Excerpt from Bhagatji Maharaj’s Discourses

Guru Protocol - Angieben

Today, wherever we go, we come across some protocols in one way or other.

For example, when we go to banks, we ought to wait till our turn comes. In

the library, we remain quiet. While driving, we follow rules and regulations.

When we meet important people, such as the Queen of England, we must bow

or curtsey, and if we meet the President, we must shake his hand and smile.

Similarly, there is a Guru Protocol which describes the behavior, attitude, and

etiquettes a disciple should possess to draw forth wisdom and blessings of his

Guru and fully understand his inner wish.

It is outlined in the Kularnava Tantra and Guru Gita. Guru Protocol can be

understood in three parts: Devotional acts, codes of harmony and prohibitions.

1. Devotional acts include serving the Guru, prostrating daily and offering a

gift in love, chanting his name and meditating on his inner form as the

embodiment of the Divine, seeking initiation and striving for self realization

as he directs.

2. Codes of harmony include seeking his blessings, obeying his directions,

being open and honoring his lofty presence. We respect our Guru because we

believe he has a more spiritual insight into the way God is operating the

world, so let us practice “Pehla Prabhu, Pachhi Pagalu” and respect the

guidance our Guru can provide.

3. Prohibitions include:

• Never contradicting or arguing with the Guru,

• never criticizing him, nor listening to criticism by others,

• not imitating his dress or deportment,

• not standing or sitting above him, nor walking or driving ahead of him,

• not assuming authority in his presence,

• not uttering words of falsehood or contempt, and

• not initiating conversation or asking questions unless invited.

The Kularnava Tantra explains, "Be always in service of the Guru, ever in his

presence, giving up desire and anger, humble and devoted, lauding in spirit,

upright in doing his work." Our Guru is our guide to lead us from our mental

calculations straight to God’s lotus feet. Let us pray that we can humbly serve

our Guru in a manner that is worthy of him.

Holi is a festival of colors and is well known across the SwamiNarayan sect as

the birthdate of Brahmaswaroop Bhagatji Maharaj. On the occasion of his

birthday, let’s engross ourselves in the pearls of his divine wisdom.

1. When is the true knowledge attained? When the body and soul is

understood separate, just as a sword and sheath are separate entities.

Divine Days: March 13: Guruji’s

Birthday

March 16 (Falgun Sud 14): Holi, Bhagatji Maharaj’s Birthday

March 17 (Falgun

Sud 15): Dhuleti, Jashbhai Saheb’s Birthday

Note from the Editor: Please contact me at rucha0402@yahoo.com with any feedback. From Chicago, Richa Shah’s Jay SwamiNarayan

In this issue: Guru Protocol Excerpt from Bhagatji

Maharaj’s Discourses Acquiring the Virtues of

the Great Saint Faith in Scriptures

Holi, Dhuleti

Swami Shreeji

Volume 4, Issue 2

February 28, 2014 Satsang Times

Satsang Times, Volume 4, Issue 2

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2. A person who is strong at heart would never allow the desire of anything other than God to flourish. If it

flourishes, then he would cut the desire.

3. The body is like shoes. It is worn to protect feet from burns or thorns, but it was never meant to be kept

at our head. Similarly, this body should be used to worship God. But it should not be pampered, since

there is no happiness in doing so.

4. By associating oneself to a saint, the dirt of inner consciousness is washed away and becomes pure.

Only when the inner consciousness becomes pure, the true happiness of worshiping God is experienced.

5. The inner consciousness becomes stable only when the food and company one keeps are pure. And one

will only be able to remember God when the inner consciousness is stable.

6. The happiness of God is without any traits of the three modes of nature. A devotee of God will never

have happiness of this world. Vidurji never asked Duryodhana, the king of Hastinapura, for anything.

He worshipped God by eating bhaji (spinach). Sudama also worshipped God by eating tandul (rice).

Furthermore, he couldn’t ask for anything when he went to Lord Krishna for help. Therefore, a true of

devotee of God will never have worldly happiness.

7. One should understand the attributes of an ekantik sant by reading Vachanamrut and the verses

composed by Nishkulanand Swami and Muktanand Swami. After seeking such a saint, one should serve

him. By doing so, Maharaj will be pleased on him and he will attain the ekantic dharma.

8. If one has a nature of spiting, he will have feces to eat and urine to drink, but will never have happiness.

One must understand this principle and imbibe it in one’s life.

9. The true method of upaasanaa is understood by the association of a true saint. Otherwise, even if one

says I have upaasanaa, or I have practiced upaasanaa, it will not be called upaasanaa. The true

upaasanaa lies in the following understanding:

a. One should believe that God eternally possesses form, and is ever divine, above all, always present,

and all-doer; And

b. even after becoming Brahmroop, the conviction of the above understanding should never falter at

any time; And

c. he always propagates and preach that God is above all, always divine, and with form.

10. Considering the body as a bowl to hold sweets, one should eat sweets in the form of devotion. Sweets

should not be eaten from the ground without any bowl. Similarly, to worship God, one should also

maintain the body. If a bowl is broken or has a crack in it, we fix it. Similarly, if we get sick, we should

seek medical attention and take medicines. However, after healing we should never cultivate desires

other than to worship God.

11. A virtue of taking positive of a great saint is devotion and the devotion is soul. If a body has senses,

inner consciousness, and deities of sense, but no soul, then what is the point of that body? Similarly, if

one is staunch in his religion, knowledgeable and extremely detached, but doesn’t have devotion, it is

fruitless without devotion.

In this Vachanamrut, God is asking a question and Muktanand Swami is answering. In many

Vachanamtruts, a majority of the times the answers given by devotees or saints were not completely

acceptable by Maharaj. Then Maharaj usually gave the precise answer. In this Vachanamrut, God

approved the answer of Muktanand Swami.

Vachanamrut Gadhada First 67: Acquiring the Virtues of the Great Saint – P. P. Dinkar Uncle

Satsang Times, Volume 4, Issue 2

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Maharaj asked, “How can an aspirant get the qualities of a person (Gunatit saint) who does not have any

affection for the worldly things, has affection for only God's abode and God, attaches to whomever comes

in his association with God, does all actions to elevate from body consciousness and attain the happiness

of God's abode? What kind of understanding prevents the aspirant from not getting qualities of such a

person?

For anyone, there is a main priority and secondary priority. If one has priority of God, His devotees and

His abode, then worldly activities like farming, working, eating, sleeping etc. naturally becomes the

secondary priority. Furthermore, with his body, he will only obey God's command. But the one who

gives priority to worldly things and keeps God secondary they will have hurdles and they will not be

considered a satpurush (Gunatit saint).

One can be called a renunciant, but it doesn’t mean that his priority is God. He might be a leader and head

of the temple and has followers, but his priority is not always God.

A satpurush does not have any affection for the worldly happiness just as we have no affection for our

own bodily waste.

The word vasna comes from Sanskrit verb ‘vasit’, which means resides in it. Mostly vasna is used in a

negative connotation. Here God has used it in a positive context. He says that a satpurush has vasna for

God and his moorti. To engage one’s senses in sensual pleasures is called vasna. While doing God's

bhajan, whatever disturbs is called svabhav.

There was Ghanshyam Das who moved a lot while chanting and lifted his hand up and down.

Gunatitanand Swami was passing by and he remarked,” Why don't you meditate on God? Why are you

meditating on worldly things?” He argued with Swami, that why was he saying this? Swami said, “You

are caressing the head of your dear buffalo in meditation.” He realized that Swami was omniscient and

Swami said this for his own benefit. We should prepare ourselves before doing bhajan that we will not let

anything bother us. Then whatever happens, we will remain focused.

Such a satpurush would benefit others by uniting them in God and His devotees. He also thinks that his

associates must also get the happiness that he has. He thinks that this soul is attached to worldly things

but he should attach to God. When he makes such a wish, the chapter and chart of that devotee starts

moving as per the wish of the satpurush. The whole understanding of this person now changes.

Muktanand Swami replied, “One who keeps divine intellect (i.e., does not perceive human traits) towards

such a satpurush, if he has the same understanding for guru and follows their command, then he gets the

qualities of such a satpurush and he will be liberated. The one who does not act like this will not have the

qualities of the satpurush.

God says this answer is right but it is still incomplete. God wants to talk about what kind of thought that

aspirant needs. God explains the technique of proper understanding. The one who does not have affinity

for anything other than God and one thinks that “This satpurush is extremely great like Gunatitanand

Swami, millions of devotees bow down to him, yet he does not wish for even speck of worldly happiness.”

Also, he thinks, “As for me, I am extremely insignificant, and I am solely attached to worldly pleasures. I

do not understand anything at all about God. Shame on me.” ‘In this way, he feels remorse and imbibes

the virtues of the satpurush. He also feels remorse after realizing his own flaws. While repenting in this

way, detachment arises in his heart, and thereafter, he acquires virtues similar to those of that satpurush.

Now if one understands that this person is considered great but he does not have proper discrimination or

mannerism (because he does not fit in our belief system), does not know how to eat and drink, does not

even dress appropriate, God has given lot of happiness but does not know how to enjoy, gives others

beyond any limits, likewise sees many negative traits in the satpurush, such a person will never have any

good qualities of this satpurush.

Satsang Times, Volume 4, Issue 2

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This year Dinkar Uncle requested all of us to recite ten SwamiNi Vato daily (ten talks from a scripture called

SwamiNi Vato, Gunatitanand Swami’s divine discourses). In one talk, Gunatitanand Swami said, if one

prepares food, but doesn’t eat it, what is the point? Similarly, if we read the scripture but do not fully believe in

its words, we will not earn full merits of it.

Once Balmukund Swami, an ardent devotee of Gunatitanand Swami, recited the talk number 278 of Chapter 1

of SwamiNi Vato in the temple at Chalala. In this talk, Gunatitanand Swami says, “If someone remembers

God, then I will arrange for his service, have his clothes washed, and give him food at home.” Some disciples

asked, “If we do not cook and instead simply chant the name of God, shall God make provision for our meal

today? Will God get the meal ready for us? This does not seem true.” “This is true. If we pray to God with

absolute faith then He will give us food. Let us all pray to God. Nobody should have any doubts. This

discourse is true and God will give us food,” replied Balmukund Swami. Having faith in Swami’s words, all

devotees started chanting the SwamiNarayan mantra from morning, and singing devotional songs. The time

aproached 11:30am, yet there was no sign of any food appearing. Some devotees became inpatient and started

doubting the SwamiNi Vato, but Balmukund Swami had total faith in Gunatitanand Swami. Exactly at 12

o’clock, a devotee suddenly arrived carrying various items of food and offered them to Swami and said, “Offer

the food to Thakorji and then distribute it among the sadhus.” Swami said, “See, God has sent us food!” He

asked the devotee, “How come you are here?” He said, “We are going to Amreli with the bridegroom party of

my son. Since it was lunch time, we were preparing to eat. Then villagers who were passing by informed us

that Swamiji is in the temple. So we thought of offering the food to sadhus before we eat. ”

One time, Ramji Thakkar, a son of Ranchod Thakkar, a faithful disciple of Gunatitanand Swami, came to the

temple in Amreli. At that time, talk no. 269 of chapter 6 was being recited. Swami says, “God will drown a

universe so that one soul will worship God. There is a story about this: There was a sparrow perched on a high

mountain top offering worship. It said, "If water is brought here where I am sitting then I will drink it.” Then

the universe was flooded and filled with water up to where it was perched, so it drank.” Ramji didn’t believe in

this talk, so he became upset and went home. He said to the devotees, “Why are you reading such rubbish

talks? It is nothing but rumor, baseless fact. For God, each life is equal. Just as the sparrow is dear to God, all

other souls are equally dear to God. If God performs such actions, then countless lives would be in danger. So,

please don’t read such rubbish talks.” At night, Maharaj came to his dream and rebuked him, “Why are you

doubting Swamiji’s talk? What do you understand of Swamiji’s talk? What do you understand of actions of

God? So, please never doubt again. ” Ramji apologized for his mistake and promised to never have doubt in

Swami’s talk again.

We pray to the lotus feet of Dinkar Uncle, Bapu and Gunatit Saints that we also cultivate indomitable faith in

the Vachanamrut, SwamiNi Vato and scriptures, and never waver from our faith.

Holi:

The Sanskrti word for roasted grain is holaakaa. Since Vedic times, with the arrival of spring, devotees

offer newly harvested grain to God (ritually to agni or fire).

Prahlad's aunt, Holika, attempted to kill Prahlad by setting him on fire. Due to Prahlad's devotion,

Holika dies instead. Traditionally, a fast is observed in prayer for Prahlad.

The demon Putna is killed by baby Lord Krishna, and burnt by the cowherds. Thus, devotees create a

bonfire.

Birthday of Manu, the progenitor of mankind.

Faith in Scriptures

Holi and Duleti

Satsang Times, Volume 4, Issue 2

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Lord Nara-Narayan's birthday.

Bhagatji Maharaj's birthday in Mahuva in 1829.

Lord Swaminarayan takes many forms and plays raas with the paramhansas at Panchala in 1823.

Dhuleti or Fuldol or Pushpadolotsav:

Lord Krishna and Arjun are swung on a decorative hindolo at Raivatachal (Mt. Girnar) by the Yadavs.

Traditionally, people celebrate by hurling colored powder/water on each other; and eat fagavaa(popped

corn, roasted chickpeas, and dates - which helps remove seasonal phlegm).

Lord Swaminarayan places His stick on Gunatitanand Swami and extols Swami's glory as "Sadguru"

and Himself as Purushottam Narayan at Sarangpur in 1812.

Women devotees take fagavaa as a symbolic asking to Lord Swaminarayan (given in Bhaktachintamani,

chapter 64) at Sarangpur in 1812.

Nishkulanand Swami makes a special "12-door" hindolo for Lord Swaminarayan at Gnanbag, Vadtal in

1816.

Jay SwamiNarayan!