Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan-Oct.30


Faith in Rama Rewards us with True Contentment

Attend carefully to worldly duties, banking inwardly on Rama's support. A bad thought is equivalent to the company of the vile. Obstacles and difficulties will flee away if you adhere whole-heartedly to Rama. Take care to preserve nama in your heart despite worldly conditions, pleasant or otherwise. Keeping the heart at peace, let the body face its trials and tribulations. Have firm faith in Rama, everything will ultimately be to the good. Believe in earnest that Rama will stand by you. To obey the sadguru implicitly is the best of all sadhanas. Implicit trust in the word of the sadguru imparts dauntlessness.
Human life has a brief duration; see that it does not go to waste. He is blessed by Rama who holds nama dear to his heart. He who chants nama and bears Rama ever in his heart, can be sure of attaining the Supreme Reality. Destiny will run its pre-charted course, while the mind unnecessarily suffers pleasure or pain. Resolve that you will not let the course of events in your prapancha affect the equilibrium of your mind; this will assuredly make you happy in life. Dejection arises because one forgets sadhana. Attachment to carnal pleasures automatically drops off if you have devotion for Rama.
Place full trust in God, and whatever He does, believe it to be in your ultimate interest. Also, remember the Lord's promise that whoever recalls His name at his last breath shall be united with Him.
The saints all aver that the only means to get free of all feeling of misery is to give up all attachment. So, do your duty by all means, but with a mind free from all egoism. Think always of Rama, never about yourself. Circumstances never remain steady, so never feel sorry, only be always aware of Rama. Hold your tongue, fill your heart with love for Rama, always be aware of His abiding presence: this is sadhana.
He who keeps implicit faith in Rama may rest assured of perfect contentment. Let this faith guide your steps in all your worldly activities. To believe that Rama alone is your true support, is all the sadhana you need to do. Keep your conduct morally unimpeachable, and purify your mind. Keep your mouth occupied with chanting nama. God will assuredly grant His grace to one who follows his God, his sadguru and sadhana single-mindedly.
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Monday, October 27, 2008

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan-Oct.28


God Resides in Our Heart

A subordinate merely obeys his superior and is absolved of all personal responsibility of doership. This freedom everyone can enjoy by putting his faith in the sadguru. The profit and loss due to any action are left to God, and are the responsibility of the sadguru. Since he prompts us in everything: including the sadhana, whatever comes brings credit or discredit to him. Whatever the disciple does then becomes service to the sadguru. The important thing is that there must be the firm faith that God resides in our heart, that we, too, are part of Him, that we and He, indeed, are identical. As an intermediate stage, we may cultivate the idea that God is present everywhere, at all times, and is watching us and all our activities. This may not destroy pride totally, but will at least prevent us from doing undesirable things.
A sacred place owes its sanctity to our own feeling regarding it; else, it has only ordinary water and a sculptured stone, the idol. 'Kashi,' 'Ganga,' and such other words raise holy thoughts in our minds, but many local residents look upon them as just ordinary streams of water, and do not take a dip for years on end. They therefore seem to hold no special regard for it.
A holy place is thus holy only because we think it so. If, after all, it is a matter of our sentiment, can we not create it, imagine it, even in the home? Of course, it demands a forceful conviction. If we do not have such convictions, and also lack the means to go to a place known as holy, we should at least repeat the pious wish to visit such a place, so that holy thoughts occupy the mind.
Similarly, though God is omnipresent, we have to realize Him by strength of sentiment. Prahlad and Draupadi did have that conviction in their heart, so God had to manifest Himself in concrete form for them. Similarly, if you have the conviction that your sadguru does exist and help you, he will have to run to your help. It is entirely upto you to have proof of this.
To be free of all doubt of the existence of God is true knowledge; this knowledge is easily obtained by one who lives in constant consciousness of Him.
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