This Week In History(33) -13 to 19 August

Vachanamrut Gadhada II-60
Shriji Maharaj relates his own experience to reveal the understanding by which a devotee can remain happy at heart, “By keeping the following three forms of awareness, I am not hindered by any disturbances: constant awareness of the atma, which is distinct from the body; the awareness of the perishable nature of all worldly objects; and the awareness of God’s greatness. By keeping these three forms of awareness, no difficulties hinder me in any way.”

Vachanamrut Gadhada II-10
Explaining that God has a form, Shriji Maharaj says, “It is through God that everything mobile and immobile is created. Now, if God were formless, then how could He create something that possesses a form? For example, akash is formless. Therefore, pots and other forms that can be created from pruthvi cannot be created from that akash. In the same manner, since Brahma and the rest of creation possess a form, God, their creator, also definitely possesses a form.”

Vachanamrut Gadhada II-61
In this Vachanamrut, Shriji Maharaj describes three important qualities of a true devotee, “The first is to strictly adhere to the niyams prescribed by one’s Ishtadev – to such an extent that one would never forsake those disciplines even at the cost of one’s life. The second is to have extremely firm faith in God, so much so that one would never sway from it even if others or one’s own mind were to raise doubts. The third is to be loyal to those Vaishnav devotees who worship one’s Ishtadev – just as parents are loyal to their children, a son is loyal to his father, and a wife is loyal to her husband. One who possesses these three attributes completely can be called a staunch satsangi.”

Vachanamrut Gadhada III-18
A person’s destiny depends on his or her karmas. Shriji Maharaj explains how the bondage of karmas is reduced such that one can attain moksha, “When that person comes into contact with the Satpurush, the ingrained desires generated by his past karmas gradually wear away as he consistently associates with him. Eventually, he reaches a stage where the desires that give rise to births and deaths no longer remain. For example, grains of rice that are three to four years old can be eaten, but if sown, would not grow. In the same manner, when the ingrained desires generated by karmas performed previously become deteriorated, they do not lead to further births and deaths.”

Vachanamrut Gadhada II-11
Shriji Maharaj distinguishes between the actions performed by a devotee and a non-devotee of God, “There is a vast difference between the activities of a devotee of God and the activities of a non-believer. How? Well, all activities of a non-believer are for pampering his indriyas, whereas all activities of a devotee of God are solely for serving God and His devotee. As a result, the devotee’s activities are a form of bhakti.”

Vachanamrut Gadhada II-12
The soul is essentially pure but has forgotten its real form. Shriji Maharaj describes, “The jiva, which resides in the body, feels, ‘Lust, anger and other vicious natures are attached to my jiva.’ In this manner, depending on which of the vicious natures, i.e., lust, anger, avarice, etc., is predominant in a person, he believes his jiva to be full of that nature due to his association with it. But, in fact, not a single one of these vicious natures lies within the jiva; the jiva has merely believed itself to possess them out of its own foolishness.”