Thus spoke Aghoreshwar on Turning Inwards

Empty your mind, lighten your heart, loosen your body, close your eyes for a moment. Do not close your eyes to put yourself in darkness. Close your eyes to turn your ‘out-sight’ inward. See with ‘in-sight’ your inner depths. See what is happening there, what is not happening there. Look for the supreme truth.

Why don’t you observe, analyze and ponder over all that is happening within you every day, accept it eagerly and make it your own? It will, in a very short time, take you towards the Absolute Unlimited, towards that which has no limits at all.

If you stay in a quiet, peaceful state for even two or three minutes, you will realize a new life. You will experience a new spirit.

Self-confidence awakens when our weaknesses disappear.

Close your eyes, close your ears, stop your breath, make your body as inactive as a log, experience yourself. There will be no vibrations.

Mental stress is demonic in character and causes cruel behavior. Free your mind of stress. Find happiness in your reflections. Find affection. Find love. Foster a feeling of respect toward everyone.

Do not do anything. Just straighten your temperament a little. Make your mind realize that devotion and faith are with you.

Sin is something that pollutes our heart and mind.

The belief that lies within us manifests in the devotion, faith and perseverance with which we worship. It is our dearest friend.

Glory of Mother
by Baba Harihar Ramji

On Mothers Day, May 13, 2007, Baba Harihar Ramji (Babaji) gave the following Satsang at the Yoga East yoga studio in Portsmouth, New Hampshire:

Namasté. It is so nice to be back here. Today is Mother’s Day. So first of all I would like to pay my respect to all the mothers.

When I was initiated into being a sadhu, Baba, my Guru, gave me a very clear direction: “As long as your mother lives, you must pay your respect to her when you go to India. You may decide not to visit other relatives but you must go to your mother.” In the Indian tradition, in Indian homes, Mother is worshiped first. Then the Guru. Then God.

Why Mother? Because of her sacrifice. Everyday is a day of sacrifice for the mother. Mother is constantly putting herself through hardship for the comfort of her baby. She may be thirsty, but she gives the bottle first to the baby.

When we were children in India, we did not have diapers. When a mother is sleeping with her baby and the baby wets the bed, she puts the baby on the dry side and she lies on the wet side. We are reminded, “Your mother has slept on the wet side for your comfort.”

In the school I come from, we acknowledge the Divine as Mother. We call God, Mother. Although we know that the Divine is beyond any form, name, gender, race, color, shape or size, if we have to give that greatness, that wholeness, a name and form just for the sake of our minds to comprehend, we call it Ma. Why? Because when we come to the earth in this body, it’s the mother through which we enter this life. Mother is the first taste of unconditional love.

Nowadays, we talk and read about unconditional love but the moment we step on someone’s toes, immediately it becomes conditional. If you ask me where to find unconditional love, it is between a mother and her baby.

We came to this earth empty-handed, totally vulnerable. We didn’t bring our clothing or supply of food, water and oxygen. It has all been provided to us in one form or another.

In the scripture Devi Bhagwat it is said, “The Divine Mother presents Herself to us in Her various forms. When we are hungry, She appears in the form of grain. When we are thirsty, She appears as water. When we need warmth, She appears as fire.” She takes any form of our liking or need, and presents Herself to bring us comfort.

We are very grateful to our earthly mother. Some people have wonderful experiences with their earthly mother, and some people may not have that wonderful relationship. But we have to understand that everybody who has come as a human being has their limitation, and

Mother also has her limitation, her environment, her situation. She may not have been able to give what we think was right. But deep, deep, deep in her heart, Mother always wishes the best for her baby. Whether she is capable of providing it or not, that’s a different story, but the intention is pure.

What are the qualities of Mother? Unconditional love, kindness, acceptance, forgiveness, sacrifice - wherever we see these qualities, Mother is present right there. It should not only be limited to a gender. Many men also have these qualities. Sometimes Mother appears through a father, or other family member, or a friend. If we need a certain kind of comfort, it appears to us through some medium. Whenever that happens, we should acknowledge and be grateful for that Mother, the Divine Mother.

There is also a line in Devi Bhagwat, “The Divine Mother resides in each individual in the form of shade. I bow to that.”

What is this shade? It is the presence. Just think of a tree. Merely because of the tree’s presence, there is shade. The tree is not doing anything. When a person getting scorched by the heat of the sun comes under the tree, he or she feels relief. May our presence be like that tree and give shade to someone in need of a little comfort. May we live our lives in such a way that someone can just think about us and receive a little solace, inspiration or strength. This is acknowledging the presence of the Divine Mother in us.

In Devi Bhagwat, it is also said that the Divine Mother resides in each individual in the form of peace, hunger, sleep, forgiveness, knowledge, and even in the form of confusion. All of Her attributes are Her expression. In our tradition, Baba used to teach us, “No matter where you are, no matter what situation you are in, just take a moment and say to yourself, I am in the lap of the Divine Mother in that form. Even when you are confused, just say to yourself, I am in the lap of the Divine Mother in the form of confusion.”

You are always surrounded by Her. She holds you in the form of space. The ten directions are also Her presence, Her expression. You are never alone.

There is a beautiful story in the Puranas. A young boy, whose mother had died, was feeling very sad. One day, he was thinking about her with his eyes closed, and all of a sudden he felt her presence right before him. She said, “Son, I have not gone anywhere. Think of my love that you have experienced. That love resides in your heart. Think of the warmth. That warmth is still available to you coming through the sun. Think of that comfort, of being held in my lap. The ten directions are my lap. The very moment you just stop and open yourself to feel my presence, you will find me. I am always right there.”

So Mother’s shade, Mother’s comfort, doesn’t ever go away from our life. It is always there. Take a moment, a private moment, and imagine that love. Mother’s love.

OM TAT SAT

What I Learned from My Mother

Continuing his talk, Babaji said:

I remember something my mother said that still is very dear in my heart: “If anyone comes to you looking for something, make sure that person doesn’t go away empty- handed.” Whatever it is they are asking for, they may not get 100%, but at least send them away with something. Make sure they don’t go empty-handed from your door.

Second, I learned from her that even if someone has harmed or done wrong to you, if they were a part of your life, always keep a little space for them to enter back in. Do not totally nail shut the entrance. Time heals. Always keep a possibility for them to enter again into your heart.

Third, people would come to my mother just to talk and tell her their problems. No matter what was happening in the household, she would always find time to sit and listen to them. I learned by watching her that if someone comes to me in pain, if someone has made an effort to seek me out, no matter what is happening at the moment, wherever I am, I always stop and find a little time for them. We should always find time for those who come to us. Even if we are busy, we can just stop for a moment, look at them, and give them a smile.

Fourth, I learned something unique by watching my mother. She used to go outside everyday with a handful of wheat flour and sprinkle it on anthills. She would say, “With a little wheat, I’m feeding so many souls.” We can never say we don’t have enough. With whatever limited resources we have, we can always do good with it.

I also learned that every single creature is a soul, an individual. Even the ants count. Feeding an ant is as merituous as feeding an elephant. If you don’t have enough to feed an elephant, feed an ant. It’s what is in your heart that counts.
There are many other things I leaned from my mother, but the last I’ll share with you is this. Once when I was coming home from the city, there was an express bus and a slow truck. I decided to take the slow truck. My mom reprimanded me for this. She said, “You are coming home and I was waiting. Just to save a few rupees, you didn’t take the express bus?” If you are going somewhere, don’t count pennies. Go for it. I was only ten years old at the time, and somehow this teaching has stuck with me.

Mothers may not realize how important the teachings are that they give to children, but they are the seeds. Every little thing that we tell our children molds them, shapes them. It’s a great responsibility to be a mother. We are not only raising our own children, we are raising future citizens of the nation. We need to give our children good values.