material progress
Interview with “Light in London”
Spiritual Growth: Children, Parents, and Families
part 2
– In your understanding, what is mindfulness?
– It is a state in which our inner chatter subsides and tranquillity fills our being. What regular meditation does is that the outer circumstances and fluctuations cease to throw our mind off balance as they please. The sources from which a person gains information should be also regulated. Gradually, a person starts to gain control over their lives, and most importantly, becomes the master of their mind.
– All the way here, I thought there’s one important question for me and for most people: how to put an end to suffering?
– I always say that we are either suffering or gaining. This depends on our past karma: if our good karma is awakening, at that time we are gaining something, we are happy; and if our bad karma is awakening, then we are suffering. Negative karma doesn’t mean something very bad. Any negative thoughts that we have created in the past are going to affect us in the future. Any negative words that we have created in the past will also affect our future. This is all past karma. If you are suffering, it is the result of your past karma (your thoughts, words, and actions). If we don’t want to suffer, then we have to remember the almighty power which always exists within us. We have to remember it through prayer, meditation, chanting the name of God, mantra. There are many ways to do this, but I think that chanting the name of God, chanting mantra is very important for neutralising your past negative karma. Radhe-Radhe!
–Somebody in the west might not have a strong desire for God, for self-realisation maybe, but they have problems, they have difficulties. If they come to you, can you help them, even if their motivation is not purely spiritual?
– Sure, I will help, because people’s thoughts also transform. I will give you an example. I meet with people. Seventy-eighty people (out of hundred) come with problems (related to health, work or personal life). Maybe three-five people (out of hundred) come with spiritual questions only. All they are coming, because they have some problems in life. And when they can’t solve them, they search for Masters, spiritual paths, go to temples.
Human mind works like this – when I give something, I have to gain something. And when people come and feel that this thing is helping, or they think “I had a minor question and there are very big and very deep things…” They understand that they seek financial gain, or solution to some little problems, but Guru Ji tells them about very deep things which can provide a happier and much better life. And then their thoughts also transform towards spiritual things. This happens most of the time. Because a soul is a part of God, it reflects on the past (in this life), remembers different karmas (i.e. thoughts, words, deeds). It thinks “Why am I running towards things that will not give me happiness for a long time? Should I do spiritual practice…” I always teach, that you have to do spiritual practice and should not live only for material purposes, I am balancing these things. So, when the person is doing both (i.e. spiritual and material), after some years they see that their life is changing for the better, day-by-day their thoughts transform into the higher level and there is spiritual progress in their life.
– So, to summarise, even if somebody comes to you for personal, practical, material issues you will help, but also they will gradually improve spiritually.
– Yes, this is correct, it is always happening.
– Is there anything you would like to say?
– I want to say to all of you, that you work hard in life. Main thing – look after your physical health, because you can do good things only when health is good. Good person has good health, every person has good health, but good person looks after their health also, because healthy person can do more. Body is also a mechanism; time affects your health, so you have to see to everything – stomach, hands, legs, head, everything as there are so many parts of our body. So, you should always be careful about your health, do good hard work and always remember God. And I will pray always for all of you – in my heart there is no Russia, France, London, India. We all are brothers and sisters and children of Almighty God. I always remember you and I will pray for all of you. Radhe radhe!
Read rest of the interview (part 1):
Spiritual Master Shri Prakash Ji interviewed by Phillip Guillermond (Light in London) on 18/08/2016