News Brief - March 2008Spiritual Discourses from April 29th – May 4th, 2008Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj gave spiritual discourses in the evening of Tuesday, April 29th and Thursday, May 1st at the Science of Spirituality Center in Naperville, Illinois. On Tuesday, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj spoke about our life being like a game of chess played between God and the sustaining power of this world, referred to as Kal. He also said that we often become caught in the world’s illusion, thinking that through name and fame or the acquisition of possessions that we are achieving something important. However, if our goal is that of self-knowledge and God-realization, then we need to connect with the divine Power within through meditation. This divine Power protects us, not only while we are meditating, but for all time to come. He then placed the audience into meditation. On Thursday night, the spiritual Master said that because we live in an age where we think things should happen instantaneously, we want to find quick solutions to any problem or activity in life. However, he explained, the spiritual path is one wherein we need to make regular efforts towards our spiritual goal. Just like a chemistry experiment that requires certain steps to be performed in order to have proper results, we need to stick to the techniques of meditation that have been taught to us by the great saints and mystics. We need to adhere to these basic principles by finding time to meditate regularly, stilling the body and stilling the mind through simran. When we do this, he explained, we then will be able to connect to the divine Power within us. The spiritual Master then placed the congregation into meditation. Saturday, May 3rd, the spiritual Master held a question and answer session at the Science of Spirituality Center so that people could understand the spiritual path better and learn how to apply the ideals of spirituality into their daily lives. During this program, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj spoke on different subjects. He stated that although we may believe in living a life of nonviolence, putting this virtue into practice can sometimes be difficult. We need to be humane in our approach and respect the rights of other creatures and animals to coexist with us, he said. Regarding anger, he explained that it occurs when we have expectations that are not met. He suggested that we learn the skills of listening first and reacting later; we always want to give our own point of view, he said, and we rarely take time to listen properly to others. If we train ourselves to listen carefully and if we take more time before responding to a situation, then we can avoid anger and the difficulties it ultimately brings into our lives. Regarding prashad (blessed food), Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj explained that we should not share that prashad given to us for our own personal use, but if we have “general prashad,” it can be given to anyone, regardless of their spiritual path or relationship to us. To another question he replied that we can definitely reach our goal of self-knowledge and God-realization within one lifetime if we lead a life that is spiritually inclined and if we devote regular time to our meditations. He said that as we find more and more time to meditate, we will discover that all aspects of our life get easier. Following this question and answer session, the spiritual Master put everyone into meditation. On Sunday, May 4th, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj gave his Sunday spiritual discourse to a large audience. “Not only was the sanctuary filled to maximum capacity,” reported a participant, “but we set up a video feed in the gymnasium for the large audience who could not fit into the sanctuary.” In his discourse the spiritual Master spoke about the characteristics of a true lover of God: passion for their goal, love for God, and commitment to selfless service. The vision of the saints is that they come for everyone, he said, irrespective of their beliefs and cultures. We need to emulate their vision, he urged, so that we can soar within on the inner spiritual journey which happens when we meditate. Those who are focused in the world are often restless and dissatisfied, but those whose attention is on God are oblivious to their surroundings. The spiritual Master also explained that everyone is a part of, an extension of, ourselves. Others are not “other” or different from us, he said. We are all a part of God. He then quoted a verse by Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj:
Following this beautiful discourse, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj put everyone into meditation.
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