A saadhak who has a Satguru in life is very fortunate

According to Sant Mahatmas:

To be born as a human being is a blessing which is very difficult to obtain.  Much more difficult is to have God’s blessing and to start a journey as a saadhak (devotee).  And it is extremely, extremely, extremely difficult to have a Satguru in life.

So my beloved brothers and sisters, we the saadhaks are most fortunate to have a loving Sadguru in our lives.  We are not able to live our daily lives as shown by Maharajji in Sadhana Satsang and as in Pravachan Piyush by Swamiji Maharaj.  It helps to cry in front of Ma (Divine Mother – Lord Ma) and talk to God about our weaknesses and ask for mercy and grace (kripa).

Each one of us need to wake up to the fact that, “Main shaktimayi atma hoon” (I am a powerful soul), powerful to walk on the path as shown in Sadhna Satsang and discourses given delivered by our Gurujans.  No matter how many times we get off the path we simply need to get back on it and know that our Gurujans and Shree Ram are always with us,  helping, and protecting us.

Dhanya Huva Main Satguru Paake (dhun) – watch video clip

uva Main Satguru Paake

Kis Ram ka hum jap aur dhyan karte hain

I remember one time reading in Pravachan Piyush that Shree Swamiji Maharaj ne haath upar kar ke ghuma kar kaha (something to the effect) “Ram-Naam teeno lok mein gunj raha hai, aur spashat dikhayi de raha hai ki kalyaan kar raha hai” .

Ham uss Ram ka jap aur dhyaan karte hain jisk gun Shree Swamiji Mharaj aur bahut Sant logo ne gaaye hain. Vakyaa hi Shree Swamiji Maharaj apne grantho mein rahate hain aur jaise ki Gurujan bataate hain weh hamare saath hamesha hain – hamari sahayata aur suraksha kar rahe hain.

Kayee logo ne jin-hone Ram Naam ki diksha abhi tak nahin lee, woh bhi bataate hain ki kaise unka jeevan sudhar raha hai Ram-Ram karne se. Ek ne kaha ki uski tension kam ho rahi hai aur thori thori shanti ka anubahav ho raha hai…. ek aur ne kaha ki usko Ram ki dhwani sunayi di aur woh apne aap hi Ram-Ram bolne lag gaya. Yeh hai Ram ki mahima !

Hum tau bahut bhagyashaali hain ki hamein Ram-Naam ka daan mila hai. Hum bhi isska adhik se adhik laabh le, apna jeevan sudharane mein aur Ram Kripa ka maange Ram-Naam ka maha daan.

The connection between the above messages are clear. Now each one of us has to have more faith and do our practice as shown by our Gurujans.

Reading from Amrit Vaani today and SwamiJi Maharaj’s Pravachan Piyush long ago

Mohak Mantra Ati Madhur,

Ram – Ram Jap Dhyan.

Hotaa Teeno Lok Men,

Ram – Naam Gun – Gaan. …48

Today while reading the above (and nearly every time I read) in Amrit Vaani, it reminds me of reading Pravachan Piyush long-time ago in which I vaguely remember:

Swamiji Maharaj saying,”Ram-Naam teeno lok men gunj raha hai, aur mujhe spashat dikhayee de raha hai ki veh kalyaan kar rahaa hai”

(Swamiji Maharaj meri galation ko kshama kareien)

Aap tau Paramaatmaa se taar milaane ka kam karte hain, hamari bhi taar milayiye taaki hamein bhi jo aap ne kaha hai usska anubhav hove.

Sab Par Ram Kripa aur Sadguru Maharaj Kripa bani rahe.

Ek chhote se sadhak ne pukara – Kripa hui

Ek chotta sa sadhak (kam sadhana karne wala parantu Aayu main bada) sochne laga ki jitna jap Gurujano ne kaha hai utna tau mujh se ho nahin raha – ab kya hoga mera?

Thodi der ke baad usko ek baar Shree Swamiji Maharaj ki Pravachan Piyush main padi hui baat yaad aa gayi jo unhone ek aur sadhal ko kahi thi,  “Mein tumhare ghar aaya tha magar dekha  ghar par taala laga hua tha”.

Parmaatmaa ki kripa hui chhote sadhak par aur uske man main vichaar daal diya ki SwamiJi Maharaj se prarthana kare ki ,”Swami JI Maharaj, aap mere man-mandir main aayen aur andar se taala laga dijiyega, ab hum milkar jap karenge – kyon ki mujh se tau jitna karna chahiye tha utna nahin hua”.

Chotte sadhak ki ankhon main ashru aa gaye aur use aisa laga ki ab aisa hi hoga aur usko sadhana main safalata mil jayegi.  Lagta hai chotte sadhak par Ram Kripa aur Guru Kripa hone lag gayi hai.

Parmaatmaa sab par teri kripa bani rahe, Guru tau bin maange kripa karta rehta hai.  (Kuch aise suna hai)

Ram Kripa – Kab Hoti Hai

Pujya Dr. Viswamitter Ji Maharaj says we just keep on saying, Paramatma ki kripa hai, but we really don’t mean it. He adds if we really meant it, we will be constantly remembering Ram through Ram Naam Jap, simran, dhyan, etc.

Ram Kripa Kab Hoti Hai? – Ram Kripa tab hoti hai jab ham Ram main mast ho jaaye. It seems that Shree Swami Ji Maharaj has mentioned about in a dhun, “Teri buti ne masti keeti, Ram! Teri Buti ne masti keeti”. In Amritvani, Ram Kripa is mentioned several times with clarity and authority.

Pujya Maharaj JI tells us not to think of Ram Kripa when we are getting more income or some other material gains but think of Ram Kripa when our mind turns toward God. Some sadhaks report of Ram Kripa when our Gurujans appear in our dreams or in our dhyan giving us guidance and encouragement. Others report of Ram Kripa when we get inspiration to do more sadhana or get an insight on how to do serve others while taking care of our present responsibilities.

In Pravachan Piyush, Shree Swami Ji Maharaj has mentioned about appearing in a sadhaks dream and helping remove some obstacles from that sadhak’s life.

Shudh atma and Shudh Vichar, Shudh karma

Shree Swami Ji Maharaj in Pravachan Piyush mentions that we need to remind ourselves by saying, “Mai… shudh atma hoon” and also in Bhakti Prakash he has described Pavitra Bhavana.

We may remind ourselves of this and surely that helps. Listening to Pujya Dr. Vishwa Mitter Ji Maharaj’s pravachan it really strikes a cord that we also have to have shudh karma in our life and shudh vichar. This is not an easy practice to do in life but as advised by our loving Gurujans we must do it. We also need to remember that they have given us their blessings and Ram Naam, so we need to stay alert in all our thoughts and actions and keep them pure and honest.

We may make mistakes, not be alert all the time, but that is the whole point of sadhana. Making effort over and over again and as Pujya Maharaj Ji says, “When we make a mistake we say sorry to people in our lives … do we say sorry to Ram Ji?” We can ask Shree Ram to forgive us our mistakes and remember that our Gurujans are always with us helping us and protecting us.

Sab par Ram Kripa sada bani rahe – Guru Kripa tau bin maange hi milti rahti hai.

Two ways for Sadhaks to progress spiritually

One way for us, the sadhaks, to progress on the spiritual path is to remember the truth about ourselves or our essence or our authentic self. That is to remind ourselves again and again that,”Mai satya, nitya, shudh, chaitanaya, shaktimayi atma hoon” as mentioned in the Pravachan-Piyush by Shree Swami Ji Maharaj. It also helps to read the twelve Aatmic Bhavanain from the Bhakti Prakash in order to really understand our essence or the truth about ourselves.

Another way for the sadhaks to progress is to practice letting go of Mai or “I”. In one of story Pujya Maharaj JI tells us in his discourse about two Sant Mahatmas who are great friends …. one of them goes to the other’s home and asks him to open the door.

Mahatma inside – “Who is there?”.

The Mahatma outside – “I am here friend, open the door!”

Mahatma inside – “Kaun Murakh hai jo apne aap ko mai keh raha hai?” (Who is the stupid person who is calling himself “I”?)

Letting go of Mai or “I” is what Pujya Maharaj Ji has told us in one of his discourses, “Apna astitva hi mita do”. The more we let go of the “I” or Mai the lesser we will be concerned with small problems we face in the material life and more we will be inclined to do our sadhana.

This morning Shree Ram, the Param Guru, inspired this mind with the following three thoughts:

1. “Whenever the word “I” keeps coming up – I should think, ” Kaun hai murakh …. Who is the stupid person who is saying “I”?
2. Whenever the mind or intellect says,” Yeh maine kiya hai , ya yeh mai kar raha hoon…. I have done this or I am doing this – immeditately think, “Kaun hain murakh … or who is the stupid person who is saying I have done this or doing this?” (“Lord is the sole doer” – Pujya Maharaj Ji)
3. Same thing goes for “yeh mera hai or this is mine”

Anyone who can practice the above two ways is very likely to grow spiritually with Shree Ram’s Kripa which one can experience by doing “adhik se adhik simran … More and more simran or loving Jap of Ram Naam while keeping its meaning in mind”

Of course, needless to say, the best way for each one of us to progress spiritually is to follow the instructions given by our loving Gurujans.

Guru Purnima – Connecting several readings

Reading this morning from Pujya Dr. Vishwa Mitter Ji Maharaj’s message of July 11, 2006, he mentions that there a strong connection between our Adi Guru Maharshi Vyasdev’s teachings (of four vedas, Puranas, and Adhyatmic Ramayan), and Shree Swami Satyanand Ji Maharaj’s teachings.

Pujya Maharaj Ji encourages us to:

1. Implement what we have heard or read so that we can serve others and live a life of a true devotee.
2. To devote our every moment to the teachings of Shree Swami Ji Maharaj while giving up our ego, need for praise, fame, etc.
3. We should live a life of peace and bliss with the help of Ram Naam which acts like spiritual fire that cleanses our mind, purifies our heart, and gets rid of ignorance.
4. To keep our promise to Shree Swami Ji Maharaj to do Jaap, Simran, and dhyan as our guru-dakshina.
5. To lead a pure life and become a good sadhak who wil make Shree Swami Ji Maharaj proud.

He asks to join each other and promise to lead a pure, truthful, and spiritual life once again on this day of Guru Purnima.

Reading about Satsangati in Bhakti Prakash about the signs of Sant and the benefits of associating with Sants/Mahatmas it convinces me once again about how lucky and blessed we are having our gurujans in our lives. I am taking a vow once again to be true to our gurujans at Shreeramsharnam, Maharashi Vyasdev JI, and Param Guru Shree Ram.

We may not succeed at living the life (at first or every day) they ask us to lead but we can be like a little child who fails to walk at first attempt and falls many times but never gives up. Shree Swami Ji Maharaj Ji in Pravachan Piyush reminds us that spiritual practice is a long journey but we need to do our practice until our last breath – even at that time if we have realization of Supreme Truth or we get a glimpse of spiritual bliss, etc. – I think our journey will be worth much more than the effort put in because it will be due to Ram Kripa and Guru Kripa we will be blessed to have any spiritual experiences or transformations.