The Boy and the Inheritance

From a satsang by Gautam Baiji ~

Once we realize the value of things, we give them their proper respect.

What is the value of family? Once you know that, then you start tolerating things. Sometimes kids tell you things you don't like. What do you do? You don't kick them out of the house. You tolerate it because you know the kids don't have that kind of understanding yet.

Once they reach a level where they can understand, then we can tell them. In the meantime, what do you do? You stay patient.

This power to tolerate comes from within - meditation gives you the power. Once you start doing meditation, you know what something is worth.

So when someone is not acting appropriately, it  becomes our duty to help them understand.

A true guru will say, "I am the servant of the ignorant people."

But know that if you directly say to someone, "Oh, you are wasting your time," what happens? What will the person do?

He will speak angrily with you. Why? Because he might think that this is his devotion, even though you can clearly see his actions are counterproductive.

Once there was a man who had accumulated a lot of gold objects when he passed away. His son inherited a heavy box of valuables and took it to his uncle.

"Can you sell this Uncle? I need the money."

The uncle looked at the items and quickly saw that some were real and some were fake. He wouldn't get the money he thought he could get.

But he knew if he told the boy this, he would think he was lying and trying to make money for himself by selling them later.

Instead, he said, "If you really need money, come work for me. I will teach you the business. In the future, when you really need money, then you can sell them for cash. But for now I will pay you enough money to live on."

So the boy came to work for him and every day the uncle taught him how to tell what real gold is, what a real diamond looks like, and slowly the boy learned.

Finally, when the uncle thought he could recognize what's real and what's not, he said, "Go get your box of valuables. Gold is getting a good price now, so you can sell yours for a good profit."

When the boy opened the box and examined the pieces, he finally saw what his uncle had seen. More than half of the coins and valuables were fake.

"Most of these are worthless!" the boy said.

"I knew that, but I felt you had to realize it for yourself, so I taught you."

"Good teachers are those who tell you where to look, but not what to see."

The Ashram is "One of the Greatest Gifts" - Reasons People Come to the Ashram

Why do you come to Divine Art of Yoga Center ashram?

Nishma: The goal of achieving spiritual or self-awareness can feel like climbing a mountain for many; but what I’ve learned throughout my years with the baijis is that it’s not the destination that matters, it’s the journey. As Buddha once said, “Each Morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most." If we make our goals simple and work on them daily; our goals become much more reachable and life becomes very fulfilling, that is true self-awareness. Baijis are living examples of this; each day they impart wisdom, spiritual skills and above all… love to all the patrons of the Ashram. It is their limitless love and guidance that has steered me through even the darkest times in my life. What makes the Ashram different than any other spiritual or religious place that I have experienced is that everything is focused on teaching you how to achieve bliss here and now. In a society that is ever changing and becoming more and more media and fear driven; self-awareness and true satisfaction are the most invaluable gifts we can give to our children. The Ashram gives kids a place to nurture these values and instills a sense of self within them from a young age. Life is full of trials and tributes; but I truly feel that having Baijis in my life and being able to appreciate all that they have to offer has been one of the greatest gifts that I have been offered in this lifetime.

What is Satsang?

Satsang is a Sanskrit word that means "gathering together for the truth" or, more simply, "being with the truth." 

Truth is what is real, what exists. So all there is, is Truth. 

Whenever something increases your experience of the Truth, it opens your Heart and quiets your mind. 

Conversely, whenever something, such as a thought, fear, or judgment, limits or narrows your experience of the Truth, the Heart contracts and the mind gets busier. 

We are all equally endowed with this capacity to discriminate the Truth. Thus, the true teacher, or satguru, is within you, and satsang, or being with the Truth, is endless. 

The first step to complete peace and liberation is listen to the Satsang carefully and ask inquiring questions of yourself with a guileless heart.

These discourses on the nature and Knowledge of God in the company of Saints vanishes sorrow and brings us joy.

Why is Ganesh Represented as an Elephant?

Here's a relatively short answer to Ganesh's (or Lord Ganesha's) appearance:

"The ancient sages, in their infinite wisdom, have designed Hindu deities with specific Vedantic attributes in mind.

Lord Ganesha, also called Ganapati or Vinayaka, is presented in the form of a human body with the head of an elephant. This blend of human and animal parts is a symbolic representation of a perfect human being, as conceived by Hindu sages. His head symbolizes wisdom, understanding, and a discriminating intellect that one must possess to attain perfection in life. By worshipping Ganesha, a Hindu seeks God's blessings for achieving success in one's endeavors in the physical world and for attaining perfection thereafter."

And this:

"Lord Ganesha, popularly known and easily recognized as the Elephant-God, is one of the most important deities of the Hindu pantheon. Before every undertaking, be it laying of the foundation of a house, or opening of a store or beginning any other work, Lord Ganesha is first worshipped so at to invoke his blessings. Ganesha has many names. The main ones are Ganapati (lord of the ganas, or attendants), Vighneshwara (controller of all obstacles), Vinayaka (the prominent leader), Gajaanana (elephant-faced), Lambodara (pendant-bellied), and Ekdanta (having one tusk)."

What If?

The Baijis

We’re lucky to have two wonderful baijis (nuns) running the Ashram. They are more spiritual than religious, and they welcome anyone’s input that is positive and empowering. They believe a good idea can come from anywhere.

They wear the saffron robes of those who have renounced the material life and are devoted to service to others. I am very humbled by that distinction, which ironically makes we want to do anything for them.

They are also Mahatmas, which are defined as people who are held in the highest esteem for wisdom and saintliness. I’m still learning how profound this is, and I feel privileged to be in their company.

They’re also a lot of fun. More on that later.

For more on the baijis, click here.