Passage of the Guru

Recently I wrote a brief article entitled “Passage to the Guru”. It described a recent retreat I was blessed to take in the company of my master, Avatar Adi Da Samraj, at his hermitage island in Fiji. This one is entitled “Passage of the Guru” since my beloved master unexpectedly passed from the body on November 27, less than two weeks after I returned. He had been in perfect health, and was working in his art studio when he suddenly took his Mahasamadhi. His devotees were in shock. Like hundreds of others from around the world, I immediately headed back to Fiji to participate in an extended vigil. It was a time of both heartbreak and grace. Heartbreak because there was a deep longing for this most precious of beings. And grace because his presence was felt as strongly as ever before. It is said that the passing of a true Realizer is a great wind that blows countless blessings to those open to receiving them. Many of my friends from various countries had remarkable stories of such blessings. What became completely clear was that Adi Da was continuing to teach and instruct his devotees. How is this possible? In Adi Da’s case he left a large number of books, essays, and art. There are DVD’s of his Darshan and CD’s of his discourses. There are temples for devotional worship, and a body of instruction for different phases of spiritual practice. There is a community of devotees around the world who are seriously committed to following the way he has given. But most importantly, his spiritual presence and his state of realization are untouched by the passing of his body. Just as there are millions of people who have a devotional relationship to Krishna, Buddha, Jesus
, or Sai Baba, the presence of Adi Da is a light that continues to burn bright. All that appears before our eyes arises from that which is formless, eternal, infinite, and Divine. Things come and things go. Bodies are born and bodies die. The passing of the guru is a stark reminder that one day each of us will pass, too. Until then will we live as suffering beings that follow our own desires only to be reincarnated for more of the same? Or are we willing to be mastered by a true Realizer (in the body or not) and thus participate in prefect freedom, beyond the reaches of birth and death? This is the question for both Adi Da’s devotees and for aspirants of truth everywhere.

Get enveloped by happiness

This is a wonderful centering meditation which Osho calls The Book of Secrets. The whole approach is on integrating your energies; when you are happy or unhappy, the focus is always on the outside. It is somebody who makes you happy or unhappy. The fact is that the feeling rises in your heart, the other is just an excuse.

The sutra is:

On joyously seeing a long absent friend, permeate this joy. When you see a friend and suddenly feel joy rising in your heart, concentrate on this joy. Usually people start talking, remembering things of the past and miss this joy. After the moment is gone this joy will wither away.

The sutra says, feel the joy and let it spread all over your being, get enveloped by the happiness. As if you have become it, and meet the friend while being aware and filled with your joy. Let the friend be on the periphery, and remain centered in your feeling of happiness. Let the emotion take precedence over thought.

Osho has given variations of this meditation. "This can be done in many other situations. The sun is rising, and suddenly you feel something rising within you. Then forget the sun; let it remain on the periphery. Be centered in your own feeling of rising energy. The moment you look at it, it will spread. It will become your whole body, your whole being. And don't just be an observer of it; merge into it.

There are a few moments when you feel joy, happiness, bliss, but you go on missing them because you become object-centered. And this is not only with joy, but with everything: with anger, with sadness, with misery, with happiness, with everything it is so. The difference between negative and positive emotions is: if you become aware of a certain emotion, and by your becoming aware the emotion dissolves, it is negative. If by your becoming aware of a certain emotion you become the emotion, if the emotion then spreads and becomes your being, it is positive. Awareness works differently in both cases."

Resolving The Paradox Between Psychology And Spirituality

It seems that there is a contradiction between the psychology of transcendence and the spiritual idea of transcendence.

Psychologists believe that through the proper application of intelligence and self-cognition one can have a full and enjoyable life, with wealth, health, and a great relationship, as well as a sense of communal belonging and contribution.

Those in spiritual groups, in particular of an eastern orientation, believe that one has to get rid of the lustful ego that craves only fleeting things and to unify with divine consciousness.

The most popular compromise to resolve this seeming paradox is that you have to build up the self and let it go. In Vedic philosophy this is expressed as becoming a householder in the first stages of life then retiring to pursue transcendence.

Yet most believe, because of cognitive dissonance, that they should choose one view or the other.

Thus, there are those who believe that they should be worldly and experience the world as it appears to be.

Then there are those who believe that they should reject the world and dedicate themselves to getting out of the misery of the cycle of birth and death.

Here is another way of understanding this paradox.

The self is a transcendent consciousness. It is not limited to a particular body or a particular lifetime. Because it is not anything in particular, the "I" is not an "it." This is why Buddhists say there is "no-self."

Similarly, the world itself is entirely illusory. I don't mean this metaphorically or even psychologically. At the subatomic level, again there is no substance. There are just probability patterns that literally flit in and out of existence! For example, an electron can appear under an observing instrument then disappear, then reappear again. There literally is no stuff! This is why the Vedantists say that the world is Maya, or illusory.

Yet to all purposes, on the macroscopic level, both an intelligent being and an intelligible world appear to exist.

On this level, personal growth and advancement is necessary, not because it means anything on a cosmic scale, but because there is literally nothing else to do with this adventure of life. You can either resist evolution and suffer all kinds of lack or you can embrace evolution and the refining of mind and enjoy fulfillment of resources and experiences.

Thus, when you look at things from the view of levels of perception, all contradictions disappear, just as the contradiction of day and night disappears when you understand that the sun and earth are in a cosmic dance.

It is possible to be engaged in the world and to actually enjoy it and at the same time to enjoy meditation and contemplation to experience the inner sky of blissful freedom. It is by no means an easy path, but after a while, they will support each other. Material success and harmonious relationships will give you the opportunity to retreat to your inner work. Similarly your inner work will contribute to your increase of abundance and maintaining a loving relationship with others.

The Gift

Give yourself the gift of laughter, song, and love. Touch your life with your own magnificence. You are the ocean. Life itself. You are everything that you were meant to be. Touch your own soul; become whole once more.

Everything is the way it is. Let yourself see it as it is. Free yourself from the delusions of despair.

You cannot save the world from it's nightmares, but you can save yourself; and in doing this, you will salvage the world; for it will see your clear light and hear your clear call.

What if you don't have everything you need right now? Who you are is pure gold. You are the incarnation of abundance. It is right here where you are. Each part of your body is sacred, a miracle of life. And your mind is the greatest thing ever known among all living forms in the history of creation.

When you walk, you grace the earth itself with your presence. Who are you is the gift of life itself. How many more sunrises will it take before you allow yourself to celebrate the miracle of you?

You have lots to give and lots to share.

All lack, limitation, negativity, scarcity are the delusions you entertain to hide your own glory from yourself. And as you suffer through these things, you bring them into physical actuality. Free your energy, your mind, your life from these parasites of thought.

Instead, use your power and get everything you want when you want it. How? By learning how to love, by learning how to sing, by learning how to be yourself fully and completely, without inhibition.

Release yourself from the burden of what might have been. Allow the future to be as it will. Everything you want is here right now. What can be a greater blessing than life itself. To be, just to be, is glory itself. Take this moment to contemplate your own unique expression. Take the next one to celebrate it forever.

Yes, just be. Just be whoever you are. Just be yourself. And celebrate! For the rest of your days.

Not a moment can be grasped and held; not a step can be retraced. As you dance through your dramas of life, remember only this singular truth: you are the magnificence of all life.

Everything that exists filters itself through your senses. Can you celebrate the delicious moment? Or will it pass away as you evoke the hell of your sorrows and damn the cheerful lightness of the air all around you?

Give yourself the gift, before another moment has slipped away.

What is the gift?

The gift is you, my friend; just YOU. For never ever again in all of time and space will there ever be another even remotely like you.

May you be well and happy.

Love Is The Answer To Happiness

The thesis of this discourse is this: love is the answer to happiness.

Love, the most powerful force in creation, is also the most misunderstood.

It is misunderstood because of the context with which it arises: that of relationship. All relationships imply love, either an offering of it or a withdrawal of it. Thus, our understanding of love is conditioned by varying degrees of attachment and aversion. And because of this, there is an element of self-protection that is projected outwardly and becomes control.

Thus, our understanding of love is completely contaminated by all the associations that arise from it.

So what we have then is conditional love; love that is allowed if certain conditions are met.

In truth, none of this is really love, just as a delicious meal, sprinkled with some mud cannot be said to be appetizing any longer.

Love, real love, is acceptance. That is all it is. Simply accepting what is. From that acceptance flows giving and caring, nurturing and compassion.

When you see a beautiful flower wet with dew, you feel an out-flowing force from your heart. This emotion is love. It is a complete acceptance of the flower. You may call it beauty or appreciation, but it is really love.

A mother, seeing her child sleeping peacefully, feels love. This is a pure acceptance of the being of the other. Of course, when the child is awake, shouting, crying, and arguing, expressing it's being in a radical way, breaking some social convention of one sort or another, the mother's love is still there, but now it is mixed up with other emotions, anger, confusion, embarrassment. Thus, control is now exerted. A tension visits the relationship and the love that is implied in it is clouded over, at the heart of which are various degrees of non-acceptance.

When the love is uninterrupted, as in the still flower or the sleeping child, it is pure. It is spontaneous. When conditions are imposed, the love becomes something else, not quite definable, but definitely not as spontaneous, pure, and free.

What made Mother Teresa a lover of life? She accepted what was before her. Poverty, disease, and distressing situations. Her love then moved her to give, and the giving was to provide relief to the other.

Love that has conditions, that exerts control to bring the other into alignment with one's belief systems is not real love. There may be elements of love in it, but it is tarnished with some desire for egoic gain. The other must love back. The other must be appreciative. The other must return something to us.

Philosophers, poets, and spiritual people have long believed that love is the central force that holds the universe together. The physical union of love creates children. The emotional union of love creates families and nations. The intellectual union of love creates ideas, discoveries, and inventions. Philosophically, one can even say that the union of subatomic elements in relationship to each other or of planetary bodies in relationship to each other is part of that harmonious, blending, accepting energy that we call love.

Love does not necessarily mean approval. One cannot truly love something despicable. But love does mean acceptance. And once there is acceptance, there is understanding and insight, and if change is necessary for well-being, it is done with wisdom, not reactive emotion.

If human beings were committed to studying love and applying it, the entire planet would change rapidly, and instead of our continued creation of chaos, harmony and cooperation would occur. All sorts of wonderful prospering circumstances for the well-being of all life would emerge.

But as a species, we associate contention with intelligence and survival, and as long as we prefer exclusion to inclusion, we will continue to wreck our own lives and the world in general with our confused thoughts, feelings, and behavior.

When we begin an inquiry into love, then the journey to right living can be said to begin. What is right living? That which provides well-being for self and other. When well-being is high, there is a feeling of safety and acceptance, which creates happiness, a sense that all is well, good, and true and that we need not guard against sorrow.

The summum bonum of all life is happiness. It is the ultimate motive, the end of all striving. Yet this happiness does not come uninvited. It feels invited when love is present.

Praying For Protection

Oh Lord I pray to you, I cry out to you with a great urgency. Hear me Lord as I pray. I lift up my hands in worship. May my prayers come before you as a sacrifice, may my prayers be acceptable before you.

Help me Lord to only speak well of everyone and to keep my mouth on guard and not to gossip. Let evil ways not tempt me Lord nor may I be drawn to do wicked things. Let me not keep company with ungodly people and grant me grace and love not to offend anyone.

Bring to me godly people who will keep me accountable and may I accept this as a blessing. Advice from a godly person I will not reject.

My prayers today I ask to be kept safe from the evil of this dark world and of the spiritual world. May those who seek to do me harm be blessed by you and may they in their blessing forget about me.

Let my eye look to you for everything Lord. Keep me safe and may I shelter in your protection. Allow me to pass safely through the troubles of this world and keep me from harm. To you Lord God be the glory and majesty my father and my God.

Many people slander you my God forgive them in their folly. Many claim to do good but are corrupt. As you look from heaven Lord to seek those who look for you, strengthen us against the corruptions of this world. Living in the world yet keeping us untainted from the evils of the world.

Lord Jesus society is turning away from you - there is corruption everywhere - few look for you my Lord.

People are ambitious grasping for money and worldly success, willing to destroy one another for mere possessions. No one looks to you.

Your people are attacked; protect us Lord through these times of trails and tribulations. Let us, your people, not worry for we have you Lord God.

In you Lord we have great fortunes. In you Lord we will live eternal in your glorious presence. Lord empower us in this life to do your will and to proclaim to the world your son Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

There is so much sin in the world yet no one cares to seek forgiveness. And Lord how many sins do I need to repent of! It is my sin of passion that I must seek forgiveness.

The shame and horror of this is an evil in my life.

Now I decide not to let my passions take hold of me and I come to you to give me strength to accomplish this. Many I see give into their passions and are overcome by them giving many excuses for their ways and justifying their sin as not sin at all.

Lord God help me to sing your praises and to share in the inexpressible joy of a heart trusting in you alone.

Help my stubbornness because I don't always praise you as I should. Yet my soul rests in your goodness and loving-kindness.

Lord help me in my backsliding, my resistance my forgetfulness of you my Lord and God. Evil corruptions urge me to stand in opposition to you.

Help me to proclaim your goodness with a submissive heart. May I look inwardly and ask, am I truly born again, is my spirit as a child in my approach to you, are my wants and needs a stumbling block to others, are my joys fruit of faith,
does my confidence in Christ spring from love, and does it purify my soul.

Let you love shine in my prayer and in my public life, wrap my heart in your love, hold me Lord and never let me go.

There is so much darkness still in me, scourge this out and live in me and cause me to long for perfect holiness.

Help me to proclaim your goodness with a submissive heart.

Swami Vivekananda

(1863-1902)

Narendranath Dutt or Swami Vivekananda was a great social reformer and Indian nationalist of the 19th century. Vivekananda was the disciple of the great social reformer, Ramakrishna Paramahansa. After his master's death, Vivekananda organized the Ramakrishna Mission for the upliftment of the poor folk whom he called the 'Daridra Narayan.'

The following speech was delivered by Vivekananda at the Parliament of world religions on 11 September, 1893. In those times not many people knew about India and its great religious heritage. The presence of Swamiji was greeted with much enthusiasm and helped spread awareness about the religious tradition in our country.

AT THE PARLIAMENT OF WORLD RELIGIONS

September 11, 1893

Sisters and Brothers of America,

It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome, which you have given us. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions; and I thank you in the name of millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects.

My thanks, also, to some of the speakers on this platform who, referring to the delegates from the Orient, have told you that these men from far-off nations may well claim the honour of bearing to different lands the idea of toleration.

I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation, which has sheltered the persecuted, and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth.

I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion, which has sheltered and is still fostering the remnant of the grand Zoroastrian nation.

I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: "As the different streams having their sources in different places all mingle their water in the sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee."

The present convention, which is one of the most august assemblies ever held, is in itself a, vindication, a declaration to the world of the wonderful doctrine preached in the Gita: "Whosoever comes to Me, through whatsoever form, I reach him; all men are struggling through paths which in the end lead to me."

Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But their time is come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honour of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal.

The Unseen Hand

'Ramana' the mere utterance of the word is nectar to His devotees! Having got exposed to His teachings, the continuous drill of disassociating oneself from the body and the mind that we rightfully think we are, I could hardly approach Him for any favours। Immediately the question ' Who is the one who is seeking the favour? ' will sprout up and that was suffice enough to silence me. For was it not He who had said that the true 'I' is far beyond the body and the mind? So for whom is favours to be sought? It appeared meaningless!As a normal human being still entangled in the body-mind complex and a very long way to go on the path of spirituality, I did ascend the steps of His shrine in Bangalore to seek His grace when a major crisis hit upon us (my family). I could only turn to Him for support for what care and love can surpass His? Had'nt He not told a Buddhist monk who came for His darshan that a Master's grace is not exclusively for spiritual upliftment of a devotee alone though it was the prime cause but also for material issues as well.

The doctor's report clearly stated the presence of a tumour in my aunt's brain. She shares almost an equal part with my mother in bringing me up. I immediately set out to my hometown after having pleaded with Ramana for her recovery and surrendering the issue to His complete care.My aunt was not aware of the seriousness of the issue. A couple of tests were done and the doctor said that it was not required to open her head to remove the tumour. The tumour consisted of liquid and so a tube was to be inserted trough her nose and the liquid was to be drained out. That was a great relief as opening the head sounded scary as some of the vital nerves were attached to the tumour. However another problem dangling like Damascus' sword above our heads was that, only after the surgeory the tumour would be exposed to biopsy to know whether it was benign or malignant. We took a second opinion from an expert surgeon who assured that the tumour is definitely benign. Another burden was lifted!I was then to meet the ENT(Ear, Nose, Throat Specialist) as his presence was required during the surgeory as the liquid of the tumour was to be drained through the nose. As I was listening to the assuring words of the doctor, I suddenly looked into the eyes of the much accustomed face! Who else' but Bhagavan Ramana's whose picture adorned the wall of the ENT's room as if to assure me that everything is going to be fine. A pleasant surprise indeed!A new relief began to flood within my being and I told the doctor that everything is going to be fine as Bhagavan has assured me with His presence. The surprised doctor and I had a conversation about Ramana. I was very happy to have founded a fellow devotee.On the day of the surgeory, as my tensed family waited outside the operation theatre, I was relaxed reading a book about Bhagavan. The surgeory proved to be successful and my aunt is hale and healthy now with the new lease of life granted by the magnanimous boon giver, Ramana. He made His presence most unassumingly and performed the miracle in the most natural way. Well that is Ramana's way! No spectacular outward display, yet the devotee can feel the guidance within him. An exclusive divine interaction between the devotee and Ramana alone!I expressed my gratitude to Bhagavan with tears brimming my eyes in the shrine in Bangalore. His flooding mercy not only cured my aunt, but also exposed me practically to what it meant to surrender to Him without reserve which formed the core of his teaching. His grace surpassed my amateurishness in spirituality of often faltering in my sadhana like a child toddling with indefinite steps. A two in one miracle that taught me as well as touched me! The experience taught what the state of mind will be with regards to complete surrender. All praise to my Master Ramana.

Variety in Upadesh

Sai Baba required no special place, nor any special time forgiving instructions. Whenever any occasion demanded, He gave them freely. Once it so happened that a Bhakta of Baba, reviled another behind his back, before other people. Leaving aside the merits, he dwelt on the faults of his brother, and spoke so sarcastically, that the hearers were disgusted. Generally, we see that people have a tendency to scandalize others, unnecessarily; and this brings on hatred and ill-will. Saints see scandal, in another light. They say that there are various ways of cleansing or removing dirt, viz by means of earth, water and soap etc., but a scandal-monger has got a way of his own. He removes the dirt (faults) of others by his tongue; so in a way, obliges the person, whom he reviles and for this he is to be thanked.
Sai Baba had his own method of correcting the scandal-monger. He knew by his omniscience what the slanderer had done and when He met him at noon near the Lendi, Baba pointed out to him a pig that was eating filth near the fence and said to him - "Behold how, with what relish it is gorging dung. Your conduct is similar. You go on reviling your own brethren to your heart's content. After performing many deeds of merit, you are born a man, and if you act like this, will Shirdi help you in any way?" Needless to say, that the Bhakta took the lesson to his heart, and went away.
Baba said that He was omnipresent, occupying land, air, country, world, light and heaven, and that He was not limited
In this way Baba went on giving instructions whenever necessary. If these are borne in our minds and acted upon, the spiritual goal (realization) is not far off. There is a proverb which says - "If there be my Hari (Lord), He will feed me on my cot." This proverb is only true in respect of food and clothing, but if anyone trusting in this, sits quiet and does nothing in spiritual matters, he will be ruined. One has to exert himself to his utmost for attaining self-realization. The more he endeavours, the better for him.Sai Ram. In a way, what Shri Hemadpant wrote above is very true, but it is very difficult to actually sit and do nothing! And it is easy for an idle mind to become a devil's workshop and thus drive the person to mischief including criticizing others, forgetting that they too are children of the same God.Shri Hari will definitely take care of a devotee who indeed does nothing, but to reach that stage, one has to first do good things. It is good to remember Shri Adi Shankara's Bhaja Govinda Stotram: Satsangatve nissangatvam, nissangatve nirmohatvam, nirmohatve nischala tattvam, nischala tatve, jeevan muktih, Bhaja Govindam....Out of good company (good deeds), comes detachment, out of detachment comes freedom from illusion, out of that comes a steady mind and a steady mind leads to liberation while still in the physical body. So worship and chant Govinda....Sai Ram. All Saints and Sadgurus teach the same thing in different forms to suit the occasions. Sai Ram.Baba said that He was omnipresent, occupying land, air, country, world, light and heaven, and that He was not limited. To remove the misunderstanding of those, who thought that Baba was only His body three cubits and a half in length, He incarnated Himself in this form and if any devotee meditated on Him day and night with complete self-surrender, he experienced complete union (without any difference) with Him like sweetness and sugar, waves and sea, eye and its luster. He, who wants to get rid of the cycle of births and deaths, should lead a righteous life, with his mind calm and composed. He should always engage himself in good actions, should do his duties and surrender himself, heart and soul to Him. He need not then be afraid of anything. He who trusts Him entirely, hears and expounds His leelas and does not think of anything else, is sure to attain Self-realization.
Baba asked many to remember His name and to surrender to Him, but to those, who wanted to know who they were ('Who am I' enquiry), He advised Shravanam (study) and Mananam (meditation)। To some, He advised remembering God's name, to others hearing His leelas, to some worship of His Feet, to others reading and studying Adhyatma Ramayan, Jnaneshwari and other sacred scriptures. Some He made sit near His Feet, some He sent to Khandoba's temple, and some He advised the repetition of the thousands names of Vishnu and some the study of Chhandogya Upanishad and Geeta.
There were no limit, nor restriction to Baba's instructions. To some, He gave them in person. To others by vision in dreams. To one addicted to drink, He appeared in his dream, sat on his chest, pressed it and left him, after he gave a promise not to touch liquor anymore. To some, He explained some Mantras like 'Gurur Brahma' in dreams. To some devotees, who were practising Hath-Yoga, He sent word that he should give up Hath-Yoga practices, sit quiet and wait (Saburi). It is impossible to describe all His ways and methods. In ordinary worldly dealings, He set examples by His actions, one of which is given below.
There were no limit to Baba's instructions. To some, He gave them in person. To others by vision in dreams.
Sai Ram। The roads are many but the goal is the same. The paths are many but the destination is same. That is the union of the Jeevatma with the Paramatma, the individual soul with the Universal Soul, the water drop with the ocean. Sai Ram. Remuneration for LabourOne day at noon, Baba came near Radha-Krishna-Mai's house and said - "Bring me a ladder." Some men brought it and set it against a house as directed by Baba. He climbed up on the roof of Vaman Gondkar's house, passed the roof of Radha-Krishna-Mai's house and then got down from the other corner. What object Baba had, none could know.Sai Ram. And when Baba did not will it, none of His disciples or devotees including Shama, Tatya Kote Patil etc., could think of asking Him.Radha-Krishna-Mai was, at that time, shivering with Malaria. It may be to drive off that fever, that He may have gone there. Immediately after getting down, Baba paid rupees two to the persons who brought the ladder. Somebody asked Baba, why he paid so much for this. He replied that nobody should take the labour of others, in vain. The worker should be paid, his dues promptly and liberally.Sai Ram. It is always better to pay liberally. The recipient feels obliged and will come gladly the next time for the giver's requests. Also, Baba was indicating that karmic debts should be settled as fast as possible.Sai Ram. We have come to the end of a wonderfully rich chapter. In the next issue, we will take up another great chapter, where Baba explains to Sri Dasa Ganu Maharaj, the essence of Isa Upanishad. Sai Ram.

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all


By: Venkateswara Swamy Swarna

Baba's Advice Regarding our Behaviour

The following words of Baba are general and invaluable. If they are kept in mind and acted upon, they will always do you good. "Unless there is some relationship or connection, nobody goes anywhere. If any men or creatures come to you, do not discourteously drive them away, but receive them well and treat them, with due respect.
Shri Hari (God) will be certainly pleased, if you give water to the thirsty, bread to the hungry, clothes to the naked, and your verandah to strangers for sitting and resting. If anybody wants
any money from you, and you are not inclined to give, do not give, but do not bark at him, like a dog.Let anybody speak hundreds of things against you, do not resent by giving any bitter reply. If you always tolerate such things, you will certainly be happy. Let the world go topsy-turvy, you remain where you are. Standing or staying in your own place, look on calmly at the show of all things passing before you.
he heard a beautiful song that was being sung nicely by one Aurangabadkar, in the Masjid before Baba.
Sai Ram. Sai is asking us to leave the idea of doership and adopt the stage of an aware witness and remain steadfast and unshaken by events taking place. These are the traits or attributes of a Sthitha Prajna, Para Brahman and the enlightened Sage. Sai Ram.Demolish the wall of difference that separates you from Me; and then the road for our meeting will be clear and open. The sense of differentiation, as I and thou, is the barrier that keeps away the disciple from his Master, and unless that is destroyed the state of union or atonement is not possible.Sai Ram. A beautiful description of duality. The One becomes two to become One yet again. Yoga is union, of the individual ego with the Universal Consciousness, just as the water drop unites with the water in the ocean. Sai Ram."Allah Malik" i.e. God is the sole Proprietor, nobody else is our Protector. His method of work is extra-ordinary, invaluable, and inscrutable. His will will be done and He will show us the way, and satisfy our heart's desires. It is on account of Rinanubandh (former relationship) that we have come together, let us love and serve each other and be happy. He, who attain the supreme goal of life, is immortal and happy; all others merely exist, i.e., live so long as they breathe".Encouraging Good Thoughts of FruitionIt is interesting to note how Sai Baba encouraged good thoughts. You have to surrender yourself completely to Him with love, and devotion, and then you will see how, He helps you, off and on, in so many things. Some Saint has said, that when you get a good thought, immediately after awakening from sleep, and if you develop the same afterwards during the day, your intellect will be unfolded and your mind will attain calmness. Hemadpant wanted to try this. On one Wednesday night before going to bed, he thought - "To-morrow is Thursday - an auspicious day and the place, viz. Shirdi, is so holy; so let me pass the whole day in remembering and chanting the Rama-nama, and then he slept. Next morning when he got up he remembered without any effort the name of Rama and was much pleased.Hemadpant then, after finishing his morning duties, went to see Baba with flowers. When he left Dixit's Wada, and was just passing Booty's Wada (present Samadhi-mandir) he heard a beautiful song that was being sung nicely by one Aurangabadkar, in the Masjid before Baba. The song was Guru - kripanjan payo mere bhai" etc. by Ekanath, in which he says that he got collyrium in the form of Guru's grace which opened his vision and made him see Rama, in and out, in sleep, dream, and waking state and everywhere. There were so many songs; and why was this song particularly chosen by Aurangabadkar, a devotee of Baba? Is this not a curious coincidence arranged by Baba to feed the determination of Hemadpant to sing unceasingly Rama-nama, during the day?Sai Ram. He has helped me too with this particular mantra out of the many. All His names are effective in liberating us from our bondage of attachment to our worldly desires. Sai Ram. All Saints agree and lay stress upon the efficacy of uttering Rama's (God's) name, in fulfilling the ambitions of the Bhaktas and in protecting and saving them from all calamities.
By: Venkateswara Swami Swarna

Union Of The Jeevatma With The Paramatma

When I wanted to submit this article, I found that it would be published under Yoga-Spirituality। So, I first thought of requesting the editor to change the last part of the link from yoga to spirituality to differentiate it from yoga, which is more concerned with asanas, yama, niyama, pranayam etc., but then realised that the goal of spirituality and yoga is one and the same, that is. union of the jeevatma with the paramatma, the part realising its oneness with the whole, the ego willing to play its role in the drama of life. So, I felt that no change is needed. Many times we talk of Spirituality. What exactly do we mean by that? Let us try to approach this question from the point of view of science.We can very well understand when we talk of a physical world. We can hear, see, smell, taste and touch something. We talk of it being a solid, liquid or a gas. We can touch a solid, smell it if it has a smell, taste it if it has a taste, we see it as having a definite size and shape. We can impact it with another solid and hear the sound of impact. Thus a solid can be sensed by all five sense organs. Sai Ram.When it comes to the liquid, we can certainly see it but with an important difference - it has no size or shape except as defined by a container. It may have a smell and it may have a taste too. It certainly makes a splashing or sloshing sound when moved in the container. Even a dynamic body of liquid like a river makes sound as the water ripples along and meets other solid bodies or when it is separated from itself and then meets itself like a water fall. We can certainly touch the liquid, though it may be difficult in case of mercury and dangerous like in case of corrosive acids. But with suitable precautions, it is possible.

Now let us see vapor state and gaseous state. The difference between a vapor and a gas is that in the case of a vapor it is in contact with the liquid. If the vapor is sufficiently heated, it becomes gas. We cannot see all vapors and gases directly, but we can see them indirectly. We can smell them, taste them (most of the gases don't have a taste but some like carbon dioxide react with water and produce carbonic acid, which gives a characteristic taste to the soda and when oxygen is driven off by boiling water and cooling it without much aeration, it tastes flat) and touch them indirectly (when a breeze blows, we feel it).One important difference between a liquid and a gas/vapor needs to be understood at this point. Though both are classified as fluid (flowing, not having a definite shape and so ever changing), liquids do have a definite density at a given temperature. So a given quantity of a liquid will occupy a definite volume at a particular temperature. Even if we provide a larger volume than that needed, the liquid doesn't flow to fill the total volume. But a few molecules will escape from the liquid surface and form the vapor above that surface. Of course, some of those molecules get kicked back or pulled back into the liquid and some other molecules escape in their place. This is called a dynamic equilibrium. The temperature and the vapor pressure of a liquid, will determine how much part of the liquid will evaporate Alcohol, which is called the rectified spirit has a high rate of evaporation at the room temperature. When the doctor or nurse rubs your shoulder with a cotton swab soaked in alcohol preparatory to injection, you will normally feel cool. That is because the alcohol absorbs heat from your skin for evaporation and that results in a local lowering of your body temperature.So, now it is easy to see what is meant by a spirit. A spirit is a liquid that evaporates easily. Since the rate of evaporation of a liquid at a given temperature is proportional to the average velocity of its molecules and is inversely proportional to the binding force between two molecules of the liquid, it is clear that a liquid with low boiling point, low surface tension will evaporate faster and the vapor pressure will be higher.Another meaning of the word spirit is that it refers to astral entities who may be visible but who can't be touched, for example, ghosts etc. They are lighter, more transparent and can penetrate between the spaces that are impervious to thicker bodies like our normal bodies. So, spiritual means light, less dense.Vapors of a substance are also less dense compared to a solid or liquid and the vapors can penetrate through small crevices which a solid or liquid cannot enter. So, the vapor has better penetrating ability, and thus indirectly better means of knowing things not seen or touched by heavier, denser bodies.If left open, the vapor from a vessel containing a liquid will go on rising and mix with air or if left in space vacuum, will continue to expand outwards forever. Thus a spiritual person tries to expand his consciousness further and further.A person who is all the time attached to his body and its surroundings - a person who is attached to physical comforts, sensual pleasures - see how we are connecting philosophical concepts of a person with scientific concepts discussed above - is not considered spiritual. A person, who feels tied down by these bonds - a person who wants to liberate himself from these bonds - is said to be spiritual.Spirituality expresses itself in several ways - a strong desire in the other worlds, a strong interest in ghosts and other phantoms, a strong interest in study of palmistry astrology and other occult sciences - a strong desire for astral travel - a deep interest in religion, psychology and other behavioral sciences and of course also through a strong interest in philosophy (literally meaning love of knowledge) - physics and other sciences all being branches of philosophy and study of Vedanta etc.

By: Swarna.Venkateswara Swamy

Surrender to God

Total surrender to the Almighty is the highest form of bhakti। It stands for accepting every situation as a gift or prasad from God. It means living every moment to perfection by using all your mental, physical and spiritual potential to the maximum. Spirituality means doing things in the right spirit and with complete faith. No situation is frivolous or insignificant because it always contains a hidden message. There are no flaws in the Divine's design, this is what we all must be aware of just like one dev-doot, or angel, did when he was banished from the heaven to lead a life as a cobbler to make him realize the consequence of questioning the wisdom of the Almighty. This angel had become so evolved spiritually that he was just one step away from becoming one with the Supreme. Pointing to a young woman on Earth, God asked him to take away her soul as it was time for her to die. When the angel reached the woman's house, he witnessed a heart-rending scene. Dressed in rags, the woman was cradling a three-month-old baby in her arms and was trying to pacify her two other children, aged two and four, who were crying with hunger. All looked malnourished and pale. There was not a morsel in the house. The woman had lost her husband, their sole breadwinner, a few months ago. With three little children to take care, she was unable to make ends meet. Now she was running high fever and was wondering what was to become of her and her children. The sight of the poor family living in such trying circumstances brought tears to the angel's eyes. He could not be so unkind and deprive the helpless kids of their only living parent! His compassion and benevolence got the better of him so he decided to return to the Heaven empty handed. His disobedience earned him the Almighty's displeasure. Since every act of the divine is guided by divine love and benevolence, God decided to make him realize his folly of interfering with the Supreme Law or design by banishing him to Earth for a lifetime as a cobbler. The only way he could return and be with the Almighty once again was by laughing at his plight three times. Thus the angel was born on Earth into a family of cobblers. He grew up beating smelly hides into smooth leather to make footwear. One day as he sat making footwear, the irony of it all dawned on him and he laughed at his situation -- once a Dev-dhoot, God's chosen one, was now on Earth working with animal skins, making footwear for mortals. Any way, instead of whining, the Dev-dhoot accepted his situation and continued leading his life in total surrender to the Almighty, giving his whole being to what ever work that came in front of him, whether it was beating leather into shape or making footwear. Soon he became so good at his work that his masters and customers started praising his work. And one day he was asked to make shoes for none other than the king himself! The angel put his mind, heart and soul into his work and before he could realize, he had created the most beautiful pair of chappals ever. But his masters were livid with him for being so careless, wasting raw material and time on a pair of chappals instead of the shoes that the king's men had ordered. Soon they arrived but much to everybody's surprise, the king's men asked for a pair of chappals instead of shoes. The king had just died and they wanted chappals to the fit the corpse before it could be cremated. It was a ritual in those days that the body of the king was adorned with chappals rather than shoes on his final journey. The dev-doot was speechless. Nothing seemed frivolous or meaningless in the Almighty's scheme of things, he thought and laughed to himself the second time. As days passed by, the angel became increasingly well known for his fabulous footwear. One day, a rich elderly lady escorting three pretty girls came to his shop to place a huge order for fancy footwear for the girls as they were all of marriageable age. When the angel asked her whether the girls were her daughters, the lady shook her head and replied that she was a rich businessman's wife but could never have any children. But one day her neighbours told her about three helpless orphans who had lost their parents. She felt the Almighty had answered her prayers and she adopted the three kids. The lady was in fact talking about the same children whose mother the Almighty had once ordered him to take away! Marveling at the Divine's design, the angel laughed to himself the third time. It was all about surrender and accepting every situation as a gift from God, to be lived through with all our potential. He had been banished to Earth in the first place because he had failed to do so, but later he got the opportunities to laugh his way out of this human life because of his surrender. His life's mission was now complete. He was ready to leave for his heavenly abode where the Almighty was waiting for him with open arms. He knew it well that now he would be with the Supreme forever. He had learnt the ultimate message meant for all humans on Earth that the only way to cut our Karma Cycle, the cause of birth and death, for total liberation and merging with the Supreme is to perform every given act, whether in thought, word or deed, as an offering to the Lord in total surrender, without doubting or questioning the purpose behind it. This is true realisation. This is the essence of life.

Meena Om

Religion And Spirituality

Religion is general associated with certain fundamental rituals and practices while spirituality is more concerned with the mental and intellect aspects. Both however seek to help the aspirant in attaining Godhead. God consciousness is experienced in a state of thought extinction. It is a state where the mind is totally extinguished and only awareness reigns supreme! Mind is related to thoughts like a river to water. It is the flow of water that constitutes the river. So too, is the flow of thoughts that makes the mind. A mind thus created veils the Divine Self within us. Religious practices generate spiritual undercurrents, which help in transcending the mind by arresting the Divinity inherent in us. The flow in each case generates power and dynamism. The nature of river is dependent upon the quality of water flowing in it. If the water is muddy, the river is muddy; if the water is fast, the river is fast and so on. Likewise, the quality of thoughts in the mind relates to the quality of the human... As the mind, so the man! All our religious rituals and practices have a subtle cleaning and energizing effect on the mind to pave the way for attaining the ultimate state of Divinity. And the state of Divinity is not merely a personal achievement; it must culminate in a Universal resurrection!