You have been shown the path - don't wait to be carried down it.

You have been shown the path - don't wait to be carried down it.

"You have now been shown the path. It isn’t that He will hold your hand and take you with Him. You are not blind; you have eyes. Yes, you have each received a third eye of knowledge." Sakar murli, revised 25.08.15

So many times Baba says "Give your cares to me" or "Rest in My lap" or "I will carry you on my eyelids home" - such sweet words.  We get lulled into thinking we don't have to do anything - Baba does it all.  These words are precious and they are meant to uplift when we are feeling disheartened. 

Then there are words like in today's murli (see above) where Baba is requiring us to make the effort.  And we are a little shocked.  Where is Baba?Why isn't He helping?  I'm a yogi now, why are things suddenly difficult?  

It reminds me of a swimming lesson where I learned an important realization.  I was in the lesson and we were all standing in the middle of the pool, right near the place where the shallow end suddenly drops into the deep end.  I had lost my footing in the water and couldn't get back to the shallow side.  I started panicking and calling out for help.  The teacher was ignoring me!  I continued to struggle, I couldn't understand why she wouldn't help.  I kept clawing at the water but I couldn't get my footing.  Finally, she lifted me up and set me firmly on the shallow side.  Then she reprimanded me, "What's the matter with you, Heather?  Don't you know that you can swim?"  She was right;  I could swim.  But in that panic, I forgot I had that ability.  It didn't even occur to me to swim out of the situation.  I was still in the mindset that I needed an adult for safety.  I was limiting myself.

These words of Baba's are not meant to sound as if He's abandoning us.  He's shown us the path, He's given us knowledge, He continues to do so every day.  He's encouraging us now to use what He's given.  He's reminding us of what we have so that we stop placing limits on ourselves.  

It can sometimes be a difficult transition for a toddler - you get carried everywhere, you have the comfort of the pram.  You're excited about learning to walk, but you don't realize that learning to walk means less time being carried, less time in the pram.  It can seem a bit like a punishment.  As one grows and develops new skills, certain comforts are no longer needed.  Baba is not abandoning us, but He is insisting that we grow up!  ;)  

Om shanti.

Teachers, Students and Truth

From a Blessing:May you be a true server who directs everyone towards the Bestower through your every deed and speciality.True servers will not trap anyone in themselves after giving them co-operation. They will forge everyone’s connection with the Father. Their every word will remind others of the Father. The Father will be visible through their every deed. They would never even think that someone co-operates with them because of their own speciality. If others see you and not the Father, then you have not done service, for you have made them forget the Father. True servers will forge everyone’s relationship with the Truth and not with themselves.

The blessing in a recent murli gave important reminders in two ways.  

First is the more obvious - "True servers will forge everyone's relationship with the Truth and not with themselves."  It's possible that in the teacher-student relationship that attachments will form.  But the role of the teacher is to pass on knowledge and teach the student to discern and understand that knowledge - not to make the student dependent upon themselves.  The teacher has to take the responsibility to keep this line clear.  To cross it, time is wasted - nothing is accumulated and there is a loss for both student and teacher.  

Likewise, for each of us as a life student of Baba's, we have to make sure we don't cross the line as a student.  It's so easy to have our 'favourites' - those teachers we want to hear murli from, those whose every word we hang on.  Baba can work through any teacher - and so where is our trust when we say, 'I can not learn anything from this one" or "I can only learn from that one"?  

Having been guilty of this myself, drama has pushed me into situations where I'm learning from those I didn't expect to.  It's a beautiful thing to have a great realization from the most unexpected of places.  Can I really say I know better than God who should be teaching me?  And so I'm learning to appreciate that service from all of Baba's children and not just "my chosen few".  

Each of Baba's children is making that special effort to serve, to give knowledge, to give a drop to the thirsty.  But if we are stubborn about who we learn from, we will miss out on so many jewels.

Om shanti.

When Maya Visits

 

When Maya Visits

 

When my husband and I started our family business, we didn't know what scams we would face.  We couldn't recognise the con artists from true clients.  But we made a decision early on that we would run our business cleanly, not take more than what was due, not give favours for cash, not cheat anyone, etc.  Little did we know that these rules would protect us from the scams.  By sticking to our code of ethics, those enticing offers were turned down and, after further research, found to be common scams in our industry. 

 

We can now spot most scams straight away, but we still have to keep a look out for new ones and more cleverly disguised ones.  We stick to our rules, and this provides a fair bit of protection.  We keep our lines of communication open with each other, we discuss new requests, we take decisions together.  Sometimes a guest will ask for an arrangement quite innocently, but the arrangement may cheat their employer or the taxman or both.  If we cross the line with something little, it brings us closer to the next line, and these little line crossings means we end up a far distance from where we should be, where we want to be.

 

Spiritual progress works much the same way.  Maya is sneaky, and we may not recognise her at first, but shrimat is there to protect.   As we face situations we learn to recognise the gross forms of Maya.  Baba tells us today to give up waste - waste thoughts, waste words, waste actions.  As we learn to discern waste and give it away, we then protect ourselves against more subtle forms of Maya.  By keeping good company, by discussing finer points of knowledge, by checking with seniors, the intellect sharpens and we take responsible discisions. 

 

As Baba says, we don't want to invoke Maya. We don't want to invite her in. She brings the gift of waste, but we are not obliged to accept it.  Have we forgotten the treasures we already have?  Treasures of knowledge, the Father's love, His company, the parlokik family, Madhuban, etc.  What can Maya possibly offer that would be better than this?  Nothing - but when we forget what treasures we have, Maya sees her chance.  This is why Baba is always saying to remember Him, remember the home.  Drop body consciousness and remember your true form, your angelic form.  What does an angel need from Maya? 

 

Baba encourages us to claim our place on the rosary of 108.  There are so many who came before us, how can I be one of the 108?  Baba says, it doesn't matter, make the effort and if He needs to, He will create more strings.  Don't worry about the maths - leave all that to Baba.  Don't let space appear on the rosary, don't be the missing bead.  Baba does not want to see His children labour, He only wants to see their happiness. 

 

Om shanti.

Isolation and Discipline

I was listening to Br. David's talk - you can still catch it on Madhuban Jewels website - about his experiences  before coming into gyan.  The part that really grabbed me what the idyllic isolation he experienced in the Kimberly region of Australia.  I say idyllic because sometimes I just want to get away from it all.  I'm sure what I suffer is not unique - too much noise, too much clutter, too much information.  In today's world, everything is at our fingertips and if we want a little distraction, we don't have to go far for it.  For Br. David to place himself in complete isolation took courage, but it allowed him to face himself, to learn to listen, to discover, to create.  Without the multitude of distractions that we face today, one is able to make quick progress in any area of life.  And, for Br. David, it was during this time that he had profound experiences that were to play an important part in his own transformation. 

I envy him this opportunity.  I wish I could isolate myself for a year or more and really cut out the clutter of distractions - get down to the nitty gritty.  But this was not written into the drama for me.  My path has a different route and the challenge here is to cut out the distractions whilst they still exist.  Br. David mentioned a hermit that he used to visit during this time and gave an example of how disciplined this hermit was with food.  He would receive his food pack and figure out how often he would allow himself to eat the 'good stuff' so that it would last until the next food pack, whereas David would eat all the good stuff first, over indulge and then have nothing left towards the end.  He was attracted to the discipline of the hermit, he wanted to gain that discipline himself.  Hearing him speak of the hermit, I too, wanted to gain this discipline, to learn to live within reasonable means instead of taking and indulging all the time.  

Time is short, and distractions will keep us from the work on the self that we need to do.  For me, I plan to take a different attitude towards these distractions, be a bit ruthless and find time to be in silence - a sort of internal isolation - so that that work can progress.  Discipline comes from making a choice and then sticking with it - repeating that choice again and again - and never forgetting the purpose of that choice.  

Om shanti.

How to get rid of ego... or not.

In Raja Yoga, ego is one of the vices.  We need to finish the vices, therefore we need to finish ego.  The more I contemplate this, the more I realize that everything is tied into ego - all our past memories, all relations and friends, accomplishments and failures - everything.  

So, how do we get rid of it?  Do we have to erase all memory?  Do we have to forget our past?  Break all relationships?  

In one discussion today, the suggestion came to 'become free from ego'.  A subtle change in language, but a huge difference in approach.

To 'get rid of ego' is like trying to get rid of a playful puppy.  You keep throwing the ball to send it away, and the puppy fetches it and brings it right back, and wants to play more!  The more you throw the ball, the more you attract the puppy.  You can try shouting at the puppy to tell it to go away, but he thinks you are playing a game and sticks around to play more.  And even if you eventually do get rid of him, you are never quite sure when he is going to come back!

To 'become free from ego' means that ego cannot hold you.  You are not the slave to ego.  Ego exists, ego is there, but ego has no hold on you and cannot dictate to you.  In the same way that your past exists, you cannot change it, but it doesn't have to have a hold over you.  You can be free from it.  

These are the early days of churning this, but somehow it seems already helpful.  When one drops body consciousness and adopts soul consciousness, when they truly see themselves as awaken from the dream of the drama and holding all attainments, then there is no need for ego.  Having self-respect the need for ego vanishes and one becomes truly free.

Becoming Bapsaman

In becoming bapsaman, we need to be able to see what God sees, think what He thinks, know what He knows and feel what He feels. It's difficult to do this when it comes to human relationships - what chance is there that we can do this with God?

As we draw close to the next age, we don't have time to be asking such questions, we just have to get on with our efforts. We have to make that connection and keep it constant. We have to make that connection accurate. Our relationship with God is not one of devotee to guru but one of child to Father. And that Father is the Father of all fathers. He's one who teaches, who guides, who protects, who encourages, who gives the highest regard and love to all His children.

Knowing this, where then do we place our efforts? We need to come into that experience of coming close to the Father, listening to Him, imbibing His every word until there is no doubt about what is true. We need to experience - see and feel - what God experiences, to see the sparkling faces of every child, to see their original sanskaras, to see them as self-sovereigns, to see each and everyone's complete and perfect form - not just sometimes but constantly. All that is required is to practice this regularly for a few minutes at a time throughout the day. This regular practice will make becoming bapsaman possible.

Contentment

Baba spoke today about contentment and how contentment is a sign of perfection. The more contentment we feel, the closer we are to perfection. So check: How is your contentment? Do you feel full? Do you feel rich? Do you feel you have so much that couldn't take anymore and you want to just give? This is the level of contentment we should be aiming for. When you are this content, your happiness knows no bounds and you make others content. What could be a greater service?

How do we reach this level of contentment? You could 'count your blessings', but then that doesn't always remove the little niggling complaints. You could try positive thinking or affirmtions - this will help you get out of a cycle of negative thoughts, but it's not going to fill you to overflowing with peaceful contentment.

The only method I know is to remember alpha and beta - the Father and the home. To remember alpha and beta accurately, you then remember who you are ... that you are a soul ... that you come from an eternal home ... that your Father is the highest of high fathers ... that your original nature is equal to the Father's nature ... that as a soul, with as your Father, you have absolutely everything you need ... that nothing else could bring you any extra happiness. This level of happiness, a happiness that cannot be improved upon, is complete contentment. This contentment frees you from desires, from bondage, from attachments, from ego, from so many things. With this freedom you remain so light, and then, like a balloon that has been released, you will ascend naturally, gracefully in silent splendour.