(Excerpts from Rishi Prasad-Issue 197 May,2009)

The Perfect Discrimination

(Excerpts from Pujya Bapuji’s satsang)
There lived a childless Brahmin couple in the village Somapuriya on the banks of river
Ganga. Both were devotees of Lord Hari and had faith in satsang. Whenever they would
come by sadhus and sannyasins, they would pay obeisance to them and listen to their
teachings. Neither the husband nor wife had any desire to have a son.
One day the husband was infected by cholera. The wife consulted doctors and physicians
and did all she could do but the husband’s condition had become very critical. The wise
Brahmin lady thought, ‘Something should be done before he dies.’ She was brooding
anxiously when a Dandi sannyasin who was traveling along the bank of the Ganga passed
that way. The Brahmin lady prayed to the sannyasin to initiate her husband into the
sannyasa order.
The Dandi sannyasi said, “…but he is lying ill.” The Brahmin lady insisted: “Maharaj! His
death is impending. Therefore, please initiate him into the sannyasa order. He will at least
be relieved of the sin of one Brahmahatya (killing of a Brahmin) and attain higher life after
death through diksha. He will attain some elevation if not Selfrealization.
Is there any system of initiating one into the sannyasa order for his liberation at the time of
death?”
Seeing that the Brahmin’s condition was very critical, the sannyasin initiated him into the
sannyasa order even as he was unconscious on his death-bed. The sannyasin took leave of
the couple and the Brahmin lady started serving her husband with great reverance. As a
result of good luck, the husband began to recover and he was completely cured. His wife
served him round the clock but now she would not touch him physically as she would do
before. She rendered all her services without touching him. The Brahmin asked, “Dear!
Now why is it that you are serving me without touching?”
She said, “Swamiji!” (till now she would call him, “Patidev!”) When you were critically ill,
I had prayed to a Dandi sannyasin and made him initiate you into the sannyasa order so
that you may attain higher life.” The husband was no less a virtuous soul. He had imibibed
satsang and had earned some merits. His discrimination was awakened.
“Well…! So you got me initiated into the sannyasa order by a Dandi sannyasi! You did the
right thing. A sannyasin is not allowed to stay at home. He should not touch even a wooden
statue of a lady. So I should protect myself from your touch. I thank you mother, for
protecting me!” The husband mentally touched the wife’s feet before taking leave. He
traveled along the bank of the Ganga, and whenever he felt hungry, he would beg for food
and wash it with the water of Ganga before eating. He would do japa of ‘›’. After eleven
days of bathing in the Ganga, he reached ‘Haridwar’, the abode of Hari. In those days the
place was not much crowded. He proceeded further, met a Self-realized sannyasin, and
donned the ochre robe after getting initiated into the sannyasa order in the prescribed
manner. He then started reading the Vedas and books on Vedanta. He possessed some
discrimination by virtue of having lived a pious life at home. He reflected on the teachings
of the Vedas and Vedanta and became a good saint, sannyasin and acharya. The other
sannyasins would come to listen to his discources. In the month of Shravana, he would
contemplate the teachings of and speak on the Brahmasutra. During Chaturmasa he would
take recourse to Vicharsagar, Panchikaran and other scriptures on Vedanta.
The Kumbh Mela was held in Haridwar. The Brahmin lady visited the Kumbh Mela along
with her neighbors. She heard praises of the sannyasi. The people told her that the great
acharya and saint was none other than her husband. She replied, “He is not my husband
but a sannyasi now.” The former wife followed the other ladies who were going for the
sannyasi’s darshan. The satsang was going on. No sooner did the group of ladies enter in
than the Swami’s eyes fell on his wife. He exclaimed, “Hey, how did you come here?” The
lady said, “Swamiji! So you haven’t forgotten me yet?” The Swami lowered his head never
to raise it or see anybody again. His hands remained tied as they were. Somebody or the
other would bathe him or feed him when he felt hungry. Thirty years passed by in this way.
Once when he had gone out, ………..(Read the full article in Rishi Prasad magazine).

Now You too Make Some Effort

(Excerpts from Pujya Bapuji’s Satsang)
Many people complain of not being able to meditate. What is the reason? This is because
considering oneself belonging to samsara and living in samsara we want to meditate on
God. In fact, if one, considering oneself of God while abiding in God, meditates on God, one
will never experience a break in meditation. Take 4 to 5 deep breaths in the morning while
practicing sadhana. Affirm while inhaling, ‘I am imbibing divine grace’ and while
exhaling, ‘I have abandoned restlessness (of mind). Now whatever comes to my mind will
only be divine. Nothing other than God can come to my mind today. I am serving God at
this moment. Therefore, whatever comes will be that which is sent by God or that which is
divine.’
We cannot meditate when we are trying to eradicate thoughts nor can we do so when we
are lost in thought. However, if we do not pay heed to those thoughts they will lose their
importance. In this way the great men have tried various means for the attainment of
divine peace but only those who have an intense aspiration practice those techniques. There
are thousands who remain satisfied with petty things. Even the rare few who tread the path
of God fall prey to seudosatisfaction and stop when they come by some praises, fame or
material success. If at all they go ahead, they abandon the path of God when they face
infamy and opposition. Some progress further, gain some supernatural powers only to get
entangled in them. The rare one who goes even beyond that, attains absolute peace of mind
through Self-realization.
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa used to say, “The desire for praise is the last hurdle for a
sadhaka, a sadhu.”
‘All should talk of me as good. Everyone should praise me. None should slander me. I shall
earn fame in this world.’ this is a very subtle and the last obstacle on the spiritual path.
Therefore, say to God, “O Lord! Now whatever thought comes to me, I will consider it as
Yours. I have nothing in me that is mine…’ Erase your ego and keep God as the witness.
Divine help will then start pouring in.Our cunning mind has been deceiving us for ages. We
will get exhausted if we struggle on our own. Hence seek divine help and pray to the
Antaryamin Lord, the Supreme Soul again and again. Thus, once you embark on the divine
path, ………(Read full article in Rishi Prasad magazine).

Vision of Knowledge
(Excerpts from Pujya Bapuji’s satsang)
How is this world? First see what is your bhava, your emotional disposition? The world
appears to you according to your bhava. If your nature is divine you will perceive goodness
and virtues. With demoniacal nature, you will be inclined to find faults and vices in others.
A photograph appears according to the angle from which it has been taken. There is no joy
or sorrow, mine or others’ in this world. How the world appears depends on whether you
look at it through the angle of attachment, aversion or equanimity. Whatever way you
behave in the world do not think it to be real. Otherwise it will make you disturbed and
give rise to demoniacal tendencies, grief and sorrow. If your actions happen for the good of
others, then don’t be boastful about it. This is an ever-changing transient world, dualistic
in appearance. There is either joy or sorrow. Open the third eye beyond these two, that of
Knowledge. To develop the vision of Knowledge – to get entangled in neither joy nor
sorrow is the summit of spirituality.
‘Neither joy is good, nor is sorrow.
Bless me with Your vision, that alone is the best.’
O Lord! Bless me with Your Consciousness, Your Truth, Your Bliss.
Constantly placing one foot after the other, on the path and the stairs, we ultimately reach
the temple. In the same way, trampling under your feet (the pairs of opposites like) joy and
sorrow, profit and loss and life and death, attain the knowledge of the Giver of life. Attain
repose in Him. Attain His love.
Pujya Bapuji asks the listeners – “Those who did not attend the satsang yesterday, please
raise their hands.”
(Some people raise their hands). Pujya Bapuji says, “Alright. Those who have not come
today, may raise their hands.”
(No one raises). Pujya Bapuji continues… How did this occur to you? It is through
knowledge. What is the source of this knowledge? There is sense based knowledge. Beyond
that is the mental knowledge and beyond the later is the intellectual knowledge. But from
where do the senses, mind and intellect receive ‘knowledge’? It is from the ‘I’. That is, the
consciousness from which the ‘I’ arises…….(Read full article in Rishi Prasad magazine)

Live in the Present

 Pujya Bapuji
One, who thinks that happiness is in the outside world; who is under the foolish impression
that he can be happy by eating delicious food, by viewing beautiful sights or by enjoying
sensory pleasures; wanders endlessly in different worlds – heavens or netherworlds – but
he only gets exhausted being entangled in false worldly pleasures and fantasies. He finds
himself incapable of treading the path to God-realization. ‘This path is not for me’, he says.
Nothing can be farther from truth. You are born as a human being. It is your birth right to
attain divine peace. You are born to tread the path to God.
You are given intellect and faith only to attain Self-bliss. Why can you not tread this path?
It is not impossible. In fact this is the only task you can do successfully. In all other tasks,
you cannot achieve all time success. It is well nigh impossible always to be successful in all
walks of life but you can surely attain all time success in Self-God. If you render devotional
service to the Lord and seek worldly things in return, you are sadly mistaken. If you get
reposed in Self, your intellect becomes sharp and these small problems will get solved
automatically. If you start living in the present, these small troubles will automatically
disappear. ‘My wife should obey me… my husband should obey me… my son should be
obedient… my body should be free from diseases… I should get sense-enjoyments… I
should attain this much wealth or such and such position… then I will be happy...’ Such
thoughts rob you of your present wealth of happiness and impoverish you. Each and every
man, in his present state, can attain deliverance instantly if he simply attains Knowledge of
his Inherently Blissful Self and reposes therein. Renouncing the desire for external
pleasures, if one reposes in the Self- Bliss, his delusion will get destroyed and he will gain
the memory (Knowledge) of the real Self. Whatever clothes are available at home, wear
them; eat simple food cooked at home; when feeling sleepy, sleep wherever you find the
place to. Don’t dream for palaces or make it a necessity to arrange for exquisite bedding. If
you must, then make it a necessity to shun thoughts of the past and the future and repose in
the Eternal Present, where worries have no place…….(Read full article in Rishi Prasad
magazine).

Measures to Bring the Mind Under Control

(Contd. from the previous issue)
(Excerpts from Pujya Bapuji’s satsang)
5. Have love for divine joy……….
6. Restrain the mind from whatever causes it to wander and set it on God………..
7. Don’t follow the dictates of your mind……….
8. Detach yourself from your mind and watch its actions………
9. Think over every movement of the mind and save it from evil thoughts……….
10. Keep the mind always engaged in noble deeds……….
11. Do Meditation and trataka…….
12. Study spiritual books……..
13. Use your discrimination……… (Read full article in Rishi Prasad magazine)

Key to Quick Success

 Pujya Bapuji
When you tread the path towards God and circumstances become favourable to you, it
shows that you have succeeded on this path a little bit. However, if you start facing
adversities, then take it as a sign that you will be treading the path speedily.
‘They alone, whom He loves,
Are by Him tried and put to test.
The treasures of His benign grace,
Does He shower on them under this pretext.’
That sadhak or bhakta is fortunate, who gets a relative who harasses him. Mira may not
have been so resolute had she not had relatives who oppressed and troubled her. Had it not
been for Hiranyakashipu to trouble Prahlad, he might not have been so steadfast in his
devotion. Had Sant Eknath not come by trouble makers, it is possible he might not have
been so firmly established in patience and divine peace. When troubles and obstacles come
our way, we should realize that God wants to establish us quickly in our divine nature of
serenity. On the other hand, if pleasures and comfort come our way, we should realize that
God knows our weakness that we are devoted to pleasure and so He gives us these toys.
Utilize the toys that come to you. Beware of wasting your life after them as these are mere
toys. Accept them as gifts from God.
Just as we make offerings of sweets to God, receive it as prasad and then do not eat it alone,
but distribute it to others as well. Similarly, when you are blessed with competence or
comforts, make good use of them in the service of God. Likewise, when faced with
difficulties or obstacles, just tide over them and get to your serene nature. Such a sadhak
quickly succeeds in his spiritual path.

The Ego embodied as a Bull

(Sant Kabir Jayanti – 7 June)
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A scholar, Sarvananda lived in Kashi. He had defeated many learned men and scholars in
religious debates. As a result, the scholars of Kashi conferred on him the title of ‘Sarvajit’
(winner of all) and started calling him by that name. His mother once visited Kashi and
attended Sant Kabir’s satsang. She got initiated as his disciple by receiving a mantra from
him. Realizing the futility of her son’s erudition, she challenged her son Sarvajit that she
shall consider him the winner of all only if he defeats Kabirji in a religious debate.
Sarvajit’s mother’s words hurt him. He loaded all his religious books on a bull and reached
Kashi. He arrived at Karbirji’s house and eneuired, “Is this Kabirji’s house?”
Kabirji was not at home. Looking at the bull laden with books, Kabirji’s daughter Kamali
understood the situation and said with a smile, “No, this is not Kabirji’s house. His house
couldn’t be located by even Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva”. She added: ‘Kabir’s house is on
the summit i.e. atop innumerable universes. The path to reach there is very slippery.
Even an ant cannot get a foothold on this path. This pandit (learned man) wants to take his
bull (his ego based on his knowledge) along. How can he go?’
An egotist can never attain the state of Nirvikalpa Samadhi, the ultimate stage towards
attainment of Wisdom.
Sarvajit could not immediately respond to Kamali’s reply. In the meantime, Kabirji
arrived. Sarvajit challenged him to have a religious debate. Hearing the challenge Kabirji
said, “O Brother! I am an ordinary, illiterate weaver. I have never even seen so many
books in my life.” However, Sarvajit insisted on having a religious debate and on being
asked he even revealed to Kabirji what his mother had told him. On hearing that Kabirji
said, “Brother! I know that I will not win over you in the debate. I accept my defeat.”
Sarvajit said, “If you accept your defeat then please give it to me in writing.” ………..(Read
full article in Rishi Prasad magazine).

Bhakti Never Goes in Vain

(Excerpts from Pujya Bapuji’s satsang)
If a person chases evil sense-enjoyments, he will become an evil soul. If one lives an average
life exercising self-restraint, at one moment and slipping the next, he is an ordinary person.
However, if a person reposes in God within, the greatest of the great, and fills his heart
with divine love and divine knowledge; if he is engaged in the yoga of selfless action, he will
become a great soul.
The Lord says:
‘However, great souls, O Partha (Arjun),who take refuge in My divine nature,
worship Me with a single mind (with the mind devoted to nothing else), knowing Me
as the eternal and imperishable source of beings!’
(The Bhagavad Gita: 9.13)
People who take refuge in their divine nature, are imbued with traits of the Eternal
Consciousness, the Supreme Self. Even if for some reason they go to lower life-forms, such
traits are not destroyed. King Bharata, after whom this country was named Bharat,
departed from the world thinking of a deer and consequently had to be born as a deer in
his next life. However, he retained his samskaras of bhakti of his previous birth even in his
life as a deer. Once I went to Ujhani (Uttar Pradesh). There I found a dog that kept a fast
on Tuesdays!
‘An eternal portion of Me has become a living soul in the world of life.’
(The Bhagavad Gita: 15.7)………(Read full article in Rishi Prasad magazine).

Blind Pritam Becomes Sant Pritamdas

(Sri Pritamdas Maharaj Punyatithi: 21 May)
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The saint Pritamdas is believed to have been born between 1717AD and 1723 AD at village
Bawala near Ahmedabad. He was blind since birth. His parents died when he was barely
ten years of age. He lived on alms and he was homeless. Subjected to insults and
humiliation at the age of ten years, Pritamdasji once perchance landed at satsang.
He developed reverence for Sant Bhaidas. He took Mantra-diksha from Sant Bhaidas and
became a follower of his. He completely dedicated himself to the Guru and started living in
the Guru’s Ashram. Being born blind, he had no attraction towards the world; so he was
attracted to the Lord. This led him to divine experiences and he became a saint.
Wonderful mystical poetry emerged from his heart which evoked appreciation from even
foreigners. The following devotional song is composed by him: Anand mangal karu arati,
Hari guru santani seva…
…………..(Read full article in Rishi Prasad magazine).
The Key to Salvation
(Excerpts from Pujya Bapuji’s satsang)
If one wants to get rid of all sorrows and troubles forever, then it cannot be done by
consuming painkillers. One will have to approach a great man who is established in His
own Self, in His Soham nature and has the ability to establish others in the same. The
sadhana of remaining established in Soham is the sadhana of liberation, of total eradication
of all miseries forever, of attaining Supreme Bliss and of Godrealization. Affirm and
experience the following while combining ‘So…’ with the incoming breath and ‘Hum…’
with the outgoing breath. “I am the Consciousness which enables the eyes to see, the hands
to move and which exists even after the death of the body. I am Peace Absolute,
Consciousness Absolute, Bliss Absolute, Immortal Atman, an indivisible part of God.
I am becoming peaceful, immersing myself in the spirit of ‘I Am That’ (Soham). I am
delving into that Soham nature from which my Gurudev has attained peace, bliss and
spiritual might. I am becoming one with the nature of my Guru; I am attaining communion
with my Gurudev. I Am That; I am Consciousness Absolute, the Eternal Truth; I am the
child of my adored Deity; I Am That… Hence forth, I will not get oppressed by the wicked.
I will rest assured in the conviction that my Satguru and God are not far from me, they are
my own. I Am That…” - this is the key to moksha, the master key to liberation and to the
end of all sorrows. The nectar of bliss obtained thus will also help in eradicating diseases.
At night, while going to sleep practice japa of ‘Soham’ with awareness. When you wake up
in the morning, become aware of the intonation of ‘Soham’ in your breath. You will hear
‘So..’ and ‘Hum..’ with the in-coming and out-going breaths respectively. This kind of japa
goes on constantly. We have only forgotten it.
Practice will rectify this mistake. ……..(Read full article in Rishi Prasad magazine).

Improvement of Nature
Pride and selfishness are two major vices. They spoil the nature of a person, and they not
only hurt others but also lead one to downfall. If one removes these feelings of vanity and
selfishness, one’s nature will get improved.
On one side the man wants to meet his mind’s wish whereas on the other he wants to get his
desired things. Every moment he waits for the opportunity to get money, respect, reverence
or comforts of his life.’
When he nurtures such feelings in his mind, his inherent nature becomes vile. So
undoubtedly pride, egoism or selfishness only spoils the nature of a person.
One should try to be egoless.
“One should remain unpretentious without nurturing ill will in the mind,
Whatever benefits life offers, one should always dwell in contentment.
(Sri Ram Charitmanas. Uttar Kand: 45.1)
One who remains guileless and behaves naturally with everyone,
The Lord helps such a devotee attain salvation.”
…….(Read full article in Rishi Prasad magazine).

Those who do Namaskar become Great

All great people have been young children and youngsters in the beginning. Therefore
students should ponder on the fact that if so many young children and youngsters can
become great, then why not us? They should not be proud of being big. However, they
should have the important desire of making the greatness of their soul apparent by
kindling their latent spiritual powers. That is our birthright. What should we do to become
great?
Regularly bow to your parents and your Satguru, obey their wishes, serve and be positive
towards them. Lord Shri Krishna made Arjun his medium for transmitting to humanity
the key to unlocking one’s soul’s greatness:

‘Know that by long prostration, by question and by service, the wise

who have realised the Truth will instruct you in (that) knowledge.’
(Bhagawad Gita: 4.34)
How much importance God is giving to the act of humbly prostrating at the feet of Self-
realized Satgurus!
How does one’s life span increase by paying respect? If you look to history for an answer,
you will find many examples.
There was a sage called Mrikandu. His son’s name was Markandeya. A Self-realized great
man came to Mrikandu Rishi’s ashram. Mrikandu Rishi told his son, “Son, do namaskar.”
The son paid respect to the great man with a lot of kindness and humility. The great man
was looking at Markandeya in a focused Mrikandu Rishi enquired, “Maharaj, what are
you looking at?”
The Self realized great man said, “The child is very good but he has very few years to live.”
The rishi asked, “Maharaj! What should we do?”
“Sage, your good son has paid respect to me. I will definitely show you the path for your
kind son’s wellbeing.”
The evolved man meditated. After a while, he opened his eyes and said, “Mrikandu, Self-
realized souls are nothing but God’s physical form. Wherever they go becomes a
pilgrimage site. They become happy when you humbly and gently pay respect to them.
That is why they are considered as direct, visible forms of Lord Shiva. If your son
continues to pay respect and has faith in great souls who are full of compassion, then he
will get their guidance and one day he will go on to create history.
He will be known for and will exemplify this wonderful saying in our spiritual literature:
‘By regularly paying obeisance to elders and by serving them, a human being’s life span,
intellect, fame and strength – these four attributes increase.’
The boy continued to pay respect with a lot of humility and kindness to great souls.
One day the seven sages (saptarishis) came there. Markandeya paid respect to them. The
seven sages blessed him thus, “May you become immortal”. Mrikandu said, “Maharaj, You
blessed him but his life-span is short. Kindly suggest us a way so that your blessings will
fully fructify.”…….(Read full article in Rishi Prasad magazine).

How to Tread the path of Spirituality

A spiritual seeker once asked Pujya Lilashahji Maharaj: “I feel a strong desire to tread the
path towards God, but my mind does not assist me. What should I do?” Santshree replied,
“Have the desire for mukti (liberation).”
The seeker replied, “But my worldly desires and cravings do not get erased.”
Santshree replied, “If your desires and cravings do not go away, then do not worry.
Replace worldly desires with the desire to attain God. Daily repeat very loudly this firm
resolve – ‘Like King Janaka, I will realize the Self in this very birth.’ Devavrat (Bhishma
Pitamah) resolved loudly that – ‘Gandharvas! Listen. Devatas (gods)!
Listen. Yakshas and Kinnaras! Listen. Rakshasas (demons)! Listen. I, the son of Shantanu,
take the vow that I will observe absolute celibacy… that I will never marry… never...
never.’
“In the same way you too loudly repeat your pious resolve alone in a room: ‘I will establish
myself in the soul in this very birth. I will free myself of affections and aversions in this
very birth. I am the disciple of my Guru… like father like son… I will also attain Self-
realization in this birth…’ In this manner, repeat these pious resolutions…….(Read full
article in Rishi Prasad magazine).

Nurture Others, Do Not Exploit

 Pujya Bapuji Long back, there lived a rich merchant, Ramarai in the city of Ratanpur
near Himmatnagar (Guj.) One day he thought, ‘I have so much of wealth and property.
I should show it to the king so that he may know that I am not an ordinary person.’ The
rich man discussed this with his four sons and daughters-in-law. All agreed except the
youngest daughter-in-law, who was a satsangi. She said, “Whenever we take recourse
to external things for happiness, we have to face sorrow.” All ignored her advice. After
several entreaties by the rich man, the king finally accepted his invitation for dinner.
The rich man, who wanted to attain happiness by dishes in dinner. The king was greatly
satisfied, but the ego of the one who satisfied him was yet to be satisfied. Ramarai then
led the king to his secret treasury in the basement. As the door was opened, the king
was astonished to see a vast treasure of precious stones, diamonds, jewellery, beautiful
utensils studded with gems, etc. He exclaimed, “Wow… so many jewels!
Fantastic, Sethji! You are really the richest man in town.”
The rich man was satisfied. He led the king further to other rooms and showed him many
costly gold ornaments which were inherited from his father and fore-fathers. The king was
dumbstruck. He thought, ‘I am a king only for name’s sake. It is this fellow who is
wallowing in royal glory!’
Outwardly, the king praised the rich man while within he was thinking of how he could
usurp his wealth. The king came back to the palace and narrated the whole thing to his
minister and disclosed his intention as well. The minister said, “Your Highness! I have an
idea. …….(Read full article in Rishi Prasad magazine).
Guru’s Grace Showered Through Holi Colours
My name is Mamta Singh. My husband is a scientist in Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO). My son Gaurav is six and a half years old. He had gall stones. I
consulted the best of doctors known to me but they were unanimous that the gall bladder
needed to be removed by surgery. I was in great trouble. I went to Bhopal Memorial
Hospital and consulted a doctor there. He told me to get the child admitted and get him
operated urgently otherwise it can cause serious complications. Though I had not taken
mantra-diksha, I had been devoted to Pujya Bapuji for about a year and a half. I had a
flash of inspiration that we should go to Surat to attend the Holi Shibir held by Bapuji. I
went to attend the Holi Shibir along with my husband and son Gaurav and there we took
mantra-diksha. I was privileged to get sprayed with colours sprinkled by Pujya Bapuji.
What happened afterwards proved that it was Bapuji’s grace that had been showered in
the form of Holi colours. We came back to Bhopal and got the sonography done. There was
nothing in the gall bladder; the stone had vanished. My son was completely cured. I have
no words to describe my joy. I simply want to say:
‘Whoever takes refuge with the Guru, is happy here as well as in afterlife.’
 Mamta Singh
Ayodhya Nagar, Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh).
Mob: 9425674349.

Our Beloved Bapuji Listens to the Cry from the Heart

A thousand salutations at Pujya Bapuji’s lotus feet! The company where I am working had
issued orders for transfer of all 50 of its employees in the Delhi branch to Dehradun with
effect from 2 of April 2009, a month in advance. In the meanwhile, Bapuji’s satsang was
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declared for 9 and 10 April in Buradi, (Delhi). By Your grace, I got the seva of guiding the
th th

satsang-goers to the satsangsite. I mentally prayed to Bapuji and the concerned officials of
the company had to change their minds. All the employees were to report at Dehradun on
2 April, but on 1 April, the officials and the owner of the company called all the employees
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and postponed the transfers for the time being. All the employees are very happy and I am
happier still for Guru’s grace has saved me from being deprived of seva of satsang-lovers.
A thousand salutations to You from all of us!
 Vijay Sahni
QU 10-C Pitampura
Delhi-110088
Mob: 9310695709, 9868637066.

The Regimen for Summer

19 April to 20 June 2009
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The diet and mode of living in the summer should be planned to replenish the depleting
kapha humour in the body and prevent the excessive accumulation of vata.
Food: Salubrious- Sweet, easily digestible, watery, fresh, oleaginous and cold in effect like
wheat, rice, barley, milk, ghee, bottle gourd, sweet gourd, smooth luffa, Trichosanthes
Dioca (parwal), chaulai, spinach, coriander, mint, cucumber, lemon, grapes, musk melon,
coconut, pomegranates, banana, mango, Grewia Asiatica (phalsa) etc.
Unhealthful: Salty, sour, dry, fried, spicy foods like curd, dried and powdered mango peels,
pickles, tamarind, potato,
brinjals, peas, grams, tomatoes, cauliflower, lady’s finger, garam masala, green or red
chillies and excessive quantities of ginger. Buttermilk (fresh with cumin seeds, coriander
and aniseed) can be taken in moderate quantities.
Mode of living: One should wear cotton clothes in this season. Science has found moon’s
rays to be highly beneficial in this season. Hedges made of Andrepogon Muricatus roots
should be put up on doors and windows to prevent hot winds from entering the house. The
neuromuscular system is weak in these days. Therefore, sexual intercourse should be
avoided; otherwise it will cause physical and mental debility.
In the summer, one should take bath once again before nightfall. This induces dreamless,
comfortable and sound sleep.
Helpful medicinal preparations: Milk mixed with ghee and ten to fifteen grams of triphala
powder is beneficial to people with a bilious constitution in this season. Drakshavaleh too is
useful in this season.

Using Harad in the Summer

Mix harad powder sieved through a cloth with one year old jaggery double its quantity and
make pills of one gram each. Take one pill each in the morning and afternoon everyday
with lukewarm water. Taken ten to fifteen days, it alleviates disorders like flatulence, wind,
constipation resulting from drying of faeces, dry cough, heat stroke, cholera, seasonal
fever, loss of appetite etc. If needed, it can be taken for a longer period. Taking everyday 6
to 10 grams of triphala powder mixed with equal quantities of ghee alleviates kapha, pitta,
low grade intermittent fever and prameh (a disease in which sperm and other vital
humours come out through urine). It improves eyesight and makes the body strong and
sturdy. It increases physical and intellectual strength as also longevity. Diseases are kept at
bay.

Nutritious Balanced Diet:

Nutritious balanced diet is that which – (1) provides the required energy, (2) promotes
bodily growth, (3) gives needed warmth to the body, (4) gives strength to the body, (5) is
easily digestible, (6) is not stimulant, and (7) is beautifying increasing memory, longevity,
complexion and ojas. _

Wear a Cap – An Easy Way to Guard your Head

It is absolutely imperative for health to guard the head from the sun. Moving about in the
sun with head uncovered gives rise to diseases of the brain, eyes, nose and ears. Hot winds
and rain water falling on the head give rise to a number of diseases. Exposure to sun has a
harmful effect on the brain cells, which adversely affects memory. In olden days our
forefathers used to routinely wear a cap or a turban and women used to cover their heads.
This saved them from untimely greying of the hair, baldness, cold and cough, headache and
from diseases of eyes, ears and nose. If you want to preserve the efficiency of these vital
organs of your body for a long time, you must save your head from the sun. A cap is a very
convenient and useful mode of doing so.
Ayurveda says:
‘Wearing headgear (turban, scarf, cap etc.) increases lustre, is beneficial for the hair, saves
hair from dust and alleviates vata and pitta disorders. However, these benefits accrue
only when the headgear is light. If the headgear is heavy, it aggravates Pitta disorders
and causes eye-disorders.’
(Bhavaprakash Purva Khand, Dincharyadi Prakaran: 5.237)
Ultraviolet rays emanating from the Sun are believed to be a major risk for cancer of skin
and lips and also have been found to be associated with various eye disorders such as
cataracts. Hats with at least a 3 inch-brim encircling the circumference protect the face,
ears, and neck from the Sun’s Ultraviolet rays and consequently from skin cancer. Caps
and hats with curved shapes are more useful. Synthetic caps distributed during election
campaigns are not beneficial. The caps should be of opaque materials (dense fabrics or
tightlywoven straw). _

Satsang News
Satiating the people of Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh) and Umaria (Madhya Pradesh) with the
nectar of satsang in a single day on 21 March, Pujyashri arrived at Shahdol (Madhya
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Pradesh) in the evening. People waited for Pujyashri’s Darshan in spite of rains falling on
them and their sacrifice was rewarded with Pujyashri’s divine satsang. The devotees of
Shahdol felt blessed as Pujya Bapuji set foot on the newly-built Ashram there. In the
satsang, Pujyashri taught the art of keeping good health saying, “75 per cent diseases are
produced by fear, worry, attachment and hatred. The balance 25 per cent are brought by
faulty eating, addictions and fate. Chant ‘Hari ›’ in protracted intonation and be calm. This
will help you get rid of the foolishness that gives rise to 75 per cent of diseases. And you will
get blessed with divine love and bliss and will march forward in the direction of realizing
your real divine nature.” On 23 March, people of Balaghat (Madhya Pradesh) got the
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opportunity of Pujyashri’s Darshan and satsang. Guiding the mammoth gathering

assembled there to a life of happiness and fulfilment, Pujyashri said, “Live in the light of
Knowledge. It is foolish to produce sorrow; it is slavery to hunger for pleasure. Wisdom is
in realizing Supreme Bliss beyond the reach of happiness and sorrow through knowing
your real nature, which is Bliss Absolute. Contemplate everyday in the morning, ‘I am
Bliss Absolute; I am Knowledge Absolute; I am Atman, the omnipresent and the eternal
one, who lives even after the body dies. My inherent bliss is not subject to external things.’
This year Chetichand Festival was celebrated at two places – Indore and Ahmedabad. In
the satsang at Indore on 25 and 26 March Pujyashri dwelt on the magnificent glory of
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satsang of Knowledge of Ultimate Truth saying, “It is a real great thing to get an
opportunity to listen to divine satsang in the temporal world, to be blessed with divine
Knowledge in an earthly assembly.”
The Chetichand Organising Committee of Indore gave a spiritual colour to this festival,
which hitherto had been an
entertainment event by making it a medium of distributing the satsang-prasad to the
people and opening the doors to their welfare. This satsang was carried live at many places
in India as also in Michigan, Ohio, Washington, Chicago, Tennessee, New Jersey, Boston,
Atlanta, Alaska and other places in the Australia, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Spain, South
Korea, Canada, Dubai, United Kingdoms, and Italy etc. – in all at about 1500 places,
people availed of the satsang through the Internet. These days, Pujyashri’s important
satsang programmes are being carried live to devotees in India and other countries.
Chetichand Festival was organised at Ahmedabad Ashram from 27 to 29 March.
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Instructing people in the technique of living a life free from desire and from pairs of
opposites like pleasure and pain, Pujya Bapuji said, “Of what kind should your thinking
be? What kind of scriptures you should read? Both should be such as to help you in God-
Realization. What kind of people should you have contact with? It should be such as helps
you get rid of desire. What kind of activity should you get engaged in? Your actions should
be such that the desire for activity is extinguished and you love and get reposed in the
Indweller Lord, the real doer of all your actions.
Worldly people spend their lives in useless things oblivious to their main task and great
men accomplish the main task before getting down to worldly activity. Loving God,
reposing in God and attaining Self- Knowledge – these are our main tasks and should
receive our preferred attention. ‘I have to do this; I have to secure that…’ – thoughts like
these are useless. You should first secure what is really worth securing.”
The stream of Knowledge and Bhakti flowed through Karad (Maharashtra), the town
where Lord’s devotee, Sakhubai lived. Looking at the mammoth crowd gathered at the
satsang organised at the vast tract of land on the banks of Krishna it seemed as if the whole
of Karad had assembled to listen to Pujya Bapuji’s nectarine satsang. Pujyashri related the
engaging life-story of devotee, Sakhubai and dwelt upon the glory of being firm in devotion
to one’s Favourite Deity.
Giving the example of the devotee Shabri, Pujyashri said, “16 year old Shabri grew up to
80 years. People said she was mad but the firmness of her faith and devotion drew Lord
Rama to her. Your firm faith and conviction is sufficient to eradicate all your sorrows, to
bring peace and success to you and to establish you in the Supreme State.”
On 3 of April, on the occasion of Ram Naomi, the ceremony of consecrating the idols of
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deities was performed by Pujyashri in the huge Lord Rama temple constructed in Talbid
Distt. Satara (Maharashtra). The mammoth crowd of devotees congregating for Darshan
and satsang of their beloved Satguru on the occasion of Ram Naomi presented the sight of
a Kumbha fair. Addressing the assembled devotees, Pujya Bapuji said, “I bless you for
coming to this place of pilgrimage. When the ceremony of consecrating the idols of deities is
performed by a Self-realized saint, the idol no longer remains an idol; it becomes the deity
Himself and where the deity Himself resides, the land to the extent of one mile around
becomes a holy place. Talbid village has become a place of pilgrimage.”
The days of 4 and 5 April were propitious for the people of Kolhapur (Maharashtra),
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known as the Kashi of South

India. In the two-day satsang, the devotees were blessed with the opportunity of
mantradiksha as well.
Purnima-Darshan satsang was organised at Chandigarh in the morning of 9 April and at
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Buradi, Delhi on 9 and 10

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April. Sounding a note of caution to the people turning away from the eternal Indian
culture and consequently from development of their latent capabilities, Pujya Bapuji said,
“Man has the quality of breaking new grounds and awakening his spiritual power and his
prodigious talent through subtle, subtler and subtlest means. Man has the capability of
awakening contentment in his heart and bliss in his life through cultivating selflessness in
his actions and thus can bring joy to himself and to others and can also realize God, the
Bliss Absolute. But he becomes miserable and tense in the face of petty troubles and brings
himself and others to grief. This is the inevitable fate of one straying from the path shown
by Indian culture.”
Dhyan Yoga Shibir was organised at Shuktaal, Distt. Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh) from 16 th

to 19 April. Though the satsang programme was organised without large numbers and the
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gathering was unprecedented in the history of Shuktaal. This is the place where the Self-
Realized Shukadevaji had related the Srimad Bhagwat to the inquisitive King Parikshit
and thereby established him in his True Self in substance same as the Supreme Brahman.
At such a place, it was natural for Pujyashri to recall the abounding grace of Satgurus.
Pujyashri said, “How great is Gurus’ mercifulness! They take us to the Ultimate Truth that
cannot be fathomed by reason, nor can it be perceived by the senses; the mind and the
intellect cannot reach it. One who imparts this Knowledge is a perfected being and the one
who receives it is ondrous!”
A single session of satsang each was organised at Muzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh) on 20 th

April, at Saharanpur
(Uttar Pradesh) on 21 April and at Paonta Sahib (Himachal Pradesh). The pandals at all
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the places were packed with devotees. A thousand salutations to the saints engaged in
public welfare, who tour every nook and corner of the country to satisfy the satsang-
hunger of devotees and deliver people from troubles and misery by giving comfort and
coolness of satsang to masses even at the cost of braving scorching heat themselves!_

Service to Humanity on Bapuji’s Incarnation Day

The sixth day of dark fortnight of Chaitra (15 April 2009), the incarnation day of world-
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revered saint, Param Pujya Sant Sri Asaramji Bapu was celebrated as usual by His disciples
as a day for rendering service to humanity. Various activities were started from 1 April itself.
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Samkirtan Yatras chanting Lord’s name were taken out by all Sant Sri Asaramji Ashrams
and over 1200 Shri Yoga Vedanta Sewa Samitis in their respective villages, towns and cities
to bring spiritual awakening among the people. Moreover, necessities like food-grains,
fruits, medicines, clothes, utensils, chappals, soap etc. were distributed among the poor in
jhuggi-jhopadi clusters, helpless widows, orphans in orphanages, deprived people in tribal
areas, patients in hospitals. This way, devotees spread the fragrance of service to the needy
in all possible ways. Many Samitis have set up water-stands and started distribution of
buttermilk and sherbet etc. at public places like Bus Stands, Railway Stations etc. from the
incarnation-day to be continued throughout the summer. On Pujya Bapuji’s behest, a
campaign has been started for distribution of caps to labourers and farmers who have to
work in the sun. Caps have been distributed at many places in the country and the work is
going on at other places.
‘God abides in the hearts of all beings’ – selfless service to the poor and deprived sections
of the society with this attitude strengthens the feeling of ‘happiness to all; wellbeing of all’.
Pujya Bapuji said in the satsang, ‘The society itself gains from celebrating birth
anniversaries or incarnation-days of saints, great men or incarnations of God. It leads to
our growth and development – spiritual as well as material. I give consent to my birthday
being celebrated not for my own sake but by virtue of these celebrations, notebooks
containing inspirational quotes are distributed every year by the Ashrams and Samitis to
lakhs of students, food is distributed in over 17000 Baal Samskar Kendras, programmes of
bhajans and kirtan and of inculcation of good traits are carried on and other such activities
are undertaken.
The message on the incarnation-day is that you should work for the happiness of all,
wellbeing of all and get reposed in the Indweller Lord. Get rid of desire for external
pleasures and repose in your own True Self, the Bliss Absolute.
The birthday celebrations of saints bring love, empathy and enthusiasm to the people’s
hearts. The feeling of ‘Be good to one another’ is developed and all things are socialised.
Those who are endowed with wealth spend it for noble causes and those who don’t have
money render selfless service and get fulfilled. And there are some people who avail of the
help and walk towards God-Realization. I don’t want any gifts on my birthday, not even
congratulations; I only want your good, your wellbeing.”
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