Whatever the Guru tells is the eternal Truth.

    A few active seekers drifted from spiritual practice due to spiritual problems, although there was no resistance or obstacle from their family members. On the occasion of GP, other active members from the service centers should take such seekers along with them when they go for ‘seva’. They should be coaxed into chanting*. They can become active again if the active seekers from the service centers sit with them for chanting for a few days, so that the black covering formed on such seekers’ minds and intellect can be removed.

   Sometimes responsible seekers from one center attend satsang at another center when they are on a visit there in connection with some work. At such time, they are also given an opportunity to speak. The local seekers there consult these responsible seekers regarding obstacles in spiritual practice or about other difficulties. Since they do not have proper knowledge of the background and other matters of the consulting seekers, the visiting responsible seekers could be wrong in addressing their queries/problems. Seekers should therefore only consult the local responsible seeker for their problems. The responsible seekers visiting other centers should also advise the local seekers to consult the local responsible seekers for their problems.

    Presently, Ms. Pethe–aaji is staying at the Devad Ashram (India). Recently, a newly married seeker, who used to attend on Pethe-aaji, was advised by her that it was not correct to go for family-planning and that it was necessary to have children to repay the debts of ancestors and that His Holiness (H.H.) Dr. Jayant Athavale has also advised us to look after our worldly life.

    In the Sanatan organization, guidance is given only on individual spiritual progress of seekers. Seekers should solve their worldly problems at personal or family levels. H.H. Dr. Athavale has not guided any seeker as mentioned above. Due to their individual and collective spiritual practice, all debts of seekers are automatically repaid. Therefore, seekers who have been advised by Pethe-aaji, should keep the above in mind.

    The distressing energies troubles are increasing day by day. The troubles are in theActually what we call ‘service-center’ should be called ‘ashram’, since the embodied souls are seeking shelter under the Guru, that is, doing spiritual practice under the guidance of the Guru’s grace. An ashram is a place where an embodied soul, tired of worldly life, takes shelter (aashray) under the Guru, by sacrificing everything (body, intellect, mind, wealth etc.) to the Guru. (shramik is the humble soul trying to leave ‘maya’ to attain God )

– A scholar (June 6, 2005, 12.16 hrs.)

    (Thus, where workers stay may be called service centers and where seekers stay, ashrams. – compiler)

    On the occasion of Gurupurnima, when seekers give receipts upon collection of donations/advertisements, they should write down the chant of the family deity of the donor / advertiser and of Shri Gurudev Datta on the back of the receipt, to enable him to know the method in which he has to chant.

   The distressing energy trouble is more severe on the full and new moon days. The trouble also starts two days prior to such days and exists even two days after. Seekers should therefore do maximum chanting and prayers on these five days.

    Seekers with seeker-ship qualities do not have to be reminded to take actions like chanting, filling up the ‘PDR (personality defects removal)’ chart and regularly carrying out the allotted seva in the ashram, etc., as part of their spiritual practice. They willingly do these things by themselves. Comparatively, seekers who are just like workers have to be reminded to do these things and it is necessary to follow up with them. Such seekers are active for a few days after they meet a guiding seeker and later they become languid.

    One has to increase spiritual practice to become seekers rather than workers. Each one should take a review that he is not behaving in such a manner, and try to increase seeker-ship qualities in themselves.

*If one is not currently doing any spiritual practice, or to complement one's current 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. Chanting also acts as a useful complement to any spiritual path one may be already following. It is a practice recommended for the current times by Holy texts and Saints of all religions.

• 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.