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Introduction to the Next Two Poems
What joy there is in experiencing the soul, our own eternal bliss! The glorious and momentous first meeting between Shrimad and Saubhagbhai took place towards the end of Shrimad's 23rd year. It was shortly after this that he attained Self-Realisation. His poetic prowess and mastery of language were now drenched with the direct experience of his own inner bliss and joy. The letters during this time reflect this unprecedented state. Shrimad expresses a celebration of his own state and jubilation at obtaining the rare path to unending happiness. He writes movingly of the path of devotion and he marks out clear aspects of the path to moksha.
Already immersed in his true nature, the holy festival of Paryushan allowed Shrimad the rare chance to retreat from outward worldly activity. For the Paryushan of Vikram Samvat 1947, Shrimad asked his disciple Ambalalbhai to find a quiet peaceful place near the city of Khambhat where he could reside anonymously. It was Raalaj where he would spend this time of solitude and contemplation. He remained there relishing his inner ecstasy and free from all other distracting associations until after Paryushan. We can only imagine the depth of introspection and the heights of spirituality experienced at this time! As if to afford us a glimpse into this incomparable and indescribable time, Shrimad gifted the world four immortal poems. Two of these compositions appear in this book, The Regime of Love. In "Shree Sadguru Bhaktirahasya” or "The True Meaning of Devotion to the True Guru" the true seeker can introspect, in its 20 couplets (vis doharaa), on the habits of mind and conduct which hinder his progress and his devotion to a True Guru. These are obstacles at every level of our journey and, by reciting the poem, the seeker states that they still hinder him, leading to the utmost humility. It focuses on faults, as an act of self-compassion, to help us remove these faults and reveal the greatness within. "Kaivalyabeej Shun?" or "What is the Seed of Enlightenment?" (also known as "Yama-Niyam"), lists many of the wrong means we have adopted to attain enlightenment and explains the importance of instructions from a True Guru to make these efforts fruitful, including the esoteric insight which only a living True Guru can bestow.
