How Many Of You Are Following Even One Of My Teachings?

How Many Of You Are Following Even One Of My Teachings?

The lines below that you are browsing through, had its debut on the editorial page of our Pune Youth Wing Newsletter, issue dated Apr 2010. At a time when humanity is on the threshold of an epochal beginning wherein one expects Bhagawan’s teachings to come to pass and prevail upon, let’s sit back and introspect “how many of us are following His teachings diligently.

Vedahametam Purusham Mahaantam. Adityavarnam Tamasah Parastaat. Tamevam Vidvaan Amrta Iha Bhavati. Naanyah Panthaa Vidyate ‘yanaaya.

I know that great, glorious Supreme Being, who is beyond ignorance and darkness and whose splendour is akin to that of the sun. Knowing Him thus in this life itself, one transcends death. There is no other path leading to the attainment of liberation.
– Purusa Suktam ( Rig Veda )

The Master walks the Earth making it brighter than any star,
The Sun acknowledges this and is not threatened by such a glorious sight,
For it knows that this Wondrous Form cloaked in orange robes,
Is but the source of its light…

He has walked before on Earth through the ages, timeless are His teachings but we have such less time for them. So enamoured are we of our senses that a senseless way of living has become a way of life. We revere and worship Gods and Goddesses, as represented by the deities in temples, offering food, ornaments and obeisances, but ignore the divine in the living temples around us.

Often has the Beloved One repeated – “I am in every heart, for that is the temple where I dwell.”

Some devotees from New Zealand were blessed with an interview sometime ago and one of the questions Beloved Bhagawan asked them was – “How many of you are following even one of My teachings?”

This holds true for each and every one of us who claims to be His devotee. Opportunities are many – at home, at the work place, at darshan, in social gatherings, just about anywhere and everywhere, but are we delivering?

What if today was Judgement Day and we faced the Lord as He asks, “This is the life I bestowed you with and here is what you’ve done with it.”

Would we be able to look Him in the eye or would we fall at His feet begging His forgiveness, getting ensnared in the cycle once again?

He has walked on the planet before but do we remember Him or His words?
Did we enjoy such proximity?
Did we acknowledge Him as Who He was?
Were we fortunate to have a human birth?
Will we ever get a chance such as this: where the Master has allowed us to know of His divinity, walks with us, talks to us and is willing to lead us towards our glorious destiny?

He gave us Mother Earth – a living, breathing planet. He put us on the top rung of the evolutionary ladder, bequeathing upon us the legacy of love, nurture, compassion and care. And so, we are responsible for Mother Earth and for all creatures that do dwell on her. Every little act of ours has an effect on the Universe.

The Cosmos has showered us with abundance and what are we doing with it?

There are those that are misguided and blinded by anger, revenge, greed and power, terrorizing citizens globally, imagining that bloodshed would please God, belittling His Fatherhood, forgetting that all are His children.

And there are those that are plundering Nature’s bounty with complete disregard for flora and fauna.

Then again there are those that are in charge of the nation’s welfare but are immersed in selfish pursuits and increase in personal wealth.
Progress takes a back seat.

What are we going to be left with? Only pictures of what Planet Earth looked like: the cities, trees, forests along with magnificent creatures of the wild, mountains, glaciers, rivers and oceans?

Our children may inherit a bleak future if we do not pause now.

One can please God and bring about a stability in the spiritual balance sheet/Akashic records, only by loving and serving Him in all beings around us, not by indulging in selfish hoarding and wanton killings. 

This miracle of understanding has to dawn.

Our Master awaits us. The time has come.
Let us Awake, Arise and Stop not till the goal is reached.

Let us incessantly chant : Samastha Loka Sukhino Bhavantu – May all the beings in all the worlds be in peace.

Let us Love All, Serve All; Help Ever, Hurt Never…

How Many Of You Are Following Even One Of My Teachings? – A Call to Honest Practice

How Many Of You Are Following Even One Of My Teachings? is a direct and powerful question that touches the conscience of every devotee. It does not ask how many books we have read, how many bhajans we have sung, or how many spiritual talks we have heard. It asks something much deeper: are we truly living even one teaching with sincerity?

Many people love spiritual words because they bring comfort. A beautiful message can inspire the mind for a short time, but inspiration alone is not transformation. Real change begins when a teaching enters daily conduct. If we speak about love but behave harshly, praise truth but hide behind lies, or talk about peace while carrying anger, then spirituality remains only on the surface.

How Many Of You Are Following Even One Of My Teachings? reminds us that the Divine values practice more than display. A small teaching followed honestly is greater than many teachings repeated without action. Even one value, if lived deeply, can purify the heart. Truthfulness, kindness, humility, service, or patience can become a doorway to inner growth.

The difficulty is that the mind enjoys listening but resists changing. It likes devotion when devotion feels sweet, but it becomes uncomfortable when devotion asks for discipline. Giving up anger, controlling the tongue, reducing ego, forgiving others, and serving without expectation are not easy. Yet these are the very steps that make spiritual life real.

How Many Of You Are Following Even One Of My Teachings? is not meant to discourage us. It is meant to awaken honesty. No devotee is perfect, and no human being changes completely in one day. But sincerity matters. If we can admit our weakness and still keep trying, grace will support us. The danger is not weakness; the danger is pretending that we are already transformed.

One simple teaching can become a lifetime of practice. For example, if we choose to practice love, it should appear in our words, reactions, relationships, and thoughts. Love should not be limited to people who agree with us. It should also guide us when someone irritates us, criticizes us, or misunderstands us. That is where spiritual strength is tested.

How Many Of You Are Following Even One Of My Teachings? also asks us to look at our home life. It is easy to appear calm in public, but real character is revealed with family, workers, neighbors, and those who cannot benefit us. If we speak sweetly outside but hurt people at home, we need to examine ourselves. The home is the first place where teachings must become living truth.

Service is another teaching that many admire but few practice consistently. True service does not seek praise, photos, status, or recognition. It comes from the feeling that helping others is helping God in another form. A kind word, a patient ear, food for the hungry, support to the weak, or respect for the elderly can become sacred when done with humility.

How Many Of You Are Following Even One Of My Teachings? becomes especially meaningful in moments of anger. Anger can destroy years of goodness in a few seconds. A spiritual person is not one who never feels anger, but one who learns not to become its slave. Pausing before speaking, choosing silence over insult, and responding with maturity are signs that a teaching has begun to work within.

The same applies to truth. Many people want truth when it benefits them, but avoid it when it demands courage. Truth may sometimes bring inconvenience, but it gives inner peace. A person who lives honestly does not need to carry the burden of fear. His conscience becomes light, and his prayer becomes more sincere.

How Many Of You Are Following Even One Of My Teachings? is finally a reminder that devotion must become transformation. Worship, rituals, reading, and singing are valuable when they soften the heart and improve behavior. Their purpose is not only to create emotion but to build character. The real offering to the Divine is a life filled with clean thoughts, gentle words, and selfless actions.

Every day gives us a chance to begin again. We can choose one teaching and practice it carefully. We can decide to speak less harshly, complain less, forgive more, serve quietly, or remember God before every action. Small efforts repeated with sincerity slowly become habits, and good habits become character.

In the end, spiritual life is not measured by how much we know, but by how much we live. Even one teaching practiced with faith can bring peace to the mind and purity to the heart. When the question touches us deeply, it becomes a blessing, because it pushes us from words to action and from devotion to real inner change.

The Smile on Moulmein Road