Ruhaniyat: 12-04-10-PAIN & SUFFERING.
Greetings to all the listeners and welcome to another episode of Radio Ruhaniyat!!!
When a baby is born, within the first few months, we take the baby to get his or her shots for immunization. Even
though we know that the baby will cry and experience pain, we still make him go through the process, because we
know that it is for his own betterment. How immunization works, is that we take a certain type of germs and inject
them into the body so that those germs can develop antibodies inside to create immunity against the disease caused
by those germs.
Similarly, God makes us go through pain, because He knows that the end result would be for our betterment. He
injects germs into our lives in the form of pain and suffering, so that we can develop antibodies against
problems. These antibodies are: internal growth and spiritual strength. It is only when we have developed these
antibodies, we will have the immunity to fight diseases like Problems, Sorrow, Pain & Suffering. Just like how our
body needs food and water for it’s physical growth, our soul needs spiritual knowledge for its nourishment. And
God: being God, finds a way to feed us the soul food that we need in our lives.
Pain forces us to grow as human beings. Pain is our greatest teacher. Regardless of where the pain comes from,
there are always lessons to be learned. Physical pain alerts you to a problem in your body that needs attention.
Emotional pain does two things: it'll either make you a stronger and a better person, or it will make you bitter
and worse. Wise are those who make the best of each situation and use pain and suffering to make them stronger and
better. When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot.
There was a couple that went to England to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. On this trip, they went to
shop in a beautiful antique store. They both liked antiques and pottery, especially teacups. They happened to see
an exceptional cup. They asked, "May we see that cup? We've never seen a cup quite like this one before.
As the storeowner handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke, "You don't understand," the cup, said, "I haven’t
always been a tea cup. There was a time when I was just a lump of red clay. My master took me and rolled me,
pounded and patted me over and over, and I yelled out, 'don’t do that. I don't like it! Leave me alone.'
But the potter only smiled, and gently said, "Not yet!!"
Then, WHAM! I was placed on a spinning wheel and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. "Stop it! I'm
getting so dizzy! I'm going to be sick!" I screamed. But the master only nodded and said, quietly, "Not yet." He
spun me and poked and prodded and bent me out of shape to suit himself and then...then he put me in the oven. I
never felt such heat. I yelled and knocked and pounded at the door.
"Help! Get me out of here!" I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as he shook his head
from side to side, saying: "Not yet."
When I thought I couldn't bear it another minute, the door opened. He carefully took me out and put me on the
shelf, and I began to cool. Oh, that felt so good! …Much better, I thought. But, after I cooled, he picked me up
and he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. "Oh, please; Stop it, Stop
it!!" I cried. The potter only shook his head and said. "Not yet!"
Then suddenly he put me back in to the oven. Only it was not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I just
knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. I was convinced I would never make it. Just when
I was about to give up, the door opened and he took me out and placed me on the shelf again, where I cooled and
waited...and waited, wondering what he is going to put me through next? An hour later he handed me a mirror and
said, "Look at yourself," and I did….and I exclaimed: "That's not me. That couldn't be me. It's beautiful... Oh my
God! I…….am beautiful!"
The potter now spoke: "I want you to remember this," he said, "I know it hurt to be rolled and patted, but had I
left you alone, you'd have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped,
you would have crumbled. I know it hurt and it was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you
there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't
done that, you never would have hardened. You would not have had any color in your life. If I hadn't put you back
in that second oven, you wouldn't have survived for long because the hardness would not have held.
Now, you are a finished product. Now you are what I had in mind when I first began with you."
In the same manner, God knows what He's doing with each one of us. He is the potter, and we are his clay. He will
mold us and create us. He will expose us to just enough pressures in life, so that He could turn us into a
finished spiritual being, that He had in mind, when He first brought us into this world.
So, when life seems hard, and you are being pounded and patted and pushed almost beyond endurance; when your world
seems to be spinning out of control; when you feel like you are in a fiery furnace of trials; when life seems to
be so unfair, then...Brew a cup of your favorite tea in your prettiest tea cup.
Sit down and ponder over how the teacup in your hand was made, and then.………
Have a little talk with the heavenly Potter!
Roohaniyat: 7-31-10: Good Morning South Florida and welcome to few spiritual words on Roohaniyat.
We all know that it is wrong to tell lies, yet we do. We all know that it is wrong to hurt other’s feelings, we
still continue to do so! We all know that God is constantly watching us, yet we continue to do wrong!
Why is it that we read something in our scriptures, but never follow it? We ask God to bless us, yet when he asks
us to live right in return, we never follow through with our own share of spiritual responsibility! We ALL know
what is right and what is wrong, yet we fall prey to what our mind feels like doing. Instead of the mind following
our instructions, we follow the mind. Our brain should tell us the difference between right and wrong, and the
mind should do what we tell it to do. Instead, we have become the slaves of the mind and the Mind: mind you, is
very clever: it always tends to sway us away from the truth.
In the small Texas town of Mount Vernon , Drummond's Bar began construction on a new building to increase their
business. The local Baptist church started a campaign to block the bar from opening with petitions and prayers.
Work progressed right up till the week before opening when lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground.
The church folks were rather smug in their outlook after that, until the bar owner sued the church on the grounds
that the church was ultimately responsible for the demise of his building, either through direct or indirect
actions or means. The church vehemently denied all responsibility or any connection to the building's demise in
its reply to the court. As the case made its way into court, the judge looked over the paperwork.
At the hearing he commented, 'I don't know how I'm going to decide this, but as it appears from the paperwork we
have a bar owner who believes in the power of prayer and an entire church congregation that doesn't.'
We all have reached a point where we become something else when we are in a spiritual environment, yet once we
step out of a temple, church, satsang, etc. we become someone totally different: someone trying to fit into the
materialistic world.
Ask yourself: Are you a spiritual person trying to fit into the materialistic world? Or are you a materialistic
person trying to fit into the spiritual world?
What God wants from us is to be pure in both the worlds. Be pure and sincere both from the inside and outside.
Always believe that cheating someone for some extra money is ultimately not going to be worth the burden on your
conscience. If you believe that you are tough enough that you can’t be bothered by a conscience, then someday you
might find yourself in a situation where the burden becomes so heavy that your soul will want out and will make
you realize how heavy the burden has become.
It is actually a lot easier to live a clean, pure and truthful life, than to complicate it with lies, fraud and
impurities. It is just a matter of surrendering to God and seeking His blessings to help us live right.
Take a general rule of thumb: Open up the scriptures that you believe in: no matter which religion you belong to,
read them, and live like they tell you to. Just follow the scriptures, because they are the word of God, sent to
us via our prophets: that is how God wants us to live. The only thing to keep into consideration is that we need
to know God we worship. We need to understand the scriptures and we need to create a strong willpower, which will
keep us motivated to always do the right thing, no matter what the consequences.
If we indulge in thinking ill of others, we cannot be happy ourselves. One who always looks at others’ failings,
finds faults in others to disgrace them in the eyes of other people, cannot be called a devotee. He cannot be a
happy and prosperous person. If on the other hands one points out failings and weaknesses of a person with an
earnest desire to help him, then we should all pray that nothing untoward happens to him. We should also make sure
that what has disgraced anybody, should not happen to us. One who has such feelings in him, is never disgraced or
dishonored. In reality he is a true disciple.
"Make a mind which never minds. Make a heart, which never hurts.
Make a touch which never pains & make a relation which never ends"
Roohaniyat: 7-17-10. A very good morning to all the listeners, and welcome to the world of Roohaniyat.
They say God made man in His own image. We all were meant to live our lives with Humanity: being the main religion
of mankind. If we all analyze ourselves, how much of humanity do we really practice?
An old man was sitting with his 25-year-old son in a train. The train was about to leave the station all
passengers were settling down in their seats.
As the train started, the young man was filled with lots of joy and curiosity. He was sitting on the window side.
He put out one hand and feeling the passing air, he shouted, "Dad, see all the trees are going behind". The old
man smiled and admired his son’s feelings.
Besides the young man was one couple, sitting and listening to all the conversation between the father and son.
They felt a little awkward with the attitude of the 25 year old behaving like a small child.
Suddenly the young man shouted again, "Dad see the pond and the animals. The Clouds are moving with the train".
The couple was watching the young man embarrassingly. Then it started raining and some of the water drops touched
the young man's hand. He was filled with joy and he closed his eyes and shouted again," Dad it's raining, the
water is touching me, see Dad".
The couple couldn't help themselves and asked the old man. "Why don't you visit the Doctor and get treatment for
your son."
The old man said,” Yes, We are coming from the hospital; Today, my son got his eye sight for first time in his
life".
They say: Be extra nice to everyone that you come across, because everyone is going through something in their
lives. We are not put on this earth for ourselves, but are placed here for each other. If you are always there for
others, then in time of need, someone will be there for you. Putting and thinking for others first will help us
to be better human beings.
One day a passenger hopped in a taxi and they took off for the airport. They were driving in the right lane when
suddenly a silver car jumped out of a parking space right in front of them. Their taxi driver slammed on his
brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and
started yelling at them.
The taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy and was really friendly. So the passenger asked, "Why did you
just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!" This is when the taxi driver taught
him what he now calls, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'
He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full
of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes
they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their
garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets...
The bottom line is that wise people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in
the morning with regrets, so...Love the people who treat you right and Pray for the ones who don't because Life is
ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!
Until next week, this is Preet Sahi, hoping that you have a blessed, garbage-free day!
Roohaniyat: 6-26-10: Good Morning South Florida and welcome to the world of Roohaniyat!
We are all very materialistic by nature: trying to run after money, material comforts and building assets. But
what really is our most valuable asset? Believe it or not, it is not money or material comforts. Our most valuable
and priceless asset is TIME.
Imagine that you had won the following prize in a contest:
Each morning your bank would deposit $ 86,400.00 in your private account for your use.
However, this prize had rules, just as any game has certain rules.
The first set of rules would be: -
Everything that you didn’t spend during each day would be taken away from you. You may not simply transfer money
into some other account. You may only spend it.
Each morning upon awakening, the bank opens your account with another $ 86,400.00 for that day.
The second set of rules is:
The bank can end the game without warning; at any time it can say, “It’s over, the game is over!” It can close the
account and you will not receive a new one. What would you personally do?
You would buy anything and everything you wanted, right? Not only for yourself, but also for all people you love?
Even for people you don’t know, because you couldn’t possibly spend it all on yourself, right?
You would try to spend every cent, and use it all, right?
ACTUALLY, THIS GAME IS REALITY!!
Each of us is in possession of such a “magical” bank.... we just can’t seem to see it.
THE MAGICAL BANK IS TIME!
Each awakening morning we receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life, and when we go to sleep at night, any
remaining time is NOT credited to us.
What we haven’t lived up that day is forever lost.... yesterday is forever gone.
Each morning the account is refilled, but the bank can dissolve your account at any time…WITHOUT WARNING. !! Which
means that our life can end any second!
WELL, what will you do with your 86,400 seconds? Aren’t they worth so much more than the same amount in dollars?
Think about that, and always think of this: -----Enjoy every second of your life, because time races by so much
quicker than you think. …And always remember that TIME has more value than Money.
Dirty dishes can be difficult, but they're even worse when you let them sit for a while. The longer they sit, the
harder they are to clean.
This is life. Something that is potentially easy to clean up right after it happens - an unkind word to your
father, a lie to your best friend, an insensitivity to your near and dear ones - can become a difficult mess if
you don't deal with it now.
Do your dishes today. Meet your problems halfway.
Human mind is the soil where all the evils like hatred, jealousy, violence and animosity are rooted, where they
germinate and grow. Even the most dangerous weapon may not harm unless there exists a mind to trigger it. We must,
therefore, make the mind occupied by God, the source of all that is good, noble, pure and sublime. This is how the
Universal Brotherhood seeks to tackle all kinds of tension existing among individuals, groups, communities etc. It
is convinced that peace within is the only way to ensure calm outside.
So take care of yourself, and enjoy life! And remember: Preparation plus timing equals success. If you are
prepared when your time comes, you will be successful
Roohaniyat: 6-26-10: Good Morning South Florida and welcome to the world of Roohaniyat!
We are all very materialistic by nature: trying to run after money, material comforts and building assets. But
what really is our most valuable asset? Believe it or not, it is not money or material comforts. Our most valuable
and priceless asset is TIME.
Imagine that you had won the following prize in a contest:
Each morning your bank would deposit $ 86,400.00 in your private account for your use.
However, this prize had rules, just as any game has certain rules.
The first set of rules would be: -
Everything that you didn’t spend during each day would be taken away from you. You may not simply transfer money
into some other account. You may only spend it.
Each morning upon awakening, the bank opens your account with another $ 86,400.00 for that day.
The second set of rules is:
The bank can end the game without warning; at any time it can say, “It’s over, the game is over!” It can close the
account and you will not receive a new one. What would you personally do?
You would buy anything and everything you wanted, right? Not only for yourself, but also for all people you love?
Even for people you don’t know, because you couldn’t possibly spend it all on yourself, right?
You would try to spend every cent, and use it all, right?
ACTUALLY, THIS GAME IS REALITY!!
Each of us is in possession of such a “magical” bank.... we just can’t seem to see it.
THE MAGICAL BANK IS TIME!
Each awakening morning we receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life, and when we go to sleep at night, any
remaining time is NOT credited to us.
What we haven’t lived up that day is forever lost.... yesterday is forever gone.
Each morning the account is refilled, but the bank can dissolve your account at any time…WITHOUT WARNING. !! Which
means that our life can end any second!
WELL, what will you do with your 86,400 seconds? Aren’t they worth so much more than the same amount in dollars?
Think about that, and always think of this: -----Enjoy every second of your life, because time races by so much
quicker than you think. …And always remember that TIME has more value than Money.
Dirty dishes can be difficult, but they're even worse when you let them sit for a while. The longer they sit, the
harder they are to clean.
This is life. Something that is potentially easy to clean up right after it happens - an unkind word to your
father, a lie to your best friend, an insensitivity to your near and dear ones - can become a difficult mess if
you don't deal with it now.
Do your dishes today. Meet your problems halfway.
Human mind is the soil where all the evils like hatred, jealousy, violence and animosity are rooted, where they
germinate and grow. Even the most dangerous weapon may not harm unless there exists a mind to trigger it. We must,
therefore, make the mind occupied by God, the source of all that is good, noble, pure and sublime. This is how the
Universal Brotherhood seeks to tackle all kinds of tension existing among individuals, groups, communities etc. It
is convinced that peace within is the only way to ensure calm outside.
So take care of yourself, and enjoy life! And remember: Preparation plus timing equals success. If you are
prepared when your time comes, you will be successful.
Rohaniyat: 5-29-10: Today, in Rohaniyat, we’re talking about Anger.
Anger: is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is
poured.” Buddha said: Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone
else; when in reality, you are the one who gets burned because you are holding it. ”Anger is a feeling; it’s a
state of mind, a frustration within ourselves. When we expect something in life, either from someone or some-thing
and if we don’t get it, our expectations are not fulfilled, and we get angry.
There was once a little boy with a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he
lost his temper, he should hammer a nail in the back fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the
fence. Then it gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails
into the fence.
Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father
suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and
the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.
The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at
the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just
like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the
wound is still there. A verbal wound is just as bad as a physical one." Just like they say: Relationships are like
porcelain plate, Once broken, can be repaired, but a crack will always be there.
The best way to get away from anger is to release it. By talking to someone and by discussing our state of mind,
we can get rid of anger. We have a tendency not to explain our anger to people out in the community, because we
know that they are not going to understand our situation. But we usually take it out on our family members because
we know that they will understand and we tend to take them for granted. Just remember, anyone can pretend to be
nice to the outsiders. Our true nature is the one that we portray to the near and dear ones at home. What we are
at home, is our real self, because we need a comfort zone in which we can BE our own selves.
A Guruji once asked his disciples, 'Why do we shout in anger? Why do people shout at each other when they are
upset?' Disciples thought for a while, one of them said, 'Because we lose our calm, we shout for that.'
'But, why to shout when the other person is just next to you?' asked the Guru. 'Isn't it possible to speak to him
or her with a soft voice? Why do you shout at a person when you're angry?’ Disciples gave some other answers but
none satisfied the Guru.
Finally he explained, 'When two people are angry at each other, their hearts become distant from each other. To
cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will
have to shout to hear each other through that created distance.'
Then he asked, 'What happens when two people fall in love? They don't shout at each other but talk softly, why?
Because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is very small...'
Then he continued; the more they love each other, softer their speech leading into whispers. Finally they need not
even whisper, they only look at each other and that's all. That is how close two people are when they love each
other.'
MORAL: When you argue do not let your hearts get distant, do not say words that distance each other more, else
there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not find the path to return.
1. For every minute you are angry, you lose sixty seconds of happiness....
2. Anger begins with vengeance, ends with repentance...
3. An angry man opens his mouth and shuts his eyes...
4. Anger is a wind which blows out the lamp of the mind...
5. Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame...
6. Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret...
7. When anger rises, think of the consequences...
8. When angry, count to ten before you speak. If very angry count to one hundred...
9. The best remedy for a short temper is a long walk...
10. Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you are...
“Anger will never disappear so long as thoughts of resentment are cherished in the mind. Anger will disappear just
as soon as thoughts of resentment are forgotten.”
Keep smiling God has blessed only human being with smile. You will never see cows, donkeys or dogs smiling. Thank
God for this wonderful gift
Roohaniyat: 5-22-10: Good morning everyone and welcome to some more Roohani words!
Priorities in life make a world of difference as to how we live our lives. We all have to fix our list of
priorities so that we can live right. Make yourself, a list of what is important to you and prioritize them. The
important things should come first, and the little ones. When you are done, evaluate your list to determine where
on the list is GOD. Is He even on your list or not? When in doubt about the priorities in life, always remember
this little story:
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began,
wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty glass jar, and proceeded to fill it with little rocks.
He then asked the students, if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the rocks.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything
else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'
The professor then took out a pitcher of water from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar,
effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life."
"The rocks represent the big and the important things needed to run a smooth life – like God.
Things that if everything else was lost and only that remained, your life would still be Complete."
"The pebbles are the other things that matter like your family, relatives and friends."
"The sand represents the materialism in life- like your job, house, car etc." and the water: is everything else:
like the small stuff in life
"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same
goes for life: If you spend all your time and energy into the materialism of life, like focusing on money making
and the pleasures of life, and if you are doing that by God in the back seat, then sooner or later, your life will
be full of sand and water and you will have no room for the essential rock support of life. Take care of the rocks
first - The things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand and water."
When you face the sun, your shadow falls behind you. The sun represents God and the shadow represents the material
pleasures of life. If you face away from the sun, then your shadow is in front of you and seem to be chasing your
shadow.
Similarly, when you are chasing material pleasures, you put God behind you, but if you face God and put
materialism behind you, the material pleasures of life will automatically come behind you, because when you have
God, you have everything. God will make sure He blesses you with everything He renders important for you and your
life. It’s a give and take relationship. As long as you do your part right, God will surely do his part: only in
His own Godly way!
During the course of a single day, thousands of thoughts flow through our minds. Some of them give us life as they
build us up, while others tear us down and steal our hope.
We were not created to be ruled by negative thoughts. God's desire for us is to take control of our thoughts and
live life to the fullest, experiencing His goodness, favor and blessings no matter what we're facing. We can't
always control which thoughts come…but we can decide which ones we allow to stay around.
Roohaniyat: 5-15-10: Good Morning South Florida, and welcome to the world of Roohaniyat.
Roohaniyat-as you know, means spirituality!
A woman came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find her 5-year old son waiting for her at the door.
The son said: 'Mom, may I ask you a question?'
The mother said: 'Yeah sure, what is it?’ 'Mom, how much do you make an hour?' asked the son.
'That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?' the woman said angrily.
'I just wanna know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?'
The mother replied: 'Well, if you must know, I make $ 50 an hour.'
'Oh,' the little boy replied, with his head down. And then he said: 'Mom, may I please borrow $ 25?'
Hearing this, the mother was furious, 'If the only reason you asked how much money I make, is so you can borrow
some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed.
Think about why you are being so selfish. I don't work hard everyday for such childish nonsense.'
The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.
The woman sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such question
only to get some money?
After about an hour or so, the woman had calmed down, and started to think. Maybe there was something he really
needed to buy with the $ 25.00 and he really didn't ask for money very often.
So, she went to the little boy's room and opened the door.
'Are you asleep, son?' She asked. 'No Mom, I'm awake,' replied the boy.
'I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier' she said. 'It's been a long day and I took out my
aggravation on you. Here's the $ 25 you wanted.'
The little boy sat straight up, smiling. 'Oh, thank you Mother!' he exclaimed. Then, reaching under his pillow he
pulled out some crumpled up bills.
The woman saw that the boy already had some money, and started to get angry again.
The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his mother.
'Why do you want more money if you already have some?' the mother grumbled.
'Because I didn't have enough, but now I do,' the little boy replied.
'Mother, I have $ 50 now. Can I buy an hour of your time?
Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.'
The mother was crushed. She put her arms around her little son, and she begged for his forgiveness.
It's just a short reminder to all of us working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers
without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts. Do remember to share
$ 50 worth of your time with someone you love. If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could
easily replace us in a matter of hours. But the family & friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest
of their lives.
Remember: 'Time is now, tomorrow may never be'
God gives us resources and abilities, and He desires that we use them well. One such gift is TIME. In order to
manage our days effectively, we should continually review them: What activities did we choose? How long did each
one take? What were the results? This discipline will reveal what is most important to us. In looking closely at
our assessments, we can determine what drives our decisions about how to use time. Some people merely respond to
circumstances for a majority of their day. They jump from one thing to the next, answering phone calls,
reorganizing shelves, or doing anything that appears in their world at the moment. But this style of living misses
the mark.
Other people spend their time according to desires. They want to relax, so they get home and watch television for
the evening. Or they love to hunt, so they use their time to research equipment and locate wildlife in the forest.
Desires are not bad, but they should not drive the bulk of our actions.
If you itemize your activities and their time consumption over the course of a week, you might be surprised at the
dominating events. Each moment is a gift, so set aside a few minutes each evening to plan. Then revisit the way
you spent the last 24 hours. This will help you to live purposefully because TIME once gone, will never come back.
Like Henry Van Dyke once said: Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for
those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.
Roohaniyat: 4-17-10: Good Morning and welcome to the world of Roohaniyat. Today we are talking about the
difference between "Sukh" and "Khushi"
Whereas Sukh is a state of Comfort that produces Contentment,
Khushi, on the other hand, is Happiness: which is short-lived and temporary and is associated more with our
feelings.
Khushi is a FEELING, which originates from the mind.
Sukh is a platform obtained from a "surrendered" STATE OF MIND.
MAYAVI SUKH (Materialistic SUKH): For as long as the AC is running at a comfortable temperature, our body is in a
state of Sukh: it is comfortable. The minute the temperature gets too cold or warm, our body gets uncomfortable
and experiences DUKH and demands Sukh: comfort. This is 'Mayavi Sukh'. Our daily comforts that help us live a
comfortable life are all forms of Materialistic Sukh.
ROOHANI SUKH (Spiritual SUKH): When we go to a bank and deposit a large amount of money, the teller does not
become "Happy" that he got a lot of money. Neither does he become "SAD" if we withdraw a large amount from our
account. Whether the money comes in, or goes away, he does not take it personally. It doesn't make any difference
to him. He knows that the money does not belong to him; he is merely doing his job of processing transactions.
Similarly, if we understand the fact that we have surrendered to God and now our "Tan, Man & Dhan" (body, mind and
material possessions) belong to Him, then there is no reason to become happy or sad if we see a gain or loss in
any of these possessions. Life is just like a bank in which daily transactions of SUKH and DUKH take place. "Don't
take it personally!"
When we are unaffected with these daily transactions of DUKH and SUKH, we reach a balanced state of mind, called:
"SEHAJ AWASTHA" then happiness does not make us happy anymore and sorrow does not make us sad anymore. We are
constantly in a "Content" state of mind where materialism does not affect us anymore. We get connected to the
spiritual self and are in a state of Sukh at all times, regardless of our material comforts.
This state of 'Sehaj Awastha' is called Roohani Sukh or Celestial Bliss!
KHUSHI is mostly obtained from material pleasures, which initially feels great and make us feel happy but later
can reverse itself e.g.: when someone buys a car, he or she becomes very happy but if the same car starts to give
mechanical problems, it becomes the source of Dukh for us. Achievements in life and careers, material gains and
fun that entertains our mind, are sources of Khushi.
Any form of Happiness or Khushi, that comes from a source of Spiritual happiness, transforms itself into Spiritual
Sukh e.g.: Satsangs, Samagams, or a spiritual environment which brings bliss to our mind.
Happiness, in its materialistic form, is KHUSHI!
KHUSHI, when given a Spiritual form, is SUKH!
In other words, Happiness that gives us material pleasures is KHUSHI, but if the same happiness benefits our soul
into blissful ecstasy, we experience SUKH!
We can get permanent happiness i.e. Sukh only after attaching ourselves with the permanent Almighty God.
"Je Sukh ko chahe sada, sharan Ram ki le"
Take the shelter of Almighty God i.e. " jo zarre zarre mein Ramma hua hai", to get permanent happiness or Bliss
or Anand.
The only difference between SUKH and DUKH is our state of mind. What ever the Almighty does is in relation to
every person: six billion of us. Our problem is personal if we do not like it, then it becomes DUKH it may be SUKH
for all others.
If you take the words SUKH & DUKH in both words KH is same here KH is used for Indries (sense organs) anything we
find according to our indries, we feel the state of SUKH and if it is not satisfy to our indries we are in state
of Dukh.
We all strive for Bliss and Happiness as the main goal of our lives.
All the PLEASURES in the world can give us kushi but only CONTENTMENT will give us Sukh.
If we are content with the car we drive, the house we own, the life we live, there will be happiness in each
moment. If we are not striving for more all the time, we will be able to enjoy the present otherwise we keep
wasting our present to make our tomorrow better. At the same time contentment does not mean to limit ourselves but
to perform our actions with best of our ability and enjoy the results.
A devotee with complete surrender can enjoy the pleasure of all materialistic objects and achieve happiness
through contentment. He understands that all material possessions are temporary and are bestowed upon by the true
master. He uses objects to extend comfort to everyone without discrimination and is always content because of the
understanding that all objects are for lease and the owner: God has the ultimate rights to withdraw the permission
of use. Till the time we have surrendered to God, our life will be full of comfort and happiness!
Roohaniyat: 4-03-10. A very Good Morning to all the listeners.
A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and a four-year-old grandson. The old man's hands
trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly
grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor.
When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.
The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. 'We must do something about father,' said the son.
'I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.'
So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the
family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.
When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone.
Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.
The four-year-old watched it all in silence.
One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child
sweetly, 'What are you making?' Just as sweetly, the boy responded, 'Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and
Mama to eat your food in when I grow up. ' The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.
The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though
no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.
That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table.
For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason,
neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth
soiled.
Always listen to your Elder's advices. Not because they are always RIGHT but because they have more experiences of
being WRONG.
Remember that, no matter what happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.
Remember that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles four things:
a rainy day, the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.
Remember that, regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your
life.
Remember that making a 'living' is not the same thing as making a 'life..'
Remember that life sometimes gives you a second chance.
Remember that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw
something back sometimes.
Remember that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the
needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you
Remember that whenever we decide something with an open heart, we usually make the right decision.
Remember that even when we have pains, we don't have to be one..
Remember that every day, you should reach out and touch someone.
Remember that we still have a lot to learn.
To have good relations with all, we should keep our nature like a theatre screen, It accepts all characters but
remains peacefully white.
Its said life is a boomerang, what goes around comes around.
You might not get the same love or respect from the same person at the same time but be assured that all the
good deeds will be paid one day..for example when you sow a seed it doesn’t give you the fruits immediately but
after sowing the seed you will have to nurture it, nourish it then it will become a small plant, then a tree and
then the flowers will come and the will come the fruits, It takes years and wont happen overnight… it’s a process
and it wont go waste. Some times you might be loved back and sometimes not, but don’t give up… continue to do good
and be good.
Roohaniyat: 3-27-10: Good Morning everyone and welcome to the Roohaniyat world!
The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to
rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually
managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.
One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the
sky. He felt that the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and
anger. He cried out, "God! How could you do this to me?"
Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him! "How
did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.
It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our
lives, even in the midst of our pain and suffering. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be
burning to the ground, it just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.
Since childhood, my mother had my mind tuned to become a dentist when I grow up. I was so focused on the fact that
I will grow up to be a dentist that I forgot that God had His own plans lined up for me. I took up medical
subjects in college but after 2 years into college, I got married. I was in a boarding in college, so I decided to
come back home and just to kill time till my visa came, I took up a Hotel Management course, which was closer to
home and convenient. Little did I realize that it would take a long long time till my immigration paperwork would
go through….because God: had His own plans for me. Not only did I end up finishing that course, but I also
finished my internship in Chandigarh: And then, my visa came.
When I came to Florida, I found out that was no Dental school here locally and being a new mother, I could not
imagine leaving my daughter behind to go to school, out of town. So, I had to give up my dreams of becoming a
dentist, but then opportunity knocked my door and I got into the Assisted Living business in 1997. Assisted Living
is something like a “Retirement Home for the Elderly” but it comes along with medical services. After I got into
the business, I found out that Nova University in Davie had started a Dental program, but by then, my choice of
career had already changed. God had made sure that there was No local dental program at the time when I was
looking.
After I started the business, I realized that Assisted Living business is actually a hotel except that the guests
here are all elderly and frail residents. I then realized that God had His own perfect plan for me. He always knew
that this is the line that was meant for me, so He had a purpose for sending me to the Hotel Management School. He
also had a purpose for setting my mind to Dentistry, because that developed my interest into the medical field.
So, I decided to take up Nursing to perfect myself in my Assisted Living field. Around the same time, I found out
that our Guru ji: Baba Hardev Singh ji was visiting America, but because I could not go to visit Him, I happened
to talk to a fellow devotee who was able to see Him and asked him to seek blessings for me. I happened to tell him
that I was going into Nursing because I started this business. After some time, I got a call back from him saying
that he was able to seek blessings from Guruji, but when he casually mentioned that I was starting nursing school,
our Guruji’s wife: who we call Mataji, told him: No, tell her not to do nursing, instead she should do something
in Computers.
When he gave me the message, I was taken aback. “What do I have to do with computers?” I thought. I had nothing
what so ever to do in that field, and of course, it only made sense to do nursing. Nevertheless, my faith was
strong and I totally believed in surrender, so I took the instructions as a blessing and for the next 2 years, I
took up short courses in computers. It was only when I started the computer classes, I realized that the spare
parts box under the table was actually the computer and not the computers toolbox. And I also realized that
computers did not have any TV’s, they only had Monitors.
Our facility was being inspected by the state one day, and I casually mentioned to the inspector that I had
planned for nursing school, thinking that the inspector will be impressed by my inclination to do my job better.
Instead, the inspector told me that if I had gone in for nursing school, the state would not have let me practice
nursing on our own patients, because under the Florida law, practicing nursing on your own facility patients is
considered a “Conflict Of Interest”. He showed my how my computer courses could help my in my business with the
patient documentation, medication charts and the entire medical paperwork to run an Assisted Living Facility more
efficiently. Today, I can see how the entire business is based on computers and that how medical subjects and
experience have taught me what I needed for the medical part of the business.
Blessed were all those moments when God did not give me what I wanted, because those moments were the very
moments, when God was working on giving me what I actually needed. Today, when I look back, I realize how God had
made me for what I do and He worked on me and trained me to do my job to the best of my capability.
When I asked God for Strength, He gave me difficult situations to Face.
When I asked God for Brain and Brown, He gave me puzzles in Life to solve.
When I asked God for Happiness, He showed me some unhappy people.
When I asked God for Wealth, He showed me how to work hard.
When I asked God for Favors, He gave me opportunities to work hard.
When I asked God for Peace, He showed me how to help the weak and the frail.
God gave me Nothing that I WANTED, Instead, He gave me Everything that I NEEDED.
Next time, when things don’t go your way, remember that God has a better plan in the Making: A plan that will
result in a better and a brighter you! …Because God’s ways are always Right!
Because, Faith is not “Hoping” that God CAN, but it is “Knowing” that He WILL!
Roohaniyat- 3-13-10: Good Morning everyone and welcome to a few more words on Roohaniyat.
When we ALL agree with the fact that there is ONLY One God, that means: your God, my God, his God and her God is
the same. Then why is the world today fighting on the basis of Religion? Why are we so intolerant of each other's
beliefs when everyone's aim is to reach the same one God?
If Adam and Eve were the first humans on earth and if the entire human civilization originated from them, then we
ALL are supposed to related to each other, with Adam and Eve being our ancestral parents. Why then are we
intolerant of each other? If you come to think of it, SO WHAT if the other person does not speak the same language
as me, SO WHAT if their way thinking does not match mine, SO WHAT if their eating and dressing habits are
different from mine……whats the big deal? These are all the petty things in life! In everything that is petty, just
tell yourself: SO WHAT!
Focus on the more important things in life, things that actually matter! For instance: Who am I? What is my
goal/aim in life? Why am I here? Or who is God? Where is God? Do I really know the God that I worship everyday?
We all live our day-to-day lives with an immense amount of struggle, stress and tensions, and we all have a heavy
baggage of problems that we are constantly trying to tackle from moment to moment. Little do we all realize that
it is easier to surrender to God and let Him handle our lives, than have to struggle from moment to moment without
accomplishment. Man today keeps insisting that he does not have time for God! If only he realized that if you take
out time for God, there will be no time for problems. If only we took out the time to understand what really God
expects from us! If we understand how we should live our lives, we will be eliminating most of our problems and
hence diminishing the stress.
I have been using a Blackberry cell phone for many years, but my phone recently started giving problems and I had
to upgrade my phone. I ended up with a better and newer version of Blackberry. After about a month's use, I
realized that I still hadn't understood all the applications on this new gadget and that I was wasting a lot of
time trying to understand them. So, in order to benefit my business practices, I called my phone company and they
made an appointment for me with my local cell phone provider, to give me a tutorial to help me understand the
phone. Within about half an hour, I understood how to document medical notes on our patients while I'm on the
move, how to log into accounts and how to import them into the business computers, just from my phone. After I
received this little "technical enlightenment", I realized how "enlightenment" is so vital to making the best out
of life. My tiny phone helped me see the bigger picture of life.
I realized that we all have been living our lives for many years, but unless and until we face problems, we don't
get the benefit of upgrading our outlook towards life. We all keep struggling in life, thinking that sooner or
later, we will be able to figure out life, but as a result we end up wasting precious years of life and then, one
fine day, when it is too late, we wake up realizing that life just whizzed by and we did not really accomplish
much. The tutorial on the phone opened up my eyes to the fact that the little phone wasn't just a means to talk,
but an essential tool to smoothly run business operations. It is only when we give ourselves the opportunity of a
teacher or a Guru, who teaches us the right path, we get a better understanding of how to handle life's day-to-day
operations.
Once again, focus on all of the essential questions of life: Who am I? What is my goal/aim in life? Why am I here?
Or who is God? Where is God? Do I really know the God that I worship everyday?
These questions get answered only if we have the good fortune of meeting a teacher or a Guru. A Guru who teaches
the "Truth" or the "satya" is a "Satguru" . They say: "Gur bin Gyan no hoye". Without a guru, knowledge or
enlightenment is not possible. And God- Realization is Self-Realization. The Bible says: "Know God Ye worship".
Fortunate are those who are blessed with a teacher to guide them on the path of life.
God is one, omnipresent, formless everywhere. We know this but to believe it we need to be able to relate to God.
A Guru makes it easier for us to relate to God. The most important purpose of a Guru is to be a bridge between man
and God. His form exists to give us guidance and an opportunity to learn the way to live an ideal life.
If we want to boil a pot of water on a stove, then we take a pot, put in the water and put it on the fire. All
three entities are vital to this process: the water, the fire and the pot. If anyone of these are missing, the
process will not take place. In essence, the source that heats is the fire, which depicts the role of God. The
entity that needs to be modified: the water, which depicts us human beings and the Medium that allows the process
is the pot: which depicts the Guru. The Guru plays the role of a Medium between God and Man. He introduces us to
God and teaches us how to walk the path of righteousness.
When Man complained to God that He did not send him with a 'Manual' on 'How to live life',
God recognized the issue and decided to send Man "Life's Tech-support" in a form called the "Satguru"
Roohaniyat: 3-7-10: Good Morning Florida and welcome to the Roohaniyat world! What we are discussing today, is the
“Art of Giving”
"Rivers do not drink their own water, nor do trees eat their own fruit, nor do rain clouds eat the grains reared
by them. The wealth of the noble is used solely for the benefit of others?
Even after accepting, that giving is good and that one must learn to give, several questions need to be answered.
The first question is WHEN SHOULD ONE GIVE?
We all know the famous incident from The Mahabharata.
Yudhisthir, asks a beggar seeking alms to come the next day. On this, Bhim rejoices, that Yudhisthir his brother,
has conquered death! For he is sure that he will be around tomorrow to give. Yudhisthir gets the message. One does
not know really whether one will be there tomorrow to give!
The time to give therefore is NOW.
The next question is HOW MUCH TO GIVE?
One recalls the famous incident from history. Rana Pratap was reeling after defeat from the Mughals. He had lost
his army, he had lost his wealth, and most important he had lost hope, his will to fight. At that time in his
darkest hour, his erstwhile minister Bhamasha came seeking him and placed his entire fortune at the disposal of
Rana Pratap. With this, Rana Pratap raised an army and lived to fight another day. The answer to this question is
"GIVE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN!
The next question is WHAT TO GIVE?
It is not only money that can be given. It could be a flower or even a smile. It is not how much one gives but how
one gives that really matters. When you give a smile to a stranger that may be the only good thing received by him
in days and weeks!
"You can give ANYTHING but you must give with your heart!
One also needs answer to the question WHOM TO GIVE?
Many times we avoid giving by finding fault with the person who is seeking. However, being judgmental and
rejecting a person on the presumption that he may not be the most deserving is not justified.
“GIVE WITHOUT BEING JUDGEMENTAL!
Next we have to answer HOW TO GIVE?
Coming to the manner of giving, one has to ensure that the receiver does not feel humiliated, nor the giver feels
proud by giving. In giving, follow the advice, ’Let not your left hand know what your right hand gives? Charity
without publicity and fanfare is the highest form of charity. GIVE QUIETLY!
While giving let not the recipient feel small or humiliated. After all what we give never really belonged to us.
We come to this world with nothing and will go with nothing. The thing gifted was only with us for a temporary
period. Why then take pride in giving away something, which really did not belong to us? Give with grace and with
a feeling of gratitude.
WHAT SHOULD ONE FEEL AFTER GIVING?
We all know the story of Eklavya. When Dronacharya asked him for his right thumb as "Guru Dakshina? He
unhesitatingly cut off the thumb and gave it to Dronacharya.
There is a little known sequel to this story. Eklavya was asked whether he ever regretted the act of giving away
his thumb. He replied, and the reply has to be believed to be true, as it was asked to him when he was dying.
His reply was "Yes! I regretted this only once in my life. It was when Pandavas were coming in to kill Dronacharya
who was broken hearted on the false news of death of his son Ashwathama and had stopped fighting. It was then that
I regretted the loss of my thumb. If the thumb was there, no one could have dared hurt my Guru?
The message to us is clear. GIVE AND NEVER REGRET GIVING!
And the last question is HOW MUCH SHOULD WE PROVIDE FOR OUR HEIRS?
Ask yourself 'are we taking away from them, the gift of work’? - A source of happiness!
The answer is given by Warren Buffett: "LEAVE YOUR KIDS ENOUGH TO DO ANYTHING, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO DO NOTHING! I
would conclude by saying: let us learn the Art of Giving, and quoting Sant Kabir:
"When the wealth in the house increases, when water fills a boat, Throw them out with both hands!
This is the wise thing to do.
Roohaniyat: 2-20-10: Good Morning everyone and welcome to the world of Roohaniyat!
Ruth went to her mailbox and there was only one letter. She picked it up and looked at it before opening, but then
she looked at the envelope again. There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address.
She read the letter: Dear Ruth: I'm going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I'd like to stop by
for a visit. Love Always, Jesus
Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. 'Why would the Lord want to visit me?
I'm nobody special. I don't have anything to offer.'
With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets.
'Oh my goodness, I really don't have anything to offer. I'll have to run down to the store and buy something for
dinner.'
She reached for her purse and counted out its contents. Five dollars and forty cents!
Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least.' She threw on her coat and hurried out the door.
A loaf of French bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk...leaving Ruth with grand total of
twelve cents to last her until Monday.
Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm.
'Hey lady, can you help us lady?' Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans; she hadn't even noticed two
figures huddled in the alleyway.
A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags.
'Look lady, I ain't got a job, you know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now
it's getting cold and we're getting kinda hungry and, well, if you could help us. Lady, we'd really appreciate
it.'
Ruth looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and frankly, she was certain that they could get some
kind of work if they really wanted to.
'Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I'm
having an important guest for dinner and I was planning on serving that to Him.'
'Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway.'
The man put his arm around the woman's shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley. As she watched them
leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart.
'Sir, wait!' The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them.
'Look! Why don't you take this food? I'll figure out something else to serve my guest.' She handed the man her
grocery bag. 'Thank you lady! Thank you very much!'
'Yes, thank you!' It was the man's wife, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering
'you know, I've got another coat at home. Here, why don't you take this one.'
Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman's shoulders. Then smiling, she turned and walked back to
the street...without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest.
'Thank you lady! Thank you very much!'
Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too. The Lord was coming to visit and she
didn't have anything to offer Him. She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed
another envelope in her mailbox.
'That's odd. The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day.' A similar envelope: No stamp!
Dear Ruth: It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal. And thank you, too, for the beautiful
coat. Love Always, Jesus
The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed.
We come across situations when the Lord Himself comes to meet us, sometimes in the form of a teller, a cashier, a
guest…..you never know in which form. There are other times, when he uses these people as a medium to reach out to
us, to give us His message. Most often we overlook these instances as mere coincidences.
We all are human beings first, then, a Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or Christian. Lets all act as Humans first, lets
practice humanity at all times because God exists in every human being.
The next time you end up hurting someone's feelings or are cruel to someone, be aware, that God exists in the
human being that you just were unkind to.
And remember: Kindness is the language that the dumb can speak, deaf can hear & even blind can see.
Roohaniyat: 2-13-10: Good Morning Florida!….and a very Happy Valentines Day to you all, for tomorrow!
We are all meant to serve a purpose. Some of us recognize the purpose why we are here, in this world and some us
just think that we were born to make money, raise children and maintain a household. In our day-to-day lives, we
interact with many people and our actions- whether good or bad, sometimes establish a home in other's memories.
One day, a freshman in high school, called Justin, saw a kid from his class walking home from school. His name
was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. Justin thought to himself, 'Why would anyone bring home
all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd.'
Justin had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with his friends Saturday afternoon), so he
shrugged his shoulders and went on. As he was walking, he saw a bunch of kids running towards Kyle. They ran into
him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying,
and Justin saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him... He looked up and saw this terrible sadness in
Kyle's eyes.
His heart went out to him. So, he jogged over to Kyle as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and saw a tear
in his eye. As he handed him his glasses, Justin said, 'Those guys are jerks.' Kyle looked at Justin and said,
'Hey thanks!' There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude. Justin
helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near him, so he asked him
why he had never seen him before. Kyle said he had gone to private school until now. They talked all the way home,
and Justin carried some of his books. Kyle turned out to be a pretty cool kid. Justin asked him if he wanted to
play a little football with his friends. He said yes. They hung out all weekend and the more Justin got to know
Kyle, the more he liked him, and his friends thought the same of him.
Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. Justin stopped him and said, 'Boy, you
are gonna build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday! ' Kyle just laughed and handed him half the
books.
Over the next four years, Kyle and Justin became best friends... When they were seniors they began to think about
college. Kyle decided on Georgetown and Justin was going to Duke. They knew that they would always be friends,
that the miles would never be a problem. Kyle was going to be a doctor and Justin was going for business on a
football scholarship.. Kyle was valedictorian of their class. Justin teased him all the time about being a nerd.
Graduation came and Kyle had to prepare a speech for graduation. On Graduation day, Kyle looked great. He was one
of those kids who really found himself during high school. Justin saw him and could see that he was nervous about
his speech. So, he smacked him on the back and said, 'Hey, big guy, you'll be great!' Kyle looked at Justin with
one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled. Thanks,' he said. As he started his speech, he cleared
his throat, and began: 'Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your
parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends.... I am here to tell all of you
that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story.' Justin just
looked at his friend with disbelief as he told about the first day they had met. Kyle had planned to kill himself
over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was
carrying his stuff home. Kyle looked hard at Justin and gave him a little smile. 'Thankfully, I was saved. My
friend saved me from doing the unspeakable..' Justin heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular
boy told everyone all about his weakest moment. He saw Kyle's Mom and dad looking at him and smiling that same
grateful smile. Not until that moment did Justin realize, the depth of his actions.
Never underestimate the power of your actions.. With one small gesture you can change a person's life. For better
or for worse. God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another in some way. Look for God in others.
Remember the little girl who was walking on the shore, where hundreds of starfish had washed ashore. She was
picking up each one and throwing the starfish back into the ocean. A passerby saw her and laughed: "There are
hundreds of them, do you really think you'll be able to make a difference?" The little girl picked up another
starfish and as she threw it back in the water, she said: "It sure made a difference to that one" For that one
starfish that just went back into the water, it made the difference of life and death.
We might not be able to change the whole world, but God had granted us with the absolute capability to surely be
able to make a difference.
Past is history. Future is a mystery. Present is a gift: so cherish it and make the best of it!
Tomorrow is Valentine's Day! Make sure you show spiritual love to everyone you come across, because you never know
to what degree, your actions will make a difference!!
Roohaniyat-2-6-10 A very Good Morning to all the listeners and welcome to a few more words on Roohaniyat.
Most of us worship and pray to God in some form or the other. Hence, most of us are devotees of some degree or
another. How devoted are we or how loyal is our devotion? How do we rate our devotion? How do we know, where we
stand on the path of devotion?
There are FOUR types of devotees in this world: There are AARTH Bhakt, AARTHAARTHI Bhakt, JIGAASU Bhakt and GYANI
Bhakt.
1: -AARTH means money or material assets. AARTH Bhakt is the devotees who worships God for material possessions or
comforts. These devotees constantly try to bargain and barter with GOD: Dear God, give me this and in return I
shall give you that. They make promises to God if their desires are fulfilled. "I will go to the temple and donate
this many dollars worth of prasaad". Or they make commitments of pilgrimage or other sacrifices if God gives them
what they want. God is the entity that is NOT limited to material promises in return. If we live our life right
and serve humanity: his creation, we are doing everything that God expects from us. A 5, 10 or 20-dollar prasaad
is not going to make Him happy if we are not living as per His guidelines.
Besides, what do we give to the supernatural, the creator, and the ever so powerful? The one who can turn a
millionaire into a beggar and a beggar into a millionaire overnight?…..we don't have possessions worth enough to
give to God. Our spirituality is the biggest possession we have, so make it as rich as you can!
2:- The second kind of bhakts or devotees are AARTHAARTHI bhakts. These are the devotees who worship God for some
kind of fear. It could either be fear from the society, relatives and friends, to fit in, or fear of God. They
worship God, not for the reason that they love God and are grateful, or genuinely believe that God is great, but
for the fact that if they do not do so, then something might go wrong, OR what will people say!
Aarthaarthi Bhatks will read scriptures and do path several times a day or week, just because they believe that
they have to establish that they are religious, but in the interim, they do not even know what they are reading…
The scriptures were written to teach us how to live our life and how to worship God...and if we do not know what
we are reading, then how in the world, are we going to learn from them? The scriptures were meant to be practiced
in life, not to be practiced as a ritual.
Devotees will go to the temple on religious occasions merely to establish the fact that they ARE religious. Such
devotees believe a lot in rituals and traditions, overlooking the fact that because God is everywhere, He can be
worshiped anywhere. We go to a temple, mosque or church, not because there is "More" God in there and "less" God
elsewhere, but for the fact that it is the perfect environment to purify our thoughts and redirect our minds
towards spirituality. We go there for an environment that our soul desperately needs. They say: " Khuda who hargiz
Khuda nahin hai, jo udhar to hai, par idhar nahin hai". That God, is not God if He is exists over there, but does
not exist over here! If you know God: who He is and where He is, you WILL begin to see Him around you and inside
you.
Majority of the world of devotees today, falls in these two categories. Ideally aim to be the either a Jigaasu
bhakt or a Gyani bhakt.
3:-A JIGAASU bhakt is a devotee who has the curiosity, the urge and the longing to know God: and that's what
Jigaasa means. These devotees rise above and beyond materialistic needs and wants, and genuinely love God and are
grateful to Him for everything that they have. They want to seek God and make a genuine effort to live life as per
God's rules and principles. They try to understand spirituality and decipher and comprehend the scriptures. A
Jigaasu bhakt is open to learning from all angles because their focus is one God and they are not limited to
religious barriers and rites & rituals. When a good student prepares for exams, he tries to benefit from whichever
books & notes he can get to, to enhance his knowledge on the subject. He does not discriminate on the basis of the
background of the books because he does not want to limit his knowledge. Similarly, a Jigaasu bhakt does not limit
his spiritual knowledge to religious barriers and practices. Since He understands that everyone, worships the same
one God, he is open to knowledge that leads to enlightenment.
4:-The last and the best of all devotees are the GYANI bhakts or the enlightened ones. Although, there are few
chosen ones who are blessed with God-Knowledge, these devotees have the spiritual knowledge that has given them
the awareness and the understanding of God. Such devotees are able to see and feel the formless God around them.
Such devotees have transformed their lives into total surrender to God because they have a clear understanding of
God-Realization and Self-Realization. Blessed are those who can rise above human barriers and understand the fact
that ultimately they are only answerable to God. Such devotees have a clear understanding between materialism and
spiritualism and are able to live a perfect spiritual life in this materialistic world.
Until next week, Remember that:
We are not HUMAN BEINGS having a spiritual experience,
instead, we are SPIRITUAL BEINGS having a Human Experience
Roohaniyat: 01-03-2010
A very Good Morning to everyone and on behalf of all the members of Universal Brotherhood, we wish all the
listeners, a very Happy New Year!!! This year, we wish that you all, are able to make a difference: A difference,
in your lives, your environment and this world!!!
We hope and pray that this year, you would be able to practice Spirituality, in the right sense!!! And today, we'd
like to talk about how to practice Spirituality the right way.
To become SPIRITUAL, you first have to be humane and practice HUMANITY. One cannot be Spiritual, if they lack
humanity. And to practice the Humanity factor, one must first aim to be a SAINT.
A saint is not a person who is wearing a robe, walking around seeking alms, as we Indians, traditionally picture a
saint to be. Instead, a Saint is someone who lives his life as per God's rules and follows the scriptures. In
today's world, a saint can be found in a pair of jeans and sneakers!!! A saint is determined, not from what he is
wearing or how he looks, but from how he lives his life. Becoming a saint, does not mean giving up the
materialistic world. A true saint knows exactly how to create the perfect balance between the materialistic world
and the spiritual world.
This year, aim on living your life like a SAINT because only a saint knows how to live spiritually, in this
materialistic world. There are three steps to follow, if you want to aim on living like a saint: just remember the
rule of the 3 S's!….It's SEWA, SATSANG & SIMRAN. Each of these "S" factors, further involve 3 aspects.
1. SEWA: is service: Service to mankind! Sewa is done in a GIVING MODE. When you serve others, serve irrespective
of their caste, color or religious background. Just serve humans, with humanity! Sewa, should be "Nishkaam":
without any benefits in return. When the left hands gives, the right hand should not even find out. You normally
do sewa in 3 ways: with your "tan, man & dhan": your BODY, MIND and WEALTH. Doing sewa with your body involves
physical work towards doing something for someone. Eg: physically going somewhere to run errands & chores for
someone who is old or incapable, rendering care to the sick, donating blood, cooking for the hungry, cleaning and
volunteering for your respective places of worship etc.
Sewa by mind, is wishing well for others and praying for their well being. Sewa by mind is also compromising to
keep Harmony. Whenever we do sewa, our mind has to first become humble and give up the "I" factor. Never think
that I: did something. Feel fortunate that God chose you to serve someone. Don't forget that if He wanted, He
could have easily done it Himself. Instead, He blessed YOU, with the opportunity. Every time we do sewa, always
remember that we are just a medium via which God is getting something done. Hence, the importance of being humble.
The minute we think that WE have done something, just take it, that we just flushed down all our efforts of sewa!
Sewa is also done by spending your money for the benefit of others who are incapable. Buying food or groceries for
the poor, medicines or treatments for the ones who cannot afford them, or spending your money to benefit the
community because someone's gotta do it!!!
2. The next S factor is SATSANG: or Congregation! Which is done in a RECEIVING MODE. Satsang means "sat ka sang"
:the company of the truth. We all need to go to school or college to get materialistic knowledge. Similarly, we
need to go to congregations and spiritual seminars to earn spiritual awareness. These are the grounds to seek
inspiration and motivation to stay on the right track. The world today lacks spiritual knowledge and hence the
motivation to remain spiritual, mainly because congregations or staying in the company of saints is not given
enough importance. Just like the body needs food to keep it going, the Soul also requires nourishment with
spiritual knowledge. A Satsang requires 3 aspects as well: GOING, LISTENING and IMBIBING: Your mind will always
rationalize with you telling you that it is not a priority. But YOU, have to make the effort to GO to a satsang
and then leave it up to GOD to help you learn. Making that initial effort to GO to a congregation, is vital to
transforming you into a 21st century saint. To benefit yourself from a congregation, you have to LISTEN and switch
yourself into the receiving mode, because only then, will you be able to learn. And lastly, make sure your IMBIBE
everything you hear, into your life. A true satsang starts AFTER you leave a satsang, because how much you imbibe
into your life, determines how spiritual you are.
3. The last S factor is SIMRAN: or meditating upon God's name, or simply praying to God. Simran, should always be
done in a NEUTRAL MODE. Ideally, a prayer should not be asking for materialistic benefits. A prayer should involve
3 steps to ACKNOWLEDGE God, SURRENDER to God and SEEK from God. Acknowledge the fact that God, and God alone is
the formless, all powering source, surrender yourself to Him and seek His forgiveness and blessings. A perfect
prayer is as follows:
Dear Formless God, I surrender to thee, please forgive me and bless me!!!
Put yourself in a neutral frame of mind and meditate upon his name. Thinking about God and the awareness that He
is around us, is also Simran.
Remember, we all have to eventually leave this world, and when we go, the only thing we take along is our
Spiritual knowledge! Everything else is materialistic and is left behind. So invest in spirituality, it's the most
precious asset you can possess and every time you do Sewa, Satsang or Simran, its yet another installment paid
towards that eternal investment.
This year we wish you all, lots of Sewa, Satsang, Simran, and Spirituality
