Most of us remember the Lord when facing adverse times. Even the seemingly most atheist person amongst us remembers Him when facing extreme adversity. Therefore, even though nobody likes adversity, it is sometimes necessary as it brings us closer to Him. Otherwise, who has the time to remember Him when everything seems to be going well?

Think about it...

A few months ago
The house in which seeker
Used to live got ransacked
The prime target being
The room in which seeker
Grew up learning
The true meaning of life

They informed the seeker
Your room got despoiled
Your treasures were looted
We are very upset
We are very shocked
How do you feel

Seeker kept quiet
No emotions to show at all
Seeker thought what treasures
Could the thieves have taken
For the real treasure
Is inside his heart

A treasure nobody can steal
A treasure nobody can destroy
A treasure that once sown
Remains forever
They can kill the body
That carries this treasure
But they can't still take
Away this secret treasure

The rest of the stuff
Was useless anyway
If not today it would have
Been destroyed tomorrow
The stuff we waste all the
Precious time of our lives on
What's the use when
It doesn't take long
For it to be gone?


A side note - maybe this is not practical in today's world, but is still worth considering as moving towards one day:

a house should be one in which the thief comes, enjoys, sits for some time and then goes away without the owner having to worry what "stuff" the thief took with him. It should be one which we don't have to worry about when we are far away from it physically. How many of us, myself first, have such a house?

I want to be pure
As pure as the snow is white
I want to remove this dirt
So that the light can come out
Of this heart of mine

I want to set aside
The expectations and thoughts
From within me
So that I can concentrate
On the One thing that
Is of most importance to me

I want to remove this
Anger and lust from within me
So that I don't have
To bow to them ever again
I want to remember only You
O Lord!
Since I yearn only for Thee

O my mind! Don't curse when something happens that goes against your wishes. Everything that happens in this world is for a cause. You might not understand the reason when the thing happens but it happened for a reason that was best for everybody...

Hukam bina paata nahin jhulen...

If it's not in His will, not even a dry leaf can move or fall down...

When dusty storms blow in a dry place like a desert, you sometimes want to curse. These storms provide year-long supply of food for certain creatures who live on land made of copper...

So, the storms that blow dust in your face provide food to somebody else... do you want to stop their food supply? Of course not, right? So, accept His will happily...

I have been trying to check my progress barometer recently. Following are certain measurement techniques I have been using (I won't tell you the results - sorry, they are private):

- When driving on the freeway, if somebody suddenly pulls in front of me in the lane I am driving in without giving any signal, what is my immediate reaction? Do I lose my temper and if so, how long does it take me to remember that I shouldn't be losing it? Do I curse at the person in front of me?

- If somebody says something bad about me in front of me or behind my back and I know that it isn't true, what is my reaction?

- If the weather on the current day is suddenly too cool or hot compared to the weather on the previous days and in general, how do I react to it?

- If a near one shouts or gets angry at me, do I respond in the same way or in a different way?

- If I go to meet somebody and the person doesn't show up as agreed or turns up late, what is my reaction?

- What kind of thoughts I get in my mind when physically near persons of the opposite sex?

- Do I project the same person outside as I am from inside?

- Do I speak the truth always when I should be speaking it and try to keep quiet other times?

- Do I still see other people's faults more than I look at their qualities and do I learn from their qualities irrespective of who the person may be?

- Do I talk rudely to someone and if so, how long before I realize that I shouldn't be doing this unless absolutely necessary?

- How much am I prepared to really do something for some One I say I love (mind you, not physically, rather spiritually)?

--
--
--

What would you do if it were told (correctly) to you that you had only 7 days left before you depart the current physical body?

Would you:
- Spend these days trying to "enjoy" the material comforts and pleasures as much as possible?
- Try to spend these days with your family and so-called near dear ones?
- Try to spend this time preparing for what happens to you after you depart the physical body?

Think about it.

Now, if you know the answer, then think about the fact that myself or yourself or most of us don't know when we could die. It could be the very next instant, in a few days, months or years. Given the fact that we don't know when the end time would come, why don't we try spending most of our time on the thing or action(s) that is (are) most important to us out of the above three, keeping all other things secondary?

The one who doesn't have a job
Wants a job
The one who has a job
Doesn't like it

The one who is not married
Wants a caring spouse
The one who is married
Wants a separated life

The one who doesn't have children
Wants to have them
The one who has children
Wants to run away from them

The one who is poor
Wants to be rich
The one who has the money
Is always in tension

Everything in this illusionary world of His
Seems very nice from a distance
When one gets it
Then one realizes there's nothing to it


Oh Lord! Give us the strength to get past this illusionary world created by Yourself. Let us be appreciative and satisfied with whatever You gave us. Let us not be attracted by the illusions You installed in this world, rather see beyond them. Help us realize the Truth and not waste our time in these illusions.

 

The seeker plans to go to the Kumbh Mela early next year. Not sure if this will be possible, but the seeker will try...

For those of my friends who haven't heard about this event, the Kumbh Mela is the largest spiritual gathering in the world held in one of four places in India every few years.

The seeker normally doesn't like crowded places. And the Kumbh Mela is probably the most crowded event he has seen or been to...

Still, the seeker thinks of going there. Why? Not because of any religious or similar motive but because this event does give the most fantastic opportunity (of all) to give to the saints and to the poor... especially the way MR does it...

Also, at least one or more Enlightened Masters do visit the Mela every time... though they remain hidden... still...

Below are some links to more photos from similar smaller Melas held previously at the same place where the Mela will be held this time... just to give you an idea... (somehow Zaadz does not allow to insert more than one photo in a blog at a time...

http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/121/7816/320/AWRA_sants_MM_2006_1.jpg

 

http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/121/7816/320/AWRA_sants_MM_2006.jpg

http://photos1.blogger.com/img/121/7816/640/Sahibji_serving_sants_2000_kumbh.jpg

http://photos1.blogger.com/img/121/7816/640/Sahibji_serving_sants_2000_kumbh_2.jpg

http://photos1.blogger.com/img/121/7816/640/sants_mandali_kumbh_2000.jpg

http://photos1.blogger.com/img/121/7816/640/fakkarh_kumbh_2000_allahabad.jpg

http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/121/7816/320/scan0036.jpg

 

At the end of every stay in an hotel or guest house, the moment finally arrives when it's time to pack the stuff and leave. The more stuff we unpacked and spread out during our stay the more effort and time it takes to pack.

Similar is the case with life. The more we attach ourselves to the material world and to our so-called friends, relatives and near-ones, the more things we buy or collect, etc, the more is our baggage. When the time arrives for the soul to depart from the current physical body, the more the baggage, the more pain it feels when departing...


Pls don't take this blog literally...

My Guru teaches us to always try remaining (if possible) one level below what our financial status dictates...

Example, if I can afford to buy a BMW, I should probably consider a Honda Accord instead...

This helps ensure that we always live within our means... and don't have to borrow money from others... it may also help in other ways...

My Guru uses the term "increasing returns" sometimes while explaining about growth on the spiritual path. For those of you familiar with economics, stocks and the like, you know very well that expecting "increasing returns" is the norm in the industry. If a company's profit margins or revenue does not keep on increasing over a period of time, that company's stock is bound to sink..

On the spiritual path, we should examine our state periodically to test whether we are getting increasing returns ourselves. If the returns are not increasing while we seem to still be practicing, something may need to changed. Something might be going wrong if we become stagnant on the path. If our anger, lust, ego, hatred and greed do not decrease (albeit a little) over a period of time, something is probably wrong. If our patience, love, inner peace, detachment and fearlessness do not increase, then also something is wrong. We might need to change something about our practice or increase the intensity and time we devote to it.

So, let's incorporate this concept of economics in our spiritual path and examine the increasing returns we get out of it.

Have you ever noticed that when we are well, we never have time for the most important things in life but when we get sick, we are forced to find time - we are forced to get out of our busy lifestyle for the period of the illness...

Why not get ourselves out of this so-called busy lifestyle willingly and accomplish something really meaningful? Why do we need adversity to pull us out of it? Do you think we will be able to tell death to wait - that we are too busy to take it?

Time to think...

Yesterday evening a tropical storm came unannounced... no predictions, etc... took everyone by surprise... knocking out power for major part of the night on a day when the mercury was over 90 degrees and humidity was around 90% most of the time... It was a reminder once again that nothing's up to us... we have to be more accepting of every thing that happens around us while striving to be the best (from inside) and doing the best ourselves... leaving the rest to the Lord... what happens then, happens, accepting it happily... It is easy to blame God over these natural calamities, that why He lets' these happen, etc... it is not so easy to comprehend that whatever happens, happens for a reason... and also more difficult to not complain when these things happen... Two persons are walking together... lightning strikes... killing one of them... nothing happens to the other one... why? Lightning strikes only a being that has done certain type of karmas... ... ...

Children like to make sand castles on the beach. We adults enjoy when the kids make these castles, spending a lot of time and effort making them, and smile when eventually these castles are washed away by the waves hitting the beach.

We adults smile when we see the sand castles being washed away. But we don't realize that we do the same thing all our lives also. We spend all our lives building big houses (castles), and building our wealth, careers, etc. only to lose them all in a few years upon death, if not earlier.

O my dear Lord!
In my next lifetime
Keep me near You always
From deep inside my heart

It doesn't matter
Whether You make me
White or Black
Brown or Yellow

It doesn't matter
Whether You make me
A man or a woman
Big in size or small

It doesn't matter
Whether You make me
Rich or poor
Famous or unknown

It doesn't matter
Whether I am born in
America or Asia
Europe or Australia

It doesn't matter
Whether I am born
A Hindu or a Muslim
A Sikh or a Christian

It doesn't matter
If I have to conform outwardly
To the norms of the above
Variations of Your illusion

All that matters to me
Is that I always remember You
Never have any doubts
My faith in You
Remains boundless
And You remain in my heart
Always from deep inside of me

In this life we are always busy
We are busy with our self
We are busy catering to this self
We are busy with our family
We are busy creating more wealth
We are busy taking care of our health

We have no time for the Lord
Why should we have time for Him
For we are busy with far more
Important things than Him
We will get to Him when
The right time comes
We think

Alas that time never comes
Death comes first
Then standing in the Court
We are busy again
Regretting the loss of another
Precious human life
Regretting we wasted another lifetime
On stuff that would do nothing
To protect us in the time
When we need the most help

The seeker is always very hesitant to commit to something or to promise somebody something. The first thought that comes to his mind in such circumstances is whether he will be able to keep the promise or the commitment.

What, if due to whatever reason, the seeker can't keep the promise? Besides hurting the person to whom the promise was made, there is another hidden reason for this. The seeker doesn't want to be caught in the Court after death and having to pay back for those broken promises and commitments. They don't spare anybody; why will they spare the seeker?

....
....
....

This life is a game of waiting
Whatever we do
We need to wait

For that new toy
In our childhood
Or to grow up
And become big and strong
Or smart and beautiful

For the college admission
For the new friends
For the beautiful spouse
For the new car and house
For that elusive phone call

For kids of our own
Then repeating the cycle
Of waiting with them
Then waiting for death
In our old age

Life is also a wait
For some of us
Who seek His True Love
To merge back into Him
To serve Him
With our heart's content

And so the waiting continues...
But I often wonder
How long can I wait
For my patience is running out
And the horizon still seems so far

What am I to do, O Lord?
You are the One
Who keeps me waiting
Either take me in
Or throw me out
Do something as I can't bear
To wait in between any more...

Another one of my Master's Guru's poems (a small part of it) in a mixture of North Indian languages (primarily Punjabi and Urdu):

Yeh chalti firati duniya hein
Isme rahena ka itbar na kar
Zara gaur se aagey kadam utha
Tu aapna garam bazaar na kar

..
..
..

This life is a journey through this world
Don't think you will stay here forever
Be careful with your next step
Don't get too occupied here

..
..
..

As the body grows real old
The fear of death grows ten fold
It slowly starts to sink in
That the end is near the door

One starts to reflect back
On the years gone by
What was achieved
By toiling so hard
All these years

The death is staring
The person in the face
Still the greed anger lust
Remain inside the surface

The physical body finally ends
The greed anger lust don't end
They are carried
Onto the next form
To begin yet another cycle
Of toiling reflection and fear

Why is anger considered bad? Everybody must have wondered about this at one time or another.

So, what are the reasons?

- Anger causes loss of self-control; actions done in anger may be regretted deeply once the angry phase has ended.
- It causes us to breathe faster - thus shortening our lifespan... as the lifespan granted to us for this lifetime during our last Day of Reckoning in the Court is measured in the number of times we breathe (and not in years or days).
- It causes heat generation in the body (along with faster breathing) - frequent anger can be linked to certain ailments like hypertension and heart disease...

So, how to decrease one's anger?

- The best way is meditation... done in the proper way...
- One of the main sources of anger is lust and the non-fulfillment of this desire... if one can get contended on this front, anger will automatically decrease...
- Eating proper foods... not eating stale and non-veg food is a no-brainer... but even some types of vegetarian foods are considered "hot"... However, one should not worry too much about this provided one eats vegetarian food... keeping moderation in mind while eating the "hot" foods...
- Company of "cool" and like-minded spiritual people... spiritual talk/discussion.

Most spiritual people realize why being a vegetarian is very important to growing on the spiritual path. Therefore, I am not going to write anything on why it is important. Instead I am writing two points that might help those still struggling with making the transition to vegetarianism:

- you don't want to kill somebody else's children to feed your own, do you? Every animal or bird has a soul too.
- if you think about it carefully, eating non-vegetarian food is actually equivalent to "eating dead bodies". Do you really want to eat "dead bodies"? 

Good luck!

Okay, time for some "real" questions...

So, how important is money to you?

Where ever the seeker looks, every one (himself first) seems to be running after money...

How much time do you spend in your day-to-day life earning money?

How much time do you spend on the things you say really care for? Most likely, the time you spend on earning money will be much more than the time spent on the later...

What's your reaction when you are faced with adverse circumstances where you stand to lose a major chunk of this hard-earned money of yours (and there's nothing you can do about it)?

Are you (really) willing to give away (or spend) ALL your savings to a cause or for someOne that is dear to your heart (and I'm not talking about physical love here) without "caring" for your own future?

The seeker thinks...