Monday, May 10, 2010

The Basic Character of a Self-Knowing being

The Basic Character of a Self-knowing Being
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   A seeker of knowledge asked Shri Maharaj, "What is the state of mind of a person in the birth in which he attains knowledge of the Self?" Shri Maharaj said, "He is well aware, right from his birth, what a great treasure human life is, what a great opportunity it is to be born as a human being. He is aware of how important a lifetime is, and how valuable every moment of it is. At this juncture, it is with great difficulty, and only after a convincing personal experience, that there occurs the finding of the Sadguru. Then he settles into a state of unbroken awareness of God and the Sadguru. Later,while performing every task, he performs it only after considering whether it will meet with the Sadguu's approval, and whether it will be of a beneficial effect at the time of his last moment." The seeker further asked, "One repeatedly forgets the importance of being born as a human being. What stratagem may be used to maintain its constant consciousness?". Upon this, Shri Maharaj said, "The Shastras state that there are in all eighty-four hundred thousand life-forms. The gift of speech is absent in all life-forms except the human being. So, one should constantly bear in mind that this unique gift of God one must devote, dedicate, to God; which is to say that one should continually practice Namasmarana.. So one should remember that this is all accomplished by continual practice of Namasmarana."

Friday, May 7, 2010

How can one Gauge one's Progress ?

How can one Gauge one's Progress ?

   A woman asked, "Maharaj, I practice worshiping  a great deal. But how can I gauge how far I have progressed on the path to attainment of God?"  Shri Maharaj replied, "When one's mind develops as much attachment for God as a woman has for the cream floating on milk, one may assume that one has made considerable progress on the path to attainment of God".

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

If One were mentally to become pervasive and boundless in Love, One's joy will also be Boundless.

If One were mentally to become pervasive and boundless in Love, One's joy will also be Boundless.

   A gentleman fell ill with an affliction of the liver. Shri Maharaj told him to take medication as advised by the doctor. Even after three months had passed, he did not feel any better. Whereupon Shri Maharaj said, "Now you may start attending work. From tomorrow, begin sitting immersed waist deep in a tub of cold water in the morning. After leaving the tub, one ought to warm up with some exercise. You may not be able to bear the strain at present, so lie down in a warm bed for one-half to three -quarter of an hour after the tub bath, so that the lost warmth will be regained." During his illness he had suffered from lack of sleep. He began falling asleep when he lay down in the warm bed after having sat immersed in water. Because of the rest obtained during the sleep, his health gradually improved. When he had fully recovered, Shri Maharaj said to him, "It is said that three quarters of the globe is covered with water, and only one -fourth with land.The water in the tub is an insignificant part of the entire water. Your body came in contact with such an insignificant portion. The body is made of the five gross elements with water as one of them. You felt so much better when you came to contact with even such an insignificant part of it. How much greater will be your joy if, by the grace of Rama, you brought into contact will all the five gross elements?" (The essence of what Shri Maharaj said was that one's joy will be boundless if one were to become as pervasive and boundless as the five basic elements, namely, earth,water,fire,air and akash {or the sky or space}).

Monday, May 3, 2010

To Provide Help to those in Distress because of Natural calamities is also a function of a Temple

To Provide Help to those in Distress because of Natural calamities is also a function of a Temple.


While talking about what use his temple was, Shri Maharaj said, "Human beings cannot be blamed for natural calamities like occurrence of floods, which are due to God's will. Families rendered helpless and without shelter should be provided with shelter, food and clothing by the temple. They should sustain themselves with whatever coarse food may be available in the temple, and practice Namasmarana as much as possible. If the temple is not useful in such a calamity, what function does it serve?"

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Good Company Brings About Betterment With Ease

Good Company Brings About Betterment With Ease

Shri Maharaj often used to say, "whoever merely stays put here, will have his task accomplished automatically". When Vaman Rao  Jnyaneshwari asked him to explain the meaning of "have his task accomplished automatically."  Shri Maharaj said, "The minds of those who stay put here are like sooty, burnt utensils, and virtuous company is like a flowing brook. I leave the utensils to soak in the brook of virtuous company. When the utensils get thoroughly soaked, they can be cleaned easily by going over them only once. Likewise, the minds of these persons settle easily into a state of nearness of God."

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Book - Reading Session by Sri Y.G. Anantha Shastri

Sri Y.G. Anantha Shastri

A book-reading session, by Sri Y.G. Anantha shastri, is going on in the Mandir for the past three years, starting from 30th July 2007, every day, between 5-00p.m and 5-30 p.m.
Starting from Sri Maharaja Charitre, Books like Tulasidas' Ramacharitha Maanasa, Bhagavatha, and others were read. Now, Sri Anantha Shastri is reading Samartha Ramadas's Dasa Bodha, with commentrary by Poojya Baba K.V. Belsare and translated into Kannada by Poojya  Kulakarni..

Sunday, April 25, 2010

The guilty should be persuaded to good ways with love

The Guilty should be persuaded to Good ways with Love.

Once Shri Maharaj was performing ablutions in the village brook. Two thieves guarded by two policemen in front of them and two behind them, were passing by on their way to Dahiwadi for attendance at the court.
One of the policemen was a disciple of Shri Maharaj. He took permission of the leader and went to the brook to meet Shri Maharaj and pay his respects. Shri Maharaj asked him, "What assignment brings you hee?" He replied, "We are going to the court at Dahiwadi with two persons accused of stealing." Shri Maharaj said, "It  will soon be time for serving Rama's prasad. All of you can resume your journey after partaking it." When the police man put forth the difficulty that the accused could not partake of prasad because they were handcuffed, and that he did not have to authority to remove the handcuffs'. Shri Maharaj said, "Ask your leader's permission; if the handcuffs are removed for them to partake of prasad, I guarantee that the accused will not run away." The leader agreed to this, and all of them had a good meal. When it was time to leave, the accused came to Shri Maharaj to touch his feet in supplication.Shri Maharaj said to them, "If Rama is merciful this once, will you give up stealing?" Both of them agreed to do so.
Later, the trial took place and, given the benefit of doubt, both of the accused were acquitted. They returned to Gondavale and swore at the feet of Rama that they would not thence forth steal. Shri Maharaj instructed them in the practice of chanting Nama. When sending them away after some days, Shri Maharaj gave one of them one hundred rupees and told him to do the business of a shepherd; to the other he gave another one hundred rupees and told him to take up the business of poultry-keeping. Thereafter the lives of both of them turned to a good course.