Inspiration for virtue

There was once a highly successful and famous personality, always engaged in doing good to others. He was not good-looking. He had the habit of keeping a mirror with himself and several times in a day he used to himself the mirror. People wondered this strange habit of and were curious to know the reason behind this behavior

One of his close friends could not hold this curiosity and asked him as to why he looked into mirror so often. He replied in all humility, ‘Looking into the mirror inspires me to think that since God has given me an unsightly body, I should do good deeds with so much earnestness that it becomes an ideal or model for world. Those endowed with good looks should also see their faces in the mirror and think that they should not do anything that would disgrace such a wonderful gift of nature.’ This self-reflection by this pious personality inspires us to always pursue virtue. All of you are either handsome or not so handsome. Those who are handsome should be careful lest they should disgrace their handsomeness by an unwholesome act. Those who do not have good looks should think of making up the lack of good should think of making up the lack of good looks by good deeds. Work as an instrument of the Lord for the sake of the Lord. Work for the good of others.

Sri Paramhamsa Avataarji Maharaj *Those who, instead of complying with the Guru’s teachings and commandments and of practice of reverential Japa of Lord’s name, act according to the wishes of their mind cannot escape the consequence of actions.

*A perfect Sadguru holds away in all the universes. He is with his true disciple in this universes.

He with his true disciple in this as well as in other worlds.

*An earnest and sincere devotee remembers the Lord every moment of his life. Therefore, the messengers of Yama dare not come near him at the time of death

*An earnest and sincere devotee remembers the Lord every moment of his life. Therefore, the messengers of Yama dare not come near him at the time of death.

*obeying Sadguru’s command as true and perfect is verily equivalent to abiding by the Supreme Lord’s command

*If you do Sumiran (remembrance)of Lord’s You will comprehend the true glory of Sadguru and will be filled with gratitude for him.

*A perfect Guru directs the disciple towards the simplest and easiest path of spiritual practice which is enormously rewarding. There is no difficulty or in following this path and body can perform this practice every moment of his life.

One has to make sacrifices in body, mind and wealth to achieve something great even in this illusory Maya. How can one hope to attain the True and perfect Lord without renunciation?

One can attain the State of Immortality only through constant practice of reverential Japa of lord’s name

*Only if one is endowed with inner vision, is able to distinguish between one’s well wishers and selfish people. Otherwise like a sightless person, who has lost his power of discernment, one considers the Sadguru, who is supreme well wisher, as distant considers selfish men as his own

*Do all what you do for the Lord’s sake. This will save you from the bondage of ‘karma.’ If consider yourself to be the doer of actions, you will have to bear the consequences thereof.

*Do not ever misuse the endowments of the ‘supreme Benefactor.’ That is don’t be conceited don‘t cause misery to your fellow beings.

*Whatever you think or do is known to your Indweller Lord. Therefore, let every thought and every action of yours be yours be for the Lord’s pleasure.

*If you want to attain success on the spiritual path, open and honest. Do not let your mental desires and intellectual cleverness derail you from the path ordained by Sadguru.

*Do not feel jealous of others’ prosperity. Do not waste your energy feuding with them. Strive to attain self-Glory instead. Success attained by repressing others is bound to be transient.

*Be remorseful for your own misdeeds. Only if a strong revulsion for such evil deeds develops in your heart does it denote that your heart does it denote that you have atoned for the sins. Do atone for the sins committed by you do not ever feel disheartened

*Evaluate and assess your mind whether it is moving towards love and devotion for revered Sadguru’s lotus feet or towards worldly attractions. Love for the Sadguru will take you to the Supreme State whereas affection the illusory Maya will entrap you in the cycle of birth and death.

Lest you of no use to the Lord

The perspective only of those great Sadguru who have attained God’s essential nature of Existence Consciousness Bliss Absolute destroys our false beliefs. Otherwise the scriptures and the social system and customs lay all kinds of traps for us. We get out of one only to fall into another. Like a spider’s cobweb, there are a number of webs wife, son, business, society that enmesh man.

The son will say, ‘’papa! Your duty to look after your children. I’ m still very to look after your children. I m still very young. Let me study and be settled; only then should you go for spiritual sadhana.’’ The Father has your father? It is your dour to care for your aging parents. Each member of the family tries to fool the others in order to serve his own selfish interests.

The politician will ask, ‘You must work for me.’ Everybody will use you and abandon you when you are no longer of use to him. Only when you come by the Sadguru, he will tell you, ‘You think you served others but he alone is really useful to others, who fist accomplishes his own task.’

Otherwise he will give no real help to those whom he wants to help. Buddha could serve others because he had first accomplished his own task. Kabirji accomplished task; so did I. That why I’ m able to give real help to others. Had I not been alert to accomplish own task and had strayed into the pursuit of degrees or titles or of becoming ‘something,’ I’ not have been useful to others in the real sense. During Bhandaras, when tribals take home the distributed items, the happiness on their faces gives me the satisfaction of being of use to them.

When I come in your midst, I can get you queue up with gifts in hand for my ‘Darshan.’ I can extract money on one pretext or other. In that case, I am of use to you; therefore I save you from all wastage of time and money and try my best to elevate you spiritually.

One serves the society with the body; one serves the Lord with the mind; but it is only through solitude, worship of the Lord and the yoga of wisdom that one serves oneself.

We may assist our fellow beings or the society with physical body we should not exhaust ourselves so much that we are of no use to the Lord. Our mind can serve the Lord only if the body is given some rest and the mind is calm and composed. With such mind alone you can love The Lord and that is only service you can render to Him.

Do serve the society give food to the hungry; quench the thirst of the thirsty; give education to the uneducated; teach good sense to the imprudent. In sum, trying to ensure present and long term wellbeing of your fellow beings is serving the society. This does mean that I should serve the drunkard by giving him liquor and non vegetarian food or the lustful by making arrangements for his gratification. Serve others within the bounds of righteousness. Suppose you’ ve resolved to give away five thousand rupees in charity on occasion of Diwali and you spend the money on buying movie tickets among the railway porters seeking to make them happy. Have wasted your money and they have wasted their time and energy. Their minds and the society have become depraved. You have not served them. One should give charity at an appropriate time, at an appropriate place and to an appropriate person. You should aim at the donee’s wellbeing, at elevating him, not at his pleasure. If along with wellbeing and elevation, he gets some pleasure, there is no harm but pleasure should not be at the cost wellbThe perspective only of those great Sadguru who have attained God’s essential nature of Existence Consciousness Bliss Absolute destroys our false beliefs. Otherwise the scriptures and the social system and customs lay all kinds of traps for us. We get out of one only to fall into another. Like a spider’s cobweb, there are a number of webs wife, son, business, society that enmesh man.

The son will say, ‘’papa! Your duty to look after your children. I’ m still very to look after your children. I m still very young. Let me study and be settled; only then should you go for spiritual sadhana.’’ The Father has your father? It is your dour to care for your aging parents. Each member of the family tries to fool the others in order to serve his own selfish interests.

The politician will ask, ‘You must work for me.’ Everybody will use you and abandon you when you are no longer of use to him. Only when you come by the Sadguru, he will tell you,

‘You think you served others but he alone is really useful to others, who fist accomplishes his own task.’

Otherwise he will give no real help to those whom he wants to help. Buddha could serve others because he had first accomplished his own task. Kabirji accomplished task; so did I. That why I’ m able to give real help to others. Had I not been alert to accomplish own task and had strayed into the pursuit of degrees or titles or of becoming ‘something,’ I’ not have been useful to others in the real sense. During Bhandaras, when tribals take home the distributed items, the happiness on their faces gives me the satisfaction of being of use to them.

When I come in your midst, I can get you queue up with gifts in hand for my ‘Darshan.’ I can extract money on one pretext or other. In that case, I am of use to you; therefore I save you from all wastage of time and money and try my best to elevate you spiritually.

One serves the society with the body; one serves the Lord with the mind; but it is only through solitude, worship of the Lord and the yoga of wisdom that one serves oneself.

We may assist our fellow beings or the society with physical body we should not exhaust ourselves so much that we are of no use to the Lord. Our mind can serve the Lord only if the body is given some rest and the mind is calm and composed. With such mind alone you can love The Lord and that is only service you can render to Him.

Do serve the society give food to the hungry; quench the thirst of the thirsty; give education to the uneducated; teach good sense to the imprudent. In sum, trying to ensure present and long term wellbeing of your fellow beings is serving the society. This does mean that I should serve the drunkard by giving him liquor and non vegetarian food or the lustful by making arrangements for his gratification. Serve others within the bounds of righteousness. Suppose you’ ve resolved to give away five thousand rupees in charity on occasion of Diwali and you spend the money on buying movie tickets among the railway porters seeking to make them happy. Have wasted your money and they have wasted their time and energy. Their minds and the society have become depraved. You have not served them. One should give charity at an appropriate time, at an appropriate place and to an appropriate person. You should aim at the donee’s wellbeing, at elevating him, not at his pleasure. If along with wellbeing and elevation, he gets some pleasure, there is no harm but pleasure should not be at the cost of wellbeingeing

So we should serve the society, parents, spouse and other fellow being with the body. We should love the Lord consid erring Him as our own. Thus we’ve served True Self with a pure intellect. The intellect may be Sattvic at times and Rajasic or Tamasic at others but there is something that remains unchanged and witnesses all the changes in the intellect

Knowing that something is the yoga of wisdom and that serving oneself. Then there is ever new joy, ever new insight, ever new bliss. Then we do not have to hanker after outside pleasure. Lord Indra says, ‘It is great good fortune to come by a Self Realized Sadguru. The pleasures of damsels dancing, demigods singing and the celestial musicians playing the instruments are readily available to me But a kind glance of one who has realized his True Self and has accomplished his own task gives new joy. As the Moon gives ever new sweetness, there waves in the heart of a Self Realized saint ever new sweetness many times of it and also ever new Divine Knowledge and ever new Divine Love. The Moon nourishes the medicnal herbs but the words of such saint and their glances nourish our True Self.’

Putrada Ekadashi

Yudhishthira asked, ‘’what is the name of the Ekadashi that falls in the bright half of the month of Shravana? O Madhusudana, please favour me and be scribe it to me.’’

Lord Sri Krishna said, ‘’O king! Listen attentively to this ancient tale. At the beginning of the Dwapara Yuga, a king named Mahijit ruled over Mahismatipur. But he was not happy with his royal life, as he had no son. Worried about his advancing age, the king expressed his anguish before the assembly of subjects in these words,

’O my beloved people! In this life of mine, I have committed no sin. I have not put any unjustly earned money into my treasury. I have never taken money from a Brahmin or deity. I have looked after the people like my own children and have conquered Iands righteously. I have punished the wicked even if they were dear to me as my friend or son. I have always honoured respectable persons and have never hated anybody. Please contemplate and find out the reason why a son is not born to me.

The Brahmins, along with the subjects and priests, desiring the wellbeing of the king, went into a dense forest in search of the hermitages of Sages. Finally they chanced upon the excellent sage Lomasha

Lomashaji had imbibed the esoteric meaning of Dharma, was proficient in all sacred texts, had lived a long life and was magnanimous. This great omniscient Sage was named Lomasha as he had hair all over his body. Interestingly with the passage of a kalpa (a day in life of Lord Brahma, equal to 4.32 billion human years), one hair of body would fall off. Was effulgent and lustrous as Lord Brahma Himself

Everyone was very glad to see him. The excellent sage asked them, ‘’what bring here. I shall certainly do what is good for you.’’

The people said, ‘’O excellent among Brahmins! King Mahijit who rules over Mahishmatipur has no son. We are his subjects, whom he has looked after like his own children. We cannot just bear his grief of being without son and hence have come here with the firm determination to practice penance. O excellent among Brahmin! By virtue of the good fortune of king Mahijit we have been blessed with your holy Darshan, which in itself is enough to accomplish all tasks. O sage! Please tell us the means to accomplish our objective of helping the king have a son.’’

Maharshi Lomasha sat down in meditation for while. He took a cursory overview of the King’s previous births and then said, ‘’in his previous birth, your king was a poor Vaishya who fleeced people. Engaged in trade, he roamed from village to village. One day scorching noon of the tenth day of the bright half of the month of Jyeshtha, when the Sun had reached the centre of the sky, he saw a pond on the outskirts of a village. As he approached it order to satisfy his thirst, a cow with her calf also came to the pond. Oppressed by thirst and heat, the cow started drinking water from the pond. The Vaishya drove cow away and drank water himself. Due to that sinful act, in his present life the king is without a son. The religious merits from his other previous births have endowed him with this trouble-free kingdom.’’

The people said, ‘’O sage! We have learnt from the puranas sins can be washed away by the merits of virtuous deeds. Therefore please prescribe us the virtuous deed through which this sin of the king can be atoned.’’

Lomasha said, ‘’O men! Observe a fast Putrada Ekadashi, which falls in the bright half of the month of Shravana. This will give the desired results.’’

The people then bowed before the Sage and went back to the city. They me ticulously observed a fast on Putrada Ekadashi as per the prescribed procedure. They kept awake throughout the night and gave The merits of this religious observance the king. Soon the queen conceived. In dut course of time she gave birth to a lustrous son.

One who listens to the importance of this pious observance is delivered from sins, bestowed with happiness in this world and attains to heaven after death.’’

1. He was a great Muni practicing terrible penance and a great man of sacrifice. He was such a donor that he offered even his body. Indra made his formidable weapon, the thunderbolt, with his bones. The thunderbolt, with his bones. Who was that ascetic whose penance defeated the entire demon force

2. He was a great founder of Hindu Swaraj. A protector of Dharma and the nation he was, the pride of mother India. A mighty commander who fought for independence and self esteem, Who was that brave warrior, a worshipper of Mother Bhavani?

3. He gave the clarion call to the nation for freedom in the Iand of Rajasthan. Never did he bow his head before the Mughal emperors. A descendent of Rana Sanga, self-esteem. Who was that great patriot whose immortal story is imprinted in the valley called Haldi Ghaati?

4. The tales of valour of these Great Heroes will forever be sung. They have attained God Realization, the most heroic of heroic of heroic feats. After attaining Self- realization, nothing more remains to be accomplished. Attachment cant cannot delude him and desires do not arise in His mind. He was blessed with the grace and knowledge of the absolute Guru and thus He became ‘Asharam’, the master from Asumal. What is that Supreme State, these Great Heroes

Attained? Answers of ‘Self study’ Rp lssue: 221

(1) Sadguru (2) God-Contemplation(3) Senses(4) Desire(5)Gurumukh(6)Ekadashi (7) patience (8) Wellbeing

A Simple way to attain selfBliss

Sri Samarth Ramdas swami has sung swami has sung the glories of Self-Realized Guru in a very peculiar manner:

’O My Sadgurudev! You are an ocean of happiness, free from all sorrows! Bliss is your very nature! Are pure Consciousness all forms, including Lord Brahma the Cosmic Form, Come to end. You are unfathomable and are capable of destroying the evils of Kaliyuga. You are capable of doing anything, not doing anything and of undoing anything. There is nothing which is possible for you. Your glories are endless and are mystifying even to Lord Brahma. In spite of being eternal, infinite and unfathomable, you have taken this human form to bestow your mercy on the living souls. You are the God in human form ever available on earth. Glory be you!

‘You are an ocean of mercy, full of compassion for all beings! O Gurudev! All glories to you! Sincerely the aarti as you are like my parental home to me.’

‘O my Sadgurudev! You are our mother. A girl finds solace to come back to her mother’ s place when she is meted out harsh treatment at her in laws’ place. But she doesn’t find absolute bliss there as has attachment for the parents. But O Gurudev! When one comes to you, one attains absolute and bliss free from all attachment. You are a mother without any material attachment. And your words are so powerful that just by listening to them one attains God Realization. This state cannot be described by words as words have their limitations. One attains Supreme Bliss and becomes silent. His condition is like a dumb man who is eating gur for the first time and cannot express the joy he is getting. In this way, due to the mercy of the Sadguru attains Self Bliss. Sri Samarth Ramdas swami says that one only thing required on the part of a disciple is sincerity and by unwavering faith and love for the Guru with the conviction that he is embodiment of the Supreme Being, he attains the bliss of God Realization.

The basement and middle floors were sunk in the water in the water. But obeying Guru’s command, Devarao had bought the top floor ticket. He safely watched from above. In the meanwhile, help arrive and he was rescued. Not only does Gurudev take care of the afterlife of his disciples, he takes care of his disciples in ther worldly life as well. If one obeys his commands, one is saved from all troubles. The disciple should put his abilities to right use; should not give importance to hankerings for worldly things; and should never be proud of wealth and power. In addition to this, a little bit of obedience to the commands of Sadguru with unwavering faith takes the disciple across the ocean of Samsara.

A Simple way to attain selfBliss

Sri Samarth Ramdas swami has sung swami has sung the glories of Self-Realized Guru in a very peculiar manner:

’O My Sadgurudev! You are an ocean of happiness, free from all sorrows! Bliss is your very nature! Are pure Consciousness all forms, including Lord Brahma the Cosmic Form, Come to end. You are unfathomable and are capable of destroying the evils of Kaliyuga. You are capable of doing anything, not doing anything and of undoing anything. There is nothing which is possible for you. Your glories are endless and are mystifying even to Lord Brahma. In spite of being eternal, infinite and unfathomable, you have taken this human form to bestow your mercy on the living souls. You are the God in human form ever available on earth. Glory be you!

‘You are an ocean of mercy, full of compassion for all beings! O Gurudev! All glories to you! Sincerely the aarti as you are like my parental home to me.’

‘O my Sadgurudev! You are our mother. A girl finds solace to come back to her mother’ s place when she is meted out harsh treatment at her in laws’ place. But she doesn’t find absolute bliss there as has attachment for the parents. But O Gurudev! When one comes to you, one attains absolute and bliss free from all attachment. You are a mother without any material attachment. And your words are so powerful that just by listening to them one attains God Realization. This state cannot be described by words as words have their limitations. One attains Supreme Bliss and becomes silent. His condition is like a dumb man who is eating gur for the first time and cannot express the joy he is getting. In this way, due to the mercy of the Sadguru attains Self Bliss. Sri Samarth Ramdas swami says that one only thing required on the part of a disciple is sincerity and by unwavering faith and love for the Guru with the conviction that he is embodiment of the Supreme Being, he attains the bliss of God Realization.

The basement and middle floors were sunk in the water in the water. But obeying Guru’s command, Devarao had bought the top floor ticket. He safely watched from above. In the meanwhile, help arrive and he was rescued. Not only does Gurudev take care of the afterlife of his disciples, he takes care of his disciples in ther worldly life as well. If one obeys his commands, one is saved from all troubles. The disciple should put his abilities to right use; should not give importance to hankerings for worldly things; and should never be proud of wealth and power. In addition to this, a little bit of obedience to the commands of Sadguru with unwavering faith takes the disciple across the ocean of Samsara.

By virtue of Rishi Prasad Seva…

Earlier I was working for a small company and after some time I opened a firm in partnership, which in loss. My financial condition became so bad that I did not have the money to pay rent. I used to be tense and worried.

A sadhaka brother took me to Bapuji’s satsang. After listening to satsang I became so full of bliss that I forgot all my tensions. Realizing that God’s name is the only support and protector of jiva, I took Mantra Diksha from bapuji and stared practiong japa. Leaving the partnership business I started my own business. Slowly and slowly I started getting work and my condition went on improving. One of co disciples suggested’ Rishi prasad’ Seve as menas to hap pines and peace. I took the resolve immedi ately and stared the seva. After that I made continuous progress in my life.

My financial distress was completely gone. I had no child till ten years of my mar riage. My wife started making the members of Rishi Prasad and as a result she birth to a girl child.

By the grace of Bapuji today I have everything. Presently I run ‘Rishi Prasad Seva Mandal’ and myself to be fortunate that I got the chance of serving people by way of Rishi Prasad Seva I feel very happy when tell about Bapuji to others. Thousands of salutations at the feet of Sadgurudev!

By virtue of Rishi Prasad Seva…

Earlier I was working for a small company and after some time I opened a firm in partnership, which in loss. My financial condition became so bad that I did not have the money to pay rent. I used to be tense and worried.

A sadhaka brother took me to Bapuji’s satsang. After listening to satsang I became so full of bliss that I forgot all my tensions. Realizing that God’s name is the only support and protector of jiva, I took Mantra Diksha from bapuji and stared practiong japa. Leaving the partnership business I started my own business. Slowly and slowly I started getting work and my condition went on improving. One of co disciples suggested’ Rishi prasad’ Seve as menas to hap pines and peace. I took the resolve immedi ately and stared the seva. After that I made continuous progress in my life.

My financial distress was completely gone. I had no child till ten years of my mar riage. My wife started making the members of Rishi Prasad and as a result she birth to a girl child.

By the grace of Bapuji today I have everything. Presently I run ‘Rishi Prasad Seva Mandal’ and myself to be fortunate that I got the chance of serving people by way of Rishi Prasad Seva I feel very happy when tell about Bapuji to others. Thousands of salutations at the feet of Sadgurudev!