Devraha Baba (1477 – 1989)

An Indian Siddha Yogi Saint named Devraha Baba, who passed away in 1989, was a yogi who lived just such a lifestyle. Devraha Baba was from the spiritual heritage of the Avatar Ramanandacharya, and lived beside the Yamuna River in Mathura. He lived on a 12-foot-high wooden platform where he usually remained stark naked. He never ate food. He only drank water from the Yamuna River. He claimed he could be in two places simultaneously. He was observed to have stayed underwater unaided for half an hour. He always radiated love. He was a Premaswarupa, an incarnation of love. He gave darshan (spiritual blessing) to devotees who came to pay homage. Many came to visit this great illustrious saint. People came from all over India and from all walks of life. He was a favorite among India's senior politicians, and was visited by Mrs. Indira and Mr. Rajiv Gandhi. Ministers, saints, yogis, priests, rich and poor all came for Baba's darshan.

Devraha was described as a "fully God realized master" and "an ageless saint of legendary repute". One legend has it that Devraha blessed Tulsidas (1532–1623), which would make him over 500 years old a rough estimate is that around the world, his devotees may number in hundreds of thousands to millions of people.  Devraha Baba's birth date has been claimed as 1477; his death in 1989 would give a lifespan of 512 or 513 years, one of the longest modern longevity Myth.

According to Devraha, he wasn't born from a woman's womb, but emerged from water.  According to legend, Devraha Baba never ate any food. He is described as a major attraction in the Kumbh Mela. The Baba used to bless his devotees by touching their heads with his foot.

The first President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prashad  stated that his father had sat at the feet of Devraha Baba as a child in the middle of the nineteenth century, and Devraha Baba was already elderly at that time and that his father already had known Baba for many years before that. An Allahabad High Court Barrister had stated that seven generations of his family had sat at the feet of Devraha Baba. Incidentally, Devraha Baba had predicted the time of his death five years in advance.

It was rumoured that Devraha Baba claimed that he had lived for over 700 years. Until I can substantiate this rumour I need to consider it just a rumour. Nevertheless, I make mention of this rumour because Devraha Baba's family tree records place his age to be at least 250 years when he took Mahasamadhi (relinquished his body) in 1989. If he was able to live to be 250, then it is possible that he lived for 700 years as well. Baba was called, "The Ageless Yogi." Devraha Baba gained mastery over the khecheri state of yoga whereby he was able to control his hunger and the time of his death.

Since Giri Bala's interview with Yogananda, the world has undergone an exponential awakening in consciousness and science. The ancient teachings of the Rishis, which here to fore have been kept secret and only shared with the closest of disciples, now are readily available to everyone. As more people begin meditation practices and learns to tap their inner cosmic energies, and as medical science moves towards eradicating all diseases, it is conceivable that the human life span will be extended by decades if not by centuries.

Positive Consciousness

The habitual way in which you use the house you live in and its contents are all affected if you use them in a positive consciousness (mental state). The result is purification while interacting with the physical object, so that when the object is in use, it fulfills its function accurately, and it has also undergone a permanent change. This can happen when you are cleaning the house, cleaning any object in the house or preparing objects for a particular purpose. If such actions are done in a positive consciousness then the physical object will have such a vibration of peace and purity that no harm can be done with it and whatever action it is used to perform will be successful. Any other soul who comes into interaction with those objects will also feel the affect of their pure vibrations.

If we perform each action with the physical body in a positive consciousness, then the physical body gets purified and we can become free of illnesses.

In our relationships it is the same principle. First there needs to be that detachment in relations. Secondly, when there is a positive consciousness, I will find that my interactions have a purifying affect on all that I relate to and I can bring benefit to everyone I meet.

In this way a positive mental state enables all actions to be successful, whether at work or at home.

Positive thinking keeps us energetic throughout the day. Always think positively and avoid the company of negative friends!

Every Desire Ends In Tears

Because desire means desire for more; how can you quench it? By the time you have arrived, it asks for more. You wanted ten thousand rupees; by the time you have ten thousand, the desire has moved ahead of you - it is asking for one hundred thousand. By the time you achieve that, the desire has moved. It always moves ahead of you; the distance between you and your desire always remains the same.

Desires are unending what we see in the hierarchy of needs. Desires are automatically translated in to needs. To meet needs one has to strive to achieve. By the time you achieve the previous desire, the higher need creeps in and you get entangled in the vicious cycle which continues till death. Real contentment is not related with the desires or needs. Real satisfaction is the state of mind which gives the person divine pleasure in whatever he possesses. I do not say that one should be contented with the available resources and never attempt to get more. One should do his best to gain the maximum as per his ability and potentials honestly.

We have seen in the recent London Olympics that we could not get a single Gold and had to conclude with six Silver and Bronze medals only. Although we accepted the fact that we did our best but could not make more. We will strive to get more in the next Olympics but we know our limits and potentials and have to accept the facts gracefully.

Saint Kabir says

"Sai itna dijiye jame kutumb samaye,

Mai bhi bhukha na rahu, sadhu bhi na bhukha jaye.”

साइं इतना दीजिये जामे कुटुंब समाय
मै भी भूखा ना रहूँ, साधु भी ना भूखा जाये

Means I should have that much which would be enough so that I should eat with my family, and the guest also is fed. Kabir is contented with the minimum requirement whereas Tata and Ambani will not. Thus the level and degree of contentment varies from person to person.

The distance between a beggar and his desire, and the distance between Alexander the Great and his desire is the same. Both are poor in the same way. Alexander may have much that does not make much difference — he is not satisfied with what he has.

It is said that Diogenes once said to Alexander the Great, “Have you ever thought about one thing? — meditate over it: you want to conquer the whole world, but are you aware that once you have conquered the whole world, then what? There is no other world. Then what will you do?”

Diogenes And Alexander-And it is said, just by Diogenes saying it, Alexander became very sad, and he said, “Please don’t mention such sad things — let me first conquer the whole world, and then we will see. But don’t talk about such sad things to me; it makes me feel very sad.”

He had not conquered the whole world yet, but the very idea that if you conquer the whole world, and then what are you going to do? There is no other world, and you will feel stuck. The mind will ask for more.

The mind lives through more, and the more cannot be fulfilled; that is impossible. Every desire ends in frustration, because every expectation is the beginning of frustration. Why does every desire end in frustration? There are only two alternatives: either you achieve your object of desire or you don’t achieve it, but in both cases, it will end in tears. If you achieve it, you will see the utter futility of it all.

The rich man sees the futility of his riches - how much he has laboured, and how much he has worked for it! And now, whatsoever he has attained is absolutely useless, it fulfils nothing. You can have several houses, but you are the same person, as empty as before. You can live in a palace, but how can you change your inner meaninglessness?

Make Life Meaningful-In fact, you will be more meaningless in a palace, because while you are in a hut you can still hope that one day when you have managed to get into a palace, everything will be okay. You can hope, but the man, who is in the palace, has no hope, he feels utterly hopeless. And he cannot say it to others either, because that will be stupid of him. 

Just think of Alexander the Great; he devoted his whole life to conquering the world. And when he had conquered it, if he had said to the world, ‘It was useless. I wasted my time and my life’, people would have laughed at him. Could he not see it before?

You go on following others, although you see them living in misery. You go on following the powerful, the rich, and the wealthy, although you see their faces are sad, their eyes are dull. They don’t seem to be intelligent either; they don’t have any grace, any joy, and any beauty.

If you succeed, you will be in pain, because your success will bring the truth home: that your whole life has been sacrificed for nothing. If you fail, you will be frustrated, because you will see that you have failed, you are not worthy. You will become self-condemnatory.

And no desire simply ends; before it ends, it gives birth to other desires. So it remains a continuum: one goes on from one desire to another desire, life after life.

The three W's- Wait-Witness-Watch- the only solution to contentment. Either you will be consumed by your desires or you have to consume your desires. And consuming means: witness, watch... The intelligent person lives joyfully, contentedly, whatsoever situation he is in, whatsoever he has got.

Life Has A Meaning Purpose

How can I know God is? How can I know the world makes sense? How can I know there is purpose in living? How can I know?

These are the questions of all of us. When we seek for an answer to them, where shall we look?

Look out at the vastness of things. See the stars blossoming like the unfolding petals of a rose and you sense the moving order that rules the depths of space. Look at the least blade of grass – out of sunlight and water and air, it makes new life! – and you sense the inconceivable intelligence that works in the least of things.

And more than intelligence! If we could get at the heart of things, a heart is what we would find-something much more like heart than mind, much more like love than law, much more like beauty than reason.

Take rainbows, for example. There is a reason for rain, but not for a rainbow. The universe would operate as efficiently without one, only not so beautifully, that is all. Only the spirit of divine delight could have conceived rainbows, the same Spirit that made butterflies-those flowers with wings! And indeed all the infinite, outpouring, heaped-up, overflowing variety of things bursting the seams of the world makes me know absolutely that something is at work here so alive that life is too weak a word to describe it.

The Spirit of God is not just life, not just intelligence. It is sheer exuberance, the love of joy in living! It never makes two blades of grass alike. It crowds every crack with growing things and space with universes.

Clouds form and dissolve, birds sing, insects rise, leaves tremble, and flowers unfold-all is change, activity, livingness. You may be part of this livingness. The universe is a web, beautifully woven; its threads spiraling out, linking every living thing, even every atom, so intimately so perfectly that no least thread, no least point at the perimeter, can be touched, but the whole web vibrates in harmony. You can be one with this oneness of things. You need not be little and alone, isolated and meaningless. You are part of life.

One with life, you lose your sense of separateness, your sense of self. No bird flies, but your thought takes flight; no bird sings, but a song is in your heart. You are brother to the fly and cousin to the cricket. You are as much a part of life as a cloud is part of the air. Who shall say where cloud ends and air begins? At its edges, it is some of both. At your edges, you are part of all that is, part of the livingness of life.

In the infinite flux of life, there is no separateness; there is only wholeness-only the many faces of the One. Give yourself to living, and you will find meaning, for you will be one with the one life.

FOCUS........

I was jogging one day and I noticed a person in front of me, about 1/4 of mile. I could tell he was running a little slower than me and I thought, good, I shall try to catch him. I had about a mile to go my path before I needed to turn off.

So I started running faster and faster. Every block, I was gaining on him just a little bit. After just a few minutes I was only about 100 yards behind him, so I really picked up the pace and push myself. You would have thought I was running in the last leg of London Olympic competition. I was determined to catch him.

Finally, I did it! I caught and passed him by. On the inside I felt so good. "I beat him" of course, he didn't even know we were racing.

After I passed him, I realized I had been so focused on competing against him that I had missed my turn. I had gone nearly six blocks past it. I had to turn around and go all back. Isn't that what happens in life when we focus on competing with co-workers, neighbors, friends, family, trying to outdo them or trying to prove that we are more successful or more important?

We spend our time and energy running after them and we miss out on our own paths to our God given destinies. The problem with unhealthy competition is that it’s a never ending cycle.

There will always be somebody ahead of you, someone with better job, nicer car, more money in the bank, more education, a prettier wife, a more handsome husband, better behaved children, etc. But realize that "You can be the best that you can be; you are not competing with no one." Some people are insecure because they pay too much attention 2 what others are doing, where others are going, wearing driving.

Take what God has given you, the height, and weight personality. Dress well wears it proudly! You'll be blessed by it.

Stay focused and live a healthy life.

There's no competition in DESTINY, run your own RACE and wish others WELL!!!

Does God exist ???

The professor of a university challenged his students with this question. "Did God create everything that exists?" A student answered bravely, "Yes, he did".

The professor then asked, "If God created everything, then he created evil. Since evil exists (as noticed by our own actions), so God is evil. The student couldn't respond to that statement causing the professor to conclude that he had "proved" that "belief in God" was a fairy tale, and therefore worthless.

Another student raised his hand and asked the professor, "May I pose a question? " "Of course" answered the professor.

The young student stood up and asked : "Professor does Cold exists?"

The professor answered, "What kind of question is that? ...Of course the cold exists... haven't you ever been cold?"

The young student answered, "In fact sir, Cold does not exist. According to the laws of Physics, what we consider cold, in fact is the absence of heat. Anything is able to be studied as long as it transmits energy (heat). Absolute Zero is the total absence of heat, but cold does not exist. What we have done is create a term to describe how we feel if we don't have body heat or we are not hot."

"And, does Dark exist?” he continued. The professor answered "Of course". This time the student responded, "Again you're wrong, Sir. Darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in fact simply the absence of light. Light can be studied, darkness can not. Darkness cannot be broken down. A simple ray of light tears the darkness and illuminates the surface where the light beam finishes. Dark is a term that we humans have created to describe what happens when there's lack of light."

Finally, the student asked the professor, "Sir, does evil exist?" The professor replied, "Of course it exists, as I mentioned at the beginning, we see violations, crimes and violence anywhere in the world, and those things are evil."

The student responded, "Sir, Evil does not exist. Just as in the previous cases, Evil is a term which man has created to describe the result of the absence of God's presence in the hearts of man."

After this, the professor bowed down his head, and didn't answer back.

What is life?  (2)

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. An embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

The Bank Account of Life. Imagine there is a bank that credits our account each morning with Rs. 86,400/- It carries over no balance from day to day. Every “Evening” deletes whatever part of the balance we failed to use during the day. What we do? Draw out every paisa, of course! Each of us has such a “Bank”. Its name is TIME. Every morning, it credits us with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this we have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for us. Each night it burns the remaining of the day. If we fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is ours. There is no going back. There is no Drawing against the tomorrow. We must live in the present on to-day’s deposits. Invest it so as to get from it in the utmost in health, happiness, and success! The clock is running. Make the most pf to-day.

To realize the value of One YEAR………… ask the student who failed in his class.

To realize the value of One MONTH…ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.

To realize the value of One WEEK……..Ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize the value of One HOUR….ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.

To realize the value of One MINUTE…ask a person who missed the train.

To realize the value of One SECOND…ask a person who just avoided an accident.

To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND…ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics.

We should treasure every moment that we have. And Treasure it more because we shared it with someone special, special enough to spend our time. And remember that time waits for no one. Yesterday is History. Tomorrow is mystery and to-day is a gift. That is why it is called …………the Present.

There is a story “The Echo of Life“

A man and son were walking in the forest, suddenly the boy trips and feeling a

Sharp pain he screams, “Ahhhhhh!”

Surprised, he hears a voice coming from The Mountain, “Ahhhhh!”

Filled with curiosity, he screams: “Who are you”, but the only answer he receives is: “Who are you”.

This makes him angry, so he screams: “You are a coward!”

And the voice answers: “You are a coward!”

He looks at his father, asking, “Dad what is going on ?”

“Son,” the man replies, “Pay attention!”

Then he screams, “I admire you!” The voice answers” “I admire you!”

The Father shouts, “You are wonderful!” And the voice answers: “You are wonderful!”

Then the father explains, “People call this ‘Echo’, but truly it is ‘LIFE!’

Life always gives you back what you give out. Life is a mirror of your actions,

If you want more love,

Give more love!

If you want more kindness! Give more kindness

If you want understanding and respect, Give understanding and respect!

If you want people to be patient and Respectful to you, give patience and respect!

This rule of nature applies to every aspect of our lives.”

Life always gives you back. What you give out. Your life is not a coincidence, But a mirror of your own doings.

What is life? (1)

I have been thinking for a long time about what we do in our life. We start by being taught in school, how to become a good citizens. We spend a great part of our childhood studying. And finally we get the diploma that will ensure us “the position we deserve”. We participate to increase of unemployment……….until we find a job. Through hard tests we are accepted in the world of work. We perform a good professional career filled with activity and efforts……a lot of efforts…….till we fall down exhausted… But we are great professionals with our valuable market share.

Time keep on passing, and….we select new targets. We meet the sweetheart of our life, and promise a never ending love. Passionate hugs and here comes a baby into our home. Dammed night couldn’t close my eyes. We keep on advancing in the society trying to make the best of our time. We are the stars. Where ever we go and we are finally rich, but we need sometime more to triumph completely. O God ! One day they tell they can do without you. By this time you think getting crazy. You feel destroyed. You feel you lost means of communication; you realize you are cut-off from everything. Now time does not pass any longer. Still you are loosing it. You realize you have been living in the fog, in search of a silly target. You become walking Ghost. Trying to escape your enemies. You are only one longing hours to pass till your time comes.

Upon this evaluation, an idea came to my mind on how to improve my life. I will take things easy. I will try to open my heart to my love. I will listen to the ones surrounding me. I will save more time to spend it with my friends. I will try to travel more. No karaoke, I will never do, but I believe I will sing.

Put The Glass Down Today

A professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it. He held it up for all to see & asked the students.

“How much do you think this glass weighs?”

’50gms!’ ….. ’100gms!’ …..’125gms’ …the students answered.

“I really don’t know unless I weigh it,” said the professor, “but, my question is: What would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?”

‘Nothing’… the students said.

‘Ok what would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?’ the professor asked.

‘Your arm would begin to ache’ said one of the students.

“You’re right, now what would happen if I held it for a day?”

“Your arm could go numb; you might have severe muscle stress & paralysis & have to go to hospital for sure!”… Ventured another student & all the students laughed.

“Very good. But during all this, did the weight of the glass change?” asked the professor.

‘No’… was the answer.

“Then what caused the arm ache & the muscle stress?” The students were puzzled.

“What should I do now to come out of pain?” asked professor again.

“Put the glass down!” said one of the students… “Exactly!” said the professor.

————————————-

Life’s problems are something like this. Hold it for a few minutes in your head & they seem OK.

Think of them for a long time & they begin to ache. Hold it even longer & they begin to paralyze you. You will not be able to do anything.

It’s important to think of the challenges or problems in your life,

But EVEN MORE IMPORTANT is to ‘PUT THEM DOWN’ at the end of every day before You go to sleep.

That way, you are not stressed, you wake up every day fresh &strong & can handle any issue, any challenge that comes your way!

So, when you leave office today, Remember friend to

*** PUT THE GLASS DOWN TODAY! ***

पानी का ग्लास

एक प्रोफ़ेसर ने अपने हाथ में पानी से भरा एक ग्लास पकड़ते हुए कक्षा शुरू की !! उन्होंने उसे ऊपर उठा कर सभी छात्रों को दिखाया और पूछा - ”आपके हिसाब से ग्लास का वज़न कितना होगा ??”

’५० ग्राम, १०० ग्राम, १२५ ग्राम’!! छात्रों ने उत्तर दिया !!

”जब तक मैं इसका वज़न ना कर लूँ, मैं इसका सही वज़न नहीं बता सकता” !! प्रोफ़ेसर ने कहा !! ” पर मेरा सवाल है -

यदि मैं इस ग्लास को थोड़ी देर तक इसी तरह उठा कर पकडे रहूँ तो क्या होगा ??”

‘कुछ नहीं’ !! छात्रों ने कहा !

‘अच्छा, अगर मैं इसे इसी तरह एक घंटे तक उठाये रहूँ तो क्या होगा ??” प्रोफ़ेसर ने पूछा !!

‘आपका हाथ दर्द होने लगेगा !!’ एक छात्र ने कहा !!

”तुम सही हो, अच्छा अगर मैं इसे इसी तरह पूरे दिन उठाये रहूँ तो का होगा ??”

”आपका हाथ सुन्न हो सकता है, आपके मांसपेसियों में भारी तनाव आ सकता है, लकवा मार सकता है और पक्का आपको अस्पताल जाना पड़ सकता है”!! किसी छात्र ने कहा, और बाकी सभी हंस पड़े !!

“बहुत अच्छा , पर क्या इस दौरान ग्लास का वज़न बदला ??” प्रोफ़ेसर ने पूछा !!

उत्तर आया - ”नहीं”

”तब भला हाथ में दर्द और मांशपेशियों में तनाव क्यों आया ??”

छात्र अचरज में पड़ गए !!

फिर प्रोफ़ेसर ने पूछा - ”अब दर्द से निजात पाने के लिए मैं क्या करूँ ??”

ग्लास को नीचे रख दीजिये !! एक छात्र ने कहा !!

”बिलकुल सही !!” प्रोफ़ेसर ने कहा !!

जीवन की समस्याएं भी कुछ इसी तरह होती हैं !! इन्हें कुछ देर तक अपने दिमाग में रखिये और लगेगा की सब कुछ ठीक है !! उनके बारे में ज्यादा देर सोचिये और आपको तकलीफ होने लगेगी !! और इन्हें और भी देर तक अपने दिमाग में रखिये और ये आपको लकवाग्रस्त करने लगेंगी !! और आप कुछ नहीं कर पायेंगे !!

अपने जीवन में आने वाली चुनौतियों और समस्याओं के बारे में सोचना ज़रूरी है, पर उससे भी ज्यादा ज़रूरी है दिन के अंत में सोने जाने से पहले उन्हें नीचे रखना !! 

इस तरह से, आप तनाव में भी नहीं रहेंगे, आप हर रोज़ मजबूती और ताजगी के साथ उठेंगे और सामने आने वाली किसी भी चुनौती का सामना कर सकेंगे !!