He has guided and managed my life to give me what I was seeking — peace of mind, satisfaction, and usefulness, writes AJIT KUMAR BISHNOI

It is true but how does this fact help usIJ We benefit only if we are privy to such information, which relates to us. And God is willing to pass on this information to us, but are we seeking such wisdom from himIJ Unfortunately, the answer is no. All we wish to know from God is what will give us some material benefit. It is not uncommon for some people to draw lots in front of a deity before they decide on the option they should take before embarking on some material pursuit.

Does God help in thisIJ Absolutely not. Because all material pursuits bring temporary results only, and these are strictly guided by the karmaphala principle, in which the lord plays no active role. The same is true for our prayers for material gains. Have you ever heard that an ATM coughed up double the amount which we punched just because we prayed before operating the machineIJ Then how does God helpIJ He does so on the subtle level. He guides us through intuitions. These help us in making spiritual progress, which brings us permanent benefits as well as material benefits, which all of us seek desperately because we begin to follow ‘dharma’ under his guidance. How do I know all thisIJ Simple, I have been experiencing the benefits derived from such information.

I am citing a few instances from my life, which will bear me out. I have a religious/spiritual background. My grandmother spent a lot of time worshiping God. My father was a lord Hanuman bhakta, and my mother followed in the footsteps of my grandmother. I became serious about connecting with God in 1988, when I began chanting regularly. My quest for peace of mind had started, which I lacked even though by then I had become materially quite self-sufficient. The following is a chronicle of the events which happened since then.

The lord knew that I loved intellectual challenges, and what better challenge could there have been than memorising the entire Bhagavad Gita, its 700 Sanskrit verses. The lord knew that once I do this successfully, I will get hooked to what the verses meant. Needless to say that I did have some inkling of what the verses meant but the whole meanings and I were poles apart.

Then came the intuition of getting a Sanskrit teacher to help me know the meanings of the verses. Not only did he teach me the basics of Sanskrit grammar, he also encouraged me to assist him in translating the Gita by analysing each word and then finding its meaning. The result was astounding, with the verses flowing into the next one, as did the chapters. Having learnt the true meaning of the verses, I was ready to put them into practice. The lord was taking me along on a journey, which would give everything spiritual or material, which I desired.

God’s next command was to disseminate the acquired knowledge to both students and public, and he arranged it. looking back, I realise that conducting hundreds of workshops in various schools of Delhi and Noida would have been impossible if God hadn’t intervened. Hardly any school was interested in allowing me this privilege. Preaching to the public was still more difficult but it got all arranged miraculously and I began to learn more and more about spirituality as I preached at different platforms, ie in temples, public places, etc.

Now came the turn of writing articles and books with the help of what I had learnt and realised. By God’s grace, I have written more than 1,400 articles and 26 books in association with my Sanskrit teacher, who has by now become a dear friend. This encouraged us to have our own stall at book fairs, where by God’s blessing and to our great surprise, we began to sell considerable number of books. God has guided and managed my life in order to give me what I was seeking, ie peace of mind, satisfaction, usefulness, etc. It has been a long journey but only God knew how all this was possible. I had no inkling of where I was heading but I had faith that God knows best.

Bishnoi is a spiritual writer and can be reached at spiritual@ajitbishnoi.com