Divine Messages - 185 : Living Fuller Lives In Service

Living Fuller Lives In Service – Swami Sunirmalananda - Appeared in Speaking Tree on 25th January 2013

 

In order to live well, we need to be fit. Is fitness physical?  Throughout, amongst plants and trees, animals and birds, individuals and groups, institutions and nations—the physically weak have made place for the strong.  The underlying philosophy seems to be: Elbow out others to live. Medicine, too, says that if you are strong you can avoid ailments and infections.  Yet, are supermen living well?

 

Swami Vivekananda says: ‘They talk a great deal of the new theories about the survival of the fittest, and they think that it is the strength of the muscles which is the fittest to survive. If that were true, any one of the aggressively known old world nations would have lived in glory today, and we, the weak ones ought to have died out; yet we live…!’ And wasn’t Gandhiji a frail man? The body, with all its perfected muscles, is not automatic, and needs something more to keep it going.  It needs a sane mind.

 

Next, is fitness financial? If you have money, you could have all you want. However, not all rich are ‘surviving’, despite their fitness. Not all rich are sleeping well. Coming to nations, the financially fit nations do not appear to be happier than the so-called unfit ones—you need peace.

 

At least for two reasons physical and financial fitness aren’t everything: a microbe or bacteria may destroy a strong body, and a stock-market crash can turn a mountain of cash into pieces of mere paper. So the two well-known instruments, health and wealth, could fail us.

We need some other form of fitness; some way of life, of true living.  And that eternal way was revived by Vivekananda.  He wrote to a prince, who knew fully well what physical and financial fitness meant: ‘My noble Prince, this life is short, the vanities of the world are transient, but they alone live who live for others, the rest are more dead than alive.’ This is the secret of life.  Swamiji would say, ‘Anxiety is worse than the disease.  If in this hell of a world one can bring a little joy and peace even for a day into the heart of a single person, that much alone is true; this I have learnt after suffering all my life; all else is mere moonshine.’ To be healthy under unhealthy living conditions, we need a peaceful mind and this is achieved through living for others. A chaotic mind leads to all sorts of physical and other disorders. Vivekananda declared: “Self-sacrifice, not self-assertion is the law of the highest universe. Religion comes with intense self-sacrifice. Desire nothing for yourself. Do all for others. This is to live and move and have your being in God.”

 

Those who lived for others alone have attained the goal of true survival; they have lived the fullest lives. The greatest contribution of Vivekananda is that he presented the ideal of karma yoga to the modern world in a scientific way. Karma is not fatalism but opportunity to improve the quality of our lives. This is the ideal way to live every moment of our lives fully, in peace.

 

Service and self-sacrifice have been Indic ideals since ages. To live in peace is to let others too live “fit” and peaceful lives. To do that, we must dedicate some time for serving others selflessly. This not only helps others but helps us also physically and mentally. And this is true religion.

Speaking Tree Web Site – speakingtree.in

Divine Messages - 184 : Reversing Our Spiritual Amnesia

Reversing Our Spiritual Amnesia – Rajiv Vij - Appeared in Speaking Tree on 22nd January 2013

 

Our spiritual identity is defined by our soul. Not only has this been vividly described by wide-ranging ancient scriptures, but individual experiences of near-death events and of alternate healing techniques like past life and spiritual regression also reinforce the existence of our spiritual being as soul.

Our soul is the formless life force, the consciousness, that brings alive our human form. It is also our true essence, our eternal self. As French philosopher Teilhard de Chardin said, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”

While many of us connect with this realism, rarely do we reflect enough on how souls possibly operate. Every individual soul is bound by its eternal journey to be one with the Supreme soul, the source of universal consciousness. However, interestingly, it is only in the physical form of a human body that the soul can progress on that journey.

Stating simplistically, at the time of death, the individual soul leaves the human body and reconnects with the Source. While this provides the soul a comforting homecoming and some sense of being whole again, the soul still carries the karmic imprint of its cumulative existence across various lives. The soul’s recognition of its karmic imperfections and its motivation to continue to purify itself, in line with its eternal goal, leads to its need for rebirth.

Among other possibilities, the soul eventually takes birth in a new body on earth. It is important to emphasise here that every such birth has a special significance and purpose for the soul – the specific aspects of its karmic imprint that it wishes to neutralise and thereby progress in its eternal journey towards merging with the Source.

However, human life throws up interesting challenges to the soul. The strength of the human brain, coupled with the powerful experience of physical senses, often makes the soul lose track of its original objectives of reincarnating. Egoistic desires, sensual pleasures and materialistic pursuits consume us. In the process, we forget our deeper purpose of being on this planet.

This is a kind of spiritual amnesia – loss of memory of the soul when overpowered by the physical form. The less advanced the soul is in its eternal journey, perhaps the greater is its propensity to be forgetful in the physical form. 

Our recurring sources of suffering, whether physical, mental or emotional, are invariably clues for personal spiritual lessons we need to learn in this lifetime. Ask yourself if you need to be more patient, accepting or grateful; or be less judgemental, aggressive or fearful. Do you need to make extra effort to cultivate equanimity or compassion?

Each of us has a unique and special purpose for being here. However, we need to slow down from our fast-paced life to discover that personal purpose. We need to create moments of quiet solitude to connect with our inner self; practice meditation to recognise our true nature; and listen to the voice of wisdom that resides within each of us, so we can recollect our core purpose.

Once we can identify that purpose and commit to living it, we start to experience greater inner strength, peace and happiness. Aligning our life to our soul’s purpose makes the human journey effortless and vastly more meaningful. It also helps the soul progress on its own eternal journey towards becoming one with the Source.

Speaking Tree Web Site – speakingtree.in

Divine Messages - 183 : Our Action And Behaviour Depends On The Circumstances

Our Action And Behaviour Depends On The Circumstances – Lajapt Rai Sabharwal - Appeared in Speaking Tree on 25th January 2013

 

There was a man who had four sons.  He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly.  So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.  The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the autumn.  When they returned after their quest, he called them together to describe what they had seen.  The “winter” son said that the tree was ugly, bent and twisted.  The “spring” son said no, it was covered with green buds and full of promise.  The “summer” son disagreed, he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.  The “autumn” son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.  The man then explained to his sons that they were all correct, because they had each seen, only one season in the tree’s life.

 

He told them that they could not by just looking at it during only one season.  Similarly you cannot judge a person by just a casual meeting.  The full life cycle of the pear tree could be studied only during all the four seasons put together and not in a single season.  In the same fashion, you cannot judge a person in a single encounter.  It is easier to depict the behavior of a tree during each of the seasons as its life cycle is mostly repetitive.  However, it is difficult to know a man over a short span of life.  To understand a man, one has to know his philosophy, his views, his deportment and his behavior towards fellow beings, towards plant and animal life and towards the environment.  The essence of life and the pleasure, joy and love that come from that life can only be measured after you have savored that life over all the seasons.  If you give up when it’s winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer and the fulfillment of the fall.  Don’t let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.  Pain is necessary tool to protect us, to keep us learn about, adapt to, or change our living environment.  Imagine if we had no pain sensation in our body, we could burn our skin or lose hand without even noticing it.

 

We usually make our judgments based upon what we think we see and perceive.  Everything in the world is relative.  This is a proven scientific fact.  Our lives, bodies, intelligence and everything else are relative.  Everyone thinks of things in a relative way, in his own terms, just like frog.  The frog is always thinking of things in relation to his well.  He has no power to conceive of the Atlantic Ocean because his well is his only experience.

 

Our action and behavior depends on the circumstances.  We weep when we are sad, laugh when we are happy, we curse when we are disappointed and we shout when we are angry.  Our behavior is conditioned by our surroundings.  If we are surrounded by noble souls, they make us happy.  Evil souls, on the other hand, produce in us negative feelings. A mature man remains steadfast in his views and deportment.  He is not swayed by the actions or views of the others, albeit his views suffer change by experience and through the ageing process even as the tree is affected by factors like weather, erosion, soil conditions and diseases.  Sages advise us not to judge life by one difficult season. Persevere through the difficult patches, and better times are sure to come some time sooner or later. If winter comes, can spring be far behind.

Speaking Tree Web Site – speakingtree.in

Divine Messages - 182 : Words of Wisdom by Dada J P Vaswani

Some words of wisdom by Dada J P Vaswani.

• In every situation, do the very best you can and leave the rest to God.
• Be kind to everyone. Who knows the next person you meet has a broken heart.
• Just as a candle cannot be lit without fire, similarly man cannot exist without God.
• True and absolute independence lies in being dependent upon God who is within us!
• Life fulfils itself in loving service of the unwanted and unloved, the sick and suffering ones.
• The root of education is reverence and the fruit of education is service.
• Bless me, Lord, that I may hurt no one by my thoughtless words or selfish deeds.
• And may I never be indifferent to those that are around me – and their needs!
• The road is the same – uphill or downhill. Different people choose differently
• The man who has developed his willpower goes ahead and, if he has faith, no power can lay him low.
• He lives well who laughs often and loves much and sacrifices his own happiness for the sake of others.

Sadhu Vaswani Mission Web Site - sadhuvaswani.org

Divine Messages - 181 : Words of Wisdom by Dada J P Vaswani

Some words of wisdom by Dada J P Vaswani.

• When we think we are cheating others, we are only cheating ourselves.
• Each one of us is a son, a daughter of King of kings - God. There are things that a son, a daughter of the King must never do.
• May we never do anything to put Him to shame.
• Let me give to the world the best of which I am capable, and the best will return to me!
• The greatest famine in the world, today, is that of love – and men and women are unhappy in spite of the comforts and conveniences of modern life. Our one piteous need is that of love, True love, selfless love – a love which express itself in deeds of service and sacrifice.
• When we do good, we claim all credit for ourselves. But when something wrong happens, we throw all the blame on God. And God keeps smiling.
• We can approach a situation in two ways. We can either worry ourselves to death or, we can trust.
• If only we can trust in God as fervently as we worry, we would never have to worry at all!
• Never turn your back on your goal. Let your face be always turned towards it.
• To the weak, problems are stumbling blocks. To the brave, they are stepping- stones.
• What makes the world appear as paradise? Being in love

Sadhu Vaswani Mission Web Site - sadhuvaswani.org

Divine Messages - 180 : Words of Wisdom by Dada J P Vaswani

Some words of wisdom by Dada J P Vaswani.

• Worry means a strain on our nerves. The more we worry, the more tense our nerves become, robbing us of our rest and peace of mind and heart.
• We must love all not merely our family and friends, our kith and kin-we must love all creation
• Rise above dwandas – the pairs of opposites – above pleasure and pain, loss and gain. For it is only then that suffering will not be able to touch you and you shall be at peace with yourself and those around you.
• Look around and look above! Behold, my child, God is Love.
• Thankfulness makes you young in spirit – for it enables you to behold the miraculous hand of God in everything you see around you.
• God is a call away.
• Forgiveness is the noblest virtue. Forgiveness is above justice. Justice seeks to punish, forgiveness seeks reconciliation.
• He who forgives his brother shall be forgiven by God.
• And he who forgives and forgets and loves his brother shall receive from God the gift of grace.
• The question was asked: - “What is love?” The answer came: - “You will know when you become love!”
• There is one God, One religion - The Religion of “Love"
• To live is to love. Our hearts must be so full of love that there can be no room therein for hatred to anyone

Sadhu Vaswani Mission Web Site - sadhuvaswani.org

Divine Messages - 179 : Are You Afraid To Say Who You Are?

Are You Afraid To Say Who You Are? – Janina Gomes - Appeared in Speaking Tree on 07th January 2012

 

If there ever was a definition of self or Self that would fit us, we would be encumbered beings. In life, we keep creating new self images and what we project to others about ourselves. But in doing so, we often hide more than we reveal. Deep down there is a fear that if we really show ourselves as we are, we will not be accepted; we might not win the approval of others.

 

There is always the possibility that those who do not wish to grow themselves -- and hence will not allow others to grow -- will not accept us. If we are manipulated by such people, in the name of easy affection or emotional equilibrium, we may not be prepared to speak our mind or reveal our true selves.

 

The enlightened are able to transcend the expectations of others. Expectations can be in the nature of demands made on us. These expectations that can arise from past conditioning, may lead those who look down on us and treat us unfairly, to treat us without respect for our human dignity. Is it then our duty to be meeting the unrealistic expectations of others?

 

When we sometimes put our foot down, it is a way of saying: “Listen, this is the real me. That is the reason why I am responding to you by saying no. I cannot meet the demands you are making on me without compromising something that is essential to my being.”

 

Unfortunately, many take a short cut. They compromise because it means less trouble all around. They do not want to provoke others, so that they seem to be fitting into society very comfortably.

 

Those who want to safeguard their integrity however, are able to draw the line. It is a way of saying: “I am different, with my own abilities, ideals, wants and needs. I need your support, but I do not want to depend on it entirely.  I feel free to choose my own way of life.” Friendship is after all based on reciprocity, which means that we both act and respond from the real selves we are.

 

If I am afraid to say who I really am, people will never know the real me. There may be many truths about us that are unflattering. To allow others to see this could of course mean that we are allowing others to see our weaknesses. Yes, some may exploit us because of these. On the other hand, when we say who we really are, we invite the other to do the same. That prepares the way for meaningful interaction, resulting in bonding, and true and deep relationships that are long term. We enter into exchange with others spontaneously and creatively. There is little room left for stereotyping.

 

Exercising caution is good and necessary. We will slowly learn to maintain our emotional equilibrium despite circumstances. Like our bodies and skins adapt to temperature changes, our minds, hearts and emotions will find an even keel that keeps us anchored.

 

In our relationship with God, the basic question is: “Who am I in the eyes of God?” I am after all, his precious creation, fashioned and designed to be nothing and nobody else but me. When others are judgmental, unforgiving and unkind, God is still smiling on me. If God is for us, who can be against us? Therefore, go ahead, tell the whole world who you really are.

Speaking Tree Web Site – speakingtree.in

Divine Messages - 178 : When You Are Struck By Lighting

When You Are Struck By Lighting – Kishor Kulkarni - Appeared in Speaking Tree on 03th January 2012

A lightning ‘arrester’ is installed in a tall building to protect it from lightning strikes. The lightning arrester is a long rod made of a good conductor of electricity like copper, with its one end being buried under the earth and the other one jutting out of the top of the house. The lightning arrester provides a path of least resistance for the lightning if and when it strikes the house. So, the lightning safely passes through the arrester down into the earth without damaging the house.

There is a parallel to this concept in the spiritual realm. We keep receiving one or more of the five sensory inputs from the external world, through our eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin, every waking moment. These sensory inputs cause transformations of our mind which are called as vikaaras. Essentially, they are the agitations of mind in the form of our six enemies – desire, anger, greed, attachment, pride and jealousy. Thus, our mind can be seen as a house and the sensory inputs from the external world as frequent lightning strikes.

However, we can install a lightning arrester in our mind in the form of a spiritual attitude whose bed rock consists of vairagya bhav or asceticism, lack of ego, non-doership and non-duality. When I have a spiritual attitude, I am convinced that everything happens for a reason as part of the big picture for the Divine. So, nothing can disturb the equanimity of my mind. I have no likes or dislikes and hence am able to take life as it comes. I do not see any duality between myself and the rest of the world. Thus the spiritual attitude tackles the external stimulus and makes it pass harmlessly without affecting the mind one bit.

For example, when I smell a spicy hot dosa at a roadside stall, I am able to pause and tell myself that I don’t quite need to go for it if I am not really hungry. The vairagya bhav in me has helped me overcome the desire. When my car is hit by another vehicle at the rear, I do not get angry because I do not see any duality between the driver of that other vehicle and myself. It is like my eye not getting angry when I accidentally put my finger in my eye because eye and finger are both parts of the same body.

I am no more greedy to earn more and more money because vairagya bhav is firmly established in me. I do not feel sad when my daughter or son gets married and leaves home to make a new home of their own because I have no feelings of “me and mine”. If I get praised for some good work done by me in my office, I do not feel any sense of pride because I know I am not the doer and it is the Divine that has acted through me. I do not feel jealous if I miss a promotion and a colleague of mine gets it because I have faith in the divine scheme of things and am disinterested in worldly things.

Many of us lack a spiritual attitude. Later, some of us realise that external stimuli are like lightning, damaging our peace of mind. Then we start exploring the various ways and means of protecting our mind against these lightning strikes. This effort, spiritual sadhana, when appropriately guided by a true guru appearing before us at the right time, becomes a lightning arrester for our mind.

Speaking Tree Web Site – speakingtree.in

Divine Messages - 177 : Words of Wisdom by Dada J P Vaswani

Some words of wisdom by Dada J P Vaswani.

• What makes the world appear as paradise? Being in love.
• O Lord! Men come to you asking for many things: I do but ask for the alms of love.
• In prayer, let us ask for less, Thank more!
• Gratitude is appreciation; gratitude is goodwill; gratitude is a benevolent and warm feeling for someone who has helped us.
• Dwelling on the attitude of gratitude makes us open and receptive to the Lord’s blessings.
• And we find that good things come to pass in our life.
• Gratitude is the light that can illumine us inside and brighten the environment we live in.
• The best attitude is Gratitude. If you appreciate others you are only drawing the best in others!
• Let us thank God for suffering- it teaches us courage.
• Let us thank God for disappointments- for they teach us to be ready for His appointment!
• Stop Complaining: Start Thanking!

Sadhu Vaswani Mission Web Site - sadhuvaswani.org

Divine Messages - 176 : Words of Wisdom by Dada J P Vaswani

Some words of wisdom by Dada J P Vaswani.

• Do you wish to achieve success? Make God your partner. Go to Him again and again. He is ever ready to help you!
• Many people fail because they like to do things themselves which they cannot do without the help of God.
• Happiness has no permanent address. It dwells with those who live for others.
• You can't help growing in years: but you can always remain young in spirit
• A tiny, insignificant thing offered in love to God is far more noble than a mighty deed devoid of love.
• In whatever we do, let us pour the love of our hearts.
• Trouble is an inevitable part of life. But to be miserable because there is trouble is optional.
• Triumph belongs to thought. Change your thinking and you change your life.
• The opposite of love is not hatred but apathy - indifference to the needs of those around us.
• Death occurs but once and that too, never before its appointed time. Yet the whole world lives in perpetual fear of death.
• Blessed is the person who develops even-mindedness – whose mind is ever at peace in all conditions and situations of life. He is never bored, never depressed, never disappointed – always alert, always aware, always ready to lend a helping hand to those in need. To such a one life becomes an endless adventure, a divinely delightful experience of the soul.
• Love does not seek to dominate; it only seeks to surrender.

Sadhu Vaswani Mission Web Site - sadhuvaswani.org

Divine Messages - 175 : Words of Wisdom by Dada J P Vaswani

Some words of wisdom by Dada J P Vaswani.

• Stop Complaining: Start Thanking!
• Speak to God, as though you can see Him. For even though you cannot see Him, He can see you!
• Be true to the genius of your race. All the great ones of India have been simple. If you would develop beautiful minds, grow in simplicity.
• When you pray, pray for more faith. He who has faith, has everything. For verily, faith can move mountains!
• When I move on to the Other Side, they will not ask me: - "What plans did you make?" They will ask me: - "What did you do?"
• You are the builder of your future, the creator of your destiny. Therefore, do not swerve from the path of truth!
• So bless me, Krishna! That I may be simple and sweet as the song of the flute on Your sacred lips!
• Without love the world is a cemetery
• Love and fault-finding never go together. The more you love, the less you judge
• To the person who is in love, every winter becomes a spring and the world becomes a garden of God
• Speak sweetly, if you speak at all, take care of your words, before they fall.

Sadhu Vaswani Mission Web Site - sadhuvaswani.org