It has been observed in some districts that seekers of other sects have been relying on their association with His Holiness (H.H.) Dr. Jayant Athavale and thus asking Sanatan organization seekers to distribute their products. Our seekers market these products as a satseva. The Sanatan organization’s sole objective behind distributing various sattvik (spiritually pure) products is to spread spirituality and enhance righteousness in society and that is why the Sanatan organization’s products are produced by the seekers themselves. However, other sects are not likely to appreciate this. If we market the products of other sects, there may be a misunderstanding among people that ‘the Sanatan organization is doing the sale for the sake of money’. Seekers should therefore take this point into account and abstain from marketing products of other sects.

    When a seeker used to point out mistakes committed by her co-seeker to him he would not like it. There could be one or all of the following reasons for that seeker to not like hearing about his mistakes, for example, the authoritative attitude arising from the relationship, his personality defects or wrong way of the other seeker in pointing out mistakes. Due to this, the co-seeker would get angry with her. She therefore stopped pointing out his mistakes. However, sometimes the seeker’s actions would cause her mental agony.

    Subsequently, she started looking at him with the perspective of ‘a soul engaged in spiritual practice’ and started overlooking his mistakes concerning himself. Later on during a camp, she did not like the way that co-seeker was relating his personality defects. She felt that his way of talking about his mistakes could hurt other seekers. While reporting his mistakes, the organizer’s point of view was also not considered. She did not immediately tell him about his mistake, but let a couple of days pass and one day, when he was in a better frame of mind, she very coolly told him about his mistakes. The co-seeker accepted his mistakes, and decided to report it in the following satsang and ask for the forgiveness of the seeker who was hurt by his earlier recounting in the camp.

    This incident is indicative that other seekers could also commit similar types of mistakes. Therefore, other seekers should consider all angles for telling their mistakes and its effect, for example, other seekers losing their temper (or getting hurt) and appropriate time of telling others about their mistakes.

    The Sanatan organization’s seekers have undertaken spiritual practice to attain spiritual progress. While practicing spirituality, they continue to perform their household chores as a part of spiritual practice. On interaction with many lady-seekers, it has been observed that their family members are giving them trouble despite their attending to the daily household work. The trouble-mongers neither practice spirituality themselves, nor do they allow others to practice it. This reminds one of Saint Mirabai’s husband who heaped hardships on her, and of Bhakta Prahlad’s father (Hiranyakashyapu) who inflicted untold miseries on him. If we continue to worship the Lord like Saint Mirabai and Bhakta Prahlad, the Lord Himself would steer clear our way through difficult times.

    A lady-seeker attended a marriage soon after the death of her father, during Sootak (a prohibitive period after a death occurs in family). In fact, we are not supposed to attend any auspicious occasion during the prohibitive period. Here, the lady-seeker failed to follow the dictates of religion. It is our aim to establish righteousness. In order to achieve it, it is imperative that our every action is according to the religious texts. We are going to the masses to preach that everything should be done according to the religious texts. In keeping with what we preach, we should also practice religion in our every action. If a Saint advises us not to observe the prohibitive period, it is quite okay. Otherwise, people follow the examples of our seekers as ideal, and they would also follow the above action of the seekers.

    Some seekers at the Phonda ashram failed to make spiritual progress up to the mark in spite of remaining in the company of H.H. Dr. Athavale for four to five years. By contrast, seekers who are living in remote places and who do not have much contact with Him, made remarkable progress in spirituality (like Shri Kalidas Deshpande from Yavatmal (India) and Shri Nandkumar Jadhav from Sholapur (India), etc.). Here, one understands the importance of doing spiritual practice according to the principles of Spirituality. Many seekers from the Phonda ashram have been doing satseva in the presence of H.H. Dr. Athavale for a number of years but still do not fill out the table of personality defects regularly, or do not strive for enhancement of spiritual emotion (bhav jagruti). This clearly showed that they lacked the attitude to learn and as a result, H.H. Dr. Athavale stopped conducting satsangs there. He also stopped their chanting* and giving spiritual treatment to them. Some chief seekers then continued to conduct satsangs there, but few attended them. Naturally, H.H. Dr. Athavale told them to stop even that satsang.

    The seekers of the Phonda ashram only continued doing their work. Seekership could not be created in them because they failed to do satseva and to obey. Even the Guru is unable to uplift the disciple spiritually if he does not have the intense motivation for final liberation. One should well remember this principle and increase one’s earnestness to learn and do spiritual practice as is expected by the Guru principle.

    Instead of spending time on the seekers who are indifferent about their own spiritual practice and who are not desirous of making further progress in Spirituality, it is better if sufficient time is devoted on the new seekers who are coming to the Sanatan organization. Comparatively, seekership could be created in them much faster.

    Small-size tape recorders in working condition are required for recording various programs in the office of the Daily Publication and ashram. Those seekers and readers who wish to donate them may kindly contact Shri Prashant Koyande of Devad Ashram, Panvel, Maharashtra (India):

Phone No. (952143) 233122,
Mobile No. 94226 52520 (Reliance);
9422 437124 (BSNL).

*If one is not currently doing any spiritual practice, one can begin with the simple, but powerful spiritual practice of chanting or constantly remembering God's Name according to one's religion.

• Seekers in the initial stages of spiritual practice (less than one year) can repeat The Name of the Lord as per their religion (refer to Issue 3 Clarification of Doubts section for details).

• Seekers who have been doing regular spiritual practice for over a year or so can determine the appropriate chant for them from the experiment given in Issue 124, Message to Seekers section.