When Pramukh Swami left his mortal body, in the tribute assembly in New Delhi on 9 September 2016, Swami Satyamitranand Giriji Maharaj, former Shankaracharya, said, "Pramukh Swami Maharaj was like the Malayachal [Forest]. In the sandalwood forest of Malayachal, neem, baval and other trees also grow. However, by having spent many years in the proximity of sandalwood trees they also become fragrant like sandalwood. Often, their wood is also sold as sandalwood. Likewise, by associating with Pujya Pramukh Swami Maharaj even ordinary people become extraordinary.”
You are the stone, you are the chisel, you are thr sculptor. It's time for us to carve our lives into a beautiful work of art. But how can we do this: Just as with all art, an apprentice learns from his teacher similarly in order for us to carve our lives, we need to get inspiration from the rishis of the past and our gurus, Pramukh swami Maharaj. By learning and imbibing their virtues we can truly turn our lives into a work of art
Bhuj. After celebrating Fuldol, devotees from various regions came to bid Maharaj goodbye. The requested, “Please have mercy on us.” Shriji Maharaj replied, “You too have mercy on us.” Confused by this reply the devotees asked Shriji Maharaj what he meant. He replied by saying, “I live within your heart. If you fill your heart with hatred, jealousy and other evils, I will feel strangled in your heart. So fill your heart with divine virtues so that I may be able to live there.
The scriptures say, “Both animals and humans share the activities of eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. But the special property of the humans is that they are able to engage in righteous living. Therefore, without righteousness, humans are on the level of animals.”
Honeybees extract nectar from brightly coloured flowers. The honeybee takes a tiny amount of nectar from each flower, and then collects that. The result is a hive full of honey. Similarly can we collect small qualities, virtues and lessons from each of these stories, and make our lives as sweet as honey.