Who is Jhulelal? The meaning of Cheti Chand

Jhulelal is the Ishta Dev (patron deity) of Sindhi Hindus. He is regarded as a divine incarnation who appeared to protect the Sindhi people in a time of great religious crisis. His story is central to Sindhi identity and faith, especially among Sindhi Hindus.

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The Legend of Jhulelal:

Around the 10th century CE, Sindh (now in Pakistan) was ruled by a tyrannical ruler named Mirkhshah, a fanatical Muslim king. He demanded that the local Hindu population convert to Islam. The Sindhi Hindus were deeply troubled and turned to the river Indus (Sindhu) for divine help, praying to Varuna Dev, the god of water.

Their prayers were answered with the birth of a miraculous child named Uderolal, who later came to be known as Jhulelal.

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Why is he called Jhulelal?

The name “Jhulelal” comes from the word “jhoolna” (to swing). As a child, he was often seen gently rocking in his cradle on his own, with a divine light surrounding him. This mystical quality earned him the name Jhulelal—the one who swings (miraculously).

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How did he save the Sindhis?

As Jhulelal grew, he became a spiritual leader with extraordinary powers. He confronted Mirkhshah, warning him against religious persecution. The ruler mocked him initially, but after witnessing miracles—such as surviving attempts on his life and controlling the elements—he grew fearful and backed down.

Jhulelal preached unity, religious tolerance, and peace. His teachings appealed not only to Hindus but also to Sufi Muslims. Over time, he became a symbol of communal harmony, especially in Sindh.

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Legacy and Symbolism:
• Jhulelal is often depicted sitting on a palanquin on a fish (palla fish), symbolising his connection to water and the river god Varuna.
• He represents protection, justice, and faith.
• His blessings are invoked by Sindhis worldwide, especially during Cheti Chand, his birthday and the Sindhi New Year.

By Sunil Sarpal

Life is too short, as a result, one should do all those things that need be done in this life span so that when the time for departure comes, one should not feel repented.  Life teaches us enormous lessons but do we really want to learn them.  There are those wasting their precious time in consuming liquor and eating animal food.   Is it necessary to indulge in such consumables when there are those who cannot meet both their ends. .  Entertaining themselves with different types is also a waste of time and energy.  Instead one should involve himself with some creative pursuit.  

What is the harm in speaking sweetly ?

Kabir Sahib says  –  Aisy Baani Boliye Mun Ka Aapa Khoye,
                                Aoron Ko Sheetal Kare Khud bhi sheetal hoye. 

There are so many behavioral examples to lead a gentleman’s life.  Whatever job or business opportunity comes our way, it is our moral duty and responsibility to carry it out in a rational manner.  Never indulge in double talk, cheating or scandalous activities because God is taking stock or our every act of omission and commission. 

Are we leading the life of a pious, if not, what is our moral responsibility towards creator, the God ?

Are we in the pursuit of turning our persona into a Mandir ?

Mandir means –  Mun Ke Andar

Shah (God)  tusaan to wakh Nahin
Bin Shah De Duja Khak NahinI
Par Dekhan Wali Akh Nahin
Jind Te Hi Judain Sehndi Ye

It is entirely in our hands to turn the table of our mind’s direction.  We should have two most important values in our life. 

‘Bhai’  means fear from God.  And ‘Bhav’ means keep God in our memories always.  Following these values, one day our persona will turn into a Temple of Living God. 

Whatever gifts we have been bestowed with from God, we should always remain indebted to HIM.  We should not feel obsessed with what we have received from God.  This is just a transitory phase in our life.  What we consider our’s will be somebody else’s tomorrow.  Since everything is temporary and nothing as permanent, then we are just like passengers living on the alms provided by God as per our own karmas. 

Tun To Tera Khak Milega,  Chaurasi Mein Sadna

In order to break the cycle of death – birth – death, one needs to search for Shabd Guru who gives the lessons of bhakti so that this golden opportunity of human birth does not go waste, otherwise

Ayenga Jayenga Dukh Payanga

While the celebration of the “International Day of Yoga” has become an integral part of the global calendar, especially in India, its true significance lies within our souls.

            The inherent meaning of ‘yoga’ or ‘yog’ is ‘union with God’ which is the true union that all souls are innately seeking. Most human beings across the planet have heard of ‘yoga’ but a majority of them still identify this concept with physical exercises or yog-asanas – Hath Yoga. Yet there is so much more to yoga that needs to be understood and practised!

            Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda, the author of the renowned spiritual classic, “Autobiography of a Yogi” was a pioneering Indian guru who travelled to the western world in order to enlighten truth seekers about the true meaning of yoga. His emphasis on meditation as an integral part of the ‘action plan’ that all individuals must adopt, in their search for the true meaning of life, was timely as well as timeless. Yoganandaji propounded spiritual effort as the only way towards fulfilment of the highest goal of life: self-realization, or oneness with God. And his own guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri, famously said, “Everything in future will improve if you are making a spiritual effort now!”

            A step by step scientific technique is what each devotee of God needs to further his or her outreach towards the attainment of the ultimate verities that Yoganandaji writes about in “Autobiography of a Yogi.”

            Kriya Yoga is the highest form of yoga and is that specific scientific pathway which Yoganandaji emphasized upon as the foremost route known to mankind for attainment of divine communion. Kriya Yoga involves definite scientific techniques which enable the practitioner to not only improve his or her physical and mental health, but more importantly, it enables the ‘yogi’ to eventually find true peace and joy within which are clear indicators of the presence of God within us.

            Yoganandaji explained to his followers, both oriental and western, that the Kriya Yoga path can be practiced by everyone and is a sure shot doorway to the highest realms of existence. He also elaborated upon certain preliminary techniques, as well as a ‘how to live’ philosophy which are essential steps leading to the highest portal of Kriya Yoga meditation. Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita also mentions Kriya Yoga twice in glorious words. Millions have been inspired to adopt Kriya Yoga as a way of life, with all its manifestations. Yet, the real benefit of Kriya Yoga lies in its sincere practice, as Lahiri Mahasaya, guru of Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri, emphasized. The golden gateway to the upper echelons of our existence is to be found in the meaningful and regular practice of the Kriya Yoga technique.

            Yogoda Satsanga Society of India (YSS) is the spiritual organization founded in 1917 by Yoganandaji. YSS continues to disseminate deep insights into the voluminous teachings of Yoganandaji, through books, printed lessons and other means. The number of devotees following the Kriya Yoga path have multiplied enormously in recent decades, all over India and the world.

            As a young devotee said during a recent ‘Sadhana Sangam’ at the Ranchi Ashram of YSS, “My life has been transformed by the discovery of the teachings of Yoganandaji and the path of Kriya Yoga.” For further info.: yssi.org

Writer: Vivek Atray

By Sunil Sarpal

It is a hard and well known fact that one day everybody has to leave this mortal frame.  Life therefore be treated as a dream run.  Sometimes the dream is good and favourable but sometimes it is a bad omen.  One has to undergo both good as well as bad phase of life in a sporting manner.  

The hard lessons of life should be learned on a serious note that this world is fraudulent and on false footing.  

It is karmic to be rich with abundance of material things at your disposable.  Similarly, it is also karmic to be a pauper.  Being a pauper should not be considered a sin.  Sinner is the one who always look at the world keeping ‘maya’ up-front.  

The title of the article  –  MUN TOON KYON GUMAN KAREGA

Why should I be so much obsessed with what I have.  Whatever I have, has been given by God.  Why should not I be indebted to God for what I have and feel his gratitude.  

TUN TO TERA KHAK MILEGA

One day, your body will perish.  You will lose grip on its strength.  From childhood to youth to old age and this sequence  will happen with everybody.  

This is an inevitable reality of life and finally this frame will end up in flames.  

The ‘soul’ keeps on traversing in 84 lacs yonies in accordance with his karmic debt.  

A question often seekers ask to Satguru  –  knowingly if so much pain and sufferings one has to bear then why God sent souls to this world.  To which, Satguru gives a very ambiguous reply that without going into the history, I can show you the way forward, how to break the cycle of life-death-life.  

BHAJAN SIMRAN

Till the time it boils down to settling karmic account of a soul,  the soul keeps on traversing from one yoni to another.  Bhajan Simran has in it to clean up the karmic debt of a soul.  

In this yug which is called kalyug, people are so much entrenched in accumulating maya and in  mundane affairs that they do not have time going to satsang and listening to satguru’s teachings.  Satsang of ‘shabd guru’ is that forum where the nuisances of Naam Bhakti is explicitly explained in a systematized manner.  

Human form is considered top of the creation.  Breaking the cycle of birth-death-birth is possible in human form thru Naam Bhakti. 

By Sunil Sarpal

What is Santmat ?

Sant + mat  =  Teachings of Sant. 

Babaji often sums up in his discourse  –  NANAK KE GHAR KEWAL NAAM

What is Naam  ?

The words of Naam have been derived from the names of deities.  Above the eye centre of human being,  there are five Ruhani Desh and each Ruhani Desh has a separate deity.  So five Ruhani Desh have five different deities and the names of those deities form the NAAM. 

Satguru, in his satsang, explains that Naam  already exists within us, human beings.  The process of giving Naam Daan by Satguru to a devotee is just to channelise how to do bhakti.  How to sit in meditation and how to repeat those holy names, concentrating at the eye centre of forehead. 

In fact, the human body is the real temple of God.  But because ‘maya’ plays a pivotal role in human being’s life,  ‘mun’  has become slave to sense pleasure viz Kaam, Krodh, Lobh, Moh and Ahankar. 

Human beings remain in the process of satiating one desire after the other and in this process keep accumulating N number of karmas.  In order to repay the karmic debt, human soul has to remain in the cycle of 84 lac yonies.  In which yoni a soul deserves birth is decided by kaal on the basis of karmas. 

Kaal is the driving force in this creation in which we live in.  According to our ‘karma’  Kaal Bhagwan decides what our soul deserves, be it human form,  animal yoni,  tree etc. etc.  from the living beings. 

‘Mun’  by nature, keeps accumulating karmas and resultantly the soul remains entrapped in changing one yoni after the other and this cycle goes on unabated. 

Satguru ,  in his satsang, often says  –  KARM JO TOON KAREGA USIKO BHOGNA BHARNA. 

How to break the hudoo of birth-death-birth ?

NAAM BHAKTI

In human form only,  Naam given by time’s Satguru enables a human being to break the cycle of life-death-life by doing daily meditation.  

The soul then merges back to its origin i.e.  God wherefrom it descended to this creation. 

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“When Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi does the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of Shri Ram Lalla’s idol at Ayodhya, he would be representing every citizen of our great Bharat”.

“Shri Ram embodies the spirit of India. The true spirit of India and Indianness is discipline, truth, honesty, ethics, moral values, acceptance and celebration of diversity, respect for elders, strong family bonds and all such fine human values“

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SHRI RAM MANDIR – Fulfilment of a divine dream
The Original Unedited Article by Shri Lal Krishan Advani

I am elated beyond words that we are on the verge of realising my most cherished dream of having a grand Shri Ram temple at Ramjanmabhoomi, the birthplace of Shri Ram. On 22nd January 2024, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will install the idol of Shri Ram at the beautiful temple in Ayodhya, and I feel blessed that I will witness this historic occasion in my lifetime.

I have always believed that ‘faith’ is the foundation on which rest both a meaningful life of a person and the whole society at large. Faith not only infuses energy and confidence into a person’s life, but also helps give it direction. For me and for crores of Indians, this faith has been our deep reverence for Shri Ram.

Shri Ram embodies the spirit of India. The true spirit of India and Indianness is discipline, truth, honesty, ethics, moral values, acceptance and celebration of diversity, respect for elders, strong family bonds and all such fine human values and Shri Ram is the epitome of all these impeccable human qualities. Hence the title ‘Maryada Purushottam’ (an exemplar among good human beings) by which he is known. He is an ideal for Indians’ aspiration to live a life of higher values.

Shri Ram was also an ideal king- the living embodiment of ‘Dharma’. Hence the concept of ‘Ram Rajya’, the epitome of good governance, was extolled as the ideal for India. Although Shri Ram is the holy religious figure worthy of worship for the Hindus, he is a pre-eminent symbol of India’s cultural heritage and national identity -which belong to all citizens alike.

The story of Shri Ram’s life, the Ramayana, is both a source and a carrier of the continuity of India’s cultural traditions and has greatly influenced the Indian mindset generation after generation, century after century. Therefore, for the last almost 500 years, the reconstruction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya has been a deep desire for countless Indians.

The Ramjanmabhoomi movement for the reconstruction of the temple at the Janmasthan of Shri Ram in Ayodhya proved to be a major watershed in the history of post-1947 India. Its impact on our society and polity, and on our sense of national identity has been tremendous.

In my own political journey, I have always said that the Ayodhya Movement was the most decisive transformational event, which gave me an opportunity to discover India anew, and in the process, rediscover myself.

I feel humbled that destiny made me perform a pivotal duty in the form of the Shri Ram Rath Yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya in 1990.

I believe that before any event finally occurs in reality, it takes shape and form in a person’s mind. At that time, I was feeling that a befitting temple for Shri Ram in Ayodhya would indeed be a certainty one day, and that it was only a matter of time.
A grand Mandir for Shri Ram at Ramjanmabhoomi had been a desire and mission for the Bharatiya Janata Party. When in the mid-1980s the Ayodhya issue rose to the centre-stage of national politics, I was reminded of the time how political stalwarts like Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Rajendra Prasad and K M Munshi had, against all odds, effectively steered the reconstruction of another landmark temple in independent India- the Somnath Temple at Prabhas Patan on the coast of Saurashtra in Gujarat.

Somnath was both a witness to, and a target of, multiple foreign invasions during the medieval period. And reconstructing the Somnath temple was a proud testimony of India’s determination to erase the history of bigoted alien attacks and regain its lost cultural treasure.

Sadly, as in the case of Somnath, the temple at the birthplace of Shri Ram in Ayodhya had also become a target of attack by an invader, Babar, who founded the Mughal empire. In 1528, Babar ordered his commander Mir Baqi to erect a mosque at Ayodhya to make the spot a ‘place for descent of angels’- hence the name Babri Masjid.
It is widely believed, and later even confirmed by compelling archeological evidences that there was a pre-existing temple at Ayodhya which was demolished for establishing the mosque.

So in many ways, the Ayodhya movement was the continuation of the spirit of Somnath.
When the BJP decided in 1990 that I, as its President, should lead the Shri Ram Rath Yatra to mobilise people’s support for the Ayodhya movement, it took no time for me to choose Somnath as the starting venue of this historic journey.

On 12th September, 1990, I called a press conference at the party office at 11 Ashoka Road, New Delhi and announced my decision to undertake a 10,000-kilometre-long Rath Yatra, starting from Somnath on 25th September and reaching Ayodhya on 30th October to join the kar seva in Ayodhya, planned by the saints associated with the movement. 25th September was special to me as it is Deendayal Upadhyaya ji’s birth anniversary.
In my autobiography- “My Country My Life”, I have extensively talked about the Ayodhya Movement and the Shri Ram Rath Yatra that I undertook in 1990. On this momentous occasion today, I would like to recall some significant portions from it.
On the morning of 25th September 1990, I offered prayers at the jyotirlingam in Somnath temple. I was accompanied by the present Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi (who was then a promising leader of the BJP), Shri Pramod Mahajan, (who was the General Secretary of the party) other senior functionaries of the party in Gujarat, and members of my family. Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia and Shri Sikander Bakht, both Party Vice-Presidents then, had come to flag off the Rath.

Before the Rath was flagged off, we all paid floral tribute to the imposing statue of Sardar Patel just outside the temple. In my mind, I thanked and drew inspiration from all the great men who had toiled for the reconstruction of the temple. Amidst a large crowd that had gathered to greet and bless us, we climbed the Shri Ram Rath which had been decorated with marigold flowers. Then, to the accompaniment of the sound of the ceremonial conches and full-throated slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and ‘Saugandh Ram ki khate hain mandir wahin banayenge’ (In the name of Ram, we resolve: We shall build the temple there—at Ramjanmabhoomi—itself), the Rath rolled on. In subsequent days, these slogans became identified with my yatra and a song-“Ram Naam Mein Jaadoo Aisa, Ram Naam Man Bhaaye, Man Ki Ayodhya Tab Tak Sooni, Jab Tak Ram Na Aayein…” sung by late Smt. Lata Mangeshkar, India’s Nightingale, became the signature tune of the Rath Yatra wherever it went.

I was truly overwhelmed by the response to the yatra within the first few days of our journey in Gujarat. The Rath was received by tumultuous crowds everywhere—in villages, towns and even along roads where people from nearby hamlets would gather under trees eagerly waiting for the Rath to arrive. The response reached a crescendo in bigger towns and cities, where it would take hours for us to reach the venue of our meetings.

This response was as big, even bigger, in Maharashtra as well as in all the subsequent states that we travelled through. People everywhere greeted the Rath by erecting ceremonial arches and showering flowers. The most astonishing sight for me was the manner in which people, especially women, would come forward and perform aarti and throw coins, as if they were praying in a temple. What I soon realized, was, that for many people, I was secondary and incidental to the campaign. I was only a sarathi or a charioteer; the principal messenger of the Rath Yatra was the Rath itself. And it was worthy of worship as it was headed for Ayodhya for the sacred mission of construction of the Shri Ram Temple at his birthplace.

At this point, I would like to talk a bit about the ‘Rath’ that I travelled in. It was a actually a mini truck that was redesigned to take the shape of a Rath and was provided with basic amenities.

Travelling in a ‘Rath’ was indeed a novel experience for me, but it presented its own set of challenges. For one, it had a small room-cum–washroom at the rear of the vehicle, which could only be used when the vehicle was not in motion, otherwise it was very bumpy. So I recall standing most times on the platform of the moving vehicle, holding on to the front and side grip bars in order to maintain my balance. Of course, this also meant being constantly subject to heat and dust as the platform was open from three sides.

Also while in motion, it was impossible for me to sip water, juice or tea without spilling. So a special sipper bottle was arranged to overcome this issue. As for food, although arrangements were made that the dinner would come from some party worker’s home in whichever city we were to reach for night halt, invariably the last public meeting would only end up close to midnight. So I would usually have just a glass of milk with marmalade on toast.

Another problem we often faced was due to the height of the Rath. Although the party officials had circulated the information about the height of the vehicle to various destinations along the route of the yatra, as we moved through small towns and cities, one of the frequent hold ups used to be the overhead hanging electrical wires. So party workers then arranged for extra long wooden poles to get the wires out of the way and also started moving along with the Rath. Well, all these were really miniscule issues which form just a small part of the beautiful memory of my Shri Ram Rath Ratra.
The most touching moments of the yatra were witnessed in villages and remote hamlets where the piety on the faces of the village folk was of a purer and deeper kind than what I saw in cities. Many of them were either illiterate or nominally educated. They had not learnt about Shri Ram by reading; it was as if the knowledge flowed through them, passed on from one generation to the other, through folk tales or word of mouth, as usually happens in the Indian society.

At many places, I found an odd villager who would come quietly, without shouting any slogans, perform a puja before the Rath, greet me and walk away. I was truly humbled by experiences like these as it gave me a first-hand insight into how deep-rooted religiosity is in the lives of the Indian people. It was the Rath Yatra that made me realise that if I were to communicate the message of nationalism through the religious idiom, I would be able to transmit it more effectively and to a wider audience.

My speeches, delivered mostly from the specially designed raised platform on the vehicle were just about five minutes long, because I had to address nearly twenty to twenty-five such roadside receptions each day. In most towns and cities, I had to get down and address public meetings attended by tens of thousands of people.

I would explain the purpose of the yatra and the circumstances that compelled the BJP to actively participate in the Ramjanmabhoomi movement. Although the people’s response to the Rath Yatra was mainly religious, the focus of my speeches was on nationalism, as I have always believed that the Shri Ram temple issue is intrinsically connected to our sense of Indianness.
A recurrent theme in my speeches was that the power of a positive approach to religious faith can contribute greatly to social transformation and nation-building. I stressed on the equal status that our Muslim brethren enjoyed in independent India as India chose to remain non-theocratic and secular. This, I added, was principally due to the age-old secular ethos of Hinduism. I also appealed to leaders of the Muslim community to respect the Hindu sentiments over Ayodhya.
My yatra was scheduled to enter Deoria in Uttar Pradesh on 24th October 1990. However, as I had anticipated, it was stopped at Samastipur in Bihar on 23rd October and I was arrested by the Janata Dal government in the state, then headed by Shri Laloo
Prasad Yadav. I was taken to an inspection bungalow of the irrigation department at a place called Massanjore near Dumka, on the Bihar-Bengal border.
This action invited angry and spontaneous protests all over the country.

This was a time when there were no mobile phones. The news of my arrest reached my daughter Pratibha, who was in Kolkatta then, in quite an interesting manner. She was looking to hire a cab on way back to her home when the taxi driver told her to hurry up. On her enquiring from him why he was saying so, the taxi driver told her that Advani “Baba” had been arrested and people were fearing a backlash in the form of riots in the city! Two days later, Pratibha spoke to Laloo Prasad Yadav ji, who facilitated her coming to meet me at Massanjore during my detention. I spent five weeks in detention before being released.

Thus ended my Shri Ram Rath Yatra, which was indeed an exhilarating episode in my political life. I felt happy that the Yatra helped in galvanising the aspirations, energies and passions of its countless participants.

A significant debate that started during the course of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement was the difference between genuine secularism and pseudo-secularism. On the one hand, there was a groundswell of popular support for the movement. On the other hand, most political parties were shying away from supporting the movement as they feared losing Muslim votes. They succumbed to the lure of this vote-bank politics, and justified it in the name of secularism.

Thus, the Ayodhya issue, whose primary objective was the reconstruction of the Ramjanmabhoomi temple, also became a symbol of reclaiming the true meaning of secularism from the onslaught of pseudo-secularism.

It has been 33 long years since my Shri Ram Rath Yatra. A lot has happened since, including the legal battle which had implicated me and many of my colleagues from the VHP, RSS and the BJP.

However, after almost three decades, on September 30, 2020, the CBI’s special court acquitted me and others and released us from all charges.
It is pertinent to note that while on one hand the protracted legal battle was going on, on the other, not only I, but every karyakarta of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar continued working towards awakening the soul of Indians to realise this dream of restoring Ram Lalla at His rightful abode.

I am very happy that due to the decisive verdict of the Supreme Court in November 2019, the reconstruction of Shri Ram Mandir has happened in an environment of tranquility.

And now that the magnificent Shri Ram Temple is in its final stages of completion, I am filled with a sense of deep gratitude towards the present Government headed by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, all organisations, particularly the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Bharatiya Janata Party, the countless people associated with my yatra, saints, leaders, kar Sevaks and all the people from India and the world, who made valuable contributions and sacrifices in the Ayodhya movement over many decades.

There are two persons who I am missing immensely today. The first one is late Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who had been an integral part of my life- both political and personal, and with whom I shared an unbreakable and everlasting bond of mutual trust, affection and respect.

The second person is my late wife Kamla, who had been the mainstay of stability and a source of unparalleled strength to me, not only during the Shri Ram Rath Yatra, but throughout my long stint in public life.

In the run-up to the upcoming special occasion of 22nd January 2024, the atmosphere in the entire country has truly become ‘Ram-maya’. This is a moment of fulfilment for me, not just as a proud member of the RSS and the BJP, but as a proud citizen of our glorious motherland. My greetings to all my countrymen!

When Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi does the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of Shri Ram Lalla’s idol at Ayodhya, he would be representing every citizen of our great Bharat. It is my belief and my hope that this temple will inspire all Indians to imbibe Shri Ram’s virtues. I also pray that our great country not only continues to accelerate on the path of becoming a global power, but also presents itself as a sterling example of dignity and decorum in all walks of life.

I bow at the lotus feet of Shri Ram. May He keep everyone blessed.
JAI SHRI RAM!

Watch a documentary on LK Advani’s “Fulfillment of a Divine Dream”

by Sunil Sarpal 

BHAI AND BHAV

This is a very sensitive subject.  

‘BHAI’ (dar) stands for ‘fear’ from God and ‘BHAV’ (bhavna) stands for Love for God.  Since  God is all-pervading, one should always do his deeds keeping in mind ‘Will this act of mine be acceptable to God or is it just a waste’ ?  How I conduct myself, my life, perspective, and vision.   Is this what  God expects of me?   Am I intentionally hurting some body?   But why, what for, just to satiate my ego.  Is my ego more important than what God expects of me.

‘BHAV’ stands for love for God.   If we remain ‘selfish’ and evade from conducting menial jobs, then how can we please God. 

What if I wash utensils at home?  I was responsible for making them dirty so it becomes my duty to clean them.  What do I lose in the bargain?

‘SEVA’ conducting in any form, pleases God. God has bestowed on us with a healthy body and heart to fulfill any kind of seva with a smile. 

If our body is not in sync with seva, it is of what use.  We should always make best use of what God has bestowed on us.  

We always look skywards when in trouble.  Generally, HE does not disappoint us.  It is our own karmas which become ‘harbinger’ in our struggle to succeed in life.  

In nut-shell, we should always be good son or daughter of God so that HE should not feel disappointed with our act of omission and commission. 

Maya in Kalyug

The society in which we live in and boast off in fact is not worth living.  God created this creation unmindful of the fact that this creation will one day become full of filth.  There is huge disparity amongst people, their way of thinking, life, priorities etc. 

Firstly, do we remember God, the creator because of whom we exist.  Even if some worship him, it is because of some sort of reason only.  We consider the relationship with God as a ‘barter deal’.  In barter deal, the business revolves around ‘give and take’ in proportion. 

We are never satisfied with what we have.  We always yearn for what we do not have, unmindful of the fact that whatever we get is what we deserve according to our destiny. 

Satguru always emphasizes ‘Live in the will of God’.  Do not ask for more and HE shall take care of your needs. 

When God gave us human form, HE was under the impression that as human beings we will try and realise God in lifetime.  Generally, it does not happen.  Man started exploring happiness in maya and became forgetful of God and his realization.   Maya is so intoxicated that people automatically get swayed towards it. 

Destiny plays a very important role in human life.  It is a well- known fact that it is because of destiny a human being becomes a king or a bagger. 

Param Sant Kabir Sahib says :-

“Maya Mari Na Mun Mara,  Mar Mar Gaye Sharir

Asha Trishna Na Mari, Keh Gaye Das Kabir”.

It means   “Neither ‘maya’ dies nor ‘mun’,    only the body dies

Expectations and desires never dies.    This is what Kabir Sahib has to say in his message. 

Poor man does not realise the fact that one day he has to leave this mortal body.  Then why crave for maya and why not Ram.   Because he will have to reap the harvest of what he has sown. 

Only those who have worshipped ‘Ram Naam’ will merge back in God.  Other non-worshippers will have to come back to this creation yet again and who knows in what yoni.  The human form is very rarely achieved after completing the cycle of 84 lacs yonies. 

That is why lot of emphasis is laid to attending to satsang.  Schooling in satsang is so very important that it teaches the importance of maya and God realization. 

Guru Nanak Sahib’s Message

We are spiritual being under-going human experience.  This message is given during satsang by satguru. 

Today, what human being has turned out to be and being led to.  There is no point raising a finger towards others.   First and foremost, we should conduct our own introspection.  Do we act and behave like human beings.  What weakness we carry along and do we find ways and means to correct them or we consider them as an integral part of our lives.   Our lives should be led on the teachings of Guru Nanak Sahib i.e.

Kirat Karo

Wand Chako

Bhajan Karo

Kirat Karo  :  means to do work.  Guru Nanak Sahib emphasizes the importance that each and everybody should earn his own livelihood.  In doing so, one has to live in the will of God.  Do everything as if you are doing it for God.  There should not be any hanky-panky in conducting work. 

Wand Chako  :  to distribute your earnings with those who ‘have not’.   Consider every achievement as God’s parshad.  

Bhajan Karo  :  to lead a life in remembrance of God.  Attending to satsang, sewa, simran and dhyan should be accorded due priority in life. 

Do we fall in line with the above or always falter in life.   Human beings are slave to sense pleasure.  Till the time, our wishes are full-filled, we lead our lives accordingly and in order to do that, we make lot of compromises. 

In kalyug, there is hardly any mercy for others in the heart.  Dogs are more faithful then human being that is why mostly people keep dogs in their homes. 

Man, in order to meet his desires, cheat other human beings.  This has become a norm.  This has become a habit of human being. 

A Yuga Cycle (a.k.a. chatur yuga, maha yuga, etc.) is a cyclic age (epoch) in Hindu cosmology. Each cycle lasts for 4,320,000 years (12,000 divine years[a]) and repeats four yugas (world ages): Krita (Satya) Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga, and Kali Yuga.

(The above reference from Wikipedia is about Hindu ages. It is not to be confused with Buddhist, Greek or Jain ages.)

The Kali Yuga, in Hinduism, is the fourth and worst of the four yugas (world ages) in a Yuga Cycle, preceded by Dvapara Yuga and followed by the next cycle’s Krita (Satya) Yuga. It is believed to be the present age, which is full of conflict and sin.

Ref:(https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuga_Cycle)

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KALYUG by Sunil Sarpal

Kali Yuga or Kalyug has taught innumerable lessons to human kind.

1) How to keep your elders and respect them

There are old homes for elders where they can live rest of their lives, away from the hum-drum of youth. Who is bothered whether they need anything, e.g. emotional stability, medicine, food, rest, peace etc. etc. At homes with their kids, they are treated like unwanted and waste furniture.

2) Mobile Phones and Laptops

Both use of mobile phones and laptops has distanced people from each other, friends, discussion, get-together etc. People have become slave to both mobile and laptop.

3) Widening gap between rich and poor and class distinction

The distance which already existed between rich and poor has widened further because of kalyug. The sight of poor is not tolerable to rich. In the eyes of rich people, poor people have become a liability.

Since rich and poor do not inter-mingle with each other, groups have developed which inter-act and inter-mingle among themselves. One more noticeable fact is people do not like each other. It was not the case before. Unless or until, the relationship revolves around ‘money’, it has no meaning

4) Behaviour of People

There is a drastic shift in the behaviour of people. They behave as if they have no emotions. Their only purpose of life is how to make money, whether hook or crook.

5) Corona Virus

With the arrival of Corona Virus, people have lost their near and dear ones. Corona Virus has taught how much value should be attached to human existence.

6) Three things rule the roost – Liquor, Non-veg., Money

It is a well-known fact that for the sake of liquor, one can go to any length in order to grab it. Non-veg food’s demand is on the increase. Kalyug’s human being does not shy-away from inflicting harm to animals.

Money makes the ma go. Money plays the central and pivotal role in one’s life.

7) Compassion-less Society

People have forgotten the meaning of ‘compassion’ in kalyug. People always look upwards and never towards downward. Extending a helping hand is the thing of past.

8) War Scenario

The news of one country invading the other is a common sight. Some countries fight for grabbing more and more land, whereas, some countries vie for show-casing their strength, so that they become a super- duper power. How much lives are lost and destruction takes place, nations are not bothered about it.

Whether you believe in the cycle theory of Yugas or not, one presumes that you will agree that as human beings we have to overcome negativity in our attitude and usher in the golden age of what is called The Satya Yuga Ed

Our desires and emotions – happiness, anger, sadness, greed, etc. come to us as thoughts only. Life comes to us in form of thoughts. Everything is related to thoughts and the mind.

As the mind and thoughts are so important, we got to take good care of them like other parts of the body. As we need to shut down the computer system for a few minutes when it gets hang up, likewise the mind.

You might say sleeping at night does that job. That is true, but the subconscious mind is always working. It is mostly our physical body which is resting during sleep. The mind can only be peaceful by making a conscious effort.

An image can be seen in still water clearly, not when it has many ripples and disturbances.

When I was young, people used to advise me to think positively and to be a good listener. It always puzzled me! Are they asking me to pretend? Because I don’t feel in the same way.  

Yet, I thought everyone cannot be wrong so I tried hard to hear others attentively but I got a headache. I started reading a lot of books on practical physiology. It mainly mentioned outer behavior, which seemed to be theoretical to me. Be open-minded, patient, calm, balanced, etc. I thought these all are inner qualities, not chocolate, you give me and I enjoy.

It also mentioned some simple breathing techniques, count 10, reverse the counts, etc. Mediation is not a side subject either. It is the main subject as we lack peace of mind, and inner love mostly. It needs our effort in an isolated way.

Mediation is much more than just breathing techniques. Kriya mediation technique provides a combination involving breath, awareness, mantras, energy centers (chakras) and observing own thoughts.

Gradually, it helps us to break our thought patterns in a natural way and takes the mind to non duality (and beyond) from where life came to existence.

The taste of the beyond brings the qualities of Him. The techniques make it all easy. The techniques are designed according to the nature of our complex minds. Techniques take care of all the elements in the most simple way. A practitioner just has to sit in one place with closed eyes and rest is done by the techniques.

Guided meditation is provided to initiate disciples. A step-by-step process, such as, when to breathe consciously, when to relax, where to take attention. All is done in such a simple way that 20 minutes are gone within no time.

The simplicity and effectiveness of the techniques make it remarkable. One can feel peace just after a single practice, and that is the motivation to continue the practice. No difficult postures and no hard pranayama.

By practicing consistently, inner struggles evaporate more naturally. Gradually one becomes independent to deal with inner conflicts. The absence of inner conflict makes the inner room clean and one can experience stillness. A calm mind becomes a natural listener, open-minded, receptive, and enjoys daily life and all its aspects. The mind has more space for creativity now, earlier it was occupied with many hidden conflicts.

The real knowledge flows inside out, not outside in. If it gets clear to us then the desire to mediate intensifies.

In mediation the knowledge of self is revealed; who we are, the purpose of life, and our existence. All these are experienced in mediation. One might not have heard anywhere else. It is beyond words and theories. Self- realization makes us fall in love with ourselves at first. Patience, tolerance, forgiveness, good listener, etc. are the product of growing inner love. This experience fills life with the light of happiness, contentment, and peace. All questions are answered, no more questions are left. Imagine the state of mind.

One gets knowledge from inside about the nature of mind, body, and purpose of thoughts, how to deal with them. One starts living in harmony with life and enjoys all aspects related to it.

At the end why talk about the taste of Ladoo better eat and know it for yourself.

Thoughts on Easter and Pesach by Raj Ayyar

First, a beautiful quote from that wise Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh:

Some people live as if they are already dead. There are people moving all around us, who are consumed by their past, terrified of the future, and stuck in emotions like anger and jealousy.
They are not alive–they are just walking corpses!
If you look around, you will see people going around like zombies.
We must practice resurrection. With an in-breath, bring yourself back to your body.
Joy, peace, and happiness are possible. You have an appointment with life, and that life is always in the here and now.

If one enters into the archetype of Easter, viewing the Resurrection story as great mytho-poetry, there is no conflict with scientific paradigms and language games. It’s only when religions assert their propositional truth (ex. the creationist dogma), literally that they embark on a collision course with science.

In that spirit, after the great bluesiness of Good Friday when there is a great emptying of the Christ, the immanent Logos on the cross (‘kenosis’ in Greek), there comes the light climax of the resurrection story.

On Good Friday, the Christian God incarnate is literally dead, and it is ironic that the great atheist Nietzsche (the child of a strongly Lutheran family), echoes the Good Friday motif when he declared in The Gay Science: ‘Have you not heard? God is dead.’

On Easter, Yeshua joins the pantheon of resurrected gods and heroes. including the Egyptian Osiris and the Greek Dionysus.
I think we all go through symbolic deaths and resurrections many times in one’s life–the loss of a relationship, a job, deep depression, and feelings of abandonment.

Resurrection is the symbolic transcendence of all that dead and deadening stuff, a new awakening of hope and joy.
Pesach or Passover is a Jewish festival that celebrates liberation from bondage, oppression, and dependency. In the great story of deliverance (Exodus in the Torah),

Whether you are Jewish or not, you may want to take inventory of all the circumstances in your life–connected to your job, relationships, career, academics, etc., that you find oppressive. What is the one toddler step you can take here and now to free yourself?