The inner Self is formless, changeless and is indestructible. It is only the combination of body and intellect that causes an experience of form and change. The body constantly experiences changes from birth till death. It experiences both happiness and sorrows. Only when the inner enemies (anger, jealousy, attachment etc.) are overcome, the body stops experiencing changes.

While it is extremely easy to develop friendship with the wicked, it is extremely difficult to secure a Mahatma as a friend. The Mahatma initially befriends you and then disappears. It is your responsibility to chase Him and to nurture the friendship with Him. The enemies, on the contrary, do not leave us even though we seek to get rid of them.

A person who is truly desirous of ensuring that the Lord illumines in his heart will first have to drive away the existing inner enemies. Then treating his heart as a temple of God, he should wash it using water called shanti (peace), shama and dama (control of inner and outer sense organs). He should install the deity within his heart and should thereafter constantly worship the Lord using following flowers:

Ahimsa prartham pushpam-pushpam indriya nigrahah

Sarva bhutadayā pushpam kshamā pushpam visheshatah

Shanti pushpam tapah pushpam dhyāna pushpam tathaiva ca

Satyam ashṭa vidham pushpam- vishnoh pretikaram bhavet.

1. Ahimsa- Non-injury. Not hurting any living being in thought, word or deed.

2. Indriya nigraha- Self-control. Developing an aversion or rejecting the needs of both the inner and outer senses. One should aim to reach that state wherein even if the senses are forced to associate with the materialistic objects, the mind remains pure, changeless and unaffected.

3. Sarva bhutadayaa- Compassion towards all forms of life- be it animal, bird or human. For eg., when we come across the poor who are suffering with hunger pangs, we serve them with utmost love to the best of our ability.

4. Kshama- Forgiveness. Totally forgiving those who have harmed and abused us in any manner. To be able to maintain total calmness and peace without the slightest trace of anger towards them.

5. Shanti- Being calm and peaceful at all times irrespective of any hardships or sorrows that life land upon us. Beseeching the Almighty to pardon us for any sins that we may have committed earlier.

6. Tapas- Fixing the mind eternally upon the Lord at all times and in all states irrespective of any work that we would be doing.

7. Dhyana- To become inner facing and live in a state of total ekagrata and trying to unite with that Self during meditation.

8. Satya- Being truthful under all circumstances irrespective of the hardships, dishonour or disrespect faced.

Worshipping the Almighty with these 8 flowers is the real manasik puja (mental worship).

Bhaktimala Aug, Sept 1980, Feb 1982