By
SRI SWAMI CHIDANANDA
from
Early Morning Meditation Talks
A DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY PUBLICATION
First Edition: 1997
(2,000 copies)
World Wide Web (WWW) Edition : 1999
Website: http://www.divinelifesociety.org/
This WWW reprint is for free distribution
© The Divine Life Trust Society
|
No. 7
Special Insights into Sadhana
on
Rakshabandhan
Krishna Jayanti
Vinayaka Chaturthi
Receiving a Guest
|
Published By
THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY
P.O. Shivanandanagar—249 192
Distt. Tehri-Garhwal, Uttaranchal,
Himalayas, India.
CONTENTS
This special series of eight booklets is being published between September
1996 and September 1997 in honour of the 80th Birthday Anniversary of
H.H. Sri Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj, the President of the Divine Life
Society.
Each booklet contains several of his early morning meditation talks
given on special spiritual occasions in the sacred Samadhi Hall of the
holy founder of the Divine Life Society and Sivananda Ashram, H.H. Sri
Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj. The series of eight booklets covers the entire
year of special occasions and festivals celebrated in the Ashram.
The talks contain penetrating insights into the meaning and purpose
of sadhana as Swamiji takes advantage of these occasions to point
out the fundamentals required for success in the spiritual quest such
as devotion to the goal, discrimination, obedience to the Guru, faith
in God and oneself, and a divinely lived life.
The spiritual advice and encouragement contained in these booklets
ill be an inspiration and help to earnest spiritual seekers throughout
the world.
THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY
The whole year for the Hindu is a continuous observance of some sacred
day of worship or other. The year is completely built around a great
many days of sacred worship of various expressions of the one non-dual
Divine Reality.
Each month is significant for the presence of some important day of
divine worship. So, from beginning to end, life becomes God-oriented;
it becomes devotion filled. Life becomes based upon worship.
The holiness and sanctity of life and actions of the followers of the
Vedic religion is insured by this great wisdom-based approach to life.
All the twelve months become a composite period of adoring the Divine
Reality around which the entire life of the individual revolves.
Swami Chidananda
|
"With perfect faith and belief, really and
truly make God your all in all. Then you have nothing to fear.
You are absolutely secure. No harm can befall you."
-Swami Chidananda
|
Radiant Atman! Long ago, when this Ashram had only seven or eight inmates,
Gurudev established a school for children-Sivananda Primary School.
It was inaugurated in the year 1942, and the school room was the first
room in the press building, just behind where you now enter the press.
Next to it was smaller room where the teacher lived. The teacher was
revered Satchidananda Maithaniji, the retired manager of the Sivananda
Ayurvedic Pharmaceutical Works. He had about 12 to 15 students, and
he was called Masterji. Many of the students are still in this area.
Occasionally Gurudev would drop in, and he would often give the students
a brief four line lecture on one of the Yogas or on Divine Life. One
of the lectures went: "I shall now deliver a lecture on Bhakti Yoga.
Bhakti Yoga is divine love. Sing like Mira. This is my lecture." Another
lecture was: "Insure your life with God. All other insurance companies
may fail. But the Divine Insurance Company will never fail. This is
my lecture."
So, insure your life with God. Insure your life, not with the LIC or
any other public or private company, but insure your life with God.
Companies may fail. Even banks and large industries fail; you may lose
your investments. But the Divine Insurance Company will never fail.
There is a story of a Muslim fakir whose cottage was destroyed by monsoon
rains. He lived near Delhi, and as the emperor Akbar was known to be
a generous man, he approached him. At the time, the emperor was at prayer,
and as he listened, the fakir overheard the emperor praying for all
sorts of things-more money, larger armies, etc. After listening for
a while the fakir quietly left. The emperor, sensing that someone had
been near him, had his guards call the fakir back so he could enquire
as to what he wanted. After being questioned, the fakir told him: "I
came to ask you for something, but when I found that you yourself were
asking for something from someone else, I thought that if that Being
is so great that my emperor is asking for things from Him, why should
I not directly ask from that Being myself. Why not ask from the Highest
rather than ask from someone who himself has to ask for things."
These thoughts occurred to me this morning because there is a tradition,
a custom, which takes place all over the north, especially in Punjab,
U.P., etc., where, upon this full moon day, people tie a shining contraption
upon their brother's forearm. If they don't have a brother they sometimes
tie it on some close friend whom they regard as an elder brother. This
friend thus becomes their well-wisher, their protector, their friend
in time of need. He becomes a support to them, an insurance of safety,
security, protection and help. They call this shining thing, made of
various patterns of silk and tinsel, raksha.
And, today is the day of Rakshabandhan. Rakshabandhan is adopting a
brother as it were, depending upon someone to grant you security, protection
and help, to be a support, a source of assurance that "I am not alone,
I am protected."
Now, it has occurred to me, that instead of making a human being your
source of protection, support, security and help, why not tie your raksha
to the Supreme Being? As Gurudev said: "Insure your life with God.
The Divine Insurance Company will never fail." For if you depend upon
a human individual with all his inevitable foibles and shortcomings,
you may find that just when you need help, the other person may be in
a condition where he himself needs help. He may need help more than
you do. Such things happen. It happened to Arjuna, a person upon whom
a whole army was depending. He broke down and started crying. At that
time, if some lady, who had tied a raksha to Arjuna, went to
him for help, what would she have got from him? He was a nervous wreck,
in a state of collapse.
So, when you want to have one hundred per cent security, unfailing,
absolutely assured security and guaranteed help, support and strength,
then make the Divine all this and even more. Tvameva sarvam mama
deva deva. Then you are absolutely secure. For he declares: "kaunteya
pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati-O Arjuna, know this well, My
devotee never comes to grief. I will not allow him to come to grief."
When He says that because He is omnipotent, His assurance is one hundred
per cent absolutely certain. Therefore, the famous ending lines of a
Sanskrit verse: anyatha saranam nasti tvameva saranam mama; tasmat
karunyabhavena raksha raksha mahesvara; raksha raksha janardana (There
is no refuge for me elsewhere; Thou art alone my refuge. Therefore,
out of a sense of compassion protect, protect, O Supreme Lord; protect,
protect, O Lord Janardana).
Time and again in our scriptures, in the Puranas, episode after episode
proves this to be true, totally true. All other support may fail, but
never the divine support. Draupadi proved it. Markandeya proved it.
Savitri proved it. Many others proved it. And it is not only in the
context of Indian spiritual history. It has been proved in the lives
of mystics throughout human history in the West and in all parts of
the world-the unfailing hands of God.
Therefore, this should be the firm conviction in the heart of a believer,
in the heart of a devotee: "When I have God, what do I lack? Even if
I have everything in this world, but have not God, I have nothing, I
am lost, I am finished. But if I have God, even if the whole world is
against me, I have everything."
"Jako rakhe saia, mar na sake koi-One who is protected by God,
no one can even harm a single hair on his head." This is the experience
of the great devotees and mystics, the real, dedicated devotees and
mystics, who always dwelt in God and for whom God was sufficient, their
all-in-all. God alone was their wealth. He alone was their support,
strength, helper-everything. "When I have You, I have everything."
Thus, one of the psalms in the Old Testament says:
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want;
he makes me lie down in green pastures.
he leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil;
for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff,
they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
thou anointest my head with oil,
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Thus the prophet tells about God's protection when he befriends a man:
"When I have Him, I shall not lack anything. He will make me invincible.
I shall go through the valley of death fearlessly. He will support me.
My enemies cannot approach me." Then man has nothing to fear. Be fearless!
These assurances are given here and there in different parts of scriptures
like the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Puranas. Many thrilling episodes
are there, when those who interfered with the lives of true devotees
had to realise their mistake and apologise for it. Someone tried to
interfere with a great devotee called Ambarisha. He was also not an
ordinary man, but he had to pay for his arrogance. He had to eat humble
pie and kneel before Ambarisha in order to escape the wrath of God,
because he tried to interfere with the life of one who had totally surrendered
himself into the hands of God.
So, this practice of Rakshabandhan or tying a raksha around
someone's hand gave rise to this thought in this new direction. Is it
not one hundred per cent better to make the Supreme Being our protector,
our helper, our support, our brother, our friend in need? What wiser
step could one take than to make of Him what you are trying to make
of a frail, imperfect human being?
So, just as Gurudev taught in his lecture to the children "Insure your
life with God, He is unfailing," even so, with perfect faith and belief,
really and truly make God your all-in-all. Then you have nothing to
fear. You are absolutely secure. No harm can befall you.
This has been the experience of many bhaktas. And what has been,
is true even today, and shall always be true in the lives of firm believers
and true devotees of God who do atmanivedana or atmasamarpana
(self-surrender). As long as the sun, moon and stars shine in the
sky, this will be a fact that can never be cancelled, never be falsified.
It will be proven again and again. It is an eternal truth: one who depends
upon God lacks nothing.
Therefore, if you want to have a sure, certain, unfailing and fully
capable supporter, helper, well-wisher, you can depend upon Him. He
will be the most unfailing, absolutely certain and totally capable helper
to you, at all times, in all circumstances, amidst all difficulties
and problems. For, some things may be possible for man and some things
may be impossible for man, but nothing is impossible to God.
Therefore, the greatest thing you can do is to tie your Raksabandhan
to your divine father, mother, brother, sister, friend, helper, supporter,
well-wisher, protector, security. What could be wiser than this? Let
us, therefore, be wise and rejoice and be carefree in the sure protection,
the unfailing protection, the omnipotent protection of God, Who is our
nearest and dearest. God bless you!
Radiant Atman! As we move towards the auspicious and blessed day of
Sri Krishna Janmashtami, we are moving towards a divine advent that
was extraordinary in its nature-extraordinary in the sense that there
could not have been a more unimaginable set of negative factors all
combining together than when the Supreme Being, Adi Narayana, was born
as Bhagavan Sri Krishna. We cannot help wondering how and why such a
thing could come about, that the moment of Lord Krishna's advent was
a moment filled with everything undivine, everything tamasic and
rajasic, everything unspiritual and asuric.
On the other hand, it is said that at the time of the advent of Lord
Buddha, everything became auspicious and beautiful. Though it was not
the season for flowers to bloom, suddenly flower trees were full of
flowers, trees bereft of fruit became laden with fruit, lotuses bloomed
in the lakes. Waters of rivers that were muddy suddenly became crystal
clear, and everywhere cool breezes wafted the fragrance of the flowers.
Everything auspicious, everything beautiful, satyam, sivam, sundaram,
took place. Lord Rama, too, was born in a palace-wonderful, auspicious
surroundings.
Lord Krishna, however, was born in a set of circumstances most undivine,
most unspiritual, most negative. He was born in prison; both his father
and his mother were shackled to the walls, their hands chained. Their
cells were closed, cut off, barred and locked with cruel guards watching
them. It was midnight in the month of Sravana. It was pitch dark; the
sky was overcast and it was raining heavily. Thus everything that the
Bhagavad Gita says is inauspicious-night time, the dark half of the
month, the sun on its southward journey-were present.
Lord Krishna, thus, had everything inauspicious; but even in such a
set of absolutely inauspicious circumstances, there was ultimately a
glorious triumph for the Divine. All that stood in opposition, all the
asuric forces that time and again most determinedly tried to
put an end to this advent were overcome. And one feature here that is
noteworthy is that in spite of the most dire, inauspicious, unfavourable,
asuric, dark circumstances, which seemed hopeless, Devaki and
Vasudeva never lost faith.
They were absolutely certain that the divine advent would overcome
everything that stood against it. There was in their hearts parama
sraddha; there was in their hearts great visvasa, faith and
trust in the promise of the Divine. It was this that enabled them to
face all opposing circumstances and never lose faith. They had absolute
trust in God, which made them strive through all the difficult circumstances
and to ultimately have the blessedness of being liberated directly through
the hands of the Lord.
Perhaps this is an indication of how the spiritual seeker, the sadhaka,
the devotee, the aspiring soul has to be rooted in firm faith no
matter how adverse the circumstances, how dark the prospects may seem.
For, ultimately, if you persist in absolute faith, trust and devotion,
and carry out the divine injunctions to the letter, then triumph is
yours. You overcome all obstacles, become free and attain bhagavat
svarupa. Lord Krishna Himself came to the prison house, took away
their chains and made them free. This is the speciality of Krishna Avatara-extraordinary
from start to finish.
May that Supreme Lord, who was born in adverse circumstances, in the
dark of night under great danger and stress, who triumphed over all
and came and liberated his bound parents, may this Lord shower divine
grace and blessings upon you all and grant you success in your journey
from darkness to Light, from unreality to Reality, from death to Immortality.
This is my humble prayer. God bless you!
Loving adorations to the spiritual presence of worshipful and beloved
Gurudev Swami Sivanandaji who has graciously drawn us all together in
a serene, holy spiritual fellowship at this early morning hour in his
sacred samadhi Shrine Hall! May this guru kripa be upon you all!
I had reason and occasion to dwell upon the plain truth that as the
tangible fruit of his guru kripa, he has granted to all of us
this holy Ashram in Uttarakhand which is tapo bhumi-not bhogabhumi
but tapo bhumi. It is a place for samyama, for tapasya
and for titiksha (restraint, penance and endurance). As Mahatma
Gandhi put it, it is a place for simple living and high thinking.
But much more, it is a place on the right bank of Divine Mother Ganga
that provides an all-round, total facility for human unfoldment-physically,
mentally, intellectually, morally, ethically, spiritually-where all
the four Yogas are integrated. It is an Ashram offering facilities and
scope for the practice of nishkama-karma-yoga, bhakti yoga, dhyana
yoga, jnana yoga, japa yoga, sankirtan yoga and hatha yoga. It
is a place for the study of the Upanishads, the Gita and the Brahma
Sutras, for yama and niyama, and navavidha bhakti.
It is a place for tapasya, yoga abhyasa, vairagya, vichara, viveka
and for the development of shad-sampatti to support your
mumukshutva. It is a place for everything good, the like of which
is very difficult to find.
In such a place, if we do not utilise our time and life in the direction
that this place provides for, then we do a great injustice towards Gurudev,
his life-work and his kripa. And if we fail to recognise the
worth and value of his kripa, great will be our regret. Scriptures
take a very serious note of such a lapse.
Worse still, if in this place one behaves unspiritually, in an undivine
manner, contrary to the minimum requirements of the spiritual life,
then one is courting disaster, one is inviting much sorrow in the future.
There is a saying: "anyakshetre kritam papam, punyakshetre vinashyati;
punyakshetre kritam papam, vajralepo bhavishyati (Sin committed
at other places is destroyed in a holy place, but the sin committed
in a holy place becomes firmly attached)." That means that it cannot
be taken away, shed afterwards. It is a manner of speaking, a way of
stressing a point, of focussing our attention upon what should be done
and what should not be done.
Time should not be wasted-kalakshepo na kartavyah. It should
not be wasted because time is precious. We have not come here to spend
our time doing anything other than the practice of spiritual life-the
practice of vairagya, viveka and bhratritva (brotherhood),
the practice of tolerance, mutual goodwill, and paropakara (doing
good to others), the practice of Yoga, bhakti, Vedanta, Gita
jnana upadesa and Upanishad udbodhana (awakening by the
Upanishad). We have come here for that. This is a place meant for that.
And today of all days is a great day for making all good beginnings.
It is a day dedicated to Ganesa Who removes all obstacles on the path
of good undertakings. He is siddhidayaka (the bestower of success).
He gives success if you work in the right direction. And, therefore,
it is deemed to be a very auspicious day, a very appropriate day-just
like Vijaya Dasami-for making good beginnings. Where shall we begin?
We shall begin by stopping all activities of thought, word and deed
that are not good, all the activities of vyavahara that are not
good. They say read the Vedas daily and engage in actions that have
been laid down or declared in the Vedas as actions that are to be engaged
in-taduditam karma suanusthiyatam (we must act according to the
injunctions of the Vedas)-which means we must not act contrary to the
injunctions of the Vedas. It is already implied in the declaration.
Speak the truth means do not speak falsehood; it is implied. Practise
ahimsa means do not practice himsa; it is implied. Be
a vegetarian means do not eat meat or non-vegetarian food; it is implied.
Be a brahmachari means do not be a vyabhichari; it is
implied. Fast today means do not take food. It need not be told. It
is already implied; one contains the other.
Divine, godly qualities lead you towards liberation-daivi sampad
vimokshaya. And if the highest goal of life is moksha, then
we must not only practice daivi sampada which will help us to
obtain moksha, but we must also give up all asuri sampada,
because it says that asuri sampada leads to greater bondage.
Therefore we must not only cultivate daivi sampada but guardedly,
with alert vigilance, avoid the contrary. It is implied in it.
In his book Satsanga Lectures, Gurudev said: "Today I will tell
you of a simple path to God-realisation, three simple sadhanas that
will grant you liberation. The first sadhana is to eradicate
negative, unspiritual qualities and cultivate positive, spiritual qualities.
Secondly, constantly remember God in the midst of all vyavaharic
activities. And thirdly, dedicate all your activities at the Feet
of God." So, the first sadhana is to eradicate negative, undivine
qualities and cultivate positive, divine qualities.
Therefore, on this auspicious day of the worship of Lord Ganesa, the
remover of obstacles and the bestower of success, let us begin by eradicating
wrong qualities and cultivating sublime, noble, spiritual qualities
and divine virtues. In his "Universal Prayer" Gurudev says: "Fill our
hearts with divine virtues." If we pray to the Lord to do this, then
we must assist God by ourselves also trying to fill our heart with divine
virtues. Then He will help us and make it a success.
What quality to eradicate? What divine virtue to cultivate? The great
Holy Mother Saradamani Devi, the divine consort of Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna
Paramahamsadev of Dakshinesvar, giving advice said: "My dear child,
take away doshadrishti (looking at the faults of others), take
away this negative habit of picking upon the faults of others. Life
is too short; there is not enough time to remove our own faults. We
have so many faults that if we will start introspecting, trying to analyse
and recognise our own negative qualities, we will have a full time work
to do. Even a whole lifetime will not be sufficient to get rid of all
the faults that each one of us has. So, if instead of doing your own
house cleaning, you start picking on the faults of others, you will
remain what you are."
Perhaps it may be worse still, because if you focus on negative things,
on the defects of others, trying to pick holes in their svabhava
(nature) instead of focussing upon God, your ishta devata or
guru charana (the feet of the Guru), then you are doing a great
injustice to yourself, an injustice to God, an injustice to Gurudev
and an injustice to this wonderful Ashram that he has created for you
and offered to you as his parting gift, complete with all the facilities
required for self-unfoldment. You ignore all this and make your vision
low-down by dwelling upon the defects of others. This is a still greater
blunder.
And it is also a very serious thing. God is offering you facilities
for becoming divine and you are ignoring that and focussing upon things
which are unnecessary for you, which waste your life and create negative
samskaras within you. It will retard your spiritual progress.
Your sadhana will go down the drain because it is one of the
chhidras through which spirituality can go away.
That which you focus upon, that you become. If you think upon silly,
negative qualities of others instead of improving yourself, you draw
upon yourself negative qualities. You make your drishti alpa (vision
petty) instead of making it mahat (lofty, great). It is a great
blunder.
And so Holy Mother Saradamani Devi said: "Better start by minding your
own spiritual welfare. It is too important to be neglected by thinking
of other things. Mind your highest good. Be mindful of your own supreme
welfare, for which a human birth has been bestowed upon you. Do not
divert your mind here and there in petty things. Life is short; time
flies away. Before you know it, the time of departure will come. If
you have made a mess of your life by allowing your mind to be diverted
to miscellaneous, unnecessary things, then you will regret bitterly,
you will weep bitterly."
Therefore, save yourself from such a fate. Be sincere and serious.
Let your entire mind, heart, thought and intellect be focussed upon
God and the sadhana for which you have come into this sacred
Uttarkhand. Be not be a "Nosey Parker," do not poke your nose into affairs
that are of no concern to you or your spiritual life. Some people cannot
remain without doing this and thus creating trouble. What is still worse,
they have a warped sense of enjoyment and even enjoy creating trouble.
It is a spiritual blunder of the first magnitude. It is a great harm
that you are doing to yourself and your spiritual life, quite apart
from the himsa that you may cause in the minds of other people
or the agitation that you may cause in their hearts. The harm that you
are doing to yourself is tenfold.
Therefore, today, on this sacred Vinayaka Chaturthi day, why not take
a cue from the blessed Holy Mother Saradamani Devi and say, "O Lord,
I have been made to see. Until now I did not realise that this was an
obstacle, because it has become part of my own nature, svabhava.
I must change this habit of mind, change my second nature and be
established in my essential divine nature. Therefore, from today I will
begin by not finding fault with anyone; I will not allow my mind to
be diverted away from the central purpose of my human existence. I must
not succumb to this old, inveterate habit of the mind. Henceforward
I shall not commit this blunder. I shall not allow maya to direct
my mind to anything that is not part of my spiritual evolution. O Lord,
help me in this task."
Therefore, every day you must awaken yourself and be concerned with
the main purpose of your life, with the centred objective with which
you have come here and the reason why Gurudev brought into being this
sadhana kshetra, this great facility for Yoga Vedanta, for spiritual
unfoldment, for the attaining of divine perfection and fulfilling the
purpose of life. May Lord Ganesa help you and remove all obstacles in
your way!
Radiant Immortal Atman! We were speaking of preparing to receive the
Most High. Presently the entire Ashram is engaged in a face-lifting-cleaning,
scrubbing, painting-in order to receive an important secular dignity.
How much more, a hundredfold, a thousandfold, should be a similar housecleaning
and preparation within the personality of the spiritual seeker, of the
sadhaka, of the Yogi, in order to prepare for the advent of the
Supreme Being, the Cosmic Spirit, the Universal Soul, paramatman,
into one's own life!
What does this preparation mean? What does it imply? The preparation
means and implies becoming in our own being a replica or the likeness
of that Supreme Being whom we wish to receive, experience, enter into,
and become established in. When a secular dignitary, a President, comes,
we try to duplicate the conditions to which his high status has accustomed
him. We give him the best building, make it spic and span. We change
the furniture; we roll out the red carpet. We may not be able to exactly
duplicate, either in scale or quality, what he has been accustomed to;
nevertheless, we go out of ourselves to bring the very best we have.
That is what we can do.
Similarly, the human individual soul should rise to the ultimate height
it is capable of. It says: "This is the best I can do, O Lord. I shall
try to shine with divinity to the limit of my capacity. I shall try
to make myself spiritual in every respect to the limit of my capacity."
That is what the Srimad Bhagavad Gita admonishes: Eradicate asuric
qualities and cultivate, develop and manifest divine qualities.
Try to be as much like God as it is possible for you to be within the
limits of your own capacity. Each one has a ceiling limit. And God only
expects each one of us to do our ultimate best-and leave it in His hands.
But if we do not try to do our ultimate best-if we fail to do our Ultimate
best-then we fail. We do not answer the requirements; we do not rise
up to the expectation. We are not perfect in Yoga; we do not display
karmasu kausalam (skill in action). If we do not put forth what
is expected of us, what is within our capacity, then we fail to meet
the requirement.
God does not expect us to become a Ramakrishna Paramahamsadeva. God
does not expect us to become a Chaitanya Gauranga Mahaprabhu, a Mirabai,
a Prahalada, a Dhruva, a Markandeya or a Bhagiratha. But He does expect
us to try our best to approximate them within our own self, within the
limits of our own capacity.
We may not become a Ramana Maharshi. But we may try to grow in the
qualities that made him what he was. We may not be in a position to
have the self-sacrifice of a Ravana who cut off his head and sacrificed
it to Lord Siva, but we must grow in self-sacrifice and self-denial.
We may not become a St. Francis of Assisi, but we may try to emulate.
This is what is expected of each one of us. Having lived before us,
they have left footprints on the sands of time. Therefore, try to emulate!
We may not be able to duplicate them in scale and quality, but we can
try to emulate.
That is the very meaning of idealism. We keep a lofty ideal and try
to emulate that ideal. Try to be as non-violent as Mahatma Gandhi. Try
to be as abstemious as Vinoba Bhave. Try to be as brave as Mira. Try
to be as patient as others who waited and prayed, who waited long
and prayed. Trying to be like an ideal we set before us is the hallmark
of a sadhaka and a seeker: "Lives of great men oft remind us
that we can make our lives sublime."
Never lower your ideal. Even if you cannot approximate it in every
way, do not lower your ideal. Say: "I shall try my best," but do not
lower your ideal. Do not compromise; do not dilute your spirituality.
Aim for the stars. Swami Krishnanandaji used to say: "It is better
to aim at a lion and miss it than to aim at a jackal and hit it," Try
to become like God. Try to walk the earth like Gods. Do not dilute your
spirituality. That is what idealism means-trying to become as brave
as Bose, trying to become as self-sacrificing as Florence Nightingale,
trying to become as truthful as Harischandra.
Try to be as non-violent as Gandhi. Try to become as patient as Buddha.
Try to be as compassionate as Christ. In this way, you may then become
something. At least you can become the best of what you are capable
of becoming. And that is not a mean achievement; that is not an ordinary
thing. If you are a diamond, shine like the best diamond. If you are
a ruby, shine like the best ruby. If you are an emerald, shine like
the best emerald. An emerald is not expected to shine like a diamond.
A ruby may not be like an emerald, but it can be a best ruby. In the
same way, be a tyagi, be a virakta, be a Yogi, be a bhakta,
be a jnani, be a viveki, be a vicharasila, be
a self-controlled being, be a samyami.
We expect in God peace. We expect in God harmony, where all things
meet together and are balanced, where there is perfect silence. And
there is great beauty in that harmony and silence. There is peace, and
where there is peace there is joy. Try to be all this. Try to have a
harmonious nature; try to harmonise with others. Try to harmonise with
life around you; try to harmonise with conditions.
"If I go on harmonising with others, if I adapt, adjust, accommodate,
where will I be? I will become a cipher." That is exactly what Vedanta
wants you to be. Vedanta wants you to disappear. It wants you to reduce
yourself to a cipher, become a nothing. That is the highest good. Losing
yourself, you gain the whole universe. You gain the All. Holding on
to yourself, you lose everything-he who gives up his life will attain
everlasting life; he who clings to his life will enter into spiritual
death.
That is the paradox of spiritual life. Those who want to cling to the
life of this little "I", they enter into spiritual death. Those who
die to the little "I", they inherit everlasting life. Therefore, Sri
Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said: "Lesser than a blade of grass, more
forbearing than a tree"-more forbearing than a tree which bears heat,
cold, rain, sun, dust, grime, everything, and yet continues to give
shade, flowers, fruits, itself. It bears everything and yet goes on
giving of its abundance. It gives to those who tend it, and it also
gives to those who take an axe to it and cut off its branches or even
lay an axe to its roots. Till the very end it continues to give. "Blessed
are the meek, the humble in spirit, for they shall inherit the Kingdom
of Heaven." What you keep you lose. What you renounce, you get.
A poet has said: "He who has renounced desire, who wants nothing, is
an emperor of emperors." Gurudev was such an Emperor of emperors. We
saw in him the forbearing nature referred to by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
We saw in him the humility of something "lesser than a blade of grass."
We saw him literally fulfil the third quarter, amanina manadena,
ever rejoicing in giving respect and reverence to others. Thus it
is that one tries to approximate in spirituality, in divinity, in godly
qualities, that nature which we attribute to God.
Lord Krishna washed the feet of the sages and the august guests who
came to attend the rajasuya yajna of Yudhishthira. He also acted
as an ordinary chariot driver for His own disciple Arjuna. And being
a chariot driver meant that at the end of the day you had to wash the
horses down and cleanse their wounds. And He performed this function
publicly within the gaze of thousands of army men, who may have smiled
in derision, made fun of Him. He did not mind, and it was not just a
passing incident. He worked as a driver of the chariot for 18 days,
from sunrise to sunset.
Lord Krishna also washed the feet of His poverty-stricken boyhood schoolmate
and friend whose wife had compelled him to go to Krishna: "If you don't
want to go for yourself, go for your starving family. He is a king,
He is rich, He can give you anything that you want." Clad in rags, poor,
humble, penniless, famished, he approaches the palace. When Lord Krishna
hears that he has come, He rushes out to greet him. He doesn't send
a servant, but He Himself receives him, takes him by the hand and offers
him His own personal seat and takes a lesser seat.
How easily we tend to forget these well-known but little remembered
incidents. They are of the very essence in the spiritual quest, in the
spiritual life. They may not be meant for the generality of readers
or devotees, but they are specially meant for sadhakas. Jesus
said: "Love one another even as I loved you... Greater love hath no
man than he lay down his life for his friend." And He demonstrated it
by giving His life. He said: "Love God and love your neighbour as you
love yourself." Chaitanya Mahaprabhu demonstrated such God-nature.
Overnight one does not become a God. Growing into God-nature is not
a miracle; it is not a revolution. In rare, exceptional cases-one in
million-it may be; otherwise, it is an evolutionary process, slow, steady,
by day and by night, even as the petals of a flower-bud gradually unfold
in the silence of the night, unfelt, unobserved, unseen by man. One
grows into divinity over a period of time through patient effort, unremitting,
persevering effort, through sincerity and earnestness, through longing,
through deep yearning for it, through much prayer and supplication at
the feet of God.
Vigilant among the heedless, wakeful among the slumbering, diligent
among the indolent, ever actively striving, climbing up step by step
among the lethargic and the lazy who rest by the wayside, the Yogi,
the sadhaka and the devotee of God make their life fruitful in
attainment. That is called sadhana. That is called spiritual
life.
And you start where you are. Harmonise with your own spiritual family
amongst whom God has ordained that you must live for your evolution.
The conditions that God has given you are the very best for you. He
knows best; and, therefore, He has given you what is your necessity.
This is a truth that has to be recognised, and it requires humility
to recognise the truth that God is right. "I may be wrong, I may not
understand, but God knows. And if He wants to change it, He knows how
to." We need not be anxious that God may forget or that He may make
a mistake.
Thus, make use of the conditions He has given you. Harmonise with your
own environment. Harmonise and cultivate love for the beings amongst
whom, in His infinite wisdom, love and justice, He has placed you. If
He wanted to do something else, He has the power in Him to do it. For
He is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. One does not have to invite
Him: "Look here, I am in a situation. Please come and take care of it!"
There is no coming for God. He is in the middle of the situation already.
You may call out to Him, but you don't have to invite Him. He is already
there.
Therefore, in every factor that constitutes your present here and now
situation, start exercising loving kindness, patience, forbearance,
tolerance, harmony, prayerfulness and a keen appreciation of that which
you have. These are the ingredients of victory, of conquest, of overcoming,
of spiritual strength. Then more shall be given. To him who hath more
shall be given. For he has recognised the worth of what he has and has
started to enrich himself thereby. Then God says: "Yes, yes, he has
understood its worth. Let Me give more." And you will be filled until
you overflow.
This servant of the master does not say all these things. It has been
stated. Therefore, he brings you the wisdom of the ages that belongs
to you, which you have inherited as a child of the twentieth century.
What is yours is being brought to you. For often we ignore, we fail
to focus upon what we have. We forget, we neglect, we bypass. It needs
to be restored to your life's central-place once again. Therefore, that
is what is being done by the will of the Lord morning after morning.
You are getting what belongs to you, that which you have perhaps forgotten
or have failed to recognise the value of.
Thus it is that God makes Himself and His love manifest in your life.
This you must recognise. Knowledge is God's love. Trials and tribulations
are God's love. Scope for evolution is God's love. Facilities for spiritual
progress is God's love. Life on the bank of Ganga is God's love. Life
in Sivananda Ashram is God's love. Life with the possibility of practising
Yoga and Vedanta and karma yoga and meditation is God's love,
His abundant love, His great love. It is His wealth also.
The chance to utter His Name is God's love. And more than anything
else, spiritual fellowship with fellow sadhakas and devotees,
such as you are at this moment experiencing, is God's great love. Is
it ordinary to be put in the company of spiritual people, seekers, sadhakas,
Yogis, devotees of the Lord, lovers of righteousness, and people
with idealism and sattvic tendencies? It is heaven on earth.
It is a gift of God. It is His abundant love being showered upon you.
I close by saying: "He that hath ears, let him hear. He that hath eyes,
let him see. Seek and you will find." God bless you all! He has already
blessed you. May He bless you to recognise His blessings. May He bless
you to feel the abundance of His love and blessings enveloping you from
all sides. God bless you to know how richly endowed you are and enable
you to recognise these endowments, to rejoice in them, and to put them
to the very highest and best use!
