Why do we have so much negativity around us

Duality is at the core of everything around us.  There are two completely opposite ends and life survives in between.  I understand that world can function only when there is pair of opposites balancing each other.  Like day n night, hot n cold etc.   All is illusion and yet so true.  Is there no darkness?  It is said there is only light and if an object is placed in its path, then there is shadow on its opposite side.  That darkness is nothing but absence of light.  and if there is all light there is no darkness.   All is crystal clear.  However don't we need dark lines and shadows to define an object.   Aren't light and dark both necessity of life?  Both are required for understanding each other and experiencing life. 

News focuses on  what is going wrong and it blows out of proportion in our mind.  It shows us all darkness and negativity around us.  However, we are alive because negativity and positivity are in balance.  But too much media tries to project the chaos.  Which is not truth at all.  Most of the time world is in order...in things that we don't even notice.  For example, there is so much of honesty...we go to shop, we pay and get the balance  as well as the goods.  We go on vacations.  All is booked and we get comfort in return as per agreed terms.  Most of the times things are working in order.  We get services so easily. People are generally nice and helpful.   Facilities, treatments, essential services.  We are placed at appropriate places depending upon our karmic accounts, our place in spiritual evolution.  

World is not cruel.  Many many noble souls,  like Monks and spiritual groups etc , pray to God to keep everyone safe. We don't want anyone to suffer.  World was at war centuries ago too.  This yin and yang always co exists because this is the root of human survival.  

We build a strong house today, it is going to wear and tear subsequently.  Cells in our body,  die and are recreated every day.   This is life...new then old, fresh today stale tomorrow, healthy today unhealthy later.  This up down pendulum like swing in our lives continues.

I live in developing country and have seen so much since childhood.  Because on one side there is this stinkingly rich class and on other side people are with nothing.  Both are in pain of different kind.  People in developed countries have different blessings. But Really??

We have come here to experience life in its different vibrations and frequencies, varied nature, variety, 'spice', which I sometimes agree with and sometimes don't. Pain and pleasure exist everywhere. Nothing is permanent.  All is changing.  We have to learn from this diversity. If it becomes all positive or all negative, world will come to an end.

We cannot have sun up all the time like we cannot have long long nights.  We will not survive then.  This polarity of opposites is at root of our existence.

Vandana Ritik Mulchandani

Noida

Understanding Shirdi SaiBaba Philosophy

Symbolism of Sai

Sai is Mother full of unconditional Love

Sai is Father all capable and Giver

Sai is Beloved Friend always present when needed

Sai is Doctor setting us free from unimaginable afflictions

Sai is Bestower of Wealth filling our lives with immense prosperity

Sai is Samarth Sadguru fulfilling our quest for self knowledge

Sai is all pervasive omnipresent internal wirepuller solving all our confusions

Sai is formless who appears before his devotees in the very form they think of him.

Sai is lifeforce giving life and sustaining this entire Universe

But who is this SAI????

Shirdi Saibaba who was in human body garment till Oct 15, 1918, would often tell his devotees that what you see in Shirdi is a body of 3 ½ cubic feet comprising of five elements that will ultimately merge with the same.  HE advised his devotees to look within and recognize the real SAI, the one seated in heart of each living organism, vibrating, life giving force within each one of us.

Close your eyes, barring your body and name, what is left is that feeling of being alive.  This is I AM.  This is SAI.

People have given different names to this life force energy.  However, it is this awareness, this consciousness of our own existence is called by various names Krishna, Christ, Guru Nanak, Durga and so on.  All are different names representing One and Only One Truth.  Like Sai said SABKA MALIK EK (Everyone has One Master).

This consciousness, the awareness of existence, the feeling of being alive, is common to all living beings.  Hence Saibaba advised us not to differentiate – ‘Destroy this wall of Teli(separation) between you and me’.  All living forms are one with Sai.  Sai is in All and All are in Sai. We may know each other by different names.  Ornaments are of different shapes but they are all made of one metal - Gold

Devotees who had difficulty understanding this were advised to meditate on the physical form of Saibaba as they saw him until one would close eyes and start experiencing the formless Sai (presence of divinity within).  Sai pervades through each and every animate and inanimate object and binds entire Universe, visible as well as invisible.

Knowing all as One form of Supreme Divine, Shirdi Saibaba advised us all to drop hatred and treat each other equally as extensions of Self.  Be kind, loving and compassionate towards each other because you, me and others are all One (Self).  Thus we should not revile our own brethren, not harm any living being.  Respect and Love all life forms as extensions of Sai.  There is no difference between Sai and Me.

Our overwiseness, ego, feeling of I-ness and taking up of Do-ership binds Karma and creates rinanubandhs (pastilfe karmic debts) thus obstructing our path towards self realization and ultimately keeps us far away from Truth – God.  Saibaba advised us to get rid of shackles of this MAYA.  Go beyond the visible phenomenon and look at the neomenon.

Saibaba asked us to work out our duties as per station of life we are posted and think of our own welfare first i.e., observing, understanding and experiencing our own true State.

Saibaba promised that he is always with his true devotees and follows them everywhere.

Vandana Ritik Mulchandani

Noida

Finding God Within  Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha Volume 13  Number 19 11 May 2017

You say: “I am a devotee!” Now, the very reference ‘I’ – can you tell me whom it refers to? (Devotees: It refers to myself; ‘ātmā’.(soul)) That ātmā is God! If this is true, is there any distance between God who is remembered and ‘I’ who remembers Him? Also, tell me, who is the real God? The remembered entity is God, or the remembering ‘I’ is God? My dear children, this is called the path of jñāna(knowledge). In the path of jñāna, there is no additional need to remember God at all! Years back I had made some ‘classic propositions’ to God. Listen to me with attention. I gave two challenges to God. One is: “Banish me from your territory, if you can!”.  And the second is: “Exit from my heart, if you will!” And till today, ‘poor God’ has not been able to meet any of the two challenges! Are you able to appreciate the power of Self-realization that enables me to ‘challenge Him’ like this? I am saying this because I know that He cannot do it! For, if He is able to do it, then he ceases to be God. That is the strength of my Knowledge. Generally, none will think of God like this! This statement cannot be, or will not be, made by all; but I am making it! You have to be a Knower of Truth to say like this! When you are enlightened, when you find God so dear, you can even play with God like this. (Swamiji laughs heartily …) There is one more thing I want you to hear from me. I tell God: “My dear God, I cannot always remember you. Do I have to? It is you who has put me into the world; I never wanted to come to this world! Now that I have to live in the world, I have to deal with other things of the world. Whatever actions and interactions I have to undergo, let me do them very well. So, I cannot always remember you. Nor do I propose to remember you always. “Either I will remember you directly, or, I will remember you indirectly through the world, your own product. What difference does it make? It makes no difference to me. If it makes any difference to ‘you’, it is ‘your’ headache, not mine!” My dear children, are you understanding these statements well? And is the understanding giving you some sort of comfort and consolation? So, tell me; what is preventing you from saying like this? (Swamiji pauses, awaiting response from devotees. But there is no reply.) When you communicate with God with this kind of intimacy, will not your whole personality undergo devotional transformation? Nothing will trouble you. Not only that. You will become invincible! (Excerpt from the monthly magazine Vicharasethu published by Swami Bhoomananda Tirtha. Subscriptions to Vicharasethu are available at Rs 100 for 12 issues and Rs 1000 for 12 Years.)

Do we have Free Choice in life?

We plan our life before birth. We along with our Soul family, plan out our birth, parents, siblings, life partner, Major obstacles, events and our exit (death) plan before we even enter womb of our mother.  We plan on learning new lessons. If this will happen I will do that.  What We Plan uses up our past store of good karma. 

Once we put a blueprint of our life in motion by taking birth on earth,  we forget what we had planned.  life moves as per our plan but do we remember to act according to our planning????  Sometimes we do sometimes we don't.   

As we are acting as per blueprint of our choice, our free choice making opportunities get reduced drastically unless we had planned an option on the path. 

Major blueprints of life remain unchanged. We probably have freedom to take little detours on the way but final destination cannot be altered.  What we have come to learn on this earth school by way of experiences and its ultimate impression on our soul so that soul is elevated to higher levels, need to be learnt.  There is no turning back.

Higher  forces do not interfere and make sure we stay on course.  They are witnessing our blueprint in action and  do the work of keeping us on track by putting thoughts into our mind and affecting our intuitive abilities accordingly.  Because none has power to alter our blueprint since we made it ourselves.  Thats why our so called Gods messengers n saints etc could not alter sufferings of their loved ones or even themselves.

Our decisions are absolutely affected by external factors, genetic etcs but what about our own unique inner personality.  Ultimately its our decision n we face consequences.  We are more powerful beings then external circumstances.  Body may die but soul carries the experiences.

Best way for me is to learn the ways n means to make this blueprint better for future lives, if there is any.  This is because when blueprint is in action we understand how different it is between planning and then actually going through it.  At some points we are overcoming hurdles and learning learning while at other times we may refuse to learn and grow since the pain is so intense.  Often we have seen people stuck up in their misery.  Given up.  They don't want to improve their situation.  A lifetime goes waste.  

Key to success is our own Will Power.  While planning we are strong but when it actually happens, we are often numb and dumb due to emotional or physical pain.  

Once we master laws influencing working out of blueprints of our journey on earth, we can achieve good results  with no suffering at all n with ease n peace.   We need to learn and understand Laws of the Universe and how they work, right here, in this human body.  Once its in our psyche we cannot fail next time. 

Vandana Ritik Mulchandani
Noida