Thank you dear friends, for the warmth, love and confidence that you have exuded through your comments and mails after the last post was out. Subsequently, after receiving your responses, one is likely to understand that you are now being prepared for the next step in your journey.
Some of you are already showing signs of sparks and brilliance while others are on the threshold of spiritual awakening. Whatever the case may be, I am certain that most of you are progressing fast on the path that you have chosen with the constant grace, supervision and assistance of our beloved holy Param Guru Shri Mahavatar Babaji and others. Our weblog Spiritinlife is now a garden of holy companionship, mutual support and sharing intense knowledge. The beautiful flowers are blossoming here. My sincere prayers to the Almighty God to help us all in our future endeavours and efforts in order to achieve what we had set out to do- to know who we are; to know our souls.
I have just returned from a short pilgrimage to South India and I am still reeling under the dizzying impacts of the Divine Forces present in those sites. After a considerable gap of more than four years, I visited Mahavatar Babaji’s birthplace in Parangipettai and Shri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry. They both are situated close to each other. My purpose was to revive myself and renew my enthusiasm for further higher spiritual developments. We would be really fortunate to be visiting these places because one does not have to try hard as the huge Forces emanating from these two sites do their work on us automatically. A massive work is done on us when the inertia that we accumulate over the time is driven out by the Divine Forces of these places.
Not much is known about Babaji’s birthplace and it is so cut off from the world. It is in a very small, obscure village in Tamil Nadu on the sea side. Nevertheless, Parangipettai is very close to my heart! I like to visit it whenever I can. I visualize how Babaji must have lived here as a child and how he must have greatly influenced others even at that tender age before he renounced the world.
Babaji’s birthplace is so simple, minimal and devoid of any decorations yet the very powerful spiritual radiations that are still beaming out brilliantly is something one has to experience himself to believe this. The power of Ichcha Shakti or will is very prominent there.
(A yantra, a geometrical grid is made on the spot where Shri Mahavatar Babaji was born)
Even if we go there many times, it takes quite a long time for somebody to do acute in-depth analysis and thus draw the conclusion regarding the similarities that I always notice between God and Babaji’s birthplace. I each time have a feeling when I visit this place that Babaji’s birthplace is so humble and simple just like him. As I was meditating there in the very calm environment, I really thought seriously that Babaji asks nothing from us, he says nothing to us, does not demand anything, he is so calm and quiet and yet he is so, so influential. His divine energies are influencing the whole of world ever since he was born almost two thousand years ago!
Likewise, God is also so reclusive, so away from the madness of this world yet it is all powerful, controlling this entire Universe. God is also never exhibiting any signs of being ostentatious.
They both are concealed and hidden away from the vision of the world; silent and hushed, yet powerful, very powerful. God is so wonderful, so simple, so powerful and without any outer adornments and any propaganda. The silent energies should be felt by us if we can visit that place and more commonalities will emerge if one concentrates on that holy place.
These thoughts inspire me a lot every time I visit the birth place and I begin to get these ideas that we should also aspire to be like God and the birthplace of Babaji- so lovely, so quiet, so powerful, so great, yet shying away from the world and never craving for any propaganda to prove their worth to the world! They are quiet, peaceful, reclusive, resourceful, and yet very great.
Also these are divine traits, our Soul qualities and must be acquired to make our lives simple, happy and modest, great and noble…..
These were my reflections at that holy spot.
Conclusion- These three posts on ‘Who are you?’ should prove to be very beneficial for all the seekers whether they are already practicing their sadhana or if they have just begun. After recognizing that we are a Soul and not a perishable body, we should pursue our goal of experiencing it and should follow these three D’s in our everyday lives to reach our ultimate goal of God realization.
A. Determination
Seek with determination. What you wish to know and realize, seek with determination. Do whatever is required to know God, but do not give up your goal of Self-Realization. The influence of Maya will dissuade you from the desired goal, but do not give up your resolve. Only those who are determined in life till the end achieve great things in life.
B. Discipline
The great mission of awakening and illumination requires two types of discipline. They are physical discipline and mental discipline. To achieve something phenomenal, one should aspire to have a great body and a great mind.
A fit and healthy body is a must to pursue the noble cause of awakening and living a divine life. The senses can be controlled with ease if the body is disciplined daily through various forms of health disciplines and exercises. A disciplined body will be in control of the seeker and thus make his triumphs easy to achieve.
The senses likewise, should be trained in such a way that the yogi should not suffer because of their senseless actions and undertakings. Mental sadhana is controlling of senses and mind.
If you wish to know yourself, go within, touch your inner silent depths, remain quiet mentally, maintain silence for sometime in the day, meditate deeply and remain in the God given bliss……
C. Daily prayers and meditations
Daily prayers and meditation will help you to go within. They are the tools of God contact. A peaceful mind is able to have a longer duration of God communion, while a shallow and agitated mind will remain on the surface only. A few verses or shlokas from the holy scripture reinforces these thoughts once again.
In Bhagwat Geeta, Arjuna faces a similar dilemma when he tells Lord Krishna in chapter 6 verses 34 and 35.
Chanchalam hi mana Krishna pramathi balvadhadham I
Tasyaham nighraham manye vayoriv sudushkaram II
For Krishna, the mind is very unsteady, turbulent, tenacious and powerful; therefore I consider it as difficult to control as the wind.
Shri Bhagwanuvach
Asanshayam mahabaho mano durnighrham chalam I
Abhyasen tu kaunteya vairagyen ch grihate II
Shri Bhagwan said: The mind is restless no doubt and difficult to curb, Arjuna; but it can be brought under control by repeated practice of meditation and by the exercise of dispassion, O son of Kunti.
Modesty, humility and simplicity are the qualities of the Soul, inculcate them. Invoke God with love and simplicity. Meditate daily with all your devotion and consecrate your whole being in moments of prayers and meditations…….
Hari Om Tatsat, Hari Om Tatsat, Hari Om Tatsat!