Stream Of Contemplation

“At dawn, I meditate within my heart on the self-effulgent supreme soul. I revere the self-god, the Gurudeva, who is reverberating in my heart. I aspire to adorn him on the throne of my heart. O the truth that is Guru, the Gurudeva! Let the kingdom of my heart now be yours. I was miserable when it was mine. My preconceived notions made me miserable robbed me and impoverished me. Oh! My inner ruler Antaryamin, the supreme atman!”

Let your each day begin with this heartfelt prayer and definitely there is bound to be spiritual progress.
Lord Shankara says:
“Gurulabhathsarvalabaho guruhinastho baalishah”

‘By the attainment of the Guru, one attains everything. One without a Guru is a fool.’
He who does not have a Guru is devoid of a true well-wisher and guide. ‘Nigura’ (uninitiated by a Guru) is verily an abusive word.

Sant Kabirji has said:
‘The uninitiated is a wandering soul,
Moving in the cycle of birth and death
(of 84 lack species)
And suffers the hellish fire,
So don’t remain uninitiated….
The uninitiated is blind at heart.
Over indulges in worldly pursuits.
Conceited of what are thou, O man!
Listen O clever and wise,
Do not remain uninitiated….’

Lord Shri Rama’s Guru was Vashishthaji, Sri Ramakrishna Pramhansaji’s Guru was Totapuriji Maharaj, Sri Lilashahji Bapu’s Guru was Sri Keshavnandaji and my Guru was Sri Lilashahji Bapu. I have not come across anyone who, without the grace of the Satguru, has known the aim of life, has accomplished it, or has been able to get the real joy of life.

‘My Satguru is a Warrior.
Who strikes with his words.
To demolish the fort of error,
With the canon ball of love.’

The words of Satguru eliminate all error. What is the error? To consider oneself to be poor or rich, man or a woman, happy or sad is the error. All this is nothing but the play of the mind. It is only when we know our real self through the knowledge imparted by the Satguru, that we become exalted and liberated from sins.

The Guru moulds his disciple. If a potter is overcautious and handles the clay very gently, it will take him a long time to make a pot. If my Gurudeva had to deal with me carefully and cautiously, it would have been most unfortunate for me. I lived in a slum area for seven years. The surroundings were such that it was difficult to even stay there, but –

‘There’s no better way to serve the Guru than to obey his instructions.’

My efforts were little compared to the enormous spiritual treasure that I received, which was only because I was earnest in following my Guru’s commands.

The Guru may take leave of the body, but cannot relinquish his place in your heart. When you feel sad, He too sighs in grief; when you take a wrong step in a fit of rage or ignorance, He too is hurt; and when you do good works, He becomes pleased. If you please your Guru early in the morning, you will have made your life fruitful.

Does the Guru need an invitation? No, He has already encamped in your heart. When you fall asleep, He keeps awake. He is always on the lookout for the day, the moment, when the disciple no longer remains a disciple, but becomes one with the Guru. He eagerly waits for the moment when the disciple becomes capable of assimilating his divine experience. His only expectation from you is that you endeavor to bring about that auspicious moment.

Just as an ocean can never dry up irrespective of the water drawn from it, so also the Guru generously gives the Supreme Knowledge, with the original reservoir remaining intact.

Sri Jnaneshwarji Maharaj has expressed his gratitude towards his Guru in these words:
“O grace of my Master! May you ever abide in my heart. Never abandon it. O God! Grant me that all the services of the Guru fall to my lot. I shall be his cook and shall serve him a meal and shall wave the lamp of my soul before his face… I want to render service in this way so long as my body lasts. But I should still wish to serve him even after I lose my body. I shall mingle the earth element of my body with the earth on which my guru treads. I shall mix the water element in the body in the water touched by my Master….”

Those who have realized the glory of the Guru, for them –
“Should the Lord and perfect Master
both appear together,
At whose feet should I then prostrate myself?
‘It would be my Master’s feet, of that be sure,
For he it was who showed
the invisible Lord to me.”

Man cries when he is born, and also when he dies. He cries even when he is not supposed to. But the Satguru transforms his cries into devotion and laughter into the love of God. This tact can only be acquired in the company of Satguru. – Pujya Bapuji