In the Beloved's Loving Arms. {182.}

In the Beloved's Loving Arms. {182.}
****

“How did you get away?
You were the pet falcon of an old woman.
Did you hear the falcon-drum?
You were a drunken songbird put in with owls.
Did you smell the odor of a garden?
You got tired of sour fermenting
and left the tavern.

You went like an arrow to the target
from the bow of time and place.
The man who stays at the cemetery pointed the way,
but you didn’t go.
You became light and gave up wanting to be famous.
You don’t worry about what you’re going to eat,
so why buy an engraved belt?

I’ve heard of living at the centre,
but what about leaving the centre of the centre?
Flying toward thankfulness, you become the rare bird
with one wing made of fear, and one of hope.
In autumn, a rose crawling along the ground in the cold wind.
Rain on the roof runs down and out by the spout
as fast as it can.

Talking is pain. Lie down and rest,
now that you’ve found a friend to be with.”

---- Mystical poem by Jalaluddin Rumi.
****

The Three Gates to Hell. {181.}

The Three Gates to Hell. {181.}
****

“Hell has three gates: lust, anger, and greed.”

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

Difference between Gurmukh & Manmukh. {180.}

Difference between Gurmukh & Manmukh. {180.}
****

“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;
he does not understand his own self.
But, if he becomes Gurmukh, 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 Gurmukh sings the Praises of the Lord;
the Gurmukh understands.
The Gurmukh contemplates the Word of the Shabad.
Body and soul are totally rejuvenated through the Guru;
the Gurmukh’s 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 Gurmukh 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 Gurmukh works, and the Gurmukh earns;
the Gurmukh 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?

All is Truth; Truth, and Truth alone, is pervading;
how rare is the Gurmukh who knows this….
He receives whatever rewards he desires.

O Nanak, one who eradicates self-conceit from within, has everything.”

---- The Guru Granth Sahib.
****

Private & Congregational Prayers Compared. {179.}

Private & Congregational Prayers Compared. {179.}
****

‘Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said,
“The reward of the prayer offered by a person in congregation is twenty-five times greater than that of the prayer offered in one’s house or in the market {alone}.
And this is because if he performs ablution and does it perfectly and then proceeds to the mosque with the sole intention of praying, then for every step that he takes towards the mosque, he is upgraded one degree in reward and one sin of his is taken off {crossed out} from his accounts {of deeds}.
When he offers his prayer, the angels keep on asking Allah’s Blessings and Allah’s Forgiveness for him as long as he is {staying} at his Musalla.
They say, ‘O Allah! Bestow Your Blessings upon him, be Merciful and Kind to him.’ And one is regarded to be in prayer as long as one is waiting for the prayer.”’

---- The Hadith; Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book: Call to Prayers {Adhaan}, Hadith 620.
****

Secret Prayers Get Glorious Rewards. {178.}

Secret Prayers Get Glorious Rewards. {178.}
****

“But you, when you pray, go into your room,
and when you have shut your door,
pray to your Father, who is in the secret place;
and your Father who sees in secret,
will reward you openly.”

---- The Bible; Matthew 6:6.
****

How Best to Tackle Tragedy. {177.}

How Best to Tackle Tragedy. {177.}
****

“There is a saying in Tibetan,
‘Tragedy should be utilized
as a source of strength.’
No matter what sort of difficulties,
how painful the experience is,
if we lose our hope,
that’s our real disaster.”

---- The 14th Dalai Lama.
****

The Ego is a Cage. {176.}

The Ego is a Cage. {176.}
****

The human ego
acts as a virtual cage,
imprisoning the soul
within the narrow confines
of a limited believed ‘self’.

The soul remains one with the SuperSoul.
The self is connected with all the other selves.

The human ego sets up
false differences, barriers, hostility, clashes ...

Sure, individuality is a fact,
as one’s own primary responsibility,
but the essential unity
between God & all beings
ought to be well realized.
****

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

A Taste of Egoless Eternity. {175.}

A Taste of Egoless Eternity. {175.}
****

“I am part of the load
Not rightly balanced
I drop off in the grass,
like the old cave-sleepers,
to browse wherever I fall.

For hundreds of thousands of years,
I have been dust-grains
floating and flying in the will of the air,
often forgetting even being in that state,
but in sleep I migrate back.
I spring loose,
from the four-branched,
time-and-space cross,
this waiting room.

I walk into a huge pasture.
I nurse the milk of millennia.

Everyone does this in different ways.
knowing that conscious decisions
and personal memory
are much too small a place to live.
Every human being streams at night
into the loving nowhere,
or during the day,
in some absorbing work.”

---- Jalaluddin Rumi; Masnavi, VI 216-227.
****

Renunciation Spells Freedom & Peace. {174.}

Renunciation Spells Freedom & Peace. {174.}
****

“Better indeed is knowledge than mechanical practice.
Better than knowledge is meditation.
But better still is surrender of attachment to results,
because there follows immediate peace.”

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

Meditation Leads to Eternal Bliss. {173.}

Meditation Leads to Eternal Bliss. {173.}
****

“My tongue sings the Praises of the Lord of the world, the ocean of virtue.
Peace, tranquility, poise and delight well up in my mind, and all sorrows run away.
Whatever I ask for, I receive; I serve at the Lord’s feet, the source of nectar.
I am released from the bondage of birth and death,
and so I cross over the terrifying world-ocean.
Searching and seeking, I have come to understand the essence of reality;
the slave of the Lord of the Universe is dedicated to Him.
If you desire eternal bliss, O Nanak, ever remember the Lord in meditation.”

---- The Guru Granth Sahib.
****

The Characteristics of Proper Prayer. {172.}

The Characteristics of Proper Prayer. {172.}
****

‘Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle entered the mosque and a person followed him. The man prayed and went to the Prophet and greeted him.
The Prophet returned the greeting and said to him, “Go back and pray, for you have not prayed.”
The man went back, prayed in the same way as before, returned and greeted the Prophet, who said, “Go back and pray, for you have not prayed.”
This happened thrice. The man said, “By Him Who sent you with the Truth, I cannot offer the prayer in a better way than this. Please, teach me how to pray.”
The Prophet said, “When you stand for Prayer say Takbir and then recite from the holy Qur’an {of what you know by heart} and then bow till you feel at ease. Then raise your head and stand up straight, then prostrate till you feel at ease during your prostration, then sit with calmness till you feel at ease {do not hurry} and do the same in all your prayers.”’

---- The Hadith; Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book: Characteristics of Prayer, Hadith 724.
****

Pray for All Good People. {171.}

Pray for All Good People. {171.}
****

“Do all this in prayer, asking for God’s help.
Pray on every occasion, as the Spirit leads.
For this reason keep alert and never give up;
pray always for all God’s people.”

---- The Bible; Ephesians 6:18.

The Path to True Conquest. {170.}

The Path to True Conquest. {170.}
****

“Conquer the angry man by love.
Conquer the ill-natured man by goodness.
Conquer the miser with generosity.
Conquer the liar with truth.

---- Gautama Buddha; Dhammapada.
****

Mere Existence & Presence Achieving. {169.}

Mere Existence & Presence Achieving. {169.}
****

The Nij Dhar or Incarnated Divine Current of Compassionate Radhasoami, the Supreme Godhead Residing in the loftiest paradise, Radhasoami Dham, has Been Functioning Its most glorious Mission of universal salvation ever since 12.30 am of August 24, 1818.

The mere Existence & Presence of the awesome & omnipotent Living Godly Force in our world-system is powerfully causing subtle & sweeping changes to occur throughout the world.

Despite the ongoing age of Kaliyuga, the whole world & creation is being charged spiritually.

People will prove this in their yearning for God, & in the proliferation of umpteen petty religious shops that seek to exploit their longings.

Gradually, all the good & deserving souls will be drawn towards the Redemptive Ferry of the living Radhasoami religion of Dayalbagh.

We are all blessed to be born in this fortunate period & capable of receiving His Grace & ensuring our ultimate spiritual welfare.

Let us all remain humbly grateful for the Supreme Godhead’s Current Being Present in this lowly world-system among us all.
****

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

Supremacy of Habits over Nature. {168.}

Supremacy of Habits over Nature. {168.}
****

“Men’s natures are alike, it is their habits that carry them far apart.”
---- Confucius.
****

Action is Vital for Life. {167.}

Action is Vital for Life. {167.}
****

“Action is greater than inaction.
Perform, therefore, thy task in life.
Even the life of the body
could not be maintained
if there were no action.”

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

Pure Devotion Leads to Fulfillment. {166.}

Pure Devotion Leads to Fulfillment. {166.}
****

“I meditated on my Guru.
I met with Him, and returned home in joy.
This is the glorious greatness of the Naam.
Its value cannot be estimated.
O Saints, worship and adore the Lord …
Worship the Lord in adoration,
and you shall obtain everything;
your affairs shall all be resolved.
He alone is attached in loving devotion to God,
who realizes his great destiny.
Servant Nanak meditates on the Naam,
the Name of the Lord.
He obtains the rewards of all joys and peace.”

---- The Guru Granth Sahib.
****

The Key Characteristics of Hypocrisy. {165.}

The Key Characteristics of Hypocrisy. {165.}
****

“Narrated A’bdullah bin ’Amr: The Prophet said,
‘Whoever has the following four {characteristics} will be a pure hypocrite
and whoever has one of the following four characteristics
will have one characteristic of hypocrisy
unless and until he gives it up.
1. Whenever he is entrusted, he betrays.
2. Whenever he speaks, he tells a lie.
3. Whenever he makes a covenant, he proves treacherous.
4. Whenever he quarrels, he behaves
in a very imprudent, evil and insulting manner.’”

---- The Hadith; Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book: Belief, Hadith 33.
****

The Sheer Power of Faith. {164.}

The Sheer Power of Faith. {164.}
****

“Yet the Lord said,
‘If you have faith as a mustard kernel,
you would say to this black mulberry,
‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea’,
and it would obey you.’”

---- The Bible; Luke 17:6.
****

Feel Goodwill towards All Life. {163.}

Feel Goodwill towards All Life. {163.}
****

“May I and all beings
be filled with loving kindness.
May I and all beings
be safe from inner and outer dangers.
May I and all beings
be well in body and mind.
May I and all beings
be happy and free.
May all beings find a path to peace.”

---- Gautama Buddha.
****