Spreading Guruhari Pappaji Maharaj's Teachings
The heart, life and soul of the Gunatit SamajParam Pujya Babubhai N. PatelKaramsadBorn on 1st Sept. 1916 at Borsad. At the age of nine Babubhai pledged that he would ‘bring heaven down to earth’. In 1927, Babubhai married Kamlaben of Dharmaj. In 1933 he passed his metric examinations. In 1937 he went to Africa leaving his science course unfinished. There, in Mombasa he began
Swami Shreeji For a sadhak wishing to achieve the virtues of an ascetic (sadhu), and treading upon the path to attain Gunatit-bhav, it is imperative that he is constantly alert and aware. It is with the intention of assisting the sadhak to remain alert and aware that we have selected the spiritual literature written by His Divine Holiness Param Pujya Pappaji. We are delighted and honoured to publish thirty-four
Prathna The sadhak reaches the pinnacle of his sadhna once he has attained absolute faith in resolving all his problems by praying to the pratyaksh swaroop. Constant practice of this principle leads to the ultimate achievement of the sadhak’s goal. He gains a spiritually higher status of ‘vijli jéva sant’. Yogiji Maharaj has afforded this opportunity to anyone who wishes to practice it. It is my sincere wish that
Sakar Upasana It pleases Maharaj – therefore we should: Never doubt the existence of Maharaj. He definitely exists. Always accept that he is ever-present. He is always present in the form of Gunatit Sant as per Vachnamrut G.III.26 and G.I.27. Observe the principles of ‘panchvartman’: i. Ordinary principles: Do not consume alcohol or meat, do not steal, do not commit adultery etc. ii. Superior principles: Nirmani = Ego-less
Sadhana nu Rahasya For 200 years Shreeji Maharaj and Gunatitanand Swami have preached one basic principle and have encouraged people to live accordingly. The principle is : Always maintain unity, harmony and friendship, living every moment absorbed in the murti of Maharaj whilst performing His service (séva) and worship the Lord with total devotion. Maharaj has promised that He will carry out whatever purification of
Sadhak ni Jagratta Have you secured a place in the heart of an Ékantik? Does your body, mind and soul live each and every moment according to the wishes of an Ékantik? Ask yourself these questions and confirm the answers. If the answer to the above is in the affirmative, then be ready for the spiritual tests. The tests of lok, bhog, déha and paksh will be as intense as the
Swaroop-nishtha A devotee with unparalleled, superior devotion to God will always turn towards God when faced with problems. He will remain neutral, pray and wait with patience and then act as inspired by God. A devotee with ordinary devotion to God will question God when faced with problems. He will ask: “Lord, why have you burdened me with these problems?” Whilst praying
Gunatit Gnan nu Navnit Never look at the faults of others. (Koi nu Jovu nahi) This means never ponder over the vices of other satsangis. How can one check that one is not doing this? Yogiji Maharaj used to say that in dire circumstances when one fails to recognise Maharaj as the ‘controller’ of all activities – i.e. fails to see the ‘leela’ and instead is
Sadhako maté lal bati You are a sadhak. The Lord by his grace has recognised your soul and its former relationship with God and has therefore placed you in the company of a divine guru – a god-realised saint. This is a truth which the sadhak must always bear in mind. Day by day, the divine feelings (divyabhav) and emotions with which the sadhak accepted the Guru in the first instance, should increase
Karéngé ya maréngé If anything should happen to your physical body – even if it should die, do not be concerned. We have changed our bodies innumerable times. However, do not allow your desire to accomplish the goal of Ékantik Dharma die under any circumstances. This desire must be kept alive at all costs. It is a well known fact that in our sadhna – in our
Samjan na Angwala maté Jaga-Swami used to say that one should never scrutinise others, their actions or their faults. If one feels the need to do so, then one should only scrutinise oneself, one’s own actions and faults. Yogiji Maharaj went one-step further with this concept and through his infinite wisdom gave us the following spiritual knowledge (gnan) and enlightenment. It is inevitable that
Continue readingChapter Nine: For Those Whose Intellectual Minds Predominate
Priti na angwala maté Bhagatji Maharaj maintained that all devotees (sambandh-wala) should be viewed and accepted as an ‘image’ of Shreeji Maharaj himself and should be served accordingly with devotion. Yogi Bapa took this principle one step further and through experience provided us with the following spiritual wisdom. Those who are led by their hearts and emotional minds should constantly practice japyagna and remain submerged in the murti of
Continue readingChapter Ten: For Those Whose Hearts and Emotional Minds Predominate
Drudh Ashra na lakshan Continuously perform the service of the Lord as inspired by Him. Even if you should attain a spiritual status equivalent to that of a god-realised saint, do not withdraw from the service. Sustain the desire to continue in the service of the lord until you take your final breath. Yogi Bapa was a prime example of one who practised
Continue readingChapter Eleven: Qualities of Seeking Refuge in a God -Realised Saint
Mahatmya ni akhand Dhara ‘Jago ré ….. jago ré ….. sukh no suraj ugyo ré..’- Arise! awake! rejoice !! ….. the sun of happiness and bliss has risen. We have found and recognised Pratyaksh Maharaj in the Gunatit Swaroops (the god-realised saints) and they have accepted us as their own, and enrolled us as members of the Gunatit Samaj. We have been fortunate enough to realise
Sakal shastra no sar Dear Muktos of the Gunatit Samaj, Are you a member of the Gunatit Samaj? From the moment you establish an affinity with a Gunatit Swaroop, i.e. a god-realised saint who is in constant communion with God and surrender to such a swaroop with your heart, mind and soul, living each moment as inspired by that swaroop and for the service of the Lord, you are
Continue readingChapter Thirteen: The Essence of all Scriptures
Maitri nu mahatva All those who have been selected by a genuine brahm–swaroop will have their prarabhdas (fate) directed and ordained by the swaroop as is deemed necessary for the purification of their soul. This is a continuous process driven by the prayers and sankalpas of the brahm–swaroop which we call ‘sakar brahm ni leela’ – otherwise known as the purification of the soul. Just as water is essential for a fish
Continue readingChapter Fourteen: The Importance of Friendship
Gunatit no suhrid-bhav Welcome each event and occasion with a smile, take everything positively. ‘Oh Lord, let each and every moment of my time be spent such that I am totally engrossed in You, guide me and give me the strength to live according to Your wishes’. Embodied in this prayer are the following principles: Agna – abiding by your guru’s wishes Upasana –
Continue readingChapter Fifteen: The Spiritual Friendship of a Gunatit
Brahm-anandi bano We are all sadhaks. Our ultimate goal is to achieve a state of mind where we are in constant communion with God – a state of brahm-anandi conscience. We should be our own guru, introspect calmly and thoroughly, then ask ourselves: Am I a Vishay-anandi? (one who derives happiness from worldly pleasures). Am I a bhajan-anandi? (one who derives happiness from devotion and worship). Am I an Atmanandi? (one
Continue readingChapter Sixteen: Attain a ‘Brahm-Anandi’ Conscience
Nirdosh thava ni chavi. Maharaj has promised that constant meditation and remembrance of His physical body will alleviate us from worldly desires and will provide peace and happiness. However, constantly chanting His name and pondering upon it will provide greater experiences of its mystical powers as signified by the floating stones which had Ram’s name inscribed upon them in the great Ramayan epic.
Continue readingChapter Seventeen: The Key to Spiritual Purity and Innocence.
Abhipray ni bhakti Arjun gave his whole-hearted support to Lord Shree Krishna in his mission, Arjun worshipped and devoted his life with such conviction and devotion that he has earned the reputation of a ‘supreme unparalleled devotee’ for posterity. Similarly, Sukhdevji and Udhavji have been recognised for their devotion and bestowed with the gift of supreme spiritual knowledge (gnan). We should
Continue readingChapter Eighteen: Worship with Dedication and According to the Lord’s Aspirations
Adhyatmik Gurni You should be ever faithful and sincere to Sahajanand Swami, constantly analysing yourself, your sentiments, convictions and actions thus remaining in chidakash. As soon as a thought occurs, you should analyse it, filtering it to see if it enhances your devotion to God. Otherwise discard it. If the thought lends itself to devotion which has no ulterior motive, and results in total self-less
Tamé kyan chho? Are you always conscious that you belong to a Gunatit Swaroop and live every moment as inspired by Him and only for his worship? Are your convictions, emotions and feelings motivated strictly for the devotion and worship of God and not of selfish reasons? Are they practised exactly as inspired by Him? Having served His devotees (sambandh-wala) in order to please Him,
Continue readingChapter Twenty: Where are you in your Sadhana? Assess your Progress
Tak sadhi layé Whatever knowledge (gnan) and energy one expends in scrutinising the behaviour of others, their faults and weaknesses and in trying to advise and improve them, would be better utilised if directed towards oneself. We should use our knowledge and energy in identifying our own weaknesses and vices and in trying to enhance our own behaviour and virtues. We should introspect and pray
Nishkam Bhakta bano We should believe that Bapa inspires everything in our lives. Thus whatever object, person or event is brought before us, has been inspired by Bapa. Bapa bestows great compassion upon us in order to help us achieve the gnan-samadhi as per Vachnamrut G.III.11 and thus brings these to test us deliberately. In certain circumstances, we either deliberately turn a
Continue readingChapter Twenty-Two: Become an Altruistic Devotee
Vividhta ma Ékta “Every ékantik brother and sister shall have his/her pattern and method of leading, or taking his or her followers to the position of Brahm-swaroop”. Presently, Bapa has acquainted us with many such accomplished swaroopos; which includes santos, benos, yuvakos or grahastos who are known as ‘vijli jéva santos’. They are all tasked with the mission of taking their followers to the supreme status as mentioned above
Brahm no Gun A brahm-swaroop sant who has attained the spiritual status of a Gunatit Swaroop will be able to observe the process of the purification of the soul. Therefore they will be able accept the ‘leela’ and will generally remain silent and watch. They realise that whatever is happening is for the best. Who dares to do anything without the consent and sanction of the Lord? As per
Continue readingChapter Twenty-Four: Virtue of a Supreme Being (Brahm)
Pabhu ni vafadari If we remain sincere and fearful of the Lord, then we need not be anxious of any worldly elements (kal, karma, maya)right up to prakruti-purush – in fact we would feel safe and confident experiencing the peace and bliss of Akshardham. If we remain fearful of the Lord, we will not have to fear anyone up to prakruti-purush. Otherwise we will become
Sakar-Brahm ni Anuvruti The acceptance of the positive angle or observance of another’s virtues without any hesitation whatsoever, with our minds and intellect is known as ‘brahm ni anuvruti’. There are three fundamental stages of the sadhana; Agna, Anusandhan and Anuvruti. We should become our own gurus and scrutinise ourselves and analyse which stage of the sadhana we have reached. The state of our spiritual tranquillity and equanimity should not be
Continue readingChapter Twenty-Six: Divine Inspiration from the Supreme Being
Samta thi Shreeji né mano Develop a habit of accepting all those whom you encounter as an ‘image’ of Maharaj. Maharaj will surely dwell in you. Whatever comes before you, (i.e. a thought or physical being), you must remain engrossed in the memories of Maharaj (smruti). Thus whatever they say or do will not affect you, you will not become entangled in any
Continue readingChapter Twenty-Seven: Enjoy a State of Divine Equilibrium
Bhavatmak Ékta The Gunatit Swaroop instigates all events and circumstances, inspires and is the supreme controller of all elements affecting all acquaintances of God (sabandhwala). Just as He controls your destiny and inspires you, by the same token it must be accepted that He controls and inspires others. There are many such Gunatit Swaroopos in the Gunatit Samaj, each with many followers and each with his/her own unique method
Continue readingChapter Twenty-Eight: Genuine Spiritual Unity
Gunatit-Bhav ma réhéta Thava Dear Sadhakos, We have began what is perceived to be an impossible mission to achieve a state of Akshardham ni Samadhi and worship of Parabrahm Purushottam Narayan whilst living in a world dominated by crude natural forces, and maya known as Prakruti Purush and remaining in a state of consciousness known as gunatit-samadhi such that it governs our convictions, emotions and actions, ensuring we utilise them only
Continue readingChapter Twenty-Nine: To remain Submerged in Gunatit-Bhav
Jagratta ma Gnan-Samadhi If we were to attain a supreme state of consciousness whereby we intrinsically held the virtuous qualities of non-pride, non-taste, non-attachment, non-covetousness, non-lust (Nirmani, Nirswadi, Nirsnéhi, Nirlobhi, Nishkami) then we would be in a constant state of communion with God, as stated in the Vachnamrut. G. III. 27. Therefore, we have been highly fortunate in discovering and recognising the supreme
Continue readingChapter Thirty: Gnan-Samadhi in the Conscious, Alert State
Swa ma thi bhar Avva Those Sadhaks whose predominant nature is one of attachment and affection, whose actions are generally dictated by their hearts and emotions will inevitably be drawn in a biased manner towards the devotees who seem to show affections and attachment for them. Nothing that devotee requests can be too much trouble – anything can be accomplished for one who
Continue readingChapter Thirty-One: To Conquer Our own self, Our Ego
Anant né Ambva I am worth nothing – but my Lord is the most powerful, most supreme, most perfect being in the universe. He is mine and he has chosen me. That is the important factor. To believe that one is ‘worth nothing’ – to believe oneself to be insignificant is not for the purpose of introspecting to such an extent that
Prapti nu mulya – Swa nu samarpan Without completely surrendering one’s ego it is not possible to attain God. In order to achieve total surrender of one’s ego, it is necessary to absolutely relinquish one’s own wishes, desires, beliefs, preferences and live according to the wishes of one’s guru. Remain engrossed in the murti of your guru and become ego-less and self-less, receive inspiration from
Continue readingChapter Thirty-Three: The Price of Redemption – The Sacrifice of the Ego
Saralta Dear Sadhak friends, Be Frank and Fearless with your guru. You have been most fortunate in finding the greatest, the most supreme Gunatit Swaroop thus remain modest, frank and fearless with your guru. Arrogance and false pride only brings about a notion that we are right and others always wrong and serves to increase our ego and makes us conceited. Fear leads us to conceal our faults
Continue readingChapter Thirty-Four: Straightforward & Frank
Abhav To dislike, to take offence to condemn. Akshardham Abode of God, Eternal abode of Lord Swaminarayan. Alaukik Divine, extraordinary; supernatural; rare. Brahm The Supreme being as the emblem of truth; knowledge and eternal bliss. Bhakti Worship, devotion or service of God. Bhog Lust/desire. Chidakash Eternal light of Brahma. Déha Physical body. Ékantik Single minded devotee- enlightened soul with intense aspiration