Transcription
Sincerity means the destruction of self-willed life, the beginning of Guru-oriented life. For crores of births, the mind has been acting as it wished. It has only pleased the senses and the mind. Other than that, no business has been done. Now in this birth, for crores of births, for billions of births, acting in that manner, first read the 21 (Vachanamrut verses) by going home. In this birth, God has given the beautiful opportunity to resolve for only Guru-oriented life, and spiritual sincerity, and relationship. Let's understand this today, tomorrow, or whenever, there is no escape. One thing to keep firm, I always say one thing. Until one thirty at night, until two o'clock, I was sleeping. In front of the elephant, a gown, Gondal, a sadhu was about to go home, trying to go out by locking it there. There I heard a sound, I woke up. What I told Swaman, they came back. In the morning, I told that sadhu only this: I said, "Infinite births have been sacrificed for wife and children. One birth for Yogi Maharaj." He immediately fell into thought. I said, "I am speaking the truth. For infinite, infinite births, only one business has been done: behind the tendencies of worldly pleasures, wealth, children, and fame. For crores of births, only one business. Sacrifice one birth. Becoming Guru-oriented, sacrifice the body, sacrifice the senses, and sacrifice the mind. That is called sincerity." Let's understand this today. Without understanding it, whenever, sincerity, its name is 'bhulku' (child-like innocence). Sincerity, whether the mind believes it or not, whether it sits in the intellect's mind or not, but a continuous adherence to the word, that is called sincere.
Our terrible enemies are the senses. Our terrible enemies are the mind and intellect. The biggest enemy is the mind-intellect. First number, senses. Five senses, four inner instruments. For years, by nurturing the attachments of the senses, the nature of the mind and intellect has been nurtured. We have done this business for infinite time. Now we don't want to do it. That's it, now we want to be sincere. Sincerity, its name is 'bhulku'. Even if we fail, Bhajan Guna Swami has written one such thing: "To do as the saint says is best, and to do as the mind wishes is inferior." And even if someone does all the work of the temple, serves him a lot, but if he does as his mind wishes, then that is a quality, but it is inferior. By the word of a great person, just picking up an empty sack from one corner and placing it in another corner, that is without qualities (nirgun), that is Guru-oriented. We are very fortunate for one thing: you become sincere and propagate the talk of sincerity in your group. There is no need to rush it down slowly, slowly. Preachers, seekers, and servants should pay close attention to this: serve appropriately. If someone is a seeker of liberation, has good intentions, is devoted, and is a spiritual relative, then we need to talk to all four in different ways, go to their level, and teach slowly. There is no need to put a laddu (sweet) on the path. There is no need to walk out or vomit out knowledge all at once. Understand it and make it compatible with your life, that point. This one day's room was not built in a day. A king's son is born, he doesn't get the throne immediately; 18 years are generally needed. Similarly, without expecting anything from anyone, our sincerity, the continuous taste for eating according to the Guru's word, that is our original spiritual practice. [Music]
The second general meaning of sincerity is that since we have become devotees of God, we should have discretion according to the Shikshapatri. And as much imperfection there is in discretion, there is that much imperfection in sincerity. As much discretion is sound in you, sincerity will progressively increase. Discretion in speaking, discretion in looking, discretion in eating, discretion and limits in discussing and thinking with friends. If we start this slowly, original sincerity will come. But if there is no discretion in your speech, no discretion in your eyes, no discretion in your tongue, then when will we become sincere?
The third beginning of sincerity, we want to do it slowly in such a way that we work by keeping the regional saint and the president and workers in front. We don't want to make them dependent. I also work by setting aside my mind. If there seems to be some terrible trouble, there is no problem in asking me. But if workers, president, or regional satsangis have come with some plan with those people, you must follow him, them, and them. If we generally do not understand this, then true sincerity for living God's word will not come. Therefore, Guru-oriented life is the destruction of self-willed life and the beginning of Guru-oriented life. Guru-oriented life, study, destination, that is the final journey, that is our original sincerity. Guru-oriented life means a person's life according to what they like. We have to take steps, move, and think by considering what they like. All other thoughts, all other movements, have to be put aside.
Let me explain a little about the first thing: devotion. The biggest characteristic of a devoted Hari-bhakta is to live solely by the strength of God's saint. That is called devotion. Thus, devotion, you are always divine, manifest, supreme, the doer, the benefactor. The first 27, 37, 62, 72, and the last 38 of the Vachanamrut speak of devotion. We need devotion in our lives, as I talked about yesterday. A special characteristic of devotion is this: Maharaj, Maharaj, I am Thakar (God), and Gunatitanand Swami speaks only one word: Thakar. Even if it happens well, it's Thakar. Even if it doesn't happen well, it's Thakar. The second characteristic of devotion is that even if terrible, terrible bad thoughts arise in the senses and inner instruments, thoughts that one would not even imagine, without any worry, according to the first Vachanamrut and 23 (Vachanamrut), or becoming a 'bhulku' (child/innocent), hiding and falling on the head. When a 'bhulku' falls on the head, "You are on my head, so do as you wish. I will just live as this 'bhulku' in your lap, devoted." Or, keeping the first focus and the senses and inner instruments aside, do bhajan according to the first 23 (Vachanamrut). No one should say, "I don't have bad thoughts." Keeping inauspicious thoughts aside, one must be guided by a single faith that "my protection is certain." Maharaj and Swami are from Akshardham, so I am from Akshardham. I have no caste, no lineage, no forest ashram. There are no Vaniyas, no Brahmins, no Patels, no Harijans, no Adivasis. We belong to God. God and the saint are our parents. They are from Akshardham, so we are also from Akshardham. In relation to them, I am innocent and pure. I have no connection with the senses and inner instruments. The senses and inner instruments have lived for crores of births through a subtle conspiracy, so they bear the impressions of that. I have to keep my soul at the feet of God. With the feeling that whatever is to happen will happen, constantly remaining in that state, uprooting, shaking, removing, and throwing away the mind and intellect, even a slight weight. If two or four ants are crawling on your body, you don't even notice. There are millions of bacteria on your body, you don't know. In each hair follicle, there are millions of living beings, you don't know. In your ninety million hair follicles, how many insects are there? If you look at your whole body through a microscope, your body would appear foul-smelling, like a salty mound. Right now it looks symmetrical, but the whole body is a salty mound, full of mere insects inside. Just as the burden of insects is not felt, similarly, not even a speck of the burden of the subtle body's quarrels should remain. That is called the characteristic of their devoted servant.
We have to become like that. You must be very vigilant. When we sit for bhajan and thoughts arise, don't get up. Let's start with the feeling, "Swaminarayan, Swaminarayan, these are from above." Never come under the influence of the external. Never come under the influence of work. Yesterday I talked about a fortune-teller. What happened in Kariyani? A fortune-teller came and sat at Vastakhash's house. The fortune-teller was fed with great devotion. The fortune-teller became very happy. "Sister, there is a two-and-a-half-year period of bad luck on your husband's head." The sister said, "There is a seven-and-a-half-year period of bad luck on me. I keep wandering and keep getting beaten." Not even a slight burden. The fortune-teller is not going to change any law of karma. He doesn't have good thoughts. He doesn't have pure thoughts. He doesn't struggle with the strength of devotion. I am not saying the fortune-teller is wrong. When are you going to stop for a minute? We have to change the law of karma, become free from the influence of nature, and become solely God's. There, satsang and devotion are essential. So, come out of all other forced labor and become a bhajan singer. That's it. If you want to cure a disease from all stages, then pray to Him only, do bhajan to Him only. For body, wealth, and mind, one should not rely on others, even if we die. Better to die from the world. It is better to die, but there should be no burden on others. We want to serve in a different way. The fortune-teller is right according to worldly evaluations. We want to be happy with good thoughts according to the Akshardham way. We want to be happy with an innocent intellect. We want to be happy with intimacy. There, the journey of 'bhulkos' (innocent ones) is a must. A devoted Hari-bhakta, his intoxication from the heart never diminished. When I see Sataben, it will be done. They just sway, they keep swaying. There is a society of many such Hari-bhaktas. Now there is also joy that Gunvantbhai Halol struggles on this path. That's it, if he struggles, that is called true satsang. If there is a little, if there is no favorable condition, if there are favorable and unfavorable conditions, and he struggles 50, and there is no satsang at all, if I am hollow, if my worldly life is hollow, and he does not break his enthusiasm, that is 100% devoted. God is bound to give everything. So why don't we struggle with the strength of devotion? That is called devotion. Hari-bhakta, we all have to live that way. God is the one who gives bread by breaking the roof. And it is the blessing of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. Our God has already come to earth, already come, already come. We are fortunate. He created Paramhansas, established gaddis, gave Shikshapatri, gave Vachanamrut, gave saints. Pure character building, pure Ekantik Dharma building, ultimate liberation building. Yesterday, what a great thing was said in Akshar Purushottam Swami's assembly. Arjun Kaka and Yogi Maharaj were writing letters on the land of Amdavad. Arjun Kaka was talking to Hari-bhaktas. Arjun Kaka said that devotion towards this saint, faith towards this saint, according to Kariyani 7, leads to ultimate liberation. Yogi Maharaj took off his glasses from his eyes, placed them on the pad below, and told Arjun Vega, "The darshan of a Hari-bhakta is ultimate liberation." The brain stops. You still think about it peacefully after going home, and if we think after a year, there will be no problem. Understand the glory of a Hari-bhakta a little. This is to be given. This sadhu is not to take Hari-prasad. That will be understood later. We have understood this much.
Now the word is intimacy. Five minutes are left. Now we have to go quickly to eat khichdi. Don't eat khichdi sitting in the Taj Mahal Hotel style. Come exactly at one o'clock. Don't let anyone enter. That is sincerity. Don't come strolling around in the garden. Time means time. When Sadhu Hariprasad's mala (rosary) comes, understand that he must be doing something private, so I don't get entangled in his affairs. I am never late. I came 10 minutes earlier than you. I only come late if my private matters are going on. I was sitting in the room, and one or two people came, so I finished their work. They came to this room, so I was two minutes late. Still, there is no awareness of general sincerity, no idea of general discretion. If you don't learn, when will others learn? This is military training. Pay close attention. In the state of a 'bhulku' (child/innocent), even 99.99% marks are not enough. So, let me explain the words again: sincerity, devoted, intimacy. These words seem so simple to everyone. They have been heard. This is common. "Oh, I've heard this, I know this." But when you practice it, then you realize how many special things happen.
Let's talk about intimacy for two to four minutes. It's a big topic. We talked a lot about intimacy. How many things did we talk about intimacy? You bumped into someone without fault, and someone beat you up, and you don't let that incident go to others, and you just do bhajan. That is called intimacy. Be very vigilant. That is called accepting the relationship. The faults and mistakes of others never come to mind, and seeing the relationship, the enthusiasm for service continuously increases. That is called intimacy. Feeding Hari-bhaktas by kicking one's own stomach, that is called intimacy. A society of such Hari-bhaktas who remain hungry themselves and feed others is also being prepared. So there is a lot of joy. We want to break the bonds of pleasure. Among them, three bonds are big: attachment to wealth, attachment to children, and attachment to fame. We want to break all three of these bonds. These three bonds have become so dear to us, so very dear, as a result of which our enthusiasm keeps decreasing.
Years ago in Vadodara, there was a bicycle sampraday (community), but even after cars came, bhajan and self-study are not happening. Vadodara is our home field. If you look at Lalabesh's house, only bicycles were parked outside. Today, in Swaminarayan Nagar, there are four or five cars. God has given a lot of favorable conditions, but those favorable conditions should not lead us to lack. Favorable conditions should not lead us to laziness. Favorable conditions should not make us cold. Favorable conditions should not nourish the attachments of our gross and subtle bodies. Consider favorable conditions as the end. Our end is different. The day you become intimate, three things are destroyed: the Guru's prarabdha (destiny) ends, bad thoughts end, and self-willed life is destroyed. Slowly, slowly, the saints will talk about this, and we have to remain sincere.
Grossly, subtly, there is no great cause. Grossly, what? To arrive on time. Grossly, what? To help each other. Grossly, what? To respect one's own. Grossly, what? To perform one's duty properly. Grossly, never rush in puja. Grossly, to sleep after praying at night. We need to understand our sincerity in many ways. Many of you don't even know how to pray. I want to perform the three-time mental worship, just as we have been given the three-time evening prayer. Five minutes of bhajan and two minutes of prayer, and then finish refreshed. Even if there is a debt of 50 crores, freshness should not be lost. That doesn't mean not following the Shikshapatri. Shikshapatri is a must. Mostly, I write in the notebooks of such practical and wavering Hari-bhaktas: Shikshapatri is a must. You must behave according to the Shikshapatri. Otherwise, you will become weak, you will nourish your nature. To act beyond your capacity. To live according to the level God has placed you at, that is called sincerity. Shiksha (teaching) and sincerity. I talked about a slightly higher thing earlier. Intimacy is a different thing. You all know it's five past twelve. Today's auspicious day. I will explain this word again. Saints explain everything in their own way, no problem, no need to worry about it. But I tell you this much: if you are not sincere in gross sincerity, what service will you do for the subtle? If your life is not according to the Shikshapatri, when will you enter the first Sorath? And if there is no entry in the first Sorath, when will there be entry in the last 19, last five, last 38, middle 50? We all need to think deeply. Workers should be prepared in all ways. Understand sincerity in all ways, understand devotion in all ways, understand intimacy in all ways. If a common person is sitting, if small children are sitting, the talk of sincerity is different. If devoted people are sitting, the talk of sincerity is different. If people ready for a deadly battle, intimate ones, are sitting, then the talk of sincerity is different. Such devotion, such intimacy. The Shikshapatri is the means for our sincerity. God has, in a gross way, told you to remain properly sincere. Where to relieve oneself and where to spit, how much emphasis has been placed on cleanliness? How to speak with whom, how many talks of discretion have been given? How to observe the five vows, how to associate with companions, no rural gossip, no backbiting, no slander. How much, how much has been taught? Let's understand the Shikshapatri. In the Shikshapatri, it says to constantly associate with good saints, Shlok 36 and Shlok 201. In the presence of a saint, with an unpretentious attitude. Deceit, artificiality, hypocrisy, that is not sincerity. So, we all need to be very vigilant.
Don't worry at all. Let the infinite tons of garbage from infinite time remain. How to be sincere, how to be devoted, how to be intimate, how to be a 'bhulku' (innocent one) – keep meditating and contemplating on these thoughts, and keep doing bhajan, prayer, and self-study. Let's know whatever little development there is in each region. If we try to take whatever is good from each region, then there would be no need for my discourse. Let's think of taking something good from every person. As per example, if Fakirbhai has a somewhat outspoken nature, then he should maintain friendship with Vitthaldasji. If I have a reserved nature, then I should maintain friendship with someone who can talk openly. Fakirbhai's specialty is that there is no deceit in his heart; he speaks openly, otherwise not. In the foundation of spirituality, at its base, the spiritual soul needs two ideals: top sincerity, top devotion, top soul. We want to reach that level.
90-95% don't even know how to speak. How much do we need to learn? We don't even know how to see, how much we will have to learn. And breaking the first 'adan' (rule/boundary) means a terrible breach of sincerity. Only that person becomes liberated. You have done all our service. We will remain together in Akshardham. We will be pleased with you. You have made our example successful on earth. We all need to remain vigilant. Towards our worker, no one's finger should be negative, it should be positive. If any person comes out as a worker in a village, the whole village should praise him. His speech should be sweet, loving, and empowered by God. We have to become such workers. If your life is not such that our five senses cannot take away your virtues, then you don't even know the Shikshapatri. When you follow the Shikshapatri, Bhagwan Swaminarayan has given blessings: Dharma (righteousness), Artha (wealth), Kama (desire), and Moksha (liberation) – all four are our responsibility. Dharma: non-violence and celibacy. Artha: Lakshmi (wealth). Kama: desireless dharma, pure life. Moksha: entry into the state of a 'bhulku' (innocent child). God says, "If these four do not follow our Shikshapatri, they are outside our sampraday (community)."