We hold spiritual discourses monthly at the center. These discourses are on various subjects, such as karma, spiritual practices, Yoga, Meditation, Pranayama, Ayurveda, Vegetarian diet, Mantras, Jyotisham, Nature Cure, the Vedas, the Gita and many other topics. We also screen ancient spiritual epics, and films on the divine Avatar Bhagwan Sri Satya Sai Baba, His miracles, His life, and His message.
Please note that all spiritual discourses are free of any charge at our center.
Please call us if you wish to attend the discourses, so that we may reserve a seat for you.
Below here are some discourses which were attended by many people.
KARMA
Most of everything that we experience in life is generally created as a reaction and reflection of our previous birth karmas. Some of them are Sanchita karma and some are Prarabdh karma. Sanchita karma is the cumulative effect of many births put together. This can be related to as a compound interest of the karma bank. Prarabdh karma is the non erasable karma of the previous birth, from which you cannot escape. Only through the divine grace of God Himself, anyone could be relieved of them. Sanchita karma however can be diluted and modified through spiritual practices, good karma, prayers and certain methods that the Rishis (enlightened saints) mentioned in the Shastras (ancient spiritual scriptures). We therefore have to take into account the total picture and then see what best remedial measures could be taken to deal with the difficulties in life.
Some of the things just cannot happen. No matter what you do, you have to just accept it as your karma. Some positive areas of our lives could be enhanced, and some negatives could be diluted by performing some remedial measures. But we also need to apply practical wisdom to every part of our life. For example if you have a headache, then saying Ram Ram 108 times will not cure it. You have to take Tylenol. That’s because even the medical science is a gift of God. Therefore practical wisdom and discrimination is very important.
Joy and sorrow are obverse and reverse of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other. While joy is an experience, sorrow is also an experience. But both of them are related to the senses and are temporary. The Atma (soul) knows neither joy nor sorrow. It is devoid of any attributes and Indriyas (senses). Attachment always brings grief. Detachment brings calm and bliss. Desires, expectations, ego, anger, attachments, are the prime cause of human sufferings. When there is a cause, there will be an effect.
The Jeevatma (living being) is always struggling with Maya. If you see the reverse sound of Maya, it becomes Yama! (Lord of death). So Maya is death in disguise. Therefore while we seek material things in life, we must not get attached to them. We must try to reach a state of mind that is balanced - not affected by joys or sorrows. Not giving in to ego and attachments. The state of the balanced mind can be attained through practice, patience, meditation, introspection, dedication and detachment and spiritualism.
Mind is ever confused and always in a dilemma. Remember, the word mind begins with an M, again - Maya. This M is the cause of all the problems for mankind. All the problems begin with M - Mental stress, Medical, Marriage, Money and Mine (desire) All these are the vagaries of the mind and a reflection of the senses.
Obviously with our planetary effects, we can understand our karmic influences, and through wisdom we should understand them and rectify them. Remember, life is an experience; there is always a hidden message. Those who solve the puzzle, win the game of life. Those who are stuck with it and have no clue, they will have to endure the effects till they overcome those karmas and rise to a higher consciousness.
However, at the time of a crisis, we tend to forget all the wisdom and our material senses are fully active and we act according to our senses. The saints have mentioned that throughout our life, we should have some satsang. Satsang means being in company of men of wisdom and truth. They will always talk of the highest truth and will give you the patience, tolerance, and the understanding of the principles of karma. Satsang also gives you Atma Shakti (strength of soul), which greatly helps you to withstand the hardships of life in a righteous manner. So by regularly attending satsang, one can keep imbibing the spiritual understanding of the meaning and purpose of life. Satsang can be by way of sitting with men of wisdom, reading the spiritual books, or even talking to people, who can give you some understanding of the karmic effects. Like you and I are doing now. It is only by constant involvement and attunement of the mind in God, can you be relieved of your grief and sorrows.
When you infuse your mind with the spiritual understanding, then you automatically start responding to difficult situations by equating the circumstances to some karmic effect and are then not so much affected with sorrows and joys. You start believing that you are beyond all that. Also, it’s not necessary that all difficult situations are karmic. Some of them are a test to your mind control, and some of them could be kriyamaan karma. Kriyamaan karmas are the ones that we invoke instantly in our present birth, and get an instant result. Like for example, if you knowingly and purposely slit your wrist with a knife, then it is kriyamaan karma. Or if you knowingly, willingly and thoughtfully made some decision, then that is kriyamaan karma. These are independent of the Sanchita karma (cumulative karmas of many births) or the Prarabhdha karma (hard irreversible karma). But eventually, they would add to your Sanchita karma.
The saints also mentioned that by constant spiritual practices, we could overcome these storms of Maya.(Meditation, divine contemplation, compassion, love, peace and righteousness) It’s not necessary that those who have had a very hard life are people with bad karma. Even the divine incarnations had to go through a very difficult time. The important message for mankind is - how do deal with life and karma, and overcome Maya, the delusion to seek God realization.
What is life? Only a time span. And how would you see time? - On a watch.
So, Watch your:
W - WORDSA - ACTIONS
T - THOUGHTS (This is a simple formula for good karma.)
C - CHARACTER
H - HEART
DHARMA
Most people are not aware of the word Dharma. Some think it is religion. Some think it is some form of a Hindu cult, or a Hindu spiritual path. Some have found an English substitute word for it, named Righteousness. But even Righteousness is not the appropriate word for it. Actually, it is much more than one can imagine or think. Dharma is everything. It is the total direction to a human life. Dharma is the highest of all human attributes and Karma.
Dharma is the righteous way of life. Dharma connects one to God. Dharma is Love. Even karma is incomplete without Dharma. Dharma gives us human values and principles. It gives us ethics and discipline. It leads us to devotion, duty and dedication. Dharma teaches us discrimination between good and evil, and leads us to the divine. Dharma is the very essence of Human life. Dharma is a way, a path, and should become a part of the human mind and consciousness. It is Dharma alone, which can confer peace, love, happiness, contentment and bliss to humans. It is Dharma, that truly connects man to man and man to God. Without Dharma, the human life is useless.
Dharma teaches us how to live in harmony in the society. Even family and relationships, should dwell on the values of Dharma. Dharma teaches us to stay away from anger, ego, attachment, greed and desires. It is these very things, that destroy humanity. Dharma teaches us love, compassion, tolerance, patience, non violence, righteousness, principles, ethics, truth, honesty, discipline, dedication, faith and trust. No matter what we do, where we live, one must always adhere to Dharma. This relates to all races, and people of all faiths. The essence of Dharma is universal. Irrespective of any religion, because Dharma is the way from humanness to Godliness.
The entire creation, the humans, animals, nature, the whole universe, are all creations of God. From God we came, and into God we must all merge. The world today, is so engrossed in Maya and materialism. There is no love, there is no trust, there is no compassion for a fellow human being, there is anger, hatred, jealously, deception, cheating, sorrows and destruction. This is true for individuals, families, the society and for the entire world. Humans are on a path of self destruction. WHY? Because there is no Dharma. People have lost that divine connection. They are so much into money, relationships, greed. They have no contentment, and lust and desires take over the mind and the senses make a person sin, one after another. Human life is degenerating. Therefore, people HAVE to come back to following Dharma. It is the only way to unmake and remake our minds and heart, and it is the only way, that can confer happiness, peace and bliss. If one lives by Dharma, then the mind is evolved, the heart is so full of divine love, and the consciousness transcends to a much higher level, and man will be ever so close to God. When Dharma sets in one's life, there Will be no sorrow, no tears, no heartbreaks, no anger, no violence, no hatred, no mental unrest, no fears, for Dharma is the eternal truth, the real path, the Cosmic law of God.
We, at the ISHWAR center, will be happy to guide people to Dharma, to bring joy, peace and bliss in their lives, and lead them to God. Open your minds, and it will be filled with wisdom. Open your hearts, and it shall be filled with peace and love, open your consciousness, and it will be filled with bliss. May God bless you all!
HEALTHY MIND IS A HEALTHY BODY
The Human body is composed of 5 elements of nature. They are- Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. These elements in turn are sources of the 5 human senses, which are, the sense of speech, touch, taste, sight and smell. These human senses have a link with aptitudes and fancies of the mind. Therefore, the health of a person is related to these senses.
While the modern science has established the effects of the Sun and the Moon on the earth as well as on human beings, the ancient Hindu seers discovered that there were other stellar influences on humans as well. These influences directly affect the health, mind and the general well being of every person. Therefore health of a person is not just to do with terrestrial influences, but some under some celestial influences as well.
The science of Ayurveda prescribes certain foods and herbs that can overcome diseases and heal the body of ailments. Some vegetables, fruits and herbs have amazing healing properties unknown to common man. Ayurveda does not however prescribe any nutrients on basis of proteins, vitamins or amino acids. It prescribes certain kinds of foods and herbs that can balance the three elements in the human body, which are disbalanced. When the right kind of balance of the three elements is obtained, the body gets healed. Now here, every person would have a different ratio of the three elements, and subsequently the effects would be different. This is where the stellar influences come into play. For example, if a person had an excess of air circulating in the body, it could cause high blood pressure. Another person having the same amount of air could suffer from digestive disorders. Thus the science is very individualized and not randomly applicable to all. Here the visible symptoms are not taken to be a disease. The cause is determined by checking the ratio of three elements in the body.
Specific diet is very important for a healthy body, but here again, the science of Ayurveda prescribes foods strictly according to every person’s body constitution. In fact a high protein diet may be bad for some people and may severely impede the digestion process. Ayurvedic foods are mainly vegetarian but pure and healthy for the body. There are numerous case histories where chronic cases like eczema, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, sexual debility and many such diseases have been cured through the science of Ayurveda.
The ancient Hindu science incorporates other healing systems like meditation, Yoga, Cosmic ray healing, nature cure, and a spiritually disciplined life. It is believed that most of the diseases occur due to excesses of material indulgence. Therefore this system heals the mind and body both. Health of a person is as much mentally as physical. Therefore balancing the mind and the body is the perfect combination of a perfect health. A healthy mind is a healthy body. If the mind is agitated and disturbed, then one tends to be self destructive in routine life. You tend to eat too little, or too much, or drink alcohol and take intoxicants which have a very negative effect on the health of the person. If mentally one is not calm, then you tend to have difficulty in sleeping. The breathing becomes irregular, the blood pressure shoots up or falls down, and either depression sets in, or the animal in the person starts to emerge. All discrimination leaves you and you start living a very erratic life.
It is therefore very important to develop a healthy mind first. If the mind is calm, then you would go about everything in life in a very meticulous manner. You would take care of your diet, your sleep and be disciplined in your life. This way you would be healthy mentally and physically.
Many organs of the body tend to malfunction when a person gets too aggressive or depressive. Irregular breathing follows resulting in palpitations which affect the heart. Anxiety can be the cause of so many off shoot diseases. Thus all these are due to mental unrest and loss of control over the senses. The mind becomes a slave of the senses rather than the master. The body then becomes a helpless and a hopeless victim of the unhealthy mind.
Here, meditation is better than medication. Wisdom is better than Valium and a strong Will is better than a strong pill. Once the mind is in command, then one can start attending to the needs of the body. Given the right kind of food, the body remains in harmony with the elements and in tune with nature and then remains healthy. Unnatural and non vegetarian foods are not good for the human body. Although the body may absorb these kinds of foods, but it is against the nature of human body to intake flesh. The human teeth are herbivorous by nature. Humans do not have the Canine teeth like the meat eating animals. Therefore biologically, humans are supposed to be vegetarian.
A non vegetarian diet can be a cause of many unhealthy conditions in the human body, which may not be apparent initially, but reflect later in life. As it is, with mad cow disease, bird flu, and chicken virus all so prevalent, it is hardly a good idea to invite diseases through the foods we eat, just to gratify our tastes.
To conclude, it has been established that health and nutrition is more than just protein food and vitamins. It is more than just drugs and diseases. It is more the right kind of food that you get from nature, and a balanced lifestyle. There are people who have died because of cold and pneumonia, and many others who have overcome cancers and such fatal diseases. If just nutritive foods and medicines could heal people, then no one would fall sick or die.
A deeper perspective into the human life should be looked into, which deals with karma and stellar influences. They manifest in genetic factors. The state of the mind and body largely depend on these factors and advice on their health and nutrition should be given accordingly.
GOD CONSCIOUSNESS
Each faith has its own virtues and values. And each one to his/her own faith. That One God is real, His embodiments can be many. True, the consciousness of God came upon Jesus, and he then went about teaching man about God. Jesus mostly followed a life as written in the prophesies. Even his crucification, was pre-destined and ordained by God, so that the cross would become a symbol in time to come. However it is not true that one could get the kingdom of God only through Jesus. Jesus at that time proclaimed as such, but only with respect to those times when the order of the Romans was wealth, wine and women. He at that time was truly the man of God. And so he told them to seek God through his teachings. While the Hindus had spiritual and religious scriptures written by many God realized saints more than 5000 years ago, the western world had no way of knowing about God, and his commandments. That’s why Jesus came, and the Bible was written later.
Not many people know that Jesus travelled to India at the age of 14, and was there with many God realized saints until the age of 29 when he went back. They have documentary evidence that Jesus had gone to Kashmir. There are scriptures written about him. In fact the slippers and the robes that he wore are still preserved there. He was called Isa Masih. He was the son of God and preached about God. But when he was crucified, for a few moments he lost God consciousness and cried out "Eli, Eli, why has’t thou forsaken me?" But when he rose from 'death' he told his disciples "Fear not, I am not a ghost, I am in flesh and blood" which was true. He had died a clinical death and through his spiritual practices, he came back to consciousness. He then left for India again. He spent many years there. He left his body in a Samadhi in Kashmir, in India. The grave of Rosabel there, is actually the grave of Jesus. This is not a story; it is all recorded in evidence.
Coming back to God, well, it is really your own consciousness that can take you to God. Not Jesus, Allah or Buddha. That too, if your spiritual Karma permits. Therefore if you really and truly look at your own thoughts, feelings, attachments, heart behavior, you will realize how far away you are from pure consciousness. Therefore neither an English God, nor a Muslim or a Hindu God can help you. Only your Karmas, and purity of the heart can help you. No doubt, a good Christian will guide you to Jesus, a good Muslim will guide you to Allah and so a Hindu. But even if the school is good, if the student is not up to it, then you cant say that the school does not have a good standard. God is only about pure consciousness, being, awareness and bliss. God is not an adjective. God is not a subject or an object. He JUST IS. He does not have any agents to recruit people to heaven. He is just pure consciousness which can transcend upon anyone who is worthy to fulfill His mission. He can come in any human form, in a life. He can come in some form for a few moments, and can also come in many different forms at the same time at different places. God is Omniscient, Omnipresent and Omnipotent.
God is:Being
Awareness
Bliss
Absolute
Understanding True Love
Everywhere in the world people are in search of love, for everyone is convinced that love alone can save the world, love alone can make life meaningful and worth living. When we are in love we find ourselves looking at everyone with new eyes; we become generous, forgiving, kind hearted, where before we might have been hard and mean. But how very few understand what love really is, and how it arises in human hearts. It is so frequently equated with good feelings towards others, with benevolence, or with non-violence, or service.
What is love? Take a look at a rose. Is it possible for the rose to say, “I shall offer my fragrance to good people and withhold it from wrong?” or can we imagine a lamp that withholds its rays from a wicked person who seeks to walk in its light? It could only do that by ceasing to be a lamp. Love brings and enriches love. “The man who is filled with love has great peace of mind, is pure at heart and is unruffled by any adverse circumstances, failure or losses. This fortitude is derived from love of the Lord, which endows him with self-confidence. Self-confidence generates an immense internal power. Everyone has to develop this self-confidence so that bliss of the Self may be experienced. Love should be free from feelings of expectation of any return or reward, love which arises out of desire for something in return is not true love. Utterly selfless and motiveless love should be developed,”
“Humanness blossoms in a pure heart. When we come into this world, it is only love that comes with us. From love comes truth. When love and truth come together, humanness finds its sustenance.
The capacity to discriminate between right and wrong desires is an essential safeguard of love. Right desires benefit everyone - including of course, ourselves. Wrong desires may be pleasing, but they benefit no one, not even us. The problem that arises is that wrong desires can be very skillful impersonators. To love we need to be able to recognize right desires and yield to them, which create a healthy and happy life - a somewhat rare condition in today's world. But much more importantly, we need to be able to recognize wrong desires and resist them, which is very difficult. Whenever we defy a powerful, selfish desire, immense power is released into our hands and this is the secret of all spiritual work and transformations. To him whose heart is filled with pure love, the voice of his own conscience is the voice of God. He engages himself in alleviating the suffering of others. He is an ideal of selfless service. God’s Will works through him. God’s Light shines through him. God’s message comes through him. Ever joyful and fearless, he brings into the life of everyone peace, harmony, strength and happiness. From the lover of God, love streams equally to all beings, even as the warmth streams forth from the sun equally to all. It is the most potent remedy for curing the diseases of fear, hatred, discord and unhappiness and sorrow.