Sri Maharaj's Pravachan-Oct.31

The Very Purpose of Human Life is to attain to God
There is only one thing that God looks for: He loves one who bears Him devotion. Caste, creed, and such other things don't count. In normal life, one who has wealth is considered fortunate; actually, he is fortunate who has realized God. To realize God is, indeed, the very purpose of human life. What hinders the realization is neither want nor abundance of money, but the individual pride, the 'I' ness. One who says 'I serve God' really serves not at all, for the sense of doership destroys all sense of service. Whatever we do while thinking of Him is a meritorious act. So always entertain the awareness of God. What is done with faith will bear fruit.
However, prayers and meditation done without full faith, do not go to waste, provided these are done with the aim of generating devotion, and not merely as a pastime. There aren't a few who do good acts, but often there is a selfish motive underlying it. To perform good acts without expecting a return is a step towards devotion.
Paramartha, in essence, is to realize that it is God who activates everything. It is synonymous with the realization of God within one's own self. One should understand that He is the prime mover behind everything. When a person dies, we say 'he is no more'; we are then referring not to the physical body, but to the departed 'Soul'. It is a tacit but obvious recognition that there is some unknown thing which owns and 'animates' the whole system which we call 'the body', a something that passively watches all activities including wakefulness, sleep, and dreams.
I call the world 'mine', but pay no attention to what animates me. Let us first try to be aware of the 'God', whose presence in me makes me, keeps me, alive. This presence is realized by inference as well as by experience.
We celebrate the beginning of the fresh year with the New Year's Day, the joy of living, with the birthday, and each fresh day, with the morning. So, too, we should begin devotion with nama. We shall thereby get immediate proof of joy, making both the beginning and the end joyful. The sky is common to all, irrespective of status, caste, creed, and such other distinctions; the aim of human life is, similarly, regardless of religion or nationality, the same, namely, the attainment of God.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Oct.31

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Oct.31

Sri Maharaja's Pravachan in English-Oct.30

  Sri Brahma chaitanya Maharaj's Pravachan -   OCTOBER 30

Faith in Rama Rewards us with True Contentment

Attend carefully to wordly 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 sadgum 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 Rarna may rest assured of perfect contentment. Let this faith guide your steps in all your worldly activities.To belive 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.

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Oct.30

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Oct.30

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan-Oct.29

A Faultless Person is Acceptable to God

We feel that primarily we are for and our principal source of happiness is, prapancha. We look expectantly, imploringly, to the world and to prapancha for happiness. Unless we disabuse our mind of this delusion and, instead, pledge our fealty to God, we shall not experience true contentment. This feeling can only come if there is a burning desire to attain to God. Such a burning desire can come only to a faultless person. The first step towards such faultlessness is the elimination of the desire to represent ourselves to the world in a favourable light. We should always have a pure heart, feeling ashamed that the world respects us more highly than we deserve. Our conduct should at all times be above suspicion. Never resort to hypocrisy. God will certainly accept us as his if we have a heart devoid of impurity or pollution of any kind.
Once we come to belong to God, what cause do we have to bear any anxiety? How contradictory, therefore, is on the one hand, our claim, that we are theists, that is, we consider God as all in all, and, on the other, entertain anxiety about anything whatever ! In order really to be free from anxiety, we must whole-heartedly feel that our money and all things that we call ours, belong, in reality, to Rama's will. We must genuinely believe that our prapancha is run by Him and as He desires, and resolve that we shall ever live in contentment in whatever circumstances He chooses to place us. Do not bother about vairagya, abandonment, etc. All that you will be putting into effect if you only live contented with prevailing circumstances. Make effort to abandon whatever causes God to be out of sight. Whatever puts God in your mind is vivek. Do your duty conscientiously in practical life, but do not let yourself get entangled with it by attachment. Living the practical life is not a sin; to become attached, however, is. Observe religion as far as you can; take care of morals as of your life; and retain nama till the last breath.
So many of you people come to Gondavale; but I feel constrained that, with all the expense and effort and inconvenience that you undertake, you carry back nothing worthwhile. Take with you love for nama; chant nama purely for its own sake; seek nothing in return. Rama will undoubtedly reward you.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Oct.29

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Oct.29

Sri Maharaja's Pravachan in English- Oct.28

                      GOD RESIDES IN OUR HEART.

A subordinate merely obeys his superior and is absolved of all personal responsibility of doer-ship. 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.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 up to 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.

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Oct.28

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Oct.28

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan-Oct.27

Ascribe Doership to God and Anxiety will Vanish
Our doership is only partial, only slight, only nominal. Real doership rests fully with God. So the resultant pleasure or pain should not affect us; it may, if at all, affect God! We should therefore carry the conviction that it is God who does everything, we are only His instrument. We, however, assume doership; at the commencement of a job, we are beset with anxiety; during the execution of the job, we feel anxious because of diffidence about the outcome; and we feel disappointment at the final result. So throughout life, the man who is afflicted with anxiety never gets happiness and contentment. Anxiety is like white ants; its depredation is unnoticed, and becomes apparent only from the ruin wrought by it. Similarly, anxiety in an unnoticed way eats into faith, but only when faith is thoroughly undermined do we come to realize it.
If anxiety is to be thrown overboard, today is the auspicious day, and this moment the most auspicious! It's now or never. In the Mahabharata war, Lord Shrikrishna became Arjuna's charioteer and guided his position in battle, and Arjuna only discharged arrows towards the target. In short, Arjuna handed over the reins to God, and worked as little more than an arrow-flinging machine. Let us similarly become a machine in the hands of God, for He is the prime mover. Let us deliver ourselves to Him, trust in Him, and live chanting nama.
Let us give all doership to God, to whom it truly belongs; thereby we can get free from all anxiety, and live always in joy and happiness. In everything that happens, maintain the feeling and the awareness that it is God who is doing it, and therefore must be in our ultimate interest. What do we lose, and what is the difficulty, in maintaining this feeling? In practical life we should not spare effort, put in the maximum. But have an innermost conviction that its success or failure is in the hands of God, and is in our ultimate interest. With such conviction, where is the cause for anxiety of any kind? And once we get rid of anxiety, what remains is our natural heritage, the natural state, of bliss. This joy does not have to be obtained from anywhere, it is only overshadowed by anxiety. The sadhaka should unshackle himself from anxiety, and what remains is sheer freedom, sheer joy.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Oct.27

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Oct.27

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan-Oct.26

The Flood of God's Grace
When sowing, only pure, unrotten seed is selected. Devotion with some ulterior, mundane object in view is like rotten seed. Pure seed has to be carefully developed, evolved. One may begin by sowing available rotten seed; similarly, one may start devotion with some mundane aim in view. As one proceeds, one may realize the importance of undertaking devotion for its own sake. God should be prayed for this purpose. After sowing, there should be opportune rain. This is not in our control, but God arranges for it. Now if the field is hollow, water may accumulate there, and must be drained, lest excess of it decay the roots. The excess water may be drained into the adjacent field, in all likelihood with advantage to it. To breach the bund and let the water to the needy corresponds, in the case of God's grace, to benefaction. With spiritual progress, the sadhaka often gets certain occult faculties; for instance, what he says comes true, he can make out what passes in another's mind, can go to another place unseen by others, and so on. At such times he must avoid the temptation to use such faculties for selfish purposes; he has to be specially alert in this regard. If used at all, they must be employed only to relieve others' distress, never for any selfish end.
It would obviously be wise not to base one's happiness on other persons or things or circumstances. This has to be learnt by practice. However, the mind cannot remain vacant; it must be provided with some occupation. God is that occupation. Because God is eternal, complete in Himself, and blissful, these qualities automatically percolate into the mind that keeps contemplating on Him. One can only imagine how sweet life must be to a mind so soaked in Him. Have an abiding consciousness that you and all that exists belong to Him; then life becomes such enjoyable fun!
The grace of God will be experienced if nama is chanted with a pure heart. A sadhaka should do his duty conscientiously, and live happily, leaving everything else to God, or to sadguru.
A thing comes or is lost as destined. Why should we then vainly feel miserable or joyful? When we know that everything belongs to God, we can leave everything to His care, and be carefree, joyful.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Oct.26

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Oct.26

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan-Oct.25.

Genuine Yearning and Utter Surrender
God is not attained merely by eschewing carnal pleasures, not by abandoning the family, not by resorting to a forest, nor by living amongst people. Truly speaking, God is not attainable by any particular physical act or procedure. We find saints who live as ordinary householders; there are others who live as recluses.
The chief requirement is genuine yearning; such yearning is fifty per cent of the battle; it is the foundation for the edifice to follow. With this, the next part of the task becomes easier. If the yearning is there, it is not essential that sensual pleasures be discarded. One must genuinely feel that he belongs to Rama, and surrender oneself utterly to Him; that is, in the heart of hearts, genuinely and wholly live for Him. Do you think this will interfere with your prapancha?
In service, does one always find a kind and considerate superior? Do we not serve him, without demur, physically, though at heart we may not like him? So, we should determine mentally to belong to Rama, though physically we may toil, willy-nilly, for prapancha; it will turn out even better than otherwise expected, because Rama Himself, in Whose name we do it, feels it incumbent to ensure that it does not bring Him discredit. Bibheeshana approached Rama in a truly humble spirit. Coming as he did from the enemy's camp, and being the very brother of the opponent, he was naturally a suspect, and Rama's counsellors all advised putting him to death. But Rama put forward the decisive argument: ''He has come in complete surrender, and it is therefore my duty to protect him.'' And He not only spared his life, but, further, gave him the kingdom of Lanka. That is why I say that Rama protects those who approach Him in sincere surrender.
You are so many coming to me, but has a single one of you asked me to take you to Rama? Am I here to provide you with mundane favours? Is not your approach similar to that of a thief who goes to visit Maruti in the temple and vows to crown it with a gold pinnacle if he has a good 'scoop' that night? What you should pray for is, 'God, give me complete contentment in whatever condition you choose to keep me in; let me wish to ask for nothing.'

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Oct.25

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan-Oct.24.

What is True Worship?
Once you get rid of the of consciousness of individuality, all cause for anxiety ceases. It is this consciousness which imparts pride even about the sadhana that one is doing. This pride is no less harmful than the pride in any other form. The remedy is to ascribe to the divine will whatever happens. God knows wherein your good lies, and whatever He does is for your good. So never feel anxious about anything. Place your trust in Him and, eschewing all anxiety, go through life happily.
Devotion is substantially the same as non-attachment to worldly pleasures; devotion is complete attachment to God, whereas vairagya, conversely, is complete disinterestedness in worldly pleasures. When Prince Rama was about to set out on the fourteen-year banishment to forest, at the bidding of his step-mother Kaikeyi, he tried to dissuade his youthful bride from accompanying Him. She was so thoroughly devoted that she could not bear the thought of separation from him for any length of time, and counter-argued, 'Dear Rama, risks and inconveniences in your company are far more pleasant to me than the so-called safety and amenities of palace life'. Being a whole-hearted devotee, she was completely oblivious of other circumstances. We, however, depend on circumstances while, simultaneously, we aspire to attain God. So we may adopt a via media, and say to Rama, 'My circumstances entirely depend on your will.' If we say this in earnest, we shall be happy under any circumstances.
His worship can be called genuine who does it sincerely; the external formalities do not count. Worship can be only true if the worshipper sees God in everyone and everything and who, therefore, takes care not to hurt anyone's heart.
Saguna worship aims at having the feeling, 'Will my God approve of this?' as the guiding thought. The Supreme Consciousness completely pervades all creation, and manifests itself in any form anywhere at any time; this depends on the intensity of the devotee's feeling. To one who has firm belief, that is, who entertains not an iota of doubt in his mind, even a stone idol can exhibit divine qualities. The belief, however, must be absolutely genuine and pure.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Oct.24

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Oct.24

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan-Oct.23

Start Nama-Smarana and Acquire Love For God.

One who has no selfishness will always have enough; for, where there is selflessness, God would certainly take care of all the needs. The world will not love you unless you give it your love. One who forgets himself in his love for God will be unmindful of everything else. Just as a thief will run away the moment he finds the owner back at home, the 'body-am-I' feeling must make itself scarce if a man cultivates love for God, and thereby he becomes happy. If your imploration to God is so earnest as to bring tears to your eyes, God will also respond with tears in His eyes.
That the company of the saintly will generate love for God there is no doubt, but it may not be the good fortune of many to come across a saintly person. An alternative way is to associate with good thoughts. That God may shower His grace on all, that He may shower good and welfare on all, that all should learn to love Him – to carry such good thoughts always in the bosom, and to contemplate on the teaching of the saints, helps oneself as well as others.
But we often find that our thoughts do not always follow an even tenor. Everyone of us has personal experience of unholy thoughts crowding the mind when we try to compose the mind for nama-smarana. So, it is not in our control to hold holy thoughts in the mind.
The third means is nama-smarana. That is the only thing that you can do with your volition. So all should resort to it with a doubt-free mind. Do not listen to anyone who has something to say against it. Do not split hairs about how to chant it. Straightaway begin chanting it; you can rest assured that you will be filled with love for God. Stick determinedly to nama. Take my word for it, Rama is sure to be wherever nama is being sung. Saints are bound to ensure the spiritual welfare of a person who does nothing but determinedly, persistently chant nama.
Nama is a spark that can be fanned to grow and pervade the whole world. Let us keep this spark alive. One who chants nama naturally burns up all desire and ends indigence. So keep this nama earnestly on your lips, and then you may live normal worldly life happily.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Oct.23

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Oct.23

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan-Oct.22.

-Namasmarana, Morality, Love of God at Heart
One who has nama on his lips certainly has Rama in his heart; I look on him as Rama Himself. Life is definitely incomplete until we enrich it with God. Let us not be slaves of prapancha, but let us live as its masters. How can a slave ever be contented? Pleasure is given by others, but contentment is a state of one's own mind; it is not dependent on others. It cannot be given by one to another, nor can it be derived from another person or thing or circumstance. It can only exist where desire is absent; one who lives for God can alone be free from desire.
I never ask you to quit worldly life, because I am convinced, that is not the way to attain spiritual progress and God. One can do with it as well as without it. What is essential is an attitude of contentment. Keep nama constantly on the lips, observe strict morality in your behaviour with others, and bear love of God at heart. Love will be able to achieve what no other means can. Bear love for God similar to what you bear for your parents, or your children.
Let alone Jnyaneshwar, for he is in a class by himself, being a very repository of the highest knowledge; in fact, he was God incarnate; but what erudition did Saint Tukaram have, except intense love? That was so strong that it still induces lakhs of people to go to Pandharpur to have darshan of Vithoba. Learn to love God with corresponding intensity. Let the conduct of the entire household be such that everyone learns to love God. See that mutual talk is always, soft and sweet like butter. This will be easy, natural, if everyone is genuinely selfless. Even rebukes will be couched in sweet words. Financially the house may be modest, but it will be replete with contentment and happiness. True, selfless love for God will be the mutual bond. Such love will never ask for anything. When a thief asks for success in a theft attempt, he is doing nothing worse than a man asking for something for his prapancha, for neither is asking for pure love for God. Remember, there is no sin greater than forgetting God. So let us always remain in nama, simultaneously discharging our duties conscientiously.


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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Oct.22

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Oct.22

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan-Oct.21

We Ascribe Unknown Conditions to Destiny
The difference between man and other animals is that man has the capacity to fix the goal for himself, despite external circumstances. Both have to go through the destined pleasure and pain; only, a man who has God to back him can alter their timing. The law of destiny applies equally to the individual and to the world.
It will not be possible unconcernedly to leave the body to bear its destined pleasure or pain unless you quit the idea that whatever you earn is the proper reward of your own effort. If, however, you assign to God everything you possess, the action will go on as normal, without giving rise to a sense of doership.
There are things for which we can point out the cause; and there are many whose cause we are unable to trace. In the latter case we ascribe them to 'destiny.' 'Destiny,' then, may be defined as matters for which we cannot ascribe a plausible cause. Even saints have to bear the effects of destiny, but they care nought for them because they are able to face both pleasure and pain equably. If an illness comes, one should not neglect to take proper medicine but bear the pain cheerfully. A person having some divine or occult power, should not use his power to cure or to evade anybody's illness. It may give some celebrity to the person who performs such acts, but it is not in the interest of the person making use of such powers, nor of the one who avails himself of it. Suppose a person comes across a high value currency note lying in the street; that is destiny; but it is his volition whether or not to pick it up and pocket it; destiny does not dictate this. So, it is in our hands to regulate the mental response. Even God has the same law to face when He assumes a tangible form.
Improvement even in the congenital nature of a person is possible if he strives for it. For spiritual progress purity of heart is necessary. Just as farmland has to be cultivated before sowing, all pollution of the heart must be cleared before God can enter and reside in it. Once it is so purified, it is comparatively easy to maintain constant awareness of God. So aim at doing this, and let other things conduce to it. For this everyone should chant nama and live happily, without worrying.
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Shri Maharaja's Pravachan in MARATHI-Oct.21

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Oct.21

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan-Oct.20

Pleasure and Sorrow Vanish with Dedication

The saints advise us to dedicate ourselves whole-heartedly to God. They also tell us how to dedicate. When beginning any action, first think of God; and throughout the course of the effort, keep thinking of Him; thereby the entire action will automatically become dedicated to Him. Go in utter surrender to Him or to the sadguru: that is all you need to do. Good inclinations, good qualities or bad passions, whatever you have, dedicate yourself to Rama with them. A son born to a king automatically becomes heir to the throne. Similarly if you throw yourself on Rama's mercy, you will escape the clutches of passions and sense-attractions. Take the usual precautions in your worldly transactions, but give your heart to Rama. Think not of anything else; then He is bound to shower mercy on you. If you dedicate yourself to Him body and soul, where is the reason to fear death?
Never, for a moment, lose sight of the fact that God is omnipresent, omniscient; never cease chanting nama; always keep God in your thought: this is the sadhana for paramartha. Do what is necessary in life, but never allow yourself to get attached anywhere. Live your life but as a guest, with only that much concern for anything or any person. The tangible world is always oriented towards carnal pleasures; let your mind not get entangled there. Let the body do its tasks in the world, but the mind should be fixed on Rama. Just as an avaricious man goes through all his tasks but his mind is riveted on money, so go about your worldly business with due precautions but let the mind concern itself only with Rama. The mind fails in concentrating on Rama because it has distractions in the form of sense--considerations, just a as bird flies high in the sky without taking its mind off its nest. So devote your mind to what, by its very nature, is steady, immoveable, unchangeable.
Be ever alert lest you allow God to be out of sight. Worldly life should be treated as a duty; it never can yield true happiness. Serve Rama as an end in itself, never as a means for some other object. Be properly alert in everything, but as a custodian, never as a proprietor. This applies even to your family, nearest kith and kin. This is paramartha.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Oct.20

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Oct.20

SRI MAHARAJ'S PRAVACHAN-OCT.19

The True Object of the Samskaras

The various samskaras prescribed by our religion are intended to mould the mind and direct thought and action properly. Samskaras should, as far as possible, be in accordance with the shastras. Whenever the shastra's provisions cannot be complied with, recourse should be taken to nama-smarana, because, after all, the object is to strengthen faith.
The main object of our samskaras is to ensure that we follow what is good for us, and avoid what is not wholesome. This, naturally involves certain restrictions, some discipline, for the individual. No society can exist or sustain itself without discipline; it is foolish to advocate the abolition of restrictions. Restrictions have supreme importance, for it is these that have sustained our religion through the ages. At present we find religious restrictions being disregarded wholely. In the past people respected religion, and minds were generally at peace. The world today boasts of many gadgets and amenities but mankind has forfeited peace of mind because life is divorced from religion.
Some people advocate a change in the moral code to bring it in line with the current state of social behaviour. Spiritualism, on the other hand, affirms that the moral code ever remains unchanged; instead of seeking to adapt it, the individual should adapt himself to those unchangeable standards. A society may base its structure on intellectual standards, another on financial standards; but that society alone will afford real contentment to the individual which is founded on true religion. The very function of religion is to provide order; religion holds society together through the samskaras.
Many of us may plead that though they sincerely desire to attain God, the world puts obstructions in their path; they feel so because their relations with the world involve selfish interests. They cannot afford to disregard the world. They cannot behave selflessly. They should first learn to deal with everybody without any selfish consideration. This calls for control over the mind, and this can be acquired by practising nama-smarana. We can justify God's grace in granting us human life, by remembering Him in all actions. He who sincerely yearns for the removal of obstructions in the approach to God, may rest assured that he is on the right track.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Oct.19

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Oct.19

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan. Oct 18.

Means of Attaining GodGod is hidden to us behind the screen of individual consciousness; we become one with Him as soon as this screen is removed. There are different means, or sadhanas, for removing it; the path of action, of yoga, etc. These are rather laborious to practise and may, sometimes, strengthen the screen instead of tearing it down. The path of devotion, however, is easier, more congenial. It consists in going in utter surrender to Him, simultaneously emptying oneself of pride of individuality, to belong to God, to see God in everything, and to see nothing but Him in anything. The means to achieve this position of devotion is to ascribe all doership to God, to think that everything happens as He desires it, and to dedicate every action to Him. This is the quickest way to destroy egoism. Alternatively, abide strictly by the instructions of the sadguru, setting aside all ego and so-called wisdom, and without demur. The least one can do is merely to live with him, in his company. Listening to his talk, observing every action of his, gradually consume all ego.
There are two ways of creating and imbibing a spirit of devotion. One is kind of recklessness with oneself: to divest oneself of everything, including clothing, and donning only a loin-cloth, and sitting down in a sort of satyagraha to meet God. This, however, is difficult for the common man. The other, easier way, is to create intense love or devotion by constant companionship: to read about His virtues, to listen to other devotees' panegyrics, to visit temples and see His idols, to do everything for Him, in His remembrance. Such constant company with Him eventually kindles intense love or devotion.
Devotion with an ulterior mundane object cannot be called genuine devotion. True devotion must be for its own sake. If I do something to gratify the senses, it becomes devotion to the senses, not to God, and I then become a slave to my senses. How can I enjoy sense-pleasures in a state of slavery to them? True enjoyment can only be as a master. The pleasure derived from God and the saints transcends all other pleasures. To beg mere sense-pleasures of them is like begging a king for an alms-cloth. Asking for anything in return amounts to spurning God for limited objects. So the aim of human life should be nothing less than attainment of God.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Oct.18

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Oct.18

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan-Oct.17

Single-Minded Love Gives Rise to Devotion
True devotion can only exist for God. One who has it will be distinguished by a divine attitude to the whole creation, just as a person who regularly goes to a gymnasium can be distinguished by well-formed muscles. If we are interested in scholarship, we should associate with the learned; so, too, if we are interested in devotion and pure, permanent bliss, we must associate with God Who is the object of pure devotion and the repository of sheer bliss.
To see the whole creation as a manifestation of God is the culmination of devotion. This calls for single-minded love of God; indeed, single-minded love is termed devotion. And what is single-mindedness but the conviction that God is the sole support? God has Himself said in the Bhagavadgeeta, that devotion is the only means to attain Him. Just as nama-smarana is impossible if God is forgotten, devotion or single-minded love is impossible if pride of individuality is retained.
Suppose a young man gets married today. He was a celibate yesterday, and becomes a householder today. Despite the change in social status, his other individual functions, such as eating, breathing, etc., continue unaffected. Similarly, even if we change our allegiance over to God, our other activities of life continue unaffected.
Every occurrence in life should be narrated to Him as to a confidant. In order to maintain the feeling that God is present always and everywhere, inform Him of every movement you make, every action you undertake. Such love will enable you to realize Him, and gradually annihilate desire of certain fruit for an action. The 'body-am-I' conviction grew upon us by our sense of identity with the body; in a similar way, the 'I-am-He' conviction will come as we think, keep aware more and more of Him. For this, it is necessary to think of Him as similar to us in general form and attributes, that is, saguna. Just as we have to walk along the road in order to reach our home, we have to go through saguna upasana in order to realize the true, attributeless God. Saguna upasana is, in other words, to attribute all doership to Him; this is true devotion. Say to God, 'I shall be happy to accept whatever it pleases you to give' and when about to do anything, ask yourself,' Will God approve of this?'
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Oct.17

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Oct.17

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan-Oct.16

Slander and Pride Keep Man Away from God
There is no sin greater than calumniating others. It is a pernicious practice that harms both the slanderer and the slandered. It is the object of the former to cause pain to the latter who usually is not within earshot. What, then, is the gain? Slandering pollutes the slanderer's mind. It is a polluted mind that seeks pleasure in calumny. So one who seeks or finds pleasure in calumny may safely conclude that he is quite far from God. Indeed, it is a safe guess that the degree to which one indulges in calumny is an index to one's distance from God. So whoever cares for his own true interest should eschew slander and devote his tongue to chanting nama. A sincere sadhaka should always remember that when he sees a fault in another person, he has in himself the same fault in some degree; so he should make an effort to uproot it from his own mind and plant nama in its place.
Often a person is aware of his shortcoming, aware also that it is a hindrance on the path to God, but is powerless to eradicate it. Some, for instance, have an evil eye, and if they see a good thing, even admire it, that thing will, in some way, suffer or go bad. At such times it is often futile for the person to try to cure himself of it; the company of a godly person may bring about a cure.
Scholastic achievement often draws a person away from God. An unlettered but devout pilgrim may, with his implicit faith, realize God, whereas an erudite person may read tomes about paramartha and may remain a Doubting Thomas. A man may store bagfuls of almonds, dates, and such other things in his house, but what is their use unless the tonic things are eaten, digested, and go to form blood and sinews? Similarly, what is the use of merely reading learned books unless their teaching is assimilated and brought into day-to-day practice?
God cannot be attained by mere physical toil or austerity; so do not undertake laborious activities for the purpose. What is wanted is sincere, selfless, intense love, and any effort made out of love is soon forgotten. Be brimful with love for God, and for mankind; you will then lose yourself in the flood of love which you find filling all creation.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Oct.16

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Oct.16

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan.Oct 15

Humility is the Gateway to God
Nama-smarana should be completely without pride, in utter submission to God. One has to be specially cautious in this regard, because it is most likely that a seeker may well develop a self-righteous pride of sadhana, rendering sadhana fruitless. When going to a saint, we should completely vacate the mind of all thoughts except that of God and love for Him. On the other hand, we carry with us loving ideas about prapancha, and self-righteous pride; the saint's guidance then becomes blurred and illegible, like over-writing.
We think of ways to obtain a thing only after first feeling that we want it. Similarly, we should first feel the need for God. Then we look for ways to attain Him. This calls for mental effort; for instance, the effort to suppress anger calls for more courage and control on the mind than giving vent to it. But the resultant bliss makes it all worthwhile. We should be very cautious in our behaviour and talk, to avoid the undesirable.
Utter surrender needs neither money nor learning; we only need to give up pride. God can be easily attained by one with a spirit of humility. One who thinks nothing of oneself, even if his real worth is high, will find it easier to attain God. What is wanted is a determined mind. We should have open dealings, open-hearted talk, and think or do nothing that we would be ashamed for God to see. Our whole behaviour should tend to generate increasing desire to seek God, to yearn for Him. For this to come about, we should always keep the mind immersed in nama. We may be worldly to all appearances, though in the heart of hearts we should belong to God. This attitude to life will help very much in spiritual pursuit.
A person enticed by pleasures and convenience of the body is evidently oblivious of God. But one who vigilantly maintains constant awareness of the presence of God has no regard for worldly greatness. Hankering after money and popular applause leads one away from God. We must not fall into their snare. In worldly life we cannot help coming in contact with them. One who yearns for the love of God should realize their strength and weakness and employ them with proper regard to them, so as to escape their pitfalls. You can attain Rama only by surrendering to Him completely.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Oct.15

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Oct.15

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan-Oct 14

One who Endears Himself to God is Loved by allSome people feel that God should endow them with some special capacities to enable them to do some public good. But why desire that the good should happen through a particular individual? Does it not mean that the 'body-am-I' feeling is fully operating in the particular individual? God may so endow persons who can wield such capacities. What is the wisdom of handing a sword to a young person who has neither the requisite capacity nor discretion? You feel that people should respectfully listen to what you preach, although you have no proper control over anger, perhaps, or other mental reactions. First master your own mind, and then think of giving guidance to others. Do you want to be popular among your brethren? Then first endear yourself to the King of Kings. People may seem to be in dire need of being improved, but do not rush headlong into the task. Remember you have enough evil in you if you see evil in others, and so you have a need first to improve yourself; you will thereby cease to see faults in others.
Little girls play at home-making with dolls and a wendy-house. They feed the dolls and lull them to sleep. In the heart of hearts, they know that the dolls are lifeless. Why don't you similarly imagine that God and you converse with each other? As your sentiment deepens, you will find that God and the conversation assume reality. Relate yourself to God in some way or other. Since our entire life is in His hands, the individual happenings must be so.
We often perform 'sattvic' acts, but bear pride for them. Sattvic actions are certainly highly commendable, but it is highly harmful to feel pride for them. Indeed, even bad actions are preferable, because there is a possibility of regret and repentance being felt for them some time or other. But where is the chance for removal of pride for sattvic acts? Suppose a man helps a friend or relative, and the obligee later says, 'After all, he helped me because he could afford to, so it is hardly any special goodness on his part,' and the obliging man feels hurt; does it not indicate a latent pride in him? Why should he feel hurt, instead of feeling that it is God's favour that he had the capacity, the opportunity, to make himself useful? So it is best to ascribe everything to God.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Oct.14

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Oct.14

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Oct.13

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Oct.13

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan-Oct 12.

To See God in Everything is True Devotion

The five basic elements arose from God. If we analyse miracles we shall find that they are but manipulations of the five fundamental elements with the extraordinary potency of God. Man is endowed with all potentialities of God. The Lord created the universe and is the natural proprietor of it. It is by His will and power that all affairs are conducted. We, all living things, are part of Him. So we should carry out our duties, and leave the result to His scheme and will. A question may be raised here: If everything is happening according to His will, why should I not consider my desire also to be by His will and give it full play? The question would be similar to asking, who causes darkness in the night? The evident answer is, the same sun that brings light during daytime. The catch is that in this case it is the presence of the sun, whereas the darkness at night is owing to his absence. Similarly, one may ascribe his desire to the will of God, only, it is owing to disregard of it. Briefly, then, one may say that my desire arises when I forget God. So one who aspires to realize God should remember Him and dedicate the sensory desire at His feet.
God can be attained as soon as the 'body-am-I' feeling vanishes. Just as a blue-print represents full-size structure, the idol represents the Cosmic Spirit in a concrete form. The construction of an edifice is facilitated by the blue-print. Contemplation should therefore be of a concrete idol, not of the attributeless abstract. Some people object to this. What else, I ask, can one do so long as one has the awareness of one's own body in a material form? To say that one belongs to Rama amounts to saying that one is the Ultimate Reality itself. Saying that the creation is unreal really means that it is not what it seems.
To be able to see the Ultimate Reality in everything is the culmination of devotion. So learn to be aware of the constant presence of God everywhere, all the time. Never think that God is away from you. Treat your body as having the attainment of God as the only purpose of the body. Applying the mind to God causes unconsciousness of the body as a separate entity.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Oct.12

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Oct.12

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan.-Oct.11.

Desire cannot Endure where God is
If we come across a very cruel person, we often dub him as "a butcher in his past life." This, however, is not correct; a man is not reborn according to his professional activity but according to his propensity, or passions. We have, therefore, to be careful in regard to motives. It is not the act but the motivating cause that justifies it or condemns it. We reinforce sensory pleasures with our desire, and get stuck in the mire of these. Desire will decay and will finally die only by living in the company of saintly persons. Association influences likes and dislikes. The resultant desire motivates all actions. Desire affects young and old alike. Even if a man feels fed up with desire, it clings tenaciously to him, even through death and go on into the next birth. It is, like God, eternal.
Desire occurs in three phases: the wish to have, if possible; the will to possess; and the yearning to have at any cost, the phase in which the yearning occupies the entire mind, and makes the mind uneasy without it. Now, what do we do when we want to remove a tree? We lop off the outer branches first and work towards the trunk and roots. Similarly when we want to destroy desire, we begin by plugging minor likes and dislikes, and working backward to loftier desires. In the beginning, pray to God for what you want. If He does not grant the prayer, acquiesce, as not being eventually good for you. Progressively, the very desires will die, and your mind will become agreeable to accept what He provides altogether giving up all desire.
It is puerile to think that God can be attained merely for the asking. Should we not at least make the effort to suppress unjustifiable desires? Even 'justifiable' desires should be indulged only so far as are permitted by moral and religious limitations. The desires of the wealthy generally become 'necessities', because they are accustomed to commanding them with their wealth; so, generally, they never get rid of desires.
Time hooks people with false hopes, and lures them on till death. So one who gets free from the clutches of desires liberates himself from both pleasures and pain. To live in one's own home with the unconcern of a guest will enable to mitigate desires.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Oct11

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Oct.11

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Oct.10

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Oct.10

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan-Oct.10

A True Devotee Always Remains Contented
To be contented in the circumstances in which Rama keeps him, a desire continually to chant nama, and indifference to other matters of life, these are the unmistakable marks of a true devotee. The eyes and ears generally bring in most of the knowledge and information about the world around; these organs should therefore be trained and engaged in nama. Rama should be borne in mind, and you should always be conscious that the prapancha you are doing belongs to Rama. Give up selfishness; this you can do if you maintain nama-smarana. Acting in a play one may wholeheartedly act the assigned part, whether that of a king or of a serf, without ever forgetting what he is in real life.
The world holds both, good and bad; of these, select the ones whose association will strengthen love for Rama. Do not associate with those who are slaves to hatred, jealousy, egoism. Bear with equanimity both respect and disrespect, concentrating the mind on Rama's feet. A good disciple is he who gives up all ego. Care day and night to create, enhance love with Rama. Keep the body engaged in executing its worldly duties, fulfilling its obligations, but rivet the mind on the teaching of the saints.
An excellent personal quality is to keep the eyes ever open to watch for one's own defects and shortcomings, for only he will seek to improve himself who is, aware of his drawbacks. First awaken the mind, make it eager to purify itself. Quit ego, free yourself of all sensory desires; cleanse the mind of the idea of 'having' or 'not having' any particular thing or situation. Never side with or associate with people loving sensory pleasures, for it may eventually wean you away from Rama. A man is moulded by the company he keeps; so adhere to the circle of the righteous. Feel dejected for nothing but for eagerness to meet God.
What is earnestness but yearning for one thing alone? The sadhaka should look upon his sadhana with the same single-pointed attention and love that a dutiful wife bears to her husband. Nothing is more degrading to a sadhaka than falling a prey to temptation. Treat prapancha as a service enjoined by Rama. The nama imparted by the sadguru should be considered the holiest of the holy. Be a true devotee by being contented in the situation allotted by Rama.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan-Oct.9

Remembrance of God is the Secret of Devotion

To forget one's own existence, and to be aware of the existence of God everywhere, at all times, is the essence of devotion. With devotion as the ruling passion, everything else fades into the background. It goes without saying that in the case of such a person God is such paramount awareness that sensory pleasures have no attraction.
Devotees of God have come from all classes of people and all kinds of circumstances. If the Lord rewarded them all with perfect contentment, why should we, too, not hope to be similarly rewarded? We accept the notion that the world is progressive; but to think of progress as consisting of children, money, public esteem, and other physical matters is not correct. Real progress relates to devotion. This progress may not be palpable. Success without God has no value, and may be classed a failure. On the other hand, an apparent failure may eventually turn out to one's advantage; so never feel daunted by a failure; patiently bear with it as God's will.
To think or say that 'the Lord exists' amounts to believing that the creation has emanated from Him, that He protects and supports it; we are part of the multitudes created by Him, so we, too, receive His protection and are sustained by Him. He who throws himself on God's mercy is truly independent. One who yearns for Him becomes His. Intense love for Him is devotion. True upasana consists in loving God with even greater intensity than loving one's own self. This is the crowning achievement of life. He can be truly said to have faith who seeks no other support even if calamities come in battalions.
Before one can grasp the concept of an attributeless Divinity, one must go through the medium of idol-worship. This can be likened to a man's village which is hidden beyond a knoll, and therefore cannot be seen until one climbs to the summit. A bugbear is not living but, made in the likeness of a man, it keeps the birds away in the absence of a guard, and preserves the ripening harvest from their depredations. Similarly, Worshipping and loving an idol of God leads easily to a realization of His subtle, attributeless entity.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Oct.9

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Oct.9

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan-Oct.8.

Human Effort should be Backed by Faith in God
Shree Samartha declares that not a single one can be found on the face of the earth that has all happiness. And we, on the other hand envy a prince in a royal family as a lucky one because he lacks nothing. True, he may not be hard up for food and drink, but how can we surmise that he has no other worry at all? When struck by misfortune we may blame some unknown action by us in a past birth; simultaneously, we do something with expectation of good to materialize in the next birth! We seek no escape from this vicious circle of life and death. Even the so-called great men and women get stuck in action by entertaining hopes of one kind or another. We have at long last come by the human form with the potential capacity of attaining God, but what good is it if we work with expectation and get re-entangled in this endless cycle? We marvel at the number of wheels we see rotating in a factory, but overlook the prime mover which may be unseen there. Similarly, we may marvel at the multifarious activities and faculties of a person, but entirely overlook the soul or life that animates his body and without which the body is but a carcass. It is the soul whose presence is necessary for the activity of the body or the faculty.
A man on bad terms with his brother noted in his will that his dead body should not so much as be touched by the brother. Is this not a supreme instance of hatred and the 'body-am-I' idea? Man often occupies himself with thoughts of yesterday and tomorrow instead of doing what is proper to do today. Many persons are eager to know what is in store in the future, instead of doing something today to ensure a happy tomorrow. This is under the influence of maya. Such people worry about tomorrow while, at the same time, doing something improper today. Remember that, after all, situations keep changing, so evil days are bound to be replaced by better times. So never give up working for the better, leaving the result to the judgement of God. The next step is to work without any expectation whatsoever. Chant nama incessantly, leave everything to Rama, never spare effort, fear not death, and never worry about life in general.


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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Oct.8

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Oct.8

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan - Oct.7.

Renunciation is the Real Essence of YajnyaA person who leads a morally pure life can do with a modest income; being contented with life he also needs modest quantity of food. I emphasize this point repeatedly, because morally righteous conduct is the very basis of paramartha. If the foundation is unsound, obviously the superstructure cannot endure long. So, too, if morality in behaviour is overlooked, your other actions, however commendable they may otherwise be, will not avail. Be specially careful in regard to three things – one, look not on another woman with lust, but with tenderness as on your mother; two, never covet another's money or riches; and three, never slander anybody. Remember, the edifice of paramartha is to rest on the foundation of all these three. Of course that the foundation alone does not make the house is equally true. To chant nama ceaselessly while ascribing all doership to Rama is to live blissfully. An actor may enact the part of a king on the stage, but if he persists in behaving like that at home, too, he will vitiate his whole practical life. Likewise, when you go to God in surrender, forget your standing as a devotee or a scholar or a moneyed man.
Some of us agree that because the effect of an act is not in our hands worry is futile, and yet we continue to worry because it is also not in our power to cease worrying. So practise to remain always immersed in nama­smarana.
The Bhagavadgeeta advocates persisting in work. We should, however, remember the result of such work may not correspond with the expectation. Therefore, always act with remembrance of Him, and merely watch and accept whatever comes. This will be acting without expectation. Thus to act merely as duty, is the essence of the teaching of the Bhagavadgeeta.
One must understand what is to be sacrificed. If one gives away his parents to avoid their responsibility, would you call it a sacrifice? Similarly instead of retiring from the world, many of us retire from God which is wrong. The essence of a sacrifice is the relinquishment of all desires and expectations, to do one's duty without expecting any return. Sacrifice all desire. To desire neither to 'have' this or 'not to have' that, paves the way for God's grace.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Oct.7

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Oct.7

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan-Oct.6.

Reach Blissful Divinity Through Saguna Worship

It is true that the Divinity is, in the ultimate analysis, limitless, non-attributive, and purely blissful. It can, however, be attained only through loving and worshipping the tangible form. It is for this reason that Shree Samartha has advocated that a true devotee should understand the attributeless form but continue to love and worship the tangible form, an idol.
An eternal truth must be peaceful and blissful; and the Cosmic Reality certainly has these features. It created the universe, and pervades it. Creation, therefore, must necessarily be full of peace and bliss. It is a delusion if I find it otherwise. To be able to see, there must be an outer eye backed by proper power of vision; that is, both are necessary. Similar is the relation between the formless, attributeless Cosmic Reality and the tangible form, the idol.
The Cosmic Reality is the eternal truth; this creation is pervaded by that Reality. The Lord desires peace throughout creation. Now this peace cannot be a product of circumstances. It should be intrinsic. Peace must exist where there is no duality. So he realizes peace whose mind is focused on the single point, the Lord, his circumstances notwithstanding. Activity in the world entails misery of one kind or another, but the pursuit of God yields one and only one kind of experience, namely, blissfulness. Constant chanting of nama is the only means to that end.
If we want to attain God, who is the pinnacle of sattva-guna, we, too, must first imbibe it thoroughly, must get saturated with it. A sick person must be careful in three respects: he must avoid unwholesome food, take the prescribed diet, and take the prescribed medicine in specified quantities at the specified timings. Similarly, one who wants to get free of the clutches of the cycle of births and deaths, will have to be careful in three regards: first, avoid the contra-indicated things such as bad company, immoral conduct, indifference to religion, falsehood, hatred, jealousy, etc; secondly, carefully cultivate conducive things such as association with the saintly, righteous thoughts, reading sacred books, righteous behaviour; and thirdly, chant nama ceaselessly. Love and worship the tangible form of God, and earn the eternal bliss that is characteristic of Ultimate Reality.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Oct.6