https://spiritualawakeningradio.libsyn.com
Program Contents - The July Sant Mat Satsang PODcast
The July Sant Mat Satsang PODcast: Mystic-Poetry (Bhajans) - Readings from The Adi Granth and from the Dadu Panch Vani: verses from Sant Dadu Dayal; the article: "Do Simran -- Do the Meditation", by Swami Sant Harinandan Baba, translated from Hindi into English by Pravesh Kumar Singh; The Ethical Foundation of Sant Mat: The Five Precepts and Meditation Requirements; a reading from a quintessential manual of Sant Mat teachings and practice known as, "The Philosophy of Liberation", by Sant Maharshi Mehi on: the inner spiritual technology, steps, stages, and stairway of heaven known as "The Eight Limbs of Yoga": YAMA: satya (truthfulness), ahimsa (non-violence in thought, word, and deed), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacarya (continence), and aparigraha (control of greed -- non-possessiveness). NIYAMA also consists of five practices: sauca (internal and external purity), santosha (contentment), tapas (penance), svadhyaya (study of scriptures and wisdom of the Sants), and isvara pranidhana (meditation on GOD); ASANA: correct posture in meditation; PRANAYAMA or breath control, which is, for the most part, not emphasized in contemporary Sant Mat Meditation; PRATYAHARA: withdrawal or sensory transcendence, as well as it means to bring back, as in refocusing oneself again whenever one notices that one has lost focus during their meditation sit; DHARANA: an increment of time characterized as quality meditation -- good concentration; DHYANA: one-pointed attention, stillness, also meaning true meditation or contemplation - not to be confused with the term "Dhyan" (visualizing or seeing the form of a Master, though of course that too is part of, or a stage of, traditional Sant Mat Meditation); SAMADHI: the bliss of being completely absorbed in meditation, unity, union with God, oneness. There are also readings on Amrit Veela/Brahmamuhurta/The Hour of God, and a list of some of the Sounds of Surat Shabd Yoga.
Sat Naam, Jai Guru, Radhaswami,
James
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Click Anytime to Hear the July Sant Mat PODcast at BlogTalkRadio
Do Simran -- Do the Meditation By Swami Harinandan Baba
Do Simran -- Do the Meditation
By Swami Harinandan Baba
Translation from Hindi Provided
by Pravesh K. Singh
Perform virtuous acts, you will receive happiness. Also do 'sumiran' (remembering God's name, or meditating on the Divine Sound) regularly. The biggest advantage of 'sumiran' is that we do not have to pass through the painful cycle of 8.4 million species again. Those who perform true worship of God, meditate on His name, are rid of the cycle of transmigration. The condition is that meditation be done with utmost regularity. Get initiation from an adept Guru, meditate thrice daily. Whether you see anything (during meditation) or not, never ever discontinue meditation. Initially, it might appear to be a mere show, a useless exercise. People often say that they are going to do 'dhyan', but dhyan does not happen in the very beginning. Dhyan is in fact the seventh limb of eight-fold Yoga* (as enunciated by Patanjali). We have to start with 'yam', ** 'niyam', 'Asan', 'prANAyAm', 'pratyAhAr'; then comes 'dhyAn'. Dhyan is followed by 'samAdhi' (the highest state of meditation) which is the eighth limb of yoga. So dhyan does not happen initially. First we make an attempt to do dhyan, and this process is called 'dhyAnAbhyAs' (practice of dhyan).
___________________________________
NOTES About the Practices and Ahimsa Ethics
___________________________________
* The Eight Limbs of Yoga-Stairway to Heaven - these steps and stages of ascension are used to varying degrees fairly universally by Eastern spiritual paths:
https://web.archive.org/web/20150405182235/http://yoga.about.com/od/theyogasutras/p/eightlimbs.htm
** Ethical Foundation - The Five Precepts: Two and a half hours of meditation per day*** and ethical precepts of Ahisma (non-violence in thought, word, and deed):
* Refrain from taking the life of sentient beings. This precept requires strict adherence to a vegan or lacto-vegetarian diet. No meat, fish, poultry or eggs (fertilized or non-fertilized).
* Refrain from speaking what is not true.
* Refrain from taking what is not offered.
* Refrain from sexual misconduct.
* Refrain from the use of intoxicants. This includes avoiding all poisons of any kind, such as alcohol, drugs, tobacco, gambling, pornography, and excessively violent films or literature.
*** Daily Meditation, Ethical Precepts, and Eight Limbs of Yoga in the book, Philosophy of Liberation, by Sant Maharshi Mehi:
88. Yama consists of five disciplines: satya (truthfulness), ahimsa (non-violence), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacarya (continence), and aparigraha (control of greed or non-possessiveness).
Niyama also consists of five practices, which are the following: sauca (internal and external purity), santosha (contentment), tapas (penance), svadhyaya (study of spiritual matters) and lsvara pranidhana (meditation on God).
89. In following Yama and Niyama, one exercises aversion from the five sins, serves the spiritual master, attends satsang, and practices meditation as referred to in section 60.
90. A comfortable asana (a pose of sitting or posture) of keeping the head, neck and trunk straight and steady is a must for meditation. Without the ability to sit in such a steady posture for prolonged periods, meditation cannot be practiced.
91. Meditation should be practiced being alert, without being drowsy, shutting the eyes comfortably and without turning the eyeballs or pressing them in any way.
92. The practice of meditation should be an essential part of the practitioner's daily routine. The preferred time of meditation is Brahmamuhurta ([Hour of God: Brahma-mu-hurta, or Amrit Veela: Hour of Elixir]: very early in the morning: 3:00 A.M.). Likewise one should meditate at mid-morning and then again in the evening time. While falling asleep, one should also engage his mind in meditation. Further, it is good to practice Manas japa [Simran] or Manas dhyana [Dhyan] while working.
93. Before learning the Nadanusandhana (meditation on inner Sound) in practicing Manas japa (mantra repetition), Manas dhyana (focusing on the form of the master or deity) and Drshti Yoga ([inner Light meditation in the Third Eye Center or Eye-Focus] focusing on a Point that is practicing one-pointedness), one should meditate with eyes and mouth shut. Upon learning Nadanusandhana (Yoga of Sound [Inner Sound meditation]) from the Master, one should also close the ears.
94..........In the initial stages of dhyana (absolute concentration), pratyahara is practiced. [Note: Pratyahara means to bring back. Bringing back or refocusing one's attention during meditation, bringing the mind distracted by worldly thoughts back to the Focal Point during meditation.] Through the means of pratyahara, the mind is brought back repeatedly to the Focal Point. By this constant practice of pratyahara, one is eventually able to concentrate for a short period on the Focal Point. This state of concentration is called dharana (steadiness of concentration or absorption). When absorption is maintained for longer and longer periods of time, then it is dhyana (absolute concentration). Then in this state of dhyana, one is able to grasp the Streams of spiritual Sounds (described in section 60) and finally achieves samadhi (Unity [Union, Absorption, Oneness in deep meditation]). Drshti Yoga (seeing the inner Light---the Yoga of Vision) will greatly facilitate pratyahara and dharana... ////////
There is No Vatican of the Spirit - A Reflection on Impermanence
There is No Vatican of the Spirit - A Reflection on the Impermanence of Spiritual Movements in a World of Samsara (Changes)
By James Bean
The Savior said, "And there shall be others of those who are outside our number who name themselves bishops and also deacons, as if they have received their authority from God. They bend themselves under the judgment of the leaders. Those people are dry canals." (Apocalypse of Peter, The Nag Hammadi Library in English, online at Gnosis.org)
As a friend Neil Tessler from Vancouver says: "There is no Vatican of the Spirit." He specializes in writing about the politics of Guru-succession in India, suggesting that ALL spiritual movements decline and turn to dust sooner or later. It's just a matter of time. TRY AS THEY MIGHT, SPIRITUALITY CAN NOT BE INSTITIONUALISED. Groups usually undergo a process of gradual decline, dispensing with a crucial mystical principals or techniques every so often. Living in a world of forgetfulness and spiritual slumber, how soon we forget. The decline is so gradual, that sadly, most in a group over the decades of their short human lifespan do not even notice, or would rather not be mindful about such matters. Only looking back years or decades later, the lucky ones not completely intoxicated by social status or "group-think" might perhaps come to see the occasional wrong turn after wrong turn a spiritual group has made, all in the name of progress and good intentions of course:
building bigger buildings
with less meditating going on
in the, noisier, bigger buildings;
getting busier without, yet
not getting as far within;
an overall reduction
in the percentage of the population
having inner mystical experiences,
and all in the name of what...........
saving the world by becoming less spiritual? less true to the ideals of the Path?
Life-changing, transformative, inner experience, a close encounter of the God-kind, is what the "world" really needs, not yet more branding, photo ops and marketing campaigns.
With any spiritual movement, sooner or later, we are eventually left with bones, statues, dust from the past, apostles and prophets that are no more, the shoes and spectacles of the guru who lived many decades ago, and on a few occasions scrolls that are worshipped as holy books, even though these very same scrolls might instruct us to not worship books. Rather, these holy scriptures are advising us to be healed of our blindness, go within, develop sight, see Divine Light, and to be healed from our deafness, with ears opened to hearing inner Music.
All of these great teachers of days gone-by have generally reaffirmed for their generation, the same basic truths and inner experiences. I do like my friend's phrase: "There is no Vatican of the Spirit." I find that to be a useful if not ironic way of putting it. Spiritual movements come and go. Schools of Spirituality and mystics are replaced by polyester prophets parasitically interpreting the past inspiration once breathed by others. Living Saints are sometimes eventually replaced by CEO's of religious companies riding around in very expensive rickshaws of the rich and famous who seemingly are incapable of composing their own inspired poetry or prose like their predecessors. Ghost-writers don't count! All of the organisations associated with mystic-paths at present, rest assured, will meet the same fate as those of past generations, eventually being replaced with vibrant gatherings in diverse locations (if they haven't been already), new budding branches of the Living Mystical Tree of Life to replace the old, same as always -- thank God.
A famous Saint from Hathras, India by the name of Tulsi Sahib used to sleep in the trunk of a tree at night. Read that somewhere. I find that to be absolutely charming as it reveals that Tulsi did not live in a mansion of opulent decadency with four or five Porsche's in the driveway (back then it would have been elephants I would imagine), an image that would have suggested a contradiction between the teacher's lifestyle and his teachings. If I ever travel to Hathras, it will not be to visit the samadh containing Tulsi's ashes, but to that tree that Tulsi once slept in, or one like it, and to the places where he spent much time in meditation.
There is no permanent Institution or University of Mysticism, but a decline-renewal process, a continuous pattern of Masters leaving older groups, movements, ashrams or real estate, and emerging in new locations to begin again, to reboot, to reset, to renew the mystic-path on Planet Earth, to keep the torch of spirituality burning bright for another generation or two. Spirituality is the Impulse of Life from the Great Life, the Universal Soul -- God -- that we as soul are intertwined with, not golden temples, or idols made of wood and stone. The history of Essenes leaving Jerusalem, John the Baptist leaving Qumran, Thomas heading East, Valentinians moving out of Roman cities to create Egyptian spiritual communities in the desert, Tulsi Sahib moving from Poona to Hathras, and so it goes and always has been, an observable pattern of breaking with the past, a time-honored tradition of crisis and renewal, reaffirming one's mystic-path, making a fresh start in new locations, remaining free to exist in genuineness and authenticity without a hierarchy of scribes and an ever-growing caste of Pharisees running the show, surrounding the Master, blocking him from our view. There has never been an Institution of Gnosis. There is no Vatican of the Spirit. Seneca said: "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." Viva the Revolution.
Radhasoami has so fashioned me that I now fly like a bird
Radhasoami has so fashioned me that I now fly like a bird. -- Swami Ji Maharaj, Sar Bachan Poetry, Book Two
All souls belong to the lineage of Sat Naam, but this quality (remembrance of the lineage) cannot be attained without devotion to the Satguru. -- Soami Ji Maharaj, Sar Bachan Prose, Book Two
{Radhaswami Dayal ki Daya Radhaswami Sahai:
"Grant Merciful Radhasoami Thy Grace and Protection"}
Nothing worthwhile would be accomplished by merely reciting the saints' discourses and by memorising them, so long as one does not take to practice. For this reason (it is stressed that) whatever discourse you hear, go deep into it and practise it and live it, or else hearing it and comprehending it is of no avail. (Saying of Swami Ji Maharaj - Sant Radhaswami Sahib, Sar Bachan Radhasoami Prose, Book Two, Agra, India)
The source of all energy is spirit (surat-soul) which enlivens both body and mind. Yet without the body, the spirit can have no abode, and unaided by mind, the body cannot find a direction in which to move. The spirit, therefore, becomes indebted to both Kaal [god of time] and Maya [illusion] for making it conscious and making it possible for it to exhaust and remove the covers, so that it becomes fit to ascend.
Now, this debt cannot be redeemed by the jiva [a soul somewhere in time] himself. This is because in the process of exhausting the covers, the jiva 'acts' and performs karmas, and these karmas then constitute a vicious circle in which the debt of Kaal and Maya goes on multiplying. It is only when the jiva takes shelter of the perfect master (Satguru sharan) that the forest of the karmas of jiva which keeps on accumulating in manakash (mind-sky) can be burnt.
Secondly, the jiva has to shed off the layers of Kaal and Maya and while he does so, both of them fight a pitched battle against the jiva who has to struggle hard and then gradually realise that alone, single-handedly and unaided by the Satguru, he will not be able to survive this battle of redemption of old debt laid on his back by the Adi Karma. Then alone he will surrender his ego to the Satguru who then takes over his battle, reinforces him and makes him vanquish Kaal and Maya. (M.G. Gupta, Commentary on Sar Bachan Radhasoami Prose)
This is what is meant by the verse:
Satguru sharan gaho mere pyaare, karain jugaat chukaaye: "Seek the protection of the Satguru, my love, after paying the taxes, of karma." (Swami Ji Maharaj, Sar Bachan. Poetry, Volume 1. Hymn 13. Discourse 8, Agra, India)
21. Sants and Mahatmas say that only the loving devotees will enter the Darbar (Court) of the true Supreme Being, be seated in His august presence and enjoy the bliss of His darshan [vision]. Rest of the Jivas [souls] who are engaged in various forms of Parmarth [spirituality], will mostly be rewarded for their Shubha Karams with happiness for some time. As they are not imbued with the desire for His darshan [vision], and as they do not wish to meet with Sant Sat Guru, they cannot secure admittance into His August Mansion [Realm].
22. The true and perfect lovers of the Lord, after reaching a particular stage, become the beloved of the true Supreme Being. They become so dear to Him that He does not like, at any time, to part with them. Whatever they do or wish is acceptable to Him. In other words, the Mauj [Will] of the Supreme Being and that of these loving devotees become one. These loving devotees are the most beloved of the Supreme Being and are called Mahboob-i-Ilahi (Beloved of God). They alone attain to the status of Sant and Param Sant. This is the acme of Bhakti[ love and devotion]. This is attained by those extremely rare devotees who have no desire of any kind, but to meet with the Supreme Father. (Huzur Maharaj - Rai Saligram, Prem Patra Radhasoami, Volume Six, Agra, India)
Evils in the World Are Committed Because of Our Unmindfulness
Sant Mat Fellowship:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SantMatFellowship
{"Repeat the Name of your Beloved, day and night, again
and again. With care in thought, word and deed, you will
cross to the other shore." -- Dadu}
Meditation Sangat:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MeditationSangat
{"Do not live even a single day without inner
meditation." -- Baba Devi Sahab}
English rendering of a discourse of Swami Harinandan Baba, the current Acharya (Teacher) of Santmat, head quartered at Maharshi Mehi Ashram, Kuppaghat, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India; Swami Harinandan Baba succeeded Maharshi Santsewi Ji Paramhans in June 2007. The Hindi discourse has been excerpted from the May 2008 edition of the spiritual monthly "Shanti Sandesh" (Message of Peace) published from Maharshi Mehi Ashram, Kuppaghat, Bhagalpur.
-Translated into English by Pravesh K. Singh
( http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sant_santati
"jhUTh-mUTh khelai sach-much hoy,
sach-much khelai biralA koy |
jo koi khelai man-chit lAy,
hote hote hoiye jAy ||"
[We begin with just trying to meditate, driven often by curiosity.
Those who are truly serious & perfect at meditation are very rare to find.
However, anyone who perseveres with honest, dedicated attempts,
Eventually does attain perfection.]
Initially when we sit in meditation, 'dhyAn' does not take place; it is as if we are pretending to meditate. But as we tenaciously persist sincerely with our practice, one day dhyAn does happen in its true sense. Otherwise those are extremely rare to find who can do dhyAn perfectly. DhyAn has been described as "dhyAnam shUnyagatam manah" (Dhyan means the mind getting completely void of any thoughts or agitations). He who can accomplish perfect dhyAn finds that his mind has become empty. Thus sants exhort us not to sit in the lap of disappointment (if we don't succeed in meditation) but to persevere whether dhyAn is effected or not. Suppose there is a servant who discharges all the services to his master with utmost sincerity without asking for any salary or food. Do you think that the master would not give such a servant any food or remuneration? Rather he would himself say, "Come on! You have been working for a long time. Have some food at first. You have not even asked for any remuneration. Here is your salary." Wouldn't he? Now, when a worldly master can give his sincere servant food & salary without being asked for, would the Supreme Lord keep your wages in arrears? But yes, our faith should be so strong & unwavering that we go on doing our duty rightfully irrespective of whether we get something in return or not.
This faith, loyalty and dedication precisely are the proof of your honesty. We should forsake neither three times meditation a day nor satsang (company of noble people). Those who develop the habit of attending satsang daily, feel as if they have committed some crime if they somehow miss satsang, even for a single day. Similar is the state of those who practice meditation regularly. If they don't sit in meditation as scheduled, they feel restless as if something really important has gone amiss, feel bereft of mental peace. Another thing is that only they who meditate regularly find concentration and genuine pleasure in it. Which is why, our Guru Maharaj (Maharshi Mehi Paramhans Ji Maharaj) would say, "Attend satsang daily, and meditate daily as well". If you could fix and strictly observe a particular routine for meditation, that would be even better. Get up at 3 AM, also known as `Brahma Muhurt'. There is no disturbance at this hour. Ambiance, also, is perfectly calm. This is the best time for meditation. But only those, who observe restraint in their diet, would be able to wake up at this time. They, who eat late in the night, eat too much can not wake up in Brahma Muhurt. Sants, therefore, advise us to control our diet first of all if we want to succeed in meditation, if we aspire to achieve something. You should not hanker after eating, eating and eating. You see, we have to eat for the whole of our life. And, God provides food to everybody.
Eat a little less than you can. For the benefit of those who wish to take advantage of meditation, Sant Charan Das Ji has said,
"din ko hari sumiran karo, rain jAgi kar dhyAn |
bhUkh rAkhi bhojan karo, taji sovan ko bAn.||"
In the above couplet he exhorts us, "Be in constant remembrance of God during daytime while discharging your worldly duties, and meditate keeping awake in the night." How will this become possible? He says, "bhUkh rAkhi bhojan karo" which means, "stop eating even as there is some appetite still left"; only then would it be possible to keep awake and meditate in night. This may give rise to apprehension in one's mind: how is it possible that I work during daytime, exercise dietary control and not sleep in the night? For such people (who lead a hectic daily worldly life) Charandas Ji relaxes the conditions a bit:
"chAri pahar nahi jagi sakai, Adhi rAt sUn jAg |
dhyAn karo jap hI karau, bhajan karan kUn lAg ||
jo nahi sardhA dopahar, pichhale pahare chet |
uTh baiTho raTanA raTo, prabhu suN lAvahu het ||
jAgai nA pichhale pahar, karai na guru mat jAp |
munh fAre sovat rahei, tAkUn lAge pAp ||"
[If you can't keep awake for the whole night, wake up at least at midnight, |
And do meditation by repeated recitation of the given mantra and do dhyAn. ||
If even this be not possible, at least rise in the last quarter of night (also called `brahma muhurt'), |
sit up, chant His name and get connected to Him. ||
He who does not wake up even in the last quarter of night and chant the mantra given by the Guru |
Keeps sleeping with his mouth agape, he earns sin (in his karmic account).
At the time of taking initiation, remember that we had also taken a vow to shun avoidable karmas and perform righteous acts. All sinful acts are avoidable acts, while noble deeds consist in attending satsang, meditation, service to Guru and altruism. We had resolved to obey the instructions of our Guru and to do everything possible with our body, mind and wealth to promote Santmat. We commit sin by disobeying Guru's commandments. We should stand guards against committing this sin. We must get up in Brahma Muhurt, or else we would be deprived of the great benefits that accrue from it. Brahma Muhurt has also been described as `amrit velA' (the elixir or divine time). For those who wake up in this divine period, it has been said,
"jo jAge so pAve, jo sove so khove"
[He who wakes up in time makes valuable gains, while he who keeps sleeping stands out to lose miserably.]
Those who rise in the Brahma Muhurt and meditate go on accumulating or crediting auspicious fruits in their karmic account, and those who are lazy frittering away their time in sleeping lose this valuable wealth. An additional benefit of waking up in this period is that the atmosphere is relatively pure & healthy, as the old Hindi proverb goes,
"vaidya kI sau davA, bhor kI ek hawA"
[Air inhaled in the early hours is as effective as a hundred medicines prescribed by the doctor.]
Thus we ought to practice meditation in the Brahma Muhurt. Next we should meditate immediately after bathing. Bathing results in a cooler mind which facilitates better concentration during meditation. Then again, in the evening after finishing all worldly duties, we should wash our hands and feet and sit in meditation. Respected mothers have to do cooking at home. They should meditate and then take up cooking. Meditation quietens the mind which leads to better quality of cooking. If food is cooked after having bath & meditation, it gets purer and tastier. We should be very scrupulous about the purity of our conduct as well. It takes, you see, a sacred vessel to store a holy article. Likewise, God manifests himself in a pure heart. So purify your body and heart. This body is like a temple wherein Lord Vishnu & Lordess Lakshmi reside. This body is like a temple wherein Lord Shiva & Lordess Parvati (Shakti) reside.
Meditation within this body fetches several supernatural attainments. This body is a temple. Those who meditate on `bindu' (Luminous Divine Point) and `nAd'(Divine Sound) acquire these powers.
Therefore, keep this body as sacred as possible so as to be fit to be a temple for Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. It is very essential, therefore, to maintain a pure living and pure eating. Learn to be content with whatever you have. It is not possible for everyone in this world to be blessed with equal means of comfort. Everyone gets wealth and comfort in accordance with his own karma.
A father has four sons. He distributes his property equally among them. But they don't prosper equally. Some grow richer, while some other might slide down into penury. Some leads a happy luxurious life, while the other is gripped by sickness. Why so? - Because we are living the consequences of our own actions. We get according to our merit. If you are leading a life of comfort, do not be arrogant. Consider wealth to be God's 'mAyA' (illusion) and devote it to auspicious activities. Such an opportunity is provided by God Himself. Kabir Sahab has stated,
"Kabir mAyA Ram kI, modI sab sansAr |
jAko chiTThi utarI, soi kharachana hAr ||"
[All the (shows of) wealth and property in this world belong to Ram, the people are merely the storekeepers. |
He whose name figures in the draw of lot gets to spend it. ||]
In spite of being blessed with opulence all are not able to spend it in noble ventures, whereas there are even such people who have so little and yet have the heart to part away with a portion of their possession. Who would reap the benefit eventually? Naturally the latter, the benevolent ones; and yes, they get several times more in return. Just as a farmer sows certain quantity of seeds on field, but harvests crop which is many times more than he had sowed. Now just think of a farmer who starts worrying even before sowing seeds - what would he eat if he put in 40 kg of wheat or paddy in the farm, then what would happen to such a person?
This world, too, is said to be a farm field of actions. The type of seed (in the form of our actions) we sow in it, we reap a matching harvest. If you sow good seeds, you will get good fruits; and if you sow seeds of misdeeds or evil deeds the fruits thereof would also be equally unpalatable. Therefore, commit no sin, perform virtuous acts. Spend the wealth at your command in noble acts. Which is a noble or auspicious act? - That which benefits several people. For instance, if a Satsang Hall is built, it is an auspicious act because the teachings of sants are taught and discussed here which do a lot of good to a lot of people, to the society at large. Similarly constructing schools, colleges, hospitals etc. are auspicious acts, for many generations are given education and treatment here. Spend your money in such acts. They, who invest their money in virtuous works (while they are still alive) and will a judicious distribution of their property among their off springs to facilitate an easy life for the latter, are truly the fortunate ones. But keep one thing in mind. However much you leave in legacy to your sons they would be able to retain only as much as they are worth. If your son is not capable or worthy, he could very well end up losing all he got from you. So, don't think much on this count. Spend your wealth in auspicious acts which is your duty. It, however, does not imply that you should ignore the interests of your parents, sons, daughters, wife etc. Ensuring their upkeep in the fittest manner is your bounden duty. So strike a balance. This will give you good name in this world & this life; this would also ensure a good after life. Sants teach us to learn the right art of living. Live in a way that people sing your praises after you have left this world. Those lives alone have been meaningful about who people say nice things even at their back. Such people who are criticised & cursed after they are no more, they have lived a miserable life here and are destined for a wretched after-life as well. Sants preach that if we want to be happy in both this world and the other world, we should live a life of restraint and perform noble acts.