👉 Think! Who are you?

SOHUM (I am That): Indeed potentially I am That Absolute Truth - Consciousness incarnated in human form. Attaining higher spiritual levels are easy for me. I am a Sadhak (devotee) whom Yug Rishi has given an opportunity to do Sadhana towards Self-Realization.

SHIVOHUM (I am akin to Lord Shiva): Shiva means auspicious. Essentially I am a blessed person; so how can there be any place for evil in my thoughts, feelings or actions? If any inappropriate trait has stuck to me due to bad company/surroundings, it is foreign to my essential nature and I resolve to rid myself of this dross.

SACHCHIDANANDOHUM (My intrinsic Nature is – Truth – Consciousness - Bliss): Why should I be affected by falsehood?  Why should I chase a mirage? I am innate bliss; why should I vainly seek happiness in the transient world?

AYMATMA BRAHMA (Thy soul is a Spark of Brahma (Divine)): As the ocean is water so also is a drop. Every ray of the Sun has the qualities of its Radiator. Howsoever small the Soul confined by the ego may seem it has the capacity of uniting with its origin – Brahma. Both tap and tank are capable of giving water. So why should I remain caged in the false sense of identity with the ego and feel miserable; why not become Omnipresent?

TATVAMASI (You are That): You inherit the attributes of the Supreme Soul and the whole creation is your embodiment.

We are sparks of the Eternal and Imperishable spirit and our souls are here on their upward path to immortality. The essence of our Being is the Supreme Spirit (Parmatma – Brahma) – the source of the creative cosmic play; and we are here to awaken to the Reality of true identity.

👉 Prayer: The Nourishment of Soul

If I do not get food I am least worried but it makes me mad if I miss my prayer. Prayer is million times more beneficial than food. One may forego his food but not his prayer. Prayer is the very nourishment of soul. It would be too good, if we could contemplate on God whole day long, but since it is not possible for us all, it is desirable that we should sit at least for a few hours every day in contemplation of God.

Eulogy, worship and prayer are not blind faiths, but they are real and true acts like eating, drinking, walking and sitting; nay, if we say that it is the only truth and all the rest are false and unreal, it would be no exaggeration. Offering of prayer does not mean begging, but, in fact, it is the natural voice of soul. When we fully come to realize our incapabilities and leaving all other worldly recourses aside, confide our faith in God, the very outburst of our emotions in such a state is called prayer. The offering of prayer and singing songs in praise of God are not mere utterances of one's tongue but are actually the outpourings of one's heart. This is the reason that even the dumb, the stammerers, and the stupid persons can also offer prayer.

The main purpose of offering prayer is, to seek discourse with God and to gain light for the purification of the soul, so that we could win over our weaknesses. Prayer devoid of emotion is of no use.

What to talk of the other world, even in this world prayer is a source of peace and happiness. So if we really wish to become human, we must make our lives interesting and fruitful through prayer. It is, therefore, advisable for everyone to remain engrossed in prayer with heart and soul. All complicated riddles arising out of national, social and political problems find their easy and quick solutions through prayer than through intellect.

MAHATMA GANDHI

👉 TRUE PRAYER

True prayer is less about asking and begging for things we are attached to than it is about relinquishing our attachments to things, persons and possessions. We, in essence, being the sparks of the Divine Effulgence, ought to pray for illumination of our inner selves with the sublime glow of divinity –– no storm of hardship or turbulence of ups and downs of life could ever quaver the flame of our faith in our divine origin as souls.

“…. ‘O’ Lord! Please bless us with courage and wisdom so that we could welcome adversities as opportunities to refine our qualities and strengthen our potentials. Today’s blows of adversities should sound as messages of a brighter tomorrow….” –– This would be an ideal prayer to elevate our zeal and optimism and would protect us from becoming weak or coward.

We have to become intrepid warriors of the Spirit and not frightened fugitives in the battlefield of life.  Our attitude while praying should not be of begging but of ‘offering’ – “Lord, I am here, use me”.

~ Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya

👉 Heard the Bhagwat four times

Parikshit Maharaj heard Bhagwat Puran from Shukdeo and attained salvation. A rich man on hearing this, developed great respect for the Bhagwat, and got eager to listen to it from a Brahmin to get liberated.

He searched and found a profound priest of Bhagwat. He told him his intention of hearing the Bhagwat. The priest told him that this is Kaliyug, all the pious activities in this age is reduced four times, thus he had to listen to it for four times. The reason behind the priest’s proposition was to get enough money out of the deal. He gave the fees to the priest and heard four Bhagwat lectures but it was of no use. The man then met a higher level of saint. He asked him, how Parikshit could get and he didn’t after listening to the Bhagwat.

The saint told him, that Parikshit Maharaj had known the death to be imminent and was completely detached from the world while hearing and Shukdeo Muni was narrating without the feeling of any kind of greed.

Whoever has got the knowledge in the form of an advice, free of any kind of self vested interests, that has produced desired results.

📖 Pragya Puran Stories

👉 Whatever we have, is it less ?

A person went to a Mahatma and said, “Life is short. What all activities to do in such duration? You don’t have knowledge in childhood, old age is worse. You don’t get proper sleep and the diseases also bother. In the youth, we have to look after the family then how do we get the real knowledge? When do we do social service? Getting time in this life doesn’t seem happening.” Saying this he gets depressed and starts crying. 

Seeing him, the Mahatma also starts crying. The man asked, “Why are you crying?” The Mahatma said, “Son, what to do, I need food grains to eat. But I don’t have the land to grow grains. I am dying of hunger. One part of God is Maya (illusion). One part of Maya has three qualities. One part of the qualities is the sky. Sky has air and the air has fire. One part of the fire has water. One hundredth of water is earth. Mountains cover half of the earth. Then there are so many rivers and forests here and there. God has not even left a small piece of land for me. Different people have already occupied whatever little land was there. Tell me will I not starve then?” 

The person said to him,”In spite of all this you are alive, right? Then why do you cry?” The Mahatma said instantaneously, “You also have time and this invaluable life then why are you complaining that you don’t have enough time and life is getting spent away. From now on don’t complain about lack of time. At least use whatever you have.” 

It doesn’t suit human being, the prince of God’s kingdom, to complain about lack of resources. The desire of converting one’s incompleteness into the complete is only acceptable and desirable if it pertains to the inner spiritual space. But such a complaint is uncalled for when the external resources are in plenty. 

Pragya Puran Part 1

👉 Supreme Aim of Human Life is Attainment of Life Eternal

Just as passing through the cycles of days and nights we do not die, we retain our identity; similarly, life does not end with dissolution of the physical body. It is eternal.

Everyday the Sun rises in the East and sets in the West. Moon becomes invisible on the no-moon day and can be seen in its full glow on the full moon day. In between, its phases of brightness go on increasing or decreasing. In spite of this visible change, there is no change in Moon’s original form. The process of birth and death too is similar. This may be called a game of hide and seek between awakening and deep sleep. For the body, the cycle of childhood, youth, old age and death is  natural. Even after bodily death, the self-identity of the soul remains firm like a steady axle.

Why fear death? It is a pleasant change akin to the process of changing old clothes and putting on new ones. No one can stop this process of continuous change . One who takes on mortality through birth in the body will definitely die. In view of this inexorable Law of Nature, there is no need of any fear, grief or sorrow. Wisdom lies in realizing this eternal truth of life and in trying to make each link of this series more organized.

Today’s efforts ought to be directed towards making the tomorrow more joyful and progressive. The aim of our present cycle of physical embodiment should be to consciously and constantly strive to tread on the righteous path towards realization of our true identity as sparks of the Supreme Light and Life Eternal.

~ Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya

👉 Awaken Your Indwelling Divinity

All sub-human life forms are born with specific instincts and usually live within its confines right till the end. The Creator has endowed only the human species with the faculty of freewill, based in the shadowy ego-self. Man has mostly used this freewill for exploitation of other life-forms and disturbance of the harmonies of Nature, instead of nurturing them, ignoring the nudgings of his soul, which is latent within him and is a spark of the Supreme Soul. All the potentialities and all the light of the individual soul are just reflections of the Supreme Soul.

All the divine powers exist within the Supreme Soul. When Agni Dev gets awakened hunger is felt, Varun Dev generates thirst for water. To each divine power, a direction and a task are well assigned. To ensure that these divine powers do not work at cross-purposes a proper control and balance is maintained by the Supreme Soul which has merged Itself into the creation in the form of individualized souls in the evolutionary process of consciousness.

It is thus that the fascinating, extraordinary human life came into existence in the universe. From then on till date man has been like a living laboratory, exercising his freewill for ill or good. Whenever he commits mistakes he gets punished, and when he performs good deeds he is rewarded and given greater responsibilities. Misdeeds result in sorrow, good deeds like benevolence and righteousness result in happiness. This is the principle of ‘Karma’ – ‘As you sow so shall you reap.’

🌹 ~Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya

👉 "Direction of life

Nowadays there is a general tendency to tell a lie, live a lie and behave like a wolf in sheep's clothing. Someone may be talking a lot about morals, righteousness or religious matters but his/her life could well beriddled with wrongdoings and selfish acts. The only thing that really matters is person’s deep-rooted beliefs. That is what decides the overall direction of life. Someone may have a firm belief that having lots of money is a sign of a successful life and would keep busy, day and night, amassing money.

Someone else may have a notion that having sensual pleasures is the most important thing in the life and may squander away the family fortune in the pursuit of having such pleasures. Someone who strongly believes that realising God is the ultimate achievement of life may give up all the worldly pleasures and live a devout life like that of a saint. Someone who cherishes patriotism would happily sacrifice his/her life for the sake of the nation.

The deep-seated beliefs of a person influence and shape his/her way of thinking and imagination. He/she would even endure any amount of difficulties that may arise along the way to realising them. It is not the pretended talks, gossips or the outward thoughts but the deep-seated inner beliefs of individual that actually decide the direction of his/her life.

✍🏻 Pt. Shriram Sharma Aacharya
📖 Aatmagyaan aur Atmakalyaan  (Self-realization and Self-benefit) Page 3

👉 Maintain Inner Peace and Poise in Adverse Circumstances

One cannot take right decision or take appropriate action when one’s mind is unsteady and restless. Whatever an agitated and bewildered person thinks or does remains one-sided. Any work undertaken in such a mental state normally leads to failure. Fits of frenzy, whether they are due to anger or depression, push a person into an unstable condition. Under such a state of mind, it becomes difficult to maintain rapport with family and friends. The imbalance of mind is much more harmful than the adverse situations created by external factors. This imbalance of mind makes a person ridiculous, unstable and unreliable.

Mental instability and perturbation result in psychosomatic disorders. A person overpowered by restlessness, due to anger, envy, hatred, etc, neither remains calm himself nor allows others to remain so. The blood goes on boiling and the brain attains a state of turmoil. Consequently the whole of life is sucked into a whirlpool of turbulence. The digestive system gets deteriorated and the blood circulation becomes irregular. An agitated mind causes sleeplessness and temporary madness. If such a state continues for a longer duration, one’s health is severely affected. Therefore, keeping oneself well-poised and peaceful under all circumstances is the true art of living.

Akhand Jyoti

👉 Prayer: The Nourishment of Soul

If I do not get food I am least worried but it makes me mad if I miss my prayer. Prayer is million times more beneficial than food. One may forego his food but not his prayer. Prayer is the very nourishment of soul. It would be too good, if we could contemplate on God whole day long, but since it is not possible for us all, it is desirable that we should sit at least for a few hours every day in contemplation of God.

Eulogy, worship and prayer are not blind faiths, but they are real and true acts like eating, drinking, walking and sitting; nay, if we say that it is the only truth and all the rest are false and unreal, it would be no exaggeration. Offering of prayer does not mean begging, but, in fact, it is the natural voice of soul. When we fully come to realize our incapabilities and leaving all other worldly recourses aside, confide our faith in God, the very outburst of our emotions in such a state is called prayer. The offering of prayer and singing songs in praise of God are not mere utterances of one's tongue but are actually the outpourings of one's heart. This is the reason that even the dumb, the stammerers, and the stupid persons can also offer prayer.

The main purpose of offering prayer is, to seek discourse with God and to gain light for the purification of the soul, so that we could win over our weaknesses. Prayer devoid of emotion is of no use.

What to talk of the other world, even in this world prayer is a source of peace and happiness. So if we really wish to become human, we must make our lives interesting and fruitful through prayer. It is, therefore, advisable for everyone to remain engrossed in prayer with heart and soul. All complicated riddles arising out of national, social and political problems find their easy and quick solutions through prayer than through intellect.

MAHATMA GANDHI
📖 Akhand Jyoti Sep - Oct 2008

👉 How to Stay Happy? (Last Part)

When we identify our core strengths and put in 100% effort, success is guaranteed in any field of work. However, it should be remembered that the path to success is not a bed of roses. There will be many challenges that will come our way. Whoever has reached the pinnacle of success has gone through excruciating circumstances. That is why, whatever task we take up, must be done with complete dedication. Majority of us put in half-hearted efforts to do something and fall into depths of disappointment when we fail. In order to ensure that happiness stays for long, we must express our sincere gratitude to all those who have helped us in one way or the other.

It is said that we can receive only two things from any incident or a person in our life - happiness or learning. It is good to learn a lesson because it gives us a chance to start afresh. It is extremely important that we don’t harbor any anger. It is best to resolve it with the concerned person. We should express clearly and always be ready to receive criticism and feedback. If we have any issues against someone, approach him/her in a proper manner and resolve them amicably. Try not to let negativity and complaints breed for long.

According to Robert Waldinger, director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, ‘‘The clearest message that we get from this 75-year study is this: Good relationships keep us happier and healthier.... It’s not just the number of friends you have, and it’s not whether or not you’re in a committed relationship. It’s the quality of your close relationships that matters.’’

Yugrishi Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya says – ‘Expanding the horizons of love and affection is the only way for never-ending happiness. You cannot be happy by hoarding; you can multiply your happiness only by giving and sharing.’

***END***
📖 From Akhand Jyoti

👉 How to Stay Happy? (Part 2)

It is not true that everything is going perfectly well in the life of a happy person. Everybody has to go through his/her share of difficult and challenging situations in life. All of us desire to have a better life, but we should not waste away whatever good things we already have in pursuit for something better. Instead we should utilize what we have to obtain what we desire further.

One might find happiness in the pages of an old book kept in one’s shelf or in something simple that a person cooked, while that recipe may not even be found in the menu of a 5-star restaurant. There could be times when a person might feel happy after keeping a vessel of water for birds to drink on a hot summer day, while he might not be satisfied with Rs. 500/- offering at a temple. In this way, one will realize that happiness is related to the emotions which make the mind happy and contented. Emotions which are disturbing, annoying and unpleasant can never give happiness.

In fact, most of our worries are centered on what others will think or say to what we do. If we want to lead a happy life, psychologists recommend that we stay connected to a goal instead of people and things. Another suggestion is that one should do what one’s conscience propels him to pursue instead of worrying about what others will say or think. It will be his great loss if he does not pursue his dream frightened of what others will think about it. Any worthy step that a person executes in a planned manner not only gives him/her happiness but also contentment. Positive thinking and diligent efforts are the keys to happiness.

To be continued...
📖 From Akhand Jyoti

👉 How to Stay Happy?

Why is it that some people are happy while some others are not? - This question has been eluding even the psychologists of the modern day. According to a recent survey, it has been found that people of Finland are the happiest people in the world. Countries like Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland and Norway are among the Top-5, while India’s position is 133rd in the list of 155 countries. In this survey, every year about 1000 people from each country are asked a few questions and based on their responses, the results are declared on World Happiness Day (20th March).

Being happy is a state of mind. It is not necessary to be rich to be happy. Practically every survey ever done has shown that those who are happy stay in families. Such people get along very well with their friends and family. According to Daniel Gilbert, the Happiness Expert at Harvard University, we are happy when we are with our family. If we have friends, then it is even better. In some way or the other, everything that contributes to our happiness comes through either family or friends. The biggest factor for one’s happiness and fulfillment in life is, basically, love. A scientific study has shown that having someone to rely on helps a person’s nervous system relax, helps his brain stay healthier for a longer time, and reduces both emotional as well as physical pain.

A long-time researcher on this topic, George Vaillant says – ‘What influences life the most is the quality of our relationships with others’. It is these precious relationships that bind us together and hence influence our happiness to a large extent.
It is also evident that material prosperity has made man hollow from within. In fact, man spends his entire life earning money and realizes at the end that the desire for money is never-ending and the joys of life cannot be bought with money. So, to whatever extent possible, we should spend our time in lovingly strengthening our social life and thus making it prosperous.

To be continued...

📖 From Akhand Jyoti

👉 The secret of happiness

Everyone has their own way of life. They live according to their choice and wisdom. They live according to their sacraments and don’t care much about the way they are living is justified. They just do whatever they like. According to them whatever they feel is right, whether it is right or wrong.

Example- Is it OK to drink alcohol? You will say, no this is not right.
Then why do lot of people drink. The answer is clear; they feel it is justified, hence they drink.  Drinking is not right but because they like it so they use to drink.
This is the way, the whole world is doing according to their own choice and liking. This is what happening all around.
But this is not the fact. The fact is something else. The fact is, if you violate Divine laws, then you will definitely get penalised.
Whether you wish or not, you will have to follow the Divine laws. This is the law of Divine that always give happiness to others, never hurt. Therefore, as far as possible, always do good deeds for others; it is for your own welfare. Avoid any sort of iniquities. Be blessed of God's grace. Do good deeds, be happy, and let others be happy. Take control of your wrong desires and try to eliminate completely. Only then will you will be blissed, otherwise no chance of any well-being.

👉 Happiness lies in contentment.

On a hot summer day a traveler stopped under a shady tree and lay down on the bare ground to rest for a while. Looking up at the sky, he wished he could be lying on a comfortable bed.

He did not know that he was lying under a magical tree that made every thought come true.

Lo! In no time a bed appeared and he was lying on it. ‘This is perfect,’ the traveler thought. “Now all I need is a maiden to give me company in this lonely place.’ Poof! A beautiful young maiden immediately appeared before him. She sat next to him, fanning him for his pleasure. ‘Wow!’ the traveler exclaimed, enjoying the cool breeze. ‘The only thing that could make things any better would be to have some food and drink to enjoy with my lovely companion here.”

As soon as he thought this, a wonderful feast lay before him. The maiden served him the food and drink. Lying in bed eating grapes the maiden served him, the traveler thought, ‘This is the peak of happiness! Wouldn’t it just be awful if it all disappeared and a tiger were to attack me instead?’

As soon as had he thought this, everything disappeared, and the scene was replaced by a ferocious tiger. The man scurried up the tree, thinking to himself - ‘If only I had been content with just the shade of this tree, I wouldn’t be at the mercy of this beast!’