GF-01 Uninterrupted concentration on the Murti of God

Asserted Topics:

What is the toughest spiritual practice?
What is the form of Maya?
What form does a devotee assume after leaving this mortal body?
Love God as we have love for our body and its relationships.

Key Points:

To have an uninterrupted concentration of one’s mind on God’s transcendental form.
Maya is anything that interrupts while meditating on God’s Murti.
Devotees attain a Brahmamay (transcendental) body.
Why does one cannot have love for Satsang as he has for his body and relatives, though he is performing Satsang?

Explanation

The first discourse of this Vachanamrutam discusses the purpose of engaging in an uninterrupted concentration on the transcendent Murti of Supreme God.

In any religious text, the basic principle is to initiate with Mangalacharan (benediction prayer). When Mangalacharan also appears at the middle and end of a religious text, the text is regarded as a Sat-shastra (Holy Scripture). By this tradition, the Vachanamrutam begins with discussing God’s divine and transcendental form. In Vach.G.M.13, also discusses the Murti of God. Vach.G.L.39 discusses the glory and value of the Murti of God. Therefore, the Mangalacharan is performed in three different places in the Vachanamrutam.

When a learned reader opens the Vachanamrutam, they may question, why does it begin with a discussion on a complex topic such as uninterrupted concentration? Should it not commence with a dialogue on something simple, followed by more advanced and challenging topics to keep the reader engaged and advance their learning? If so, why did Shreeji Maharaj decide to initiate the discourse by questioning the audience what the most challenging spiritual practice is?

Shreeji Maharaj commences this way to convey the purpose of the text right from the onset because it establishes a clear purpose. When this happens, it does not matter how challenging the topic is; the rest of the literature becomes clear. When the purpose is not clear, no matter the efforts expended in performing a task, the fruits of the labour are not gained.

Secondly, while selecting, make sure the selected goal should be superior/great. The one whose goals are tiny, limited, compact or narrow will receive the same in return. It is said that,

niśāna chūka māfa, nahīṅ māfa nīchuṅ niśāna

If the Mighty goal with greater hard work is missed it is forgiven but the short goal itself cannot be forgiven. Hence, missing the goal is not as bad as keeping narrow or limiting goals because it does not yield much in return. This is demonstrated in the Bhagavad Gita when Bhagwan Shree Krishna instructs Arjun,

व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धिरेकेह कुरुनन्दन ।
बहुशाखा ह्यनन्ताश्च बुद्धयोऽव्यवसायिनाम्‌।। (2:41)

vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana,
bahu-śhākhā hyanantāśh cha buddhayo ’vyavasāyinām

A firm goal in mind can provide the same benefits as non-attachment. Maharaj illustrates this through an example of the battle between two armies in Vach.G.M.22. Wherein He says that the brave men of the victorious king are not afraid of being dead and don’t have any greediness to rob, they are only tempted by their goal.

When a person pursues one goal, they do not realise that they do not have Vairagya (non-attachment). Arjun did not have Vairagya; however, God gave him wisdom through the Gita and told him

व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धि:
vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ

to pick and decide one firm goal.

Non-attachment will not be required in this case. People without a clear goal in mind in this world can be seen running around like stray dogs and getting tired with a lack of results. Similarly, on the path of ultimate salvation, it is necessary to develop a firm goal in mind. Moreover, this goal needs to be mighty. It is necessary to have a firm goal in mind. Furthermore, the goal needs to be the highest of all. Depending on what our goal is, that is how much effort will be expended. Therefore, Shreeji Maharaj initiates the Vachanamrutam with a discussion on the most difficult task.

Shreeji Maharaj says that having an uninterrupted engagement of one’s mind on the Murti will result in a very large reward. It is also said in yoga-śāstra (the scripture of Yoga) that all the Yogic Siddhis (spiritual mystic powers) are obtained by the restraint of conscience. As the objects are minute the achievements are huge. While God is the most subtle than anyone. It is said that

अणोरणीयान्
Aṇoraṇīyān

The Subtle form of God, is even smaller than an atom. There remain no unachievable spiritual powers when the mind is controlled and concentrated on such God. When the mind is in control, anything is achievable. Therefore, Maharaj says the divine Murti of God is like a Chintamani (a wishing stone that grants all wishes) and has discussed how to get it in this discourse. To stop the mind is a difficult task. Bhagwan Shree Krishna tells Arjun in the Gita that:

चञ्चलं हि मनः कृष्ण प्रमाथि बलवद्दृढम् ।
तस्याहं निग्रहं मन्ये वायोरिव सुदुष्करम् ।। (6:34)

cañcalaṃ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi balavad-dṛḍham,
tasyāhaṃ nigrahaṃ manye vāyoriva suduṣkaram

“O, God! The mind is very fickle, has a very ungovernable nature, and is very difficult and strong; hence, controlling it is like trying to control the air, which is difficult.”

To stop the mind is very tough. The mind is potent and cunning. God has said in the Gita that

प्रमथ्नाति इति शीलम् अस्य इति प्रमाथि
pramathnāti iti śīlam asya iti pramāthi

Which means when one attempts to control the mind, the mind overpowers and destroys the attempt immediately. It will not leave anything behind. Hence it is very powerful. Many possess the kind of nature where they will pursue a goal and cower in fear like sheep or stand idle on the side if confronted with obstacles.

Scriptures provided two adjectives for mind ‘बलवत्’ balavat (Powerful) and ‘द्रढम्’ dṛḍham (firm). If the same mind is given a firm goal, it will fulfil that goal in any way.

मनरेव् मनुष्याणां कारणं बन्धमोक्षयोः
manarev manuṣyāṇāṃ kāraṇaṃ bandha-mokṣayoḥ

The mind is the cause behind both bondage as well as salvation. The mind is the key to salvation. By turning the key one way, the door to salvation is closed and if it is turned the other way, the door to moksha (salvation) is opened. Hence, if the mind holds the transcendental Murti of the Supreme Godhead, then it becomes like the Chintamani. Through practice and Vairagya, it can be controlled.

असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलम् ।
अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते ।।
asaṃśayaṃ mahābāho mano durnigrahaṃ calam,
abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyeṇa ca gṛhyate
(Gita 6/35)

अभ्यासवैराग्याभ्यां तन्निरोधः ।
abhyāsa-vairāgyābhyāṃ tannirodhaḥ
(pā. yo. samādhi-pādaḥ 12)

Mind is controlled through practice and non-attachment

What is practice?

यतो यतो निश्चरति मनश्चञ्चलमस्थिरम् ।
ततस्ततो नियम्यैतदात्मन्येव वशं नयेत् ।।
yato yato niścharati manaś-chañchalam-asthiram,
tatastato niyamyaitad-ātmanyeva vaśaṃ nayet
(Gita 6/26)

When the mind becomes steady, one can meditate uninterruptedly on the divine Murti of God, and achieve Siddhis.

On the 14th day after Ramanand Swami ascended to the divine abode of God, Shreeji Maharaj declared the “Swaminarayan” Maha Mantra. Here some devotees cast a doubt, what is “Swaminarayan?” In other words, what does the word Swaminarayan mean? Who is Swaminarayan? A similar line of questioning can happen when trying to define Maya:

(1) What is Maya ?

(2) Who is Maya?

The answer to the first question is

“मायां तु प्रकृतिं विद्यात् मायिनं तु महेश्वरं ।”
māyāṃ tu prakṛtiṃ vidyāt māyinaṃ tu maheśvaraṃ
(śve. upa. 4/10)

As Per the Sankhya Sastra, the form of Maya is the original prakrti (the ultimate form of Maya). This present world is just its expansion.

Maya has two powers:

(1) Concealment power: Anything that can be concealed or hidden.

(2) Disruptive creation power: to build new things.

Even if someone understands the 24 elements as described inSankhya Sastra (a scripture to understand nature of material world), overpowering Maya is a difficult task. What does the contemplation of the 24 elements is Maya, mean? That is its knowledge. But what is Maya? If not clearly understood, Maya cannot be overpowered.

What is Maya? The answer to this question is mentioned by Shreeji Maharaj herein. Supreme Godhead Shreeji Maharaj has explained that anything that interrupts meditation on the transcendental Murti of God is a Maya. This can be anything. It can be a house, family members, good virtues, or even a saint or Spiritual Guru. All this becomes a part of Maya. This does not mean that the object has to be very good. Sometimes people are drawn towards inferior objects, which are also Maya; simultaneously, there are many incredible objects in the universe that people are not attracted to and do not impede during meditation; in a situation like this, that object is not Maya. Hence, not all objects can be identified clearly as Maya.

Eating is not Maya. However, liking it, is Maya. For example, Emperor Bharataji was not tempted by the sovereign kingdom of the entire Earth, but the attachment he developed towards the fawn had become a form of Maya for him.

Shreeji Maharaj says that when a devotee leaves the mortal body, he attains a brahmamay (transcendental) body. This form is also known as the Bhāgavati body. It is said in the Upanishad, “स्वेनरूपेण अभीनिष्पद्यते ।” ‘svēnarūpēṇa abhīniṣpadyatē’, after achieving final liberation (Mukti), the individual attains the form per their nature. The body of this world and the 24 elements associated with it are the luxuries of ignorance not the true wealth of reality. When the soul is finally liberated, it becomes Chaitanya (divine transcendental spirit) and the devotion also becomes a part of the divine spirit as well. Similar to how water has no definite shape but becomes solidified if it is frozen, likewise, achieving salvation with the true worship/devotion of the divine Murti of God gives the soul a definite form. This is the power of devotion. This is the motive of the Upanishads.

Shreeji Maharaj says in the Vachanamrutam that “God gives him the brahmamay (transcendental Divine) body”. In another place, it is said that God gives the devotee His own divineness. Here, where God says that He gives it to the devotee, it can also be interpreted as God mercifully granting His devotee this state. The Upaniṣads say that the devotee attains this position themselves. Therefore, it is important to find the common denominator between the two positions. In another place, Shreeji Maharaj has also written that God gives the divine transcendental form, which is quite different or apart from eight natures. In the end, one point that is definite is that the divine transcendental form the devotee attains is free from the clutches of Maya and is divine transcendental.

Here a question arises that the divine transcendental body is not limited by distance or speed, which means it can go and reach any place with just a thought in mind. Then why does God need to bring a vehicle, chariot, or Garuḍa (a divine eagle as chariot)? Why not, through His own wish, does He not take the devotee straight to His divine abode?

The answer to this is that once the devotee has a divine transcendental form, these kinds of aspirations do not remain. However, in the present form, the devotee may have these aspirations, which is why God brings this along with Him. For example, in the story of Prince Dhruva, the 4-year-old prince meditated for six months to please Lord Viṣṇu. When asked what he desired, the 4-year-old prince asked for nothing more than His Divine Darshan. Here God gave Prince Dhruva the whole kingdom of Dhruva planet after realising what the prior wish was.

Hence it seems that in the beginning practice period of Bhakti Yoga whatever desires a person has or had is fulfilled by God brought different types of vehicles with Him. For example, when Maharaj arrived to take Surā Khāchara to his divine abode, Surā Khācara fell off his vehicle and hurt his ankle. Here, Surā Khāchara tells Maharaj, “let me tie my ankle so that you can pick me up in 10 days, in a different vehicle”.

The family of Harajī Thakkara lived in the village of Pithalpur. They were businessmen and they were financially very happy. There were three brothers in the family. Harajī Thacker, Ladho Thakkara and Tejo Thakkara became devotees; they left behind their wealth of 1 lac rupees to serve Shreeji Maharaj and arrived at Gaḍhapura. Haraji’s mother worshipped Maharaj. On one occasion, Harajī saw an opportunity to warm the water for Maharaj using a Trāmbā-Kunḍī (a copper pot/vessel). The shell of a Trāmbā-Kunḍī is thin, which allows water to heat up very quickly. Seeing this, Harajī Thakkar’s mother decided to give a bigger Kunḍī in service of Maharaj. She approached Maharaj with the larger Kunḍī but her younger son Tejā Thakkara stopped her. Tejā’s mother became very upset and said, “You come in between my service towards Maharaj, Therefore, go away the fool, from today onwards our relationship comes to end. Do not show me your face again. Tejā’s mother turned her face away and a visibly upset Tejā Thakkara returned to Pithalpur. In reference to this Harajī Thakkara questions Maharaj.

The question is, Some have been practising Satsang for quite some time, yet they do not have the intense love for Satsang as they do for their own body and their relatives. What is the reason for this?

In response to this, Shreeji Maharaj says that love in God is due to an understanding of His glory. Love can be of many forms.

Three types of love are extremely strong.

Blood Relationships, ex. Father-son and brother-brother etc.
Marital Relationships ex. Husband-wife
By understanding the value of glory, ex. God, saint and Devotee’s

Love towards God is developed through the understanding of His glory. As God is beyond the attributes of Maya he does not have or consider any blood relationships with devotees. Secondly, He does not have marital relationships with devotees. Gopis and wives of Lord Krishna had a marital relationship with God. This is also from one side. In the eye of God, man and woman are equal. This is why it is important to understand His glory. To understand this glory, a devotee needs to keep the company of Santos as per Shreeji Maharaj since they have an understanding of His glory. When a Saint criticises a devotee’s nature, the glory does not remain, the love falls apart and as a result, the devotee falls from Satsang. Therefore, if true love remains towards a Saint then it is possible to remain firmly attached to Satsang. It is not possible to love Satsang, who cannot accept criticism from a Saint.