In a very short period of time, Janak attained such a great achievement and then.. and then we got to know that Janak had ruled his kingdom. Ashtavakra stayed in his ashram. In Janak's life... his daughter then came into his life, then she was married to Lord Rama etc. etc. Whatever happened in his life or later when Janak imparted this knowledge to Shukadev, this conversation also comes later. This means he kept on living his regular life as a king and as a teacher while managing his kingdom. He did not leave anything. So this great realization was attained by Janak when he was a king and later also he remained as a king. He did not leave anything. You will attain Atma-gyana (self-realization) only after leaving behind your house & family and coming to an ashram, this thinking will be very wrong. Yes! Until the Self realization was attained by Janak, he stayed in the presence Ashtavakra. When he attained Self-realization then he went back. But this is about Janak and you are not Janak, you are who you are! Everyone's life story is different. Everyone's prarabhda (destiny) is different. So if your prarabhda gives you an opportunity... Like even now, in the Ashram there are some disciples who have been staying here since last 5 months, some for last two months. This 'work from home' option gave a good provision to many. Those who have to do their work on laptop, for 4-6 hours a day they do their work from here. And rest of the time they do sewa (service) & sadhana (spiritual practice). They are learning systematically. It does not affect, it is also not the part of the Atma-gyana (Self-realization). These days after the yoga session, some disciples are being taught body anatomy, the 'Yoga body anatomy'. In that, after bones, knowledge of muscles will be taken up. Regular classes are running. People are learning. So this opportunity, this level of capability, sadhana and dedication- If I see, is present in them, I permit them to stay here for 2 months, 4 months or 6 months. They can do sewa as well as their sadhana. Sometimes, there are certain things in which proximity (of the Guru) is necessary. In order to get this... now it is not necessary that everyone will get this, if many people start to write emails or letters then I don't decline but in that, his/her selection will depend on some criteria. I make this selection after looking at certain things. Then I select them. Look, this Ashram belongs to all of you. You all know this. Now it is your choice whether you want to come & meet once or twice in a year and then go back or you really want to learn a lot and want to do a lot. Based on that, certainly you will get an opportunity. You will be given an opportunity because a place where you get to learn & practice is what an ashram is. What else? All this set up which has been made here, is for disciples and by disciples. Right? All of my sanayasis (renunciates), that are here, as a team, they make all necessary arrangements for you. Anyways! If not now...but someday when a very strong desire is awakened in someone, then, until then, he comes occasionally, that's ok. Come & meet occasionally, no problem. But the day you wish ardently from within then I will definitely give you an opportunity like this. We will certainly give you a chance, you must definitely take this. Who will deny ? I am not going to deny. Sometimes, sometimes you know, I see very good people. Their intellect is good, mind is good. So I feel that they should stay for longer duration. But their minds are infested with many thorns (of attachments). In Punjabi, we call it 'Kundi'. In English, we call it 'hook'. So when your mind is hooked with worldly matters, that hook will pull you back. What to do then? No problem, for now they are entangled. When they are out of these (worldly) entanglements then we will talk. But sometimes what happens, life gets over but the attachments are not. Few days ago, I got the news that someone died. I said, 'How crazy? He hadn't achieved anything and he died, why ? Die only after you have done something. When you have not done anything, you should not even have the right to die before that. But what to do? One who is born will also die. He will go and before this body dies, we must make our life worthwhile. We must always keep making such efforts. Taking one last question. Sudhir Kulkarni asks, 'While doing sadhana, sometimes without any reason, all of a sudden, a person or an event from past comes to surface, or some face arises and stays in mind for a long time.' How do I get rid of this memory of a person/event from my past? Today is a good day, so I will share one more story. Someone's wife passed away. For sometime he remained in grief. After that, you know how males are - he felt that he should re-marry. So he befriended a woman. And this woman almost agreed to get married with this widower. At night when he went to sleep, he was thinking that now his wedding day is very near. That very night his wife's, dead wife's ghost came & sat on his chest & said 'You will re-marry..? I will eat you alive... Before you I will eat her...'. He was so terrified, so afraid, so scared. Then he felt that it might be a delusion. But next day, wife's ghost arrived again. Again the night after, again & again she came...he was horror-struck. Then a thought came that, 'I should go & ask my Guru.' He went to his Guru. He said 'Master, my wife's ghost is disturbing me a lot, what should I do?' He said, 'Do one thing, I am giving this chit in your hand. Chit.. Something is written on this chit. You will also not read it. Just keep this chit in your hand and tonight when you sleep or go to sleep and when your wife's ghost arrives then tell her with courage - What is written on the chit in my hand? If you can tell me then I will not re-marry. Okay?' He took the chit. At night, when he turned off the lights to sleep, ghost arrived. When she came, at first he was scared. But then he remembered that his Guru gave him a chit. When this remembrance dawned, about the chit in his hand, then he said, 'If you can tell me what is written on the chit in my hand then I will completely abandon the thought of remarrying.' As soon as he said this - ghost just disappeared. He turned on the lights, opened the chit, and read... Do you want to know what did Guru write on this chit ? Guru had written- There is no ghost. It is just the fear of your mind which is seen as a ghost. Since he had not read the chit, so his mind did not know. So how can a ghost perceived in the mind know this ? What does this mean? If impressions of any event or memory are perceived in your mind... Whatever you put in your mind, things perceived are the manifestations of this very mind. If you are not liking them today... That, 'Why am I seeing them?' So that memories of the person, event or circumstances from the past should not pop up... For that, in present, your own body is an illusion, is a myth, if you are ascertained of this illusion... The world that I am seeing is also an illusion. My body is an illusion. Then what will happen? No ghost can stay. It is a projection of your own mind which disturbs you. So freedom from your thoughts, this also you can do only through your mind. Have you seen, how kids sometimes... During the winter season, mothers knit sweaters with wool. Nowadays, people wear ready-made sweaters but I will still say that one that is made with hand, that sweater's warmth & the love of mother, is not there in ready-made sweaters. Agree? So sometimes kids..who are 1 or 1.5 year old, they play with ball of wool that their mother is using. They open the ball of wool, tie it around themselves, get entangled and then they start crying. They do not know how to free themselves. What can they do in such a situation? So now his mother has to come. On one side she will be soothing him and on the other hand, wool that is tied & tangled around him, from that she will unconfine him. If the child is older then mother says, 'It was your foolishness. Now disentangle it by yourself. Don't cry. Find out where it's (woolen thread's) end is. Holding that end, start wrapping it around your fingers.' So now if he starts wrapping, then slowly all the tangled threads of wool, are disentangled. Moral of the story is - If you entangle your mind, you will have to untangle it yourself. You are not a kid anymore that I have to come & untangle. Now you have to unravel the knots of your mind by yourself. This is a absolutely certain that the mind with which you think, that mind itself is an illusion. And in this illusionary mind, whatever you see, that is also an illusion. That is also untrue. So why are you crying? No need to cry. Just resolve the complications of your mind. Just like this in an easy way, it will be resolved. Stay home to the extent it is possible. Don't go into crowds & social gatherings, if possible. I repeat - Ashwagandha (Indian Ginseng), Tulsi (Holy Basil) & Giloy (Tinospora Cordifolia) - concoction made out of these three, you must drink it daily. Your immunity will remain strong. And in the morning time, you must do pranayama (breathing exercises). This will strengthen your immunity against diseases. Asthmatics, diabetics and for heart patients, Covid can be very life-threatening, very fatal. We should be aware of our responsibility. So somebody sent me this, I liked it so I will share with you too. He said, 'Corona is not your maternal uncle whom you need to give hugs.' Do you understand 'masad' ? Maternal aunt's husband. Ok, change it to 'fuffad' (paternal uncle). In Hindi, we say 'fufa'. One who always keeps doing 'fu' & 'fa' (intended meaning - one who is always mad). He said, 'Corona is not your 'fufad' whom you need to go and give a hug.' Simply stay more at home. Follow social distancing. Drink herbal concoction. Do pranayama and look at the dance of nature that is happening at this time. How many people are dying due to Covid. And those who are braggers, meaning, people who are boastful - They say, 'Nothing will happen to me.' One said, 'Corona is just nonsense. There is no corona - only elderly people are dying and government is screaming (concerned) for no reason.' Such people are still there, who do not even consider Covid as a pandemic or epidemic. So strange! So these are hard times. How ever much is possible, do devotional singing, keep your mind free of attachments & aversions. In life, however many joyous moments, moments of laughter, you can gather, do that. May your mind, your life is filled with happiness, filled with knowledge, I wish that for all of you and I pray from the depth of my heart for all of you. OM.
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