Self Realization Articles

Upon encountering their guru and being in His presence, one's instinct guides them to bow in reverence. In that sacred moment, a profound realisation dawns—their arduous search has come to an end, and they have arrived at their destined destination. Here, they will find the answers to their deepest problems and embark on a transformative journey towards something extraordinary, something that will reshape their entire existence: the attainment of Self-realisation or enlight

Desire can lead to greed. It is fine to desire something, but to keep going back for more or keep on thinking about it excessively all the time, will eventually lead to greed. Desire is something that arises from the moment one sees, hears, smells, tastes or touches something that feels good or pleasing to the five senses, and even after one has it, the desire to experience it again and again continues. At times, on hearing how people enjoyed something very much, it could inv

A poet has written: The speechless gain speech, the cripple climb mountains,rnThe power of Guru’s grace is extraordinary, the blind gain sight! Then, how can the positivity of Guru not change the thoughts of a person seated in front of him?! Guru’s Grace Works Wonders! We are talking about an Enlightened Guru here! rnSuch a Guru’s grace removes all the obstacles on our path and helps us reach right up to our goal. Guru’s grace is indeed so powerful; there is no doubt

There are two pathways to attain spirituality: 1. The Kramic path and rn2. The Akram path Kramic path is the common traditional path where a person leaves their home environment, renounces worldly things and slowly climbs up, one step at a time, towards the ultimate goal of moksha. The other path is the Akram path, which is an exceptional path, and is indeed a wonder, revealed in and for this present age, because on this path, you are not required to acquire or renounce anyth

While the consequence of having a small ego is peace and harmony, the consequence of having a big ego is restlessness and agony. One having a small ego likes being small in worldly interactions whereas one having a big ego likes to become big and pricy. Children (the less developed) will always call that which is small, big. Those who are not mature will be impressed by anything and anyone. Whereas the old and matured (the spiritually developed class) place themselves lower a

Thoughts arise in mind, and the mind serves two purposes: 1. That of a radar: The role of the mind is to inform us about things just like a radar: This is good, this is fearful, this is like this, this is like that. It does so with the help of thoughts. It signals what it sees and these signals are not to frighten or scare us, but to caution us instead; so that we can take a remedial action on time. 2. Like that of a boat: The mind is a like a boat; it can make us wander aiml

As a normal worldly ritual, everyone thinks of marriage as ‘a beautiful bond between husband and wife’, wherein the two lead a good and happy life. Following the societal norm, we too dream about getting married; and look forward to having a life-time companion in the form of a partner and a loving family whom we can call our own and who will be there to look after us in the later stage of life. And as we reach the marriageable age, our parents also begin to insist that w

Yes, the country of India has been a country of spirituality For centuries, the sacred land has borne countless saints, Satpurush, seekers of the truth and Gnani Purush, and also the Vasudevas, Balrams, Chakravarti Kings and Tirthankars, who are perfect embodiments of Omniscience. These divine beings have not only attained their own salvation, they have become instrumental in the salvation of others too. They have shown people the essence of real religion through the support

We come across various situations in our daily life like, ‘I don’t have enough to support my family’; ‘My daughter is not getting married’; ‘What will become of my son?’; ‘What will happen if this work does not get completed?’ and many more. How do we handle such situations in life? Is it possible to get things done without worrying? Thinking vs. Tension vs. Worry When there is an issue at hand that needs to be solved, thinking has to be done to a certain le

Karmic debt means that we have bound some bad karma. How is the karmic debt repaid? Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan, an enlightened being explains, “There are two directions in which one can progress from a human life-form. If you have a karmic debt, which means that you have bound bad karma; you would have to go to the animal kingdom to pay it off. If your debt were excessive, you would have to take birth in hell, and settle it there, before you return to human life. If you accom

But are you happy all the time? Let us consider a scenario: you receive distressing news about your family member or face financial crises – does your happiness persist? What about times when you are unwell or experience various aches and pains? Can you maintain your happiness during such moments? Furthermore, how do you feel when you are insulted or treated poorly by others? Spirituality grants us everlasting happiness, in stark contrast to the fleeting and dependent happi

The easiest way to achieve enlightenment is when we get the knowledge of ‘who am I’ directly with the grace of the Living Enlightened One! The Enlightened One explains: In this world, there are two types of path. 1. Step by step, step by step, we have to search our Self, ‘who am I’ or we have to take help of the religion. But in (today’s worldly) religion, they are not giving the knowledge of Self-Realization (Enlightenment). They will develop us in the worldly life

Yes, Nirvana is a state that is beyond all suffering, and yes, it is the experience of supreme bliss as well. When one attains Nirvana, one attains the ultimate Moksha. So, how does one gain this Moksha? Moksha is achieved in two stages: ● In the first stage of Moksha, one experiences freedom from all suffering in this very life. Along with freedom from suffering, one also starts feeling that, ‘I am free’; the feeling of liberation, the awareness of something being diff

Jesus Christ said, “Know thy Self.” And countless other enlightened beings too have said the very same thing. So what does this precious phrase mean? Come, let’s understand… There are so many religions that different people follow in this world. And the divine beings whom people worship and follow as their God or the head of their religion have not only attained their own salvation, but they have become instrumental in the salvation of others too. They have given peop

Many individuals associate material things with elements like happiness, comfort, relief from problems, success, social status, and pleasure, consequently holding the conviction that pursuing these possessions will lead to a happier and more satisfying life. Also, in today's society, the pursuit of material possessions is often driven by factors such as societal pressures, personal desires, the influence of advertising and media, and the belief that such acquisitions will alo

Intuition is the direct light of the Soul. When we have a problem or seem to be confused regarding some matter, while we are sitting silently and are in steadiness, all of a sudden we get a flash suggesting the path ahead. This is called intuition. On our spiritual journey, depending on one’s individual level of development, one always keeps receiving intuition as to how to proceed. Even the little puppy, while walking on a wall, may suddenly at one point feel, “this seem

Peace can mean different things to different people, but it is generally associated with a sense of calm, inner stability and well-being. Peace is a state of harmony characterised by the absence of conflicts, opinions or inner disorder. Peace is often associated with feelings of tranquillity, contentment, happiness and good health. It can be achieved through various means such as meditation, mindfulness or yoga; Self-realisation being the ultimate. Inner peace allows us to co

It is generally advisable to follow your heart when making important decisions related to matters of love or even any other sensitive matter in your life. Why the heart and not the head? - Where feelings reside, that’s where the heart lies. The heart is close to the Soul whereas the intellect is in line with the ego. The more one leans on the ego, the farther one is from the Soul. - When following the heart, every act is carried out with utmost awareness that may no one be

At some point in our lives, we all have experienced some form of inferiority complex at school, work or home with friends or family. This emotion of feeling generally inadequate or on occasions supposed inferiority in some aspect can bring you down and depress you. All too often, this negative emotion may dominate you leaving you feeling morose and unconfident. Consequently, you may start to demonstrate aggressive behaviour towards others in compensation for your own lack of

When people make a significant decision to spend the rest of their lives together and get married, they embark on a journey full of hope and promises to each other. In the beginning, the married couples feel they have a bright future that is full of optimism and anticipation. After a certain period, flaws start to appear in the marriage.rn rnCouples start to see faults in each other and within their marriage. Invariably this manifests in arguments, conflicts, differences of o

Can you imagine a life in which you remain in a constant state of inner bliss irrespective of what good or bad things befall upon you? This state of eternal happiness can only be experienced when you realise the true source of permanent happiness, your true Self, the Pure Soul. Being in the Pure Soul state is one where you are internally at bliss regardless of the ups and downs in your material life. The knowledge of your true Self (the Soul) can only be attained from an Enli

The whole world is nothing but the principle of karma. The existence of bondage lies entirely on you, you are responsible for it. Everything is your own projection. You are responsible even for the formation of your body. Everything you encounter is your own design; nobody else is responsible for it. For endless lives, you have been responsible, “wholly and solely.” ~ Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan So when a person is suffering, it is a result of his own karma, others’ karma

A person enjoys happiness even when there is no money whatsoever. And the other suffers deeply even when there is plenty of money. There can be suffering with money or without money. There can be suffering as a widow or a wife or as a mistress. Even prominent businessmen in the world have suffered. Therefore pleasure and pain are not dependent on money! Actual suffering is in not having any air to breathe or food to eat. These are the basic necessities in life, without which

Purity means wherein there exists no adulteration, no contamination whatsoever There are 2 paths one can tread on, to conduct his worldly interactions: 1. One driven by Heart; and 2. The other driven by Intellect The path of Purity is one that is driven by Heart, and not Intellect The path driven by heart is that of pure love People driven by heart feel other’s pain as if it’s their own. Without thinking about their own comfort and interest, they eagerly reach out to help

Learning from our faults is a vital part of growing up and indeed our entire lives. Everyone makes mistakes, not just children. However, as parents, it is our duty to help our children improve and learn from their mistakes. Our intention is to instill good values and principles in them which is why knowing how we can help our children learn from their mistakes is vital for their personal development. Adopting the wrong approach may very well lead to counterproductive results.

The essence of human life is to get awakened and remain only in ‘Self’. The Soul is the real Self. But from time immemorial, we have not known this real Self. Owing to our ignorance of the Self, we have always lived in an illusion. And years after years, life after life, this illusion has only multiplied. It has multiplied infinitely. Spiritually, this state of illusion is called a state of deep sleep. It is only when one is awakened from this slumber, that he becomes awa

In Akram Vignan, spiritual science, the state of spiritual awakening is also known as "Self-Realisation” or “Enlightenment”. Experiencing a spiritual awakening involves a profound shift in bodily consciousness, leading to the realisation of one's true nature as the eternal Soul or Pure Soul. It involves going beyond identification with the body, mind, and ego, and recognising oneself as a pure Soul (atma) beyond the limitations of the relative world. To achieve Self-Rea

Soul is an eternal element; that which is eternal is never born nor does it ever die The Soul is immortal. It was, it is and will always remain the same for everyone. The Soul does not undergo any change whatsoever; that which changes is the body. When one physical body dies, the Soul continues its journey with a new body that is born. The Enlightened One explains: There are six eternal elements in this world; they are everlasting. But when they revolve around each other, the

We are all aware of the ill effects of negativity in our lives. We become pessimistic in our thoughts, antagonistic and unenthusiastic in our speech and our actions invariably reinforce our bleak view of things. Whilst this can occur consciously, this negative state of mind may well be entrenched on a subconscious level. The impact of negativity upon ourselves directly include the following: - You suffer from ill health through adverse thinking. - You create obstacles for you

Spiritual Enlightenment means to realize that really who am I. It is called Self-Realization! Through Akram Vignan, a stepless path to Self-Realization, this enlightenment happens when Gnani Purush, the Enlightened One, directly changes our wrong belief to right. Right now, we believe that really I am John (please insert your name here) only; this is a wrong belief. The right belief is that, I am really a pure Soul, separate from John!’ The Enlightened One explains: When we

Mindfulness helps transform our life from one of stress, fear and uncertainty, and clogged up with thoughts, to one that is on the whole calmer and stable, full of positive and clear thinking and wholesome. Mindful living helps focus ourselves on the present, here and now, rather than worrying about what we could have done differently in the past or being stressed about the future. Moreover, living in the present helps us think clearly and appreciate that which is in front of

Conflict for is something that is not in anyone’s hands as it depends on different circumstances and situations however, what is in your hands is the way you approach the issue of dealing with conflict or the way you view the conflict. Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan has said in the book life without conflict, “Each person is correct in his/her viewpoint and take that person’s viewpoint into consideration.” This reminds of a situation whereby you can see the handle of the cu

We are indeed not our body. Do you say, “This is my body” or you say, “I am body” - what would you say? This is my body, right? So who is saying, “This is my body”? The owner and the belonging must be separate. If you say, “This is my house”, it means you are the owner of the house. So, the house and the owner must be separate. Similarly you say, “This is my body”, which means you are not body; you must be separate from body. If we are separate from the bo

Some of the most simple spiritual ways to learn to flow with life instead of fighting with it are: Not to hurt others The fundamental principle of Akram Vignan is our intent of not hurting any living being through our mind, speech and body. This is the highest of all principles for human life and it’s the ultimate worldly truth. If we inflict suffering or hurt on any living being, we will only have to bear its consequences. God resides in every living being. Therefore, if w

To strengthen parent child relationship one has to strive to keep a balanced approach. The role of a parent evolves from nurturer, guide and lastly to a friend. Until the age of seven or eight years if a child make mistakes then you have to guide them and even discipline them if necessary. Till the age of twelve to fifteen you can guide them but after sixteen you have to become their friends. Theoretically, we know only love and understanding can touch a child’s heart but p

We all have an ego. Due to this ego that we have, we react differently under different situations, and with different people that we encounter in life. But what are the precise effects of having a positive or negative ego? Let’s see…rnA positive ego brings us happiness. Even when things seem to be going against us, when we maintain a positive attitude, we experience calmness, inner peace and contentment. In contrast, a negative ego brings nothing but misery, pain, unhappi

Enlightenment means awakening of the Soul. The Soul is an abode of permanent happiness. And that Soul is what we really are. So, the enlightenment begins from when one attains the experiential knowledge of really ‘who am I’. And when one is fully enlightened, one gets free from the cycle of birth and death as the Soul attains the ultimate liberation. Having the right understanding of ‘who am I’, the enlightened person is able to remain detached from all mental, physic

In the context of Akram Vignan, when people say, "Everything happens for a reason," they mean that every situation and experience in life, whether perceived as positive or negative, is a result of past causes and effects, a form of demerit or merit karma. In life, nothing occurs randomly or by chance. Instead, everything unfolds according to the precise ‘law of karma’. Each event or circumstance in life is a result of past life causes. “The things of this world are not

Throughout the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says He resides in every human being. Then, why do people go to temples to search for Him? Yes indeed! Lord Krishna resides in every human being! In which form must He be residing? In the form of a child (Bal Krishna) the one with the flute or any other form known to us? He resides in His true form which is the Soul. But are we able to see Him in our boss, parents, in-laws, foes, friends, or everyone in our life? Just think about it,

Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan, an Enlightened being, asserts, “Until one is under the societal influence (lok-sangnya), there is nothing but pain there, and if one comes under the influence (sangnya) of the Enlightened One, then there is nothing but happiness, happiness, and even more happiness. What is lok-sangnya? Loksangnya means to believe that there is happiness in whatever people have believed there to be happiness in; say they have believed there to be happiness in materi

The reason why individuals have not yet discovered their true Self is attributed to the presence of karmic obstructions, which create a veil of ignorance of ‘who am I really’. Every single one of us carries the burden of karmas, which are the accumulated effects of past actions, intentions, and thoughts. These karmic obstructions are a veil over one’s true Self. They create a false sense of one’s true Self, thus, creating a false association with the body, mind, and s

Overthinking is a harmful habit that can lead to a never-ending cycle of stress and worry. This habit can leave you feeling less confident and motivated, and it can also contribute to various mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, sleep deprivation and weariness. When you overthink, you may find it difficult to make decisions or take action because you are constantly stuck in a cycle of 'what if this happens or that happens'. It's important to understand that the h

Normality means to maintain balance, without any excessive indulgence or scarcity. Normality is required in all facets of life: starting from our daily routine and right into our relationships. Maintaining normality, in any aspect, promotes not only physical and mental, but emotional and spiritual well-being too. Having a sense of balance keeps us genuinely happy and contented, and allows us to experience a life free of bother and distress. In stark contrast, abnormality in l

Many individuals associate material things with elements like happiness, comfort, relief from problems, success, social status, and pleasure, consequently holding the conviction that pursuing these possessions will lead to a happier and more satisfying life. Also, in today's society, the pursuit of material possessions is often driven by factors such as societal pressures, personal desires, the influence of advertising and media, and the belief that such acquisitions will alo

So, how do we design our life to increase happiness, lower the feeling of anxiousness, and have a handle on our anger and that too in a healthy fashion?... Outlined below are few most practical suggestions, which if introduced into your daily routine, will substantially bring about positive results. Try them out and experience the difference for yourself! Increase Happiness Try introducing the following points into your daily routine: - Keep a deep inner intent to not hurt an

We often say “I should be more positive in life”, and yet on the other hand, we are seen complaining and sulking over events. It is easy to say one should adopt a positive mindset, but difficult to follow-through. This is because we are impulsive in reacting to the external happenings negatively, rather than keeping peace with a positive understanding within. Let’s take the following situation: Say, you are on your way to work. While you are almost at the bus stop, you

To live a life, we all need money, which can help us gather goods to fulfill our basic necessities. So we set out in search of some job or service to earn some money for ourselves and our family; and we make a living from whatever money we get. This is a very basic, standard and an ordinary fact of life, that every human being is normally subject to, isn’t it? But remember that instance in your life, when you noticed that someone was in need of something, and you thought, â

Everyone in this world is in search of love, by acquiring love they will feel cared for, positive, encouraged, strong within, comforted and most importantly secure. If love can have such a strong effect on a person, it is no wonder then that it is said that ‘Mother’s love is the highest form of worldly love that one can experience in this world’. This is because a mother carries her child for nine months her; she makes sure that the child remains healthy and sound. Duri

Compassion can be defined as a feeling of deep empathy for another who is struck by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate their suffering. True compassion arises when one genuinely feels for others, considers their problems or suffering as one’s own, and positively initiates a genuine attempt to help them. Compassion is not just a feeling. It is a part of a general attitude or mindset or helping others, which results in helpful, supportive or remedial acti

Yes! Our staple food, that we eat is very much responsible for how aware we are, how sharply we can think, and how quickly we can grasp the knowledge provided to us. It might not exactly control how we think but it controls our ability to think and understand the process. Let’s have a look at certain more general points: 1) The relation of food with awareness: Food that we eat turns into ‘brandy’ (that which produces a toxic effect on a person's awareness) in the body.