Essential Counsel for Monitors 

Samarth Guru Param Sant Dr. Chaturbhuj Sahay Ji Maharaj

What are the attributes and traits a Monitor should possess? Those who have been performing this task should contemplate and introspect on the following points. If they realise that there is some gap then they should make an earnest effort to bridge that.

1. The first and foremost expectation from a Monitor is that he should strive to continually improve himself. He should not indulge in a behaviour that goes against those prescribed in the scriptures so that others can look upto him as their role model.

2. He should not be just an idle conversationalist. There should be a correspondence between his knowledge and action. If his mind commits something wrong, he should condemn it, expiate for it and should be circumspect in future.

3. He should guide his relatives and servants in such a manner that they lead a peaceful life and others also take a leaf from their lives.

4. He should consider it his duty, that all those who come in contact with him are inspired towards piety, that their conduct becomes righteous and that they are discouraged from creating wealth through dishonourable means.

5. A monitor should be fearless, generous, decent and civilised and work-efficient. 

6. He should have an ability to intuit how others’ mind can be amended, what kind of conversation and which nerve, when pressed, would help them to find their feet. 

7. A monitor should also have a discerning ability to assess the kind of a person in the first glance itself and what kind of conduct will help him to improve.

8. It behoves a monitor to respect scholars. A scholar must be respected according to his station because a scholar tends to have a rigid ego and he may not be able to bear any disrespect and mis-behaviour. He should deal with them with love and modesty. He should also spend some time with them so that he can unravel the deeper mysteries in the scriptures.

9. A monitor should not be spending his entire time with his followers. He should move away after imparting his lessons.

10. He should talk only when required and should practice silence. He should avoid the company of dishonourable people. He should avoid taking the services of any other woman except that of his own wife. He should not let a lonely woman come near to him. He should not indulge in jokes, laughter and amusements. He should treat everyone with love and compassion. He should ignore others’ minor mistakes. If someone has done something wrong or if someone has not acted as directed, he should not be too strict with him but amend him with love and utilise the strategy of Discussion-inducements-punishment- secrecy (Saam-Daam-Dand-Bhed).

11. Truth should pervade both his inner as well as outer beings. He should strive to honour his commitment to the best of his abilities. He should hide others’ as well his own secrets. He should subject himself to periodic tests and assess his mental states.

12. A monitor should have a brave and determined nature. Only a courageous person can influence others. A weak person gets discouraged easily in difficult circumstances while a courageous person faces his difficulties bravely and transcends them. He should have firmness in his nature. Once an objective has been decided, he should have the determination to achieve it. A fickle mind who says one thing at one time and something else the other time is never able to achieve anything.

13. A monitor would encounter all kinds of people who, according to their level of intellect, will put forth all kinds of queries. On those occasions, instead of losing his cool, it is appropriate that he remains calm and tolerant. If he does not conduct himself in a civilised manner and despises them then who will approach him and this will hamper the objective of dissemination. 

14. Greed and desire are two major evils. A monitor should guard against these. He should never let desires of property and wealth enter his mind. He should surrender his well-being entirely to the God and live accordingly.

15. His style of conversation should be such that everyone is able to comprehend. He should converse with people according to their station – exalted conversations with evolved ones and lower level conversations with not-so-evolved ones.

16. He should not lose his cool even if someone calls him names or speak in an offensive manner or if someone hurts him. However, if someone creates obstacles in the path of Guru or God, he should punish him, irrespective of whether that person is related to him or not.

17. If he feels annoyed with someone for some reason, he should control his rage and should not pronounce a punishment in the fit of rage. However, once he is in a pacified state and the crime of the accused is established then the latter should be punished. This is so because his rage may result into a major damage for others. Therefore, it is not appropriate to bring forth any evil thoughts about anyone.

18. Advancement of a practitioner forward or bestowment of an exalted stature to someone, should not have any consideration of relation, clan or kith and kin or not-related-to-me. It should be based solely on the ability and qualification. He should have an impartial outlook and must treat everyone equally.

19. He should ensure that his body, place and attire are clean and pure. Ugly and filthy people tend to give rise to the feelings of hatred and disgust in others and people avoid approaching them.

20. His life, lifestyle and diet should be simple. His doors should be open to even his enemies so that no one feels any hesitation in approaching him.Friends and foes alike should be able to enter his doors. It is appropriate that whosoever comes in contact with him, he makes an effort to align him to this place and uses the powers to help him attain concentration so that it becomes easier for him. 

These are some of the things that Shri Guru Maharaj explained to us as he ordained us in this path. My followers should also make an earnest note of these. Not only the monitors but everyone should strive to mould his life according to them. Preaching seldom helps others as the role model in front of them helps people. Monitor must be like that if he has to be successful in meeting his objective. Although I do not claim that I have moulded my life exactly as per the above but I can certainly say that to a very large extent I have been able to change myself and I continue working for further improvements. You should also make an earnest attempt. Perseverance pays. Changing one’s nature is in one’s own hands   and this is what is meant by abstinence (Yama) and observance (Niyama). One who does not have self-restraint, can neither help himself nor the others. m

Translated from “ Sadhna Ke Anubhav” by Samarth Guru Param Sant Dr Chaturbhuj Sahay ji.