It is a surprising fact of life: If we truly start believing that there is a power, the Sole Doer, that controls everything and surrender to it, we would certainly do better for ourselves and not burden our struggle with more pain. Yes, it is not easy to surrender. Our mind is trained to follow logic and reasoning though situations always come up for which we never have satisfactory answers.
Wish the intellect was not misrepresented as bequeathing wisdom. If that were so, many would be wise. It is only the
satguru who can show us the light of illumination. Therefore, I am very grateful to Guruji for bestowing upon me experiences that have made me realise that there is a profound reason for our taking birth: To understand that in reality only Sat-Chit-Ananda prevails.
The rest is all an illusion. It is for us to uncover the veil, to pierce through appearances that have been created to disguise the true aim of the Creator. The sole purpose of Maya is to prevent us from knowing the only truth. The Panch Dushtas-anger, lust, desire, attachment, and ego-will toy with us ruthlessly and keep us whirling in the wheel of birth and death until we do not see through the illusion.
But would this attempt make our life dry and joyless (
neeras)? No, absolutely not. The problem is that we wish to control our lives not knowing that all that is expected of us is to unconditionally accept life as it comes and then be the recipient of unconditional love and divine radiance.
I know, while I write this, that it's hard to comprehend that life can be simple and beautiful if we but accept how it flows. Equally true is the fact that the faith and trust that make us surrender to God whom we have never seen is certainly not easy, even more so when we are down and out with our troubles and everything seems hopeless. How can then one not complain of injustice?
But believe it or not divine love and justice is swift and absolute.
Have we ever observed nature in all its glorious seasons-vibrant and joyous spring, sweltering and ripening summer, windy and beautiful autumn, and cold and harsh winter? Even so is life with all its shades of pain and pleasure, its complexities of likes and dislikes, and it all turns out perfect as a whole. The pain in our life is a prod towards its purpose. We can never ever fully grasp life since it is the
paramatma who is the generator, operator and destroyer (g.o.d.) of all manifestation. We are encapsulated by Him, but our understanding can never embody Him fully. He has all the records of our
karmas, but by His will they can become insignificant. He only wants us to abdicate our authorship and understand that the minute we credit Him for everything we are liberated. Simple, yet profound.
Our existence can become a preparation to surrender to the divine if we simply accept life as it comes, do our duty, be good, do good, never harm anybody, offer our prayers, observe silence to communicate with Him and sit in samadhi for some time each day and leave the rest to Guruji.
Think of a weight-loss programme. One cannot just wish to lose weight; one has to work for it.
It cannot happen until one commits to making lifelong healthy choices and conscious effort. Junk food damages and piles on fat on the body, so all that is asked of you is to incorporate a few firm steps: eat right, control portions, exercise regularly, and don't give in to temptation, i.e., control your taste buds. I made the effort and obtained the result, but I did not continue with the same vim and vigour, gave in to temptation, lost interest in my own well-being and got back to square one, which was a return to unhealthy me. I brought about my own downfall from a healthy mind and body.
Similarly,
we bring upon ourselves a huge amount of pain and misery by tainting our mind, body and soul with all sorts of impurities, junk thoughts, words, deeds and actions. God is only truth, peace and happiness. He resides within us. But we have engaged for lifetimes in gross desires and actions, drowned ourselves in materialism, boosted our false egos, and neglected the call of the conscience. We have succeeded, thus, in completely obliterating HIS memory. If we have the love, the desire, the patience and the perseverance to attain His bliss in our lives, we can achieve it. The layers of dirt and darkness accumulated from many lifetimes cover our true being; by washing ourselves clean with pure love and compassion we can once again illumine ourselves. But will the new-found state last? It likely will if we don't get complacent and hasten yet another fall from heaven to hell.
We can evolve and connect with our true spirit, but
not if we wrap ourselves in irrelevant worldly affairs, seduced by the charms of maya.
Life is not an intellectual exercise. One need not do any extraordinary feat.
Just helping oneself by uplifting one's consciousness is the greatest gift we can bestow to ourselves and to humanity.
If we commit ourselves to a happy and peaceful life and work towards it, we will make it happen. Though certainly it's not easy and comes with its own challenges. It calls for a genuine thirst, sacrifice, discipline, effort, and pre-requisites such as no ego and no expectations. By the way, no one ever said that it would be easy, but it is possible.
Should we expect magic to happen once our dedication is in place and our efforts are sincere? That neither illness nor none of life's miseries plague us? NO. Life will continue with its highs and lows on physical, emotional, psychological and social levels but we will remain unaffected. We will remain the observer of the whole drama and knowing the role karma and the cosmos has played in it.
The Divine Light and Divine Love dwells within us but it can be found only in an inward journey which is always solitary. If we start travelling on it sincerely with all the love in our heart for the Supreme Soul, we will start enjoying it so much that a single life will be all-fulfilling. The duality of nature, the
ardh-naareshwar tattva, is to be found within. Not outside. We are all complete because He is within us and we have come from Him-"All in One and One in All."
It's not easy. We can choose to follow the exemplary
bhakti marga of Hanumanji, Laxman, Meerabai, Radha, and Sudama or any personage whom our heart chooses and direct it towards our guru and let go of the rest. Whatever follows will only be pure bliss. The supreme is an experience which is above and beyond any expression.
If only we were to open our eyes and ears to the bounty of the universe we would realise we get all that we need and much more than what we deserve from the ever-loving, ever-merciful Almighty. It is only the Guru who shows us the path towards God, without His Grace we can never ever take footsteps towards divinity. From being ignorant and negligent to being constantly aware that HE is present in every atom is what falling in Divine Love is all about.
All glory to my Guruji for showing me the path. But it is I who have to walk on it. Here I would like to quote Robert Frost: "The woods are lovely, dark and deep/ But I have promises to keep/ And miles to go before I sleep."
I pray to Guruji:
"May I become worthy of His Lotus Feet and may He open the channel for me to be the humble recipient of His Divine Nectar. May He hold my hand and lead me on, for I am forever His little child and I need Him Always."
Last but not the least, I am neither saintly nor special but have felt special moments of strange inner joy which keep me going and make me, for the time they last, the
Vichitra Umang of my beloved Guruji.
With much light and love and the bhawana of gratitude, I sum up my spiritual emotions in two words - Jai Guruji!
[Following section added December 2023]
New life, new car: "Mere Guru jiha hor koi na"
Rakhi has always held a special significance for me. For it was on the auspicious day of rakhi in 1997 that I had Guruji's first
darshan in Chandigarh. A couple of years after emigrating to Canada in 2011 along with my husband, I began to offer my love and respect to Guruji Maharaj on Rakhi in the form of offering Him a rakhi-rose. When I offer these flowers of love to Guruji, I reaffirm what a
shabad I so often heard in His presence proclaims: "
Tu mera Pita, Tu hai mera Mata, Tu mera Bandhap, Tu mera Bhrata." I strive to place the rakhi so that it adorns His hand, which gives me immense joy, peace, and fulfillment.
For the last eight years I have usually found occasion to do this at a
satsang or during my regular puja at home. In 2023 too, we were looking forward to a satsang on Rakhi, which was falling on a weekday. When my husband, Shekhar, returned from work, we did the short puja. My husband surprised me by asking me to apply the red tilak generously on the forehead; he usually prefers a small mark. I collected my rakhi-rose and homemade
jyotis, seven in number, for the satsang, and we left post-haste given the large distance we had to cover in the car to reach the venue.
We took the highway and put on the shabads–as we always do while going for satsangs. It was a bit busy, but the traffic thinned out and the weather turned clear and bright. The sacred
Gurbani began playing in the car, I clasped the rakhi-rose reverentially in my hand, while Shekhar carried the jyotis in the pocket of his
kurta. Out of nowhere, a car hit us from the rear. We heard the loud bang, our vehicle gained momentum, and turned at right angles to the incoming traffic before coming to a stop–horizontal to the shoulder beside the right lane.
These sequential events happened in a flash. Since the car had turned, I, in the passenger seat, was in the line of fire of traffic. But where was the traffic? Guruji had spirited it away. Not a single car passed by close to us, as Guruji had transported all the vehicles behind us, instantly, to the other lane solely to protect His disciples. And had He also not steered the car away after the impact, towards the shoulder of the highway? It confounds belief even though it is true, and we have lived to tell the satsang, that despite the high speed on the highway, my husband and I were not only saved, we also did not suffer as much as a scratch. A minute fraction of the impact was felt on my husband's shoulder and lower back. The driver and the passenger of the car that hit us were also unharmed; our vehicles bore the full brunt. If Guruji's umbrella of protection had not covered us, our accident could have easily ended up being a fatal multivehicle collision.
My husband was shaken up and in some pain. After we had collected our wits, I made a call to 911, which dispatched an ambulance, cops, and a towing truck. We stayed up in the car, and I saw a man approaching us slowly. He asked me to roll down the window and checked to see if we were okay. The sight of the red tilak on my husband's forehead made him suspect a bloody injury. When he saw that wasn't the case, he said he was glad it didn't turn out to be a tragic incident. We were fine by divine grace, I assured him.
This concerned bystander pointed out that he had witnessed the accident, and we were not at fault. The guy in the other vehicle, he categorically said, had caused the accident. In fact, he offered to wait till the police would arrive and give his statement to them. He surely was a guardian angel sent by Guruji. No one stops at the site of an accident on a busy highway and then volunteers to give a police statement. Only Guruji Maharaj can bestow such selfless
sewa on his few pure chosen souls.
When the cops came, he gave the facts of the case, stating that we were in the clear, and did not leave till the towing truck had come. How can we thank Guruji and His
sewak.
When paramedics assessed my husband, they said the pains were due to the impact and would go away within a short time. A cop hopped into the ambulance to take our statement and version. As he was talking to my husband, the attending paramedic intervened. She firmly told the cop that it was clear on whom the fault lay from the damage the car had suffered and that there was no point questioning us. Again, a paramedic wouldn't typically give an opinion, but she had been guided to do so by the Divine. We were not heckled by the cops during the interrogation, which was rather short. And when the car had to be towed away, the truck driver volunteered to drop us home. It was incredible.
Words fall short for the care, comfort, love, protection that Guruji bestows on His
sangat. We can but repeat the line of the shabad: "
Mere Guru jiha hor koi na." With Guruji Maharaj by your side, everything is possible. Thank you, Guruji!
Our escape from certain death reminds me of a satsang from the blessed granth of Guru Maharaj,
Light of Divinity. A lady devotees' husband is on a train, which derails, but he is saved. On the night the accident is to occur, Guruji has the devotee over doing satsangs and having her fill of
prasad. The day when she learns of the derailment and comes to Guruji, He tells her that to save one life he had to save another ninety souls. Such is the divine magnanimity of our benevolent and beloved Guruji, who as Lord Shiva does innumerable
kalyans without our coming to know of them. As I gave my rakhi to Guruji as my brother and
veer, He blessed me by safeguarding my
suhaag and myself and gave us the precious gift of a new birth.
Our car was a total loss, since the airbags had been deployed and the impact was massive. The following day we undertook the formalities of insurance and went to get our rental vehicle from a dealership that was some distance. While on the way, a white car came in front of our cab. Its license plate read "NewBirth"! The universe was synchronizing time and place to deliver the divine message that Guruji had blessed both of us with a new life. As Guruji used to say, there are no coincidences.
Sometime later, we attended a satsang so that we could offer our thanksgiving and I shared this most recent account of Guruji's grace on us. While returning from the satsang with a devotee couple in their vehicle, we were talking, and the lady devotee asked me which car we were looking forward to purchasing. We have always driven a Toyota, I replied, and would love to get one, but weren't quite sure since there was an extensive waiting period, stretching up to a year, for new bookings. Only a cancellation would get us lucky. The devotee next asked me if we would go for a white colour. I said no, telling her that it requires a lot of upkeep. At which point, she wanted to know if we would prefer a black car, and I replied as before. She wondered how I would take to red, and I said yes in the moment–though, to be honest, it is too bright and bold for my taste. What transpired next makes His amazing grace even more evident.
We got the rental vehicle the day following the accident for a precise thirteen days. Six days prior to the return date of the rental, my husband got a call from the dealership, wanting to know our interest in a black Toyota that was available. My husband was confused. He was aware, of course, of my conversation in the car, so he asked for five minutes to call me and discuss it over. He was concerned that if we declined we might have to wait for another year for a car and end up compromising on the make of the vehicle. Before he could call me, he got another call from the agent saying a red colour was available too, but that the vehicle couldn't be put on hold. We could go for it or forgo it. Today it feels as if Guruji himself was shortlisting the colours for us. Instantly, my husband said yes. To top it up, we got an upgraded hybrid version of our previous car, which we hadn't contemplated buying. Truth be told, I got all the upgrades I secretly desired but would never have thought of purchasing.
The conversation that took place in sangat's car while returning from the satsang validates that Guruji is the doer as well as observer, taking care of His sangat's affairs every step of the way. Guruji ordained everything in such a loving, kind manner that on the thirteenth day when we returned the rental, we only needed to call a cab and head straight to the dealership to get our new car. Not even for a minute did we suffer any inconvenience. As the shabads says: "
Aisi laal tujh bin kaun kare."
Since we were getting the new car on the thirteenth, I was a bit apprehensive. Then I saw a social media message saying "
terah tareekh badi changi hundi hai," i.e., the 13
th is a very nice day. I was reminded of Guruji's admonition to forsake our ego and stay away from superstitions: "
Aham te veham to dur rahin."
Guruji Maharaj's blessings and
leelas are such that in one stroke He can not only completely change our life, but also save us from certain death and grant us a new life or birth and make all changes in our lives if He so desires and if they are in our interest. Surrender is the key. We have ups and downs in life, as we have desires, likes, dislikes, biases, and prejudices. If we share them with Guruji as a trusted friend and let Him decide for us without labels and conditions and earnestly say, "Let thy will be done," He will do the best for us and will never ever let us down.
I would like to reiterate that He knows everything, controls everything and sends protection for His devotees beforehand. In the instance of our accident, the man who turned up at our damaged car provided not only moral support, but was also a divine agent whose verdict ensured that we encountered no obstacles in the insurance process and did not get embroiled in any proceedings. This again shows that it is He alone who chooses, creates, and delivers by His will.
Our words, thoughts and deeds should translate into actions which correspond and reflect a life of integrity, purity, and sincerity in accordance with His teachings, radiating truth, simplicity, humility and, above all, love. If we were to put in such efforts, Guruji's joyous loving blessings would fulfill and complete our beings and we would ever find the beloved within us. May we become worthy of His unconditional love and may He be happy and proud of us and keep us under His
charan sharan always. He is ever giving and ever forgiving, "
Sanu baksh dena, Maharaj."
All glories and salutations to our beloved Guruji Maharaj, our one and only Supreme Lord, Master, protector, provider; Generator, Operator, and Destroyer, who is our God. We survive solely on His Divine Light and Love. He is our life and its purpose, as we belong to Him. He is the dispeller of darkness and by His grace the wisdom dawns that He is the Doer. His love is unconditional, and His blessings are immense. I am given to understand, by my own experience, that
Ek Onkaar is verily
Satyam Shivam Sundaram.
To sum up, I see all my relations in Him and surrender all my relations to Him.
Mera mujh mein kuch nahin
Jo kuch hai so tera
Tera tujh ko saunp ke,
Kya lage hai mera
I have only one prayer left, and I offer it to Him:
Rakhi charna de kol,
Mehraan-waleya saiyan,
Rakhi charna de kol
Bhawana and Shekhar, a devotee couple
December 2023