Patience is Supposed to Pay. {67.}

****
Radhasoami!

Patience is said to pay.

Patience has been emphasized
in several of our
Guru Bachans and Paaths
{Master’s Words and hymns}.

It is true that
one must be patient,
in matters of spiritual progress,
and regularly continue to persevere.

The impatient commit mistakes,
and become further unfit for Grace.
So, impatience does cost one,
in true religiosity.

I am a very patient soul,
having years and decades
of solitary perseverance
testifying to it.

However, I have now
begun to quite wonder
about lots of things.

There must be light
at the tunnel’s end.
Or, is it endless;
a night without end?

I am increasingly getting to share
Param Sant Kabir Sahib Ji’s longing:

“Abhu miliho tho tabahu miliho
Nahin tho Jampur baasa.”

That is,
If one gets the Lord
in this lifetime,
can one hope for Him
in the hereafter,
otherwise one remains damned.

The proof of the pudding
finally lies in the eating.

I cannot keep going indefinitely on
solely on my faith and yearning.

Flow, Grace, as drops of elixir
to bathe my soul in love,
and reward its patience with consummation!

If patience is to pay,
is payback time yet remote?

Radhasoami!
****

Progress in Vital Sphere Awaited. {66.}

****
Radhasoami!

The sanctified Satsang Hall in Dayalbagh
is currently being expanded and renovated.

Blessed are the Satsangis who have
Mercifully been Permitted to
contributed any money for this Seva.

I naturally feel greatly elated and proud
at any progress being made
in any sphere of Satsang,
perhaps much more than others
because our religion
is in my very breath and blood.

However, I cannot help feeling
that something is yet missing.

If an unshapely person dons
the latest designer brand clothing,
if an ugly lady wears jazzy jewellery,
elegance and beauty remain distant.

I hope I haven’t been
too harsh in my judgment.

Our religion is the world’s hope
for peace and salvation,
but if Satsangis themselves do not
reform, evolve, prove worthy, deserve Grace,
such external progress would be meaningless,
lost, prove in vain.

I humbly pray to Radhasoami Dayal
to Help and Ensure
that internal reform and evolution
among the Satsangis
also matches and keeps pace
with the progress being made
in other spheres of Satsang.

A pure and beautiful Satsangi soul,
reflecting inner beauty of the spirit,
and manifesting strength of the soul,
a refinement in values, polished character,
who lives in this world,
setting an example of how
Your Children ought to live,
moving closer towards Your Gloriousness;
Satsangis are yet far removed
from this ideal,
and only Your Grace
can work such miracles.

Radhasoami!
****

Dayalbagh: Final Vatican, Developing Nation. {65.}

****
Radhasoami!

Satsangis ought to be habitually
ambitious, optimistic, confident,
secure in faith,
clear about destiny,
and trusting Grace.

Param Guru Huzur Mehta Ji Maharaj
had very Clearly Referrred to
the term “nation”
in the context of Dayalbagh.

So, Dayalbagh is to one fortunate day
be established as a sovereign, independent nation.

Satsangis are lucky representatives of
the only living, expanding religion on earth,
the Radhasoami religion of Dayalbagh.

Satsangis are the torchbearers of Dayalbagh,
the final Vatican in the world.

Humanity will never require any other religion
as ours begins accomplishing its glorious Mission.

However, none of this can come about
by magic, on its own,
and we must all be ready
to strive adequately towards these goals
as Gracious Huzur Bids.

Radhasoami!
****

24 x 7 x 365 > Lifelong > Beyond. {64.}

****
Radhasoami!

These are times of 24-hour services.
24-hour flights, cabs, hotels,
banks, chemists and petrol pumps,
and various other services.

In a slightly lighter vein,
well, God has always been
far more modern than this.

God remains aware of
His entire creation every moment.
So, His Surveillance Department
naturally works fulltime,
making sin so difficult
for most inexperienced sinners!

Humans are lucky
God heeds their prayers
{such as He does},
around-the-clock.

God’s Laws governing the universe
also thankfully run fulltime;
a moment of lapse
would be apocalyptic.

Imagine if the sun needed
to be daily asked by God to rise,
and if God were to forget
to do so one day!

Anyway, so we ought to utilize
this 24-hour facility
and accessibility of God
by praying 24 hours.

“Khate peethe chalte phirte
sovath jagath bisar na jaath,
Premi suno prem ki baath.”

That is,
“While eating, drinking, walking, sleeping, wakeful,
never be separated from God.
Lover, follow this rule of love.”

Radhasoami!
****

Dayalbagh’s Radhasoami Religion on Creation. {63.}

****
Radhasoami!

The Radhasoami religion is based in Dayalbagh, near Agra. Continuing in the glorious tradition of the Sant Math or the Religion of Saints, the Faith stresses devotion to and service of the Guru {the Incarnation of the Supreme Lord} as the way to salvation. Several tenets of the religion share their roots with Hinduism, such as a belief in transmigration of the soul, references to Yamaraja or the Lord of Death, and the like.

It is a formidable task to attempt to briefly encapsulate the religion’s understanding of creation, but let me do so. The religion believes creation to have occurred as incidental fallout of a certain subtle spiritual disequilibrium that evoked divine Will to create. The Big Bang was pre-essentially a spiritual-divine phenomenon, and only later transpired in the material dimension.

There are numerous world-systems in existence of the sort that we inhabit. When one of these gets coincidentally place with the higher divine realm called Satloka, then the inhabitants of that world-system are led towards salvation before the world-system gets destroyed altogether. However, the dissolution of a particular world-system -- through Pralay or MahaPralay -- does not bring the entire creation to a naught, but it only ends a minuscule part of it, {which is what this vast universe and its galaxies form of the overall creation}.

It would perhaps not be very erroneous to conclude that the Radhasoami religion is less interested in explaining creation, is more concerned about the dissolution of the universe, and is devoted to the service of universal salvation of all living beings.

Radhasoami!
****

Deserve Grace; Live Right Convictions. {62.}

****
Radhasoami!

Grace is not something
to be tricked,
traded,
or wrested by force.

Grace is not something
to be fought with others over,
regardless of how
many Satsangis might
think and try to do so.

Grace is something
to be deserved.

Grace can be individually deserved
by one’s being and faith,
worship and service.

Several undesirable elements
in the Sangath
have been setting
a bad example
in this regard for years.
Don’t ever become like them!

It is up to us
to survive existing unhealthy influences,
to redefine and prove one’s values
in the right manner,
and to set a shining example
for the next generations.

True religiosity is for
the truly courageous ones;
the cowardly inherit
neither the world nor paradise.

So, live by your convictions!

Radhasoami!
****

My Dissatisfaction is My Guide. {61.}

****
Radhasoami!

For years and decades I have been
wrestling with several fundamental questions,
like: “To what purpose? To what end?”

I haven’t really grown
closer to my answers.
Perhaps there aren’t any.

However, life remains a factual
state of existence
that one must live
and bring to its ideal fruition.

This naturally suggests salvation
as the optimal goal.

However, I still feel
none of this is
quite it.

It’s neither what I want
now what can resolve everything.

For one, I have met
extremely few Satsangis who appear
to genuinely live by the Satsang values.

Besides, the believed Satsang values
haven’t exactly been clearly defined.

Times are changing and values
also frequently undergo
subtle, manifest, and radical transformations.

Truth is a mere perspective.
As one evolves,
one acquires a higher perspective.
Everything appears to change altogether.
A different truth, more refined values,
a newer morality, further polished character.
Also, I may add, frequent
misunderstandings and conflicts
with the less evolved ones.

If our ideal itself is vague,
how can it be achieved satisfactorily?

I fear I may yet be
merely wasting my time and efforts.

As a genuine seeker,
I shall not rest short of
the Personal God and final Truth,
the ultimate Destination
and eternal Bliss.

So lead me, my dissatisfaction,
where you do,
I shall follow,
for there is much that I
have rejected in life,
but am yet to realize
my sought fulfillment.

I trust my Guru to merely
Play His Role Effectively.

My faith remains
yet to be realized.
My prayers are
yet to be answered.

I persevere, and await Grace ....

Radhasoami!
****

First Think It All Out. {60.}

****
Radhasoami!

Thinking is among the most elementary,
natural, ongoing, evolved, fruitful activities
that humans are capable of.

We think almost continuously.
Every moment one’s sense organs
receive a variety of impressions.
We process that information
by our thoughts,
and then file it
in our memories.

All these lead to beliefs, wisdom, insights.
Experiences can teach us a lot,
if we are willing to learn from them.
Only fools don’t learn from
& repeat their mistakes,
to put it rather bluntly.

Isaac Newton was not
a very practical person;
let’s be glad he wasn’t.
Had he been typically
practical & selfish,
when he had seen the apple
falling down to the ground,
he would merely have eaten it,
as anyone else would have.
Instead, he thought about it.
His thoughts on why the apple
fell to the ground,
helped science to discover
the fundamental laws of gravity,
and all the numerous
beneficial technological applications
derived from it.

We think all the time.
It is believed that the mind
does not fully rest
even during sleep.
Thoughts continue through one’s dreams.
The human mind habitually dreams,
though not all dreams
can be always remembered.

The average human mind
is believed to give birth to
as many as about
10,000 disparate thoughts
during the course of
every single day.

A large fraction of one’s thoughts
pertain to routine, petty, wasteful stuff.
She looked at me so ...
He said that about me ...
& the like.

Meditation involves gradually
reducing one’s thinking
to a standstill.
This enables one divine consciousness.

Thinking is the key
to one’s character.
Thinking and feeling are allied.
As the Buddha also observed,
we tend to become
just as we think.

So, control over one’s thoughts
can help us to
determine that we live rightly.
It is also crucial
for any spiritual progress.
To recall a quote,
“Only by understanding
can you get
the better of destiny.”

So, think, think,
think, think, think,
think, think, ... & continue thinking.

Don’t just think mechanically.
Think actively, think proactively.
Introspect.
Retrospect, as had been Advised by
Param Guru Huzur Mehta Ji Maharaj.
Think creatively.
Think out of the box.

Nobody is totally perfect.
Nobody is born perfect.
Nobody is a devil.
Nobody is damned eternally.
{I may add that I am generalizing
to convey a certain idea;
the actual truth is far more complex,
& cannot be presently discussed.}

Think about your strengths
& about your weaknesses.
Thereby learn to maximize
your virtues & competencies,
& minimize your errors, failings, failures.

Mere experiences or knowledge
are like raw food.
Digest it all with
your power of thought.
Emerge a polished person.

Then anyone you happen to meet
will be naturally attracted & impressed
by your awareness, control, bearing,
calm, reserve, poise & dignity.

A thoughtful person naturally speaks less.
Her thoughts are usually insightful,
right & honest.
A thoughtful person is more respected
in one’s peer group & community.

A thoughtful person’s actions will usually
be much better on various parameters,
than a bungler’s who lives recklessly,
with no thought to morality,
ethics, propriety, consequences.

When anything happens in life,
think about it.
Understand the essentials,
learn to discriminate, become able
to pierce through superficial veils.

With practice, you will be able to
become very intuitive.
A mere look at a person
will enable you to
instantly judge him
uncannily rightly, indeed.

You will then find that
living becomes an easier, simpler
& much more rewarding experience.

Thinking can help you to
even predict outcomes,
with varying degrees of certainty.

Thinking is a faculty that we must
learn to optimally employ to our advantage.

In any case, Satsangis are
enjoined to avoid
worldly objects & sensual pleasures.

Our living is to be
always strongly determined by values,
and directed only towards salvation.

As the Paath or hymn lines go:
“Main pyari pyare Radhasoami ki
Kaamna rahi na ab sansaar.
Main pyari pyare Radhasoami ki
Chutayi Guru ne jag begaar.”

That is,
“In that I am dear to Radhasoami Dayal,
I have now lost desire
for the world,
& He has Prevented me
from engaging in useless activities.”

To end this on
a slightly humorous note,
I hope you thought
that my above thinking
& thought-provoking thoughts
on thinking have been worthy
of your seriously thinking about,
& that you think it
desirable & necessary to henceforth
make it a habit to
think it all out first.

Radhasoami!
****

Life: Brief Four Days’ Sojourn. {59.}

Life: Brief Four Days’ Sojourn. {59.}
****
Radhasoami!

There are several Paath or hymn lines
that contain references to life
as comprising merely four days.

“Chaar dinan ke sangi yeh”
while denoting that one’s attachments
last for but four days,
implying thereby that one’s bond
only with Radhasoami Dayal
continues across many lifetimes.

What is one to
construe from all this?

Firstly, it is very true
that time fleets past swiftly.
One rushes through the teens,
enters middle age
and, slightly later, old age,
even before one seems to realize
the rapid progression of years.
So, not wasting one’s time
must logically be duly high
among everyone's priorities.

Secondly, all one’s activities
and one’s entire living,
ought to be reviewed
from the spiritual perspective.
Thus, a course of action is desirable
if it gets one closer to Maalik.
Since the world offers umpteen
temptations, diversions, entanglements,
Satsangis ought to constantly check
and redirect their living
closer to the ideal
stressed in the Radhasoami religion.
This is important because
there is limited time available
for working one’s salvation out;
merely four days in a lifetime,
and four lifetimes at the maximum,
or a total of 16 days.
Since the time normally utilized
out of one’s four days
for active pursuit of spirituality
is rather limited,
the effective time that one has
for one’s spiritual progress
stands the more reduced.
Can’t afford to delay anything!

Thirdly, no time like now,
for redemption just as well.
Why need one irresponsibly postpone
preparation for this vital journey
to an indefinite future date?
“Kaal kare so aaj kar ...”
That is,
“Do today what need tomorrow …”
Hence, one ought to seek redemption
during {or at the close of}
the current four-day lifetime itself.

Radhasoami!
****

Damn; Evil Does Truly Exist. {58.}

****
Radhasoami!

Truth may be an absolute.
It may be a single, integrated whole.

However, human perception finds understanding
to become easier
by making comparisons,
or by thinking in terms of polarities.

Hence, “a high mountain peak” conveys little meaning,
but “a mountain peak only 500 m lower than Mount Everest” does.

There would be no fun {so to say}
if everyone in the world were good.
Goodness is valued precisely because
the mass of folks are not good;
they are bad.

Goodness and evil, God and Satan, truth and falsity,
beauty and ugliness, light and darkness, altruism and selfishness,
polarities make sense to everyone.

However, life may not justly
be represented as either white or black,
there’s a large chunk of it
that is annoyingly grey as well
{as per fuzzy logic}.

To compound matters,
even white and black
have numerous degrees of
whiteness and blackness respectively.

To further complicate matters,
there are umpteen shades of grey as well.

So, to spell the obvious,
truth is a complex business,
as we all know anyway.

So, Satan, evil and hell
serve several definite, important purposes.
They stress the relative desirability
of God, spirituality and paradise.

My innocence has survived my age.
I have retained my key values.
It took me years and decades
to finally accept {with grave disappointment}
that evil did indeed, really exist.

What constitutes evil?
Unraveling this will hopefully indicate
how one can guard against its traits,
how one can tackle it headlong adequately,
and how one can maximize
one’s quest for real goodness.

To recall the biblical prayer,
“Lead me, O Lord, from darkness, into the light.”
This earnest transition can be better enabled
only with a mature comprehension
of what respectively constitutes
both darkness and light.

Radhasoami!
****

Lover, Meet Lord for Consummation. {57.}

****
Radhasoami!

“Premi miliyo re Satguru se /
Deven kaaj Banay.”

That is,
“Lover, meet the Master,
He’ll Resolve your tasks.”

These Paath or hymn lines
inspired me no end
throughout my youth.

In the process, the Indian Railways
earned a regular dividend
from my Gurubhakti or devotion,
because I would regularly
make Teeraths or pilgrimages to Dayalbagh.

“Teerath Guru ke Charan /
Tere bhale ki Kahun.”

That is,
“Pilgrimage to the Master’s Lotus Feet,
I say for your welfare.”

One can meet the Guru
by way of fortunate Arz or supplication.

One may also write one’s prayers
on a piece of paper
and keep it under one’s pillow
at night while sleeping,
for one’s Arz or prayer
to effectively reach the Guru,
as per Maalik’s Own Repeated Gurubachan.

As per another Gurubachan,
“Anthar mein sahara dhoondho.”

That is,
“Seek support internally within yourself.”

One may also perform Satsang,
Seva and Abhyaas with dedication,
to access the Lord
and evoke His Grace.

So, there are umpteen ways
for genuine seekers and lovers
to meet their beloved Lord.

Satsangis are never bereft of
means to access their Guru,
partake of His benevolent Guidance,
and benefit from His Grace.

Let us be adequately grateful:

“Dhanya dhanya sakhi bhaag humare /
Dhanya Guru ka Sang ri.”

That is,
“Our fortunes are truly blessed, friends,
We are blessed with the Master’s Togetherness.”

Radhasoami!
****

God Also Naturally Plays Favorites. {56.}

****
Radhasoami!

Humans need to believe
that they deserve God and Grace.

Sure, life’s opportunity has been
granted to the jeevas {living beings},
but they are severely circumscribed by,
as to be virtual
prisoners and slaves of,
their cycle of sanskaras,
thoughts, desires, karmas.

It is easy to escape
the tyranny of an external despot,
but these internal demons
render a human grossly inadequate
for deserving God’s Grace.

God does play favorites too.

The devotees who worship
and serve Guru more,
naturally evoke God’s Grace
the greater for it.

Besides, God remains closely
with the sincere devotees.

There is no need for rivalry
in spiritual matters,
indeed, that would be self-defeatist,
for ultimately, one’s innate
goodness and sincerity
can merit one God.

Since one can control one’s own being,
the key to God’s Grace
is through one’s own self,
by striving towards wholity and perfection,
and valuing nothing but blissful rest
in the loftiest and eternal Radhasoami Dham.

Radhasoami!
****

Grace Works, If You Deserve. {55.}

****
Radhasoami!

The sun smiles down on earth,
at its best and its worst,
with “equality”, making no distinction whatsoever.
However, the fertile soil grows plants and flowers,
while the barren deserts remain lifeless.
So, soil differences do matter crucially,
despite the same sunrays grounds receive.

The teacher explains a subject
to a class teeming with unruly students.
Most fail to understand the essentials,
a few grasp its basics,
while the one might even master it.
The difference lies not with the teacher,
but in the desire, attention, receptivity, intelligence,
& ability among the students.

Likewise, in the Satsang Bhawan,
hundreds of Satsangis behold the Guru’s Darshan,
and listen to the Satsang.
However, they derive varying benefit from it.
“Prem sahit Guru Daras se /
Mitey sakal jiva khed.”
That is, if performed with love,
Darshan can rid you of
all your problems and anxieties.

So, let’s realize that it is
up to us individually
to deserve Grace from the Satguru.
His Grace exists, and will work,
like the sunrays on rich soil,
and the teacher’s words with an earnest student,
if we are ready and willing
to deserve it rightly.

Radhasoami!
****

How to Best One’s Opponents. {54.}

****
Radhasoami!

“Main pyari pyare Radhasoami ki
Birodhi baithe sab hee haar.”

Meaning, in that I am
dear to my beloved Lord,
all my opponents stand defeated.

One’s opponents or obstacles may be
either internal / personal,
or external / circumstantial.

Wrong faith, insufficient devotion,
lack of motivation, laziness,
incompetence, fear,
limited resources {of time, money, etc.},
and sundry such others,
constitute one’s own limitations and failures.

These prevent one from fully utilizing
for one’s own real and lasting
spiritual benefit and welfare
the fortunate opportunities that one
may already be blessed with.

One’s problems and foes without
also do exist,
since we live in Kaliyuga,
and people are hardly angels,
with most akin to beasts,
but it’s one’s own choice
whether one decides to lose
even without a wholehearted, healthy fight,
and fail one’s own
faith, desires and destiny.

It would be simplistic
to wish realities away,
there are always opponents and obstacles,
both internal and external,
but there is a solution too.

The Lord’s Love and Grace
can literally cause any miracle.
His mere Inspiration invariably suffices
to rid oneself of imperfections.
His Help enables devotees to
handle jealousy, persecution and hostility.

To be, remain and prove
true to one’s unshakeable faith,
to persevere in one’s quest.
to continue fighting one’s battles in life
until victory has been
duly won, savored, established.
Life never was easy,
but true religion does resolve difficulties.

Let’s remember that the sacred promise
in the opening lines
of our morning Binti or hymn,
the very first lines Penned by
our August Founder are:
“Radhasoami Naam
jo gaave soyi thare,
Kal klesh sab naash
sukh paave sab dukh hare.”

That is,
“Whoever sings the Radhasoami Name,
Eradicates Kaliyuga’s banes, ends sorrows,
And attains bliss.”

Meditation and the quest for salvation
certainly don’t mean irresponsibility,
and definitely not cowardice or escapism.

But one learns to be selective.
“Main pyari pyare Radhasoami ki
Chutayi Guru ne jag begaar.”

That is.
In that I am dear to the Lord,
the Guru has caused me to cease
indulging in useless and wasteful activities.

However, let's keep the flag flying,
because one can do it all,
with the Guru's Love, Grace, Help, ...

There is no confusion, problem,
danger, misery at all,
we already have every ultimate
truth, solution, power, bliss!

Radhasoami!
****

Intensely Seeking Salvation, Master-God. {53.}

****
Radhasoami!

The Guru and God are one.

Indeed, the Guru is greater than God,
because He enlightens the jeevas {living beings} about God,
and can help them attain paradise.

As Param Sant Kabir Says:
“Guru Govind dou khade Kapei laagun Paav
Balihari Guru Aapne jin Govind Diyo Milay.”

That is, if the Guru and God were both Present,
Whose Lotus Feet should Kabir touch?
It is the Guru’s,
since He unites one with God.

People are content with
merely being God-fearing
to the extent that they live
on the right side of God.
All very good and fine.

My interest, desire, commitment, passion
in spirituality and for God
are far too deep, lofty
to bear of God’s denial.

I really want nothing else except God …
& I really want God!

As our Guru Bachan recommends,
“... jeethe jee” udhhar ko paana
{attaining redemption in life itself}.

To recall Param Sant Kabir again,
“Abhu miliho tho tabahu miliho /
Nahin tho Jampur baasa.”

That is, if you meet God
in your very lifetime,
can you aspire to
unite with Him in the hereafter,
otherwise it’s virtual damnation.

So, I cannot be satisfied even with
the Guru-Khuda’s sacred Promise
of salvation in four lifetimes.

F o u r l o n g lifetimes ...
perhaps separated by eons of years ...
not for me.

I want my salvation,
certainly in this janam or life.
I want it very soon; now.
I am resolved to have it.

As I had said
during a fortunate Arz or supplication
to Gracious Huzur “Prem” Saran Satsangi Saheb Ji,
“Mera agla janam kya hoga?
Yahan tho ek ek saal
bhaari pad raha hai.”

That is,
“How can I have a next birth?
I already find every single year
growing more onerous indeed.”

To which He had Mercifully Replied
“Tadap bahut achhi cheez hothi hai.”

That is,
“Intense yearning is a very good sentiment.”

The soul that renounces everything
and intensely perseveres for God ...
what in existence can possibly
thwart such a final longing,
especially when it is
fully supported by God?

To recall our Paath or hymn lines,
“Ab tho man kar chuka pukaar /
Radhasoami Karo uddhaar.”

That is,
“Now the soul has cried out,
Radhasoami, Redeem me.”

Radhasoami!

Take Time Off for It. {52.}

****
Radhasoami!

Be alive and present in life.
Be aware and experience your self.

Work is worship.
Work is power.

To what purpose?
To what end?

Take some time off ... to love.
Take some time off ... to care.

Break free of your self.
Transcend death while living itself.

I desire nobody and nothing else.
I seek just You and It.

Let The Guru Guide.
Let His Grace Redeem.

Radhasoami!
****

I Desire not to Desire. {51.}

****
Radhasoami!

I recall the fairy tales
I read in my childhood,
where the child
had a mysterious magic bowl
that fulfilled all her desires.

Everyone always wants more,
and more and more
of this, of that, of everything.

More money, sumptuous meals, designer brands,
attractive spouse, obedient children,
sleeker car, spacious mansions,
and that vague “respect in society”.

Religion has merely thrown in
several newer desires
like more Prashad {sanctified eatables}
and God’s Grace.

The essence of Sant Math
is understood by few Satsangis,
and practiced by perhaps none.

As the Paath {or hymn} lines clearly state:
“Duniya ko chahe tu aur Deedaar ko.
Yeh hai mushkil ansamajh hai yaar tu.”

That is,
“You seek the world and beholding the Lord's Countenance
That is difficult, you are naive, my friend.”

However, we may derive hope
from Maalik’s Bachan of enjoying
both Sansari and Parmarthi laddus
{both worldly and spiritual fruits}.

Desires are virtually endless
and are at the root of
the cycle of
transmigration of soul and rebirth,
which has trapped all jeevas {living beings}.

A desire is a desire,
be it for carnal sex
or for abode in Satloka.

For true salvation to occur,
desires are to be transcended.

Repression is not the answer,
the root must be killed.

Renunciation is the only way
to free oneself forever from
the possibility of desires altogether.

It is not enough to
know or understand sublime truths.
Their practice is necessary,
otherwise a crucial lifetime
will have been wasted.

But, as the proverb goes:
There’s many a slip
betwixt the cup and the lip.

Radhasoami!
****

Discernible Benefits of Talking Less. {50.}

****
Radhasoami!

Param Guru Huzur Mehta Ji Maharaj
had once Reminded Satsangis that M. K. Gandhi
used to observe a weekly Maun,
or day of silence,
when he wouldn’t talk to anyone at all.

The habit of talking less
has several advantages
that we ought to consider.

One saves energy.
One remains serene.
One observes, thinks, understands more.

In a lighter vein,
if one talks less,
one is less likely
to make a fool of oneself,
and people are apt to respect you more
if you are a taciturn person,
rather than a chatterbox.

If you talk less,
your words are likely to be
more believed in and
have a greater impact than otherwise.

Moreover, talking less helps oneself
to remain collected,
enables a quicker withdrawal
of the sense organs,
and facilitates an internal ascent
of the surat or soul during meditation.

Talking less helps one remain
constantly internally attuned to the Lord.

As the Paath or hymn lines describe
the ideal state for us:
“Moha na byape, jag nahin phansayi,
Rahe surat nirmal Guru satha,
Shabd mile rahe Charnan matha, ...”

That is,
“Attachment doesn’t work, the world doesn’t entangle,
The soul remains pure with the Master,
With one’s forehead at the Lotus Feet, one attains the Word.”

Radhasoami!
****

Remain, Live True to Yourself. {49.}

****
Radhasoami!

The self hides the Self,
and the Self is God.

Seek your self, beyond your ego.

Know and understand yourself.

Only then can you be,
remain and live
true to yourself.

This doesn’t necessarily
mean becoming “selfish”.

I have usually found myself to be
at odds with the milieu.

I was either a round peg
in a square hole,
or a square peg
in a round hole.

Mere friction, disharmony and strife;
never to my liking,
to no purpose whatsoever.

I remained myself.
I survived people and life.
That was victory.

The beautiful lady is resented and hated
by all the other less pretty ones,
for no fault of hers.

Despite the malice and baseness
that one encounters in life,
one must continue with one’s
goodness, faith, devotion and service.

It is pointless to yield
to those who are incorrigibly
wrong, perverse, sinful and hostile.

Be clear and remain strong.
After all, the endless Source
of all Wisdom and Strength
remains our Guide and Redeemer.

Life is quite a silly nightmare
that shall end once the surat or soul
finally reaches Radhasoami Dham.

Radhasoami!
****

Never Think You Are Alone. {48.}

****
Radhasoami!

Regardless of circumstances,
whatever the situation,
you are never really alone.

If your faith is sincere,
if you really believe in Radhasoami Dayal,
your Supreme Parent Is always
Caring for you.

“Maalik Hain Rakshak jeeva ke /
Jeeva na jaane bhed.”

{I don’t think I have
the above Paath lines accurate,
but let’s gloss over it.}

That is,
“The Lord is the living being’s Protector,
but the beings know not the secrets.”

One’s inner bond with Radhasoami Dayal
continues beyond death into the hereafter.

It is only this that will decide
your next janam or birth,
or your salvation immediately after this life.

The intensity of your longing for God,
the urgency of your quest for salvation,
can never be lost upon Radhasoami Dayal.

It Is Radhasoami Dayal Who Alone
Causes your parents, siblings, spouses, others
to love, help, care for you.

Be grateful to & thank only Him.
{Though superficial courtesy to others is permitted.}

It Is Radhasoami Dayal Alone
Who merits your unflinching faith,
pure love & total trust,
willing obedience & undying loyalty.

Pray to Radhasoami Dayal sincerely,
even ask Him for things
as a child may its Parent,
be it trifles or grave matters,
& you will rarely be disappointed.

For remember, God is love
& God Loves His children
as we might not have
the sense to quite fathom.

Cling on to your faith,
continue with your sincere prayers,
expect Grace to shower miracles,
& it will all happen.

Radhasoami!
****

Basically, It’s All Entirely Internal. {47.}

****
Radhasoami!

God exists in one’s faith.

Reality remains a personal experience.

Being is in one’s consciousness.

One’s awareness partakes of the
ultimate Reservoir of all awareness.

Truth is a matter of mere perception,
determined by one’s faith,
beliefs, way of thinking,
& sundry other compulsions.

Truth generally has little to do
with truth, per se.

What then determines individual differences,
causing the one to head for paradise
& the other to roast in hell?

The essence of one’s values,
& integrity in living life.

What motivates most human living?
Desires & the compelling urge
to somehow ensure their fulfillment.

To realize as much
& transcend through renunciation,
constitutes hastening one’s spiritual progress
& moving swifter towards God.

The route to God is internal.

People & the world & life are respectively
usually merely pests and nuisances,
an external environment,
an incidental medium,
for enabling one’s internal ascent.

Such clarity doubtless leads to
more committed, concentrated, effective efforts.

Let’s not waste our precious time
in this rare opportunity
provided by fortunate Satsangi human birth.

Cut out the crap that engages you,
& realize that
basically it’s all entirely internal.

The path is to be trod
& you alone can possibly do it,
& you must move towards your salvation.

That is precisely why
you have been born
& are now living.

Radhasoami!
****

Lessons Learnt from Rotten Apples. {46.}

****
Radhasoami!

The elder generation habitually
regards itself as ideal,
and with the natural rights
to “demand” respect from youngsters
& order them around.

This would make sense
& even be desirable & necessary,
if parents, Branch Secretaries, & others
were truly of the right sort,
had the youngsters’ interests & concerns in view,
& were guided by right motivations.

We unfortunately live in a dirty world,
& people are hardly perfect.

Accepting & obeying most elders
would be the surest & swiftest route
to one’s own unhappiness & ruin.

Life literally abounds with rotten apples,
you ask for one & get a dozen.

I have generally been & lived
like a rebel throughout my life.

I know my own values,
& don’t care a damn about
what really doesn’t deserve anything.

When surrounded by smiling faces
hiding barely disguised selfish motives
or evil intentions,
firstly learn to see through things,
to discriminate between what is
& what has been claimed or professed,
to judge & value rightly.

Be on your constant guard.
Trust none except the Lord.
Remain sane & become strong.

As per the Paath or hymn lines:
“Unse rahna samajh boojh kar,
Hain yeh bairi, hith dikhlaye.
Teri haani laab nahin soche,
Apne swarath rahen liptaye.”

That is,
“Be on guard against such,
They are foes, professing friendship.
They’re uncaring about your welfare,
Intent on own selfish interests.”

One ought to learn from
the rotten apples
how one should not be.

Elders remain an example,
for the younger generation.
Unworthy elders become bad examples,
whom one ought to remember
for their sundry bad habits or tendencies.
They should teach us not
to ever become like them.

After all, they are headed
towards their own destinies,
& we must carefully
chalk out our own desserts.

Radhasoami!
****

One Step At a Time. {45.}

****
Radhasoami!

Rome was not built in a day.
A long journey begins with one step.

Life may frequently seem difficult,
but clear thinking solves much,
aided by courage & one’s work.

Most people create their own problems,
& compound their already existing ones.

Most problems are created by
an abnegation of one’s responsibility.

Awake, & arise!
There is much awaiting to be done.

Desires are temptations, diversions, wasteful.
The realized one can remain satisfied
with wholity, renunciation, control.

There is the evolutionary spiral,
& backward movements are self-defeatist.

The mystical path exists internally,
which needs must be traversed.

Clarify, prioritize, & do it;
one step at a time.

It can be done;
eternal bliss awaits you!

Radhasoami!
*****

Eat Less; Live Better, Longer. {44.}

****
Radhasoami!

Do you live to eat,
or eat to live?

Most people seem to live
only to eat.
It is as if their life
is merely a directed movement
from one meal to another.

The Bible very rightly affirms:
“Man does not live by bread alone.”
There are other important values too.

I eat only to live,
though I realize the value of nutrition,
& can & do enjoy tasty dishes.

However, food is not
central to my worldview,
as appears to be with others.

The Paath or hymn lines advise:
“Bhojan bahut na khaav / Tere bhale ki Kahun.”
That is,
“Don’t eat overly / I say for your welfare.”

Furthermore, a Guru Bachan Bids Satsangis to eat
only three-fourths of the amount
that one might normally want to.

In tune with the Satsang ideal
of “better-worldliness,”
we might apply it to
our dietary habits as well.

Let there be “better” food,
and not necessarily,
greater amounts of it.

Moreover, eating less is gradually
being accepted in medical circles
as considerably aiding
health and longevity.

We might well conclude
& resolves as follows:

Eat less, to live better!
Eat less, to live longer!

Radhasoami!
****

Retain Faith in Life's Justice. {43.}

****
Radhasoami!

One is born alone,
one personally lives alone,
& one dies alone.

The self is limited,
being & experience cannot
really be totally shared.

The soul fulfils its desires,
& the load of karmas
gradually gets wiped out,
with the Guru's Grace.

One better remain individually responsible,
the awesome Law governs all existence ruthlessly.

Much as it might appear to the contrary,
there is an innate justice to life's plays.

It is just that the divine theatre
does not follow human timetables.

People can, therefore, not easily discern
the rewards their good deeds will get them,
nor unravel the punishments that God
will have the evil meet with.

One ought to, under all circumstances,
keep one's faith, values & morality.

The show is still on,
the curtains haven't yet fallen;
& while there is life,
let there also remain hope,
incentive, motivation & will
for a better living.

Radhasoami!
****

Sixth Anniversary of Maalik’s Acclamation. {42.}

****
Radhasoami!

Today is a fortunate day in the history of the Radhasoami Satsang of Dayalbagh.

May 18, 2009 marks the sixth anniversary of the Acclamation of
Gracious Huzur “Prem” Saran Satsangi as the eighth Revered Leader of Dayalbagh, & of His Ascension to the divine Gaddi or Throne.

The progress that Satsang has made in these last six years cannot possibly be listed in a brief note of rejoicing as this.

You can yourself recall what Grace Maalik must have Showered upon you since having become the Sant Sarguru.

That should give one an idea of how Maalik has Been, through tireless & unflagging Personal Efforts, Caring for the entire Sangath.

Today is verily a day to celebrate.

It is also a day to express our deep gratitude to His Holiness for His boundless Grace.

& finally, today is also an ideal day to resolve to become better Satsangis than before, more devoted in the performance of Satsang, Seva & Abhyaas than we might yet be.

Radhasoami!
****

Regularly Increase Your Spiritual Wealth. {41.}

****
Radhasoami!

Always better keep on the right track.

Indeed, of what?

Your own integrity, because “Khuda apne imaan hee mein hotha hai”, or God exists in one’s own integrity.

The one who is insincere, lying in speech, & dishonest in conduct loses both self & Guru-God.

Also stay on the right side of the Radhasoami Faith & the Param Guru of Dayalbagh, by practicing its principles & obeying His Fiats respectively.

We don’t realize it, but our lives & destinies depend crucially on these.

This is because Radhasoami Dayal Is Omniscient, our Mission is fated, & the mystical Law governs all of existence.

Next, continuously make premeditated, decided, systematic, significant & effective efforts to increase your spiritual earnings, or the sum total of “Punya” or good deeds that form your spiritual capital or bank balance.

Your worldly wealth is not transferable into the hereafter, but your spiritual capital is what determines the quality of your future life or state {ideally, redemption through a blessed nook in the loftiest paradise, Radhasoami Dham}.

Radhasoami!
****

Yes’es or No’es to Possibilities. {40.}

****
Radhasoami!

The six traditional Hindu systems of philosophy
included the concepts of “Neti” and “Eti”
among their rich reservoir of beneficial insights.

Let us recall that our Revered Leaders
have also Frequently Referred to
various other sages and saints.

Neti means No.
This method advocates
a constant & ceaseless rejection
of life as constituting reality.

Eti signifies Yes.
It stresses affirmation
of the whole of universe
as part of God’s creation.

Both the ways were variously
routes to God.
The Neti mode rejected everything
& accepted only God’s essence.
The Eti path accepted everything
as inevitably leading to God.

Which of these would illustrate
your mode of living life?
Are you careless or choosy?
Are you reckless or cautious?

I reserve my Yes’es for the extremely elite,
I habitually live by outright No’es to life.
It renders my living simpler
& my engagements
more productive, fruitful & rewarding.

However, on the flip side,
experiences of diversity & variety
add to one’s wisdom & maturity,
polish one’s powers of discrimination,
enable quicker & better judgements,
making one more confident towards newer developments
& adequate in tackling situations.

Living is the lesser aspect of life,
the greater dimension pertains to the hereafter.

The Paath {or hymn} lines exhort us:
“Kaatthe aur phoonkthe rastha chalo /
Marthe dham thak eqdam gafil na ho.”

That is,
“Tread the path with grave caution,
Be not careless until your very dying moment.”

Radhasoami!
****

How Frequently Do You Pray? {39.}

****
Radhasoami!

How fequently do you pray, that is,
perform Satsang, Seva or Abhyaas
{recite hymns, serve or meditate}?

Once a month, once a week,
once a day, twice a day,
a few times every day & night,
or several times in a 24-hour cycle?

Actually, the above question is erroneous,
viewed by a certain sincere perspective,
which may be briefly elaborated thus.

One’s faith ought to just consume one.
Prayer is not a one-time
or occasional external activity.
Just as being or breath are innate to one,
so should one’s faith & devotion be.

If you are still
in the category of those who,
pray at certain times,
& don’t upon others,
you haven’t begun your prayers yet!

Prayer is that which occurs all the time.
A devotee is one who prays every moment
all of 24 hours.
The rest is kid stuff.
I don’t intend to disparage,
but to inspire towards the greater ideal.

By prayer I don’t necessarily mean
the performance of Satsang Paaths
{or recitation of Satsang hymns},
much less “asking” God for things.

I mean prayer as a
constant awareness of Radhasoami Dayal.

One’s every living
& entire way of life
then becomes a dedicated prayer
offered to the Param Guru.

Don’t just pray occasionally,
always remain internally engrossed in prayer.

Even while writing this,
I have been praying.
Were I to be watching a movie,
I would still be praying no less.

Where I am,
my eternal Master Is there.
Our Satsang continues
around-the-clock.
My living itself is prayer,
my living itself is Seva,
& my living accomplishes meditation.

Thanks be to Gracious Huzur
for the boon of
such blessed proximity
and mode of life.

May its purpose be realized,
with Maalik’s Supreme Grace helping.

Radhasoami!
****

Don’t Really Believe in God? {37.}

****
Radhasoami!

There’s a fantastic sale of
export quality woolens going on
at discounts of 50 percent.
Most people would go running
to share in the spoils.

Aishwarya Rai is in town
& to perform dance at a certain club.
Most people would rush to attend it.

For superficial profit,
for petty thrills,
people are willing to
put in such efforts!

Don’t we really believe in God,
in meditation as enabling internal ascent,
or in Gurubhakti as ensuring one’s salvation?

Indeed, it would quite appear
that we don’t really believe
in God, meditation & redemption,
otherwise we would obviously be
making serious, consistent & adequate
efforts in these crucial spheres.

People are willing to do so much
for their worldly possessions
or mere sensual desires.

If people really believed in God,
they would also meditate,
trusting the Guru Bachans
that the eternal realm
of infinite bliss
is located within.

The hereafter matters more than life.
Yes, this needs be clearly stated:
the afterlife matters more than life;
for life is a mere four days’ play,
but spirituality pertains to
the soul’s state for an eternity.

Don’t waste your precious time on muck,
It’s just not worth it!

Seriously focus on the Radhasoami Faith,
& earnestly persevere for your salvation!

Radhasoami!
****