After fixing the goal of life, we have been practicing since many years our system as per the precepts prescribed by the Master Shri Babuji Maharaj. We are regular in morning meditation, evening cleaning and bed time prayer without fail. We do attend weekly Satsangh. Apart from it we participate without fail in our functions such as Basant Utsav, Master’s Birthday celebration, Founder’s day etc. It all goes to indicate our interest in the practice. In addition, we resort to do constant remembrance as per our convenience.
It has not come to our feeling the seriousness regarding constant remembrance, in spite of repeated briefing by our Master, without much change in understanding. Some of us have seen Babuji Maharaj in the physical form, we have been doing the remembrance as per our imagination.
1. Constant remembrance is taken as frequently remembering His figure, face, body, beard, moustaches, sound of his talk, cap, hukka and actions.
2. After the Mahasamadhi of Babuji Maharaj, it has become the practice of listening to speeches, teaching few sentences, situations and some stories which is considered as constant remembrance.
3. Reading his books, essays and quotations also constitutes constant remembrance.
4. Even to attend Satsangh is considered constant remembrance.
5. To think that all our actions and dealings are being carried out by the Master and everything belongs to him. I am there for name sake in those things, is also treated as remembrances. It is difficult and subtle. Yet it is attempted in that way. It is also taken as a kind of constant remembrance.
Those who have not seen Babuji Maharaj in physical form, do take up constant remembrance by resorting to meditation on the divine light and the subsequent condition. Few think that to remember repeatedly the Master’s form as experienced during meditation, is also constant remembrance. In this context it is better if abhyasis try to understand properly the message given by our Master.
“In fact the real Master is not merely his outward physical form, but his inner self, still it is almost impossible to ignore the form altogether. But those stick to the idea of the physical form alone as the Master, create for themselves the greatest entanglements and complications. Kabir Das has rightly termed such persons as Guru Pashu”.
The story does not end here. In case, group of 10-15 abhyasis is asked a question as to what is meant by constant remembrances. The expected answer would be different from each other. These answers depend on the individual perception. When the answers are analysed, the following points stand out.
1. To remember the physical life style of Master goes to mean constant remembrance
2. Even physical / material action is considered as constant remembrance
Our practice has been going on in this way since long. In spite of many lectures on constant remembrance. Discussions & seminars took place. The result has not been effectively seen after providing clarification. The reason is that we have not given any attention to it. In case our practice continues this way we do not know where it leads to and what our condition would be? Mind gets a kind of shock, when contemplated.
Our method which has been given by our Master so as to achieve the goal as early as possible, is quite effective & practical. As a result, the sadhana we do, needs to be practical also. There is no question of materiality here. It is only possible when we set in action our thinking faculty. Wrong imagination / ideas drag us downwards instead lifting up. Even now, it is high time to turn our mind and proceed with the practice by the Master’s grace.
How is it possible?
The mind plays an important role in our practice. For all things, our mind is responsible. It has brought us to the present condition. It is the only instrument to take us to our goal. Mind is a vagabond. It does not stay at one place. Meditation is a process to make the mind stay at one thought. The thought needs to be the highest. That is our purpose. Our goal is to realize the highest condition and merge in it.
To speak the truth, remembrance means to recollect what has been already memorized. We usually remember name, place, things and incidents which can be perceived through the senses. It is because those things remain stamped on our mind. But it is not possible to remember the transcendental subjects. Hence there is no question of remembering them. What is that we should remember?
We practice meditation thinking that there is Divine Light in the heart and fix our thought on the goal. The Divine Light is a mere supposition, not a fact. We try to keep our mind transcendental. It is an ideal method to get over the wandering tendency of mind. By fixing the highest goal, we ignore other thoughts and continue our meditation with the thought of goal. After we stabilise our mind, Master provides us now and then an experience and feeling regarding the expected condition. Initially its awareness remains short-lived, later it remains for longer period of time. We need to perceive the feeling and experiences very cautiously, to remain in that condition is our practice which takes us to the goal. An attempt to remember that condition repeatedly constitutes constant remembrance. This is how our Master gives us different forms of experiences and feelings every time. In this way, the nature of our constant remembrance keeps on changing.
When we ponder over ‘me and mine’, a new concept comes in our practice. An abhyasi can remember all things except himself. Why is it so? The reason being that he has not realized his self (Me). Consequently that thought does not occur in the mind. It means that he can remember his self when he gets away from himself (mine, his things attached with his surroundings). In other words, the self refers to the condition of pure, simple subtle and stable mind which we fix as our goal hidden in us. But, we have forgotten it totally and given lot of importance to Mine. Until and unless we dissolve the Mine, we cannot realize ‘Self’ (Me) with One who has completely dissolved oneself. As a result, he attains that condition of mind when his self becomes That and loses even an awareness of That. The continuous attempt of our mind in this regard is also constant remembrance.
The speciality of mind is that it has two types of remembrance. One is active and another passive. When we meet a person after a long time and recognize him by his name, it indicates active remembrance. When we don’t remember his name but come to our memory on being told by others, it is passive remembrance. Active remembrance refers to a feeling of awareness that everything including all happening is because of That. When it goes to transcendental existence it is said to be passive remembrance. Active remembrance manifests itself when it converts into passive. Our practice needs to keep even the goal in passive remembrance. It means that the remembrance should take firm root in the sub-conscious mind. Our Master has probably highlighted it as ‘Remembrance (remembered) without remembrance’. It is possible only with constant remembrance (active remembrance). Later on it becomes transcendental.
Daily we spend our time in thinking about one or other things. The thought may pertain to a past incident / dealing or something related to the future. But it is never of the present. That is why abhyasis need to remain in the present state and living condition. Thinking always about the goal ignoring other things we can take it for certain that it gradually comes to our awareness with Master’s help. It is constant remembrance. As we continue the practice our mind gets evolved with an awareness and inclination towards the goal. When we feel that the method given by our Master is practical and effective, it goes to indicate our practice as proper.
Importance of constant remembrance-
1. Abhyasi remains in touch with the guru and the goal while doing constant remembrance. It is only an yearning of soul and mental activity and not physical one.
2. Constant remembrance makes the mind free from fickleness and stay at fixed thought of goal.
3. Constant remembrance prevents the mind from getting deviated. It does not give scope for any kind of grossness. Thou Art The Real Goal Of Human Life
4. Constant remembrance purifies, evolves and encourages the mind to think always about the goal. It is ‘One principle contemplation’.
5. The practice is no doubt sure to succeed provided we receive the help and grace from the Master.
Our Master used to convey repeatedly so that our practice becomes genuine with no question of mechanicalness.
1. One needs to analyse and introspect his condition weekly once so as to make out progress, mental evolution and thoughts.
2. He comes to know how much he has imbibed 10 maxims. He is then able to notice in others and himself the changes of lifestyle and thinking.
3. He sets an example of role-model to others and influences them towards the goal of life. This is how the Master’s message is spread.