Navratri 2014 - Nine Nights of Fun, Fast and Prayers

Goddess Durga

This festival of Navratri 2014 brings home new hope, joy, carries away the evil and negativity from our lives as we worship Goddess Durga! This is the time when the young and not so young step out of the house to enjoy. Did you know that the streets are filled with people wearing colorful clothes, carrying dandiyas? The days are full of Navratri songs, Garba dance, dandiya raas. People are immersed in utmost devotion to the Goddess and try to please her in various ways.

Navratri is popular among all age groups all over the country for its unique way of celebration. The festival not only comprises of prayers, devotion, mantras, poojas, but also singing, dancing, celebrating, wearing new clothes, preparing sweets and much more. This year the dates of Navratri fall from 25^th September to 3^rd October. Day one is the ritual of Ghatasthapana, where the women of the house fill an earthen pot with mud along with special grains and preserve it for nine days. Now this is the Goddess herself who is a guest in the homes of Hindus and will receive lots of love and devotion from here devotees. Of course Hindus are not allowed to indulge in drinking, eating garlic or meat.

Pepeoples Plyaing Garba Ras at Festivals

One of the most interesting things to observe is the Durga idol. Durga Poshakh comes in various colors and designs are draped on the idol and everyday different poshakh is worn on the Goddess. In various homes people chant Durga Chalisa everyday to please the Goddess. At nights Garba and Dandiya raas is played by men and women all over the country.

Navratri comprises of many rituals and worship of the various forms of Goddess. Durga pooja 2014 or Kali Pooja 2014 now has plenty of new songs, new way of celebrating the festival in an environment friendly way and helping others. The Durga or Kali Pooja Vidhi is carried out with great devotion and should be done in the right manner only. The ghtatasthapana Vidhi in Hindu culture is important as it represents ‘Shakti ‘or Durga as the universal mother and helps remove the miseries from life.

Durga Puja Pandal with Jhanki at Kolkata

Navratri is a huge festival and is once in a year extravaganza. Apart from the religious element of this festival, fun and celebrations are also an important part of it. Decorations, celebrations, fasting, feasting and gifting all are essential aspects. When we talk about decorations in a traditional way torans, door hangings and wall hangings  help enhance the traditional mood and ambiance.  There is another facet of this festival, which is about sharing love and care among our friends and relatives.  We show our love and gratitude to those whom we love by exchanging gifts. When it comes to gifting, you can choose from a wide range of products. And to make your giftmemorable, get a beautiful, attractive packing just made for the occasion suchas palm leaf baskets, pouches, boxes and more. 

This Navratri, seek Ma Durga’s blessings and bring happiness in your home!!

Reflections

Approach

For removing various complexities of the heart, Lalaji Saheb asked the satsanghis to make friends of their enemies and the persons whom they dreaded, and directed them not to do to others which they themselves did not wish to be done by. He considered love to be the greatest tapas[penance]. 

Taken from the book "Truth Eternal (5th edn., 2010)", Chapter "Lalaji", pg. 15, by Lalaji Maharaj 

Becoming

You see what you want to see. You get what you want to get. You become what you want to become. Sahaj Marg is nothing more than a great tradition offered by a great line of Gurus – offered to you to become what you should become, not what you want to become. 

Taken from the book "HeartSpeak 2004, Vol. 2", Chapter "Become What You Should Become", pg. 167, by Revered Chariji 

Echo of the Abhyasis

If I search me in myself, I do not find him. But there is something in its place. What is that? The echo of the abhyasis who remember me, thinking me as their own. What is this condition? Only my Master can say. I am aware neither of myself nor of God. If I think it deeply I only find Master and Master and nothing else. Now the echo of the seeker resounds in the Master alone, who in return gives out what is essential for approach, but the seeker should preserve it and grow in it. Heart is heart if it is diverted to God. Soul is soul if it jumps into the Ultimate Reality. 

Taken from the book "Letters of the Master, Vol. 3", Chapter "1970", pg. 70, by Babuji Maharaj 

Mind

The mind is our enemy, but the mind is also the only instrument through which we can gain this victory and make sure that human birth makes use of this very valuable opportunity on earth to achieve the goal of human birth, which is to gain liberation from it. 

Taken from the book "HeartSpeak 2004, Vol. 2", Chapter "The Internal Victory", pg. 111, by Revered Chariji 

Usage of Time

As Babuji said, "If you want to evolve from here to There, it can be done in one second of time." Time is of no consequence. It is how we use it that matters. 

Taken from the book "HeartSpeak 2004, Vol. 2", Chapter "Wisdom – The Proper Utilisation of Time", pg. 183, by Revered Chariji 

Self-Criticism

If we consider ourselves great, we put up a wall to that greatness where we have to arrive. We create a bondage, so to say, that becomes an obstruction on the path. What's the harm? When we assume greatness, we start considering others as low (insignificant). Now that path which we have to trudge also gets closed, and we are wholly lost, to all intents and purposes. We blow our own trumpet in our own thoughts, and lose a lot in the process. 

Taken from the book "Complete Works of Ram Chandra, Vol. 3 (1st Indian edn., 1999)", Chapter "Message on the Eve of His 83rd Birthday Celebrations", pg. 433, by Babuji Maharaj 

Beneficial Habits

He [man] must also cultivate habits which will be conducive to his efforts for shattering the network. For instance, the ears should attend only to noble talks; the eyes should see only that which is pious and good; the heart should be inclined only towards that which is virtuous. 

Taken from the book "Complete Works of Ram Chandra, Vol. 1 (1st Indian edn., 1989)", Chapter "Maxim 4", pg. 222, by Babuji Maharaj 

God Is Not a Judge

Religious philosophies or systems make it necessary for some sort of a divinely dispensing deity who is sitting there dispensing judgement: you shall be punished, you shall be rewarded. Now, according to Sahaj Marg, there is a very fundamental departure from that concept – that God is not a judge, God can never judge. 

Taken from the book "The Fruit of the Tree", Chapter "Open House", pg. 174, by Revered Chariji 

Shraddh 2014

Dedicate Faith and Sincerity to Your Ancestor by Performing Shraddh Religiously

There are two types of life; fundamental life and physical life. At the end of the physical, according to Hindu tradition you have to perform Shraddh. It is an important ritual in Hindu religion. It is believed that when someone performs the ritual or Puja, he/she gets blessing from the ancestors for a long, prosperous and healthy life. On the other hand, if someone refuses to perform it, she/he will face hurdles in the life. With the beliefs that the ritual or pujawill bring good wills in your life. It is a tribute that is paid to parents and ancestors, on the sacred day.

Express thanks and gratitude

The puja and ritual is a way to express respect and love for parents and ancestors and pray for the soul’s peace. It is also a day to remember them. The ritual is performed separately for mother and father. It is performed after a few days of the death of the parents or other relative, and also on the lunar date of death in every year.  It has a particular day to perform. It shall be performed on the day before Sharad Navaratri, which called Shraddh Paksha or in Pitru Paksha that is the sixteen lunar day period, starts from the full moon day of Bhadrapad to new moon day of the month of Ashwin. That new moon day is celebrated as Mahalaya.

Rituals to follow

On the day of the puja, the person who is performing the puja has to invite the Brahmans to perform the puja. The favorite foods of the ancestors are offered during the puja and performed a Homa. The Brahmins are also offered food. Finally, the Pinda Pradana serves for the peace of the soul of the ancestors. Pinda is round balls made by flour and rice, which is along with flowers; kusha grass and water are also served in the Pinda Pradana. Even, some foods are also served to the crow that is believed as the connecting creature between the world beyond lives and the living’s world. The ritual called Pitruroon.

Importance of PitruPaksha

Pitru Paksha is the period when someone dedicates homage to the ancestors, and it runs through 16 days. This period is considered as a very sacred time when one can get release from his Pitra dosh, by offering Pinda, doing Shraddh and tarpan to his ancestors. Annadaana or food donation is the major part of this period. These days, people offer food to their departed parents and other ancestors, and the pindadaan, shraddh and tarpan is done every day in this period. It is to believe that, performing these rituals in that time determines that the ancestors’ souls travel to heaven.

Take a look to the calendar

From 8^th September, the Pitrupaksha 2014 is beginning. That is the first full moon day of the month of Bhadrapad. After 15 days the period is ending on 23^rdSeptember, 2014. If someone died in an accident or by poison or murder, then Chaturdashi is the day to perform the shraddh. However, you must consult to your priest before performing any ritual. You will get the whole list of the rituals and the calendar on the internet and from the priest as well.

Reflections

Keep Him Pleased

When people are in need of money, they try to make friendship with the rich. All that is possible is done to keep them (rich people) pleased. And when they are pleased, people become ready to serve them to such an extent that their friendship becomes intimate, fulfilling every need of theirs. If we do the same thing with God, and keep Him pleased, it is possible that His grace may descend on us, which we cannot hope for from the rich. 

Taken from the book "Complete Works of Ram Chandra, Vol. 3 (1st Indian edn., 1999)", Chapter "1948", pg. 313, by Babuji Maharaj 

Love Infinite Bliss

[Lalaji in intercommunication with Babuji] "What is love? It is the shadow of the Ultimate, and the principal jewel of man. The shadow disappears when it comes under light. In worldly matters, one generally loves the pleasure of the senses. It is easy because the senses are inclined towards it. If the same thing is moulded towards That, then everything can be achieved. That is, if love is developed for that Infinite Bliss, excellent results will follow." 

Taken from the book "Complete Works of Ram Chandra, Vol. 3 (1st Indian edn., 1999)", Chapter "1946", pg. 291, by Babuji Maharaj 

Gift for Master

On the basis of my personal experience, I suggest a simple process which can be followed by all quite easily. If one can sell his heart, i.e. make a gift of it to the Divine Master, hardly anything more remains to be done. This shall naturally bring him to the state of absorbency in the Infinite Reality. The adoption of this easy and simple technique makes the beginning of the process the very end of it. 

Taken from the book "Complete Works of Ram Chandra, Vol. 3 (1st Indian edn., 1999)", Chapter "Easiest Way to God Realisation", pg. 339, by Babuji Maharaj 

Service

Service is easier than loving. Loving is a very difficult thing; service is very easy. Put your heart and serve somebody; you automatically get his love and his obligation to you, and he has to give you whatever he has to give you. But we should never serve with the idea of getting something. 

Taken from the book "Heart to Heart, Vol. 2", Chapter "Questions and Answers I", pg. 162, by Revered Chariji 

The Message

This is the message of the heart, the way of the heart. Go inside. Find the inner self. Learn to live with it. Learn to listen to the voice that you call conscience, which is coming out of it. Obey it fearlessly. Learn to give, in the true confidence that giving brings more and more for you to give, whereas keeping only sours the gift. Then we find this extraordinary miracle of any one of us perhaps becoming a saint who receives and receives unlimitedly, to go on giving, not retaining anything for himself, knowing that in that is his existence. 

Taken from the book "Heart to Heart, Vol. 4", Chapter "Way of the Heart", pg. 40, by Revered Chariji 

True Love

I believe that where there is true love, one must love the person and not what he does, or what he becomes. Nor must love change if the person changes. When I was in the Banaras Hindu University, I once approached the Vice Chancellor, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, for an autograph. He was a world-renowned philosopher-statesman, and went on to become the President of India. He wrote in my autograph book, "Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds." 

Taken from the book "Down Memory Lane, Vol. 1 (2nd edn., 2011) ", Chapter "Appa", pg. 136, by Revered Chariji