25.1 In the Samvat year 1885, on Kãrtik sud 10 [16th November 1828], Swãmi Shree Sahajãnandji Mahãrãj was sitting on a decorated bedstead on the veranda outside the west-facing rooms of Dãdã Khãchar’s darbãr in Gadhadã. He was dressed entirely in white clothes. A sabhã of paramhans, as well as haribhaktas from various places, had gathered before Him.
25.2 Then, Shreeji Mahãrãj spoke out of compassion: “Bhakti, upãsanã, sevã, shraddhã, firmness in observing dharma, and other spiritual activities related to Bhagvãn should all be performed without having desires for any rewards. This fact is mentioned in the sacred shãstras, and it is true; but, a person should certainly have the following desire: ‘May Bhagvãn become pleased with me through these activities’. That desire should be kept. On the other hand, if a person does not keep such a desire and acts without any specific purpose, then he should be known to possess tamo-gun. Therefore, a person should develop the qualities of bhakti, upãsanã, sevã, shraddhã, and dharma with the desire for rewards in the form of the happiness of Bhagvãn. If a person has any desire other than that, he will attain only rewards such as the four types of mukti.
25.3 “Furthermore, it is not the case that Bhagvãn’s happiness is bestowed only on those who offer bhakti with various items and not upon the poor. Someone may be poor, but if he offers water, leaves, fruits, and flowers to Bhagvãn with shraddhã, that is enough to please Him. This is because Bhagvãn is extremely great. Just as a king rewards someone who composes even a verse in his praise with a village, similarly, Bhagvãn also becomes pleased instantly.”
25.4 Continuing, Shreeji Mahãrãj said, “Who can be called a true bhakta of Bhagvãn? If some prolonged illness were to overtake a person’s body; or if he receives neither food to eat nor any clothes to wear; or regardless of the extent of pain or pleasure that come his way, if he still does not fall back even slightly from the worship of bhakti of Bhagvãn, niyams, dharma, or shraddhã, but progresses with time, then he is called a true bhakta.”
25.5 Then, Rãj-Bãi had a question asked to Shreeji Mahãrãj, “Which gun pleases you, and which avgun displeases you?”
25.6 Shreeji Mahãrãj replied, “The following are the avgun of speech: If someone wishes to behave in some special way, then he should notify me only once by saying: ‘Mahãrãj, if you agree, then I shall behave like this’. I do not like it when a person repeatedly asks, ‘Mahãrãj, why are you not telling me whether I should behave like this or behave like that?’ I do not like a person who, despite knowing me as his ishta-dev, repeatedly questions my words. I do not like a person who interrupts me while I am speaking to someone. Regarding the performance of religious actions, such as performing dhyãn upon Bhagvãn, observance of dharma, offering bhakti, I do not like a person who throws the burden of such actions on Bhagvãn by thinking, ‘Only if Bhagvãn wishes are these possible’. Also, I do not like a person who thinks, ‘I shall do this; and I shall do that’, and then relies only on his own strength and not on the strength of Bhagvãn. I extremely dislike a person who speaks inconsistently and rudely. I do not like a person who feels a sense of shame or laziness when it comes to talking of Bhagvãn, listening to kathãs, or singing kirtans, and yet feels no shame or laziness in performing worldly activities. Also, I do not like a person who boasts of his tyãg or bhakti, or of anything else. I do not like a person who sits behind everyone else during a sabhã instead of sitting as suits his own status. Moreover, when seniors are seated in a sabhã, I do not like a person who forcibly pushes them aside to take his own place at the front of the sabhã.
25.7 “In addition, I am pleased with female bhaktas who behave morally by covering their own bodies and who keep their gaze cast downwards when they walk, instead of keeping a wandering gaze. Many times, instead of doing my darshan with a fixed gaze, someone may abandon that darshan and look repeatedly in the direction of an approaching man or woman, or a dog walking by, or cattle walking by, or in the direction of some noise. On such a person, I feel so much disgust that I feel, ‘What can I do? If I had not become a sãdhu, I would beat him in some way!’ But, that is not possible since beating someone is extremely inappropriate for a sãdhu. I also do not like a person who conceals the truth – who does not reveal the disturbing thoughts that arise in his mind to an appropriate person. Also, these three things are extremely harmful: mãn, krodh, and being so suppressed by others that what is in the mind cannot be revealed. Also, if bhaktas become disrespectful because they view each other as equals and do not maintain respect for one another, that is also extremely inappropriate.”
End of Vachanãmrut Gadhadã || 25 || 259 ||