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By Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha
[From
the morning talks during the Gurupoornima Retreat 2006]
Harih
Om Tat Sat. Jai
Guru!
After the Gurupoornima function, the Retreat days are
now going on. Last night during the satsang one important
question was raised: How can the benefits of such Retreats
and other similar exposures be taken home? How can
householders live after these values trying to build up more
and more of the saadhana in their houses?
Nutan
Swamiji has already stressed the point that you will have to
give the Supreme the
supreme pedestal and hence your saadhana itself should have
a supreme place in your life. You
should consider this as the primary message of the Retreat.
I thought of adding a few more points.
Ask
yourself: “Why is this place called an Ashram? What is its
uniqueness? How is it different from all other places you
have come across?” When you enquire in this manner, you
will understand the significance of spirituality. One
important point you should not miss. Everything
in this Ashram revolves around spirituality; everything
howsoever it may seem, springs from spirituality; and every
event, every act, is soaked in spirituality. Spirituality
is smeared to everything that is done here.
Look
at us. We don’t have any income of our own. We do not have
any blood relationship around us. Each day of our life is
governed by the Providential note. At the same time we
undertake many tasks, many kinds of work involving
expenditures of millions of rupees. But we don’t own
anything. Yet, on what account are people coming and seeing
us, talking to us about their problems, their afflictions,
and feel relieved, deriving the benefits of satsang etc.?
Have you thought about it? All these are revolving around
one important principle: it is the principle of
spirituality.
What
does this spirituality mean? It means not having a worldly
point of view, but a
divine, godly, and universal point of view with respect to
everything.
The
morning and evening sessions in the Samadhi Mandir should be
considered as collective as well as individual saadhana. The
more important is the individual contribution to the
austerity mood of the Ashram. This austerity is the spinal
chord of our Ashram. On this depends everything else. Here
too, at least a part of this austerity should be taken to
your home life.
Do
you have this sense of austerity and devotion in everything
that you do at home? The food that you eat, the dress that
you wear, the style in which you set up your house, the type
of pictures you keep, the manner in which you organize your
pooja room, and the custom in which you cook, eat etc. –
all these must continuously remind yourself and the others
about this spiritual sublimity that you are aiming at.
Expose
your children to good values. Discuss with them the
significance and importance of values in life. Goodness,
dedication, devotion, being truthful and charitable – on
all these values you have to ruminate repeatedly. Be saatvik
in the food you eat, in the dress you wear and in your
behaviour with others.
Before
cooking, have spiritual and nice thoughts. Whatever you cook
and offer should be divine. Set these values and tell your
children that these would keep them in good stead. Make the
mind humble, steady and resting upon God unfailingly.
The
entire universe is supported by God. Our body too is a
little universe. Do
not think that whatever you do is because of your own
merits. The merits themselves are implanted in you by Nature,
derived by virtues of godliness.
This
is the divinity you see in the Ashram. Carry a particle of
this divinity. Try to blow it up. Like from a spark of
ignition a huge fire can blaze forth, the spark of divinity
lying hidden in your personality should blaze forth, not
only for you but for the others too.
Examine
your mind and find out whether you are spiritual and ask
yourself if this is being built upon more and more every
day. If not, find out the reasons. Why should it not
increase? Do not foster desires. Try to develop a
desire-free state of mind. Better than seeking
opportunities, allow the opportunities to come in search of
you.
These
are all very simple propositions. Try to understand them,
cultivate them, and also inculcate them in your family
members. Everywhere the touch of spirituality and divinity
should be there. Think more and more on these lines. Let the
spiritual thoughts be reflected in your actions – decorate
your house in a manner that gives the message of this
spirituality. Godliness should start shining forth from
every corner of your house. Show this attitude towards your
visitors, neighbours and in all your interactions.
I
think Maa will tell you more about it sometime. Nutan
Swamiji also will have something to add from his own side.
Listen to all of them. And as Maa has said, make a written
note of all these and work upon these notes after you leave
the Ashram. This will assist you to remember the spiritual
atmosphere you were exposed to here and also help you to
keep your focus on spirituality even in the midst of busy
domestic and professional life.
Harih
Om Tat Sat. Jai Guru!
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