the conversation between Swami Shivanandaji Maharaj and then ruler of Punjab
Jul 5 2008 | Views 74 |
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Tags: eternal bliss lord krishna alpine regions infinite peace bhagwad git
Tags: eternal bliss lord krishna alpine regions infinite peace bhagwad git
Re : Otherwise also ,
Narayan Puri > Quotes of Lord Krishna from Srimad Bhagwad Gita & Bhagwatam are excellent. You shall find the conversation between Swami Shivanandaji Maharaj and then ruler of Punjab quite relevant here :--
"O Venerable Swami! I am a Ruling Chief in the Punjab. I spend some
months every year in the Alpine regions and continental Springs. I
always go about in a magnificent car. I eat dainties. I move with
Earls and Barons. The Senior and the Junior Maharanis serve me.
Certainly I am more happy than you." "O Rajan! But can you smile like
me? You are full of worries, anxieties and cares. There is no real
freedom for you." "Yes, Swamiji, I cannot smile like you, though I
possess everything. I am tormented within in one way or the other.
This is true." "Then, O Chief, what is the earthly use of your money,
continental trips, Maharanis, cars and retinue?" "Revered Sir, make
me smile like you. What is the secret?" "Renounce egoism and desires.
Realise Atman. You can always smile like me."
The fear that you get in dreams by seeing a tiger or a cobra
disappears only when you are awake. Even so, the pain, misery,
sorrow, grief, etc., of this mundane life will only vanish when you
get Brahma Jnana.
Are you not ashamed to repeat day by day the same process of eating,
drinking, talking and sleeping? You are proud of your titles. Have
you improved your life even a bit? What lessons have you learnt from
the Bihar and Quetta earthquakes? Are you attempting to reach that
imperishable seat wherein all desires and Trishnas are completely
eradicated? Are you endeavouring to attain that highest end of life—
Atmic realisation—which gives immortality, eternal bliss and infinite
peace? You are not crawling now. You have learnt to stand up and
walk. You can think, reason out, judge, infer and ratiocinate. Will
you utilise this precious life in meditation on Atman and in Self
realisation? Will you give me a definite word of promise to this
effect? Brother, speak the truth, climb up the ladder of Yoga and
drink the nectar of immortality. Will you?
Sages' Words
Sages compare a worldly minded man to a street dog, or a pig that
eats filth, or a worm that revels in filth. The comparison is very
apt indeed!
Just as a nail cannot enter into a stone, however hard you may try to
drive it in with a hammer, so also religious ideas, talks of God,
cannot enter the minds of the worldly minded, however lucidly you may
explain them with stories, analogies, similes and parables. They have
sin hardened hearts which are very difficult to be pierced through.
But lustful thoughts can flow through their minds like the current of
Kali river.
The worldly objects, cannot give you peace of mind. Renounce the
worldly joys and sorrows, its pleasures and temptations. Seek for
something higher and nobler than the objects of senses—the eternal
bliss of the Self—while remaining in the world.
Whatever a sage may say is medicine to the worldly minded persons who
need medication for their impiety and worldliness. Therefore, O man,
hear his instructions with rapt attention and put them in daily
practice.
Seers of truth, sages and Rishis declare boldly on account of their
Self realisation: "Do not run after objects. Get Viveka, Vairagya.
Renounce the worldly objects. They are sources of misery. Realise
Atman. You will get eternal, infinite Bliss and Immortality."
Lead a life of austerity and meditation. This world is nothing. All
objects of this world are worthless, because they are transient,
ephemeral and perishable. Understand the nature of the soul and its
relationship to God.
The thinking faculty is present only in human beings. Man only can
reason, reflect and form judgements. It is man only who can compare
and contrast, who can think of pros and cons and who can draw
inferences and conclusions. That is the reason why he alone is able
to attain God consciousness. That man who simply eats and drinks and
who does not exercise his mental faculty in Self realisation is a
brute only. Fie on such a miserable wretch who is clinging to
illusory things of the universe and who is a slayer of Atman. He
verily commits suicide.
O worldly minded persons! Wake up from the sleep of Ajnana. Open your
eyes. Stand up to acquire knowledge of Atman. Approach the Brahma
Nishta Guru. Get sleepless sleep (Samadhi). Drown yourself in Atman.
A worldly minded man has two standards of living viz., stomach and
pocket. He tries to fill his pocket with money by hook or crook and
fills his stomach daily with all sorts of things. This is his goal.
An aspirant also has two standards of living viz., and meditation. He
keeps a few things only for the bare maintenance of his body and
gives the rest to others. He spends his time in meditation. The
former lives in vain and wastes his life while the latter leads a
glorious life of divinity and enjoys the eternal bliss of Soul.
A worldly man kills himself by clinging to things unreal. That man
who does not struggle for attaining Self realisation although he
possesses knowledge of the scriptures, human body, youth, energy and
other conveniences, verily commits suicide. His lot is very
miserable. What greater fool is there than this man who neglects to
reach the goal of life? That man who does not care to make enquiry
of "Who am I? What is the goal? How to attain the goal" is really a
fool although he is endowed with high secular knowledge.
Imagine for a moment that your skin and flesh are inverted and
exposed. Then you will have to stand always with a strong mountain
stick to drive off vultures, crows and jackals. Why do you have Moha
(infatuated love) for this dirty body? Why do you apply scents? Are
you not a big fool? Get Jnana. You are Atman, ever pure and effulgent.
You will find in the Bible: "Man shall not live by bread alone but by
the Spirit." Life in matter is utter darkness. Life in the Spirit is
glorious sunshine. Think not of the body. Think little of bread. Then
you can think more of the spirit. Then you can have a rich, expanded,
undecaying life.
Way to Liberation
It is bondage when you are attached to your wife, son, property, or
body, when you take this body as the pure Self. It is liberation when
you are not attached to any object of this world, when you identify
yourself with the pure, immortal Atman.
To do the work of a beast, even though you are born as a man, is
simply ridiculous and disgraceful.
You think of your body, food, wife, son, friend, etc., but you do not
turn your mind inward to find out what lies within yourself. You
think that your body—this bundle of flesh and bones—is real and on
this basis you build the whole citadel of life's ambition and
activity. You have mistaken the shadow for the substance. You are
contented with superficial things. Though you are endowed with the
power of thought, yet you do not wish to utilise this power in the
quest of immortal Self. You have abandoned the precious jewel of
Atman and caught hold of a broken glass piece. Is this not a foolish
act? You will weep in your old age.
This body is the first Mayaic knot or tie. Wife is the second knot
round the neck. Son is the third knot round the waist. Daughter is
the fourth knot round the knee. Grandson is the fifth knot round the
ankle. He who has cut asunder these knots or ties and who has no Moha
is really a strong and powerful man (Dheera)—and not one who can
allow a motor car to pass on his chest or who has first class
magisterial powers or who has a double barelled gun or who is a
member of the Council or Assembly or Parliament.
O Nectar's Son! Enough of this mundane life. Enough of this life of
passion on this earth plane. You have spent your whole life, energy
and time in obtaining material wealth and power, name and fame. All
your efforts have gone in vain. All your wealth is a broken shell
only, when compared to the inexhaustible supreme wealth of Atman.
Obtain this priceless spiritual wealth. Give up this vain selfish
struggle. Too long you have walked: with passionate eyes in this
universe. Give up the lustful look. Meditate. Look within now. Behold
the marvellous Self and be free.
O man! Develop dispassion and discrimination. Cultivate virtues. Move
in the company of illumined sages. Get spiritual instructions from
them. Serve them. Meditate on Atman and attain Self realisation. Then
alone you can become a spiritual Bahadur of Bahadurs; a leading
spiritual citizen of the world, an Emperor of emperors.
If you are very rich you can have a steamer, a train, an airship, of
your own for your own selfish enjoyment. But you cannot have an Atman
of your own. Atman is common to all. It is not an individual's sole
registered property. Even a peasant, a barber, an outcaste or Dalit
has Atman.
A man drinks wine and falls into the gutter. If you ask him the
following morning, "Why did you drink so much last evening? You fell
in the gutter," he will reply, "I was under intoxication of liquor. I
did not know anything." Even so, when a man is intoxicated with the
pride of wealth or the wine of worldliness he does not know what he
is exactly doing. He is like the drunkard who fell in the gutter. The
best remedy, which can remove this intoxication caused by
worldliness, is Satsanga or association with the wise.
Man is the slave of wealth, but wealth is not one's slave. If you
want to attain the supreme, inexhaustible spiritual wealth of Atman,
do not become a slave of wealth. Relinquish it and become a master.
If you earn money by the sweat of your brow, you can never grow rich.
Wealth cannot be acquired without committing sin. It will not be of
any use to you after your death. Artha (wealth) is Anartha (evil). To
earn money is painful. To preserve it is painful. To lose it is
painful. If it decreases, it is also painful. Wealth is the source
for all sorts of pains.
Insure your life with God. Depend upon Him alone. All other Insurance
companies will fail but this Divine Company will never fail. You need
not pay premium to this divine company. You will have to love God
only. You will have to give Him your heart only.
Why do you depend upon these false nerves and senses, which break
down at any moment for your happiness? Seek deep abiding joy, eternal
happiness, and uninterrupted bliss, in your own Self within, through
constant and unbroken meditation. Rise up. Stand up. Wake up. Exert.
Reach the goal right now.
If ignorance, poverty and disease are not found here, this world is a
veritable heaven.
Nobody has been benefited in this world by this Maya. People weep in
the end. Ask any grown up householder whether he has got an iota of
happiness in this world.
This world is full of contradictions. That, which brings on shame to
the good, gives pleasure to the wicked.
The worldly minded persons never come to their proper senses although
they get severe knocks, kicks and blows from different corners. The
strolling street dog stops visiting the houses, even though pelted
with stones daily.
Kali (Adharma or unrighteousness) resides in places of gambling,
drink, prostitution, butchery, in gold, in markets, and battlefields
and in places where four people sit together and engage themselves in
idle talks and scandal mongering.
Sudden disappointments, and successes in life are not a result of
blind chance. Everything runs in the world on well established laws.
The law of cause and effect operates everywhere.
Different people meet with different sorts of difficulties. If one is
suffering from headache, the other is crying on account of severe
pain in his ear. If one is worried because of the untimely death of
his son, the other is dejected on account of heavy loss in business.
The world is a great teacher. The five elements are your Gurus. By
learning many bitter lessons you will grow stronger and wiser.
Delusion and grief will affect the ignorant, worldly minded men but
not he who has Jnana, who sees oneness everywhere. The whole tree of
Samsara with its seed is totally up rooted when one gets Brahma
Jnana, knowledge of the Self.
To the Viveki the whole world appears as a ball of fire though there
are the so called charming scenery of Mayaic illusion. To the Viveki
the whole world appears as a huge furnace wherein all living
creatures are being roasted.
Those people who are not serious and earnest about their devotional
practices have lost this world at this end and God at the other end.
They are hanging in the air with heads downwards like Trisanku.
Miserable specimens! Pitiable indeed is their lot!
Why do you weep, my friend? Thou art Rama. Thou art Krishna. Thou art
Siva. Thou art Atman. Thou art Brahman. Thou art Truth: "Tat Tvam
Asi". Thou art that, my dear friend!
The Pinnacle of Glory
Verily there is a realm, O Ram! Where there is neither sorrow nor
grief, neither solid nor liquid, neither matter nor energy, neither
sleep nor waking, neither eating nor drinking, neither resting nor
working, neither seeing nor hearing. This is the abode of Nirvanic
bliss or eternal peace. Reach this abode by purifying the mind and
removing the veil of ignorance through constant meditation on the
Self.
I live to serve you all. I live to make you all happy and wise. I
live to help you in tearing the veil of ignorance. I live to make
your path easier and smoother.
Instead of weeping over the famine, the ploughman should ever be
ploughing. All on a sudden rain will come, he will have an abundant
harvest or a bumper crop. Even so, you must ever be up and doing. All
difficulties and unfavourable circumstances will pass away like a
rent autumnal cloud. You will have a rich spiritual harvest of
eternal peace and perennial joy.
Roar OM OM OM—Ram Ram Ram and come out of the cage of flesh, my dear
Sushil!
The search for the highest truth, a little meditation on the Self in
the early morning hours, a well regulated life, a remembrance of the
immortal nature of the soul and an attempt to feel that you are the
all pervading Self in your private and public life will give a
balance and rhythm to your life and inner spiritual strength and
courage.
The strong raft of knowledge of the Self will take you safely over
the stormy waves of this great ocean of Samsara. You will not be
affected by even the worst kind of adversities and sorrows. Therefore
struggle hard to attain this knowledge. Disseminate this wisdom of
the Rishis and bear witness to it in daily life.
"Remove selfishness and egoism. Calm the passions. Purify the heart.
Analyse your thoughts. Scrutinise your motives. Cleanse the dross of
impurity. Realise God." This has been the one burden of the preaching
of all prophets, seers and sages of all times. Read the teachings of
Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed, Confucius, Shinto, Chaitanya, Sankara or any
other prophet. This, the essence of Self purification, is your chief
duty. That is the way to God.
Just as fruit is hidden in the seed, butter in milk, virility in
boyhood, so also various Saktis remain latent in man. If you purify
your mind and practise concentration, and meditation, all these
powers will shine forth.
Constantly hammer the mind with this idea: "I am diseaseless, all
health, Immortal Atman—OM OM OM." Meditate on the above formula for
10 minutes morning and evening. This is the best in this world for
all ailments. This will form your meditation also.
This great self luminous, immortal, fearless, unborn, undecaying self
is Brahman. Search Him. Try to understand Him. Practise wisdom.
Realise and be free.
The nectar of Immortality is gushing. Purify. Concentrate. Dive deep
into the chambers of your heart and drink it to your heart's content.
It will quench the fire of Samsara. It will make you immortal.
Karma produces your future births. Karma is the root of all your
miseries. Karma is supreme. Karma rules your destiny. But there are
means by which Karma may be made inefficacious. The fruit bearing
potencies of Karma can be burnt by getting knowledge of the Self
through destruction of desires and annihilation of this little `I'
and the mind.
All creatures have come out of God. They go back to Him alone during
dissolution. The whole world is the body of the Lord. How can you
hurt or dislike another man or any creature on the surface of the
earth when you have taken God as the object of adoration and love?
How can you be selfish? Can you eat all mangoes of your garden
yourself alone?
You do not consider others' pains as your own. Therefore you have no
compassion or mercy. You have no complacence (Mudita). Therefore you
do not rejoice at another's virtue. You have no contentment. There is
burning in your heart. You do not consider other's happiness as your
own. Therefore you are uneasy. You have no indifference to the
vicious actions of wicked people. Therefore you are troubled. There
is nothing but your own Self in this universe. All bodies are yours.
All hands are yours. This whole world is your body. All names and
forms are yours. Do not separate yourself from the world. Unite.
Expand. Mix. Feel oneness and unity. You will enjoy boundless joy and
limitless bliss.
Exert. Shake off lethargy and faint heartedness. Show manly
fortitude. Yield not to impotence. Be lion hearted. You will get
success in every attempt. You will prosper gloriously in the physical
and spiritual planes.
The present state of affairs is not favourable for business. The
pride of things has risen very high but this is the best time for
doing better business with God. You can do more prayer, meditation,
Japa and study of Gita and Upanishads, as you have more leisure now.
This is very profitable as spiritual wealth is imperishable and
inexhaustible, so there is no loss. On the contrary, there is immense
gain. God's ways are mysterious.
Aspire ceaselessly to live in the Divine. Strive ceaselessly to
realise the truth. Practise regular meditation in the Brahmamuhurta.
Work untiringly for the good of others. Think constantly of the
immortal, all blissful Self. You will reach the goal quickly and
assuredly.
Why have you taken this body? What is the goal of your life? Enquire.
Fulfil your mission. Unfold the Divinity that is lurking in the
chambers of your heart.
If you think, "I will take a bath when all the waves of the sea
subside" this is not possible. The waves will never subside and you
will never take a bath. Even so if you think, "I will start spiritual
Sadhana or meditation when all my cares, worries and anxieties cease,
when all my sons are fixed up in life, when I have ample leisure
after retirement." This is not possible. You will not be able to sit
even for half an hour when you become old. You will have no strength
to do any rigorous Tapas when you are in advanced senility. You must
start vigorous spiritual practices when you are young, whatever your
conditions, circumstances and environments may be. Then only you will
reap a rich spiritual harvest when you become old. You will enjoy the
everlasting peace of the Eternal.
Should we not try therefore to attain something more satisfying and
eternally lasting? Or should we be content to lead a life of slavery
and bondage obeying the impulses of our physical nature? This
question will ultimately rise in everybody's heart. No one can evade
it. Every one must answer this question. It is the starting point of
all religions.
Man soon gets tired of sensual objects on account of their
transitory, illusory and perishable nature. He finds monotony in
them. He finds that they are hollow and mixed with pain, fear and
sin. He retraces his footsteps to his original sweet home, the
immortal abode of Brahman. He no longer wanders about hither and
thither. He sits quiet in a solitary place and shuts the doors or
gateways of the senses, practises Pratyahara (abstraction of the
senses). He disconnects the mind from the senses and the objects. He
stops the waves of the mind through the practice of Raja Yoga. He
controls the movement of the breath, through the practice of
Pranayama. He kills egoism, Vasanas, thoughts likes and dislikes. He
reflects and meditates on the true nature of the supreme Self and
eventually reaches the Param Dhama or the Self effulgent Brahmic
seat. Now only he enjoys supreme peace and eternal bliss, unalloyed
felicity and perennial joy. He attains immortality. He never comes
back to this world of death, sorrow, pain and pairs of opposites.
The final aim of the spirit is complete eradication of the three
kinds of pain. This is according to the Sankhya philosophy. The
Vedantins hold that emancipation consists in the merging of the
individual soul into the Supreme Soul. The Vaiseshikas hold that
liberation consists in the entire cessation of pain. Patanjali
Maharshi holds that Kaivalya or perfect independence consists in the
recession to their origin of the Gunas, void of the motive to act for
the Purusha or the abidance of the soul in its own essence.
That man who does not strive to attain Self realisation but who
struggles selfishly for the attainment of perishable objects is a
dead man even while living. Pitiable is his lot. Your present life is
determined by your actions in the past life. The future will be
determined by your action in the present life.
There at the summit of the hill of eternal bliss you can see now the
Jivanmukta or full blown Yogi. He has climbed the stupendous heights
through intense and constant struggle. He did severe, rigorous
spiritual Sadhana. He did profound Nididhyasana (meditation). He
spent sleepless nights. He kept long vigils on several days. He
gradually ascended the steps one by one. He took rest in the several
halting stages. He persevered with patience and diligence. He
surmounted many obstacles. He conquered despair, gloom, depression.
He is a beacon light to the world now. Remember that he was also
rotting in those days in the quagmire of Samsara like yourself. You
can also ascend to that summit if you will.
Where there is a will, there is a way. Self realisation is a question
of supply and demand. Do you really want God? If there is a demand
for god, the supply will come. You have wasted the day. Will you
waste the night also? The world is a fair for two days. The life is a
play for two minutes.
Not Curiosity But Aspiration Is Needed
Some people have curiosity for the spiritual life. They have no real
thirsting for liberation. They think that they will get certain
powers or Siddhis if they do some Yogic practices. When they do not
attain the powers, they lose patience and give up the practices,
abandon the spiritual path and pooh poohs the Yogis and Yoga. Mere
curiosity will not help you to attain any spiritual progress.
Curiosity mongering is more abominable than mischief mongering.
Introspect. Analyse your thoughts and find out whether you have real
spiritual hunger or mere curiosity mongering. Transmute curiosity
mongering into real thirsting for salvation by constant Satsanga,
study of good religious books, prayer, Japa and meditation.
Lord Buddha had Viveka (discrimination) from his very boyhood. Buddha
was one who had been profoundly impressed from his early youth by the
transient and impermanent nature of all conditions of worldly
existence and by the sufferings and wretchedness in which he saw all
beings immersed.
You have learnt many lessons in the mysterious world. Now you will
have to live wisely. You have gained more wisdom now. Renouncing
attachment, living like the lotus leaf on water, abandoning Vasanas
and egoism, you will have to act your part well in this world drama.
That stage of life in which dispassion and discrimination have dawned
is the best part of life. Utilise this stage of life well. Be bold.
Be cheerful. Be happy. No room for lamentation or despair. Never get
disgusted with life. Get disgusted with worldliness. Live wisely and
happily. Stand as a witness of this grand show kept up by Maya and
rejoice in the Self within.
Brother, courage is thy birthright and not fear. Peace is thy divine
heritage but not restlessness. Immortality is thy birthright, not
mortality. Strength but not weakness, health but not disease, bliss
but not sorrow, knowledge but not ignorance.
O dear Ram! Remember you are only a pilgrim here. This world is a
public inn only. Your permanent abode is Atman or the Self. Finish
your pilgrimage quickly by doing rigorous Tapas and meditation and
reach your original abode of immortality, everlasting bliss and
peace, in this very birth.
O weary pilgrim in this terrible forest of dire Samsara! Take refuge
in Ram. Ram is thy sole refuge and support. There is no real friend
of thine in this world. Do not be deluded by the false, glittering
sensual objects. They are worthless. They are perishable. Wake up
from thy deep slumber of ignorance. Start upon thy journey. Make
haste. Be quick. Days and nights, months and years are passing away.
O weary pilgrim along the great road of life! Be cautious and
vigilant. Do not faint and fall in the dust owing to the feverish
excitement of mundane life and intoxication of wealth and power. Do
not pass by the crooked lanes and reach some illusive goal. March
boldly in the straight path of truth and righteousness. Take rest
under the cool and refreshing shade of contentment, dispassion,
discrimination and eternal wisdom and reach the city of deathlessness
or domain of eternal life.
months every year in the Alpine regions and continental Springs. I
always go about in a magnificent car. I eat dainties. I move with
Earls and Barons. The Senior and the Junior Maharanis serve me.
Certainly I am more happy than you." "O Rajan! But can you smile like
me? You are full of worries, anxieties and cares. There is no real
freedom for you." "Yes, Swamiji, I cannot smile like you, though I
possess everything. I am tormented within in one way or the other.
This is true." "Then, O Chief, what is the earthly use of your money,
continental trips, Maharanis, cars and retinue?" "Revered Sir, make
me smile like you. What is the secret?" "Renounce egoism and desires.
Realise Atman. You can always smile like me."
The fear that you get in dreams by seeing a tiger or a cobra
disappears only when you are awake. Even so, the pain, misery,
sorrow, grief, etc., of this mundane life will only vanish when you
get Brahma Jnana.
Are you not ashamed to repeat day by day the same process of eating,
drinking, talking and sleeping? You are proud of your titles. Have
you improved your life even a bit? What lessons have you learnt from
the Bihar and Quetta earthquakes? Are you attempting to reach that
imperishable seat wherein all desires and Trishnas are completely
eradicated? Are you endeavouring to attain that highest end of life—
Atmic realisation—which gives immortality, eternal bliss and infinite
peace? You are not crawling now. You have learnt to stand up and
walk. You can think, reason out, judge, infer and ratiocinate. Will
you utilise this precious life in meditation on Atman and in Self
realisation? Will you give me a definite word of promise to this
effect? Brother, speak the truth, climb up the ladder of Yoga and
drink the nectar of immortality. Will you?
Sages' Words
Sages compare a worldly minded man to a street dog, or a pig that
eats filth, or a worm that revels in filth. The comparison is very
apt indeed!
Just as a nail cannot enter into a stone, however hard you may try to
drive it in with a hammer, so also religious ideas, talks of God,
cannot enter the minds of the worldly minded, however lucidly you may
explain them with stories, analogies, similes and parables. They have
sin hardened hearts which are very difficult to be pierced through.
But lustful thoughts can flow through their minds like the current of
Kali river.
The worldly objects, cannot give you peace of mind. Renounce the
worldly joys and sorrows, its pleasures and temptations. Seek for
something higher and nobler than the objects of senses—the eternal
bliss of the Self—while remaining in the world.
Whatever a sage may say is medicine to the worldly minded persons who
need medication for their impiety and worldliness. Therefore, O man,
hear his instructions with rapt attention and put them in daily
practice.
Seers of truth, sages and Rishis declare boldly on account of their
Self realisation: "Do not run after objects. Get Viveka, Vairagya.
Renounce the worldly objects. They are sources of misery. Realise
Atman. You will get eternal, infinite Bliss and Immortality."
Lead a life of austerity and meditation. This world is nothing. All
objects of this world are worthless, because they are transient,
ephemeral and perishable. Understand the nature of the soul and its
relationship to God.
The thinking faculty is present only in human beings. Man only can
reason, reflect and form judgements. It is man only who can compare
and contrast, who can think of pros and cons and who can draw
inferences and conclusions. That is the reason why he alone is able
to attain God consciousness. That man who simply eats and drinks and
who does not exercise his mental faculty in Self realisation is a
brute only. Fie on such a miserable wretch who is clinging to
illusory things of the universe and who is a slayer of Atman. He
verily commits suicide.
O worldly minded persons! Wake up from the sleep of Ajnana. Open your
eyes. Stand up to acquire knowledge of Atman. Approach the Brahma
Nishta Guru. Get sleepless sleep (Samadhi). Drown yourself in Atman.
A worldly minded man has two standards of living viz., stomach and
pocket. He tries to fill his pocket with money by hook or crook and
fills his stomach daily with all sorts of things. This is his goal.
An aspirant also has two standards of living viz., and meditation. He
keeps a few things only for the bare maintenance of his body and
gives the rest to others. He spends his time in meditation. The
former lives in vain and wastes his life while the latter leads a
glorious life of divinity and enjoys the eternal bliss of Soul.
A worldly man kills himself by clinging to things unreal. That man
who does not struggle for attaining Self realisation although he
possesses knowledge of the scriptures, human body, youth, energy and
other conveniences, verily commits suicide. His lot is very
miserable. What greater fool is there than this man who neglects to
reach the goal of life? That man who does not care to make enquiry
of "Who am I? What is the goal? How to attain the goal" is really a
fool although he is endowed with high secular knowledge.
Imagine for a moment that your skin and flesh are inverted and
exposed. Then you will have to stand always with a strong mountain
stick to drive off vultures, crows and jackals. Why do you have Moha
(infatuated love) for this dirty body? Why do you apply scents? Are
you not a big fool? Get Jnana. You are Atman, ever pure and effulgent.
You will find in the Bible: "Man shall not live by bread alone but by
the Spirit." Life in matter is utter darkness. Life in the Spirit is
glorious sunshine. Think not of the body. Think little of bread. Then
you can think more of the spirit. Then you can have a rich, expanded,
undecaying life.
Way to Liberation
It is bondage when you are attached to your wife, son, property, or
body, when you take this body as the pure Self. It is liberation when
you are not attached to any object of this world, when you identify
yourself with the pure, immortal Atman.
To do the work of a beast, even though you are born as a man, is
simply ridiculous and disgraceful.
You think of your body, food, wife, son, friend, etc., but you do not
turn your mind inward to find out what lies within yourself. You
think that your body—this bundle of flesh and bones—is real and on
this basis you build the whole citadel of life's ambition and
activity. You have mistaken the shadow for the substance. You are
contented with superficial things. Though you are endowed with the
power of thought, yet you do not wish to utilise this power in the
quest of immortal Self. You have abandoned the precious jewel of
Atman and caught hold of a broken glass piece. Is this not a foolish
act? You will weep in your old age.
This body is the first Mayaic knot or tie. Wife is the second knot
round the neck. Son is the third knot round the waist. Daughter is
the fourth knot round the knee. Grandson is the fifth knot round the
ankle. He who has cut asunder these knots or ties and who has no Moha
is really a strong and powerful man (Dheera)—and not one who can
allow a motor car to pass on his chest or who has first class
magisterial powers or who has a double barelled gun or who is a
member of the Council or Assembly or Parliament.
O Nectar's Son! Enough of this mundane life. Enough of this life of
passion on this earth plane. You have spent your whole life, energy
and time in obtaining material wealth and power, name and fame. All
your efforts have gone in vain. All your wealth is a broken shell
only, when compared to the inexhaustible supreme wealth of Atman.
Obtain this priceless spiritual wealth. Give up this vain selfish
struggle. Too long you have walked: with passionate eyes in this
universe. Give up the lustful look. Meditate. Look within now. Behold
the marvellous Self and be free.
O man! Develop dispassion and discrimination. Cultivate virtues. Move
in the company of illumined sages. Get spiritual instructions from
them. Serve them. Meditate on Atman and attain Self realisation. Then
alone you can become a spiritual Bahadur of Bahadurs; a leading
spiritual citizen of the world, an Emperor of emperors.
If you are very rich you can have a steamer, a train, an airship, of
your own for your own selfish enjoyment. But you cannot have an Atman
of your own. Atman is common to all. It is not an individual's sole
registered property. Even a peasant, a barber, an outcaste or Dalit
has Atman.
A man drinks wine and falls into the gutter. If you ask him the
following morning, "Why did you drink so much last evening? You fell
in the gutter," he will reply, "I was under intoxication of liquor. I
did not know anything." Even so, when a man is intoxicated with the
pride of wealth or the wine of worldliness he does not know what he
is exactly doing. He is like the drunkard who fell in the gutter. The
best remedy, which can remove this intoxication caused by
worldliness, is Satsanga or association with the wise.
Man is the slave of wealth, but wealth is not one's slave. If you
want to attain the supreme, inexhaustible spiritual wealth of Atman,
do not become a slave of wealth. Relinquish it and become a master.
If you earn money by the sweat of your brow, you can never grow rich.
Wealth cannot be acquired without committing sin. It will not be of
any use to you after your death. Artha (wealth) is Anartha (evil). To
earn money is painful. To preserve it is painful. To lose it is
painful. If it decreases, it is also painful. Wealth is the source
for all sorts of pains.
Insure your life with God. Depend upon Him alone. All other Insurance
companies will fail but this Divine Company will never fail. You need
not pay premium to this divine company. You will have to love God
only. You will have to give Him your heart only.
Why do you depend upon these false nerves and senses, which break
down at any moment for your happiness? Seek deep abiding joy, eternal
happiness, and uninterrupted bliss, in your own Self within, through
constant and unbroken meditation. Rise up. Stand up. Wake up. Exert.
Reach the goal right now.
If ignorance, poverty and disease are not found here, this world is a
veritable heaven.
Nobody has been benefited in this world by this Maya. People weep in
the end. Ask any grown up householder whether he has got an iota of
happiness in this world.
This world is full of contradictions. That, which brings on shame to
the good, gives pleasure to the wicked.
The worldly minded persons never come to their proper senses although
they get severe knocks, kicks and blows from different corners. The
strolling street dog stops visiting the houses, even though pelted
with stones daily.
Kali (Adharma or unrighteousness) resides in places of gambling,
drink, prostitution, butchery, in gold, in markets, and battlefields
and in places where four people sit together and engage themselves in
idle talks and scandal mongering.
Sudden disappointments, and successes in life are not a result of
blind chance. Everything runs in the world on well established laws.
The law of cause and effect operates everywhere.
Different people meet with different sorts of difficulties. If one is
suffering from headache, the other is crying on account of severe
pain in his ear. If one is worried because of the untimely death of
his son, the other is dejected on account of heavy loss in business.
The world is a great teacher. The five elements are your Gurus. By
learning many bitter lessons you will grow stronger and wiser.
Delusion and grief will affect the ignorant, worldly minded men but
not he who has Jnana, who sees oneness everywhere. The whole tree of
Samsara with its seed is totally up rooted when one gets Brahma
Jnana, knowledge of the Self.
To the Viveki the whole world appears as a ball of fire though there
are the so called charming scenery of Mayaic illusion. To the Viveki
the whole world appears as a huge furnace wherein all living
creatures are being roasted.
Those people who are not serious and earnest about their devotional
practices have lost this world at this end and God at the other end.
They are hanging in the air with heads downwards like Trisanku.
Miserable specimens! Pitiable indeed is their lot!
Why do you weep, my friend? Thou art Rama. Thou art Krishna. Thou art
Siva. Thou art Atman. Thou art Brahman. Thou art Truth: "Tat Tvam
Asi". Thou art that, my dear friend!
The Pinnacle of Glory
Verily there is a realm, O Ram! Where there is neither sorrow nor
grief, neither solid nor liquid, neither matter nor energy, neither
sleep nor waking, neither eating nor drinking, neither resting nor
working, neither seeing nor hearing. This is the abode of Nirvanic
bliss or eternal peace. Reach this abode by purifying the mind and
removing the veil of ignorance through constant meditation on the
Self.
I live to serve you all. I live to make you all happy and wise. I
live to help you in tearing the veil of ignorance. I live to make
your path easier and smoother.
Instead of weeping over the famine, the ploughman should ever be
ploughing. All on a sudden rain will come, he will have an abundant
harvest or a bumper crop. Even so, you must ever be up and doing. All
difficulties and unfavourable circumstances will pass away like a
rent autumnal cloud. You will have a rich spiritual harvest of
eternal peace and perennial joy.
Roar OM OM OM—Ram Ram Ram and come out of the cage of flesh, my dear
Sushil!
The search for the highest truth, a little meditation on the Self in
the early morning hours, a well regulated life, a remembrance of the
immortal nature of the soul and an attempt to feel that you are the
all pervading Self in your private and public life will give a
balance and rhythm to your life and inner spiritual strength and
courage.
The strong raft of knowledge of the Self will take you safely over
the stormy waves of this great ocean of Samsara. You will not be
affected by even the worst kind of adversities and sorrows. Therefore
struggle hard to attain this knowledge. Disseminate this wisdom of
the Rishis and bear witness to it in daily life.
"Remove selfishness and egoism. Calm the passions. Purify the heart.
Analyse your thoughts. Scrutinise your motives. Cleanse the dross of
impurity. Realise God." This has been the one burden of the preaching
of all prophets, seers and sages of all times. Read the teachings of
Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed, Confucius, Shinto, Chaitanya, Sankara or any
other prophet. This, the essence of Self purification, is your chief
duty. That is the way to God.
Just as fruit is hidden in the seed, butter in milk, virility in
boyhood, so also various Saktis remain latent in man. If you purify
your mind and practise concentration, and meditation, all these
powers will shine forth.
Constantly hammer the mind with this idea: "I am diseaseless, all
health, Immortal Atman—OM OM OM." Meditate on the above formula for
10 minutes morning and evening. This is the best in this world for
all ailments. This will form your meditation also.
This great self luminous, immortal, fearless, unborn, undecaying self
is Brahman. Search Him. Try to understand Him. Practise wisdom.
Realise and be free.
The nectar of Immortality is gushing. Purify. Concentrate. Dive deep
into the chambers of your heart and drink it to your heart's content.
It will quench the fire of Samsara. It will make you immortal.
Karma produces your future births. Karma is the root of all your
miseries. Karma is supreme. Karma rules your destiny. But there are
means by which Karma may be made inefficacious. The fruit bearing
potencies of Karma can be burnt by getting knowledge of the Self
through destruction of desires and annihilation of this little `I'
and the mind.
All creatures have come out of God. They go back to Him alone during
dissolution. The whole world is the body of the Lord. How can you
hurt or dislike another man or any creature on the surface of the
earth when you have taken God as the object of adoration and love?
How can you be selfish? Can you eat all mangoes of your garden
yourself alone?
You do not consider others' pains as your own. Therefore you have no
compassion or mercy. You have no complacence (Mudita). Therefore you
do not rejoice at another's virtue. You have no contentment. There is
burning in your heart. You do not consider other's happiness as your
own. Therefore you are uneasy. You have no indifference to the
vicious actions of wicked people. Therefore you are troubled. There
is nothing but your own Self in this universe. All bodies are yours.
All hands are yours. This whole world is your body. All names and
forms are yours. Do not separate yourself from the world. Unite.
Expand. Mix. Feel oneness and unity. You will enjoy boundless joy and
limitless bliss.
Exert. Shake off lethargy and faint heartedness. Show manly
fortitude. Yield not to impotence. Be lion hearted. You will get
success in every attempt. You will prosper gloriously in the physical
and spiritual planes.
The present state of affairs is not favourable for business. The
pride of things has risen very high but this is the best time for
doing better business with God. You can do more prayer, meditation,
Japa and study of Gita and Upanishads, as you have more leisure now.
This is very profitable as spiritual wealth is imperishable and
inexhaustible, so there is no loss. On the contrary, there is immense
gain. God's ways are mysterious.
Aspire ceaselessly to live in the Divine. Strive ceaselessly to
realise the truth. Practise regular meditation in the Brahmamuhurta.
Work untiringly for the good of others. Think constantly of the
immortal, all blissful Self. You will reach the goal quickly and
assuredly.
Why have you taken this body? What is the goal of your life? Enquire.
Fulfil your mission. Unfold the Divinity that is lurking in the
chambers of your heart.
If you think, "I will take a bath when all the waves of the sea
subside" this is not possible. The waves will never subside and you
will never take a bath. Even so if you think, "I will start spiritual
Sadhana or meditation when all my cares, worries and anxieties cease,
when all my sons are fixed up in life, when I have ample leisure
after retirement." This is not possible. You will not be able to sit
even for half an hour when you become old. You will have no strength
to do any rigorous Tapas when you are in advanced senility. You must
start vigorous spiritual practices when you are young, whatever your
conditions, circumstances and environments may be. Then only you will
reap a rich spiritual harvest when you become old. You will enjoy the
everlasting peace of the Eternal.
Should we not try therefore to attain something more satisfying and
eternally lasting? Or should we be content to lead a life of slavery
and bondage obeying the impulses of our physical nature? This
question will ultimately rise in everybody's heart. No one can evade
it. Every one must answer this question. It is the starting point of
all religions.
Man soon gets tired of sensual objects on account of their
transitory, illusory and perishable nature. He finds monotony in
them. He finds that they are hollow and mixed with pain, fear and
sin. He retraces his footsteps to his original sweet home, the
immortal abode of Brahman. He no longer wanders about hither and
thither. He sits quiet in a solitary place and shuts the doors or
gateways of the senses, practises Pratyahara (abstraction of the
senses). He disconnects the mind from the senses and the objects. He
stops the waves of the mind through the practice of Raja Yoga. He
controls the movement of the breath, through the practice of
Pranayama. He kills egoism, Vasanas, thoughts likes and dislikes. He
reflects and meditates on the true nature of the supreme Self and
eventually reaches the Param Dhama or the Self effulgent Brahmic
seat. Now only he enjoys supreme peace and eternal bliss, unalloyed
felicity and perennial joy. He attains immortality. He never comes
back to this world of death, sorrow, pain and pairs of opposites.
The final aim of the spirit is complete eradication of the three
kinds of pain. This is according to the Sankhya philosophy. The
Vedantins hold that emancipation consists in the merging of the
individual soul into the Supreme Soul. The Vaiseshikas hold that
liberation consists in the entire cessation of pain. Patanjali
Maharshi holds that Kaivalya or perfect independence consists in the
recession to their origin of the Gunas, void of the motive to act for
the Purusha or the abidance of the soul in its own essence.
That man who does not strive to attain Self realisation but who
struggles selfishly for the attainment of perishable objects is a
dead man even while living. Pitiable is his lot. Your present life is
determined by your actions in the past life. The future will be
determined by your action in the present life.
There at the summit of the hill of eternal bliss you can see now the
Jivanmukta or full blown Yogi. He has climbed the stupendous heights
through intense and constant struggle. He did severe, rigorous
spiritual Sadhana. He did profound Nididhyasana (meditation). He
spent sleepless nights. He kept long vigils on several days. He
gradually ascended the steps one by one. He took rest in the several
halting stages. He persevered with patience and diligence. He
surmounted many obstacles. He conquered despair, gloom, depression.
He is a beacon light to the world now. Remember that he was also
rotting in those days in the quagmire of Samsara like yourself. You
can also ascend to that summit if you will.
Where there is a will, there is a way. Self realisation is a question
of supply and demand. Do you really want God? If there is a demand
for god, the supply will come. You have wasted the day. Will you
waste the night also? The world is a fair for two days. The life is a
play for two minutes.
Not Curiosity But Aspiration Is Needed
Some people have curiosity for the spiritual life. They have no real
thirsting for liberation. They think that they will get certain
powers or Siddhis if they do some Yogic practices. When they do not
attain the powers, they lose patience and give up the practices,
abandon the spiritual path and pooh poohs the Yogis and Yoga. Mere
curiosity will not help you to attain any spiritual progress.
Curiosity mongering is more abominable than mischief mongering.
Introspect. Analyse your thoughts and find out whether you have real
spiritual hunger or mere curiosity mongering. Transmute curiosity
mongering into real thirsting for salvation by constant Satsanga,
study of good religious books, prayer, Japa and meditation.
Lord Buddha had Viveka (discrimination) from his very boyhood. Buddha
was one who had been profoundly impressed from his early youth by the
transient and impermanent nature of all conditions of worldly
existence and by the sufferings and wretchedness in which he saw all
beings immersed.
You have learnt many lessons in the mysterious world. Now you will
have to live wisely. You have gained more wisdom now. Renouncing
attachment, living like the lotus leaf on water, abandoning Vasanas
and egoism, you will have to act your part well in this world drama.
That stage of life in which dispassion and discrimination have dawned
is the best part of life. Utilise this stage of life well. Be bold.
Be cheerful. Be happy. No room for lamentation or despair. Never get
disgusted with life. Get disgusted with worldliness. Live wisely and
happily. Stand as a witness of this grand show kept up by Maya and
rejoice in the Self within.
Brother, courage is thy birthright and not fear. Peace is thy divine
heritage but not restlessness. Immortality is thy birthright, not
mortality. Strength but not weakness, health but not disease, bliss
but not sorrow, knowledge but not ignorance.
O dear Ram! Remember you are only a pilgrim here. This world is a
public inn only. Your permanent abode is Atman or the Self. Finish
your pilgrimage quickly by doing rigorous Tapas and meditation and
reach your original abode of immortality, everlasting bliss and
peace, in this very birth.
O weary pilgrim in this terrible forest of dire Samsara! Take refuge
in Ram. Ram is thy sole refuge and support. There is no real friend
of thine in this world. Do not be deluded by the false, glittering
sensual objects. They are worthless. They are perishable. Wake up
from thy deep slumber of ignorance. Start upon thy journey. Make
haste. Be quick. Days and nights, months and years are passing away.
O weary pilgrim along the great road of life! Be cautious and
vigilant. Do not faint and fall in the dust owing to the feverish
excitement of mundane life and intoxication of wealth and power. Do
not pass by the crooked lanes and reach some illusive goal. March
boldly in the straight path of truth and righteousness. Take rest
under the cool and refreshing shade of contentment, dispassion,
discrimination and eternal wisdom and reach the city of deathlessness
or domain of eternal life.
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