sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan - June.14

To Attain God is the Only Religion

Even extracanonical actions are permissible if they conduce to the attainment of God, which, after all, is the highest, the sole aim of human life, and true religion. No act performed with an egoistic attitude is acceptable to God. Benevolence, howsoever great, will yet do no real good if it stems from a desire for celebrity. This only pampers the ego, does not bring God any nearer. Actions prompted by real, selfless spirit of service, alone conform to true religion. Treat yourself solely as God's instrument, while He is the true doer. This, indeed, is true, utter surrender to Him.
Faith in God can be developed at any age and in any situation. True faith can face any challenge, and not yield to opposition. A person of true faith will never entertain worry or anxiety on any account. Anxiety vitiates the prospects of attaining the goal, and makes us forgetful of duty. Trust in God and do your best, and be content with the result. In worldly matters contentment comes from doing one's duty; in paramartha contentment is the reward of firm faith. Paramartha is achievable neither by hypocrisy nor by foolish simplicity. In financial matters, we should act with due regard to our capacity, taking care to see that we do not create debts. We should neither cheat others nor be a prey to others' deceit. One devoted to paramartha should carefully avoid hurting others.
One who is prepared to accept whatever situation comes will never feel the pinch of want. We should neither envy the rich nor scorn the poor. Remember that all are treated by God with justice, equality, and forgiveness. Justifiable distribution of wealth is that which ensures food and such basic necessities to all. If we recover or extort money from others without giving adequate return, such money is tainted with the desires of the owner. It is a funny thing that even one who carefully keeps his word in other matters does not exercise the same care in money matters. In the present state want of money and its profusion both cause us difficulty.
All that a sannyasin should seek to store is one day's provision. A householder should have enough to serve for three days, and should cease worrying. A person usually starts his life with the notion 'I am the doer,' while the first step in paramartha is the belief that Rama is the doer.

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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-June 14

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada June 14

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-June,13

Prapancha is the Ladder for Attaining Paramartha

Working many years in a subordinate position develops a slavish attitude of mind; this is undesirable. A person should live at least for some years as his own master. Even during his period of service or business, one should learn to live in consciousness of God so that, on retirement, he is able to occupy his spare time in such consciousness.
Everyone is in search of joy and contentment, all through life, and strives continuously for it; that is, everyone is after paramartha. Prapancha should be treated as instrumental for that purpose; pursued as an end in itself, it is incapable of yielding happiness. It is basically, essentially, the same all over, for the rich and the poor, for the superior and his subordinate, in this country and that; it is characterised by defectiveness, incompleteness, transiency. We should always bear in mind this characteristic of prapancha and not be led to envying another for having something that we do not possess; we should be content with what we have.
Position in the progress in paramartha cannot be granted by one person to another; it has to be attained by dint of one's own effort and action. The importance and need of paramartha is poignantly felt in times of pain, suffering, and misery, not while prapancha is apparently affluent and happy. This apparent happiness always culminates in unhappiness and misery.
When our sensual desires join hands with tempting circumstances, the desires become strong and we succumb to them. The desires gradually wane if we resolutely refuse to yield to them. The remedy to foil temptation is resorting fervently to nama-smarana. Those sensate pleasures which present themselves in the ordinary course should be accepted passively, without voluntary enthusiasm, only as a duty. This will weaken passions and render them harmless.
The clinical thermometer only indicates fever, but does not cure it. Similarly the shastras point out where we go wrong and how to correct ourselves; the action is entirely with us. Shree Samartha did meet Rama; why is it, then, that we do not? The plain answer is that we lack that staunchness of faith, and that persistence and regard for the devotional practices. Never forget that you belong to and live for Rama. He will certainly not expose you to want of life's necessities. If you repeat nama with firm faith, and forget yourself in it, you will live ever so joyfully.
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Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-June 13

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-June 13

Shri G.S. Gokhale

                          Shri G.S. Gokhale

Shri Govind Sitaram Gokhale

Our humble salutations to Shri G.S.Gokhale who left his mortal body on 12th June 2013.
He collected the Pravachans of Shri Brahmachaitanya Maharaj in Marathi and presented them to the world for the benefit of all devotees. He presented it in Marathi. But, his work is translated into English,Kannada, Telugu,Gujarathi etc. In his Preface to the Discourses (Pravachans), he states "I pray very humbly at the feet of Shri Maharaj that whatever strength, blessings, and grace, he showered on me during the compilation of these Discourses, may continue till my last breath. Let Nama be on my lips continuously till the end of my life. I earnestly and sincerely hope that those who read these discourses would feel attached to the chanting of nama and thereby obtain peace of mind in worldlly life".