== GOPI ==
Namaskar,
As aspirants-- as sadhakas-- we are all aware that the life of our life is
knowing and remembering Him. On countless occasions Baba has reminded us
again and again of this divine fact-- of the this eternal truth: That the
main theme of our human existence is to realise our intrinsic link with
Him. And He guides us that we are to constantly make efforts towards this
great endeavour.
Baba says, "He is your everything. You cannot do without Him. Your
relationship with Parama Purus'a is like the relationship of a fish with
water. So it is futile to forget Him; try to remember Him always." (AV-4,
'Your Real Friend')
So Baba's beautiful guideline is that each and every moment we should keep
Him in our mind-- in our heart.
Yet we all know this is not so easy to do. Or maybe more frankly I should
say that in this busy world often I forget. Because in this modern era
there are so many duties and appointments and so many jobs and
responsibilities and in that rush invariably I encounter difficulty
remembering Him. Perhaps others also are encountering this.
MEETING A DEVOTEE
However while moving through Delhi sector I came across one sadhaka in our
Marga who has some very good practical ideas and ways in this ultra modern
era to remember and think about our dearmost Baba throughout the day. And
with this sadhaka's permission I am sharing some of his 'secrets' here
below.
This sadhaka has told me, 'To get me through during the day during the past
so many years, BABA has allowed me to devise many ways to do manan, shravan
and niddidyasana.'
Then I inquired about the meaning of manan, shravan, and niddidyasana. And
he showed me this following teaching from Baba.
Baba says, "To attain Him human beings have to take recourse to shravana
(constantly hearing His name), manana (constantly ideating on Him) and
nididya'sana (constantly meditating on Him). The Supreme Entity is Gurha,
that is, He is lying hidden in the innermost recess of the human entity. To
attain Him one must penetrate deep within oneself, and for that the
development of an introversial outlook is essential." (TK-3)
PRACTICING MANAN, SHRAVAN, NIDDIDHYASANA
SOME DAILY WAYS TO REMEMBER HIM
Thereafter the margii sadhaka began step by step to unveil the numerous
ways in which he follows Baba's above divine teaching on manan, shravan,
niddidyasana.
* On the front door of my house there is a 'door plate' engraved with Baba
Nam Kevalam. By this when whenever I leave or enter my house I remember Him.
* I keep a 'Baba Nam Kevalam' key chain to hold my house keys and my office
keys, so whenever I take them out I remember HIM.
* On my desk in my office there is a card facing me on my desk which has
His name--'Baba' --inscribed on it.
* Plus whenever the screen saver comes across my computer screen then it
carries His sweet name-- BABA -- as well. (Note: As many may know, by going
into 'Control Panel', then 'Appearance & Themes' then 'Screen Saver' then
'Marquee' one can type in whatever screensaver they like to appear on their
screen).
* The sadhaka further told, 'I have a BABA license plate on my car so
whenever I go to my car I see HIS name. Others have asked me what that
means and then I think of HIM even more'.
BABA'S DIVINE GUIDELINE
By hearing about all these techniques I became surprised and I inquired
further. I asked him how he got all these ideas in his mind.
Then he just told that all this comes from Baba's explicit guideline.
Baba says, "The scriptures tell us to remember three points in order to
return home. They are shravana [hearing about the Supreme], manana
[ideating on the Supreme] and nididhya'sana [meditating on the Supreme with
an unbroken flow of mind]. We know that the vibrational faculty converts
subtler waves into cruder waves in the phase of creation. Hari katha'
[devotional talk] provides subtler vibrations. You must allow yourself to
receive these subtler waves...The importance of Hari katha' in spiritual
development is great..Therefore wherever there is an opportunity, listen to
His name and speak it to others." (SS-10)
PRACTICING MANAN, SHRAVAN, NIDDIDHYASANA (Part 2)
MORE DAILY WAYS TO REMEMBER HIM
Thereafter the margii sadhaka began to gently enumerate & explain more ways
how he follows Baba's sacred teachings of manan, shravan, niddidhyasana.
* The margii sadhaka told, 'I rely on a tape recorder or CD alarm clock
that has a tape or CD of BABA dharsans and Baba Nam Kevalam. So I wake up
to HIS voice always. Then I immediately look over to HIS very clear
varaabhya mudra photo on the wall on my left side. Then I immediately I
start Guru Sakash. In this way each and every day begins.'
BABA'S GUIDELINE ON GURU SAKASH
Then he directed me towards Baba's below teaching:
Baba says, "They should do sitting in siddha'sana [perfect posture] or any
other convenient a'sana [posture], on the same blanket, skin, seat or bed
as they had used for sleeping, immediately after waking up and before doing
any other work or before having any other thought -- even before performing
their morning duties or any other task. This will be a high category of
Gurusaka'sha...it is essential to remember the Guru early in the morning
after overcoming sleepiness. If this is done, they will meet with success
or illumination in each and every subtle and spiritual task that they
perform in the course of the whole day." (YP, 'Under the Shelter of the Guru')
PRACTICING MANAN, SHRAVAN, NIDDIDHYASANA (Part 3)
MORE DAILY WAYS TO REMEMBER HIM
After getting inspired about this point of remembering Him in Guru Sakash.
This margii sadhaka shared more techniques with me for remembering Baba.
* Play BABA audios and Baba Nam Kevalam on a 'Walk-Man' while going to
market and to work etc. This can be done if one is walking, or on the
train, bus, or auto-rickshaw etc. Or if one uses their own vehicle then
listen on the car tape player to and from work.
* Keep notebooks with one's BABA dreams, special meditations, and personal
devotional experiences with Him.
* Then he told how his own telephone is registered is in HIS name: 'Parama
Pita Baba'. This shows up on the caller ID screen whenever he calls anyone.
And his email account has a similar remembrance of Baba. This way before
writing or calling anyone he thinks of Baba and that soon he will be
communicating with one of Baba's infinite expressions. And of course the
other party involved is also benefited by this same type of remembrance.
* Then, he added, I also remember Him through the usual methods of Guru
Mantra, Bath Mantra and Fasting.
* Then I also keep BABA quotes and sayings-- His divine words-- around my
house & office to complement the Baba Nam Kevalam and Guru Mantra magnets
that have placed been placed around the house for over several years.
* Plus there is also the expanded 16 points chart where by Baba's grace
there are a few more columns added related with manan, shravan, and
niddidhyasana. This includes the regular watching of my favourite Baba's
video from a DMC that beautifully shows Baba's divine blessing and
varabhaya mudra.
* And there are many more things to do which can be done in order to
remember Him.
Listening to all this I was inspired and amazed by all of the wonderful
ways this margii sadhaka remembers Baba throughout the day. By this way he
can remember and propagate Baba's divine name always.
MORE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF
MANAN, SHRAVAN, NIDDIDHYASANA
Here is another of Baba's famous teachings on the point of manan, shravan,
and niddidhyasana.
Baba says, "Shravana therefore enables one to cross the vibrational
faculty. Manana enables one to cross the primordial faculty. And
nididhya'sana makes it possible to merge with the Supreme Entity. This is
God-realization... What is important is to have proper shravana, manana and
nidi-dhya'sana. If one does this, one will no longer find it difficult to
learn to do anything." (28 May 1967, Allahabad, DMC)
THE LIFE OF A GOPI
By all this I became more and more inspired to remember HIM in various ways
throughout the day. By His grace, this will become more and more of a
reality. All done with the sole motive of propagating His name, serving
Him, and pleasing Him.
Here is Baba's ever-gracious way of reminding us about the true spirit and
nature of our devotional life.
Baba says, "Where the devotee is worshipping Him for pleasing Him there the
devotion is of purely spiritual nature. There does not exist the feeling of
duality here. Such a devotee is called Gopi. The term connotes one who
worships God to please Him--'Gopa'yate Yah Sah Gopah'." (SS-19, 1/1/71)
Baba says, "The devotee says, 'I serve Him, I worship Him, because I want
Him to get bliss from my devotion or service or worship. I don't want
anything for myself. I want Him to enjoy the bliss.' This type of devotion
is called ra'ga'tmika' bhakti, and the type of devotee having this sort of
non-attributional devotion is called a gopa....Gopa'yate yah sa gopah-- in
Sanskrit, the word gopa'yate means to give pleasure-- 'A gopa is one who
gives pleasure to Parama Purus'a, one whose very nature is to give pleasure
to Parama Purus'a'." (SS-14, 17 Nov 79)
Namaskar,
Karma Rasa
Note 1: BABA'S SPECIAL GUIDELINE:
'THE VERY PURPOSE OF LIFE IS TO KNOW HIM'
Here below is one of Baba's very inspirational guidelines for moving ahead
on the path of devotional and realising Him.
Baba says, "Remember always that the very purpose of our creation is to
know Him, the [Supreme] Entity which is in front of you all the time --
even if you forget many times because we are not following our true nature."
"Having forgotten our true nature, we have strayed away from the path.
So we have got to know our nature. We have got to know that inner self.
Knowing one's self is the true dharma, our true nature. The inspiration
comes from inside, it comes always. So do your spiritual practices. Observe
the moral principles. Become yourself an example; and that is possible by
doing your spiritual practices in a regular manner, in a regular way. That
is why you are all here today. The very purpose of your presence, the very
purpose of your action, is to know yourself; is to inspire yourself all the
time by your internal entity."
"You cannot be inspired by others all the time, you have got to be
inspired by yourself. That means you have to follow dharma; you have to
follow the path..."
"To know your dharma, to know your nature, thoroughly, you have got to
perform your spiritual practices. There is no second way. There is no
second path for a human being. Spiritual practices alone are going to help
you, nothing else."
"In order to perform spiritual practices you have to follow everything
[given by your preceptor]. So try to follow all you have been asked to and
try to follow all the disciplines which you need to. Then you will know
Him. By knowing Him you will know dharma. By becoming one with dharma you
will have completed the true journey of your life. The true journey is
completed by knowing Him thoroughly."
"So know Him today, not tomorrow. This day is the most beautiful day.
This day has been opened to you; opened to all human beings on this
planet..."
"So let us know Him today. In this way we will be able to provide paths
for human beings to come. Animals also are marching ahead to know that
Supreme Entity. So it is our duty to make the way, to pave the way, in
order for everyone to come on this path. Realize Him. Realize that Supreme
Being within you. This is your dharma, this is your path; and let this path
be yours, and victory will surely be yours." (AV-31, 'From the Notebook of
Devotees')
Note 2: HEARING FROM OTHERS
In our Marga there are so many good devotees so it will be very beautiful
and beneficial to hear from others their special ways for remembering Him
and leading a devotionally inspired life.
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Bragging
Baba says, "Suppose in one's garden there is a big rose; obviously the
owner of the garden will boast to other people about the size of the rose.
Perhaps the flower was as big as a fig, but the owner will describe it as
huge..."
"[But one should remember that] Human beings are made of flesh and bones.
If their heart or lungs stop functioning, then they will have no other
option but to be carried upon the shoulders of 4 other persons and placed
onto the funeral pyre. When this is the situation of human beings, where is
the scope for self-glorification?" (AMIWL, p. 821-822)
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