Golden Steps To Salvation

Author(s): Padmasagarsuri
Publisher: Arunoday Foundation

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You are a great man. You are a noble man. You are a righteous man. You are an enlightened man. You may go away from here.”
Praising oneself is a kind of mental disease so it is nothing but mere madness to describe to the Gurudev your virtues and to praise yourself before him. At the root of such self-praise there is pride and nothing else. Only he who discards pride and conducts himself in a humble manner can achieve spiritual progress.
“Lordship can be attained by means of humility. The Lord keeps away from arrogance. Ants can gather sugar but an elephant can gather only dust on its head.”
If we put a bucket straight into a well, water vill not enter it. Water enters and fills it only when it is In the same manner, if you are humble, knowledge will enter your mind. A whirlwind uproots and scatters aloft large plants and bushes but it leaves short shrubs unshaken because they are small--because they are humble. Guru Nanak says, “Let Nānak remain small and humble like a shrub. Even if the tall grass is burnt the shrub remains whole and untouched.” The signal bends when the train approaches the station. In the same manner knowledge enters your mind when you place your head on the feet of Gurudev.
The wall of .pride impedes our visualization of the self; so without a humble surrender and salutation there cara be no spiritual elevation. Even one salutation is enough if it is performed with faith and devotion. It is said, "Even a single salutation offered to Lord Vardhamana, the greatest of Jinavaras, can lift a man or woman from the ocean of samsāra (life)."
Try to cultivate the habit of avoiding the expression 'l' and to use the expression Nähan (not I).
"I am nothing, I have nothing." After realizing the truth, Naham (I am nothing) you will desire to know the answer to the question "Who am I?" and then you will realize the truth, i.e. I am Paramātmā. It appears easy when you hear it but it is extremely hard to