In the morning, Bapasri, showing his favour, talked in the assembly. He said, “Look! Many miracles are happening in satsang. It is because of God and great muktas who themselves sit in satsang. It is very much mercy of Maharaj. We should please Him. God has shown very much His supreme power at this time. Thousands and thousands of miracles are taking place. Wherever we see, Swaminarayana is seen. One commits theft even though he sits in such assembly- it is the theft of body, mind and jiva. Though he is punished, he does it. God has given us hands, legs, eyes, ears, gave us also opportunity of satsang even then jiva becomes disloyal and there are jivas which spoil the birth. We have to take much care. If small or big sin is committed, we should repent. If someone in such divine assembly says with folded hands that Oh Maharaj! Oh God! I am your convict please be pleased on me. I have committed such mistake; then Maharaj will soon be pleased and all his faults will be done away. If some fault happens unknowingly, muktas should be consulted and whatever repentance they suggest, must be done immediately but should not remain impure. One should become pure by sitting in such assembly. The life is uncertain. Once I had been to a devotee’s house, there a child was very sick and it was loudly saying that it is dying. Such is the life. ‘Marna marna sau kahe mari na jane koi, Brahmanand kahe esa marna fer janam na hoi’ (every one says he wants to die but does not know how to- Brahmanand says that die in such a way that you become free from rebirth). If God is not worshipped in such age or in such time, it will be great loss. We have got a big advantage so during short span of life we should not waste time. When jiva is engrossed in taste, and passion, it would not come out from it, and once it has thrust in passion, it will have the thoughts of family and beautiful woman. It will have such useless thoughts. Therefore, devotees of God should fear much. Passion, anger, pride, etc. are very naughty. Even great persons have become victim of it. All these should be thought by satsangi. For this purpose, one should directly go into the feeling of old age since childhood. In the young age the deeds, which should not be done, will be done- what are they? They are secret activities, violation of religion, etc. Thus, the aim of life will be missed. Moving with bad company one learns delinquency. If it is not taken care of, one does not know where it will stop. If one leaves such assembly and goes away somewhere else and if he is careless, he will be the victim. He will forget worshipping God if he keeps friendship with the wicked and takes prohibited food. This is all for wealth. We should not enter into business partnership with a wicked person and we should be eager to please God. First of all God, and then all others. Even if he is your brother or your son, so what! Then the mother of Harji Ṭhakker gave a big pot to Maharaj for taking bath. Her son Premji asked his mother why she had given such a big pot. Had it not been all right if small one was given? When he said so, he was driven out of the house with his luggage. Then she told him she would not see his face and she did not, till she left the body. Thus, Murti should be kept dearer than anything else. Though the mother of Harji Ṭhakker did not see the face of her son for twenty years, her kind wish of offering meals prepared with her own hands to Maharaj could not be fulfilled so it became cause of rebirth. She took rebirth. In her young age, she had gone for darsan of Maharaj. At that time, Maharaj asked Harji Ṭhakker if he could recognise his mother, Harji Ṭhakker said, he could, provided she was the same as she was before. Maharaj pointed to his mother and told him that she was his mother. Thus, she was recognised. When she became twelve years old, she prepared food with her own hands, fed Maharaj with much love then she went to Aksardham after death. Even such kind of wish becomes hurdle. So all kind of desires must be avoided and only Murti should be kept. In every activity, chant Swaminarayana, Swaminarayana. It is now Satyug. It is in the house of Swaminarayana, nowhere else. If someone betrays knowingly or unknowingly him who chants Swaminarayana, his jiva will be punished. Some devotees of God are poor. They should also be recognised. He who does not get food to eat is not poor. He who has lacs of rupees and is poor by nature- he is poor. Today Maharaj and saints are themselves present in the assembly- please them. Then looking at the assembly Bapasri asked if Maharaj was there in that assembly or not. All devotees said, “Yes”. Bapasri said, “If one pleases such great Anadi, he will be fulfilled. Thousands of miracles are taking place, one who sees them will know. Gopalanand Swami went to certain village and there he asked someone where the temple was. That man was brushing his teeth sitting on a platform pointed to the temple and told Swami to go in that direction. For this little service, Maharaj gave him birth in satsang, after making his body leave this world as a righteous devotee. He was given the vows of vartaman and in his old age, he became saint. At the time of his death, Gopalanand Swami showed a wonderful miracle. What is it? The saint saw Gopalanand Swami in many forms and the saint said where these lacs of saints came from. Thus, Swamisri showed divine power and made saint leave his body. Thus, saints from Bhuj, Vadtal, Amdavad, whosoever remembered will come and stand with Maharaj, but not that saint whom we call saint for the namesake. Only those saints who are true saint will come. Therefore, think everything. Do not miss the opportunity of associating with God and such saints. One wants basic necessity (food, clothing, shelter)- what more do you want? He who wants to go to the house of Swaminarayana should keep virtues like character, contentment, patience, etc. Do not harass the poor. If you harass a poor man who is poor by nature, your whole generation will be destroyed. God is called benefactor of poor. By wearing kanthi and making tilak, one should not make the show of satsangi. There was a devotee, he was satsangi only outwardly. He quarrelled with real devotee and asked if he was not satsangi. What can such man know about satsang? Maharaj is present in satsang– please Him. He is pleased soon. He, who wants to please God, should often perform mental worship five times, then katha-varta, meditation, devotion (bhajan) and thereby please God. Authority is like cobra. In this satsang, in this assembly wherever you see, you will see Maharaj sitting but the egoistic are blind so they do not see and do not understand. Therefore, do not do ordinary satsang. Do not find fault with others. You will not get such opportunity. Whosoever is said big in satsang cannot be wrong- know thus. The faults like passion, anger, greed, pride, etc. are like snake- avoid them and please Maharaj and great muktas.”|| 82 ||