On the Eve of New Samvatsar: Now or Never
There are three transitional periods in the cycle of seasons when there is vigorous activity in the subtle world, as compared to the normal days. During these periods, the divine energy currents in the invisible world become very strong and affect tremendously the human consciousness. The divine consciousness stirs the inner-selves of noble souls and vibrantly inspires them to undertake self-refinement.
Although the divine blessings are being uninterruptedly showered on virtuous souls, during these auspicious occasions the Supreme Self becomes much more generous. Navratri Parvas are prominent among such occasions. This year Chaitra Navratri Parva is being observed from March 31 to April 8, 2014. With the rising of the Sun on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada (March 31, 2014), the New Samvatsar (Vikram Samvat 2071) will dawn.
There has been an incessant ongoing struggle in human consciousness during the past few years. Just like the war between gods and demons, during these struggles, if one aspect prevailed once, another prevailed at other times. The time has come for that decision to be made by all of us individually as well as collectively. We have to decide what we will choose — Evil or Good.
The Vedic rishis have also discussed about the two paths — the Good and the Pleasant. Both paths are open to all of us and we have the freedom to choose one of them. It is this freedom that man possesses and that is why it is said — 'Man is the creator of his own destiny.' It is his personal choice to select either the path of progress or downfall. The path of penance and struggle might be painful and gruesome, but the result of those efforts will open the doors of long-lasting peace and happiness.
For a tall tree to come into existence, the tiny seed has to dissolve itself. A seed that does not exhibit the courage to lose its existence will remain as it is. Certainly it cannot blossom forth. Those seeds which are ready to be transformed are welcomed by the Mother Earth who nourishes the roots in her lap, and her efforts are lauded by the skies with its showers.
The allurement from the demons is that all that is perceivable is for enjoyment. We derive instant gratification and happiness through that path. Most of the people are moving in this direction. Instant gratification is the crux of the entire argument. It is said that thinking about future is useless. This is the argument of the demon. A life influenced by this stream of thought is entangled in greed and attachment.
The divine side has a different set of arguments. It says that the Creator has given you this life for a very special and specific reason. Man has got what nobody else in the entire creation has. These capabilities have been gifted to man so that he can enrich the world with noble virtues and participate in divine tasks.
This side of the argument suggests that nothing is more illusory than instant gratification. Greed is like lightning that gives out blinding light and illumines everything, but only for a few seconds and then disappears. Both greed and excessive lust are momentary pleasures which leave behind a disturbed mind and a weak body.
Our innate divine nature always tries to convince our intelligence that the best use of human life lies in adoration of life itself. Peace and prosperity can be obtained by elevating our inner consciousness. Running after materialistic pursuits will only give you fatigue and worry. The Kasturi deer runs hither and thither trying to find the source of the fragrance. It finds peace only after it realizes that the fragrance is emanating from its own navel. The real asset is a noble state of mind. It is such a mind that creates favorable circumstances.
This New Samvatsar is an opportune time for each of our parijans to observe their inner conflict of noble and evil emotions; and invoke the Divine with your prudence and courage so that you may resolve this conflict. Whatever life is remaining is precious and is capable of carving a glorious future if we manage not to waste it and move it in the right direction. This is an excellent opportunity to prove our allegiance to our Master and Guru.
May the blessings of our Gurusatta bring you peace, prosperity, joy and happiness in your life and also generate a strong will in you to help transform this society according to His plan.
— Pranav Pandya
"The pain of life is pure salt; no more, no less. The amount of pain in life remains the same. But the amount we taste the 'pain' depends on the container we put it into. So when you are in pain, the only thing you can do is to enlarge your sense of things. Stop being a glass. Become a lake!" — Ancient Wisdom
"[Gratitude] turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity." — Melody Beattie