LOVE AND SINCERE PRAYERS BRING SUCCESS IN YOUR LIFE
Swami’s Christmas – 2004 discourse
How is it that the sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening with utmost
regularity every day? How is it that the stars twinkle beautifully in the sky
at night and hide themselves during the day? How is it that the wind blows
incessantly and sustains the living beings without taking rest even for a
moment? How is it that the rivers flow perennially making gurgling sounds?
(Telugu poem)
The word Jagat (world) means that which is born, sustained and ultimately
dissolved. God, who is responsible for the creation, sustenance and dissolution
of the world, has no specific form. He pervades the entire world in the form of
the five elements, namely, ether, wind, fire, water and earth. There is no
place or person where these five elements are not present. The same truth is
proclaimed by the Bhagavad Gita: Sarvatah Panipadam Tat Sarvathokshi
Siromukham, Sarvatah Sruthimalloke Sarvamavruthya Tishthati (with hands, feet,
eyes, head, mouth and ears pervading everything, He permeates the entire
universe). There is no place where God does not exist. How can anyone
comprehend or explain the principle of such an all-pervasive divinity? People
attribute various names and forms to God. They celebrate the birthdays of their
chosen divine forms, worship them and
derive joy thereby. But, it is not possible for anyone to fathom fully the
nature of divinity. However, no one can afford to ignore this fact. When the
child is separated from the womb of the mother, it starts crying. What is the
reason for this? The moment you put a drop of honey or milk on its tongue, the
child stops crying. From this we can say that everyone is born with hunger and
thirst. What type of hunger is that? Is it worldly or spiritual? It is
difficult to judge who is born with what type of hunger. However, hunger is
common for all. Food is essential to satisfy one’s hunger. It is the duty of
every individual to strive for sustenance for himself and also share it with
others.
God has neither birth nor death. He is beyond all names, forms and attributes.
God is eternal without birth or death. He has no beginning, middle or end. He is
omnipresent and is the eternal witness. (Telugu Poem)
How can anyone give a specific name to God who is all powerful and
all-pervasive? The earth absorbs rainwater and supplies it to the crop. As a
result, we reap the harvest. Thus, mother earth sustains our life by providing
our sustenance. Water is very essential for our survival. One may live without
food for a few days, but no one can live without water. Water is the gift of
God. It can be acquired only through prayer and not by any other means. People
in many places perform worship and offer special prayers to invoke divine grace
for water. Pauper or millionaire, everyone must pray to God, for He is the one
who gives us food and water. Man cannot create food and water by himself. He
does not even know what type of food is essential to lead a healthy life. He
should make efforts to understand this.
Whatever God does is for the welfare of the world. You must understand that
world is the very form of God. The creator and the creation are not different
from each other. One should not worship God for the fulfillment of worldly
desires. We should pray to God to attain Him. He showers His grace on the
devotee and gives you everything you require. He alone knows what is good for
the creation. Everything that you need is provided by him when the time is
ripe. Without any overt effort from you, He gives you what you deserve. It is
not the quality of a true devotee to feel disappointed and blame God if his
desires are not fulfilled. It is the duty of devotees to find ways and means to
earn divine grace and make efforts to attain Him.
No one can comprehend the ways of God. In this context, Saint Thyagaraja sang a verse:
Not even a blade of grass will move without divine Will, Right from an ant to
Brahman, God pervades everything, But some people do not understand this and
take pride in their intelligence, But no one however mighty knows what is going
to happen in the next moment. (Telugu poem)
Nobody can understand or explain divine plans. God alone knows His plans and He
only can reveal them. No one can predict when God will shower His grace on an
individual. Only God knows the answers to the questions like who, when, where,
why and how. If one forgets God and gets carried away by ego and a sense of
doership, one will not meet with success in one’s endeavors. Anything can be
achieved through prayer. There is nothing greater than prayer. Hence, everyone
must necessarily offer his prayers to God. However, one should not pray for
worldly gains. “Oh God! I want your love and nothing else.” This should be your
constant prayer. Once you become the recipient of God’s love, you can conquer
the entire world.
You may undertake any task, but do not pray to God for the fulfillment of the
task undertaken. Instead, leave everything to His Will. Have full faith that He
will do what is good for you. Pray to Him, “Oh God, please take care of our
needs every moment of our life.” When you discharge your duties surrendering
everything to God’s Will, you will certainly achieve success in your tasks. But
Swami’s Will takes shape without any prompting or planning at the appropriate
time. Whatever Swami requires arrives unasked. However, Swami would like to
make one more thing clear. As things come to us unasked, we utilize them for
the benefit of others, too. Swami does not want anything at all! Swami’s only
purpose is that, having come here; you should make best use of this opportunity
and lead your lives in a happy and sacred manner. You need not give anything for
Myself. Swami is
always ready to fulfill your desires. But before you express your desire, you
should enquire yourself whether you really deserve it.
Any mighty task can be accomplished by prayer. Hence, pray to God silently. Do
not pray for the fulfillment of your petty desires. Give up all desires and
pray to God wholeheartedly with love. You will certainly find fulfillment in
life. You can understand and experience divinity only through love. Some people
complain, “Swami, God is not coming to our rescue in spite of our incessant
prayers. I tell them, “The mistake lies in your prayer and not in God.” If your
prayers are sincere, they will certainly be answered. There is nothing that God
cannot accomplish.
The stories of the Lord are most wonderful and sacred in all the three worlds.
They are like sickles that cut the creepers of worldly bondage. They are most
ennobling and elevating. They confer bliss on the sages and seers doing penance
in forests. (Telugu poem)
Today, we are celebrating the sacred festival of Christmas. We should celebrate
it in the true spirit without entertaining petty desires. Jesus was the son of
God. While he was being crucified, he said, “Oh father, let thy Will be done.”
When you surrender yourself to God’s Will, he will take care of you. Do not
develop superiority complex. Give up ego and pomp. Pray silently and sincerely.
If your prayers are not answered, you can certainly question Me. God is not
confined to a place somewhere in a distant corner. He always resides in your
heart. He can accomplish anything. He is ever ready to perform any task, be it
big or small for the sake of His devotees. All are His children. Hence, He will
certainly answer our prayers. Jesus taught, “All are children of God.” When you
have such firm conviction, we can accomplish any task. You need not go through
voluminous
books. Fill your heart with love and leave everything to His Will. You will
certainly achieve success in your endeavors.
Embodiments of Love!
Love is the quintessence of Swami’s Discourses. His love is power. There is
nothing greater than love. When you develop love, you can face the challenges
of life with ease and emerge victorious. God will always be with you, in you
and around you and will take care of you. Any mighty task can be accomplished
through prayer. However, your prayers should be sincere. There should be unity
of thought, word and deed. Develop firm faith that Swami is in you and He
always listens to your prayers. If you think that Swami is outside, how will
your prayers reach Him?
Embodiments of Love!
It is only love that will help you to achieve success in your life. Hence,
develop love. That is the true prayer that God expects from you.
Bhagawan concluded His Discourse with the Bhajan, “Prema Mudita Manase Kaho …”
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