Beads Of My Rosary

SADHU VASWANI

One day I received a beautiful rosary of beads from a child. More beautiful than the rosary were the beads, which vibrated the latent memories of the secret spiritual life. In spirituality, lies the beauty of life. I picked up a few of these beads, to me they spoke of a few secrets of hidden life. I graced each bead with an appropriate name.

First Bead

Love: The first bead I called ‘Love’. This bead whispered, “There is dearth of Love in this world. Give Love. Love begets Love.’’ Love God, Love all. How long will you remain in forgetfulness? A devotee of the Lord one day called out, “The sky and the earth beckon me, O man! Love God!”

There is a story of a devotee who wept openly at the mere sight of a hill, a mountain, a flower, a river. One day he was asked, “Why do you cry?”

He replied, “looking at these icons of nature I hear a voice which says, O man, do not be ungrateful! You have forgotten the Lord, the creator of the Universe. That voice rattles my soul and so I weep.’’ That call is for every one of us. Do not be ungrateful, for the Universe is beautiful and so is its Maker.

One attribute of Love is that it binds us with silken threads. We get bonded and linked to persons we love. Love is that power which unites. Give Love to the Lord, so that you can be bonded with him, you are linked with Him and you feel close to Him, you will feel His presence within you and around you. When you love God, you will learn to love others, and your life will be built on the foundation of Love.

I am to narrate an incident from the life of a young man of 31 years. One day he tries to climb a difficult steep hill. He keeps falling again and again. Undaunted he continues to climb. He slips down seven times, before reaching the hilltop, on reaching the hilltop, he picks up the wounded man lying there and carries him to a hospital, and gets him treated medically.

People ask him,” How much have you suffered for this man! You put your life in danger! Suppose you had fallen down and died? Seven times you suffered the hazards of this difficult climb. What is the reason?’’

Then this young man explains,” This man is no relative of mine, neither is he a friend. He is an acquaintance whom I met at a satsang. For the sake of my Guru, I began to love him. It is for the love of my Guru, that I suffered. It is for this love that I put my life in danger.”

Second Bead

Be Zero: The second bead of my rosary says, “Give up pride.” Just as eating food and drinking water are necessary for living, in the same measure, it is necessary to practice humility. One should spend more time in annihilating one’s pride. One has to pay a price for giving up ego. And that price is, to be in fellowship with the devotees of the Lord, and to receive their blessings. How foolish it is to say, “I did this, I did that!” This ‘ego-intoxication’ must go! For what am ‘I’, but a flickering candle that at the dawn will die!

Third Bead

Burn your anger: The third bead coolly laughs, ‘Denounce all anger, and keep your cool.’ Look my Beloved brother! Anger is so harmful! One mother sizzled with anger because her small child was troubling her while she was cooking. She admonished the child, but the child continued to play mischief. The mother got so angered that she picked up the child and threw him into the fire. Every heedless act is sinful, but there is much more irrationality in anger.

So, whenever you become angry, recite the mantra, “Hare Ram, Hare Krishna” ten times continuously. If your anger is beyond control, then burn that anger with the same vengeance by reciting the mantra 100 times.

Fourth Bead

Diet Control: The fourth bead spoke to me of diet control. “Do not be greedy,” it said, “Be careful with your diet. Eat a little less than what you require. When you see delicious food, exercise selfcontrol.” Keeping this thought in mind, our ‘rishis’ and ‘saints’ introduced the tradition of fasting for one day or half a day, once a week. I suggest that in order to have good health, you should not take food on Sunday night. If required then drink only a glass of milk instead of having dinner. Eating less food is beneficial. I think by eating less your power to recite the name of God will increase and you will remember God and saints more. Your health will improve and a day will come when you will see the light within. A flame will burn within yourself, seeing which the others will feel happy, and looking at you they will think how fortunate you are, that your life has awakened.

Fifth Bead

Prayer: Prayer is to lift our mind and soul to the Lotus feet of the Lord. Sitting at the Lotus feet of the Lord, they look at the Lotus face of the Lord, and purify their soul, and drink the Divine Nectar.

Many among us are stuck in the muck. Very few make life a prayer. Prayer is not a philosophy nor it can be learnt from the books. One can understand the meaning of prayer through books, but to be a man of prayer is an entirely different thing. The thoughts of such a man are a prayer itself.

I had the good fortune to be in the company of such a man. His eyes had the radiance of an illuminated soul. At the first sight, I told myself, he is a unique person. He speaks little and keeps smiling in silence. His words are few, but powerful. They deeply touch the heart.

And I ask myself what is there in this man? What is the source of Shakti in his life? One day, I asked this beloved man a question, “What is the secret of your strength, energy and power?’’

In a simple way he replied, “Prayer”. After a minute, he added, “The scripture of my life is prayer.” I fell down on his feet and made him my Guru.

About this man, I told myself many a times, that this dear one worships the Lord, day and night in Silence. Blessed is he, blessed indeed! And then I tried to teach my self this one lesson, “O foolish one! Sit in the temple of your heart and worship every moment, the One-Lord.”

In the company of this dear one, I gradually, began to understand how to pray. One day, I told myself, Prayer is a dialogue. It is a conversation with God. It is listening to God, and his voice amidst the noise and hustle of this ‘Mayaintoxicated’ world. Thus, I began to tell myself, “O foolish one! Have a dialogue with God because he listens to you and replies to you as he is very close to you. He is closer to you than your own breath. He isn’t far from you, but is perhaps closer to you than your physical self.”

The world is a well of darkness for those who do not realize that God is close to them. Or for those who have not learnt to yearn for the Lord.

Let us try and understand the true meaning of prayer. A devotee once went to a Rishi and asked him, “Gurudev, what should I do in the world of darkness to see the light?’’

The Rishi replies, “Beloved, every day you offer a Prayer.’’

The disciple asks, “What prayer should I offer? Instead give me a mantra.”

The Rishi replies, repeat this prayer, “Tamso Maa Jyotir Gamaya” in the silence of your heart, which means Lead me out of darkness in to light. The darkness is actually the darkness of desires. Darkness is, to pander to the pleasures of senses. Darkness is succumbing to the lust of physical desires. Lead Me out of this darkness O’Lord into the light of your being. That radiant light is God. The radiance of your lotus face is also a light, which is yours. That is the gift and mercy of the Lord. The Lord tells every one of his devotees, “O, my child I filled this world, with illumination and Light, but to understand and feel that light, you must yearn for it. Right now, you cannot see it.”

The disciple asks the Rishi, “Gurudev, how can I see the light?’’

The Rishi replies, “Keep your heart pure, be true to yourself, and have a deep yearning. Such a yearning will open your faculties of perception and understanding and keep you pure. True prayer emerges out of deep yearning. May we have such yearning so that our vision becomes clear and our life becomes gentle. May we also utter the same prayer, “O, Lord! lead us out of darkness into Light.”

There are three stages of Prayer.

1. To sing the name of the Lord.

2. To do Kirtan with fellow devotees

3. To do Kirtan with enthusiasm and keep repeating the words ‘‘Hari Bol, Hari Bol’’

It is necessary to sit in silence alone, as it is to do Kirtan with the fellow devotees. The true prayer is said by the one who lives away from all mundane affairs and focuses his thoughts on the picture of the Lord and bows down at his Lotus Feet.

To understand the true meaning of prayer, we must still our thoughts. Prayer cannot be offered with a stormy mind. There is this story of a small child. It is night. He goes to his room to sleep. While climbing the stairs, he realizes that it is dark. As a small child, he feels scared. He remembers his mother and says, “Ami, O, Ami, hold my hand so that the darkness may disappear.” We are all like that child. We are climbing the stairs of the world. If we call, “Ami, O Ma Janani, hold my hand so that the darkness may disappear, and the light may shine.’’ That cry to the Mother for light is Prayer.

Experience has shown us that certain things do help us in praying.

1. Fasting

So often our body remains heavy, God is light in weight (halko). How can we with our gross physical bodies meet the Omnipresent energy, which fills the universe? By fasting we can get closer to God a little. By fasting we are exercising control over the body and thereby getting closer to the soul. By fasting we control our senses, and thereby lift our heart towards God.

By fasting we are able to control our physical self. Through prayer we can acquire energy. Through means of prayer, we can achieve the ‘shakti’ which will keep us away from temptations and other difficulties and take us closer to the Lotus feet of the Lord.

2. Dhyan (Meditation)

Sit in silence and meditate and you will come to know that there are many difficulties in the path of spirituality. During meditation, a man of prayer meditates with such concentration that he realizes the cause of difficulties and therefore he learns of ways and means to avoid them.

3. Sangh (Group)

It is necessary to be in the company of saintly persons. If the person is in the company of a holy one, he is able to face the difficulties, and he is able to fight and overcome the obstacles with his ‘shakti’.

We are taught many subjects in our school curriculum. The most important thing we should learn in the school of Life is Prayer. A saint asked his disciple, “What do you want?”

The disciple replied, “Master, teach me to pray “

It is written about a gallant warrior that he was strong and brave, but a day comes when he has to leave this world and bid farewell to his kith and kin. He says: “My turn has come. In a short while I will leave this world and return to my native place.’’ This man was brave and fearless, he was not afraid of death. One of his friends who was also a wellknown personality happened to be there. He tells him, “We know that you are brave and courageous, but you are also fearless and not afraid of death. What is the reason.?’’

The great warrior replies in all humility, “Dear friend, for years I have built my life on prayer. To you, I may be foolish for having a dialogue with God, but I appraise him of my condition. I have been telling him all my problems, and I do not consider God to be far away from me. I have always reaffirmed to myself that He is very near, very close to me.

Hearing these words, his friend tells him, “O, friend! How fortunate am I to know you? Your face glows with the radiance of truth. Teach me also to pray!” 

Laugh YOUR WAY TO HEALTH

Mohan: How old are you, boy?

“Twelve,” was the reply.

“Hmm,” remarked Mohan, “You are well built for your age.””

“I ought to be,“ retorted the boy. “My father is an architect.” ***

The bridegroom put his hand in his pocket at the end of the marriage ceremony and asked the vicar, “How much do I owe you?”

“There is no set charge,” was the reply. “I always ask for payment according to the beauty of the bride.”

“That’s a good idea,” said the groom, and he handed the vicar a sixpence.

The minister took the money, lifted the bride’s veil, then said, “Here’s three pence change.” ***

My husband came down to have breakfast. I asked him if he knew what day it was.

“Thursday,” he replied.

“I knew you would forget,” I said. “We’ve been married 25 years today. Can’t we do something to celebrate?”

“What about two minutes silence?” he suggested. ***

Father: Sophia, you cannot marry that young man. He does not make more than Rs 2000/- a month.

Sophia: Oh, but, Daddy, “a month flies by so fast when we are in love with each other.”

“The main thing to remember,” an advertising executive said to a member of his staff, “is that repetition, repetition, repetition is the keynote! If you have a product to sell, keep harping on it in every possible way, cram it down people’s throats --- make yourself sickening and repulse if you have to, but don’t ever forget to repeat and repeat and repeat! It’s the only way to get results!”

“Yes, sir,” the employee replied in a meek voice.

“And now, what was it you came in to see me about?” the head of the agency asked.

“Well, sir,” came the reply, “A raise! A raise! A raise! A raise! A raise! A raise!”

The assistant manager, noticing the frown on his superior’s face, said, “You sure look worried!”

“Listen,” replied the manager, “I have so many worries that if something happens today, I won’t have time to worry about it for another two weeks.”

He who works with his hands is a labourer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands, head and heart is an artist. He who works with his hands and his head and his heart and his feet is a salesman.

An old mountaineer and his son were sitting in front of the fire smoking their pipes, crossing and uncrossing their legs.

After a long silence, the father said, “Son, step outside and see if it’s raining.”

Without looking up, the son answered, “Aw, Pa, why don’t we just call in the dog and see if he’s wet?”

“I’d give him some brandy,” answered the man.

The doctor, wishing to give him a second chance, said, “And what if you hadn’t any?”

The man thought a moment. “Then I’d promise him some.”

An old lady fell down the stairs and broke her leg. The doctor put it in a cast and warned her not to walk up and down the stairs. The leg was slow in mending. Finally, after six months, doctor announced it was all right to remove the cast.

“Can I climb the stairs now?” asked the old lady.

“Yes,” answered the medical man.

“Oh, I’m so glad,” she chortled. “I’m sick of climbing up and down the drainpipe all the time.”

Three men, a Christian, a Mohammedan and a Jew, were asked the question, “What would you do if a tidal wave drove the ocean waters deep over your land?”

“We would die with the sign of the cross and beg the Lord to open for us the pearly gates of Heaven,” said the Christian.

A doctor was examining a man at the end of a first-aid course. “Suppose,” he asked, “there had been a car accident and you found a man bleeding profusely in the arm. What would you do?”

“We would pray to Allah and be consoled in our Kismet. As it is destined to be, so is it,” said the Moslem.

“We,” said the Jew, “would learn to live under water.” 