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