What is the purpose of this life? This is a question that is often asked. Man is fundamentally a spiritual being. Those who are spiritually ripe – who have done enough ‘sadhana’ in their past lives, are at an elevated spiritual level, and know about the impermanence of everything that is material upon this earth. But those who have limited knowledge about the Self and are spiritually immature, these ones are attached to everything that is material on this earth. As long as one is tied to material desires, it is not possible to explore the limitless Self or to realize the purpose for this human birth. So, take the first step – engage yourself in any of the various spiritual practices that have been taught to you at the Ashram.

It is indeed your good fortune that you have found your way to a Guru and a spiritual organization where your progress can take place at a faster pace – provided you dedicatedly follow the teachings imparted to you. As you engage in your ‘sadhana’ with earnestness, you will realize that the very purpose of human life is to know yourself at every level, and finally to realize your own divine Self. Man is forever in the pursuit of happiness, and happiness appears to be temporary or elusive. Just when he thinks that he is happy, or is going to be happy, something happens to make him unhappy. So, what is it that is taking control of man’s happiness? One should examine this question, and make an attempt to find the source of one’s happiness. As you contemplate and meditate, you will soon realize that happiness comes from within.

Happiness is the state of mind created by you. It is a choice you make, and so, it is important to train the mind to be happy under all circumstances. The best way to achieve this is to live every moment with gratitude, and to perform every action of yours as if it is an offering to God. In fact, let all your actions be offerings of gratitude to God. This will ensure righteousness of action, and practice of humility. No matter how much you progress in this material world, your happiness is determined mainly by the control you have over your senses, and by your ability to remain satisfied with what you have – at any given point of time. It is a fact that the mind can be restrained through disciplined practice and detachment. This is where your ‘Sadhana’ – the various spiritual practices you adopt – will help.

Generally, when sadhana is taken up under the guidance of an enlightened master, the progress will be much faster than when you practice without any guidance. The Guru is in a position to clear your doubts and mistakes quickly, and thereby enable you to progress quickly. Of course, the main ingredients for spiritual progress are your faith, commitment, dedication, and discipline along with the guidance of a Guru. Guru’s guidance is a sure way to achieve quick spiritual progress.

Each and every individual has specific karmic influences, and under the circumstances it is only the guru who is capable of guiding the Sadhaka according to his or her own karmic requirements. You must have seen how difficult it is to bore a well at the top of a hill and expect water to spring up easily from the earth- bed. On the contrary, it is so easy to draw water from the well dug in the ground that is close to the river bed. So also, it is far easier to reach higher levels of spirituality in the proximity of a guru, than when one takes up the sadhana exclusively without such guidance, but with the same amount of dedication.

Man has been bestowed with the ability to control and restrain his mind. He must not allow his mind to wander unrestrained. An uncontrolled mind will give rise to unwanted desires, and will enslave man to its various fancies, and finally lead him to miseries. When you constantly engage in spiritual practices, your mind will gather more and more Satvik qualities, thus leading you to a completely new level of spiritual well-being. As you go deeper and deeper into meditation, your consciousness starts getting uplifted, and prana begins to flow upwards into the spine region where the chakras are located. The cumulative effect of this will be felt by you in your day-to-day material life also.

Your life is a wonderful gift from God, and this human birth has been obtained as a result of your good karmas of the past. Start your day with prayers and spiritual practices. Avoid egoistic activities and perform all your duties with love and sincerity. Be truthful and integrated at all times, and be guided by your inner consciousness which can never lie to a true Sadhaka.

Cultivate happiness along with spirituality, and learn to be happy under all circumstances of life. Practice the feeling of gratitude towards all for their immense contribution in your life, whether they be good or bad. Perform every duty and every activity as an offering to God. This will surely bring you success in your spiritual and material life.

Bless you all. May you live a fruitful life with humility and gratitude.

– Guruji