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