TRUE BLISS IS WITHIN US

TRUE BLISS IS WITHIN US

This bliss is ever-lasting. Once the Ego disappears the Lord alone acts and we are mere spectators.Feel Him within you, in your heart. When the heart becomes calm the Jiva sees the reflextion of the Lord which He is always throwing upon it Let us create His form sparkling like 1000 suns, imagine Him coming close to embrace you, feel Him near, realize His presence. Spiritual life means constant awareness of is presence within and without, ceaseless prayer, yearning, deep love for Him. Imagine His form sparkling like 1000 suns and think of what our Thakur said:

“You are my own and have no reason to be anxious. Remain dressed before your Lord as His own, love Him with heart and soul. Depend on Him, surrender totally as wife, love Him as your husband. Everything is open to Him as He resides in the hearts of all. You are all beggars at my door, go on begging I will give you. Have full faith in Me. Dive deeper and deeper into your husbands love. He, being the original and only cause of this universe. By loving Him we love all beings and things. The highest goal is anyhow to become enlisted in His family, to become a member of His Brindavan home and get permission from Radha Rani to serve Him in Yugal. Flatter Him. To take His Name day after day is to flatter Him, for He lives in His Name:”Who utters His Name continually has attained liberation while living. The Lord has made His Name of such potency that constant repetition purges the Jiva of all sins, unloosens all Karmic bindings and facilitates his return home to Brindavan. Serve the Lord with whole-hearted Bhakti , seeing  Him in Guru, Devas, in all beings everywhere. The world is a delusion, it has no reality.

Lord Kapila said to Devahuti:” I am always with my Bhaktas. They always see my image in their hearts´ and  to Durvasa:” I am never free but bound by my love for my Bhaktas”.Who practices the rigours of Bhakti with no break I come to dwell in his heart. My presence destroys desires in their heart. When such a one realizes Me, the soul of all things, his Ego, which is the knot of bondage, is severed. Such a Bhakta can effortlessly attain everything that those of other paths can gain. Bhakti dawns only on those who want nothing from Me – no material or worldly gain or even Moksha. Become egoless, see Me everywhere and in yourself as my servant.”Do we need any more assurances of His love for us? Let us use the body to serve Him, the speech to describe His glory and surrender mind and heart totally to Him. He lives within us as pure intelligence. We are the machines which He uses, are the houses, in which He is the indweller. It is Bhakti which purifies the human mind and leads to light. A true Bhakta is one, who serves the Lord with no notion of any difference between him and God, who has renounced all his Karma, his body and soul to God, the one who has no Ego and sees God everywhere and himself as His agent. Hunt for worldly pleasures bind in darkness. 

This life is not ours but His and has to be carefully protected as such. Only those are sane who fully realize that they exist not for their own but for the sake of the Lord. In this Kali age no one shall be debarred from the Lord’s mercy without taking into account our faults. To hear about Him, to imbibe His message and to follow it is the unloosening of the Karma-screw. On that day when our mental, physical activities are centred on God and His service can it be said that we are totally devoted to Him. The down- and outward flow of consciousness should be directed inwards and upwards. Vaishnavas know the Lord as relation, not better than Him, have no dread, love Him open-hearted without the least awe or distant reverence. The more we endear ourselves to the darling of the heart the more shall He love us for we are His. True bliss is within us, it is everlasting. The Self unfolds when the Ego disappears. It is the Lord alone who acts, we are mere spectators. His will is unfettered. Pass your days in ceaseless contemplation of His Name and His love. Work as His agent. protect your life carefully as His. The botheration “it is not well done” should not come. It is His work – you and I need have no anxiety for this. Be determined to act like a Kuli all the works He orders. Remember that Egoismus alone is the main enemy on the path of truth. Abandon all earthly bondages created by the Ego, my and mine. Fix your attention at all times to Atmic consciousness.It   Bhakti that pleases the Lord: devotion for its own sake. All the rest are hollow, meaningless. When the heart becomes calm the Jiva sees he reflexion of the Lord which He is always throwing upon it. The only aim in life is to find that single all-consuming devotion. This life is not ours but His. Let us protect it therefore as His and don’t forget it.

Who has true knowledge does not live in the body although he has it, like unto one awakening after a dream. He who realizes that he exists not for his own sake but for the Lord’s is sane. All things beautiful belong to Him alone and have to be dedicated back to Him.” Who constantly thinks of Me dissolves into Me.” We have to become a self-emptied vessel. The outer shell – body and ego – must die, so that we can grow into Atman. We have to fulfil the higher purpose of our life: to find the eternal Lord, who dwells in all bodies, in all His creation. The Lord is the Self within us, He is the ‘I’, the only one. Everything belongs only to Him, the rest is delusion. It is Bhakti which pleases Him , devotion for its own sake. The world is delusion, has no reality. Form no attachment to anyone, anything. Chant His Names, laugh ,cry in raptures, feel only the ubiquitous presence of the Lord in all creatures as part of Him.

There are many Veda-students, but one who is always thinking of God within his heart

Is the best of all. Love the Lord whole-heartedly, see Him in the Guru, Devas, in all

Beings everywhere. Restrain the mind, draw thoughts inward, away from senses and

roam the world, not attracted to anyone and anything. Purify the heart with

Bhakti, abandon every other thought for all are illusions, mere dreams

Under the influence of divine love all fetters break. Our constant thoughts of God transform the mind into the very image of God. The repository seeds of births and deaths lying within will be entirely reduced to ashes.

*First Advent 2018: 2/12/2018

*Advent (Adventus Domini): Season of preparation for the arrival of the Lord

Ruth Baur

How to please the Lord

How to please the Lord

To be born a human is a rare blessing which comes only after numberless births and deaths in other species. It is only after being born human that a Jiva can attain to higher values of the spirit and finally to  Mukti. Strive as long as the body lasts for the final goal, liberation from the cycle of transmigration.

Place yourself as willing instrument into the Lord’s hands. This life is not ours but His All of us are like bullocks in the field with a rope through our noses. We move only as He decides who holds the rope-end in His hands. Only   He decides every moment of our life, which is not ours but His . Protect it therefore carefully as His and don’t forget it. We are only puppets with limited understanding.This life is not our own. Never forget to carefully protect it as His own. We have no separate existence.

There is no SAMSAR for those who serve you, o Lord. The time wheel (past, present, future) holds terror only for those who dont seek refuge in You. In truth the Jiva is God, Lord of all things. He enjoys the world of the senses which the Antaryamin manifests, but from this enjoyment he falls into ignorance and starts holding the body for the self, becomes attached to it and suffers the Samsara torments. Embroiled in Karma he wanders in transmigration from body to body, life to life, death to death and reaps the fruits of his actions .The bondage of Samsar ends when the spirit ceases to be attached to sense objects. Use the body to serve Me, your speech to describe my glory, surrender heart and soul, mind o me,renounce every desires for my sake. That is Bhakti Yoga. Who concentrates on Me, totally excluding all other thoughts, contemplates on Me continuously will quickly come to Me. Success in Dhyan comes when we feel that the Lord is verily in front of us, in our heart and the sole actor. Do everything in the living presence of Lord Kusumhara. Chanting His Name is as good as associating with Him. Just as storms blow away clouds so does His holy Name disperse clouds of worldliness. A mind which constantly thinks of Him dissolves into Him.The highest Dhyan is  when His Name is taken full of love. Consider every second as valuable as an age. Spend all your time in Nama Japa. By filling ourselves with love for Him we lose Egoism, Kama, Krodha, Ahamkar. Determine to get Him – try for it. NAME will first burn away all Karmas and then take us to Him.When a devotee lives solely for the Lord then he is a real Bhakta. Such a one becomes extremely restless and miserable at the slightest lapse in the remembrance of God. Only when every activity, mental and physical, is centred in God and His service can it be said that we are totally devoted to Him .He chooses is people and the time He wants to cidclose who He isHis people and the time He wants to disclose who He is. 

The cause of our present misery is our want of constantly feeling His Nearness. Once we experience it it is supremely pleasant, giving  highest bliss and supreme joy. We always  have the eternal ecstasy in our heart but chase after unreal, slight pleasures which bind us into births after births. Undying joy is our natural inheritance. The real purpose of life is to revive our dormant love of God. He will choose His people and the time He wants to disclose who He is in a wider sphere. We are only puppets with limited understanding.This life is not our own. Never forget to carefully protect it as His.

Lord Krishna (Gita, 9^th discourse, V1): I dwell in pure minds of the high-souled ones who have sincere devotion  for me. Thy control he senses and steady their minds. Thakur: Make your desire to get me stronger and stronger. All of you are playing in my heart every hour day and night. You are verily my springs of joy. What will sustain Me if I leave you? The Lord cannot remain even for a moment away from his devotees He makes His nearness felt in many ways. Who surrenders totally finds immense Bhakti and experiences Him directly in bliss. He attains detachment  from sense objects and Samsar.Bhaktas see all beings as equal, as part of themselves. They renounce attachments, hate none, are celebate, keep silence and see the Lord in all things everywhere. Understand that all works are the Lord’s works, every minute our thoughts, deeds must be seen as His.

The Ego becomes effaced in self-surrender. Surrender is a real offering to the Lord which pleases Him immensely.The most sublime religion is uninterrupted flow of heart and mind towards Him. Have always the Lord before you in all actions. Determine to get Him. Try for it. When fire is not constantly fanned dross will settle and may extinguish it. Likewise keep the fan of love for Him aglow and strong by making Him our constant companion in thoughts, words, actions. Ever look forward to his appearance. Our principal work here is to love Him. Success in Dhyan comes when we feel  that the Lord is doing everything, is verily in front, in the heart and aware of all my thoughts. Deep longing must be permanent. Strong must be our hope and faith. God cannot remain even for a moment away from His devotees. He makes His nearness felt in many ways. Even mentally uttered  words are heard by Him. For such He has a special liking.

The method of liberation is Bhakti.No moment of our life is in our hands. We are deceived thinking that we are the doer. Hold no longer the body for the Self. Through Bhakti everything can effortlessly be attained. He is only waiting to bless His Bhaktas. See all beings as equal, as part of themselves, they renounce attachments, hate none, are celebate, keep silence and see God in all things everywhere. Establish a close relationship with Him. Success in Dhyan comes when we feel that He is doing everything, is verily in front of me, in my heart and aware of all thoughts. Once the Ego is gone we are no longer an individual but consciousness, formless. It is the Ego that gives name and form. The 1^st factor in Prema is humility, thinking one’s self low. Only those who forgot the own self are true lovers. Chandidas “count true lovers – you will find one in a million. Only those who have forgotten the own self are true lovers; Place yourself as willing instrument in His hands, neither grieve nor desire anything, behold the Lord equally in all beings, be His servant, have no own desires, rely totally on Him . Once we have no more material desires we actually received Lord’s mercy. Our work is to destroy the Ego in order that Atma, which we don’t know may be freed from the Ego-prisonhouse. All things other than Atma are delusion, have no reality of their own. As long as we don’t actively seek Atma’s true nature he remains hidden in Maya’s darkness .

Until our hearts are full of love the Lord of love will not come to us. We must live in love, live for love.Unless one loses the Ego happiness, real happiness can never be enjoyed. Who realizes that he exists not for his own sake but for the Lord is sane. All things beautiful belong to Him alone and have to be dedicated back to Him. Treat Him  as best friend, He is always anxious to do us good.There is none like God who understands the secret behind your peace and suffering and has the power to remove and  respond as soon as you are crying for help. The wind of His grace is always blowing but we have to unfurl our sails to catch it. In contemplation we are in spiritual contact with the unchanging light and become cleansed of all impurities. That vastly potent light of purity and love touches the soul and cleanses it of all shortcomings in the fire of divine love. That is Lord’s grace upon the soul in meditation. Identification with the infinite immortal Atma makes absolutely fearless. Strangle every thought of deficiency, imperfection, weakness, inferiority.

Love, pure and transcendental develops divine Bhava , creates a divine atmosphere in our hearts and it is only then that the Lord manifests Himself in our heart. There is none so kind and full of bliss as He. To hear about the Lord, to imbibe His message and follow is the unloosening of the Karma-screw.  Spiritual life means constant awareness of Lord’s presence within and without, ceaseless prayer, yearning and deep love for Him. By gradually becoming selfless one’s own property – the Lord – can be brought within reach. Live according to His ideas, desires and bear always in mind that He it is who occupied our mind, body and is guiding us. He plays through me, speaks through me. To have Him is the have the entire world.

What oil is to the lamp that are devotees to the Lord. They make Him who is otherwise not to be seen or known apparent. The purer, brighter they are the closer they are to Him.The Atma remains hidden in the darkness of Maya as long as one does not actively seek its true nature.Attachment for outward forms of Maya made us forget  our  Self as the Supreme Self and remains covered within just as we see the skin, colour and shape of a fruit and not the inner substance. We must see the Lord in all things around us, and seeing Him in them, serve Him. Feel ‘I am His, He is the owner of this instrument (me), of everything. Live always in Atma Bhavana, extend the circle of love, be devoid of Self-esteem. Who has Bhakti has already attained all Purusharthas. If He, whose instruments we are, does not take us up in His hands and sounds the instrument it can’t produce a sound. Man is powerless, a mere puppet . Understand that all works are His works. Every minute our thoughts, deeds, must be seen as His. Live according to His ideas, desires and bear always in mind, that it is He who occupied mind, body and guides us. He plays through me, speaks through me – we have no separate existence.

Lord Krishna advised Uddhava as follows:

“Become His creature with mind and soul. When we love Him He will never leave our heart

 for He stays where  He gets joy .Offer your life to Me and you will find unwavering Bhakti me,

 who am the eternal one.

Worship Me with all your heart and simply think of Me as being your own, your sole support. Then you shall be

 the greatest of my Bhaktas. ’

15^th November 2018

Ruth Baur