'Haridwar' in Mahabharata"O Yudhishthira, the spot where Gangarusheth past, cleaving the foremost ofmountains, which is frequented byGandharvas, Yakshas, Rakshasas andApsaras, and inhabited by hunters,and Kinnaras, is called Gangadwara(Haridwar). O King, Sanatkumara regardeththat spot visited by Brahmarshis, as alsothe Tirtha Kanakhala (that is near to it),as sacred."- The Mahabharata, Vana Parva: Tirtha-yatraParva: Section XC.The leader of the pilgrims had no answer to this. The peoplebecame quiet and started thinking over the reply given by theGuru. They had no logical argument to challenge hisstatement. This made the people think about the uselessnessof their ritual.Guru Nanak came out of the river and the crowd followedhim. The Guru calmly told them the truth. He explained thathollow rituals do not have any religious value. They shouldlove, respect and take care of their people, friends andreligions when they are alive rather than perform theseuseless rituals afterwards. When people die, they do not needanything from us and nor can we send them anything afterthey have left this world. After death, people get what theyhave given to the needy, out of their honest earnings, whileliving on this earth.So remember the message - Do the good deeds for your eldersnow - because once they are gone, you will not be able to doany service for them. Don't lose this opportunity!How effective and rational a way to get people's attention andremove their ignorance!Places of pilgrimages in HaridwarHar ki Pauri, Chandi Devi Temple, Mansa Devi Temple, MayaDevi Temple, Kankhal, Piran Kaliyar, Neel Dhara Pakshi Vihar,Bhimgoda Tank, Ram Mandir, Doodhadhari Barfani Temple,Sureshvari Devi Temple, Pawan Dham, Bharat Mata Mandir,Jairam Ashram, Sapt Rishi Ashram and Sapt Sarovar,Parad Shivling, Ramanand Ashram, Anandamayi Maa Ashramand Shantikunj.SpiritualInstructions¤ Why do you get a disease? It is a blessing from God to purge out the evil effect ofyour bad Karmas, to infuse in you more Sattva and also the virtues, power ofendurance (Titiksha), mercy and love towards human beings and to make youremember God. Pain is the best thing in this world. It opens your inner eyes.Philosophy takes its origin from pain, finds out the cause of pain and ignoranceand tries to reduce it by the eradication of ignorance.¤ All people are not benefitted by pain and adversities. The egoism thins out a bitduring sufferings. It asserts itself with redoubled force when they get back theiroriginal health. The veil again comes back, it is only a Viveki who is reallybenefitted. He remembers his sufferings.¤ Do not waste time. Do not waste even a minute. Time is very precious foraspirants. Meditate. Realize. Drink the Spiritual Nectar of Immortality.¤ Who can command? He, who knows how to obey. Obedience is better thansacrifice.¤ Drink the gruel and water alone and be happy and contented. A contented mindis a continued feast. Even Brahma and Indra will be jealous of you.¤ Do not belittle others. Do not treat others with contempt. Respect the sentimentsand words of others. Praise others and expose your faults before others.¤ Hide yourself. Do not show your skill and ability to others. Do not care for nameand respect. Treat name and respect as straw, dung, dust and poison becausethey are false and worthless. Then only will you get Peace.¤ Scrutinize your motives. Sit alone. Analyze your mind and your own nature.Keep a check on your thinking and pray. Study your own nature and defects andtry to remove them by suitable methods.¤ Think of yourself as nothing in the world. You can remove your pride and egoismby doing so. Sit on the ground. Shun chairs, sofas, benches and bedsteads. Doalways menial service. Serve others. Speak well of others. Do not expose the faultsof others.¤ When a man speaks ill of you, excuse and pity him. Pray for him. Do good to him.Love him. Bless him, who despises you. Bear insult and injury. This will developyour will-force.¤ The company of a worldly-minded man is dangerous for an aspirant ofspirituality.Compiled by: D.K. Sharma28<strong>Eternal</strong> <strong>Voice</strong> Nov, 2010 - Jan, 2011
Sehaj - The Tranquil State of MindBhagat Kabir says:qh pwvs isMDu DUp nhI ChIAw qh auqpiq prlau nwhI ]jIvn imrqu n duKu suKu ibAwpY suMn smwiD doaU qh nwhI ]shj kI AkQ kQw hY inrwrI ]quil nhI cFY jwie n mukwqI hlukI lgY n BwrI ] (333)Teh paavas sindh(u) dhoop nahee(n) chhaheeaa Teh utpatt(i) parlao(u) naaheeJeevan mirat(u) na dukh(u) sukh(u) biaap-ei Sunn samaadh(i) do-oo teh naaheeSehaj kee akath katha h-ei niraareeTul(i) nahee(n) chaddh-ei jaae na mukaatee Hal(u)kee lag-ei na bhaaree.(There is no rainy season, ocean, sunshine or shade, no creation ordestruction there. No life or death, no pain or pleasure is felt there.There is only the Primal Trance of Samaadhi, and no duality. Thedescription of the state of intuitive poise is indescribable andsublime. It is not measured, and it is not exhausted. It is neitherlight nor heavy.)Sehaj is the ultimate positive state of mind wherein Goddwells. The aim of a Sikh is to attain to this state of mind.Guru Arjan states:pRQmy grB vws qy tirAw ] puqR klqR kutMb sMig juirAw ]Bojnu Aink pRkwr bhu kpry ] srpr gvnu krihgy bpury ]kvnu AsQwnu jo kbhu n trY ] kvnu sbdu ijqu durmiq hrY ]ieMdR purI mih srpr mrxw ] bRhm purI inhclu nhI rhxw ]isv purI kw hoiegw kwlw ] qRY gux mwieAw ibnis ibqwlw ]igir qr Drix ggn Aru qwry ] riv sis pvxu pwvku nIrwry ]idnsu rYix brq Aru Bydw ] swsq isMimRiq ibnsihgy bydw ]By Dalip Singh, USAqIrQ dyv dyhurw poQI ] mwlw iqlku soc pwk hoqI ]DoqI fMfauiq prswdn Bogw ] gvnu krYgo sglo logw ]jwiq vrn qurk Aru ihMdU ] psu pMKI Aink join ijMdU ]sgl pwswru dIsY pwswrw ] ibnis jwiego sgl Awkwrw ]shj isPiq Bgiq qqu igAwnw ] sdw Anµdu inhclu scu Qwnw ]qhw sMgiq swD gux rsY ] AnBau ngru qhw sd vsY ]qh Bau Brmw sogu n icMqw ] Awvxu jwvxu imrqu n hoqw ]qh sdw Anµd Anhq AwKwry ] Bgq vsih kIrqn AwDwry ]pwrbRhm kw AMqu n pwru ] kauxu krY qw kw bIcwru ]khu nwnk ijsu ikrpw krY ] inhcl Qwnu swDsMig qrY ] (237)Pratham-ai garabh vaas t-ai tariaa Putar kalattar kutambh sangg(i) juriaaBhojan(u) anik parkaar bah(u) kapar-ai Sarpar gavan(u) karhigg-ai bapur-aiKavan asthaan(u) jo kabah(u) na tarr-ei Kavan(u) sabad(u) jitt(u) durmat(i) har-eiIndar puree meh sarpar marn(h)aa Braham puree nihchal(u) nahee(n) rehn(h)aaSiv puree ka hoegaa kaalaa Tr-ei gunn(h) maaiaa binas(i) bitaalaaGir(i) tar dharan(h) gagan ar(u) taar-ai Rav(i) sas(i) pavan(h) paavak(u) neeraar-aiDinas(u) r-ei-n(h) barat ar(u) bh-ai-daa Saasat simrat(i) binsahig-ai b-ai-daaTeerath d-aiv d-ai-huraa pothee Maalaa tilak(u) soch paak hoteeDhotee dandaout(i) parsaadan bhogaa Gavan(u) kar-ei-go sagalo logaaJaat(i) varan turak ar(u) Hindu Pasu pankhee anik jon(i) jindooSagal paasaar(u) dees-ei paasaaraa Binas(i) jaaego sagal aakaaraaSehaj sifat(i) bhagat(i) tatt(u) giaanaa Sadaa anand(u) nihachal(u) sach(u) thaanaaTahaa(n) sangat(i) saadh gunn(h) ras-ei Anbhaou nagar(u) tahaa(n) sadd vas-eiTeh bhaou bharmaa sog na chintaa Aavan(h) mirat(u) na hotaaTeh sadaa anand anhat aakhaar-ai Bhagat vasah(i) kirtan aadhaar-aiPaarbraham kaa antt(u) na paar(u) Kaoun(h)u kar-ei taa(n) kaa beechaar(u)Kah(u) Nanak jis(u) kirpaa kar-ei Nihchal thaan(u) saadhsangg(i) tar-ei.(Which is the place where there is ever consistency, and which isthe word that cleanses our mind? After release from the mother'swomb, one grows, develops relation with sons, wife and otherfamily members, relishes many types of food, wears finegarments. But, for sure, pitiable man shall leave all this behindwhen he departs. Mountains, rivers, woods, the earth, the skyand the stars, the suns, the moons, air, fire and water, the dayand night, various rituals ordained by Shastras and Smritis shallat the end, perish. One must transcend that, which is in limitationand creates prejudices. The infinite Creator is the only ultimate.All the holy places, the gods, the temples, the holy books, therosary, the saffron mark, the acts of ablution, the loin cloth andprostration before gods, the enjoyment of goods, all these and allliving beings, will pass away. But the state of contemplation ofthe Lord in His glory is the highest state of mind of Sehaj, theEssence of Worship, which takes man to Wisdom, Joy and Truth.In that realm of holy One, one utters and relishes the praises ofthe Lord, and ever abides in the domain of fearlessness. There isno fear there, no doubts, and no sorrow of any kind. One is thenredeemed from the cycle of repeated births and rebirths. There isthe state of eternal joy, which springs from the celestial melodies.There, the devotees lean on nothing else but on the Lord's praises.The Lord is infinite, without any limitations. No one can find thelimitations of the Lord. Nanak says, on whom the Lord's gracedawns, he swims across (the sea of existence) by associating withthe holy ones.)The state of equipoise of mind or the perfect peace inmind is unique and is of its own kind, which cannot bedescribed in words. Sehaj is a state of infinite peace, whichcannot be compared with any other impulse, with any gainor loss of material things. There prevails completetranquility of mind, no evil thoughts emerge, and there isno sense of duality or selfishness.In the state of Sehaj, one sees every one alike, neither low norhigh, there is no doleful feelings (night), nor the recklessactivity in pursuit of worldly accumulations (day). In thisDomain, there is no temptation for indulgence in evil deeds,nor do evil thoughts arise, nor is there the fire of greed. O thisis the place where Satguru (God) abides. In such a state ourUnfathomable or Unperceivable Lord abides in our inner Self.We can be united with Him through the Grace of the Guru.All that we see and know has been created by God'scommand, through five basic elements - space, air, water, fireand earth. It is God's light, which is spread everywhere and iscreative - gives life to all. All the activity of creation is underHis control. How much power do these elements have, can bejudged from the tremendous force of gravity of earth, whichextends up to 36,000 km in the space. These elements are thebasis of Maya of three Gunas and the five sensual instincts,which play havoc in one's life.These five elements are both creative as well as destructive.How to rise above the Maya of three Gunas and use thegigantic force of matter to our benefit and avoiddestruction? We may abandon hearths and homes and livein jungles or mountain caves, yet Maya does not spare us.The blessed persons during the course of their earthly lifelive in this Space of Sehaj and become immune from the evileffects of Maya.How can we attain to the Domain of Sehaj? Submit to theGuru (God's Light in us) and always reflect our mind onSatguru, verily, Absolute Lord Himself, who abides within us.We should associate with the company of the learned onesor the Saints and yearn to listen to the Infinite Lord'spraises. This association is attained through His grace andunion with Him within our body and while living is attainedby His Grace. No one else is competent to bless with Naamor Union with Him or the state of Sehaj, God alone iscompetent and He does it. Man needs guidance and controlover his activities in every walk of his life from birth tilldeath. Guru Amar Das teaches us:mnu kuMcru pIlku gurU igAwnu kuMfw jh iKMcy qh jwie ]nwnk hsqI kuMfy bwhrw iPir iPir auJiV pwie ] (516)Mann(u) kunchar(u) peelak(u) Guru Giaan(u) Kunddaa jeh khinch-ai teh jaaeNanak hastee kundd-ai baaharaa Phir(i) phir(i) ujharh(i) paae.(The human mind is like the elephant (blind force). The divine Lightin us, 'Guru', is the elephant-driver and divine knowledge is like thegoad. Whatever the way, the all-wise Guru directs the mind, itfollows. Nanak says that the mind-elephant (blind force) without theGuru's goad, goes astray and destroys itself.)Also:ibnu gur pUry nwhI auDwru ] bwbw nwnku AwKY eyhu bIcwru ] (886)Binn(u) Gur poor-ai naahee udhaar(u) Baba Nanak aakh-ei ai-h(u) beechaar(u).(Without living with divine light within us, there is no redemption,says Nanak for serious reflection.)"O my mind, why do you not reflect on Him, who is thesource of all virtues? You can thus overcome your bad habitsby reflecting on Him. The time passes, each night and day, arethe nets cast, every moment is a snare (in separation fromHim, as Maya created is most powerful, none can conquer it).Just like a bird one pecks at the bait (temptations), he istrapped. How he is to be saved? The body is the furnace inwhich is cast the iron of mind, heated by the fire of Five evils.But the burnt mind is turned into Gold, if it reflects on Him(Satguru in us). The Guru blesses one with the Name of God,and the restlessness of the mind comes to an end."<strong>Eternal</strong> <strong>Voice</strong> Nov, 2010 - Jan, 201130 31
Change language