14 November 2016, Harisar Ashram, Kila Raipur: Like every month, devotees gathered around to gear up for the upcoming month of Maghar, seeking Guru’s blessings. Sadhvi Ji talked about how surrender is one of the most important aspects of one’s divine journey. Adding further, Swami Ji discussed the importance of prioritising our real job over other worldly chores in order to step up towards the creator, even staying at home.
Glimpse from Sadhvi Ji’s discourse:
The month of Maghar (November-December) sees the onset of winter. In the Barah Maha Paath, Guru Sahib has described this to be a beautiful month wherein, the souls who find the warmth of God in their heart enjoy His comfort. He further states that their glory is difficult to be expressed whom God has united with. And their body and mind begin to blossom even more when they choose to be in the company of His seekers to find God. On the contrary, who opt otherwise, i.e. resist being part of the satsang; miss the opportunity and therefore, remain lonely. Sufferings of such resistors do not cease and yet again, one day, they get churned in the cycle of life and death. However, those who surrender under Guru’s command, and devote themselves to service (sewa) and practice of guru-mantra (simran) get to celebrate the divinity within. Like a new bride, they are bedecked with divine virtues; and thence, we must seek to serve such beautiful souls who have chosen to take refuge under His solace. Blessed due to sadhana (sewa and simran) in this month of Maghar, they get to rest in the lap of God across this pattern of rebirth once and for all. In Gita (Chapter 18, Verse 62) too, Lord Krishna has proclaimed, ‘get under My solace, without which you cannot receive My blessings; and therefore cannot find way to your ultimate abode and peace within. Your grace lies in surrender and surrender alone.’
The doubt we all might seek solution for is that, ‘to be eligible for His blessings, we need to surrender. Sounds more like give and take business.’ By ‘surrender’ it means, accepting this sole fact that ‘He is the doer’. For instance, a baby is completely dependent on his/her mother. With time, as he/she starts growing older, he/she begins to learn and gradually mother lets the child to get hold of his/her life. Alike, we feel that we have become self-sufficient and therefore, neglect our divine mother. But, to seek eternity, we must act keeping divine our priority, i.e. choose Him over our ego. However, clothed with our hollow self-esteem, we fail to understand that street of love is narrow enough allowing just one to pass through. Even if we consider the scenario at courtroom, for instance, even after surrendering, the culprit has to face punishment for all his illegal deeds from beginning till date without any exception. However, if we surrender to Almighty, our entire Karma –not just present but, the ones accumulated over ages– are forgiven within a blink. Can we find a match to such kindness?
Digging further, who has to surrender? Most of us attend periodic satsangas religiously. Just by making our presence felt physically, we claim to have surrendered from our side. But can we say the same about our restless mind wandering in all the ten directions with a speed unaccounted for? Know this; it is the mind who is sole contributor for whether worldly temptation or liberation. In Gurbani, it has been declared that Man Beche Satguru Ke Paas, Tis Sewak Ke Karaj Raas; meaning, upon selling our mind, i.e. surrendering under Guru’s command all our needs, you name it, will get accomplished. Because, without turning our mind inwards if we claim to have been doing sadhana, it is not possible and is a big fat lie. There might be some physical activity involved, but the real job – sadhana, and its perception – won’t be there.
Once, two drunkards planned to cross the river in moonlight. Turn-by-turn they kept on paddling for hours. As sun was about to rise, they came to their senses only to find out that they were right there from where they had planned to begin from; as they had forgotten to un-anchor the boat. Similarly, our mind is struck in outside materialistic desires and we are sitting with our eyes closed believing to be doing sadhana; and where does that take us? Nowhere is the place. And then we get back to old meandering ways lamenting that we tried hard but it didn’t work.
Summarising, this world is like a sanctuary where we have come to study. Our seniors left leaving everything behind and so shall we. So, the message that this month of Maghar has brought along is to do as much sewa & simran as possible being under Guru’s command. It’s time that we tie a knot of our loose mental ends, and get this clear that since there is just one mind, choice has to be one either: whim or Him.
Glimpse from Swami Ji’s discourse:
Here we are; another month, and yet another gathering to celebrate the occasion of Sankranti. Words may be different but the real story is just one; He being our only ‘happily ever after’. However, with time, as we are growing older, opportunity to reach our ‘the goal’ is getting leaner.
Everybody is walking alone, not only to their divine selves but in the world as well. If we are hungry or sleepy, we’ll must attend our needs ourselves. No one can do these on our behalf. Likewise, this journey is to be completed by oneself. If someone could do it for us, then this whole world’s Creator, couldn’t He get us all through within a snap? No! Because the sole purpose of this universe is ekoham bahu syam prajayate (Gita) meaning, May I, the One, become many. There was nothing before the big bang theory except Him (of blissful form) who resolved to have this bliss expanded to many forms. Bestowed with His energy, we are being allowed to expand from where we are. Like one tree eventually gives birth to many more seeds similarly, we are human seeds of the divine tree. All we need to do is to decay (surrender) ourselves under Guru’s command perceiving our only goal.
Today, almost every householder enquires, how can we leave everything just like that? Saints also eat, sleep, interact with people and fulfil their respective duties. The only difference is that all the activities are done seeking Guru’s command. They do not ponder over ‘doing something for someone’ because they have got this thought arrayed deep down in their hearts that ‘He, is the ultimate doer’. As the circumstances demand, and thence the brain responds, or the guidance is received; they choose to act accordingly. Besides, when they see some service to be acted upon, they do not cry over it. In fact they offer their best, keeping Him on priority and considering Him to be the sole giver and the doer as well. They understand and accommodate themselves to the world and not the world to them.
Nowadays, Gita lectures on ‘how to manage your life with Gita’, ‘Gita in business management’, etcetera are conducted all over the world emphasizing on just one thing which is do your work well. Gita suggests no such thing. All work done with or for this mortal body is futile. And, if we cannot even think about going beyond, disentangling ourselves from such mental shackles, being one with divine won’t happen at all.
God has already blessed us by giving this human birth and Guru is blessing us with his unconditional divine guidance. The third blessing which we need to seek ourselves without which first two won’t fructify is, self-help. As long as we are not wide awake enough to utilize this birth of ours, and do not chose to live by the ideals of Guru nothing is going to work for us. Keeping it simple, there has to be just one job – Him; and therefore choice has to be one either, i.e. quit or submit!
