Philosophy of Ramashram Satsang, Mathura

Philosophy of Ramashram Satsang, Mathura

(A liberal translation of the words of Pujya Gurudev)

            The technique of meditation taught and practiced in Ramashram Satsang, Mathura is simple and natural. There is no need to leave one’s home and profession and lead a secluded life. Everyone can practice this technique – whether young or old, weak or strong, man or woman, literate or illiterate, ignorant or wise, one who is a householder or one who has renounced the world, those belonging to the higher castes or lower castes – all can practice this system very easily. Religion or religious denominations also do not come in the way because this system begins from the point where religion ends. Those who believe that God is formless (Nirakarwadi), those who believe that God has form (Sakarwadi) those who believe in dwaitvad (existence of two – God and Me), those who believe in adwaitvad (existence of one), those who believe in Atma (Jains and Buddhists), those who believe in existence of God, Vaishnav, Arya Samaji, those who worship Shiva, Krishna, Ram, Allah, Jesus – everyone occupies the same place in this system. Everyone needs to continue to follow the path laid down in his/her religion and at the same time practice this technique of meditation for 15-20 minutes in the morning and evening. After a few days of practising this technique of meditation one will find that one has started enjoying one’s own worship more than before. This is all due to concentration of Mun (mind). It comes from the very first day. One is not able to concentrate one’s mind on one point despite working hard for several years. But in our technique one finds that one is able to concentrate from the very first day. With practice the concentration gets deeper and stronger. Finally it transforms into Samadhi and Darshan.

            One needs to devote only 15-20 minutes in the morning and evening. This enables one to reach those stages of sadhana within a short time which is difficult to achieve even by doing difficult penance for several years. Even while enjoying family life one makes oneself eligible for darshan by following this technique. One reaches the Atmadesh and gets darshan. In this path one achieves ‘internal detachment’ while leading a normal life. One appears to the world as a normal human being very much attached to the family, profession and other worldly matters. In other words, ‘externally’ one appears attached. But deep inside one achieves a very high state of ‘detachment’.

            One can follow any path of worship and still practice the meditation taught in Ramashram Satsang, Mathura. It does not hurt the religious sentiments or beliefs of any one. It helps one progress in one’s own belief system. It was developed by Param Pujya Dada Guru Maharaj. Keeping in view the circumstances, people’s abilities and social situation he made appropriate changes in the old system of Yoga. Then he experimented this technique on hundreds of people. After finding that this simple technique was extremely beneficial, he started propagating it to people. It is a unique mix of Karm, Bhakti and Gyan.

            It is commonly said that God resides in our hearts. He is also present outside. But this larger form of God is too big for us. That is why the religious texts (Shastras) have taught us to seek Him inside us and search for that form of God which is extremely near us and is present in a very small form. This is correct. When we try to do this, our first obstacle is our Mun. This Mun is like a Beetle which has got into the habit of roaming outside instead of sitting at home. It always wants to drink the nectar of flowers (worldly pleasures). The Mun has become fickle and is unable to concentrate. It cannot sit even for a moment at one place. Now you find it on one flower, the next moment you find it is on another flower. This process continues. The first task of Yoga is to change this fickle and outwardly nature of Mun and make it look inwards.

            To achieve this task, people leave their families and go to do penance in caves. They do difficult penances. They fast and convert their bodies into skeletons. They spend hours doing asan and pranayam, etc. But they do not succeed in changing the nature of Mun. They do not succeed in making it give up its fickle and outwardly character. They fail to make it concentrate on one thing for long or to make it look inwards.

            But this is achieved through our technique of meditation so easily that people are astonished. From the very first sitting one experiences that an unseen power has confined the Mun and restricted its speed and fickleness. As such Mun is unable to create any obstacle for us. Continuous practice leads to deepening of the level of concentration. Very soon one finds oneself in Samadhi state enjoying its indescribable bliss.

            For learning our technique of meditation one has to sit before Guru or Acharya and practice it ones or twice. The Guru uses his Atma Shakti to confine the fickle Mun to the desired point of focus. Thereafter one has to practice meditation and go forward in this path. Whenever the Mun again starts troubling and wandering, and things begin to get out of control of the Sadhak, Guru again provides his shakti. This time it is not necessary that the Sadhak has to physically sits before the Guru. However far the Sadhak may be, Guru Shakti reaches there and provides necessary assistance. The Sadhak realizes this as he is again peaceful now. This is the uniqueness of our Satsang. We have got this from Shri Gurudev. One does not get even a glimpse of such help and ease any where else.   

            In India the educated class had developed a strong dislike for the words Guru and Shishya. The reason for this was the greed of Gurus and their tendency to take all sorts of services from their Shishya. The Gurus considered the Shishyas as their servants and never hesitated in making them serve in all possible ways. At the time of diksha (spiritual initiation) itself the Gurus would take (as fees) some wealth/property of the Shishyas.

            Shri Dada Guru Maharaj broke this tradition. His teachings were- ‘There is no Guru or Shishya. All are equal. All are friends and brothers/sisters.’ He was strictly against taking any sort of service from anyone. He used to say ‘Serve others without seeking anything in return. Show the right path to those who don’t know. Teach those who want to learn. But do not desire for anything in return.’ He told ‘The Guru-Shishya relationship is a dual one. There is ‘Me’ and ‘You’. You should consider all as yours. Let all become yours and you should become theirs. Erase out the feelings of differences i.e. ‘Me’ and ‘You’. Let all become one through bonds of love, for God is nothing but love.’ He gave birth to this new concept otherwise the Guru-Shishya tradition was continuing from the age of Rishis. It must have been good in those days. But these days it has been converted into a profession by Sadhus and Sants.

            The second work that one has to do as part of Sadhana is to cleanse one’s hearts of ‘Mal’ and ‘Avaran’. By establishing control over one’s mind one is able to get rid of ‘Vikshep’. Despite the removal of ‘Vikshep’, ‘Mal and Avaran’ continue to cloud the heart. As a result the light of the ‘Atma’ remains hidden inside and there is darkness in the heart. We are unable to live in peace and bliss because of this darkness. To get rid of this ‘darkness’ we need to remove the ‘Mal’ and Avaran. The more these are cleared / removed, the closer we get to God, and start getting glimpses of that eternal bliss and light of God.

Jap, Tap, Pranayam, Dhyan and all other practices of Yoga seek to achieve this very goal. The good and bad actions done by us in this life and past lives are known as ‘Sanksaras’. Unless we are able to annihilate heaps of all such Sanskaras we can never get darshan. This is law.

            In RSM this is achieved very easily. The teacher (Guru) throws the light of his ATMA on the heart of the sadhak. In this way he removes the darkness. There is bliss and knowledge in light. As soon as the Guru throws the light of his ATMA on the sadhak’s heart the sadhak is immersed in a deep state of bliss and peace. People practicing various forms of Yoga for fifty or more years are unable to achieve this state which the sadhak gets as a gift from the Guru in RSM on the very first day. This is the second speciality of RSM.    

            Slowly the Guru annihilates completely all the mal and avaran of the sadhak. This of course takes time and is done gradually. Trying to hasten the process can harm the sadhak. Of course, in case of those who already have a clean heart, Guru makes no delay. Such people are presented before God at the earliest.

            These are the special and unique features of RSM where there is no need to work very hard but where darshan is achieved quickly. The duty of the shishya is to sit before the Guru with full faith and let the Guru do everything. He needs to only observe and not do anything. The Guru does everything. This technique of meditation changes the character of the sadhak and fills his life with pure love for one and all.    

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