Moti Aunty’s Glorifies Guru Maa

Guru Maa sits on this position (chairs the position) due to the four supporting pillars the chair rests on. These pillar are figurative, but actually are the qualities of Guru Maa. These are:

Tyaag (sacrifice)
Tapasya (austerity)
Kshamta (ability) and
Prabhu Kripa ( Mercy of God)

Just like energy from powerhouse needs a pole to be available and accessible to us, similarly the spiritual energy of God reaches us through the medium of a spiritual Guru and that is Guruma. The importance of bhakti is that

Guru Maa’s Discourse

All actions done by people add up to make the karmas. Just like the holi river Ganga flows through many places, but only certain spots have special significance and are regarded as Teerth Sthaan (sacred junctures), similarly the entire Bhagvad Geeta is full of nectar, but certain chapters like the chapter 12 and 15 are considered to have special significance.
In chapter 15, the Purushottam yoga , the first shloka is

sri-bhagavan uvaca
urdhva-mulam adhah-sakham
asvattham prahur avyayam
chandamsi yasya parnani
yas tam veda sa veda-vit ( chp 15/Txt 1)

Shri Krishna says : This world is like a tree, the foundation is up and the branches are down. Its is not like a normal tree. The roots (the spiritual knowledge) is on the top, the creation is on the top.There are seven stages to reach this top (or the spiritual zenith).

Guruma then quotes the following shloka and explain every word of it
nirmana-moha jita-sanga-dosa
adhyatma-nitya vinivrtta-kamah
dvandvair vimuktah sukha-duhkha-samjnair
gacchanty amudhah padam avyayam tat (Chp 15/Txt 5)

Step 1: Nirmaan : The spiritual aspirant should not have a hunger for public applause. S/he should not have any pride in the beauty, wealth or the intelligence that s/he possesses.
She quotes the example of Hanuman. The name “Hanuman’ itself means someone whose ego has been dissolved. Hanuman never desired a position for himself. He only desired the service of the lotus feet of Lord Ram. Hanuman is referred to as ‘Bhakta Shiromani” (epitome of all devotees) and also “Gyan Gun Sagar” (An ocean of knowledge and abilities). We should learn to be humble like Hanuman.

Another example she quotes is of Shri Krishna himself. Shri Krishna opts to be the charioteer of Arjun. Typically the seat of a charioteer is positioned lower than that of the rider/warrior so that the warrior can aim properly. Also, the back shoulder of the charioteer is touched by the warrior to indicate any directional moves etc. Arjun’s knees had armor around them as he was a warrior. Each time he touched the shoulder of Shree Krishna, the Lord would get wounded; and yet he opted to be the charioteer and not the warrior.
Shri Krishna had vowed to not pick any weapon during the Mahabharata war. However Bhishma had vowed to make Krishna lift a weapon. To fulfill the wishes and vows of a devotee, Lord forsake and lets go of his own vows and wishes.
Another example of Shri Krishna’s humility is cited through The anecdote of Draupadi. Draupadi is advised by Shri Krishna to seek blessings from Bhishma for the long life of her husbands. He advises this to Draupadi, because Duryodhan’s wife had also been planning to do the same. Krishna advises Draupadi to seek blessings in the early morning hours before Duryodhan’s wife could reach the tent of Bhishma. He advises Draupadi to cover her face with a veil. While walking, Draupadi’s sandals make noise, so to avoid waking up everyone and or to allow identification due to sandals, Krishna takes Draupadi’s sandals and holds it under his arms. Krishna demonstrates his humility (nirmaan)

Another example Guru ma cites is of Pundali. He asks Shri Krishna to wait till he (Pundalik) is able to finish his service towards his parents. God without caring for pride stands on a brick
(called veeth in marathi) and is hence called as Vitthal.

Step 2 : Destruction of Moha. ‘Moha’ is the ignorance. There are two kinds of ignorance; one is the kind that Dhritarashtra rising out of selfish motives . The second one is like that of Arjun’s which arises out of compassion.

Step 3: “Jit Sangh Dosha” : overcoming the faults arising due to wrong company. Therefore; Satsang is glorified as it allows spiritually inclined people to come together and inspire each other. Due to Satsang, good Samskaras (impressions) are born and ignorance is destroyed.

Step 4: “Adhyatama Nitya” or studying the scriptures daily
Step 5 : “Vinivrit Kama” (devoid of all desires)
Step 6 “ “Davandvair Vimukta” “ One who has transcended all polarities.One who has risen above the three modes of Sttava, Rajas and Tamas.
Step 7 : “Gacchantya AMoodha” : One who has risen above the state of becoming bewildered (whose mind is always calm and tranquill)

Chapter 12 : Bhakti Yoga

Bhagwaan Krishna shows Viraat Roopa (Universal form) to Arjun (in chapter 11). After seeing the Shankha-Chakra-Gada-Padma Roop Arjun has a question as to which form of God is superior and what is the form he should pray? Arjun therefore asks God, if the correct way of worshipping was to focus on the formless God (niraakaaar roop) or was it better to focus on worshipping the physical form (sakaar roop).

Bhagwaan then mentions the criteria of worshipping in each of the two aforementioned techniques.
He says (Chapter 12, text 2)

sri-bhagavan uvaca
mayy avesya mano ye mam nitya-yukta upasate
sraddhaya parayopetas te me yuktatama matah

If you choose to worship the physical form then you need to have full faith in me. You should be worshipping daily and should be fully focused on me while worshipping.

God also lays three rules for the formless worship

sanniyamyendriya-gramam sarvatra sama-buddhayah
te prapnuvanti mam eva sarva-bhuta-hite ratah

If you choose the formless worship, then you should have full control over your senses, should be maintaining equanimity between all living beings and should be always engaged in the service of all living entities. However since the criteria for worshipping the formless God is very difficult for the human beings who are endowed with senses and visualizing something which cannot be perceived through senses is difficult, the worship of the sakaar roop (form with physical attributes) is preferred as else the downfall can be quick.

The four stages of evolution of the soul are as follows:
Jeevatama (soul)
Dharmatama (religious soul)
Mahatama (Great soul)
Paramatma (God)

The significance of chapter 12 in Gita has been compared to that of the heart within the human body. Just like heart is the center of emotions and functioning in human body, similarly the chapter twelve has bhakti in it and God can be achieved only with bhakti. Within the bhakti yoga chapter , the twelfth shloka is considered to be the heart of bhakti

sreyo hi jnanam abhyasaj jnanad dhyanam visisyate
dhyanat karma-phala-tyagas tyagac chantir anantaram
(Ch 12/ Txt 12)

The first step to progress on bhakti marga (path to devotion) is by doing abhyaas (practice). The next step is Gyan (knowledge) and the step after that is dhyaan (concentration). Finally the step is doing tyaag(sacrifice). Human beings can achieve peace only after sacrifice. Peace cannot be achieved without sacrificing.

Bhagwaan lists 39 qualities of devotees. One who has mastered these qualities can be certain to achieve God.

advesta sarva-bhutanam maitrah karuna eva ca
nirmamo nirahankarah sama-duhkha-sukhah ksami
(Ch 12/ Txt 13)

1. Not envious towards all living entities
2. Kind
3. compassionate
4. Does not think himself a proprietor (not possessive)
5. Free from false ego
6. Always satisfied in both happiness and distress
7. Forgiving

santustah satatam yogi yatatma drdha-niscayah
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir yo mad-bhaktah sa me priyah
(Ch 12/ Txt 14)

8. Content
9. Self Controlled
10. Endeavoring
11. Determined
12. Devoted his/her mind and intelligence to me (Krishna)

yasman nodvijate loko lokan nodvijate ca yah
harsamarsa-bhayodvegair mukto yah sa ca me priyah
(Ch 12/ Txt 15)

13. Never agitates others
14. Never gets agitated by others
15. Free from anxiety and fear
16. Free from happiness and distress

anapeksah sucir daksa udasino gata-vyathah
sarvarambha-parityagi yo mad-bhaktah sa me priyah
(Ch 12/ Txt 16)

17. Without expectations
18. Pure
19. Expert
20. Impartial
21. Undisturbed
22. Renouncer of all material endeavors

yo na hrsyati na dvesti na socati na kanksati
subhasubha-parityagi bhaktiman yah sa me priyah
(Ch 12/ Txt 17)

23. Neither takes pleasure nor envies
24. Neither grieves nor desires
25. Renouncer of auspicious and inauspicious
26. Full of devotion

samah satrau ca mitre ca tatha manapamanayoh
sitosna-sukha-duhkhesu samah sanga-vivarjitah
(Ch 12/ Txt 18)

27. Equal to friends and enemies
28. Maintains equanimity during honor and dishonor
29. Maintains equanimity during heat and cold
30. Maintains equanimity during pleasure and pain
31. Free (detached) from all kind of associations

tulya-ninda-stutir mauni santusto yena kenacit
aniketah sthira-matir bhaktiman me priyo narah
(Ch 12/ Txt 19)

32. Maintains equanimity for praise as well as criticism
33. Maintains silence (does not talk too much)
34. Satisfied with whatever he/she has
35. Not focused on maintaining residence (yogi/sanyasi)
36. Stable minded
37. Engaged in devotion

ye tu dharmamrtam idam yathoktam paryupasate
sraddadhana mat-parama bhaktas te ‘tiva me priyah
(Ch 12/ Txt 20)

38. Righteous
39. With faith accepts me as the lord

Chapter 10 : Vibhuti Yoga or the Yoga of Manifestation

Ram Kishan Uncle’s Discourse
Chapter 10 is also called the ‘Doctrine of Grace’. “Those who worship constantly, worship and love God without desire and expectation, I give them the knowledge” says Krishna. Krishna gives this knowledge to those whose mind remains in communion with Krishna always.
The qualities of God are innumerable. Through the different objects, God manifests his qualities. Whatever thing that we find are glorious, should be considered to be an expression of the splendor of God. God’s potency is infinite and this expression should be considered to be one portion of the infinite.
Whenever Ramakrishna Paramhamsa used to see birds flying high, he used to admire the divine beauty in them and used to get into a daze. He could see the act of flying birds as one ’emanating from single source.’ This kind of true spiritual insight can see the essence of divinity in all that is splendorous and glorious.
However, human vibrations are diverse and different. Worshipping to contemplate is a form of ‘sakaar saadhana’ (worship with a finite form in mind). From the various forms such as Shiva, Hanuman, Ganesha etc., one picks a form which they want or according to the family tradition.
For people who want to stay clean of human interaction and choose to find God in solitary places, even the company of 2-3 people is a crowd. One has to train one’s mind to be not distracted. There is a divine space within the brain. This divine space is the same as the pure consciousness which is present in the physical and the spiritual world.
God does not create suffering. God creates only laws. To release oneself from the suffering, one can bind oneself to the continuous recitation of mantras. However, one cannot reach to God all by himself. By trying to climb to God, one discovers that as one has covered a long journey, there is more distance to be covered. Path to God comes when God himself shows the path to an individual and shows the purpose of the journey.

Question from audience : Why do people suffer? If everything is predestined, then why should one do Karma?
Answer : We all come with a package of karmas called the “prarabhdha” karma which needs to be burned. God does not create suffering. God simply instructs how to live. Karma is important because Prarabdha can be amended based on how strong or weak the karma is. If the prarabdha is ordinary then simple steps can remove the karma. If the karma is moderate, then stronger methods are required for the removal of the same. However, if Karma is extremely strong, then it cannot be amended and has to be suffered in this human birth. To explain the intensity of Karma, uncle cites a story as an example.
Once there a man who wanted to obtain political power and wealth. He, therefore, starts chanting the mantras of Durga. He chants the prescribed rounds of the mantras sixteen times whereas the mantra was said to confer the fulfillment of desires by chanting them only once. He therefore; gets dejected, gives up everything and becomes a sanyasi. As he chants the mantra round the seventeenth time, Goddess Durga appears and says that she appeared, because the chanting of the mantras is ‘Amogha’ (unfailing) and asks him of his desire. The man who had now turned into a sanyasi replies that he had been desiring political power and wealth, but that was before and he had chanted the mantras enough number of times (sixteen), but since she did not appear, he had given up on his desires and had therefore become a sanyasi.
Goddess Durga replies that her mantras were Amogha and she was bound to appear. However in his past life, the man had committed sixteen murders and the first sixteen rounds had only neutralized those reactions. It was the seventeenth time, when his chanting actually bore any fresh fruits and here she was to satisfy him of whatever desires he had. The man then became enlightened, and then he returned to the worldly life and became a spiritual scholar.

Question : How to surrender fully?
Answer : Human life is precious. We have a unique opportunity to grow spiritually. Since we have a prarabdha package, the opportunity for material growth is defined and limited according to the individual packages we have; however, the opportunity for spiritual growth is infinite.. and yet human beings spend a majority time in pursuit of the material pleasures and success. The devas of the heaven do not have this golden opportunity as human beings do. The devas can only exhaust their ‘punyas’ in the heaven. They cannot grow spiritually. Only human beings can use this birth to grow spiritually. The real aim of his life is to obtain God. By calming the mind, doing tapasya (penance), one is able to obtain God. God says that whatever is the last thought of a person while he does, that is what the person attains in the next birth. To obtain God, one should, therefore, have God in his last thought. However, since it is never known as to when one could die, it is useful to spend all the time thinking about God. However, while dying if a person is unconscious, then God says that “I remember him and bring him to me.” The entire human life should be a shrine. One should remember God in the beginning of a work, end of the work and if possible in between also. The key to achieving God is to become selfless and being committed to duty.
A wise man understands that multiplication of desires leads only to further entanglement in the chain of births and deaths. It is the elimination of the desires towards which one must be focused.

Moti Aunty’s Discourse
Many times, devotees ask things from God, but sometimes God himself becomes pleased with the devotee and starts enlightening him. In chapter 10, God starts enlightening Arjun without Arjun’s asking. God gives that knowledge called the ‘vibhuti’ of God.
What is yoga? The ability to connect with God’s strength and abilities is yoga. When God displays the splendor, that is the Vibhuti of God. During a yagya, we light the fire. However, we don’t pick it and put it to our foreheads. However, after the yagya, when all materials turn to ash, we pick the ash and put to our foreheads. This is because the yagya has purified all the materials and only these purified materials are worthy of being applied to foreheads.
To the point of karmas, Moti Aunty describes how Maharaj jee used to describe karmas and alteration of prarabhdha. If the karmas are small in magnitude, then just like a bent needle can be hammered and straightened, these karmas can be altered and fixed. If the karmas are moderate then just like a bent iron rod which needs to straightened, with lot of patience and efforts, these karmas can be altered.
However if the karmas are bent like crooked train tracks, then there is no way to fix them , but to endure them and burn them off.
God says whosever comes to my shelter gets liberated. Therefore; regardless of how the Karmas are we should strive to attain the shelter of God.