Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Nov25

Surrender to God, Eschewing all Desires
God is omnipresent, and man is endowed with the special faculty of intelligence whereby he can convince himself about His presence. Some people, namely the saints, discovered and actually experienced His presence; we find their word reliable, and accept their assertion. If His existence is certain, how can we come to realize Him? In algebra, we assume 'x' as the unknown quantity to be found. Its value only becomes known when the problem is solved; till then, its value is only hypothetical; but we have got to assume 'x' to begin with. Similarly, we must assume the existence of God to unravel the mystery of life. His true nature and form we can only realize when the mystery is finally solved.
He is our true relative and well-wisher who shows us the way of escape from this cycle of birth and death; a saint is such a person. Saints have declared what God likes; it is simply this, 'Go in implicit surrender to God, eschewing all interest in worldly pleasures and desires'. At present we yield to sense-pleasures and passions. But one who obtains the Lord's support no longer fears anything. However, going to Him in implicit surrender is really far more difficult than performing intellectual and physical feats.
When we climb a stairs, we do not do it to please or oblige the steps, but to reach the upper floor; the stair is only the means. Similarly, pilgrimages to holy places, religious vows and observances, are all means; it is God that is the object. People, however, attach importance to these means, and completely overlook the object; isn't this just refusing to listen to reason?
God, in reality, is abstract, without form or attributes. It is man that brings Him within the range of imagination, giving Him a habitation and a name. We imagine Him to be a model of virtue, of all desirable attributes. We look on Him first as having concrete existence, and then give Him a name.
God's world is perfectly all right; the change required is not in His order, but in our own outlook. Since it is He that controls and orders all creation, all happenings are at His command. When we water the roots, the water naturally reaches all parts of the tree; so, too, when we keep constantly aware of God, whatever happens is all for the best.
* * * * *

Sri Maharaja's Pravachan in Marathi -Nov.25

Sri Maharaja's Pravachan in Kannada-Nov.25

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan-Nov 24

Worship God with Utmost Ardency

Embers, touched knowingly or otherwise, will not fail to cause a burn. A philosopher's stone will turn into gold even a heavy sledge hammer with which it is struck. So, if you approach God with just devotion, even without 'knowledge', God accepts you with open arms. However, there is no real devotion so long as there is even a little attachment to any worldly matter. Where the devotion is really strong, the idol may exhibit even human emotion, human reaction. This may come about when the devotee, in his ardency of meditation, even forgets his own physical existence. This supernatural experience may pass on to others who are comparably advanced. However, this high level of ardency may not stand continuously. Hence this experience alone may not avail much in the spiritual quest.
A young boy played some prank on a neighbour, so she slapped him. The boy howled loudly, and retorted with abusive language. The mother, hearing the loud cries, came out, and spanked the boy roundly; and the boy accepted the treatment much more quietly, and without abusive language. Similarly, if difficulties come, a devotee with implicit faith will accept them patiently, in the belief that God has sent them in his ultimate interest; he will, of course, have to suffer a lot, but will not lose patience and balance of mind. We lose peace of mind if we lose sight of God. We should remember that the lion lifts its cubs with the same sharp fangs with which it kills huge animals; and yet, the fangs have no terror for the cubs.
If we think dispassionately, we shall easily know the way to God. God is attainable for all except those who will not change their ways and outlook. First put into practice what you have understood; the way ahead will automatically become clear in due course. Be content with what you know, for mere hair-splitting discussion will be of no avail; it only signifies egoism and attachment for the body and the world.
He alone will attain freedom from fear and from all desire, who enjoys the company of God. Everyone needs some support or other. People, however, look for support from something or somebody that is worldly and therefore imperfect; consequently, we do not get real freedom from fear. We should, therefore, look only to God for support.
* * * * *

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-Nov.24

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Kannada-Nov.24

Sri Brahmachaithanya Pravachan -Nov.23

God Surpasses both Logic and Imagination
Man's way and capacity of thinking are limited by the range of his imagination; Nobody, however, ever admits or recognizes his limitation. But God is beyond ken, beyond conjecture, beyond the pale of imagination, unamenable to or inaccessible to imagination. It is under the influence of illusion that man seeks to comprehend Him with his severely limited range of knowledge, and believes in that knowledge alone. We should therefore recognize the distinction between faith and fancy. True faith resides beyond doubt and fancy. It is a pity that we do not attach the implicit faith to God's name that Prahlad did; he entertained neither the shadow of doubt nor of fancy. Even in our paltry lives we come across events that we may not have dreamed of. Why, then, can we not believe that God is beyond our limited logic and meagre imagination?
Just as the sun lights the whole world, God pervades the temple, the house, the holy places, and everywhere, everything. God is accessible not only to the learned and the wealthy, but to all and sundry. Because He is universally owned by all, He must be easily obtainable. A learned mathematician may be able to do sums rapidly, but even rustics can do them accurately, though much more slowly, without acquaintance with higher mathematics. Similarly, a learned man may, perhaps, comprehend God quickly, but even an ignoramus may attain to Him, in due course. The Lord sees the deepest thoughts of a person very clearly and accordingly holds him near or at a distance from the bosom.
Immediately on birth, a person automatically acquires relationships like father, mother, etc. Similarly, once you establish kinship with the blissful Lord, you inherit all concomitant qualities of His bliss. We have in our bosom the same divine spark that was in Maruti; only he kindled it and developed it, whereas we smother and put it out; thus we have become our own enemies.
Important personages have no fear of the accompanying policemen, but suspected offenders are afraid of the guards accompanying to ensure that they do not abscond. Similarly, a person who banks on God to back him is not frightened by upadhi, for he has the conviction that he can come to no harm.
* * * * *