આંતર પ્રકાશ ― Longing For The Light Within

Param Pujya Bhaishree's swadhyay on Param Pujya Bapuji's Gnan Prapti Day

Makar Sankranti is an auspicious day for each spiritual seeker at Raj Saubhag Ashram. This is the day when the seed of bodhi sattva was sown in Param Pujya Bapuji's spiritually fertile soil.

Attaining atmagnan was Bapuji's pre-eminent desire. Every act of the worldly realm was performed by him with a detached demeanour. His thirst to live a divinely sublime life escalated with each passing day and as a consequence he lost a lot of weight. Seeing his dispassion towards worldly pleasures, and an earnest zeal to attain his soul, the guruvaryas bestowed upon him the esoteric technique of meditation on the glorious day of Makar Sankranti. Bapuji's thrist to liberate his soul was so intense that, within a period of five days from receiving this divine meditative technique he had realised his soul. Click on the above link to view the video recording of the swadhyay.

Swadhyay held at Shantiniketan. Mumbai on Tues 14th Jan 2020

December 2019 Yuva Shibir - The Quest for Eternal Truth

Dec 25-31, 2019

Sayla

Every year for 27 years now, Brahmnishth Vikrambhai and Brahmnishth Minalben have been conducting yuva shibirs, introducing and guiding new seekers on the path to salvation. As per Param Pujya Bapuji’s agna, Vikrambhai chooses relevant and practical subjects every shibir while Minalben explains earmarked letters from Shrimad Rajchandra’s Vachnamrut.

This year was no different, the shibir (retreat) started in the divine basement of the Raj Mandir with the chanting of Navkar Mantra. Vikrambhai’s topic of choice for this shibir was “Five virtues paving the path to Samyak Darshan”. Through relevant stories and first-hand experiences Vikrambhai explained the five virtues.

What does Samyak Darshan mean?

Samyak stands for eternal truth and darshan means to experience, Samyak Darshan hence means realisation of the truth. In our worldly lives, change is the only constant truth, everything is momentary. Samyak Darshan emphasises on transcending to a truth that is eternal and does not change in minutes, months, years or even lifetimes. 

What are the virtues that pave the path to Samyak Darshan?

1. Shraddha: Unconditional faith is the base of this path to self realisation. Belief in the holy trinity of Satdev, Satdharm and Sadguru is the quintessential tool we are armed with. It is this shraddha that eventually helps us imbibe other virtues. A couplet written by Saint Kabir perfectly sums up this thought, 

“Dukh mein sumiran sab kare, sukh mein kare na koi,

Jo sukh mein sumiran kare, toh dukh kaahe ko hoi!”

Those that live with unshaken faith in the holy trinity will never be bothered by the adversities of life.

2. Upsham: Controlling our passion results in upsham or relief from the karma we have gathered over births. We need to master the feelings of anger, pride, deceit and greed. We should be able to recognise them when they rise and keep them from over powering our actions. Vairagya and upsham are two methods to cure our desires and passion. These four feelings are like a fire burning inside us, they may burn someone else but they damage us the most. 

“Avichaare karine toh moh chhe, kar vichar toh paam!” 

It is the lack of thought, about the true nature of what we desire, that leads us astray. Contemplate to realise.

3. Nirved: Nirved refers to the realisation of misery our soul has experienced one life after the other. The pain our soul has been subject to since the beginning of time is immeasurable. Living infinite lives, we have borne unimaginable agony. Every soul in every form in all the four loks is unhappy, except the enlightened, only they are truly happy. 

4. Samveg: Samveg is the acute desire to attain Moksha. If a casino put up a board saying no winnings were allowed to be cashed, one must leave them all inside, would anyone enter? No. Our life is the same, everything we accumulate here, we must leave behind. Only our karma can be carried forward. Knowing this, only a fool would waste his time achieving worldly success instead of investing in his Aatma. 

5. Anukampa: “Anya nu dukh dur kare, ene potana dukh nu vedan thatu nathi.” 

If we are compassionate and can feel the pain of those around us, our problems will take a back seat and minimise. Helping and being of use to others, in reality, helps us. 

On December 28, for the evening swadhyay, Param Pujya Bhaishree graced the yuva shibir with a story on the importance of satsang:

There once lived a young boy who worked as a porter. Though he was poor, he had a clean heart and enjoyed satsang. He had one precursor to his service: the journey must include spiritual discussions; should be a satsang. A man hurriedly came up to him to buy his services. The boy laid down his condition to which the man didn’t pay much attention and agreed since he was getting late. The boy began narrating a spiritual story and when they arrived at their destination, asked the man if he had enjoyed the story. The man simply said that he wasn’t paying attention and that he just needed his bags delivered. The young boy, with his knowledge, realised that the man was going to die the next evening. When he tells the man this, the man asks for a solution. The young boy gives him a trick. The next evening, as predicted, the man dies of a heart attack. On reaching Yampuri, Chitragupt asked the man if he wanted the punishment for his wrongdoings first or the reward for his good deeds. As instructed by the boy, the man said that he did not wish for the reward of his good deeds but only wanted to see it. Chitragupt was left confused since no one had ever made such a request before. He took the man to Indra who also found himself in such a situation for the first time. All three of them then proceeded to Lord Vishnu. Upon hearing the situation, Vishnu used his powers and saw the young boy had led the man to him. He said that the boy had indeed saved the man as he ended up meeting and talking to God himself. This is the power of satsang, it is the only way to meet God. 

Minalben started off the shibir teaching mumukshus how to identify true sources of happiness. Only when the happiness attained is permanent, doesn’t lead to sadness and never diminishes can we say that something makes us happy. If the happiness is followed by sadness, comes with fear or isn’t going to keep increasing, the source isn’t a true reason to be happy. 

She then went on to explain letters 600 and 603 from the Vachnamrut. Letter 600 conveyed to readers:

- the respect Param Krupalu Dev had for Shri Saubhag bhai, he starts the letter clearing a misunderstanding from previous letters.

- the difficulties Shrimad faced while living his everyday life and trying to remain unattached through it. 

- the importance of brahmacharya and 

- how one must only preach religious ideologies only after attaining a higher level, revealing Krupalu Dev's humility.

In letter 603 we learn:

- the happiness we feel is a mirage and only the happiness of an Enlightened Soul is true happiness.

- how a Gnani gathers no new karma but simply washes away those he had collected in the past through glad acceptance and samta (equanimity).

- a Gnani’s detachment from worldly activities even though he partakes, sambhaav keeps him disengaged and 

- the absence of greed in a Gnani’s life

Testimonials:

"Param Pujya Vikrambhai and Param Pujya Minalben’s yuva shibir beautifully captures two feelings in me - the bliss of peacefulness in spirituality compared to the daily stresses of “sansaar”, and at the same time, the urgency of spiritual progress once you begin to appreciate the rare opportunity presented to you in the form of Gurudev Bhaishree and his gurugam gyan that is bestowed to me in the form of aagnas. And so, at the end of yuva shibir, I’m only left thinking ‘apurva avsar kyare aavshe’.” - Shrey Jasani, 25, Dubai

"This Yuva shibir was the first shibir I have attended and it was one of the most calming and enlightening experiences. Starting from Bhaishree's satsang to Vikram uncle's practical learnings to Minal aunty's short stories, it was spiritually enriching. My favourite saying from this Shibir would be "Don't do what the Guru does, but do what the Guru says.”” - Dhara Bakhai, 21, Dubai

“The peace you experience within during the shibir makes it very hard to leave. It allows you to return and start the new year with a motivated and happy mind. Experiencing firsthand the compassion of a Guru and his ability to only look at the good in every soul is something that touched me and drives me further on this path.” - Unnati Shah, 22, Mumbai

December 2019 Aradhna Shibir - 67 Statements of Samyaktva

Aradhna Shibir is a spiritual retreat where a true seeker of liberation can focus his/her mind solely on progressing on the path to self-realisation. Under the refuge of our Enlightened Master, Param Pujya Bhaishree and his team of Brahmnishths, seekers from all over the world gather at Shree Raj Saubhag Ashram, Sayla. Participants follow a daily regime observing solitude and silence for seven days. The regime is designed in such a way that it gives seekers quality time to immerse in meditation, introspection, contemplation and spiritual discourse. In this fast paced life such a meditation retreat is like an oasis where one can find peace and quiet. It is indeed a unique opportunity to center oneself and rediscover yourself. 

Param Pujya Bhaishree’s Discourse

Param Pujya Bhaishree’s subject for the December 2019 Aradhna Shibir was ‘Samyaktva naa sadsath bol’ (67 Statements of Samyaktva) written by the great Upadhyay Shri Yashovijayji Maharaj. Samyaktva means Samyak Darshan (self realisation) as well as faith in True God, True Guru and True Dharma. Pujya Bhaishree said that this work has been studied numerous times, and Param Pujya Bapuji has also shared it; it is an incredibly important topic to understand, reflect and contemplate upon.

The 67 statements of Samyaktva are divided into 12 topics as follows:

1. The four types of faith in the teachings of the equanimously detached God and the Enlightened Master:

a. Having faith in the 9 tattvas.

b. Increasing samta bhaav (equanimity) by serving enlightened saints, devout monks and spirituality-seeking souls. 

c. To distance self from those who have fallen astray from the right path to Liberation. 

d. Not keeping company with those who are extremely worldly. 

Having faith in these tenets aids us in achieving our foremost target; Samyak Darshan (Self-realisation).

2. Interest in Dharma by listening to it, receiving joy from listening to it and in serving the Enlightened Master and seekers of liberation.

3. 10 types of ‘vinay’ dharma. The seed of dharma needs to be nourished so that it can grow into a tree. This seed can be nurtured by giving respect and devotion to the following ten:-

i.  Arihant Bhagvan

ii.  Siddh Bhagvan

iii.  Idol of Bhagvan

iv.  Aagams (spiritual scriptures) which are the works of Bhagvan written by the Gandhars

v. True Religion

vi.  Sadhu

vii. Aacharya

viii. Upadhyay

ix. Spiritual Discourse

x. Complete faith in the teachings of Jineshwar Bhagwan and not doubting it at all.

4. Purification of the 3 yogs: mind, body and speech

1. Desire, ego, anger, deceit, likes, dislikes, delusion and ignorance are impurities of the mind.

2. Harsh, sarcastic, quarrelsome and false words are impurities of the speech.

3.  To hurt someone, beat them, stealing, gambling are impurities of the body.

With the help of introspection and contemplation upon the wisdom imparted by the Enlightened Master, we can redirect our impure inclinations thereby increasing purity of the mind, body and speech.

5. Five faults that block our progress on the true path:

i.  Having doubt in Jineshwar Bhagvan’s teachings

ii.  Pursuing religion to acquire wealth, power, good birth or other worldly desires.

iii.  Having doubts about receiving the fruit of hard work on the spiritual path.

iv.  False belief that worldly pleasures will give us happiness. This strengthens our false perception of reality (mithyatva).

v.  Keeping company of those who pursue worldly desires.

6. Eight ways in which we can propagate Jain Dharm:

a.  Understanding and spreading the teachings of Bhagvan throughout the world.

b.  By giving discourses.

c.   Through debates in courts.

d.  Using astrology.

e.  By performing great penance and not going against the tenets of Jineshwar Bhagvan.

f.    By using mantras.

g.  By using siddhis that one has acquired.

h.  Through poetry. 

7. Five ornaments of devotion towards God and the path laid down by Him:

i.  All rituals should be performed with a devoted and focused mind.

ii.  To do seva-puja-bhakti of Tirthankar Bhagvan and have devotional love towards enlightened saints.

iii.  To have devotion towards Sadguru and follow the Master’s instructions diligently.

iv.  To not to get swayed by mithyatva into following the wrong path.

v.  Appreciate the Jin Shashan.

8. Five virtues that pave the path to self-realisation:

1. Sham – Containment of anger and other negative passions (kashay) and the ability to quieten the impure inclinations (vrutti) that arise. 

2. Samveg – To harbour no form of desire for anything, except for Liberation.

3. Nirved - The realisation that this world is seething with suffering and deep longing to end the Soul’s endless transmigration.

4. Shraddha - Complete faith in True God, True Guru and True Faith.

5. Anukampaa - Compassion towards the less fortunate; kindness towards all souls and inner compassion for Self (for the Soul has been trapped in the web of ignorance and delusion).

These five virtues are the foundation for reaching Moksh. Param Krupalu Dev has defined these virtues in letter number 135. 

9) Six yatnaa - jaynaa or diligence in following the True Dharma and not being misled by false faiths. Param Pujya Bhaishree explained this through the story of a prince called Sangram Sur. Though he was initially cruel, loving to hunt and kill animals, when he heard the bodh of a monk, he repented and gave up hunting. He took the vows of a shravak and followed them diligently. His faith was unshakeable and so great was his love for religion that even Indra praised him in his court as Sangram Sur did not waver from True Faith even at times of crisis.

10) Aagaar is when an ‘exception’ in following the Dharma is allowed. This is when a person undertakes an action against dharma because they are under duress and it is the result of an external force, and against their own personal wishes. 

The six types of external forces that can be exerted are:

• by a king

• by society

• by someone who is stronger or more powerful

• by a Celestial Being

• by a Guru or parents

• to save one's own life so that Samyak Darshan can be pursued as losing a precious human birth would be a great waste. 

Pujya Bhaishree gave the example of Kartik Shreshthi who had to serve food to Taapas Muni against his wishes on the order of the king. Pujya Bhaishree then commented here that we have to decide whether it is an aagaar or not when we fail to do our aagnaas (spiritual regime as instructed by the Mentor). If we are unable to do them, there needs to be a legitimate reason for it to be an aagaar.

11) Importance of Samyak Darshan

Pujya Yashovijay Maharaj has given six examples to highlight the great significance of Samyak Darshan. These examples are to be contemplated upon with a pure mind:

a) Samyaktva is like the roots which hold Dharma upright like a tree.

b) Samyaktva is like the gate without which one cannot enter the city of Dharma.

c) Samyaktva is like the foundations of the palace of Dharma.

d) Samyaktva is like a treasure box in which the jewels of Dharma are kept.

e) Samyaktva is like the support of the land without which the world of Dharma cannot exist.

f) Samyaktva is like a bowl in which the nectar of Dharma can be safely held without spilling.

12) Six affirmations: Param Krupalu Dev has written about these, in letter 493, to Prabhushree Laghuraj Swami, and to Pujya Saubhagbhai in ‘Shri Atmasiddhi Shastra’. The 6 affirmations are: 

a) the soul exists. 

b) the soul cannot be destroyed and exists forever. 

c) the soul is the doer. 

d) the soul bears the fruits of its karmas. 

e) Moksha exists. 

f) Means to Moksha exists. 

Param Pujya Bhaishree used stories to further explain these points so that seekers of all spiritual levels could understand it.

Meditation

Meditation in Kalyan Hall is a superlative experience. One can immediately feel a blanket of peace, quiet and tranquility envelope you as soon as you step into the Hall. It gives a sense of well-being and also a sense of emotional elevation.

One on One Guidance

Each participant of the meditation retreat received  the privileged opportunity to have personal one on one guidance by Brahmnishths (self-realised Souls). It is a very important part of the shibir as we get direct and immediate feedback on how our sadhna is going on. The Brahmnishths help and encourage us. They check if what we are doing is right or wrong and lovingly and gently guide us if we are making any mistakes. 

Brahmnishth Rasikbhai’s Discourse

Brahmnishth Rasikbhai Shah's topic for the shibir was ‘Mumukshu / Sadhak naa antakaran maa’ (Inside the heart of a true seeker of liberation). 

Rasikbhai addressed what a spiritual seeker should ‘know’, ‘imbibe’ and ‘discard’ in order to progress on the path of self-realisation.

Five types of happiness:

All of us desire happiness yet it somehow seems to evade us. We must first understand what is happiness. There are five types of happiness. The first three are worldly whilst the other two are derived from spiritual practice.

1. Sensual pleasures

2. Seeing someone in pain or discomfort.

3. By seeing the results of our saadhanaa.

4. The happiness one feels when s/he experiences the ‘Self’ as distinct from the body.

5. When this (point 4) experience increases and becomes richer and fuller.

In order to reach the fourth, and progressively the fifth state of happiness, there are things which we need to discard and things which we need to imbibe.

Obstacles on the path

We need to discard the obstacles in our path, and so we need to know what these obstacles are. They are:

1 Emotional dependency on the objects and people we consider "ours".

2. Sacrilege (ashaatnaa) towards the teachings of the True God, True Guru and True path to Liberation. Ashaatnaa also means the misuse of objects and offensive behaviour.

3. Disrespectful behaviour towards people and objects.

4. Ego is the most dangerous obstacle on the path to Samyak Darshan. It prevents saadhaks from developing detachment and increases the strength of moh (delusion) on us.

5. Ambition for worldly recognition.

In order to counteract the effects of these obstacles, we  need to cultivate certain virtues. 

The 5 virtues which help in increasing our sense of detachment and thus help us win over our worldly likes and dislikes are:

1. Feeling immense joy and oneness in listening to the Guru's words.

2. Harboring positive and good thoughts and feelings towards all. When we perform all actions under the guidance of a True Guru and attribute all actions to him, only good thoughts prevail in the mind. This removes any negative feelings towards other saadhaks which in turn helps us to see only the good in them. This helps cultivate pramod bhavana - the feeling of appreciation towards all.

3. Selfless service - When we see only positive things in the people around us, it arouses feelings of servitude and creates a sense of giving service to Guru, monks and other fellow seekers.

4. Correct understanding of the true path.

5. Surrendering oneself completely to the True Guru, True God and True Faith.

Rasikbhai's swadhyay elaborated the points made by Pujya Bhaishree in his swadhyays. He enumerated many points where we struggle and the reasons why our progress is slow sometimes. These are thoughts and actions which we do daily, sometimes even without knowing it. All the above depends upon our level of awareness and we should maintain a keen guard on our thoughts all the time.

Conclusion

Reiterating the importance of Samyak Darshan in all the swadhyays, Param Pujya Bhaishree stressed, 

“Samyak Darshan is the grand doorway to Liberation. Since we have all the tools to get to Samyak Darshan, so why shouldn't we do it NOW!!”

Participants felt immense gratitude and love towards Param Pujya Bhaishree and all the Brahmnishths for holding their hand and  painstakingly yet selflessly guiding them throughout the seven winter days in Sayla.

Special Ladies Swadhyay: Duty towards our Soul

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Pyaar ki pyaari murat tu,

Pyaar si pyaari sirat tu,

Jitna tuzko pyaar karu main,

Utni hi lubhaati tu.

This melodic hymn was sung by Sheetal Rupani on the occasion of the 102nd Ladies Special Swadhyay. This discourse held at Shantiniketan, Mumbai, also marked the birthday of Brahmnishth Pujya Minalben Shah.

Dressed in pristine white, she is always an enchanting sight to behold. Her charming presence enlivens every occasion. She is flawless in all that she does, be it caring for her ailing mother-in-law or looking after her grandchildren, nothing seems to burden or overwhelm her. She simply smiles through it all. Looking at her perfection and meticulousness, it is tough to fathom her detachment from it all, but a mere glance into her eyes and one can see that she is an absolute and pure observer of it all. Involved yet isolated she knows when and where to draw the line.

The Special Ladies Discourse held on 21st November 2019, was attended by 70 fortunate souls. This special occasion started with an efficacious discourse. On the occasion of her birthday, Minalben took a special ‘Seven Point Sermon’ that highlighted the journey and lifestyle changes, which a spiritual seeker needs to undertake to attain Samyak Darshan.

“Can anyone do our sadhana for us?”, she quizzed. Seeing us nod in the negative, she cited that, every action and every duty on this cosmos can be performed on behalf of us, by someone else. Nobody is indispensable in the worldly realm, but our journey towards the pinnacle of spirituality can only be carried out by us. No one can walk this path for us. We have attained this body only and only to attain Samyak Darshan, she further elaborated. She reiterated that Guru-agna is of prime importance as it is the food for our soul. She then urged each and every one present to perform all their duties, but not to the extent that your body gets famished and one is unable to perform its duty towards one's soul. Planning and prioritising is the key, she stated. Each word said by her reverberated within us, quietened us and drew us inward.

To listen to the entire swadhyay click on the video below:

This awakening discourse was followed by euphonious bhakti. Hymns were sung by Dulariben Boradia, Rupaben Jain, Dr Suhaben Nagda and Sheetal Rupani.

Mamtaben Kothari then spoke a few words about Minal ben. She correlated Minalben to the rarest of rare gems found in the sea and emphatically declared that the disciples of Shree Raj Saubhag Ashram are indeed very fortunate to have her as their guiding angel. This enlightening session was then followed by snacks.

Juggling between multiple roles of this mundane world, women are always struggling to find the gaps that can enable them to achieve their spiritual goals. This religious address highlighted the importance of sadhana, satsang and self love, thereby, accrediting and empowering each and everyone present, to take concrete steps in the direction of their true calling. As we departed, we thanked the divine for blessing the earth with this priceless gift. Her sermon had jolted us from our worldly stupor and had guided us by showing the path to eternal freedom. Feeling elated, we looked forward to many such preachings.

Bhaishree's Birthday Celebrations 2019

Birthday message: overcome obstacles, find your true self

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“Hail the profundity of purpose of the Enlightened One!

His patience and dispassionate equanimity!

Hail! Again and again! Again and again!”

The backdrop to a thoughtfully designed dais said it all. The reverential words, loosely translated above, were inscribed in the centre. Leveraging the high spiritual quotient of this message was a meditative profile picture of Param Pujya Bhaishree on the right. Along with the picture, each word resonated with each one of us, stilled us and took us inward.

There is one special day in the year every spiritual seeker waits most eagerly for. For mumukshus of the Shree Raj Saubhag Satsang Mandal, that day is November 24, Bhaishree’s birthday. It is a day we give thanks to the supreme powers for blessing the Earth with a gift that is rarest of the rare, and most invaluable for its potential to forever free us from the miseries of the world – the birth of our Satguru. Countless births we have craved a Satguru who can shake us out of our worldly stupor and guide us to eternal freedom. Now that we have, after monumental strife and struggle, found him, we look forward to every opportunity to celebrate his presence. His birthday naturally turns into a spiritual fest.

A most awaited welcome

As we reached the Pracharya B N Vaidya Auditorium in Mumbai bright and early, the mood was soft and celebratory as women in cream and red attires and men in pastel shades bustled about quietly, wearing radiant smiles. As Bhaishree entered to the beats of ‘Guru maari same ubha (The Guru is standing before me)’, the auditorium burst into joyous applause. He made his way to the dais led by exuberant dancing by Brahmanisht Minalben and Brahmanisht Vikrambhai. Everyone rose in a wave of devotion, clapping, bowing and tearing up in gratitude.

On the dais, Bhaishree was welcomed with a tilak by Kavit and Suhani and garlanded by a devout follower and sevak, Mahendrabhai and his wife, Sulochanaben. Minalben, also an accomplished bilingual writer, said in onomatopoeic verse that it was Bhaishree’s spiritual fragrance that we follow, and on the spurs of his guidance that we travel to our spiritual destination. Vikrambhai said aptly that it is impossible to repay the debt of a Guru till we achieve his state of bliss!

From among the birthday greetings received from all over the world, he read out Param Pujya Rakeshbhai’s letter. In fine literary expressions, it hailed Bhaishree’s exalted virtues including his inner peace and stillness, the way he lives the exceptional teachings (‘apurva bodh’) demonstrably, his selfless love for all, his dispassionate sermons, and wished him sound health so that many more can forever benefit from his august presence, divine knowledge and compassionate guidance.

After Guru Aarti and stuti, Vikrambhai and Hiren Boradia sang, ‘Hum khushnaseeb hai kitne, Guru ka mila sahara, hum go gaye usike, woh ho gaya hamara.’ O the glory of a Guru who needs nothing from us but becomes ours for our sake so much so that we believe we own him but he knows nobody does! The song mentions how a Guru changes the course of our future lives forever by showing us the way out and getting us out of it.

Speaking for all of us who have experienced the sublime magic of Bhaishree, Vikrambhai said, “When his all-seeing eyes and his enlightened gaze falls on me, I melt my bodily attachment.”

Bhaishree's message on this special day

Swadhyay Video Recording

Bhaishree began his swadhyay on the importance of the unwavering pursuit of knowledge. He cited numerous instances of luminaries who had achieved spectacular success in spite of adverse circumstances. Gopal Krishna Gokhale, whom Mahatma Gandhi regarded as his political guru, was dismissed by all as a hopeless child. However, he was passionate about his studies. He studied under a streetlight and evolved into a tall national leader, inspiring giants like the Mahatma. 

Thomas Carlyle, Freidrich Schiller, Benjamin Franklin, Jagdish Chandra Bose, Gifford and many more stalwarts earned world renown by single-mindedly pursuing their passion for knowledge against seemingly unsurmountable odds.

Once, Munshi Premchand created a bonfire of papers on a wintry night and sat to write. When someone asked him why he was burning paper, Premchand told him he had no possessions left to burn! The brilliant writer was too broke to buy even a blanket for himself but that did not deter him from continuing to write.

Astronomer David Rittenhouse was a poor farmer’s son who was taken up with the sky. While tilling his field, the eyes of this young boy would always be turned skyward as he absorbed the grand view of stars and heavenly bodies. For want of any writing material, he would scribble his calculations and findings on the walls of his modest house. This poor boy grew up to be a phenomenon who was much sought after by leading scholars.

David Rittenhouse

Michael Faraday collected discarded bottles in his younger days and went on to achieve greatness in the field of electromagnetism.  The biggest driving force in all these instances is the determined striving of each of these giants to work towards their goal and their resoluteness to aspire high, undaunted by their physical reality.

Contending that our intellect is God’s finest blessing, Bhaishree remarked that it seems to flourish only in extreme adversity. Stories of these towering personalities inspire us to pursue with patience, persistence and perseverance our true calling even in the most trying circumstances.

Bhaishree said a true seeker is indifferent to the reality of his circumstances - favourable or unfavourable. He stays determinedly centred on his goal. In fact, he emphasized, one has to constantly fight not just one’s circumstances but also oneself to attain extraordinary success in one’s field of interest.

As definitions go, all knowledge, whether of the material world or the spiritual realm, falls under the generic domain of knowledge. However, in its manifest reality, knowledge with self-realisation (samkeet) is Satgnaan (true and pure knowledge) while that without self-realisation is agnaan (ignorance) because it is derived from incomplete and improper perception. Such knowledge does not free the receiver/knower from the cycle of birth and death, however accomplished he or she may be. It is only spiritual knowledge that has the potential to liberate one from the trappings from the finite world and take him to salvation (moksh).

Spiritual quests cannot and should not be founded on one’s comfort level. One needs to marshal one’s inner strength to hone his strengths, overcome his shortcoming and unflinchingly strive towards the goal of self-realisation with positivity and determination.

Bhaishree said cultivating inner peace enhances and expands one’s knowledge, which is boundless. Indeed, like an itinerant traveler, a spiritual seeker knows there are many peaks to conquer. Taking the analogy further, Bhaishree said the presiding deity of Jains, Bhagwan Mahavir, is the ocean of knowledge and Param Krupaludev Shrimad Rajchandra, with his powerfully evolved self-awareness, is the aspirational peak for a seeker.

In the metaphysical sense, perceiving and comprehending the essential nature of the insentient (‘jad’) world is knowledge. Knowledge is the seamless, comprehensive, unconflicting and unchallengeable appreciation of the "true" reality. This knowledge which leads to the end of the tumultuous whirl of births and deaths and liberates the knower is preciously rare. That is the reason we celebrate November 24. It is the celebration of our eventual release and freedom, of our immense fortune in having received grateful access to a Satguru who points us to Satdharma and Satdev.

Vikrambhai captured the essence of Bhaishree’s swadhyay:  it is only by exposure to fire that gold gets purified.

Swaying to the symphony of devotional notes

After a break, the gathering reassembled to listen to well-known Gujarati singer, Jaydeepbhai Swadiya and his troupe. The next two hours were spent swaying to the symphony of notes stringing devotional and spiritual emotions that stirred and nourished the soul. From a drenched-in-devotion ‘Mane vhalu laage Guruji nu naam, tan man dhan Guru na charnomaa’ to a profoundly philosophical ‘Maati ka bhed nirala, kisko samaj nahi aaya’ that vividly described the material theatre of delusion and deception created of and by the inanimate world, he and Upagnaben smoothly covered the lyrical gamut of spiritual music.

When the troupe began the opening bars of the invigorating ‘Taaraa nayane chhato Bapuji amiras chhaatnna,’ Vikrambhai and Minalben sprang to their feet. Taking their cue, many more poured onto the aisles to sway and dance their heart out. The focus of this spontaneous outpouring of devotion, Bhaishree, watched indulgently as his corps took over every inch of floor space in the auditorium. 

Cake-cutting ceremony   

In the presence of his family and friends, Bhaishree cut two cakes, one for himself and one for Param Pujya Guruma, whose birthday, coincidentally or by divine design, falls on November 25.

Highest honour of the year

The day wound up with the highest honour of the year that is granted to mumukshus on this day – a box of prasad personally handed out to each one of us by Bhaishree with a wide and gentle smile. His outstretched hand was almost a symbol of his tremendous outreach to each one of us, the compassion he exudes and his relentless endeavour 24x7 to deliver us from the morass of worldly attachment onto a planet of spiritual bliss.

Thus blessed, there was just one prayer from all our hearts: May we forever continue to enjoy the untold divinity of Param Pujya Bhaishree’s hand on our heads, comforting, healing, guiding and delivering us for our infinite betterment.

Param Krupaludev Janma Divas Celebration 2019

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Celebrating his virtues

“Even kings and emperors with heaps of wealth and vast dominion cannot compare with an ant filled with the love of God.”

— Guru Nanak

Enlightened Masters through the ages have taken birth to become guiding lights to show others the path to self-realisation.  Without any expectations of praise or adulation, they leave footprints in the sands of time as luminous beacons for any soul desirous of saving self from the endless abyss of births and deaths.

Celebrating the birth of every enlightened Master is the most auspicious occasion in the life of every disciple.

Mumukshus of Shree Raj Saubhag Ashram, Sayla experienced this overflowing love and gratitude while collectively celebrating Param Krupalu Dev Shrimad Rajchandra’s birthday on Kartik Purnima (12 November 2019) in the presence of their own Guru, Param Pujya Bhaishree.  

The auspicious day began with meditation (dhyaan), agna bhakti and Dev Vandan. At 10:30 AM all the mumukshus (seekers of liberation) participated in a ceremonial procession (shobha yatra) in the presence of Bhaishree and all Brahmanishth.  Enthusiastically dancing to the divine melodies, every heart was full of gratitude for Param Krupalu Dev.  

In her initial discourse Brahmanishth Minalben mentioned that our existence would be full of darkness if Shrimadji was not part of our lives.

During Param Satsang, Bhaishree said: “This is a very auspicious day for all Raj Bhakts.  All of us are very fortunate to be walking on the path shown by the most divine soul – Shrimad Rajchandra. He is our inspiration.  Today is also the birth anniversary of other great souls – Kalikal Sarvagna Hemchandra Acharya, Guru Nanakji and founder of Sthanakwasi sect Lonkasha Muni.   

There are over 60 ashrams established in the name of Shrimad Rajchandra all over the country and all of them are celebrating his birth to help us overcome taking an endless number of births.  Shrimadji had other exceptional abilities as well such as a phenomenal memory, powers of astrology, amazing power of perception and dexterity with numbers among others, but he realized that these powers and the accompanying fame, were coming in the way of his spiritual growth.  Without a second thought, Shrimadji gave up all these accomplishments to pursue spiritual heights.

At this crucial junction, Shrimadji met Saubhagbhai and from here began a historic relationship, where Shrimadji would share with Saugbhagbhai his innermost thoughts and all spiritual milestones that he was rapidly crossing.”

Quoting from letter number 162, Bhaishree mentioned that Shrimadji writes of himself having attained Samyag Darshan and was now on the path towards the supreme Kevalgyaan.  Bhaishree said: “In a duration of one and a half – two months, Shrimadji had reached the exalted state of Nirvikalp Samadhi.” 

In spite of having to work in a firm trading in diamonds, Shrimadji’s internal state was like that of a sacrosanct saint.  During all his worldly activities – whether working, walking, talking, eating – Shrimadji remained uninvolved and detached.

Members of Digamber Jain Sangh from Surendranagar were also present during the morning session.  The evening ended with Arti, Mangal Divo, evening Dev Vandan, Atma Siddhi and bhakti.  Though the day came to an end, the immense gratitude felt by each and every soul for Param Krupalu Dev multiplied manifold.

Blessed, blessed, blessed is every soul who walks on Bhagwan Mahavir’s path shown by Shrimad Rajchandra.

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Swadhyay video recording

Param Pujya Bhaishree's morning swadhyay on Krupaludev’s virtue of Udasinta.

Param Pujya Bhaishree's afternoon swadhyay on Param Krupaludev's virtues of Nirvikalpta and Asangta