TV Channel

Only one who knows a diamond can prize it. Those who understand the value of things can describe what they are. Humans possess different qualities, but many are selfish. We live in a "use and throw" society, a mentality that now extends beyond material things to ethics. As long as you recognize value, you are rich. When you think, "I don't need this anymore," and forget it, you lose that value. Whatever you earned is lost. Thankfulness and gratitude are lifelong. Bhajans are a practical guidance—short, sweet, and perfect. A single sentence can hold immense, hidden qualities. But you must follow and realize them, not merely know them. It is said: "What you have to do tomorrow, do it today." And what you have to do today, do it now. Do you follow this? With discipline, you do it; if something interferes, you push it away. This understanding is very important. Janma means birth. How many times have we been born? What was the purpose? When you create anything, you have a particular imagination and purpose. If you don't fulfill that purpose, what is its use? Param Guru Swamījī, mera janam sudhāryā āj. I met you now, and my life became successful. Sudhāra means to repair. When your car is not functioning, you take it to a workshop, and the mechanic repairs it. Paramguru Swamijī māro janam sudhāryo āj. Today I met you, and now my life will be successful. Nirmal, jīskā nain hai bhāvan, chandana śarīr. Whose eyes are very pure. There is no trick—only purity, love, and wisdom. Nirmal means without pollution, dirt, negativity—spotless. Nirmal jyā kā nayan hai, bhāvan chandana sārī. His body, his form, his manifestation is like the best sandalwood, radiating the finest aroma. There are many kinds of wood, but sandalwood is the best. There is a beautiful poem: when sandalwood grows, the whole forest is happy and celebrates. They say, "Ek din aisā āegā." Such a day will come when our value will also rise. That forest is protected, and all other vegetation is protected. Similarly, when a spiritual soul incarnates, all surrounding people are happy and celebrate. We celebrate for everyone, but that one is special. We protect every tree, but the sandalwood is unique. Be that sandalwood. Be the person who radiates the beautiful aroma of love. Do not be angry. Do not speak badly. Do not be jealous. Do not hate. There is a story. In one village, Gurudev arrived. The whole village was happy. As Lala Nanaji Maharaj said in a bhajan: "Oh my friends, listen, my Gurudev has come to my house, Kālī Kālī Harṣavat." Kālī means a blossom, like a rosebud before it opens—a beautiful blossom. Kālī Kālī Harṣavat hai. Every blossom is happy. This means every cell in the body. There is no limitation to happiness. Every chakra opens. Kālī, Kālī, Harṣa, Harṣa. Harsha means happy. Many disciples were making satsaṅg, and many new disciples received mantra dīkṣā. In that village lived a large cobra. Every creature has the right to live. You think the kitchen is yours, but ants say, "It is my kitchen." They also have rights. They want to go to their kitchen, but you become jealous and angry. "What are these ants doing here?" The ant says, "Unhuman, against us." We are the majority, but we must respect the minority. If you want to learn how to treat the minority, learn from the ants. The cobra was nearly two meters long. In the evening satsaṅg, he came to Gurudev. With folded hands, the cobra spoke to Gurudev. Did he? Yes? What is that? A cobra has no hands. But he spoke to Gurudev, ātmā to ātmā, jīva to jīva. Many animals, even house pets, do not understand you, and you do not understand their language. Perhaps they understand you more. When you tell your dog, "Sit down," he understands. But if your dog says, "I will not sit down," do you understand? You tell me to sit down. We do not understand. Animals are very intelligent. The cobra told Gurudev: "I heard that one should have a master in life. Mokṣa mūlaṁ guru-kṛpā. Liberation is in Gurudeva's mercy. I am a sinner. I did not follow the guru-vākyas. I disappointed my Gurudeva, and as a result, my soul entered this lower form of life as a reptile. For many years I have suffered here—no legs, no hands. What I need, I must do with my mouth, and I have many enemies. I always have to hide in a dark hole. But I have heard that Gurudev can liberate even animals through the Līlā Amṛt. Mahāprabhujī liberated one cobra. Please give me Mantra Dīkṣā." Gurudev, in meditation, gave him a mantra. The cobra said: "I see how many devotees come, Gurudev. Every day, they do not see me. Sometimes I am on the roof, looking out. Sometimes under a bush. I have your darśan all the time. I see that every bhakta who comes brings you some prasād, some offering, a donation. Do not go to Gurudev with empty hands. But look, Master, my destiny took away my hands. I have no hands. What can I offer you?" The Master said, "Yes, you can offer me something." "What, Master?" "Give up your aggression, your anger." What does the Master mean? "Do not bite anyone." "But that is my only source of life. I have to catch a creature to eat," he said. "I understand that. But other innocents—do not bite them. And all these people, your guru brothers and sisters—do not backbite your guru brothers and sisters. When you criticize or say one negative word about them, you are that cobra, or you are going to become a cobra. The choice is yours. My duty is to tell you. Jaisā karegā, vaisā hī bharegā. As one sows, so shall one reap." "So what, Gurudev?" "Do not bite people or large animals, except for your necessary food." "Okay, Gurudev," he said with folded hands. Did he say it? With folded hands? Yes. Mentally, with hands. "From today on, I will not bite." Now he moved in the village. Very soon, people came to know this was a nice animal who did not bite. Elderly people were okay, but little children began pulling him here and there, holding him, putting him around like a belt. He was in a terrible situation. The next time Gurujī came, the cobra also came, sitting in front of the satsaṅg with his head up, like Śiva's neck. Observing the Guru Vākya, Gurudev said, "Any questions?" The cobra raised his hand. Which hand? He raised his tail. The Master said, "Yes, yes, Bhujaṅg." "Gurudev, my life is very terrible since I received Mantra Dīkṣā." "What? You said your life is terrible? Complicated? What do you mean, Bhujaṅg?" "Master, you said, 'Do not bite,' and now everyone is playing with me, pushing me here and there. Especially the children—they play with me like a football because they know I will not bite them." The Master said, "Yes, I said you should not bite, but I... Did I not tell you not to frighten them? You must hiss. Without biting, you can do this." "Oh, Master. Thank you." Next time, children came near, and Bhujaṅga said, "Hssss!" The children ran away, and he had his peace. Therefore, it is important that on the surface you may be strict with someone, but in your heart, you are divine. You may say with love to your husband, wife, or friend, "Are you crazy?" But he or she knows you do not mean it. This is normal language. If you say, "Oh, do not be crazy," it is said in love, trust, and friendship. That is why everyone is happy. Like this story, the cobra then had his peace. Paramguru Swamījī, mera janam sudhāriyā āj, my lord, you made my life successful today. Nirmala jñāna kā nayan hai, bhāvanā chandana śarīra. His eyes have beautiful, pure love. Bhavan chandana śarīr, his embodiment is like sandalwood. That is why, when sandalwood grows, the whole forest is happy. There is another poem: The ground and the whole forest were sad, disturbed, and unhappy. Someone asked, "Why are you unhappy?" Unfortunately, in our society, one bamboo grows. Bamboo is beautiful, very nice. Yes, you think so. What does this mean? One day will come when he will burn all bamboo. When two bamboos rub together in the wind, they create fire. Bamboo does not accept any smell. Whatever comes goes out because inside is hollow, and smell does not remain. And if you rub it a little, it creates fire. So there are some people who either do not go to satsaṅg, or if they go, they do not accept the divine message. It goes in one ear and out the other. And if you tell them your opinion, they become like fire. "What do you mean? I am not stupid like you all." This is the bamboo, and bamboo has knots inside. These knots are intrigues. When that bamboo grows, the whole family and society are unhappy. So do not be that bamboo. Be the sandalwood. Or if you would like to be a bamboo, then be the bamboo in the garden of God, which has another divine beauty. Be ready to offer, feel belonging: "Yes, I belong to thee, O my Lord. You do whatever you like, but let me be thine." Nirmala-jhākā-nayana-bhāvana-chandana-śarīra, jīvaṁ tāraṇa-kāraṇe, satsaṅg-lāyā-jhāja. For the souls to cross the ocean of ignorance, Gurudev brought the boat, and that boat is satsaṅg. Satsaṅg is the boat to cross the ocean of this māyā. Even if you hear the same words every day, nothing is more important than satsaṅg. But only sandalwood knows. Bamboo is somewhere alone, suffering. Apan miltā to gurudev. Mahāprabhujī said: "Gurudev, if I would not have met you, hotī badī hāṁ, a very great tragedy would have happened. If I had not met you, my lord, what tragedy? Janam janam mein jāvatā. In every life, I would have to go again in this cycle of 8.4 million different creatures. Again, I would have to go through. How happy I am that I met you, my dear. Your name, O Gurudev, is like... if we touch iron, it becomes gold. Paramaṇī Guru Nāmāhe Śiṣya Dhātu Svaran Hoī. So the disciple who is like iron will become gold through the touch of the Gurudeva. Show him a dhārya avaj through that mantra which you gave me. Param Guru Swamiji, mera janam śudhāriyā. Aaj doobatī jag me, otherwise I would have sunk in this world." He made us from the crow to the swan through that sound of "I am that, that I am." Ātmā, my great lord. Devpurījī. God Nārāyaṇa. Dīpakāhe Dhanyadev ne. Mahāprabhujī said, "Thank you, my Gurudev, to you. Supal bhaya sab kaaj. All my deeds now became successful." With such feelings, a seeker, a spiritual aspirant, knows the value and begins the spiritual path, becoming capable of saying no to all temptations. Are you sure you can be thyself? Or are you bigger? Or are you that one whom anyone can pull? Do not be that. Sādhanā. Yoga has many aspects, but its main aim is the union of the individual with the cosmic one. So discipline and practice. You know your weakness and how many problems you have, but still you are doing it. It is like addiction. A person addicted to alcohol—for him or her, it is not good for the economy, family, or society, but they are too weak to say no to themselves. So learn to say no to thyself. To say no to others is very easy. "I change my mind. I will not do it. No, sorry. I go." It is very easy. It is said: to put your gun on someone's shoulder and then shoot is easy. To use someone's shoulder. But when you use your own chest and arm, you will know not only that the bullet hit somewhere, but also that it put pressure on your body. We are so weak we would fall down. And if there are two bullets, one goes there, and when the gun falls, the second goes to you. So if you are too weak, you must have a strong shoulder, and that is your master, the one who will ever be there. Ever be thine. Practice sādhanā with such feelings. I know that I know what I should know in this world. I know everything. But I do not know what I should know, for what I was born to know—that I do not know. So, sādhanā. When you go inside, you are with thyself: meditation, mantra, seva, karma yoga—many, many things. It must not be that you renounce your whole family and everything, go, and only meditate. Who will bring you food? One day, okay. Two days, okay. Still you are eating and sitting. Then a beautiful car will come with red and blue lights, and a doctor, two helpers, and a nurse will say, "Please come in. We will escort you." "Oh, where?" "To the secondary hospital." So it is not so easy. You have to earn your bread and butter. You have to work. Do not let anyone work for you. Be equally active. I have one disciple named Vivek Purī, and he is stinky lazy. In thinking, he believes he is self-realized. It is like a crow sitting on the steeple of a church; inside, people are praying, and the crow thinks, "Oh, they are all praying to me." So do not be lazy. Do not play. But be that one. And to be that one, you have to work very hard. A stone must be polished to begin to shine. A diamond must be polished, so work must be done. Do not think that someone has elected me as a president or leader for the group. Not elected. I do not want to be elected, but I want to be selected. Do you understand the difference? That is why this book is called Selected Pearls. The selected wisdom is inside. Sādhanā. Meditate. When you are meditating, all spiritual experience—it does not matter through which religion or master you are doing your sādhanā—if you would like to get rid of stress, mental disorders, and confusions, and if you would like to realize peace and contentment, and if you would like to enjoy real love, then during meditation, be... Within your body. People make the mistake of going outside, and you forget what is in you. Therefore, first, astral traveling means traveling through the whole body. Yatha brahmāṇḍi tatha piṇḍi. What is in the universe is in the body. Happiness, peace, love, joy, ātmā, memory, consciousness, mind, jealousy, anger, hate, confusion, conflicts, revenge, greed—all are inside, nicely arranged. All you have to do is take the torchlight and look at the qualities. Who are you? "I am Mrs. Tṛṣṇā (Longing)." Oh, thank you. "Oh, who are you?" "I am Mr. Desire." Oh, thank you. "Who are you?" "I am Jealous." Oh, relax, please. "And oh, who are you?" "I am Shanti (Peace)." Then do not be here, Shanti. Be active. Let others relax, or give them some injections so they have a long sleep. So, the torch of your mantra—the mantra is that battery inside. Light and breath are the torch, and your concentration is the direction. Your intellect is pushing the button. So when you meditate or relax, feel this body. "Lord, thank you. Thank you that I could be in this beautiful body. Thank you, Lord. It is not me only inside. Divine Mother, Kuṇḍalinī, all. You are so rich." Make a sightseeing tour of your inner world through meditation. Those who practice spiritual sādhanā try to realize and diagnose your own body. Then the subtle functions in the body, how the energy will go. This body is given to you to realize the highest dimension, to go finer, higher. Then your Self will see. Mahāprabhujī said: "Chaitanya kā chilka Svāmī ne dikhālā diyā. Dev ne Chaitanya kā chilka Svāmī ne dikhālā diyā. Dev dikhālā diyā. Devapurī ne dikhālā diyā. Devapurī ne... Chetāmī ne dikhālā diyā. Devapurī ne Chetānka chilakā Svāmī. Ne Dikhala Diyadeva Purī Ne Dikhala Diyadeva Purī Ne Chetamī Ne Chetanka Chilaka Swamī Ne Dikhala Diyadeva Purī Ne Dikhala Diyadeva Purī Ne Chetamī Ne Chetanka Chilaka Swamī Ne Dikhala Diyadeva Purī Ne Dikhala Diyadeva Purī..." Chetan means who is awakened. Who is not awakened is sleeping—achetan. Achetan means unconscious. You were achetan, that is why the accident happened. If you are chetan, it will not happen. Achetan, sleeping. Whatever is happening through achetanā will give us very painful situations. But what happens through cetan? Viveka is with, interaction is with, devotion is there, love is there. So cetan means the supreme God, pure consciousness. Cetan kā chilka means the ray, a reflection. Like you are searching somewhere; a diamond is sparkling. In the whole room, we were searching with a torchlight, and suddenly there was one sparkle of the diamond. When you know that, then you know where to go. So that Chaitanya is within ourselves, the Ātmā, and that Gurudev, through his blessing, guidance, and mercy, showed me that. And how did he show me? This bhajan I have been translating for you many times describes how I was sleeping in the sleep of ignorance. Gurudev came and woke me up, and he showed me all this. So, while following the Guruvākya and feeling his presence constantly... If you do not feel the presence, then maybe thieves will take away your vṛttis and put you in a different place. It means you are kidnapped by negative energy, negative thoughts, negative feelings. In one bhajan, Achal Rām Jī Mahārāj said: "Honsiar reyna bandhe, na jāna bhūl thagā ke. Yeh nagrī hai thagāon kī, thagte hai dam pīlā ke. Honsiar reyna bandhe, na jāna bhūl thagā ke." Be alert, my friend. Do not let yourself be cheated. This city is a city of cheaters. They will cheat you while giving you the drink, the drunk drink of temptations. Dreams are drunk of the tricksters. Therefore, we have to feel the presence, and through that presence will be safety. Every different level of the chakras will be guided, and you will see that divine light. Once more, you should know that light is not like these lights. That light is not like the light we see with the physical eye. The physical light is a different light. That is like a love we cannot see with these eyes, but it is there, and it is not physical. You cannot catch it here. Yes, there is feeling. But what do you feel? How do you feel? Someone can smell, and someone cannot smell anything now. When you cannot smell anything, how will you prove this is a smell? You bring a rose and say, "This is a rose smell." Bring the rose near to smell. Yes, one thing you will do: when the fresh, nice rose comes, cold rose petals, when this indriya is not functioning anymore, you cannot prove to a person that is smell. You may explain. Similarly, that inner light and that love you cannot prove. And that divine love, once granted to us, do not lose it from your view. Keep it always in your view, and you should always be under the shelter of this divine. So travel within thyself. Look into your inner mirror; look through your inner light. How many chapters of your life are unfulfilled? How many chapters could you not complete? How much pain, disappointment, quarreling, suffering, fears, hate? Or how many beautiful things could you not fulfill? Change the chapter to be better. There is a saying: There was one cooking pot put on the fire, oil inside. Now they put something in to fry. What you put in would like to come out of the frying pan. So try to come out of the frying pan, and you fall into the fire. That is our situation: you try to come out from one thing, you fall into another fire. Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa, Hari Om, Hari Om, So'ham, So'ham, So'ham. That is it. So, meditate more within thyself. Relax. I know I breathe. I know my body is alive. I know what is happening in my body, and so on. Therefore, purify all aggressions, but also do not let everybody hold you like a donkey and take you away. With Chetan, always be awakened.