Life Changing Habits : Service to Parents

One child came to Swamiji and asked a question… Did you ever SEE God ? We are asking to you. Our question is : Did you ever SEE God ? Are you curious to see God? People usually think that to see God is too difficult But it’s not like that. We can see the invisible organism with the help of Microscope Similarly we can see God with the “EYES of FAITH”

Do you want to see God ? If your reply is YES, then. I hope your vision will change after reading this Blog. You will be able to SEE God right around you, If you Read this Blog session faithfully

God exists everywhere in everything in the each & every particles of this universe. But our vedic scriptures have declared 4 kinds of people as equal to God. They are already around us & living with us. Do you know  who they are ? In Swaminarayan Gurukul everyday in morning prayer We all chant, मातृदेवो भव | पितृदेवो भव | आचार्यदेवो भव । अतिथिदेवो भव । What does it mean ? Respect Mother, Father, Guru & Guest like a God. Vedic scriptures give us the vision to see God around us, give us the eyes of faith to see God around us.

Today we will talk about first two मातृदेवो भव | पितृदेवो भव | Vedic Scriptures say that one should BELIEVE his Mother & Father equal to God, They are the FORM of God. But you may have doubt that…

Why are they equal to God ? Why should we consider them like a God ?

Before we understand Mother & father as God let’s understand the God in short. Who is God ? Who has created this world for us. He created earth, water, air, light, space. Who has created rivers, mountains, trees, plants, metals, etc. We are living in this world, we are using these all resources. Does God ever ask for a Sunlight Bill ? Like how the electricity bill comes every month. Does God ever charge for Air, Oxygen & Water ? Does he ever ask to pay money for producing crops & vegetables ? Never !

He gives these all resources free of cost to all the creatures,
he gives these all resources selflessly That’s why he is THE GOD

Similarly, think about your loving mother & loving father. Did your mother ever ask you Bill for morning breakfast, afternoon lunch ? Everyday she prepares breakfast for you, lunch for you. Did she ever ask you to pay anything ? Did your father ask for house rent, maintenance charges & school fees ? He is always worried about your education & school fees & all but did he ever ask you to pay the school fee ? They give these all to YOU just out of love & affection towards you, they give these all out of selflessness. Make a sense, Their SELFLESSNESS makes them equal to God. Hence, our Vedic scripture declared them as EQUAL to God, they also are like a God

નિષ્કામ તે નારાયણ રુપ છે – Muktanand Swami

Now it’s our righteous duty to value their selflessness by serving them. And one who serves his Parents like a God, he can get the divine darshan of God. One such legend is the witness of this fact. Thousands of years ago, in maharashtra there lived a pious couple Janudev & Satyavati

They had a son namely Pundalik.He was very obedient to his parent. He used to serve his parents by sacrificing his comforts. Seeing his devoted service to his parents, Lord Vishnu decided to test him. One night Pundlik was pressing the legs of his father & mother. Everywhere people were slept, but here Pundalik is serving his parent wholeheartedly

All of a sudden a stranger, a guest entered inside his house. Pundalik was engaged in the service of his parents, he saw the guest inside but if he would leave the Service his parents may get disturbed in sleep. He was wanted to welcome & serve guest because Guest also is equal to God, अतिथिदेवो भव ।

So for the welcome & hospitality he threw the brick as a seat to guest & requested to sit & wait for sometimes. That Guest stood up on the brick. After the service of his parents, Pundalik came to the guest & did pranam. Pleased by his service to parent, Lord Vishnu appeared in the divine form before Pundalik

Pundalik was overwhelmed by the darshan of God, he started performing dandvat pranam & asked for pardon as he couldn’t recognize him. Pleased by his service to parent, Lord Vishnu said him to ask for a Boon. Pundalik said, Oh God, I want nothing else than your darshan, please give your darshan to us forever here
Lord Vishnu blessed him & said, “So Be It”

Since that time Lord Vishnu is standing in the same position over there. At that time that place was known as Pundalik Pur & by the course of time it became famous as Pandharpur. Moral of this legend is…

Pure-hearted service to parents is powerful enough to bring God at your doorstep, you need not to go to find God, God will come finding you at your doorstep, if you serve parents with pure heart 

Now the question is how to serve our parents ?

How to serve Parents ? How to please parents ? Here are the 4 Ideal Ways

Let’s Sum up : What to do to serve parents ?

And  Remember, 

• • Just Knowledge will not make your life BETTER, but HABITS will make your life BETTER !
  • Our Knowledge, our Good Thoughts  should be TRANSFORMED into Habits
  • Don’t just serve your parents for few days, make it a habit of your life

• So, let’s develop a habit of Serving our Parents everyday selflessly, timely, neatly & wholeheartedly Thank you, This has been a challenging time, and we all appreciate you so much.