1. Life, Love and chocolates are sweeter when shared with others~ Anonymous
2. Joy attracts Grace ~ Babuji
3. Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow, how the heart yearningly craves for rest. Often when the earth has no balm for my heeling in my Lord I find rest and there I am blessed.~ Anonymous
4.God is omnipotent in its circumferential range, but tends to nothingness in its centripetal range. ~ Babuji
5.Between the hater and the hated the one who is more hurt is the hater. ~ Anonymous
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Kabir Ki doha -1
Pothi Padh Padh Kar Jag Mua, Pandit Bhayo Na Koye
Dhai Aakhar Prem Ke, Jo Padhe so Pandit Hoye
Translation
Reading books everyone died, none became any wise
One who reads the word of Love, only becomes wise
Meaning
To understand this doha in its true perspective is important. We all read and now with tremendous media exposure, we are seemingly more informed. Everyone seems to know everything. Yet, the truth is that inspite of all this information, there is no awareness. We are not at peace. There is a lot of frustration all around. Our minds are not quiet and relaxed. We talk of Love but have no compassion. Selfishness, greed, fear, hatred and similar tendencies seem to grip us all the time. Why?
Kabir in this doha shows the way, in his simple but dynamic style. He daringly says that despite all our readings, despite all our knowledge, we cannot become wise. Only if we 'read' Love, become loving and loveable, only then wisdom will dawn on us. Only then Life will be worth living.
Dhai Aakhar Prem Ke, Jo Padhe so Pandit Hoye
Translation
Reading books everyone died, none became any wise
One who reads the word of Love, only becomes wise
Meaning
To understand this doha in its true perspective is important. We all read and now with tremendous media exposure, we are seemingly more informed. Everyone seems to know everything. Yet, the truth is that inspite of all this information, there is no awareness. We are not at peace. There is a lot of frustration all around. Our minds are not quiet and relaxed. We talk of Love but have no compassion. Selfishness, greed, fear, hatred and similar tendencies seem to grip us all the time. Why?
Kabir in this doha shows the way, in his simple but dynamic style. He daringly says that despite all our readings, despite all our knowledge, we cannot become wise. Only if we 'read' Love, become loving and loveable, only then wisdom will dawn on us. Only then Life will be worth living.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Divine work carried out through human beings
The functionaries of nature are carried out by human beings.They fall under five categories.
1.Rishis - They work within a town or a district.They work for the adjustment of everything within their jurisdiction.To attain the position of Rishi one should have gained control over Pancha Agni Vidhya.
2.Muni - They are higher in position compared to the Rishis.Their work is cleansing of the atmosphere.Those who have entered into the Brahmanda Mandal can attain the position of Muni.
3.Dhruvadipad - Their work is to look into the events and incidents at different times.Those who have gained the mastery over the point of Navel(or Nabhi) can attain the position of Dhruvadhipad
4.Parishad - They are involved in both constructive and destructive work.They can bring about wars when required.Those who have gained mastery over Central point of Sahasra Dal Kamal can attain the position of Parishad.
5.MahaPArishad - At a point of time there can be only one maha Parishad and he is the contoller of the Universe.
The work of God are carried out through human beings(because they have mind) who are just like us..So much exists in this life far beyond our understanding..
1.Rishis - They work within a town or a district.They work for the adjustment of everything within their jurisdiction.To attain the position of Rishi one should have gained control over Pancha Agni Vidhya.
2.Muni - They are higher in position compared to the Rishis.Their work is cleansing of the atmosphere.Those who have entered into the Brahmanda Mandal can attain the position of Muni.
3.Dhruvadipad - Their work is to look into the events and incidents at different times.Those who have gained the mastery over the point of Navel(or Nabhi) can attain the position of Dhruvadhipad
4.Parishad - They are involved in both constructive and destructive work.They can bring about wars when required.Those who have gained mastery over Central point of Sahasra Dal Kamal can attain the position of Parishad.
5.MahaPArishad - At a point of time there can be only one maha Parishad and he is the contoller of the Universe.
The work of God are carried out through human beings(because they have mind) who are just like us..So much exists in this life far beyond our understanding..
The Hidden Significance
1. What is meant by Hanuman ?
'Hanu' means 'To Kill'. 'Man' means 'Ego'. So 'Hanuman' means one who has given up His ego and is a true Devotee.
Hanuman stands as an example of real faith.With his faith in Lord Rama,He was able to cross the ocean and reach Lanka whereas Lord Rama Himself needed a bridge.
2.What is the significance of Vishnu in the ocean of milk ?
"Ocean of milk means ocean of spirituality.The serpent Adi Sesha stands for Carnal desires and Lakshmi who is pressing the Lord's feet signifies MAYA.It means that MAYA becomes a slave of one who acquires mastery over his carnal desires.
'Hanu' means 'To Kill'. 'Man' means 'Ego'. So 'Hanuman' means one who has given up His ego and is a true Devotee.
Hanuman stands as an example of real faith.With his faith in Lord Rama,He was able to cross the ocean and reach Lanka whereas Lord Rama Himself needed a bridge.
2.What is the significance of Vishnu in the ocean of milk ?
"Ocean of milk means ocean of spirituality.The serpent Adi Sesha stands for Carnal desires and Lakshmi who is pressing the Lord's feet signifies MAYA.It means that MAYA becomes a slave of one who acquires mastery over his carnal desires.
The five coverings which make up a being
1.Annamaya Kosha(Body sheath) : People think the body as everything and never think about the existence of the soul.Only one among a million would have broke this layer.
2.Pranamaya Kosha(Covering of breath) :Bodily organs get tired but pranas are never tired.Their function continues while sleeping,waking etc.
3.Manomaya Kosha (Covering of Manas) : Creates both positive and negative thoughts.
4.Vignyanamaya Kosha (Covering of the intellect) : Here a person can do many sidhis.If this layer is not removed properly then it leads to rebirths.
5.Anandamaya Kosha (Layer of Bliss) : This is the place of bliss and the place where the soul resides.The knot of inanimate and animate is here.
Inorder to feel eternal bliss a person is supposed to break all these five layers.
2.Pranamaya Kosha(Covering of breath) :Bodily organs get tired but pranas are never tired.Their function continues while sleeping,waking etc.
3.Manomaya Kosha (Covering of Manas) : Creates both positive and negative thoughts.
4.Vignyanamaya Kosha (Covering of the intellect) : Here a person can do many sidhis.If this layer is not removed properly then it leads to rebirths.
5.Anandamaya Kosha (Layer of Bliss) : This is the place of bliss and the place where the soul resides.The knot of inanimate and animate is here.
Inorder to feel eternal bliss a person is supposed to break all these five layers.
Quotes which i like ~ Part 2
1.When pain passes the limits of intensity it becomes it's own cure~Persian poet
2.Love for God is a state where the trinity of lover,beloved and love itself is lost.~Lalaji
3.Moderation means balance in all the faculties,nothing more or less than what is required at the time for any specific purpose without it's slightest impression on mind. ~ Bapuji
4.Attitude towards other's "IF he does not give up his bad habit,why should i give up why good habit" ~ Bapuji
2.Love for God is a state where the trinity of lover,beloved and love itself is lost.~Lalaji
3.Moderation means balance in all the faculties,nothing more or less than what is required at the time for any specific purpose without it's slightest impression on mind. ~ Bapuji
4.Attitude towards other's "IF he does not give up his bad habit,why should i give up why good habit" ~ Bapuji
My Wierd Hypothesis~ Part 1
1.When I asked God to teach me to like that which I disliked, He told me to transcend both likes and dislikes.
2.True Love may lead to pain lucky are the blessed few who have learnt to love even that pain.
3.I am a particle of dust in the feet of the Lord. My existence by itself is His infinite mercy. I am blessed to rejoice in your Love and Light. All I strive is to keep my vibration in resonance with The Divine.
4.I am like a snail and the Lord/Master is my shell, every time I penetrate out of the shell I observe I swing between transitory pleasures and pain. But within the shell lies my entire universe there I find perfect peace, real happiness and Eternal Bliss and with my Lord I am perfectly comfortable.
5.As long as love seeks acknowledgment, duality exists and love is not complete unless oneness prevails.
6.The Joy of love is neither the beloved nor the reciprocation but the joy of love is love itself; such is its unsurpassable beauty.
7.God has made this world as He saw fit. We need to mend our ways and make ourselves adaptable without judgments or opinions.Every single complaint we make about our fellow beings is like complaining about the Lord Himself.
2.True Love may lead to pain lucky are the blessed few who have learnt to love even that pain.
3.I am a particle of dust in the feet of the Lord. My existence by itself is His infinite mercy. I am blessed to rejoice in your Love and Light. All I strive is to keep my vibration in resonance with The Divine.
4.I am like a snail and the Lord/Master is my shell, every time I penetrate out of the shell I observe I swing between transitory pleasures and pain. But within the shell lies my entire universe there I find perfect peace, real happiness and Eternal Bliss and with my Lord I am perfectly comfortable.
5.As long as love seeks acknowledgment, duality exists and love is not complete unless oneness prevails.
6.The Joy of love is neither the beloved nor the reciprocation but the joy of love is love itself; such is its unsurpassable beauty.
7.God has made this world as He saw fit. We need to mend our ways and make ourselves adaptable without judgments or opinions.Every single complaint we make about our fellow beings is like complaining about the Lord Himself.
Liberation vs Realisation
Liberation and moksha are two different things which are commonly misunderstood to mean one and the same.
1.Moksha is just a temporary pass in the birth death cycle and i have read it could be for a period of about 800 years.
2.Liberation means we are done with the birth death cycle once and for all.
It could be said that liberation is a process in which we expose ourselves to God.
We can attain liberation with our sadhana and the guidance of Guru.
Every soul takes an incarnation to be liberated.
As far as my Master's teaching goes,if God is viewed as the centre there are twenty three circles around it and when a person crosses the first one and a half circle itself he is liberated.This is just to highlight how much more remains to be achieved after liberation,though very often liberation is taken as the final goal.But to attain liberation a person should be complete free from the clutches of MAYA.
3.Realisation means that God has exposed Himself to us.To attain Relisation is completely in the hands of God.
1.Moksha is just a temporary pass in the birth death cycle and i have read it could be for a period of about 800 years.
2.Liberation means we are done with the birth death cycle once and for all.
It could be said that liberation is a process in which we expose ourselves to God.
We can attain liberation with our sadhana and the guidance of Guru.
Every soul takes an incarnation to be liberated.
As far as my Master's teaching goes,if God is viewed as the centre there are twenty three circles around it and when a person crosses the first one and a half circle itself he is liberated.This is just to highlight how much more remains to be achieved after liberation,though very often liberation is taken as the final goal.But to attain liberation a person should be complete free from the clutches of MAYA.
3.Realisation means that God has exposed Himself to us.To attain Relisation is completely in the hands of God.
I like this lyrics
lyrics of linkin park's "It doesn't even matter".
One thing / I don’t know why
It doesn’t even matter how hard you try
Keep that in mind / I designed this rhyme
To explain in due time
All I know
time is a valuable thing
Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings
Watch it count down to the end of the day
The clock ticks life away
It’s so unreal
Didn’t look out below
Watch the time go right out the window
Trying to hold on / but didn’t even know
Wasted it all just to
Watch you go
I kept everything inside and even though I tried / it all fell apart
What it meant to me / will eventually / be a memory / of a time when I tried so hard
And got so far
But in the end
It doesn't even matter
I had to fall
To lose it all
But in the end
It doesn't even matter
One thing / I don’t know why
It doesn’t even matter how hard you try
Keep that in mind / I designed this rhyme
To remind myself how
I tried so hard
In spite of the way you were mocking me
Acting like I was part of your property
Remembering all the times you fought with me
I’m surprised it got so (far)
Things aren’t the way they were before
You wouldn’t even recognize me anymore
Not that you knew me back then
But it all comes back to me
In the end
You kept everything inside and even though I tried / it all fell apart
What it meant to me / will eventually / be a memory / of a time when I tried so hard
And got so far
But in the end
It doesn’t even matter
I had to fall
To lose it all
But in the end
It doesn’t even matter
I've put my trust in you
Pushed as far as I can go
For all this
There’s only one thing you should know
I've put my trust in you
Pushed as far as I can go
For all this
There’s only one thing you should know
I tried so hard
And got so far
But in the end
It doesn’t even matter
I had to fall
To lose it all
But in the end
It doesn’t even matter
One thing / I don’t know why
It doesn’t even matter how hard you try
Keep that in mind / I designed this rhyme
To explain in due time
All I know
time is a valuable thing
Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings
Watch it count down to the end of the day
The clock ticks life away
It’s so unreal
Didn’t look out below
Watch the time go right out the window
Trying to hold on / but didn’t even know
Wasted it all just to
Watch you go
I kept everything inside and even though I tried / it all fell apart
What it meant to me / will eventually / be a memory / of a time when I tried so hard
And got so far
But in the end
It doesn't even matter
I had to fall
To lose it all
But in the end
It doesn't even matter
One thing / I don’t know why
It doesn’t even matter how hard you try
Keep that in mind / I designed this rhyme
To remind myself how
I tried so hard
In spite of the way you were mocking me
Acting like I was part of your property
Remembering all the times you fought with me
I’m surprised it got so (far)
Things aren’t the way they were before
You wouldn’t even recognize me anymore
Not that you knew me back then
But it all comes back to me
In the end
You kept everything inside and even though I tried / it all fell apart
What it meant to me / will eventually / be a memory / of a time when I tried so hard
And got so far
But in the end
It doesn’t even matter
I had to fall
To lose it all
But in the end
It doesn’t even matter
I've put my trust in you
Pushed as far as I can go
For all this
There’s only one thing you should know
I've put my trust in you
Pushed as far as I can go
For all this
There’s only one thing you should know
I tried so hard
And got so far
But in the end
It doesn’t even matter
I had to fall
To lose it all
But in the end
It doesn’t even matter
It's Christmas time !!
Christmas back into my school days…
It was the time for us to enjoy as we used to play our favorite Christma and Christ child game. We used to do every little thing to keep our Christ child happy and puzzled. Even our class teacher would join us in the game and Everybody wants to be the teacher’s Christ child.
There would quire practice for the day of Christmas celebration. On the grand day our stage would be very beautifully decorated with angels and stars. On one corner we would have the stable of Christ and all the various skits which would depict some teaching of Christ. In between these we would listen to the wonderful songs. We would have a Santa clause visiting the school and all kids get their gift.
After all the various programs gets over we would have the address of the chief guest.
The last Christmas celebration which I attended at St.Dominics was in December 1999.The message given by a father still echoes in my ears. He asked us a question and gave us two chances to tell the answer which he expected. His question was “Where do we find God ? “.All the kids started telling “In our heart”. He said ‘Of course Yes, but I expect a different answer”. Then all of us started shouting “In our friend’s heart” and our second chance was over. He said “That is a better answer, still that was not what I expected”. There was total silence and all of us wondered what was the answer which he expected. Then he said “God is present in the heart of our enemies, Isn’t it ?”.We all nodded our heads. Then he went on “It is human nature to have enemies. But remember that God is present even in the heart of your enemies and those whom you hate”.How much it would help if remember this simple thing every moment of our life.
Christmas is not just a time for celebration and fun,it's time to understand and put into practice the teachings of Christ.To follow the teachings of Christ one need not be a christian by birth.
Let goodness reach us from all directions.The writing can't be complete without quoting my favorite Christmas hymn.
“Love Came Down at Christmas,
Love all Lovely Love Divine,
Love was born at Christmas,
Stars and angels gave the sign.
Love shall be our token,
Love be yours O Love be mine,
Love to God and all men,
Love for you and me and mine”
Happy Christmas to one and all !!
It was the time for us to enjoy as we used to play our favorite Christma and Christ child game. We used to do every little thing to keep our Christ child happy and puzzled. Even our class teacher would join us in the game and Everybody wants to be the teacher’s Christ child.
There would quire practice for the day of Christmas celebration. On the grand day our stage would be very beautifully decorated with angels and stars. On one corner we would have the stable of Christ and all the various skits which would depict some teaching of Christ. In between these we would listen to the wonderful songs. We would have a Santa clause visiting the school and all kids get their gift.
After all the various programs gets over we would have the address of the chief guest.
The last Christmas celebration which I attended at St.Dominics was in December 1999.The message given by a father still echoes in my ears. He asked us a question and gave us two chances to tell the answer which he expected. His question was “Where do we find God ? “.All the kids started telling “In our heart”. He said ‘Of course Yes, but I expect a different answer”. Then all of us started shouting “In our friend’s heart” and our second chance was over. He said “That is a better answer, still that was not what I expected”. There was total silence and all of us wondered what was the answer which he expected. Then he said “God is present in the heart of our enemies, Isn’t it ?”.We all nodded our heads. Then he went on “It is human nature to have enemies. But remember that God is present even in the heart of your enemies and those whom you hate”.How much it would help if remember this simple thing every moment of our life.
Christmas is not just a time for celebration and fun,it's time to understand and put into practice the teachings of Christ.To follow the teachings of Christ one need not be a christian by birth.
Let goodness reach us from all directions.The writing can't be complete without quoting my favorite Christmas hymn.
“Love Came Down at Christmas,
Love all Lovely Love Divine,
Love was born at Christmas,
Stars and angels gave the sign.
Love shall be our token,
Love be yours O Love be mine,
Love to God and all men,
Love for you and me and mine”
Happy Christmas to one and all !!
My finite understanding of infinite love
Love is something which is sought consciously or unconsciously by every human being. Even in the human level Love has formed the basis of world’s literature and creativity. I just thought of comprehending my finite experience and understanding of infinite love.
Love conquers, Love Rules. Love is the most wonderful thing on earth. There was a time when I have felt that “true love may lead to pain, but lucky are the few who have learn't to love even that pain”
Then I wondered how can love be associated with pain at all. It’s just because we seek in the name of love. Love never seeks. It gives and it gives unconditionally. It is our seeking in the name of love which leads to pain. Then my Master made me understand that “As long as love seeks acknowledgment duality exists and love is not complete until oneness prevails”.
Radha is a n example of this; she used to say Krishna Krishna and at a point of time she herself becomes Krishna and started uttering the words Radha Radha.
My Master says that we should not ‘fall in love’ but rather ‘rise in love’! He also says that God does not love but God is love. We need to make our love universal. To me, all my love seemed like a dirt on the day when I saw true love in the eyes of my Master.
One of my colleague showed me a quote which says “To love and win is the best thing in this world and to love and loose is the second best”. I just told him that there is never loosing in love.
The success of love is in giving and one who knows to give can’t be called a looser.
Through His love, My Master makes me feel His omnipresence to such an that I don’t even think of meeting Him in person because not even for a fraction of a second He leaves me apart; It would be difficult to apprehend unless one has felt that way; but that is the love which binds us. This only proves the fact that what exists among human beings is affection and love is for the Divine alone.
God is considered to be infinite and God is considered to be love; so love is also infinite. I pray that my experience and understanding of love should not stagnate and I should fully feel the infinite divine love and completely dissolve in it.
The joy of love is neither the beloved nor the reciprocation but the joy of love is love itself; such is its unsurpassable beauty. May everyone in this earth be bestowed with this gift.
“Love is the language of the heart and my Master is the personification of Love” I pray that He makes me like Him.
Love conquers, Love Rules. Love is the most wonderful thing on earth. There was a time when I have felt that “true love may lead to pain, but lucky are the few who have learn't to love even that pain”
Then I wondered how can love be associated with pain at all. It’s just because we seek in the name of love. Love never seeks. It gives and it gives unconditionally. It is our seeking in the name of love which leads to pain. Then my Master made me understand that “As long as love seeks acknowledgment duality exists and love is not complete until oneness prevails”.
Radha is a n example of this; she used to say Krishna Krishna and at a point of time she herself becomes Krishna and started uttering the words Radha Radha.
My Master says that we should not ‘fall in love’ but rather ‘rise in love’! He also says that God does not love but God is love. We need to make our love universal. To me, all my love seemed like a dirt on the day when I saw true love in the eyes of my Master.
One of my colleague showed me a quote which says “To love and win is the best thing in this world and to love and loose is the second best”. I just told him that there is never loosing in love.
The success of love is in giving and one who knows to give can’t be called a looser.
Through His love, My Master makes me feel His omnipresence to such an that I don’t even think of meeting Him in person because not even for a fraction of a second He leaves me apart; It would be difficult to apprehend unless one has felt that way; but that is the love which binds us. This only proves the fact that what exists among human beings is affection and love is for the Divine alone.
God is considered to be infinite and God is considered to be love; so love is also infinite. I pray that my experience and understanding of love should not stagnate and I should fully feel the infinite divine love and completely dissolve in it.
The joy of love is neither the beloved nor the reciprocation but the joy of love is love itself; such is its unsurpassable beauty. May everyone in this earth be bestowed with this gift.
“Love is the language of the heart and my Master is the personification of Love” I pray that He makes me like Him.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Ten Maxims of Sahaj Marg
1.Rise before dawn. Offer your prayer and puja at a fixed hour, preferably before sunrise, sitting in one and the same pose. Have a separate place and seat for worship. Purity of mind and body should be specially adhered to.
2.Begin your puja with a prayer for spiritual elevation, with a heart full of love and devotion.
3.Fix up your goal which should be 'complete oneness' with God. Rest not till the ideal is achieved.
4.Be plain and simple to be identical with nature.
5.Be truthful. Take miseries as Divine Blessings for your own good and be thankful.
6.Know all people as thy brethren and treat them as such.
7.Be not revengeful for the wrongs done by others. Take them with gratitude as heavenly gifts.
8.Be happy to eat in constant divine thoughts whatever you get, with due regard to honest and pious earnings.
9.Mould your life so as to arouse a feeling of love and piety in others.
10.At bedtime, feeling the presence of God, repent for the wrongs committed. Beg forgiveness in a supplicant mood, resolving not to allow repetition of the same.
2.Begin your puja with a prayer for spiritual elevation, with a heart full of love and devotion.
3.Fix up your goal which should be 'complete oneness' with God. Rest not till the ideal is achieved.
4.Be plain and simple to be identical with nature.
5.Be truthful. Take miseries as Divine Blessings for your own good and be thankful.
6.Know all people as thy brethren and treat them as such.
7.Be not revengeful for the wrongs done by others. Take them with gratitude as heavenly gifts.
8.Be happy to eat in constant divine thoughts whatever you get, with due regard to honest and pious earnings.
9.Mould your life so as to arouse a feeling of love and piety in others.
10.At bedtime, feeling the presence of God, repent for the wrongs committed. Beg forgiveness in a supplicant mood, resolving not to allow repetition of the same.
My Train Journey
Every morning in the train I come across so many different types of people; the government staffs, the physically challenged, the vendors, the college students(SRM college), the software professionals working for Infosys and TechMahindra and also the worker class going all the way to Chengalpet. All these people have so much to teach me in some way other the other.
Most of the government staffs travel from the city all the way to Kancheepuram. These women would fall under the age group of 40 to 50. They generally discuss about a wide range of topics from saris and cuisines to the family issues. Most of them either have a Kanda Sashti kavas am or Hanuman Salisa or Vishnu Sahasranaamam,they read one page and will talk for 5 minutes and then read the next page J When I look at them I would imagine the enormous task they perform everyday; getting up early doing all the house world and going to work all the way till Kancheepuram;I would if I would also work until their age.
Then comes the next group of people the SRM college girls; these girls are always busy in copying their assignments in the train without even thinking of what they copy. They open their book only during the semesterJRest of the time they are too busy in meddling with their new Nokia; SMS ing listening to songs and their topics of discussion would be the latest film of Surya or a handsome guy in their college. But on the other side I would think about the education system in India where the parents need to spend around 86K every year for the B.Tech course and the most of the children are only bothered about getting through their papers and managing to copy their assignments before reaching Potheri.Still it’s time for fun and I find them so happy and cheerful always with a least worry about the future and that is the main thing they convey to me.
The most inspiring among all the people are the physically challenged people whom I meet every day. People with various deformities; still trying to make their living. They give me a reason to live and show me the good side of life. The beauty about them is they don’t choose to beg, they either choose to sing or to sell something J How many times I would like to ask them what motivates them to go on.
Coming to the Vendors, some of them are too old to even walk, yet struggling to shout as much as possible to sell their commodities. How much they teach about hard work, honest and pious earnings by their living example.
Then comes the girls who try their level best to make Chennai a Chicago with their straightened hair, tight fitting T-shirts and hip swaying jean..no more comments, these are traits of Professionalism and I should think the other way that they live up to the proverb “Dress for the job you want and not the job you are in” J
Then few other professionals trying to maintain the traditional aroma of Chennai; some preparing for their GMAT;some newly married and some are expectant mother’s..I don’t know what goes on in their mind, but how much I wish they are aware of the fact that Spirituality begins right at conception. Will these girls remain in a state of prayer and earn for their child the imperishable spiritual wealth or are they just bothered about the material aspect of life.Oh But at least for them I would wish that office should have been somewhere in the city.
Who else is left ? Me !! what do I do in the train ? I remain a quiet observer of all the above,along with the outside learning I try to learn something everyday by reading the words of My Master. It’s much more than all these..Because to me the journey is nothing both a moment from the outside noise to the inner noise, from the inner noise to the inner silence ~they are hours of intimacy with my creator and this makes me to love the long journey J
Most of the government staffs travel from the city all the way to Kancheepuram. These women would fall under the age group of 40 to 50. They generally discuss about a wide range of topics from saris and cuisines to the family issues. Most of them either have a Kanda Sashti kavas am or Hanuman Salisa or Vishnu Sahasranaamam,they read one page and will talk for 5 minutes and then read the next page J When I look at them I would imagine the enormous task they perform everyday; getting up early doing all the house world and going to work all the way till Kancheepuram;I would if I would also work until their age.
Then comes the next group of people the SRM college girls; these girls are always busy in copying their assignments in the train without even thinking of what they copy. They open their book only during the semesterJRest of the time they are too busy in meddling with their new Nokia; SMS ing listening to songs and their topics of discussion would be the latest film of Surya or a handsome guy in their college. But on the other side I would think about the education system in India where the parents need to spend around 86K every year for the B.Tech course and the most of the children are only bothered about getting through their papers and managing to copy their assignments before reaching Potheri.Still it’s time for fun and I find them so happy and cheerful always with a least worry about the future and that is the main thing they convey to me.
The most inspiring among all the people are the physically challenged people whom I meet every day. People with various deformities; still trying to make their living. They give me a reason to live and show me the good side of life. The beauty about them is they don’t choose to beg, they either choose to sing or to sell something J How many times I would like to ask them what motivates them to go on.
Coming to the Vendors, some of them are too old to even walk, yet struggling to shout as much as possible to sell their commodities. How much they teach about hard work, honest and pious earnings by their living example.
Then comes the girls who try their level best to make Chennai a Chicago with their straightened hair, tight fitting T-shirts and hip swaying jean..no more comments, these are traits of Professionalism and I should think the other way that they live up to the proverb “Dress for the job you want and not the job you are in” J
Then few other professionals trying to maintain the traditional aroma of Chennai; some preparing for their GMAT;some newly married and some are expectant mother’s..I don’t know what goes on in their mind, but how much I wish they are aware of the fact that Spirituality begins right at conception. Will these girls remain in a state of prayer and earn for their child the imperishable spiritual wealth or are they just bothered about the material aspect of life.Oh But at least for them I would wish that office should have been somewhere in the city.
Who else is left ? Me !! what do I do in the train ? I remain a quiet observer of all the above,along with the outside learning I try to learn something everyday by reading the words of My Master. It’s much more than all these..Because to me the journey is nothing both a moment from the outside noise to the inner noise, from the inner noise to the inner silence ~they are hours of intimacy with my creator and this makes me to love the long journey J
Quotes which i like
1.May be giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they will love you back.
Don’t expect love in return just wait for it to grow in their heart,
but if it doesn’t just be content it grew in yours!! ~ Anonymous
2.Make Love and Acceptance the two Fulcrums of your life ~ Bapuji
3.Acceptance is a wise Counsellor ~ Bapuji
Don’t expect love in return just wait for it to grow in their heart,
but if it doesn’t just be content it grew in yours!! ~ Anonymous
2.Make Love and Acceptance the two Fulcrums of your life ~ Bapuji
3.Acceptance is a wise Counsellor ~ Bapuji
Never be Judgmental
Never be judgemental.Never form prejudices based on your own perception. After all no one is perfect so are we. What rights do we have to judge others or talk about anyone ?
Every human being is governed by their own instincts and karma and nature offers them every possible opportunity to overcome their weakness and evolve further and further.
So to judge someone is not our business and we are not here for that. we need to overcome our human weakness and use every opportunity and circumstance to evolve further into a perfect human being.
No one is good or bad but only our thoughts make them so. Most of our thoughts emerge out of our lower mind and may not be correct as our ego believes it to be. Pure thoughts emerge only when our inner voice is nothing but the voice of God and that is possible only when purity reigns the entire being. Our judgments are so superfluous and deceptive.
Judgment need not necessarily be thinking wrong about someone it could also be a blind judgment out of undue attachment. There are high possibilities that those whom we think to be good because of our attachment may have the least of care for us and those whom we have ignored all along might really be a good and loving person. But unless and until we come across such situations we may not be in a position to understand about our wrong judgments. Though such a situation offers us a good lesson that we should not be judgmental yet if we fail to understand it in a right spirit then we would only come to a wrong conclusion that our love was not reciprocated. Out of dejection and disappointment people start radiating hatred and become frustrated. My Master has clearly emphasized “If someone does not do his/her duty towards me, why should I fail in my duty towards him/her”
Similarly we may always find fault with someone and continue to think them as a bad person because some of their qualities may conflict with our ideas of good. So we need to remember the words of Jesus Christ “Do not judge lest you be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. (NASB) Matthew 7:1-2”
So let us never be judgmental and never form any sort of opinion on others nor talk ill of anyone because just like us everybody are on their own stage of evolution and we have no clue what their journey is all about. God has made this world as He saw fit. We need to mend our ways and make ourselves adaptable without judgments or opinions.
Every single complaint we make about our fellow beings is like complaining about the Lord Himself.
Every human being is governed by their own instincts and karma and nature offers them every possible opportunity to overcome their weakness and evolve further and further.
So to judge someone is not our business and we are not here for that. we need to overcome our human weakness and use every opportunity and circumstance to evolve further into a perfect human being.
No one is good or bad but only our thoughts make them so. Most of our thoughts emerge out of our lower mind and may not be correct as our ego believes it to be. Pure thoughts emerge only when our inner voice is nothing but the voice of God and that is possible only when purity reigns the entire being. Our judgments are so superfluous and deceptive.
Judgment need not necessarily be thinking wrong about someone it could also be a blind judgment out of undue attachment. There are high possibilities that those whom we think to be good because of our attachment may have the least of care for us and those whom we have ignored all along might really be a good and loving person. But unless and until we come across such situations we may not be in a position to understand about our wrong judgments. Though such a situation offers us a good lesson that we should not be judgmental yet if we fail to understand it in a right spirit then we would only come to a wrong conclusion that our love was not reciprocated. Out of dejection and disappointment people start radiating hatred and become frustrated. My Master has clearly emphasized “If someone does not do his/her duty towards me, why should I fail in my duty towards him/her”
Similarly we may always find fault with someone and continue to think them as a bad person because some of their qualities may conflict with our ideas of good. So we need to remember the words of Jesus Christ “Do not judge lest you be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. (NASB) Matthew 7:1-2”
So let us never be judgmental and never form any sort of opinion on others nor talk ill of anyone because just like us everybody are on their own stage of evolution and we have no clue what their journey is all about. God has made this world as He saw fit. We need to mend our ways and make ourselves adaptable without judgments or opinions.
Every single complaint we make about our fellow beings is like complaining about the Lord Himself.
Walking With Him in Love - Part 1
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Glossary -
Master - Guru / Spiritual guide
Bandara - Huge spiritual gathering
Satsang - Group Meditation
Sitting - One to One meditation with meditation trainers
Ashram - Place of meditation
Transmission - Utilization of Divine Energy for transformation of man
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Though a human being never knows when their first association with the Master starts yet I should say my conscious association with my Master began on June 2003. My entry into Sahaj Marg was nothing but His mercy. Being inspired by His books I was waiting with high enthusiasm for my 18th birthday in order to commence my spiritual voyage .The first thought of Love for the Master crept up my mind on the day of my first sitting. I was 18 years old, and Master was 77 years old. I was praying to God "God, if my life span is 60 years, I still have 42 years left so please give 21 years to My Master and I will have the remaining 21 so that we may never ever part away from each other".
The various experiences at meditation were keeping up my enthusiasm.
Closely watched over by Him, the first two years in Sahaj Marg were nothing but great. Days when my soul just pulls me to Manappakkam ashram every time I had a holiday at college. Initial days when I used to eagerly wait near master's cottage gate wondering how blessed are the few for whom the doors of His cottage was always opened. There were times when I have thought "How can such indifference among people exist even in a Divine place like ashram, without realizing that the door of His heart is open for one and all! "
After 3 years I had to leave Chennai for the first time, to enter into the corporate world. Being an introvert, I should have felt like a fish out of water to stay away from home. But surprisingly the only thing I missed was my ashram at Manappakkam ashram-The heaven of tranquility amidst the noise of the city.
Those two years away from home were the days when I started viewing Master as my father and friend. I made Him my eternal companion and shared every silly thing with Him. His grace gave me a chance to visit CREST (Spiritual research and retreat Centre) which I would say is a paradise on earth. Physically I was there for the first time still I felt as if was connected to that place since a long time ago.
But on the other side in those two years, I was driven by ambition and not aspiration and all my efforts were drained in trying to climb up the ladder of success. The initial Enthusiasm faded away. But still Master continued to be my eternal companion with whom I shared absolutely everything. My sensitivity was so limited that I was able to view Him only as my father and friend.
His grace took me to Tirupur to attend the long awaited 80th birth anniversary of Master. The first Bandara which I attended in those four years. I was so dumbfounded to see how a piece of land can be changed into a divine town using Love as the only instrument. I was deeply touched by the volunteer work of all the abhyasis and their love and dedication for The Master.
In the next Bandara at Lucknow I was questioning myself "where do I stand when compared to so many hearts which love Him. "A feeling of possessiveness came into picture. I understood that I am just a tiny drop in this ocean of love.
I was back to Chennai after two years. So was blessed to meet the physical Master more often. I had a chance to understand that the work which I thought was my love and life was nothing more than a means to earn my bread. He also made me realize irrespective of the degree of attachment we have for any person; human beings are subjective to change, and Master is my only friend.
Then came the trying moment in my life. All these days I thought that if I had to stay with my Master, He will give me absolutely everything which I want. I was too foolish to think I need not change myself anyway to be with Him. There was a time when I was entangled in middle of my prejudices and love. It was like a tug of war between love on one side and ego on the other. I never knew what to do. All I could do is only pray for His help to keep me with Him. Day and night my heart was craving to be with Him, and a state of fear ruled my mind. My fear was that fate should never separate me and Him. I have no words to describe that fear and a longing to be with Him.
When I was undergoing this pain, came the most auspicious day of my life! The day when I met my master and spoke to Him for the first time! My only obligation to Him was that He takes my soul away with Him. I wonder how He can read people's heart in a fraction of second. He gave me a deep look. A look which conveyed abundance of love and happiness, a look which penetrated deep inside my being. A look which words can never ever describe.
(Narration: My Meeting with The Master)
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On July 8th, 2009, at Chennai, i had a rare opportunity to meet my master since He came to conduct Satsang in my uncle's house. There were about twenty people in the room. I remembered what i read in Babuji's books. Whenever we visit our Master, we should take Him back home along with us our leave our soul to Him. I was praying Master please take my soul away, He perceived my thoughts and tried to gaze it me even though there were so many people in that room. But some one was coming and talking to Him in the middle. When He was about to leave from the house, He got up and gave me a look , which penetrated so deep inside my Being.
His eyes conveyed abundance of Love and Happiness.
His Look was not bound to time, space or dimension.
A look which Penetrated into eternity.
I felt that was both my beginning, beginning of the real life and my end, in the sense He take over completely.
"My little heart was replaced by yours
My human thoughts are streamlined by you.
Now tell me Beloved Master
Am i still mine or am i yours
Is this me, or is this you or is this we? "
***********************************************************************************
My fear just vanished away, and I was feeling so happy. But at that point of time, I never knew that life was going to take a different course. Everything happened at the Bandara at Tirupur-Master's 83rd birth anniversary. It was there I understood He was much more than a father and friend. He is a spiritual Master of the highest caliber. I felt ashamed of myself to have questioned him so many times about the events of my life and all the resistance which I have offered Him.
The Bandara was a revelation of The Master in an entirely different dimension. Rejoicing in His love and light I could say that my soul was just dancing with delight.
After coming back home I did not want to come out of that absolutely wonderful condition. It was then He made me realize that I was ignorant to search my happiness elsewhere when the storehouse of it is within me. I understood the value of satsang and how much I should tune my heart before every satsang. For many days I was still lost in that wonderful condition which He bestowed upon me. I was just drenched in His love. Day and night my subconscious mind was thinking of nothing but Him. My only prayer was that I should never ever come out of this state to go behind the mundane things of material life. Even the tug of war came to an end. The waves of love just washed away the ego. But my mind was anticipating little suffering along with the cleaning, and then I told myself "True Love may lead to pain. But lucky are the blessed few who have learnt to love even that pain. Thank You Lord for bestowing upon me such a rare blessing". It was an awakening of the soul. I felt as if I am born again with Him as the only purpose of my life. I also understood that I had to undergo the tug of war as I have not surrendered to Him.
My First Poem Born Again
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"The heart echoes your name in a wonderful way
And feels your presence in a beautiful way,
We were united from times bygone
And shall remain connected all along,
Time and fate will become losers
If they plan to separate u and me.
Every atom of my being sings your hymn
And rejoices in your name from deep within;
Time and fate may have brought me to you
But time and fate cannot dare to part me from you
Here I am seeking nothing but you,
Willing to lose my identity to become one with you.
It was a decision tough to make ,
Despite all the love which in my heart prevailed,
To break my prejudices which were against your principles,
To accept the sufferings which were tough for my age;
There was a moment of doubt and setback
But the spirit has won and devil has lost .
But my human mind anticipates sufferings on hold,
Is there any greater suffering than to part from Master’s behold?
In either way the suffering is mine
but my Master has taught me to accept it with a smile.
Here I am seeking nothing but you
trying to lose my identity to become one with you.
Where can I find a Master like you
Who guides me all the way through;
What has destiny got to do?
Because it's your mercy which has brought me to you.
Thank you Master for everything
your praise I shall sing from deep within.
I need you more than air and water,
Please don’t keep me away my Beloved Master. "
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I was drenched in His love. My ears became deaf to the noise of the city, to mundane talks to anything and everything which deviates my mind from Him. I willfully wanted to be isolated from the entire world. My thoughts were only centered on Him. I just loved my solitude. I felt how silly I was every time I wanted to get rid of pain. But now I would say "I won’t experience pain and pleasure not when they cease to exist but if I keep myself busy in experiencing Him". The way I view myself and my life had changed.
"I view myself as a particle of dust in the feet of the Lord. My existence by itself is His infinite mercy. I am blessed to rejoice in your Love and Light. All I strive is to keep my vibration in resonance with The Divine". My heart was overflowing with Love for Him and I asked Him "How should I help you in your mighty task". I could hear nothing except the line "By helping yourself". Yes. I need to do my practice with utmost sincerity. Life is short and the goal is far. Arise Awake and Rest not until the goal is achieved. Then there will come a time when we can help others.
I started thinking that all people around should enjoy this kind of happiness and that's when I started understanding the efficacy of Universal Prayer
(Poem: Efficacy of Universal Prayer)
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"How ignorant I was to search my happiness elsewhere
until He taught me that the storehouse of it is within me.
Vibrating in Resonance with His hymn and
Rejoicing in His love and light
Oh! How my soul is just dancing with delight!
How I wish everybody feel this way
Small as I am who will believe in what I say,
All that I can do is only pray
That both the known and the unknown
Forever in His remembrance stay .
Let’s not ignore the Universal prayer,
If not for the love of mankind
But at least for the love of our Master;
As He can never ever Rest
Until every soul is safe in His Nest."
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I don’t know what is my Master's definition of Love. But from my level I think I love Him. The Lover and the object of Love remain the same. But it has transformed beautifully from childish prayer to a state of possessiveness and then to a state of acceptance and a craving for mergence. I still have miles to go, but day and night I hope to dedicate my life to Sahaj Marg and become one with Him.
The divine whom I viewed as Father, Friend and one day as a spiritual Master looks to me like a circle without circumference; a circle whose love has no circumference or rather I am limited to see His circumference. But by following the footsteps of a capable Master I am sure that one day I can see even the circumference of My Mighty Master.
Master, there are no words to thank you. Still all I could say is a 'Thank You'.
( Poem : My Master, My Alchemist )
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You Transmitted Love
You Transmitted Happiness
You Transmitted Courage
You gave me a reason to live
What more you have given
I do not Perceive as of now
I think it would take me an eternity
To absorb all that you have bestowed
You keep giving unconditionally
Without a thought of my deservingness
I am always on the receiving end
And have attained the status of a beggar
Today this beggar stands before you
Without Knowing what she can give to you
Except her heart filled with gratitude
And tears emanating out of Love
Thou art my revered Father
Thou art my Best Friend
Thou art my Beloved Master
but above all Thou art my Alchemist
(Transformer of tendencies)
You Transmitted Happiness
You Transmitted Courage
You gave me a reason to live
What more you have given
I do not Perceive as of now
I think it would take me an eternity
To absorb all that you have bestowed
You keep giving unconditionally
Without a thought of my deservingness
I am always on the receiving end
And have attained the status of a beggar
Today this beggar stands before you
Without Knowing what she can give to you
Except her heart filled with gratitude
And tears emanating out of Love
Thou art my revered Father
Thou art my Best Friend
Thou art my Beloved Master
but above all Thou art my Alchemist
(Transformer of tendencies)
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A talk on Work and It's Reward by my Master
Those who work expect to be rewarded for it. In simple human terms this is a universal expectation, and much work goes into computing the reward, or remuneration as it is nowadays called, both by those awarding it and by those receiving it. Most current disputes center around this problem, and the definition of what is fair compensation for a specified input of labor.
There is a beautiful parable attributed to Jesus Christ. A farmer, or husbandman, as he is called, is recruiting laborers to work in his fields. From the morning people come to him for employment, and he fixes their wage for the day at one talent. He goes on recruiting workers, almost up to the closing time, fixing the same wage for all, which fact, however, the workers do not know. At the end of the day, when they are paid off, they are shocked and upset to find that those who were employed early in the morning are paid exactly the same as those who joined the workforce just before close of work. Naturally they protest to the landlord that this is grossly unfair and against all concept of rewarding work. He merely replies that he had fixed the wage for each worker when he was employed, and the worker had agreed to it. That was all, as far as he was concerned. It may be concluded that if he chose to pay the same rate irrespective of how long a person worked, that was his own affair.
In this parable we see one concept of reward. The generosity of the husbandman is to be emphasized. He rewards a person for agreeing to work, without being bothered about the quantity of work put in. In other words, the employer is rewarding the workers' willingness rather than the ability or quantum of service rendered to him. This may be considered to illustrate the problem of work and reward at one level.
In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna teaches that man has the right to work, but has no right over the fruits of such work. He teaches the correct approach as being one of renunciation of the fruits of labor and calls this karma yoga. It is of course a very difficult idea to accept. It is not merely an idea, it is an ideal. But if we think deeply over this, what is the conclusion that we can draw? Surely Shri Krishna does not deny us the right to exist, which is what his teaching would imply if man were to receive no reward for his work. It is implicit in one's existence that the means for such existence will be provided but one has to leave this to the Provider, and not waste time on calculating the reward that one should receive. The Provider knows what to give, and if man applies himself to the calculation of what he should get he is, by implication, questioning the knowledge, and more so the generosity, of the giver. So the proper attitude for human beings is to work without thinking of the reward they will or should receive. This puts the question of work and reward at a higher level of human endeavor, by making man work in the confidence that his needs will be met fully and completely. The mercenary attitude is done away with, and if this teaching is universally adopted, it will at one stroke do away with all meanness and corruption attendant on this problem.
But what does "work" really give us? Is it merely a reward to be received slavishly from another person? Or is it something higher than this? To my mind, if Shri Krishna's teaching is correctly interpreted, what it really means is that one thinks in terms of reward only so long as one thinks that he is working for another person, and therefore the other should pay or reward the work done. Karma yoga teaching, properly understood, should mean that one should not think he is working for another but for one's own self! If this idea comes, then who is to reward the worker? From where is the reward, if any, to come? Surely the Self is the one to reward itself!
When we study the results of work, divorced from any concept of reward, an illuminating knowledge dawns upon us. We find that what work really confers on us is the ability and power to undertake bigger, higher work. Whether it be in the physical or mental/intellectual fields of human aspiration and endeavor, this fact is absolutely true. Every piece of work, undertaken and successfully completed, endows us with the ability and power to go up to the next higher level of work. Is this not a reward? Why then are we universally blind to this? It is because we have conditioned ourselves to thinking that reward must come from outside ourselves.
Let us examine this a little further. What happens to a physical worker who neglects his work? He loses the capacity to do his work efficiently and correctly. His muscles become flaccid, and continued idleness makes them ultimately atrophy. So a stage comes when the work has to be withheld from him. This is the ultimate punishment, that work has to be denied to him. Who has punished him? The logical answer can only be that by non-performance of the duty entrusted to him, he has punished himself. The same conclusion attends non-performance of duty at other levels too. In all cases the worker loses his ability and power to work, and work is withheld.
If, however, the worker works correctly and efficiently, increased capacities and power develop within him, the consequent reward being that he is given higher and progressively higher work and so is enabled to develop himself to the limit of possible growth. The conclusion is that as we develop ourselves more and more by active and efficient conduct of the duty entrusted to us, our employer, or Master, gives us higher and yet higher work to do, thus affording us the opportunity of developing ourselves to higher and higher levels of human attainment until we finally arrive at a stage of perfection in work, Thus we see that work is inevitable for growth. It is only by work that a person can grow. The reward of work is higher work. The reward of correct performance of higher work is the highest work. A great truth of the spiritual dimension is that power is given simultaneously when work is given. Work alone makes growth possible and therefore when work is given to us, it is not merely work that is given to us, but the possibility of infinite growth that is opened up to us.
The Bhagavad Gita once again gives us a clue to this important and universal truth, when yoga is defined as 'skill in action' or in other words, skilful performance of one's work. The true yoga, or sadhana as I have called it earlier, is therefore nothing but the right performance of work bestowed upon us. This is true yoga, or yogic sadhana at the highest level. This implies that there can be no yoga where such 'skill in action' is not developed. Here it is important to bear in mind that physical rewards, in material form, are things of which we can be deprived by men or circumstances. Power and abilities developed by us by right performance of our work are 'within' us, are non-material, and therefore remain ours forever. We can never be deprived of them as long as we continue with the right performance of our duties. Such are the indestructible, undiminishable fruits of work properly done.
There is a beautiful parable attributed to Jesus Christ. A farmer, or husbandman, as he is called, is recruiting laborers to work in his fields. From the morning people come to him for employment, and he fixes their wage for the day at one talent. He goes on recruiting workers, almost up to the closing time, fixing the same wage for all, which fact, however, the workers do not know. At the end of the day, when they are paid off, they are shocked and upset to find that those who were employed early in the morning are paid exactly the same as those who joined the workforce just before close of work. Naturally they protest to the landlord that this is grossly unfair and against all concept of rewarding work. He merely replies that he had fixed the wage for each worker when he was employed, and the worker had agreed to it. That was all, as far as he was concerned. It may be concluded that if he chose to pay the same rate irrespective of how long a person worked, that was his own affair.
In this parable we see one concept of reward. The generosity of the husbandman is to be emphasized. He rewards a person for agreeing to work, without being bothered about the quantity of work put in. In other words, the employer is rewarding the workers' willingness rather than the ability or quantum of service rendered to him. This may be considered to illustrate the problem of work and reward at one level.
In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna teaches that man has the right to work, but has no right over the fruits of such work. He teaches the correct approach as being one of renunciation of the fruits of labor and calls this karma yoga. It is of course a very difficult idea to accept. It is not merely an idea, it is an ideal. But if we think deeply over this, what is the conclusion that we can draw? Surely Shri Krishna does not deny us the right to exist, which is what his teaching would imply if man were to receive no reward for his work. It is implicit in one's existence that the means for such existence will be provided but one has to leave this to the Provider, and not waste time on calculating the reward that one should receive. The Provider knows what to give, and if man applies himself to the calculation of what he should get he is, by implication, questioning the knowledge, and more so the generosity, of the giver. So the proper attitude for human beings is to work without thinking of the reward they will or should receive. This puts the question of work and reward at a higher level of human endeavor, by making man work in the confidence that his needs will be met fully and completely. The mercenary attitude is done away with, and if this teaching is universally adopted, it will at one stroke do away with all meanness and corruption attendant on this problem.
But what does "work" really give us? Is it merely a reward to be received slavishly from another person? Or is it something higher than this? To my mind, if Shri Krishna's teaching is correctly interpreted, what it really means is that one thinks in terms of reward only so long as one thinks that he is working for another person, and therefore the other should pay or reward the work done. Karma yoga teaching, properly understood, should mean that one should not think he is working for another but for one's own self! If this idea comes, then who is to reward the worker? From where is the reward, if any, to come? Surely the Self is the one to reward itself!
When we study the results of work, divorced from any concept of reward, an illuminating knowledge dawns upon us. We find that what work really confers on us is the ability and power to undertake bigger, higher work. Whether it be in the physical or mental/intellectual fields of human aspiration and endeavor, this fact is absolutely true. Every piece of work, undertaken and successfully completed, endows us with the ability and power to go up to the next higher level of work. Is this not a reward? Why then are we universally blind to this? It is because we have conditioned ourselves to thinking that reward must come from outside ourselves.
Let us examine this a little further. What happens to a physical worker who neglects his work? He loses the capacity to do his work efficiently and correctly. His muscles become flaccid, and continued idleness makes them ultimately atrophy. So a stage comes when the work has to be withheld from him. This is the ultimate punishment, that work has to be denied to him. Who has punished him? The logical answer can only be that by non-performance of the duty entrusted to him, he has punished himself. The same conclusion attends non-performance of duty at other levels too. In all cases the worker loses his ability and power to work, and work is withheld.
If, however, the worker works correctly and efficiently, increased capacities and power develop within him, the consequent reward being that he is given higher and progressively higher work and so is enabled to develop himself to the limit of possible growth. The conclusion is that as we develop ourselves more and more by active and efficient conduct of the duty entrusted to us, our employer, or Master, gives us higher and yet higher work to do, thus affording us the opportunity of developing ourselves to higher and higher levels of human attainment until we finally arrive at a stage of perfection in work, Thus we see that work is inevitable for growth. It is only by work that a person can grow. The reward of work is higher work. The reward of correct performance of higher work is the highest work. A great truth of the spiritual dimension is that power is given simultaneously when work is given. Work alone makes growth possible and therefore when work is given to us, it is not merely work that is given to us, but the possibility of infinite growth that is opened up to us.
The Bhagavad Gita once again gives us a clue to this important and universal truth, when yoga is defined as 'skill in action' or in other words, skilful performance of one's work. The true yoga, or sadhana as I have called it earlier, is therefore nothing but the right performance of work bestowed upon us. This is true yoga, or yogic sadhana at the highest level. This implies that there can be no yoga where such 'skill in action' is not developed. Here it is important to bear in mind that physical rewards, in material form, are things of which we can be deprived by men or circumstances. Power and abilities developed by us by right performance of our work are 'within' us, are non-material, and therefore remain ours forever. We can never be deprived of them as long as we continue with the right performance of our duties. Such are the indestructible, undiminishable fruits of work properly done.
Friday, December 11, 2009
To my Master who made me Born Again
The heart echoes your name in a wonderful way
And feels your presence in a beautiful way,
We were united from times bygone
And shall remain connected all along,
Time and fate will become losers
If they plan to separate you and me.
Every atom of my being sings your hymn
And rejoices in your name from deep within;
Time and fate may have brought me to you
But time and fate cannot dare to part me from you;
Here I am seeking nothing but you,
Willing to loose my identity to become one with you.
It was a decision tough to make ,
Despite all the love which in my heart prevailed,
To break my prejudices which were against your principles,
To accept the sufferings which were tough for my age;
There was a moment of doubt and setback
But the spirit has won and devil has lost .
But my human mind anticipates sufferings on hold,
Is there any greater suffering than to part from Master’s behold?
In either way the suffering is mine
But my Master has taught me to accept it with a smile.
Here I am seeking nothing but you
Trying to loose my identity to become one with you.
Where can I find a Master like you
Who guides me all the way through;
What has destiny got to do?
Because its your mercy which has brought me to you.
Thank you Master for everything
Your praise I shall sing from deep within.
I need you more than air and water,
Please don’t keep me away my Beloved Master.
And feels your presence in a beautiful way,
We were united from times bygone
And shall remain connected all along,
Time and fate will become losers
If they plan to separate you and me.
Every atom of my being sings your hymn
And rejoices in your name from deep within;
Time and fate may have brought me to you
But time and fate cannot dare to part me from you;
Here I am seeking nothing but you,
Willing to loose my identity to become one with you.
It was a decision tough to make ,
Despite all the love which in my heart prevailed,
To break my prejudices which were against your principles,
To accept the sufferings which were tough for my age;
There was a moment of doubt and setback
But the spirit has won and devil has lost .
But my human mind anticipates sufferings on hold,
Is there any greater suffering than to part from Master’s behold?
In either way the suffering is mine
But my Master has taught me to accept it with a smile.
Here I am seeking nothing but you
Trying to loose my identity to become one with you.
Where can I find a Master like you
Who guides me all the way through;
What has destiny got to do?
Because its your mercy which has brought me to you.
Thank you Master for everything
Your praise I shall sing from deep within.
I need you more than air and water,
Please don’t keep me away my Beloved Master.
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