Death Enables More Evolved Life-forms. {196.}

Death Enables More Evolved Life-forms. {196.}
****

“I died from minerality and became vegetable;
And from vegetativeness I died and became animal.
I died from animality and became human.
Then why fear disappearance through death?
Next time I shall die
Bringing forth wings and feathers like angels;
After that, soaring higher than angels.
What you cannot imagine,
I shall be that.”

---- Jalaluddin Rumi.
****

Laziness Cannot Lead to Perfection. {195.}

Laziness Cannot Lead to Perfection. {195.}
****

“No one attains perfection by merely giving up work.”

---- The Bhagavad Gita.
****

The Way of the Gurumukh. {194.}

The Way of the Gurumukh. {194.}
****

“Everything comes from the Naam, the Name of the Lord;
without the True Guru, the Naam is not experienced.
The Word of the Guru’s Shabad
is the sweetest and most sublime essence,
but without tasting it,
its flavor cannot be experienced.
He wastes this human life in exchange for a mere shell,
who does not understand his own self.
But if he becomes Gurumukh,
then he comes to know the One Lord,
and the disease of egotism does not afflict him.
I am a sacrifice to my Guru,
who has lovingly attached me to the True Lord.
Concentrating on the Word of the Shabad,
the soul is illumined and enlightened.
I remain absorbed in celestial ecstasy.
The Gurumukh sings the Praises of the Lord;
the Gurumukh understands.
The Gurumukh contemplates the Word of the Shabad.
Body and soul are totally rejuvenated through the Guru;
the Gurumukh affairs are resolved in his favor.
The blind self-willed manmukh acts blindly,
and earns only poison in this world.
Enticed by Maya, he suffers in constant pain,
without the most Beloved Guru.
He alone is a selfless servant,
who serves the True Guru,
and walks in harmony with the True Guru’s Will.
The True Shabad, the Word of God,
is the True Praise of God;
enshrine the True Lord within your mind.
The Gurumukh speaks the True Word of Gurbani,
and egotism departs from within.
He Himself is the Giver,
and True are His actions.
He proclaims the True Word of the Shabad.
The Gurumukh works, and the Gurumukh earns;
the Gurumukh inspires others to chant the Naam.
He is forever unattached,
imbued with the Love of the True Lord,
intuitively in harmony with the Guru.
The self-willed manmukh always tells lies;
he plants the seeds of poison,
and eats only poison.
He is bound and gagged by the Messenger of Death,
and burnt in the fire of desire;
who can save him, except the Guru?
True is that place of pilgrimage,
where one bathes in the pool of Truth,
and achieves self-realization as Gurumukh.
The Gurumukh understands his own self.
The Lord has shown that the Word of the Guru’s Shabad
is the sixty-eight sacred shrines of pilgrimage;
bathing in it, filth is washed away.
True and Immaculate is the True Word of His Shabad;
no filth touches or clings to Him.
True Praise, True Devotional Praise,
is obtained from the Perfect Guru.
Body, mind, everything belongs to the Lord;
but the evil-minded ones cannot even say this.
If such is the Hukam of the Lord’s Command,
then one becomes pure and spotless,
and the ego is taken away from within.
I have intuitively tasted the Guru’s Teachings,
and the fire of my desire has been quenched.
Attuned to the Word of the Guru’s Shabad,
one is naturally intoxicated,
merging imperceptibly into the Lord.
The Name of the Lord is known as True,
through the Love of the Beloved Guru.
True Glorious Greatness is obtained from the Guru,
through the Beloved True Name.
The One True Lord is permeating and pervading among all;
how rare is the one who contemplates this.
The Lord Himself unites us in Union, and forgives us;
He embellishes us with true devotional worship.
All is Truth; Truth, and Truth alone is pervading;
how rare is the Gurumukh who knows this.
Birth and death occur by the Hukam of His Command;
the Gurumukh understands his own self.
He meditates on the Naam, the Name of the Lord,
and so pleases the True Guru.
He receives whatever rewards he desires.
O Nanak, one who eradicates self-conceit from within, has everything.”

---- Guru Nanak Dev; The Guru Granth Sahib.
****

Intentions Determine Value of Deeds. {193.}

Intentions Determine Value of Deeds. {193.}
****

“Narrated ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab:
I heard Allah’s Apostle saying,
‘The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions
and every person will get the reward
according to what he has intended.
So whoever emigrated for worldly benefits
or for a woman to marry,
his emigration was for what he emigrated for.’”

---- The Hadith; Sahih Bukhari,
Volume 1, Book: Revelation, Hadith 1.
****

Power of Believing Fulfills Prayers. {192.}

Power of Believing Fulfills Prayers. {192.}
****

“This is why I am telling you:
When you are praying
and asking God for something,
believe that you have received it,
and it will happen for you.”

---- The Bible; Mark 11:24
****

If You Want Real Peace .... {191.}

If You Want Real Peace .... {191.}
****

“Peace comes from within.
Do not seek it without.”

---- Gautama Buddha.
****

Worship: Pure or With Motive. {190.}

Worship: Pure or With Motive. {190.}
****

Worship of God ought to be pure,
as an end in itself.

One shouldn’t seek anything from God,
beyond Her Love & Grace.

It appears unfortunate
that God is generally viewed
as an avenue for the
fulfillment of one’s selfish desires.

People seem to be
conducting a ‘trade’ with God,
on the assumption
that their worship
obliges Him to
grant them their desired ends.

But the people’s assumption
of ‘trade’ with God
may not be shared by God.

Is it not likely that God
may have Her Own
Criteria & Expectations
with regard to people’s
faith & prayers?

The Param Guru of Dayalbagh
Is here only to guide sincere devotees
in their striving for salvation.

All other worldly matters
are of lesser significance.

God’s worship should be sincere.
Worship of God corrupted
with one’s base desires
cannot be expected to
either please God,
or to grant one satisfaction
in the ends sought
in either worldly or spiritual sphere.
****

Note: This is drawn from & inspired by the scriptures, practices & teachings pertaining to the Radhasoami religion of Dayalbagh.

Keep Progressing along Spiritual Path. {189.}

Keep Progressing along Spiritual Path. {189.}
****

“It does not matter how slowly you go,
so long as you do not stop.”

---- Confucius, Chinese philosopher.
****

Wisdom Dispels Darkness from Life. {188.}

Wisdom Dispels Darkness from Life. {188.}
****

“Out of compassion,
I destroy the darkness of their ignorance.
From within them, I light the lamp of wisdom
and dispel all darkness from their lives.”

---- The Bhagavad Gita.
****

Transitory Relationships & Worldly Possessions. {187.}

Transitory Relationships & Worldly Possessions. {187.}
****

“Does anyone know, who is our friend in this world?
He alone understands this, whom the Lord blesses with His Mercy.
Immaculate and unstained is his way of life.
Mother, father, spouse, children, relatives, lovers, friends and siblings meet,
having been associated in previous lives;
but none of them will be your companion and support in the end.
Pearl necklaces, gold, rubies and diamonds please the mind,
but they are only Maya.
Possessing them, one passes his life in agony;
one obtains no contentment from them.
Elephants, chariots, horses as fast as the wind,
wealth, land, and armies of four kinds,
none of these will go with one;
one must get up and depart, naked.
The Lord’s Saints are the beloved lovers of God;
sing of the Lord with them.
O Nanak, in the Society of the Saints,
you shall obtain peace in this world,
and in the next world,
your face shall be radiant and bright.”

---- Guru Nanak Dev; The Guru Granth Sahib.
****

A Salute to God’s Greatness. {186.}

A Salute to God’s Greatness. {186.}
****

“The Lord and Cherisher of the Worlds --
Who created me, and it is He who guides me;
Who gives me food and drink,
And when I am ill,
it is He who cures me;
Who will cause me to die,
and then to live again;
And Who, I hope,
will forgive me my faults
on the Day of Judgment.”

---- The Quran; 26:77-82.
****