"Favourable Atmosphere For Spirituality ."BABUJI MAHARAJ

Pujya Babuji Maharaj has proved that man can attain spiritual heights easily and in a better way in a Grahastha Ashram (Family Life). To understand this, it is necessary to analyze the effects of atmosphere. Generally it is said that the atmosphere is of two types, i.e., Natural and Man-Made. Natural is one which has been created by God and it is always in the welfare of man. In fact an atmosphere is only one and not of two types. It is Natural. Man adds to it by the thoughts he possesses. Where man does not go or rarely visits the place, there is pure Divine-Atmosphere. Places inhabited by human beings carry a complex atmosphere on account of different variety of persons there. When one feels fed up and tired of such heavy atmosphere, one tries to seek relief by going to such places where either man does not live or only a few countable persons live. In these places the atmosphere is generally pure as compared with a congested city and as such provide more mental comfort.

So the atmosphere is only one pure and simple but addition done by human thoughts creates coverings to it. As a Natural Law, every object has its own smell(good or bad) and thus has a share in building up the atmosphere there. Man too possesses a smell which depends on his thoughts and way of life. On this analogy humanity can be divided into two categories, i.e., Spiritual and Unspiritual. Spiritual category is one in which all have the same goal of life, i.e., God-Realization.The unspiritual category can be divided into two parts, i.e., Good, and Others. The persons in good category are those who believe in doing right actions in every field of life while the others ' category includes those remaining persons who perform their actions according to a particular situation and they are not governed by any hard and fast rule or law.

Before Lalaji Maharaj, generally people had a notion that for Divine Worship one should go far away from the congested cities to some solitary place like forest, hills, or inside caves where the atmosphere is pure. It is a fact that one feels less or no disturbance in Divine Sadhna at such places because here the atmosphere is free from human thoughts. According to Lalaji Maharaj persons doing sadhna at such solitary places may feel that they have acquired a balanced state of mind but when they go in the midst of people, generally they feel disturbed. This indicates that they felt balance where there was no disturbance. Pujya Babuji Maharaj is also of the opinion that, "One can acquire a real balance of mind only in Grahastha Life, because here one is surrounded by different type of problems and has to face a number of hardships. If one acquires a balanced state of mind here then that will be a real balance of mind." Now a question arises that Grahastha life means a place full of problems then how is it possible to acquire a balanced state of mind amidst the problems? The answer once has been given by Babuji Maharaj that, "If in a grahastha life, one deals with the problems without involving oneself with them, the effect of the result, whether favourable or not, will not affect him. This is possible only when one treats everything as one's duty given by God. The sense of duty will save him from attachment with his actions. In such cases as duties are discharged in remembrance of God, one ceases to be the doer of the actions. Here God takes the responsibility."

However, all will agree that one who acquires a balanced state of mind in Grahastha Life, cannot be disturbed anywhere. Thus the atmosphere in Grahastha Life can also be made favourable for spiritual progress. If we do not add thoughts to the atmosphere, the presence of already existing thoughts in the atmosphere will gradually be cleared by diverting the burden of these thoughts to God by a simple thought that they all are from His(God"s)side.These will neutralize the effects of these thoughts on man. God represents Zero and this Divine thought will make everything vanish from the atmosphere.

About miserable problems in grahastha life, Babuji Maharaj has said, "sufferings and miseries have their own place in life. Everyone has his share of it. Even sages of eminence had their own. Had there been no sufferings in the world, man's thought could have never gone upto the reverse side of it, i.e., Bliss." Favouring the atmosphere of grahastha life, Babuji maharaj has further pointed out, "Solitary life in a forest and aloofness from all worldly concerns may be, to some, the means of cultivating patience and forbearance but to us, the taunts and rebukes of our friends and relations are the greatest penance and the surest means of success. In fact to put up coolly with miseries and troubles contributes much to our betterment, hence they are valuable assets to our progress."

So the lightness or heaviness in the atmosphere of Grahastha -Ashram is the result of human thoughts. However, the Divine living releases man from the burden of all sorts of problems of life specially when there is an yogic help of transmission of Divine Grace from a personality like Pujya Babuji Maharaj. Problems will be there but man will not feel their impact. This is a key to a happy life. The Divine living will purify the atmosphere which will prove that the Grahastha Ashram (Family Life) is the best place for Spiritual Sadhna for attaining the best goal of human life,i.e.,God Realization.

Right Suggestion Keeps Human Mind In Balance(Babuji Maharaj)

Mind works on suggestion from Self. On getting suggestion whether from observation or the Inner Being (Self), mind starts the generation of thoughts in that reference. Normally it should stop the generation of thoughts, the moment the requirement of the suggestion is over. From the time of creation of the Universe, human mind continued to behave like this for a quite long time because of Divine purity in it. This indicates its balanced state. But with the passage of time, human mind added one surprising element to itself that it continues producing thoughts even the requirement of suggestion is over. Self tries to stop it but on most of the occasions, mind either continues the generation of thoughts in different ways or continues the repetition of the same thoughts several times.This repetition often results in tiredness, still the man fails to stop it. Man tries to change the place and atmosphere to get rid of such chain of thoughts but he succeeds after a lot of pains that too when these thoughts are pushed up from the physical consciousness to the higher layers of consciousness by some healthy and dominant thought. This may be a solution for the time being for providing relief but in the long run, one day or the other, the presence of such unfinished or complicated files in higher consciousness passes a heaviness in the system and becomes more troublesome when they touch the physical consciousness of the man.

A question arises as to why mind has started behaving like this? The only reply is that the bridles of will power which initially or originally controlled the mind-horse have become very loose and weak resulting in present behaviour of mind. Does this mean that human mind is not in balance; if so then what is a balanced mind? It is a fact that human mind is not in balance because a balanced mind is one which generates thoughts as per requirement of the suggestion and remains at rest till a suggestion again is referred to it by the Self.

Now if we judge ourselves, we will find that we all are facing, generally, the same  problem of unbalanced tendencies of mind. Mind does not obey the orders of Self. Experience tells us that, despite all his best efforts, if a man fails in any field and has no other alternatives, he prays God for help.The very thought of God provides him relief with increasing confidence for better efforts again.To bring mind again in balance two things are necessary as under;

1. Only right suggestions are to be given to mind;and
2. Efforts are to be done to clear the higher layers of consciousness from accumulated thoughts which are also called Sanskaras.

Right suggestions are those which are related with human welfare and are in complete confirmation with Nature/God.This enables man to perform right actions. Mind too does not get overburdened because of the presence of Divine purity. Mind, then, generates thoughts as per requirement of the suggestion and not more because the Divine fragrance is there. In such cases, there is a confirmation both of mind and heart. Such combination of mind and heart reflects Divine purity in every walk of life. Babuji Maharaj says, "The first mind was pure and simple and that has woven all our frame and structure. It brought purity with it which is still maintained. So when we begin to give wrong suggestions, the mind which is absolutely pure, expels them in order to maintain its eternal purity. That is the cause of thoughts. In reality, it sends out the contents which appear like fog covering a certain surface. We call them thoughts. When we are attentive to the thoughts, their power develops. If a man wants to work out the problems of life easily, he should give right suggestions to the mind. It is the condition which comes by practice and proper moulding of one's Self". Such living keeps the human mind in calmness and balance because there is no addition of undesirable thoughts. Mind ejects all unwanted thoughts and prefers to discharge all duties of life in Divine remembrance and thus fresh formation of Sanskaras are stopped automatically."

Now the higher layers of consciousness, keeping wanted or unwanted thoughts as Sanskaras since long, need attention. Right suggestions, in Divine remembrance, start melting such accumulation of thoughts. This process becomes very fast if there is help of Divine grace transmitted by any capable guide/person/personality. We are very fortunate that Babuji Maharaj helps every Divine aspirant by transmission of Divine grace. This removes all the dirt from the system, clears all the layers of consciousness from bad or good thoughts and spreads Divine fragrance in the whole system. Once Pujya Babuji Maharaj was telling, "People generally talk about light in the spiritual field while the fact is that we have to get rid of both darkness and light. Both good and bad will also not be there on our march to attain the goal of God realisation. Tam is the last resting place of an yogi."

Now, gradually, a man is becoming fully aware of the fact that only Divine thought brings moderation in the human system. It keeps only that much which is necessary for a man to behave in a normal and natural manner. All the material things will be there for use but the indulgence will not be there. Man starts living a life of attached but detached in every situation. Not only mind but all the faculties will become moderate. Mind will obey orders of the Self . Right suggestions to the mind, are the result of Divinised living. Only this keeps the human mind in balance. A harmonious relation between the heart and mind is the result which keeps everything in balance. This all is a result of a living near Him or in Him which ensures Eternal Happiness.