A devotee’s question: Radhe Radhe, Didi. You explained roopdhyan or the significance of roopdhyan. So when I'm sitting here, or when someone is in pain or a physical discomfort, that roopdhyan actually goes away and the mind goes wherever. So what's the right way to handle it?
Sushree Gopeshwari Devi Ji’s answer: I didn't get your question clearly. Is it for somebody who's in pain and cannot come to the hall during the satsang time and is in the room? If that is a question, then that's fine. They are always excused, the very old people and the sick people, they're always excused, they can be in the rooms and do the sadhana. They don't have to come all this way to the hall, but if you can and you're lazy or careless, that's not right. But if that question is another question, then please clarify yourself.
A devotee’s follow up: I meant, Didi, sitting here in the hall or here in the middle of the satsang and your mind goes to the part where there's discomfort or there's pain and then your roopdhyan disappears and that roopdhyan goes towards that part.
Sushree Gopeshwari Devi Ji’s answer: Well, at that time you'll have to address the pain. You'll have to address the pain because that's your prarabdha (the portion of all the past lives’ karmas that is experienced in the current lifetime). Prarabdha plays a major role in this. It becomes the most distracting thing in a person's life during sadhana. The only thing that can really take you away from sadhana is your own prarabdha.
So about that prarabdha bhog, nobody can do anything. Then the person has to address the pain first, because the person is seated here and the mind is in the pain because the pain is so severe that there is no sadhana going on. The sadhana of the pain is going on. Better address that and get well as fast as possible so that you can come to the sadhana (hall).
But if the pain is very mild, and it's only in your mind and maybe it's not actual, “सिेर दर्र हो रहा है । पेत में दर्द हो रहा है ।” (Sir dard ho rahā hai. Pet meņ dard ho rahā hai) “I've got a stomach ache or a headache.” That's just an excuse, because you don't want to be in the sadhana hall. That is not on (meaning that is not a good thing) because God is watching and He is omniscient. He knows everything.
And that's when Shri Maharaj Ji, during the sadhana time, would go on a tour upstairs above the prayer hall. He would look at the hall and immediately climb up the stairs.. On top of the sadhana hall there used to be a ladies' room for sleeping at night. And then he'll immediately scold them, instantly, in such a loud voice that whoever was nodding off would even get up. And Maharaj Ji said, “You fools, what are you doing here sleeping when sadhana is going on downstairs?”
“Maharaj Ji, I had a headache.”
Maharaj Ji said, “If you had a headache the greatest pill is nam sankirtan. If you take that pill, your headache would be gone in no time. Because the moment the mind actually gets into God…
If somebody is a fighter like me, then you will fight with all your pain. You'll fight with your prarabdha. And you'll tell yourself, “Uncountable lives I have wasted! This life I'm not going to. This pain is only physical!”
Stop with your mind the feeling and experience of that pain. Start with your mind the focus of God. You will see instantly that pain is gone for you. Bhagwan nam sankirtan and Bhagwan nam smaraņ is the greatest pill. Not just the greatest, it is the perfect medicine to get rid of all the pains.
So we'll have to tackle our prarabdha as well. And we can't make excuses.
