Pure Heart, Balanced Mind: Spiritual advice from Lalaji Maharaj

…Before entering the field of spirituality two ingredients viz. (i) Faith and (ii) Confidence - are a must. Without these two no useful purpose will be served.

Faith and confidence can be acquired in attending the spiritual congregations through listening to and contemplating upon the thoughts expressed therein. When we listen to them in the congregations and then concentrate upon them, arriving at the destination will be a mere cake walk. One should enter the arena of practice till one's conscience does support one to do so. Once he has entered the arena, it is inevitable for the practicant to make use of both the principles. If he does not strictly adhere to the advice, it would be useless to hope for welfare and the real profit.

…If we do not become self-centered and have enthusiasm to follow the path shown by the Master, it can be hoped and can be prayed to the Almighty that he should bestow His grace upon us.

The balanced condition of the mind is an expression of the right attitude of man in all his activities, under varied circumstances; in a broad sense, it is the reflection of his Character. It has a deep impact and a favourable influence on people who are associated with him. It reveals itself in conversation, serious and long or light and short, which is devoid of excitement or emotional outburst; devoid of a rapid, short-tempered and moody reaction, but a prompt, methodical and civil expression of one's own self. It is soft, cultured and smooth like the harmonious descent of Divine Grace.

The pure heart, in communion with the Base or the Source, pours itself forth naturally with nobility, magnanimity and love. It leaves an impression immediately and it progressively makes deep in-roads into and establishes itself in the minds of all. The voice may be modulated to avoid a high pitch or any variation of the tone because that goes with anger and anger is a poison to Spirituality. If a nasty and sharp temper is avoided, if the evil of anger is overcome, there is scope for the attainment of the Balanced Condition of mind. This frailty of man leads to loss of self-respect and individuality and results in unhappiness. It restrains the flow of Divine Grace. The greater the control over this attitude, the freer and more bounteous is the celestial gift.

It is a pity that this important and essential principle of the use of the tongue in the inevitable and constant activity of man, is not only overlooked but neglected. It is unfortunate if the divine Guru is held responsible for this lapse in man. It is no doubt very difficult to control the mind. He whose tongue is polite, civilized and cultured, has a large heart, pure and noble, and thus has a wide sway over the minds of others. But equivocation is not to be encouraged.

A civil tongue is a pre-requisite to achieve the Goal of human life.

A cultured tongue rules the kingdom of the heart.

A polished tongue, in discourse or conversation, influences humanity and reigns supreme.

ANGER is a poison for spirituality. Unless one is free form this plague, moderation can never be obtained.

Its effect is that the system becomes heavy, and tension is produced, and this does not allow the free and subtle current to enter. There will be continuous pressure on thought.

To free oneself from anger, one should think himself to be polite and humble. Nay, he should try to make himself such that the same colour enters each and every part of the body. Cool and calm disposition alone is required for spirituality. The heart is so tender that it begins to droop even by the slightest circulation of the wind.
 

Man is higher than all animals, than angels, none is greater than man. Even the Devas will have to come down again and attain salvation through a human body. Man alone attains the perfection, not even the Devas. -- Lalaji

…. One and the same Atman is present in all. The same essence assumes different forms according to nature, habit, action and temperament. One and the same thing which has movement is found in father-son, Guru-disciple, and so on. What is this movement? In some places it is in the form of lightning and in some places it is in the form of digestive fire. It is fire here, light there and in some places it is the life-breath. It is power of amber, current of thought (volition and doubt) and tendencies of mind. At some places it is the feat of intelligence, knowledge and science; at other places, it is Spiritual truth and in some other places it is sunlight. It is colour and form, love, attachment and madness, the Atman, the triple attributes, Brahman, and Para Brahman. In short, the same love which is nothing but Atman becomes selfishness in connection with matter, mansion, property and so on. And where selfishness makes its appearance, virtue hides itself.

God is love and the very Atman. This love, when united with selfishness is reckoned as vice. But selfishness is also a necessity of Nature, which is not selfless. This is just duty and Divine command, another name for Dharma. To perform this Dharma without the idea of reward is the real Dharma. This itself is called 'desireless action' (Nishkama Karma). This one duty is performed only for the sake of one's Atman. Our Atman and the Atman of all is one and the same. That is why the chain of mutual 'give and take' is regularly continuing.

If we give something to someone, we certainly take from others, knowingly or unknowingly, a thing of similar or another type. Both the currents, addition and subtraction, are regularly doing their work whether we know it or not. The chain of 'give and take' never comes to a stop. (Gara Na satani va sitam bhi rasada - You will receive harm even if you do not harm others.) So, where is the favour in this? Nature compels us to do this and get this done. It is our ignorance that we keep everything before us and forget our own self (Atman) totally. If you have not understood thus, listen to a story the result of which is grief.

Some people started on a journey with some purpose. There was a river on the way and there was no ferry. However they crossed the river and when they came to the other bank, they consulted each other and wanted to make sure whether all the members of the group had crossed the river and that their total number was intact, as it was while starting from home, and that none was drowned. Everyone began to count others, leaving out himself. So, it was decided that one of them was drowned in the river. They began to cry loudly. People assembled and inquired the reason for their crying. But they could not decide.

At last, an old man of experience came and consoled them. He asked them to stand in a line before him and count; and they counted in the same manner as before. Then the good old man asked them why everyone counted all the others, but not himself. All of them realised that it was their own mistake that each one forgot to include himself. Having been assured thus that none was drowned, they went their way and the old man took his.

Now it is very clear. One should think over this. Everyone has organs of sense, organs of action, mind, intellect, ego and the soul. Man performs action keeping all these in view but forgets himself and the fact that he is the very Atman which is love. All the people of the world would have failed to solve this riddle. But there comes a pious man in the form of a Guru, gives knowledge of the Atman, bestows peace and goes his own way without expecting any return or reward. This alone is his work. When the Jiva gets deliverance, what other concern has He?

When I am there, Guru is not,
When Guru is there, I am not;
The lane of love is so narrow,
Through it two cannot go.

As long as there is deficiency in the disciple, knowledge does not dawn. Guru does his work which is his duty. When the disciple attains perfection, what can a Guru teach another Guru? The work is accomplished and both go their respective ways. This alone is the dignity of selflessness. If the same glitter of this dignity is seen in all - brothers, relatives, friends, etc., then every action becomes Dharma, selfless duty and that thing which is called love, appears in its true form. Why should we unjustly put the blame on others nolens volens? There is neither blame nor the blamed. There is a difference only in understanding. As such, brother, go on doing your duty as much as possible. May God vie you real knowledge.