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गोंदवलेकर महाराज

amrutvani

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श्री ब्रह्मचैतन्य गोंदवलेकर महाराज यांच्या

ह्रद्य आठ्वणी

लेखक ल.ग.मराठे

प्रकाशक श्री.गिरीश भालचंद्र जोशी

सध्दहेतुखालीदेखिल आपले विषय प्रेम दडलेले असते

'काय' सांगितले ह्या पेक्षा 'कोणी' सांगितले ते महत्वाचे

योग साधने पेक्षा नम स्मरण श्रेयस्कर

आपले कर्तव्य करून फल रामावर सोपवावे

वाट्यास आलेले कम 'भगवंताची इच्छा' समजून कर्तव्यबुद्धीने करावे



why-is-guru-important

amrutvani

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Without Guru one cannot reach the transcendental state of Supreme Bliss, hence Guru, the spiritual instructor is crucial.

Let us see what the Great Saint Kabir says about GURU, the spiritual master.

Saint Kabir says

गुरु गोविंद दोनों खड़े, काके लागूं पांय |

बलिहारी गुरु आपने गोविन्द दियो बताय || संत कबीर

In the above couplet written 7oo years ago Kabir asks a poignant question.

Whose feet will you touch first (symbolic of reverence) when you find Guide (Guru) and God both standing together?

First prostrate the Guide who showed you God.

Who is Guru? This question is answered in the couplet above, where Saint Kabir says that GURU is the one who has shown you God.

Corollary:

Not the one who is helping, or may help, but one who has already helped you and now are AWAKENED to the highest self, he is a guru.

Who is your Guru? How can one qualify a person to be your Guru until you have been shown the HIGHEST? Till you are a seeker you have teachers, guides, instructors, trainers who are instrumental in ripening you. Guru is the master who takes you to the ULTIMATE state, where you find the Guru, God and You are essentially same. When 'I' as you know today quits, 'SUPREME' is seen. Guru is pivotal.

Saint Kabir closes all doubt about the importance of Guru in the following poetically adorned verse:

कबीर हरि के रुठते, गुरु के शरने जाय |

कहे कबीर गुरु के रुठते, हरी नही होत सहाय ||

Kabir says when Hari (Lord) is displeased, you can take support from the Guru.

If Guru is displeased, says Kabir, Hari does not help.

This famous quote is taught first when a child begins learning. Known to all Asian Indians, it is ultimate adulation of Guru.

त्वमेव माता च पिता त्वमेव

त्वमेव बंधू च सखा त्वमेव

त्वमेव विद्या द्रविणं त्वमेव

त्वमेव सर्व मम देव देव

You are my mother, father, brother, friend; you are knowledge, wealth; you are everything, Oh! Lord

About Saint Kabir




Saint Kabir lived between 1455 AD to 1575 AD. His verses 'doha' are found in Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikh Community.

To know more about Saint Kabir click here. [1] [2] [3]

How to avoid fake Guru?

Interestingly, Sikh believe the holy Guru Granth Sahib, the compilation of Guidelines to the Supreme to be the Guru. This saves the spiritual seeker from being taken for a ride by fake Guru. Only the Self Realized Master can be Guru. Such a Guru is rare, difficult to find or even be recognized by the humble seeker.

guru

ashadi-ekadashi-800years-legend

amrutvani

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What a long lasting impact is etched on the minds of people by saints who lived life of supreme love to the almighty?

The saints set an exemplary example by living the life of unflinching FAITH and noble values in the din of day to day hassles. Even the most ordinary person now knew how to live to evolve into the realm of peace, love and wisdom. This God centered life is remarkable characteristic of the people of India.

Ashadi Ekadashi is a 'particular' day based on the calendar that follows the lunar months. This day is known to all the people and does not depend upon prior announcement. Even a common man, the farmer of India, or the one who observes moon to keep up with the calendar is aware when Ashadi Ekadashi is to come.

All people from different parts of Maharashtra with devotion to the Lord Vithal as the common denominator march along several kilometers on foot to the temple at Pandharpur. Pandharpur is what Guruvayoor is to Kerala. On the way the travelers sing and dance with rhythmic beauty and unique style. Food and temporary shelter is made available by local people belonging to the land through which the devotees travel.

The deep devotion does not fail to bring tears in ones eyes as one sees through the heart of the saints who guided the masses with simple methods to reach the supreme state of ecstasy. The abhangs, devotional songs, rendered by the saints with mother's love are still cherished by people of India, where ever they be in the world.

The notable saints who kept the torch of this devotion aflame in the hearts of people are
Saint Namdev, Saint Nivruthinath, Saint Dnyaneshwar, Saint Sopan, Saint Muktabai SaintTukaram, Saint Eknath besides many others who are less remembered.

आषाढी एकादशी ही संतांनी सुरु केलेली परम्परा
आजतागायत पाळली जाते
चातूर्मास आरंभ होतो
पंढरपुर यात्रा सुरवात होते
पांडुरंग भक्तांची रांग पंढरीच्या भगवंताला भेटावयास नदी सारखी लांब पर्यंत दीसते
संतांची ही महीमा थोर आहे
शेकडो वर्षा नंतर सुद्धा चालू असल्येली भक्तीची पद्धत मैनेजमेंट शीकणार्या आधुनीक वीद्यार्थ्याँ साठी बोध प्रद आहे
Mangement Organistion, Business administration MBA students can learn a totally different method of motivating people - the wonders of inspiration for a lofty goal, which has hitherto been lost in the killer instinct and cut throat competion techniques that drain away vital energy as people strive to meet dead lines.

using-intellect-to-reach-divine

The path of discrimination

The path of intellectual pursuit is the path of
discrimination, a process through which we can so regulate and train our thoughts that,
  • at the impact of any object of the world,
  • it is immediately reminded of the Eternal Consciousness,
  • without which the object would not have been illumined for the mind's experience.
Swami Chinmayananda in his commentary of holy Geeta chapter-10-verse-9


Date: Jan 29, 2008 12:39 PM


---------- special message from: RAM New Zealand----------
Comment
By the editor:
What is the difference in method preached by Saints like Namdeo, Tukaram and the method of today's Swami Vivekanand, Swami Chinmayanand?

There is a noticeable, glaring difference in method of pursuit of the divine prescribed by earlier Saints and today's Swamis.

Earlier Saints predominantly used
emotion and preached bhakti as the road to divinity whereas Swamis today predominantly appeal to peoples intellect and advocate vivek as powerful tool.

What is Vivek?

Vivek is the ability to distinguish the ephemeral, the changing as against the changeless, the eternal.

free-audio-gita

1

I am pleased to find free audio of summary of each
chapter of Gita rendered by americanaphonic.com.
You can download it from
http://www.americanaphonic.com/pages/Gita.html


This MP3 Audio is recording of English translation of the
Holy Gita by His Holiness Swami Tapasyananda.



It is read by Alexey Chaidze, who humbly apologizes for mispronunciation of Sanskrit words.

www.americanaphonic.com informs that the English translation of the textbook
Holy Gita is available at Ramakrishna Math in Chennai, India.

2
Audio Recordings of Swami Chinmayanada himself on the Holy Gita
are available free on the internet in .3gp format. You can therefore
hear Swami Chinmayanada himself speak on the Gita on your mobile.
A divine Gita Gyan Yagna for sure!



happy-makar-sankrant



---------- special message ----------
From: Hemant Inamdar
Date: Jan 16, 2008 3:27 PM
Subject: Happy Makar Sankranti!!


 

Dr. Hemant Inamdar and Family 

--
YAD BHAVAM ! TAD BHAVATI !!
You Become What You Think !

timeless

Time stands still when mind stops
(By Paramahamsa Sri Nithyananda)

Contributed by RAM  from New Zealand

Hindu mythology of creation talks about how the universe is created each time the Creator Brahma blinks! Millions of human years, called yuga, pass by between each blink of the Creator.

Sages of ancient India measured time through the concept of kshana. Kshana is not chronological time. It was not measured as the amplitude of a pendulum or the frequency of an electronic chip. Kshana was not generic time, but individual time. Kshana is the time between two thoughts. My kshana and your kshana are different.

In the case of the average person, in whom the mind is constantly active, desires and thoughts pour out without a stop, the time between two thoughts is very small, very very small. In the case of an enlightened being, who is in a no mind state, in whom there are no thoughts, kshana is infinite.

Kshana is the time between two thoughts . It is the space between two thoughts. This is the time and space that Buddha referred to as sunya, and that which Sankara referred to as purna. It is the no-mind zone, the mindful zone, in which you touch base with yourself. It is that present moment in which you come face to face with the divinity within yourself, recognise the cosmic energy that you are part of.

When you are in that kshana, you are truly aware; you are energised and refreshed. Meditation takes you into that awareness.

When you are in front of an enlightened Master who is in a nomind state without thoughts your own thought level comes down, and kshana becomes longer. Without even trying you become calmer, more peaceful, and more aware.

When the mind stops, time too stops; it stands still.Contrary to what western philosophers say the idle mind is not the devil's workshop. If it silent, it is God's workshop! It is the busy mind that is truly the devil's workshop.

Descartes said , �I think, therefore I am'. That is a mere fact; an irrelevant one. You cannot reach the state of awareness of who you are through thinking. You need to transcend the mind, you need to drop the mind to be aware of who you are.

Hindu scriptures say, � When you stop thinking, you are.' This is truth; the cosmic truth.

Be still and you will be God.
Metaphysical Inspirations: Kshana -
Time stands still when mind stops By Paramahamsa Sri Nithyananda