Devotion

God says: “To the devotional call of that child of
Mine who struggles, prays, and meditates in order to
know Me in body, mind, and soul as the all-pervading,
ever-new Joy–as the ever-increasing Bliss of meditation–
I silently and deeply respond.”

–Paramahansa Yogananda, SRF Lessons

There is but One God, His name is Truth, He is the Creator, He fears none, he is without hate, He never dies, He is beyond the cycle of births and death, He is self illuminated, He is realized by the kindness of the True Guru. He was True in the beginning, He was True when the ages commenced and has ever been True, He is also True now.

Guru Nanak

Apne gum ki numaish na kar
Apne nasib ki azmaish na kar

Jo tera hai tere pas khud ayega,
Har roz usse pane ki khwaish na kar!

Taqdir badal Jayegi apne aap hi ai dost,
muskrana sikh le wajah ki talash na kar.

Guru Granth Sahib

Do not make a public display of your sorrow
Don’t test your destiny before it unfolds tomorrow

What is mine will come to me anyway
So I’ll not pine for it every day

Luck will change by itself in season
Learn to laugh without any reason

Guru Granth Sahib
(English Adaptation by Manohar Khushalani)

BLOOD vs MILK ?
A short story of SHREE GURUNANAKji

A rich man by name Malik Bhago gave his sweet pancake to Nanakji & at the same time a poor man Bhai Lalo also came to Nanakji to offer his dry chapati>
Nanak ji took the dry chapati & started having it when the rich man saw this he got wild & asked Nanakji why he did that.

Guru Nanak took Bhai Lalo’s dry chapati in his right hand and Malik Bhago’s fried sweet pancake in his left hand. When he squeezed the right hand the people present there saw drops of milk dripping from it. And when he pressed the left hand with the Malik Bhago’s fried pancakes, everyone saw blood trickling from it.

“Look Malik Bhago, wealth gathered by cruelty and corruption towards the poor is like sucking their blood which you have done. You had invited me to partake of blood, leaving food pure as milk. How could I accept it?” said Guru ji. Malik Bhago was silent then. Bhai Lalo on the other hand was the symbol of honesty and hard work. So according to Guru ji it’s better to earn little money with honesty than to amass a huge wealth by devious and crooked means.

The news spread that a Guru, who could challenge caste and authority, with such courage unknown before, travelled the countryside. More and more people came to listen to the enlightening words of Guru Nanak. Bhai Lalo was blessed by Guru Nanak Dev ji to spread the message of the Divine Name. He became a devout Sikh and preached the Guru’s gospel to the people of Saidpur.

Story on Guru Nanak researched by Arjun Govindani

Everything has its place, but when you waste
time at the cost of your true happiness it is not good.
I dropped every unnecessary activity so that I could
meditate and try to know God, so that I could day
and night be in His divine consciousness.
–Paramahansa Yogananda, “Self-Realization Magazine”

Hidden creatures good and bad always touch the heart. The touch of the angel is inspiration; Satanic touches temptations untold. Tarry with patience until your confusion is resolved and you know whom you rejected and who became the leader of your heart.
– Rumi
(researched by Sukh Wani)

Simplicity

We make too much of feeling, even admitting that
the right kind of feeling is very enjoyable. What does it
matter how you feel? Bear your lot as long as it is the
will of God that you should do so. Act rightly, and in
due time the right feeling of peace and joy will come.

–Sri Gyanamata, “God Alone: The Life and Letters
of a Saint”

After every happiness comes misery; they may be far apart or near. The more advanced the soul, the more quickly does one follow the other. What we want is neither happiness nor misery. Both make us forget our true nature; both are chains–one iron, one gold; behind both is the Atman, who knows neither happiness nor misery. These are states, and states must ever change; but the nature of the Atman is bliss, peace, unchanging. We have not to get it, we have it; only wash away the dross and see it.

-Swami Vivekananda

It is so wonderful to be in tune with God and to
trust in Him implicitly, being content wherever He
places you and whatever He makes of you, accepting
all with humility and devotion.

–Paramahansa Yogananda, “Self-Realization Magazine”

Children tell stories, but in their tales are enfolded many a mystery and moral lesson. Though they may relate many ridiculous things, keep looking in those ruined places for a treasure.

– Rumi
(researched by Sukhwani)

Simplicity

We make too much of feeling, even admitting that
the right kind of feeling is very enjoyable. What does it
matter how you feel? Bear your lot as long as it is the
will of God that you should do so. Act rightly, and in
due time the right feeling of peace and joy will come.

–Sri Gyanamata, “God Alone: The Life and Letters
of a Saint”

All power is within you. You can do anything and everything. Believe in that. Do not believe that you are weak; do not believe that you are half-crazy lunatics, as most of us do nowadays. Stand up and express the divinity within you.

-swami Vivekananda

You are there behind your eyes, just standing as if someone is standing behind a window and looking out. The man who is looking out of a window is just like  you, looking out of the eyes towards me. But you can get identified with the eyes, you can get identified with the seeing. Seeing is a capacity, a vehicle. Eyes are just windows; they are not you.
Osho

(Your) mind gives you a sort of stupor. Burdened by the memories of the past, burdened by the projections of the future, you go on living — at the minimum. You don’t live at the maximum. Your flame remains very dim. Once you start dropping thoughts, the dust that you have collected in the past, the flame arises — clean, clear, alive, young. Your whole life becomes a flame, and a flame without any smoke. That is what awareness is.

– Osho

If you can live this moment, if you can be here this moment, then everything takes care of itself. Then you need not be anxious. Then there is no need to ask — before you ask, the answer is delivered. The answer has been always there, but we are not aware. So the whole effort of Zen is how to bring awareness to you.

 

– Osho

In the spiritual life one becomes just like a little child–without resentment, without attachment, full of life and joy. –Paramahansa Yogananda

A seeker once asked Bayazid: “Who is the true Prince?”
“The man who cannot choose,” said Bayazid: “
the man for whom God’s choice is the only possible choice.”

– Bayazid al-Bistami

Paramahansa Yogananda on Spiritualizing Family Life

The greatest of all happiness, next to divine happiness, is to be at peace with one’s immediate relations, those with whom one must live every day in the year. When people try to handle the extremely complicated machinery of human feelings without any training whatsoever, the consequent results are often disastrous. Very few persons realize that most of our happiness lies in the art of understanding the law of human behavior.

The greatest thing a husband or wife can wish for the spouse is spirituality; for soul unfoldment brings out the divine qualities of understanding, patience, thoughtfulness, love. But each should remember that the desire for spiritual growth cannot be forced on the other. Live love yourself, and your goodness will inspire all your loved ones.

We should make ourselves attractive by wearing the fine garment of genuinely courteous language. We should first of all be courteous to our immediate relatives. When one can do that, he will be habitually kind to all people. Real family happiness has its foundation on the altar of understanding and kind words. It is not necessary to agree on everything in order to show kindness. Calm silence, sincerity, and courteous words, whether one is agreeing or disagreeing with others, mark the person who knows how to behave.

I have joined my heart to thee: all that exists art thou.
O Lord, beloved of my heart, thou art the home of all;
where indeed is the heart in which thou dost not dwell?

– Jafar

As I say to devotees all the time, if you would win Daya Ma’s love, love my God. That intoxicates me. When I see devotees who love my Beloved, I am drunk with joy. Nothing else can reach Daya Mata’s heart, in that sense—nothing personal. I love those who love my Beloved. I love those who are striving on the path. I don’t care what their weaknesses are—a thousand million weaknesses can be there. That is not important to me, for I know that if they are sincere in their efforts to love God and follow Guru’s guidance, they will surely overcome those impediments and find that perfect freedom that is our birthright as souls.

–Daya Mata (‘Finding the Joy Within You’, p255)

HAU BAL BAL JAAU RMAIA KARNE II
KARN KRN ABOL II
‘Gurbani’ in Punjabi

“There is none as forlorn as I am, and none as Compassionate as You, what need is there to test us now? May my mind surrender to Your Word, please, bless Your humble servant with this perfection. I am sacrifice, a sacrifice to the LORD. O LORD, why are You silent? For so many incarnations, I have been separated from YOU, LORD, I dedicate this life to YOU. Says Ravi Das (BHAGAT), placing hopes in YOU, I live, it is so long since I have gazed upon the Blessed Vision of Your DARSHAN