As within,So without! August 7, 2008
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Whatever sort of atmosphere we cultivate within our hearts will be manifest externally in the form of the world we see all around us. The more we cultivate inner purity, the more the external world will become pure in every way. And conversely, the more we are polluted with lust, anger, greed, and envy without our hearts, the more this world will be manifested as a nightmarish, polluted hell. So the point is that if we want to live in a clean, happy, pollution-free world, this will only be possible when we clear out the pollution from our hearts. The easiest and most effective way of doing this is to reawaken the original, natural pristine state of consciousness now lying dormant within our hearts. In other words, we must become fully self-realized. For this age of Kali, the Kali Santarana Upanisad especially recommends that the most effective way of awakening our enlightened consciousness is to chant the Hare Krishna mahamantra:
Supreme Consciousness - God ! August 4, 2008
That for which this human birth has been received, on becoming firmly rooted in this one single objective / goal of realizing God (Supreme Soul, Supreme Consciousness), thereafter, worldly success or failures cannot be an obstacle for that man.
Just like the aim of a sick (diseased) person is to become well (free of disease), similarly the aim of man is to attain salvation (liberation, well-being). By not giving importance to worldly success and failures, i.e. by remaining only equanimous in them, man’s goal is successfully accomplished..
When a sadhak’s (spiritual aspirant’s) single-pointed goal becomes one of God Realization, then whatever collection (of things, situations, etc.) is available to him, they all become a form of spiritual resource, a means for him.
When the firm goal / aim becomes one of realizing God (Supreme Soul), the quickness and the extent to which the inner faculty is purified, that quickly and that level and extent of purity, does not take place in any other spiritual observance or undertaking.
Even animals engage in enjoyment of pleasures through their sense organs, but to become an enjoyer of sense pleasures, is not the aim of human birth. The aim of man’s life is to attain the essential element (tattva) that is free of sorrow and happiness.
Karma Yoga (Discipline of Selfless Service, Jnana Yog (Discipline of Knowlege), Dhyaan Yog (Meditation), Bhakti Yog (Discipline of Devotion and Love) and in all spiritual practices, it is essential that there be a firm goal, a determination. If there is no firm aim / no solid goal, for one’s liberation, then how can one attain perfection through his spiritual practice?
Once the sole objective is one of realizing God, then no means (spiritual practice) is small or great.
In reality, besides God Realisation, man’s life has absolutely no other objective at all. The indispensability is to only recognise this purpose, this objective, this intention, and then to fulfill it.
The objective of attaining “Divinity”, “Truth” , “Realization” is the glory of man, but one who has no aim, no objective, he in reality, does not deserve to be called a man.
From “Drops of Nectar” in English pg 10 by Swami Ramsukhdasji
Ram Ram
For full online discourses in Hindi, please visit Swami Ramsukhdasji’s
website.
Progress August 1, 2008
Progress
That thing or circumstance that does not exist at present, to assume progress, success and smartness in achieving it, is a great error. It is a rule that, the thing which is not there with us right now, that thing even after acquiring (getting) it, will not remain with us forever. That which is there with us from eternity, and will remain with us forever, to attain such a extraordinary thing, is in reality progress, success and smartness.
Those dedicated to attaining the highest Truth (Supreme Reality), their worldly progress happens on it’s own, naturally.
Think - If we, ourselves disrespect what we know, then how can we progress ? How can we succeed?
Real progress, real success is - having purity of nature.
Progress in the world, is not a thing of the present; and progress in spirituality, in knowing the highest Truth, is not a thing of the future.
He who seeks an easy life, he cannot make real and geniune progress.
Just as a tree may rise high without limit, there is no limit to a man’s ascent
In the spiritual path of man’s progress, his attachment to pleasures born of contact is a gross impediment.
The rise and fall of man is through his sentiments and attitude, but not due to the things, circumstances etc.
Congruence of intellect and mind and concordance between mind and senses, facilitates progress. However, the subservience of mind to the sense and that of the intellect to the mind, leads to a fall.
From “Drops of Nectar” in English pg 10 by Swami Ramsukhdasji
Hari vase …. July 31, 2008
હરિ વસે છે હરિના જનમાં,
શું કરશો જઈ વનમાં… ટેક
ભેખ ધરીને તમે શીદ ભટકો છો,
પ્રભુ નથી વન કે અરણ્યમાં;
કાશીએ જાઓ ભલે ગંગામાં ન્હાવો,
પ્રભુ નથી પાણી કે પવનમાં… હરિ..
જોગ કરો ભલે જગન કરાવો,
પ્રભુ નથી વ્યોમ કે હવનમાં;
બાઈ મીરાં કહે પ્રભુ ગિરિધરનાગર,
હરિ વસે છે હરિના જનમાં… હરિ..
કાશીએ જાઓ ભલે ગંગામાં ન્હાવો,
પ્રભુ નથી પાણી કે પવનમાં… હરિ..
જોગ કરો ભલે જગન કરાવો,
પ્રભુ નથી વ્યોમ કે હવનમાં;
બાઈ મીરાં કહે પ્રભુ ગિરિધરનાગર,
હરિ વસે છે હરિના જનમાં… હરિ..
JUST A NICE STORY… July 31, 2008
The man slowly looked up. This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer things of life. Her coat was new. She looked like that she had never missed a meal in her life. His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before.
“Leave me alone,” he growled.
To his amazement, the woman continued standing. She was smiling — her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows.
“Are you hungry?” she asked.
“No,” he answered sarcastically. “I’ve just come from dining with the president. Now go away.” The woman’s smile became even broader. Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm.
“What are you doing, lady?” the man asked angrily. “I said to leave me alone.
Just then a policeman came up. “Is there any problem, ma’am?” he asked.
“No problem here, officer,” the woman answered. “I’m just trying to get this man to his feet. Will you help me?”
The officer scratched his head. “That’s old Jack. He’s been a fixture around here for a couple of years. What do you want with him?”
“See that cafeteria over there?” she asked. “I’m going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for awhile.”
“Are you crazy, lady?” the homeless man resisted. “I don’t want to go in there!” Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up.
“Let me go, officer. I didn’t do anything.”
“This is a good deal for you, Jack,” the officer answered. “Don’t blow it.”
Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner. It was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived. The manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by his table.
“What’s going on here, officer?” he asked. “What is all this. Is this man in trouble?”
“This lady brought this man in here to be fed,” the policeman answered.
“Not in here!” the manager replied angrily. “Having a person like that here is bad for business.”
Old Jack smiled a toothless grin. “See, lady. I told you so. Now if you’ll let me go. I didn’t want to come here in the first place.”
The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled. “Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?”
“Of course I am,” the manager answered impatiently. “They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms.”
“And do you make a goodly amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings?”
“What business is that of yours?”
“I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, president and CEO of the company.”
“Oh.”
The woman smiled again. “I thought that might make a difference.” She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a giggle. “Would you like to join us in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?”
“No thanks, ma’am,” the officer replied. “I’m on duty.”
“Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?”
“Yes, ma’am. That would be very nice.”
The cafeteria manager turned on his heel “I’ll get your coffee for you right away, officer.”
The officer watched him walk away. “You certainly put him in his place,” he said.
“That was not my intent. Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this.”
She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest She stared at him intently. “Jack, do you remember me?”
Old Jack searched her face with his old , rheumy eyes “I think so — I mean you do look familiar.”
“I’m a little older perhaps,” she said. “Maybe I’ve even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry.”
“Ma’am?” the officer said questioningly. He couldn’t believe that such a magnificently turned out woman could ever have been hungry.
“I was just out of college,” the woman began. “I had come to the city looking for a job, but I couldn’t find anything. Finally I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment. I walked the streets for days. It was February and I was cold and nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat.”
Jack lit up with a smile. “Now I remember,” he said. “I was behind the serving counter. You came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat. I said that it was against company policy.”
“I know,” the woman continued. “Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it. I was afraid that you would get into trouble. Then, when I looked over, I saw you put the price of my food in the cash register I knew then that everything would be all right.”
“So you started your own business?” Old Jack said.
“I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up. Eventually I started my own business, that, with the help of God, prospered.” She opened her purse and pulled out a business card. “When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons. He’s the personnel director of my company. I’ll go talk to him now and I’m certain he’ll find something for you to do around the office.” She smiled. “I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet. If you ever need anything, my door is always opened to you.”
There were tears in the old man’s eyes. “How can I ever thank you? ” he said.
“Don’t thank me,” the woman answered. “Thank God.”
Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways. “Thank you for all your help, officer,” she said.
“On the contrary, Ms. Eddy,” he answered. “Thank you. I saw a miracle today, something that I will never forget. And…And thank you for the coffee.”
If you have missed knowing me, you have missed nothing.
If you have missed some of my emails, you might have missed a laugh.
But, there are things you cannot miss - without missing the world…
The man slowly looked up. This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer things of life. Her coat was new. She looked like that she had never missed a meal in her life. His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before.
“Leave me alone,” he growled.
To his amazement, the woman continued standing. She was smiling — her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows.
“Are you hungry?” she asked.
“No,” he answered sarcastically. “I’ve just come from dining with the president. Now go away.” The woman’s smile became even broader. Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm.
“What are you doing, lady?” the man asked angrily. “I said to leave me alone.
Just then a policeman came up. “Is there any problem, ma’am?” he asked.
“No problem here, officer,” the woman answered. “I’m just trying to get this man to his feet. Will you help me?”
The officer scratched his head. “That’s old Jack. He’s been a fixture around here for a couple of years. What do you want with him?”
“See that cafeteria over there?” she asked. “I’m going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for awhile.”
“Are you crazy, lady?” the homeless man resisted. “I don’t want to go in there!” Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up.
“Let me go, officer. I didn’t do anything.”
“This is a good deal for you, Jack,” the officer answered. “Don’t blow it.”
Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner. It was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived. The manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by his table.
“What’s going on here, officer?” he asked. “What is all this. Is this man in trouble?”
“This lady brought this man in here to be fed,” the policeman answered.
“Not in here!” the manager replied angrily. “Having a person like that here is bad for business.”
Old Jack smiled a toothless grin. “See, lady. I told you so. Now if you’ll let me go. I didn’t want to come here in the first place.”
The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled. “Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?”
“Of course I am,” the manager answered impatiently. “They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms.”
“And do you make a goodly amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings?”
“What business is that of yours?”
“I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, president and CEO of the company.”
“Oh.”
The woman smiled again. “I thought that might make a difference.” She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a giggle. “Would you like to join us in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?”
“No thanks, ma’am,” the officer replied. “I’m on duty.”
“Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?”
“Yes, ma’am. That would be very nice.”
The cafeteria manager turned on his heel “I’ll get your coffee for you right away, officer.”
The officer watched him walk away. “You certainly put him in his place,” he said.
“That was not my intent. Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this.”
She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest She stared at him intently. “Jack, do you remember me?”
Old Jack searched her face with his old , rheumy eyes “I think so — I mean you do look familiar.”
“I’m a little older perhaps,” she said. “Maybe I’ve even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry.”
“Ma’am?” the officer said questioningly. He couldn’t believe that such a magnificently turned out woman could ever have been hungry.
“I was just out of college,” the woman began. “I had come to the city looking for a job, but I couldn’t find anything. Finally I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment. I walked the streets for days. It was February and I was cold and nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat.”
Jack lit up with a smile. “Now I remember,” he said. “I was behind the serving counter. You came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat. I said that it was against company policy.”
“I know,” the woman continued. “Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it. I was afraid that you would get into trouble. Then, when I looked over, I saw you put the price of my food in the cash register I knew then that everything would be all right.”
“So you started your own business?” Old Jack said.
“I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up. Eventually I started my own business, that, with the help of God, prospered.” She opened her purse and pulled out a business card. “When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons. He’s the personnel director of my company. I’ll go talk to him now and I’m certain he’ll find something for you to do around the office.” She smiled. “I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet. If you ever need anything, my door is always opened to you.”
There were tears in the old man’s eyes. “How can I ever thank you? ” he said.
“Don’t thank me,” the woman answered. “Thank God.”
Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways. “Thank you for all your help, officer,” she said.
“On the contrary, Ms. Eddy,” he answered. “Thank you. I saw a miracle today, something that I will never forget. And…And thank you for the coffee.”
If you have missed knowing me, you have missed nothing.
If you have missed some of my emails, you might have missed a laugh.
But, there are things you cannot miss - without missing the world…
mrutyu July 31, 2008
જીવન જીવતા મને તો સૌ મળ્યુ,
મોત મળતા નારહેશે સ્વાસ,
ઉગારોને બાળ,
સમયની સાથ,
ઓ મારા તાત રે!
નિત્ય જોડીને મારા હાથ,
કરું બધાં કામ,
છતાં નથી હામ!
શાને થાય હાર?
કુટુંબી સાથ,
સંસાર સાગરે.
માયા કરતી બધે તકરાર રે,
મદ મારે પ્રેમીજનને લાત,
કાળો કકળાટ,
ઉગારોને માત!
સમયની સાથ રે.
અશાંત આ સાગરમાં જીવું,
મારI મનમાં ઘણો ગભરાટ,
ના કોઈ સાથ,
કોણ કરશે પાર?
આ છેલ્લે સ્વાસ,
ઉગારોને બાળ,સમયની સાથ રે.
ON GURU PURIMA- BY SANT KABIR July 31, 2008
गुरु बिन कौन बतावे वाट
बडा विकट यम घाट
भ्रांती की पहाडी, नदिया बिचमें
अहंकारकी नाड
जय राम सीया राम सीया राम सीया राम….
जय राम सीया राम सीया राम सीया राम….
काम क्रोध दो पर्बत
लोभ चोर संघार
बडा विकट यम घाट
जय राम सीया राम सीया राम सीया राम….
जय राम सीया राम सीया राम सीया राम….
मद मत्सरका मेह बरसत
माया पवन बहे ___
बडा विकट यम घाट
जय राम सीया राम सीया राम सीया राम….
जय राम सीया राम सीया राम सीया राम….
कहे क्बीर सुनो भइ साधो
क्युं तरना यह घाट
बडा विकट यम घाट
जय राम सीया राम सीया राम सीया राम….
जय राम सीया राम सीया राम सीया राम….
SHRIJI July 31, 2008
* श्री कनकेश्वरीये नमः *
…श्रीजी सत्संग ऍटले जीव नो परमात्मा सुधी पहोंचवा नो रस्तो…, लौकिक बंधनो त्यागी अने अलौकिक बंधन पामवा नी चावी…!..
* श्री कनकेश्वरीये नमः *
Suvichar-Gandhiji July 24, 2008
આજનો સુવીચાર
સતત વીકસતા અને સાચી દીશામાં બદલતા રહો.
સતત વીકાસ એ જીવનનો નીયમ છે.
જે માણસ પોતે અવીચળ અને તાર્કીક છે,
તેમ બતાવવા માટે
પોતાની જડ માન્યતાઓને વળગી રહેવા પ્રયત્ન કરે છે;
તે પોતાની જાતને જુઠી જગ્યાએ બેસાડેલી જ રાખે છે.
વીશ્વને બદલવા માટે ગાંધીજીનો પાયાનો વીચાર - 9
સંવાદીતાવાળા થાઓ, આધારપાત્ર થાઓ, તમારી જાતને વફાદાર રહો
તમે જેમ વીચારતા હો,
તેમ જ બોલો
અને તેમજ કામ કરો. આમ એકવાક્યતા અને સંવાદીતાથી જીવવામાં જ
જીવનનો સાચો આનંદ છે.
તમારા વીચારોને સતત
શુધ્ધ બનાવતા રહેવાનું ધ્યેય રાખો,
અને બધું બરાબર આવી રહેશે.
વીશ્વને બદલવા માટે ગાંધીજીનો પાયાનો વીચાર
માણસોમાં રહેલી સારપને જુઓ અને તેમને મદદ કરો.
હું માણસોના સારા ગુણો જ જોઉં છું.
હું પોતે દોશોથી પર નથી,
માટે બીજાના દોશો જોવાનું વીચારી ન શકું.
વીશ્વને બદલવા માટે ગાંધીજીનો પાયાનો વીચાર
સાતત્ય જાળવી રાખો.
પહેલાં એ લોકો તમારી ઉપેક્ષા કરશે,
પછી તમને હસશે.
પછી તમારી સાથે લડશે.
પછી તમે જીતશો.
વીશ્વને બદલવા માટે ગાંધીજીનો પાયાનો વીચાર.
દરેક જણ એ માનવ છે. ‘
હું એ કબુલ કરું છું કે, હું એક સાવ સામાન્ય માણસ છું, અને કોઈ પણ જીવીત માણસની જેમ મારી પણ ભુલ થઈ શકે છે. પરંતુ, મારી ભુલ કબુલ કરવા જેટલી નમ્રતા, અને ખોટે રસ્તેથી મારાં પગલાં પાછાં માંડવાની હીમ્મત મારામાં હોવાં જોઈએ.
” Everyone is human. “I claim to be a simple individual liable to err like any other fellow mortal… I own, however, that I have humility enough to confess my errors and to retrace my steps.”
વીશ્વને બદલવા માટે ગાંધીજીનો પાયાનો વીચાર
‘ આ ક્ષણનો પુરો ઉપયોગ કરો.’
હું ભવીશ્યની કલ્પના કરવા નથી માંગતો. મને તો આ ઘડીની જરુરીયાત સમજવાની વધારે પડી છે. આ પછીની ઘડીમાં શું થવાનું છે, તેની ઉપર મને કોઈ નીયમન પરમાત્માએ આપ્યું નથી.
Take care of this moment. “I do not want to foresee the future. I am concerned with taking care of the present. God has given me no control over the moment following.”
વીશ્વને બદલવા માટે ગાંધીજીનો પાયાનો વીચાર
‘ કામ કર્યા વગર તમે ક્યાંય પહોંચી ન શકો.’
આચરણનો એક ઔંસ ઉપદેશોના અનેક ટન કરતાં વધારે અસરકારક છે.
વીશ્વને બદલવા માટે ગાંધીજીનો પાયાનો વીચાર
‘ માફ કરો અને જવા દો. ‘
જે નબળા છે, તે કદી માફ કરી શકતા નથી. ક્ષમા એ વીરનું ભુશણ છે. આંખની સામે આંખ લેવાની વ્રુત્તીએ વીશ્વને અંધ બનાવી દીધું છે.
વીશ્વને બદલવા માટે ગાંધીજીનો પાયાનો વીચાર
“તમારી જાતના માલીક તમે છો.”
તમારી પરવાનગી વગર કોઈ તમને હાની પહોંચાડી ન શકે.
વીશ્વને બદલવા માટે ગાંધીજીનો પાયાનો વીચાર
’તમારી જાતને બદલો.’
તમે જગતને જે બનેલું જોવા માંગતા હો તે તમારે બનવું પડે. માનવ તરીકે આપણી મહાનતા જગતને નવો ઘાટ આપવામાં નથી. એ તો આપણી પોતાની જાતને નવા ઘાટમાં ઘડવામાં છે.
God Consciousness…. July 21, 2008
If we want to become enlightened with that knowledge by which nescience is destroyed, we must carefully hear what is the distinction between reality and illusion from a bona fide spiritual master. If we hear from someone who does not know what he is talking about, we will be misled and thus not be successful in realizing the truth and escaping the cycle of birth and death.
How do we recognize who is the bona fide spiritual master? He must be repeating the Vedic conclusion which has been taught by all the great acharyas throughout history, and he must be fully absorbed in Krishna consciousness 24 hours a day. This method of discerning the bona fide spiritual master is confirmed as follows in the Mundaka Upanishad:
tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet
samit-panih srotriyam brahma-nistham
“In order to learn the transcendental science, one must approach the bona fide spiritual master in disciplic succession, who is fixed in Krishna consciousness.”
