What now… after Deepawali? 5 Steps to keep the lights on

What a great festival Deepawali is – festival of lights, celebration, and much more. Hopefully everyone had a chance to celebrate in the traditional ways.

WHAT NOW?  – What  happens now, with our lives … does the celebration stop, do the lights go out?  In the material sense we may not celebrate as much now, we may not light many lamps but….

do we need to stop celebrating who we truly are,  our chaitnnaya swarup, our connection to Satchidananda Parmatma?

We light up lamps and turn all the lights in our homes on Deepawali day.  The darkness of night is hardly noticed with these lights.

How about the darkness our mind – does that go away with exterior lighting?  Not a chance, only “Parmaatma Sri Ram, Param-Satya Prakaash Roop ..” [The Supreme Soul,  Sri Ram, is the matchless radiant and non-dual apotheosis (divine elevation) of Absolute Truth], as stated in Amritvani, can do that.

Can we know Him easily?  According to Saint-souls (Sant Mahatmas), for a vast majority of people it is not easy, rather it is extremely difficult.

5 STEPS TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON AND GROWING SPIRITUALLY:

The following steps we need to take for our spiritual growth and to continue celebrating our connection to Sri Ram.   (The following 5 steps are based on/adapted from Maharajji’s pravachan: Deepawali Ke Shubh Awsar Par):

1. Pray to Sri Ram that with the glory and power of His Name, may our inner darkness may be removed.
2. May our material possessions not prevent us from our spiritual progress.
3. Take a pledge that one day at a time, we will not not speak ill of anyone, not think negative about anyone, and do no physical harm to anyone.
4. To do the step #3 above we will need the blessings of our Gurujans.
5. Lead a simple and pure life.

Let us all continue to celebrate the essence of Deepawali every day.   May Lord Ram and our Gurujans lead our path.

Rama Rama Ratate Ratate – Dhun and Lesson

It was really moving to hear Pujya Maharajji sing the dhun:

Rama Rama Ratate Ratate Beeti Ri Umariya,

Rama Rama Ratate Ratate Beeti Ri Umariya.

Rama Rama Ratate Ratate Beeti Ri Umariya,

Hey Raghunandan Aa Bhi Jayo Shabri Ki Jhumparia.

Pujya Maharajji reminded us that as Ma Shabri we must learn to have patience.

First of all we will be very lucky if we can cultivate our feelings/Bhavana for Lord Ram as Ma Shabri had in her heart.   Second, if we can truly say that our life has been in constant rememberance (Simran) of Lord Ram.  Third, it will be great if we can have patience and faith of Ma Shabri.

VIDEO CLIP OF RAMA RAMA RATATE RATATE

Power of Ram Naam and blessings of our Gurujans

Through the grace of our Pujya Gurudev we have been blessed with Ram Naam.  While we read in Amritvani that Parmaatma Sri Ram is all powerful .. omnipotent. We are connected to the source and reservoir of all powers through Ram Naam.

Then why do we have a weak mind?  Why are we not able to use our intellect to take care of our responsibilites and do benevolent actions?

Is it because we do not have total faith in God or do we not yet totally believe what our Gurujans have said? … or is it something else?

Regardless of whether we know the answers to these questions or not, we can at least pay close attention to what Maharajji says,”We have Ram in us but it is lying dormant”  – so  we must wake up this power in us by Jap, Simran, and Dhyan. And with the strength we gain from our practice we can follow the path shown to us with renewed determination and resolve.

Maharajji explains (in USA Open Satsang) that in Amritvani it is mentioned:

Ram-Ram Bhaj Kar Sri Ram

Kariye Nitya Hee Uttam Kaam

(and not …. Kariye Nitya Hee Uttam Kaam,  Ram-Ram Bhaj Kar Sri Ram)

So as he is guiding us, let us keep Ram Naam in the forefront and do the benevolent actions and take care of our duties and responsibilities and be ready to recieve maximum benefit of Ram Kripa.

Once again Maharajji says be patient and never lose hope.

Jai Jai Ram

Mere Ram, tera pyara naam. Your loving name my Ram.

Har kaam se pehle aur har kaam ke baad,

mein japoo tera pyara naam, mere Ram.

(Before everything, and after everything may I recite your loving name .. my Ram)

Aise hi ho Parmaatma.  Jab aise hone lag jayega tau aisa lagata hai ki pehle aur baad ke beech bhi tera hi pyara naam hi chalata rahega mere man mandir mein.

(May it be so O’Lord.  When this starts happening, it seems to me that in between before and after also your loving name keeps on ruminating in my mind)

Kripa kar mere Ram aisa hi ho.

(I ask for your Grace,  may this be so, my Ram)
Jai Shree Ram.

Shree Ram Ki Mahima – a true story

A person in a western country who had not heard of Shree Ram or Ram Jap was told about how repeating Ram Ram can help him in time of trouble or when he felt low physically or mentally. (He had no initiation from any Guru Maharaj – he was just told to do this by an ordinary sadhak)

According to him one day he was all dressed up to go to work but he was not feeling good inside. He remembered and said Ram only once. Immediately he felt as if some thing inside of him waking up and giving him lots of energy. He felt really good about going to work in just a few seconds.

Imagine what Ram Nam can do for us sadhaks (who have been initiated) if we had stronger faith and practiced according to our Gurujans’ instructions.

Ram Nam ki Mahima – our Gurujans and other Bhaktas have sung glories of Ram Nam recently, over thousands of years, and in all yugas.

Jai Shree Ram.

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.

Grace of God and Guru

People from various faiths have experienced God’s Grace and how it has changed their lives, their relationship with God, and in becoming a better human being.

A seeker was not able to do the spiritual practice with concentration, love, and devotion to God and that caused lots of frustration to the seeker.

One day in a prayer, having a straight-talk with God, the seeker expressed the frustration of not doing the daily practice and living with old negative and bad habits, said to God,

“I am your child, think of me as your little baby – when baby is hungry, baby gets the milk from the mother; when the baby is not able to walk, father holds baby’s hand and helps the baby walk – God, I am hungry for your love, you already know this – I don’t need to ask for your love. I have failed as an adult in trying to be a better human being, so I surrender my knowledge, my intellect, and mind to you. You are merciful, with your grace my life can be transformed”

After a few minutes of crying, talking, the seeker heard, “From now on imagine that your Guru is doing the practice holding your hand, your Guru is doing the devotion, and your Guru is with you every moment”

With that the seeker’s began to experience Grace of God and Guru in a profound way.

Many Gurus, Saints, and Spiritual Masters have shared these kinds of words of wisdom about doing prayer, having a straight-talk with God, surrendering to Lord, etc. They say that any seeker can experience peace, contentment, and love of God.

Guru shows us the path. A humble Guru says that God is Supreme Guru.

Instead of trying to trying to improve our lives, trying to do devotion with concentration, trying to follow Guru – why not hold Guru’s hand and let our life be transformed and be led to God in a much easier way. If a person does not have Sadguru in his or her life then ask God, The Supreme Guru and pray for a Sadguru or a preceptor who can guide us all the way to God.

Ek sadhak ke vichar – A seeker’s thoughts

Ek sadhak ko vichar aaya ki mein tau ek bhooli bhataki atma thi.  Parmaatmaa ne kripa ki,  Sant-Mahatma ko mila diya. (In a seeker’s  mind a thought came that due to God’s grace a great Saint/Master has come in my life)

Mahatma ne bataya ki, “apne aap ko deh mat maano, tum chaitanaya swarup atma ho aur Parmaatmaa sat-chit-anand swarup hai” (This Saint/Master said,”Do not think that you are  mind-body-intellect, you are a soul whose essence is consciousness, pure, power; and God is supreme-soul whose essence is Existence-Consciousness-Bliss Absolute”)

Iss-se sadhak ke man mein ek aur vichar aaya jis-se usko laga shaayad RAM ka arth yeh ho:

(With this another thought came to this seeker’s mind that spelled out RAM)

R – Ram (Paramaatmaa Shree Ram    Supreme-Soul Shree Ram)

A- Atma (Soul)

M – Mahatma (Great Soul)

Hamare Gurujan kehte hein ki bhavana mein hi Bhagwan hai.   (Our Reverred Gurus say that God is in the attitude,feelings, and emotions of a seeker)

Ram Naam Prasaad

We are very fortunate to receive Ram Naam, the prasaad, Shree Swamiji Maharaj received. Kitne Kripalu hain hamare Ram aur hamare Sadguru Maharaj.

At the time of diksha we promised to do our spiritual practice and never stop doing the jaap.

Swamiji Maharaj says,”Jaap band karne se kripa ruk bhi jaati hai”

So let us always recite Ram-Ram in the manner, mentioned in Amrit Vaani:

Ram-Ram Bhaj Kar Sri Ram,

Kariye Nitya Hee Uttam Kaam.

Jitne Kartavya Karm Kalaap,

Kariye Ram-Ram Kar Jaap. …..61

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.