-Shri Ram Chandra Mission- Houston Chapter

Inner Voice

2005-04-01T11:27:00.002-06:00

"There are two forces by which we are directed or misdirected. The
samskaras pushing us each in their own direction, giving a direction
which is perhaps not right. Therefore, it is misdirection. Then the
inner Self, in our heart, with its own still presence, trying to direct
us to its purpose. Until we have access to this still and silent
presence within, and have developed the capacity to listen to that
still voice, and have developed, more importantly, the courage to abide
by its directions -it is an unfolding of a plan which is not revealed
to us."

Taken from the book "Revealing the personality", chapter "Not-doing,
Part III", pg 214-by P. Rajagopalachari.

Inner Voice

2005-04-01T11:27:00.001-06:00

"There are two forces by which we are directed or misdirected. The
samskaras pushing us each in their own direction, giving a direction
which is perhaps not right. Therefore, it is misdirection. Then the
inner Self, in our heart, with its own still presence, trying to direct
us to its purpose. Until we have access to this still and silent
presence within, and have developed the capacity to listen to that
still voice, and have developed, more importantly, the courage to abide
by its directions -it is an unfolding of a plan which is not revealed
to us."

Taken from the book "Revealing the personality", chapter "Not-doing,
Part III", pg 214-by P. Rajagopalachari

Inner Voice

2005-04-01T11:27:00.000-06:00

Timeliness

2005-03-30T13:39:00.000-06:00

You will appreciate that every decision has to be appropriate to the time and circumstances and if the time is not appropriate, the decision too will not be correct. So we have to pray that the right decision may come at the right time for us to work correctly.

Taken from the book "The Spider's Web, Vol I ", chapter
"Prayer-Touching the Heart of God", pg. 211-by Chariji.

Plan

2005-03-29T10:02:00.000-06:00

"Nature's plans can be shortly said to be a plan of evolution. It is an evolutionary plan - how something can begin as what it is and evolve to be Him who created it. Like every father and mother want their sons and daughters to be like themselves - it is an evolutionary plan, though we put ourselves with our limitations as the goal for that child. But, God not having a person or a name or qualities...cannot have any attribute-based or achievement-based plan for us."

"Therefore, our evolution cannot depend on achievement or powers - things like that. Therefore, the divine plan of evolution must be the evolution of life form, whatever it is, through the various life forms, to this divine state, where there is no question of form, name, attributes. This has to be the divine plan, you see."

Taken from the video tape "Being There"--by Chariji.

Spiritual practice

2005-03-24T09:59:00.000-06:00

Sadhana (Spiritual practice) has two aspects, one the abhyas (one's own practice) and the other the Master's help. Abhyas is meant only for creating inner conditions, which will be helpful to the abhyasi (aspirant) in attracting the flow of the Divine grace, and this involves one's self-effort. But self-effort alone is not sufficient. It must be supplemented by the Master's support.

As a matter of fact what we really stand in need of for our ultimate purpose is only Divine grace. But owing to one's inner complexities, it is almost beyond the capacity of a sadhaka (Disciple who practices a sadhana) to have it by himself. For that reason Master's help is indispensable. In earlier stages Divine grace flows into the abhyasi only through the medium of the Master. As such it is often interpreted as Master's grace.

Taken from the book "Complete Works of Ram Chandra Vol.2", chapter
"Master's Support", pg 85-86 --by Babuji.

Reality

2005-03-18T09:51:00.000-06:00

All of us have problems with our jobs, with our environment, etc., and we hope very ardently that change of our own character and attitudes will help us to fit better into the environment in a cosmically pleasing way.

One cannot escape one's predetermined existential parameters caused by our samskaras (impressions, grossness) by artificially changing our environment. Sahaj Marg (Natural path, simple path) says very correctly that only by changing one's own self is a total change possible. Otherwise everything else is nothing but escapism.

Taken from the book "The Spider's Web, Vol I ", chapter "Hope-The
Foundation of Change", pg.94-by Chariji.

Patience

2005-03-15T11:22:00.000-06:00

Patience shall bear the fruit in the end and therefore it is generally said that one should have patience for everything. All things happen in accordance with the law of Nature and we should wait for things to take shape.

Taken from the book "The Spider's Web, Vol I ", chapter "Hope-The
Foundation of Change", pg. 100-by Chariji.

Patience

2005-03-14T10:51:00.000-06:00

Patience is absolutely necessary in dealing with human beings, and without love, patience is impossible. That is why the great saints of this world of ours have been so loving - because without it they could never have embarked upon the tremendously difficult, almost impossible job of bringing transformation in human beings. Love has been, and must always be, the sole instrument of human transformation. If love is there, all the other things such as patience, forbearance, self-control all become possible.

Taken from the book "The Spider's Web, Vol I ", chapter "Hope-The
Foundation of Change", pg.99-by Chariji.

Prayer

2005-03-14T10:50:00.000-06:00

The correct prayer, My Master, used to say, is to sit in meditation and silently offer the problem to God - Not Request - just offer the
problem. Let him solve, like you know, you give a computer a problem, it solves it, in whatever way it should. But, what we do is to ask. Suppose, there is some sick person in the house. "Lord, May the sick person be well!" It may be against that person's interest to get well. So, prayers are not answered, you see. The problem is to say, "this person is sick. Let your grace descend on her or him and do whatever you wish. Let your will prevail, not mine!" That is the right prayer.

Taken from the Video Tape "Being There"-by Chariji.

Morality

2005-03-07T18:39:00.000-06:00

Culture is an emanation of human refinement. Morality is the
actualization of a human being's moral standards of existence.

We do not follow morality. Morality comes out of our living, out of our
behavior; out of the way we handle our environment. So to look upon
morality as a body of do's and do not's, rules, and then to be plagued by
the sense of guilt that I have done something which a body of knowledge
says, "Thou shalt not do," is stupid.

There is morality because there were people who lived in that way. And
we look at their lives and say, "This is worth emulation, this is the
standard, the ideal of perfection that I should follow." What did they
do? We codify it and a body of morals, a body of teaching, emerges out
of their existence.

Taken from the book " What is Sahaj Marg" Chapter "The Master, the
Mission, and the Method",pg 19 -by Chariji.

Life

2005-03-01T11:59:00.000-06:00

My master, Babuji Maharaj, said that one way of defining life is that it is full of problems. We cannot change the outer circumstances but we can change our inner nature in such a way that the outer circumstances do not any more affect us.

Taken from the book 'The Spider's Web, Vol I ', chapter 'Hope-The Foundation of Change', pg. 93-by Chariji.

Habit

2005-02-26T22:09:00.000-06:00

As a matter of fact a man can keep himself busy with divine thoughts
every moment without offering any hindrance to his worldly activities. If
one practises it so as to form his habit it becomes so easy and natural
with him that he would not like to part with it even for a moment.

I give you all a very helpful hint. Before taking up a certain work,
think of Him for a while in the sense that He himself is doing it. It is
the simplest method and I should like you all to follow it in right
earnest.

Taken from the book-" Complete Works of Ram Chandra Vol.2", chapter
"Afflictions", pg 34 -- by Babuji.

Giving

2005-02-24T13:53:00.000-06:00

If you are suffering when somebody refuses you something it is perhaps because you have the tendency to refuse others what you should not refuse. If you want to stop suffering from this, try to give what you refuse to give. It is a way to solve this problem, and don't forget that what you give to others you give to yourself. So be clever, do the first step (of trying to give).

Taken from the book 'The Spider's Web, Vol I ', chapter 'Hope-The Foundation of Change', pg.94-by Chariji.

Goal

2005-02-22T16:43:00.000-06:00

Diverse means are adopted for the purpose of gaining the object of life. They may be correct if the heart is connected with it in the real sense, so as to be absorbed in the essence of real life. We are bred to have union with Reality, which we have emerged from. We have brought with us the very essence of Infinity and we should try to keep close to it, in order to give freedom to our thought for absorption in the Infinite.

If we neglect it we remain bound to activity of thought, and not to the Reality at the root which is limitless. The hymns and prayers offered generally result in flattery when one is dumb to the real spirit of the essential character.

Taken from the book-' Complete Works of Ram Chandra Vol.2', chapter 'Easiest Way to God Realization', pg 214 --by Babuji."

GOD

2005-02-21T10:52:00.000-06:00

We don't think of God in that sense of, you know, anthropomorphic God, who hears, and who waves his hand and blesses and things like that. We believe that all that we experience, we undergo, is our own creation - Action and Reaction. And if simultaneously with prayer, I am able to do something to change what I have created myself, everything changes; and I think my prayer has been answered, whereas, it is my work upon myself that is having the effect.

So, God is neither the giver, nor the destroyer, nor the punisher, you see. It is us who punish ourselves, reward ourselves, make ourselves suffer and once this is understood, in a sense, the God to whom we have to pray is right here - in ourselves - you see. Therefore, we start meditation.

Taken from the Video Tape' Being There'-by Chariji."

Freedom

2005-02-18T10:08:00.000-06:00

Mahatma Gandhi is said to have once remarked, 'The way to freedom lies through jail!' If we take this world to be a prison-house, the above saying fits in quite appropriately in the spiritual sense also. In utter despair people often wish for an end to life. But in my opinion it shall be far better under such circumstances to pray to God to bestow a life, which might be parallel to death.

Taken from the book-' Complete Works of Ram Chandra Vol.2', chapter 'Afflictions', pg 28 -- by Babuji.

Evolution

2005-02-17T11:12:00.000-06:00

Evolution is the force of love pushing something, into the infinite.
Like the power of a river which propels all the water in it towards the ocean into which it must merge. It brooks no interference. It cannot. It has to obey that law that it must ultimately merge in the ocean from which it has come, you see. If it doesn't it is a lake, a pond; and one day, like the Dead Sea, it will also stink.

Anything, which ceases to move, dies. And if the spirit, if the soul is not in movement continuously, without rest, it will-in the only way we can express it-die.

Taken from the book "Love"(extract from "A Preceptor's Guide, Vol2"),
pg 408-by Chariji.

EGO

2005-02-17T11:10:00.000-06:00

The word 'ego' is said to have been abused by all the present and past writers. The ego gives you strength for all the work. It points out to you that you have got the power to do a certain thing. But we identify ego with the body, instead of with the soul. It is the production of God, which you cannot annihilate. You should modify it.

Suppose a man has got an immense fortune and he is proud of that He commits no sin because it does not do harm to anybody. What happens, as a result of it is that the wisdom of the man becomes blunt.

Taken from the book "Complete Works of Ram Chandra Vol .3", pg 35, --by
Babuji.

Change

2005-02-04T12:36:00.000-06:00

Thank God that Master has also stated that the only eternal thing in the Universe is change! This inevitability of change is the foundation for all hope! In what lies our hope? How does hope exist at all? Can there be hope without the intuitive understanding of the inevitability of change?

Taken from the book 'The Spider's Web, Vol I ', chapter 'Hope-The Foundation of Change', pg. 87-by Chariji. "

Lalaji's birthday (Basant Panchami ) celebration in Houston

2005-01-19T18:48:00.000-06:00

Lalaji’s birthday (Basant Panchami) will be celebrated in Houston. There will be four Satsanghs as follows:

Feb 1st, Tuesday 7 p.m. (Br.Kalpesh’s place)

Feb 2nd, Wednesday 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. (Br.Hari’s place, followed by Dinner)

Feb 3rd, Thursday 7 a.m. (Br.Krishna’s place)

Pain and Pleasure

2004-11-21T13:53:00.000-06:00

here is one peculiarity associated with pain and pleasure, which I
would like to share with you. The more we think of our pains and
suffering, the more they go on increasing. On the contrary, the more we think of
our pleasure, the lesser the pleasure we derive.

Is there not a hint in this phenomenon which can be extremely useful to
us in the conduct of our life?

Source: P. Rajagopalachari, Chapter "Duty," The Spider's Web, Vol. 2,
p. 243.

Love

2004-11-19T10:46:00.000-06:00

It is well known that where there is no love there can rarely be

courage, and I would request you here not to confuse courage with sheer

bravado or the front-line necessity to kill. Similarly, where there is no

love, there can be no faith, charity or chastity and, therefore,

existence devoid of love is an empty existence. Love must grow and embrace more

and more within its orbit of expression. Love for one's wife must

enlarge into a deep love for the family resulting from such love. Familial

love must grow to include neighbours.



Thus, slowly, as love matures, it must widen in scope until ultimately

it envelops the entire universe within its sublime embrace. My Master

has said that the only way of approaching the Ultimate is through love.



Source: P. Rajagopalachari, Chapter "The Inner Needs of Man," The

Principles of Sahaj Marg, Set 1, Vol. 1, p. 29.

God

2004-11-02T11:28:00.000-06:00

Now, there is a famous small poem written by an Englishman, "The Hound of God."It's about eight pages and about eight couplets per page. A woodsman, one who takes, you know, collects wood for his daily fuel needs and for selling in the market, he has been working in the jungle all day and it's now nearing sundowntime. He bundles up the wood that he has collected, lifts it on to his head and starts walking home and hears feet "pit-pat pit-pat pit-pat" following after him. He gets frightened. He starts walking faster. This pit-pat also goes faster behind him. He starts running and the steps behind him start running behind him;ultimately he falls exhausted, throws down this bundle of firewood that he has collected, and looks behind him in horror, you see, "What is going to happen to me?" And there he sees the glorious presence of God. And he says, "Who are you?"He says, "I am God." The wood cutter says, "I have been trying to reach you all my life. Where were you?" And God !says, "My son, I have been following you all your life. Running after you all your life. You have been running away from me. Haven't you heard the footsteps behind you all your life?"

So this raises the question: Are we going towards God or is He coming towards us? Babuji has said, in relation to the need for a guru, that if you just sit and pray direct to God, "Please send me a guru," the guru will reach your door.He will come to you.

Source: P. Rajagopalachari, Chapter "Questions and Answers," Heart to Heart,Vol. 1, p. 121.

Goals

2004-11-02T11:26:00.000-06:00

It is true that the aim of all great souls who incorporate themselves on this world is ultimately to bring about a divinised society. But it must always be remembered that the society is composed of individuals, and therefore a divinised society must consist of divinised individuals. Therefore the level ofaction of any spiritual organization is at the individual level, with the aim ofcourse, of ultimately creating a society entirely composed of such individuals. As far as the individual goal is concerned, freedom from rebirth on the physical plane is a very small and immediate goal only. The spiritual journey is a very long one and indeed it can be said to be an Infinite One. The goal of spiritual endeavor lies far, far beyond emancipation from physical rebirth. Every such aspiring soul will naturally contribute, as he develops on the spiritual path,by his own thoughts and actions, to the moral and spiritual level of the society in which he resides and, therefore, the individual growth is automatically reflected in a social growth also.

Source: P. Rajagopalachari, Chapter "Spiritual Flame," The Spider's Web, Vol. 2,p. 308.

Fear and Temptation

2004-11-02T11:24:00.000-06:00

Analyzing the religious content and the modes of religious approach of those coming under its fold, we find that all religions have heavily relied on two important instruments for regulating and controlling the behavior of the flock under their control. These two instruments, by and large, have been fear and temptation. It is perhaps beyond any reasonable debate that this is an established fact. Religions have always held out to their devotees the temptation of redemption and a place in heaven, whether during the course of this life itself or after death. They have always tried to control and canalize man's behavior in a desired direction by trying to induce him to accept this temptation for the fruits offered by the respective religions. This is one side of the picture. How to enforce a man's behavior in the pursuit of the goal was the next question and here fear came in all too handy - the fear of punishment for swerving from the performance of religious rituals stipulated; the fear of punishment for not supporting the body of one's own religion in its continued existence; the fear of retribution for acts forbidden; and so on and so forth. Therefore, fear on one hand, and temptation on the other, would be a fair representation of religious activity, and religious control..

Source: P. Rajagopalachari, Chapter "Religion and Spirituality in the Light of Sahaj Marg," The Principles of Sahaj Marg, Set 1, Vol. 1, p. 5.

Divine Forms

2004-11-02T11:22:00.000-06:00

So we must remember that there are two aspects involved in our coming here into this world, again and again: one is like us, who come because of the bondage of the impressions (samskaras). We have no choice. We have to come; we are pushed here. The other is the divya swaroopis [divine forms]; you can call them saints -Divinity itself, who out of compassion for its own creation, takes on a form,suffers with us, laughs with us, enjoys with us, teaches us, and goes back. Now suppose Divinity did not have this compassionate aspect to descend again and again, to teach us and lift us up, where would we be? We would be wandering in the mire of ignorance and sin, all our lives, life after life!

Source: P. Rajagopalachari, Chapter "Adhere to One Teaching, One Goal," ThePrinciples of Sahaj Marg, Set 1, Vol. III, p. 406.

Dependence

2004-11-02T11:21:00.000-06:00

There is a beautiful story highlighting the need for total dependence, which goes thus:
A mystic was wandering in the desert, and was almost dying of thirst. He stopped thinking of God in his search for water. Suddenly, he met a traveler and begged him to give him some water. The traveler turned to his camel to get some, and when he turned round with a glass in his hand, he found the mystic lying on the sand, his body in the process of rapid putrefaction, dying.
The traveler was amazed at this miracle and asked the mystic to explain it. The mystic answered that when he asked the traveler for water, he had swerved from dependence on his Master, and this was the punishment!

Source: P. Rajagopalachari, Chapter "The Disciple," The Principles of SahajMarg, Set 1, Vol. II, p. 179.

Concentration

2004-11-02T11:18:00.000-06:00

My Master has clarified that meditation is the process and the result is concentration. Now this concentration, by itself, is not of much value in our development because concentration is only the use of a power, and power, by itself, does not lead to evolution. But it has a positive advantage in our dailylife because by meditation, when we are able to make the mind concentrate, we are able to exclude thoughts we don't require, or we don't wish to receive. Here I come to one of the most important teachings of my Master. When we have thoughts it is our attention, it is the power of our attention, that gives the power to the thought. A thought by itself has no power. It is the attention that we give it that gives the thought its power. By meditation if we are able to exclude such thoughts without fighting with them, without attending to them,then the mind achieves a state - a state of existence, a state of being - where a single thought alone can exist at a time. Thus, the process of meditation gives us the ability to concentrate, or makes the mind come into a state of concentration, which we in India call one-pointedness.

Source: P. Rajagopalachari, Chapter "Purification and Regulation of the Mind bySahaj Marg Yoga," The Principles of Sahaj Marg, Set 1, Vol. 1, p. 52.

Change Agent

2004-11-02T11:15:00.000-06:00

Change in one level can only be brought about from a superior level acting upon it. So we have to always seek assistance from a superior level. And as long as human beings try to change the mundane level by operating on the mundane level from within the mundane level itself, their efforts are doomed to failure. Therefore, when we come to the spiritual way and accept the spiritual Master, we seek his assistance at the highest possible level of existence - not at any intermediate levels. Because the highest level alone can change everything that is below it. And there we have the Master who is the Master of that highest existence. That is why on several occasions I have said he is the Master of change. Because in him exists the capacity to change anything at any level of existence.

Source: P. Rajagopalachari, Chapter "Change," Heart to Heart, Vol I, p. 155.

Change

2004-10-25T12:32:00.000-05:00

Change is like watching a bud open into a flower, level by level, you know,layer after layer of petals. The important thing to understand is that it is one integrated idea - and the idea that a bit of change is followed by another bit of change, followed by another bit of change, until, finally, we come to a changeless state. It is necessary to understand this because we must know change as a process.Change is a process, which involves events in time.

Source: P. Rajagopalachari, Chapter "Change," Heart to Heart, Vol. I, p. 152.

Bondage and Liberation

2004-10-25T12:30:00.000-05:00

Attaining freedom from miseries is liberation. Liberation is both permanent and temporary. When the liberation is such that the bondage of sorrow is never felt it is permanent liberation. Is bondage also permanent, if we are to speak of liberation as permanent? No!Bondages are not permanent, they are temporary.

Source: Ram Chandra of Fatehgarh, Chapter "The Nature of Freedom or Liberation,"Truth Eternal, p. 131.

Bondage

2004-10-25T12:27:00.000-05:00

A person thought in the dream that he was ill, and the thought became so firm that it persisted even after his waking. Now he laboured under the same illusion in the waking state and during sleep. Though he appears to be quite healthy, he never admits it; and he remains unhappy with out any reason. This is an example of bondage.

Take one more example: A person is under the illusion of ghost. He saw a bare branch of a tree in the dark night and thought it to be ghost. His thought power told him that the branch is a long-toothed ghost. He became afraid and ran away,fell down and became unconscious. When he regained consciousness and opened his eyes, the illusion of the ghost caught hold of him. He begins to talk at random and to roam here and there like a mad man. He is thus unhappy.

When a thought born out of illusion torments a man in this way, he is caught in its bondage and becomes unhappy.

Source: Ram Chandra of Fatehgarh, Chapter "The Nature of Freedom or Liberation,"Truth Eternal, p. 131.

As Above, So Below

2004-10-20T13:39:00.000-05:00

In the tradition of India, there is a famous statement, which makes its earliest appearance in the Rig-Veda. It later reappears in the Katha Upanishad. It says that the immortal fig tree, representing Brahman, has its roots above and its leaves and branches below.My Master very kindly explained to me that this imagery of the fig tree,inverted in shape, really shows that all life below, should draw their sustenance directly from above. If they do, so then they acquire the possibility of becoming like that, which is above - the Ultimate Self!

Source: P. Rajagopalachari, Chapter "As Above, So Below," The Principles ofSahaj Marg, Set 1, Vol. III, p. 370.

Achievement

2004-10-20T13:04:00.000-05:00

"A sense of achievement puts bar to advancement. The person automatically stops making any efforts, and in this lies the greatest danger to one's progress."A sense of achievement or accomplishment breeds a sense of complacency in our minds, and thus puts a stop to all further effort and to progress.

Source: P. Rajagopalachari, Chapter "As Above, So Below," The Principles ofSahaj Marg, Set 1, Vol. III, p. 369.

Work

2004-10-20T13:03:00.000-05:00

It is, of course, good to find work that one will like to do, but if one cannot do that then one must learn to like the work that one has to do. This is my advice under all circumstances to everybody. Work is only a means of earning money to live reasonably and comfortably in this existence and it is not the main purpose. The main purpose is spiritual. So, as we say in India, work is just to keep the body and soul together until the bodycan be dropped by the soul for the last time and go on its own journey towards the merger with the Ultimate, the Divine.
Source: P. Rajagopalachari, Chapter "Pious Earnings," The Spider's Web, Vol. II,p. 237.

Will

2004-10-20T13:01:00.000-05:00

In all cases, will must be applied and this is where the problem comes because where desire goes against the will, the will fails. That is why, in all our ancient scriptures, we have been instructed to cut the will from the desire and then apply the will. [1] The will increases in strength as we use it, and everytime we don't use it, it becomes weakened. This is very much like a knife, which must be used continuously if it is not to rust. [2]Only doing the things repeatedly, by the application of will power again andagain can we strengthen will power. [3]

1. Source: P. Rajagopalachari, Chapter "Character Formation," The Spider's Web,Vol. II, p. 65.
2. Source: P. Rajagopalachari, Chapter "Character Formation," The Spider's Web,Vol. II, p. 49.
3. Source: P. Rajagopalachari, Chapter "Character Formation," The Spider's Web,Vol. II, p. 41.

Unity

2004-10-19T10:23:00.000-05:00

True unity of human beings can only come through the heart, and that unity of the heart can only come by the recognition of the innermost Self which is divine, seated there.
Your Self is no different from my Self, is no different from anybody else's Self here. With this recognition of the essence of the Self, which is universal,which is in all things, not only do we become members of one human race, but we also learn to identify ourselves with every form of existence on earth. Whether it be stone, whether it be tree, bird, animal, it doesn't matter, because that same Self is in the heart of that, too.

Source: P. Rajagopalachari, Chapter "The problem of Religion," Heart to Heart,Vol. V, p. 230.

Tolerance

2004-10-15T13:52:00.000-05:00

Spiritual progress depends upon tolerance. It shows that love exists in theheart, because only where there is love can you also find that supremetolerance!.

Source: P. Rajagopalachari, Chapter "Character Formation," The Spider's Web,Vol. II, p. 37.

SMSF SEMINARS UPDATE

2004-10-14T17:57:00.000-05:00

The SMSF seminars scheduled to be held in Molena, Dayton, Sunderland, San Jose and Austin, from October 22 to October 24, have been postponed to a later date. Rev. Master has indicated that He may host a couple of seminars, for abhyasis to attend in batches, at a venue wherever He may be in the US.

REV. MASTER'S USA TRAVEL PLANS

2004-10-14T17:55:00.000-05:00

Rev. Master has accepted an invitation to participate in a conference sponsored by the United Nations at its New York headquarters in December. He is expected to arrive in the US in early December and His stay in the US is expected to be brief, given that He generally conducts the New Year's satsangh in India. This is all the information that is available at this time since He has yet to announce His final travel plans.

Surrender

2004-10-14T17:53:00.000-05:00

I must bring to your attention one essential difference between surrendering toHis will and "giving away" everything. In "giving away" there is a sense of loss, of deprivation and of compulsion, whereas in surrender there is an attitude of acceptance. This makes a tremendous difference to one's attitude as well as to the results that one achieves in terms not only of spiritual but of human happiness and contentment.

Source: P. Rajagopalachari, Chapter "Mind and Emotion," The Spider's Web, Vol.II, p. 106.

Gathering Schedule

2004-10-01T01:36:00.000-05:00

There will be a half day gathering on Saturday Oct 2 at sis. Kavita's place.

Agenda

9:00am Meditation & Reading

10:00am Break

10:15am Discussion (the topic is posted)

12:00pm Lunch

Visiting Prefect

2004-10-01T01:29:00.000-05:00

We have a visiting prefect from India, Sis. Varalakshmi, who is available for sittings.

Address
2708 Park Falls Drive
Pearland, TX 77584

Directions from Downtown
Take 288-south
Take exit to ShadowCreek Parkway/2234(this is the first exit after Beltway-8)
On the exit ramp, take a right to ShadowCreek parkway.
Take a left on the first traffic light to KIRBY DRIVE
Go past 3 STOP signs on Kirby drive
Take a right onto CROSSWIND drive.
Take a right(1st STOP sign) , then continue on the road till the next STOP sign.
At this STOP sign, take a right and the 2nd house on the left is our house, #2708

Directions from Southwest Freeway
Take Beltway-8 East.
Take exit to 288-South
Take first exit to ShadowCreek Parkway/2234
On the exit ramp, take a right to ShadowCreek parkway.
Take a left on the first traffic light to KIRBY DRIVE
Go past 3 STOP signs on Kirby drive
Take a right onto CROSSWIND drive.
Take a right(1st STOP sign) , then continue on the road till the next STOP sign.
At this STOP sign, take a right and the 2nd house on the left is our house, #2708

Discussion Topic : Faith

2004-10-01T01:26:00.000-05:00

FAITH

Will, Faith, and Confidence are the elementary factors which contribute to an easy success on the path of realization.

The other important factor of a spiritual life is faith in the Master, for as I have already said before, the help of a capable master is indispensable for higher spiritual attainments. He is the only medium through whom the divine impulse comes to an aspirant.

We must never follow anyone blindly having been attracted towards him by his outward imposition and display of knowledge. For proper judgment of the true merits of a man we must take into account his practical attainments in the spiritual field. We must seek in him the real thing we crave for. When we are thus convinced, we naturally begin to feel an inward attraction for him and think him to be the very person who can shape our destiny. The feeling gradually develops into faith and we begin to love him. We submit to his views with due regard to his personality and proceed along the path under his guidance. The experience of achievements gained during the course convinces us further of the extraordinary capacities of the master and we begin to look upon him as a superhuman being. Our faith now is greatly helpful to us in our spiritual progress. It dispels clouds of doubt and uncertainty and removes difficulties and obstructions from our path.

Faith is really the foundation of the entire structure of spirituality. Faith in Reality, faith in the right course you have adopted for realization, faith in the worthy Master whom you have submitted to, this is the rock upon which you must build your edifice of spirituality if you really aim at success. You will thereby be possessed of an internal force strong enough to shatter all the forces of evil that might be surrounding you. It will help you to draw fresh divine impulse whenever you require it.

Faith, in true sense, is a lively link connecting the mortal with the Immortal. It is no doubt effected through the medium of the Master who is himself connected with the Immortal. The link when once connected cannot be broken under any condition and subsists all along during the course of our march up to final point. It is one of the six Sampattis of the third Sadhana of Yoga. At this stage, faith is real and genuine and is so firmly established that a man cannot even for a moment get away from it. Before this stage, faith is really artificial and is formed, lost or regained many a time for a variety of reasons. A worthy master shall never rely upon it and shall put up with all the emotional outbursts of love and devotion of a disciple, looking forward patiently for the time when he comes up to the final stage of Shraddha (faith) as depicted in the four Sadhanas of Yoga when the real faith begins to assume the form of self-surrender.

True faith is really an unspeakable virtue which is beyond the scope of religion, it is the dauntless courage which leads us on to success, it is that ubiquitous force which makes our path smooth, it is in fact the only thing that solves our problem of life.
(Shri Ram Chandra, Reality at Dawn, excerpts from chapter 6)

Now comes a very interesting speculation that I had to once indulge in. I have faith in my Master, let us say, total faith, yet many things go wrong with my existence. A child who is very sick, I pray for - the child dies. A business which is well thought out, well planned, with good capital investment, every parameter of success assured yet success eludes. One begins to judge faith by the results. Now I have come to the conclusion that belief is the ability to believe in that which is possible. Faith is the ability to believe in that which is impossible. So according to my understanding of Sahaj Marg, my understanding of faith, faith is essentially the ability to believe in the impossible.

Every act of faith in some mysterious way releases His powers, with or without His consciousness. It is not necessary that the Master should be conscious of what is going on. So, it is a faith in Faith itself I should say: Because when we have no faith in Faith, we cannot have Faith! "No, no Sir, this is a situation which has gone beyond faith." How can any situation go beyond faith? For instance, "Faith can move mountains." 'Mountains' is a nonliving material, conglomerate of matter. If you can move a mountain by faith, can't you move a human heart by faith?

We are all intellectually faithful. We all believe in faith: "Yes Sir, I am very faithful to my wife. But this is the first act of infidelity!" .So, when there is no faith in That, on what are you going to have faith? So, we have been taught to believe with the mind. True faith must emanate from the heart...

I would like to suggest that every time you are anxious of what the Master is going to do for you or has done for you or will do for you, it is an act of mistrust, lack of faith in the Master. It is a direct hit at his capacity to know what we need and when we need it, and to fulfill that need...

When we have faith, miracles are possible; when we believe, only mundane things are possible; when we trust, human relations are possible. This elevates the concept of faith to, shall we say, a divine level where by having faith, the very act of having faith seems to mobilize the resources of the universe, what you can call the resources of God Himself.

I am reminded of a story about my Grand Master Lalaji Maharaj. One of his advanced pupils, very advanced pupil, senior, got into bad company and started drinking. For three months he was away. He could not face his Master. One day Lalaji Saheb asked his other disciples. "Where is this fellow? Why doesn't he come to see me?" He knew - obviously - great people know everything! They were afraid to tell him. How to tell stories about another co brother, gurubhai (disciple of the same guru)? So they all looked here, looked there, scratched their heads and said, "Nahi, nahi, kuchh bath hogi." (No, no, there must be something). He said, "Go and bring that fellow to me."

They brought him. He fell at his feet and started weeping. "What is wrong that you are weeping?" He said, "Saheb, Guruji, I have fallen into bad ways, I have started drinking." He said, "For this small thing, you have been away from me for three months." Now, the disciple was astonished. He thought he had done a big crime. So Lalaji told him, "Doesn't matter, you can go on drinking but only on one condition: every time you drink, think I am drinking."

Now here also there are two aspects. This man went - he thought, "What a wonderful guru I have got!" went into the pub, ordered a glass of beer, I suppose, started drinking. Suddenly he remembered he has to think of his Master. He said, "This is Lalaji drinking." He could not retain what he drank; it was thrown out. He tried the second time; it was thrown off. He stopped. He could not drink after that. He had faith.

The rest of us, we say, "Very good, I have got permission to drink, my Master has said I have to think that he is drinking. Well, here you are, old fellow, you are drinking," and you drink. Nothing happens. You become more and more drunkard. In everything we have to have this faith. If He says, "Think I am drinking," you must be really able to think with your heart that He is drinking. Then it works. If you use it as an excuse to continue drinking, it shall also work. With the guru's blessings you will become a drunkard very soon. You will destroy yourself very soon. That is perhaps Nature's way of giving quickly a second opportunity to redeem yourself in the shape of another life. It cannot be escaped, this law, that if you have no faith nothing shall work for you.
(Shri P. Rajagopalachari, excerpts from Salient Features of Sahaj Marg, Vol. 6)

Daily Reflections : Marriage

2004-09-26T14:01:00.000-05:00

Marriage makes a couple fit for mutually helping each other in traversing what we call life, in a happy and comfortable manner, with due appreciation that there is spiritual goal to be achieved.

Source: P. Rajagopalachari, Chapter "Family Life," The Spider's Web, Vol. II, p. 207.

Daily Reflections : Prejudice

2004-09-14T13:50:00.000-05:00

Prejudice is the resistance to a change in values. We resist the change in others; rather, we refuse to perceive such change. Since our views become fixed, our own progress is adversely affected. My Master has cautioned us that prejudice is one of the most harmful things on the spiritual path. Why is this so? It is because prejudice is a mental phenomenon. The power of the mind, thought power, is the highest power, the most potent power, available to man. When we use this power in a negative way to oppose change in others or ourselves - that is, when we yield to prejudice - we are using the power of thought in the wrong way. The greatest alertness is therefore necessary to avoid prejudice. Taken from the book "The Principles of Sahaj Marg Set 1" Chapter "Spiritual Growth and Development" pg 287---- by Chariji

Gathering Schedule

2004-09-12T01:51:00.000-05:00

Gathering Schedule
Saturday Oct 2 - Sis. Kavita's place
Saturday Nov 6 - Br. Kalpesh's place
Saturday Dec 4 - Br. Hari's place

Austin Seminar

2004-09-12T01:49:00.000-05:00

Austin Seminar
Fri Oct 22 to Sun Oct 24 2004.
Theme: "Self Development and Integration. What it means to me and other abhyasis in the world"

Soul fitness needed to complete a healthy life

2004-09-09T13:31:00.000-05:00

An article (Soul Fitness...) appeared in my university news paper. It stressses on the need for meditation in simple words. I think its very much in line with what we do in SRCM.

DiscussionTopic for 4th Sep Gathering

2004-09-01T13:02:00.000-05:00

FAITH

Workshop at University of Houston

2004-09-01T12:27:00.000-05:00

There will be a five week meditation workshop at University of Houston starting from Sep 10th. Everyone is invited.

Place:
University Center (Entrance 1) - Caspian Room 87

Time:
Sep 10th 2004 – Oct 8th2004 (Every Friday)
6:00pm – 8:00pm

Contact:
srcmhouston@yahoo.com

Sept. 4th Gathering

2004-08-30T23:39:00.000-05:00

There will be a half day gathering on Saturday Sept 4 at Br. Krishna's place.

Agenda

9:00am Meditation & Reading

10:00am Break

10:15am Discussion (the topic will be sent out later)

12:00pm Lunch