Prithi Mai, Sehgal and Rama Didi came to Guru Ji in quest of spiritual knowledge. When they had a glimpse of Guru Ji, then they prayed to him: We have heard that by meditation one can meet the Lord. You please tell us how to do meditation, so that we can meet the Lord?
Guru Ji smiled, then looked towards them with benevolence and said: Yes, you do meditation. They said: We are family men and businessmen. It is the recluses who can do meditation. You please tell us some easy way.
Guru Ji said: There are three characteristics in Hindu philosophy. Have you heard them?
Prithi Mai respectfully said: Yes, we have heard.
Guru Ji: Have you studied them and learnt the good and bad points in them or you have just heard about them?
Rama (in innocence) said: We have not studied them. We remain busy in work. Sometimes, we are afraid of death. It has to come. One has to die one day and we are working like machines only. It is the same vocation, the passions, the sentiments, the friendships, the enmities and the entanglements everyday. In childhood one is dependant, suffering the anger and scolding of the parents. In young age the passions are enticing. In old age one is crying for the strength gone or one is crying for the un accomplished merriments.
When these thoughts came to our mind, then we talked to many people. We were told that the Lord is all happiness. He is the creator of the universe. One can get true happiness by reaching the Lord.
Then we heard your praise that you are the image of the Lord in this Unenlightened era (Kalyug). So, you put us on the right spiritual path.
Guru Ji said: You study the three characteristics of Hindu philosophy and practise the best Then you will be happy.
Sehgal: Please be benevolent You tell us and make us understand. Also, you let us know the practice. Then Guru Ji said: According to Hindu philosophy deeds are of three types.
I. Evil deeds. II. Passions. III. Goodness.
Similarly, there are three types of meditations:
I. Meditation by Hath Yoga,
II. Meditation by controlling the senses.
III. Devotional meditation.
I. Meditation by Hath yoga. Keeping the body naked, bear the cold and hot climate, keeping fasts, sitting in water for long hours, standing on one leg for long hours. This is meditation by Hath yoga. He who does this for fulfillment of desires gets some supernatural powers. One who does this without desires, his mind becomes pure. This meditation is difficult and many times anger increases. Sometimes even passions increase.
II. Second is controlling the senses. Keeping the eyes away from evil design. Keeping the ears away from listening to backbiting or envy. Keeping the hands away from doing evil or stealing. Keeping the feet away from going for evil. Keeping the tongue away from lies, foul speech and backbiting.Keeping the body away from passions. Instead keeping the eyes towards holy people and in reading the scripture. Keeping the ears towards listening to divine songs.Keepingthe tongue in speaking pleasantly and truly. Keeping the hands towards charity and service. Keeping the feet towards holy congregations.This is meditation by controlling the senses.
III. Devotional meditation.
If you go by Guru Ji's advice, then Guru Ji gives love of the Lord. You have two things to do:
1 . Recite the Lord's name with love. 2.Sing the praises of the Lord with music.
The Lord is above the three characteristics of Hindu philosophy. By recitation, the Name will get into your mind, heart and body and you will reach the Lord. You will sing the praises of the Lord for which the divine scripture is there. When you will read or listen to the scripture or sing the praises of the Lord, then first it will wash the dirt of your mind. The mind will become crystal and you will be filled with ecstasy. You will get elevation of mind and it will rise above the three characteristics of philosophy. In the end you will meet the Lord whose praises you would be singing.
In this devotional meditation, when the mind wanders elsewhere you have to turn it towards Name so that it recites the name incessantly. This is devotional meditation. Like, when you give spices to a horse, he throws them out but the person giving spices keeps his hand in the horse's mouth. If the horse throws out the spices, then the horse keeper gives it again and again.
In this way, the horse eats the spices and becomes all right. Similarly, to turn the wandering mind by recitation of Name is devotional meditation. When the mind becomes tranquil, then it is filled with ecstasy.
So, if you understand that the gain of this life is to reach the Lord, then you see, mind is the primary thing in the body. When the mind becomes crystal, it merges with the body soul. The body soul, then merges with the Supreme soul i.e. the Lord. Our aim is to meet the true Lord who is all love, all ecstasy, all powerful, knows all, who is unique and has no parallel. In his forgetfulness we are in distress and suffering.
If you wish to go in for devotional meditation, then you start reciting the Lord's name and singing or listening to the praises of the Lord with music or without music. You will get -salvation.
On listening to Guru Ji's advice they felt as if they have woken up from a slumber. They fell at Guru Ji's feet and said: Bless us with the Name.
Guru Ji blessed them with the Lord's name. He guided them to recite the Lord's name with love starting with recitation by tongue.
Then he told them to keep company of holy people.
They got salvation by treading on this path of devotional meditation. They lived a family life.
Whenever they came to know that some holy people are assembling to sing the divine songs, they would reach there and listen to the divine songs. Also, do service there and recite the Lord's name.
Xot only themselves, their entire families started reciting the Lord's Name with love. They became happy in this world and for the next world too.
This indicates that all ideal men themselves recited the Lord's Name and made others recite the Name.
Let us also recite:
'Waheguru, Waheguru, Waheguru.'
'O Lord, O Lord, O Lord'
Starting with at least five minutes a day.
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