New Year Wishes

 

A poor man celebrates New Year once a year. A rich man celebrates each day. But the richest man celebrates every moment. How rich are you? Do you celebrate once a year? Once a month? Every day? 

If you celebrate every moment, you are the Lord of Creation. Review the year while you celebrate. This is your homework. What did you do? What did you achieve? How useful were you this past year? Sit for an hour and think about every week, one minute per week, and see the year’s growth in less than an hour. With a flower, on New Year's Day, offer the whole year to the Divine.

Celebrate the knowledge and feel the abundance. Those who have will be given more. Human life is a combination of body (or matter), and spirit (or vibration). Joy is becoming intense vibration and forgetting that you are matter. Carnal instincts can make you momentarily feel intense vibrations. That is how they give you a glimpse of joy. But such joy is short-lived, and it makes you dense later on.

Pleasure that comes from satsang is of a higher nature. Mantras and singing create vibrations in the spirit. That is why when you sing, ecstasy continues for along time. Pleasure in the subtle is long -lasting, energizing, refreshing and freeing. Pleasure from the gross is short-lived, tiring and binding.

When you know you are electricity - vibration or energy - then craving, greed, lust and anger disappear and you become true celebration. You are the Christmas tree that points upwards with branches on all sides. At the time of the year when other trees are barren, you are green with many gifts to offer.

You bear gifts and lights, not for yourself, but for others. Remember that all the gifts you are carrying in your life are for others. Anyone who comes to you, offer them your gifts. Let time celebrate your presence. People usually make a wish for the New Year, but this year, make no wish. Let the New Year celebrate you.

If the New Year wants to bring you nicer things, just let it. Usually you are lost in celebration. When you let time celebrate you, you are a witness amidst celebration. The New Year is fortunate because you are living at this time. You are not living for yourself, but for the world. Whatever the world needs or wants, you are here for that.

The curious case of responsibilities increasing with surrender

 

Everything that is happening is God’s will, including the thought - this shouldn’t be happening. The main impediment for many seekers on the path is that they want to surrender. Do not say that you want to surrender. Just know that you already are surrendered. Wanting to surrender becomes an impediment on the path. This is like a child saying to his mother, “I want to love you”. No child ever says this, love is self-evident. 

Surrender is not an act, it is a state of your being. Whether you acknowledge it or not, surrender is there. The wise wake up and see this; the unwise take a longer time. Know that you have no choice, you are in a state of surrender deep within you. 

Some people say, “surrender and let God do everything”. Other say, “It’s my responsibility”. Devotees often say, “let Thy will be done" and then take it easy getting to the goal. We have to make this clear - surrender is saying, “let thy will be done,” and “thy will” is for you to take responsibility for the whole world. This may appear contradictory, but I tell you surrender and responsibility go hand in hand. The more you surrender, the more responsible you become. 

One who is irresponsible cannot surrender. Why is someone irresponsible? They are lazy or fearful or both. If you are lazy or fearful, you cannot be surrendered in love. Total responsibility is total surrender. It is a little hard to chew but this is the truth. 

Suppose you are surrendered to the knowledge. That means you are committed to sharing it with others, and you take responsibility to see that it flourishes. Responsibility is the dynamic expression of life in the present moment. When you take responsibility and you find blocks, remember surrender. When you get shaken, remember that the basis of responsibility is surrender. This releases you from the weight of doership and gives you strength to move ahead. Surrendering and taking responsibility without doer-ship is the skill of the wise. 

Total irresponsibility is impossible for you. Limited responsibility tires you and makes you weak. Unlimited responsibility empowers you and brings you joy. Set a time-bound goal and give a direction to your life force.

Find the true meaning of Christmas

For most people, the word ‘Christmas’ brings up thoughts of presents, cookies, days off from work, and holiday travel. However, Christmas is much more than presents and feasts. It’s not just about holidays, parties, and singing carols (although these are, of course, fun ways to celebrate the holidays, and they do have their place). At the heart of Christmas is silence. 

Take another look at the song “Silent Night.” While written for the holiday of Christmas, the meaning is universal and can be applied to all people:

Silent night, holy night

All is calm, all is bright

Round yon virgin Mother and Child

Holy infant so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace

Sleep in heavenly peace

Silence and peace. 

The small mind is like a child, it is always crying and grumbling, and it is dependent like a child. The big mind is like the mother. The little mind sleeps in the lap of the big mind, the little self sleeps in the lap of the universal self, and that is heavenly peace. Heavenly peace is not outside, or somewhere up in the skies. Heaven is when the small mind rests in the lap of the big mind. When the small mind is away from the big mind, there is chaos, confusion, and hell. Then, when the small mind starts crying, it runs to the big motherly mind, and there it sleeps in heavenly peace. That peace is the real peace. Holy is when the mother and child are together. When the individual self sleeps in the lap of the cosmic self, then there is heavenly peace.

Let our life be like a Christmas tree - in a state of equanimity. Whether in winter or summer, fall or spring, the Christmas tree remains the same. So in life, in every situation, keep yourself green!

At the time of year when no tree bears anything, the Christmas tree remains fruitful. It bears all gifts and lights, not for itself but for others. Similarly, the gifts you are carrying in your life are there to be enjoyed by others.

Christmas trees bear gifts for everybody. All that you are given in life is meant to be shared. All your talents, all that you have been bestowed with, it is all meant to help others. You offer the gift of service to anyone in need, and you will wonder at how your own needs are being taken care of. Like the Christmas tree, you will always remain green. So serve, smile, and celebrate!

Merry Christmas! 

The illusion of surrender

 

In surrender the head bends and meets the heart. The head that does not bend has no value, and the head that is stiff will have to bend sooner or later, either in surrender or in shame. The head that bends in surrender will never have to bend in shame. Shame accompanies arrogance, shyness accompanies love. See how children are endowed with shyness? It is natural to them. Shame, on the other hand, is inflicted by society and is acquired. Shame brings guilt but shyness adds to your beauty. Retain your shyness and surrender your shame.

 

Krishna first tells Arjuna, "You are very dear to me" and then he tells Arjuna that he must surrender. Surrender begins with an assumption. First you must assume that you are the most beloved of the Divine and then surrender happens. Surrender is not an action, it is an assumption. Non surrender is ignorance, an illusion. Surrender has to begin as an assumption; then it reveals itself as a reality and finally, it reveals itself as an illusion because there is no two, no duality. No one has any independent existence. That's it.

One needs to go through surrender to realize surrender is an illusion. Then one wonders, then where is choice. The choice is your destiny. Krishna does not tell Arjuna in the beginning that he must surrender. First, he says, "You are so dear to me". Later he tells him, "There is no other choice for you, you must surrender. Either you do it now, or you do it later". This is the path.

Most of us come into this world with the seed in us - "It's not okay". All our lives we try to correct events, people and situations but how much can you correct? It is like trying to rearrange the clouds in the sky. This seed does not allow you to be happy, to smile from your heart, to be loving and lovable. It is there all the time like a thorn - irritating. This seed - "It's not okay" -brings you back into this world again and again.

So how do you burn this seed? First recognize that it is there. This can happen in deep introspection and meditation. Sometimes you also feel that your body, mind, intellect, memory and ego are not okay. You justify them or find fault with them, but these are also part of the world. Acknowledge what you see as an imperfection and offer it to the Divine.

Have faith in the infinite organising power of the Supreme Intelligence and have the sincere feeling, "Let thy will be done". Then the seed - "It’s not okay" - gets burned. "Thy will be done” is a state of total contentment, a state of just love. We need not even make it a statement about the future - "Thy will alone is happening now".

Balancing the different colours of life

 

Life is utterly simple and yet most complex. You have to simultaneously attend to both facets of life. When life appears most complex, turn to simplicity. Simplicity brings peace. When you are peaceful attend to the complexity. That will make you more skillful. If you are only with simplicity, it makes you lazy and dull, growth is not there.

Being only with complexity makes you angry and frustrated, then there is no life at all. The intelligent ones skillfully balance these two and rejoice in both. When you recognize both the simplicity and the complexity of life, you will be skillfully peaceful. Colours are the complexity of life. White is the simplicity. When your heart is pure, your life becomes so colorful.

Hygiene supports health but too much hygiene destroys health. In too hygienic a situation, the immune system in the body becomes like lazy, unequipped soldiers. People who live in slums often don’t get sick because their immune system becomes like a well-trained soldier. Often people who are too fussy about hygiene have poor health. Sometimes unhygienic conditions create health. It keeps your immune system active, alive and strong, while knowledge keeps your mind fresh. 

Your life is a gift and you have come to unwrap the gift. In the process of unwrapping, remember to also save the wrapper. Your whole environment, situations, circumstances, body are the wrapping paper. 

When we unwrap, we often tear the wrapping paper. We are in such a hurry that at times we even destroy the gifts. With patience and endurance, open your gifts and save the wrappers. We play many roles in our lives. If all the roles get mixed up, it becomes dark, like when you mix all the colours. The wise play each role distinctively side by side, like the colours displayed side by side form a rainbow. 

Strength of sacrifice

 

Sacrifice is letting go of something that you are holding on to or that you are attached to giving up something that gives you pleasure for something bigger that would bring good. Sacrifice brings strength in life. Life without sacrifice is stagnant. Sacrifice gives you a quantum leap, to a higher pedestal. 

Often people think sacrifice makes life dull and joyless. In fact, it is sacrifice that makes life worth living. The amount of sacrifice in your life brings out your magnanimity and helps you move out of misery. A life without sacrifice is worth nothing. Zeal, enthusiasm, strength and joy all come from sacrifice. 

Some people complain, “I have sacrificed so much”. That is good. The thought of sacrifice has given them the strength to complain. This saves them from blaming themselves, otherwise they would be more depressed. Sacrifice never goes unrewarded. There can be no love, no wisdom and no true joy without sacrifice. Sacrifice makes you sacred. Become sacred. 

True surrender comes with bhakti

 

Self-reliance requires enormous courage. When there is nobody else or you want to depend on yourself for everything, you need a lot of courage. Surrender takes less courage. A person who cannot surrender cannot be self-reliant either. If you don’t have enough courage to surrender, then it is not possible to be self-reliant, you simply fool yourself. If you do not have a hundred dollars, you cannot have a thousand dollars. Even a little fear is detrimental to self-reliance. Self-reliance contains surrender. Fifty dollars contains ten dollars.

Often people think that surrender is a way to escape from their responsibilities, then they end up blaming the Divine for all their problems. In fact, true surrender is taking total responsibility for everything. How? Take full responsibility and then pray for help. Surrender eventually leads you to self-reliance because there is nothing other than the big self.

In the word bhakti there are four letters “bha” “ka” “ta” and “I” (ee). “Bha” means fulfilment and nourishment. “Ka” is a means of knowing. “Ta” means redeeming, saving, salvation (tarana). “I” (ee) is shakti, or energy. So there are four components to bhakti: fulfillment and nourishment, a means of knowing, salvation, and energy. Bhakti nourishes you. Bhakti is the right knowledge, the means of knowing. When bhakti is there, doubts do not come.

Bhakti saves you. Bhakti gives you the most energy. Bhakti contains the seed of all these qualities. All the emotional upheavals one goes through are because one doesn’t know bhakti. A river has two banks that allow water to flow in a particular direction. In a flood, water is scattered all over. When your emotions get flooded everywhere, your mind is in a mess. When all your intense feelings flow in one direction, that is most powerful, that is bhakti. A sign of intelligence is bhakti and surrender.

There is no escape from seva

 

All the talents you have are for others. If you have a good voice, it is for others. If you are a good cook, it is for others. If you write a good book, it is for others, you don’t sit and read your own book. If you are a good carpenter, it is for others. If you are a good surgeon, it is for others, you cannot do your own surgery. If you are a schoolteacher, it is for others. All your work and talents are useful for others. Make use of your talents, or they will not be given to you again.

When you do seva, do not think you are doing a favour for somebody. Your seva has rewarded you immediately. Your reward is for sure and is always more than your doing. Your expectation of reward turns seva into labour. If you think you have done a lot, you will do very little. Just see that you have done little, then you will do more. Seva means that even when you don’t see an immediate reward, there is no complaint, labour means that even after an immediate reward, there are complaints. Be grateful for any opportunity to do seva.

The first sign of intelligence is not to begin anything, not to be born at all. Failing this, the second sign of intelligence is, once you have started something, to see it through to the end. Short-sighted people look for short term benefits. Far sighted people look for long-term benefits. Whether you consider yourself intelligent or not, there is no escape from seva. Seva gives you immediate satisfaction as well as long-term merits. The more you give, the more strength will be given. The way to expand from individual to universal consciousness is to share the sorrow and joy of others. As you grow, your consciousness should also grow. As you expand in knowledge over time, depression is not possible. Your innermost source is Joy.

The way to overcome personal misery is to share universal misery. The way to expand personal joy is to share universal joy. Instead of thinking, “What about me?” “What can I gain from this world?” Think, “What can I do for the knowledge?” When everyone comes from the point of contributing to society, you will have a divine society. We have to educate ourselves and culture our individual consciousness to expand with time in the knowledge from “What about me?” to “What can I contribute?”

If you are not having good experiences in meditation, then do more seva – you will gain merit and your meditation will go deeper. When you bring some relief or freedom to someone through seva, good vibrations and blessings come to you. Seva brings merit; merit allows you to go deep in meditation and meditation brings back your smile. 

Don't quit seva

 

Many people quit doing seva when they put their self -image, prestige, respect, comfort and convenience ahead of their goal. What is more important to you? People shy away from seva when they do not receive a good position or when they get insulted. People stop doing seva when they feel they are not getting what they expected out of it.

They stop their seva when they consider working towards their goal a struggle, rather than a challenge. And that is why only a few people in the world succeed in reaching their goal. Service without attitude, love without reason, knowledge without intellect, life beyond time and events, IS what you are. You cannot rest when you have to do something that you cannot do. And you cannot rest when you feel you have to be someone who you are not.

You are not required to do what you cannot do. You will not be asked to give more than what you can give. Nothing is expected of you that you cannot do. Doing service involves only doing what you can do, no one wants you to be someone you are not. This realisation brings you deep rest. You cannot rest if you have either ambition or lethargy. Both are opposed to good rest.

A lazy person will toss and turn at night and be “restless” while an ambitious person will burn inside. This rest brings up your talents and abilities and brings you closer to your nature. Even a slight feeling that the Divine is with you will brings deep rest. Prayer, love and meditation are all flavours of deep rest.

Seva and success

 

Our first and foremost commitment in the world is to do seva, or service. If there is fear in your life, it is because of a lack of commitment. The very thought, “I’m here in this world to do seva”, dissolves the “I” and when the “I” dissolves, worries dissolve. Seva is not something you do out of convenience or for pleasure. The ultimate purpose of life is to be of service. 

An uncommitted mind is miserable. A committed mind may at times experience rough weather but it will reap the fruits of its toil. When you make service your sole purpose in life, it eliminates fear, brings focus in your mind and purposefulness, action and long-term joy-and may be short- term problems.

Poor people fight for food. Rich people share their food. Richer are those who share power. Richer still are those who share fame. Richest of all are those who share themselves. The richness of a person is indicated by his ability to share and not by what he hoards. What does success mean? 

There is no question of success if you have nothing to gain. There is nothing to gain if you have come only to give and serve. Success indicates non - supremacy. It indicates that there is a chance of failure. If something is supreme, there is nothing to lose. People running after success only exhibit their limitations.

Success means crossing a limit. To cross a limit, you need to assume that you have a limit. Assuming a limit is underestimating yourself. If you have no boundaries, then where is the question of success? If you have limitless access, then there is no success. You do not say that you successfully drank a glass of water, because it is well within your capabilities. But when you do something that is beyond your perceived limits, you claim success.

When you realize your unboundedness, then no action is an achievement. Anyone who claims to be successful only reveals his limitation. If you feel very successful, it means that you have underestimated yourself. All your gains can only be smaller than you. Taking pride in any gains is belittling yourself.

When you serve others, you may feel that you have not done enough but you will never feel that you have been unsuccessful. Real service is when you feel that you have not done enough.