of living. As a daughter-in-law of Satguru,
wife of a Satguru and a mother of Satguru and as a Mother Supreme, she exemplified, through
her acts, to be a true disciple, living life with a higher purpose- filled with
divine wisdom, pure love and devotion, attitude of a humble servant and true
spirit of selfless service. She discharged the responsibility entrusted on her
by her master for 50years.
She worked shoulder to
shoulder with Baba Gurubachan singh for 17 years and accompanied the Satguru on
salvation tours, Shoba Yatras, Satsangs and in played an active role in
administration .
She always said,
‘Brahma Gyan is Satguru’s gift to you. How you use it in your daily life is
your gift to the True Master and also that ‘Knowing the Truth is knowing the
destination, Living the truth by your actions is reaching the
destination.’
Many a times she would
say that she had no power of her own. It was the blessings of Shahanshah ji
which worked wonders for the devotees. But the devotees give the credit, name
and fame to her. She fulfilled every
responsibility with complete loyalty, devotion, pure feelings and without the
feeling of doer-ship. Even during adverse circumstances she not only herself
stood firm and strong, but also provided strength to others.
Babaji in his
discourse on Prerna Diwas said, ‘She was such a great support to me, right from
day one till she breathed her last. Besides giving birth and bringing me up,
she taught me to respect and remain connected to Sadh sangat. As a mother she
showered affection not only on family members but also on countless devotees.
She was the role model of a real mother. ’ If we wish that our children must be
like Baba Hardev Singh Ji Maharaj, then we must be like Rajmataji in our deeds.
Rajmataji was the
Mission and the Mission was Rajmataji. She echoes the Philosophy of the Mission
thus: By obtaining God Knowledge the
real objective of life of the soul merging with the over-soul has been
achieved. We experience peace, purity and prosperity. Let this birth be used as
per His Will.
Rajmataji is our
spiritual guide. She prayed for the welfare and happiness of each family. She
always kept Babaji in high esteem. When persuaded to make a decision she would
always say, ‘Let us do whatever Babaji directs’. Her actions vividly
demonstrated that she accepted, bowed before and acted on every word of Guru as
God’s command.
Let us pray to Lord
Almighty to bless us with such wisdom, broad-mindedness and equi-vision, to
adopt her qualities, follow her footsteps and march forward, on the spiritual
path and take the Mission to new spiritual heights.
As Vivek Shouk rightly
said, “I am a nirankari- is not a statement rather a responsibility.” By being
receptive to Satguru’s words, and putting his words in to practice, making Truth ( God
) as the basis of our life , let us reach its zenith making our lives
beautiful and adding beauty to the
world.
BRAHM GYAN bestows ETERNAL BLISS
Human life is short.
In this life we must achieve the goal of liberation which frees us from any
further mortal existence. True bliss is the ultimate spiritual pinnacle that is
within us. It is not something that can be experienced through any external
source. The fact is that U.S.A which tops the charts as most developed nation in
terms of affluence and materially advancement, ranks first in depression and suicide
rates. This proves that materialism does not necessary guarantee happiness. In
pursuit of happiness, man is trying to increase in every possible way his
capability to ensure an enhanced lifestyle. Thus, physical wants far from being
supporting factors have emerges as the limiting factors. Babaji says, “Needs can be met. Not greed”. What is the use when man gains the world but
loses the soul?” asks Baba Hardev Singh ji Maharaj.
Lopsided priorities of
life and the complete neglect of the spiritual sphere is the root to unhappiness.
We are growing physically, maturing mentally but spiritually we are
handicapped. Man is spiritually bankrupt. Darkness in the heart should be
removed. The number of people seeking illusory happiness using narcotic drug is
steadily on the increase. All the stuff you need to keep calm, peaceful is
already available within the body. The magic potion is “Anadamide” the chemical
produced in the brain which actually enhances your capabilities. When you are
sorted out inside, life seems to be a smooth ride no matter how bumpy the road.
Where there is clarity of purpose, one leads a meaningful, purposeful and
successful life.
Babaji says, “Life is a celebration . Live it .” We have to explore life in its full depth and
dimension. We celebrate life when our relations with ourselves, others and
nature is beautiful and balanced. This puts happiness in self-start mode. We no
longer depend on external objects and persons for happiness. Unconditional
love, non-attachment, loyalty, trust, humility, patience, tolerance, being
connected, oneness, gratitude, devotion, surrender and faith are the divine
feelings and virtues to be cultivated with diligence.
Man should realize his
source and move towards it by imbibing sublime thoughts. Divine knowledge divinizes life and ensures
blissful living. When one identifies oneself with God, one’s mind and soul are
enlightened and one leads a truthful life.
The following words of
Baba Gurubachan Singh Ji Maharaj highlight the supernal
glory of spirituality “Man is amalgam of the physical body and the divine soul.
In order to lead a harmonious and blissful life, the soul needs to be united
with God as much as the body needs the requisite material elements for
sustenance. Unfortunately man, connects his soul too to the unending material
desires and his body to religious rites and rituals. He due to ignorance considers
material wealth to be the ‘be-all and end-all of life’. These wrong connections
cause a short circuit in life, leading to panic and chaos.” He is truly happy when his body is healthy,
mind is vibrant and the soul is focused. He is in balance when the body gets
material objects for its maintenance and growth, mind is filled with virtues
and values and soul is linked to the over soul.
This awareness comes through
Brahm Gyan which bestows ‘Self realization
through God realization’.
He who knows who he is, and knows what he has
to do and does what he has to do is the wisest. Fatherhood of God leads to
Brotherhood of man. When we love him who loves all, we then start loving all
whom He loves. The dictum “Fatherhood of God and Brotherhood
of man ” is understood, accepted and adopted as a way of life. The Ultimate
Reality is revealed.
He now strives for the
accomplishment of four pursuits of human life namely ‘ Dharma, Artha, kama, and Moksha’ as he earns a
livelihood in righteous way and he desires salvation of soul . When soul
matures, he evolves into much more beautiful human being.”
Brahm Gyan acts as the Anti- virus protecting our life
from contamination of impure thoughts. Sewa, Simran and Satsang are the
instruments of spiritual ascent, the key to the treasure house of Eternal
bliss. It creates inner beauty which manifests and fructifies as outer beauty
through healing speech and noble deeds. It serves the purpose of a ‘shock
absorber’ to enable us to lead a stable life amidst all turmoil. It answers all
the so-far unanswered questions which have perturbed us. Who am I? What is the
purpose of my existence? Where have I come from and where shall I go? What is
the true relationship between human beings? How can I experience the state of
eternal bliss?
Realization of the
Infinite Self keeps us calm, sober, tranquil, serene, peaceful and blissful. Having
realized that “It is the Self alone that predominates and not matter” man then remains
true to his title of superior entity, makes his human birth worthwhile as his
soul is freed of the bondage of transmigration.
Satguru Babaji guides
us to know who we are, what we are, and
tells us how we should proceed to know the Truth which is richer than the
worldly wealth. When the spiritual dimension of human life is addressed we
experience happiness which is in fact in our DNA. The paradigm shift of our focus
from the material existence involving striving for success symbolized by power,
position and wealth which are in fact unreal and impermanent to the neglected spiritual dimension ensures
true and eternal peace, happiness. When
you build a house, every brick counts, when you build your life every moment and
effort counts. Let us make the best use
of this rare golden opportunity of human birth to achieve God by leading a life
based on the Master’s words using God Knowledge bestowed by the divine grace of
the master as the “Anandamide ” for everlasting bliss which is our human birthright.
____
Saints - Pilgrims on the path of love
Saints are simple loving souls who take spirituality to common man . We should hold on to their precious words . Their lives are sterling examples of the fact that the secret of happiness in life is ‘spiritual and non- violent living .’
Our Satguru Nirankari Baba Hardev Singh ji Maharaj is a living example of how the spirit of our ancient traditions can be maintained even amidst the changing scenario and the challenges of this modern age. Love that emanates from him has won the hearts of his countless devotees and disciples.
Our Satguru is the ocean of love ; his eyes radiate love ; his words are vibrant with love ; he is in fact the human personification of love .
It is his love that attracts one and all to Sant Nirankari Mission .
Babaji says , “ Love is the magnet – the greatest magnet in the world ”.
Under His august guidance Sant Nirankari Mission is engaged in multifarious social , humanitarian , educational , cultural activities . The primary concern however is to bring a spiritual revolution which transforms ever man into a loving human being – the image of God which he actually .
Babaji by bestowing Brahma Gyan restores our lost and forgotten relationship with our Supreme Father – the Almighty God . We now perceive God in his true form , comprehend that He is ‘ that is ’. This exposure to the ultimate reality wipes away all our delusions. It frees us from bondage of transmigration .
Self realization through God realization is true enlightenment . Through Seva , Simran and Satsang and by adopting the five golden principles of righteous living we are able to lead a honest life through integration of our thoughts , words and deeds.
This perception has brought about a paradigm shift in our attitude, mindset ,outlook and our priorities in life . Today we are able to see the world through the eyes of the True Master . This is the Divine Vision of ‘ Oneness.’
Every Nirankari experiences bliss and is able to lead a contended life by following Babaji’s words in letter and spirit.
We understand that all things that we possess (body , mind and wealth) are not to be regarded as our own . Actually nothing belongs to us. Nothing has been given to us absolutely. They have been given to us only to use . So I must use them wisely and well. We use them well when we share with others.
So let us clasp God to our heart and use our hands in serving others. We need to serve with the clear understanding that – It is not “ I” who is doing . It is “ You ”who is doing this through me .
There can be no true happiness until we have made others happy. Babaji thus says, “ Life gets a meaning when it is lived for others.”
Saints say , “ Every moment is golden – only if we have the eyes to see . Every experience is an experience of bliss only if we have the mind for it. ”
In Spirituality ‘Procrastination is a sin ’.
Let ‘ today’ be the day .
Let ‘now’ be the moment - to renew our relation with our eternal companion ‘ God ’. Our True master wants every one of us to tread on the path of love and be torch bearers of the society of ‘ divinized human beings ’.
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Becoming Visionaries
Babaji’s vision is to make us all visionaries.
A vision is not a dream. A dream is something which comes to you uninvited, though it may have some purpose: to try to awaken you in the conscious state to something you have to do, or to be careful about, or maybe just something in passing. A vision is not a dream. A vision is something to do with waking reality, that sort of ‘dominates'. A vision does not possess you; you possess the vision. And it is internal to you; it is not external to you. We all need to share the vision of the Master , to develop it ourselves. The vision is the welfare of the Mission, the growth of the Mission .– because without the Mission there is no spiritual growth possible outside.
In a vision there must be participation, not merely obedience. It is an intelligent, willing participation, sharing in a vision which must envelop all of us .So, vision must include in itself so many qualities: of kindness, of love, compassion, mercy. Do we have these things, or are we just sitting and preaching? Preaching does not take much effort or soul-power or anything. You can be taught to preach.
All living organisms are provided with what we can call a basic programme, which is the instinct. They are instinct-driven first, before they learn to think. Then they learn to think, and to use all that is necessary to support the thinking process: the sciences, mathematics, semantics, the dictionary.
A vision is purposeful. The purpose never leaves your mind. It is there, insistent. It is there when you are eating, when you are sleeping, when you are waking and, as circumstances get more and more difficult, the vision has to become more and more insistent, dominating, pushing you ahead.
What is truly a vision? A vision does not exclude death; it does not exclude suffering; it does not exclude anything. A vision is all-inclusive. In its purpose, there is everything there from before birth to after death. And what lies after death is the principal concern of the visionary. For us, it is only what we are doing here. What are we doing it for? Not to be happy and healthy and wise, but so that after our years of spiritual sadhana, and of our practice, of our dedication, obedience, we shall eventually go to a state called liberation.
So, we have to do so many things, think of so many things, so that eventually we can escape into a state of not-doing, not-feeling, not-being – a state of being where there is nothing.
So, the way the world is going, there is a need for a visionary who will hold to that delicate thread of the essentials of what constitutes life. Life is something which goes through a series of existences which we call living. Is that life being protected? Or are we only protecting the living? This is a vital distinction also. "I was." Of course I was. Where could I have come from if I had not been? And since I was, and I am here now, there is every hope, every reason to think that I shall be – what? So to protect that – that is life. This is living; - It is to protect and cherish life.
So, this is how a vision grows, and how in its essentiality it is just an atomic, basic atom of a thought. Let us all think more and decide to do more.
Dare to think . To produce the maximum, you must be the minimum. To create the existence, you must be non-existent. There is a need to be simple.
As Babaji said, "Be simple, live simply, think simply." Don't have complicated thoughts. We have to be simple in our existence, undemanding, yet with a vision that is overpowering, which can be the soul of this world, and the soul of the future.
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Prerequisites in Spiritual Pursuit
For aspirants in spirituality , decipherable progress is possible when one either possesses or learns to adopt certain traits which make their climb up the spiritual ladder smooth and steady. We should constantly and consistently work towards perfection.
Babaji has advocated Sewa , Simran and Satsang as indispensable tools in our journey of spirituality towards eternity. The magic trio foster in us the requisite attitude towards God , fellow devotees and towards ourselves . Without them we remain spiritually handicapped . We do not move ahead even an inch though we may dupe ourselves into thinking to be serious aspirants steadfast in devotion.
We can't fulfill our full potential separated from the God who made us, also we need other people in our life. When we discover our desires, discover our passions, discover our gifts, discover what's in holy company , and align with them- then
“ There is paradise on earth ” We thus savor every moment in
our spiritual journey ,advancing towards our True abode – in our journey towards eternity.
There's never one cause of success, and there's never one cause of failure.
The ways to overcome hurdles:
1. Take full responsibility for your life. Sure, put it in the Lord's hands, but you've got to take full responsibility. Take full responsibility for your thoughts, feelings, choices, desires, in life. Never blame. You are what you are, you are who you are, you are where you are, because of choices you've made. Don't go blaming God, don't go blaming the devil, don't go blaming anyone or anything. Take full ownership
2. Work hard. “The soul of the lazy man desires – but he never acts in the desired direction . “ Faith without work is dead, so true faith, true trust in God, actually shows up by you doing hard work.
3. Persevere. Don't quit! Never quit! Just don't be a quitter. Be a finisher. Whatever you start, finish it. The road to ruin is paved with people who never jump the hurdle of perseverance .
4. Never harbor bitterness . Bitterness will always keep you reserved, guarded, emotionally distant in relationships. It defiles your relationships.
5. Develop your core belief system. You need to develop your beliefs about yourself, about what you are doing what you should do.
6. Do with passion; Once you decide on the priorities in life work at them with a passion as if there is no tomorrow.
7. Be a willing learner :You can learn from anything under the sky . Dattatreya had 24 teachers.
8. Develop on you inherent talent. No matter how talented you might be as an artist , musician, dancer etc if you don't develop your gift, you can't realize your full potential.
9. Develop supportive relationships. None of us can make it into our destiny without the help of other people. The sooner we realize that, the better .
10.Develop a devotion and delight in the Lord. Develop deep relationship with God, where you love Him, and delight in Him, and enjoy His presence, and enjoy His word, the word of the True master.
11.Develop a world view. - a world view is the way you look at life. Be expansive and accommodative in your outlook .
12. Have revival mentality . Let positivity flow from every pore of yours.
13. Be generous always and to all.
14.Overcome pride and prejudice. Prejudice can stop us receiving people. Pride is a terrible thing, causes us to judge, find fault, see the worst, and build a wall that stops us from receiving from the messengers of God .
15. Adopt principle of honour or respect. Whatever you disrespect, will move away from you. Whatever you respect, will attract towards you. To respect something means: to look at it, with a view of placing value on something. Everything that God made , however insignificant it may appear to you is of some value. Never judge anything from your standpoint alone. So whatever you place value on will come near to you, whatever you devalue will move away from you. If you devalue a relationship, it will diminish; value a relationship and it will grow.
If you violate these principles, you will find many things that God intended for you will not actually happen, because you've literally frustrated it.
Holy saints are persons that God sends into your life, to help you in your journey to get where you need to get to. Unless you respond to them properly, they cannot do any mighty work for you.
Think about that. Think about over your life, all the people that God may have tried to send into your life to assist you, help you, grow you, shape you, influence you, challenge you, confront you, whatever; and because you didn't respond properly, God's work, or that mighty work through that person, was stopped. So
that means that how you respond to a person can make the difference between whether what God has given them for you is realized ( released ), or whether it is retained, or hindered, or locked up.
God in an extraordinary way brings people into our life, and connects us with people, to help us to get where He wants us to get. He has got a destiny for us. He's got a journey for us to take. There are issues for us to face. There is a personal growth journey we have to take, and for us to do that, God brings into our life the people that can help us get there.
Dishonour and disrespect shuts down the flow of the gift of God into our life from another person.
There are two reasons that people disrespect others
· The first one is familiarity. Familiarity breeds disrespect, and disrespect shuts down the gifts that God has in these people for you. When you become familiar with a person, it's easy to lose respect . We take them for granted . We treated them lightly.
· The second thing is getting offended. We become offended when people don't meet our expectations. We become offended when things don't work out like we expect them to work out, and we can become offended with God very easily.
We must always look towards God and His children with honour ,appreciation and gratitude .People are actually part of God's way of enriching our lives. We can draw from and learn from all .It's all in the attitude. Men particularly need respect . Women need love.
Many marriages are in trouble, really simply for one reason, because of criticism and disrespect; whereas respect would have opened up and allowed the gift to be unlocked like a passage, honour unlocks the gifts that are in people's lives – a very simple principle this, not very hard.
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Our Mission’s endeavor is to produce excellent human beings
with aspiration not ambition as their guiding light. In all the past centuries
that we have seen, there were the few who preached the truth and practised it –
and there were the many who perhaps knew the truth but did not practise it,
where ambition was there, where anxiety to amass more and more was there, where
dishonesty pervaded public life .
Satyam vada [speak the truth] – never done. Dharmam chara [be righteous] – never done. Ideals! You see great rishis who were killed, murdered by kings.
You have seen emperors fighting for more and more territory – selfishness and
pride ruling their lives.
We need to undertake a much longer journey. This is a spiritual
journey which makes demands,
which are sometimes not merely difficult, but which need every ounce of our
inner strength to keep us on the way.
In our endeavor to pursue our goals, purely material goals
of satisfaction, pleasure, dominance, we make use of physical strength,
motivated by the ego, often motivated by desire, whether it is for money or
position or power.
We waste ourselves in the sense that all that
we are doing wastes us. We lose our inner self, we lose our ability to love, we
lose our sense of compassion. We have no more humanity left in us. That is why
there is so much callousness in this world, unconcern, inability to look to
others, look at others, see what they need.
We have not kept our humanity with which we were born, whereas
spirituality says you must become
more and more human, until you are so completely human that the next stage is
what we call divinisation – not to become God, which we cannot, but to become
as close to God as possible, as like God as possible. Because in all
religions we say, “God is love.” He does not love. He
is love. Honey is sweet whether an Indian tastes it, or an African tastes it;
honey tastes the same. Therefore, God’s
love is universal. His love can be felt by anybody – a Christian, a Hindu, a
Buddhist. It does not matter what you are.
When we begin life we
follow what our parents are doing. If they are Christians we are Christians; if
they are Hindus we are Hindus; We do not choose. But when we come to a later
stage, we have to make the choice of whether we stay in religion –or to
transcend religion. We do not
give up religion. We don’t abandon it, because it is the foundation on which we
grew up. Religion is the
kindergarten of spirituality to give children an idea
of God. Religion
is like the foundation of a building which goes in and is buried under soil
and is never seen again, yet it upholds mighty structures like the skyscrapers . Our roots are in it but the tree is above, the branches are
still above, and that is where you have the flowers and the fruit. So if we
stay only with the foundation… It is sometimes a very sorrowful thing.
In the material world, what keeps work in progress is
money. In the spiritual world, it is only love. It is love which brings contentment . Satisfaction
is here in the heart, not here in the head.
We are not just trying to create a spiritual society we are
creating a society of sane people. A sane society which knows that we love with
the heart, we work with the heart. That is why human beings are described by
the heart. He or she is cold hearted. He is lion hearted ,warm hearted,
generous hearted, big hearted, small hearted. When there is love in the heart,
we have wisdom. When it is here in the head, we don’t even have knowledge; we
have only foolishness.
This heart we lost was the greatest tragedy of our lives, which condemned us to being mere animals with two legs. We
put money before happiness; we put power before well-being .
So, we have to live
in tune with nature. If you live an honest life free from desire, you are never
in trouble. The simple things of this earth were created by God: sunlight,
sunshine, air to breathe, water to bathe in. Societies don’t create these
things – societies destroy these things. Living in tune with nature means
living in such a way that everything else has a chance to live, whether it is
an insect or a beast or trees. They have a place in your life. Our attitude is “I am
a part of this creation. I may have an independent existence but without the
whole, I am nothing.”
So, spirituality teaches us
to put our life back into our hearts, which makes us more and more human every day, which gives us more and more
understanding of what love is, what friendship is, what tolerance is, what
compassion is, what mercy is, what sharing is. This head says, “Don’t share..”
This heart says, “Give what you have and you will get.” So the heart is there to give, whether it is love or
anything else. This head is to get, to have. So this mind creates the desire to
have more and more, whether it is material things like money, houses, cars etc.
Whereas this heart gives us ‘being’: how to be good, better, noble, angelic and
ultimately divine.
So this is what spirituality is about.
Choose
the Happy Life – Not the Life of Profit
Bad memories last longer than good memories. So, it is essential to have good memories so that our batteries are kept recharged. Always we think well of the past; of those who were with us in the past; of those who helped us in the past. Life is nothing but a series of events and memories. if I am able to do what I want, what my heart tells me to do, my life is good, pleasant, happy, comfortable. If I am forced to do something which my heart says no but my head may say, “Why not? It’s profitable.” It will only cause sorrow in the long run. If we look around the world today, the most miserable people are the rich people. They have too much: too many houses, too many cars, too many suits of clothes, too many servants, too many companies, too many incomes. Our life should not be like that.
Our life should be filled with happiness with minimum
possessions. There is nothing to worry about. So, choose the happy life and not
the life of profit.
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Spirituality
is - Being and Becoming
What is progress? Many of the spiritual aspirants make a mistake; they think they have to get
something. That is a big mistake. We have to become something. We have to
become as we were originally created at the moment of creation – a soul with
nothing in it. So it is really a process of un-becoming. In our sadhana, through
the practice of Sewa , Simran and
Satsang , we have to throw off all that we have accumulated until we come to
that original state. Until we do that, we have to come back to earth again and
again in the process we call rebirth, not because God sent us here but because
we need more and more time to do this.
We are here to become
what we were . False expectation leads to disappointment. We should not expect gracious behavior from
all fellow devotees .When we have expectations of happiness, of goodness, of
kindness between ourselves, we are condemning ourselves to disappointment. The axiom
is : Expect not for then you will not be disappointed. Don’t expect everyone to
be kind, to be polite, to be good, because in the beginning all are animal
human beings. It takes time and effort to evolve from animal human being, to
human human being, to divinised human being.”
The first lesson is, not to look at others, only at
yourself. Don’t expect from anyone anything, because spirituality is the field
of greatest disappointment, disillusionment.
The problem is we expect everyone to change . Let the change
start with me. Babaji says, “Why do you look at others? Look for change in
yourself.”
So always look into yourself – look into your heart always.
Am I doing what my heart says? Am I listening at all to my heart? Am I smiling
with my heart or only with my face? If I do all these things without the heart,
I am a hypocrite. If you look at today’s human beings in this manner we have to
accept that most of the human beings are hypocrites. Their smile is not
genuine, their words are not true, their actions are false, and their love is
humbug .
The second lesson is : Keep your mouth shut; keep your
heart, eyes and ears open. Babaji says, “When in doubt, refer to the heart.”
This we must practice always. A person may look unkind, you may not like his
looks, but you find he is a good man at heart. Goodness is an inner quality;
wisdom is an inner quality. You cannot look at a person and say who is wise.
You cannot even look and say, who is educated. That is why wise people have
said, “Be silent,” because when you open your mouth you only expose your
ignorance, your falsity, and all that you say are lies.
Human life is the golden opportunity . We are here to grow,
not to get; when we know that all of us together are here, but I am alone, each
one is alone, and it is into my heart I have to look to see whether I am going
in the right way. And the surest way to reach the destination is - Just follow
the master.
We must understand that there is nothing outside ourselves
which can stop us, which can harm us, which can deceive us – nothing at all.
Everything that can do these things is within us – the reason why we must follow the guru, because in no
thought, in no action can we trust ourselves.
Be simple . This is the surest way to happiness . We have to
progressively become simple in our language, simple in our way of life and
simple in our habits. Simplicity means to live in such a way that other people, poor people,
rich people, they will not be afraid of coming to you.
Be in tune with nature – what does it mean? It means ‘ Be like nature ’. When
it rains, it rains. When the sun shines it is wonderful. When it is windy it is
windy – natural. We must be natural. We must show our heart, but we never show
our heart. We hide it. We say. “I love you,” but the heart does not cooperate.
Love is spirituality- the divine love of the
heart. Love means responsibility. We are good human
beings – not because of what we do, but because of what we have become. Let us
pray to Babaji to make us capable of
such unconditional love.
-----
Give Your Whole Heart
The interest in the spiritual journey that you have
undertaken, it is a big step forward, because it is the effort
that matters. In Spirituality we
are judged by our effort, not by what we are able to achieve. Knowing that, in this very difficult path, achievement is
given by Him, not sort of earned by us. It is our effort to which He responds.
Satguru’s only concern is that our growth to as high a level as possible
in our lifetime– and that is not the only thing. The other concern is growth of
more and more persons, in more and more regions , in more and more countries, – because this is something which
is vital.
In our Vedic prayer we have a phrase which says, “Pardon me for all the things which I did which I should
not have done, and pardon me even more for all those things which I should have
done, but I did not do.”
It is a very common experience that when we lose a dear
one, for a few hours perhaps, or for a few days, we torture ourselves with the
thought that had we been a little kinder we could have done so much more. It
happens in the case of everybody. We feel it. Why cannot we, at least with the
next person who deserves this kindness, show it – even freely offer it without
reservation, without prejudice?
To give love, it does not cost anything. But that is the thing which we hold back, lock it up, as
if it is the most sacred and profound and most valuable treasure on earth. Of
course it is, but it is a treasure to be
distributed, not to be kept. And
it is a treasure which, if you had only the courage and the love of humanity to
distribute, you will find it grows. The more you give, the more it grows.
Saints relate their experience that when they start giving
with a generous heart, it comes. We have to experience this to see how
generosity ennobles, how generosity replenishes, how generosity brings more and
more gifts.
This is a funny situation created by modern societies that
you do not love anybody – not even your mother and father; even less, your
husband and your wife. Physical love is all that exists, but that is not love
at all.
God gave us nothing for pleasure. None of the five senses
are to be used for pleasure. The five senses are there to guide us through
life: like a locomotive has a high beam so that it can see what is in front of
it as it goes on pulling a big train behind it; like the brake is there to stop
in a car; the steering wheel is to steer.
We hear of teenagers taking cars out and having accidents
because they play with the steering wheel. It is not meant to be played with.
None of our five senses are there to be played with. They are to be used with
wisdom, with a consciousness that they are instruments given to me for my
well-being, for my progress through life, for my safe conduct, for me to see
what is good and what is bad. And if I misuse them, I might be denied of their
use.
Love is the only thing that is to be given, given and given
– no question of colour, no question of race, no question of language, no
question of sex. This is the message of
the master which we have been hearing time and again ever since we became Nirankaris.
But we merely listen and forget . We
do not think over the message and internalize it . We do not adopt His message in our life. When Our True
Master lives by example , we are paying
deaf ear to his valuable teachings. We are thus cheating ourselves, lying to
ourselves.
Regarding wisdom, it is said , “A fool sees after the act; an intelligent man sees
during the act; a wise man sees before the act.” That is all there is to it. And we should now become wise,
and when we become wise and when we stop these pleasure-outlets from becoming
active and ruining us . Because we are self-centred, we are acquisitive, we are
possessive, we are frightened – when that single thing goes, the heart opens.
No pleasure – open heart. If you look for pleasure, you are only looking for
yourself: ‘me, mine’ all the time. The right approach is ‘ Thee and Thine ’.
In fact if you use
this [head], this [heart] is closed. If you use this [heart], this [head] must
be closed. These are like valves in the body. When one opens, the other must
close, otherwise there is regurgitation; nature has provided such safeguards.
Nature did not know that human beings would be so foolish
that even for love we would require a safeguard. Nature said God is love. We
are people of God; we say we are children of God. Should we not be God-like?
Not that we like God, but we should be God-like. If God is love, should we also
not be love? Does an elephant have a rabbit for a child, or a lion? A rabbit!
Why does God have such children? Can we blame God for it .God did not make us
like this. God is not responsible. God gave us the instruments to guide us
through life, - the five senses. But we have converted them into organs of
pleasure-seeking, achieving pleasure, gloating over our pleasure, and wanting
to repeat those pleasures, again and again and again.
There is a story in the Vedas about two Vedic characters,
Puranic characters: one, who was always giving, the other was a warrior. Now
the Lord was always praising the giver. The other fellow one day got angry with
the Lord and said, “You keep on praising him. It’s no big deal giving away
things. Why don’t you try me?” So, the Lord created three mountains of gold and
said, “Please give this away.” So there he sat, giving away nuggets of gold to
people passing, to passers-by.
A thousand years later, the Lord came and said, “What
happened?” He said, “I have been giving away nugget after nugget to everybody –
a thousand years, and it has not made a dent on these mountains.” So, the Lord
said, “So you cannot do it?” “No, I have told you, it is not possible. It is
not a question of my not doing it; nobody can do it.” So
the Lord smiled and called the other man (the giver), and said, “You sit and
give these mountains away.” Three people came; he called them and said, “One
mountain I give to each of you”, and walked off!
As Babaji says , “Loving is living”.
--------
Towards Infinity
Saints descended on Earth specifically to help human beings to accept the spiritual life, walk on it behind the Master who is always the guide, and try to reach the destination in this lifetime. In this lifetime – this was emphasized again and again by Babaji because we have no surety about the next life. “Even for those who believe in reincarnation, how can they be sure that they will be here on earth again, attain human birth and have the services of a really qualified guru, master, to help them? It's very uncertain. In this life itself we do not know what is going to happen the next moment!
We are all very fortunate indeed to have taken human birth, to have found a guru and, most importantly, to have the spiritual fervor to walk on this path. We have just embarked on the journey and the journey is far from over. It goes on and on. In fact , this spiritual journey is really an infinite journey.
This human birth is also the most difficult life to handle. Here we are caught in a trap – a trap of desire and ego. Worse than this physical intoxication with the pleasures of life, is the ego, because the ego rules us. Ego is the most troublesome and almost impossible barrier to overcome on our spiritual path.
It is the ego which makes a man assert and be assertive. The whole modern education tends to focus on the ego – not on perfection, which is good, but on domination. And we are rewarded for our dominant qualities, which are so bad for others, which only puff up our ego more and more, until we become demons – men with enormous power of the ego but no wisdom, who eventually destroy themselves, but only after they have destroyed others.
Never speak an unkind word. Never! Always be loving. Because it is not you who love, it is His love which flows through your heart. And if you don’t allow it to flow through your heart, you are condemning yourself to a loveless life, a life without love. It is like a river which has no water. What is the use? A dry riverbed is of no use. If you can see the riverbed, then where is the water?
So when there is the ego, there is no love, only so-called total concentration on yourself, self-seeking, self-dominant, powerful, hateful, never able to show your heart to others. Therefore, people say he is a heartless fellow, or she is a heartless person. And a heartless person never goes anywhere. A dry river doesn’t go anywhere; it is the water in the river which goes somewhere – to the ocean.
If love does not flow through our heart from Divinity to everybody on earth, every form of life on earth, it is like a dry riverbed – not going anywhere. So beware of using your ego; beware of flaunting your education or your dominance; beware of being unkind to others, ungenerous to others. Give as much as you can, not merely of material things, but of your heart.
The heart only gives; it never takes. In the river, the water flows from up to down, never backwards. The law says: “Allow love from Him to flow through you to all human beings, animals, plants, trees, insects.” The Christian commandment says, ‘thou shalt not kill’. It actually means thou shalt not anything! Killing doesn’t mean only with a sword or with a gun; killing means with a dominant ego killing the spirit of another human being. Destroying his peace of mind, making him less than human, treating him as less than human, you have killed that person.
Words of wisdom are repeated again and again, because we tend to forget. Listening to the message of great saints we comprehend that there is not only wisdom in their message but also reveals the sense of urgency that they feel for us. Again and again the message says: Human life is an uncertain thing. Don’t waste your time in flippant activities seeking pleasure, comfort. Spend every moment of it in the spiritual way in constant remembrance of the Supreme One .
So our spiritual journey must be like breathing. . When we are born, the baby starts breathing, and it stops only when its life on earth has ended. If at any moment in the middle it stops, you cannot say he is alive. It is like a plane journey; once it takes off it cannot stop in the air anywhere, not even for a briefest moment. Its next stop is at its destination.
So Beware of not loving. It does not mean you love only your wife or your children or your family; it means, without difference love all. Like the river flows – the water is available to the king, to the beggar, to everything in between. Anybody who wants water, takes.
Reality is only in that which is for all. Anything which is only for you or for one or for family, is artificial, not natural. We must live naturally, which means like the fragrance of the flower love must flow to all; it is for all who need it. It is for all, it flows whether people take it or not. It is like the sun which shines. It will shine when there is nobody on earth. It will continue to shine because that is its nature. Similarly, our nature must be to love always.
Love flows without looking for who takes it. When we allow love to flow through us we also become love – no more identity, no more distinction of colour, race, caste, sex, anything. Our concept is we are all one, and by developing the ability to open our hearts until it becomes like a flood, we can progressively grow in some way to be like the Divinity from where everything flows.
This is our journey – from a rock-like heart which you cannot even break open with dynamite, to a tender human heart which allows everything to flow through it, without distinction of not merely race, caste, and sex, but even of the form of life. Your love goes to your cows, your love goes to your garden and they flourish because of love . So this is our destination and with Babaji’s grace let us all reach the cherished destination.
It is not merely knowing the law that matters – it is following the law, it is observing the law, it is obeying the law which really counts. And the first law, the only law of life is: let love flow through you to everybody.
----
BE COMMITTED TO YOURSELF
For me, every day that I awake is a reminder that, by His grace, I am getting one more day to fulfill my obligations to myself. It is a reminder to me that the universe is not worried about me, nor is God worried about me. The person who is worried about me and my progress is my Master. So each morning I wake up I give thanks to my Master, because, had I fulfilled my journey, I don't think I would need to wake up again one morning. It's not necessary. This life is given to us to fulfill our obligation to ourselves. We have come here with a purpose to fulfill, for ourselves.
Our spiritual evolution is never only for ourselves. Your children must evolve with you. Your social circle must evolve with you. You love your children truly if you are not only concerned with their material life but you are much more concerned with their spiritual life and progress.
Are you contributing to the evolution of your friends, of your relatives, of those around you, or are you just wasting time chatting with them, drinking with them and criticizing everything in this world? It is sad that there are some people who do nothing else but throw stones at everything that is good. It is a shameful fact that many of us indulge in such nonsense, criticizing everything, when we should be looking into ourselves and seeing what we are. With such activities we are only digging our own grave. Nobody digs your grave or pushes the button on your spiritual elevator except yourself. The hand that can push the elevator button and take you up to Infinity is the same hand that can dig your grave.
Remember that you are the only karta [doer], you are the only builder of anything that you can build in this life. And what can you build in this life? - Your spiritual future: which is resplendent, which is full of spiritual bliss, in the company of the great saints.
In fact the spiritual life is an adventure. In an adventure you have fun, you have pleasure, you have danger. Here the danger of life is not from tigers and snakes and lions. The danger is from your own evil in your own heart which does not permit you to look at the good in others. Babaji says, "Always look for the good in everything that you see. Don't look for bad. Bad anybody can find. Only those who are evolving can find the good in others."
Our own bitterness, our own ugliness in our heart, it creates badness wherever we look. Nature gives us chance after chance, life after life: Satguru wants us to come to our divine home." When are we going to learn to look at the good in others? When are we going to look and say, "Well, there is a jewel in his heart"?
Why did we come? We came because we have created a future in ourselves in which we had to have this agonizing part of life too. Nothing comes to us except that which we invite because of our grossness, because of our samskaras, because of the evil in us that invites only evil.
Like attracts like – l-i-k-e attracts l-i-k-e – remember. Therefore drunkards have drunkards as friends, thieves have thieves as friends. And evil always find their own company in which they are happy, in which they think they are getting rich. But the riches of today are gone tomorrow because of their evil habits, and then they have to do it again to get more money…. Evil needs wealth, riches, because it is thrown away.
A good man doesn't need much money, if you learn to live by babaji’s teachings ie: be simple and in tune with nature. Simplicity starts with being clean, simple clothes, living in a simple room. After all, when you are living in a house, people come to see you and see how your heart invites them or rejects them. They are not interested in the pictures on the wall and the frumpery and trumpery that you put on display. It is you they come to see and if they don't see you but only see your riches and your gold and silver ornaments, will they go away happy? They won’t come for that. They complain, ‘I didn't see a welcoming smile on his face. I didn't feel welcome, Do I go to eat his samosa and drink tea ? No. I think because, or I thought that because he was very rich he would welcome us, be generous. But the way he looked at me showed that he was not happy." Even though there was food for fifty people, he did not want them. Then why did he put this food on the table? Only those who are hypocrites like himself appreciate it, because they wink at each other and say, "As he is so am I, come on, let us eat." Again, like attracts like.
So beware of like attracting like. Nature supports you in any activity that you choose for yourself. You choose to be a smuggler, people who will help you in that will come to you. It is like the power of a motor or an engine. You yoke it and it runs. It's like a horse-driven carriage. It goes where you want it to go, not where it wants to go. All power, all nature helps. And as the proverb ‘…helps those who help themselves' means, if I am helping myself, then I choose in this universe of universal possibilities things that will advance my evolution and reject everything else that does not contribute to my evolution. It's not a question of good and bad. Remember what Shakespeare said, "Nothing is good or bad but thinking makes it so." If you think it is bad because your mind says it is bad – and your mind says it is bad because your evolution does not need it – but you still accept it, it's your fault, not His fault. Therefore choose wisely.
To get that wisdom you must be afraid of the power of choice. If there was no power of choice, there would be no problem at all. A bullock in a cart has no problem. It has no choice – it goes where its master wants it to go. Now were we like that, yoked to the Master in such a way that we can go only where he wants us to go, there is no problem at all. Where he goes I go. But to be able to say that or even to think it for yourself, you must be so firmly yoked to him that there is no other way.
The freedom of choice is the most dangerous thing for us, because unless you have the wisdom to choose, it helps you to condemn yourself to all the bad things. We can do what we like, but does it contribute to our spiritual evolution? "Who bothers about spiritual evolution? I will take it up when I am forty, when I am sixty." Do you know you will live till you are forty? Who knows? Are we not seeing every day newborn babies die – children of five, six, seven, go through the ages, and they are dying everyday? There is no guarantee of how long we are going to live.
In Satguru’s kningdom there is no promise, but there are guarantees. What is the guarantee? Follow and you will be there. "What have I to do?" Follow. "Whom?" He who is there – your Master. "Follow in what sense?" Obedience. If he says sit – sit. If he says do sewa , do sewa . If he says, "Do it . You do it . You don't argue. Repose total faith in him ." He knows. Obedience, discipline – two things. Obedience means discipline, discipline means obedience. There is not any third factor which can influence our spiritual life.
True discipline is to act in the way that the Master desires.
Only those who attend satsangh are in Babaji’s vision. So, are you committed to yourself? In fact Nirankari Mission does not demand a commitment to your Master, to the system, to attendance – nothing. It says commit yourself to yourself.
Your work shows a sign of evolution because evolution is a total concept. You cannot evolve spiritually and be shoddy in your material life, because the sense of commitment is pervasive. When I am committed to myself, I am committed to my work.
If I am committed to my work, it is resplendent, it shines whatever you are, whether you are a carpenter or a shoemaker or a governor. No humbug, no cheating. Without this commitment to yourself you are nothing in any field. With this commitment to yourself, you can become everything in every field, which is what divinity is supposed to be.
God is not committed to anything. Lord Krishna says in the Gita, "I have no duty to perform, nor does the effect of anything that I do reflect on myself." I have no duties; my performance does not leave anything on me – no grossness. That is the divine field of activity in which you do and you do not do, or you do nothing but you are doing everything. You love and they can perceive
Beware of not being yourself inside as you are outside. Beware of being polite when you are not having polite thoughts in your heart. Beware of appearing friendly when you have enmity in your heart. It is good to be anything if you are inside and outside the same. Try not to be a thief, a deceiver to yourself.Be simple and in tune with nature. You must be the same inside as you pretend to be outside. Or, to put it in a more spiritual way, your inside and your outside must be perfectly the same. We must not pretend. ‘Pretend' means I am showing outside something which I am not inside myself. Avoid that hypocrisy, totally negate it. Don't be afraid of showing your true self. Because after all that is what you are. Then somebody can help you. Otherwise, nobody will help you.
Death awaits those whose hypocrisy denies help to them. Remember that. Be simple, be simple – very simple to say it. Are you simple in word, in thought, in action? Nirankari philosophy is simple but it requires courage to be simple. It requires courage to be able to say what you have in your heart.
It is the humbleness of those who know that whatever they are… good, but it's not enough. They have to move on, and to move on, here is the path, here is the Master. If you follow him, you will go to your destination.
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The Three
Essentials
The three “Sats” or Essential Eternal Truths
1) Sat
Guru (True Teacher),
2) Sat Anurag (True Love),
and
3) Sat-sang (True Association).
(A)
Satguru
The true
path for the soul’s return to its original source, ie the right path to
emancipation can be revealed by a Satguru alone who is the deh-swarup of
Nirankar.. He functions in this world as the representative of the Supreme
Being and possesses all His attributes — love, bliss, light, energy, truth and
spirit.
The sole
purpose of the incarnation of Supreme Being as Satguru is to redeem the jivas
from the cycle of chaurasi, to reveal to them the efficacy of Sewa, Simran and
Satsang and to engender into them the true and sincere love for the Supreme
Being. The Satguru makes devotees realize this truth during the course of his
spiritual contemplation. The role of the Satguru is like that of a transformer.
He receives spiritual currents from the Supreme Being, harnesses them and then
charges the devotees with as much love and spiritual bliss as he deems fit. The
jivas engrossed in worldly activities can try to attain salvation through the
grace and mercy of the Satguru. Satguru does not exhibit spiritual powers to
the world yet he attracts the jivas by removing the covers of coarse matter
from their spirit, thus awakening their inner self. He generates true love and
devotion in their heart and enables them to lead fruitful life. The jivas can
combat the evil forces of kam (passion), krodh (anger), lobh (greed), moh
(attachment) and ahankar (ego), and come out of the clutches of kal and maya
only through the grace of the Satguru. They will then be qualified to efface
the evil effects of karma and get on the real road to redemption.
In a
nutshell, Satguru is love, light, truth and the true Supreme Being. He relieves
the restless souls from worldly pangs and grants them eternal solace and
relief. He leads them from darkness to light, from ignorance to knowledge and
from death to immortality. It is imperative to search out for such a guru and
worship him. A guru of the time is the real friend, philosopher and guide, a
true benefactor and protector who looks after their spiritual and mundane
interests. By his discourses, he removes the devotees’ doubts and difficulties.
He alone can charge them with pure spiritual love and issue instruction
regarding the practice of true living. Satguru is ever present in the world. In case
the guru departs from the world, he nominates his successor and enjoins upon
devotees to have the same veneration for his successor. The departed guru
emanates his spiritual currents in the present guru or virtually comes to exist
in his successor’s form. Both forms become one in spirit. The guru in the past
form can not inspire the same zeal and enthusiasm in the heart of devotee as
the guru in the present form.
Salvation
is attainable only in human life. The
jivas are so engrossed in the world and its objects that they can hardly
recognize the Satguru. Such a devotee as pines to meet the Satguru can alone
get an opportunity to come to his satsang. At the very first sight some of the
devotees recognize the true Master and begin loving him intensely. Such
devotees then become worthy of his grace. Indeed, those who come in contact
with such a devotee are also enlightened. His love for the Master rests upon a
rock-like foundation of faith.
Devotees
should serve the Satguru with body, mind
and soul. However, a total surrender to the Master is the ideal which in turn
generates true love for the Supreme Being. Those who practice this mode of
devotional faith, may find a unique inner transformation ,may one day succeed
in reaching the ultimate destination.
(B) Sat
Anurag
Sat
Anurag is the sincere love or a strong
fervent desire and perseverance to approach the Supreme Being. Such a desire,
should outweigh all worldly desires and it gradually raises the fortunate
possessor of this lofty passion to the highest region. Satguru who glorifies
the cult of love, says that knowledge without love for the Supreme Being is
futile and tends towards untruth and darkness or materialism, while love turns
everything to good use and leads to enlightenment and truth. He considers the
noble passion of love as the most powerful means for removing obstacles and
discarding superstitions and doubts. Pure love, says he, invites the light of
grace as it forms a link with the Supreme Being. He elucidates this by saying
that sincere love is reciprocal and that the Supreme Being takes special care
of such a devotee and draws him gradually towards Himself. Such persons whose
hearts are imbued with worldly love and passion, recede from this centre and
fly away towards darkness and untruth. Selfish love brings on egotism and pride
and sows the seed of hatred, jealousy and disregard in the mind. On the other
hand pure and sacred love for the Supreme Being creates humility, meekness and
an affectionate regard for neighbors and humanity in general. He further says
that whereas self-love will never part with anything except for the sake of its
own aggrandizement and indulgence in sensual pleasures, holy love is always
ready to sacrifice anything to gain admission into the presence of the Supreme
Being.
According
to our True Master His Holiness Hardev Singh ji Maharaj , love is the basis of
creation and the cause of its sustenance and preservation. For every wave of
love, in the devotee’s heart brings goodness and joy from the Supreme Being and
every thought springing from such a heart is a harbinger of good work and good
service. He asserts that true love knows no bounds and like its source, it is
extensive and far-reaching in its beneficial results. The effect of true love
is sublime and all good qualities and goodness gradually find their home in the
heart in which it dwells. It ultimately takes one to the highest region of
spiritual love and so a devotee should first establish contact with eternal
spiritual love, the Satguru, the only means to salvation.
(C) Satsang
By Satsang
Babaji means the company of holy Saints- His representatives — congregational
prayer, listening to Satguru’s discourses and contemplating to enjoy eternal
bliss of Satguru’s darshan. In satsang devotees join together in the
performance of such acts of faith and charity as are inspired by love and
desire to approach the Supreme Being.
The
advantages of satsang are numerous. It sanctifies a devotee, quenches his
thirst, clears his doubts and elevates him to higher regions. Babaji holds that true satsang helps in effacing the
evil effects of jivas’ karma and worldly attachments and maya are easily thrown
aside giving enormous spiritual benefits to devotees. Babaji has asserted that
a sense of complete detachment from the world and its transitory objects will
definitely grow through satsang and the devotee will feel intensely inspired by
spontaneous love and devotion for the Supreme Being. He further says that since
all spirit entities emanated from one single supreme spiritual source, people
of all caste, colors and creeds can attain satsang and derive spiritual solace
and relief. By attending Satsang devotees develop unshakable faith in it and
act truly in conformity with its beliefs and practices.
.................................................... 
What does it take to begin a relationship with God? Wait for lightning to strike? Devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? Become a better person so that God will accept you? NONE of these.
God created you. Not only that, he loves you so much that he wants you to know him now and spend eternity with him. Everyone who believes in Satguru (who brings meaning and purpose to life) will not perish but have eternal life.
This separation, this distance from God is because of our sin. Our passive indifference toward God and his ways is the sin. We deserve to pay for our own sin. The result of sin in our lives is death -- spiritual separation from God . The problem is, the payment is death. So that we would not have to die separated from God, we may try to get close to God through our own effort, we inevitably fail.
We may try to do good things in life, or earn God's acceptance through a good life or a moral philosophy. But our good efforts are insufficient to cover up our sin. Through him ( satguru) we can know and experience God's love and plan for our life.
The scriptures state that True Master is "the image of the invisible God. " He is the way, the truth and the life; no one can come know the Almighty except through him.
We accept The True Master by faith. And you can't take credit for this; it ( this faith )is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it .
"If anyone thirsts for God, let him come to Satguru and drink. Whoever believes in him. out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.
Choice is ours Whether we opt for a Self directed life or life directed by satguru(True Master) . Let us make the right choice as Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law does he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper.
***
Four prerequisites or qualities for a seeker
after Self-knowledge are:
1.
Discrimination—viveka—between
the real and the unreal
2.
Renunciation—vairagya—of
the unreal
3.
Six Virtues/Treasures—shatsampatti—of
self-control
4.
Longing for liberation—mumukshuta
(A) Discrimination.
(B)Renunciation:
(C) Six Virtues/Treasures
of Self-Control:
(b) Dama:
control of the senses;
(c) Uparati: equanimity of
mind;
(d) Titiksha: forbearance;
(e) Samadhana, concentrating
the mind on Truth; and (f) Sraddha: active faith in the teacher and
scriptures.
(D) Longing for
Liberation:
The student must have
intense longing for the liberating truth. The following story illustrates this
point well:
A
student approaches a teacher and declares, “I desire to learn from you.” The
teacher responds, “Very well, follow me.” The teacher leads the student to the
ocean and motions for him to follow into the water. When they are about chest
deep in the water, the teacher grabs the student and forces his head
underwater. At first, the student is calm, thinking, “This is just part of some
test. He will let me up in moment and I will impress him.” After a minute
passes, the student begins to worry and struggles. Soon, he is desperately
trying to surface and becomes frantic. The teacher holds the student under the
water to the point where the struggling ceases and the student almost passes
out. Upon releasing him, the student angrily gasping for air shouts, “Are you
crazy? You almost drowned me!”
The
teacher looks calmly into his eyes and says, “When you desire to learn from me
as much as you desired to get a breath, then return, and I will teach you.”
When
the desire for liberation is as intense as the desire of the drowning person
gasping for breath, then the student is ripe to go to a teacher for initiation
into the mysteries of the Self!
Thus,
these four qualities prepare the seeker adequately to embark upon the august
journey of self-knowledge or self-realization. It is important to note that
each earlier quality becomes the cause of the subsequent one: When there is
proper discrimination between things real and unreal, there develops a
dispassion for the unreal; dispassion helps in developing the six virtues; and
dispassion, supported by these six virtues, finally leads to longing for
liberation.
One who has developed these four-fold prerequisites
seeks the qualified spiritual teacher—a guru.
In Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna enjoins
Arjuna to seek out the wise ones (tattva-darshinah) and reverently learn the
Truth from them: "Learn the Truth by humble submission, by inquiry, and
by service to the knowers of Truth. Those wise men, the Seers of Truth, will
teach you that Knowledge." (4:34)
While
studying under a spiritual mentor, the qualified student practices a three-fold
learning discipline, starting with proper listening (sravana), supported by
reflection (manana) and contemplation (nididhyasana). This process leads the
student to the experience (anubhuti) of Self-Knowledge in due course of time.
Sri Shakaracharya
captures the alchemy of the entire Vedantic path in the following hymn (9) of
BhajaGovindamStotra:
“Through the company
of the good, there arises non-attachment;
Through
non-attachment, there arises freedom from delusion;
Through freedom from
delusion, one realizes the Immutable Reality;
Experiencing the
Immutable Reality, one attains liberation-in-life. ”
-----
Lord Dattatreya And His Twenty-Four Gurus 
Dattatreya
said that the Atman alone was his Guru, and yet, he had learned wisdom from
twenty-four individuals and that they were, therefore, his Gurus.
“The names of my twenty-four teachers are: 1.
Earth, 2. Water, 3. Air, 4. Fire, 5. Sky, 6. Moon, 7. Sun, 8. Pigeon, 9.
Python, 10. Ocean, 11. Moth, 12. Bee, 13. Honey-gatherer, 14. Elephant, 15.
Deer, 16. Fish, 17. Dancing-girl Pingala, 18. Raven, 19. Child, 20. Maiden, 21.
Serpent, 22. An arrow-maker, 23. Spider and 24. Beetle.”
1. I
learnt patience and doing good to others from the EARTH, for it endures
every injury man commits on its surface, and yet it does him good by producing
crops, trees, etc.
2. From WATER I have learnt the
quality of purity. Just as the pure water cleanses others, so also the sage,
who is pure and free from selfishness, lust, egoism, anger, greed, etc.,
purifies all those who come in contact with him.
3. The AIR is always moving through
various objects, but it never gets attached to anyone of them; so I have learnt
from the air to be without attachment, though I move with many people in this
world.
4. Just
as FIRE burns
bright, so also the sage should be glowing with the splendor of his knowledge
and Tapas.
5. The
air, the stars, the clouds, etc., are all contained in the SKY, but the sky does
not come in contact with any of them.
I have
learnt from the sky that the Atman or the Soul is all-pervading, and yet it has
no contact with any object.
6. The MOON is in itself always complete, but appears to decrease or increase on account of the varying shadow of the earth upon the moon. I have learnt from this that the Atman is always perfect and changeless, and that it is only the Upadhis or limiting adjuncts that cast shadows upon it.
6. The MOON is in itself always complete, but appears to decrease or increase on account of the varying shadow of the earth upon the moon. I have learnt from this that the Atman is always perfect and changeless, and that it is only the Upadhis or limiting adjuncts that cast shadows upon it.
7. Just
as the SUN,
reflected in various pots of water, appears as so many different reflections,
so also Brahman appears different because of the Upadhis (bodies) caused by the
reflection through the mind. This is the lesson I learnt from the sun.
8. I
once saw a pair of PIGEONS with their young birds. A fowler spread a net and caught the
young birds. The mother pigeon was very much attached to her children. She did
not care to live, so she fell into the net and was caught. The male pigeon was
attached to the female pigeon, so he also fell into the net and was caught.
From this I learnt that attachment is the cause of bondage.
9. The PYTHON does not move about
for its food. It remains contented with whatever it gets and lies in one place.
From this I learnt to be unmindful of food and to be contented with whatever I
get to eat (Ajagara Vritti).
10. Just
as the OCEAN
remains unmoved even though hundreds of rivers fall into it, so also the wise
man should remain unmoved among all sorts of temptations, difficulties and
troubles. This is the lesson I learnt from the ocean.
11. Just
as the MOTH,
being enamored of the brilliance of the fire, falls into it and is burnt up, so
also, a passionate man who falls in love with a beautiful girl comes to grief.
To control the sense of sight and to fix the mind on the Self, is the lesson I
learnt from the moth.
12. Just
as the BLACK BEE
sucks the honey from different flowers and does not suck it only from one
flower, so also I take only a little food from one house and a little from
another house and thus appease my hunger (Madhukari Bhiksha or Madhukari
Vritti). I am not a burden on the householder.
13. Bees
collect honey with great trouble, but a HONEY-GATHERER comes and takes the honey easily. Even so, people hoard up
wealth and other things with great difficulty, but they have to leave them all
at once and depart when the Lord of Death takes hold of them. From this I have
learnt the lesson that it is useless to hoard things.
14. The
male ELEPHANT,
blinded by lust, falls into a pit covered over with grass, even at the sight of
a paper-made female elephant. It gets caught, enchained and tortured by the
goad. Even so, passionate men fall in the traps of women and come to grief.
Therefore, one should destroy lust. This is the lesson I have learnt from the
elephant.
15. The DEER is enticed and
trapped by the hunter through its love of music. Even so, a man is attracted by
the music of women of loose character and brought to destruction. One should
never listen to lewd songs. This is the lesson I learnt from the deer.
16. Just
as a FISH that is
covetous of food falls an easy victim to the bait, so also, the man who is
greedy of food, who allows his sense of taste to overpower him, loses his
independence and easily gets ruined. The greed for food must therefore be
destroyed. It is the lesson that I have learnt from the fish.
17.
There was a DANCING GIRL named Pingala in the town of Videha. She was tired of looking
for customers one night. She became hopeless. Then she was contented with what
she had, and then had sound sleep. I have learnt from that fallen woman the
lesson that the abandonment of hope leads to contentment.
18. A RAVEN picked up a piece
of flesh. It was pursued and beaten by other birds. It dropped the piece of
flesh and attained peace and rest. From this I have learnt the lesson that a
man in the world undergoes all sorts of troubles and miseries when he runs
after sensual pleasures, and that he becomes as happy as the bird when he
abandons the sensual pleasures.
19. The CHILD who sucks milk is
free from all cares, worries and anxieties, and is always cheerful. I have
learnt the virtue of cheerfulness from the child.
20. The
parents of a MAIDEN had gone in search of a proper bridegroom for her. The girl was
alone in the house. During the absence of the parents, a party of people came
to the house to see her on a similar object in reference to an offer of
marriage. She received the party herself. She went inside to husk the paddy.
While she was husking, the glass bangles on both hands made tremendous jingling
noise. The wise girl reflected thus: “The party will detect, by the noise of
the bangles, that I am husking the paddy myself, and that my family is too poor
to engage others to get the work done. Let me break all my bangles except two
on each hand”. Accordingly, she broke all the bangles except two on each hand.
Even these two bangles created much noise. She broke one more bangle of each
hand. There was no further noise though she continued husking. I have learnt
from the girl’s experience the following: Living among many would create
discord, disturbance, dispute and quarrel. Even among two, there might be
unnecessary words or strife. The ascetic or the Sannyasin should remain alone
in solitude.
21. A SERPENT does not build its
hole. It dwells in the holes dug out by others. Even so, an ascetic or a
Sannyasin should not build a home for himself. He should live in the caves and
temples built by others. This is the lesson that I have learnt from the snake.
22. The
mind of an ARROW MAKER was once wholly engrossed in sharpening and straightening an
arrow. While he was thus engaged, a king passed before his shop with his whole
retinue. After some time, a man came to the artisan and asked him whether the
king passed by his shop. The artisan replied that he did not notice anything.
The fact is that the artisan’s mind was solely absorbed in his work and he did
not know what was passing before his shop. I have learnt from the artisan the
quality of intense concentration of mind.
23. The SPIDER pours
out of its mouth long threads and weaves them into cobwebs. It gets itself
entangled in the net of its own making. Even so, man makes a net of his own
ideas and gets entangled in it. The wise man should therefore abandon all
worldly thoughts and think of Brahman only. This is the lesson I have learnt
from the spider.
24. The
Bhringi or the BEETLE catches hold of a worm, puts it in its nest, and gives it a
sting, the poor worm, always fearing the return of the beetle and sting, and
thinking constantly of the beetle, becomes a beetle itself. Whatever form a man
constantly thinks of, he attains in course of time that form. As a man thinks,
so he becomes. I have learnt from the beetle and the worm to turn myself into
Atman by contemplating constantly on It and thus to give up all attachment to
the body and attain Moksha or liberation.
Dattatreya
was absolutely free from intolerance or prejudice of any kind. He learnt wisdom
from whatever source it came. All seekers after Wisdom should follow the
example of Dattatreya.
“ It is very easy to
carve out God out of a stone . But it is extremely difficult to ‘ carve out ’a
human out of a man. ” - Baba
Hardev Singh ji Maharaj .
To humanize man ,
being introduced to spirituality at an early age is essential . Markhandeya , Prahalad ,
Nachiketa and Bhaktha Dhruva who made spirituality their way of life since early age have
become immortal .
Nirankari Baba
Hardev Singh ji maharaj lays stress on Spirituality as the need of the hour for youth to build
character and live as global citizens.
“We cannot always build the future for the
youth ; but we can build our youth for the
future.” - Franklin
D Roosevelt.
“ Youth is the joy, the little
bird that has broken out of the eggs and is eagerly waiting to spread out its
wings in the open sky of freedom and hope.”
Positive youth
development involves the art of mindful living.
More than 1.5 billion of the
world's people are between the ages of 10 and 25,
youth , having great creative energy with the positive potential to take them
to spiritual heights. They are the powerhouse and storehouse of infinite
energy. . All we need is to direct the energy of our youth in constructive
channels that lead to development and progress. The creative potential of the
younger generation coupled with their zeal, enthusiasm, energy and versatility
can work wonders for the country. We need to empower our youth so that they can
make a better tomorrow.
If human
creativity is a special quality, then the “Never say die!” spirit is its apex.
The Mission is doing yeoman service for fostering
‘spiritual
pursuit’ in youth.: to give a noble
reason to live, a lofty ideal to live for and a higher state to reach within
the boundaries of human existence through sacrifice and ‘seva,’ selfless
service ; to cultivate and nurture the
ability to ‘feel’ with stress on the most influential P’s : Purity,
Patience and Perseverance. The P’s are the great traits that the youth of today
are rich in and this is evident from their keenness to be part of positive
change that will have impact on entire society.
Mankind
has changed the whole face of the planet in the pursuit of happiness, yet as a
race, we’re no happier than we
were hundreds of years ago. The reason being - we expect outward change – want change outside. What is
needed is internal change. That is what
our Sant Nirankari Mission strives for.
Inner engineering helps to broaden their horizons It inculcates
stability and strength , Integrity, Authenticity, Responsibility and an
enriching life with enormous maturity and a very broad way of looking at
life.
The mission lays
emphasis on youth participation making them partners in progress as “If you tell me I will forget . If you show me I will not
remember . if you involve me I will understand. and do. ”
It taps the youth's energy, passion, and
commitment ; its acute perception and immense capabilities.. It makes Gandhiji’s clarion call – “ Be the change you
want to see in the society. ” a reality.
The Mission which develops
Visionary humanitarianism by imparting God Knowledge, does not need the youth
, but the youth needs the Mission .
God knowledge- makes
us see God in human beings . to act with
kindness , compassions ,mercy moving them towards realizing the ultimate potential within through
sewa, simran and satsang.
God’s grace is the
only means of crossing the worldly ocean of suffering .The law of Karma or the Law of Harvest is
directly related to our life. Thus any
action we perform and its cause and effect that governs our life is karma. Youth , thus , awakened achieve the state of “fearless of fear” and “not
worrying about worry”. learn the art of
living life blissfully by emulating Lord
Rama who attained God knowledge at the
age of 16 yrs. Baba Sajjan singh lived a short span of live as an enlightened and inspiring saint. Baba Hardev Singh ji Maharaj piloted the First
Youth conference which emphasised on sewa, anti dowry , creating awareness against Intoxicants
making clear that the Mission strives for spiritual wellbeing and works with a
social commitment.
The Mission reiterates that the real discipline is to bring love and joy into
whatever you are doing. It teaches the youth
to ‘ Act consciously’ . What ever
you do , do it consciously. Do it with awareness no matter if you are walking ,
talking taking a bath.
Learn to be in the present and not to be lost in the past or caught up in the future as it is the action
of today that will create your destiny tomorrow.
As Pujya Mataji
says “ There is a little difference
between the people that makes a big difference
. The little difference is attitude and the big difference is whether it is positive or negative. ” If our thoughts
and attitudes are negative , a negative
system gets created. Then the negative system
takes control of our life. The negative system
thus develops its own survival mechanisms and we become slave of that system .
The art of wise living is to dominate such a negative system in our lives .
The Mission provides youth the much needed inspiration , an opportunity to lead . healthier lifestyles, improve their
relationships, seek higher level of self-fulfillment, and realize their full
potential under the guidance our True Master His Holiness Baba Hardev Sing ji
Maharaj, whose dedication, compassion, and spirit serve as an example of an
inspired humanity for optimal health and vitality, enhanced mental calm and
clarity, and instill a deep sense of joy .
Dr. Kalam ,former President of
India , inspires the youth to serve
their family, their community, their nation, and humanity as a whole by working
hard in their education and career goals while making sure to selflessly give
back to society. Nirankari Youth
are no longer narrow and individualistic. They are becoming very inclusive ; cultivate
a certain openness about life having no conclusions about anything. With
absolute openness they look at every aspect of life without prejudice, without
any religious, or any other kind of
inclinations. Live with an awareness of
the oneness in the universe with positive
behaviors, feelings and relationships exhibiting good
views ,. good thoughts ,speech , and
lifestyle.
‘Youth is like a fire It creeps forward - A Spark at first
Growing into a flame Then brightening into a Blaze’.
“I am convinced that the youth power, if
properly directed and led, could bring about the transformational changes in
humanity for its progress, meeting its challenge and bring peace and
prosperity,” Dr. Kalam stated.
“The stronger the
spiritual wealth, the stronger will become all the other forms of wealth,” said
Dr. Kalam, “Spirituality will keep the human lives happy and peaceful.”
Spirituality enhances intuitive power and positive energy thereby
enhancing hit rate of decisions taken.
Keys to spiritual health which are universal :
· Forgiveness. Forgiving
means to take back your personal power. Forgiving means to accept and learn
from a situation. Forgiving means that you can change and grow to become a
better person.
· Acceptance Acceptance is the understanding that
we are not perfect, with a room for improvement.
· Responsibility means
that each person takes on responsibility for their choices. including inner thoughts
and emotions.
· The key ingredient called Love
: Love as Thought is Truth. Love as
Action is Right Conduct. .Love as
Understanding is Peace. Love as Feeling is Non-violence.
It implies striking harmony with the environment (without.) and striking harmony within. If every one of us can really make human empathy as the goal of life, self-realization and self-knowledge will definitely follow. The more I can give love, the more I receive love. The more I can give love, the more I receive love.
It implies striking harmony with the environment (without.) and striking harmony within. If every one of us can really make human empathy as the goal of life, self-realization and self-knowledge will definitely follow. The more I can give love, the more I receive love. The more I can give love, the more I receive love.
· Valuing life more than money and
power and status.
· Judgment between positive
behaviors and actions versus negative ones
· Stewardship to Earth, Air, Land,
Fire, Plants, and Animals
· Acknowledgement of a higher power
then one’s self
· Understanding the difference
between personal wants and community needs
· Continual observation, education,
and learning
· Honoring the balance of creation
and walking in harmony with it
· Honest communication from the
heart with everything
· To have purpose . Transmuting
"man" into "God" and experiencing that Bliss is the one and only achievement for
which life is to be devoted.
· To have the bond of connections,
including those to a higher power (typically God), people and nature.
· To have a foundation of
well-being, including joy and fulfillment, energy and peace
· To have conviction that God is for those, who are not for
themselves.
· To have self-confidence
· To have an impetus for virtue; for
example, having motivation to do the right thing and tell the truth
·
.
Getting rid of feeling hurt, guilt, anger or pain. These are the keys to mental, emotional and physical well
being.
.
“Our lives become beautiful not because we are perfect. Our lives become
beautiful because we put our heart into
what we are doing.”
.....................
SANT NIRANKARI MISSION : The Mission of Universal Brotherhood
Sant Nirankari Mission is an
all-embracing spiritual movement, dedicated to peace, love and human
fraternity. Through spiritual awakening, the Mission seeks to overcome the
barriers that have increasingly separated human beings from each other. The central
premise of the Mission is that such an awakening is possible, in the company of
a 'Guru', or spiritual Guide, who is personally living in a state of
enlightenment.
Having high regard for all religions and
spiritual movements, the Mission is founded on the belief that 'True Religion
Unites, Never Divides'. These are the words of Nirankari Baba Hardev Singh Ji,
the
fountain-head of spiritual knowledge and
leader of the Mission today. Baba Ji does not seek to remove individuality, or
create uniformity. Rather, he promotes and celebrates unity in diversity.
The Mission, which has its International
headquarters in New Delhi, continues to bring together people of all cultures,
different social groups and denominations.
A Brief History of the
Mission:
The Mission made its beginnings in 1929
in Peshawar (Now in Pakistan), when Baba Buta Singh Ji raised the voice of
Truth, inspiring a small network of individuals whilst on his travels.
Accompanied by his most devoted disciple, Baba Avtar Singh Ji, he worked
virtuously and laboriously day and night not only to share his message amongst
mankind, but to improve their quality of life. In 1943 the responsibility for carrying
the Mission forward was passed on to Baba Avtar Singh Ji. His teachings, which
had such an awe-inspiring impact upon devotees, were compiled during his
life-time in the form of a religious writing,
namely the Sampuran Avtar Bani. The
writings were in prose, which crystallized the very essence of righteous living
on earth in a simple, yet very moving language.
In 1962, Baba Avtar Singh Ji took the
remarkable decision to proclaim Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji as the manifest
Spiritual Master and revved himself to the life of discipleship. Baba Gurbachan
Singh Ji, who had
already endeared himself as a devoted
missionary, carried the teachings abroad for the first time, establishing
followings in almost every continent of the world. He prioritized a social
welfare agenda, and set-up the 'Sewadal', the Mission's Voluntary Corps, to
perform all manner of community support duties, relief work and charitable
activities. Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji's contribution to the noble cause was beyond
measure.
Baba Hardev Singh Ji is the current
Spiritual Head of the Mission which has a global presence with over 2000
Centers (Satsang Bhawans) and a following which run into many millions. The
Centers are used to propagate Peaceful Co-existence, Universality,
Inter-religious Harmony and Equality through Charitable initiatives, Social and
Community work and Volunteering.
Baba Ji spends most of his time on tour,
meeting people from all walks of life. He is equally in touch with people at
the grass roots, as he is with those from higher echelons of society. No
individual is made to feel
unattended by His Holiness. He serves as
a medium between the down trodden and the high profile leaders such as
administrators, politicians and academics to promulgate humane living.
Baba Ji presides over Meetings, which
are large gatherings, to impart his messages of love and brotherhood. The
attendees also participate actively in the form of Speeches, Poetry, Hymns, and
Songs which are conducive to a convivial and liberating atmosphere. Such
gatherings are held in various different locations throughout the Globe,
creating a unique unity in diversity. People from local counties, states,
countries and continents assemble to celebrate, in their millions, a righteous
way of life - A life, as prescribed by His Holiness, which is above the
divisions of class, race and religion.
An audience with Baba Ji creates a calm,
composed and collected atmosphere, where people sit in sacred silence awaiting
his instructive words of wisdom, in a language that is beyond mere words.
Ironically,
people understand exactly what is being
said without having the benefit of the spoken language. Why?
Because it
is the language of love that Baba Ji speaks.
Gender Equality:
The Mission promotes gender equality,
which is clearly illustrated by the presence of his mother and spouse sitting
at his side whenever he presides over his Meetings. Equality between all people
of all backgrounds is practiced. Women are particularly empowered through
initiatives of the Mission. They are encouraged to be actively involved in
public speaking and advocacy to improve their ability and standing
in society. Such a platform is provided
by the Mission through the partaking of traditional meetings, in hymns and
public addresses. As a result of such initiatives, many CD's, cassettes and
Digital recordings
have been to their credit.
Youth Empowerment:
This commences at a tender age whereby
the young are taught the eternal values of respect, honour, dignity and
tolerance, which naturally flow towards a solid foundation of decent
citizenship. The Mission runs innumerable youth projects, which not only cater
for their physical but mental needs also.
Young children have partaken in fund
raising activities for numerous charities. Teenagers have been actively
involved in lending a helping hand at various soup kitchens, and also with
various charitable organizations such as Help The Aged and the Salvation Army
to name a few. Such projects inspire children to express themselves, hold their
own and be positively active in society. The Mission's philosophy is enacted
through sports and theatrical activities, to make learning as enjoyable as
possible.
In line with the United Nations
Millennium Development goals, the mission has already started to provide education
provisions for those who would otherwise have no access to any learning
whatsoever.
Primary, Secondary and Tertiary schools
and colleges have already been inaugurated, producing commendable results.
There are numerous other projects in the
pipeline to further the cause of bringing education to the masses in
particularly by those who are excluded and needy. The latest of such
initiatives is the one teacher
schools established in the remote and
mountainous regions of India who are completely cut off from mainstream life.
In later years of youth the Mission
guides the youth by involving them in empowerment courses which direct them
through their respective careers, being held across the Globe. Recently these
events have been held in India which have been widely reported. Over hundreds
of students attended to seek Counsel, in which Baba Ji gave his Blessings.
Promotions of Arts, Culture and Dance .
The importance of the Arts and Culture
is also recognized and encouraged by the mission, for no religious meeting or
congregation is complete without the involvement of musical accompaniment.
Musical
instruments old and new are taught and
utilized to enhance and keep alive the ancient traditions.
Simple Marriages:
For social cohesion and equality,
marriages have also been made simple and dowry-free, both in India and abroad.
The impact of such reforms has lessened many a burden on the less fortunate in
particular. So much so that integration of diverse communities has not only
been made possible but is seen to be practiced. The die-hard differences which
hitherto existed have been gracefully erased by His Holiness Baba Ji.
Conferences and Seminars His Holiness
Baba Ji has been at the forefront of promoting conferences which promote mutual
understanding between different faiths to bring about peace in the World. This
has included Seminars on peaceful co-existence and universalism, Prosperity
with Humanity and International Fraternity.
South Asia Inter Faith Harmony Conclave In
April of 2007 His Holiness Baba Ji took part in the South Asia Inter Faith
Harmony Conclave which was inaugurated by Prime Minister of India, Shri
Manmohan Singh. There were a number of distinguished leaders of World faiths
present on this occasion to discuss the role of spirituality in promoting
Universal Human Values.
In this conference Baba Ji commented on
how, "There was only one religion and that was the religion of humanity."
He suggested that, the message of every Spiritual Master, Guru and Prophet was
universal
and meant for everyone and this should
to be preached by all. As True Religion unites and never divides, every
religion should endeavor to unite man with man, removing the distances,
dismantling the walls that
divide humanity. He commented on how
this was the expectation of world religions today .
If Religion is found to be erecting
walls to divide mankind, then it would be considered as a great paradox and a
serious self-contradiction. Baba ji advised that we should be peace makers and
not peace breakers.
Moreover, let us remember that we cannot
shake hands with a closed fist. We will have to open it before we extend our
hand to welcome a person. This is what is needed today and this task will have
to be taken
up by everybody who has a say in
society.
His Holiness Baba Ji also inaugurated
the 8th World Conference on Corporate Governance held in London on the 20th
September 2007 in which many distinguished leaders tackled issues of Global
Governance in this fast changing economic environment.
Blood Donation:
Since His Holiness Baba Ji took over the
leadership of the Mission he has encouraged young and old to participate in
Blood Donation. Having seen the effects of social disorder and crime, it was
his desire that,
blood should not be spilled on the
streets but should run through the veins of human beings. Furthermore, realizing
the need expressed at the World Health Organization that there were massive
shortages throughout the world in the national blood banks, Baba Ji instructed
that we should all, "Give Blood as we are one
Global Family." Such thought has now led the Mission to be the
leading donor of blood, both in the quality and quantity, per annum in India,
now regularly followed throughout the world. This unique contribution has
received recognition from the Central and State Govts. besides the Red Cross
with the remarks that it is this kind of Mission which can make all the
difference to the society at large. Spirit of blood donations is in the blood
of Nirankari devotees.
Further Health Initiatives:
The Mission holds regular free health
clinics within its centers and administers free dispensaries too.
These, span further into health camps
where youngsters are trained to provide knowledge and information to others
concerning immediate dietary needs, nutrition and alternative therapies such as
Homeopathy and Yoga. Regular Eye camps are held where free services are offered
by professional volunteer doctors of the Mission upon the instructions of Baba
Ji.
Relief Work :
Relief Work has been carried out regularly
by the Volunteers of the Mission in particular where natural disasters have
affected a region of the world. The Mission provides aid both financial and personnel
at these times. When Gujarat was hit by an earthquake, the Mission not only
contributed to the Prime Minister's Disaster Fund, but volunteers
took time off from their employment in
order to provide aid refuge and support to those who had been displaced by the
quake. At this His Holiness pioneered the 'Rebuild and Re-house' project which
relocated an entire town.
At the time of the Tsunami in South
Asia, centersin Malaysia, Thailand and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands
provided much needed food, shelter and first aid. More importantly volunteers
assisted local authorities in the collection and disposal of those killed, thus
helping to stem the outbreak of disease and infection.
The Environment :
Baba Ji teaches that although there is
pollution around in the environment we must have minds which are free of
pollution. There are numerous directives based upon responsible living which
involve matters such as poverty, debt, climate change etc....... The Mission
has recently participated in a world conferences relating to environmental
management and climate change. Tree planting initiatives are commonly given which
looks of course towards the preservation of the world in which we all live.
Baba Ji has a keen interest in this subject and has developed a vast area of
New Delhi, India which was previously marshy
and snake infested, and transformed it
into a stunning place of natural beauty, which is now in fact a well known
tourist attraction. The area is known as the Santokh Sarover and is home to
beautiful plantations,
walkways, and a spiritual bathing area.
Recently, a high tech museum named Journey Divine has been developed within the
grounds.
To conclude:
Baba Hardev Singh Ji is a living
Spiritual Guide who is working tirelessly in an effort to establish
peace,harmony and co-existence. As can be seen there are numerous initiatives
through which he is achieving
this to strengthen the message to let us love one
another as we are one global family.THE SAT GURU
“ From darkness lead me to light ”says the Upanishad. The guru is one who is competent to do this ; and such a one is Satguru Baba Hardev Singh ji Maharaj.
The Satguru who is Dvine Consciousness
in human form , is the one guide to
Enlightenment , the only bridge from the mental concepts in which the disciple
is enclosed to spiritual consciousness .
Adi Shankara said , “
Even though you possess learning and all gifts and endowments , it will not
avail you unless your mind is protected by the Guru , and absorbed in Him .”
Again , in Vivekachoodaamani , he says
, “ There are three things that are rare
and acquired due to the Grace of God
: a human birth ; thirst for liberation
, and the protective care of the Guru.”
The Guru is ever ready to help and
uplift those who appeal to him . It is vanity and pride to suppose that one’s
own unaided efforts will suffice. The Guru has already trodden the path and can show it to the seeker. In fact the real Guru is in the heart of the disciple
. The task of the outer Guru is only to turn
you inward to the Guru of your heart. Although it is true that the Guru
is the giver of liberation , it is also
true that the disciple must earn it by making himself fit to receive it.
The Guru does not add to the ideas or theories
with which the mind is already cluttered up . Rather he induces cessation
of thoughts in a disciple .the guru
helps you awaken from the illusion .
*****
“ CATCH THEM YOUNG ”
CHANNELIZING YOUTH POWER
“ When the Mission and the Youth combine , it promises success of second line. ”
Youth are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but also the partners of today .
Baba ji says that enlightened and righteous youth can play a crucial role for the global progress , prosperity and peace.
The youth have great creative energy and potential to attain spiritual heights.
· Remember your creator in the days of your youth , before the days of trouble come ,and the years approach when you will say , ‘I find no pleasure in them ’.-Ecclesiastes 12:1
Swami Vivekananda stresses on the need for the ideals of ‘tyaaga’ or sacrifice and ‘sewa’ or selfless service , the most imperative aspects of shaping the life of young people .
Sant Nirankari Mission has been playing a great role in the spiritual growth of the youth for the welfare of humanity. Spiritual development are as much a part of the growth process of children and youth as their physical , mental or emotional development .
“ Ignited mind of the youth is the most powerful resource on the Earth”.- Abdul kalam
“Youth are the agents of social transformation.”- Mahatma Gandhi.
Rigveda: “ Sustainable development of a society , nation and the world as a whole can be achieved only with the integration of material and spiritual life. ”
Bible says, “ Parents need to instill God’s word ( Truth ) in children’s hearts as nothing else will have such a great impact on their character ”. They can thus tread the path of Truth so that their immense energy could well be harnessed for the welfare of the society , nation and the world as a whole .
Baba ji says that development of scientific temperament is necessary to wean away youth steeped in superstitions and rituals which are taking them away from leading a spiritual life .
Satguru Baba ji said that there is darkness of ignorance in the world and the same can be eliminated by spreading the light of God Knowledge. God Knowledge removes misconceptions in life. The mind gets refined with the enlightenment through God Knowledge.
Parents have a responsibility to nurture children’s spirituality by introducing them to prayer , singing glory of God and Guru , spiritual congregations and self less service.
The youngsters need to be brought forward . Involvement of youth should essentially be made a part of our system which is lacking at present .
With the blessings of Satguru Baba ji , when the maturity of the elders is combined with the dynamic energy of the youth , it produces wonderful results.
**** POWER OF SPIRITUALITY
**** POWER OF SPIRITUALITY
The grace and mercy of His Holiness Nirankari Baba Hardev Singh Ji Maharaj
has enabled us to know the unknown – by knowing which nothing else remains to be known. Just as the
real value of money is felt only after we actually spend it . Similarly , the
real value of Brahma Gyan is experienced only after we have adopted it in our daily
life.
Our Satguru has awakened the dormant divinity within us . We have today evolved
as better human beings with our belief in One
God – One Religion – One Humanity.
Whoever loves to meet God – God loves to meet them . The best of God’s servants are those who when you see remind you
of God. Let us be consciously aware that God ,Guru and Self are One and the same.
In fact guru’s grace is greater than God’s as without a Guru one cannot transcend
the sea of materialism .Guru is God
incarnate in human form .
Sant Kabir Das says , “ If all
the land was turned into paper and all the seas turned into ink and all the
forests into pens to write with , they
would still not suffice to describe the greatness of Guru .”
Our True Master has brought us from material darkness into spiritual light
by giving us the insight that the changeless in the changing physical world is
God and the changeless in the changing human body is the soul.
Soul realization is self realization . And God realization alone leads to
Self Realization.
Thus Guru , Nature , Soul , Universe are all convertible terms. We no
longer see two things. Do not talk of God when you see matter .
We see the effect alone, the cause we cannot see. We can only experience
it .One who experiences this is a true
Nirankari . We, today, perceive God in every thing and are filled with His grace.
Our Satguru guides us to live consciously ; inspect our motives ;
transcend egoistic passions ; overcome our intellectual blindness and to live
peacefully with fellow human beings.
For this we need to go beyond our senses.
Where Individuality ends
–Spirituality begins and Divinity sprouts.
What Guru Dakshina can we offer to our Satguru than to tread on the path
of Humanity envisaged by him. Let us be the messengers of Truth and love
through Sewa , Simran and Satsang.
When we aim for the highest – our endeavors should be equally earnest.
There are two ways to live our life .One is as though every thing is a miracle
and the other is as if nothing is a miracle .Our Salvation is already within us
. We need to be aware of it and believe in that . . One can be deeply involved with every
thing but still not be attached or identified with it anymore.
Let us be our Satguru’s true images in thought , word and deed . Let us
fortify the knowledge obtained from our Satguru with humble reverence , sincere
enquiry and selfless service.
What we focus on grows . So,
let us dedicate our lives to contemplation on God , and service to Humanity.
Those Nirankaris who discriminate against others just because they have
not obtained BrahmaGyan or because they do not belong to our Mission are not Nirankaris. It is most desirable that
we should embrace everybody irrespective
of any outer considerations. Those Nirankaris who discriminate against
others just because they have not obtained BrahmaGyan or because they do not
belong to our Mission are not Nirankaris.
It is most desirable that we should embrace everybody irrespective of any outer considerations.
We should share the grief and pain of others. If we do so , only then we
are Nirankaris .
A Nirankari loves all ; feels oneness with all ; has inner peace and
radiates this peace all around.
Our Sant Nirankari Mission is flourishing today as a spiritual
movement across the globe. It declares
that God has always been a perceivable entity . Our Babaji says –Nirankari
Mission is striving to spread the knowledge of this all pervading Nirankar and
love , mercy and compassion for every
body on this earth.
Our Satguru’s message _ ‘
Religion Unites ; It never Divides . Let
us live together in Harmony ’ is the remedy to all the world problems.
Actually things were made to use and men were made to love but today men are being used and things are being
loved.
So let us : Make a mind that never minds ; a heart that never hurts , a
touch that never pains and make a relation with Almighty God which never ends.
CLARION CALL FOR A GURU SIKH
“ Proclaim Satyug in Kalyug ”
Live life Satyug – wise , leaving
aside kalyug’s vice .
LIVING LIFE WITH A HIGHER PURPOSE
Guru Sikhs who make Truth ( God
) as the basis of their life , reach its
zenith . They have the spirit of love , good-will , well being of others and selfless
devotion. Beauty of life depends upon
refinement of mind.
The contribution of saints is of
utmost importance. Saints are benevolent and serve humanity physically ,
mentally and financially. This is why it has been said ,
Tarwar
sarvar santjan , chotha barse meh ,
Parmarth ke karne
charo dharein deh
The trees , rivers , saints and rain
always act for the welfare of others.
Understand the real value of ‘God Knowledge’ and proclaim
‘ Satya yug ’ in the present ‘Kalyug ’. Do not keep the company of those who deviate
you from the righteous path. Any person of weak character will not be able to
continue attending congregations.
If you are not treacherous or
deceitful to any Guru sikh , then you will always be uplifted. Jealousy and
back- biting destroy a human being. Whosoever behaves with mahapurushas in that
manner, is no better than the one who does not believe in God .
Spirituality is commonly defined as the feeling of the
presence of a greater being in the universe.
This makes him a reasonable person , who
appreciates some authority over and above him.
Those who surrender to the Lord Master
are exposed to the holy secrets of that “ Greater Being ‘ whose presence is then incessantly felt all around.
Devotees wish that they may go on
hearing the eulogizing of God so that
they remain aware of the greatness of God. They always long for such devotional
atmosphere which gives them an
opportunity to listen to the attributes of God and saints , to feel blissful by
immersing in devotion.
They feel grateful that the True
Master bestowed the ‘Truth’ on them .
‘ Gurusikh de bullan te hardam , apne guru di kahani
rahe’ .
Staunch disciple always talk about
their Guru. Baba Avtar Singh Ji gave such great importance to his True Master
and lead life according to his preaching. A true devotee , thus , always
remains enthusiastic about singing the glory of his True Master.
If a devotee feels the Divine
presence of God and True Master every where , love will surely find place in his heart.
If one is not filled with love , it means that though he is perceiving
God every where , he is not immersing himself in God.
A true Guru sikh leads his life with
LOVE . When love dwells in the heart ,
one is ready to sacrifice every
thing. One who only knows to soothe
others ; who never provokes and instigates others against other fellow humans,
in fact , sings the glory of the true Master in true sense.
Avtar Vani states :
Guru sikh guru di akh naal vekhe
,
Guru de
kann naal sunda hai .
That a Guru
Sikh is able to immerse himself in divinity , if he develops the divine vision like that of
his True Master. Living up to the ‘truth’ becomes his way of life . He sees and listens to others in the manner his True Master does. It means
that a true disciple has an equable vision . He reveres even an ordinary person as does his Guru. Like his
true master , he does not take any interest in listening to the criticism of others.
There are people
who have not yet attained God – knowledge and they must take this significant
step . But there are those who have attained God – knowledge ; they must take
many more steps to reach a sublime
state. It is essential to attend congregations because without
it guru-wisdom gets weakened and
one tends to become worldly. If one does
not like the company of saints , then one will develop the impure worldly
tendency only .
A ‘Guru sikh is
cautioned to beware of extreme contradictions in speech and conduct.
If he does not remain alert , he also
gets influenced by worldly tendencies . His attitude , vision and thinking,
speech and tone all get modified in a
worldly manner. He thus becomes worldly and he starts following self- will.
Sufi saints say , “ Sach kamave soi
kazi , jo dil sode ohi hazi ”.
Like this, one
must attain the Truth , become truly religious and the one who is soaked in
love , has undertaken , a pilgrimage to
God .
A person is
called to be God – realized who has assimilated the Truth (God Knowledge) from the True Master, but if he is not connected to God , he cannot avail
anything.
One is
spiritually progressing when one is full
of humility , love and reverence, tolerance , contentment and broad mindedness.
One who strengthens Guru – wisdom is truly religious . A true pilgrim is not one who has undertaken a long journey
to reach a particular place, but one who
has staunch faith in God and has imbibed the teachings of his True Master.
When the Guru
Sikh sings the heart- felt glory of his guru and leads his life maintaining a
sublime status, he is able to make a positive impact on others. Establishing a deep communion with Guru , he treads the path of guru-
wisdom and imbibes virtues only . It is important to lead an ‘awakened ‘ life
because if even after attaining enlightenment , one is still slumbering , then
there remains no difference between the ignorant and the enlightened.
Enlightenment
means applying spiritual ‘eye’ of Guru – wisdom
.
In the Avtar Vani
we are reading and listening that:
“ Har vele , har haal de ander judi gurunaal taar rahe ”.
Devotees remain
connected to God in every situation . They do not let this connection get
snapped and get their inner strength from this spiritual link . They keep their enthusiasm
and guru- wisdom intact and go on eugalizing God . They keep their innate
saintliness intact. They do not let
their faith waver and stumble from their sublime status.
Kabir ji has
called ‘maya ’ a big deceiver. Saints are so aware and awakened that they
do not let worldly attractions effect
them . Such saints are worthy of reverence . If a devotee’s awareness gets weakened ,
another devotee comes to awaken him . That is why one comes to congregations
because it works like a medicine. It is
foremost responsibility of saints to keep awakened and make other devotees
awake too. It is an act of beneficence to awaken those who have lost ‘awareness ’ due
to worldly influence and are drifted from
it. It becomes the duty of saints to strengthen the wavering faith of the
others. It is a deed of welfare to reconnect the snapped link between the
disciple and the True Master . Like this , the kind saints have always been
redeeming mankind .
An unwavering
devotee fully imbibes guru – wisdom and does not take anything else into
consideration . He places his true
master , God and holy congregation on
such a high pedestal in his heart which does not assign to anyone else. Like Kabir Ji, true
saints ever remain in communion with God maintain their sublime status . May God bestow such spiritual strength to all .
Baba Avtar Singh
ji not only preached guru- wisdom , but also lived accordingly . His life was a
living example of unwavering faith ,
humility , dedication , large – heartedness , patience and contentment .
Those who give
importance to Guru and lead their life as per His wish , they create impact with
their speech because they have lived the ‘Truth’.
If we consciously
think and feel like the True Master , we may lead an enriched life in true
sense without getting affected by the worldly trappings.
Man is the
architect of his own destiny . A spiritual teacher does not merely show us the
way but takes us to our destination.
Saints give
inspiration for saving and grooming mankind for betterment of life here and
hereafter and one gets redemption .
Saints remember
the Formless with every breath . On should
live a life in a way that it is a boon for others and brings glory to
oneself too. Imbibe the spirit of love , compassion , kindness and service.
Baba ji says, “
True religion signifies compassion . Virtue of compassion only comes when God
dwells in the heart:
“ Sant hri-dey navneet samana”
The heart of a saint
is softer than butter . Butter melts only when heated up. But the heart of
saints melt on seeing the misery of others. They feel the pain of other’s
grief.
Saints render
service like flowers. Flowers are useful at all occasions. We have to beautify
this world like flowers. We should spread cheerfulness and not gloom. We should
be broad minded . We should imbibe
humility and kindness.
It has been aptly said :
“Sant na hotey
jagat me to jal marta sansar ”
What would happen if there is only fire and no water
? Saints have the soothing effect like
that of water.
“Wealth and knowledge are worthless if used for self- interests and personal
cravings.” They are meaningful
only if put to use for the welfare of humanity .
____________
Spiritual surgery
Every human beings suffers from one physical
ailment or the other during his life time . More often than not , one tends to
ignore them . Even after knowing that
there is something wrong with the health one tends to postpone it’s
treatment . When it becomes unbearably painful
, finding no other option , we visit the surgeon and are told that a surgery is inevitable. A surgery may take a hour or two only . However, the patient has to bear a lot of pain for a week or two , undergo
physiotherapy for months at a stretch. Only when
the doctor’s instructions are meticulously followed , can one be
relieved of the pain for ever.
The same is true of our spiritual journey .
The True Master is the enlightened one ( surgeon ) and is in absolute communion
with God. He bestows God knowledge on the seeker and shows him the righteous path
instantly . It is a simple task for him.
Bur for the seeker , it is not all that easy. He has to go through a long
process of learning and unlearning , getting rid of anger , greed , jealousy ,
ego and pride to reach that sublime state of mind so as to become a true devotee of the True Master . It requires
a lot of effort and practice
. It may take a whole life time to
achieve it .
Nirankari Babaji says , “If a person has
strong urge for God – realization, he will find a True Master ( Satguru ) to
bless him with God – knowledge.
By bestowing God- knowledge , our Satguru performs themuch needed
spiritual surgery and cures us of all our ailments .
There is no sin as great as living in
ignorance and there is no sin greater than letting others live in ignorance. The
four main pillars of Sant Nirankari mission’s Philosophy :
1/
God is One by whatever name He is called
. It is the primary aim of every one to realize Him.
2/
God cannot be realized by any number of
rites and rituals performed for any length of time .
3/
God can be realized only with the blessings of the living True Master (satguru
) just in one sitting and
4/
God – realization is the bed rock of humanism .
Every one of us is aware of the ‘inner illness’ in the form
of negative traits but we do not seek the help of the ‘spiritual doctor ’( Satguru ) to rid
ourselves of the disease. But if we
sincerely seek enlightenment and follow
the commands of True Master ,we can free
ourselves of all the miseries and fears and achieve the inner happiness and ever
lasting peace that we are striving for.
----------
You are capable of great things , but you must never forget that there is
a hand guiding your steps . We call that hand God , and He always guides us
according to His will.
Now and then the pencil stops writing and we use a sharpener.
That makes the pencil suffer a little , but afterwards , it is much sharper .
So ,we too , must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows , because they will
make us a better person .
The pencil
always allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes .This means that
correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing. It helps to keep us
on the road to justice.
What really matters in a pencil is not its wooden
exterior , but the graphite inside. So , always pay attention to what is
happening inside you .
It always leaves a mark in just the same way ,
you should know that every thing you do in life will leave a mark , so try to
be conscious of that in your every action .
*****
GREAT
TRUTHS LIE IN SIMPLE THINGS
A pencil is not only an aid in writing. It also teaches us
valuable lessons of life . Let us imbibe the following five qualities of a
pencil to lead a peaceful , purposeful and pleasant life .
First Quality :
Second Quality :
Third Quality:
Fourth Quality :
Fifth Quality :
***
For the pond water lily is the charm
For the ocean , tides are the charm
For the woman , character is the charm
For the sky , moon is the charm
For the devotee , brahma gyan is the charm
Yasya Deve Para Bhaktir-Yatha Deve Tatha Gurau;
Tasyaite Kathita Hyarthah Prakashante Mahatmanah.
Tasyaite Kathita Hyarthah Prakashante Mahatmanah.
He whose devotion to the Lord is great, and who has as much devotion to the Guru as to the Lord, unto him, that high-souled one, meanings of the sacred texts stand revealed
- (Svetasvatara Upanishad).
A disciple is he who follows the instructions of the Guru to the letter and spirit, who propagates the teachings of the Guru to less evolved souls in the path till the end of his life.
A true disciple is concerned only with the Divine Nature of the Guru. The Guru’s actions as man is not the disciple’s concern. He is totally oblivious of it. To him, the Guru is Guru even if he acts unconventionally. Always remember that the nature of a saint is unfathomable.
· Judge him not.
· Measure not his divine nature with the inadequate yardstick of your ignorance.
· Criticize not your Guru’s action which is done on universal vision.
True discipleship opens the vision. It kindles the spiritual fire. It awakens the dormant faculties. It is most necessary in one’s journey along the spiritual path. Guru and disciple become one. Guru blesses, guides and inspires the disciple. He transmits, transforms and spiritualizes him.
Who Is Qualified To Approach The Guru?
To approach a Guru, you must be a proper Adhikari. Correct understanding, non-attachment to worldly objects, serenity of mind, restraint of the senses, absence of base passions, faith in the Guru and devotion to God are necessary equipment with which the aspirant has to approach the Guru.
The Guru will impart spiritual instructions only to that aspirant who thirsts for liberation, who duly obeys the injunctions of the Sastras, who has subdued his passions and senses, who has a calm mind, and who possesses virtuous qualities like mercy, cosmic love, patience, humility, endurance, forbearance, etc. Initiation into the mysteries of Brahman will fructify only when the disciple’s mind becomes desireless, and will produce Jnana in it.
Guru-Seva
Aspirants should direct their whole attention in the beginning towards removal of selfishness by protracted service of Guru. Serve your Guru with divine Bhava. The cancer of individuality will be dissolved.
The captain of a ship is ever alert. A fisherman is ever alert. A surgeon in the operation theatre is ever alert. Even so, a thirsting hungry disciple should be ever alert in the service of his Guru.
Live to serve the Guru. You must watch for opportunities. Do not wait for invitation. Volunteer yourself for the Guru’s service.
Serve your Guru humbly, willingly, unquestioningly, unassumingly, ungrudgingly, untiringly and lovingly. The more you spend your energy in serving your Guru, the more divine energy will flow into you.
He who serves the Guru serves the whole world. Serve the Guru without selfish ends. Scrutinize your inner motives while doing service to Guru. Service must be done to Guru without expectation of name, fame, power, wealth, etc.
Obedience To Guru
Obedience to Guru is better than reverence. Obedience is a precious virtue, because if you try to develop the virtue of obedience, the ego, the arch-enemy on the path of Self-realization, slowly gets rooted out.
Only the disciple who obeys his Guru can have command over his lower self. Obedience should be very practical, wholehearted and actively persevering. True obedience to Guru neither procrastinates nor questions. A hypocritical disciple obeys his Guru from fear. The true disciple obeys his Guru with pure love for love’s sake.
Learn how to obey. Then alone you can command. Learn how to be a disciple. Then alone you can become a Guru.
Give up the delusive notion that to submit to the preceptor, to obey him, and to carry out his instructions is slavish mentality. The ignorant man thinks that it is beneath his dignity and against his freedom to submit to another man’s command. This is a grave blunder. If you reflect carefully, you will see that your individual freedom is, in reality, an absolutely abject slavery to your own ego and vanity. It is the vagaries of the sensual mind. He who attains victory over the mind and the ego is the truly free man. He is the hero. It is to attain victory that man submits to the higher spiritualized personality of the Guru. By this submission, he vanquishes his lower ego and realizes the bliss of Infinite Consciousness.
Happy-Go-Lucky Disciples
The spiritual path is not like writing a thesis for the Master of Arts Degree. It is quite a different line altogether. The help of a teacher is necessary at every moment. Young aspirants become self-sufficient, arrogant and self-assertive in these days. They do not care to carry out the orders of a Guru. They do not wish to have a Guru. They want independence from the very beginning. They think they are in the Turiya Avastha when they do not know even the ABC of spirituality or truth. They mistake licentiousness or “having their own ways and sweet will” as freedom. This is a serious, lamentable mistake. That is the reason why they do not grow. They lose the faith in the efficacy of Sadhana and in the existence of God. They wander about in a happy-go-lucky manner, without any aim, from Kashmir to Gangotri, and from Gangotri to Ramesvaram, talking some nonsense on the way, something from Vichara-Sagara, something from Panchadasi, and posing as Jivanmuktas.
Surrender And Grace
If you want to drink water at the tap, you will have to bend yourself. Even so, if you want to drink the spiritual nectar of immortality which flows from the holy lips of the Guru, you will have to be an embodiment of humility and meekness.
The lower nature of mind must be thoroughly regenerated. The aspirant says to his preceptor: “I want to practise Yoga. I want to enter into Nirvikalpa Samadhi. I want to sit at your feet. I have surrendered myself to you.” But, he does not want to change his lower nature and habits, old character, behaviour and conduct.
One’s individual ego, preconceived notions, pet ideas and prejudices, and selfish interests should be given up. All these stand in the way of carrying out the teachings and instructions of one’s Guru.
Lay bare to your Guru the secrets of your heart. The more you do so, the greater the sympathy, which means an accession of strength to you in the struggle against sin and temptation.
The aspirant, before he desires the grace of the Master, should deserve it. The supply of divine grace comes only when there is a real thirst in the aspirant, and when he is fit to receive it.
Guru’s grace descends upon those who feel utterly humble and faithful to him. Faith is confidence and trust in Guru. Faith is firm conviction of the truth of what is declared by the preceptor by way either of testimony or authority, without any other evidence or proof. The disciple who has faith in the Guru argues not, thinks not, reasons not and cogitates not. He simply obeys.
The disciple’s self-surrender to Guru and Guru’s grace are interrelated. Surrender draws down Guru’s grace, and grace of Guru makes the surrender complete. Guru’s grace works in the form of Sadhana in the aspirant. If an aspirant sticks to the path tenaciously, this is the grace of the Guru. If he resists when temptation assails him, this is the grace of the Guru. If people receive him with love and reverence, this is the grace of the Guru. If he gets all bodily wants, this is the grace of the Guru. If he gets encouragement and strength when he is in despair and despondency, this is the grace of the Guru. If he gets over the body-consciousness and rests in his own Ananda Svarupa, this is the grace of the Guru. Feel his grace at every step, and be sincere and truthful to him.
How The Guru Teaches
The Guru teaches through personal example. The day-to-day conduct of the Guru is a living ideal to the disciple who is observant. The life of the Guru is a living sermon to the sincere disciple. By constant contact, the disciple imbibes the virtues of his Guru. He is moulded gradually. Study Chhandogya Upanishad. You will find that Indra stayed with Prajapati for a period of a hundred and one years and served him wholeheartedly.
The Guru only knows the spiritual needs of his disciples. He will give Upadesa according to the disciple’s temperament and evolution. This Upadesa should be kept a secret. Discussion among disciples will lead to criticism of Guru and slackness in Sadhana. There will be no spiritual progress. Follow the Guru’s Upadesa to the very letter. Remember it is meant for you only. The other disciples have received Guru-Upadesa, too. Let them follow it. Do not impose the Upadesa you have received on others.
The student can imbibe or draw from his teacher in proportion to his degree of faith. When the Guru comes to the aspirant to give spiritual instructions, if the aspirant does not pay any attention, if he is self-sufficient and heedless, if he bolts the door of his heart, he is not benefited.
Guru’s Tests
The Satguru communicates the secret knowledge of the Upanishads to his trusted disciples only after repeated entreaty and severe testing. Sometimes, the Guru may even tempt his disciple, but the latter should overcome by firm faith in the Guru.
In days of yore, the tests were very severe. Once Gorakhnath asked some of his students to climb up a tall tree and throw themselves, head downwards, on a very sharp trident or Trisula. Many faithless students kept quiet. But one faithful student at once climbed up the tree with lightning speed and hurled himself downwards. He was protected by the invisible hand of Gorakhnath. He had immediate Self-realization.
Once Guru Govind Singh tested his students. He said: “My dear disciples! If you have real devotion towards me, let six of you come forward and give me your heads. Then we can have success in our attempt.” Two faithful disciples offered their heads.
Guru Govind Singh took them inside the camp and cut off the heads of two goats instead.
The Guru tests the students in various ways. Some students misunderstand him and lose their faith in him. Hence they are not benefited.
Four Classes Of Disciples
The best disciple is like petrol or aviation spirit. Even from a great distance, he will instantly react to the spark of the Guru’s Upadesa.
The second class disciple is like camphor. A touch awakens his inner spirit and kindles the fire of spirituality in him.
The third class of disciple is like coal. The Guru has to take great pains in order to awaken the spirit in him.
The fourth class of disciple is like a plantain stem. No efforts will have any effect on him. Whatever the Guru may do, he remains cold and inert.
Two things are necessary for a beautifully finished idol or image. One is a perfect, faultless, good piece of marble; the second is the expert sculptor. The piece of marble should but unconditionally remain in the hands of the sculptor in order to be carved and chiseled into the fine image. So too, the disciple has but to cleanse himself, purify himself, and make himself a perfectly faultless piece of marble, and placing himself under the expert guidance of his Master, allow to be carved and chiselled into the Image of God.
*****
COMPLETE ONENESS WITH THE DIVINE
“ Man does not weave the web of
life ; he is merely a strand in it .
What ever he does to the web ; he does to himself ”.
Every
human being is unhappy. He is discontented. We all feel that something is missing.
We want more. No matter how much we possess, it is never enough. We are afraid
to die. We want to live longer, be healthier, look younger and accumulate more
wealth. We want to increase our knowledge and awareness. We want to experience
more joy and happiness.
All these lead to unbearable restlessness. Why? The answer
lies in the three statements comprising the wonderful formulae given to us by
Sri Sankaracharya, the exponent of advaita vedanta.
Brahma Satyam (God alone is real.)
Jagan Mithya (The world is illusory.)
Jivo Brahmaiva Na Parah (
The individual is none other than God.)
-
Sri
Shankaracharya
This
means that there is only one supreme reality, a reality called Brahman, the
supreme being. Brahman is infinite and omnipresent (present absolutely
everywhere), therefore nothing can be added to it and furthermore, there cannot
be a place where he is not. Therefore, Brahman being non-dual in nature, there
is no place for the world or man or any creature outside Brahman. It transcends
all pairs of opposites and descriptions.
The reality of the world, or jagat, is then relative as
opposed to the absolute nature of Brahman. In that sense, and in comparison
with Brahman, the world is unreal. By unreal is meant illusory, very much like
a dream, which has its own subjective reality but which is illusory compared
with the waking state.
The last of the three statements asserts that the true
nature of each individual is Brahman. Because of avidya, the orginal spiritual
ignorance, we have forgotten our true identity and mistakenly believe that we
are little, limited individuals.
The Solution
The practical application of advaita vedanta is jnana yoga,
the yoga of knowledge or wisdom. It is the direct path to experiencing the truth of advaita, meaning to realize your true Self, the atman through
God realization.
Sat-Chit-Ananda Brahman
Although Brahman is beyond description, the Rishis (seers
or sages) of yore declared, based on their personal experience, that it can
best be described as sat-chit-ananda.
Sat means existence pure and
absolute.
Chit means knowledge, or
consciousness, pure and absolute.
Ananda means bliss, pure and
absolute.
Our
true nature is pure existence, knowledge and bliss. Deeply we know it and
because of this we cannot settle for being mortal and experiencing any types of
limitation to our existence. We have an infinite thirst for knowledge and
constant yearning to experience joy.
LIVING ONENESS :Peace and happiness are humanity’s goal, yet they present themselves as
our biggest challenge to achieve.
We didn’t understand God’s creations were given us as gifts to be shared by all. God had not created man in isolation; His gifts extend to all, not to just a selected few (that was man’s perception). Peace and Love are gifts of Oneness and its universal law follows the principle of cause and effect. To experience peace, we have to give peace; only by giving will we receive. By keeping peace to ourselves, its power becomes limited and what is limited cannot last. God’s creations and gifts are based on this non-judgmental universal law in which every action triggers a consequence. Man cannot change this law, but man can change his perception. Perception is based on experience that leads to belief and knowing. Our past misconceptions have, today, provided us a chance to take the necessary steps in transforming disunity into Oneness, just as intended by the maker. The past is calling us now to awaken a fresh awareness of perception--a new era of Oneness and Peace. With its embrace, we will free ourselves from our imprisonment of pain and invite healing and serenity.
We didn’t understand God’s creations were given us as gifts to be shared by all. God had not created man in isolation; His gifts extend to all, not to just a selected few (that was man’s perception). Peace and Love are gifts of Oneness and its universal law follows the principle of cause and effect. To experience peace, we have to give peace; only by giving will we receive. By keeping peace to ourselves, its power becomes limited and what is limited cannot last. God’s creations and gifts are based on this non-judgmental universal law in which every action triggers a consequence. Man cannot change this law, but man can change his perception. Perception is based on experience that leads to belief and knowing. Our past misconceptions have, today, provided us a chance to take the necessary steps in transforming disunity into Oneness, just as intended by the maker. The past is calling us now to awaken a fresh awareness of perception--a new era of Oneness and Peace. With its embrace, we will free ourselves from our imprisonment of pain and invite healing and serenity.
What we focus on grows . When we appreciate instead
of criticize ; perceive the beauty and
wonder of the things around us instead
of habitually focusing on what is
missing or going wrong - we begin to find peace and love in everything.
Our attitude now is – “ Every body for every body ” to create a happier world and restoring Oneness in a fragmented world.
Our attitude now is – “ Every body for every body ” to create a happier world and restoring Oneness in a fragmented world.
*****
To be humane is Humanism
Today the world is moving at a jet-speed. No one wishes to spare
time to lend a patient ear to share the feelings of others or to cater to the
needs of others. Even the children are neglected by their own parents who, in a
mad rush, are either busy making their own careers or building beautiful houses
but not strong and secure homes. Money has become the be-all and end-all of
human life. Consequently, what we see
around us are moving Human Robots, who appear physically strong but lacking confidence, security, tolerance,
large heartedness, etc. Despite all material comforts at his disposal, man
finds his life to be insipid. He has all the musical instruments, but no flair
for music. and is setting them in tune have no meaning. This is exactly the
state of mind of a person who is conscious of his physical being, takes all
precautions for his health and security, earns his livelihood, enjoys the good
things of life, but his life does not string any rhythm or harmony whatsoever.
His life is like a harp without tinkling. Man out of his ignorance considers
himself as the master of power, of law, of beauty, of wisdom and of love. This
state of his mind, coupled with arrogance and foolishness, plunges him into
troubles, pain, problems and all ills in his life. He then tries his best,
endeavors very hard, puts his brain, his intellect his education, his
experience, in search of solution of his problems so much so that, more often
than not, he employs the whole span of life in it.
Man is concerned merely
with the security of the particular branch of the tree he is sitting on, and is
indifferent to the fate of the tree as a whole. And if he cuts the very branch
he sits on, obviously the chances of his survival would be even more remote.
Man in his ignorance does not know that
the Creator, who has bestowed these bounties, is Himself an inexhaustible
treasure house of matchless happiness, satisfaction and contentment. With the
Divine Knowledge bestowed by the True Master, an enlightened person perceives
God in all and all in God. God-realization is thus, a panacea for all ills. Man
with living realization of Supreme and all-pervading Immensity has only to
remember God and express his gratitude to Him.
Material wealth and possessions, status and praise, is not the
ultimate aim of human life. God-realization is the mortar, which can bind
together the many-shaped bricks of human society into a coherent structure. It
is possible to realize the dream of a world family with the unifying bond of
love among its members in the wake of realization of Fatherhood of God. As an
intake of pure drinking water does not interfere with one's religion or
ideological background, the realization of the cosmic consciousness also does
not come in conflict with one's existing religious or political ideology.
Nirankari Mission has
undertaken this job to teach man "To be human." - to live together in
a spirit of peaceful and harmonious co-existence. Efforts are made to revive and reap the harvest of
human values like love, honor, service, compassion, and optimism.
Man knows the price of everything but value of none.
A book has all the value ,worth and utility for a student, though it is
worthless for an illiterate person. Again, a needle may be worthless for a
teacher, but it has all the value for a tailor. A jeweler, who knows the value of a diamond, is
prepared to pay lakhs of rupees, whereas an ignorant person may hesitate to pay
even a few rupees because for him it is merely a shining stone. Salt is a very
cheap commodity, yet it has a great value for us. Suppose we prepare a dish in pure ghee but fail to add
salt to it, the dish will not give us taste. But a little salt added to it will
remove its insipidity and we may exclaim: What a tasty dish! Now we will be
relishing the same dish, which a moment earlier was declared tasteless. The
question that comes to our mind is what contributed the taste? Obviously, the
pinch of salt that was added to the dish! The price of the salt added may be
just a fraction of the total amount already spent for the dish, but the value
of the pinch of salt was, undoubtedly, much greater that of its actual price.
The Mission is thus rehabilitating the human race by unlocking
the Kingdom of Heaven through a holy communion between man and God, and
eventual understanding between man and man, promising millennium of peace,
bliss and happiness on the earth. Our Babaji is the bridge-builder, who bridges the gap between a lost and dying human race and
God.
-------
Self-awakening and Humanism
Self-awakening is the be-all and end-all of human life. Only the
blessings of the True Master, total surrender of body, mind and soul enables
man to attain such a divine state in which he is one with God Almighty, whose
grace maintains and sustains him, whatever the circumstances may be. The
devotee who spreads the message of the True Master through his practical life,
is very dear to him.
But total
surrender is not so easy as it sounds. The human beings are still what they
were. Our animal past is still with us. They have forgotten Him who gave the
food, who made it possible for them to eat, and who must make it possible for
them to digest and continue to exist."
Everything
we do must be done in constant remembrance —even eating, even drinking..
Constant remembrance means, not broken — atoot
simran, nirantar simran.
Totally
unquestioning obedience is the only
requirement of this spiritual way. We need to emulate these great personalities
who have been Masters in their lifetimes.
It is aptly said that one may conquer a thousand men in the battlefield,
yet only he is the true victor who conquers his own self. The salient feature
of devotion and traits of a devotee is
Submissiveness: Complete surrender to God and constant remembrance of God.
A Nirankari understands that all that exists and all that occurs
are the blessing of God. Seeing only God everywhere, a Nirankari lives in
harmony with and by the will of God. Submitting to the will of God, a Nirankari
is, in turn, blessed by God: a true human being, a useful member of the species
from whom springs the true salvation of mankind. A Nirankari endeavours to be a
servant of mankind instead of an exploiter of mankind, and without such a way
of life, how can there be peace on earth.
Each
individual is complete in all respects (absolute). Similarly, each atom is
God. Human beings have no control over
the time of birth, place of birth, choice of parents, body-structure, colour of
skin, place, time and circumstances of death, etc. God has given us human life
- a healthy body, a sound mind and worldly wealth .We should always be grateful
to Him for these generous gifts. In normal course of worldly dealings in
everyday life, we feel obliged to somebody who did something for us and we wish
to convey our feelings of gratitude to him. It is to the Almighty God that we
need to show gratitude.
The true purpose of life is to realize our divine nature and to
express it in our day-to-day life through right living.
Then our journey
of life becomes meaningful and full of harmony and beauty.
---------
IF
If cathedrals had been
universities
If dungeons of the Inquisition had been laboratories
If Christians had believed in character instead of creed
If they had taken from the bible only that which is GOOD and thrown away the wicked and absurd
If temple domes had been observatories
If priests had been philosophers
If missionaries had taught useful arts instead of bible lore
If astrology had been astronomy
If the black arts had been chemistry
If superstition had been science
If religion had been humanity
The world then would be a heaven filled with love, and liberty and joy.
If dungeons of the Inquisition had been laboratories
If Christians had believed in character instead of creed
If they had taken from the bible only that which is GOOD and thrown away the wicked and absurd
If temple domes had been observatories
If priests had been philosophers
If missionaries had taught useful arts instead of bible lore
If astrology had been astronomy
If the black arts had been chemistry
If superstition had been science
If religion had been humanity
The world then would be a heaven filled with love, and liberty and joy.
SPIRITUAL
REGENERATION AND HUMANISM
Achieve the Goal of One Humanity, One God : In
today’s world there is a political brotherhood, a linguistic brotherhood, a
religious brotherhood, but not a human brotherhood. When we are born, instead
of remaining a human being, we become Chinese, Indian, Brazilians, Chileans and
we destroy the peace of this world. We have to forget that we belong to a
country and remember that we belong to this world. We must forget our
nationality and become citizens of this world. We must forget our religions, go
beyond them and become children of God remembering that God has no religion,
religions have no God. God does not belong to any religion. Religions are
man-made. Therefore religions today divide people. Therefore we have ethnic wars,
religious wars, Therefore we have Jews and Arabs fighting each other. Therefore
we have Hindus and Pakistanis hating each other— we are foolishly not only
destroying each other but destroying peace for everybody, setting the whole
world on fire and fear. Our effort is
only to avoid all this and achieve the goal of one humanity, one God. We
need to bring people of the world together and try to create the seed of a
future growth towards unity, harmony, love, brotherhood and peace. What we need
to create and maintain is a human brotherhood in which history, geography,
language and politics have no place. God did not create Russia, God did not
create Pakistan, God did not create India, nor did God create China and the
other countries. God created one world and He created human beings along with
animals, birds, reptiles, fish and said, “Live in harmony.”
Today’s world is full of dissension:
religious, political, ideological and economic. But when all are equally human
then we live in harmony and love. So we have to be conscious of these forces
working in the world which are threatening to destroy the world and overcome
them through love for the survival of
humanity .
People are suffering as there is no
humanness in the heart. They are impatient; they are intolerant; they are
unsympathetic; they are unkind; they are selfish. So spiritual life is
necessary to become human. Human means loving and compassionate. Compassion
means Sahaanubhooti—to feel
what others feel. Most of human suffering is because of pride, arrogance. Love
requires most patience , longing. And when you have longing you only think of
what you are longing for. So that is constant remembrance. So when you are in
constant remembrance, it comes. Successful people are people who think only of
their careers all the time—twenty-four hours. You want money, you get money;
you want success in love you get—one object in the mind. In meditation, it’s the highest .Many believe that a
spiritual life hampers material progress .This
is a fallacy .In fact it yields a double bonanza. We succeed here and
hereafter .As they say in the Christian religion, “All this and heaven too!”
When you marry your husband, everything that is his is yours. Now we are God’s
children, this is God’s universe. I am His child, this is my world.
We have to cut this identification with the body. So when we get
into spiritual life we are taught that this body is not ours, it is for the
time being we are occupying, we are a tenant in our body. Through God knowledge
our fundamental purpose in having been born here is realized. We are here to give and share.
we have a responsibility to humanity. to become progressively more and more
divinised, progressively more and more human : animal human being to become
true human being and thereafter to become divinised, remembering that
divinisation means loving, giving, dying for others.
Time is short. Opportunity is great.
The goal is invaluable–it is a prize
that is worth any sacrifice, of time, of effort, of life itself. People
who have learnt to cultivate their souls, people who have learnt the art of
communicating with their inner selves, which is God, in silence, in happiness
are truly blessed.
Unless the roots of a tree are firm,
the merest breeze will knock it down. Unless we establish humanity through
restoration of human values like friendship, love, generosity, oneness,
togetherness there is no real hope of any spiritual progress. Gautama Buddha,
has been alive for three thousand years in the hearts thanks to one man
—a Buddhist saint called Bodhidharma who spread his message singly throughout,
from Tibet to all the Far East. So we don’t need armies to spread spirituality,
but we need at least one dedicated person. Then the others come.
We place too much emphasis, reliance,
on our sensory mechanism: touch, taste, smell, vision, hearing, which are there
like the headlights of a car to show us the way. So we who have become
senses-bound, listening to nothing but the senses, responding to nothing but
the senses, we come down to the basic or most basic level of human beings, the
animal base. Senses show us the outer world. Our heart shows us the inner
world. When we are guided by our heart, it is the first step in liberation.
We have to be evolved out of this
caste, out of the religion .Let us develop the ability to be more in harmony
with everything, our surroundings without class consciousness, colour
consciousness, rich-poor .We don't change the world, but we change our
world and therefore we are the centre of harmony, not at the
periphery of harmony. If you want the world to change, you can wait
forever. With a change in our
perception, our appreciation, our understanding that God created nothing bad;
what we perceive as good and bad are our evaluations. Nothing is good or bad
but thinking makes it so.
The
greatest service to God is to know the true self. It is the easiest of all
tasks if we approach a True Master, because it requires only the desire to know
God. True
service is the ability to direct every single thought, word, and deed as an
offering to God; an act of worship. When our actions are dedicated to His glory
the actions themselves become sanctified . Selfless service initially helps to
purify the mind. , “True service is an act of holiness that has its origin in
the perception of the unity of all existence.” True service transforms the
individual and benefits the society purifies our hearts enabling us to see the
One Divinity in all. To inspire oneness in the people
with different concepts and beliefs, oblivious of the intrinsic oneness of
humanity, is service to God, demanding self-surrender.
The
basic qualification is a devotee is
willingness to serve. It is the purpose of your life to serve the world. To
serve the world is to serve God and love all. It is our duty to be useful to
mankind. A small good act for God is better than a large act which mankind
regards good.
One can either be a master of
circumstances or a victim of them. . A truly inspired person will create the
opportunities and charge ahead. Consistency and determination will
automatically come. A karma yogi is a selfless
worker who follows the path of action. He or she performs selfless activity,
dedicating all his or her actions to a higher ideal and gives up all sense of
doer-ship. Let us learn to enjoy our work and make the most of it. Let
us not let the fear of failure hold us
back. Let us take charge of our life. It is better to keep on doing our best
and let our work do all the talking .
Let
ours be a life devoted to one's own improvement and the service of all mankind.
Our Motto
should be -The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good
is my religion .I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but
I can still do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse
to do the something that I can do.
As a Humanist I believe enhancing human welfare is our primary
moral goal. Other universal human goals include minimizing suffering, making
decisions that are fair, and enhancing human freedom and dignity.
Mahatma Gandhi rightly
said, “The best way to find yourself
is to lose yourself in the service of others “.
“The only ones among you
who will really be happy are those who
will have sought and found how to serve others ”. Albert Sweitzer.
When we leave, we must leave the
world at least as good as we found it when we entered it, but try to do better
and leave a better world.” We thus have
a duty to ourselves, to our human race and to the world. It is not enough if
we are
desha bhaktas
[nationalistic], We need to be universe bhaktas [devoted to the universe]; we
are responsible for the universe.
One problem in Japan – the tsunami, a
problem with their atomic [power] generation and the whole world is shivering.
A flu somewhere, and everybody is sick;
at all airports there are tests. Today, it is not your country or my country –
it is our world. Any event
happening in any corner of the world has repercussions world wide and can
affect us.
Social work can lead to liberation, which is achieved
through selfless service and not craving for recognition. Perform your allotted
duty selflessly, without desire, with no name, fame and recognition . Our work
should be silent and pure, without publicity
otherwise it will not stand. Nobody belongs to you and you do not belong to
anybody. All are passengers in the journey of life. Dedicate all your work to
God and the result also dedicate it to Him. Use it as my property and not as
yours. Aim high and aim at the highest.
People have forgotten what human
beings should be like, what humanity is, what are the values to be cherished.
Today’s world exists only on absolute selfishness . God created a one world of
human beings. Human beings have created separate worlds of caste, community, colour,
race, sex. We are criminals; we have ruined God’s creation .
It is really very fortunate that for the future of humanity there are
some selfless people who will carry spiritual values into the future.It may be
only a drop in the ocean of humanity. But it is also important – like one seed
must remain to create another plant which will give hundreds of seeds from
which will come a garden, from which will come a forest. If that seed is lost,
humanity is lost. Humanity has no hope after that. No farmer keeps seeds safe under lock and
key. They have to be thrown, scattered, sown everywhere, so that they will
grow; and from each seed you get a hundred thousand seeds – that is how we are
fed. That is nature’s bounty .We as human beings must think of it as our duty to pass on this
divine heritage and also scatter it wide. We need to sow without expectation
of the result .“Service without
servitude.” We serve without being servants. Thus selfless service is of
paramount importance. What is better than to die in His service?”
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PARAMETERS OF
SPIRITUAL GROWTH
Can you love others ?
Can you feel oneness with
others ?
Have you peace with
yourself ?
Do you radiate this peace
around you ?
What we focus on grows. Our Sadguru focuses on the rock foundation of selfless love.
Slowly and gradually every thing is
done. Spiritual advancement too takes
patient endeavor.
Let us evolve from good to better.
The
essence of all morality is to do good to others. Religion
unites .It never divides. Let us live in
harmony. He who sees every one in himself
and himself in every one thus sees the same God living in
all.
Whom ever you hurt – you hurt yourself
as they are all you. Whether you know it
or not ,through all hands you work through all feet you move. You are
the king enjoying in the palace and the beggar leading that miserable existence in the street. You are in the
ignorant and in the learned . You are in
the man who is weak and you are in the
strong . Know this and be sympathetic . That is why we must not hurt
others. I should not care what becomes of me - for the whole universe is me. I am enjoying
all the bliss all the time .What is the gain ? It is strength ; fearlessness.
A Jnani does not send out thoughts and words
of weakness unto humanity. All sins and evils are in fact a weakness. It is
weakness that is the motive power in all evil doing. It is weakness that is the
source of all selfishness. It is
weakness that makes men injure others. The one who knows the secret that he is
Brahman gets what he desires.
Believe in yourself first
. You become stronger. . Our Sadguru has let out this secret. It has come down
to the daily , every day life of the people . So , children of Nirankari
Mission - do not sit idle . Awake , Arise
and stop not until the goal is reached. Let our Sadguru’s teachings permeate
the whole world till they have become the common property of every body ; till
they have become part and parcel of our lives. We can practice selfless, unrestricted and unconditional
love only when we know the truth that
the same Lord is present every where.
If you want to help others
your little self must go .as “You cannot serve God and Mammon at the same time
”. Throw away every thing – even your
own salvation and go and help others. Be
perfectly sincere . Be a man of character and steadiness Be rational and
religious at the same time. Do practical work.
Let us in this very life
conquer relative existence .Let our
minds be firmly fixed on the sameness of every thing. – for God is pure and the
same to all. Let us live in God.
Think globally but act
locally :
Human life is an
opportunity to awaken ourselves out of
dream of illusion and realize the fact that my existence is false and that I do
not exist is true. Then the spark becomes part of the flame. The drop’s journey
comes to an end after it is immersed in the ocean. The darkness of ignorance
vanishes . Life becomes as clean , pure
and sublime as Divinity itself.
-----
LOVE- DIVINE POWER WITHIN
"Love
is a creative force a magic formula .”
It is said that God is Love. The whole of this Universe is, thus, the product
of love. It is the creation of love; it depends upon love. Now if you love
someone or something, your love for that is whole. The more one contemplates on
love and its significance, the more one gets enamoured of it, so much so that
one cannot think of anything but God.
Immersion
in the love of God brings about a radical change in man’s personality and
outlook. His surrender to the Supreme Lord is total; for him pain and pleasure
are both God - willed; he will in the will of God; his consciousness is replete
with sweet emotion. Now the worldly odds are no stumbling block to him.
Maulana
Rumi says: A true lover perceives the Unknown and those who are not in love,
are deaf and dumb and die in that state.One derives joy from the one whom he is
inclined to. "To love God’s people by knowing Him is the best religion.
Everything glitters with God’s spark. Through God knowledge received from
our Babaji our heart has changed. We are no longer selfish; We are no longer
arrogant; We are no longer proud; We are no longer acquisitive; We are no
longer suspicious.
Love begets love. Love
of God cannot exist as a monologue; it is a dialogue, a very harmonious
dialogue. Freedom and love go together. Love is not a reaction. If I love you
because you love me, that is mere trade, a thing to be bought in the market; it
is not love. To love is not to ask anything in return, not even to feel that
you are giving something- and it is only such love that knows freedom.
Love
is its highest realm. Benevolence is the hallmark of life. Where there is no
benevolence, it is not life but death that reigns.. When a tree withers, we
can’t expect any flower or fruit from it. Once extinguished, the fire emits no
heat, because it is dead. There is nothing more precious than love to give.
Love is life. God is all love. His love is eternal. This is a fundamental
truth. It is the love of the benevolent God, which is the essence of all
creation.
The
Holy Quran says: "And He is the
Most forgiving, the loving."
Learn to be Compassionate :It is time to
introspect. As disciples, we have been entrusted with the duty to heal the
wounds of the society by love and dedication. For the Humanist, . . . head and
heart . . . must function together. . Both united form the noblest character
and lay the surest foundation of usefulness to mankind.
“If
we are to have peace on earth, our loyalties . . . must transcend our race, our
tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world
perspective." Martin Luther King Jr.
Trying to make the world a better place consist in doing
justice, loving mercy, and endeavoring to make our fellow-creatures happy. The
only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and
found how to serve. The way to be happy is to help make others so. The day the
power of love overrules the love of power, the world will know peace.
Love for all that is contained in creation. Thus slowly, as love matures, it must widen in scope until ultimately it envelops the entire universe within its sublime embrace. Love alone can act, breaking the barriers of space and time. Love doesn't exist where sacrifice doesn't exist. We love Him so that we may love ourselves.
Love for all that is contained in creation. Thus slowly, as love matures, it must widen in scope until ultimately it envelops the entire universe within its sublime embrace. Love alone can act, breaking the barriers of space and time. Love doesn't exist where sacrifice doesn't exist. We love Him so that we may love ourselves.
We need to love without restraint; love without suspicion; love
without any expectation of something in return. Because in love there is
nothing to return, there is only one way:
give, give. Like the sun. the sun is giving it will continue to live for
millions of years. And that is our existence. When love comes it is God who
comes to us. It may be in a human form. It may be in the form of an animal
which comes to you and rubs against you but love is always love. Love is always
growth-oriented. Love is always rare. And when it comes, don’t refuse it
because you may never find it again. We have the divine presence in the heart
without which we cannot exist, there
cannot be a name or a form for God, there is only a presence.
We have come here to become something. Everything that we do
must help us to become That which we have to become. And if we have advanced
even one step on that path, it is a big step because we are in the right
direction. It is like a tiny stream
becoming a spring, becoming a river, becoming a flood .The Mission exists to
serve people. One single principle must
prevail in our satsanghs, in our assemblies — brotherhood. . We need to see
brothers and sisters living with love, friendship, harmony."
This is our duty as human beings.
Let us be aware of the fact that all
our differences only unite us. We are humans — a single category of existence.
As humans we must live. As humans we are going to die. As humans we must be
brothers, friends, supporters, loving each other in harmony always, which will
automatically remove differences and make us really one, by heart.
Now we are only politically one or geographically one. But we belong all to humanity. We are all human beings. A doctor is a human being. A beggar on the street is also a human being. So when we emphasize these differences, we hurt not the other person, but we hurt ourselves. It is in sharing, it is in caring that we manifest our humanity the most.
Now we are only politically one or geographically one. But we belong all to humanity. We are all human beings. A doctor is a human being. A beggar on the street is also a human being. So when we emphasize these differences, we hurt not the other person, but we hurt ourselves. It is in sharing, it is in caring that we manifest our humanity the most.
Devoid of love, the harp of soul remains bereft of the divine
symphony. It is likened to a bed of flowers in full bloom withering for want of
water. Love is the essence, which permeates the whole creation. Love is the
real life force behind all beauty and evolution of the whole nature. It is through
love that the soul blooms. Love, at its climax manifests in the form of
spiritual subtlety, light, beauty, and force. To sum up, love is that basic
element which exists in every form of the creation. Love is synonym of life. It
seeks to manifest itself in all expressions of life.
I am the Decisive
Element :
I promise to be a
good person.
I promise to believe in myself.
I promise to enjoy every day.
I promise to make this world a better place.
I promise to enjoy every day.
I promise to make this world a better place.
It is my personal
approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather.
I possess tremendous
power to make a life miserable or joyous.
I can be a tool of
torture or an instrument of inspiration.
I can humiliate or
humor, hurt or heal.
In all situations, it
is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated.
I am only one, but
still I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can still do something; and
because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I
can do.
--------
HUMANISM – FREEDOM FROM BONDAGE
The greatest misfortune of man is that he is in bondage. The
cause of his bondage is that he is attached to the world and its pleasures. He
is busy in accumulating wealth and making gains in one field or the other. His
kith and kin, his assets, his reputation, his talents, are everything for him.
He does not care to know his real self and final abode. He is engrossed in
worldly affairs, and misses the golden opportunity of realizing God to enjoy
bliss and happiness.
Our Sadguru Babaji awakens
man from the slumber of ignorance. He cautions us not to regard the
creation as more important than the Creator. We forget that books containing
prescriptions are not more important than a physician. While making use of the
material creation, we should not forget the Creator. We should strive not only
for transitory happiness of the material creation but realise and identify
ourselves with the Supreme Creator to
experience abiding peace, bliss and happiness. When the creation
itself is so vast and alluring, how much more vast and charming its
creator would be?
We need to free ourselves
from social conditioning. Man is the
cause, and man is the solution. Man must live in harmony not just with nature
but also with his own nature. Instead of
mutual exploitation, there must be mutual love. A lot of work needs to be done,
but there is a solution.
The True Master imparts God-knowledge and by realising God, one
becomes one with God, Then ‘Maya’ (the creation) which is an illusion is shattered,
while God alone abides -God here, God there and God everywhere.
God-remembrance, God-glorification and fellowship of the enlightened are the
source of perennial peace, bliss and happiness. This results in freedom from
bondage.
Thus the true purpose of human life is to think beyond the
animalistic way of eating, sleeping, mating and defending and engage the higher
intelligence to revive the lost relationship with God.If we give up these two—remembering the past and planning for
the future—along with correct understanding, we can experience eternal peace. The
one who is free from the sense of “my-ness,” has no agitation. If one performs
all of one’s obligatory duties and stays away from prohibited actions, then one
is never agitated. For one who follows the path of dharma, there is no fear.
"No life is an island in itself." We
are part of an immense web of existence. Whatever affects one directly affects
all indirectly. In a real sense, all life is interrelated. This mutual
interdependence must be nurtured, nourished, and respected. We need to help
each other by loving each other -
instead of destroying each other by hating each other. Divine grace is flowing
all the time everywhere. So we have to learn to trust, to learn to depend on
others, to learn to give ,cultivate right faith, right cognition and right
morals. Life should be pregnant with high morals.
Spirituality is universal in its application.
It leads to inner transformation in man .Through individual spiritual growth,
each aspirant becomes an element of a global change on the path toward
universal brotherhood. We have a dual duty: one to ourselves, one to our
society. Mankind is one, humanity is one. The ultimate goal is human flourishing;
making life better for all humans. We all want a peaceful
mind, peaceful relationships, and a peaceful world. For when we are at peace we
feel happy and content. The focus is on doing good and
living well here and now, and leaving
the world a better place for those who come after.
As a bird needs two wings to fly, so a human being needs the two
wings of existence, the spiritual and the material, to lead a natural and
harmonious life. No power on earth can possibly realise the slogans of world
peace and human brotherhood unless relation between man and man become smooth
and sweet . Human beings stand completely divided. We create divisions. God did not create Australia. God did not create
India - He created. We are dividing it into bits and pieces.. As a
result, there is no mutual love. Absence
of love is the root cause of shocking crash of human values, resulting in
global tension. Man unto man is a wolf!
All men and nations need
to develop the spirit of mutual tolerance adopting the golden rule of "Live and let
live." God does ask men to ‘be
still’. To them He says, ‘Still thy words. Still thy prejudices . Still they
preconceived opinions. For a moment, still thy pride, thy arrogance, thy
rebellion, and I will speak with thee.'
"We, who were supposed to overcome the world, have been overcome by
the world." Even Pope Paul II has admitted that "We are divided, but
I do not know why".
In fact peace is our own true nature . . All
our struggles in life are only to get back to our natural state of
peacefulness. Let us rediscover this
eternal source of peace and happiness within. The life of peace begins in our
own minds. From a peaceful mind, 11. 11.
happiness radiates and all our
interactions become positive and dynamic. Oneness and peace are our inherent
nature and outward differences are only superfluous.
When individual peace is attained, peacefulness expands to envelop the entire
universe. Dignity and compassion should be the basis for how we act toward
others. The maxim of loving kindness in Confucianism is: Do not unto others
what you would not have them do unto you.
Unity in diversity is the
plan of the universe .Realization of the spiritual unity of humankind begins
with ourselves. We may not be able to change the whole world but we can change
ourselves It is an effect, and we are the means. Therefore let us purify
ourselves. Let us make ourselves perfect . Unless we begin to see God within,
we will never see God without. Again, unless we see God in the hearts of all
beings, we will never see God inside ourselves. To serve the less fortunate and
think of their well being is a sacred duty of all human beings. This is the
basis of all ethics and morality. When we discover the Self and look upon every
being as the embodiment of that Self, we attain the goal of life .
God knowledge is thus
the only medium which can lead us towards our goal of Human unity, peaceful
co-existence and achieving Universal Brotherhood . As inside, we are all the
same. It is only the covering that is different. In short, our ultimate goal
should be the 'Ultimate' Himself. So, let us accept and adopt ‘humanity’
as our religion, Universal
Brotherhood and freedom from
bondage is then an achievable goal.
---
FACET OT HUMANITY - RIGHTATTITUDE
By
changing our mental attitude we can transform sorrow into joy and failures into
success; we can cheerfully face obstacles and surmount difficulties that come
in our way. All that is needed is to bring about a change in our mental
attitude: to think positively. Unless the inner changes, the outer can never be perfect.
Tolerance is the towering virtue. It increases insight.
and
makes you more human, more compassionate, more understanding. If
we harbour unforgiveness for others,
we’ll be unable to receive God’s forgiveness for ourselves. Bible: If we so not
forgive others, it blocks the flow of our own forgiveness. Whoever sows
sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap
generously. We are intolerant of others and judge them without giving it a
second thought . If you are always judging others,
there will be no time to love others.
Our mind functions in 'either/or' way: either this can be right
or its opposite can be right. Both together cannot be right -- as far as mind,
its logic, its rationality is concerned. If mind is 'either/or' then the heart
is 'both/and.' The heart has no logic, but a sensitivity, a perceptivity"
The heart knows nothing of the past, nothing of the future; it knows only of
the present. The heart has no time concept. We all cling to the past, and
because we cling to the past we become unavailable to the present. In this
world the greatest courage is to drop the mind aside. The bravest man is who
can see the world without the barrier of the mind, just as it is. It is
tremendously different, utterly beautiful. There is nobody who is inferior and
there is nobody who is superior -- there are no distinctions. . No-mind is
clarity, purity, innocence. No-mind is the real way to live, the real way to
know, the real way to be. "Out of that aloneness - the experience of God.
The whole world is a cyclone. But once you have found the center the cyclone disappears. This nothingness is the ultimate peak of consciousness. Your innermost core has always been pure. Purity is intrinsic to you, it cannot be taken away. Your virginity is eternal. You cannot lose it, there is no way to lose it. You can only forget about it or you can remember it. If you forget about it, you live in confusion. If you remember about it, all is clear. He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings, and all beings in his own Self, and looks on everything with an impartial eye.
Attitude shows depth we must
eradicate spiritual ignorance to treat all our social ills. . It is the vision
that makes all the difference. A narrow vision is divisive, a broad vision is
expansive, but a spiritual vision is all inclusive. Human characteristics
are determined by a combination of nature and nurture. That is to say that we
gain characteristics from our families and we are also affected by our
upbringing and our surroundings. So satsang is important.
Man lacks perception of the benefits of spiritual advancement
and assigns exaggerated importance to the temporal and material goals of human
life. Man abandons his pursuit before it has had time to mature into a
result-yielding situation. Even rice takes time to cook. When we are churning
for butter, we must remember that it takes some time for the butter to rise.
The butter does not form bit by bit, so that we can see it forming, and can go
on with the job of churning. It rises all together, so that at one moment there
was no butter, and at the next there is a vessel full of butter. If one did not
have the patience to wait for it, one could have abandoned the effort just a
moment before the successful completion of the task. . One Who Dives Deep Gets the Pearls . Faith is a very necessary
ingredient.
A perfect man is supposed to be like a
coconut. The outside remains the same, but the inner coconut has dried and
shrunk and is free of the surroundings. Similarly a spiritually perfect man -
his heart is in the body but not of the body. It should not have any attachment
with the body.
If society is to be transformed, the
individuals must first be transformed . If we want external harmony, we must
work upon ourselves to bring about inner harmony within. Create within, what
you desire to have in the external world. Therefore self-transformation holds
the key to social transformation, whether at the level of the small village or
of the whole world.
"Integrate yourself. Allow Your
Light to Show. Change in behaviour, in attitude, in the softening of the
character, in the softening in ways of speech, mutual relationships indicate
that love is pervasive, that love is now ruling in our hearts, “Inner change
must reflect in outer change.” Like the Christmas song says, "Be good for
goodness sake. "We cannot always oblige, but we can always speak
obligingly.
In the Bible there is the example of a bucket
which goes again and again into the well and comes out empty, which means the
bucket has a hole in it; nothing comes out. If God could speak to us, He would
say, “You are my children, and you are wandering on the face of the earth again
and again, lifetime after lifetime. Why? You know your home. Your original home
is here. Should you not be in a hurry to get to Me, back to your spiritual
destination, your original home?”
Man must first humanize himself before attempting to divinize
himself”. So it is not enough to be a human, it is necessary to be conscious. ,
to culminate in the ultimate achievement of total divinization. Don’t try to
add years to your life, add life to your years. Our attitude reveals both our altitude and depth.
Our lives have to become progressively
more simple and more dependent on the outside world. We have to
keep our heart always open, never shut. Maintain tranquility – be in tune with
nature. Let us first dedicate ourselves
to our own spiritual evolution so that we may become fit to help others by
offering them this spiritual evolution.
------
CONTEMPLATION STRENGTHENS HUMANISM
Contemplation
is nothing but trying to renew that contact which ever was and shall be within
me. We are not creating divinity. We are not bringing in new divinity. We are
trying to awaken that divinity within us. Contemplation is thus an instrument for the purification of the mind
and its preparation for communion with the Ultimate. So it is a means to an
end, not an end in itself.
It
is not enough to be a human, it is necessary to be conscious. Consciousness is a state of being; a state of peace and clarity
that you will have to experience for yourself in order to fully understand. Meditation is the only and sole method of
self-realization.
Spiritual
practice must begin with the heart. The state of remembrance should continue
steadfast. And one special benefit that accrues is that the creation of samskaras
(impressions) ceases. Retaining the remembrance of God at all times engenders
in us a deep attachment to the Divine and leads to the state in which love for
Him develops and overflows. Gradually through this, devotion attains its full
form. Through thinking of the Divine, devotion and love develop. Let us get so
deeply involved in the thought of 'This', that no thought arises at all of
'That'.
"Meditation will bring us sensitivity, a great sense of belonging to
the world. It is our world - the stars are ours, and we are not foreigners
here. We are part of it, we are the heart of it. And this sensitivity will
create new friendships for you - friendships with trees, with birds, with
animals, with mountains, with rivers, with oceans, with stars. Life becomes
richer as love grow.
Meditation is complete absorption within. It is the transformation of
thinking for the restoration of one’s well being. Meditate enables us to
explore the interior regions of our being; uplifts us from the quagmire of
baser instincts, passions and mean mental tendencies; gives us mental
resilience and strength; clears our mind of its dirt; broadens our views and
vision; turns us inward and, above all, it makes us master of our body and mind
.
Says Milton:
"He who reigns within himself and rules passions, desires and fears,
is more than a king".
Here
is the story of a firewood cutter who goes into the jungle every day, cuts his
load of firewood, and comes back. That is his sustenance, that is his
wherewithal. One day, it was getting a little later because he had taken a
little extra load of firewood, and he heard the pit-pat of feet following him.
He walked faster and they fell faster. He ran and they ran. Finally when he was
too tired to move, he just fell in exhaustion, and looked around and saw a
luminous figure standing. The figure replied, "I am God." He said,
"Where have you been? I have been looking for you all these years of my
life." He said, "My son, I was always just behind you. I have been
following you throughout your existence but you never recognized me. You never
looked for me."
So
you see, we don't have to look for God. We don't have to search for God. We
have to do something to feel His
presence. Feeling means silence. All the organs of perception brought to a
stillness. Remove doubts and develop
confidence in yourself, you will succeed in all your pursuits .
An ordinary man has within him the same power
and the same soul- force that a saint has. The only difference between them is
that the sage has torn off the covering round his soul while the other is just
like a silkworm in the cocoon. We need to be simple and in tune with nature.
We have to
use the mind itself to regulate the mind, and make it a perfect instrument by
working upon itself. Know that when it is regulated, it becomes a perfect
instrument in your hands.
We use the mind to educate the mind itself, to train the mind itself. It is in
the mind that everything originates — first as a thought, then as an action .
Meditation itself is a process which prepares us to receive the grace of the
Almighty through preparation of the mind, conditioning of the mind, regulation
of the mind, because the mind is the most potent thing that we have. The mind
either ruins us or the mind makes us.
Conquest of the mind is the conquest of the world.
We are creators of our reality . Man’s duty is to act and
perform true actions by resolutely turning the mind away from antagonistic
forces.
A saint or a Mahatma is not in any way
different from an ordinary worldly man, except that his mind and senses are in
a well-disciplined state and wholly under his control. When you water grass, weeds are also watered. Therefore comes
the need for cleaning. That which is not necessary has to be removed.
We know that the mind is always vaporous, swerving and wavering.
So, it is not that easy to discipline it. We should meditate to open a dialogue
with our mind to take it in good confidence. This we can do through the following
ways:
(i) We should constantly impress on the mind that it is not to be swayed
by senses, not to be taken in by sensual and mundane pursuits and not to be
instigated by the gust of passions, impulses and instincts.
(ii) We should always bear in mind that greed, jealousy, hatred, anger,
lust, are man-eaters. We should incessantly strengthen our mind to conquer
these man-eaters with the sword of discrimination.
(iii) In moments of anxiety and fear, we should make our mind hope for
the best prepared for the worst.
(iv) We should always impress upon the mind that it has tremendous power
to turn sour into sweet, defeat into the victory and lowest into highest.
(v) We should constantly bear in mind that there is inner beauty within
us. We should make proper use of our mind to bring this beauty out through
thoughts words and deeds.
(vi)In moments of anger, anxiety and despair we should not allow the mind
to react. Instead, we should pacify it with the help of discrimination,
determination and self-direction.
(vii)We should always fix our mind on beauty and truth of life.
(viii)We should avoid useless talks, wishful thinking, daydreaming and
live realistically.
(ix)We should learn to be cheerful and take everything, sweet or sour,
with a smile.
(x)We should always have the faith that all is not worst and the worst is
not to last forever. The best is ahead and we have to achieve it.
(xi)We should practice renunciation, which means to give up the meanness
of mind to attain the greatness of soul.
(xii)We should introspect daily to find our own errors and repair them.
(xiii)We should minimise desires, for they weaken us within.
(xiv)We should never react impulsively to what others say.
To sum up, mind is our constant companion in all affairs and ventures of
our life. Our defeats and victories, our sorrows and joys, our meanness and
greatness, our hopes and frustrations, our passions and patience, our
sensuality and sensibility, are all due to our mind. It is mind that makes a
heaven of hell; a hell of heaven. If we want to live in peace, there is a
pressing need to master our mind. This we can do through meditation. Conquest
of the mind is the conquest of the world.
---
BEACON OF HOPE
What the teacher is – is
more than what he teaches.
THEMSELVES HAVING CROSSED THEY
HELP OTHERS TO RISE.
The Satguru brings a new
vision of truth and uplifts the consciousness level of all mankind by restating
the context of divinity as the source of life ever-lasting.
When the raging storms of
life rush in , bringing darkness ,when the dream fades and despair takes its
place , then like a faithful lighthouse
the Sadguru stands like a ray to
show the way. Sadguru by his actions and words inspires us to aim more , learn
more , do more and become more.
THANKS TO THEE :
Our Sadguru His Holiness
Hardev Singh Ji Maharaj has opened the gateless gate. He has stated that
flowering of human consciousness is pure
or true religiousness. He has made us experience and witness the ever present
grand harmony and grand oneness. .Sadguru teaches us how to live , how to live in awareness , how to be
blissful here . He thus liberates us. He has made us conscious of our true
reality .
His Holiness brings to humanity health , happiness and
prosperity .He has trained us in the art of love , devotion , dedication and
selfless service. He trains human
intelligence , teaches people true art of thinking ..teaches how to contact
higher values and higher spheres of joy and wisdom , teaches human beings how to see beauty , and to spread beauty , how to
cultivate goodness , and how to achieve wisdom in action and thought. He
teaches the joy of service and influences human progress .He teaches how to
attain pure freedom and how to contact
infinity .To fight against those forces that try to obsess , possess or enslave people he asks us to adopt love , selfless service and self discipline . . He
has enlightened the human race with true knowledge and awareness and made us
view life in the right perspective .He made us understand that God can not be
complicated. God is simple and simple is divine.
WHAT THE MISSION GAVE ME ?
Our Mission’s view is that
man does not lose His vision.
Our Mission’s goals are
global liberation ,universal brotherhood, peace and unity .The Mission strives to
create cooperation , understanding , unity and synthesis on an ever – expanding
scale . The sole aim of the Mission is to impart
the knowledge of Nirankar (The Formless God) to the seekers' soul."
One has to feel himself as one with whole human family and love the
mankind.
Never to be possessed by pride because of enlightenment.
"Hath kar wal, te dil yaar wal", which simply means
that while worldly responsibilities are being carried out using the body, the mind of devotees must remain connected with
Nirankar.
"Mission in
Action". Its message of human
unity, equality and fraternity based on spiritual awakening finds a fine
expression. People from all shades and layers of society assemble at one place
forgetting their social, economic or financial status. The mammoth gathering
presents a view of unity in diversity, and mutual love, respect and
understanding. Humility marks the conduct of every devotee participating in the
Samagam so much so that one is found touching the feet of the other
irrespective of the age, sex or the status.
An enlightened person , ie the one with God
knowledge is constantly engaged in constructive and creative work .He easily
merges with Nature .
-----
‘ Why ’ Questions – their answers
Every one is God’s creature , although in
different bodies and dresses. God is the
one supreme father. Real educations
enables us to understand what we are. As
long as man does not develop his consciousness by understanding the truth of
the Self, all his actions will be performed in the mode of ignorance. A human
life is meant for victory over the Laws of material nature. The ultimate
victory is to conquer birth, death, disease
and old age , but we have neglected this important path. We are spirit soul (aham brahmasmi ) . This is
realization of knowledge, and when we come to this point of knowledge, we
become happy.
“ He who is transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme
Brahman. He never laments nor desires anything. He is equally disposed to all living
entities, and in that state he achieves pure devotional service unto Me ” ( B.Gita 18.54 ) . One immediately becomes jolly ( prasannaatma ) when he comes to understand , ‘I am spirit soul
. I am Brahman . I am not this matter ’ .
The sign of this joy is that one no longer feels hankering for that
which must be gained and lamentation for what is lost. The real gain is to understand oneself and to know one’s own identity.
By atonement one can become free from sinful
activity, but suppose a
man has committed murder and then is killed , the
sinful reaction of his murder is neutralized , but it is not guaranteed that in
his next life he will not kill another man .’’After atoning people commit the
same sins again .If a man is diseased , the physician may give him medicine and
cure him ,but it does not guarantee that he will not be attacked again by the
same disease. Venereal diseases are often contacted again and again , despite
cures , and a thief may steal again and again , despite being repeatedly thrown into jail .
Repetitive
sinning and atonement is nothing
but a waste of time. An elephant cleanses its body thoroughly in a lake. But as soon as he comes on to the shore
, he takes dust and throws it all over his
body and immediately he becomes dirty again. Similarly , although one may cleanse himself
in the process of atonement , if he again commits the same sinful acts , what
is the use ?
How can one
ultimately become free from all
contaminations brought about by the material
modes of nature ? If one cannot achieve liberation , what is the use of
atonement ?
Merely counteracting karma, fruitive activities ,
by other activities cannot bring one’s miseries to a final end. For example , the United Nations is
attempting to establish peace in the world ,
but they cannot stop war . War breaks out again and again .The actual
goal is to stop war , but that cannot be
done. By one action , war is created and
by another action war is stopped for the time being , but again at the next opportunity there is
another war. The cycle of sinful
acts and atonement is like that. What we
actually want is to be free from suffering and war but that does not happen.
These troubles happen due to ignorance. Real atonement is performed in
Knowledge. Why is there fighting and why
are there miseries ? Unless these ‘ Why
‘ questions arise in one’s mind ,
one is not fulfilling the proper
function of human life ( Kena Upanishad ) . These questions must arise :
Why am I suffering ?
Where from have I come ?
What is my constitutional position ? Where shall I
go after death ?
Why am I
put into a miserable form of life ?
Why are there births, deaths , old age and
diseases ?
How can
these questions be solved ? If one wants
to actually stop diseased life , he must
follow a regulative principle .
As the best medicine is not effective without
practicing prescribed precautions and no task can be carried out without the
practical actions.
If a person does not follow the program given by
the physician to cure his disease , he cannot be cured. Similarly ,if one does not think or act wisely
,as vedic knowledge prescribes , how can he solve the problems of life ? Simply
by atonement there may be a temporary suppression of difficulties , but they
will arise again.
In our material life we act in a way in which we are forced
to commit sins and suffer as a result. If we want to stop this cycle of suffering and victimization , we have to
advance in knowledge. One has to elevate
himself to the platform of knowledge.
The first step is acceptance of austerity. If a doctor advices a
diabetic patient not to eat for a few
days , the patient must voluntarily accept
starvation if he wants to be cured. The ability to do this is good and human
life is meant for this purpose. With out it , one cannot advance in spiritual
life or knowledge. If we simply engage
in the animal propensities of eating , sleeping , mating and defending , not accepting
the austerity process, human life is a failure. Then only can one advance in spiritual
understanding and solve all the problems
of life. This is easily said than done .
It requires a lot of commitment and will power.
Restriction is for humans and not for animals as we humans have an advanced consciousness. If
we do not follow rules , regulations and restrictions then we again lapse into
animalism.
If we want actual freedom from the problems of life, we have to
accept a life of austerity to break the
chains of bondage to material life .
Death is certain . Every one is dying . For no
one can live here permanently . The one
who dies after executing a life of
‘tapasya’ is a ‘brahmana’ *( liberated , broad minded person ) ,and the
one who dies like a cat or dog , without
executing ‘tapasya’ is called a ‘krpana’.
(miser ) . One who knows the Supreme , the Absolute Truth is a Brahmana , but one who does not know is an animal.
This is the difference between animal and man .
Man to deserve this name should be educated to understand the Absolute Truth. Because human life is meant for knowledge.
The processes of eating, sleeping , mating and defending need not be taught
,for they are learned instinctively . Human life is obviously meant for more. It is meant for acquiring knowledge. We need to thus advance in pure life.
Similarly , advancement can be made through Charity properly directed. That is called Renunciation. If one has a million dollars , he should not
keep it , but , as long as it is within his
jurisdiction , he should spend it
as God’s money. Money or energy is
properly utilized when there is an awareness that it emanates from God.
As soon as one quits his body , all his monetary
resources and every thing else that he has collected in connection with his
body is finished , for the spirit soul transmigrates to another body , and one does not know where the money which
he has earned in his previous birth is being kept or how it is being spent. In his next life , he had no claim over it. Therefore, as long as it is in his hand
, it is better to spend it for a good
purpose . Moreover he gets good in return.
Bhagavad Gita explains that there are three kinds
of charity – charity in the mode of goodness , passion and ignorance.
In Bhagavad
Gita , Krishna says ,”I envy no one ,
nor am I partial to any one. I am equal to all. But who ever renders service unto me in
devotion is a friend , is in Me , and I am also
a friend to him “ ( BG: 9.29 )
If one who has something is not God conscious
, it is to be understood that he has
stolen god’s property. If one comes to real knowledge , he will realize that if we do not understand God , whose property we are using, then whatever we
possess is stolen property.
For instance , if one earns a great deal of money
but tries to hide it to avoid paying income tax, the government considers him
to be a criminal. He must pay the tax
or risk imprisonment. Similarly, in the higher sense , every thing we have is God’s and it must be utilized according to His
desires. We may wish to construct a
building , but where do we get the stone, wood and earth that the construction
requires ? We cannot artificially
produce the wood . It is God’s property. We cannot produce the metal . We must take
it from the mine , which is also God’s property. The earth and the bricks which are made from it are also God’s. We simply give
our labor , but that labor is also God’s property. We work with our hands, but they are not our
hands but God’s , for when the power to use the hand is withdrawn by God , the
hand becomes useless. We should use this
great opportunity , human life , to understand all these points which are
mentioned in the authoritative books of Vedic knowledge like Srimad Bhagavatam
and Bhagavad Gita . In the Bhagavatam ,
Suka deva Goswami declares that real atonement necessitates thoughtfulness , sobriety
and contemplation. One must consider whether he is the body or whether he is
transcendental to the body, and one must try to know what God is. We should not be frivolous or waste time.
Spiritual life is about understanding higher knowledge. When one comes to the platform of elevated
knowledge , he attains equi vision. One
who is very highly learned does not distinguish
between a learned scholar , a brahmana, an elephant , a dog and a cow.
This vision enables him to see
them all equally. This is made
possible as he now sees not the body but the
soul , the spiritual spark (Brahman ) . He thinks , “ Here is a dog ,
but it is also a living entity . By his past karmas he has become a dog. And the learned scholar is also a living
spark , but he has taken good birth because of his past karma”. When
one comes to that position , he does not see the body , but the spiritual spark
, and he does not distinguish between
one living entity and the other.
Every
thing animate or inanimate that is
within the universe is controlled and
owned by the Lord God . One should
therefore accept only those
things necessary for himself , which are set aside as his quota, and one must
not accept other things , knowing well to whom they belong.
Since every thing is the property of the Supreme
Lord , one can only enjoy what is
allotted to him by the Lord . One cannot touch another’s property . One should
use whatever God allots to him and live comfortably .
We have to elevate our consciousness.
Charity is within everyone’s heart.
But we do not know how to make the best use of it. What ever we spend in
terms of energy should be for God , for
it all belongs to Him. By spending for
Him, one will not be a loser.
Thus as everything belongs to Him , but if we
offer every thing to Him ,we will be
elevated. This is a sublime and proven way for advancement in pure life.
Similarly, one cannot gain saints’ blessings till
he does not have respect in the heart. Likewise
God knowledge (Brahmgyan) cannot stay in the heart unless one has absolute faith in the True
Lord Master (Satguru). God realization is possible only with the blessings of
the True Master and cannot be attained without HIS (Satguru) grace. Moreover,
the instability of mind cannot be stopped without the divine knowledge.
.....
SPIRITUAL DRIZZLE
1 Man
must first humanize himself before attempting to divinize
himself”.
2 “The road to spiritual paradise was not as
comfortable and alluring as
the world to religious paradise .
But it has shown itself reliable and I
have never regretted having chosen
it “Albert Einstein
3. “
A ray of light from another soul touched the darkness of my mind
and I found myself ….. and broke through the darkness, silent
imprisonment which held me. ”
4 “At
the end of the day it is not what I have learned but what I taught ,
not
what I got but what I gave ; not what I
did but what I helped another achieve that will make all the difference in some
one’s life and mine.”
5 “Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already
mastered , you will not grow.”
6 The
best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of
Others. Mahatma
Gandhi
7 “The
only ones among you who will really be happy
are those who
will have sought and found how to
serve others ”. Albert Sweitzer.
8
“All the world is a stage .We are all mere actors . We strut and fume ,
do our part and depart” William Shakespeare
9 In the Bhagavad Gita , Lord Krishna says – “ One who has taken his birth is sure to
die, and after death one is sure to take
birth again . Therefore , in the unavoidable discharge of your duties , you should not lament ”.
10 Spiritual
Health is the root and Physical health is the fruit.
11 “
Man finds himself by losing his self “.
12 Man
reacts to actions and God reacts to intentions..”
13 When
health is lost something is lost ;
When wealth is lost nothing
is lost
When character is lost – every
thing is lost.
14 God is in you , with you , above you , below you
– You are God
15
God is not coming or going . He is always present.
16 No
man ever learned to swim by refusing to get wet .
17
I have separated myself from myself in order to love myself.
18 What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters
compared to what lies
within us.
____
COMPASSION FOR ALL - is serving God
____
COMPASSION FOR ALL - is serving God
Nirankari
Baba Hardev Singh Ji Maharaj says that
Sant Nirankari Mission stands for perception of all pervading God resulting in
love , mercy and compassion for everybody in the world .
With
his message , “ Life gets a meaning , if it is lived for others” Baba ji has been
preaching us to adopt compassion , goodwill , love and truth and pray for the
welfare of all.
The
Mission under his divine leadership , has been propagating that human soul is essentially compassionate but it is
enveloped by negativity . But through
God realization and awareness of ‘ oneness ’ we can remove negativity and develop saintly traits and
retain the pristine purity of compassionate soul.
Society
is based on the support system and compassion and love is the very foundation
of human existence.
“None of us is as strong as all of us
together.”
It is
with love , compassion and care that we can develop sense of belongingness for
fellow human beings.
Dalai Lama says : “ When we are motivated
by compassion , the results of our actions benefit not just ourselves but
everyone .” Unfortunately , today we have become selfish and self – centered. We are seeking happiness
in material things and for that we go to the extent of exploiting fellowmen.
‘ Love is a commodity
that never diminishes by dividing it ’. – Nirankari Baba Hardev Singh Ji
All
religions teach man about cultivating love, kindness and compassion.
Jesus Christ embodies the very
essence of compassion and Christianity teaches us to comfort
those in trouble with the comfort we ourselves received from God .
In Islam , mercy and compassion
are foremost divine attributes and Muslims invoke Allah as ‘ Merciful and
Compassionate’ .
In Judaism too God is invoked as the “Father of Compassion ’.
Buddhism describes compassion as
feeling and relieving the pain of others and embracing the distressed.
Sikhism is all about compassion
and forgiveness as it carries a universal message of “ Welfare for All ”.
In Hindu Philosophy , compassion along with charity is one of the key virtues.
Great
saints like Baba Gurubachan Singh
ji
Maharaj have dedicated their lives - preaching and practicing love and compassion.
Nirankaris observe April 24 as Manav Ekta Divas ( Human Unity Day ) to pay heartfelt homage
to martyrs who spent their lives sacrificing for the welfare of mankind , who dedicated their lives to
humanity to the extent of embracing martyrdom.
The
ignorant people have inflicted atrocities on those who have been working to
spread humanism and share love amongst people who are divided and disintegrated
so that they get awakened and all may live together with love.
Let us
tread the path of love and compassion to bring paradise on earth.
----
BE CLEAR AND
PURE
The
whole creation is nothing but a
projection of the mind. The mind alone is responsible for man’s bondage or liberation. The mind is like a parachute . It
functions only when it is open .
When
truth is realized – there is no mind to control.
Purity of mind is the corner stone for spiritual
progress. Spirituality sprouts in a pure mind. When the mind is clear and pure
,spiritual fervor gets stimulation and one starts contemplating on God . .Our
mind is a store house of desires and expectations. Satisfaction of one desire
stimulates the craving for another. Man is always discontented with his present
condition. Craving causes restlessness and sorrow. Contentment leads one
towards spiritual pinnacle.
Acceptance
of one’s financial and health condition as Divine providence is the first step
.Whenever we think that we deserve to
get something better shows that we are not in the present time and spiritual
progress can happen only in the present.. Do not brood over the past or imagine
rosy picture about the future. It is the present alone which matters .
Live
in the present . For instance , if you
leave your house in the morning white robe .As you progress on your journey ,
your white clothes get soiled and become
dirty. In the same way when a child sets
forth on his journey of life – his mind gets dirty with the experiences of
life. When the child instead of staying
in the present ,- is always thinking of the past adds more layers on the stains
of his past by remembering it. The mind which is not in the present is
unstable and weak .Man has to thus increase his life power to have control over
his mind power .This can be achieved through
practice of pleasing speech , harboring good thoughts and
performing actions beneficial to all.
Be
steadfast in the knowledge that you are the soul .Do not identify yourself with
your physical body . Be conscious of your true reality. This enables you to
remain detached to praise or blame. Procrastination( postponement ) is a crime
. Do not put away any task for later as there is no tomorrow
Perseverance
is the key to success . Arise, awake and stop not until the goal is reached.
Once the mind becomes clear and pure , it slowly becomes stronger and powerful
.Such a man is an asset to the society. One
becomes a mature , balanced ,wise and tranquil being . When things go out of control , we do not get
upset .We do not lose inner peace . Our work proceeds unhampered.
So
control your mind. Keep your mind free from greed. This will keep your behavior
right , your mind pure and your words faithful .By always thinking of the transiency of your life
you will be able to resist greed
and anger and will be able to avoid all evils . Do not vainly lament but
realize that nothing is permanent and learn from the emptiness of human life.
****
SAINTS’ DEDICATION TO
HUMANISM
“I say what I see with my own
eyes.” Kabir: To ‘experience’ this divine light is what we
call self-realisation. Guru Nanak Dev experienced this ecstatic bliss., Mira tasted it, Kabir had it and Baba Hardev Singh ji Maharaj delved deep into it.
We don’t have to renounce these worldly
needs and live the life of a stoic. However, we must give a serious thought to
the fact: Were these comforts made for us or were we made for these comforts
alone? As per the very first basic principle of our Mission ,
if we just see all our possessions. Including our physical body and mind, as a
trust from God, we shall not be overly upset as these come and go. . If we keep
on identifying ourselves with the body rather than the soul, this craze for
worldly desires shall never lead us to real happiness.": "What would
be left to you if you are stripped of all your belongings, physical and mental?
Nothing? And, this Nothing is something, which is directly related to all .
"To whom, dear boy do you think you are doing a greater favour: the one
whose desires you satisfy or the one whom you help to eliminate the same."
Mother
Teresa:
“Spread loves everywhere you go. First
of all in your own home. Give love to your children, to your wife or husband, to
a next door neighbour. Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and
happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face,
kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm
greetings."
Once Lord Jesus Christ narrated a
parable- the Parable of the Sower
"A sower went to sow his seed in
his field. As he started sowing, some seeds fell by the way side; and it was
trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
"And some fell upon a rock; and as
soon as it was sprung up, it withered away because it lacked moisture."
"And some fell among thorns; and
thorns sprang with it, and choked it.
"And other fell on good ground,
and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundred fold..."
"And his disciples asked him,
saying, What might this parable be?"
"And he said, Unto you it is given
to know the mysteries of the kingdom
of God
Explaining the true meaning of the
parable and the four types of devotees, Lord Jesus said:
"The seed is the word of
God."
"Those by the way side are they
that hear; then comet the devil, and take away the word out of their hearts,
lest they should believe and be saved."
"They on the rock are they, which,
when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a
while believe, and in time of temptation fall away."
"And that which fall among the
thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with
cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to
perfection."
"But that on the good ground are
they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and
bring forth fruit with patience."
Let us pray to our benevolent Baba Ji
to bless us to be good ground - honest and good hearts and nurse and nurture
the 'seed' (the Word of God or God-knowledge - Gyan) with patience and faith to
bear fruit - spiritual peace, bliss and happiness, so that we may share the
same with mankind.
Sainthood is a passage from ignorance
to self-knowledge, from an outer phenomenal existence - physical, mental and
material - to an inner spiritual existence. A saint passes from the phenomenal
to the real man, the consciousness of the life force behind, his real self -
Atman or the in most man, purusha, which he truly and eternally is. He becomes
aware of a cosmic consciousness- the cosmic divine - the universal Godhead.
He discovers Divine in himself and
reveals Him to himself in all things. He lives in His being, shines with His
light, acts with His power, rejoices in His bliss.. "We come from God and
go back to God,"
A saint always maintains perfect
equanimity and contemplates on the Supreme Lord. He is always by himself, and
eternally in the company of the awakened souls. He does not do anything that is
likely to stigmatize his sainthood or retard his progress towards the still
brighter spiritual illumination. So the discovery of one’s real self and
identification of the self with the Primal Source is sainthood. It is the
actual being and becoming. This upward, God-ward urges always his life; only
then he is considered to live truly or is alive. That Brahma Satyam Jagat Mitya
-God alone is the reality and the entire universe is an appearance and is not
real is clearly understood by a saint.
Lord Jesus Christ laid the first
standard of discipleship as follows”If any one comes to me and does not hate
his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes,
even his own life - he cannot be my disciple." Jesus, the personification
of love, used the word "hate" to get our attention! He meant that our
affection for all other people and things should look like hatred relative to
the magnitude and immensity of love of his disciples towards Him .
The second standard of discipleship
says," Any of you who does not give up everything he had cannot be my
disciple." True disciples do not let anything compete with their Master
for their loyalty and affection.
The third standard of discipleship
says, "Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my
disciple." Most of us will give up something but not everything for our
Master. On the other hand, the True Master gives up everything for his
disciples. To be a disciple is an all or nothing situation. We cannot serve two
masters, Satguru and the world, at the same time. As true disciples, our
devotion should be to the Satguru alone.
These realised souls have already reached the conclusion that this life, this body and these material
benefits are transient. They teach us never to entertain any worldly desires.
These saints explain to us that God’s grace will be showered on us only when we
contract all our desires to the zero level.
Lack of harmony in the world is due to our utter disregard for its primal
source i.e. God. We live and exist simply because of the spark of divinity in
us. And if we realise this, we can in no time achieve balance, equanimity and
contentment. Behind this veil of maddening chaos shrouding our life, an unseen
and invisible pall of serenity, saintliness and contentment does exit.
Regrettably enough, we are hardly conscious and aware of it..
Each one of us wants to be happy but,
sadly enough, we seek happiness in sense-gratification, in the fulfillment of
our desires. That type of happiness is no happiness at all. We tend to forget
the Law of Cause and Effect, which is bound to overtake us ruthlessly if we
just allow our senses to run riot. It is because desire itself indicates want.
For every desire that is fulfilled, there remain ten that are denied. Desire,
thus, is infinite, fulfillment is limited. It so follows that as long as we are
subject to desires, we can never enjoy lasting happiness. True happiness
consists in contentment only. Contentment is no ordinary virtue. Contentment is
divinity personified.
"Santosh",as Saint Kabir called it is singularly unique. All other wealth pale
into insignificance when confronted with this most outstanding heavenly virtue.
True contentment and satisfaction are thus attained only by a saint. A true
devotee merge his personal will into God's Will. self-surrender to God. His
Holiness Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji, calls the contended ones "truly
rich." Swami Ram Tirtha has very beautifully summed up the term "
Contentment" as. "Man minus worldly contents. It is a state of mind
that emanates from within.”
Lord Krishna says:
"One who
seeks happiness within,
His joy within,
this light within,
That saint shall
salvation attain,
And shall ever
live in God's domain."
The worship of one formless ‘Par
Brahma’ that has been spoken of in the ancient Vedas and has been exalted in
the Upanishadas. is ‘Nirankar’ (God Formless) , the one that does not have the
eyes but can visualise, that does not have the ears but can hear, that does not
have the legs but can walk about without any hindrance, the one and unique
unalloyed gnosis and bliss whose knowledge can only be imparted by Satguru of the day by the word of mouth. For as the
Bible says: Word was with God and Word is God. Satguru is God in the human
form, for his Word is Truth and again he is the Son of God, for his Word
reveals the Father (Truth). Thus, he is the meeting point between God Formless
and man in form, through World. Sadguru is in fact - man of the outer sphere, ie, not the man of
this world of forms and phenomenon but is the universal man.
The formless God is the creator of all the worlds and all the
beings who inhabit them. He is one. He
is all love. He is always merciful.
.He is everywhere.
He is nearer than the nearest.. He is farther than the farthest. He is mysterious like the dark night. He is clearer than the sun. He can be propitiated by deeds of goodness, universal love, compassion and selfless service to all beings and Nirankar is His name.
He is nearer than the nearest.. He is farther than the farthest. He is mysterious like the dark night. He is clearer than the sun. He can be propitiated by deeds of goodness, universal love, compassion and selfless service to all beings and Nirankar is His name.
The saints. practice humanism in its true sense. They see
God in humanism. The whole universe is one for them. In reality, humanism is
their religion.
----------
Mental pollution deters
Humanism
Ours is the age of pollution. Pollution
is of various types such as water pollution, air pollution, and noise
pollution. But there is another kind of pollution, too, and this is mental
pollution. Mental pollution is the worst of all pollution, for it shatters the
whole fiber of man’s personality into pieces and makes him suffer from a host
of psychological maladies of thoughts, feelings and actions. Man is the sole
polluter. So he has to cease polluting. We talk big that the human being is at
the pinnacle of evolution. Man will have to ultimately bear the brunt of the
disaster he causes as he is shamelessly using, corrupting, exploiting all the
resources on earth.
Misuse of any faculty is immorality . To waste water ,to waste
food should be considered immoral. So, in a society which is dominated by
greed, avarice and lust, where is the chance of the finer sentiments of human
life which distinguish a human being from being merely a two-legged animal. We
don't consider adulteration of rice an immoral thing. Adding a certain quantity
of broken sand or rock to rice and selling it the ultimate sign of degradation
in a society: adulterating medicines, manufacturing spurious medicines, selling
medicines which are date-expired and should not be used. Today's human being is
worse than a carnivorous animal. At least carnivorous animals kill because they
are created like that. They kill only
to eat. But we kill because we find satisfaction in killing. We acquire because
we find satisfaction in acquiring. Self-aggrandizement — "I don't need but
I acquire." No animal stores dead bodies of cows so that its future is
safe. They kill when they want, finish
it off and that's it. And that kill is shared. A lion kills, a lioness kills,
they eat, their cubs eat, hyenas eat, vultures eat. Human beings don't have
this tendency of taking what you want and leaving the rest for somebody else.
Human life will be safe to continue into the future and to evolve
only if we develop love for others, share with others, think of others first,
never think of ourselves, whether it is for food or self-gratification or for
anything. So you see this core idea of what morality is, what sharing is, what
love is.
Hypocrisy is another impurity, which 'soils' the mind and
obstructs the path of devotion. Under the worldly influence, we are given to
false show and pretence, consciously or unconsciously. In fact, we deceive none
else but ourselves. Once Baba Avtar Singh Ji observed Some devotees do not
attend the congregation when Babaji (Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji) is away on tour.
But as soon as he returns, they stand in the first row with garlands in their
hands to welcome him. The Lord is never pleased with show. He is pleased only
with a true, sincere and longing heart.
Flattery is yet another kind of
impurity that defiles the mind. It is perhaps the greatest human weakness.
Consciously or unconsciously, everyone feels happy when flattered. However, an
awakened being discriminates between praise and flattery. He is neither prone
to nor indulges in flattery. He, however, does not hesitate to praise a person
whenever it is due.
---------
HUMANISM
SPROUTS FROM FAITH
For the singled-minded
purpose of becoming a divinised human being, the firm foundation of unshakable
faith is essential. Where there is faith
there is peace. Faith helps us maintain a mental poise even amidst adversity,
insults and obstacles; when praise or pleasures do not make us either elated or
dejected. In short, our dispassion
towards the world increases.
A short story that
explains the strength of Faith.
There were once two brothers, one of which did not believe or have faith in God, and the other was a great believer in God. One day, the two brothers set out into the woods, but after a short while, they decided to separate from each other. As they continued their journeys alone, the brother who believed in God felt a sharp pain in his foot. He looked down and saw a thorn underneath his foot, which had caused it to bleed. On the other hand, on his brother’s journey, he had found a pot of gold. When both of the brothers arrived home that evening, the brother that hurt his foot questioned God. He said, “Why is it that I believe in you, I have faith in you, I follow your teachings, yet my brother, who does none of these, found a pot of treasure whereas I got hurt?”
As you can imagine, this brother was very upset as he had dedicated his whole life to God. However, God replied, “The thorn that wounded your foot today, contained poison in it and would have killed you, yet I saved you from death.”
Feeling astonished but ashamed, the brother realised that his faith had been blind. He felt guilty that he had ever doubted God.
There were once two brothers, one of which did not believe or have faith in God, and the other was a great believer in God. One day, the two brothers set out into the woods, but after a short while, they decided to separate from each other. As they continued their journeys alone, the brother who believed in God felt a sharp pain in his foot. He looked down and saw a thorn underneath his foot, which had caused it to bleed. On the other hand, on his brother’s journey, he had found a pot of gold. When both of the brothers arrived home that evening, the brother that hurt his foot questioned God. He said, “Why is it that I believe in you, I have faith in you, I follow your teachings, yet my brother, who does none of these, found a pot of treasure whereas I got hurt?”
As you can imagine, this brother was very upset as he had dedicated his whole life to God. However, God replied, “The thorn that wounded your foot today, contained poison in it and would have killed you, yet I saved you from death.”
Feeling astonished but ashamed, the brother realised that his faith had been blind. He felt guilty that he had ever doubted God.
We should have full
faith in Him - faith uninhibited by mental reservation - and submit to His will
for a meaningful life and final salvation. Though invisible, God is a concrete
and cosmic force, unifying the whole universe. "We come from God and go
back to God,"
Those who have faith in
God and follow his teachings, will always be blessed with his love and guidance
throughout their life. After all, we are his children. And as parents love
their children and look after them throughout their life, God does the same but
he also has the ability to change our future, depending on our actions. If we
lead a respectful life and treat others as we wish to be treated, then we will
no doubt receive the same in return. He should be our sole confidant, and we
should at all times draw inspiration from Him for our everyday actions
Faith says,
"Whatever may happen to me, He is with me; and when He is with me, it can
only be for my good." Happiness depends on you .The beauties of heart
are revealed only to that mind that is introverted.
"Blessed are the ones who are pure at
heart, for they shall see God. They are consoled who cry for God", said
Jesus.
.......
Humility
is a crowning , praiseworthy trait. A
saint is an epitome of Humility –
because he realizes that the real doer of all things is God, and he is merely
an instrument. So let us be humble, but not
be humbled. "Knowledge must give us humility.
Why cannot God be seen. Because He absorbs everything and
reflects nothing. Therefore He is able to absorb our prayers.So
those who seek God-realisation if we
want to be like Him, and through Him, to be like God, divinised, we have also
to learn to absorb everything within ourselves. - we have to develop this
capacity to absorb everything that is hurled at us.
Like
the Christmas song says, "Be good for goodness sake. "We cannot
always oblige, but we can always speak obligingly. A Humanist thinks thus
: The world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my
religion.
.........
NEED FOR HUMANISM
There are only two types of people. People of awareness,
and people who are fast asleep. The
whole energy is in the hands of the awakened people. And one awakened person
can awaken the whole world. One lighted candle can make millions of candles
lighted without losing it's light.
If the whole existence is one, and if the
existence goes on taking care of trees, of animals, of mountains, of oceans
-from the smallest blade of grass to the biggest star -- then it will take care
of you too. Why be possessive? The possessiveness of I . ,Mine shows simply one
thing - that you do not trust existence. You thus arrange separate security for
yourself, safety for yourself. There is no need to possess, because the whole
is already ours.
All beings are from the very beginning
Buddhas. It is like water and ice: Apart from water, no ice, outside living
beings, no Buddhas. Not knowing it is near we seek it afar. Looking at a
sunset, just for a second you forget your separateness: you are the sunset. That
is the moment when you feel the beauty of it.A way is there-oriented and
destination is here-oriented." Man needs a new consciousness. The statue
of a Buddha is hidden in you. Right now
you are a rock. By practicing human values, slowly the buddha will emerge.
Man has no fixed purpose, man has no
understanding of the meaning of life, no tranquility, no peace. Man has no
goal. He is blind to the purpose of life and there is chaos and disintegration
in him and hence in the world.
Each
individual needs to become enlightened, become conscious enough so that
nations disappear, religions disappear, races disappear, and we can live as one
humanity, as one earth. This consciousness of one’s true self seems elusive .There are only two mistakes
one can make along the road to truth: 1.) not going all the way; and 2.) not
starting.
Salvation should be
given the first priority in life. Those who regard ‘eat, drink and be merry’
the aims of rare human life, waste it away. Its real aim is union of the soul
with the Over Soul. Union with the Over Soul can be attained only by the grace
of a Spiritual Mentor
Love Begets Love. In the
words of Swami Vivekananda:
It is Love that gives
you the supernatural power, Love that gives you Bhakti (Devotion), Love
that gives illumination and Love again,
that leads to emancipation.
Spirituality can help
parents and children to come closer. The Supreme Lord has bestowed upon man the
intellect, and with this rare faculty the scientists have made their
inventions. Therefore, science is
actually the product of the intellect bestowed by God. Science has provided the
means of comforts and conveniences that man wanted. Yet man is not happy and he
is still in search of peace of mind, The
slogans of world peace and human brotherhood cannot be attained unless relation
between you and I, i.e. man and man become smooth and sweet .Human beings stand
completely divided. They do not even mix up with each other, freely. As a
result, there is no mutual love. In the absence of love, there is no reciprocal
respect. Lack of respect breeds distrust, which ultimately culminates in hatred
and consequent violence all around, alienating man from man. Money has become
the be-all and end-all of human life. Loss of love is, therefore, the root
cause of shocking crash of human values,
resulting in global tension. Man unto man is a wolf! And experience shows that
hatred and violence spread with greater speed than the forces of love and
peace.
The Mission Mission
Multitude of people around the world has been deeply
touched by Babaji’s love and concern for the lost souls. Because of his faith,
determination and tireless efforts, in a spirit of love, countless lives have
been touched.
What is the basic qualification of service to the Mission
To serve the world is to serve God and love all. It is our
duty to be useful to mankind. It is noble to feed men’s bodies but more noble
to feed men’s minds. To render selfless service is to do God’s work. A small
good act for God is better than a large act which mankind regards good.
To inspire oneness in the people with different concepts
and beliefs, oblivious of the intrinsic oneness of humanity, is service to God,
demanding self-surrender. The greatest service to God is to know the true self.
The goal of universal peace and brotherhood would continue to be a mirage
unless all the nations develop the spirit of mutual tolerance and one
community feelings. The modus operandi
of establishing world peace lies in every individual adopting the technique of
constant self-evaluation and the golden rule of "Live and let live."
Self-awakening is
the be-all and end-all of human life. Only the blessings of the True Master,
total surrender of body, mind and soul enables man to attain such a divine
state in which he is one with God Almighty, whose grace maintains and sustains
him, whatever the circumstances may be. The devotee who spreads the message of
the True Master through his practical life, is very dear to him.
Know the one, believe in the One and be one. This is the
basis of spiritual evolution. When there is a perpetual sense of
'Thy-ness' our actions remain free from
the stains of egotism and hence devoid of the karmic debts. Where there is
faith there is peace. Peace is the true nature of the mind.
We should prove ourselves
worthy of His Grace. We should repent for the wrong deeds of the past. We
should adopt means by which we will develop in us, love for all. If the lord gives us everything in the
universe but withholds Himself from us, we gain nothing. But if we seek Him for
Himself alone, we get not merely Him but all that is His too!
A man can keep himself busy with divine thoughts every
moment without offering any hindrance to his worldly activities. The
spiritually transformed man starts giving Love and becomes slowly transformed into Love itself.
Unity of all existence is the norm that exists in the spiritual world. So it is not
enough to be a human, it is necessary to be conscious. Once believed, always
believed. Once you trust, it is a trust for life, which grows into faith, which
grows into surrender and a cheerful, happy acceptance of anything that happens
in life. There is no right in a spiritual life. There are only responsibilities
and duties .We have a dual duty: one to ourselves, one to our society. Our
society is humanity. We have no bias, we have no differences. Mankind is one,
humanity is one. Therefore we are a brotherhood of human beings. We must love
each other, honour each other, cherish each other.
Now and here begins the journey of evolution. This is a
door we have to walk through when it is open. It is Nature's generosity, God's
greatness, mercy, that He gives us chance after chance to evolve!
...........
I SURRENDER TO THEE
Babaji
says
ब्रह्म ज्ञान की शकल साकार है !
ब्रह्म ज्ञान की सोच निराकार है !!
Physical
entity of Brahm Gyan is satguru The
thought of Brahm Gyan is formless Nirankar . We have to obtain knowledge
of Nirankar and offer worship and surrender
to Satguru who is the human incarnate of Nirankar. When we put Satguru in the driving seat , our life will
be stable and full of control . As He knows what is best for us he does not
give what we ask for . He rather gives
us what we need.
Surrender
, is thus, not the best way to live . It
is the only way to live .Satguru is our closest aid , mentor and constant
companion.
As
Kabir ji says , If Guru and Govind appear before me I offer my first salutation
to my Satguru who made me perceive God Almighty .
The
Frst of the Five Vows beautifully
summarises that Surrender of body , mind and wealth to Satguru is the pimary pre requisite to
obtain God Knowledge.
Baba Avtar Singh ji in the 100 th verse of Avata Vani
states
“ If you worship the Holy feet of the True Master in surrender, you will attain salvation. during life time. “
Surrender ensures inseparable Oneness with Nirankar and
His entire creation. We need to surrender consciously to Satgur’s will by
treading the path laid down by Him and live according to Gurumath .
Surrender is not a sign of
weakness . It is the greatest act of
strength which guarantees victory in the spiritual battle .
The beautiful idol installed ,
decorated and offered prayers in the Shrine
is there today only after having whole heartedly and uncomplainingly
offered itself to the painful sculpturing
and chiseling which carved an idol out of an ordinary rock . Similarly
one who surrenders body , mind and
wealth to Satguru and lives by His words earns praise and worship here and experiences bliss hereafter.
Surrender is thus a Quantum leap from mind to no-mind, from ego to egoless state.
Chacha Pratap Singh ji voiced Guru
Sikh’s opinion by saying
जीना है तो सदगुरु के लिए !
मरना
है तो सदगुरु के लिए !!
That is
why he is remembered today for being a living epitome of surrender and
sacrifice for Satguru.
To quote Sri Krishna from scripture
Bhagavatham
“ Brahma , Shiva ,Balaram , Goddess Lakshmi
are dear to me but Uddhava - you who have surrendered to me are the dearest. I
adore my devotees more than I love myself .”
Babaji in his New Year
Message 2013 stated
तेरह में तेरा ही हो
जाये !
तेरा ही आधार लेते हुए
2013 को बिताएं !!
Let us
put Babajis New Year Message into practice . May our thoughts , deeds and speech be in tune with Babajis preachings thus making our life a celebration. We can thus carve a place for ourselves in
Babajis heart. Ever since we surrender
ourselves to Satguru the Formless One becomes our own . A devotees greatness lies not in loving
the Satguru, but in being loved by Him.
THE PERFECT DEVOTEE - BHAKTH PRAHALAD
However powerful a living being may be , when he
is condemned by God , no one can save Him.
Prahlaada , the , boy devotee , was born in a family that was stubbornly atheistic.
His father , Hiranyakashyap , was the most aesthetic and most materially powerful person.
When Prahalaad was five- year old boy , he was sent to
school. The characteristic of a great soul is that he is very eager to
broadcast glorification of the Supreme
Lord. During recreation period , he would say to his friends , “ My dear
friends , let us speak about God Consciousness”
. When they questioned him about the
need to do so , he replied , “ This human form is very rare . It is a great
opportunity . But if we lose this
opportunity , it is a great catastrophe. We are born as civilized human beings . Although
the human form is temporary , you can achieve the highest perfection of life while in this
human form . What is that perfection? To
understand the all pervading Supreme
Lord. To realize that , a human body is ultimately given as a rare opportunity
to promote yourself in spiritual life
and go back home , back to Godhead. The ultimate goal of life is God , the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We
should be very anxious to know God who is the dear most person that we have
forgotten. People in this material world are so much enamoured and enchanted
with God’s external energy that they have forgotten God , the ultimate goal of
perfection. There are two kinds of men in this world : the
demons and the demi gods. The main difference between them is that the demi
gods , or godly persons , are devoted to the Supreme Lord , whereas the demons
are atheistic.
They do not believe in God
because they are materialistic. These two classes of men always exist in
this world . At the present moment , due
to the age of Kali ( Age of Quarrel ) ,
the number of demons has increased.
Self preservation is the First Law of Nature . The living
entity in this material world is a spiritual being, but because he has a tendency to enjoy . There are 84,00,000 species of living entities , each with a different body , and according
to the body , they have particular senses with which they enjoy a particular
type of pleasure A hog has a certain type of body . His sense gratification
comes from eating excreta ( stool ). The
camel is very fond of thorny twigs. The
facilities to enjoy sense gratification are offered by Nature , whether one be a
hog ,a camel , or a human being. In
every form of life the bodily demands are satisfied by the arrangement of
nature .We will be supplied with whatever we are to achieve because of our past
work , Our real concern should be to
seek out the higher goal of human life.
Therefore , instead of being very anxious to stimulate our
senses ,to increase material happiness, we should try to attain spiritual happiness
by practicing God consciousness.
Prahlaad says , “ Although your life in this human body is
temporary , it is very valuable . So instead of trying to increase your material sense enjoyment , your
duty is to devote all your activities to God .
Our higher intelligence comes with this human body . Because we have higher
consciousness , we should try for the
higher enjoyment in life , which is spiritual enjoyment. One should absorb himself in serving the Supreme Lord , who gives the
pleasure of liberation. We should turn
our attention to achieving the lotus
feet of the Satguru , who can give us liberation from this material world.
It is not our duty
to speculate on what material body we are going to get next. At the present
moment let us simply understand that this human body is a great opportunity to
develop our spiritual consciousness till our last breath. Death is always there. Therefore before death comes , as long
as we have this human intelligence, let us engage in God consciousness.
Every one wants to
love someone. Our concern is to
transfer this love – to God. This is perfection Everyone is entangled by material love . It is
very difficult to develop spiritual life when one is advanced in material love
, because this bondage of love is very strong. Thus one should engage in God consciousness from childhood. The period 5-25 years is very valuable. Such a person naturally becomes disinclined
towards the material way of life . Then
life will be pleasing and successful , both in this world and after. In fact
family life is not condemned. But if a
man loses his spiritual identity and simply becomes entangled in material affairs
( illusion ) , then he is lost. We have
to give ourselves a chance to
progress in spiritual life , step by
step . Otherwise if we remain attached
to material consciousness through out our days , we shall miss the opportunity
of this human form of life. The so
called material enjoyment is false as it is resting on a false platform.
Although Prahlaada
was only five years old ,by advancement in
knowledge he was imparting perfect instruction to his classmates.
Prahalaad
says, ‘I love God more than anything else ’
Prahalaad explains to his friends the Complications of
material life . He compares the attached
house holder to the silk worm . The silk worm wraps itself in a cocoon made of its own saliva.,
until he is in a prison from which he
cannot escape. In the same way , a
materialistic house holder’s entanglement becomes so tight that he cannot come
out of the cocoon of family attraction. Even though there are so many miseries in
materialistic family life , he cannot
break free. He cannot think of his real benefit – to escape from
material life. He does not know that he
is wasting his limited duration of life simply for family affection – that
which was meant for realizing his eternal self , for realizing his real spiritual life.
Prahlaada says to his demoniac friends , “ Please give up the company of
those who are simply after material enjoyment. Just associate with person who
have taken to God consciousness. “ That is his advice. God consciousness is actually
very dear to us but we have forgotten it. There fore any one who takes to God consciousness become more and more affected by it and
forgets his material consciousness.
If you are in a foreign country , you might forget your
home and your family members and friends
who are very dear to you. But if you are
all of a sudden reminded of your home and friends , you will at once
become very pre occupied. Similarly , our
affection for God is so intimate that as soon as there is some touch of His
consciousness , we at once revive our relationship with Him .
Everyone has some particular relationship with God, the
Supreme Lord ,which he has forgotten. But as soon as we become God conscious ,
gradually our old consciousness of our relationship with Almighty God is revived.
Ever one of us love
. First I love my body because my ‘ self
‘ is within this body. So I actually
love my SELF better than the body. That SELF
has an intimate relationship with God because the SELF ( soul ) is part and parcel of the
Almighty God. Therefore I love God more
than anything. And because God is all- pervading
, I love every thing. Our memory that God is all pervading needs to be revived. Then we can see every
thing in relationship with God and then
every thing becomes lovable.
One who is God conscious becomes a lover of every one in
the universe. It leads to universal
brotherhood. So we need to move from
material consciousness to God
consciousness. As long as we are God
consciousness our lovable objects will
be limited. But when we are actually in
God consciousness our lovable objects will be universal.
As stated by Prahalaad : “ Beginning from the non moving plants and trees and
extending up to the highest living creature
,Brahma , the Supreme Personality of Godhead is present every whereby His
expansion as the Paramaatma. “
Realizing that God is every where : He informed his class mates about the
all-pervasiveness of the Supreme Lord.
The first defect is
that a conditioned human being has imperfect
senses. We view the Sun as a small
disc. Thus our seeing power , hearing
power are limited. The second defect is
that the conditioned soul makes mistakes because that is the nature of
conditioned life. A human being
conditioned by material nature commits mistakes
. The third defect is that the conditioned soul becomes illusioned. It constantly mistakes one thing for something
else. For example we accept the body as
the self. Since I am not this body , my acceptance of the body as myself is an
illusion. So there is no peace. The propensity to cheat is the fourth defect
of conditioned life. I may be a fool ; but I will boast that I am very learned.
So all unconditioned souls have
imperfect senses , they are subject to commit mistakes , become illusioned ,
and they are influenced by the
propensity to cheat.
There is no possibility of receiving real (true ) knowledge from such unconditioned souls. The process is to receive perfect
knowledge through the spiritual master.
Although , only five years old, he speaks
just like a very experienced and educated man because he received
knowledge from his spiritual master, Narada muni .
Wisdom does not depend on age , but on knowledge received
from a superior source. One cannot become a wise man simply by advancement of
age. Knowledge has to be received
from a superior source , then one can become wise. It does not matter
whether one is a five –year- old boy or a fifty-year-old man. As it is said , “ By wisdom one becomes an
old man , even without advanced age “.
We must try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him
submissively and render service unto him. The self- realized souls can impart
knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.
There are three qualifications for a novice ( seeker of
truth ) :
1.
Visit the Guru.
2.
Inquire without
challenging .
3.
Assist the Guru in
some way. You have to carry out his
orders.
We must worship the
Guru. The Guru should be accepted as God. That is the injunction of all
sastras.
He says , “ Although He is not seen , He can still be
perceived . One who is intelligent can perceive the presence of the Supreme Lord every where. “ With the knowledge
imparted by the True Master , they see the Lord every where. We have to understand God consciousness from higher authority ( True Master ) and we
can then directly perceive it.
For example , we can perceive that there is consciousness
spread all over the body . If I
pinch any part of the body, I will feel pain . That means there is
consciousness through out my body . In
Bhagavad Gita Krishna says , “ We should try to understand that
consciousness is spread all over
the body and it is eternal.
Similarly, consciousness is
spread all over this universe. That is God’s
consciousness Thus God , the Supreme soul , is all pervading by His
consciousness.
Our process is to dovetail (link ) our
consciousness with God consciousness- that will make us perfect.
We can understand the supreme consciousness and individual consciousness simply by perception of
blissfulness. Because we have consciousness we can feel ananda or pleasure.
Our consciousness
exists because we are part and parcel of
the supreme consciousness. For example ,
a spark is only a tiny particle of the fire , yet the spark is also fire. Similarly , because the pleasure potency
exists in the Supreme Lord , we can also enjoy pleasure. Prahalaad concludes by saying, “My dear
friends, because the Supreme Lord is present everywhere and because we are part
and parcel of the Supreme lord , our duty is to be merciful to all living
entities. “ Highest mercy is exhibited in giving God consciousness to
every living entity.
Give up this demonic life. The belief that there is no God is a demoniac feature .
The ass works the whole day with load on his back. He bears this burden simply
for a few morsels of grass. Similarly , materialistic people work very hard simply for a little
insignificant sense gratification. Every one should get liberated from material
bondages and attain union with God .
Positive Thinking
Life needs
to be refined. It is by adorning the
mind and not the body that life gets refined. Life must be adorned with positive
thinking and divine virtues.
Flowers always spread
fragrance. May our life
be fragrant like flowers . We must be
a source of inspiration for the family and society , and also become an
adorable member of the Mission by treading the path of devotion and contributing
to charity. Our thinking pattern is :
§ God will provide me with every thing I genuinely need.
§ I am part of the limitless source of all energies. I am what
I had to be . I am grateful to God , my master.
§ I will teach my children to respect all life by doing the
same myself . God will take care of me.
§ I am leading a purposeful life . I will listen to my inner
voice and act accordingly . God will give me the strength and help I need.
§ I am a divine and pious soul. I can change my thought
pattern and lead a more meaningful life.
GOD CONSCIOUSNESS
"God knowledge is the
beginning and God Realization is the end", - Babaji
The world is terrifying place to live in. Falsehood
sways the world;
few seek Truth , no one sincerely sought Truth. Truth has been propagated for long and on a large scale. Had man realized Truth, as expected, the heaven that we wished to establish, would have been established. But it is not so because few seek Truth. Ritualistic worship, God-glorification or scriptural recitation do not lead to Truth.
few seek Truth , no one sincerely sought Truth. Truth has been propagated for long and on a large scale. Had man realized Truth, as expected, the heaven that we wished to establish, would have been established. But it is not so because few seek Truth. Ritualistic worship, God-glorification or scriptural recitation do not lead to Truth.
If your existing is true God’s existence
is equally true. God, who is the source and primary objective of human life, is
essentially worth seeing and knowing. Not knowing God, we are certainly
deprived of the real charm of life, because life without God is incomplete. The
path of God knowledge is fascinating and alluring. God Realization results in pure ecstasy.
If one is united with God, one can
safely swim across the worldly ocean or be liberated from the cycle of birth
and death. But man does not pay attention to this core necessity. That
is why it is said:-
“ O Man, from innocent childhood, you
grow into a youth; at 25, you travel far and wide to earn wealth and at 30, you
turn greedy. Even after accumulating millions, you are not satisfied. Thus you
waste away the precious human life.”
Cursed are those
who having been blessed with human incarnation, fail to fulfill its
principal aim, they who waste it away in
worldly matters. Cursed is the food, drink and attire of such people. Their
diet, dress and other achievements are not worthy of congratulation. Since they
failed to realize God, they are considered condemnable.
There are several things that can make us sad, several
things that can make us happy, but there is only one thing that can make us
blissful and that is this God Knowledge. People are ready to find God through
intellect and reason but not through humility which is the essence of
devotion. God Knowledge is like a breeze
– it moves subtle people like subtle flowers.
A question arises: How can one realize
God? Saint Kabir answers: One can realize God from a knower of God as one can
know a secret from a knower of secret alone. On meeting a God-realized
personage, the curtain of ignorance is removed and one sees God so close to
all. All illusions and bondage are
dispelled as a spark reduces to ashes a heap of wood. Similarly, God-realization dispels all
misconceptions then and there.
We have the touchstones in the sacred scriptures the
Vedas, the Upanishads, the Ramayana, the Gita, the Bible, the Koran, the Adi
Granth. They all testify that life without Gyan is meaningless, that the aim of
precious human life is to know and realize the omnipresent formless God and
that God can be perceived only with the divine grace of the True Master and by
no other means.
There is no greater a religion
than to perceive and realize God in front of us and all around; and there is no
greater action than the service of saints.
The Mission
says that Truth (God) is one and there is one method of God-realization i.e.
thorough the benediction and grace of the True Master (Satguru).
"By grace are you
saved through faith and not of yourselves ”
God Knowledge and in turn revelation
cannot be earned, snatched or inherited. . It is bestowed upon us in
benediction by expressing a genuine desire to know God.
The great theoretical physicist and
cosmologist Stephen Hawking once said that maybe this space is God but he could
not say with conviction. Only Satguru has the conviction to show us God.
Great scientists of the past have failed
to explain the purpose of life. Today, with the blessings of the Satguru, we
know that the purpose of this life is to know God and attain salvation. This
salvation can only be attained through humility. We are spiritual beings having
a human experience .We are souls which are sub-divisions of the over soul, the
super soul, God. If we let our souls take charge, we will be able to live as
the image of God.
The message of this Mission can only be spread with love just as
a child can only be taught to do the right things through love. In the world of tension and turmoil, the
flames of hatred, discord and disharmony are seen spreading in different parts
of the globe. Mankind is in a state of despair, Everywhere there is a call for
peace to lead the errant humanity towards the path of truth, love and humanism
and to establish the kingdom of righteousness. Today our Mission is providing the ray of hope to the
misguided humanity which is drifting towards destruction .
God is always with us and God's spirit dwells in every body. In fact,
there is no distance between man and God. The superficial distance is due to
ignorance that is lack of divine knowledge. Nirankari Baba reveals the omni
present formless God to every human being, who earnestly asks for it .
"Ask and it shall be given,
Seek and we shall find Him,
Knock and it shall be opened up to you."
“ Without Knowing God ,
Worship of God is meaning less".: Babaji
God worship without knowing God tantamount to gazing in the
dark. A person can see all objects correctly if there is light but he cannot
see any thing and stumbles if there is darkness. Here the darkness refers to
the ignorance of man and the light to the divine knowledge. Satguru Baba
Ji instills God knowledge in the mind of seeker which purges him of all
pollution and sin.
The
revelation of the formless God is a wonderful and fascinating experience. It is
an effective means to purge the man of ego, sin and bigotry and turn him into a
living instrument of love, truth and peace on earth. The practical life of a
God realized saint (a Nirankari) is a source of divine inspiration to the
people around Him. God realization has to be supplemented with a right action
as per the instruction of Satguru. One who perceives God in his true image attains
peace, bliss and salvation.
God-realization is the fulfillment of the prime aim
of life; it bestows supernal bliss and happiness. God-realization is the rebirth, which comes
about through the Word of the True Master. Pushing the creation aside, the True
Master reveals the Creator, enabling
the thirsty soul to satiate its age-long thirst for re-union with God.
On attaining God-knowledge, one's
spiritual ignorance is dispelled and one is liberated from the bondage of
birth-death cycle. Then the soul rests in peace in the Super Soul, its real
abode.
We can know the taste of a thing only on partaking
of it. Similarly, we can experience the bliss of God-knowledge only on
attaining it.
Once
a devotee is blessed with Divine Light, he looks at God first and everything
else later. To him, all human beings are ‘His’ creation and all worldly objects
‘His’ bounties. He finds God all around, Transcendent, in every animate and
inanimate. And at the same time, he finds God Immanent, enfolding all that He
has created.
The Divine Knowledge ensures face to
face vision and perception of all-pervading spirit of formless God. Life
without Divine knowledge (Brahm Gyan) is, of course, imperfect and incomplete.
Man is composed of the physical body and the divine spirit (Soul) resides within.
Just as body without the soul is non-functional, similarly, man without God has
no existence. It is just like a flower without fragrance, a stream without
water, and a house without the lamp. Howsoever lofty his achievements and
accomplishments may be, the man’s mind is not satiated and yearns for more pelf
and power.
Brahm Gyan is the highest spiritual
state of mind whereby the Soul gets sublimated being in unison with Super Soul
(God). A Brahm Gyani is a God-realised (enlightened) person is at one with the
Almighty God and duality disappears from his mind, and he perceives the oneness
of God in the whole universe.. rises above pleasure and pain, loss and gain,
and transcends death. He possesses qualities and attributes as that of God and
the True Master, such as humility, righteous, tolerance, kindness, compassion
and mercifulness. Having realised God, he becomes fearless and does not hate
anyone as he perceives God in all. To him, none is friend or foe, native or
alien. He becomes an embodiment of enlightenment and fragrance of spirituality
emanates from him and he looks at others with divine vision. Such illumined
persons inspire others to seek Divine Knowledge and this they do through the
practical saintly living.
‘ Without God-knowledge (Brahamgyan) devotion cannot begin and
without Action (Karam) it is incomplete ’
The
dream of universal brotherhood can be achieved spontaneously if one realizes
the fatherhood of God through devotion and selfless service to mankind.
With the help of the divine knowledge bestowed by the True Master, an enlightened person perceives God in all and all in God. He regards every human being the creation of God. With true love and faith thus developed, one starts loving and serving his fellow-beings in the real sense. A compass of righteousness is fitted in the heart of the seeker which always keeps him in the right direction and relieves him of suspense and superstitions.
With the help of the divine knowledge bestowed by the True Master, an enlightened person perceives God in all and all in God. He regards every human being the creation of God. With true love and faith thus developed, one starts loving and serving his fellow-beings in the real sense. A compass of righteousness is fitted in the heart of the seeker which always keeps him in the right direction and relieves him of suspense and superstitions.
When spiritualism takes the place of ritualism, one
follows and observes the golden tenet ;; "All to give all for all".
The physical distance between distant places can be
covered by any mode of conveyance, but the distance among the hearts of persons
living even under the same roof can be covered only by realising fatherhood of
God which strengthens the bond of human relationship making us firmly awakened
that we are all one belonging to the One.
After such
enlightenment, man can understand the true import of humanism. Every human
being must know God during the tenure of his life span and after this knowledge
he is supposed to surrender himself completely doing Sangat, Simran and Seva to
enjoy the bliss of life. By this way not only does he incur the blessings of
Satguru but also contributes in spreading the message.
We need to be steadfast on the word of Satguru and
translate his commands into action with
the desire to bring the soothing message of the mission at every
doorstep. Our devotion to the mission should he judged from our dealings
and doings with the society at large. When there is righteousness at our
heart, it adds divinity to our character, beauty in the family, order in the
society and peace in the world.
God-knowledge can be attained only here,
for the hereafter, too.
Blessed are those who have realized God and are God-conscious.
-----------------------------------
BABAJI AND
HUMANISM
Spiritual
awareness is the only medium which can lead us towards our goal of Human unity,
peaceful co-existence and achieving the world development ". Universal
Brotherhood is not a dream but is a achievable goal.
Saints should not
simply wish well of others, rather prove this by their practical life. As fire gives
heat and water coolness, saints should, naturally, strive for the greatest good
of the humanity.
- Baba Hardev Singh Ji
Saints and devotees are dedicated to
human uplift, human well being and human redemption - to
promote the feelings of mutual love and universal brotherhood, irrespective of any distinction of caste,
creed, colour, sex, religion, nationality.
To
be able to imbibe these traits, one has to follow and practice the Five Pledges
of the Nirankari Mission in conjunction with the aids of God-remembrance
(Simran), Selfless Service (Seva) and Congregation (Sangat).
The Sant Nirankari Mission has done
a yeoman’s service to humanity in propounding this concept, which has appealed
both to intelligentsia and masses. Under the spiritual guidance of Nirankari
Baba Ji, God is not something to be dreaded but something to be loved. The
theory of 'God in the Heavens and Man on Earth' has been exploded. , He should
be our sole confidant, and we should at all times draw inspiration from Him for
our everyday actions. We should have full faith in Him - faith uninhibited by
mental reservation - and submit to His will for a meaningful life and final salvation. .
It is said that God is Love. The
whole of this Universe is, thus, the product of love. It is the creation of
love; it depends upon love. Now if you love someone or something, your love for
that is whole.
Congratulations to those human
beings who, with the divine blessings of a True Master, have been able to
realize God.
To maintain a state of blissfulness
at all times, a clear understanding of the message of Truth, feeling of
gratitude to Almighty God and the Messenger, company of the enlightened souls
and rendering of selfless service to the humanity are some of the guidelines to
be followed.
The Holy Scriptures also points out
that the prime aim of human life is to realize God and thereby get the soul
released from the agony of various life cycles.
“You must not lose
faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean;
if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.”
-Mahatma Gandhi
By
changing our mental attitude we can transform sorrow into joy and failures into
success; we can cheerfully face obstacles and surmount difficulties that come
in our way. All that is needed is to bring about a change in our mental
attitude: to think positively. Life is a wall. On one side of it is cool shade
and on the other, scorching sun. All that is required is just to walk into the
cool shade from the scorching heat. If we learn to lead life like this, it
would prove to be a boon of peace and happiness. And such a state can be easily
imbibed in the company of the spiritually enlightened.
Though invisible, God
is a concrete and cosmic force, unifying the whole universe. The Nirankari
Mission asserts that God-realization is the mortar, which can bind together the
many-shaped bricks of human society into a coherent structure. It is possible to realize the dream of a world
family with the unifying bond of love among its members in the wake of realization
of Fatherhood of God.
Nirankari Mission has
undertaken this job to teach man "To be human."
The
Mission is thus rehabilitating the human race by
unlocking the Kingdom
of Heaven through a holy
communion between man and God, and eventual understanding between man and man,
promising millennium of peace, bliss and happiness on the earth.
No
amount of individual effort can help reveal God to any one. It is purely a
matter of grace of the Satguru that God-knowledge is bestowed.
As we can see the sun with its own light only, we
can test the Satguru on the touchstone of the knowledge imparted by him. The
True Master is the communicator of Dive Truth. He is the object of devotion and
his voice is the veritable voice of God. Anyone, who approaches him, perceives
God. The True Master's sole mission is to communicate the Message of Truth and
Light to the whole mankind. Five Pledges of the Nirankari Mission are the spiritual
tenets lay down by the True Master as a prerequisite for the initiation of a
seeker of God-knowledge. These pledges have a great significance, for they
mould the attitude of the devotee towards life, and thus ensure his spiritual
development.
With the Divine
Knowledge bestowed by the True Master, an enlightened person perceives God in
all and all in God. God-realization is thus, a panacea for all ills.
A
true devotee is also a slave of the True Master who, unlike the worldly people,
is merciful and benevolent and showers his choicest blessings and bounties on
the former.
A
Nirankari understands that all that exists and all that occurs are the blessing
of God. Seeing only God everywhere, a Nirankari lives in harmony with and by
the will of God. Submitting to the will of God, a Nirankari is, in turn,
blessed by God: a true human being, a useful member of the species from whom
springs the true salvation of mankind. A Nirankari endeavours to be a servant
of mankind instead of an exploiter of mankind, and without such a way of life,
how can there be peace on earth.
Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji
upheld this truth when he said:
“ If anyone desires to
be great, he has to be the Dass ( slave)
of every devotee. In the realm of Truth, great is he who serves humbly and
considers himself the dust of saints’ lotus feet .”
As quoted in the Avtar Bani:
“Jis de man vich Har Har vasiai har rang vich ik rang rahe.
Pal pal sang Hari de raihndai Rab vi ohde sang rahe.
Jis de man vich Ram proiai Nam ohda adhar rahe.”
This states that those who have faith in God and follow his teachings, will always be blessed with his love and guidance throughout their life. After all, we are his children. And as parents love their children and look after them throughout their life, God does the same but he also has the ability to change our future, depending on our actions. If we lead a respectful life and treat others as we wish to be treated, then we will no doubt receive the same in return.
“Jis de man vich Har Har vasiai har rang vich ik rang rahe.
Pal pal sang Hari de raihndai Rab vi ohde sang rahe.
Jis de man vich Ram proiai Nam ohda adhar rahe.”
This states that those who have faith in God and follow his teachings, will always be blessed with his love and guidance throughout their life. After all, we are his children. And as parents love their children and look after them throughout their life, God does the same but he also has the ability to change our future, depending on our actions. If we lead a respectful life and treat others as we wish to be treated, then we will no doubt receive the same in return.
Satguru
Baba Hardev Singh Ji has blessed us with the Knowledge of God. We can practice
this knowledge in our life, among our community and then reach out to the
world. "Some devotees have come from far away countries. I ask them when
they go back to spread the Truth among the people living there. The lamp that
has been lit, should not be put in a box, but on the crossroads, so that it can
light the path of the people. The devotees should try to bring peace and
harmony among the people living there."
Let us all seek the blessings of
Baba Ji and move forward on the path of humanism shown by him .
_________________
“If there is love, years pass by in
seconds and if there is hate, passing a second seems impossible”.
“A lifetime is not enough to love, I
wonder how people make time to hate”.
The message of this Mission can only be spread with love just as
a child can only be taught to do the right things through love from time to time .
Although the state of the
world today is not how it was given to us by God, all is still not lost and
that it is not too late. All that we need is love to turn this world in to
paradise once again.
The language of love
has no barriers. God is known for goodness and this goodness can be made use of
and is made applicable in life when we actually realize Him through Satguru and
lead our life accordingly. With this divine knowledge one can iron out all the
communal differences and lead a secular life.
Our
Satguru taught us to cherish love as
only love can be infinite. It gives, goes on giving, giving, giving.
Hatred you cannot give forever. You destroy the enemy, you destroy yourself –
hatred is over. Love goes on giving infinitely, patiently forever, timelessly.
Do we appreciate it? The spiritually evolved shines with love.”
We
should also grow and glow. We have a big responsibility to ourselves –
otherwise it is like having a lamp which does not burn. There is kerosene in
it, there is electricity, but darkness remains..
Our
Sadguru is our hitkaari — spells
out what is good for us — the divine touch” Therefore these gurus come
to us, teach us, spend time with us, love us, anguish over us, so that
somewhere the light will be kindled.
We
must learn to see life and love in everything that we do.
God can
only give you love. The rest you have to acquire for yourself.” Use the gift that He has given you; the only
gift that is necessary beyond which there is no other gift: love. Love, and see what it makes; love, and see the
magic that it plays — love without restraint; love without suspicion; love without any expectation of something in
return. Because in love there is nothing to return, there is only one way: go,
go, go; give, give, give. Like the sun the sun is giving.
Let us strive for our continuing evolution determined to take this message of Truth ( love ) to every doorstep.
When love grows in the heart, then streams of devotion
flow. In fact, True love for humanity is called devotion. However, this true
love does not flow by itself but it is all due to the grace of the True Master.
We assemble for satsang to sing the glory of God. Here man is being inspired to
realize the God he worships. This is the ancient message of the holy beings
which is being reiterated here as also the need to ponder over and live up to
it.
The Hindu religion
teaches people the art of self dissolving love, which paves way for harmony. We
are said to be deeply in love with God, when the depth of our love cannot be
measured. At that point of time, we attain total bliss, as self realization
dawns upon us. When we meditate and try to concentrate on the God, the creator
and preserver of this universe, our mind becomes empty. At that moment, there
are no thoughts in our mind and we can only think of the Almighty God. It
directs our way towards attaining salvation. Another thing of prime importance
that will straightaway connect us to God is service to mankind. Be sensitive,
kind and compassionate towards other living beings.
Baba Ji said that love
has become a rare commodity today because man is found guided by ego based on
material wealth, education and power. People are snatching and harming
each other, demeaning each other. Saints, therefore, go on repeating
their message of love based on spiritual awakening. They adopt humility,
they preach humility expressing one’s
gratitude towards Satguru for blessing the devotees with the spirit of cooperation,
love and understanding. One could find the atmosphere so blissful and
peaceful only because of his divine grace prevailing all around.
Let each human being
love and cooperate with the other.
THE CORRECTING FACTOR IS LOVE
His
Holiness' philosophy is that love and respect are the greatest weapons that can
turn even a stone hearted person into a loving one. When one finds good
qualities in even the worst person, and only speaks about the goodness of
others, then God Himself changes that person, who in turn changes their life
for the better. That was why He always inspired others to live on this
principle - to find good qualities in each and everyone, and always address
their finer qualities.
Love shreds hatred : The Mission is working day in
and day out to establish these principles of love, tolerance, universal
brotherhood, oneness of God, and oneness of our common human family. Such feelings,
always unite people. The Nirankari
devotees always want the welfare of the mankind. It is often said that a politician
thinks of the next election, a statesman thinks of the next generation,
and a saint thinks of Eternity.
Similarly, when we think of the welfare of
others, we should not limit it to short-term social welfare only. We have
to also think of the salvation of our soul. We must be careful about how we
live on this earth and what we are giving to others. Let’s ask ourselves: what
sort of a foundation are we building for the future? What legacy are we going
to leave for our children? What are they
going to get from us? We have to search our hearts and mind our actions. The
devotees always strive to improve themselves and set a good example for others.
On the other hand, man is going in the opposite direction. He is getting worse.
He lives his life enjoying all the materialistic things but without the
feelings of kindness, open-heartedness, welfare for others. Thus, he becomes
the cause of pain for others.
Human life is always
considered superior to other species. However the way man is living today, he
is worse than the animals. For example, when a dog wags its tail, it means it
is expressing its love and happiness. Although outwardly a man may show his
love toward another person, but you never know that he may be harboring feelings of ill-will
inwardly. Man has become hypocritical, selfish, and egoistic. When he gets
rich, he becomes proud of his wealth; he thinks he has so much power. All these
materialistic things, however, last only as long as man is alive. What he does
not understand is that his life is like a bubble in the water; it is transient.
It is an irony that although he knows his life is like a bubble, he does not
consider how short-lived it is. Instead, he thinks that a bubble is always
formed on the top; so I must keep my ego at the top. A devotee’s life is also
like a bubble. Knowing that life is short, a devotee tries to lead a good life.
Because of his high morals and actions, others respect him and put him at the
top. We must always strive to keep human values and be human in the real sense.
The world needs love and peace, not violence and hatred. Love is like the sun that comes out
of the clouds and warms and illuminates our souls and hearts. Love shreds
hatred. Those who live with love, live in peace. Such persons are always
remembered for their beautiful actions, whether their life is short or long , The
mankind needs our unconditional love and selfless service.
The Sant Nirankari Mission is a way of life.
After attaining God-realization from the Satguru, we have learnt what it means
to be truly religious. It has not only given us spiritual bliss but also an
improved quality of life. The Satguru has inspired us to lead a virtuous life.
The credit for this improvement goes to Satsang, Sewa, and Simran. These three help
shape our character just like a mould shapes something in a production process.
Those who pass through the mould of Satsang, Sewa, and Simran, become fine
human beings. “Baba Ji says we need to be human, and act with a sense of
responsibility.
***
UNITY – UNIVERSALITY – UNIFIED VISION
Man was
born free but everywhere he is found in chains. All
barriers
and divisions are man-made, not created by God.
Saints
have been striving hard from time to time to unite man
with
God, bring man closer to man and thereby
unite the
mankind.
As one gets the vision of the Formless
One, he
perceives
the image of God in every human being; he loves all
and
hates none. The concept of unity, human integration and
oneness
wipes out duality from the mind and the great Gurus
have
been trying their best to bring about unity in diversity.
This
unity and human integration as conceived by the sages
could
not be achieved by mere speeches, good counseling and
any
utterances, recitation of scriptures and so on. God
knowledge
is the prerequisite .
God is
one and the whole creation is the manifestation of the
Formless
One. Unless one knows the One, and is united with
the One
- God, he cannot experience and perceive oneness
and there
can be no integration of the mankind.
The
bond of spiritual vision and enlightenment is stable and
eternal,
which establishes unity of thought and action. The
concept
of duality disappears and one looks at the entire
world and all
the people as members of one world family
(UniversalBrotherhood).
This unified vision is bestowed by
the TrueMaster
of the time, whose mission is to preach One
God, one Religion
and one Human Race. Nirankari Baba Ji
says "Know the
One, repose faith in the One and be united".
This is not a mere
slogan or a piece of advice, this unity and
oneness is actually
being established in the entire world by
spiritual awakening
and enlightenment. This is a silent and
steady revolution,
which has deep roots and indelible imprint
upon the
minds of the aspirants of Truth. The great Gurus of
the past
had also exhorted all people of the world to know and
adore
the One and always remember the One so much so that
God,
the One, dwells in mind and heart and by so doing,
one's soul
gets liberated and emancipated.
God is
one and the True Guru - His Messenger is also one. It
is
through Him that one can perceive oneness of God, which
is the
very basis of human unity and integration of the
mankind.
Their
message of Truth is universal and all-embracing. It is through their spiritual
teachings and words of divine wisdom that the cherished dream of Universal
Brotherhood gets a practical shape and a paradise is created on earth where all
people of this world live together in peace and cordiality, loving and
respecting one another. Avtar says after coming under the shelter of the True
Master they always do good, speak good." The devotee obeys every command
of the True Master The devotee loves the True Master from the core of his
heart, the devotee is the same from within and externally. ; the devotees have
firm faith in God, The devotee perceives God everywhere, pride does not come
near the devotee. the devotees are engaged in serving others selflessly,
"There
is no greater a religion than beholding God face to face in front of you; there
is no wiser and better an act than the service of true saints. Be humble and
polite and speak sweet language of love and
think of and do good to every body." "As one disciple of the
True Master meets another disciple, they get overwhelmed with joy; and bow
their heads at each other's feet. This is the tradition of the devotees and
this is true discipleship; this path is finer than a hair and sharper than a
sword's edge. "In this world of tension and turmoil, peace would come only
by practising God's name; and one shall find the comforting solace only by
knowing and remembering the formless God." Peace, perseverance and equable
vision are the jewellery of the saints; their most precious ornament is the
submission to the will of God."
Every
endeavour is directed towards preserving the Divine Knowledge imparted to them;
they are true from inside and outwardly and they have ended the concept of
duality. They are always true to their word and practically live up to what
they say
The one
who adopts utmost humility in everyday life; he is the
loftiest,
greatest and distinctive among all."
We
see a balloon filled with hydrogen gas soaring high in the sky. It will,
however, not go beyond a certain height if it is obstructed by a ceiling, a
tree or any other object. Likewise, the spiritual development of a devotee also
gets receded if his thought, speech and action are obstructed by pride,
prejudice and narrow-mindedness.
The only
way to overcome the thorns in one’s way
is not to
remove
them one by one, but to put on shoes with strong
soles.This is
exactly what the saints do. They walk over the
thorns of the
worldly life with the most durable shoes of God
Knowledge on.
God is
to man what ocean is to fish, but with a difference. No
doubt,
the ocean or water is everything to fish; it just cannot
live without
it. But the fish cannot realize this while living
inside
the water. It realizes the importance of
water only
when it is
taken out of it. It realizes the importance of water
only when it
is taken out of it. It struggles to go back and dies
within
moments if it fails to do so. The position of a human
being
is slightly different. No doubt, he does stay like a fish in
this Ocean of God who is everything to him or her. But
he or
she
need not be taken out for realizing this truth. A human
being
can realize the presence of God and his or her own
relationship
with the Almighty during life-time itself.
If a
particular part of the body is diseased, we go for the best
available
medical treatment to cure it. We do not chop it off or
throw
it away.
Similarly,
saints do not shun others on account of their faults.
They
own them not withstanding the same. In fact, they help
them to
overcome their shortcomings.
Babaji
exhorts devotees to carry on his message of
compassion,
goodwill, love and Truth and pray for the welfare
of one
and all.
Nirankaris
remain non- violent even in the face of serious
provocations
from miss-guided fanatics and
extremists. The
result
is always quite instantaneous and
healthy.
Forgetfulness of God is a cause of all human ills. Conversely,
God- realisation
is a panacea for all maladies. Our effort
should
be treating suffering humanity with the practical
knowledge
of God. As we do not find two swords in one
sheath;
pride and hatred cannot co-exist with God-realisation.
Therefore,
just as even the best treatment cannot prove
effective
unless the prescribed precautions are observed, the
Mission has prescribed five basic tenets for seekers of Truth
to wipe
out self-pride and hatred against others, which are
dominating
factors negating realisation of God.
Any person
with
swollen ego can never enjoy proper divine bliss.
Therefore,
in order to inculcate humility and love in all the
devotees,
the Nirankari Mission has
formulated five
principles for
adoption in every day life
With these principles at heart and God all around, a
Nirankari
is a beacon light for the world and he is so by the
practical life
he lives. These principles enable the devotees to lead a
simple
life, balanced and worthy of man. All the differences,
controversies and quarrels are rooted in implicit or
explicit
pride and ego which is uprooted through these principles.
The
Mission thus seeks to ensure individual development as well
as welfare and progress of the whole society.
To love all is to love God. To love God, we must love His
children. If we have no love for fellow humans, how can
we
love God? To love God, we must love humans. . Despite
material prosperity, devoid of love we bear hatred and
enmity.
If there is hatred and enmity and no love, even spring
seems
to be autumn. all those living have to realize the paramount
significance of love which denotes God. In this lies
human
salvation and only then distinction and discrimination
between man and man would cease.
May all realise God and, shedding discrimination, conduct
themselves as true humans, bear goodwill and imbibe love
for
all, so that this
earth turns into a heaven; a blooming garden.
This is the prayer of the devotees. Holy personages, who
are
enlightened beings, always wish that all may realize and
tread
on the path of Truth. Unlike the worldly people, who bear
ill-
will, disturb peace and indulge in conflicts and clashes,
holy
ones wish well and do good to all.
Life
can be blissful by replacing hatred with love. When
ignorance
is dispelled, it is heaven. There is a need for man to
conduct
himself as a human , otherwise he will be a blot on
the humanity
The
Nirankari Mission is dedicated to fostering high values
such as
love, tolerance and unity The Samagams are a
testimony
to these values. For human and
scientific progress
and
national prosperity, humanism is a prerequisite.
This is
what Baba Ji preaches and teaches, day and night.
Truths,
non-violence, love and affection are the foundation
of the
Nirankari Mission: it spreads the message of peace,
unity
and amity.
Hence,
we need to sow the seed of God-knowledge in our
minds. If
every human sheds enmity and loves fellow humans,
this
world would be a heaven.
· Let the next millennium be Milan Ka Niyam, that is, the
spirit of co- operation.
To fulfill this responsibility, one requires dedication,
honesty
and truthful living, at the same time right planning also
plays a
vital role. For this reason, in order to spread the
message of the
Mission, and to give a practical
form to this goal, not one
person can do it all alone, rather we would need hundred and
thousandsof hands together to accomplish this task. . The
message ofTruth needs to
resound in each and every corner of
the world .
********
RELIGION UNITES - NEVER DIVIDES
THE UNIQUE MISSION
– SANT NIRANKARI MISSION
The world, the Mission feels, needs to understand the basic
spiritual message, the message of God, of truth, of love as professed by the
great masters and enshrined in Holy
Scriptures. This is what the Mission
seeks to promote. It helps seekers of truth to know God, perceive the
Omnipresent and understand the man’s relationship with the Creator, have faith
in the Almighty, surrender to the Divine will and obey the commands of God. It
explains that man is God’s own image on earth. God dwells in every soul and,
therefore, it is easy to worship Him through the service of man. So, why not
accept and adopt ‘humanity’ as religion, the only religion!
Practical Spirituality :The Mission is “neither a new religion nor a sect of an existing religion, but an all-embracing spiritual movement dedicated to human welfare”. Its objective is to establish Universal Brotherhood among people from diverse backgrounds throughout the world.
Practical Spirituality :The Mission is “neither a new religion nor a sect of an existing religion, but an all-embracing spiritual movement dedicated to human welfare”. Its objective is to establish Universal Brotherhood among people from diverse backgrounds throughout the world.
Sant Nirankari members have no
particular place of worship as it is considered that regardless of wherever you
are, whatever you are doing, you can worship formless God. The members meet at
places called Satsang Bhawans (Congregation Halls), to share
their spiritual experiences and praise the almighty formless God. The mission
believes that congregations help devotees to strengthen their faith, increase
their devotion towards Nirankar and attain spiritual steadfastness. This is
reflected by the verse 56 of Avtar Bani, which says that
“Seek the company of
True Saint, this will bring spiritual glow on your face; seek the company of
True Saint, this will remove impurity from your heart.”
Scatter the Seeds of Spirituality : People have forgotten
what human beings should be like, what humanity is, what are the values to be
cherished; people have forgotten. Today’s world exists only on absolute
selfishness (svaarth). God created a one world of human beings. Human beings
have created separate worlds of caste, community, colour, race, sex. We are
criminals; we have ruined God’s creation. Saints have always undertaken the work of
rehabilitation. But yet it is only a drop in the ocean of humanity. But it is
also important – like one seed must remain to create another plant which will
give hundreds of seeds from which will come a garden, from which will come a
forest. If that seed is lost, humanity is lost. Humanity has no hope after that.
We are all doing sadhana not only for our own sake, for our own spiritual
evolution, but as individuals who carry the seed of spirituality in our heart –
not to be kept but to be given. No farmer (no krishak) keeps seeds safe under
lock and key. They have to be thrown, scattered, sown everywhere, so that they
will grow; and from each seed you get a hundred thousand seeds – that is how we
are fed. What we, as human beings living a human life, must think of as our
duty to pass on this divine heritage, to
scatter it wide. Karma yoga says if you sow so much, nature decides on how much
you will get as fasal [yield]. So, like krishi [agriculture], we are also
krishaks; we sow, but we do not expect to see the result of what we do here. So
to prepare these human values, cherish and nourish humanity, make it a
liveable philosophy each one of us is a
torchbearer to bring spirituality into each mind. Let us work tirelessly . Don’t
expect material welfare, don’t expect comforts, don’t expect riches, don’t
expect glory, position, nothing as in your heart you will get that which even
emperors and great conquerors never had: peace, satisfaction, and happiness.”
This is today humanity’s task – every one of us must share in it. Our job as
Nirankaris is first to dedicate ourselves to our own spiritual evolution so
that we may become fit to help others .I pray that our great Master will bless
us all and make the people aware of these possibilities, bring them in greater
and greater numbers so that this spirituality becomes something not exclusive
to the few but common to the many, which is what should be the meaning of
democracy. Democracy is not a vote. Democracy is a state where every individual
has the same right to progress, and that right is guaranteed only in the
spiritual field.
He teaches by example :
There is only one God.
If you are worshipping Him, He is your God, and if you are worshipping Him
properly, He is yours. And, what is the proper way of worshipping Him? Install
Him in your heart where He already is, meditate on His presence, seek His
guidance and thereafter be led by Him.
Because God, is a living God before
you in the form of the Master ... an embodied flesh-and-blood divinity . who
can understand our needs; who can understand our temperaments; who can
sympathize with us, being human himself; who can accept our failings, = to
achieve the same level of inner perfection as the Master, is a synonym for God Realization.
It involves detachment from the material world and attachment to the Divine.
Mission emphatically asserts that a householder's life is the best school for spiritual progress.
It involves detachment from the material world and attachment to the Divine.
Mission emphatically asserts that a householder's life is the best school for spiritual progress.
The future is in our hands to create
with our Master's grace, blessing and help. Our coming into the Mission may have been
because of our merit carried over from the past. However, nobody can leave the Mission except through
foolishness and superstitious belief in other things ...If we want to become
perfect, we should emulate our Master in all aspects of life. ,
“Dependence on the Guru so as to
detach yourself from the rest of creation”, means detaching yourself from your
friends and family, pets, problems of daily life etc. These
messages speak, in the universal language of love, acceptance and aspiration
for the Highest .In this whole world, God alone is true. The one, who
reveals God, is the True Master, who deserves our gratitude .
A huge banyan tree emerges from a tiny seed. Conversely, infinite
formless God manifests Himself in a finite human body!
God being formless cannot be served.
We can, however, serve the True Master and the devotees. If they are pleased,
God is pleased, automatically.
The Mission has never been orthodox and against
scientific and technological advancement provided it is meant for human
welfare. It believes that man must endeavor to make life more and more
comfortable. Today Baba Hardev Singh Ji is utilizing the latest technology even
for the spread of the Mission’s
message.
. According to Baba Ji the Mission must work as a deep reservoir of peace, love and understanding to stem the wild fire of hatred, jealousy and ill-will. Hence the stress on our own behaviour based on spiritual enlightenment. The Mission is certainly poised for greater and greater heights since the peace and tranquility, love and faith it preaches and practices is exactly what the trouble-torn world needs today.
. According to Baba Ji the Mission must work as a deep reservoir of peace, love and understanding to stem the wild fire of hatred, jealousy and ill-will. Hence the stress on our own behaviour based on spiritual enlightenment. The Mission is certainly poised for greater and greater heights since the peace and tranquility, love and faith it preaches and practices is exactly what the trouble-torn world needs today.
Let us transform our life into a
practical version of spirituality, a living example of divine truth, When a saint surrenders himself in total to
the will of the True Master, he is the happiest person devoid of all worries
and leads a contented and blissful life. All his needs and desires are
automatically met with. He does not have to think of ever demanding anything. It
represents the religion in practice. The true religion always binds and unites
man with the Supreme being (God).
The Sant Nirankari Mission is unique, unparalleled and matchless
as it does not discriminate between people belonging to different religions and
it takes whole humanity as one world family of God. One of its basic principles
is "Vasudhaiv Kutumabakam", which means the whole world is one
family. It enjoins upon every human being living in any part of the globe,
speaking any language, eating any food and wearing any dress to know, to
realize God, the Supreme Father through benign grace of the True master
(Satguru). Nirankari Mission represents the crux, essence and fragrance of all
religions.
"Ye worship what ye know
not; we know what we worship. God is a spirit and they that worship Him must
worship Him in spirit and in truth."
The Sant Nirankari Mission’s
distinction also lies in that it unites all people of the world under the
banner of the One formless God. All men and women are united together as
members of the Universal Brotherhood. They live together in peace, enjoy
spiritual bliss and bounties, love and respect all other human beings, who
constitute one world family as the children, as the creation of God. The
devotees of Nirankari Baba Ji are replicas of Divinity and they are imbued with
divine virtues of humility, love, piety, tolerance and selfless service to the
community.
Another unique feature
of the Nirankari Mission is that it is creating ideal world citizens, who have
transcended all bondages and barriers of religion, caste, creed, colour,
language, race, region and nationality etc. The Mission’s endeavour is to
create spiritual awareness among people all over the world and its lofty aim
and object is to transmute men with animal instincts into true human beings so
as to become angels of God on earth, to be harbingers of peace, love, humility
and upholders of human values .
Another distinction
with the Sant Nirankari Mission is that it provides one common forum and
platform where people belonging to all religions the Hindus, the Christians,
the Sikhs, the Muslims, the Buddhists, the Jains and the believers of other
faiths and sects do sit together to offer prayer and to sing the glory of the
omnipresent all pervading formless God . In this Mission the beggar and the
king, the rich and the poor, the high and the low, the Greek and the Jews, the
Palestinians and the Arabs, the Americans, the Europeans, the Indians, the
Pakistanis, the Bangladeshis, the Chinese, the Japanese and the Australians,
all are treated alike, they sip the same Divine Nectar and enjoy the same
perpetual peace, bliss and salvation the aim of human life .
The uniqueness of the
Nirankari Mission also lies in that it builds the bridges of understanding
between men of different nations, different countries, different hues and
cultures so as to create one world society, one universal brotherhood, one
world family of God-realized people, where there is no place for hatred,
jealousy, enmity, duality, lust, anguish, pain, misery, chaos, confusion,
tumult and tension, discord and dissension, violence, war and domination of one
over the other. All live together in peace as world citizens, as children of
God, loving and respecting and helping one another, always trying to uplift the
fallen ones, to provide succour and support to the weak and the down trodden,
serving the saints and the mankind with all their might and strength in the
name of God, in the name of Satguru. This is the glimpse of the heaven on the
earth which the supreme architect and Head of the Mission
Nirankari Baba Ji is wanting to establish by working day and night.
Yet another distinction
with the Sant Nirankari Mission is that in this strife-torn society where we
find plethora of religions and sects, with different faiths and ideologies,
conflicts, clashes and contradictions, tumult, turbulence, war and violence,
the Universal Brotherhood Mission is bringing about unity in diversity and
endeavouring to replace pride with humility, war with peace, hatred with love,
ignorance with divine knowledge, darkness with light, evil with good, vice with
virtue, pollution with purity, sin with forgiveness, fanaticism with tolerance,
sadness with happiness, lust with desirelessness, attachment with detachment
and death with immortality. The Mission has the
rare remedy of God-realization and it does escort the seekers of truth straight
to the Kingdom of
God, uniting them
directly and constantly with the all-pervasive omnipresent omniscient God. The
man is purged of the ego by Divine Knowledge, which cleanses and purifies the
mind and divests it from pride and prejudice, false notions and convictions and
pollutions of all types.
The Nirankari Mission
practices the spiritual knowledge bestowed by the True Master and actually
dispenses instant knowledge of God. It cordially invites people to come forward
and know the Ultimate Truth (God) which it hopes will stand any touchstone of
holy books they believe in and hold in high esteem.
In short, the Sant Nirankari Mission is unique in that:
- It arranges communion of man with God.
- It unites the soul
(man) with Supreme Soul (God), dispels darkness and removes all doubts,
delusions, pride and prejudices and superstition.
- It does not prescribe any rites, rituals, penance
etc.
- It does not discriminate
human beings on grounds of caste, creed, colour, status, diet, dress, culture
and nationality etc.
- It fosters the
concept of One God-One Religion-One Human Race and cuts across all bondages,
barriers, divisions and dissensions, which divide men on sectoral, regional and
factional grounds.
- It brings together
people of all shades of opinion, all religions and faiths and makes them live
amicably as members of Universal Brotherhood.
- It transmutes the
depraved society and seeks to create a new socio-spiritual order based on human
unity, equality and fraternity.
- It advocates practical
saintly life imbued with divine virtues humility, piety, peace, love, tolerance
and selfless service to the mankind.
- It provides a common
platform, where all human beings professing different religious faiths,
cultures and nationalities sip the same Divine Nectar (Amrit) of Divine Name
and enjoy ever-lasting peace, bliss and solace.
- It holds the True
Master in highest esteem as only He imparts Knowledge of God.
- It escorts seekers of
Truth straight to the Kingdom
of God and establishes
direct and constant unification with omnipresent God.
- To make one's faith
steadfast and stable, it enjoins upon its devotees to cultivate company of
saints (Satsang), to render service to humanity (Sewa) and to always remember
God (Simran).
- It shows the middle
path i.e. neither to renounce the world nor to get too much entangled in it.
The saints live in the world, yet do not become worldlings.
- It improves the
quality of life by restoring human and moral values and translates into action
the philosophy of Gyan (Divine Knowledge).
- It practises what it preaches and accomplishes what
it claims.
By his conduct, he showed how an
ideal disciple should live by the Divine Truth revealed by Satguru . It is a radical crusade for Truth and
against falsehood or large - scale popular movement for spiritual awakening,
social reforms and moral regeneration in the world. Our Sadguru is an apostle
of peace, a Messiah of human unity and a true social reformer. His stress is on
the fundamental unity, equality and fraternity of the mankind though the
oneness of the Supreme Father, God. He asserts that once distance between man
and god is removed, the distance between man and man is bound to vanish .
There can be no peace without God and
no God realisation is possible without the Satguru Nirankari Baba says -
"I am an ordinary human being and humanism is my religion."
This concept has been stated in the Avtar Bani, wherein Baba Avtar Singh Ji
says:
"There is no greater a religion that beholding
the formless God face to face and there is no saner an act than serving the
saints."
The True Master preaches the concept
of One God, One Religion and One Human Race.
The Guru is like a river with waters clean and clear. When you meet him
all dirt and dross is washed away. The True Guru gives us a perfect bath,
turning brutes and demons into angels and saints. The Guru considers himself as
the servant of the whole mankind. He has the same attributes as God and is perfectly
in tune with Divinity. Guru is God-like and there is no difference between Him
and the Supreme Soul (God) Saint Kabir says:
" Those people are
intuitively blind who consider the Guru as different from God".
GOD REALISATION
The Mission believes that a human being comprises
the earth, the water, the fire, the air and the ether, plus the Soul. The first
five material constituents form the body, while the sixth represents the
individual unit of consciousness. Whenever there is a deficiency of any of these
five elements in the body, some sort of disease or disturbance takes place.
However, the deficiency of one element cannot be made good by another. For
example, the necessity of water cannot be met with by earth, fire, air or
ether. Similarly, the lack of air cannot be replenished with water or ether and
so on. Exactly on the same pattern, no material elements can substitute the
sixth i.e. the Soul or the individual unit of consciousness. To repeat, just as
the deficiency of water cannot be made good with an intake of any other
material element, the lack of knowledge of cosmic consciousness on the part of
Soul too cannot be made good with any amount of material gains whatsoever.
The Mission is of the opinion that in order to bring man closer to man the distance between man and God must be removed first. Naturally, this requires the false veil of ignorance to be removed from the human Soul so that it can behold, recognize and meet its source, the Super-Soul, God. Once God is realized by Soul, once it discovers the Truth and is face to face with it, righteousness, purity and nobleness take on rather drive away all the false and evil forces dominating human life hitherto. The darkness of ignorance having automatically gone on the advent of Divine Light, ill-will gives place to goodwill, hatred to love, discord to tolerance and so on. All apprehensions and delusions disappear and life becomes as clean, pure and sublime as Divinity itself. Man surrenders to the will of God, relinquishing all claims as a doer and the owner, trusting fully well that the outcome whatsoever shall be truthful and pleasant.
The Mission believes that what matters is the dismantlement of the artificial and false cloak or the curtain (maya) that keeps the Soul unconscious of the ever-existing Super-Soul, the Almighty. Once the Divine Light descends and the darkness vanishes, the Soul can see all that surrounds it. Within the Body, it may perceive the ‘Self’, realising at the same time its linkage with God (beyond). However, since the communion of the Soul and Super-Soul is full and final, the consideration of ‘Self’ too stands dissolved and merged completely with that of God. If at all, ‘Self’ is a tiny mirror in which the Soul can see an equally small image of the Vast and Boundless entity, i.e. God. In fact, the realization of God takes into its fold the realization of Self in such a manner that the latter ceases to be significant, rather chooses to merge its entity deliberately and happily with the Supreme entity, i.e. God. The spark is now the part of the Flame, the drop is already immersed in the Ocean. Why go after the spark or the drop, when the full flame is there, the entire ocean is there!
The Mission is of the opinion that in order to bring man closer to man the distance between man and God must be removed first. Naturally, this requires the false veil of ignorance to be removed from the human Soul so that it can behold, recognize and meet its source, the Super-Soul, God. Once God is realized by Soul, once it discovers the Truth and is face to face with it, righteousness, purity and nobleness take on rather drive away all the false and evil forces dominating human life hitherto. The darkness of ignorance having automatically gone on the advent of Divine Light, ill-will gives place to goodwill, hatred to love, discord to tolerance and so on. All apprehensions and delusions disappear and life becomes as clean, pure and sublime as Divinity itself. Man surrenders to the will of God, relinquishing all claims as a doer and the owner, trusting fully well that the outcome whatsoever shall be truthful and pleasant.
The Mission believes that what matters is the dismantlement of the artificial and false cloak or the curtain (maya) that keeps the Soul unconscious of the ever-existing Super-Soul, the Almighty. Once the Divine Light descends and the darkness vanishes, the Soul can see all that surrounds it. Within the Body, it may perceive the ‘Self’, realising at the same time its linkage with God (beyond). However, since the communion of the Soul and Super-Soul is full and final, the consideration of ‘Self’ too stands dissolved and merged completely with that of God. If at all, ‘Self’ is a tiny mirror in which the Soul can see an equally small image of the Vast and Boundless entity, i.e. God. In fact, the realization of God takes into its fold the realization of Self in such a manner that the latter ceases to be significant, rather chooses to merge its entity deliberately and happily with the Supreme entity, i.e. God. The spark is now the part of the Flame, the drop is already immersed in the Ocean. Why go after the spark or the drop, when the full flame is there, the entire ocean is there!
We are beholding and comprehending the source of this life i.e. God and
praying to Him, by the grace of Babaji.
Nirankari Mission's philosophy is One God, One Religion and One Human Race.
Nirankari mission is
neither a new religion, nor a seed of any religion. It stands for oneness of
all religions. According to nirankari philosophy, there is only, one religion
that is the religion of truth, love and humanism. The universal message of
truth is for the whole mankind and not for any particular section of people.
This is, however, not an armchair philosophy. On the contrary, it is the
very practical way to live life most fruitfully
The Nirankari Mission lays great emphasis on loving the Lord and serving
him by serving Man.
It firmly believes that bhakti is being
aware of the fact, all the time, that one is 'moving and acting' or simply
'being' in God.
The
Nirankari Mission does not convert anyone to a new faith, but harks the seekers
back to their respective faiths with added firmness. They are advised to
understand and acquire a deeper understanding of their Holy Scriptures in all
minute philosophical details, so that they can live together in a spirit of
peaceful and harmonious co-existence. The Mission
is thus rehabilitating the human race by unlocking the Kingdom of Heaven
through a holy communion between man and God, and eventual understanding between
man and man, promising millennium of peace, bliss and happiness on the earth.
______
Truth is beauty. Ignorance is ugliness.
The veil of ignorance hampers man’s spiritual progress by stimulating baser animal instincts . Sadguru is touching
the dirty aspects of life to make it beautiful. Brahma Gyan dispels ignorance
which is the mother of all evils.
History is replete with battles between
nations for territories or in the name of religion. A silent battle is being
fought every moment between virtue and vice within human beings .Which qualities reign supreme depends on the
presence or absence of God knowledge.
Should we be the victor or the
vanquished in this human life? The choice is ours. Only the
one who obtains Brahma Gyan and leads life in accordance with Sadguru’s words
attains bliss here and hereafter and
emerges the winner of both worlds or leaves a loser.
Salvation of soul is true victory .Inner
transformation is the need of the hour. One with dharamatma unites with
Paramatma. Man is missing on this something which keeps mankind in unison ,
harmony and a state of cohesion. This. something is every thing.
A dismembered psyche of man is
something like a machine without a soul. Though man has acquired all-
physically , mentally , materially , politically there is something which is
missing keeping him anxious all the while .
These relatives , this money , this status, this power , this authority are
not what we should ask for – though in a terrible state of ignorance we focus
on them. The demands of material living are capturing the lion’s share of our
attention. We need to accelerate the process of devolution. We need to overcome
and remove many things accumulated over
time.-our attitude , perception etc. We are now involved in unbecoming of what we are. ; throwing away all that is unnecessary
. We need to revive in us the creative
forces which are hidden and sleeping in us and not being released due to
accumulation of grossness. Let us
unleash this creativity. Universal love
must flow from our heart just as naturally as honey from honey comb. Our goal
is to become what we have to become .We are born as human beings but exhibit animalistic tendencies .
Babaji says “ Temptations often come
through the door which is deliberately kept open. . Let us modify ourselves allowing realization to
replace illusion , adopt the culture of love and cooperation. Let us live in
total consciousness and become worthy of reception of greater grace.
Help and not fight.
Assimilation and not destruction.
Harmony and peace and not dissension are
our slogans
___
Welcome
to Seeking Spirituality
According to an
ancient Indian text "all human endeavor must conform to five principles if
it is to succeed. These are:
1.
Acquire
knowledge and understanding of the goal to be achieved.
2.
Select the right
way or approach to achieve that goal.
3.
Correctly assess
one's current state.
4.
Attract to
oneself all favorable forces which will help in the achievement of the goal.
5.
Repel or do away
with all adverse factors standing in the way of the goal".1
Let us use this as a system for
self-integration, self- actualization, and self-transformation to the fullest
possible extent of realizing the true nature of Self.
_________________
The Heart's Adventure
“Spirituality is the science and the art of
remembrance,”
We
have forgotten our original home, from where we have descended to the world in
which we are living now. We have become so addicted to material life and values
that we no longer remember that original home, the home of our Father whom
people call God, or by any other name. Now, before we can return to that home,
there must be something that will make us remember that home. How can someone
go to a place of which he knows nothing? And how can he go there if he doesn’t
remember it? We have a permanent amnesia. Therefore, spirituality is the
science and the art of remembrance
Every one of us is oriented into some
sort of search, though we know not what we are looking for. It is a vague
longing for inner peace, for inner happiness, for tranquility.
Swami Vivekananda said, while it was good
to be born in a religion, it was bad to die in a religion! Changing one’s
religion was neither desirable nor indeed necessary, for all religions offered
the same package, using the twin instruments of fear and temptation.To him,
changing one’s religion was no more effective than changing one’s cell in a
prison. Such a change did not bring about one’s liberation, in any case, but
only superficially changed the conditions of one’s incarceration! It mattered
not a whit whether one was in a bamboo cage or in a golden one! The bird was in
the cage and could never escape.
It is good to read some books, but one
must learn to depend upon one’s own inner resources for original thinking for
understanding of the higher truths and values of life longing for the higher
life even in the grihastha existence and to escape a diversion from the
main purpose of our lives. The journey of life with the aid of True Master is
the journey, “Towards Infinity”. is
really part of the Divine plan to satisfy our inner longing which was thirsting
for fulfilment.
The end of religion is the beginning of
spirituality. The end of spirituality is the beginning of Reality, and the end
of Reality is the real Bliss. When that too is gone, we have reached the
destination.
“Only he who is happy under all
circumstances is the really happy person!” By his grace and with his blessings,
it is possible to approximate to this state of being, as we have discovered for
ourselves with joy and with increasing confidence in ourselves.
It is emphasized that one who wanted to
achieve the highest goal open to mankind must work for it. A practical approach
under a capable guide is essential for this. And the guide must be one who has
traversed the path himself, and be so familiar with it that he could guide
other seekers over it again and again. In a sense, the Guru, for that is how we
call the spiritual guide in the Indian tradition, is the bridge from here to
the hereafter; from this human life into the eternal spiritual existence; from
this mundane world to the Brighter world. I also prefer to think of Him as a
tunnel which leads us from here to the destination. It may be dark and even
frightening at times, but the circle of light at the far end of the tunnel
guides us surely and certainly to the destination, into a world illumined with
the light of truth and immortality. For the adventure, the spiritual quest, the
spiritual journey, is from one’s own heart to His divine heart, and this is the
way that such an adventurer must travel. Such a tunnel or such a bridge is the
Master.
Our Master has been guiding us with enormous patience, compassion
and his divine love. We should all be eternally grateful to him for his timely
assistance and his eternal love.
The difference between a Jnani and ajnani
is that the latter is sleeping while the other is awake. A growing lightness of
mind and spirit is the surest test of spiritual progress.
Three obstacles in the path to
Realization: 1) We try but there is no attempt; 2) We try too many things at
the same time; 3) We do not have confidence in ourselves. Which is the greater
of the two, the Master or the disciple? `It is the disciple.' Because it is easy to find a master but
extraordinarily difficult to find a disciple.' The Master comes not only to
liberate you. He comes to liberate Himself in each one of us. The funny thing
is that to get nothing I must want nothing. Wanting nothing, I must go to
somebody who is nothing, who has nothing, and try to get from him that nothing
he has. It is an extraordinarily beautiful situation. A sincere prayer will
bring the guru to your door. If you have one goal, it is easy to find guidance.
Never be diverted away from your course
by the enticements of life: whether they are material, mental, or even
apparently spiritual. The so-called spiritual world is full of enticements. All
has to be renounced because spirituality is, ultimately, becoming nothing,
where “nothingness” is what matters.