WAKE UP AND BE AWARE AT THE TIME OF CRITICAL TEST

We have to see that creative bhava of joy and happiness (aanand આનંદ), is maintained continuously in our aadhar (base). Know that there is no real achievement if you do not experience such happiness. The critical tests come when there are incidents of mind and other instruments going astray from our aim of life. The soul that becomes aware at the time of such tests survives the tests. Depending upon the level of our awareness, we get real estimate of our level of achievements in life and the intensity of the desire to achieve our goal during the time of the tests. We get the measure of the level of our sadhana from the level of real awareness during the test. So when we get the desire to get interested in unnecessary and useless talks or in the external activities that defies our purpose, we should be aware at the time with equanimity and try to guide our instruments (mind etc) inwards towards the bhava of the heart (aanand) with more joy and interest.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Sanshodhan
Edition 6; Page 10.

DOUBTS AND INNER OBSERVATION.

In spiritual path there is a definite possibility of developing doubts and suspicions. It is very difficult to understand the ripples of the mind because of its unimaginable strength and subtlety. It is even more difficult to be above the mind and stay there. Since the roots of lack of faith and doubts are very deep, it is difficult to find and annihilate them. So when you experience even the slightest hint of that lack of faith (અશ્રધ્ધા) and doubts are developing, do not give it importance and store in the mind. By holding it in the mind this poisonous insect of doubts and suspicion is fed and it multiplies. Great harm is done to the tender plant of sadhana. If we do not practice to start doing very subtle observation of our mind, certain kind of dullness and inertia settles in. In this condition there is a feeling that we are progressing along the path of sadhana but in fact we stay in the same condition.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Sanshodhan
Edition 6; Pages 62 - 63.

BIGGEST SIN --- LACK OF FAITH

This does not mean that there should be no faith in sat-guru. One thing that is most hindrance and troublesome is either complete lack of faith or partial faith. As a matter of fact partial faith is like no faith. Our evaluation of sin and good deeds changes as we tread along the path of sadhana. In spiritual field lack of faith is the biggest sin since it is the heaviest and most stubborn obstacle in the path to remove. Faith is considered creative and expressive only when we have developed true heartfelt devotion in the ultimate goal of life and the tools that are used to achieve that goal. When we really need the help from somebody it is not difficult to be attached to that person. When there is sudden and real self interest is present we ignore unpleasant aspects and even if it is obvious we tend to ignore it. This is a matter of our experience. We do not have 'must have' like self interest in sadhana. I say that if you have self interest keep faith. Nothing will work in this path without faith. Faith is conducive to knowledge and wisdom. Faith is never blind as that is its characteristic. People who call faith as blind do not understand it. So there is no need for any explanation for the contra-wise feeling you have about this soul. I am telling you this very clearly as a friend that this kind of doubts are very dangerous. It is not possible to remove this vrutti of doubt just by writing about it. It is painful to see this condition of swajans (relatively) who have come on their own for development of their lives. This soul will happily accept this pain as an ultimate grace and blessings from Shree Prabhu (bhagawan) with joyous spirit.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Sanshodhan
Edition 6; Pages 60 - 61.

BHAVA OF SURRENDER ----- ILLUSIONARY OR APPROPRIATE

Some people start believing in the earlier stages of sadhana that they have surrendered to Shree Bhagawan  and are guided by Him. They say He is the doer of all and He guides them and they do not have to make any effort. According to Christian belief Devil's friend Belial argues that worse argument is best for the prosperity and progress. This understanding is like the argument of Devil's friend (means one of the vrutti or tendency that pulls us down) is good for us. We will feel like ' Oh! We have so much faith towards our sat-guru!' and then continue to encourage laziness and inaction. Our minds will try to convince us and we will believe that we do not have anything further to do for the advancement of our sadhana. Look and wonder! Mind will not only cooperate but guide us in other works and we will continue to work hard ourselves.  Mind will tell us to avoid self effort only in the path of development of our lives and we will cooperate with it. Our progress will definitely suffocate. The faith that is discussed above is (as a matter of fact) not based on the whole truth. The reason for our belief to be baseless is our minds, intellect, chitta, prana and ego are not sublimated into Him. In reality sadhak in the initial stages cannot keep real trust in the grace even though he may believe he does.

It is possible to depend on grace alone, only after complete surrender with love and devotion. It does happen in that situation. It is possible to have that kind of bhava of surrender with wisdom and understanding only when there is complete fusion, sublimation and assimilation of all our inner (antah-karan, અંતઃકરણ) and outer instruments of our aadhar in Shree Bhagawan. Afterwards such sadhak is guided by Shree Bhagawan in all the matters pertaining to his life. So he does not care even if he has suffering. He has  even surrendered his physical body to Shree Bhagawan so he is not afraid of any mental or physical maladies and he accepts it as a blessings from Shree Bhagawan.

Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Sanshodhan
Edition 6, Pages 60 - 61.

DEFINITION OF SADHANA

You may have feelings of happiness in meditation (dhyan, ધ્યાન) today but tomorrow you may experience opposite feelings. When there is opposite experience to your expectations, please do not get upset. That should be considered a passing phase and should be taken as a passing by cloud in the sky. We should be constantly aware that we do not get entangled in anything and it does not leave any deep impression on us. It is true sadhana when our attitude towards our life's goal keeps flowing uninterrupted in the day today karmas and actions, without getting sucked into the force of the flow of inner instruments (mind, forces of prana, ego etc), and there is expression of equanimity, balanced attitude, peace and joy in our works. With the grace of God this effort is made with heartfelt sincerity and awareness. You can consider the effort done in a right way if there is refusal of any expression of inner natural tendencies and there is no longer continuity of these tendencies if expressed; at the same time inner instruments are immersed in the ultimate goal of our sadhana with full attention. There is true beginning of the sadhana when inner instruments are not deeply involved in any kind of natural tendencies or if they get involved we develop the art (with continuity) of denying them the platform with awareness and maintaining the composure at all the time.    
 
Pujya Shree Mota
Jivan Sanshodhan
Edition 6; Pages 49 - 50.