Thought for the day
As the gates of wisdom open one after aother, we begin to see the golden light of truth.

From the book Bliss, Bliss, Bliss

Radha’s Manufacturing Factory

Dr. Geetha came to Vadakkampatti. She said, “Amma, I am praying daily that I could merge with you as soon as I come to the Ashram.” Immediately S.V. said, “Ah, then let us build a samadhi for Geetha. If she merges within a few days of sadhana, it will be an excellent example for the entire world. We can advertise on the Internet: Who is the next lucky person for samadhi? It could be you…come, try?” We all laughed heartily.

I said, “We are always talking about death in a world where people are frightened even by the word death.” Whether we talk about death or not, death is imminent. People don’t understand this. All that is born has to die. So why fear? What is an Ashram? It is a place, which teaches how to live life and how to die. How should we live a life in order that we will not be born again? What are the sadhanas that we should perform to achieve this end? A true Ashram will help people in all these things. It will remove the fear of death in them and teach how to die and become immortal beings. It is called Nachiketa vidya. Swami has said that Mukthi Nilayam will teach this Nachiketa Vidya.

Why should one be afraid of talking about samadhi? How many millions of life forms have died so far? When we step out of the womb, our steps are on the bones of those that have come before and left. The place of pilgrimage, Kasi, is called ‘Maha Mayan’, the great graveyard. Death happens there every moment. Not only Kasi, the whole world is a graveyard. Death is occurring all the time. Birth and death are Laws of Nature. What good is it going to do fearing something that is inevitable? Do not fear death.

Like the ordinary schools that give worldly education, Ashrams give spiritual education. They prepare people to meet death. They take people to eternal life. They train us to see God in the temple of the heart. They show what is truth, what is eternal. Human life is impermanent. The worldly pleasures and forms do not give true joy. Family, house, children, riches, name and fame are not true wealth. All are subject to death and decay. Attaining God is our true joy. Earning God’s love is our true wealth and glory.

The Ashrams should be like the Gurukulas of the past. They should be the training centers that will put into practice the theory of life and living. They are the laboratories that test and trust the truths preached by the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Gita. It will not suffice to read scientific facts and theories. They should be practically tested and their conclusions verified.

Similarly, it is not enough to know the truth of the Vedas by reading. It is mere bookish knowledge. How do we know the sweetness of sugar candy by looking at it? The sweetness should be relished by eating. Similarly the principle truths of the Vedas and Vedanta should be realized through practical experience. This is sadhana. When we do intense sadhana, we will become the sugar candy. We will transform into God’s form and attain Mukthi. It is then we defeat death and become immortal.  This Mukthi Nilayam is going to do this task. The goal of Mukthi Nilayam is the attainment of Radha’s Prema. Its aim is to mould everyone in the nature of Radha’s Prema. The spiritual values of the Ashram are based on the 19 ideals of Radha’s nature. Each and everyone should practice and follow them.

Radha means Prema. Radha is the self-same form of Prema. The love towards God, called Prema is the only permanent thing. Only Prema can confer eternal life. The state of eternity, immortality, and deathlessness is all nothing but Prema. The other name for Prema is Radha. This is the reason for calling this Ashram ‘Radha’s Manufacturing Factory!”

The 19 Inherent Qualities of Radha

v   Boundless Love

v   Sacrifice Competing with that Love

v   Universal Compassion

v   Changing Emotional Nature

v   Selflessness

v   Sweetness of Speech

v   Expansive Generosity

v   Simplicity

v   Helping Nature

v   Clarity of Intellect

v   Dispassion of Volcanic Power

v   Magnetic Purity

v   Childlike Heart

v   Motherly Concern

v   Moon-like Coolness

v   Softness of a Flower

v   Himalayan Power of Will

v   Sacred Nature of the Ganges

v   Merged in Bliss

(Received from Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba during meditation.)

“Deham Devalaya Prokthaha’ – the body is a temple where God resides. You have made the body temple holy. Other than you none have thought of dedicating the (physical) body to God. Your tears and desperate longing have made the body nectarine.” (Sai Baba)