Divotion to the Lord

One's efforts at God-contemplation and God-surrender should be continuous and seamless in the midst of everyday life and its activities. When this is coupled with the honest, consistent and unbroken practice of Brahmacharya, devotion to God will flower by itself. The nature of conserved Ojas is such that it makes the higher nature shine through, following which all improvements occur in course of time and the best of one's hidden talent starts to surface.

What is important from this point of time is not to get carried away with the power one derives through Brahmacharya. The lower self or ego will initially try to take credit for the new-found improvement and power. It will as usual try to raise its head and fill the aspirant with the feeling that he has performed a great achievement. This will cause pride and self-importance to mushroom. This is when downfall starts; for the real achievement has occurred from the powers of the Âtman (the Almighty himself) shining through Brahmacharya and not because of the ego. We, in sense of people are not the doers of any superlative action, the Almighty is. All credit goes to him. The ego is nothing.  We, as the ego are nothing. We, as the Âtman are everything . But one cannot fully think of himself as the Âtman in reality till one has reached the state of self-realization. The lower ego has much scope till this time. So one should always remember God as the doer of all actions and snub the ego into oblivion, not letting it raise its head. This should be always remembered and one should stay humble and rooted to this reality.

One should always remind oneself - " This lower nature of mine denoted by Ahamkarâ (ego) is false and devoid of substance. It is unreal and the product of Mâya (illusion). It is this Ahamkarâ (ego) which makes me react with desire, lust, anger, passion and other base qualities. So I will not let this ego surface every now and then to ruin my inner state of goodness, peace, tranquility and serenity; for in reality I'm the Âtman who is beyond these lower tendencies. There is no need to feel depressed, angered or irate further to someone saying something against me. Neither is there any need to feel elated, excited and proud further to an achievement or accomplishment. There is no need for anger as the Âtman (pure soul) is pure and blemish-free like the fire and I'm only the Âtman. Just as the Sun is least affected by whether people praise him or ridicule him, by whether people label his rays as bright or dark, by whether people call him hot or cold, in the same way, I'm the Âtman who is unaffected by the doings or sayings of people. Hence rebukes and insults cannot touch me. There is no need for elation, excitement and pride as positive qualities, abilities and achievements are again the result of Âtmic qualities bestowed by the Lord and are no way connected to the lower self or ego. So I will not let the lower ego take credit for such achievements and behave like a proud, intoxicated monkey in times of success but will always be humble and down to earth, remembering that the Almighty is the cause behind all success. I'm only a tool of the Almighty and will abide and accept by what he wishes."

Continuous practice of such an attitude will help displace the ego in course of time. As the ego starts reducing in extent, one's higher nature emanating from the real self namely the Âtman will increase in effect. This will automatically increase devotion, gratitude and awe at the workings of the Almighty. Man starts realizing himself in terms of the ego as a non-entity and the Almighty as the only entity of substance.

ॐ तत् सत्
(That Supreme being is the absolute truth)