'The Guru has Seen Us'
'What was it like?' enquired Swamishri.
'It was reddish in color with a faint dot in the middle and a ring all the way round,' replied the sadhu.
Swamishri paused and said, 'You saw Saturn but has Saturn seen you?'
'No,' replied another sadhu, 'but the Guru has seen us.' Hearing this, the previous sadhu added,
'Yes, we are fortunate in that the Guru has seen us. That is all we require.'
'That's right,' said Swamishri.
'Now that we have the contact of a bona fide Guru, we have to remain happy and joyful.'
Sometimes our heart is filled with the joy of knowing somebody great or famous in this world. But does that person know us? Has he ever called us by our name?
Swamishri knows us and loves us. He takes keen interest in our lives. How rare it is to get such close contact of a God-communion sadhu.
This fact alone should be a constant source of joy and fulfillment in our hearts.
'What was it like?' enquired Swamishri.
'It was reddish in color with a faint dot in the middle and a ring all the way round,' replied the sadhu.
Swamishri paused and said, 'You saw Saturn but has Saturn seen you?'
'No,' replied another sadhu, 'but the Guru has seen us.' Hearing this, the previous sadhu added,
'Yes, we are fortunate in that the Guru has seen us. That is all we require.'
'That's right,' said Swamishri.
'Now that we have the contact of a bona fide Guru, we have to remain happy and joyful.'
Sometimes our heart is filled with the joy of knowing somebody great or famous in this world. But does that person know us? Has he ever called us by our name?
Swamishri knows us and loves us. He takes keen interest in our lives. How rare it is to get such close contact of a God-communion sadhu.
This fact alone should be a constant source of joy and fulfillment in our hearts.
If Only One has Faith'
After lunch, a group of devotees and youths were in Swamishri's room for the afternoon discourse. One of the youths said, 'Swamishri, please show us Akshardham.'
Before Swamishri could say anything a devotee said, 'But Akshardham is sitting before your very eyes. Everything is here if only one has faith.'
Swamishri frequently says, 'We cannot see the Lord in Akshardham and we fail to realize the true greatness of the form of God that is sitting, walking, talking and eating before us.'
So what do we do?
It requires of us to keep faith in the form of God that is before us. Through such firm faith and the divine grace of a God-communion Sadhu we will be blessed with boundless bliss.
After lunch, a group of devotees and youths were in Swamishri's room for the afternoon discourse. One of the youths said, 'Swamishri, please show us Akshardham.'
Before Swamishri could say anything a devotee said, 'But Akshardham is sitting before your very eyes. Everything is here if only one has faith.'
Swamishri frequently says, 'We cannot see the Lord in Akshardham and we fail to realize the true greatness of the form of God that is sitting, walking, talking and eating before us.'
So what do we do?
It requires of us to keep faith in the form of God that is before us. Through such firm faith and the divine grace of a God-communion Sadhu we will be blessed with boundless bliss.
Service of ill Sadhus
Once Shriji Maharaj arrived at Kariyani from Gadhada. From here Maharaj wanted to go to Vartal for the festival of Ram Navmi. But here nineteen sadhus were taken ill. So Maharaj said, 'I'll give the fruit and benefit of one hundred festival to the person who serves these ailing sadhus.' But nobody was prepared to leave Maharaj and serve the ailing sadhus. Gunatitanand Swami knew Maharaj's desire and duly volunteered. Maharaj was very happy and said, 'Kudos to this sadhu. He did not let me down.' Maharaj then left for Vartal. Swami served the ailing sadhus with enthusiasm. By the grace of Maharaj all the sadhus recovered fully. Moreover, there was still a few days before the festival, so Swami expressed his desire to go. All the sadhus gave their consent willingly and requested Swami to embrace Maharaj on their behalf. Swami reached Vartal, remembering Maharaj. Maharaj was very happy to see Swami who had come after serving the ailing sadhus and thereby pleasing Him. Maharaj embraced Swami nineteen times.
Once Shriji Maharaj arrived at Kariyani from Gadhada. From here Maharaj wanted to go to Vartal for the festival of Ram Navmi. But here nineteen sadhus were taken ill. So Maharaj said, 'I'll give the fruit and benefit of one hundred festival to the person who serves these ailing sadhus.' But nobody was prepared to leave Maharaj and serve the ailing sadhus. Gunatitanand Swami knew Maharaj's desire and duly volunteered. Maharaj was very happy and said, 'Kudos to this sadhu. He did not let me down.' Maharaj then left for Vartal. Swami served the ailing sadhus with enthusiasm. By the grace of Maharaj all the sadhus recovered fully. Moreover, there was still a few days before the festival, so Swami expressed his desire to go. All the sadhus gave their consent willingly and requested Swami to embrace Maharaj on their behalf. Swami reached Vartal, remembering Maharaj. Maharaj was very happy to see Swami who had come after serving the ailing sadhus and thereby pleasing Him. Maharaj embraced Swami nineteen times.
Pilgrimage at the Feet of Gunatitanand Swami
Once, after the festival of Annakut Pragji Bhakta was washing the utensils. There was a pit of dirty water. Gunatitanand Swami came there and stood there watching Pragji at work. He put his foot on the edge of the pit. The dirty water touched his toes. At that time Swami asked Pragji, 'Where can one find all the sixty-eight places of pilgrimage?' Pragji Bhakta understood the deeper meaning of Swami's words and directly jumped into the pit of dirty water. It was a spiritual bath for him. He knew that all the sixty-eight holy places lay in that pit of dirty water because Swami's toes were dipped into it. For some time Swami watched his devotee taking the holy bath in the dirty pit, then he said, 'Pragji, come out, go and wash yourself with clean water.' Such was the devotion of Pragji Bhakta.
Once, after the festival of Annakut Pragji Bhakta was washing the utensils. There was a pit of dirty water. Gunatitanand Swami came there and stood there watching Pragji at work. He put his foot on the edge of the pit. The dirty water touched his toes. At that time Swami asked Pragji, 'Where can one find all the sixty-eight places of pilgrimage?' Pragji Bhakta understood the deeper meaning of Swami's words and directly jumped into the pit of dirty water. It was a spiritual bath for him. He knew that all the sixty-eight holy places lay in that pit of dirty water because Swami's toes were dipped into it. For some time Swami watched his devotee taking the holy bath in the dirty pit, then he said, 'Pragji, come out, go and wash yourself with clean water.' Such was the devotion of Pragji Bhakta.
'An Hour is Better than Births'
After a lengthy journey of more than three hours by car, Swamishri arrived from Hartlepool (North-East England) to Preston. A gathering of devotees had been waiting eagerly at the mandir to receive Swamishri and his entourage.
As Swamishri got out of the car, a devotee said, 'Swamishri, we have been waiting for over an hour for you.'
Swamishri's response was instant, 'A one hour wait is still better than waiting for many births.'
We sometimes forget how fortunate we are to have the contact of a God-communion sadhu. From time to time, Swamishri reminds us of the good fortune that we are blessed with.
After a lengthy journey of more than three hours by car, Swamishri arrived from Hartlepool (North-East England) to Preston. A gathering of devotees had been waiting eagerly at the mandir to receive Swamishri and his entourage.
As Swamishri got out of the car, a devotee said, 'Swamishri, we have been waiting for over an hour for you.'
Swamishri's response was instant, 'A one hour wait is still better than waiting for many births.'
We sometimes forget how fortunate we are to have the contact of a God-communion sadhu. From time to time, Swamishri reminds us of the good fortune that we are blessed with.
Understanding of a Perfect Devotee
'In the same way, God may appear to be as powerless as a human, but only through that form can countless jivas attain liberation. The jivas are incapable of even doing darshan of His form, within whose each and every hair reside countless millions of brahmãnds. So, liberation is not possible through that form. Thus, all actions God performs after assuming a human form are worthy of being extolled. One should not doubt, 'Despite being God, why does He do this?' In fact, to realise all of God's actions and incidents as redemptive is the very dharma of a devotee, and only one who understands this can be called a perfect devotee of God.'
[Gadhadã I-72]
'In the same way, God may appear to be as powerless as a human, but only through that form can countless jivas attain liberation. The jivas are incapable of even doing darshan of His form, within whose each and every hair reside countless millions of brahmãnds. So, liberation is not possible through that form. Thus, all actions God performs after assuming a human form are worthy of being extolled. One should not doubt, 'Despite being God, why does He do this?' In fact, to realise all of God's actions and incidents as redemptive is the very dharma of a devotee, and only one who understands this can be called a perfect devotee of God.'
[Gadhadã I-72]
'Look Here!'
During the course of his blessings, Swamishri noticed that one of the boys was looking sideways and his attention was gradually drifting away. Swamishri suddenly called out, 'Look here!' The inattentive child was caught out and he jumped on his feet spontaneously.
'You can sit down,' said Swamishri.
'Tell me, what did you just sing?' Swamishri asked.
'There's no other sadhu like you,' replied the child.
'Then why were you looking elsewhere,' asked Swamishri.
'Sorry, Bapa, I made a mistake.'
Swamishri was pleased with the child and blessed him.
All of us make mistakes in our daily lives. But no mistake is greater than the mistake of forgetting God and His holy Sadhu in our daily lives.
It seems that in that assembly Swamishri also reminded the child in each one of us to, 'Look here!'
During the course of his blessings, Swamishri noticed that one of the boys was looking sideways and his attention was gradually drifting away. Swamishri suddenly called out, 'Look here!' The inattentive child was caught out and he jumped on his feet spontaneously.
'You can sit down,' said Swamishri.
'Tell me, what did you just sing?' Swamishri asked.
'There's no other sadhu like you,' replied the child.
'Then why were you looking elsewhere,' asked Swamishri.
'Sorry, Bapa, I made a mistake.'
Swamishri was pleased with the child and blessed him.
All of us make mistakes in our daily lives. But no mistake is greater than the mistake of forgetting God and His holy Sadhu in our daily lives.
It seems that in that assembly Swamishri also reminded the child in each one of us to, 'Look here!'