the ashram web log

Living in a city like Mumbai, battling the same chores daily, one gets very used to the monotony and the non-stop pace of life. In this never-ending pace, a small break to visit the ashram makes you at peace with your own self.

Today, I reached ashram. And after dinner, it was immediately satsang time. Yippee! A few more insights gained in daily life, as is the case when you listen to anything that Guruji says and I will go sleeping today with a few more bulbs glowing in my brain. Heres a sneak peek into some of the questions asked and some of the answers (This is purely my re-collection. As you all know, Guruji said much more, so forgive this shishya's flaws).

Q. People say 'Adhyaatma maarga Guru aagya kevalam'. Please elaborate.

Guruji: Before commenting, we need to know what is the source of any quotation.

So, I guess it was time for question no. 2.

Q. Sometimes, we feel very pained when we look at a beggar in the street. Is this corect?

Guruji: If you see someone hungry and you feel something in your heart, it is only a natural thing. It only means that you have humanity alive in you. If you do not feel anything, then your heart has become a stone.

But, you should at the same time know that if you start feeling very depressed about it, you have only increased the sadness in this word and contributed to nothing. If you feel sad, do seva. Help these poor, hungry people. Convert your sad feeling into compassion immediately. If you only feel sad and pained about it, it is of no use. Look at the doctor in the hospital. He is amidst patients all days. He cant say that since everyone is so unwell out here, even I should become unwell. Rather, a doctor or a nurse has to remain healthy among the patients and serve the unhealthy people. Similarly, you should not just be sad about this but you should make a difference by doing seva.

Again, at the same time, dont do seva by giving money to all beggars on the street. You might give a beggar a Re. 1 not realizing that he has enough money to give you a loan. People have converted begging into a profession. Dont let such people deceive you. If you see children begging in the streets, take them to a school and get them educated. We, and many other institutions too, are running schools for such children. India, today, has a lot of job opportunities and needs. There is a severe lack of household workers, drivers, plumbers, electricians etc. Today, the number of uneducated unemployed people in India is less than educated unemployed people. Perhaps, its time to look at our education system too, and make it far more application-based. Afterall, what is the use of you studying so much if your PC is not working properly and you cannot repair it on your own. [Everyone around seems to be smiling!]

Q. Today, people have lost the meaning of festivals. How can we revive it?

Guruji: Festivals will have some amount of rituals. You cannot talk about knowledge all the time. A person who has a high level of understanding can understand knowledge. But, festivals are meant to forget all differences at all levels. They are meant for everyone from kids to grown ups. Everyone needs to forget the differences and come together. That is true 'Utsav' or festival.

Yes, but sometimes, we forget the larger picture of things. Festivals have a bigger purpose than merely following rituals. They bring us together, and we should together celebrate with some silence, some music, some sadhana, some seva. We should not forget the bigger picture in following rituals.

Q. We have 1 day for MahaShivratri and 9 days for Navratri. Does that mean that it is easy to please Lord Shiva compared to pleasing Durga Ma?

Guruji[Smiling]: No, this is not the case. There are so many forms of Durga and the 9 days are for the 9 forms of Durga. Afterall, a man becomes a father in one day but the woman feeds and takes care of the child in her womb for 9 months before becoming a mother.

But, if you fast to please Durga Ma, and you eat fried potatoes and puri, it doesnt make sense. If you wish to fast, eat only fruits or vegetables and drink a lot of water. It helps in cleansing your body. And do not fast to please Durga Ma. A mother is always pleased with her children. All she needs is her children to be happy. So, fast to keep your body cleaner and healthier.

Q. Does working in an old age home help me to clean away my sins?

Guruji: Working in an old-age home, children's home all of this helps you clean away your sins. Rather, every second you have an opportunity out here to clean away your sins.

Q. Does destiny exist and has it got anything to do with karma?

Guruji: When things dont work out the way we wanted them to, we call it destiny. And if they work out as we wished, we call it free will. [Smiles again] Yes, ofcourse karma plays a role in all of this. Karma makes you take your decisions - right or wrong and thus, you get the fruits of your decisions based on this karma.

Last question!

Q. What does the spiritual self feed itself on?

Guruji: All the spiritual self needs to feed itself is sadhna, meditation, seva, music, love... That is all that is needed to feed your soul.

I hope after reading this, you too will go back to whatever you were doing with a few more bulbs glowing in your head. I am feeling blessed again!

- Shreyans

Posted in: on Thursday, October 11, 2007 at at 1:06 PM