Bhagwaan se Apnapan

Bhagwaan se Apnapan

You cannot benefit as much from charity, virtuous deeds and obliging others; than you can benefit from taking refuge in the Lord. We have an unbreakable-indestructible relationship with Paramatma. This relationship can never be broken. This relationship has been forgotten by the "jeev" (embodied soul), but it is not forgotten by God. Therefore it is the responsibility of the "jeev" to walk the path towards God. However we are, from God's side He is already showering His grace on us. God is the caretaker of everyone. He is engaged in the process of punishing the sinful and purifying all.

Lord says - "Sanmukh hoi jeev mohi jabhi; Janam koti agh naasahin tab hi || " (Manas, Sunder. 44/2)

From our side we do not consider God as ours, but from God's side He considers us always as His own. He not only accepts us, he also knows it. A child calls his mother his own, but occasionally when she does not listen to him, he becomes stubborn and says- I will not be your child. Maa laughs and says - I know you are mine. The child thinks that the mother needs him, and the mother is gratified by him, therefore he says - I will not be your child, I will not come in your lap. But by not being a child, who will be at a loss? What loss will the mother face? The mother has been living without the child for years, but the child's sustenance will be difficult without the mother. The child is on the other hand doing the mother a favor. Similarly we too can do God a favor.

The embodied soul "Jeev" has distanced himself from God, therefore the responsibility lies on the "jeev" (being) now to turn towards God. The moment he turns towards God, his raft will cross the ocean easily. Therefore let us take refuge of the Lord's Lotus Feet, and change our sense of "I-ness" - "I am God's" Just like sisters and mothers change their sense of I-ness, that I am no longer of this house, I belong to where my hand has been given in marriage.

From "Saadhan, Sudha,Sindhu " in by SwamiRamsukhdasji

Grace of God is showering uninterruptedly on us

God's Amazing Grace

 Grace of God is showering uninterruptedly on us, but we simply do not look towards that!  We disregard this grace, we disrespect it,  we dishonor it,  then too God does not leave His compassionate and merciful nature.  He continues to shower His grace.   A child does not disrespect the mother any less, for he urinates and excretes somewhere, he spits other times,  but mother constantly protects him. Similarly, we too are clever like the child in following the wrong path.  But God is not any less sharp than the mother in showering His grace,  rather he is very quick.  Therefore we must have faith in His grace. 

Even if the worst of all situations befalls,  in that too His grace is ever the same.  If illness overcomes us, if we suffer financial losses,  if someone dies, if sickness takes hold,  if we are dishonored or disgraced, in all of these situations, there is God's grace.  We must have faith in His grace. 

Laalane taadane maaturnaakaarunyam yathaarbhake |

Tadvadeva maheshasya niyanturgunadoshayoh ||

Just as while caring for the child and also while  reprimanding the child, in both these incidents, there is never a time that mother's is never not gracing the child, similarly God who is governing our good and bad qualities, can never not be gracing us.  

In this way,  sometimes without any cause God showers His grace on us and gives us this human body - 

Kabahunak kari karunaa nar dehi

Det is binu hetu sanehi ||  (Manas, Uttar.  44/3) 

Sins amassed in the past (sanchit) never come to an end;  because every being has been committing these sins from time immemorial.  However, in between, inspite of  being sinful, God blesses us with a human body, and in the midst He gives us an opportunity for our salvation.   This is God's extra-ordinary grace.  God's nature is such that he continues to shower His grace without any cause, then this is His two-fold grace!  On having faith in His infinite grace, if one engages in spiritual disciplines, then there will be much blessedness, unique and natural, self-evident divinity and progress.   We do not take shelter of that grace, therefore that grace is less fruitful.  If we yield to that grace, then the grace will bare abundant fruits.  Therefore while offering praises to the Lord,  Brahmaji says - 

Tatte-nukampaam susameekshamaano bhunjaan evaatmakrutam vipaakam |

Hrdvagvapurbhirvirddhannmaste jeevet yo muktipade sa daayabhaak ||  (Srimad Bhagwat  10/14/8) 

He who while enjoying the fruits of his actions,  at every moment continues to look only towards Your grace, and with his heart, speech and body, time and again prostrates to You, he becomes the one eligible to Your Eternal Abode, just like a child becomes the rightful heir to the father's wealth! 

From "Bhagwaan aur Unki Bhakti"  by Swami Ramsukhdasji

The Enjoyer of Sacrifices, Charities, Austerities is Bhagwaan

In Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9, Bhagwaan says -
"Api chetsuduraachaaro bhajate maam anayabhaak,
saadhureva sa mantavyah, samyagvyavasito hi sah" (Gita 9/30).
Even the worst of worst sinner, if he turns towards Me, with a firm conviction and aim, and with exclusive sentiments remembers Me, then he should be considered a "sadhu" (ascetic). He will very quickly become a righteous person, and he will attain eternal peace (Gita 9:30-31).

This chapter is "Raajvidyaa" - Science of Sovereigns and "Raajguhya" - Royal Secrets. It is the knowledge of all knowledge, and the most confidential (needing protection) and best of all.

In here Bhagwaan says -
"Ananyaascintayanto maam ye janaah paryupaasate;
tesaam nityaabhiyuktaanaam yogaksemam vahaamyaham" (Gita 9:22)

"To those men, who worship Me alone, thinking of none but Me, who are
ever-devout, I make provisions to protect what they have and I also provide them with all the necessities that are required." (Gita 9:22)

Bhagwaan also says - He who worships other demi-gods, he too is worshiping Me alone, though he may not know it. Just like when rain falls and all the little droplets of rain eventually merge with the Ocean alone, similarly, all those that are worshipping other demi-gods, they too are worshipping Me alone, as there is nothing besides Me.

All the sacrifices (yagya), all charities (daan), all austerities (tapas), visits to holy places (tirth), all religious observances (vrat), all karmas (actions) all that is done in accordance to My command (agyaa), has come from Me (Bhagwaan), and the enjoyer and experiencer (bhokta) of these is also Me (Bhagwaan). But he who does not recognize (know) My true Nature (tattva), by accepting something else, creates an obstruction (aadh) in his spiritual progress. However, if he does not conjecture up something else, then in all relations the enjoyer / experiencer (bhoktaa) is Bhagwaan only. It is due to forgetfulness that he relates (engages in dealing) improperly with the world. In all relations, if he is constantly aware of this point, then he will never behave improperly with others or harm anyone.

Bhagwaan says - "Sarvasya chaaham hredi sannivishtho" (Gita 15:15). "I reside in the hearts of all beings" (Gita 15:15) Therefore if one is misbehaving with another, then they are misbehaving with Bhagwaan, because the consciousness, the sentient (chetan) within every being is Bhagwaan Himself. It is Bhagwaan alone who is the recepient of the worship, respect and reverence as well. "Ishvar sarva bhootaanaam hrdeshe'rjun tisthati." (Gita 18:61). "O'Arjuna, Ishvar resides in the hearts of all beings."

Bhagwaan also says - "Mamaivaamso jivaloke jeevabhootah sanaatanah" (Gita 15:7). "In this world, the Self (Atma) becomes an embodied Soul (jeev), though being a part of My Eternal Self (Paramatma, Supreme Consciousness) ." In reality it is only Paramatma. It is Paramatma's worship (pujan) that is taking place. And if pain and suffering is being caused to another, it is Bhagwaan (God) who is recipient of that suffering. Bhagwaan has also said that even if penance (starvation etc) of the body is done which is not in accordance to the scriptures, then that penance too is causing pain and suffering to Me alone who resides in the body. Such tendencies of extreme penance and austerities of the body should be understood as being demoniac in nature, because it is Bhagwaan residing in all beings.