This morning a sabha took place for our Santo in

Transcription

1 Spiritual Essence Divine Words of Sant Bhagwant Sahebji ~ Bhavisha Tailor Sant Bhagwant Sahebji blessings, Brahmajyoti, Mogri 14 May 2016, on e 50 anniversary of Mantra Diksha given by Brahmaswaroop Yogiji Maharaj to Sahebji. This morning a sabha took place for our Santo in Upasana and following at at 10.00am, in e mandir, eleven yous took eir oas to become sadhus. Right now, in e company of all Santo and all devotees, in is evening s sabha we remember Yogi Bapa and celebrate 50 years since he gave us e first initiation to become is type of plain-cloes sadhu. We do not know where e days, mons and years have gone. It seems as if it was just yesterday at Bapa called us to Amdavad, and is morning at he gave us ese instructions! Bapa said, I do not want to give you e saffron 1 robes, but want to make your hearts saffron. Do not enter 2 worldly life or affairs. Stay togeer, and wi suhrad-bhav 3 and unity, perform devotion wi nirdosh-buddhi. Wi ese blessings, Bapa sent me back to Vidyanagar. Bapa was supposed to come wi me, as he had originally said at, I will stay in e hostel for four days wi all of you yous at 4 will be taking diksha. We will all stay togeer and enjoy e 1 The colour saffron is symbolic of renunciation and is how a Hindu monk is recognised. Here to make one s heart saffron means to be a Sadhu from wiin, by having all e virtues of a true Sadhu, such as humility, simplicity, compassion etc. 2 One-heartedness, harmony, unity and love. 3 To see no fault or blemish; to live wi e conviction of God, Santo and bhakto being completely faultless. 4 Diksha refers to e ceremony by which one is initiated as a sadhu (monk). four days, and en on e morning of 17 May, will give e initiation to become sadhus. Bapa came to Vidyanagar on 17 May (1966). From 9.00am to 12.00am, a huge sabha was held in Shastri Medan, celebrating Bapa s 75 birday, followed by arti and Bapa left immediately after at. Bapa even took his afternoon prashad at Anand mandir and en went straight to 5 Bochasan. Even now at smruti of Bapa is so vivid! Bapa truly took us under e shelter of his grace, and made us e instruments of his divine will. We were only years old, what experience or knowledge would we have? What streng did we have? But it was His streng, his blessings and because of at, at we had e support of Kakaji. Did Bapa know what was going to happen? And how it was going to happen? The entire planning was His. That is why in 1964, He gave us e association of Dadukaka. Kaka too, regularly every two weeks or every mon would come to Vidynagar, and just like us, would stay wi us in e hostel. Through his words, his love and from being in his company, all of us yous felt from wiin at we would like to surrender our lives to Yogiji Maharaj. In 1966, Pappaji had already come to stay in Vidyanagar, 6 and so wi Kakaji s aagna we stayed in e association of 5 Divine remembrance 6 Any instruction given by God or Guru, which is always for our spiritual benefit 20

2 Pappaji, and gained e love of Sonaba. We had kept e Thursday sabha going as per Bapa s aagna. In 1966, ere were a few bhakto in Manavadar, a few in Mumbai, and Hariprasad Swami and Santo had gone to Sokhda, so ere was Sokhda. There were bhakto in ese ree places. In our Thursday sabha, ere were only a few of us yous. On Poshi Poonam in 1967, it was a Thursday and Kakaji and Pappaji came into our sabha, and gave us e oa. They said, It is Bapa s wish at you do not go into worldly life, and at you devote your life to God, and so let us make is firm resolution to surrender wholly. Pappaji and Kakaji made us take resolutions and since en as Vrat-dhari Santo-yuvako, a new pa began. It was out of is at Anoopam Mission was born. We were not in saffron robes. But remember : is was not someing you or I could have done. Bhagwan Swaminarayan brought Gunatitanand Swami wi him and resolved at he would remain manifest rough such a Gunatit sadhu; it is because of is, at we are so fortunate. Bapa was a Gunatit sadhu; he was e physical swaroop of Akshar Purushottam. He took us under his wing, He gave us e aagna, it was His divine resolve, and it was He at brought at resolve to fruition in our lives by giving us e association of Kaka-Pappa and Ba. It was wi his grace at is became possible, oerwise someing like is is impossible. It is by his grace at e heart of e saffron-robed sadhu becomes saffron, and it is by his grace at even a plain-cloed sadhu s heart is made saffron, and if a householder lives wiin his sankalp, en even his heart becomes saffron. God has not differentiated between e sadhu and e householder. If one has firm refuge in God, exceptional love for e Satpurush, suhrad-bhav for bhakto and believes God to be e All-doer, en God says, Whoever it is, and wherever ey may be, I will make eir hearts saffron. And so what Bapa meant by making our hearts saffron was to make us live immersed in God, attaining e complete joy of God, free from all attachments. We did not have saffron robes and so at at time people did not accept us as sadhus; and so we worked. From at Pappaji instructed us to start a factory. All e planning began and so Ashvinbhai said to Pappaji, Pappaji, if we are out to worship God, and we are not meant to go into worldly affairs, en why are we doing is? If we just continue wi mala, bhajan-bhakti, en what is wrong wi at? But I saw at Pappaji s wish for us to start a factory and so I said to Ashvinbhai, You stayed wi Bapa for one year as his secretary and so in at sense, what you are saying is correct. But in my opinion, it is Pappaji s wish, it is his instruction and to follow e aagna of e Satpurush is our sadhana; and so we should just dive in and start a factory. Ashvinbhai had not opposed e idea at all, but had just expressed his opinion; and so when I said is, he accepted it immediately. It was easy for me to say, but after at he took on board all e responsibility. He expressed his opinion but en poured his heart into is work. Because he took on is responsibility, I did not even have to take a second glance at e factory. Ashvinbhai togeer wi Dr. Saheb, Poonambhai, Dilipbhai and all bhaiyo really set to work and so e project was successful, and new sadhaks kept joining. The senior sadhaks, who had sincerely and honestly worked wi e aim of pleasing God, were transformed from wiin and attained 7 sadhuta. This whole process worked because of Bapa s divine resolution, Pappaji s aagna and e presence of Ashvinbhai, Shantibhai and Sanandbhai. That is how Brahmajyoti happened. It is e history of e past fifty years, and it is wi Bapa s grace at we have attained so much from wiin! As Peterbhai mentioned a little while ago, on e fif of is mon, e Anand Charotar Education Trust completed 100 years and as part of e celebrations at D. N. High School, invited me as one of e alumni. I came to know at Param Pujya Mahant Swami and Param Pujya Dr Swami were going to come to is programme to give eir blessings. The D.N. High School Committee had also decided at it was going to honour ten of its alumni on is occasion, and my name was amongst is ten. For me, I had firmly decided from before at I would attend e occasion but only in e capacity of an alumnus, and I had told e Committee is as well. Param Pujya Mahant Swami and Param Pujya Dr. Swami would have 7 Sadhuta refers to e qualities of a true sadhu such as humility, complete selflessness and surrender, wi e recognition of God as e Supreme All-Doer. Because of his sadhuta, e true sadhu will never act for his own benefit. He is natural, simple and joyfully immersed in God. 21

3 no qualms about who sat wi em or next to em; ey are Santo who are well above all of is ey are not ordinary sadhus. When Vadtal and Bochasan organisation s have kept us at a distance, en principally, in whatever work ey are doing for us to adjust to em, is our bhakti. I had an inkling at if P.P. Mahant Swami and P.P. Dr. Swami are coming, en e organizers will be in a bit of a dilemma (about seating). The organizers came to see me at Brahmajyoti to tell me, but I was not ere at e time. They said, If Saheb does not come to D.N. en we will come here and honour him. Ashvinbhai and Dilipbhai told em, No at will not happen. Saheb will definitely come as an alumni. When I came to know is, I called my friend Ramanbhai and asked him to let Niravbhai and Chetanbhai e President and Secretary know at I would definitely attend and take part in e function at my school, as one of e alumni, and not as a guest, erefore I should not be seated on stage. My former classmates and friends would be ere, and I would sit wi em in e audience. When e organizers received is news, ey felt relaxed. When I went to e programme, ey had arranged a wonderful seat at e front, right in e centre facing e stage, so at I could have good darshan of P.P. Mahant Swami and P.P. Dr Swami. When ings like is happen, everyone interprets is in eir own way. If someone is inclined to e B.A.P.S organization, en ey may speak negatively about us, and if someone is inclined to us, en ey may speak negatively about B.A.P.S, and no-one will know what e tru really is. That is why when ings like is take place, one should not engage in discussion about it. After e function at D.N. High School ended, one of e organizers said to me, Saheb, I will come to meet you after two days. I figured why he wanted to come and see me so I said, Whatever has happened is really good. If you are coming to meet me about is, en please do not take e trouble. Everying at you had arranged was wonderful, and congratulations to you for such a successful event! Remember : for all of you bhakto, volunteers and Santo sitting here I want to tell you at B.A.P.S. is our bigger home. What kind of home? A big home. Say if someone says someing bad about us, but says someing good about our bigger home, en we should be happy! To do is is to express our devotion towards Bapa! I say is many times, what does it actually mean to have love for Yogi Bapa? To have love for Yogi Maharaj means e Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Sansa at Shastriji Maharaj-Yogiji Maharaj created, e Santo ey initiated Hariprasad Swami, Aksharvihari Swami, Mahant Swami and oers, and e successor at he instated Pramukh Swami Maharaj; when 8 we increase e mahatmya of all of ese rough our behavior and actions en it can be said at we really have true love for Bapa! To live wi is awareness even if we have to go rough trouble, and even if bad ings are said about us, is our bhakti! That is why Bochasan Sansa is our greater home. We have to act in a way at enhances its glory. Wheer you take B.A.P.S., Gunatit Jyot, Yogi Divine Society or Anoopam Mission; whose creations are ese? They are e creations of our faer. Now if you find fault wi your faer s creations, speak badly of em en you cannot call at bhakti. If we truly believe in Bhagwan Swaminarayan, and we truly love our Guru, en we will understand what he is pleased wi and live our lives wi at constant awareness; at is what it means to make one s heart saffron! So if anyone speaks badly of B.A.P.S., you should not allow em to do so and you yourselves should never, ever speak in is way. Remember! If someone tries to do is once, en your response should be such at ey never, ever have e courage to come back to you wi at talk again! That is how much conviction we must have in our fai. This is what Bapa wanted us to do. Wheer it is one organization or fifty organizations, ere is no problem! God s work will happen rough em, and if ere is mahatmya for each oer en e experience of joy will be someing unique. In Parmita mandir, my sofa has been placed facing Shri Thakorji. Everyday I sit in at sofa and while having darshan of Shri Thakorji, I remember my times wi Bapa - at Vadtal mandir having darshan of Shri Harikrushna Maharaj, when Bapa was doing e aarti at Gondal mandir and wi ose living memories, I keep doing darshan and turn e rosary chanting Swaminarayan.Swaminarayan. When I was at e function at D.N. High School, I was sitting facing e stage and directly facing P.P. Mahant Swami, 8 Greatness, glory. 22

4 and so for two hours, wi open eyes I did his darshan and gazed at him continuously. For two hours I had Mahant Swami s continuous darshan what a great advantage at was to me! We had darshan of Mahant Swami - who is an embodiment of Yogi Bapa, a successor of Yogi Bapa and beloved to Yogi Bapa; at smruti is so vivid, and now so helpful in our prayers and meditation. Even if we had to sit right at e back, in e corner, we should consider it our immense fortune at we got to sit in e sabha of such a sadhu! What an amazing grace of God at was! We understand and believe is, while oers don t know, and so we do not want to engage wi em in any kind of discussion. We had darshan of Mahant Swami, and at s it! All of our Swaminarayan organisations, wheer it is Vadtal Gadi, Amdavad Gadi, Gurukul or our organizations; it doesn t matter which one it is, but all Santo are doing God s work and offering eir devotion. There is so much love in e Santo s devotion, and ere is amity between e different organizations too. It is not how it used to be before. But we still fall into our opinions and judgments at a time when God has carpeted everying wi sweetness; wherever you eat from it is sweet! Wi e grace and divine resolve of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, e entire satsang is becoming so wonderful. However, ose at are speaking negatively, fault-finding, and nit-picking for flaws in anying good are ose at are constantly seeing, unsettled and long-faced. Whereas, ose at are speaking good, seeing good and carrying out seva, will always be laughing, and Maharaj will always keep em laughing. That is how we want to live our lives. Why would you want to be miserable and festering from wiin? We should not associate wi people like at. In e story of Bhagwan Swaminarayan s life, we have read at because of Durvasa Muni s curse, Shri Nar-Narayan Dev and all e sadhus took bir in human bodies before Shreeji Maharaj himself manifested on ear. At at time, all e asuras (negative forces) came too. You have to recognize who ey are; ey do not come wi horns and tails. What is e medium for negative forces? The one who is speaking negatively, is confrontational and picking out e flaws in someing good, is one who is an instrument of negative force. The person himself is not evil but becomes an instrument or channel for negativity. You may come across some people who say, so and so is possessed by a ghost. The person himself is not a ghost, but ere is a spirit at has entered his/her body and so he/she speaks anyhow. When at spirit exits e body, e person becomes normal again. Similarly, for many people negative energy enters eir being and at at time if one chants. Swaminarayan Swaminarayan. en at negative energy is diverted. One should not associate wi negative energy. At such a time, is is e awareness at one needs to keep : Firstly, supreme fai in Bhagwan Swaminarayan believing him to be e reason behind all manifestations of God, e cause of everying and e controller of everying. Secondly, e belief at whatever has happened in my life, whatever is happening and whatever is going to happen, is by e will of e Lord at I have attained. Thirdly, e belief at God is eternally wi form and is manifest rough ese Santo. Shreeji Maharaj is manifest rough Gunatitanand Swami, Bhagatji Maharaj, Jaga Swami, Krushnaji Ada, Shastriji Maharaj, Yogiji Maharaj; and for us rough Kakaji, Papaji, Pramukh Swamiji, Mahant Swamiji, Hariprasad Swamiji, Guruji, Ashvinbhai, Shantibhai, Ratibhai, Jyotiben, Didi and rough ese Santo. Whoever you feel love for, join wi em! Follow eir aagna, and perceive everyone as faultless; en you will find ere is only e sweetness at God has 9 spread all around. Speak of mahima, do as much seva as you can; and if you cannot en don t, even en no problem. Wheer you or I do seva or not, God s work is going to carry on. If you don t do seva, it s no problem, but never do aseva. So and so is like is and so and so is like at if you do is, en you will suffer. If you want to stay happy, make progress joyfully, attain e bliss of Akshardham, and enjoy e contentment of finding whatever you seek and getting whatever you desire, en perform e seva of God s devotees, sing e virtues and mahima of all, and if anying happens, en chant Swaminarayan Swaminarayan. Truly, is moment in time is exceptional! We have been given e opportunity to enjoy e fruits of two hundred years of Maharaj s austerities and two hundred years of what Maharaj has had done by ese Sadhu-Santo. The reason is we have been wi Him all along, and so now we have been 9 Greatness, glory and virtues (of God, Guru, Santo and bhakto). 23

5 given is opportunity, but we need to keep awareness so at we do not squander e opportunity. Whatever projects have happened rough Anoopam Mission and whatever projects are taking place, is God s work and it is God at brings it to completion. I say many times at ese motera Santo have surrendered so much! I stayed wi Bapa, Kaka, Pappa and Bapa gave me e aagna and I came and told ese bhaiyo. They were all intelligent, wheer in eir minds ey agreed wi it or not, ey have never ever questioned it, nor have ey ever complained. Do you ink e questions did not arise in eir minds? But to carry out Bapa s aagna, ey have used and given up eir entire beings and at is age of years, ey continue to do is. Hats off to eir seva! They are so great! I have said is many times, in 1958 when I was years old, I brought Ashvinbhai and Ratibhai into e hostel to stay wi me. Since 1958, after Ashvinbhai came to stay, I have never carried a wallet in my pocket. To is date ere is noing in my pocket, ere is no money; Ashvinbhai manages everying. Just ink about it how many years has it been? Never ever has he asked for money, never ever has he said at we have financial difficulty. Whatever projects we carry out, Ashvinbhai manages wi e streng of God, rough his prayers and wi everyone s support. Truly hats off to his bhakti! That is why I say to our Sant bhaiyo, at ese Motera Santo are not ordinary. When you have to give up what you want or like to do, you feel agitated, but if you make eir liking your liking and if you understand eir greatness, en your sadhana will become so very easy. That is how exceptional ese Santo are! Out of e 51 Santo at Bapa initiated, ese are his selection. Remember, ose Sadhus at were initiated by Yogiji Maharaj, wheer ey are saffron-cloed or plain-cloed Santo, or even householders but ey are like pure gold. You can put em anywhere in e world, but none of e world s attractions has any streng over em. That is how powerful e Santo at Bapa has gifted to us are. These are e types of Sadhus at we are living wi, in whose company we are carrying out our sadhana and our bhakti. And it is e 50 anniversary of is. Gunatitanand Swami has said in one of his Vaato, If God is pleased, he will give you e association of his finest Sadhu, and he will give you e intellect to recognize such a Sadhu s greatness. Bapa has truly showered us wi so much grace at we have attained bo of ese ings. Now let us nurture it, let us keep nirdosh-bhav towards em, follow eir aagna, practice suhradbhav for bhakto, do as much seva as we can and speak of eir mahima. If we do is, en we will experience e bliss of Akshardham. Truly God has given us e company of such exceptional sadhus. We got Yogi Bapa, Kaka, Pappa, Ba, Ben, Pramukh Swami, Mahant Swami, Hariprasad Swami, Guruji ese are e amazing, divine swaroops at we have got. Many times I ink, all glory to e soil of Gujarat, e land of India and to e whole world, where ousands of Sadhus have manifested! But for us, Pramukh Swami, Mahant Swami, Hariprasad Swami, Guruji, Bhaktipriya Swami, Tyagvallabh Swami, Dinkarbhai, Bharatbhai, Ashvinbhai, Shantibhai, Ratibhai, Sanandbhai, Jyotiben, Didi all of ese Santo are manifest now, so how greatly blessed ese soils are! And we are living on ose blessed soils! If we live wi is kind of mahima, perform e seva of devotees and give up all negativity and pettiness, en ere is only joy, joy and more joy; en ere is only joy and peace in our lives. Bapa has gifted us e association of ese Sadhu Santo so at we may truly become happy; at is such an unparalleled type of grace at he has showered us wi. May we be showered wi blessings so at we do not squander at grace, and use it to e fullest to make our lives worwhile, and truly enjoy e bliss of God. He has showered ose blessings on us; may we become wory of ose blessings such at ey are realized in our lives ese are our deepest prayers at e lotus feet of God, Guru and ese Santo on e occasion of e 50 anniversary of e Mantra Dikshadin! Congratulations to all of you, over and over again you have all stayed wi us, supported us, and in every activity you have used all your streng wi nirdosh-bhav, and for all at you have done, God is truly pleased. May God in every way, physically, mentally, materially and spiritually keep you all fulfilled; ese are our prayers at our Lord and Guru s lotus feet! Jai Swaminarayan! 24