Speaking / Preaching

During my youth, between the age of 17 and 22, I was very fortunate to have the opportunity of accompanying few great saints such as Bhapa Ram Chand ji Kapurthala and Sant Amar Singh ji Patiala during their preaching tours in northern states of India.   I was young and immature. They always treated me very kindly and lovingly like their own son (Or grandson in case of Bhapa ji).
That period was one of the best times of my life.

Along with showing me the path of spirituality and helping me understand the Gyana, they also encouraged me to speak and share my experiences with large audiences. Whenever I made a mistake (and I made many), they very kindly and lovingly corrected and guided me towards the right direction.

Here are some important lessons they taught me about speaking or preaching:

1.      A preacher should always speak in a way that suits to the minds and hearts of the audience. That includes mentioning of all Holy Scriptures and the Holy Saints of all religions with respect and reverence.

2.    The sanctity and authenticity of the quotes must be kept while presenting the verses from the scriptures or famous saints. Even a good speaker loses his or her credibility if the listeners find the quotes to be distorted or unauthentic.   

3.    Give the milk of Truth to those who are like babies in the spiritual world as they cannot absorb the solid food,

and butter (essence) and solid (reality) to those whose spiritual perception has matured. 

4.    Serve the spiritual food in an attractive form. It is easier to swallow a bitter medicine when it is sugar coated.

5.     It is important to understand the capacity and receptivity of the listeners.       

When I was a college student, I always wondered why all the classes were 40 minutes long. Usually we talk in terms of quarters; like fifteen minutes, half hour, 45 minutes or an hour. Then why all the classes were forty minutes long?

Later, I learned the reason, a scientific fact;

“The human mind cannot focus continuously on one subject for more than forty minutes”.

But interestingly, we can go to a theater and watch a two or three hours long movie without interruption.

We can watch our favorite TV shows for hours without keeping a track of time.

While reading an interesting novel or a book, we may not feel like putting it down for hours or until it is finished.

We never feel tired. Our mind stays focused on the movie or the book.

Why is that?

Perhaps that statement should be changed to;

“The human mind cannot focus continuously on one subject for more than forty minutes, unless it is interesting”.

6.    A sick person loses his appetite. Even the most delicious, tastiest food may not please him. He may even find it bitter and unpleasant. It’s better not to force the food down their throat if they don’t want it. Similarly, it’s not good to force certain ideas on those who are not ready for it.

7.     Spirituality should be discussed and presented in the spirit of spirituality. It’s not a debate, nor should it turn into a win or lose situation like in a debate. If such a situation does arise, there is no shame in walking away quietly to avoid it.

I remember, whenever such a situation arose, Bhapa Ram chand ji never engaged himself in meaningless arguments. Later, he would say to us: “I am not selling some vegetables here that I must sell at any cost because tomorrow they won’t stay fresh or may even rotten. Gyana is like diamonds and should be given to those who understand its value”.

These are just a few lessons among many others.

Though I was not able to learn and adopt in my life everything they taught, nevertheless, they continued to help me and teach me through their words of wisdom and loving actions.

                                                                          

                                                                            (Rajan Sachdeva)

The Best Leader

The best leader is one, who leads quietly, 

Not by words but actions, and people follow him quietly.

Next best is one who is liked, admired and praised.

Next is one who is feared.

Worst of all is a leader who is despised 

Only when the leader is not worthy, will disastrous events take place!

So the best leaders seldom issue any orders.

They lead others through their actions. 

When some affairs are accomplished, people will say:

 "We did it by following our leader."

Can the whole Truth be known?

Question: “Does everyone know and hold on to only a partial Truth?”

We hardly know the whole truth about anything.

Do the parents know everything about their children?

Do the children know everything about the parents?

Do the scientists know everything about the universe?

There is a famous ancient Indian story that was later adopted by many cultures and religions to explain their own point of view.

The story goes like this:

Six blind men went to see an elephant. Since they could not see, they used to touch and feel things to know their form and structure. So each blind person touched one part of the elephant’s body and described the elephant accordingly.

 The person who felt the leg, said elephant was like a pillar while the one who touched the tail, described it as a rope.

"Oh, no! It is like a thick branch of a tree," said the third man who touched the trunk of the elephant.

"It is like a big hand fan" said the fourth man who touched the ear of the elephant.

"It is like a huge wall," said the fifth man who touched the belly of the elephant.

"It is like a solid pipe," Said the sixth man who touched the tusk of the elephant.


They began to argue about the elephant and every one of them insisted that he was right.

A sighted person saw this and laughed at their ignorance and said “you are all wrong since you all are blind. I can see the whole elephant so I know the whole ‘Truth’.

 But does he?

Though he can see the whole elephant in front of him, in a way, he is also seeing it partially. Just by ‘seeing’ the elephant’s body, one cannot say that he knows the whole ‘truth’ about that elephant. He has only seen the outer body. Does he know about its biology or genealogy and everything else?

Though the “Absolute Truth’ is ‘Poorna’ or ‘whole’, though we can realize and experience it through Gyana and Sumiran (meditation),  yet with our limited intellect, we can only understand it partially. That is why the Vedas, 
Upanishads and the ‘Adi Granth’, while describing God, have repeatedly said ‘Neti, Neti, Neti’ meaning ‘this is not all, there is more’.

We cannot even know everything about the nature, world or universe or the creation then how can we claim to know all about the ‘Reality, Truth or the Creator’?  

                                                               (Rajan Sachdeva)

TRUTH” ...... ‘Is it whole or can it be partial?’

TRUTH”

‘Is it whole or can it be partial?’

‘Truth’ is either whole or it is not the ‘Truth’ at all.

In Isha Vaasya Upanishad, a part of Yajur Veda, the ultimate ‘Truth’ or ‘reality’ is explained as “Poorna”.

(The closest English equivalent of poorna would be whole, full or complete and perfect.)  

        

“Om: Poornamadah Poornamidam, Poornaat Poornamudachayate

Poornasya Poorna Maadaaye,  Poornameva avashishyate “ 

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदम् पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते | 

   पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते |

Translation:

“That is whole;  This is whole

From the wholeness, emerges the whole.

And if we remove wholeness from the whole, the whole still remains whole.” (Ishavaasya Upanishad)

The ‘Truth, Brahm or God or whatever name we give to the ultimate Reality, is the ‘whole Truth’.

That and this, here and there, now and then, in past or future, everywhere and always the Truth is in its wholeness. From this ‘whole truth’ the whole creation emerges and even though the whole creation has come out of this ‘whole’ the Truth still remains the ‘whole’.

So when we talk about the ultimate reality, there is no such thing as a ‘Partial Truth’.

                                                                       ‘Rajan Sachdeva’

Control

1

Finally, it stopped snowing after two days and the sun was out.

Snow covered trees and bushes looked so pretty through the window. The whole backyard was covered with beautiful shiny white sheet of fresh snow.

Five year old Bobby wanted to go out and play in the back yard.

“Mommy, Can I go in the back yard to play?”

“No” Mom said.

“why”

“It’s too cold”

“Please mommy ….. I will wear my jacket and hat and gloves. I will  bundle up.”

“I said No”

“But why”

“Because I said so”

“But why”

“I am your mother. Now, don’t argue with me”.

She continued doing her work. Little Bobby was not happy at all. He was all grouchy and grumpy. He kept sobbing and complaining. 

Mom could not concentrate on what she was doing.

So she called Bobby:

“OK. I will let you go out on one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“You have to wear your jacket and hat and gloves……………..”

 Now……………. Isn't that what Bobby had said in the first place?

~~~~  ~~~~  ~~~~  ~~~~ ~~~~  ~~~~  ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~  ~~~~ ~~~~

2

Rita: “Mom, can we have pizza for dinner tonight?”

Mom: “No”

“Why?”

“Outside food is not good for you everyday”

“But it’s been three weeks since we ordered pizza.”

“You have to eat what I cook and put on the table. Don’t argue.”

“Ooookay”

Next day……..

“Rita! Beta, I don’t feel like cooking today. Do you want to order pizza for dinner?”

“But last night you said outside food is not good for us.”

“I know, but it’s been three weeks since we had pizza.”

 “Isn’t that what I said last night too?”

“Don’t argue with me. I am your mother.”

~~~~  ~~~~  ~~~~  ~~~~ ~~~~  ~~~~  ~

~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~  ~~~~ ~~~~

So………. Is it really about the cold weather or the outside food not being good?

Or is it about “the control”?

In fact it is all about “control”.

Everyone wants to have control over others.

Parents over children

Husbands over wives and wives over husbands

Teachers over students and priests over their congregations

Leaders over followers and employers over employees

Bosses over sub-ordinates and rulers over their subjects……..  

Everyone wants to control others.

Ironically, no one wants to be controlled.

Yesterday, I heard this song in a TV serial ^**:

 “This is a story about control…. my control.
Control of what I say, control of what I do

And this time I'm gonna do it my way
I hope you enjoy this as much as I do

When I was 17, I did what people told me
Did what my father said, and let my mother mold me

But that was long ago

I'm in control now,

Got my own mind
I wanna make my own decisions

I don't wanna rule the world
Just wanna run my life.

I wanna be the one in control

When it has to do with my life.

I wanna be the one in control”

 See…………… It is all about “control”.

The older generation wants to have control over the youngsters.

The youngsters want to have control over their own life.

So there is always a clash.

We all know the problem and we all know the solution too.

But the problem still remains…..

Because we all know it’s easier said than done.

                                                          “Rajan Sachdeva”

Note:

^** The song from the TV serial is not the complete song and may not be 100% right. This is how I understood it.

आप सब का हार्दिक धन्यवाद .... Thanks to all of you

कल बैठे बैठे साहिर लुध्यानवी साहिब की एक  नज़्म की चंद  पंक्तियाँ याद  आ गई तो सोचा कि इन्हीं पंक्तियों के माध्यम सेआप सब का भी धन्यवाद 
करता चलूँ …… 

"पल दो पल मैं कुछ कह  पाया इतनी ही सआदत काफी है  

पल दो पल तुमने मुझको सुना इतनी ही इनायत काफी है ।"

  

मैं नहीं जानता कि इन 80 मैम्बर्स के इलावा और कितने लोग मेरा ब्लॉग पढ़ते होंगे, या पसंद करते होंगे मगर गुरु -कृपा से जो कुछ भी  मैं  कह पाया वो मेरी खुशनसीबी है और अगर आप लोगों ने उसे पढ़ा या सुना, तो वो भी प्रभु कृपा के साथ साथ आप की इनायत ही है

इसलिए … ब्लॉग को पढ़ने वाले सभी पाठकों का हार्दिक धन्यवाद ॥ 

बतौर साहिर साहिब :

"सागर से उभरी  लहर  हूँ मै सागर में फिर खो जाऊँगा  

  मिट्टी की रूह का पसीना हूँ फिर मिट्टी में सो जाऊँगा "

    धन्यवाद 
  "राजन सचदेव "

मेरे विचार में साहिर साहिब की उस मशहूर नज़्म को भी यहाँ लिख देना उचित ही होगा 

आप भी देखिये कि जीवन की इस कटु सच्चाई को साहिर साहिब ने किस खूबसूरती और हलीमी से पेश किया है ..............

"मैं पल दो पल का शायर हूँ पल दो पल मेरी कहानी है 

पल दो पल मेरी हस्ती है पल दो पल मेरी जवानी है 

मुझसे पहले कितने शायर आए और आ कर चले गए 

कुछ आहेँ भर कर लौट गए कुछ नग़मे गा कर चले गए 

 वो भी इक पल का किस्सा थे मैं भी इक पल का किस्सा हूँ 

कल तुम से जुदा हो जाऊँगा गो आज तुम्हारा हिस्सा हूँ 

पल दो पल मैं कुछ कह  पाया इतनी ही सआदत काफी है 

पल दो पल तुमने मुझको सुना इतनी ही इनायत काफी है 

कल और आएँगे नग्मों की  खिलती कलियाँ चुनने वाले 

मुझसे बेहतर कहने  वाले तुम से बेहतर सुनने  वाले 

हर नसल इक फसल है धरती की आज उगती है कल कटती है 

जीवन वो महंगी मदिरा है जो क़तरा क़तरा बटती है 

सागर से उभरी  लहर  हूँ मै सागर में फिर खो जाऊँगा 

मिट्टी की  रूह का पसीना हूँ फिर मिट्टी में सो जाऊँगा 

कल कोई मुझको याद करे क्यों कोई मुझको याद करे 

मसरूफ ज़माना मेरे लिए क्यों वक़्त अपना बरबाद  करे"

                         (अब्दुल हयी "साहिर लुध्यानवी")

ये नज़्म जितनी मुझे याद है, उतनी यहाँ  लिख दी है  

अगर किसी के पास इसका बाकी हिस्सा हो तो कृपया कमेंन्ट्स में शेअर करें ।

Clear Water

Clear Water 

Once, Gautam Buddha was walking from one town to another with a few of his followers. While they were travelling, they happened to pass a lake. They stopped there and Buddha told one of his disciples, “I am thirsty. Do get me some water from that lake there.” The disciple walked up to the lake. When he reached it, he noticed that some children were playing in the water and, right at that moment, a boat started crossing through the lake. As a result, the water became very muddy, very turbid. The disciple thought, “How can I give this muddy water to Buddha to drink!” So he came back and told Buddha, “The water in there is very muddy. I don’t think it is fit to drink.”

After about an hour, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back to the lake and get him some water. The disciple obediently went back to the lake. This time he found that the lake had absolutely clear water in it. The mud had settled down and the water above it looked fit to be had. So he collected some water in a pot and brought it to Buddha.

Buddha looked at the water, and then he looked up at the disciple and said, “Tell me, what did you do to make the water clean?

You did nothing. You just let it be ... and the mud settled down on its own – and you got clear water...

Your mind is also like that. When it is disturbed, just let it be. Give it a little time. It will settle down on its own. You don’t have to put in any effort to calm it down. It will happen. It is effortless.”

So what did Buddha emphasize here?

He said, “It is effortless.”

Having 'peace of mind' is not a strenuous job; it is an effortless process.

When there is peace inside you, that peace permeates to the outside. It spreads around you and in the environment, such that people around also start feeling that peace and grace.

Silence

Silence

Behind all creation is silence. Silence is the essential condition, the vital ingredient for all creation and all that is created. It is a power in its own right. The artist starts with a blank canvas – silence. The composer places it between and behind the notes. The very ground of your being, out of which come all your thoughts is silence. The way to silence is through meditation. When you arrive in your own silence you will know true freedom and real power. Stop, take a minute, and listen to the silence within you.

                                    

​                                                                             ​

          From:   

​"​

Thought for Today

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TRUTH” ........ ‘Is it whole or can it be partial?’

TRUTH”

‘Is it whole or can it be partial?’

‘Truth’ is either whole or it is not the ‘Truth’ at all.

In Isha Vaasya Upanishad, a part of Yajur Veda, the ultimate ‘Truth’ or ‘Reality’ is explained as “Poorna”.

(The closest English equivalent of Poorna would be whole, full, or complete and perfect.)  

        

“Om: Poornamadah Poornamidam, Poornaat Poornamudachayate

Poornasya Poorna Maadaaye,  Poornameva avashishyate “ 

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदम् पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते | 

   पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते |

Translation:

“That is whole;  This is whole

From the wholeness, emerges the whole.

And if we remove wholeness from the whole, the whole still remains whole.” 
                                                                  (Ishavaasya Upanishad)

The ‘Truth, Brahm or God or whatever name we give to the ultimate Reality, is the ‘whole Truth’.

That and this, here and there, now and then, in past or future, everywhere and always the Truth is in its wholeness. From this ‘whole truth,’ the whole creation emerges and even though the whole creation has come out of this ‘whole’ the Truth still remains the ‘whole’.

So when we talk about the ultimate reality, there is no such thing as a ‘Partial Truth’.

                                                                       ‘Rajan Sachdeva’