Psychological and spiritual efforts required to bear the adverse times - 4

If an individual performs spiritual practice in the present birth, he will get rewarded in each birth. Sachchidananda Parabrahman (Dr) Athavale is a ‘Moksha Guru’, who thinks of the welfare of the entire human race. Real welfare of an individual lies in God-realisation. Hence, on the backdrop of the impending World War 3, Sachchidananda Parabrahman (Dr) Athavale does not get thoughts about a country that is defined by its geographical boundaries; instead, He gets the thought that sattvik people (irrespective of the country they belong to) should survive so as to realise God. All said and done, as part of His duty and as gratitude unto the Nation, Sachchidananda Parabrahman (Dr) Athavale is incessantly active for the overall welfare of India. – H.H. Sandeep Alshi

In our previous Issues, we started with – Preparations required at the psychological level to face the adverse times. So far, we have covered – the Importance of taking autosuggestions (AS), various AS techniques and the methods of taking AS, specific AS on floods, riots, etc. Read about the other aspects here.

Family preparations for the adverse times

A. Decisions about the house

A1. Ideally, do not buy a new house or flat; instead, select the option of continuing in the present house or a rented house

A. A house can get damaged because of earthquakes or landslides. As a result, the money invested in buying a new house may get wasted. Hence, as far as possible, avoid buying a new house or a flat. Instead, continue to live in the present house or in a rented one.

B. If for some inevitable reason it is essential to buy a new house or flat, take care to select a relatively safe region.

C. If it is absolutely necessary to buy a flat, avoid buying it above the 3rd floor. The reason being that whenever there is an earthquake, evacuation of the premises is easier up to the 3^rd floor.

D. If your flat is above the 3rd floor, think of buying a suitable flat somewhere else.

A2. If the present house needs repairs or some repair work is incomplete, do it now : If the present house needs any repairs or there is any structural damage, etc., the house may collapse during natural disasters such as floods, cyclones during the adverse times. Then, it may be difficult to repair it. Hence, it will be wise to spend time now and get it repaired.

A3. Avoid expansion or beautification of the existing house : A house can get damaged during the adverse times. Therefore, avoid spending money on the expansion or beautification of the house, as it may get wasted. This can be done after the adverse times.

A4. If you have a house in a village, keep it in a habitable condition : During the adverse times, cities will suffer more than the villages due to World War 3, terrorism, etc. Under these circumstances, one may have to shift to the village house. Hence, keep the village house in a habitable condition.

A5. For people residing in cities : People residing in cities who do not own land or house in a village, should think of buying one in a village with the view of staying there in future.

B. Family members who have gone overseas for studies, job, etc. should, if possible, be called back to India

India is a Holy land. Foreign countries are more Raja-Tama predominant. Hence, during the adverse times, there is a likelihood of them facing greater harm than if they are in India.

Besides, once the World War commences, it will be difficult to return safely to India.

C. Preparing a ‘Will’ : Elderly people should prepare their ‘Will’ to avoid property-related disputes among their relatives after their death
Financial preparation for the adverse times

A. Using the present income and savings economically

1. To face inflation during the adverse times.

2. To provide financial help to victims of adversity as your social commitment.

3. To donate money to the Nation during the adverse times as your duty towards the Nation : During the World War 2, many people offered money, jewellery, etc. to Azad Hind Fauj at the behest of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

The Nation has to bear financial brunt during adverse times, such as urgent production of war-equipment. During such conditions, donating to the Nation becomes part of our national duty.

B. Before investing money study the following points : Currently, many bank-scams are getting exposed. Therefore, to keep your money safe, think of the alternatives mentioned ahead. Do as the following economic principle suggests while investing your money – You should not put all the eggs in one basket (Implied meaning : Instead of investing money in one bank and losing it all, invest in various banks instead.)

B1. Transactions related to banks

A. Deposit money in various Nationalised banks

1. Nationalised banks operate under the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines. Therefore, even if a bank goes into insolvency, there is no possibility of losing your money. However, some restrictions are placed on your transactions, such as restriction on the amount that can be withdrawn. Conversely, Private or Cooperative banks are not under RBI’s control; hence, should such banks become insolvent, the possibility of getting your deposits (money) back will be very less.

2. To avoid losing all your savings in case a bank is on the verge of insolvency, keep your money in various Nationalised banks in your locality. There is a provision of insurance for deposits up to Rs 5 lakh in Nationalised banks. Therefore, you should deposit a maximum of Rs 5 lakh in a Nationalised bank.

B. Other points

1. Have a nominee in all your bank accounts.

2. Teach your family members at least some transactions, such as depositing money in the bank, withdrawing it.

3. Learn Net Banking.

4. Learn how to pay bills Online for electricity, water, gas cylinder and telephone or mobile. Learn how to order household items Online, how to transfer money from one bank to another, how to book tickets for bus, train, plane, etc.

B2. Invest in valuable articles such as gold, silver

During the adverse times, there could be limitations on withdrawing money from the banks; but gold, silver ornaments can be used at times to fulfil your monetary needs. If you want to invest in gold or silver, do not go for ornaments; instead, opt for pure gold wires or coins that will save the making charges.

B3. Not expenses, but investment : Expenses incurred on digging a well for the house, for putting up solar energy panels, etc. is a kind of investment

B4. Investing in land : Those who can afford should buy cultivable land. If this is not feasible individually, buy jointly in a group. Be certain, that someday or the other you will definitely get returns from the land.

C. Those who have invested in shares, should find some alternative now itself

Private companies issue shares, which are traded on a Stock Exchange. When you sell these shares, the amount you get will be as per their prevailing market value, which may be more or less than the amount you had invested. If you get less, you incur loss. There is neither an insurance cover for the investment in shares nor does the Government have control over it. There is no guarantee that the money invested in shares would be recovered. Therefore, those who have invested in shares should try and find some other alternatives now itself to safely invest their money.

D. Other instructions

Considering the likely inflation during the adverse times and the number of family members, try to keep substantial cash at home safely to suffice your needs for some years.

(Ref.: Sanatan’s Text – ‘Psychological and spiritual efforts required to bear the adverse times’)

The adverse time is for self-contemplation

The real test of a seeker’s spiritual practice is not during the favourable times, but during the unfavourable times. An adverse condition provides excellent opportunity for self-contemplation. During such times, one can contemplate on the state of mind, the extent of preparation of the mind to face the adversity.
It also becomes possible to evaluate the extent to which the invaluable teachings of the Guru have been ingrained in the subconscious mind. Therefore, seekers should contemplate and enhance their spiritual practice.

– Shrisatshakti (Mrs) Binda Singbal, Sanatan Ashram, Ramnathi, Goa, India. (17.4.2020)

In the adverse times, we will be able to evaluate the extent of the Guru’s invaluable teachings we have ingrained !