All tragedies and sorrows in life come by false and wrong willing.  By right willing the mind helps the seekers to gain the higher states in heaven.  Holding the mind in joy, and so in quietude, stop all willing and thus win the final victory over the mind - Yoga Vasistha.


Be the Architect of your own Destiny

Living the life is an art. We should know how to live in life and also be ready to leave the world.  That is why the devotee prays to God: 'O Lord, Please keep us away from death but not from the nectar, or we should not go away from the world prematurely.' We should go away from the world at a ripe age.  It is not considered right to leave the world prematurely.  The unripe melon cannot be easily plucked from its creeper.  If we try to do so the whole creeper would get uprooted.  But when the fruit is ripe then there is no need to pluck it.  It gets separated by itself.  We should be able to leave the world by ourselves.  There should not be a situation to leave the world painfully. 
 
Meditation Camp in Manali

The destiny of the person depends on the circumstances under which the consciousness had ceased at the last moment.  If it has to be found how well the life was lived and how hard was it, then his last moments have to be recalled.  I am not saying that Mahatama Gandhi had lived a good life and that he had many good qualities but I would certainly say that a person who lived his life with whatever feelings similar words would come out unawares from his mouth at his end.  From whose mouth the words 'Hey Rama' came at his end it can be concluded that how devoted was he towards Lord Rama and how deep a faith he had in Rama.

It has generally been observed that in many cases people towards their end remember houses or shops or shares and some even think of property documents.  The fate at the end is made according to the thought held at the last time. 

In other words, we see this as a natural phenomenon that we do get rights but they get transferred at the same time.

It was your rule some time ago and now it is the rule of the children.  When you had arrived in this world and became conscious, it was already your childhood.  You were then playing with toys.  After some time you started going to the school. 

There is also a time in life when you are in the middle of your life but you feel as if it was just as yesterday.  There are several mixed experiences and memories of life.  Towards some there is intense love and towards some there are complaints. When you were lonely and helpless someone had come close to you, held your stick, patted on your back and held your hand with love. It was a pleasant memory because change is the divine principle. Nobody can stop the flow of time. We have achieved so much in life and everything will be left behind in this world. Everything changes hands upon the closing of eyes.

There also comes a time in life when an elderly person lives a life of a stranger in his own home. He has to depend on someone even to take his medicine. The small child even tells his grandfather 'O Grandpa you don't even know how to eat. You spill food on your clothes.' He even places a spoon in your hand and then tells you to eat the food using the spoon. At that time how can the grandfather explain to the child that how even his father was taught the way to eat food
That is why pray to God: 'O God, until the time I live in this world I should be able to live and I don't have to depend on others. Let my body, my mind, my intellect, my soul and my energy be my companions. Until the time I live in this world I should lead an active life.' Just as you have gathered the worldly belongings try to learn to get rid of them as well.
Lord Krishna, in his ambrosial voice, has explained in the Gita the identity of His devotees. 'One who does not bear any animosity against any living being, who has the feeling of friendship towards everybody, who has compassion towards those who suffer, who is free from worldly affections and attractions, who is devoid of pride, having a balance between joy and sorrow, having the attitude of forgiveness, who remains internally satisfied under all circumstances, who is an ardent devotee of God, whose mind and intellect is dedicated to Me, and who is fully devoted to Me is indeed loved by Me'. Lord Krishna explains the qualities of His devotees thus: 'It does not matter for those who are loved by Me in this world whetherthey meditate while sitting in the caves of the Himalaya or praying for Me while standing in the midstream of Ganga, or who ring the bells in the temples.'

Listen to Audio Version Of Jeevan Sanchetana Articals on Meditation

What is Meditation

Meditation

Those who are loved by Me have a distinct identity. They do not have any hostility in their mind against anyone, neither do they get worked up due to jealousy nor do they misuse their energies to pull some people down. Those who do not turn into charcoal by looking at the prosperity of others are loved by Me because they do not behave like animals.' It has been said in the Vedas: 'O man, do not become a serpent. Do not become a scorpion. Do not behave like a wolf because after deceiving others it gets bloodthirsty. Also do not walk like the wavy gait of a serpent.

Such a gait is filled with deception. That is why there should not be any deceptions in life. One should not get mad to deprive others of their rights. While getting half drowned it is the behavior of animals to try to snatch away the life of others.

It has been said in the Vedas in a different place 'A darkness-loving owl cannot see even after the sun had risen'. There are many scriptures in this world to make people understand the realities of life. There are many saints to show the right way, and also there are many roadblocks to awaken people but still there are many people in this world who keep on hitting roadblock after roadblock, and keep on regressing but still cannot recover themselves. There are still such people in the world who are so much filled with pride that they do not value anyone. There are several people in this world who are fully immersed in the desires of the world, and there are still those who pick up quarrel with people for nothing. They remain involved with courts and conflicts day and night.

All these are the characteristics of owls, dogs, serpents, and scorpions. Among the animals the most hostile character is that of a dog. Dogs have a habit of barking at their own stock. The dog is not happy while looking at others eating. But the dog has also a good quality. Whenever it barks it barks at a stranger dog. But the man is a stranger stock. Whenever he barks he barks at the progress and growth of someone known. The progress generates jealousy within him. If any known person has made any progress it become intolerable to him. It does not matter to him if any unknown person has made any progress. The dog, on the other hand, has a good habit. If there is any known dog it will cooperate, sit, eat and move around together with him. But if any stranger dog comes to his ward then it will harness all the members of his group and demonstrate a collective hatred and anger.

In all the Vedas it has been said that human beings should not adopt the animal behavior.  But today the man has fallen lower than the animals. Under such circumstances Lord Krishna can be our guide.

Lord Krishna says: 'If any devotee bears any hostility against someone then he will think of that enemy only and not of Me.' Even though he has closed his eyes he is unable to concentrate on God. He will see the face of his enemy only. Even if the man moves to another city his enemy would have reached there before him because upon closing his eyes he will see the face of his enemy only. Wherever he goes, the face of the enemy remains fully engraved in his eyes. He is remembered while sleeping and while eating.

It has, therefore, been suggested that at the beginning of the meditation pray for the well-being of the enemy and pray to God for his safety. 'O God, I am happy the way you wish me to remain happy. Although he is my enemy please keep him safe. I don't want to take any revenge from any one.' But the man generally does the opposite. He employs all his powers to take revenge from his enemy.

There was an old woman. She had a hump on her back. Her back was badly bent. People used to laugh at her. She was helpless and used to get angry with these people. One day Maharishi Narada met her on the way. He asked her the cause of her sorrow. She said that she was suffering from the hump on her back. Narada told her if it would please her he would try to remove her hump. He said that he knew how to do so. The old woman was obviously happy and felt that this man could possibly relieve her of the pain. She asked him if he knew how to implant the hump if he knew how to remove it. Narada said that he could also implant the hump. Upon hearing this the old woman told Narada not to remove the hump from her back instead implant it on all those who made jokes of her so that they could understand the pains of having a hump.

Nobody wishes to get rid of own sufferings. Strange! They would rather like to feel happy by looking at the sufferings of others. Everyone is engaged in this task. That day I shall' feel satisfied when he will come before me crying and begging of me.' Everyone has created a situation like this for himself. Due to this animosity the man has fallen in the ditch and created a hell for himself. The man has put all his energies in seeing others unhappy. It should rather be that the man employed all his energies to bring happiness to all and try to reach God. Pray to God with folded hands: 'O God, Let me not hate anyone. I have hostility towards none. Please be kind towards me. Let my mind ever remain bent towards Your feet, and let there be prosperity in my home.' Such a prayer should be said always.

Lord Krishna says that any person harbouring animosity cannot, even after trying hard, succeed in meditation as compared with a devotee. Any person who does not bear any hostility towards anyone, who has the friendly feeling towards all who wish to have friendship with all, who always wishes welfare of all, and who employs his energies in reducing hate and generating friendship is My loved devotee.'

Chanakya has also said that nobody is neither an enemy of anyone nor a friend of anyone from the birth. The environment of tradition only produces enemies and friends.