(Excerpts from Satsang of Pujya Sant Shri Asaramji Bapu)
When you wake up in the morning remember the Supreme Lord, “O my Lord! Had You not woken me up in the morning, how could have I woken up? Servants, alarm clocks, etc. cannot wake me up without your consciousness. It is by Your grace that I have woken up. It is by Your grace that my eyes can see, my ears can hear, and my legs can move. It is by Your grace my Lord, that the mind gives rise to thoughts and counter thoughts and it is by Your grace that the intellect decides. O Lord! It is You everywhere, O Lord! Hails to you!
When you are having your food remember the Lord, “O my Lord it is by Your grace that I am able to feel the taste. It is by Your grace that the food will be converted into blood. All essential actions are performed only through Your grace and sanction; even non-essential actions are performed through your sanction without which we are incapable of performing even the smallest. Therefore, at the beginning of every action, during its execution and at its completion your benign presence is inevitable. O Lord! Great is your ‘lila’(Divine play).”
Only the one, with such profound understanding, can remain happy at all times. Those who seek happiness in ignorance are bound to remain unhappy. Ignorance cannot lead to happiness, and one having the knowledge of Vedanta can never be unhappy. Vedanta, as such, can only be appreciated by attending satsang.
Metat kathin kuank bhal ke...
Satsang eradicates the ill-effects of misfortune and removes our misapprehension. What constitutes this misapprehensions? The fact that the world is pervaded by Sachchidananda (Existence, Consciousness and Bliss absolute) and it appears to us, full of misery, attachments, troubles and death. See the underlying Reality (Supreme Self), presence of the Almighty in each and every object, person and situation, and your Misapprehensions will be cleared. That Supreme Lord is adorable, lovable, recollectable and attainable. What a great artist he is! What a great Player!!
He is so compassionate, a source of inspiration and a great benefactor. See how minutely He directs our actions? When we attempt to do something wrong he induces palpitation in our heart. Yet if we commit that action He reproaches you. And if we carry out a good deed He does not hold back to enhancing our intellect and abilities too.
What can be said about Him? He is beyond all description.. ‘Mat karo varnan har beant hai...’ If a primary school student tries to appreciate the achievements of a Ph.D., he will do it with his own limited understanding, totally ignorant of what acquiring a Ph.D. actually meant. Similarly, our mind and intellect have no idea of what God really is.
Nanakji has stated, ‘Whatever we say regarding Him is always incomplete. We cannot fathom Him through our thoughts. The more we think positively about God, the more it helps us; He is what He is.’
When we carry out good actions and desist from bad ones the yearning for God ensues. If there is no yearning for God, be sure that you are performing improper actions and are indifferent to proper actions.
Good appetite is the sign of good digestion. If you do not feel hungry, then it means that you have eaten something that is difficult to digest. Either you have overstuffed your stomach or you have eaten improper food. Inspite of this, if you still continue to eat, then you end up with body ache and fever. If you fail to exercise restraint at this stage too, then Prakriti takes your life away and changes your body: “Take this new body, Become a buffalo. Eat to your heart's content! It will not cause fever now!” See the natural plan of Lord; and this is not meant just for one or two jivas but for all. How wonderful is the power of the Lord!
Yearning for God is the result of great-meritorious actions. Sometimes one yearns for God when some meritorious actions bear fruits, but then a desire for fame arises that causes one's downfall. One is possessed by the desire to become a social reformer.
If the desire to attain God is intense, then one certainly attains God-realization. It is a divine law that an urgent necessity of yours is fulfilled either by directly providing the object to you or by creating circumstances wherein you proceed towards that object.
Once, I ventured deep into a jungle where I was familiar to none. The next day when I felt hungry, two farmers, completely unknown to me, brought me milk and fruits. I said, “Brother, I am not familiar with you.” The farmers replied, “In our dream, we saw a vision of this place, the path leading to this place and a great form of Yours. We were inspired to bring you milk and fruits, and here we are.”
See How He inspired the farmers to bring milk and fruits. I did not suffer from hunger for even two days. I had gone to sleep hungry just the night before. In the morning, I was yet to finish my spiritual routine when I felt hungry. I thought to myself that I will not go anywhere for food, but He who wishes to feed me shall bring food to me here. He had already inspired the farmers for this purpose, long before this thought actually came up in my mind.
Jisko garaj hogi aayega, Srastikarta khud layega.
Jyonhi man vichar ve laye, Tyon hi do kishan vahan aaye.
Dono sir par bandhe safa, Khadya peye liye dono hatha...
What a divine plan! How meticulously He looks after all of us! If your mind is satisfied without meeting God, be sure that your mind is full of evil desires. Not knowing the glory of the Lord, your mind has over-valued the world.
After all what do you want from this world? Who has ever carried the world with oneself after death? What has this world given to the people except worries, tension, illness and finally disappointment? You struggled throughout your life to earn money, either honestly or dishonestly, deposited it in safes both here and abroad, but will it ever accompany you? Take it for granted that whether you like it or not, you have got to hand over all your wealth and disclose your private accounts to someone or the else at the time of your death, be it your wife, son or any other individual. How far can you keep your wealth?
In the end all are leaving everything here; the body, house, wealth and even the kingdom.
Therefore to attain God, who is the protector, care-taker, Supreme friend and the true benefactor of all is the only duty of mankind.