Nada Yoga-II = Pujya Gurudev

Awaken the hidden powers of hearing by Nada Yoga-II

=Pt. ShriRam Sharma Acharya

The fine sensors of our ears, eyes, nose, tongue and other sense organs have direct linkage with the brain. Their functions are regulated by, and also contribute to the qualities of the brain and the mind. If one of these sensors stops or reduces using the power of the brain then its share of power is given to the other faculties. For example, born-blinds are often found to possess tremendous memory or gifted voice and expertise in music.... etc. One can, by determined efforts, direct the power of the mind so that it could be used by any one of the normal sense organs for the desired development of the specific faculties associated with it. The example of Kalidasa fits well in this context. His internal desire awakened the willpower and the sincere efforts thereby turned a ’dumb fellow’ into a great litterateur and poet of historical eminence. Many examples are also available in the field of physique and sports where extremely weak or physically sick persons transformed themselves into stout wrestlers simply by regularity and dedicated exercises of the mind and the body - proving thereby, the truth behind the quote ’practice makes a man perfect’. During the practice of Nada Yoga, one first tries training the ear(s) - to expand its hearing capacities - by fully concentrating the power of mind on this organ. By regular practice, the otherwise unused (sub) conscious power of the brain also awakens during this process and stimulates the subtle functional centers for extraordinary potentials of hearing. The ears can be trained to ’hear’ the ultra, infra and even subtler and cosmic levels of sound during the advanced stages of these sadhanas. The kar�a pishacini sadhana of the Tantra Science enables the masters of this sadhana to perceive the sounds from any desired place in this universe. Clairaudience is also a natural manifestation of spiritual sadhanas of Nada Yoga. The methods of awakening the subtle power of supernormal hearing are based on the above principle of fine perception of pure sound. This practice gradually leads to the perception and recognition of subtler levels of sound. Through the immense power of their mental concentration such sadhakas can easily access the energy centers in the cosmos and ’sense’ the signals of Nada emanating from there.

Simple Training for Nada Yoga The perceptions of sound (shabda), vision (rupa), taste (rasa), smell (gandha) and touch (sparsha) are manifested in the five sense organs via the five basic elements of Nature. Thus, every entity perceived by the sense organs basically arises from a subliminal, non-physical form (existing in cetan). In the Nada Yoga, one gradually perceives the physical, non-physical, sublime, supernatural forms of sound. All the sadhanas aimed at gaining control over different tanmatras (powers of perception) progress well in the sadhakas who possess strong will power, sound mental concentration and emotional depth and stability. For instance, in the sadhanas of gandha, the sadhaka first practices to smell the odors that inspire sacred emotions. He does so by physically smelling (through the nose) the substances like camphor, sandalwood or some flowers... etc for a few seconds and then closes the nose and tries to feel the same odor through mental concentration. Similar experiments are done on tasting with and without tongue during the rasa sadhanas. Our ears hear the sound of the syllables pronounced by our tongue. One may concentrate upon only the sound without attempting to recognize the syllable (or the word) and practice to differentiate between all variations in the type and tuning of such ’spoken’ sounds to analyze the association of their patterns with the meaning conveyed by the corresponding ’speech’. After continuing this practice with increasing focus and efficacy, he could develop the power to sense the finest level of variations in all kinds of ’sounds’ and to grasp the ’message’ (meaning) contained therein. The Yogis can understand any language and even the voices of the animals and the birds through such sadhanas of ’hearing’ the sonic vibrations.

The fine sensors of our ears, eyes, nose, tongue and other sense organs have direct linkage with the brain. Their functions are regulated by, and also contribute to the qualities of the brain and the mind. If one of these sensors stops or reduces using the power of the brain then its share of power is given to the other faculties. For example, born-blinds are often found to possess tremendous memory or gifted voice and expertise in music.... etc. One can, by determined efforts, direct the power of the mind so that it could be used by any one of the normal sense organs for the desired development of the specific faculties associated with it. The example of Kalidasa fits well in this context. His internal desire awakened the willpower and the sincere efforts thereby turned a ’dumb fellow’ into a great litterateur and poet of historical eminence. Many examples are also available in the field of physique and sports where extremely weak or physically sick persons transformed themselves into stout wrestlers simply by regularity and dedicated exercises of the mind and the body - proving thereby, the truth behind the quote ’practice makes a man perfect’. During the practice of Nada Yoga, one first tries training the ear(s) - to expand its hearing capacities - by fully concentrating the power of mind on this organ. By regular practice, the otherwise unused (sub) conscious power of the brain also awakens during this process and stimulates the subtle functional centers for extraordinary potentials of hearing. The ears can be trained to ’hear’ the ultra, infra and even subtler and cosmic levels of sound during the advanced stages of these sadhanas. The kar�a pishacini sadhana of the Tantra Science enables the masters of this sadhana to perceive the sounds from any desired place in this universe. Clairaudience is also a natural manifestation of spiritual sadhanas of Nada Yoga. The methods of awakening the subtle power of supernormal hearing are based on the above principle of fine perception of pure sound. This practice gradually leads to the perception and recognition of subtler levels of sound. Through the immense power of their mental concentration such sadhakas can easily access the energy centers in the cosmos and ’sense’ the signals of Nada emanating from there.

Simple Training for Nada Yoga The perceptions of sound (shabda), vision (rupa), taste (rasa), smell (gandha) and touch (sparsha) are manifested in the five sense organs via the five basic elements of Nature. Thus, every entity perceived by the sense organs basically arises from a subliminal, non-physical form (existing in cetan). In the Nada Yoga, one gradually perceives the physical, non-physical, sublime, supernatural forms of sound. All the sadhanas aimed at gaining control over different tanmatras (powers of perception) progress well in the sadhakas who possess strong will power, sound mental concentration and emotional depth and stability. For instance, in the sadhanas of gandha, the sadhaka first practices to smell the odors that inspire sacred emotions. He does so by physically smelling (through the nose) the substances like camphor, sandalwood or some flowers... etc for a few seconds and then closes the nose and tries to feel the same odor through mental concentration. Similar experiments are done on tasting with and without tongue during the rasa sadhanas. Our ears hear the sound of the syllables pronounced by our tongue. One may concentrate upon only the sound without attempting to recognize the syllable (or the word) and practice to differentiate between all variations in the type and tuning of such ’spoken’ sounds to analyze the association of their patterns with the meaning conveyed by the corresponding ’speech’. After continuing this practice with increasing focus and efficacy, he could develop the power to sense the finest level of variations in all kinds of ’sounds’ and to grasp the ’message’ (meaning) contained therein. The Yogis can understand any language and even the voices of the animals and the birds through such sadhanas of ’hearing’ the sonic vibrations.

Thanks GOD,Thanks Sadguru,

Shiv Sharma

Nada Yoga- I = Pujya Gurudev

Awaken the hidden powers of hearing by Nada Yoga-I

= Pt.ShriRam Sharma Acharya

The ear in a human body is said to be the most sensitive and powerful radar available in this world. Apart from its unique capacities of sensing, filtering and identifying a large variety of sounds in the spectrum of audible frequencies - in its most general state, a healthy ear in the human body can as well sense smaller (low in pitch and loudness) sounds from long distances if the external disturbances are removed. For instance, we can hear the buzzing sound of a bee from about 6ft in an otherwise silent surrounding. Controlled experiments in advanced telecommunication centers (including AT & T Bell Labs, New Jersey, USA) have recorded several such extraordinary sensing capabilities of human ears.

These include the successful ’listening’ of the physiological tremors by different groups of human subjects under different soundproof experimental conditions. Modern technology is still far away from developing an electronic analogue of the natural device like the human ear. The fine sensor - the tympanum, inside our ears - is made up of an ultra-thin membrane of thickness of about 4 X10^-10 inches only. Even in the average normal conditions, i.e., without any practice of Nada Yoga, the sensing power of this unimaginably thin membrane is about ten thousand times more than that of the most powerful sensor developed by the state of art technology till date. Theoretical analysis of the models of the structure and functioning of the human ear indicates that it can discriminate about four hundred thousand different kinds of sounds. There have been noted musicians who could recognize the individual sound of each of the hundred odd instruments being played jointly in an orchestra.

The tympanum of our ears focuses the receiving sound waves at a point and sends them through a connecting tube where these waves are transformed into electrical signals. Three tiny bones, forming a triangle, serve the purpose of a piston at this juncture. As the signals reach the snail- shaped lymphous hole at the deeper end of the ear, the sounds ’contained’ in them become clearer and are perceived as ’heard’. The membrane of this third part of our natural hearing device is directly connected with the brain.

Each of the sonic vibrations received at the tympanum are propagated deep inside the connecting channel by about 3500 tiny particles working as electrical transmitters. The corresponding signals are received by the brain in less than a thousandth fraction of a second. The brain instantaneously sends the signals to the memory cells (layers in the neuronal network) where the associated sound is recognized. This is how the long multi-phased process of ’hearing’ takes place in a negligible amount of time, in our biological ’telephone’.

The distance within which the sonic vibrations can enter as valid inputs for processing in the ear depends on some neuro-physiological parameters. Hence the number of muscles at the entrance of the tympanum plays an important role here, too. For example, the number of such muscles in a human ear is nine whereas in a ear of a horse this number is seventeen; a horse can listen from proportionately longer distances than us. Our memory has a direct link with the power of perception and recognition of the sounds received by our ears. Napoleon-I had amazingly sharp audio-memory. He could remember the names of each of the soldiers in his army who had not even come in contact with him and used to correctly recognize their voices. Alexander the Great is also said to have been blessed with such extraordinary memory; he was able to recognize the voices heard

after a long span of time. He could even locate the place of the source of a voice even if he had heard it from a very long distance.

Thanks GOD, Thanks Sadguru,

Shiv Sharma

The origin of Ganga = Pujya Gurudev

SIGHT OF GOMUKH

(The origin of Ganga)

=Pt.ShriRam Sharma Acharya

 Today my long cherished desire of seeing the origin of Mother Ganga got fulfilled. The journey of 18 miles from Gangotri to Gomukh is fraught with far greater difficulties than those faced in the journey upto Gangotri. When the road to Gangotri gets cut off or blocked, the Government officials of the Public Works Department arrange for its quick repair. But this route to Gomukh mostly remains neglected and unrepaired. The mountain roads get damaged every year and if they are not repaired for a year or two the paths become very hazardous. In some places the paths were cut off in such a way that to pass by it was nothing short of gambling with life.

A slight slip of step and there ends your life. The glacier, from which Ganga originates, is of blue colour. This place of origin of Mother Ganga looks uniquely magnificent by the presence of snow-clad mountain peaks all around. The course of water appears like an ordinary fountain. Though the course is thin its velocity is tremendous. It is said that this course of Ganga comes from Kailash - Shiva�s matted hair. From Kailash to Gomukh Ganga is said to travel underground. The tremendous speed of Ganga at this visible origin is attributed to her having endured the weight of millions of tonnes of glacier for over hundreds of miles. Whatever that be, for imaginative minds, it is milk coming from mother�s breast.

A pious urge surges within to drink it and to get immersed in it like it happened with the writer of �Ganga Lahari� (Waves of Ganga) a composition of poems written in praise of Ganga by Shri Jagannath Mishra, who went on reciting his own composition, putting one step ahead with the chanting of each stanza and at the end of the last stanza plunged into Ganga in a fit of heightened emotion and accepted the watery grave (Jal Samadhi). I satisfied my urge by taking a sip and a dip in the Ganga. Throughout the way my imagination and emotions were billowing like the waves of the Ganga. Many thoughts appeared and disappeared.

 At this time I cannot restrain the urge to write down an important thought that has just surfaced in the mind. So here I put it. Here at Gomukh, Ganga is only a thin tiny course. On the way hundreds and thousands of fountains, streams and rivers join it. Some of them are many times bigger than the original Ganga at its source. It is only due to all those rivers and streams and fountains joining her that Ganga has become so large and wide as seen at Haridwar, Kanpur, Prayag etc.

Big canals are dug to carry water from the Ganga for irrigation. The water from Gomukh will not suffice for even a single canal. If no other stream or river had joined the Ganga its water would have been absorbed by the soil within a few miles of its origin, and it would have vanished, thereby millions of human beings would have lost the opportunity to be nourished by its life-giving waters. Ganga is great, certainly great, for it has bound myriads of streams and rivers in the bond of love. She threw open her arms of magnanimity and embraced them to her heart. Taking no notice of their virtues and faults, she assimilated them all in her fold. How can one whose heart is full of feelings of boundless love, intimacy and oneness be short of water? When the lamp burns, moths also get ready to burn themselves over it.

When Ganga has set out on the path of public welfare by spreading life-giving nourishment, why should not the rivers and streams come forward to sacrifice themselves in it. We can see for ourselves that innumerable souls have merged themselves in the large-hearted soul of Gandhi, Buddha, Jesus and the like.

Ganga’s bed level is the lowest. This has enabled the streams and rivers to fall into it. On the contrary if Ganga had, instead of keeping herself low and humble, held her level high feeling proud of her qualities, other streams, though not much worthy would not have tolerated her conceit and would have turned away from her, feeling rather jealous of her. The magnanimity of the streams is truly great and their sacrifice is also praiseworthy, yet it is the humility of Ganga in presenting herself as humble that has given the opportunity to the streams to make their existence fruitful. Ganga has many other great attributes but this one virtue of humility alone is so great that words fail to admire her. The farsightedness of the streams and rivers in renouncing their own ambition of attaining fame, keeping their separate identity and importance is also highly appreciable.

 They enrich the capacity and greatness of Ganga by losing themselves. They realized the importance of unity and co-operative working. So they deserve unbound appreciation. They did not preach nor discoursed on the strength of unity but showed it practically by their deed. This is called courage of conviction. This unique example of renouncing one�s identity is not only great but instinct with foresightedness too. Had they insisted on perpetuating their separate identity and sought to themselves the credit of their performance, they could surely have had their own name and fame, but that would not have been considered of much value. In that condition, no one would have considered their water to be holy nor worth using for sanctifying body and soul. The sacred Gomukh that I saw and bathed in today is only the origin of Mother Ganga. The complete Ganga is formed by the collective effort of thousands of streams and rivers. Gangasagar has welcomed it. The entire world worships it. Only a few like me go in search of Gomukh and reach it. I wish that a sacred united angelic and divine force may emerge in human consciousness to eradicate sin and promote universal welfare. If only our leaders and their followers could pick up this example of collaborative working like that of Ganga and her tributaries?

Thanks GOD,Thanks Sadguru,

Shiv Sharma

Kalash and Deepak = Pujya Gurudev

The Significance of Kalash and Deepak

=Pt.ShriRam Sharma Acharya

The kalash (kalasha) and deepak (dipaka) are prominent Vedic symbols that symbolize respectively the manifestations of Gayatri and Yagya. As Gayatri and Yagya are revered to be the origin of the Vedas and Vedic Science and Culture, the presence and worship of kalash and deepak in every sacrament, on every auspicious occasion is quite natural in the Vedic Culture and hence in the Indian System of life. Both are essential parts of all the important Hindu rituals and also, in varied forms, in the holy celebrations of other religions - for example, deepak (as fire or candle) in case of Zarathustric and Christian and kalash in case of Jain and Buddhist worships.

The symbol of kalash is physically represented by a metal or earthen pitcher or urn. It is filled with water (preferably the water of holy Ganga, any sacred river or clean, running water). Its top open end holds betel or mango leaves and a red-yellow sanctified thread (kalawa or mauli) is tied around its neck. This kalash is placed on the pujavedi (worship dais or table) near the idols or pictures of the deity. It is placed facing the North, in the center. This positioning signifies balance; balance that one needs to achieve success in every walk of life. Often it is topped by a coconut or a deepak and kept on the sacred Vedic swastika symbol or a Vedic swastika is drawn on it by using wet vermillion, sandal-wood powder and turmeric. The kalash has many symbolic meanings and teachings associated with it as described below. During worship or rituals, leaves from some select trees are used as essential accessories, but among them all the betel leaf (pana) enjoys a place of pride in India. In Hindu weddings, a betel leaf is tucked into the headgears of the bride and the groom. The betel leaf is symbolic of freshness and prosperity.

The Skanda Purana says that the betel leaf was obtained by Gods during the grand ocean-churning. The use of betel leaf in India is mentioned in the great epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, as well as in Buddhist and Jain literatures. Paan (betel leaf) has rich herbal properties as well. It is invigorating and energizing, it kills germs and bacteria, and is an anti-cold chewable recipe. The blackish variety is said to be constipating and the whitish green one eliminates cold and is a laxative and helps in digestion. Mango leaf also has many medicinal properties, as cited in Ayurvedic scriptures. Mango is regarded as the king of all fruits in India and its wood is used in the holy fire of yagya. Mango leaves are described as sacred and are also used in making tora񡠨door-string) which is tied on the entrance of the house as an auspicious sign. The coconut (Nariyala) is a symbol of the Godhead - the three eyes symbolic of the eyes of Lord Shiva. In India, for success in an important undertaking, the beginning is done with the breaking of a sanctified coconut. All religious functions and rituals start with the worship of the coconut, along with the kalash, since it is regarded as symbolic of Lord Ganesha, the deity who helps in the successful completion of any undertaking.

Thanks GOD, Thanks Sadguru,

Shiv Sharma

Pilgrimage to the Himalayas = Pujya Gurudev

Companions in Solitude-7

 Apple of the Forest

=Pt.ShriRam Sharma Acharya

In today's journey I had many co-pilgrims. Among them there were a few women, too. Along the way there were Binni trees laden with ripening and attractive fruits. The ladies began to debate amongst themselves as to which kind of fruits they were. Someone from amongst them said that these were forest apples. It was therefore concluded that those were apples of the forest anyway. Fruits were in abundance, and wore a mixed colour of red and yellow, which imparted the impression of their being ripe.

                 The group of ladies stood back. A grownup girl climbed up the tree. It seemed that she must have had the practice of climbing up trees in her village. She shook down about 40 to 50 fruits. The ladies standing on the ground picked them up, scrambling. Some smart ones could pick up more than the others. Those who got less started quarrelling with those who got more. While quarrelling, a lady who had got less started accusing that the other woman blocked her way and picked up more. The woman who picked up more retorted that she picked up more because of her agility and her ability to move fast. She reasoned that those who moved fast are bound to be the gainers. If you had been more agile than me you could have outdone me and collected more. They decided to eat them at the camp along with the food.

               The fruits, they opined, were sweet and beautiful and would taste well with the food. Putting the fruits in their apron, they began moving happily, for having collected so many of these costly fruits so easily. Though the quarrelling ceased after sometime, the mutual illwill of collecting less and more continued. They were angrily ogling at each other. The camp was reached. Everyone sat down. Food was prepared. Fruits too were taken out and served. And lo! Those who hastily put it in the mouth began to spit out. The fruits were bitter. The beautiful fruits, for collecting which they quarreled and laboured a lot, have turned out to be bitter. They were greatly disappointed. The native porter standing beside was greatly amused and started laughing. He said, "These are fruits of Binni tree. They are not eatable. The seeds are used for extracting oil."

                The ladies felt ashamed for having collected and carried the fruits without knowing the truth about them. I too was there and was a witness to the entire episode from beginning to end. The ladies now started laughing over the fruit episode. They got a chance to make fun. It is common that people feel happy on laughing over others mistakes and faults. Their mistake was that they assumed the fruits to be sweet and tasty because of their attractive shape and colour. How can everything that appears attractive be sweet? They should have known it. The ignorance caused them to be ashamed of themselves. Moreover, they quarreled for a worthless cause.

               I ponder as to why these ladies alone be laughed at, while nobody laughs at the whole society which is crazy after attractive appearances, like moths dying over the flame. In the world of appearances, god of beauty is worshipped; pomp and show attract everyone; and due to the temptation people madly fall for worthless things. They waste their lives chasing shadows of happiness and fulfillment and in the end repent over the futility of their pursuits, like the ladies who were repenting here due to having collected the bitter fruits of Binni trees mistaking them for forest apples. People who go after appearances would do well to cultivate a deeper vision to be able to realize the inner worth rather than the form. But it is possible only when one is wise enough to discern the pitfalls of attractive appearances and be able to keep away from them. None could eat the Binny fruits. They had to be thrown away.

                Those were not eatable at all. Riches and wealth, beauty and youth, merriment and fun, sex and infatuation, enjoyment and easygoing lifestyle and the like are some of the many vices, which disturb and pollute the mind. But most of the glittering things in the world are such that their acquisition ultimately causes only deep remorse and disgust. MULES THAT WALK CAREFULLY In mountainous regions, sheep and mules are used as beasts of burden. They are the only means available for transport too. Like we see carts, tangas, rickshaw, etc on our roads of the plains, mostly mules are seen moving safely on the difficult paths of the mountainous regions. We walk with great caution on such perilous mountain footpaths, taking proper care to avoid hitting the foot against stones. The mules also walk likewise.

                    Our head is so positioned on the body that we can see where we are putting our next step and can thus avoid danger. But it is not so with the mules. With their type of movement of the neck and position of their eyes, they can see ahead, but cannot see where the legs are being placed. Yet every step of the mule is always carefully placed at the right spot. Else the slightest slip would cause it fall down and end up its life like the cow calf we saw yesterday lying dead on the way to Gangotri due to falling from a height of about 80 feet. The poor thing lost its balance due to keeping one of the legs on the wrong spot. Such happenings are rare even in case of mountain cows. But in the case of mules such instances are never heard of.

                 The man incharge of the mules told us that these animals were extremely careful and were wise in treading the way. They walk fast, yet every step is kept carefully. When they apprehend any dangerous spot they suddenly control themselves, take the step back and search out the safe spot with the leg and then go forward. While walking, its attention is concentrated on the balance between the foot and the ground. Had it not been so they would not have been so useful on this difficult terrain. The wisdom of mules is commendable. While man repeatedly takes wrong steps without caring a bit and consequently suffers without growing wiser, the mules make no mistake in finding the balance of their feet. If we too learn to carefully put our steps on the uneven and perilous path of life, our conduct would also become commendable like that of the mountain mules.

Thanks GOD,Thanks Sadguru,

Shiv Sharma

Amritvani = Pujya Gurudev

Awakening Divinity in Man (Amritvani)

=Pt.ShriRam Sharma Acharya

 (Translation of the Hindi Discourse  continued from the previous issue)

Meaning and Purpose of Worship

 Why do we worship the divine? To condition and remind our minds of our divine origin. True worship of God means only one thing the cultivation of nobility in thoughts, motives, speech and action. If you think that by worshiping a particular God you will gain material success or fulfill a specific desire then it is a wrong delusion. Worshiping God with sincerity results in enhancement of virtues like generosity, compassion and warmth in your psyche. It brings about a positive change in the attitude of the devotee towards life.

If you have not performed worship in its true sense, then you are likely to be lost in a maze of lifeless mechanical rituals. You should worship in such a way that you also get the gifts of grace bestowed on true devotees present and past. Your virtues, character, actions, behaviour, thoughts and sentiments must improve as a result of worship. This is what shows the activation of divinity in life. If you attain this state, great opportunities will knock at your door. Glance through the cultural history of India  all the great names in it are of those who served the noble cause for the good of all and not of those who earned scholastic laurels. Have you heard of Mahamana Malviyaji? He was an ordinary person who became a great personage through sincere worship of divinity as he conceived it.

Friends! When God is pleased, He does not give you the petty worldly things you hanker after. Rather, He bestows on you godlike qualities which elevate your soul. The lives of worlds really great personage demonstrate this fact. None among them was such who did not receive Gods grace, guidance and cooperation of the masses they served. Give me one name of a great personality who was not endowed with any godly qualities of compassion, love, faith and service and who did not elicit spontaneous and loving cooperation from those who followed him. The noble values and principles of morality, ethics and spontaneity when adopted in conduct, help in enhancements of talents and resources. Saints adhere to great ideals of god like lives. They are never poor; required resources arrive at their doorstep.

But they do not accumulate them; they generously share them with the needy. When our minds are cleansed of all impurities and perversions, our material and inner resources are augmented. How many examples should I mention? The life of everyone who followed the ideal path of love-in-action and selfless service exemplifies this fact. They are true devotees in my view. I consider the worship and devotion of only those as true and worthwhile who could attract divine energies of their deity by the nobility of their character, by the magnetism of their virtues and by their single-minded determination at self-refinement and self-effacement When deities are happy with your worship, they bless you with the attributes of a divine being: enlightened wisdom, compassion and selfless service. My concept of worship and divine blessings is somewhat different.

 I can say that a true devotee can attract divine energies by the force of his nobility; he can compel deities to help in pursuit of his noble aims. A true devotee in this sense is much stronger a deity; he can get Gods help whenever he asks as his right. God cannot ignore his call. Those who worship god begging for a few worldly possessions or for fulfillment of ego-centric desires cant be true devotees even if they spend all their time in prayers and rituals. Glad consent to Gods will is the real spirit of devotion; it is the prime condition to be fulfilled for being a devotee in its true sense. God has inalterably assured His devotee, in the Gita- yogakshemam vahmyaham I will provide for all your needs. True, God does take care of his devotee but He has not promised to satisfy his cravings. Yoga and kshema mean taking care of your physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual well-being.

There should not be any confusion that it (Gods arrivance) includes the fulfillment of your gross sensual hunger. Dont chase the mirage of passions and desires; it devalues the dignity of devotion and the pre-eminence of Gods grace. The relation between the deity and the devotee is graceful and dignified only when the devotee doesnt beg for anything but rather offers to entirely give himself to the divine. God has already given you so much! He has created you.

He is always taking care of your yoga-kshema, without your praying for it. God is not a particularly embodied being. It is we who have conceived Him in various forms. If it is a must to give a definition, God could only be vaguely described as an infinite ensemble of supreme moral principles, saintly ideals and nobility. Faith in divine values and ideals and a self-disciplined endeavour to live for high principles is true devotion and enlightened worship.

All you really need will be provided Transparency of character is a great asset of a person through which he gets abundant support, affection and co-operation from all quarters. This is real prosperity. Can any monetary or material resources ever provide it? People donated unasked all their wealth and resources at the feet of Buddha, moved by his compassion and absolute selflessness. Gandhijis benevolence, his missionary zeal, his aspirations were all aimed at the welfare of the lowliest and the lost. This, together with the impeccability of his character, made him a universally acclaimed mahatma. People from all strata of the society stood by him, cooperated with him and followed him. Millions of people voluntarily went to jails and sacrificed their lives for the noble cause of national freedom upon his call. Is such ethical and spiritual eminence attainable by us all? Yes, indeed, subject to only one condition  you too like mahatma, should be ready to be led by truth dwelling light of the spirit. Light, your shadow will follow you. But you seem to be chasing your own shadow, the shadow of my  illusive worldly attractions and attachments  that seem to have overwhelmed you. You should learn to walk towards the light, towards God, noble aims and ideals. Such ideals are the attributes of deities like Hanuman and other emanations of God. Friends, turn away from the mirage of cravings, passions, greed and discontentment, and let your prayers and worship reach the stage where your personality would be illumined by Gods light, by the glow of divinity.

This is true devotion. If you have cultivated virtuous tendencies and conduct, I assure you that you will get support and cooperation from people around you. Boons of enlightened progress will be showered upon you from all directions. This is what has been, and will continue to be, the source of Gods blessings, the blessings of divine mother Gayatri. This has been the great tradition of devotion and of devotees and will be so in the future too. If you understand this secret and learn the true meaning of worship and devotion, your Gayatri Anushthan here will be accomplished in the truest sense. The self disciplining practices of this Anushthan sdhan are meant to refine your personality so that virtuous tendencies flourish in you. If this tapashcary of yours is sincere and one-pointed then at the end of this Anushthan you will feel inwardly endowed with godly attributes of an authentically virtuous and noble person. When a person imbibes an attitude of loving service, he sees his own good in the welfare of others and experiences happiness in it. If you find them elevated in this state of nobility, I would say you have attained true devotion and grace of the god. You would be blessed by God, just as the great devotees of the past have been. I have tried and followed this path and have been blessed with sublime gifts in my life. I want all of you, who have come for this sdhan course of a condensed Anushthan, to get inspired and be blessed by divine grace. If this inspires you and you begin to practice it, I assure you that the result will be so fulfilling, so majestic that you, your country, your life, your God, this sdhan course and I myself will be glorified. May God bless you with his grace.
 || OM SHANTI ||

Thanks GOD, Thanks Sadguru,

Shiv Sharma