Approaches to Life

Approaches to Life

A wise person is said to have four techniques, both inwardly and outwardly
— Sama, Dana, Bheda and Danda.

To deal with people and be wise, the first thing you use is Sama which
means in a peaceful and understanding way. When that doesn’t work out, then
you try Dana which means allowing it to happen and forgiving.

When people don’t recognise your generosity in allowing them space, then
the third principle called Bheda comes in, it means to intentionally create
a gap or misunderstanding. If a person still doesn’t realise that they have
made a mistake then it is time to use the stick, Danda, the final approach.

The same four methods apply to your inner life, your Being. Sama — maintain
the equanimity. Take both the good and the bad with equanimity. Dana means
giving up that which disturbs you, that which cannot put you in the royal
seat of equanimity.

It means to surrender the mind which is the cause of your sorrows, problems
and misery. Dana includes forgiving too. When your mind wanders around,
allow it to go. Follow it and bring it back.

Now comes Bheda- differentiate, separate the imperishable from the
perishable. This very body is so hollow and empty.

When you are watching the body, pleasant sensations arise, unpleasant
sensations arise. As you watch, they all disappear. Energy is oozing out of
every pore of your body. If you watch, it flows in an even manner.

It creates balance. And you realise you are not this body or these
sensations. You have been always reacting to the sensations. An emotion
used to give rise to some sensation; the sensation, in turn, used to create
an impression, another emotion.

So these circles of craving and aversion with sensation and emotion, made
your life, both subtle body and gross body, and that took you from life to
life.

Another thing that you can do is to disassociate yourself from the
sensation. Then comes Danda — Danda means support. Determination and
commitment are the Danda. Your spiritual discipline is Danda.

Mind is like a vine (creeper), it needs a support. Listening to spiritual
discourses, satsangs, practice, Guru’s presence are all the support, the
Danda.

It is Chetna and Chitta that is coming out of every pore of the body. The
wick is the body and you are the glow. When you shift from the wick to the
glow, your mind becomes stable.

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

Worship of the Form and the Formless

You have to go from the form to the formless. If you jump only to the formless, that path is full of misery.

Lord Krishna said in the Gita, that there are people who worship the formless, but that path is full of pain and sorrow. You can see this yourself. Take Moses for example, his path has been very miserable and sad. Jesus - his life was so sad. Take the example of Mohammad Paigambar, he had to undergo so much pain and struggle, and the bloodiest part of history is his. It continued after him too, all his family members had a very painful and sorrowful state.

This is the reason why Buddha said, "Buddham sharanam gachhami", i.e., I go to Buddha for refuge. Buddha is the formless in the form. Then he said, "Sangam sharanam gachhami", i.e., I surrender myself to the society and take refuge in the service of society. And then he said, "Dhammam sharanam gachhami", i.e., I take refuge in the ultimate truth.

To get away from misery, Buddha said four things; recognise there is misery. There is a reason for the misery. It is possible to get out of misery. To get out of misery, take refuge in the enlightened or Buddha. Again, Buddha is the formless in the form.

Lord Krishna said the same thing, "Aham tvam sarvapapebhyo, mokshapapebhyo mokshayishyami ma sucah". Lord Krishna very clearly said that those who worship the formless, their path is very tedious and full of misery. That is true.

Any worship is only for the formless, but the path through the form makes it joyful, easier and more perceivable for people. You may choose a path with rubble and a lot of potholes, or you may choose a nice road, a highway. This choice makes a difference.

How to Overcome the Mind

What is the mind? The mind means the many desires that you carry within you. Nature knows very well the number of desires you drag and carry as a burden within you. Nature sees how tightly and feverishly you hold on to your desires, so sometimes it grants those desires and sometimes it does not. But when we remain happy and centered whether our desires get fulfilled or not, then you can say that you have killed or overcome the mind.

Suppose you are going to a cinema theatre to watch a movie and you stand in line to buy the tickets, and you get to know that the theatre is house-full. Do you feel angry or frustrated about it, or do you feel “Oh, it’s alright. Never mind”. and simply move on ahead.

You may also think that since you did not get a ticket for the cinema hall, so you might as well go to a temple for some time (laughter); or sit in a satsang for some time. When you are able to do this (skilfully), then know that you have killed and overcome your mind.

Have this unshakable faith that whatever is the best for you, that alone will happen in life. Nature will only give you that which will uplift you higher in life. Keep this deep faith.

When does this knowledge dawn in you? It happens when you give your 100% effort in whatever you do. If you simply sit idle and think that God will anyway take care of everything, then that will not do.

Usually, you do not think twice when you are about to do something wrong. But when you have to do something good or beneficial, you think “If God wants, then it will happen”. Many people tell me, “Gurudev, only when you wish or call us will we be able to come to the Ashram”.

Why do you need an invitation? Does God ever send you an invitation asking you to come meet Him? When we have to do something good, we leave it to destiny (instead of making an effort to do it). But if you want to fulfil some desire or aspiration of your own, you put in every bit of your strength to achieve that. You put your heart and soul into it. This thought process needs to be reversed.

You should know that whatever situations you are currently undergoing in life is because of your Prarabdha Karma (Karma that bears fruit in the present). And whatever you deserve, you will surely get that in life.

You must think, “What do I have to do in life?” And then you should just go ahead and do that with all sincerity, without thinking about what results you will get out of it. You should not worry about that at all. Just do whatever you have to do. Then a deep sense of contentment dawns in life.

How to Go Deeper in Meditation

You are in the right place. Don’t be in a hurry. Do your practice and keep doing the Art of Silence program every 3–4 months, at least for a couple of years, and will start going deeper into meditation.

Doing the Art of Silence course once is not enough. Not enough at all! You have to do it again and again. You know, when they whitewash the wall, they put primer first and then put one coat, and then the second coat, and the third coat, and every few years, you have to repeat the whole process again. This is because there is wear and tear. In the same way, we are using our mind, our intellect, our memory so much, that it needs overhauling, it needs servicing. Our body needs servicing, our mind needs servicing, and the Art of Silence courses give us the much needed servicing.

Scientists say, if you meditate for eight weeks, the structure of the brain changes. The grey matter increases, your immune system becomes stronger, your intellect becomes sharper, and your memory becomes clearer. So many benefits have been ascertained by scientists, and we have seen this in our practical life.

Navratri

Navratri means the nine nights and the new night.

Creation happens in the darkness. In the womb of the mother and underneath
the soil. Nine months in the womb are like nine long nights where the
spirit takes human form.

Night provides rest and rejuvenation. At night the entire creation goes to
sleep including the ashram night watchman. (Laughter) People working come
home at night and they really celebrate, rejoice and pray. Nine nights are
precious as they have subtle energy. The subtle is enriched.

There are 64 divine mother impulses which govern the subtle creation. These
are responsible for restoring all earthly and spiritual benefits. They are
simply part of one's awakened consciousness. These nine nights are
celebrated to rekindle those divine impulses and celebrate the innermost
depth of our lives.

Cleanse your body and cleanse your soul. Cleanse your body with water and
your soul with knowledge and your spirit with pranayam and kriya. There is
no penance higher than Pranayam. It is the greatest penance.

shaiputri

happy navratri

Happy Navaratri to all !!

During the festival of Navratri, Goddess Durga Devi is worshiped in nine
avatars.

During these nine holy days, each day Goddess Durga Mata is worshiped in 9
different avatars

Day 1 - Mata Shailputri
Day 2 - Mata Brahmacharini
Day 3 - Mata Chandraghanta
Day 4 - Mata Kushmanda
Day 5 - Maa Skandamata
Day 6 - Mata Katyayani
Day 7 - Mata Kalratri
Day 8 - Mata Maha Gauri
Day 9 - Mata Siddhidatri

Today on the 1st day of Navaratri, we worship Mata Shailputri...

Mata Shailputri is a daughter of ‘Parvata raju’ (mountain king) – Himalaya
/ Himvanth.

She is the first among nine avatars of Durga and worshiped on the First day
of Navaratri . In her previous birth, she was ‘Sati Bhavani Mata’, the
daughter of King Daksha.

Mata Shailputri, also known as Parvati got married with Lord Shiva. On the
first day of Durga Navratri, Paravathi Devi is worshipped.

Mata Shailputri holds a ‘Trishul’, a weapon, in her right hand and a lotus
in her left hand. She rides on bull. She has pleasant smile and blissful
looks.