You must have four virtues in your life irrespective of whatever caste, race, stage of life you belong to or whatever business, job or stage of education you are in.
The first virtue you should have in life in the tolerance towards all dvandvas or pairs of opposites, i.e., maintaining equanimity in opposite conditions such as pleasure and sorrow, honor and dishonor, adversity and prosperity, profit and loss, praise and censure.
Try to be equanimous in these dvandvas. Do not lose your patience even when faced with the greatest of adversities, nor be a slave to even the most favorable circumstances. No matter how great an opposition you may have to face, do not fall from your height of equanimity and wisdom.
Bring tolerance into your life and be equanimous in the face of dvandvas. Have patience during sorrows, adapt the virtue of renunciation during pleasures, nurture an optimistic outlook in the face of adversities and you will get the strength to trample over the circumstances coming in your life.
When engaged in worldly activities, be neutral, not yielding to emotionalism and do not be indifferent to spiritual pursuit. Let your heart melt. Just as when you add color to molten wax, the color spreads throughout the wax, whereby it becomes difficult to separate the color from the wax. Similarly, when you worship God, practice japa, meditation and selfless service, and remember and contemplate God, let your heart be melted like wax so that it is imbued with devotional love and your mind becomes one with God. But ironically enough, what we practically do is that we let our heart melt when engaged in worldly activities and keep it indifferent when engaged in devotion. At the time of satsanga your heart should be like molten wax so that it is dyed with the color divine.
Sant Kabirji has said:
‘My Master is the Dyer:
He has dyed my scarf;
He has removed the color black;
And dyed me with the madder color of devotion.
The color doesn’t fade on being washed;
It’s rather getting faster by every passing day.’
The real Dyer is verily the Supreme Self Himself. Sant Tukaramji too calls the Supreme Self as ‘Ranganatha’, i.e. the Dyer Lord. We should keep our heart melted during devotional practices, meditation and satsanga so that the Master, the Supreme Self, the Real Dyer, may color us in His color divine; and keep our heart indifferent when engaged in worldly affairs. This will make it easy for us to experience the higher spiritual state that is beyond dvandvas
One who desires profit, fears loss; one who desires for honor, fears dishonor; a respected man fears disrespect and a wrestler fears defeat.
Thus, everyone does have some or the other cause of fear. There is bound to be some or the other kind of fear in the realm of the body and the mind, but the art of making it to the region beyond all fears is that of transcending all dvandvas.
The second virtue to be developed in life is tolerance towards passions, i.e. restraint over fits of passion. At different times one happens to be overcome by a passion of love or anger or by a tendency to deceive or harm anybody. Suppose one is overcome by a fit of anger and abuses the other one; or by a tendency to deceive someone and avoids the other one under some pretext. Or may be he is overcome by a passion for violence and hits somebody with anything he could lay his hands on. But all such impulsive actions do fill one with repentance once the causative passion has subsided. A small mistake of his brings a life long grace on himself. Therefore whenever you are attacked by these passions, be careful and protect yourself from them. The passions of anger, deceit, enmity, lust, etc. are sure to attack you, but if you are cautious enough, you would remain immune to them. Reduce the momentum of past karma through new karma rather than increasing it.
The third virtue is being tolerant towards the progress of others, i.e. to take the progress of others in a good spirit. One generally feels a sense of jealously or displeasure on seeing the elevation of another. The one who attains elevation is happy, but due to the lack of this third virtue in our life, we are agitated seeing his elevation. We should take recourse to knowledge such times.
We can see that even in nature, all the trees do not grow or bring forth flowers and fruits in the same season. They grow and flourish according to their respective seasons. This orderliness lends its characteristic beauty to nature. All the trees and plants flourishing in the same season will not provide any joy. The beauty and glory of nature lies verily in its diversity.
We should be glad to see others flourishing in our neighborhood. We should rejoice and encourage ourselves thinking. This is his season to flourish, I shall wait for mine.
On seeing others elevation and strength, we should of course make all efforts to elevate ourselves and increase our strength but in no case should we ignite the fire or jealously, which is but bound to burn the very roots of our own elevation and inner strength. For a tree with its roots on fire, cannot flourish. Similarly, if we burn our hearts with the fire of envy on seeing the elevation or prosperity of others, it will reduce the possibility of our own elevation, because jealously is such a fire as does invariably destroy our own potentials. Hence we should inculcate in us the virtue of being tolerant towards the progress of others.
The fourth virtue is being tolerant towards the views of others. It is not expectable that all should act according to your view. If you chant ‘Jai Jai Siyaram’ or ‘Allah Ho Akbar’, it isn’t necessary that all the people of the world will do the same thing, it is simply not possible in the first place. The beauty and sweetness of nature lies verily in its diversity.
There are millions and millions of human beings on earth, but every face differs from the other in one respect or the other. There may be similarity among some regarding their diet, name etc. but still there is bound to be some or the other difference or diversity among them. This has been going on since time immemorial. Hence one should not become a religious bigot or a fanatic. There will be people who hold views and have thoughts that are opposite to that of ours as well. The bigoted one who isn’t ready even to see or meet and talk with a person who holds a view opposite to his, remains utterly miserable. Even he, who insists on everyone agreeing with him, remains ever miserable. As is the way of the world, at times it will be the wife, who will have the final word in a manner, while at other times it will be the husband, daughter, son or neighbor. Or at sill other occasions, the Lord will even make the enemy get his wish fulfilled.
“Mundey Mundey Matirbhinnaa”
‘Different minds hold divergent opinions.’
When there are so great a variety of minds, it is only natural that there would be diversity in views as well. Hence make your heart so capable as to accept all circumstances and doctrines (of others) easily enough.
If these four virtues are developed in life, the heart will become so pure that like Sant Kabirji, the constancy of our peace and Self-bliss will not be broken even while engaged in the different activities of the world.
Kabirji says in one of his couplets that even while eating, drinking and being engaged in the activities of the world, he is ever engaged in meditation on the Lord.
Yogi Gorakhanathji says, ‘Nath says He is always with him who while eating and drinking does not allow his mind to be captivated by it’
You too should eat, drink and live; but see that it doesn’t in any way disturb your peace, bliss, joy and equanimity. The main cause for the mind getting defeated, is the absence of these four virtues in life. Hence strive to cultivate these four virtues in your life.
One who has cultivated these four virtues in his life, remains happy in the midst of enemies and friends alike, in heaven or in hell, in prosperity or in adversity, in Massourie or even in a desert. One who has a disposition contrary to these four virtues will be miserable even amid friends.
Without these four virtues, a sadhu is not worthy of being called a sadhu nor is a human being worthy of being called a human being. In the absence of these, we are bound to be degenerated to the category of biped beasts. The more deeply we assimilate these four virtues in our life, the more will we progress from humanity towards divinity and then rise even above divinity to attain Brahmanhood (Absoluteness).
So long as you don’t cultivate these virtues in your life, fear, troubles, obstacles, disquiet, complaints and pains will continue to prevail in your life and in the end, death will come to you as the biggest pain. Hence, adopt these virtues to let your life reverberate with the melodious music of equanimity, dancing and humming to the tune of which you may make the journey of your life into a divine mission for realizing the very Bestower of life.
It is not in your hand to change the circumstances of nature or the writ of Destiny; but it is verily in your hand to keep your heart immune to their effects. You do what is within your capacity and God will do His own part. It is within your hands to adopt these four virtues and protect your heart from the changing circumstances of nature. If you do that, God has the ability to manifest Himself in your heart and He will do it.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Teachings of the Vedas are Universal and Relevant in All Times
Vedokhilo dharmamoolam
‘The whole Vedas is the (first) source of the sacred law….’ (The Manusmriti: 2.6)
Vedpranihitho dharma
‘What is ordained in the Vedas is dharma.’
(The Srimad Bhagawata: 6.1.40)
“…for the sacred law shone forth from the Veda.” (The Manusmriti: 5.44)
The Vedas are a matchless means of accomplishing the four main goals of human life, viz. dharma, wealth, fulfillment of righteous desires and salvation. They teach and prescribe both the paths, the path of action and that of Knowledge.
Vedo Narayana Saakshaat
‘The Vedas are Lord Narayana incarnate…’
(The Srimad Bhagawata: 6.1.40)
The highly valuable teachings of the Vedas, an incarnation of God Himself, on the matters of orderliness in society, balanced conduct and peaceful living are universal in every respect, and perfectly relevant in all times. The following percepts bear testimony to this fact:
1. Kevalagho Bhavati Kevaladi
‘One who merely gratifies his senses is a sinner.’ (The Rigveda: 10.117.6)
One, who is engaged in feeding only his stomach, who amasses alien wealth only for himself, who is concerned only with his own convenience, is verily a sinner.
All things belong to God and are controlled by Him alone. Man is entitled to take only so much of it as is righteously earned by him and is quite enough to meet his bare necessities. The rest belongs to others and to use it is theft. Therefore, one who consumes things for himself alone, consumes only sin. The Lord has said the same thing in the Gita in clear terms:
Bhunjate the twacham papa ye pachantyatyamkaranaat
‘Those sinful ones who cook for the sake of nourishing their own body alone, eat only sin.’ (The Gita: 3.13)
Maharishi Vedavyasaji has further elaborated on the issue in the Srimad Bhagawat:
Yavad bhriyat jhatharam tavat swatwam he dehinam
Adhikam Yobhimyanyet sa stano dandamharti
‘An embodied being can lay claim to that much wealth as is just enough for filling his belly (for his sustenance). He who lays claims on the surplus is a thief and deserves punishment.’ (7.14.8)
2. Aksherma devya
‘Don’t play with the gambling dice.’ (The Rigveda: 10.34.13)
The Vedas have given us the sound and noble advice of refraining from gambling. The disastrous consequences of gambling have been illustrated through the narratives of King Nala, Yudhishthira, etc. in the Mahabharata and other Puranas. Even Duryodhana and others, who rejoiced at their victory in gambling, did ultimately meet their total ruin.
3. Krishimiit krishasva
‘You should do farming. Work hard in cultivating the land. ‘ (The Rigveda 10.34.13)
Here farming refers to the duty to which one is born. One should do one’s own righteous duty with due diligence. Engaged in one’s own natural and righteous duty with due diligence, one attains to the Supreme goal of God-realization. The Srimad Bhagwad Gita also extols the virtue of doing the duty to do which one is born:
Sahajam karma Kauntaya sadoshmapi na tyajayat
‘Therefore, O Arjuna, one should not abandon the duty to which one is born, even though it may be full of defect.’ (The Gita: 18.48)
Even if it appears to be laden with virtue, one should desist from doing the duty of another 9a duty alien to one’s growth), which is but counter-productive.
One who lives a natural and spontaneous life while ever diligently carrying out his duties is loved by all. Whereas the hypocrite who runs away from his own duty is disliked by all and even his own conscience bites him.
4. Vitte Ramasva bhau manyamaan
‘Be content to the core with the wealth earned through righteous means and always be happy. ‘
How can the bliss that is naturally available in the one who remains quiet imbibing the nectar of contentment, ever come to the one who remains agitated hankering after wealth and running here and there in pursuit thereof? This verse too teaches us to remain content with our due share of wealth. We should never try to misappropriate others’ share.
5. Eehaav stam we yooshtam vishwamayuyarshnutam.
‘O bride and groom! May both of you live as one family never to part company with each other! May you live for the full length of life.’ (The Rigveda: 10.85.42)
This mantra is addressed to the newly weds, counseling them to live together throughout their life and never get separated due to quarrels, divorce, etc. It tells them to love, understand and help each other towards mutual progress. By following the percepts given herein, the present day strife in the family can be easily avoided.
6. Sam gachhghavam sam vadadhavam sam vo manansi janataam
‘Co-operate with one another; talk to one another softly and affectionately; may your minds achieve consensus with one another and attain Knowledge.’ (The Rigveda: 10.191.2)
Man is a social animal. A society runs smoothly with mutual cooperation, goodwill and cordial relations. Today, a lack of mutual cooperation and goodwill alone has caused unrest in the world.
Let us walk together. Let us talk unanimously for mutual co-operation. Let us consider the whole world as one family and let us all be happy always. While holding this liberal Vedic thought in due esteem, let us bring it into practice.
‘The whole Vedas is the (first) source of the sacred law….’ (The Manusmriti: 2.6)
Vedpranihitho dharma
‘What is ordained in the Vedas is dharma.’
(The Srimad Bhagawata: 6.1.40)
“…for the sacred law shone forth from the Veda.” (The Manusmriti: 5.44)
The Vedas are a matchless means of accomplishing the four main goals of human life, viz. dharma, wealth, fulfillment of righteous desires and salvation. They teach and prescribe both the paths, the path of action and that of Knowledge.
Vedo Narayana Saakshaat
‘The Vedas are Lord Narayana incarnate…’
(The Srimad Bhagawata: 6.1.40)
The highly valuable teachings of the Vedas, an incarnation of God Himself, on the matters of orderliness in society, balanced conduct and peaceful living are universal in every respect, and perfectly relevant in all times. The following percepts bear testimony to this fact:
1. Kevalagho Bhavati Kevaladi
‘One who merely gratifies his senses is a sinner.’ (The Rigveda: 10.117.6)
One, who is engaged in feeding only his stomach, who amasses alien wealth only for himself, who is concerned only with his own convenience, is verily a sinner.
All things belong to God and are controlled by Him alone. Man is entitled to take only so much of it as is righteously earned by him and is quite enough to meet his bare necessities. The rest belongs to others and to use it is theft. Therefore, one who consumes things for himself alone, consumes only sin. The Lord has said the same thing in the Gita in clear terms:
Bhunjate the twacham papa ye pachantyatyamkaranaat
‘Those sinful ones who cook for the sake of nourishing their own body alone, eat only sin.’ (The Gita: 3.13)
Maharishi Vedavyasaji has further elaborated on the issue in the Srimad Bhagawat:
Yavad bhriyat jhatharam tavat swatwam he dehinam
Adhikam Yobhimyanyet sa stano dandamharti
‘An embodied being can lay claim to that much wealth as is just enough for filling his belly (for his sustenance). He who lays claims on the surplus is a thief and deserves punishment.’ (7.14.8)
2. Aksherma devya
‘Don’t play with the gambling dice.’ (The Rigveda: 10.34.13)
The Vedas have given us the sound and noble advice of refraining from gambling. The disastrous consequences of gambling have been illustrated through the narratives of King Nala, Yudhishthira, etc. in the Mahabharata and other Puranas. Even Duryodhana and others, who rejoiced at their victory in gambling, did ultimately meet their total ruin.
3. Krishimiit krishasva
‘You should do farming. Work hard in cultivating the land. ‘ (The Rigveda 10.34.13)
Here farming refers to the duty to which one is born. One should do one’s own righteous duty with due diligence. Engaged in one’s own natural and righteous duty with due diligence, one attains to the Supreme goal of God-realization. The Srimad Bhagwad Gita also extols the virtue of doing the duty to do which one is born:
Sahajam karma Kauntaya sadoshmapi na tyajayat
‘Therefore, O Arjuna, one should not abandon the duty to which one is born, even though it may be full of defect.’ (The Gita: 18.48)
Even if it appears to be laden with virtue, one should desist from doing the duty of another 9a duty alien to one’s growth), which is but counter-productive.
One who lives a natural and spontaneous life while ever diligently carrying out his duties is loved by all. Whereas the hypocrite who runs away from his own duty is disliked by all and even his own conscience bites him.
4. Vitte Ramasva bhau manyamaan
‘Be content to the core with the wealth earned through righteous means and always be happy. ‘
How can the bliss that is naturally available in the one who remains quiet imbibing the nectar of contentment, ever come to the one who remains agitated hankering after wealth and running here and there in pursuit thereof? This verse too teaches us to remain content with our due share of wealth. We should never try to misappropriate others’ share.
5. Eehaav stam we yooshtam vishwamayuyarshnutam.
‘O bride and groom! May both of you live as one family never to part company with each other! May you live for the full length of life.’ (The Rigveda: 10.85.42)
This mantra is addressed to the newly weds, counseling them to live together throughout their life and never get separated due to quarrels, divorce, etc. It tells them to love, understand and help each other towards mutual progress. By following the percepts given herein, the present day strife in the family can be easily avoided.
6. Sam gachhghavam sam vadadhavam sam vo manansi janataam
‘Co-operate with one another; talk to one another softly and affectionately; may your minds achieve consensus with one another and attain Knowledge.’ (The Rigveda: 10.191.2)
Man is a social animal. A society runs smoothly with mutual cooperation, goodwill and cordial relations. Today, a lack of mutual cooperation and goodwill alone has caused unrest in the world.
Let us walk together. Let us talk unanimously for mutual co-operation. Let us consider the whole world as one family and let us all be happy always. While holding this liberal Vedic thought in due esteem, let us bring it into practice.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
PERSONAL LIKING AND GOODWILL
One is personal liking or passion and the other is goodwill. The passion for the samsara gradually enslaves one thereto; while goodwill, in due course of time, does lend one to the Truth personified God. One driven by goodwill does get divine inspirations at virtually every step of his life besides having his intellect sharpened ever further. Thus goodwill brings real happiness into one’s life, paves the way for divine inspirations to guide him suitably and finally unites him with the Truth Absolute. Personal liking ensnares man in sense pleasures, but goodwill leads one into the practice of yoga quite naturally.
General Dyer had perpetrated the Jalianwala Baug massacre in the year 1919 A.D. and thereby earned wide-spread notoriety among the people of that time. The ‘Hunter Committee’ that probed into the case did denigrate and censure him in the harshest words; whereupon he lost his job as well. Then, eventually he was down with a (severe) paralytic attack in 1921 A.D. And the Nature’s wrath of vengeance did not stop at that but made him suffer the pangs of arthritis as well. A few days before his death when he was still suffering from (acute) arthritis and in a conscious state, he declared. “May the world at large know from me in these final moments of my life the consequent end of a person who, like me, basks in the vainglory of being very clever and doesn’t feel any sort of hesitation or shame while acting in an absolutely violent manner.”
His own cleverness led Dyer to such downright degeneration! How wretched and painful a death he suffered in the end in his bid to become great by way of fulfilling his desires!
The mad run for fulfilling one’s desires does invariably destroy all one’s potentials, be in Mussolini, a courageous man like Napolean Bonaparte or anybody else. Dharma restrains the ego and base desires.
‘Where there is dharma, there is victory’. True victory abides where there is dharma and discipline in life. One who lacks dharma and discipline in life and is more interested in nurturing his ego and desires, brings about the destruction of oneself as well as of mankind. While by nurturing goodwill one can bring about the good of oneself as well as of mankind just like Swami Vivekanandaji, Sant Kabirji, Sant Rohidasji, Mirabai and Shabari, who by nurturing goodwill in their hearts not only attained redemption themselves but also people who follow their footprints are redeemed.
The passion for the world and attachment towards it, makes the jiva wretched. Nurture goodwill to get rid of them. Goodwill means to wish for the good of others. The good of others includes the good of your body as well. Your body too is ‘an other entity’ (different from you), because you are not the body. To keep the body healthy too is goodwill, but ‘I shall enjoy through the body, let others go to hell’- this is personal liking or desire. ‘My wife, children, father, etc. should be useful to me…..’ this again is personal liking. Our abilities are meant for all and should be employed in the service of all – this is called goodwill. Goodwill is magnanimous, a giver; and steeps one in the very spirit of the Supreme Giver. Personal liking is selfishness. If one equipped with goodwill, goes to a temple, will offer a few grains of rice, a couple of flowers, some water of the holy Ganges or just a glass of water by uttering ‘namah sivaya’. Now, is Lord Shiva in need of anything? No, but then some action is necessary to express goodwill. Goodwill is so noble as it can’t but give something even to God, while personal liking is so slavish as not to refrain from pestering even God and the Guru.
Goodwill develops good sense and sympathy for others; it leads one to Self-repose and finally to Self-realization; while hankering after the fulfillment of desires increases ill-will and selfishness and leads man to a state lower even than beasts. An animal, as such, evolves gradually from animal to human level of being; but one who is a slave to personal likings. Gradually goes on throttling his essential humanness, thereby sliding down towards beastliness. And that is not all! In case he fails to get an animal body he becomes a goblin. And if he isn’t worthy of getting the body of even a goblin, he is relegated to the birth of a tree, and if he is not eligible for even that, he attains to jadibhava, i.e. the inert state of existence, according to the ‘Sri Valmki Ramayana.’
…..So now get rid of the passion for fulfilling your desires and awaken goodwill. Despite having such an enormously great wealth of penance and a city of gold each, Ravana and Hiranyakashipu transgressed all limits of cruelty and tyranny in their mad run for fulfilling their desires, which prompted God to kill Hiranyakashipu by incarnating Himself as Lord Narsimha and Ravana, by incarnating Himself as Lord Rama. He also killed Kamsa in His incarnation as Sri Krishna. But Lord Rama and Lakshmanaji massaged the feet of Sage Vishwamitraji who was endowed with goodwill. Lord Krishna had served Rishi Sandipaniji. Sandipaniji had goodwill in his heart and would engage himself in the divine endeavors of the Guru. His Guru said, “Son! You are my disciple, but God Himself will become your disciple.”
Sandipaniji had no personal liking but by virtue of his goodwill, God became his disciple. Goodwill has the power to make God a friend and even a disciple. Goodwill has the power to behold God as one’s own Self; while sensual desire has the power to bring one’s noble mentality, good sense and life to ruin. Know the difference between goodwill and personal liking and take recourse to dharma and principles as well as to goodwill.
General Dyer had perpetrated the Jalianwala Baug massacre in the year 1919 A.D. and thereby earned wide-spread notoriety among the people of that time. The ‘Hunter Committee’ that probed into the case did denigrate and censure him in the harshest words; whereupon he lost his job as well. Then, eventually he was down with a (severe) paralytic attack in 1921 A.D. And the Nature’s wrath of vengeance did not stop at that but made him suffer the pangs of arthritis as well. A few days before his death when he was still suffering from (acute) arthritis and in a conscious state, he declared. “May the world at large know from me in these final moments of my life the consequent end of a person who, like me, basks in the vainglory of being very clever and doesn’t feel any sort of hesitation or shame while acting in an absolutely violent manner.”
His own cleverness led Dyer to such downright degeneration! How wretched and painful a death he suffered in the end in his bid to become great by way of fulfilling his desires!
The mad run for fulfilling one’s desires does invariably destroy all one’s potentials, be in Mussolini, a courageous man like Napolean Bonaparte or anybody else. Dharma restrains the ego and base desires.
‘Where there is dharma, there is victory’. True victory abides where there is dharma and discipline in life. One who lacks dharma and discipline in life and is more interested in nurturing his ego and desires, brings about the destruction of oneself as well as of mankind. While by nurturing goodwill one can bring about the good of oneself as well as of mankind just like Swami Vivekanandaji, Sant Kabirji, Sant Rohidasji, Mirabai and Shabari, who by nurturing goodwill in their hearts not only attained redemption themselves but also people who follow their footprints are redeemed.
The passion for the world and attachment towards it, makes the jiva wretched. Nurture goodwill to get rid of them. Goodwill means to wish for the good of others. The good of others includes the good of your body as well. Your body too is ‘an other entity’ (different from you), because you are not the body. To keep the body healthy too is goodwill, but ‘I shall enjoy through the body, let others go to hell’- this is personal liking or desire. ‘My wife, children, father, etc. should be useful to me…..’ this again is personal liking. Our abilities are meant for all and should be employed in the service of all – this is called goodwill. Goodwill is magnanimous, a giver; and steeps one in the very spirit of the Supreme Giver. Personal liking is selfishness. If one equipped with goodwill, goes to a temple, will offer a few grains of rice, a couple of flowers, some water of the holy Ganges or just a glass of water by uttering ‘namah sivaya’. Now, is Lord Shiva in need of anything? No, but then some action is necessary to express goodwill. Goodwill is so noble as it can’t but give something even to God, while personal liking is so slavish as not to refrain from pestering even God and the Guru.
Goodwill develops good sense and sympathy for others; it leads one to Self-repose and finally to Self-realization; while hankering after the fulfillment of desires increases ill-will and selfishness and leads man to a state lower even than beasts. An animal, as such, evolves gradually from animal to human level of being; but one who is a slave to personal likings. Gradually goes on throttling his essential humanness, thereby sliding down towards beastliness. And that is not all! In case he fails to get an animal body he becomes a goblin. And if he isn’t worthy of getting the body of even a goblin, he is relegated to the birth of a tree, and if he is not eligible for even that, he attains to jadibhava, i.e. the inert state of existence, according to the ‘Sri Valmki Ramayana.’
…..So now get rid of the passion for fulfilling your desires and awaken goodwill. Despite having such an enormously great wealth of penance and a city of gold each, Ravana and Hiranyakashipu transgressed all limits of cruelty and tyranny in their mad run for fulfilling their desires, which prompted God to kill Hiranyakashipu by incarnating Himself as Lord Narsimha and Ravana, by incarnating Himself as Lord Rama. He also killed Kamsa in His incarnation as Sri Krishna. But Lord Rama and Lakshmanaji massaged the feet of Sage Vishwamitraji who was endowed with goodwill. Lord Krishna had served Rishi Sandipaniji. Sandipaniji had goodwill in his heart and would engage himself in the divine endeavors of the Guru. His Guru said, “Son! You are my disciple, but God Himself will become your disciple.”
Sandipaniji had no personal liking but by virtue of his goodwill, God became his disciple. Goodwill has the power to make God a friend and even a disciple. Goodwill has the power to behold God as one’s own Self; while sensual desire has the power to bring one’s noble mentality, good sense and life to ruin. Know the difference between goodwill and personal liking and take recourse to dharma and principles as well as to goodwill.
Two Clean Eyes (Philosophy of life)
The Garuda Purana says
‘Satsanga and discrimination – these are the two clean eyes of man. One devoid of these two is actually blind. How can he save himself from treading the evil path?’(49.57)
He is bound to suffer troubles, afflictions, life in wombs of mothers and hells. This is as sure as death. Even Lord Brahma can not save him.
Satsanga and discrimination are the two clean eyes of men. The physical eyes are not clean. No matter how much you treat them with all kinds of collyrium and Netrabindu eye drops, filthy substances continue to come out of them. If they happen to see a beautiful damsel, impure thoughts come in the mind. If they see a delicious stuff, the mouth starts watering. So, this is not clean vision. But by the grace of God and the Guru, when discrimination is kindled, one experiences his oneness with the Supreme Being, the direct and immediate experience of the Absolute.
If one is devoid of these two eyes of satsanga and pure discrimination, one can never get rid of misery, howsoever rich, powerful, learned, illustrious and ascetic one may appear. And if one is equipped with these two eyes, sorrow can not come near him, howsoever small and insignificant one may appear. Even all the people of the world can not make him troubled, upset or miserable. They can inflict pain on his body but can not make him sorrowful. Socrates’ opponents gave him all kinds of troubles; they gave poison to him; Mansoor was impaled on stake; but people could not make them miserable for those saints were equipped with clean eyes. Mira’s brother-in-law, Vikram Rana, by means of his machinations and political power left no stone unturned in tormenting her, but could not make her unhappy. Ravana did all he could to torment Vibhishana; he even kicked the latter on one occasion, but couldn’t make Vibhishana unhappy. Vibhishana is immortal; he lives even today. (He is one of the seven immortals).
Kabirji points to this fact:
“So long as the mind is not equipped with discrimination.
It can not be shot by the arrow of knowledge.”
‘Satsanga and discrimination – these are the two clean eyes of man…..’
One, who does not have the two eyes of satsanga and discrimination, is blind even if he has ten heads and twenty eyes (as Ravana had). For, the world that is changing and perishing every moment will look real to such a one and the Supreme Brahman that which is the sole existing reality through all the three phases of time, viz. Past, present and future, will appear alien to him, You remember God… you go to temples, mosques or other places of worship… good! But the real benefit of going to temples, mosques, churches or other places of worship is to bring you, sooner or later, into the temple of your own heart. The deity of the temple of your heart never deserts you and the world on the other hand can not stay with you forever. Did the childhood stay with you? No, it passed. Pleasures and pains all passed. Due to absence of pure discrimination, you take passing things for permanent reality and you do not know what permanent reality is. In truth, God is permanent and He alone was always with us, is presently with us and shall stay with us forever. The world is essentially impermanent and ever changing. It gives attachment hatred, worry, fear, trouble, birth, death, old age, and diseases. But we are getting increasingly mired in the world itself, only because we have not opened the eyes of satsanga and discrimination. We are chasing a mirage – ‘I shall be happy if I get this much education, if I learn such and such thing, if I get such and such thing…’ – and doing only this throughout the life so many people have already gone into the jaws of death. Not one or two, billions of people have died and been ruined; yet others are pursuing the same disastrous course with all earnestness simply for want of this pure discrimination.
‘Not just one or two, the whole world is deluded. Saved is Gorakha, the only one, who has got the shelter of his Guru.’
If the error is rectified, troubles and sorrows will automatically vanish! Somebody says, “Lord Brahma is the greatest”, another says, “Lord Vishnu is the supreme”, still others say, “Wealthy men or those in power are great”. But the greatest of all is the error that makes all dance to its time.
‘Two clean eyes of man….’ Only the two clean eyes of satsanga and discrimination are capable of rectifying this error. Nobody else can do so. One may read and make you read a lot of scriptures: but he can only make your error fixed rather than removing it.
Can we get discrimination on the strength of religious merits earned by us?
Sant Tulsidasaji says:
‘Pure discrimination can not come without the benign grace of the Lord or the Guru.’
Discrimination can not be achieved on the strength of religious merits. Actually, it is the other way round. On the strength of discrimination alone does one pursue endeavors that bring one religious merits. Discrimination does not come through any action. Rather our actions achieve excellence on account of discrimination. Purity of heart does not bring discrimination either; rather it is discriminations either; rather it is discriminations that brings purity of the heart. So, discrimination does not come from purity of heart, wealth, learning, intelligence, etc. It is but a divine gift that is further developed and sharpened by the benign grace of the Guru and the saints as well as through satsanga.
‘Discrimination is not awakened without satsanga and satsanga is not available without the Lord’s benign grace.’
(The Ramacharita Manasa, Bala Kanda: 2.4)
Ordinary discrimination of what and what not to eat is possessed even by animals, birds and germs. But satsanga alone gives us the discrimination to distinguish between the transient and the eternal, between fleeting pleasures and eternal bliss. Now, sharpen your discrimination with the help of satsanga. When the discrimination is sharp enough, you will clearly and distinctly see what is transient and what is eternal. The transient is constantly changing and perishing. Your ‘I’, the Real Self or the Existence Absolute, is eternal and unchanging. It is free from hunger, thirst, birth, death, desire, anger, grief, delusion, worries and bondage. It is called the Atman and it never deserts you.’Which cannot be perceived by the mind or the senses nor comprehended by the intellect….’ The discrimination to release such Atman can be developed with the help of satsanga alone; Your experience will then be:
‘The Guru’s grace has relieved me of the misery of birth and death.
Hunger and thirst now do not exist. Free from desire and Karma. I have transcended both birth and death.’
What never deserts you is the Atman or the Lord Supreme; and what does not live with you always is the body and the world. Thus, your union and separation with the body and the world is going on perennially. Every union is bound to be followed by separation. But has one ever got separated from the Atman or the Lord Supreme? Have you ever experienced being separate from your Real Self, your ‘I’? So, you have permanent union (Yoga) with the Lord Supreme. Now, kindly accept this fact and your discrimination will be instantly awakened. As the sunflower blooms with the sunrise, your discriminations will bloom with mere acceptance of this fact! This verify is the ultimate essence of all Knowledge, all precepts. Just awaken your pure discrimination.
If you want to realize God quickly, take time off your worldly activities to awaken your discrimination and realize God. Faith, concentration non-attachment, brahmacharya and purity of character-these five virtues will single-handedly awaken your discrimination and unite you straight away with God. There is no doubt in this. But to strengthen these virtues, satsanga is required. Japa of the Lord’s name and satsanga will sharpen your pure discrimination to the core.
‘Discrimination does not come without satsanga….’
One can not achieve the supreme beatitude without pure discrimination. There is a narrative in the Srimad Bhagwata: On having their discrimination awakened, the Prachetas engaged themselves in severe tapasya. Lord Shiva appeared before them and by His grace, they had the darshana of Lord Vishnu. But they were still short of the supreme beatitude. Lord Vishnu said, “Look Prachetas! You want Me to grant you what is best for you. So I grant you that you will get satsanga of the celestial sage Naradaji, whereupon your pure discrimination will be awakened leading you to the realization of your Real Self, the Supreme Self.” Indeed! How supremely great the glory of satsanga and pure discrimination is!
Keep your pure discrimination ever awakened. Predominance of actions, gives small and limited benefits. But predominance of discrimination gives greater worldly benefits and bestows the highest spiritual benefit of Self-realization. The highest discrimination is the realization that the Atman is Imperishable, Immortal, Pure Knowledge, Pure Love, Eternal and Supreme Bliss; and that the world is just opposite thereof. Once we are firmly convinced that God, our supreme well-wisher, is Himself abiding in our heart as our Atman, we shall be delivered forthwith!
‘Satsanga and discrimination – these are the two clean eyes of man. One devoid of these two is actually blind. How can he save himself from treading the evil path?’(49.57)
He is bound to suffer troubles, afflictions, life in wombs of mothers and hells. This is as sure as death. Even Lord Brahma can not save him.
Satsanga and discrimination are the two clean eyes of men. The physical eyes are not clean. No matter how much you treat them with all kinds of collyrium and Netrabindu eye drops, filthy substances continue to come out of them. If they happen to see a beautiful damsel, impure thoughts come in the mind. If they see a delicious stuff, the mouth starts watering. So, this is not clean vision. But by the grace of God and the Guru, when discrimination is kindled, one experiences his oneness with the Supreme Being, the direct and immediate experience of the Absolute.
If one is devoid of these two eyes of satsanga and pure discrimination, one can never get rid of misery, howsoever rich, powerful, learned, illustrious and ascetic one may appear. And if one is equipped with these two eyes, sorrow can not come near him, howsoever small and insignificant one may appear. Even all the people of the world can not make him troubled, upset or miserable. They can inflict pain on his body but can not make him sorrowful. Socrates’ opponents gave him all kinds of troubles; they gave poison to him; Mansoor was impaled on stake; but people could not make them miserable for those saints were equipped with clean eyes. Mira’s brother-in-law, Vikram Rana, by means of his machinations and political power left no stone unturned in tormenting her, but could not make her unhappy. Ravana did all he could to torment Vibhishana; he even kicked the latter on one occasion, but couldn’t make Vibhishana unhappy. Vibhishana is immortal; he lives even today. (He is one of the seven immortals).
Kabirji points to this fact:
“So long as the mind is not equipped with discrimination.
It can not be shot by the arrow of knowledge.”
‘Satsanga and discrimination – these are the two clean eyes of man…..’
One, who does not have the two eyes of satsanga and discrimination, is blind even if he has ten heads and twenty eyes (as Ravana had). For, the world that is changing and perishing every moment will look real to such a one and the Supreme Brahman that which is the sole existing reality through all the three phases of time, viz. Past, present and future, will appear alien to him, You remember God… you go to temples, mosques or other places of worship… good! But the real benefit of going to temples, mosques, churches or other places of worship is to bring you, sooner or later, into the temple of your own heart. The deity of the temple of your heart never deserts you and the world on the other hand can not stay with you forever. Did the childhood stay with you? No, it passed. Pleasures and pains all passed. Due to absence of pure discrimination, you take passing things for permanent reality and you do not know what permanent reality is. In truth, God is permanent and He alone was always with us, is presently with us and shall stay with us forever. The world is essentially impermanent and ever changing. It gives attachment hatred, worry, fear, trouble, birth, death, old age, and diseases. But we are getting increasingly mired in the world itself, only because we have not opened the eyes of satsanga and discrimination. We are chasing a mirage – ‘I shall be happy if I get this much education, if I learn such and such thing, if I get such and such thing…’ – and doing only this throughout the life so many people have already gone into the jaws of death. Not one or two, billions of people have died and been ruined; yet others are pursuing the same disastrous course with all earnestness simply for want of this pure discrimination.
‘Not just one or two, the whole world is deluded. Saved is Gorakha, the only one, who has got the shelter of his Guru.’
If the error is rectified, troubles and sorrows will automatically vanish! Somebody says, “Lord Brahma is the greatest”, another says, “Lord Vishnu is the supreme”, still others say, “Wealthy men or those in power are great”. But the greatest of all is the error that makes all dance to its time.
‘Two clean eyes of man….’ Only the two clean eyes of satsanga and discrimination are capable of rectifying this error. Nobody else can do so. One may read and make you read a lot of scriptures: but he can only make your error fixed rather than removing it.
Can we get discrimination on the strength of religious merits earned by us?
Sant Tulsidasaji says:
‘Pure discrimination can not come without the benign grace of the Lord or the Guru.’
Discrimination can not be achieved on the strength of religious merits. Actually, it is the other way round. On the strength of discrimination alone does one pursue endeavors that bring one religious merits. Discrimination does not come through any action. Rather our actions achieve excellence on account of discrimination. Purity of heart does not bring discrimination either; rather it is discriminations either; rather it is discriminations that brings purity of the heart. So, discrimination does not come from purity of heart, wealth, learning, intelligence, etc. It is but a divine gift that is further developed and sharpened by the benign grace of the Guru and the saints as well as through satsanga.
‘Discrimination is not awakened without satsanga and satsanga is not available without the Lord’s benign grace.’
(The Ramacharita Manasa, Bala Kanda: 2.4)
Ordinary discrimination of what and what not to eat is possessed even by animals, birds and germs. But satsanga alone gives us the discrimination to distinguish between the transient and the eternal, between fleeting pleasures and eternal bliss. Now, sharpen your discrimination with the help of satsanga. When the discrimination is sharp enough, you will clearly and distinctly see what is transient and what is eternal. The transient is constantly changing and perishing. Your ‘I’, the Real Self or the Existence Absolute, is eternal and unchanging. It is free from hunger, thirst, birth, death, desire, anger, grief, delusion, worries and bondage. It is called the Atman and it never deserts you.’Which cannot be perceived by the mind or the senses nor comprehended by the intellect….’ The discrimination to release such Atman can be developed with the help of satsanga alone; Your experience will then be:
‘The Guru’s grace has relieved me of the misery of birth and death.
Hunger and thirst now do not exist. Free from desire and Karma. I have transcended both birth and death.’
What never deserts you is the Atman or the Lord Supreme; and what does not live with you always is the body and the world. Thus, your union and separation with the body and the world is going on perennially. Every union is bound to be followed by separation. But has one ever got separated from the Atman or the Lord Supreme? Have you ever experienced being separate from your Real Self, your ‘I’? So, you have permanent union (Yoga) with the Lord Supreme. Now, kindly accept this fact and your discrimination will be instantly awakened. As the sunflower blooms with the sunrise, your discriminations will bloom with mere acceptance of this fact! This verify is the ultimate essence of all Knowledge, all precepts. Just awaken your pure discrimination.
If you want to realize God quickly, take time off your worldly activities to awaken your discrimination and realize God. Faith, concentration non-attachment, brahmacharya and purity of character-these five virtues will single-handedly awaken your discrimination and unite you straight away with God. There is no doubt in this. But to strengthen these virtues, satsanga is required. Japa of the Lord’s name and satsanga will sharpen your pure discrimination to the core.
‘Discrimination does not come without satsanga….’
One can not achieve the supreme beatitude without pure discrimination. There is a narrative in the Srimad Bhagwata: On having their discrimination awakened, the Prachetas engaged themselves in severe tapasya. Lord Shiva appeared before them and by His grace, they had the darshana of Lord Vishnu. But they were still short of the supreme beatitude. Lord Vishnu said, “Look Prachetas! You want Me to grant you what is best for you. So I grant you that you will get satsanga of the celestial sage Naradaji, whereupon your pure discrimination will be awakened leading you to the realization of your Real Self, the Supreme Self.” Indeed! How supremely great the glory of satsanga and pure discrimination is!
Keep your pure discrimination ever awakened. Predominance of actions, gives small and limited benefits. But predominance of discrimination gives greater worldly benefits and bestows the highest spiritual benefit of Self-realization. The highest discrimination is the realization that the Atman is Imperishable, Immortal, Pure Knowledge, Pure Love, Eternal and Supreme Bliss; and that the world is just opposite thereof. Once we are firmly convinced that God, our supreme well-wisher, is Himself abiding in our heart as our Atman, we shall be delivered forthwith!
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