Psychological and spiritual efforts required to bear the adverse times - 5

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 autosuggestions, Various AS techniques How to make the mind positive, Family preparations for the adverse times. Read about the other aspects here.

1. Preparations considering social commitments

A. Collective emergency preparations are beneficial to all : There is no strength without unity. Projects such as digging a well, installation of solar panels, construction of a biogas plant, etc. are very expensive at the individual level. If they are undertaken collectively, the per head expense will reduce. As part of the preparations for the adverse times, food grains and other essential provisions will have to be bought in bulk. Considering the needs of the people in the locality, buying from wholesale dealers will be cheaper. Collective emergency preparations will save manpower as well as time. Besides, this arrangement will help the weaker sections in society.

B. Buy extra to help the needy : There is a proverb in Sanskrut which means – ‘The whole world is one single family’. This is the uniqueness of Indian culture. While buying for the adverse times, if you can afford, buy extra food grains, clothes, etc. During the adverse times they can be given to the needy. During the Indo-Pak war, some Indian civilians voluntarily provided tea-snacks to the Indian soldiers at various railway stations. In 2020, due to the spread of the Corona pandemic a sudden lockdown was declared throughout the country. As a result, many labourers, truck drivers, etc. were stranded in different areas. Many Indians spent from their pockets and gave them food. Organisations such as Hindu Janajagruti Samiti distributed fruits, juices, etc. to the needy. Many philanthropists, social groups and institutions donated cash to the Government’s relief fund.

C. If you cannot afford to help the needy during the adverse times, buy enough to suffice only for your needs : Before the advent of the adverse times, everyone will have to buy provisions, clothes, medicines, etc. for their family. If everyone buys in bulk to stock, there could be shortage. The thought should be – ‘Just as for me, everything should be available for others in society too’. Hence, buy what is just enough for you.

D. Using your knowledge to help the needy : Vaidyas (Ayurveda practitioners), farmers, food grain merchants, etc. have good knowledge of various aspects in their field. They can use their knowledge for helping the needy; for example – Vaidyas can guide on cultivating medicinal plants; farmers can guide on cultivating fruit trees, vegetables; merchants can guide on ideal long term storage of food grains.

2. Other preparations or precautions

A. Reduce unnecessary things in the house : We will have to store many things in the house in preparation for the adverse times. We might have to provide shelter in our house to helpless relatives or people in society. Therefore, start reducing unnecessary things in the house. This will not only create space, it will help us reduce our attachment too.

B. Preparation about mobile phones

1. A mobile set that has 2 SIM cards : The advantage is that the range of at least one would be available.
2. Have two mobiles if possible : If the battery of one mobile gets discharged, the other can be used.
3. Carry a power-bank for charging the mobiles.

C. Note mobile numbers and addresses of important people : If the mobile is not charged, it would be useless during the adverse times; hence, noting such numbers in a small notebook would be ideal. Carry this notebook without fail. It will help us contact others by using someone else’s mobile or telephone. Memorise some very important numbers.

D. Protect important documents : Important documents such as Ration card, Aadhaar card, Bank pass-book may get lost in the stressful environment that prevails during the adverse times. Therefore, keep photocopies of these documents somewhere else (For example, at a relative’s residence), keep photos of these documents in your mobile. Save the images of these documents on your E-mail and pen drive.

E. Take backup of important data in your personal or office computers on another computer at some other place : If our house or office is damaged during the adverse times, the data saved on other computers can be retrieved. Take prior permission of the responsible officer in your office before transferring the data somewhere else after informing him about the impending danger or suggest that they only backup the data somewhere else.

F. Learn and practice some skills that will be useful during the adverse times : People should learn how to cook simple meals (which require the least amount of effort and ingredients). Learning skills such as hair-cutting, swimming, stitching clothes will be beneficial.

G. Dog-keeping for house protection : Keep a dog to protect the house from thieves, rioters, etc. Learn how to select the right type of dog and its care.
H. Bunker – a very practical solution for safety during the adverse times : Bunkers are generally associated with the army. To protect the army on the borders, bunkers are built underground, especially for protection from the enemy’s missiles, bombs, etc. Those who take shelter in bunkers are not affected by pollution either. In the adverse times, bunkers are built for protecting citizens on the borders. We can think of constructing a basement bunker to protect ourselves from catastrophes such as World War, air pollution during the adverse times.

3. Spiritual level preparations for the adverse times

A. The need to prepare at the spiritual level

A1. Unrighteousness is the root cause of the advent of adverse times : The Puranas say that due to unrighteous behaviour, atheism, not following family traditions, not worshipping God, etc., the offerings made through rituals, Naivedya (Food offered to a Deity as part of ritualistic worship) do not reach the Deities. Hence, Deities send calamities on earth. In the present phase of Kaliyug, such wrongdoings are being committed by most people. This verily is the root cause of the advent of adverse times. The entire society has to suffer the consequences of adverse times; hence, adversities of this nature are called samashti prarabdha (Collective destiny).

A2. Abiding by Dharma (Righteousness) and performing spiritual practice is necessary to overcome the calamities faced by society : To face the adverse times, we have to prepare as advised at the physical level, mental level, etc. We may prepare ourselves very well at various levels, such as, stocking essential commodities to avoid hunger or learning how to cure ailments. However, these preparations will be useful only if we survive dreadful calamities such as tsunamis, earthquakes, etc. that kill thousands of people in a fraction of a second. God alone can save us from such life-threatening calamities. If we wish that God save us, we should do that which will please Him. For this, we have to make efforts such as worshipping Him, developing devotion unto Him, performing spiritual practice for God-realisation. This itself is the preparation at the spiritual level.

In a nutshell, in addition to the preparations at the physical, mental level, etc. we also need to abide by Dharma and perform spiritual practice. How to do this is explained ahead.

B. Daily and regular acts to obtain God’s grace and for generation of a protective sheath

B1. Worship Deities every day at home to obtain God’s grace for the protection of the house : Ritualistic worship of Deities increases our sattvikata (Spiritual purity), generates a centre of devotion in our mind, we are graced by the Deities we worship and the environment in the house becomes sattvik and pleasant. God blesses those who worship Him daily with utmost devotion. Obtaining God’s blessings results in God providing protection to the worshipper during the adverse times; additionally, God also protects his house that has become sattvik due to Divine vibrations.

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

Abiding by Dharma and performing spiritual practice is necessary to overcome the calamities faced by society !