(a special 'samashti bhiksha' was hosted for pujya guruji, swami tejomayanandaji, by chinmaya mission mumbai as part of the 50th year celebrations of pujya guruudev's first yagna in mumbai in 1957. the satsang was arranged at maheshwari udyan, andheri west, mumbai at 11 am on 16th december 2007. shri parindra kadakia gave a short welcome address and floral tributes were offered to guruji by the yajamans of the day. this was followed by a paduka puja of gurudev's padukas. guruji then addressed the gathering. the following is a synopsis of the talk.)
what was the purpose of this satsang? to meet everyone who were missed out at the three mega-yagnas organised in south mumbai, borivali and navi mumbai.
i hadn't thought of what i'll say when i meet you but something came to my mind a while ago. i assume everyone assembled here is associated with the chinmaya mission. associated in some way or the other. what does this association mean? what should we do?
i am reminded of a verse from the 12th chapter of the bhagwad geeta - shreyo hi gyanamabhyasaat, gyanaatdhyaanam vishishyate. dhyanaat karma phala tyaagaha, tyaggatchchantiranantaram. (verse 12, chapter 12).
study is good, but better is knowledge. meditation is superior to knowledge, and sacrifice of the fruits of action is superior to meditation. and this is because it gives peace of mind.
there is no peace of mind in acquiring or hoarding but in sacrifice. eg. if we take anger as an example; to get rid of anger we must sacrifice it. there are two ways of giving it up - one is to give vent to it and the second way is to overcome it through knowledge. similarly with any desire. and therefore there is peace of mind.
this was in a spiritual context. now let us apply this in the context of chinmaya mission.
in the mission there are many workers from all backgrounds, all doing some work eg. bala-vihar, chyk, committees, events, projects, etc. everybody is doing some work. but if we were to ask why they are working or what is the purpose, they do not know.
eg. why do you take a bal-vihar class? what is the benefit? it is not for 'baby sitting' the children! yes, the children are taught stories, shlokas, bhajans, etc. but do the sevaks know the relevance of bal-vihars? how do i benefit? what are the future benefits? how is it related to the chinmaya mission?
similarly with other activities. some people are office-bearers but still do not know the purpose!
whatever we are doing is service to the chinmaya mission or it is a personal sadhana. but if we know what is the purpose then it is even better.
the second aspect is to give it attention. to be focused or to be absorbed in it - dhyana. the more we get absorbed in it, the more we enjoy.
so we have to plunge whole-heartedly in it, which is the equivalent of getting absorbed in it. not attempt 'half-heartedly' or 'quarter-heartedly'! not 'heartlessly' either!
the next aspect is 'karma phala tyaaga'. karma phala is of two types -
1. gross benefits - rewards, wealth, etc.
2. subtler benefits - recognition, praise, etc.
i remember when i was posted in the us from 1989-1993, i used to always be with pujya gurudev whenever he had camps in the us. at one such camp in san diego, because of gurudev's heart condition, i was handling all the sessions except one session by gurudev. there used to be a banquet on the second-last day of the camp. the organisers thanked everyone for all the work and contribution. everyone was thanked except me. this is something you can't help but notice. i noticed it.
gurudev was then asked to give his blessings. he started off by saying, 'you thanked all, but not the one who covered me'! that’s when i felt that it was good that the person giving the vote of thanks forgot to thank me. because then he remembered!
adi shankaracharya says that we should not have desire even for moksha. only then will we have peace of mind.
giving up desires is possible when we have love, prem, bhakti. eg. parent's love for children.
now pujya gurudev started this mission. what was the purpose? he taught vedanta because this knowledge changes our lives. it converts us from ordinary lives to brahman - infinite! therefore he always used to say - 'you change'. the main objective was inner transformation! remove ignorance and darkness and convert it into creativity and inspiration.
in bal-vihar the main objective is to infuse 'sanskar (values)' in them. there are many people who have a car, but not many with 'sanskar'! and without these sanskars in our children we'll hear more news like the ones about kids with guns in school!
so bal-vihar is not only about time-pass/ games/ stories, but it is mainly about 'sanskar'. and for chyks it mainly about discussing/thinking about these sanskars. in study groups some people want a lecture or a video show. it is supposed be a session of discussion and mananam. (some people do not read and prepare for class. they leave their books behind in class itlsef. and then they complain that the class is not interesting).
in allahabad, once a mission secretary went to pujya gurudev and asked him how to make study groups interesting. gurudev asked him to fetch a notebook and take down notes. he then said 'fetch dancing girls from benares'! then he explained that study groups can't be made interesting by making external changes. if you study and understand then it automatically becomes interesting. so the focus is to study and focus on oneself.
similarly, the idea of a bhajan group is not only to sing and 'make noise', but to increase our devotion to the lord.
and the objective of the vanaprastha sansthan is not to sit and complain, or go on spritual picnics!
at a vanaprastha camp i was asked to speak. so i told them i would speak since they asked me to. but i also said that i know that they would not follow a single thing i say. they wouldn't believe me. so i asked them to stop drinking tea and eating fried foods. stop attending all social functions like marriages. and then one person said, 'but i am planning to get married myself since i want some company'! look for god's company. similarly nobody wants to take up sanyas. vanaprastha is when we are supposed to slowly give up things and focus on puja, japa, etc.
gyana yagnas are supposed to let maximum number of people know about this knowledge of vedanta. and to let people know about all the activities of the mission.
similarly in chinmaya vibhuti the objective is to light the lamp of spirituality within ourselves and then spread it among others. in sidhabari gurudev used to ask us symbolically light a lamp and place it on the map.
the project in kharghar, chinmaya prerna, is a project of all chinmaya mission members in mumbai. we must all help each other and thus grow. it is a project which will benefit lakhs of people.
and for chinmaya mission this is not a big project, nor is it too difficult. if everyone works together, it will happen.
so whatever we do, we do with understanding, with focus/dedication and with no expectations. then there will truly be peace.
we must move from being a 'bhakta' (admirer) to a shishya (to study/learn) and then finally to a 'sevak' (life-long service)!
we bow down to pujya gurudev who inspires all the chinmaya mission members.
Showing posts with label guruji. Show all posts
Showing posts with label guruji. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
basking in the light - IX
guruji was invited for a satsang by shri ajay piramal on 2nd september 2007 at their nicholas piramal office complex to commemorate the completion of 5 years of their study class which is conducted by br. sattvikaji.
the program started with bhajans by the chinmaya swaranjali and by one of the study class members.
shri ajay piramal then spoke about his association with the mission, the study class and how the study of the geeta had made a significant difference in his personal and professional life. he thanked guruji for sending sattvikaji to conduct the study class at their office.
guruji then addressed the audience of more than 200 people. the following is a brief synopsis of the same.
the title of the talk was 'practical application of the bhagwad geeta in daily life'. guruji started off by saying that the topic can be divided into 3 parts - 1. practical application, 2. the bhagwad geeta and 3. daily life.
starting with daily life, he said that our daily life is typically a routine of waking up, freshening up, going about our daily chores or work and then retiring at the end of the day to rest.
but if we were to analyse our daily life we then realise that we are essentially dealing with people, material things and situations or events. so life can be defined as perceptions from these 3 sources and our response to them. and everybody has to respond, there is not escaping that.
now our responses to these perceptions tend to be different at different points of time. and different people tend to respond differently to the same situation.
and most of the time we realise that there is a gap between our knowledge and our response. though we know what we should or should not do, we are not able to act upon this knowledge. and this is because the knowledge has not been assimilated into us.
imagine we were given a glass of milk and as we are about to drink it, if someone were to tell us that there is poison mixed in the milk we would immediately refrain from drinking the milk. here the knowledge is there, it has been assimilated and there is understanding and therefore immediate application of the knowledge.
but this is not the case with us in all other aspects. eg. when we learn that happiness is not in objects, we are not completely convinced. therefore there is no application in life.
ramtirthji used to narrate a story of a mad man who announced to all the children that the landlord is having some celebrations in his house with lights and crackers and he would be distributing sweets at a particular time. the children all rush to the landlord's house, only to find that there is nothing happening there. but they are surprised to find the mad man also waiting there. so they confront him and ask him whether he knew that there would be no celebration, the mad said he knew. so the children enquire why then was waiting at the landlord's house to which the mad man replies that he did not want to miss the celebration just in case there happened to be one!
we are like the mad man; though we have the knowledge it has not been assimilated within us. but once this assimilation takes place, then there would automatically be application of the knowledge. so the point is, once we understand what the scriptures say, we must bring it into our life and use it.
now the point is, 'why do we suffer?'. one obvious reason is 'thoughtless action'. this is also the reason why transformation does not take place in our lives. but another equally important problem is 'actionless thought'. and when we do not act for some time then even out thoughts will change. eg. we might resolve to wake up everyday at 5 am. but we keep making excuses till we are intellectually convinced that we do not need to wake up at 5 am. our karma should be according to our buddhi and not the other way around!
now one watchword in the gita is 'samata' or equanimity. now equanimity has different connotations with respect to objects, people and experiences.
1. with respect to objects - these are all material objects like house, car, jewellery, etc. now all these objects have a place in the scheme of things in our life and they have their value. we should give due value to them , but not undue value.
(here guruji quoted one of rahim's dohas which says that when there is a need for a needle there is no point in using a sword.)
we usually confuse the objects with its value and give it more importance than the person. here guruji narrated a story of a very rich man who had a poor sister. this man was not kind to his sister and was very rude to her and would never invite her to any of the functions or celebrations in his house. after some time the sister becomes very rich. the brother then invites her for a party. she arrives at his decked with a lot of jewellery. when the food is served she takes off her jewellery and starts feeding it separately. the brother is annoyed and irritated and asks her what she is doing. she explains that she realises that it is her jewellery which was invited for the party and not her, and that is why she is feeding the jewellery.
2. with respect to experiences - experiences are pairs of opposites - heat & cold at body level, joy and sorrow at mental level and honor and dishonor at intellectual level. these experiences affect everyone. equanimity in experiences would mean freedom from our personal likes and dislikes.
if we accept one experience then we should learn to accept the opposite also. or we should reject both. if something comes our way we should welcome it; and when it goes away we shouldn't stop it.
we can look at this in different ways - a devotee says it is god's will; another says it is the result of my karma; and another says that these are only appearances and not the truth. we can adopt whichever option we prefer, else we only keep swinging from one extreme to another.
3. with respect to people - people can be of any of the following categories - well-wisher, friend, enemy, neutral, mediator (well-wisher of both), someone we dislike for no reason, relation, one who helps everyone, unrighteous.
guruji said that when he read about jesus christ saying 'love thy neighbor' his first reaction was that this is a limited, narrow vision. he then later realised that this is very apt. we are able to love people all over, but it is living with our near and dear one which is difficult.
when someone far away criticises us it doesn't bother us. but when its someone near to us then we feel upset.
about equanimity in relation to people, shankaracharya says we should learn to accept them as they are. eg. we accept fruits and flowers as they are; we enjoy all animals in a safari and accept them as they are. similarly fire is hot and we accept it. we don't complain about it, instead we use it. in the same way we should accept people and adjust ourselves accordingly.
there is no point in constantly complaining. here guruji gave an example of socrates whose wife was a nag and who once berated him when he was with people and then poured a bucket of water over him in anger. his friends asked him how he could accept this. he responded by saying that there is usually a shower after a thunderstorm.
so we should first learn to accept people and then, only if authorised, can we advise them.
so 'samata' is the constant in all the 3 - objects, experiences and people.
we have to keep reflecting on this.
---------------------
there was also a wonderful question & answer session after this. that would be put up in a separate post.
the program started with bhajans by the chinmaya swaranjali and by one of the study class members.
shri ajay piramal then spoke about his association with the mission, the study class and how the study of the geeta had made a significant difference in his personal and professional life. he thanked guruji for sending sattvikaji to conduct the study class at their office.
guruji then addressed the audience of more than 200 people. the following is a brief synopsis of the same.
the title of the talk was 'practical application of the bhagwad geeta in daily life'. guruji started off by saying that the topic can be divided into 3 parts - 1. practical application, 2. the bhagwad geeta and 3. daily life.
starting with daily life, he said that our daily life is typically a routine of waking up, freshening up, going about our daily chores or work and then retiring at the end of the day to rest.
but if we were to analyse our daily life we then realise that we are essentially dealing with people, material things and situations or events. so life can be defined as perceptions from these 3 sources and our response to them. and everybody has to respond, there is not escaping that.
now our responses to these perceptions tend to be different at different points of time. and different people tend to respond differently to the same situation.
and most of the time we realise that there is a gap between our knowledge and our response. though we know what we should or should not do, we are not able to act upon this knowledge. and this is because the knowledge has not been assimilated into us.
imagine we were given a glass of milk and as we are about to drink it, if someone were to tell us that there is poison mixed in the milk we would immediately refrain from drinking the milk. here the knowledge is there, it has been assimilated and there is understanding and therefore immediate application of the knowledge.
but this is not the case with us in all other aspects. eg. when we learn that happiness is not in objects, we are not completely convinced. therefore there is no application in life.
ramtirthji used to narrate a story of a mad man who announced to all the children that the landlord is having some celebrations in his house with lights and crackers and he would be distributing sweets at a particular time. the children all rush to the landlord's house, only to find that there is nothing happening there. but they are surprised to find the mad man also waiting there. so they confront him and ask him whether he knew that there would be no celebration, the mad said he knew. so the children enquire why then was waiting at the landlord's house to which the mad man replies that he did not want to miss the celebration just in case there happened to be one!
we are like the mad man; though we have the knowledge it has not been assimilated within us. but once this assimilation takes place, then there would automatically be application of the knowledge. so the point is, once we understand what the scriptures say, we must bring it into our life and use it.
now the point is, 'why do we suffer?'. one obvious reason is 'thoughtless action'. this is also the reason why transformation does not take place in our lives. but another equally important problem is 'actionless thought'. and when we do not act for some time then even out thoughts will change. eg. we might resolve to wake up everyday at 5 am. but we keep making excuses till we are intellectually convinced that we do not need to wake up at 5 am. our karma should be according to our buddhi and not the other way around!
now one watchword in the gita is 'samata' or equanimity. now equanimity has different connotations with respect to objects, people and experiences.
1. with respect to objects - these are all material objects like house, car, jewellery, etc. now all these objects have a place in the scheme of things in our life and they have their value. we should give due value to them , but not undue value.
(here guruji quoted one of rahim's dohas which says that when there is a need for a needle there is no point in using a sword.)
we usually confuse the objects with its value and give it more importance than the person. here guruji narrated a story of a very rich man who had a poor sister. this man was not kind to his sister and was very rude to her and would never invite her to any of the functions or celebrations in his house. after some time the sister becomes very rich. the brother then invites her for a party. she arrives at his decked with a lot of jewellery. when the food is served she takes off her jewellery and starts feeding it separately. the brother is annoyed and irritated and asks her what she is doing. she explains that she realises that it is her jewellery which was invited for the party and not her, and that is why she is feeding the jewellery.
2. with respect to experiences - experiences are pairs of opposites - heat & cold at body level, joy and sorrow at mental level and honor and dishonor at intellectual level. these experiences affect everyone. equanimity in experiences would mean freedom from our personal likes and dislikes.
if we accept one experience then we should learn to accept the opposite also. or we should reject both. if something comes our way we should welcome it; and when it goes away we shouldn't stop it.
we can look at this in different ways - a devotee says it is god's will; another says it is the result of my karma; and another says that these are only appearances and not the truth. we can adopt whichever option we prefer, else we only keep swinging from one extreme to another.
3. with respect to people - people can be of any of the following categories - well-wisher, friend, enemy, neutral, mediator (well-wisher of both), someone we dislike for no reason, relation, one who helps everyone, unrighteous.
guruji said that when he read about jesus christ saying 'love thy neighbor' his first reaction was that this is a limited, narrow vision. he then later realised that this is very apt. we are able to love people all over, but it is living with our near and dear one which is difficult.
when someone far away criticises us it doesn't bother us. but when its someone near to us then we feel upset.
about equanimity in relation to people, shankaracharya says we should learn to accept them as they are. eg. we accept fruits and flowers as they are; we enjoy all animals in a safari and accept them as they are. similarly fire is hot and we accept it. we don't complain about it, instead we use it. in the same way we should accept people and adjust ourselves accordingly.
there is no point in constantly complaining. here guruji gave an example of socrates whose wife was a nag and who once berated him when he was with people and then poured a bucket of water over him in anger. his friends asked him how he could accept this. he responded by saying that there is usually a shower after a thunderstorm.
so we should first learn to accept people and then, only if authorised, can we advise them.
so 'samata' is the constant in all the 3 - objects, experiences and people.
we have to keep reflecting on this.
---------------------
there was also a wonderful question & answer session after this. that would be put up in a separate post.
Friday, August 24, 2007
basking in the light - VIII
this is a transcript of a talk given by swami tejomayanandaji during the valedictory address of the corporate workshop titled 'transforming work-places through self-awareness' at sandeepany sadhanalaya on 24th july 2007.
you can hear the actual talk at the following link - address by guruji
it is a must-read & must-hear for everybody, but more so for working professionals.
------------
"when i was being introduced, i remembered a joke.
there was a public function and the secretary introduced the chief guest. and he heaped a lot of praise with many adjectives and words used. after listening to this the chief guest said something which i also would like to say today - before i begin my speech i would like to apologise for two things. one is that the secretary said so many things about me which were an exaggeration, for which i apologise. and the second apology is because i enjoyed it!
for a minute i was wondering who she was talking about. that may be because of her love and devotion. anyway, that apart...
i am glad you were here the whole day, and from the few impressions that i heard it seems that you also enjoyed it and liked the sessions. and you found the sessions useful and purposeful which is a very good thing to hear. because, without keeping come purpose in our mind we don't do anything. and the purpose for which we do something, if that is achieved, then naturally we feel happy!
so, our purpose was to introduce spirituality at the work-place. and this was only an introduction as you yourself have seen. so our purpose is achieved. and the first step is that we enjoy what we hear. and if we enjoy then there is a possibility that we will do it more.
one thing is, when you listen to swamis and sanyasis one thought may be crossing your mind - these swamis can sit and preach and say many things, but if we put them in the work-place will they be able to put all this into practice themselves? some people might have a thought that maybe because this person could not do much at the work-place he took up sanyas!
as the popular saying goes - those who can, do. and those who can't, teach!
and there was a teacher who did not like this quotation. and so decided to add to it - and those who cannot do either, write about it!
so people always feel it is very easy for these swamis to sit and say all this. i also hear one of you mention that when you hear all this it appears easy, but it is easier said than done. and you think, 'i hope it is as easy to implement'.
in this regard i would like to say only thing, and that is, 'just do it!'.
if you yourself say it is difficult or i don't know whether it is possible then it will become difficult. i had read the definition of 'short-cut' - a shortcut is the longest distance between two points! think about it. every time we think it is better to take the shortcut we realise that it would have been better to take the highway itself!
and i have noticed that a person who wants a shortcut will find even the shortest route to be very long. but on the other hand, if a person is ready to walk a long way then the long way will itself seem like a short distance, because somebody will give him a ride. and he will go very fast. therefore don't look for shortcuts. and don't look for easy way of doing things. then you will feel that the so-called difficult things have become easy! and the long distances become short. this is possible.
also, in this full day's session, you must have heard that ultimately you have to change yourself. even though i have not attended the sessions i know this is what would have been said from a spiritual perspective. because the complete bottom-line is this statement.
'you' have to have self-awareness, 'you' have to have self-improvement, 'you' have to..., 'you' have to... it all finally comes back to 'you' alone.
there was this lady who had heard too much about self-improvement. she went to a book-store and there too she saw an entire section of books on self-improvement. she got fed up and asked the salesman, 'don't you have any books on improving others?'.
but such a thought sometimes does come to our mind. how long can i improve myself? but the truth is ultimately this alone. therefore we have to go to these basics.
since i have not worked directly in a corporate environment, i was asking someone - what is the meaning of transforming the work-place? i was told - you see, there is lot of tension. especially during the appraisal time. there is a lot of tension. and then when somebody else gets the promotion, you think that that person is far inferior in terms of performance and you wonder how that person got a promotion while you didn't get one. so you see there is a lot of tension. and of course, there is also jealousy. and anger and frustration. so all these things happen.
so now, what does one do about this? this keeps happening. and we cannot change suddenly. we can only change the curtains and maybe change the flowers everyday. and hope that the atmosphere will change. but does work? only outer cosmetic changes? no, it does not change.
in our traditional language there is only one answer on how to change. and it is called 'satsang'. now when we hear it, it sounds very orthodox. but 'sat' means reality or truth. and 'sang' means association. the when you live in association with the truth - the truth of life, the truth of every experience, the truth of everything - you will change.
generally what is understood as satsang is that 'you live in the company of wise people'. and only then you will you get the right understanding - binu satsang koi vivek na hoi! this is a famous line from the ramacharitmanas. without this association with the wise people we do not get the right understanding. and this is required continuously. it is not a one-day workshop or a seminar. your whole life has to be geared towards that. then it will happen.
and to release this tension i will tell you two things. one is from the standpoint of knowledge. and that is 'you look upon everyone, with all those you are working with, as your own self'! this may sound very difficult at this moment. but you look upon them. and then you see what happens.
once i had gone to a meeting of all medical doctors. this was a few years ago. and it was in bihar. and at that time in bihar rabri devi was made the chief minister. and there was a very highly-qualified lady doctor at that meeting and she was looking very agitated. and she said to me, 'swamiji, what has happened to our country? look at this, who has become the chief minister!'
so i told her, 'why are you so agitated? suppose she was your sister?' the lady suddenly laughed. and then she paused. suddenly she realised that her thoughts would have been very different.
i once read something very nice on a truck. our trucks are very enlightening. they write such wonderful wisdom. one such statement i liked very much - jalo mat, bhgwan tumko bhi dega! (don't be jealous, god will also give you!)
so you look upon another as your own self, your own family member. so when your son does better than you, you feel proud about it. similarly if someone else has got a promotion you should feel that that person must have done better, very good! even in cricket when a batsman hits a very good shot but some player manages a very difficult catch. the batsman is declared out. but he goes to the player and congratulates him on a beautiful piece of fielding. we should have that kind of magnanimity. when you appreciate the others who have done better you will suddenly find that your whole outlook changes. and when you are relaxed, people around you are also relaxed! to a great extent.
this is one way of looking at this.
and the second way is - devotion.
now this may appeal to some people. but if there are atheists, then they will say that i don't believe in any god. so it may not appeal to them.
devotion to god. now we are always worried whether other people know what we are doing or not, whether we will be appreciated or not. but if you have the thought in your mind that ultimately god knows. then that is what counts.
once somebody told me that the chinmaya mission is doing a lot of work and a lot of social work, so we should do a lot of publicity. i asked him - why? the person for whom we are doing this work knows. and god also knows. and there ends the matter.
so you do relax. please relax. so whichever way you would like to look at the situation, this way or that way, suddenly you will find that you are relaxed.
and when you are relaxed it is more infectious than your common cold. other people will also start feeling relaxed.
i think this is the way. but like i said, continuous satsang is required. it doesn't come in just one day or two days. but when you do it again and again, it will, there is no doubt about it.
with this i conclude my remarks and i invoke god's grace and pujya gurudev's blessings on one and all for a very happy, peaceful, purposeful, and successful life.
thank you very much!
--------------------------------------
you can hear the actual talk at the following link - address by guruji
it is a must-read & must-hear for everybody, but more so for working professionals.
------------
"when i was being introduced, i remembered a joke.
there was a public function and the secretary introduced the chief guest. and he heaped a lot of praise with many adjectives and words used. after listening to this the chief guest said something which i also would like to say today - before i begin my speech i would like to apologise for two things. one is that the secretary said so many things about me which were an exaggeration, for which i apologise. and the second apology is because i enjoyed it!
for a minute i was wondering who she was talking about. that may be because of her love and devotion. anyway, that apart...
i am glad you were here the whole day, and from the few impressions that i heard it seems that you also enjoyed it and liked the sessions. and you found the sessions useful and purposeful which is a very good thing to hear. because, without keeping come purpose in our mind we don't do anything. and the purpose for which we do something, if that is achieved, then naturally we feel happy!
so, our purpose was to introduce spirituality at the work-place. and this was only an introduction as you yourself have seen. so our purpose is achieved. and the first step is that we enjoy what we hear. and if we enjoy then there is a possibility that we will do it more.
one thing is, when you listen to swamis and sanyasis one thought may be crossing your mind - these swamis can sit and preach and say many things, but if we put them in the work-place will they be able to put all this into practice themselves? some people might have a thought that maybe because this person could not do much at the work-place he took up sanyas!
as the popular saying goes - those who can, do. and those who can't, teach!
and there was a teacher who did not like this quotation. and so decided to add to it - and those who cannot do either, write about it!
so people always feel it is very easy for these swamis to sit and say all this. i also hear one of you mention that when you hear all this it appears easy, but it is easier said than done. and you think, 'i hope it is as easy to implement'.
in this regard i would like to say only thing, and that is, 'just do it!'.
if you yourself say it is difficult or i don't know whether it is possible then it will become difficult. i had read the definition of 'short-cut' - a shortcut is the longest distance between two points! think about it. every time we think it is better to take the shortcut we realise that it would have been better to take the highway itself!
and i have noticed that a person who wants a shortcut will find even the shortest route to be very long. but on the other hand, if a person is ready to walk a long way then the long way will itself seem like a short distance, because somebody will give him a ride. and he will go very fast. therefore don't look for shortcuts. and don't look for easy way of doing things. then you will feel that the so-called difficult things have become easy! and the long distances become short. this is possible.
also, in this full day's session, you must have heard that ultimately you have to change yourself. even though i have not attended the sessions i know this is what would have been said from a spiritual perspective. because the complete bottom-line is this statement.
'you' have to have self-awareness, 'you' have to have self-improvement, 'you' have to..., 'you' have to... it all finally comes back to 'you' alone.
there was this lady who had heard too much about self-improvement. she went to a book-store and there too she saw an entire section of books on self-improvement. she got fed up and asked the salesman, 'don't you have any books on improving others?'.
but such a thought sometimes does come to our mind. how long can i improve myself? but the truth is ultimately this alone. therefore we have to go to these basics.
since i have not worked directly in a corporate environment, i was asking someone - what is the meaning of transforming the work-place? i was told - you see, there is lot of tension. especially during the appraisal time. there is a lot of tension. and then when somebody else gets the promotion, you think that that person is far inferior in terms of performance and you wonder how that person got a promotion while you didn't get one. so you see there is a lot of tension. and of course, there is also jealousy. and anger and frustration. so all these things happen.
so now, what does one do about this? this keeps happening. and we cannot change suddenly. we can only change the curtains and maybe change the flowers everyday. and hope that the atmosphere will change. but does work? only outer cosmetic changes? no, it does not change.
in our traditional language there is only one answer on how to change. and it is called 'satsang'. now when we hear it, it sounds very orthodox. but 'sat' means reality or truth. and 'sang' means association. the when you live in association with the truth - the truth of life, the truth of every experience, the truth of everything - you will change.
generally what is understood as satsang is that 'you live in the company of wise people'. and only then you will you get the right understanding - binu satsang koi vivek na hoi! this is a famous line from the ramacharitmanas. without this association with the wise people we do not get the right understanding. and this is required continuously. it is not a one-day workshop or a seminar. your whole life has to be geared towards that. then it will happen.
and to release this tension i will tell you two things. one is from the standpoint of knowledge. and that is 'you look upon everyone, with all those you are working with, as your own self'! this may sound very difficult at this moment. but you look upon them. and then you see what happens.
once i had gone to a meeting of all medical doctors. this was a few years ago. and it was in bihar. and at that time in bihar rabri devi was made the chief minister. and there was a very highly-qualified lady doctor at that meeting and she was looking very agitated. and she said to me, 'swamiji, what has happened to our country? look at this, who has become the chief minister!'
so i told her, 'why are you so agitated? suppose she was your sister?' the lady suddenly laughed. and then she paused. suddenly she realised that her thoughts would have been very different.
i once read something very nice on a truck. our trucks are very enlightening. they write such wonderful wisdom. one such statement i liked very much - jalo mat, bhgwan tumko bhi dega! (don't be jealous, god will also give you!)
so you look upon another as your own self, your own family member. so when your son does better than you, you feel proud about it. similarly if someone else has got a promotion you should feel that that person must have done better, very good! even in cricket when a batsman hits a very good shot but some player manages a very difficult catch. the batsman is declared out. but he goes to the player and congratulates him on a beautiful piece of fielding. we should have that kind of magnanimity. when you appreciate the others who have done better you will suddenly find that your whole outlook changes. and when you are relaxed, people around you are also relaxed! to a great extent.
this is one way of looking at this.
and the second way is - devotion.
now this may appeal to some people. but if there are atheists, then they will say that i don't believe in any god. so it may not appeal to them.
devotion to god. now we are always worried whether other people know what we are doing or not, whether we will be appreciated or not. but if you have the thought in your mind that ultimately god knows. then that is what counts.
once somebody told me that the chinmaya mission is doing a lot of work and a lot of social work, so we should do a lot of publicity. i asked him - why? the person for whom we are doing this work knows. and god also knows. and there ends the matter.
so you do relax. please relax. so whichever way you would like to look at the situation, this way or that way, suddenly you will find that you are relaxed.
and when you are relaxed it is more infectious than your common cold. other people will also start feeling relaxed.
i think this is the way. but like i said, continuous satsang is required. it doesn't come in just one day or two days. but when you do it again and again, it will, there is no doubt about it.
with this i conclude my remarks and i invoke god's grace and pujya gurudev's blessings on one and all for a very happy, peaceful, purposeful, and successful life.
thank you very much!
--------------------------------------
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
basking in the light - VII
a devotee was discussing with guruji about a new job offer that she was considering. the job that she currently had was a comfortable, flexible one, which helped her spend adequate time at home also… guruji asked her the reason that she was planning to explore the new opportunity. she responded that one of the key factors was for better remuneration. then he went on to explain to her all about money, wealth and richness in his inimitable and precise style.
to summarise:
- sandeepany sadhanalaya, june 2007
to summarise:
- we need to get our priorities in life right… understand what your priorities are at this moment and take a decision accordingly – any job that pays you more will demand more of you.
- find out what your duty / passion is and do the same diligently. that is most important.
- however much you run after money, however much you earn, what will remain is the “bottom-line”. the amount that will remain with you for your use will only be as much as you are entitled to. so there is no point in hankering after lots of money – it may transit your way but not remain with you…
- who is a rich person? if you need Rs. 10 today and you have Rs 10 with you – you are a rich person. that is all there is to it… if at any point in time you have what you need you can consider yourself rich. think about it – all the surplus is just lying in some bank or investments and not with ‘you’ to meet your needs…
- what is important and needs to be preserved in one’s life is one’s integrity, which is mostly irretrievable once it is lost – wealth once lost can be regained but this is not so with one’s character /integrity.
he explained the same with an anecdote from the story of akbar and birbal. when akbar went to attend an important function, he was welcomed with the traditional “attar”. when it was being put on him, a drop fell to the floor, which he instinctively bent down to pick up and apply on himself. then he felt ashamed that he a 'jahanpannah' (master of the universe) had stooped to pick up a drop of scent fallen on the floor and quickly looked around to see if anyone saw him doing the same. his eyes caught birbal’s who smiled a small smile to indicate that he had noticed.. akbar was irritated and when he went back, he ordered that a tank full of attar be offered to birbal to have a bath in… birbal responded by telling the emperor that he would not be able to regain what he had lost by a drop with a barrelful – the dignity that he lost by stooping to pick up a drop could not be regained later by offering a barrelful of the same in charity… same is the case with integrity – once lost is gone forever… - the next important thing in life is faith – the same power that has sustained us till today will also take care of us going forward – the unshakable faith that “ab tak tho nibhaayaa hai, aage bhi nibhaayenge…” (lord has been with us till now, and he will also be with us in the future!).
here he mentioned that one of the best quotes he has seen painted on the back of a truck “Jalo math – tumko bhi milega” (don't burn with jealousy, you too will get your share). have that faith and that will take us through… - the third aspect is the constant remembrance of the lord – guruji said that these are the things that he prays for – all else will follow…
in an earlier discussion with the same devotee, guruji had emphasized the importance of maintaining good health and not running after wealth at the cost of one’s health. if one’s health is a problem, no amount of wealth will be able to make up for the misery one feels.
so in summary, while explaining the philosophy of wealth, guruji taught us what we should ask for / aspire for –
- doing one’s duty with integrity
- faith in the power that has sustained us this far and
- constant remembrance of the lord
…everything else is secondary!
- sandeepany sadhanalaya, june 2007
Saturday, July 7, 2007
basking in the light - V
we were assembled in guruji's kutiya discussing the plans for the ceos' seminar that was being planned in mumbai. anil sachdevji was visiting from delhi and he was to be one of the speakers along with guruji for this program.
towards the end of the discussion a gentleman entered the kutiya. he was wearing a tie and looked like a senior person from some corporate. anilji then introduced him to guruji as one of the directors in one of the large indian corporate giants. after exchanging pleasantries, anilji mentioned an interesting anecdote which was the reason the gentleman had arrived there that morning.
on one of his previous visits to the ashram, after anilji had met guruji and was on his way back to his hotel after taking prasad from guruji, he noticed that this above-mentioned gentleman's cell-phone number had inexplicably appeared on his (anilji's) cell-phone. he took this as a sign that there must be some reason for this and decided to drop into this gentleman's office which was just a stone's throw away.
when he reached his office, the gentleman informed him that he had dropped into office only for a couple of hours and was now about to leave to accompany his wife to the hospital for her chemo-therapy since she was afflicted with cancer. anilji immediately gave him the prasad which he had received and asked the gentleman to give it to his wife and that it would give her some solace & strength.
the gentleman did give the prasad to his wife and this act had a great impact on this lady.
many months later, when anilji informed this gentleman that he was going to be in mumbai and that he could drop into the ashram in case he wanted to meet guruji. the gentleman's wife wanted him to go and meet guruji.
the gentleman, being a very senior official, had a very important meeting that same morning and he had forgotten this directive once he got into the meeting. he then received an sms from his wife reminding him to go and meet guruji. he then decided that he had to meet guruji and decided to come to the ashram.
guruji heard this narrative patiently and then enquired about her health and progress of the treatment. he then asked him to visit the ashram and meet at leisure and to bring his wife along too.
this simple act of love and caring by guruji won the gentleman's heart and he left shortly. it was obvious that he would soon return!
- sandeepany sadhanalaya, 12th june 2007
towards the end of the discussion a gentleman entered the kutiya. he was wearing a tie and looked like a senior person from some corporate. anilji then introduced him to guruji as one of the directors in one of the large indian corporate giants. after exchanging pleasantries, anilji mentioned an interesting anecdote which was the reason the gentleman had arrived there that morning.
on one of his previous visits to the ashram, after anilji had met guruji and was on his way back to his hotel after taking prasad from guruji, he noticed that this above-mentioned gentleman's cell-phone number had inexplicably appeared on his (anilji's) cell-phone. he took this as a sign that there must be some reason for this and decided to drop into this gentleman's office which was just a stone's throw away.
when he reached his office, the gentleman informed him that he had dropped into office only for a couple of hours and was now about to leave to accompany his wife to the hospital for her chemo-therapy since she was afflicted with cancer. anilji immediately gave him the prasad which he had received and asked the gentleman to give it to his wife and that it would give her some solace & strength.
the gentleman did give the prasad to his wife and this act had a great impact on this lady.
many months later, when anilji informed this gentleman that he was going to be in mumbai and that he could drop into the ashram in case he wanted to meet guruji. the gentleman's wife wanted him to go and meet guruji.
the gentleman, being a very senior official, had a very important meeting that same morning and he had forgotten this directive once he got into the meeting. he then received an sms from his wife reminding him to go and meet guruji. he then decided that he had to meet guruji and decided to come to the ashram.
guruji heard this narrative patiently and then enquired about her health and progress of the treatment. he then asked him to visit the ashram and meet at leisure and to bring his wife along too.
this simple act of love and caring by guruji won the gentleman's heart and he left shortly. it was obvious that he would soon return!
- sandeepany sadhanalaya, 12th june 2007
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
basking in the light - II
last night we went to the ashram to see off guruji. as you can imagine there were a lot of people. guruji was in a very good mood and the atmosphere was special.
after dinner, at about 9.30 (he was to leave for the airport at 10 for his 1 am flight to the us for his surgery) he had asked the students to assemble outside his kutiya. he was joking with them in his usual, inimitable style.
when meera's mother (who does all his cooking for him at the ashram) said she wanted to come to the airport he dissuaded her. then he narrated an anecdote about his first visit to the reunion island. he was apparently staying with an old christian lady named elizabeth who reminded him of his mother. she couldn't speak english and he didn't understand french. the only phrase he learnt was 'bon bon' which he used whenever she served him food. on the eve of his departure she said she would accompany him to the airport to see him off. but next morning she apparently said she had changed her mind. when guruji asked her the reason, she said she did not want to see him off as she would break down and cry!
by sharing this anecdote, guruji communicated that he didn't want meera's mother to come to the airport as he didn't want to see them cry.
and then when it was time to leave, all the brahmacharis chanted the 'margabandhu stotram'. and the 'mrityunjaya mantra'. the effect was electric! even now as i recollect those moments as i write this posting, i get goose-bumps.
and then as he was leaving from his room he hugged swamini nishthanandaji and asked meera to take special care of her while he was away.
- sandeepany sadhanalaya, mumbai, 19th dec 2006
after dinner, at about 9.30 (he was to leave for the airport at 10 for his 1 am flight to the us for his surgery) he had asked the students to assemble outside his kutiya. he was joking with them in his usual, inimitable style.
when meera's mother (who does all his cooking for him at the ashram) said she wanted to come to the airport he dissuaded her. then he narrated an anecdote about his first visit to the reunion island. he was apparently staying with an old christian lady named elizabeth who reminded him of his mother. she couldn't speak english and he didn't understand french. the only phrase he learnt was 'bon bon' which he used whenever she served him food. on the eve of his departure she said she would accompany him to the airport to see him off. but next morning she apparently said she had changed her mind. when guruji asked her the reason, she said she did not want to see him off as she would break down and cry!
by sharing this anecdote, guruji communicated that he didn't want meera's mother to come to the airport as he didn't want to see them cry.
and then when it was time to leave, all the brahmacharis chanted the 'margabandhu stotram'. and the 'mrityunjaya mantra'. the effect was electric! even now as i recollect those moments as i write this posting, i get goose-bumps.
and then as he was leaving from his room he hugged swamini nishthanandaji and asked meera to take special care of her while he was away.
- sandeepany sadhanalaya, mumbai, 19th dec 2006
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