“Once one has given up attachment to actions as a means of obtaining rewards as well as giving up the desire for the rewards of actions one becomes tranquil and content without any need for acquisition or accumulation. Such persons although sometimes appearing to be engaged in actions naturally or prescribed, factually do nothing as all their activities are actually inaction.”
-B.G. Ch. 4, Verse 20
So true, so content, May be thats y wise people say that Shri Bhagavad Gita is the way of life.
मेरे मार्ग पर पैर रख कर तो देख, तेरे सब मार्ग न खोल दूँ तो कहना |
मेरे लिए खर्च करके तो देख, तेरे लिए कुबेर के भंडार न खोल दूँ तो कहना |
मेरे लिए कड़वे वचन सुनकर तो देख, कृपा न बरसे तो कहना |
मेरी तरफ़ आकर तो देख, तेरा ध्यान न रखूँ तो कहना |
मेरी बात लोगों से करके तो देख, तुझे मूल्यवान न बना दूँ तो कहना |
मेरे चरित्रों का मनन करके तो देख, ज्ञान के मोती न बरसे तो कहना |
मुझे अपना मददगार बना के तो देख, तुझे सबकी गुलामी से ना छुडा दूँ तो कहना |
मेरे लिए आँसू बहा के तो देख, तेरे जीवन में आनंद के सागर न बहा दूँ तो कहना |
मेरे लिए कुछ बनके तो देख, तुझे कीमती ना बना दूँ तो कहना |
मेरे मार्ग पर निकल कर तो देख, तुझे शांतिदूत न बना दूँ तो कहना |
तू मेरा बनकर तो देख, हर एक को तेरा न बना दूँ तो कहना |
मेरे मार्ग पर पैर रख कर तो देख, तेरे सब मार्ग न खोल दूँ तो कहना |
Do we do anything in name of God ? Oh yeah we do… whenever something goes wrong, whenever we fail, whenever we want name-fame, we do it in name of God (physically only). Bhagvad Gita says, ” Wherever you may live, whichever job you are engaged in, first of all realize your Supreme Self. Then whatever you do will be without a sense of doership (karta) and hence will not bind you.“
An action is meaningful only if it brings good to others. That action will result in peace of mind. If action ismotivated by selfish interests it will lead to entanglement in sense-pleasures, diseases and increase indesires. On the other hand, if action is for the benefit of others, it yields peace of mind, enhanced capabilities and fearlessness.
There is peace before and after an action.
Then what is the motive behind an action? If your actions are meant for worldly gains, motivated by selfish interests, they are futile. On the other hand, if they are aimed at realizing God, attaining spiritual peace, you will be freed from miseries and experience perennial bliss. Don’t for sake the immutable bliss and power of the Self by identifying yourself with the body that is subject to change.
Every verse in Srimat Bhagwat is very inpisring and eye-opener. Here comes a verse from ‘Divinity and Divine Service’
kamasya nendriya-pritir
labho jiveta yavata
jivasya tattva-jijnasa
nartho yas ceha karmabhih
Life’s desires should never be directed toward sense gratification. One should desire only a healthy life, or self-preservation, since a human being is meant for inquiry about the Absolute Truth. Nothing else should be the goal of one’s works.
There is the story of a thief who went on a pilgrimage to a holy town, and on route he and the other pilgrims stopped to rest overnight at an inn. Being addicted to stealing, the thief began making plans to steal the other pilgrims’ baggage, but he thought, “I’m going on a pilgrimage, so it doesn’t seem appropriate that I should steal this baggage. No, I shall not do it.” Nonetheless, due to his habit, he could not keep his hands off the baggage.
So he picked up one person’s bag and placed it in another place, and then another person’s bag and placed it elsewhere. He spent all night placing different bags in different places, but his conscience bothered him so that he could not take anything from them. In the morning, when the other pilgrims awoke, they looked around for their bags and couldn’t find them. There was a great row, and eventually, one by one, they began to find the bags in various places.
After they were all found, the thief explained: “Gentlemen, I am a thief by occupation. Being that I am habituated to stealing at night, I wanted to steal something from your bags, but I thought that since I am going to this holy place, it is not possible to steal. So I may have rearranged the baggage, but please excuse me.” This is the characteristic of a bad habit. He does not want
to commit theft anymore, but because he is habituated, sometimes he does.
Thus, one who has decided to refrain from his immoral habits and make progress in Lord Krishna consciousness is considered a sadhu. Lord Krishna mentions in Bhagwat Gita:
“Even if one commits the most abominable actions, if he is engaged in devotional service, he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated.”
~Source: B.G. (Ch.9, XXX)
“I worry day and night. What should I do? I don’t want to worry and yet I do”
Every morning, in front of the Lord’s picture, put your hands together and pray, “Dear Lord, you have said not to worry at all because to do anything, or make others do, is all in your hands, yet I worry. What should I do? My wish is not to have a single worry. So, give me your blessing and give me such energy that I never worry again.”
Then if your worries continue, you can pray to Him again. You will stop worrying if you continue to do this. In doing this, you are tying a bond with the Lord. When there is a bond, you have the right to challenge and question Him.
Why would you have any worry if you are a true devotee of Lord Krishna and your intentions are pure? What is wrong with telling Lord Krishna the truth?
Source: Shri Bhagwat katha
I really find these very positive and effective, it worked for me many times.. i thought i should share with you all…. as you know worries never end…until we want them to end.
Chinta lene ka nahin dene ka, Bindaas fwd ur worries to GOD, He has plenty of time to sort things out for us.
You are our daughter-in-law, you should get up early and do pooja in the morning/evening,
You are my son, you should sweep my ashes in Holy river Ganga,
You are my friend, you should come with me to Mosque,
You are my father and mother, it is your duty to feed me.
We all want something or the other from everyone around us, and mention it is duty / dharma.. What is dharma…:
Once upon a time, Lord Shiva was engaged in penance in the Himalayas. Maa Parvati went to Him and asked, “What is the nature of Religion or Duty? How indeed do men, not aware of the details of Religion or Duty succeed in observing them?”
Lord Shiva said, “Abstention from inflicting injury on others, truthfulness of speech, mercy towards all beings tranquility of soul restrain over the mind and the senses, and a propensity of donating to the best of one’s ablility, form the foremost duties of a householder. Abstention from sexual union with any woman other than one’s own wife, safeguarding the wealth and women committed to his care, reluctance to appropriate what does not belong to him, and abstaining from meat and liquor, are the five chief duties. Indeed, Dharma has many branches, all of which yield happy results. These are the duties for those embodied creatures who consider dharma as superior. These are the sources of merit.
~ Source: Mahabharata, Anushasanaparva, 23 to 27 verses of chapter 141
It explains all, i think…Where do i stand on the scale ?? Do my actions lead me towards it ?? well i am vegetarian, does that count… no jokes, i think i will do an assessment of my actions and share with you all…
Till then, you too watch your actions/dharma 
As i said earlier, actions make you happy. Here again, I emphasis on the same concept, i have experienced it myself, it works…and i share with you, as you all are dear to me.
They rightly say ‘Give what you want in return’. If you suffer the pains of others, if you pay respect to others, seeking none for yourself; you will always be happy. One who doesn’t do good to others, who does not even think for the good of others; can never maintain his well-being for long, whether he is a recluse, householder or officer; whether he is rich or poor.
The law is that you get only what you give. Verily your words and deeds do come back to you in due course. All your utterances return to your own region, similarly what you give does come back to you. A cheater is cheated by a smarter cheat. Those who torment others find somebody to cause agony to them. Those who are happy seeing others healthy and happy, developing others’ intellect and bringing good to others are always full of bliss and beatitude.
Do you know why does a rose appear pink? Those who have studied science know that it is because out of the seven colours of the sun, the rose has reflected the pink back and absorbed the others. By reflecting pink, it is left with pink. Why does a flower appear white? It has reflected white and therefore has become white.
Why is somebody respected? Because he has been giving due respect to others, he has become respectable. Why is another insulted? Because he has insulted others. Why is somebody worried and miserable? Because he is transmitting thoughts of worry and misery to others, he is beset with such feelings. ‘I am miserable… I am worried… I have nobody to call my own…’ root out such negative thoughts from your mind. Replace them with thoughts like, ‘I belong to God; God belongs to me. The world is but a dream. O Lord! You are mine! Aren’t you?’
I request you with folded hands; please change your way of thinking and…
…Throw away These Six Sharp Swords:
1. speaking haughtily,
2. harbouring malice,
3. attachment or lack of renunciation,
4. watch your speech,
5. anger,
6. selfishness,
So, be kind enough and start giving to others what you want for yourself.
Oh ! there is so much to learn. I mentioned earlier, we should watch our actions. Here again, i read this beautiful story in Mahabharata which goes like this:
After the war of Mahabharata, a distressed Dhritarashtra once asked Vedavyasji, ‘O Lord! How is it that all my hundred sons have been killed and I, the blind old father, remained alive’ I have not committed so grave sins in this life as to face such an irony of fate, and I must have earned some virtues in my earlier lives to be born as a king. Then what is the cause of my terrible suffering”
Vedavyasji sat in meditation to see Dhritarashtra’s past lives and found that in his earlier lives he had been a deer, an elephant and then a king. Thereafter he came out of his samadhi and told Dhritarashtra, ‘124 years back, you were a king and had gone hunting in the jungle. You saw a deer and chased it but could not hunt it as it disappeared in the woods. Seething with rage and with a hurt ego, you set fire to the jungle which burnt down the grass and dried leaves. But in the fire some offsprings of a snake were also burnt alive and the mother was blinded. You are suffering the consequences of that action in this life. You were born blind and all your children have been killed.’
Wherever you may live, whichever job you are engaged in, first of all realize your Supreme Self. Then whatever you do will be without a sense of doership (karta) and hence will not bind you.
The Lord has made the world action-bound. Hence what one gets is only the reactions of one’s own actions.
Wherever you live, whatever actions you perform, do them without a sense of doership (karta) and they will not bind you. Otherwise, with the sense of doership (karta) prevailing in your mind, even insects killed while strolling around would constitute your actions worthy to be stored up. Whether you offer a glass of water to someone or usurp something belonging to another, all these actions are stored up. But the same actions performed without the sense of being a doer create no bondage at all.
Although it was saturday, a lazy morning, but not for me… i culd not sleep properly, so thought to arrange the books … and came across the Holy book : Shri Bhagwat Gita.
Just randomly opened the book, and found this beautiful shloka, (with English translation):
It describes beautifully who is loved by God, what we should be doing to have His Love.
While reading again n again to grasp it, i questionned myself, do i do any of it to have His Love ?? I think i am just friendly and compassionate with people around me… seems like i am progressing God bless me so that I can have Your Love.
Ikoaʼnkār saṯ nām karṯā purakẖ nirbẖao nirvair akāl mūraṯ ajūnī saibẖaʼn gur parsāḏ.
Jap.
Āḏ sacẖ jugāḏ sacẖ.
Hai bẖī sacẖ Nānak hosī bẖī sacẖ. 1
Socẖai socẖ na hovaī jė socẖī lakẖ vār.
Cẖupai cẖup na hovaī jė lāė rahā liv ṯār.
Bẖukẖiā bẖukẖ na uṯrī jė bannā purīā bẖār.
Sahas siāṇpā lakẖ hohi ṯa ik na cẖalai nāl.
Kiv sacẖiārā hoīai kiv kūrhai ṯutai pāl.
Hukam rajāī cẖalṇā Nānak likẖiā nāl. 1
Source: Guru Granth Sahib, Page 1 Click here for Literal Meaning
These lines are so content. It summerizes God is One. Whatever you do, think, eat, sleep, He is untouched. then, how to come out of Maya (illusion) and be truthful to God ? it says : There is only one way to come out of the illusion is Obey His Command and walk in His way of Will.
Thanks Guruji for guiding me the path to my God!
I have to finish work 1, work 2 , work 3 blah blah.. time is running by, we have no time for God, whenever we need Him, we visit temples. we have to go on world tour, tonite is a party in disc… list goes on…..
Time for God doesnt mean you have to block your day to temples/keep fasts/leave families and go to himalayas… sit for hours in Jap dhyan.
Time for God means just remember God whenever and whatever you do. Offer it to God every second.
The same way Gopiyan used to do, they used to say yeh makhan to kanha ke liye hai, yeh upale to kanhe ke hein, hum to kanhe ke liye pani la rahi hein ….
i still wonder how beautiful the place would have been… may be that y the Kalyug is here so that we take inspiration from Gopis and make our lives worthwhile.
It doesnt matter what we pray and how we pray, if we just:
- close our eyes and put hands together
- bow our head in Temple / Pooja sthal
- do vandana (like Om namah bhagwate vasudevay for Lord Krishna)
We are heard by God, God gets happier when He see we are just doing vandana of him.
he just want us to do it whole heartedly. The moment we start our prayers where we ask for money, girlfriend, studies, job etc., our connection with God goes off.
so, remember whenever you are in temple or praying to God dont ask him what u want, he knows already what u need, just pray to him whole heartedly.
We visit temple / char dhaams to look for God. We do social service to feel the satisfaction of helping the needy. We do offerings to Cows, Dogs, Fishes… but when we are home we yell at our wives, husbands, moms, dads, sisters, brothers, whosoever comes in front. Still, we say we are religious, we want to me God. Where is God ?
The thought for the day lies here ‘Only way to meet GOD is to understand that : The God is in person you are talking to, He is between me and this keyboard, God is within us. ‘ The moment you feel that way, you will realize the world around is at peace and there is no way you can’t meet the God.
there is a perfect example, ‘Gopiyan of Gokul are always very happy as they cud see the param parmeshwar shri krishna in every thing they do, every where they see, in every one they talk to… thats y they cud see the Krishna and be with Him. ‘
another example is Meerabai. She used to sing for Lord Krishna and go mad in love for God. but ppl used to say her Mad.
Sant Shri Aasaramji Bapu says:
तुझ में राम मुझे में राम, सबमें राम समाया है,
करले जगत से प्यार ओ बन्दे कोई नहीं पराया है |