Reminiscences

The Body is like a "Lodge" meant for a temporary stay: God is the soul's True Abode

Once ShriMaharaj was in Hubli. The owner of a 'lodge' came to visit him.  He was a  disciple of Shri  -Brahmananda maharaj. ShriMaharaj said to him, 'Be ab­sorbed in nama and do not forget your guru.' On this he said, "There is too much of work for me to attend to, and I do not find any time for namasmarana. ' ShriMaharaj asked him, 'If I were to tell you about a means that will not come in the way of your work, will you practise it ?' When he gave an assurance to do so, ShriMaharaj said, "Being the owner, you are always at the cash counter. People who stay in the lodge pay their bills while leaving. Even if they have stayed in the lodge for ten or fifteen days they do not at all feel sorry while leaving. On the other hand, they are happy that they are going home. The body in which we dwell is also a kind of a 'lodge'. We should feel happy when leaving it. For this, it is neces­sary to have a constant awareness that this body is not my dwelling, and that my true abode is with God. One should always remember that just as a customer leaves the lodge feeling happy that he is going home, likewise one must leave this body feeling happy. In this way con­stant awareness will be automatically maintained at what­ever place you are."

Reminiscences

 If One remains continually absorbed in Nama, One will not be sorry when leaving the body.

A man had lived in a rented house for forty years. At the end of his service he received a good sum of money, with which he built an attractive bungalow for himself. In it he provided a small place as an oratory, .a room for the household gods. When he told ShriMaharaj about this, ShriMaharaj said, "You have allotted a room for the gods in a corner. This seems to convey that God is in that place alone, and not in any other place. But do not think so. Think that the entire house belongs to God, that it is a result of His favours, and of His grace. You did not regret even a little bit when leaving the place in which you had lived for forty years; on the other hand, you were glad to leave it. Likewise, one's real home is where God is. At present we dwell in our bodies. These premises are on hire. One should feel glad when leaving the body, as one felt when leaving the rented house. But when will this be possible ? It will be possible only when one is convinced that God is one's real home. For that, one should continu­ously remain absorbed in nama. By doing so one will feel glad instead of sorry when leaving the body. If one were to learn only this much by building one's own house, the building of the bungalow can be considered to have served a useful purpose."

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Aug 12

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Aug 12

Reminiscences

The Body's Final Arbiter is Death

A man built a new house and went to live there. He took a tenant so that he may have company. After some time, the tenant began to behave as if it were his own house. Because of this arrogance of his, the landlord felt very much vexed. So he brought the entire affair to ShriMaharaj's notice. ShriMaharaj said, "It is not correct for him to act like an owner when he happens to be a tenant. He is committing a big mistake. By all means take legal action against him. But if one also is commit­ting the same mistake oneself, then one does not have the right to be angry with him. Death has a claim upon everyone's body. Death alone is the true master. But, one acts as if one is oneself the master of one's body. Must not God be getting angry as one gets angry with the tenant ? So, keeping in mind always that the ownership of the body is that of Death, one should remain absorbed in nama. Doing so will convince us that God is the master of all. Then, the body being merely on hire, one will not be sorry when leaving it." On hearing this, the man was truly satisfied.

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Reminiscences

An Extrovert mind is like a telescope held reversed

A. sadhaka asked, "Is there the necessity of a guru in attainment of God ?" ShriMaharaj said, "Yes, there is such a nocessity. But which guru is the one that you are referring to ? Lord Dattatreya took twenty - four Gurus.

Ultimately He became His own Guru. We ourselves come in the way of our attainment of God. The sadguru does nothing but teach one to become one's own guru. He turns the mind's attention inwards by getting one to practise namasmarana. He teaches one how to notice one's own faults, by keeping one's faculty of discrimination active. If one holds a telescope in reverse, then a near object appears far away and small. Extroversion is like looking with the telescope reversed. Because of this, God, who is in reality very near, appears to be far away and unattainable."

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Aug 11