All of us have certain basic material needs. To satisfy these needs, we require money and to earn money we follow a profession. Who gives us the food, money and profession? Everything we have comes from god. Externally we receive things from other people. But we should realise that it is god, who is channelising His grace through human beings.
All our day-to-day activities are fuelled by god’s energy. We breathe, walk, eat, act and think because of this divine, pulsating within us every moment. Due to ignorance, we attribute everything to ourselves. People who revere and respect god always prosper. They either believe in their own spirit or in god. Both are the same. When we have divine grace, all good things will flow to us effortlessly. Without grace, name, fame, wealth and health prove to be extremely fickle companions—here today and gone tomorrow.
Therefore, saints say, “Seek the purpose and true meaning of your life. Don’t lose yourself in the quagmire of materialism as it makes you lose the awareness of your life itself. Use the power of the ‘self’ within to concentrate on divinity. If you are fortunate enough to have a guru, surrender completely to him. The guru takes you to a new dimension called meditation.” The guru showers us with the cascade of meditation, which helps us to understand ourselves.
The basic principles of life must be understood. Our trained mind traps us into thinking that god has many forms. This creates conflict about which god to worship. God is one. Divinity is indivisible. His grace will flow to you through whichever form you choose to worship. Have firm faith and belief in your chosen form to invoke divine grace. This brings about a transformation within you. Your body will become a temple that enshrines divinity. Nobody may notice any external changes. But your inner evolution will be reflected in the way you think, speak and act. It will be expressed through your patience, compassion and tolerance. Problems are seen in a different perspective. You no longer think that god is testing us through these problems, but realise that these are challenges that promote further internal growth. They are merely changes taking place to make one’s foundation stronger for god to be seated on.
As the stability of the body is important for oneself, the stability of the mind is important for enshrining divinity. The mind that is stable invites god to enter and seat himself there permanently. The mind becomes strong and stable when it surrenders to god. The greater the surrenderance, the closer we are to divinity. This creates calmness and patience. A trained mind has neither patience nor tolerance.
Our thoughts make or break us. Think noble and evolve. Change your attitude—see god in anything and everything that you do. Cast out all deviousness. Have reverence and gratitude towards all those who help, guide you and feed you too.
Pray for god’s grace to visit all the holy pilgrimage shrines (power centres) in India—the yoga bhoomi. Such power centres dissolve the Karma accumulated over several lifetimes. This will change your lives for the better. A visit to Kashi and Rameshwaram will complete your life cycle. Do not be like the schoolboy who stays in the hostel and only thinks of his parents when he requires his monthly allowance. Seek your divine origin and yearn to become one with your creator.
Pray to Lord Shiva during the month of Karthika masa (months in the Vedic lunar calendar). Constantly remembering him and chanting his sacred mantras like Om Namah Shivaya, and the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra during these months dissolve all the negativity within you.
Likewise, chanting the specific prescribed mantras during Shravan Navaratri draws down a tremendous amount of grace. The secret of blissful living originates from a mind that is established in Divinity in all seasons. So, let us use our mind to dive into divinity.
ashram-india@shrinimishamba.org