RADIO RUHANIYAT: 4-14-2012. MATERIALSIM Vs SPIRITUALISMLife is like a flowing river and we are afloat trying to maintain a balance between the two banks of
that river. If we get too close to either side of the banks, the water flow decreases and we don’t move
forward at the same pace. Materialism and Spiritualism are just like the two banks of a river and we
have to constantly maintain a balance between the two ends. Going too much towards either side, creates
stagnation in the pace at which we move forward in life.
Whereas Spiritualism is our goal, materialism is the means by which we reach our goal. Both are just as
important. God gave us a soul which begets Spiritualism for its required nourishment. At the same time,
our body is indicative of materialism. Spiritualism needs materialism in the same way as the soul needs
a body to reach its goal of Nirvana.
We are like a boat sailing in the ocean. Even though the boat needs the water to sail, yet if the water
comes into the boat, it will drown. We need the materialism as our ocean: the means to sail through
life. Yet, we should not let it “enter” us, or else we will drown into it. Our life should be led in
such a way that we use materialism for our survival, yet we don’t make it our goal in life. It is when
we detour from our path of spirituality that we fail to achieve our spiritual goal of Moksha. Even
though we have to survive in this materialistic world, yet our life should be so pure that we don’t let
materialism pollute our spiritual minds.
PEOPLE WERE MEANT TO BE LOVED AND THINGS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE USED.
INSTEAD, WE LOVE THINGS AND USE PEOPLE!!!
A perfect example of living in the material world, yet not letting it affect us, is that of a lotus
flower. The lotus lives in ponds where it is surrounded by dirt, yet its petals never get dirty. The
petals produce a thin waxy film which doesn’t let the water cling to the petals. Even though it lives
in a muddy environment, yet the lotus does not let the dirt affect its vibrant glow. We need to create
a film of spirituality around us so that materialism cannot find its way in. We live in a materialistic
environment in which it is very easy to indulge ourselves. It is when we forget spiritualism that we
find ourselves on an extreme edge which is far away from the ultimate goal.
Everything that will ultimately perish, is nothing but materialism: our homes, cars, possessions….to
the extent that our loved ones: brothers, sisters, parents, children, spouses….every relationship will
eventually perish! If there is anything that will always remain, is the relationship between our soul
and the Super-soul: God! When we leave this world, everything that we possess, is left behind; not even
a needle goes along with us. The one thing that we do take along is our spiritual knowledge. So, invest
in spirituality, because that is our ultimate asset. The soul needs its nourishment from spirituality,
just like the body needs its nutrition. Live in this world with the survival mantra of: ‘DETACHED
ATTACHMENT’. We need attachment with the material world, only to the degree that we feel motivated
enough to fulfill our worldly duties towards everyone that makes up our world, yet we need to stay
detached so that our focus always remains on our ultimate goal of liberating our soul from its
materialistic cycles.
His Holiness Baba Hardev Singh ji has beautifully explained: "There are two types of people in the
world - those who regard this world as everything and believe in spending their lives in thoroughly
enjoying all the pleasures, giving top priority to physical comforts; and those who consider this world
to be transitory and say that they do not want to get entangled in physical pleasures and comforts.
They adopt all sorts of different means to attain spiritual bliss and talk of renouncing the world. But
the ones who are God-realized souls do not agree with both these extreme points of view. They believe
that the world is neither a place to get attached nor detached. They have a wider outlook. Even while
living in the world, they stay detached from it. They fulfill their worldly obligations as a part of
their duty and not as the very objective of their lives."
And always remember: WE ARE NOT HUMAN BEINGS HAVING A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE,
WE ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS, HAVING A HUMAN EXPERIENCE!!!!!!!
RUHANIYAT: 4-07-2012. THE FIVE ELEMENTS.
“Punj tattan dey putley vaikho, vakho-vakh insaan baney, Koi hindu, tey sikh isaai, koi ney musalman
baney”
We all have the same exact ingredients that make up a human body. Yet we divide ourselves into Hindus,
Muslims, Sikhs or Christians. All human beings are made up of the same basic five elements: PRITHVI,
JALA, AGNI, VAYU & AKASHA; which are: EARTH, WATER, FIRE, AIR & ETHER.
1. PRITHVI: Earth element (pa?havi-dhatu)
Internal earth elements include head hair, body hair, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, bones, organs etc. We
are comprised of materials that are basically derived from the earth and once we die, the dust factor
merges back with the dust itself and hence the expression: “Dust to dust, ashes to ashes”….Kabir ji has
beautifully said: “Maati kahe kumhaar se, tu kya raunde moye. Ik din aisa aayega, main raundoongi
tohe”: Since a potter kneads clay just like dough, the clay tells the potter: Even though it’s your
time to knead me today, one day shall come such when I will be kneading you.
We usually relate to Earth as “Mother Earth”. A mother signifies sacrifice and tolerance. The Earth
element was given to a human being so that he can always remember to be imbibe an attitude of SACRIFICE
for others and be “TOLERANT” towards all human beings.
JALA: Water element (apo-dhatu)
Internal water elements include bile, blood, sweat, fat, tears etc. Water is an integral part of the
human body and it is impossible to survive without it.
Water brings in a soothing factor to the human body. With its calm nature, it brings in coolness to the
environment. It always flows downwards hence representing humility. Water molds itself to the shape and
form that it is placed in because it signifies the compromising factor. Hence the water element was
used to make up the human body so that we all could also be HUMBLE and COMPROMISING towards each other.
AGNI: Fire element (tejo-dhatu)
Internal fire elements include the bodily mechanisms that produce physical warmth, ageing, digestion,
etc. Our body needs to maintain a certain body-temperature for a normal survival. When gold is placed
in the fire, it transforms itself into its purest form. Anything that is put into the fire, if it is
not pure, it burns itself. The fire always blazes itself upwards: it aims high. No matter which
direction you try to start a fire, it will always burn upwards. Hence the Fire element signifies purity
and aiming high. We were made up of this ingredient because the Lord Almighty expects us to live a life
which is balanced with PURITY. He also wants our spiritual factor to be at its utmost level so that we
can always AIM HIGH.
VAYU: Air element (vayo-dhatu)
Internal air elements include air associated with the pulmonary system (breathing), the intestinal
system etc. We all know that the moment we stop breathing, we will die. Our body cannot function
without air. When we sweep our floor, we are basically taking a broom and removing the dust from our
floor for a clean environment. The wind does just that. The tress and the leaves are like nature’s
broom. When the wind blows, it wipes away the loose dust and other impurities from the environment.
Breathing is an automatic process and we don’t even realize that we are breathing. It is also said:
“Swaas swaas Simroe Gobind”: with every breath, remember the Lord. The air reminds us about the
existing of God: as if God lives in the air and the air lives in God. When the wind blows, it brings in
a soothing effect. God used the air element to make up the human body so that we can always REMEMBER
God and bring in a SOOTHING effect to our environment.
AKASHA: Sound: (Akasha- dhatu)
Sound is another necessity; both for the universe, as well as the human body. It is often confused with
sky: as in space because Akaash also means the sky. In essence, it means “ether”. We hear the term
“Akaash-wani” which means sound that travels through the medium of space. Space is the medium that
sound requires, to travel.
Sound gives a form to our formless thoughts and hence signifies independence. We are at liberty to use
sound to express ourselves. We can choose to hurt others feeling or bring about compassion, merely by
our choice of words. It is present even in the deaf and the dumb. Sound can travel across the globe,
just like our thoughts travel from one end of the world to the other within moments. Sound gives us the
liberty to communicate and pray! It signifies POWER and INDEPENDENCE.
When God made us all exactly the same way, He blessed us with exactly the same virtues, then why did we
divide ourselves into Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs or Christians? Why did we start considering ourselves
superior and others inferior? It is entirely up to us, to change ourselves, and the kind of society
that we have ended up creating!
“Deh sabna dee ikko jehee, ikko rab sawaari aey, Jaat-paat dey jhagrhey kaadey, kaadi lokka-chaaree
aey”
RUHANIYAT: 3-31-2012. THOUGHTS, WORDS & ACTIONS.Greetings to all the listeners and welcome to another episode of Radio Ruhaniyat!!!
They say: Live in the society but don’t let the society live in you!
Once upon a time there was a bunch of tiny frogs…. who arranged a running competition. The goal was to
reach the top of a very high tower. A big crowd had gathered around the tower to see the race and cheer
on the contestants…. The race began….
No one in the crowd really believed that the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower. You heard
statements such as: “Oh, WAY too difficult!!”….“They will NEVER make it to the top.” or: “Not a chance
that they will succeed. The tower is too high!”
The tiny frogs began collapsing. One by one…. except for those, who in a fresh tempo, were climbing
higher and higher…. The crowd continued to yell, “It is too difficult!!! No one will make it!” More
tiny frogs got tired and gave up…. But ONE continued higher and higher…. This one wouldn’t give up! At
the end everyone else had given up climbing the tower. Except for the one tiny frog who; after a big
effort, was the only one who reached the top! Then all of the other tiny frogs naturally wanted to know
how this one frog managed to do it?
A contestant asked the tiny frog how he had found the strength to succeed and reach the goal. It turned
out…. that the winner was DEAF!!!! He couldn’t hear all the negativity from the crowd that could have
brought him down. He only saw a very enthusiastic crowd and thought that they were all cheering for
him. Always think of the power thoughts and words have, because they will affect your actions.
When we place ourselves in a negative environment, the mind tends to create a lot of waste. At such a
time there is no clear understanding of what is to be done and hence there is difficulty in being
positive. But once the problem is identified and the right solution found, i.e., the right explanation
is given, there is no more wasted thoughts, words or actions.
If we are able to find the right solution at each step, then even in a negative environment, we are
able to remain happy and content. We are not worried about the problem at hand but we know instead that
this problem has come to increase my own inner strength and capability. Thus we are able to maintain
our inner positivity under all circumstances.
Sometimes in life, we get challenged by the society around us. We often make the mistake of trying to
prove our worth and in the process, we take a detour from our aim and goal in life. We always need to
remember that ultimately, we are all answerable to God, and only God. It is no wonder that they say:
“BE MORE CONCERNED WITH YOUR CHARACTER THAN YOUR REPUTATION BECAUSE YOUR CHARACTER IS WHO YOU REALLY
ARE, WHEREAS YOUR REPUTATION IS MERELY WHAT OTHERS “THINK” YOU ARE!”
Always believe that what others think about you is none of your business. There will always be all
kinds of people around us: negative, positive, temperamental, jovial etc. The negative comes into our
lives to give us a red alert on what we must never do. When we see negativity around us, it brings
about the awareness that this kind of an attitude is not appreciated and hence we should learn to never
repeat the same actions, under any circumstances. They say: “WISE ARE THOSE WHO LEARN FROM EXPERIENCE,
BUT WISER ARE THOSE WHO LEARN FROM OTHER PEOPLE’S MISTAKES”
We might not realize it, but we play a remarkable role in our environment. We can prove to be the
catalyst that always remains unaffected by the atmosphere and hence be the carriers of positivity and
help create an optimistic environment. We are the walking and talking carriers of whatever we house
inside of us. We carry vibes of our inner self no matter where we go.
And always remember: A TRUE DEVOTEE (GURSIKH) IS THE ONE WHOSE THOUGHTS, WORDS & ACTIONS ARE THE ONE
AND THE SAME!
RUHANIYAT: 3-24-2012. STATE OF MIND.Greetings to all the listeners and welcome to another episode of Radio Ruhaniyat!!!
In December last year, I met with an accident, and ended up with pain in my right hip. After routine
visits to various specialists, I felt that I was just wasting time because the pain and the discomfort
were still there. On the contrary, I would often find myself limping on my right side when I got tired,
by the end of the day. Although the condition never bothered me initially, but after two months of
aggressive treatments, I started getting impatient because the treatments were time consuming and
hindering with my work schedule. I felt that by now, I should have been able to fully recover and go
back to my routine level of activity. What concerned me at this point was the limp on my right side,
even more so than the pain itself.
While I was going through this phase, I got a call one day, from a rehabilitation center asking me to
come in and evaluate one of their patients. I was asked to determine if we could provide care for this
patient in one of our Assisted Living Facilities (similar to a Nursing Home). I was told that this
patient does not have a hip. I was literally shocked when I heard that there could ever be a condition
in which someone could live without a hip. Although my immediate thought was that we would not be able
to provide care for someone who requires such a high level of care but my curiosity took over and I
felt an urge to see how someone can survive without a hip.
When I went in, I met a very lively and jovial elderly gentleman by the name of Tom. Upon taking a
closer look at his condition, I realized that he had been bedridden for a long time. One would think
that someone in his situation would be depressed and disappointed with life but I found him in great
spirits; someone who did not seem to let anything bother him. As I stood there looking at him, I
remembered the expression: “I was complaining about having no shoes until I saw a man with no feet”.
Here I was, complaining about a mere pain in the hip, when there are people out there; living there
lives without a hip at all….bedridden….and deprived of the basic functions of life…. It suddenly dawned
on me that God had a calculated purpose in making me meet a man without a hip because he wanted to
bless me with an “altered state of mind”. All of a sudden, the pain in the hip seemed like a blessing
compared to living a life without a hip. A limp in the leg was far better than being bedridden……at
least I could walk!…I remembered to count my blessings! The impact and the change of attitude was
profound. My state of mind went from one extreme to the other within moments.
Even though I knew that we would not be able to take this patient but something had made me drive to
him and be able to see him first hand because God saw the need for a lesson that had to be learnt. He
knew exactly what I needed: ‘A sound State Of Mind’. Our Mind is a Great Friend if we control it, but
it’s an enemy, if it controls us! If you do not conquer self, you will be conquered by self.
Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but by how we react to what happens to us…… not by
what life brings to us but by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain
reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst, a spark that creates
extraordinary results. When it rains, most birds head for shelter, the eagle is the only bird that, in
order to avoid rain, starts flying above the clouds. LET’S CHANGE TO MAKE A CHANGE!
The mental state of each and every human being in this world is different and thus although we all live
in the same world, we actually live within our own world. May be the world of some person may overlap
with the world of some others, but rarely it is exactly identical.
We can either MAKE our lives, or BREAK our lives just by changing our attitude towards life. “Dukh aur
Sukh”: Happiness and sorrow are nothing but a state of mind. The worst of problems cannot break us if
we have a positive attitude. Yet, we could be granted all the happiness in the world, and still not be
able to enjoy it, if we have a negative attitude. Always imagine that there is knob in our head with
sorrow on one extreme and happiness on the other. It is up to us to turn the knob to where we desire,
no matter what our circumstances.
WE CAN CHANGE OUR DESTINY JUST BY CHANGING OUR STATE OF MIND.
And always remember: EXPECTING brings us TEARS.!
But,
ACCEPTING brings U CHEERS..
So, accept life as it comesBut ACCEPTING brings us CHEERS!......So take life as it comes!
RUHANIYAT: 3-17-2012. COINCIDENCE? OR MIRACLE?Greetings to all the listeners and welcome to another episode of Radio Ruhaniyat!!!
How often do we recognize the presence of God? We know that HE is with us at every moment but the
question is: Are WE with Him at every moment? There are numerous times when God comes forward to help
us and answer our prayers, but we often fail to recognize His presence. We usually mistake His miracles
as mere coincidences. Little do we realize that there are no coincidences! God creates instances, where
He makes himself prominent in other human beings and comes forward for us. So the next time you happen
to say: “Oh! What a coincidence!” Think about God who has been working in your life to create that
instance for you! A piece of advice from people, someone coming forward to help us with something, a
clerk or a teller resolving our business matters etc. are all instances when God makes His presence
“profound” in other people to answer our prayers.
I happened to take some guests from India to South Beach one day, for some sight-seeing. I took a Ford
Expedition so that everyone could fit in one trip. Since South Beach has parallel parking, I parked the
huge truck easily because there was plenty of space ahead of my parking spot and enough room behind as
well. When we were done and came back, the cars in front and behind were parked just within inches of
our truck. I kept going forward and backward by merely covering inches at a time, and wasn’t getting
anywhere. It seemed impossible that anyone could take the truck out from such a tight spot. After I was
at time for several minutes, I felt helpless and gave up in frustration and started praying. My prayers
are usually the Simran: “One Thou Formless, I surrender myself to thee, Please forgive me and bless
me”. Since all my guests also belonged to the Sant Nirankari Mission, I said my prayer out loud. No
sooner had I said my prayer when a gentleman walked up to the car in front of us and started unlocking
his car. I immediately exclaimed to my guests: “Take a GOOD look at this gentleman, because He is no
ordinary man unlocking a car. HE is GOD Himself, who has come forward to answer my prayer”. The car
moved out of its space in front of me leaving me with ample space to drive out. This wasn’t merely a
coincidence! I knew that God had come forward to answer my prayer in despair.
How often do we recognize God’s blessings in our day-to-day lives? There probably have been many
instances when God might have been with us to help us, but we fail to recognize Him.
I recall another instance where my husband and I were driving to Miami for a South Beach Bhangra
Competition. I happened to be appointed one of the judges for the competition. It was already 20
minutes after the program was scheduled to start and we were still in our car driving desperately to
find the auditorium, but were completely lost. I started getting calls after calls checking on my
whereabouts because the competition could not be started with one of the judges missing! I got frantic
with the thought that an entire hall is waiting on me and started saying my Simran. I saw a cab driver
in the next lane and encouraged my husband to pull the window down and ask him for directions. We were
at a red light and the cab driver started giving directions saying that we were in an entirely
different area. When the light turned green and he still wasn’t done giving directions, he added:
“Follow me, I’ll take you there”. The cab driver pulled up in front of us and started driving. We
followed behind. He took the highway and we were surprised why someone would go out of their way to
actually lead us to our destination. He drove for about 10 minutes, while both my husband and I were
absolutely perplexed at his gesture. Sure enough, we doubted his intentions and wondered if he really
was going towards OUR destination, or HIS OWN destination. At that very moment, he pushed his hand out
of his window making a signal with his hand as if saying: ‘Keep Following!’ At that moment I couldn’t
help but say to my husband: “Take a good look at this cab driver, coz He is no ordinary man. That is
God Himself in a human form who, has come to our aid in a desperate moment”.
It is no wonder that they say:
GOD IS WITH US AT EVERY MOMENT, BUT ARE WE WITH HIM, AT EVERY MOMENT?
The fact that we can breathe non-stop, is God’s blessing. We have no control over the fact that we can
stop breathing the next minute. We never make an effort to breathe. It happens naturally without any
effort because there is a supernatural power operating every single breath for every human being in
this world. We often rationalize the breathing mechanism as scientific or biological. Then what happens
to this biological process when the last breath comes?
“Khuda woh hargiz Khuda naming hay, jo udhar to hai par idhar nahin hai”.
He is not God, if He is over there, but not here! Most of the times when people talk about God, they
automatically look up or point to the sky. Why? He is with us, inside us, around us: not just limited
to the sky!
LIKE A FISH LIVES IN AN OCEAN OF WATER, WE HUMANS ARE LIVING IN AN OCEAN OF GOD!
If we seek Him, He comes forward to our aid, He answers our prayers and He blesses us with His favors!
He IS with us all the time, He only asks us to be with Him as well!
RUHANIYAT: 3-10-2012. DEDICATION TO PURI SAAB: 5 YEARS OF RADIO RUHANIYATGreetings to all the listeners and welcome to this landmark 250th episode of Radio Ruhaniyat!!!
Back in 1995, I used to do a Radio Program called: “India; On The Air” and in short we used to call it
“IOTA”. It was a two hour program airing every Saturday evening. After a few years into it, the radio
station declared that it was going to move to West Palm Beach. I decided that it was time to stop the
program because I used to work in Miami in those days and thought that West Palm Beach would be quite a
trip every week.
The program used to start with a 10 minute religious segment called: ‘DHARMIC VICHAAR’ which was based
on a similar format as that in Ruhaniyat. The material used for this segment was taken from the Sant
Nirankari Mission’s teachings.
My very dear and loving mentor and spiritual guide: Late Rev. Puri Saab Ji, who we all called “DAARJI”
happened to be visiting us from Chicago one time and he liked the program very much. He asked me to
send the recordings to him and from then on every episode used to be sent to him. When I stopped the
program, Daarji, was very disappointed. In most of my conversations with him, he would bring up the
program again and I used to explain that with my work schedule, it was difficult to keep up with the
amount of time the radio program used to account for. Then he told me one day that the best part he
liked in the program was the Dharmic Vichaar and he wanted me to start back the program just for the
10-minute Dharmic Vichaar. I asked him for his blessings that someday, God-willing, Dharmic Vichaar
shall start again. I did not think any radio station would let me buy 10 minutes of air time because
there is a minimum requirement that has to be met.
In 2004, my daughter had started helping Mr. Singh and Mala in this very Sangeet Mala Radio Program. I
used to drop her off and pick her up every Saturday for the program. Mr. Singh had offered me to
participate in the radio program since I used to drive up anyways, and had radio experience but I used
to be bound by time and could not do it. When Daarji heard that my daughter: Simran has been working at
the radio station as well, he reiterated his desire to start the 10 minute Dharmic Vichaar.
Coincidently, around the same time, Mr. Singh talked to me again about doing something on the radio and
I causally remarked that I could not make any time consuming commitments but if at all I could do
anything, I would like 10 minutes of air time on the radio. He agreed! I knew that this was not merely
a coincidence but was a means created by Daarji’s blessings to make what was meant to be, a reality.
I was amazed how Daarji’s blessings paved a way to fulfill his wishes and the very first episode aired
on the 4th of March in 2007. This time, we called it “RUHANIYAT” which means SPIRITUALITY. Since Daarji
was also the President, of the Sant Nirankari Mission, USA, he made it official on 3-04-2007 because
the program could be heard all over the world on the internet. Today, marks five years of Ruhaniyat
being on the air, on the radio program: Sangeet Mala.
In my heart, every episode of Ruhaniyat has been dedicated to Rev. Puri Saab because it was his
blessings and his desire that was sown into the program. Very often I find myself wondering what Daarji
would say about the views and what his degree of approval would be for certain episodes. Although our
loving Puri Saab merged with the Almighty in September 2008, I felt content that the program could be
launched in his presence and with his blessings.
I feel extremely fortunate for the fact that God connected me with someone like Daarji. He held my hand
and led me on my spiritual path. He turned me into who I am today. Before I met Daarji, I often used to
question the practical possibility of surrendering our body, mind and material possessions to God. I
sometimes used to wonder if this was humanly possible. After I went on a spiritual tour with Daarji,
one time, I saw first-hand that not only was he following this principal, but was living it every
moment. He taught me how to surrender and he sure made it look very simple. The fact that I realized
that total surrender is humanly possible, changed my perspective about spirituality.
“DAARJI” was the best thing that ever happened to me. He used to call me and guide me at every step. He
used to correct me when I made mistakes. He was my sculptor who was molding me constantly to make me
better.
Today’s episode is 250th episode and is both emotional and spiritual for me because when I look back,
Daarji was not only changing me when he was living, but after these five years of Ruhaniyat, I realized
that even though Daarji is not with us, but in these past five years of Ruhaniyat, he has still been
changing me every week, with every episode. He still continues to work on me; as my sculptor.
Today’s Ruhaniyat is a blissful dedication to Puri Saab ji. With his blessings, Radio Ruhaniyat has
grown immensely in these past five years. The responses from the local audience are great and we have
been able to establish a listenership portraying Spirituality in general. The focus is that we are all
children of the same one God and that Humanity is the prime religion of all mankind.
RUHANIYAT: 2-25-2012. TURN "ON" THE BLESSINGSGreetings to all the listeners and welcome to another episode of Radio Ruhaniyat!!!
"The first step towards change is awareness. The second step is acceptance"~~ Nathaniel Braden.
It is only when we turn to God and accept Him, that we invite Him to start showering us with His
profound blessings!
A young man named Charles Murray, who had been raised as an atheist was training to be an Olympic
diver. The only religious influence in his life came from his outspoken Christian friend. The young
diver never really paid much attention to his friend’s sermons, but he heard them often.
One night the diver went to the indoor pool at the college he attended. The lights were all off, but as
the pool had big skylights and the moon was bright, there was plenty of light to practice by. The young
man changed into his swimming gear and climbed up to the highest diving board. As he turned his back to
the pool on the edge of the board and extended his arms out, he saw his shadow on the wall. The shadow
of his body was in the shape of a cross.
Instead of diving, he knelt down and asked God to come into his life. As the young man stood up and
turned back towards the edge of the highest diving board, a maintenance man walked in and turned the
lights on.
The pool had been drained and emptied………for repairs!
God is always looking out for us. He is constantly fulfilling all our desires but are WE fulfilling OUR
obligations towards GOD?
When God does not do things our way, we question: “WHY ME?”
HOW OFTEN DO WE DO THINGS HIS WAY?
We are always focused on what our “RIGHTS” are! How often do we think about what our DUTIES are?
We have so many ‘wants’ and desires in our daily lives. We go crazy about some things, and get
obsessed about certain others. We are essentially self-centered and are mostly concerned with what “I”
want. Seldom do we think about what others would want. When we do things to please others, we have
self-centeredness associated with that as well. We often try to please others to make our own selves
look good and look forward to getting appreciation for our efforts.
Have we ever thought about what God wants…..from us?
May be He also has a list of things that He wants from us…may be, He too has EXPECTATIONS from us!
He would definitely like to see us follow an ethical path of Morality and practice Humanity towards
mankind. He expects us to achieve our goal of SELF-REALIZATION through GOD-REALIZATION.
He is always with us, and He expects us to be with Him as well: at every MOMENT.
GOD LOVES US! He sends us flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever we want to talk,
He'll listen. He lives everywhere in the universe, and yet He chose our hearts for His eternal abode.
He gave us the ultimate gift of life and blessed us with a soul; which is part and parcel of His own
self. He made us in His own image!
All He wants in return; is that we be with Him, at every moment. Do we love God the way He loves us?
He doesn’t want us to worry about anything. He says; surrender to me and I will take over all your
problems. All He wants from us is complete Faith and Trust in Him. He wants us to turn to Him at every
step of the way. He surely does want us to have Faith in Him and Trust Him with the fact that
everything that He does in our lives has a valid reason for our betterment. Many times we wonder why He
would let us go through difficult times. But God knows that when He puts things in His order, the
outcome will always be the best! Just like a father wants the best for his children, and will sometimes
discipline them to teach them the ethics of life, God also chooses circumstances for us to help us with
experiences that enable us to live life with its full potential.
When something is God's Will, we will feel an inner joy even before we start doing it. While working,
we will enjoy the contentment that comes from following His will. Finally, we will be equally happy
regardless of whether our action is fruitful or fruitless. Ordinarily, we are happy only when success
dawns and we see victory at the end of our journey. But if we can have the same kind of happiness, joy,
and satisfaction whether we succeed or fail and if we can cheerfully offer the result of our actions to
God, then we will know that what we have done is God's Will.
In Faith & surrender, our happiness lies in the eternal bliss that is experienced by the soul, not in
the material outcome. As we walk on the path of spirituality, our focus shifts towards the “TRUTH” and
the materialistic pleasures start to seem superficial.
If we LOVE God, we become happy.
If we SERVE God, we become happier.
If we SURRENDER our individual will to God's Will, we become the happiest.
RUHANIYAT: 2-18-2012. HOPEGreetings to all the listeners and welcome to another episode of Radio Ruhaniyat!!!
Four Candles burned slowly. Their ambiance was so soft you could hear them speak...
The first candle said, "I am FAITH, but these days, I am no longer indispensable". Then Faith's flame
slowly diminished and went out completely.
The second candle said, "I am PEACE, but these days, nobody wants to keep me lit". Then Peace's flame
slowly diminished and went out completely.
Sadly the third candle spoke, "I am LOVE and I have lost the strength to stay lit any longer. People
put me aside and don't understand my importance. They even forget to love those who are nearest to
them". And waiting no longer, Love went out completely.
Suddenly... A child entered the room and saw the three candles no longer burning. The child began to
cry;
"Why are you not burning? You are supposed to stay lit until the end."
Then the Fourth Candle spoke gently to the little boy; "Don't be afraid, for I am HOPE, and while I
still burn,
we can re-light the other candles”. With shining eyes, the child took the Candle of Hope and lit the
other three candles. Never let the Flame of Hope go out. With Hope in your life, no matter how bad
things may be, Faith, Peace, and Love may shine brightly once again.
FAITH: God did not Promise that life would be easy but he did promise to be with us at every step of
the way! It is all a matter of trusting Him; that He knows best and will do what is best for us. Faith
is what works when everything else you tried seems to have failed..... “Jab dava kaam nahin aati, tab
dua kaam karti hai”. Faith is not “HOPNG” that He ‘MIGHT’; it is “KNOWING”, that He ‘WILL’. Ultimately,
it is our Faith that creates our destiny. Faith has no limit. It is a state of total surrender to God
in which we completely believe that He will absolutely take care of us and will bless us with what is
best for us. Faith creates a state of mind in which there is no room for “worry”. When we surrender our
problems to Him, they become ‘His’ problems and not ours anymore. If we believe that whatever He will
do for us, will be the best for us, then we have nothing to worry about. Worrying about things is
indicative of the fact that we do not trust God and His decisions.
FAITH CAN ‘RECREATE’ OUR FUTURE, ‘RESTORE’ OUR PRESENT AND ‘REPAIR’ OUR PAST.
PEACE: Someone approached Nirankari Babaji and said: “I WANT PEACE”. Babaji replied: Remove “I” and
“WANT” and thou shall have PEACE. In other words if we can eliminate our ego: “I” and our greed and
desires: “WANT”, we will be blessed with Peace. Ego is the number one trouble-maker when it comes to
playing with our minds. It “malfunctions” our mind to the point that we make irrational decisions and
end-up going to any extend to seek attention and importance. Our ‘wants’ and ‘desires’ remove the
“contentment’ factor from our lives. If we learn to be satisfied with what we have, peace fills our
mind. People these days have made the choice to replace Peace with Stress. We aim high to be
successful. But we need to do it with a balanced state of mind in which there is neither any anxiety
towards its fulfillment, nor the expectation for its absolute achievement. Always keep in mind that
life runs in accordance with God; not us. Un-met expectations result in disappointments that steal away
our peace. A content and balanced life replaces stress with peace. Peace comes from a state of mind
which is called: “Sehaj Awastha”, in which we are content with nature to the degree that happiness does
not excite us and sadness, does not sadden us. Life functions in perfect equilibrium.
OUR MIND IS PRIMARILY MADE UP OF TWO THINGS: EGO AND DESIRES. IF WE SURRENDER BOTH, WE ARE LEFT WITH:
NOTHING! THIS STATE OF NOTHING-NESS; IS CALLED PEACE.
LOVE: Love is a state of mind that even the “unloving” have experienced. No matter what one’s nature,
love is a factor that plays a role in everyone’s life. We all love our spouses, children, parents,
friends etc. We even experience love for our material possessions to the degree that we get ‘attached’
to them. For those who think that they are devoid of love for others, have experienced love for
themselves and their belongings. It is human nature to love what belongs to us. It is very easy to show
love for the ones we care about. We elevate ourselves to truly becoming “loving-natured” if we can
train ourselves to love even those who do not care for us and dislike us. When we love, we love keeping
God’s creation in mind. If we love God, we should love everything about Him: everything that He created
and everything that He loves. After all, God is Love. If God loves every human being as His own child,
then how can we dare to hate a being that belongs to Him? We are indirectly undermining God’s
creativity by experiencing a dislike for something that belongs to Him and has been created by Him. If
the other person does not understand our gestures and misuses our profoundness, then their limitations
should not obstruct our pathway towards our spiritual development. Love is a spiritual emotion that can
cross bridges and break barriers.
LOVE IS A LANGUAGE THAT THE DUMB CAN SPEAK AND THE DEAF CAN HEAR.
As Maria Robinson once said, “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today
and make a new ending”. Look Backward with Satisfaction and look Forward with Confidence. We all exist
on the mere fact that HOPE shall get us through. Someday, everything will make perfect SENSE….so for
now,
LAUGH at the confusion, SMILE through the TEARS, and keep reminding yourself that everything happens
for a REASON……
And always remember: IF YOUR PLAN “A” DOESN’T WORK, THE ALPHABET HAS 25 MORE LETTERS!
So stay cool……and keep up your HOPE: Always!……
RUHANIYAT- 2-11-2012. COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS-Grandma's handsGreetings to all the listeners and welcome to another episode of Radio Ruhaniyat!!!
Grandma, some ninety plus years, sat feebly on the patio bench. She didn't move, just sat with her head
down staring at her hands. When her granddaughter sat down beside her, grandma didn't acknowledge her
presence and the longer she sat, she wondered if she was OK.
Finally, not really wanting to disturb her but wanting to check on her grandma at the same time, she
asked her if she was OK. Grandma raised her head and looked at her granddaughter and smiled. 'Yes, I'm
fine, thank you for asking,' she said in a clear strong voice... 'I didn't mean to disturb you,
grandma, but you were just sitting here staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were OK,'
she explained to her.
'Have you ever looked at your hands,' asked her grandmother. 'I mean really looked at your hands?' The
young girl slowly opened her hands and stared down at them. She turned them over, palms up and then
palms down. No, she thought, she had never really looked at her hands as she tried to figure out the
point she was making.
And then Grandma smiled and related to her: “Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how
they have served you well throughout your years. These hands; though wrinkled shriveled and weak have
been the tools I have used all my life to reach out and grab and embrace life. They braced and caught
my fall when, as a toddler I crashed upon the floor. They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back.
As a child, my mother taught me to fold them in prayer. They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots.
They held my husband and wiped my tears when he went off to war. They have been dirty, scraped and raw,
swollen and bent. They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son. Decorated with my
wedding band they showed the world that I was married and loved someone special. They wrote my letters
to him and trembled and shook when I buried both my parents and spouse.”
“They have held my children and grandchildren, consoled neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I
didn't understand. They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed the rest of my
body. They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken, dried and raw. And to this day when not much of
anything else of me works real well these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to fold in
prayer. These hands are the mark of where I've been and the ruggedness of life. But more importantly it
will be these hands that will reach out to God when my time comes and he leads me home.”
Her granddaughter sat there thinking. She realized that she will never look at her hands the same way
again. But she remembers her grandma’s folded hands when God reached out to her and led her home. When
her hands are hurt or sore or when she strokes the face of her children and husband, she thinks of her
grandma.
We often take our blessings for granted. We forget to thank the Almighty for the little things in life:
the little things that play a vital role in life. “I was complaining about not having shoes, until I
saw a man who had no feet.” God had to make a man with no feet so that the others; who are blessed with
feet, could learn to count their blessings. If the man with no feet started complaining to God saying:
“Why Me?” then God’s purpose would not get fulfilled. Blessed is the one who is deprived and does not
complain because with his existence, he is fulfilling God’s purpose; in one form or another.
“I used to complain of not being able to warm up my food when I used to work at the Swap Shop, until I
saw a man pulling out left over pizza crusts from the trash can outside the Pizza Place”. God has made
this world in perfect harmony. The “BAD” exists to showcase the “GOOD”. Blessed are the people who are
negative in nature because with their negativity, they teach us how important it is to always be
‘NICE’. When people hurt our feelings, we realize how much insensitivity hurts and remind ourselves to
always be considerate towards others. Blessed are the moments when we feel sick, because those are the
moments when we remember to pray to God and seek His blessings. We then realize that the moments spent
in unison with the Almighty are much more precious than the moments spent in regret over a body that
is: “Dust to dust & Ashes to ashes!’
We all have a nature of our own. Some of our qualities might be good, some might be bad. We are all
constantly trying to improve ourselves at our own pace. Let us all be tolerant of each other because
creating harmony around us, bounces back at us as our very own and cherished: PEACE OF MIND!
And always remember: Everything that God does: WAS ALWAYS RIGHT, IS ALWAYS RIGHT AND WILL ALWAYS BE
RIGHT!!!
Ruhaniyat: 1-28-12. SURRENDERA crab was running on the sea shore and was admiring its beautiful footprints... and a huge wave
splashed and washed away the footprints...The crab said to the wave: I considered you as one of my best
friends, what made you do this? The wave replied: A fisherman was following your footprints, that's why
I cleared it off……
I remember an instance, when I must have been about 8 or 9-years-old. We were traveling back to
Chandigarh, India in a train and had to change trains mid-way at a station. I was with my mother,
younger brother and an orderly: an army soldier assigned to us as a helper to run errands and chores.
My father used to be in the Indian army and every summer in the vacations, we would go and spend two
months with him, wherever he would be posted at the time.
As we changed the trains, my mom reminded me and my little brother to hold her hand on either side and
not to let go or else we would be lost. I remember the station being so packed with people that it was
hard for me to even walk at a smooth pace because people were hitting and bumping everywhere. One
moment I remember walking next to my mom, and the next moment…. there was no mom or brother anywhere in
sight. I walked up a few steps and then came back a few more trying to spot my mom, brother or the
orderly; they were nowhere in sight.
I came to an area where there were benches and people were waiting with luggage all over the floor. As
I stood there, my eyes spotted about 3 or 4 shabbily dressed children, begging at the railway station.
Their clothes were filthy and it seemed that they had never ever taken a shower. Then I remembered
stories from our elders of how we should never wander around without informing them because there were
bad people out there who would kidnap little children and turn them into beggars. This was that phase
in India when children were being kidnapped left and right and parents were constantly warning their
children. Kidnappers would cut up children’s arms or legs or make them blind and then would force them
to beg at the stations. People would give them money because they took pity on their condition. It had
become a business. Something like what you might have seen in the movie: Slum dog Millionaire.
I realized that I was lost. I heard a train leave the station and I thought that amidst the hustle &
bustle, my mom might not have even realized that I am not there and they must have left in that train.
It dawned on me that I might never ever see my family again. Yet, somehow I did not cry. I looked at
the little beggars around me and started imagining that I will soon be kidnapped and will be turned
into a beggar. The imagination was so strong that I started studying the mannerisms of how the children
were begging and what songs they were singing to do their job. I started visualizing myself as a child
beggar. I even remember counting the number of songs that I knew. As funny as it sounds, within
moments, becoming a child-beggar turned into a fantasy.
I remember praying and talking to God; I asked Him to give me the strength to accept His will. In my
innocence, I didn’t even realize that becoming a beggar wouldn’t be fun. In my little mind, I had
accepted the imaginary fact that I will from here on, be a beggar and was subconsciously waiting for
someone to come and get me and turn me into one of those kids. It must have been a moment when I
remembered all of my father’s teachings about surrendering to God in moments of distress. His spiritual
lessons always had a very profound effect on me. I had just put his teachings into practice. I prayed
exactly what my father had taught me. I remember thinking that I would love to re-unite with my mom
and brother and at the same time I was able to say: God I will still be strong enough to accept your
will: whatever it shall be. It was a moment that I have always held on to and always go back to: a
moment in distress in which I was able to surrender to God’s will.
All of a sudden, I experienced a tight slap across my face. When I looked up, it was my mother. Imagine
the cheer that ran through me. It was the most “blessed” slap I ever got from her. I didn’t pay any
attention to all the scolding I kept getting throughout our walk to the next train. All I remember was
going through a bunch of thoughts in my own mind of how I would not have to be a beggar anymore and how
I could go back to my own bedroom and be able to sleep in my own blissful bed and still get to keep my
own friends from the neighborhood versus making new friends with the beggar kids.
Although it seemed like eternity, but I must have been lost for just about 5 minutes, but those moments
taught me a priceless lesson that laid the foundation to my Faith in God in my adult life. Whenever I
have faced tough moments, I have been able to recall that instance, in which I was able to mentally
prepare myself to accept His will; although it was all done in innocence. I have found myself often
comparing my circumstances with my state of mind that afternoon and have been able to ask myself: If I
could accept my circumstances at that tender age, then is this current situation of mine more difficult
than that one?
God puts us through situations and circumstances when He knows we will need spiritual strength. He
knows what lessons we need, to nurture our soul so that we could grow spiritually. He also knows how to
bless us with the right responses to situations. We just need to entrust our Faith into Him. Blessed
are those on whom God showers His blessings through circumstances. Our experiences become the stepping
stones to our spiritual stability.
We often misunderstand Him and always question Him asking: Why ME?
Someone has beautifully said:
THOSE WHO LEAVE EVERYTHING IN GOD’S HAND
WILL EVENTUALLY SEE GOD’S HAND IN EVERYTHING
Ruhaniyat: 1-21-2012. MAN & CREATIONIt was very dark when Bobo, the monkey, woke up. "Come on, you lazy monkeys. Its lunchtime and I'm
hungry. Get up!" said Bobo, shaking the other monkeys. "It's too early. The sun hasn't come up yet. The
day hasn't begun," said one monkey.
"Go back to sleep," said another. "It's still night-time.!" "No, it isn't," said Bobo. "My stomach
tells me its lunchtime." "Then, why is it so dark? Burr! And why is it so cold?"
The monkeys chattered and argued and waited for dawn to arrive. They waited and waited, but nothing
happened. It was still very dark and very quiet. It seemed they waited for days and days, but the sun
still did not rise. Finally, the monkeys decided to walk to the far horizon, towards the East, where
the sun always used to rise.
When they arrived they found the sun hiding behind a mountain. It seemed very dull and very sad.
"Why don't you shine?" asked Bobo. "And why haven't you risen yet?"
"I am very sad," said the Sun. "Your Earth is dying. Your skies are polluted. Your ground is unhealthy
and your seas are poisoned. Why should I bother to get up?"
"But, we need you," said Bobo. "If you don't shine then the flowers will wither away and die. All the
animals will become cold and perish. The Earth will become as dead as the Moon."
"But if you were to do something to help," said the Sun. "Then I would be pleased to shine again. Man
is responsible for all this sadness. Why don't you tell him what to do?"
"Yes, we will," said the monkeys.
And from then on, the monkeys swung from tree to tree, jumped up and down on the ground, pointed to the
skies, and told man what to do: SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL & SPEAK NO EVIL.
Then once again, the sky became clear, the waters sparkled, the Earth warmed up and the Sun smiled and
shone across the world.
Man has made evil and conspiracy, his second nature. We lie to get our way, we backbite and criticize
others to make ourselves look better, we walk on the path of immorality because we have drifted away
from spirituality…..and then we complain why this world has become so negative. We complain why there
is so much pain and misery in this world.
Every drop combined, makes the ocean. Every human combined, makes this world. We are that one drop in
this ocean and definitely have a role to play in the world around us. If we do not walk on the path of
righteousness, then we are contributing to the misery around us. It is easy to find faults with others,
but unless and until we discipline ourselves and focus on improving our own shortcomings, we will not
be able to contribute towards the betterment of this world.
We are all living in an illusion that we are exceptionally brilliant and perfect in our own way. It is
difficult for us to determine our shortcomings if we are not open-minded and humble. Even when we are
aware that we lack in certain characteristics, we refuse to admit them. Our ego does not let us accept
the fact that there is room for improvement. We often argue just to prove that we are right. There are
situations when statements come out from our mouth and even if we realize that we are wrong, we still
refuse to step back because we have a tendency to honor what was said regardless of whether it was
right or wrong.
This world would be a much better place to live in, if we all understood our moral duties and
obligations towards mankind. Becoming HUMBLE is the very first step. Humility enables us to SEE NO
EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL & SPEAK NO EVIL.
And always remember: ARGUMENTS ARE BAD; DISCUSSIONS ARE GOOD. AN ARGUMENT IS DONE TO PROVE “WHO” IS
RIGHT & A DISCUSSION IS DONE TO PROVE “WHAT” IS RIGHT
RADIO RUHANIYAT: 1-14-12-GOD’S PLANHello everyone and welcome to a few more words on Ruhaniyat. We often accuse God when things don’t go
our way. Seldom do we realize that everything happens for a reason; a reason that is always for the
better.
Dr. Scott Kapoor is a doctor in the United States who works in the Emergency Room. He lost
his father sometime back to a condition that could not be determined. After his father passed away, Dr.
Scott Kapoor was left with a regret that despite the fact that he is a doctor, he could neither save
his own father, nor determine the cure for his condition. His father’s Sodium level was very low and
his Potassium level was very high. Usually the two go hand-in-hand. They are either both low or both
are high. It was very unusual for his father’s levels to be in the opposite extremes. After his dad
passed away, Dr. Scott Kapoor started researching the cause and the treatment for his condition. He
soon found all his answers and realized that this condition is called “Adrenal Crisis” and the
treatment is a shot of Hydrocortisone.
He was working in the Emergency Room one day when a young mother was brought in. She was
very confused and her cognitive capabilities seemed impaired. She could not even recognize her own
husband who had come along with her. All the test results were normal and the doctor kept ordering more
and more tests to determine the cause of the sudden change in her mental status. After quite some time,
the nurse came in with another blood test report and said that the patients Sodium level was very low.
Dr. Scott Kapoor ordered Sodium to be given to his patient via ivy. There was still no change in the
young woman’s condition. More tests results came in and this time the nurse came in and said: “Her
Potassium level is very high”.
Suddenly, a light bulb went on. Dr. Kapoor knew what was going on now. He immediately ordered a shot of
Hydrocortisone to be administered to his patient. As soon as she got the dose, her color started coming
back and she seemed to be able to comprehend. Within minutes, she recognized her husband and was back
to normal.
At his age, God had already decided that it was time for Dr. Kapoor’s father to leave this world, but
He gave him a mysterious condition because He wanted Dr. Kapoor to be able to cure many cases like his
father’s that most likely would have gone undiagnosed. We don’t know how many more young people might
get saved because of the awareness that was given to the doctor.
God runs this world in a way that is beyond imagination. His plan is perfect and how this entire world
operates, is all within His command. This world is like a big puzzle and everything in it is like a
piece of that puzzle. We all have a perfect role to play in this world and have been put exactly where
we belong. If a particular piece of the puzzle starts to pray to God asking Him to change its position
or color or direction and if God feel pressured to do it just because we said a genuine prayer, the
entire puzzle gets affected and hence a hindrance is created in God’s Plan.
When we start praying to God asking Him to change things as per our desire, sometimes we upset that
plan which was in put in place by God. If Dr. Scott Kapoor prayed asking to find answers for his
father’s condition while he was alive, he would not have been able to take the time to do the research
that he did afterwards. He would not have been able to save a young woman who was destined to live; not
die. “Tera Bhana Meetha Lage”: Whatever God has in store for us, we shall accept it. God never puts
anyone in a situation that one cannot handle. Every negative experience is an opportunity for internal
and spiritual growth. Instead of praying and asking God why He did this to us, it might be more
beneficial to ask for the strength and the wisdom to handle our circumstances in a way that He would
like us to.
Every morning ask God to bless us such that every moment of that entire day goes exactly as per His
will and not as per our will because we are naïve and ignorant and most likely, will goof up a
situation. When every moment is spent as per His plan and His blessing, life truly will be blissful.
When we learn to ACCEPT His will and begin to SURRENDER to His will, it is then that we develop a much
desired state of mind: that we call: “PEACE OF MIND”.
And always remember: DON’T TELL GOD HOW BIG YOUR PROBLEM IS, TELL YOUR PROBLEM HOW BIG YOUR GOD IS!!!
