Guidance from the Guru

(Letter 14)

Swami Tapovan Maharaj

Om Narayana Smriti

Sri Gangotridham
16-7-1953

Affectionate Narayana smaranam.

The first step in spiritual life is to believe firmly that God alone is true, indestructible and blissful. Those who have such firm belief will have no attachment to sense objects and no desire to enjoy them. If not for sense enjoyments, at least for self-glorification, people busy themselves with work. “I am a very rich man”, “I am a great leader”, “I am a great scholar”, “I am a great devotee, “I am a great jnani ” – so people pride themselves and find a fleeting pleasure in the proud fancy. Even great men who have given up all sorts of sense enjoyments sometimes forget their true goal, being misled by such fancy. The pleasure of utilisation and the pleasure of self-glorification both soon end in overwhelming sorrow. The godly pleasure originating in the contemplation of God alone is free from sorrow, because God alone is eternal. Divine joy is eternal; it is untouched by sorrow. The wise who know this find lasting, unbroken joy in the contemplation of God; they find no joy in anything else. By the contemplation of God, not only man but the whole world becomes pure and holy. A believer can render no greater service to the world than that rendered by contemplation of God. That means every other service is inferior by comparison. Therefore, without wasting a precious moment, without a single moment’s break, perform sadhanas to gain remembrance of God.

With good wishes,

Swami Tapovanam

Here there is not even a clean scrap of paper to write a letter on.