Preface

For the attainment of salvation, which is the ultimate objective of mankind, three paths have been enunciated in our holy scriptures and expounded by our ancient sages and seers 1) Gyanayoga, 2) Karmayoga and 3) Bhaktiyoga. In short, the knowledge about the existence of God and the temporary nature of this material world, is Gyanayoga. Earnest efforts to realize Atamtatva (which is an inseparable part of Paramtatva) and to render selfless service to His creation, is ‘Karmayoga’. Unconditional surrender unto the lotus feet of the Lord and a firm conviction that you belong to God and God belongs to you and both are one entity, is ‘Bhaktiyoga’. Inculcating more and more of ‘Satoguna’ and relinquishing ‘Rajoguna’ and ‘Tamoguna’; ie., realization about the existence of God, the ultimate truth, detachment from the material world, and overcoming ego-centric desires (I, me, and mine) are important milestones towards that end. In the ultimate analysis, to be one with God, we need to transcend these three Gunas, because these Gunas also have a binding factor. e.g. I am ‘Saatvic’ (‘I’ still remains there, which is a binding factor). The fact is that there is only Him (God); and everything else in the ‘Brahmand’ comes within His ambit and is a part of HIM.

The human body is a creation of nature and therefore mutable, while the soul derives from God and is, consequently, eternal. The body, because of its very nature, is prone to decay, but the soul is incorruptible. Tamoguna, Rajsoguna, and Satoguna are the characteristics of nature, whereas God is beyond these gunas. It is human susceptibility to Tamoguna and Rajoguna that binds us to the material world and makes us suffer. Transcendence from these gunas, releases us from the short-lived pleasures of earthly existence and we become one with ‘Sat-chitta-ananda’, where there is no ego, but a state of bliss. The moment this knowledge dawns upon us, that moment is attainment of ‘Nirvana’.

With the grace of God, the rarest of the rare, who go beyond the tangles of human existence and surrender themselves unto the holy feet of the Lord, do not get distracted by the illusionary world; instead, they become part of the omnipresent and immanent. They are beyond human sufferings and experience joys that can never be dimmed. In that state, they are impervious to the changeable nature of life, whereas an average human is caught up fulfilling his never ending desires. He craves for pleasures from persons who are not capable of giving those permanently.

Frustrated by the dualities, such as: attachment and aversion, love and hate, pleasure and pain, happiness and sorrow; strayed human beings need the guidance of One who will lead them out of this morass of desires, sufferings and ill-will. They need someone who can take them out of the darkness of this illusionary material world, show them light and put them on the right track. The solution to these problems lies in the solicitude of a true Guru, who can give them the knowledge of truth and lead them to salvation by teaching them patience, detachment and selflessness. It is the Sadguru alone who gives us the strength to intelligently fight adverse circumstances and come out of such situations by transcending all limitations. At a particular level, there is no difference between a Sadguru and God; both assume the same position and have solutions to the problems of suffering humanity

Pujya Guruji, in a simple manner, used to teach us the right path and the shortest route to salvation – i.e. a) the practice of ‘Japa’ (inward recitation of ‘mantras’ – sidh mantras of Guru paddhati that he graciously passed on to us); b) ‘Nishkaam Sewa’ (rendering selfless service to Mankind, relinquishing all attachment, knowing well that by doing so we are in fact serving the Lord Himself, because He resides in every human-being; and c)‘Dhyaan’ (meditation – to divert your attention from fleeting worldly attractions and entering the realm of inner consciousness). In a state of thoughtlessness, recognize your real-self and experience enlightened environment, happiness, peace and tranquility around you. “Make an effort”, he would lovingly say and give an emphatic assurance “I am there with you”.

Param Pujya Guruji gave a direction to follow ‘Satoguni’ path of life and save oneself from the ill-effects of ‘Rajoguni’ and ‘Tamoguni karmas’. He suggested leading a simple and honest way of life, enriched with contentment. Only detachment from the material world and involvement with the Supreme Lord will bring peace. His grace and steady practice will ultimately lead to a state of bliss, he advocated. This book is a humble effort to express our deep love and reverence to him – The Importance of Guru in our Lives. The object is also to maintain the originality of his instructions and uphold the dignity and significance of Love, Devotion, and Compassion while rendering selfless service to people. I do hope that readers will find the contents interesting.