Sri Brahmananda Maharaj's Aradhana (7-10-2010)

ಸದ್ಗುರು ಶ್ರೀ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಚೈತನ್ಯ ಮಹಾರಾಜರ ಸಚ್ಚಿಷ್ಯರಾದ ಶ್ರೀ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಾನಂದ ಮಹಾರಾಜರ ಆರಾಧನೆಯನ್ನು ಮಹಾಲಯ ಅಮಾವಾಸ್ಯೆ (ತಾ|| 7-10-2010) ಗುರುವಾರ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಶ್ರೀ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಚೈತನ್ಯ ಮಂದಿರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಆಚರಿಸುವರು.

Reminiscences

"I have kept only one observance, and that is, never to hurt anyone's feelings," ShriMaharaj used to say. While enumerating His manifestations in the Bhagavadgeeta, the   Lord  has   said,   'The  mind  is   an   aspect  of Mine.'Therefore ShriMaharaj believed that to hurt someone's sensibility is to hurt God. Once a good sadkaka asked, 'Maharaj, I earnestly try to act without hurting anyone's sensibility as you have advised. But I have a short temper and I am a stern disciplinarian. Because of this many a time another's feelings are hurt by what I say. What can I do about this?¹ Upon this ShriMaharaj said, "Practise sincerely and you will certainly succeed. You are bound to err sometimes while practising. When you err, ask for forgiveness of the person whom you have hurt, and be on guard that this does not happen again. If you do this, success is bound to be yours."

Reminiscences

A newly - qualified doctor opened his dispensary in a poor locality. He soon became popular there. The number of patients swelled rapidly. Because of this he had to spend much of his time in the dispensary. He could find little undisturbed time for chanting of nama. Placing this diffi­culty before ShriMaharaj, the doctor said, 'refusing new patients hereafter seems to me to be the only solution. Upon this ShriMaharaj said, "Well, doctor, won't this be a departure from good practice ? When it becomes known everywhere that this doctor does not accept new patients, new patients will stop coming. Yet, because you will natu­rally not like your income to decline, your heart will wish that old patients should keep coming; that would almost mean that they should never get well. This is not good. I would say, let the patient be an old one or a new one, you should feel that he has come because of God's wishing so, and it is your duty to examine him and give him medica­tion; that it is service rendered unto God. If you remem­ber God and then examine the patient, you will be able to diagnose his disease quickly and correctly, and the cor­rect medication will occur to you. Do not think of money. Inform the patient of the charges but do not corner him.

If you act with a sense that you are treating the disease and not the patient, everyday dealings will be within lim­its of propriety, and the mind will not get stuck in greed. Besides, you will have the satisfaction of having done your duty while remaining honest to your profession."

Reminiscences

Tatyasaheb Ketkar once narrated a reminiscence. Around 1912, while he was at Gondavale, Shri Maharaj gave him a rupee coin, saying, 'Keep this with you, and give it to me when I ask for it.' As Tatyasaheb's sense of obedience to the guru was absolute, his interpretation was that 'when I ask for it' meant that he should be able to produce it at any given moment. So he used always to keep it on his person. He used to mind it when changing clothes or when dressing after a bath. At night he used often to feel it with his hand lest it might unknowingly get dropped. Later, when ShriMaharaj suddenly once asked for it, Tatyasaheb immediately produced it.

Recounting this reminiscence, Tatyasaheb said, "It was a very minor matter, but as a result I had a constant memory of ShriMaharaj during that period; a continual awareness of him was thereby maintained. Even now any­one can maintain awareness in a similar manner. For example, if one makes it a habit to set aside, say, one per cent of one's income for offering to the guru, then, when­ever one receives such income, every day or every month according to one's profession, awareness of the sadguru will be re-awakened. But, one should not let a feeling arise that one is helping the sadguru in this way, for as he is literally the master of all creation, what can he want from any one? That one should remain aware of him, and that one's fondness for money should steadily decrease, is the true aim. One should not let conceit take root that one has earned the money by one's efforts and smartness; one should nurture a feeling that all this is his beneficence. Also, one should not harbour a fear that there might be a shortfall for meeting one's domestic needs because of this gifting. How can it happen that one will fall short for running one's household when it is a law of nature created by God, 'Sow one grain and reap a thousand' ? However, one should be practical in this matter." After saying this Tatyasaheb said, "Experience has been that faith in and love for the sadguru go on increasing, and fondness for money and the fear of falling short go on decreasing, by chanting of nama."

...123 ...

Reminiscences

Once a group of persons returned from visiting shrines of some saints. At some places they had met with good facilities, while at others the facilities were the barest minimum. The persons felt some misgivings about the saints at whose shrine they had been inconvenienced. Speaking about it, ShriMaharaj said, "The saintliness of saints is not to be looked for in these externals. It is to­tally wrong to presume that a saint at whose retreat one met with good facilities is better or higher than the saint at whose retreat one was inconvenienced. One should un­derstand that the shrine where the mind becomes tran­quil and quickly turns inwards is hallowed. It is not a saint's task to provide bodily comforts. But even then they look after the comforts of callers as much as is possible. How can they help it if even then there is a little inconve­nience ?"

Reminiscences

"What is the difference between the path of knowl­edge of God, followed by ShriShankaracharya, and the saints' path of love for God, or devotion ?" While answer­ing this question ShriMaharaj said, "Both ways lead to the same God. Which way to follow depends upon a sadhaka's preparation and disposition, A sharp memory is required, and the intellect needs to be subtle, for per­sons to follow this way. But the way of devotion is a way of love. Not every one has a subtle intellect, but everyone is capable of love. Worship can be practised when one switches one's love from worldly affairs to God. In love there is tenderness. Intellect is relatively stern, unbending. God can be attained speedily by the use of intellect; longer time is required by the practice of worship. But ordinary persons find the way of love convenient. Love for God is generated readily by namasmarana

 end-

Reminiscences

God has endowed man with certain faculties which are
truly useful; forgetfulness is one such boon by which life
loses much of its sting, its sorrows and unpleasantnesses. Man, however, practises this boon on God Himself by for- getting Him; he uses his boon of intellect to argue, and tries to prove that God is a myth, does not exist at all. "Is this not outdoing Bhasmasura?" Shreemaharaj asked.

(Bhasmaasura: a Demon who sought to use a boon on the granter himself)