पू. बाबा बेलसरे अध्यात्म संवाद वाचताना टिपलेले काही मुद्दे —

पू. बाबा बेलसरे अध्यात्म संवादातून पुन्हा पुन्हा वाचावे असे— 

१. सर्व वेळ इतके नाम घ्यावे की दुस-या वृत्तीच उठणार नाहीत.

२. नामाचे प्रेम येण्यास नाथ-भागवत हा उत्तम ग्रंथ आहे.

३. वास्तविक अनुग्रह घेतला की सर्व काही गुरूवर सोपवून देता आले पाहिजे. व्यवहारात आपल्याला तशी सवय आहे. ऑर्डर निघाली की लगेच आपण साहेब होतो. माळ घातली की लगेच नवरा किंवा बायको होतो. मग येथेच घोडे कोठे अडते?

४. बाकीची कामे करून रोज ५-६ तास उपासना करेन असा निश्चय करा.

५. पू. बाबांची पुस्तके- १) अंतर्यात्रा २) प्रेमयोग

६. जीवनात कमी जास्ती व्हायचेच. पण आपण मन क्षुद्र होऊ देता कामा नये. दुसरा क्षुद्रपणे वागला तरी आपण विशाल झाले पाहिजे, कारण क्षुद्रपणा साधनाच्या आड येतो आणि आपण एकदम खाली घसरतो.

७. नाम घेताना आपण काहीतरी मौल्यवान वस्तू सांभाळत ओत असे वाटले पाहिजे. तुलसीदासांनी नामाला “राम-रतन” आणि सद्गुरूंनी कृपा करून दिलेली अमूल्य वस्तू म्हटले आहे.

८. श्री महाराज म्हणत, नामस्मरण करतो ह्याचा अर्थ कुंडलिनी जागृत झालेली असलीच पाहिजे.

९. आपल्या गुरूंना ३ गोष्टी आवडतात- १) अखंड नामस्मरण २) अन्नदान आणि ३) सगुणाचे प्रेम

१०. खरा भक्त द्वैतातील सुख भोगतो- “तू देव मी भक्त ऐसे करी” असे म्हणतो.

११. श्री महाराजांनी विषयाची खूप सोपी व्याख्या केली आहे- भगवंता-खेरीज जे जे आहे ते सर्व विषय.

१२. दुस-या संतांच्या दर्शनाला जाणे काही गैर नाही. परंतु ते आपल्याला काहीतरी देतील (पारमार्थिक मदत) अशी अपेक्षा बाळगणे हे चूक आहे. पारमार्थिक मदत फक्त श्रीमहाराजांकडेच मागावी. हाच अनन्यभाव.

१३. श्री महाराज म्हणत, मी कोणाचे अंतःकरण कधी दुखावले नाही. ह्याचाच अर्थ ते सर्वव्यापी होते. दुस-याच्या अंतःकरणात मीच आहे अशी जाणीव झाली की त्याचे अंतःकरण कसे दुखवणार? “सर्वांभूती भगवद्भाव”  ही श्रेष्ठ अवस्था आहे.

१४. श्रीमहाराज म्हणत, पैसा नसला तर अडते आणि असला तर नडते; म्हणून पैशाची विवंचना बाजूला ठेवून नाम घेतले पाहिजे.

१५. आपले बोलणे वागणे सर्व काही असे असावे की आपली गोड स्मृती रहावी. एकदा मनात विचार आला, श्रीमहाराजांची आठवण इतकी वरचेवर का होते? तेव्हा आढळून आले की त्यांच्या संदर्भात फक्त गोड स्मृतीच आहेत.

१६. श्री महाराजांचे म्हणणे असे की दान दिल्याने आपले कमी होत नाही. आपल्या प्रारब्धात असेल तितके आपल्याला मिळतेच.

१७. जर नाम सर्वव्यापी आहे आणि म्हणून आपले जीवनही त्यातच आहे, तर त्याचा प्रत्यय का येत नाही? अविद्या हे ह्याचे कारण आहे असे वेदांत सांगतो. तथापि हे स्पष्ट करणारी श्रीरामकृष्णांची सांगितलेली गोष्ट चांगली आहे. एका माशाच्या पिल्लाने त्याच्या आईला विचारले की समुद्र समुद्र म्हणतात तो कोठे आहे? त्याची आई म्हणाली, बाळा, तू समुद्रात जन्मलास, तेथेच राहतोस आणि समुद्रातच मरणार. त्या आईसारखे सद्गुरू असतात. ते आपल्याला नामाची ओळख करून देतात.

१८. लोकांकडून मिळणारा मान हा मधुमेहाच्या रोग्याच्या रक्तातील साखरेसारखा असतो. वरवर त्याचे काही वाटणार नाही; पण तो साधनी माणसाचा घात केल्याशिवाय राहणार नाही.

१९. प्र-प्रथम कर्तव्य- सर्वांभूती-भगवद्भाव

२०. मी केवळ सद्गुरू आणि देवाच्या हातातील एक बाहुली आहे. ते जसे सांगतील तसे मी वागावे; त्यातच माझे कल्याण आहे. “स्व” पूर्णपणे त्यागावा.

२१. आहे तितुके देवाचे | ऐसे वर्तणे निश्चयाचे |

   मूळ तुटे उद्वेगाचे | येणे रीती ||

२२. नाम घेताना काळाचे भान सुटले पाहिजे.

२३. योगामार्गापेक्षा भक्तिमार्गात सिद्धींचे वेगवेगळे टप्पे केव्हा येऊन गेले याचा साधकाला पत्ताच लागत नाही. त्यामुळे साधक घसरण्याची भीती कमी असते.

२४. How to find Guru- by Chapman - a book

२५. कान्हनगड च्या स्वामी रामदासांचे पुस्तक- In quest of God, In the Vision of God, and World of God

२६. योगी श्री कृष्णप्रेम ह्यांच्या बद्दल वाचणे

२७. मुखात नाम असणे हे हाती भगवंत असण्यासाराखेच आहे; परंतु म्हणूनच अखंड नामस्मरण अवघड आहे.

२८. दृश्य सुटल्याखेरीज भगवंताचे दर्शन नाही. एक वेळ अशी येते कि दृश्य सुटलेले असते आणि भगवंताचे दर्शन झालेले नसते. त्या वेळी जीवास फार भीती वाटते.

२९. Brother Laurence has told 3 steps to improvement - 1) Recollection- स्मरण 2) Conversation- संभाषण – सुरुवातीला हे एकतर्फी असते. तुम्ही ईश्वराशी बोलता; तो बोलेलच असे नाही. 3) Sustained awareness- अनुसंधान

३०. कृष्णमूर्ती जेव्हा burden of the past म्हणतात, तेव्हा माणसे ओळखणे, नावे लक्षात ठेवणे यासारख्या पूर्वस्मृती नाहीशा करायला ते सांगत नाहीत, तर त्यातून जे भावविश्व मी रचलेले असते ते नाहीसे करायला सांगतात.

३१. उपनिषदांत म्हटले आहे- द्वितीयात् भयं | म्हणजे जो पर्यंत मी वेगळा आणि बाकीचे जग वेगळे आहे तोपर्यंत जगापासून भीती राहणारच.

३२. जीवनातील आसक्ती, वखवख कमी होऊ लागली तर अध्यात्मिक शक्ती वाढते आहे असे मानायला हरकत नाही.

३३. निर्वैर व्हावे सर्व भूतांसवे | साधन बरवे हेची एक || असे तुकाराम महाराज म्हणतात. 

Necessity of Samarth Ramdas’s Teachings Today

|| Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram ||

If you are a believer of God, spirituality and goodness in general, you should know this. Well, when we utter the name of Samartha Ramdas Swami, his many literary works emerge before the eyes; but Dasbodh tops the list. Those who have read Dasbodh can tell how much more they started adoring this divine saint of Maharashtra, after the read. The read has turned the magnanimous atheists into devotees. The read has changed the negative life of many into a continuous stream of positive energy. The read has given many a chance to see their life in different perspective and has allowed them to be detached from worldly things, despite running the household successfully.

Today there is great necessity of a saint like Samartha Ramdas. If not, at least his teachings should be propagated in every nuke and corners of the world, in order to make this universe a peaceful yet powerful abode. Why it has become so much necessary for his teachings to be accepted worldwide? Let’s discuss briefly.

1) Stress has taken its toll on all of us-

We all reason out our stress factors. We blame it on our work, family problems, intolerant kids, and what not. It is sort of becoming a fashion statement. If a man or woman is working, he or she has to have stress. People without stress are joked about! But inside we all know how detrimental this stress has become in our life! It is not letting us live for a moment happily. Perhaps running behind so-called happiness is the main reason behind this stress.

And Samartha Ramdas tells us how foolish we are to see everything in the light of stress. When we first read Dasbodh, actually we feel shy at times to read ahead. This is because, this visionary saint has pointed out our foolishness so intricately that we ‘fit the bill’ almost in every sentence.

He tells us how foolish it is to think that we are governing this world! It is the biggest mistake to think of the fruit of our labor. Raam-karta (God does) is the sootra he binds us with. What is in the hands of a man? Do we govern over birth and death? Can we avoid death just because we have so much scientific prowess? That however does not mean we shouldn't work hard. Samartha Ramdas Swami gives high emphasis on targeted hard work. He rubbishes off the lazy guys who are worth nothing. He puts enough stress on physical well being, which in turn nullifies stress according to modern health sciences. Having known that, if we start looking at our regular work as the “work given by God”, we tend to visualize His footsteps in success as well as failure, thus without attaching oneself to that. It’s a matter of practice for sure. When this attitude is imbibed again and again, stress vanishes in the thin air. Be it any act; consider Him (God) as the Karta (doer) of that! Isn’t this teaching necessary in today’s scenario that we discussed above? Quite introspective!

2) Nullifying the Ego-

Perhaps this is the first step in our journey towards the “true wisdom”. European philosophers have given a nice name to man. They say- “What is Man? Man is God playing the fool!” See the analogy behind this. Samartha Ramdas, while stressing the “Sohambodh” tells us that we human beings carry excess ego inside us, considering WE as the creator and destroyer of day to day works and activities. This is nothing but the wrapping of our TRUE BEING with Maya. It happens because- “What is true of macrocosm is true of microcosm”. God is the highest power; we humans imitate him because we are not only part of him but Him! One needs to study this aspect of Dasbodh very deeply to understand.

Even if we leave the philosophical part, we can say that shedding this EGO is nothing but coming out of the imaginary spell of Maya. This is not applicable only on spiritual plane but in day to day life. Samartha always told people to integrate spirituality with their daily life. Only then one can attain the Ultimate Peace. How important it is today! Everyone is trying to pull down someone else to climb up. Whom are we trying to pull down? Where are we reaching by doing this? Nowhere! When this ego is shed and one embarks on the philosophy of “Ekoham Bahusyaam” (Only one God has taken different forms in the universe; you and me are but Him!), you see God in every living and non-living being! The whole world seems a beautiful place governed by the Super-Power that takes care of us.

3) Vairagya-

Samartha Ramdas insists on vairagya. This however does not mean abandoning the world or household. Samartha stresses on vairagya (detachment) of mind and psyche. Raja Janak had loads of pleasures in terms of huge empire and monetary gains but he is always remembered as a viraagi who did not have any attachment to the worldly things. Shri Ramchandra had ahead of him the lure of whole empire but he left it without thinking twice.

Here it doesn’t mean one shouldn’t strive for success or money. But it means, one should not give highest importance to these material things and should know about the temporariness of these things. Samartha stresses on the fact that nothing in this world is fixed or permanent except death. When this is true, why bother so much about the material possessions that bring lot of stress and insecurity with them? Instead, by keeping our thoughts on the spiritual path, we can stay away from the miseries that failures bring to us. We can mold ourselves into contented human beings that have only peace inside them.

Also Samartha teaches “Vairagya with Viveka”; that is, while having the balanced detachment from worldly things, we should have the strong conscience working for us. “Do what you feel like; everything is ok” has become today’s motto. No wonder we are witnessing so many mishaps world-over. If we practice this teaching, far less people will fall prey to the tactics of show off. Today we are doing all the things far more than necessary; be it eating, buying unnecessary things, celebrating money in the name of rituals, etc. Samartha’s Vairagya and Viveka can help us to be on the right track and get others on the same!

Through the same principle emerges the “Mumukshutwa” Samartha teaches through Dasbodh. Before one becomes Sadhaka (one in the pursuit of ultimate wisdom), one has to attain mumukshu-state. It is nothing but realization of one’s mistakes deeply, while correcting them. We all realize our mistakes at times. But we do not correct them always and keep moving ahead. But in this fashion, we can never attain the ultimate peace. That’s why we are suffering from so much turmoil in our lives. Samartha says, one should always be cautious. Every step of life should be taken with much precaution and considering all the pros and cons of the situation. If your inner mind is telling you it’s not right; don’t do it. It’s actually simple! Always have this conscious guiding you through the thick and thin of life. This will save you from many future hassles. This is however on worldly plane. In spiritual path, the mumukshuttwa is further important. It guides your conscious and keeps it away from blunders on the path of attaining perfection. This actually leads you to the right spiritual Guru, who gives re-birth to the NEW YOU and rides you through the apparently unknown territory of spiritual wisdom.

4) Bhakti-sadhana-

Last but not the least, samartha ramdas Swami’s stress on Bhakti (Devotion) is unmatched. In all the sects of spirituality, maximum insistence has been found on devotion. Without it, you are nothing. It is the means as well as the goal. Today its implication is far more important. As young adult residents of this world, we don’t have many good idols. There are very few people left whom we can devote ourselves to. But they are there. When we learn the importance of such devotion, only then perhaps, we can learn devotion or utter surrender to God. Searching the right spiritual Guru and learning under him is the necessity of time. Devotion is something that is beyond the realms of worldly matters. “Devotion for the sake of Devotion” is what we can learn from Samartha’s Dasbodh, Manobodh, etc.

Today people are praying to God, visiting various temples, and donating gold ornaments to God, so as to make God happy and hoping that God will return this favor by imparting some material pleasures in their life. Samartha strongly objects to this and tells us about the grave consequences of such worldly pleasures. He cautions us that only through utter devotion and vairagya, it is possible for us to be truly happy.

There are many more aspects of Samartha Ramdas’s Teachings but considering today’s scenario, the above four seem to be more relevant and appropriate to be followed world over. Samartha’s teachings are not bound by any religion, caste and creed. They are universal doctrines that have been verified by many stalwarts in the spiritual path again and again! 

Necessity of Samarth Ramdas's Teachings Today!

Here is the link to recently published article -

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_hbiN5lXt31aUFWUURPdU1HTkk/edit?pli=1

Thanks. 

सद् शिष्य कसा असावा ?

सद् शिष्य कसा असावा ?

सद्गुरु ची लक्षणे सांगून झाल्यावर समर्थ सद् शिष्याची लक्षणे सांगतात .परमार्थात सद्गुरु व सद् शिष्य यांची सांगड होणे महत्वाचे असते कारण -

सद्गुरुविण सद् शिष्य । ते वाया जाय निशेष । का सद् शिष्येविण विशेष । सद्गुरु शिणे। । ५ -३ -२ । ।

सद् शिष्याला सद्गुरु भेटला नाही तर तो पूर्ण वाया जातो .तसेच सद्गुरुला सद् शिष्य भेटला नाही तर सद्गुरुला श्रम होतात .ही गोष्ष्ट स्पष्ट करण्यासाठी ते भूमीचा दृष्टांत देतात .भूमी उत्तम आहे ,पण बी किडके आहे तर पीक येत नाही ,किंवा बी उत्तम आहे पण जमीन खडकाळ आहे तरी पीक येत नाही .सद् शिष्य ही उत्तम भूमी ,तर सद्गुरु उत्तम बी सारखा .शिष्य अनाधिकारी ,अपात्र असेल तर सद्गुरुला फुकट श्रम होतात .जेव्हा सद्गुरु व सद् शिष्य एकत्र येतात तेव्हा सद्गुरूंना वाटत की हाच तो ज्याची मी वाट पाहातहोतो .रामकृष्ण परमहंसांना विवेकानंदांना पाहून असच वाटल,श्री समर्थांना कल्याण स्वामींना पाहून असेच वाटले सद्गुरु ,सद् शिष्य आहेत पण अध्यात्म निरूपण नसेल उपयोग होत नाही ,जसे पीक तयार होउन आले तरी त्याची निगा राखावी लागते .त्याप्रमाणे आत्मज्ञान झाले तरी साधन चालू ठेवावे लागते .कारण साधन नसेल तर अविद्येचा अंमल होतो .
म्हणौन साधन अभ्यास आणि सद्गुरु । सद् शिष्य आणि सद्शास्त्र विचारू ।
सत्कर्म सद्वासना पारू । पाववी भवाचा । । समर्थ म्हणतात ,'साधन ,अभ्यास ,सद्गुरु ,सद् शिष्य ,सद्शास्त्र विचार सत्कर्म सद्वासना या सर्व गोष्टी एकत्र असतील तरच भवसागर पार करून जाता येइल .
आता समर्थ सद् शिष्याचे लक्षण सांगत आहेत ,

मुख्य सद् शिष्याचे लक्षण । सद्गुरुवचनी विश्वास पूर्ण । अनन्य भावे शरण । या नाव सद् शिष्य । । ५ -३ -१९ । ।
सद्गुरु वचनावर पूर्ण विश्वास ,व सद्गुरुला अनन्य भावे शरण जाणे ही सद् शिष्याची लक्षणे आहेत .कल्याण स्वामी सारखे शिष्य सद्गुरुंच्या केवळ 'कल्याणा छाटी उडाली 'या शब्दाखातर उंच कड्यावरून छाटी पकडण्यासाठी उडी घेतो तेव्हा तो जीवाचा विचार करत नाही ,सद्गुरूंनी सांगितले ते करायचे एव्हडेच त्याला माहीत !

सद् शिष्य कसा असावा ?

शिष्य निर्मल अंत :करणाचा ,आचारशील-आचाराने शुद्ध ,शुद्ध चारित्र्याचा ,विरक्त-हवे नको पण संपलेला , अनुतापी-झालेल्या चुकांबद्दल पश्चाताप वाटून त्या चुका पुन्हा न करणारा ,निष्ठावंत-सद्गुरु वचनावर पूर्ण विश्वास ठेवणारा ,सुचिश्मंत -ज्याची मती म्हणजे बुध्दी अतिशय शुद्ध आहे असा ,नेमस्त -नित्य नेम पाळणारा,साक्षपी -प्रयत्न करणारा ,परम दक्ष-अतिशय सावध ,अलक्षी लक्षी -अतींद्रिय वस्तूवर लक्ष केंद्रित करण्याचे मनोबल असणारा ,परोपकारी-दुस-याला मदत करणारा ,निर्मत्सरी-कोणाचाही मत्सर ,द्वेष न करणारा ,अर्थांतरी प्रवेशकर्ता -ग्रंथाचा अभ्यास करताना शब्दार्थाच्या अंतरंगात शिरणारा ,नीतिवंत -चांगल्या वाईटाचा विचार करणारा ,युक्तिमंत -हिकमती ,बुध्दीमंत -बुध्दीमान् ,सद्विद्येचा -उत्तम लक्षणांचा ,निर्लोभी ,निराभिमानी ,अनासक्त अशा गुणानी युक्त असावा .
सद् शिष्य कसा नसावा ?अविवेकी नसावा ,गर्भश्रीमंत नसावा ,अविश्वासी नसावा .कारण -

अविश्वासे कास सोडिली । ऐसी बहुतेक भवी बुडाली । नाना जळचरे तोडिली । मध्येच सुख दु:खे । । ५ -३ -३७ । ।

या कारणे दृढ़ विश्वास । तोचि जाणावा सद् शिष्य ।मोक्षाधिकारी विशेष । आग्रगण्यु। । ५ -३ -३८ । ।

 

आत्यंतिक गुरु-श्रद्धा कशी असावी ?

काल प. पू. बाबा बेलसरे ह्यांचे ज्ञानेश्वरी वरील प्रवचने ऐकत होते. नेहमीप्रमाणे बाबांना श्री महाराजांविषयी असलेले आत्यंतिक प्रेम ह्यातूनही व्यक्त होते जागोजागी. त्यात एके ठिकाणाची एक आठवण नमूद करून ठेवावी अशी आहे. भाऊसाहेब केतकरांना बेलसरे बाबा खूप मानीत. त्यांच्यासारखा प्रपंचात राहून परमार्थ साधणारा विरळा असा त्यांचा उल्लेख आपण महाराजांच्या चरित्रात वाचतो. त्यांच्या गुरु-भक्ती अतिशय हृदयपूर्ण आठवण बेलसरे ह्या व्हिडीओ मध्ये सांगतात.

गुरु-प्रेम आणि गुरु-निष्ठा कशी असावी?

भाऊसाहेबांना महाराजांना रामनामाची दीक्षा द्यायची होती. त्यांनी विचारले त्यांना- तुम्ही आधी कुणाकडून दीक्षा घेतली आहे का? मागे एकदा कुण्या एका गुरु कडून ते त्यांच्या घरी आले असताना भाऊ साहेबांनी मंत्र घेतला होता. ते त्यांनी महाराजांना सांगितले. महाराज त्यांना म्हणाले, काही हरकत नाही. तुम्ही त्यांच्याकडे पुन्हा जा आणि त्यांना आपला मंत्र परत घ्यायला सांगा. इतर कुणी असते तर त्यांनी शंभरदा विचार केला असता, काय करावे आता; असे कसे जावे आणि तुमचा मंत्र परत घ्या म्हणून सांगावे. परंतु भाऊ साहेबांची महाराजांवरची निष्ठा अशी दांडगी, त्यांनी काहीच विचार केला नाही. तडक गेले आणि त्या गुरूंचा यथोचित आदर करून त्यांना सांगितले कि तुमचा मंत्र परत घ्या; मला महाराजांकडून मंत्र घ्यायचा आहे. त्या गुरूंनीही काहीच न बोलता आपला मंत्र मागे घेतला आणि भाऊ साहेबांना मोकळे केले. काय विलक्षण नाते होते भाऊ साहेबांचे आणि महाराजांचे! महाराजांनी सांगितले म्हटल्यावर संपले. ते कधीच पुन्हा असे का म्हणून विचारात नसत.

त्यांचे वैराग्य इतके प्रबळ होते, की प्रत्येक  छोटी छोटी गोष्ट ते महाराजांच्या कानावर घालीत आणि मोकळे होत. म्हणत असत- आता माझा संबंध संपला त्या गोष्टीशी. घेतील महाराज बघून.

आपण नुसते राम-करता-करविता म्हणतो, पण त्या प्रमाणे वागत नाही. त्यामुळे आपण कायम डोक्यावर ओझे वाहतो. जो पर्यंत भाऊ साहेबांसारखी आपली भावना शुद्ध होत नाही तोवर आपण परमार्थ काहीच साधला नाही म्हणावे लागेल. गुरु-आज्ञा प्रमाण हे जोवर हृदयात खोलवर मुरत नाही तोवर खूप तळमळ वाटली पाहिजे. परंतु गुरूंच्या इच्छेने एक मात्र होते ते म्हणजे आपण नामाला लागतो. आणि जसे महाराज म्हणतात- तुम्ही फक्त नाम घ्या; ते विवेक आणि वैराग्य मी बघून घेतो, ते हळू हळू पटायला लागते.

अजून काय सांगायचे गुरूंनी? 

Sadasadvivek - saar-asaar---

श्री राम

||श्री राम||

तुम्ही मानले मला आपुले शिष्य |

दिलात जणू पुनर्जन्म ||

कधीच न फिटे आपुले ऋण |

तारेल मला सदैव आपुले नाम ||१||

श्री महाराज श्री महाराज हाकारे मन माझे |

मानसपूजेमध्ये सदा लीन व्हावे वाटे ||

अखंड रामनाम दिलेत तुम्ही ताराया |

करू दे भक्ती तुमची हा वर द्यावा कृपया ||२||

असंख्यात भक्तजन जपती रामनाम |

मज पामराचा तिथे काय भला पाड ||

तरीही कृपा मजवरी झाली अपरंपार |

या कृपेला करुणानिधे करी मज सत्पात्र ||३||

निडारले नयन श्रींची करुणमूर्ती न्याहाळता |

गुरुचरणी अखंड असो नमिलेला माझा माथा ||

सद्गुरू-शिष्य नाते हे जन्म-जन्मांतरीचे |

भक्तीत बुडून जावे, नामसागरात फैलावे वाटे ||४||

विवेक आणि वैराग्य दोनही सहज घडती |

सद्गुरूंचे रामनाम सदा देतसे प्रचीती ||

प्रपंची राहोन परमार्थ करावा वचन असे नेमस्त |

महाराजांची दास मी केली प्रतिज्ञा हृदयस्थ ||५||

|| श्री राम जय राम जय जय राम ||

Sant Tukaram

Had decided it last work-week that I will watch Sant Tukaram, the Prabhat Film this Sunday and thankfully I could do so. Long back I had watched it and still remembered a few shots. However, with the new-found path, wanted to watch it again in that glory.

Must say it was the fabulous-most experience! The kind of devotion Sant Tukaram preaches is that of pure bhakti, which many of the successors have preached but he seems to be one of the first few, who started it in its real glory. No doubt Prabhat movie is a must watch. Vishnupant Pagnis is truly the Tukaram-personified! Always I had this face as the face of Tukaram since childhood and watching him chant the name of Pandurang was as if in trance. He takes you through this journey along with him and literally at one point, you can feel the unification!!!! And that's the highlight of the movie or I should say of the tattwa that Sant Tukaram preached all his life!

Loved the scene in which Sant Tukaram clarifies why Bhakti is the easiest and purest way to reach God.

नामसंकीर्तन, साधन पै सोपे
जळतील पापे जन्मांतरीची
न लागे सायास, जावे वनांतरा
सुखे येतो घरा, नारायण

Ahaaaaa .............

Self Enquiry- by Raman Maharshi

Wonderfully stated by Raman Maharshi--

Disciple asks- How is breath control the means for mind control? 

Master answers-  

: There is no doubt that breath control is the means for mind control, because the mind, like breath, is a part of air, because the nature of mobility is common to both, because the place of origin is the same for both, and because when one of them is controlled the other gets controlled. 

Does Meditation Change the Brain?

The link for this article by Ramesam Vemuri-
http://advaita-academy.org/blogs/ramesam/Does-Meditation-Change-The-Brain.ashx

I liked this--

Sankara gives paramount importance to meditation in Vivekachudamani. He says, “As gold purified in the furnace, rids itself of dross and reaches the quality of its own self, so the mind ridding itself of the dross of substance and darkness, through meditation, enters into reality.” 

Serenity Personified!

Dictionary meaning of the word serenity is "the state of being calm"! And wise people say that serenity is not absence of storm but peace within it. The best part of it is that we are assured of having this blissful feeling amid humdrum of day to day life. For me the tool is adhyatma or spirituality. It is not just the pursuit of spiritual path but the finer nuances that cleanse our soul along the way. "Presence of God in everything" gives us this serenity. Feeling of "Lack of Bodily Attitude" defines it and despite all this, keeps you focused in your day to day activity.

Patanjali has given us the ways of pursuing yoga. Truthfulness, not desiring others' money, apt diet and related habits, exercise that takes us closer to our "true self", and dhyana are some of the pre-requisites of staying on this path. Initially I often used to find myself querying whether this is possible in today's world. But along the way due to blessings of my Guru, I started realizing the real-necessity of doing it honestly. Rather we tend to find along the way that this is the only pursuit that gives you immense satisfaction (or perhaps I don't know the word but it gives us something beyond the worldly matters, which is the purest form of joy).

Everything "good" for which we say, it's not possible in today's world, we should think hundred times- who created this so called "today's world"? Without acknowledging the almighty's gifts showered upon us, we only started taking things for granted- like- complete truthfulness is not possible in today's world! Why it's not? If you believe in goodness, if you follow righteousness, then a few people's ignorance about it shouldn't influence you adversely, isn't it?

The final-most outcome we desire from this life is HAPPINESS. All our works are the tools to achieve this. And it's high time we realize that without this "serenity in storm" attitude, we cannot achieve it, leave aside enjoying it. 

Some Excerpts While Reading

Name of the Book- महागुहेत प्रवेश- विनोबा भावे

* आपण मनापासून नेहमीच वेगळे आहोत ही गोष्ट चित्तात स्थिर करावी.

* चित्त प्रसन्न होते तेव्हा सहज शांतीची प्राप्ती होते. गीतेत म्हटले आहे- "प्रसन्नचेतसो ह्याशु बूद्धिः पर्यवतिष्ठते", म्हणजे चित्त निर्मळ असेल तर ते सहजच स्थिर राहते.

* दृढ संकल्पशक्तीने चित्तशुद्धीशिवाय ध्यान साधेल; पण तसे साधण्यात लाभ नाही, उलट नुकसान आहे.

* व्यक्तिगत फायद्यासाठी, वासानातृप्तीसाठी किंवा बाह्य गोष्टींसाठी व्यवहार करावयाचा नाही. एकाग्रतेसाठी अशी जीवनशुद्धी हवी.

* नियंत्रणाचा अर्थ आहे, हात पाय मन कान वाणी डोळे या सर्वांवर नियंत्रण ठेवणे, त्यांना वाईटाकडे जाण्यापासून आवरणे आणि चांगल्या गोष्टीत लावणे. याचेच नाव वैराग्य आणि विवेक. गीतेच्या भाषेत सांगायचे तर अभ्यास आणि वैराग्य. ही मनोजयाची साधने आहेत.

* समदृष्टी होणे महत्त्वाचे. समदृष्टी म्हणजे शुभ-दृष्टी. ही सर्व सृष्टी मंगल भासली पाहिजे. सारे शुभ व पवित्र आहे. "विश्वं तद् भद्रं यदवन्ति देवाः" (ऋग्वेदसार २.४.७) - हे विश्व मंगल आहे, कारण परमेश्वर ते सांभाळीत आहे.

* माझा रक्षक काय तो मी एकता, बाकी सारे माझे भक्षक, ही कल्पना नाहीशी झाल्याशिवाय एकाग्रता होणार नाही. सर्वत्र मांगल्य पहा, म्हणजे चित्त आपोआप शांत होईल.

* मी अध्यात्मिक शक्तीची अशी व्याख्या केली आहे - अध्यात्मिक शक्ती ती जिचा दुरुपयोग होऊच शकत नाही.

* ध्यान परमात्म्याशी जोडले गेले तर ते अध्यात्मिक होईल, भौतिक वस्तूंशी जोडले गेले तर मानसिक होईल.

* आपल्याला वृत्ती नको स्थिती हवी.

* विज्ञानाचा अनुभव वैज्ञानिकांना येतो. निष्काम सेवेचा अनुभव नितीनिष्ठ सेवकांना येतो. हे दोन्ही अनुभव एका तिसऱ्या अनुभवाशिवाय अपूर्ण आहेत. तो तिसरा अनुभव भक्तीतून येतो !

* मानवसेवेने व आत्मनिष्ठेने  मनुष्य शुद्ध होईल, विज्ञाननिष्ठेने बुद्ध होईल, मात्र सिद्ध तेव्हाच होईल, जेव्हा त्याला आपल्या चेतनेत परमात्म-चेतनेच्या अविर्भावाचा अनुभव येईल. 

How About Having a Day Away from So-Called Civilization?

It’s a beautiful morning! Power off since morning and heard many cry for the same. I too have lot of work on my laptop but can’t perform as it lies “charge-less”. But still I feel good because of my strangely positive mindset! :O

Many times I feel how good it would be if we could go back to an era where we did not have all these facilities! Life was more serene and tranquility prevailed. We were concerned just about what to eat for the next meal and didn’t have to save for ourselves and our children. Things were lot simpler, more akin to nature, closer to God, and away from the stress and strain. If one felt angry, he would express it immediately and forget the next moment. No grudges, no comparisons, no manipulations and no money!

Yes, money seems to be the culprit! Money makes us do so many things all day, good or bad. So many people cannot indulge in their favorite hobbies thinking about earning and saving. In our ancient civilization, there were days when money did not exist and still man lived with exchange of things for getting the required goods! Sounds impossible, isn’t it? Should we hope for such era to return?

There were days when people used to walk miles and not complain of reaching late anywhere or missing trains and buses. Perhaps nobody was jealous of the others because nobody owned “cars”! Positive health was a bonus for them.

A day of power shut-down and we shout at our electricity boards for hampering our work. But if we just think of spending such off day the way we want, we would enjoy such shut downs too. Of course some emergency services will be hampered but they are called ‘emergency’ because we have made them so.

Why can’t we just relax and ponder upon the positive side of the life? Because, we have trained ourselves or have been trained in a manner that teaches us vague perfection in everything!

It is really time to think about our own perceptions and beliefs. It does not mean we should not go with the flow and make ourselves “Pro” but in doing so, we should try not to harden our senses and benumb our original tranquility.

Humans originally are tranquil existences that remained conscious of their inner-selves. It’s time to remind ourselves of this essence and live in maximum proximity to ourselves and nature.

What strength will STRESS then have to weaken us?

MAY TRUE EMPOWERMENT PREVAIL !!!

Understanding Our Mistakes is Vital to Save Relationships!

As we all know, saving a relationship through the thick and thin of life is not easy. It may be the relationship between husband and wife, friends, parents or in laws. You have to be on your toes always if you want to develop healthy relationship. Yes true that the relationships should come natural to us, we being social animals. But it doesn't happen so. When we come across the difference of opinions, it is hard to control our ego and let go of the temporary situation that creates stress.

How to Help it?

Well if we see closely at any dispute that emerges between any two people, the most important culprit behind the dispute is to showcase the wrong doings of the person standing opposite to us. But that is the time when we miss the point that when we point the finger to someone else, three fingers are pointed towards us. We tend to mask our mistakes under the flap of righteousness, which rarely stands the point. More we start understanding own mistakes, we tend to see the opposite party with consideration that they can commit mistakes too, just like us. But the point is that we should cultivate this tendency of such comprehension at every situation that sparks trigger of disharmony between relationships.

Know that it is Temporary-

The relationships get dismantled because most of us give a kind of permanent shade to this disharmony. We often tend to think during the dispute that now this cannot be corrected and the gap will remain always. But factually this is the most absurd thinking in a relationship. The studies state that more than 90% of disputes are temporary that are the result of some buoyant attitude and impulsive reactions to a certain situation. It is also known that if a person waits for just a few hours before commenting or reacting to the other person's opinion, both of them can come up with more mutual understanding to that situation after a certain period of time.

Especially it is important to know that when we live in a society comprising of people with different levels of understanding, it is going to create different opinions that we all may not agree with. Same is true at home! Thus more balanced you are to handle the situations, more you listen carefully than reacting immediately, more you comprehend the subtlety of bonds that brought you closer, more you can safely handle your relationships! 

The Day Starts from the Morning!

Good morning! :)

That's what we all say when we greet each other in the morning. But do we all live up to it? Do we really have a good morning? Many of us grumble at the thought of getting up from slumber and feel "not-so-fresh" in the mornings. After we get up, instead of remembering God for this new days, we remember yesterday's grudges that we held against people at home and outside. That is when we ourselves are responsible for not-so-good morning!

Our learned philosophers say, we should leave the last day when we retired to bed. We should not hold any happiness or sadness bother us when we enter the next day. Yes, happiness is equally harmful at times, as if we don't get that kind of happiness today, we again feel sad. Enter the new day with a clean slate and see what it holds for you.

Being detached from our environment means the same. Of course it is not easy but if we try and have complete faith in God, we can do it with practice. We all are going through the humdrum of day to day life. We all have our shares of joy and sorrow. But we notice that some people take these things as mere passing experiences and others sit in those absurdities for time immemorial. Then we will be able to comprehend how foolish we acted when we gave undue importance to all these things in life, which shall pass!

With this attitude, let's begin a great morning and have a wonderful and fruitful day ahead! 

श्री ब्रह्मचैतन्य गोंदवलेकर महाराज म्हणतात-

१. नामापासून काही मिळावयाचे आहे ही कल्पनाच नसावी. नाम मुखी येते हाच नामाचा अनुभव. विस्तवाजवळ तूप ठेवले कि ते वितळते, तसे नामाची शेगडी ठेवली की अभिमान वितळलाच पाहिजे. अखंड नामस्मरणाला सोवळ्या-ओवळ्याचे बंधन नाही. अखंड स्मरणाच सोवळे आहे. 

२. मी मागतसे एक दान, ते द्यावे तुम्ही सर्वांनी II नामापरते नका माणू सुख, रामापायी करून घ्यावे आपणास अर्पण II

    याहून नको मज काही, एवढी भीक घालावी सर्वांनी II

३. नामातच शेवटचा श्वास गेला पाहिजे 

४. देहाची स्थिती कायम न राहे निश्चित II

    ते सांभाळणे आहे जरूर, न विसरता रघुवीर II

५. जगण्याकरता श्वास घेणे जसे मनुष्यास जरुरीचे आहे, तसेच भगवंताच्या भेटीसाठी प्रत्येक श्वासाबरोबर नाम घेणे अगत्याचे आहे. 

Swami Vivekananda Says--

• Each wave in the chitta that says, "I and mine" immediately puts a chain round us and makes us slaves; the more we say "I and mine", the more slavery grows, the more misery increases.

• Non-attachment is the basis of all Yoga! 

• Work incessantly but give up all attachment to work!

• To acquire freedom, we have to get beyond the limitations of this universe; it cannot be found here. The real religion begins where this little universe ends!

• Fools alone say that the work and philosophy are different; not the learned!

• When you have trained your mind and your nerves this idea of the world's non-dependence on you or on anybody, there will be no reaction in the form of pain resulting from work.

• According to Karma-yoga, the action one has done cannot be destroyed until it has borne its fruit; no power in nature can stop it from yielding its results!

Spirituality is Irrespective of Age!

Many people have this thought close to their heart that once we reach the retirement age; we will start our spiritual pursuit. Spirituality is many times misinterpreted as some work that is to be done in order to attain the mukti. Well, but most saints advice us that it is not the work to be done but an inner attitude that needs to be cultivated if you want to have a life devoid of egoistic pursuits.

Spirituality is one’s nature, many times in born or sometimes cultivated in the right direction with the advice of some eminent gurus. It is the selfless yet self-improving way of life that will take you to your destination- that is- Absolute Contentment!

Many times we find people who pursue spiritual or adhyatmik things frown about people who pursue prapanchik (day to day) chores and run behind so many different pursuits to feel the happiness. But what they fail to understand is that we all are behind achieving happiness and only those who are really interested in spirituality and Godly pursuits, can hope to understand one day that what we were after was this ultimate wisdom! Even the people who try to run in different directions are behind this ultimate aim, however they lack the proper direction. Every one of us in some or the other birth must come close to this truth that the spiritual purpose is the highest purpose and only that can lead us on the path of ultimate happiness.

And as the subject matter of this post, it is irrespective of age. Rather, earlier you being, sooner you reach your destination or at least walk towards it. Young age is the right age also as regards the heath aspect. Healthier you are, more dedicated your adhyatmik pursuits can be. Unhealthy mind and body can rarely cope up with the spiritual goals. Rather it can be said that spirituality or adhyatma is not the journey. It is the final destination we all need to reach. It is our “being”. So, if you start developing interest in such pursuits at young age, in the old age, you obviously attain to much tolerance towards your bodily woes too. Spirituality is one of the best tools to keep your body and mind under control while surrendering completely to your God! It is the best way to find the inner peace that all are after.

Even those who deny the presence of God will agree to the fact that they are searching for real happiness or real tranquility. Our saints tell us that unless we travel the path of adhyatma and spirituality, it is impossible to attain the tranquility or happiness that will never vanish! 

Combining Professional Ambitions with Spirituality

Just happened to read one of the basic spiritual scriptures of mankind- Shreemad Bhagawat. I always like to read such scriptures time and again to feel the zeal of relaxation that nothing else can provide. Importantly enough, I feel reading such texts makes you realize futility of striving hard for unattainable things. rather, striving for anything while thinking continuously about the fruit of labor is the prime reason behind any suffering.

Karma-yoga deals with working without thinking of the fruit. That does not mean though that there shouldn't be any target. We should keep our aim at the target and work with adequate planning but the downfalls of the process shouldn't bother us. We should free ourselves of the negative influences and comments that keep bothering us throughout the process of our work.

Combining spirituality with apt work is the crux of a happy life. One has to be happy or contented in his or her outlook towards life. I often feel that the undue stress while excelling in a certain field almost always leads to unnecessary delays in our work as well as spiritual development. It is one of the hardest things to attain this balance. But if we have it deep in our hearts to make it happen, we automatically start progressing towards this goal in life. Rather I would like to say that the almighty (who is One!) makes us progress towards the spiritual goal while attaining our Prapanchik (day to day) goals.

Many times I feel the dilemma why cannot I devote more time for my Adhyatmik pursuit. I am in awe of our adhyatmik scriptures and feel completely myself and immersed in the glory of almighty when I read them. Day before yesterday when I was again struck by this dilemma, I was guided by a note on facebook of Shri Gondavalekar Maharaj (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shri-Gondavalekar-Maharaj/309538732408872) It is in marathi; so don't know if many people can benefit from it. But it says, Many people do a side-business. It is the business done along with the main business. And we should see our vocation as a side business along with our spiritual pursuit as the  main business. Smartly enough, we should understand that pursuing main business takes up not more than 4 to 6 hours of the day. The remaining time should be devoted to our spiritual pursuit if you truly desire. Well, I am happy with this answer given to me by almighty. True that we devote much more time (perhaps) to our daily duties but at least we can cut short of the wastage of time that we do daily on vague pursuits. That time can be constructively used to build our firm foundation spiritually and feel the bliss that is hard to explain.

Only one can feel the bliss in the spiritual pursuit (It may vary from person to person). But it is this pursuit that keeps me out of stress despite being engulfed by stressful situations at times. Most wonderfully, this pursuit never takes you off the track as far as your professional ambitions are concerned. You rather become more focused, more disciplined, and more enthusiastic of your work ethic! 

Live in Joint Family to be Healthy!

Hi,

Well I can understand that the concept of joint family is prevalent only in countries like India and many from Western part of the world don't know what this really is. Just recently, one of my friends (doctor colleagues) from Europe asked me, "How can you people live with your elders? Doesn't it give you an oppressed feeling all the while?" My answer was simple- "How can you people live all alone in a nuclear family?"

This is not to boast of my abilities to go along well with my elders at home. We do have differences of opinion at times. Rather, when any 2 or more people live together, there are going to be differences, but the fact is that we rejoice in those differences. What fun the life is if you don't have someone to voice your opinion to? Just that we should make this voicing of opinion an art to gain experience than to just fight for no cause.

When we dwell deeply on the concept of joint family (that was kind of natural in early days of man), we realize the benefits. The foremost benefit according to me is- You never feel alone in your life! You always have someone to look up to in odd times. I certainly understand that for a good clap, you need two hands. Similarly, for a joint family to run smoothly, as much as youngster's contribution is needed, more is needed from the elder counterpart as well. Perhaps, elders are the people (in our country at least) who have seen lots of ups and downs. Days were not as good as now then, perhaps on various fronts including finances. But they have also seen some of the very close familial bonds that today's generations miss out on.

Second point according to me is from our children's point of view. Not only we look up to elders for mere their help in our children's case but they give children a strong foundation as to how a household runs. Their close bond with their grand-children is one of the most attractive benefits of a joint family. You can completely rely upon them when it comes to your child's safety and good upbringing. This is when the elders' contribution counts beyond imagination as it gives our children a secure family net.

And the thing that I am passionate about thrives in joint family, if you have a healthy bond- "Health!" Yes, when you don't feel lonely, when you have people to solve your problems, when you share your household work-load with someone, and when there is 'no time' for the stress to crop up in life, you tend to live quite healthily than when you live alone or in a nuclear family.

When I often talk about my joint family, some of the acquaintances call me lucky because my in laws are supportive and despite being under the same roof all the while, I don't complain. Well, I totally agree being lucky in this regard. Perhaps I often say that if I wouldn't be living in the joint family, I would never be able to start and propagate my website www.drshreya.com to such great extent. As I felt secure at home, I could do it. But I would also like to say that we, the daughters in law, should kind of stop being too contemplative of our elders' activities. If we respect our parents and if we like to see our parents in a joint family with their sons and daughters in law, we should respect our in laws as well, not only for their supportive job but for their differences as well. If we don't like our parents living a lonely life in their twilight years, we should never allow the people who have welcomed us in their family do the same.

I know it's not easy. But once you make up your mind to accept some defeats and honor the wins on the way, you can do it. Always weigh the positive aspects to the negative aspects and I am sure the positive aspects will far outweigh the negatives.

I would certainly wish that throughout our country or perhaps the world, the old tradition of joint family should again find its most deserved place! Human being is born to live socially and our society starts with our kith and kin!