FAITH (શ્રધ્ધા) ---- (1)

Swajan :  If there is faith in something, it tends to be fulfilled many times. Does it involve absence of unnecessary thoughts and concentration?

Pujya Shree Mota :  When our faith matures regarding anything, our minds tend to develop in such a state that there are no thoughts of any kind meaning there are no objectionable thoughts. Mature faith remembers the object of the faith and has knowledge about it also. Faith is not blank but it is the basis of the knowledge. When we get engaged in any subject with faith the knowledge regarding that subject is automatically comprehended as we proceed to work. It means the faith lasts till the job is done. It cannot last beyond that particular work. For example, when there are several works need to be done faith will last for the first work and if you need to do another work, there needs to be introduction of this new work. We need to pray to Bhagawan "Prabhu, old work is done and new work is going to start. I do have some comprehension of the work but it is not of the best quality. Please let your grace help me to finish the work in best possible manner and with ease. Please grant me the comprehension and understanding of the work". If we pray in that spirit, faith will appear after sometime".
                                               --------- Continued next blog.
                                             
Pujya Shree Mota
Pujya Shree Mota Sathe Satsang
Joda - Jod. Edition 1; Pages 4 -5.

DEVELOPING QUIETUDE (નીરવતા) IN MIND

Swajan :  Mota, Is it true that awareness develops when there is quietude in the mind?

Pujya Shree Mota :  Yes, Quietude is such that we do not understand it till that is practiced and experienced. It is just like having money and getting support and comfort from it. Quietude is just like that. We need to practice  to develop it. I thought "we keep on talking about it but do not do anything about it". So I developed the habit of creating quietude in my mind ten to fifteen times during the day. In the beginning it did not matter whether it was achieved it or not. I would suddenly stop the typing work and try to be quiet. Parikshitlal (coworker) used to tell me that it is not proper to stop for a prayer while I was working. I will not answer him. I would see that there are no thought and vrutties in my mind. It did not matter even if it is for one or two seconds. This is also a big deal. You should try to be quiet and observe the mind. It may be for one, two, three, five, ten seconds or for an hour or two. You can do that for ten, twenty- thirty times in a day. Create a habit of doing this as a part of your daily routine. While sitting in the office you can do the process five-six times and even if you are successful two or three times, you will have the clear idea of quietude (regarding its existence) and develop the grip on the process. Eventhough our existence is in gross physical we have our soul as well as quietude. Initially when practiced two-three times it was not experienced by the mind. Once the quietude is gripped by the mind with concrete experience, next time it is practiced for longer time. This should be done several times a day while working. If we practice with clear understanding, it can be done for much longer time, in fact it happens on its own. This is also a kind of powerful sadhana and yet it is fairly easy. It is not vexatious.

Pujya Shree Mota
Pujya Shree Mota Sathe Satsang
Anvaya-- Samanvaya
Edition 1; pages 63 - 64.

DESTINY AND EFFORT (પ્રારબ્ધ અને પુરુષાથૅ)

Swajan :  Mota, why is the destiny considered superior to efforts?

Pujya Shree Mota :  Most people live according to their tendencies and the root of the tendencies lies as the accumulated impressions in the psyche. It is said that the totality of these impressions is the destiny. These impressions are so strong that the soul continues to act according to these tendencies. Let me know if these statements are rational as you must clearly understand it.

Swajan :  Then I will definitely ask you, Mota. So the natural tendencies arise from the totality of the old impressions?

Pujya Shree Mota :  Most behave according to these tendencies. Occasional soul that has a definite goal in life may not behave according to these tendencies. If the tendencies are not appropriate for his goal he will not act according to his tendencies. He will act according to his goal in life. These kind of souls are far and few inbetween. It is very difficult to come out of our tendencies without equanimity. Most human beings have not developed this kind of equanimity so they act according to their tendencies. Since most people act according to these tendencies it may have been assumed that things happen according to the destiny. Afterwards learned people and story tellers increased the myth over a period of time.

If you think intellectually and scientifically making effort is powerful. We can do whatever we decide but our goal is not appropriate. We keep on acting as if we are slipping on the slippery surface. We can understand these tendencies only if there is equanimity within us and only then we are ready to act in a different way. When we understand the results of acting in a different way, we are ready to act in that way. There is a need for certain effort to develop equanimity. It does not develop on its own. There is no equanimity in ordinary human beings who are upto their head involved in the activities of the prakruti (nature). We live that kind of life.

These tendencies do not fall from the sky. It is from the impressions that has been created from our actions. So these tendencies can be positive or negative. One who has decided the goal acts according to positive tendencies only. Ordinary person does not have independent initiative but the person with the goal has this independent initiative.

Pujya Shree Mota
Pujya Shree Mota Sathe Satsang
Grah - Grahan. Edition 1,  pages 33 - 34.

DEVELOP GOOD QUALITIES (GUNAS, ગુણો) IN CHILDREN.

It is not going to work without developing good qualities. We have to develop good qualities. Good qualities are needed even in worldly life. Our people do not have much importance of it. In old times — 100-125 years back — older people used to teach and develop such good qualities in children. It does not mean that they were giving advice about it. They never said" do this or do that". They showed them definite works so that such good qualities automatically develop in them e.g If they want to develop fearlessness they would tell the child to get some cow urine from certain place for their personal use at night around 10 pm. Parents used to send their children to develop other good qualities also. Such qualities should be developed in any case. Parents understood that it is important to develop such qualities in children and they deliberately helped children to develop good qualities. These days the parents do not have such vision precluding this possibility. In fact they increase the fear in children by telling them" Don't do that otherwise police will take you ". They increase the fear instead of decreasing it. Children should be sent in darkness (under supervision), taught to swim and inspire them to do difficult work that is hard for them to accomplish. All these good qualities should be instilled in children at young age. This kind of vision and understanding is lacking in today's society.

Pujya Shree Mota Sathe Satsang
Grah - Grahan
Edition 1; page 23.