The Glory of Gayatri=Pujya Gurudev

The Glory of Gayatri

=Pt.ShriRam Sharma Acharya

It is difficult to fathom the root cause of the astonishing demonstrations of Gayatri Sadhana. Right from Brahma, the Creator of this universe, down to the present era, all the rishis, saints, spiritual seers and seekers have demonstrated the beneficent effects of the chanting of Gayatri mantra. No other mantra has been worshipped and chanted as much as Gayatri Mantra. Since ages highly elevated souls have been practising Gayatri Sadhana. Thus, a huge mass of highly elevated spiritual energy has been accumulated in subtle celestial spheres (loks) enveloping the earth.

It is a scientific truth that no sound or idea ever perishes. Whatever is uttered or thought today will spread in the space along with its waves and will remain there till infinity in some state or the other. Waves which are most powerful remain specifically alive. Scientists are trying to catch waves set in motion during the Mahabharat battle and those of the music of Tansen. If they succeed, we will be able to listen to sounds of important conversations which took place in ancient times. It will then be possible to listen Geeta directly emanating from the mouth of Lord Krishna.

Although, it may not be possible to transform sounds and thoughts into material forms in near future, it is certain that they do not vanish into nothingness. The faith and devotion towards Gayatri which have been nourished by countless persons still exist with all their potentialities in the subtle realm. According to the principle of convergence of all homogeneous elements at one point, the faith, devotion, sentiments and devout austerity of all the devotees have combined to contribute to the accumulation of a huge store of conscious spiritual energy.
Those who are acquainted a little with the science of thinking know that a magnetic field of the type in which a person thinks is created in his mind. This magnetism attracts thoughts of similar nature permeating the entire space and in a short time there is a vast accumulation of similar kinds of thoughts.

 Persons who think about gentlemanliness become more and more charged with righteous thoughts, virtues, tendencies and nature. In the same way a sinful mind becomes all the more so in a short time. All this happens according to the science of attraction of identical thoughts, according to which thoughts of all divine souls who were devotees of Gayatri right from the beginning of this creation get inter-linked. It is difficult even for a strong man to climb over a high wall but if a ladder or a stair-case is provided, anybody can climb over it easily. With the help of the stair-case built by the devotees of Gayatri in the past we can easily attain the  fruits of Gayatri Sadhana .
We get enriched suddenly and spontaneously with all the boons of Gayatri Sadhana for which great seekers in the past had put in extremely hard labour.

By these past Sadhanas powerful energy fields have been created in the subtle spheres by tuning into which we can march ahead with great speed. A drop of water, when it falls in the ocean, becomes the ocean itself. A person recruited in the army becomes part and parcel of the army. In the same way, a Sadhak who gets linked  with the accumulated power of Gayatri derives all its benefits. No other Ved-Mantra possesses so  much radiant and puissant energy as Gayatri Mantra. It is for this reason that immense benefits are obtained through Gayatri Sadhana with the least effort.
Even then we find that most of the people do no take advantage of it although they know its importance. A person may have ample money in his possession but if he does not use it and enjoy it, it can only be considered his misfortune.

Gayatri is divine knowledge which has been made available by God to us. Rishis and saints  have been directing us at every step in the scriptures to take advantage of  Gayatri  Sadhana. Yet, if we do not perform  Sadhana and get its benefit, it our misfortune and nothing else.

Gayatri is Spiritual Triveni

Some instances about the importance of Gayatri have been furnished in the fore-going pages. It is difficult to  consolidate and publish all of them. Ganga, Geeta, Gau (cow) and Gayatri, these four are pillars  of Indian culture. Every person who believes in Hindu religion reveres them like Mother and feels a special sense of mutual bonding with all others with similar faith.
Gayatri has been called spiritual Triveni. The confluence of Ganga and Yamuna creates an invisible, subtle, divine river which is known as Saraswati and the confluence of these three is known as Triveni. On account of this Triveni, Prayag is called king of all the Teerths. In the same way Gayatri is Triveni of the spiritual world. Its first letter ‘ga’  is suggestive of Ganga, second letter ‘ya’ of Yamuna and third letter ‘tri’ of Triveni. Several trios viz. (1) Sat, Chit, Anand, (2) Satyam (truth), Shivam, Sundaram (beauty) (3) Sat, Raj, Tam, (4) Ishwar (God) Jeev (soul) Prakriti (quality), (5) Rik, Yaju, Sam (6) Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya (7) Gun (virtue), Karma (action), Swabhav (nature), (8) Shaishav (childhood), Yauvan (youth), Budhapa (old age), (9) Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh, (10) Utpatti (creation), Vridhi (growth), Nash (destruction) (11) Sardi (winter), Garmi (summer) Varsha (rainy season) (12) Dharma (righteousness), Arth (wealth), Kam (sensual enjoyment), (13) Akash (space), Patal (nether-most world), Prithvi (earth), (14) Dev (God), Manushya (man), Asur (demon) etc. are interwoven and lie embedded in Gayatri chand. One who observes deeply by meditation and contemplation, these trinities gets the same spiritual merit as one gets in the material world by taking a dip in Triveni. These various trios represent various kinds of problems which the Sadhak is required to face and by solving which he attains the ultimate goal of self-realisation.
The three currents of Triveni appear to be vast, deep and daunting. In the same way, Gayatri Sadhana appears to be very difficult. But just as fear disappears and tranquilizing cheerfulness is attained by taking a dip in Triveni, so also by thinking, contemplating and probing deep into various aspects of  Gayatri Sadhana a person attains such spiritual insight which inspires him to follow righteous path and ultimately leads him to eternal peace and bliss. Gayatri, undoubtedly, is spiritual Triveni, it is teerathraj because the philosophy underlying it is easy, simple, and intelligible and it leads to perennial happiness.
The importance and glory of Gayatri is infinite. Ved, puran, shastras, history, rishis, saints,  house-holders all acknowledge its importance. It has a marvellous power of changing our outlook towards life. If our perverted thinking and mental back-ground are set right, our desires, aspirations, thoughts and sentiments get refined, we can rise higher than even the gods. Gayatri Sadhana can emancipate us from bondage to hellish perversions, of envy, hatred, malice, ill will etc, thus manifesting in our lives the Divine attributes of Satyam, Shivam and Sundram.

Tripada Gayatri

Gayatri has three phases and so it is called tripada. It is also called tripada because it is Vedmata, Devmata and Vishwamata. Vedas have originated from Gayatri mantra and so it is known as Vedmata. It is Devmata because  it helps in manifestation of divine virtues (gun), actions (karma) and nature (swabhav). It gives inspiration for establishment of universal family “Vasudhaiva kutumbakam” and so it is known as Vishwamata. It enjoins to regard every human being as one’s own self. It advocates lofty thinking, ideal character and polite behaviour. It is known as Guru-mantra which means that of all the Mantras, it is the best and supreme. Gayatri Mantra was the first lesson to be taught in the schools in the ancient times and students were explained that the purpose of education is to attain spiritual wisdom. It directs cultivation of human dignity and observance of self-imposed rules and regulations. Education and learning are meaningful only if these factors are kept in view. The letters of Gayatri mantra are interwoven in such a manner that by their utterance special vibrations are created and the secret subtle centres of energy within the Sadhak get activated and awakened, manifesting their paranormal potencies.
Thanks GOD,Thanks Sdguru
Shiv Sharma

Essence of Gayatri in All Religions = Pujya Gurudev

Essence of Gayatri in All Religions

                    =Pt.ShriRam Sharma Acharya

 Hindu: God is the eternal source of life-force; Supreme embodiment of unalloyed bliss and Almighty destroyer of all worries and vices. Meditate upon the preeminent radiance of His pious inspiring power that will enlighten our intellect and motivate it towards the righteous path of elevation.                (Rigveda 3|62|10; Yajurveda 36| 3; Samveda 1462)

 Jew: 'O' Jehova (God) Guide me on the path of religion (righteousness); Show me Thou way which is straight, noble and perfect.                                            (Old Testament-Prayers 5|8)
 Shinto:  'O'  Lord!  Our  eyes  might  see  indecent  things  and  vices,  but  our  hearts  (inner minds) should be free from all evils and impurities. Our ears might hear what is immoral and profane, but our hearts should not perceive anything unholy or wrong.                                                                                                                                                                                       (Japanese Preaching) 
Parsi: That Supreme Master (Ahurmazda - God) is the Supreme King because of His pure intelligence and truth. Executing altruist deeds in His name makes us beloved of            God.                                                                            
                                                                                                                 (Avesta27|13) 
Dao (Taoism): Dao (the Supreme-Self: God) is beyond all perceptions and thoughts. Righteous conduct as per His disciplines is an ideal religion.                                   
                                                                                                                  (DaoTreatise)
 Jainism: Revering salutations to all the Arhantas, the Siddhas, the Acharyas, and the Upadhyays (all of whom are enlightened masters). Revering salutations to all the saintlybeings.                                                                                  (InvocationPrayer) 
Buddhism: (For ultimate peace and joy) Surrender to buddha - the enlightened awareness; Surrender to dhamma - the inner righteousness; Surrender to Sangha - the collectiveconsciousness.   (DikshaMantraTrisharanam)
                                          

 Confucius: Must I behave not what I like others behave not.     (Notable Quotes) 
Christianity: 'O' Father! Please do not put us under test; Save us from all sins and evils. All the infinite power, noble prosperity and greatness is eternally Thine.                   
                                                                                         (New Testament 'Matte' 6|13)
 Islam: 'Ya Allah!' We pray to you only and need Thou help alone. Show us the righteous path - the path of those who are blessed with Thou light and grace, and not the (wrong) path of those who are unholy and worthy of Thy punishment.                                 (QuranSura:Al-Phatiha) 
Sikh: 'Omkar' (God) is one. Thy name is the ultimate Truth. HE is the creator of Nature, HE is Almighty, absolutely bright and brave. HE could be known only by the blessings of a noble Guru (enlightened divine intellect).                                           (Guru Granth Sahib - Japujee)
 Bhahai: 'O' Lord! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my affairs in thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved; I will be a happy and joyful being. 'O' God! I will not longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life. 'O' God! Thou are more friend to me than I am to myself. I dedicate myself to thee O Lord.   
                                                       (Abdu'l-Baha in 'The secret of divine civilization')

Thanks GOD,Thanks Sadguru,

Shiv Sharma

Believe in yourself= Pujya Gurudev

Amrit Chintan

Believe in yourself

-         Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya

If you wish that others should believe in you, the easiest and best way is that first you believe in yourself. There are many people who are considered irresponsible and unscrupulous; no one believes them; they are upbraided everywhere. Such people normally don’t have faith in themselves. Their faces, expressions and speech clearly indicate that they don’t believe in themselves.

People in the external world label us the way we present ourselves to them. When misery, poverty, incapability, disappointment, weakness, etc are expressed through our behavior, conduct and character, people consider us to be miserable, poor, incapable, disappointed, weak, etc and treat us accordingly. Those who meet the challenges of life courageously and confidently are surely able to achieve their objectives. God helps those who help themselves.

Whatever task is in your hands, try to accomplish it with full attention. Believe fully in your ability, wisdom and competence. Focus your entire energy and aim at accomplishing your target. Discard inferiority complex and laziness and learn to do the work in hand with seriousness, enthusiasm and confidence. Always keep in mind that only self-confident persons are successful in this world.

Thanks GOD,Thanks Sadguru

Shiv Sharma

Some Pioneering Efforts Amidst Rapid Deterioration in Moral Values=Gurudev

  Some Pioneering Efforts Amidst Rapid

Deterioration in Moral Values

            =Pt. Shri Ram Sharma Acharya

The modern age is witnessing an increasing dilution of the moral fiber among the youth. The rules of social conduct and the norms of behavior developed by tradition are breaking down. This decline is taking a heavy toll of the youth. The young are doing all this supposedly in the name of chasing illusory sensual pleasures. But this reckless path is taking them only to a mirage of momentary pleasure; they remain deprived of any lasting joy. The young today feel restless. This makes them even more reckless. Caught in this vicious cycle they are ruining their lives. This malaise is rapidly spreading across the country. After the big cities the medium, and now even the small towns are falling prey to this epidemic.

An example is illustrative of this phenomenon. Some time back the students of a school organized a ‘conti’ party. The word ‘conti’ manufactured by them is an abbreviated form of continuation. This particular school is situated in a big city and the guardians there are ready to pay anything to get their wards admitted to this school. This ‘conti’ party had been given by class XI students to the passing out XII standard students.

What is noteworthy is that this party had been organized in a disco pub. When newspaper reporters reached there they saw about 200 youngsters swinging to the tune of African pop songs amidst loud music and dense smoke-filled air. They all were attired in costly outlandish dresses and sporting flowing long hair and garish make-up. With the increasing tempo of the music, the moral restrictions evaporated into the dense air. The reporters later came to know that the school management and the guardians of those boys and girls were unaware of this party and the goings-on there. The boys and girls had themselves collected the money required to reserve the pub and organize the party.

The question is: Why such things are happening? The students dole out a readymade answer. Our guardians want us to score high grades and that we are doing. We have the ability to compete in a competitive examination. We are thus fulfilling the expectations of our guardians and our schools/colleges. If after this we go for some entertainment, what is wrong with that? Replies of this sort reflect both the false beliefs of the youth and the false expectations of the guardians and schools.

In fact, the root of the problem is the creeping distortions in the beliefs, expectations and values; completely wrong parameters for a better way of life have been formed. If the thinking itself is warped, deteriorations in character and behavior cannot be averted. Even the employed and professional young people, like the school kids, are falling prey to this depravity. The practice of live-in relationships is increasing among them. This type of relationship is gradually getting social acceptance in big cities and now they do not have to take recourse to the subterfuge of ‘we-are-cousins’ etc. The call centre jobs have become popular. ‘Easy money-easy sex’ and ‘one night stand’ are the catch words.

The crux of this moral decline lies in a wrong formulation of what constitutes a good life. Who is a good student? He who secures good marks? Now the things have come to such a pass that a student hardly hesitates to tell his parents that he had got 80 or 90 percent marks, and having done his job there should be no harm if he takes some wine or smokes a cigarette. Similarly, in the eyes of the present society and parents a smart and good youngster is one who is earning a fat pay package. Handsome earning has become the be-all-and-end-all of life. After managing a good pay packet and purchasing all the comforts of life, what this young man is exactly doing is nobody’s concern. In this distorted and narrow perception of a ‘good life’ there is no place for societal norms, let aside higher morality. The mantra is ‘I’, ‘Me’ and ‘Myself’. Hell with others and Hell with the society!

To bolster these crumbling walls of morality there is need to effect a change in current modes of thinking. In DSVV campus efforts are being made to sow the seed of such a change. Here academic merit is not the sole criterion of a student’s achievement level. It is only one aspect. At the DSVV excellence is judged on four parameters – capacity for adjustment, academic merit, social commitment and development of spiritual viewpoint. To develop all these qualities a student is taught, besides his regular subjects, also the art of living and life management skills in special classes.

In the field of adjustability come the qualities of flexibility, fellow feeling and participation in others’ pains and pleasures. This university has expanded the meaning of academic excellence too. This includes, apart from the subject content, skills in essay writing, research papers and participation in seminars, symposia etc. In the category of social commitment students go to villages and take part in activities for promoting health and elimination of social evils. For spiritual maturity the students are taught to develop an understanding of the fullness of life. They learn that life is not merely what appears to be superficially. It has many deeper dimensions. To reach these depths the students personally undertake many spiritual and psychological experiments.

This whole process is evaluated by the students and teachers jointly. Different departments of the university too participate in this evaluation process. The gradual transformation of the whole personality of the student is reflected through this transparent assessment process. One thing which is to be understood and of which the students of DSVV are aware is that emphasis on moral discipline does not mean depriving them of normal comforts of life. Rather it is a sure way to gain energy, strength and dynamism. Observance of a moral life style means a life of physical, mental and spiritual energy; it is not a life of misery and discomforts. There is a need to make the youth in universities and colleges aware of this fact.

Morality is the process of conserving the energy of life and its optimum utilization. It is a unique way of tuning with nature, through which a person receives unending gifts of power and strength. In this way, the real joys of life are not snatched away. Rather the capacity to access happiness at deeper levels of consciousness is enhanced. In the world of today it is imperative for both the students and their guardians to realize that life is not confined to the statistics of examination marks. Its ambit is far vaster and encompasses the whole range of the depth, expanse and grandeur of the personality. To claim a right to any lucrative work by virtue of having done well in the examination is wrong. Similarly for the employed youth ability to earn more money is not everything. They must try to understand life in its manifold dimensions and aspects. It is the bounden duty of those who are experienced and wise to help the youth in developing this understanding.

Thanks GOD,Thanks Sadguru

Shiv Sharma

Rejuvenation without Medicines –I =Pujya Gurudev

Rejuvenation without Medicines –I

=Pt.ShriRam Sharma Acharya

“Nature has innately gifted all living creatures with vibrant health. Every creature is born with natural resources to be able to lead a healthy and happy life. It is only at the level of human species that one observes a vast majority suffering from some or other kind of illness, affliction or weakness. When all other creatures, in spite of having nominal intelligence, keep themselves healthy, it is surprising indeed that human beings, claiming themselves to be intelligent, should be suffering from all kinds of diseases?”

[In this serial we bring to our readers, in abridged form, Poojya Gurudev’s practical suggestions for improving health and vigour and attaining longevity (from his popular booklet in Hindi titled "Bina aushadhiyon ke kayakalpa" meaning ’Rejuvenation without medicines’). We begin with: What causes weakness and disease?] What causes weakness and disease? The root causes of both the weakness and the disease are same. When adequate life force is not generated for normal functioning of body, it is called ’weakness’; and when this condition deteriorates further and creates a problem for a specific body part or the entire body, it is called a ’disease’. There is a half-baked theory that diseases are spread by viruses. This creates a false impression that diseases come from outside; if one protects oneself from viruses, there will be no disease.

To a large extent, this is not true. In a healthy body, there is so much acid, alkali and heat that any external germs or viruses are easily destroyed; external infections get shelter only in a weak body with low vitality. During the spread of highly infectious diseases like plague, cholera, smallpox, etc healthy volunteers serve the patients and also cremate the dead but nothing happens to them. The mothers keep their children infected with smallpox tucked in their laps. Patients suffering from tuberculosis are also nursed by their relatives but it has been observed that nothing happens to the persons attending to them. The sweepers, whose only job is to clean the dirt, are seen to be much healthier than the people who are all the time afraid of germs/viruses.

It has also been observed that in the so called ’high class families’, where every care is taken to keep the homes clean and disinfected, residents suffer from many incurable diseases. When so much care is taken to protect the environment, how are the germs or viruses of diseases able to attack the residents? Even if we assume that the disease comes from outside, then also we will have to accept the fact that disease-causing germs/viruses are able to make their homes only in weak bodies. If they enter a healthy and strong body, then the life force will immediately eliminate them.

Normally the root cause of weakness and disease lies in the stomach. When the food intake is not properly digested, it does not produce healthy blood in sufficient amount, resulting in low production of life energy. Therefore, people with disordered digestive system suffer from low vitality. This results in the weakness of inner as well as outer body parts giving rise to many ailments like constipation, acidity, burning sensation, headache, stiffness, pain, laziness, etc. Thus the weakness in itself is a kind of disease.

Thanks GOD,Thanks Sadguru

Shiv Sharma

Serve Man as God=Pt.ShriRam Sharma Acharya

Contemplation of the moment

Serve Man as God

                                                     =Pt.ShriRam Sharma Acharya

“The only way of getting our divine nature manifested is by helping others to do the,same.”  

If there is inequality in nature, still there must be equal chance for all - or if greater for some and for some less - the weaker should be given more chance than the strong. In other words, a Brahmana is not so much in need of education as a Chandala. If the son of a Brahmana needs one teacher, that of a Chandala needs ten. For greater help must be given to him whom nature has not endowed with an acute intellect from birth.

          It is a madman who carries coals to Newcastle. The poor, the downtrodden, the ignorant   - let these be your god. This is the gist of all worship - to be pure and to do good to others. He who sees Siva in the poor, in the weak, and in the diseased, really worships Siva and if he sees Siva only in the image, his worship is but preliminary.
           The life of Buddha shows that even a man who has no metaphysics, belongs to no sect, and does not go to any church, or temple, and is a confessed materialist, even he can attain to the highest. ?. He was the only man who was ever ready to give up his life for animals, to stop a sacrifice. He once said to a king: ?If the sacrifice of a lamb helps you to go to heaven, sacrificing a man will help you better, so sacrifice me.? The king was a stonished.
             The good live for others alone. The wise man should sacrifice himself for others.? I can secure my own good only by doing your good. There is no other way, none whatsoever. Go from village to village, do good to humanity and to the world at large. Go to hell yourself to buy salvation for others? ?When death is so certain, it is better die for a good cause.?
        Throughout the history of the world, you find great men make great sacrifices and the mass of mankind enjoy the benefit. If you want to give up everything for your own salvation, it is nothing. Do you want to forgo even your own salvation for the good of the world? You are God, think of that.

Thanks GOD,Thanks Sadguru

Shiv Sharma

Awaken the Brahmin and Saint Dwelling within You =Pujya Gurudev

Amrit Vani

Awaken the Brahmin and Saint Dwelling within You

                                 =Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya

“Om Bhur Buva¡ Swa¡, Tatsaviturvareñya® Bhargo Devasya Dhºmahi, Dhiyo Yona¡ Pracoday³t ||”

Sisters and Brothers,

Many of you are often curious to know how I have acquired spiritual powers. Well, I can only say that I have only experimented on disciplined life. My first experiment was to see what distinct powers, if any, are there in the life of a true Br³hmaña. Are there any supernatural effects of living like a true Br³hmaña? Well, first of all let me clarify, as I have explained earlier on several occasions, that one does not become Br³hmaña (Brahmin) by birth. A Br³hmaña is one whose life is devoted to Brah® (Brahman). In simple terms he (or she) lives for attainment and dissemination of gy³na — pure knowledge that enlightens the inner self, and for the welfare of all beings. He lives an austere life, uses the minimum of his resources for himself or family and dedicates most of his earnings, talents, time and labor towards altruistic service of the society. His activities are aimed at illuminating and elevating the lives of others.

Simplicity and austerity are natural in his life, as otherwise, if he has substantial resources and income, he would be engaged in self-possession and comforts and hardly find time and money for altruistic service. If he has just enough for an average life-style, then all his earnings would be spent and he would have no savings for donating to the society. Thus in any case, in order to fulfill his duties for the society, for the needy, a Br³hmaña adopts abstinence and even self-imposed hardship. Spiritual progress cannot begin without sacrificing the comfort-driven life-style and self-centered attitude.

Realizing the fact that one has to be a Br³hmaña for spiritual ascent, I began my experiment of becoming one. The first step in my journey was living like a true Br³hmaña. I tell you that it was indeed a wise and beneficial decision to take that step. Whatever I had received from ancestral property (land), all that I donated for Gayatri Tapobhumi, Mathura, the first centre of Gayatri Pariwar where we also run educational programs on self-reliance in the Swawlamban Vidyalaya. A girls’ intermediate college was also opened in my native village, Amalkheda. (This is now an Undergraduate Degree College). I reminded my wife of the Brahmans among Peshwas of Maharashtra. For example Ram Taank had donated everything for the motherland on the advice of his Guru-mother. My wife also voluntarily donated all her jewelry for establishing the Yug Nirman mission’s activities at Gayatri Tapobhumi, Mathura. Though we were at loss financially and were almost empty-handed, this dedicated act of adopting the disciplines of a Br³hmaña endowed us with immense power and divine grace.

Friends, real power does not lie in money or might, it lies in the character, it lies in br³hmañatva (virtues that make one a Br³hmaña). I have remained a Br³hmaña throughout my life and I will continue to be so. All the blessed talents, powers and supernatural attainments, if any, you find in me are consequence of devout Br³hmañatva.

Today there is only one community or one social identity of almost all the people across the globe and that is of those living for money. It looks like all other qualities, skills and norms of human character have become obsolete today or have ceased to exist any more. Every aspiration, every aim, every action of mankind seems to have got influenced by commercialization and consumerism. There is practically no br³hmañatva alive in this world. Everyone is busy earning and accumulating money and worldly resources, as these have become the yardsticks of prosperity and success in human life. I am thankful to the Almighty for awakening br³hmañatva in me. The peace, joy and soul-contentment I have cannot be bought by any amount of wealth.

You may claim to be a seeker of spirituality or might be aspiring to become one, but your urge and search is superficial. Peep inside and introspect! Your ambitions, your aspirations are self-possessive. Do you have the courage to leave all your comforts, your prosperity for any benevolent constructive mission or altruistic cause? Can you embrace poverty and hardship for noble purposes and live like a self-dependent and dignified Br³hmaña? Well, all this will be required in the process of spiritual empowerment and elevation. You will have to cultivate the seeds of br³hmañatva, broaden your outlook to visualize the sublime horizons of enlightened life. You will have to awaken the Br³hmaña lying hidden in you to experience and acquire unflinching inner strength and willpower.

The second major spiritual experiment (s³dhan³) I have conducted upon myself is that of becoming a s³dhu (saint, tapaswº). This means closing all the ‘holes’ (flaws and weaknesses), which drain out one’s powers and abilities. You may think of a s³dhu or tapaswº as someone wearing saffron garments, having some special faculties such as – walking on burning coal or on sharp thorns, or bathing by ice-cold water in shivering winter, and what not. No my friends. Such things pertain only to the training of the body. What is important is to train the mind, to control the sense organs. A real tapaswi is one who has performed ‘tapa’, a true s³dhu is one who has succeeded in ‘s³dhan³’. What is this tapa and s³dhan³? These are arduous endeavors of cleansing and control of sense organs, mind and intellect. Ascetic practices of self-restraint are certainly part of it but the real challenge lies in melting the ego, rectification and transformation of accumulated habits, beliefs, tendencies and motivating the intellect (thought process) towards the sunlit and righteous path.

Our so-called ‘wit’ today has become so egotist, audacious and shrewd these days! It is like a ‘ghostly wit’ a ‘devilish impulse’. It may be very sharp and logically analytical. But what is the use of this brilliance and rationality? Very skillfully and impressively, it argues in favor of vested interests and selfish-possession and drives our being accordingly. It may solve complex puzzles of mathematics or take instant profit-making decisions in a fluctuating market. But hasn’t it been responsible for the ‘follies of the wise’ that have put the world at the brink of a bottomless pit of doom? Can it solve the problems of those suffering the consequences? Can it eliminate people’s agony? Can it render support and light to the deprived ones at the cost of its own interests? Can it give righteous direction to today’s man? No. Not unless you purify and set it right. You will need to apply your inner power to draw it on the righteous path. You need to practice arduous disciplines to train your astray ‘intellect’ and agile mind. This is a battle against oneself. The vast science of tapa-s³dhan³ stands to help us win this battle.

You may ask about the power of mantras and effect of devotional practices with meditation on divinity (up³san³). Well, these are certainly prominent components of spiritual endeavor. But the sublime power of the mantra you chant will be awakened only if your tongue is purified and controlled by your inner wisdom. You will not be able to practise deep meditation unless you have good mental concentration and your mind is free of all other distractions and gets engrossed in the thoughts and feelings of divinity. So you need to strive for tapa-s³dhan³ first. With gradual progress in your ascetic efforts, up³san³ and mantra-s³dhan³ will also become potent. Tapa and s³dhan³, up³san³ are inter-dependent and lend mutually accelerating support.

I have been telling you about the ascetic disciplines of tapa-s³dhan³ and have also written about it. Let me give you the gist of it again. Fasting is among the first and most widely recommended disciplines here. One cannot starve nor do strict fast equivalent to that for a long time. Also, that is not what fasting aims at; in any case, it should not disturb the performance of your normal duties. The objective here is to restrain the passions of the sense organs. Fasting means — eating lesser than filling the tummy (to help reduce the lethargy of the body) and more importantly, eating austere and tasteless (to your tongue) food. For example, during the Mahapurascharans of Gayatri Mantra-S³dhan³ for 24 years of my youth, I used to take only barley chapatti and buttermilk. Even now, I take minimal sattwic food only once a day. You need not take a pledge for such an austere fasting. You may start with, say, fasting for one day in a week – taking only one simple vegetarian meal, without sugar and/or salt. Observance of chastity and voluntary renunciation of luxuries and some other comforts are part of fasting. To reduce your comforts, you may for example, do all your daily chores by yourself, reduce the number of your resting hours and make use of that time in reading good books and/or helping someone in his / her work, etc.

After I completed my AnuÌÚh³na, once a gentleman came to me and requested that I become his guru. He was a manufacturer of silk. He kept sav³ rupay³ (Rs 1.25) on my hand (may be as his ‘guru-dakïiñ³’!). Then I thought – if I accept his money, I will not be a Brahmana, instead I will be like his laborer. It was sometime in 1945-’46. I took that person along with that money to the nearby village market. Those days, small mats made up of old clothes stuffed with cotton were available for that much amount. These were supposed to be very warm. I asked him to purchase one such mat from the money he wanted to give me and donate it to some needy person in the village. He was very impressed; he used that money for this noble cause and also purchased some more such mats and shawls and distributed them among the poor. He came back to me with inspiration of becoming a Brahman. Later on, he sent Rs. 200/- for the altruistic projects of our mission. So you see, the work of the mission did not stop. The work has continued to expand manifold – this is the outcome of br³hmañatva!

Now let me tell you about my experiments with control of speech. As part of my tapa-s³dhan³, I prefer to observe silence for most the time. I have always wanted to make only minimal use of my baikharº v³ñº (audible voice, through which we speak). As you know our mission is for the welfare of the masses, thousands of people visit here every day. I might have spoken to so many people and delivered so many discourses that perhaps nobody in the world would have. Many people get light and transform their lives by the guidance of saints-tapaswºs. My discourses have also inspired and transmuted the lives of many. I often see the soul-level of the people before advising them. Higher ones are those who have the will and courage to follow some ideals. But I find most visitors, most of the people in the audiences as shallow, superficial. They simply come to take blessings for somehow getting rid of their problems and hardships. Attending discourses is also some kind of an ‘entertainment’ for them. So what is the use of spending the precious spiritual energy via the baikharº v³ñº?

Are you aware of the vital powers one loses in speaking? Enormous amount of spiritual energy is lost in talking. I therefore don’t want to meet anyone in this phase of my s³dhan³. By preserving this precious resource, I want to awaken the subtler currents of voice – madhyam³ and païyanti v³ñi (voice of thoughts and inner mind) and use them for higher, nobler purposes. Sri Aurobindo and Maharshi Raman had experimented on this s³dhan³ of silence and generated immense energy that had energized the country and sparked off the non-violent freedom movement.

God has bestowed his enormous power in our faculties of speech and thought. But it is often wasted via our baikharº v³ñº. I am therefore going to restrain its use, even in the mission’s work that I have been doing so far. I have already started that experiment. Now I want to do it more rigorously by observing complete silence. For this, I will have to stop meeting people. Hundreds of people come to meet me every day. But, what for? They mostly utter the tales of their worldly problems. Some of them keep complaining about how difficult it is for them to discipline their minds and practise mantra-japa, meditation etc. Without attempting any s³dhan³ they want to attain spiritual benefits. I cannot waste my time any more in talking to such a crowd. I have to focus my efforts for greater objectives of the divine mission.

Many of you seem to be worried as to how will I help the agonized, the help-less coming to me every day with lots of hope, if I stop meeting people and go into absolute solitude? You may think that this way I am becoming harsh and self-centered. Don’t worry my children. The heart of a saint is full of compassion and love for all. The saint within me will remain alive forever. I will continue to support and guide you all and help the needy as before, without meeting or talking to you. This is not difficult for the spiritual force of a true saint and Brahmin.

(May 1983)

Thanks GOD,Thanks Sadguru

Shiv Sharma