A Lesson in Life

Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of good or bad luck. Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small tests, if they be events, illnesses or relationships, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere.

If someone hurts you, betrays you , or breaks you heart, forgive them. For they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to who you open your heart to.

If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because they are teaching you to love and opening your heart and eyes to things you would have never seen or felt without them.

Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from it everything that you possibly can, for you may never be able to experience it again.

Talk to people you have never talked to before, and actually listen. Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you either.

You can make of your life anything you wish. Create your own life and then go out and live it.

How To Practice Spirituality

To become SPIRITUAL, you first have to be humane and practice HUMANITY. One cannot be Spiritual, if they lack humanity. And to practice the Humanity factor, one must first aim to be a SAINT.

A saint is not a person who is wearing a robe, walking around seeking alms, as we Indians, traditionally picture a saint to be. Instead, a Saint is someone who lives his life as per God’s rules and follows the scriptures. In today’s world, a saint can be found in a pair of jeans and sneakers!!! A saint is determined, not from what he is wearing or how he looks, but from how he lives his life. Becoming a saint, does not mean giving up the materialistic world. A true saint knows exactly how to create the perfect balance between the materialistic world and the spiritual world.

This year, aim on living your life like a SAINT because only a saint knows how to live spiritually, in this materialistic world. There are three steps to follow, if you want to aim on living like a saint: just remember the rule of the 3 S’s!….It’s SEWA, SATSANG & SIMRAN. Each of these “S” factors, further involve 3 aspects.

1. SEWA: is service: Service to mankind! Sewa is done in a GIVING MODE. When you serve others, serve irrespective of their caste, color or religious background. Just serve humans, with humanity! Sewa, should be “Nishkaam”: without any benefits in return. When the left hands gives, the right hand should not even find out. You normally do sewa in 3 ways: with your “tan, man & dhan”: your BODY, MIND and WEALTH. Doing sewa with your body involves physical work towards doing something for someone. Eg: physically going somewhere to run errands & chores for someone who is old or incapable, rendering care to the sick, donating blood, cooking for the hungry, cleaning and volunteering for your respective places of worship etc.

Sewa by mind, is wishing well for others and praying for their well being. Sewa by mind is also compromising to keep Harmony. Whenever we do sewa, our mind has to first become humble and give up the “I” factor. Never think that I: did something. Feel fortunate that God chose you to serve someone. Don’t forget that if He wanted, He could have easily done it Himself. Instead, He blessed YOU, with the opportunity. Every time we do sewa, always remember that we are just a medium via which God is getting something done. Hence, the importance of being humble. The minute we think that WE have done something, just take it, that we just flushed down all our efforts of sewa! Sewa is also done by spending your money for the benefit of others who are incapable. Buying food or groceries for the poor, medicines or treatments for the ones who cannot afford them, or spending your money to benefit the community because someone’s gotta do it!!!

2. The next S factor is SATSANG: or Congregation! Which is done in a RECEIVING MODE. Satsang means “sat ka sang” :the company of the truth. We all need to go to school or college to get materialistic knowledge. Similarly, we need to go to congregations and spiritual seminars to earn spiritual awareness. These are the grounds to seek inspiration and motivation to stay on the right track. The world today lacks spiritual knowledge and hence the motivation to remain spiritual, mainly because congregations or staying in the company of saints is not given enough importance. Just like the body needs food to keep it going, the Soul also requires nourishment with spiritual knowledge. A Satsang requires 3 aspects as well: GOING, LISTENING and IMBIBING: Your mind will always rationalize with you telling you that it is not a priority. But YOU, have to make the effort to GO to a satsang and then leave it up to GOD to help you learn. Making that initial effort to GO to a congregation, is vital to transforming you into a 21^st century saint. To benefit yourself from a congregation, you have to LISTEN and switch yourself into the receiving mode, because only then, will you be able to learn. And lastly, make sure your IMBIBE everything you hear, into your life. A true satsang starts AFTER you leave a satsang, because how much you imbibe into your life, determines how spiritual you are.

3. The last S factor is SIMRAN: or meditating upon God’s name, or simply praying to God. Simran, should always be done in a NEUTRAL MODE. Ideally, a prayer should not be asking for materialistic benefits. A prayer should involve 3 steps to ACKNOWLEDGE God, SURRENDER to God and SEEK from God. Acknowledge the fact that God, and God alone is the formless, all powering source, surrender yourself to Him and seek His forgiveness and blessings. A perfect prayer is as follows:

"Dear Formless God, I surrender to thee, please forgive me and bless me!!!"

Put yourself in a neutral frame of mind and meditate upon his name. Thinking about God and the awareness that He is around us, is also Simran.

Remember, we all have to eventually leave this world, and when we go, the only thing we take along is our Spiritual knowledge! Everything else is materialistic and is left behind. So invest in spirituality, it’s the most precious asset you can possess and every time you do Sewa, Satsang or Simran, its yet another installment paid towards that eternal investment.

Source: Radio Roohaniyat

Do We Perform Our Duties Well?

Once I saw a waiter performing his day-to-day tasks wearing gloves for maintaining proper hygiene. I was delighted to see that he is carrying out his duty in a hygienic way as desired. However it so happened that he , with the same gloved hand was itching his ear in between the work. My disappointment was very obvious and made me think that - our condition is also somewhat like him. We also are blessed with Gyaan(gloves) and as part of it, are required to do certain things (maintain hygiene) but in real lives we do not perform our duties well.

A Speech By Chetan Bhagat

Speech by Chetan Bhagat at Symbiosis ...worth reading it!

Don’t just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order.

There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.

"Life is one of those races in nursery school where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same is with life where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die. ……………….

One thing about nurturing the spark - don't take life seriously. Life is not meant to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? …………….

It's ok, bunk a few classes, scoring low in couple of papers, goof up a few interviews, take leave from work, fall in love, little fights with your spouse. We are people, not programmed devices........."

"Don't be serious, be sincere."!!

10 principles for Peace of MIND

1. Do Not Interfere In Others' Business Unless Asked.

Most of us create our own problems by interfering too often in others' affairs. We do so because somehow we have convinced ourselves that our way is the best way, our logic is the perfect logic and those who do not conform to our thinking must be criticized and steered to the right direction, our direction. This thinking denies the existence of individuality and consequently the existence of God. God has created each one of us in a unique way. No two human beings can think or act in exactly the same way. All men or women act the way they do because God within them prompts them that way. Mind your own business and you will keep your peace.

2. Forgive And Forget.

This is the most powerful aid to peace of mind. We often develop ill feelings inside our heart for the person who insults us or harms us. We nurture grievances. This in turn results in loss of sleep, development of stomach ulcers, and high blood pressure. This insult or injury was done once, but nourishing of grievance goes on forever by constantly remembering it. Get over this bad habit. Life is too short to waste in such trifles. Forgive, Forget, and march on. Love flourishes in giving and forgiving.

3. Do Not Crave For Recognition.

This world is full of selfish people. They seldom praise anybody without selfish motives. They may praise you today because you are in power, but no sooner than you are powerless, they will forget your achievement and will start finding faults in you. Why do you wish to kill yourself in striving for their recognition? Their recognition is not worth the aggravation. Do your duties ethically and sincerely.

4. Do Not Be Jealous.

We all have experienced how jealousy can disturb our peace of mind. You know that you work harder than your colleagues in the office, but sometimes they get promotions; you do not. You started a business several years ago, but you are not as successful as your neighbor whose business is only one year old. There are several examples like these in everyday life. Should you be jealous? No. Remember everybody's life is shaped by his/her destiny, which has now become his/her reality. If you are destined to be rich, nothing in the world can stop you. If you are not so destined, no one can help you either. Nothing will be gained by blaming others for your misfortune. Jealousy will not get you anywhere; it will only take away your peace of mind.

5. Change Yourself According To The Environment.

If you try to change the environment single-handedly, the chances are you will fail. Instead, change yourself to suit your environment. As you do this, even the environment, which has been unfriendly to you, will mysteriously change and seem congenial and harmonious.

6. Endure What Cannot Be Cured.

This is the best way to turn a disadvantage into an advantage. Every day we face numerous inconveniences, ailments, irritations, and accidents that are beyond our control... If we cannot control them or change them, we must learn to put up with these things. We must learn to endure them cheerfully. Believe in yourself and you will gain in terms of patience, inner strength and will power.

7. Do Not Bite Off More Than You Can Chew.

This maxim needs to be remembered constantly. We often tend to take more responsibilities than we are capable of carrying out. This is done to satisfy our ego. Know your limitations. . Why take on additional loads that may create more worries? You cannot gain peace of mind by expanding your external activities. Reduce your material engagements and spend time in prayer, introspection and meditation. This will reduce those thoughts in your mind that make you restless. Uncluttered mind will produce greater peace of mind.

8. Meditate Regularly.

Meditation calms the mind and gets rid of disturbing thoughts. This is the highest state of peace of mind. Try and experience it yourself. If you meditate earnestly for half an hour everyday, your mind will tend to become peaceful during the remaining twenty-three and half-hours. Your mind will not be easily disturbed as it was before. You would benefit by gradually increasing the period of daily meditation. You may think that this will interfere with your daily work. On the contrary, this will increase your efficiency and you will be able to produce better results in less time

9. Never Leave The Mind Vacant.

An empty mind is the devil's workshop. All evil actions start in the vacant mind. Keep your mind occupied in something positive, something worthwhile . Actively follow a hobby. Do something that holds your interest. You must decide what you value more: money or peace of mind. Your hobby, like social work or religious work, may not always earn you more money, but you will have a sense of fulfillment and achievement. Even when you are resting physically, occupy yourself in healthy reading or mental chanting of God's name

10. Do Not Procrastinate And Never Regret.

Do not waste time in protracted wondering "Should I or shouldn't I?" Days, weeks, months, and years may be wasted in that futile mental debating. You can never plan enough because you can never anticipate all future happenings. Value your time and do the things that need to be done. It does not matter if you fail the first time. You can learn from your mistakes and succeed the next time. Sitting back and worrying will lead to nothing. Learn from your mistakes, but do not brood over the past. DO NOT REGRET. Whatever happened was destined to happen only that way. Why cry over spilt milk?

Law of the Garbage Truck

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly.. So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!
'This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.' He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment.
As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets. The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so...Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't.
Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!

Saints love all. Their love flows from heart. Body is not the consideration; it is the invisible self or the soul that they love. It is devotion, which has always been shown by devotees or saints. Their love or devotion for God is always real, from the core of their hearts. It is never unreal or for show off. Neither they love God for worldly materials, because they know it is never the purpose. They know that worldly possessions can be had, perhaps more than anybody else, even by thieves, robbers and other evil doers:

सूत दारा और लक्ष्मी, पापी के भी होए; संत समागम हरी कथा, तुलसी दुर्लभ दोए.

A sinner, who does evil deeds may also find these things (son, wife and wealth) but the most valuable is the company of saints, the company of spiritual masters. And the saintly persons would love only this rare thing. They never depend on material goods. They only make use of them as per the need. Their real love is only for God. Their only reliance is this God, the Formless. They know that their devotion to God is the panacea for all kinds of diseases:

हरी को नाम सदा सुखदाई; जाको सिमर अजमल उब्रयो,गनका हूँ गत पी.

The nectar of God's Name (praise) has always brought relief, produced happiness. Worldly materials are not always the same. Their impact too varies. One thing may be useful at one time, but the same thing may prove harmful at some other. We know that milk gives strength to the body. But in diarrhoea, the doctor always advises one to stop taking milk. Different materials of the world have different uses, different effects. But the divine praise has been described as always soothing. It gives happiness when we are unhappy. In fact whosoever has given it place in his mind, sought its protection, rises above all ups and downs of life and enjoys peace all the time in all situations. A saint is so firmly aligned with God that he never fumbles. He does not give up his saintly character, whatever the circumstances:

संत न छोरें संतई, कोटिक मिलें असतं; चंदन विष व्यापत नहीं, लिपटे राहत भुजंग.

It means, just as the sandal tree does not give up its coolness, its fragrance (even when it is coiled by snakes), similarly, a saint does not leave the path shown by Satguru, does not give up service of others.