The Roar of the Enlightened

http://bawandinesh.name/the-roar-of-the-enlightened/

How do you know you are sleeping?

You are sleeping and you get a dream. In the dream, a ferocious lion is chasing you, you run and run and run… and then the lion pounces on you with a deafening howl… and you wake up!

 

 

Then you know it was just a dream.

And you can laugh at it and yourself to be so scared of just a figment of your own imagination. And you know you are now awake and not sleeping or dreaming.

All the Sadhana we do, all the Knowledge that Guruji has bestowed upon us is like the lion. Roaring loudly at us to wake up to the Reality. We think that this world that we can see, touch, hear, smell and taste is real. The Sadhana is the roar, which is telling us not to get fooled by the five senses. The Knowledge commands us to question this seemingly solid existence and reach out for what is truly Real.

Guruji once defined “Truth” as “That which does not change.”

If you look around you intently, you will see that absolutely everything is changing. But, it is changing so slowly that you feel there is no change, you feel everything is the same, until you get an old photo of yourself out and look at how you used to look like 10 years ago

The point is, that you don’t notice the change. It is very subtle and very slow. And anything that changes is illusion. Illusion doesn’t mean that it is not there. It is there, but it changes. It’s not real and it is not the Truth. What you perceive with your five senses is not reality.

  A Changing Universe

The good news is that when you realize that everything is indeed changing, then you also realize that there is some part within you that is not changing at all. You do need a stable point from which you can witness change.

If everything is changing, you cannot notice the change! It’s only when you can connect to the non changing aspect of yourself, that you actually perceive the change. Sadhana connects you to that non changing, eternal Reality residing within you. It gives you a glimpse, a hint, a whisper of infinity while you are still in your very finite body.

An actor acting a part as Romeo in a play knows he is acting. Once the play is over and curtains are down what if he still stays in character and refuses to accept that he is not Romeo. Keeps wanting his Juliet.  What can you say to that person? How can you convince him that he is actually not Romeo, he was simply playing the part of Romeo in a play…

You too are like that. So caught up with the illusion of the world and the illusion of who you think you are, that you refuse to accept the Truth about Yourself. You cannot see yourself as pure Bliss, radiating peace and joy. You have become an actor who cannot stop acting.

Sadhana, Knowledge and the Grace of the Guru rouse you up from this Grand Illusion. They make you notice how many roles you have already played and are still playing. They bring to your notice how there is something eternal, beyond all these roles that simply doesn’t change within you, regardless of which roles you have played, are now playing or will play in the future.

Like the lion, Sadhana and Knowledge wake you up from your slumber. Then you can laugh at the world. Then you can play with Maya.

Awaken. Listen to the roar of the Enlightened One.

The Wakeful One is the Enlightened One.

Jai Gurudeva!

Love

Bawa

Why forests were worshipped

Speaking Tree

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/spirituality/speaking-tree/Why-forests-were-worshipped/articleshow/6054260.cms

KHURSHED BATLIWALA, Jun 17, 2010, 12.00am IST

An ancient text says: “God is a forest. Worship the forest.” Now, why would God be a forest? In a forest everything has its place, from the mightiest animal to the innocuous bug. Each lives in balance and harmony with the other. Life in a forest embodies plenitude. None of its inhabitants takes more than it needs; there’s plenty for all. Despite being home to diverse species, forests are pristine. Seldom does one find a mess in a forest. God has provided natural clean-up agents. What is waste for one creature is useful or essential to another creature. The eternal circle of life is palpable in its entire splendour. To survive in a forest you need to be in tune with the natural rhythms that is all-inclusive. A forest contributes to the welfare of the entire planet, breathing out life-giving oxygen into the atmosphere while serving as habitat to a variety of life forms. It is a rich source of curative herbs and micro-organisms and we are yet to know all there is to know about them. We may have left our imprints on the moon, but are yet to fully explore the potential of a natural forest system. Even without gaining complete knowledge of forests, we choose to unleash wanton destruction on them, only fuelling our greed. Rainforests at one time covered more than 14 per cent of the earth’s surface. Today, they are less than 6 per cent. If we continue consuming forests at the current rate, we might lose these divine life sustainers in just another 40 years. According to experts, we are losing rainforests at a rate of more than one acre every second. Each day, we are losing 137 species of plants, animals and micro-organisms. More than half the planet’s species – of animals, plants and micro-organisms – could go extinct if forest destruction goes on unabated. Ancient texts extol forests as life enhancers; they were believed to be infused with divine spirit and hence were considered sacred. Sacred groves were respected as significant ecosystems that engendered rich biodiversity. An object of worship has sanctity and it is unthinkable to destroy what we hold dear and sacred. Don’t we treasure objects of worship? Vedic wisdom expounded on the need for conservation of natural gifts. Perhaps rituals related to conservation were instituted to ensure that these treasures were not desecrated. We need to understand the significance of such conservation rituals and respect them in context. Green living was a way of acknowledging the divine nature of forests. Ancients considered it important to respect the interconnected nature of life. In tribal cultures, before axing a tree, people would ask permission of the tree, promising to plant five trees as compensation. Today, these rituals are being abandoned as irrelevant. Trees symbolise spirit of service, as they serve dead or alive. They sustain ecological balance when standing tall and protect and serve as wood after death. We need to give something back in the same altruistic spirit. We must look at the lifestyle choices we make every day. The choices we make ought to be mindful of environmental conservation to restore and cherish natural gifts. Let’s green our thoughts and remember M K Gandhi’s words: “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed.’’ To take more than we need is to sow seeds of self-destruction. If we continue in this vein, we would be subjecting ourselves and other life forms to needless suffering and perhaps accelerate a process of extinction for all. The writer is founder-director, The World Alliance for Youth Empowerment (WAYE).

Making Wishes

http://bawandinesh.name/page/2/

This week, it’s time to learn to make wishes.

Many times i have heard Guruji say in satsang, tonight make a sincere wish from your heart, before going to sleep… many people do have things they really want, and most have reported that when they wished for it, they got it. But most people don’t know what to wish for…. so here is guide to making wishes

 

As in asking questions to the Guru, the first thing you need is to be completely sincere. With love in your heart and with utmost sincerity, make your wish.

Your wish should be expressible in one small sentence. Don’t make a paragraph out of it. Wish for ONE thing only. Preferably, make it a positive sentence. So instead of saying i wish i don’t have to go to a boarding school to study, wish, i wish i can stay right here in Bombay to study.

Always add or better to your wish, so if Guruji wishes to give you much more or better that what you want, He has the option to do so

So instead of wishing, i wish i get a million dollars, say, i wish i get a million dollars or better (He may want to give you 10 million)…

When in doubt, wish that whatever is best, let that happen.

The best wish you can ask for is shraddha… there is no good english word for it, but it can be translated as faith. When you have the faith, then everything else will come to you…

 Jai Gurudeva!

 love

bawa