Darshan and Divine Command, 1993

[In 1993 Muniji’s birthday by the Indian calendar fell on 15th February. That night, at 11:20, the time of Muniji’s birth, Bhagwan Lakulish gave darshan to Muniji and the two conversed for forty minutes. Muniji made the matter public in a discourse at Kayavarohan on 19th February when the family of disciples and devotees gathered for Mahashivratri, and thereafter at a Gurupurnima public discourse at Ashi Village on 3rd July 1993. Among other things, the Lord commanded Muniji to undertake a worldwide campaign to propagate the moral, ethical, spiritual and cultural values of the Sanatan Dharma. Muniji concluded his Kayavarohan public address by declaring his firm determination to carry out the Lord’s Divine Command and calling upon his listeners to join the campaign. Not much later, he formed the Lakulish International Enlightenment Mission, later registered as a Public Charitable Trust (1996) and set about the task of forming the International Fellowship  that would constitute the work force for the great task ahead. The following is a gist of Muniji’s Kayavarohan address containing Dadaji’s divine command and his own concluding declaration of intent] –Editor.

            "Rajarshi! I wish to give a special command to you. You know well that I had commanded my disciple and your Guru-Swami that the principles of yoga, gyan (knowledge), bhakti (devotion) and karma should be propagated and spread throughout the world by my spiritual successors and by these means the work of resurgence of Indian culture must be carried out. Swami did undertake it but the work of resurgence still remains largely undone. Now you have become the successor in my spiritual lineage. Therefore, you must now undertake this work. This is my command".

           "Indian culture can even today receive respect and welcome everywhere and can guide the whole world because it is based on those fundamental principles which can be found acceptable by all mankind. This way Indian culture has the capacity to become the culture of mankind. Therefore an enlightenment campaign has to be undertaken to cultivate popular awareness of the world in favor of the fundamental principles of Indian culture".

            "Understand my command well. You have to launch an enlightenment campaign through the instrumentality of my spiritual tradition for the reestablishment of the highest values of human culture. The field of this campaign is not to be kept limited to Gujarat or India alone but is to embrace the whole world. In modern times the work of cultural resurgence is necessary for all of mankind. All works must start at the appropriate time. The time has now ripened for starting the campaign for enlightenment of humanity. This work awaits your active participation. Therefore, shake off your inactivity and be active to conduct this campaign.

           "This campaign is to take on hand the task of gradually creating an atmosphere of peace, ethical living, righteousness and spirituality in the world. Mankind can progress only if human conduct finds basis in ethical, moral, and spiritual values, which are the true pillars of culture. Ethical behavior is the foundation of culture; righteousness is its mansion and spirituality is its roof-top".

            "A man becomes truly cultured when, along with his physical and mental development, his spiritual development also takes place. Culture without spiritualism remains incomplete. God created man with the objective that he may ascend, not that he may fall".

            "Acquisitiveness is increasing among the people of the world and this is causing the spread of all manner of wrongs and evils. Therefore man must learn to curtail his needs and live a simple life. Indian culture commends a life of simplicity; with the increase in wants and needs resulting in acquisitiveness, selfishly motivated competition has increased in the world. Because of this people tend to put away principled living. This rot does not take long to spread and corruption comes to be regarded as the normal coin of the day".

"Because of scientific researches the world will continue to see explosions of energy. If this energy is not controlled by men through morality and restraint, it will assume evil forms. It will lead man on the path of moral downfall and total destruction. To prevent such harmful consequences, science will have to be kept in check with the rein of Dharma, which does not mean sectarianism. Dharma is the sum total of morality, truthfulness, restraint and right conduct. That which Indian scriptures refer to as Dharma is an indestructible tattva, (principle). That is why Indian Dharma (the guiding principle of life) is sanatan (everlasting). This Dharma is the foundation of the whole world and the source of all good qualities. Such a Dharma is auspicious for humans not only in this world but also in the world beyond, This dharma is very subtle and profound. Without its universal acceptance the world community cannot experience peace".

           "Yes, if dharma gets confined within the narrow boundaries of sectarianism, it does not remain enduring and everlasting. The thought and philosophy of sectarian religion becomes stagnant. It is incapable of welcoming good new principles. Indian Sanatan Dharma is not stagnant and narrow. On the contrary, it cries out 'Aa no bhadrasha kratavo yantu vishvaha', meaning, may we receive from all directions the ideas and principles that lead us to outstanding actions and works. If anything containing true and everlasting values can be obtained from any other culture, there should be no hesitation in accepting the same".

            "In reality Sanatan Dharma is wedded to the principle of monotheism. But in this it is not the same as other religions similarly wedded to the principle of the oneness of God. Due to this reason many people make the mistake of looking upon Sanatan Dharma as one displaying the principle of the multiplicity of God. The God of Sanatan Dharma does not reside in any heaven. He is beyond and transcends the limits and boundaries of not only heaven but indeed the entire cosmos and yet exists and is contained within every atom of the cosmos".

            In this way the principle of oneness of God enshrined in Sanatan Dharma is of a higher class than the similar principle as embodied in other religions.

            "Attributeless Highest Essence is called Brahmatattva, Shivtattva or Parmatmatattva. This very essence is recognized as Parbrahma or Parshiva too. He is without beginning or end, eternal, luminescenct, all pervading, indestructible, changeless, formless, flawless, and on without a second. This Highest Essence assumes the form which is called Ishwar (God) or Sadashiva (Eternal Shiva). This God produces from within himself the primordial causative energy or maya (the illusive projecting power). By resorting to maya on His own accord, God playfully assumes three forms".

            "The triune forms of Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma, being aspects of the same Supreme God or Ishwar are mutually inseparable. Those who see separation or difference between them are lacking in knowledge. Those blessed with the power of discrimination do not see any difference between the three forms and accept the principle of the oneness of God".

The Importance of Work.

           "Rajarshi ! I know that you are practicing yoga for the attainment of the divine body as taught in my spiritual lineage. For the attainment of the divine body God's grace is just as important as your own effort. The highest goal of life can be attained only when human effort and divine grace combine. Before gaining anything, its price has to be paid. Before achieving liberation, it is necessary to work for the public weal so as to pay off the debt owed to the people. Consider the resurgence of culture as your life's mission just as you consider the attainment of the divine body as your life's spiritual pursuit. The fulfillment of any great work certainly calls for some sacrifice. One engaged in spiritual pursuit must consider not just his own interest but the public interest as well; he has to do not just tapa (penance), but some tyaga (sacrifice) as well. If renunciate ascetics do not become defenders of cultural values, society becomes devoid of such values and amorality increases in the world. It is important for the completion of spiritual penance that effort be also made piously for the resurgence of culture. The work of shaping culture is not disunited from or inferior to that of seeking one's own liberation. In reality, both are interconnected".

            "Detachment or preoccupation with spiritual practice must not become the limiting factor restraining spiritual persons from doing their duty. On the contrary, when the time demands it, the responsibility of cultural resurgence must become their highest concern and priority. If the ascetics imprison the seeds of morality, religion and spiritualism in the safes of their hearts, such confined seeds cannot germinate. Where then is the question of such seeds becoming trees or yielding flowers or fruits? A seed is always ready for self effacement and thereby produce many more seeds. In the same manner, the ascetic must allow the seeds of morality, religion and spirituality to germinate and engage himself in activities that will enable others to experience such sprouting, by becoming an instrument of the universal power".

            "Be active with full dedication in whatever work the universal power controlling the worlds ordains for you as its instrument. Thereby you would have lived out your destiny and also paid your debt to society. The sense of renunciation and the desire for liberation are fine but do not forge that life is a game of attaining harmony between activity (pravritti), renunciation (nivritti) and destiny (prarabdha). A renunciate spiritual practitioner has to become a servant too. Therefore it becomes necessary for him to work selflessly for the advancement of society, without expectation of any reward for himself".

            "Apart from the chosen duties, God has determined some service or the other in the public interest for each soul. This is naturally enjoined duty (Praptadharma). To discharge this or to live by it is also a form of sadhna. Such naturally enjoined duty cannot be properly discharged by running away from activity. One engaging in righteous activity with self-restraint need not nourish fear of slipping from the path of renunciation (nivritti). You are presently established on the seat of the Guru in my spiritual lineage. The position of Guru involves responsibility to teach spirituality, religiousness and culture to the devotees, the followers and others who are in search of knowledge. That Guru who fears to carry out his responsibility, fails in discharging his naturally enjoined duty. You too must continue to diligently discharge your duties without any expectation of reward. Any work done with righteousness and without expectation of reward is not an obstruction in the search for truth but is in fact helpful".

            "Rajarshi, nothing will come of it if you sit down to evaluate divine plans with your intelligence. If you allow it to express itself through you as the instrument, the necessary strength will appear in you on its own. If you allow yourself to merge into the divine will then from time to time you will receive the necessary enlightenment and the way ahead will keep becoming clearer. Son, my blessings are bound to be with him who is the head of my spiritual lineage. If you sow the seed of the enlightenment campaign properly it will certainly develop into a large tree and yield fruit".

            "Works devotedly undertaken always bring about proper results. However, the ideal way is to endeavor devotedly without worrying about the results. May all things propitious happen. Rajarshi, if you become active in this task with pure faith your intuitive wisdom (antarpragya) will also develop. When that happens, solutions to the problems arising will occur automatically in your mind. Nevertheless, if at any time I think it necessary to give you personal guidance I shall appear again".

Determination to Carry Out the Command

“Brothers and sisters ! I do not know if I am qualified to carry out the great task that Dadaji has entrusted to me. But I have firmly resolved to involve myself in the sacred task of implementing the enlightenment campaign. I am not worried whether I shall fail or succeed in this. I understand only that this is the command of the divinity who is the subject of my prayers and hence I should blindly apply myself to carry it out. Yes, this much I would certainly say, that I have seen measureless kindness flowing from the eyes of Dadaji (Lord Lakulish) and it is this that is the foundation of my faith to succeed.”