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EZ Print Version of all 15 [Part Four] CHASTITY, MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LIFE. Marriage means to take a companion in life who will keep one another together in weal or woe during the earthly sojourn, and both of them meet the Lord. One duty way be of begetting children for which the scriptures lay down that this power should be used for begetting the children and rest from any such communion during the conception period and also thereafter the child is taking milk of the mother. In this way, the child, the mother and the father will all be healthy. Most of the diseases the people are suffering, will be eliminated. The Saints say that if the children are to be given birth, let them become either Saints, a donor to all poor and the service of the needy or being valiant ones who can protect the forlorn and the weak. The Masters do lead an ideal married life and when they take up such a role, they adopt such a course. So, married life is no bar to spirituality if led in accordance with the scriptures. The partners in life are advised in their best spiritual interests to observe chastity by leading a moderate life by mutual cooperation. The check marks on the diary forms are essential for the people seeking improvement gradually. One learns by self-introspection and careful living. The dear ones are not forbidden to marry or have homes. But, they should have ideal family life flavored with the divine grace of the Master. * * * The young before marriage, should be asked to lead a chaste life, as chastity is life and sexuality is death. A lamp burns splendidly when it has oil within, but if all the oil is leaked away, how can there be light? A life of self-restraint goes to make body and brain strong. Similarly, education cannot be ruled out as it helps one to develop inner faculties for having a right approach to life's problem. Learning is a garland of flowers round the neck of a practical man; he will explain many things from the vocabulary at his command. A man of learning without a practical life, is like a beast of burden, who has loads of books over the head. Bookish knowledge is all a wilderness and gives no way out. A learned man revels in the pudding and gives it to others but is unaware of the taste thereof. An unlearned man with a practical life does enjoy the taste of the pudding and gives examples from the daily, with the vocabulary at his own command. Both the learned and the unlearned have to tread the same way of withdrawing from outside and rise above body~ consciousness to see the Light of God and become the conscious co-worker of the Divine Plan. * * * An impersonal deviated approach or slight relaxation in the observance of ethical code of morality in accordance with the sacred tenets of the Holy Path is likely to cause harm. Normal association and company breeds attachment. But when this is flavored with divine fragrance and relished in the Name of the Master, this is bound to have much deeper impact. Opposite sex has much strong hold amongst one another when the charm and attraction involved is too much to be resisted. This results in gradual infatuation and bondage. A slight slip can cause much of havoc when the dear ones are hurled down in the abysmal of sensual gratification. Divine love and sex are quite opposing poles. Sex is not only sinful, but a serious impediment on the Holy Path. It is by long cultivation when one can expect some degree of success in living a clean chaste life. This aspect of life should please be kept in view by the senior members of Satsang when they can guide the 'young buds' in their larger interests of spiritual progress. * * * I have noted about your lovely children...the raising of children is a virtuous duty. The young ones imitate their parents, who should reflect peace, harmony and sobriety by leading a disciplined life full of spiritual beatitude. The assertive attitude of dear ______ shows the greatness of his soul. Self assertion is the innate attribute of soul which is all divine in miniature scale. This kind sentiment is mostly predominant in promising personalities who inherit congenial environments most helpful for their spiritual progress. You need not worry over his learning late about dressing or talking. It is the inner maturity which is well defined and controlled by nature. So far his demands are concerned these should be met with lovingly as far as possible so far as these are legitimate and within the scope of his raising. The young sentiments should not in any way be injured. It is the unbounded love of the parents for the children which make them bold, brave and adventurous in their lives. You must be an affectionate and bravely stern mother so far as your love and discipline is concerned towards your children. Your good action of sitting with them regularly for listening to the sound current is appreciated, which will be helpful for their spiritual growth. Please convey my love to them. * * * Mother's affection for the child is innate and should not be misconstrued as unchaste. Your recurring desire to hug her is a natural human instinct. You should know that mother's love is an inner impulse and goes a long way in the healthy breeding of child. Every soul coming to this world relishes such loving care and affection which creates an inner sense of bravery and boldness. Your sacred instincts are injected in the child which will enable him to grow gradually and the child will come out a healthy stalwart with the grace of the Master. * * * .....you may please try to lavish the things for her which she is prone to steal. You will find that when everything is procured for her, the tendency to obtain them by stealing will be overcome in due course. Simultaneously you can ingrain in her mind that anything and everything she is desirous of having will be provided for her. I hope she will improve with the grace of the Master. * * * The screaming in terror of dear ___ during sleep may be rid of by resorting to Simran of charged names. Besides you may look up to his digestion if he gets good evacuation, as sometimes the stomach troubles lead to such like terrorizing dreams... * * * Marriage is a sacrament. It is the selecting of a companion for life to stand by in weal or woe. It is a sacred institution against social vice and sin. It fills the gap. It is not a contract but a holy alliance under the divine Will when two souls are brought together for attaining the highest object of spiritual perfection. Sex impulse is a sacred instinct meant for procreation and it can be transmuted carefully by living a life full of moderation. The serene love between the partners of life starts from flesh and dissolves in the souls. It is an attachment for the achievement of some higher goal of life and ultimate liberation from the Wheel. It is rather a life full of spiritual beatitude and dedication, serving as a sure sheet anchor against the injustices of society. * * * I am glad to find that you married and your family affairs are improved with the grace of the Master. You are advised to be careful about your physical health for which you should seek casual medical check up. * * * Your memory is quite fresh with me and I recall dear ____ with her glowing innocent eyes, sparkling with spiritual glow.....(a child). It is so good that dear (child) is walking with the grace of the Master. She is very dear and lovely soul. Her smiling eyes are still fresh with me. Please convey my love to her and dear ____________. * * * The fake allurements of sensual gratification usually end in frustration. Carnal desires are seldom satiated by indulgence. Spiritual discipline and renunciation of stumbling impediments by careful consideration, preceded by repentance, is helpful for spiritual progress. Infatuation breeds indulgence, whereas abstinence and renunciation bring in serenity and sobriety. You should know it for certain that mind is a very useful servant but a very bad master. It is the good grace of the Master that child disciple is reminded by the gracious Master Power working overhead to follow the right course and those who abide by His instructions are blessed with success in evading the temptations, and this monkey mind cooperates with them for their spiritual progress. Contrarily, who fall a prey to the allurements and unheed the divine counsel are hurled down into the abysmal of degradation, and the same mind runs wild in that direction. So you understand the basic necessity of following the sacred impulse from the gracious Master Power in entertaining sublime thoughts. * * * 'Penny wise pound foolish' is a useful adage. One should keep a strict vigil over the thoughts which usually creep in surreptitiously and cause disturbance in passions flaring up at the slightest provocation. Spiritual discipline demands austere living with a higher aim in view, and working wholeheartedly for its accomplishment. * * * MEDITATION Ordinarily mind should be fully devoted in to the work one does as work is worship. But when mind is vacant, it should not remain vacant as a vacant mind is the home of devil. It should be kept busy either in repeating the Five Holy Names or in sweet remembrance of the Master or listening to the Sound-Current if it has developed so much as to be audible and reverberating all the times. But regular time in meditations has to be given. If due to your busy life, you cannot devote full time, devote as much maximum time as you can, but in a correct, devoted and attentive unsleeping state. This is necessary to have actual inner regular progress. So please carry on as best as you can. Master-Power over your head will be extending all the necessary help and protection. * * * It is beyond the ken of human comprehension to gauge the grandeur and limitless of divinity. Your questioning is within the domain of intellect, whereas spirituality dawns when the intellect is silenced by loving devotion and reverential humility. It is during the silent and sublime moments of holy meditations when the child disciple is nearer to the fountainhead of bliss and harmony, and the rare boon of right understanding is granted with the grace of the Master. Regular feeds of Holy Naam will manifest to you divine glory in its pristine beauty. The initiates are invariably advised to practice the divine virtues which are helpful for regular progress on the Holy Path. It is a slow but sure process. * * * As already instructed, the inner gaze is to be kept fixed steadily in the middle of lights or scenes whatever you see within, and do the repetition mentally at intervals, all else will come of itself with the grace of the Master in due course of time. If you see faces, just repeat the five names, the negative apparitions will flee away. The inner celestial manifestations are the astral expressions of the gracious Master and with their eventual stability, the radiant form is manifested. In the beginning the form appears now and then and later on you have the same all along in due course of time. The big lustrous eye that you see within is that of the Master and may please be lovingly penetrated. The inner experiences are had only when one forgets the body for a while. The various melodies which you hear within as coming from the right side should be listened with rapt attention while preferably sitting on your feet. You will be able to locate the sound current of big bell, conch, roaring thunder or drum beat and violin or flute or other higher sounds which would draw closer, grow stronger and ultimately come from above. All other sounds are lower sounds which may please be ignored. Regularity and accuracy is the keynote for spiritually successful practices. * * * You state to having heard some words or sentences in your meditations which you cannot adequately distinguish as their source of origin. Sometime some negative apparition does intervene and create such disturbing phenomena, but the sacred charged names are the sure sheet anchor against all eventualities. If you hear next such voices, you challenge to come before you, and when he appears to you, repeat the names mentally. If that form stands before repetition, that will be genuine one. You can follow and act up to what be says. If that is of the negative power or of any lower planes, that will go away, as no such power can stand before Simran, as the names carry the life impulse of the Master, who is the Lord over all. * * * The repetition of names at intervals has a significance as stated above, it is a safeguard against the untoward and impeding factors, which beset the Path and help the sensory currents from the body below to withdraw to the eye centre without any strain on the part of the child disciple. The attention should be riveted penetratingly into the middle of what you see before you. If the repetition of the names mentally is done constantly, the attention will be divided. The gaze should be fixed constantly and repetition done at intervals, simply to guard against any negative effect and help the process of withdrawal from the body. I hope this will be clear to you now. * * * Both the practices of seeing and listening within have their own singular significance. The functions of Simran, Dhyan and the Sound principle are their own. By the repetition practice, the soul currents are withdrawn to the eye focus and the light sprouts forth. Dhyan, or constant fixing the gaze into the middle of light, enables the sound to remain there and the function of the holy sound current is to drag the soul into the Beyond. The holy Shabad has a ravishing effect and can absorb the soul in it, thereby leading it to the inner regions, with the grace of the Master. * * * Spiritual meditations are the food for the soul and should not be missed. A day off puts back your progress considerably. These practices should please therefore be performed faithfully, regularly and sweetly. They are designed as a first step to take your soul up above your body inwardly to the Radiant Form of the Master, who will then guide you and take you further up, step by step, till your goal is reached. Thus you will see the difference between the rituals performed within the domain of body and senses and those that take you above the body consciousness. * * * As explained in my previous letter, you have to get out of your physical body and travel in the higher planes. So whenever you get a chance, you should neither be frightened nor try not to get up. The Master-Power is constantly with you and it is His Grace that works to take you up. You should feel assured that you are protected and helped by Master-Power and given the armor of Five Charged Names which you should repeat and no power can harm you. During meditations, you should not think of outside environments, nor your body. But see within penetratingly into the middle of whatever you see within. When thoughts come to the body, itching etc., is felt. Sit in any comfortable, posture to avoid cramping. * * * I am glad to find that you are devoting some time for your holy meditations with the grace of the Master. The casual spells of dryness or vague feelings do intervene as a result of reaction of past Karma, when the child disciple should muster more of courage and determination in sticking to the sacred schedule of regularity. It may be pointed out for your information that during such periods the loving protection of the Master becomes more strong as you have felt with His Grace. The holy meditations when undertaken in a spirit of dedication to the Master become more fruitful with His grace. Your earnest prayer for having regularity is appreciated. You should stick to your resolutions carefully irrespective of mind's protests, you will succeed with His grace. Please note that mind relishes the grooves of habit having formed out of its indulgence in acts of repetitive nature through senses. You are to change its attitude from downward to upward, and all else will come of itself. You are to lay the line track carefully and the powerful engine will run on it with the same speed and velocity. Let your mind be attuned to the holy feet of the Master - the Supreme Guide, and try your level best to abide by His Holy Commandments. * * * You should try and have more days of retreat when you kept constant remembrance of the Master and meditated for long hours with the result that you were blessed with hearing the holy sound current as coming from the right side, with the grace of the Master. Keep your inner gaze fixed lovingly and penetratingly into the middle of the darkness lying before you, so much so that you forget everything else except Him. If your whole attention is rivetted at one place, then naturally your devotion, your practices, will bear fruit and you will develop from day to day. Such like disciplined practices and devotion will also strengthen and protect you against all emotional outbursts and mischief with the grace of the Master. EZ Print Version of all 15 |