All the religious and spiritual activities we do every day should be done with one and only one intention of pleasing Maharaj. Gopalanand Swami in his Swami Ni Vato mentioned that most people do religious or spiritual activities with a moto to achieve name or fame, to be counted among…
05. Firm Faith On The Murti Of God
Without believing in the Murti (definite form) of God, we cannot offer aarti to God, we cannot offer tasty food to God, and we cannot get blessings of God. Maharaj had a firm stand that God has a definite and beautiful form (Murti). Firm faith in the Murti of God…
04. Never Find Mistakes In Devotees
To find mistakes in the Devotees is the quality of demons. We should not find mistakes neither in a real devotee nor in real devotion. If we find mistakes in them, then we gradually find mistakes in God as well. Sishupal always found mistakes in Lord Krishna. He used to…
03. Seva Is The Shortcut To Maharaj
Maharaj said that Greatness or smallness of a devotee is measured on how much he is serving God and Saints and not on worldly scale. Maharaj separated devotional activities from Seva. There is a devotee who does devotional activities like chanting, puja of God, reading scriptures, visiting temple for Darshan…
02. Keep God At The Center Of All Activities
Everyone performs their activities by keeping something at the center of that activity. We keep Dharm (fulfilling our duties and responsibilities), Arth (earning money), Kam (fulfilling the desires) as the centers of the activity. The devotee of God always keeps God at the center of all the activities. They take…
01. Attachment Stops You From Reaching Maharaj
What makes us remember Maharaj (Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan) always? Does retiring from day to day works make you remember Maharaj more? Does accepting a renounced life helps you remember Maharaj better? None of them actually helps. Only by discarding the attachment to worldly-things and worldly-relations makes you remember Maharaj more…
29. Living for the sake of God
How drainage converts itself to Ganga? There is a Surdas poem: ek nadiyaa ek naal kahaavat mailo hI neer bharo | jab dou milakar ek baran bhaI surasarI naam paro || ek jIv ek brahma kahaave sUr shyaam jhagaro | ab kI ber moMhe paar utaaro nahiM pan jaat Taro…
28. Direct relation with God
Lord Krishna mentioned in 12th chapter of 11th canto of Srimad Bhagwat that, “I don’t submit myself to those who perform Yoga, Yagna (fire sacrifices), Vrat (fast), Daan (donations), Tap (penance), Dhyan (meditation) like the way I submit myself to the association with Saints and Saintly devotees (i.e. Satsang).” What…
27. Only a Saint makes us happy
Saint is better than Dharma, Gnan, Vairagya, and Bhakti Nishkulanand Swami asks, “Other than a Saint who will tell us the real ways of being happy?” Does Dharma, Gnan, Vairagya, and Bhakti make us happy or sad? They make us happy. Then how is that only Saint could make us…
26. Freedom from body consciousness
Lord Krishna mentioned in 12th chapter of 11th canto of Srimad Bhagwat that, “I don’t submit myself to those who perform Yoga, Yagna (fire sacrifices), Vrat (fast), Daan (donations), Tap (penance), Dhyan (meditation) like the way I submit myself to the association with Saints and Saintly devotees (i.e. Satsang).” What…
25. Fake Saint vs Real Saint
Nishkulanand Swami clearly separates the line between real-Saint and fake-Saint. From outside fake-Saint looks exactly like a real-Saint and works exactly like a real-Saint. If there is an external difference between a real and fake Saint, it would be easier to differentiate between them. Unfortunately, they are the same from…
24. Real Saint/devotee is brave
Do we enjoy doing service to God ? Do we enjoy doing service or do we find it difficult? We find it difficult. While doing service we find it difficult if someone hurt our ego. The householders earn money. Do they enjoy doing it or do they find it difficult?…
23. Thought process decides Saintliness
Quality of forgiveness If you can bear anything bad that occurred to you because of others, then you possess the quality of forgiveness. Earth bears so much even if it is drilled and squeezed for resources. Thus, the Earth possess the quality of forgiveness. If someone insults us what would…
22. What is real knowledge?
Barometer of knowledge The greatest blessings of Maharaj are the divine words of Maharaj. Among all the people in this world, think of how many people got the opportunity to come across the divine words of Maharaj? It is very rare someone would get such an opportunity. We are so…
21. Taste of Dharma
Who has the taste for Dharma? The devotee of God doesn’t like worldly happiness and bodily happiness. He never acts against Dharma and Maharaj’s instructions. He has the taste for Dharma in every activity he performs. He always desire to follow the instructions of Maharaj and His Saint. He strongly…
20. Never give up Dharma
Direct-devotion is complete How was Nand-Santos devotion? If you see the lives of Nand-Santo, they had beyond-the-world experience with the Lord. Narayan Bhagat used to say that all the activities of Shastriji Maharaj had some sparkle of Maharaj. It is also said in Gunatitanand Swami Ni Vato that the life…
19. Understanding direct devotion
Direct devotion is very sensitive Scriptures say that women should see their husbands as their direct God, and disciples should see their Guru as their direct God. At the same time, husbands and Gurus should not think that they are in fact God. Most of the times the husband or…
18. Direct vs indirect devotion
There is a difference between Mansi Puja (Indirect worship) and direct worship of God. In Mansi Puja we offer the food we like to God. Everything is done based on our taste. If God is really present here with you, then? Do we say, “Maharaj, I like it very much.…
17. Seva is the real devotion
Difference between Seva and devotion Devotional activities are of nine types. The focus of devotion is divided among these nine types of activities. While Seva is of only one type. The focus of Seva is only to please Maharaj. Devotion could be done even if you have interests in other…
16. Detachment is the bodyguard of God
Nishkulanand Swami says that, “Whoever has cultivated pure detachment has nothing else remaining in the path of liberation. Pure detachment is like a sharp sword that helps in discarding the world. With a blink of the eye it discards all relations except God.” Nishkulanand Swami says that a devotee can…
15. Detachment is the essence
We never leave enjoyments There are 84 Lakh different forms of life in this world of which some could walk (on Earth), some could fly (in sky), some could swim (in fluids), and some could stand still (plants, tree etc.). The number of births taken by a soul is uncountable.…