BHAVA -- STANZA 13, 14, 15.

ભાવને  નવ  આકાર  નિશ્ર્ચિત  કો  પ્રકારનો,
એને  જે  સત્કારે  ત્યાં  તે  પોતે  ઠરે  ખરો.  (૧૩)

Bhava does not have any definite shape or form.
It settles in who ever accepts it with love. (13)

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જાગતાં,  જામતાં  ભાવ  ગાઢતા  ઉચ્ચ  શિખરે,
- પ્હોંચતા  પૂર્ણતા  ટોચે  તે  અવતરતો પછે. (૧૪)

This awakened and settled bhava reaches its potential and height.
When it reaches the pinnacle of its height, it descends and expresses itself. (14)

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પારસમણિ  છે  ભાવ  જેને  સ્પર્શે  ભલે  જરા,
તોય  બદલવાને  તે  તેને  તેને  ચહે  તદા. (૧૫)

Bhava is like a magic jewel. Even a slight touch of the bhava is capable of an instant change in whom  it touches with love. (15).

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Pujya Shree Mota
Bhava.


BHAVA is described as natural state of being, being, divine consciousness, intention, purpose, nature, etc. Reader is encouraged to explore and investigate the meaning of Bhava to understand it better.

BHAVA -- STANZA 10, 11, 12.

ગાઢ  નીરવતા  જેમાં, એકાકારપણું  હદે,
મનન  ચિંત્વને યે  ના, નરી શી  સ્તબ્ધતા  બધે! (૧૦)

There is deep silence in the mind with complete oneness with the heart. It is neither in the reflections nor in the contemplation. Stillness pervades all over. (10)

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એવો  જે  ભાવ  સ્ફુરેલો  સ્પર્શે  મૂળે  મનાદિને
--    અખંડકાર  સંપૂર્ણ  થતાં, પછી  મનાદિને
--   મૂળને  ફેરવાવાને  ભાવ  શો  શક્તિમાન  છે! (૧૧)

Such quivering bhava touches the roots of the mind and other implements of the body. When complete and perfect, it is capable of changing these at its base. (11)

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ભાવથી  સર્વ  આધારે  ચેતના  શી  પ્રવર્તશે! (૧૨)

This bhava shall enlighten the whole base. (12)

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Pujya Shree Mota
Bhava.

BHAVA is described as natural state of being, being, divine consciousness, intention, purpose, nature, etc. Reader is encouraged to explore and investigate the meaning of Bhava to understand it better.

FACING THE FEAR COMPLEX -- THE RESULTS

Continued from previous blog 12/4/14.

Pujya Shree Mota continues --

Inner strength that increased from removing a small thing like fear complex is not static. It develops and spreads in all directions. It is helpful in all aspects of the our other works. We faced the fear complex head on and that also with knowledge and understanding. Blossoming of this inner strength not only helps in the other works but also tends to offer suggestions regarding removal of other complexes also. We can see through these complexes and understand the damage it does to our lives. We develop a kind of self confidence that if we could remove fear complex then this other complex is nothing in its comparison. We develop determination to face other complexes and go through it with a much faster speed. We can visualize other complexes and feel that we can face and remove these complexes.

Pujya Shree Mota
Satsang with Pujya Shree Mota
Anvay - Samanvay
Edition 1; page 19.

FACING THE FEAR COMPLEX -- MUSTERING INNER STRENGTH

Continued from previous blog 11/27/14.

Pujya Shree Mota continues --

So we came to the conclusion that the fear has to be faced and opposed. But we need inner strength to face and fight this fear complex. It is not possible to fight fear without this inner strength. The question is how to muster this inner strength. In fact we do not need to muster this strength, it is already within us. We must be conscious of it. We must be aware that we will be able to face the fear with this understanding, determination, firmness and stubbornness that lie within us. All of us have this strength and does not need to be imported from outside. It is not like money that you can get it from a bank. We already have this strength. We must make a firm determination that we want to fight this fear. Once this is done the inner strength is already within us. It is not to be imported from out side. Why did we not use this inner strength? Because we did not think to use it.

For example we do not know about the sales, marketing and profits till the merchandise is put on sale in the market. Similarly we have never used this inner strength and are not aware of its powers.
When we face these complexes, its strength seems to intensify. Some may think that the strength of this fear gets to be less when we face it upfront. In fact fear seems to gather strength and appears more than it actually is. This is the time to show our worth and fight it. We can see that it is expanding in the negative side and at that time, with our firm determination it must be removed. Our inner strength that develops with this firm determination helps us a lot. This inner strength does not come from the sky at this time.

                                                                                               -- continue next blog--

Pujya Shree Mota
Satsang with Pujya Shree Mota
Excerpts from Anvay and Samanvay (અન્વય-સમન્વય)
Edition 1; page 17 - 18.

FACING THE FEAR COMPLEX -- GETTING READY.

Swajan:  Mota, How can we come out of this fear complex?

Pujya Shree Mota:  We have many complexes in our lives. These complexes are hindrances in the development of our lives. For most part we are not aware of this fact. One of these complexes is the complex of fear. This complex of fear retards our progress and at times pushes us backward. It tends to make our minds unstable and makes us unease at times. So how do we face and get rid of the fear. Fear is not only a kind of disease, it is worse than that. We must be aware of the fear in us. Not only we should be aware of that but also the fact that it retards our progress and reduces our courage in new endeavors. There should be acknowledgment of all aspects of losses and negativity arising out of this fear. Fear should sting us. It should be apparent that this fear is of such a bad quality that it makes us tangled up at places and retards our progress. At times it pushes us backwards. Fear complex is such a thing that prevents us from getting a real grasp of the situation. At times it highlights exactly opposite thing. For an example, I used to go to crematorium to sleep at night. In the beginning I would think that there is an evil spirit standing in the dark due to the fear in me. I would confront it by going near and checking it with the flash light. Once it was apparent that it was just a piece of wood, my fear would dissipate. In this way, I would confirm that there is no human being or any evil spirit. Fear complex within us retards our progress and prevents us from finding the truth. When this stings us in a real sense, we become ready to face this fear and try our best to get rid of it.

You should never lose the sense of discretion when facing the fear. Face it in such a way that there is least harm done to you. Reward and harm are the two sides of the coin of the same prakruti. They are not separable, even though it may not be apparent at that time. Presence of equanimity lets us see both side of the coin.

                                                                                         -- continue next blog --

Pujya Shree Mota
Satsang with Pujya Shree Mota
Excerpts from Anvay and Samanvay (અન્વય-સમન્વય)
Edition 1; pages 14 - 17.

DIVERT THE EMOTIONAL ENERGY INWARD

We cannot produce enough thrust in our works till our consciousness is concentrated and focused in the works. Just as we pour our hearts in our works, there should be focused awareness of the purpose behind the works in our consciousness. We should train ourselves to divert this force and thrust of the works deep within us with a clear understanding and purpose. It should not be used for outer implementation of the works. For an example, when we meet our friends we are bursting with the emotion of happiness and use all these emotional energy in our interactions. But it should not be that way. This does not mean that we should not be happy to see them or behave with them coldly. We should direct this emotional energy inwards and have it echo externally also.
     
              The quality of mercy is twice blessed.
              It blest him that gives and him that takes.

Just as we learned above saying in our earlier education, our emotions should become double blessings for us. We need to direct the emotional energy produced from our works inwards and echo it outwards as a representative of our works. If we fail to do so, we will not be able to complete our works in the right way.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan pagathi
Edition 6; pages 211 - 212.

EXTERNAL SADHANA

I consider this behavior as a practical and useful way of external sadhana if practiced with clear understanding. Just as inner sadhana is evidenced based, outer sadhana is also practical and evidenced based. Whenever there is any kind of suggestion from anybody, you should divide them into essential and non essential suggestions. If there is no obvious harm in following the suggestion (i.e there is no hindrance in your over all goal of sadhana) then just accept and do it right away. In general there is an expression of mind's insistence, attachments, affections etc, in these seemingly minor items when the decision to carry out the suggestion or not is made. If you want to get rid of these attachments, affections and insistences you should be ready whole heartedly to carry out suggestions and instructions of others. But at the same time you must have the awareness of the purpose, understanding and intention in carrying out the works. The result really depends upon this awareness while performing the tasks. If you perform the works as per these writings you will be successful.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan mandaan
Edition 3; pages 70 - 71.

EQUANIMITY EVEN IN INSPIRATION.

We must see the depth and strength of any thought that arise in our mind. It is true that when putting that thought in practice, there should be sincerity, honesty, love and devotion. At the same time we should not be guided by the thought. It is true that we should follow a certain thought that keeps us goading constantly, does not leave us even if we are busy with something else and disturbs us all the time. At the same time we should understand the basis of the thought and reasons behind the goading. There is a kind of "absorption in thought" even in inspiration. But the genuine inspiration does not have any kind of choice, one way or the other. It is a kind of guiding force. Some times this guiding force can be misguiding force too! Since sadhak is always trying to surrender to Bhagwan, he is saved from this debacle. His conviction that no misunderstanding, tendencies or any thing else is  going to change his path keeps him worry free. Even then he keeps the eyes of his heart open.

These eyes are equanimity and sense of discretion. By developing the equanimity we need to awaken our spark of divine within us and make it govern our lives.

Pujya Shree Mota

Jivan pagathi

Edition 6; page 204 - 205.


My two cents -- The discussion here is about inspirational thought (પ્રેરણા).

EQUANIMITY AND NATURAL TENDENCIES.

Sabarmati,
7/22/1942.

There is no way out but to develop the equanimity if we want to stop acting according to reaction and counter reaction in our mind. Tendencies that result from this reaction and counter reaction create confusion in our thought process. What happens then is the loss of our ability to have a clear vision by separating ourselves from this confused thought process. We choose one or the other side. We should try to stay away from any tendency to choose in this way. Our present understanding is based on circumstances and our past and related experiences. Because of this we do not get a chance to find the root cause of an event. Equanimity is needed for this reason.

Developing equanimity is necessary even if we are not guided by the past experiences, understanding and tendencies. Spark of divine within us never gets a chance to guide us since we cling to the tendencies of our mind. It stays dormant. The more we cling to the tendencies of our mind stronger becomes our attachments to the basic nature. There will be stirring of this divine spark as we develop equanimity. We will be more receptive to this divine spark within us. When there is establishment of the belief in our base (body with all its instruments) that we want to rely on something other then mind, mind has no choice but to cooperate. With this equanimity gathers strength. We can prevent tangling with natural tendencies as equanimity is established.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan pagathi
Edition 6; pages 202 - 203.

BHAVA(ભાવ) -- STANZA 7, 8, 9.

સ્મરણ,  પ્રાર્થના  ભાવે  ભજનો  કીર્તનાદિનો

- લાંબા  ગાળા તણો  પૂરો  અભ્યાસ  પાડતાં  જતાં

- પડંતા  રસ તેમાં  જ્યાં,  મનાદિ  શમતાં તદા. 

- પોતાના  વ્યવહારોથી,  ભાવની ઉપસ્થિતિ  ત્યાં. -------------------- (૭), (૮).

With the long and complete practice of Naam-smaran, prayer, singing devotional songs, etc praising the God with love, there develops keen interest in them. And when that happens implements like mind quietens down.
Bhava is present in the workings of such person. ---------(7), (8).

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પ્રકૃતિથી  જવા  ઊંચે  ઊર્ધ  પ્રકારના  હૃદે,
મનાદિને  ઘટે  પ્રોવાં  તેવા  મનન-ચિંત્વને. ---------------------------(૯).

To reach the higher plane than prakruti, mind and other implements needs to be prodded with love and devotion to reflect, contemplate and meditate. -------(9).


Pujya Shree Mota
Bhava.

BHAVA(ભાવ) -- STANZA 4, 5, 6.

દ્વંદ્વ  ને  ગુણનો  દેશ  ભાવ  પોતે  કદી  ન  તે,
જીવદશા  થીયે  ક્યાંયે   ઊર્ધવે  ભાવપ્રદેશ  છે.   ---- (૪)
Bhava is never the land of duality and virtues. The realm of bhava extends well above the level of  prakruti  ---------------------------------------(4)

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પ્રકૃતિથી  જવાતાંમાં   ઊર્ધવે  શો  આપમેળ  જે,
- પ્રગટે  અંતરે ,  જાણો  ભાવ  ખરેખરો  હૃદે.  ----(૫)
Once above the prakruti there is presence of harmony in the whole being. When this harmony is felt by the heart, that is bhava. ---------------(5)

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' પ્રકૃતિથી  થવાયે  શેં  ઊર્ધ  ? '  એમ  પૂછે  બધાં  !
 પ્રકૃતિથી  ઊંચી  એવી  ભૂમિકામાં  પ્રવર્તવું. ------(૬)
Every body ask "How can we go above the prakruti"? The way is to prevail in a plane that is higher than prakruti.  ------------------------------(6)

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Pujya Shree Mota
Bhava

    

REFLECT YOUR BEHAVIOR WITH GOODNESS

Kumbhakonam,
27 March, 1953.

Your understanding to develop goodness towards this person is very appropriate. It is very appropriate not speaking negative of other person (that you have seen or noted in your mind) in front of others with clear understanding. We should behave in this way in the society. We must think and act with others with heartfelt goodness. We should not act with the reaction and counter reaction arising in our mind to the impressions left by the speech, behavior and conduct of others. We should  expresses the goodness with love and bhava in our heart towards them and keep this goodness alive.
We must have awareness, caution and total attention in our behavior to achieve the goal.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan pokar
Edition 4; page 18.

HOW TO CALM HATRED OR VINDICTIVENESS

At every chance we get, there should be an expression of an appreciation of the goodness of the person whom we hate or are angry at. This need to be done with deep love and heartfelt sincerity. When this is practiced for a while there will be gradual reduction of hate, jealousy, and anger in us towards that person.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan mandan
Edition 3; page 58.

BHAVA (ભાવ) -- STANZA 1, 2, 3.

Pujya Shree Mota has written extensively regarding bhava and given utmost importance to it. He has explained the bhava in a poem form and it is published in a booklet with english translation. I will make an attempt to translate this booklet in explanatory prose writing format over a period of time. This translations will be interspersed with the other blogs.
Ashwin.

સૂક્ષ્મમાં  સૂક્ષ્મ  સંપૂ્ર્ણ  ને  જે  પાછું  અવ્યક્ત  છે,
પ્રસરે  છે  થતાં  વ્યક્ત  આધારે  રોમરોમે  યે.        (૧)
Bhava is the subtlest of the subtle, perfect and complete and yet remains unexpressed. When it expresses, penetrates every cell and the inner core of the body.    (1)

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શબ્દમાં   શબ્દથી  "એ" ને  વર્ણવી  ના  શકાય  છે,
અક્ષરાતીત  છે  ભાવ,  અંતરે  પરખાય  છે.      (૨)
Bhava cannot be expressed and described in or with words. It is beyond words. It can be felt and understood only in the heart.      (2)

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એકાગ્રતા  નરી  જેમાં  ના  સંકલ્પ - વિકલ્પ  છે,
નીરવતા  ભરી  લાગે,  ભાવ  "એ" ને  પ્રમાણજે.    (૩)
In bhava there is no hesitation or thoughts. There is only focused concentration and complete silence. Accept this state as a bhava.            (3)

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Pujya Shree Mota
BHAVA.



BHAVA is described as natural state of being, being, divine consciousness, intention, purpose, nature, etc. Reader is encouraged to explore and investigate the meaning of Bhava to understand it better.

DO NOT BE A SLAVE

Karachi,
29 October 1940.

Dear Brother,

It is not necessary that ill feelings always develop as a result of a conflict. Sometimes it brings people closer. Hurt feelings settle down and the minds calm down. This happens only if we have kept our mind calm during the conflict and said the things that we wanted to say with just enough force to convey our feelings on the matter. If we loose our control during the conflict and there is a danger of loosing our own inner wealth, then it is better to say nothing and keep quiet. That is the best stand to take in the matter. We should never loose at both ends.

Whenever there is inner conflict there is all the possibility for the poison of anger to rise up. We must develop courage and spirit of adventure and be prepared to swallow this poison.

When it produces great pain in our hearts to become aware of this slavery only then this pain will encourage us to be free. We are so enslaved that our moods of mind and emotions take hold of us and control us. They become our masters and use us as their instruments. They either stop us from independent thinking or make us think in a way to justify their own ways and tendencies. We loose our own existence and we must save ourselves from that situation.

It is so absurd to keep erroneous conception that others should follow us when we cannot control and convince ourselves. We must use all our energy to persuade ourselves to do things that we must. All these incidents are God given and we should take full advantage of it and then move forward. It is like enjoying the sugar cane juice and throwing away the waste.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan pagathi,
Edition 6; page 28 - 29.

ANALYZING THE THOUGHTS.

We have to try finding the roots of the different thoughts. If we can find these roots then it is possible to determine the sources of our attachments. It is then easy to take the mind off of these attachments. And yet it is important to prevent ourselves from getting tangled up in this process. We must remember to do our real work (naam-smaran, developing bhava etc) at all the time and not forget about it. So we need to do this dual process.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan pagathi
Edition 6; page 32.

ONLY HIGHER BHAVA CAN WIN OVER LOWER PRAKRUTI

Ordinarily we are guided by our desires and past impressions on the mind. The element of bhava or heartfelt emotions develops in us as we progress in our sadhana. This bhava can develop to the point that sadhak can let go of his desires just to maintain this noble bhava in him. When his sharpened Buddhi comes to fore front he can decide the appropriateness of the tendencies of prana. In this way he begins to establish the control over prana by deciding which tendencies to satisfy and which ones to discard.

This way we can see that higher planes controlling lower planes. It is apparent that lower plane cannot achieve higher plane by itself. Mind and buddhi cannot control bhava. On the contrary it is very appropriate and reasonable that bhava establish its authority over mind, buddhi, chitta and body. Mind can never go above itself by its own efforts. At the most it can make itself ready and worthy for the higher planes.

Two things are required for the descent of this Bhagawad bhava (divine energy). There should be awakening of the soul within us making itself worthy and descent of the divine energy in us that resides above the mind. This double process is required.

It does not seem that the purpose of the birth of the universe is complete abandonment of Prakruti (nature). We should use the prakruti with discretion and goodness in such a way that it helps us to build proper ground for the descent of higher energy. We need to put our heart and soul into it, the purpose being to get boost and help from prakruti to achieve our goal.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan pagathi
Edition 6; page 9.

CERTAIN ASPECTS OF LOVE (2).

Swajan : Mota, it seems a rare event to achieve love that you just described earlier. It appears that we need to develop subtle discretion before embarking to live the life full of love. Otherwise the needed tolerance can turn into burning unhappiness and weakness. How can we avoid attachment while experiencing love?

Pujya Shree Mota : All the occasions and all the people that come in one's contact while performing the duty become the tool for one to experience true love if one has this eagerness to achieve it. It is achieved if one performs all one's actions with awareness, knowledge and keeping the purpose of self improvement all the time. One can progress if the actions are taken just with loving nature but the progress is limited and there is a chance of a set back.

True love is without attachment. It is not true that the subtle distinction between love and attachment is known only to saints. Lots of time the love in ordinary sense is only the attachment. Love is not like bubbly and effervescent liquid that becomes flat in a moment. It is a bhava that flows with depth, quietness, determination and majesty of an ocean. This love has depth as well as expansion. It is even proper to compare it with sky or space since it is all pervading and yet unattached. Attachment throws one on the ground but the love helps to get up. To develop and receive this love is sadhana itself. It is even a misunderstanding to consider it as a part of sadhana. It is sadhana as well as siddhi (accomplishment, final emancipation). It is never possible to act appropriately without this pure vision achieved with non attachment. This appropriate action is mandatory for the one who always wishes good of one's loved ones. At appropriate times one must act with heartfelt sincerity in one's actions.

Pujya Shree Mota
Dampatya bhavna
Edition 5; page 25 - 26. 

CERTAIN ASPECTS OF LOVE (1).

Swajan : What kind of changes we experience when love establishes in our nature?

Pujya Shree Mota : Generosity of the nature (ઉદાર માનસ) is only the first step towards love. It is just the beginning of love when you tolerate people of different nature. This is just the beginning of expression of love. Generosity of the nature means tolerating without responding to misunderstanding, sarcastic remarks, unreasonable behavior, arrogant or extremely dull nature, oppositional nature, false accusations and personal hurtful speech. But there is still built in tinge of unhappiness in this generosity of nature. True love does not have even this unhappiness. Love accepts physical and mental difficulties with peace and never sings to its own tune.

Love keeps silence about its sacrifice and at the same it is without ego. Ego and arrogance can never co exist with love. Infatuation and love are like darkness and light. More the attachment and infatuation less is the love. Infatuation is blind and yet love being the form of all pervading God has innumerable eyes. Love can appear to be very tough and yet it always has the welfare of the loved one in its mind. Love is not soft, weak sentimental emotion. It always keeps the welfare of the loved ones at the forefront in his behavior. It is not love to act to one's liking. That is either weakness or flattery. Some times the loved one may understand differently, get angry, or take revenge.  Love may appear to take tough action and yet one's heart will always be soft and soaked with love. One with love will respond to blows and counter blows with deep love from the heart. He will happily accept all the troubles as the gift from God and understand that all these trouble are for his own good. As the tolerance develops hatred and malice gets converted into love. Eventually this behavior with love does not stay confined to one or more people but spreads to all creatures and it sublimates into God himself.

Pujya Shree Mota
Dampatya bhavna
Edition 5; pages 24 - 25.

MARRIAGE -- ADVICE TO WOMEN.

Woman devotee : Mota, you had warned us and yet I and my husband fought with each other when we visited our family. We could not control ourselves. I realize that I am a bad person.

Pujya Shree Mota : You are not a bad person. I just felt bad that both of you made a scene at somebody's home and could not keep peace. My hopes were dashed and we were the objects of ridicule. All of us lost our honor especially I. It is so bad that you lost the sense of discretion even  when it was somebody else's home. Is it proper to enhance the honor of your loved one or demolish it? I know that you cannot clap with one hand and yet if we keep quiet and swallow the pride with smiling face, there can only be joy. You should keep quite when he is upset and vice a versa. If you take this vow or follow that edict then there will be happiness. Life gets miserable when we speak whatever comes in our head.

I want to see both of you as happy as birds dancing with joy.
                                                       -----------------------------------

We should do every thing with all the pure intentions for our loved one and see that his life becomes comfortable and easy. We should have instant comprehension in our heart regarding his likes and dislikes of food. Our dream and goal to please him should always be in our mind. There should be a conviction and peacefulness in our heart, that if we follow our duty with goodness of the heart there will always be reciprocity from him. It is not important for us to see what the other person does or does not. I have this ideal in my heart that both of you live majestic life and that both of you dance to the divine tune of natraj (નટરાજ, epithet of Shiva) with one spirit, tune and rhythm. You follow my advice to change your nature. It is not easy to bear Mota's patter. His spirit of love is hard to digest. Can you bear all these?

Your husband should never have a reason to get upset. We must control our temper especially in somebody else's presence. You will have less and less intimacy due to this habit of quarreling. This is the result of youth and flood of inner natural tendencies in both of you. It may be too late and there may not be a possibility of harmony of hearts later in life. So beware and forewarned.
                                                     ---------------------------------------

You will experience peace, satisfaction and happiness by developing heartfelt goodness towards the family.

Pujya Shree Mota
Dampatya Bhavna
Edition 5; excerpts from pages 109 - 112.

MARRIAGE -- ADVICE TO MEN

Swajan : After my marriage I am facing difficulties that were not imagined or expected. My wife does not listen to me. She does not show any eagerness to see my convenience. She never does any thing to please me. If I say something she takes an offense and threatens to leave me. I am fed up with her telling me the stuff that I do not want to hear. I am very discouraged.

Pujya Shree Mota : I am saddened by the state of your marriage but not hopeless. I am never hopeless. Some men have the nature of owning the women during married life. They think that wives should act according to their beliefs. They have a firm belief that wives should always obey their wishes. Some men also believe that women do not have intelligence or any emotions and are born to serve men. We have also heard that they do not have any skills or understanding. These opinions are passed along traditionally, making the beliefs firmly established.

Just as I show women their dharma (duty), men also are shown their dharma. What kind of children are born where women are treated this way. What can you expect where women are treated as slaves. If there is love flowing from the heart then even the slavery becomes bearable. They also have aspirations to progress and be happy in their hearts and you must understand this.

You are responsible for the present state of affairs of your marriage. Any one who can improve the marriage is you. It is a shame that a newly married woman wants to go to her parent's place. You are shaming the family by your behavior. Well, do you want to live this kind of unhappy and discordant life? There is nothing in your wife that should make you unhappy or quarrelsome. This is the mirror image of your own unhappiness. Your mind cannot accept even the good advice.

You should be aware of your own nature especially when it is trying to overpower you. Do naam smaran and ask for His help with love. If you do this then it is possible to rise above your nature. You will go to the bottom if you surrender to your nature. No body succeeds in any field without great effort. Nothing will happen till you sacrifice your own nature.

If you have a burning desire (bhavna) that both of you have a happy married life, then express and materialize that bhavna in your life.

Pujya Shree Mota
Excerpts from Dampatya bhavna
Edition 5; pages 68 - 73.

My two cents -- Pujya Shree Mota has expressed his views on marriage in different books and on various occasions. These views were complied by Shree Rameshbhai Bhatt in the book "Dampatya bhavna" in the format of "questions and answers". I have translated excerpts from this book.
These views were expressed more then 40 to 50 years back in India.

MANAGING THOUGHTS --(2).

You just keep watching the thoughts. This is the first step and the second step is not to form the chain of thoughts. The third step is to be a witness. With maturation of this step you can visualize your inner natural tendencies when it arises and flows through your mind. At the same time you can also determine whether it is positive or negative. You develop the sense of discretion and reject the negative tendencies. This kind of strength develops from this practice.

Pujya Shree Mota
Satsang with Pujya Shree Mota
Shesh-visesh
Edition 1; page 34.

MANAGING THOUGHTS -- (1).

Swajan :  Mota, we live with relationships and there are always thoughts about it.

Pujya Shree Mota :  Mind, intelligence, prana and ego etc constantly work in us during our daily lives. It is proper to think while we manage our works and yet it is not proper to entertain thoughts during rest of the time. Thoughts come up from our past impressions and now we do not want to follow those thoughts. We can divide our life and time as essential and non essential. During essential times we can certainly think with our nature and intelligence. If needed we may form the chain of the thoughts at that time. During rest of the time we must make a conscious effort to be a witness to our thoughts. Just watch the thoughts and do not form the links. With this practice there comes a stage when it is possible to visualize the best way to do the work during its inception and performance with minimal thoughts. You will have a clear vision and finish the work with minimal amount of thoughts. With this small step we develop a kind of bhava (spirit) of equanimity and worry free existence. We do not get entangled in any form of circumstances

Pujya Shree Mota
Satsang with Pujya Shree Mota
shesh-vishesh
Edition 1; page 31 - 32.

GOOD INFLUENCE ON CHILDREN

Swajan : What should the parents do to be a good influence on young children?

Pujya Shree Mota : We cannot imagine about the speed with which the children grasp our environment. The receptivity is so powerful that it creates the impressions on them from the subtle inner workings going inside us. The subconscious state in them is awake all the time. This state is awake in adults only during the sleep. This is very powerful and grasps the surroundings like a video recorder. So the child gets our mental problems, infatuations, jealousy, disagreements, fights, conflicts and our mental and emotional pain as an inheritance from us. If we want to save our children from that kind of inheritance, the parents will have to improve their lot. The impressions that the children receive in their young age are grasped subtly in their heart and at some point in their life expresses itself.

Pujya Shree Mota
Lagne hajo mangalam
Edition 1, page 147 - 148.

INTROSPECTION -- (2).

          Continued from previous blog

With this introspection he must assess himself with deeper and deeper observation. You cannot say that he will never have any friction with others even if be behaves with this awareness and understanding. But the sadhak who wants to receive the essence of life will always earn the benefit from these incidents. He will learn the art of taking advantage from these apparent unfavorable and hurtful circumstances. As his vision, tendencies and inclinations are trained he will learn to transform and sublimate these apparent hurtful circumstances. He will realize as soon as the natural tendency rises and also gauge its force and power. He will also know how to turn it to his advantage. Even if he gets swept away in its force, he will learn to use this power to strengthen his determination and purpose. He will learn to eke out a small victory even in an apparent defeat. He will also have knowledge and awareness of being swept away in this force of nature. There is some imperfection in sadhak if he does not have this knowledge and awareness.

In this way sadhak learns to understand the appropriate or inappropriate twist of his nature and in turn controls it with equanimity. He will experience the improvement in his behavior towards others. One day out of this he will definitely develop instant comprehension from his heart.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Sandesh
Edition 3; page 197 - 198.

INTROSPECTION -- (1)

In spite of being attacked by his lower nature, sadhak with care and awareness, tries to observe and act to prevent inappropriate behavior by him towards others. He has to understand his actions at every moment and have the real understanding of his inappropriate behavior. If he has recognized himself correctly then his vision, tendency and inclination is always to look for mistake in his thought process, speech and actions. Anyone who sees or tries to look for the fault of others when one is in sad circumstances or faces unjust behavior of others is not a sadhak or at least for the time being that soul is in delusion. As he progresses in his development he will notice that his lower nature tries hard to keep him in her control, at times like the tricks of a magician. When this lower prakruti sees her power lessening she does not keep quite but tries harder with more strength and vigor to rule over sadhak. These attacks takes different and changing forms with different garbs. Introspection is the weapon of defense against this illusory attacks of lower prakruti.
                                                           
                                                                       ---------------  continued next blog
Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Sandesh
Edition 3; page 196 - 197.

GOD ALWAYS TAKES CARE OF EVERYTHING -- (2)

Continued from last blog --

All aspects of prakruti has divine consciousness but there is a difference in it. All works and circumstances of sadhak does not have complete descent of the divine consciousness. It is intermingled with his own lower prakruti. It is very important for the sadhak to find out the part played by his own nature and prakruti. Because of this it is very dangerous for the sadhak to imagine or imitate realized soul before he reaches the level of experiencing the real truth himself.

He will have to derive appropriate inference from the new and different circumstances, people, relationships and thoughts. He needs to do this even after mistakes and stumbling in the process. It is apparent that no body can correct the mistakes unless it is brought to their attention. He has to be ready and aware to figure out the changes he needs to make to transform his prakruti. To see the deficiency in his behavior, thoughts and speech he needs a new vision to evaluate these incidents. Only with this new vision he will realize the need for the change. True surrender (and hence the true experience that God always takes care of everything ) is not gained easily and it requires great effort. It is to be developed with love, devotion and knowledge. This surrender with love and devotion increases as the nature and prakruti of sadhak becomes worthy of the descent of the divine. He then realizes that earlier surrender was just the belief and not a matter of fact in life. At the same time he must realize that this divine energy is responsible for the fruits of his labor and avoid the ego that tends to believe that it was his effort that was responsible for this surrender.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Sandesh
Edition 3; pages 176 - 177.

GOD ALWAYS TAKES CARE OF EVERYTHING (1)

Trichi,

September, 1943.

When some souls develop the tendency towards exploring the God and especially when this urge develops momentum, they develop a strange thought process. This slow down or stops their development. He imagines that since he has accepted the surrender to God, nothing remains to be done by him. All he has to do is to have solid faith in all pervasive divine energy and he is or will be taken care of completely. 

He continues to imagine and believe that whatever he does and whatever circumstances that he is put in, is orchestrated by God and he is only the instrument. Further he believes that he is developing humility that is a hallmark of that belief. He takes the support of overheard sentences like "not even a leaf moves without the wish of the God". He also firms up his belief from the instances where true saints were tested and kept their faith in spite of many dukkhas (દુઃખ, sorrows) and in the end their dukkhas were removed by God. Since he has surrendered to God like holy saints he believes that he should bear whatever comes his way from God and tries to shape his life according to this belief. And yet there is a vast difference in surrender of these holy saints and sadhak. Sadhak suffers and his progress slows down as a result of this belief. Because of superficial understanding of law of karma, we develop a kind of vigorless belief of relying on God. This belief of sadhak in his beginning period is nothing but the same belief in a different garb.

He denies or forgets that he is a sadhak and not realized or emancipated soul. Even though it may be true that God is the ultimate creator and the ultimate truth, sadhak will be harmed if he puts all responsibilities of his behavior and actions in all the circumstances on Him. It is true that God is the controller of prakruti and yet human life is affected by impressions of its past actions, beliefs, feelings, tendencies of intelligence, desires of prana, ego and impure elements of its prakruti. It requires difficult sadhana to recognize these very subtle and hidden effects and it requires even more effort to eradicate them.   ----------------- continued next blog.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Sandesh
Edition 3; pages 174 - 175.

HEARTFELT OPEN-MINDEDNESS(ઉદાર માનસ) ---(2).

We cannot function without the cooperation and get to gather amongst humans in any field of life. This cooperation and get to gather is not possible without heartfelt open-mindedness. Even in a couple, if one of them has this heartfelt open-mindedness they will have a happy union in spite of having many divisive aspects like different nature, view point and intelligence between them. If we have the desire that world must follow according to our beliefs, follow our thoughts, accept our evaluations, accept our life style or respect our feelings then we are setting ourselves for  unhappiness. In the end we have the bitter experience of running after a mirage. It is futile to keep that kind of expectations from the world and even from a family. We need to keep open-mindedness for our own good.

It is proper to think, speak and act according to our own personal characteristics. But to have a blind belief that our's way is the complete truth and insist that everybody must follow it, shows the narrow-mindedness and smallness of the heart. Every body gets hurt in the end.

There is also a belief that you can keep open-mindedness towards others but not towards yourself. This is a fallacy. We can learn to keep open-mindedness towards ourselves if we have practiced to keep open-mindedness with awareness and knowledge towards others. As a result we will learn to evaluate our feelings, opinions, strengths, successes and failures properly. This will also prevent us from becoming stubborn, dogmatic and narrow-minded.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Sandesh
Edition 3; excerpts from pages 118 - 125.

HEARTFELT OPEN- MINDEDNESS (ઉદાર માનસ) ---(1).

Just as grace is a  subtle thread binding God and a human being, heartfelt open-mindedness is equally subtle thread binding human beings. Grace of God and heartfelt open-mindedness are the two sides of the same coin. These two are the forms of the same love that permeates in God, humans and universe.

Love descends in earthly life in the form of open-mindedness. One person can love the other person only when he is willingly to accept different characteristics, strangeness and even perverted and aversion producing personality in other person. This is possible only if that person is open-minded about the other person. Open-mindedness is not possible without the love. In this way they are inter dependent.  To understand, know and experience the love and let the heart immerse and be one with love in the end, heartfelt open-mindedness and eagerness to bear any and every thing of your loved ones is an inevitable necessity. We must understand the real need for increasing our capacity to bear and subsequently gain the sense of instant comprehension to act in an appropriate way. This results in opening of newer visions and newer universes and we experience as if we are born again in theoretical sense. In this fashion the practice of open-mindedness and tolerance creates  a new life in our subtle bodies and begins the process of removal of our element of inertia. It drives out our narrow mental assumptions, selfishness and mental attachments. It makes our lives happy and worthwhile. It reduces the forces of emotions and in this fashion lessens the pressure in our gross and subtle channels. It produces this happy and beneficial effects on us and at the same times it also beneficial to the people surrounding us. In this way we become the oasis of happiness, peace and well being. We become the instrument of God in His divine purpose by being tolerant and this betterment in us is in proportion to our development of tolerance.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Sandesh
Edition 3; page 116 - 117.

MEMORY(SMRUTI, સ્મૃતિ) -- (3).

We may gain or loss from the power of smruti to awaken the past into present. It is not proper to forget the death of a pious father. We should remember him to gain the encouragement in our progress and not be unhappy about it. Guided by discretion, smruti should awaken and keep alive only those helpful thoughts. To some extent everybody's smruti is inspirational. It is one method of sadhana to keep alive this inspirational memories.

It is entirely possible to get stuck in the emotional aspect of these memories. Sadhak should be extremely careful at this time. With equanimity, he must give constructive push to these memories. This equanimity is not dull and inert. Also it is not the carelessness and indifference toward the society. This detachment and equanimity is soaked with love that helps to increase the veneration and love towards Bhagawan.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Sandesh
Edition 3; page 303.

This letter was written in 1944. It seems that it was written at the time of death of the father of a devotee.

MEMORY (SMRUTI, સ્મૃતિ) - (2).

Sadhak needs to use memory with great discretion. It is a form of energy and to be useful, it needs to be appropriately controlled. Memory can be useful by recognizing and regulating the noble virtues of heart and mind. At the same time it can breath life into bad impressions too. As a result sadhak needs to nourish some impressions and destroy others with the help of memory. It takes a lot from sadhak to bring this process to fruition. He does not rest until this process of preventing harmful impressions going deeper or preventing resurgence of the already established impressions becomes a habit of the mind. He does this with the help of memory and does not rest until this is done. It is easy to say this but in practice it requires a great deal of sadhana to train the mind. Sadhak does this with the help of the same memory.

He experiences that his mind grasps the degrading impressions with ease and speed. He needs to join a different kind of conscious chain of thoughts with this impression to prevent it from establishing or awakening similar degrading impressions. He needs to do this with awareness and equanimity. Sadhak can take the help of naam-smaran, prayer or guru-smaran to prevent this kind of impression from going deeper as soon as he confronts the talk or incidence of that kind. Sadhak blossoms when he always invokes and entertains the good hearted intentions and good qualities in people who have tried to harm him. To get the strength to awaken different kind of impressions with this new habit is a part of sadhana. Sadhak must learn to view every incident with a different kind of attitude.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Sandesh
Edition 3; pages 301 - 302.

MEMORY (SMRUTI, સ્મૃતિ) -- (1).

Sadhak needs to keep variety of arsenal in his quest to progress in the life. Memory is one of the important tools. It is beneficial only if the memory is used in a right way.

Memory helps in the process of accumulating the impressions (sanskars,સંસ્કાર) on the mind, although not directly. The mind and its receptivity actually accumulates the impressions. Memory does the work of waking up the old impressions. It gives the form of thought or imagination to this dormant impressions. Because of this the old impressions solidifies. Memory helps the process in this fashion.

More over the memory also helps the process of receptivity of the impressions when received initially. As soon as the impression is received, memory connects it to the other related impressions and thus binds them with the chain of consciousness. As a consequence, the initial impression gets to be stronger. Certain impressions penetrate the layers of subconscious mind, while the impressions connected with the chain of consciousness being stronger, springs up on the surface in the form of thoughts or emotions on its own at the opportune times. Many amongst us have the experience of certain impressions coming to surface after many years for no apparent reason. This happens as a result of its connection to other impressions by the chain of memory. It is apparent that memory has a role in this process. In  this fashion memory helps in both the processes of solidifying and reawakening the impressions.  
                                                                           To be continued in next blog
Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Sandesh
Edition 3; Excerpts from pages 299 - 300.

FEELING SAFE AND SECURE - (2).

Natural tendencies of the mind has many forms and its play is endless with multiple ramifications. You can say the same regarding the truth. Truth also has multiple facets and forms. If we hold on to the truth for one situation then we can miss other forms of truths in other situations. We should not hold on to the feeling of security so that we do not cling to partial or only one particular aspect of the truth. Only then we can move from one situation to another. Once we feel secure in one situation it creates a kind of inert satisfaction. We will never experience the bravery, sense of adventure, strength,  enthusiasm and intoxicating sense of purpose while leaping forward to some unknown situation. This feeling of security in the mind will try to convince us that present situation is the ideal one creating hindrances to change from this static situation. It will create many mental miseries and clashes. Sadhak should never encourage or entertain the condition of security to avoid this situation. There is a saying that, " It is good for the monk to always be on the move". We need to interpret this in terms of continuous progress. Sadhak should be like that too. Change and associated struggle is necessary for the progress in his life. One will never experience the taste of divine nectar without the struggle. This struggle is necessary not only internally but for external situations too.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Sandesh
Edition 3; pages 65 - 66.

FEELING SAFE AND SECURE (1)

Safety and security in external situations means staying put in the same situation. Feeling of satisfaction in the situations and circumstances that you are in results in lack of progress and eventual downfall. Sadhak cannot afford to feel secure at any stage. The roots of downfall lies in this satisfaction at any stage in his progress. This rule applies to both, an individual and the whole universe equally.

Sadhak can never feel satisfied and stay put during his long and arduous journey. He must be keenly aware that every situation is an indication of incompleteness. He must have this divine flame of dissatisfaction burning in his heart coupled with lots of patience. In this fashion he must create a happy union of intense, creative and irrepressible longing for progress and immense patience.

We should not experience the sense of security in any phase of our lives. Always keep in mind that everything is transient except God. We must understand with knowledge that any phase of life with its sense of security is a temporary one and we should not experience the sense of security in it. Whenever the mind has a sense of security in anything, it needs to be confronted and stopped from going further in that direction.The force of prakruti gets an upper hand on us as we have the habit of staying in the same secure condition. Our path for divine transformation becomes easy and forceful only when we let go our sense of security.This is the way to reduce or eliminate the strength of the prakruti. The feeling of security never gives us a chance to change our nature. Not only that, our old nature gets to be more adamant due to staying in the same situation.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Sandesh
Edition 3; pages 64 - 65.

Shama's two cents -- Feeling of safe and secure is not equivalent to happiness.

TRADITION OF GURU-DEVOTION.

The letter that I am writing you today is for the purpose of explaining the attacks on the essence of guru-tradition by a good, polite and knowledgable man. This is appropriate. The whole idea behind the tradition was to develop one's life. This tradition over the period of time became useless and full of falsehood. Any one with true knowledge will be sad at this kind of degeneration of the tradition. It is very appropriate to attack this degenerated tradition. It may cleanse the tradition and it is a kind of cleansing-yagna.

At the same time acceptance of guru as a tool is not useless if it is used to develop unadulterated  practical knowledge in life and accepted with love, devotion and knowledge. It is also a matter undeniable experience that if used properly one can gain knowledge. If not used for it's defined purpose the tool will not be useful. The use of bhavna of guru is for the uplifting and developing one's life. We should think twice about the guru-bhavna if there is absence of its usefulness in our lives. It is also important to examine ourselves regarding its appropriate use by us. Sometimes it is our fault if we fail to use it appropriately. This tradition of guru has led to inertia and laziness in the society. It should not happen this way if tradition is followed in the right way. The understanding and problems of life have not changed and have remained the same. So the attacks on guru tradition is very appropriate.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan pokar
Edition 4; pages 128 - 129.

My two cents --
This letter is addressed to one of the devotees. This devotee earlier wrote to Pujya Shree Mota regarding a very knowledgable and good hearted person attacking guru-devotion and she wanted some kind of explanation.

PROGRESS WHEN PUT TO TEST (કસોટી) IN LIFE

Just as we need to be tested when we understand, observe and analyze ourselves with equanimity, testing is also necessary to propel us forward. Lots of people have mentioned that times are hard to bear when one undergoes testing. Just as one fights in the battlefield with vigor and intensity and develops a kind of focused attention, there develops similar focused attention in the deserving sadhak who is undergoing the testing. Nothing gets sharpened without this testing. It is necessary to test the appropriateness of the development in one's life. It is not possible to judge the strength of one's life without these tests. It is a measure of the real worth of the sadhak when life becomes luminous, bright
and full of energy at the time of testing. Testing is a step for the progress in the life. It is also true that the testing is a time for the examination, struggle and mental gloom. It is never a period of repentance, sorrow or infatuations. In fact true sadhak becomes more alert and aware. Testing is not a maze but an eye opener, developer of love, devotion, bhavna and force for development. It is also an instrument to propel us forward in the path. If we accept this times of testing with love and devotion and act with the awareness of its purpose, we will definitely shine.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Manthan
Edition 3; page 258 - 259.

MY EARNEST REQUEST -- PUJYA SHREE MOTA.

Lots of people help me and do my work. Even though these works are done with love this soul may not be able to reciprocate. Some souls feel that we do so much work for him and yet he does not appreciate or reciprocate our work or help. Some even go to the extent of saying" he goes to some people's homes and never comes to ours,""' he receives some with love and yet he does not understand us ". Different souls have different kind of thoughts and comparisons in their mind regarding this soul.

Nobody should respect or honor this soul. He never asks for anything. Do not do his work and if you really want to do it then only do it, keeping in your mind that the sole purpose is your own life's development. No body should expect any returns from this soul. Do not keep any mental expectation that since we did this for him, he should reciprocate in certain fashion. I request this to all my swajans who have come in my contact by the grace of God.

I will not feel bad if no one calls on me and there is no expectation for this association in my heart  either. By the grace of God our ways are awkward. We do not follow the notion that we must reciprocate the works done for us. Some people say that we do so much for mota and yet he never listens to us. Some times they even use harsh language and utter inappropriate words.

Any soul that feels that way should stop completely associating with us. Only souls that feel our association will help them to progress in their lives and that also with knowledge and concrete experiences, should associate with us. If you want to embrace then do it with conviction and not just for namesake. Association for namesake is not only futile but can be troublesome.

So all of you need to do the things for yourselves. If we ask you to do anything for us then you have the right to scorn us. If you exercise that right, we will still love you and be joyous.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Sopan
from the preface
Edition 3; page 9 - 10.

KNOW THYSELF.

One who wants to be a successful sadhak must know one's self completely. Bhagawan always gives appropriate circumstances so one can see one's inner self clearly just as one can see one's physical self clearly in the mirror. One can also change one's inner self if one wishes, since one can see it clearly. There will be many such incidents and it will be always beneficial if one learns from it.


We have lots of untangled knots in our mind that cannot stay hidden for long. If we fail to disentangle these knots from its very nature, these knots will get tighter and tighter with newer and different incidents. Know for sure that if we continue to see, observe and understand these incidents with old hardened knots in our mind, there will never be happiness in our lives.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Manthan
Edition 3; page 190 - 191.

FREEDOM FROM ATTACHMENTS

We take laxative only in the amount that we need and then we do not have the appetite to take any more. We should have the same attitude towards all the objects that we want to enjoy and experience. Everything needs to be used only for the need to maintain and support ourselves. We will develop the bhavna of appropriateness as we act accordingly whenever such incidents arise. By practicing actions with this bhavna of appropriateness over a period of time, develops a natural and easy restraint on these attachments. We need to use everything for and towards Bhagawan with the sense of gratitude and sincerity in our heart. Only then true bhavna of freedom from attachments develop.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Manthan
Edition 3; page 184.

DEVELOPING BHAVNA IN SADHANA

Sadhak should develop the following bhavna with focused attention.

Eagerness and sincerity of the purpose in sadhana.
Clearness in the speech.
Reduce harshness and express sweetness in your speech
Speech should express truthfulness and not support falsehood.
Enthusiasm to gain knowledge (gyana, જ્ઞાન).
Honesty with friends.
Respect and honor towards elders.
Modesty and politeness towards Guru.
Seriousness of the intent to develop the bhavna.
Appreciation and liking for good qualities in others.
Devotion towards Bhagawan.
Performing the works for the love of Bhagawan.

Do not entertain or associate with anything that is counter productive to above bhavna.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Mathan
Edition; 3, page 186.

DEPEND UPON BHAVA RATHER THAN A PHOTOGRAPH.

You can do dhyan by fixing your gaze on the tip of your nose. But it is better to develop the tendency of equanimity by watching your thoughts with closed eyes and not adding any new thoughts. Let the thoughts go by.

I do not have my photograph. Instead of photograph create all the feelings and bhavna in your heart about this soul (Pujya Shree Mota) and with closed eyes bring him in front of you and experience him alive. Keep your mind engaged with him and establish and stabilize this bhava in your mind.

It is a best method to express the love and devotion in a subtle way in your heart and with that bhava bring the image in front of your eyes.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Sopan
Edition 3; page 43 - 44.

My two cents --  This letter is also addressed to a lady devotee.

METHOD OF DHYAN (MEDIATION) FOR BEGINNERS.

It is a very good thing that you had only few thoughts during mediation when you did the meditation for the first time on the day of Gurupurnima. You continue to do meditation in this way for 15 minutes in the morning and evening. For the first five minutes do naam-smaran with love and tenderness in your heart. Ask for the help and grace of Bhagawan with love and devotion. Begin with the bhavna (intent and feeling) of establishing stillness in your mind. While doing this observe any thoughts that arise as a witness. Do not give consent or approval to these thoughts. What it means that you should not add any connected thought to the thought that has already been observed by you as a witness. In short you should not add another thought yourself and create the chain of thoughts. For now this is what you should do. Write to me with open heart whatever is observed when you do this.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Sopan
Edition 3; page 32 - 33.

My two cents --
This is written in a letter to a lady devotee in 1951. It is worth noting that Pujya Shree Mota has not mentioned any thing about concentrating on breathing or heart center at this juncture. Establishing bhava and bhavna in the process seems to be the key in the early practice of meditation.

THREE CONDITIONS FOR SADHANA

For the soul who wants to do sadhana, the first and the foremost condition is the burning desires to change the direction of life. Nothing is possible if there is no such desire. If there is desire then the second thing is to deny the tendencies and inclinations of the prakruti at the very instant it springs up. The third thing that is needed for the soul is to offer everything at the lotus feet of Shree Bhagawan with love, devotion and knowledge. In the beginning these three conditions are very important for the soul that desires to become sadhak.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Sopan
Edition 3; page 257.

WHO IS A SADHAK?

If you do not want to come out of the whirlpool of problems of the world there is no awareness of the situation. It also means that you still enjoy the ways of the world and continue to live the life as is. You will definitely protest if you get entangled in these problems and you do not like it. That kind of a soul cannot help but be aware in this situation. One who becomes aware, protests and denies these negative propensity of thoughts, wishes, desires, natural tendencies, feelings, likes and dislikes, habit of thinking only in certain ways and that also continuously and at the instant it arises, is a sadhak. This is the definite parameter of the soul that does sadhana.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Sopan
Edition 3; page 256 - 257.

SELF NARRATION AND APPARENT FAULTS OF OTHERS

Swajan :  Then how do we tackle the issue of apparent faults of others and subsequent development of uneasiness, unhappiness and perplexity in us?

Pujya Shree Mota :  If you have the feelings for your swajan and you get upset at finding the faults with him, you should stay quiet and not say anything at that time. It is not an appropriate time when you are fuming within. You should self narrate everything that you want to say to your swajan when there is peaceful moment. You should do this with great humility, softness, tenderness and love in your heart. You should feel relieved after self narrating in this fashion.

Swajan : What do you mean when you say to do this self narration with humility and softness?

Pujya Shree Mota : When there is no quietness from within, it is our tendency to believe that we are always right in a given situation. We need to abandon this tendency of self righteousness with clear understanding. It is possible to do this only when there is peace within. Only when we reduce the ego in this fashion, it is possible to experience bhava of humility in your heart. Softness of the heart means developing awareness of not experiencing harsh feelings, jealousy and vindictiveness toward the other person. When this bhava develops faults of others even if enters us will not get established. With this bhava in your heart you should self  narrate by accepting the faults as yours and not others in a positive way. Observe and empty out whatever springs up with the same bhava. This narration does not need to be in front of the swajan but needs to be done in privacy to yourself. With this practice the habit of seeing faults of others will get weaker and weaker. It is important to understand that it is our weakness to see faults of others repeatedly. By doing this we will understand this fact.

Think about this talk with a quiet mind and experiment on your own.

Pujya Shree Mota
Sukh no marg
Edition 7; pages 21 - 22.

My two cents -- Self narration ( આત્મ નિવેદન ) needs to be done with great humility and love (bhava of heart).

SLEEP DURING SADHANA.

The reason for falling a sleep during sadhana is our inability to use will power (ઇચ્છાશક્તિ). Just as the edges of the knife gets sharper with its use, will power gets stronger with its use. We can definitely prevent sleep during sadhana if we use our will power in sadhana and also in our daily lives with the intent and spirit to develop our bhavna.

Pujya Shree Mota

Jivan pagathi

Edition 6; page 126.

My two cents -- Pujya Shree Mota has used the word sadhana and not dhyan and that may be significant.

ROOT CAUSES OF DUKKHA (દુઃખ) --- 4.

Swajan :  Mota, my heart gets heavy after listening to your talks. I have never thought about the root causes of dukkha in this manner. You have opened the door for this new channel of thought. But I still have a question. What kind of bhava needs to be expressed in my behavior and interaction with others?

Pujya Shree Mota :  I am repeating the same thing with the purpose of solidifying this concept in your mind. You will forget this fundamental concept of a way to sukkha (સુખ) unless it makes an indelible impression in your mind. You must fundamentally understand that your aim is to live your life in peace and happiness. You will have to struggle to achieve this in your life.

You must be aware instantly when your mind gets interested in finding faults of others. You have decided to not see these faults as it is a part of natural characteristic in this worldly affairs. You need to coax and engage your mind to find the ways to maintain peace and happiness. At this juncture it is worthwhile to remember the favorite toy of Gandhiji, the triple monkeys. Do not see, hear or speak about other person's faults.

In short your mind will stop seeing faults of other people if you engage your mind in finding the ways to keep peace and happiness. This is the real way to achieve peace. You have some faults and others have different faults. We all have faults and defects. So we are not in a position to advice or improve anybody.

Pujya Shree Mota
Sukhano marg
Edition 7; pages 11--12.

ROOT CAUSES OF DUKKHA (દુઃખ) -- 3

Swajan :  So there is no fault of others when they cause dukkha to me?

Pujya Shree Mota :  The fault lies with the very way the worldly affairs are constructed. We get unhappy as there is ignorance regarding the very nature of this world and prakruti. We also fail to find the root cause of happiness due to this ignorance.

We are not going to improve defects in other people. It is also a fallacy to believe that we can remove these defects. We must accept this as a basic fundamental fact. It is a false understanding that we will be happy if others improve by our suggestions and we get peace and  happiness in return. This understanding is wrong because it is directed by ego. How can we improve others when we ourselves are full of defects directed by ego?

And there is one more thing. It is also true that our peace will be disturbed by repeatedly noticing and thinking about others faults. Let go completely the habit of noticing other peoples faults. There will always be conflicts, quarrels, afflictions and indecisions in this world as it is the very nature of it.

Pujya Shree Mota
Sukhano marg
Edition 7 ; page 9 - 10, excerpts from page 8.

ROOT CAUSES OF DUKKHA (દુઃખ) -- 2

Swajan :  My purpose now is to spend my days in peace and happiness. I try to be peaceful and do not advise anybody. If someone tells me unpleasant things I tend to be nice. Why don't  people leave me alone? I act with goodwill and yet people act with malice towards to me. Why do things happen this way?

Pujya Shree Mota :  My dear one, you told the first thing right and yet the other thing was faulty. It is true that you have decided to live in peace and happiness. But you are not aware of this goal all the time. You must constantly make an effort for that purpose with awareness. You will not find faults with other family members because of these efforts to stay peaceful and happy. This happens as you do not engage your mind completely to achieve your goal of peace and happiness. Mind then tends to engage itself in finding faults of others. So it very important to be aware of the goal and the efforts to achieve it.

Pujya Shree Mota
Sukhano marg
Edition 7: page 9.

ROOT CAUSES OF DUKKHA ( દુઃખ ) -- 1

Swajan :   Mota, I am pretty well set up economically and yet when somebody insults, reprimands or speaks to me with anger there is feeling of dukkha in me. If there is a dispute in the family, everybody always blames me for that. I do not understand the reasons for the blame when there is no wrong committed by me. Why it always happens this way?

Pujya Shree Mota :  You experience dukkha because of the behavior of your family members towards you. You also tell me that there is no fault from your side. This experience of dukkha and the cause of it is contradictory. As I understand you feel that the fault lies with your family and not with you. This understanding and thinking have a fundamental flaw. As long as we live in this world with the intent of worldly bhava, nobody is faultless.

Swajan :  I did not understand the meaning of worldly-bhava.

Pujya Shree Mota :  It means we live with ego and affection in this world and act with that bhava. It can be expressed as "I say this or believe this," "only my way is the right one," "everybody must behave as per my way," etc. It may also mean that the family members must respect my wishes. To think this way and hold on to this belief is worldly-bhava. The belief and understanding that you are educated and people take your advice outside the family and nobody listens to you in the family, is also full of ego.

Pujya Shree Mota
Sukhano marg
Edition 7, page 7 - 8.

CONFRONT YOUR SELF

Sabarmati,
30/4/1942.

Dear Bhai,

You continue to confront your self. It is useless and futile to fight with somebody else. There is increase in discord and quarrel when you do that. You get unique and complete understanding about yourself when you confront your own inner implements like mind, emotions, etc. You also get the understanding of the tricks that you play with yourself. Your own inner understanding improves and you get the instant comprehension in any given situation. Because of these reasons you should continue to confront your inner self from within.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan pagathi
Edition 6; page 127.