In the absence of Brahmnisht Minalben, Br. Vikrambhai hosted the IVY Swadhyay. While enumerating her numerous qualities, Brahmnisht Vikrambhai said: “Minalben is the epitome of steadfast spirituality and selfless love.”
Glimpses from the swadhyay:
- As Pujya Bapuji would often say – Duty is first. Our responsibilities must not be regarded as a burden, but should be fulfilled with selfless love. Even elevated souls like Pujya Bapuji, Pujya Guruma and Minalben have set an example of how to strike a balance between earnest spirituality and fulfilling one’s worldly duties with selfless love. “ભોગ માં પણ જોગી”
- Amidst all our responsibilities, one must never forget, that primarily and most importantly, it is our duty to liberate our soul from the bondage of karma. This primary goal will orient our daily activities around the periphery and focus on reaching our spiritual duty.
- We should pay heed to the passage of time.
- We should condition our minds to become attentive and observant rather than judgmental.
- We need to focus on the task on hand and give our 100%, withdrawing from the outside transient world and focusing on the world within, the divine Atma. Taming the mind will bring peace and tranquility within.
- To become eligible of receiving the grace of an enlightened Master, we must have unconditional surrender and live our lives within the parameters of the Guru’s command; appreciate and value the Guru’s virtues and worship these virtues; and engage in deep contemplation of his words of wisdom and implement them in our daily lives.
- The Guru’s agnas must be followed diligently, in word as well as in spirit, since they are fundamental in releasing our souls from karmic bondage. Only when this foundation is strong, shall we be eligible to practice mediation.
- Enumerating the qualities of Pujya Guruma (since it was her 11th Samadhi divas), Vikrambhai said, “Pujya Guruma had numerous qualities. She was kind, polite, humble, altruistic, soft spoken, always punctual, always accommodating and most importantly devoted to the path of spirituality, sincere in her efforts and was fully aware of the importance of an enlightened Master to guide a seeker to his goal. In spite of living amidst immense material wealth, she limited her possessions and social interaction to the bare minimum. She breathed and lived to make herself worthy of her Guru’s grace.
An unholy mind can never be tamed, says Pujya Bhaishree. We find ourselves in a constant tug-of-war between being influenced by our surrounding and trying to influence others. Anchoring our mind to unsecured harbours will only serve to increase our karmas manifold.
Vikrambhai added that a filtering mechanism is essential to protect us from contamination. By anchoring our minds to our Guru’s virtues, we shall be safe and secure and our hearts shall become temples of love and courage.