The Blessings

from Self − Realized Saints

[Ten Points to remember]

It is the bounden duty of mankind that they keep an eye on the highest goal of attaining Supreme-Bliss, Supreme peace, Supreme Being, Divine love and Eternal happiness.

Attainment of God or Divine love should be the sole and ultimate goal of human life. One should employ his pure intellect in spiritual practises for God realization.

He should never worry or think over futile or irrelevant things. He should always engage all the senses in divine(Godly) matters using his discriminating intellect.

The senses control the mind of those who have an indecisive, nondiscriminatory intellect rambling through diverse matters, who are unable to keep

their mind under control and incapable of treading on the path of God realization.Such individuals are always engaged in improper behaviour and ignoble deeds. As a result, their mind and intellect nurture nondiscriminatory thoughts. Due to this impaired intellect, man remains far off from the ultimate aim of God realization and gets entangled in the cycles of life and death. As a result he has to suffer in hell and has to take birth in a number of inferior species.

That is why try to save yourself from depravity and orient your mind in the Divine direction. Establish your mind and intellect in the Divine, blissful, soothing, supportive and compassionate powers of God. Extricate your senses from staying and mould them to be forever engrossed in the Eternal ocean of Divine love.
Whatever actions you perform have a definite impact on your conscience. Therefore you should carefully look into its repercussions on your life before executing them. With this you will be able to control the mischievous mind nullify the impulses of the senses, thereby establishing the intellect in the real form, the Supreme Soul.

Ten points are being delineated as benchmarks for Self-introspection, with the help of which you can make your lives pure and sublime.

1 The First Point

What is it that you read? Do you go for literature on health or novels relating to theft, robbery or those that incite passion and take toward depravity? Do you read obscene books that corrupt your mindsets or read literature that stimulates Divine virtues like magnanimity, tolerance, fellow-feeling, goodwill, brotherly love, celibacy,non-avarice,renunciation or other such Divine attitudes.

Do you study Holy Scriptures like Vedas and Vedanta or those that sing praises about God? Do you read about God, His form, abode, attributes, nature, His sportive plays and esoteric knowledge? Do you make your life worthwhile by reading stories, life history of God, devotees and spiritual practises of Saints?

Your life will be dominated by: tamas(morose qualities) if you read literature that induces tamas; by rajas(qualities like selfishness and passion) if you study rajas literature and by sattvic(the virtuous qualities) if you read and contemplate literature which induces sattvic qualities.

If you read philosophical scriptures, this will dispel the false existence of name and form and bring forth the True nature of Soul. It will show the pure gold in the bangle, necklace or ring instead of being deceived by its form.

Hence you should read such literature that helps in the development of Divine qualities like virtuous behaviour, fellow feeling, purity, fearlessness, humility and realizing His omnipresence. It should awaken in your intellect a feeling of reverence toward Saints and God and a feeling of untainted kinship toward them.

2 The Second Point

What is it that you eat and drink? Do you eat such things that spoil your acumen and makes you intoxicated and frenzied? If you savour impure drinks your intellect can start disintergrating.

Drinking consecrated water or water from the Ganges(Ganga) will bring purity in your life. It is also important to take note that the water used for bathing is also pure.

Items of food should enhance virtuous qualities and purity. Food can be defiled due to five reasons:

2.1 Wealth by unfair means:

The income through which the food and foodstuff is bought should have been earned through honest means. Income that is earned through honest means.
Income that is earned through dishonest or deceptive means, by troubling an innocent or disturbing others, or finances from a ruler, whore, butcher
or thief is considered improper. The mind cannot retain purity with food prepared using these means.

2.2 Incidental Factors:

Who is the person preparing food for you? The nature and instincts of the individual get reflected in the food prepared. That is why it is necessary that the person cooking food is pure, virtuous, good-natured, servile and honest. The food prepared at the hands of even a proper person becomes impure if touched by a dog,crow, ants etc.

2.3 Faulty Place:

The place where food is being cooked should also be peaceful, clean and sanctified. The place where there are frequent fights is inappropriate. Food prepared just near a cemetery,restroom,court,hospital,etc. is impure. Partaking food at such places leads to depression.

2.4 Nature of Food

Food should be prepared out of only those items that are pious by nature. Milk,ghee,rice,flour,moong and vegetables like lauki (bottle gourd), parval(pointed gourd), karela(bitter gourd) and such other vegetables are recommended. Food prepared using these is virtuous. On the other hand, food that is hot,sour,pungent,salty or sweet induces passion(the quality of Rajas). Garlic, onion,meat, fish and eggs are forbidden. One should refrain from these lest perturbance, diseases and worries afflict.

2.5 Influence(Treatment of the food):

Even though the items used in the preparation of food are good but they are subjected to unhealthy processes like frying, seasoning, etc. and if the food has been kept for more than three hours after cooking; it can generate rajas or tamas qualities. Adverse or contra items can have a harmful effect, like taking spicy food along with milk. Taking onion, curd just before or after milk is considered impure. Such conflicting food habits can be harmful to the body. It can lead to skin diseases, leprosy etc. There is one simple convention with respect to food and drinks. Whatever food you can give in offering to God or Sad guru is worth having. Whatever food you feel hesitan to offer should not be partaken. It is also harmful to eat anything other than fruits withing three hours of taking a meal.

Keeping a good watch on the dietary habits will naturally develop virtuous qualities in you. ’Like food like mind’. As per this proverb in Hindi, if you take virtuous food the virtuosity will be enhanced by itself. You will be able to increase your Divine riches with ease and alacrity and get rid of vices and bad behaviour.

3. The Third Point

What kind of company do you keep? Who do you associate with? Associations have a lot to do with the development of your life. The type of people one lives with, the people whom he serves or gets service from and the expectations in his mind all go a long way toward building the individual’s life style.

The behaviour, culture and the thinking process of the company that you keep are bound to influence you and as such be extremely careful in building your associations and company. Cultivate the company of people whom you would like to emulate. One who strives for God realization, the realization of the Self, has to associate with Saints, great souls and philosophers who are deeply engrossed in divine endeavours.

A few days association with the saints can render you with capabilities far in excess of observing Japa, Tapa and spiritual practises for even 12 years.
Very few people have the ability to chart their own future. Others should strive to keep the company of Holy men and Saints in order to build their lives and character. Sat sang is the absolute panacea which purifies the soul, illuminates it with knowledge and brings to the fore various capabilities of an individual. There is no other catalyst, which can uplift one like, bliss for
the soul and mandatory for an illumined life.

4. The Fourth Point

Which places do you frequent? Do you spend time in a bar, meat-shop or gambler’s den or do you while away your time in night clubs and dance halls?

The vibrations of the place where you spend your time will definitely influence you.

If you stay in a clean, auspicious spiritually elevated place your thinking would be virtuous and you will experience an inner boost. If you stay in unworthy places your mind will be corrupted and sensuous thoughts will grip your mind. If you sit next to a garbage dump people are bound to throw garbage at you whereas if you sit next to bed of flowers you will experience the fragrance.

Similarly, if you are packed with garbage of egotism, you believe in your bodily existence then you have to experience the dualities like honour-insult, praise-criticism and joy-sorrow, whereas, if you remain engrossed in contemplation of God, remembering Him, deep in the thoughts of being Consciousness itself, it will provide you with joy, unmatched gains

and Divine Bliss.

5. The Fifth Point

How do you spend your time? Is it in betting,liquor shop, watching TV/movies, or talking shop(small talk about others wives and daughters)?

Do you think more about your wealth, sensual pleasures or politics? ’England has done this wrong, France has done this right, Russia did the opposite, Iraq did this and Pakistan did that’; If you fill your intellect with all such inconsequential matters, feelings of attachment and hatred will afflict you, thus maligning our heart.

The time once lost can never be retrieved. Utilise every moment of your life in realizing Self or attaing God. Forgo all your sensuous pleasures and make use of all the comforts and favourable circumstances for the sake of God.

Do not waste even a single moment. Attach with Him with all you mind and intellect. Let all the senses, mind and intellect be in Him. Let He alone remain. Forget everything else. The life is worthwhile if you can achieve this. Otherwise human birth is not only a waste but also utter disaster.

Therefore as long as you continue to breathe, you are in fine fettle;absorb yourself in this practise.

6. The Sixth Point

Have you surrendered to any seer; a God realized enlightened great soul who is experienced philosophically (Tattvagyan)?

Have you had any association with an experienced teacher? Have you tried to make life meaningful by attempting a union with the creator before the life is snuffed out?

There is no one on this earth more fortunate than the one who has obtained an association with a True Saint or Holy man. Rishabhdevji says, The door to emancipation is through association with and service to the Saints whereas enjoyment and association with amorous women is an open door to hell. Unfortunate are those who are not blessed with Sad gurus and who havenot surrendered to them. He is really ill fated in this world who is not under the tutelage of an enlightened person and has no guidance from the great
Sad gurus.

Kabir says:
(Meaning: One who is without a Guru is as good as a blind. He is totally
busy in the worldly affairs and falls prey to Yama(God of death). A sagacious
one should never remain without a Guru(Sad guru).

Jad Bharat says in Srimad Bhaagwat, One cannot attain knowledge of the Supreme Being as long as life is not sanctified with the dust at the feet of Saints (experience of Saints is not incorporated into your life) irrespective of penances, sacrifices, offerings, service of the guests, study of Vedas, Yoga, worship of God and other such practises. It is difficult to receive the tutelage of great souls, the Sadgurus. Even more difficult is to recognize them when one meets them.

If the mediocre intellect fails to recognize them, at least do not offend them, slander them or insult them even in your dreams. Shukdev has told King Parikshit that the ill-effect of dishonouring great souls, insulting them Slandering them, destroys all chances of extended life span, wealth, success, righteousness (in this world and beyond), enjoyment and well-being. Do not criticize or insult any individual.

7. The Seventh Point

Who do you contemplate on within your heart? Who do you think of in your mind? What is the first thought that comes to your mind when you wake up from your sleep in the middle of night?

Your thinking shapes your personality. You resolve orients you thinking and your life shapes up in accordance with your thinking process.

In spite of making positive resolve, impure thoughts will still trouble you as old habits die-hard. Weed them out immediately and carefully and replace them with pure and auspicious ones.

Carelessness or laziness should not be entertained. A small spark is enough to burn a palace to ashes. A small inauspicious thought when allowed a foothold can destroy all the auspiciousness of our life
.

Therefore be careful and contemplate only on God.

Being careful is an integral part of spiritual practise. Be alert the whole day even while working so as not to allow unsavoury thoughts or resolves
to creep in for any rhyme or reason. Do not show any compassion to wards your faults or shortcomings.

Remember that the real wealth of human life is virtue, good conduct and Divine riches. One who is not alert and eager to preserve and enhance it
is the biggest fool ever. He is inflicting maximum harm on his own Self. Keep a daily track, before going to bed, on the amount of auspicious and
inauspicious thinking done during the day.

Our own actions reflect whether purity and auspicious nature of thinking is increasing. If our behaviour and actions are becoming virtuous, our life is progressing to wards Real happiness.

On getting up early in the morning, immerse your thoughts in God and Sad guru and resolve to carry out pious activities during the day. You should make a firm resolve in the mind that today along with cultivating Divine qualities like humility, non-violence, affection, kindness, observing virtues in others and being cheerful with others’ development, I shall think on His name and attributes and will not allow any malign or impure thoughts to appear in my mind or actions.

Our thoughts process is reflected in our life style. Think how you want to mould your life. Do you want to mould you life in the lines of Sri Rama and Lord Krishna. How ardent was Lord Rama’s devotion to his father. How fervent was his devotion to wards his mother! How earnest was his devotion toward duty! What Divine love for his wife! How firm was his resolve! He was willing to sacrifice all for his resolve! He was willing to sacrifice all for his subjects. How sweet, appropriate and timely, full of essence and noncritical was his speech! With what alacrity would he be ready for satsang
and Spiritual discourses!

Lord Krishna also used to be enthusiastic in serving Saints. He would get up at Brahma Muhurat, meditate, give alms, protect those who surrendered
to Him and discuss scriptures in the royal assembly. Remember the Divine qualities, sportive plays of the Lord and shape your life.

8. The Eighth Point

What has been your practise?

Practise means repeating it over and over again. A practise inculcated in childhood remains forever. Even now introduce in your daily life the practise of study of scriptures, helping the poor and destitute, serving Saints and Holy men, adherence to your own religion and precepts, teachings of Sad guru, carrying out good deeds, distribution and promotion of literature which helps in building up of the character. By doing so, the mind will save itself from ignoble contemplation and instead engage in virtuous contemplation.

Make it a daily routine to do meditation, japa,kirtan and study of scriptures. It helps in getting rid of vices and bad behaviour and enrichment ofspiritual practises. Practising Yogasanas and Pranayam daily helps in getting rid of Rajas and Tamas qualities and being healthy. A sound mind lives in a sound body. Those who are always sick cannot develop pious thoughts easily. Hence, we should inculcate a practise that enables us to keep our body and mind fit and illumines our hearts with Divine qualities.

9. The Ninth Point

What sanskaras, the purifying rites have you been subjected to? Our teachers, Rishis,Maharishis, thoughtful great souls and Saints say that sanskaras help in making of our life. Scriptures ordain Garbhdan, ceremony for conception,simantonyan anskar- rites performed after conception Jatkarma performed at the birth before cutting umbilical cord, Namkaran-the naming ceremony, Yagnopaveet or thread ceremony and others. These sanskaras have vanished from our culture today.

By performing these rites purity, virtue and good behaviour come into being in our life. Each class and stage of life has its own recommended sanskaras. All the four classes i.e. Brahmins, the Vedic teachers, Kshatriya the fighter class,Vaishya the merchant class and Shudra the menial labourers each have their own different sanskaras. All should resolutely put them into practise. Brahmins should not leave their high Sanskaras, get influenced by other classesand imitate them. Shudras, Vaishyas and Kshatriyas, too should follow the good behavioural pattern of those with high sanskaras and make their lives
sublime.

Divine qualities are the Supreme sansakaras to be imbibed by all. All should fill themselves with Divine qualities. One should save oneself from falling in the ditch of sensual pleasures and should rise to wards the Divine bliss of Supreme Being and experience supernal peace.

10. The Tenth Point

Do you protect the blessings given to you by the Guru? This is in connection with the Isht Mantra, its japa and its power. The Mantra is always a secret.It should be kept confidential.

No one other than your mentor should even know about it. There is legend: Once a man went to God. His door was closed. He knocked on it. God said, Dear! You have come here but have you
bought anything for me which is not stale, not tasted or touched by anyone? He said, I had one Mantra. But I have not been able to keep it a secret. I published it in the newspapers.
God said, Return immediately. When you come next time bring something which nobody has seen or touched.

What we have to learn from this legend is that the Isht Mantra should be kept a secret. Our Saints declare that the Mantra belongs to our inner realms and it should be kept extremely confidential.That which remains in the inner recess of the heart is Mantra, that which enables the mind to rediscover itself is Mantra. One should take advantage of doing japa continuously.

Japa is of three kinds

1.Vachik(Loud): Is repeated in an audible tone.

2.Upanshu: No sound is made. Only the lip movement can be observed. Upanshu Japa has 100 times more impact than Vachik one.

3.Mansik: Neithert here is sound nor do the lips move. The japa is done mentally. Its impact
is a thousand times more.

The place where you carry out japa also has its own impact. Japa if done in ’Goushala’ (byre) where there is no bull, near Tulsi(Basil Plant), under a Pipal tree(the tree Ficus religious) gives rewards 100 times
more than doing it at home.

Japa done near a river, sea, sangam or confluence of rivers, gives a thousand times better result. Japa done in temples, Shiva temples, Math or Ashrams where spiritual practises, teachings, and
righteous worships take place has the effect of hundred thousand times multiplied.And the japa done in front of Saints is infinitely more beneficent and if the Saint happens to be your Sadguru then what more can you ask for? Doing japa does not mean rolling the beads of rosary. One should get absorbed in the meaning of the mantra. This should be practised regularly. The spine should remain erect while doing japa. Do not lean or bend. It is highly beneficial to stick the tongue to the palate inside the mouth whilst
performing ’Mansik Japa’.

There are three types of people doing Japa. The lowest categories are those who do the japa as per the prescribed schedules. The average or middle category people are those who keep remembering their Isht time and again while doing the japa. The highest categories are those in whose presence ordinary folk spontaneously start doing japa. A spiritual practitioner should always try to elevate himself to the highest category. Study carefully the Ten principles explained in this book. Try to bring them in your everyday life. Put your nature and intellect on test against these Ten precepts and
enhance your Divine attributes. Save yourself from behaving capriciously as per the dictates of your own mind. Purify your intellect. Awaken the spiritual ’Oj ’(Spiritual energy) within you. Develop an intellect which remains absorbed in Consciousness. Get rid of Evil qualities and replace them with Divine ones.

Attain your goal of realization of the Supreme Being, theEternal Bliss before the life comes to an end. In this lies not only your own personal good but the universal good as well. Realizing your own Self is
undoubtedly beneficial. The Self Realized Souls spread Divine thoughts, Divine attributes and beneficence for all. This helps benefit the whole world. The individuals will become devotees and will re-orient themselves to wards Almighty. Uniting devotees with God is great service to God. Even if Self- Realized Souls remain maun(mum) the breeze that brushes them can have asoothing effect on the afflicted world. Such Self Realized Souls are especially dear to the Supreme Being.
Om Shanti.................Om Shanti.............................Om Shanti
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