- Atyantik Kalyan – the ultimate redemption of our soul is achieved when we attain a state known as ‘brahmroop‘, which in turn is achieved by surrendering our whole being, i.e. heart, mind, soul and physical self to ‘Para-brahm’ (the supreme Lord himself). To become brahmroop and to surrender whole-heartedly to ‘Par-brahm’ is our ultimate goal. All worship should be carried out with this fundamental principle foremost in mind; our determination should be the achievement of this axiom. We should practice prayers, rites, rituals, and perform devotional service as per our guru’s instructions in order to realise this goal.
- Rise early in the morning. Perform puja and swaroopyog (prayers and worship). As per your guru’s guidance and/or instructions read and recite holy scriptures, perform puja and chant the Swaminarayan mantra using the rosary (mala) before commencing your daily chores and routine. Throughout the day, keep the bhajans ‘Nit prabhate nindra tyagi’ and ‘Mare Nit navu varsh’ foremost in your mind, pondering on them whilst praying to the Lord to grant you the strength to live accordingly.
- Install in your puja, the murtis (portraits) of Shree Akshar-Purushottam Maharaj, Brahm-Swaroop Shastriji Maharaj, Brahm-Swaroop Yogiji Maharaj and the Pratyaksh Guru Hari you believe in, then adorn the murtis with tilak chandla before beginning your daily prayers.
- Ascetics, men and women who have taken vows to devote their lives to God, single and married devotees, whoever they are and whatever their occupation in life, should endeavour to remain sincere, loyal and obedient towards their guru (the god-realised saint). Every thing they do should be with the aim of pleasing their guru. Caution, clarity, and precision should be observed at all times.
- Any spare time remaining after you have completed your daily activities should not be wasted. Instead you should reminisce and ponder over the memories of your guru and Guru Hari (known as murti ni smruti). Spare time should also be utilised in reading and pondering upon the holy scriptures such as Vachnamrut, Swami-ni-vato, Sunrut and the current enlightening scriptures such as Anoopam, Padmamarg, Sahradyi, Saras Ek Sahajanand, Divya-Sudha, Aarchimarg. Sing the praise of the Lord and listen to such praises being sung.
- One should develop a habit for visiting the temple for the purpose of ‘darshan’ of the Lord and deities. According to the rules and disciplines of the satsang, a reasonable distance should be maintained between males and females at a place of worship. Never visit the temple or attempt ‘darshan‘ of the Lord empty handed or with feelings of impartiality (a vacant heart). Always visit the temple with love, devotion and zest and if possible take a gift, however small, as an offering to the Lord.
- Any food or drink consumed during the course of the day should first be offered to the Lord with love and devotion. One should then proceed to accept it – considering it sacred and sanctified (Prasadi). This practice serves to alleviate us from worldly attachments, replacing them with deeper values of devotion, dedication and sacrifice.
- All celebrations, festivals and holy rituals should be performed with the consent of the satpurush (God-realised Saints) and according to their wishes – for the sole purpose of pleasing the Lord. One should not perform such activities without the consent of the satpurush, and certainly not to inflate one’s ego or to gain any kind of fame, popularity, status or glory. They should be performed solely for the purpose of worship and as a means of redeeming our souls.
- Regard all divine entities, deities, santos and satpurush (all god-realised saints) with the greatest honour and respect.
- Whenever you are faced with any kind of difficulty or misfortune, be it social, personal or financial, turn to the Lord and the god-realised sadhu (satpurush) for help and guidance. Pray to the Lord and simultaneously chant the name of ‘swaminarayan’ whilst recalling the murti of your guru and Guru Hari. All problems, obstacles and difficulties will subside and be resolved. However, do not turn to other mystical occults, rituals of black magic, or witchcraft with blind faith, nor place any faith in the predictions of an astrologer.
- Do not listen to any negative sermons which would cause you to refrain from performing mahatmya-yukt seva; lead you to falter from your own convictions and religion, or induce you to adopt a narrow-minded view towards other devotees. By the same token do not preach to others in this manner. Even if anyone attempts to convince you by quoting from the scriptures – do not listen.
- Thoughts, speech and actions should bear total uniformity. There should be no contradictions between what we think, speak and do.
Spreading Guruhari Pappaji Maharaj's Teachings