Swami Dyalu Puri Ji’s Nirvana Diwas Celebrations

Indeed, yoga sadhana is extremely good, but if we do not become sevak then our efforts would give rise to ahamkara in us, the sadhana of bhakti will get reduced to mere rituals, and jnana would be nothing more but a web of words and thoughts (shabdajaal). We are certainly not saying that do not practice yoga sadhana, do not do bhakti, do not practice jnana; do everything, do them with all your might and concentration but recognize that seva is the foundation.

We see huge and really grand massive buildings and are dazzled by their heights, and yet, the might and brilliance of a building stands because of its deep foundation. Deeper is the foundation, higher the building can rise. No one can ascend right away. If one tries, then it is like building a castle on sand, which will fall with the first gush of the wind. All yoga sadhana will be encaged and drowned in the currents of ego and ahamkara, without seva.

The Taj Mahal is adorned for its brilliance – the white marble, the embedded rubies and other riches; but along with that are the stones, mighty, solid and firm, crushed and pushed deep into the earth – the Taj Mahal stands on them. While the base of the Taj Mahal was being laid, who knew how massive and grand would the final building be! Similarly, the grand heights of yoga, bhakti and jnana are attained through seva. The foundation can only be laid in a particular manner and so all work is not seva. The work that is done in the Hukum; activities that are encircled in the Hukum and not in the whims and fancies of the mind constitute seva. Further, this living in the Hukum is to be a very silent affair – the world may not know about us, our work, our seva. However, if we feel that, ‘I do seva and no one even asks of me’, then that is not seva. We think that we do so much seva, and yet people come from all sides and criticize our work, ‘You didn’t do this/that right’ – listening this, we get angry. Well, seva is but the sadhana of dissolving the ego.

When this ashram was begin built, the land was so uneven. It is told how at that time they used to carry earth to even it out; day and night this work was done. And have we thought what motivated their work? Was it acclaim from Kali Kambli Wale that they seeked? No, because when the foundation was laid – you all know the story – Kambli Wale were not here. So no one was doing the seva to get credit from the Master. And what were they eating? Once in the afternoon, alms arrived from the village – and that was eaten in the afternoon, evening and the next morning. Nobody was complaining, ‘This is hard work, we need nutritious diet’. There was no ghee-shakar, no kheer-maalpue, only simple bread that was eaten. And what was there to wear? Kambli Wale had gone to Kakrale during those times, there was nothing to wear; so what did the sevaks do? They simply tied rucksacks and made that their clothes.

The intent in saying this is: seva is done without hoping for material welfare, acclaim and applause of the world; rather when the dera was being built they had to withstand the insults and jeers of people – ‘O, these men are building a dera’. And even after Kali Kambli Wale came, the activities continued day and night. Maharaj Ji used to tell, that whenever he would be tired by physical work, Swami Wazirpuri Ji would give him a piece of really old quality of jaggery, which brought him great strength and stamina. That we may create many buildings – that is not seva.

Seva is synonymous with Hukum. And in Hukum, it is not that you will be spilled out the rules to be followed; you have to catch the signal, the intention of the Master. And who is the Master? One who is united in the Brahman. And who is the Brahman? One, who sits in the heart of everyone. So, in the case of Maharaj Ji it was not only about the Hukum from Kali Kambli Wale. Any elder’s, like Swami Wazirpuri Ji’s words, were also Hukum for him. And not only an elder, even if a child gave the Hukum – that too was taken as the Hukum of Kali Kambli Wale.

And what do we say, “If Maharaj Ji says, we will do it, we will not listen to you.” What kind of seva is this? If one really does understands and follows the Hukum of the Master, then the ego would go on dissolving and as a result, one would hear the voice of the Master in every being. Those who live in ashrams should take great care. You are there to do seva, and why do you need our Hukum to do it? We carry out the whims and fancies of our mind when it comes to doing the so called “activities of leadership”, but when it comes to doing the menial tasks of sweeping, cleaning the vessels then we go on awaiting the Hukum. If we have an attitude that we have done our work, our share of seva, now the remaining part is of no concern to me – well, that is not seva.

Anyways, there are many levels, but atleast follow the Hukum of the Master and go on trying to hear the Master’s voice in every being. So seva is the foundation. As we go on advancing, the mind would get purified. This is the time to follow the saints on their path.

Today there are elections in Punjab. From 15 days, campaigning was going on. Those who are elected today will rule Punjab for next 5 years. There are many candidates. But, in every region, only one person will win. And the work that the winner does in the ensuing 5 years will control the outcome of the next elections.

Similarly, we also have to participate in another kind of elections that will last a lifetime. Our own body is the Punjab – the land of five praanas. Countless fancies of our mind will vote for either of the three candidates: the great virtues, the vices, and Name. In the end there will be a single winner. The vote will be cast at the end, during death. That will determine how our next birth will occur. Ascertain your votes while there is time. Whom do we vote for through the eyes? For whom do we vote through the tongue, the ears, the hands and feet? There are nine polling booths – the nine senses where the votes are cast. There are only three candidates: one who will only spread misery, will trouble and pain us, will spread darkness  – Rahu, Ravan, Kansa; or the great virtues of sewa and simran, and lastly, the Name, the Word – which unites with the Lord Himself.

In all of cosmos – there are so many things: the deities, the Heavens, the Hell, this earth with its wondrous mountains…the list is unending. But amongst everything, what is most precious? What is that which is truly priceless? It is this human body – it is truly an incomparable boon. There is nothing greater in the entire seen/unseen worlds. The Paramaatma Himself resides within this body. Jo brahmande soi pinde – whatever is there is this cosmos that surrounds us, all of that is present inside this body in a subtle way; all of it, without exception. The bodies of animals and plants do not have the sushumna – the path of fire and light. The bodies of the devas also are incomplete: they are not built of the five tattvas. This human body is the essence of entire creation: it has in it the five tattvas, the three qualities and all devas are present in it. The Lord himself, who is beyond any description, resides within this body.

However, the painful fact is that we are unaware of this truth. Still more painful is the fact that though we are unaware and sometimes even though we may accept it, but rarely do we strive to realize it. We spend our lives running miles outside, achieving this and that.

Now, suppose there is a huge treasure lying well guarded within the high walls of an old castle and a thief comes to learn of it. What would be his state of mind? Would the thief be able to sleep? Would he enjoy eating? No, all his intent would be upon the treasure. Though it be well guarded, he will strive to find out a way to find his way in and get the treasure. And what about someone who does not feels that way? Either, he does not know about the treasure, or even if he knows, he does not believes in it.

Similarly, within this body there is a grand treasure of immeasurable bliss – the Lord Himself resides here. And this treasure too is well guarded in the tenth house: vajjar kapaat naa kulaee… (the hard door-of-bones does not opens…); the nine organs are opened only to the outside. So, certainly the treasure is well guarded. And despite knowing that a treasure lies herein, if we do not strive to attain it, then we are not sadhaks, we are not sikhs, we are not disciples; else we simply do not believe the Guru. “Well, all this is written in the scriptures, but it is only written,” we say. We may claim to have faith in the Guru, but what use is that faith if one does not believe in the Guru’s words!

So, believe in the Guru’s words and then begin the search. Start from any sense organ: either start turning the eyes within, or drawing the breath in through the nose, or turning the tongue within and practicing keertan-japa with it. Yes, we could say that this is tough. But we would instead say that this path is easier than the easiest, only if, one rises above the whims and fancies of his mind and does not have ahamkara. But if there is the ego, then it is really hard, so hard, that is sheer impossible. It is very easy, if done with the Guru Hukum’s. With this we complete the circle and return to seva. Seva is then working in the Guru’s Hukum. Working in the Hukum even picking up a brick is a huge act, otherwise, building grand structures is of no avail.

But Hukum is not a set of instructions. It is not in the words. Once, a servant was asked to bathe the Master’s cow to bring it some respite from the summer. The servant asked, could he also offer it water to drink. “You have been asked to bathe it. Do nothing else”, replied the Master sharply.

So, if we also get stuck only in the words, then we will end up following such hukum’s. The gurus have been saying; what is then the need to ask them to give Hukum!

The Hukum is meant to free the mind from its entanglements in the world and turn it inwards. If we look around, then it is clear that one thing that draws us outside, our greatest object of entanglement is money. If we have money then we consider ourselves great, otherwise, there are a whole lot of struggles, tensions etc. We believe that through money we can buy the world. Along with this, we must understand, through reducing our greed for money we can also buy the Lord.

Therefore, we must take out a certain percent from our earnings and use that in consonance with the Guru’s Hukum. We are not saying how much you should take out, but would say, how should you take it out?

Plan out before, how much you are going to offer from your monthly/daily earning. There is a huge difference, in offering it this way, and the other seasonal way, when we merely offer according to the whims and fancies of our mind. Further, the ashrams do not require money, or do the saints, but it is ‘our’ need to give in order to reduce our own greed, to take out our mind that is entangled in money. By taking out the money before rather than after, what remain is prasaad. Someone may take out a lakh, the other may take out a hundred, it matters not, it may be equal – the thing is about the attitude with which you offer it. A crore and a hundred may become equal, how?

We know ½=100/200= 1000/2000, 100,000/200,000. So someone, who earns two lakhs and give one lakh would be equal to the one earning 200 and taking out a 100. If someone earns a crore and gives a hundred, then what kind of daan is that? However, more important than this is the attitude with which one gives: keep aside a certain percentage prior to using the sum anywhere else.

It is very far-fetched to say that I have surrendered my ‘all’ to God. First begin from here. The reason is man is extremely selfish. We think because we have earned it, so we will spend it as we wish, but in this way will not connect to the Lord who lies beyond our wishes.

Therefore, let us summarize:

As a first, take out a certain percent of your earnings before using them anywhere else and offer them to the Guru’ s Hukum.

Then, consider your family as a garden of the Lord and yourself as a servant, a care-taker of the Lord’s flowers.

Thirdly, practice the Name daily for atleast an hour. Before practicing switch off the mobiles, close the door, leave behind all your contacts with the world, and with closed eyes immerse within. Go on practicing. If you feel lazy or sleepy, get up (without opening your eyes) on your asana and go on practicing standing.

Then practice satsanga.

What will happen with doing all this? Our mind will start going within. The various waves of our minds will begin uniting with the waves of the Name. And in this way, when the last time will come, then it will happen that every tendency of the mind will cast its vote in the favour of the Name. During the last time, give up all your responsibilities and coax all outward going tendency to yoke with the Name.  This preparation is to be carried throughout one’s life. In this way, one can gain great evolution even during death.

It can also happen that even while living, the Hukum of the Lord, the rule of the Lord can descend on the ‘Punjab’ of the body. Then even while living he shall attain liberation, immutable bliss.

So let’s remember, whom had He voted for, who had ruled His body, and let us do the same with our lives as well.